33 weeks and counting....

Ok... we are really late posting this as tomorrow we turn 34 weeks.... I guess I have been too busy nesting and slacking on this blog thing! So here is the scoop. On Wednesday, July 23rd we turned 33 weeks! That means that she could weigh as much as 4pounds or a little more than that. For a weight comparison think about carrying a pinapple (www.babycenter.com).


As I stated in the opening... I have been busy nesting and preparing the nursery and our home for Olive (and driving Kevin crazy :)) since we really have less than 7 weeks left (give or take a week or so) before Olive arrives.

Our big news this past week was that our OBGYN, Dr. Echt, approved our birth plan. So both Kevin and myself feel much more confident knowing that we have a plan in place that is approved by our doc, (but yes, we are aware that things don't always go as planned.... ) and are prepared with options that we feel are best for us and little Olive when "D" day comes.

Well, in a nut shell, all is well, life is good and we are blessed! Til next blog......

With loving gratitude, Emma (and Kevin, Olive and Astro)

look how we've grown.... 32 weeks and counting!!!

Hello Beautiful Bloggers!

Ok, on Wednesday, July 16th we turned 32 (picture taken on the 17th, so a day late)! That means approximately 8 more weeks to go, or, get this, 56 more days til we drop (give or take a few as we all know that due dates are just that, a due date but anything can happen). Still, we are amazed at how fast the time has gone and how much we have grown!

This week, according to babycenter.com Olive could weigh as much as 3.75 pounds and measure up to 16.7 inches. If you are still into the fruit and veggie thing, imagine weighing a large jicama, that is how heavy she currently is. What is more, she now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

This week we received our organic crib mattress from Savvy Rest and our Quinny stroller and car seat in the mail. So our nursery is almost all complete! We just have bedding and a rocking chair to go! :)Yeah!

Other than that, life is still treating us well in Santa Barbara. We are just trying to enjoy these last weeks together as a couple sans baby.

Tis all for now... until next blog, life is good and we are blessed!

Love and namaste, Emma, Kevin, Olive and Astro

My best friend Delia and her son Braedon Douglas Cook

Ok, as you probably know... my best friend Delia just gave birth this past week to her handsome boy, Braedon! So, although Delia will probably hate me for doing this... I just had to post some pictures of them at the hospital this past Thursday, July 10th when Braedon was just 2 days old. I can't tell you how great it was to have both Delia and myself pregnant at the same time! And now... we get to share motherhood together too!! Although, I do think I have the better end of the deal as she is one step ahead and can give me the good, the bad and the ugly! :) As stated in the previous post, mom, dad and baby are hanging in there.... I don't know anyone who says the first 2 weeks are a breeze.... but if anyone can do it Delia can! Tis all for now! Enjoy the pics..... xo Emma

31+ weeks

Hello all,

We know what you are thinking... where have you been???? Well, although we are just posting right now (Monday, July 14th) we turned 31weeks last Wednesday, July 9th and the picutres was taken on Sunday.... July 13th. So yes... we totally lagged this past week!

In a nutshell, here is what is happening or has already happened during week 31: Emma's best friend Delia gave birth to her beautiful son, Braedon Douglas Cook on Tuesday, July 8th. Mom, dad and baby are home and just getting to know one another.... This past week we also attended an all day birth preparation class at Cottage Hospital on Saturday ("yes", we already attended an intensive with Tracy Schmidt and "yes", we are probably overly perpared but would you expect anything less from Emma???). Other happenings this past week is that Emma tested negative for gesational diabetes so just one more big test to go during week 36 or 37 for the strep virus and then we should be in the clear :) Tis all for now, we have had a long week... Wednesday, when we turn 32 weeks will be much more informative and interesting we are sure!

Be well and namaste, Emma, Kevin, Olive and Astro

30 weeks!

Hello y'all! Well, two days ago - Wednesday, July 2nd - to be exact! According to babycenter.com our girl is almost 3 pounds and would weigh as much as a head of cabbage. What is more, she is approximately about 15 and 1/2 inches long.



This week had our first natural child birth class with Tracy Schmidt. Although the night was long, 5 to 10pm, we both left the class feeling even more excited to give birth to our little girl and more prepared to make the right decisions to have as natural a birth as possible. We learned massage techniques (this was Emma's favorite part), certain birthing poses (for the many stages of labor) and most importantly not to just deliver the baby as Obstetrics might like (as quickly and effeciently as possible - which has its rewards if the mother and baby are in a serious life-threatening situation, but the chances of this are less the 3%) we learned that if we slow down and create a more loving, nuturing, and less stressed environment most likely our birth will go much smoother with less intervention. So we learned to deliver in a "family way" instead of a "mechanical way." This is also why we have a doula as we believe that much stress is placed on the mom in the hospital due to wanting to get the baby out too quickly, so our doula will help us create a more natural environment that is condusive to giving birth/


These ideas were also connected to a seminar Emma went to last week entitled: From Birth to Breast: Supported Attachment. The teachings showed us how to better welcome little Olive into the world by acknowledging that even before she is born she is already feeling and thinking so that because before, during and after birth she is already impressionable the best way to breast feed and create a healthy human being is to let her show us each day what her birth story is like by having her crawl from breast to belly to comfort any wounds she might have developed as well as let her express herself. The seminar taught us that early relationships (even that of which is formed when the baby is born --> their birth story) shape the structure and function of the brain. This is in line with the wisdom of ancient cultures that understood the importance of welcoming children before, during and after the moment of birth. Accordingly, research is now showing us that our society is a product of how we welcome and raise our children. When babies are welcomed with love and warmth and given the immediate opportunity to bond with parents (hence the breast crawl), they develop minds that are coherent and flexible, ready in turn to make compassionate and meaningful connections with others as they grow (this was taught in the workshop with Mary Jackson and is the premise of the film What Babies Want).


Currently we are working on our birth plan that will help the doctors and nurses understand that we wish to not have any interventions at the hospital as long as we are not in a life threatening situation. We will let you know how it goes! :)


On the home front, we are finally finished painting the nursery (we should say Kevin is finally done) so now comes the fun part, decorating and setting up the crib and dresser that recently arrive.

Well, tis all for now, have a beautiful weekend! Til next blog!

Emma, Kevin, Olive and Astro :)