Mardi Gras

DSC_6069, originally uploaded by Shannon Marye.

Celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans requires a costume. Bryce and I bought Venetian masks Monday and I paired mine with a skeleton shirt with a paper tear out of a baby skeleton. It was a day of a lot of walking and eating. At the end of the day I found one possible varicose vein starting on my calf and I had bad heartburn (which I have never had before). I held up from 9:00 am-midnight on my feet though, which was painful but I didn't complain.

do the bumpty bump

Questions and Reminders

This morning when I woke up there was stiff part on my shirt near my nipple. Could I already be leaking fluid? I didn't have anything else to go by. Maybe I spilled something, but that was too weird.

This weekend we are headed to New Orleans. I am super excited. I'm not worry about the booze, I will obviously be avoiding them. But I am worried about the fish. I have been researching mercury levels. Thus far I know to stay away from the shark, Mackerel, swordfish and tilefish and probably anything raw. I can't wait to eat everything else though. I'm hungry.

Birth Art

Our camera is finally in working order so I was able to get some shots of our birth art.
I will introduce them slowly. These pastel and oils were the first Bryce and I did. They are "The Pregnant Woman," how you see yourself as a pregnant woman.
Bryce is abstract yet beautiful. It was done at about 3 months in. The bright energy ball can be perceived as the tiny baby growing in the womb.
Mine was more figurative. There is a seed growing inside the mother whose head is the sun and womb is fertile ground. Later when exploring what other mothers had drawn (from the Birthing Within book) my image matched many moms with positive self image. Less emphasis is shown on the parts not a directly thought of as part of birth. The exposed belly shows little fear.

Lincoln turns 200

Last night at our dinner friends shared tidbits about Lincoln they had learned on public radio and such. One was talking about how people are not sure Lincoln's father was really his own. There were jokes of adultry and virgin births. Somehow a joke came up that Bryce was not the father of the child. My reply, "I'm carrying a little Lincoln." It was a funny to those there but held little meaning, but for Bryce and I who have chosen Lincoln (but told hardly anyone) as our child's name if we have a boy it was great fun.

Valentine's Day Presents

1. The world's most excellent husband in the entire world, ever
2. An amazing meal with friends
3. Chocolate, flowers, gifts of love
4. Parents and their unbelievable generosity
5. Belly bubbles- Yes our little dancer is made known

Today is the last day I will probably be wearing these jeans. I woke up this morning and the folds around my belly button have disappeared and now my belly is rounding out with a few stretchmarks to confirm. I thought this would definitely mean weight gain, but it looks like I have lost two pounds. I unfortunately have gotten back on caffeine. Not coffee but soda and not Dr. Pepper like usual, but Pepsi.

Also, I sometimes forget to put down my positive health. I have been feeling pretty good for the last two weeks now.

I still haven't felt anything. I lie still and think "relax, now focus, was that something, no I just made that up."