tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55102739100131198402024-03-14T00:19:19.278-07:00Baby in my Baby - A Man's Sympathy Weight Pregnancy BlogA helpful resource for new Moms and Dads to be! Starting at 13 weeks, this blog tracks our baby's developments and the emotions of a man preparing to be a father.Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-6495554153835466632013-06-20T09:27:00.000-07:002013-06-20T09:27:13.049-07:00Long overdue updateHello, it's been a very long time since I have posted. To give you an update, Josie is doing great! She is almost 15 months now and is as active as can be. She is crawling all over the place, talking, and almost walking... any day now. You can find new pictures of her and poems and writings about parenthood on my new blog - <a href="http://bookofmohs.com/">bookofmohs.com</a>. I'm honored that it has been nominated for a <a href="http://bookofmohs.com/2013/06/20/very-inspiring-blogger-award/">Very Inspiring Blogger Award</a> As always, thanks for reading!Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-11408092200897377412012-04-10T21:13:00.068-07:002013-06-20T09:36:18.599-07:00The Birth: Baby Out of my Baby!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrMYQgJqt1IdBdj_gU5tGecZ0cEQ6KHqY2I4l84mPoLvDsHoMizopLYGwiikwJ6-YPJ0UnOFDMfiX4apk5jK4wwknFoeuvIwwH0Tt_b_nDSp4cTQAsLM9-XyoMwMAWl5ucv5KC_3BuXE/s1600/Proud+Papa.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrMYQgJqt1IdBdj_gU5tGecZ0cEQ6KHqY2I4l84mPoLvDsHoMizopLYGwiikwJ6-YPJ0UnOFDMfiX4apk5jK4wwknFoeuvIwwH0Tt_b_nDSp4cTQAsLM9-XyoMwMAWl5ucv5KC_3BuXE/s400/Proud+Papa.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729992200850817810" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">The Day of our Birth - April 2, 2012</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3:00AM</span> I came out of a very deep sleep to the sound of my wife talking and the lamp turned on. I could not understand what she was saying at first as it took me a few seconds to wake up. I saw her frantic look which awakened me faster. She said "Honey, I don't mean to alarm you, but I'm having strong contractions frequently which I am unable to sleep through."<br /><br />I asked her how painful they are. She said painful enough so she couldn't sleep through them. She also said after timing them for over an hour they were approximately 4 minutes apart and lasted 45 seconds to a minute. We both knew about the <a href="http://www.momaroo.com/690141552/labor--when-to-go-to-the-hospital/">4-1-1 Rule</a> which means when the contractions are at least 4 minutes apart lasting at least 1 minute for at least 1 hour you should go to the hospital. <br /><br />I started to get goosebumps and felt slightly sick to my stomach with anticipation. We then called the nurse line to get some advice. As expected, they did not advise us to hurry to the hospital just yet. They suggested her to take a warm shower and call back in an hour see if that affected the contractions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4:00AM</span> Called the nurse line back and she reported that the shower didn't slow the contractions, actually they had increased in the intensity and were lasting a little longer now, about 1 minute. She said okay a couple more times quickly and hung up. Then she looked at me with a excited/worried look. "We're going to the hospital! Quick, finish packing our hospital bag"<br /><br />After grabbing her robe and a few last minute items, we were off! She was having contractions while driving to the hospital, but it wasn't like the movies. No water had broken yet, I wasn't speeding, and she wasn't screaming in pain. We were calm, turned on some classical music and drove the speed limit. I was a little fast around corners which prompted her to tell me to slow down so she could stay comfortable.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5:00AM</span> Arrived at the hospital. We parked in and headed up to labor and delivery. After checking in the front desk, we were seated in a triage bed. The nurse on staff came and hooked Nikki up to monitors. The also checked her cervix. She was 2 centimeters dilated. Nothing to be alarmed about since most women labor at home until they get to 4.<br /><br />Nikki was upset and was thinking that she might get sent home. She was uncomfortable and didn't like the prospect of leaving the hospital. She wanted to have the baby now! So, the nurse suggested that we walk around the hospital for about an hour to see if that helped her progress.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6:25AM</span> It seemed like forever, we made several laps on the first and second floor and Nikki's feet were really starting to get swollen and hurting her. Surprisingly, the contractions dulled and she couldn't feel them as much while walking. After 45 minutes of walking we sat down to rest by the doors of labor and delivery. Then the on-call midwife showed up. She was very nice and explained that we might not be progressing fast enough to stay at the hospital.<br /><br />This made Nikki more upset and she wanted to have the baby. The midwife sympathized and said why don't we check your cervix again to and go from there. We agreed and headed back into the triage room. The contractions were intensifying now and she was in more pain. I was holding her hand now. We both waited impatiently as we watched the baby's heart rate and the contractions go up and down on the monitor.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">8:00AM</span> After about another 30 minutes I was just about to get someone and the midwife and nurse came in. They asked her how the contractions were and she said more painful and just as frequent. They checked the cervix again to find out she was 4 centimeters! She also had some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_show">bloody show</a> which was a sign that labor was starting. A sigh of relief came over both of us and they transferred us to our labor room!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">8:40AM</span> Now the real pain started! If you read our birth plan, you know that Nikki did not want an epidural. I showed the nurse and the midwife our birth plan I had saved on my cell phone. She wanted to try a water birth if possible and no pain medication if possible. We quickly learned this was a tall order to live up to! Her contractions were increasing in intensity and duration. The pain now was centered on the sides of her hips more than anywhere else.<br /><br />She described the pain from the contractions as sharp stabbing on the sides of her hips and she asked me to start rubbing there on each side as she was having the contraction. It alleviated the pain somewhat and I was happy to help in anyway I could even if I couldn't help much.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">10:15AM</span> They checked her cervix again, she was at 6 centimeters! The contractions were getting more painful now and I had to rub her hips harder each time. My hands were starting to hurt, but I didn't care, it was nothing compared to her pain and it seemed to help somewhat. I did have to keep readjusting where I rubbed because her pain seemed to change locations slightly each contraction but still along the sides of her hips and lower back. <br /><br />We tried several positions to help the labor along. First she tried hands and knees, which seemed to help for awhile but then it became too painful again. Each contraction I rubbed vigorously until the pain subsided. She then told the midwife that she wanted to get in the bathtub. We knew that laboring in the water can be easier for women and it relieve some of the pain from the contractions.<br /><br />She sat in the tub cross-legged facing the tiled wall and I continued my rubbing during contractions. She said it did help significantly and I could even gently pour warm water over her between contractions which was soothing she said.<br /><br />I learned many of these comfort measures from our lamaze class at <a href="http://www.babylovemn.com">Baby Love</a> Childbirth Education Classes in Eagan, MN. They taught me to basically be at her beckon call through labor and to do anything she asked. It seemed to help and it was the least I could do for my beautiful wife.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">11:30AM</span> after over an hour in the tub, the water was losing its effectiveness in relieving the pain. She was starting to cry and I cried with her. It was so hard seeing her in pain with her teardrops hitting the bathtub water each time a contraction came. It seemed unbearable pain at that point. After a particularly painful contraction, she looked at me and said "I want an epidural!" I said okay dear and kept helping her through the pain while we waited for the midwife to come back. We mentioned it to the midwife and she suggested we check the cervix again to see where she was at and then if we wanted we could start the process of getting the epidural.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">11:45AM</span> She laid back down on the bed and the contractions got worse still. The midwife asked her where her pain was on a scale of 1-10 and she said a 9. They suggested some mild narcotic pain medication also called <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/labor-and-delivery/PR00105">opiods</a>. They would help with the pain but be relatively harmless to mother and baby and would feel like you had a couple glasses of wine. After injecting the medication by IV she felt some relief right away. It didn't help much with the pain of contractions, just helped her rest in between.<br /><br />She was in a lot of pain now and uncomfortable on the bed. They then suggested the exercise ball. She sat on the ball with her head and arms resting on the bed. They suggested I sit behind her to support her since she now as a bit uncoordinated from the medication. They suggested she do a hula hoop motion with her hips during the contraction as I rubbed still in about the same spot. They also suggested that she say some phrases to help her breathing. She said "Owie Owie Owie" over and over during the contraction that seemed to help. The nurse then said "You're going to hula that girl out of there!" We both laughed briefly and Nikki even cracked a smile for a second which the nurse and the midwife were delighted to see.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">12:15PM</span> Nikki carefully climbed back on the bed and they checked her cervix again. She was at a 9! The midwife was astonished how fast she was progressing and just then her mom showed up. She jumped right in comforting her on one side with me on the other while the nurse and midwife monitored. Between contractions I spent my time getting fresh cool washcloths for her forehead, eating a brief meal for energy, and I quickly called my mom to let her know it was time for her to come to the hospital.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">12:45PM</span> The pain was off the charts now. Nikki was screaming and crying at times like I had never seen her do before. She seemed barely conscious, almost in a trance like state of pain and anguish! I couldn't contain myself as I sobbed over her. My teardrops fell on her back as I continually massaged her hips. The muscles in my arms were burning now from the pain of rubbing for nearly 6 hours but still I kept going. I know she needed me to continue and it was the least I could do.