Sorry for the extended absence from the blog. For those of you that don't know, I have been teaching in a long-term position since the middle of October so I have been super busy with lesson planning, grading and all that other fun stuff teachers do. It has also made me very tired most days of the week!
I had another ultrasound done this month to verify that we are indeed having a boy. We are now up to 100% boy status! With that, we were able to officially start our registry. I had been told that completing a baby registry is very overwhelming and I wholeheartedly agree! Jon and I had gone to Babies R Us previously just to check out items and to see what they had, but it seemed like there were 10 times more items there when we went back to begin our registry. We worked on it for an hour and a half and only put about 20 items on the list before we had to call it quits for the night. In fact, I almost broke down crying in the baby bath aisle due to feeling so overwhelmed. Gotta love those pregnancy hormones! Baby registries are serious business, people.
We were able to at least get much of the "big" stuff added, but we still have a lot more to add before the baby showers begin! So, we should probably get on that soon. Any tips for making the process less overwhelming?
- S
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
On Matchbox Cars and My First Interaction With My Child
Tuesday, October 11th was a big day for our family. On that date, Stefanie and I found out that we are having a boy - at least that's what the doctor told us. Consistent with the type of tomfoolery I can only imagine that my child is plotting against his mother and I, our child proceeded to stubbornly sit Indian-Style during the appointment where we were to find out whether it was a he or a she. Is that politically correct? Our child sat cross-legged.
With my armpits starting to get damp and my brow starting to glisten with perspiration, I sat next to Stefanie, who was laying on the table with a magic doppler wand on her stomach. As our doctor made measurements of the size of our child's head, counted limbs and digits, and looked at its spine and heart, our child sat giggling to itself, I'm sure. While our doctor tried to get a shot of the "goods" and I waited impatiently to hear if I should start looking under "boy" or "girl" in the baby names book, our child was thinking to himself, "Just wait, Pops, this is just the beginning of a long series of events that I will orchestrate to frustrate the heck out of you." I'm sure I deserve it. It's the universe's way of paying me back for all the times I used to hide from my mother in the clothing racks at JC Penny's while she called my name and I laughed to myself. Soak it up now, mom.
It didn't matter to me whether we were having a boy or a girl, as long as it is healthy. What is it about certain people who have kids of their own that makes them tell a person who is expecting their first child all the things that could go wrong with a newborn? I wasn't really nervous about the health of our child, but now I am. Thank you. Mission accomplished.
To be honest, now that it's somewhat likely we're having a boy, I'm kind of relieved. Matchbox cars are so much more fun than Barbies. But because our child was playing a joke on Stef and I, our doctor said she's only 80% sure we're having a boy. She'll check again at Stef's next appointment. So, for right now, I'm still trying to refer to our child with gender-neutral terms.
So far, this has been the extent of my interaction with my child. I hear Stef talking about how our kid is kicking her in the gut. I see Stef growing to support the new life in her. I even get to see my child once a month on a tiny TV in an exam room that has a life-sized plastic model of the female reproductive system. Stef has made me watch her stomach when she feels our child tap dancing on her bladder. As soon as I start watching, our kid gets gun shy and stops.
Last night, I climbed into our bed for the evening after Stef had been asleep for just about an hour. For some reason, I decided to lay next to Stefanie, who was sleeping on her back, and gently put my hand just below her belly button. At first, there was nothing. 30 seconds...60 seconds...then, BAM! Right in the palm of my hand. And then again, right in the same spot! As our child kept kicking or hitting me in the palm of my hand, I tried to stifle my laughs as I pictured the Alien scene in the movie Spaceballs. Despite my best efforts, Stefanie woke up and indicated that what I was feeling may in fact have been *ahem* stomach problems. But, no sooner as those words came out of her mouth, my child kicked my hand again twice more for good measure.
I know it's pretty small, but up until this point, I had felt a little like a Doubting Thomas. Sure, I believed that my wife was pregnant - seeing our child on a TV monitor is pretty fail-safe. But, up until this point, I had been experiencing this whole child thing from the sidelines. It was good to get in the game for a little while.
*Note: Sorry for the length of the post. When I don't contribute to this site for a month, these are the types of posts you can expect.
