It's a boy!

At 4:29 AM of June 26th, 2010, I gave birth to a very sweet baby boy.  He is a 7 lb 4oz bundle of joy.  Welcome to the world Ishmael Matthew!

Pregnancy Update: 40 weeks and 4 days

So yesterday I had a false alarm.  I thought my water broke but really I just have an infection that can simulate your water breaking pretty well.  After a morning of keeping track of contractions,  I went in for an appointment at The Birth Center.  Here is an update:

-The baby is still head down, but is currently sunny-side up.  Since that makes labor longer and harder, the midwives want me spending a lot of time on my hands and knees so that gravity can help flip the Diplomat.  Last night I spent a good amount of time leaning on a birth ball and reading. 

-My contractions are pretty consistently 9 minutes apart, but I can only feel the really long ones. I can't say I mind. 

- I am 2 centimeters dilated.  As Mom says, that is 2 centimeters that I don't need to worry about when I am in labor.

-I have three prenatal appointments set up for next week.  Hopefully I won't need all three!

Rosalyn's Blanket

As those who frequent this blog already know, I spent the last several months knitting a baby blanket for my niece. She was born a little over a month ago, and I finally gave her the blanket on Thursday evening. As promised here are some photos of the finished product.

The pattern I used was King Charles Brocade  found in A Treasury of Knitting Patterns.  The blanket has a garter stitch border.  Overall I was quite pleased with the end result.

Daybook for 06/21/2010

FOR TODAY
(06.21.2010)


Outside my window...the sky is blue with puffy white clouds.  It is 91 degrees out there!

I am thinking...that it would be nice for the Diplomat to arrive soon.  I am 40 weeks and 1 day pregnant.

I am thankful for...my dear sweet husband who woke me up from naps twice this weekend to tell me that dinner was just about ready.  I suppose I am also thankful for my father-in-law who taught Ish how to cook.

From the kitchen...there are plans to make black bean salad today. 

I am wearing...a raspberry pink maternity dress.

I am creating...lots of handwritten notes and letters.  I have recently acquired two new penpals!

I am going...to have a baby soon. 

I am reading...a random assortment of things.

I am hoping...tomorrow's ultrasound goes well and that the Diplomat is still healthy and happy.

I am hearing...the clicking of the keyboard.

Around the house...things are pretty much ready for baby.  I need to do a bit of decluttering of surfaces though.

One of my favorite things...is that my father has learned how to text message.  It has been a really pleasant way to keep in touch and talk baseball.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Ultrasound tomorrow and a prenatal visit on Friday if the Diplomat still has yet to arrive.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

I captured this picture this morning.  The shadows being cast on my dining room wall were so cool looking I couldn't help but to take a picture!

For more daybooks visit Peggy at  The Simple Woman's Daybook

An excerpt from my journal....

As you may have noticed, I have been really slacking on my blog writing lately.  Today I spent some time thinking about why this is the case.  In order to organize my thoughts better, I wrote about it in my journal .  Here is a tiny excerpt from what I wrote:

"I write far better content with a pen and paper than I do with a keyboard.  When sitting at a computer, I don't have the benefits of being free from my favorite internet distractions. Facebook calls my name; my e-mail whispers in a soft but urgent voice, 'check me! check me!'; blogs and news sites pull me into a swirling tunnel of information overload that I love just as much as I loathe.  Perhaps I'd be better off blogging in a notebook and then typing up my entries."

Maybe it really is time to start blogging in my moleskine.

Farm Photo Friday--06/11/2010

East Hill Farm, Troy, NH--April 2010

Daybook for 06.11.10

FOR TODAY
(06.11.10)

Outside my window...I have no clue what it looks like.  I still have the blinds closed from last night.

I am thinking...that I should really get on packing my bags for the birth center.  It would make life a lot easier when I go into active labor.

I am thankful for...the 2 bags of groceries Ish's sister gave us as a thank you for babysitting her kids last weekend.

From the kitchen...the dishwasher needs to be started.  There is a delicious summer squash casserole in the fridge.

I am wearing...my pajamas.

I am creating...lots of hand addressed envelopes for a friend's wedding invitations--I should be done with those today.  I am really enjoying getting to do calligraphy again.  It is much less stressful when gifting a friend as opposed to just wanting to get your own invitations done so you can check it off the list.

I am going...to a prenatal appointment in a few hours.  I can't believe my due date is only 9 days away!

I am reading...The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain's Untapped Potential by Tony Buzan.  I first learned about mind maps back in high school from a study skills/ NLD tutor.  I used them a bit, but couldn't figure out how to implement them as well as I would have liked.  I am hoping that reading and doing the exercises in this book will help refresh my memory and give me strategies for implementing the use of mind maps in my private studies.

I am hoping...to meet The Diplomat very soon. 

I am hearing...my husband starting to stir. 

Around the house...the crib and changing table are set up thanks to Ish.

One of my favorite things...is my pink Moleskine Volant notebook.  I have been writing like a maniac these past few weeks.  I think part of it is that I have had a lot to write about, and part of it is that I really like how writing in this notebook looks and feels.  For those of you who weren't aware, I am an avid blank book and notebook collector. 

A few plans for the rest of the week:The week is nearly over.  If I don't go into labor I am going to celebrate a friends graduation from college tomorrow.  I have a prenatal appointment today.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...not for today.  I don't have my external hard drive hooked up.

For more daybooks visit Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook

Little snippets of life

What I have been up to lately:

--Doing the calligraphy to address my friend's wedding invitations

--Setting up baby stuff

--Knitting a cotton dish cloth or two

--Writing in my moleskine a lot.  Have I mentioned that I am pretty much addicted to my Moleskine notebooks?

--Sending a lot of mail

Pregnancy Update: 38 Weeks and 1 day

It is hard to believe I am less than 2 weeks from my due date.  There is plenty of other good news to be shared.

-The Diplomat is no longer transverse but instead is head down!  This is cause for a lot of celebration.

-The reason all of my measurements were so small a few weeks ago was because the baby had been transverse.  My fundal height is now completely normal.

-In not so good news, I am strep B positive.  This causes me no harm but can be dangerous for The Diplomat.   I will be taking IV antibiotics every 4 hours while I am in labor to protect the baby.

-I seem to be in a trend of gain a couple pounds one week then gain next to nothing the following week.  It is all averaging out to about a pound per week which is the aim.

-The Diplomat's heart rate is still in a good place as is my blood pressure.


I am looking forward to meeting this precious little baby any day now.

Farm Photo Friday--06/04/2010

East Hill Farm, Troy, NH--April 2010

I have not abandoned you...

I am just lacking any real motivation to blog in the past week or so.  I think part of it is how much fun I have been having writing in my handwritten journal.  It has been my constant companion all of this past week.  Most of what I write in there wouldn't transfer very well to the blog world as I play around with doodling and different handwriting in my journal--something I cannot really replicate.  I do have some pregnancy updates, but as I have another prenatal appointment tomorrow, I figured I would  update after that.