What's in a name...

We did not know what sex the baby was going to be so we had thought up a few names for both sexes. I was playing around with changing the spelling of our parent’s names similar to what my mom did to get my middle name Bernae (her mom’s name was Bernice). I liked the idea of this because it seemed like a nice way to honor our parents so Dorian came from combining Dora and Dian. Glenn liked the name because he said it was a nice musical mode.

For a middle name we thought it would be nice to find a Maori word that would fit. We found the word Tihore in a book of Maori songs. At first we thought it was the word for Kingfisher, Glenn’s favorite bird, but learned later that the word for Kingfisher was Kotare. We prefered Tihore and liked the meaning, clearing skies. Here is the song that we found the word:

Tihore
Tihore mai te rangi Clear the sky
Tihore mai clear away
Mao mao mao te ua let the rain stop
Whitt mai te ra and the sun shine.

E rere kotare ki runga puwharawhara Fly kingfisher on to a bush
Rur parihau hai mate I te ua ruffle the rain drops from your
Ruru parihau kat mate I te ua wings lest you catch a chill.

Tihore mai te rangi Clear the sky
Tihore mai clear away
Mao mao mao te ua let the rain stop
Whiti mai te ra and the sun shine.
Mao mao mao te ua
Whiti mai te ra

E rere e noke mai I to pokurua Flee worm from your borrow
Kai ki I te wai kai mate I te ua it might fill with water and
Kai ki I te wai kai mate I te ua. you will drown.

Tihore mai te rangi tihore mai Clear the sky
Mao mao mao te ua clear away
Whiti mai te ra let the rain stop
Mao mao mao te ua and the sun shine.
Whiti mai te ra
e….i…e
whit mai te ra
e…i….e
whiti mai te ra

Baby Dorian

Here I am a week before Dorian was born. Glenn, mom and I busied ourselves getting the house prepared. Mom did most the work, painting the room and rearranging everything so the our place was baby ready. We also went swimming at the Ocean Spa. I swam quite a bit in the last months because I had some hip pain that made it uncomfortable to walk. It was so nice to swim because the water supported you. I spent at least an hour paddling back and forth. It was a nice meditative activity as well. There were some days that the hip pain was not bad so I did walk when I was feeling up to it.
When Dorian's due date was past my midwife began to talk to me about inducing the labor. This did not sound too fun and I felt fine and did not feel a need to hurry things along. One girl from my antenatal class recommended I try acupuncture as an alternative option. I figured it was worth a try so I did go to an acupuncturist and had two treatments. The first session was to open the cervix and the second was to "move the baby down further into the pelvis". On Tuesday I had the second acupuncture treatment in the morning. That afternoon I went and had a facial--this was a nice treat. We played a few hands of cards that night and went to bed. On wednesday morning I woke around 7:30 am and we started talking about what we would do that day. I checked my e-mails and had a good laugh at the funny e-mails some friends sent, while mom started making breakfast—fresh fruit and cereal (I never got to eat my bowl).

Then I went to the toilet and saw some blood. I asked my mom if she thought I should call the midwife. Before calling the midwife I decided to try and take a quick shower. After showering I braided my hair and Glenn called the midwife. The midwife reassured me that the blood was fine but by this time I was getting contractions quite regularly and I was not in any mood to chat with my midwife. She told me to time the contractions and call her back in an hour or so. At this point my mom was jumping out of her skin because she thought the contractions were quite close and we should be getting to the hospital. Well she was right my next trip to the toilet I felt something like a balloon pop in my pelvic area. Glenn called the midwife again and told her we were on our way to the hospital. I got in the car and felt my water break (we had put a towel on the seat).

