Jack's Room Complete!

We have finished decorating Jack's room! All the pieces are in place, furniture-wise, and we finished hanging the majority of the decorations. A couple minor pieces are left, but they are in our registry and will not arrive until closer to the due date. But, to see how the room transformed from my "guy's room" to our "little guy's room," see the photos below.


March 21: This is how the room started: messy, crammed with crap, books, dvds, games. Just the way I liked it. Notice the bookcase is empty.





May 21: Not much difference, but notice an entire bookcase is gone and there is more baby stuff piled around the room.






June 3: The crib arrived! Assembled and placed. Ready to go for baby Jack!






June 3 (10 minutes later): Taylor liked the bookcase better over here, so I moved it. Um, now? Ok...Yay, Ready for baby Jack!





June 9: This is Norman. Taylor's company got one of these for each of the employees expecting this year. I wanted to get a rocking horse for Jack, but this is just the coolest one I could imagine.





June 14: Arrival of the dresser/changing table. We did not have to assemble it at all (phew!). We are going to get a changing pad and strap it to the top so only one piece of furniture is necessary. We also removed the vertical blinds and hung curtains. We also found Blackout Curtains, which are designed to make it pitch black in the middle of the day. They also serve as insulation for cold or hot. Almost done with the room!

June 14: Well, all of the furniture is in place, we hung a set of hooks and picture frames and removed all the junk on the floor. The room is raring to go! Now, we just get to sit and wait for Jack to pop out!

Deal of the Century!

Well, we went a little overboard. Taylor and I went to Babies R Us to complete our registry. While there, we decided we would need a gliding ottoman to go with our Dutalier glider. Taylor tried it and felt it would be nice to have. But, with almost all the ottomans (even the generic brands) costing over $90 we decided to register for one as well.

Lo and behold, Taylor spots the ottoman with the red CLEARANCE sticker on the side. The normally $89.99 ottoman was marked at $9.98. We could not believe it. It had to be a typo. We grabbed it in the cart, finished scanning our registry, and brought the ottoman to the register. The employees could not believe it either and it rang right up at the under ten dollar price. We got it!

Between the glider and the ottoman, we have already saved almost $400! Which we promptly spent on clothing and things for Jack. We stopped at Gymboree and Target (where we also registered) and came back with several outfits.

Like Taylor says, Jack will have a nice room and great toys but no clothes. Oh well, such is the life of soon to be parents.

25 Weeks / Ultrasound 3

Today we had our third ultrasound. This was a regular one that the doctor suggested we have every 4-6 weeks just to make sure everything looks ok with the single umbilical artery. The technician said everything looks right on track and he is developing well. Kidneys, stomach, brain, spine: all look a-ok. This appointment coincided with the beginning of the 25th week of pregnancy. Little Jack weighs in at just under 2 pounds right now.

The technician, Mary Anne, was very nice and helpful and put us at ease. Today was my first exposure to the staff at Alexian Brothers and I have to say they are ten times nicer and more attentive than the staff at Condell. She even gave us some fun pictures, besides the profile shots above, that really made our day. Take a look!


It may be hard to make out, but the thing next to the arrow is Jack's scrotum. Confirmation (3rd time!) that we are having a little boy!






While Mary Anne was trying to get Jack to give us one of the profile shots (he was very stubborn and kept moving around), we got to see him lift his little hand next to his face and we could make out the fingers and thumb. And then, he went right ahead and stuck his thumb in his mouth. It was amazing!

And this was the final shot. Seemingly tired from all that posing, Jack yawned! He yawned! It is so weird how these normal little things are amazing when it is your baby. If you look at the photo, you can make out the nostrils above his mouth and get a pretty great view of our little boy!

Well, that was all for this visit. Pretty great stuff! Now, back to decorating his room!

Doctors, foot in mouth, and possibly an elbow

I like my new doctor. I did not feel rushed, and I actually had a conversation with my new doctor which was refreshing. I felt the experience was educational, which I like. Just by the questions she asked and the answers she gave to my questions for her, I could tell right away we were going to get along just fine. They have an on site lab, as well as an ultrasound machine. The other office did not, and I'd have to go else where for it.

The medical office building is brand new....clean, and staffed by very friendly people.

On another note, a co-worker today said I was "big!" after our lunch. Sigh. I've known this person for years, and know she didn't mean anything awful by it, but rather it was her inclination towards 'foot in mouth' syndrome acting up again. Wait till we're in August....I'll be huge then!

I felt Jack stretch inside me today. It could have been a leg, heel, or an elbow, but I definitely felt it. So weird. He' been especially active today. Maybe he knows it's Friday and the weekend is coming.....more nursery room changes.

Have you seen me?

I need beauty back....like pedicures, hair color, hair cut, facials, make-up....oh how I miss them!

For the past 5 months, my hair has been bothering me. You see, before Jack, before crib obessions, before concerns about breastbeeding, I used to be me....someone who took care of her hair...not only the condition of the hair, but the color as well.

Right around the time I found out I was pregnant with Jack was when I should have been scheduled for another round of highlights. But being the 1st trimester, and having been so sick and out of sorts, I could have cared less about my hair color or the roots that were beginning to show and made me look like I was wearing some sort of messed up hair weave.

By the time 2nd trimester started, I'd gotten used to my black roots next to my honey colored highlights. I figured if I had gone that long without a touch up, it would not kill me to grow out the highlights altogether...I mean, hair does grow faster during pregnancy, does it not? It wouldn't takke that long to grow out the highlights, right? WRONG. I can't stand my roots!

