Kicking and Screaming Already

Well, I can't really verify the screaming, but there is plenty of kicking going on these days. We have started seeing the belly move when the kicking occurs, which is really kind of bizarre. And, after 28 weeks, I appear to have gotten my sweet tooth back. Things like cookies and brownies are starting to sound like a good idea again. Although, my cooking days may be numbered, or at least my chopping days. In the last week I've managed to cut three fingers, a nail, and burn myself. I think I have gotten to the clums(ier) stage of the pregnancy.

We are still working on coming up with a name for the little guy. And while we haven't agreed on a name yet, we have managed to whittle the list down to names we actually like, and not just a list of names we don't hate. This was a pretty big step for us. Boy names really are much harder than girls' names.

As many of you can probably imagine, I have already moved into full nesting mode, probably a little earlier than some soon-to-be moms. We have built the shelves in the room, and have moved ALMOST everything that is not baby related out of the room. This involved the fun task of going through the extra medicine cabinet. This was the cabinet full of items that we had duplicates when Robert moved in. Yes, I realize that was in 2007. I'm convinced he brought some of these items with him to DC when he moved from Arizona for law school, since some had expiration dates of 2002 and 2003. And while we probably had more time to accomplish the cleaning out of the room, I feel like at least one huge task has been completed.

I had my glucose screening test yesterday. For those of you who aren't familiar, it is a standard test that they give you to test for gestational diabetes. I was prepared for the glucose drink to taste bad, and to want to get it over with as soon as possible. What I wasn't prepared for was that it would make me nauseous. That combined with the car ride to the doctor's office made for a rocky day yesterday. Thankfully, I woke up feeling pretty good today.

That's about it for now. As of yesterday's visit I will now be going to the doctor every two weeks, which seems like a pretty big milestone to me. In two weeks, we begin the labor and delivery classes. I'm not entirely sure why it takes them 4 class sessions to teach you how to say "I want an epidural", but I'm sure there is more to it than that!

Developing musical taste

A week or so ago, we started actively making sure there was music on reguarly for the baby to hear. At first, we tried the method of placing headphones on my tummy, until some smart cookie told us that by this time, the baby is able to hear/respond to ambient music. So, we gave up the 10 minutes a night on the belly stuck sitting down very quickly. Now I try to make sure there is music on in the house at least an hour or two a day.

We started with classical, since it seemed to be the thing to do. Not much response there, and since I couldn't bring myself to buy any Baby Einstein tapes, I decided to try the Carlson Music Method. For those of you unfamiliar - it basically involves playing music you like until you find something the baby likes. To this day, my friend Kim's son Owen is still a Weezer fan.

So, I started with some classics from Robert's iTunes - since his computer is much easier to access during the workday. I did find that the baby seems to respond to some music more than others, or it's all a coincidence and he just happened to decide to kick at that moment. More onn active kicking later.

Cashew's Hit List

• The Beatles
• Eric Clapton
• The Black Crowes
• U2

We learned about his preference for U2 when we found Rattle and Hum playing on the HD music channel Palladium over the weekend. Of course, sadly only one of us in the family actually remembers being at Sun Devil Stadium for that show. Others of us had not develped musical taste by that year and were listening to that up and coming singer Vanilla Ice.

Aside from when we play music, our little guy seems to be most active at about 2am. I started waking Robert up for the strong kicking moments so that he can feel them too. He is definitely kicking hard enough now that anyone within a mile of my belly could feel him! If you lok at the right time you can even see belly movement. Of course, sometimes this makes for lack of sleep or uncomfortable days (like tonight).

66% of You Were Wrong

We went for another ultrasound yesterday, and after about 1/2 hour, the little guy moved around enough for us to get a much clearer peek. And even I believe we have enough evidence to confidently announce that it is a BOY. Which means, if anyone has any good ideas for boy names, please send them our way, since we really don't have one picked out yet.

This week has brought much more kicking. So, I guess what they say is true, boys are much more active even from the start.

The Furniture Has Arrived

When you first enter the room to the right, we decided the changing station belonged on this wall, since it is the most logical place if we decide to get the matching hutch. Also, this is where we will put the nightstand that we have now realized we need, since there is nothing next to the glider where you could put, I don't know, a lamp, a glass of water, anything else you might want while rocking the baby.

In the opposite corner by the closet lives the dresser. We think the small TV will go somewhere in this corner to give us something to watch during feedings, etc.

And finally, the crib will live in the corner by the window. For the most part, the room is setup. Of course, once you start putting together furniture, you realize all of the things you still need. Like a trash can. That's it for now, just wanted to get this up this morning. More to come later.

Inching towards wider than tall...

Many of you will notice a new poll on the blog. I figured at 6 months it was time to let everyone make a guess as to how close my height to width ratio is becoming! I even posted a new picture below to give you a few hints. And yes, this is the same shirt from the 12 week photos. Let’s see if it lasts the whole pregnancy. Ha ha.

I know it’s been a while since I posted, but the last few weeks have been relatively uneventful. Most days I feel pretty good, although, I still have some occassional bouts of nausea. We next go to the doctor on Monday, for the 24 week appointment, so hopefully we’ll have more information then.

I have definitely felt more kicking lately, but not predictable enough for Robert to know when to try to feel the belly as well. We're going to start playing music more consistently, in hopes we find something that the baby really likes. Any suggestions???

Carne Asade Meat Marinade

Well, I know this is supposed to be a blog about the baby, but this is slightly baby related. On Saturday, after one of the AZ baby showers, we bbq'd. This is the recipe I made to marinade flank steak for tacos. I figured that if I post the recipe, anyone who wants it can just come here -rather than me having to email!

Mojo Marinade
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lime juice
6 TB white vinegar
Handful cilantro - loosely hand chopped
4 TB chopped garlic
2 Seeded and sliced jalepenos
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix together ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Makes enough marinade for 2 flank steaks. Marinade steak for anywhere between 1-6 hours. Grill steak until medium rare. Serve with taco fillings of your choice.

While I was off in Arizona sweating (110 is too hot to be pregnant), Robert was home working away in the nursery. Many of you have heard of the dreaded blue room. Everyone has one of these in their house, probably in a different color. It's the room where everything goes that doesn't fit into any other place in the house. Well, our blue room is no more, as Robert made it ready for the baby while I was in AZ. Thanks to the help of our friend Scott (and a few interns), they were able to take everything off to storage and empty the room for painting. The blue room is now a soothing yellow and green. I had many people ask to see the wonderful handiwork, so I'll keep the typing short, and get right to the pictures.

Also, miraculously, our glider and ottoman already came in - so it is the only thing setup in the room. But, I figure this corner gives a good feel for the color theme in the room.

For the first shower, we also received the hamper that matches our bedding. Since it was easy to take out of the box, we figured it would give a good feel for what the room will look like.

Aren't these blocks fun? My oldest (tenure, not age) friend Kim made these for me for my baby shower. She claims not to be crafty, but you can be the judge of that.