Whoa. That's Deep, Dude.

Last Saturday Linda & I went to see a movie. We hadn't been to the movies since last summer when we were visiting friends in DC and went to see Public Enemies. We decided to see Avatar. When we first saw the previews for Avatar, both of us claimed we had absolutely no desire to ever see that movie.

It looked retarded...what was up with those blue cartoon people, that reminded me of Jar-Jar Binks, in this Sci-Fi geeks dream world? But as I heard reviews and read my friends status updates on facebook, I became intrigued when everyone said it was a must-see, especially in 3D...and more so in IMAX 3D. I admitted to Linda last week that I kinda wanted to see it...just to see what the hype was all about. She admitted that she kinda wanted to see it too... We decided that if we were really gonna battle the movie theatre then we'd go all out and see it in IMAX 3D...so we spent the $25.00 for both of us and bought tickets for the sold out 3:00 showing. Plus for the next 5-10 years our movies theatre outings will be filled with the latest Pixar or Disney kids flick... Both of us hate crowds...especially movie theatre crowds... But all in all, the movie was good. It was worth the price to see it in 3D, however the story line was cheesy and predictable...but it was visually stunning. It's not a movie that I would see in regular format or even wait to rent...you have to see it in 3D on the big screen.

Right as the movie started though, Linda said that Evan was really reacting to all the noise. You know movie theatres surround sound system really amps up the bams and booms and explosions so much so that you feel it in your teeth. It was reassuring to know that Nugg's hearing is intact! Linda tried to get me to feel his kicks and squirms...and it got me thinking. I mentioned this to Linda on the way home...it was almost a philosophical conversation. I wondered how that must be for Evan to experience this stuff...small clues to an outside world that he doesn't know exists, and have no clue what or why it's happening. I know his little brain can't comprehend and process all of it, but is there an element of fear? Do babies in utero experience emotions such as fear, sadness, happiness, confusion, etc.? I can't imagine not knowing where I am, not being able to see what's going on, and then hear this loud boom and not be able to piece it all together... I know, weird conversation and thoughts, but sometimes that's how my brain works... I wonder about Evan...he's on my mind all the time. From deep stuff like this, to little things like how big his little pinky is... I'm an odd duck, what can I say?

Are we there yet?

We found out we were pregnant on Aug. 3. Since then, my stomach has popped out, our guest bed room has been eliminated for a baby room, I have assembled and now sleep on "the pillow fort" each night and Truman now "loves me more" than Brian. And that's just the highlights.

The last five months have flown by in a blur. But now it seems that it is moving fast and slow all at once. My body aches. My hips hurt so bad in the morning I waddle around like a penguin until they loosen up a bit. The need to reach under my desk to unplug the network cable cord is not working out so well for me. I've requested a spare from IT to take to meetings. Bending over is hard to do. You should see the production and effort it takes to put on socks. I have to hold my breath. I can't wait for sandal season to begin. Putting pants on in the morning is starting to become dangerous and I think I am going to have to start sitting down to get that process started. Weevels wobble and this one will definitely fall down.

One of the symptoms I was actually looking forward to has not yet happened. All my preggo friends or friends with kids talked about how they were hot all of the time when they were pregnant and how lucky I am to be pregnant during the winter time because its like to forces balancing each other out. I am actually freezing most of the time. I wear giant sweatpants and sweatshirts around the house and to bed. This is one reason why we haven't had an updated belly shot in awhile. I'm usually not wearing a top that will properly show my roundness. I have the spaceheater going in the living room and sit right in front of it, sitting on a heating pad, wrapped in a blanket with a 60+ pound dog lying on top of me. And I'm still cold.

If I sit for an extended period of time, I have to get up slowly. Not because I'll pass out from standing up too quickly, but because my lower abdomen won't stretch out as quickly as I can stand up and it reminds me of that frequently. Bend over and touch your toes or reach as far as you possibly can. That stretching in your hammy is what I feel just below my belly button when going from a sitting position to a standing position.

Hot fudge sundaes. Until yesterday, I haven't really had a real strong craving for anything in particular. On Sunday, I NEEDED a hot fudge sundae. It did not matter that we just got another two inches on top of the 14 inches of snow that fell over Christmas and New Year's. I was not going to be denied. Yes, we have ice cream in the freezer, but we don't have hot fudge. I required hot fudge. So, Brian conceded and we went out for ice cream on a day where the high temperature was about 16, which will be the warmest day of the week.

Ok. Sorry for the gripe session. I know I'm only going to get bigger. I know I'm only going to get more uncomfortable. It's hard to believe we still have three months left and its hard to believe we only have three months left. Right now, I'm ready for the next phase. Tomorrow, I'll freak out.

Hello 2010!

A new year and a new decade is now upon us! So glad it's here. Looking back 2009 wasn't that bad of a year...had some ups and downs, but it was leaps and bounds better than 2007 and 2008. I can't wait to find out what 2010 has in store and to meet my son!