My face has been bothering me too. Another thing that happened with pregnancy...I stopped wearing make-up. Again, during the 1st trimester I could have cared less. I was more interested in getting over the darn phase. Other than powder, I wear no eye shadow, no eye liner, no mascara, not even a scant/hint of Bonnie Bell lip gloss in Mocha.

See a pattern here? I think 1st trimesters are designed to help you let go of 'yourself' as you know it, and prepare to be a mom who's priority not only becomes the health of her child, but her comfort, even it means going over to what my sister calls the 'dark side' - comfort and ease at all costs.

Well, for my birthday, Alex gave me a reason/opportunity to feel a bit more like me again. He gave me a gift certificate to a salon! Woo hoo! I'm going in for a massage and hair color....to feel a bit more like me again. I'm totally looking forward to caring about the way I look. Maybe the experience will make me want to wear eye shadow again....hmmm....why do I have this feeling the 3rd trimester is laughing at me and that notion of eye shadow?!

Where the babes are

We (Alex, Wany, Jae and Ellie) toured the maternity ward at St. Alexius last night.
It's no Condell 'New Life Center', but I wasn't expecting anything so new like that.

At Alexius:
Anything to do with mother and baby happen on the 2nd floor, they even have 2 OR's just for C-sections.
But there was the scary part about having only 8 labor and delivery rooms. After delivery, mother and baby get moved to the recovery room - which we may be forced to share with another person if the maternity ward is busy/full. However, even if sharing were to happen, in the event of a natural, no complications vaginal birth, mother and baby only stay at the hosptial for 24 hours. For C-sections the stay is extended to 3 days.

I need to be close to the hospital from home - I need to be able to get to the hospital as soon as labor begins. Also, Alex can get to St. Alexius faster than he could Condell from work. I haven't been spoiled by Condell like my sister, so I have no specific attachments to a previous experience other than having been a visiter there to see Ellie when she was born.

I do not want to switch doctors or hospitals again (having changed from Condell). We'll be looking into some birthing classes offered at St. Alexius and signed up.

I was surprised at how many couples who were further along in pregnancy than we were! This one lady looked like she was ready to pop! And another lady looked like she was 7-8 months along already. I could not believe they'd waited so long to visit, tour, and decide on a hospital.

Ellie was a hit as usual - she even got a 'Super Big Sister' pink T-shirt, which she hugged tightly as soon as it was given her as she said, "Thank you!" to our tour guide. Nerd.

Jack's New Crib (or, Goodbye Alex's Junk!)

The crib arrived today! After 2.5 hours of assembly, it now sits fully safe and ready for Jack! We went ahead and purchased the Cubs mobile that plays "Take Me Out To the Ballgame." This kid will be a Cubs fan!

We are going to keep the bookcase that I had used. It matches the crib pretty well already. As you can see, the glider is already getting used! Two more weeks for the dresser/changer to arrive and then the minor decoration begins. The room is near complete and all it needs is a tenant.

3 more months!

Profile - Week 24

Third Trimester? What do you mean Third Trimester?!

I cannot believe that next week Taylor will be entering her Third Trimester. In my mind, I always associate that with being the time to give birth. How could it have arrived so quickly?

It goes back to the morning sickness. The First Trimester felt like it lasted for a year, and the Second Trimester has just flown by. Now, we are just 3 months away from meeting Jack! It is surreal that it is June already.

This weekend, a lot of changes are happening. The nursery will be cleared out and the crib will be assembled. Then, on 6/6 we take a tour of our new hospital, St Alexius. It is closer to the house and hopefully will as nice as Condell.

Sorry for the lack of updates. Regular posting resumes right now!

Movement

I felt Jack move!

Taylor has been feeling it for several weeks now, but last night, I felt him move for the first time! Taylor was getting ready for bed and said she could see her stomach moving where Jack was. So, I put my hand on her stomach to feel it.

Nothing.

We tried a couple of places and every time I moved my hand away, he moved. I couldn't see it or feel it, so I assumed it was still too early to feel him.

Then, the most amazing thing. I kept my hand for a few seconds longer and felt what can only be described as the feeling of touching the outside of your cheek and gently pushing with your tongue. It was so slight and so gentle, it was awesome! I felt it a couple more times and then we hit the sack.

Only 4.5 months to go. I cannot wait to feel him more and more!

On the next episode of Cribs...

So, we bought the crib! Yes, we purchased it from The Land of Nod. Man, this kid is going to be trendy. But, the prices! There is no small fee for safety and quality. So, next we have the ever expanding list of furniture and supplies to start buying. Thank god for baby showers, or we would never be able to afford all this stuff! But, I gotta say, I am having a blast getting ready for Jack.

Ultrasound 2

So, here we have the results of our second Level 2 ultrasound. Due to the inconclusive nature of the first ultrasound, they wanted us to have another one this week. The Quad Screen Test Taylor took came back with a positive result that obviously put us on edge. Turns out that was due to a miscalculated conception date: Jack is 21 weeks now rather than the initial estimate that would put him at 24 weeks today.

This time, the doctor put our fears to rest. No Spina Bifida, No brain or heart malformations, no cleft lip. Everything looks perfectly normal for a baby at 21 weeks. Of course, we did get confirmation that there is a single umbilical artery, but all of the books and the doctors say it is the most common defect in pregnancy and is only a concern if the baby does not develop normally. But, since everything looks great, the doctor suggested we get normal ultrasounds every 4-6 weeks until the due date just to keep an eye on everything. Also, as soon as labor begins, we are supposed to go right to the hospital so they can monitor Jack to make sure everything is ok. SUA can cause acceleration and deceleration of the heart rate, so they would want to put a monitor on him at that time.

