Matthew and Hava left for the hospital about two hours after the previous update was posted. Hava's contractions were 3 to 4 minutes apart and had been for an hour and a half. The hospital will not admit a laboring woman until her cervix has dilated to 4cm but Hava was experiencing too much pain and decided to risk being sent home. After waiting in the HOT WAITING ROOM with other non laboring people for 45 minutes (while having contractions at 3 minutes apart and less), Hava was given a room and found to be 4cm (hooray!).

After about an hour of labor in the labor room, Hava was still 4cm and in agony every 2 minutes for a minute so she decided to have the epidural. Having the epidural was one of the smartest choices Hava has ever made in her entire life (and she isn't exaggerating). She had a "text book" labor from that point on (according to the doctors) and dilated 1 cm each hour completely pain free (they broke Hava's water after two hours at 4 cm). Matthew and Hava saw Hava's new favorite movie, "Love, Actually" and enjoyed themselves while watching Hava's contractions come and go on the monitor. Hava could feel the pressure of the contractions but absolutely no pain. There were no adverse side effects to the epidural - contractions didn't slow down, and she was, in the end, COMPLETELY able to feel the need to push. Before the epidural, it was too painful to even see Matthew move or speak during contractions.

Anyway, around 1 am Hava started to feel like she needed to, well, make a BM. And as if she hadn't made a BM in around, say 100 years and really really needed to make a BM that entire 100 years but just couldn't. Unfortunately, pushing isn't allowed until 10 cm and between 7 and 10 felt like YEARS (Hava's contractions actually got so close together during this two to three hour period that the doctor became concerned and put an internal monitor in her uterus).

Alas, at around 1:30 am Hava was declared a 10 and she, with the help of her lovely assistant Matthew and the nurse, began the pushing process (one of Hava's legs was completely numb from the epidural and the other wasn't completely useful). The nurse said that pushing usually takes about two hours for a first time mother. Hava couldn't bear the thought of another two hours so she pushed with all of her might.

Simon Lucas Kagle was born approximately 30 minutes after pushing began at 2:08 am. Simon let loose with a loud cry, was placed on Hava's chest and Matthew cut the cord. Simon scored a 9 on his one minute and five minute apgar tests (out of 10 and the doctor said she had never given a 10 to a vaginal birth). An hour or two after giving birth, Hava was moved to the recovery area where she stayed for the rest of that night and the following night.

Simon was with her the entire time and everything was perfect. The beginning!

As of noon (regularly scheduled doctor appointment), Hava was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced. Currently contractions are between 6 and 11 minutes apart and very painful (but bearable). The doctor agrees that he is coming out tonight.

There was a huge contraction and then the cork was popped. Alas, the contractions are not very close together anymore so this may take quite a while.

Isn't it cosmic that a bandwidth problem would start the moment there is actually news to put in the news section? Hopefully it will be fixed and someone will be able to read this. Sunday went something like this: Hava had a full night of sleep, woke up and had breakfast, fell asleep, woke up and ate lunch, fell asleep, woke up and went for a walk with Matthew, experienced the beginning of a "show", had dinner and went to sleep. Around 2 am she woke up with what can only accurately be described as menstrual cramps that come and go and are a bit more intense . They are currently about eight minutes apart (it is now 4 am). Hava is now going to watch the movie "Say Anything" and try to let Matthew get some more sleep for the big day ahead. Here is the goal of the moment, can Hava make something to eat AND eat it in seven minutes or less?

Baby George is still comfy. No sign of departure on his calendar. Hava and Matthew think that he might actually TRY to make it out given another week (since he shows signs of moving down and then promptly returns to his comfy place above the pelvis). Yesterday's doctor said that the pretend breathing thing is a sign of fetal happiness. Why move if you are happy where you are?