With my armpits starting to get damp and my brow starting to glisten with perspiration, I sat next to Stefanie, who was laying on the table with a magic doppler wand on her stomach. As our doctor made measurements of the size of our child's head, counted limbs and digits, and looked at its spine and heart, our child sat giggling to itself, I'm sure. While our doctor tried to get a shot of the "goods" and I waited impatiently to hear if I should start looking under "boy" or "girl" in the baby names book, our child was thinking to himself, "Just wait, Pops, this is just the beginning of a long series of events that I will orchestrate to frustrate the heck out of you." I'm sure I deserve it. It's the universe's way of paying me back for all the times I used to hide from my mother in the clothing racks at JC Penny's while she called my name and I laughed to myself. Soak it up now, mom.
It didn't matter to me whether we were having a boy or a girl, as long as it is healthy. What is it about certain people who have kids of their own that makes them tell a person who is expecting their first child all the things that could go wrong with a newborn? I wasn't really nervous about the health of our child, but now I am. Thank you. Mission accomplished.
To be honest, now that it's somewhat likely we're having a boy, I'm kind of relieved. Matchbox cars are so much more fun than Barbies. But because our child was playing a joke on Stef and I, our doctor said she's only 80% sure we're having a boy. She'll check again at Stef's next appointment. So, for right now, I'm still trying to refer to our child with gender-neutral terms.
So far, this has been the extent of my interaction with my child. I hear Stef talking about how our kid is kicking her in the gut. I see Stef growing to support the new life in her. I even get to see my child once a month on a tiny TV in an exam room that has a life-sized plastic model of the female reproductive system. Stef has made me watch her stomach when she feels our child tap dancing on her bladder. As soon as I start watching, our kid gets gun shy and stops.
Last night, I climbed into our bed for the evening after Stef had been asleep for just about an hour. For some reason, I decided to lay next to Stefanie, who was sleeping on her back, and gently put my hand just below her belly button. At first, there was nothing. 30 seconds...60 seconds...then, BAM! Right in the palm of my hand. And then again, right in the same spot! As our child kept kicking or hitting me in the palm of my hand, I tried to stifle my laughs as I pictured the Alien scene in the movie Spaceballs. Despite my best efforts, Stefanie woke up and indicated that what I was feeling may in fact have been *ahem* stomach problems. But, no sooner as those words came out of her mouth, my child kicked my hand again twice more for good measure.
I know it's pretty small, but up until this point, I had felt a little like a Doubting Thomas. Sure, I believed that my wife was pregnant - seeing our child on a TV monitor is pretty fail-safe. But, up until this point, I had been experiencing this whole child thing from the sidelines. It was good to get in the game for a little while.
*Note: Sorry for the length of the post. When I don't contribute to this site for a month, these are the types of posts you can expect.
Friday, October 14, 2011
20 weeks - the halfway point.
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| I had to take my own picture in the mirror since Jon isn't home. I'm not very good at it - sorry! |
I just found this weekly update on another blog and thought I would share it with everyone each week. Hopefully there is some variety to it so it's not completely boring. :)
Sex of baby: Pretty sure it's a boy!
Size of baby: He's the size of a cantaloupe! 10 inches long from head to foot, 6.5 inches long from head to rump (so this is the cantaloupe part).
Total Weight Gained: 10 pounds - I'll admit it was a little scary to see the scale creep up that much, but I am right on track.
Maternity Clothes: I'm still pretty much in my regular clothes. I have to wear my belly band with a couple of pairs of pants and I've stopped wearing some shirts that are getting too tight though. I just realized today that a pair of jeans I thought were still fitting me really well are not the ones I've actually been wearing. I have 2 pairs that are the same but are different sizes. I put one pair on today and apparently they are the smaller ones because they were tight. I'm still wearing them with the band though. Also, the gray longer shirt I am wearing in my picture is a maternity shirt and it's the first time I have worn it. It's still kinda big on me though so I wore a cardigan over it to cover up the extra fabric!
Movement: If I am sitting still, then he is moving around!
Sleep: I've never been a great sleeper, and pregnancy has just made it worse. I always have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom or find myself waking up because I am uncomfortable or hot. So, I am still pretty tired after work and throughout the rest of the night.
What I miss: I don't necessarily miss alcohol, but I do miss drinking an Oktoberfest or Woodchuck cider while watching the Browns games.
Cravings: I haven't really had cravings that are unusual, but a few weeks ago I found myself craving chips when I don't normally eat them. I also find that I have to put more salt on my food than I used to.
Aversions: Nothing really.
