Practice

A few days ago, while in for our normal checkup, we did a few dry runs at having a baby. First the doll was passed through a disembodied pelvis, complete with cloth "skin." This gave us an idea of the what crowning looks like and all the twists and turns baby needs to complete to successfully enter the world: HOLY SHIT!! Then we "delivered" the baby in a few positions by passing it between her legs like a fleshy football; hut, hut... baby! If she delivers on all fours the baby and I will get a sneak peak of each other before its shoulders even emerge. I am so excited to catch the slippery little bugger; any day now....

Dream

I've been having weird dreams, but one in particular sticks out. I was going into labor and Alex, wanting to help out, discovered a zipper along the side of my belly. He unzipped it, and pulled back my skin to expose the baby which he effortlessly lifted out of my body cavity. I held the baby, which happened to be a boy, and he was so big that when I held him upright with his toes grazing the floor he came up to my hip. Very strange dream indeed.

Birthing model will eat your soul with its tiny head!

From Drop Box

Protecting the baby, one bear ball at a time!

God, I look forward to asking this important question to my rowdy toddler, then going to the woods to track down some furry bear danglers.

2010 "Things"

This is how I titled the page in my notebook on January 1, mostly because I wanted to make a list of attainable goals for 2010 and not call them resolutions. I avoided the word resolution because it is almost always associated with "broken." Even if it is just semantically starting on the wrong foot, this kernel of doubt is not a good foundation. I am also reluctant to call them goals, because this too has less than hopeful associations for me, but I will quietly admit they probably are. The reason for sharing this also builds on the probability of achieving these Things. So without further analysis of my fear of goals and resolutions, here is my list of 2010 Things (and their accompanying notes):

• Bike to work at least once a week (nearly had this one in 2009, until the option of a warm car on cold, wet, windy mornings broke me down; damn Vestas for giving Dani a parking pass.)
• Limit meat consumption to one day a week (Damn I love meat, but know that I can get protein in much healthier- personal and environmental- and efficient ways. Efficient, meaning that the ratio of energy used to consumable calories is at best 4:1 and can be upwards of 54:1, for chicken and beef respectively. This to me is just wasteful. I would rather spend more on very high quality meat once a week than consume filth every night.) Stepping off the soapbox...
  
• Volunteer five days this year (Salmon Watch was awesome and gave such a feeling of hope in the future: more please!)
• Save more money (the coolest part of the downturn is the decrease in mindless consumption and the natural increase in savings, moving toward a sustainable system)
• Be more accepting (sometimes even Glenn Beck has valuable insights, sometimes)
• Limit TV to one hour per day (the American average of four hours per day is abysmal, unfortunately I probably top this average)
  
• Read 12 books (in my extra three hours a day; already have one down: Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers. Amazing book about a family's torturous account of Katrina, read it now!)

That's it, my 2010 Things.

Yep, I am married to a model!

From Alma

I can now, honestly say that I am married to a model. The photo above was shot for an ad for our birthing center (Alma), that will appear in the Redirect Guide. And the photo will be the largest in the ad! My wife and baby so beautiful!

Curious little thing

I find myself rubbing my belly quite a bit (ok... constantly), and I just can't help but put my palm to the baby's movements. I imagine the baby swimming around in there, and curiously pushing back against the pressure of my hand. The baby dances when I play piano, and responds to Alex's voice. The baby even wakes me up with its movements several times a night, and I don't mind one bit. Any time the baby is moving I am happy. I'm so in love with this baby!

Sea Change in Twenty Ten

This new year will probably be the most life altering year of my adult existence. Alex and I have so much to look forward to, and I can't believe that we will have a baby in our arms in less than 2 months!