Linda & I had a low key New Year's Eve...went to a friends house, but both of us had worked a lot around the house yesterday and were home by 11:30 and stayed up late enough to see 2010 at midnight, then went to bed.

Christmas was good this year...would have been better except for the blizzard we got. I wrote last on Christmas Eve and the Kansas City area received a huge snow storm/blizzard that dumped almost a foot of snow over 4 days. It wasn't fun...and it was definitely a white Christmas. Reports had stated that this was the first time in over 50 years that we received more than an inch of snow on Christmas day. I'm not one that likes snow...much less cold and ice...so I was not digging the weather. If I could have it my way, we'd spend the winter in a tropical climate, preferably next to a beach. We spent Christmas Eve night at her parent's house, about 45 minutes away from home. Christmas morning we woke up our cars buried in their driveway and were worried about getting out and back home and to my families Christmas's. Her parents live on a gravel road and we were lucky that the snow grater come through right as we were leaving and plowed a path for us to get out. Needless to say the roads and highways were not in the best of condition and we made it home after about 1½ hours with no major problems until we pulled into our back parking lot that hadn't been touched by a plow and we got stuck. With the help of our next door neighbor, we dug out and decided to skip one of my families Christmas's. We decided to venture out later that night and was able to visit my sister and the rest of my family. Evan even got his first Christmas presents! My dad got him his first pair of overalls...or "bibbers" as my dad calls them...along with other great outfits and onesies.

We are on the cusp of the 27th week of pregnancy... Last week, in the 26th week, Evan's ears have developed and are more sensitive to the sounds of the outside world...meaning he should be able to hear not only Linda, but me too! His testicles have also began their descent from the abdomen to his scrotum...journey that will take three days! Something I'm sure he'd love to know I'm broadcasting on this blog... He is continuing to inhale and exhale small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is helping his lungs develop. This practice will help him once he is born and takes his first gulp of air. He is also continuing to fatten up and weighs a pound and is the length of an English hothouse cucumber, measuring head to heel. He now has eyelashes!

In the 27th week, the week we are beginning, Evan weighs about 2 lbs. now, which is about the weight of a head of cauliflower. He'd be about 14 ½ inches long with his legs extended. He is sleeping in regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes and perhaps sucking his thumb. Linda has said that his kicks and punches have definitely gotten stronger and usually around 12:00 or 1:00 his punches are really strong. However, he seems to be shy around me...each time I try to feel his hits, he clams up and doesn't do anything. I have been able to feel some nudges, but nothing really strong. Linda said the other day, it felt as if he was banging on a drum and she was able to actually see her stomach move! Evan's brain is continuing to develop and is very active now. Although his lungs are still immature, we are at a point now in the pregnancy that if he were born, he'd be able to survive with lots and lots of medical help. His nostrils have also opened up...which had been previously fused shut.

Hard to believe we've only got one more week in our 2nd trimester, then it's the final stretch!

My name is Ebenezer.

I really can't believe that Christmas is already here! And honestly...I'm ready for it to be over. I'm hoping that next year breathes new life into my view on the holidays. I used to love Christmas and this time of year, but for the past couple of years I find myself struggling to get into the holiday spirit. The only thing I honestly enjoy about this time of year is the time spent with family... Before Linda & I got married, and when I lived on my own, I never put up a Christmas tree. When Linda & I did get married, we put up a tree the first few years, but haven't now since about 2006. I know next year will be different and I can't wait!

This past week has been a busy one. As Linda mentioned, we got Evan's room painted and his crib up. (Yes, I did call him Evan... Linda has unofficially picked out his name. That has been our favorite all along, but she said it is subject to change.) That was an all day task, but I'm satisfied with the room! We did a good job! We just need to refinish the dresser and put up a few other decorations and then Evan's room is ready for him!

And, as Linda mentioned, she was finally able to get the "scary grandma picture" hidden away. That particular painting (pictured to the left) is of my great-great-great grandmother, Mary Westlake. The painting has been handed down for generations, pictured below is a photo from 1958 of my mom and my aunt with that picture on the wall... My mom gave that to me just before she died since she knew my love for genealogy. It's got a historical significance to it...it was painted in 1846. I'm afraid to store it in our basement due to the humidity, so for the moment we have it stored in our hall closet. It will go back on the wall once we get a bigger house though, much to Linda's chagrin. Anyhow, Linda has found it creepy and does not like it...she claims it's one of those pictures that follows you around the room.

Last Friday we also had another doctors appointment. Our regular doctor is out for maternity leave, so we saw one of her partners. It's funny when you get used to one person, and then someone else steps in. Her partner was a bit bizarre, and we kinda felt like she didn't really know why we were there. She stepped into the room and just stared at us. Linda broke the ice and introduced herself. The doctor then asked us a few questions, repeated herself multiple times, listened to Evan's heartbeat on Doppler and measured Linda's belly. Everything appeared normal... We waited for 45 minutes for a brief 15 minute interaction... Our normal doctor will be back by our next appointment. However, she did give Linda the paperwork for the glucose screening, where Linda will have to go in and drink that sugary syrup stuff to test for gestational diabetes. She's planning on going in next week for that.

