henry woke up at 1:30am to eat. earlier than normal, but not uncommon. i couldn't fall asleep again and had to leave for work at 6am. Pooped henry. Pooped poppa. happy new year. zzzzzzzzz.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Henry's First Christmas
Henry's Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Erin and cousin Etta all came to town. We went to Aunt Emma's house on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and Henry got to meet his Grandpa, Aunt Erin and Etta for the first time. Getting passed around and listening to loud cousins (and louder parents, aunts and uncles playing Rockband? on xbox) is hard work. And therefore, poor napping (and therefore poor sleeping on Christmas). I suppose it was to be expected.
When we 1st walked into Emma's house on Saturday night, we immediately passed Henry to his Grandpa Terry, and went to get more stuff out of the car. We realized that it was the 1st time that we'd ever left Henry anywhere, even though he was only a few hundred feet away from us. We got momentarily excited and said "let's go see a movie!!" 3 minutes later, we were back in the house. No movie.
Overall, it was a good Christmas. We stayed at Emma's house on Christmas Eve, and Henry had his cousin Maddy open his Santa presents on Christmas morning. Since he decided not to sleep much on Christmas Eve, he wasn't up to opening gifts either.
Santa brought Henry a jingly bunny that he likes to hit. It makes nice wind-chime-ish noises, so provides instant results when he touches it. He also got a big fuzzy blanket and a minor demon. He also got lots of awesome clothes from his family.
When we 1st walked into Emma's house on Saturday night, we immediately passed Henry to his Grandpa Terry, and went to get more stuff out of the car. We realized that it was the 1st time that we'd ever left Henry anywhere, even though he was only a few hundred feet away from us. We got momentarily excited and said "let's go see a movie!!" 3 minutes later, we were back in the house. No movie.
Overall, it was a good Christmas. We stayed at Emma's house on Christmas Eve, and Henry had his cousin Maddy open his Santa presents on Christmas morning. Since he decided not to sleep much on Christmas Eve, he wasn't up to opening gifts either.
Santa brought Henry a jingly bunny that he likes to hit. It makes nice wind-chime-ish noises, so provides instant results when he touches it. He also got a big fuzzy blanket and a minor demon. He also got lots of awesome clothes from his family.
 |
| From Henry is Cute |
 |
| From Henry is Cute |
 |
| From Henry is Cute |
 |
| From Henry is Cute |
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Crabby "McCrabberson" Henry
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
8 weeks
Wow. I just realized how long it has been since I've posted new info. Henry had an appointment maybe 3 weeks ago or so, at which point he weighed in at 12 pounds 6 ounces, if memory serves me correctly. He's got another appointment this Thursday, and I'm fully expecting him to weigh in around 13 and a 1/2 or 14 pounds.
Last week I got to meet one of my co-worker's baby, Michael. he was really cute, and just about a week younger than Henry. He only weighed about 9 pounds. Either little Mike was really really little, or Henry is simply HUGE!!! Not sure which.
Henry started sleeping between 5 to 6 hours each night, and remained pretty consistent with it. AWESOME! And then on this past Saturday, he started napping really well during the day. AWESOME!!!!
This Saturday night (after lots of napping all day) we went to a party. Henry was mostly OK. Crabbed a bit. Was happy a bit. We didn't get home until midnight, so I think we messed his sleep up. If I'm remembering right, i think he slept ok, and then napped a lot of Sunday, too. We thought we found our routine/method to get him down when we wanted/he needed.
Until Sunday night. He woke up like 286 times (or maybe just every 2 hours, whatever). And then it pretty much continued like that all day on monday. He wouldn't nap for any more than 30 minutes, and wanted to eat every hour and a half. Same thing last night. So naturally, Molly and I are back to being pretty sleep deprived.
During the late night wake-ups/feedings, my role is to scoop him up out of the bassinet while Molly gets ready to feed him. He's waking me up so suddenly that I get really really confused as to what is going on. Last night I thought for sure we should just put him back to sleep and not feed him. My rationale? It had something to do with the number -298 (yes, negative 298). It took me a good 30 seconds to understand that yes, he is hungry, and yes, i should pick him up and give him to Molly (who throughout this is looking at my like i'm crazy), and NO I should not make him go hungry.
Henry is smiling a lot. it is really the cutest thing in the world. he opens his mouth really big and sticks his tongue out and gets all squinty when he smiles. again, cutest thing in the world!!!
Well, i'll try not to wait another 4 weeks before i update again. henry says hi.
Last week I got to meet one of my co-worker's baby, Michael. he was really cute, and just about a week younger than Henry. He only weighed about 9 pounds. Either little Mike was really really little, or Henry is simply HUGE!!! Not sure which.
