3 Months and Counting

Merry Christmas! We had a fun holiday, spending our first Christmas alone together since we met. (Seven years ago when we started dating, we spent Christmas in Paris watching ice skaters at Hotel de Ville and eating pizza at a Parisian "New York" pizzeria. The traditional Christmas meal it wasn't, but it was romantic!) This year wasn't quite like our Christmas in Paris, but romantic in its own way. On Christmas Eve we made a fancy dinner at home, then went to church for a beautiful candlelight service. Too tired to open gifts, we went to bed. Next morning we made a fancy breakfast, then opened gifts. Drew got a remote control car which Abby did not seem to appreciate. Abby received a huge Greenie treat and a new Flying Squirrel fetch toy, so she was very happy. Cat got PJs and some nice books. Baby got a new Burt's Bees diapering and bathing kit (which is what Drew is opening in the picture) as well as a few other books and goodies.

Our little baby is now in the 27th week and 7th month, and has been moving a lot. Mostly I feel pressure when she/he twists and turns to get comfortable. Just before bed and in the early morning I get kicked a lot, especially in my right side. We love feeling this and wonder if it's a kick or a punch. My belly button hasn't become an "outie" yet, but my bump is growing for sure. I'm not uncomfortable, but tying my shoes or painting my toes has become somewhat challenging. Usually I opt for beach sandals. (We can do that in Austin - today is the day after Christmas and it's 80 degrees!) Overall I am still feeling great and energetic. We are getting very excited to have a little baby in our house, that's for sure. Happy New Year!

Christmas Photos

Texas Tornado

We have some bad news. Tonight a Texas tornado blew through our house. It happened like this. We ran a quick errand this evening and were gone for about 25 minutes. When we came home, we found that our sweet little doggie had torn through the Christmas box and devoured an entire jumbo peppermint stick. Clearly someone was not happy about being left. Drew was very good about scolding her with a straight face. Meanwhile I had to go into the other room so she wouldn't see me laughing. I guess it's a parenting preview. We hope our child is better behaved than our dog. She is so sweet though, we can't stay mad at her for longer than five minutes. Besides, you've never smelled such minty fresh breath on a dog!

What did you eat!?

As you can see, the baby is growing quickly and Catherine looks terrific. She looks just as great as she always does, except for the little kickboxing, cantaloupe in her belly. What an active little girl/boy. It is so much fun to feel her/him move around in there.

Despite the fact that we don’t know the sex of the baby, I’m feeling very confident now that we are having a boy. I would be happy either way, though based on Jeremy’s (partner at my company) stories, I should be praying for a girl. Of course, our parents are dying to know, but they’re just going to have to be patient.

We did have some bad news recently. Before the Big 12 Championship, Catherine tried to put on her Vince Young jersey and to her dismay, it just didn’t fit. We may have to buy her a longhorn half-shirt for the Rose Bowl.

We’re going to miss all of our family over the holidays. The next time that we see them, our family will be three and a half (Abby).

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving & Growing Baby

Since our last blog, we received two pieces of happy news just in time for Christmas. First, our dear friends Tricia & Mick (whom we met in Austin during school) are having a baby in June. This was especially happy news since they have long been praying for a baby. Also our old friends Sarah and Bruce of Denver are having a baby in July. New babies everywhere! It will be neat that our kids will all be around the same age.

Mom and Rob were here visiting for Thanksgiving. They drove down from Montrose. It was great to have them here, and the weather couldn’t have been better. We ate lots of holiday food, and washed it down with Texas barbecue at the Salt Lick. We also visited the little town of Gruene and hung out at home. It was relaxing and fun. Mom of course couldn’t keep her hands off my belly. She is one excited nana-to-be, let me tell you. Baby performed for her and Rob, punching and kicking enough to feel and see.

Our baby is getting stronger everyday. In fact, at our Dr. Polon appointment today I had gained 4 more pounds for a grand total of 11 pounds. I believed it because my belly is definitely feeling heavier. Since I will probably gain at least 25 pounds total, it will be interesting to see how much my belly grows in these last three months! Dr. P suggested that if I have some champagne on New Year's I should be sure to wash it down with a nice vodka, which shows you his humor. Overall he is happy with how I'm doing and said I am a textbook case for a healthy pregnancy so that made Drew and I feel good.

Drew and I are enjoying this special time. It’s Christmas all over Austin, and we have taken time for little pleasures like Christmas lights, gingerbread villages, and curried mussels on chilly nights at a favorite romantic Indian restaurant. God has blessed us in so many ways -- with each other, a baby, Abby, a loving family and caring friends. Sometimes we wonder how it happenend that we have been given so much fortune.

