Christmas at the Hospital

Merry Christmas everyone!

Thank you for all of your Christmas wishes and prayers for us this last week. We just got our laptops and cell chargers about an hour ago, so now I can explain why we have dropped of the map for the last 4 days.
We are going on our 4th day staying at Seattle Children's Hospital. Greta had her first Pediatrician visit on Monday and we discovered through some blood work that she had a very high bilirubin count. It shows itself in the form of jaundice (very common for infants) but Greta's was reaching a point where she needed immediate hospital care. We headed straight over to Children's Hospital (without bags or even charged cell phones) and her blood work upon entry put her bilirubin count at 24! ( A normal count starts at 7).
She was immediately put under lights resembling a tanning bed, and has been chilling under them for the last several days.
Thankfully she started to improve right away, and being one step away from a blood transfusion this came as a HUGE relief.
We are very blessed to have caught her situation when we did, going much longer without treatment can cause possible deafness or brain damage.
So praise God for the prompt care she has recieved! Her rates are dropping and this morning she was at 16 so we are hoping to be able to go home tomorrow!
Here is a picture of her in her little "bili bag". It keeps her toasty and gives her the max amount of light. She is such a mover and shaker though! She is constantly getting all tangled in her IV's and suction cups. We are so happy to have such an alert and perfect little sweetie. We are constantly laughing over her funny faces and flailing arms and legs.

Our little family made attempts at Christmas Stockings last night. We wrangled up some hospital footies and while Kent was sleeping I scoured the hospital vending machines and reception desks for treats. Nothing says Christmas like a bag of Fritos and a plastic cafeteria spoon.
Kent had been sneakily storing my Christmas gift in the trunk of the car, so I woke up to the boots I have had bookmarked on my computer since summer! Weeee!

1. 

Santa came in to our room last night and dropped off a sweet little stocking for Greta with a blankie and toy! He also made his rounds today and dropped off a little stuffed puppy and gave her her first Santa pic!
It has been quite the unconventional Christmas season for us, but sitting here next to our sweet little girl who is on the mend and having just took my first shower in 4 days I feel like the happiest woman in town!
Thanks everyone for your prayers, they are truly felt!
Merry Merry Christmas!
I will leave you with a video we took yesterday of Greta's 4 day birthday!

Greta going home

Look what we did!

Hello All!
It's Kirsten, and I am laying right next to our sweet little Greta! She is faaast asleep right now, and we like it that way. It has been a long night, but so so happy...I even got 4 hours of straight sleep!
We are still in the hospital at Overlake recovering and what not. Greta is doing well, and so am I! However I do feel like a train wreck...or like I gave birth to a 8lb 14oz baby. Not sure when we will be going home, but we are pretty sure it will be today sometime.
But, here is the skinny on Greta (since pictures won't be coming until later). Firstly, she is perfect as any mom would tell you of their new baby.
She has my chubby cheeks and long toes, Kent's nose bridge and upper lip...and a full head of the softest darkest hair.
It is still a little hard to believe that this is our Barley!
And soon we will be taking her home to our house to live and play with us!
Now we just have to figure out how we are going to get her there through the snow and ice...

Greta Cherie Walter

She's here! A big 8 pounds and 15 ounces, 21 inches long. Kirsten did a really amazing job, and both of my girls are healthy and strong and sleepy. I think our camera cable is at home still, unfortunately, so no pictures for the time being, but rejoice with us that the newest Walter is alive and well and looking really healthy! More to come later, and pictures too!

Baby Time!

Kent here with a guest post series.

10:51 PM, 12/19: I had this picture ready just in case, and I’m glad I did. The weather is insane lately with the worst, by far, yet to come over the next couple of days (check out the weather reports for Seattle, and you’ll see what I’m talking about), and the roads are better than they were, but the timing still doesn’t lend itself well to driving around. Fortunately, we’ll be staying put for a couple of days, because we’re legit now! Kirsten’s water broke at home about 9:30 tonight, and we made it up here to Overlake Labor and Delivery in our own car. We were grateful that the roads got plowed and cleaned up well enough that we didn’t have to take an ambulance. We’ve checked in, and everything looks ship shape so far. All my other updates will probably be a lot shorter than this one as the action picks up, and if you don’t see anything else until we’re back home… Well, just trust that we were a little too busy. More to come…

12:40 AM, 12/20: Our awesome midwife Nicki just got here and checked in with us, and Jenni, our nurse (also fantastic) is across the room hooking up the penicillin to Kirsten's IV. Kirsten has a bacteria that plenty of moms do, called Group B Streptococcus. It's just one of the many bacteria she's got going on, and though it's nothing harmful to grownups, newborns can get some gnarly infections from it, so they do a couple of doses of antibiotics to protect the little folks. A nurse here told us on a previous visit that she's never seen a baby get infected with the B strep after the penicillin dosage, so it's really just standard procedure. Contractions are a lot more intense at this point too, so keep watching.

