What Dreams May Come

Glad to be ...

2009-12-23T15:30:00.002-06:00

We've started a new blog after the move, trying out Wordpress to see if we like that any better than Blogger.

Check it out at www.gladtobe.wordpress.com

In Love,

Sophia, Alison and Daniel

And on the seventh day ...

2009-10-15T00:40:00.029-05:00

These pictures have been a long time coming, but we've been busy relocating to Oxford, MS and getting settled in. Below are just a few from Sophia's first week of life with us. Lots of sleeping, mixed occasionally with food either coming in one end or going out the other. She's been a blessing and, naturally, we think she's the most beautiful thing we've ever seen.

A mother's love ...

We sleep, just to dream her ...

Making friends already!

Story time

Zzzz....

Hear my roarrr!

We love our Moby!

More than words ...

2009-09-17T17:34:00.016-05:00

Our Birth Story

Early afternoon on Wednesday, Alison is just getting back from the pool with Alicia and excited that something is finally happening ...

"I think I've been feeling contractions for about an hour now.

This is it!"

And these two mutts did not leave Alison's side from Tuesday until we left late Wednesday evening, Dylan especially. They knew something was going on.

After roughly 15 hours of early labor contractions, during which time we ran errands, went to the Yacht Club where Alison had dinner with her parents and Daniel's mother as he worked and watched from close by, and then went back home to labor through the evening before transitioning around 4:00 AM and heading to the cottage in Long Beach around 5:00. We arrived around 6:00 and within 30 minutes Alison was ready to start pushing, about the same time her sister Stephanie walked through the door ...

Exactly an hour later (one intense hour), at 7:30 in the morning just after the sun started shining in through the window, following an incredibly quick, positive and completely natural labor, we met our baby girl ... Sophia Irene Marie Doyle. She was a big one, 10 lbs, 3 oz. and 21 inches long, but Alison was able to crack jokes between contractions and at one point just a few pushes from delivery laughed and told us "piece of cake". She definitely was an inspiration and a testament to the power of mind over body.

... meet Sophia!

Not yet a minute old ... and all three of us are crying.

Sophia Irene Marie Doyle

10 lbs, 3 oz & 21 inches long

Born 7:30 AM on 9/17/09

Getting all checked out by our incredible midwife ...

both mother and daughter are healthy and happy!

"I lay smiling like our sleeping children
One of us will die inside these arms
Eyes wide open, naked as we came."

Proud aunt and sister - Thanks Steph!

(See our candle and beads? You were all there with us, too.)

... and then there was rest

Thanks to all of those who sent words of encouragement and congratulations ... every person we touch in our lives leaves footprints, some little some large, that color the people we become. I love all of you and am so fortunate to know you, have known you or am just getting to know you ... We apologize if we have not been able to respond to everyone's calls and messages, but will do our best once things settle down.

Those who live nearby and would like to visit, we are asking that you please wait until the end of next week before coming by and even then call first to make sure it is a good time. Alison is feeling great, albeit exhausted, but we'd like some time as a family first and time also to give Sophia a chance to grow a little stronger before introducing her to all of you - which we are looking forward to doing very much! We trust you will understand and respect our wishes.

Pascagoula Beach Con Queso

2009-09-13T08:50:00.027-05:00

An early morning a few weekends ago with Karly Mansfield-Richardson and without enough sleep the night before ... but the sun was out, the sky was breathing, we're wide awake and dreaming.

... just in case you haven't had enough.

Playing in the sandbox.

There's a baby in your belly!

Love loves laughter.

"If the mountains should crumble to the sea ..."

Sending some good vibes within.

Four mutts and a miracle.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Rub the buddha!

And the rest is history ...

Why so serious!?

"No, I did not take a nap

The nap took me

off the bed and out the window

far beyond the sea ..."

Peace, love & happiness ... and

knockin' on heaven's door

It begins about five centuries ago in the fishing village of Claddagh,

just outside the city of Galway ...

Thanks Karly!

"She lives on love street ..."

