Breast feeding and stuff.

Caught this article on MSNBC today, so I thought I would write about it: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24387268/

Also, if you want to see my opinions of Breast Feeding in public, I wrote about that long ago on my other blog: http://jasonp.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!D83E8CBE0BAF6598!625.entry

Anyway...breast feeding is good, according to all the studies. At this point, Shaundar says she will be breastfeeding, and she says I can watch. Of course, recently, she said that if her boobs keep hurting the way they are now, it will be hard.

This is another reason why I am glad I am a dude. I don't have to worry about sore knockers.

I am curious why there is such a discrepancy among mothers who breast feed. I mean, I know women who have not done it at all, and I know women who have done it until the kid was 3.

Then, if women do breast feed, what is the magic age when you're supposed to stop? I've heard 6 months, 1 year, a year and a half.

To me, breast feeding seems like a beautiful way to be able to bond with your child and pass on much needed nutrients that can't come from formula. Now, with that said...would I want to do it? Absolutely not. Did I mention I'm glad I'm a dude?

That's about all I have, really. I just like to have a reason to be able to talk about boobs and not get in trouble.

The body pillow

Everyone recommends that the pregnant party (that would be my wife) have a body pillow to make sleeping more comfortable.

Let me tell you a little about our sleeping habits before Starbuck and the body pillow.

We have a queen size bed. We usually go to be at the same time. All is swell. Then, around midnight, or so, I realize one of my arms and one of my legs is hanging off the side of the bed. This is when I say, "Honey...please move over." She will groan something in her sleep and roll over, taking most of the covers with her. I take them back and go to sleep. Sometimes, this procedure is repeated around 2 AM. Oh yeah...the dog sleeps at the foot of the bed and the cat sleeps on Shaundar's pillow.

Now...add Starbuck and the body pillow.

Basically, now, I start the night on the leftmost third of the bed. Shaundar and the body pillow get the other 2 thirds. At about midnight, I have to reach across the body pillow to rouse my spouse before I can get myself firmly placed back onto the bed before falling off.

One thing, though. I crashed a little earlier than Shaundar, yesterday. The body pillow is actually quite comfortable. Maybe we'll have to get a 2nd one and a king size bed.

I've picked a name, today...

(Notice I said "I've")

So...I think the perfect name is Starbuck. Not only can it be a boy or a girl, it also relects the change between where all my money has gone in the past and where all my money will go in the future.

More names...

I am plucking these from the Yahoo! Answers pages on baby names. These are actual names that people are actually thinking of calling their kids.

Hannibal - pretty much the same as naming your kid Dahlmer.

Memphis - it drives me nuts when kids are names after cities.

River, Storm, Sky, Autumn, Summer, Rain, or Willow - freakin' hippies.

October - What?

Beckham - yeah...and, my kid will be Ichiro.

Fira - pronounced Fee-Rah...like, She-Ra - Princess of Power.

Rhys - Just because Y is sometimes a vowel, doesn't mean you should take advantage.

That's all for today.

Whew

Well...apparently, we're all worked up over nothing. Baby is healthy. Heart's beating, he/she was flailing all over the place as the tech tried to get him/her to move for the camera. And...the due date has moved up a week.

I'm not sure if the tech and the doctor were looking at the wrong chart beforehand, or if we were really justified in our worrying. The tech asks Shaundar (that's my wife who I haven't really introduced, yet), "How far along were you when you first miscarried?" Uh, no...this is a first pregnancy.

Then, the doc (not our normal doc, but the radiologist, or whatever) comes in and says, "So, you didn't hear a heart beat last time?" Uh, no...this is our first ultrasound.

Anyway, like I speculated, I feel so much better seeing Baby. It feels more real. I'm not as worried about the symptoms. Our next one probably won't come until week 20 now. That's when we'll know boy or girl, too.

It was great actually getting to see our kid. Aw, mushy, mushy, yuck, yuck. But, really...it was. The coolest part, which had Shaundar and I both chuckling, was during the "trying to get baby to move" stage. As in, "Move over so we can look at the other side of you." The tech had Shaundar essentially wiggle her hips. When she put the monitor back up to Shaundar's stomach, the image of Baby was literally one that involved arms and legs flailing. It's almost like to could hear the cries of, "Let me off! I'm going to be sick!"

