Quickest Update Ever

This is Claire Marie Iovino, Isn't she beautiful! I know I'm bias but all the nurses here say so too! (it's prolly cause they will be fired if they say otherwise, but that only applies to ugly babies, of which ours is not one) (as you can clearly see)

She was born at 7:29am on September 26 weighing in at 7lbs 15oz. and a whopping 20in in length! (everything will end in an exclaimation point for the next couple days, excuse me for my excitement)

What you've accomplished here is good

I'm still pregnant, at least for now, but I am 3 or 4cm dialated! I love how they phrase things to you when you are pregnant. Like when the doctor told me that I was 3 or 4cm dialated he used the phrase, "What you've accomplished here is good." which is supposed to make you feel good about where you are at, and it does. But really, I have done realitively nothing to get myself to dialate. I mean if sitting around eating everything in sight counts as accomplishing something, I understand why some women want to be pregnant all the time. I think everyone should use that phrase for everyday things, like telling you your cold has cleared up "What you've accomplished here is good." Or when you finish your dinner "What you've accomplished here is good." or when your hair grows an inch "What you've accomplished here is good" It's just ubsurd and I can't really convey how absurd it is. But I guess What I've accomplished here is good.

Blame your ankles

So last week I went to the doctor, when you are pregnant they still do the weigh in thing every time you go (and you go almost once a week). It's like their way of torturing you for some unknown reason. I mean, if I were an OB I would invent a scale where you don't have to watch them slide the little bars around, first they slide the little one all the way to the right (as if they can't already see that they are no way no how going to balance the bar by moving the little one) Then they move the big one, which makes that horrifying clunk noise when it locks into the groove, screaming to you that you have passes the 150 lb mark. And as if it's not all bad enough they do it about 5 inches in front of your face while you have nothing else to watch except the horrible sight in front of you, and even though you don't wanna look and do the math; you do. I'm telling you, scales where they do all the sliding and clunking behind your back would really be a big hit, add that to your book Miss Brenda.
So anyway, in one week I gained 5lbs.! Now granted when you are pregnant you are supposed to gain weight, but 5lbs in 7 days seems a bit excessive to me. And apparently it was to the doctor too. He noted that fact aloud (just in case I hadn't done the math in my head already). Then he asked me if my ankles were swollen... WHAT!?! I mean swollen ankles are part of being pregnant too, but 5 lbs in my ankles, I think we would have noticed that right off the bat; when I could no longer stand up. In my ankles indeed. So the next time you gain weight just blame it on your swollen ankles. Apparently that's a very medical thing to do.

ps. Everything is fine, we attribute the weight gain to a big baby... who is very healthy and active.

Maternity- a time of transition

Alex makes me think again, he's really good for that; from alternate hands (what would yours be?) to 'car seats' and growing a second spine. Today he made me think about maternity. A word he learned through this whole pregnancy. He's begun to think of maternity as more than just a certain type of pants or tops and more like a time of transition to motherhood. I guess that's what it is, I've never thought of it that way, I guess to me it's been pants and tops. But today I made maternity pancakes; not quite as good as 'mom pancakes' but definately better than 'sister pancakes'. Everything in your life transitions in 'maternity mode', even the type of food you make. Alex also had the idea to market paternity clothes, I'm not sure what the difference would be but I'm sure someone would buy them, or some hormone crazed woman would buy them for her husband just because she has to wear maternity wear. Good idea.

I Saw My Life Flash Before My Eyes

When you die people say that your life flashes before your eyes, they never say though if it makes them cry or laugh. Today I had my life flash before MY eyes (not cause I was dying though) and it made me laugh so hard I cried at times...
It all started with the bathroom remodel upstairs, my mom wanted to put pictures of us potty training above the toilet (how cute huh?). So I volunteered to find the pictures, thinking it wouldn't take TOO long. (How wrong I was) We have about 2000 slides that I went through and I only found pics of Stasi and I and none of Ami (sorry hun, we'll have to take an updated one for the wall :) Anyway... you would never belive the things that you find out about your childhood or relatives when you look through your life. For examples:
-My uncle Ronnie was a coach for the livestock judging team after he graduated with his masters degree
-If I'm ever strapped for cash I have several aunts or cousins who would pay top dollar to have control of some of the pictures I found, either of hair-do's or outfits or faces, or all three.
-My sister Stasi and I went snorkling (in the bathroom sink)
-There were indeed ponies in the backyard when I was growing up, I have seen the pictures and you can no longer make me second guess my memories. (I'm sure Grandma had a pony too even though I haven't found the evidence to back that up)
-My mother won a contest for making an outfit entirely out of wool (we have the newspaper clipping)
-My family has an entire roll of film devoted to shopping for groceries, because they were on vacation, complete with the smiling cashere. (although they are strange the fruit pictures are priceless)
-My sisters and I were very theatrical when we were younger, we have played many rolls including and not limited to: Prarie girl playing trombone, Wizard, Mary, Angle of the Lord, Indian all of which we made the costumes for.. we have been seen in such productions as the Havener/Hurst Christmas Pagent of '93 and The Little Engine that Could, staring Stasi as the little red fire engine.
-My sisters and I could also convince anyone to dress up in anything, we have the pictures to prove it, Alex inherited it because there are pictures of everyone and thier mother (literally) wearing his football Helmet at least, if not the entire get up.
And those are just the highlights... tons more where that came from. Come on over we'll have a gay old time, cause I am only halfway through all the pictures... also if you know anyone who would be able to scan all 3 million of these slides and make them digital, that would be great... The place I called said it would take a month for 500 slides and it would cost $.75 per slide. WOW, I'm glad we have these memories.