My Baby is Sucking up All of my Internet Time (new look and update) September 3, 2009

I really am going to try and start posting on this blog again.  I haven’t abandon it.  It’s just that Kenley (my lovely daughter) has been keeping me crazy busy.  Since her birth, I have finished my summer quarter teaching (though I still have my online classes) and I am home.

That’s right!  I’m being Mr. Mom.  My goal was to start posting everyday of the break (which really started yesterday since I had finals week and grading).

Yesterday, as some of my Twitter readers know, Gizmo (our once fuzzy cat), Kenley, and I headed over to the West side (Edmonds, WA) so that the boys could get hair cuts.  Gizmo gets his hair cut at the amazing City Kitty.  In Illinois, Gizmo would get so crazy that the cat groomers would want to put him to sleep just so they wouldn’t have to deal with him.  Adrianne is so good with him and actually thinks he is a really sweet cat (which is complete news to us.  He is usually a stinker).

Kenley was wonderful.  After we dropped Gizmo off, we went down to the Edmonds Waterfront.  I fed her lunch looking out over the sound.  I can’t wait to take her down there when she’s old enough to play in the sand and water.  As I said in my Twitter, I was 23 when I first saw the ocean (a story I should relate sometime), so I was pretty happy to have her there and so thankful that we live in this beautiful place.  I miss my friends and family from IL, but I will never miss IL.  I know Kenley wont remember our time at the beach, but I will.

Yesterday was also Shannon and my two-year anniversary.  Who would have thought that our whirlwind romance and marriage would take us all the places we’ve been.  I am so happy to have such a strong and amazing (not to mention – drop dead gorgeous) woman with me.  I am truly blessed.  We’re celebrating our anniversary tomorrow, so I will have more to update about later.

Due Date Weeding June 6, 2009

It’s the baby’s due date, but she doesn’t seem to care that much.  She likes it right where she is.  We went for a check up yesterday.  Everything was wonderful.

Last week our visit ended up taking us upstairs for a Non-Stress Test.  Baby Weiss had a bit of an eratic heartbeat, but we quickly found that she was just overly excited to have people fussing over her.

As soon as we hooked up to the machine, she jumped multiple times and though we stayed hooked up for 20 minutes, she had met her quota in 4.

Here’s a map of her heartbeat!

Today I have been out weeding the front yard.  We were told a few weeks ago (sorry for the lack of posts) that we have to move by the first of August.  Yep, smack dab in the middle of our baby coming.  We have already found a few places that we like, but we haven’t settled on one yet.

I should be posting more when work shifts in a few weeks.

Come on, Baby!!  Let’s go!!

Birthing Class – We Didn’t Make It April 7, 2009

I’m sorry to say that we didn’t make it tp our birthing class tonight.  Shannon had to go into work very early today and it was my first full day at both colleges, so we were dead by the time we both made it home and settled in.

Tonight was focused on medication and we really feel that we have a pretty strong understanding from our own research.  We are also going to work hard to have a natural birth without any meds, so we felt that tonight would be better spent catching up on some rest.

I can give you a quick assumption of how the class went though.

Mystic (our teacher) – If you take any meds during your labor you’re gonna poop!

Class – Where will the doctor be during this?

Mystic – They will clean it up quick.

Class – Sign us up!

Our Little Girl has the Hiccups April 3, 2009

Shannon was lying down on the loveseat after a long day at the office when our little baby started to bounce around in the womb.  Pretty quickly we figured out that she had the hiccups.  So, of course, we recorded it.

Baby Hiccups (Link is fixed!)

It’s pretty awesome that you can hear the sound so well with our dopplar.

Playing Music for Baby April 1, 2009

Tonight the baby is kicking worse than ever.  After I read to her (I am still reading The Hobbit and I’m way too lazy about it), I grabbed my headphones and introduced her to some of our favorite music.  It calmed her down for awhile, but then I think she just felt like dancing.  She’s still listening now.

The first song we played for baby – “Firecracker” by Ryan Adams (this was our wedding song and we already know she’s going to be a firecracker!)

Then, we played some more Ryan Adams, some Bjork (because all babies should learn how to scream beautifully), and some Cat Power to mellow her out.

Birthing Class – Week 2 (Baby Boogaloo) March 24, 2009

Well, overall the class was a little more tame.  If you discount the fact that every few minutes the instructor is simulating putting something into an orifice or something coming out an orifice.

When we first got there, our instructor raised her hands and told everyone, “Tonight we’re going to get you down on the floor and work you hard.”  Maybe it’s just me that takes everything she says in a weird sexual way (nope, it’s not – everybody laughs nervously).

Then, she introduced a young woman who was going into the business of teaching baby classes.  The woman said she was moving to Alabama for her job.

“Oh,” our instructor replied.  “You’re gonna have your work cut out for you there.  Out here we’re so much more enlightened.”  We had to hide our laughter.  Sure, people in Montgomery live in the stone-ages.

It is really hard to describe how wonderfully strange this woman is.  She had a laptop and projector out.  She sat the projector so close to the screen that we couldn’t really read what was on it.  I was a little worried, but her Powerpoint was exactly one slide long.

A little later she turned it on again, for one more slide from a different file.

She also has a way with words.  She says things like “Diarrh-ear”and “Women’s Tuition.”

Biggest hint of the night – Eat spinach and oranges together,  it will help your body take in the iron.  She learned this, “Back when I worked in the Blood Bank business!”

Near the end she brought up the birth orgasm.  She asked if anyone had heard of it, but I kept my hand down.  When no one said yes, she yelled out, “It was a movie.  It played in our theatres!”  (And it is a movie.  My fellow blogger, I Can Grow People talks about it).

Then, right before we dropped to the floor to practice breathing and massage, our instructor told us all about how back rubs and nipple stimulation can help relax the wife during the first stage of labor (all while doing the nipple stimulating motions with her hands) .

Five more Mondays to go.  (We actually did learn a few things).

Child Birth Class – Night One March 17, 2009

Tonight was the first night of our Child Birth class and it was everything I hoped for and more.  We found ourselves in a thrown together room on the forth floor of the local hospital with 7 other couples and the craziest lady I have seen in a while.  She was like a strange Aunt that had downed a lot of uppers and loved her access to the white board.  I should know, I have a few of these.

She walked around for a moment and screamed at the top of her lungs, “NINJAS, NINJAS!!!”

I quickly looked to the windows (the favorite entry place for ninjas).  Then I realized that she had a bit of a whistle in her voice and she had actually screamed, “Name Tags, Name Tags!!”

We all grabbed out tags and sat back down as she got into her spill.

The first thing she covered – Rectal Pressure.

Her advice – When the baby is coming, the woman will feel some pressure in the rectum.   This is normal, the baby putting pressure on the rectum, like a bowel movement, and that means you should push.

Then, she said “and they’ll clean you up and no one will be the wiser!”

After that she asked all of us why we were there and she wrote them on the white board in glorious green.  Our favorite – Piece of Mind.  She wouldn’t allow anyone to repeat, so thank goodness she started with us.  We answered, “To help my husband to understand what to do” and “To make my wife’s time in labor as enjoyable and as memorable as possible.”  If we would have went last, the only answer I could think of was, “to learn about the birth orgasm.”

Next, our host asked us to describe the animals we had seen giving birth and corrected every story that didn’t have the words, “The dog moved around and panted a lot.”  The first guy said that three of the pups he helped deliver were still-born.  Our teacher shut him down, “Whoa!  That’s unusual!  I don’t think we need to talk about that here.”

Then she said that Animals like to look at their own asses while they give birth because they don’t understand they are pregnant and really believe they are taking a huge dump.

Finally, she had the ladies do exercises while we men pinched their legs to simulate contractions.  When asked, Shannon told her that I had let up the pressure after the first pinch (which I had).  I replied, “I feel bad that I was hurting her.”  Our teacher then stood above me and rocked back and forth, sing-songing “Aw, he felt bad.”  “She’ll thank you for it.” She barked out.  ” It’s nothing compared to the pain she’ll feel during labor.”  She shoved her hand up in the air to represent a door.  “She has to learn to shut the door to her brain!  To make a barrier there through breathing, darkness, and calming music..”  She dropped down to her hands and knees and did a grinding motion. “And if he doesn’t pop out you get all doggie style and lift your pelvis to give him more room.   You all will remember that move, cause it’s called doggie style!”

This from the woman that a half hour before cupped her hands and whispered, “wear a pad.”

Then, she called the night over and we all rushed out.  Next week I will be taking a notepad, not for the class, but for the gems that fall from this woman’s lips!

The Nursery March 9, 2009

The nursery is almost ready for our new addition.  Shannon and I spent the weekend decorating and putting new things away.

We picked the crib bedding and some accessories from Ebay.

We’re doing a cute jungle animal theme with no known cartoon characters.  Two  things we are avoiding: anything that says Princess (unless it’s Han Solo) and Pooh!  Every where we go, Pooh is all over everything.  It’s a plague!

I hung the valance and we picked up a pad for the changing table yesterday.

We picked up the cutest lion (Mr. Lion Rider) at a consignment shop near the U of Washington.  I spotted it from across the room, but there was a little boy sitting on it.  I resisted the urge to knock him off, but as soon as he dismounted I swooped in and picked Mr. Lion up.  He definitely wanted to come home with us!

We also picked up some amazing wall decals that promote the jungle theme and give the room a little more pink (not that our girl needs it).

Baby Pictures February 14, 2009

If you haven’t seen my pictures from the Flickr feed (bottom left), I thought I would toss some pics of our lovely daughter up on here to hopefully get me started back into posting.

She looks so cute sucking her thumb.

A Wonderful Close-up.

It’s Going to Be a… GIRL!!! January 17, 2009

Just as the poll ties up at 7 votes each (Thanks to all who voted!), we found out that we are having a baby girl.  The ultrasound went very well.  Everything is going wonderful.  When Jacob (our radiologist) was trying to get his pics, our little Weiss kept shoving her ass into the camera.  She’s going to fit in very well.

I’ll post some pics soon!