lookee here.

FINALLY!

lots of pictures.

Click the picture to go to an album fullllllll of photo-y goodness.


From babybabyBABY

Happy Birthday, GramZee!

Sagan's birth story : The Live Twitter Version

Although Eric linked this in the previous post, I thought that I would post here as well. There are more versions to come, but this is as close as you can get to an in-the-moment account. My note to this version is that the only twitter I (#1) actually did was the very first one - after that, Martin took over on the iGestate twitter feed. Also noted at the end is Eric's recognition that my labor was 35 hours rather than 47 and that you really shouldn't attempt simple addition after so much excitement and so little sleep :)

I would like to mention and thank everyone that was a part of my labor: Eric (obviously), co-madre Natalie, doula Yen, Martin, Argelia, Grandma Jean, and Heather our attending midwife as well as her two student midwives. Also many thanks to those that stayed close: Ben, Sabra, and Grandpa Chris. And Todd :) Having all of them with me made this an extra, super amazing experience. Also thanks to everyone who wanted to be there, but had to settle for Twitter. I knew you were still with me <3


From Eric's blog, The Primate Diaries on ScienceBlogs: http://scienceblogs.com/primatediaries/2009/06/a_primate_is_born.php

A Primate is Born

The following is something of an impromptu experiment in live birth twittering. It started out simply as a means to update friends and family, but as events transpired we received some unexpected international attention. The entire labor lasted 47 hours, involved three different locations and two surgeries. This after we had carefully planned for a natural birth with no interventions. Thank you to the hundreds of people in at least eight countries who followed our story and sent messages of support. Special thanks to Henry Gee, Senior Editor of Biological Sciences at Nature, who even blogged about the event.

As this is the live feed from both our Twitter accounts she is #1 while I am, appropriately, #2. Not all times are exact as I had to adjust from the Tehran timezone where I've reset my Twitter account settings in support of the ongoing Iranian civil rights movement.


Friday, June 26

#1
currently enduring some regular, painful contractions. not timing them yet. still getting things done :) 2:22 PM Jun 26th from web

Saturday, June 27th

#1
Breathing hard. Labor is not the chaise lounge it was reported to be. 12:27 AM Jun 27th from txt

#1
I am in the tub and feeling less pain. 1:08 AM Jun 27th from txt

#1
Midwife is on the way. . . 2:56 AM Jun 27th from txt

#1
At the birthing center. Dialated to 7cm. 4:27 AM Jun 27th from txt

#2
Rosy fingered dawn, as the line from Homer goes. By Zeus my son will be born come daylight. I may Twitter updates as events unfold. 5:14 AM Jun 27th from txt

#1
Baby is +1 / head past the cervix. Good progress. Now resting. 8:09 AM Jun 27th from txt

#2
The scene: She lay in large tub at birth center. Our doula and I press up on small of her back. Moans sound like sustained walrus growls. 9:37 AM Jun 27th from txt

#2
Walking across the room is slow and awkward. As if bipedalism is not her primary mode of locomotion. 9:59 AM Jun 27th from txt

#2
The Meaning of Life, Part I: The Miracle of Birth. Important difference with natural childbirth, there is no machine that goes 'Bing'. 10:56 AM Jun 27th from txt

#2
Five good friends around the tub. Two languages. Lots of laughter. 11:27 AM Jun 27th from txt

#2
Lip of cervix partially obstructing head. Amniotic sack may need to be ruptured to speed things along. 12:35 PM Jun 27th from txt

#2
About twenty hours in labor now. Eight since arriving at the birth center. Her hips are extremely sore as contractions continue. 2:25 PM Jun 27th from txt

#2
Anyone who claims that the birth canal is intelligently designed must admit a sadist for a designer. 2:27 PM Jun 27th from txt

#2
Midwife is now puncturing bag. Fun fact: amniotic fluid is almost the same salt content as sea water. Mammals carried the ocean with them. about 24 hours ago from txt

