I saw my midwife, Karen, today. The appointment was fairly boring, just the way I like them at this point! Everything measured right on. Weight was good, blood pressure was good. We heard Caroline's heartbeat, but we couldn't get a heart rate because she kept kicking the Doppler and then doing all sorts of acrobatics to get away from it! That's fairly indicative of her behavior all the time, though. This child is ACTIVE! She's constantly kicking and stretching and flipping in there. I've even felt a few hiccups, I think. This could be another feisty baby, just like her big sister!
When I walked into the exam room today, I saw the Orange Bottle of Doom sitting on the counter. I'll be tested for gestational diabetes at my next appointment, so I have to take the glucola solution home and drink it before I go. The nurse tried to convince me that it tastes like orange Sunkist, but I happen to know from experience that she's full of crap! It tastes more like carbonated cough syrup to me. It is definitely not pleasant to drink -- especially since you have to down the entire bottle within 5-10 minutes! The good news is that I can at least chill it before my next appointment. When I had to do the 3-hour glucose tolerance test for my endocrinology workup last year, they gave it to me at room temperature, and that was truly hurl worthy. It is at least slightly better chilled.
We discussed the choroid plexus cyst today, and Karen agreed to make my followup ultrasound a level 2, which should show more detail. The cysts are not a cause for concern unless they are accompanied by heart, spine, intestine, or hand/foot abnormalities. The heart, spine, and intestines looked fine on the last ultrasound, but the hands and feet really can't be observed very well without a level 2. So we'll do that just for peace of mind. I'm still optimistic that the cyst will resolve on its own, and none of this will be an issue at all!
So there's today's update. I also finished filling out the paperwork to preregister at the hospital. After Anna managed to charm the pants off the three ladies working the registration desk (she told them ALL about her new baby sister!), we found out there was a bake sale near the gift shop. I don't know what the sale was supposed to benefit (and really, who cares? It's ALWAYS a good cause when there are brownies involved!), but Anna and I enjoyed a brownie before we came home. Yum!'
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
A name, and a Big Sister brag!
It appears that Jimmy has given in to the inevitableness of the name Caroline for our new baby! Anna and I are overjoyed because we've both liked that name from the beginning. It probably helped our cause quite a bit that everyone who has heard the potential name has started calling the baby Caroline whenever they see me! So unless we hear something in the next four months that changes our mind, the baby will be Caroline Elise. I think it's a nice, classic name, but hopefully not so trendy that there will be 16 other Carolines in her kindergarten class.
Yesterday, we took Anna to her first baseball game: Astros vs. Marlins. We had lots of fun and left at the top of the 8th with the score tied 3-3. When we got home, we found out the Astros won 4-3! Anyway, on the way there, Anna said (completely out of the blue), "Mommy, I know how to spell Caroline! C-A-R-L...no...C-A-R-O-L-I-N-E!" To my knowledge, she's never seen it written down, so she figured it out all by herself! But what's even more amazing is what she said this morning in the car. "Mommy, I know how to spell Caroline backwards: E-N-I-L-O-R-A-C!" She spelled it without even hesitating. I don't know if I could do that NOW, much less when I was 5 1/2! I think we have a future spelling bee champ on our hands!
Yesterday, we took Anna to her first baseball game: Astros vs. Marlins. We had lots of fun and left at the top of the 8th with the score tied 3-3. When we got home, we found out the Astros won 4-3! Anyway, on the way there, Anna said (completely out of the blue), "Mommy, I know how to spell Caroline! C-A-R-L...no...C-A-R-O-L-I-N-E!" To my knowledge, she's never seen it written down, so she figured it out all by herself! But what's even more amazing is what she said this morning in the car. "Mommy, I know how to spell Caroline backwards: E-N-I-L-O-R-A-C!" She spelled it without even hesitating. I don't know if I could do that NOW, much less when I was 5 1/2! I think we have a future spelling bee champ on our hands!
Friday, April 13, 2007
22.5 weeks
Well, I'm finally getting back to this week's update after typing for 20 minutes the other day, only to have a power surge wipe out every word I had written!
Not much happening this week in the way of appointments or anything. We're still undecided on names. Babycenter.com says the baby is about 11 inches long this week and weighs close to a pound. I think our baby aspires to be a Radio City Music Hall Rockette because I'm feeling kicks and punches at the same time on completely opposite sides of my tummy. She's definitely getting bigger and stronger in there! It won't be long until we can sit around and watch my tummy change shapes before our eyes. Talk about cheap entertainment!
