Week 40: The Final Week!

Today is my official due date, and Ziggy is exactly 38 weeks old! 38 weeks ago today he was conceived in a petri dish--it's crazy when you think about it! He's been moving about quite a bit in his cramped quarters, but seems to be pretty happy in there still, so I have a feeling he wont be coming out on his own and I'll be induced as scheduled. I've been experiencing occasional increased pressure, cramping in my lower back (including the occasional pinched nerve feeling around my tailbone), and odd sensations "down there" (I think his head is really low and when he moves it around, it feels kind of funny) but nothing that screams that labor is imminent. And after learning at my last OB appointment on Tuesday that I have not progressed any further since my cervical check in the hospital (still effaced about 1 cm or 50%), I'm pretty sure I'll need that cervical ripener overnight and wont be induced until Monday morning. The good news though is that I can eat dinner before I head to the hospital on Sunday evening, AC can stay with me in my room (there's a little fold-out couch thing for him to sleep on), and we can both sleep Sunday night, although after my last experience at the hospital I'm not sure how restful a night we'll have! Plus, I imagine that the cervical ripener will probably make me crampy and uncomfortable, although the MFM fellow said that it shouldn't be too bad. By the way, at my non-stress test I was having contractions that I couldn't feel, and the nurse said that sometimes an internal exam can trigger contractions or even the start of labor. It would be nice if there was some more progress before Sunday night. Even if I still need to be induced, the more prepared my cervix is naturally, the better the outcome supposedly.

I have to admit, I am nervous about the whole birth process, and part of me wishes I could just fast-forward to the point where they place him on my chest. Even though I think induction is probably the best and safest route for me (it freaks me out that the rate of still birth rises so rapidly after 40 weeks!), I've heard so many horror stories about women being induced and then failing to progress and ending up with a c-section that I'm starting to worry it will happen to me. Not that having a c-section would be the worst thing in the world, but for the sake of my lungs and overall health, it should be avoided if possible.

It probably sounds silly, but I was almost sad to have my last OB appointment and non-stress test this week (by the way, baby looked "perfect" according to the nurses :). It felt like the end of an era or something. I am so going to miss being pregnant (or at least that's what I imagine), although hopefully Ziggy will soon distract me from my nostalgic musings! But seriously, I've had a fairly easy pregnancy and have really enjoyed the experience--it's hard to just let go of that all at once.

In other news, both my mom and AC got their seasonal flu vaccines, and today I finally received the H1N1 vaccine (unfortunately it was the one with mercury, but it's hard to be picky when I feel lucky to have gotten it at all), so I feel a little bit better about welcoming Ziggy into this scary, virus-infested world. Unfortunately my mom is sick again with what seems to be a sinus infection and is back on antibiotics, but hopefully she'll recover before Monday--otherwise they wont allow her into the hospital and she'll miss the birth!

A few last minute items I ordered online arrived this week: a Naturepedic Organic Cotton Waterproof Bassinet Pad and a Kushies Certified Organic Bassinet/Carriage Pad Fitted Sheet in mocha (unfortunately both are slightly too big for the bassinet mattress, but I'm hoping they will shrink in the wash--why oh why isn't there a standard bassinet mattress size!?); a 2-pack of Snoozy Organic Flannel Cotton Waterproof Multi Use Pads, so that when the Fuzzi Bunz diapers inevitably leak (one drawback to cloth diapers I've heard is that they are more likely to leak), there wont be pee all over the bed or couch or carpet or wherever Ziggy is hanging out; a yellow Fuzzi Bunz Hanging Diaper Pail, to store the diapers in between washes; an Orbit Stroller Travel Bag, so we can safely transport our awesome stroller when we move to Japan; and a Carbon Monoxide Detector, which has yet to be installed. So I think we're pretty much set on baby gear for the moment.

I've been trying to read up on baby care this week since I know absolutely nothing about taking care of a newborn. AC knows a bit more than I do since his mother runs a daycare out of her home, but I think the youngest babies he's ever cared for were at least 4-6 weeks old, so this will be quite an adventure for us both. I'll probably update from the hospital if I have time, but if not, the next time I post, Ziggy will be here!

Week 39: Baby Gear Mania!

I am feeling better but still pretty tired from the virus and lack of sleep, so I'll try to keep this week's update short (yeah right, when does that ever happen? :P). I am officially one week away from my due date, but perhaps even more scary and exciting is the fact that I'm now no more than 10 days away from going into labor! That's right, at my appointment on Tuesday, my doctor set my induction date for Sunday, November 8th at 7:30 pm in order to accommodate my mom's and AC's schedules. If my cervix is ready, they may even start the Pitocin that night. If not, they'll give me a cervical ripening agent overnight and start Pitocin in the morning. Either way, Ziggy will most likely be born on November 9 (unless of course he decides to come early or on time, but I have a feeling he wont)! So next week I'll have my last OB appointment and non-stress test before the big day (by the way, this week's non-stress test was fine as usual). My MFM will be back from his vacation then and will check my cervix, so we'll see if there's any more progress.

There's been a lot more progress on the baby gear front, that's for sure! My mother suddenly panicked and decided we needed to buy a whole bunch of stuff for the baby, so we went to this nearby baby store and got some good advice on baby gear. We ended up buying a large brown Glamourmom Nursing Bra Long Tank for me to wear at the hospital and until after my milk comes in and I can get fitted for some nursing bras. The saleswoman who assisted us recommended tanks over bras, so if I like the tank option, I may just buy some more and forego the bra option. We also bought a 12 pack of Gerber prefold birdseye 3-ply cloth diapers for use as burp cloths, a Natursutten 100% Natural Rubber Pacifier for 3-6 Mos, a pack of 200 4 ply non woven sponges for use as disposable wipes, Grippees Wash Mitts That Grip! for bathing a slippery, squirmy baby, and a chocolate brown Halo swaddle sleep sack for newborns. We were going to buy a combo bassinet and stroller, but they were sold out of the color we wanted, so we ended up ordering them online. I'm now the proud owner of the super chic Orbit Baby Bassinet Cradle and Toddler Stroller in mocha (the bassinet clips onto the stroller for the early months and then you transition to using the toddler seat)! Apparently a lot of celebrities own this bassinet and stroller. So, yes, this was ridiculously expensive but my mom purchased it for me and hopefully it will work well and last a while (maybe even for kid number 2!).