Henry started sleeping between 5 to 6 hours each night, and remained pretty consistent with it. AWESOME! And then on this past Saturday, he started napping really well during the day. AWESOME!!!!
This Saturday night (after lots of napping all day) we went to a party. Henry was mostly OK. Crabbed a bit. Was happy a bit. We didn't get home until midnight, so I think we messed his sleep up. If I'm remembering right, i think he slept ok, and then napped a lot of Sunday, too. We thought we found our routine/method to get him down when we wanted/he needed.
Until Sunday night. He woke up like 286 times (or maybe just every 2 hours, whatever). And then it pretty much continued like that all day on monday. He wouldn't nap for any more than 30 minutes, and wanted to eat every hour and a half. Same thing last night. So naturally, Molly and I are back to being pretty sleep deprived.
During the late night wake-ups/feedings, my role is to scoop him up out of the bassinet while Molly gets ready to feed him. He's waking me up so suddenly that I get really really confused as to what is going on. Last night I thought for sure we should just put him back to sleep and not feed him. My rationale? It had something to do with the number -298 (yes, negative 298). It took me a good 30 seconds to understand that yes, he is hungry, and yes, i should pick him up and give him to Molly (who throughout this is looking at my like i'm crazy), and NO I should not make him go hungry.
Henry is smiling a lot. it is really the cutest thing in the world. he opens his mouth really big and sticks his tongue out and gets all squinty when he smiles. again, cutest thing in the world!!!
Well, i'll try not to wait another 4 weeks before i update again. henry says hi.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
4 Weeks
Henry is now 4 weeks old. And, again, he is quite a busy little man. This past Saturday, he met his Great-Grandpa, John Brennan. I overheard Great-Grandpa say, "He's nothing short of a miracle." I have to agree.
He had to say goodbye to his Grandma Sue after her week long visit. We've already noticed that it's not quite as easy when we don't have an extra pair of hands around the house!
On Sunday, we went to Bolingbrook, where Henry met his cousins Parker and Lily Daniel. I took several pictures, but our phone and internet at home is getting all stupid, so I haven't been able to upload them to the album yet. But, you can totally check out Parker and Lily's site by clicking here. Maybe Aunt Susi will have some pictures up soon.
Henry had his 4 week check-up with the doctor today. He's grown to 11 pounds 3 ounces!!! I thought he was an eating machine at 9 pounds 6 ounces, but seriously!!! I guess I certainly no longer need to worry that his sporadic eating means that he's not getting enough.
He's still getting one bottle a day, ranging from 2 to 3 ounces of milk. He pretty much chugs the whole thing in about 5 minutes. I do the bottle feeding at night, at the 1st feeding he needs after I get home from work. The other night, this wasn't until about 2am I think, and I was all confused since he woke me up out of a semi-deep sleep. So after I heated the milk, I went to pour it, not into his bottle, but into the mug of hot water that i was using to heat the milk. I had poured about half of it before I realized what I was doing. Oops. So much for giving Molly a break. He had to go and have his bottle, then immediately latch on to Molly for more.
We're also finding that he really is needing more than just the 2-3 ounces. The past few nights, the bottles just haven't been enough for him. I guess we'll just keep trying and gradually increasing it until he's satisfied.
He's also graduated to cloth diapers. At first, seemed like a bit of a pain, and i was ready to give up and go back to disposables, but I think we've got the hang of it now.
And lastly...a picture of the happy family...
 |
| From Henry is Cute |
 |
| From Henry is Cute |
Henry had his 4 week check-up with the doctor today. He's grown to 11 pounds 3 ounces!!! I thought he was an eating machine at 9 pounds 6 ounces, but seriously!!! I guess I certainly no longer need to worry that his sporadic eating means that he's not getting enough.
He's still getting one bottle a day, ranging from 2 to 3 ounces of milk. He pretty much chugs the whole thing in about 5 minutes. I do the bottle feeding at night, at the 1st feeding he needs after I get home from work. The other night, this wasn't until about 2am I think, and I was all confused since he woke me up out of a semi-deep sleep. So after I heated the milk, I went to pour it, not into his bottle, but into the mug of hot water that i was using to heat the milk. I had poured about half of it before I realized what I was doing. Oops. So much for giving Molly a break. He had to go and have his bottle, then immediately latch on to Molly for more.
We're also finding that he really is needing more than just the 2-3 ounces. The past few nights, the bottles just haven't been enough for him. I guess we'll just keep trying and gradually increasing it until he's satisfied.
He's also graduated to cloth diapers. At first, seemed like a bit of a pain, and i was ready to give up and go back to disposables, but I think we've got the hang of it now.
