Well, I have no doubt that many of you have already read Liz's post, and if you haven't, you should. Needless to say, we are thrilled to finally know that we are having a baby boy. It looks like we will be buying lots of stuff with guitars on it. We are decorating the room in guitars, and I also plan on decorating the baby with many guitar clothes as well.
I am continuing to be amazed with the healthcare technology that we have in our modern world. Not only were we able to see that it was obviously a boy, we were able to see all four chambers of the heart as it beat. We were able to see the separate hemispheres of the brain. By far my favorite moment from Thursday was seeing the baby suck his thumb in utero. I honestly didn't know that they were able to do that at this stage. It was an event that made the fact that we will have a baby in about 5 months real to me.
I have noticed that, as nothing is physically happening to me, it is hard for my mind to understand that I am going to be a dad in a few short months. I kind of have to take certain events to make it more real, and this sonogram definitely did that for me. The baby really does look like a baby. We could see bones developing and the baby actually has a recognizable face, though right now, he kind of looks like Skeletor from He-Man, but evidently, that is normal at this point in time.
Liz pretty much talked about why we chose the name Carter, but it was very important to me that we did not choose a name that was at its peak in trendiness. I have only known a few other male Shelbys as I have grown up, and I suspect that Carter will know more people with his name, but at the same time, I didn't want my poor child to be one of three or four kids with the same name in his class. I can remember back to elementary school when the name Sara/Sarah was insanely popular. I believe in my first grade class, there were three girls with the name Sara/Sarah, and it got very confusing having to use last initials with each of them. Another important thing when picking a name was that the name had to sound serious, but have personality. Obviously, Liz and I think somewhat outside the box, so we wanted a name that we thought had personality, and "Carter" certainly fits the bill, but that the same time, it is a name and a spelling that one could take seriously. We had a friend tell us to put the words "Supreme Court Justice" in front of the name, and "Supreme Court Justice Carter Wilson" sounds like a name that could be taken seriously.
We are still searching for a middle name, but I would like it to be something that has meaning for Liz, including but not limited to family names. Obviously, since it is a boy, he will always have the last name Wilson, which is a part of my identity much more than Liz's. Anyway, we are still talking about it and will have that for you whenever it happens. (I am glad we have plenty of time.)
Needless to say, I am thrilled that I will have a son that I can teach to play music and that will be able to play music with me, if he so desires. It will also be nice to have a video game buddy, as Liz really doesn't like to play a lot of what I play. Sure, we have a ways to go before we can do all that, but I am excited that it is on the horizon, nonetheless.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
What's in a name?
At 11 weeks our doctor told us not to go paint the nursery cowboy blue, but his hunch was that we were having a boy. I thought there was no way, from that grainy picture, he could tell. But I got used to the idea that we might be having a boy, while still thinking it could be a girl. So on Thursday, when we went in for our ultrasound, I was prepared for anything. Well, our little BOY made his presence very clear. Our ultrasound technician kept commenting on how calm and chill the baby was and we’re definitely okay with the idea of a mellow, easy-going baby. It made her job pretty easy because he held still and let her take all the pictures she needed. We watched as the technician looked at the four chambers of the heart, while it was beating. She measured the femur and the brain. I was too fascinated by what I was seeing to get emotional. It made us laugh because we even got to witness the baby sucking his thumb. Words like perfect and normal were music to our ears, because everything (heartbeat, cerebellum, etc.) measured exactly as it should. We left the appointment feeling excited to know that the next part of this journey could begin. We can start to prepare the nursery and buy clothes. You know, the fun stuff!!
When we first found out we were going to have a baby, we went made a list of boy names and girl names. We had veto power over the other person’s list, eliminating any name on the list we couldn’t stand. So what we were left with were 4 fairly sizable lists with names we liked. Of course, we both had our favorites. But we decided not to discuss it in depth until we knew if we were having a boy or girl. We had a few passing conversations about the meaning of a couple of names but nothing serious. Amazingly, when we left the ultrasound appointment and turned to each other to talk about his name, we came up with the same name. CARTER. We knew his name was Carter. But when we made the lists, while Carter was on both of them, it certainly wasn’t either of our original favorite names. I feel pretty confident that given the circumstances it’s the right name.
