Welcome, William!

Well, obviously I've had the baby by now. :)

However, I've been too busy living in "newborn land" (aka, "the land of very little sleep") to do much blog updating. But here is a little snapshot of where we are now:

William Michael was born on November 2nd, 2010 at 11:13 a.m. and was 8 pounds, 7 ounces and 20 inches in length. He was - as expected - born via c-section due to his frank breech position. (Turns out that he had an extremely short umbilical cord - which is possibly why he couldn't turn into typical head-down birth position. The doctor said that it was good he was breech because I wouldn't have been able to deliver him normally with that short of a cord anyway.)

The recovery from the c-section surgery has been relatively easy for me. I know I'm lucky to have had an easy time post-surgery - and I'm thankful for that.

The emotional/mental recovery certainly is taking more time. The freakish hormones readjusting + little sleep + learning about how my new life is going to function are much more difficult tasks than the physical recovery from surgery. But we're getting there!

William is proving to be a good baby - he is easy to soothe when he cries and is sleeping at night for 3 - 5 hour stretches (another thing I'm thankful for!) His biggest downfall is that he seems to really like to cuddle...often refusing to be put down. This is actually a plus - not a downfall - UNTIL I want to get something done. :)

The one thing that no one ever mentioned was that babies in a frank breech position have these crazy "breech baby legs" that pop up in the air whenever he lays on his back. This makes diaper changes very difficult and makes sleeping on his back near impossible (because he "topples" to the side once his legs hit the air!). So, for now he's been sleeping in his car seat, which seems to be a more natural position for him thus far. The "breech baby legs" are beginning to calm down and are looking more and more normal every day.

A few pictures:

Gah! One Week Left!

Wow - now it's only ONE WEEK until baby's arrival.

1 Month 'Till D-Day!

Well, I am now officially one month away from my due date (November 7th). Wow! Time certainly does fly.

Here is a recent picture, taken this past Sunday on our front porch. We've been having some fantastic weather lately!


At my visit last week the doctor mentioned that she thinks the baby may be breech, which would mean having a c-section, but she was uncertain about its position and said that there is still time for it to turn. I guess I'll have a better idea at my visit this coming Monday. But, in my opinion, however this baby needs to come out is fine with me (as neither exit strategy is really "appealing".)

In other fun news, I am now officially uncomfortable...can't bend over to tie my shoes, takes a "three-point turn" to get out of bed, etc. I can't believe I am only going to get bigger in the next 3 to 5 weeks before this baby is born!

Richmond Baby Shower

Okay, so this post is a bit late (I am proving to be a horribly out-of-date blogger), but my sister and my neighbor threw me a baby shower on September 11th.

I had a great time and hey did an AWESOME job with the planning and the food and drinks (apricot gingerinis!). Thanks, ladies!

Here are some pictures:

Belly Photo: 29 Weeks

I've been having a hard time getting a good picture...when I use the flash, it shows up in the mirror. When I don't, I get a blurry picture. So, a blurry picture is what you get. :) Here is the belly at 29 weeks:

I also painted the nursery today. Finally making some progress on baby stuff. Here are a couple "before" pictures:

And here are the "after" pix. And, no, just because it is a blue room doesn't mean we're having a boy. We just liked the color.

Belly Photo: 25.5 Weeks

Getting bigger by the minute...

I'm Perfect! And I Look Great!

Over the last week or so, the size comments began. And by size comments, I mean:

• "you are really big...you've never been so big"
• "are you sure there is just one in there?"
• "you're huge"

I gotta say it was a relief to go to the doctor today and hear how my weight gain (thus far) is perfect! And then, on the way out, another doctor told me, "You look great!"

Now THAT is a good way to start a Monday!

A 25 week photo of my HUGE belly coming a bit later this week. :)

Belly Photo: 22 Weeks

This photo is already a week old, and I am already bigger than this!

Dear Summer, please take a vacation.

So, it is supposed to get to 105 degrees here in Richmond today.

And I still have no A/C in my house.

I am so hot that I am actually planning to head to the airport early...just to cool off.

Happy Fourth of July!

So happy to have a three-day weekend! Unfortunately, Michael is working. :(

I have a couple friends coming up to spend the weekend at the river, though, so I'm sure we'll have fun! (We'll be thinking about you, Michael! And they'll drink a beer in your honor!)

Also, I thought I would give an update on my 2nd anatomy ultrasound, which was completed on Wednesday. They took a good look at everything (again!) and spent some time looking in detail at the heart, and I'm happy to report that all looks good. The specialists didn't even want/need to see me back again. [They probably didn't even really need to see me the first time!]

I'll post another belly shot early next week. I am definitely looking bigger these days.

Have a great holiday weekend!

It's a...

It's a...baby!

No, we still aren't finding out the gender. But we did get some pictures of the kid (or "the turnip," as Michael has taken to calling it.)

Here is the "outside view" at 20 weeks:


And now for the "inside" views at 20 weeks. All organs/body parts are accounted for and all measurements are on schedule.

