April 7

Walker is almost 5 months now. He is topping the scales at 18-19 pounds and is 27 inches long. BIG BOY! So far he's still exclusively breastfed although we're starting to think about adding some solids. He's also teething, which has been difficult at times. Thank God for Hyland's Teething Tablets. They work wonders! I recommend them to every Mama with a teething baby. Walker is rolling over front to back as well as back to front. It won't be long before he starts scooting himself around.

December 12

Whew! What a whirlwind! Walker is already a month old today! Its been an amazing month. We had a rocky start with breastfeeding, but now he's nursing like a champ... a very aggressive champ. He started at 6 pounds, 6 ounces, dropped 4 ounces in the first few days and is now over 9 pounds! So we're doing something right. My Mom was here for Walker's first three weeks, which was amazing. Her help was out of this world. Now we're starting to find our rhythm. The "getting to know you" phase has been great. Now Jack and I are parenting with confidence and figuring things out as we go. We are going to spend the holidays at home with my MIL visiting from the West Coast. I can't wait for her to meet her new grand baby. Then we're going to take our first airplane trip with Walker. Should be an adventure. If anyone has great tips for traveling with infants... I'm all ears!

November 12

WELCOME to Walker Starr Greenman! Jack and I gave birth on November 12th to a beautiful 6 pound, 6 ounce boy. Here is a quick run down : Due to pregnancy induced hypertension, my midwife administered 2 small doses of Cytotech to induce labor. I took the first dose at 7am and the second at noon on Sunday the 11th. By 8pm, I was in the beginning of labor. We went to the birth center at 11pm and we were 3 centimeters dilated. I labored in a birthing tub, which was AWESOME because it really helped me deal with the contractions that were coming every minute and a half. I did some squatting to move Walker down the birth canal a bit and then three big pushes and he was out. I had some minor tears which required stitches... nothing major. The only pain medication I took was after the birth. I took two tylenol and hopped in the shower 2 hours after he was born. Natural childbirth ROCKS and my midwife care was stellar. All in all, labor from start to finish lasted 6 and a half hours. We delivered at 2:32 am and we were all home from the birth center by 8am. I am so pleased with how it all turned out. Walker is just gorgeous... and my husband was a champion! I could not have made it through a drug free labor without his support, guidance, calm and encouragement. A simply amazing man! Also, my Mom and Dad flew in to be here for the birth of their grandson. So... lots of support and love.

November 9

So here's the scoop. My midwife has found that I have pregnancy induced hypertension... lots of swelling and high blood pressure... all quite suddenly. So, the best way to cure hypertension is to have the baby. Tomorrow, Jack and I go to the Birth Center to be induced. We're starting with non medicated techniques like stripping the membranes and some other midwifey tricks and if I don't respond to those measures then we will try a medicated cervical gel. I'm sure we won't have to go to medication as I am already dilating and ripe. And I'm already having little contrations. So... tomorrow or Sunday, we have a baby!

November 1

Another midwife appointment yesterday. We're still looking good! I was surprised to find that I am 50 percent effaced, one centimeter dilated and the baby's head is already at station -1. I'm so stoked! She was even able to touch the head of the baby through the open cervix! Isn't that wild? We're probably going to have this baby much sooner than anticipated. I would love to go into labor in two weeks! That would be awesome. Jack and I are having a hard time deciding about circumcision. We don't know what the sex of the baby is, but we don't want to be unprepared in making that decision should we end up with a boy. So, that's our biggest concern right now. Other than that, baby and I are really healthy - baby is head down and REALLY active squirming and wriggling around all day long. I'm so happy that these may be my last two weeks as a pregnant person! All I need now is the kiddo.

October 24

Home stretch! I have grown so much in the last three weeks... its phenomenal. I know this happens to every pregnant woman in the world, but I can't believe I'm as round as I am. And four more weeks of growing! We're almost done with our birth classes, which have been awesome. I'm so glad we took them. The baby's room is nearing done. But I have to say that suddenly, the details don't seem as dire as they once did. "Oh no! What will happen if I don't have enough of X or any Y for the baby?" Who cares... we've installed the car seat to bring him or her home, we've got a bed for him or her to sleep in and I'm planning on breast feeding. If we need something, we'll just go get it or figure it out. I am REALLY excited to meet this little person I've been carting around.

October 5

Had another midwife appointment today. Everything looks GREAT! I scored a 70 on my GD test...Yipee! And the baby is head down... another yipee! Full steam ahead!

October 4

I'm dissapointed that my September journal entries were wiped out. I can't seem to retrieve them. Ah well... life goes on. My husband and I are half way through our bradley classes and I'm SO glad that we decided to do them. Not only are they a great way to meet other pregnant parents, the classes have so much great information. My husband and I always leave class feeling relaxed and confident about our choice to have an unmedicated labor at a birth center. I'm still feeling a lot of hip and lower back discomfort, but the massage and counter-pressure techniques that Jack has learned are working like a charm. Instead of a Tylenol before bed, he just works on my back for 10 minutes! Its great! I see my midwife tomorrow for our 33 week check up. At my last check up she put me on a low sugar, low carb, high protien diet to keep my weight down. That was a month ago and I haven't gained a single pound this month! I'm stoked. That means that I have only gained 11 pounds during the course of my pregnancy! So... things are going smoothly and I'm getting really anxious and excited to meet our kiddo.