Symptoms: Besides being tired and constantly going to the restroom, I have been getting heartburn more frequently. I got heartburn a lot before I was pregnant though.
Best Moment this week: Finding out the sex! That will be a separate post hopefully sometime soon.
- S
Monday, October 3, 2011
On Seeing The Baby Move...
I still don't have much of a baby bump, even though I am willing it to appear. I have definitely gained weight in my stomach, as evidenced by my shirts getting slightly tighter and the scale creeping slightly higher, but not enough to make my belly look pregnant. However, some pretty cool things are happening during this pregnancy!
I started to feel the baby move a couple of weeks ago and at first I wasn't sure if it was actually the baby or *ahem* my digestive tract. The movements have become more distinct in the past week so I'm 99% sure baby is moving around in there. Today I was laying on the couch playing Words with Friends online (yes, I am now addicted) and I felt the baby start to move. I lifted my shirt and saw my stomach jut out quickly. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me so I waited and then saw it again...and again. It was definitely the baby kicking and it was the coolest thing ever. I really thought I would have to wait a few weeks to see the kicking!
Currently: 18 weeks 3 days.
- S
*Note from Jon: Since this happened while I was at work, Stef is determined to get me to see this. Therefore, she is spending the night thus far staring at her bare stomach waiting on our child to kick her. Someone should tell her that in the next 5 months of her pregnancy, it will probably happen more than once.
I started to feel the baby move a couple of weeks ago and at first I wasn't sure if it was actually the baby or *ahem* my digestive tract. The movements have become more distinct in the past week so I'm 99% sure baby is moving around in there. Today I was laying on the couch playing Words with Friends online (yes, I am now addicted) and I felt the baby start to move. I lifted my shirt and saw my stomach jut out quickly. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me so I waited and then saw it again...and again. It was definitely the baby kicking and it was the coolest thing ever. I really thought I would have to wait a few weeks to see the kicking!
Currently: 18 weeks 3 days.
- S
*Note from Jon: Since this happened while I was at work, Stef is determined to get me to see this. Therefore, she is spending the night thus far staring at her bare stomach waiting on our child to kick her. Someone should tell her that in the next 5 months of her pregnancy, it will probably happen more than once.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
I'm not fat, I'm pregnant.
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| My baby "bump" - 16.5 weeks |
Anyways, back to the belly. I wore a shirt to work this week that I just wore last week and felt fine in, but this week it clung way too tightly to this growing belly of mine. I'll be honest...it made me a little self-conscious. I found myself grabbing my cardigan (that won't button anymore) and trying to pull it as tightly across my body as possible with a weird arm cross all while trying to appear completely normal to a class full of freshman students. So from here on out, or at least until I have a legitimate baby bump, I will be revolving my outfits around the 3-4 shirts I own that are way more forgiving in the belly area. I am also hoping that this stage doesn't last for very long....because I really would like to actually LOOK pregnant.
- S
Monday, September 19, 2011
Fatherhood, And Why I Should Have Been a Boyscout
I should have joined the boyscouts when I had the chance. Is there an age limit on joining? It seems that the boyscout would have taught me a lot of things about being prepared for the unknown. As a boy, you dream that the boyscouts would be able to teach you how to survive in the wilderness for a week with nothing more than some dental floss and nail clippers. If nothing else, I would have learned how to tie some awesome knots, which, by the way, is something I'm horrible at.
In the weeks that followed the initial doctor's appointment that told Stef and I that I indeed had the capability of producing offspring, my lack of knowledge about being prepared for fatherhood has crept up on me. When you are a first-time father and you ask other parents for advice on how to prepare for the day when you first see your slimy, screaming baby, not many provide you with any tangable advice. They treat it like it's a learn-on-the-go type of situation. Let me tell you, this is not such a situation. Of the people who will give you advice (mostly women), almost all repeat over and over how important it is for me to make sure Stef is happy while she's carrying our child. Geeze, thanks a lot. I'm sure Stef will appreciate that.
Most notable events in my life creep up on me: major holidays, graduation, my wedding. It's only when something somewhat major happens do I notice just how quickly that next event is approaching. Today was such an occasion. For a little while, Stef and I have enjoyed not being the only couple in our group of friends that were pregnant. One of Stef's close friends was also pregnant - until today. This morning at 11:00am, Erik and Amanda became proud parents of their first son, Asher. Also happening today, Stefanie and I became the next couple in our circle of friends who will have a child. And in a few weeks, when we have our doctor's appointment to find the gender of our child, March 2nd and all it entails becomes more of a reality.
