BabyScan II Complete!

WE ARE HAVING A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NewMom-To-Be and I went to the big ultrasound appointment today. We took the day off from work so we could properly enjoy it. Nothing beats taking a Monday off to go see your Baby-To-Be. It was a good decision to take the day off, as we both had trouble sleeping last night. It felt like Christmas Eve, because we had both been looking forward to this day since the last ultrasound. We went out to breakfast before the appointment, and having pancakes with syrup apparently sent the little guy running around in circles. The ultrasound technician suggested the name "Wiggle-Worm," but thankfully for the baby, we're going with another name altogether. What's the name, you ask? Check back in about four and a half months. =)

We got a few pictures from the ultrasound, and one of them should appear above this message. The ultrasound technician was pretty good...we think the "HI" in the picture is her idea of a joke. It could be some type of measurement jargon, but you can see the head looking right at you. On the left, you can make out the legs crossed over each other. I decided that posting the gender-confirmation picture might come back to haunt the little guy years later, so we're keeping that one off the internet. For now. Long may it live in the baby album.

We also scored a videotape of the last few minutes of the ultrasound. I'm sure we'll wear that sucker out in a few weeks. I tried for a recordable DVD, but this is rural south Georgia, and I think that I even show up at all of the appointments is enough of a novelty for these folks. I didn't want to rock the boat too much. I promise not to show you the videotape unless you ask. The fact that you folks are reading this blog is enough for me. =)

In other pregnancy developments, NewMom-To-Be reports feeling the baby moving. All previous reports of feeling movement were entirely premature and can be chalked up to wishful thinking. The fetus has successfully woken his mother up, thumped on her abdomen numerous times, and taken up oodles of time while both parents try to feel it moving. I think I've felt it, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm waiting until I can feel it give me a high-five before I say for sure.

NewMom-To-Be is generally doing well and has few complaints about her condition now. She is showing much more now and passed over a milestone of being comfortable with her bigger tummy now. She has lots of cute maternity clothes that she has either purchased, received as gifts, or borrowed from family and friends. In fact, she said something today that almost made my heart stop. While walking past the clothing section in Target today, NewMom-To-Be said "You know, I think I have enough clothes now." Oh, to have had a tape recorder at that moment.

Parenthood = Space Mountain?

NewMom-To-Be and I went for her monthly checkup with the doctor today. To distract myself from the soap operas in the waiting room, I read all the usual OB/GYN magazines.** We had lots of time to amuse ourselves in the waiting room, so I made it through several magazines. I learned a few useful things in the WebMD magazine, ditto for the ePregnancy current issue. Then, just as I was starting to worry that my reading possibilities were starting to thin out...I saw it. Under a few other less interesting magazines (Spanish-language People, anyone?), I spotted the Holy Grail of pregnancy/parenting information. I trembled as I pulled it out of the stack. Could it be? A pregnancy/parenting advice magazine from that most trusted source? Yes! Walmart had sensed my need and written a magazine just for me!

Suprisingly, it wasn't limited to good Walmart advice such as "Buy lots of formula from Walmart," "Walmart has lots of cute baby clothes for your newborn," and "How to deliver a baby in Walmart (Cleanup on aisle 3!)" The most interesting article was one of those ones telling NewParents not to feel bad when their experiences don't match up with all the "expert" advice-givers who seem to pop out of the woodwork from this point on. Somewhere in the article, Walmart actually taught me something. According to the author, pregnancy is like the Space Mountain ride at Disney World. It was a good analogy. Just like Space Mountain, the first year of NewParent-hood is often very dark, scary, noisy, and chock-full of vomit. I will forever thank Walmart for this pearl of wisdom.

NewMom continues doing very well. She reports that she is now showing enough to be receiving frequent tummy pats from friends. She has yet to experience the tummy pat from a complete stranger, but we're sure it will happen. Thankfully, the nausea has continued to stay away from our home. Hopefully, it will never return. Last week featured a fever of 101 degrees, enough coughing to disturb sleep, and two sick-days taken to recover at home. She is much better now and I am happy to be sleeping through the night. Maybe the baby is sleeping better now too. All previous reports of feeling the "quickening" were premature...no movement has been felt yet. Heartbeat measurement today at the doctor's office was somewhere around 150. (What exactly do these guys do in there? It's not like there's room to run laps...) The next ultrasound is in a few weeks, and we're looking forward to knowing the gender. We'll share as soon as we know. Names will be kept secret, but if anyone has a good boy name we are taking suggestions. The girl name is locked up in the vault. =)

It's just past 9 PM here...we're going to bed now. From what I understand, the days of getting a full night's sleep that starts before 10pm are numbered...