We are so relieved that we can just enjoy everything now and not have to worry that something is wrong. Let the fun begin!

20 Weeks

Ok...so is it just me or does my face match my red shirt in the week 18 profile shot? Jeez.

Anyway, it is week 20. Half way through the pregnancy. It doesn't 'feel' half way though. It still feels like the last leg of the 1st trimester. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I'm not totally huge yet (even though co-workers and Alex have commented that I've popped and am getting bigger every day). Maybe it's because I can still move around quite normally and quickly considering my condition. Maybe it's because I can still sit on the couch Indian style and be relatively comfortable. I try to imagine what the next 20 weeks will be like....hmmmm.

I'm still amazed every time I feel Jack move around. The other day, he gave me a swift kick/punch in the stomach. My favorite is when he kicks me in the bladder of all places. Sigh.

I heard on the radio this morning that it is now trendy to be pregnant. I'm not sure who did the research on this, but I wouldn't be surprised if an industry related to babies and pregnancies were involved. Let's think about this for a moment. Will it also be trendy to have middle of the night feedings? Bags under the eyes from lack of sleep? Or how about being stinky from hanging out in the same outfit for 3 days straight because you just didn't have it in you to shower, fix your hair and act like Katie Couric ( I hate peppy people)? Pregnancy as a trend? Obsurd!

Profile - Week 18

CNN: "Being a mom could be a six-figure job!"

Click here to read an article that shows how much being a mother pays if we actually gave them paychecks! So, any person who claims being a housewife or stay-at-home parent is easy, think again!

Tai Chi

It ususally happens after a meal. I'm sitting on the couch, relaxing and watching TV, letting my dinner digest and then it happens.

I wouldn't describe it as a flutter, or butterfly wings (what sap made up 'butterfly wings'? Probably the same guy that sings about butterfly kisses and what not...sigh). It's more like a muscle spasm or a slow 'wake up from bed in the morning' type of roll. Jack's moving.

I started feeling these sensations about two weeks ago, but of course had no idea what they were. I thought it was either gas or my stomach muscles spazing out due to my ever expanding middle. My sister who's been preggers before asked me if I'd felt anything. When I said no, and then began to describe these 'other' sensations I'd been having, first she laughed, then told me that was the baby moving. Wow.

Jack's active. Maybe he can't get comfortable. Maybe the energy from the foods I eat give him a boost to squirm around inside and do cartwheels.

But sometimes, when the sensation is slow and strong, I picture Jack inside me doing Tai Chi, with the look of a peaceful and wise older Chinaman who'd just had the most delicious bowl of noodles on his face.

You Can Tell!

I guess not everyone at work heard that I was pregnant.
Someone at the office stopped me in the hallway and said, "Ok, so you're obviously pregnant! How far along are you?"

Cool! I no longer just look like I'm letting myself go, packing on the pounds. Phew!

This also means it's time to go shopping, one of my favorite past times, albeit it's shopping for fatter, maternity clothes, it's shopping and hitting the mall which I've not done since late January. I've been at the mercy of one maternity jean since late February which is getting smaller on me as the days go by.

Welcome To 2nd Trimester

I've read in books that the 2nd trimester is supposed to be the honey-moon phase?

To that I say a big, sarcastic, HA!

Let's take morning sickness. In my case, it did not fade, get better, go away, lessen (or any other phrase you want to use) at 12 weeks/first 3 months. B.S. mine lasted four months, and played tricks on me. On week 16, I felt 'better' enough to eat some sloppy joes Alex made. Bad idea. I don't think I'll eat sloppy joes ever again.

One book said I should see a decrease in frequency of bathroom trips. I saw an increase.

Headaches - oh my gosh! Every day for one week I had one every day. I had to stop wearing my glasses, start taking my prenantal vitamins again (was on Flintstones instead till I threw that up in week 14).

Fatigue - the books said I would feel a surge of energy during the 2nd tirmester. Nope. Having a meal was always followed by drowsiness. As for the evening, I can stay awak 30 minutes longer now, so my bed time changed from 9:30pm to 10:00pm. Whoopie for small miracles, right?

Swelling - I read I'm not supposed to experience this till later in the trimester. Phooey! Any days above 70 degrees, my ankles swell up. Can't wait for August in Chicago, baby! Hoo Ha! Bring it on.

Varicose veins - also something I read I wasn't supposed to get till later in the trimester or not till the 3rd trimester altogether. Can someone tell the area behind my left knee this information? My vein is not a putrid green. My vein is what I like to call 'wife beater purple'. :-)

Flatulence - I can fart anyone into oblivion. 'Nuff said.

Weight gain - books say you should gain 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound per week. I put on 2.5 pounds this weekend.

So.....when I look at all of this....I think 3rd trimester is going to be as fun as WWII. Wish this soldier luck.

Baby Cubs Fan

Went to the Cubs game tonight and picked up the first item since learning our baby will be a boy. Never to early to start the Cubs fan momentum!

There is a dangerous amount of things out there to buy for little Jack. I need to show restraint! I need to remember he will grow out of this stuff so quickly. The big money will be saved for when he is a toddler and the outfits can really be worn more than a few times.

Ultrasound Pictures: It's A Boy!