So, now...I introduce you to Baby (name to be filled in later). These particular pics aren't as good as the action shots, but they'll do for now.

So...what really sucks...

I'll tell you what really sucks.

I mentioned at one point that my wife has been having some worrisome symptoms. They're back.

What really sucks is this feeling of utter helplessness in what happens next. There is absolutely nothing that I can do to either increase or decrease chances of miscarriage. Basically, I just sit here and hope that everything works out okay.

She's been having some spotting here and there. The other night, it was red, which I hear is bad. It wasn't a lot, though. No heavy flows or anything. Still...we've never been here. One book says it's normal, the other says it's a sign of miscarriage. My wife is going to call the doctor tomorrow. I think we will request that ultrasound, for sure, now.

Still...I want to emphasize how much this sucks. I have no power in this. I have no control. Even if it was a sign of a potential miscarriage, all I can do is sit, watch, and pray...which I have been doing an awful lot.

The worst thing about knowing a baby is coming...

is realizing all the crap that needs to be done between now and then. We're at 10 weeks(ish), which means we're 1/4 of the way through this, which means that the due date is coming a lot faster than one would originally think.

We still need to figure out which room will be the nursery, and then we have to make that room the nursery. Right now, it will either be the office or the guest room. If it's the guest room, we will officially be surrendering our guest room which I'm sure the guests who are visiting to meet baby would love. If it's the office, there is a LOT of work that needs to be done in there, including painting and re carpeting (long story involving pets who have peed in there one too many times).

Then, there is the fact that we would still love to take some kind of vacation before baby. We haven't had one in over 2 years and we won't be having one for the next 18. So, we'd love to do something. But, we need to save both time and money.

And, do you know how many little things babies require? Car seats, bottles, crib, sheets/blankets, diapers, etc, etc, etc. Lots and lots of stuff.

Sheesh. Kid better hurry up and get a job.

Why, again, wasn't there an ultrasound?

So...now I am a little concerned that we didn't get any kind of ultrasound. I just found out about another friend who is pregnant, 2 weeks behind us, and, as appears apparent with most people I've spoken to who are or have been pregnant, there is at least an ultrasound to find the heartbeat at this point.

I've heard about this happening as early as 6 weeks. Everyone I have spoken to has had this done before the end of the first trimester. The way we're going, our's will be at week 12.

Now...my wife has been having some concerning symptoms. At our appt., the doctor said that they are normal and, as long as they don't get worse, we shouldn't worry. Still...we've never done this before. We're worried. I think it's easily something that hearing a heartbeat would help out.

Anyway...this has been concerning for me, lately. I think we're going to try to get in before our next scheduled appt, primarily for this purpose. I would like some kind of reassurance, other than pee in this cup, that our baby is doing well in there.

Being sick sucks

So...I caught the flu or something this week.

It's been a pretty lonely experience. Beware...Boo-Hoo, Woe-is-me whininess coming up.

Since my wife is at week 9, and still very much in the danger zone, we have been trying very hard to avoid crossing paths too much. I've been regulated to the guest room and I spend most of my time either there, or up stairs on the couch watching TV. The wife either stays downstairs in the living room with the computer and/or her music, or she leaves the house all together.

That leaves a very miserable me here all by my lonesome to fend for myself.

Boo-Hoo.

I think I've finally turned a corner, though. I started feeling this on Wednesday. It's now Sunday, and I finally feel a little bit better. Maybe by this coming Wednesday, I'll be over it.

I think I made the dog sick, too.

The first appointment

Well...technically, I guess it's the second. But, the first one was little more than "pee in this cup, yes you're pregnant, make an appointment for 1 month from now."

So, I count this as the first real appointment.

Anyway, first of all...I was totally bummed that we didn't have an ultrasound. We're at 8 1/2 weeks. I thought they would do one at that point. Maybe we have to ask for one in advance, or something.

2nd...I like the doctor. She seems smart. But this visit was basically informational diarrhea. No, "how are you doing." Nothing like that. Just, "Is this your first pregnancy, do you have any birth defects in your family history, and think about genetic testing."