2009-09-09T00:12:00.010-05:00

Thank you so much to everyone who was able to participate in our Blessing Way, in person or from afar. Lot of laughs, a little dancing, some tear-filled memories and countless reasons to feel blessed. We had a henna artist come who gave everyone ink, a belly-dancer, games, good food and good company. The prayers, lyrics, stories, poems and blessings were all beautiful and the beads have made an incredibly unique necklace. Wish we could have had everyone with us and that we could be with you, but hearts know no distance or time and you all have ours and we're thankful to have yours. Put your candles in your Blessing Way bottle and keep it somewhere ready to light ...

More than one belly was dancing ...

Dancing while designing ... and the finished product.

So blessed ...

"I see you live on love street

There's this store where the creatures meet

I wonder what they do in there

Summer sunday and a year

I guess I like it fine, so far ..."

... and some sailing later in the weekend on Labor Day

(the day before the due date!) though no labor for us, just leisure ...

Baby's First Concert

2009-09-03T00:31:00.009-05:00

"it was in love I was created

and in love is how I hope I die ..."

The moon wasn't quite full and neither was The Hangout, which means we could get within sweating distance from Paolo. And after, a walk on the beach ...

Wind, waves and wondering what comes next ...

Could be any day now!

Blessed be all mothers ...

2009-08-26T20:34:00.005-05:00

... and those mothers soon to be.

A Blessing Way is a celebration of life and love, pregnancy and motherhood. It has evolved from a traditional Navajo ceremony concerned with healing, creation, harmony and peace to a ritual of empowerment and faith. In appreciation for and honor of Alison and her transition into this new role, the purpose is to give her strength and support while affirming that she will have a beautiful birth experience. We ask that you come with an open heart and open mind.

Friday, September 4th

4-6:30 PM

Spanish Villa Apartments, E 16

In the place of gifts, each attendee is graciously asked to bring with them;

♥ two loose beads that remind you of Alison, to be used to create a group necklace

♥ one or more flowers of any variety (to compile into a floral wreath)

♥ a small, healthy food dish that reminds you of your mother, family, or simply comfort

♥ a poem, song lyrics, story or quote to be read aloud and is dedicated to Alison

♥ something little for her Nurture Basket (ie, bath goodies, chocolates, a book, framed quotes, drawings or photos, teas, lotions, etc)

♥ be prepared to share a personal story about Alison (ie, how you met, what draws you to her, why she’s important to you, something you admire, etc)

Gifts that keep on giving ...

2009-08-25T16:16:00.013-05:00

We've registered a few different places for baby gifts (see top of page). Thank you so much to those of you who've already purchased items from one of our registries and to everyone else who has thought of us and given a gift ... especially those of advice, support and encouragement.

It seems some people have had a little confusion using the online baby registries and when we have some time we'll post some basic instructions. For right now, here are a few things that we still hope to get before the baby comes (hopefully sooner rather than later).

Priority Items ...

Those of you still wanting to get us something for the baby, there are a few things that we would like more than others (but, of course, are happy simply knowing that you are thinking of us)!

In particular, cloth diapers! You can see some in particular that we've selected and think would work the best (from multiple recommendations) at one of the following three sites: Baby Earth, Eco Baby's Hut, or Pure and Simple Baby. We figure that we'll need 15-20 cloth diapers total, and running from $15-20 each the cost can add up quickly. However, these styles and brands that we picked out and registered for are mostly of the AIO (All-In-One) One-Size variety; meaning, they are adjustable and should last from birth to the point where diapers are no longer necessary (hopefully sooner rather than later). In the long run, the cost of buying your basic disposable diapers would considerably exceed the upfront cost of these fancy new reusable cloth diapers. Let alone costs saved to the environment. Conventional disposable diapers are the third largest contributors to landfills in the world yet only five percent of the population uses them. A single disposable diaper can take up to 500 years to biodegrade in the landfill. There are also biodegradable gDiapers made now (supposedly flushable, at least partially). These might be better for travel. If someone wanted to get us a starter kit we'd love to give them a try.