Right now Evan is in his 25th week of gestation! He would measure about 13 inches long from head to heel. He weighs about a pound and a half, which is about the same as the average rutabaga. He should be packing on the weight and exchanging a lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will transform and he'll look more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair...and if we were able to get a sneak peek of him, we'd be able to discern the color and texture. Linda has started to get a faint line running down the middle of her belly...called linea nigra. As Linda also mentioned before, she's intrigued by her belly button flattening out and worried that it might turn into an outtie. I have one of those weird complexes about belly buttons. Belly buttons and feet actually. I don't like people to poke my belly button or touch my feet...therefore don't expect me to. Linda tries and tries to get me to feel her belly button to no avail!

Progress

I am ready to proclaim that we have finished most of the "heavy lifting" for Nugget's room. Last week, Brian got the window trim taken care of and on Saturday we moved forward with moving out the old and bringing in the new.

Among the highlights:

I got to use shrink wrap again for the first time since 2001 when I was on a marketing tour. I picked some up at Home Depot so we could wrap up the mattresses and put them in our basement storage unit.

Finding a place (mostly in storage) for just about everything in that room that Brian wouldn't let me throw away. We even found a new home for the scary grandma picture - in the hall closet. (NOTE TO BRIAN: When you get home, would you mind posting a picture of the scary grandma picture so our readers can see what I am talking about?)

Having a reason to take scary grandma picture down.

Painting. All day we painted and were a pretty good team. I rolled while Brian did trim. We shut the door to the room and opened the windows. It was a little chilly, but fortunately, it was in the 40s, so not too bad.

Hung the first ever curtain rod that Brian and I have had as a married couple. In fact, this was the first curtain rod (and curtains) I have ever purchased. I'm quite pleased with the results.

Finally put together Nugg's crib.

Brought Ruff Ruff (the stuffed dog pictured to the right) home. Brian won Ruff Ruff at the Las Vegas Circus Circus when we went there over my 21st birthday. Ruff Ruff had been living at my parents' house, but Mom was happy to send him home.

All that we have to do now (and by "we" I mean Brian) is finish stripping and staining the dresser.

The Aftermath
I should note that while I am very happy we made so much progress on Saturday, it did come at a price. After we finished putting the crib together, we had a birthday party to go to down the street. Everyone was bringing a dish and then going out to the piano bar in Westport.

When we got to our friend's place and sat down to eat and visit, my back stiffened up. I thought I was going to need a walker. I couldn't stand up without assistance. When I did stand up, I couldn't fully straighten out. So, when it came time to go to the piano bar, we dropped off our friends and headed to Walgreens. Instead of night on the town, I spent the night with a heating pad. Brian had one of those collar things that you warm up in the microwave and put on the back of your neck.

We are awesome.

Am I really THAT old?

Since the last time I posted on here, I've aged a whole year! I enjoyed being 33. I hated to see 34 come. I used to love my birthdays...they were an occasion to celebrate. But now, with each year that passes means more aches and pains, the ever sprouting gray hairs and receding hair line. I wonder...am I too old for this? The Five For Fighting song "100 Years" has been running through my head and has been in heavy rotation on my iPod since we found out Nugg was on his way, and seems appropriate for the moment, especially the line "I'm 33 for a moment...a kid on the way, babe, a family on my mind."

One of my friends on facebook wrote on my wall for my birthday, "Happiest of birthdays to you, father-to-be. Just think this is your last birthday as a married man with no kids. After today your gifts from your child will consist of sticky kisses and ugly ties. I know you look forward to it." I am excited to get those gifts from Nugg though. Although I'm not a tie-wearing sort of guy...I'm sure Linda will help him think of some other crazy gift! But Linda does a good job coming up with gift ideas for me. She got me a Magic Mouse, since our old mouse has been crapping out on us...and she renewed my subscription to Ancestry.com. Yes, I am a geek! Don't judge!

But it was a good birthday. I got to spend it with those that are most important to me. My two families...dinner one night at Tasso's Greek Restaurant. I'd never been there, but had always heard it was a great place. And it was! Great food, belly dancers, and Linda and I got to break plates. OPA! Saturday night, Linda & I met up with my dad & his fiancé Shirley, sister and her family at the Hereford House, a great Kansas City landmark for awesome steaks! Pics are below.

The gang at Tasso's...

At Hereford House...

We are closing out

the 24th week of pregnancy now. This week Nugg has put on 4 more ounces of weight and would be over a pound now. He is about a foot long, or the length of an ear of corn. He's sporting a lean figure right now, but he will be filling out and fattening up. His brain is growing quickly and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing branches of the respiratory 'tree' as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he pops out of the womb. His skin is still translucent and thin, but that will soon change and he plumps up.