Anna finally felt the baby move this week! She came to my bedroom the other morning to wake me up. I was lying on my right side, and baby was kicking my left side pretty hard. She put her hand there, and her eyes got really wide when she felt the first kick! She got to feel 3 or 4, and she said it felt like a "big lump coming out of my tummy". She was so excited, we called Jimmy, who is now the only member of the family who hasn't felt the baby kick. Even our two cats, Albert and Clara, have been kicked a couple of times while lounging on my tummy. Both looked rather annoyed that their nice, soft resting place was moving around beneath them!
So, with a relative lack of baby news, let's go on to nursery news! Yesterday, Anna and I made a trip to Sherwin Williams for paint. I finally decided on two greens for the baby's room. They're called Spring Lawn and Apple Slice. The room has a chair rail all the way around, so the darker color (Spring Lawn) will go on the bottom, and the other will go on top. I can't wait to see how it turns out once the color is on the wall and all the bedding is displayed!
Meanwhile, I've attached some pictures of the future nursery as it is now so that you can fully appreciate the improvement when it's done. Until now, the room has been a dumping ground for all the baby stuff we haven't used in the last 5+ years (including 2 rocking chairs, a disassembled crib, and countless Rubbermaid containers of baby clothes), so there should definitely be a MAJOR change when things are cleaned up and painted. The current challenge is keeping the cats out of the room; particularly Albert, who thinks the glider rocker is his personal cat bed and manages to shed his black hair all over the cream cushion any time he comes within 10 feet of the thing. He also thinks the baskets in the closet are cozy resting places (and make great hiding spots!), but at least those have washable liners!
This is the corner nearest the door. We'll probably put the crib here. One thing I learned when Anna was a baby is that it's much easier to crack the door and spy on a baby when the bed is right next to the door! If they're across the room, they can see the door opening, and then it's all over!
This is the opposite corner where all of Anna's old clothes currently reside. I really need to go through them and get rid of a bunch of stuff, especially since it seems I can't help but buy more baby clothes whenever I see something cute on sale! And after six years, some of her old clothes are kind of out of style, anyway. Or at least, that's how I justify buying new stuff!
Not much happening this week in the way of appointments or anything. We're still undecided on names. Babycenter.com says the baby is about 11 inches long this week and weighs close to a pound. I think our baby aspires to be a Radio City Music Hall Rockette because I'm feeling kicks and punches at the same time on completely opposite sides of my tummy. She's definitely getting bigger and stronger in there! It won't be long until we can sit around and watch my tummy change shapes before our eyes. Talk about cheap entertainment!
Anna finally felt the baby move this week! She came to my bedroom the other morning to wake me up. I was lying on my right side, and baby was kicking my left side pretty hard. She put her hand there, and her eyes got really wide when she felt the first kick! She got to feel 3 or 4, and she said it felt like a "big lump coming out of my tummy". She was so excited, we called Jimmy, who is now the only member of the family who hasn't felt the baby kick. Even our two cats, Albert and Clara, have been kicked a couple of times while lounging on my tummy. Both looked rather annoyed that their nice, soft resting place was moving around beneath them!
So, with a relative lack of baby news, let's go on to nursery news! Yesterday, Anna and I made a trip to Sherwin Williams for paint. I finally decided on two greens for the baby's room. They're called Spring Lawn and Apple Slice. The room has a chair rail all the way around, so the darker color (Spring Lawn) will go on the bottom, and the other will go on top. I can't wait to see how it turns out once the color is on the wall and all the bedding is displayed!
Meanwhile, I've attached some pictures of the future nursery as it is now so that you can fully appreciate the improvement when it's done. Until now, the room has been a dumping ground for all the baby stuff we haven't used in the last 5+ years (including 2 rocking chairs, a disassembled crib, and countless Rubbermaid containers of baby clothes), so there should definitely be a MAJOR change when things are cleaned up and painted. The current challenge is keeping the cats out of the room; particularly Albert, who thinks the glider rocker is his personal cat bed and manages to shed his black hair all over the cream cushion any time he comes within 10 feet of the thing. He also thinks the baskets in the closet are cozy resting places (and make great hiding spots!), but at least those have washable liners!
This is the corner nearest the door. We'll probably put the crib here. One thing I learned when Anna was a baby is that it's much easier to crack the door and spy on a baby when the bed is right next to the door! If they're across the room, they can see the door opening, and then it's all over!
This is the opposite corner where all of Anna's old clothes currently reside. I really need to go through them and get rid of a bunch of stuff, especially since it seems I can't help but buy more baby clothes whenever I see something cute on sale! And after six years, some of her old clothes are kind of out of style, anyway. Or at least, that's how I justify buying new stuff!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Houston, we have crib bedding!
Geez, and I thought finding a name was hard!
