gifts.

it's an amazing thing that people give you gifts when you have a child. as if the child wasn't enough... we get cute clothes, toys & sometimes fun unnecessary items as well!

we want to stress that we do not expect gifts from anyone. gifts are not necessary. we would love to have you join us at the showers regardless. and i promise not to ration out how much time you get to spend with the child on how great the gift is :)~ i'm totally teasing, please note!

since i'm being (overly & possibly annoyingly) earth friendly in this process i wanted to take a second to say if you do plan on getting us something we have a few preferences:

-if we've registered for it & you find it at a second hand store- go for it! we don't need shiny new objects by any means. maybe leave us a message here so others know.

-sustainable wood toys over plastic

-since we live in phx... gift certificates are preferred to wasteful shipping or heavy luggage!

-please include a gift receipt... i hear babies r us and target are horrible about exchanges. but we promise to love everything we're given :)

-i love mama's hip & sustain- two local stores in lou. but we aren't registered because they don't have online registry options. their websites are under the registries menu on the right.

*we'd love to support the small business over the giant retailers.

-i know organic is a tad expensive... but i do prefer (although, i also realize cuter clothes exist outside of this category) organic cotton. i've been doing way too much research about the pesticides used to grow not only our food but cotton to be comfy with the idea of it on our little peanut. i posted a link on my other blog about it if you'd like to read it!

-on that same note- we've chosen to swap the majority of our food & house products to organic... so gift certificates to whole foods or trader joes would be awesome!!! i'll be making peanut's food from organic food when he is eating solids.

-we've registered for cloth diapers at wildflower diaper, a local store here in phx. this is definitely one of our highest priorities!

again, your well wishes & joining us for the parties is more than enough!

we look forward to seeing all of you soon!

m&b

birthing plan.

my wishes for our birth plan are to deliver at home without all the distractions & unnecessary interruptions. without the medical world involving what they deem responsible steps to a healthy birth. but allowing mother nature & strong, supportive women to help me to do what is natural. what my body was put here to do, bring this little peanut into the world.

we have found some awesome midwives, mary & nedra, whom we really, really liked. we have found a doula, leigh, whom we loved. between the three of these experienced ladies, who have delivered well over 2500 babies, i believe bryan & i can do this. with a hospital & it's maternity ward about 2 minutes & 1.5 miles away from our house, i'm confident, if for some reason we couldn't we'd make it in time for the medical interference, now necessary.

i understand how this might make our friends & family uncomfortable & uneasy. i respect that. it's a nontraditional approach to what's worked for you & for almost every woman we know that's given birth. how could it be so wrong for me? i may not be able to ever explain it well enough to satisfy your curiosity... but it just is. women all over the world (outside of this country) still predominantly give birth with midwives in attendance. it's still believed to be a natural process instead of a medical emergency, where interference by way of drugs is the natural occurrence. i have talked with many women and they can't fathom doing this without drugs & think i'm nuts. i understand that as well. it wasn't until i found out that i was pregnant that i began to give this any serious consideration. the drugs may not have a lasting effect on the child or me... but it does have an effect. getting any drug at all increases the need for a c-section which i'm highly against unless deemed necessary.

(please understand these are my beliefs & i do not wish to change any expecting mother's mind nor is it my wish to make anyone that has chosen a different path for themselves to feel bad about their decision. i respect your right to make the decision- this is just my opinion.)

i want to experience this completely. i don't want to be numbed for even a second. i was meant to feel this pain, endure this process & survive this process. i was meant to enjoy it in it's entirety. i'm strong, healthy & very capable. as is every woman, we've just been told for centuries now -why? -what's the point? you don't get any medals or trophies for doing it naturally? so what's the point?

i believe the point is that we miss something crucial if we aren't fully aware of what's going on. if our body isn't awoken to the reality of child birth & the hormones released with the intensity. it's one day, possibly a little longer, hopefully a little shorter. am i really that weak? do i really want to rush the process? do i really want to disturb mother nature & mess with what god created... the process of not only a child being born but a mother & father as well?

i also believe that in a hospital i wont be fully comfortable or relaxed, which will inevitably cause this process to go less smoothly. i'm nervous that the medical staff, who makes their living by the beds being filled & emptied quickly, do not have my same ideals of a natural birth & instead will push me to hurry things along.

unfortunately, at this time we do not have a birthing center in phx, which i would have gladly met bryan halfway & gone there.

i can do this. i'd love your support. we'd love your support. we hope you come to peace with our decision, but if you don't... please know that this is our decision & although we respect your opinions... we hope you keep them to yourselves. instead please be positive & send us silent prayers of hopefulness.

in a couple months there will be a new baby boy in this world. i get teary eyed thinking about it. i have wanted this, this very experience my entire life. i can't think of anything more fulfilling than raising a child. i've had some amazing examples of how to be a good parent. so i want to thank you. bryan has as well. we owe a lot to our parents who i think, have done a fabulous job.

but now it's our turn and we are ready for this...

you are welcome to visit the web pages of our doula & midwife. if you do -please read the birthing stories... they're beautiful.

bump fun.

here's a cute belly pic my friend andy took of me.

oompa

is a fantastic toy store...

click here to see the goodies yourself!

worthy cause.

i give.

i just discovered this lil site. it seems like an awesome idea, though i haven't done much research on it -yet. but, it seems like you select a worthy cause to get a portion of your purchase total & i think i read that it can be tax deductible. it works on over 700 sites... not too shabby. since we gotta shop to save this dreadful economy why not help a cause along the way!

meg

Lil' Start

Here's a pic to start off lil' peanut's blog.