Here’s the meaning behind Carter’s name for us:
During a rough patch in our marriage, a friend of mine gave me the first few seasons of ER on DVD. When I was in middle school, I had watched the show faithfully and had always liked it. I had crush on Noah Wyle and George Clooney. But when I went to college, I stopped watching. I was excited to pick it up again from the beginning and had planned to watch it at night after Shelby had fallen asleep. (When I was working on my Master’s, I only worked part time so my sleep schedule was very different than Shelby’s.) He informed me that was fine because he really had no interest in a medical drama. So I put in the two hour pilot episode and Shelby stayed up and watched the whole thing. I was never allowed to watch an episode without him after that. During a snow storm, we watched at least 12 episodes while snuggling on the couch and eating soup and cornbread. It’s a treasured memory and was a healing weekend for our relationship.
Our favorite character on the show is Dr. John Carter. Over the seasons, Carter had lots of different story lines but always maintained characteristics I admired- kindness, generosity, patience, and determination. Often in the middle or at the end of an episode, Shelby and I would look at each other and one of us utter, “Man, I love Carter”. Earlier in summer, we finished watching season 15 of ER so I suppose Carter was still fresh in both our minds. During one of our off hand conversations when we were talking about the meanings behind names, I mentioned Carter. I had said that the meaning behind it was kind of boring, a cart driver, but Shelby said he liked the meaning. He said something about carts being able to carry heavy loads. I liked the idea that no matter what life piled on a Carter might be able to carry it all. And being the Beatles’ fans we are we were reminded of the song Carry That Weight. The lyrics, while simple, always make me feel better when you listen to them in relation to the song that comes before it in the medley, Golden Slumbers. Here are the lyrics to those two songs…
Golden Slumbers
Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
Golden slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
Carry That Weight
Boy, you're gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
Boy, you're gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
Carter sits at number 54 on the list of popular baby names. Shelby informed me that this was low enough not to be too trendy. I was relieved. We still haven’t decided on a middle name. Of course, that one wouldn’t come as easily as the first name! But we figure we have plenty of time to choose one! As soon as we know it, we’ll share it!
When we first found out we were going to have a baby, we went made a list of boy names and girl names. We had veto power over the other person’s list, eliminating any name on the list we couldn’t stand. So what we were left with were 4 fairly sizable lists with names we liked. Of course, we both had our favorites. But we decided not to discuss it in depth until we knew if we were having a boy or girl. We had a few passing conversations about the meaning of a couple of names but nothing serious. Amazingly, when we left the ultrasound appointment and turned to each other to talk about his name, we came up with the same name. CARTER. We knew his name was Carter. But when we made the lists, while Carter was on both of them, it certainly wasn’t either of our original favorite names. I feel pretty confident that given the circumstances it’s the right name.
Here’s the meaning behind Carter’s name for us:
During a rough patch in our marriage, a friend of mine gave me the first few seasons of ER on DVD. When I was in middle school, I had watched the show faithfully and had always liked it. I had crush on Noah Wyle and George Clooney. But when I went to college, I stopped watching. I was excited to pick it up again from the beginning and had planned to watch it at night after Shelby had fallen asleep. (When I was working on my Master’s, I only worked part time so my sleep schedule was very different than Shelby’s.) He informed me that was fine because he really had no interest in a medical drama. So I put in the two hour pilot episode and Shelby stayed up and watched the whole thing. I was never allowed to watch an episode without him after that. During a snow storm, we watched at least 12 episodes while snuggling on the couch and eating soup and cornbread. It’s a treasured memory and was a healing weekend for our relationship.