2:02 AM, 12/20: Dilated to 4 cm now, and more effaced. We've just decided to go ahead and get epidural medicine. The biggest motivator at this point is that it's the middle of the night, and Kirsten's really going to need her rest when she starts pushing. If it was daytime, the dicussion may have looked just a little different, but night time is for sleeping, and that's something we both really need at this point.

3:00 AM, 12/20: The epidural went in with no complications thanks to Dr. Silverman (UVA guy; we talked about Virginia a little bit). Kirsten's next mission (and Nicki specifically said the word "mission") is to get some sleep. That makes it mine too. More updates after we wake up.

7:49 AM, 12/20: Well, that wasn't the very most consistent sleep in the world, especially for Kirsten, who had to switch sides every thirty minutes or so and do some periodic monitoring and whatnot, but "this epidural business," as Kirsten has just said, "is fantastic." The last check was at 5:30, and we were hanging out at 6 cm. Still lots of contractions, but they're new and improved, with 99% less pain!

8:51 AM, 12/20: Hey, 9 cm! Alright! The guard changed, so now our nurse is Malinda, and today's midwife is the very friendly and very informative Jennifer. She just checked in with us for the first time and broke the last of the water to make a little more room for everything. We've been assigned two more hours of sleep if we can (hard work and little sleep ahead!), and after that, it's probably time for pushing!

10:32 AM, 12/20: Well, between another bag of epidural medicine and some extra pressure, we didn't really go back to sleep yet. Jennifer just checked again, though, and we're all the way at 10 cm! The extra pressure was from Greta turning and getting lower, which is exactly what she should be doing. If she keeps moving down like this, we'll be in the pushing part pretty soon. And then I won't be updating as much. Stay tuned.

2 Years! What a difference!

Two years ago today I woke up in Charlottesville, VA Mrs. Walter! Kent and I were just married and on our way to Prague for honeymoon and Christmas. It was the most beautiful and memorable week.
This morning...I woke up at 3:00am Mrs. Walter and co! with some lovely contractions and the makings for another very memorable week.
Today I am seeing my midwife, and the hope is (especially if my contractions keep up pace like this) we will be bringing home our sweet little girl sooner than later.
What a difference 2 years makes!
Kent and I were talking last night about the last 2 years and have come to the conclusion that we have the happiest marriage that any two human sinners could strive for. And now we are starting in on our 3rd year, and there is so much to look forward to.
Thank you to everyone for coloring our lives with friendship and love, we are SO looking forward to what lies ahead!

Makes me laugh!

Seeing as I am sick with a cold and carrying a behemoth child, not too many things make me laugh nowadays.
But! Bloopers, especially sports and news bloopers never fail. I saw this last night and thought I would laugh my child out!
Does this make me mean?
(Juice, I think you will particularly enjoy this.)
(p.s. I miss you.)

Holy Smokes!

So our Greta girl is full of surprises!
Here is the run down from the last couple of days.
The Barley is now "of age" she is 37 weeks and can be delivered safely anytime now. So we were very excited yesterday when I was having those classic symptoms you here tell about! Contractions 5 minutes apart and fantastically uncomfortable..."this is it!" It's baby time! We go to the hospital and they hook me up to monitors and do some charming tests only to find that my contractions aren't doing anything to progress my labor, and that I was still at the same measurements I was 3 weeks ago. Rats. All that pain and no progress. They tell me to go home and try and get some rest.
So instead we go out and try and help her along with some exercise, walking around looking at the Christmas lights and shops in Bellevue then dinner at Maggiano's. (We are only just a little impatient.)
However, today brings new motivation.
They had me come in to do another ultrasound after her heart rate was having some low dips just to make sure her fluid levels were healthy.
Good news! She is healthy...boy is she healthy...last week they estimated her weight at about 5-6 lbs. Today with all of her ultrasound measurements she clocked in at 9 1/2 lbs.
NINE AND A HALF POUNDS... POUNDS!
And this little turkey has 3 more weeks to cook! Granted, there is a few pound margin of error, but we certainly weren't expecting this from our little preemie! Needless to say the technician had to scoop Kent and I out of the room and practically deposit us out the door.
NINE AND A HALF POUNDS! Her head measured at 39 weeks, her femur at 40, her belly is actually off the charts as over 40 weeks.
Where did this giantess come from? Is this the same little sweetie I have been bedridden with for these last several weeks to give her a fighting chance at health and happiness?...Because I think she found it!
So there it is...my new motivation to do stairs and drink Raspberry tea. And now we can all stop singing "ohh poor little Barley" and unite in a song of "ohh poor Skirst" and for everyone else "ohh I'm glad it isn't me".
But with all shock aside, there is a sense of relief at our house today. All signs are pointing to a healthy happy baby and I would much rather do the fighting for her in childbirth than have her fighting for her life.
That's what mommies do!

