Archive for January, 2007

…no, you just have to wait.

1/23/2007 has passed. We were told the due date on May 25, 2006 and have since eagerly awaited its arrival. In the early days it felt surreal and incredibly far away; beginning around mid-December it felt too close. Now it feels just right and I’m about as ready as I can be. I’ve done some serious nesting and our house has never been quite so organized, which has always been comforting to me (yes, I was one of those kids who lined up the clothes in my closet according to color and sleeve length…and still sometimes do this!). The last variable that needs to happen for me to feel fully ready is Harry getting better so he can fully participate in the festivities (he’s been sick with a bad cold for four days). With that as the current situation, a few more days or even a week (and yes, two more weeks is a possibility, but I’d rather not think about that) in the womb wouldn’t be a bad idea for our family to get off to an easier start. But, no guarantees. As I write, Harry’s hacking up a lung…maybe the baby will find it soothing and he’ll sleep the night away as long as his papa makes loud noises on a semi-regular basis.

Things I will miss about pregnancy:

• Feeling and watching our son move inside me, especially the hiccups! The little rhythmic jitters are quite endearing. I also like his tendency to really kick things up when music is on, especially if there’s drums and a bass.
• The amazing anticipation of such a huge, life-changing event
• Being so excited to meet our little guy!
• I can’t think of anything else right now…yikes, I must be at 40-weeks. I know there were other things I enjoyed, but most probably came between week 22, when I stopped getting sick, and week 34, before I started feeling enormous and getting really bad heartburn.

Things I am happy to leave behind:

• Heartburn still tops the list, although it’s mildly better since the baby dropped and I stopped drinking any caffeine (sad)
• The awkwardness of trying to move any way except upright, and even then, I waddle!
• Regularly receiving comments about my body. I know they’re all well-intended, but it’s strange how this is the one time in life when it’s OK for everyone, including strangers, to discuss your body (wow- you’re much bigger!, you’re really pregnant now, check out that belly!, etc…).
• Coughing or sneezing and never knowing what might happen (TMI?)

Well, hopefully this will be the last post until we announce our baby’s arrival. Either way, it will definitely be the one and only belly shot to make it to loveoirs!

Stay tuned!

Here are some of our questions and answers from 2006. Happy to say we got all of them right.

What are you happiest about?

Kathleen: Having a baby.
Harry: Yep, I concur.

What’s the baby’s name?

Kathleen: Justin Uhlotta
Harry: Asurp Rize

No, really:

Kathleen: …
Harry: …

Share a memorable laugh you had:

Kathleen: Photo booth pictures
Harry: More photo booth pictures
(yeah, we did this for hours)

If you could walk through any door, what would you like it to open to?

Kathleen: My gut-reaction response is that it would open to our little boy…sans labor & delivery! On a deeper level, I’d love to walk through the many doors of unbelief, pride, and fear that keep me from experiencing life to its fullest. However, I’m also thankful that this journey involves a more dynamic path.

Harry: Sainte-Chapelle, the night we saw the concert there; Zoka, my favorite coffee shop.

Who is your favorite neighborhood cat?

Kathleen: Even though he sprayed my friend, Copper takes the cake (for letting me rub his enormous belly on a regular basis).

Harry: Tough call, but I gotta go with Chester.

Will you be happy to say goodbye to anything from 2006?

Kathleen: Pregnancy-induced heartburn.
Harry: TV.

Who has inspired you?

Kathleen: Countless people, including strangers, friends, and family, through beautiful acts of generosity, perseverance through difficult times, faithfulness, and sacrifice. Maya Angelou’s Seattle visit, during which she recited poetry, sang, and shared about life, was also deeply inspirational to me.

Harry: Kathleen: it’s been amazing to watch her experience pregnancy. Guy Kawasaki: I read The Art of the Start in 2005 and now I follow his blog. Very motivating. Maya Angelou was fantastic.

When do you feel like time flies?

Kathleen: Dates with Harry. Watching our son move in my belly. Reflecting on the past year.
Harry: Reading. Watching movies.

Any favorite movies or videos?

Kathleen: Millions, Akeelah and the Bee.

Harry: Casino Royale, Tony vs. Paul, everyday, Martians Descend on Sesame Street, Bein’ Green, Evolution, Pythagora Switch, Imagination.

Any favorite music or books?

Kathleen: Some Wildflower in my Heart. Re-reading Maya Angelou’s early autobiographical works. I’ve continued to play many of the same albums from last year over and over again this year: Garden State Soundtrack, Illinois by Sufjan Stevens, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb by U2, and anything by Coldplay. Harry also made me a fantastic iTunes digital album for Christmas that will probably be overplayed during 2007.

Harry: The Tale of the Unknown Island, Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century (still reading this one), The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology (still reading this one, too), Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joni Mitchell, Understand by Pete Rock (watch out, this might be too funky for you), and most recently, Black and Blue and Numb All Over by Graig Markel. Also, by way of video: Drifting, and The Wind and the Wheat.

Favorite web sites?

Kathleen: I’m not much of a web surfer, so my vote is for my email account. Harry always shows me funny sites, so I get to see the good stuff without searching for it.
Harry: Line Rider, Animator vs. Animation (choose Watch this Movie)

Other than the baby, what are you looking forward to this year?

Kathleen: I could write paragraphs to answer this question…but I’ll spare us all the time! Instead, in a nutshell: growth and development in my relationships and new roles, watching the same in others, Harry launching his business, and returning to gardening & physical activities (besides waddling around the lake).

Harry: Opening the doors to my web business (still under development). Ocean’s 13. Writing more. Adding more fiction to my non-fiction-leaning book list.

As always, we update Loveoirs from time to time with our thoughts so you can keep up with what we’re doing. When the little boy is born we will post an update here, so check back in the first few weeks of February. Our photos are still on Flickr. Here’s a collection of some of our favorite memories from 2006.

We wish you all the best in 2007. We hope you get at least some of the best. We’ll rock-paper-scissors you for it.