I am going to Denver tomorrow through the weekend. I am sad to leave Drew for that long, but I want to go to my company Christmas party. It will be good for me to see my colleagues since I won't be traveling back for a while. Also I will get to see my brother and Dad which will be a nice treat. They have not seen my belly yet so it will be fun for them to feel the baby kick.

Drew was just saying that he needs to blog a dad update, so we will post some Christmas pictures soon. And of course an updated picture of the growing belly!

The Ultrasound

We're in the 5th month and tomorrow starts the 22nd week. Today Dr. Polon did our baby’s ultrasound. Wow! It was thrilling to see a little person kicking about in there. Dr. P said our baby's growth is right on schedule so he or she is still expected to come into the world around March 22nd. It was nice to hear him tell us that its little heart, brain, kidneys, stomach, diaphragm and spine are all normal. The baby was doing lots of moving and kicking on the computer screen. Dr. P has a rough idea of the sex, but would need to do another ultrasound to check for sure if we decided we wanted to know (we don’t). Sorry parents, even Dr. P cannot say for sure if it’s a boy or girl. The baby weighs 1.2 pounds. My weight has gone up a total of 7 pounds to 133 pounds which Dr. P said is perfectly normal for me, and my blood pressure was also still normal at 99/60.

One funny antecdote... Drew claims to have short legs inherited from his mother. So today Dr. P kept saying, "Growth of this part is right on target at 22 weeks, so perfectly normal". Every part was at 22 weeks. Then he measured the baby's femur and said, "The femur is measuring about 21.5 weeks, also perfectly normal." Drew thought, "That's about right." So we joked on the way home that at least we know it's his baby.

I am still feeling great and my sweetheart, despite what he says about his growing belly, gets us both up at 5:30 to go to the gym 5 mornings a week to keep us both in shape. This means we get to splurge on pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving! Speaking of which, we are looking forward to having Mom and Rob here for the holiday. They are driving to Austin so they can bring all the baby loot we have been given by our generous family and friends. We have books, clothes, diaper bags, blankets, bouncy seats, bassinet, rocking chair, stroller, car set and swing.

Since we last updated the blog, we celebrated Drew’s 32nd birthday with dinner at Roy’s, a favorite Hawaiian restaurant. And, we have been happily watching our Longhorns whip all our opponents and cement our #2 ranking in the polls. In fact, we are starting to think that Vince would be a nice name for a baby boy...

2 A.M. Feeding

A certain baby was kicking me at 2 a.m. this morning. Since I was hungry anyway, I got up for some cereal and crashed out on the couch. Then a little snuggle bear named Abigail decided to join me.

Dad's First Baby Purchase

Don't all babies need an orange monkey?

Baby Movement

Here is a photo Drew took of me today. My belly sure feels and looks like it has been growing.

I have been feeling the baby move around lately. Some days I don't feel the little guy much at all, but a few days ago I was typing away at my desk and kept getting a little kick in my right side. That was a funny feeling that made me laugh. I notice the most movement in the early afternoon when I play Bach for Babies on the iPod. I felt a kick on the outside of my stomach once very lightly, but haven't felt that again. Drew was disappointed he missed it. My mom told me my brother liked to kick her a lot (especially in the diaphragm), so I bet Drew will get to feel something soon.

We visited my friend Anna tonight. Anna had a little baby on Monday, a girl named Emily Grace. Emily is the tiniest, sweetest thing I've seen in a long time. It's easy to forget how small and helpless a newborn baby can be. It made me all the more excited to meet our little person. We will get a sneak peek in two weeks when we have the ultrasound. Drew and I are very excited to see our baby, even if it's just a fuzzy picture on a computer monitor. We'll keep you posted!

P.S. Abby wants to be on the blog so here is a cute picture of our little 4-legged baby with her most prized possession.

Dad Update - Growing Bellies

We are now well into the second trimester and my belly is growing nicely. No, I am not pregnant also. I’m either gaining sympathy weight or it could be the fact that I’ve been cooking more. Probably the latter.

We just went on our first big baby shopping spree. Quite the experience. I didn’t realize there are 500 different strollers. Amazing. Luckily, Catherine was prepared and we made a b-line to the exact one that she wanted and moved on. The rest of the shopping was just as easy since we went off her magic list, which should be no big surprise to anyone since Catherine makes lists for everything. She types up my honey-do list.

The biggest news over the past month is that our baby is going to be a drummer. That’s right, a drummer. Catherine began putting headphones up to her belly and playing Baby Mozart for the little tot, and lo and behold, he/she began tapping. Each time Catherine puts music on the belly, the baby starts moving. Now, I have not been able to feel anything but I’m hoping that I’ll get to feel something soon.

