29 weeks! yikes! where does the time go???

Hello dearest family and friends! As our title reads, we are now in our 29th week and counting (76 more days to go). For us, we really can't believe how fast the time has gone.

This week our little girl weighs bout 2 1/2 pounds (if you still like the fruit and veggie thing that would mean she weighs as much as a butternut squash) and a little over 15 inches long from head to heel (www.babycenter.com). Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is getting bigger to accommodate her growing brain — which is busy developing billions of neurons - YEAH! You GO SMART GIRL!!! What is more, about 200 mgs of calicum is being deposited each day in Olive's skeleton, which is now hardening.



The news to report this week is that we survived the heat this past weekend! It was a scorcher in SB as it got into the 90's (mind you we don't have air conditioning) but the good news is that Emma was visiting her family in Fresno and then in Stockten, California this past weekend to celebrate her neice Emily's graduation from 8th grade. The good news is that at least there is air conditioning! Alas the bad news is that is was still darn hot! 110 degrees on Saturday in Fresno to be exact.

To help prepare for Olive, this week Emma will be attending a Bonding and Attachment course with Mary Jackson & Ray Costellino in Ventura to learn more about the birthing process and how bonding happens before, during and after birth and what parents can do to facilitate healthy bonding. Next week we have a JAM PACKED BIRTHING EDUCATION WEEK as we will be participating in a Preparation for Nautual child Birth course with Tracy Scmidt in Santa Barbara as well as a New Parent seminar that teaches parents what to expect the first couple of weeks after birth.

Oh... remember the Sounds of Baby CD we purchased for Astro "designed to help four-legged family members prepare for a baby by gradually presenting sounds that will accompany our precious new arrival"?? We have started to play the CD and the good news Astro is oblivious so far to the sounds. He does not bark at them, seem concerned in anyway... he just does his own thing.... Our next step is to play the last track which has baby going off the deep end screaming and then making it louder so we will keep you posted on how that goes. Still, we are comforted already knowing that Astro is not terribly anxious when he hears baby cooing or toys rattling...

On the house remodel front, we are still finishing up odds and ends in the kitchen but it is pretty much done. Olive's nursery is coming along and should be painted by the end of this weekend or next! Then we can move in the furniture and decorate her organic/baby Zen space. Other than that, both Keivn and Emma are well :) Still enjoying an active lifestyle together and taking every advantage of spedning some quality time together.

Again, we are truly blessed!

Love and namaste, Emma, Kevin, Olive and Astro

28 weeks and counting...

Hello family and friends.

Well, on Wednesday, June 18th we turned 28 weeks. This also marks the beginning of our third trimester! For us, we can't believe how fast the time has gone.


This week our girl has reached a whopping 2 and a 1/4 pounds which according to www.babycenter.com this is comparable to the weight of a chinese cabbage. She measures 14.8 inches from head to heels and can do all sorts of things now like: filtering light through the womb, blinking her eyes (she now has eyelashes, isnt' that cool?), and developing more meat to her bones so she can ready herself for her world outside the womb in September (www.babycenter.com). I know it is hard to tell whether or not she is really that long or that much in weight but Emma can definitely attest to her length as she is still extremely active and can sometimes be felt kicking from rib to rib - obvious signs she has to have some sort of length on her.



On the prep front, not too much to report this week except that crib and dresser came in and Kevin is painting the baby's room this weekend so by the end of the month or early next month Olive's room should be all set. Of course, we still have to get some necesseties before she is born (for example, we have decided to use the all in one cloth diapers by bumgenius, and other odds and ends like baby laundry detergent, bedding for our crib, etc.) but that will all happen in due time.

Other than that not much more to report. In sum, at week 28, mom, dad, baby and dog are all doing well. Again, we are truly blessed.


Until next time, be well and namaste, Emma, Kevin, Olive and Astro

Week 27 and a 1/2

Ok... yes... we lagged yet again! Today is Sunday, the 15th of June and we should have taken the pictures on Wednesday, June 11th. Better late than never though!