Our favorite character on the show is Dr. John Carter. Over the seasons, Carter had lots of different story lines but always maintained characteristics I admired- kindness, generosity, patience, and determination. Often in the middle or at the end of an episode, Shelby and I would look at each other and one of us utter, “Man, I love Carter”. Earlier in summer, we finished watching season 15 of ER so I suppose Carter was still fresh in both our minds. During one of our off hand conversations when we were talking about the meanings behind names, I mentioned Carter. I had said that the meaning behind it was kind of boring, a cart driver, but Shelby said he liked the meaning. He said something about carts being able to carry heavy loads. I liked the idea that no matter what life piled on a Carter might be able to carry it all. And being the Beatles’ fans we are we were reminded of the song Carry That Weight. The lyrics, while simple, always make me feel better when you listen to them in relation to the song that comes before it in the medley, Golden Slumbers. Here are the lyrics to those two songs…
Golden Slumbers
Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
Golden slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
Carry That Weight
Boy, you're gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
Boy, you're gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time
Carter sits at number 54 on the list of popular baby names. Shelby informed me that this was low enough not to be too trendy. I was relieved. We still haven’t decided on a middle name. Of course, that one wouldn’t come as easily as the first name! But we figure we have plenty of time to choose one! As soon as we know it, we’ll share it!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Week 16: On the joys of maternity pants...
I am convinced that maternity pants are the single greatest invention…ever. Yesterday, I went through my entire closet. I tried on every article of clothing to determine what I would and wouldn’t be able to wear in the coming months. It took more than 4 hours. Here’s what I discovered: I have too many clothes. And it looks like most of my pants have about one wearable month before this baby outgrows my entire wardrobe. Fortunately, I have plenty of skirts and dresses that will work for a good long while. The only problem with that is that I like to wear pants to work more. I inherited 2 pairs of maternity pants from my sister-in-law, a pair of jeans and a pair of khakis. I found another pair of jeans at Children’s Exchange. But I can’t wear jeans to work that often so today I bit the bullet and bought a pair of black dress pants. Here’s what I love about maternity pants-they are so comfortable. In the past whenever my pants started to feel a little snug, I’m always reminded of an episode of How I Met Your Mother. In the episode “The Front Porch”, Marshall defends his choice of wearing an old man nightshirt by saying nightshirts have “no elastic waistband leaving it's judgmental pink teeth marks around my Thanksgiving belly”. So the fact that maternity pants will never leave angry pink teeth on my belly is awesome. Also, a friend recently reminded me of a moment on Friends when Joey wears Phoebe’s maternity pants to Thanksgiving dinner. I’m so pumped to be wearing maternity pants on Thanksgiving this year! Imagine the possibilities…
Speaking of Thanksgiving, the baby bump had bumped, reminding me of the little red pop-up timer on turkeys. One day it’s not there, the next there’s no hiding it. The baby is the size of an avocado this week and according to everything I’ve read I should be feeling s/he move sometime in the next few weeks. I’m really excited about that. This morning I thought I felt something, turned out Charlie was sleeping on my stomach. The baby’s eyes have started to move from the side, closer to the front and to their final position. Also, in the next few weeks the baby will begin to double in weight and length, which explains the pop-up timer. I found a clip of the Friends episode, enjoy!
Speaking of Thanksgiving, the baby bump had bumped, reminding me of the little red pop-up timer on turkeys. One day it’s not there, the next there’s no hiding it. The baby is the size of an avocado this week and according to everything I’ve read I should be feeling s/he move sometime in the next few weeks. I’m really excited about that. This morning I thought I felt something, turned out Charlie was sleeping on my stomach. The baby’s eyes have started to move from the side, closer to the front and to their final position. Also, in the next few weeks the baby will begin to double in weight and length, which explains the pop-up timer. I found a clip of the Friends episode, enjoy!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Caution: Pregnant Women Have a Heightened Sense of Smell
So, I have always heard that women have a heightened sense of smell during pregnancy and that strong smells can be highly offensive and agitating. It's not that I didn't believe that this fact was true, but I gained a new knowledge of how agitating smells can be just the other day, and no, I am not talking about my own body odor.
Thus far, Liz had been free of the vomiting and morning sickness that is associated with pregnancy. We had both feared that she would be very sick in the mornings because of her vertigo and already nervous stomach, but we made it through the first trimester with no hang ups. She had mentioned a few times that smells were offensive to her. For instance, when we saw the new Harry Potter movie in a crowded movie theater at a midnight showing on opening night, a girl sat down next to Liz that smelled to high heaven of cigarette smoke. I was sitting a seat over and could still smell the reek of this girl (who, consequently, was extremely annoying to be sitting near in a movie theater anyway). I was a little afraid that the smell would get to Liz and make her sick before the end of the movie, and I offered to switch with her, but she turned me down. Nonetheless, Liz made it through the movie with no real problems. Considering that I also found her smell offensive, I thought that maybe smells wouldn't offend her too badly.
