The House

So yesterday was the inspection of the house we put an offer on. A few big things came up - like the fact that it needs a new roof and that there's a major gas leak in the basement! But we were at least glad to know that it has a sturdy foundation and is a solid place. Today we sent our inspection objections to the seller, and now we have to wait and see what concessions she's willing to give. Hopefully she's willing to bargain.

While I was there I took a few pictures. I'm only going to bother posting the exterior shots because the interior is so pitifully cluttered by the current tenants' crap you can't even see the house behind it. But I think it'll be a good place. It's 2 bedrooms and 1 bath upstairs with wood floors, about 950 sf. It also has an oversized laundry room and two exterior storage units. The basement is 2 more bedrooms, a large living area and a smaller kitchen and bath, about 800 sf. It has tons of storage - linen closet, hall closet, pantry, and good closets in all the bedrooms. It has a large backyard (plenty of room for a swing set) and two covered parking spaces. It's in a great location - from there we can walk to the gym, the park, the library, the yarn store, yoga, two grocery stores, and lots of restaurants & bars. It is by far less expensive than any other duplex in comparable condition in this neighborhood. I mean, waaaay cheaper.



We like it because it'll give us the flexibility of having quite a bit of room with the baby and Jen & Micah and working from home, but it also has a built-in contingency plan. If anything drastic happened to us financially, we could always retract to 1 unit and rent out the other. Which hopefully will not happen. And then some day down the road it will serve as 2 more rental units for us when we decide to move into a more glamorous place. :)

Once we get a few must-do repairs out of the way, the next order of business will to cuten it up a little. Maybe some shutters in the front, definitely some paint and landscaping. It certainly has lots of room for improvement in the curb appeal department, but that's always the fun part of making a place your own.

Another healthy checkup

We had our Week 31 checkup with the midwife today. Everything's looking good. My blood pressure is still nice and low, baby's heart is beating at a good rate, and my weight gain isn't too crazy. I've already gained 25 lbs. so far! The target gain is 25-35 lbs. for someone with my starting BMI, so my guess is I'll be on the upper end of the target range. They say between now and the end you pretty much gain a pound a week. That might explain why I feel and sound like an elephant clomping around the house. The whole floor seems to shake at my every step.

I got one piece of very happy news. The baby has turned, so she is in position for birth. I'm proud of the little darlin for being so on top of things! There's no guarantee she'll stay put between now and showtime, but somehow it puts my mind at ease. If you're baby is breech they pressure you big time to get a C-section, and I would really like to avoid that.

The midwife shared with us another interesting tidbit. She said first babies tend to be late, especially in moms whose normal cycles are longer than 28 days. (I have very long cycles.) She said don't circle your due date on the calendar and think that's when baby will show herself; pretty much add two weeks to your due date. We'll just have to wait and see.

If she is a little later, that might give us a chance to get settled in a new house before she comes. The seller of the duplex we put an offer on accepted our offer! We go Thursday for the inspection, and I plan to take some pictures then. I warn you, it ain't much to look at right now. But it has good possibilities.

Oh and the other nice thing that happened at my visit today was the midwife gave the birth plan I wrote 2 thumbs up. What, praytell, is a birth plan you ask? They're all the rage these days; it gives control freak first time parents like us a chance to put our two cents in with the medical staff before they come after you with the pitocin and the forceps. Birth plans are supposed to convey your wishes for the birth; they have, however, developed kind of a sour reputation among many medical people who get tired of hearing "don't do this" and "don't do that." I tried to write a plan that conveyed our preferences while at the same time acknowledging the expertise of the medical staff. I'm just glad our midwife liked it!

Weekend Roundup

Ah, what a nice weekend we've had. Friday night our friend Amanda invited us to go up to her mom's condo in Winter Park. Saturday Arwen snowboarded with her and some of her buds all day - "shredding the gnar" as the kids around here say - while I hung out with her mom Ruth and her mom's friend Judy. Ruth and Judy had planned a nice quiet weekend of knitting, reading and taking in the mountain views, which was just what the doctor ordered for me. It's kind of funny to hang out with people that are quite a bit older than yourself and think, "This is just my speed!" I even managed to squeeze in a much-overdue nap.

Arwen returned from a productive day on the slopes sore and exhausted. At my prodding we went down to enjoy the condo's hot tub and pool. Don't worry Dear Reader, I only dangled my legs in the hot tub. (Hot tubs are banned during pregnancy.) Mostly I swam in the heated pool. It was so nice. And yes, I found myself far more buoyant than normal.

