A Fig in Sweden Portland

yes, virginia, you can have an amazing birth experience in the u.s.

"Pregnant" appeared on the pregnancy test, and my first thought was, "Why couldn't this have happened while we were still in Sweden?"

That was back in November, just one month into our new life in Portland.

Our Oregon-born baby was due to enter this world and our lives on August 8, just two days before my own birthday. But he decided that he liked his sister's birthday better and popped out two weeks early on the 24th of July. (Sophie was born on the 25th of January.)

I got to the hospital a little before 4 a.m. and he was in my arms at 10:32 a.m. It was roughly 5 hours of labor and an hour and a half of pushing. It was the pushing part that made me both anxious and eager. I wasn't able to push Sophie out after 18 hours of labor. They had to go in and get her with the vacuum extractor, and that made it not-so-pleasant for me, as well. 

This time, as I tried to quell any lingering episiotomy fears, I felt completely connected to what was happening. As chaotic and scary and exhausting as that last hour was, my midwife completely empowered me. It was my redemption, so to speak. My chance to prove to myself that I could do this, despite the fact that a Swedish doctor told me to have a C-section next time.

Actually feeling my body push Mathis' head out was amazing. And when they told me to look down as I pushed out his body, it's an indescribable moment that will be etched in my memory as one of the best in my life. It was a combination of "He's here!" and "I did it!"

In both cases, we ended up with a wonderful, healthy child. And I am grateful to both my Swedish and American midwife for that. But if we were going to have a third, I would kiss the American soil I was standing on when that positive pregnancy test appeared.

Here's why:

1. Every single person we interacted with at the hospital was super friendly, from the woman who pre-registered me the week before to the man who wheeled me out the door when it was time to go home. Seriously, there wasn't a bad egg in the bunch.

2. Drugs in my IV instead of sucking laughing gas.

3. Chocolate milkshakes delivered to my room.

4. Very knowledgeable lactation support, with an emphasis on support. After having Sophie, the Swedish staff ordered me to feed her formula and made me feel even more pressure when breastfeeding wasn't going well. The only pressure I felt here was self-inflicted.

5. EVERYTHING WAS IN ENGLISH. Holy cow, I knew EXACTLY what was going on with my birth at every moment. In Sweden, it wasn't until after Sophie was born that I was told that her heart rate was dropping to a scary level toward the end of pushing.

6. The hospital is 10 blocks from our house. In Sweden, we had to drive 45 minutes to the nearest hospital. This was especially scary in the middle of the Swedish winter.

7. New mommy groups where EVERYONE SPEAKS ENGLISH. :)

Don't get me wrong, I loved the Swedish medical system. I'm more shocked than anything that this experience made me a fan of the U.S. system. And I am extremely grateful that Sweden introduced me to the whole concept of midwifery. Otherwise, I'm sure I would have gone the ole OB-GYN route.

Now I'm off to spend this year bonding with my baby without any sort of government-sponsored maternity pay.

well, he'll definitely be a leo

When labor set in with my daughter, I posted it here on the blog. That post about being on the way to the hospital will forever live in her baby book.

So I thought I should do the same for my son. My son. Wow, that's strange to say.

Problem is, I'm not sure if this is going to be the day or not.

One thing I do know is that he'll be a leo. He missed being a cancer by at least 1 day.

I've been having contractions since 12:46 p.m. today. It's 4:30 now. I just called our emergency sitter. And I called the midwife 3 hours ago. She didn't think it was real labor. Yet.

This Saturday will either end up being a really boring way to spend a beautiful summer afternoon (though we did go to the Division/Clinton street fair this morning) or one of the best days of our life.

Um, stay tuned to find out? :)

two months to go

Lewis caught me barefoot in the kitchen, looking very pregnant.

we're not in sweden anymore

There are lots of things I miss about Sweden, particularly when it comes to kids. First of all, it is dang hard to find toddler socks with those rubber stickies on the bottom. Is it due to the propensity of wall-to-wall carpet here? Whatever the reason, we have a hell of a time finding socks that don't send Sophie slipping and sliding all over our wood floors. Probably what's #1 on my miss list is Swedish children's clothing shops. If Lindex shipped to Sweden, I would be all over it. Fortunately there is a glimmer of hope with all the hip baby clothes available in Portland, like the adorable onesie above.