#1
Water broken. 2:32 PM Jun 27th from txt

#2
We've been given an all go for launch. I repeat, we've been given an all go for launch. about 23 hours ago from txt

#1
Pain and tears and .... push. about 23 hours ago from txt

#1
Moaning like a champ...not long now. 3:54 PM Jun 27th from txt

#2
The most painful part is when oversized Homo skull navigates through contorted pelvic bone adapted for bipedalism. Perfect storm ensues. about 23 hours ago from txt

#2
Don't know how long it's been. Haven't slept in more then 36 hours. She was passing out. Now has IV. We'll be making the final push soon. about 20 hours ago from txt

#2
We never should have come down from the trees. Big mistake. about 20 hours ago from txt

#2
Listening to Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical now. She's singing along. about 20 hours ago from txt

#2
Sitting in tub with her. Massaging hips during contractions. We're ready to move to the final stage. Head is less then 2 cm from crowning. about 20 hours ago from txt

#2
Approx. 26 hours of labor. Uterus will not push adequately. Transferring to Univ. Washington. Baby and mom both fine. Going to receive Re... about 17 hours ago from txt

#2
Receive pertussin. Labor should them be fast. Battery low but everything will be fine. about 17 hours ago from txt

#2
Sagan, our son to be, is a very considerate child. He's giving her a break from contractions on the bumpy road. Spirits are high. about 17 hours ago from txt

#2
One thing this experience has taught me is that, next to experiencing labor pains, men are pussies. about 17 hours ago from txt

#1
Now in hospital. Epidural is on its way. Oh please hurry. about 17 hours ago from txt

#1 (written by #2)
Erin is doing great. She received her epidural and pitocin. She is feeling sooo much better. We expect a smooth delivery soon. She is surrounded by loved ones. about 15 hours ago from txt

#2
Back in action. She got an epidural and pitosin. She feels great. Will hopefully give birth before midnight. We expect a smooth delivery. about 14 hours ago from txt

#2
The birth center was by far a more personal and enjoyable experience. Thankfully we have access to medical intervention when necessary. about 14 hours ago from txt

#2
She looks radiant. We seem to have gotten to a point beyond fatigue. Birth is imminent. Wow. about 14 hours ago from txt

#1
Sagan won't come out on his own. Looks like a C-section. about 14 hours ago from txt

Sunday, June 28th

#2
Baby won't descend. There is no other option. We are being prepped for cesarean. Humans are a bizarre species. How did we ever survive? about 12 hours ago from txt

#2
Tired. She started labor almost 36 hours ago. By the time this is over we'll have been awake for two days. I needed help reading a contract. about 12 hours ago from txt

#2
Oh yes, what she needed was more tubes and wires stuck into her flesh. about 12 hours ago from txt

#2
She was just taken to surgery. I'm dressed like a smurf. 9 of us waiting for them to get me. Telling our favorite story of last 2 days. about 11 hours ago from txt

#2
Sagan was born at 1:11 am. He is 8.5 lbs. Very healthy. She is still in surgery. Blood in urine. Need to find source. She was put under. about 9 hours ago from txt

#2
Just got update. Source of blood not found yet. She is lucid, stable and only given epidural. Will stay awake until I hear about her condition. about 9 hours ago from txt

#2
She's back after many hours of surgery. Shaken but with all her parts. A grand adventure is at its end, or rather, has just begun. A primate is born. about 8 hours ago from txt

#2
Slept for about three hours. This morning Sagan nursed successfully. Both mom and baby are now asleep. I'm watching over them. less than 20 seconds ago from txt

#2
Just went online for first time in 3 days. Had no idea about the huge response and international support. Thank you, thank you, thank you. less than 10 seconds ago from txt


***Apparently one of the first things to go after sleep deprivation is your quantitative ability. 2:22 pm June 26th to 1:11 am June 28th is 35 hours, not 47. Quick someone test me and send some math games to check my ability.