<br /><br />We then changed positions again. This time draping her body over the front of the bed with it elevated. This position helped as she didn't have to hold her body up anymore on her hands and knees. It seemed never ending!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1:00PM</span> Between another whopper of a contraction, the midwife asked if Nikki wanted her to break her bag of water. The midwife warned if she did this it would speed things up drastically and the pain would get even more intense. Without hesitation, she said loudly "Let's do this!" My mother-in-law and I couldn't help but laugh a bit because she was so confident in her answer. She was determined to have this baby now! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1:05PM</span> Just after they broke her water, my Mom came in the room in between contractions. I briefly hugged and kissed her when another one started. Now they encouraged Nikki to push. She was completely exhausted so the only position left now was on her back. Now her mom and mine stood back and watched. The nurse took one leg and I took the other. We held them as to have counter pressure for her to push against. Nikki was pushing so hard that the midwife told her to stop, she needed to take more breaths between pushes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1:10PM</span> Things were happening so fast now thinking back it was like a blur of motion. The bag of water was leaking out and during one of the pushes the midwife saw the crowing of the head. <a href="http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/lungs/meconium.html">Meconium</a>," the midwife said and suggested that the nurse call the nic unit to stand by to suction the baby off after birth due to thick meconium (the baby's first stool) in the amniotic fluid. Just then I looked down and saw it too. Anxiety flushed over me in a wave. I asked the nurse is the baby okay? She said yes as the baby was still being monitored and the vital signs looked good. Still, I couldn't imagine how the baby could breathe with how think the Meconium looked!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1:20PM</span> The pushing was extremely intense now. The pain was off the charts, we were all encouraging her to push as much as she could. The baby's head was coming out a couple of centimeters. Whew, another contraction done. I noticed that the baby's head would sink back in a couple centimeters between contractions. Almost like 2 steps forward, 1 step back. I thought, how much longer can we go? Then another contraction was starting. This was the most intense one yet. Nikki seemed to push forever with all she had. I was absolutely in awe as I watched what happened next...<br /><br />The head came out 3 centimeters, then 4, 5, 6, 7, and then enough for the midwife to grasp the head on both sides. She came out face down or in the <a href="http://vbaccommunity.wordpress.com/2008/02/16/posterior-vs-anterior-labor-positions/">anterior position</a> which we learned in our class is the preferred method.<br /><br />It was jaw dropping amazing! I don't understand why I used to and many men still say they wouldn't want to watch it. It was truly the miracle of life right before my eyes. Sure, she was messy and bloody and covered with meconium, but you overlook the gross stuff. Her little chubby body was pulled out in one fluid motion by the midwife. She flopped onto the bed head first quickly the midwife turned her and made sure she was breathing. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1:26PM</span> A nurse called the time of birth and she was born!!! Then the nurse quickly cut the umbilical cord and whisked the baby over to a nearby auxiliary table where she was promptly suctioned off to get all the meconium off of her and to inspect her. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCF-OaehRPH4A0rV7_4DkcA0kUSEFJewVEY98ERvHZ2h471US-tEN9oOJVHqWQcl2gDXMoOlTR7SaDADHimgf5EIX21CiuZ3ewAIC6ehHP2oJDGyxeP6u-8ljhYFsFjVk1R1kCxjcDBI/s1600/Just+Born+3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCF-OaehRPH4A0rV7_4DkcA0kUSEFJewVEY98ERvHZ2h471US-tEN9oOJVHqWQcl2gDXMoOlTR7SaDADHimgf5EIX21CiuZ3ewAIC6ehHP2oJDGyxeP6u-8ljhYFsFjVk1R1kCxjcDBI/s320/Just+Born+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730018973333902914" /></a>We were all silent. We just walked over to inspect the baby ourselves and she was still purple, and was silent. They gave her a little oxygen but then took it off as she was breathing on her own. They said she luckily hadn't aspirated any meconium. She opened her eyes and was looking around for the first time in a new world!<br /><br />After making sure she was okay, they brought her back to my wife, her new proud and exhausted mom! We had almost forgot about Nikki for a minute there, but I apologized for being distracted, I just wanted our baby to be okay.<br /><br />Then Nikki held little Josephine for the first time!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-9TTYRgWgM76bOMTsIV_efNZfAp0rcsyrmE1XwOnrJ0ug6iVq9a_2d0EFq7puzrMgq6kqlggrW5xqmZJgdyBUvsxryPKPbxzym0lkwT93WF2vzYIyJE0AJ9fZCkOy-0CVYPH0ZVww1w/s1600/Proud+Mama.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-9TTYRgWgM76bOMTsIV_efNZfAp0rcsyrmE1XwOnrJ0ug6iVq9a_2d0EFq7puzrMgq6kqlggrW5xqmZJgdyBUvsxryPKPbxzym0lkwT93WF2vzYIyJE0AJ9fZCkOy-0CVYPH0ZVww1w/s400/Proud+Mama.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730023655004951106" /></a><br /><br />That's right, we decided to name her <a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Josephine">Josephine</a>, or Josie for a nickname. It's one of those old fashioned sounding names that's coming back into style. She was 7 lbs. 3 oz. and 19.3 inches long!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8HvWprW3cIBu9hobVTRduMtgnV7KkNhaKuD6K01JQ51jiGQaFUOw8dMYvUK3R-1VyHEXy7Q7N8ZXf4pv4QxHPt86hiAYUBSs5RDDP3-TDOrudQK6Zc62M2u4usduHtuo4vRHDWwIlY0/s1600/%257Bcb6ed0a6-fb15-4dde-9443-b08fb793de11%257D_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8HvWprW3cIBu9hobVTRduMtgnV7KkNhaKuD6K01JQ51jiGQaFUOw8dMYvUK3R-1VyHEXy7Q7N8ZXf4pv4QxHPt86hiAYUBSs5RDDP3-TDOrudQK6Zc62M2u4usduHtuo4vRHDWwIlY0/s400/%257Bcb6ed0a6-fb15-4dde-9443-b08fb793de11%257D_1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730038181085166770" /></a><br /><br />So now that my beautiful baby is officially out of my baby, blogging about our pregnancy has come to a close. I enjoyed writing about this and I hope you have enjoyed reading about my experience. I will continue to post on this blog about my journey into fatherhood raising Josie and at my <span style="font-weight:bold;">New Blog</span>:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bookofmohs.com/>bookofmohs.com - a collection of my poems and writings about fatherhood and other subjects</a>. I'm honored that the book of mohs has been awarded the <a href="http://bookofmohs.com/2013/06/20/very-inspiring-blogger-award/">Very Inspiring Blogger Award</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnkYOKVzt2oESDUrPAcetHQtuSyInWjf0O7KxuY8X0yVsQocs7TJhLn8XdxtipSyEib_OnFbmXtkAAurhNcST7wZ8O4jDGI9Q62e8mDaVZ0Hxd3rfVrUR7zO4wPECDspjl9Npt91HGco/s1600/%257Bcb6ed0a6-fb15-4dde-9443-b08fb793de11%257D_4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnkYOKVzt2oESDUrPAcetHQtuSyInWjf0O7KxuY8X0yVsQocs7TJhLn8XdxtipSyEib_OnFbmXtkAAurhNcST7wZ8O4jDGI9Q62e8mDaVZ0Hxd3rfVrUR7zO4wPECDspjl9Npt91HGco/s400/%257Bcb6ed0a6-fb15-4dde-9443-b08fb793de11%257D_4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730038758710387122" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGKO3LgfOtaTYrA_vX36cVHeEvdfxZ_FNmWwGLMKcCLAmReSNl_w7VctbjcsDr8_Ucozvpa8vRAQolsjOdl_SVGY9YQwAlDjg2dNVPIKe-TUpJsJaUaD1xHVnbXZEqmFd-KzNJOC55-0/s1600/%257Bcb6ed0a6-fb15-4dde-9443-b08fb793de11%257D_7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGKO3LgfOtaTYrA_vX36cVHeEvdfxZ_FNmWwGLMKcCLAmReSNl_w7VctbjcsDr8_Ucozvpa8vRAQolsjOdl_SVGY9YQwAlDjg2dNVPIKe-TUpJsJaUaD1xHVnbXZEqmFd-KzNJOC55-0/s400/%257Bcb6ed0a6-fb15-4dde-9443-b08fb793de11%257D_7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730038875782843282" /></a><br /><br />Thank you for reading from me (Justin), my wife who is my baby (Nikki), and from my baby now out of my baby, Josie! (right before we left the hospital, pretty in pink in her car seat)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcS4hIrJROx-G5_RoQlPd_-W7BX74wEQUFovhACokb-UH1qgRcu-LNDAYEIJwKmqZknoSS2rPfvqIN-cuCbTd6I-zZpCsWxEX3kaxTgQY1sPBHmtJaHOJxKtt3B8kAFYDgULDc3O8byQ/s1600/Thanks+for+reading.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcS4hIrJROx-G5_RoQlPd_-W7BX74wEQUFovhACokb-UH1qgRcu-LNDAYEIJwKmqZknoSS2rPfvqIN-cuCbTd6I-zZpCsWxEX3kaxTgQY1sPBHmtJaHOJxKtt3B8kAFYDgULDc3O8byQ/s400/Thanks+for+reading.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730032482492578642" /></a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-33100817379124461342012-04-01T15:57:00.014-07:002012-04-01T17:27:22.891-07:0038 Weeks Pregnant - Locked and Loaded!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb84NF1ec1Tow0KLMksyhDrW92QCNkIAH4qJ00cvhddxoKnTuZiPjYhGmEFZ6r6LuMS5E_Vgav7NEuJyb4nu3o3LWry607hJHVJ9glcf_Ec9-SmLZzIAkPSPfRIQLwwKgJtz_F3eHGYEM/s1600/Nikki38weeks.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb84NF1ec1Tow0KLMksyhDrW92QCNkIAH4qJ00cvhddxoKnTuZiPjYhGmEFZ6r6LuMS5E_Vgav7NEuJyb4nu3o3LWry607hJHVJ9glcf_Ec9-SmLZzIAkPSPfRIQLwwKgJtz_F3eHGYEM/s320/Nikki38weeks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726584936380465298" /></a><br /><div>My wife is now at 38 weeks pregnant. (Full Term) My baby girl is ready to be born now! She's now 6.8 pounds and is 19-1/2 inches long from her head to heels, as long as a <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=36">leek</a>! She has a firm grasp now, which we'll soon be able to feel when our baby squeezes our finger for the first time :) :) :) Her organs are now fully developed and ready for life outside the womb.<br /><br />This week, my wife's chiropractor said she's "Locked and Loaded" in the head down position in the pelvis, ready to be born! The midwife also said she has no dilation yet. However, the mild <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/0_braxton-hicks-contractions_156.bc">braxton hicks contractions</a> have been increasing with as many as a couple per hour but are still without any pain and come and go. Some women report having these weeks before birth but we'll monitor it for any changes.<br /><br />This week we've been wondering when <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/stages-of-labor">early labor</a> will start. We are lucky to have many helpful resources from the midwife and our lamaze classes. According to <a href="http://www.budapest-doula.com/early-signs-of-labor.html">Budapest Doula</a> here are some common signs of early labor that we've been looking for:<br /><br />-<span style="font-weight:bold;">Intense Nesting:</span> feverishly organizing baby's clothes by color or type, doing laundry, setting up the baby's room in great detail, and in general having an intense desire to prepare your house for your bundle of joy.<br />-<span style="font-weight:bold;">Diarrhea:</span> while it may be gross to talk about, this can be an important sign of early labor. All the mild contractions can soften the stool. Also, some say eating spicy foods can cause more bowel movements which can in turn initiate more contractions. But we all know about old wives tales.