Drew

The 5th Month

Thanks to all our family and friends for the books and gifts you have given to us for our baby!

Today is the first day of the 5th month and time is flying by. We just spent a week in Colorado. First we were in Ouray for a baby shower that Christina hosted for us. Lois, Rob, Deedee, David, Christina, Matt, Sophia, JB & Michelle all came for it. It was a sunny and warm fall day at the cabin and the leaves were in full color. We had brunch and opened gifts which were mainly beautiful books for our baby's new library. Drew got to go fishing with his dad and brother, and Cat got to sit by the fire and take a nap. We went for a few nice walks and enjoyed the beautiful weather and autumn colors.

Drew had to go back to Austin, but Cat stayed another four days in Montrose with Mom and Rob. We all made a really cute Old McDonald's Farm polar fleece blanket together. We tried to hear the baby's heartbeat with Rob's stethoscope but the little guy moves so much that it was hard to hear it for more than a few seconds. Mom and I shopped for baby stuff and bigger bras -- a first for me. We also went to Grand Junction to have dinner with Grandpa Hiner and Bonnie, and visited the Bauers at the Lab. We missed seeing John and Dad & Lyn. John had to go to a wedding so we will see him in November or December. Lyn had knee surgery so Dad is her nurse. I am hoping to visit them in Craig for a weekend before the baby is born.

Although I was sad to leave Colorado and my family, I was happy to see Drew and Abby at the airport in Austin. Abby gets excited to go to the airport because it usually means we are picking someone up. She snuggled her face up to me and closed her eyes which is her way of saying "Hi Mom, I am so happy you are home." She might be the cutest dog on the face of the Earth.

Into the 4th Month

Hard to believe we are in the 4th month already. Drew & I saw Dr. Polon again this morning for my monthly checkup. We listened to the baby’s heartbeat which was very strong and easy to find. We elected not to have the screening test for birth defects which was the best choice for us. Dr. Polon said I look great and was happy to see that my weight had gone back up since my last appointment. He said he’s never heard of someone’s hair turning curly when they get pregnant which has been the case for me. I have always had stick straight hair—until July. Hormones are strange! Also, I had a hypoglycemic episode on Sunday morning after breakfast—something I haven’t had for about five years. I felt sweaty and saw black spots, so I ate an apple and some peanut butter which made me feel better soon after. Dr. P said to eat a good balance of carbs and protein in the morning, but that it is normal to have such reactions because a certain hormone during pregnancy makes me more sensitive to blood sugar and insulin fluctuations. He said (thankfully) that this is not an indicator of whether or not I develop gestational diabetes, and the episode did not affect the baby. All good news, but I will tell you that I now drink some protein with my grape nuts! I will have my second ultrasound in mid-November. My weight was 127 and blood pressure is still at a healthy 98/60.

Right now I am feeling really good. My appetite is back and I can eat normally. I am even cooking again which Drew is very happy about. We are back into our regular morning gym routine, so I am gaining the muscle back that I lost during the first trimester. I am not running because it’s not comfortable, so for now I am doing cardio machines and weights. I also go for power walks outside with Drew and Abby on cooler days. After baby is born I will get back into running because I sure have missed it. Besides it will help me get my butt back in shape!

Dad Update

Catherine was such a trooper over the first trimester. She is so tough. She was worried more about the effect of her morning sickness (or more appropriately “all-day sickness”) on Abby and me than on herself. What a sweetheart. Now that the sickness is over, we’re able to enjoy the experience much more.

I just read that in the 5^th month the baby is able to hear noises from outside the womb. Some studies have shown that newborns will often stop crying when they hear music that was played to them while in the womb. Another study showed that a baby will begin to bond with his (I think it’s a boy) parents while listening to their voices from the womb. I’m going to start playing the guitar for the baby and talking to it each night. Who knows? We may end up with the next Sting.

Growing Belly and Tummy Flutters

My belly is now a small pot. Not very noticeable to most, but for me it is very noticeable. I had to graduate to Old Navy pregnancy jeans this week. Just couldn't fasten my pants anymore. One annoyance is that there are almost no workout clothes for pregnant people out there. Thank goodness for eBay. I bought some great discontinued Nike maternity clothes from formerly pregnant eBayers. In other news, I felt a flutter or tickle or butterfly in my stomach a few days ago. It took my breath away and made me laugh. I got out our book and it said that the baby moved enough for me to feel it. I called Drew to tell him and he thought that was pretty exciting. I am now in my 16th week, and still feeling great. Can't wait to get to Colorado next week to visit our families in Ouray!

