I did have high hopes for a 2008 tax deduction, but it doesn't look good. This morning, it was made abundantly clear that she's going to be a January baby, and we won't be winning any "first baby of the year" awards either. And that's fine. She's healthy and active and will be here in her own time. I'm kind of relieved that we won't have to worry about getting across town to the hospital in a panic tonight when the crazy New Years Vegas party is in full force. Sure, we kind of scrambled to get everything ready, but we're so glad we did. It's hard to wait for her to get here, but it would be harder to try to do all of the scrambling with a sleeping/crying/wet/hungry baby in the house.
There's not much else going on. We're going to celebrate an early New Years with some friends tonight--the ball will be dropping at Jay and Tina's at midnight sharp, east coast time, so that the kids can enjoy it as well. We often laugh at how the parties in our circle have evolved over the years. They're much calmer and usually (but not always) quite a bit more dignified now, but no less fun.
Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Hello My Baby, Hello My Darlin', Hello My Ragtime Gal
You know the song, don't deny it. In the cartoon, the guy finds the frog in the cornerstone, and the frog starts singing.
The guy gets dollar signs in his eyes and takes the frog to a booking agent where the frog sits in the box and gives an indifferent croak. The guy tries to make him dance
And the frog does nothing.
How does this relate to us? I have come to the conclusion that this child is a reincarnation of Michigan J. Frog. For hours a day, she is jumping around, moving, poking, and doing high kicks. And this is reassuring to me because it means that she's OK, so I'm not complaining.
But the moment that I put someone else's hand on my belly, or that she's on deck for an ultrasound that is supposed to track her movement, there she goes, collapsing into an indifferent crouch, doing her best "No, really, I'm just a frog" imitation. Yesterday, the tech at the perinatalogist's office actually commented on her lack of movement, and said "Hmm, looks like we'll have to zap her." I'll say that again: "LOOKS LIKE WE'LL HAVE TO ZAP HER." What?! She brings in this device that can only be described as a miniature cattle prod, puts it on my belly, and pushes the button. I jump, baby jumps, Rob looks on in horror because they are evidently electrocuting his wife and child (it really wasn't so bad, just startling). And all of this because Speck only performs for me.
I've spent months trying to get other people to see this show. There have been nights where I slept 30 minutes at a time because she was so active. I've had to walk out of meetings because I couldn't sit comfortably because of the movement. And the second anyone looks at it, or I give in and say "OK, come here for a second" and try to let someone else get in on the action, she goes back to her peaceful slumber. People look at me like I'm nuts. Rob thought I was making it up until he snuck a peek one night (when Speck obviously wasn't looking) and caught sight of a couple of backflips for himself.
*sigh*
Everything is good. Probably too good, in fact. Her heartrate is still strong, she's in no distress, my blood pressure is really good, plenty of amniotic fluid. My OB took a measurement of my belly, and said "I don't know where you're packing this kid!" because while Speck's a normal size, I'm running a bit small. She's got another patient who's also 38 weeks who is "big as a house" and can barely move around. So I'm lucky there. And I'm taking comfort in reminding myself that she can't stay in there forever.
Can she?
The guy gets dollar signs in his eyes and takes the frog to a booking agent where the frog sits in the box and gives an indifferent croak. The guy tries to make him dance
And the frog does nothing.
How does this relate to us? I have come to the conclusion that this child is a reincarnation of Michigan J. Frog. For hours a day, she is jumping around, moving, poking, and doing high kicks. And this is reassuring to me because it means that she's OK, so I'm not complaining.
But the moment that I put someone else's hand on my belly, or that she's on deck for an ultrasound that is supposed to track her movement, there she goes, collapsing into an indifferent crouch, doing her best "No, really, I'm just a frog" imitation. Yesterday, the tech at the perinatalogist's office actually commented on her lack of movement, and said "Hmm, looks like we'll have to zap her." I'll say that again: "LOOKS LIKE WE'LL HAVE TO ZAP HER." What?! She brings in this device that can only be described as a miniature cattle prod, puts it on my belly, and pushes the button. I jump, baby jumps, Rob looks on in horror because they are evidently electrocuting his wife and child (it really wasn't so bad, just startling). And all of this because Speck only performs for me.
I've spent months trying to get other people to see this show. There have been nights where I slept 30 minutes at a time because she was so active. I've had to walk out of meetings because I couldn't sit comfortably because of the movement. And the second anyone looks at it, or I give in and say "OK, come here for a second" and try to let someone else get in on the action, she goes back to her peaceful slumber. People look at me like I'm nuts. Rob thought I was making it up until he snuck a peek one night (when Speck obviously wasn't looking) and caught sight of a couple of backflips for himself.
*sigh*
Everything is good. Probably too good, in fact. Her heartrate is still strong, she's in no distress, my blood pressure is really good, plenty of amniotic fluid. My OB took a measurement of my belly, and said "I don't know where you're packing this kid!" because while Speck's a normal size, I'm running a bit small. She's got another patient who's also 38 weeks who is "big as a house" and can barely move around. So I'm lucky there. And I'm taking comfort in reminding myself that she can't stay in there forever.
Can she?
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
A Weary World Rejoices
I started maternity leave on Monday about halfway through the day. I've been running pretty tired lately, and on Monday all signs were pointing to "OH just go home already!" So I did. It's been a good week ever since. I'm getting some stuff done around the house (OMG the kitchen positively sparkles!). I'm catching up on my daytime TV, and chick movies. I have reacquainted myself with the Wii, and I'm unlocking all sorts of marvelous worlds on Super Mario Galaxy. Maternity leave is pretty dull with no baby, though. I'm confident that once she gets here, things will pick up. I'm off through March 23. YAY!
Rob is at work today, but will have the next 6 days off and will be off Thursday and Friday of next week as well, and we're both looking forward to that. I don't think we realized how necessary having a few days off together before the real fun starts would be.
We didn't decorate for Christmas this year. It just felt like too much to deal with. And while it's weird to have a Christmas tree-scented candle instead of an actual tree, I feel like it's letting me see how different this Christmas is from last year, and all previous years, and how next year is going to be a whole new ball game. Ever since my mom died, Christmas has been kind of an iffy time of year for me. We spent a lot of years just grinding through the holidays because we felt like we had to. Some years, it was so comforting to bake the cookies and unpack the decorations that I grew up with. Some years, not so much. With the addition of Rob and Florence to our fractured family, we've rediscovered the joy that we used to have every year when I was a kid.
Last Christmas, we had the usual big lit-up tree and all the holiday stuff out and it was just wonderful to come home to see that every evening. Rob and I opened our presents on Christmas Eve (as usual because I can never wait and I'm a grown-up now so I don't have to) and it was just nice and quiet. On Christmas morning, we had breakfast and as we were waiting to go over to Dad & Florence's for dinner, I remember just thinking how quiet it was. Really quiet. Too quiet. It was serene and peaceful and we were very contented, but I felt like something was missing.
So here we are a year later and it's a whole different type of quiet. It feels more like Christmas than last year. There's a sense of anticipation--like when you're 8 years old and you KNOW there's an Atari under the tree but you have to wait and it's so hard but it will be so cool when you can finally tear into that one gift and spend the rest of your life being hypnotized by it. Yeah, it's like that. And no Christmas ever again will be spent waiting or hoping for more than we have right there with us.
Now go drink some egg nog. If you're feeling extra sassy, put some brandy in it and raise it in our direction. Next year, we'll return the toast. Merry Christmas from our family to yours.
Rob is at work today, but will have the next 6 days off and will be off Thursday and Friday of next week as well, and we're both looking forward to that. I don't think we realized how necessary having a few days off together before the real fun starts would be.
We didn't decorate for Christmas this year. It just felt like too much to deal with. And while it's weird to have a Christmas tree-scented candle instead of an actual tree, I feel like it's letting me see how different this Christmas is from last year, and all previous years, and how next year is going to be a whole new ball game. Ever since my mom died, Christmas has been kind of an iffy time of year for me. We spent a lot of years just grinding through the holidays because we felt like we had to. Some years, it was so comforting to bake the cookies and unpack the decorations that I grew up with. Some years, not so much. With the addition of Rob and Florence to our fractured family, we've rediscovered the joy that we used to have every year when I was a kid.
Last Christmas, we had the usual big lit-up tree and all the holiday stuff out and it was just wonderful to come home to see that every evening. Rob and I opened our presents on Christmas Eve (as usual because I can never wait and I'm a grown-up now so I don't have to) and it was just nice and quiet. On Christmas morning, we had breakfast and as we were waiting to go over to Dad & Florence's for dinner, I remember just thinking how quiet it was. Really quiet. Too quiet. It was serene and peaceful and we were very contented, but I felt like something was missing.
So here we are a year later and it's a whole different type of quiet. It feels more like Christmas than last year. There's a sense of anticipation--like when you're 8 years old and you KNOW there's an Atari under the tree but you have to wait and it's so hard but it will be so cool when you can finally tear into that one gift and spend the rest of your life being hypnotized by it. Yeah, it's like that. And no Christmas ever again will be spent waiting or hoping for more than we have right there with us.
Now go drink some egg nog. If you're feeling extra sassy, put some brandy in it and raise it in our direction. Next year, we'll return the toast. Merry Christmas from our family to yours.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
I'm thinking he was kidding.
"Please please please don't go into labor next Sunday!"
Perhaps I set the bar too high by not insisting that our wedding be at a key moment in a major sports season. It was in May, which means that baseball season was just getting underway. There were no high-impact games happening on our wedding weekend, and we had a lovely, non sports kind of day.
Seriously.
I'm a planner. Everybody who knows me, knows this. I'm very much interested in making sure that the stuff that happens to me happens in a nice, orderly fashion. I've kind of let this go as far as the whole "having a baby" thing is concerned. We're not in charge here, and we've accepted that as a fact.
At least, I have. It wasn't easy, either.
So now, here we are at the end of the regular football season. The Cowboys may or may not make it into the playoffs, and we'll know next week after they play the Eagles. While I am interested in the outcome (GO COWBOYS!) I have a few other things going on that are just a bit more, um, pressing. I accept the fact that I may miss the game. Because I may be DELIVERING A CHILD INTO THIS WORLD.
Rob is a Chargers fan. Oh, wait, let me amend. He is a Chargers SUPER fan. We have stickers on the back of the Honda that proclaim his allegiance to his team. He has a vanity license plate that refers to the "bolts". License plate frame is Chargers. We have one of those pink football Ladanian Tomlinson jersey onesies that should fit Speck perfectly next season. I knew what I was getting into before I married him. We went to a Chargers/Cowboys game in 2005 and he was rather displeased when the Cowboys won and I was happy and vocal (or "mouthy") about it. Hmpf.
Next Sunday night, the Chargers play the Broncos for the AFC West title. Being a SuperFan, he's SuperExcited. And as he's skipping around the living room making grunty noises about beating the Broncos (let's face it, beating the Broncos is always a good thing) and how awesome it will be to watch that, he notices me standing in the kitchen and says, and I quote "Please please please don't go into labor on Sunday."
Oh. OK baby. I'll get right on that. Because I'm in charge of all of this. And even if I weren't in charge, I'm sure that we have created a child who is not only already aware of our hopes (like being able to watch the games next weekend) but also entirely willing to delay (or hurry) her arrival in order to make us happy.
