Thinking about knitting

I know it's the holidays because I have resurrected my all consuming burning desire to knit. Unfortunately, what with baby-and-presents-and-cards-and-cookies-and-messy-house, all I have mustered the energy to do is look at free knitting patterns and think about what I would like to make. Well, that's not exactly true. I did make my handy dandy patent pending braided cable gauntlets and a hat for Maya that fits her funny. It probably won't be worn much if I don't fix it. (I say that like I can't just put her in whatever funny looking thing I want.)
I am currently obsessed with the idea that I will knit cute and oh-so-hip toys like these for my baby girl to protect her from all of the made in China phthalate and lead paint popsicles out there, while at the same time developing her sophisticated little aesthetic. However, I still need to buy and make lots of presents for people who are actually aware that it is Christmas. Basically, if even one little Woodin actually gets knit, it will be Christmas miracle.

Do you know your a mom when you can breastfeed, check a temperature (98.1) and type at the same time?
I guess if you are breastfeeding, you'd better be a mom.

Well, gotta go, I think the cat's peeing in the hall again.

Collic Schmollic

I haven't posted in a while and lots of you are still under the impression that Maya has collic. I am happy to report that this is not the case. It turns out that she was sensitive to wheat and dairy in my diet and now that I have cut those out she is a very happy baby. She has even started to laugh! Here's a smiley picture as proof :)

Congratulations Sabrina and Solomon!

Aidan Dominic Castañeda was born yesterday in San Francisco around 2:18 (sorry guys I can't remember the exact time), and 7 lbs 3 oz. Maya has a new second cousin once removed. Hmmm, we'll have to think of an easier way to say that. What a cutie! He has the same thick head of hair Maya has, but he's much more awake and alert than my little peanut was when she was born. She was still supposed to be a fetus for 2 weeks, after all.

Gee, these two don't look related at all :)

We are so excited for Sabrina and Solomon and we can't wait for a Christmas full of babies!

Cloth Diapers: 6 week progress report

Well, we've been using cloth diapers for about 5 and a half weeks now, so I guess it's time to report our findings: We love them! Even Robert loves using cloth diapers with a diaper service. They are really easy because all we do is throw them in the hamper, no washing. We have had a few leaks and blow outs, but I think they would have happened anyway. Maya tends to have very forceful, large poops :) and every so often they blast out of her diaper. I put her in a disposable once to see if it would be better and she had another blow out, so I figure it's not the diaper's fault. Breast milk poop doesn't smell, either. One day we had to use formula and her poop was soooo gross after that! Sorry about all the poop talk, but you can't talk about diapers without talking about poop.

Happier Baby

Well, a few things seem to be working to keep the crying down. Maya is a much more relaxed little baby. She does get upset sometimes, but who doesn't?

1) We are carrying her in a baby carrier as much as possible. This keeps her more upright and keeps the milk where it belongs. We have two pouch slings and an Ergo carrier. I like the pouch slings for convenience and the Ergo because it keeps her sitting almost all the way up (it looks kind of dorky though). My bosses daughter made me a sling which is so cute! I will post pictures soon.
2) We are using Mylicon drops which appear to be helping. The doctor said these drops work about half the time. They are supposed to help her get the gas out, and she is burping more. Poor thing, when she gets older, she'll be mad that I wrote this kind of stuff online.
3) We are using a First Years Soothie pacifier. This is the kind of pacifier they had at the hospital and the only one she would take.

5) The advice from the Happiest Baby on the Block really helps. She loves white noise, particularly the hair dryer. I may write a love song to my hair dryer. She also likes jiggling. Swaddling helps some times.
4) I cut dairy out of my diet. I'm not sure if this made a difference. I'm going to try to switch to cutting out wheat next and see if that makes a difference.

The C word!

