31 Weeks and Today

I haven't been that fond of taking pictures while pregnant, but I suppose there's some merit in chronicalling the belly button's journey outward.  So the day I took the camera to work to take pictures for the Flat Faith project, I had Mikey take a picture of the belly.  Well, me with the belly.

Incidentally, my good friends Wimmie and Kiriko organized a baby shower for me today at a restaurant called Yogurstory.  One of the games involved people cutting off pieces of ribbon in a length they guessed would be my tummy size.  Afterward, I actually measured myself with a piece of ribbon and we compared the sizes.  Everyone guessed too big, although Wimmie and Kiriko were the closest.  Mikey's guess was nearly double the size!  I guess I look bigger than I actually am!  I find that ironic given that for most of this pregnancy, people have been telling me that I'm small!

Here are the boys at today's party.  From left to right: Brandon, Steve, Mikey, and Jamie

And here are the ladies.  Also from left to right: Wimmie, Kiriko, me, Susan, and Alicia

I'll post more pictures of the shower as I get them.  These two were from Susan.  Suffice it to say, this was a good day!  I'm really thankful for friends like these!  (I did mention that I'm becoming a softie, right?)

Wandering About Town

A high school classmate of mine teaches elementary school in California and had her students read Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown.  As part of their history studies, the students made flat versions of themselves and mailed them to people for a little "vacation."  We participated once before with Flat Sterling and this time we are hosting Flat Faith.

So Mikey and I have spent some time wandering about town and showing Flat Faith the sights.

Here we are getting shave ice at Waiola.  Note that this is shave ice, NOT shaved ice.  That's something entirely different.  Trust me on this.  And Waiola is my favorite on the Island.

One Sunday we went to The Veranda at the Moana Surfrider Hotel to have tea.  This is a photo of the interior of the hotel.

I had a white tea, which is very light and contains only small amounts of caffeine, and Mikey had the house tea, which smelled fruity and delicious.  We started with a blended clam chowder soup, had that luscious tower of mini sandwiches and sweets, and finished with an interesting lemongrass and green tea ice cream that tasted oddly of plant.  It was pretty refreshing, though.

We also took Flat Faith to the "headquarters" of Hawaii Five-0.  At least, this is the building used as the outside of the headquarters on the show.  It's really the Hawaii Supreme Court building.  I took a couple of professional development classes in this building--the interior architecture has such an historical ambiance to it.  It's certainly worth a visit.  

Incidentally, I've been somewhat concerned lately that our little alien has not been moving very much.  I had read that movement may slow down a little in the third trimester because it gets tight inside the womb.  Yeah, if I had any doubts left that all was well, the past hour has set me straight.  I still think there are somersaults going on.  Thanks for the reassurance, little one.

Navel Gazing

There's not much about pregnancy that's really comfortable.  Generally speaking, if someone says that procreation is a magical experience, they're only saying that so the species doesn't die out.  Well that, or because they can't tell you what it's really like for fear of breaking preggo cult rules.  Despite all of this, there is one thing that has not ceased to fascinate me and that's the feel of our little alien moving.

If you think about it, when you look inward, it's just you inside.  But when I feel the little alien moving, it reminds me that, for the moment at least, I'm not alone in here.  And it's the strangest thing to see my tummy undulate and quake with the little alien's antics.  At one point, all I could say was "What's with the krunking?!  You can pop and lock when you get out!"  But at the same time, it's reassuring to feel the movement because it's a reminder that all is well.

So now I find that at least part of my day is spent navel gazing with a ridiculously goofy smile on my face.  Despite my best efforts, this whole pregnancy thing is turning me into a sap.

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Don't know when I'll be back again.  I've always figured that each point in life is some new adventure, so why should starting a family be any different?  And I don't really think that you go back once you've started, anyway.  At risk of falling into cliches and stereotypes I'd rather not associate with, I figured I'd start this blog, primarily to have someplace other than Facebook to post photos of the little alien parasite I am currently playing host to.  It may go the way of my other half-hearted attempts at blogging, but at least I have a place for all of those photos I hear I will be taking.  That is, if we can find the camera charger.

Here we have a 17-week bump.

And here, in slightly smaller form, a 27-week bump.

I believe it's probably coming up on time to take another bump progression shot.  But that will have to be later.  After we find the camera charger.