Some pictures of our friend.

Greta is a month old!

It's almost midnight on a Thursday. Alex and I are sitting in bed with an awake little Greta, she's not ready to go to sleep quite yet. The last month has been something else. I cannot imagine how busy we would have been if it was not for all the extra help we have received from many many family and friends.

Greta is a little champ, she is full of life and vitality and we just love her.

Trying to figure this out.

Little baby

Alex and the baby sleeping - first night.

It's a girl

Alex had a baby girl yesterday evening, june 4th, at 6:45 pm. We haven't named her yet, she and Alex are both doing great. The baby weighs 5 lbs 13 oz, which is tiny, but she's healthy, cute & little.

Slow slow

This baby is SLOW to come out, We have been getting lots of texts/calls and everyone keeps asking is s/he here yet? Sadly s/he is not yet here, Alex is progressing slowly but not in really active labor. As of last night, she was 4 cm 80 percent effaced, and the baby is a lot lower but it's not active labor yet- :( never thought we would be wishing to be screaming in pain delivering this baby!!!) We are good- resting when we can, eating well, and drinking lots of water. I ll post again when something super exciting starts happening:)

Baby heartbeat

Here is a short video clip from our Midwife appointment today, the baby is fine and healthy, just a little late.  We are doing well and looking forward to an exciting few days to come.

Birthing necklace

Finished the necklace it looks great (just like Alex). Thanks again everyone! The baby doesn't have any reason not to come now.

Hey guys, We just got back from a brief visit with our midwife. She confirms that Alex is indeed in early labor, it's called latent labor or prodromal labor, which basically means really mild labor. Alex is 1 cm dilated , negative station and 60-75 percent effaced. Baby is in a good position (finally- LOA in the house!) she gave Alex some pills to help her get a good nights sleep tonight. Hoping to have a little baby in the next few days.

Not yet, but soon

The little baby hasn't come yet, but we are getting closer.  We went to a wedding last night and Alex was having LOTS of contractions at the reception.  They aren't very powerful contractions and there isn't any regularity yet, but they are starting to come more quickly. I'm excited.

The wedding was great, a nice venue, fireworks at the reception, my favorite part was when they used all the children attending the wedding as flower girls children.

Here's a few pictures I never got around to posting until now.

Alex putting together her birthing necklace, we received beads from all over the world and from many different parts of our lives, the necklace is going to be just beautiful when it is finished.  Thank you so much.

Charlottesville urban legend has it that eating these lemon drop cupcakes from Cappellinos induces labor within a few days.  The girls were unfortunately 0 for 4.  Poor Amy on the end couldn't eat a cupcake yet as she has a few more weeks until she is full-term.

Thanks to our friend Jessica for this Vanuatu inspired onesie.

We send our love and keep us in your prayers as the little baby is coming soon (we hope).

LCSW in the house!

Alex and I just returned from Lynchburg where Alex took and PASSED her boards.  Alex is now a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  Go Alex!!

Baby Shower

 Alex and I headed to Northern Virginia last weekend for a small baby shower with her family.  The baby shower was on Mother's Day and it felt very much like Mother's Day.

Alex and her girl cousins.

Alex's cake read "It's a Baby!"  Very Funny.

Alex

This is the first video either of us has ever tried to upload.  American internet is AMAZING!

Any time now

Alex at 37 1/2 weeks.  

The baby could come at anytime now.  Alex is hoping the baby will wait until after she takes her boards to become a licensed social worker on May 16.  This picture was taken at our midwife's office on Monday.  Alex's parents came to meet the midwife, see the birthing center and see our house.  Alex is still only 1 centimeter dilated so the midwife reckons Alex has at least another week before the baby comes. 

Surprise Baby Shower

Charlottesville has been very kind to us.  We have been able to integrate (still using Peace Corps terminology) and we are glad to be here.  Alex's Charlottesville friends got together to throw her a surprise baby shower last Saturday.  They went for pedicures followed by tea and a showering of gifts at Jamie's house.  It's really sweet to feel a part of community after being away for a few years.  And really awesome!!

Jamie and Alex is getting pedicures.  Jamie's due date is three days after Alex's due date.

Look at those feet!

Spades

Last weekend, Alex had a chance to get together with her old college buddies one last time before the baby.  Some quality time to reminisce and play cards til the early hours.

One friend is a doctor and the other a doula, our baby managed to hide quite well from both of them.

Alex is 36 weeks pregnant as of today.  The internet says the baby weighs about 6 pounds.  The baby will be "full-term" in a week and it will be considered safe for us to have an out-of-hospital birth anytime after then.  One to Six weeks to go!!!

Back to School

Alex and I have our first of two birthing classes this morning. Wish us luck!  Our instructor is also the doula that will be attending our birth.  She has a website here.

Trin

Alex and I live in a house with 5 other people, it's a cooperative living situation that fits really well for us (and the price is fantastic!).

Our favorite housemate is definitely Trin. Trin is an 8-year old with Angelman's Syndrome, who is (almost) always happy and full of energy. Trin is nonverbal, so she is unable to tell her teachers and significant others in her life (like Alex and I) how her night was, what she's looking forward to, why she's in such high spirits, why she may seem more lethargic today and such things. To address this her mother, Janice, will often write emails about Trin's life to keep everyone up-to-date on what's going on in Trin's world. Janice calls these regular emails "Trin's Words" (which I think is really sweet).