I spent a good portion of the last couple of weeks looking for crib bedding so that I'll have a color palette to start painting the nursery. I wanted something cute and girly, but not over the top. And of course, just because nothing can be easy for me, I had a list of requirements. First of all, I'm really not a bunnies and bears kind of gal, so anything with cutesy animals was pretty much out from the get-go. I find most ruffles to be obnoxious, and too many bows get on my nerves. Pink is a lovely color when combined in moderation with other, dissimilar colors, but there seems to be a ton of bedding out there for girls with a pink/lavender combination that just looks like an Easter bunny threw up on it. Themes are okay, provided we avoid the above-mentioned fluffy bunnies, and I wanted to avoid princess/castle themes because 1) Anna's room is a princess theme, and we all know how I feel about the matchy-matchy thing, and 2) with my luck, I'd get a tomboy this time who will hate all things princessy.
I have now been to every single store that carries baby bedding in Houston. Okay, I take that back. I haven't been to the really upscale boutiques because I'm far to cheap to pay $800 for a bedding set that my baby will most likely urp on at some point. But I did scour all of the typical venues: J.C. Penney, Sears, Baby Depot, Target, Wal-Mart, Babies R Us, and the discounters like Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, etc.
The first bedding set I bought was from Baby Depot. Yes, you read that right. That was the FIRST set. It was stunning, with blocks of pink/green plaid interspersed with sagey green toile, pale yellow, and a gossamer cream colored overlay with pink and green flowers. Truly beautiful. And truly expensive -- about twice what I wanted to pay -- but I did love it so, so I just sucked it up and paid it.
Well, since my mom was visiting and was on a quest for a new vacuum cleaner that ended up spanning the globe from pole to pole, I decided to take one more look at the mall for bedding. Lo and behold, Sears had a really cute set that was less than 1/2 the price of the Baby Depot set. It had flowers and butterflies in pastel gingham, and while it wasn't nearly as elegant as the first set, I figured it was considerably more practical (see previous concern re: urping on bedding). So I bought it and returned the first set.
So the Sears set came home with me and spent the night in my house. The next day, while on an online quest for Mom's new vacuum cleaner (the 17 stores we visited the first day didn't have *quite* the thing!), I perused the Target web site. Well, Target.com has a link at the top of the page that says "Baby". How could I resist that? So I thought I'd just check to see if maybe they had different inventory online than they did in the store, and I found an adorable set. It said it was available in the stores, and I wanted to see it in person, so during the course of the 32 more vacuum stores we visited that day, we also managed to hit 3 Targets. The first didn't even have a spot on the shelf for the bedding I wanted. Bummer. The second had it but was sold out. The third store was the jackpot! This was definitely the set! And better yet, it cost another $10 less than the Sears set! Of course, I had to go online to buy a few matching accessories (window valance, diaper stacker, etc) that they didn't carry in-store, but it was still very reasonable.
The next day, the Sears set went back, and I feel fairly confident that this set is "the one". It's pink, but don't be too alarmed. The background is pink but there are large flowers in lots of other colors like yellow, orange, green, and turquoise. There are a couple of bands of brighter pink minkee fabric (if you don't know what minkee is, you're missing out -- it's the fabric of the gods, and I wish they made adult clothing out of it), and the sheets and bumper have coordinating floral and polka-dot fabrics. There is not a bit of lavender to be seen, and best of all, no ruffles or bunnies!
So I give to you the crib bedding. Try not to weep in the presence of its perfection.
I spent a good portion of the last couple of weeks looking for crib bedding so that I'll have a color palette to start painting the nursery. I wanted something cute and girly, but not over the top. And of course, just because nothing can be easy for me, I had a list of requirements. First of all, I'm really not a bunnies and bears kind of gal, so anything with cutesy animals was pretty much out from the get-go. I find most ruffles to be obnoxious, and too many bows get on my nerves. Pink is a lovely color when combined in moderation with other, dissimilar colors, but there seems to be a ton of bedding out there for girls with a pink/lavender combination that just looks like an Easter bunny threw up on it. Themes are okay, provided we avoid the above-mentioned fluffy bunnies, and I wanted to avoid princess/castle themes because 1) Anna's room is a princess theme, and we all know how I feel about the matchy-matchy thing, and 2) with my luck, I'd get a tomboy this time who will hate all things princessy.
I have now been to every single store that carries baby bedding in Houston. Okay, I take that back. I haven't been to the really upscale boutiques because I'm far to cheap to pay $800 for a bedding set that my baby will most likely urp on at some point. But I did scour all of the typical venues: J.C. Penney, Sears, Baby Depot, Target, Wal-Mart, Babies R Us, and the discounters like Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, etc.
