The recalcitrant blogger... that is I.

I'm still sick... sometimes better, sometimes worse. My voice is nearly all gone, and comes out as a gravely squeak. Sexy. If it keeps up for a few more days I'll go see the doctor because I'm winded so easily and I don't want to risk bronchitis or pneumonia.

Saturday we had our first Bradley class and it went well. We weren't sure what to expect as this was a private class in a private home. The lady was very laid back, not zealous (Jason was worried about that) and casual. We watched a birthing video first, which of course was filled with naked women and some rather uncomfortable scenes of labor and delivery. The lady, Hollie is her name, peeked in and said, "Just so you know, naked AND screaming... both optional!". While we obviously knew this it was reassuring to realize once again that not all women are naked and screaming during birth, not that there is anything wrong with that, but one could really get the impression from the natural birth books and videos that this is "the way" to do things.

We were given exercises to do every day. I have to practice relaxation twice a day for 10 minutes. This does not mean just lounging in a chair, but positioning myself in the ideal position for early labor and learning to completely and fully relax my body, ideally when given a command to do so. It takes practice! Do 10 pelvic tilts, 3x a day. 100 kegels a day (!), walk 10 minutes a day, sit crossed legged on the floor as much as possible (good for toning and positioning baby) and do something called the butterfly to strengthen my leg muscles. Its not overly complicated or time consuming, but honestly I'm already failing! Being sick doesn't make me want to do anything.

After the class we visited the new Fred Meyer in Snohomish. Its really nice and the kids liked all the clowns, mascots and balloons.

Sunday I went with my friend April and two of her friends to see The Other Boleyn Girl. What a disappointment! This is one of my favorite hisfic books and the movie did it NO justice. It left out enormous chunks of important info, had poor character and story development and even the costuming was unimpressive (though still beautiful). Sigh. It was the first time in a really long time I'd seen a movie and it was barely worth my $7.75.

Today we are at home. My original plan was to veg and do a bit of cleaning, but I reversed the two and did a bunch of cleaning and very little relaxing. I swept and mopped every room downstairs, including hauling out the floor rug and cleaning under there and under the couches too. It hasn't been done in a long time. My body hurts! The kids have been pretty good helpers. They love to sweep and use a washcloth to wipe things up. They helped me take apart the vacuum and replace the belt and do other little tasks. If I can motivate them, they are better and better at being actually helpful, instead of us letting them help for the experience.