My favorite stocking stuffer!

Hopefully most of you already received this in a Christmas card (if not, I probably don't have your address), but here it is in online version.  I didn't want to post it sooner so everyone would have the pleasure of seeing it first in the mail.  

I would like to brag on my husband for a moment and let you know that this whole thing was his idea.  A friend was over at our house taking some pictures of Rosalyn, and he got the idea to put her in his stocking.  I also wasn't going to send Christmas cards, but he went to Wolf camera and had them printed out, so thank Corey if you got a Christmas card!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Our peek-a-boo mummy

Here are some random photos.  The first one is just Rosalyn bundled up on the couch while we were watching TV.  I thought she was so cute a bundled up and propped on the pillow.  She kind of looks like a mummy. :)

We finally figured out how to keep her from screaming in the bath - the pacifier worked wonders!  However, this is only n=1, so we'll see if it holds true in future baths!

Here area couple of photos with the Christmas tree after an event at church.  I'm sure we'll take some in front of our tree, but it was only partly decorated at the time.  

Recycling piling up

Here's an article from the NY Times about how recycling is piling up and being directed to landfills because the market for recyclables has gone down so dramatically.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/08/business/08recycle.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=Recycling&st=cse

Basically, when consumers are buying fewer products, less materials (and recycled materials) are needed to make those products, so recyclables are not used up.  

Just a reminder that recycling is only a small part of "being green" - it's even better to avoid creating that waste in the first place, ie. reduce and reuse instead of assuming you can just recycle excessive amounts of waste.  Use reusable bags, buy food in as little packaging as possible, reuse items, drink tap water, etc - these will still benefit the environment even when recycling isn't profitable.

Most companies that do the actual recycling are in the business to make money, not necessarily just to protect the environment.  The markets must make recycling a profitable business for them to stick with it.  Too bad the gov't doesn't subsidize the recycling industry in order to keep it going.

Tummy time

Here are some photos of Rosalyn having "tummy time."  All of these photos were taken in a span of about 2 minutes, showing how quickly she progresses through her emotions and activities.  :)

Here, she just trying to figure out why she's laying in a different position.

(Side note: check out the adorable gigantic tush, courtesy of the cloth diaper)

Then she started wiggling and "talking" to me about how much she likes tummy time.

Then I think she decided she didn't like this game anymore, and started pushing herself up with her legs.  I could have sworn she was going to start crawling at 2 weeks because her kicking/pushing up was so forceful.

Then Rosalyn was all worn out from being fussy, and she fell asleep within moments.  That was the end of tummy time that day.  :)

Errands with Rosalyn

No photos today - sorry.

Today Rosalyn and I tried to run two errands - both pretty simple.  We needed to mail something at the post office, and we needed to pick up pictures we printed at Wolf Camera.  Well, after all of the hassle to make sure Roz was well fed, cozy and ready to go...

I forgot the package I needed to mail at home, but didn't realize this until we got to the post office.  Also, the photos I printed at Wolf were horribly pixelated (again - this was the third time I have tried to print them, with bad results, but they are good quality on my computer).  

So, being 0 for 2 on the errands I intended to run, we made a refreshing stop at the Starbucks drive-through and checked out a small gift store that recently opened to redeem the outing.

We were both worn out when we got home, so the package will have to wait until tomorrow.  And I guess I need to take my photos on a disk or flash drive for printing instead of sending them to Wolf online.

Bath time

Rosalyn had her first official bath today, instead of just being wiped down with a damp cloth.  My mom and Corey mostly did the bathing, while I did some soothing and picture taking.  I love this shot, where she's telling us exactly how she feels about the process.  :)  This was actually before the bath, while we were still getting the water temp correct and getting her undressed.  She also peed all over while waiting for the bath to be ready.  

Mrs. Ellen, she's christened this blanket several times already - sorry!

This picture was after the bath, what a nice clean baby.  I got this shirt at the running expo before the half-marathon mom, Clint and I ran when I was 5 weeks pregnant - back in March.  That was the weekend we told me mom she would be a grandma, so I thought this shirt was appropriate to commemorate the event.  

Bath in progress.

Pre-bath, a relatively calm moment.

She sleeps so much, I was happy to get this photo with both eyes wide open. :)

This picture doesn't have anything to do with the bath, I just thought it was a sweet picture of Rosalyn sleeping in her dad's arms.

