Down The Rabbit Hole

This arrived on our doorstep yesterday:

This pram has been in my husband’s family since he was born.  His parents used it not only for him, but his two brothers as well.  Also, his aunt used it with her three kids.

It is so unbelieveably gorgeous, I can’t believe the thing is over three decades old.  I actually asked Hawk if his parents had had it recovered, because the canvas covering is flawless.  He said nope, they just took really good care of it (also evidenced by how it was wrapped when we got it – you have never seen so much bubble wrap in all your life).  I love the idea of pushing Áine around the neighborhood in the same pram her daddy and her uncles rode in when they were tiny.

In other news, I am now thirty two weeks pregnant – a whole eight months.  And boy do I feel it.  My belly is reaching biblical proportions and I have nearly perfected the pregnant waddle.  My friend Maija bought me a support belt to help hold the belly up and it helps the muscle strain, but not the awkwardness.  I can’t believe I still have about eight weeks to go; I can’t imagine how big I’m going to be by the time she’s ready to be born.  I’m also getting really impatient to meet my daughter!  I can’t wait to hold her and look at her little face for the first time.

I also have a touch of mild bronchitis (not fun – if you can avoid getting a chest cold while pregnant, I would suggest you do so) and I think I pulled a muscle in my lower belly from coughing so much.  Ow.

My baby shower was this past weekend, and it was one of the most lovely afternoons I’ve ever spent.  About twenty of my favorite women, all in one room, and all there to celebrate the imminent arrival of my daughter.  My best friends Kristen and Christine organized the shower, and it was great – yummy food, a delicious black and white cake from my favorite bakery in Silverlake.  So many lovely gifts.  My friends know me so well – there was a big stuffed woolly sheep (I have a thing about woolly sheep), there were also pink bloomers printed with skulls and crossbones, complete with ruffles on the butt, and in honor of my grease monkey husband, a onesie with a motorcycle print.

The lovely Stacy was also in attendance, and she gave me a beautiful handmade necklace with my daughter’s birthstone (if she is born on time!), and her name – Áine.  It’s pronounced Awn-ya, and we chose the Irish Gaelic spelling, mainly because we liked it, but I also have quite a bit of the Irish in me from my Dad’s side.  It means brilliance or radiance, and in Irish lore, Áine is the goddess of love, growth and cattle.  Can’t forget the cattle!

It was so overwhelming, to see so much love for me, my husband and my daughter in one room.  Both my mom and Hawk’s mom traveled to town in order to be there, and that was the best.  Friends from work, friends from school, friends from the internet, friends I’ve met through other friends, all together in celebration of new life.  So many people love Áine already.  She is one lucky little girl, and I am one very blessed mommy, for many, many different reasons.

We had our thirty week doctor’s visit yesterday and everything continues to look great!  Our little girl is growing like a weed – she’s measuring about a week and a half ahead of her due date, so the ultrasound tech adjusted the date to January 7, 2009.  They estimate her to be almost four pounds, and we could see a little tuft of hair on the back of her head!  So cool!  The tech also pointed out how she’s practicing taking breaths by moving her diaphragm, which is a great sign.

As for me, I have gained almost thirty pounds, seemingly all in my belly (and my boobs).  I’m starting to feel reeeeeeeeeeally uncomfortable most of the time, and finding a comfortable way to sleep is all but impossible.  I’ve had a couple bouts of heartburn over the past few days, but they haven’t (knock on wood) been horrible.

It’s so exciting – I can’t believe that she’ll be here in a matter of about eight weeks!  Now that the election is over I can actually spend more time thinking about getting us and the house ready for her arrival.  I’m eyeing the kitchen cabinets and pantry and planning a big purge in the name of “nesting” for this weekend.

Hawk and I got up early this morning so we could get to our polling place right at 7am when it opened.  In the 2004 general election, we waited in a five minute line.  This morning we waited 45 minutes.  A good mix of people (white, black, hispanic, young, old) and it was cool to see that several parents had brought their kids with them.  One guy brought his wiggly cocker spaniel, much to the delight of the two little girls in line in front of him.  One of them said to him “You’re so lucky to have a dog like that.”  So cute.

After we had been waiting about thirty minutes, a 50-ish looking guy came in, took a look at the line and exclaimed angrily “Oh my god, this is ridiculous!  I can’t believe this line!”  An older, sort of wobbly gentleman with a cane a couple people in front of him said, “I think it’s wonderful.  It shows how the American people are feeling, how important this is.”

When I cast my vote for Barack Obama and against Prop 8 this morning, it really felt good.  I felt like I had contributed to history and made what I truly feel are the right choices for the future -  not only for my country, but for my daughter as well.  I was glad she was there with me, even if she’s still in my belly and couldn’t see for herself all the people making their voices heard.