But I'm not mad. Oh, no. I understand that there are things going on in this world besides the birth of our child. If I do decide to go into labor on Sunday (because after all it is up to me) I'm sure there will be a TV in the delivery room and we'll be able to watch the Chargers beat the Broncos, and even after having watched the Cowboys beat the Eagles. And we'll laugh about this business about how we worried about missing our games. I do hope the Chargers win, and that they win through the playoffs and make it to the Super Bowl.
Where they will meet the Cowboys again, for the first time (besides pre-season) since 2005. Go Cowboys.
Perhaps I set the bar too high by not insisting that our wedding be at a key moment in a major sports season. It was in May, which means that baseball season was just getting underway. There were no high-impact games happening on our wedding weekend, and we had a lovely, non sports kind of day.
Seriously.
I'm a planner. Everybody who knows me, knows this. I'm very much interested in making sure that the stuff that happens to me happens in a nice, orderly fashion. I've kind of let this go as far as the whole "having a baby" thing is concerned. We're not in charge here, and we've accepted that as a fact.
At least, I have. It wasn't easy, either.
So now, here we are at the end of the regular football season. The Cowboys may or may not make it into the playoffs, and we'll know next week after they play the Eagles. While I am interested in the outcome (GO COWBOYS!) I have a few other things going on that are just a bit more, um, pressing. I accept the fact that I may miss the game. Because I may be DELIVERING A CHILD INTO THIS WORLD.
Rob is a Chargers fan. Oh, wait, let me amend. He is a Chargers SUPER fan. We have stickers on the back of the Honda that proclaim his allegiance to his team. He has a vanity license plate that refers to the "bolts". License plate frame is Chargers. We have one of those pink football Ladanian Tomlinson jersey onesies that should fit Speck perfectly next season. I knew what I was getting into before I married him. We went to a Chargers/Cowboys game in 2005 and he was rather displeased when the Cowboys won and I was happy and vocal (or "mouthy") about it. Hmpf.
Next Sunday night, the Chargers play the Broncos for the AFC West title. Being a SuperFan, he's SuperExcited. And as he's skipping around the living room making grunty noises about beating the Broncos (let's face it, beating the Broncos is always a good thing) and how awesome it will be to watch that, he notices me standing in the kitchen and says, and I quote "Please please please don't go into labor on Sunday."
Oh. OK baby. I'll get right on that. Because I'm in charge of all of this. And even if I weren't in charge, I'm sure that we have created a child who is not only already aware of our hopes (like being able to watch the games next weekend) but also entirely willing to delay (or hurry) her arrival in order to make us happy.
But I'm not mad. Oh, no. I understand that there are things going on in this world besides the birth of our child. If I do decide to go into labor on Sunday (because after all it is up to me) I'm sure there will be a TV in the delivery room and we'll be able to watch the Chargers beat the Broncos, and even after having watched the Cowboys beat the Eagles. And we'll laugh about this business about how we worried about missing our games. I do hope the Chargers win, and that they win through the playoffs and make it to the Super Bowl.
Where they will meet the Cowboys again, for the first time (besides pre-season) since 2005. Go Cowboys.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
No baby yet.
In case you're checking. But things are happening. At the perinatalogist on Thursday for the weekly fetal assessment, we determined that I'm having contractions. Not the Big Important "BOIL SOME WATER! GET SOME TOWELS! " contractions, but the kind that mean that things are moving in the right direction. My OB said on Wednesday that we'll most likely not have any excitement for at least a couple of weeks or so (I feel like I've been in "couple of weeks" mode for a month now...), but the contractions are a good sign.
It snowed this week! Twice, in fact. And not the usual insignificant Vegas flurry that makes everybody freak out for an hour and then it's back to normal. No, this was an event that began around 11AM and continued through the night. I left work around 4, and it took me over an hour to make the 10 mile drive to Dad & Florence's where I ended up staying the night. Here's what our backyard looked like that night.
WEIRD. This was the most significant snowfall that has been seen here since January of 1974, and I have pictures of that one as well, as it was my first birthday. Truly, I've come full circle as far as snow is concerned. Naturally, the snow from this latest blizzard is almost entirely melted. But it was cool to watch.
I have three days left of work and then the university closes for Christmas and New Years (or "the holiday", as we PC State Employees are required to call it) and I'll officially be on maternity leave until March. HOORAY! This last week was tough--I found myself wishing I'd taken these two weeks off because it's just such an effort to get there. My fabulous assistant (see pic of bride below...) is trained and ready to cover for me. This next short week will consist mainly of me cleaning out my desk, clearing my internet history (me? surf? what? never!), and just tying up the loose ends. It's so strange to do all of this; it's like I'm moving out of the house all over again.
That's the latest, then. We're starting to focus on the process of Getting To The Hospital when it's time. We have a code that I'll text to Rob if he's at work when it happens so he can hit the door ASAP. Our bags are packed (this was also handy on Wednesday because I had jammies and get-ready stuff with me when I crashed at Dad's...). The hospital is kind of a schlep across town, so we're hoping that when Miss Speck decides to show up, it's not during rush hour (unless Woman In Labor with Imminent Baby Coming qualifies me for the carpool lane). We're not taking the laptop with us, but we'll have our phones and will keep people updated as best we can.
It snowed this week! Twice, in fact. And not the usual insignificant Vegas flurry that makes everybody freak out for an hour and then it's back to normal. No, this was an event that began around 11AM and continued through the night. I left work around 4, and it took me over an hour to make the 10 mile drive to Dad & Florence's where I ended up staying the night. Here's what our backyard looked like that night.
WEIRD. This was the most significant snowfall that has been seen here since January of 1974, and I have pictures of that one as well, as it was my first birthday. Truly, I've come full circle as far as snow is concerned. Naturally, the snow from this latest blizzard is almost entirely melted. But it was cool to watch.
I have three days left of work and then the university closes for Christmas and New Years (or "the holiday", as we PC State Employees are required to call it) and I'll officially be on maternity leave until March. HOORAY! This last week was tough--I found myself wishing I'd taken these two weeks off because it's just such an effort to get there. My fabulous assistant (see pic of bride below...) is trained and ready to cover for me. This next short week will consist mainly of me cleaning out my desk, clearing my internet history (me? surf? what? never!), and just tying up the loose ends. It's so strange to do all of this; it's like I'm moving out of the house all over again.
That's the latest, then. We're starting to focus on the process of Getting To The Hospital when it's time. We have a code that I'll text to Rob if he's at work when it happens so he can hit the door ASAP. Our bags are packed (this was also handy on Wednesday because I had jammies and get-ready stuff with me when I crashed at Dad's...). The hospital is kind of a schlep across town, so we're hoping that when Miss Speck decides to show up, it's not during rush hour (unless Woman In Labor with Imminent Baby Coming qualifies me for the carpool lane). We're not taking the laptop with us, but we'll have our phones and will keep people updated as best we can.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
A Synopsis of How Rob and Kristie Handled Pregnancy
You know, it hasn't been too bad.
It's 3 weeks before the due date, and we may not have the time to look back until after she's here. And frankly, actually seeing her is going to color our glasses rosy, so we think it's a good opportunity to assess how we got through the last few months, and perhaps answer a few of the most popular questions once and for all.
It's 3 weeks before the due date, and we may not have the time to look back until after she's here. And frankly, actually seeing her is going to color our glasses rosy, so we think it's a good opportunity to assess how we got through the last few months, and perhaps answer a few of the most popular questions once and for all.
- Are you excited? Yes. Of course we are. This is the biggest thing that has ever happened to us, and we can hardly stand to even go into the nursery because the fact that there's going to be a baby in it is overwhelming. SO. EXCITED. And yes, Rob is too.
- What are you going to name her?! We covered this one early on. Next question.
- How much time are you going to take off? I'll be off from Christmas Eve until March 23. Three full months, and I'm so lucky to be able to do that! Rob will take off a week, and then more time as we decide he needs to.
- Daycare? How can you put your child in daycare? Well, we don't have a lot of choice here. We both work full time, and we need to continue doing that so we can keep things like a house and cars and food and premium cable. And unless one of us hits Megabucks, that's not going to change.
- When are you going to get a bigger house? Probably not for 3-4 years. We figure we have enough going on right now, and we know where everything is in our current house. It's not a palace, but it's big enough for what we're doing for a while.
- You're really not telling people her name? Nope.
- Are you going to vaccinate her? Of course. We're big believers in not having to deal with polio and mumps. We also appreciate when other people vaccinate their own kids.
- When are you going to have a second baby? Probably sometime between January 2009 and the year 2050. We'll keep you posted.
- Are you going to use drugs during labor? You betcha! A calm, non-freaked out mom makes for an easier experience for everyone involved. There's research about this. I have nothing to prove.
- How much weight have you gained? 27 pounds. True story. Quite proud of that. And I'm not positive, but I think Rob's weight has been holding steady. Thanks for asking.
- Come on, what's her name? People. Seriously. At this point, the only reason we're still holding on to this one is because it's evidently driving everyone nuts and we love doing that. It makes us laugh evilly.
- Do you like being pregnant? This is a tough one. Overall, yes, it's been an easy ride. The first couple of months were scary and the last few weeks have not been my most comfortable. I have only had a couple of real hormonal mood swings--the last one hit me in August and is still going strong. I have two pairs of shoes that fit because my ankles and feet have swollen up to an alarming size. But this is truly a miraculous process, and it's been one amazing moment after another. Do I like it? Most of the time, I do. Will I be glad when it's over? Yes. Do I think anyone who does this more than 3 or 4 times is crazy? Sure do.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
No one you see, is smarter than she.
Join me in singing the theme to Flipper, because that's what our little Speck has become. She has flipped over, demonstrating that she has inherited my internal compass and innate sense of direction. Today's visit to the perinatalogist was different from previous ones. It began with a quick, rather low-tech ultrasound to check on position, amniotic fluid, and whether she is practicing her breathing. Position? Good! Fluid? Good! Lung function? Good!
They also hooked me up to an industrial strength Doppler for 20 minutes to monitor her heartrate and determine whether she is experiencing any stress or distress. If there is evidence of either, or any issues with the position/fluid/lungs, they start talking about scheduling an induction or Cesarean section. Today, there was no indication that anything is wrong (great!) and it looks like I'm going to be pregnant for a bit longer (um...great.). I'll go back weekly for this ultrasound/monitoring for, well, the next 3-4 weeks.
Her newly-established orientation means that while there is no longer a head periodically wedging itself amongst my lungs, new and exciting shapes have begun appearing on my right side where her arms and legs are pointing. So, last night, for example, we should have known something had changed when a "limb-y" shape (according to Rob, who saw it live) emerged from under my ribcage instead of the usual "head-y" shape to which we had grown accustomed.
So what's next? We have three bags to pack: one for baby, with a couple of outfits, some blankets, and some extra space for the diapers and other swag we've been told to hoard at the hospital; one for me, with comfy clothes for coming home, various and sundry specialized undergarments, and travel-sized toiletries; and one for Rob, with a change of clothes, snacks, magazines, and other Rob-friendly items that will help him pass the time between our arrival and the baby's. We need to get the car-seat installed, because they won't let us leave the hospital with the baby unless that's done. We have a few things left to buy. And then we wait patiently for this little girl to decide that she's ready for a change of scenery.
