30 Weeks...and more pics

30 weeks (note C showing off her "belly" too):


Some miscellaneous fun from Christmas:

Surprise trip to San Diego

The girls were supposed to fly over to SD on Christmas Day to see my parents for a few days. We arranged for them to fly on Southwest as Unaccompanied Minors (UMs), and arrived at the airport with plenty of time to complete the appropriate paperwork. The plane was delayed 20 minutes according to the board, so we spent some time playing on the moving walkways and getting some energy out:



C took a picture of D and me...a rare sight around here LOL


We finally made our way to the gate, only to be paged and told that all UMs were being excluded from the flight due to a weather advisory! Now I will hold my tongue a little and just say, I have never had such rude service as we had there at the gate podium check-in thingy...

Beyond annoyed, we were told our choices were to put the girls on a flight to LAX (yeah, helpful when we're trying to get them to San Diego!), or rebook for the next day. On the spur of the moment, we decided that instead of ruining this fun Xmas trip and family Xmas dinner waiting on the other end, I would buy a ticket and just go with them! So out came the credit card and ID, the girls and I hopped on the plane, and D went home with Baby L.

So that is how I ended up spending a night in San Diego yesterday...I flew home this morning, as I'm actually on call for a mama who is 38.5 weeks pregnant right now, and I should not have been out of town in the first place!

So the girls are still there, and will get to visit with my cousin and his family (Hi D :)), and meet their second cousins. They will drive back here with my parents and sister on Monday.

Oh, speaking of sister - that is a lovely surprise I hadn't mentioned, as she returned home from India for the holidays as a surprise to the rest of the family.

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas (or Solstice, or Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you celebrate).

Happy 5th birthday, E!

Christmas Kids

I kind of like the funny face here:


I'll try for more soon...oh, for comparison, here's last year's version:

This year, L is wearing the PJs E wore last year, and E is wearing the ones that C wore! I love hand-me-downs :)

Family photo...kind of

Since I'm always the one behind the lens, here we have the Bass gang minus mama:


Maybe this weekend I can get a good kid pic...and we'll see, if the stars are right, maybe even a whole family shot. What a thought.

And how could I not share this little gem? Monkey see, monkey do...



I almost forgot: I got some erythromycin eye ointment, and it seems as if my skin is improving! It's definitely not as "angry" looking as it was last week, and my eyes don't seem nearly as red. I have also switched to California Baby calendula cream, and it seems to be good as well. I'm hoping it's for real, and not just wishful thinking...we'll see.

28 weeks

OK, it's been a while since I posted any pics of poor Baby4. This is mainly due to a lovely case of perioral dermatitis (warning: ugly pics there) I'm fighting - I really don't want it recorded for all ages! You can actually see back at my 18+4 picture that my chin looks all broken out. This was sadly not pregnancy acne, but the start of this dermatitis thing. I have these ugly red patches all over my chin, up the sides of my nose, and perhaps most ugly: around my eyes. So yes, for the last 10 weeks it has been getting worse...I'm beyond frustrated with it, and as you can imagine, very self-conscious too. My lame attempts at cover up are rather pathetic, but I do what I can without using toxic thick make-up. Currently I'm treating it with TTO and coconut oil as moisturizer.

Anyhoo...without further ado, here I am today, at 28 weeks from LMP.





Please notice the quick-fix we (being D) made for the fireplace...a mantle! Cute huh?

National Bankruptcy Day?

Have you all heard of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Improvement Act? Those of you who are making and selling kids' items, listen up! If you ever buy handmade gifts, read on!

The Act requires ALL manufacturers - including small business owners who sew their products by hand and artisans who sell to help support their art - to submit each piece of their product for cost-prohibitive government-approved testing. Each component - buttons, threads, fabrics, padding, etc. would need to be tested independently for lead content. The cost and extent of this lead testing would be impossible for any small business to afford.

Info on the Act

(CPSCIA)

National Bankruptcy Day

An article...