*UPDATE* Well, amazingly enough, Hava's fluids jumped to 19 cm and George scored an 8 out of 8 on his "biophysical profile" (the doctors really like that he "breathes" on his own). The doctor said she still would have been happy to induce today, alas there were far too many women giving birth and all of the rooms were full. Oh, Hava's fluids seem to have recovered because she was a couch potato all morning; apparently, this is what is required of her from now on (bring on the Netflix!). Monday we will go to our appointment and choose a day for him to come out. They would like him out by next Saturday so that the placenta doesn't have time to deteriorate. Go George!

P.S. Hava had a huge braxton-hicks contraction while hooked up to the machine and she didn't feel a thing. Wouldn't it be really great if she didn't feel the real ones either?

George has not executed his escape plan. We hope this isn't an early sign of stubbornness and prefer to think he is just ultra comfy. Here is the plan for the day:

1. As soon as we are ready to get moving, we will call labor and delivery at the hospital and ask for Hava's "fluids to be checked" by the doctor on call (wouldn't it be nice if they could "top off" the fluids if they were found to be low?). They should give us an appropriate time to arrive and we will bring all of our "stuff" with us just in case (doctor's advice).

2. If Hava's amniotic fluid levels are below 5 (cm?) as seen through an ultrasound, she will be admitted. On Thursday, the levels were 5-point-something and they want them to be over 8.

3. If Hava is admitted, they will first put special gel stuff on her cervix to get it to efface and slightly dilate. (Apparently this doesn't always work and the Kaiser handout says it could take "days" so Hava is unsure where she is and what she does during this time.)

4. Assuming Hava's cervix becomes "favorable", the Pitocin is started and, theoretically, she goes into labor. Here we are assuming that George just needs a few good squeezes to get him to "engage" into the pelvis.

If Hava's fluid levels are still above 5, she is checked every two days until they are below 5 or until George arrives on his own. There will be an update to this page today, after the appointment (unless George is induced and we aren't here).

Cute George story of the day: When Hava was hooked up to the fetal monitor, we were shown proof that George is enamored with his dad. Every time Matthew talked to the belly, George's heart rate spiked. Amazing, no? At least we know his listens.

Es gibt kein baby hier. Non ci è bambino qui. Não há nenhum bebê aqui.

As today may be our last day as free wheeling non-laboring adults, we will be enjoying baby-free life (and running last minute errands). There are so many mediocre movies out right now that we haven't quite determined which one is worth our money. Alas, this problem is a good one to have so we will take it in stride and choose straws or flip coins.

Here is George's newest thing: when Hava sits in the recliner, George eventually shifts his entire body to one side or the other so he can lean against the arm rest or whatever happens to be propping him up. This is mostly amusing from the point of view of someone looking at Hava's belly which becomes incredibly lopsided.

P.S. All non-caesarian vibes are welcome. Please send them anytime to Hava and SL, Labor and Delivery, Kaiser Hospital, Santa Clara, California, USA, Earth.

*UPDATE* The non-stress test (simply measuring George's heart rate and Hava's contractions for 20 minutes) concluded that George is acting in a healthy way. Of course, he had to be enticed by apple juice and Matthew's singing before waking up and being active enough for the test to be successful. After the non-stress test (during which Hava had a contraction which she totally didn't feel) Hava was given another ultrasound to check her amniotic fluid levels. Unfortunately, though George looks great and was pretending to breathe (which is a really good sign that he is very healthy), Hava's fluid levels are on the low side of "borderline" acceptable. We will have them checked again on Saturday at which time it is likely they will decide to induce. If the fluid levels are still within the borderline range on Saturday, we check again on Monday (yadda yadda). George still hasn't dropped and Hava is neither effaced nor dilated so inducing at this time will likely result in a very long labor. Alas, it looks like George is going to be induced one way or the other since coming out "naturally" before the fluid levels reach the "induce" range is highly unlikely. Ah well.

Nope. Nothing. Doctor appointment is today at 3 pm. Will report more after 4 or 5 pm.

We did stop by the library last night and I picked up two random books; I only have a few more pages left on the first (and it isn't even that good).

