33 weeks, aka "i am a birthing goddess"

i hit third tri and i'm finally making time to focus on this pregnancy. between prenatal yoga and regular massages, i'm getting some downtime to physically and mentally slow down and relax, if just for an hour or two a week.

jala1 and i spent today focusing on huggy. the birth refresher class we attended was a bit crunchy for us but overall we enjoyed it. fortunately the mini version of the class spared us from painting dilating cervixes and our most granola moment was standing in a circle around a lit candle lending strength to the 300,000 women giving birth world wide at any given moment. the class gave us both tools to empower us to have the birth experience we hope for. what we took away from the class was -
- time to reflect on the things we liked and disliked about taco's birth
- a refresher on breathing and pain coping experiences (though i will never equate holding ice w/ a contraction. i just don't find it uncomfortable, its like equating a mosquito bite w/ being eaten alive by a shark).
- a refresher on phases of labor
- tips for introducing the huggy to taco
- and, what i found the most valuable, time to reflect on each other and how we can continue to love and support each other