Fast forward to a few nights ago after I got home from work. Ants have found their way to Winnie's (one of our dachshunds) food bowl. We had already combated this issue once by moving the bowl further away from the back door and spraying outside. This time, however, we had to spray Raid inside. So I cleaned out Winnie's food bowl and went to work spraying the baseboards and window by the back door. The smell of "country fresh" (yeah, right) Raid permeates the house. Liz begins to cough, and I turn around. The color has gone out of her face and she starts gagging. She rushes through our bedroom to our bathroom and the sound of vomiting commences. Granted, the Raid doesn't smell great and is very potent, but it did not even occur to me that it would affect Liz to the point of throwing up.
We spent the next three hours locked in the bedroom. We even ate dinner in there. Finally, after running the vent hood over the oven and the exhaust fan in the guest bathroom and turning on the Scentsy, the smell cleared out. Needless to say, next time I need to spray anything (cleaning supplies or whatever) in the house, I will make sure Liz is out of the room and that she stays out until the cloud room clears. Lesson learned: pregnant women have a heightened sense of smell, for real.
Thus far, Liz had been free of the vomiting and morning sickness that is associated with pregnancy. We had both feared that she would be very sick in the mornings because of her vertigo and already nervous stomach, but we made it through the first trimester with no hang ups. She had mentioned a few times that smells were offensive to her. For instance, when we saw the new Harry Potter movie in a crowded movie theater at a midnight showing on opening night, a girl sat down next to Liz that smelled to high heaven of cigarette smoke. I was sitting a seat over and could still smell the reek of this girl (who, consequently, was extremely annoying to be sitting near in a movie theater anyway). I was a little afraid that the smell would get to Liz and make her sick before the end of the movie, and I offered to switch with her, but she turned me down. Nonetheless, Liz made it through the movie with no real problems. Considering that I also found her smell offensive, I thought that maybe smells wouldn't offend her too badly.
Fast forward to a few nights ago after I got home from work. Ants have found their way to Winnie's (one of our dachshunds) food bowl. We had already combated this issue once by moving the bowl further away from the back door and spraying outside. This time, however, we had to spray Raid inside. So I cleaned out Winnie's food bowl and went to work spraying the baseboards and window by the back door. The smell of "country fresh" (yeah, right) Raid permeates the house. Liz begins to cough, and I turn around. The color has gone out of her face and she starts gagging. She rushes through our bedroom to our bathroom and the sound of vomiting commences. Granted, the Raid doesn't smell great and is very potent, but it did not even occur to me that it would affect Liz to the point of throwing up.
We spent the next three hours locked in the bedroom. We even ate dinner in there. Finally, after running the vent hood over the oven and the exhaust fan in the guest bathroom and turning on the Scentsy, the smell cleared out. Needless to say, next time I need to spray anything (cleaning supplies or whatever) in the house, I will make sure Liz is out of the room and that she stays out until the cloud room clears. Lesson learned: pregnant women have a heightened sense of smell, for real.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Week 15
Week 15. Having firmly moved into the second trimester, I can definitely feel the promised increase in energy (most days anyway). Today, we went in for our third doctor’s appointment. The doctor was out of the office so we just met with the nurse. I’ve gained 3 lbs. since the start of the pregnancy, the baby’s heart rate is a steady 150 beats, and I can take over the counter meds for sinus pressure and heart burn, all good news. We set the all important sonogram appointment to find out the sex of the baby on August 28th. That is if the baby cooperates. One of our friends told us they had no idea what their daughter was because she refused to show them. It’s getting harder and harder to resist buying baby clothes and I’m ready to finish the nursery so I really hope we’re able to find out on the 28th.