Profile - Week 16

So, starting this week, we are going to post a photo taken each week to show how the baby is growing. A little late in the game, but it will be something cool to show Peanut when he is all grown up.

4 Month Check-Up

We got to hear the hearbeat again today. 158 bpm, which the doctor said is still very good. We got our ultrasound form and need to schedule the appointment for 3 weeks from today. So, by the first week in May, we will know what we are having! It is so exciting!

We also had the test to see if the baby has Down's Syndrome. I am less excited about that news. It is scary, but it is something we need to know. That we will find out the results of in the next two days. The anticipation begins.

Week 17

The Mom:

Having trouble finding a comfortable way to sleep? It's a common complaint in pregnancy as they progress. It's recommended that pregnant women not sleep on their backs. As your uterus grows, when you lie on your back, it puts pressure on several important blood vessels. This can decrease circulation to your baby, and yourself.


You may find it more comfortable to sleep on your side, with a pillow between your knees. This helps keep your hips in alignment. Some women find comfort with placing a pillow under their growing abdomen, or in using body pillows.

Experiment with what works best for you.

You may also have already felt your baby's first movements by now. This is called quickening. It feels like a butterfly fluttering in your stomach. It's also been describes as "bubbles". It will be a few more weeks before you start feeling kicks and punches.

Your uterus is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches below your navel at this point.

SYMPTOMS YOU MAY EXPERIENCE

* Breast Changes, tenderness, fullness, darkening of the areola
* Frequent Urination
* Constipation
* Indigestion or heartburn
* Occasional headaches
* Stretch Marks (cocoa butter can help with these)
* Itching

The Baby:
This week, your baby is starting to develop fat layers. Did you know that by the time your baby is born, fat layers will be about 3/4 of his total weight? Speaking of weight, your little one now weighs on the average 3.5 ounces and is almost 5 inches long.

Potato Baby

They (meaning I heard it from somewhere but I don't know where) always say that what a women eats predominantly during her pregnancy has something to say about the child inside.

Well, if that is true, our baby is a potato.

Yeah, I know, I like the nickname Peanut, too. But, Taylor has eaten more potato products than anything else so far in this pregnancy.

McDonald's hashbrowns, tater tots, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, french fries. I am afraid to buy a Mr. Potato Head toy for fears she might gnaw on it.

I don't know if there is anything I can do about this. I cannot force her to eat anything different and I learned my lesson in suggesting other foods (another blog entirely). So, I am going to sit back and watch her eat starches and turn our baby into one of Idaho's Best.

Glider

Based on a head's up from our friend Yea, Taylor and I are checking out a used glider a woman is selling through a classified ad. It is a Dutailier brand glider and she is selling it for less than $200. According to Amazon, this brand sells for around $149 to $400, depending on the model. We are going to check it out this Saturday. Hopefully, if it is one of the higher end models and it is in good condition, we will get it. It would end up being the first piece of furniture we buy for Peanut. We shall see this weekend!

Pregnancy Make-Over!

My battle with morning sickness has been one of utter despair, weight loss, and losing the ability to enjoy foods I used to love as well as any usefulness I felt I was around the house, at work, and the general public.

Nausea stopped me in my tracks, cold! I could no longer do household chores that used to make me feel good. I could no longer pump gas (the smell), I could no longer open the pantry without gagging or wretching - yes, the sight, thought and smell of food disgusted me, I could no longer take hot showers without feeling dehydrated, having to take sips of seltzer water inbetween shampoo and conditioner. I felt as useful as the brail found on ATM machines.

Here are some precautions/wisdom/changes I picked up from my experience:

Do not reheat food in microwave in plastic containers - you can taste plastic - it's true!!!

Do not let tea cool in a plastic pitcher - again, taste plastic! Use glass instead.

Do not eat canned fruit (peaches) - you can taste the can.

I read you should find those things you like and stick with them throughout the 1 trimester - it's BS. Do not eat one kind of anything for more than 4 days (like yogurt) - it will make you sick

Carry around a Nausea Emergency Bag - Tums, sour candy, barf bag, small towel, saltines (although they didn't work for me), B6 tablets, and any and all anti-nausea suggestions/perscriptions your doctor's office suggest.

Do not lick stamps under ANY circumstances!

Always have your husband inspect the cats before you hug/kiss them for traces of 'the box' smell.

Seltzer water only stays 'seltzery' for 5 minutes after opening - 3 if left sitting on the bathroom counter while showering.

Decision

Well, we decided to find out what the baby is going to be. It just made more sense for us to find out. I mean, I think the suprise would be nice, but practicality and planning necesitates that we know. So, we will learn what the gender is in just about a month.

Taylor began to feel sick again today. She has pretty much slept the entire time. I left for a few hours to run some errands, she stayed home and mostly slept. We looked through a few baby books this afternoon and talked about the pregnancy a bit, she even made a pound cake using our new oven, but then she took another nap, which she is in the middle of as I type this update.

Not much else to report on the baby front. But, depending on whether it is a boy or a girl, look for a change in this page layout and title to reflect what Lil Peanut really will be!

The Debate Rages

Should we or should we not find out the gender of our baby?

That is the central discussion we are having these days. We are just about a month away from the ultrasound and we are still baffled by what we should do.
There are pros and cons to both sides.

PRO: We can call the baby by the name we have picked out.

CON: We may begin to think of more names and have trouble picking one.

PRO: We can start planning the nursery and what to buy.

CON: We will want to buy instead of save money.

