Big Day Out

Yesterday, I had my first trip out, solo.  Basically I walked around the neighborhood for about 40 minutes, but hey- that was a big day for me.  Of course, it wasn't without some adventure.

First, I got whistled at.  Now, I'm head to toe in sweat pant material but I couldn't help but think to myself, "I'm back!" 

Next, I was accosted by a homeless person.  Nothing shocking here except after his long woe is me spiel all I could muster was that he wanted $10.  So I say to him, "You want me to give you $10?"  And he looks at me, dead serious and says, "No, I want $20."  I had to chuckle.  

So that was my big day out.  It is amazing that something so small (Helena) can keep someone (Me) so busy.  

I had no idea.

 

Photos, photos, and more photos

If you can't get enough baby pictures, please visit.....

http://gallery.me.com/kristen.hagan#100031

We're doing great!

Helena has gained all of her birth weight back and then some...she continues to amuse us with her myriad of facial expressions...and I am thankful to live in a big city so that when I am up at 3AM with the little munchkin, the comforting sounds of drunkards on the streets below reminds me that I am not alone at that hour.

Helena Eve Hagan

On Tuesday, March 10 at 5:05 in the morning we welcomed the arrival of our daughter, Helena.  I don't know how to blog about labor and delivery quite yet....but I'm sure I'll find the words soon enough.  Sharing some pictures taken on day two- enjoy and a big thank you to everyone for the ongoing support and prayers during this crazy time.  

Much love,

Kristen & Denver

Tick Tock Tick Tock

A good friend once referred to this time period of pregnancy as feeling like you are a ticking time bomb. I'm beginning to feel that way myself.

It seems impossible that I could remain pregnant any longer. And yet I awake everyday, still pregnant. The wheels are starting to fall off a bit, however. I've gone from turtle slow to sloth slow speeds. And sleeping is a thing of the past. I'm either having hot flashes or I'm trying to figure out where to place my belly for ultimate comfort. Still, everyday I spring out of bed just thinking, "maybe today is the day!" I imagine the birthing process is probably a lot like finding love, you can't anticipate it. It just happens one day, out of the blue, and it knocks you on your ass.

What I think about pregnancy

Oh how I wish I could blog about so many inappropriate things related to pregnancy. I can dish on that all you want, just call me. But here, I will boil it all down for you right now. In it's truest form, pregnancy is the most basic and fundamental event in life. And the medical care that goes along with it is, for the most part, prehistoric at best.

Your first few prenatal visits you are just, shall we say, pregnant with anticipation. You wonder- what is the doctor going to tell me today? What will I learn about this growing baby? And the truth is, nothing. You get weighed, they check your blood pressure and you get 30 seconds to ask a question that warrants a reasonable answer. My doctor actually recommended that I get a good pregnancy book- as if to say, take your crazy questions to the index, not to me.

Eventually they get a little high tech and they start measuring your uterus. Just to clarify, they take a measuring tape and literally measure your belly. WHOA!

See where I'm going with this?

Sure you get the 18 week ultrasound and the 22 week glucose tolerance test. And early on they'll take some blood and you pee in a cup at every visit. But it has just baffled me throughout this entire experience, that in this day and age of major medical breakthroughs, the prenatal process is as archaic as it gets.

Maybe it's all testament to the fact that it is one of this world's greatest miracles, and as such there are some things we can never know. Like, when the heck is this baby really going to pop out of me??? I still can't believe they haven't figured that one out.

The Dentist

In an effort to get everything done that I can possibly get done before the baby arrives, I had my teeth cleaned yesterday. Oddly, my actual dentist does my teeth cleaning. Even more unusual, my dentist cleans President Obama's teeth. Crazy, right? Man, if only the GOP had contacted me about this during the election, I would've been the lynch pin in the race. This guy makes William Ayres look like a saint. Okay, I'm exaggerating. But seriously, he's cleaning my teeth and telling me how drunk he got at his son's graduation party. How relevant is that to me, my teeth, or my general dental hygiene? Not at all. But hey, if it's good enough for Barack, it's good enough for me, right?