I also ordered a Naturopedic Organic Cotton Contoured Changing Pad, which we placed on top of an old dresser of my mom's which happened to be the perfect height to use as a changing table. This week I also washed, dried, and folded all of baby's used, hand-me-down clothes and cloth diapers and inserts and put them away in the dresser drawers for easy diapering and changing access. I'm planning on holding off on washing some of the newer clothes items in case we end up not needing them. I also ordered some stuff from Diapers.com (my new favorite website), some of which I may end up returning (they offer free returns on unopened or defective merchandise for 30 days): Kushies Flushable Biodegradable Diaper Liners (for use with diaper rash cream, since otherwise the cream can stain the Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers and affect their absorbency), bumGenius Microfiber Diaper Inserts (because you can never have too many inserts for your cloth diapers), Kushies Washable Diaper Liners, and bumGenius Reusable Baby Wipes (I may return these last two items since I just discovered that Fuzzi Bunz diapers shouldn't be washed with cotton wipes or liners, and it doesn't seem worth it to me to have to do a separate load for those things).

I also finally had the car seat installed by the car seat techs over at the hospital (they offer free car seat installation) and washed the infant bath tub and portable diaper changing pad from my cousin. I also ordered some other stuff online, which has yet to arrive, so I'll post about all of that later once it gets here. Right now I feel like I am trying to find a balance between being as ready as I can for baby (and having everything I need or that will make my life easier so that I can just focus on the baby when he comes) and not purchasing too many extraneous, unnecessary items that will go unused and just create clutter. It's a tough life I tell you! :)

The Highs and Lows of Week 38

On Monday I picked up my cousin's bassinet from the friend she lent it to and was so excited to finally have one more major thing checked off my to do list. Unfortunately it turns out the bassinet was recalled in 2001 (it was made in 1997 so it's pretty old, which in and of itself makes me nervous), so I've decided not to use it. It was a cheap, rather flimsy Fisher Price one that I had some misgivings about when I first laid eyes on it. So now it's back to square one with regard to the baby bed. I've been checking Craigslist, but now I'm not so sure I want to go with a used one after all. I have a feeling I'm going to end up ordering something brand new for my piece of mind. Right now the whole issue is stressing me out though since I know that Ziggy could technically come at any time, and I want to have everything more or less ready.

On Tuesday I had my weekly appointment and non-stress test, and the good news is that everything looks great with baby. My blood pressure was slightly higher than usual at my appointment, but as I have no other symptoms of Pre-eclampsia at this time (other than some swelling, which is pretty normal at this stage of pregnancy), the doctor didn't seem too concerned. Plus, my blood pressure was normal when the nurse measured it after the non-stress test, so I'm hoping it was just a fluke. Apparently, women with IVF pregnancies do have a slightly higher risk of developing Pre-eclampsia, although I don't know the reason for this. I asked the doctor if it would be possible for me to get a private room at the hospital based on the fact that I'm colonized with pseudomonas and probably no one wants to share a room with someone who coughs and blows their nose as much as I do, especially when they have a newborn and it's flu season. She seemed to think that was a legitimate concern and said she'd look into it. It turns out that our family friend, who is a pediatrician and works as a liaison with the hospital, is also working on getting me a private room, which would be so nice!

By the way, the H1N1 flu vaccine still isn't available yet, but hopefully next week I can finally get it. I am really starting to get paranoid about going out in public, especially in large crowds, and am increasingly aware of everyone coughing and sniffling around me. I am sure there are people who must assume that I'm sick when they hear me coughing (in fact, the nurse who performed my non-stress test kept asking me about my cough), but in fact they are really more of a danger to me than I am to them (unless they're immunocompromised or something, but then pretty much anyone would be a danger to them).

After reading this story from the Science section of the New York Times this past Tuesday, I am even more apprehensive about the flu season ahead and also angry at people who insist that the flu vaccine is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs, especially when they have no medical expertise or training (yes, Bill Maher, I'm talking to you). I'm not saying there are absolutely no risks to the flu vaccine or any vaccine for that matter, but as with any medical treatment, the risk-benefit ratio needs to be considered, and I think it's pretty clear that for someone like me, who has not one but two risk factors for the swine flu (being pregnant and having Kartagener's Syndrome), the enormous benefits clearly outweigh any potential risks.

By the way, it turns out that my cousin, the one who lent me all the baby stuff and is a homeopath, is anti-vaccine (she didn't have her daughter vaccinated) and told my grandparents not to get either the regular flu vaccine or the H1N1 vaccine. She said she'll give them a homeopathic remedy against the flu instead. Riiiggghhhttt. Anyway, I don't appreciate her advice, especially since my grandparents are going to be around MY baby and not hers. Why can't people just keep their wacky views and beliefs to themselves? I don't go around insisting that others get vaccinated (I think people have the right to decide for themselves), but please extend me and others the same courtesy and let us make up our own minds. By the way I'm pleased to say that my grandmother, a doctor herself, didn't buy my cousin's talk about the homeopathic remedy, and even my grandfather, who is normally into alternative medicine, didn't want to try it but said that maybe my dad could use her remedy, since the vaccine isn't recommended for people like him who have had Guillaun-Barre Syndrome. Anyway, as you can probably tell, this issue pushes my buttons, so I should probably stop obsessing about it (after all, it can't be good for my blood pressure, right?). In general I've been feeling more irritable this week and more annoyed by certain things, like the constant construction work our neighbors are doing to their condo. It almost feels like PMS. I wonder if some hormonal shift is taking place inside me.

This past week I've also been stressing about when labor will begin, not because I'm so eager to have Ziggy arrive (I still feel like I could easily be pregnant for a little while longer and there's still so much left to do to get ready) but because I'm worried that AC wont make it in time since he has to fly here from Albuquerque. I asked the doctor when we would know for sure that I was in real labor and it was safe for AC to get on a plane (a false alarm probably wouldn't go down too well with the military folks), and she referred to the 5-1-1 rule. But she cautioned that if I had a speedy labor, there's a chance he might miss it altogether if he waits that long to hop on a flight. She did say that I could go into labor and delivery earlier than 511 to have them assess my progress and determine if I'm going into labor or will go into labor in the next day or two. But she added that the safest thing would be to have him fly here on or around the due date and stay with me during the week after so he'll already be here when it happens. Obviously that would be ideal, but I really don't see the Air Force giving him all that time off.

She also didn't seem to think it was necessary to induce me so early and said their usual policy is to wait until 41 weeks before deciding to induce. She did say that I could basically choose which day to induce if it comes to that, which makes me feel a little better. One problem is that my mom will be away at a conference from November 11-15. I'll be 41 weeks as of November 12, but I'd really like my mom to be here for the labor. I also really don't want to end up alone during those four days she's gone, either with or without the baby. AC may only get 7 days of paternity leave (originally it was 10-12 days, but now they're saying 7). So I've calculated that the ideal time for Ziggy to arrive is November 9 or 10--that way my mom will definitely be here for the birth and AC will definitely be with me while she's gone. Now if only there was some way to convince the little guy to come then. I know I'm probably obsessing about this way too much, but our unusual circumstances do make things a bit more complicated.