It was my first time to go for a swim since getting pregnant, partly because I never managed to procure a proper maternity swimsuit for myself. We have a nice heated pool just down the street from us at our gym, but I've felt a little funny about baring the belly for all to see in my bikini. That swim was so nice though - and it's one of the few things on the approved list of physical activity - that I have resolved to put modesty aside and go for a dip regularly.

Let's see... what else. Oh yes, I finished a cute little hat & bootie set for my new friend Molly, who is due 5 weeks before me. And I started in on a blanket for Roan. You can't tell from the picture, but it's incredibly soft. I also have a hat going for Arwen, but since we're down to only 9 weeks left it's time to switch it into high gear on the knitting for baby.

I also baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies this afternoon, in an attempt to satisfy my neverending craving for chocolate. And then while Arwen put together Roan's car seat and looked over its instruction booklet, I dug all the baby boxes out of our closet to put into them the gifts we've received over the past month or so. And tonight I plan to tackle the Baby Book.

Oh... I forgot the most important thing about this weekend. It looks like we may be getting a house! I hate to get too far ahead of myself, but we put in an offer and the seller actually countered! We countered again and hope to end up somewhere in the middle. If we actually end up getting it, I'll post some pictures. It doesn't have the gingerbread charm I was hoping for. Far from it - it's a square, flat looking ranch style. But it is also a duplex on a good sized lot in a perfect location with ample parking and a sturdy foundation. We plan to live in the whole thing - 2 br/1 ba upstairs and the same thing down. It'll be handy to have 2 kitchens. My sister & Micah are moving out here soon, so it'll be nice to be able to give them a place to stay until they're ready to get their own place. And then someday when we're ready to move into that wonderful gingerbread, we'll have 2 more rental units.

The only bummer is that even if all goes as planned, we probably won't be able to move in until after the baby comes. We have to give the tenants 30 days to vacate, and then at that point we still have some renovations to do. But that's alright. It'll just be nice to have a home again.

Week 30 photo

Thought you guys might want to see the latest belly pic. I'm really getting huge now, and loving it! Not feeling overly achey these days, even with all the added girth. I wake up most mornings with a stiff back and sore hips, but a few stretches and a hot shower take care of that. I feel lucky - I think I've had a pretty easy pregnancy so far.

I don't know what got into Roan last night, but she was kicking up a storm! This morning she seems to be sleeping in, but last night she was either disco dancing or doing aerobics. Sometimes it seemed like she was beating on my belly like a drum. Other times there would be this ocean-like wave across my belly. Wish I could've seen what she was up to in there!

Time for a poll

We're overdue for a poll dontcha think?

I've been thinking about getting my hair cut, and thinking about going for more than my usual trim. I've enjoyed having long hair for the last few years, but I'm starting to think that it may not be the most practical choice for after the baby comes. It takes a long time to dry and - when I get really industrious - fix. It also requires a lot of brushing or else it gets dreadfully tangled.

I'm thinking that rather than go months looking like a haggard new mom who hasn't had a chance to look in the mirror much less work on her coiffure, perhaps I'd be better served with a "wash 'n go" type hairstyle. Those of you who remember when I shaved my head know I'm not scared of making radical changes hair-wise. But my hair's been the same for so long I'm sort of at a loss for what to do with it. I'm leaning towards something shoulder length and layered, but maybe that's not realistic. Perhaps I should go back to something more pixie-ish.

Obviously I need some help here. Which is why I'm calling on you, Dear Reader. I thought it'd be cool to try out one of those virtual hairstyle web sites to figure out my new 'do. As you can see below, that proved to be an exercise in humor more than anything else. But I thought you might get a kick out of some of these...

How should I get my hair cut?
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Week 29... again

Arwen & I are spending a long weekend in Breckenridge. Not only did he want to get some more snowboarding in, but it's also time for Ullr (oo-lur) Fest, Breck's homage to the Norse god of snow. There's a parade down main street in which some people wear little more than viking horns and fur bikinis in 10* weather. It's pretty cool! Here's a web site.

I am actually working today and tomorrow, but I'm not complaining. I've got a beautiful view out the window of snow, pine and aspen trees. This whole working from home thing defintely has big benefits.

Oh so I should mention that contrary to past reports I am merely 29 weeks along not 30. I briefly lost control of the facts when I threw out my '06 calander. So as of this coming Sunday, we still have 10 weeks to go.

