Our Maternity Photos

November 27, 2010

Well, we are into the last few days before Chick arrives.  We have come a long way!  It's been 270 days, or over 38 weeks, or about 9 months and we are very excited to meet our baby.  Tyler is most excited to touch the baby's little hands.  I am most excited to look into her/his eyes.  Our most recent appointment with Uta went well.  We told her about Chick's yoga stretches and she said that it's a sign of contentment and health.  She also reassured me that, despite the lack of sleep, I will be fine when it comes down to the labour because I'm healthy and I'm made for it!  The book I'm reading right now really summed it up for me: "Labour is hard work, it hurts a lot, and you can do it."  I think I'm ready to go!

As I mentioned in our last post, we had some maternity photos taken a couple weeks ago.  As promised, I am sharing some of our favourites below.

 Lyndze, Chick, and the Pacific Ocean

 Tyler, Lyndze, Chick and the beach on Dallas Road

 The couple and the bump in Beacon Hill Park

 Lyndze awaiting her little monkey with Chick's little monkey, taken at home.

 Ultrasound Chick and Chick in a belly.

 Comparing bellies, Lyndze wins.

We hope that you all have enjoyed the journey with us!  Soon, the name of the blog will change when we welcome our little one who, once on the outside, will be known by a new name.  We'll continue to write and post pictures of the baby as soon as we can!

Sneak Peek!

November 22, 2010

Tyler and I had some photos taken by a photographer friend about a week ago.  Just in time too!  It was a nice, warm and sunny day and the belly was behaving.  Now it is snowy, cold and windy and the belly looks more like a baby is hiding under some skin.  We were going to be getting the pictures today but our friend is snowed in (Victoria style) but she sent a "sneak peek" - I don't usually like pictures that involve me but this is nice.  Can't wait to see the rest - we will be sharing!

At this point I'm feeling like there is no room left for this kid.  Chick seems to disagree and continues to do yoga stretching.  Cute, but a tad uncomfortable!  Uta comes to the apartment tomorrow for a home visit and to make sure we are all set with what we need for the big event.  Tyler has done most of the shopping and preparing for this.  He loves his lists and getting organized.  If anyone is curious or concerned about this midwife or homebirth stuff, please check out Uta's website: http://www.sookemidwifery.com/

Her mother was a midwife and she has been delivering babies since 1981, over 2400 births!  She makes us feel very comfortable and well taken care of.  

Weird, but I went to the chiropractor today and she said that the next time I see her I'll probably have had the baby.  That was pretty exciting!  I guess that sort of thing will happen more often now.  Hopefully we'll get a couple more posts into the blog before Chick gets here!

l.

Ready to Hatch!

November 16, 2010

We went to the midwife yesterday.  It feels like we are there a lot because we are at the point where we go weekly.  Anyway, we have been given the go-ahead for the home-birth.  The pregnancy is now a 37 weeks which means Chick is fully cooked and just putting on ounces and practicing breathing and swallowing and being cute so the s/he is ready for the outside.  Uta thinks that Chick will be 7 or 8 pounds and that s/he will choose a birthday before the actual due date.  She said that Chick is engaged and in the perfect position for birth.  Also, the heart-rate is starting to lower and this is a sign of maturity and preparation for birth.

Chick is more and more interactive each day.  Her/his bum is below Lyndze's left ribs and her/his feet are kicking into her right ribs or out the right side.  We can pat Chick's bum and her/his little feet will start kicking.  Chick seems to enjoy foot rubs.  Occasionally, s/he will get the hiccups!  This jolts Lyndze awake.  Little hands have been feeling around her right hip and the little baby doesn't seem to agree that there is no room left and continues to practice yoga stretches.

Uta agrees that the personality of our little Chick seems rather independent and calm.  We would also add playful to the description!

Lyndze is feeling rather large and sore and tired.  Very excited though!

The car-seat is in the car, the tub is ordered, the food is being stockpiled in the freezer and two eager parents-to-be are cleaning and nesting any way we can.

The count-down is on!  20 days until the due-date and Uta suspects less than that until Chick is hatched!

 The diaper changing area, and Chick's dresser, all ready to go.

 Tyler put the shelf up and we have some toys, some disposables, our cloth pre-folds and cloth wipes.

 Chick's closet has blankets and extra cloth diapers, the stroller and some other supplies.

 The round belly is becoming a thing of the past.  Most of the time you can make out the bumpy outline of a baby!  

The Family Quilt

October 30, 2010

Tyler and I went over to Hilary and Calvin's place last night for one of our themed dinners.  We had a delicious meal of sweet potato frites, African groundnut stew, chapatti bread, and a dessert of fried plantains and vanilla iced-cream (cow/coconut).  After dinner, Hilary revealed that she had a big secret gift to give us: a family quilt!

Hilary is a very talented person and has pieced together the most gorgeous art with beautiful colours and a lot of thought and meaning.  It is unbelievable that this was her first project doing appliqué and she had a little help (from a very artistic mother) in designing the landscapes that grace the pattern.

One panel shows two sixteen year olds on a river in Ontario.  Tyler and I met on a canoe trip when we were sixteen.  Little did we know that this was the beginning of the making of a bond that would lead to 11 years, four of them married, and a babe.

