It's a...

We're Having a Margot!

And as you can tell, Chester is thrilled about it.

Wednesday was my 20 week ultrasound. I was nervous for days beforehand. This was a big check up! You just assume things are progressing normally... but what if they're not? And of course, I wanted to see if we had a Margot or a Fletcher on our hands. I'm suffering this compulsion to nest, which is nearly impossible without knowing pink or blue.

So I hadn't slept in days due to the nerves, and I had this wicked heart burn. Really, you'd think I could handle this a bit better. But I was worried that I might soon have to call on a reserve of strength I'm not sure I have. And, let's be honest here: gender, please! What if the baby didn't cooperate?

Bob is in California for a month, so my friend Paige went with me. Immediately the tech said that the baby was curled into a tight little ball. -Oh no, I thought. Will the baby divulge her little secret to us?

Turns out, curled up in a little ball was the perfect angle to examine the goods. We are 99.9% sure she is a Margot. And, well, if she's not a girl, it's an "it" because there was no boy plumbing there at all.

More importantly, she looks like she is developing nicely. Her fingers and toes are all there. Her organs are lined up properly INSIDE her body (whew!), and her brain is the right size. She has slightly longer than average legs, but that's not a complete surprise either. Right now she weighs 11 ounces, and her birth date is still around September 10th.

The best part was watching her do this sucking and swallowing motion with her little face. It's really pretty amazing. And the technology was astounding! How can you see the right and left ventricles and chambers of the heart? How can you see the different sections of the brain with this magic wand and some warm jello spread on your belly? I'm impressed.

And so... now I can rest easy. Margot is right on track, and she has bedding ordered from Pottery Barn Kids.

Proga (Prego Yoga)

I have always imagined my pregnant self in a certain way: I will glow, and not get too fat, and will write poetry to the baby, and will do prenatal yoga. It's hard to say how things are going on my checklist. BUT, last Thursday I did try prenatal yoga, which I will now call Proga, because it's my blog- and I can.

I was looking at yoga studio websites in Olympia and found a doula who also teaches proga, and I thought: Eureka! The class testimonials promised to help you connect with your baby. So I went.

The class was one and a half hours long, which I thought might be way too long. However, it was the perfect amount of time. It's from 7:00-8:30 p.m. (kind of late) in downtown Olympia. There were probably about 15 pregos there of all different sizes, ages, and stages in pregnancy. At the start, we all settled down in the studios on our mats and introduced ourselves. We were supposed to say how many weeks we were and what we hoped to get out of the class or what we were experiencing in our pregnancies.

There were ladies who were 9 weeks and one who was 39 (one more to go for her!). I said that day was my 19th week, and that I just really hoped to bond with the baby. I want to feel like I am carrying a little person... instead of just feeling fat and rotund. -To which everyone chuckled, indicating we have ALL been there!

Introductions over, we got down to business. At first I was feeling smug (I was the smallest woman there) and competitive (look! I can hold my poses longer than they can). Before I snapped out of it. Damn, if I don't have a hard time possessing my new role in life right now. Grow a baby, grow a baby. It doesn't matter how big your thighs are right now or how athletic you perceive yourself to be. I'm working on it.

Anyhoo, once I was in the moment and going through the paces, I did feel the baby move more precisely than I have yet. Either that or it was moving more energetically than it has so far. Either way... it was a treat. And our instructor, Kristin Rubis, had these wonderful affirmations for us to think about:

• This is the time your baby was meant to join your family. -Good reminder for me, especially. Deployment!!!!
• Your body knows how to deliver a baby.
• Your baby knows exactly how to be born.

When I left the studio that night, it was just barely drizzling outside, and you could smell the ozone. I walked to the car with the lightest of steps and a tear or two in my eyes. For the very first time, I felt like I really was designed to have this baby (not a blob in my gut), right now, and that I am enough.

I am now a proga believer, and if you call my house on Thursday evenings, you'll reach the voice mail. I've got a date with the baby.