Now for the fun part: more baby gear! I found a great deal on Craigslist for more Fuzzi Bunz diapers--$200 for a lot of 38 diapers (36 small, 1 x-small, and 1 medium) that came with inserts and 2 wet bags (bags you carry with you to store the dirty diapers in when you're out and about and then wash with the diapers). Only three of them were obviously "girl colors" (pinky peach, lavender, and hot pink). They seem to be in really good condition overall. A few of the inserts have some urine stains, which I cam currently trying to sun out on the porch. Of the Fuzzi Bunz, I now have a total of 9 x-small diapers, 37 small, and 1 medium, not to mention the 3 AIO diapers. So I am practically swimming in cloth diapers now and really don't need to buy anymore until he outgrows the small size. But the great part is I wont have to do laundry as often, which will make my life a lot easier.

A family friend of AC's whom I've never met unexpectedly sent a box of baby items, which included a pillow, a cute bear hat, a pullover bib for 6-24 months, an adorable Classic Pooh two piece pants set for 0-3 months, and best of all, a hand-knit white and baby blue afghan and royal blue baby cape with hood. It is hard to believe she made them herself, they look so professionally done!

I also bought some 7th Generation Baby Natural Laundry Detergent, cotton swabs, cotton balls, cotton pads, 2 organic bamboo washcloths for baby, Earth Mama Angel Baby brand Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash and Angel Baby Lotion. So I am slowly and surely accumulating what I need. I plan to spend most of tomorrow doing some serious shopping, which is partly why I decided to post this week's summary early. Plus I plan on doing something a little different this week for my official 38 week post. Have I peaked anyone's interest (probably not, but that's ok--don't want anyone to get too excited in case I forget to post :) ? Until tomorrow, then...

Weekly Update

I promised to update more about this past week, so here goes...Before my appointment with my pulmonologist last Friday, I first had a short spirometry, which showed that my pulmonary function continues to improve! My doctor listened to my lungs and thought I sounded great. I left a sputum sample for culture, so we'll see if the MAC is still present, but either way he doesn't recommend treating it while breastfeeding. He looked in my ears and sinuses and agreed that they didn't look too good, especially the left side, so I made an appointment with my old ENT (the one who did my sinus surgery back in 2001 and who amazingly accepts my crappy military insurance even though he's kind of a big shot) for Thursday (yesterday).

At that appointment, first this other younger doctor looked at my ears and sinuses and suctioned out quite a bit from my nose, both for culture purposes and for my own relief! It felt great and I could actually smell for the first time in ages, although some of the smells that hit my nose later in the day were not so pleasant (chemical cleaning products in a public restroom, the garbage room at my mom's condominium complex). As for my ears, both tubes have fallen out of my right ear, but the hole remains open. My left ear still has two tubes, but they appeared blocked, so my doctor gave me some samples of Ciprodex. The neat thing about his office is that you get to wear these glasses that allow you to watch along with the doctor as he's looking at your nose and ears (gross but also very cool!). He also recommended increasing my nasal sprays (Astelin and Nasonex) from once to twice a day and using a couple of drops of baby shampoo in my saline rinse (sounds strange, but it's supposed to help thin really thick secretions like I have). But he said he didn't want to do anything more rigorous until after the baby's born, so I'll go back at the end of November for a follow-up, when hopefully things will have improved due to the decrease in hormones. I'm also seeing my pulmonologist again at the beginning of December. So basically the consensus is that pregnancy has been good for my lungs but not for my ears and sinuses, but hey, it would be a lot worse if it was the other way around!

I also had my weekly OB appointment with the MFM fellow since my doctor is out of town. Nothing much to report there other than that my Group B strep test came back negative and everything else continues to look good. I asked her a few questions about what to do when I go into labor and what to expect if I need to be induced. This is what she told me. I should call or go directly to labor and delivery when my contractions are coming every 5 minutes, lasting for 1 minute, and this pattern continues for an hour (the 511 rule I learned about in my prenatal classes). Other reasons to call would be if my water breaks or I think it's broken, if I have severe abdominal pain that doesn't go away, if I have any bleeding, or if there's anything else I'm concerned about or that seems out of the ordinary. They will only check my cervix if I have any symptoms of labor, if I ask to have it checked, or once I reach 40 weeks. If I have not gone into labor by 40 weeks and especially if I show no signs of going into labor, they will start talking about induction, which it turns out can take place at any time, day or night, weekday or weekend, although they usually prefer to do them in the morning on a weekday. If my cervix is not ready, they will admit me to the hospital the night before the induction and administer a cervical ripening agent. Then in the morning they would start the pitocin. I also asked her when it would be safe to try some natural methods of stimulating labor, such as acupressure points, and she recommended no earlier than 39 weeks. I had my NST after the appointment, which showed that baby is doing very well and I'm not having any contractions. I also submitted my preadmission paperwork at the hospital, so that's one less thing to take care of.

In more exciting news, the accumulation of baby gear continues. My mother's psychiatrist gave/lent me the following baby books: What to Expect the First Year, Your Baby & Child From Birth to Age Five, and The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby -- From Birth to Age Two. I think I'm pretty set on reading material for the hospital and for these first few months, if I even have time to read anything once Ziggy arrives!

Then on Wednesday I went over to my cousin's house for dinner and, after she put her daughter to bed, we went down to the garage and rummaged around for some baby items. This is the haul I ended up with: a diaper changing pad, 3 receiving blankets, a pair of baby socks, 5 warmer all-in-one suits for baby for colder weather (luckily almost all of her daughter's clothes are gender-neutral or even "boy-colored"), baby Avalon Organics Soothing Zinc Diaper Balm and Protective A, D, & E Ointment, Lansinoh Brand Lanolin For Breastfeeding Mothers, 3 sets of used cloth breast pads and a bunch of disposable ones as well, a Medela Harmony Breastpump (a manual breast pump for occasional use), a book entitled Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, and a Diaper Genie diaper pail. The main thing she couldn't find was the bassinet, so she's planning on contacting a friend whom she thinks she lent it to.

Anyway, that's all for now. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

36 Weeks: Less Than One Month to Go!

I am 36 weeks today, so only 1 week until Ziggy is considered full term! Despite not having an appointment with my MFM this week, there's a lot to report. First off, AC flew here last Thursday and we were able to attend a free Birth Center Orientation & Expectant Parent's Night at the hospital where I'll deliver, which consisted of a useful presentation on car seat safety and inspection (I have my car seat fitting appointment set for Tuesday, October 27th, only 10 days before my due date), a video tour of the birth center (AC was disappointed that we didn't actually get to tour labor and delivery), a question and answer session with one of the labor nurses, and a presentation and Q & A with an OB anesthesiologist (turned out to be the same guy I met with a few weeks ago). A pediatrician was also scheduled to speak, but ended up not making it, which was just as well, since the session wound up lasting longer than expected.