The Handmade Toy Alliance

Petition

More thoughts from a WAHM

*and by the way, it sounds as if resale would also be illegal...so good-bye thrift, consignment, FSOT on boards, etc...*


A not-so-funny:

New CPSIA slogan:

"CPSIA: Throwing the Babies Out With the Bathwater, and the Bathtub, Too. Oh, and All the Little Bath Toys. Better Throw Out the Sponge As Well. Just to Be Safe"

A whole new life for Barbie...

Saw these on a forum I happen to frequent...they've taken Barbie to a whole new level:

That's right. Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS Barbie, complete with attacking birds!


Um....

Water birth pictures

A friend just passed this website on to me - the birth pictures are amazing! Probably not work-friendly though :)

Enjoy!

Destruction Days Chez Bass

Oops! To start, our laptop just stopped working. No lights, nothing. Then my sweet, wonderful friend (hi M!) shattered the coffee pot, then I somehow jammed the headphone adapter for the keyboard into the hole so the keyboard won't play...then I went to open a drawer in the kitchen, and the whole thing fell apart! Geez, what's next??

Happy Birthday to my little sister!

My sister turns 23 today! Happy Birthday - hope it's a great one!

Some recent pictures she's sent from India (click on them to see the uncropped version - important for monkey-viewing!):




(notice the monkeys!)

Maybe it's a boy...

I've been thinking Baby4 is a girl all along - until last night. I had the most vivid dream (which of course I now can't remember), and woke up certain that baby is a boy!

Only time will tell of course...

ZooLights!

We went to ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo last night - good thing we went then, as it's now pouring rain with a thunder storm! The school is supposed to have a talent show today on the basketball court - guess that'll be inside now...

Here's a family pic from the zoo (one of those that they take and charge a gazillion dollars if you want to buy):


Yes, we have actually been known to use a stroller LOL It carried all the cold-weather gear for us (which for the first time we didn't have to use!). Previous years it has been SO.COLD. at ZooLights, but last night remained a balmy mid-70s. The kids got to ride the carousel and touch the sting rays...free last night as part of member preview!

Off to school now. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

...or win an ergo!

Win a Free Organic Embroidered Ergo Baby Carrier Hands Free System from Along for the Ride

Win a sling!

My friend Rixa is giving away one of her 2nd Womb ring slings in celebration of her upcoming PhD graduation - go enter! Everybody needs a ring sling...


She also makes and sells doll slings, for the mini baby-wearers in your life...and if you order slings now, she's offering free shipping and extra give-away entries!

Three births...

...in six days!

Thursday, Nov 13 a baby boy was born, after a long, intense labor for mom. We were first called on Wednesday evening, and went to the home to check on mom. After a brief period, we left...and were called back some time later. With still no real change, we went home, expecting a mid-night call. Instead, it was about 6 a.m. when we headed back for the last time. Baby was born around 12:30, four minutes after SROM, on the birth stool. The father, who was not at all involved in the labor, was supposed to catch...but went for In-n-Out burgers, and ended up missing the birth!

On Tuesday, Nov 18 (my midwife's birthday!) I got a call around 6 a.m. that TWO mamas were in labor...fortunately at various stages. After checking on the first, my midwife picked me up and we headed to the birth of a lovely first-time couple. We arrived around 10:45; mom was laboring in the tub with the support of her husband, in candle-light with classical music. It was peaceful and calm; she wanted nothing to do with us :) Around 1:15, we could hear that magical change in vocalizations, and withing 25 minutes, a 7 lb 10 oz baby girl was born in her bathtub. She had a tight nuchal cord, which necessitated a head-tuck, body birthing maneuver, but fortunately not an early cord-clamping. Once mom moved to the bed, she birthed the placenta...and began bleeding something fierce. I administered shepherd's purse first, then two doses of IM pitocin (5 minutes apart), then oral methergine. Fortunately, the issue resolved and no transfer was necessary. Of note with this birth, aside from the yikes of the bleeding, was the very unique placenta. Upon examination, we realized the placenta was HUGE! It was almost heart-shaped or twin-placenta in appearance...except it had a whole extra lobe to it as well...and the cord was inserted in the middle, so definitely not a twin...It must have taken up most of the uterus.

S later researched this particular placenta, and realized it is an extremely rare occurrence, called a placenta membranacea. Not surprisingly, it is associated with post-partum hemorrhage.