They also hooked me up to an industrial strength Doppler for 20 minutes to monitor her heartrate and determine whether she is experiencing any stress or distress. If there is evidence of either, or any issues with the position/fluid/lungs, they start talking about scheduling an induction or Cesarean section. Today, there was no indication that anything is wrong (great!) and it looks like I'm going to be pregnant for a bit longer (um...great.). I'll go back weekly for this ultrasound/monitoring for, well, the next 3-4 weeks.
Her newly-established orientation means that while there is no longer a head periodically wedging itself amongst my lungs, new and exciting shapes have begun appearing on my right side where her arms and legs are pointing. So, last night, for example, we should have known something had changed when a "limb-y" shape (according to Rob, who saw it live) emerged from under my ribcage instead of the usual "head-y" shape to which we had grown accustomed.
So what's next? We have three bags to pack: one for baby, with a couple of outfits, some blankets, and some extra space for the diapers and other swag we've been told to hoard at the hospital; one for me, with comfy clothes for coming home, various and sundry specialized undergarments, and travel-sized toiletries; and one for Rob, with a change of clothes, snacks, magazines, and other Rob-friendly items that will help him pass the time between our arrival and the baby's. We need to get the car-seat installed, because they won't let us leave the hospital with the baby unless that's done. We have a few things left to buy. And then we wait patiently for this little girl to decide that she's ready for a change of scenery.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Baby Gear
Yesterday was my shower. I don't consider myself as someone who is into stuff like that. Other people's showers have always been fun, but not generally something that I've really gotten into. Being on the other side of it, in the midst of all of our preparations and the Big Discussions that are happening right now about what's going on and how we'll proceed have put the concept of Baby Shower into a whole new light.
There is nothing as optimistic, as hopeful, as wistful, as sympathetic as a baby shower. Women (not men--more on that in a minute) at all stages of life get together to give not only gifts, but advice and support based on their experiences. They tell stories that have no other suitable audience than other shower guests. The stories are intimate, funny, terrifying, and they create bonds between women who may have not much else in common. You learn things about your friends and their relationships that may not otherwise be revealed in any other situation. Heirlooms are passed along--either cherished family items that you have seen in pictures for years, or something as simple as your friend's diaper caddy basket that she is done with and knows how handy it will be for you.
Men do not belong at baby showers. They just don't get it. Even great dads who are 100% hands-on and they take other dads under their wings and give great advice, have no place at a baby shower. I've been to co-ed showers, both for babies and for weddings, and the men invariably flee into the other room to talk about anything besides weddings or babies and maybe watch some sports. No, showers belong to women.
My guests were my friends who are better sisters to me than my actual sister ever tried to be, my in-laws who have welcomed me into their family, a newlywed wife of just over a month, grandmothers, mothers of older kids and toddlers, mothers who won't have more kids and mothers who just might. They talked about how to get through those first treacherous weeks and what helped them do it. They compared notes (special wipes or regular wipes--there was a moment of tension over this one...) and drank wine and gave me an amazing afternoon.
One of my dearest friends made me a cake out of diapers. I had heard of such a thing, but I thought it was an urban myth. Ro, if you see this, the memory of those two tiers of rolled-up diapers (and bibs and hooded towel) will make me smile for years to come. My friend Kathy came down for the weekend and helped me sort through the gifts and put together a list of what we'll need to pick up (um, we don't own a single bottle...) and what we have plenty of (washcloths). She's going to send down her Pack & Play that will serve as a bassinette for the first few weeks. Tina offered up her expertise on helping me shop for nursing gear, and Katie made a stack of be-ribboned burp cloths that I am hesitant to use but I know they will come in handy. Everyone gave something that struck them as necessary, either by its cuteness (onesies with ladybugs on them? CUTE!), its convenience (a sterilizer that goes in the microwave!) or its faith (a wall-hanging with a prayer on it that will be the first thing seen as you walk into the room).
We probably have about 3 weeks left before the baby is born. We know that we're about to have life as we know it become almost entirely rearranged. We are surrounded by people who are itching to help us get through it. And we can't wait.
There is nothing as optimistic, as hopeful, as wistful, as sympathetic as a baby shower. Women (not men--more on that in a minute) at all stages of life get together to give not only gifts, but advice and support based on their experiences. They tell stories that have no other suitable audience than other shower guests. The stories are intimate, funny, terrifying, and they create bonds between women who may have not much else in common. You learn things about your friends and their relationships that may not otherwise be revealed in any other situation. Heirlooms are passed along--either cherished family items that you have seen in pictures for years, or something as simple as your friend's diaper caddy basket that she is done with and knows how handy it will be for you.
Men do not belong at baby showers. They just don't get it. Even great dads who are 100% hands-on and they take other dads under their wings and give great advice, have no place at a baby shower. I've been to co-ed showers, both for babies and for weddings, and the men invariably flee into the other room to talk about anything besides weddings or babies and maybe watch some sports. No, showers belong to women.
My guests were my friends who are better sisters to me than my actual sister ever tried to be, my in-laws who have welcomed me into their family, a newlywed wife of just over a month, grandmothers, mothers of older kids and toddlers, mothers who won't have more kids and mothers who just might. They talked about how to get through those first treacherous weeks and what helped them do it. They compared notes (special wipes or regular wipes--there was a moment of tension over this one...) and drank wine and gave me an amazing afternoon.
One of my dearest friends made me a cake out of diapers. I had heard of such a thing, but I thought it was an urban myth. Ro, if you see this, the memory of those two tiers of rolled-up diapers (and bibs and hooded towel) will make me smile for years to come. My friend Kathy came down for the weekend and helped me sort through the gifts and put together a list of what we'll need to pick up (um, we don't own a single bottle...) and what we have plenty of (washcloths). She's going to send down her Pack & Play that will serve as a bassinette for the first few weeks. Tina offered up her expertise on helping me shop for nursing gear, and Katie made a stack of be-ribboned burp cloths that I am hesitant to use but I know they will come in handy. Everyone gave something that struck them as necessary, either by its cuteness (onesies with ladybugs on them? CUTE!), its convenience (a sterilizer that goes in the microwave!) or its faith (a wall-hanging with a prayer on it that will be the first thing seen as you walk into the room).
We probably have about 3 weeks left before the baby is born. We know that we're about to have life as we know it become almost entirely rearranged. We are surrounded by people who are itching to help us get through it. And we can't wait.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Anything can be a lullabye.
First, please note the time this was posted. It is currently 5:56 AM and I've been up for about 2 hours. On a Saturday. Compliments of one 6-pound unborn child, I might add, who seems to be interested only in making it known that she is becoming increasingly uncomfortable where she is and is ready for a change of scenery. More on that in a minute.
I got up so that Rob can get some sleep (and he is doing just that). I'll catch a nap later. But what do I do to get this kid calmed down so maybe I can catch just a few more Zs before the sun comes up? Run the Swiffer around to pick up the dog hair kills about 10 minutes. Not hungry. Don't feel like reading. Maybe there's something on TV. VH-1 is showing videos for once, and wouldn't you know that Britney Spears' new one is in high rotation. It's a catchy little tune--watch it here. I've realized that the more I move around, the less the baby seems to. This is doubtless going to become very important in the coming months.
So I rock out along with Ms Spears, singing along with the parts I know, dancing because nobody is watching (thank God, because there's a lot going on when I dance lately). And the kid calms down. She switches from actively rolling around in there with arms flailing (you can SEE the shape of a leg moving around) back to the restful sleep that I've come to treasure.
What's the lesson here? Perhaps that tiptoeing around a restless baby, with a quiet house and not a lot of movement, is not going to be the only solution for getting her to go to sleep. Sure, the singing and dancing may not always work, but it is officially going to be a part of the repertoire. Anyone who has witnessed my karaoke can attest to the fact that an audience only adds to my enthusiasm. So there we go.
Since I'm up and posting, here's what else is going on. Speck is "transverse", or breech. At my last OB appointment we determined that she needs to flip over if she's going to do the traditional "make like a baby and head out" thing. And that needs to happen soon. If it doesn't, then I'm a candidate for a C-section. This doesn't exactly thrill me, but this isn't about me having my ideally envisioned birthing experience. It's about this baby safely entering this world, and if that has to happen in an OR with a melon baller, then that's what we'll do. I see the perinatalogist on Wednesday for another ultrasound (more pictures!) and the OB on Thursday, and between the three (four, if you count our star attraction) of us, we're going to start coming up with a plan of action.
We've also done a bit more prep, besides the continued purchase of cute little clothes. We now have pictures on the wall of the nursery (terribly important, as our child must live in a properly decorated environment) and I have an appointment to meet with a pediatrician. A good friend (Tina :) ) recommended hers, and he's got an office that's just across the highway from us. I'll do some research on what sort of questions to ask (open to suggestions here...) and Rob and I are going to talk about what we'd like to know--such as how understanding will he be when we freak out about something that may or may not be freak-out worthy--and we'll go from there.
It's now 6:19 (hey look, the sun's coming up...) and I think I can crash for a bit longer. If not, I can always queue up some Britney on youtube.com, and she can help me nurture the kid. Shake it, Brit.
I got up so that Rob can get some sleep (and he is doing just that). I'll catch a nap later. But what do I do to get this kid calmed down so maybe I can catch just a few more Zs before the sun comes up? Run the Swiffer around to pick up the dog hair kills about 10 minutes. Not hungry. Don't feel like reading. Maybe there's something on TV. VH-1 is showing videos for once, and wouldn't you know that Britney Spears' new one is in high rotation. It's a catchy little tune--watch it here. I've realized that the more I move around, the less the baby seems to. This is doubtless going to become very important in the coming months.
So I rock out along with Ms Spears, singing along with the parts I know, dancing because nobody is watching (thank God, because there's a lot going on when I dance lately). And the kid calms down. She switches from actively rolling around in there with arms flailing (you can SEE the shape of a leg moving around) back to the restful sleep that I've come to treasure.
What's the lesson here? Perhaps that tiptoeing around a restless baby, with a quiet house and not a lot of movement, is not going to be the only solution for getting her to go to sleep. Sure, the singing and dancing may not always work, but it is officially going to be a part of the repertoire. Anyone who has witnessed my karaoke can attest to the fact that an audience only adds to my enthusiasm. So there we go.
Since I'm up and posting, here's what else is going on. Speck is "transverse", or breech. At my last OB appointment we determined that she needs to flip over if she's going to do the traditional "make like a baby and head out" thing. And that needs to happen soon. If it doesn't, then I'm a candidate for a C-section. This doesn't exactly thrill me, but this isn't about me having my ideally envisioned birthing experience. It's about this baby safely entering this world, and if that has to happen in an OR with a melon baller, then that's what we'll do. I see the perinatalogist on Wednesday for another ultrasound (more pictures!) and the OB on Thursday, and between the three (four, if you count our star attraction) of us, we're going to start coming up with a plan of action.
We've also done a bit more prep, besides the continued purchase of cute little clothes. We now have pictures on the wall of the nursery (terribly important, as our child must live in a properly decorated environment) and I have an appointment to meet with a pediatrician. A good friend (Tina :) ) recommended hers, and he's got an office that's just across the highway from us. I'll do some research on what sort of questions to ask (open to suggestions here...) and Rob and I are going to talk about what we'd like to know--such as how understanding will he be when we freak out about something that may or may not be freak-out worthy--and we'll go from there.
