Merry Christmas

We enjoyed several Christmas gatherings with my family. (The pictures are from the 23rd and 24th of December.) Our choir performed a cantata for the service on the 23rd, so I sang and Tom played viola in a small string ensemble (which is why Tom is wearing a suit). I gained 2 pounds in the past week from all the Christmas food and goodies (or, more likely, the baby is growing). We had a great time at Paul and Vickie's party and gift exchange, with the funniest gift being a pillow that my brother's family brought. I won't go into details, just in case young people are reading the blog, but the adults can guess the subject matter. We "recycled" the Menopause for Dummies book that my cousin brought last year. It was only fitting that my uncle ended up with the book at the end of the gift exchange. We spent Christmas day baking cookies and had dinner at my brother's house.



Baby update: People keep asking me when I am due and if I am having contractions. I guess my walking gait has changed now that my center of mass has shifted so far forward. People are worried that I will go into labor anytime. I will say that it is a good thing that pregnancy lasts just 9 months, since my bladder wakes me up every two to three hours. Back to the due date - my original due date is January 18, but the ultrasound at 19 weeks moved it to January 13. So, I just tell people that I am due sometime in mid-January. As of now, I am through 37 weeks of pregnancy, so the baby could come anytime. If you want to guess a day and time of the birth, create a response to this blog with your guess and we can see who comes the closest. [Maybe we'll even send the winner a prize.]

We saw the doctor again yesterday and everything seems to be going fine with the baby. My uterus now measures 37 centimeters vertically (which is normal for 37 weeks of pregnancy). His heart beats 140 times per minute, which also seems to be a healthy number.

Enjoy the new year festivities and all the best to you in 2008!

One Last Shower

Tom's co-workers threw us a baby shower yesterday afternoon, which was fun and appreciated. Our baby now has a high chair, which is the last big item that we needed for him. I think we are set in terms of baby gear and clothes now (well, I am sure we will be buying lots of diapers and wipes in the near future...). Tom's co-workers tried to help us with choosing a name, but I do not think we will take the suggestion of "Bam Bam". I thought of Barney Rubble, but Bam is the name of one of their Qualcomm projects.

Doctor Update: We now see my doctor every week until I go into labor. My doctor had not been able to determine the baby's position during the last couple of visits, but the ultrasound today revealed that he is head down, buttom up, so he is ready for delivery. I also learned that I have been having contractions (the warm-up kind) - I just did not know they were happening. During my exam, the doctor said, "You are having a contraction." Now I know I have been having false contractions for quite some time. They do not hurt; instead, they just make the top-half of my belly really hard.

We also had our last birth class last night. One of the couples in the class had their baby early, so they brought their son and shared their birth story last night. I must say that it was reassuring to hear that she had a fantastic (despite 38 hours) labor and delivery. She gave us some great advice, much of which I should have written down. Here's some of the advice that I can remember:

- Pack loose-fitting clothes for after delivery
- Pack music / mp3 player
- Pack chapstick
- Pack entertaining movies
- Use water (bath or shower) during labor
- Hire a lactation consultant if breastfeeding does not get off to a good start
- Have Tom repeat everything the doctor says

12 Days Until Christmas

Mid-December is already here. I was surprised to hear on the radio that we have just 12 days left until Christmas. The time has certainly passed quickly, as the end of semester activities kept me busy. (In fact, I am in the midst of grading reports for my Intro to Engineering course and look forward to finishing reading the large pile in front of me. Writing this entry is giving my brain a break.)

We have little news regarding the baby. I will see the doctor every week until our son decides to make his entrance into the world. Everything seems to be going fine - his heartbeat is strong and his body is taking up more room in my belly. My doctor is a bit unsure about his position, but I am fairly certain that his head is down. When he hiccups, I feel the jabs near my pelvis.

This time of year is keeping us busy, too. Tom was busy baking cookies the past two weeks. He had a Christmas orchestra concert on Saturday, so now he is "on break" from orchestra rehearsal for a few months. We keep thinking that "next week" will be less busy, but we seem to have activities/events most evenings and weekends until Christmas. If I do not have time to write again before Christmas, we hope you have a season filled with much happiness!