Cheerful Sunday

These bright and happy curtains from Ikea all hung up in our nursery make me feel very cheerful!

Word of the Week

sidewalkpavement

Don't step on the cracks!

Definition:  The paved area meant for pedestrian traffic, generally alongside a road
Used in a sentence:  I find it ironic that neighborhoods in Texas tend to have better sidewalkpavements, even though people in the UK walk far more frequently.

The Name Game

As we near the finish line to the arrival of our baby boy, (10 days til my due date, y'all!  TEN DAYS! How is that possible?!!?  My older brother was 10 days early.  Yikes!) we've been nearing a final choice on name.  Nope.  I'm not telling.  Yet.  But I would like to talk about how you test drive names for a baby.  I mean, you've got to get the feel of a name and see how it handles.  If it fits.  If it's "the one", right?

Fill in the blank

First up is the obvious way- referring to the baby by the name.  We've gotten to the point that we either refer to our son by our prospective final choice or "the baby".  No more endless rotation of ridiculous possible names.

A friend suggests the following methods:  1. Envision the name signed on a holiday card with the rest of the family.  This makes sense.  You can see if it fits with the family as a whole.  I guess you could also literally write all the names out to physically see it.  2. Holler the name as if your child is in trouble.  Other variations include: as if you're getting their attention on a playground or other crowded space and as if you're calling them in from playing outside because it's dinner time.  Also an excellent barometer, I think.

We've tried our own non-traditional methods.  When we see the midwife at the Children's Centre there are often mommy and me type classes going on.  So as we wait for Mandy, we often get a peek at what's going on.  Sometimes it's a "messy play" class with adorable babies doing sensory play with different textures.  Sometimes it's a singing group.  One day, whilst waiting, the singing group was doing a little introduction song where they went around the circle singing this song with each child's name put in:

_______ is a jumping bean.

The biggest bean you've ever seen!

He/She can jump so high.

He/She can nearly touch the sky!

We've since used this song to test drive names and frequently refer to the baby as the biggest bean we've ever seen.  

The final thing we've done only works on certain names because there's a list to select from, but it's pretty fun!  Ross found a link on one of the many "freebie" sites he subscribes to that inserts your chosen name into a song sung by Elmo!  You can try out as many different names as you like in the free short clip (though you can't save it) and you can download with your final selection if you like.  There's no better way to decide on a name than by getting Elmo's stamp of approval.

Did you test drive a few different names for your baby, or did you just pick?

What method of testing do you think works best?

Packing for the Birth Centre: My Bag

I've read dozens of lists online of what you should bring with you to the hospital/birth centre.  I don't know about you, but I like to gather plenty of resources before deciding how to proceed.  I don't know why I do so much research on these things, because I generally end up doing what my gut instinct tells me anyway.  (It's just another one of my endearing quirks crazinesses.)  But as I've researched what to bring with me when we go to have our baby, I've seen some good ideas.  Most of the lists I've seen have been from an American perspective. The UK ones I've seen are mostly for a hospital setting.

So I thought I'd share what I'm packing to take with me to a Birth Centre in the UK.  I plan to have one bag for me, one diaper bag (or change bag, as they call them here) with stuff for the baby, and a food bag- so I'll break up the posts in that manner.  Plus, this bag is the only one I've packed so far :)

So here's what I'm taking with me:

My bag all packed

For during labor:

A large V necked maternity t-shirt, two sports bras, 2 pairs of slipper socks, and a massager

Hospitals in the UK don't give labouring mothers hospital gowns, so I've got a long-ish maternity T shirt to wear and be comfortable in.  I've got two sports bras so that I can have a dry one if I get out of the birth tub.  I'm not worried about modesty so much as containment.  Word is that your feet can get chilly, so I've got two pairs of fuzzy socks.  I figure the massager will come in handy to keep Ross' hands from getting too tired.

Post-labor:

a robe and slippers

They encourage at least an hour of skin to skin contact between mothers and babies as soon as the babies are delivered.  With this light, front-opening robe I can have a little warmth and modesty but still have great skin to skin time.  The little ballet slippers are a back up for the fuzzy socks.  They don't take any real space, so I figured they were worth throwing in.

Toiletries:

a bath towel, wash cloth, face wipes, make-up bag o' goodies, maxi pads, deodorant, and lotion

I'm sure I'll want to shower after our inital skin to skin and you are supposed to bring your own towel and a wash cloth.  I've also got face cleaner wipes for a quick clean up.  My make up bag contains:  shampoo, conditioner, face wash, face lotion, mirror, facial tissues, travel toothbrush and paste, bobby pins, several hair elastics, and lip balm.  I've also got a little sample-sized blush and mascara in case I feel like primping up a tiny bit for pictures, though I predict these will go unused.  The overnight maxi pads are a must for post-birth grossness.  Deodorant wouldn't fit in my bag o' goodies so it's loose and the lotion can be used during massage during labor.

Going home:

ballet flats, a zip-front hoodie, a nursing tank top, and sweatpants

I wanted clothes that would be comfy and utilitarian for going home.  The flats will be easy to slip on, the zip front hoodie and nursing tank top will provide easy access for breastfeeding, and the sweatpants are just plain comfy.  I've also got about 4 pairs of older underwear to wear either during or after labor.

In addition to the items pictured above, I also need to throw in my favorite blanket.  A friend recommended bringing a snuggly blanket for after the birth to be comfortable and cosy.  We'll also have an iPod to play music and our cameras for pictures and the requisite chargers.  Obviously, we'll have cell phones to make calls to spread the word after our son arrives.

Americans may be surprised about some of the things I'm bringing and some of the things I'm NOT bringing.  The reason I'm bringing some things (like maxi pads and towels) is that the NHS does not provide them.  At most hospitals in the US, so many things like these are provided.  Mothers are even encouraged to fill their bags with all sorts of freebies to take home.  In the end, insurance pays for all these "freebies", so I'd much rather wind up with a free baby than a bag of goodies!  As for things I'm not bringing, I don't need that much extra clothing or pjs because (unless something goes wrong and I need extra medical attention) I'll be leaving the Birth Centre to go home after no more than 8 hours.  This might sound crazy-early to American moms, but keep in mind that a home health visitor will be coming to our home to check on us the next day.  The quicker you can get a new baby out of a germy hospital the better, right?

So, what else do you think I should toss in my bag?

Do any of the things I'm taking with me surprise you?

Cheerful Sunday

My friend Elizabeth has very cute children.
Her son Chiron is possibly the embodiment of cheerfulness.
This picture of him waiting to get some pancakes this morning makes me feel very cheerful and if it doesn't make you smile then I think something may be very wrong with you.