Spring Break

My mom came for a visit over spring break. She was here Tuesday through Saturday, and it was a great chance to catch up and see my state of Washington. I haven't seen her in 14 months, so a visit was much overdue.

Our agenda:

Tuesday- Ft. Lewis, Lacey, Olympia

Wednesday- Seattle

Thursday- Weeding the yard and planting flowers and lettuce. (Mandatory) Volunteer dinner on post. Ha!

Friday- Out to Ocean Shores (only 1.5 hours from our house) and to a lovely dinner in Olympia that night.

Saturday- To the airport for a morning flight.

The Capital Building in Olympia

Pike's Place Market in Seattle

The Japanese Gardens in Seattle

Chester in the back seat with me on the way to the coast.

Our little Cornelius family (all 3.5 of us) on the beach in Washington.

Bob and I at dinner in Olympia.

Museum of Glass

Last Friday (the 13th) I took 50 kids on a field trip to Tacoma's Museum of Glass. It was pretty incredible. Certainly we can appreciate the beauty of glass and how much it improves our lives, but until you see the process of creating it: you simply cannot fathom how much time goes into these pieces!

The bridge pictures are of The Glass Bridge, created by Tacoma's own, world famous Dale Chihuly. He's nearly single handedly brought the Venetian (Murano, really) style of glass work back to life and into the modern art world. -Absolutely stunning.

Janet, our librarian, and myself. Matching each other and the art.

It kind of made me want some rock candy. Yum!

A visit to the "Hot Shop" to watch the glass pieces being made. There are visiting artists who come to use the shop for anywhere from 3-5 days at a time. It's very expensive to use the space, but it is one of the finest in the country. Too bad the pictures didn't turn out better.

Baby Boom

So I'm taking a little poll: how many women do you know having babies in August, September, and October? I'll try to list the ones I know of here:

Aug 21- Mindy
Sept 6- Tamara
Sept 10- Me
Sept 19- Mary Jo
Sept 19- Sarah
Sept 22- Tonia
Sept 25- Lisa
Oct 21- Robin

I'm sure I'm forgetting some. And these are just the ones I know personally. I'm thinking December was a very cozy time. I know we were completely snowed in, here in Washington.

6 of the 8 in my list are here in Washington. Blizzards are good for something...

Costco

After school today, I was trying to think where might be the best place to buy a Speedo swimsuit. Then I had this epiphany: Costco.

But do you think I am a member? It made sense to me to join today. For one thing I needed a swimsuit ($20) and a pair of goggles (or three. It turns out Costco doesn't really sell things in singles). And I was thinking this might be a great deal on diapers and wipes down the road.

I opted not to use the grocery cart. No kidding: it was almost the same size as my Mini. So after I procured the swimsuit and goggles, I thought: let's see what else Costco has! It was then I found BabyBelle cheese. I probably don't need 24 of them, but it cost the same as buying 10 of them at Safeway. And of course it seemed a shame to come home without a ten pound bag of Northwest grown pears.

My trudge out to the car made me rethink the no cart idea. I found my purchases healthy and random, and I'm okay with that. I did kind of think I needed a mini-van to go with my new Costco persona.

Oh well... a dollar saved (equals about 4 baby cheeses, it turns out).

Ode to the Grapefruit

Ode to the Grapefruit

Liz Cornelius

You beckoned me tonight

and woke me from my slumber.

Though I resisted, you promised satisfaction

that could not be equalled by sleep.

Quietly, so as not to wake my bed-mate (Chester),

I tip-toed to the kitchen for our rendezvous.

I began cautiously enough

With a bowl and a knife and a napkin.

Alas, at the taste of your lush meat

I lost all reserve.

And so, there I was in my bliss

Napkin forgotten; juice running down my chin and chest.

When I was caught red handed.

There stood Chester with accusation in his eyes.

Guiltily I returned to my bedroom

But not to my rest.

For there is one grapefruit left

And I know tomorrow temptation

Will best my will again.