My Husband: A Week of Faces

Many of you may have heard of the male tradition of growing facial hair for the entire month of November. It goes by many names: No Shave November, Novemburly, Movember ("mo" is Australian slang for mustache).

My husband took part in this tradition. And you know what? I kind of liked him with a full beard. Of course, he didn't let it get wild. He trimmed it as it grew, to keep it looking decent.

Then he decided to have fun with it. November is now over, but the facial hair did not go away. Oh no. He couldn't part with it that easily. He decided to shave it off slowly, in stages. Hilarious, ugly, stages. He promised me that each new beard style was only for one day, so I said okay, on one condition: that I get to photograph each new style, and post it here on my blog. What's the point of having a husband if you can't use him as blog fodder to garner a few laughs? ;)

Here are a few "Before" pictures. I don't know how well you can see his whole face, but trust me: he's got a full beard going on.


I had to use the flash on my camera, since it was too dim without it. So I went with "washed out" instead. It was the lesser of two evils.


Here he is with a couple of friends/coworkers. As you can see, they also took part in No Shave November.

The guy on the left shaved his face clean the next day. The guy in the middle is still sporting his beard. The goof handsome man on the right is my hubby dearest.


(Btw, the above pictures were all taken at Art's work Christmas banquet.)

And now, for your comedic pleasure:

Monday, Dec.6

First he went with the chin strap. Which he said made him feel like one of the Backsteet Boys. Hence the pose.

Tuesday, Dec.7

Then he went with the pointy sideburns.

Wednesday, Dec.8:

Wednesday was the best day: just a goatee. He had one of these when I first met him. And longer hair. And I actually thought he was cute!

Thursday, Dec.9

He called this one "The Nascar." He's also making a typical Art face.

Friday, Dec.10 - I didn't actually get a picture of this one. But it's the same as the beard above, only the middle strip is shaved off. I think it's known as a handlebar mustache? But I could be wrong. Basically, he looked like he should be riding a motorcycle at all times. And he kept the look through the weekend.

Monday, Dec.13

I came home from work and was greeted by this. Believe it or not, this one creeped me out the most. He tried to kiss me, but I wouldn't let him until he shaved it off. So I broke my rule about letting him have each style for one day. I will never let him have a mustache. *Shudder*

The facial hair was fun while it lasted, but I'm glad his face is back to normal. FYI, "normal" for him is actually not clean-shaven, but rather a day or two of scruff. And you know what? I really like the way he looks with a day or two of scruff. Clean shaven feels nice, but a 5 o'clock shadow suits him much better. Call me crazy....

24 Weeks

I just scrolled through my blog, and I realized that the last baby post was when we had our 20 week ultrasound. And the last belly pic? Was at 18 weeks. Yikes! Yeah, it's very much time for an update.

Like the subject line says, I'm at 24 weeks now. Baby weighs 1.5 pounds, is 8 inches in length (from crown to rump). What to Expect When You're Expecting informs me that Baby can now taste everything I eat. In fact, Baby has more taste buds now than at birth!

His or her skin is still hanging pretty loosely, but now is when the fat starts to develop. She or he will gain 6 ounces a week! (And what is that going to do for my weight gain? I'll probably be fine, but I've already gained 17 pounds at this point, which is five pounds ahead of what they recommend. So I'm a tiny bit nervous. If I'm not careful, I could gain too much weight. It's possible! Not likely, but possible.)

Also, our little one now has eyebrows, eyelashes, and a head of hair. Apparently, there is no pigment in the hair, so right now, it's snow white. I have no doubt that by the time Baby is born, he or she will have an abundance of dark hair.

This next week, capillaries will form under the skin and fill with blood. And air sacs will begin to develop in the lungs. I think this is the point where the baby actually has a chance to survive outside the womb. A small chance, but it can happen. [Side note: I used to follow a blog written by a man whose wife has cystic fibrosis, and their daughter was delivered by c-section at 24 weeks. The little girl is now almost three years old, and is happy and healthy. Here's a link to his blog.]

Also this next week, Baby's nostrils will open up, so s/he can begin taking practice breaths. The vocal cords are working too, and the baby practices using those by have hiccups! So I guess I'll be feeling that sometime soon.

And how am I doing? Very well. I'm experiencing small symptoms, like dry skin, strange dreams, swollen ankles, nasal congestion at night, but none of these things interfere with my daily life, so I barely notice them. I notice that my grip is not as strong as it used to be. I feel like I'm dropping things all the time! (Mostly pens, keys, socks...nothing breakable).

