Pranic pregnancy delights

Our collective journey has truly been one of following intuition. On all of our behalves. This includes baby, myself and daddy Dave. Here are some sources of help and inspiration that have guided us along the way:

For essentials

• Diapers.com - we are registered here for some awesome bargains; includes free shipping on all orders
• ErgoBaby, Twilight Turtle, BumGenius, Red Cross First Aid Kit, discounts on Burt's Bees,  list goes on!
• La Leche League - international website; check out your local chapter for this amazing support network
• LuluDew - we are using this local cloth diapering service
• Shutterfly - to create your own family photo-sharing site and for fantastic deals on baby announcements, etc.
• WIC - even with our household income, we qualified; great nutrition education and support program funded by the government for women and children up to age 5

For relaxation

• Aromatherapy - stock up on soy candles and essential oils
• Birth Hypnosis - we try to make daily use of our dvd/mp3 HypBirth program...very much in-tune with our lifestyle and will be a joyous relief to utilize during labor and delivery
• Hydrotherapy - perfect for easing fatigue and those pregnancy aches. Simply run a normal shower, then towards the end, alternate 3 times each between hot and cold for 30 seconds each
• iTunes - having a rotating playlist of mellow music and relevant podcasts has been amazing for me. I am able to relax at home on the couch, floor or bed and simply listen, do my chores while listening, take with me on walks while I listen and even work through contractions while listening. Another great tip I received from a family friend is to place earbuds on my belly so that baby might hear!
• Massage - countless benefits come from this form of touch therapy. Truly a restorative gift to indulge in during and after pregnancy! We conceived while I was enrolled in deep tissue class, then endured morning sickness throughout my shiatsu class. I somehow was able to work at massage therapy and bodywork well through the remainder of my pregnancy. And I have only positive feedback to share...
• Yoga - in the first (post-morning sickness stage) and second trimesters, I felt energized enough and comfortable to continue attending yoga class. However, later on in the second and then third trimester, I felt my energy wiped out and wanted to save money too. So I turned to our Netflix queue! It was actually my partner's suggestion, which I now think is brilliant because I enjoy staying close to home these days leading up to birth. And it truly is saving us much dinero!!

For cravings

• Your Vegetarian Pregnancy: A Month-by-Month Guide to Health and Nutrition
• Alternative to caffeine...herbal tea! at Design a Tea

For more info.

• research studies from the Mayo Clinic
• Born to Live: A Holistic Approach to Childbirth
• The Nursing Mother's Companion
• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
• Yoga for Pregnancy and Birth

Currently listening to: The White Stripes

Biutiful

Yesterday we finished up a film from Iñárritu by the name of Biutiful. Still have yet to fully grasp the meaning of this particular title. Neverthless, it truly is a gem. All about a man scraping by to sustain his family's livelihood who learns he is dying from cancer. Is set in Barcelona, Spain, and holy moley, I have never seen modern Europe portrayed like this. You get a taste of intersecting cultures involved in the black market. To make ends, people must side with their demons. And many times people seem wasted and stomped upon.

This film is lit up by the main character's two adorable little children. It gave me reason to reflect on our own journey through parenthood. Already what we say and especially what I do have a direct affect on this child of ours. How the father manages to figure out best-case scenario right before he passes on pulls at the heartstrings. Already we are finding ourselves making sacrifices, toning down our language and tuning into better daily living, planning ahead more, communicating well, opening up, checking in, doing the right stuff it sure feels like.

Another screen saver we have been zoning in on is the television show Parenthood. We amuse ourselves with how immersed we both are in the story and music and can readily identify with certain characters. As you might gather, a lot more relaxing on the couch and flipping on the screens these days. Very unlike both of us. However, we all needs breaks, and I welcome this change, fully aware it won't last but a month longer.

Civic obligations and such

Today, I escaped from jury duty. It all ended when we were given the opportunity one last time (around 2pm) to suggest to the judge reasons why the hell we simply aren't fit to serve. I was fine up until the part where they had everyone wait and wait and wait around. And to what purpose? So I wrote down a piece of my mind regarding the physical and emotional state I am in at present, and it worked like magic. I was out of that courthouse at 2:30pm, woo yeah. If it had been a straight shot from the get-go, I would've happily served as a juror. But with all the shifting around and public excuses people were having to make in order to relinquish themselves of duty, I rapidly became discouraged.

This was my first time ever participating. So, naturally I was curious and excited about the process. Coming from a family with both parents having emigrated over here I was raised to be grateful about the liberties the USA does provide that sometimes can be taken for granted. Also, there was a judge who spoke to us before we were assigned to panels, and his words were very inspiring. He reminded us that it is the only mandated government obligation we have as citizens.