The first bedding set I bought was from Baby Depot. Yes, you read that right. That was the FIRST set. It was stunning, with blocks of pink/green plaid interspersed with sagey green toile, pale yellow, and a gossamer cream colored overlay with pink and green flowers. Truly beautiful. And truly expensive -- about twice what I wanted to pay -- but I did love it so, so I just sucked it up and paid it.
Well, since my mom was visiting and was on a quest for a new vacuum cleaner that ended up spanning the globe from pole to pole, I decided to take one more look at the mall for bedding. Lo and behold, Sears had a really cute set that was less than 1/2 the price of the Baby Depot set. It had flowers and butterflies in pastel gingham, and while it wasn't nearly as elegant as the first set, I figured it was considerably more practical (see previous concern re: urping on bedding). So I bought it and returned the first set.
So the Sears set came home with me and spent the night in my house. The next day, while on an online quest for Mom's new vacuum cleaner (the 17 stores we visited the first day didn't have *quite* the thing!), I perused the Target web site. Well, Target.com has a link at the top of the page that says "Baby". How could I resist that? So I thought I'd just check to see if maybe they had different inventory online than they did in the store, and I found an adorable set. It said it was available in the stores, and I wanted to see it in person, so during the course of the 32 more vacuum stores we visited that day, we also managed to hit 3 Targets. The first didn't even have a spot on the shelf for the bedding I wanted. Bummer. The second had it but was sold out. The third store was the jackpot! This was definitely the set! And better yet, it cost another $10 less than the Sears set! Of course, I had to go online to buy a few matching accessories (window valance, diaper stacker, etc) that they didn't carry in-store, but it was still very reasonable.
The next day, the Sears set went back, and I feel fairly confident that this set is "the one". It's pink, but don't be too alarmed. The background is pink but there are large flowers in lots of other colors like yellow, orange, green, and turquoise. There are a couple of bands of brighter pink minkee fabric (if you don't know what minkee is, you're missing out -- it's the fabric of the gods, and I wish they made adult clothing out of it), and the sheets and bumper have coordinating floral and polka-dot fabrics. There is not a bit of lavender to be seen, and best of all, no ruffles or bunnies!
So I give to you the crib bedding. Try not to weep in the presence of its perfection.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Halfway there!
Well, I'm 20 weeks this week, so I've reached the halfway point! Babycenter.com says the baby should weigh around 10 1/2 ounces this week, but according to the ultrasound tech last week, she weighed around 11 ounces the day of the ultrasound. She's obviously precocious :)
The kicks are getting stronger and stronger. There have been a couple of times now that I've been able to feel things from the outside, but when Jimmy comes over and puts his hand on my tummy, Baby stops kicking every time! Little stinker. So Daddy still hasn't felt anything yet. Hopefully it will happen soon, though!
Anna told me tonight that my tummy is getting bigger, and she has been very affectionate towards the baby over the last couple of weeks. She loves to hug and kiss my tummy, and last night at bedtime she put her face next to it and said, "Goodnight Baby! I love you!"
Still no decision on names. This is amazingly difficult the second time around. Anna's name was picked out long before we even considered having children, but I'm starting to think this poor kid's birth certificate is going to read "Baby Girl J". I did once hear of someone who named her baby girl Female (pronounced like the word "tamale"). And then there are the famous twins Lemonjello (lem-ON-jel-oh) and Orangejello (or-ON-jel-oh). At least I can guarantee that our child will not share a similar fate!
If I can't come up with a name, I figure I can at least start decorating the nursery. I'm hoping to find bedding in the next week or so, so that I can decide on paint colors and get to work on the room. I didn't paint Anna's room until late June of the year she was born (we didn't move to Houston until mid May, so I didn't even have a room to paint before that!). That wouldn't have been bad, except that they tell you to keep a window open for ventilation, and it was HOT! And it took THREE coats of yellow paint to cover up the awful mint green stuff that was in her room when we moved in. I think April will be a much more comfortable month, so hopefully I'll get the painting part done before it gets too awful! Unfortunately the room is currently dark blue and bright green, so I anticipate it taking several coats of whatever color I end up using to cover that, too.
The kicks are getting stronger and stronger. There have been a couple of times now that I've been able to feel things from the outside, but when Jimmy comes over and puts his hand on my tummy, Baby stops kicking every time! Little stinker. So Daddy still hasn't felt anything yet. Hopefully it will happen soon, though!
Anna told me tonight that my tummy is getting bigger, and she has been very affectionate towards the baby over the last couple of weeks. She loves to hug and kiss my tummy, and last night at bedtime she put her face next to it and said, "Goodnight Baby! I love you!"
Still no decision on names. This is amazingly difficult the second time around. Anna's name was picked out long before we even considered having children, but I'm starting to think this poor kid's birth certificate is going to read "Baby Girl J". I did once hear of someone who named her baby girl Female (pronounced like the word "tamale"). And then there are the famous twins Lemonjello (lem-ON-jel-oh) and Orangejello (or-ON-jel-oh). At least I can guarantee that our child will not share a similar fate!