On the subject of names, we don’t have anything specific picked out yet. But we do have some favorites. Shelby and I each made a list of names we like and then we looked over the other person’s list. We each had veto power of the other person’s list, crossing out any names we hated or were strongly opposed to. So what we have left is a pretty healthy set of options. We’ve decided not to narrow it down any further or to choose a name until we know the sex of the baby. Also, I think we quickly realized not to share with people names we really liked. For some reason, when reactions or comments are negative or unenthusiastic, it changes my feeling about the name (even though I know it shouldn’t). I also feel a little like sharing it to soon takes the power out of the name, makes it less special, if that makes any sense. Once we do decide, we will let people know. Until then you can ask, but expect to get a name we’ve already discarded.
I have a few new favorite things I’ve discovered. First is a prenatal yoga video that is watch instantly on Netflix, Yoga Mama. I’ve always liked yoga and this video doesn’t push too hard and it was super relaxing. I’m glad I found it early on so I can use it through out the whole pregnancy. My second new favorite thing is a consignment store here in town called Children’s Exchange. I found maternity jeans and a top, plus when the time comes, super cute (and cheap) baby clothes. Shelby and I are all about using second hand stuff when it comes to clothes and toys since from everything we’ve seen the kid out grows them so quickly. Although some of the stuff still had tags on them. Last, I’m totally in love with the website, babycenter.com. At the recommendation of my friend, Darla, I signed up and every week I get an update about the development of baby. For example, this week the baby is the size of an apple and it can sense light. Even though its eyelids are fused together if I shined a flashlight on my stomach the baby would move away from the light. (I won’t be doing that though. It seems kind of mean. I don’t like it when someone turns the lights on when I’m asleep.) I love knowing what the baby is up to, especially since I can’t see or feel it yet. Although according to the website (and the nurse) I should be feeling this kid move any day now. I’ll let you know when I do!
On the subject of names, we don’t have anything specific picked out yet. But we do have some favorites. Shelby and I each made a list of names we like and then we looked over the other person’s list. We each had veto power of the other person’s list, crossing out any names we hated or were strongly opposed to. So what we have left is a pretty healthy set of options. We’ve decided not to narrow it down any further or to choose a name until we know the sex of the baby. Also, I think we quickly realized not to share with people names we really liked. For some reason, when reactions or comments are negative or unenthusiastic, it changes my feeling about the name (even though I know it shouldn’t). I also feel a little like sharing it to soon takes the power out of the name, makes it less special, if that makes any sense. Once we do decide, we will let people know. Until then you can ask, but expect to get a name we’ve already discarded.
I have a few new favorite things I’ve discovered. First is a prenatal yoga video that is watch instantly on Netflix, Yoga Mama. I’ve always liked yoga and this video doesn’t push too hard and it was super relaxing. I’m glad I found it early on so I can use it through out the whole pregnancy. My second new favorite thing is a consignment store here in town called Children’s Exchange. I found maternity jeans and a top, plus when the time comes, super cute (and cheap) baby clothes. Shelby and I are all about using second hand stuff when it comes to clothes and toys since from everything we’ve seen the kid out grows them so quickly. Although some of the stuff still had tags on them. Last, I’m totally in love with the website, babycenter.com. At the recommendation of my friend, Darla, I signed up and every week I get an update about the development of baby. For example, this week the baby is the size of an apple and it can sense light. Even though its eyelids are fused together if I shined a flashlight on my stomach the baby would move away from the light. (I won’t be doing that though. It seems kind of mean. I don’t like it when someone turns the lights on when I’m asleep.) I love knowing what the baby is up to, especially since I can’t see or feel it yet. Although according to the website (and the nurse) I should be feeling this kid move any day now. I’ll let you know when I do!
Friday, July 22, 2011
What dreams may come...or well, that was weird!
I’ve always had very interesting dreams. Here’s a fun fact about my normal dreams-I can’t read in them. I’m completely illiterate. I can’t read road signs or books or directions. I know that I’m supposed to be able to read but the letters turn upside down, backwards, or just into scribbles. Words become ancient runes I have to decipher. This can be problematic when the plot of the dream involves grading papers or following a map. Shelby thinks it’s weird that I can’t read in dreams but there it is.