The belly button watch

One thing that has always fascinated/horrified me about pregnancy was the whole belly button popping out thing. I don't know why, but it is one of those things that I just obsess over.

Anyway, the pregnancy Web sites say this can happen any day now. I'm on watch and I recently noticed that my belly button is much shallower than it use to be. It's going to happen and I find myself wondering if I will just wake up one day with an inside-out belly button or if it will continue to be a gradual process? What can I wear that covers up the outtie that was previously an innie? Do people notice you have a belly button sticking out through your clothes? I can't wear sweatshirts to work. I gotta have on a sweater or top.

These are the questions that swirl in my head.

Will we be THOSE parents?

You know, the ones that live for embarrassing the hell out of their kids? I don't think so, but Brian and I sure had a good laugh about it the other night. We were driving home from dinner when Prince's "Kiss" came on the radio. Now, just like everyone else our age, we totally jammed out in the falsetto and did the complete freak out/scream at the end. It's very fun... and kind of a stress reliever.

Then, we imagined driving Nugget to his first high school dance. Like Homecoming his freshman year. We imagined him being so embarrassed as we pick up his date and start jamming out to Prince 16 years from now. Of course, then Prince will be considered an "Oldie." Could you imagine the horror for the poor kid? Imagine me driving along and then shrieking "You don't have to be rich to be my girl you don't have to be coo-ool to rule my world..." with Nugget and his girlfriend in the back seat?

It's the stuff movies about teenage angst are made of. With this in mind, please see the top five list below. We'll need to refer back to it someday to see how well I keep to it.

Top five things I vow NOT to do that would likely embarrass Nugget when he is a teenager:

5. The aforementioned jamming out to "Oldies" with Nugget and any of his friends or girlfriends in the car. If Nugget is in the car by himself, all bets are off.

4. Lick my thumb and then use it to wipe his face

3. Bring out photo albums on the first date. I'll wait until he's in a more serious relationship.

2. Walk around the house in my robe or pajamas when his friends are at the house. This rule applies to company in general. And even though I have never gone around with curlers in my hair, I vow not to do that either.

1. I promise I will not dance or attempt to dance when anyone Nugget may know or go to school with could possibly see. I am the WORST dancer in the world. Ask my husband. My attempts at dancing are really just desperate attempts at humor. It would likely cause permanent damage if I attempted to "Bust a Move" when any of his friends or potential enemies are nearby.

I'm gonna live!

Just got back from my follow up appointment from last week - and all is well! I can't help but worry constantly about every little thing...every ache and pain floods my mind with the worst. But looks like I'm okay... My doctor said that my glucose and "bad cholesterol" (LDL cholesterol) were a bit high, but nothing that is alarming to her. She did say that my "good cholesterol" (HDL cholesterol) is "phenomenal" for my age and gender...not sure what that meant. She suggested that my anxiety and ill feelings could just be the nicotine withdrawal after all...just my body's way of adjusting to life without it. She said that it's normal for a first time parent-to-be to have some of these feelings and to want to make sure they're healthy for their children. So more walks with Truman and less Ben & Jerry's ice cream...and that should do it...hopefully. So Nugg will have me around to watch him grow up!

This week is the 23rd week of pregnancy for Linda. Nugg is about 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, which would be about the size of a large mango. His sense of movement has developed so much that he can probably feel Linda move now, and soon we might be able to see him squirm around in her belly. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. Sounds that his ears are picking up are also preparing him for life outside the womb... Nugg should be getting used to loud noises now, so when Truman barks or drops his bone on our hardwood floors, those noises shouldn't faze him. Linda might soon be getting to the point where she can feel Nugg's hiccups.

Poor Nugget...

...has a hypochondriac as a father. What can I say...always have been and probably always will be. I promised myself that once Linda became pregnant, I would quit smoking. So I attempted to kick the habit, but cheated here and there since August (when we found out Nugg was on his way), but haven't had a cigarette in over two weeks now...after having smoked a pack a day for the past 12 years. I know I've done horrible things to my body. I've been managing the cravings and withdrawal and am proud to say that I think the worst of the "nic-fits" are over. However, I have a guilty conscience, like a "smoker's remorse" of sorts, of having smoked all those years has caught up to me, I fear that it's too little, too late. I don't know where or why I feel that way... Maybe it's my way of making sure I never pick up another cigarette...like my brain's way of scaring the bejesus outta me?

I think it's all in my head, but for the past two weeks I've felt like crap. I've felt different sensations in my throat over the past two weeks and have poked and prodded all over my throat to see if I feel anything abnormal...but nope, not a thing. In my job I have to talk a lot, and somedays I have to project my voice so people can hear me...on those days my voice feels tired and sore at the end of the day. All these thoughts flood my mind and make me think of the worst...not to mention trying to self diagnose via the internet with WebMD. Linda tells me that I need to stay off that website because it makes you fear the absolute worst. That website has me fearing everything from an array of cancers to Parkinson's Disease (what Michael J. Fox has) to ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) to dystonia (what the Virginia cheerleader had after getting a flu shot that was in the news recently) to a number of debilitating diseases. For the past week, I would fall asleep okay only to wake up after about four hours and my mind would be racing. Imagine Linda's irritation the other night when I woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep because I was having some kind of anxiety attack and my legs wouldn't stop twitching, and I got up at 1:30 AM to Google it.

We are in between primary care physicians at the moment...our old doctor just retired and we haven't researched a new doctor yet. We had been referred to a few doctors in our insurance network and I call to set up an appointment with them. Since we were new patients to them, the earliest they could get me in would have been February 23! To a hypochondriac such as myself, that's too late...in my mind I could be dead by then! At Linda's urging to quell my mind, I went to the Walgreens Take Care Clinic, where nurse practitioners check you out and send you on your way. I showed up at our local Walgreens first thing on Tuesday morning. I told her my symptoms, she gave me a once over...looked down my throat and found nothing...then told me that she thought I was still going through nicotine withdrawal. She also recommended a nearby primary care physician that accepts new patients almost immediately. I called and set up an appointment just 30 minutes later! She seemed very friendly and I really liked her! She gave me a generic physical...she, too, looked down my throat and saw nothing...felt around my neck, nothing...tested my swallow reflex, nothing...poked and prodded all around my abdomen, nothing...listened to my lungs, they sounded clear... So who knows? Linda, my friends and my coworkers believe that is just me being nervous and first-time dad jitters about Nugg's arrival in a few short months. However, since some of my family members have over- and underactive thyroids, she sent me to get blood drawn to test for that, and test my liver and kidney enzyme functions and have my cholesterol checked. I am feeling better, but am still very anxious and will be until I get the results of that test next Monday. She gave me a low dose perscription to help with anxiety which will help me sleep at night. Last night was the first time I actually slept through the night and got a good 8 hour sleep in over 5 days...thanks also to the makers of Tylenol PM. So, our faithful blog readers, please say a prayer that my bloodwork comes back okay and that this feeling is all in my head. In the meantime, I've made a promise to Linda and myself to stay off WebMD. It is the devil incarnate.

On to a lighter topic, Linda & I have settled on a theme for Nugg's room! We decided to do the epitome of a boy theme, "Frogs, Snails & Puppy Dog Tails", using Truman as our muse. The bedding we really liked and registered for is pictured to the left. However, the walls will be a robin's egg blue and we'll use a chocolate brown for the accents with the drapes and area rug. Linda has already ordered this area rug from Overstock.com for his room. Hopefully it'll tie together well. We are still undecided on a name though...

It's the 22nd week of pregnancy! That means Nugg is about the size of a spaghetti squash, which is about 11 inches. He weighs just about a pound now, and is now looking more like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyebrows and eyelids are becoming more distinct. His nipples are starting to sprout too! His tooth buds are forming under his gum line as well. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part) still lack pigment. I'm hoping he doesn't inherit the shit brown color I have...but gets the crystal blue that runs in my genetics. He is able to perceive light and dark now too. Lanugo still covers his body and the deep wrinkles in his skin, which he'll keep until he starts to fatten up. Inside his belly, his pancreas - essential for the production of important hormones - is developing steadily. Nugg should be hearing pretty much all that Linda says and should be hearing my voice now too. I have to remind Linda that she has little ears listening when she goes into a cursing fit - usually when she's driving. His fingernails have now fully formed, and in some cases, babies might need a nail trimming soon after they are born. Hair is still sprouting on the scalp - although it too lacks pigment and would be bright white. Nugg is sleeping in regular intervals, usually for about 12 to 14 hours a day...and Linda can feel him kick, she claims he is most active in the evening and right before she goes to bed. He is also developing his sense of touch - in fact his grip is well developed. Since there isn't much to grab ahold of in the womb, he might be grabbing the umbilical cord.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's hard to believe another holiday season is upon us. I'm wondering how we'll do this next year with Nugg... I've got two families and then add Linda's family into the mix and we have 3 to 4 Thanksgiving dinners to attend. Linda already had Thanksgiving at her aunt's house last Sunday. Today we are going to my dad and his fiance's and her family's dinner about 30 minutes away; then over to Lawrence, about an hour away, for my other family's dinner...and will actually make it in time for dessert. Tomorrow we are going over to Linda's mom's to celebrate with just her immediate family... Years ago, Linda & I would end Thanksgiving night at the Plaza Lighting Ceremony - a big event in Kansas City - then find a spot in some bar and drink the night away. The past few years we've skipped that and just head home...plus it's no fun for Linda to hang in a bar when she can't drink.

