Death Warmed Over

These past few days I've felt like death warmed over. It started Saturday when I had a minor scratchy throat. Sunday, I awoke and it had gotten worse. Monday it moved from my throat to my sinuses. Yesterday I felt like death. I had originally thought it was just my seasonal allergies acting up. But, the pollen count has been pretty low these past few days...according to my handy-dandy iPhone app - Zyrtec AllergyCast. So, I thought that maybe it was a cold I had picked up from some coworkers. I haven't felt this bad in years. How much snot can one person produce?

Since our family doctor retired last month, Linda & I are inbetween doctors and haven't found a general family practitioner yet. My symptoms didn't warrant a visit to the ER, and I didn't want to go to the Urgent Care at Walgreens, so I toughed it out...with the help of Tylenol Cold, some Vicks VapoRub, some Cold-Eeze zinc lozenges and loads of vitamin C. This morning I woke up feeling better and on the road to recovery. Weird thing was I wasn't running a fever...so who knows what it was? I hate being sick. And I'm not a baby when I'm sick...but man did I feel like hell. On top of not feeling good, yesterday morning I was laying in bed and felt a good stretch coming on. And, man was it a great stretch. In all my exertion and when I was arching my back, I felt a crunch and heard a snap in my neck...and then this excruciating pain permeate through my neck and shoulders. How does that happen?? Even larger doses of Tylenol have numbed that pain, but I have a hard time moving my head from side-to-side. At the moment, I feel like that girl from "Sixteen Candles" with the back brace who can't move her neck.

My question is...how do parents do this?? This time next year, Nugg will be about 6 months old and, if I have a repeat of this - whether it was a cold or allergies rearing it's ugly head - how am I gonna take care of a baby?? And not get the baby sick?

Cutest Dog Competition

T-Minus 188 Days

This weekend Linda & I met with one side of my family to head down to the Plaza Art Fair, and met up with my half-sister, Whit and my biological mother, Vada (soon-to-be Nana Vada). It was a lot of fun; good food, lots of art to see, and just good company. Here's photos:Brian and VadaBrian, Vada and LindaBrian, Vada and WhitTrumanVendors

This morning, we had a bit of a scare. Linda called the doctor's office today to see what they thought. They asked her to come in to make sure everything was okay. Of course, this worried us both as we thought what had happened was something normal during pregnancy. But all is well! The doctor said that what happened was somewhere between normal and weird, but not-so-weird that it has never happened, but not-so-normal enough that it was good to come in and have it checked out.

Our doctor had a hard time still finding the heartbeat through the Doppler. So to put everyone's mind to rest, she performed another ultrasound. So we got to see the Nugg once again! I rushed out of the house this afternoon to make it to the doctors office, so I failed to bring in our camera! But our doctor gave us some ultrasound pics! I failed to ask her what Nugg's length and heart rate was... She said all looked good and didn't see anything that concerned her. See below for the pictures:

The Nugg at 13 weeks, 1 dayNugg & Heartbeat

This week, the 13th week, the Nugget has fingerprints!! Veins and organs are still visible through the translucent skin... Nugg's body is trying to catch up with their head, which makes up about a third of the size of the total body length. Nugget's eyes are moving closer together. Up until now, Nugg's eyes were more to the sides of the head. The vocal cords have also started forming! The intestines are also moving further back into the abdominal cavity. Nugg's pancreas has now started to produce insulin. Right now, Nugg would be about the size of a medium shrimp, or almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce. If McNugget is a girl, she has over 2 million eggs in her ovaries right now... That's mind-boggling!

So, again, all is well here. We canceled our next doctor's appointment for October 9th, since we were so close to that...and rescheduled for October 23rd. From what I understand, this will be just a general checkup. The appointment after that is the BIG appointment...when we find out if Nugg is gonna be a girl or a boy! We have that on the books for November 20th. I don't think I can wait that long!!! I'm impatient.

Let's just hope this isn't McNugget in 7 months...

Here's a post on USATODAY today.

Indonesian Woman Gives Birth to 19.2-pound baby


Mercifully, the baby was born via C-section.

Four Years Ago Today...