PRO: We can tell everyone what we are having.

CON: We won't be surprised the day of delivery.

PRO: We can stop calling the baby "it."

CON: We will have an entire lifetime to know what they kid is going to be.

For every point, there is an opposite answer. Like Taylor says, we will probably decide the day of the ultrasound. And, knowing our track record, we will probably end up finding out if we do it that way.

Why My Wife Thinks I'm An Idiot

I am almost done reading the book by ESPN's Mike Greenberg. It is a funny collection of his journal entries about being married, having a pregnant wife, and dealing with life, sports, and kids. The book does discuss sports, but only in how they relate to his personal life and how he plans on raising his kids. I respect that, and it is a parenting book in a style to which I can identify. I like that and I hope he continues to write books.

I have found myself smiling and relating to a lot of what he is writing about, including the book title. Greenberg is a funny guy, a self-proclaimed metrosexual, and a sports buff. I always liked his mornng show on the radio and I listen to it every morning on my way to work. With less than fifty pages to go, I thought I would note his list of the 5 Simple Rules Every Parent Should Understand (Particularly Dads):

1. If you find a minivan in your driveway that you cannot identify, run.

2. You cannot remove snot from cashmere.

3. You cannot vacuum puke off a tile floor.

4. When alone with the children, hide the key to the liquor cabinet (from yourself).

5. Never bring home one of anything.

The book makes me laugh and look forward to the perils of parenthood. He makes it sound absolutely horrible and wonderful at the same time. I am starting to think it is that way for every parent, but in its own way.

Week 15

Fine hair is starting to cover baby this week. It's called lanugo. Bones are getting harder and retaining calcium. (Be sure to get your daily allowance of calcium in!!) Baby can suck his thumb now, and many moms to be, have seen them doing this on ultrasounds. Baby's skin is still very thin, and the blood vessels can be seen through it. By the end of this week, your baby is about 4 inches long and weighs 1.75 ounces.
(From Amazing Pregnancy Dot Com)

***********************

Taylor asked me if she looks bigger at all. I told her she does. She is beginning to appear rounder, and it is mostly noriceable when she is sitting up straight. According to the Mayo Clinic baby book, Peanut is huge! I mean, only 4 inches, but that is huge! I cannot believe how big this kid is already. It is just amazing.

The (Uncomfortable) Return from Dallas

So, Taylor will not be doing anymore business travel during the pregnancy. The turbulence, the food, the discomfort. It all has led her to feel miserable, and when you feel that way it makes it impossible to work to full ability. So, her boss John told her she will not have to make the journey to Dallas-Ft Worth anymore. Obviously, she and I are both happy about that.

But, that doesn't make up for the fact that the trip made her feel like the nausea was back to full force. She threw up at the airport and told me she will no longer be eating chicken. So, that means at this point all she can consume to sustain her is air, water, gruel, and salt. Well, that is an exaggeration, but you catch the drift.

Sigh, I hope this passes because if she is sick the entire 9 month span of this pregnancy, she will not want to do this again.

What I Am Looking Forward To..

The more I think about it the larger the list that grows with all of the things I cannot wait to teach my Peanut. Some of it is stereotypical, some of it is generic, but it is all stuff I look forward to doing. My parents did it with me, and some of it is stuff I want to do myself.






1...Take the kid to the zoo
2...Teach him to play catch
3...Teach her to ride a bike
4...Teach him how to go camping
5...Teach her how to pet the cats
6...Take the kid to their first movie
7...Take the kid to their first Cubs game
8...Teach the kid how to read a book
9...Teach the kid about music
10...Teach the kid how to play nice with his/her cousins

So much, so much, so much to teach Peanut. :-)

Business Trip

Taylor is leaving for her first business trip in a long time. The previous one was very early during the pregnancy. The nausea is almost gone, but does occasionally come roaring back, as it did for a few hours last night. She is still 80% better, but that 20% is vicious. She will only be down in Fort Worth, Texas until Wednesday, but I hope the flight is much more generous to her this time. She may be better on the ground now, but who knows how turbulence will affect her. We shall find out this evening when she lands.

Until then, this is going to be one of the final times I will be alone. I mean, sure Taylor will take more business trips before the baby is born, but if you really think about it, these three days are going to be one of the final chances I have to do things without having a child to watch (or a wife to watch me). What should I do?

So many possibilities, but I will probably veg on the couch and pass out before waking up at 2:30 in the morning and crawling into bed for the remainder of the night. You know, the usual.

Nausea FINALLY Passes...

Taylor says she feels 80% better now compared to last week. She looks better and more comfortable. She still gets tired often, but there is a noticeable difference in how she appears. I am happy that she will be able to eat again like a regular person. The need for smoothies on a daily basis will be no more...for now. Hopefully we can also cook again as we are finally caving in to buy a new oven. Thank you, Tax Refund!

Today was also a big day because I started to clean out the "Computer Room" to begin the switch to "Peanut's Room." I started with my books and CDs. I have so many of both that I never use, there really is no sense in the clutter. The books, I will donate to our local library and the CDs I will sell at Disc Replay and the money will go into our savings account. As for what is left, so far I have been able to reduce the books down to the smaller bookcase. That is pretty good seeing as both of them were crammed to the breaking point.

Also, here is more proof that a Caucasian father and a Korean mother produce really good looking babies. Trek on over to my brother-in-law's blog and see the images of his new niece, Alexa. I hope our kid is this cute too!

