Louis came to the birth stories potluck yesterday! I was so touched. We have a bunch of classes and showers and other things coming up, but yesterday's event was like our first real baby event. We're getting close!
It was a much smaller gathering than last month, but that meant the women who shared their birth stories could do so in much more detail. It's always nice hearing honest accounts of what unmedicated labor was really like. Everybody has such a different experience. One woman who just had her second baby actually described her labor as intense but painless. Another woman was in labor for 45 hours before her little guy came out. I thought it was interesting that both described their births as beautiful experiences and both shared an amazement at how in the world anyone could push effectively with an epidural. I'm kinda glad Louis' intro to the homebirth world was rather mellow. We're probably only going to be able to make it to one more birth stories potluck before our birth and I know that a midwife in Danville is hosting next month. The Contra Costa/Tri-Valley families can't be all that wild and crazy, right?
The gathering yesterday was held in a small midwifery office in Oakland that was basically one large room with a bathroom. On our way home, Louis and I talked about the things we liked (clean, cozy, inviting) and didn't like (stairs, difficult parking) about the set up. I already have a vision of what I want my office to be like, even though I know I'm at least a couple years away from that point. I'm eyeing one particular street in San Leandro where there are lots of other medical offices in converted craftsman homes. I like the idea of setting up an exam room in a room that used to be a bedroom, so it has that private, cozy feel to it. I love the idea of lots of artwork on the walls and maybe even a large quilt as a decoration. Multiple bookcases, of course, are mandatory. A non-clinical-looking bathroom down the hall would be lovely. If I was really lucky, I could score a place with a large gathering room so I could host meetings and events and/or rent out the space to others. Ahh, a girl can dream.
My mind has been racing lately with thoughts about all the things going on. I had a crazy dream about being on a big fishing boat last night. I wonder what that was about. I'm having a hard time trying to focus on just one thing at a time, because I am definitely feeling a time crunch now.
Our showers are coming up and I have offered to help with each one, although now it kinda feels like a lot. For one of the showers, I offered (okay, actually Louis offered) to help create and send out the invitations. He wanted to have them printed up, but I know we could do it ourselves (for free) with materials we have at home. Last night, I was feeling particularly crafty so I pulled out the craft bins and found a bunch of cardstock paper that will work just fine. I cut out light green cards to fit in matching size envelopes I found in the office. I think I want to go with a green and white polka dot theme, so I cut out a bunch of different sized circles in green, light green, and white. I thought the front of the invitation would say something like "It's a baby shower" with the polka dots and then on the back, I could glue on a print out with the details of the party. I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but today I lost a bit of my crafty feeling. Anybody have any ideas?
I had an interview for a midwifery client set up for tomorrow night, but she just emailed to say she thinks she's having a miscarriage. I feel so bad for her. Another client found herself in a relationship that turned physically abusive just after her baby was born. Her partner just left, which is good for her safety, but now she's on her own with a newborn and three other kids to care for. Some days I just feel completely helpless.
I'm starting to feel like I'm getting to the hibernation point. It's hard to focus on work and all I want to do is nap, work on the baby's room, or take a walk in nature. Louis has been amazingly helpful lately and I'm rather pleased with him. We had breakfast together this morning, and while it seems like such a minor, normal event, it's a huge deal for us. It was the best part of my day so far. I should do something nice for his birthday this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment