Reminiscing: Pictionary

Remember Pictionary? I certainly do. Though I didn't know it would ever help inform my immediate family of Chris and my impending little bundle, I did enjoy playing it as a child. There was even a show built on Pictionary's premise: Win, Lose or Draw. Each game started with two teams - ladies vs. gents. The teams would take turns at the drawing board where one player drew and the remaining two players on that same team made best guesses about that which was being Picasso'd with thick and colorful markers on the large flip chart.

So, that's the way my family shaped up our game. Estrogen vs. testosterone (Dad, Paul and Chris vs. Mom, Kari, Sarah and me). The plan was that at some point, Chris woud make the big reveal... whenever the time was right. Well, one and a half games later... we were still waiting for that perfect moment. See, with Pictionary, they have these "all-plays" that allow both teams to draw at the same time. Turns out, each time Chris drew, it ended up being an all-play, so instead of having the undivided attention of everyone at the table, he was only going to have the men's. Hence... we were into our second game (of course, us ladies were POUNDING the competition). Chris's turn came up and it was not an all-play. SCORE!

His hands started to get jittery. He reached carefully to turn on the camera. He read the word on the card several times (he still maintains he has no idea what it said) and acted perplexed at the prospect of having to sketch it.

The sand-filled "minute glass" was flipped and he was off. Though, it was a bit unclear what he was trying to do in the beginning, it became transparent in time. Here's what he drew...

Get it?

Don't feel bad... Neither did the fam; that is, not without a bit of explanation. Chris started to explain: The first picture is a man throwing a "rock"; number two is eyes that are looking, i.e. "see" (they got that one) and the third one is unmistakably an expectant woman (and that one). They just didn't understand how the three drawings worked together. He said it again "rock-see-baby bump"; then "pregnant" + "rock-see." By this time, I was beaming and tears were coming down my face because I was sure they were going to understand in a matter of moments. Then Sarah said "Roxi's pregnant?!"

From there, the game ended in a halt. Mom shrieked and grabbed me for a tight embrace; excited faces lit up all around the table; bodies rose to begin embracing; mom let me go and touched the lack of a bump on my abdomen. :)

Thanks for sharing in the memory!

The Greed Gun

A couple weeks ago, my sister (the future, auntie Kari) was in town to spend some time hanging out and catching up. Since it was mid-week, we decided not to paint the town and get all crazy... otherwise, watch out... we can be quite the duo. Riiight...

Instead, we decided to do more conservative and constructive things like taking a 5-mile walk, chatting about her most recent vacation (including cruise dining, winning a Sudoku competition and averting the clenched jaws of alligators - seriously!) and setting up baby registries at Toys R Us and Target. I know... you wish you could've been there, right??

So then it began...our date with the "greed gun." What's that, you ask? A simple device used to plan the future with every hope, aspiration and dream in mind. You guessed it - the product scanner that introduces your family and friends (and anyone else who wants to search for you) to all those "wish list" items you have for the future mini-me. For those of you who've not entered the future-parent-to-be-domain, perhaps you know the greed gun from a trips to the store prior to your marriage? And if that doesn't spark it for you, certainly you've seen a rogue dad weaving stealthily around department store displays doing his best impersonation of Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible. He grips the registry scanner, peers down an isle of fragile goods, begins his raptor-like pursuit, turns a corner and points the scanner at an unsuspecting crystal vase his bride-to-be is holding oh-so-gingerly. Capisce?



Of course the intent with registries isn't really greed, but rather a simple opportunity to inform regarding those planning on gift-giving of what's really needed, necessary or just too darn cute to leave un-scanned.

Our progress wasn't exactly progress at all. I "mis-fired" a few times at Toys R Us and even though the scanner was supposedly equipped to delete items, I'm not convinced that actually happened. We did learn a lot though. Mostly, that there's SO MUCH to learn :) The sheer amount of options for bottles, strollers, bouncers, diapers and more, made me wonder if I'd ever get started. But with the help of some of you, I've now received excellent advice on what worked best in your opinion (or the opinion of your little ones) for products, brands, needs and wastes of time.

Now if I can just figure out the registry scanner...

Hiccups

There are a handful of folks who've asked me whether the baby's had hiccups yet. "I don't know, I haven't asked the little charmer," is typically my first thought. Really though, the little bean has been on the move quite frequently, but there hasn't been a time when I'd say I recognize any of the movement being similar to that which hiccups cause. That is, until today at 4:22 p.m.

There was a little nudge (not out of the ordinary), then another in the exact spot (again, not atypical), then another - all about two seconds apart. It went on, repeating at least 14 times (yes, I counted).

