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.

30 Weeks... and stuff

Big belly getting bigger. 30 weeks and counting!

Hmmm. We might have to do somethin about Desi thinking this was set up for her own personal use! Any thoughts?

And so that Lucy Goosie doesn't feel left out... Here she is in all her burrowed glory!!!

Here is a picture of the stroller that was lovingly given to us by Conrad's Mom and Dad. We love it! And as you can see it has been explored by all furry creatures that reside in the house.

And here it is again.
This is a very exciting time for Conrad who will be starting his rehearsals for High School Musical on Tuesday. He has been awaiting the time when he would be able to step on stage again, as does every nut job who decides to follow the lights of the stage. We also will be having our 30 week apt at the Doc's office this week and no news from the Doctor regarding any concerns. You know what they say, "No news is good news!"

So far the Pregnancy is going well and Monkey is moving around a lot. Things are getting a little uncomfortable but I am sure that it will only get "better" as we progress farther along. So needless to say we are getting anxious, not to hurry the process, to meet Monkey and see whether we have a little Monkey or a Monkette :)

Love to everyone in this festive time of year. Enjoy the lights and wonder of the season!!!

Retraction and Unrelated Announcement

Those of you that have been following this blog may have noticed a comment I made a while back that called High School Musical one of the great evils of the world. I would like to officially retract that statement. High school Musical is a wonderful show that is simply misunderstood by everyone except for 10-14 year old girls. While following the story of the deep and complex lead character named Troy, this artistic masterpiece shows the importance of following one's dreams regardless of what others think. Valuable lessons about life and love abound, and the upbeat dance routines should have everyone yelling "go Wildcats!" by the end.



In a completely unrelated announcement, I have recently accepted the role of Troy in a 16 week run of High School Musical. The run opens on Feb. 18 (5 days after the baby is due, obviously I have an understudy), and closes on June 7. We will be performing 8 shows per week (2 Wednesday, 2 Sunday, dark Monday) for the majority of the run. So if anyone is planning on being in the Baltimore/DC area this spring, you can now see the new baby as well as a show!

Nursery Pictures

Here is the crib and our lovely Pooh bedding. My parents and brother found the bedding for an amazing bargain. Leave it to my mom to find the best deal possible!

Another shot of the crib

And yet another...

Guest room/nursery so far. This room contains as much furniture as we can possibly fit!

The chest of drawers/changing table that my parents and brother purchased for us. They are wonderful aren't they?

Sorry!

Sorry about the lack of a post lately, with Meghan's parents in town we wanted to spend our free time with them rather than behind a computer trying to come up with new witticisms for the blog.


In the next few days we will add a couple of new posts involving the new crib and chest of drawers for Monkey's (SOMEONE has "politely requested" that I retire the name Overlord. ho hum...) room, obgyn updates, a new reflection on fatherhood, a small retraction from a previous ROF post, and and anything else I may have forgotten.


I will leave you for now with the latest baby bump photo, and a picture of our beloved Desi in the bathtub (really, what good is having a cat if one can't send inane photos of it to all one's friends and relatives?).


Enjoy!

24 weeks

Here is a picture of the belly at 24 weeks. It is sticking out a little farther than a couple of weeks ago.
We have some good news. A couple of weeks ago a scan of Monkey's brain showed a Choroid Plexus Cyst. As far as complications go it is a fairly common one, however it can be an indicator of a chromosomal abnormality. Needless to say I was a wreck thinking the worst as only an irrational person like myself can think. The good news is that on Thursday I got a call from the doctor. After she had viewed the newest ultra sound, it had been determined that the cyst had resolved itself. It was GONE!!!! Thank God! One stress gone. Everything else looks great and right on target. I have been feeling increased movement, but Conrad is still not able to feel anything. Hopefully soon!

Here is the latest ultra sound of Monkey. I love looking at these pictures knowing that the cyst is gone. It makes me smile :)
Look at that big old noggin! Conrad says it is a sign of intelligence. However, that is what all people with big heads say;)
Not much else going on over here. We are getting ready for my parents to come to Baltimore. I am so excited to see them. We actually get to have all of us together for Mako's birthday for the first time since he graduated high school. Since we weren't all together this summer, this will be the first time since Christmas. So needles to say, I can't WAIT!!!!

Hope everyone has a great week.