Maya's First Baby Shower

Today was our first baby shower thrown by my Mum. It included so many friends that I have known from the time I was a teenager. These friends have seen me grow and been a part of the important milestones in my life. It was great seeing everyone and feeling like a very special Mom-to-Be. Besides the house being beautifully decorated (with the solitary Feliz Batismo balloon - my Mom's idea of a joke), the food was great, the cake was to die for, and the presents were so many. Maya's cup does runneth over.
My Dad carved a cradle out of a watermelon and filled it with a fruit salad. My Mum made a lovely chicken and rice casserole and couscous. Marlon helped out with all the decorating, eventhough he had to rush to work that morning. Grandma Betty made her famous punch and green salad, and Auntie Vivian made spicy corn fritters. The cake was from Plusco's and it was a yummy white cake filled with a champagne custard. Maria was in charge of the games and boy were they fun. My stomach was measured, very twisted motherly advice was shared, and the guests' memory was tested. When it came time to open the presents, I was excited to see what pretty gifts Maya had got. Onesies, a Taiwanese traditional silk two-piece, a pram, a bouncy chair, lots and lots of clothes, a "silver" spoon from Grandma Betty, great reading for us padres, accessories for her nursery, and last, but not least, gifts for her Mommy too. Maya's extended family has once again showered us with love. All her aunties have already begun to spoil her.
I know that my Mom is thrilled to be having a grandchild and that this shower is just one of the many ways that she has showered Maya, Brad and I with her love! As for my Dad, the watermelon cradle says it all. Friends, love, and support...Maya, Brad, and I are so lucky to have these and more in our lives.

The Learning Process (Phase One)

Breastfeeding Mother (Pablo Picasso)
“There are three reasons for breast-feeding: the milk is always at the right temperature; it comes in attractive containers; and the cat can't get it.” - Irena Chalmers
Brad and I finished our first two classes in a series of childbirth classes and boy do we have a lot to learn. In our Newborn Care class, we learned the basics of holding, feeding, bathing, diapering, and basically catering to every newborn need. What I am looking forward too is holding Maya, holding her close to my chest and feeling her little heart beating. In the Breastfeeding class, we learned the different techniques of feeding, along with the many benefits that breastfeeding has over formula feeding. Besides the nutritional value, the emotional benefits that Maya and I will share are indescribable. I pray that Maya responds to my want to feed her. My head tells me to be strong about the possibility that Maya will not want to feed from me, but my heart is a whole different story.
The key phrase that keeps popping up in these classes in "on demand". Can you believe that a newborn baby will want to feed every two hours? I guess the sporadic sleep pattern that I have developed as the result of constant latrine visits is in preparation for what's to come. One of the highlights of our newborn class was that Bo Brady (for all of you Days of Our Lives fans) was in our class. Besides that, it's nice to meet other couples who are in the same waiting game as we are. Women with backs aching as bad as mine, swollen feet, changed sleep patterns, and the general desire to want to have the baby now!
So what have we learned so far? We have learned about developing a strong sense of trust between Maya and us...we are her lifesource and as long as she knows that she can depend on us for that, the rest will fall into place. Next week we start our Lamaze class and have our first Baby Signs class...we can't wait!