I wont go too in depth into exactly what happened, but suffice it to say that the crowd here in Palo Alto is quite different from the one we encountered in Little Rock at our prenatal classes. That is to say, more educated and informed, but also more demanding and controlling. I almost laughed out loud several times at the degree of specificity that some of these expectant parents were demanding. One woman kept asking the anesthesiologist for extremely specific and detailed information about exactly how the various pain relieving methods work on the anatomical level. At one point AC turned and whispered to me that maybe she should go to medical school and become an anesthesiologist herself. I'm all for being informed and educated and I personally find medical knowledge fascinating (I did ask many questions of the same anesthesiologist during our private meeting), but there's no need to completely monopolize a public discussion.

There was also a lot of concern expressed over the possibility of residents and fellows, rather than an attending, performing procedures like epidurals or the delivery of the baby. Well, Stanford is a teaching hospital, and if you don't like that aspect, why not go somewhere else? Personally I have no problem with residents performing procedures as long as they're supervised (watch me bite my tongue later when something goes wrong during my labor and delivery that was caused by a resident's mistake!). So far I've been very impressed with the 4th year medical students who have seen me during my OB appointments.

Anyway, as AC put it, these people were just a lot more entitled than the ones in Arkansas, who I think were a little too passive, uninvolved, and uninformed. I also have to say that the quality of the presentations here was also superior to what we received in Little Rock. No wonder that the cost of one class here is more than the entire series of prenatal classes in Arkansas! Good thing this one was free!

On Friday I attended my second prenatal yoga class (I forget to mention that I went last week). The regular teacher was out last week attending a birth since she also serves as an occasional doula, but unfortunately the woman she was tending to ended up having a cesarean after 30 hours of labor (after 20 hours, she finally agreed to an epidural). Another woman in the class said that she had to have a c-section after two days of unmedicated labor with her first, so with this baby she was planning on switching hospitals (she delivered her first at Stanford and made it sound as if the hospital was to blame for her c-section). I have also heard from SH and from another doula who is not gung-ho pro natural that most of the women they see who try for unmedicated natural births end up with c-sections (the exact opposite of natural). Of course there are plenty of women who have successful unmedicated births, but it does make you wonder if sometimes the intense quest to avoid medication at all costs actually hinders the birth process when the labor is especially long and hard and pain relief might actually help the woman relax and gain strength so that her labor can progress.

Anyway, moving on! On Tuesday I had my weekly non stress test (it went fine and was completely uneventful save for Ziggy kicking the monitors like crazy!), which was observed by a third year student nurse. He had a case study assignment and asked if I would mind answering some questions for him. I told him about Kartagener's Syndrome, the IVF, my overall health, how the pregnancy has been progressing, etc. He seemed surprised at how much I knew about my own health condition, but honestly I was surprised at how little he seemed to know about medicine in general. I get that he's a student and he's still learning, but I kept having to define medical terms for him and explain myself in simpler terms than I'm used to when dealing with medical personnel. It got me thinking that maybe I should have been a nurse myself, but I know that the horrible hours (12 hour night shifts) and the constant exposure to sick people would not be good for my health.

In other news, this was another week for acquiring more baby stuff. A set of 10 reusable nursing pads from Udder Covers TM arrived in the mail. With a special online promo code, they ended up costing less than one dollar a pair! I also went ahead and finally ordered the Graco Snugride 32 infant car seat online, which to my surprise arrived the very next day. However, I am going to end up returning it since my very generous third cousin (from my Russian side of the family) who lives here in the Bay Area offered me her used car seat.

I called her on Monday and we arranged to meet up Wednesday (yesterday) at a park with her two-year old daughter (also conceived through IVF and delivered naturally at 36 weeks). She generously offered to lend me a ton of her baby stuff and even brought several items with her to give me right then and there. So now I have in my possession a Chicco KeyFit infant car seat (brand new when purchased two years ago and has never been in an accident), an infant bath tub, an infant neck support for use in the car seat or baby carrier, a baby towel, a couple of maternity sweaters and warmer tops, a prenatal yoga DVD and a postpartum Pilates DVD. Apparently there's a lot more stuff she wants to give me when I go over to her house next Wednesday evening. She is planning on trying for a second child with her frozen embryos next year, so I'll be returning everything to her before we leave for Japan, but I am so grateful to her for lending me these items temporarily. It will make things so much easier when we move and also give us a better idea of what we absolutely need to buy ourselves and what we can live without.

Finally I just wanted to mention that yet again I think I might be coming down with something. My left sinus and ear have been especially stuffed up this week and yesterday I started to develop a sore throat, so I'm wondering if I might have a sinus infection brewing. I see my pulmonologist tomorrow, and I'll ask him for a referral to an ENT who's covered by my insurance. The ENT I normally see here is great but he's out of network, and after the whole billing fiasco with the out-of-network orthopedist in New York when I broke my wrist (long, boring, and frustrating story that I don't want to go into here), I'm determined to stay in-network whenever possible.

Lastly I think I'm developing carpel tunnel or something, especially in my left hand. Both my hands, but especially the left one, will go numb if I grasp or hold something tightly. During the night I frequently feel like my hands are numb and tingly. I know this is just due to accumulated fluid from swelling pressing on the nerves, but it's still unpleasant. The other day I had an especially salty dinner and then went for a walk with my mom, and my hands really swelled up--they looked like sausages! I was relieved when the swelling went down after I drank a bunch of water and rested, but I think I need to be more wary of my salt consumption from here on out.

Anyway, that's all for this week! Sorry for the super long post. Maybe I'll try to post more frequently this week so as to avoid such long posts in the future.

Week 28: Prenatal Classes and Ziggy's Movements

Now we're definitely in the third trimester (some pregnancy calendars count from 28, not 27 weeks)! On Tuesday, AC and I attended a class on Newborn and Infant Care. I actually knew most of what the instructor discussed from all the reading I've been doing, but I did learn a few new things (like how most pediatricians don't approve of those syringe bulbs to suction out baby boogers since they can damage baby's tiny delicate nose) and was reminded of others I'd forgotten. We got to practice swaddling and diapering a life size baby doll, watched several short videos, and received a packet of useful information.

This time there were about 10 couples, and again all were having boys, except for two women, one of whom was having fraternal twin girls, just like last time! So, again, three girls, and the rest were boys. As AC pointed out, some of the same people were in the class with us, but still at least half were new people.

I had the farthest away due date, so again I won a package of 20 newborn diapers, this time in a slightly higher weight range. I don't think I've ever won so much free stuff in my life! We have our next class on Breastfeeding in a week--I wonder if my luck will continue :)

Ziggy continues to be a very unscheduled child, with quiet days interspersed with very active days--all of my reading indicates that he should be settling into a discernible pattern now, but if he is, it's evading me! He was a lively little bugger yesterday though.

