Dolphin Assisted Water Birth (this is a thing now...)

Another miracle of maternity is the sudden influx of pregnancy, baby and parenting related emails I get. I recall subscribing to one weekly email from The Bump. But somehow I ended up with getting about 10 daily from various organizations including numerous baby clothing retailers. Maybe I signed up for some coupons at the check-out at the Carter's outlet? I've since unsubscribed from a bunch but still get a few winning articles sent my way.

A month ago, The Bump sent me an email with a link to an article titled "Say What? Parents to Be Planning a Dolphin Assisted Water Birth in Hawaii"  A Dolphin Assisted Water Birth. 

Now, let's play the "What Does Kelsey Imagine?" game! Upon reading this, I pictured a dolphin and lady in some kind of indoor/outdoor aquarium tank. The dolphin is strapped to some kind of harness and the other end of the harness is attached to the baby still inside the mother. Dolphin swims. Baby comes out. And there you have a dolphin assisted water birth.

I drew a picture:

Figure 1

As you may have surmised, what I imagined is not the real deal. It has something to do with the soothing and relaxing high pitch shrill of a dolphin that helps keep the mother calm and welcomes the baby into a peaceful tranquil environment.

However, this also seems pretty bogus since I'm pretty sure you can easily buy dolphin sounds on a CD. I'd like to let this couple know that they can save themselves a lot of money by not flying to Hawaii and renting out a personal fish tank AND dolphin for their birth. For a mere $12.49 they can pick up "Dolphin Music for the Inner Child" at their local Target in the World Music Kiosk located between the cards and scented candles (or online). Then they can put all that extra money towards their child's college education or maybe buying a pet dolphin of their own for the next child birth (in case the CD just isn't relaxing enough)

Grocery Shopping: An Un-Mastered Art

I'm a terrible grocery shopper. I'm seriously the worst. I come home with the most random assortment of things that I'm sure no one could make anything out of. Today at Trader Joes I bought a package of strawberries, baking soda, butter, 2 cans of black beans, sour cream, salad mix and 1 avocado.

I also constantly buy the same things every time and come home to realize I already have an unopened or half used package of it at home. I currently have 3 packs of tortillas, 2 are unopened. I also have 4 bags of frozen peas in my freezer; 3 of which are already opened. The crazy thing is, I NEVER use peas for anything. Once in a blue moon I'll make a toss salad and throw some peas in it. And on most occasions I usually end up opting out of including the peas since Mike doesn't like them very much (and neither do I honestly). Other things I routinely buy at the store that I usually already have at home: packages of shredded cheese, bread, eggs, frozen "chicken poppers"

I guess something just comes over me at the grocery store when it comes to these items and I think it'd be the end of the world to run out of shredded cheese. You may be thinking "Kelsey, don't you take inventory? Don't you make a list before going to the grocery store?" And the answer is yes I do, sort of. But then I'm in the store and see these things and forget if I need them or not. Or I see things and think "Oh that looks good, but I'll never actually use it" and pass it by. My list just isn't a very good one I guess.

Now that I'm on maternity leave and "between jobs" the plan is to start cooking and freezing meals for after baby and after my mom leaves so that we'll have prepared meals ready to eat without much effort. My friends with babies say that you get REALLY hungry breastfeeding and you're too exhausted to cook.

I've never done this before so I'm curious to see how this pans out. I've asked friends and family members and scoured the web (Pinterest) for recipes. So far, here is what's on the freezer menu: 10 spinach/chicken quesadillas to use up all those dang tortillas and bags of shredded cheese.  Next I'll make a couple of pasta/hamburger meals and then maybe some enchiladas or chilli? Today I'm making banana bread for a party at Mike's work tomorrow and I'm making an extra loaf to freeze for later/....eat right now (it smells amazing!)

I'm hoping to get better at managing my pantry and fridge supply so that I have ingredients on hand when I need to whip something up. I think part of the problem with my lack of cooking (besides the fact that I don't really enjoy it) is that I'm not a good grocery shopper...which may be why I don't like cooking. It's a vicious cycle.  What works for you? Do you have a certain method or iPhone app you use to keep inventory of your cupboards? Or, do you just use your brain and look in your fridge and function successfully?