Getting Away from Baby Prep and Coming Right Back to It

Brad and I took a mini break up to San Simeon for Labor Day weekend. It was going to be hotter than hell in the Valley so we decided to go up the central Californian coast. Hearst Castle is one of the few sites that Brad has not seen, so it was a treat that I got to take him there and show him what I loved about it. We got an early start on Friday morning and made it up there in about two and half hours. After checking into our hotel, we drove up to Hearst Castle. Our tour was the Experience Tour, recommended for first-time visitors. The tour covered Casa Grande, the Neptune and Roman pools, Casa del Sol, the Esplanade, and some of the gardens. Mr. Hearst was quite the dreamer and he made many of his dreams a reality. Opulence was the order of the day with richly draped walls, themed rooms with art to match, exquisitely crafted furniture, and views of the Pacific that were breathtaking. It was a little challenging keeping up with the group because it was hot (up on the hill) and I needed frequent restroom breaks. The guide was most accommodating. After the tour, we saw a National Geographic movie called Building a Dream. Brad was quite impressed with the house and the grounds and saw much of what he had seen in his travels to Europe, reflected in the decor. After resting up at our hotel we ventured into Cambria for dinner. Cambria is quite the quaint town. Main Street is about two blocks long and boasts novelty store, galleries, and realty offices. We walked around a bit and then drove past Main Street to Burton Street where there were many stores and restaurants. Robin's was our restaurant of choice. It was an old house converted into a restaurant, providing a really cozy atmosphere. Brad ordered Kobe flank steak and I ordered an Indian lamb dish. The food was well cooked and the service excellent.
On Saturday, we searched for a quaint breakfast spot, but there was a Labor Day parade in Cambria, so breakfast at the Motel 6 restaurant was our only alternative. It was horrible...terrible service, and mediocre food. We had a 10:40 a.m. Garden Tour up at Hearst Castle and when we got to the top it was about 90 degrees. The tour was wonderful and we got to see sections of the property that we had not seen in the earlier tour. On our way down, the temperature kept dropping and by the time we found a secluded beach, it was beautiful. We played in the water for a bit and made a video for Maya. After stopping by Cambria for a quick lunch, we headed home.
Sunday and Monday were horrible in the Valley - temperatures over 105. Brad did the back-breaking work of cleaning out the nursery and organizing our new office space. In instance like this, I provide refreshment and food. Maya's nursery is a blank slate, except for the beautiful chest of drawers. Now, all that's left is for us to furnish it.

Prepping for a Girl

Has anybody looked at little girls' clothes recently? They are absolutely adorable. Little pink onesies with sayings like "Mommy's Little Angel", "Daddy's Little Princess"; purple and white pajamas with butterflies and flowers; pink and brown winter outfits; pink and gray plaid school-girl pinafores. The choices are endless. I was in Babies 'r Us recently and couldn't resist picking up some pretty, girlie outfits. I find myself looking a outfits for when she gets older. As long as she can't argue with me about the clothes she wears, then I might as well take some advantage of having her wear what I think she looks cute it.
Brad has been tirelessly working on Maya's chest of drawers. It's a hand-me-down from his grandmother and needs some updating. We decided on painting it crisp white with pink accents. He is painting the scroll work by hand with a delicate paintbrush and the love he is putting into it is so obvious. The drawer knobs will be porcelain white with little pink roses and a gold border. I am trying not to get too cheesy with the rose theme, but sometimes I can't help myself. In fact, I found a beautiful tea set in pearlized china, with pink roses. Every little girl needs a real tea set. Today, we are moving all the "grown up" stuff out of Maya's nursery and this will give us a nice, blank slate to work with. Her nursery is a bright room with two windows facing the backyard. The room gets lots of light. Furniture will be minimal, surrounding only the perimeter of the room. We are going to get her a crib, and there is a book shelf, a corner shelf, the chest of drawers (which will double as a changing table) and hopefully a nice armchair in which I can nurse. I want the middle to be a free space so that she doesn't experience any clutter. There is a nice closet in which we can store any baby supplies.
Things are slowly coming together and I would like to get things sorted out before I am too tired to do anything. On Monday, September 3, I will be entering my 8th month...tick-tock-tick-tock.

Why Maya Rose?

