Pretty living room, vw! It looks like you live in a converted church with those windows, which are gorgeous. (Do you? Because, how cool.)

But in practice, I had to be lying down or seated leaning back for it to work

Ah. I had that with Jake, who was induced. Thing was, that was thirteen years ago, and the epidural they gave me was so total, I couldn't feel *anything* from the waist down. Not my legs, not nothin'. Which didn't help when it came time to push. (Actually, now that I think about it, his birth really did suck, but hey, it's over.) There were no wireless monitors then (at least not where I was) so being in bed was the only option. Poor Susan. An awful birth experience doesn't go away quickly.

I am looking forward to going into labor on my own this time as I think it will feel shorter and less tiring if I get to spend part of it at home.

This was very true for me, with both subsequent births.

Owen just hooked the handle of his sippy cup on the side of the playpen and was dinking out of it like a hamster bottle.

Heh. Sara has one with two handles on each side that are open at the bottom of the handle, and she likes to hang it off her highchair tray.

Offer~ma, Nora! So exciting. Fingers crossed.

You know, you could make a LOT of money with a toddler wheel, on the analogy of a hamster wheel.

Better still, a toddler ball like a hamster ball.

I had a good hospital and good birthing team with Kara. The only reason she didn't nurse is because she refused. I had a lactation consultant right away and everyone tried very hard to get her to nurse. Finally, even the lactation consultant gave up. She was just very stubborn.

Lovely pictures, vw!

These days, at least at the hospital Susan was in (which is the same one I'll be in), they're very much against episiotomies, and rarely do them. They just let you tear instead. Episiotomies, it turns out, don't heal as well as a natural rip.

Yep, I had a forceps delivery with no episiotomy, which would've been unheard of in the not-too-distant past. And while I had a third-degree tear, it didn't come from the forceps--it was because I was so numb I couldn't feel what I was doing, so when they told me to stop pushing, I had to consciously think which muscles I was using and how to turn them off, and by then it was too late. Annabel was born on one push instead of the preferable slower way where they can help rotate the shoulders and such. But tearing is the thing I worried obsessively over that turned out to be so very, very minor. I'd read all these horror stories of tears and episiotomies healing badly, so I was expecting the worst, which didn't happen at all. I cut, I healed, no biggie.

The first couple are of Bastet trying to figure out how to get to the hanging tulips.

Anyone want to lay odds on Bastet vs. tulips?

She was just very stubborn.

Why am I not surprised?

She was just very stubborn.

Well, good thing that's changed.

apt looks great vw. and toto looks very happy on his throne.

I just watched 3 episodes of Wonderfalls - I have had the dvd's for awhile and finally picked up.

How are you feeling, Beth?

Hee! Someday it will be called determination, and be a positive trait. Just not by me.

I haven't seen all of wonderfalls yet. Someday, I suppose.