And lastly...a picture of the happy family...
 |
| From Henry is Cute |
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
3 weeks
Henry has had a busy time this past week.
Last Tuesday he had his two week check-up. His weight was up to 9 pounds, 6 ounces. That's up 13 ounces from his birth weight, and up 19 ounces from his hospital discharge weight! Henry is an eating machine!
On Thursday and Friday, he had visits from his aunt Emma and cousins Maddy and Kelsey & his mom's friend Nicole. On Saturday, his Grandma Brennan came to town. She's staying with us until this Saturday. Aunt Emma, Uncle Dan, Maddy, Kelsey, Uncle John, and Aunt Rachel all came over on Saturday night for dinner.
He got a very cool sweater from his Grandma.
On Monday night, Henry had his very first bottle and did very well with it. Hopefully, he'll keep up the good work so his mom can get some more rest at night.
We also have made trips to Borders, Target, Starbucks, the Post Office, and possibly some other places that I can't think of right now. All of his outings were really great, except the one to Starbucks. His mom was at the doctor and we went down the street for some coffee. He woke up part way through and freaked out. He was completely inconsolable. We walked down to the doctor's office to see if Molly was still in the waiting room and could feed him really quick. No luck. So the entire doctor's office got to hear him scream and shout until her appointment was over. :( But then, once he had his meal, all was right with the world.
Last Tuesday he had his two week check-up. His weight was up to 9 pounds, 6 ounces. That's up 13 ounces from his birth weight, and up 19 ounces from his hospital discharge weight! Henry is an eating machine!
On Thursday and Friday, he had visits from his aunt Emma and cousins Maddy and Kelsey & his mom's friend Nicole. On Saturday, his Grandma Brennan came to town. She's staying with us until this Saturday. Aunt Emma, Uncle Dan, Maddy, Kelsey, Uncle John, and Aunt Rachel all came over on Saturday night for dinner.
 |
| From Henry is Cute |
He got a very cool sweater from his Grandma.
 |
| From Henry is Cute |
On Monday night, Henry had his very first bottle and did very well with it. Hopefully, he'll keep up the good work so his mom can get some more rest at night.
We also have made trips to Borders, Target, Starbucks, the Post Office, and possibly some other places that I can't think of right now. All of his outings were really great, except the one to Starbucks. His mom was at the doctor and we went down the street for some coffee. He woke up part way through and freaked out. He was completely inconsolable. We walked down to the doctor's office to see if Molly was still in the waiting room and could feed him really quick. No luck. So the entire doctor's office got to hear him scream and shout until her appointment was over. :( But then, once he had his meal, all was right with the world.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
12 Days
Little Henry is now 12 days old. Henry had a bunch of visitors today. Uncle John and Aunt Rachel, Aunt Judi, Uncle Jon and cousins Clancy and Christopher, Great-Aunt Cathy, and Grandma and Grandpa Alvarado all came to visit/meet Henry (grandma, grandpa, and Judi had already met him at the hospital).
Before the visitors arrived, Henry had a sponge bath (gotta look his best). While Molly was drying off his head, he was wrapped up in one of his hoody towels and snuggling in my lap. I had a momentary thought that he should be wearing a diaper, but come on...we had just changed him a little bit ago and this will just take a moment. Then, my leg feels suddenly warm and damp. Henry just let loose.
We got him to the changing table and there wasn't just pee, he'd pooped on me too. Oh well. I still had to shower anyway, not a big deal. I can deal with a little pee & poop.
Family came, lots of pictures taken. Henry was very attentive and polite to his visitors. Lots of pics were taken (see Henry's album here)---by the way---If you took pictures, I naturally need copies...
Then, I discovered later in the evening (while snuggling Henry again) that his diaper had slumped down his little bottom, far enough that it wasn't necessarily catching all the juicy badness intended to remain inside the diaper...sadly, I didn't notice this until I was trying to figure out why my hand seemed sticky. As I carried him to the changing table, I realized there was a wet spot on my pants (which reminds me that I need to take these pants off and get them in the laundry). Right after I had him all cleaned up and ready for the new diaper, he opened the flood gates and peed right towards Molly. She jumped out of the way in time, but I had nothing at my disposal to block the little fountain. All I could do is just put my hand in the way. I had no idea that a 12 day old infant's bladder could hold so much urine.
 |
| From Henry is Cute |
Before the visitors arrived, Henry had a sponge bath (gotta look his best). While Molly was drying off his head, he was wrapped up in one of his hoody towels and snuggling in my lap. I had a momentary thought that he should be wearing a diaper, but come on...we had just changed him a little bit ago and this will just take a moment. Then, my leg feels suddenly warm and damp. Henry just let loose.