This week our girl "weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended (www.babycenter.com). Other cool things our girl is able to do now entail a deeper development of her survival needs. She can sleep and wake up at regular intervals, open and close her eyes, and suck her fingers. However, it is worthy of noting that we know from her ultra sound at 21 weeks that she was already ahead of the game because we caught her sucking her thumb then, we even have a dvd of this. Oh, the bragging already starts ;)

Other things to report this week and not to confuse anyone but we are getting two different due dates from our doctors and nurse practitioner. One doctor says Sept. 17th and the other (and nurse practioner too) still sticks with Sept. 10th. So we are gonig to continue to count the weeks using the number system we have been using based on the Sept. 10th due date. Bottom line... she could really come any time in September :)

Other happenings this past week include our visit/tour of the Cottage Hospital (yes, we are probably way too over-prepared, but anyone who know Emma can attest to her "type A" mantality in wanting to be over-prepared and well organized). As of Tuesday, June 10th we are registered, have toured the birthing unit and know the ins and out of Cottage Hospital. For this reason, we both feel more comfortable and relaxed as we have a better grasp of what to expect as far as the setting of the hospital birthing rooms and the entire process.

Other than that, Kitchen is just getting it's finishing touches and now the baby room is being painted and our furniture (crib and dresser) comes in this next week (thanks to the Rollin Grandparents) and we are ordering our stroller and accessories this next week (thanks to the Moore grandparents). So we are gradually getting everything we need for our girl.

On the work front, all is well. Emma's yoga and fitness privates are settling down with clients leaving for the summer but she is still teaching yoga at SBAC and prenatal yoga at SBYC and loving it! In addition, SBCC summer school just started up again and the chocolate company is doing really well right now with wedding season being a big draw for www.patchi.us. Kevin is still busy with his Architecture projects at work and studying for his last set of architectural exams. So yes, there is a lot going on before baby Olive is born. Still, we are managing some serious play time too! This weekend we both participated in stand up paddling, Emma did more yoga and meditation as well as hiking with Astro and Kevin also managed to get in a bike ride here an there. All in all, we are truly blessed! And can't believe we have less than 3 months before our girl is born!

Until next post... be well and namaste, Emma, Kevin, Olive and Astro

Emma, Astro and Baby Olive in utero make it on www.lululemon.com homepage!!!

Hello ALL! It turns out I was about 10 weeks pregnant when I did a photoshoot for Lululemon Athletica in Santa Barbara (I am one of their ambassadors for the 2008 year). Although we went to multiple spots around Santa Barbara for the photoshoot, the parent company is currently using (three ambassadors were chosen from around the US to be featured right now on their homepage - so if you go to the site wait a moment for it to rotate and when it does, I will come up.....) a picture of me running with Astro (and Olive in utero) on Butterfly Beach in Santa Barbara.

So, to check it out please go to www.lululemon.com and wait for an image of us running to appear! Be well and namaste, Emma :)

Week 26 + 5 days....

Hello all, ok, you are right... we lagged this week! But for good reason, Emma was away celebrating her niece Madison's graduation from 8th grade and Kevin was busy painting our kitchen. Then upon return to SB Kevin's Aunt and Uncle were in town so we also had a blast hanging out with them and simply lost track of time and photo op for little Olive.

This week we our little girl "now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel" (www.babycenter.com). What is more, her nerves in her ears are more developed which means that she might be able to hear the two of us speak! With that said, Emma has been playing a classical CD from the Baby Einstein collection (given as gift from grandmother Rollin) whenever home and when driving the biodiesel- veggie oil running mercedes. The reason - since her nerves in her ears are better connected and formed, listening to Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi and Beethoven might actually calm our little girl and make her smarter! On another note, she has been super active now, even sometimes in the middle of the day. So we are still convinced she is going to come out swimming or running!!!

Kitchen remodel is nearing completion, we are enjoying the great weather in SB and well, life is good!

Until next blog. Be well and namaste, Emma, Kevin, Astro and baby Olive