A Fall Walk

One of the things about Portland that I most looked forward to seeing and enjoying was the nature that bloomed all year long. Last winter, when Jac was doing her best to convince us to move to Portland, she'd send photos of flowers blooming. It amazed me. There I was in the middle of winter, in freezing New York where everything was D.E.A.D. And here she's sending me these flowers. Even though it's not winter or December (and honestly it barely looks like fall yet - some streets don't even look like fall has started!), I'm still amazed by all the flowers that continue to bloom as the weather gets cooler and the leaves begin to change and fall. 

Someone growing black tomatoes. Jac, P, and Z got us some a couple weeks ago from a CSA. Yum.

An example of a place where it barely seems as fall has started. 

Lauralhurst is staying pretty green, for the most part. You can see some leaves have fallen, but when you look up, it's still pretty green. Ooooo and it smells sooooo amazing there! I wish I could bottle it up and bring it home! 

Kale. There's a house a block or so away that has the most kale plants and pretty large ones too. Think about how many yummy kale chips you can make with all that kale (which is what I've been doing every couple of days with kale from the backyard garden). 

Doing Yoga on TV

Since I arrived in Portland, I've been attending a Prenatal Yoga class offered through Alma Midwifery. My teacher, Laura, has been excellent and made it a completely comfortable setting from the start (I was completely nervous about my lack of yoga knowledge - even though I've been doing yoga on and off since I started college, I still feel somewhat of a beginner!) I go every Tuesday and will go as long as I can (I realized this week that I probably only have about 7 weeks left and wondered what I'll do after the baby comes!! I might have to find another class & sadly another teacher since Laura just does the prenatal yoga.)

Last week, we were videoed for a local news station. The video showed this morning... I'm quite serious in the video - staying focused and in the zone (I really have to concentrate on the breathing with the movement - which will hopefully help me in labor!)

Here's a link to the video!! Go check it out!!

Alma Midwifery Prenatal Yoga on the News

PS: Anyone else been on TV? I've been on off and on since college (I was even on MTV for an interview and on a commercial that aired across Kansas for a year or so -- of course, that one, you'd never know it was me because I was dressed like Cat in the Hat! Ha!! Oh and we can't forget my debut on ESPN last fall!!!)

Caught Me Off Guard

I know there will be moments, maybe for the rest of my life, where something will remind of New York City and bring a rush of tears forward in my eyes, that will put my stomach in knots for the yearning of the life I used to live and loved while it lasted, for the nostalgia of all our memories. Moments that will stop me in my tracks.

As I was just driving to the grocery store just now, NPR was on and they were playing an interview of a writer who had passed away. He was talking about a poem he recites when he'd have MRIs to distract himself from the tight space. It was called Letter to NY by Elizabeth Bishop. Here's what brought the tears forward and formed the knots in my belly: 

Of course, I had to flip back through photos and find one of my love with the city I'll always love in the background. That was taken on Liberty Island last fall when my mom and stepfather were visiting. It was our last time on Liberty Island as New Yorkers. (We'll go back again someday, but it won't be the same. It will no longer be ours like it was that day.)

Birthing Center & Pregnancy Update

Mothering is a season.

-mosaic at the front desk of Alma

I have realized something about myself. When making a big move, I need a legit reason, a reason to JUSTIFY the move. It's kind of interesting... Maybe I just need to justify that change to myself, but somehow I feel like I do it for others as well - like I don't want people just questioning my judgement... With this move to Portland, our reason was a little one. Portland opened a door for us to start a family allowing me to stay at home with our little one to love and nurture it as it grows. Portland is a much cleaner and friendlier environment and seems to us to be a much better place to raise a family. 

I can tell you one thing I know after only being here for a couple weeks. Portland is DEFINITELY a much better place to be pregnant!!! I am so thankful that, back in April, I was able to secure a spot with Alma Midwifery Birthing Center. I am beyond words with how much better I feel about being pregnant now that I have gotten to Portland. 

This post has been going around in my head, and there are so many things I want to share. We had our first appointment and met all three of our midwives a couple weeks ago. They gave us a tour of the birthing center. We then had our appointment with them (& get this, it was longer than 5 minutes!! Park Slope Midwives never gave me more than 5 minutes...) During the appointment we discussed how I was feeling, they listened to my questions and updates on different things that were happening and reassured me they were normal and explained what I might expect and why. They discussed the gestational diabetes test options (I could have actually passed on the test completely!! I was lucky if my NYC midwives even told me I was taking a test, let alone what the test was for and what the results were for the test...) At then end of our appointment, I was shown where a small collection of books were shelved available for checkout. I was also able to buy some vitamins and minerals I needed right there at the center. As we headed separate ways, they gave each of us a hug, which we didn't necessarily expect, but realized was actually very nice, considering they would be there birthing our child - a very HUGE moment in our lives!