...I married the love of my life! Happy Anniversary to my wonderful, beautiful, sweet wife...and now soon-to-be mother of my child! I wouldn't have imagined then that we would be expecting our first child now. Hell, I wouldn't have imagined it two months ago! As time goes by, I love Linda more with every day that passes...and I grow more and more excited and attached to the growing McNugget in her belly! I can't wait for the Nugg to make their grand arrival! I already love that kid more than life itself!

Not sure if we are gonna do anything exciting tonight. We have a gift certificate to P.F. Changs, but it seems Linda battles with morning sickness more in the evenings. Plus it's the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy tonight too.

Hmmm....

So boredom got the best of me today. I wondered what Nugg might look like and I Googled it. I found this website that allows you to take two pictures, designate points on the faces and it morphs what your baby might look like. So here's the image I got from combining a picture of Linda & me:

Cool! Cute kid! Who knows?

Then I found this website. It does a similar thing, but gives a clearer picture by gender. Here's Nugg as a boy:

I don't know where the blonde hair comes from...although I was a tow-head when I was a tot... And the blue eyes? Linda & I both have dark brown eyes. Not sure about that one... However, blue eyes do run more on Linda's side of the family (her dad and sister, Noreen, have blue eyes...and Noreen does have naturally blonde hair).

Here's what that same website predicted what a girl McNugget might look like:

Not sure about the whole flower headband... The website throws a few props into the picture...took me a few attempts to get this picture of a clear headshot... Some of them had the kids in duck costumes and other crap on their heads. The red hair is probably more accurate, since Linda had strawberry blonde hair when she was a kid...and has a red hue to her hair still.

Then, according to this website, this predicted we have a 70% chance of having a boy. Guess it really is only accurate 50% of the time. But they asked what my birthday is, what Linda's birthdate is, our blood rhesus (which surprisingly I know), and if we have more male or female siblings.

Date of conception: 12.07.2009 mother's age (by the time of conception): 31 father's age (by the time of conception): 33 Mother's rhesus factor: Positive with the probability 70% future child gender: ♂ Boy !
expected date of childbirth (approximately): 04.04.2010 child horoscope sign:

One of my favorite quotes from the movie "Anchorman" comes to mind and seems appropriate for these gender predictors, "They've done studies. 60% of the time, it works everytime."

Only time will tell...

And for shits and grins - I morphed a picture of our dog, Truman, and our cat, Frank:

Creepy.

12 down. 28 to go.

Hard to believe that we are 12 weeks pregnant! I thought this marked the end of the first trimester, however, I've learned that the 1st trimester is actually longer, gestationally speaking. We actually won't enter the 2nd trimester until the 14th week. So just a few more to go... I've noticed that my fears of miscarriage subside with each week that passes. I still pray everyday though that all is going well. I'm a tangible person, and not seeing the changes going on inside the womb or directly feel the transformation happening makes me worry to no end!

I did notice though, that Linda does have the slightest little baby bump forming. It's still hard to see. Linda mentioned the other day that her jeans that were always loose and baggy on her, are now tight. She also said that she noticed that her stomach is a lot more tighter... So her body is changing.

Yesterday, Linda & I rang in the season home opener of the Kansas City Chiefs with her sister, brother-in-law, brother and sister-in-law. We all went in last spring and bought season tickets. The Chiefs had them on sale at rock bottom prices... We had never held season tickets before. Upon doing the math, the price we'll pay for parking the whole season is about the same at the tickets themselves! Our seats are way up in the upper tier. I counted my steps up to where our seats were...and it's about the equivalent of climbing a ten story building! I wonder how that's gonna go when Linda is 5 and 6 months along...

Of course, one of the traditions with football games, and more so at Arrowhead Stadium, is tailgating. Grilling, barbecue and beer... Minus the beer for Linda. Linda's family told me to take advantage of this time, claiming I have a designated driver until April...they are on the mindset for me to drink myself into an oblivion at every opportunity... My party days have past me, and out of compassion for Linda, I probably won't be doing that. It didn't stop Noreen & Anthony trying...and had me shotgun a few beers with them. I played along, but paced myself and stopped drinking when the game started. Linda likes to have a good time and really only drinks socially...so I know refraining from beer at Chiefs games will be a difficult task for her.

