Happy November!!

Is it safe to say the final countdown is among us? I am so ready to get this over with. It's getting harder and harder to move, breathe, walk, sleep, etc....only the things you must do on a daily basis!! Eating, however, hasn't been a problem. Go figure!!

I think all four of us (counting Maisy) are overcome with emotion at this point. We all are very excited about what's to come. Tyler can't wait, Maisy has been acting weird, Brian is already playing the role of proud papa, and I am ready to have another baby to hold in my arms and love like there's no tomorrow!

Brian says Nicholas is coming within the next 9 days so I hope he's right. Until then, I think we will just keep taking our walks and see what happens. I love spending quality time with our family! It's the best thing in the world.

Hurry, Nicholas, we are patiently waiting for your angel face to appear!

Update...No more trips to Presby! Yay!

Today was my last visit to the perinatologist! The ultrasound shows Nicholas now weighs 6lbs 15oz. Big boy is on his way! Dr. Shaver was really sweet today and gave me a big hug before I left the office. He demanded pictures of Nicholas once he arrives and to see me if I decided to get pregnant again. Nicholas is looking great and I think the progress has already started. I saw the OB on Monday and she said that my cervix was about 30% effaced. She told me to stop taking the Procardia (to prevent contractions). I have been bumped up to weekly visits now until he arrives.

I am feeling pretty miserable these days. I can't sleep, I can't get comfy sitting, I am extremely bitchy and can't apologize to Brian enough. Poor guy! I know I am making him miserable, too. It's only fair to share.

The great news is that the Red Sox just won the World Series again. I think it's great! Go Red Sox! (Sorry, I had to throw that in there!) Nicholas is destined to be a fan, just wait!

Baby Nicholas is on his way...

I went to the doctor on Monday, October 15, only to be rushed out of the office with my chart to the hospital to have contractions monitored once again. After the two night extravaganza the week before, the contractions started again on the morning of the doctor appointment...8 minutes apart. This is weird to me seeing that I am already on a prescription to make the contractions "stop". So far, so good this week. I am trying to take it easy, but at this point, with 5 weeks to go, I kind of feel like if Nicholas is ready, I am ready. He dropped this weekend. I can tell because there is a definite slope to my belly. The round bump is so low now that I can barely sit down or hike a leg up to get in the car!!

Sleeping is a bit of a challenge lately. I was so tired last night that I thought I would be able to go to bed without the aid of the Ambien the doctor gave me to help me rest. WRONG!! I was peacefully sleeping for approximately 45 minutes, when Brian's screams of joy in the livingroom woke me up. While watching Game 7 of the Red Sox / Indians playoffs, our beloved team decided to bring it and show us what they are made of. So I just decided to get up and go enjoy this time with him. We do love those Red Sox! Thank goodness I don't have to get up early. Afterwards, I took the Ambien, and slept the rest of the night. Peacefully!

At last check, Nicholas weighed in at 5lbs 5oz. We don't have another ultrasound appointment until October 29, so hopefully then they will give us some insight on an early delivery date. That's what I am hoping for anyway. Who knows, maybe with the full moon this week...hmmmmm.

Maternity Leave at last

So, after two nights spent in the hospital with contractions 8 minutes apart and two shots of terbutaline to stop the contractions, I have been instructed to park it! I didn't ask for it, but apparently my doctor and I are on the same page. I called once again today to report contractions 8 minutes apart and I get a note to start maternity leave and two prescriptions! Yay! I am hoping to get some relief from these contractions because it's very early still. Hopefully the rest I am about to get will do me some good, that is if I can make myself rest instead of doing housework. I have another doctor appointment on Monday, so until then (unless something else happens......)......

8 weeks? Hopefully less

This week marks the 32nd week of pregnancy for us. So far Nick is doing ok. I know one thing. He is getting heavy! I am amazed by all the discomforts of pregnancy, but at the same time, I would go through it a million times if I could afford it.

I am hoping that Nicholas decides to come early. At last check he weighed 4lbs 15oz. That was last week via ultrasound. He is getting so much cuter every time I see him. I am so excited to meet him face to face.

Tyler is getting excited, also. Everytime he gives me a hug and kiss, he immediately gives my belly a hug and kiss. He is ready to be a big brother! This is something he has wanted for a very long time. I can't wait until the two of them finally meet for the first time. That is going to be a very special moment.