*(Why didn't I have a book? I don't know. After all, I am the child of a librarian and a media specialist...it took years of therapy just to break the binding of a book to make it lie flat.)

No News is Good News

We haven't had much news to report in the past few weeks, but that's a good thing. NewMom-To-Be went for her monthly checkup with the doctor a week or so ago, and he confirmed that everything was going smoothly. We got to hear the heartbeat again, a moment that is powerful enough to stop two science-geeks in their tracks and make them go "Awwww, that is so cool!" I may have to consult with my father-in-law and two brothers-in-law (electrical/electronic* engineer, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer-to-be) on a project to build a home Doppler Ultrasound device. Waiting until next month for the big ultrasound is just too long to wait. Surely we could work something up with a 9-volt battery, an old Atari, and a big roll of duct tape.

(*What exactly are you, Ken? Your designated career is about to spark a domestic disturbance** of nuclear proportions.)

The "big" ultrasound is mid-March, and yes, we're going to tell everyone what it is when we find out. Name ideas will be kept secret, but suggestions will be taken. We've already read about the struggles of the boy who was pre-named Garrett, only to be born with a flaming head of red hair. Hmmm...I might eat a carrot after posting this... For now, we'll stick with NBA (New Baby Ariail).

NewMom-To-Be is progressing through week 15 like a trooper. The nausea seems to be over, but I'm crosinng my fyingres as I tipye thss (sure does make it hard to type) and hoping it doesn't come back. In other pregnancy developments, NewMom-To-Be claims to have possibly felt "the quickening," but wasn't absolutely sure. She said it might have been gas. Ah, the romance. At any rate, feeling it now would be pretty early, so I don't have my hand glued to her belly just yet.

In other news, NewMom-To-Be has officially resigned from her teaching position for next year. Apparently this is necessary so that the school can advertise the opening. "Resigning" is usually the term for "I'm leaving because I was asked to" or "I'm leaving because my spouse got a new job 2000 miles away." The details of why she is "resigning" are not made clear in the newspaper-published board minutes, so lately we've had to answer lots of questions about that. Everyone says that staying home is a good plan. Those who didn't are saying they wish they had. Those that did said they wouldn't trade it for anything. However, I'm secretly suspicious that those who actually did do it can't remember what is was like because of Ramen Noodle Amnesia.

That's about it from Pregnancy Land, where all the women are glowing, all the men are not quite sure what to make of this, and all the babies-to-be are not yet named.

(**Just kidding. NewMom-To-Be has completed her counseling and the parole officer says it is OK for her to be back in the house.)

New Mom-To-Be Looks to the Future, Sees Many Changes on Horizon

In pregnancy-land, things have been continuing pretty much unchanged for the past few weeks. I turned 30 about a week ago, a birthday of major significance. You see, from now on, I'll be able to remember my first child's age by subtracting 30. Might seem silly now, but with the head of gray hair I'm sporting these days, I'm ever mindful of the challenges that lie ahead.

The only change as we enter week 12 is the return of an old unwelcome friend: Nausea. We hear and read that throwing up is actually a good thing, and Christie accepts it grudgingly. As further evidence that I will never understand the trials of pregnancy, Christie and I went out to eat breakfast this morning. Christie had bacon and pancakes with lots of syrup, washing it all down with some decaffeinated coffee. Shortly after eating, she pronounced her nausea to be gone. And to think, I was going to suggest dry toast and ginger ale. Hmph.

After breakfast, Christie and I went to Jekyll Island today to see the birds. Going over the Glory Boardwalk (where the beach scene from the movie was filmed), I was able to spot a bunch of butterbutts (Myrtle Warblers, for you non-birder folks), ruby-crowned kinglets, and the ever exotic beach cardinal. I wasn't able to impress Christie by trying to scare up a painted bunting or two, as my screech-owl call failed to produce even the slightest hint of the rainbow-colored bird. My "expertise" was further diminished once we reached the beach, when I was reduced to saying "oooh! large tern! oooh! smaller tern! oooh! medium-sized gull!" Christie (I swear her eyesight must be improving as result of the hormones!) was able to expertly ID all of the shorebirds, including picking out the one ruddy turnstone (yes, it's name is really "ruddy turnstone") in a flock of about 200 terns, black skimmers, and sanderlings. We both had a good time, but I suspect that Christie's unspoken comment the whole time was "Why can't there be a bathroom every 1/4 mile?"

After birding, we stopped for a quick lunch at the Georgia Pig. For those of you who are uninitiated, the Georgia Pig is about the best barbecue you can get within a 3000-mile radius of Brunswick, Ga. At $4.25 a sandwich, it better be. I am happy to report that the place was busy and even looked a bit spruced up (those of you who know can smirk now). All in all, a good day. =)