This past week has been a busy one! On Saturday, after we found out Nugg's gender, Linda & I decided to knock out some of the baby registry at Babies R Us. Some of Linda's friends from college came with us as well...since they were jazzed up about us having a baby, but more so they really, really wanted to use the scanner registry gun. They are easily entertained and easily excited, I guess? Anyhow, Linda & I spent about 2 ½ hours at Babies R Us, and of that time I think we spent an hour just looking over strollers. My dilemma was the ease and convenience of the strollers. Working for an airline and boarding many families with strollers, I can't begin to count how many times I've wasted several minutes trying to figure out how to fold down a stroller because the parents failed to collapse their strollers at the bottom of a jetway after being asked to do so before boarding. We ended up registering for two strollers. One that is part of a set that matches the car seat, and the other that's a like an all-terrain stroller. Linda said she wanted something nice to take on a walk, or if we visit somewhere that requires a lot of walking. I told her that traveling is gonna be a whole new adventure with a baby and we'd want to make it as easy as possible. A huge all-terrain stroller is gonna impede our travels - a simple umbrella stroller will be much more convenient. We cut the registry day short though because Linda was starving and will continue another day... It's a daunting task! I never knew how much is required to have a baby! But it's fun!

I think Linda has been going through a nesting phase. She took a few vacation days from work and has been working away on getting the house in order. We've already bought our crib for Nugg, but instead of buying a new chest of drawers and changing table, we are using my grandma's old dresser drawers from the 1940s as a combo dresser and changing table. But we need to refurbish it...and Linda decided to get to work on that with sanding the old stain and scuffs off it. Yesterday she spent most of the afternoon rearranging our closets. She's been very busy!

Seems the hot question of the week now is, "What's the name gonna be?", and "Can we please call him something else besides McNugget (or Nugg or Nugget)?" Linda said she isn't ready to commit to a name just yet and will probably make her mind up in February or March. He's gonna be here in April! It's the age old debate between husband and wife. We have decided that Nugg's middle name will be William, which is my middle name and my dad's first name. But we haven't come to a decision yet about the first name. My list includes Evan, Kyler, Caleb, Elijah, Nicholas, Rylan, Ethan, Owen, Cole, Zachary, Asher, Connor, Landon, Abe, Carter, Keaton, Nash, Case and Grayson. Linda hates most of these. Evan was an early favorite and there's a story behind that name... But Linda's not ready to confirm that name yet. She said she does like Evan, Owen and Zachary. She's thinking of more Irish names. Her maternal grandparents immigrated from Ireland in the 1940s, and she still has cousins there and she was thinking along those lines... She emailed me a short list of Irish names she doesn't hate which included; Finian, Ronan, Owen and Teague. I like Teague and Owen...but Finian and Ronan? She said we could call him Finn or Rowe for short. Ummm, no. I like Finn...but just Finn. Not Finian.

We are in the midst of our 21st week! One of my friends, Deb, put it into perspective - the earliest Nugg could be born in as early as 16 weeks (when we hit our 37th week). In comparison, Linda took the pregnancy test just 16 short weeks ago! Good God! On average, Nugg would weigh about 12 ounces, but he's a bit ahead of the game. At our ultrasound they said he weighs about 14 ounces now! We forgot to ask how long he was, but he'd be about 10 ½ inches long, or about the length of a carrot. Linda is feeling him kick and punch more and more...and you can see him punching away in the ultrasound video. I actually got to feel a pretty good kick the other night...and there was no doubt about it! Such an amazing feeling! In other developments, Nugg's eyebrows and lids are now present. Fingerprints are now fully formed and loud noised can wake him up. In fact, we've already experienced that. Truman dropped his bone on our hardwood floors the other day and Nugg jumped and kicked in response! His circulatory system is completely functional now... The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture him. He already has a high number of red and white blood cells too. The placenta is now about the size of Nugg. In fact at our last appointment, Nugg's heart rate measured 145 beats per minute! Nugg could be swallowing as much as 17 ounces a day of amniotic fluid now. It's so cool to be able to call him HIM!!

Happy Turkey Day everyone!!

It's a ...

So, today was the big day. Today we found out the answer to the boy/girl question. Brian, my mom and I all went to the doctor together and we went to the ultrasound room. The ultra sound tech said she had to do her business first.

She measured the head, looked at the brain, spinal chord, heart, diaphragm, feet, legs, arms. Then she went back and tried to get photos of the face, but Nugg was in a position where all we could see was a profile, but from that profile, I pretty confident to say that Nugg will have Brian's nose!

Then, she finally (like this post) got to the point that we were waiting for. She was trying to get the angle when Brian said, "I think I see something." The ultrasound tech said, "How could you miss it?"

It's a official and absolutely no question. Nugg is a boy! So if you voted boy in our little poll, you have the joy of being right. Congratulations!

Halfway There

I've slacked on updating the blog. Linda told me that I needed to post something! I guess I've just had writer's block.

