To my 5 month old...

....I promise:
-As of today, I will eat on time. I will EAT when I am hungry & wont starve myself as you will starve too.
-I will start walking again. You know Tweetu, it pains when I walk. But walking is the best thing for both you and me & I should walk, diligently.

I agree I am too LAZY, but this has got to stop somewhere...

Some funny episodes that happened over the last week:
-My lil bro is a BIG guy! Currently, we stand equal at the waist+tummy girth of 44" & we were discussing that over IM the other day!
Whats funny is, soon, I will be leaving him behind!! I am @21+ week, my baby is hardly between 7-10" & weighs around 500 grams. That means, I am not exactly half-way there! A normal baby, @birth, is around 18"-21" & weighs between 6-8+ lbs! Almost triple the weight & size Tweetu currently is! Way to go Tweetu!
-TD & I are name-shopping! We have a great 2 lettered 'universal' name in mind for a baby boy but dont have options for a baby girl! I would like to continue the tradition of not having a typical Indian or Hindu name(like TD's) for that matter, as mine is Greek/Italian! Can you help us? I like Rania & Giada as these names remind me of two beautiful ladies I adore! I cant think of naming Tweetu 'Oprah' even though I love that lady & have a huge respect for her!
Email me if you have a name in mind!
Photo courtesy:i-am-pregnant.com

I Lost My Mouse ...!

Who Knew...?

Finally........! I could successfully upload Tweetu's 20th week pic...isnt she cute?!! She was sucking on her fingers but you cant see that here...
God, it took so long ... I had almost given up...& this isnt the first time the blogspot photo server was down...anyhow..

Who knew, that I would not be able to get a good night sleep, ever in my pregnancy?
Every night is the same story...I am continuously tossing & turning...

My problem is, I am used to sleeping on my back(while growning up, my Dad put that into me!)...which obviously is not a recommended sleep position coz the uterus & my growing baby, do put weight on my spine, back muscles, intestines, and the inferior vena cava which can lead to backaches and hemorrhoids...blah blah blah...

Second best option, sleeping on my tummy is also out of question coz I do feel Tweety & dont want to squish her...& 2ndly it feels like I am sleeping on a balloon...

So sleep on the sides? Whats the problem?

Well I still can't adjust to sleeping on my sides...The matteress somehow manages to prick me, I am surrounded by 4-5 pillows & not one comes handy...

I am so desperate to find a comfortable sleeping position...

I know that it is best to sleep on ones left side because this may increase the amount of blood and nutrients that reaches Tweetu & it helps my kidneys efficiently eliminate waste products and fluids from my body ...blah blah blah..!

& so, every night, aft a short sleep, I wake up realizing that I need to change my position... & there I go again!

TD has not been much of help...he mostly gets into his 'Parrot' avtar & repeats all the appropriate things that one can read, hear - anywhere! Thats the only way he 'consoles' me...he is still ignorant about so many pregnacy related things but me complaining does no good...& sleeping is his fav thing...so u can only imagine...once he goes to sleep, thats it!

We went shopping for a body-pillow instead of a maternity(mat.) pillow(coz I felt, & still feel,bcoz of its size & odd shape, mat.pillow could take a lot of bed-space & make things even more uncomfortable). The body-pillow is USELESS...! Its gives zero support to my on-off achy back & sciatica-like condition...

I am going to try the mat. pillow, Snoogle- the suggested one, & pray that it works....

Know what? I NEVER snored before...& now I wake up due to the weird noises I make...

Gurrl OR A Boyy?

There is some interesting stuff on the net...It turns out there are many, many ways to predict the sex of your unborn child....here are some...

*I took this quiz & per the site:
"We have a 26% chance of having a boy and a 73% chance of having a girl!"

How? Here are few phunny reasons..
-You are carrying the extra weight around the hips and bottom, so it's a girl.(I have always been Oprah-like pear shaped gal!)
-The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your preganacy, so it's a girl.
-Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy(My feet & palms of my hand were ALWAYS cold). You are having a girl.
-You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread(BUT, I always hated that!). You are having a girl.
-The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.(isnt this really funny!)
-Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is even, it will be a boy.
-A needle on a thread held over you belly moves from side-to-side, so it will be a girl.(oh! cmmon!)
-Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy(what???!!), which indicates a girl.
-You are not having headaches, so it's a girl.(& thats a RELIEF!)Your belly looks like a watermelon, so it's a girl.You show them the palm of your hand, so it's a girl.
-You use the body of the mug, so it's a girl.(coz the mug ears are small!)