To think of the bean (who is supposedly about a foot in length - the size of an ear of corn, approximately - and weighs just over a pound) flailing around with uncontrollable abdominal spasms kind of makes me giggle. It was short-lived and as long as it's a part of the developmental process, I'm good with it.

In honor of hiccuping babies everywhere, inside and outside of the "pod," here's a little something for you to giggle at as well:

A Six-Pack Habit

So, I don't even like beer. In fact, I really can't stand it. I don't like the taste, the color's unappealing to me and my stomach's not particularly a fan either. So, overhearing a comment about "looks like she's got a six-pack a day drinking habit" didn't exactly make me feel fabulous... but I'm over it. It's part of this whole miraculous, incredible, creation-of-life thing. :)


With that comment, I suppose I owe you some belly shots (no, not those which some have enjoyed at many a drinking establishment) - here are some progressives since the last time I posted bump pictures (3/4/09). Enjoy - but keep the beer belly jokes to yourselves! Note - they move pretty quick!

Baby Snuggie, For Real.

Who knew that for the mere investment of $80, you could be the proud owner of your very own baby Snuggie. I'm not talking about the uber-popular adult version that served the sole reason for a recent Des Moines Pub Crawl. No, I'm talking about a new and improved version that allows for baby bonding - a shared version called the Peekaru. A revolutionary design adjustment that improves your full body blanket experience by allowing the baby to see the world from your point of view (and no dragging the excessively long blanket across the floor - if you have one, you understand).

Even better, there's no gender qualification for carrying babies this time - so dad's - you're not off the hook anymore!

Log on to order yours now*! http://www.togetherbe.com/productDescriptionPeekaruOriginal.aspx

*No, I am not a spokesperson for the Peekaru; yes, I am awestruck at the ingenuity of "some people's children" :)

Calling all Mamas (and Papas!)

So, I am in need of some "been there, done that" advice. Several of you have, in your own tenures as "mama" or "papa" (or any other name you'll answer to when called out by a wee one), provided a great deal of wonderful advice on the best of the best products, services, brands, etc. you've found. Unfortunately, most of that advice came prior to being an expectant lady. SO... in building our "baby wants and needs" lists, I'd love your assistance in identifying your favorites in the following categories:

• Stroller (Best brand? Four wheels or three? Do you need all the storage capacity? Which style is the easiest to handle with one hand?)


• Bouncy Chair (Best brand? When do babies start using it?)


• Swing (Best brand? What else do I need to know here?)


• Vibrating Chair (Best brand? Is it necessary to have more than a couple speed settings?)


• Bottles (Best brand? Glass or plastic? Disposable inserts?)


• Diapers (Best brand? Does the brand differ by age of child? Disposable or cloth?)


• What else?

As well - tell me if I'm crazy to be thinking of some of these.... perhaps it's not necessary to have some of these things at all...and maybe I need three swings. Again, this is a first time gig, so I need some slack for asking less-than-intelligent questions.

Dogs and Kids - WARNING

My Sister-in-law, Sarah, sent me this very serious warning about those of us looking to welcome newborns into the world who have dogs. However, I think it applies to children of all ages. It warns of the dangers of leaving children unattended in the presence of dogs. This is an example of why that is so important:


Wait for it....

Happy April Fools' Day ;)

Not QUITE Alien, But Close

I saw the little bugger move today! Well, I saw my growing tummy move. "Little Beck" (this is how my mom is referring to the bean) was having quite an active day, which is pretty normal now. As I was working, my arm was feeling pulses as it was touching my bump. After about a dozen little "knocks," I decided to take a peek and see if it looked as dramatic as it felt.

Just a few short seconds later, there it was. The lower left part of my tummy quickly expanded then detracted in a flash. It was like there was a chopstick pushing from the other side. I don't recall swallowing any chopsticks... but perhaps the celery I ate last night served as a stand-in.

I'm sure that as my "pod that encases the pea" continues to pulse, expand and stir, all this may become less fascinating... but for now, it's stellar.

Baby Beck's debut!

Even though this isn't the official debut of Baby Beck (you'll have to wait another 20 weeks for that), it does mark a special time in the development of the little bean. It is with this that we wanted to share the progress and evolution of the pregnancy thus far.

We'll start with the first ultrasound - a single snapshot at about 8 weeks (December 31, 2008). With this image, you'll surely understand why we thought we may be having something other than a homosapien! (Turtle, dog, dinosaur?)