Sorry, this is still a baby free zone.

Boredom is really starting to set in. Hava's energy comes in short spurts and then her hugeness needs to lie down and rest. Matthew's final lecture for the quarter is tomorrow. Maybe George is just being a good son and waiting for a more convenient time to make his appearance. Both Hava and Matthew are kind of at the "he's not coming out, let's just move on with our lives" stage. You see, it isn't that we are impatient, it is that there are ABSOLUTELY no signs that anything is happening on that front. A false contraction now and then, some pain, maybe a little bleeding; anything would be reassuring. These things are all supposed to happen days (if not weeks) in advance of delivery (for first pregnancies). George does seem happy as can be in his little world -- until someone rests something on or near "his space" which causes bouts of kicking and squirming.

Still no baby. Hava thinks she feels George trying to get into her pelvis but something is either preventing him from getting there or preventing him from staying there. This activity is usually followed by a case of the hiccups. George gets the hiccups a lot; Hava does too; sometimes they hiccup together.

No baby. Here is something weird: every time the phone rings Hava expects it to be a call telling her that George is coming *now*. This is very strange. Matthew thinks it has something to do with Hava's feelings of someone else being in control of the situation. He thinks the caller, in Hava's psyche, is George.

Matthew thinks we should now have updates every day by 5pm (pacific time). If you don't see an update by 5pm, you can suspect something is up (or down, as the case may be).

Matthew and Hava have decided to walk around town twice a day to give George a good jostle in hopes that he will MOVE DOWN. The room is ready, the bag is packed, the freezer is stocked, the house is clean, and Hava's body is ready to go (she will spare you the details unless you ask). Where is the baby?

Our next appointment is Thursday, June 10 at 3pm. He will undergo a stress test for 15-20 minutes to ... see if he has any stress (?) and we will have another ultrasound to make sure he has not outgrown his home. Assuming all is well with George, we then choose a day for induction (there are three slots a day); we're thinking of June 16 -- exactly a month after Matthew's birthday. That also gives George some time to make it out on his own (which Hava GREATLY prefers).

*UPDATE* George is not coming out. EVER. He won't drop into Hava's pelvis which is why she is so incredibly large. Say it with me now: "How large is she?" Actually, she doesn't know because the doctor didn't want to tell her (it would be too upsetting). Next week we schedule the induction for the following week. George WILL be out before father's day one way or the other.

No baby. No sign of delivery anytime soon. Weight gain continues at a pound a week or more even though "What to Expect When You're Expecting" says that the final weeks are marked by cessation of weight gain or even weight loss. Next checkup is today at noon but there is no real reason to think the doctor will say anything remarkable. After the appointment we will walk to a restaurant on Castro and then walk home. Harry Potter starts at 3:45. Hooray!

Today is the first official day of Hava's maternity leave. She was very sad to leave work on Friday but is now beginning to understand the beauty of not being at work. So far Hava and Matthew have had a leisurely morning -- taking a walk to the post office and back (about 2 miles round trip) and stopping off at a coffee shop for some juice and a brief read of the local newspaper. No sign of George's imminent arrival. Not even any braxton-hicks contractions. Hava has no idea what a contraction is supposed to feel like; we hope she finds out over the next few days.

No sign of George but here is a list of things to be curious about (at least this is our list): Will George have blond hair (like little Hava) or red (like little Matthew)? Brown eyes (Hava) or blue (Matthew)? Will he be basically bald (baby Hava) or have a head full of hair (baby Matthew)? Will he be a happy, calm baby (after all, Hava has suffered through fish high in Omega 3's once a week to get this result) or a needy, cranky baby? And will big brother Winslow regain his sanity after Hava stops producing so many hormones?

Winslow, our neurotic maroon bellied conure, became afraid of basically everything, every place, and everyone (except Hava) last October right around the time Hava's pregnancy hormones really started to kick in. Our wonderful Avian Vet thinks it is possible that Hava's hormones are affecting Winslow's behavior but there don't seem to be any studies out there on conure behavior and human pregnancy so we just have to wait ...