It's now 6:19 (hey look, the sun's coming up...) and I think I can crash for a bit longer. If not, I can always queue up some Britney on youtube.com, and she can help me nurture the kid. Shake it, Brit.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Nesting. Check.
We're learning that there are varying degrees of "We're Ready". Last week, we were physically ready, with a place to put a baby. And that was a relief. So this week, we've had some time off together over the holiday so there has been quite a bit more Getting Ready.
Meet the official, finished (except for pictures on the wall) nursery:
The thing hanging down from the little pink shelf is a ribbon for barrettes and hair stuff. So cute that it almost hurts to look at it ;).
A very comfy chair, with gliding footrest. Some assembly was required.
That bookshelf was mine when I was growing up. It initially (like in 1980) was pink. Then teal (1986ish, when everything was teal), then a very unpleasant green (I don't know what happened there...) then kind of a neutral beige. It is now pink again. It's the circle of furniture life, and it truly does move us all. We stripped it down to bare wood, and it's now ready for the next generation of color experimentation.
This has been kind of a tough few days. I'm not sleeping very much (yeah yeah practice for when the baby gets here, just hang on, just you wait, blah blah blah) and so it was nice to have some time off where I can just sleep when the mood strikes. She's moving around a lot. I'm kind of high maintenance myself (just ask Rob...). Speck is taking my very carefully-cultivated Princess-and-the-Pea thing to new levels. It's becoming very clear that she has a narrow definition of what is comfortable, and I am at her mercy right now. More than once in the wee small hours of the morning, I've thought wistfully about a day that I'll be able to hand her to someone (like Rob...) and maybe score five minutes of comfort on my stomach. I know I'll miss how amazing it has been to have her all to myself--except for the times when Rob gets brave enough to put his hand on my roiling belly until she shoves it off. But I think We're Ready for the next phase to begin. Remind me that I said this in 6 weeks when I'm running on 8 minutes of sleep and my unwashed hair is permanently fused to the scrunchy holding it out of my eyes.
So that's what the expectant parents are up to. And here is the expectant dog:
Freshly groomed and hoping that someone will come to grab that duck out of her mouth, Gracie also patiently waits for the new arrival.
Meet the official, finished (except for pictures on the wall) nursery:
The thing hanging down from the little pink shelf is a ribbon for barrettes and hair stuff. So cute that it almost hurts to look at it ;).
A very comfy chair, with gliding footrest. Some assembly was required.
That bookshelf was mine when I was growing up. It initially (like in 1980) was pink. Then teal (1986ish, when everything was teal), then a very unpleasant green (I don't know what happened there...) then kind of a neutral beige. It is now pink again. It's the circle of furniture life, and it truly does move us all. We stripped it down to bare wood, and it's now ready for the next generation of color experimentation.
This has been kind of a tough few days. I'm not sleeping very much (yeah yeah practice for when the baby gets here, just hang on, just you wait, blah blah blah) and so it was nice to have some time off where I can just sleep when the mood strikes. She's moving around a lot. I'm kind of high maintenance myself (just ask Rob...). Speck is taking my very carefully-cultivated Princess-and-the-Pea thing to new levels. It's becoming very clear that she has a narrow definition of what is comfortable, and I am at her mercy right now. More than once in the wee small hours of the morning, I've thought wistfully about a day that I'll be able to hand her to someone (like Rob...) and maybe score five minutes of comfort on my stomach. I know I'll miss how amazing it has been to have her all to myself--except for the times when Rob gets brave enough to put his hand on my roiling belly until she shoves it off. But I think We're Ready for the next phase to begin. Remind me that I said this in 6 weeks when I'm running on 8 minutes of sleep and my unwashed hair is permanently fused to the scrunchy holding it out of my eyes.
So that's what the expectant parents are up to. And here is the expectant dog:
Freshly groomed and hoping that someone will come to grab that duck out of her mouth, Gracie also patiently waits for the new arrival.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Home Stretch
So today I am 34 weeks. Babyfit.com says:
Your Baby This Week A bouncing bundle of joy at 5 pounds (2.5 kg) and nearly 20 inches (51 cm), your baby's organs are almost fully matured with the exception of the lungs, which will continue to develop almost until birth. Though you can't see your baby, her skin is turning from red to pink. While her fingernails are fully formed, the toenails still need more time to grow. Some babies will even have a full head of hair by this point.
Aw, she's pink. She matches her clothes :). And I can attest to the five-pound thing. It's pretty obvious where she is (on my right side) and when she moves (generally, right when I'm trying to go to sleep).
We're at the point where the big stuff is done. The crib is together
and we have a nice comfy chair
and we have breathed a sigh of relief because we now officially have a place to put her when she arrives. We've got some stuff to hang on the walls, and a bookshelf that is ready to paint, and that can happen this weekend. And then there's nothing left to do except wait. We're starting to take care of the business as well--we've found a daycare that looks to be just about perfect (it's right on campus and about a 5-minute walk from my office). We'll get on the waiting list as soon as she's born, and chances are good that we'll get into that. It's time to complete the FMLA paperwork so that I have a job to return to when my maternity leave is up. I'm setting up my office so that my assistant and my director can do what needs doing while I'm out without too much interruption to the workload. Stuff like that. It's weird to finally be at this point, where we're suddenly hurrying to get everything lined up. It's gone by pretty quickly.
And here's what I look like today...
Maternity clothes aren't exactly flattering, but you get the general idea. She's still pretty high up, and I think she's still pointed in the wrong direction. There's time for her to remedy that. I go back to the OB after Thanksgiving, and then weekly from there on out. Next perinatalogist appointment is the week after that. This is when the docs start figuring out whether anything is starting to happen and how ready everybody is to move out.
Your Baby This Week A bouncing bundle of joy at 5 pounds (2.5 kg) and nearly 20 inches (51 cm), your baby's organs are almost fully matured with the exception of the lungs, which will continue to develop almost until birth. Though you can't see your baby, her skin is turning from red to pink. While her fingernails are fully formed, the toenails still need more time to grow. Some babies will even have a full head of hair by this point.
Aw, she's pink. She matches her clothes :). And I can attest to the five-pound thing. It's pretty obvious where she is (on my right side) and when she moves (generally, right when I'm trying to go to sleep).
We're at the point where the big stuff is done. The crib is together
and we have a nice comfy chair
and we have breathed a sigh of relief because we now officially have a place to put her when she arrives. We've got some stuff to hang on the walls, and a bookshelf that is ready to paint, and that can happen this weekend. And then there's nothing left to do except wait. We're starting to take care of the business as well--we've found a daycare that looks to be just about perfect (it's right on campus and about a 5-minute walk from my office). We'll get on the waiting list as soon as she's born, and chances are good that we'll get into that. It's time to complete the FMLA paperwork so that I have a job to return to when my maternity leave is up. I'm setting up my office so that my assistant and my director can do what needs doing while I'm out without too much interruption to the workload. Stuff like that. It's weird to finally be at this point, where we're suddenly hurrying to get everything lined up. It's gone by pretty quickly.
And here's what I look like today...
Maternity clothes aren't exactly flattering, but you get the general idea. She's still pretty high up, and I think she's still pointed in the wrong direction. There's time for her to remedy that. I go back to the OB after Thanksgiving, and then weekly from there on out. Next perinatalogist appointment is the week after that. This is when the docs start figuring out whether anything is starting to happen and how ready everybody is to move out.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Coolest. Pictures. Ever.
It's been 10 weeks since we've seen the Speck show. We've gotten some feedback from people who tell us that they love seeing the pictures but it's sometimes difficult to tell what we're looking at. These might be a bit easier to decipher.
And the obligatory, super cute "Look At Her Little Foot" picture..
Really amazing, huh? We thought Dad & Florence might get a kick out of seeing not only the pictures but the live show as well, so they joined us this morning and I'm so glad they got to see her moving around. The staff at CMFM is great, and we've had the same ultrasound tech for the last 3 visits. She tends to narrate what she's looking at, so we got a full tour of Speck's functions and bloodflow and "princess parts" (i.e. she's still most definitely a girl). She's measuring at the 60th percentile for growth, which is well within the normal range , and she weighs 4 pounds 12 ounces, give or take half a pound, which is right where she needs to be at 32 weeks.
The tech actually commented on how active she is: "This has got to be the most active 8AM baby I think I've ever seen!" Yikes. That sentence should be followed by a gong or the music from the Psycho shower scene. I hadn't even had my single precious cup of coffee yet when she said that, either. The more time that passes, the more we realize that this kid is going to keep us jumping.
In other news, I had to take that stupid, awful 3 hour glucose tolerance test again on the weekend. Seriously, that makes for an awful day. Fortunately, my system seems to have leveled itself out and the numbers were about where they should be. This was good news after a month of fingersticks and blood testing four times a day. I'll get the details at the OB's office tomorrow morning, but it was good to hear that the results were better overall.
Let's see, what else.... the nursery is perilously close to being finished. We need to build a crib and that's about it. This is what it looks like right now. It's green, and I don't know if that's represented well by the current lighting we have in there...
That big box is the crib. Maybe this weekend? We make no promises.
This one's not a bad shot of the color--you can kind of tell that it's green. Note the stroller and the very small, very cute clothes hanging in the closet.
I just finished painting this nightstand--it's pink and super cute. The lamp was my mom's when she was growing up in Ventura.
So we're very very close to ready, roomwise. We have a bookshelf that was in my room when I was a kid that we'll paint to match the nightstand. A glider/rocker has been ordered, and hopefully will be here before the end of the month.
One last thing before I finish (I'm getting kicked pretty good by our active little princess which means that it's about time to go lay down) in regards to her name. We're pretty sure that we've come up with one that we like, and we've decided to keep it to ourselves until she gets here. It's a good name, that is easy to spell and we think it sounds nice with our last name. So bear with us, and play along. It's our turn to have some fun here, and we're looking forward to sharing it with you when the time is right.
And the obligatory, super cute "Look At Her Little Foot" picture..
Really amazing, huh? We thought Dad & Florence might get a kick out of seeing not only the pictures but the live show as well, so they joined us this morning and I'm so glad they got to see her moving around. The staff at CMFM is great, and we've had the same ultrasound tech for the last 3 visits. She tends to narrate what she's looking at, so we got a full tour of Speck's functions and bloodflow and "princess parts" (i.e. she's still most definitely a girl). She's measuring at the 60th percentile for growth, which is well within the normal range , and she weighs 4 pounds 12 ounces, give or take half a pound, which is right where she needs to be at 32 weeks.
The tech actually commented on how active she is: "This has got to be the most active 8AM baby I think I've ever seen!" Yikes. That sentence should be followed by a gong or the music from the Psycho shower scene. I hadn't even had my single precious cup of coffee yet when she said that, either. The more time that passes, the more we realize that this kid is going to keep us jumping.
In other news, I had to take that stupid, awful 3 hour glucose tolerance test again on the weekend. Seriously, that makes for an awful day. Fortunately, my system seems to have leveled itself out and the numbers were about where they should be. This was good news after a month of fingersticks and blood testing four times a day. I'll get the details at the OB's office tomorrow morning, but it was good to hear that the results were better overall.