After leaving this birth, we went home for a quick bite to eat. Right around 6:15 we were called back to the other birth. We arrived there by 7 or so, and baby was born at 9:15. This was a VBAC, and I was so honored to be part of the journey and healing for this powerful mama. A healthy baby boy, weighing 8-11 (I think?), joined his big sister and parents. Mom did tear, which had some good bleeding. Of note also was a strange, audible POP that shocked everyone in the room...it happened just before baby was born. Something (unknown still) was holding baby back from crowning at about +1 station. After the pop, he came instantly to a full crown and was born on the next push. Mom did not feel anything unusual, there was nothing obvious, but *something* was holding up that baby (and most likely his sister during her labor).

There's the quick version...our next mama is due in early January.

Just want to say an extra thank you to my fantastic friends who make my attendance at these births (and apprenticeship in general) possible by watching Baby L for me. And of course, thank you to my husband and kids who patiently wait at home while mom runs off yet again...

Baby guessing game (again)

I thought it was fun last time, so I figured I'd give Baby4 a game too :)



...please go make a guess! I've also added the link to the left, so as this post moves down, it'll still be easy to find.

My birthing history, just to help a little:
(40 weeks is the "due date" but I refuse to use that terminology LOL)

C: born at 39 weeks 4 days; 7 pounds, 19.5 inches. 10:29 p.m.
E: born at 40 weeks; 6 pounds, 11 ounces, 19.5 inches. 3:30 p.m.
L: born at 41 weeks; 7 pounds, 6 ounces, 20 inches. 7:49 p.m.

She got the job!

My brilliant sister has just been offered a job by the International Red Cross as a Hindi/Urdu translator/interpretor in Kashmir!

The offer follows multiple interviews in Delhi (where she's currently working), plus a full-day interview in Geneva a few weeks ago.

Many congratulations to A...

I love this quote

I just read this on a board I'm on...it was attributed to a man in Philly at a rally:

"Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Obama could run. Obama is running so our children can fly."

And speaking of Obama...his grandmother died yesterday in Hawaii. :(

Finally of couse: go vote today!

Halloween fun

I took a ton of pictures this year - both from the pumpkin patch the night before Halloween, and from the day of. I put them in slide shows instead of choosing my favorites :)

If you notice the matchy-matchy outfits in the first set, I made super quick skirts for the girls to go to the pumpkin patch, hoping for a cute family picture...they match the overalls I embellished earlier in the month for Baby L, and the sling I made as well.



The kids and I walked around one block with our next door neighbors, then sat home and passed out treats to those who came to our door. I was sadly disappointed with how rude most of the kids were. We also had some older teen-aged kids, and one group that was adults - not even in costumes! - trick or treating. I found that really odd.

Friday night, diy sling, and kids today

I forgot to mention the excitement of our Friday night! D got the kids to bed around 7, per usual, and settled in to read the paper. He promptly discovered it was Mesa's 2nd Friday and they were doing a whole "Haunted Downtown" theme. We decided the novelty and fun were worth a late night, so we got the girls up (not asleep yet) and dressed for an early Halloween:



They had a blast with D! There was trick-or-treating, face painting (by a princess!), music and miscellaneous other fun.

Next up...my very first DIY ring sling! I got this awesome woven fabric on clearance at JoAnn last year, hoping to make something for this year with it...well what better for a carrier addict than a ring sling? I used the pleated shoulder tutorial from Sleeping Baby (she also sells slings), and SlingRings, which are actually locally made but widely distributed. It's a little bigger in the shoulder than I prefer, but it works perfectly for D! It is comfy, as it's such a nice woven fabric...just don't look at my hemming job up close!




And finally, here are the cuties from just minutes ago (of course I couldn't get all three together in one picture):





(oh, the girls just got home from dance class if you're wondering about the leotards)

The best laid plans...

Last night, 96-year old Nanny rode a horse to dinner. No, really - she went on a mini trail ride, about a 25 minute one, over to a local restaurant! The family met there, and started chatting. Mr. L had been acting slightly "off" since we went to the ranch an hour before. Well, suddenly he vomited all over the restaurant...and then was fine. So we decided to stick it out - he ate some potatoes, was his normal silly self, and we headed back to the ranch.