No signs of an imminent arrival (in fact, no signs of an eventual arrival except the whole really pregnant thing). Tomorrow is Hava's last day at work before maternity leave begins. Next week the plan is for Hava and Matthew to enjoy life doing things without baby (movies, restaurants, etc.). The tickets for opening day (June 4) of Harry Potter 3 have been purchased to give Hava something to look forward to when George doesn't arrive early. By the way, babies of first time white mothers in the United States (aka people that fit the description of Hava) average EIGHT days late. This is being reported so the worrying about Hava not going into labor come June 6 issue can be avoided. When he arrives, you will get a call from Matthew revealing the details. Though it is impossible to tell for sure, George probably now weighs around eight pounds. If he is average, he will gain approximately one half pound each week until he is born. Since Kaiser considers babies under ten pounds a manageable size, Hava probably won't need to be induced unless he is two weeks late. Our next medical appointment is June 4 at noon -- just before Harry Potter!

**UPDATE** Nothing has changed. George continues to grow and is now the size of a 40 week fetus. Hava has neither effaced nor dilated. George needs to drop even further. On the positive side, Hava may just get to see Harry Potter in the theaters on June 4.

Hava's two-week doctor appointment is today at 3 pm (PDT). She will report more after that time. For now, here is what she knows:

Circumference: 44.5 inches (one inch growth just over the weekend!), Weight gain: 28 pounds, Maternity shirts that fit: 0, Maternity pants that fit: 1, Shorts: 0

Hava can no longer wear ANY maternity shirts so instead she pretends to be Professor Matthew (men's dress shirts work really well). George dropped even more on Sunday so that Hava's below-the-belly pants and shorts became obscenely low -- so low that they might as well have been attached to her thighs. Needless to say, it was impossible to keep them up and they were all relegated to the "burn me" pile of frustrating maternity wear. Hava should have invested in a dress or overalls early on. Live and learn. Hava is also sad to report that Jumbo Baby's position (WAY out in front, curled up in a ball) has caused the start of some stretch marks below her belly button (which is still an innie by the way).

Hava looks and feels as though she might pop at any second and that would be just fine with her. Bring on the pain and suffering, PLEASE.

Hava knows she is large (and has mentioned this a lot in the updates below). Why do so many people feel the need to point it out? Do they think she doesn't KNOW that she has a large heavy beach ball attached to her front, that she can't walk correctly and that she looks uncomfortable? Hava wonders how many pregnant women go into seclusion at this point just to avoid really irritating comments. And, while she is venting, Hava wants to add that although she really likes the topic of George and is more than happy to relay details when there are any, she would actually like to talk about something else occasionally (like WORK when she is at work). See, there isn't that much to talk about. He doesn't actually DO much besides kick and squirm and that news gets pretty old after a while, no? [Note: this rant is not directed toward you. Those 10+ coworkers who are irritating Hava don't have knowledge of this site.]

No one could possibly have imagined that Hava would get quite so large. People on the street stare in awe (seriously). Coworkers (all sympathetic at this point) agree that it isn't possible for Hava to get any larger and then they are amazed when, against all odds, she grows again. Hava now feels as though her rear end is unattached to the rest of her body so getting up from a seated or reclined position requires quite a bit of balance and patience before walking can be attempted successfully. Another odd symptom of late is that her hands fall asleep while she is lying down but they don't wake up in the normal, blood returning to hands (tingling) sort of way. Her fingers are just really hard to bend for five minutes or more. This may have something to do with the 45% more blood coursing through her body. The heat also seems to affect her hands so she has stopped wearing her ring for fear that she will get hot (a very common occurrence) and the ring will get stuck. Alas, Hava feels she should amend her etiquette tip from last week. She still believes it is ridiculous to ever desire to trade new-motherhood for late-pregnancyhood but she suggests that that might have everything to do with occupational state. Working is great for maintaining some semblance of normalcy but it also removes the ability to nap after a night without sleep, run around in unacceptable attire, spend time appreciating the beauty of solitude, and be generally mindless all afternoon long. Hava wants baby George to arrive early mostly so she will be relieved from the burden of getting up, attempting to dress appropriately, and pretending that she is paying attention. Alas, if she takes time off now, she will have less time with George and that just isn't an acceptable option. Two more weeks until maternity leave. Three more weeks until George's due date. Will Hava's pelvis make it? And, perhaps more importantly, will her rapidly thinning maternity pants survive?

