Update

So the time is now set for our Feb. 5th induction. We are to report to the hospital at 4:45am. We are the first scheduled appointment of the day, so at least they can't be running behind :) We'll keep you posted on any updates! Wish us luck :)

I Plead the Fifth

So after a few consults with our OBGYN and the latest ultrasound, we have officially scheduled the inducement for February 5th, time unknown.

At the ultrasound on Monday, we found out the baby is already estimated to be 8 pounds. Monkey already has daddy and mommy beat as far as birth weight. When the OBGYN found that out, she highly recommended inducing before the due date to avoid the complications that can arise from having a very large baby. As Meghan has been miserable for the last few weeks (months?), she jumped at the chance for an earlier birth.

Oddly enough, the third trimester ultrasound looked the least like a human child (or alien overlord) out of all of them. The baby is so big that each angle was generally either "stomach," or "head." the technician eventually had to stop due to a "bladder emergency" (in case you weren't aware, ultrasound "victims" are told to drink 24 oz. of water an hour before the appointment).

See if you can guess what view this is...

Probably the last two belly photos... The USA soccer jersey has never looked better :)

Let the countdown begin!

Holy crap... no wonder!!!

So... no wonder my stomach feels like it is up under my chin. It is really darn close! Who is it exactly that says women are designed to bear children? I beg to differ. It doesn't look to me like the designer had women in mind when putting together the blue print! Oh well, at least this explaines why when I swallow a carbonated beverage it causes hiccups immediately :) It doesn't have very far to travel!

Put a fork in me, I'm done already!!!

I figured that it was time there was a picture of both Conrad and me on here. Not just belly or cat or inanimate objects of various sorts :)

Here is a shot of me in a very vain attempt at hiding my growing double chin :/

And of course the ever growing belly!

We had our 36 week appointment on Tuesday and got some rather exciting news. I am 1cm dilated and 90% effaced. Things are progressing. I have an ultrasound on Mon the 26th that will give us a guesstimate as to the weight/size of Monkey. Sorry for the short update... I am not feeling the greatest right now, but as always it will pass and at least I don't feel like cashing in the chips anymore :)

Happy New Year everyone! Hope it has started out well for you all.

...and if it's a girl, we can't decide between Salmonella and Influenza.

Well, we had our first false alarm last night. Meghan began feeling out of sorts while I was at rehearsal. When I called on my way home I was greeted by, "I've either got food poisoning or I'm going into labor..." Hmmm... So we rushed to the hospital around 10:30. After a series of tests, nausea drugs, and IVs, we were told that it was most likely a stomach flu that led to vomiting, that resulted in dehydration, that triggered severe contractions (substitute a few "begats" into that last sentence and it almost sounds biblical... Maybe not.).

Got home around 5:00 am, but I had to go to a pharmacy to pick up a prescription at 8:00. Then of course around 9:30, just as I was trying to get back to sleep, Meghan got a call from the doctor and was told to drink ginger ale and eat popsicles, neither of which we had. Soooooo it was back to the store for me. I tried sleeping after that with no luck, so I'm stumbling around today on 2 1/2 hours of sleep, and I have to bartend from 4:00 - 10:00 tonight. Who wants to buy a drink from me!!! :)

Cheers!

Week 33

Here are the latest bump pics, now less than 2 months left! We have our next OBGYN appointment next Tuesday, then Meghan leaves for the holidays at her parents on Wednesday until Jan. 2. I will find a couple of days between rehearsals and work to visit my grandma's house around Christmas. Other than that, I haven't made any definite plans yet.

As you can see, Desi is rather suspicious that "her" new bed may not be a permanent fixture...


Wishing you all a Happy Holiday!

Reflections on Fatherhood: Censorship

I'm generally not one for censorship. I am happy to be living in a country where people are free to read, watch, or listen to whatever they want. This of course applies to adults, but what about children? I absolutely adore A Clockwork Orange and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (both the books and movies), but would I show/read them to a ten year old? Hell no! So where does one draw the line for a child who may not be able to tell the difference between real and imaginary? Also, are there any toys that I should not allow my child to play with before a certain age?

As far as movies go, the ratings system in my mind is a little too overprotective. Obviously, the most important thing will be to know my child and his/her sense of reality to determine when certain movies are appropriate, but generally I'd say using the rating system minus two years is a relatively safe bet. Most PG-13 movies are VERY tame and can be handled by anyone over the age of ten. With the R rating, I know that by the time I got to high school I had no problem seeing any movie I wanted (and that was before high-speed internet), so I think that would be a logical time to lift the ban. More important than setting a specific age is to start a dialog at an early age about the difference between what they see on the screen or read in a book, and what is acceptable in real life.

As far as toys go, I have a feeling this may be a lost cause, and I use myself as an example. My parents decided when I was born that I would not be allowed any toy guns. Then at some point around the age of three I picked up a stick, pointed it at a tree, and started yelling "Bang! Bang!" Clearly I already understood the concept of a gun, and keeping me from a toy wasn't going to change anything... Then we have toys that indoctrinate children with stereotypes about the way they should act and look (Bratz, I'm looking at you). This is what scares me the most. After teaching at a high school for two years, I know how much today's kids are influenced by what they are told on TV and in music. Not that I wasn't so influenced when I was a kid, but now it seems out of control.

Is there a line of children's toys out there that encourages free thinking? I'm sure there are plenty, I just need to look into it.