Twenty-eight more weeks to go! Seems unfathomable and I just wish April would hurry up and get here! This weeks most dramatic development is reflexes. Nugg's fingers are now opening and closing, toes are curling, eyelids are clinching and the mouth is making sucking movements. If Linda would poke her abdomen, Nugg will squirm in response. However, it's still too early for Linda to feel those movements. All the plumbing is there and beginning to function! Nugg's intestines, which went through a rapid growth period and protruded into the umbilical cord, will start to move back into the abdominal cavity this week. Also the kidneys will begin to excrete urine into the bladder.

Nugg's nerve cells are continuing to multiply rapidly. In the brain, synapses are forming furiously. If we could see Nugg's face, there is no doubt they would look more human than ever before. Nugg's eyes have moved from the side of the head to the front, and the ears have moved to the sides of the head now as well. From crown-to-rump, Nugg should be about 2 inches long...which is more about the size of a lime and weighs half an ounce!

Only sevenish more months to go!!

So wild...

Browsing around online, I found this interesting calculator from babiesonline.com. You plug in your due date and it gives you some interesting, fun facts regarding different milestones in pregnancy and with your baby. Cool! For Nugg due on April 4, 2010:

Our conception date was most likely Sunday, July 12, 2009.

Our 2nd trimester will begin on October 4, 2009.

Our 3rd trimester will begin on January 3, 2010.

(As of today) We are 81 days down, and 199 to go!

Nugg will be born in the Year of the The White Metal Tiger, according to the Chinese Zodiac.

Nugg's half birthday will be October 3rd.

Birthstone is the diamond.

Astrological sign is Aries (coincidentally, the same as Linda).

Birth Flower is Daisy or Sweet Pea.

This time next year, Nugg will be 24 weeks old!! That means by this time next year, Nugg might be teething, or getting close! Nugg will also be sitting on their own, and possibly crawling! Holy crap!

Nugg will start kindergarten in 2015; old enough to drive a car in 2026; graduate high school with the class of 2028; and will finish college by 2032 (give or take a year)!!!

Correction

My last post had incorrect information. It said my sister hit three different parked cars when she was pregnant with my niece. She only hit two cars -not three. Since, like some of my other readers, she is unable to log in and leave a comment, below is her message to me pointing out the error.

MESSAGE FROM SISTER:
Hey goofy, I would have commented on your blog but the damn thing won't let me join without a pint of blood and a kidney. Anyway..I only hit TWO cars. Not three. I had matching black scrape marks/dents on both sides of my back bumper. At least it was symmetrical.

END OF MESSAGE

Thanks sis for being a good sport and helping me get the facts straight!

Pregnancy Brain Strikes Again

You know how I really don't like random people? Especially people who come up and start talking to me about absolutely nothing. Well, if you have his same anti-social affliction, it gets worse during pregnancy. Everything and everyone annoys you.

It has been documented in this blog that my brain no longer functions properly and short-term memory is all but gone. So, when I am doing something, I CANNOT BE INTERRUPTED!

This is true for the most mundane of tasks. Like, filling up the gas tank on my car.

After work, I stopped for gas and was happy to just fill up and go home. I was feeling particularly awful yesterday and even left work about an hour and a half early. Well, no sooner had I got out the car, I had some guy all up in my business wanting to know what I thought of my vehicle. It's an average car. Nothing fancy. I told him it gets me where I need to go and that's all I need.

He proceeds to go ON AND ON about how he drove one in California that was his rental car and blah blah blah. I say, "blah, blah, blah," because I tuned out and started wondering how he chewed his food. He appeared to have his front teeth, but no molars. This would make it difficult to have a salad, or really anything other than mashed potatoes... I digress

He continued on and on until the gas pump clicked indicating I had a full tank. I promptly put it back on the hook, got in my car and drove off. I don't think I even acknowledge he was still talking. I just turned and left. This actually wasn't intentional now that I think about it. That's just how I am when I am not feeling well.

I turned onto the interstate and started noticing a banging noise. It didn't sound like it was coming from inside the car... Then I saw it in my rear view mirror.

My gas tank cover and cap where bouncing in the wind. I have NEVER in all my years of driving EVER forgot to put the cap back on the gas tank. I was THAT person. The one we all make fun of for leaving the gas cap off the car.

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. When my older sister was pregnant with my niece, she was so spacey she would forget to look where she was going when backing out of parking spots. She hit three different cars! I may not have a fancy car, but I don't want the rear end destroyed prior to McNugget's arrival!