In the past few weeks I've noticed that I've gone from feeling completely terrified of birth to feeling ready for it, and even looking forward to it. Just a few more weeks and we get to meet our little peanut live and in person. I've been feeling strong and healthy and prepared. Reading books and taking classes has helped, as have the group midwife visits. I'm reading a really good book on birth right now by Ina Mae Gaskin, a now famous midwife who helped deliver thousands of babies on The Farm, a well known commune in Tennessee.

Even though I've been feeling good and strong, I am noticing - well really *Arwen* has been noticing - that my emotions are running higher again. Often when I open my mouth the "nice filter" that softens what I'm about to say has been removed, so I have been rather blunt lately. Maybe the hormones that prepare you psychologically to feel strong for birth turn you into a lioness all-around. I hope I can find a way to stay soft & sweet with my honey and yet still feel strong for birth.

Arwen has been wonderful lately. He is so protective, not wanting me to drive on the ice, cautioning me to watch my step going up and down stairs. At our birthing classes, he has been conscientiously taking notes and making lists. The Bradley classes are doing a good job of explaining all that he can do to help throughout the birthing process - and I know I will need him every step of the way. Things like what to feed me at what stages of labor, how to time my contractions, when to drive me to the hospital, and my personal favorite: how to rub my back!

The baby is kicking a lot more. She is amazingly strong. She also seems to have a personality already. When we try to feel around to locate her head or hands or feet, she usually moves away from us, as if to express her independence. Even still, Arwen distinctly felt her head and her hand a couple days ago. (He was pretty impressed with himself, and so was I!) Last night was the first time she kicked so much and so hard that I found it difficult to fall asleep. Her strong kicks have a strangely calming effect on me. I don't feel worried anymore about something going wrong. She seems so determined to be here in the big bright world.

Guess What: We Live in Frigging Antarctica

When we first moved to Denver we were puzzled by how often people from back home in Texas would ask us "How cold is it there?" "Are you buried in snow yet?" and other such questions. We puzzled at what the heck they were talking about as we relished in the many bright sunny days and the cool crisp weather. We laughed to each other, "What do they think this is, Antarctica?!"

Oh the error of our ways.

Oh sure, the first few snows we got melted off the very next day in the beautiful Colorado sunshine. But things started to change around Thanksgiving. When we returned from our Turkey Day road trip to Houston, we arrived in Denver in the middle of a blizzard. Three weeks later we found ourselves in the midst of another blizzard - this one being the doozy that everyone heard about in the news. A week after that, you got it, another blizzard. And this morning, we woke up to another snowstorm, this time getting about 8 inches!

Everyone we know who lives here says "This never happens!" And from the City's response to cleaning up all the snow, you would really think they're right. Roads haven't been plowed, sidewalks are icy and dangerous, there's a run on milk and bread, and hungry cows are stranded all over the state. People around here are in complete denial of the severity of the situation. When we were looking for a place to live here, one of the things I considered a "must have" because of the snow was covered parking. But so many local Denverites assured us, oh no, it almost never snows here. So we didn't bother with the covered parking. And wouldn't you know it, this winter we find ourselves out there sweeping a foot of snow off the car every time we turn around.

Truth be told though, we love the snow. It is so much nicer than the frequent rain we got in Houston. It's nice the way it brings a hush over the city and slows life down. It makes the whole city look sparkly and magical. It's lots of fun to snowshoe in. Arwen especially loves the cold, and I think just as much he loves having an excuse to be a homebody.

But we couldn't help laughing today as we were running errands, scuttling around like penguins on an iceberg. Arwen just blurted out, "Oh my gawd, we DO live in Antarctica!!"

What's New

Boy I'm getting sloppy about posting the "weekly" belly shots. This one is from this past Monday. I think we're 29 weeks now... We're really getting there! I am still feeling good and staying active for the most part. Although all the snow and ice on the ground has discouraged me for getting out and taking my walks. Don't think I mentioned it, but I had a little whoopsee the other day. We went out to try our new snowshoes out (super cool dude!) and one minute I was standing there and the next minute I was on my rear. It stung my pride more than anything - didn't come close at all to bumping the belly. But ever since then I've taken more care on the ice, Arwen points out every remotely slippery patch, and I've been known to take a walking stick with me.

I must say the City of Denver has not exactly done a stellar job of removing the snow and ice. All the major streets are clear, but most of the neighborhood streets require 4 wheel drive to navigate, and it's so bumpy it's rather unpleasant. Plus not all the sidewalks have been cleared, and even where they are clear there are big piles of snow at the curbs so crossing the street is a bit of an event. I'll admit that we haven't done our part either. I did shovel the front and back walk after the first snowstorm (and was mighty proud of myself!) but didn't bother with the last snow. Now that's partially melted and refrozen so it's pretty treacherous for our poor mailman, and I think the forecast is calling for more white stuff tomorrow or friday.