Morning Sickness (Boston & ACL)

A little self pity here. The term "morning sickness" was not the case for me. It lasted all day long. The only time I felt ok was when I was asleep, so I slept a lot. Sickness started around July 20 and it lasted until September 21. It wasn't really nausea; instead it was similar to the after effects of hitting the Halloween candy really hard for a few hours -- sick, lethargic, and like being one step away from fainting. It was hard to exercise or eat normally, much less do anything social. Thank God for Drew! He made me lots of soup, took care of Abby, and did all the laundry, food shopping and dishes. And Abby liked to rest on the couch with me during this time. One great day I woke up and my sickness was over. Woohoo!

This month we visited the Tuffys near Boston for a week. The three kids are a lot of fun, and we had a good time visiting the Cape and the Vineyard with old friends. Then just this past weekend Bo Clancey came for the Austin City Limits Music Festival which had an obscene average temperature of about 105. Still, Coldplay was stellar and Drew had fun with one of his best friends from his Colorado College days.

Baby's Heartbeat

This morning we had another appointment with Dr. P. He said things were progressing normally and that my sickness would wane soon (I hope!). He told me to eat lots of nuts, that they have all the protein and fatty acids I need and will help get me through this sick time. We listened to the baby's heartbeat for the first time and that was really exciting. It sounded muffled and fast but normal. Dr. P explained that at our next appointment we would have to decide whether to have the screening test for birth defects. There are almost never false negatives, but lots of false positives, or high readings. A high reading indicates further testing is necessary including possibly an amniocentesis. He told us our risk of having a baby with a birth defect is very small, and that unless we plan to terminate the pregnancy based on a bad result, he did not feel it was worth the worry. I agree, Drew is unsure. We will have to talk about this and decide by our next appointment if we will have the test or not. Weight went down a bit to 124.5 lbs, blood pressure was 98/60.

Choosing a New Doctor

We chose a new doctor today and are very happy with our decision. It was not easy because we strongly considered going with a midwife instead. Although we really liked her and her philosophies, going with a midwife in Austin means delivering at home or at a birth center. Although this is usually a safe way to deliver a baby, there are possible complications that could have us running to the hospital in the heat of the moment. I was not willing to take that chance for myself or my family.

So, we decided Dr. Clive Polon was our man. Dr. P is from South Africa and somehow ended up practicing in Austin, Texas. Lucky for us! He specializes in high risk pregnancies which I am not, but he was happy to take me on nonetheless. He gives me the personal attention I want. And, he is very conservative when it comes to administering drugs (only if I want them), episiotomies (almost never does them) and c-sections (15-20% but he specializes in high risk births). Drew and I liked him immediately. He promised me I would always see him, not a nurse, for my prenatal visits. And he delivers 95% of his mothers. He speaks in a comforting voice and asked me, "How are you feeling Sweetie?"

Today Dr. Polon did an ultrasound so he could tell how old our baby was. Turns out the little guy is right on target. The sonogram picture made him or her look like a tiny blob with a beating heart. He printed the picture and we took it home. Weight was 126, blood pressure was 100/60.

First Doctor's Appointment

The nice things about posting the milestones of my pregnancy are not only that we can share all the details with our family, but also we will have an accurate record of everything that happens. So, here is the entry for our first doctor's appointment.

We visited Dr. Grogono's office based on a friend's referral. The doctor was doing a c-section so we saw the nurse practitioner instead. The nurse told us our baby is due on March 22, 2006. It is exciting and a little scary to hear someone tell you that you will be a parent in the spring. My exam and blood work were normal and we are not carriers for cystic fibrosis. Weight was my normal 126, and blood pressure was 118/60.

Although the appointment was fine, I decided not to go back to this doctor. The office was full of people, and there was no personal attention at all. Also, it seemed that I would not see much of the doctor because she books so many patients and has her nurses cover her prenatal visits. I did not feel comfortable there, so will begin searching for a new caregiver. We'll keep you posted.

Finding Out

Knowing we were thinking of trying for a baby in June, I bought a pregnancy test at Walgreen's. The 18-year-old kid at the checkout gave me the bag and said, "Good luck." That made me laugh. Today we were at Whole Foods doing the week's shopping. Drew hugged me on the escalator and my boobs (small as they are) were sore and I was a few days late. So while Drew unpacked the groceries I took one of the tests. I ran into the kitchen and said, "Drew, what does this mean?" He said, "What are you doing? What is this, a pregnancy test? I think these lines mean you're preggers!" Oh boy.