Introducing Kyveli Jade Irene Wright!

She's here! Kyveli was born on Sunday, March 8 (International Women's Day!) at 9:56pm. She weighed 7lbs, 2.3oz and is 19" long. She's just precious if we do say so ourselves, though we admit that we may be a tad bit biased. We got home from the hospital yesterday afternoon and I'm just now getting a chance to get online for a minute. I'll post her completely natural and med-free birth story soon.

If you're wondering about the origins of her name, check out this link. She was named after a very strong goddess figure from ancient Greek mythology, also known as Cybele. It's pronounced kee-VEL-ee and she'll go by Kyva (KEE-va) for short.

Here are a few pics - more are online here!

Happy due date to me! Could this be it?

It's 3am, and I'm having trouble sleeping. I tried for a few hours, but it was a no go. Why? Because I've been having some pesky contractions ever since this afternoon, and it's hard to drift off to sleep when you're jolted back awake every 10 minutes. So I figured I'd get up, make myself a cup of tea, time contractions and try to distract myself a bit.

UPDATE: Since I got up they've been 5 minutes apart...eek!

For the past few days I've been reflecting a lot on what this pregnancy has been like for me and I feel the need to thank baby Zokay for giving me a remarkably easy (and dare I say, even fun) time of it. I really don't have a single major complaint besides some pretty bad hip pain early in the 3rd trimester which, thanks to 2 chiropractor visits, didn't stick around very long. Even the past few weeks have been surprisingly comfortable, which I hear is not exactly the norm. I've been making an effort to imprint on my memory all of the various sensations so that I don't forget them when this is all a big blur behind me. I hope never to forget what it feels like to feel this baby moving inside me. It's simply amazing feeling her little kicks and twists up near the top of my tummy, and once in awhile a little punch or head-butt down low. And I can't forget the hiccups, which she still gets at least once every day or two, including tonight between contractions! At first, her movements felt like muscle spasms and little taps. Then came the rapid-fire ones, like she was having a dance party in there. Then for the past several weeks it's been slower jabs, stretches and twists since she started running out of space.

There are certain things I won't miss quite as much, like having to make SOOOO many trips to the restroom, hobbling around like an old woman, etc. and I should try to remember these as well so I don't look back on this whole experience as nothing but positive. But these are minor complaints, and I've tried not to dwell on them.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Mireille (our doula) is here now and just made me some oatmeal. She's helping me get through some pretty tough contractions, which are now around 3-5 minutes apart.

Here is quite possibly my last belly photo, taken last Sunday at 39 weeks even. I'll try to take another one before we head to the hospital, but no guarantees!



And according to babycenter.com:

It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long. Her skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary.

38 weeks and the way has been blessed

On Sunday, Sage and Heather co-hosted my Blessingway at our place. If you're not familiar with Blessingways, they're traditional ceremonies intended to celebrate becoming a mother. Mine was a very intimate gathering with the most important women in my life (minus my mom, other sisters, and other best friends who are out of the area of course). The night before, Sage came over and made a cast of my belly:



We did a few rituals including a very luxurious foot-washing using warm water and essential oils. It felt wonderful, and we used the baby tub which was adorable. At the end, Heather decorated my belly with henna. As you can see, she's really talented!



Now, 4 days later, I'm still rocking it:



It felt so special to be honored that way, and it got me thinking. Making the transition to motherhood is really the biggest change in a woman's life and I am thankful to have had this rite of passage. I know it's going to be the biggest transition in my own life, by far. I've been through lots of changes through the years but none quite like this. I guess the difference is that through all previous changes I've remained pretty much the same person. But I know that motherhood will change everything. This pregnancy has given me a headstart to some extent and I am thankful that I've had 9 months to prepare myself...though in some ways I still feel ridiculously unprepared. Everyone assures me that caring for their newborn is more or less intiutive, and that you just do what you have to do until it starts to come naturally. I really hope that's true!

According to babycenter.com:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Maternity Photo Shoot with Kelly M!

Last weekend we had a maternity photo session with the very talented Kelly M. She chose a gorgeous natural setting for us and I'm SO THRILLED with how the photos turned out. She even added us to her blog! I hope you enjoy these photos as much as we do:



Also, I'm 37 weeks! That means baby Zokay is now full-term, and should be just fine if she is born at this point. According to babycenter.com:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Refinishing Popi's cradle

Before I was born, my dad (Popi) built me a beautiful wooden cradle with his own hands. My mom brought it down to us from Oregon when she came for Thanksgiving. It's always been a part of my life, and now it will be a part of our daughter's life too. After 31 years it was still in pretty good shape, but needed a bit of refinishing. Kailen and I sanded it down and added a couple of coats of new varnish this weekend. My mom made a new mattress and bumper out of pink flannel. I don't have a photo of the finished product, but trust me...it's lovely! Here are some photos we took while refinishing it:

Baby shower pics and 36 week update

I feel like such a slacker just now getting a chance to post about this! We had a great time at our California shower. Sarah was an awesome hostess (no surprise there - she's an awesome EVERYTHING!), and the onesie-painting station was a big hit. Yet again, we were really touched by the love and generosity everyone showed toward our little one. We now feel much more prepared for baby Zokay's arrival and are getting very excited to meet her! Here are some photos:

Here I am as of Thursday morning (36 weeks). Whoa belly!



And according to babycenter.com:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

Wondering what a crenshaw melon looks like? Well wonder no more:

You know your due date is quickly approaching when...

...the perishables you buy expire on the same day. Case in point:



I can only assume that bonus points are awarded if you already consumed said perishable over a week ago, and have now also consumed its replacement!

I realized that today marks another major pregnancy milestone: the one known in "the biz" as 35/35, meaning that you've reached the 35 week mark and have only 35 days to go! Holy crap, that's like, just over one month!!!

According to babycenter.com:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.