Though, we were looking at the shot backwards. The head is actually on the left (at that early stage of development, the head is oversized in comparison to the rest of the "body." At that point, it had just started to develop webbed fingers and toes on the ends of the hands and feet, the eyelids nearly covered the eyes, breathing tubes were extending from the throat to the developing lungs and its "tail" was just about gone. (Yes, if you didn't know it, they have tails early on!) What appears to be a puffy tail in this picture is a portion of the umbilical cord.

It's amazing what just four weeks can mean for a developing little being. That brings us to our 12-week ultrasound (January 28, 2009). You'll see that the turtle has exited and a new swan has emerged! We came away with a couple nice profile shots - one of the little noggin (the black spot is the brain - YAY! We'll need one of those! - the white areas are the nose bone, the soft palate and the chin bone):

...and one that includes the torso and leg mid-kick:

You can try to make guesses or wagers on the sex, but at 12-weeks, it's kind of a lost cause. As we were told, they can't tell that early via ultrasound. Now, if we would have had a "4-D ultrasound," it may have been a different story.

That brings us to this last Friday (March 27, 2009) - our 20-week peek at the rapidly changing bean. (This was the appointment at which we had the opportunity to find out the sex of Baby Beck... but as I mentioned earlier, we opted out of that chance.) We think we neded up with some pretty good shots, but we'll let you be the judge!

The first is something that may symbolize "making an entrance" - the foot:

Next comes a look at the profile with head and torso. The little "bubbles" at the end of the leg are the side of the foot. In this one, you can see that the shape of the head has changed just a bit - it's rounded out a bit from the 12-week shot.

This one is a close-up of the head - but what's funny is it looks like the baby is mimicking Mike Myers' pose as Dr. Evil as he said "one million dollars." See the resemblance?

That brings us to the final shot we received - a look at the face of the baby. Now don't get too excited... it may more closely resembles a skeleton than the innocent eyes, pinchable cheeks and pursed lips typical of a baby's mug. The yellow arrow points to the baby's fingertips resting on its forehead (not sure why that would be comfortable, but who am I to judge?!). The blue arrows indicate the eyes, the purple is the chin and perhaps you can fill in the other spaces.

It's not likely we'll have any other "snapshots" of the bump until August, but if we do, I'll be sure to share them!

Smile!

Our 20-week ultrasound is tomorrow, so we're pretty psyched to see the little one. At our 12-week ultrasound, the little bean was very active... that is, after it woke up.

It started out tucked under my left hip. The ultrasound technician had me cough and walk around to get it to reposition. When I returned, it was completely under my right hip. I didn't realize I had room for a "free-range" baby, but obviously that was the case. After a couple more coughs and some shimming, the critter was on the move.

It kicked, it punched, it did "the worm" while on it's back.

A side... You know what I mean when I say "the worm"... right? Certainly you've been at weddings where your crazy cousin or rowdy neighbor or some friend of the bride turns their body into a wave-making-machine. If not, check out this video and prepare to be enlightened. Nope... I don't know "Uncle Pete," just found him roaming the Web.)



Back to 12 weeks.... the little break-dancer also felt the need to show off and did a sommersault! No joke! We saw the back of the head, then the back, and then the little feet. A-ma-zing. But how in the world did I NOT feel it? I guess since it was just 2 inches long and just a few ounces, I shouldn't be surprised. Still... it was simply surreal to think the little bugger was doing all that and had it not been on the moniter, I would have completely missed out.

Watch for comparison pictures after tomorrow!

Top banana

Chris and I just finished reading the 20-week update on baby's status (in an average world, of course). It is at this point that the baby stops being measured from head to rump (b/c until now, the legs were all scrunched up near the abdomen) and starts being measured from head to toe.

We were surprised to learn that the little (maybe I can't say "little" anymore...) being-to-be is about 10 inches long and about 10.5 ounces. In Baby Center land (http://tinyurl.com/7pgwae), this marks the first week our babe isn't compared to a round-ish fruit or veggie (each week of pregnancy, they provide the size of the baby to that of produce); now, it's comparable to the size of a normal banana. Makes me giggle.

And now, the end is near...

...And so I face, the final curtain.

Well, it's not exactly the end... but the end for a while at least. That is, for my pants. As my waistline expands, my wardrobe shrinks. Sad? Inevitable? Forever? Yes. Yes. Better not be!!

It's one of those sacrifices everyone who's done this pre-me has lived through and gotten over. I've heard that no matter how many things - material, physical or emotional - moms surrender, once you see that little darling's face, it's all worth it. I'm sure that's true. And in 20 more weeks, when my eyes meet that little noggin with pinchable cheeks, I'll surely get it.

But until I look pregnant without question (you know, when people no longer just think I've "let myself go"), I can't help but feel just a teensy bit discontented at the status of the new number on the scale and the increase in inches it takes to envelop my waist.