So, this whole genetic testing thing is quite an interesting thing to think about. First of all, we won't be terminating this pregnancy, regardless. It would be a huge violation of our ethics. But, still...if there are any birth defects, it would be great to know this in advance.

Still...if you go in the stomach with the amneo-whosa-whatsis, the chances of complications are 1 in 200. That seems higher than I am comfortable with. The other option is ultrasound combined with blood test. No complications with this method, but the possibility of an inaccurate result is 10%." So...a 10% chance that you are told your baby has a birth defect so you stress and stress for 7 months, or a 10% chance that they tell you everything is okay only to find that it's not on baby's birthday.

I don't think we've decided which path to go yet. If we get the testing, I'm pretty sure my wife would prefer not to have the needle in the gut.

Regardless...I hope we get an ultrasound next time.

Today's comment

"I am nauseous, I am tired, I am hungry...go get me some goddamn ice-cream."

Sleeping, Sleeping, and more Sleeping

That about sums that up. It's Sunday. My wife fell asleep about 3 hours ago. Since then, I have been jumping back and forth between watching the Mariners lose and cleaning out the closet so we can set up shelves making it easier to make room for the stuff that is to be empties out of what will soon be the nursery.

You know...I am so glad this process takes 9 months. I mean, I'm excited to meet my kid and stuff...but, there is so much to do. And, it's hard to find time to do it during baseball season.

Oh well...back to the shelves. Wife is still asleep. We're supposed to go to a show (Forever Tango at the Paramount) tonight. Wonder if we'll make it.

A great way to pick up chicks...

...is to sit in a bar during happy hour reading books about having children.

Caught happy hour today (I do loves me my Happy Hours) and, as I usually do when I drink alone, I brought my book with me. Currently, I am reading a book for dudes about pregnancy. I'm sitting at the bar, and this chick asks me, "Is your wife having a baby?"

Now...the simple answer is, "Yes," right? Unfortunately for me, and anyone I talk to, I can never give the simple answer. I have to use sarcasm. So, I say, "No...I'm just like to read books so I'm prepared should I ever get the call."

"Really?"

"No...my wife's pregnant."

Anyway...apparently, chicks dig guys that would randomly be reading about having kids. Because she mentioned to me that it's a great way to attract women. Read about raising children. I have a feeling somebody's biological clock is ticking, or something.

For the record...my wedding ring was prominently displayed.

Baby names for today

So...here are my favorite baby names, today. Found at http://www.unique-baby-names.org/ under Arthurian Legend Baby Names.

Astolat - Lady of Shalott who kills herself for the love of Lancelot - Or, Southern American which translates to "I took that item that didn't belong to me."

Ettard - Lover of Pelleas - or an insult thrown by someone with a speech impediment.

Laudegrance - Father of Guinevere

Leodegan - Father of Guinevere?

Leodegraunce - Dang...Guinevere's mother must have been busy. It's like "Mama Mia" all over again.

Mabonaqain - A knight - Mabonaqain, Maboffaqain - I can't decide.

Borre - Son of Arthur - as in "You're such a..."

Good thing Jr's not here, yet. He/she would probably hate me for a really long time.

Sleepiness and cleanliness

With pregnancy, apparently, comes very powerful fatigue. My wife likes to sleep. A lot.

She comes home, maybe has something to eat (cuz she's also always hungry) and then falls asleep on the couch.

This weekend, we were invited over to my uncle's house for dinner. Dinner is at 6. At 5, she lays on the couch to take a nap (after already having one earlier). "Wake me up at 5:30," she says.

Now...in a normal, non-pregnant, world, this is my prime opportunity to jump on the Xbox and play some games where I get to shoot things in the head or rock out on my fake guitar. But...not in this new pregnant world. In the new world, that kitchen better be clean before she wakes up. Or...dinner better be ready and on the table. This new world expects me to be responsible.

What?

