2.11.2006

Of Mostly Baby (Just Like My Belly)

Bitter Business.
I had a revelation of the minor sort last week. Our computer has been in the repair shop until a bit ago, and I went to the library to write down the shipping addresses of some eBay auction winners. While there, I hopped to shotsnaps, and was met with enormous snapshots! By enormous, I mean "grossly large." They filled more than the entire screen, and I had to scroll a bit just to see the whole picture. This is the first time a computer has shown shotsnaps in such unappealing garb (the other four or so computers I've been on display pictures identically to our home computer). Anyway, John said it probably is tied to what resolution the computer's owners have set it to, but in case any of you have been experiencing this monstrosity since I enlarged the pictures, my apologies. I just downsized them a bit, so your eyes should be eased. If you would, please leave a comment letting me know if your view of shotsnaps has been like mine at the library. If no one's computer is set to a similar resolution, I will return the size of my pictures to that of the last several months (because on my computer and the others I've frequented, the size difference is minimal but nice).

Better Business.
Baby Berry could appear any minute now or could wait another three weeks, and I'm prepared for either scenario. I'm due in one week, which rings hollow considering the Nixie Pixie came 10 days late. This time around, though, I feel content about Baby Berry loitering close for a bit longer. Most of my looming tasks are complete, and only those of finishing taxes and picking out baby names are of some importance. The rest can wait until next week. (I think.) Today I read through the baby names book to the "I" names for boys, but I haven't even glanced at the girls' names. While I sighed and shuffled, I asked John what Biblical names he likes. After a brief pause, he said, "I can't think of any right now that are suitably harsh on the ears...."

Funny Business
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Here's an interesting link, and here are some excerpts:
In the mid-1990s she was the first scientist to determine that fetal cells remain in the mother's body for many years, perhaps indefinitely, after a pregnancy, whether that pregnancy is carried to term or not. "A pregnancy lasts forever," she suggests, "because every woman who has been pregnant carries these little souvenirs of the pregnancy for the rest of her life."
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Consider what's being said here, ever so quietly. Bianchi's findings stand the familiar one-way model of maternal nurturance on its head. Mom feeds and sustains her baby during pregnancy by means of nutrients that flow through the umbilical cord to the developing child - understood. But that's only half the story. It turns out that the umbilical cord is a two-way street, and the nurturing process goes both ways. Beginning early in the pregnancy, the baby is sending fetal cells back into mom, where her body stores them, like pin money saved for a rainy day.
One of my first thoughts after reading it, although completely unrelated to the article's points, was that this is a comfort for women who've been given heavenborn children. In some small way, our child leaves us with a gift. It also affirms once again that children and the way the Shaper forms them are wonderful beyond imagining.
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Two months later, John and I still exult in his post-school status. He received a letter from the head of the department congratulating him on gaining his Master's with straight-arrow-only-A's, but he hasn't received his diploma yet. We use this time of waiting to play board games while watching my belly dance of Berry's accord.

Our college friend Heidi and her friend Phil stopped by on Sunday for a visit before they drove homeward. Our visits are rare enough to be savored for the goodness they are, and we enjoyed their company and conversation. (Plus, it gave me a sound excuse to make cookies.) Anytime again!

Oh! The coolest midwife has joined the practice that I visit. I've only met her once, but she's exactly the sort of person that I'd like to attend Baby Berry's birth (although the nurse who caught Speedy Annika before the midwife could arrive was neat, too). The New Midwife is kind and homey and comfortable. She seems more knowledgeable- or at least freely open about her knowledge- of natural aids, also, than the other two midwives. She'd make a great homebirth midwife, I think.

(I will, of course, let you all know when the Blueberry arrives, and may even post some more words and snapshots before that time.)

* And I owe you a recipe on buidabelly, Rebecca. I haven't forgotten, even though our computer has been on vacation.

9 comments:

  1. It is good to hear from you again. I was beginning to wonder. The only two possibilities in our minds were: 1) Baby Berry was born and you have been too busy or 2)John got a job that required you to move in such haste that your apartment has been all a-flurry with packing and moving. Who would have thunk it was just computer problems?!?!

    I thought your observations about the above stated quote were a nice contemplation. That quote gave me something to think about that had never crossed my mind before.

