Hello MELINA!

Melina Ann Tolpolar arrived on August 23rd, 2010 at 8:51pm. She weighed 7lb 8oz and was 20 inches long. pretty calm and was happy to be placed on mommy right upon arrival. I was immediately in LOVE!

Fortunately, we had the GENIUS idea to let my mom know that the baby was probably coming that day (which was 6 days early), so she was able to change her flight plans and arrived in LA at about 1am, just 4 hours after Melina's birth.

Between the hospital staff, our Doula (Lyssa), and of course, Cassio and my mom, everything was great before, during , and after the delivery.

Cassio and I had a great experience overall and enjoyed the process as much as possible.

Here are a few early picture from that night....more pictures to come soon.

Grandma Pattie xoxoxoxoxox

cat in hats

We're putting Querida's modeling portfolio together...she's so versatile.

Goodbye Belly......

6 days before her expected due date, Melina Ann Tolpolar was born!

Here are the final belly photos from week 38.

Goodbye my dear belly...I will miss the outie belly button and all the wonderful kicks and punches happening on the inside...I enjoyed having the baby as my constant companion.

Onward!

fresh styles from 1977

My mom pulled a few of my baby clothes out and mailed them to me... most I remember quite clearly, although I suppose I looked through them at some point in the last 33 years.

In any case, she also included little cards with notes as reminders as to their origins.

Before our lives become focused on our little one (she is due in just 11 days), I thought I'd go ahead and document these in case they sucked into the contemporary baby goodness that has taken over her room.

Sweetness below...

Holly Hobby or Little House anyone? I think I wore these often, including my first trip to the beach. Gingham is great.

Booties made by an aunt....sweater is cute but not sure where it came from.

Polly Flinders dress. I remember the dress well, but didn't know that the brand was especially swank. Perfect light weight for those days above 80 degrees in Corning, New York (so maybe once per year) :)

Hand-made by an aunt, I think.

Sweet swiss-dot blue-ducky item....I think I would call it a pinafore (check out wikipedia "pinafore" for a reminder of what it is).

A special number for my baptism from grandparents :)

The following set came from my grandparents. It must have been kept for special occasions, cause it's still white and looks brand new.

Leaving the hospital, I must have been tickled pink :)

This little terry footed sleeper was a favorite (from my recollection)...the little flower patch on the left chest is sooooooooo in my memory.

The two following outfits are sweet jumpsuits with little bellbottom pants. I must have been a little older when I wore these...1.5 or 2 yrs? First is cotton gingham and the second is a polyester number.

week 38-watermelon

So here is a picture from the weekly Trader Joe's trip (this morning), which also happens to be the first day of the 38th week! woohoooo!

My weekly email pregnancy updates, told me that she is the size of a watermelon (about 6.5 lb) now and truly it is a lot to lug around with the other 30 lbs. Sheeeesh. It was also great to reminisce with the other fruits and veggies she has been over the last weeks/months...those blueberries, kiwis, peaches, ears of corn, and papayas all seem so small now, so it's fun to have graduated to the watermelon at last :)

All in all, I still have a smile on my face most of the time. Feeling pretty good and just waiting around for her to come play with us.

(frontal view gives it no justice, but we forgot) :)

a few other shower photos

Although it was over a month now, the baby shower is still something I think about often.

In fact, Walter put a few photos on Facebook and I have also put them here.

Super-nice...

Antonio, Tom and I

Pastel Black......(spinal tap, anyone?)

Ted, Walter and I....damn we are a handsome bunch!

Ludo, Luis, Lane and Lara......many L's = good

museum water is special.....

I've had lunch several times with a few other mommies-to-be from the museum...two are due the day before me, so I look forward to potentially seeing them in the halls of the hospital as we are walking around in our sweet non-slip socks and hospital-grade robes.

It has been fun to compare all aspects of the pregnancy process (the belly-buttons might be the most bizarre and silly) and a bit helpful to know that none of us are exactly prepared with the child-care and full on reality of having to come back to work. To some degree, I think we are all ready to move to other countries where we would be given a paid year away from work....for bonding, breastfeeding, etc.

So here's a picture of several of us:

Besides the four of us, I know of 4 other folks who have had babies in the last 2 months and I know of at least another 5 who are due sometime in the fall...all from the museum!!!!

Have juice or coffee if you come to the museum, cause I think the water is a little "special".