If I can't come up with a name, I figure I can at least start decorating the nursery. I'm hoping to find bedding in the next week or so, so that I can decide on paint colors and get to work on the room. I didn't paint Anna's room until late June of the year she was born (we didn't move to Houston until mid May, so I didn't even have a room to paint before that!). That wouldn't have been bad, except that they tell you to keep a window open for ventilation, and it was HOT! And it took THREE coats of yellow paint to cover up the awful mint green stuff that was in her room when we moved in. I think April will be a much more comfortable month, so hopefully I'll get the painting part done before it gets too awful! Unfortunately the room is currently dark blue and bright green, so I anticipate it taking several coats of whatever color I end up using to cover that, too.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
19-week Ultrasound -- It's A....
Do you really think I'm going to make it that easy for you? No, you're going to have to work for it!
We had our ultrasound this morning. First, let me just tell you how cruel it is to make a pregnant woman drink 32 oz. of water in the morning, drive to an appointment, and then wait 30 minutes, all the while listening to the sound of the TRICKLING WATER from the fountain in the waiting room while a baby is tap dancing on her bladder! I have come to the conclusion that fountains, while soothing to the average person, are a very bad idea in offices where pregnant women are frequent visitors!
Anyway, we finally got into the room, and the tech started scanning. Baby was not being entirely cooperative. The tech said she *suspected* it was a girl because she didn't see a penis, but she couldn't be sure just yet. So we went on a baby tour. Heart, spine, legs, arms, hands, feet, kidneys, tummy -- all perfect! I had a little bit of orange juice (on my already full bladder -- fun!), which seemed to wake the baby up and get it moving. We finally were able to get a couple of profile shots, and then we got the money shot. Three lines between the legs -- a definite indicator of girl parts! So, the verdict is...IT'S A GIRL!
Anna is beside herself with joy. On the way to the appointment this morning, she was actually PRAYING, "Pleeeeeeeeeease let it be a girl!" She really wanted a baby sister, and it looks like she's getting her wish. She wants to name her Caroline. I love the name, too, but Jimmy is unconvinced. He's also outnumbered, and I pointed out that he'd better get used to that! The poor guy is going to have an awful lot of estrogen floating around in his house in a few years. He's already trying to figure out how he's going to pay for two weddings! Anyway, names are not yet decided, but we hope to have it at least narrowed down to a few top contenders soon.
There was one slight finding on the ultrasound that my midwife assures me is NOT a major concern at all. The baby has a small choroid plexus cyst on her brain. It sounds super scary (Cyst?!?!? BRAIN?!?!?), but she said that they are extremely common in the 18-22 week period, and they almost always resolve themselves. Even if they don't, they do not EVER cause brain damage or mental retardation, and many adults are probably walking around right now who have had them since birth and never even knew. Occasionally, the cysts can be soft markers of more serious conditions, but only when there are other abnormalities present. Everything else on the ultrasound looked perfect, so she didn't recommend any further testing other than a follow-up ultrasound in my third trimester to make sure the cyst has resolved. And yes, Mom, she showed the results to the OB who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, who also did not feel the cyst was a cause for concern. So I feel very confident that everything is fine.
I've attached two pictures from this morning's ultrasound. One is a profile shot, and the other is the money shot! The other picture is Anna holding a rubber model of a 20-week fetus. It's just about the size of our baby right now!
We had our ultrasound this morning. First, let me just tell you how cruel it is to make a pregnant woman drink 32 oz. of water in the morning, drive to an appointment, and then wait 30 minutes, all the while listening to the sound of the TRICKLING WATER from the fountain in the waiting room while a baby is tap dancing on her bladder! I have come to the conclusion that fountains, while soothing to the average person, are a very bad idea in offices where pregnant women are frequent visitors!
Anyway, we finally got into the room, and the tech started scanning. Baby was not being entirely cooperative. The tech said she *suspected* it was a girl because she didn't see a penis, but she couldn't be sure just yet. So we went on a baby tour. Heart, spine, legs, arms, hands, feet, kidneys, tummy -- all perfect! I had a little bit of orange juice (on my already full bladder -- fun!), which seemed to wake the baby up and get it moving. We finally were able to get a couple of profile shots, and then we got the money shot. Three lines between the legs -- a definite indicator of girl parts! So, the verdict is...IT'S A GIRL!
