Dad, the Baby Expert

We got our first copy of Baby Talk magazine in the mail last night.
Chris read it while I was cooking dinner.

I’m impressed.

First of all, I thought Chris probably knows everything he wants to know because he has done all of this before. Twice.

He is already an expert on all things related to baby care.
Although, when I say expert, I really mean that he knows a lot more about feeding, diapering, and soothing than I do.
At least, I hope he knows what he is doing.
Someone should.

So, as Chris is browsing through the baby magazine, eyes filled with wonder, I hear questions like:

“Why would you keep a baby’s cord blood?”

And

“Did you know that there are lots of different models of breast pumps out there?”

And

“Why is there an ad for birth control in a baby magazine? Isn’t it too late?”

As much as this man makes me smile, he makes my heart melt even more.

He’s such a fabulous Daddy!

Eight Weeks

Baby Ticker

Week Eight

How your baby's growing: Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. She's constantly moving and shifting, although you won't be able to feel these womb wiggles for several weeks yet. Her embryonic tail is disappearing, and her eyelids practically cover her eyes. Still slightly webbed, her fingers and toes are growing longer. Her arms have lengthened, too, and her hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over her heart. Her knee joints have formed, and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. With her trunk straightening out, her head is more erect. Breathing tubes extend from her throat to the branches of her developing lungs. The nerve cells in her brain are also branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. Though you may be daydreaming about your baby as one gender or another, the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl.


How Mom’s life is changing: You haven't gained much weight yet, but parts of you are certainly growing — like your breasts. You'll soon need bigger bras with better support than your old ones. You may notice your waistline expanding as well, forcing you to pack away your favorite jeans. Less obvious is the increase in your blood volume; by the end of your pregnancy, you'll have 40 to 50 percent more blood running through your veins to meet the demands of your baby. Your need for iron increases with your blood volume. Take your prenatal vitamins to make sure you're getting the extra iron you need so that you don't become anemic.

Dawn’s notes:

Don’t forget the nausea gets worse this week.
I finally learned that I could avoid the queasiness by eating small meals frequently.
Now, I am queasy whether I eat or not.

I am frequently exhausted, but exercise seems to help combat feelings of fatigue.
Chris has been taking me swimming, and it feels marvelous!

Still waking up to pee at all hours of the night and every 1-2 hours during the day.
It makes shopping difficult.

I Had A Dream….

I had another dream last night.
I hope these are not prophecies of things to come.
I feel so sorry for this kid already.

I dreamt that we were at home with our baby.
The baby was a boy!
(Another boy! Does this mean anything?)

The baby was hungry, so he decided to latch on.

Great job!
I knew we could breastfeed!

My immediate reaction is “Oh, no! We need our Boppy!”
I put the baby down on the couch and go to his room to start unpacking boxes.
In real life, would I really let this baby be born before his boxes were unpacked?
I don’t think so.

Meanwhile, we are not in our house, but we are in our old apartment.
The baby is in the living room on our old blue Lazy Boy couches while I search through boxes looking for our Boppy.
(I left the baby alone on the couch?!!?)

The baby is screaming.

I finally find the Boppy and we resume feeding.

Until I notice that the baby has milk dribbling down his chin.
My immediate reaction is “Oh, no! We need a bib.”

I put the baby back down on the couch and go look for a bib.
I’m unpacking boxes looking for the blue bib with the turtle on it.

The baby is screaming.

I suddenly hear someone say,
“Hey, lady! Would you just give the kid a boob already?!!?”

Who said that?

Was it Chris?

Was it Baby?

I find the bib, put it on the baby, and give him the boob that he is waiting for.

I’m proud of myself because it’s actually working.

Then I wake up to pee and the dream is over.

**Just for the record, the baby has milky white skin, very light blonde hair, and blue eyes. His hair is just barely there, so it’s impossible to tell if it will be curly like his Dad.

And he likes boobs, just like his Dad.

Vivid Dreams

I had my first vivid pregnancy dream this week.

I dreamed that our baby was born.
The baby was a boy.

I took the baby for a walk one day, and he started to talk to me.
He was only one month old, so I was very proud of him.
I was so excited that I wanted to show Chris right away.

I took the baby to an apartment building.
We walked up a few flights of stairs and entered a newly painted white apartment.
Chris was inside assembling a crib.

I asked Chris what he was doing in this apartment.
Chris told me that this was the baby’s new apartment.
The baby was moving out of our house.
Chris told me that the baby has to move out someday, why not now?

I told Chris about my dream as soon as I woke up and we died laughing.

Chris assured me that our baby can live in our house until he is at least 18 years old.

Prayers for Monica

My friend, Monica, is 30 weeks pregnant and is currently faced with the possibility of premature labor.

She was hospitalized over the weekend with premature contractions and she is currently on bedrest.

There is a 30% chance that she will deliver before 34 weeks, and her OB feels that she will definitely deliver before 38 weeks.

Many prayers for Monica and her family.