Also battling for the #1 spot right now: I really miss the Swedish laid-back attitude toward pregnancy. I found a great midwife clinic here that's actually in walking distance from our house. And it's like an English-speaking version of my Swedish experience. BUT we had our 20-week ultrasound at the hospital on Monday, and the doctor was the epitomy of everything I imagined with an American pregnancy. First, the exam took 2 hours versus 20 minutes tops in Sweden. They looked for EVERYTHING. Good in one sense, but bad in another, which I will expand on in a minute.

After the technician did the initial screen for over an hour, a doctor came in to give us the results. She introduced herself and then asked a series of questions like, "Are you working with a genetic counselor?" and "Have you opted out of getting any genetic tests like an amniocentesis." Looking like a deer in headlights, I finally asked her, "Is there a reason you are asking me all these questions? Should I be concerned?" She said that no, it's just something she asks all women of my age. Over 35. WTF???!!

In Sweden, I asked my midwife if there were any special tests that I would get because of my age (also over 35 back then). She kind of gave me the look of "why?" And then said, no, there wasn't anything to be concerned about with my age. She said if we wanted any special tests we would have to go to a private doctor ... it wasn't part of the normal Swedish system.

Anyway, back to my U.S. anatomy scan ... they found something strange. She didn't really know what it was, which was kind of comforting since it didn't point to anything being wrong. But I have been more nervous than excited for the past two days. Thankfully, I got a little more clarity from my midwife today who said that it seems totally benign and is probably part of normal development. And that it wasn't until recently that we really started looking at the baby with such scrutiny — now we're finding stuff and are like what the heck is that? On one hand, it's great that we have such sophisticated tests and tools to look at stuff (like being able to find out we're having a boy!), but then it just makes you super-obsessed about every little thing you find. This thing they found is the size of a pinhead!

I know you can't have it all, but if someone could just give me my Swedish baby clothes shops and Swedish medical system, I would be a much happier Portlander. Tack.

may is...

NO-POTATO-CHIP MONTH. Don't let me – under any circumstances – buy a bag of potato chips. Don't let me eat just one. Some way, some how these 10 pounds are coming off. (Or maybe just 8... please, oh please, let me keep a few pounds in my boobs!) My sister said it would take 3 months for my tummy to go back to normal. My sister lied.

Slowly but surely the weight is coming off. But let me emphasize s-l-o-w-l-y. I'm losing about 2 to 3 pounds a month. So I figure I've got 3 to 4 months to go. It will be sweater weather again by then! :)

The no-potato-chip diet worked for my mom. Let's see if it can do wonders for me.

Tilly is on a diet too. Turns out she has become a real fatso and we had no clue because we see her every day. Now she's on diet food. No potato chips for her either. Or hot dogs. Or blood pudding. (Mmmmm...)

the swedish stork - part II

OK, onto Part II: Once the delivery was over, Lewis, Sophie and I were taken to our room. Most rooms are doubles, and the husband can stay overnight only if there is space for him. We knew it had been a busy day for deliveries and had little hope that Lewis would be able to stay over. But for some reason we were placed in a single room so it was no problem for Lewis to stay.

Click here for a video tour of our room at Växjö hospital

Some things we found interesting:

- Babies are never apart from their parents. When the doctor was worried that Sophie had gone #2 in the amniotic fluid and swallowed some, they asked Lewis to follow them to another room where they suctioned out her lungs.

- Food is not served to you in your room. You need to walk down to a common area to get it. Breakfast is buffet-style while lunch and dinner are based on your meal preference (ie. they gave me vegetarian meals). 

- The babies are placed in these wheelable bassinets, so it was easy to take Sophie with me to eat every day.

- Everything you need for diaper changes is in your room. They don't do that stuff for you. I don't know what it's like in the U.S., but I was under the impression that the nurses did some of that. I guess it depends on the facilities.

- You are expected to tidy up your room and throw out the garbage before you leave. (Which I did, but then the midwife came in and told me they would clean the room. I've read on message boards that other hospitals in Sweden really expect you to clean up your room.)

- You need to bring clothes for your baby to wear during his or her stay. They put Sophie in an outfit to start, but then we needed to change her into ones we brought the next day.

- The only real negative thing about the way they do it here is that I didn't have one point person to go to to ask questions about Sophie's well-being. Yes, you get to hear many different perspectives, but I was also a little frustrated that the guidance I was given was based on who was working that shift. We were told the day after Sophie was born that they needed to feed her formula because she was starting with "negative money in the bank" so to speak due to the fact that she was pulled out with the vacuum extractor and I received antibiotics during delivery. Since I planned on breastfeeding, I wasn't too happy to hear that because I was worried it would screw that up. I had to just trust her judgment and agree to it. On the last day, when the midwife we love found out we were giving her formula, she made it seem like we demanded it or something. I got the impression that she didn't approve of it. So maybe things would have been different had she been there instead. (We actually don't have a huge problem with the formula. It hasn't gotten in the way of breastfeeding, and we're still feeding her a little to supplement. She's a big eater!)