Just when I thought...

I was starting to think I was getting around the whole morning sickness in the evening thing and it came roaring back this week. Sunday I felt like death most of the day. Yesterday, I learned that pasta and I are no longer friends.

At first I thought McNugget was forcing me into an Atkins/South Beach diet. NO CARBS! But then I realized that meat is no longer my friend either. No Chicken - fried, grilled or barbequed. No ham sandwiches. I am eating salad and yogurt and fruit. Not even CHIPOTLE sounds good. No, I am not running a fever.

How is it possible that my own flesh and blood is forcing me to become a vegetarian?! I LOVE barbeque. I just can't stand the thought of it right now. How am I going to get through tailgating at Chiefs games? There's like 80,000 people barbequing all together. The parking lot is one big barbeque pit.

I guess we'll find out Sunday at the home opener.

In other news, Brian took Truman to the vet today. Poor Bubba has HORRIBLE allergies. The vet told Brian that dogs get the histamines in their skin, which explains why he has been scratching the hell out of his head, neck and legs. He was sent home after getting a cortisone shot and some prescription pills. Poor dog was absolutely miserable but Brian says he seems to be perking up a little bit now.

Here we are...

Linda & I had a good low-key weekend for the most part. Linda felt kinda "yuck" yesterday, but Saturday was fun! Her college friend, Nicole, drove in from St. Louis to stay with us on Saturday night. Linda loves Mexican food and I'm sure she'll proclaim that Nugg loves Mexican too, so we took Nicole to lunch at Manny's (one of the BEST Mexican restaurants in Kansas City), then went bowling at Lucky Strike in the Power & Light District... And just chilled. We haven't been bowling in years - and surprisingly I bowled one of my best games, at least that I can remember! Needless to say, me being the worrier that I am...I was concerned about Linda and Nugg as she was lugging around a 14 lb. bowling ball, cranking her arm back and hurling it down a lane. Linda's tailbone pain is still predominant and she was a bit stiff, but I'm sure all is okay.

One of the topics of conversation over lunch was names. Nicole and another Linda's other friends from college, Jen "Arnie", tried to help us come up with names. Nicole and Arnie both like the names I suggested...the ones that Linda didn't care for... So they are thinking of more suggestions and help me persuade Linda into my suggestions.

Yesterday marked our 11th week of pregnancy! We are sooo close to finishing the 1st trimester...it's hard to believe that Nugg will be here in roughly 6 months!! This week Nugg is about the size of a fig. When I told Linda this, we realized that neither of us had an idea what size a fig is...so another website compared the baby to the size of a lime. Basically, Nugg is about 1 ½ inches long. The baby is almost fully formed. The hands will soon open and close into fists. Tiny tooth buds are beginning to form under the gumline. Some bones are also starting to harden, going from cartilage to hard bone. I remember reading somewhere that the clavicle (collar bone) and femur (thigh bone) are the first bones to harden. Nugg is already busy kicking and stretching. These movements will become more frequent as the body grows and becomes more functional and developed. Linda won't feel these acrobatic movements though for another month or two. She also won't notice the hiccuping that may be happening now that Nugg's diaphragm has formed, but that will also soon change!

I just wish...

Today would have been my mom's 63rd birthday. I went to her gravesite today to bring her some flowers and tell her the good news that she's gonna be a grandma again. I'm sure she already knew that though... My mom used to practically beg us for another grandchild, and I just wish she was here to celebrate with us. I know she's watching over us and smiling down on us right now. She passed away on June 19, 2007, from breast cancer that had also spread to her bones, liver, lungs and brain in the end. She fought courageously for 2 ½ years before losing her battle. She is loved and missed every day. I can't wait to tell Nugg how special she was and share her stories with the little one!

Post-it note strategy

Since I've become so completely scatter brained, I've decided that every time I leave my desk, I need to write on a post-it note what I am leaving it for. That way, if I get distracted, I can look at the note and be on my way.

I tried this today. I got up to go from my corner of the 7th floor down to the first floor to return a document to a VP I had been using as reference. On my way there, I was sidetracked by another VP asking about a different project.

I returned to my desk 15 minutes later with publication still in hand. You have to remember to LOOK at the Post-it note in order for the strategy to work. I'm destined for an unproductive 7 months.