Christmas Concert '08!

Our scheduled Christmas activities have been somewhat of a question mark this year. All eyes are on the Barley. However there was one Christmas tradition that I wanted to institute and observe if I could at all help it...A Christmas Concert!
A time to get together and sing Christmas songs with friends like they did in old 50's movies. (sans the hot toddies-maybe next year!)
So I busied myself (as much as one can busy oneself while not moving from the couch) with plans. Mostly I busied my mom and Kent with the baking and the Christmas decorating. A task that I envied them for...I love setting the house in Christmas order and making things just so (also, maybe next year!)
However, I was able to make these darling little mistletoe pins in the meantime.
So, with everything in order we called on our good friends Meg and Ryan to come celebrate with us around the Christmas tree.
Kent played the guitar, and Meg charmed us with her cello playing. Ryan and I chose less "Traditional" instruments and played the keys (car keys) in all the jingly sorts of songs.
A festive time was had by all! With baked sweets, cider, cocoa, and ornament decorating! It was a very cheerful evening. (Minus my discussion of our flagging economy and the predicted doom and utter economic collapse they say we are headed for in as little as 4 years. (I have nothing to do but read this mess on the news all day)...also start gardening.)Now, some may wonder at my crazy Christmas antics and wonder what was I thinking?...what with all the standing, jingling, and sitting at the table shown above. Surely this breech of Dr's orders catapulted me into labor?
Nope..and relax! The Barley had a blast, and really would never dream of interrupting the Christmas Concert '08! It was a lovely night off and I sang and laughed until my prego belly shook like a bowl full of jelly!
Merry Christmas to all!

The Final Countdown...

Da-da-da-duuuuuh, duh-duh-du-du-duuuuuh!
As discussed previously, the Paper chain is the countdown method of choice in the Walter Household.
Used to countdown major events and milestones. And if getting off my butt, (or left side to be more precise) to join civilization isn't a milestone I just don't know what is. Ahh, to feel the wind on my face and pavement under my feet again...richness.
As is, we have 6 links left in the paper chain placed by my afternoon perch.
6 links left and it's "Look out world the Barley and I are back and taking no prisoners!"
Kent and I have had the feeling that as soon as I am off these muscle relaxers, and we give my uterus permission, it's going to spaz out as it's been aching to (and ache it does) and presto we got baby!
So if you look at it that way, it really is The Final Countdown!
Peace and quiet...final countdown. Night time is for sleeping...final countdown. A time where I have to sqwunch up my face to remember what spit up smells like...final countdown.
But also it's having a little homemade person, who is totally and completely brand new to the world to teach you new depths of love and sacrifice. You don't see a lot of things on earth that no one else has for the first time. And I have a little paper chain to countdown to one!

P.s. If she doesn't come by next Friday we are going to IKEA. I can't of anything more labor inducing than walking 5 miles of Swedish warehouse looking at sales!

Bed Rest(less)

I am currently writing to you "off the hip". I mean that most literally, as I am on bed rest where I am ordered to lay on my side and only my side. (Minus those glorious minutes I get to shuffle to the bathroom or sit up to eat.)
You would be amazed at how little there is to do while laying on ones side. When I first heard the news bed rest I had hopes of finishing our wedding album, working on some branding for my new up and coming business venture with Meg, sketching, listing...etc. But alas I have found that all of these are for those lucky stiffs who can lounge on the couch on their back.
As is, I am growing intensely uncomfortable writing over my shoulder and will make this post short.
We had another Dr.s visit yesterday and they recommended I stay on my Terbutaline (muscle relaxer) and bed rest for another 11 days. Blech. It is doing a good job so far and I have had half the contractions I started the week out with. So that is good for the Barley, and if they keep on working she will have a chance to get a little bigger and avoid some complications.
For that reason, I am happy to do it.... but let us be honest with one another...this sucks.
I am getting stir crazy, and what I wouldn't do for some exercise!
So if anyone has any fun sideways activities they know of...let me know! I am open to mixing up my routine of movie watching and contraction counting.
Well, my faithful nurse "mom" is bringing out lunch so I had better goooo! But really, I'm not going anywhere...I will be just here for 11 more days.

