Father's Day Part Two

Katherine and Gabe have been focusing on the challenge ahead by practicing their breathing and experimenting with relaxation techniques. I am amazed that for childbirth today, women are discouraged from lying on their backs and are provided diagrams of various possible positions to relieve back labor and to help the baby move down the birth canal. I think of the misery the women of my generation, and earlier ones too, experienced when we were strapped down on our backs with fetal monitors and other forms of torture. Today, Kath also downloaded an app that helps keep track of the length of contractions and the length of the intervals between contractions. We also looked at short videos that demonstrate child birth positions and techniques for the coaches to use to relieve stress and provide some pleasurable sensations to counter the painful ones.

In the afternoon, Gabe, Katherine and I went for a hike. Gabe says we climbed 1,000 feet on this two hour hike. It has been a beautiful Idaho summer day - warmer than it has been since I arrived Wednesday. Here are some pictures I took on the hike. Katherine has been hiking almost every day of her pregnancy. On this hike, we were all hoping that the little guy was moving into the starting position.

In this shot, it is easy to see why everyone comments that the baby must be coming soon.

On the hike we got to enjoy a beautiful view of Baldy in the distance and an array of wild flowers all around us.

These are some of my favorites.

I also love all the yellow daisies - Katherine commented that there are more yellow flowers blooming this year than any other year she can remember. 

I am so happy I can be here to share in this part of  Katherine's life.

These two picked this beautiful part of the country as their home. That's how they found each other.  Gabe says it was  eight years ago on June 23 when they met, and June 23 is the due date of their baby.