Anyway, like I said the cold and snow has not exactly been conducive to taking nice strolls through the park. So yesterday Arwen and I went to the gym to try to get back into our regular routine. For me it seemed a little pathetic. I felt I was really pushing myself just to do 20 minutes on the bike and 30 minutes walking on the treadmill. It's funny. I've seen a gradual decline in my ability to be active over the past month or so. A few weeks back I went snowshoeing up and down hills for 2 hours and didn't break a sweat. Compare that to last weekend when I could barely make it across the park and back without taking a million breaks.

Breathing has definitely gotten to be more difficult. Sometimes I find myself out of breath just from walking across our little apartment or even - if you can believe it - standing still! There have been times I've just been sitting here on the couch and suddenly feel like I need to catch my breath. It's an odd thing, but seems pretty common for at this point in pregnancy. More and more, baby encroaches on your diaphragm and lungs.

She has also been making her presence known more often and more forcefully. I'm not to the point yet where she's waking me up in the middle of the night, but it is beginning to feel a bit like that scene from Alien where the creature makes it's debut. An active baby is a healthy baby, and it always makes me smile to feel her moving.

Happy 2007!

What a year it's been. Arwen and I catalogued our favorite moments of 2006 over two big plates of food at our new favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant. This year Arwen learned how to snowboard, we moved to the greatest city on the planet, we finally got knocked up after 2 years of trying, and he finally gave himself permission to make a change in his career for quality of life.

And we have so much to look forward to in the coming year. Micah and Jen will be joining us here in Denver, we will (hopefully!) be buying a house, we will cross over the threshold into parenthood together, and there will be a special new person in our lives. It doesn't get much better than that.

I love the coming of the New Year because it always makes me pause to appreciate what's come to pass and what lies ahead. It makes me take stock of where I'm at and where I want to go. Both Arwen and I are filled right now with a sense of contentment and optimism and security about where we are. Life is good right now. There is the sense that all hell may break loose in a little less than 3 months, and that is just perfectly ok. For everything there is a season. Now is a time of happy calm, come what may in the future.

May the coming year bring you much joy and many new beginnings.

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. We did! Josefa & Charles arrived in town Saturday evening, so Sunday (Christmas Eve) Charles & I went out early to do the Christmas dinner shopping and then that afternoon, Arwen, Josefa & I went out on The Epic Adventure to Find the Last Christmas Tree in Denver. I had no idea that every store in town would actually sell out of trees by Christmas Eve. It seems like in Houston there are always zillions of trees left over at the last minute. It was looking pretty discouraging, but we perservered and finally succeeded at good ol' Home Depot. We got out of there with a tree AND a stand for $16!

So we spent Christmas Eve drinking cocoa, stringing the tree with cranberries and popcorn, and listening to Christmas carols. Then Christmas day we opened presents, took a walk on the snowy streets of downtown, came home and ate a wonderful turkey dinner, a la Charles. We got a couple of cute things for Roan - a tiny dress with ladybugs on it, and a matching hat and coat (Arwen is wearing the hat). Oh and I forgot to mention the snowwoman Arwen and Josefa worked on together. She has a fully scuplted face, a full bosom, and flexing deltoids. I'll post a photo.

Babywise, things are going well. The peanut keeps growing - and of course so do I. We are in Week 27 now, officially the Third Trimester! As you can see from this week's belly photo, we have relocated her adorable rocking bassinette to our bedroom. This was a hand-me-down from my cousin Ashley, whose beautiful daughter Kayleigh is about 9 months old now. It rocks, vibrates, plays music and has a mobile. It even has a remote control! I think it will keep Roan very happy.

Snow Day

Wowee! This city has really come to a standstill in the face of this storm. The Governor has declared a state of emergency, snowplows may not reach some areas for two days, the airport is closed till Friday, bus and light rail service has completely stopped, all schools and Post Offices are closed, the malls are closed, mail and newspaper delivery have been suspended, and the local hockey and basketball teams have postponed their games!

Our front yard is totally inundated in 2-3 feet of snow in some places.


The backyard is completely unrecognizable. You'd never guesss there's a set of wrought iron patio furniture under there. And check out how deeply our car is buried (last photo)!


