Registries, Playlists & growing belly Oh My!

Okay the last couple of weeks have found me pouring hours & hours over the 3 Baby registries I've created. Babies "R" Us, Target & Walmart have way too many choices of things I don't need. Like for example does anyone REALLY need a bottle warmer? How about the good ole trick of running the bottle under hot water?

Or does a baby need a bouncer, play mat, playpen, cradle AND crib? I think not, this is just a marketing ploy for anxiety ridden moms to be. But gladfully since I've been thru all this before I feel better equipped to maneuver through all the unnecessary baby junk. Regardless I have spent probably a combined 15 hours pouring over these products that are supposed to make my life easier once baby arrives & I'm tired, sleep deprived yet happy & glowing over the warmth only a baby can produce in a Mama.

Since music is going to be part of this child's life in one way or another, I felt it natural to begin a "BABY" playlist. Music has always been part of my life, I often think in lyrics & love to dance, listen & enjoy all the wonderful styles so many talented musicians have put out there for all to enjoy. One of my recently discovered baby themed tunes is "Zion" by Ms. Lauryn Hill. Beautiful, touching lyrics such as:
"thank you for choosing me
To come through unto life to be
A beautiful reflection of his grace
See I know that a gift so great
Is only one God could create
And I'm reminded every time I see your face"


A beautiful song & timeless classic is "Teach Your Children Well" By Crosby, Stills & Nash which has an amazing, strong message conveyed by the lyrics:
"Can you hear and do you care and
Cant you see we must be free to
Teach your children what you believe in.
Make a world that we can live in."


And if I had to pick ONE baby song to surpass all others it would be "Baby Mine" originally from Walt Disney's Dumbo but Bette Midler's interpretation is the one that melts my heart. This was a song my daughter, Alexis Ariel, and I shared many, many times. It always brings a tear to my eyes or has the power to remind me of the that special love no matter what the circumstances. The lyrics to this song are some of the most beautiful I have ever heard due to the pure, wonderful sentiment they convey.

"Baby mine, don't you cry.
Baby mine, dry your eyes.
Rest your head close to my heart,
never to part, baby of mine.

Little one, when you play,
pay no heed what they say.
Let your eyes sparkle and shine,
never a tear, baby of mine.

If they knew all about you,
they'd end up loving you, too.
All those same people who scold you,
what they'd give just for the right to hold you.

From your hair down to your toes,
you're not much, goodness knows.
But, you're so precious to me,
sweet as can be, baby of mine."


Music conveys the perfect emotion to every situation in life without ever having to speak a word and the way I see it music is ultimately what brought Eric and I together 6 years ago when we met thru a mutual friend THRU music. Music has been an integral part of Daddy's life from the age of about 3 and is a huge piece of the man he is today. I am quite sure that this child's life will be filled with many hours of amazing melodies & drum beats either from his Mama attending & dancing in various music events with him/her or Daddy just being Daddy.

The last couple of weeks have produced a sudden pop in my expanding belly as well. Last week at 16 wks, I definitely noticed a "bump" appeared and I am HAPPY about it. I've always thought there was beauty in pregnancy plus I don't have have to suck in the gut for at least another 5 months!! The fact that there is LIFE growing in that belly is an amazing thought. I saw a tshirt which read " I grow people, what's your superpower?" and it made me giggle. I also just noticed the brown line which develops from the bellybutton down in pregnant chicks for the first time today. Everything is coming together like its supposed to.

And one more piece of news I am very happy about is the fact that I am back with my favorite Ob/GYN, Dr. Marcel Bacchus. He is an amazing, caring & sensitive doctor and one I am familiar with since he delivered my daughter 13 years ago. I almost wanted to give him a huge bear hug & tell him I loved him but I wasn't sure how that would be received :) but now that I think about it I probably could've gotten away with and blamed it on my crazy pregnancy hormones. Daddy & I heard the heartbeat at Dr. Bacchus office, just another confirmation that YEP I'M PREGO!

All the Grandma's (2) & Grandpa (1) are ready to meet Baby B in December & I'm positive will be a great support system for us. Ah, Babies--have a great power of uniting folks. What a gift!

Mama Bear Rises Again!

My happiness is in many ways unexplainable & I believe that unless you are a mother who has loved, & nurtured a new life growing inside your womb, it's hard to fully explain the miraculous wonder happening right now in me. After 13 years since the birth of my first beautiful child, Alexis Ariel Smith, the Universe/God has blessed me with another lil peanut who will be here in 6 months on Xmas Day! This child is what I call my "Miracle Xmas Baby" and I can't wait to hold him. YES, I Mean HIM, because that's what I feel I'm having, a bubbling, musical baby boy. I call this new life a miracle because due to complications with fibroid tumors, I pretty much accepted that I wouldn't get another chance at mothering a precious baby again although in my heart & soul I have wanted it so badly. I ached for it maybe due to the fact that I truly believed it would not happen.

On Sunday June 19th I took a home pregnancy test & both tests came out positive! Wait, let me take that memory in once again, whoa so looks that's one test I passed! Really , I was going to be a mom again!!!! I immediately thanked God for this opportunity again. This led to a Doctor's appointment to verify the HPT which led to 2 ultrasounds in the same week. On June 23rd, I was able to see my baby for the first time who was already at 13 wks! A rambunctious lil fetus he is, flipping around inside that water sack like an olympic swimmer. A whole trimester had passed already and I felt a lil distressed because in those 13 weeks I went thru French Quarter Fest, Jazz Fest &other activities carrying on like a woman who is NOT pregnant but the body has a miraculous way of supporting a new budding lil life in those weeks and I have faith that if this lil guy is a fighter and that he is MEANT to be here. I also found out I had ANOTHER tumor growing alongside the baby as well, oh THAT's what's been hurting me for months! I knew it and wished I was wrong.

June 24th led to my 2nd ultrasound to detect any chromosome abnormalities like Down's Syndrome & again Baby Love once again was doing cart wheels in my uterus, there he was just as active as he was the day before. Those results came back and everything is NORMAL..yay! My only thought was "Ouch if he keeps up all this moving I'm gonna be hurting when he get's bigger" and I envisioned lil limbs poking thru my belly at the last trimester. I pray this is not the case but this baby might come out dancing or playing drums seeing as both parents are very musical!

I decided to start this blog in part to just catalog my pregnancy/thoughts/feeling/etc & talk about it with other mom's and also to just share the immense joy I feel. I am determined to not let anything or anyone upset me during this delicate time INSPITE of my raging hormones, my self proclaimed alter ego right now is named HORMONE HELENA! lol

And to my baby love: Just know that no mother ever wanted you more! I am in love with you already & my arms ache to hold you. I can't wait to see you again at the next ultrasound where we'll find out if your a boy or girl but I already know ,as I did with your sister, that you are a boy...hmmm what shall we call you??? In the meantime I hope your rocking out to all the music I've been playing for you. You should be well versed in the Beatles, Etta James, Keb Mo, Otis Redding, Nina Simone, Billy Holiday, Bonnie Raitt and Coltrane just to name a few. In a few weeks I will introduce you to Beethoven, Bach & Mozart. I love you Sunshine..lets get some sleep now, Lord knows your wearing me out already! Sweet dreams.