Let's see, what else.... the nursery is perilously close to being finished. We need to build a crib and that's about it. This is what it looks like right now. It's green, and I don't know if that's represented well by the current lighting we have in there...
That big box is the crib. Maybe this weekend? We make no promises.
This one's not a bad shot of the color--you can kind of tell that it's green. Note the stroller and the very small, very cute clothes hanging in the closet.
I just finished painting this nightstand--it's pink and super cute. The lamp was my mom's when she was growing up in Ventura. 
So we're very very close to ready, roomwise. We have a bookshelf that was in my room when I was a kid that we'll paint to match the nightstand. A glider/rocker has been ordered, and hopefully will be here before the end of the month.
One last thing before I finish (I'm getting kicked pretty good by our active little princess which means that it's about time to go lay down) in regards to her name. We're pretty sure that we've come up with one that we like, and we've decided to keep it to ourselves until she gets here. It's a good name, that is easy to spell and we think it sounds nice with our last name. So bear with us, and play along. It's our turn to have some fun here, and we're looking forward to sharing it with you when the time is right.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
We Don't Know Nothing 'Bout Birthing No Babies
Well, we didn't. Yesterday was our Childbirth Education class. We've heard mixed reviews about such things, so our expectations were pretty low. My OB recommended that we go, just because we haven't done this before and we might learn something. And we did. Quite a bit, actually. The teacher was a Labor & Delivery nurse from the hospital where we'll be delivering (check it out). She's been doing this for almost 30 years, most of which have been here in Vegas. She was a cross between Julia Child and Cloris Leachman. Very knowledgeable, lots of good information (like "Don't forget to bring lip balm" and "Make sure your car seat is installed before you show up to have a baby") and instructions. She warned of possible complications without being an alarmist and gave good advice about what to do if Something happens. She also gave us her home phone number, and invited us to call anytime with questions. Nice. We also got a tour of the hospital and now we know exactly where to go and what to do and say when we get there. They let us pre-register so we don't have to go through the whole admissions process. It was a long day, but we were pretty impressed with what we got for our 35 bucks.
This morning we put the stroller together. It's been sitting in its box for 3 months, and it was time. Not the most difficult thing in the world, as it was mostly intact. It folds up almost flat, so we won't be tripping over it for the next 2 months (HOLY CRAP TWO MONTHS OH MY GOD). There's a way to fold it up smartly with one hand that I haven't quite mastered yet. I'm going to be the over-excited expectant mom who practices folding up the stroller ;).
We have officially stopped sleeping. Not entirely, but we're down to about 5 hours a night and we're not sure why. I suppose there will be days ahead where we'll look back fondly on five hours of generally uninterrupted sleep and wish we could get that much again, but right now it kind of stinks. Waking up at 4:30 makes for a long day, and the earlier we go to sleep the earlier we wake up. So this morning, on this fine Sunday when we don't have to work and there are no real commitments at all, we were up a good 2 hours before sunrise. Yuck.
So what's next in our preparations? Finish painting--just touch ups, mostly. Paint the bookshelves, assemble the crib (note to self, buy a crib mattress), stuff like that. I've talked to one day care center--yes, we'll have to put our child in full-time day care and while we're not thrilled, there are several good options available--and we'll meet with a couple more before we commit. There is a ton of very small clothing that needs to be washed before anyone can wear it.
On paper, we're about ready for Speck's arrival. In reality... we'll figure it out as we go :)
This morning we put the stroller together. It's been sitting in its box for 3 months, and it was time. Not the most difficult thing in the world, as it was mostly intact. It folds up almost flat, so we won't be tripping over it for the next 2 months (HOLY CRAP TWO MONTHS OH MY GOD). There's a way to fold it up smartly with one hand that I haven't quite mastered yet. I'm going to be the over-excited expectant mom who practices folding up the stroller ;).
We have officially stopped sleeping. Not entirely, but we're down to about 5 hours a night and we're not sure why. I suppose there will be days ahead where we'll look back fondly on five hours of generally uninterrupted sleep and wish we could get that much again, but right now it kind of stinks. Waking up at 4:30 makes for a long day, and the earlier we go to sleep the earlier we wake up. So this morning, on this fine Sunday when we don't have to work and there are no real commitments at all, we were up a good 2 hours before sunrise. Yuck.
So what's next in our preparations? Finish painting--just touch ups, mostly. Paint the bookshelves, assemble the crib (note to self, buy a crib mattress), stuff like that. I've talked to one day care center--yes, we'll have to put our child in full-time day care and while we're not thrilled, there are several good options available--and we'll meet with a couple more before we commit. There is a ton of very small clothing that needs to be washed before anyone can wear it.
On paper, we're about ready for Speck's arrival. In reality... we'll figure it out as we go :)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
What Does Thirty Weeks Look Like?
I'm thinking things are going to start happening now.
Thirty weeks is a big milestone. We're 3/4 done with what is probably the easy part of being parents. I feel pretty good, although sometimes I wish I was about 6 inches taller in order to have a little more room for her to move around. I have to watch how much dinner I have, because we are discovering new and exciting definitions of what "Full" feels like. My blood sugar is running just a bit high--not gestational diabetes high, but higher than my doctor likes to see. So I'm checking glucose levels 4 times a day which is super fun...
So here's what babyfit.com has to say about 30 weeks:
Your Baby This Week Now that your baby weighs about 3 pounds (1.3 kg) and measures about 17 inches (43 cm) in length, you're beginning to feel like your tummy will pop if she keeps growing!
Your little cherub is starting to look more like a chubby little cherub, growing plumper and cuter every day. Her hair is growing thicker on the scalp, and those lashes are lengthening. The hands and feet are now fully formed and baby's head and body are closer to normal proportions. Overall, your baby is beginning to look similar to how she will look at birth--just tinier. To prepare for her big entrance, your baby is now starting to control her own body temperature!
Yeah, that's about right. She moves around a lot! I notice it more in the evenings, when I slow down a little and try to relax. I've read that my movement during the day lulls her to sleep, and when I stop moving that's what wakes her up. We're going to keep this in mind after she gets here. Rob gets a little alarmed at how much my belly seems to jump around. It is a little weird to see :). I was at a meeting last week, and the people sitting across the table from me were pretty entertained by it.
So here's what 30 weeks pregnant looks like from the outside...
In case you haven't seen me in a while and have forgotten what I look like, I'm not the bride. This was taken yesterday at my assistant's wedding. The weather was beautiful, if a little warm. We're relaxed and smiling because there were A/C vents in the floor, and people didn't have a problem if the bride and the pregnant lady staked claims over the biggest vent.
We're just about finished painting the nursery--we just need to touch up around the very top of the walls along the ceiling.. Please note the change of verbiage from "spare bedroom" to "nursery". Yeah, that's where we are. The dresser is set up, and will be filled with very tiny baby clothes (seriously, the newborn onesies are impossibly small) this week. I'm not going to fold them, because I've been told they need to be washed. They're currently in piles, sorted by size. I figured that was as good a system as any for the time being. I'm open to suggestions about stuff like that, though.
I have a quick OB check this week, and then my next perinatalogist appointment is the first week in November. We'll have more ultrasound pictures then.
Thirty weeks is a big milestone. We're 3/4 done with what is probably the easy part of being parents. I feel pretty good, although sometimes I wish I was about 6 inches taller in order to have a little more room for her to move around. I have to watch how much dinner I have, because we are discovering new and exciting definitions of what "Full" feels like. My blood sugar is running just a bit high--not gestational diabetes high, but higher than my doctor likes to see. So I'm checking glucose levels 4 times a day which is super fun...
So here's what babyfit.com has to say about 30 weeks:
Your Baby This Week Now that your baby weighs about 3 pounds (1.3 kg) and measures about 17 inches (43 cm) in length, you're beginning to feel like your tummy will pop if she keeps growing!
Your little cherub is starting to look more like a chubby little cherub, growing plumper and cuter every day. Her hair is growing thicker on the scalp, and those lashes are lengthening. The hands and feet are now fully formed and baby's head and body are closer to normal proportions. Overall, your baby is beginning to look similar to how she will look at birth--just tinier. To prepare for her big entrance, your baby is now starting to control her own body temperature!
Yeah, that's about right. She moves around a lot! I notice it more in the evenings, when I slow down a little and try to relax. I've read that my movement during the day lulls her to sleep, and when I stop moving that's what wakes her up. We're going to keep this in mind after she gets here. Rob gets a little alarmed at how much my belly seems to jump around. It is a little weird to see :). I was at a meeting last week, and the people sitting across the table from me were pretty entertained by it.
So here's what 30 weeks pregnant looks like from the outside...
In case you haven't seen me in a while and have forgotten what I look like, I'm not the bride. This was taken yesterday at my assistant's wedding. The weather was beautiful, if a little warm. We're relaxed and smiling because there were A/C vents in the floor, and people didn't have a problem if the bride and the pregnant lady staked claims over the biggest vent.
We're just about finished painting the nursery--we just need to touch up around the very top of the walls along the ceiling.. Please note the change of verbiage from "spare bedroom" to "nursery". Yeah, that's where we are. The dresser is set up, and will be filled with very tiny baby clothes (seriously, the newborn onesies are impossibly small) this week. I'm not going to fold them, because I've been told they need to be washed. They're currently in piles, sorted by size. I figured that was as good a system as any for the time being. I'm open to suggestions about stuff like that, though.
I have a quick OB check this week, and then my next perinatalogist appointment is the first week in November. We'll have more ultrasound pictures then.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
It's been a while
I think I'm at that point in pregnancy where not much is actually happening. She's growing and moving around a lot, but there have been no real headlines to talk about. My big symptom right now is that my sinuses have swelled up (along with the rest of me throughout the day) and I'm congested. My ENT says this is normal and common, and it will go away once she's born. Fantastic. We're making Puffs Plus rich this fall, let tell you.
Here's what babyfit.com says about week 27, which will start on Monday:
"It’s official—you’re starting your third trimester and well on your way to delivery day!
Your Baby: As growth continues, your baby weighs in at over 2 pounds (1 kg). And because his body is more developed, measurement no longer goes from rump to crown, but from tip to toe—about 15 inches (38cm)! Your baby can suck his thumb now, which is actually a good thing! It helps calm him, while also helping to strengthen jaw muscles and encourage the suckling reflex. Your baby can even cry now, but you won’t be able to hear him. "
Well there's some news--third trimester! Awesome!
The spare bedroom is now the nursery. We put some shelves up in the garage and we've been going through all of the Stuff that was in the room and the closet. There's a lot that we'll keep, but we won't be needing a storage unit! The crib and dresser have been delivered, and Some Assembly is Required. We're going to paint before we put anything together--that should start this week. The color is "mint truffle", and it's a nice soft green. We hope. At least the sample looks nice and soft.
That's it--I have a doctor's appointment this week, just a check-up for me.
Here's what babyfit.com says about week 27, which will start on Monday:
"It’s official—you’re starting your third trimester and well on your way to delivery day!
Your Baby: As growth continues, your baby weighs in at over 2 pounds (1 kg). And because his body is more developed, measurement no longer goes from rump to crown, but from tip to toe—about 15 inches (38cm)! Your baby can suck his thumb now, which is actually a good thing! It helps calm him, while also helping to strengthen jaw muscles and encourage the suckling reflex. Your baby can even cry now, but you won’t be able to hear him. "
Well there's some news--third trimester! Awesome!