Those of you who have had the joy of meeting our gorgeous baby girl have probably all noticed her calm, peaceful disposition. Unfortunately, the serene quiet of our little nest has been disrupted, and collic (the big C word) has begun to rear it's ugly head. Maya has reflux, this means a valve in her stomach is immature and can't keep food down. Basically, she spits up an inordinate amount and always gets upset when she spits up. The stomach acid burns her esophagus and feels like heartburn. She is clearly in pain during these crying bouts, it's not like any of her other cries. The doctor was incredibly unhelpful! He basically said he won't do anything unless she's loosing weight. She's not, by the way, she's up to 6 pounds 12 ounces. So, looks like it's time for mom to the rescue. I'm trying lots of ideas, and so far today is going well. She usually starts crying in the late afternoon, so wish me luck!
I am going to do all I can to keep my sweet baby girl happy and healthy.

Our first day alone

Tuesday was the first day Maya and I have spent alone. My mom got on the train monday night :(, and Robert started work at 4. I took her to work with me for our first car trip alone and she cried the whole time! AHHH! That is the longest my baby girl has cried in her whole life and I couldn't pick her up! When we got to work and I picked her up, she burped and then she was fine. I took this video of her to preserve how infinitely sweet and angelic she is.

Monday, Maya and Robert and I went for a walk in the park and she was wide awake and staring at the trees the whole time. It was really amazing. She stayed awake quietly looking around for 3 hours! We started to think, "uh oh now what will we do?" It's gonna be fun showing her the world!

My Birth Story

Ok, this is really long, but I know some of you are interested. Don't feel that you have to read it, though.