We got him to the changing table and there wasn't just pee, he'd pooped on me too. Oh well. I still had to shower anyway, not a big deal. I can deal with a little pee & poop.
Family came, lots of pictures taken. Henry was very attentive and polite to his visitors. Lots of pics were taken (see Henry's album here)---by the way---If you took pictures, I naturally need copies...
Then, I discovered later in the evening (while snuggling Henry again) that his diaper had slumped down his little bottom, far enough that it wasn't necessarily catching all the juicy badness intended to remain inside the diaper...sadly, I didn't notice this until I was trying to figure out why my hand seemed sticky. As I carried him to the changing table, I realized there was a wet spot on my pants (which reminds me that I need to take these pants off and get them in the laundry). Right after I had him all cleaned up and ready for the new diaper, he opened the flood gates and peed right towards Molly. She jumped out of the way in time, but I had nothing at my disposal to block the little fountain. All I could do is just put my hand in the way. I had no idea that a 12 day old infant's bladder could hold so much urine.
 |
| From Henry is Cute |
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
First Outing!
Henry had a few "firsts" today. To start off the day right, he had his first "mom and dad administered" bath. He was great throughout the whole thing. He slept and didn't really fuss at all. He was so relaxed that he just threw his leg up and lazed around until we made him move. Why can't I bathe like this?
After his bath, we had his first doctor's appointment. They made him strip down to just his diaper so he could be weighed. When he was born, he was 8 pounds 9 ounces. Upon discharge from the hospital, he was 8 pounds, 3 ounces (totally normal to lose up to 10 % of your body weight shortly after birth). The scale at the doctor's office said that he's up to 8 pounds TWELVE ounces. That means that in just 4 days, he's not only picked up the weight he lost, but added another 3 ounces on top of that! Feeding is going well!
Now, I'm not totally convinced that he is really 8-12. Right before we put him on the scale, he had a massive pee. I changed him after the doc's exam and the diaper was pretty full.
After weighing in, he still needed to keep his clothes off for his exam, so he got all snuggly with mom while we waited. Dr Gould came in, did her thing, and pronounced that he was perfect! (or maybe she just said that he was doing really great. whatever, he's perfect )
After Henry's doctor appointment, we went to see Molly's doctor for a check-in. After a long morning/early afternoon, we went back home for some lunch. Molly napped, Henry and I cleaned the house in the sling. Seems kinda stupid now, but I didn't get a good picture of him in the sling yet. Oh well.
A little bit later, we had our second outing. Molly needed to get to the store, so we went out again. Henry was again on his best behavior and commanded the attention of everyone around him.
Henry is a really good napper...during the day. He'll go down, and we won't hear a peep for 2 hours. Or, he'll go down, wake up 30/45 minutes later, eat, go down, wake up 45 minutes later, eat... Nighttime is a totally different story. Henry is not all that great at sleeping at night. He typically gets fussy between 10 and 11, but we can't quite get him to calm down long enough to fall asleep. Precisely why we try to get some decent naps in during the day. Was up with him last night until 1:30am. Once he settled down, had a late night snack, he was good to sleep. He gave us his longest overnight sleeping stretch yet (4 hours). Woke up again around 5:30 to eat, then 8:30. Not bad, considering what he's done to us previous nights.
Another doctor's appointment next Tuesday, just to check in to make sure things are still going well.
After his bath, we had his first doctor's appointment. They made him strip down to just his diaper so he could be weighed. When he was born, he was 8 pounds 9 ounces. Upon discharge from the hospital, he was 8 pounds, 3 ounces (totally normal to lose up to 10 % of your body weight shortly after birth). The scale at the doctor's office said that he's up to 8 pounds TWELVE ounces. That means that in just 4 days, he's not only picked up the weight he lost, but added another 3 ounces on top of that! Feeding is going well!
Now, I'm not totally convinced that he is really 8-12. Right before we put him on the scale, he had a massive pee. I changed him after the doc's exam and the diaper was pretty full.
After weighing in, he still needed to keep his clothes off for his exam, so he got all snuggly with mom while we waited. Dr Gould came in, did her thing, and pronounced that he was perfect! (or maybe she just said that he was doing really great. whatever, he's perfect )After Henry's doctor appointment, we went to see Molly's doctor for a check-in. After a long morning/early afternoon, we went back home for some lunch. Molly napped, Henry and I cleaned the house in the sling. Seems kinda stupid now, but I didn't get a good picture of him in the sling yet. Oh well.