<br />-<span style="font-weight:bold;">Increasing Contractions:</span> this is textbook right, increasing in frequency and intensity. Right now we've only had the mild braxton hicks version to the best of our knowledge, but she has noticed the frequency and intensity increasing slightly in the past couple days.<br />-<span style="font-weight:bold;">Dilated Cervix:</span> this hasn't happened yet. We have another appointment this Thursday though and who knows maybe we'll see some dilation. If not, the midwife said she might <a href="http://www.justmommies.com/pregnancy/labor-and-childbirth/stripping-membranes">starting stripping the membranes</a> to help it along. Stripping the membranes can help labor along because it assists in ripening the cervix and preparing it to dilate.<br />-<span style="font-weight:bold;">Losing the Mucus Plug:</span> aka "Bloody Show" is a jelly like substance that can be clear, pink, grey or another color that can range from very small to the size of a golf ball and is the substance that seals the cervix and prevents harmful bacteria from entering the cervix during the 9 months of pregnancy. My wife has not lost this yet, however some women never notice it, some lose it multiple times, it really depends.<br />-<span style="font-weight:bold;">Breaking the Water:</span> ah, yes, the common sign of pregnancy we all recognize from the movies. However, real life is usually much less dramatic. It might start leaking, might gush out, however most women don't actually have it break until <a href="http://transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/parented/laborbirth/active.htm">active labor</a>. Again, no waters have broke yet. One thing I didn't know with this is once you spring a leak of amniotic fluid, you should not take baths or have sex, because you could introduce harmful bacteria to the open uterus!<br /><br />We've had some braxton hicks contractions, but mostly we've just been nesting a lot! We even finished the nursery, here's a 360 degree view of our purple and white baby's room. I think it's a beautiful room for our beautiful girl:<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lf-BztNnAak" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><a href="http://youtu.be/lf-BztNnAak">Baby Nursery Finished - 360 degree view</a><br /><br />So, we're playing the waiting game now. In the meantime I have been stressing a lot about the pending birth. I too am nesting in a way and am afraid we don't have everything ready. It helps to talk about it though. <br /><br />I mentioned to my brother the other day that you'll never be ready for all of this. No matter how much you want to have children, no matter how many books you ready or websites you research, nothing will fully prepare you for everything you will go through. Your life will go though a major change, but it's a good change and it's one that will help you grow. Becoming a father doesn't happen overnight and it's a process. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sympathy Weight Update:</span> lost a couple, at 204 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 19 lbs so far. I just took a 10 mile bike ride yesterday so that might help, I'm so sore though, ah!<br /><br />Well that's all for now, thank you for reading my blog! It means so much to me that people see my experience and hopefully get something out of it. Next week my baby will weigh as much as a <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=37">Baby Watermelon</a>, believe it or not!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-38-weeks_1127.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 38 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-38-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=36">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now she is as long as a Leekd! Ouch!!!</a></div>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-1252354494426929492012-03-18T19:15:00.010-07:002012-04-01T16:45:14.794-07:0036 Weeks Pregnant - The Final, Final Stretch!<div>My wife is now at 36 weeks pregnant. My baby girl is now 6 pounds and is 18-1/2 inches long from her head to heels, weighs as much as a Crenshaw Melon! She's now losing her covering of thin peach fuzz hair and the waxy material that covered her skin called the vernix caseosa. Ever gotten out of a hot bath after sitting for awhile and got wrinkly skin? Well, this covering helps the baby stay wrinkle free in the amniotic fluid for 9 months.<br /><br />This week, my wife's prenatal exams have increased in frequency to weekly. Our midwife started checking the cervix and there is no dilation yet. She'll check every week and it can help them gauge how far off the start of labor is.<br /><br />This week my wife and I have finally felt like we can see the light at the end of the long and arduous tunnel of pregnancy. I think it's a relief mentally for her to be at this point now, but there's still the anxiety of the actual pending birth which although we've prepared for, we are still uncertain and nervous.<br /><br />The biggest thing weighing on our mind, which is probably the same for most people, is the pain at birth. We are hoping to have a water birth, however there are many factors that can prevent this. (ie. too much blood loss, unsafe increase in fetal heart rate, no pain meds allowed in the water, and being able to physically get in and out of the water without assistance)<br /><br />We are learning to take comfort in the little things we can control: our diets (we're both trying to eat more fruits and veggies), our mental health (taking time to relax and de-stress), feeling and hearing the baby's heartrate (my mom is a nurse and gave us one of her stethoscopes), and just knowing that the end is near.<br /><br />I'm not ashamed to admit, as a new dad to be I'm stressed about it and kind of scared terrified at times. I mean, I think no matter how much you prepare, the thought of having a little life before you that you're absolutely 100% responsible for their well-being 24/7/365 is enough to put stone cold fear into any man before he learns how to do it. I've wondered if I was ready, and even had days where I questioned myself, but I know I have what it takes. I need to remember to breathe, and know that I was born to do this, I am equipped with all the necessary skills, and wherever I lack knowledge I will quickly learn and re-learn as I go.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sympathy Weight Update:</span> UNCHANGED, at 206 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 21 lbs so far.<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as a swiss chard... what the heck is a <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=34">swiss chard - see it here</a>???<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-35-weeks_1124.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 36 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-36-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=34">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now she weighs as much as a Crenshaw Melon! Ouch!!!</a></div>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-37168361198126825922012-03-12T20:40:00.005-07:002012-04-01T16:45:26.670-07:0035 Weeks Pregnant - Finalized our Birth Plan!<div>My wife is now at 35 weeks pregnant. My baby girl is now 5-1/4 pounds and over 18 inches long from her head to heels, weighs as much as a Honeydew Melon! There's not much room to maneuver now that she's running out of room in the uterus.<br /><br />According to Babycenter guest blogger <a href="http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/35-weeks-pathetic-stage-of-pregnancy/">Katie Marsh Lord</a>, 35 weeks pregnant marks the start of the "Pathetic" stage of pregnancy. This blogger also refers to it as the very uncomfortable, very pregnant, and kind of over it stage. (My wife says that is SO true!)<br /><br />The pathetic stage was a term coined by this blogger's husband as she says one of the most bone-headed things he said during her pregnancy. I can sympathize because I've had my share of bone-headed moments as a new dad.<br /><br />As we're nearing the end, we are preparing. My wife is cutting back her hours at work to 6.5 hours a day instead of 8. She has become much more exhausted and cannot work full time anymore. We've also heard it's good to start making double portions of dinners and freezing them for when we have our little one home from the hospital and we are shorter on time. We also need to think of what to start packing for a hospital bag. According to <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/packing-for-the-hospital-or-birth-center">Babycenter</a>, here are some good things to pack:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Hospital Bag Packing List</span><br /><br />•drivers license<br />•birth plan<br />•glasses<br />•toiletries<br />•bathrobe<br />•camera<br />•money<br />•anything else helpful<br /><br />Speaking of a <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/calculators-birthplan">Birth Plan</a>, this week is a good time to finalize one if you haven't already. My wife Nikki just finished ours, and here it is:<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Our Birth Plan</span><br /><br />Plan A: Water Birth<br /><br />Plan B: Deliver using a variety of pushing positions- avoiding laying on back during pushing. <br /><br />Care Preferences: Natural comfort measures (water therapy, massage, moving around), Minimal interventions, IV pain medication as a last resort, NO Epidural<br /><br />After Delivery: <br />•Baby placed skin-to-skin immediately (goo and all). <br />•Cord Blood Banked immediately<br />•Avoid any testing or treatments such as antibiotic eye cream application, blood testing, and first bath until after first feeding. <br />•Skin-to-Skin contact as much as possible. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sympathy Weight Update:</span> Gained 2, now at 206 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 21 lbs so far. (This may or may not have had something to do with increased fast food intake) :)<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will weigh as much as a crenshaw melon... what the heck is a <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=34">crenshaw melon - see it here</a>???<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-35-weeks_1124.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 35 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-35-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=33">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now she weighs as much as a Honeydew Melon! Ouch!!!</a></div>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-84883897165163032422012-03-03T14:27:00.014-08:002012-04-01T16:45:38.425-07:0034 Weeks Pregnant - Crib Assembly, Finishing Nursery<div>My wife is now at 34 weeks pregnant. My baby girl is now 4-3/4 pounds and 18 inches long from her head to heels, weighs as much as a Cantaloupe! There's not a lot going on in there besides the baby getting fatter. Her fat layers which help regulate her body temperature after being born are filling out giving her that rounder, plumper look that we all love babies to have :) Also this week her central nervous system and lungs are becoming more sophisticated every day preparing for life outside the womb. Our baby is now completely viable, meaning, if my wife Nikki went into labor early our baby should be just fine with a possible stay in the neonatal unit.