On my extended lunch break, I took a walk past City Hall where OCCUPY LA was still holding strong despite windy weather and rain. Here are glimpses of what I saw:

It got me to thinking that our government could be doing so much more for how much freedom it loves to boast about. Might begin by tackling a few rights that should be fundamental for every human, such as good healthcare and sound education. And how about at least supplementing the cost it takes each summoned individual to make the trip to jury duty? After my stroll through an integral part of our Downtown area, I returned to the courthouse in a flurry, ready to stick with participating as a 'qualifying' juror, despite my reservations. 


Good fortune, however, was on my side. The judge allowed us one last chance to relieve ourselves, so I went ahead and followed through with my intuition. I wrote an honest explanation of how I am 35 weeks pregnant; already made doctor's appointments for the following week; in case of emergency, our hospital is on the other side of town; and, due to my hormonal changes, I would be very emotional and probably biased, given the nature of the case presented to us all by the animated lawyers on both sides of the family dispute. I am very glad and grateful to have such a tiny yet meaningful freedom granted this time around.

Ring-a-ding

Last night marked our 2-year anniversary. Funny thing, as we first met on Halloween of 2009 through a mutual friend. Here we are now, on our way to popping out a baby. My oh my...how time flies on by!

For our wedding earlier this summer, we committed to an artist whom we discovered via the internet. He takes strips of wood from old guitars and already-pruned trees then inserts shells, precious stones and nature-inspired designs into the woodwork. This particular artist Jonathan Stroud goes by the name of Chasing Victory. It was mostly inspired by my husband who was initially hesitant about wearing a wedding band--for, a jewelry man, he is not--that would prove to be affordable and unique, meaningful and stylin'. I was at first perplexed by the challenge, then felt enlightened once I began to discover alternative sources for wedding bands. We were very thrilled to discover Chasing Victory whose home base is in Redding, CA. And although mine hasn't received much attention, Dave's most certainly has. Which is a wonderful thing, especially since he was originally resistant. Here is a tiny sampling of the skills and craft; we went with those two beauties at the bottom:

Take a moment to check out Jonathan's handcrafted gems and read his story of how the creativity evolved. Webpage is here on Etsy. We built such a great rapport with him, he sure worked extra to deliver what we desired. I imagine doing business again with him in the future...

Best wishes when planning out your special moments, my friends! Happy November to y'all, our little one is due in just 5 weeks from today, yayay!!!

Ode to tea!

Tea is a an act complete in its simplicity.

When I drink tea, there is only me, and the tea.

The rest of the world dissolves.

There are no worries about the future.

No dwelling on past mistakes.

Tea is simple: loose-leaf tea, hot pure water, a cup.

I inhale the scent, tinydelicate pieces of the tea floating above the cup.

I drink the tea, the essence of the leaves becoming a part of me.

I am informed by the tea, changed.

This is the act of life, in one puremoment, and in this act the truth of the world suddenly becomes revealed: all the complexity, pain, drama of life is a pretense, invented in our minds for no good purpose.

There is only the tea, and me, converging.

—

Thich Nhat Hanh: Tea Ceremony

A peek at our tiny seed forming.

Currently listening to: Grateful Dead

"Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow"

Every step of the way we walk the line
Your days are numbered, so are mine
Time is pilin’ up, we struggle and we scrape
We’re all boxed in, nowhere to escape

City’s just a jungle; more games to play
Trapped in the heart of it, tryin’ to get away
I was raised in the country, I been workin’ in the town
I been in trouble ever since I set my suitcase down

Got nothin’ for you, I had nothin’ before
Don’t even have anything for myself anymore
Sky full of fire, pain pourin’ down
Nothing you can sell me, I’ll see you around

All my powers of expression and thoughts so sublime
Could never do you justice in reason or rhyme
Only one thing I did wrong
Stayed in Mississippi a day too long

Well, the devil’s in the alley, mule’s in the stall
Say anything you wanna, I have heard it all
I was thinkin’ ’bout the things that Rosie said
I was dreaming I was sleepin’ in Rosie’s bed

Walkin’ through the leaves, falling from the trees
Feelin’ like a stranger nobody sees
So many things that we never will undo
I know you’re sorry, I’m sorry too

Some people will offer you their hand and some won’t
Last night I knew you, tonight I don’t
I need somethin’ strong to distract my mind
I’m gonna look at you ’til my eyes go blind

Well I got here followin’ the southern star
I crossed that river just to be where you are
Only one thing I did wrong
Stayed in Mississippi a day too long

Well my ship’s been split to splinters and it’s sinkin’ fast
I’m drownin’ in the poison, got no future, got no past
But my heart is not weary, it’s light and it’s free
I’ve got nothin’ but affection for all those who’ve sailed with me

Everybody movin’ if they ain’t already there
Everybody got to move somewhere
Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow
Things should start to get interestin’ right about now

My clothes are wet, tight on my skin
Not as tight as the corner that I painted myself in
I know that fortune is waitin’ to be kind
So give me your hand and say you’ll be mine

Well, the emptiness is endless, cold as the clay
You can always come back, but you can’t come back all the way
Only one thing I did wrong
Stayed in Mississippi a day too long

-Bob Dylan