Poor nutrition and armed conflict

I know it seems strange to write about a school-related topic when I have a 10 day old (and adorable) baby at home, but I tore myself away from her long enough to read a really interesting research article that discusses the relationship between poor health and nutrition and the onset of armed conflict.  This may not be a completely lucid post, but I thought the topic was too interesting to overlook.

As many of you know, I've been working toward my Masters in Public Health.  I've also been taking courses to complete a Certificate in Human Rights because I'm interested in the relationship between health and human rights.  There are so many connections, and I'm constantly learning about the influences of international policy, governance, economics, etc are related to health access and outcomes.  

It probably doesn't surprise anyone that armed conflict can lead to poor health and nutrition for a variety of reasons (think of refugee camps where people fleeing violence have little to no access to health services and adequate nutrition), and this relationship has been well documented.  However, a recent publication shows that poor health and nutrition is also a causal factor for the onset of armed conflict.  Based on this research, improving agricultural productivity, better access to healthcare and adequate nutrition, etc could actually reduce the risk of armed conflict, strengthening the argument that social justice issues including economic and social development are important for promoting security, peace and human rights, not just the other way around.

A day of firsts

Yesterday was a day of firsts for miss Rosalyn, mainly because the Pediatrician said she could come off the bili-bed (she went back on today, hopefully just for one night), and we made up for many days of limited holding and cuddling.  

Before getting into photos of Rosalyn, I thought I'd show a photo of how our "first babies" are handling the new addition.  Our hyper puppies have been surprisingly well behaved, thanks to help from family and friends who have given them lots of love and attention.  They have sniffed and licked Rosalyn and are certainly curious, but they have handled the transition really well so far.  

This is Rosalyn strapped tight into the B.O.B. stroller before our first walk.  In spite of the ridiculously cold weather we've been having in GA for the last week, yesterday afternoon was pretty mild, so we took advantage of it (but obviously still bundled the little one quite a bit).


Dad also enjoyed a brief lay in the hammock with Rosalyn while the sun was really warm.  His mom and I both nagged him to be careful about how long he stayed out there, just to make sure she didn't get too cold.  Daddy and Rosalyn both seemed to enjoy their brief bonding time in the hammock.
And finally, my first (and hopefully last) trip out of the house with two completely different shoes on.  When we were getting dressed for the doctor's appointment, I could only find one of each shoe, and put them on planning to go out and ask for help finding a match.  But then Rosalyn's diaper needed to be changed, etc etc.  It wasn't until we were waiting in the exam room at the doctor's that I realized I never looked for a matching pair.  Needless to say, when we came home, that was high priority.  :)

Rosalyn Lindsay Self

Rosalyn was born Friday 11/14 at 8:44 am.  She weighed 6 lb. 7.5 oz, and was 20 inches long.  She is beautiful, and we are loving our new family.  I'll post more info soon, but I know all anyone really wants are pictures, so here they are!  More will some soon - many pictures ended up on my dad's camera instead of ours.  These loaded in reverse order, but they are (1) getting ready for the ride home, all bundled up for the cold, (2) Grandma reading Rosalyn her first book, (3) me holding her after getting to our room after delivery, and (4) Rosalyn immediately after being cleaned up.

I drove myself

This Sunday, our small group from church volunteered to man the entrances to collect and sort the canned goods people were asked to bring.  (For those of you who are concerned, I did not lift more than a couple cans at a time).  Corey went hunting early Sunday morning, so he planned to just meet me at church.  On Saturday night, I made plans to ride with another small group member who lives nearby so I could just ride home with Corey instead of driving two cars.  

However, those plans fell through, so I sent Corey a text message Sunday saying "Drove myself - at the entrance by the bookstore - see you soon."  Apparently I should be more cautious with the words "drove myself" because he thought I meant that I was in labor and drove myself to the hospital, which of course freaked him out.  I thought it was pretty funny, but I did learn a lesson that everyone around me is on edge about me going into labor, so I need to be careful with my words.  :)

Shower in Macon

We went to Macon last weekend for a visit with the family (the last one pre-baby). My mom, Mara and Ms. Memory hosted a shower for us. We got many nice things, but it was also just wonderful to see everyone. Aunts from both sides of my family came, plus Corey's mom, grandmother and Aunt Inge. Several old friends also came, and it was great to see everyone and catch up. Many friends have children of their own, and I got to meet some of them for the first time - how exciting!

This is Allison's 8 week old Connor - we was so small and adorable. Also with Christy, Allison and Melly.