There's been a lot of developments over the past week! Linda has been feeling Nugg kick more and more strongly everyday. In fact, she started to feel Nugg kick from the outside of the womb. She woke me up a few mornings ago to see if I could feel Nugg...but no luck. The next night, I was at work and Linda was home with Truman. Truman loves to snuggle and had his head resting on Linda's belly...when Nugg decided to give a strong kick...probably because Tru's big head was crushing them! But Linda said that Tru jolted up and looked at her like she had done it on purpose. I was bummed that the dog got to feel Nugg before me! But then, the other night, I had my hand on Linda's belly and felt the slightest, faintest little kick. When I felt it, I had figured it was just Linda tightening a muscle or she had a muscle twitch...but she said that was Nugg kicking...and that from her perspective it was a pretty strong kick...

The day I've waited for since we've found out we were pregnant has finally arrived! Kind of appropriate it's scheduled right smack in the middle of pregnancy. I think today and the day Nugg arrives will be the most exciting of the entire pregnancy! We get to find out if our first born will be our son or our daughter! We go in for the big ultrasound appointment today at 3:30...and it can't get here soon enough! Our poll shows an exact 50/50 split for what our friends, family and blog readers think Nugg might be. So much for a strong lead one way or another. Me, personally, from all the wives tales and myths, I'm expecting a girl...but hoping for a boy. It really doesn't matter either way really, as long as Nugg is healthy, that's all that matters to me.

This week we are in the exact smack-dab middle of pregnancy! Twenty weeks behind us, and twenty more weeks to go! (Even though at the moment, technically, we're closer to 21 weeks...) Nugg would weigh about 10 ½ ounces and is about 6 ½ inches long from crown-to-rump. This is the last week the baby is measured from crown-to-rump, due to the first 20 weeks the baby's legs are curled up against the torso and are hard to measure length. Nugg's length from head-to-heel is about 10 inches, which is about the length of a banana. Nugg is gulping down amniotic fluid for both nutrition and the practice of swallowing, which is good for the digestive system. The taste buds actually work too... Anything that Linda would eat, Nugg can taste! Supposedly tests have been done and studies show that babies respond to tastes they've already had via the amniotic fluid. Meconium is being produced in the bowels, which will be deposited into the first dirty diaper. If it turns out that Nugg is a girl, her uterus is now fully formed and her ovaries are holding about 7 million primitive eggs of her own! If Nugg turns out to be a boy, his testicles have begun their descent from the abdomen to the scrotum. Nugg's skin should also have begun to thicken this week and will develop into four layers.

Here's hoping the next 20 weeks fly by!! I'll be sure to update the blog with a video of the ultrasound!

Snack Time

During the first trimester, sweets were not for me. Eating in general was a painful process because of the "morning" sickness. Now, I don't have that problem. I'm hungry pretty much all the time.

As I write this, my stomach is growling and I am polishing off what was - 20 seconds ago - a Hershey's bar with almonds. Now I am reaching for my banana and wondering what is for dinner.

I don't want a lot of sweets. Just a little candy bar here or there, or a piece of cake, or a fudge round, or a Kit Kat (I searched every single vending machine in my building- 15 total - and no Kit Kats!), or a bite of Ben & Jerry's Magic Brownie ice cream (a pint will last me at least 2-4 days), and I'm good.

However, if I don't get my sweet fix, watch out. I could cut someone.

Well...it's not exactly a piece of crap...

...but close. My car has decided to be temperamental. Yesterday, I was leaving for work and got in my car, turned the key...and nothing. The radio came on, but the engine wouldn't even turn. Just the radio came on. I tried again. Nothing. And tried again a few more times. And nothing. Crap!

Luckily, I try to give myself enough time to get to work (it usually takes me about 25-30 minutes) and I leave about 1 ½ hours before I need to be there. This is mainly due to the fact that I work at the airport and have to park about 2 miles away from the terminal in the employee lot and are shuttled over to the terminal. Since the employee shuttle schedule isn't all that reliable, I choose to leave for work early. Fortunately, Linda had left work early - she went to Houston last night for a work thing. Thankfully, due to construction on I-435, I called her in enough time for her to divert back home to pick me up and we rode together to the airport. But it sucks having one car. And fortunately for me, my brother-in-law, Jeff, is an expert in repairing cars. He owns his own business in Kearney, fixing and repairing cars...and he's nice enough to offer me a 'family discount'. It also helps that I give him some of my buddy passes for free travel...so the repair won't cost me anything. My car, a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am, is 7 years old and out of the extended warranty, so this repair, according to Jeff, is probably pretty costly. Funny thing is, after Jeff got my car towed to his shop...it worked fine. Go figure! He thinks there's something wrong with the computer system. He said he might have it figured out and ready by this Wednesday or Thursday. So until then, we have to depend on one car. Linda's flying back from Houston tonight around 6:30...however I'm off work at 8:00. Then tomorrow, I'll have to take her to work. Then when I have to get to work, I'll have to go pick her up, she'll spend her lunch break driving me up to the airport...and then go back to her work. Then she'll have to come get me tomorrow night when I'm off work. Hopefully it'll just be one day of juggling, since I have Thursdays and Fridays off...but it's still a pain in the ass.