    I like the big pictures...and they aren't overly large on our computer. BUt...either way. :-)

    I want to write more but must attend to some necessities....

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  2. Hi Abigail!
    Your daughters are beautiful and it's good to hear of you and John. (Oh- this is Sharon Paulson) I think that I should perhaps come to see you all soon- the dancing education is, I'm sure, lacking in the B&G (ing) department.
    Love and blessings!

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  3. Sharon Paulson, rosiest of all,

    You are hereby given an infinite invitation to visit us anytime, now or in the future, at any place we might live, Buffalo or othertown. We would delight in your presence.

    (And, to be honest, the girls really have experienced minimal B+G training, although they listen to the Violent Femmes sing about the children of the revolution, which includes some references to It.)

    Only you can remedy this, given your undeniable ability.

    Only you. (No pressure...)

    email is leftymylou@gmail.com
    address is near enough to ben and spike to make the visit triply worth your while.

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  4. Abby,

    THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! I can now see your most recent post without having to scroll partway down your blog!!! I had no idea you could set your resolution on a computer but I am very grateful for the back-to-normal appearance of your blog now!

    I thought you already had a boy's name picked out if Baby Berry is a boy! John's too funny! Sounds like something Scott would say. ;)

    The new midwife sounds really neat! It does sound like she'd make a good homebirth midwife!

    I look forward to seeing pictures of your precious little one! He/She may be here before you know it!

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  5. By "suitably harsh to the ears" I suppose Mr. Owen referrs to names like "Benaiah" and "Eliphaz" and "Nimrod" and "Tubal-Cain". My dad gave similar encouragement when all of us were named. . .

    Your wedding invitations are the sweetest, most unusual, that I have ever seen! You drew them yourself, didn't you?

    Thanks so much for the article. It's amazing to see yet another aspect of God's unlimited designing power!

    Your laundromat pictures prove, once again, that beautiful art can be created in the dullest of places.

    Annie

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  6. Leah,

    We did (do?) have a boy's name picked out, but we've had it for so long that we're not sure if the little boy intended to have the name just missed the boat and is floating around somewhere. We'll pick out at least one more boy's name, just in case the one we've already got doesn't seem right once Berry's here. And girl's names are always such a hassle for us. As you know, Gertrude, Agnes, and Fagel are three of John's top ten. Sigh. (And I know that Scott only encourages such taste!)

    I'm glad the snapshots size change fixed your nuisance-view!

    A.L.,
    Yep, you've understood the "suitably harsh" reference perfectly, and, yep, I drew the invitations (which is apparent by the smudges!). We had a circus-themed reception with lots and lots of canning jars stuffed with candy, a cotton candy machine, a popcorn machine, and candy bouquets. Deeelicious.

    And I like that you like the laundromat snaps. I'm sure they'll get dull eventually, but so far the sterile environment has given us a few fun moments!

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  7. Re: Size of pictures.

    They didn't bother me before, or now. So no preference from this quarter.

    Re: Names

    I like Agnes. One thing I am always leery about in names is how a perfectly good name can be made atrocious when it is shortened (or mauled) into a nick-name.

    On the subject of biblical sounding names, when we had goats we liked to name our male goats with biblical sounding names. We had one called Noah and he rather looked like a Noah. Maybe I can get Cadie to send you a picture of him.

    Re: You artwork.

    I am in envy of your inking abilities. It's fantastic. I wish I could ink that well. What did you use to do the inking?

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  8. Rundy,

    Re: Agnes
    Nessie. Aggie. 'Nuff said!

    Re.: Noah
    I would like to see a picture of him, and I assume he had a plentiful beard.

    Re.: Ink
    I am a cheater. Although I have a calligraphy pen and want to learn how to make varied-weight lines in one swoop, right now I just use your everyday, "juicy," ball-point (or rolling ball? what's the difference?) pen from your everyday store. I usually buy the pens with fine points or micro tips, though, so that I can make a really fine line if I want to. The thicker-weight lines you see are really lots and lots of thin-weight lines smushed together.

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  9. Indeed, Noah had a fine beard and one amazing set of horns.

    As far as inking goes, all I can say is Wow, you are very good with a ballpoint pen.

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