Heartbeat...Not Just for Chevys Anymore

Sorry for the delay in posting, folks. As I blogged about last week over at the Front Porch, Tuesday through Thursday was a big blur because of work and sleep (and not much else), and Friday we left for Louisville. But alas, I'm back behind the keyboard and giving you that much-anticipated update.

After extinguising a small "fire" at work Thursday as I was about to leave (that I'm still working on) that kinda messed up my nice, peaceful exit, I headed home to meet Leah and embark on the trip which would be the first milestone of the pregnancy--the heartbeat. This was our 2nd doctor's visit, so there was also kind of an "uncharted territory" feel to the visit. That is, the first visit was the standard stuff--pee in a cup, do an exam, etc. But what happens the 2nd month? As it turns out--not much. But we got what we went for.

The docs have this thing called a doppler that is solely for detecting a heartbeat. It almost looks like a kids microphone playset--a small microphone-looking thing hooked to a speaker by a spiral, telephone-esque cord. Within seconds of Dr. B applying the 'microphone', we heard it. What a magical sound. Even though we had never heard a heartbeat in utero before, Leah and I both knew instantly what it was. As the baby is still quite small, he/she is moving around quite a bit, so we heard it for a moment or two and then it went away. Then a moment (and a few microphone moves) later, we heard it again. Just like that, Dr. B was satisfied with the result and turned it off. I'm pretty sure Leah and I could've listened to it for another hour, but then again, since when do doctor's offices need help getting behind schedule? Wouldn't it be cool if we could rent that sort of thing, only for a month or two, so we could listen to it anytime we wanted? Oh yeah, these people or these people have already thought about it.

We asked her for an estimated heartbeat rate--there is a wive's tale about heartbeat speed being an indicator of boy or girl. The test--lower heartbeat (lower than 140) is said to mean BOY, while faster heartbeat (greater than 140) indicates a GIRL. Wanna know what ours was? 140. I'm not kidding. Gee, he/she isn't even here yet, and is already being difficult!!!

So that was about it for this go-around. Next time we have an option to take a test to check for stuff like spina biffida, Down's Syndrome, etc. There's a 3- or 4-week window for the test, so it's a "now or never" decision to make. Not sure about it at this point, especially since a) nothing could be done about the problem anyway--it's just an indicator test, and b) 15% of the time, the 'positives' are really negatives.

Two months from now, we get the big kahuna--the ultrasound. But for now, we've got a heartbeat that warms our heart.

The Closer You Get

This week is gonna be an eventful one! I've already blogged over at the Front Porch about having to go to court tomorrow (abbreviated version: Ex-neighbor suing me for her insurance deductible, needing to prove negligence to win, which is a fat chance). After we get that behind us, we get to be giddy future-parents again.

If you've been watching the "Quick Facts" box over on the Russellbaby website, you know that our next appointment is this Thursday. Last time was our 8-week visit, but it was little more than annual exam-type stuff and declaration of "Yep, you're pregnant....Everything seems OK....go pay and we'll see you next time." This time Dr. B, Leah, and I will get to hear the heartbeat and may even get an ultrasound (which is one of the ways that they detect a heartbeat). Obviously we both know and believe that we are pregnant, but this may make things seem a lot more real to the both of us. The time will come when he/she will be moving around, kicking, and hiccuping to the point where there is ALWAYS a constant reminder, but as of now, we don't have that.

It seems like every day, I'm learning something else that simply amazes me at the miracle of childbirth. I read in one of Leah's books today that a woman's uterus expands by something like 200 times its pre-pregnancy size. And a pregnant woman's blood volume increases by 50%--which doesn't count the baby's blood (mom's blood never comes in contact with the baby's). Even at 12 weeks, our baby has eyelids, limbs, and is starting to grow hair. From now forward, almost nothing new is gonna form--everything is just growing!!

Leah and I were at Subway yesterday, eating lunch. I caught myself looking for the highchairs. Yep, there they were--right by the door. We've even bought our first bottle of "baby" detergent (All's version is much cheaper than Dreft) and Leah has washed some baby clothes and they are hanging up and ready in the closet of the soon-to-be nursery. Even simple stuff is getting ready to change drastically, and I can hardly wait.

Grab Bag

No real clever title today, namely because I've got a few things to blog about, and none of them are really related. So it's kind of a mixture. Sure, I guess I could do separate entries for each, but why bother?

First of all, I'd like to report that Leah is doing awesome! The most common question I get is, "How's Leah?" At risk of putting a huge jinx on ourselves, the last 10 weeks have been relatively complication free. Initially, she had a bit of congestion and nasal crud that didn't seem like it was going anywhere. But the morning sickness, vomiting, extreme nausea, etc. hasn't been there. Other pregnant women might be cursing us, but hey, you know what they say--Don't hate the player...Hate the game. Or something like that. But so far, so good.