And all I have to go on for this occasion is to make sure Stef gets the food she needs. I guess I better hit the library. More to follow...
- J
In the weeks that followed the initial doctor's appointment that told Stef and I that I indeed had the capability of producing offspring, my lack of knowledge about being prepared for fatherhood has crept up on me. When you are a first-time father and you ask other parents for advice on how to prepare for the day when you first see your slimy, screaming baby, not many provide you with any tangable advice. They treat it like it's a learn-on-the-go type of situation. Let me tell you, this is not such a situation. Of the people who will give you advice (mostly women), almost all repeat over and over how important it is for me to make sure Stef is happy while she's carrying our child. Geeze, thanks a lot. I'm sure Stef will appreciate that.
Most notable events in my life creep up on me: major holidays, graduation, my wedding. It's only when something somewhat major happens do I notice just how quickly that next event is approaching. Today was such an occasion. For a little while, Stef and I have enjoyed not being the only couple in our group of friends that were pregnant. One of Stef's close friends was also pregnant - until today. This morning at 11:00am, Erik and Amanda became proud parents of their first son, Asher. Also happening today, Stefanie and I became the next couple in our circle of friends who will have a child. And in a few weeks, when we have our doctor's appointment to find the gender of our child, March 2nd and all it entails becomes more of a reality.
And all I have to go on for this occasion is to make sure Stef gets the food she needs. I guess I better hit the library. More to follow...
- J
Monday, September 12, 2011
Hearing The Heartbeat
Before I go into our heartbeat appointment, I want to give a quick update on how I've been feeling since that seems like a popular question. I have actually been pretty lucky and haven't been too sick. There are a few days here and there where I feel a little nauseous and there was one week in my first trimester that I felt sick almost every day, but for the most part I have been feeling pretty good. My main "symptom" has been exhaustion. But now that I am in my 2nd trimester, that has been getting better, so I hope to get my full energy back soon. Today, I am currently 15 weeks and 3 days along.
Now, for the heartbeat: We had our appointment on September 2nd and as soon as the doctor placed the doppler on my stomach, we could hear the heart beating. It was really amazing. It's really hard to describe what it feels like to have another heart beating inside of me, so I don't think I will try. Every couple of seconds there was a screeching sound coming from the doppler and the doctor explained to us that the sound occurs every time the baby moves. Our baby was quite active that day (and the day of our ultrasound), so I think we are going to have our hands full when this little one arrives! However, our parents like to remind us that it will be payback for how crazy both Jon and I were as kids.
That's all I have for today. We will find out whether we are having a boy or a girl on October 11th so we are very excited about that appointment! We will try to update our blog at least a few times a week with more of our thoughts and feelings on this whole experience.
- S
Now, for the heartbeat: We had our appointment on September 2nd and as soon as the doctor placed the doppler on my stomach, we could hear the heart beating. It was really amazing. It's really hard to describe what it feels like to have another heart beating inside of me, so I don't think I will try. Every couple of seconds there was a screeching sound coming from the doppler and the doctor explained to us that the sound occurs every time the baby moves. Our baby was quite active that day (and the day of our ultrasound), so I think we are going to have our hands full when this little one arrives! However, our parents like to remind us that it will be payback for how crazy both Jon and I were as kids.
That's all I have for today. We will find out whether we are having a boy or a girl on October 11th so we are very excited about that appointment! We will try to update our blog at least a few times a week with more of our thoughts and feelings on this whole experience.
- S
Friday, September 9, 2011
Welcome
As many of you arrive at our online home, we welcome you! In light of recent news about the addition to our family, Stef and I have decided to start a blog. We hope that this online home will be a great place for family, friends and the occasional guest to keep up to date on our lives as we transition from a fairly simple life together and add a new member.
As this is our first child, we hope that many people will be able to share in the joys and frustrations of our new experiences. We will try our best to keep this site up to date and hope that you will provide us with feedback in the form of comments and any insights you might have.
Bookmark our site in your internet browser and stop back soon!
- J
As this is our first child, we hope that many people will be able to share in the joys and frustrations of our new experiences. We will try our best to keep this site up to date and hope that you will provide us with feedback in the form of comments and any insights you might have.
Bookmark our site in your internet browser and stop back soon!
- J
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