Practice Baby

Taylor says that I coddle Newt.

She says that he will be jealous of the baby when Peanut is born. She says that I need to show Newt now so that he doesn't sit on the baby's face while he/she sleeps in the crib.

It is true, I do treat Newt like a baby. I favor him over Nellie. I love Nellie too, but Newt is "my" cat. Sure, he is a pain sometimes too, but I love him anyway. Yeah, I hold him like a baby and he nuzzles up to me in bed while I sleep, but he is a cat, who doesn't like a furry friend sleeping near you. That is what pets are for!

But, I will have to learn not to treat him like a baby, because that will make it harder when all the attention goes to Peanut.

But, click on the picture above to enlarge. He is just so damn loveable!

Birth Day Live!

Once a year, Discovery Health airs 6 hours of live births on TV. They show C-sections, vaginal births (they don't actually show anything, thank god), multiple births, you name it. We flipped the channel on, not realizing the special was airing tonight. At first, they mentioned one of the 3 hospitals airing births was Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland. Bizarre since that is the hospital both my brother and sister were born in and was less than 5 miles from my childhood home. So, I figured, might as well tune in.

Bad move. The first birth they showed was a c-section. Man, oh man! I thought they showed a lot on those prerecorded pregnancy shows, but this was something totally different. The opening did not look big enough, the skin no longer looked like it was human, the baby's head did not look like it would come out. And, the blood. Oh, sweet lord, the blood! Not regular blood either, but viscous dark red blood. It was brutal. I will never mock a pregnant woman ever again for anything related to the birthing experience. And when the kid was born, I got teary. I could picture us there in September.

So, now, I have banished myself to the computer room to post this blog and to watch World Baseball Classic games. Anything not to watch those horrible c-sections. I will have to face it when our child is born, but until then why should I suffer by watching all the pain now? No, thank you!

Lookin' For A Heartbeat!

We got it! This afternoon, we heard little Peanut's heartbeat at our 13 week checkup. Our appointment was at 4:15, but we didn't get to see Dr. Nakanishi until 5:45. Taylor was laying on the table and I was fuming mad. I am sure now that I was so upset because I was anxious to know our baby was okay. Taylor has been having such bad nausea, I wanted to make sure everything was tiptip for her and the pregnancy.

Dr. Nakanishi concurred that the fact Taylor has not gained any weight (in fact, she has lost 3 pounds since the last visit) is completely normal in the early parts of a pregnancy. She suggested if the weightloss continues or becomes drastic, only then do we need to worry. As for the nausea, it could let up tomorrow or not for another month. We won't know until it stops.

I was expecting a large machine like an ultrasound to hear the heartbeat, but instead Dr. Nakanishi pulled out a little machine the size of a cell phone or a walkie talkie. She put the gel on Taylor's stomach and my face was inches away from it. She searched around the lower stomach for what felt like minutes while we heard static and the occasionaly bleep or bloop. I heard several sounds I was convinced were the heartbeat but never repeated. In this "eternity" I began to feel nervous. Had we told everyone too soon? Was, God forbid, something wrong?

And then, the steady whoompf, whoompf, whoompf sound of our child's heartbeat. It was steady and I didn't register the sound at first. Then, the doctor moved the monitor a quarter of an inch to the left and the sound intensified. A loud, steady 160 beat per minute heartbeat of our Peanut. I felt the tears well in the back of my eyes and all the time waiting for this moment in frustration disappeared. I can still hear the sound in my mind and it is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. Even as I write this, I am getting teary.

The doctor prescribed Reglan for Taylor. It is an anti-nausea medication that she can take up to three times a day. Dr. Nakanishi gave Taylor a 10 day supply. Hopefully, that won't be necessary.

The next appointment is April 11, and just a standard check up I do not need to attend. They will draw blood for the Down's Syndrome screening test then and give us the form for our ultrasound. That will be in the fifth month.

Until then, I will dream of the whoompf, whoompf, whoompf of the little Life inside Taylor. Our little Peanut has a strong heart.

Nausea Keeps Coming

Taylor can barely move again. The wristbands just aren't cutting it. She called the doctor today to find a solution. The nurse suggested the following, in order of potency:

Ginger Tea
B6 Vitamins
Dramamine
Benadryl

Taylor is hoping to not have to use the Benadryl or the Dramamine. We have already met the end of the First Trimester, so symptoms should start to diminish, but that is not always guaranteed. Only time will tell at this point.

Also, no more greasy food. She ate pizza last night and she was miserable. A few nights before she had spicy Chipotle and barely got out of the bathroom that night. She says she may not be able to ever eat these foods again. I think she will, but again, only time will tell.

Florida -- Part 2

Surprising my parents was great, but the fallout was even better. I know that all of the grandparents (and the great-grandparent!) are fully supportive and just as excited as we are. I cannot wait to see the face of the newest member of our family!

My grandmother and my mother spent the better part of our stay doting over Taylor and calling every possible family member to inform them of the news. I am the first of my generation to have a kid on either side of the family, so it is a big deal. My sister is excited to be an aunt and my dad just wants vengeance on me by watching me be a dad to a kid like me. Thanks, Dad!

Taylor spent the trip sleeping in my sister's room. No one wanted to share with my grandmother (the snoring is pretty bad...but then again, so is mine...and my dad...and my mom...). I slept on an air mattress in the living room, which I must say was quite comfortable. That is if your idea of comfortable is sleeping on a rubber donut while a mean little Siamese cat nibbles at your exposed flesh, then yeah, it was peachy.