I'm enamored!

Our second doctor's appointment was this afternoon at 3:45. I thought it was just going to be the normal checkup and to get Linda up-to-speed on some things, as mentioned before. I was hoping, however, that we'd be able to hear the heartbeat with a Doppler. I didn't bring a video tape with us... It was just a whim that I decided to bring our camera along with us.

They called Linda back, and since it was more of a woman's check up I opted to stay in the waiting room. I told Linda to have them come get me if they do a Doppler. Dr. Schieber called me from the waiting room about 30 minutes later and brought me back to the ultrasound room. Linda was in a gown. I asked if she was going to get an ultrasound. Dr. Schieber said that she had a hard time locating the heartbeat. That thought made my heart drop...fearing the worst... She went on to say that still at 10 weeks (we are at 10 weeks 3 days) it was a 50/50 shot of locating and hearing the heartbeat through just the Doppler. So to put all our fears to rest, she proceeded with an ultrasound.

Nugg is still doing excellent!!! Heartrate has increased to 173 beats/minute, compared to the 152 beats/minute a few weeks ago! Dr. Schieber poked around and we got to see Nugg move! Glad I brought our camera!! I forgot to ask how big Nugg is measuring, but I think the sonogram says 2.01 cm? I could be wrong on that though... Our next appointment is scheduled for October 9th... Keep on saying prayers that all continues to go well for us! See below!

When hormones attack

In my last post, I described what a scatter brain I was today. The story got much worse from that post. I actually forgot to go to the bathroom because I was sidetracked by yet someone else who needed to know about something I was working on. That got me wondering what was going to happen in 7 months when I take maternity leave? During my wondering, I walked back to my cubicle, sat down and got back to work. 15 minutes later I realized I still had to go to the bathroom. Repeat that process.

This evening, Brian and I were watching a movie. Truman, our beloved bulldog, was laying in between us on the couch just as he always does. For some reason, I started thinking about Brian's cousins and how they had to give up their dog because their newborn son was so terribly allergic.

I burst into tears. Brian was trying to figure out what in the hell was wrong with me and I said, "I don't want to give up Truman!" He asked, "Why would we have to give up Truman?" I explained the logic to him, but it didn't seem to strike the same emotional chord with him as it did me.

For those of you who know me, can you name five instances in the years we have known each other where you have seen me cry? And you can't count watching the movies "Stepmom" or "Marley & Me," or "Steel Magnolias," because they just make me bawl every time.

The Excited Grandparents...

Sunday, Linda and I met my dad and Shirley out for lunch at O'Dowds on the Plaza. My dad is very excited for his next grandchild...it's been 13 years since my niece was a baby, so he's going baby crazy! Linda & I walked into the door at O'Dowds, and in my dad's early timeliness, he & Shirley were waiting for us. They probably had been for about 10 minutes, even though my dad called to say he would probably be 5 minutes late. (Is 5 minutes really considered late?) Anyhow, they had two gift bags for us...gifts for McNugget! So McNugget has their first 4 outfits already! Since we don't know the gender yet, they bought gender neutral a Carter's newborn Duck's Pant Set and a Carter's 3 months old Duck Cardigan & Pants Set. Very cool!

On Sunday, we entered our 10th week of pregnancy! Hurray for double digits! We are inching ever so close to completing our first trimester... Only about 2 more weeks to go before that big milestone! This week McNugget is about the size of a kumquat. I have no idea what a kumquat is... According to Wikipedia, it is a citrus fruit that resembles an orange. Hmmm, who knew that, really? Or you could also say that the baby is about the size of a plum. I know what that is... Basically the baby is a little over an inch long and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce. So tiny.

Anyhow, this week, McNugget is no longer considered an embryo and has now graduated to fetus status, and will keep that status until birth, in medical terms. This generally means that all the parts are now in place, and this week is the beginning of a period when tissues and organs start to grow at a quick pace. McNugget is now swallowing amniotic fluid and kicking up a storm (although it's still too early for Linda to feel any of those kicks). The liver is now able to produce it's own red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac. Tiny finger- and toenails are now forming. The toes no longer have any webbing between the digits. A peach-fuzz layer of hair has started to grow too over the little body. McNugget can now bend their limbs. The hands can flex at the wrist and meet over the heart. The feet may be long enough to meet in front of the body too. The skin is still translucent and the outline of the spine is visible through the back. Spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from McNugget's spinal cord. McNugget's forehead temporarily bulges with the developing brain and sits very high on the head, which measures half the length of the body. From crown to rump (butt), the baby would be about 1¼ inch long. In the coming weeks, McNugget will double in size to nearly 3 inches!