Crazy Little Thing Called Labor

Hi folks. Kent here, guest posting for Kirsten, since she's just *this much* indisposed at the moment. I'm in the rocking chair by the window up at the Overlake Hospital Labor and Delivery Unit, and Kirsten's in the bed next to me. Don't panic, though! Every visit we have now, if it's not a scheduled appointment, happens over here at L&D. They just have better monitoring equipment and whatnot, and it's right next door to the place we usually go.
Here's the news: yesterday morning, very early, Kirsten started having pretty bad cramps, so she called the consulting nurse, and they had us come on in. After a lot of checking things out and monitoring stuff, they told us that she was actually in the first stages of labor! Wow! That explains the cramps, I guess. They eventually gave Kirsten medication to stop the contractions, and once they got that to work, we went on home with several doses of the same medication in pill form. It's been sort of working, but today brought some more weirdness, and contractions a little closer together than they should be in times of non-labor, so we called and they had us come on back in. Pretty much the same story today, and we're headed home in a little bit unless anything changes. The idea is to keep labor at bay for at least another week or so (until 36 weeks), and then if Greta wants to come on out, they'll let her, and we'll care for her appropriately. Should be in good shape at that point.
If things pick up or anything else changes, we'll be sure to let you know.

Thanks for tuning in! :)

Kent (for both of us)

Big day for the Barley!

So yesterday was a big day for the Barley!
Firstly, she is now enjoying a new corner office with a view of my pelvic floor. Yesterday she by all signs "engaged" or "lightened" as they say in the books, or as I would say "dropped like a ton of bricks."
Which is super exciting considering this means she is doing her thing to get ready to go-go-go, and I have more room to breathe, eat, and otherwise enjoy a little more of life's upper abdominal comforts. However it does come at the price of lost lower ones. Her little head is nicely nestled on what sometimes feels like knives, an anvil, and my bladder in between.
Goooo Barley!
Also yesterday I had a monster headache and nausea which was my cue to visit the hospital which was the hospitals cue to check my blood pressure, whose impressive new highs cued the Dr to label my pregnancy "hypertension", which was the cue to steal my blood and pee, and give me drugs I don't want to take.
So, now I am officially an old man and am on blood pressure medicine and monitor my bp 4 times a day with my new handy and so dandy at home cuff. (batteries not included).
The new medicine makes me feel all floopy and light-headed, and I distrust it. (I think any mom would distrust a medicine that clearly states not to take it if you are pregnant or going to be pregnant...and boy if I'm not anything but pregnant.)
However they say it is better for the Barley than the alternative. Lets just hope the poor Barley does not feel as silly as I do. So far I haven't heard any drunken songs echoing from my uterus...but I feel one coming on so I had better sign off.
....They caaaall her the irish roooooover!

33 week checkup!

So we had our last ultrasound yesterday! The next time we get to look at The Barley she will be a little more 3D...with surround sound! It is getting more and more difficult to see what's what in the ultrasound as she gets bigger, so unfortunately there will be no picture for this post. The one we got was barely recognizable seeing as the poor girl is stuffed so tight, like a ham in a pickle jar.
However we did see what amounted to blinking and mouth moving. Also, she was sucking on her foot, which I think shows remarkable skill.
The reason for an ultrasound this late in the game was to check up on her kidneys which were growing at 2 different rates last visit. This time they noticed that they were the same size, just one was holding more fluid than the other. Thankfully, this is not a dangerous or worrisome complication, as her fluid levels and everything else look normal. So praise God for that!
Greta is right on track to be a Christmas Eve baby, they bumped her due date back to the 24th!
She currently weighs 4lbs and 7 oz and that puts her smack dab in the 64th percentile for weight. The midwife predicts she will be around 7lbs when D-Day arrives. A nice little bundle if I do say so myself.