At about 3:00 am on Monday the 3rd, Labor Day :), I started having contractions. I couldn’t sleep through them, but I tried to sleep between them. They were no more than 15 minutes apart, so I soon gave up on the sleeping. I woke Robert up around 5 am, and told him what was going on. I didn’t think it was the real thing, but I was using my hypnobirthing and felt like the contractions needed concentration to get through. In retrospect, I probably should have been trying to be distracted and this point instead of tiring myself out early. Robert and I went for a walk by the river and called our parents. We said that we didn’t know if this was it, but to stand by. A couple of times, the contractions mellowed out, but for the most part they were 1 to 15 minutes apart all day and took my attention to get through. I did a lot of slow breathing and relaxing. We watched a few movies and called the hospital to see if they could tell if this was the real thing, which they can’t. At about 7 pm the contractions started to get much more intense and were spaced 3-5 minutes apart. Although I had planned to stay at home as long as possible, I started to worry about getting to the hospital and having to check in while my labor was really intense. I started to feel a really strong urge to be settled somewhere, I wanted to be where I was going to be so I could concentrate on the labor. We decided to go to the hospital at about 9:30. We stopped at Target along the way, I stayed in the car, for batteries for the cd player we were bringing. By the time we got parked and got to the Labor and Delivery ward it was 10:30 pm. They took me into triage, and I was still doing a good job relaxing. I had to change into a gown and have the fetal monitor on. It seemed like everything was taking forever. I just wanted to be in the room with Robert and be able to go into labor land. I got a little testy with Robert at this point. The contractions were coming much closer together and the one I had when my water broke was very painful. He was a little overwhelmed and didn’t quite know what to say. Other than that one moment, he was really wonderful, strong and supportive the whole time. Anyway, my water broke on the triage table with quite a gush and that is an automatic admission, so they didn’t check how dilated I was. We walked to the labor room. Let me just say that the nurses and midwife I had were really great and they were very compliant with my birth plan, but it seemed like there was endless stuff that had to be done and they wouldn’t just leave us alone! I was feeling like I must have made a lot of progress, at least 5 cm, I thought. At about 12 am, they checked me, I don’t remember why, but they told me I was 3 cm dilated and 100% effaced. I was crushed! I knew that I would be crushed if I head a low number and that’s why I originally didn’t want to hear, but I needed to know how things were going. I said “You’ve got to be kidding me!” and that’s when I brought up drugs. This would have been a good time for a doula. The nurse and midwife tried to convince me that the effacing was really hard to do and that I had done a lot of work, but I was just crestfallen. I was very tired and it seemed like there was no break between the contractions. I had wanted to go in the shower, but it kept getting put off and now it seemed too late. I just wanted some rest! They told me about some non-narcotic drug that would work right away and lower the pain of the contractions (yes, at this point I am using non-hypnobirthing words like pain and contraction). I decided to get it, although at this point I’m not sure why. I felt totally drugged. I was woozy and dizzy and had to lie in bed, which was the worst position for my contractions. I felt like the contractions were exactly the same and it didn’t help at all, but Robert said that on the monitor you cold tell they were much harder. I still couldn’t get any rest with this drug because every contraction woke me up. I must have seemed like I was more relaxed because everyone left me alone in the bed, but I felt awful! I just couldn’t say it. I listened to the Rainbow Relaxation ( it's a hypnobirthing relaxation cd) over and over during this time. After a few hours of feeling totally drunk, I asked for the epidural. I was so glad that I did this because I was able to sleep for half an hour. The drunk feeling wore off and I just got some rest. I was so relieved. All I wanted was to see Maya; I didn’t care about how. I could still feel contractions, particularly on my left side (the side that always hurt during pregnancy). My in-laws arrived sometime after I got the epidural, so I was basically asleep most of that time. I was happy when I could feel that I was in transition, I could feel her pushing on my cervix. I tried to stay very relaxed and not let on that her birth was so near because I was going to try birth breathing still and I didn’t want them to know when I started. Unfortunately, the nurse came to check me and saw that I was complete and started getting everyone ready for pushing.
I actually really liked pushing! Of course, I had an epidural to lessen the feelings, I only pushed for 35 minutes and Maya was only 5 lbs 3 oz. Robert was on my right and my mother-in-law was on my left. As I started pushing, it was around 6 am and I could tell that the sun was coming up. I took my time and used birth breathing for most of the time. I wanted to do this slowly to minimize tearing. Close to the end, maybe the last 10 minutes, they had me start holding my breath while I pushed. I didn’t want to do this, but it was more productive. I didn’t count to ten or anything, I just held my breath as I bore down and then breathed. It felt wonderful to be active in my birth since I was kind of down about getting the epidural. As Maya came out, I saw her face and I thought, “she looks like me!” I looked out the window and the sun had come up, it was really beautiful. They put her on my tummy because her cord was too short to reach my chest. Once the cord stopped pulsing, Robert cut it and put her on my chest. She nursed a little almost right away! She didn’t cry much; even then, she was sweet from the start.
My thoughts about the experience afterwards were surprising to me. I had always thought that birth would be this transformative spiritual experience, but in a selfish way. That it would be about me, and my strength and learning what I can do. Really, it was all about Maya. All I cared about was her and seeing her and holding her. Yes, not having drugs would have been better for her, but she nursed right away and was with us for an hour before anyone else touched her, and they did everything we asked regarding her care. I am surprised now by how humbling an experience this birth turned out to be. I had to be prepared to change my plans, and ask for help when I needed it. Perhaps, with a doula and maybe a birth tub, this would have been a different story, but I am not sad about the way my baby girl entered the world. To me it was magical. During her birth, I learned that just touching Robert mad me feel instantly better, and I met the most perfect precious little girl in the world. With these feelings, I have started my little family, and I can’t wait to see where God will take us!

Maya Jeanne makes her entrance

Well, She's here! Maya Jeanne Castañeda was born at 6:42 am on September 4th, 2007. She weighed 5lbs 3oz. and was 19 inches long! Isn't she the most perfect and beautiful angel that ever lived?

I said in the last post that she wasn't technically premature. Turns out technically isn't quite accurate. She is pretty much a preemie, but a big healthy one! We had some issues with low blood sugar and jaundice and we've been in and out of the hospital all week, but thanks to lots of prayers and love, she's all clear and home now to relax.

It's been wonderful having so much family support. It's great to know that so many people love her.

Look at those skinny little legs! She's been eating like crazy, so she'll put on some weight soon!

All photos courtesy of grandpa Currier

Bad Blogger!