The girls were spending the night and were very excited to get rid of their parents. We dropped off Grandma S (lives next door to the ranch), and were getting ready to leave, when...up came the potatoes. All over me.

We got Mr. L cleaned up, he donned a small tee of grandma's, said bye to the girls and we drove home (30 minutes). He fell straight asleep, and transfered fine to bed. D and I watched a goofy movie (Saving Grace), but halfway through it the phone rang. Turns out Ms. C had vomited too! Poor Aunt B drove her home, but E chose to stay for the overnight.

There was no more puking from either, but they're both sluggish this morning. In fact, C is in bed reading, and L is napping at 9:00 already.

D left a bit ago to join the gang for a nice brunch at a fancy resort - he and E should have some nice QT together :) I'm sorry I have to miss it though - D's cousin, his wife, and their two kids (7 and 4) are also here.

Wish I had a picture to share from Nanny's horse ride - but of course, I forgot my camera! If I get one forwarded to me, I'll be sure to share.

96!

D's grandmother is 96 years old today! Happy birthday, Nanny.

Vocabulary lesson

From the New York Times - see original article here

Who You Callin’ a Maverick?

By JOHN SCHWARTZ

Published: October 4, 2008

There’s that word again: maverick. In Thursday’s vice-presidential debate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the Republican candidate, used it to describe herself and her running mate, Senator John McCain, no fewer than six times, at one point calling him “the consummate maverick.”

But to those who know the history of the word, applying it to Mr. McCain is a bit of a stretch — and to one Texas family in particular it is even a bit offensive.

“I’m just enraged that McCain calls himself a maverick,” said Terrellita Maverick, 82, a San Antonio native who proudly carries the name of a family that has been known for its progressive politics since the 1600s, when an early ancestor in Boston got into trouble with the law over his agitation for the rights of indentured servants.

In the 1800s, Samuel Augustus Maverick went to Texas and became known for not branding his cattle. He was more interested in keeping track of the land he owned than the livestock on it, Ms. Maverick said; unbranded cattle, then, were called “Maverick’s.” The name came to mean anyone who didn’t bear another’s brand.

Sam Maverick’s grandson, Fontaine Maury Maverick, was a two-term congressman and a mayor of San Antonio who lost his mayoral re-election bid when conservatives labeled him a Communist. He served in the Roosevelt administration on the Smaller War Plants Corporation and is best known for another coinage. He came up with the term “gobbledygook” in frustration at the convoluted language of bureaucrats.

This Maverick’s son, Maury Jr., was a firebrand civil libertarian and lawyer who defended draft resisters, atheists and others scorned by society. He served in the Texas Legislature during the McCarthy era and wrote fiery columns for The San Antonio Express-News. His final column, published on Feb. 2, 2003, just after he died at 82, was an attack on the coming war in Iraq.

Terrellita Maverick, sister of Maury Jr., is a member emeritus of the board of the San Antonio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.

Considering the family’s long history of association with liberalism and progressive ideals, it should come as no surprise that Ms. Maverick insists that John McCain, who has voted so often with his party, “is in no way a maverick, in uppercase or lowercase.”

“It’s just incredible — the nerve! — to suggest that he’s not part of that Republican herd. Every time we hear it, all my children and I and all my family shrink a little and say, ‘Oh, my God, he said it again.’ ”

“He’s a Republican,” she said. “He’s branded.”

18 weeks, 4 days

OK, thought I'd start the old belly shot posts once again. Here I am this morning, at 18+4. Please excuse the fresh-from-shower, self-timer bad picture!

Cold weather!!

Our high yesterday (and forcasted for today again) was only 85ish! It is lovely...the doors are open, we never turned on the A/C yesterday - for the first time since Spring, and we can do things outside in the afternoon - woohoo! :)

Girls are on break this coming week, so we'll be hitting the zoo, playing with friends, and getting together with others to make candles.

That's the news from AZ. Baby4 is active as ever, and my belly is getting big already! Belly shots to come soon...

Heartbeat!