We got our B.O.B. jogging stroller from the Hall family, so I took it for a test run in the driveway. :)

The Hall family with the stroller.

Me getting really uncomfortable sitting down (I pretty much have two semi-comfortable positions: standing up or laying down - sitting is never fun.

Mamae (Corey's mom) and Aunt Megan.

Me and Frances.

With some high school friends: Allison, Ashley, Mara, Me, Christy, Frances, Melissa.

Fun, fun, fun. Hopefully we can all get together again over the holidays so everyone can meet CJ.

Pregnancy photos

I didn't think I would ever want "professional" pregnancy photos taken because the posed studio style is not me. However, we have a friend who recently started her own photography business, and she is great at natural, outdoors photos. So we met with her at Piedmont Park one afternoon last week and took some fun photos. If you want to check them out, her website is http://www.amelianreasons.com/index2.php. At the bottom right, click on "Client proofing and ordering", then type in "selfpregnancy" for the password. There are actually two slide shows with the same pictures, one set in color and one in black and white. Enjoy!
My favorite is toward the end where my crazy husband decided to swing upside down from a tree and kiss my belly from there! If this baby is anything like his or her father, I think we'll be mending lots of broken, bruised and scratched body parts in the next few years (maybe I should have gone to medical school after all)!

Callaway Gardens

Corey and I went for a quick (and final pre-baby) weekend trip to Callaway Gardens this weekend. We actually had a breastfeeding class Saturday morning, and left after the class. Corey's boss loaned us his convertible for the weekend, so it was a beautiful drive - the weather was perfect to have the top down. The gardens were very pretty and quiet - it seems like this isn't a prime season, so it was very peaceful. It was a quick trip, but wonderful to sneak it in at the last minute. :)

Mama Bear

I've been told that it is wise to prepare and freeze extra meals toward the end of pregnancy, and I've really been taking the advice to heart.  Since it's also starting to get cooler outside, I feel like I'm storing up food for hibernation.  If you want to call me Mama Bear, it would probably be fitting.

By the way, this is our *extra* freezer.  The main one is already full too.  :)

I want to be cremated...

...and this is why.  These are caskets floating around after being washed up by Ike.  When I'm cremated and the ashes scattered, at least there won't be the expectation that someone can go back and find me to lay flowers down - hopefully I'll be providing some organic material to help grow the flowers myself!

(The photo is from CNN.com)

Nature

"Man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is ultimately a war against himself"

From Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.

Just liked the quote - nothing more to really say.  :)

Giving to the homeless through a donation "meter"

I found this article in the Atlanta news today and think it's interesting, but I'm torn on how I feel about this.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/09/10/panhandling_atlanta_meters.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

I agree that panhandlers are often pushy and unpleasant to encounter, especially when you are downtown at night. How can you be sure they will use the money you might give on food or other necessities instead of drugs. When we lived in Midtown, Corey tried to give a box of take-out food (a fresh container, straight from the restaurant - not leftovers), and the person threw it at him. Also, you never know which individuals really need assistance, and which ones panhandle because they are too lazy to actually find a job, but then they drive home to nice suburban homes.
However, seeing people on the streets and not giving just seems wrong because many people need help getting on the right path to become self-sufficient. This option of contributing to homeless services in the city seems like a good solution, but might also have problems. How can you be sure that the money will go to the right place any more than if you gave directly to a panhandler. And will the money really help the people who are out on the streets?
Giving to a meter when you see a panhandler on Saturday night downtown won't give them food or shelter that evening.

What do you think about paying a meter to help the homeless? It will be interesting to see how things go.

Nesting = Sewing

We haven't done much with the baby's room yet for several reasons.  One, we don't want to choose a color/design scheme yet since we don't know the sex - most of the decorating will happen after CJ is born.  We do need to set up some furniture and get the house a little more ready, but some of that is on hold until my brother moves out.  In the meantime, Corey has been working on projects to finish our pantry, and also to finish the shed he starting building last summer.  That's the papa-nesting.  

My nesting has mostly consisted of sewing - everything from baby items such as burp cloths, changing pads, nursing cover-ups, and gifts for other friends having babies  - to a new purse for myself (plus the tri-fold purse organizer to hold everything in the purse) and a new bed quilt for our bedroom.

Several projects are still underway, so I'll post more photos as I finish them.  :)

Hermaphrodite dinosaur

Since we aren't finding out the sex of the baby yet, we've been getting a lot of gender neutral (green and yellow) things for the baby.  