37 Weeks/To Do List

Yesterday is a day I had marked on my calendar. Full Term! 37 weeks. This baby could be born any day now. I'm wrapping up my last week of work before maternity leave* and spending my days in the office finishing up projects.....and blogging and surfing the web for great freezer meal ideas and other last minute things I need to do before the big arrival.

The doctors have been saying the last few weeks that our buddy is head down and very low. Very very low. That, plus very frequent Braxton Hicks contractions, points to a "sooner rather than later" delivery. I planned on 2 weeks at home to relax/get everything ready (#nesting) before the due date but now wondering if I'll get those full two weeks.

Here are the things I hope to accomplish in the next two weeks/before baby arrives:

1. Send out Thank You's for baby shower #2
2. Make several "freezer meals" to have on hand
3. Organize computer desk drawer/cabinet area
4. Transfer family and friends' mailing addresses from notebook onto computer (Google Contacts? looking for suggestions!)
5. Make "Baby Mix" CD (stay tuned for blog post on this topic)
6. Blog (duh)
7. Clean

I'll also go for walks, read books and visit/sneak into pools of friends' residential communities. I'm a little concerned about getting bored so any other ideas are welcome! I don't want to end up on the couch watching "Say Yes to the Dress" re-runs all day....or do I?

I saw this poem today and it made me smile.
 

 
If I start writing sentimental emotional things like this myself I'll start crying and will be done for. Keep in mind I'm still at work so I need to keep it together. So, for now, I'll just say that I can't wait to meet you buddy! You're my treasure.

...and I'm toast... #hormones

Kelsey, Kim and Kate

In a celebrity-crazed, adolescent girl kind of way, I think it’s cool that I’m pregnant and due around the same time as Kim Kardashian and Kate Middleton. I mean, these are pretty iconic, gorgeous ladies. And, their names start with a K just like mine, so I’m pretty much connected to them, like soul sisters or something. 

 If we were all bff’s, here’s what I imagine our conversation would be like if we were lounging around eating bon bons one afternoon by Kim’s pool in her mansion in Calabasas.

Kim: Guys I’m SO stressed out right now. I don’t think our interior designer will be done with the 3rd renovation of the nursery in time. I wish they would have just done it right the first time!

Kate: I thought it was quite lovely the first time Kim. Cheetah print and hot pink is such a charming theme for a baby girl’s room.  What was wrong? (Kate passes around a crystal dish of lavender biscuits- I take 7 of them)

Kim: Well for one it was too small. Then the window didn’t line up with the pool outside (points up to the house at one of many windows) Who wants to look out a window at half a pool? Ew.

Kate: Yes I do see your point. I too am stressed. William and I can’t agree on a name and the Queen keeps interfering. She wants something dull and traditional like Winthorp or Prudence. But I would love to go with something more modern and trendy, something that ends in N or has something to do with nature.

Me: You could go with a name that incorporates both, like Raven.

Kim: Oh my god I freakin’ LOVE that name!

Kate: Good heavens, what a wonderful and delightful name! Excellent idea Kelsey!

Me: Feel free to use it. Just make sure the middle name is “Kelsey”

(we all lol)

Kim: So have you guys gone on a babymoon yet?

Me: This..... IS my babymoon.

Kim: Oh.

Kate: How positively hilarious!  You’re a riot Kelsey!

Me: Thanks?

Kate: Wills and I can’t decide between 3 weeks in Fiji or the south of France. So we’re doing both.

Me: Dang!

Kim: Kanye and I are spending next month on his yacht in the Caribbean.

Me: ...I’m going to get in the pool now. (I grab another lavender biscuit and waddle over to the pool before flopping and rolling onto a raft and floating away)

Note: During this scene Kanye, Wills and Mike are on a run to In’n’Out burger for us and encounter the standard long line. Kanye cuts in front of everyone and places an order.