It Doesn't Feel Right Calling It Her Birthday

March 10, 2012
It's been a year now since we lost Robin. I guess it's supposed to be her birthday or something, but she wasn't alive and I don't feel comfortable saying it's her birthday. It's more like an anniversary of a traumatic event, like Pearl Harbor. Not really something to be celebrated like a holiday, but definitely a time to stop and remember and think.

I think about things so much more with her gone. I try to create meaning, real meaning, not just a religious recitation of why things are what they are. My conclusions sometimes contradict each other, or they go along with some Divine Plan that I want to condemn as nonexistant. What I've generally decided is that people don't leave us until they're ready. Our mission is to teach others everything we can and when we've done that to the extent we're capable, it's time to return to whatever plane we come from and be complete for a time until the chance comes to do it all over again. Even in the event of some sudden catastrophe, like a young person is killed in a car accident and people are lamenting how their life was cut short and they still have so much to give, maybe there is some Fate that says we're wrong and they had already made their mark on the world. I also recently came across an amazing quote, although it was meant to comfort those that had recently lost a pet. The gist of it was that a dog doesn't live as long as us because they don't need to walk as long a karmic path. Why couldn't that be applied to people? Only the good die young, right?

What this mean to how I feel about Robin? I'm not afraid of labor and delivery. I'm determined to show people and especially my family how amazing life is, how beautiful it is to be human even though it's often pretty painful. I know I'm capable of a fierce love that can't be compromised. I love being pregnant, and even if I let a complaint slip I'm still grateful for the reason to complain. In four incredibly short months of existing, my little girl taught me what being a mom could be and just how much I want it.

 

Best Valentine's Gift Ever

February 14, 2012
The 3D images of our baby are amazing. But even better is the graph of his heartbeat, 158 BPM. And it is "his", confirmed we're having a son. My baby is still alive, I now have over 100 pictures of him, and he weighs about 2 lbs 2 oz. I can't fathom it. My pessimistic side says this shouldn't be happening. But it's utterly incredible how far we've come.

The appointment was a little difficult, apparently our baby is just camera shy. The sonographer was able to get a few face shots and verify th...
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Beautiful Anxiety

February 10, 2012
Entering the third trimester, I'm even more nervous about being confident that we're having this baby. We went to South Lake Tahoe and on our first night my ankles blew up like balloons. I've never had swelling like that except with a sprain. My husband asked if I wanted to cut the trip short but I said no, I'd just tough it out. It hasn't happened since coming home.

What did happen when we got home was the very day after we'd returned, I got slammed with some kind of stomach bug. I couldn't e...
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I Need to Remember I Can't Do It All in One Day

January 8, 2012
I did so much in reorganizing the baby's room yesterday that I'm totally beat. I did more lifting than is probably good and my back is reminding me that I still have a lot more limitations than I'm used to. I've also been on pins and needles waiting for movement inside and it's deep sigh of relief when I feel it. The room is the same layout I wanted for Robin. I hung up the decorations I bought and cleared out some of the boxes we'd been storing in there. The crib mattress arrived today, it's...
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More Baby Furniture and Decorations

January 6, 2012
Our Graco Pack and Play arrived today. I missed the UPS truck yesterday while I was volunteering for the rabbit rescue but they redelivered it today and I'm so in love with it. It's the Meadow Menagerie design, neutral tan and dusty teal colors with mushrooms and owls and squirrels. I felt pretty excited after Mike put it together. The cats seem to like hiding underneath of it, I'm just waiting for them to jump in it so I can teach them that's wrong. But who knows, maybe it'll look too strang...
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Last Blog of 2011

January 1, 2012

This year can't be over quick enough. I don't want to deal with any more disappointments of any magnitude. I'm spending New Years Eve alone since Husband has to work, so I'm eating fried green beans and making chicken and dumplings and having a Pirates of the Caribbean marathon. Also, it turns out that even though I still hate apple juice, I can't get enough apple cider. I'm trying the red grape cider but it doesn't make my mouth as happy as the apple. I'm jonesing for more! I can't tell if B...


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Kids Say The Most Damned Things

December 30, 2011

My husband, oldest brother in law, and I went to their aunt and uncle's house for a Wii Dancing night a few nights ago. (My dancing consisted of sitting on the sofa waving the remote around. I was almost the top scorer.) While we were there though. Our seven year old cousin asked me if I could change a diaper while I was holding our eight month old cousin (born only weeks after losing Robin). I told him yes, I knew how to change a diaper. He asked, "Why do you know how to change a diaper if y...


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How the Grinch Stole Christmas

December 30, 2011
Mike finally read to one of our babies in the womb. He waited and waited to talk to Robin because he wanted to know whether it was a boy or girl first and then the opportunity was gone. On Christmas he wrapped a book for Baby Bear and I got to unwrap. It was How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Last night he read it to my belly and the dogs on the bed. I used to read to Robin and the dogs would come in and lay on the couch or the bed to listen (and fall asleep). I haven't worked up the nerve to st...
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A Better OB Appointment and Braces

December 29, 2011
Once again, I was unable to see my regular OB but I didn't mind this time. The doctor that did see me was one of the three I was under the care of in the hospital for my miscarriage. She is a damn good doctor in our opinion. She handled us well in the hospital and at this appointment she made a good impression again. She didn't try to fake it through the appointment, she told us right at the beginning she obviously wasn't completely familiar with my case and asked us to bring her up to speed ...
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It's a boy! Or a girl?

December 23, 2011
We had the anatomy scan today. I prepared myself for the absolute worst and felt like throwing up at the end of it. We're 18 weeks and 5 days pregnant. We've made it past the point that Robin had left us. Last week's appointment had Dr. Stone guessing the baby was a girl because of what looked like a "hamburger" but she did say not to run out and buy anything since her equipment is so old and there is a lot of growth between week 17 and week 18. The ultrasound tech at the high risk office tha...
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