Home birth or not to Home birth?

So... It's been a while since I last updated our blog and a lot has happened since my last post. Here's a list of all the fun things we have been doing this month:

Mike and Pat at the British Museum

1. Mike's Dad (Pat) came to visit for 2 weeks. We went to London, the North Sea, a Brewery tour, and countless other places that were awesome. We also made it through with only 2 of the 3 of us getting a stomach bug. Woo Hoo!!!
2. Brian the Dog took a plane from Baltimore, Maryland all the way to London, England. Our dog has been to more places then some people I know. He is now living with us in England and loving the yard. It took us 6 months to properly get him here with all the red tape that the UK has.  Luckily, to bring him back will be a piece of cake compared to that.

Katie and Brian at the North Sea

3. Katie is wrapping up teaching yoga this week. Last class is on Friday until after the baby comes. 37 weeks exactly!

***DISCLAIMER - IF YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT BIRTH THIS MAY UPSET YOU - REMEMBER ITS OUR BLOG AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ PAST THIS POINT***

4. And finally.... looks like we will be looking very seriously into having a Home birth to welcome our little G into our family. We've decided against the US system (not that there is anything wrong with it) but the base midwifes said that they wouldn't be able to accommodate us in some simple things during birth (ie. changing positions, nutrition, calming music and lighting - things that we see as basic needs for birth).  Since our pregnancy has been normal and non-exciting across the board we feel that there is no need for intervention right off the bat. (we don't live our lives thinking.. What if?!?! - If we did we probably wouldn't be living in England)  So the British system offered some alternatives that suited us better. But with everything we will need to compromise.

Our first choice is Home birth. Today we had a sonogram to determine if this was possible and luckily IT IS!!! The baby is head down and laying toward the left which means she won't have to turn and make labor longer for mom. Her weight is normal and all her measurements are coming up Rainbows. With home birth we will use everything we learned through Hypnobirthing and yoga to deliver the baby into a calm and stress less house hold. We would rent a birthing pool ( 80% of home births in the UK are done in a pool) and we are prepared to have Mike be the birthing companion (he is the companion no matter what anyway). The midwives (2) will come to us and help us through the entire process in the comfort of our own home. The compromise - If someone else goes into labor at home before me then we will have to go to the hospital. So the we have to pack our bags anyway and find a sitter for Brian. - If something happens we will be transferred to the local hospital.

Our second choice is The Rosie Hospital. I love the name of this hospital! It's in Cambridge and just sounds strong to me. At this British hospital we will be cared for by midwives rather than OB's. They have 2 separate floors - one for high risk (OB care) and one for regular (Midwives).  If you are low risk you will always be seen by a Midwife (I think because OB's are expensive and the health care here is free to the public). And they will help you through birth. The Hospital has pools for birthing (total plus!!!) and they are used to letting the mom's do what they need to do to have the baby. So eating, drinking, soft lighting, music, birth balls, stools and beds are all included.  They also have the drugs, if you need them. The compromise - Your partner (Mike) can only stay with you as long as your in active labor. You do not get your own room after having the baby (they do let you stay with your baby as long as you need for bonding) but if you stay over night and your not in active labor then your partner will have to go home and come back the next day. Luckily, if you do not get an epidural and you and baby are fine they usually discharge you the same day. (Because they have local midwives that come to your house to check on you and baby).

Fun fact - In the UK, women get 6 Months (not weeks) paid maternity leave!

So the pros and cons are on the table. We've planned everything out but plans are meant to be broken. Right now we are living in the moment and staying positive.  Living by our mantra - Do what you want!

Details to follow....

Virtual Baby Shower!

On September 10th my Mom, Sharon, Mandy, Sue and Anjel threw us a virtual baby shower. Your probably thinking what is that?!? I was as well. I wasn't sure exactly how it would work out but with Mike and David's powers combined they made the virtual connection from the UK to Maryland. And then my Dad joined in from New York. 

It was crazy! Who knew that technology could bring us into this new age where we can have parties right over the computer screen. Or in our case the TV screen! In case your interested in something similar we used Skype group chat at first but was having a hard time keeping the connection good so we switched to Google Plus Hang out! Remember there are a ton of free sites to do video chat and now you can keep in touch with people that you never thought was possible.

Love technology! 

Shakespeare country!

Shakespeare's grave

Did you know: That there are some that believe that Shakespeare didn't write all those great plays that we all learned about in school? People like Mark Twain, etc believe that Shakespeare was a businessman and that he just took the credit of another's work. And if that is true, then everything we learned in school about him was a lie! Dun dun dun....  

On the way to the theatre

Never the less... Shakespeare country is just beautiful! Included in our journey is Stratford-upon-Avon. This is where Shakespeare was born, lived (moved to London), then came back to retire and die. We also hit the Cotswolds. A part of English countryside with some cute and sleepy towns.  All this about 2 hours from our house in Ely.