*Let’s use the Chinese Calendar method....per the table, it’s going to be a girl!

*Some people also say that girls have heartbeats faster than boys. As you may know, Tweetu has consistently been @150, so girl?

Ah ha!This article illustrates, how foetal heart rate is not does not predict sex at all.

But seriously, let’s try to find out how we can scientifically find out the gender of the foetus.
-Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) is generally only performed if there is a high risk of genetic abnormalities as there is a 4% chance of miscariage as a result of this test.
-Amniocentisis is also similar and is generally not recommended unless the Alpha-fetoprotein test comes out positive.
-Since the other two options are out, the only one left is the u/s. But an u/s is not a very good way of finding the gender of the baby. We know several people who got it wrong. The most common mistake is “we can’t see a penis, so it’s a girl.” The accuracy depends on several factors like the position/pose of the fetus, gestational age, technician’s ability, etc.

Well let me tell you a secret...TD wants a boy!! & I want a happy healthy baby.

u/s @ Week 20!

Here is a brief account of our most exciting 45 mins... read on!

Ms.Radiologist(RD), took us to a dark room. The u/s machine looked very different, very sophisticated. It did not support audio though. The RD could switch between colored and B&W screens @different magnifications.
The procedure was pretty much the same other than the time it took and the multiple position changes I was asked to make.

Per RD, this u/s is very important as it helps to get the best information of a growing foetus.
The heart(auricles & ventricles), stomach & the femur are measured and so is the circumference of the head. Proper functioning of internal organs(kidneys, bladder, stomach etc), cord insertion, amniotic fluid volume, placental position is observed. Organ abnormalities, if any, can be seen at this stage. The structure and make-up of the Spine is inspected thoroughly.
This u/s helps in knowing the exact gestational age and growth of the foetus. This is also the best time to know if one needs to terminate the pregnancy due to abnormalities.
My OB will discuss the u/s results with me during my next appointment.

Tweetu probably felt that it was still night-time and went back to sleep! Tweetu wasnt kicking or moving either. She was being a little un-co operative.
RD first made use of the gravity, by inclining the bed, my legs were up & my head was down. Later, I was asked to lie on my left side(as my Uterus currently is growing on the right) Then, the RD tried to wake up Tweetu on 7 different occassions, by tapping the probe on my tummy & finally managed to take all the measurments.

The RD later turned the Monitor to my side, for 5 mins, and showed us Tweetu's face(she looked cute & so much like TD!), tummy, legs, hands & spine. What was fascinating to me was Tweetu's beating heart...! Wow, perfectly looking 2 auricles & 2 ventricles moving in a rythm! Exactly like in the pictures! Tweetu has grown so much in these weeks... Her legs were folded. Her hands were bent @elbows and we felt like she was sucking her thumb...how cute! My camera-friendly baby took no time in giving us those wonderful shots, yet again!

We asked the RD to write down Tweetu's gender in an envelope...we havent opened it yet! So, what do you think? Is it a GURL or a BOY? I have created a new poll ...vote now!

This u/s experience was different for me as most of the time, the Monitor was not facing me & I could not see Tweetu and most of the things she & RD were doing.
Lucky for TD, he got to see everything, from start to finish! So just hang in there, he will soon publish his side of the story!
Photo courtesy:lisencemag

Dilemma

19+ Week:

My week 20 u/s is scheduled on the 17th(my birthdate!)...am all excited! We havent yet decided if we want to know Tweetu's gender...

My Mom looked into the Chinese gender-prediction calender...she said, the predictions, based on her age, when she carried me & lil Bro, are wrong! My cousin had told me that the calender had given her a correct answer.
Neways, I dont trust the calender, even if the answers were right...!

Darling Tweety-pie has been 'dancing'(read kicking) a lot these days. Now a days, I can feel her even more. Since a couple of days, I could also 'see' her while she was doing 'Dora the adventurer' thingy :)).
There is no specific time....she dances even late @night! I still cant figure out the trigger. It is not always eating sweet that makes her dance as they say. There isnt a pattern too...