A little bit later, we had our second outing. Molly needed to get to the store, so we went out again. Henry was again on his best behavior and commanded the attention of everyone around him.
Henry is a really good napper...during the day. He'll go down, and we won't hear a peep for 2 hours. Or, he'll go down, wake up 30/45 minutes later, eat, go down, wake up 45 minutes later, eat... Nighttime is a totally different story. Henry is not all that great at sleeping at night. He typically gets fussy between 10 and 11, but we can't quite get him to calm down long enough to fall asleep. Precisely why we try to get some decent naps in during the day. Was up with him last night until 1:30am. Once he settled down, had a late night snack, he was good to sleep. He gave us his longest overnight sleeping stretch yet (4 hours). Woke up again around 5:30 to eat, then 8:30. Not bad, considering what he's done to us previous nights.
Another doctor's appointment next Tuesday, just to check in to make sure things are still going well.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Home From the Hospital
ok, I actually have a few minutes to devote to this...
Here's how things have gone over the past few days:
Monday evening, Molly started feeling some back discomfort. After we went to bed, she woke up again around midnight, then woke me up a little after 1am. Her back was hurting more, and she was getting some contraction pains.
Around 4am, we discovered that if Molly was on her feet, the contractions weren't quite so bad, so we went for a walk. A little after 5am, we called the Doctor because most contractions were less than 5 minutes apart.
We got to the hospital around 5:30am. As of 6 am or so, Molly was 6cm dialated. Woohoo!
Molly got some stadol around 7 something to take the edge off the pain. It didn't take the pain away, but it distracted her and let her get some rest, and let me get some coffee. The epidural came around 9 something? Molly was nervous about that, but all-in-all, it went rather well. Within 15 minutes, she was completely un-aware of her contractions, except for when she looked at her monitor.
After that, she was confined to her bed for the rest of the labor. Good thing, cause she couldn't feel her legs, and after a while, she had next to no control over them.
At noon, she was 8cm dialated and the doc had broken the water for her. Not sure why that was necessary, but whatever, I guess.
Around 3:30ish, she was fully dialted and ready to push. Only problem? she couldn't feel the contractions (which is when you push) and she couldn't feel the push. Around 4ish, the determination was made to turn the epidural down. Then, when she still wasn't feeling what she needed around 5:30(?), the determination was made to turn it off competely.
Molly started pushing around 6:00pm, and it was totally amazing. With each contraction, and each push, I could see just a little bit more of his hair. All of a sudden, there was a full head, and then a push or two later, the rest of his body.
Still haven't slept all that great since that day. I get confused on what happened when. Sometimes, I accidentally call him Beef (it's not just me. Molly does it, too). We got home from the hospital yesterday around 4:30ish? Since then, Henry has cried, pooped, peed, looked at us with interest, vomited on me (twice).
He's gotta be one of the most beautiful people that I know.
Here's how things have gone over the past few days:
Monday evening, Molly started feeling some back discomfort. After we went to bed, she woke up again around midnight, then woke me up a little after 1am. Her back was hurting more, and she was getting some contraction pains.
Around 4am, we discovered that if Molly was on her feet, the contractions weren't quite so bad, so we went for a walk. A little after 5am, we called the Doctor because most contractions were less than 5 minutes apart.
We got to the hospital around 5:30am. As of 6 am or so, Molly was 6cm dialated. Woohoo!
Molly got some stadol around 7 something to take the edge off the pain. It didn't take the pain away, but it distracted her and let her get some rest, and let me get some coffee. The epidural came around 9 something? Molly was nervous about that, but all-in-all, it went rather well. Within 15 minutes, she was completely un-aware of her contractions, except for when she looked at her monitor.
After that, she was confined to her bed for the rest of the labor. Good thing, cause she couldn't feel her legs, and after a while, she had next to no control over them.
At noon, she was 8cm dialated and the doc had broken the water for her. Not sure why that was necessary, but whatever, I guess.
Around 3:30ish, she was fully dialted and ready to push. Only problem? she couldn't feel the contractions (which is when you push) and she couldn't feel the push. Around 4ish, the determination was made to turn the epidural down. Then, when she still wasn't feeling what she needed around 5:30(?), the determination was made to turn it off competely.
Molly started pushing around 6:00pm, and it was totally amazing. With each contraction, and each push, I could see just a little bit more of his hair. All of a sudden, there was a full head, and then a push or two later, the rest of his body.
Still haven't slept all that great since that day. I get confused on what happened when. Sometimes, I accidentally call him Beef (it's not just me. Molly does it, too). We got home from the hospital yesterday around 4:30ish? Since then, Henry has cried, pooped, peed, looked at us with interest, vomited on me (twice).