It is a fifteen-minute drive to the hospital from our house and these fifteen minutes lasted almost too long. My contractions were now one minute apart and sitting in the car seat was not that comfortable. I was worried I might hit the gearshift with my leg and put the car in neutral. Glenn was afraid I was going to grab the steering wheel so he was ready to fight me off. Neither happened and we made it to the hospital just in time it was 9:15 am. Glenn and I got out of the car and mom parked. The walk to the delivery room was a bit of a mission but I did not want to sit in a wheelchair. When we got to the room I immediately felt like I needed to go to the toilet again only this time it felt like I needed to poo. Glenn was keeping his cool and was telling me to breathe and not push yet. I told him to take my shoes and wet pants off! The hospital midwife came to the room and told me to come out to the bed. In the room I stood at the side of the bed, the midwife asked if I wanted to change positions but I was comfortable standing and Dorian was on his way. She said, “…this might be a bit tricky for me, we do not want a bungee jumper...”

After a few pushes it felt like the midwife was cutting me so I told her to stop but she, Glenn and my mom told me it was the babies head coming out. A few pushes more and there was Dorian looking a bit violet. The clock read 9:45 am. Glenn held him while the midwife cleaned up around my feet and I was able steady myself an get into bed. The midwife then help deliver the placenta and Glenn gave me Dorian to hold.


My midwife then came in the door and was a bit shocked that the baby was delivered and in my arms. She told me she was unable to find a park. Oh well the hospital midwife was great and I was actually glad she was the one that delivered Dorian because she was calm and reassuring. Since we had booked a room with the bathtub my midwife ran a bath for me which felt great. We were in the Hastings hospital for about three hours then we were transferred to Napier Maternity Ward where we stayed for three days. We probably could have gone home earlier but it was nice to rest, not have to clean sheets, and spend time with Dorian. There was a midwife there to help me with whatever I needed and since there is only three rooms at this maternity ward you were given lots of one on one attention.

We are home now and settling quite well. Dorian keeps us busy and entertained with his funny noises and faces. We are still in awe.


If you would like to see more of Dorian visit the following web album.

Baby Dorian

Wow Baby touring US in a Big Way!!

In January 2007, Glenn and I decided we were going to try and get pregnant. I stopped taking birth control pills on the 22nd of January. We then found out in March while my mom was here for a visit that I was pregnant. We did not have to try long, we learned after visiting the doctor that the gestation would have happened one week after I quit taking the pill. In the early months I did feel a bit tired and there were some foods that I just could not eat. Overall I felt good and gradually started developing a speed bump and my pants fit tighter around the waist.

The months of April and May I spent building a clay sculpture and helping the pottery club prepare for the first wood firing set for the first weekend in June. My large sculpture did not make it in the first firing but it will be in this next firing set for the 8th of September. It is a seated figure that is approximately my sizes. Glenn will help out with this next firing, as my tummy is now more mountainous.

After the firing of the wood kiln Glenn and I packed for our trip back to the States. It had been two years since we had journeyed back. The flight was not bad we both experiences sore/swollen feet but we made it to LA and Glenn’s brother, Bill, picked us up at the airport. Glenn had not seen his brother in quite some time—I think they figured around ten years. It was a long awaited visit. Bill had built a house for his family up in the mountains. They had a very lovely view from their house and the layout of the house was cabinesque and cozy. At this point I was still able to fit in my clothes and I was not showing too much. We had a lovely but short visit only two nights.

From LA we continued on to Seattle were we spent an evening with Annie and Kathryn. Annie made us a delicious meal and it was a fun, musical evening. I left the next day for Sitka, AK.

Sitka was a great trip it was quite busy and the classes were a bit tiring but it was great to work with creative tutors and students. The first week I taught a mask making class for four groups of elementary aged kids. Their masks turned out great unfortunately I got sooo busy just trying to help them finish their masks the last day I did not get a photo of their masks…Bummer!

The following week was the middle school kids and camp started Monday. I had two ceramic classes and a mixed media costume making class. Each class went great the students made a number of wonderful and creative pieces. One of my ceramic classes focused on making a face or bust each students was original and unique. The other class focused on making teapots and cups the final show was a Madd Hatters tea party—this class even acted out the tea party scene from Alice and Wonderland it was great. The costume class went really well and the students made lost of inventive outfits made of plastic and clothes hangers. We did have a bit of time on the stage to showcase the student’s costumes this went all right but would have liked a bit more time with the students to work on the stage space—lesson for next time. Once camp was over I was exhausted!