<br /><br />So this is now crunch time! This is the last several weeks until the baby comes. My wife and I are scrambling to finish last minute tasks that we won't have time for soon like finishing the nursery. I just finished putting together the crib my mom purchased for us. I made a short time lapse of me putting it together:<br /><br /><iframe width="580" height="475" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rgVssb_DWNI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><a href="http://youtu.be/rgVssb_DWNI">Crib Assembly Time Lapse</a><br /><br />I also need to finish the rest of the nursery by touching up paint, setting up the furniture, and purchasing an air filter so our beautiful baby's lungs stay healthy. Of course, she will be sleeping in her bassinet in our room at first.<br /><br />My wife Nikki is starting to reach the point where she just wants the baby out. The fatigue is wearing on her and it's hard for her to get quality sleep with the tossing and turning as well as more frequent trips to the bathroom.<br /><br />I wish I could take some of the burden off her shoulders. If I could I would carry the baby, I would love to experience pregnancy first hand if that was possible. However, I probably would not handle it nearly as well as her, and would probably be complaining much, much more. As strong as us guys can be, I don't think we could handle the pain of pregnancy well.<br /><br />What do you think about that? Take my survey to the Right of the page >>>>>> <br />Chime in on your opinion about men carrying a baby if that was possible, and thanks!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sympathy Weight Update:</span>Unchanged at 204 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 19 lbs so far.<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will weigh as a cantaloupe... GOOD GOD, believe it or not! I feel so bad for my poor wife. I love her so much!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-34-weeks_1123.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 34 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-34-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=32">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now she weighs as much as a Cantaloupe! Ouch!!!</a></div>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-44934066791968236202012-02-27T18:43:00.015-08:002012-03-03T15:12:18.471-08:00To bank cord blood or not to bank cord blood... that is the question!That is what my wife and I are trying to decide. Actually, we've mostly made up our mind, mostly because my mother-in-law is a big supporter of it and helped my sister-in-law finance it and is going to help us too. In an effort to be unbiased and offer a service for the readers of baby in my baby, for this post I will pretend we don't have the influence of financial assistance. As with all of my posts I'll let you make up your own mind. First, let's talk about why people bank cord blood.<br /><br />Cord blood is rich in young stem cells that is obtained by capturing the blood in the umbilical cord when it is clamped and cut at birth. Cord blood stem cells are being currently used to effectively treat some forms of cancer, blood and immune genetic diseases, and some blood disorders. While it has become much more common, critics of cord blood collection still argue that it may be more valuable for the baby to get as much of the cord blood as possible at birth instead of saving it. On the other hand, supporters claim that some of these valuable cells will be wasted without the banking.<br /><br />When banking cord blood, you'll typically receive a cord blood collection kit with everything the hospital needs to collect it, and then it's your responsibility to ship it via overnight courier to the cryogenic facility to be put in frozen storage. The company we went with is CBR, and here's a video showing the cord blood kit contents we received so you know what to expect:<br /><br /><iframe width="580" height="475" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bNoX1EfcG6g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><a href="http://youtu.be/bNoX1EfcG6g">CBR Cord Blood Kit Contents</a><br /><br />The bottom line is, the jury in the medical community is still out and it should be a personal decision for new parents. Private cord blood banking is a relatively new practice that has to be a personal decision for parents. Costs can range from $800-$2,000 or more for the initial cord blood banking, and then several hundreds of dollars per year to store in a cryogenic facility.<br /><br />Cord blood banking is a significant ongoing expense which is sold by private banks as a life insurance policy that is a smart decision. Many times they say that if siblings or other family members are a match, they also could potentially use the blood if they develop a disorder that could be treated with the blood.<br /><br />Another argument in support of storing cord blood is that science will most surely continue advancing and some of the uses for this blood may not be in practice today yet. This is another idea that is communicated by companies trying to convince you to save this precious blood.<br /><br />In the end, as with most decisions as new parents, you have to make the call. My wife are going with <a href="http://www.cordblood.com/">CBR (Cord Blood Registry)</a>, and we just received our kit which we need to bring to the hospital, but I still have my reservations. We most surely would not have done it if we needed to come up with the entire cost ourselves. However, with all that considered we do think it's a wise choice for the scientific future potential uses for the blood as a good investment. Perhaps if either of us or a sibling is a match, if any of us gets cancer, (which runs in our family) then perhaps we could benefit.<br /><br />Worst case scenario would be if this money and the blood were never used and wasted, however, there are worse things to spend your money on. Also, if we get older and think it will not be used we could donate it or turn it over to our children and it could potentially be past on to the next generation as long as the blood could still be viable.<br /><br />Hope this blog helps and whether you bank cord blood or not, thanks for reading!Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-67106374941333291082012-02-24T22:35:00.019-08:002012-04-01T16:45:52.555-07:0033 Weeks Pregnant - The Final Stretch! (pun intended)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDaxFdxVmSWihr-wWIvJHvSSAydnXOxnZtlEAiO95FQCnsLdjwZdiKJ0vyO7RNwLTVA90qhi6C23JvS_XuoaqESoDTKRINF6A43JPnPKWtcDQyfGaWQf5wutUg9eD3rxpXathgbKp5ZY/s1600/nikki33weeks.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDaxFdxVmSWihr-wWIvJHvSSAydnXOxnZtlEAiO95FQCnsLdjwZdiKJ0vyO7RNwLTVA90qhi6C23JvS_XuoaqESoDTKRINF6A43JPnPKWtcDQyfGaWQf5wutUg9eD3rxpXathgbKp5ZY/s320/nikki33weeks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714008879795124770" /></a><br /><div>My wife is now at 33 weeks pregnant, the Final Stretch! (pun intended) My baby girl is now 4 pounds and 17 inches long from her head to heels, weighs as much as a Pinapple! OUCH!!! I'm sure glad I don't have a pineapple inside me... <br /><br />Our baby is quickly losing that wrinkled look and starting to really plump up fast. She's moving more and I can feel the different body parts pushing against the tummy. I think I could feel a foot, a hand, elbow, back, head, and even the mushy butt! Also, it's amazing to put my ear against her belly, I can hear the heartbeat clearly and can hear lots of moving in there. My mom's a nurse and I'm going to borrow a stethoscope so my wife Nikki can hear the baby too.<br /><br />Speaking of Nikki, my wife, have I mentioned how beautiful she is? I don't think I have nearly enough. People keep telling her that she has really "popped" in the last couple weeks. She keeps saying she's fat, in fact she even said it in her sleep tonight saying it's hard to flip over to her other side. I just comforted her and told her how beautiful she is. Honestly, curves just adds to her beauty :) She is my dream girl that's gracefully carrying my baby girl, I couldn't ask for more in life!<br /><br />So much has happened this week. We just finished our Lamaze classes at <a href="http://www.babylove.com">Babylove</a>. If you live in the Minneapolis / St Paul (Twin Cities) area and are expecting you simply must check them out! They are all about natural healthy childbirth and our instructor Brittany was second to none! Also, the baby has been <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breech_birth">breached</a> for about 4 weeks up until now. My wife's chiropractor practiced the "<a href="http://icpa4kids.com/about/webster_technique.htm">Webster Technique</a>" to turn the baby head down like she should be. After only one adjustment of her hips it seemed to create more room. Last week my wife felt the baby starting to move way more after the adjustment, and when we had another prenatal exam on Monday, she had finally turned! It really seemed to work for us.<br /><br />So that's it, for now, we're in the final stretch, we have our first baby shower this weekend and we're hoping to start filling up our nursery.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sympathy Weight Update:</span> lost a few again, back down to 204 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 19 lbs so far! I went running with our dog Harry so maybe I'll do that some more and eat healthier.<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will weigh as a cantaloupe... GOOD GOD, believe it or not! I feel so bad for my poor wife. I love her so much!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-33-weeks_1122.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 33 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-33-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=31">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now she weighs as much as a Pinapple! Ouch!!!</a></div>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-66201247093804775302012-02-09T21:39:00.001-08:002012-02-10T11:52:22.882-08:0030 Weeks Pregnant - Belly Button Popped Out!<div>My wife is now at 30 weeks pregnant. My baby girl is now 15.7 inches long from her head to heels, as big as a Large Cabbage! Right now there is about a 1-1/2 pints of amniotic fluid and is starting to hit her growth spurt. <br /><br />She now keeps her eyes open most of the day even though it's pitch dark, however she can sense bright light coming in through her skin. Her eyesight is not very keen yet, about 20/400 put is improving all the time.<br /><br />My wife's belly button popped out now. She actually started to cry when she realized it and I didn't know what was wrong until she told me. I tried to comfort her, she really wasn't that upset, she says the hormones just overcame her and it just made her cry.<br /><br />We also had our fouth <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamaze_technique">Lamaze</a> class in a 6-week program. I learned it's not just about breathing anymore. It's run by 2 <a href="http://www.babylovemn.com/doula.html">Doulas</a> and is called <a href="http://www.babylovemn.com/">Baby Love</a> in Eagan, MN. Our Instructor, <a href="http://www.babylovemn.com/bios.html">Brittany</a> is very nice and informative. We are learning so much about how to create a birth plan that's right for us and how to be good to yourself during this important time.