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone had a happy Halloween last night?
We had a fantastic time hanging out with friends and shoving our faces with sweets and pizza rolls.
Kent and I had a tough time this year trying to figure out what we should be. I have rigorous guidelines when it comes to costumes. They should be semi-homemade, I don't want to be a man, or an inanimate object, and would like the costume to be somewhat uncommon. (ex: no witches/or pumpkins). This year had the added challenge of incorporating the Barley. But I think we pulled it off.
We we were a 50's housewife and the milkman. (tee-hee)
I thought Kent looked particularly fine in his little white shorts and bow tie. (meow)

'Here we go a pumpkining'...

...'Among the leaves so orange!'
So, this weekend we gathered our fall spirit up and went a-pumpkining! What could be better than a fun afternoon in the park gutting and carving large vegetables, drinking cider, and of eating Halloween candy?
I submit that there is nothing.


The boys had a HOOGE pumpkin so they teamed up on one together. They were very proud of their handy work. Even now Kent's is propped up by our front door with a rock under it to give it a better showing. It is a scene of wolves howling at the moon.
When I discovered his initial design plans, I had imaginings of us all left howling at the moon as Kent meticulously carved his pumpkin with a knife the size of a hair pin. He is known in our parts for his astounding attention detail, and consequently for being the slowest ever.
However, it was I who was the last to finish carving.
Mostly because I spent my time eating candy, but also I was deliberating over all the design possibilities. Would I try and make a political statement? Or something that would make all the little trick or treaters stop and consider the preciousness and brevity of life? Or maybe I would just settle for something so funny they must puke up their Whoppers.
In the end I decided on a harmless little heart with leaves, giving an overall impression of a tramp stamp. As typical Skirst, I decided it was too much work to think through and eating would be more fun.
The day ended with us all lined up like proud parents holding our orange young.

And then fake smashing them.

Happy October everyone!

Party...with a y.

Soooo, cats out of the bag. Happy Shower to me!
This last weekend the incomparable Meg threw me a surprise baby shower. It was gorgeous, and personal, and sans the games we have all grown to loathe.
So thank you SO much for those of you who came, it made the Barley and I smile.
Now I have been busying myself with finding places for all the lovely gifts and loans everyone has been so generous with.
Today's highlighted gift: The nubby blanket Meg made with her own paws. I think my favorite part is the sweet little G that is sewn into the corner.
The nubby part of the fabric has a real name, but I'm new to the 'mom club' and just call it the nubby part.
Also...what's with all the y's ladies and gentlemen of the marketing sector? We've got the Boppy, the Onesy, footies, Robeez...o.k. that's not a y but it sounds like one. Yipes! Confusing!
Granted, y sounds are catchy, and take years off of your tongue when you say them. (I myself find the word "Lambie" particularly charming and use it to refer to one of our dining room rugs. You might even find that it makes up for all the adult words that are so popular right now that are aging you fast and giving you gas, words like: fiscal, bailout, and earmark. Not a y in the bunch) But really, the more I am exploring "baby land" (mostly I'm lost) I am finding that all the product names basically boil down to one simple equation. Cute non-real word+element of product function but mostly confusion+y or ie=expensive baby product crucial for your child's comfort, safety, or development.
Well, I am starting to get to the bottom of things at least. I hope all is going well with all of you!
Stay tuned for nursery details! The mural starts this week!

28 Week Check-up

Greetings from my big comfy chair!
This morning we had our monthly check-up and things are looking well for our little Greta. She was measured at 26 weeks (normal) and her heart rate is 150 (normal).
I on the other hand I have high blood pressure (un-normal) for me at least. The last 2 months I have been in the 140's over mid 70's. A far cry from the so low I could be dead rates I'm used to.
This on top of the fact that I weighed in 9lbs heavier than last month for the second month in a row have us all raising eyebrows and making me feel like a fatty-fatty-2x4-can't fit through the kitchen door.
Now, let me pause here for those out there who might misunderstand this and take it as an unhealthy mind set. I'm not saying I am fat, I know there is a difference from being pregnant and being obese. I'm just saying there are days in every pregos 9 months where regardless of anything else you just feel like Large Marge Big as a Barge...and today as I breathlessly shuffled myself from the hospital freshly banned by my midwife from drinking cran-blueberry juice (too many calories)...was one of those days.
At any rate, Ive been ordered to go in next week for another check up instead of my monthly, so as to keep tabs on my all too impressive blood pressure.
Also I am cutting out my most dearly loved sweets, and per Drs orders choosing "low fat" dairy (blech). Well, no one ever said pregnancy was going to be easy:) but I am happy to do anything to keep this bun a cookin nice and healthy like!