I’d read in pregnancy books and on websites that my dream life might change a little. However, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the vivid, weird world of pregnancy dreams. Normally in dreams I know that I am, in fact, dreaming and when I realize this I wake up. Now, I wake up completely disoriented because the reality of the dream is so believable. I also remember almost everything I dream. In the past my dreams have been your ordinary, day to day settings—my classroom, my house, etc. Lately though my dreams have taken two very different directions—baby related dreams and dreams with weird, science fiction under tones. Let me give a few examples.
The Over-alls Dilemma- This dream wasn’t super extraordinary but it was weird how many elements were pulled from real life. In the dream, the doctors and everyone else told me I was having a boy, so for whatever reason I proceeded to buy only over-alls for the baby to wear. Then, surprise, I had a girl. So it’s time to have the baby’s dedication, and the poor girl has nothing to wear but over-alls. I was very upset that everyone mistook my baby girl for a boy because of how she was dressed. This dream came from a conversation I had with my sister-in-law about over-alls. What I think is so funny is how logic doesn’t apply. Why didn’t I go buy girl clothes? Who buys ONLY over-alls for their kid? Well, maybe my Uncle Tirey would.
The Surgery- This kind of dream is apparently fairly common among pregnant women. I dreamt that for some reason the doctors had to cut open my stomach. The baby was fine and still in the womb but I was walking around with an open wound and my intestines hanging out. Eventually, the wound turned green and bruised but the doctors said I was fine. It didn’t seem to matter too much to me because the baby was okay.
The Harry Potter- Having finished reading book 7 again, going to the midnight release, and seeing the cast interviewed on every talk show, it’s no surprise this entered my subconscious. In the dream, I met Daniel Radcliffe on Broadway after his show, and he confided in me that he really was Harry Potter. I wasn’t allowed to tell anybody though, for safety reasons of course. But he did take me to Hogwarts, via broomstick. I have to say that was pretty sweet.
The Time-traveler- This one was so strange. I could travel forward through time. There was a child that traveled with me, but it wasn’t my child. Anyhow, we traveled to keep up with a family that was very prosperous. But in my final travel, I discovered that this family had fallen on hard times. They were living in a run-down dirty apartment and the father of the family sat in a recliner, crying. I felt terrible that in the jump I had missed all the hard times this family had encountered. I honestly have no idea where this one came from!
Post-apocalyptic Water World- This has been my favorite dream thus far. Shelby and I were patrolling in a police boat when we were almost rammed by a huge, fast steel tanker. We pursued the tanker to a dock. The dock was covered in derelict house boats and there was floating metal in the water. There were police and anti-terrorist personal all over the docks. Turns out the steel tanker was a bomb. So Shelby and I get out of the boat to help. Shelby hands me a key or code or something like that and tells me to put it in my pocket. Shelby goes to man a machine gun on the dock and it’s then I discover that he’s working with the terrorists. So I decide to run, but there is water and steel floating everywhere, so I have to swim and dodge it. Then I over hear some terrorist saying, “We’ve got to find her. She’s got the code.” Turns out Shelby gave me the code to the tanker bomb thinking I would stay with him. So in order to hide from the bad guys, I find a straw to breathe through and pull a Robin Hood. Along the way, I collect items that might help me escape or disarm the bomb. I woke up before I could save the world. Honestly, it was so cool. I wasn’t afraid, just excited and intrigued.
Here’s the weirdest thing to me. Last night, I could read in my dream!! I wonder if that will continue after I have the baby. I would love to hear about your weird dreams, pregnant or other wise!
I’d read in pregnancy books and on websites that my dream life might change a little. However, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the vivid, weird world of pregnancy dreams. Normally in dreams I know that I am, in fact, dreaming and when I realize this I wake up. Now, I wake up completely disoriented because the reality of the dream is so believable. I also remember almost everything I dream. In the past my dreams have been your ordinary, day to day settings—my classroom, my house, etc. Lately though my dreams have taken two very different directions—baby related dreams and dreams with weird, science fiction under tones. Let me give a few examples.
