Who doesn't love the Muppets?

Inspired by fishina,  I am movin' right along here at Make It So...

There has been a lot going on, with the big event getting closer and closer. Not sure that I am ready. 
Scratch that. I KNOW I am not ready. Not even close. Here's what's been going on lately:

• 34 weeks. Feeling good, and ginormous. Absolutely gargantuan. I am still managing to do headstands in yoga, but am really feeling the extra 35 pounds I have to hoist up against gravity.
• Baby girl is head down, and has been for several weeks. She moves her butt from left to right occasionally, but I think she feels good just staying where she is. That is, downward. Stay, baby. Stay.
• Baby hiccups are frequent, as are more powerful and therefore, uncomfortable movements. A fist to the bladder, a foot to the side, all mentally comforting but physically awkward. Good times. 
• Chefy and I went on a one-day babymoon to a nearby coastal eco-resort. It was great. She got a message, I got a little sun, and we spent some QT together walking on the beach and hiking in the bluffs. Beautiful. We are headed with stepson to Tahoe for a week this Monday. Fishing, hiking, tennis, etc.... hopefully the weather improves! Ahh...summer in the bay area...
• We are putting in hardwood (bamboo) floors in our condo while we are in Tahoe. Nothing like an entire house to reassemble 5 weeks before giving birth! Chefy and I will have our work cut out for us when we get back. House re-assemble, Co-sleeper assembly, car seat installation, etc..... When we get back, in my mind it is officially GO TIME.
• Queer childbirth education class starts in a week. I am going with an open mind. We will see, hippie lesbian midwives....we will see. 
• The further along in this pregnancy I get, the more open I am to the possibility of anything happening during birth. When we first realized this pregnancy was viable, I was focused on having a "natural" childbirth. Whatever the hell that means. I wanted it to be epidural-free, basically. But the closer I get, the more open I am to being open during the process. Let's just say while I am going to attempt to be medically-intervention-free, I am not going to feel bad in the least if I get an epidural, or pitocin, or both. The reality is that I am giving birth in a hospital, with a midwife, a doula, and my wife present. I know that I can trust all three of these women (along with the entire medical staff at the hospital), and that whatever happens, will happen. If I have a healthy baby in the end, that's all that is important. Wish me luck! 
• Chefy and I (but maybe a little more Chefy) have officially become sports fans. More specifically, baseball. The Giants. We sit at home watching games and during innings look at each other and say "Who are we?" It's kind of comical. For some reason I find following baseball really relaxing. It's comforting, the science of the game. I can't explain it, really, but it just makes me feel cozy. Strange. 
• My acupuncturist is starting to talk about "getting ready" and saying things like "moving things along" and "opening your hips up" and such. I think she is trying to tell me that I'm going to have a baby soon, and that I need to get ready. Got it, Christine. I am down. Literally. (we do a lot of squats in yoga). haha. I am so thankful for her guidance during this entire pregnancy, and feel like she is going to set me up in a way so that I'll be as prepared as I can be when this baby comes. She even mentioned coming to the hospital if need be. What a champ. 
• I took a breastfeeding class (meh), and am spending time each day visualizing what it will be like to have a baby, full time. Our big task on this vacation next week will be for each of us three to come up with a baby song- one that will be ours to sing to the baby for her childhood. The reality that there will be a child I will sing to for years makes me feel so overwhelmed and blessed, it's kind of other-worldly. 
• I have been enjoying reading others' blogs more than posting on my own. I look forward every day to hearing updates- crying and being frustrated along with some bloggers, and celebratory and strong with others. It is such a gift that we let each other into our lives, and share our experiences. I don't mean to be dramatic about it, I just don't want to take it for granted. So thanks for sharing.

Peace,
Libberal

Prenatal pics

Here are a couple of our favorite pics from our prenatal photo session:

Fishina has a baby shop on ETSY!

It's official- Fishina of In Flux is now selling her wares on Etsy.

Go Check It Out!