Running with Baby

On Saturday (3/21), the weather was gorgeous (pushing 70-degrees) so I geared up for a long walk on my normal running route which spans just over 5 miles. I went for a long walk and decided about half way through that since I was warmed up, what the heck... I can run. I have to admit, I was also feeling some peer pressure from the many other fair-weather-motivated runners out and about. (Yes, I know... I should not be focusing on them, exercise is about the exerciser... but I still felt like I should be doing what I'd normally be doing sans bean in belly.)

As I rounded the corner where the running trail ends and headed into the residential neighborhood which leads (eventually) to home, I picked up the pace from a brisk walk into a slow jog than an easy run. The first steps, albeit light and gentle, felt different. Odd, weird, clumsy, bulbous.... really different. I've never carried around a mass like this before - so it's no surprise that it wouldn't feel normal. But about 5 blocks later, all I could think about was my feet meeting the pavement and the impact ricocheting up through my knees, to my hips and to my "holding tank" the little one is calling home these days. I imagined what the little half-pound bean must be feeling, especially since I know there's ample room in my growing one-room shack. Ultimately, about ten steps after those initial thoughts of little Baby Beck going through my own personal spin cycle, I took the run back down to a walk.

I'm sure it was fine; the doctors all say running is perfectly acceptable if you were a runner in the recent past - which I was. But the awkwardness of carrying around this new mass (and the potential that I was prepping the little one to become a rodeo superstar) just proved that I'm not ready for full-fledged running quite yet. Maybe once there's less "wiggle room"....

Another First!

Chris and I were sitting together, working away on our laptops tonight when I started to feel the bump "bumping." Without skipping a beat, we found a prime piece of real estate on my baby pocket for Chris's hand and waited for the magic.

And waited...

"Did you feel that?" Chris questioned? I thought he just twitched... but nope! He felt the little bean signaling to "give me some space already!" Neat-o!


In last night's post, I mentioned that we're not going to find out the sex of the babe... but we're interested in your thoughts...

poll by twiigs.com

Boy or Girl? Drumroll, please...

We've found that one of the most common questions people ask after finding out about the bump is, "Do you know what you're having?" Typically, this comes right after, "When are you due?" and "How are you feeling?"

I've always thought the prospect of not knowing was appealing. This premise dates back to the summer of 1985 or 1986. It was late August and Mom, Paul (soon to be Uncle) and I were talking about my upcoming birthday. Something was mentioned about a special present, so I asked Paul what he was getting for me. He maintained that he wasn't going to tell me (duh!)... so I guessed. "You got me a She-ra doll, didn't you?" And you know what he said? "Yep." About a week later, when I was opening my presents and it came to Paul's gift, guess what it was? You got it... the Princess of Power herself:

I was devastated. All the surprise and excitement had been stripped away from me because I couldn't wait to find out, and ever since then, I've been scarred (just a little). With that single experience, I realized that I really do love surprises.

Lucky for me, Chris also has a keen appreciation for surprises, so we're in agreement that anonymity is perfectly acceptible here.

We will have the opportunity to find out whether the bump (or bump-ette) is a he or a she next week at our 20-week appointment. But, we're saying "thanks, but no thanks"... we're passing go, yet not collecting our $200... we're allowing one of life's only true surprises be exactly that.

Now... we don't want you thinking this means you can't guess, make wagers, tell us what your version of the "old wives' tale" says, try to decipher the ultrasound photo, etc. In fact, we encourage it! Chris and I love playing games, so that sort of strategy and gamesmanship is part of the journey.

Look for the 20-week portrait(s) at the end of next week! Our ultrasound is on 3/27/09.

What do you think about finding out the sex of the baby?
If you have little ones, did you find out?

Soccer Baby?

If you know Chris, you know soccer is a big part of his (and subsequently, my) life. He even surprised me two summers ago and signed me up to play on his co-ed league. It was an interesting conversation that went something like:

• Chris: What are you doing tomorrow (Saturday)?
• Roxi: Watching your soccer game - why?
• Chris: Actually, you're playing in the soccer game... I registered you.
• Silence...
• Roxi: Er... huh?

Given I'd literally never played, it was a bit of pressure. The next day brought near 90-degree temperatures with almost 70% humidty. To boot, I was the only girl that showed up and since co-ed teams require 3 ladies on the field at all times, I was getting no substitute. Dang. I think it went as well as possible, considering the details. I even got an assist in that game.

