The Nelson Deragon Family

swimming with dolphins in Mexico 2/19/11

2011-02-23T11:04:00.000-05:00

almost 8 months!

2009-05-12T22:37:00.001-05:00

6 months is a handsome time

2009-04-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

spring comes to the North

2009-04-15T15:31:00.000-05:00

a boy and his friends

2009-01-18T08:29:00.002-05:00

I would say that the second postpartum trimester mirrors the second prenatal trimester in that its finally fun! For the past month Steve has been on school break and the three of us have had a blast. Kjeld has, as they say, blossomed...from a tiny krill to a bouncing baby who likes to sing and dance and play and read stories and make friends!

Kjeld Jonas Tate Nelson is 3 months old!

2008-12-18T10:47:00.006-05:00

the birth and everything after

2008-11-29T00:33:00.001-05:00

The one day I was sure our darling ‘pickle’ wouldn’t arrive was September 15^th – my birthday – and wouldn’t you know it, the little bugger, after 9 hours of labor and a half hour of pushing, our son emerged peacefully, at home, in the water, just after noon time, on my birthday. He came with a head full of such strikingly blonde hair that it took us three days to think up a name for this very Scandinavian-looking child. After deciding on the Danish name Kjeld, we thought to give him two middle names, Jonas & Tate, so if he tires of spelling his name for people he has two spares to choose from.

The next two months were hell for me. For 9 weeks Kjeld could not effectively breastfeed and I had to pump and supplement until his latch/oral-motor coordination matured. I experienced postpartum depression as a result of the stress and loosing so much sleep. Without going into too much detail, let me say that trying to figure out why our newborn struggled so much with breastfeeding, and what to do about it, was a god-awful battle to fight and win and I thought I just might die in the process. But we lived to tell the story which has a happy ending. Steve finished his next-to-last semester of school, Kjeld is a robust “75^th percentile” for growth as a completely breastfed baby. He smiles and laughs every day, and so does his mom. And I will be, as everyone kept telling me, and even better teacher for having visited postpartum depression and found my way out of it.

37 weeks: henna on my belly!

2008-08-28T20:37:00.001-05:00

36 weeks...

2008-08-26T08:20:00.000-05:00

bout time to do a belly cast!

34 weeks and nesting!

2008-08-11T21:09:00.005-05:00

Our urban nest on Emery St is finally staring to come together

33 weeks

2008-08-02T18:25:00.003-05:00

Here I am at the Farmer's Market getting fresh flowers to make our home homier. The belly is really something! The baby is growing at a pace of about an ounce a day now and I feel like I am visibly larger each day.

8 weeks left!

2008-07-19T21:59:00.005-05:00

I slept through the first trimester, felt better than ever in the second trimester, and now the third trimester feels very emotional... everything, good or bad, makes me want to cry. I also feel more vulnerable than ever... do we have lead in our drinking water? should I eat fish? why do pregnant women have to handle this themselves?

Third Trimester

2008-07-02T21:37:00.004-05:00

I can't believe we are in the third trimester! 12 weeks left of this pregnancy? Well, we accomplished the biggest thing on our To Do List before the baby comes...make a city nest. We found a sweet place to rent in the West End - 3 blocks from Birth Roots and Steve's sisters' houses...94 Emery St. in Portland.

our babymoon in Mexico

2008-05-22T22:42:00.009-05:00

we never did open the envelo pe ...we just we ren't curious, too con tent...

catch up...

2008-04-27T20:22:00.002-05:00

well, 18 months later....
...I am 19 weeks pregnant, due September 21. We were married in September of 2006 and our first child is due September of 2008! This time last year we were just finishing the final inspection of the Gorham apartment, Steve was beginning his first engineering internship, and we had a brief pregnancy. The miscarriage overshadowed the second half of 2007 for me. Eventually we did conceive again, around New Years Eve, and I can't believe I am already half way through this pregnancy. As we never did take a honeymoon, we realized it was now or never - so in May we will have a week's vacation in the Mexican Riviera.
In the meantime, Birth Roots has been searching for a new home - as Ballard House will be closing after 9 nine years. We finally found a suitable location just around the corner on State St. and will move June 1st. Steve just found out that he will do his second and final internship at National Semiconductor this summer, which is a much better commute than last summer's 2 hour/day to Sanford. After 2 years of the Gorham/Portland commute, we are looking for a small, in-town "loft" so that my postpartum experience can be one of walking to work and to visit Beth, Steve's sister, who just had her second child last month. If there's one thing I know about postpartum, its surround yourself with people.

married and moved!

2006-09-15T00:08:00.000-05:00

we are officially married and officially moved into our unoffinished Gorham apartment, and we both have started school!
click here for: photos of our wedding!

