After reading so many contemporary books about the labor process and HOW MUCH GIVING BIRTH IN A HOSPITAL IS BAD BAD BAD FOR MOM AND BABY I was pleasantly surprised to find a progressive, woman-focused maternity center. While we’re not necessarily focused on having a “natural” (read: drug free) birth, the maternity pavilion at St. Ann’s is incredibly receptive and supportive of the idea. The labor rooms (especially the ones with tubs) are big and seem focused on making the process as comfortable for mom AND dad as possible. Most equipment is hidden in furniture, and lighting is soft and calming. The books (and to a lesserdegree, our birth classes at CHOICE) really make you think that you will have to fight to keep the baby near us after labor, at St. Ann’s the protocol is kangaroo care. We wrote our birth plan not knowing what to expect, and almost everything we requested is standad at the hospital!
Oh, and there’s a Tim Hortons in the lobby. Flippin’ sweet.
It was a reassuring and comforting tour, and even though I looked everywhere, I couldn’t find this:
Didn’t wake up crazy early today, and decided to have a nice double espresso con panna at Cup O’ Joe before shopping. Tori came with to grab a sweet treat of her own. We grabbed the C-Dubs and headed to Clintonville Market. We missed strawberries (easily rectified by stopping at Weiland’s afterwords) and the sexy, sexy produce was minimal.
Mixed (chicken) eggs, broccoli, lettuce (lolla rosa & mixed oaks and leafs), new potatoes, green beans, pulled pork from Oink Moo Cluck, teeny tiny scallions, asparagus, Blue Jacket chevre, carrots (small and swwet, my favorite!), kale, the aforementioned strawberries from Wielands, and Blue Jacket feta.
Today is our first baby shower! This is the fun one, thrown by friends, without any weird goo-goo gah-gah talk. Super excited to see some old friends, drink some drinks and listen to some God Damn Grateful Dead. Pictures later……
Tori and I threw a baby shower for two of our favorite people this weekend. We had a lot of fun planning and executing, and the whole thing went off without a hitch! Well, I guess that’s not entirely true…the daddy-to-be caught a bug and couldn’t make it at the last minute. But everything in our control went well. It was a really windy day at Blendon Woods, cool but not cold. We kept the food simple, dogs and burgers on the grill with a few salads on the side. Long picnic tables were covered in kraft paper and topped with small glass bowls with tulips tucked into them. It was heartwarming to see so many people come out to support the couple, and I think it’s safe to say even the guys had fun.
They made the same choice as us and have not found out the baby’s sex. ”Meep” was at first the onomatopoeia for their baby’s communications, but has become it’s nickname. In case you were wondering what the hell I was talking about.
And check out these unbelievable cookies that one of Tori’s friends from pottery class made! Little tags and everything.
Thanks to @bayinghound for letting me know that there will be an Eco-friendly craft show next month in Clintonville! Fun crafts and live music at Whetstone park. Details here.
Tori and I took the k9s to Battelle Darby Creek yesterday for a nice walk in the woods. Cy-dog decided to jump in at the doggy beach (with 40 degree temps!) and even Sassy tried to get in on the action, chasing geese into the lake. We had a great time, and I’m glad I spent a day in the woods during my little vacation. Here are some of the pictures I snapped on our walk…
So pissed off right now. The past two weeks we’ve been watching a neighbors house become a quickie mart for meth or crack or… something. Non stop traffic in our back alley, people running in the house, then back out within five minutes. The customers are less than gracious, parking wherever is convenient (my back yard, neighbors spots…whatever. The alley is getting torn up and littered.) I’ve spoken to neighbors and placed a few tips via the Columbus Police tip line. I’m pretty liberal about this kind of stuff, but when no attempt is made to be discrete and damage is being done to property in the ‘hood, I get a little irked.
Today I was returning home from a trip to the baby store and I pulled past my garage to find a huge day-glo green tag on my garage wall. I really don’t think that the two things are related, but I can’t help but feel doubly violated. The “broken window theory” has it’s faults, but it’s hard not to reach the conclusion that crime breeds crime. Clintonvilles southern and eastern borders bump into some dicey neighborhoods, and I refuse to let that element creep into the part of Columbus that I love the most. We’ve got a baby on the way and I don’t want to have to lose sleep wondering if this is the right place to be living.
Spring is around the corner, and I’m anticipating that the increased outdoor activities of the neighborhood will help stop this kind of activity. I’m also planning a trip to the local police station to talk with some of our local cops and share my concerns. Crochety? Hell yes. But this is my home. It just grinds my gears.
Tori and I will be bringing Tiny E to tonight’s DSO show at The Newport. I used my Decibel Club membership (finally!) to get free tickets to the show. If you don’t know, DSO recreates the music of the Good Ol’ Grateful Dead in an alarmingly accurate manner. They modify stage setups, band members and set lists to match the exact period they are recreating. In 2007, Tori and I attended Gratefulfest at Nelsons Ledges, and DSO performed flawlessly. The shows are not only a great time, but they serve as a meeting point for area Deadheads. I’ve talked to others about how it can be really difficult to connect with like minded people when you move around as much as we do, so the ability to boogie my ass off and meet new friends is always welcome. I’ve seen them maybe a dozen times, and always had a fantastic experience. If you’re in the Columbus area, come check them out tonight!
A giant wind and rain storm moved through central Ohio yesterday. I was at work when a customer commented on the rainbow outside. I rarely catch the kind of rainbows where you see both ends, so this was treat. After a minute of shooting I saw the second bow to the side of it! It was a smaller, more faded one, but cool none the less. My Nikons panoramic mode is different than the old Kodak, and I borked the picture. Photoshop helped me stitch it together, but it’s not the best…