- And we didn't pay a dime.

the swedish stork - part I

Hi everyone! I've been a mom for 6 days, 16 hours and 44 minutes!!! It's been incredible and wonderful from the very first moment. Sophie is an angel and is making being a first-time mom feel pretty easy so far. Thank goodness she is such a calm baby, because her journey into this world was anything but stress-free. And she handled it all so well. Mom? Well, I think I did pretty good too.

Here's the exciting chain of events that led to her birth:

1 p.m., Jan. 24: Lewis, his uncle Dick and I take Tilly for a long walk to the lake. We get 45 minutes out and turn around just as Tilly hurt one of her paws and couldn't walk. Dick and I stay behind with Tilly while Lewis runs home to get the car. I tell them it would be funny if I started having contractions then. Nobody thinks it's funny.

8 p.m.: Steve Carell induces my contractions. We sit down to watch 40-year-old Virgin and I start feeling a new sort of pain in my back and abdomen. That guy is talented.

9:26 p.m.: I keep my eye on the clock and these weird pains are coming every 10 minutes. They get a bit faster over the next hour or so, so I call the hospital. They say it's too early and to wait until the contractions are 3-4 minutes apart. "Try to get some sleep." Yeah right.

3 a.m., January 25: Contractions are hard to bear and the midwives at Växjö hospital tell me I am welcome to come in. It's a calm, quiet ride in the dark even though Lewis manages to find every pothole.

3:45 a.m.:  I'm placed in my birthing room and they check a bunch of stuff to make sure that I am indeed in labor. I'm 2cm dilated.

3:46 a.m.: WHEN CAN I GET AN EPIDURAL?? Silly me wrote in my birth plan that I wanted to deliver the baby naturally. Ha! Time for a new birth plan. The midwife says I can't get the epidural until I'm 4cm dilated, but I can try alternative pain therapy. I decide to take a hot bath and then tried laughing gas. Laughing gas is banned in the U.S. for some reason, but I'm happy it's available here. I wasn't exactly laughing through the contractions but it "chopped the peak off" as the midwife says.

2 p.m.: I'm fully dilated and should be ready to push at any moment. The midwife we love is about to end her shift at 3, so we're hoping we can pop Tito out in an hour. But Tito has other plans. Her head hasn't dropped enough and I have a fever, which is affecting the baby's heartrate. They give me antibiotics and boost my contractions with some chemical in my IV. Nice.

8 p.m.: 6 hours later I'm ready to push. Oh, but not before my epidural ran out and the new midwife said they weren't going to renew it. Thanks. (We don't like the new midwife.) Unfortunately, after about an hour of pushing, Tito's head isn't budging much. A doctor is called in and he says he can get our little munchkin out with a suction cup or vacuum extractor.

9:20 p.m.: After trying the suction 3-4 times, they try the heavy-duty vacuum extractor a couple times. Finally in the third push/pull, Sophie Grace was born. Turns out I was trying to push her head, hand and shoulder at the same time, because the little peanut had her hand over her head. Little rebel. Girl power!

They placed her immediately on my chest. I looked down at her first and then over at Lewis, who was bawling. What an amazing moment. I have to add that during the entire 18+ hours in active labor at the hospital, Lewis did everything right. He always knew what I needed and where to rub me. I know men must feel like they don't play an active role in the birth, but I couldn't have done it without him right there with me.

A lot of people have asked me about the language barrier in the delivery room. With the first two shifts of midwives, it wasn't a problem at all. I felt like I was in the best care possible and was in constant communication with the staff. Even the older midwife assistants who weren't the best in English were the sweetest people and we always managed to find a way to understand each other.

That all changed when the last of my midwives came on at 2. We definitely felt neglected and sometimes she would only speak Swedish and be like, "You understand, right?" It's a bummer that after 2 great midwives, this woman delivered our baby. It's awful to think this, but I can't help but feel she gave us attitude because we're Americans. I can't think of any other reason. Oh well, the important thing is that Sophie is here.

Here are some more labor pictures. Part II on our hospital stay and Part III on bringing baby home will be posted in between feedings and naps...