I took the gestational diabetes test (in the non-medical way) by eating breakfast and having blood taken to measure my sugar levels and how my body responded to the corn flake crusted french toast with maple syrup and berries. They also tested my blood to check the levels for vitamins and minerals to make sure I was getting enough. I took the test on Thursday, and on Sunday, one of my midwives called to share the results with me. No worry for gestational diabetes, but I did need to get more iron and more vitamin B. She gave me recommendations for what to get and where and answered my questions about when to take the B and iron. I had assumed that I wouldn't hear back from them until the business week (like I said before, the Park Slope Midwives don't even share your results with you -even when I asked them straight up they would just say something very vague). It made me feel even better about being with them that one of my midwives would call me on the weekend to share my results with me. :)

Speaking of calling, after my tests on Thursday, I gave in my insurance information and told them I wasn't sure what insurances to use and what would be covered. Not even 30 minutes later, another one of my midwives called to explain who they had billed and what to do if the insurance didn't cover it. I love how they keep me informed!!

Just a quick peek below - this is one of the birthing rooms at Alma. It also happens to be the one that Seth and I both said we liked the best. If at all possible, we'll birth in this room. Of course the other 3 rooms are just as beautiful!! (see photos on their website here at the bottom)

Not only has Alma been amazing for the midwives and prenatal care I am already receiving, but they are also amazing for a few other things: class and groups. There are a number of classes I would like to take, but so far, the only class I have taken (and LOVE) is the prenatal yoga class. My plan is to take it every Tuesday until I give birth. I am also hoping to use some of the positions to help keep my body comfortable (I am just now starting to feel quite uncomfortable at certain times because of my body). Other classes I hope to take in the near future are Cloth Diapering, Postnatal care, breastfeeding, and Biodynamic birthing (all of these classes I want Seth to be at too). 

Last night, I joined the Fall Mamas group that meets in the Alma space. I was a bit nervous being so new. I have been looking forward to this group since I heard about it! All Alma mamas who are due in September, October, and November are invited to be a part of the group. One midwife joins to facilitate but really lets the group flow based on what the mamas want to discuss. It was really nice to be surrounded by mamas-to-be in the same place as I am - even some so much in the same place - new to Portland. I'm not the only one who moved at the end of my 2nd trimester!!! We talked about classes, books, swelling ankles, due dates, pediatricians, when to have family come depending on if they would be helpful in the housework or want to hold the baby/do Portland tourist stuff, birthing center birth vs. home birth, and 2nd time mamas shared some of their experiences of birth. There were around 12-15 women there and a table full of snacks. It was a wonderful 2 hours, and I'm already looking forward to the group meeting next month!! At the end of Fall, when all the mamas have birthed, we'll have a final potluck for our group. The other nice thing is, after we birth, we can join a weekly new mamas group. It's so nice to know I have a community of women to support me even though I am completely new to Portland and actually only know 1 other mama (my sister-in-law --- who will come in VERY handy!! Thank gawd we live so close ;) 

Overall, I'm so happy with our choice to move to Portland and to have our first child with Alma. I wish we would have been here sooner so I could have received my complete prenatal care from Alma!!

Park Day

I joined Pheonix, Zia, and Jac for P's Unschooling group park day in Sellwood Park yesterday afternoon. What a beautiful, beautiful park! The trees are so magnificently tall there, and even though it was another hot one yesterday, it felt perfect in the shade of these trees! 

New York's parks developed a love for parks and an appreciation for good parks - not the typical midwest parks we had grown up with. I always thought I'd never find something quite like the parks around NYC, and while these aren't exactly the same (they need to have some more live music and events... at least from what we've compared to NYC parks so far in our short time here), the parks in Portland are quite amazing and a very suitable replacement for the parks we fell in love with in NYC. One thing these parks had that cannot quite compare to most NYC parks is the trees. They are soooo tall here!!

Right near the dreamy playground shaded by the giant trees is a swimming pool (that is unfortunately NOT shaded by giant trees). We spent some time in the afternoon at the pool so P could swim. No swimming for me - even if I had my swimming gear, I'd have probably stayed out - too crowded with kids, too sunny, too hot, NOT too interested in being RED and BURNT! I did wade in a couple times though, and it made me really excited for taking our future little one to the pool!

New Orleans Music in the Yard

Remember the other night when we were out listening and dancing to the basement band? Well, they were at it again last night, but this time, they came above ground! Seth had to work last night (boo-- he went in at 7 p.m. after a normal day's work and wasn't home until 5 a.m. this morning), so I was sitting out on our porch (!!!!) reading about natural remedies for heartburn during pregnancy. I could hear a few instruments warming up, and as I headed down there, I realized they were up in the yard playing. 

Turns out they were warming up for a show they had later last night. (Something about a march to the show & a New Orleans style crawfish party where they'd be performing... If only Seth were around and I weren't pregnant, we might have joined them!) 

I hope we get to hear them playing again this summer! I love live music, and I love that I can hear it from the porch or take a short walk down the street and watch it from the comfort of my neighborhood!