Anna is beside herself with joy. On the way to the appointment this morning, she was actually PRAYING, "Pleeeeeeeeeease let it be a girl!" She really wanted a baby sister, and it looks like she's getting her wish. She wants to name her Caroline. I love the name, too, but Jimmy is unconvinced. He's also outnumbered, and I pointed out that he'd better get used to that! The poor guy is going to have an awful lot of estrogen floating around in his house in a few years. He's already trying to figure out how he's going to pay for two weddings! Anyway, names are not yet decided, but we hope to have it at least narrowed down to a few top contenders soon.
There was one slight finding on the ultrasound that my midwife assures me is NOT a major concern at all. The baby has a small choroid plexus cyst on her brain. It sounds super scary (Cyst?!?!? BRAIN?!?!?), but she said that they are extremely common in the 18-22 week period, and they almost always resolve themselves. Even if they don't, they do not EVER cause brain damage or mental retardation, and many adults are probably walking around right now who have had them since birth and never even knew. Occasionally, the cysts can be soft markers of more serious conditions, but only when there are other abnormalities present. Everything else on the ultrasound looked perfect, so she didn't recommend any further testing other than a follow-up ultrasound in my third trimester to make sure the cyst has resolved. And yes, Mom, she showed the results to the OB who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, who also did not feel the cyst was a cause for concern. So I feel very confident that everything is fine.
I've attached two pictures from this morning's ultrasound. One is a profile shot, and the other is the money shot! The other picture is Anna holding a rubber model of a 20-week fetus. It's just about the size of our baby right now!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Let the belly rubbing begin!
It seems I have "popped" over the last week or so. Where things were relatively flat (well, okay, maybe not exactly flat, but certainly not all pokey outey) before, there is a definite roundness these days.
Apparently, this is completely irresistable to some people! The last couple of weeks at church, I've had people coming up left and right, asking to rub my belly. I really don't mind so much at church, since I know everyone there, and I know everyone is excited for us. And the fact that people ask is great. I even had one lady walk up, ready to rub and say, "Oh, wait! I need to ask first. May I pleeeeeeeease?" It gave me a giggle.
However, I do remember many times when I was pregnant with Anna that I was accosted in the grocery store and/or mall by random strangers who rubbed my belly without permission, and that leads me to wonder, what the hell are people thinking? Pregnancy seems to be the only time when people think it's okay to invade the personal space of someone they've never met. I've read various possible responses to all this fondling: rub their bellies back, play dumb and ask why they're rubbing you (Oh, I'm not pregnant -- just fat!), etc. I probably could never do these things, but it sure is tempting.
So I guess I'd better brace myself for the onslaught of belly rubbers, followed by the inevitable personal questions about whether the baby was planned, how long we were "trying", whether we're finding out the sex, and how we plan to feed/clothe/diaper the baby. Also, there are sure to be some labor horror stories told (though I'm told this subject is more popular when speaking to first-time moms) and unsolicited advice given. At least with those, you can just nod and say, "Thanks! I'll keep that in mind!"
Apparently, this is completely irresistable to some people! The last couple of weeks at church, I've had people coming up left and right, asking to rub my belly. I really don't mind so much at church, since I know everyone there, and I know everyone is excited for us. And the fact that people ask is great. I even had one lady walk up, ready to rub and say, "Oh, wait! I need to ask first. May I pleeeeeeeease?" It gave me a giggle.
However, I do remember many times when I was pregnant with Anna that I was accosted in the grocery store and/or mall by random strangers who rubbed my belly without permission, and that leads me to wonder, what the hell are people thinking? Pregnancy seems to be the only time when people think it's okay to invade the personal space of someone they've never met. I've read various possible responses to all this fondling: rub their bellies back, play dumb and ask why they're rubbing you (Oh, I'm not pregnant -- just fat!), etc. I probably could never do these things, but it sure is tempting.
So I guess I'd better brace myself for the onslaught of belly rubbers, followed by the inevitable personal questions about whether the baby was planned, how long we were "trying", whether we're finding out the sex, and how we plan to feed/clothe/diaper the baby. Also, there are sure to be some labor horror stories told (though I'm told this subject is more popular when speaking to first-time moms) and unsolicited advice given. At least with those, you can just nod and say, "Thanks! I'll keep that in mind!"
Monday, March 12, 2007
Scary stuff!
Over the weekend, every mother's worst nightmare occurred in Lubbock. A three-day-old baby was taken from the hospital by someone wearing scrubs and claiming to be a nurse. She apparently walked into the mother's room around 1:30 a.m., told her the baby, who was jaundiced, needed to be taken to the nursery for some tests, and walked out of the hospital with the baby IN HER PURSE.
Fortunately, the story has a happy ending. The baby was found in a hospital in Clovis, NM, and they have a suspect in custody. But can you even imagine? The Lubbock hospital claims to have a "good and sophisticated security system", but that clearly was not enough to deter someone determined enough to smuggle a baby out in her purse.
