12 weeks until we meet Ivey

Wanted to share this picture of Suzi. This half-sarong that I pulled out of the closet is one of her favorite toys, and she loves having it tied on her head!

At the appointment yesterday with the midwives, we found out that Ivey was head up. Of course, that is no big deal yet. She probably flips around a lot and Carey said there was absolutely no need to worry, but I would still prefer if she'd just get into position and stay there already. If she's anything like Jordan and me, she probably intends to get into the head-down position but is putting it off until the last minute. While we were talking yesterday at the appointment, she started poking something hard and round against the front of my belly. I was hoping it was her butt, but it was her head because it was really hard when we felt it. It was interesting feeling her round little head like that. I never got to do that with Suzi because it was always her butt. Jordan and I enjoy talking to Ivey and rubbing or poking her as she moves around. We can't really tell if it's arms or legs we're seeing, but it's still cute. I am getting more and more excited to meet her.

We discussed encapsulating my placenta at this appointment too. Some women take placenta pills to prevent postpartum depression and improve milk supply, and I had issues with both those things last time. Some people take it a step further and eat the placenta, but I don't really want to do that. We also want to do a placenta print but were afraid to contaminate it with paint before encapsulating. Carey suggested vegetable-based dyes as a safe alternative, so we might look into that. If not, many people do prints with the blood that's already on it. There's an article on mothering.com about all kinds of things you can do with your placenta. (I'd already heard about most of them from Julie at babywearing, though.) I wonder what my OB would've said if I'd told him I wanted to take the placenta home to consume or to use for arts and crafts.

I also want to make a belly bowl. Last time Jordan and I made a belly cast from a kit we bought, and it went rather well. This time we're going to do just my belly. Then we're going to paint it inside and out and put a blanket inside, and lay Ivey in it for a picture after she's born. I think my belly is a good shape for making a bowl.

28 weeks, 4 days. I am really loving this shirt I bought at LPP the other day. It just sort of minimizes everything.

See what I mean? I think it'll be in the week 40 rotation!