We don't have a TV and we haven't turned on the radio lately, so all this was kind of news to us, even though we live here. It was only once we started getting phone calls from friends and family that we actually bothered to check the news and get the scoop.

This is the first time in recent memory (going back at least 10 years) that chain laws have been in effect for Metro Denver. That means you're not allowed to be on the road unless you have 4-wheel drive or chains on your tires - a rule that usually only applies in the mountains.

The streets are totally quiet, pristine and white. The air is cool and crisp. The snow has stopped blowing, so now we can go outside and enjoy the magic. The city is hosting sledding parties at 4 parks around town and handing out free hot cocoa! What a cool city!

It's the snowstorm's fault

In case you haven't heard, Colorado has been hit by a big snowstorm. It started yesterday in the wee hours of the morning, and it's supposed to keep on dumping till this afternoon. The city of Denver is supposed to get at least 12 inches - which, according to my friend Amanda who has been here a while - only happens every 3 years or so. So the city has been turned into a Winter Wonderland just in time for Charles & Josefa's visit!

As magical and beautiful as it is though, the snowstorm has thwarted the sending off of our Christmas gifts (I actually got them made!!). After spending hours wrapping, packaging and addressing them all, I braved the blizzard yesterday afternoon only to find the Post Office closed! So much for "neither rain nor sleet nor SNOW nor hail..." Oh well, what could I do but laugh. So our apologies to anyone getting a package from us - they most likely won't be there on time.

In other news, on Monday I had an appointment with one of the midwives. Everything seems to be going well. She actually referred to me as looking "petite," which totally threw me for a loop. Not that I have a complex about getting bigger - I keep telling Roan how cute she is in there.

Well everything has been going well except for one thing. On two different occassions I have almost fainted. I talked to the midwife about it and she feels it was probably a combination of low bloodsugar, low bloodpressure, being out of breath, and going from the cold outdoors into an overly warm room. Both times - once at home and once at Target - I just sat down and waited for the spots to clear from my vision and my hearing to come back.

The midwife said that actually fainting isn't so much of a concern; it's more what you hit on the way down. She said to just keep an eye on my eating - make sure not to go for my dog walks or head out to go shopping without a snack, and I can keep exercising, going for walks, doing yoga and generally causing trouble. So that's good.

I will try and post some pictures of this epic snowstorm soon! Love to all.

She's a Freak, Ow

Ever have one of those days where you take one look at all the stuff that keeps piling up on your To Do list and have a minor Freak Out? The holidays can be for so many of us poor fools not only the Season of Lights but also Freak Out Season. I dunno, maybe it would've helped to have glanced at a calendar sometime *before* mid December. I literally just discovered today that this weekend is the last one - aaaagh!! - before Christmas. In my defense, only yesterday did I finally dig myself out of the enormous mountain of baby shower thank you notes that I was buried under. I emerged feeling a gratifying sense of accomplishment for mere milliseconds before being inundated by all that remains to be done.

So not only is it the dreaded Last Weekend Before Christmas - and I have not even *started* on what I hope(d?) would be lovely and thoughtful - though modest - handmade gifts for my beloved diaspora of friends and family... but I also have a major code release to get out for a very important client, which may have me working over the weekend... and Arwen is hell bent on going snowboarding this weekend.

Not that I'm complaining. I'm not! I am determined to march into the New Year with a big fat happy face on. I am making a Girl Scout Pledge not to let getting ready for the holidays ruin the holidays. That would be stupid. Whatever gets done, great, and whatever doesn't, oh well.

Screwing up Christmas is one thing; screwing up your motherly duties is on a whole different level as far as panic and guilt factor goes. Monday I suddenly vividly recalled a conversation I'd had a week earlier with another March '07 mom in which she said, "You haven't signed up for birthing classes yet? I did weeks ago and they were almost booked up then!" Greeeaaat. Yet another thing I'd failed to do. I still hadn't finished researching what classes to take or where - but I realized with horror that the birthing method I was most interested in, the Bradley Method, requires 12 whole weeks of classes... and there aren't much more than 12 weeks left in this entire pregnancy! (We are at Week 25, btw, which means only 15 weeks to go!!!)

