redtree_innerviews_belly_fire redTree wha are you living for? what would you die for? what would you kill for? 080507 ... belly fire living for: meaning at the end die for: almost anyone kill for: almost nothing 080705 ... redTree what are the top five events of your life this year? 081209 ... belly fire 1) pregnancy 2) Dad's second remission 3) Amy surviving a crash 4) sister got accepted into Social Services 5) Trevor's 30th surprise 081210 ... belly fire aka ...a phone call from the doctor ...a phone call from Dad ...a phone call from Amy ...a phone all from Kristi ...one pure moment of surprise 081210 ... redTree congratulations on the baby news! how far along are you? did you choose names? 081211 ... belly fire 15 weeks :) It's either Bennett or Anna...but for now just "benana" and thank you for the nice wishes :) 081211 ... rt do i have "permission" to ask you... what is beyond you? 090309 ... belly fire I guess I'm always limiting myself by what I think I deserve. Not asking for too much, trying to balance out the scales of giving/receiving to the people in my life. I sometimes have the unique opportunity to see into other people's lives...and how things are never as balanced as I pretend they are. Not to mention, sometimes I realize I'm part of a love so big, I wonder how I came to deserve it. What is beyond me? That's a great question. I guess I'm the only one who decides that. 090309 ... rt congratulations on the birth of your son. how was the labor and delivery? 090610 ... rt how's the little one? 090729 ... belly fire Thank you. My little man is doing well - and I feel like I've completely transformed. It's hard to explain, really, in that I don't truly understand it myself. But in those rare quiet moments to myself I sit and wonder - as melodramatic as this is going to sound (gag) - if I was born too the day I gave birth to my son. Like, a new me? Everyone told me it would happen...and I guess it did. On a more personal level. I watch him grow with each passing week and wonder where the time goes. He smiles every day now, and it's this completely humbling feeling that he not only depends on me but he knows me. He sees my face and he knows I'm his mother. Amazing. 090731 ... belly fire Oh, and labour/delivery? Definitely not as scary as I may have dreamed it to be. I watched the sun come up as the contractions got closer. I had the most amazing nurse take care of me all through labour. My husband (aka the perfect coach) was by my side until our little boy arrived - and we both surprised ourselves by how ready we really were for him. Parenthood...definitely all it's cracked up to be ;) 090731 ... rt i'm so thrilled for you and your new family. as you may know from past blathes, my wife and i have three daughters and i remember each labor and delivery with vivid and intricate detail as well as all of the individual moments of infant to child. i loved everything you said, all of it. it dripped with new mother wonder. and i agree about parenthood. not only life-changing but life defining, affirming, and exulting. what did your husband do the moment your son was born? i cried and laughed at the same time! what is the little one's name? 090731 ... belly fire The moment Bennett arrived and was placed on my belly my husband buried his face into my neck and quietly cried. We held each other for a long moment and took it all in. I cried too, but was way too distracted trying to find parts of myself in our son's face. I was there alright! Life affirming, for sure. Like nothing mattered before this :) 090801 what's it to you? who go blather from