Sorry not to post for so long. I've had trouble coming up with things to say without pictures to lead me. I'm 37 weeks pregnant now, and Maya Jeanne is considered full term. This means if she was born today, she wouldn't be premature. We could have up to 5 weeks left, though. Man, I hope not! I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore! I feel like we're as ready as we're gonna be. We had some great baby showers. It was so nice to see how many people already love Maya Jeanne and are hoping and praying the best for her.
I'm excited to try out our Hypnobirthing. Robert really seems to have a handle on it, and I think he will help me a lot. I plan to blog quite a bit about the experience and I will be totally honest about how it worked for me. We will also post about Maya's early days here.
I'm watching the Happiest Baby on the Block right now. It's a dvd about calming down crying babies. Hopefully the tips in there work! I'd better watch it again to make sure I've got it :)

Not too much knitting going on

I'm currently working on a baby blanket with lace leaves. It's going slowly, but well. I've got about 8 inches done. Other than that, not much knitting. Good old guilt is getting to me about all that I need to do before baby girl is unleashed, and knitting feels indulgent.

Gratuitous self promotion

My dad just sent these baby pictures of me, so of course I want them posted on the world wide web for all to see. All 5 of you that read my blog every now and then, that is. Enjoy.

This may seem weird to say on a blog no one reads, but don't use these pictures without asking me permission first. It is the internet, after all.

The social joys of pregnancy

Okay, so at approximately 7 months pregnant (29 weeks), I am very much showing. As I have been told, I look like I'm carrying a basketball under my shirt. With all of this gestational glow about me, it has become clear that the normal personal-space and privacy-loving rules of American culture that we all hold so dear simply don't apply to pregnant women. I realize I'm big. I was getting annoyed with people telling me that, after all it's not polite to tell anyone but small children that their getting big. As an aside, my mom always bemoaned the fact that when she was pregnant you had to wear big bows and sail boats as if you were a giant three year old. As if being pregnant isn't about the most adult womanly thing you can do! So this is yet another way that pregnant women are treated like kids, it's odd really. Anyway, I'm brushing off the big comments with a little Amanda-style sarcasm (laced with bitterness, when necessary). The new encounter I have to get used to is total strangers wanting to tell you everything and I mean EVERYTHING about their pregnancy and birth. These are usually slightly crazy women, and it usually happens in the check-out line. I'm beginning to dread shopping, which may be a good thing. They continue to talk even if all I do is smile and nod until I have paid for my things and quickly leave. The world is a very different place for a pregnant woman!

Hooray! Hypnobirthing works for marathon!

Robert ran 15 miles and walked 5 yesterday for a total of 20 miles! He's preparing for his marathon, and now it looks like he will really be able to do it.
The coolest part to me, though, is that he used the breathing and visualization techniques we've been learning in hypnobirthing. He said what he usually did was mentally yell at himself when he got hurt or wanted to stop and that just made him mad and want to quit. This time he used the breathing techniques and told himself his body was mean to do this. He also sort of used the glove relaxation. That's where you imagine you put a silver glove of endorphins on your hand and you feel it go numb and then you can pass the numbness on to parts of your body. Well, he didn't quite do that because he was running, but he imagined the areas that hurt going numb and it worked. He also said he took stock of what was going on. That he was running funny because all of these different places hurt, but really it was one spot on his foot that hurt that was making him run funny. So, he concentrated on numbing that part! I am so proud of him and I am so excited that he used the techniques and will use them when he runs the marathon! He will be an expert by the time the birth happens. Yay!

Past knitting pics

Well, apparently our camera has been been hidden by angry faeries. This is the only explanation that makes sense to me. Anyway, since I can't post pictures of my recent and current knitting projects, I thought I would post the photos I have of older stuff. You know, for posterity.

My first sweater, from Stitch n Bitch by Debbie Stroller:

More miscellaneous projects. I can tell you the patterns, if you wish.

So, I guess I have a thing for fingerless gloves. This is probably a quarter of the pairs I've knitted.

These yummy cupcakes were made for one of our SnB meetings, when are we getting together again girls? I'll try to get the house clean to have you all over here (have we heard that before?)

Warm and Fuzzy

For the first time yesterday, Robert played a game with the baby. He pushed on my stomach in one spot a few times and then waited, and she pushed pack in the same place! It was majorly cool. Then he fell asleep with his hand on the side of my tummy and she pushed under his hand for a long time! AWE!