I remember reading that my body is producing the hormone Relaxin, and the whole point of that hormone is to loosen the ligaments and joints around my pelvis. However, my body doesn't know not to apply the hormone to EVERY joint and ligament. So my grip will suffer, and also? My feet will probably expand and go up a half or whole shoe size, and will likely not return to their original size. And I'm SO EXCITED about that!!! I'm crossing my fingers that by the time I have this baby, I will be a shoe size 6, and my shoe shopping woes will be over forever!!!!!!!!

(Pre-pregnancy, I was wearing size 5 shoes, and there pretty much isn't a shoe manufacturer on this continent that makes size 5 shoes for women. They always start at size 6. Buying shoes is so frustrating. At this very moment I'm at a 5.5, and depending the on the brand/type of shoe, it feels kinda snug. So I'm wishing and hoping and thinking and praying......)

Other symptoms I'm experiencing, besides an ever-growing belly.........I don't always sleep very well. Most of this week I managed to get in a full night, but it's not consistent. Again, apparently that's normal. When I can't sleep, it's not like I'm worried about anything. And it's not like Baby is waking me up or keeping me up with kicking. The kicks are getting stronger (I think I felt something on my ribs today!), but they don't interfere with sleep.

I still don't have heartburn, but I've discovered that if I eat a large dinner, I'm very likely going to be nauseated that night. I'm really good at eating small, frequent portions throughout the day, but for some reason, I always try to cram in a big supper. I have to get used to the fact that I simply can't fit a big meal in my stomach anymore. So I'm going to try my hardest to either stretch out the consumption of my dinner, or maybe just eat two small dinners. I had a particularly bad night last Monday night, and I actually took a sick day on Tuesday because I felt so icky. I need to do better.

I haven't had any ligament pain since the beginning of November, and I'm trying to be grateful for that every day, because my midwife told me that I would probably experience it again at some point.

And, before I get to everybody's favorite part (the picture), I wanted to inform you all that I finally have honest-to-goodness baby fever! Up until a few days ago, I felt like this pregnancy was going to fast, and though I've been excited, I've also been nervous, and kind of wishing time would slow down a little bit. Before I knew I was pregnant, I informed Art that I was definitely not ready for a baby. Since seeing that positive pregnancy test, I've been doing by best to be ready, but I still didn't really feel ready. (Also, I wasn't really enjoying pregnancy until a few weeks ago, when I could finally feel the baby move.)

Then two women from my office gave birth, within a few days of each other. They brought in their newborn boys on the same day last week, and just seeing those tiny, cuddly babies made my arms ache to hold my own. I remember looking down at my belly and saying, "okay, you can come out now." Now, there is no more nervousness or unreadiness. Just pure excitement, to the point of almost being impatient.

I hope this revelation isn't shocking to anyone. I don't know if other women out there felt this way when they were pregnant. And if anyone has, but was afraid to say something, because they thought it made them a bad mom, just know that you aren't abnormal, and you are NOT a bad mom. :)

Okay, picture time!



This picture was taken today. Right after my nap. I seem to be in the habit of taking belly pics right after I wake up from a nap.

Also? Those are maternity jeans. I got four free pairs of maternity jeans from a woman at church! God bless her, they are so comfy. And they are all a bit on the big side, which is good, because that means I'll be able to wear them for a while. I'm crossing my fingers that at least two pairs will last me right until I give birth.

So there's a nice lengthy update for you. If you made it this far, go ahead and treat yourself to a spoonful of ice cream. Because that's what I'm going to do.

My Birth Plan

I know this can be a very touchy and controversial subject, but if you've read my blog for a while, you know that I'm not one to always avoid controversy. This is important to me, and it's something I have been wanting to talk about on my blog for some time.

First, here are a couple of facts about my birth plan:

1. I have a midwife who is Washington State certified. She is also a naturopathic family doctor. She will see me through my entire pregnancy, the birth, and eight weeks of postpartum care. After that, we can continue to see her as our family doctor. I'm really happy about how that worked out.

2. I am planning on giving birth at a birth center, not at home, and not at the hospital.

I feel it is important that my midwife is certified. I know that she has had proper medical training, and has assisted many, many births. I can feel comfortable and safe with her, because she has the experience to know when to speak up, when to stand back, and when to make the call about my needing medical intervention. I wouldn't have the same assurance with a non-certified midwife (and there are many available in our area).

I am choosing the birth center mostly because I don't feel comfortable giving birth in our one-bedroom apartment. I think our complex is well-built, and seems pretty sound-proof, but I know there are limits to what noise can and cannot be heard. I don't want to force my neighbors to go through the hardest stages of labor with me (if I find myself yelling at times). And I don't want to have to worry about those things while I'm in transition and pushing. I want to have as few distractions as possible. However, if we lived in a house, I would probably choose a home birth.