He's gotta be one of the most beautiful people that I know.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Henry and Contact Info
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Henry Alberto Alvarado
Sunday, October 14, 2007
so, here's a weird thought...
...I'm about to be a dad. Like...really...a dad.
it's not 9 months away. It's not 2 months or a month and a half away. He's due in one week, but as all babies do, he'll come when he feels like it.
Don't get me wrong...I am really, really, excited to meet him. But I am also terrified of him (it what i hope is a normal and healthy way).
But the uncertainty just makes it worse. I could be a dad tomorrow, or maybe in two weeks. How does a rational person cope with that thought? (molly has just informed me that i need not worry about this because i am "not a rational person, and everyone knows it."---nice.)
I think we've finished the basics to be physically ready for him
We've got a comfy chair, a changing table and books. The changing table cabinets are stocked with cloth diapers and new-born sized disposable diapers. We've got the bum-wipes and art on the walls.
He's got a Sealy Posturpedic mattress. Heck, it's better than my mattress. And his crib-skirt matches the curtains on the windows.
the carseat is installed and ready for use (although it does make the car seem a whole lot smaller).
it's not 9 months away. It's not 2 months or a month and a half away. He's due in one week, but as all babies do, he'll come when he feels like it.
Don't get me wrong...I am really, really, excited to meet him. But I am also terrified of him (it what i hope is a normal and healthy way).
But the uncertainty just makes it worse. I could be a dad tomorrow, or maybe in two weeks. How does a rational person cope with that thought? (molly has just informed me that i need not worry about this because i am "not a rational person, and everyone knows it."---nice.)
I think we've finished the basics to be physically ready for him
We've got a comfy chair, a changing table and books. The changing table cabinets are stocked with cloth diapers and new-born sized disposable diapers. We've got the bum-wipes and art on the walls.
Molly made curtains and we have a nice pull-down shade (this side of the house faces the sun-rise, so we don't want him up that early in the summer-time). We've got brackets on the walls to hold the curtains open. 
He's got a Sealy Posturpedic mattress. Heck, it's better than my mattress. And his crib-skirt matches the curtains on the windows.
the carseat is installed and ready for use (although it does make the car seem a whole lot smaller).
and...we have a nice swing to rock him back to sleep.
He's even got a Halloween costume. I didn't take a picture of it, but it should look something like this:
what else could we be missing?
no really! what else!?!?!
EDIT - 5:25PM---I've had several people say "you're already a dad, you just haven't met him yet" (or something similar) so, this post is hereby clarified---i'm about to be a dad to a real-live-oxygen-breathing-baby. it just seemed easier to say that i'm about to be a dad.
Friday, October 5, 2007
very strange dream this morning
this is only just partly about beef...
In my dream, I'm only 16 years old. I get home (except not my real home), and my grandma (but not my real grandma) is there waiting for me. "Where have you been?" All I can think about is how to tell her that my girlfriend is pregnant. But i plop down on the couch, lazing around like any good 16 year old would...
Then she tells me that molly (but it's not actually Molly, I think she said Ana?) is in the hospital. Then she said things like, "he's so beautiful" and "he was crying so loudly" and I realize that the baby has already been born! And she's been just letting me sit and lounge on the couch!
and then i woke up.
I hate dreams that end with "and then i woke up."
1st, why am i only 16 in my dream?
2nd, who the heck is Ana?
3rd, who was this Mexican woman pretending to be my grandma? She definitely wasn't my Mom's mom (seeing as how she was Mexican), and she looked nothing like the pictures of my dad's mom. So i think i just made her up.
In my dream, I'm only 16 years old. I get home (except not my real home), and my grandma (but not my real grandma) is there waiting for me. "Where have you been?" All I can think about is how to tell her that my girlfriend is pregnant. But i plop down on the couch, lazing around like any good 16 year old would...
Then she tells me that molly (but it's not actually Molly, I think she said Ana?) is in the hospital. Then she said things like, "he's so beautiful" and "he was crying so loudly" and I realize that the baby has already been born! And she's been just letting me sit and lounge on the couch!
and then i woke up.
I hate dreams that end with "and then i woke up."
1st, why am i only 16 in my dream?
2nd, who the heck is Ana?
3rd, who was this Mexican woman pretending to be my grandma? She definitely wasn't my Mom's mom (seeing as how she was Mexican), and she looked nothing like the pictures of my dad's mom. So i think i just made her up.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
36 Week Doctor Visit and MORE
Today we saw Molly's doc. This was the visit where we needed to make a plan. What if he doesn't turn around on his own? What are the best options? After finding out that the accupuncture was $400+, and talking about c-sections and cathador's and what not, Molly was naturally feeling pretty stressed.