I digress... back to Chris. Having started his "career" in the sport at four years young, it's no surprise he's mildly obsessed. He played from the time he laced up his kicks with his pre-school playmates to his tenure at Coe College with fellow players from around the country, and continues his dedication Des Moines-based "over the hill" leagues year-round. What is also not surprising is Chris's mom's (Becky) recollection of being pregnant with Chris. Two key takeaways:

1. When he kicked (in the womb), she could grab his foot/leg.
2. When he was born, he had calf muscles because of that frequent kicking habit.

One word: Ouch.

It is with this in mind that I share with you a video Becky sent that could be indicative of what may happen when I'm sitting on the sidelines of Chris's outdoor games this summer. And if it's up to Chris, nothing could be more perfect!

Eighteen, Going on Eight (Weeks and Pounds)

So, it's week 18. ALMOST HALF WAY THERE! With only having felt movement a few times, it's still kind of surreal and I just haven't been quite convinced there's really a being growing inside me. That said, I'm convinced that something is going on. As my stomach muscles are starting to stretch (I'd forgotten what growing pains felt like!) and my balance is quickly leaving me, I'm realizing that this little bump is probably the real thing.

This week, the little bean is (in theory) about 5.5 inches long from head to rump and weighs in at approximately 7 ounces. Babycenter.com's visual of "what the baby looks like this week" is, in my best estimation, pretty darn accurate. By pressing on my lower abdomen, I can feel a difference - not like muscle, but a bumpy toughness. Chris worries that if I keep pressing on it, I'll squish the little one. (It's NO WHERE near the level of pressure the technician applied during our first ultrasound!) I think of it as more of a massage.

Since last week, the little one has supposedly put on 2 ounces... but for some reason, I'm feeling like my "mohawk stomach" is expanding at a more rapid pace than it should with only 2 ounces of gain. Even the change in my belly button is pretty substantial since last week.

I guess all of these changes are inevitable. And they're certainly nothing all the other pregnant ladies in this world haven't experienced, so I'm sure I'll make it. At this point though, it's kind of like making cake... we're dealing with the batter... and I'm ready for dessert :)

Knock three times...

Do you know that song? (Knock three times, <tap. tap.> on the ceiling, if you want me... ooo-ooo twice on the pipes <ting! ting!> if the answer is no-ooo-ooo-ooo.) No? Maybe my mom will let you borrow her 45 record... it's a classic.

The reason I bring it up is...I am nearly POSITIVE I felt the bump "knocking" today! It was about 4:30 p.m. and I was sitting at the Pork Act Delegate (the voting body for the National Pork Board - the checkoff organization for all pork producers in the United States) session listening to a proposed amendment, and I start to feel this little tapping all in the same place, over and over again for about 30 seconds. Then it happened again - not quite as long this time, but in the same spot. It was different than normal "tummy talk" or "gut grumbles." I've confirmed my suspicions with a couple moms here and they said it sounds like baby movement. So, all I have to go with this their opinion and "my gut"... literally.

I told Chris and he responded, "Yay! Baby loves pork!"

Growing. Maybe you can't tell... but I promise it's happening.

So, you can't have a "real blog" without having some snapshots, right? Here are a few to get the party started.

Exhibit A: We found out I was pregnant on November 29, 2008 and started documenting the inevitable "belly drama" a couple weeks after that (this was December 12, 2008).

Exhibit B: Here's the "proof" from February 28, 2009 (Happy Birthday Chris!) - some definite thickening going on. No fatty jokes please... I don't think I can handle them yet.

P.S. As I post more gestational growth snapshots, you'll notice I stopped using mom's "smile pretty" rule of thumb and opted to go for facial expressions that more closely depict my in the moment feelings. Exhibit B is a clear indication that I was experiencing some growing pains.

Blood - good news and weird news.

GOOD NEWS...

I received a call today from "Debbie" at the blood lab. My second round of blood tests (or "donations" as I like to refer to them, given the amount of blood they took) came back "normal" which is the best result you can wish for. As well, the dual screening (where they test the first and second blood sets together) was also normal.

Even if either of these had been abnormal, the likely advice would have been to stay calm because the incidence of false positives for these tests (which are looking for abnormalities in genetics) is very high.

WEIRD NEWS...

Speaking of blood tests, I refered to having "donated blood" because of all the vials were drawn. Did you know that in the first trimester, pregnant women increase the amount of blood in their body by up to 50%? Talk about a Dracula magnet!

Contrary to known medical evidence (which states that the blood contains vital nourishment and oxygen that will be pumped through the placenta to the growing fetus)... I'm pretty sure it's because the body just knows a deficiency will be caused of because of all the testing, poking and prodding it will endure. Just a hunch.