I have been to the birth center, and I love it there. It's almost like a spa! Big comfy beds, jacuzzi tubs, soft lighting and soothing colors. It is truly a calm and relaxing place. It is also conveniently located a few blocks from the hospital, should I change my mind about pain medications, or if a medical emergency arises.

Anther thing to note: having a midwife and being at a birth center is much cheaper than having an OB-GYN and being at a hospital. At a hospital, the cost can be in the tens of thousands of dollars, even if the delivery is vaginal, drug-free, and not even attended by the doctor! Of course, if you have insurance, then the difference in cost won't affect you. And I know many insurance companies won't cover midwives. But for those who don't have insurance, the final amount on the bill matters.

Though the final cost certainly is a factor, it is not the main reason why I am choosing a natural birth. The main reason is because I feel like a natural, birth center delivery will be more relaxing than a hospital birth.

In my mind, I equate hospitals with being sick. I know that the labor and delivery wards in many hospitals don't have the same look and feel as the rest of the hospitals. But I still feel like I would be very uncomfortable in that kind of a setting. Machines all around me, bright lights, nurses coming in and out, and not being able to move around if I want to? Being continually hooked up to a monitor and/or an IV.... all these things will make me more tense and nervous.

With a natural delivery, I can labor at home for most of the time. I can light candles, put on soothing music, and I can concentrate on breathing and relaxing. I can move around if I want to, eat if I want to, and the only people with me will be those I love and trust: My husband, and a close girlfriend of mine (all three of us will be taking some sort of natural childbirth class, so they will know how to assist me during my labor).

When I finally go to the birth center, I will have the addition of the midwife, and also the jacuzzi tub. She will only check me intermittently, and if no complications arise, she will sit back and let me be me.

I want to be in the environment that makes me feel the most comfortable; one that will be peaceful and relaxing. I want to be in a place where I feel calm and safe. The birth center is that place.

I'm not saying that I expect to have a pain-free labor. And I know that complications could arise, and I might end up at the hospital anyway. But I have a much better chance of sticking to my plan if I can relax and let my body do what it needs to do.

I trust my body's ability to give birth to this baby. And I'm preparing myself as much as possible. Arming myself with facts and knowledge, and researching (and practicing) techniques to help me manage each contraction. I am not afraid of labor, and that is huge. The more I research, the more confident I become that I can and want to do this.

Please know that this is not a judgment on anyone who has not had this type of delivery, or anyone who is not planning on this type of delivery. I know that many women would feel much more comfortable in a hospital setting. I know that for many women, a natural, out-of-hospital delivery is not an option.

Many women feel that the most relaxing, enjoyable way to give birth is with medication. And I know that many women have had positive, natural deliveries in hospitals. There are also plenty of hospitals out there that have all the comforts of a birth center, or have birth centers that are a part of the hospital.

I'm not saying that my plan is the one that every woman should go with. I'm simply telling you why I am going with this plan; why it's so important to me.

For anyone who might be interested, here are a few of the resources that I have turned to (or am planning on using):

Giving Birth Naturally is an online childbirth class that I will be taking with my friend. Since our schedules don't line up very well, she won't be able to attend the "live" childbirth class that Art and I will be attending. The online class will allow us the flexibility of setting our own schedule.

The Nurturing Touch at Birth - this book is on my wishlist. Christmas gift? *wink wink* Or I'll just buy it myself. :) Looking at the reviews, it seems like a one-stop shop for all the different techniques I can employ to get me through labor and delivery. This includes pressure points, massage, breathing, laboring positions, and so on.

The Business of Being Born - I have watched this movie several times, but I share the link with hesitation. I have mixed feelings about the film. On the one hand, I think it portrays natural birth as a positive experience, rather than being scary, horrible, or traumatic. On the other hand, I think it goes a little far in bashing hospitals and doctors. It also contains a bit of unnecessary foul language, and a fair amount of graphic nudity (as it pertains to women giving birth).

It should also be noted that the statistics aren't going to be completely accurate (as it was filmed more than two years ago). And some facts are quite specific to the city it was filmed in (New York). So if you choose to watch it, do so with all this in mind. (You can buy the DVD on the website provided, on Amazon, or rent it through Netflix.)

So there you have it. I apologize if I have offended anyone, or have somehow portrayed my plan as superior to other birth plans. This was not at all my intention. I just wanted to share the "whys" behind my personal decisions regarding childbirth.

Whatever plan a woman chooses to go with, I think it's important that she be as informed and prepared as possible, to be firm in the reasons for her choices, and to surround herself with people who will support her. With those things in place, anyone can have a truly positive and enjoyable childbirth experience.