We've registered for a lot of other smaller items that we think we will need or would like to have. Some of the more necessary items, besides diapers, are the humidifier (this is the one we registered for, though any good humidifier would suffice) and bottles (we registered for both 4 oz and 9 oz WeeGo glass bottles).

Finally, please do not hesitate to give us hand-me-downs. In fact, for many items that are no longer of use to you and are fine to reuse (particularly clothes, books and toys), we would prefer this. It can be a pain to ship, mail or transport certain items but if it is possible we would much rather have it than it be thrown away. A gift is a gift, regardless of price and making it new does not make it any better. The more creative, the better ...

Cheese! (and lots of it)

2009-08-25T11:33:00.012-05:00

An afternoon on Spring Hill College campus with Julie Clark . . .

Harden Not Your Hearts ...

2009-08-23T20:38:00.000-05:00

... harden your belly!

We had spoken to a few people who recommended that we spend an afternoon late in the pregnancy to have some fun and solidify, literally, this moment in time by creating a belly cast. Belly casting is exactly what it sounds like; molding a cast of a belly using plaster and gauze ... in this case, Alison's nearly-nine month pregnant one. So, we took some time out of making vegetable stew for Sonya and Henry today to get a little messy and mold our memories for posterity sake. We aren't certain what we'll do with it just yet; we could paint it like those on this website, bronze it, laminate it, decorate it or leave it the way it is. Our Bradley teacher has hers hanging on the wall of her infant's bedroom. This site explains fairly well the basic process we followed.

So easy a caveman could do it!

Was supposed to use warm water ...

My Venus di Milo; someone call the Louvre!

Finished product drying in the August sunshine.

Shower by Stauter ...

2009-08-22T15:08:00.006-05:00

When: Saturday, August 22 @ 4:00 PM

Where: Nelson Abode (Lucedale, MS)

A beautiful, sunny afternoon adding more memories to friendships that will last a lifetime. The shower was perfect. The gifts were abundant but the love and laughter was overwhelming. It's amazing how time can pass but relationships remain the same. I must say the giant cake over-flowing with chocolate covered strawberries might have been my favorite part. Ashley definitely chose a great baker for that (thanks Becky Law)! The Nelson's new home in Lucedale was a perfect setting. Thank you so much to all who were there. Your love and friendship is cherished.

Alabama Birth Coalition . . .

2009-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

Below is an email sent out by our midwife asking for help in changing the laws in Alabama for birthing families. You can mail donations to her at;

Colleen Tulis

2705 Perin Ct.

Mobile, AL 36693

Checks can be made out to Alabama Birth Coalition

- - - -

Did you know that Alabama women/families desiring an out of hospital birth are forced to drive across State borders to Mississippi, Florida and Tennessee? Although legal in 27 states, it is currently illegal for a Midwife to attend a planned out of hospital birth in Alabama. The Alabama Birth Coalition, a grass roots organization working to make a change, has received an offer from an incredible benefactor to MATCH all donations up to $25,000 toward their efforts. These donations will help support efforts in legalization of the CMP (Certified Professional Midwife) to provide out of hospital care and birth services for Alabama families. Please help by making a donation today! All donations do make a difference. Even more valuable is your time, volunteering when letters and phone calls are needed. Please visit www.AlabamaBirthCoalition.org today to join our grass roots effort.

If it's riding high, it must be a ...

2009-07-22T04:48:00.001-05:00

7 mos. down ... two to go

8 mos. down ... one to go

Lovely Lady Lump

2009-07-10T03:04:00.000-05:00

A change is gonna come ...

"But in a way you can say after leaving the sea ... we took the ocean with us. When a woman makes a baby, she gives it water, inside her body, to grow in. The water inside her body is almost exactly the same as the water of the sea. It is salty, by just the same amount. She makes a little ocean, in her body. And not only this ... We continue to carry oceans inside of us, in our blood and our sweat. And we are crying the oceans, in our tears." ~ Shantaram

Sand Island, Mississippi

Our munchkin ...

2009-06-20T15:05:00.000-05:00

2/27/09 is the top right

4/23/09 are the 2 on the left

5/18/09 is bottom right