I Love Me Some Nana and Grandpa

A week ago, when a friend came over, Hadley got the giggles and laughed her head off for several minutes. It's like her funny bone took over and shook her whole body in fits of belly giggles. It is probably the cutest thing I have EVER seen.

For the whole week following, I did everything except stand on my head and sing showtunes to get her to laugh like that again. I blew raspberries on her belly, tickled her feet, danced around singing songs about butts. Nothing. I was her own personal cartoon character. Nothing. A caricature of myself. Nothing. "Am I not as funny as I think I am?" I asked myself? How could this beeee?

Then her grandparents came to town, and one day while her Nana was holding her, David said the word Bazooka to her, which got the giggle factory going. I then followed it up with every B word I could possible think of. Each word, worked her up more and more into an hysterical giggle fit. Bumble Bee, brassiere, Booby, Brown Bunny, Barbara, Bling, Banana...I tried to fit in a few P and D words too, but they did not elicit the same response. I'm hoping to get this on video some day because when you watch it, you won't be able to say you've had a bad day.

Introducing...

Hadley August Gannon



Look at her would you? We're a little biased, but crap if she isn't the most precious little baby.

It's old news now because you all have probably checked DG's blog, but she came to us at 7:42am on 11.27.07 at 19 inches long and 6 lbs 1 oz. She came out with her eyes wide open and stayed awake with us for 4 hours before finally taking a nap. She is so tolerant of our lack of parenting skills that she barely even cries. Though I've heard that this may change as soon as we get home.



You can see all of her public photos here on DG's Flickr account. I'll post more about the gritty details of my labor later this week, in between being a food buffet. So far I am in love with motherhood and our new baby.

Thanks to everyone for all of your wonderful emails and warm wishes.

5cm and counting

I think I've turned the blog into baby watch 2007. I started walking again today, ate some spicy food at lunch, then went to the doctor. Another week, another centimeter. He did what is called stripping the membranes last week which loosens the membranes around the bag of waters to the cervix. I believe he may have done this again today.

Based on how far I have dilated, he thinks that my labor is going to go fast. He rushed to the hospital last night at 3am thinking he was going to meet us there. But it was another woman who was already 10cm dilated, pushed twice and there was a baby.

All of the birth classes and birthing from within talk about having a mantra to repeat to yourself to get through labor. I think my new mantra is "2 pushes and out like a greased pig". *nervous giggle*

To Doula or Not to Doula

DG and I started our baby classes last night for people 30 years and older. It is just once a week for 5 weeks and we were unsure of what to expect, but our teacher is amazing. We learned so much in our first 2 1/2 hour class.

For example, Doni, our instructor showed a graphic picture of what a woman's insides look like normally with all of the organs. Then she showed a picture of what the insides look like when there is a baby in there. The intestines virtually disappeared up near the lungs, the stomach shrunk, and the bladder went to the size of a pea. All the men in the room turned white and groaned. All the women nodded, knowingly as we glanced at the clock ready to take our first bathroom break 15 minutes into class.

It was right about the time when we were watching the video about the stages of labor that I wondered whether or not it would be me holding DGs hand to calm him, rather than the other way around.

Which brings me to my next question. Should we get a doula? I plan on arriving at the hospital, laboring for an hour and then popping Baby G out without drugs. (Ahhh, the power of positive thinking.) But some things don't always go according to plan, and we are wondering if having a midwife or doula present would aid in my relaxation and having a better experience. Thoughts?