The Over-alls Dilemma- This dream wasn’t super extraordinary but it was weird how many elements were pulled from real life. In the dream, the doctors and everyone else told me I was having a boy, so for whatever reason I proceeded to buy only over-alls for the baby to wear. Then, surprise, I had a girl. So it’s time to have the baby’s dedication, and the poor girl has nothing to wear but over-alls. I was very upset that everyone mistook my baby girl for a boy because of how she was dressed. This dream came from a conversation I had with my sister-in-law about over-alls. What I think is so funny is how logic doesn’t apply. Why didn’t I go buy girl clothes? Who buys ONLY over-alls for their kid? Well, maybe my Uncle Tirey would.
The Surgery- This kind of dream is apparently fairly common among pregnant women. I dreamt that for some reason the doctors had to cut open my stomach. The baby was fine and still in the womb but I was walking around with an open wound and my intestines hanging out. Eventually, the wound turned green and bruised but the doctors said I was fine. It didn’t seem to matter too much to me because the baby was okay.
The Harry Potter- Having finished reading book 7 again, going to the midnight release, and seeing the cast interviewed on every talk show, it’s no surprise this entered my subconscious. In the dream, I met Daniel Radcliffe on Broadway after his show, and he confided in me that he really was Harry Potter. I wasn’t allowed to tell anybody though, for safety reasons of course. But he did take me to Hogwarts, via broomstick. I have to say that was pretty sweet.
The Time-traveler- This one was so strange. I could travel forward through time. There was a child that traveled with me, but it wasn’t my child. Anyhow, we traveled to keep up with a family that was very prosperous. But in my final travel, I discovered that this family had fallen on hard times. They were living in a run-down dirty apartment and the father of the family sat in a recliner, crying. I felt terrible that in the jump I had missed all the hard times this family had encountered. I honestly have no idea where this one came from!
Post-apocalyptic Water World- This has been my favorite dream thus far. Shelby and I were patrolling in a police boat when we were almost rammed by a huge, fast steel tanker. We pursued the tanker to a dock. The dock was covered in derelict house boats and there was floating metal in the water. There were police and anti-terrorist personal all over the docks. Turns out the steel tanker was a bomb. So Shelby and I get out of the boat to help. Shelby hands me a key or code or something like that and tells me to put it in my pocket. Shelby goes to man a machine gun on the dock and it’s then I discover that he’s working with the terrorists. So I decide to run, but there is water and steel floating everywhere, so I have to swim and dodge it. Then I over hear some terrorist saying, “We’ve got to find her. She’s got the code.” Turns out Shelby gave me the code to the tanker bomb thinking I would stay with him. So in order to hide from the bad guys, I find a straw to breathe through and pull a Robin Hood. Along the way, I collect items that might help me escape or disarm the bomb. I woke up before I could save the world. Honestly, it was so cool. I wasn’t afraid, just excited and intrigued.
Here’s the weirdest thing to me. Last night, I could read in my dream!! I wonder if that will continue after I have the baby. I would love to hear about your weird dreams, pregnant or other wise!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Here We Are
It has been a strange and difficult journey, but stability prevailed and Liz and I felt that the time was finally upon us to begin our own family. It wasn't a decision that we made lightly, and just because we made a conscious decision doesn't mean it hasn't been the easiest thing in the world, but it seems that nothing worthwhile in life ever comes easily.
So (as Liz already chronicled), when Liz started craving corn dogs and jalapenos, I knew something was going on. In all the times I have had a box of corn dogs in the freezer (which has been often, I love corn dogs), I remember her asking for a corn dog one time before pregnancy, and that time, she just picked off the breading and left the hot dog, so that was indicator numero uno. We picked up on this pretty quickly and got iron clad confirmation as quickly as possible in the form of three pregnancy tests.
The cravings subsided quickly, which was honestly a little disappointing to me. I was really hoping for inventive combinations like pickles and ice cream, but alas, I have been disappointed. There has been an interesting change, nonetheless. Liz is normally someone who craves the same thing for weeks at a time, but when pregnant, she has deep insatiable cravings that subside after she eats it once. This leaves the fridge and cake keeper full of goodies that I feel compelled , nay obligated, to eat. Needless to say, I have begun to put back on weight that I lost earlier in the year, but I mean, I can't let the food go to waste, right? My brother-in-law, Josh, has commentated and warned me of this phenomenon, but I am afraid I have already been sucked in.