Because we live with and are such good friends with Trin, Alex and I often make it into 'Trin's Words'. Here's a short excerpt from the most recent 'Trin's Words' that paints a bit of a picture of what it's like to live in Alex and I's world. (At times Trin will have lots seizures for a week or more. These are tough times for Trin, and she's usually not in good spirits during those times. She is ending a rough couple of weeks right now.)

"During the last week or so, especially after her run in with too many clonidine, she wouldn't even give Lucas the time of day, and she LOVES Lucas!  Yesterday, when she came in from school, Alex and Lucas were downstairs with me.  She JUMPED into Lucas's lap and hugged him like she hadn't seen him in a very long time.  It was very sweet.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera nearby, and I missed some GREAT photo opportunities. 

Alex and Lucas are getting closer and closer to baby time, and we've been processing what life will be like with a baby in the house and about how to keep everyone comfortable and safe.  They haven't found their perfect place to buy or move to yet, and we've all about decided that the best thing will be for them to stay here while they're getting to know their new baby and getting used to being parents... so it seems that they and the baby will be here at least for the next few months (and longer if it all works out).  :)  They borrowed one of Trin's babies yesterday afternoon to practice diapering... and we practiced with Trin being gentle with the baby.  It's going to be exciting, having a baby around! :)  Trin will be like a big sister or big cousin soon!  Cool!!!  I've always wanted her to have sibs, but just not in the cards for me at this point in life. :)"

35 weeks

As of today, Alex is 35 weeks pregnant. The Internet says the baby weighs about 5 pounds. Alex is still doing great, though some bad bouts of heartburn at times.

Our midwifery care provider is http://www.birthingplace.com/.

Thank you for all of the love, gifts, beads and well-wishes we have received over the past week. It's really nice to feel so loved and to know you guys are with us as we start this transition into a new phase of our life.

Alex's Baby Shower/Blessingway

Hey Everyone!
Our friend Heidi composed this letter for us. Because our life is currently so up in the air and our friends are literally spread accross the globe, Alex isn't going to be able to have a traditional baby shower. What we are asking instead is for everyone to send some good energy our way!

"Hello to All who love Alex & Lucas!

Since returning from the Peace Corps and having their current community so spread out, we thought it would be fun to host an online Baby Shower/Blessingway for Alex & Lucas and baby to be.

How you can participate:

~ Send Alex & Lucas a bead to add to a birthing necklace that will hold the prayers and support of those who love them during their labor.

~ Send Alex & Lucas a blessing (poem, quote, image, prayer) to support them on their transition to the parenting journey and help get them PSYCHED for birthing.

~ Check out their baby gift registry at http://www.myregistry.com/ - enter either Alex or Lucas' name to find their registry.

We know it won't take long for them to create community in Charlottesville, but until then, let's shower them from afar!

The baby’s due date is May 24th

Here is their current address:

Alex & Lucas
212 Monte Vista Avenue
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Please forward this invitation to anyone you think would be interested in participating."


Thanks,
Lucas

Please email me with any questions

Cogito Ergo Cogito

another Peace Corps volunteer moved into the community that Alex and I served in while in Peace Corps. He lives in the same house that we lived in, will probably be working with many of the same people and, I suspect, encounter similar struggles.

His blog address is:
http://cogitoergocogito.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/hello-world/

Like Alex and I, he is on the island without internet, so the blog is sporadically updated when he makes it into to town for training/re-supply and such.

We are doing fine. Alex gave her notice at work, She'll be finished at the end of the month. We are currently having a lot of conversations to figure out what we want to do next in our lives, where we want to live and even exploring another volunteer opportunity.

We are at one of those points in our lives where we keep having lots of big decisions to make, and we are torn. -Part of us is ready for a stable career, a house and a garden to call our own, while another part of us wants (yearns) for a more dreamy/idealistic life than that. Somedays we want a house near downtown, other days we want acres in the country away from everything and at other times something less traditional. I'm sure our realitors think we are mad.

Alex and Michelle

Alex at 33 weeks.

Next Month

Hey everyone,
Alex and I are alive and well. We have moved to Charlottesville, VA and are attempting to set-up a life for ourselves here. We have found jobs, found a midwife and found a place to rent.

The biggest news is that our pregnancy is going well. Alex is just so tough and so healthy that everything has been going very smoothly. Our midwife is great, and she agrees everything is good. We are due May 24th, NEXT MONTH!! We don't know if we are having a boy or a girl, so it will be a surprise to us all. Baby surprise!

We are renting a room in a house with lots of housemates and three dogs. It's great for us for now, but we will see what the roommates think about the new baby next month. We are looking for a house of our own and in the process of exploring our options...country living, city living, maybe even some type of community. Lots of decisions we continue to be forced to make. We have made a couple visits to a place called Shannon Farm Community. It's kind of like a hippie gated community from what we can tell so far.

Charlottesville has been very kind to us, we have been able to make some good friends, find good jobs and transition back to the life that is America.