August 30

Okay, you guys asked for it. Here is a belly shot. I can't believe that I'm taking pictures of myself in a bathroom mirror. This is what the internet has wrought! So, there I am below at 27 weeks pregnant. Enjoy!

August 25

First day of my third trimester. All sorts of strange growing pains in my lower abdomen. Baby continues to move in new ways. Kicks, somersaults, side-swiping motions, localized fixated motions that continue for 30 seconds or so, hick-ups, etc. We're still unsure about names. We have lots of possibilities for a girl and not very many for a boy. Any suggestions out there?

August 1

23 weeks. Just moved to Dallas and have already found a great little apartment. Its so great to finally have a home and can start thinking about the baby's room. Fetal movement has been awesome! This kid is kicking, pressing, rolling and somersaulting all over the place. My husband and I met with our new midwife. She is wonderful and I'm so happy to have found this particular birth center. I have grown quite a bit, but only gained 10 pounds during the course of my pregnancy. I'm hoping to gain only 15-20 overall... so we'll see. Jack and I have also decided not to have an ultrasound just to determine the sex of the baby. If I need one for medical reasons, I won't hesitate to have one, but otherwise, we're making it all a surprise.

July 1

I'm 19 weeks along now and have felt small inter-uterine movements. Very exciting! Tomorrow I'm off to another appointment with my midwife. This will be my last time with her as I'll be moving to Dallas in a week. My mother and I did some much needed shopping for maternity clothes and I feel far more at ease with my changing shape now that I have something to wear. The belly sort of snuck up on me.

June 5

I am going the midwife route and have therefore not had the same kind of medical technology aimed at my baby that others on this site have had.So, I just had my second midwife appointment and heard my baby's heartbeat for the very first time!What a thrill!

May 31

I am a writer and have been collecting names for years. Here is a portion of the list... hope it helps some of you mamas out there searching for just the right name:

GIRLS: Abigail, Adah, Adelaide, Adeline, Aislin, Alannah, Alice, Amelie, Amelia, Anala, Ani, Anya, Ashanti, Ava, Aya, Belle, Briar, Bridy, Camille, Carmella, Carmen, Cassandra, Cate, Celeste, Celia, Ceridwen, Claire, Clara, Chloe, Colleen, Colette, Constance, Daisy, Deirdre, Eithne, Elara, Elena, Eleanor, Elise, Ella, Elspeth, Emily, Emma, Eva, Eve, Faye, Finnea, Fiona, Freya, Gable, Gemma, Georgia, Gertrude, Glennah, Gracie, Hannah, Helena, Helene, Ianna, India, I'lena, Iona, Ione, Iris, Isabel, Isolde, Jane, Jillian, Joan, Juliet, Kamala, Keira, Lana, Leda, Lilah, LilyKoi, Luca, Lucy, Luna, Madeline, Mae, Maggie, Mari, Maya, Mena, Mia, Molly, Nora, Olivia, Penelope, Pheobe, Pilar, Reina, Shaye, Simone, Sophie, Sophia, Stella, Sylvia, Tallulah, Theme, Vanessa, Viola, Violet, Wynne, Zoe.

BOYS: Aaron, Arran, Aidan, Andrew, Atticus, Baeddan, Benjamin, Bradley, Braeden, Braeth, Brendan, Brennan, Byron, Cael, Caeton, Caleb, Camillo, Cary, Cecil, Charlie, Chance, Chase, Clay, Cole, Colin, Cortland, Dagan, Darby, Dashiel, Dex, Drake, Elia, Emory, Ethan, Finn, Gaeth, Gareth, Govinda, Hamish, Henry, Ian, Isaac, Indra, Jack, Jacob, Jesse, Joel, Jonah, Jonas, Jossiah, Julian, Kieran, Kiernan, Liam, Lucian, Lucious, Malachi, Marcus, Mark, Max, Niles, Noah, Noel, Paris, Patrick, Percival, Percy, Quinn, Rex, Samuel, Scott, Sebastian,Seth, Shay, Shiloh, Silas, Sioussa, Skye, Starr, Tabai, Tate, Taye, Teague, Terrence, Tibias, Xavier, Xander.

May 25

Today I am celebrating the first day of my second trimester. I feel like having a little graduation party. Since my last entry, I have moved from Seattle to Minnesota for a two month job at a Shakespeare Festival. It has been strange moving from place to place with no consistent medical care. Luckily, I'll permanently land in Dallas this August and have consistent care for my entire third trimester. (My husband has been calling them "semesters".) I'm not feeling any nausea, but I've been experiencing some serious food aversions - just say 'no' to green olives and garlic...eek. Also, my hair is growing like some weird science project. Everything in my life is a little unruly right now, but I'm feeling good and looking forward to the pleasure of trimester number 2!

April 3

Hello all... this is my first entry.I'm 7 weeks pregnant - not feeling any nausea.Definitely have restless sleep and swollen breasts.Hopefully I'm seeing a Dr. next week sometime... waiting for health insurance to kick in.I will be doing a lot of moving over the next 7 months... does anyone have any advice about how to smoothly switch caregivers from city to city.I would like to maintain some kind of consistency.What are your thoughts?