Remember back in early February, when I blogged about Leah's co-worker Stacy announcing that she was pregnant? Well, today Mr. and Mrs. Bailey find out what they are having (i.e., boy vs. girl). This isn't gonna dictate nursery colors or anything like that b/c they've already got it painted and ready, in the Classic Pooh design. Stacy made the comment that it's gonna make it seem that much more real--not just some abstract object in her belly that she'll see in 20 more weeks. Kristi said the same thing not too long ago. I can hardly wait until our ultrasound which will probably be in late July. I know that Stacy and Mike will have as much fun as we're gonna have over the next several months. And I can hardly wait to park our infant carriers beside each other.

Strike 2 in the nursery design department. We spotted a neutral pattern by Kidsline in BRU one time that Leah liked, which we later found out was discontinued. It's still available to some degree, but if you decide you wanna buy a switchplate cover, or a lamp shade, chances are you're gonna have to special order it from someplace like supercheapandinexpensivebabybedding .com in Poughkipsie, NY. Well, this morning she stumbled upon another one of Kidsline patterns, and wouldn't you know it--it too is no longer a current pattern. I called the company to verify this, and wondered how often this sort of thing happens. This last one has apparently been out for 7 years or so, so I guess it's about time to retire it. Either that, or Leah and I are stuck in the 90's when it comes to baby patterns.

Sugar & Spice and....I Don't Think So!

Well, a recent study confirms what kindergarten boys worldwide have known for years: meanness in girls can start as early as age 3 or 4. That's right, the social status fights start early, with name calling, exclusive groups, and deeming those unworthy as being outcasts. And we only thought manipulation and peer pressure were for, well, never mind. Yes, this type behavior sometimes shows up in boys, according to the study, "but much less frequently."

Interesting to say the least. That's why my son will be with me at Putt Putt's driving range, hitting golf balls, at age 4--not learning to be a self-centered, egotistical, self-centered, narcissistic, pompous princess like his female classmates. : )

Rachel's Influence

The Social Security administration publishes a yearly list of most popular baby names (coinciding with Mother's Day), based on actual new baby registrations during the previous year. Several websites such as Babycenter.com and Babynames.com have their own list based on online votes from 'members,' but something tells me that system is set up for failure in much the same way that Ruben was crowned American Idol champ over Clay. Give me an official count, people! (Click here to see the list.) If you're a Cliff's Notes, "just give me the highlights" type of person, the boy, girl, and twins winners are Jacob, Emily, and Jacob/Joshua.

It never ceases to amaze me how pop culture can influence lives so much, down to what to name a child. 10 years ago, for example, the name "Emma" was the 67th most popular baby name among baby girls (much further down the list for boys, if you wanna know the truth). By 2001, it had jumped to 13th. 2003 and 2004, it stood #2. The reason? I'm sure there are tons of theories, but the obvious one is the most likely: the character of Rachel Green in Friends had her baby, named Emma, in season 9. The year? 2003.

So, what do I make of this year's list? First of all, I love the name Eric. Here's why: It's common enough that I didn't feel like some goofball with a crazy name, who fought depression because I could never find a personalized license plate for my bicycle. Yet I don't ever remember being in any class in elementary school with someone else named Eric. I might be forgetting one, but it wasn't anything of "Michael" or "Jennifer" proportions. Not that there's anything wrong with those names--but I never had to be classified as Eric R. because there were 3 other Erics in my class.

Saying all that to say....when the time comes to pick names, I want a name that's somewhere in between trendy and unique. Without disclosing any family secrets, Leah and I have discussed, let's see, NONE of the top 10 male names and 3 or 4 of the female names. Leah says that she can think of all kinds of girl name combinations, but no boy ones. So we'll see. Hopefully little Tallullah Ernestine will arrive and boy names will be a moot point. : )

In the "more useless information" department, "Eric" stood at 61st last year (sliding consistently from 24th in 1990), and "Leah" was 64th after breaking the century mark at 107th in 1998.

Orange Juice and Marlboros

Well, it seems that if Leah wants to continue, I mean, start, lighting up, she's gonna have to start drinking more OJ. Just kidding.

But these researchers have concluded that the vitamin C in orange juice can actually block the negative effects of nicotine on a fetus. Interesting, huh? Of course, I think that all babies of smoking moms should come out with a tatoo on their forehead that says something like, "My mom put me in danger my refusing to kick her nasty habit" but that ain't gonna happen. Hopefully these results will be extremely obscure and won't give cancer-prone moms-to-be everywhere the license to continue doing it, and just say flippantly, "I'll just drink orange juice."

Of course, most smokers that I know have twisted logic anyway, so they'll probably look at me and say, "Yeah, it is a bad habit. Don't ever start. Would you hand me my lighter?"