1964 - 2006: 42 years of serivce

2006-07-29T11:15:00.000-05:00

yesterday we celebrated my grandmother's retirement from Portland Appliance after working there for 42 years! She began working there in 1964. Happy retirement Mammie!

Garlic Scapes

2006-07-19T22:08:00.000-05:00

I recently took this photo of the garlic that we got at the Common Ground Fair and planted last fall in Steve's mom's garden in Surry.
We have been trying to put as much energy into relaxing, connecting with family and friends and enjoying the precious summer season as we are putting into wedding planning, house renovating, money earning, and school prep - its not easy to stay calm in the thick of all this change. I have a bit to learn about how important it is to not take stress out on your partner, misdirected stress is clearly bad for a relationship. I have tried a few new things like bringing Steve lunch at work when he's puting in extra long hours. This evening we went to one of our most favorite places - the Saco River and played in the rapids. This is clearly good for a relationship.

Northeast Permaculture Gathering in NH

2006-07-10T07:10:00.000-05:00

this weekend Steve and I went to the White Mountain region of New Hampshire for a PC workshop and got to swim in this gorgeous waterfall!

no.10 and a half on the Old Orchard Road

2006-06-15T07:25:00.000-05:00

Asaparagus is an edible perennial...Steve is putting in an asparagus bed in Gorham where we are preparing to live for the next period of time, while I am in midwifery school and Steve is finishing his degree. We are renovating a section of my mom's house into an accessory apartment: turning a window into a door, building a deck, putting in a bathroom and kitchen - wish us luck!

Barn raisin in Surry

2006-06-10T07:15:00.000-05:00

We spent a week in June, dodging the monsoon, to help build Steve's parents a horse barn. I practiced my documentary film-making skills throughout the process!

Baked Bean Supper Brown Bread

2006-05-13T20:35:00.000-05:00

Both of our mothers and my grandmother join us for a Saturday baked bean supper at the Scarborough Grange Hall on Rte 114.

GOING TO MIDWIFERY SCHOOL

2006-05-10T11:12:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I received a voicemail from Birthwise congratulating me on my acceptance to this fall's class of midwifery students! Three semesters of class work and three semesters of preceptorship and I will be a midwife. Of course, classes start the week of our wedding, but it looks like Steve will be back in school too, to finish up his mechanical engineering degree. And then there's the hope of becoming pregnant...

Easter for 20

2006-04-18T21:13:00.000-05:00

This Easter in Surry "Mimi" Grace, 98, met her great-granddaughter, Sabine Grace, 3 months!
We celebrated Mimi's birthday and Easter with a ham dinner for 20 people.

More Signs of Spring

2006-04-14T20:42:00.001-05:00

Today Steve and I made a vernal pilgrimage to the ocean, Cresent Beach specifically, to welcome spring. When I got home from work Steve was ready to go, wearing Tevas for the first time since last summer, so I put mine on too! Then when we got to the beach it was even warm enough to take them off and run barefoot in the sun-warmed sand. It felt so good to free my feet.

furniture - and other assumptions

2006-04-05T20:06:00.000-05:00

...planning a wedding has taken on a life of its own, and my life too. I have that feeling that the next thing I know the wedding will be next week. So many decisions to make - the big one being - do we have the ceremony on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning?? pros and cons to both. The other night Beth, Dylan, John & Maya helped us sample a locally made sparkling blueberry whine and decided it was perfect for toasting so we'll order a case or so. We are making every effort to use locally made - locally grown ingredients for the celebration and we continue to question to what degree we want to participate in the intensity of the materialism assosiated with weddings. Some of it makes sense as it is a special occasion and some of it just doesn't reflect our values or our real life.

Sugar Shack Fiasco

2006-03-27T20:38:00.001-05:00

Every spring the last Sunday in March is called Sugar Shack Sunday - local sugar shacks open up and serve pancake breakfasts and demonstrate the maple sugaring process - we've been going for years.
This year one of our favorite spots - Lovers Lane Sugar Shack stopped serving pancakes so we left and went to Pumkin Hill and many people who were trying to meet up with us got lost and were late and I had to work at noon and John forgot the battery to his camera! The only good thing was I found the guest favors for the wedding!

Spring means baby goats (at my mom's house)

2006-03-19T20:49:00.000-05:00

uncle steve visits Burlington

2006-03-05T22:48:00.001-05:00

Steve plays the fiddle for Sabine (in the sling)

Sabine comes to Maine

2006-02-10T22:39:00.002-05:00

Sabine celebrated her 1 month birthday by making her first visit to seven russell!