Last night I decided to give my fetoscope another shot (haven't had luck before now hearing baby). One can typically hear the baby by 18-20 weeks with the fetoscope. Despite most Western docs depending on dopplers, the use of a fetoscope is still alive and well among midwives...and it's completely safe as of course there's no ultrasound exposure, like there is with a doppler!


To my utter delight, I got the heartbeat loud and clear! This morning I let the girls hear too...

I will be 18 weeks tomorrow...

The enchanted broccoli baby...

...and his sisters:



The outfit E is wearing is hot off my new-to-me machine! D's grandma gave me her old Singer 500 (Slant-O-Matic), a fantastic machine that I'm LOVING!




It does so many stitches, has all these accessory feet (I used a ruffler, rolled hem, applique, and normal presser foot all in this project - just for fun), and is plain beefy. My old Target cheap-o Singer is going out the door - never to be used in this house again...you know what they say, "they just don't make 'em like they used to!"

Quickening!

So today I can say with certainty: I feel the baby! I've been thinking I felt him/her for about the last week, but never with enough consistency to be sure. Today he/she is so active, I've had for-sure little belly tickles all day! Baby's gestational age (by LMP) is 17 weeks tomorrow :)

This Alaskan woman...

...is obviously in great company! Yes, this is a political post. I am so tired of people assuming because Ms. Palin is the Alaskan governor, that I (we) support her current political aspirations (gag).

I love that the "Alaska Women Reject Palin" rally was so successful - now for that, I'm proud to be an Alaskan!

I know not all my readers are on my side of the ballot, and that's OK. I respect differences in opinion! What I don't like is the current fad of supporting a candidate for her gender, not her politics. Off my soapbox now.

Go Alaskan women! *grin*

Sunday morning

Another hot day in AZ...cleaning out the garage, doing little chores. The kiddos decided to ride bikes. We are fortunate to live on a side street with a HUGE bike lane, so the girls can ride in it relatively safely. E insisted on riding the trike, which she's obviously long ago outgrown...and C is working on riding the big bike. As soon as the temps fall (we're still at 100), we plan on some intensive bike-riding lessons :)

Baby L and his stroller

We just resurrected this stroller from the garage, and it has become L's favorite "new" toy. He does laps around the house pushing it with miscellaneous passengers loaded in...

Maternity bargains

If anybody local is looking for some cheap maternity clothes, check out Every Mother and Child at Guadeloupe and Ellsworth! Jenny, the owner, has gently used clothes at great prices - plus they're all 50% off through the end of the month! I got everything below for less than $19 this last weekend...including a velour Gap dress for the holidays, two pairs of jeans, a bunch of shirts, shorts and a Glamourmom nursing tank! Support a local business and score some deals while you're at it :) There was a ton of stuff in medium and large...

Second Birth

10:30 last night, S called to let me know M was in labor and ready for us. Within 10 minutes, we arrived to find her laboring on the toilet, obviously working hard through frequent contractions. She asked to be checked and was found to be at 5 cm. Her husband was setting up the birth pool (La Bassine) and took their toddler to Grandma's. While he was gone, M's contractions picked up to basically one on top of another, and she began vocalizing shortly before dad arrived back home.

S and I assisted filling the tub by pitcher from the bathroom sink, as M was desperate for the relief, and obviously getting very close to birth. Once in the tub, her water broke (heavily meconium stained) and then she quickly began pushing. Five minutes later, at 11:48 p.m., a 7 lb 4 oz baby girl joined the world after 41 weeks, one day gestation. There was very heavy meconium staining on the baby as well - green amniotic sac, umbilical cord, nail staining, etc.

Mom rapidly birthed the placenta as well, and moved to bed. Baby did receive some blow-by oxygen, and remained tachypnic for a couple hours. Her coloring improved, her lungs sounded great...but she was working pretty hard and fast to breathe. After two hours, we recommended careful observation with transport to the hospital if it did not improve in another hour. The mom's father came over and with the dad gave the baby a blessing (LDS family). By the time we left at 3:00, she appeared to have settled and was nursing calmly. We will see them again this evening for follow-up.

Mom was amazing - no tearing, no soreness - such a beautiful, strong woman! The parents were so thrilled with the labor and birth - their first had been born at a hospital, in what the dad described as a "fine, normal" hospital birth. But then he said in comparison, "...it was awful! This is how birth should be!"