So for all you expectant parents out there, PLEASE pay attention to whatever information you are given regarding your hospital's security policy. I know when Anna was born, the nurses were required to wear a certain kind of badge, and they stressed to every mother that they were NEVER to give their baby to anyone not wearing that badge. On the rare occasion they took Anna to the nursery, they also checked both our wristbands to make sure they matched, and no one was ever to be seen walking down the hall with baby in arms -- all transferring from nursery to room was done in the wheeled bassinet, and anyone holding a baby in the hallway was instantly questioned. At the hospital where I will deliver this baby, they NEVER remove the baby from the room -- all testing, treatment, bathing, etc. is done in the mother's room. They also have an electronic security system that somehow involves the baby's wrist band and some alarms, but I don't know the details on that yet. You can bet I will be asking about it when we take our hospital tour!
But even with all the new security that most hospitals have, it still happens occasionally. Very scary.
Fortunately, the story has a happy ending. The baby was found in a hospital in Clovis, NM, and they have a suspect in custody. But can you even imagine? The Lubbock hospital claims to have a "good and sophisticated security system", but that clearly was not enough to deter someone determined enough to smuggle a baby out in her purse.
So for all you expectant parents out there, PLEASE pay attention to whatever information you are given regarding your hospital's security policy. I know when Anna was born, the nurses were required to wear a certain kind of badge, and they stressed to every mother that they were NEVER to give their baby to anyone not wearing that badge. On the rare occasion they took Anna to the nursery, they also checked both our wristbands to make sure they matched, and no one was ever to be seen walking down the hall with baby in arms -- all transferring from nursery to room was done in the wheeled bassinet, and anyone holding a baby in the hallway was instantly questioned. At the hospital where I will deliver this baby, they NEVER remove the baby from the room -- all testing, treatment, bathing, etc. is done in the mother's room. They also have an electronic security system that somehow involves the baby's wrist band and some alarms, but I don't know the details on that yet. You can bet I will be asking about it when we take our hospital tour!
But even with all the new security that most hospitals have, it still happens occasionally. Very scary.
Monday, March 5, 2007
17 Weeks...
...and craving peaches. I want nothing more than a nice, sweet, juicy peach. The kind that is soft and ripe, and the juice just runs down your chin when you bite into it. Or a nectarine. Unfortunately, both are out of season right now. I've made a noble effort, but every peach/nectarine I've bought has either been hard as a rock or spongy and dry inside. They should be in season in another couple of months, at which point I'm sure I'll stop craving them! Such is the life of the pregnant woman craving fruit in the winter, I guess.
Other than that, everything seems to be going as expected. Baby has been kicking more consitently over the last week or so, and I think it won't be long until it can be felt on the outside, too.
We still have about 2 1/2 weeks before our ultrasound, and I'm just DYING to know whether this is a boy or a girl. I knew Anna was a girl from the beginning. I don't know *why* I knew, but I knew. I have absolutely no intuition about this baby. None. I've flip-flopped back and forth several times -- I initially thought girl, then boy, then girl, then I wasn't sure, then I had several dreams (some boy, some girl, some just plain bizarre!), and now I'm not sure again. I have a feeling it's going to be a loooooooong two weeks!
Other than that, everything seems to be going as expected. Baby has been kicking more consitently over the last week or so, and I think it won't be long until it can be felt on the outside, too.
We still have about 2 1/2 weeks before our ultrasound, and I'm just DYING to know whether this is a boy or a girl. I knew Anna was a girl from the beginning. I don't know *why* I knew, but I knew. I have absolutely no intuition about this baby. None. I've flip-flopped back and forth several times -- I initially thought girl, then boy, then girl, then I wasn't sure, then I had several dreams (some boy, some girl, some just plain bizarre!), and now I'm not sure again. I have a feeling it's going to be a loooooooong two weeks!
Friday, March 2, 2007
Too Many Choices
As parents, we have plenty of opportunities to land our children on a therapist's couch, where they will blame us for all their problems since birth. In fact, if you look at what the "experts" have to say, we can mess them up by breastfeeding or bottle feeding, by spanking or not spanking, by co-sleeping or putting them in a crib, by using cloth or disposable diapers, or pretty much by making the "wrong" choice in practically any parenting issue, and there are plenty of "experts" out there to tell us that any given choice is completely wrong!
So most of us try to concentrate on the things we can control. Like names. My goodness, the stress of picking the perfect name! A name is something your kid is stuck with FOR LIFE.