Corey's mom took it one step farther and got the baby a dinosaur that is both pink and blue, so we decided that rather than being gender neutral, the dinosaur is actually an hermaphrodite.  

Isn't it cute?  :)

Political humor

This video clip from the Daily Show is pretty funny, yet so true.

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=184086

Savannah

Last weekend (Labor Day), Corey and I went to Savannah to visit family and friends and take one last weekend get-away as a family of two.  We had a great time, caught up with some college friends who live nearby, and saw several family members.  

We didn't spend as much time as I wanted to at the beach - only 1 hour and 15 minutes, to be exact.  But, the beach time was just what I needed!  Anyone who's been to the east coast beaches know they aren't the most gorgeous, but the waves were just right for me to spend an hour in the water splashing around (carefully).  It worked miracles on my achy body: my feet that had been swelling for about two weeks went down and stayed that way, the buoyancy of the water also helped my back.  Overall, probably the best hour and 15 minutes I've ever spent at the beach!

Another highlight of the trip was visiting the site where we got married a little over five years ago, and taking some pregnancy pictures.  It is a beautiful location, and I always like to stop by when we are in Savannah, but it was very special "showing the baby" where we started our family (of two at the time).

Rock climbing with baby

We passed through Macon this past weekend and had dinner with my parents.  Corey was telling us about his recent experience at the insurance agency when he went to increase his life insurance policy in preparation for the baby.

One of the questions he was asked was whether he had been rock climbing in the last 5 years (because there was an additional application process if he had).  He said he hadn't, which is true, but considering how much we used to climb, it surprised me that it had been so long since we'd been out climbing.  So, I said that as soon as our baby is old enough to properly fit into a harness, we need to take a family rock climbing trip.

My mom immediately chimed in that the baby should stay with her if Corey and I wanted to go climbing.  Since she never had a problem or concern over safety when we've climbed before (because we have good gear and proper safety training), I was surprised.  

Apparently, she thought I was going to strap the baby on my back in a baby-carrying harness and climb really high.  

So, in case anyone else is wondering or concerned about this: we will take our children rock climbing, but we will allow them to climb at a reasonable level for their experience, and with all of the proper safety precautions.  I'm guessing our first family trip to the Red River Gorge will take place around 2011 - check back for updates in three years!

New Favorite Person of the day

So I'm sure this won't be that exciting tomorrow, but I find this really amusing.  Aparently, Sarah Palin's (the new Republican VP) mother-in-law isn't sure how she'll vote - she really likes Obama.  Maybe this is just a sign of her utter inexperience that she doesn't know to ask her mother-in-law not to mention such things to the press.  

Favorite quotes by Mama Palin from the news article:

"I'm not sure what she brings to the ticket."

"Well, she's a better speaker than McCain."

I have nothing against Palin (except her political opinion), but it sure is funny.

Cloth diapers

Against the advice of many friends, Corey and I plan to primarily use cloth diapers on Baby Self. Most disposable diapers available today are made with such strong chemicals, I don't want those things anywhere near my baby's butt. In fact, one of the main chemicals that is used as an absorbant is the same thing that was taken out of tampons because it was linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). Combine that with the environmental impacts: one baby sends and average of 5,000-8,000 diapers to a landfill, which take hundreds of years to break down, and disposable diapers use more resources (energy, water, chemicals for processing, etc) to produce, and I can't imagine NOT giving it a try. Corey's accountant brain agrees because, even though cloth diapers are a greater investment at first, over the time a child is in diapers, there is substantial money saved.
We are planning to use some BumGenius, Whammies, and FuzziBuns.

Lot's of people have been curious about our decision and what's available, so here's some info:
Why to cloth diaper: http://www.atlantacloth.com/Diapers%20-%20The%20Problems.html
Product reviews: http://diaperpin.com/diapers/diaperpages.asp
BumGenius: http://www.bumgenius.com/
Whammies: http://twolittlewhales.com/catalog.php?item=262&ret=index.php
More Whammies, plus other accessories: http://www.diaperware.com/productpage/wahmies.htm#pailliner
FuzziBunz: http://www.fuzzibunz.com/

Food, food and more food!

Not that this is surprising, but I just can't get enough food! I've been craving garlic bread for the past two weeks, and have stopped suddenly at restaurants that I think will have good garlic bread (most of the time I've been disappointed!).

I have also had sudden cravings for foods that people randomly mention or pass by with, such as the yogurt with reese's pieces I saw a new undergrad student walking around campus with (and I can't even think of the last time I ate frozen yogurt).