Hava's Circumference: 42.5 in., Total Weight Gain: 25 pounds. Height of Fundus: 38 cm. Wardrobe Fitting Report: 1 pair of pants, 2 maternity shirts, some Matthew shirts still fit and one pair of his old swim trunks. FYI to future pregnant people, the clothes that now fit all came from Gap Maternity (and they didn't fit until about a month ago). All Motherhood Maternity clothes stopped fitting by month 6. Old Navy clothes fit until month 8.

George is not coming out anytime soon. This morning the doctor reported that he has not completely dropped so my cervix is not yet thinning or dilated. He is measuring at 38 weeks now and being two weeks plus or minus the average is within the normal range (last time he was 3 weeks ahead). We did get to see his face on the ultrasound and he looks pretty darn cute.

Next appointment is in two weeks.

Etiquette Tip: a pregnant woman can not possibly enjoy her last few weeks of pregnancy. Those who provide this advice to a woman in her final month have either never been pregnant or have selective amnesia about the experience.

Matthew and Hava spent Saturday in "Childbirth Preparation". They learned about medications and how they affect the baby and the delivery, what to expect in terms of the number of hours of each stage of labor, how to breathe to reduce stress (stress apparently makes things go much slower), and they were given a tour of the labor and delivery area. Hava felt even calmer about the whole thing after the class until that evening when it occurred to her that this abstract thing is going to happen relatively soon. Over the past week Hava has started to feel little cramps and pains and pressure. The nurse teaching the class was unwilling to say (just like Hava's Doctor) that George dropping three weeks early meant that he would arrive early but then she went on to teach that babies drop two to four weeks before labor (George dropped at week 33/40). Hmmm. George has so little room at this point that all of his movements are magnified. He often keeps a foot so far out that Hava and Matthew can touch and play with it before he brings it back into his little (or huge from Hava's perspective) world. Just like at the beginning of the pregnancy, Hava's basic foods once again consist of Cheerios, peanut butter, and fruit. At least this time she can eat other things without getting nauseous. It just doesn't occur to her to want anything else. Could George be dictating Hava's tastes?

Hava had such a good night of sleep last night that she feels the need to report all of those things she would like to remember and keeps forgetting to mention about pregnancy. Let us now switch to first person to make this easier .... I neglected to mention a few pregnancy "symptoms" over the past while. About three weeks ago I finally got a very light linea negra (line that runs vertically down the belly and seems to serve absolutely no purpose). The blond little-boy-leg-hair-like fuzz which has covered my belly and has been increasing in length from about month four is drawn to the line as if by magnetic attraction. I don't think either the hair or the line will show up in a photo but they are definitely visible from my perspective. In the past few days my belly button has almost closed as the inside reaches forward. I think it will end up completely flat but there really is nothing left to "pop out" at this point (*phew* one pregnancy paranoia averted!). I still go to the gym several times a week and try to walk two miles a day around the Marsh outside RLG company headquarters. The gym is the only place where strangers treat me like a pregnant lady. No one has ever opened a door, helped me lift something, touched my belly without asking, etc. (I hear these things happen) but people at the gym stare at my belly as I pass and some even seem to watch me intently as I ride the stationary cycle (I gave up my spinning class about four weeks ago since I couldn't seem to keep my heart rate under the recommended 140 bpm). I'm not entirely sure if they are staring in wonder (what must it be like to carry THAT much weight?), or horror (OH MY, I'm glad I'm not carrying that much weight). I am, however, firmly convinced that working out has allowed me to avoid most of the regular pregnancy maladies (varicose veins, swelling and edema, high blood pressure, hemorrhoids, cramps, stretch marks, etc.). I also tend to drink even more than usual which probably helps. I now go through two gallons of non-fat milk a week!