Linda & I got my car paid off a few years ago...and I'd like to keep that car for as long as we can, at least until we get her car paid off. That'll be a few more years though. My car isn't the most ideal "family" car though...it's a two-door. All my friends who have kids have told me that will change very soon and I will need a four-door. Linda has a crossover SUV though...a Dodge Caliber...so we have the convenience of a four-door car.

I just hope we don't have these problems after Nugg arrives! I know we should probably invest in getting me a new car...but it's nice only having one car payment for the moment.

So we are now in our 19th week!! Man, we're almost halfway through this pregnancy! Nugg weighs about 8 ½ ounces and is about 6 inches measured from crown-to-rump (head-to-bottom), which is about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Some of these grocery store produce analogies baffle me. I've never heard of heirloom tomatoes. When I was at HyVee last week, I checked the produce section to get an idea, but found nothing of the sort. Anyhow, the kidneys continue to make urine and Nugg's scalp is sprouting more hair. A waxy protective coating, vernix caseosa is forming on the skin to protect Nugg from pickling in the amniotic fluid. Nugg's sensory development is exploding! The brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. It's apparent that Nugg can hear now too! Linda said that as she was watching last Sunday's Chiefs game, she was screaming at the TV and Nugg was kicking up a storm. Yesterday, as she was driving us to the airport and cursing at the idiot jackass drivers (Linda suffers from road rage a bit), Nugg was also kicking up a bit. I have reminded her that she's got little ears listening to her now.

I'm anxious for our next doctors appointment to get here...only a 1 ½ weeks now until we find out if we are having a son or a daughter! It seems like that's the topic of debate. Seems like everyday at work, my coworkers ask me if I know yet. In fact, I had one coworker tell me she was waiting on pins and needles in anticipation. Her and I aren't even that close, but she said the whole station was eager to find out what we are having. That seems funny to me for some reason...especially given that her and I aren't that close. But I welcome the eagerness of my colleagues...just shows you how much encouragement and well-wishes you get from everyone!

In my dreams

Weird and/or awful things happen! Last night, I had a dream that Brian and I were walking down a street and we came across a daycare facility. We decided to check it out. We just walked in and started asking questions. Then my dream switched over to the basement of this daycare facility where an older woman was just sitting on a stool when these four big thugs came in. They looked like someone cast to play a Russian Mafia boss in the movies. They stole a paperbox full of cocaine. Why was there cocaine in the basement of a child daycare? I don't know. But the lady started screaming and carrying on that they were stealing her coke. Then my dream flashed back to Brian and I and we just looked at each other and said, "maybe we should look at other places."

End of dream.

The night after an appointment where our doctor told us about Edwards Syndrome and Down Syndrome and how to test for those, I had a dream that my baby was born with an elbow sticking out of its head - which, for some reason, never showed up on an earlier ultrasound. I didn't know what Edwards Syndrome was before that doctor's appointment. Our doctor just said it's basically a chromosonal disorder that results in the baby being put together all wrong - hence the dream about the elbow coming out of its head - and the baby usually doesn't survive too long after birth.

I've had dreams that the crazy lady behind us - the one that once ran through the parking lot screaming with nothing on but high heels and a bath robe - tries to steal my baby. In some she is successful, in others I totally kick her butt or am able to grab a 12-gauge that I do not yet own and fend her off.

In none of my dreams do I recall a specific gender being assigned to McNugget. I guess we'll find out for sure soon enough.

When Hormones Attack: Part II

I'm writing this post part embarrassed and part giddy because men in white uniforms haven't shown up to drag me to the loony bin yet.

Last night, I'm sure Brian thought I completely lost my mind. Let's paint the picture ...

On Brian's days off, a typical evening involves eating dinner and then sitting on the couch together with Truman. Only Truman wouldn't sit still. He was up, he was down. He would chew his bone, he would go bark at some noise, but mostly he was PACING. Non stop all night.

Finally, Brian pulled Truman up on his lap and the dog just went to sleep. That's what he wanted, to sit on "daddy's lap." About an hour past and I started teasing Brian about his snuggling with Truman and we were both having a pretty good laugh.

Then, inexplicably, I start to cry. Not just cry. I was bawling my eyes, inconsolable SOBBING.

Why? Because Brian was snuggling with the dog instead of me. For 5 hours we sat on our own side of the couch without issue, so why it was all of a sudden, I don't know. Like I said, I'm just grateful he hasn't had me committed yet.

And in case you missed it, you can read the first ATTACK OF THE HORMONES