Tourism is a #1 money maker in England. And the Shakespeare countryside doesn't disappoint with tourist prices and lots to see and do. You can go to all the 5 places where Shakespeare and his family lived. But it's extra to see his grave in the church. We even went to the theatre to see a Shakespeare play and we had to get the tickets 3 months out. But it's all worth it! 

Ghost cat!

Further south (like 15 minutes away) is the Cotswolds! This area is a rich and beautiful secluded countryside. Lots of little towns that were once famous because of the wool trade. The sheep are still there but the business has dried up a bit. We ran into a couple other tourists in Stow-on-the-Wold that were following the same tour book that we follow. (BTW - if I didn't recommend it before, the Rick Steves' Europe guide books are awesome!) We also had an encounter of the haunted kind at Chipping Camden. 

Chipping Camden Cemetery - where ghost cat lives

As we approached the church (complete with cemetery) I read a story in the book about this cat that used to great parishioners before service. Well that cat passed away in 1980 and they buried him by the door of the church. We were touring the church just as service started so we scooted out into the cemetery to look around and what did we find. A weird cemetery cat! Hanging out and very friendly. A decedent, maybe. A ghost, more likely. =) 

Poland - one of my Motherlands...

All good stories start with... I have this friend...

RK! Look closely into his sunglasses!

The K family!

But really we do have this friend... let's call him... RK.  Mike's known him for ever! And I guess that means that I've known him for over 10 years or so. Anyway, he is from Poland and for over 10 years we have been hearing these crazy stories about when he used to live in Poland. So we decided it would be fun to go see if these stories were real. And turns out they Are!!!

Gdasnk main street

Church in Gdansk

RK is from a place in Poland that is a lot like Maryland. There is beach, hills, woods and city all in a very close distance. We went to Sopot, Gdasnk and Gdynia. All three areas are real close to each other and full of fun and fascination! Our home base was Sopot because that was in between the other 2 cities. Sopot was a fun little touristy (Polish touristy - not American touristy) town right on the Baltic Sea. We did a lot of eating and lounging around in Sopot (perfect for this 31 week pregnant gal). Then we took a train to Gdansk for a glimpse of the large 'end of the season' market. Lots of history in Gdansk and again lots of touristy things to do.  RK says that Gdansk was started in the 900's AD. They have a huge church that appeared to be constructed out of brick in the 1300's.  The inside was really interesting because the walls were white. We've never been in a church where the walls were so white! I think that was a byproduct of communism since people didn't have the money to paint.  But I don't know for sure.  

From the Baltic Sea looking at Gdynia

After Gdasnk we hit Gdynia. Only about 15 minutes up the road from Sopot. Gdynia was were RK grew up. It has a lot of the charm of the Baltimore city inner harbor (except blue water).  They have a port, an aquarium, tons of shopping and restaurants and an over all fun attitude. 

Gdasnk tourture

Things that we found interesting and challenging in Poland = language and culture! The language sounded like nothing I've ever heard before. Yeah, we've heard RK speak Polish before but it's different when everyone around you is speaking it.  For me picking up French or German is way easier. And the culture... oh the culture! So in England everyone stands in lines (que's) in Poland it's a mass free for all (even if your pregnant or have a baby with you)! Getting on and off the plane was the worst! Mike thinks it's because the average age in Poland is younger than in the states. I don't know what it's from.  All I know is that based on all the places we've been so far this was the first time that we've ever been to a place were there was once communism. And you can definitely see it in the architecture with most things being built with concrete (even light poles). Sky rise apartment complexes that are usually considered 'projects' in the states are great housing in Poland.  It's amazing and fascinating and very Eastern European!

Gdansk Wall Art

Left over Cold War tunnels in Gdynia

PS - The best "Polish" story we have is that while eating at a restaurant Mike tried to put salt on his salad. He couldn't understand why it didn't taste right and it turns out that there was sugar in the salt container.  We all had a real good laugh about that! 

Hi Grandma! It's Katie...

On August 7th my last living Grandparent passed away. Amelia Sofie Llewellyn (originally her last name was Sledzianowski). I had been to all of my Grandparents funerals. Although I was too young to go to the viewing of my Mom's mom. I remember each event and the importance of passing to the next life and how everyone felt around me.  This event was no exception. So let me start with what I know...

My Grandma was a super strong lady. She was the youngest of her siblings. She ate cupcakes and cookies while she was growing up and she loved it! She worked in an electronics factory during WWII but didn't really care for it. She married at 21 and had 2 boys (my Dad and my Godfather).  She watched in agony as her husband suffered and died from Emphysema. Then she joined her sister, Beanie, at the senior center for yoga and meals and shopping extravaganzas.  And after living a full full life she quickly passed away at 82.