Sure, there are some people who change their names for one reason or another. Like my friend Aaron, who changed her name to Erin after she reached an age of maturity. The last straw was when she was sent the "college advertising box" intended for boys that contained a razor and some condoms (instead of maxi pads and shampoo, like the rest of us girls got). She didn't hate her name, but she hated the spelling, so she changed it. There was the woman who changed her name to Katie Scarlett O'Hara to win a radio contest. But most people live with the names they are given.
Nowadays, we have even more opportunities to screw up a name beyond hope. It's more than just using a boy's name for a girl -- a trend that is becoming more and more popular with names like Taylor, Morgan, Avery, Riley, Reagan, etc. No, now we can pull from a bottomless pit of names that include places (Dakota, Paris, Dallas, Montana, Zimbabwe...okay, maybe not Zimbabwe), occupations (Ranger, Hunter, Tanner, etc), and even weather patterns (Stormy, Sunshine, Wendy -- did you know the first time the name "Wendy" had ever been heard by anyone was in the book "Peter Pan"? Little bit of trivia for you, there). We can get really cre8tiv with ewneek spellings of normal names, like Jheniphur (Jennifer), Mathyew (Matthew), and Ohlyveeah (Olivia). We can carefully name all 17 of our kids names that begin with the letter J (Google "Duggar Family" if you don't know what I'm talking about), or we can name them after characters in our favorite movies/TV shows (Chandler, Ross, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, or Rachel, anyone?). We can follow the trend of celebrity baby names, which make absolutely no sense whatsoever (Apple? Tallulah Belle? Pilot Inspektor? Fifi Trixiebelle? Moxie Crimefighter? Where do they come up with these names?)
So Jimmy and I are now embarking on the wonderful adventure of trying to name this little bean, and the pressure is enormous! Personally, I like to avoid kids with matchy names, so A names are completely out. I also don't want anything too trendy or popular, nor do I want a name that is so bizarre that the baby's future teachers will roll their eyes and decide we're one of *THOSE* families. I refuse to name my child after inanimate objects, beer or any other alcoholic beverage, or any name that would be traditionally used for a pet (see Fifi, above). Unfortunately, those criteria don't really limit the pool of potential names very much, so I think we have a long journey ahead of us. I have a book of baby names -- 25,000 to be exact -- and I plan to scour it until I find the perfect set of names for a boy and a girl. Wish me luck.
So most of us try to concentrate on the things we can control. Like names. My goodness, the stress of picking the perfect name! A name is something your kid is stuck with FOR LIFE.
Sure, there are some people who change their names for one reason or another. Like my friend Aaron, who changed her name to Erin after she reached an age of maturity. The last straw was when she was sent the "college advertising box" intended for boys that contained a razor and some condoms (instead of maxi pads and shampoo, like the rest of us girls got). She didn't hate her name, but she hated the spelling, so she changed it. There was the woman who changed her name to Katie Scarlett O'Hara to win a radio contest. But most people live with the names they are given.
Nowadays, we have even more opportunities to screw up a name beyond hope. It's more than just using a boy's name for a girl -- a trend that is becoming more and more popular with names like Taylor, Morgan, Avery, Riley, Reagan, etc. No, now we can pull from a bottomless pit of names that include places (Dakota, Paris, Dallas, Montana, Zimbabwe...okay, maybe not Zimbabwe), occupations (Ranger, Hunter, Tanner, etc), and even weather patterns (Stormy, Sunshine, Wendy -- did you know the first time the name "Wendy" had ever been heard by anyone was in the book "Peter Pan"? Little bit of trivia for you, there). We can get really cre8tiv with ewneek spellings of normal names, like Jheniphur (Jennifer), Mathyew (Matthew), and Ohlyveeah (Olivia). We can carefully name all 17 of our kids names that begin with the letter J (Google "Duggar Family" if you don't know what I'm talking about), or we can name them after characters in our favorite movies/TV shows (Chandler, Ross, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, or Rachel, anyone?). We can follow the trend of celebrity baby names, which make absolutely no sense whatsoever (Apple? Tallulah Belle? Pilot Inspektor? Fifi Trixiebelle? Moxie Crimefighter? Where do they come up with these names?)
So Jimmy and I are now embarking on the wonderful adventure of trying to name this little bean, and the pressure is enormous! Personally, I like to avoid kids with matchy names, so A names are completely out. I also don't want anything too trendy or popular, nor do I want a name that is so bizarre that the baby's future teachers will roll their eyes and decide we're one of *THOSE* families. I refuse to name my child after inanimate objects, beer or any other alcoholic beverage, or any name that would be traditionally used for a pet (see Fifi, above). Unfortunately, those criteria don't really limit the pool of potential names very much, so I think we have a long journey ahead of us. I have a book of baby names -- 25,000 to be exact -- and I plan to scour it until I find the perfect set of names for a boy and a girl. Wish me luck.
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