The trip ended way too soon. I wish we could have spent more time there. Unfortunately, we soon learned the price of travelling in the first trimester. Taylor and I experienced the worst turbulence I have ever felt on all three of our flights. I felt nauseous, so I can only imagine how she felt. Poor Taylor.

But, we did get to see Alton Brown on the connecting flight from Atlanta to Miami. He seemed kind of snobby, but it was a celebrity sighting!

The images are some of the first things my family has passed down to us for the baby. One is a teething ring made of Mother of Pearl and sterling silver that my father used when he was an infant. The other is my silver drinking cup engraved with my name and birthday. There is also a red coat my father and I both wore that my son/daughter will be able to wear too. It is so cool to know I will be passing these things down soon.

SURPRISE!!

Well, it went off without a hitch! We arrived (after a very bumpy flight) and my mother was shopping for her "trip" to Vegas. My dad called and told her to come home, where we were waiting. She came in and he told her that the trip was cancelled but to come into the kitchen to find out why. I quickly snapped the above pictures to capture her reaction. She freaked out and saw Taylor before me! Then, she freaked again when she saw me!

She was smiling and laughing and we then broke the news that we were pregnant. My dad was struck dumb and silent, but my mother freaked again! Lots of hugs and excitement continued even when my sister and grandmother were surprised as well. Everyone is truly happy. Just judge by the fact that my wife got more gifts on my birthday than I did! Lots of new maternity clothes and advice. Plus, some old family baby items that we can use for ourselves now. More to come about the trip!

Average Evening

Each night, Taylor comes home from work. We chat on the drive about our days at the office, then make our decision for dinner. Since the pregnancy, Taylor has been craving various foods. Tonight, I made my way to Taco Bell, a rare full meal without her feeling nauseous.

We ate, I finished my puzzle (see my blog for details), and Taylor began her downward decline to discomfort, sickness, and eventual sleep. The scowl/lack of emotion on her face is typical. She feels like such crap, I hope we are able to have a good trip to Florida this weekend.

Ignore Newt in the picture, he knows not what he does.

Back with a Vengeance

The nausea is back. It hit hard this weekend. Even with the wristbands, Taylor was practically unable to move. She ate very little, but did have some good periods where the discomfort waned. But I did have to force her out of the house today, at least to be in the sun and not in the house. She stayed in the car while I ran most of the errands. The smell at PetCo surely would have made her puke.

On the bright side, I have had ample opportunity to read so far during the pregnancy. That will change very soon, I know, but since Taylor has been sleeping so much, I have plowed through 14 books. Granted, most are graphic novels, but still they range upwards of 200 pages each. I even picked up a 966 piece jigsaw puzzle of St. Peter's in Rome. It is a 3D puzzle that I thought the two of us could do together, but she didn't even want to sit up.

The trip to Florida to see my parents in in six days. I just hope that this rollercoaster reaches a smooth point by then.

Baby Fund

Nothing much new these days. Just going through it day by day. We deal with the nausea, then the cravings. Then, nausea again. Pretty much routine now, until the next doctor's visit, and our trip to Florida in 9 days!

Life Saver

Taylor's nausea/morning sickness had started to kick into overdrive. Not sure what to do, she scanned her pregnancy books for help. They recommended eating small amounts at a time, saltines mostly and lots of liquids, resting, and laying down. But, even doing all these things, she was miserable. We were going to run a bunch of errands, but she couldn't bring herself to get out of bed or off the couch, meandering between sleep and discomfort.

EJ left a voicemail on both our phones recommending the same things as the books, plus ginger ale, as well as anti-nausea wristbands that worked for her. I ventured to Jewel by myself, hoping to find the elusive wristbands.

I looked through all of the aisles, including the dreaded "women's needs" aisle, with no wristbands in sight. I checked the vitamin aisle hoping it may be there as well. No luck. Even the pharmacist was not sure. But, I glanced down at the nausea medicines and saw the little Sea-Band box. I grabbed it and threw it in the cart.

Taylor put them on according to the instructions, making sure the correct acupuncture pressure points were being covered. Within 20 minutes, she said 95% of the nausea was gone! Thank you, EJ! Thank you, Sea-Band!

Nausea & My Grandmother (Not Mutually Exclusive)

For Christmas, one of the gifts my family gave Taylor was a collection of all the Maidy family recipes in a nice book for us to keep and pass on to our kids, not knowing we have one on the way. Taylor's nausea has been getting worse and worse the last week, so I wanted to look for a soup recipe to make for her. My grandmother always made the best beef & barley soup. I used to always look forward to when she made it. But, the recipe was not in the book. So, I calld my grandmother down in Florida to ask about it.

I started off by asking how the family was and no one was home but her. She struggled to turn off the answering machine, so we had to talk over it for the first few minutes. I asked her why the recipe was not included in the book because I wanted to make it for Taylor since she was not feeling well.

"Is she pregnant?" First three words that shot out of her mouth. Not even a hesitation. I shook my head in shock. Not because I thought she had figured it out, but because she always asks the worst case scenario first. One time, I said a friend of someone I know was very sick (bronchitis) and my grandmother's first question was "is it cancer?" Oh, Mom-Moms.

I didn't lie to her, I only said, "I said Taylor is feeling sick, that is all." She then told me a shocker: the soup was from a packet of Manischewitz available at any supermarket. Great, there goes a childhood memory.