Well today, my lil Bro tried to convince me to make a short trip 'home'...Dad & Mom tried the same & they have done that a couple of times before...
They all are a little upset with me living here, all by myself(of course TDs here too) during such precious time of our lives...Mom wants to cook for me, Dad & lil Bro want to share this happy time with me...take care of me...in general,they all want to pamper me...They also went to the extent of asking me to rethink about where I should give birth to Tweetu! Its not like pg gals dont deliver back 'home'....

& I sometimes wish the same too...there have been times when I came home hungry & wished Mom would be there to make me something...ask me how my day was...talk to me....I miss my parents & Bro & the love they shower on me...
I wish, one of them could come visit us...but thats not feasible with both Mom-Dad @work & Bro busy with studies...

Hmm...I am lost....
TDs asked me to chalk out the pros & cons & see if it helps me...

Update: I think I have figured it out.
Even though I was born & bought up in my homeland, my body cant easily accept the 'change' whenever I have been on vacation. I sometimes do land up with an upset stomach(even after taking precautions like drinking boiled,bottled H20,aquaguard etc) or generally get a (pollution)rash on my body. Its a rainy season out there.
Previously, it was hard to accept this, but now, this is the reality. My immunity is put to test everytime I visit home, & it cant sustain after a while!
Now, do I want to put myself into such a situation during the 5th-6th month of my pregnancy? I dont think so! Tweetu will be affected more than me...
Dilemma? no more!

Happy 60th Independence Day!

What to look for while...

buying Crib, crib mattress, Bassinet & Diaper bag...Babycenter is a very resourceful website...here are some excerpts...

:Cribs/Baby Cots:

• Specific safety standards:
-The distance between the crib slats must be no more than 2 3/8 inches.
-The dropsides must be at least 9 inches above the mattress support when lowered.
-When raised, the top of the dropside must be at least 26 inches above the support at its lowest position.
• Adjustable mattress height:
-Make sure the mechanism for this feature is essentially foolproof — you don't want your child's jiggling to knock the mattress out of place.
• Ease of release:
-Before buying a crib, give it a thorough hands-on inspection. Raise and lower the sides of each model several times to see which crib is easiest to operate(noise-free one-handed release is key). Note that if the release is too easy a baby may learn to lower the sides himself.
• Stability:
-Give the crib a good shake in the store. If it wobbles or rattles, that may mean it was put together improperly;it could also be a sign you should keep looking.
• Frame size:
-The crib interior should snugly accommodate a standard crib mattress — at least 51 3/4 inches long by 27 3/4 inches wide.
-Make sure that even with a mattress in place, the crib sides are tall enough to keep your baby safely inside.
• Casters:
-Metal wheels are better than plastic, but both make the crib easier to move around the room.
• Versatility: Many cribs are designed to convert to toddler beds, children's benches, and even adult daybeds for later use elsewhere in the home. While this sounds appealing, make sure the crib makeover is relatively easy to perform and that you like the look of the new furniture.

!!AVOID!!
• Old cribs:

-Cribs made before 1973, when federal guidelines went into effect, are more likely than newer models to have safety problems.
-Secondhand cribs may also have splinters, lead paint, discontinued (and potentially dangerous) features, or slats that are too far apart.
-Check slat space size and stability, and look out for any sharp edges, protruding metal, and other dangers.
• Decorative touches: Avoid fancy decorations that can break off and pose a choking hazard.

:Crib Mattresses:

• Foam mattresses:

-Made either of polyester or polyether, because they weigh less than innerspring mattresses.

-The better foam mattresses are high-density, about 1.5 pounds per cubic foot.

-Cheaper than innerspring/coil ones.

• Innerspring mattresses:

-Coil mattresses keep their shape longer than foam.

-Look for mattresses with a minimum of 150 coils.

-If you can fit two fingers between the side of the mattress and the crib, the mattress is too small.

-Firm is good.Squeeze the mattress at the edges and center to test its firmness.

-For water-resistance ticking (mattress cover), look for double- or triple-laminated ticking reinforced with nylon.

-Plenty vent holes to allow odors to escape.

:Bassinet:

-Sturdy bottom and a wide base.

-If the stand is a folding model, be sure its legs lock so the bassinet doesn't collapse unexpectedly.

-If it has wheels, make sure they lock to prevent accidental roll-aways.

-Steer clear of bassinets with hoods that don't fold back.

-Rough or sharp edges on the inside.

-If a quilt is included in the bedding set, know that it is for decorative use only and should not be used to cover your baby.