Well, after a few minutes of just talking w/ the doc, she felt around on Molly's belly to see if she could gauge how he was laying. After just a few moments (and an ultrasound, just to be sure), she confirmed that he is in fact in position!!! We of course gave him many congratulations on his acheivements and treated him to some left over cake from the baby shower at work. I was talking to one of my friends about it today, and i felt like I proud dad bragging about how his kid got straight A's for the 1st time...it was a cool feeling (but strange and unfamiliar)...
Oh, and Mary M---This part is especially for you:
For those of you who are not Mary M, she gave us the bib that Flat Belly Bear is wearing (as well as a matching one piece outfit, which sadly doesn't fit the bear yet). Mary was sure to tell me that the bib was specifically for Beef, not the bear. Well, Flat Belly Bear wouldn't take no for an answer. Sorry Mary.
Well, after a few minutes of just talking w/ the doc, she felt around on Molly's belly to see if she could gauge how he was laying. After just a few moments (and an ultrasound, just to be sure), she confirmed that he is in fact in position!!! We of course gave him many congratulations on his acheivements and treated him to some left over cake from the baby shower at work. I was talking to one of my friends about it today, and i felt like I proud dad bragging about how his kid got straight A's for the 1st time...it was a cool feeling (but strange and unfamiliar)...
Oh, and Mary M---This part is especially for you:
For those of you who are not Mary M, she gave us the bib that Flat Belly Bear is wearing (as well as a matching one piece outfit, which sadly doesn't fit the bear yet). Mary was sure to tell me that the bib was specifically for Beef, not the bear. Well, Flat Belly Bear wouldn't take no for an answer. Sorry Mary.
Beef's Room
Our diaper changing station is an old piece of furniture that Molly found at an antique shop a couple years ago. Parts of it were falling apart (click here to see before pictures). We just got it back from the restoration people a week ago.
We're borrowing the rocking chair with rocking ottoman from my sister, Susi. It's pretty comfy.
And the crib, which you've already seen from an earlier post. This room used to be Molly's craft room. The baskets on the wall were used for holding yarn and fabrics and the like. Now, they're filled with stuffed animals, other toys, and blankets.
We're borrowing the rocking chair with rocking ottoman from my sister, Susi. It's pretty comfy.
And the crib, which you've already seen from an earlier post. This room used to be Molly's craft room. The baskets on the wall were used for holding yarn and fabrics and the like. Now, they're filled with stuffed animals, other toys, and blankets.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Baby In A Bag
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Timberland
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Week 35
We're now in Week 35.
Beef has very little maneuvering room now and isn't likely to try somersaults anymore. He should be around 18 inches and 5+ pounds. His kidneys are fully functioning and his liver can now produce waste. Yummy. Since most of his basic development is done now, he just needs to focus on packin' on the pounds (which should be coming at a rate of about an ounce a week).
Went to the doctor today with Molly. He's still facing the wrong way. His head is towards the top left side of the uterus, with his bottom towards the bottom right hand side. We're going to continue (and probably step-up) the exercises to coax him down, but he's got about two more weeks to get his act together before we need to discuss alternatives.
Option One:
Accupunture. The Chinese culture has been doing this for thousands of years. No one is quite sure why, but accupuncture combined with the burning of specific herbs has a 80% success rate of getting the baby the turn around. The doctor gave us a business card to a local accupunturist who can help us with this. Not sure if our insurance will cover this or not. (Since I typed this paragraph---found out that it is NOT covered under my insurance and it costs like $400---not gonna happen---too bad, it sounded cool)
Option Two:
External Cephalic Version (ECV). This is the intense belly massage I mentioned last week. It's supposed to be pretty uncomfortable and has some risks:
1. It might not work. They may make some progress, but he might decide that his original position is simply more comfortable and go right back to where he was.
2. The membrane that holds the amniotic fluid (and Beef) could break.
3. The placenta could become dislodged/damaged/ruptured.
Both 2 and 3 would require an immediate emergency C-Section, which is why this is always done at a hospital with staff at the ready to do it.
Option Three:
We could just schedule a C-Section. We would of course prefer that he be born normally, but the ball is pretty much in his court. Our doctors won't even consider trying a "regular" birth if he's not in the right place.
At this point, we're trying not worrying about it, but we'll have to take his cues when the time comes.
We asked the doctor about getting copies of the ultrasound pictures from the last visit, but they've already been sent out to whoever rights up ultrasound reports and are in storage there...the only way to get new pictures is to have a new ultrasound. So, probably no new pictures until he's born, unless there's a need in the next couple weeks to have another ultrasound.