The spare bedroom is now the nursery. We put some shelves up in the garage and we've been going through all of the Stuff that was in the room and the closet. There's a lot that we'll keep, but we won't be needing a storage unit! The crib and dresser have been delivered, and Some Assembly is Required. We're going to paint before we put anything together--that should start this week. The color is "mint truffle", and it's a nice soft green. We hope. At least the sample looks nice and soft.
That's it--I have a doctor's appointment this week, just a check-up for me.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Hi, I'm Kristie and I'm a Bounce House.
You know those inflatable bounce houses that people rent for their kids' birthday parties and stuff? And the kids get amped up on whatever it is kids eat (yeah, I know, we'll learn...) and drink and then they go inside the bounce house and jump around like this but much much faster (push play):
Yeah. That's me. Oof. During the day, she's either pretty quiet or I'm moving around enough that I'm just not feeling her as much. But when I lay down, or stretch out on the couch and try to relax, this child gets inspired to jump around. A lot. Constantly. She weighs maybe a pound and a half, and she somehow managed to gather up enough velocity to wake me up last night. I am officially nervous about whether she'll be like this once she's on the outside....nice and quiet all day and then she comes to life like a Tasmanian devil once the sun goes down.
This would be a good time for all of our friends who have already done this to tell us their stories about how their active little pre-natal beans got it all out of their systems and were happy little swaddled angels once they came out.
Yeah. That's me. Oof. During the day, she's either pretty quiet or I'm moving around enough that I'm just not feeling her as much. But when I lay down, or stretch out on the couch and try to relax, this child gets inspired to jump around. A lot. Constantly. She weighs maybe a pound and a half, and she somehow managed to gather up enough velocity to wake me up last night. I am officially nervous about whether she'll be like this once she's on the outside....nice and quiet all day and then she comes to life like a Tasmanian devil once the sun goes down.
This would be a good time for all of our friends who have already done this to tell us their stories about how their active little pre-natal beans got it all out of their systems and were happy little swaddled angels once they came out.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Stalked by the paparazzi
We're starting to realize that Miss Speck is not a fan of having her picture taken. People go to a lot of trouble to record every facet of her development, and she just doesn't cooperate. Like today, for example. Very important milestones needed to be confirmed, and she did her best to make everybody beg for it. She rolled around and flipped and put her arms over what they were trying to look for. But we did get some good shots.
Work with me here...
OK, if you squint a little you can see a big blob that is her head, looking at you (kind of scary, we know). The one little floating circle on the left is her right hand, and her other arm is folded over her chest. She spent most of the exam with her arms up around her head like that, much to the chagrin of the sonographer.
Another head shot. Top of her head is to the right, and the pointy part on the left is her chin. Her nasal cavity has formed, as have her eyelids and ears. Evidently, this is a good picture. We'll take the tech's word for it. She's beautiful :).
Profile! How cool is this!? The white spot above her head is her hand, in a gesture of drama and exasperation (she is my kid, after all...). Look at that little button nose. CUTE.
Another profile, and she's looking away now. You can see more of her torso, and that black spot is her heart. The tech looked at her heart quite a bit, and all four chambers are pumping furiously (136 bpm today...). The sonogram machine has a function that adds color to highlight bloodflow, so this one was all lit up blue and red. Super cool, that.
This is her right foot. The smaller blob behind it is her left foot. She crossed one behind the other like I do. Awww...
So that's where we are today, at 22 weeks. Speck has 10 fingers and 10 toes, and we also got to rule out spina bifida, which is what happens when the skin doesn't cover the spine (there's more to it than that, but visible spine with no skin is a big indicator of Bad Things Happening). Today was also really cool because I could feel her moving around while watching her move on the TV screen. It's just overwhelming. She weighs about 1 pound 1 ounce, and she's about 8 inches long. She's still measuring right where she should. We also re-confirmed in no uncertain terms that she is most assuredly a girl.
I'm back at the perinatalogist in 10 weeks. While I'm bummed that we won't have any new episodes of the Speck Show until November, this means that there's nothing that they're monitoring us for, no issues that we're anticipating, no reason to hurry back. She's healthy and growing, and there's nothing more that we would wish for.
Work with me here...
OK, if you squint a little you can see a big blob that is her head, looking at you (kind of scary, we know). The one little floating circle on the left is her right hand, and her other arm is folded over her chest. She spent most of the exam with her arms up around her head like that, much to the chagrin of the sonographer.
Another head shot. Top of her head is to the right, and the pointy part on the left is her chin. Her nasal cavity has formed, as have her eyelids and ears. Evidently, this is a good picture. We'll take the tech's word for it. She's beautiful :).
Profile! How cool is this!? The white spot above her head is her hand, in a gesture of drama and exasperation (she is my kid, after all...). Look at that little button nose. CUTE.
Another profile, and she's looking away now. You can see more of her torso, and that black spot is her heart. The tech looked at her heart quite a bit, and all four chambers are pumping furiously (136 bpm today...). The sonogram machine has a function that adds color to highlight bloodflow, so this one was all lit up blue and red. Super cool, that.
This is her right foot. The smaller blob behind it is her left foot. She crossed one behind the other like I do. Awww...
So that's where we are today, at 22 weeks. Speck has 10 fingers and 10 toes, and we also got to rule out spina bifida, which is what happens when the skin doesn't cover the spine (there's more to it than that, but visible spine with no skin is a big indicator of Bad Things Happening). Today was also really cool because I could feel her moving around while watching her move on the TV screen. It's just overwhelming. She weighs about 1 pound 1 ounce, and she's about 8 inches long. She's still measuring right where she should. We also re-confirmed in no uncertain terms that she is most assuredly a girl.
I'm back at the perinatalogist in 10 weeks. While I'm bummed that we won't have any new episodes of the Speck Show until November, this means that there's nothing that they're monitoring us for, no issues that we're anticipating, no reason to hurry back. She's healthy and growing, and there's nothing more that we would wish for.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
It's Just Rob!
First, a bit of background...
You've all met Rob, a/k/a "Mr Hilarious". Years ago for Halloween, he dressed up as the androgynous character Pat from Saturday Night Live. In case you're not familiar...
The whole premise was that it never was revealed whether Pat was male or female. And it was impossible to guess. Pat's companion was named Kelly, and the sketches were full of clever red herrings. Pat's gender was never revealed.
That is, until now.
Yeah, I know. Alarming. Disturbing. Shocking. And, to those who saw it in person, utterly hilarious. Jokes like this don't die in Rob's family. Oh, no; funny once, funny forever. So a few weeks back, before we knew that, unlike Pat, Speck was most assuredly a girl, Aunt Janice, Uncle Ken and Cousin Anna gave us a gift. Rather than tiptoe around the whole "we don't know if it's a boy or a girl" issue, they dove right in.
At that moment, I knew that the in-laws had truly accepted me and were welcoming our child into the hilarious fold that is the Family Berthelotte. Note the authentic wig and glasses. I was, and will forever be, truly touched by the gesture. Naturally, retaliation is both anticipated and expected. We'll get them back in true hilarious fashion.
I'm at the perinatalogist's first thing tomorrow morning, and I should have a slew of cool pictures to post tomorrow night. Check back later!
You've all met Rob, a/k/a "Mr Hilarious". Years ago for Halloween, he dressed up as the androgynous character Pat from Saturday Night Live. In case you're not familiar...
The whole premise was that it never was revealed whether Pat was male or female. And it was impossible to guess. Pat's companion was named Kelly, and the sketches were full of clever red herrings. Pat's gender was never revealed.
That is, until now.
Yeah, I know. Alarming. Disturbing. Shocking. And, to those who saw it in person, utterly hilarious. Jokes like this don't die in Rob's family. Oh, no; funny once, funny forever. So a few weeks back, before we knew that, unlike Pat, Speck was most assuredly a girl, Aunt Janice, Uncle Ken and Cousin Anna gave us a gift. Rather than tiptoe around the whole "we don't know if it's a boy or a girl" issue, they dove right in.
At that moment, I knew that the in-laws had truly accepted me and were welcoming our child into the hilarious fold that is the Family Berthelotte. Note the authentic wig and glasses. I was, and will forever be, truly touched by the gesture. Naturally, retaliation is both anticipated and expected. We'll get them back in true hilarious fashion.I'm at the perinatalogist's first thing tomorrow morning, and I should have a slew of cool pictures to post tomorrow night. Check back later!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Kick Me!
Speck has made her presence known. They tell you to expect a flutter, or some other really light delicate sensation. Night before last, I'm laying down poking around my belly hoping to feel something, and I guess she got tired of being nudged around and she SHOVED up against my hands. Scared the hell out of me. Once we established that she was indeed still safely in utero, we came to the conclusion that our offspring may turn out to be a bit, um, active. Pray for us and anything that is breakable in our home...
For the record, she's poking me right now, and has been all day.
This morning I had another OB check--heartbeat (hers, 156 bpm), blood pressure (mine, 112/60), weight (mine, no comment but still within reasonable parameters). Right now, she's about the size of an average banana. She's measuring right where she should, and we're feeling very smug about our ability to make such a perfect child. Remind us of this feeling someday, perhaps after we catch her borrowing a car without permission, or some other such shenanigan that may or may not have had a precedent set by one or both of her parents.
This weekend we'll be in San Diego, and we're really really REALLY looking forward to getting out of town. Between the weather (hot, sticky), work (crazy), school (Rob, and he's seeing the light at the end of that tunnel) and preparing for our Blessed Event, we're a bit frazzled.
That's about it. I'm back at the peri next week, so there should be pictures and much gushing from us :).
For the record, she's poking me right now, and has been all day.
This morning I had another OB check--heartbeat (hers, 156 bpm), blood pressure (mine, 112/60), weight (mine, no comment but still within reasonable parameters). Right now, she's about the size of an average banana. She's measuring right where she should, and we're feeling very smug about our ability to make such a perfect child. Remind us of this feeling someday, perhaps after we catch her borrowing a car without permission, or some other such shenanigan that may or may not have had a precedent set by one or both of her parents.
This weekend we'll be in San Diego, and we're really really REALLY looking forward to getting out of town. Between the weather (hot, sticky), work (crazy), school (Rob, and he's seeing the light at the end of that tunnel) and preparing for our Blessed Event, we're a bit frazzled.
That's about it. I'm back at the peri next week, so there should be pictures and much gushing from us :).
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Half Baked!
Today, we are 20 weeks! According to babyfit.com...
Weighing in at about 9 ounces (.25 kg) and measuring over 6 inches (15 cm) long, your baby is aware of all kinds of sounds, from the beating of your heart and growling of your tummy, to songs on the radio and the buzzing of your alarm clock. If you feel a "bounce" in your tummy when you hear a loud noise, it's because your baby hears it, too! This is the start of your baby's active phase. You'll feel every twist, turn, and wiggle. You may also hear your baby's heartbeat through a stethoscope, and it's probably faster than you expect — 120 to 160 beats per minute.
That's pretty exciting. I can feel that there is *something* going on in there, but it's still pretty fleeting. I'll feel it but then it's gone. She's sneaky.