Here's a beautiful example of some of her kick-ass stuff:

Third Trimester, Here We Come

Well Helllllooooo

I will skip the ridiculous opening paragraph about how my life is so boring I have nothing to write about. What was I thinking with that last post? My life is full of endless bouts of excitement, daily intrigue, and chock-a-block doses of charming chaos. Case in point:

• I am now 30 weeks pregnant. 10 to go. As my ever-encouraging mother put it, "it just feels so great to finally have a 3 in front of those weeks." Thanks for that vote of confidence, ma. 
• I feel huge. HUGE. I illicit lots of interesting looks/comments from just about everyone. I love the big smiles from women strangers, and agree politely with the "You're huuuuuge" comments from everyone else. I also am still getting free stuff randomly from strangers.  But, I'm pretty sure that the "cute and huge" pregnancy portion is coming to an end, and from now on I will simply be gargantuan. I'm bracing myself for the inevitable sympathy stares as I waddle around on swollen feet and smile widely through puffy cheeks and neck. 
• We had a slew of celebrities dine at the restaurant in the past couple of weeks. Most exciting (at least for me) was Dave Chapelle. He was Sooooo High, and very friendly. He came in the kitchen and took a pic with Chefy and I, and then shook everyone's hand as he left. Love Him! Possibly more exciting to this community was This L Word Actress , who looks exactly the same in person and who was also really friendly. I told her that Chefy and I were big fans, and she congratulated me on the pregnancy. So nice. Then we had Niko Case in the house, whom I didn't recognize, but who apparently went onstage at her show later that night and told everyone that she had had the "best breakfast of her life" at our restaurant. Wow. When it rains, it pours, I guess.
•  The stepson is starting to really embrace the "big brother" label. For our baby shower last weekend, he proudly sported the "new older brother" ribbon and showed me all the cool gifts he got for his sister-to-be. At 10, I think he's actually in a solidly mature-enough place to understand the capacity for cool that being a brother entails, and get excited about it. He's grown so much in the last year, it's kind of amazing. I have to say I'm a fan of the tween years. So far. 
• About a month ago, I received the BEST GIFT EVER from this crafty, intelligent, and oh-so-talented blogger. I am campaigning that she open a web store of some kind. I will buy the shit out of your shit, lady. Seriously. She is that talented and has kick-ass taste to boot. Hard to find. Let me know if you back me on this idea. Maybe we could start on a commissions basis, right J? Whaddya think?
  

  

  J's amazingness

• Baby shower was lovely. My wife (of course) had to make it about food as well as baby, so we held a baby shower/chili cook off. People got into it, and we had about 6 chili contenders, some yummy cornbread, drinks, cupcakes, and lots of lovely peeps. Chefy's ex even showed up, with a surprisingly thoughtful gift of baby pics of Chefy and her son (who the ex co-parents). It was quite the surprise (Chefy and ex=not best of friends). There were friends new and old, and even a handful of kiddies running around, tasting chili and eating cupcakes. It was a good time had by all, and Chefy and I definitely felt the love. I don't know many queers in SF who have kids, or are kid-friendly even, so having those folks around was reassuring to me as I truly and finally step out of the lets pretend to be adults phase of my life and into the holy shit we're going to be parents one. Obviously I am still in some denial about this, as I have been a step mom for about 5 years now. Um.....

• Chefy and I have a queer childbirth education class at the end of this month that I'm looking forward to. I also am taking a breastfeeding class next week, and am now going to community prenatal classes every two weeks and yoga about three times a week. I have started hanging out with some pregnant ladies from both yoga and prenatal classes, and it's been good. I am trying to build a bit more community around being a mom, as I don't have any family out here in Cali, and (as mentioned above), many of my friends have either moved away or are not so into gaybies.  I worry about feeling isolated after the baby comes, as Chefy needs to be at the restaurant and I will be at home with baby. Who knows? I guess it's something I will tackle when we get there. Perhaps I should be more concerned with childbirth at this phase. It's a couple short months away. 

• Sooo....I watched some childbirth videos the other night and they simultaneously thrilled and horrified me, which I think is a typical reaction. As the time between now and giving birth gets shorter, I am trying to embrace a come what may attitude, while remaining calm. I hope when the moment comes I can make that happen. In closing:

30 weeks, 1 day