<br /><br />Also, I'm learning more about how to prepare for the big day. I'm learning techniques how to support her like massage, holding her hand, walking through the contractions, sitting in the tub with her through labor pains, a technique called the butt squeeze where you put pressure on her upper buttocks. This is supposed to alleviate back pain especially if she starts to have <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/0_back-labor_1451580.bc">back labor</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sympathy Weight Update:</span> I'm a seesaw and gained another 5, now 208 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 23 lbs so far! What are you going do right?<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as heavy as four large navel oranges, believe it or not! I feel so bad for my poor wife. I love her so much!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-30-weeks_1119.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 30 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-30-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=29">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now she's as big as a Large Cabbage!</a></div>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-90969444151876915262012-01-23T17:11:00.001-08:002012-01-24T22:25:33.429-08:0028 Weeks Pregnant - 3rd Trimester - Eyes Blinking!<div>My wife is now at 28 weeks pregnant today, the start of the third and final trimester! Finally!(says my wife) My baby girl is now 14.8 inches long from her head to heels, as big as a Chinese Cabbage! She now weighs 2-1/4 pounds she is getting bigger with even stronger movements. <br /><br />She now can blink her eyes and has prominent eyelashes. She also may be able to see sunlight through the womb and we saw this in action as she moved with the sun on her belly that was pouring in through the bedroom window one morning. Here's a video I shot of it:<br /><br /><iframe width="580" height="475" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4GJi-Crk2z0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><a href="http://youtu.be/4GJi-Crk2z0">Baby Moving in Uterus because of Sunlight!</a><br /><br />We also noticed she's responding much more to music. We have been playing some classical, even some rock. There was this one part in a rock song where the drums started pounding pretty fast and right then you could see a rhthymic thumping in the mid section of my wife's tummy.<br /><br />We also had our first Lamaze class in a 6-week program. I learned it's not just about breathing anymore. It's run by 2 <a href="http://www.babylovemn.com/doula.html">Doulas</a> and is called <a href="http://www.babylovemn.com/">Baby Love</a> in Eagan, MN. Our Instructor, <a href="http://www.babylovemn.com/bios.html">Brittany</a> is very nice and informative. I will share more about what we learn very soon. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sympathy Weight Update:</span> Actually Lost a few Pounds, 203 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 18 lbs so far! Looks like those dog walks are paying off. <br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as an Butternut Squash, believe it or not!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-28-weeks_1117.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 28 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-28-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=26">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Chinese Cabbage!</a></div>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-60755901255992539432012-01-07T22:41:00.001-08:002012-01-24T22:25:21.404-08:0026 Weeks Pregnant - Painting Baby's Room!We thought very carefully on what color we wanted our Baby Girl's Room to be, and after long deliberation, actually my wife Nikki just decided for us :), we went with "Violet Eclipse." Nikki loves purple and this is me painting it on:<br /><br /><iframe width="580" height="475" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lLHLU8-X2Bo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><a href="http://youtu.be/lLHLU8-X2Bo">Baby Girl - Pregnancy - Nesting - Painting Baby's Room</a><br /><br />My wife is now 26 weeks pregnant today. My baby girl is now 14 inches long, as big as a English hothouse cucumber! She now weighs 1-2/3 pounds she is really starting to make my wife's belly move when she moves! The nerves in her ear have grown to be more intricate now so they say she can hear conversations and she is getting used to the sound of our voices. <br /><br />Also, her lungs are preparing for breathing by her actually inhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid into the developing air sacs in her lungs. She does this to practice and strengthen her chest muscles so when she emerges into the air she can take a gulp of air and continue through the rest of her life. <br /><br />This week we're really starting the nesting process. I'm finishing painting the baby's room tonight and we will be starting a 6 week long Lamaze class in a couple weeks. Things are really coming along :) This week we've been busy reading and watching movies and I'd like to make a couple of recommendations to help with the process toward being a mother and father...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Recommended Movie:</span><br /><br />This week we also watched a movie which I highly recommend! It's <a href="http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/product/dvds/science-and-space/in-the-womb-dvd">"In the Womb," a National Geographic Movie</a> that uses revolutionary 3D and 4D scans to follow a birth from the moment of conception to the day the baby is born. It's so interesting and very educational for Mom and Dad to be. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Recommended Book for Dad:</span><br /><br />My wife found a wonderful book which I'm reading, it's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0789210797/ref=asc_df_07892107971852940?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=0789210797">"The Expectant Father" - Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads to Be by Armin A. Brott and Jennifer Ash</a><br />It's a great read so far and has a lot of helpful insight for real dads to be during each stage of the pregnancy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sympathy Weight Update:</span> Wow, finally lost a couple pounds, I'm now 205 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 20 lbs so far! This is probably due to how much work around the house I've been doing. Maybe "Honey Do" lists aren't that bad...<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as big as a Head of Cauliflower, believe it or not!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-26-weeks_1115.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 26 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-26-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=24">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a English Hothouse Cucumber!</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5605386-10452130" target="_top">Shop</a> CornerStorkBabyGifts.com<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-5605386-10452130" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-55351096628487877472011-12-31T10:13:00.000-08:002012-01-24T22:25:01.018-08:0025 Weeks Pregnant - Looking more like a NewbornMy wife is now at 28 weeks pregnant today, the start of the third and final trimester! Finally!(says my wife) My baby girl is now 13.5 inches long from her head to heels, as big as a Rutabaga! She now weighs 1-1/2 pounds she is getting bigger with even stronger movements. <br /><br />Her wrinkled skin is starting to smooth out as she is looking more and more like a newborn if you could see her. She's beginning to exchange her long lean look for more baby fat. She's also growing more hair and if you could see it you would be able to see the color and texture.<br /><br />We've noticed her moving A LOT! Sometimes when we least expect it she'll make my wife's belling move in mysterious ways. It kind of freaks us out sometimes but is wonderful to feel our baby moving and trying to figure out what body part it is. We've also seen quite a few moving baby in uterus videos on youtube and this is a shockingly great example:<br /><br />Alien-like Moving Baby - WOW!<br /><iframe width="580" height="475" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JKlPGzrrQZA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKlPGzrrQZA">Link</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sympathy Weight Update:</span> Gained a few from residual Christmas/New Years Pounds, 208 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 23 lbs so far! Now that Christmas is finally over I can start eating more healthy and exercising. I need to stay healthy for my baby.<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as an English Hothouse Cucumber, believe it or not!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-25-weeks_1114.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 25 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-25-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=23">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Rutabaga, what the heck is a Rutabaga?!?!</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5605386-10452130" target="_top">Shop</a> CornerStorkBabyGifts.com<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-5605386-10452130" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-33171572352668566782011-12-26T20:24:00.001-08:002011-12-26T20:52:25.718-08:0024 Weeks Pregnant - My Baby Can Taste, Lungs Developing!My wife is now at 24 weeks pregnant today. My baby girl is now just over 1 foot long, as big as a ear of corn! She now weighs over one pound and she is growing at a steady pace now and her movements are getting stronger. She is still pretty lean looking but soon she'll start plumping up. Her skin is translucent due to the thin layer but that will thicken soon. Her brain is quickly developing and she is getting taste buds. We had tuna hot dish tonight and I wonder if she could taste it... hmm.. probably not but it's a nice thought.<br /><br />My baby girl is also getting ready to breathe. Her lungs are developing the infrastructure that allows breathing with little branch like structures that collect oxygen and cells that product a substance called surfactant. Surfactant will allow air sacs in her developing lungs to inflate and collect air once she leaves the womb and she takes her first breath! I suppose it makes sense since we're almost to the third trimester in a couple weeks here.<br /><br />My wife is doing well. She is really starting to feel large and I think she feels a bit self conscious. We went grocery shopping tonight and the female clerk asked her if she was having the baby in a couple weeks. She said no, I'm only 6 months along, and the clerk couldn't believe it because of the size she is currently at. I try to reassure her that everyone is different and gets pregnant at different rates.<br /><br />It's also harder for her to exert herself and get around so I'm trying to help by carrying everything, opening the doors for her, and letting her have plenty of time to rest. I also get her water constantly. When in doubt I always refill her cup because she goes through so much. We hear staying hydrated while pregnant is absolutely crucial and many pregnant women don't get enough liquids.