:Diaper Bag:

-One that has a good easy to use changing pad that can be used for a toddler too.

-A mesh/H2O proof pocket to hold wet stuff.

-Can be wore on the back or shoulders with adjustable straps.

-Has a light inside covering.

& heres a 'short list' of things that a new-Mom, A.Marie,with a 4 month old son, found really important that need to go in ones hopsital & diaper bag! Read on...!

"... I looked up every possible list on the web of what to register for and purchase, what to pack for the hospital, and what to pack in a diaper bag. I can't believe how many things I bought that I truly didn't need, and likewise didn't get that I should have. My best advice to expecting moms is the following list:

For Mom; 2-3 GOOD nursing bras-don?t worry about looks, 1-2 nursing gowns, several cloth nursing pads-the disposable are easier but can chap your nipples, lanisoh cream, tucks, hospital size maxi-pads, Rx Americane ointment and spray, an inflatable hemorrhoid pillow to sit on, a breast pump or rental, and a package of size 1 diapers to make ice packs out of-essential!! Also a couple of good reference books-I liked The baby Book, Babywise, and Heatly Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Please know, you will get a hundred opinions but the more you have to read the more confident and encouraged you?ll feel.

For Your Newborn; 6+ baby gowns with attached mittens, 6+ side snap tees, 6+ soft white onesies, newborn swaddler diapers, 4+ thick/cotton/extra large receiving blankets, newborn socks, only 2-3 head beanies for summer(extra stretchy), nail clippers with attached magnifier, a Boppy or Best Friend pillow and nursing stool for nursing, several cheap but soft burp rags, sensitive wipes, a nasal aspirator, Baby oil and a very fine comb- to get rid of cradle cap, a few bottles of Purell hand sanitizer, a vibrating bouncy seat, a front carrier, a total body support for the infant seat, a mirror to see baby in the car, a heart beat or soothing sounds bear, very soft wash cloths, a terry cloth bath pillow for the tub, alcohol and q-tips for the umbilical cord, a car seat and stroller.

For the hospital; you dont need much. One or two outfits for baby, some comfy slippers that you don?t mind throwing away if they get filthy, a camera and batteries or charger, a couple of snacks for dad, a hair tie, your breast pump so the staff can assist you the first time (but I rec renting one the first month), your bare minimum makeup essentials, deodorant, good smelling soaps, lotion, and shampoo that wont be offensive to baby, any baby books you want printed or signed, an extra bag for gifts, a pillow for you and Dad, and possibly something to cover your eyes to get some good rest. DONT HESITATE ASKING THE STAFF FOR A HEMMORHOID PILLOW, SAMPLES OF FORMULA JUST IN CASE, A NIPPLE SHIELD IF YOU NEED IT, A BOPPY PILLOW, A ROCKER OR GLIDER TO NURSE IN, EXTRA FOOD FOR YOU, OR EXTRA PAIN MEDS AND ICE DIAPERS IF YOU NEED THEM, AND HELP IN GENERAL. This will get you through the first month!

On a side note, I got a few items from Nordstroms, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifith avenue for gifts and thought the prices were ridiculous, but they were so much softer and well made that I could really tell the difference. If you can splurge, get a couple of burp rags, side snap tees, and gowns from them. Several of these items will be used for a very short period of time but they are so worth it. Borrow them if you can. "

Oouch!

Adventurous Alaska! - v.2.0

I'm back to my mini-travelogue...! So, where was I....?

'Fjords'(pronounced as 'fee-ords') basically means a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between steep slopes. Here is a map of the entire Prince William sound, which is 3,000 miles of shoreline, surrounded by the Chugach Mountains to the east, west and north and on which, the towns of Whittier, Valdez, and Cordova are situated. Because the Sound was formed by millions of years of glaciation, its shorelines are heavily indented by deep fjords and many smaller bays. No roads connect these communities.The map gives a better idea of the sound and the fjords.
Our cruise took us to College & Harrimon Fjords through Passage Canals, Barry Arm & Port Wells. Here is a detailed tour map.
Hot turkey sandwich(for non-veggies) & vegetable stew(for the non-meat-but-chicken-eaters like TD!) was provided on the cruise with complimentary Tea & Coffee.
The cruise stopped at a few locations for picture ops. On one such occasion, we captured calving of a glacier on our camcorder! Must I say, one needs a lot of patience and steady hands to record such a phenomenon and take pictures. It was a spectacular cruise & I highly recommend it.