Our arrival at the hospital in the middle of the night.

During labor, I tried to stand as much as possible to get some help from gravity. They had these special contraptions on wheels so you could move around and get support when you needed it. They probably have these in the U.S. too.

When the contractions were easy, dad tried to catch a few Zs.

something's happening!

Contractions. Mega pain. Wow... yeah, there's no mistaking that this is the real deal. Called the hospital and they said to wait until they are 3-4 minutes apart. So we're going to try to go to bed and see how this progresses. More soon!!!

risk is my middle name

Well, not really. But today it is.

On p. 29 of The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy it states, "The last, and perhaps most important, rule about hair during pregnancy is this: DO NOT CUT YOUR HAIR OFF WHEN YOU ARE PREGNANT."

Something about your fat face looking even fatter...

Well, I did it anyway. And with a hairdresser that spoke about 8 words of English. (Hand gestures go far.)

Oh yeah, I'm a daredevil.

Lewis will freak out as usual when he gets home. But now I will look presentable to the baby. I mean, first impressions are everything!

a little too comfortable

It's official. I'm past my due date. Like a bulging box of bad tofu. (Ever see that? Just let your tofu go past its expiration date and that sucker will blow up like a balloon. And look kinda like me right now.)

The midwife took a look under the hood today and said I probably have a bit more waiting to do. I'm only 1 cm dilated and my cervix is still pretty thick. She felt the baby's head while she was down there and could tell there was plenty of water around it too. I thought that part was really cool. I wonder what Tito thought when he/she felt someone tapping on his/her head. I must say Tito was a bit squirmy for 10 minutes after that.

Sooo... I woke up this morning with the great idea that I should pamper myself before it's too late. Gonna get a haircut today and maybe a pedicure later in the week if Tito's still stubborn.

Physically I feel really good... it's in the mental arena where I'm starting to lose it. Stay tuned...

as big as it gets

This is it. The last time you'll see my bare belly. Woo-hoo! I wanted to wait until we were heading out the door to the hospital. But Lewis didn't think that was such a good idea. He might be right. I'd probably have a much different expression on my face.

Tito was showing signs last week that he/she wanted out. But nothing for days now. I start the 40th and final week today. After the end of this week, the baby will officially be late. Which means he or she will be taking after me in that department. I tend to be the tardy one. Let's hope the baby gets the timeliness gene from daddy and arrives even a bit early.

If that happens, I am extremely lucky to have Lewis' uncle Dick here to rush me to the hospital if Lewis can't make it home from Lund in time. Since Lewis is at the mercy of the train schedule (which is every hour or two hours) I may need to meet him at the hospital. A bit stressful, but much better than Tilly delivering the baby here at home!

goodbye 9 to 5

And hello 4 a.m. to midnight...

Yesterday was my last day of work, and today starts my 1-year maternity leave. A few people said they were really jealous that I won't have to work for a year. Though I expect the work I'll be doing is actually quite a bit harder than the work I've been doing. Of course, the reward will be huge.

I thought that I would be more sad to leave the office yesterday. But I think I am so excited about the things that are about to happen that I am completely distracted.

The only thing that bums me out about leaving work is not being able to see my friends every day. I work with an amazing group of people, and they are a big reason why I love my job so much. After 2+ years of working there, I feel like I really belong. And that's hard to give up. Even if it's only temporary. The good thing is that I live right across from the office, so I know that I will see everyone really often once the baby and I are able to get out of the house. I'm looking forward to making trips over to the studio to see the kitchens and dining rooms I worked on get built.

It isn't common in Sweden to have a baby shower. I think they see it as bad luck and prefer to give gifts after the baby is born. Which sort of defeats the purpose of the shower in my opinion, because once the baby is born you usually have everything you need. A very unpractical choice for such practical people.

Anyway, my American copywriter friends gave me a really sweet send-off. A fika baby shower. Complete with a really yummy chocolate cake and ice cream. (I am totally getting in all the chocolate I can now before the baby comes because chocolate causes colic in babies when breastfeeding. The sacrifices we moms make!) They also gave me an adorable Danish-designed onesie from Småfolk, and a relaxation candle made of figs!

My sister and mom also threw me an across-the-pond shower. So I have been completely overwhelmed by everyone's generosity. Because of all the gifts we've received, we've been able to get everything we need for the baby's arrival. All the cloth diapering stuff... clothes... bouncy seat... car seat... health items... sling... and completely furnish the baby's room (see it all in an upcoming post). At this point all we need is the baby.