Last night, Rob looked at me and said "WHOA, you're showing!" I have been looking like I'm just swelling up all over, so this was good to hear. I look pregnant, and not just fluffy. I'll take a picture this week and I'll post it.
We're getting a lot of suggestions for names. Our niece in Virginia sent a rather extensive list of ideas. Alyssa, if you read this, you gave some good ideas. Bonus points for the excellent handwriting :). We're going to stand firm on the "No, we're not telling anyone what we're naming her" rule. You'll find out in January what the winner is.
In other news, we're making progress on the room.
Really, this is, indeed, progress. That desk is empty and by the end of this weekend it will be cleaned off on top. The bed is now up at the cabin in Utah. Note the stroller which is still in the box. Yeah, we'll get to it. I think I have an idea about what it will look like in there when it is no longer a spare bedroom and is instead a nursery. More on that when we get some paint happening.
Last weekend I went shopping. I waited until the whole boy/girl thing was determined, and I took some girlfriends and went to the mall and lost my freaking mind. Holy cow, shopping for baby girl clothes is so much fun! It's better than shopping for shoes! Everything is embroidered with little flowers and ruffles on the tush. This kid may grow up to be a tomboy, but for the first year or two, her wardrobe is going to be as girlie as I can make it. SUCH cute stuff.
That's about it. I see my OB in two weeks--probably just another measurement and heartbeat check, and then back to the perinatalogist in early September for more pictures.
Weighing in at about 9 ounces (.25 kg) and measuring over 6 inches (15 cm) long, your baby is aware of all kinds of sounds, from the beating of your heart and growling of your tummy, to songs on the radio and the buzzing of your alarm clock. If you feel a "bounce" in your tummy when you hear a loud noise, it's because your baby hears it, too! This is the start of your baby's active phase. You'll feel every twist, turn, and wiggle. You may also hear your baby's heartbeat through a stethoscope, and it's probably faster than you expect — 120 to 160 beats per minute.
That's pretty exciting. I can feel that there is *something* going on in there, but it's still pretty fleeting. I'll feel it but then it's gone. She's sneaky.
Last night, Rob looked at me and said "WHOA, you're showing!" I have been looking like I'm just swelling up all over, so this was good to hear. I look pregnant, and not just
We're getting a lot of suggestions for names. Our niece in Virginia sent a rather extensive list of ideas. Alyssa, if you read this, you gave some good ideas. Bonus points for the excellent handwriting :). We're going to stand firm on the "No, we're not telling anyone what we're naming her" rule. You'll find out in January what the winner is.
In other news, we're making progress on the room.
Really, this is, indeed, progress. That desk is empty and by the end of this weekend it will be cleaned off on top. The bed is now up at the cabin in Utah. Note the stroller which is still in the box. Yeah, we'll get to it. I think I have an idea about what it will look like in there when it is no longer a spare bedroom and is instead a nursery. More on that when we get some paint happening.
Last weekend I went shopping. I waited until the whole boy/girl thing was determined, and I took some girlfriends and went to the mall and lost my freaking mind. Holy cow, shopping for baby girl clothes is so much fun! It's better than shopping for shoes! Everything is embroidered with little flowers and ruffles on the tush. This kid may grow up to be a tomboy, but for the first year or two, her wardrobe is going to be as girlie as I can make it. SUCH cute stuff.
That's about it. I see my OB in two weeks--probably just another measurement and heartbeat check, and then back to the perinatalogist in early September for more pictures.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice
Biggest news yet! Well, biggest news since actually finding out that a baby is going to happen...
In case you haven't noticed by the new decor, we have determined with 99% certainty (per the doctor) that Speck is a girl. Rob is already considering what convent she'll be moving into when she hits puberty, and I believe he's also eyeing the door on the soon-to-be nursery to see how hard it would be to take it off the hinges.
As the tech so eloquently labeled it, there is an absolute, unequivocal absence of certain key elements. So there we go. We're having a daughter.
We do have other pictures as well. The actual ultrasound lasted probably 45 minutes. She took a ton of measurements. Speck (we'll still call her this...) has 2 functioning kidneys, the right sort of stuff going on with her heart (aortas and veins and such) and good bloodflow through the umbilical cord. She's measuring right where she should for 18 weeks 2 days and she weighs 9 ounces.
This is her profile. She was moving around quite a bit, so we didn't really get a good clear shot of too much that translates well into still pictures. Plus, she had the hiccups. OMG so cute.
That's her foot. Awwww...
OK we're taking a leap of faith with this one, and we'll believe what the tech said about this being a really good picture of her face. I can't tell. Somebody give me a Mother of the Year award for not being able to identify my child's face.
So that's what happened today. Naturally, we would have been thrilled either way because right now all signs are pointing toward a healthy baby. I maintain that all of my friends who didn't find out what they were having are nuts because finding out today was no less of a surprise than it would have been in January.
So everyone who voted for "girl" in our poll, rock on for being right! And for the record, I knew she was a girl too. I don't know how I knew, but I knew. It's another good day :)
In case you haven't noticed by the new decor, we have determined with 99% certainty (per the doctor) that Speck is a girl. Rob is already considering what convent she'll be moving into when she hits puberty, and I believe he's also eyeing the door on the soon-to-be nursery to see how hard it would be to take it off the hinges.
As the tech so eloquently labeled it, there is an absolute, unequivocal absence of certain key elements. So there we go. We're having a daughter.We do have other pictures as well. The actual ultrasound lasted probably 45 minutes. She took a ton of measurements. Speck (we'll still call her this...) has 2 functioning kidneys, the right sort of stuff going on with her heart (aortas and veins and such) and good bloodflow through the umbilical cord. She's measuring right where she should for 18 weeks 2 days and she weighs 9 ounces.
This is her profile. She was moving around quite a bit, so we didn't really get a good clear shot of too much that translates well into still pictures. Plus, she had the hiccups. OMG so cute.
That's her foot. Awwww...
OK we're taking a leap of faith with this one, and we'll believe what the tech said about this being a really good picture of her face. I can't tell. Somebody give me a Mother of the Year award for not being able to identify my child's face.So that's what happened today. Naturally, we would have been thrilled either way because right now all signs are pointing toward a healthy baby. I maintain that all of my friends who didn't find out what they were having are nuts because finding out today was no less of a surprise than it would have been in January.
So everyone who voted for "girl" in our poll, rock on for being right! And for the record, I knew she was a girl too. I don't know how I knew, but I knew. It's another good day :)
Monday, August 4, 2008
No news, but progress is being made.
Last week's appointment was a check up--more for me than for Speck, actually. We checked the heartbeat, which was solid and steady. Most of the time was spent on how I'm doing. For the last 4 months we've been focusing on Speck's health and it was weird to be thinking about my own again. Blood pressure is important right now--if it's too high it can be an indicator of something being wrong, and it can also be a risk factor in itself for all sorts of bad things. Mine is good. She also measured my belly, which can be affected if Speck is growing too large. While we want a good-sized healthy baby (not too big, mind you...), if the baby is growing too quickly it can be a sign of gestational diabetes. We want to avoid that :). But all is well. We didn't find out the sex, as she just used a Doppler to find the heartbeat. I'll have a series of ultrasounds at the perinatalogist this week and we *should* know after that. They make no promises and therefore we don't either.
In other news, we did make our first Big Purchase, as far as equipment goes. We bought a stroller and car seat.
Very exciting, right? Judging by the shape of the box, we're predicting that Some Assembly is Required. Let the fun begin!
In other news, we did make our first Big Purchase, as far as equipment goes. We bought a stroller and car seat.
Very exciting, right? Judging by the shape of the box, we're predicting that Some Assembly is Required. Let the fun begin!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Some quick Speck Stats
According to babyfit.com:
Your Baby: As this week begins your baby has fingernails, and the hair on his or her head is starting to grow. Although baby's brain is still tiny, it is beginning to send signals to muscles that allow arms and legs to begin moving. The motion, called "quickening" can be slight or more robust, but don't be alarmed if you don't feel it this week—you will soon enough.
Haven't felt anything yet for sure--maybe a couple of quick "something just brushed past" sensations, but that could also have been a result of the spicy food that has happened this week.
YOUR BABY THIS WEEK
Your baby is on the move, and you may start to feel it! Your baby weighs almost three ounces (.08 kg) and is close to 5 inches (13 cm) in length.Your Baby: As this week begins your baby has fingernails, and the hair on his or her head is starting to grow. Although baby's brain is still tiny, it is beginning to send signals to muscles that allow arms and legs to begin moving. The motion, called "quickening" can be slight or more robust, but don't be alarmed if you don't feel it this week—you will soon enough.
Haven't felt anything yet for sure--maybe a couple of quick "something just brushed past" sensations, but that could also have been a result of the spicy food that has happened this week.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Well it's been a big week...
Just when we were starting to calm down and just sort of sit back and avoid the heat, we found a car that was just what we were looking for: big enough to haul a baby and accompanying gear, a 90 pound dog and accompanying gear, us and accompanying gear, but not so big that it would break us one $4.25 gallon at a time. It was rapidly becoming time to part with Rob's beloved Mustang, which has been a great car but is on the verge of needing some work if we were to keep it. So on Monday, Rob left the house in this
and returned that night in this
It's a Honda Pilot, and it is awesome. It's a 2006, and it's in great condition and we think it's going to be just what we needed. It's got enough ground clearance to get us into the cabin in Utah without getting high-centered. We're pretty happy with it.
Nothing new as far as the baby goes. I'm 16 weeks along, and everything seems to be normal. We're making progress on the room--the bed and desk are cleaned off and we have a plan for the rest. A couple more months and we should be ready to start making it into a suitable room for Speck :). Next doctor's appointment is on July 31, and then I see the perinatalogist on August 6. While I don't want to get my hopes up, I'm thinking that at one of those appointments, we'll find out if Speck is a boy or a girl. We'll keep you posted.
As an added bonus, here's a pic of how Gracie is staying cool this summer :).
and returned that night in this
It's a Honda Pilot, and it is awesome. It's a 2006, and it's in great condition and we think it's going to be just what we needed. It's got enough ground clearance to get us into the cabin in Utah without getting high-centered. We're pretty happy with it.
Nothing new as far as the baby goes. I'm 16 weeks along, and everything seems to be normal. We're making progress on the room--the bed and desk are cleaned off and we have a plan for the rest. A couple more months and we should be ready to start making it into a suitable room for Speck :). Next doctor's appointment is on July 31, and then I see the perinatalogist on August 6. While I don't want to get my hopes up, I'm thinking that at one of those appointments, we'll find out if Speck is a boy or a girl. We'll keep you posted.
As an added bonus, here's a pic of how Gracie is staying cool this summer :).
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Second Trimester! Hooray!
According to babyfit.com, when you hit 14 weeks you're officially in the second trimester. This is a significant milestone, as many (not all) of the early risks of Something Bad happening are not quite as likely. Speck is now between 3 and 4 inches long and weighing about an ounce. I ended up not having an ultrasound this past week, but I did get to hear the heartbeat.