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Name Update:</span> We have not picked out a name yet for our baby girl. Well at least not officially. We are keeping it a secret because there are so few secrets left. I will say we are very sure of our first choice and do have a second choice picked out, but that could change of course. We are thinking of the middle name also, it may be a tribute to a late grandparent, but we're not sure. Either way I will Update you here when we announce it to the family! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sympathy Weight Update:</span> I think I'm leveling off, same weight as last week, 205 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 20 lbs so far! Now that Christmas is finally over I can start eating more healthy and exercising. I need to stay healthy for my baby.<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as an Rutabaga, what the heck is a Rutabaga?!?!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-24-weeks_1113.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 24 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-24-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=22">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Ear of Corn!</a>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-75464541615590390622011-12-22T18:14:00.001-08:002011-12-26T20:55:29.758-08:00Women, you are the Superior Sex! You give us Life!<iframe width="580" height="475" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KrLfXuQPUNg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />I just need to take a moment to thank women, and in particular, my wife who makes this blog possible and who makes me possible. Without her I would be nothing. Here's a video I made about women being the superior sex. I thought it was relevant to post, because my blog is about how women give life and the messy, uncomfortable burden that comes along with it we call pregnancy. It's also appropriate because I was brought into this world by a wonderful woman, my mother. Now my beautiful wife is now a mother to be with our growing girl inside her who will likely grow up to be a mother herself and repeat this beautiful symphony of life.<br /><br />I'm so thankful to have so many great women in my life. Men need to start treating all women the way they deserve to be treated. They are the superior sex and we are just here to do our part and support them in any way we can! I'm a sensitive man and try to love everyone just the way they are.<br /><br /><a href="http://thinkingsensitively.blogspot.com/">Read More about Thinking Sensitively on my Blog: thinkingsensitively.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />"Women, you are beautiful just the way all of you are! Don't let a man, any man, or society tell you how to look or act. Love yourself! You are superior to us in every single way. A secret a lot of men don't want to tell you is that you are the superior sex. You need to rise up, and take all of the white man's powerful jobs in the world, and take your rightful place as our better, more intelligent half. This is coming from a man who loves women. I love my mother and I love my wife. Women you are smarter, stop questioning your superiority and embrace it. We love you, on behalf of men, or at least most men."Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-8758315254862338032011-12-18T18:15:00.001-08:002012-01-09T22:36:00.143-08:0023 Weeks Pregnant - My Baby Can Hear and Dance!<iframe width="580" height="475" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cv0Kv6yRs0Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />My wife is now at 23 weeks pregnant today. My baby is now about 1 foot long, as big as a large mango! She now weighs just over one pound and her sense of movement is fully developed and she seems to be dancing in there. Blood vessels in her lungs are quickly developing and getting ready for breathing. She is now becoming accustomed to loud noises like our dog barking.<br /><br />I've begun talking to my baby. It was a little weird talking to my wife's belly at first, then it became less weird. I even tried singing to her. I sung "Oh Holy Night" to my my little growing girl. My wife laughed when I got to the high soprano part. It also had the dual effect of putting me in the Christmas spirit and in a good mood.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this week and today my wife is getting the Round Ligament Pain again that I spoke about in <a href="http://babyinmybaby.blogspot.com/2011/11/19-weeks-hair-sprouting-sense-of.html">Week 19</a>. It is a brief stabbing sensation that usually only lasts for a few seconds or also can be a dull pain which she feels in her lower abdomen between her groin to just under her belly button and along her hips. If you traced a line of a high cut bikini swimsuit that's where the pain is. She keeps telling me she wished I could feel it so I would understand. I keep offering to stab my stomach, but when that doesn't work I just try and be supportive.<br /><br />Tomorrow we have another doctors appointment, the regular check up. We're thinking our midwife might change and move up our due date a little (now it's 4/15/12) because in the sex determining ultrasound at <a href="http://babyinmybaby.blogspot.com/2011/12/its-girl.html">Week 20</a> the baby measured larger than it's supposed to be at this point. I'll update you next week about that.<br /><br />We were wondering some more if her belly button would pop out soon. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUA96-WSPxOolcfxSGo7hLyz1pS3VkN-1XtVGXm3Qq-RAf3u-xYnf9X8HCO86DTmZGfA6XoMWPMG5fGg4V0p1uO7KDLPJLumj8SVSCI6CEp7o6nekbTJQg4EAR8vrAWZUC7Hy1tROnHM/s1600/Nikkibelly12-18-11.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUA96-WSPxOolcfxSGo7hLyz1pS3VkN-1XtVGXm3Qq-RAf3u-xYnf9X8HCO86DTmZGfA6XoMWPMG5fGg4V0p1uO7KDLPJLumj8SVSCI6CEp7o6nekbTJQg4EAR8vrAWZUC7Hy1tROnHM/s200/Nikkibelly12-18-11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687682053465097266" /></a>It's still an innie but it might not be for long. I keep joking that it might sound like the button popping out of a turkey when it's done when we were younger. I did some searching and found that this is a common concern among women. Apparently, some women are quite annoyed with their belly button sticking out so much and even go as far as taping it down so it doesn't show with the clothing they wear. That made us laugh but then my wife said, "that would annoy me too!"<br /><br />Just to be fair, since this blog is about my sympathy weight in addition to my wife's pregnancy, and because I've been showing pictures of her belly, it's only fair that I show mine! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsKFCdNy6y55bSyg2YxIMUtFQrGc8Kq55smZZ2w-9atl-j2QD5uFITNDo2dW8_rQ-923zu4q9aDx06KgHGS_nNZLfUBSr00wqRbi5MdYH8-d9mlWINuMQ972eqt11Q-76995bpAGUv2A/s1600/JustinsBelly12-18-11.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsKFCdNy6y55bSyg2YxIMUtFQrGc8Kq55smZZ2w-9atl-j2QD5uFITNDo2dW8_rQ-923zu4q9aDx06KgHGS_nNZLfUBSr00wqRbi5MdYH8-d9mlWINuMQ972eqt11Q-76995bpAGUv2A/s200/JustinsBelly12-18-11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687683610238858690" /></a> Now this picture really shocked me that my belly is as big as this is, but I shouldn't feel bad because this is how she feels everyday but worse right? This is my heaviest weight of my life, 205 lbs and my sympathy weight gained stands at 20 lbs so far! Time for some exercise for real now. Starting tomorrow... or maybe after the new year.<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as an Ear of Corn believe it or not!!! Ouch<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-23-weeks_1112.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 23 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-23-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=21">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Large Mango!</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5605386-10452130" target="_top">Shop</a> CornerStorkBabyGifts.com<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-5605386-10452130" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-64013807930003093672011-12-16T22:17:00.000-08:002012-01-09T22:35:21.948-08:00Getting the Nursery Ready for our Baby Girl's Arrival<iframe width="580" height="475" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6OeR9_7wgpg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />My New Video Blog Series starting this Week <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OeR9_7wgpg">Subscribe for the Latest</a><br /><br />In this video I show you our messy spare bedroom which will be transformed into a beautiful nursery for our new baby girl. She is our tax day baby, due on April 15, 2012! It is a mess! I have my work cut out for me as we try to clean it up, paint, and decorate it. I am somewhat of an artist, so I plan to paint a cool mural in there. <br /><br />Do you have any good ideas for a Mural in my little girl's room? <br /><br />I NEED YOUR SUGGESTIONS, please submit your idea in a comment to this post, and thanks :)<br /><br />I was thinking rolling hills with fun trees, blue sky with puffy clouds and a smiling sun setting, with animals, birds, and sleeping moon with a nightcap in the distance faintly showing in the sky with the sparkling stars coming out. I thought since the sun is setting the black sky will start to show towards the upper part of the wall and that could continue onto the ceiling. It would be really cool with glow in the dark stars for decorations.<br /><br />Thanks in advance for your suggestions<br />~Justin<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5605386-10452130" target="_top">Shop</a> CornerStorkBabyGifts.com<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-5605386-10452130" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-13534530571348910972011-12-14T19:19:00.000-08:002011-12-16T22:54:30.468-08:00I Can Hear the Baby Moving!So my baby girl is moving more and more now inside my wife's belly, and it's really exciting. While I was feeling the movements the other night, I started thinking I wonder if I would be able to hear the baby moving if I placed my ear to her belly. Sure enough, I could! It sounds like an echo chamber probably because all the fluid and but you can distinctly hear the thumps of the baby's limbs abruptly pushing against the walls of the uterus! It sounds really cool to hear my baby for the first time. My wife felt a little left out when this happened though. She wanted to be able to hear her too. I haven't told her yet but I'm going to get a stethoscope soon so she can hear the movements also. I'm also starting to visualize her more and more. I can almost see her growing if I imagine as I look at my wife's belly. I think the seeds of fatherhood have now been planted as I'm thinking more and more about it and think I'm starting the bonding process. In an email the other day my wife even signed it her name and baby. That made me happy, I look forward to being a father so much. Until next week, thanks for reading!Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-78845613195292863632011-12-11T17:34:00.000-08:002012-01-09T22:36:32.287-08:0022 Weeks Pregnant - Developing Tooth BudsMy wife is now at 22 weeks pregnant today. My baby is now 11 inches long, about the length of a spaghetti squash! She is now almost one pound in weight and is now beginning to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more pronounced, and she is even developing the buds of new teeth under her gums!