P.s. I had my glucose test today for gestational diabetes. Naaaaasty it's like drinking a jug of unfrozen orange otter pops. You know something is going to be disgusting if they make you sign a waver first.

Moving in...

It smells like curry and cardboard down here.
I am sitting amongst a pile of my possessions, writing instead of sleeping because yesterday we moved into our new place (Our Barley's first place!) and my mind is too full of the things needed to be done.
For example...this unwelcome smell. The tenants before us seemed to have had an affection for curry and it haunts my very sleep. Of course I am the only one that can smell it because I am prego and my smeller is particularly keen now. So I burn candles like a devout Catholic, (only my candles smell fantastic) and do laundry in hopes to bring about the familiar scent we have left behind at our old home or as Kent affectionately called it "The Shoe box" or "Tooth"....for it was the size of one.
Our new home is much older and loaded with character. We are thrilled at the added square footage, but there is a lot to get used to and I have not quite accepted it as my friend yet. It is a little wonky. I am still suspiciously opening drawers and drawing up an eyebrow at the dishwasher's suspicious ways.
I am still mulling over the possibility of whether or not our house is trying to poison us either with black mold hidden in it's bowels or if it is planning to lull us into a false state of relaxation at which time it will crumble in on us like a house of cards to the ruin of everything, leaving us with only a cloud of dust to pay rent on.
I have just a few things like this to sort out. Also where to put all our stuff.
Our friends have been so awesome helping us get everything off of the truck and into it's proper place. And of course Kent has been an absolute hero making sure I don't lift anything heavy and take my breaks and naps. He takes good care of his girls.
All in all we have been incredibly blessed. We have our work cut out for us for a little while but fiddle-dee-dee I love these kinds of challenges, and soon our little Barley is going to come home here and the real fun will begin!......but first something must be done about this smell.

Sweet Cheeks!

Here are two pictures from her last ultrasound appointment. This is 24 weeks! Here are her feets! They look mighty long, and the Midwife says her legs measured at 26 weeks. She is crossing her legs like a little lady.



Is is just me, or are her little cheeks just the sweetest?...Her face cheeks that is.

Registered

So we went ahead and registered today!
I have been kind of squeamish about doing it before because it feels so presumptuous. Like "Hey get us things!" But, we have been getting a lot of questions about what we have and don't have, as well as what we like, so hopefully this will be a nice way to get that all out there.
Right now we are registered at Target.com. We have just started adding things so it will be a work in progress. And really I can't think of where else we should go to register. Can you?

Places I wish I could register at include:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Top Pot (that one's for me)

But all you moms/friends-that-are-moms, do let me know what is missing off my list and what you have found to be fabulous! I'm new in the club and the idea of registering for things like a breast pump still scares the bajeezas out of me. So I would love to hear what you have to say.
It has been so fun the last little bit to go over all the little clothes and shoes we have and think about how in 3 months they won't be empty! EEP!
Well, I had better give it a rest, tomorrow I am going on a H&M pilgrimage in efforts to find the perfect diaper bag. I will need to be rested and of sound mind and body.
G' Night!
p.s. The Barley went woosh! yesterday for the first time. You know when they don't just kick, but they go woosh! and drag their little feets from one corner to the next...well it was just like that... woosh!

Little Greta Girl

Hello!
Thanks to technology and a lady with some goo in a squeeze bottle we found out last week that the Barley is a girl! However, no one is too surprised at this, seeing as everyone was of the opinion it was going to be a girl in the first place! Except for two people (you know who you are).
I myself feel great satisfaction in my own gender predicting instincts. It took me two months at the beginning of my pregnancy to realize that the possibility was even out there that it could be a boy.
There were those who scoffed at this "lack of scientific proof" and completely disregarded "womanly instincts" and "motherly intuition" and "I like using these quote things, they're so jazzy". Saying that it was merely a 50/50 chance and math and something smart. This (scoffer) will also remain nameless because I love my husband and wouldn't expose Kent to public criticism like that. After all it was his genes that determined that little girl chromosome to manifest itself in my womb and I am in the deepest of gratitude for his efforts.
So now it is full steam ahead planning the birth and life of the worlds sweetest little Barley Girl. There are swatches to be chosen, a doll to be made, little bunny hats and small knee socks to find. And of course a name to be decided on.
However, we were prepared for just such an event and as the title states we have decided to name her Greta.
Greta Cherie.
Isn't that lovely? I think it is only fitting that a Kent and Kirsten should have a Greta...with big cheeks.
Cherie will be her middle name, it is mine, and was my grandma's first name. The Cherie is of extra importance because if there is any way a certain name can produce qualities in a person akin to its previous owner I pray that little Greta receives at least a few of my Grandma Cherie's. If she does we will have a joyful girl who laughs more than she talks, loves others more than herself, and has a ferocious appetite for living life and devouring masses of food.
There is news of our new place (moving in 2 weeks!) and other fascinating Barley details on the way, but right now it is time for toast.