We rushed to catch the 6pm tunnel exit, leaving Whittier, as we banked on the shores 8 mins short of 6pm!

We then visited the Portage glacier and lake, which is just 6 miles off of the outbound tunnel from Whittier. Unfortunately, in the last few years, the glacier face has begun retreating from the lake it created. In winters though, the glacier face is still in the water and extends down more than 100 feet into Portage Lake. FYI, Glaciers that reach the sea are called tidewater glaciers and glaciers that end in lakes are freshwater glaciers.

On our drive back on hwy Seward, we saw a lot of cars parked on the shoulder to the right & as we passed them, I saw a little white baby goat atop a hill!
Eager to take a shot, we parked way ahead & walked back to where the baby goat was. & lo behold, as we got closer, we saw the entire white goat family! Ma & Pa goat on the hwy. side with there confused cubs/babies(2) atop the hill, trying to figure out their next move!
We got some excellent close-ups of the Ma & Pa goats. One of the baby goat did come down the hill but got frightenened by the presence of the human spicies that it ran back up!
The goats were so close to the road that there was a possibility of them being run-over by some fast driving car. Hence I asked TD to dial 911 and report the event and we left the spot.

We later dined at an Italian-Greek restaurant, Little Italy, which has an awesome menu!

The next day, we drove to North Anchorage to point Woronzof from where Mt.McKinley, Cook inlet & the Anchorage skyline are visible. Mt.McKinley looked tiny from here & it was hard to digest the fact that it was indeed Mt.McKinley!

Next, we drove to the Earthquake Park and took the 15 minute trail to the monument. When the "Good Friday" earthquake rocked Anchorage in March of 1964, the area that is now the park was an affluent residential area on the bluffs above Cook Inlet. The 9.2 earthquake dropped these homes into 30-foot crevasses and destroyed this entire area. Developed as a park years later, it carries monuments and reader boards with information on the great quake. On the way to the monument, we were greeted by a mama Moose, happily munching willow leaves! She was hardly a couple or more feets away from us. This is the closest you can get to a wild-horse-like-giant mama Moose!
At that moment, I heard our Denali Tundra wilderness tour guide Becky's voice...'when you see a Moose, slowly retreat....'! I was walking backwards & TD was moving towards the Moose for some closeups!
I think mama Moose was uninterested in TD that she made a huffing sound, walked across the trail & dissappeared into the wilderness! What a relief!

On our way to drop our car, we visited the World's busiest floatplane base at Lake Hood.
Funny, the dual purpose road strips were ment for driving and were also the runways! There were warning signs, to watch-out for a taking-off or a landing plane!
The planes were parked just like cars.
It looked as if flying is not a big deal here. It did struck me that people were allowed to visit such a high activity base, as many as 800 per day, without a ticket or a pass thru a security gate! & this base is feets away from the Ted Stevens international airport!
We saw a couple of floatplanes doing the landing & take-off action. It was amazing to see this from such a short distance.

Well, our 'adventure' had not yet ended! After reaching the Airport, we found that we were not assigned seats. Our boarding passes carried seat numbers that were atleast 12-13 rows apart. TD tried to get us seats together but as the flight was full, we had no chance but to request fellow passengers sitting next to us to switch. I had two ladies sitting next to me & I enquired if they were together. One of the lady said no & the other lady, without taking a second asked her if she could switch to another seat where currently her daughter was seated. The lady agreed & I lost a chance there! & TDs seat-neighbours were just hostile. Both didnt want to move!
By now, the entire aircraft knew our story and some were sympathetically looking at me.... a poor pregnant gal who will be seperated from her darling husband for 5 long flight hours.....sob...sob....sob!

& later, when we arrived at SFO around 8pm, to our horror, my 'friend' who was supposed to pick us up had completely forgotton about our return journey! He was still in his office and wasnt willing to drive up to SFO at such a short notice.
Not that I didnt try to call him before departing Anchorage, but his cell phone was acting wierd. He later told us, when he came to pick us up from the Bart station, at approx. 10pm, that he had forgotten to pay his cell-phone bill & so had his cell disconnected!

In the meantime, we had requested him to pick up some food for us as we were approaching the 10 o' clock mark. For some reason, the restaurants had closed at 9:40pm that night!
So here we were...Tweetu, TD & I were famished as on the flight, all we were served, were Pretzels! & we had our lunch @2pm!