Sagan Christopher Ziegenfuss

Too tired to give a full report. Fortunately, we kept a running update of events as they transpired. Click on this link HERE to read the full story of our 47 hour birth ordeal. But first, enjoy the end result.

gestate.

Pronunciation: \ˈjes-ˌtāt\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): ges·tat·ed; ges·tat·ing
Etymology: back-formation from gestation
Date: 1858

transitive verb:
1 : to carry in the uterus during pregnancy
2 : to conceive and gradually develop in the mind

intransitive verb : to be in the process of gestation

Sponsor-A-Diaper : Your Donations are Needed!

Dear family + friends,

The time has come. While Eric and I anxiously await our little arrival, we are in need of your assistance...with diapers. Apparently babies require some, and they are costly buggers.

We will be cloth diapering, so this necessitates an upfront cost. I have searched and researched carefully, and have found excellent deals on a variety of second-hand cloth diapers and covers, typically at around half the cost of new ones. However, babies still require lots of them considering that they continue to grow, thus we are asking for your financial donation to our bum-covering cause! You may also think of it as our virtual baby shower!

Imagine it this way:

$10 sponsors 2 cloth diapers
$15 sponsors 2 cloth diapers + 1 PUL cover
$20 sponsors 2 cloth diapers + 1 wool cover
$25 sponsors 2 cloth diapers + 1 wool cover + cloth wipes

If you love to pick out gifts, we still also welcome whatever you might select for us. We do have our online registries linked in the sidebar. ==>

Our previous post has a detailing of some of our other needs, but quite simply we recognize that our priority is diapers, diapers, diapers!

Checks can be sent to us (please email me for our address)

OR

You can also donate using your credit or debit card RIGHT NOW by clicking here to donate directly into our bank account via our Paypal account. (Your PayPal account also accepted!) Please let me know if you need any assistance with it!


There will be PLENTY of cloth bum pictures in the future! When you see them, won't you love knowing that, "Hey, that bum was made extra cute/fluffy/covered by ME!!!" ????

If you would like more information about cloth diapering goodness, just ask! I love to talk about it and am so excited to begin!

Our estimated due date is fast approaching - this Friday, June 26th. I fully expect that this babe will be a late one. We will be twittering (and maybe blogging) updates. Look for a post soon on how to follow along on our twitter!

with lots + lots of love,

erin

your patience is rewarded.

PICTURES! PICTURES! PICTURES!

From babybaby

Click the image to link to our updated babybaby photo album!

thank yous and wishes.

First off, I want to hugely thank Grandma Jean for bringing so many pregnancy and birth items during her visit, and to both her and Grandpa Chris for the Moby Wrap and the donation which we have used some of toward a bouncer! Also, many thanks to GramZee for the maternity hoodie and new comfy shoes – both are being worn practically every day!

Now, to our baby needs, otherwise known as a baby registry. We believe that it is important to live sustainably, so we try to purchase secondhand. However, this is not always possible, so when acquiring new things we try to purchase environmentally friendly items and support independent sellers. Thus, we have NOT registered at any major chain stores (like Babies R Us, Target, and never, ever Wal-Mart), but instead have created a wishlist from many independent sellers and great webstores found on the internet. Here are some important notes regarding the items we hope to acquire (this is also on the wishlist):

1) We definitely want as little plastic as possible, but here is a cheat sheet for BPA free baby drinking and eating products: http://safemama.com/2007/11/22/bpa-free-bottle-and-sippy-cup-cheat-sheet/

2) We also hope to minimize the amount of plastic toys in kiddo's life.

3) We think second-hand items are great.

4) We know we can get lots of things we need (clothing, equipment, toys, etc.) secondhand, so if you don't want to scavenger your local baby second-hand stores, craigslist, or amazon (yep - they also sell second-hand items!), we are also taking monetary donations. Just let us know what you want the money to go toward and we will hunt it down! (Click HERE to donate with your credit/debit card or PayPal account.)