Anyway...it's probably good for me. I'm already noticing subtle changes in my behavior. Now, when I get home from work, I don't immediately jump onto the Xbox or onto my laptop to continue where I just left off from work. I am not immediately sitting in front of the TV to see what insult Barrak Obama has lobbed at Hillary Clinton. Now...I find myself doing the dishes. Or, taking out the trash. Or, walking the dog. Not huge steps, mind you. There's a long way to go before I'm totally ignoring my guilty pleasures so I can care for a little one. But, I feel it starting.

Ugh.

What kind of hypocrite will I be?

So...for years, one of the all time, most annoying things anyone could say to me was, "You'll understand when you have kids." I'm about to be a dad, and I still hate hearing this. "Oh, you'll understand when the baby gets here." Or, "It's hard to explain, but you'll get it when the baby gets here."



See...to me, it's not like I am all of a sudden going to have a new brain implanted so that I feel differently about everything than I did before I have kids. So, this statement makes no sense.



Anyway, I digress. There are numerous things about children, more specifically, about parents, that annoy the crap out of me.

Let's start with one of the biggest. Babies in the carpool lane. More specifically...one adult combined with one baby in the carpool lane. See, I am a commuter. I commute to work everyday. And...most days I am carpooling. To me, the carpool lane is a way to reward drivers who are taking cars off the road by riding together. So, they get to get into the special lane that gets them to work, or home, faster than the other drivers who drive by themselves. Now, while I agree that 1 adult and 1 infant do indeed make 2 people in one car, it's not like Jr. would be driving himself somewhere without the assistance of his daddy. So...no cars are being taken off the road and it is not a carpool. Therefore, you should not get to use the car pool lane.

Guess what I hear when I voice this complaint to my parent friends? "You'll understand when you have kids."

Add to this babies at movie theatres, babies in church, babies in restaurants, etc. I have always been pretty vocal about parents that bring their children to places where other adults are trying to enjoy themselves without trying to ignore a crying child.

Now...it's almost my turn to find out if it's all true. Will the secret brain fairy come in the middle of the night and snatch my brain replacing it with one that forgets all my past complaints. Or, will I remember how I griped and groaned at all of those that experienced this before me?

I guess I'll understand when I have kids.

It's way too early for names, but...

It's so much fun to think about them. :-)

I've been dinking around online at baby name websites. My wife and I want something unique (meaning it won't appear on any Top 25 names lists), but not so unique that people can't say it. My wife's name is original, but really not that hard to say. Still...people manage to screw it up all the time.

Anyway...I was looking at "Catholic Baby Names" today. Here are some of my favorites:

Cadwallader - Some Saxon king, or something. Bet he got picked on as a kid.

Gelasius - makes me crave Jell-o.

Mercury - Is it really appropriate that a Catholic Saint is names after a Roman God?

Gottfried - As in Gilbert.

Fingar - I hear he's a good piano player.

Anastasius - It's a boy's name. Really.

and, my favorite...what I will probably have to name my kid, if he's a boy...or, at least nick-name him: Maximus.

Night.

Baby books

We've been buying a lot of books. "What to Expect When You're Expecting," as we expected, was gifted to us. So, we didn't buy that one.

I bought "The Everything Guide for the Father-to-Be" or something. Whatever the Everything Guide is for expecting fathers. So far...I think it's crap.

Basically...the book is constantly telling me to "be there for your partner," and "make sure you are there to support her," over and over again.

No shit, Sherlock. Here, I am looking for something to help me quit freaking out. I'm looking for guidance and how to come up with $$$ for daycare. And, what am I going to do about my psycho dog?

One line I thought was really stupid was in the section on choosing whether or not to learn the sex of your baby, early. He says that most men want to have a boy. But, some men feel threatened by the possibility of having a boy, so they prefer to have a girl.

What?

Seriously...somebody paid you for this?

Anyway...I've also been on BabyCenter.com a lot. This is a great website. Shows you what baby looks like at each week. Doctor thinks we're 7 weeks, we think we're 6 (cuz we didn't get busy 7 weeks ago). Regardless, baby is growing arms and legs, right now. Baby also has a little tail, which will go away, eventually.

Spam?

Sheesh...apparently, my ramblings are so incoherint that Google flagged my blog as Spam. So, I've been unable to post for the last week while they reviewed it. Why it takes over a week to read 2 posts, I don't know. But...whatever.