Brian, on the other hand, is also getting anxious. He keeps getting caught looking in the nursery and wishing there was a baby there to look at. I don't know what he is going to do once there is. I guess he will get no sleep for standing over the crib! (amongst other things...LOL)

Until next week....

The Little Fighter in Me...

It's been a while since we posted. It's been a long road so far. In July we found out that we are having a boy (Nicholas Andrew is his name if you are wondering). We also found out that our little bundle of joy was having a little trouble. It turns out that he had fluid on his heart which was really scary for us, not being able to do anything about it. The fluid was just a symptom of the anemia he had. I think they have tested for everything under the sun (down's syndrome, rh sensitivity, fifth disease, etc.), but so far everything has been negative. We still do not know what caused the anemia. The doc said we may never know. Nicholas has had two blood transfusions, which so far have been beneficial. We have to make a trip to Presbyterian every week to have an ultrasound to make sure he is not becoming anemic again, in which case he would have to be transfused again. We hope he is 'cured' and will be able to keep growing strong. At last check he weighed 2.5 lbs and is kicking like a kung fu master!

Our nursery is almost complete, and we can barely wait for Nicholas' arrival. Tyler is very excited to be the big brother and loves to measure me by standing behind me and reaching around. He can no longer touch his fingers together!!

Big Momma's Stairway to Breathlessness!

So, this Saturday we went to the All-Star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. I was up for the challenge and the opportunity to get some much needed exercise. Right? Wrong! Little did I know we were going to be making the hike up four flights of stairs to get to our seats. By the time, we got to our seats, I was so out of breath, I sat down, chugged a bottle of water and enjoyed some slight contractions which seemed like the baby saying, "What the heck, mom?!" The second time was much worse, I just had to have that $6 footlong corndog that tasted like shit! What a joy to be pregnant! Poor Brian is constantly asking me if I am ok, as I grunt along. I know it's only going to better! It's a long way to November....but this journey will be well worth all of the aches and pains!

Ultrasounds from an UltraMan!

Bari and I went to get the ultrasound on the 14th.

Boy was it amazing! I couldn't believe that there was a little bugger in there! It reminded me of when the Alien came out of Sigourney Weaver's stomach! Craziness! But really I was amazed and astounded that I produced something that was living inside of my wife. To see it on that screen moving around in human form was surreal. I take solace in the fact that the little bro was chillin' with his hand on his head and laid back....with his money on his mind and his mind on his money. Just like it's dad.

We will find out in about 2 months if it is a boy or girl. I know that I have been saying "he" a lot but that is just wishful thinking. I really don't care what I have ( I will teach both how to throw a knuckleball) I just wish I could go ahead and paint the nursery!

Enjoy the attached picture of our baby and please comment...peace!Our due date is November 27!

U-Turn this way, I'll turn another!

Okay,

So the wife, Tyler, and myself left home yesterday to go to a playplace. I get about 2 miles down the road when the wife indicates that hunger has set in. No prob right? WRONG!

The place she wants to go is on the other side of the road 200 ft. behind us and I have to go to the next stop light to do a U-Turn. Not to mention it is a dirty dive that I don't particularly care to patronize. But, What princess wants...princess gets; I always say.

So we are there and the lovely wife desires a corndog, fries, grilled cheese sandwich, and giant size cherry lemon sprite! (see above for what I always say)

It takes them 15 minutes to get the order to the car and by that time I was starting to get hungry. Of course the forgot the ketchup, and the mustard and a straw and a gun to shoot myself with.

After taking care of that nightmare I proceed down the road to do ANOTHER U-Turn because we still are not going the right direction.

We get to the play place and guess what? THEY ARE CLOSED!
I will not be defeated however and suggest that we go to "Hobby Lobby" and get some stuff to make crafts.
After making another U-TURN and driving about 5 minutes away, we get to the "hobby lobby"
I can't go in though because::::: CLOSED ON SUNDAY"S!!!

I could go into how I tried then to swing by the theater in hopes to catch Spiderman 3 but it was 2 hours before the next show time but I will spare you .

I sighed and U-turned my ass back home.

1st blog post Welcome!

This is my first ever blog post, so I am very new to this. I want to keep a record of the trials and challenges of having my first baby. I also wanted to share all the heart-warming and funny stories with all of my family and friends. And to anyone else who cares to read about someones first baby.

My wife, Bari, is 11 weeks pregnant and this is her second child. She has done this before! I haven't.
The next 7 or 8 months should get pretty interesting.

Thanks for reading and I welcome any comments.

Brian