Really, for the most part these are merely suggestions to give you an idea of what kinds of fun things we think are neat for baby.

Motifs/designs/themes that we really, really love: DINOSAURS!!!, monkeys, robots, space, other science-y stuff, nature stuff (trees, bugs, etc.), owls, puppies and other cute animals ☺ Retro styles are also fun.

We recognize that our main needs are for:

- diapering supplies!!!!! (we will be doing cloth - I will do a separate post detailing our diapering needs)

- a soft structured baby carrier (Beco Butterfly II DUO in Rust with owls, please! I love it!)

- some baby health equipment (like the Nosefrida Nasal Aspirator, baby nail clippers, and an ear thermometer)

- baby feeding and drinking implements*, including storage for homemade baby foods (oh, yeah, and we will probably need a food processor for that…I’m sure we can pick up a steamer insert. Is that all we need for that?)

- pacifiers, bibs, teething toys

- baby wash cloths/reusable wipes, baby towels?

- breastfeeding stuff like comfort items (see the set from EarthMamaAngelBaby), nursing tops/bras (gift certificate?), bottles (wide neck, glass or BPA-free plastic) and milk storage in case I need to be away from baby

- baby legwarmers, t-shirts (long and short sleeved, sides snaps are great!), and clothing items to keep baby warm outside

- Pack ‘n Play with removable bassinette and changing table (many available second-hand)

*Cheat sheet for BPA free baby drinking and eating products

If there are other things that you think we should not live without, please recommend them to me or feel free to get them for us.

We will be getting or already have: bouncer, breast pump, infant car seat, tub. We can get lots of onesies for .99 or less (mostly short sleeved) and receiving blankets for $2 or less from second-hand stores. We will also be getting lots of hand-me-downs of clothes and shoes. We will eventually need a good jogger stroller, but since we will be baby wearing we may wait until later to get one (maybe next Spring? Pretty sure I won’t do much jogging until then anyway.) We will probably wait to get a high chair and swing until after we move. If you find any good deals on a travel/hook-on high chair (attaches to table) though, we could easily pack that up for later ☺

We also have a book list on the Amazon baby registry. We, of course, love books and have found so many already that we would love to have. Again, we have tried to prioritize, so please sort the list by priority to see what we really, really want and consider the rest fun suggestions. As high priorities, we are most interested in acquiring cloth and board baby books, as well as some parenting books on breastfeeding, baby foods, and baby yoga (you will see the specific books when you sort for high priority).

Picture Perfect

Click on the picture (or on the link in the post below) to see many more.

pictures. that's right.

I will type out more words later... for now, please enjoy THE PICTURES that you have been waiting for!

thanks for your patience!

Canada Bound

It appears the long wait is over. The final tally was Canada: 2, United States: 0. The mounties have done it! Both Canadian universities I applied to -- Simon Fraser and University of British Columbia -- have accepted me and offered gobs of cash to attend. The three US universities told me to get lost. With this not so subtle rejection by the country that raised me it seems that our new baby-to-be will enjoy their first few years on Canadian soil.

Erin and I are looking for an apartment on campus so that during any breaks in my schedule I can be home. I have a guaranteed income for two years as I complete the Masters in History. However, if I show excellent progress on my dissertation project (which I've already begun) I can enter into the PhD program after one year. I will then have an additional four years of guaranteed income. The offer is about as good as the one I had at Duke, plus I'll be researching a topic I genuinely love.

While we're very sad that we have to leave Seattle and the amazing family we've created here, we're also very enthusiastic about this next step in our adventure. With free health care and amazing social services for infants and new mothers, Canada is certainly a wonderful opportunity. Considering that the US is falling off a cliff economically at the moment, fleeing up north will probably become more and more popular as time goes on. So we'll check things out for you and will be very available for any future refugees that hope to experience the beautiful vistas and community oriented culture of our northern neighbors.

Have a nice afternoon, eh.