Week 29-Ho BABY

Everyone has an opinion on what OscarLily will be.  Even Mayan Shamans, who, at our wedding beneath a full moon in the Yucatan jungle November 30, said, "Enjoy your son".  OscarLily has his own ideas.

Namely, tap dancing and practicing elbow rolls that are growing more insistent and clear by the day.  A couple days ago I woke up from a good strong prod on my ribs.  "Well," I said to Tobi, "There's no denying that there is really SOMETHING in there."  OscarLily, aka Bump gave Tobs quite a good show in bed the other night, almost like a Rockettes routine, complete with high kicks and low kicks.

So far there is no super discernable pattern in the kicks like Night vs. Day or Sitting vs. Dancing but Bump definitely knows when people are looking.  It must be a baby super power.  OL feels you looking and finds it fascinating.

Bump also likes dress up, especially when it involves Tobias and I getting a shotgun wedding in Oregon City.  She slept like a full kitten the whole time our glorious ministers were ministering to us.  I am particularly fond of how gorgeous Bump looks in this photo.  Way to go Bump, you made the dress fabulous.

This week I'm taking Bump to his first evening ecstatic dance and will see how that goes.  Bump is already aware of ecstatic dance from the experience a couple weeks ago and feels positively about it.  I can tell this from the kicks and punches.  I figure at this point, movement equals a "Yay!"  so we can add that to the list of fun stuff Bump likes.

Week 29 and we are in the home stretches.  Joy, our midwife felt Bump's head and back yesterday and we got our paws in there too and poked around gleefully.  Bump was not terribly impressed to respond to this, which Joy said, "Well, maybe Bump is just enjoying being the one getting a massage instead of being the one to give one."

That was our first official midwife visit, or really, caregiver visit of any kind.  We've been as non-interventionist as possible, just wanting Bump to be able to grow and swim around without a lot of interference.  We feel like Joy is totally on board with that so we just had a little blood draw and some peeing in cups and that should be it in terms of tests.

We trust that Bump knows what she is doing and that everything is perfect.  Also, we're getting very excited to meet Bump and everyone at the Big House has taken to addressing Bump directly.  Bump is growing very popular.

Bump also has songs.  I have made one up for him that I sing everyday, along with the standards "Rock Me Mama", "Make Me Down A Pallet On Your Floor" and Danish Uncle Ulrik's song.

Bump has also been getting regular acupuncture since we arrived in the US and very much likes it.  You can tell from the groovy moves.

Week 28- New Years Resolutions and Runaway Weddings

Bump! Look! We keep getting married!  We can't stop.  It's just so much fun AND you look awesome in my fancy dress.  We decided to start the year off on the right foot and tie the knot in the US on New Years Day.

Your stylish and clever Aunties were our ministers and we said "Hell yes!" on a rock overlooking the Oregon City Falls because our original spontaneous location was the Oregon City Elevator but they were closed for the holiday!  That didn't hamper us one little bit and it was a lovely, short, wintery adventure complete with Tobi in a top hat and tails. 

They even made him a green card to get the ball rolling.  Officially. 

So now you are going to be the wee sprite of parents who love each other in jungles and overlooking cliffs around the world.  Hooray!  International love!

Week 27- Christmas!

No matter how late you sleep in on Christmas, it's still going to look like you just woke up in photos.  We won't even try to hide it.  It was small this year with Tobias, Mom, Dad, Jack the Dog and myself in attendance.  Jack the dog would be  Bump's cousin.  Dog cousin. 

In true American Galore Style, there were many gifts and Tobias quickly became overwhelmed by the sheer number.  I have to agree.  It gets confusing after awhile!  Tobi and I had our Compostelas framed along with our Pilgrim Passports from both the Haervej and the Camino as our gifts to each other because with that, Bump would never have come along!




Bump also got some lovely gifts from the Danish side, including this rad mobile from Aunt Cecilie which we will promptly install in the Bump Cave once our flat is finished! 

We celebrated the post-Christmas package frenzy with a yummy brunch and then a movie, which, sadly, Mom did not find amusing as it was a Quentin Tarantino picture called Django Unchained.  Though it was about freeing slaves, it was pretty bloody.  Bump demanded lots of popcorn with butter so we didn't mind the gore too much at all.  The food was far more entrancing.  Needless to say, this was a pretty low key week, just lots of growing and more kicks all the time.  We make great roomates though, as Bump is kind enough to keep surprising me with random dance moves and observe reasonable bed times simultaneously. 

Week 26- Eagle Crest and Smith Rocks-Dec. 15

We took Bump to see the Wild West of Eastern Oregon this week and in the process experience the first "Whoa! What's THAT!" sensation so far in being preggers.  Turns out it was practice labor and let me know for certain that I've got a roomate.

This is Bump's first snow and well, I think she liked it.  It was very magical.  And very windy and cold.     Other things of note:

1. First time we saw Bump kicking around on the OUTSIDE.  As in, my skin was doing little jumps and bobs in little feet and hand shapes.  Think those Womp the Gopher games.

2. I'm officially in preggers jeans now.  Full on. Can't button the others to save my life. Nor the shorts I wore two short weeks ago in Mexico.  Boo yah!

Week 23/24- Mexico and the Magical Mayans

Bump, this was a super fun week.  You hit viability, Tobias and I were bonded together by the Mayans beneath a mystical, full, jungle moon, and I took you zip lining in a cenote.








 You did not seem to mind at all, though I had to adjust to the temperature for a minute...even with all that added insulation.  If you can believe it, I'm still wearing my bikini and actually, think they are are the WAY TO GO when preggers.






So, along with fish tacos, snorkeling, underwater spelunking and staying in jungle huts (thank you Jolie Jungle!) we met the Magical Mayans who pronounced Tobias and I partners in crime as well as you, a boy.  We'll see how good they are at their jobs.

You're still pretty quiet these days, little flutters and wings here and there but nothing too wild.  All the same, it's very exciting and fun to haul you around the world....at this rate, by the time you're born, you'll have been to England, Denmark, Sweden, the US and Mexico.


Not bad for new kid eh?

Week 22- Thanksgiving and the Great Migration

With murmlings and burblings in the belly, Bump, Tobias and I boarded many planes to bring us to Americas (as Tobs likes to call it) in time for Turkey Day.    We landed late the 21st and were met by Jackie, Mom and Dad, and Naomi, who Bump will no doubt be thrilled by.

I can definitely tell that the elevation changes affect what's going on inside.  Bump was rolling and shifting about and I'm pretty sure there are rad-er things to do besides fly while with child...at least in the later stages.

To calm everyone down, we ate heaps at Thanksgiving and showed off Tobias and Bump to all the family members in attendance.  Afterwards we went for a hike at Multnomah Falls and as you can see, I still fit in my jacket...though I have a feeling that zipper won't take too much more expansion.

There were several other preggers ladies on the trail so Bump and I kicked into low gear and made it all the way to the top and then across to Wakeenah Falls, about 5 or 6 miles total with some healthy elevation gain. We are mountain goats and very fierce as you can see.

In a week, we'll be heading off to the Yucatan jungles for sunny and exciting adventures so we'll see how Bump enjoys a more tropical climate.  In the meantime,  we are rapidly approaching viability week, number 24, which means, that Bump's chances for growing up to be a real human being increase exponentially.

Keep growing Bump!