If it was a little boy, his name would have been Alexander Logan Smith; however, since we are being blessed with a little girl, Maya Rose seemed most appropriate. It's simple, easy to spell, doesn't offend any family member because we have chosen no family members' names, and is exotic. Maya is a name found in Hindi, as well as English, and Hebrew.
According to http://www.babynamesworld.com/meaning_of_Maya.html:
Maya is mostly taken in English-speaking countries as a variant of the mythological name Maia, usage influenced by the common English word and name "May". It is also the Spanish form of the name, and a common pet form of Amalia. The name occurs in Japanese as well, with various combinations of meaning, such as for example truth and everlasting."Maya;" means "illusion" or "enchantment" in Sanskrit. Maya is the phenomenal world of separate objects and people, which creates for some the illusion that it is the only reality. In Hindu mythology, Maya is the name of the goddess Devi, the consort of Shiva. In Buddhist myth, Queen Maya was the birth mother of the historical Buddha. It is also used on males. Maya is also a modern Hebrew name, probably also a variant of Greek Maia, but maybe related to Maayan (spring) and to the Aramaic word for “water”. This name can also be given in reference to a pre-Columbian civilization in southern Mexico and Latin America.
In choosing names for our little girl, we also put on our middle school student hats and what we decided that the worst fun that kids could make of Maya's name was "Maya, Maya, pants on fire!"
So, Maya Rose it is...and from what I've seen of her, I think the name suits her just fine.

Peek-a-Boo Everybody

On Friday, August 17 we had our second and final 4D ultrasound and Maya was in playful form. For most of the ultrasound her hands were covering here eyes, almost as if she were playing peek-a-boo. The technician tried moving her around but she wouldn't budge, and come to think of it, I think that she was taking her afternoon nap. My doctor told me that she sleeps for an hour and then is awake for an hour. After a while, Brad decided to tap my belly, and as expected, she moved for him. She does love her Daddy!
Maya is within the 87 percentile with regard to her growth and the doctor is very impressed with how well she is developing. When taking measurements of her brain, we were told to "save our pennies because this child is going to Harvard." Brad prefers MIT, but I think we'll take what we can get - after all, Harvard is only one of the best. Maya has long arms and long legs, and with her hair developing, the doctor also saw that she will have long eyelashes. It amazes me how much they can tell from one of these ultrasounds. After being bothered some more, Maya finally gave us some nice 3D portraiture. She was smiling the entire time and I thought I heard her say, "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." When she smiled, the doctor pointed out some cute dimples. Now I know that we are biased because she's our angel, but isn't she just a beautiful baby?
Maya is right on schedule, but weight-wise, she's a week ahead in development. This probably has to do with the gestational diabetes, but doctor said that I am doing well sticking to my diet and exercising, and that my sugar levels were good. Her projected weight, at birth is 8lbs 12oz - a number that is beginning to freak me out a bit.

Gestational Diabetes

Before I was pregnant with Maya, I knew what diabetes was, but did not know that there was a specific type known as Gestational Diabetes. Apparently, this type occurs during pregnancy, and is usually discovered after a sugar test at the 20 week period. I took my first sugar test, and expected it to come back normal. After all, I was not extremely overweight, had been watching my diet, and exercising. The test came back abnormal and I had to go in for a 3 hour sugar test where I sat in the lab for 3 hours, drank a horrible sugar solution, and had blood drawn every 45 minutes. When that test came back abnormal, I was told that I had gestational diabetes and had to cut out all sugar from my diet.
According to Wikipedia, Gestational diabetes (GDM) is a form of diabetes that affects pregnant women who have never had diabetes before. There is no known specific cause, but it's believed that the hormones produced during pregnancy reduce a woman's receptivity to insulin resulting in high blood sugar. My doctor told me that I could control this diabetes by diet, but I had to be very dedicated to striking out all sugary foods, lower my carbohydrate intake, and keep exercising. I took her words to heart and have stuck to my diet. I get to prick myself four times a day so that I can test my sugar level and so far, all numbers are within range. There is a great nutritionist assisting me and we meet once a week to chart my progress. I have learned to eat smaller portions and to substitute sugary foods (or foods that are high in starch) with other healthier options. So far Maya's weight is within good range and I have not gained an enormous amount of weight either.