Lately I can feel him kicking me simultaneously in two different locations, like my side and the front of my belly, and frequently something firm and round bulges out on the left side of my tummy, and I'm guessing it's his butt! I think it's hilarious when my belly is all misshapen from his positions and movements. I especially love the rolling, undulating movements across the front of my belly, right around the level of my belly button. Oftentimes I can actually see them better than I can feel them--I imagine he's rolling over and shifting as his quarters get tighter and more cramped. I really wish I could see how he's situated in there.

I have my next appointment in exactly a week, but I don't think I'm having an ultrasound then. Phooey! Unfortunately I'll probably have to wait until I get to California to have one. I would really like to know if the choroid plexus cyst is gone and that everything else continues to look good. Worry and doubt are starting to rear their ugly monstrous heads again!

Week 26: In which Ziggy takes up karate and I turn into a cow

Yesterday I was officially 26 weeks, and in honor of this milestone, Ziggy became quite the little martial artist, flipping, rolling, kicking, punching, poking, jabbing, you name it! It was quite entertaining to feel and watch my belly all day long. His movements were not only a lot more frequent, but also sometimes really strong. It never hurt, but sometimes the force did surprise me! I hope this means he will be a natural at karate. AC can't wait to introduce him to his new passion, especially since he was denied the chance to even try it as a kid. Ziggy's being a lot quieter today, so maybe he tuckered himself out. Poor little guy!

In other news, it appears that I have started to lactate! Ok, maybe leaking would be a better term. A few times I've noticed there were small, clear but slightly milky beads of liquid on my nipples, and today, when I tried squeezing my breasts, even more came out! I figure this is the colostrum. I actually find it quite exciting. I hope this means I will have a good milk supply.

I don't really have any expectations for how I want my birth to go (other than that I have to have an epidural or pain medication when requested!), but I know that I definitely want to breastfeed and will be really disappointed if for some reason I can't do it. My mother, who is certainly not the type to glorify or sentimentalize child rearing, always fondly reminisces about breastfeeding me and how much she loved it. So, I am hoping it's a similar story for me and Ziggy. By the way, my mother breastfed me exclusively for 14 months and hand-expressed the occasional bottle when she needed to be away or to relieve engorgement while working full time (as a professor though, she did have a much more flexible schedule and worked mostly from home).

So, I am going to hold off on buying a pump and all that various paraphernalia until I'm sure I'll actually need or want it. Personally, the idea of pumping doesn't appeal to me at all. It seems like a lot of work, what with washing and disinfecting all the bottles and equipment. I may rent one from the hospital first to see if I even like it or can get much milk that way. I know some women hate pumping and/or can't actually produce much milk with a pump, so I'd rather try it out first before plunking down all that money.

Anyway, all in all a good week as far as pregnancy goes. I can't believe there's only a week (or two, depending on which pregnancy calendar I refer to) left of the second trimester! Third trimester here I come!

To culminate or not to culminate, that is the excruciating question...

According to my various pregnancy tickers, I have only 99 days left until Ziggy's due date! 99 days of freedom, some might say. Not that I view having a baby as a prison sentence or anything, but I do realize that my life is going to change drastically once the little guy is here. Which brings me to my question: how should I spend these next 3 months? AC and my parents are pressuring me to finally finish my masters degree this fall. I have only one class, the dreaded culminating experience, left to complete, which requires a substantial amount of work. Basically, I need to create an e-portfolio of some of the work I've done in the program, showing how I fulfilled 14 competencies, which will entail writing about 16 short essays and possibly over 100 pages. On the one had, I would love to just be done with it all before Ziggy is born. But on the other hand, I can't imagine spending the last precious months of my pregnancy stressing about school work. So, in order to clarify the issue in my mind and reach some sort of conclusion, I've decided to make a list of the pros and cons of enrolling for Fall 2009.

Pros:

If I pass, I can finally kiss this master's program goodbye and move on with my life.

I'll have a master's degree (specifically an MLIS), which might come in handy later on if I decide to or need to go back to work, even if I don't work in a library setting. For example, some universities will only hire yoga instructors who have a master's degree.

AC and my parents will finally get off my back about completing my degree.

I will serve as a good role model for Ziggy (AC pointed this one out, not me!).

It will give me something to do, to occupy my time while I wait for the little guy to arrive. I may end up feeling pretty bored in California if my mom is occupied with her own work, and friends are too busy to see me. Plus, if I don't have a car, I will be stuck at home a lot or at the mercy of my mother to drive me around.

It won't be any easier (in fact, it will be harder) to complete the e-portfolio once I have a baby to look after. Basically, I'm worried that if I don'd do this now, I'll never finish it.

I've already invested a lot of time, money, and energy into this program, and it would be a shame to throw all of that away.

I'll feel embarrased and ashamed to admit to others that I gave up completing the program.

If I submit and pass 10 of the 14 competencies, I can get an incomplete and finish the remainder of the work over the next year, which would probably be doable if difficult, what with the baby and the move to Japan.

If I don't enroll in classes this semester, I'll have to reapply in order to finish the degree (the university only allows you to skip one semester at a time without taking official leave due to illness, military orders, or educational endeavors before making you reapply to the program, and I've already skipped this past spring semeter). Reapplying wont be too hard, but it will be annoying, especially to have to do it from Japan, and I wont be able to reapply until 2011 since California's buget cuts prevent the school from accepting any applications for 2010.

What with the budget cuts and California's current economic crisis, it seems like it might be wise to quickly finish the degree before the program goes belly up, they hike the tuition or make any other changes that could affect my completion of the degree.

The worst case scenario is that I end up never completing the degree and regret it later in life. Can I live with that?

Cons:

Pregnancy brain has made me stupid. I feel like it's a huge effort to think coherently. I've become really forgetful lately, which is unusual for me, and feel like I can't think clearly. Not good when trying to finish a master's degree!

My sleep is erratic--sometimes it's great, sometimes not. When it's not, I am basically useless for the next day or two (or three--these days, it seems to take me a lot longer to recover from sleep deprivation), have trouble thinking and concentrating, feel out of it, and can't imagine getting any academic work done. It's likely my insomnia will only get worse as I progress with my pregnancy.

There is still a lot to be done to prepare for Ziggy's arrival. I need to do a lot more research on baby gear and make some final decisions about certain purchases. Reading online reviews, browsing Craigslist and SU Market (Stanford University's version of Craigslist) for deals on baby gear and then arranging to pick the items up, scouting out stores for deals on baby gear, trying to hit up a few people in California to borrow stuff, buying and setting up everything we need for Ziggy's arrival (even if we get only the bare minimum, there is still quite a bit to do), etc.

I need to educate myself about how to take care of a newborn. This will entail lots of reading, viewing of DVDs, and taking of classes, such as infant CPR.