All's well that ends well though. We found a Bradley instructor who teaches downtown - which is convenient for us - and has a class that just started. We missed the first couple, but she will give us a makeup class. She sounds really nice. I'm excited to get started. I don't know anyone who's taken the Bradley classes, but they sound great. They emphasize natural childbirth, trusting your body, and the importance of the dad's role as coach. Arwen has said that a lot of times he's felt like dads are just left out of the picture of this whole pregnancy thing. Apparently Dr. Bradley, the guy who came up with the Bradley method, was one of the first obstetricians decades ago to extol the virtues of having fathers present in the delivery room. I think his "Husband-Coached Childbirth" philosophy will be a good one for Team Vaughan. They also encourage a number of other things we agree with: good nutrition, breastfeeding, and continuous contact between baby and mother after birth. You can read more here: http://www.bradleybirth.com/WhyBradley.aspx

Family portraits

While we were in Houston we were lucky enough to get in front of Beryl's camera. We wanted to show off the peanut bump without going totally nude (not my thing). Actually at one point we tried to get Arwen to take his shirt off but he demurred saying, "I will have no part in pornography!" Not as the subject anyway, heh heh. Anyhoo, we are just thrilled with how they came out - there are some pretty good ones in there I think.

You can see the whole gallery online here: www.pictage.com . Search for the event "arwen and heather" in November 2006 and then when prompted enter the event key "Roan". You should see a gallery of about 60 photos.

So what's new... I don't know. I keep thinking I don't have anything new and interesting to say. But here's what's on my mind lately. Every time I walk in front of a mirror and see the day's new crop of zits I think "aarrgggh." But very time I walk in front of a mirror and see the growing bump I smile and think "aw Roan, look how cute we're getting." (We're thinking of naming her Roan, for Roan Mountain in North Carolina.)

I've had a few good baby dreams lately. I dreamt we went to the Dr's office and they gave us permission to take the baby out and play with her for a few minutes before putting her back in utero. Kind of weird huh? But getting to see her sweet little face was wonderful. I also dreamt that we went to the hospital to deliver the baby early and realized we hadn't brought any of our stuff -- none of my personal items or baby clothes or the car seat. It was an "oh no we're not prepared" dream.

I regularly take a peek into our spare bedroom where all the baby stuff is stowed in bags and boxes. I marvel at the incredible generosity of our friends and family, and I daydream about getting to put this stuff to use. And I think about how much we need to find a friggin house already and what a bummer it is that there's nothing good currently on the market. It would be so nice to be able to put all of these sweet things away in a dresser and a closet and hang things on the wall.

Arwen's had some news recently: He decided to make a job change. He's leaving the company he's been with for 5 years and is going to work as an independent contractor primarily for my company. This will give him the flexibility to work from home and also the ability to work for other clients as well. I am really happy for him. This is a choice for quality of life. Since the day I first met him Arwen has worked harder than most anyone I know, and I don't expect that will change. But I'm thrilled he'll be able to work hard in an environment that lends itself to a better work/family balance.

Our little girl is making her presence known more regularly now. I would say that I feel her move every 3-4 hours or so. Not in an uncomfortable way, just in a "Hey Ma, what's kickin'" sort of way. And starting about a week ago about once or twice a day you can actually feel her kicking from the outside. Which is sooo cool to share with Arwen. I just wish had she starting doing this a week or two earlier for the Houston crowd.

So that's all for now. More soon. Hugs to everyone out there.

Back safely in Denver

Just a quick note to let everyone know we made it back to Denver safely. It was a long drive, especially the last bit through blizzard conditions, but we took our time and went carefully and now here we are. Home again, home again, jiggity jig as my mom used to say.

We are still basking in the afterglow of a wonderful week spent with friends and family. We had such a great time. And we are still completely overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness and generosity of everyone at our baby shower and those who've sent gifts to our home. Thank you all so very much.

Guess What: It's a GIRL!!!

Whew, finally the secret is out. It was tough keeping it under wraps for the last week, but we wanted to be able to share the baby's sex with friends and family in person at our baby shower. My mom and sister threw us a wonderful party on Saturday. It was a packed house, and we had a blast. There was food, drink, games and lots of cute baby presents. One highlight was the blindfolded cloth diapering contest the boys were forced into. They were good sports, and the results were entertaining.

We got so many cute cute things from everyone. It's still hard to believe that in a few months we will have a new little person in our family to use all of this adorable stuff on! I can't tell you how much we appreciate all the thoughtful and generous gifts. But more than that we appreciate all the support everyone has offered, and they way you all have shared in our excitement.

Wow, what a week! Sorry there haven't been any updates but I've been having too much fun being on vacation with my family this week. We got into Houston Saturday afternoon and hung out with my mom and Stephen. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday we worked. Tuesday night my sister flew in from Miami and Wednesday she, my mom and I palled around all day getting ready for Thanksgiving and just having fun being together. We celebrated my mom's birthday at Chuy's, her favorite Tex-Mex restaurant, and I gave her the silk/alpaca shawl I'd been working on all month for her. Mmmm... Tex-Mex. I wish they had Chuy's in Denver!