Early blood tests came back--chromosomal issues (like Downs and some other particularly unpleasant conditions) have been ruled out. I go back to the perinatalogist in August for more tests to determine if there are any spinal issues. At least I think that's what will happen. Quite frankly, they have thrown a lot of information at us, most of it scary, and we just kind of nod our heads and look thoughtful until we can get home and figure out what exactly was said. Based on the good results we've had thus far, we've decided to be conservative as far as further testing goes, especially the more invasive stuff.
Florence's daughter who lives in Canada sent our first official baby gift.
It's super cute and is evidently all the rage as far as baby toys go. As I was trying it out (it's very soft and pleasing to the touch...) I found a squeaker, which immediately got the attention of the dog. I learned at once that baby toys and dog toys are quite similar, and we may have to come up with some sort of strategy for making sure that Gracie keeps her nose on her own toys. This reminded us of a moment right after Rob moved in when Gracie found an autographed baseball on a low shelf and immediately claimed it as her own. Hilarity ensued.
Rob has decided that he's going to pass his love of San Diego sports on to his child (fine with me--I've seen my share of baseball games and I'm willing to relinquish my position on the couch).
Really, how cute is that stuff? I'm all pherklempt about the booties.
Early blood tests came back--chromosomal issues (like Downs and some other particularly unpleasant conditions) have been ruled out. I go back to the perinatalogist in August for more tests to determine if there are any spinal issues. At least I think that's what will happen. Quite frankly, they have thrown a lot of information at us, most of it scary, and we just kind of nod our heads and look thoughtful until we can get home and figure out what exactly was said. Based on the good results we've had thus far, we've decided to be conservative as far as further testing goes, especially the more invasive stuff.
Florence's daughter who lives in Canada sent our first official baby gift.
It's super cute and is evidently all the rage as far as baby toys go. As I was trying it out (it's very soft and pleasing to the touch...) I found a squeaker, which immediately got the attention of the dog. I learned at once that baby toys and dog toys are quite similar, and we may have to come up with some sort of strategy for making sure that Gracie keeps her nose on her own toys. This reminded us of a moment right after Rob moved in when Gracie found an autographed baseball on a low shelf and immediately claimed it as her own. Hilarity ensued.Rob has decided that he's going to pass his love of San Diego sports on to his child (fine with me--I've seen my share of baseball games and I'm willing to relinquish my position on the couch).
Really, how cute is that stuff? I'm all pherklempt about the booties.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
There's nothing to report.
We've been taking it easy for the last couple of weeks. Because of the excitement in the ER, we postponed a trip to San Diego (which would have been wonderful because I hear it's not 112 there like it is here) so it's been pretty quiet. I haven't gotten the blood test results back from the perinatologist, and that doesn't exactly make us happy, but we're not stressing out about it too much. I had an ultrasound on Wednesday, and Speck is still hanging out and growing and all is good there. I'll have another this week, and hopefully I'll have a new picture to post.
There's quite a bit of speculation about whether Speck is a boy or a girl. I've heard very convincingly that it MUST be a boy because I look so fabulous. Seriously. Evidently I glow, and this means that there's no little girl in there absorbing my essence (?). I've also been told that in no uncertain terms that this is a girl because I never had any morning sickness. So if you have a theory about who we'll eventually be meeting in January, please don't hesitate to share. I have my own prediction as well, which I will naturally keep to myself :).
There's quite a bit of speculation about whether Speck is a boy or a girl. I've heard very convincingly that it MUST be a boy because I look so fabulous. Seriously. Evidently I glow, and this means that there's no little girl in there absorbing my essence (?). I've also been told that in no uncertain terms that this is a girl because I never had any morning sickness. So if you have a theory about who we'll eventually be meeting in January, please don't hesitate to share. I have my own prediction as well, which I will naturally keep to myself :).
Thursday, June 26, 2008
OMG Get a load of this bed.
Don't read anything into this, but if it's a girl, wouldn't this be fabulous?!
PS, no, we don't know yet.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Scary Doctor was Not So Scary...
...but the genetic counselor thing was a bit freaky. We're sitting there all content and only just a little bit worried about stuff--the usual, lately--and she starts talking about chromosomes and testing and risks and she drew a little diagram of my family, genetically (she left out the loop that originated in the Ozarks...), and of Rob's (again, no flourishes) and we determined that we're not related to each other (as I suspected we were not). What we learned today is that at this point, Speck is chromosomally complete, and all that's left from here on out is growth. So they can test for all sorts of scary genetic conditions and tell poor unsuspecting expectant parents that there's a 1 in 3000 chance of this or a 1 in a bajilillion chance of that. There is some blood work that they're waiting for the results on, and when that comes in, we'll figure out just how much we want to know.
And then they took pictures and we heard the heartbeat, strong and steady. Hooray!
So here's Speck at 12 weeks:
In this one, Speck is turned away so here's a good shot of the spine and back of the head (head is on right).
Nice profile shot here. Good looking kid. That's the umbilical cord on Speck's belly.
Speck is facing us, and she was nice enough to label where the face is. Speck has eyes and a brain, all of which should come in very handy at some point. You can see the two halves of the brain on the right, and the eyes are just to the left of that.
And this last one....here's the money shot. Speck offers up a full moon. It was easier to see live, but rest assured, it's there. The little white horizontal smudges on the left are legs.
It's a good day. We go back to this doc in 6 weeks.
And then they took pictures and we heard the heartbeat, strong and steady. Hooray!
So here's Speck at 12 weeks:
In this one, Speck is turned away so here's a good shot of the spine and back of the head (head is on right).
Nice profile shot here. Good looking kid. That's the umbilical cord on Speck's belly.
Speck is facing us, and she was nice enough to label where the face is. Speck has eyes and a brain, all of which should come in very handy at some point. You can see the two halves of the brain on the right, and the eyes are just to the left of that.
And this last one....here's the money shot. Speck offers up a full moon. It was easier to see live, but rest assured, it's there. The little white horizontal smudges on the left are legs.
It's a good day. We go back to this doc in 6 weeks.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
A fine line exists between alarmism and caution.
This child is messing with us. Evidently, the payback for our own youthful indiscretions has begun.
Everything's fine, but we're starting to realize that so much of this is just out of our control. Without treading too far into the realm of Too Much Information, suffice it to say that nothing stops a pregnant woman cold like the appearance of a bit of blood. Again, everything's fine, but it took a trip to the ER, a weekend of bedrest, and a follow-up with the OB to alleviate our concerns. We should have known that there was nothing to worry about, however, when one of the ultrasounds on Friday night showed a very clear picture of Speck turned away from the camera, mooning us. Laugh it up, kiddo. Hardee har har har.
It's very easy to say that what's meant to be will be. A very good friend of mine told me not to hesitate to call a doctor if Something was happening, and even after we did, we were still so unsure of what to do next. There were times this weekend when I just wished that I could get a snapshot of a moment in the future that would show me how this would be turning out. Not knowing what's normal, not being able to help or prevent the inevitable, questioning whether we overreacted (we don't think we did) by going to the ER... all we really do know is that this is probably only the beginning of more moments when we'll look at each other and go "OK, what now?".
But the kid's got a sense of humor. Next time, we moon back.
Everything's fine, but we're starting to realize that so much of this is just out of our control. Without treading too far into the realm of Too Much Information, suffice it to say that nothing stops a pregnant woman cold like the appearance of a bit of blood. Again, everything's fine, but it took a trip to the ER, a weekend of bedrest, and a follow-up with the OB to alleviate our concerns. We should have known that there was nothing to worry about, however, when one of the ultrasounds on Friday night showed a very clear picture of Speck turned away from the camera, mooning us. Laugh it up, kiddo. Hardee har har har.
It's very easy to say that what's meant to be will be. A very good friend of mine told me not to hesitate to call a doctor if Something was happening, and even after we did, we were still so unsure of what to do next. There were times this weekend when I just wished that I could get a snapshot of a moment in the future that would show me how this would be turning out. Not knowing what's normal, not being able to help or prevent the inevitable, questioning whether we overreacted (we don't think we did) by going to the ER... all we really do know is that this is probably only the beginning of more moments when we'll look at each other and go "OK, what now?".
But the kid's got a sense of humor. Next time, we moon back.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Long Hot Summer Begins
It's supposed to be 106 today. That's the official airport temperature, which means that it will be well over 110 in most other neighborhoods. Let me just say that I am so thankful that I'm not 8-1/2 months along and puffy and miserable because of the heat. When I'm 8-1/2 months along, I want to be puffy and miserable because of too much holiday food. I'm looking forward to holiday food, because none of it is on my "Do Not Eat" list like most of my summer favorites are. I was just having a conversation about this yesterday. Things like sushi, deli meats, tuna salad and other nice cool foods are all off limits. Don't even get me started on beverages... I've been known to get home from work when it's 115 outside, stop at the fridge, grab a beer, and head straight for a nice cold shower. Cold showers lose their appeal when there's no beer involved, let me tell you.
In other news, my peri appointment was rescheduled for 6/25. They wrote it down wrong (for today, which, had we known about it a week ago, would have been perfect) . They had to scramble a bit but they made it work. So we're twice rescheduled with them and we're fairly confident that there will be no more screwing with our appointments. Here's hoping. If you're curious, the website for the facility is www.cmfm.net. I'll be seeing Dr. Wold, and I have it on good authority that he'll take good care of us.
In other news, my peri appointment was rescheduled for 6/25. They wrote it down wrong (for today, which, had we known about it a week ago, would have been perfect) . They had to scramble a bit but they made it work. So we're twice rescheduled with them and we're fairly confident that there will be no more screwing with our appointments. Here's hoping. If you're curious, the website for the facility is www.cmfm.net. I'll be seeing Dr. Wold, and I have it on good authority that he'll take good care of us.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Where is this kid going to live?!
We'll call this picture "Before".
Well, at least it's on the radar. A space actually does exist where we could put an additional person, and we do acknowledge the need to transition the space from what it is now to what it needs to be. It currently does contain a bed and such accoutrement, and is guest-ready with maybe 30 minutes of advance notice and prep. It currently houses a rather sizeable (and almost entirely catalogued) comic book collection, as well as a bunch of other stuff that really has no other place to live in the house but must be kept for any number of reasons. You understand.
A storage unit is most certainly in our future.
In other news, I've spent much of the past 4 weeks being tired. Most often, it feels like a hangover (don't judge me...) that comes and goes depending on how recently I've eaten or slept. I eat constantly. I've killed a Costco bag of trail mix (YUM) in 2 weeks. Cheese is a miracle food that makes me feel better almost immediately. I'm fortunate that there's really been no nausea and I'm hoping that continues.
Well, at least it's on the radar. A space actually does exist where we could put an additional person, and we do acknowledge the need to transition the space from what it is now to what it needs to be. It currently does contain a bed and such accoutrement, and is guest-ready with maybe 30 minutes of advance notice and prep. It currently houses a rather sizeable (and almost entirely catalogued) comic book collection, as well as a bunch of other stuff that really has no other place to live in the house but must be kept for any number of reasons. You understand.
A storage unit is most certainly in our future.
In other news, I've spent much of the past 4 weeks being tired. Most often, it feels like a hangover (don't judge me...) that comes and goes depending on how recently I've eaten or slept. I eat constantly. I've killed a Costco bag of trail mix (YUM) in 2 weeks. Cheese is a miracle food that makes me feel better almost immediately. I'm fortunate that there's really been no nausea and I'm hoping that continues.
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