First, the gorgeous profile...


Then, the face. You can't really see much here, but the ultrasound tech gave an unaided comment about the size of his/her lips. Looks like the turnip takes after mama!


And now for a shot of the hand (next to his/her face) and one of the leg. There are two of each of these...the hands and legs, I mean.

Looks like we'll be having another ultrasound next week to take a closer look at the heart (the baby was not in a greast position to get good shots of it, although everything we saw looked fine). If we get any better or different pictures, I'll be sure to post those.

Tomorrow, I head off for my company's annual offsite meeting. I guess I'll take turnip with me this year.

[Lastly, people are still having trouble commenting. The best way to ensure your comment shows up - unless you have a Google account, is to sign it "anonymous" and then just type your name at the bottom of your comment.]

"Under Construction"

A cab driver in Detroit yesterday noticed I was pregnant (perhaps because I was bumbling and awkward as I got out of the cab?) and said, "Oh! You're under construction!"

It made me laugh.

Photo: "Self Portrait of Baby Bump in Bathroom Mirror"

Here is a current photo of the still-relatively-small belly (18.5 weeks pregnant). I like to call this "Self Portrait of Baby Bump in Bathroom Mirror". It features prenatal vitamins and my favorite Origins peppermint lotion at the bottom of the photo. :)

Ultrasound: ~9 weeks

Here is another "old" ultrasound from April 5th (~9 weeks pregnant).

Ultrasound: ~7 weeks

Here is an "old" ultrasound picture from March 22nd (7 weeks pregnant).

And Baby Makes Three

So I figure I should start updating this blog more often, especially now that we'll be a family of three in ~5 months.

Here is the low down on what's happened so far:

March 5^th: Take pregnancy test to confirm that yes, I am indeed pregnant. I calculate my due date as November 7^th. I tell Michael by picking up a onesie at Target that says "Dad Loves Me" and wrap it up. When I give it to him after work he immediately senses that something is up. After opening the onesie, we both spend a few minutes freaking out (not in a bad way, just in a "Really? Is this really happening?" kind of way). We head out to dinner with our neighbors and I have to pretend to order a gin and tonic (really just club soda with lime). I am assured later that they were not fooled.

March 8^th: Call to schedule my first prenatal visit with the ob/gyn. Mark it on the calendar for April 5^th.

March 9^th: I spend way too much time thinking about babies and pregnancy. I have remarkable difficulty focusing on work, and well, on anything else. I also read too many things on the internet which have me deathly afraid of a miscarriage or of something being wrong. I decide to stop this so that I won't go crazy. I also go on a business trip and my colleague wants to go out for sushi. I order a cooked Japanese dish and forgo a drink. I'm sure she knows, but hopefully she'll keep it quiet.

March 13^th and 14^th: Wake up in the middle of the night to some cramping and have some spotting the next day. Everything I've read says that this is relatively common. Despite this, am still worried.

March 15^th: Still crampy and spotting. Still worried, but not much that can be done, so I wait. Michael and I discuss it and, just because I have a long, international business trip coming up, I call to schedule an early appointment at the doctor. Wouldn't you know they can't get me in until the day that I am supposed to leave for my trip.

March 22^nd: Have first ultrasound (6 weeks, 4 days pregnant). To me, it looks like a dot. But they see the heartbeat and see that it is in the right place (i.e., not ectopic), so I'm all set to go on my two week business trip. I leave for Toronto just hours later.

March 22^nd – April 3^rd: Two very, very long and painful weeks of travel filled with nausea, exhaustion, and – oh yeah – work. I take the fetus to Toronto, Munich, Shanghai and Tokyo. Michael and I joke that the baby needs an in utero passport.

April 5^th: Regularly scheduled Ob/Gyn appointment. They are still concerned (because I again had spotting during my trip) and they take another ultrasound. The baby still just looks like a blob. It still has a heartbeat. All is well.

Early May: A relatively calm month, thank goodness. I finally start to feel better with less nausea and exhaustion. I take the baby to Argentina for a week on vacation. This is one well-traveled baby.

Late May: Get blood work results back and find out I have "high fetal hemoglobin" and "low blood glucose", but neither of these are apparently a major issue. She tells me the "high fetal hemoglobin" is not a big deal, just "academically interesting". (Sidenote: I do not enjoy my health being academically interesting). She also advises me to eat more - or at least more frequently - due to my low blood glucose. I say, "Deal! Does that include ice cream?". Despite these two bloodwork anomalies, I feel fine, so everything is a-okay. We also learn that our downs syndrome and spina bifida screens come back within the normal range. I finally start to show a bit at the end of the month, although I'm convinced people just think I'm chubby.

Today, June 7^th: I am 18 weeks (4.5 months) today. Apparently baby is the size of a bell pepper. Why must they always compare it to food? I'll post the two ultrasound pictures that I currently have on the website soon, and I'll have another "picture" to post after our 20 week ultrasound on June 21^st. And, yes, I know I need to get a belly picture up now that I'm showing. I'll do that soon, I promise!