It has been a busy week in the pre-George world. Wednesday of last week brought a total surprise to Hava in the form of an RLG company baby shower. Hava was completely clueless about the entire thing. Little tea sandwiches shaped like babies and other cute things were eaten and purple and green balloons are probably still stuck on the entry way ceiling. It was fabulous and amazing that the entire place changed so much in the 20 minutes it took Hava to walk around the marsh. Saturday, Hava and Matthew (and baby George) spent the entire beautiful day inside the hospital learning about "Infant Care". The first half of the class -- "what you need and what you don't" -- was totally useless. Who doesn't have stuff by the time they are THIS pregnant? The second half of the class was diapering, bathing, swaddling, taking temperatures, etc. In other news, Hava has discovered that George's ultimate favorite time of the day is 4:45 - 5:15 am. She has discovered this because she is usually awake during this time period (and most other time periods as well). She thinks there will be no problem losing sleep when George comes. What sleep would that be? Matthew also thinks Hava should mention that she thinks she looks terribly fat. She knows she is supposed to look terribly fat but it is still very frustrating to BE terribly fat. Note the new picture above. Neither the shirt nor the pants can be worn for more than a few minutes because they severely cut off her circulation. Two pair of pants are left and 6 more weeks. She REALLY hopes JumboGeorge arrives a bit early.

*Update* Hava learned a few things at her afternoon appointment: 1. George is a really big boy (the size of a 36 week baby and still growing *owch*). 2. George has indeed dropped into Hava's pelvis in preparation for labor. 3. George will be delivered by the "doctor on call" -- a random assignment of one of 30 Kaiser practitioners.

Hava had pregnancy cold number 3 last week. Pregnancy colds are slightly nastier than other colds due to several factors: 1. the immune system checks, checks, and rechecks invading cells before it destroys them to make sure the invading cells are not related to baby -- causing the length of illnesses to be extended, 2. pregnant women are full of over active mucus membranes anyway so a cold just makes congestion that much worse, and 3. pregnant women can not take decongestants (because over active mucus membranes all over the body would be dried out and that would be bad). Alas, by Saturday afternoon -- just in time for SLK's baby shower -- the showers cleared and the cold subsided and Matthew and Hava had an absolutely fabulous time. George was unusually active all weekend and then Sunday afternoon Hava proclaimed "There is someone in my pelvis!" Hava believes she is correct in his dropping (even though it is a bit on the early side) not only because of the odd pressure in her pelvic area but also because George is having trouble reaching her ribs (to which she says "niener niener niener"). Droppage and everything else will be confirmed today at his monthly appointment. A special follow-up "how is George?" news item will be posted later. By the way, at this point all Matthew has to do is talk to the belly and little hands and feet go wild with enthusiasm (even from a sleep state). Matthew has a wee fan.

George has made the all-important transition from classical music to the Beatles. So far he seems to like "All Together Now", "When I'm 64", and "Mother Nature's Son" the most (or the least, it is hard to tell if he is dancing or trying to make the sounds stop). Matthew and Hava went to a breast feeding class over the weekend. Did you know that newborns will "crawl" their way up to a breast to find food immediately after they are born? Even though they can't possibly be hungry because the umbilical cord was just cut? Pretty neat stuff to watch. Hava and Matthew drew up a "birthing plan" after the class to let the hospital staff know their desires for the big day. At Kaiser (our HMO) all babies "room in" with the mother and are never taken to a nursery or even removed from the room unless something is wrong. They are also never given bottles or pacifiers which can cause babies to reject breast feeding. Baby books (movies and TV too) still seem to think that babies are whisked away after meeting the parents. Maybe that happens somewhere else in the country? Father gets to stay in the room with mother and baby so there is someone to bring the baby over to feed and snuggle. You've got to appreciate modernity. P.S. Still an innie without varicose veins or stretch marks (hooray!).