Getting ready for baby

My mom and dad came down last month and we painted the nursery:

Mama tree


Grandma tree


Daddy tree, Grandpa tree


Mama tree with mama and papa


Isn't it cute? As you can see, it will have a jungle-type theme. All we have to do is find a new home for the rabbits now!

27 Weeks

Here we are at 27 weeks, so I thought I would share this list from Pregnancy Weekly with Y'all:

"What to Say and What Not to Say to a Mother-to-Be

Understand pregnancy for what it is: A wonderful and beautiful experience, wrapped up in a colossal shift in hormones! Not only is the new mother dealing with the uncomfortable symptoms of pregnancy, but also with anxieties and fears of motherhood (not to mention feeling like a beached whale half the time!). New mothers need a tremendous amount of compassion and support throughout the nine months of pregnancy, and beyond. Here are a few things to keep in mind when offering advice, support or criticism to a new mother:

On the Issue of Pregnancy and Postpartum Weight:

What to Say (All with Sincerity):

Honey, you look terrific!
Pregnancy becomes you.
You need to gain weight, our baby's well-being depends on it!
Honey, you just had a baby! You look great for just having a baby!
You're having our baby! That automatically makes you beautiful!

What NOT to Say:

Wow, you're BIG for____months!
Well, at least people know you're pregnant!
Should you be eating that? You don't want to gain too much weight.
Hey, try breastfeeding! That should take the weight off!
Oh, I didn't realize you already had your baby!
On the Issue of Bottle Feeding vs. Breastfeeding:

What to Say:

Whatever you decide to do, dear. The baby will be healthy either way.
Let's take a breastfeeding class together.
I know a friend who's breastfeeding her child. I'll put you in touch with her.
There are lots of great formulas out there for you to choose from.
Breastfeeding is a beautiful experience to enjoy with your baby.

What NOT to Say:

Breastfeeding is for mothers who are too cheap to buy formula.
I wouldn't breastfeed if I were you. I tried for three months and gave up because it was too hard.
Formula is unhealthy for babies. He'll be sick all the time.
Mothers who love their babies breastfeed their babies.
Breastfeeding is "dirty" and perverted, especially if done in public.
On the Issue of Child Rearing:

What to Say:

I would love to give you advice on anything you need. Just let me know.
I've got some great books on parenting. Would you like to borrow them?
Let's take a parenting class together. That way, we can be prepared.
Parenthood is challenging, but I know you'll be great at it!
Follow your heart. You know what's best for your child.

What NOT to Say:

Well, here is what I (my mother, Aunt Mabel, Dr. So-n-so, etc.,) think/thinks is best for your baby.
This is the only book worth reading on parenting!
Just you wait when this baby is born; you'll see how difficult parenting is!
Always/Never pamper your children, give them time outs, etc. (In fact, eradicate the words "always" and "never" from your vocabulary when discussing parenting!)
Well, if I were you..."

Hypnobirthing? Really?

I knew hypnobirthing was the right place for me at the begining of the first class when our teacher gave us a button that said: "PLEASE! Only happy birth stories . . . My baby is listening." I LOVE IT!

So, DH and I are going to be hypnobirthers. It's a method of childbirth preparation like Lamaze or the Bradley Method. The focus of hypnobirthing is to be relaxed and meet the birth of our baby without fear. The method teaches that fear leads to tension which leads to pain. This makes a lot of sense to both of us, so we're going with it. I have to do lots of relaxation and visualization exercises to prepare my self to relax through my birth. We have to practice with DH reading visualization scripts, so I get used to relaxing to his voice. Luckily, he has a very relaxing voice. We've been to two classes now, and I really love it. Some of it is pretty hokey and sentimental, but the exercises actually work! I've been a little ball of tension since I was born, but I can relax, whodathunkit!

Yes, this means we are planning an unmedicated birth. No, I've never birthed a baby before, so I don't know what it's like. Any thing else?

Our last class focused on prenatal bonding. We watched an old video from the 80's that was pretty funny. It was hard to focus on the content while you were busy listening to the synthesized music and looking at the teased, featherd hair and blue eyeshadow. Let me just say that us pregnant ladies are very lucky when it comes to maternity clothes now!