Shopping (Update).

So I tried to get Allyson to re-create the outfit that started the whole maternity shopping spree, but she got the impression that I might be making just a little bit of fun. So, in order to not let my fans down, by popular demand, I present: The Outfit!

Pay no attention to the man in the goatee.

Binker Incites a Riot

Today the big girl fight at school was over who got to be Binker's official babysitter. Despite attempts to explain that we will need multiple babysitters, the girls insisted that I choose my main babysitter.
Fortunately, I recognized a classic middle school girl's trap in the making, and declared myself to be Binker's official primary babysitter.

This did not satisfy.

A gift for Sage and Omaha

Just ordered this "Sounds of Baby" CD today. It's a dubious present for our dogs, designed to get them used to some sounds that they probably haven't heard a heckuva lot of so far in their lives.

Features babies making a gamut of sounds, from endearing to aggravating, and I'm sure the dogs will be psyched to get to listen to it when we go off to work.

Shopping.

So Allyson has been phasing in some new maternity clothes over the last week. Unfortunately, the nature of maternity is such that you don't have quite the variety of options that you get with ordinary clothing. So you get very nice things that don't always go with other pieces of outfit.
Last Wednesday, when we went out to Chipotle's, Allyson got to wear an orange mumu that she had recently received. Which was well and good. The problem came in with the New Balance running shoes, brown leather bomber jacket, and blue sunglasses we had as accessory options.
A rather funny outcome.

So today, after 3 hours at the Urgent Care (for me, not my wife, but that's another story), we decided to go maternity shopping! Woo hoo! We headed to the mall and had a grand old time dancing back and forth between Old Navy and The Gap (I know, we're not very seasoned shoppers, so we didn't know where else had maternity stuff). It's amazing how quickly your perspective changes from thinking "Huh, that's an interesting fashion option" to "Omigosh! Here's one that might fit you! Go try it on!"

It's not easy being pregnant, and I'm just the bystander. I think we got some good stuff though.

Midwives and Hospitals and Homebirths (Oh My!)

So Mason and I have been considering our options for delivery. Our current midwife and OB-GYN are no longer doing deliveries, which is an utter heartbreak for me. The last few years have really built our trust in them, and so to not have them at the delivery of this baby is hard to imagine. That said, we are running out of time (believe it or not) to figure out where we will go after June 1st when they kick us out.

Mason says he could go find us a manger and I shouldn't worry.

In the meantime we are trying to interview midwives in the surrounding areas, since no hospital in town will allow us a midwife delivery. Mason is excited that if we have a home birth, we will have to get a pool. Don't have the heart to tell him that a 30 dollar baby pool will do the trick. I suppose he will find out soon enough.

For me, knowing my own hopes and my own fears, I find the whole proposition of going to a hospital with rotating on-call OB-GYN's utterly terrifying. In town, that is how it is done. I can't imagine going into something so overwhelming and scary and not feeling a personal connection and trust with my health care provider. If I learned nothing else in the last year, I've discovered how much I need to trust the people who have my well-being in their hands.

The decision between a homebirth with a midwife and going out of town for a midwife is one we have not answered yet. Mason has a deep concern that I will snap into labor at about 5:30pm on a Friday night and will be forced to deliver his 1st born in the front seat of our car in rush hour. Its a valid concern.

The good news is that my health care providers all feel that I am a great candidate at this stage for a homebirth. Now if we can just get in with somebody. Most of those I have contacted are already booked for October. I guess all of that January snow has resulted in a miniature statewide baby boom scheduled for this fall. Regardless of what we plot, envision, or plan for, this baby will come--hospital, baby pool, or manger. That is the blessing.

13 Down, 27 to go!

Today concludes my 13th week.
I celebrated by graduating into some maternity clothes. They are much more comfortable and made my occasional bouts with nausea less painful.
At this point, even when I do feel nauseous, I realize that I'm miles better than I was just a few short weeks ago.

The kids at school are very sweet and supportive. They like to pat my belly and ask about the baby.

It's a boy!

Not to contradict my brilliant husband, but careful research conducted by a team of 6th and 7th graders have conclusively determined that I am, indeed, pregnant with a little boy. After repeated quantitative studies using the "pull your shirt tight, Miss" methodology, my 8th period class concluded that the form of my belly was indicative of a male human fetus. "It's a boy!" declared Laura R after 30 seconds of careful study. "Look at how it's big from top to bottom and not side to side. If it was big from side to side, then it would be a girl. It is Definitely a boy. I am 100% sure."

The only dissenting voice among the researchers was Marya L, the youngest member of the team. "Miss, I thought you were just getting fat!" was how she described her earliest findings. After I was able to convince the young researcher that my sudden growth was indeed related to gestational growth and not just my love for ice cream, she acquiesced to the judgment of her team. By the end of the 5 minute debrief, consensus was reached.

Although the full study cannot be published until this November's issue of Science magazine, we have included a sample datum for your interpretation (and our absolute silly amusement).

It's a Girl!

So Allyson and I found this amazing site that tells you all these ways you can determine a baby's gender before the fact! These guys say that we have a 50 out of 50 chance of being accurate.

Not having any Drano, we used their ring method, and followed it to a "T":

"Pregnant women tie their wedding ring to a piece of string and dangle it over their stomachs. If the ring swings back and forth, the baby is a boy. A circular motion indicates a girl."

And it's official! The ring went circular!

I'm so excited!

So What's The Deal With "Binker"?

Binker was the name that my parents used for me before I was born. It's derived from a poem by A. A. Milne of the same name. I think it's very fitting:

-BINKER-

Binker--what I call him--is a secret of my own,
And Binker is the reason why I never feel alone.
Playing in the nursery, sitting on the stair,
Whatever I am busy at, Binker will be there.

Oh, Daddy is clever, he's a clever sort of man,
And Mummy is the best since the world began,
And Nanny is Nanny, and I call her Nan-

But they Can't See Binker.

Binker's always talking, 'cos I'm teaching him to speak
He sometimes likes to do it in a funny sort of squeak,
And he sometimes likes to do it in a hoodling sort of roar...
And I have to do it for him 'cos his throat is rather sore.

Oh, Daddy is clever, he's a clever sort of man,
And Mummy knows all that anybody can,
And Nanny is Nanny, and I call her Nan--

But they Don't Know Binker.

Binker's brave as lions when we're running in the park;
Binker's brave as tigers when we're lying in the dark;
Binker's brave as elephants. He never, never cries...
Except (like other people) when the soap gets in his eyes.

Oh, Daddy is Daddy, he's a Daddy sort of man,
And Mummy is as Mummy as anybody can,
And Nanny is Nanny,and I call her Nan...

But they're Not Like Binker.

Binker isn't greedy, but he does like things to eat,
So I have to say to people when they're giving me a sweet,
"Oh, Binker wants a chocolate, so could you give me two?"
And then I eat it for him, 'cos his teeth are rather new.

Well, I'm very fond of Daddy, but he hasn't time to play,
And I'm very fond of Mummy, but she sometimes goes away,
And I'm often cross with Nanny when she wants to brush my hair...

But Binker's always Binker, and is certain to be there.

Binker is Allyson's own imaginary friend for now.

Ultrasound Pic 3/22

This is a picture of the Ultrasound from March 22nd. Binker has little arms, legs, head, and body.
I still think he looks like a little gummy bear, though.

The First Post

This blog is intended to be an ongoing account of Allyson's and my experiences as we near the birth of our 3rd Stone (or 5th, if you include the dogs). Neither Allyson nor I have any prior experience with maintaining a blog, so we'll see how this pans out, but I think that it could be a good way to keep people up-to-date on our lives as much as possible.