Wednesday, January 30, 2008

The Waiting Game

So here we are -- Week 37. One week from now, Wendy will be considered "full term" -- not as OF today as I'd previously reported. (I'm a rookie dad, give me a break.) But I digest...

Though Wendy may protest, it looks to me like her belly growth has slowed considerably. It'd make sense though -- at this point, Mya's pretty near her birth length but still putting on her baby "phat" at a rate of about a half ounce per day. At our 35-week diagnostic ultrasound, she was 5 lbs. 13 oz. and Dr. Russo is predicting her to be around 7.5-8.0 pounds now. We'll soon see.

Alas, now we are playing the waiting game. Wendy is likely in her last week of work now. She's gone as long as she can -- trooper that she is -- but is becoming more uncomfortable by the day. She's feeding Mya the good stuff -- whole grains, milk and, as you can see here, peanut butter.

Papa Eric has been taking as many opportunties as possible to have a little fun while he can. Uncles Dennis and Dave took him snowboarding for the first time a few weeks back. The photo below, taken in Big Bear, is one of the only times that he wasn't face down in the snow. Learning hurts when you're 30.

Eric would also like to thank his cousins David and Jaime for kindly relieving him of $50 in a recent poker game. Hey, at least we kept it in the family!

Again, Mya's due date is February 20. We plan to e-mail folks with updates from the hospital -- rumor has it that they have a wireless connection there.

A special thanks to everyone for all the great gifts we've received for our little daughter. And we have 24 total votes here on who Mya looks like (the 3D/4D video and pics are below). If you haven't voted, please do so! Also, there's still time to drop your predictions on her birthday, length, weight and first words. Scroll down to "Betting Time" then click on "Comments" to leave your two cents.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Hot Mama!

These are a few of the photos taken by Wendy's sister Amy Ramirez on Sunday, January 13. Wendy, 34 weeks and change at the time these photos were snapped, is looking beautiful and ready to burst!


We're now just days away from turning the corner into Week 35. At Week 36, Wendy will be considered "full term." Mya could come at anytime -- in fact, Wendy would prefer sooner than later! -- but we figure she's gonna take the weeks she needs to finish cooking. Wendy's ready to push. Her rib cage is constantly achy, which makes it even tougher to sleep at night. As if the kicking baby, hip pain and leg cramping weren't enough, right?

We also want to say thanks to all the friends and family who have gotten us gifts already! To all you ladies who planned and participated in Wendy's shower over the weekend (Gwin, I'm looking at you!), thank you so much for your generosity. Next stop: the big shower, courtesy of grandma Patsy and grandma Ethel! We're going to need to add space to keep up with everyone's gifting! Do you think they'll let us add on to our condo?

Finally, to those of you who haven't voted already, there's still time to give your predictions on Mya's birth stats. Eric Biederman mercifully predicted that Mya would be here on February 9 -- Wendy loves you for that -- but then also said she'd be in the 8-pounds-plus club. Grandma Patsy, not surprisingly, is pulling for a 9-pounder, but predicted a birthday of February 28. Get in on this action while you can! Simply scroll down to the "Betting Time" post and click "Comments."

UPDATE: Today (Jan. 17), at our last visit with Dr. Bradley, our perinatologist, Mya measured 17 inches and weighed in at 5 lbs. 13 oz. At this pace, Dr. Bradley predicts that Mya will weigh "around 7 pounds." Uncle Dave Paterson is the closest to that mark, predicting 19 inches and 7 lbs. 3 oz.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Nursery Furniture: Just Add Baby


So here we are, just six weeks or so away from Mya's big cameo. In preparation for her arrival we are in full-blown nesting mode. It started a few weeks back with the arrival of her wonderful new nursery furniture (see photo). Thanks to grandma Patsy and grandpa Dave for buying it, thanks to uncle Jimmy P. for helping to get it to the house! Believe it or not, Eric actually put all of this together by himself. (In all honesty, the dresser pretty much came in one piece.) Miracles ARE possible!

In addition to the furniture assembly, we've been busy remodeling the closet for extra storage (that was ALL Wendy) and getting all of her new clothes washed. (Thanks to the family and friends who have already bought her some wonderful little outfits!)

In other news, Wendy is growing increasingly uncomfortable. The belly photo here, taken at Week 30, should show why. Early term hip pain and shortness of breath has now taken a backseat to rib pain on her right side. Nights? Not so great. She's usually only cozy in the same spot for an hour or two at the MOST. We think it'll make her a "motivated pusher" come delivery day. This little girl is growing fast!