The belly seems to be rounding out on the sides more (does that mean girl...?), but I'll have to post a picture soon - Corey isn't very cooperative in taking the photos. We're going to Savannah this weekend, so maybe we can take some there.

Corey was gone this past weekend for MAN-cation, and I think he was disappointed that the baby didn't give him a "wave" (kick) goodbye before he left Friday morning. He kept coming back and putting his hand on my belly expecting the baby to immediately acknowledge his presence with a kick.

The puppies seem to know that life if changing, but they're being surprisingly well behaved. If any of you know my dogs, that will come as a shock. While Corey was gone, I took Taffy and Jezzie to Macon for the weekend, and they were both really good. This had NEVER happened before, but I let both dogs get in the bed with me one night, and they were both such good sleepers (I hope the baby follows their example). Jezzie usually paces a lot because of the change in environment when we stay the night in Macon, but she was sound asleep with her head resting right by my belly all night. :)

Third trimester

As Sarah is at the hospital to have her baby today (!!!!!), I'm entering into my third trimester VERY hungry. So, I think all of those worries about me not gaining enough wait will be put to rest in the next 12 weeks!
I went to the chiropractor yesterday and realized that I only have about 12-13 more weeks to go. When I think about it that way - yikes! I have had a lot more energy recently and am finally making good progress on both my MPH thesis and my garden - both have been fairly neglected this summer as I obsessed over baby stuff and had so little energy. I just wish I had a few more weeks before classes started back to capitalize on the new-found energy!
When we first found out we were pregnant, I was adamant that I needed a pregnancy journal to write in. I've never been good at journaling, and this has been no exception. I wrote in it a few times toward the beginning, then I took three weeks off because I didn't want to lug it to Hawaii with us - now I've never gone back to it. However, many people keep telling me that I need to document some of the funny stories I like to tell about pregnancy, Corey, etc, so I think I'll just write them on here as I think of them. Be watching for these.
I also still need to post pictures and write about Hawaii, which was over 3 months ago!

The other day, I was slouching on the couch reading a book, with the book propped on my belly. The baby kicked so hard, the book bounced into the air! It was really funny, but unfortunately so one else was there to see it.

Making a subtle stand in China's Olympics

Hi everyone!

I loved this article (thanks JP) and wanted to share. It's interesting how much and how little attention the Olympics in China are getting over China's human rights record. Some people have given it a lot of attention, calling it the torture Olympics, yet it seems like many mainstream outlets have avoided the topic. Overall, I hope anyone's feelings about the country in which the Olympics area hosted doesn't negatively impact the athletes, yet allowing a country with a record like China's to sponsor the Olympics sends a weak message on human rights and basic freedoms.  This person and his message are very inspiring.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080800009.html?hpid=topnews

After beginning this post, I checked CNN and saw that they had a major headline about the Olympics and China's record on human rights, press freedoms and environmental issues.  Unfortunately, so much happens that is difficult to find out about because the gov't is so good at covering up their problems.  They want the nation to grow and prosper, but they are neglecting the rights of many citizens.  

Many people today judge China on the items they export to the US (don't buy 'Made in China' because the workmanship is bad), but there are so many problems there with how workers are treated, population control policies, how dissenting views are handled, etc.  Hopefully the Olympic athletes can enjoy their moment without being overshadowed by the issues in China, yet I also hope the media attention the country receives during the Olympics will shed some light on some of the many issues the country's people face.  

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/12/china.promises/index.html

24 week update

Hi everyone,

Here's the most recent news:  we had our 24 week appointment yesterday, and made it without any MARTA bus mishaps or crying.  The visit included another ultrasound to make sure the baby is growing enough because we are measuring a little bit small for our due date.  We got some additional pictures, and the ones of the face are much less alien-like and starting to look like a baby.  We still don't know the sex.  

Corey feels really strongly about not finding out, and I don't care too much either way, except that it would be easier to plan.  I'm trying not to do anything in the baby's room yet because I don't want everything to be green and yellow, but I'm not sure I'll be able to wait until after the birth.

I'm curious to know what everyone thinks the sex will be, so please vote to the right.  I'm carrying kind of low, had moderate morning sickness, have lots of back aches.  I'm not sure what else would be relevant, but let me know if you have questions!  

Here's a quick belly picture.  We haven't scanned in the US pictures or video, but I'll try to post those this weekend.