The nursery is finally complete. Have you seen Matthew's wall paintings? This past week Hava and Matthew put together the crib and a bookcase and the rest of the furniture was delivered (pictures of the room with furniture coming by next week when the room is cleared of other non-baby stuff). Also new this week, the counter tops are almost complete and there is a new hot-water heater in the house. People keep telling Hava she looks small (for being eight months pregnant) but she certainly doesn't feel small. The top of her belly aches if she eats or drinks to much or even if she slouches -- getting socks and shoes on in the morning requires a deep breath and a yoga position or help from a lovely assistant. Hava had her first prenatal massage over the weekend which was too fabulous for words. She recommends EVERYONE run out and get a prenatal massage -- even if they aren't pregnant. George is just as active as can be. He is still very fond of the right side of Hava's rib cage which he tends to "strum" during exciting moments (e.g. food intake, a poke from Mom or Dad, light entering the belly, and 2 am, 4 am and 6 am).

Hava is slowing down. George is speeding up. Matthew has completed 5 out of 7 murals but will not let Hava show them until the final two are finished (stay tuned, Hava is ready with the digital camera -- they are absolutely FABULOUS). George has acquired Hava's habit of rotating his feet and hands (or rubbing them up against something or someone) when he gets tired. Is it possible for organs to bruise? George is making working out difficult with the feet-in-the-rib trick. Pregnancy symptom check: sleepiness, feelings of sisterhood with blimps everywhere, readiness to meet George (overwhelming desire to have body back), weepiness over really dumb things, desire for chocolate (this may not actually be a symptom of pregnancy). Belly button check: still an innie!

In the past week it appears that Georgie has become a head-down feet-up baby. Indications of this include the feeling of little tickling hands where Hava's legs meet her torso and the use of her ribs as a foot storage area. He also only kicks on Hava's right side so we assume his back is up against her left side. Sometimes little toes can be felt grazing Hava as he kicks. Has Hava mentioned her inability to slouch? George and Hava are in a constant battle for space and property rights (he seems to think he OWNS the place). This has resulted in the improvement of Hava's posture (and stress on her back which needs to counter balance the 17 pounds smack dab in the front). The baby room murals are almost complete (pictures will be placed on this site once Matthew is finished) and furniture has been ordered (besides the crib which has been living unassembled in the living room for the past two months). We may have a really cute-yet-functional and able-to-grow-with-George nursery ready within the next two weeks.

The last entry was so bleak I thought it deserved a mid-week update: First off, Matthew came up with the ingenious idea of folding the feather bed in half and only placing it under Hava. Hava has now slept soundly without pain for several days in a row. The doctor said the hip/pelvis pain is caused by increased progesterone. Secondly, Georgie had his 28 week appointment on Tuesday and is measuring as if he were 29 weeks (not 28). This is still within the average -- it is nice to know he is thriving. Finally, for those paying attention to the kitchen remodel saga, "our guy" -- Amazing Handyman Jacek -- brought his guy over to the Kagle abode on Wednesday and they all agreed to cancel the Home Depot stone order in favor of granite installed by our guy's guy. This will not only save money and perhaps be more attractive but it also will leave us without kitchen counters for two days instead of three weeks. This just in: Matthew has accepted a part-time position teaching at a college in San Francisco. Hooray! Maybe Matthew will let Hava and George eat chocolate tonight?

