No but seriously: we have considered putting "The Final Countdown" on our song list that we will play when it comes time for Spooky to come out. Somehow, though, I'm thinking the song will be a little too upbeat for me as I strive to find my "focal point."
[A note on focal points: I want to try to have this baby with all the feelings that come with it, but I also don't want to panic and stiffen up from the pain that is supposed to be greater than anyone can imagine until it's all over everywhere around them. So apparently breathing, relaxing, and having a "focal point" helps. My problem is that I can't ever decide on a focal point, so they get all jumbled. My doctor said her focal point was being on a tractor, riding off into an endless sunset surrounded by the fruit tree groves she grew up on. Ina May Gaskin, a totally hip and scholarly midwife whose book I read, said she just imagined she was a mountain lion. When David and I practice breathing together (so adorable, I know, and pretty necessary for this periodically hyperventilating crazy wife) I imagine he and I are at an Asian bath in a cabin in the woods only it's also a Miyazaki film (because some of our song tracks are "relaxing piano" versions of Miyazaki film theme songs) and also sometimes it's snowing and sometimes there is a campfire and sometimes it is night, sometimes evening, sometimes morning, sometimes we're snuggled up in warm clothes, sometimes we are in swimsuits, and sometimes I'm suddenly in the baths in my ski trip outfit and it's too hot for sweaters anyway and David is tapping me on the shoulder and telling me I need to relax. Maybe I should just go with "I am a mountain lion. I am a mountain lion. I am a mountain lion..."]
Here's a picture of David jumping behind our house. I'd show the front of our house, too, but I'm too lazy right now to photoshop the house number off the picture. And the last thing we need is some weird internet stalker.
But here's Davie on our front porch:
Anyway, I have no time to write this blog post considering that I'm basically a ticking time bomb and could go at any time, but I wanted to tell everyone that this Grover fam is still alive and well, and also, some of you might want to see the apocalyptic pictures of the Lubbock dust storm from yesterday. It was awesome. David and I stayed inside and sang Beatles songs while leaves, garbage, grackles, pumpkins, and small cows slammed against our sliding glass doors.
P.S. These pictures were taken at the same time of day as the other pictures in this post. And, as I have mentioned earlier, I have no time for photoshopping. This was the color of our world. And quit making fun of the duct tape on our car.
9 comments:
I loved all the photos, especially of you and David. I just wish Spooky would make his/her appearance soon. Just for the record, my focal point was with every labor pain I imagined my cervix opening more and more! Probably not what they had in mind but it worked for me. Love you guys, MOM Grover
Hey Momma Grover, that actually is good advice! I will remember to think of that and see if it works for me, too.
I miss you, and I think you'd make a fabulous mountain lion. :)
I actually used that same imagery as Mom! And my mantra was "relax and open... relax and open... relax and open..." Totally nasty but very useful.
Emily! You're great. Dave! You're great!
I know working out is not the same as labor but when I work out I stare at a picture of George Clooney's ex that I ripped out of a magazine because she has a slammin' body and it keeps me inspired. Maybe you can look at a picture of something, or are you not really looking at anything when you are in that much pain? Anyway, I rented Fantastic Mr. Fox today and it reminded me of ya'll. Miss you guys, I hope I see you around Christmas time.
Is that really a dust storm or just sepia tone? I have the same question about focal points.
Zach, I PROMISE you, that is a dust storm at 5:00 in the afternoon. No sepia tones were used. It went from blue skies to red fog in a matter of seconds. It was like that scene from _War of the Worlds_ with Tom Cruise where everyone walked out of their houses and stared at the sky. Except without all the aliens and people exploding into dust clouds. But it did knock our pumpkins into the yard and turned off our power for a few hours.
I think the thing that helped me the most was something our birth class instructor said about how contractions were usually only about a minute, and we can do hard things for a minute. So during contractions I'd think over and over, "I can do hard things for a minute." Good luck!
Post a Comment