Thursday was of course the big Thanksgiving celebration at my mom's house. We had an excellent turnout, and the food was fantastic. Mom's turkey, dressing and German chocolate pie never disappoint. It was great getting to see our big, wonderful family.

Friday we went over to Jim & Beryl's house and hung out. Beryl photographed us in a series of portraits featuring the bump. They came out great! I'll post a link to them soon. And then we stuffed ourselves on Tex-Mex at Teotihuacan (tay-o-TEE-wa-kan), our favorite restaurant in the Heights.

I'm not sure whether it's all the Tex-Mex we've been eating or the German chocolate pie or what, but the peanut seems to be on a growth spurt this week. I swear, every morning I wake up and seem bigger than the night before. There have been times when my skin feels stretched beyond capacity. And she's kicking more and more every day. Last night for the first time ever I could just barely feel her stirring around from the *outside* of my belly. I can't wait for Arwen to be able to feel her move.

Centering Pregnancy & Other Notes

So first the latest gripes. All this time I've been hearing people moan about the terrible heartburn in pregnancy. Meanwhile I smugly thought to myself, "Heartburn? What heartburn? It must be all the fruits and vegetables I eat." Ahem, yes, well once again Note to Self: Just wait, all the stuff they warned you about - it's coming!

Last night we had a delicious dinner - big thick steak-like pork chops marinated in a brown sugar-soy sauce-garlic concoction, garlic mashed potatos and steamed broccoli. I was in heaven. Until 3 hours later when I tried to go to bed. There was this horrible burning more in my throat actually than my chest. Musta been the garlic. I tried taking Tums. What a joke! That gave me oh about 3 and a half minutes of blissful relief. Ultimately I ended up propping myself up in bed to sleep upright. About 1:30 AM I woke up feeling all better. At which point I made the foolish mistake of attempting to sleep lying down like a normal person. The heartburn came back immediately.

In addition to that I've had this same headache for going on 3 days straight now. Tylenol has proven no match for it. And I'm drinking water like a fish. I guess my body is just working through something. Oh well, I will try to be patient.

In other news, I had my first "Centering Pregnancy" meeting this week. These are - are you ready for this? - group visits with my midwife. It sounds a little crazy but I think it's going to be the good kind of crazy. The way it works is 5 pregnant ladies (including myself) who are all due in March meet at the midwife's office at the hospital every two weeks. Significant others are welcome to come too. (Arwen plans to go with me to all the remaining visits, but he couldn't make it to this one.)

When you arrive, you put on your nametag and grab your chart. Then you go take your own blood pressure, temperature and weight and write it down in your chart. Before Tuesday I had never even had a look in my chart at any doctor's office. It was neat to see all the results from lab work, all the notes my midwife had taken about my health history, the results of the ultrasound, everything that has to do with me and this pregnancy.

After you've recorded your vitals, you have a private moment with the midwife where she checks your belly and listens to the baby's heartbeat. Then you join the other ladies/couples in a circle of chairs. For the remainder of the 2 hour session, the midwife and possibly a doula (labor coach) and/or nurse lead you in a discussion of a relevant topic. This week's discussion was nutrition. At the next session we'll be discussing exercise.

This format seems like such a good one, because most pregnancies proceed normally, so from a medical perspective there's not much to talk about with your healthcare provider. But yet you're so hungry for information, especially when going through it for the first time, and doctors and even 1-on-1 midwives don't necessarily have the time to answer all your questions.

I really wasn't sure what to expect going into this, but I left this first meeting feeling incredibly empowered. Just getting to handle your own medical chart makes you feel like you're not a sick patient, but like you're in charge of this normal process you're going through. Sitting with these other women - several of them first-timers like me - and sharing ideas and fears and things we're excited about was also very empowering. It left me feeling that although I don't have all the answers, this journey is a normal, healthy part of life and by the time we get to the labor and delivery room I think we'll feel as ready as we can. At our last appointment, 20 weeks from now, we will all bring our babies to the group. I can't wait!

Look at me now!

Today was soooo exciting. Arwen and I went to our 20 week ultrasound for a few glimpses of our little peanut. The ultrasound tech was really wonderful, a very sweet woman from Australia named Pippa. She took the time to explain everything she was looking at and what it meant.