Some of the most amazing experiences thus far have been the sonograms. I was afraid before the first sonogram that I wouldn't be able to see anything I could recognize as a living being. I pictured myself as a character on a sitcom (like I have seen a thousand times before), who ironically is the only character that can't recognize the baby in the pictures. The audience would get a kick out of it, but I would be very sad. Luckily, this was not the case, I could instantly recognize the head and appendages. It looked most like a gummy bear to me, with no definable hands or feet yet. The second sonogram was even better in a lot of ways. The first and foremost being that he or she actually moved while the camera was on. The movement really hammered home the fact that there is a living thing in there, and it will eventually be here in the world. The second time, we could also recognize hangs and feet, along with fingers and toes.
Another of the truly fun parts of this whole deal has been getting to share the news with our friends and family. We had a blast making the video to tell our parents and siblings. The video is here: The Ultimate Scrabble Game, by the way. I also have had good experiences and responses from my friends. One of my best friends, Daniel, got me the book Fatherhood by Bill Cosby at a library sale. I think he intended it as a joke, but honestly, I am looking forward to reading it.
Being the researched driven person that I am, I am soon to embark on a vast discovery of childbirth and parenthood through books. Does anyone have any good recommendations? I do tend to learn things better from books, and while I know you can't learn things like love and affection from a book, I can learn how to parent a lot better. And I might just pick up a little along the way of how to make my child a super genius. I mean, I'd be doing him or her a favor, right? Can't go wrong with making your kid a genius.
There is much more to come . . .
So (as Liz already chronicled), when Liz started craving corn dogs and jalapenos, I knew something was going on. In all the times I have had a box of corn dogs in the freezer (which has been often, I love corn dogs), I remember her asking for a corn dog one time before pregnancy, and that time, she just picked off the breading and left the hot dog, so that was indicator numero uno. We picked up on this pretty quickly and got iron clad confirmation as quickly as possible in the form of three pregnancy tests.
The cravings subsided quickly, which was honestly a little disappointing to me. I was really hoping for inventive combinations like pickles and ice cream, but alas, I have been disappointed. There has been an interesting change, nonetheless. Liz is normally someone who craves the same thing for weeks at a time, but when pregnant, she has deep insatiable cravings that subside after she eats it once. This leaves the fridge and cake keeper full of goodies that I feel compelled , nay obligated, to eat. Needless to say, I have begun to put back on weight that I lost earlier in the year, but I mean, I can't let the food go to waste, right? My brother-in-law, Josh, has commentated and warned me of this phenomenon, but I am afraid I have already been sucked in.
Some of the most amazing experiences thus far have been the sonograms. I was afraid before the first sonogram that I wouldn't be able to see anything I could recognize as a living being. I pictured myself as a character on a sitcom (like I have seen a thousand times before), who ironically is the only character that can't recognize the baby in the pictures. The audience would get a kick out of it, but I would be very sad. Luckily, this was not the case, I could instantly recognize the head and appendages. It looked most like a gummy bear to me, with no definable hands or feet yet. The second sonogram was even better in a lot of ways. The first and foremost being that he or she actually moved while the camera was on. The movement really hammered home the fact that there is a living thing in there, and it will eventually be here in the world. The second time, we could also recognize hangs and feet, along with fingers and toes.
Another of the truly fun parts of this whole deal has been getting to share the news with our friends and family. We had a blast making the video to tell our parents and siblings. The video is here: The Ultimate Scrabble Game, by the way. I also have had good experiences and responses from my friends. One of my best friends, Daniel, got me the book Fatherhood by Bill Cosby at a library sale. I think he intended it as a joke, but honestly, I am looking forward to reading it.
Being the researched driven person that I am, I am soon to embark on a vast discovery of childbirth and parenthood through books. Does anyone have any good recommendations? I do tend to learn things better from books, and while I know you can't learn things like love and affection from a book, I can learn how to parent a lot better. And I might just pick up a little along the way of how to make my child a super genius. I mean, I'd be doing him or her a favor, right? Can't go wrong with making your kid a genius.
There is much more to come . . .
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