I need to exercise and move as much as possible for my lung health (this is according to my pulmonologist in California), so spending hours sitting in front of my computer probably wouldn't be the best thing for me. Once I'm in California I plan on doing a lot of walking as the weather and surroundings will be a lot more conducive to taking walks. I also want to take some prenatal yoga classes (they don't have any here in Little Rock). Basically I need to avoid a sedentary lifestyle as much as possible.

Even now when I don't use my computer that much, I find that my wrists will frequently bother me. My right wrist (the one I broke this past winter) is especially prone to acting up. Hours on the computer will only make these problems worse and, combined with the tendency of pregnant women to develop carpel tunnel syndrome in the third trimester due to swelling, almost guarantees that my wrists and hands will be in constant pain. Not to mention that once Ziggy arrives, I'll have to pick him up and carry him all the time, which will be really hard if my hands and wrists are already so destroyed.

Schoolwork stresses me out terribly, and everyone says that stress is bad for the baby, especially in the last trimester. Baby feels what you feel. I don't want to have a stressed out pregnancy, baby, or postpartum period.

Ziggy is due on November 5, and the e-portfolio is due on November 17. Of course Ziggy might be late, like I was, but if he's early or even on time, most likely I wont be able to finish by the deadline and at best will get an incomplete (I need to submit and pass at least 10 of the 14 competencies to get an incomplete) and at worst, a No Credit.

I feel totally unprepared to tackle this e-portfolio business. I know I should have been working systematically on it this entire year, but procrastination got the better of me. I also don't honestly feel like I can show proficiency in all of the competencies. I deeply regret not taking certain classes, like cataloging.

The whole point of the e-portfolio is to show off the work you've done in the program and present it to prospective employers in a way that makes them want to hire you. Since I don't plan on working as a librarian anytime soon (or possibly ever) and since I ended up realizing that the profession is not really right for me and that I didn't get much out of the program, I'd basically have to bs my way through the entire thing. Unfortunately I am not very good at bsing.

I am out of practice when it comes to writing, especially academic writing. The last class I took in the program (last fall) was on web design, so it didn't involve any paper writing (part of the reason I chose it as a matter of fact).

I don't have a good, ergonomic setup for my computer here or in California. Spending so much time working on a laptop wont be good for my wrists, back, neck, shoulders, eyes, or body in general. Combined with the aches and pains of pregnancy as I get larger and further along, I could end up being really uncomfortable by the end.

I have no motivation to finish the degree and could care less about having an MLIS.

I want to enjoy what's left of my pregnancy, to talk, sing, and read to Ziggy, to concentrate on feeling him move, and to bond with him before he arrives.

I want to enjoy this trip to California, since it may be the last time I get to spend a substantial amount of time there for a while. I want to spend as much time outside as possible, taking walks and observing the beautiful scenery and the fall foliage, especially since I've spent the summer mostly indoors here in hot, humid Arkansas. I want to see as many friends as possible and take advantage of all there is to do in that part of the country.

I want to rest, relax, enjoy myself, and do as many of those activities as I possibly can that I wont be able to do once the baby comes, like go to the movies, go out to eat, or hang out with friends. Once Ziggy is born, I'll be exhausted, sleep-deprived, and pretty much tied to being at home with the baby. Again, I have no problem with this--I'm prepared for it and even looking forward to it in an odd way. But it does make me feel like I don't want to waste these last few months doing something I'll hate.

Schoolwork not only stresses me out, it puts me in a perpetually bad mood. AC always says I'm a much nicer person and much more pleasant to be around when I'm not a student!

The last time I visited my mom, my computer had a really hard time connecting with her wireless network, so most of the time my internet connection was really unreliable. I definitely need reliable internet access to complete my e-portfolio.

I have no way of knowing what will happen in the third trimester as regards my health and my pregnancy. If I end up getting sick, end up in the hospital, or have premature labor and delivery, this could postpone or prevent my completion of the e-portfolio.

I am out of practice with doing schoolwork and being disciplined about deadlines. My life has been pretty easy since I've come to Little Rock. My days are very relaxed and laid-back, but I still have enough to do to keep me occupied and not bored. Basically, I have gotten lazy and undisciplined, and it's going to be difficult to get back into the student and schoolwork mindset.

The worst case scenario is that, after busting my butt to finish the e-portfolio before Ziggy is born, I end up not passing and getting a NC, which means I'll have to reregister, repay, and redo most of the work later. Ugh!

After reading through all these points, I still have no idea what I want to do. My mind wavers constantly between thinking, "There's no way I can do this" and "Won't it be nice to just get this done and out of the way?" Ahhh, I feel like I'm going crazy! It's pathetic, I am a fully grown woman about to have a baby, and yet I feel like a child myself. I want to just pull the covers over my head and wish this whole e-portfolio nonsense away. Or I want someone to take my hand and lead me through the process step by step, guiding and encouraging me constantly along the way. Geez, I am so pathetic! My mother was writing her doctorate while pregnant with me, and she finished it a few months after I was born. Clearly the apple can fall very far from the tree!

Anyway, thinking and writing about this is making me depressed. I'll finish this for now, but will probably write more about this soon. I need to make a decision by August 16, the deadline for enrolling in classes.

Ziggy's New Little Friend

Yesterday, the most charming little present arrived in the mail for Ziggy from some dear friends! It's an adorable monkey cuddle blanket from Angel Dear, and I can't wait to snap a picture of Ziggy with what will most likely become his favorite companion:



I love that it's a monkey! One of my first and favorite stuffed animals was a monkey named Macaca (he's still somewhere in our house in CT, as is my beloved Curious George stuffed animal). This little guy is super soft and cuddly and, most importantly, machine washable! Thank you, Xin Lei and Box Boy! I am sure Ziggy will be comforted and soothed for many years to come by his snuggly little friend :)

The Tyranny of "Stuff"

Can I just say, I hate registries! There's a reason AC and I chose not to have a registry for our wedding. Sure, a lot of people just gave us money or gift cards as presents, but that was fine with us. It allowed us to purchase items as we realized we needed them, so we actually bought useful things, rather than ending up with a bunch of stuff we thought we needed, but really didn't. In addition, we also received some pretty cool items that we never would have gotten from a traditional registry, such as a mirror with a beautiful handmade frame from Israel, a Fondue pot (it's actually been really useful for entertaining), a subscription to Netflix (which proved indispensable when we were forced to live in the Mojave Desert with the nearest movie theater being an hour away), and adorable yin and yang salt and pepper shakers. I'm not saying wedding registries are all bad. AC and I have certainly found them useful when we've had to purchase a wedding gift for someone. But I don't think they're absolutely necessary in every case.

The reason I bring this up is that on Friday, my friend dragged me to Babies R Us to set one up, and let me tell you, it was a painful process, at least for me (she seemed to be rather enjoying herself!). It's not that her advice wasn't helpful--it was! If I ever need to buy any of this stuff, now at least I know which brand or type to purchase. I just felt like I was being forced to add all this unnecessary stuff to the registry that I don't plan on buying or having anyone buy for me. The only good part was that I received a "Bornfree" bottle as a free gift for setting up my registry.