The detail of the ultrasound absolutely floored us. We got to see not just the baby's face, hands and feet, but we got to count all ten fingers and all ten toes. We could see the four chambers of the heart pumping blood. We could see the spine, the brain and the other organs. Pippa looked at various markers for Down's Syndrome, Spina Bifida and Cleft Palette, and found that the baby had none. She measured the baby's head, its tummy, the length of its legs, and the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding it. She measured the heartrate and we got to hear it again. Everything appeared normal. All signs point to a healthy baby.

It was amazing how much the baby moved around in the short time we were there. At first its arms were up with its hands behind its head, like it was maxin' and relaxin'. Later its hands were by its side. And just before we left we caught the baby sucking its thumb. Now that was cute!! At one point Pippa was trying to get a close-up of the feet so she could count the toes, and the baby's feet were moving like it was going for a jog.

So the big question. To know or not to know. We had decided to ask the technician to write down the baby's sex on a notecard and seal it in an envelope, so that we could figure out what to do with it later. When we came into the room I explained all of this to Pippa in great detail and she was more than willing to comply. When the moment of truth came, she asked just once whether we were sure we wanted to know. At which point Arwen piped up, "Oh come on honey! Let's just find out now!" What the heck, I said. And it was remarkable how well the baby cooperated. It was as if the baby was sitting on top of a glass table and we were looking up at the parts in question. So we got a crystal clear view, and the tech was highly confident in her assessment.

For the answer to the $64,000 question... you'll just have to stay tuned! We want to wait until we can share the happy news in person with our friends and family while we're in Houston for Thanksgiving and our baby shower. Sorry folks, bear with us. It won't be long!

The last time we saw the peanut it looked, well, like a peanut. Now it's got pretty much all of its "people parts." Just needs to put on a few more pounds so it's ready for the big wide world.

Decisions, decisions

We're scheduled for our 20-week ultrasound tomorrow morning (Monday). If the peanut is in the right position, the ultrasound tech should be able to determine its sex! But we're still completely up in the air about whether we should find out.

I always swore that I would not find out the baby's sex. I *love* surprises, and what could be a bigger surprise than that? And I like that not knowing seems to require of the parents a noble unconditional acceptance of the little one, no matter what s/he turns out to be.

But I've been surprised to find myself just itching to know anything I can find out about the peanut, to start unfolding the mystery of who this little person will be. It meant the world to get a first glimpse of him/her at our 8 week ultrasound, and then later to hear its heart beating steadily away. I've loved feeling the fluttery movements that started recently. And I can't wait to see the peanut again tomorrow.

Finding out its sex has certain practical advantages. We could settle on a name. I could get started on a few really cute gender-specific knitting projects. But the main thing about knowing the sex - which could be both an advantage and a disadvantage - is that it allows you to take the mental leap to really imagining what life will be like with this child. And while on the one hand I'm eager to make that leap, on the other hand it could lead us to set expectations or create a mental image that doesn't jive with reality.

One thing that I think really helped us during our hike of the Appalachian Trail was that we were wholly unable to set any sort of mental expectations about what it would be like. Neither of us had ever spent much time on the east coast, and we certainly had never tried living in the woods for half a year. So each day was a new discovery and we learned to take it as it came, both the good and the bad. I can't help but wonder if we'd be best served by following that same approach on this journey to parenthood.

But then on the other hand... I'M DYING TO KNOW!!!

We turn 14 today!

Today, November 7th, is 14 years from the night Arwen and I started down the crazy path of life together. I don't think either of us could have imagined that night that we'd find ourselves together so many years later, on the the verge of yet another something new. We've pretty much grown up together and seen each other through so many different stages: he took me to my high school prom, we left home together and experienced those first thrilling years of living on our own, we enjoyed ourselves (a little too much) through the college party years, we studied hard together through the college study years, we went through the agonizing transition from the idyll of college life to the routine of corporate life, we bought our first car, our first home, adopted our sweet puppy... and just around the corner is the brave new world of becoming parents together.

We've made lots of mistakes, we don't always see eye to eye, and it hasn't always been pretty or perfect, but I think all the time about how unfathomably lucky we are to have each other. I never thought I'd meet someone as weird as me. I never thought I'd find someone I could trust so completely. I never thought it was possible to grow and change and become someone new, and yet at the same time hold on to the reassuring security of being loved by someone unconditionally. Arwen is my best friend, my partner in crime, my protector, my everything.

So uh... I guess today we're getting to see the flip side of these wacky pregnancy hormones. I guess the grumpy ones are taking a break and the sentimental mooshy ones are taking over!