**~Spotlight on newmommy27~**

[mosesface]

it's your turn!!

how far along are you now?
what type of birth are you planning?
do you have any pets?
where do you live?

[eilonwy]

:

[LoveChild421]

[newmommy27]

Sorry guys...A day up north playing with my little one and I miss so much on MDC

OK so

how far along are you now?
We will be 21 weeks on Thursday

what type of birth are you planning?
We are VBACing in a Hospital with a doc that is described as the closest thing to a midwife with an md...we had a crash section last time so we hoping for a very different birth experience this time...we are doing hypnobirthing and using a hypnobirthing doula...we hope to labor at home much of the time

do you have any pets?
We have a black lab mix that we rescued 4 years ago...she is the craziest dog I have ever met...all kinds of weird phobias but super kind and gentle with my little guy we love her...she also co-sleeps most of the time


where do you live?
we live in north san diego county but I grew up in NY (on long island) and my dh grew up in boston so we are very much transplants

sending light
-Lori

[Jezzy]

How have you felt during your pregnancy??

[eilonwy]

Is it true that it never rains in SoCal?

Do you guys get to visit the beach year round? Can you smell the ocean from home? (Yes, I'm a bit obsessed with the ocean... )

[LoveChild421]

So what brought you guys to SoCal?

How did you meet your husband?

[newmommy27]

My first trimester was pretty gnarly...I was sick quite a bit and generally felling terrible...I feel good now...just a bit tired

Really it pretty much never rains...every so often it does but very infrequently...

We do go to the beach all year (although I did when I lived in NY too...I am also a beach nut) YOu can't swim all year, the Pacific gets really cold but we often pack dinner and have a picnic in the winter months...or my ds and I go for a few hours in the morning to frolic. Yes we can smell the ocean...we are 7 miles inland and on the top of a hill so we get ocean breezes...it pretty much rocks

My dh and I came to SoCal in 02...his company at the time moved us (he was consulting and had been traveling far to much for us to be a happy couple. SoCal was the only place we would be sure he would not have to travel). We also each have a sibling here (one in LA and one in San Diego) so that was a big draw...since we moved both our parents sold the big houses back east and have moved as well...it was pretty much a migration westward...

Dh and I met the first day of college...we went to a small liberal arts college in upstate NY that had co-ed housing...he lived one suite over...we became quick friends and started dating in Feb of our freshman year...we have been together ever since (with a few hiccups here and there)

[nolonger]

Do you like living in SoCal?

What is your favourite thing about your new home? How do you cope with the negative aspects?

What common stereotypes that those of us up north and back east have about SoCal turned out to be so wrong that they are funny?

Can dh and others feel your baby moving around yet? If so, how do you feel about it? Do you want to make sure that immediate family gets to "meet" the baby this way before strangers do? Do you have a "hands off my belly unless invited" policy? If so, how is enforcing it politely and having your boundaries respected going?

[newmommy27]

Do you like living in SoCal?
We do love living in SoCal...My son plays outside 5-8 hours a day...I can open either my side or back door and he can play no matter the time of year...We love having family close. We miss back east culturally.


What is your favourite thing about your new home? How do you cope with the negative aspects?
Well we just bought a "big kid house"...my dh and I are only 29 and still often feel like we are playing house...I love having a good size yard for ds and the dog to play in...I love my kitchen...

Um negative is that people in CA are just not the same as people back home...generally my experience is that people are flakey. The vast majority of our friends are transplants...from NY, NJ or Canada.


What common stereotypes that those of us up north and back east have about SoCal turned out to be so wrong that they are funny?
Yes people are very materialistic...very bigger, better, best...we work hard to surround ourselves by AP and NFL families. We also see that people are really focused here on appearances...


Can dh and others feel your baby moving around yet? If so, how do you feel about it? Do you want to make sure that immediate family gets to "meet" the baby this way before strangers do? Do you have a "hands off my belly unless invited" policy? If so, how is enforcing it politely and having your boundaries respected going?

Yes Abbie Grace is very active...but differently then my ds...she rolls about...my son was kicker (still is)

DH has felt her...I love this time of pregnancy so much...

In terms of others touching me...I have a standard rule in my life...If I have not invited you to...Don't touch me...

It makes me crazy..I essentially when I was pregnant with ds would just move my body so it was clear that I did not want to be touched....people are strange

[trizzle]

Sheer curiosity-- what school was it you went to (if you care to share)...

[newmommy27]

we went to Skidmore...in Saratoga Springs NY

www.skidmore.edu

[operamommy]

How old is your son?

Your area of the country sounds so lovely. I'm jealous.

[newmommy27]

Jack is 2.5...

another example of why I love living here...

Yesterday after picking Jack up from school Jack asked to go to the beach...

so we went and froliced and played had a good long walk...

It was great...we stayed for the sunset and met daddy at home for dinner...It pretty much rocked

[ScarletBegonias]

what led you to ap/nfl?

[newmommy27]

I have always been a bit crunchy by nature....

I had 2 AP families as clients in CT who seemed so connected to their kids and their kids were so kind and gentle....

I was also raised by parents who were AP before AP had a name...we extended bf, used cloth, co-slept my parents were generally kind gentle parents...

Being AP felt really natural to me...also Jack was a SUPREMELY HIGH NEEDS baby...there really was no other way to parent him...he needed constant nursing and physical contact

In terms of the NFL it all seemed to be the same to me...we do things as naturally as possible (from a parenting perspective and from a consumption perspective b/c it is what feels best to us)

-Lori