Pregnancy Update:
Last Tuesday I took the boys and met with Kip, one of the three midwives at the Greenhouse Birth Center. We finally decided that the home birth midwife we interviewed didn't feel right and our other option locally for a home birth is the birth center. They will do home births if requested as long as there are no other mothers in labor when you go into labor. Their policy is such that they have two midwives at every birth and they can do multiple births simultaneously at the birth center, but not at individual homes. An average birth month for them is about 8 births and due in March, including myself, there are 14 women! There is a good chance I will be making the trek to the birth center; however, they have great birthing tubs and the prospect of a water birth excites me. The other bonus is that I have been so involved with the birth center in the last year I already know all the midwives quite well and I love them all. I feel very comfortable there. I am a board member! Some home birthing women would never settle for this situation, but both Matt and I feel very certain that this is the right decision for us.
The meeting with Kip was wonderful! We went over the usual health/birth history info while the boys played in the toy room (and Arlo played everywhere). We had easy, comfortable conversation, except for when I had to stop Arlo from getting into something, writing on something or eating something he shouldn't! I heard the heart beat and it was in the 130's/140's, very normal, healthy and strong.
I'll go back in 2 weeks for my 16 week check up and this time I am not bringing the kids!
Knitting Update:
While I was in my 6 week stint of ick, I didn't do any knitting and it has taken me a couple weeks of feeling good and catching up with everything else to reach a point where I feel like I can sit down and knit. But I finally made it to that point and I have been knitting!
I finished this sweater for my friend Stacy and her new baby, Carter. It only took me 8 weeks! Now I just need to mail it and I hope that doesn't take me another 8 weeks...
I started my next project, Ginger's baby's sweater, last night. I am finally knitting with actual Debbie Bliss yarn; something I have wanted to do for years, but could never really afford. It is such a pretty color and so nice to knit with.
Chicken Update:
We finally have eggs! But our silly chickens laid the eggs in a mud puddle outside! I conferred with my friend Ann and she suggested putting a wooden egg in one of the nesting boxes to encourage them to lay in the appropriate place. We'll see...so far no more eggs, but the weather has been dark and gloomy and cold and wet.