We are still indecisive about names. I think Linda & I will battle about this over the next coming months. It's tougher than you can imagine, really. You have to think of the long run. Of when McNugget is an adult and has a career. You don't want to name them something too trendy or cutesy. In 2008, the most popular names were Emma and Aiden, which I like (but not enough to name McNugget either of those). In 1890, amongst the top ten popular names were Harry and Bertha. So, essentially, Harry and Bertha were like today's Aiden and Emma. Who, today, has named their kids Harry or Bertha? I chuckle to myself if I see the name Bertha now. You don't want to give your kid a name like those that will be a joke 50 years from now. It's a daunting and stressful task. My early favorites include: Amelia, Scarlett or Delaney for a girl. (Delaney was one of my great grandfather's name, actually...but sounds better as a girl's name, I think.) Evan, Kyler and Rylan for a boy. Linda pretty much hates all my choices... We still have months to figure it out.

Linda's 2nd doctors appointment is tomorrow afternoon at 3:45. It'll be mostly womanly stuff (e.g. PAP Smear, etc)...but I'm gonna be there. Well, not for the actual PAP, but I'll be waiting in the waiting room. Keep us in your prayers all goes well!

Now where did I put my...

I am a complete and total space cadet today! I can't concentrate on anything. I got money out of my purse, I remember now because I found it in my pocket, to get a snack and then I ended up visiting with a co-worker who asked about something completely random.

20 minutes later...
I went and got a granola bar from downstairs and then swung by another co-worker's desk to ask about something work related, but when I got there I forgot my question (Still don't know what it was, I just know I had a purpose).

She just called to ask if I left my granola bar at her desk... 30 minutes ago. Now, it's an hour away from lunch, I suddenly remember I am hungry again, and can't decide if I should eat my granola bar or save it for later. What if I forget I have it?

What the hell is wrong with me? Is it safe to take Ginko Bilobo or whatever the hell it is called when you are pregnant?

New Clothes

Yesterday, I bought maternity clothes for the first time. I was really excited when I walked into the GAP on the Plaza and they said that they did indeed have maternity in stock... on the third floor.

I'm sure I knew there was an elevator somewhere, but the sales lady just pointed to the stairs. I commented to Brian that why on Earth would they want pregnant women climbing three flights of stairs?

Anyway, I went up there and they had a limited selection. Lots of jeans and a few pairs of dress slacks. If I could wear jeans to work, I would. But I don't have that kind of work environment. I usually wear women's business suits. GAP was having a sale, but of course I got the dress slacks, the only items in the store not on sale. Murphy's law prevails again, but at least I have some pants that fit!

It's a race... kind of

The joys of growing up with a larger-than-average family means you share a lot of experiences. My older sister and her husband have a beautiful 3-year-old daughter. My brother and his wife have an adorable nearly 3-year-old son. With cousins so close and age, they have someone to play with when the whole family gets together.

I am very happy that McNugget will also have someone to play with that is very close in age. In fact, they could realistically have the same birthday! No, I'm not having twins. Stop that thinking right now. My older sis is having a baby as well! Her due date is about 3 days ahead of mine. How cool is that?

So, this spring we are going to see who ends up in the delivery room first. I would put my money on me. I'm very impatient and expect McNugget to be the same way. Of course if McNugget takes after Brian, this could be a different story... Although I totally wouldn't mind because a child that takes after Brian would probably be a lot less onery!

Another Week Under Way

So we are in the midst of another week! Sunday marked our 9th week of pregnancy! I think the thing I hate the most is the fact I can't see any changes as of yet; besides the occasional nauseous moment or lower back pain Linda experiences. Other than those, I wouldn't have any idea that she was pregnant. I'm a very tangible, visual person and I hate waiting. I want to know that McNugget is okay. I worry endlessly and I keep saying a prayer that all is okay. I'm sure it is...but not being able to see much going on gets me anxious from time-to-time.