Horsepower Farm

2006-02-05T10:10:00.000-05:00

Steve is heading up to Penebscot (about 20 minutes from his parents in Surry) this week to begin apprenticing on Horsepower Farm for the rest of the winter's logging season -his next homeschool venture will be in sustainable woodlot management.

mythical cookie comes to life

2006-01-20T21:50:00.000-05:00

30 years ago the store that is now Macys in the mall was then Jordan Marsh and there was a bakery in it. this bakery sold an almond macaroon that was my favorite childhood cookie. i have been searching high and low for this cookie for the past 10 years and tonight I baked it in my own kitchen (and its Gluten-Free!)
click here for the secret recipe

Turns out...

2006-01-18T09:07:00.000-05:00

...I will be taking Anatomy & Physiology this semester instead of documentary filmmaking.
A & P is a prerequisite for midwifery school?!

a niece for us!

2006-01-10T18:02:00.000-05:00

After 42 weeks and 2 days, and then 27 hours of labor, Sabine Grace arrived weighing in at 8lbs and 13oz, she's so gorgeous and so amazing, we're so lucky!

A unique shelf

2006-01-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

In which Steve builds a drying rack - shelf fusion

new years eve 2005

2005-12-31T23:34:00.000-05:00

Beth is 41 and a half weeks pregnant and we tempt fate stealing ourselves to Portland (from Burlington) for a quick New Years Eve at seven russell!

my first turkey

2005-12-24T23:21:00.000-05:00

christmas eve at seven russell gave me the opportunity to try cooking a turkey

My moms first book signing!

2005-11-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

Today my mother will make an appearance at Books Etc in Falmouth and sign books!

Hot Tomales!

2005-11-12T09:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a kitchen day, I embarked on a four hour cooking oddessey and made TOMALES! There are many steps but it was easier than I thought - first you soak the corn husks, put the chicken on to boil and mix the dry ingredients (MeSaCA - ground corn & lime) with lots of spices. Then you add oil and the chicken broth to the dry ingredients, shred the chicken meat and add oil and spices to the chicken. Fill each corn husk with the tomale dough and chicken, wrap & fold and place in a big steamer basket and steam all the tomales for an hour and a half!
Since there was a lot of waiting time I also made a Gluten-Free gingerbread with cream cheese frosting ( I recently dreampt that we had gingerbread at our wedding?)

creativendeavores

2005-11-11T00:47:00.000-05:00

...today Steve took his first fiddle lesson and I have begun working on the possability of taking a documentary film making course in Oaxaca this February. Its important to have these outlets in place as the dark and cold of winter approaches.
Next spring we will begin to work on the land in Surry but for now we'll continue with this "homeschooling" lifestyle here in Portland.

Green Belt

2005-11-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

On November 5th Steve earned his green belt and John & Maya earned yellow belts in Capoeira at their Batizado (graduation)

Steve's Earth Activist Training in California

2005-10-30T23:07:00.000-05:00

Steve and his west coast tribe

My sister's wedding...

2005-10-30T22:59:00.000-05:00

Steve Comes Home in time for Halloween!

2005-10-30T22:43:00.000-05:00

Steve arrived at 1am Friday morning! Saturday we took a Salsa Dancing lesson and Saturday night got dressed up for a Halloween party - its so good to have him home!

final farmers market this year

2005-10-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

This morning I went with Michelle and Jordan to catch the tail end of the farmers market season, most impressive were the brussell sprouts on their stalks! Last of the farmers market means that winter is just around the corner - you can smell the frosty scent in the air.

feathering our nest

2005-10-21T23:15:00.000-05:00

You now can see your breath in crisp night air but inside our cozy house we sip hot cider, finally getting to enjoy our home instead of unpacking boxes and organizing shelves. Tonight John made a perfect batch of popcorn (with butter and nutritional yeast of course) and we watched a great documentary called Mad Hot Ballroom (a must see)...the only thing missing is Steve!

still waiting...

2005-10-19T19:02:00.000-05:00

Steve has been in California for almost 2 months now - he was doing a Permaculture Design Course certification in September and then a Natural Building course and now he's working on a Lavender Farm...he is due to come home October 27th - thank goodness! in the meantime, John & Maya have moved in, Beth is in the 3rd trimester of her pregnancy, both Emily & Jen gave birth on the same day (Oct 13th!), my mom published her book at long last - big happenings.

the beginning...

2005-09-29T22:29:00.000-05:00

We have officially begun the planning and preparations
starting with choosing the location and date...

ANNOUNCING:
September 10, 2006

in Poland Springs, Maine
for more information see the wedding page on our website
www.nelsonderagon.homestead.com