Another panel shows the entrance to Fulford Harbour on Saltspring Island, Mount Maxwell in the background and Russell Island in the foreground.  These are all places that we have enjoyed together and "Chick" has actually been to in a way as well.  Also, Tyler and I often talk excitedly about the trips we'll take with our family around the islands and where the camping and day trips will take us.  We can't wait to share the ocean air and beautiful landscapes with the baby when s/he is born.

The third panel I recognized as soon as I saw it.  I'm not sure Hilary knows how special the westward (or white) pine is to Tyler and I.  We met at a summer camp whose symbol is this tree and it reminds us both of being kids and teens and falling in love.  Intertwined with the pine in an arbutus.  Tyler and I love this new tree (new to us, as it was introduced to us here on the island) which is a special part of our new home.  Our past and our future, as Hilary put it.

As you all know, Tyler and I have been working overtime the last month to build a nest.  This has been stressful at times because we are short on time (a couple months isn't really enough to feel completely nested and at home) and short on the means to make it everything we want right away.  "Chick" is, as the midwife often says, trying to teach us to slow down, be calm and patient, and focus on what really matters.  When we brought the quilt home last night the place felt more like home than ever.  

As you can tell, we are very happy with the gift and blow away by the artistry and the thought and meaning that went into it.  Thank you so much to all who had a hand in it!  We feel pretty special and even more excited for "Chick" to arrive!

lyndze & tyler

Thanks-for-giving, Nanoose-style

For Thanksgiving, we went to Lyndze's Aunt and Uncle's house in Nanoose Bay.  The drive up was stormy and the first night was rainy with high winds.  The next morning, we woke up and there was a warm, sunny and beautiful day!  We went to an organic farm called Nanoose Edibles.  There were chickens and a rooster, kale and raspberries still growing, and acres of walking through flowers, fruit trees, and a well-groomed farm. We took some pictures along the way.

 Here is Tyler walking through a field of sunflowers.  Below are some chickens and a rooster.

Lyndze walking through the farm.

 She loves having her picture taken (no she doesn't...)

"Ew!  Toys!"

 Tyler:  "Put that back."  Lyndze:  "NO!"

 Now this is a toy!  Tyler loved the swing.

 Really loved it!

Lyndze doesn't like swings so much.

We also went to Coombs and played in the stores there.  Tyler's concern is that as he gets older he may lose his hair: he is searching for alternatives.

 Some belly dancing?

Tyler's favourite picture of the day:

 Lyndze's favourite picture of the day:

We had a really fun day.  The dinner was also very tasty and there was lots of great company.  What a wonderful weekend!

Tyler's 28th Birthday!

Tyler - Although it feels like a a year ago already, Lyndze, Chick and I celebrated my 28th birthday on Oct 8 and it was an absolutely fantastic day.  I slept in just a little bit and Lyndze made me coffee and the breakfast of my choice.  I chose one of our favorite meals that used to be on the menu at a small restaurant in Victoria named Mole. It was a portabello mushrooms chopped up small and saute'd with onions and other tasty things and then placed inside an avacado that has been halved and put on top of a big salad of mixed greens. It was awesome.  We then spent the bulk of the afternoon meandering around downtown.  Looking in shops and stopping at my favorite cafes for food and espresso.  The highlight of the birthday came with the last minute decision to get dressed up and go to the second seating of a Jazz show at the Superior cafe.  Because it was a last minute decision we got to the cafe and there were no seats available.  But the hostess said we looked so nice that she would try and find us a place to sit!  So we ended up getting to stay and watch the show.   It turned out to be a great show, amazing food, all local and organic and we met some really nice people.  All in all it was a great b-day. And doesn't Lyndze look so good!
  

Look at her!  Sooooo Cute!

Also kind of cute, if I do say so myself.

Moving Day; building a nest

Lyndze - The day that seemed so far away finally arrived: moving day!  The lead-up was quite stressful but we were both so excited when it finally came as we are both anxious to create a nest for our new family.  We ended up hiring movers which was such a great choice and made the day pretty easy and fun.  The moving company, "Two Small Men With Big Hearts," consisted of a truck and two small men with faded tattoos and few teeth.  They arrived at the cabin early and by 11:30am we were all moved into the apartment and they were gone.  We crammed a lot of our things into the second bedroom and just unpacked from there.  It's still a work in progress, but we're getting there!

 Tyler built us a bed!  Just in time too, because it's getting pretty challenging for me to get up off the floor in the middle of the night to pee (and at 2am, 3:30am, 4am, 6am, and 6:10am...).  It's a beautiful bed that is very sturdy and we love it already.  The room still needs a couple coats of paint though!

 I started the unpacking in the kitchen and it was done by the first night.  Still lots of things to do though, the painting is not quite done and we need some basics like a garbage can, etc...

 The living/dinning room that was so bare was quickly full of stuff.  We reassembled the table and futon the first night.

 Tyler got all "manly," as he puts it, and painted our bathroom pink.  It turned out really nice and it is the first finished room in the place.

Still no pictures on the walls, and very little colour because we have yet to get curtains or shelves or accessories but the table is set up and the buffet is full of dining room treasures.

This home-making thing is exhausting!  But so so much fun!