<br /><br />If you could see inside the uterus this week the baby would have a fine hair covering her called the lanugo and would be have wrinkled skin until her body fills out her skin all the way. Also, her pancreas which produces essential hormones is starting to form. <br /><br />They also say this is when my wife's belly starts becoming a hand magnet and they are right, and for me too! I'm starting to feel the baby stronger now and have even been able to see the movement on the outside of the belly tonight! Also, her belly button is expected to pop out anytime now but for now it's still an innie.<br /><br />She hasn't had stretch marks yet. We discovered that despite all the information and creams that claim to prevent them, getting them is actually hereditary and using creams won't prevent them. However, it does help to use a good moisturizer. My wife is also reading a book about breastfeeding. It is quite interesting, but the pictures made us laugh, they are a little over the top.<br /><br />This week we are finally going to start preparing the nursery. Until now it's been my art studio/office/guitar room/pet room/storage room but soon with some paint and decorations it will become a beautiful nursery for our little girl. Since I like painting, I plan on painting the walls for her with blue skies and puffy clouds and rolling green hills and trees. I don't think we are going to just paint the room pink, that's too boring! <br /><br />Sympathy Weight Update: 205.5 lbs! My highest ever! I had my yearly physical this week. (I turned 31 yesterday by the way) and they suggested that I start exercising. They are right, it should help with the extra pounds but also with the stress that comes with the pregnancy.<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as a Large Mango believe it or not!!! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-22-weeks_1111.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 22 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-22-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=20">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Spaghetti Squash</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5605386-10452130" target="_top">Shop</a> CornerStorkBabyGifts.com<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-5605386-10452130" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-57569701531031272662011-12-02T23:44:00.000-08:002011-12-02T23:49:48.048-08:00I Felt the Baby for the First Time!!!It was amazing, it wasn't much, I don't think she is strong enough to push against her belly enough, I haven't felt kicking yet, but I did finally feel movement - a nudge as I held my wife's belly! For so long now she has been feeling the baby and I had felt left out. She said it's her reward for all the bad parts she already had to go through like the intense morning sickness and all the pains and cramps and she's right. I hope to feel my baby girl again soon, it's becoming more real now. With each step I become more attached to the baby growing inside my baby.Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-89673224935284916602011-12-01T20:32:00.001-08:002012-01-09T22:37:06.783-08:0021 Weeks Pregnant - Eyebrows and Eyelids!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWNm11dqJ4j5_-x_GWvVNSE2GX5meDP-afakgY8D7Ty6Gso6K9iU1fqhBUaz4LXWSLXHSjS6HwP0RDmeP2RE2kKrTEfAdSOEaLucdltInlldbqObJqsoT4tWQR6iQi9nWHKEkeoDh8cg/s1600/nikkisbelly.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWNm11dqJ4j5_-x_GWvVNSE2GX5meDP-afakgY8D7Ty6Gso6K9iU1fqhBUaz4LXWSLXHSjS6HwP0RDmeP2RE2kKrTEfAdSOEaLucdltInlldbqObJqsoT4tWQR6iQi9nWHKEkeoDh8cg/s200/nikkisbelly.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681698264428083938" /></a>My wife will be 21 weeks pregnant tomorrow! Her belly is getting so big now... and Beautiful - I might add :) She is really starting to feel the weight and is having more pains and difficulty moving around. I'm trying to take care of my baby and my baby girl inside though.<br /><br />My baby is now about 10-1/2 inches long, about the size of a carrot! (I'm really starting to feel bad for her having something so big in her!) This may seem like a huge jump now because last week she was only about 6-1/2 inches long, but that's because you stop measuring from crown to rump at 20 weeks, then you go by the full lenght as the legs are now fully formed! <br /><br />She is now 3/4 of a pound in weight and what was once just nudges she feels are now strong kicks! I still am yet to feel them but I think I will any day now... I will let you know when.<br /><br />I think my wife needs me more than ever now and I'm ready to take on more responsibility. We both just said today that we've thought recently "why did we do this" reacting to the stress and pressure of a pending birth, but we laughed about it and I think this is what many couples go through halfway through a pregnancy. No one is truly ready for the enormous change and responsibility of having a child, and we are just getting ready the best we can.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53ijKs0Krh85Z-BtmZtjWJcYQ2Ymte0Vd8Md7z4LTykROPrXoTqj-xpUrciFrWBMNIm6jA0PoHrkjtyjpKIAhsv9tlkXECbVP3tFM8Pfh2wbdtpCU5xGzVVH_skbYdCw1d1qlOubQL8M/s1600/footie+pajamas.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53ijKs0Krh85Z-BtmZtjWJcYQ2Ymte0Vd8Md7z4LTykROPrXoTqj-xpUrciFrWBMNIm6jA0PoHrkjtyjpKIAhsv9tlkXECbVP3tFM8Pfh2wbdtpCU5xGzVVH_skbYdCw1d1qlOubQL8M/s200/footie+pajamas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681698608653922146" /></a>This weekend we are going to clean out the baby's room which up until now has been used for storage. It will be so nice to help my wife nest which I have learned is very important to the process. We even got our first gift of baby clothing, a cute pair of footie pajamas!<br /><br />Sympathy Weight Update: Unchanged, but hopefully will drop in the next few weeks, I'm starting a workout routine which feels really good. It's been awhile since I've gone jogging several times a week. I think I might start doing more yoga too.<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as a Spaghetti Squash, Holy Moly!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-21-weeks_1110.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 21 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-21-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=19">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Carrot!</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5605386-10452130" target="_top">Shop</a> CornerStorkBabyGifts.com<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-5605386-10452130" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-78388709070555126762011-12-01T20:03:00.001-08:002012-01-09T22:36:45.706-08:0020 Weeks Pregnant - IT'S A GIRL!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInWkeIDIsG8GFkxUaPB_7xzeW5R8qDTiGpC3Y8eyyaCWiirwwM7C0TVnDoJqcNGVVTah75mQ9cYld5r8zDIwZVEIkoDXolVDJfDEJYzwv2ipCgTU5m7lIvTL0pPGMvHLrfZrVxFJ1MTQ/s1600/itsagirl.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInWkeIDIsG8GFkxUaPB_7xzeW5R8qDTiGpC3Y8eyyaCWiirwwM7C0TVnDoJqcNGVVTah75mQ9cYld5r8zDIwZVEIkoDXolVDJfDEJYzwv2ipCgTU5m7lIvTL0pPGMvHLrfZrVxFJ1MTQ/s320/itsagirl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681379567495097938" /></a><br /><br /><iframe width="580" height="475" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lEjayv0Nq2I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEjayv0Nq2I">Click Here to See the before and after of our Sex Determining Ultrasound on 11/22/2011!</a><br /><br />That's right, it is a girl!!! We got the sex determining ultrasound a week and a half ago but I had to refrain from posting the results because we were waiting to tell our family and my mother has seen my blog. Hi mom, love you! <br /><br />We are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy that we are having a little baby girl. It was simply amazing seeing the sex determining ultrasound and how she was moving and even shaking her head at one point. It's hard to tell from this ultrasound picture (she looks a bit more like a creature than a baby here) but she looked absolutely beautiful and they showed us her growing limbs, fingers, bones, organs, brain, and they even zoomed in the heart beating with the four chambers clearly pumping away. The heartbeat was a little faster than normal, 168 beats per minute.<br /><br />So, my wife is relieved. In her family they have all girls. She is the middle of 3. She has 2 cousins that are girls, and her sister had 2. In fact the last male in the family to be born was Bob and he's 50! On the other hand, I am one of 5 boys in my family so they are overjoyed to have another girl. <br /><br />We told them with a riddle poem that has the answer of whether it was a boy or a girl hidden vertically in the first letter of each line. She's so creative!<br /><br />Baby Gender Riddle<br />by Nikki<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I</span> know you’re all wondering what will it be? <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">T</span>ime & this riddle will tell, you’ll see!<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">S</span>o will it be a historical event, where the men will have joy-<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A</span>s it is rare in this family to have a boy?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">G</span>rowing baby, should we buy you dolls & pearls?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I</span>f only our family isn’t tired of so many girls!<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">R</span>ejoice on tax day either way, <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">L</span>et’s celebrate that a baby has seen its first day!<br /><br />I showed the first letter's bold for display but if you're going to use this obviously don't make them bold and using a really fancy handwriting helps to mask the answer!<br /><br />It was a great idea, this could be customized for anyone's family for a baby gender reveal idea and it was really fun for them to figure out, her family really likes puzzles too so it was more interesting than other ideas like cupcakes with colored frosting inside.<br /><br />We have been thinking of names, but those are still secret for now. Let's just say we're thinking traditional names are making a comeback!<br /><br /><a href=http://no-bs-zone-money-online.blogspot.com/ “>Looking for Free, Legitimate Ways to Make Money Online and Telecommute from home? Click Here</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5605386-10452130" target="_top">Shop</a> CornerStorkBabyGifts.com<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-5605386-10452130" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-12028816876360422992011-12-01T18:46:00.000-08:002011-12-01T18:47:52.679-08:00Privacy Policy For babyinmybaby.blogspot.comThe privacy of our visitors to <span style="font-weight:bold;">babyinmybaby.blogspot.com</span> is important to us.<br /><br />At babyinmybaby.blogspot.com, we recognize that privacy of your personal information is important. Below is information on what types of personal information we receive and collect when you use and visit <a href="http://babyinmybaby.blogspot.com/">babyinmybaby.blogspot.com</a>, and how we safeguard your information. We will never sell your personal information to third parties.