10 days to go, but I hope he or she makes an early escape!

getting ready for the real thing

Yes, that's a fake baby. And a fake boob.

All part of our predelivery education. Classes are normally offered in groups. In Swedish. Instead, my midwife gave me and Lewis a private lesson in English. What happens during delivery. When to know it's time. How to breathe (something many Swedes have been telling me is very important). And how to breastfeed. They want you to breastfeed within the first two hours after the baby is born.

Then we watched some videos in Swedish. The first documented the birth process for a few women. It pretty much showed everything. I think I was on the verge of tears a few times seeing how uncomfortable painful it was for them. It didn't make me scared, but it did open my eyes about how long I will be in pain. How long it takes to wait before you start pushing, etc. We didn't really need the movie to be in English for that.

The second film followed a few sets of parents home for their first days on their own. Nothing too interesting in that one. The people looked pretty happy, so that was good.

The baby and I were checked out as well. The baby's heartbeat is now 144 (down from 150 a few weeks ago) and my fundal height (uterus) is now exactly on the line of where it should be. I had been a little low the first few measurements. Let's hope this jump doesn't mean I'm going to have gargantuan baby!!

I've been a bit nervous about that since they don't like to do Cesarians here. It truly is a last resort. But the midwife assured me that if it looks like the baby is having a problem coming out on its own that they will do it. And that they track the health of the baby the entire time.

I definitely feel a bit out of the loop going through this in Sweden. I mean, we were at the bookstore the other day, and there are tons of books you can buy to be prepared. But they are all in Swedish. Maybe it's good that I'm a bit naive. Sometimes it's when you know too much that you can freak yourself out. That seems to be a Figlar trait. :)

 

the transformation

After I posted that last belly pic, Lewis said he thinks I look like a truck driver who drinks too much. Oh, yes, he'll pay for that comment. :)

Here's the transformation from month 3 to 8...

one week till Christmas but...

... one month till we become a family!

I started the ninth and final month today. Kicked it off with an ultrasound to see how the baking has been going. All measurements were normal. They estimate that the baby weighs 2.6 kilos right now. So roughly 5.5 pounds. The baby was sucking its thumb the whole time and was very active, which the technician said was really good. Its stomach was full of water, which she also said was good. It means the baby has been drinking. She also showed us that the baby was using its lungs to try and breathe. Another good sign apparently.

Oh, and the best news of all is that the placenta moved up and he or she is head down, so all systems are a go!

(To all those on the edge of your seats to know the sex... Hi Barbara!... well, we looked and looked but who knows what the heck to look for. I didn't see anything. It made me think that it's quite plausible it's a girl like everyone in the world seems to think. But me. I had a boy feeling from the beginning.)

We had a bit of a "scare" Saturday as we drove down to Malmö for our last-hurrah weekend (movie, dinner and hotel). I started feeling menstrual-like cramps that were pretty strong and came and went sporadically. We stopped the car and thought about calling the hospital. I had the number in hand and was ready to call, but I didn't want to overreact. I think we both handled it pretty well. I did have to wake my sister up at 7:45 a.m. her time, though, just to double-check if it was normal. It eventually went away and we had a great weekend. SO glad we didn't turn around and go back to Älmhult only to find out it was nothing!

We also bought our Christmas tree this weekend, and we've decorated it with some traditional Swedish ornaments. Pics coming soon... 

the belly and the pram

I've already gained about 30 pounds and I still have two months to go. This could be bad. The good news is it looks like Tito has a lot of room, as you can see.

And now we're ready to tote him or her around Älmhult when he decides to vacate his current cush pad.

Yes, the stroller has arrived! If you remember, Lewis ordered it for me for my birthday in August. It took 3 months to show up. I'm glad we ordered it a bit early even if I felt a little ridiculous at the time. At about $600, this is one of the least expensive models available in Sweden. Good thing I had my heart set on this one and not the one that costs $1200. Most prams start at $1000. They don't do the car seat stroller thing here like they do in the states. Cars are such a minor part of the culture/everyday life in Sweden. Much more common to hop on the train with your pram. And, you know, the Swedes like style and brands. Bugaboo and Urban Jungle are big. I think those models are expensive no matter where you buy them.