Kickin' Around

Kent and I have found out, much to our glee, that the Barley likes music! We were listening to Viva la Vida last week and the Barley went wild for it. Kicked me right in the gut as if to say "Mom! Don't touch that!....I'm pondering death and all his friends." It was such a swift kick I could see it out of the corner of my eye. Promptly this led to "I wanna see I wanna see" from Kent who at that point hadn't seen or felt the Barley move yet. They had been playing a game of hide and seek for a couple weeks and Barley was the one in the kitchen cupboard refusing to come out full knowing that it had hit upon the world's best hiding spot and to leave now would be to forfeit glory in what would be called the greatest round of hide and seek the sentient world has ever known, and become fodder for the BBC and children's songs alike.
But, a little bit of food, some good music and the Barley can be coaxed... Hoof! We have been enjoying an active and lively little Barley all week.
Like mother like Barley.

Gimme gimme gimme!

So, for the first half of my pregnancy I figured that those notorious "cravings" women get didn't apply to me. For me the definition of a craving at that point was finding the only thing that didn't make me want to throw up and die...and eat it for the sake of the Barley.
Well, happy days are here again! And with gusto!
Not only is nausea a thing of the past but I am even surpassing my previous (notorious) hearty appetite with records heights I'm surprised at!
In particular I want sweeeets. No, I don't want, I pine and will do dangerous feats for sweets. This is almost as exciting as my new belly button! It used to be that when we went out with friends for dessert I would be the only one sitting there with a BLT.
But now, I would straight trip someone for their ice cream cone.
For those prudent and worry-prone readers out there, don't worry, I haven't thrown all caution to the wind (mom). I still eat all my fruits, vegetables, whole grains, blah, blah, blah... but my new rapacious appetite allows me to have my cake and eat that too.
And the best part of it all... It is 100% guilt free! I was never one to put too much stock in what people thought about my second and third helpings, or order salads because everyone else was... That's balls. They can be fabulous and hungry and also inevitably mad at the world if they want to, but it's always been pass the gravy for me!
And now eating is like doing someone a favor! I learned yesterday that the Barley can taste now, and what I eat, the Barley tastes in the amniotic fluid whether it is sweet, savory, or mediocre Thai. And I am bent on making The Barley's first culinary experiences ones to remember.

It's a.....?

So we had our 20 week ultrasound today...and the good news is it's a human! and it's healthy! But the bad news is we still don't know what kind of human it is. I'm not talking about character qualities either. We already know all about how the Barley is genuine, kind hearted, unwilling to tease others even when provoked, and has an exceptional knack for picking good friends and resisting unsavory influences. It's whether the Barley has literal balls or not that we haven't quite figured out yet.

Unfortunately for us the technician who helped us was less than talkative and even less charming. She took some fabulous pictures, and images of almost every inch of the Barley's body...except for the most crucial and interesting inches in the nether region!

There were other discoveries however. The pictures showed that Barley has a few small cysts in it's brain that they want to make sure clear up. (The midwife assured us that it is normal given their small size, they're not dangerous during this stage of pregnancy and that they should clear up.) They also want to make sure that my currently low lying placenta hikes up where it should in the next 4 weeks as well. Which means...we won't know for sure if it's a Barley Girl or a Barley Boy until I go in for tests next month!

As disappointing as that is, it was still such fun to see our little Barley grown up so much! It was wiggling and kicking the whole time and even gave us a thumbs up, just to say "No worries dad I'm doing fine, aren't I cute?"
And yes Barley, you are cute. However, I'm not gonna lie you could scare the the habit off a nun with the look you're giving us in your front shot. We have lovingly entitled that one "THE BARLEY IS WATCHING YOU". For those who are not pregnant or nursing and at least 5 feet tall you can check it out at the above link or visit kentwalter.com. He is posting all our pictures from today.