Day 4, buenos aires

Awoke today, had breakfast, and decided to check out the ritzy area of town, Recoleta. There was a pretty big flea market there, selling mostly crap. This apparently was where all the Americans were hiding; until then we hadn’t seen more than a couple. I bought some kick ass wooden spoons from some Argentinian hippy; he seemed proud of them and made sureto tell me what kind of wood they were made from, which I promptly forgot. Next went to the cemetary for the rich portenos, including Evita. It was a New Orleans type place with huge above ground tombs. The strange thing was that you could see all of the caskets through the dooes of the tombs. Creepy. Next had some beer and split a sandwich (lomito/egg), walked back to the hotel and took a little siesta. Went back out and tried to enjoy the festivities at the bicentennial celebration--the plan was to get dinner at one of the food stands there. Bad idea. Way too many people. We instead walked in the other direction and found a nice cafe. I got Milanesa ternera comleta or something, which was basically weiner schnitzel with two eggs on top. Delicious. D had milanesa pollo nepolitano, which was argentinian chicken parm. A couple of coffees, and it was bedtime.

Day 3, buenos aires

Late start to day three. We got up after breakfast ended, so had to find some on our own. I got a tarta, which seemed to be Argentinian quiche, and d got a sandwich. I went to the final part of my conference, and then we headed to San Telmo, which is I guess the grittier but up and coming area of town. We were trying to decide if we should stay there or in Palermo for our last two days. I really like the are along the main street. There was a big square there with a few outdoor cafes. We stopped for beer/coffee before finding a great pizza place. The hotel as a few blocks off the main street, and the area was quite a bit sketchier, as well as being very noisy. We decided that Palermo would be a better choice. Not much else today, headed back to the hotel after trying to take in the bicentennial celebration. Holy crap, were there a lot of people there. The huge main street was closed, and it was just packed with thousands of people waiting in different lines. Seemed like there were a bunch of exhibits. Neither of us were up to ittonight, and we decided we?d give it another shot tomorrow.

Day 2, buenos aires

I headed to the conference today, leaving d to fend for herself. Pretty full day of ultrasound instruction. D went shopping with Julie in Palermo, the shoppy part of the city. I met d back at the hotel, and we decided to meet Julie and some of her friends back in Palermo for dinner. Before that we headed down to Plaza del Mayo, where there were several socialista rallies going on. Plenty of Che Guevara posters hanging. We walked down Calle Florida, which is a pedestrian street filled with vendors, very crowded. We then took the subte/subway, and met at one of her friend?s hotel.in Palermo. After waiting for the last person to show (and enjoying a bottle of wine on the back patio), we walked to an Italian restaraunt. And that?s when the food and wine started coming. And coming. The whole table split a TON of food. We had two pasta dishes, some roasted vegatibles, two different chicken dishes, lamb, and i don?t remember what else. And bottle after bottle of wine. Finished it off with a crepe desert filled with dulce de leche, which was ridiculous, and cafes. Some of the group went home, and Phil, Julie, me and d enede up at some cool bar and drank more wine. We eventually eneded up back at the hotel and crashed sometime after 2. This is very late for us nowadays.

Day 1, buenos aires

Arrived in Buenos Aires after an 18 hour trip, stopping in Atlanta and Lima. Needless to say, we were pretty tired. Plane arrived at about seven thirty AM. We took a cab into the city, which with traffic took about an hour and a half. Checked in, and we layed down for a few minutes. I got up to go to the conference while d took a nap. Apparently it’s the bicentennial of Argentina’s independaence, and they are preparing a huge party. The main street is closed, tons of people around, and just general chaos. I made it to the conference in time to hear Julie’s talk, and stuck around for a while before heading back to the hotel. In between, I managed to find a few empanadas. We walked around the Centro a bit, checking out the Plaza del Mayo, a few rallies, and the general craziness. WArrived in Buenos Aires after an 18 hour trip, stopping in Atlanta and Lima. Needless to say, we were pretty tired. Plane arrived at about seven thirty AM. We took a cab into the city, which with traffic took about an hour and a half. Checked in, and we layed down for a few minutes. I got up to go to the conference while d took a nap. Apparently it’s the bicentennial of Argentina’s independaence, and they are preparing a huge party. The main street is closed, tons of people around, and just general chaos. I made it to the conference in time to hear Julie’s talk, and stuck around for a while before heading back to the hotel. In between, I managed to find a few empanadas. We walked around the Centro a bit, checking out the Plaza del Mayo, a few rallies, and the general craziness. Went to palermo with Julie, walked by the National Congress building, which is pretty impressive--definitely a European feel. Stopped at a pizza place for a bottle of wine. Julie took a cab home, and d and i decided to walk. Started getting hungry, and walked around forever before finding a restaraunt. Good meal, d and I split some Bife de Chorizo before heading back to the hotel and collapsing.Started getting hungry, and walked around forever before finding a restaraunt. Good meal, d and I split some Bife de Chorizo before heading back to the hotel and collapsing.