Anyway, my beloved stroller has the pictured bassinet for the early months. And then I can change that out for a seat when the little peanut gets older. I like that this is one of the off-road varieties, so it will be really handy on the trails when we move back to Colorado. I think we'll use the bassinet in our bedroom the first couple of months, too. The baby's room is just off our room, but I've been hearing more and more that it's a good idea for the baby to sleep close. So we'll either move the crib into our room or use this bassinet next to my side of the bed.

I start month 8 on Tuesday, so just 8 weeks to go! Oh, and we have a boy's name finally. Dylan. My sister's baby names book said Dylan is "sensitive with a rock-and-roll heart." Sounds good to us.

third trimester here we come

It's good to know that I'm not baring my belly in vain! I'm about a week late posting this month's belly pic, and I actually heard from some of you wondering where it was. :)

Unfortunately, there's no animation to show just how much my belly has grown in five weeks. But you can click here to see what I looked like then. My computer is on the injured reserve list until I get an AC adapter shipped to me from Hong Kong. The old one went up in a puff of smoke earlier this week. Yes, literally.

We met up with our friends Mark and Åsa, and their 2 kids, for fika this morning in Växjö. They have a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old, and we basically spent an hour trying to absorb as much parenting information as possible. I caught Lewis in a blank stare a couple of times, examining the 1-year-old and pretty much freaking out over the idea that we will have "one of those."

He said those exact words after we visited the hospital a few weeks ago to get a tour of the facilities and find out what we do when my water breaks. The delivery wing is BARE BONES. I mean, this is not the kind of cush accomodations I've seen in the U.S. One thing I do like, though, is that I have a lot of freedom in the birthing room. I'm pretty much free to be in any position I want (standing, kneeling, sitting, laying...) and I can even use the hot tub. There is no doctor present unless complications arise, and I can get laughing gas. It's banned in the U.S. but not here. It's my room from the moment I arrive at the hospital until about 2-3 hours after delivery. Then I am taken to another room where I can stay for 1-3 days. There is no TV. If it's busy, I have to share the room. Otherwise, Lewis can sleep there too. And the baby stays with us AT ALL TIMES. In fact, if the baby needs to be taken to another room for testing, Lewis must accompany the baby. In other words, he or she is never out of our sight. Or earshot...

In a strange, inexplicable way, seeing the birthing room made me eager for childbirth. I know I will regret saying that, but I'm really curious to see what it's all about. Lewis, on the other hand, seemed in a daze as we drove home. He's like, "The next time we leave this hospital we'll be bringing one of those home with us."

And then one of his oh-my-god-we're-going-to-have-a-baby moments happened again this week when my first cloth diaper purchase arrived in the mail. I bought a barely used cloth diaper wrap off tradera.com, which is a Swedish branch of eBay. Lewis was in disbelief that we'd have a little person whose tush would be small enough to fit in it.

Just three more months until we see what this little soccer player in my belly looks like... I start the third trimester on Tuesday!

weight a minute

Uhhh... I'm only two pounds away from weighing as much as Lewis.

finally looking the part

I know you have been on the edge of your seats waiting for my monthly belly pic. I now have people rubbing my belly, so I've turned the corner and now look pregnant. I love, love, love my maternity jeans, and I feel the baby moving every day, which is really exciting. I start month 6 on Tuesday.

And, being the super geek that I am, I have also made the transformation between month 4 and 5 into an animation here.

P.S. I have a new nephew! Andrew Patrick was born on Friday and weighed in at 8 lbs., 5 oz. Mom and baby are doing great!

it's piddling

My grandmother lived three blocks away when I was growing up, so my sister and I got to spend a lot of time with her. Pretty much every day. She was our best friend when we were kids. I swear I have never met a sweeter person, although I think my sister inherited a lot of her genes.

My grandma had a lot of funny words for things. One of them was piddling... which meant peeing. And I occasionally use it to say it is raining.

And, well, it's piddling here too... super cute baby items, that is.

I'm like a little girl on Christmas bouncing around the house, and I just have to share. If you feel the urge to put toilet paper around your belly to guess how big I am now, well maybe the last picture can help you a bit. :)

Many, many thanks to Patrice, Barbara and Alisa. (And to my sister, Liz, who is having a baby in 9 days and sent me a whole pile of maternity clothes!)

It's a diaper bag from Patrice...

...totally loaded with stuff. There was also a set of bibs hiding in a pocket!!

I can always count on Alisa to add a little brightness to every situation!

My niece Brittany helped my mother-in-law, Barbara, pick out these super-stylie faux-fur-lined booties... perfect for Sweden!

And "Mr. G" sent some love from Texas. (No I don't mean W.)