Look what I found!

What you are looking at is the 20 week mark! Half way, ladies and gentleman!...gestationally speaking.
People have been clamoring for the "belly photo." Mostly, I think, so they can tell me how large I look. I am starting to learn, however, that during pregnancy this is usually intended as a compliment. Nonetheless, it is a compliment that takes getting used to. "Yes, thank you ma'am, no I am just 20 weeks......yes I am large for my fetus's age."
However, I am pleased to announce that along with being given the gift of pregnancy, which is the most fun I have ever had being uncomfortable, I have also been given a rare and once in a lifetime opportunity! To see the bottom of my bellybutton! I have a smallish sort of button the bottom of which has never before been documented... until now! it is growing more shallow by the hour, and its progress fascinates me!
It is a visible countdown much like those turkey timers that go POP when it's done cooking. Keep roasting, little Barley!

Proper Education

Today marks the first day of "The Police... a week long countdown to a sublime musical journey". This Saturday Kent and I (and the Barley) are going to see The Police at the Gorge. A countdown marked with daily Police trivia, non-stop music and of course a paper chain.
Growing up if there was an event of any real magnitude, there was ALWAYS a paper chain to count it down.
This is a practice I would like to hand down to the Barley. That, and commemorating important days in music/rock history as soon as The Barley is capable of abstract thought.
The following is a list of some of the holidays to be instituted (and corresponding discussion topics) heralded by the paper chain.

-November 17th, Jeff Buckley's birthday
Discussion topics: Evils of liquor overdose, the unique qualities of a telecaster, short career-big influence in today's music.
Celebration style: Listen to Live at Sine, have a who can sing higher contest.

-February 7th, The Beatles land in America
Discussion topics: George, John, Paul and Ringo's separate influences, the bands evolution from head bops to beards, Helter Skelter- first heavy metal song?
Celebration style: Listen to Abbey Road, Eat Yorkshire pudding, play "name that singing Beatle".

-April 5th, The Clash releases first Album
Discussion topics: The birth of punk rock, The changing London social scene, why a drug-free band is a smart band.
Celebration style: Listen to London calling, make our own shirts (Like Joe Strummer), play Rockbands The Clash set list.

-August 10th The Police became a trio
Discussion topics: Pioneering reggae in mainstream rock, why teamwork is important, and why solo songwriting hurts feelings and breaks up rock legends
Celebration style: Make our own Police cover music video using cordless electrics and everyday objects for drums. (another topic of discussion, why drummers can't help but look stupid in 80's music videos)

The list continues with celebrations for Sigur Ros, Django Reinhardt, BB King, and Brian Eno.
Here's to a well-rounded Barley! Cheers!

Captivity makes me Peevish...

However, seeing as I am 4 months pregnant and feeling 4 strokes under par basically always, I often find myself at home in my favorite Sherlock Holmes-ish chair drinking things like cran-bluberry juice instead of what I really want, reading about what size the baby is in reference to fruits and household objects, and eating toast.
Some people might be silly enough to think I have it 'made'. However these same people clearly don't know me very well, or have never known the tedium that is unemployment.
I am not saying that I myself am unemployed, I just told you, I drink juice, eat toast, and split cells all day. You can make a fine living I am told creating humans. However, I do have a career to fall back on as an artist. Small bits of paper on mostly white canvas is my specialty. Also, committing to design projects for people who you never hear from again. I do this particularly well.
Kent thinks a blog will help curb the adverse effects of my captivity and as an added bonus make me a less private person. We will see.

To start, I am carrying a person in my uterus called "The Barley". Many wonder at this, but I have a knack for creating nicknames (from scratch) that stick, whether you want them to or not.
Someday when my child is graduating from college it will turn to me with sageness and ask me why I have called him/her a hardy cereal for all these years. And I will reply with my typical sageness "that it is because I first fell in love with you when you were just the size of a Barley". We'll embrace and it will be caught on video.
But anyone else who asks will get the answer that it was the size of a Barley when it started stripping away my health and forced me into blogging.

Also a note! If you intend to peek in on my writing on a regular basis you will notice a couple of things that I would rather tell you about first so that I can have a sort of "I told you so" satisfaction. I have decent grammar, but not flawless and don't intend to make it flawless for fear of losing it's "conversational quality". If you are looking for brilliant writing without error go to kentwalter.com. Also I use "quotes" and (these guys) incessantly, and many of these ... dot dot dots.