Beef has very little maneuvering room now and isn't likely to try somersaults anymore. He should be around 18 inches and 5+ pounds. His kidneys are fully functioning and his liver can now produce waste. Yummy. Since most of his basic development is done now, he just needs to focus on packin' on the pounds (which should be coming at a rate of about an ounce a week).
Went to the doctor today with Molly. He's still facing the wrong way. His head is towards the top left side of the uterus, with his bottom towards the bottom right hand side. We're going to continue (and probably step-up) the exercises to coax him down, but he's got about two more weeks to get his act together before we need to discuss alternatives.
Option One:
Accupunture. The Chinese culture has been doing this for thousands of years. No one is quite sure why, but accupuncture combined with the burning of specific herbs has a 80% success rate of getting the baby the turn around. The doctor gave us a business card to a local accupunturist who can help us with this. Not sure if our insurance will cover this or not. (Since I typed this paragraph---found out that it is NOT covered under my insurance and it costs like $400---not gonna happen---too bad, it sounded cool)
Option Two:
External Cephalic Version (ECV). This is the intense belly massage I mentioned last week. It's supposed to be pretty uncomfortable and has some risks:
1. It might not work. They may make some progress, but he might decide that his original position is simply more comfortable and go right back to where he was.
2. The membrane that holds the amniotic fluid (and Beef) could break.
3. The placenta could become dislodged/damaged/ruptured.
Both 2 and 3 would require an immediate emergency C-Section, which is why this is always done at a hospital with staff at the ready to do it.
Option Three:
We could just schedule a C-Section. We would of course prefer that he be born normally, but the ball is pretty much in his court. Our doctors won't even consider trying a "regular" birth if he's not in the right place.
At this point, we're trying not worrying about it, but we'll have to take his cues when the time comes.
We asked the doctor about getting copies of the ultrasound pictures from the last visit, but they've already been sent out to whoever rights up ultrasound reports and are in storage there...the only way to get new pictures is to have a new ultrasound. So, probably no new pictures until he's born, unless there's a need in the next couple weeks to have another ultrasound.
Friday, September 14, 2007
blog from my cell
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Week 34
Well, according to Baby Center, our boy should be somewhere around 4.75 pounds, and about 18 inches long. He's got some good fat layers growing to help regulate his body temp once he's born, so he's getting good and round. He's got very smooth skin and his central nervous system and lungs are getting more mature by the day.
Statistically, babies born between 34-37 weeks will do just fine (assuming no other health issues), though they may need a short term in NICU to make sure.
As of our last Doctor visit, he was breech, with his head up. There're some excercises we're doing at home to try to coax his head down to the right spot. If that doesn't work, the doctor will try to force him down by doing a pretty uncomfortable massage of Molly's belly. If that still doesn't work, we may be looking at a C-section. Most doctors these days will not try to deliver a baby breech because there's so many risks involved.
Last week we started a Pregnancy and Labor class at West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park. It's every week for 5 weeks on Wednesday nights. Learning stuff I never thought of before.
Next Dr appointment set for 9/18 at 11am, at 35 weeks.
Statistically, babies born between 34-37 weeks will do just fine (assuming no other health issues), though they may need a short term in NICU to make sure.
As of our last Doctor visit, he was breech, with his head up. There're some excercises we're doing at home to try to coax his head down to the right spot. If that doesn't work, the doctor will try to force him down by doing a pretty uncomfortable massage of Molly's belly. If that still doesn't work, we may be looking at a C-section. Most doctors these days will not try to deliver a baby breech because there's so many risks involved.
Last week we started a Pregnancy and Labor class at West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park. It's every week for 5 weeks on Wednesday nights. Learning stuff I never thought of before.
Next Dr appointment set for 9/18 at 11am, at 35 weeks.
The Boy's Bed is Ready
Well, his crib is ready for occupancy. His room isn't quite done yet, and stupid me, I forgot to put the crib mattress pad in the wash before I made the bed, so it's not even on there. Oh well, we have 6 weeks or so (hopefully).Flat Belly Bear seems to be enjoying his recently found temporary freedom, though kinda weird that he's decided to wear diapers now?
In other news, we had another ultrasound last week on Tuesday 9/4. We didn't get copies of any of the pictures they took. Will try to butter up the doctor at the next appointment.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Saturday, June 9, 2007
6/9 Ultrasound
Profile Shot
Front View
Another Front View
Yup, definitely a boy. (see arrow) The two tubey looking things above and below the arrow---those are his LEGS. Imagine Beef is standing up on two feet & the camera is on the floor looking up...that's the shot we have here. You can also see his little butt.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)