The word of the week is OWCH. For those of you not aware, pregnant people are not supposed to sleep on their backs or (obviously) stomachs. Hava now has an extra 16 pounds resting on her hips and they feel as if they are dislocating while she sleeps (or rather while she doesn't sleep when it becomes too painful). This is not a new complaint (it started about 8 weeks back) but it is now nearly intolerable and incredibly frustrating. In other news, Matthew has finished all of the wall animals in the baby room and is moving on to their background environments. He is hoping to be finished and have the crib put together by the end of the week. Also, last week Hava signed up for maternity leave only to realize she has only 11 weeks of work left and 12 until George is born. Doesn't that seem ridiculously soon? In any case all extremely healthy adults are welcome to wash their hands and drop by the Kagle Abode before August 20 (when maternity leave ends). Hava, Matthew, and little SL are very likely to be home enjoying their 12 week government allotment for bonding. After August 23 you will experience only father-son bonding during the daytime hours (in fact, this may be an even better time to drop-by -- help Matthew!).

Matthew and Hava are sharing a bad cold so have not moved much in the past five days. Matthew continues to paint between naps. Hava is mighty jealous of his ability to sleep and take decongestants (two things which seem to go hand in hand). Hava does not sleep and is fairly miserable. George on the other hand appears lively. And at this point the word "appears" is taking on new meaning. The game of the week is "is that protruding thing more like a knee or an elbow?" It should also be mentioned for the interest of those who are aware of Hava's belly button phobia that her belly button is starting to ache from the pressure. Matthew is enjoying the pressure cooker analogy just a little too much.

Hava reached the six-months pregnant mark over the weekend as well as the 100 day countdown. Matthew and Hava have now mostly rid themselves of the office and stuff in George's room and Matthew will start painting animals on the walls soon. They also spent too much (?) money over the weekend to start the process of having their kitchen counters and fireplace stonework redone. In a few weeks they will be without a kitchen for a few weeks. Additional last minute (and final) house updates include a new stove and water heater. Hava hasn't gained any weight in the past few weeks but her symptoms now include not being able to sleep through the night more than two nights in a row (caused by the need to constantly take a bathroom break compounded by anxiousness about George preparation) and she is getting more and more tired. Could these factors be linked? Hmmm ... Oh, Matthew will want folks to know that on Saturday Hava locked them out of the house for the third time since being pregnant (does that count as a symptom?). Extra keys will be distributed to all local friends and family soon. (oops)

Hava is large and is pondering what life will be like in May and June. "Imaginary George" is now stationed in the back of Matthew's car in his new infant carseat. Unfortunately, we both have two-door cars so the front passenger (Hava) is now scrunched close enough to the dashboard to be fully aware of the road. I guess this is why people buy four-door cars. We are determined to temporarily manage (but Hava may protest when she can no longer fit in the front passenger seat due to her largeness). Hava's newest symptoms include: having an emotional breakdown because of the large and obnoxious warning stickers on the new car seat, wanting to replace leafy green vegetables with chocolate cake, and needing to use the toilet even when she can't possibly NEED to use the toilet. George squirms a tremendous amount but doesn't actually kick very often. Does this mean he will be a calm baby? We have our fingers crossed.

Georgie had his 24 week appointment today. He is exactly on target for growth and heart rate. At this point we also suspect that he is incredibly cute. Hava has gained another 4 lbs. (2 of which can be entirely blamed on her two-dessert Valentine weekend). We've stopped the rhythmic thumping because it made Hava nervous to hear the increasing speed of "boom, boom, boom". Little one still gets a music lesson once a day through earphones-on-the-belly. Hava has invested in less attractive maternity wear that can't possibly get too small over the next three and a half months (she hopes). Still no major complaints to report.

Matthew felt George kick for the first time on Sunday, February 1. Georgie put on quite a show that evening for several hours. Hava is mysteriously growing out of all of her maternity clothes and wonders how this is possible because they are -MATERNITY- clothes and she is indeed looking very maternal. She feels fabulous at this point and all is well.

Georgie has one hour of Mozart in the mornings and an hour of rhythmic thumping in the evenings. These are supposed to make him smart. Matthew is dubious. Hava thinks it keeps poor squished George from being bored (she certainly would be in a similar circumstance - not to mention claustrophobic).