I'm not even sure I need a registry. After all, as far as I know, no one is planning on throwing me a baby shower. And even if my mom does throw me a little shower in California with a few mutual friends, I would only expect people to buy me some cute baby clothes or toys, nothing big or expensive. It just seems wrong somehow to expect people to buy me a bunch of fairly expensive stuff. Now if I had a large, close-knit family that all lived nearby, I would completely see the value and necessity of a registry. But honestly, the only people whom I expect to buy me the larger ticket items we might need are my parents, and can't I just tell them what we want?

Anyway, the whole registry expedition left me feeling very insecure and unsure of our decision to keep our baby gear purchases to a minimum. Could all this stuff really be necessary? After all, there must be a good reason for people to buy all this stuff for baby. Do they do it because they're first time parents who don't know any better and get overly excited by all the cute baby gear and lured in by persuasive salespeople who convince them that yes, they absolutely have to have that bouncer or swing or whatever? Or do they see other parents buying tons of stuff and feel like they have to compete in order to be considered good parents, that if they don't buy junior every single item that everyone else gets that they're somehow depriving the child for life? Or do they buy these things because, while expensive, bulky, and space-consuming, they're convenient and make the parents' lives easier? I really don't know. What I do know is that somehow I was raised without all of this stuff and managed to survive, as have countless other babies in the past.

Anyone who knows me really well knows that I don't like owning a lot of stuff. This aversion to stuff has several causes: 1) My step-father is a total pack rat, and having grown up in a cluttered, disorganized environment (and hated it!), I do my best to avoid accumulating unnecessary stuff. 2) Because I'm obsessive, I hate making decisions, and purchasing stuff requires making lots of decisions. I can't tell you how many times I've bought something and then regretted it later, for whatever reason. Basically shopping for stuff makes me anxious and brings out my obsessive qualities, so unless I absolutely need something, I would rather go without it than have to purchase it. 3) Since AC and I move around frequently and have had some of our stuff stolen and broken by movers, it just doesn't make sense to own a lot of stuff (especially nice stuff). 4) I try to be at least somewhat environmentally conscious, and the production and maintenance of stuff is decidedly environmentally unfriendly. 5) There is something very freeing about not being tied to worldly possessions. After all, you can't take it with you, or as one of AC's favorite quotes reads: There are no pockets in a shroud. If a natural disaster (fire, flood, etc) were to destroy all of our possessions, I would definitely mourn the loss of certain irreplaceable things, such as photographs, all of the data on my hard drive, and a few select items that have sentimental value, but for the most part, I would be ok. As long as I still had AC, I'd be fine.

I know that having a baby will entail the accumulation of a certain amount of stuff. But exactly how much is unclear. Some people would have you believe that you need to buy everything under the sun. Others insist that you can get by with the bare minimum and that all babies really need is love, attention, and lots of time from their parents. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle. All I know right now is that I feel overwhelmed by these choices and decisions. This is by far my least favorite part of being pregnant!

Baby Gear Mania, Part 1

Given my current focus, nay obsession, with researching baby products, it's fitting that this article appeared in today's Style section of the New York Times. The basic premise is that, in these strained economic times, parents (even the affluent ones who can afford it) are foregoing purchasing tons of new baby gear for their progeny, and instead are turning to second-hand products to lessen both the financial as well as environmental impact of their choices.

Personally I am all for frugality and restraint when it comes to purchases, whether they be for me or for the baby, and for that reason, I am planning on only buying the bare necessities for Ziggy and purchasing them used if possible. Of course our particular situation (namely all the moving we'll be doing in the first few months of Ziggy's life, including the big move to Japan when he's only 3-4 months old) necessitates that we exercise some restraint in our purchases and wait until we're settled in Okinawa before buying everything we need. Even then, I am hoping we can purchase a good deal from other military families moving away rather than from the Base Exchange.

That said, according to Baby Bargains, a book which I'd highly recommend to any prospective parent, there are two items that should always be purchased new for safety reasons: car seats and cribs. Given the large numbers of recalls on these items, as well as the fact that wear and tear, and even just sitting in a hot storage facility, can deteriorate the materials to a potentially unsafe degree, it makes sense to buy these new if possible. So, that's my plan: a new car seat to be purchased here in the states before Ziggy's arrival (most likely in CA), and a new crib to be bought later in Okinawa, because I really don't want to have to transport a brand new crib to Japan, only to have it end up lost, broken, or stolen by the movers.

In the meantime, I need to find a suitable bed for a newborn, one that will preferably last at least until he's about 3-4 months old (when we'll be in Japan and can buy a real crib) and be portable. My research has revealed the following options: bassinets, cradles, Moses baskets, co-sleepers, portable playpens (with or without bassinet attachment), portable cribs, portable infant travel beds, and of course, the old standby, a small suitcase or laundry basket (ok, I'm not really serious about the last one, but I did sleep in a small suitcase for the first few months of my life because my parents were poor and my Russian grandmother was superstitious, which meant no baby purchases until I was born). Although I am leaning towards one of the portable options, the safety of some of these items, especially when used as long-term beds, is questionable and something I'll have to look into further.

From what I've read and heard from other mothers, bassinets, cradles, and Moses baskets are a waste of money to buy brand new, and should be either purchased used or, better yet, borrowed from a friend. I do have a third cousin in California (she lives about 30 minutes from where I'll be staying) whose daughter is now about two and who would probably lend me some baby stuff temporarily while I'm there (of course I have no idea if she used a bassinet, cradle, or Moses basket, but it's probably worth it to ask). My mom also has a friend who lives nearby and recently had a child, and she might also be a source of temporarily loaned baby gear. It would be nice to be able to just borrow some of the things I need for the month or so that I'm there with the baby (now I am thinking it makes sense to just stay through Thanksgiving) and not have to haul everything to New Mexico. Plus, it would be a nice trial run for me to see what I can live without and what I absolutely need. Of course that means, once I get to New Mexico, we'll have to buy some of the things that we had been borrowing.

Note: Rambling tangent ahead! I just had a thought. I was planning on flying back East in December for the holidays to see family one last time before our move to Japan, as well as to show off Ziggy. What if, instead of going from California to New Mexico to Connecticut, I fly directly from California to the East Coast, thereby eliminating one trip. The main drawback is that Ziggy and AC will be separated for longer, which of course is a pretty big drawback. I'm worried that all these frequent trips will be too stressful for both me and Ziggy, but perhaps I should really be worried about AC not having a chance to bond with his son early on. Then, after the holidays, I can fly to New Mexico and remain there until we move to Japan in February. So basically in three short months, Ziggy will have spent about a month living in three different places--poor little guy! Is this plan completely crazy? Should I just stay in California the entire time, as AC has suggested, or fly to New Mexico and then just remain there and forego the trip back East? Anyway, all of this spur-of-the-moment planning is getting in the way of what was supposed to be a focused post on baby gear. Rambling tangent ended!