I cried as my legs were swollen & aching, and that poor TD had to make a trip to a closest pizza & because Tweetu had gone without food for the last 4-6 hours...I had been such an irresponsible mom...

We finally ended our day and our adventurous Alaskan baby moon @11:40pm!

Thats my short travelouge right there!

Now to some updates from my side:
--The question is back to the table:should I go(read 'see') with a nurse midwife (who I think might be present during my delivery) or stick to my Family Practitioner who transitions between FP & OB depts. & whose chances of being during my delivery are non...
-- I am all bloated! I dont like the way I look...our Alaskan baby mooning snaps are upsetting....I look 4-5 yrs older than TD & this upsets me even more. I always thought I would look like this sweet pg momma & look at me, I am all swollen...
--A Disclaimer is in effect ...take a look at the footer. Yes! Some baby room designer wrote rather a harsh and threatning email, ordering me to remove the pictures from Tweetu's bedroom ideas posting as they belonged to her or her 'lawyer would get in touch' with me!

Adventurous Alaska!

Week 18+:
We are back! What an 'adventurous' baby mooning vacation! Our adventure started on day 1 & lasted until we got back home! This sure does qualify as one of those mega blog postings! Read on....

Long story short, day 1 @Anchorage began with a totally messed up car rental reservation. At 9 am, we were told that our car wouldnt be available until 10:30am. We had all our plans chalked out wrt. to the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel(the 2.5 mile largest tunnel in America) schedule and had to catch the 11am window to reach Whittier for our cruise.
We shelled out an extra $40 to rent the only available option(obviously with another car rental company) - a big Dodge SUV, when all we wanted was a Compact 2/4 seater!

Then, our 26 Glacier catamaran cruise at Whittier got cancelled(which happens only once every summer, & that day in 2006, had to be day 1 of our vacation!) due to high wind advisory alert from the US coast-guards.

The the very unpredictable, not-fall-yet-and-a-quite-rainy Alaskan weather caught us off-guard & we lost a day(couldnt visit Seward & Kenai Fjords).

That evening, we visited the Anchorage downtown Anchorage Convention
& Visitor’s Bureau Log Cabin. Here we took pictures of wildflowers, a two-ton jade boulder, and a sign pointing to the world’s great cities! We saw the Imaginarium, Egan Center & shopped for Alaskan souvenirs at the Polar Bear gift shop at 4th & F. Here is a map of the downtown.

Day 2: our car bookings with the damned original rental company led us:1.> loosing nearly 2 hours in the morning; 2.> desperately looking for a new car; 3.> a lot of anguish & frustration... We finally managed to get a compact(add extra $$s to that) car & finally made our way to Talkeetna for the Glacier landing plane ride.
I am going to send a long complaint to Fox car rentals & would advise all of you to stay away from them, especially if they have a local office(owned/operated by some mismanaged disorganized local rental company) in the town you are planning on visiting.FYI, we had booked our car more than a month before our trip!

By now, we were almost sure that our vacation was jinxed & due the weather, we would not be able to take the plane ride. The bad weather accompanied us till Wasilla when things started changing.
It was bright and sunny in Talkeetna. We were able to book the 1:30pm aerial tour with K2 aviation guys(I recommend them).
& what luck! Since a couple of days, there had been no glacier landings nor was Mt.McKinley(North America's tallest mountain- 20,320-foot tall ) visible. We got both!
Every passenger had a window seat. We had a wonderful plane ride and our pilot Bob did a great job @all landings & take-offs esp. glacier ones and also at narration throughout our flight. We could communicate/talk with him with our protective headset and two-way intercom system. No bumps, no turbulances(we skilfully flew between the clouds)- just a smooth ride all the way! All the planes are Ski-equipped for glacier landings and boots are provided(we didnt carry ours in the plane as we were not sure of glacier landing and so were soaked till our knees!)

The glacier landing is one of its kind. The Sheldon Amphitheater where we landed on the Ruth glacier is magnificent & so is Mt.Mckinley! Its an amazing feeling to be surrounded on all sides with these huge mountains(Alaskan range) & nearly up 2000-4000ft of snow.
& Tweetu enjoyed it the most! She(I address Tweetu as 'she' as TD always addresses Tweetu as 'he') joyfully 'danced'(read 'kicked') all throughout the ride!

