There's something about having more than one child.  After the first pregnancy, you can see some signs in yourself, some ways you become, that kind of thing. 

Not to mention that after the first pregnancy, going to the bathroom all the time gets old really fast.

You don't have any stomach muscles left to hold the kid up.

And the crankiness of late pregancy seems to increase tenfold with each child.

With Keyzia and with Ephraim, I became something of a hermit in the last month.  Not answering the phone, not wanting to go out, feeling a little bit postal if ONE MORE PERSON said "gee, how overdue are you??"

POSTAL.

ahem.

This peanut pregnancy has been tough.  Harder on my body than either of the other ones.  With Ephraim, it was the heat I had to deal with.  With this one, it's the not being able to take a step without hurting.  The reflux.  The aching in my very bones.  The fact that sometimes I have to look down and make sure my legs are still attached to my torso, because my joints feel so loose.

Add to that the emotional aspect of hormones racing like crazy through your body.

I remember my parents telling me the story of how my dad used to bring my mom home a chocolate bar from work every night.  One night he forgot, didn't have the money, or whatever, and my mom completely lost it.  We're talking divorce here, people. 

I can relate.

People always say to me that the no sleep is just preparing me for the no sleep with a newborn.  I think that's bull.  I actually sleep better when I have a newborn...

And so here we are, counting down with 6 1/2 weeks left. 

6 1/2 weeks.

Yet, I am so excited to hold this baby in my arms.  To feel her curl up against me... that precious precious trusting new baby.  The way that God gave babies that incredible baby smell that seeps into your senses.

I keep my eyes focused on that and it almost, ALMOST seems worthwhile.

"Keyzia, go upstairs and get yourself some socks please."

trudging slowly upstairs, "Why do I have to do everything myself?"

"Because you're four and you're a big girl now."

"Gee, when I'm five, I'm going to have to do EVERY-Everything."

On Fridays, fondly known around here as free food Fridays, we go over to the Early Year's Centre and get some free food!  The government has this program where you go and sign up, the kids play, they feed us a snack and lunch, AND we get to take home two bags of food and a gift certificate for a grocery store.  It's lovely.

What does that have to do with boobs, you may ask?  Of bellies, for that matter?  And where the heck does plaster fit in?

Well, at the EYC I met the lovely and wonderful Tara.  I have to admit that we bonded.  She makes and sells these gorgeous ring slings that I was totally drooling over.  Tara also completely understood that we were only having another baby so that we could use the sling again.  The bond of the baby wearing mother goes deep, I tell ya, deep.

ANYWAY, again, probably wondering what this has to do with boobs!  Other than the fact that nursing in the sling is awesome... hands free nursing, wahoo!!  But, I digress.

Tara has this neat business, The Better Baby Company, and they are coming out with a new product, today, I believe.  It's a belly casting kit, and she begged (okay, not really) me to use my belly for instructions, test run, etc, for the kit.

Tara and photographer Brendan descended on me last Tuesday night arms full of medical grade plaster, camera and various other things.  (Hey Tara, next time?  I like the mocha's from Timmy's... heh heh heh).

After a brief tour of our colourful house, when Tara didn't even flinch at the state the kids' bedrooms were in (I knew at that moment she was a kindred spirit), I stripped down and greased up.

The first step was to completely coat my belly with vaseline.  For this part, I left my bra on... extra warmth, perhaps?  One thing I would do differently, is wrap the vaseline right around my sides a bit more.  When the cast came off, it did pull on the sides.  Oh, and lift the boobs, people!  Lift the boobs!

Tara was busily at work cutting up the plaster strips, I reclined on a kitchen chair (note for next time, more comfy pillow for my butt....) and the plaster was applied.


Tara had to dip the strips into the bowl of water then kind of skim the excess water off...  much like wallpapering.

((Oh yah, see that mole on the bottom right of my tummy?  Well, that used to be right next to my belly button... nice, eh?))


The idea is to keep building on the plaster.  Kind of like paper mache... You have to keep criss crossing the strips so that it builds up a strong layer.


Here's a hint!  If you raise your arms up a bit, your boobs get perkier!  ((ha!))


Yes, one of my boobs is bigger than the other.  Here she's just doing the finishing touches.  Smoothing, reinforcing, that kind of thing.  You want it to be nice and strong so that it doesn't break on you when you take it off.

It was a bit bizarre, it got really warm as the plaster was setting, but then it got quite cold under there.  We had to wait for about 15ish minutes for it to set, and then Tara popped it right off.  Totally cool.

Things that I would do differently?  Better butt pillow.  More vaseline on my sides, and shower directly afterward.  My skin is super super sensitive, and the plaster left behind on my skin was a bit itchy.  It was fine by the next day though.

A totally neat-o experience, and now my belly will be famous!


Go buy a kit.  And while you're at it, get a sling too, wouldja?

((Oh, and yes, I will sign autographs.  heh heh heh.)

So.

Those of you who blog know about comment spam.  The little trolls that go around and post multiple comments, making you think you're all popular!!  But no, really they want to en* la rge your... well... you know what I mean.

I dealt with comment spam by making everyone have to sign up for a ((FREE!!)) account to be able to comment on my blog.  Probably the comments have suffered because of that, but at least the spam is gone!

I have noticed a seeming increase in spam with a few of the blogs I read.  Mandajuice in particular.  I was all like, "oh that so sucks.  The spamming.  The closing of the comments.  etc, etc."

Until I cruised by my own blog this morning (I don't know why I do that.  I just do.)  I was all wow, trackbacks!  I haven't been writing anything too exciting, but trackbacks are totally cool!!  Until I looked at the linkage.  And now it's trackback spam!!  You have GOT to be kidding me!  I had about 60 or so scattered through various posts. 

Now, now, there are no trackbacks on this blog.  There is also no counting of any urls in the Google county thingy.

Hopefully that will do it.  Otherwise I may have to get the pellet gun and some cat poo.