Top 10 Things.......OK, There's 20

Leah being pregnant has changed my thinking entirely. Suddenly, 2006 isn't just "next year" on the calendar, but the year that we'll celebrate our child's 1st birthday. I've found myself thinking, "I can't wait to........" or "I can hardly wait until _____ happens." Sorta like when we got engaged--I could hardly wait to sail the Caribbean, but I knew that lots of things stood in the way. Namely--TIME. At the reception, I actually found myself, amidst all the thoughts of beginning a life as a husband, thinking that in 12 hours I would be on a plane to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Anyway, random thoughts occur to me. It might be walking down the "baby aisle" at Kroger. It might be just something that happens to come to mind. Regardless, I decided to jot some down. So here it is--by no means is it a comprehensive list, but it's just stuff that I wrote down that came to mind.

Things I'm Looking Forward To. . .

• Painting the nursery
• Assembling the crib
• Finishing the nursery
• Baby showers
• the day of the ultrasound
• seeing our baby for the very first time
• seeing Leah's eyes when he/she is born
• watching Leah be a mommy
• being the center of attention
• falling asleep w/ baby in my arms
• doting grandparents
• doting uncles
• baby dedication at church
• seeing him/her smile & laugh
• hearing "Daddy" for the first time
• teaching manners
• the new meaning of Father's Day
• buying Mother's Day stuff for my wife
• Helping Santa
• Our first "family" vacation

P.S. I just realized that my title is grammatically incorrect. Sorry, Mrs. Biggers and Ms. Said. Let me correct. That should be Things To Which I'm Looking Forward. Nahhh, I like my version better.

Of Stork Bites and Cradle Cap

As previously mentioned (scan halfway down your monitor to Friday's post), Leah and I attended a mini-seminar Saturday morning at Babies R Us. It was entitled "Caring for Your Newborn," and was taught by a maternity ward nurse from Methodist Hospital.

First and foremost (NOTE: digression alert!), we planned breakfast. You see, Babies R Us (from now on to be abbreviated BRU) is just a short distance down Winchester from that evil, carbohydrate-infested place known as Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. No sooner had I made the suggestion Friday evening when Leah produced a fund-raising voucher from her purse, entitling us to one dozen of those heavenly pastries, free of charge (one of her bank customers apparently gave it to her). We left the house a few minutes early, got to that beacon of pastry-ness, and saw it. The Glow. The signal that said, "Eric's breakfast"--the neon sign in the window, proclaiming Hot Doughnuts Now. Allow me to invoke Steve Russell here: Sweet Sassy Molassy!!

We get to BRU and make our way to the back of the store, where the glider rocker section has been turned into a makeshift classroom. I told Leah as we walked in that I hoped there wasn't an inordinate amount of people attending, although I couldn't do a darned thing about it if there was. We were about 10 minutes early, and there were about 3-4 other women there. No dads that I could see. Then a couple more. Of course, by the time the Nurse Teacher was 15-20 minutes into her schpill, there were still rude, non-time keeping people arriving, and before you know it, we probably had 20-25 people. Most were pregnant moms (go figure), with a few dads and even some grandmoms. We had to do that cheesey, 1st-day-of-class, "Hi, my name is ____, I'm due in _____, and I'm having a boy/girl." Of the 12 or so people that answered (before the rude people who don't have a watch got there), about 10 were having a BOY. Geez, this girl thing ain't looking good.

The class itself was informative. There are SO many things that newborns have and/or can get that you have to watch for--most of which have little or no treatment whatsoever or it "goes away in a few weeks" and so on and so on. Nurse Teacher offered some pretty practical advice, such as only introducing one new product (lotion, bath soap, etc) at a time--this is in case a rash or reaction occurs, then you know what the culprit is. Being that boys were the dominating baby sex that day, lots of people had questions about circumcision--not only the process (takes 5 minutes, usually done by the Obstetrician, not the Pediatrician) but how to treat the [is wound the right term here?!] after you come home. Breastfeeding was also a popular topic, and she definitely preached the virtues of it, but was careful to say that it was a personal decision, some women found it difficult, etc etc. One of the most odd questions of the day came when an older woman (there with her pregnant daughter) asked if it was possible for her daughter to initially pump her colostrum only, because it seems Ms. Daughter didn't want to breastfeed but Mother wanted her to. I wonder who's decorating the nursery?!

I forgot to mention that we got a "goodie" back of sorts--Free samples of Dreft detergent, Huggies diapers, etc, along with tons of coupons and special offers--all of these companies trying desperately to get into my wallet. I don't let just anbody there, and it'll take more than a free .025 oz trial size to get the job done. But I did find out where to buy those cute little "HERE(S)HEIS" Hershey's bars, so that was a good thing.

All in all--a fun and informative day. The next BRU 'class' isn't until June, and I'm sure we'll go for that one. Especially if it involves doughnuts. : )