First Birth

Got a call Wednesday night around 11 that our primip at 38 + 4 had called to say her water broke. Got another call around 1:30 a.m. that contractions had picked up, were 4 min apart, and they were ready for us to come. When we arrived, she was already at 5 cm; she and her husband labored peacefully for the next couple hours while we read, occasionally checked in on them, and got everything ready for the birth.

At 5 a.m. she was completely dilated and started pushing...and kept pushing for the next 3.5 hours! This primip birthed her 6 lb 14 oz baby boy in a posterior, acynclitic presentation! She did hemorrhage pretty badly following the birth of the placenta; I administered a dose of pitocin, and the bleeding stopped.

My lessons learned? Some moms really do find flat-on-back, legs pushed up to ears the single most comfortable position for pushing. Mom's intuition on pushing position is keen - this happens to be a great position for getting a posterior baby past the pubic bone! A simple labor does not mean a simple birth. Some births really do need a little extra assistance (hands-on) from a provider...I am sure in a hospital setting, this young mama would have been taken for a C-section after about an hour of pushing, without any progress. Despite my personal preference for hands-off, do-it-yourself-style birth, some well-timed help made a huge difference in this pushing phase. What else...oh, administering IM pit isn't nearly as bad when you've seen the blood gushing...I thought jamming that long needle in a thigh would freak me out a little. First, I should have known better - I have no problem with poking people with needles (EMT leftover); second, knowing what you are doing will literally save a transfer, some major problems, and maybe a life makes that quick jab very very easy!


So one down, two to go...soon! Our mamas are currently at 40 + 6 and 40 + 4, so I'm expecting a call any time now...

Long time no posts...

Where does the time go?

The girls are doing great in school; they do dance on Mondays and C has keyboard on Thursdays. Both activities are at school, so I just pick up later in the day. This is also handy so D can grab them on his way home!

My apprenticeship is getting busy! We have two mamas at 40 weeks right now, and another at 38 weeks. Two are primips, one is a G2 P1. I actually just got a "heads-up" call that the one may be starting labor now...we'll see how the night goes! We're expecting thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow, which seems to also bring labor...

What else? I'm at 14 weeks, 5 days with Baby4, feeling absolutely great, if not a touch tired. My belly is growing more obvious by the day.

Just got news from my mom that one of my best childhood friends is expecting her first - and second! - around the same time as Baby4 is joining us. I'm thrilled for S and D, and can't wait to hear more.

Baby L is as active and non-sleepy as ever. He loves activity and being carried around. He actually shows excitement when I pull out my carriers these days :)

There's the news; I'm off to bed in case this does turn into a late-night labor call. Zzzzzzzzzz.

I'll leave you with pics of L from yesterday. He's goofy - kept telling me, "more, more" whenever I tried to stop taking pictures!

School girls

OK, I win the lame mom award this school year. I never got first-day pics! So...in an effort to make up for my error, here are the girls on their way to the fourth day of school :D



They are both really enjoying their respective classes this year - E in the Primary (3-6 year olds or preschool and K) as a kindergartener and C in the same Lower Elementary (6-9 year olds or 1-3 grade) she was in last year.

They both want to take dance this year, so I'm looking into the options for that...there is a program one day right after school (at the school). Will update as we make decisions.

Wednesday is pizza day again this year. It's a fundraiser for the school; the Upper Elementary (1-6th grade mix) runs it. It's a nice mid-week break from lunch packing for all of us, and fun for the girls. They serve some veggie (usually carrots) and a small cookie along with the pizza...there is no other lunch program at the school. Side note: I'm very pleased with the efforts the staff take to ensure the children have healthy lunches. Lunchables and the like are forbidden, and kids will not be allowed to eat certain foods if sent in with lunch (i.e. sugar foods, junk food, etc.). Also, no drinks are permitted, as water is served at lunch. I love it!

If you are not familiar with Montessori, the other nice thing the kids do for lunch is set the tables, eat on real dishes (glassware!), and serve the water from pitchers. After eating, they clear the tables, load the dishwasher, and clean up.

OK. There's the school news!