Last Trimester

Dearest Little One,

Lisa Brughera (soon to have a new name), lent us a great book that espouses an unfortunately named baby-raising philosophy: Attachment Parenting. Hmm, let's rename it Natural Presence Parenting. But in most things they seem right on. The 5 main points are to breastfeed, sleep with your baby, wear your baby, learn to communicate with your baby, and now what's the 5th one? :) I'm not a bad mother, just not a concise one.

But it's great, your pops and I are reading up on all sorts of stuff - how to put your diapers on, how to sleep with you in bed, what all your little bumps, lumps, and dumps mean, etc. We're excited. So were you when I was reading about breastfeeding. I may have been reading too much into it but you were certainly kicking away when I was reading the how-to on proper holding and latch on techniques.

It's great being with all your other pregnant aunties. It makes the things we are going to try seem almost normal. The books tend to say, "Oh, if you try this some people will think you're crazy," but since all the girls here are trying almost everything, it doesn't seem crazy huh? I hope you won't think it's crazy. But of course, you could come out the most conservative, middle of the road, in the box thinking child. It is possible and if it is so, don't worry, there will be room for your personality! We'll make sure of it.

It's been really hot lately but I think you like that too. At minimum you've got to have a good amount of kapha since you are your pops and my child :) which means you get active in the heat. And you are kicking more lately. But your aunty and I are headed off to Target where it is airconditioned and then the pool where it is wet. I will write again soon.

With many hugs and kisses,
Mom

Bird Flu Fever

Dear Fire Doggie,

Alas, you were destined to be born in the year the gates of hell open and let loose, roaming, dastardly, evil spirits looking for individualistic victims to possess some in the form of great epidemics and natural disasters. All we can do is cross our fingers and stock up on the Tamiflu. But there are many out there who are playing with cocktails of drugs (possessed maybe) and upping the chance that the avian flu become stronger, faster, and more resistant.

Sorry, I didn't know.

Let's hope your chart shows great resistance to such things.

In the meantime, you had your first abhiseka this weekend. Got a direct introduction to Rudra and Sambu Siva. You seemed to be awake for it unlike the few days beforehand when I was wondering if you had had some sort of out-of-body experience. But alls well no matter how it ends because in the end, it all leads back to the Ultimate Ultimate - so I'm working on getting past my limitations so I can "see" and "believe."

But it was a lovely weekend. Got to spend quite a bit of time with your extended family and got to relax some of those above-mentioned limitations.

Am just starting to want to see you outside the belly. Was quite content to be pregnant but lately it has occurred to me that it will be nice to see you face-to-face. Sleeping is interesting, I can feel you and hope that I'm not constricting your breathing or blood, or anything like that. But you give me a kick when I get to far on my stomach or too long on my right side or back so I hope that you're catching it before I do at least.

So lovely ducky - will talk again soon!

XOXOXO
Mumsie

Kick, kick, punch, punch

Jaya Baby Hanuman!

You've been confusing me lately when one minute your doing the rhumba and the next you're a still as a church mouse. But then again, I've always prodded the ones I love to see if they're still breathing. You'll have to forgive me if I do that to you when you come out.

The preggie girls are getting bigger and bigger. Very soon your Aunty Kirana is going to pop and the first of the brood comes to greet the day. Then it will be your turn. Are we ready? Is your mom ready?

Well ready or not, here you come. At least the room is ready. We now have a bed which you can sleep in and which I can sorta sleep in. Belly is growing with you inside it and we must be creative with the pillows these days.

Have been diagnosed anemic - I'm sorry. Midwife Beah says it's ok - just a heads up to up the iron which I'm trying to do. I hope it doesn't hurt you.

There are many things that I hope for you. But hope is poison, the sooner you learn that, the better this household will be for you because whether you signed up for it or not (which everyone thinks you did by the very fact that you ARE being born in this household) the teachings will be priority in your life, at least until you are old enough to say they aren't. So the hope is poison thing, that's a lesson I've got to keep telling myself. So no hope my love. Whatever it all looks like, the pregnancy, the labor, you, your health, your personality, it is just that - an emanation of the All that is All.

So kick, kick, punch, punch away - mommy likes it. But sit still if you need to, mommy will get used to that as well.

Love and Smuckers