Some Denali National Park Facts: 17% of the park's land is covered with glaciers. The deepest measured glacier is the Ruth Glaciers which is 3805 feet or 1160 meters. The surface ice of the Ruth Glacier moves about 3.1 feet or 0.95 meter per day.

Later, we headed towards Denali National Park and Preserve. It was raining all the way and we were a little skelptical about our Tundra Wilderness tour that we had booked to take the next day. We reached out cute little log-wood cabin @Parks Edge in Healy(a 2 hour ride from Talkeetna).
We fell in love with the cabin the moment we stepped in! Its ideal for 2 people...so cute and cozy. It was so romantic with the rains outside, coupled with two huge rainbows! It was nice and warm inside as we had the room heater going. The cabin had just enough space for a queen bed, a love seat & a small wash basin. The rest room had a seperate water heater & a cute stall shower. What else do you need?!

Can you imagine, we checked in at 9:30pm & it was still day-light outside! In Alaska, during summer, the sun sets at 11:30pm & the sun rise is around 5am ish!

Our 9 hour(its typically 8 hrs tour but weather permitted, it can get extented to an hr or more) Tundra Wilderness Tour began with a bus boarding at the Mckinley Chalet Resort at 5:40am. We were asked to carry a warm jacket, cameras & binoculars. Lunch was provided on the bus. It is not a typical hop-on-hop-0ff tour. There are only 6 reststops at beautiful vista points. The ride is not bumpy even though the bus travels on a gravel road after mile 14.
We were lucky, again! Our tour guide come bus driver Becky declared that it was one of those rare bus trips when the weather was spectacular & we were able to spot the great '5ives'(Brown bears, Caribous, Dall sheep, white Alpha female fox with her black cubs & the Moose) in large numbers, in a single tour! We also spotted the bald Eagle, long-tailed Jaeger,mountain Squirrel and the Alaska state bird - Ptarmigan. We travelled a few extra miles to Stony Hill Overlook at mile 62 to get a spectacular view of Mt. Mckinley where we were served hot Chocolate! It was a memorable tour. Later we left for our ride back to Anchorage.

We had re-scheduled our 26 glacier cruise tour for Monday when the weather was supposedly going to get better. & it did! The sun shined all the way from our Anchorage drive through south Seward, to Whittier, while we were on the cruise, until it was time for the Moon to shine!

& the cruise? 'Klondike Express' was the highlight of our vacation! People, dont miss this cruise for anything! Its a 4 hour cruise & from the time you set your foot on it, time just flies! We got more than we expected. Perfect weather, perfect top speed-40 knots- Catamaran, & those magificent glaciers. We spotted many Otters & large fishes doing a dolphin-act on the way through the Fjords.

Contd....

Braxton-Hicks Contractions

Week 18:

Yipee! We are leaving for Alaska tomorrow!Binaculors,Camcorder,Mt.clothes,Ponchos - everything is ready & packed to go! I was hoping to find a TJ's or a Wholefoods in Anchorage and around the places we are visiting....found non...hope I find a good organic store in Anc... I luv to chow down on those Chicken Ceasar Wraps & other healthy ready-to-eat goodies..... BTW, my belly's girth is 43"!
Will check back on you guys after 9th!
Adios Amigos!

True Labor vs. Braxton Hicks

Braxton Hicks	True Labor
Contractions don't get closer together.	Contractions do get closer together.
Contractions don't get stronger.	Contractions do get stronger.
Contractions tend to be felt only in the front.	Contractions tend to be felt all over.
Contractions don't last longer.	Contractions do last longer.
Walking has no effect on the contractions.	Walking makes the contractions stronger.
Cervix doesn't change with contractions.	Cervix opens and thins with contractions.

Symptoms:
Episodes of tightening of the uterine muscles are called Braxton-Hicks contractions. Although these contractions start very early in pregnancy, most women do not really notice them until the second half of their pregnancy. These usually mild contractions are thought to play a part in toning the uterine muscles and promoting the flow of blood to the placenta. Some people call them practice contractions.
Triggers:
Braxton-Hicks contractions can be triggered when you (or your baby) move or when your belly is touched. They may also occur when you are dehydrated, or when you or the baby are very active, if someone touches your belly, When your bladder is full, after sex, dehydration.
Each Braxton-Hicks contraction may last one to two minutes. During this time, the whole uterus becomes hard. This may feel strange and sometimes uncomfortable.