In the end, I got her recipe and will make it soon. Taylor is feeling horrible right now. The nausea is really reaching full speed and she hates it. She is bored, but doesn't want to do anything because she feels so sick. She keeps saying that she didn't know it would be like this. The most I can do is scratch her back and tell her it is going to be okay.

Today's Craving (Oh Lord, we are only 9 weeks in!!)

First, a McMuffin and hashbrown from McDonald's. Now, egg salad. The eggs are boiling and she is asleep.

Today's Craving...

Chinese food.

We ordered from a local carry out place we liked before. Taylor only ate fried rice because she said the Orange Chicken and Mongolian beef "tasted like plastic." They tasted good to me. Her taste buds are hypersensitive right now. Lots of leftovers for me.

"Never Again..."

Taylor has been feeling tired and generally uncomfortable pretty much every single night. She comes home, eats dinner, starts to feel sleepy, then naseuous, then sleepy, then cranky, then naseuous, and then hits the sack at about 10:15. I don't think she will be posting on this blog for a good period of time, at least until the 1st trimester symptoms begin to fade.

Tonight, she looked over at me and said "I don't think I will be doing this again. I don't like the way it makes me feel."

I cannot relate to exactly what she is going through, but do know that is something almost every woman says at this stage in the pregnancy. She tells me that I am lucky because I don't have to go through the discomfort of the actual birth and the 9 months that lead up to it.

There is not much I can say to debate with that.

Today's Craving

Pizza and whipped cream. We ordered a large pizza with sausage, hot peppers, and onions.

Last night, I made hamburgers and Taylor DEMANDED a pickle. She was ravenous. She never wants dill pickles, especially by themselves. But, she ate one really fast and didn't ask for another.

OB Visit #1

Today we visited our OB, Dr. Nakanishi, for our first appointment of the pregnancy. I will probably not be attending more than 2 more appointments since everyone says they are just checkups. I am planning on attending the big ones: ultrasound and heartbeat.

The appointment was mostly routine questions and background on family genetic traits to help determine any possible warning signs with the pregnancy. Luckily, our families are pretty healthy. However, since I am Jewish, that increases the risk of being a cystic fibrosis carrier. If we wanted to, Taylor could be tested and if she is not a carrier then there would be no need to test me. But, we are going to pass on that test for now since the threat for us is about the same as any average couple due to being from different ethnic backgrounds.

The doctor also mentioned the BUN Test. This is a screening to detect Down's Syndrome in the 1st trimester. But, it is not always covered by insurance due to it being a relatively new screening. I don't think we are going to be doing that either since it would mean we would be taking our only ultrasound covered by insurance now and not later to detect the baby's gender.

So many questions and so much information to process. It is like trying to cram for a final exam, except much more important. Taylor is still feeling slightly queasy and always tired, but Dr. Nakanishi said that that was typical and everything is on the right track.

Our next appointment will be in early March, and we will be hearing the heartbeat! So exciting! I have butterflies in my stomach every time I think about it.

Super Bowl XL

Tonight, we spent the evening watching the Super Bowl with Tim and EJ and baby Jacob. It was fun and I held Jake for a few minutes. I remember holding my niece Ellie a few years ago and how great it felt. I remember holding my sister back in 1989 and how cool it was to have a baby sister. But, when I held Jake and looked into his eyes, it just got me excited to have a baby of our own. All of the babies born into our circle of friends have distinct personalities and are all great kids. It just makes me long for the end of this year when we will be able to experience all of the ups (and downs) of being first time parents.

I can't wait!

On another note, the Buzzards decided to round up all of the extra stuff they have from when Jacob was a newborn. It is baffling the amount of stuff you don't actually use. But, EJ put it best when she said that it is better to overprepare than get stuck without the ONE thing you actually need that day. Well said.

Special Delivery

Today was a nice lounge around the house kind of day. Tomorrow is the Super Bowl, but today is vacuous and we have no errands to run besides the standard trip to Jewel for groceries. I decided to roll the coins from our ginormous piggy bank and Taylor just took it easy on the couch, watching TV and napping.

Taylor loves watching science/medicine/nature shows. Needless to say, I sometimes get a little tired of them especially in large blocks of the same show. But, while I tend to watch my favorites over and over again, I bite my lip and watch too.

But, today, I realized something. The show Babies: Special Delivery is something I cannot watch for the next 9 months. There is something unsettling about watching these dangerous and unhealthy births that makes me worry more than I already am. I feel cautious about even hugging Taylor because she feels sore. So, seeing a child born with clubbed feet or sometimes worse is not doing good things for my state of mind.

Taylor thinks that these things are a reality that we should face because anything can really happen in any pregnancy. True, but why watch it for four hours in a row?

Slow News Day

We are in that region of time right now where there is not much news going on with the baby. Monday is the big first appointment that we will both be attending. So, all we have are questions and lots of them.

Is the baby ok?
Will we hear a hearbeat?
What do we need to be careful about?
Is the baby ok?
What tests will we need to do?
Is the baby ok?

And so on. As you can see, there is one question I want to be answered more than any other. I could read all of those baby books, but I just feel overwhelmed by all of the information that I don't need to process yet. Just tell me what I need right now and I will prepare for the 2nd and 3rd trimesters a little further down the road.

Mother's Point-of-View

Taylor really needs to start posting on this blog. I can write all fine and dandy about what I am experiencing in this pregnancy, but she will have the insight only the mother can experience. I can try and ask her about it and get details, but no matter how much I get from her, it won't be the same unless she writes it herself.

We shall see if she actually does.