Week 35-New Digs on My 34th Birthday!

Well, the long awaited day is finally upon us and I can say with all glee, WE HAVE A HOUSE OF OUR OWN!  Our first night was on my birthday, the 17th and it was a very empowering way to start a new year for me and the final countdown on the Path To The Bear.

I'll admit, for a few weeks there I was trying to get used to the idea of giving birth in the big house and being ok with that....and I'm sure it would have worked out alright, but wow, it's much more fulfilling to be able to bring The Bear in to the outside world from our own space.

Now I'm on Rapid Nest Setting, which means fast trackin' the homey creation process.  We've had a flurry of rug and lamp purchasing, picture hanging, curtain hanging and book stacking.  We've been washing dishes, having impromptu concerts with the Wilson's and getting some good meditating juju infused in the walls.  We've been setting up decor for The Bear in the Bear Cave and taking names.

This. Is. Syria. Serious.

I'm trying to live as much and relax as hard as I possibly can in this space so that when the Grand Moment of Appearing arrives, I will be ready to sink into the goodness of this home and focus on the Great Co-Creation.

Now if I could just get my thumb to heal, we'll be in fabulous shape.  I made the executive decision to clip it a week or so ago because an ancient blood blister from lighting fires in Denmark had finally migrated to the surface.  This was a bad decision.  Since then, it has done everything but heal up like a good thumb.  From my hand analysis perspective, it's in the execution realm of my success digit....I'm looking at it as a challenge to deliver on manifesting an idea or a project...or giving birth.  And what to do to heal it up?  Surrender to help perhaps?  Look to the resources at hand which I may have been neglecting?  I'm still working on that.

Needless to say, we've got a place and we've introduced it to Joy so she knows how to find us on that Auspicious Day.  Next task at hand, heal the paw and keep settling in.

Week 34-February 9-15- Je Suis Pregosaurus

There is clearly a shift in the force happening this week.  I believe it has to do with the discovery of the Pregosaurus.  

- Joy, our glorious midwife has taught us useful things like Orange Juice Wakes Up Sleeping Babies.  

-Summer has sent t-shirts that proclaim the Truth of The Womb.

-We have almost achieved Plumbing and Hot Water in the apartment.

-I have finished writing a rough draft of The Bloodless Revolutionary Manifesto for Vegan Wizard, Bo Rinaldi.  According to his protege, artist and graphic designer Barry Mack, doing this is as good as investing in Microsoft back in the 80's.

{Pregosauraus ROAR!}

-Tobias and I have mailed off his Greencard Application and we have received Confirmation That It Has Arrived at the Headquarters For Life Changing Immigration Decisions.  

PREGOSAURUS CLAWS THE AIR!  

What wonderful things will happen the rest of the week!?

Week 33- February 2-8-Quantum Leaps

This is clearly photo-mania week.  We have gone on so many adventures both at the apartment and further afield that the Little Bear is probably quite ready for some serious naps.  Tobias came back early from Vipassana this week which ended up being a very lovely thing because we got to spend much quality time together gallivanting around to places like the Oregon Coast and the Sellwood neighborhood.

The apartment also is making great strides and as you can see, we've got the kitchen all painted up and looking pristine in white.

We ALSO have the GRAND COUCH which was a fortuitous run of destiny with The Salvation Army.  Guess how much for that monster of style and wonder? 300.00.  And why? Because we bought a bag of 5.00 coffee and were awarded a 50% off coupon for any one item in the store.  Even the Dane couldn't scorn that kind of sweet deal :)

We've started placing furniture and hanging paintings and opening the lid of the piano so it's really starting to LOOK like people are living here.
Jack the dog has also decided that this is a livable space and has planted himself nicely on the softest points of the carpet.  Jack is no one's fool.

Along with our domestic progress, I took Tobi to the beach this week!  My favorite beach on the Oregon Coast to be precise. Cannon Beach, home of Haystack Rock, The Goonies, and an old man artist who paints mystical and imagination filled pictures of all the magical creatures and stories that make this area sweet.  Tobias and Jack were more than happy to run around sniffing the air and delighting in the gorgeous light.

Jack has a mind of his own and was only too happy to give Tobi some good lessons in parenting and non-attachment to the behavior of his dogs and children.

Bear and I were more than happy to capture everything on film as we all continued down the beach as the sunset over the horizon.

We did manage to find a crazy mirror in town and it actually made me look a little more or less pregnant....the jury is still out on that one!

Week 32-1/26-2/1- Bump Visits Home Depot!

Look at how excited me and Bump are to be at Home Depot picking out light fixtures for our new house!  I'm pretty sure this is right after Auntie Summer had texted us saying that Bump was now the size of a pineapple.  Tropical Bump!

Nevermind that I am dressed like a watermelon.  This is clearly big news and Bumpy once again, is looking very majestic and ready for anything.  Even jazz hands at the hardware store.  What a great kid.

We've had some big advances on the home front aside from fixture picking too...all the floor tile is laid!  The piano is uncovered and on its rug!  We have a hat stand in the living area!  Practically moved in.  Tobias is a great advocate for keeping the process rolling along and dad, my dad, has started calling him Taskmaster.  Tobi does not seem to mind this at all.  The clock is ticking and we're getting closer to meeting the Bumpatron as we work to finish the house.  Talk about a neck in neck race!

Week 31-01/19-25-Continuing Apace

This is one of Tobi's favorite shots of me for reasons that baffle me still.  It may be the pink flower in my hair as I paw through the shelves looking happily for my Raspberry Tea whilst still in my jammies at who knows what hour of the morning.  Probably around 10.30, I'd imagine.  Or it may be that I'm still in my pajamas at 10.30 in the morning on a week day.  Either way, You can see that the Bump is growing steadily, even in dark colors like Navy Blue.

In other news, the apartment is continuing to evolve a little more every day and we are super excited to move in YESTERDAY!  We keep focusing on one day at a time, but let's face it, we're ready to get our nest built and settled.

Our plan is to have the birth tub or "Baby Swimming Pool" in front of those big windows so we can look out over the glorious forest as Bumpalicious makes her way into the world.  The baby grand piano is quite anxious to meet Bump also so it's hiding under its covers so it doesn't hyper-ventilate.  

Week 30-01/12-18-Baby Unicorns Have Landed!

Holy Cow! As if this couldn't be exciting enough already, our friends Jon and Abby have mailed us a unicorn suit to keep Bump nice and warm in.  Also, so Bump doesn't forget that boy or girl, he/she is magical and the product of insanely excitable parents. 

People sometimes ask, "What if it is a boy?"  We tell them, "We're not limiting the color palette of our child simply because of gender." We also tell them that we will dress Bump in anything in any color until he is old enough to articulate his wishes.  That way, she'll get the full spectrum of attire and color experiences to draw from.  So far, we've pretty much gotten everything you can imagine from pink zebra onesies to baseball baby hats, so Bump is going to have a menagerie of delightful clothing inspiration to draw from.  

I'm counting on adorable baby photos to keep Bump on our side perpetually when he becomes a teenager and his friends are like, "Dude, why are you dressed in a pink unicorn suit?"  Mainly because his friends will be international, cool, and probably have parents that dressed them in glitter laden pony costumes as well.  And they will all look adorable so no one will care.  See the idealism?  

Needless to say, Bump will get a chance to rock so many looks, it will make Madonna swoon.  How's that for a dated reference? 

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.