At the middle school camp I also performed a few nights with the theatre folks and that was laugh. We did a performance called the Cirque de Fromage which was a parody on Cirque de Soliel this performance then lead to another project with the video editing teacher and the Cirque de Fromage mockumentry was born. I have yet to see the final production.

Once I had rested at my friends place for a few days after camp I flew back down to Seattle. Glenn and my mom met up with me there each of them were surprised to see how much me belly had grown. In Seattle I got to catch up with friends I had not seen in a long time Ben, Joel, Pat and Shelly. The next day we took my mom to the airport, she was flying to Chicago for a wedding. Glenn and I drove down to Portland. Glenn got to stay a few days in Portland but had to fly back to NZ for work. He missed Eve and Ryan’s wedding by a day. I got to be the camera girl at the wedding met up with more friends and got to stay with Ellen, Art and Karla in Hood River.

My mom got back from Chicago on Monday and I picked her up at the airport. We drove back up to Seattle and I went to another wedding Shauna James from Sitka Fine Arts Camp there were more friends that I had not seen in a long while. After the wedding my mom and I went back to CDA. It was nice to be back at the house but hard in some ways as well. At this point I was ready to be a bit more stationary for a while it had been a busy month lots of traveling and visiting. The property looked great and the inside of the house had more color as my mom had painted some of the walls. We spent an afternoon rearranging pictures and deciding on additional wall colors. There is something to be said about having someone else around to help and inspire you with these projects. My mom had a pretty packed schedule while I was back so the three weeks went by quickly. Baby was growing as well so had to have rest times. We did get down to the lake a few times and swimming in the lake was wonderful nothing better when pregnant. Before I knew it I was back on the plane flying to NZ had a bit of a hiccup with my flight leaving Spokane an hour or so late but I did manage to make my connecting flight—luggage did not make it but no worries the suitcases arrived the next day. The long flight did go by quickly but my tailbone was sore for a few days and I slept hard and long when I got to our flat.

It always takes some time to transition back into things and get your bearings after a long trip away. My dad must have been in constant transition the way he traveled three weeks here two weeks there. I have been to my midwife and things are all good the baby is bouncing around more then every these days. I have been out walking most days. It does get harder to do certain things I have found like touching your toes I am luck all my shoes are slip-ons. The weather has been pretty warm for winter.

It has been drought conditions not good for the farmers especially the beef cattle and sheep farmers because the grass is dry and not growing fast. This means quite a few cattle and sheep have died and mothers are abandoning their lamb. I learned all this when a woman came into the pottery shop on the weekend with a lamb under her arm. It was a Merino Lamb and since the mother had abandoned it she is now its mamma and she has to take the lamb everywhere she goes. (Sounds familiar eh but no her name was not Mary.) Merino wool is much more expensive then regular wool thus making the sheep more of a commodity. The lady said the Merino Sheep also have more of a personality and seem to be a bit smarter.

I am spending the cold days knitting and trying to relearn my spinning techniques. Also making a few things for the baby. The baby is pretty high putting pressure on my ribs, which makes it a bit hard to sit for too long. This seems to be getting a better but still sore. Yes, the bambino is a rib kicker must be practicing those soccer techniques from coach Glenn “Go for Goal!” What a wild experience though to feel the kicking and to think there is a little person doing that--wow baby! I am now at a point where we can actually see the kicking when watching my belly. The baby is now 30 wks old. Some mornings when I get out of bed my tummy will be lopsided. It seems to even out once I am up moving around.

Bambina was really dancing around this weekend when we went and saw the movie “Leonard Cohen, I’m Your Man”. It was a great documentary style film that included clips from a concert performed in Sydney, Australia honoring Leonard Cohen and his songs. There was a wonderful mixture of very talented musicians singing his songs and along with their performances there were clips of Cohen talking about his life and songwriting. We give the movie six thumbs up.
Kissing the Buddha Belly