I've taken comfort in reading posts on babycenter.com from other expectant parents...mostly moms-to-be. One had an article posted that put some of my fears to rest, specifically, "If you can see the baby's heart beating on the sonogram after 7 weeks, your chances of continuing with the pregnancy are greater than 97 percent." Which we did - our first sonogram was when McNugget was measuring 7 weeks 5 days. I have to keep reminding myself that all is probably okay and McNugget will be here before we know it.

Anyhow, this week, McNugget is about the size of a grape and would weigh about a fraction of an ounce! They are starting to look more and more human as the days go by and not so much like an alien creature. All essential body parts are accounted for, but they will be fine-tuning over the next few months. McNugget's heart has finished dividing into four chambers and the heart valves have started to form. Tiny teeth buds are under their gum line. The tiny embryonic tail should have disappeared by now. McNugget's organs, muscles and nerves are starting to kick into gear as well! Genitalia has formed, but it's still too early to see the gender. The eyes are fully formed but the eyelids are sealed shut until about the 27th week. McNugget has tiny earlobes, and their mouth, nose and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta has developed enough now to take over the most critical job of producing hormones. Now McNugget's basic body physiology is in place, their tiny body is poised for rapid weight gain and fine tuning!

Keep us in your prayers that all continues to go well for us!

Ode to My Father

My dad is the type of guy that would bend over backwards for you, give you the shirt off his back, and generally help anyone out that is in need. I hope that I can live up to his example with McNugget.

Since we found out McNugget will be arriving in approximately 7 months now (wow!) - that has really lit the fire under our butts to get the renovations we started 2 years ago finished and get this place listed on the market. We bought new windows back in 2007 for our 80 year old building. When we bought our place, they had been renovated from the 1920s apartments into condos and had featured amenities such as refurbished kitchen with granite countertops, a marble bathroom, etc. But they failed to upgrade the windows. It suited our needs as DINKs. While living the city-life was great as a childless couple, downtown KC is no place I want to raise a child. Our neighborhood is great - it's a historic district located a block from the Kansas City Art Institute, a few blocks from the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, walking distance to the Country Club Plaza and Kansas City's historic Westport. In fact, "This Old House" recently picked our neighborhood as one of the best top 10 in the country. However, the notion of a city life has become stale and I really don't want to send my kids to the public inner-city school districts (KC public schools are rated a 5 on a scale of 10...ten being the best) or magnet schools. We are ready for the 'burbs. A real house with a backyard and a garage, not the glorified apartment we currently have. A neighborhood with young families and place that kids can ride their bikes up and down the street. I know that sounds very "Beaver Cleaver-ish". But I grew up in a neighborhood like that...

But I digress... Linda & I quickly learned we are more of the "pay-the-man" type of people, and are not the "do-it-yourselfers" that we aspire to be. Linda spends many of her Saturday and Sunday afternoons watching the DIY Network or HGTV, and schemes up these grandiose ideas that we can do many home improvement projects on our own. Why she believes this is beyond me? The windows are a great example of why I doubt this philosophy. Granted, our windows really needed to be replaced, not only for aesthetic reasons, but also to save on energy costs. The windows were original to the building, but not very functional. They were the old weight-and-pulley type. Many of them did not open due to the 50+ years of paint and guck built up on them. The windows that did open with all your might, were near impossible to close. Linda could literally hang onto the bottom pane of an open window, lifting her feet off the floor and the window would not close! Those were not fun to get shut...

Our condo is a 2 bedroom, one bath unit, and approximately 1200 sq. ft. It has 14 windows total. And one whole side of our condo is windowless, it is the common wall shared with our neighbor. Last year, her family came over and we were successful with their help in ripping out the old windows and replacing them. However, this was only part of the battle. With ripping out old windows, you have to also rip out the molding trim that goes around them...trim that you have to replace. Last summer, my dad & I went to Home Depot and picked up window trim molding. That trim sat bundled up in our hallway til yesterday. Nothing like procrastination...

Anyhow, yesterday, my dad came over with all his tools and circular saw and spent literally all day measuring, cutting and installing the trim. Dad does these things and never acts as if it's an imposition. That's just one small example of many about how great he is and how much I admire him. I pray I can be as good as a father as he is to me.