Every time I called her I would scream in the phone: "Hi Grandma, It's Katie..."  It was hilarious to both of us. And that's how we would start our conversations which usually consisted of how everyone was doing and the latest greatest gossip. She taught me many things... One of the main ones was not to Need material objects as she attempted to break me of my satin when I was a kid. Probably not the best time to teach a kid that lesson but still a very valuable one and one that I will remember always. I know there was a lot more to my Grandma then I'm writing but these are the only things I can think of right now.

I realize that death is a huge fear for mankind and that it is really hard for people to let go. I know I will face this challenge in the future (and I'm scared of that). But for my Grandma I'm not completely sad.  I know that she is in a better place and that her death is not the end of her journey. I'm sad that I won't get to call her or visit her but I know that in the long scheme of things that life is short and there is much much more in store for her in the future, maybe not in this world... but somewhere.

So Grandma... I love you... And I'll see you sooner than later, I'm sure... So in the meantime... Be good, cause your bad!

Bath, England! oh, and Avebury...

Bath, UK

If your coming to England, Bath is one of your main stops on your tour.  It's about an hour outside of London via train to the west.  Situated in a neat area of farm land and rolling hills, Bath is a great example of Georgian architecture with some Victorian flair!  Not to mention the Roman Baths, hence the name.  There is a lot to see and do in Bath but Mike and I found it to be more of a crazy tourist town then any other we had been to. In the summer you can expect lots of crowds and lines (or as they say here que).

Actual Roman Bath 57AD

The story of how Bath was founded is a tricky one. Some say that a man with leprosy was cast out of his village. He took his sick pigs away from the village and saw that they were rolling in hot watery mud and all of a sudden the pigs were cured. So the man jumped in the mud and rolled around and all of a sudden he was cured of leprosy. He then went back to his village and they made him king.  This is a little off the wall... So what we do know is that Bath is situated on 3 natural fault lines that create hot springs. The Romans found these hot springs and thought it was a gift from the Gods.  So they made Bath houses around the springs and showed the locals how to get clean.

Avebury rock circle

I would say Bath is worth about a day of proper sightseeing.  But with side trips you can make it a little longer. Near bath is Stonehenge, The Cotswolds, Stratford upon Avon, Avebury, etc. It's right in the middle of a bunch of tourist destinations.  We happened upon Avebury because it was covered under our National Trust membership and boy did we luck out!

Avebury

Avebury is a prehistoric rock formation that is way larger than Stonehenge. It is more massive and much older. About 1300 years older than Stonehenge.  And it's an open space so unlike Stonehenge you can walk right up to the rocks and touch them. Pagans still get married here and believe that there is all kinds of powers in the area.  There were also talks of lay lines or as Christians would know them as the St. Michael and St. Mary lines. I think they are energy lines that run straight through England and pass right over the Avebury site and Stonehenge.  In any case, it was really neat and a must see for anyone that feels like seeing a pile of rocks (as Mike would say) and some sheep.

York, England!

York! Where the ghosts live. 

Well we didn't see any but apparently if there are ghosts this is where they hang out. 

Any way, back in the day York was one of the largest northern most cities in England.  For a brief moment Parliament was here, mainly when they were trying to get that William Wallace character under control in Scotland.  Yup!  That's right!  William Wallace was real! I think he would have dug Mel Gibson playing him in "Braveheart".  What happened to WW, you ask??? Well eventually he was captured and taken down to the Tower of London and killed. That seems to be a reoccurring theme in this country.  But I guess you have to have some sort of theme.

Guy Fawkes Inn

So York... The place where Guy Fawkes was born and did some schooling.  Who is Guy Fawkes?  I didn't know this either.  Well he is the guy that tried to blow up Parliament and the King.  The best Hollywood movie to describe his situation is "V for Vendetta".  It's funny how some of the good movies are all based off real history. In the movie he succeeds but in real life he didn't.  And he like everyone else was killed.  Today they have bonfire day where the King celebrated not being blown up.

Roman Ruins and Coffins

Inside York Minster

So back to York... York was the Northern most outpost for the Romans.  There was a great Roman fort built and Constantine came and was proclaimed emperor in York. And then he began to spread Christianity from York.  Pretty big deal stuff!  After the Romans decided to pull out of York (because they were spread too thin and Rome was toppling) the Vikings came along.  They hung out there for a while and called York, Jorvik.  Then the Normans invaded and rebuilt the city.  In Medieval times York was England's second city and Henry VIII used the York Minster as his Anglican Church's northern capital. In the Industrial age, York was a railway hub and today it thrives on tourism. So from 71AD to now it hasn't done too shabby as a city.

The Shambles - that guy on the left might be a ghost

But back to the ghosts... Is York haunted? Well we don't really know. It sure does have a lot of history and I guess there is the potential of left over people that were tragically killed (I mean this is England).  But what we do know is that ghost certainly sell!  And if your city is thriving from ghost stories then by all means sell away.  Cause those tourists will flock to it!

All in all York is a not to be missed tourist destination if your coming to England. Lots of beautiful buildings, great history and really nice people! So go there!