<br /><br />Log Files<br /><br />As with most other websites, we collect and use the data contained in log files. The information in the log files include your IP (internet protocol) address, your ISP (internet service provider, such as AOL), the browser you used to visit our site (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox), the time you visited our site and which pages you visited throughout our site.<br /><br />Cookies and Web Beacons<br /><br />We do use cookies to store information, such as your personal preferences when you visit our site. This could include only showing you a popup once in your visit, or the ability to login to some of our features, such as forums.<br /><br />We also use third party advertisements on babyinmybaby.blogspot.com to support our site. Some of these advertisers may use technology such as cookies and web beacons when they advertise on our site, which will also send these advertisers (such as Google through the Google AdSense program) information including your IP address, your ISP , the browser you used to visit our site, and in some cases, whether you have Flash installed. This is generally used for geotargeting purposes (showing New York real estate ads to someone in New York, for example) or showing certain ads based on specific sites visited (such as showing cooking ads to someone who frequents cooking sites).<br /><br />DoubleClick DART Cookies<br /><br />We also may use DART cookies for ad serving through Google’s DoubleClick, which places a cookie on your computer when you are browsing the web and visit a site using DoubleClick advertising (including some Google AdSense advertisements). This cookie is used to serve ads specific to you and your interests (”interest based targeting”). The ads served will be targeted based on your previous browsing history (For example, if you have been viewing sites about visiting Las Vegas, you may see Las Vegas hotel advertisements when viewing a non-related site, such as on a site about hockey). DART uses “non personally identifiable information”. It does NOT track personal information about you, such as your name, email address, physical address, telephone number, social security numbers, bank account numbers or credit card numbers. You can opt-out of this ad serving on all sites using this advertising by visiting http://www.doubleclick.com/privacy/dart_adserving.aspx <br /><br />You can choose to disable or selectively turn off our cookies or third-party cookies in your browser settings, or by managing preferences in programs such as Norton Internet Security. However, this can affect how you are able to interact with our site as well as other websites. This could include the inability to login to services or programs, such as logging into forums or accounts.<br /><br />Deleting cookies does not mean you are permanently opted out of any advertising program. Unless you have settings that disallow cookies, the next time you visit a site running the advertisements, a new cookie will be added.Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-41832467622992193732011-11-21T20:53:00.000-08:002011-11-21T21:27:20.957-08:00Transition to a Father's MindMy mind is rapidly changing now, evolving into a father's mind. I don't believe one can easily define what it means to be a father. It is complex and the change takes place over many years and with many stages. I'm just entering the first stage which is first acceptance, and coming to terms with my pending fatherhood. Right now I'm learning. I'm learning it's not about me anymore. My needs are quickly becoming secondary. I'm starting to imagine what my baby's face will look like. I haven't had any dreams yet but I think I will soon. It makes me deeply content to know I will be a father soon. To me there is no bigger aspiration as an adult male and to strive to be a good father is a privileged I am happy to enjoy.Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-77138065959746125702011-11-18T20:48:00.000-08:002012-01-09T22:37:33.789-08:0019 Weeks Pregnant - Hair Sprouting, Sense of Hearing DevelopingMy wife is now at 19 weeks pregnant today. We are coming up on the halfway point. My baby is now about 1/2 a foot now from crown to rump, about the size of a heirloom tomato! He or She (yet to be determined) is now about 8-1/2 ounces in weight and his or her legs are now in proportion with the rest of their body. My baby also looks very squished in the uterus according to pictures with his or her legs taking up more room. I can't imagine it! It seems like my baby would be so claustrophobic in there, but I'm sure right now my baby is not worried about that. <br /><br />They also say some studies suggest that the baby will be able to hear sounds now, so I'm starting to talk and sing occasionally in a soothing voice, not sure if it helps but it's worth a try right? Perhaps we will put on some classical music to help soothe our little one. My wife is still feeling the baby move a lot however I still cannot feel through belly. She says it moves a lot but doesn't seem to be pushing forward where my hand is. Perhaps the baby is just faced another direction.<br /><br />My wife is also starting to experience <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/0_round-ligament-pain_205.bc">Round Ligament Pain</a>. It's a stabbing sensation (I know, she has all the luck) every so often on either side as she has moved a lot or sometimes when bending over. It's caused when the ligament supporting the uterus stretches to support the growing weight.<br /><br />This week we attended a meet the midwives event at Regions hospital in St. Paul, MN. We got to meet all of the midwives that deliver there and got to tour the facilities. The birth center is very nice with modern decor, wide hallways, and spacious rooms. It didn't even smell like a hospital in the labor and delivery rooms and everyone was very welcoming. The also showed us their 2 inflatable water birth tubs! <br /><br />They are about 6 ft in diameter and look kind of like an inflatable kitty pool but with much higher walls and handles on the inside to help you get in and out. They said your partner can be in the tub also but said to make sure you have a swimsuit on, they had an issue where a husband decided to go au naturale! Funny! They also said they put a new cover over it each time to keep it sanitary. There is even a nice comfy leather chair for me to sit in that rolls out to a bed in case I need to get comfortable while we wait for the baby to come.<br /><br />As Thanksgiving is approaching we're waiting to schedule the sex-determining ultrasound. Unfortunately it had to get delayed because we're not at 20 weeks yet. I'll let you know when it happens though and I'll deliver the big news. Stay tuned! <br /><br />Sympathy Weight Update: Unchanged, 201 lbs.<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as long as a Banana believe it or not!!! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-19-weeks_1108.bc">See How My Baby's Growing at 19 Weeks</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-19-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=17">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Heirloom Tomato</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5605386-10452130" target="_top">Shop</a> CornerStorkBabyGifts.com<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-5605386-10452130" width="1" height="1" border="0"/><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5605386-10452130" target="_top">Shop</a> CornerStorkBabyGifts.com<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-5605386-10452130" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5510273910013119840.post-68801611377571046202011-11-11T22:07:00.000-08:002012-01-09T22:37:47.340-08:0018 Weeks Pregnant - Heard the Heartbeat Again, 1-1/2 Weeks Until the Sex Determining Ultrasound!!!My wife is now at 18 weeks. That's right, I skipped week 17, got a bit behind on the posting. However, I will catch up in this post. My baby is now about 5-1/2 inches from crown to rump, about the size of a bell pepper. He or She (yet to be determined) is now about 7 ounces in weight and is flexing his or her arms and legs. My wife is feeling the baby A LOT! She will tell me each time she feels it by saying "Baby" in an excited voice and clutching the bottom of her belly. I can't feel it yet, but I hope soon.<br /><br />So far we've had 2 prenatal exams and an ultrasound at 8 weeks, and we just had another regular exam this week where our midwife measured the uterus to be about exactly 5-1/2 inches in length and we could hear the baby's heartbeat again! It was strong and normal. It was a perfectly normal 145 beats per minute and sounded wonderful. Our midwife is really nice also. She said there are many options for delivery such as a water birth, hypno-birth (which apparently is just like it sounds), and the standard epidural traditional lie on your back ordeal. So far my wife feels like the water birth may be the best option. I can get in the water with her and hold her while she goes through it. Also, they say it helps with contractions and can minimize tearing, but we'll see when that time comes. You cannot have pain medication with a water birth, but they said if the pain is too great when you're in the thick of things you can always change your mind and you're in a hospital so there are many other options. I think the thing I like best about a midwife is that they are really dedicated to a birth plan and really want my wife to make the best decisions for her and our baby. She is very supportive!<br /><br />Now for the most exciting news. We have the Sex Determining Ultrasound in only 1-1/2 weeks!!! It's a little bit before the standard 20 week waiting period, but they said the technology is there to find out sooner. I can't wait to find out and be able to refer to my baby as he, or she, instead of "It." In case you're interested. I do not have a preference of a boy or a girl. Contrary to popular belief, not all men are so caught up in their own legacy to have to have a boy. I would be perfectly fine with a girl I just want my baby to be healthy and happy. <br /><br />Sympathy Weight Update: Current Weight is 201. As it turns out I had some scale difficulties last week and it was totally inaccurate and had my at 192 by mistake. Total sympathy weight gained to date - 16 pounds! I would like to stay at 200 pounds or less, I've never weighed this much! I know, some of you that are older are probably laughing. "You ain't seen nothing yet, boy"<br /><br />Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be the size of a large heirloom Tomato! <br /> <br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-18-weeks">See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size?slideNumber=16">See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a Bell Pepper</a><br /><br />17, 18, weeks, move, feel, sex, determining, ultrasound, kicking, 2nd trimester, baby, c-section, home birth, Father, Man perspective, Men pregnancy, morning sickness, pregnancy, sympathy weight<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-5605386-10452130" target="_top">Shop</a> CornerStorkBabyGifts.com<img src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-5605386-10452130" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05482410031964401548noreply@blogger.com0