So, back to the main topic. We haven't yet decided on a baby bed, but I'm pleased to say, we have found a car seat we like. Originally I had thought to just buy a convertible car seat since it will last longer and be cheaper than having to buy both an infant seat and a convertible seat. However, since we wont know what size car we'll have in Japan until we get there and actually buy one, and there's the chance that the convertible seat we choose wont fit in the small Japanese car (I'm especially drawn to the Britax convertible seats, which are huge), I figure it's safer to buy an infant seat for now, because it's more likely to fit in a small car, and buy the convertible seat later, when we actually know what size car we're dealing with. Plus, the fact that the infant car seat can snap out of it's base and become an infant carrier is also a handy feature.

Anyway, after some research online and in the Baby Bargains book, I decided I liked the Graco SnugRide, so AC and I went and checked it out in a store. Once there, we encountered a newer model of the Graco SnugRide, the SnugRide 32, which can accommodate babies up to 32 pounds and 32 inches, and which supposedly fits 97% of one-year-olds (so it would last a lot longer than a typical infant car seat). It also just seemed a lot plusher and more luxurious than the regular Graco SnugRide. We especially liked the Zurich print (I think the brown and green could work for a girl too), which also happens to be the cheapest model on Amazon:



And instead of buying a separate bulky stroller, for now I think we're just going to get a stroller frame, either the Baby Trend Snap N Go or the Graco SnugRider. The Snap N Go seems to be better rated overall, but the SnugRider is guaranteed to fit Graco car seats, so it may be the better choice for us (I tried snapping the car seat into both frames in the store, and it did fit better with the SnugRider). Here is the Snap N Go:



And here is the SnugRider:



Anyway, that's enough baby gear mania for one day! I'll be back with more updates as I figure out what else we need for those first few months.

More Friends, Food, and Fun!

Sorry I've been MIA lately. I meant to write a post for week 22, but it came and went, and I lacked any inspiration to try to come up with anything interesting to say. I still feel like I don't really have much to say at the moment, so I'll just quickly update about our weekend.

Our pre 4th of July BBQ pool party on Friday went off without a hitch. Everyone seemed to have a good time, there was enough food, but not so much left over as to be obnoxious, it wasn't too hot and was slightly overcast but never rained, we had the pool all to ourselves (it seemed like a lot of people went away for the weekend or were at the other pool), and no one from apartment management got on our case about having more than two people at the pool (technically you can only have two guests in the pool area per apartment).

For food, we had burgers with all the fixings, pork loin, and ribs for the meat eaters, grilled wild salmon for me (although several of the guests seemed interested in my fish, so I had to share my second piece, which was probably a good thing, or I would have gone over my 12 oz allotment for the week :), veggie burgers for the one vegetarian we had, plus grilled corn, onions, mushrooms, asparagus, and a sweet potato for me (I've had a craving lately but it's too hot to bake them in the oven). And someone brought a salad, which I don't think was very popular, because most of it was left uneaten. And my half-Russian friend brought these amazing, healthy, organic rice crispy treats made with puffed brown rice, honey, peanut butter, and dried fruit. They were a real hit, with both the kids and grownups alike :) I'm going to have to get the recipe from her.

Anyway, here's a picture that one of our guests took (thankfully I'm not in it--I think I must have gone to the bathroom):



The rest of the weekend also went well. AC and I saw two movies at the dollar theater. AC was kind of surprised that he liked the first movie a lot more than the second. I think it was especially poignant now that he's going to be a father himself.

We also spent some time at Barnes and Nobles (AC studied while I read books about baby gear) and then checked out said baby gear at Baby Depot, Toys R Us, and Target. I think we've pretty much decided on a car seat, but I'll go into that more in a later post. Anyway, all in all a great weekend! And today we're going berry picking with some friends, so more fun is to be had!

Ahh, the joys of baby boys!

A mysterious package arrived in the mail yesterday from uncommon goods. AC and I were confused for a moment because neither of us had ordered anything online. But then I remembered that SH had sent me a stewardess tampon case once from uncommon goods, so I figured this must be from her. And it was! You'll never guess what was inside--two sets of Pee-pee Teepees (5 in each set)!

What are Pee-pee Teepees, you may very well ask? Well, they look like little elf hats, except they're not worn by elves; you put them on a baby boy's wee-wee (as uncommon goods calls it :) while you're changing him to prevent him from peeing on you! Cute, huh? I especially like the blue airplane print. By the way, they are machine washable and even come with their own miniature laundry bag so you don't end up losing the tiny things in the wash.

So, Ziggy's collection of baby paraphernalia continues to grow. Luckily so far all of it has been quite small so I should be able to easily take it with me to California. I'm planning on saving the shopping for bigger ticket items (like a car seat, some sort of bed for Ziggy, etc.) until I'm in California--no need to lug them with me across the country. In general, we are probably only going to buy the bare minimum for Ziggy until we're in Japan. With all the moving we're going to be doing (Little Rock to Palo Alto to Albuquerque to Okinawa), it just doesn't make sense to shop for an entire nursery right now. In general, I think our approach will be minimal. I honestly don't want to buy a ton of baby gear, and from what I've heard from other parents, it's not really necessary.

Ziggy's First Clothes and Other Free Baby Stuff

Last week I attended this program on base called "Bundles for Babies," which turned out be a great idea, since I came away with a ton of free stuff. Not only did I receive some useful information on pregnancy and childcare, but I also got a copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting," two CD-ROMs on pregnancy, a DVD on infant care, a bunch of Gerber stuff (a 2 pack bootie set, 3 burp cloths, 2 bibs, 5 onesies, a 3 pack of zip-front tagless "sleep 'n plays" for 3-6 months, a 2 piece bath set consisting of a hooded towel and washcloth, a thermal receiving blanket, and 2 single pack fitted knit crib sheets) and a pair of adorable hand-knit booties made by a woman who asks for nothing in return but a picture of your baby when it's born (presumably wearing the booties I would think!). There were a lot of pink and blue booties to choose from, so I grabbed a green pair to be safe:



The free stuff doesn't end there! Last week AC's step-mother (who has been nothing but warm and generous towards me) sent a care package from Taiwan stuffed with maternity clothes, a baby carrier, jujubes/Chinese dates (I'm supposed to eat 5 a day), sun cakes and pineapple cakes for AC, and two adorable newborn outfits for 3 months (pink) and 6 months (blue). It's hard to believe Ziggy will be small enough to fit in either of these when s/he's born!



I realize we still have a lot of stuff to buy, but I am feeling a bit better knowing we have a reasonable start. Plus I am loving the maternity clothes--no more trying to squeeze myself into too small pants!