Out on the Town with Louisiana Guerrilla

Saturday night, Derby Day in fact, Brad and I had our first adult night out on the town in the lovely city of Cincinnati. We even hired a babysitter for the first time (Megan, and she is actually one of Ben's daycare teachers so a little less stressful for me). I can't say that it was a romantic evening. In fact, we went to see a couple of Brad's friends, and former DeadLuck band mates, perform at Stanley's Pub. Nathan Self is the front man (vocals, guitar) for Louisiana Guerrilla, his brain child, and Josh Anders is laying down the rhythm (drums) for live performances on their tour. (That's Nathan in the above pic...sorry Josh the giant pillar prevented me from capturing your mug). Check them out if you get a chance, here is the Louisiana Guerrilla's MySpace page. We had a great time, although I bailed in time to relieve the babysitter around midnight [don't worry Brad got a few more hours of guy time to chat it up with Nathan and Josh and listen to Athens which were very interesting & a another band (sorry I was gone when they came on) that played the electric ukulele]. Overall, fun indeed. Wouldn't mind checking out the eclectic music mix at Stanley's again. Rock on!

1 month old...

Henry has been spending way too much time on his bed....
if we have a warm front I have vowed to take him for a walk
around the lake w/ baby and stroller. In the mean time,
he has to be content w his nightly laser light chasing
in the yard. Poor pup...

This is what a 1 month old baby looks like!!!! Awww!
Can you believe he is already so old? He is getting
more alert everyday.....making new faces.....holding
his head up higher and for longer periods of time....
eating like crazy!!!!!

Smiling in his sleep...I love that....

Pursing his big pouty lips...this is the beginning of his
modeling career...at least for the momma-razzi.....

38 weeks

Ok peeps. No changes here. I still haven't heard back from the OB's office. I guess the docs aren't too concerned. The baby has been moving like crazy today and my belly has been a lumpy, lop-sided ball of fury! Sleep has been eluding me more and more.....I can't fall asleep until the wee hours and then I am up every hour like clock work to pee. I am slowly realizing that I have a strong desire for the baby to be on the outside! I am still waddling through the halls and stairwells of the hospital for work but my student has all but taken over day-to-day operations for patient treatment. I am slowing down.

The Impending Boy is supposed to have really plumped up. As we found out yesterday per the u/s, he currently weighs 7 lbs. His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. So bring on the ending......begin the waiting game!

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. --Joseph Campbell

History in the making....week 34

Note the exhausted, unkempt look I have. LOL.
And yes I plan to live in this sweater coat for the remainder of my pregnancy.
It hides a multitude of sins......

This has been a history changing week. Even those who loath the policies of the president elect can't deny the significance of his election. I am hopeful about the world my child will be born into, despite the raging wars and crap economy. Plus baby boy got to vote in-utero. Enough about that, God knows everyone deserves some respite from politics.....

Our baby boy now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. You'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine.

Meanwhile back at the uterus, by this week, fatigue has set in again but not with the same coma-like intensity of my first trimester. Given the physical duress my body is under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning while trying to get comfortable I guess it is to be expected. Supposedly now is the time to slow down and save up my energy for labor day (and beyond) but full-time employment sort of puts a damper on that theory. Fortunately, I do have a student right now (for whom I will be doing a mid-term review tomorrow) who is my loyal grunt (I mean that fondly....doubly so if you're reading this Whitney) so don't pity me too much because I have been taking it very easy . I did find it humorous to read that if I've been sitting or lying down for a long time I'm not supposed to jump up too quickly because blood can pool in my feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in blood pressure that can make me feel dizzy....I assure you that I am unlikely to do any jumping in the next 6 weeks unless the chair I'm in catches on fire. I am still cruising the halls and stairwells of the hospital and taking the 1/2 mile walk to the parking lot but poor Henry hasn't enjoyed one of our double laps around the 1 mile lake trail in more than a week. My speed walker pace has slowed and I find it difficult to get up and down from our way-too-soft couch.

Lastly, I have lists for my lists by now. I am planning for everything imaginable all at once. I have a list of pre-baby things, a list of pre-Thanksgiving things, and a Christmas shopping list. I dream of sleeping in but when it comes right down to it I know that my general discomfort would prevent any such aspirations. So for now, seeing the impending boy in just 6 short weeks is my big motivator. I plan to take full advantage of Brad's unimpaired mobility and get all those lists checked off. You'll all be happy to know that the impending boy has an immediate place to sleep when he gets home as I borrowed a bassinet from my friend Jenn W (who has a 1 month old baby boy herself...Patrick). Here is a pic of Patrick..... (baby Republican and lamentor of the election results)....

Here are a couple of pics of the bassinet Patrick's mom, Jenn W let me borrow....

In other news, my niece Lilly turned 5.....

Brad and I carved some awesome pumpkins...of course he had to out do me.....

And we attended a Halloween party.....which, btw, that is water on my shirt from bobbing for apples NOT booze.


So that's a week in the life of a very pregnant chick. This weekend we plan to check a few things off the pre- lists and receive a visit from our friends Mike and Jennifer who can hopefully be roped into some baby and/or Christmas shopping and curtain hanging. :) Next Wednesday afternoon is my OB appt which includes a pelvic exam (woohoo...not). In the meantime, the impending boy is kicking me furiously and I am too tired to stay awake so more blogging and sock matching will have to wait for another time. Good night all!

8 months/32 weeks!

Henry checking out the nursery...I bet he keeps wondering
why he's not allowed to hang out in this room.

Brad's handy work! :) He and his dad (future 'Poppy' to the impending boy) finished the chair rail a couple of weekends ago. And Brad put up the blinds this past Sunday.

Wow! My pregnancy is flying by! I can't believe our baby boy is practically here! To celebrate hitting the 8 months pg mark today, I decided to have Braxton Hicks contractions off and on last night! Woo-hoo! No worries though. I called the OB office this morning and they told me to drink 2-3 glasses of water and lie down on my left side for 2 hours and call them back w/ an update. I haven't had any since 8 am and so I am out of bed but still at home. Now I am supposed to drink a glass of water every hour and call the OB's office if the BH contractions come back 4 or more in an hour. So I think this was a little reality check for Brad and I about how little time we have left before baby gets here....and how much there is to do! LOL! At least I accomplished 1 thing today....we picked a pediatrician's group! We are waiting to hear back from them but they did say they are taking new patients so I think we're 'in'.

At 32 weeks, the impending boy is continuing to fatten up and grow 'real' hair and nails. He is also supposed to be taking up lots of room in the 'ol uterus so amniotic fluid volume is decreasing. Meanwhile back at the uterus, I am supposed to be having heartburn and shortness of breath because my uterus is pushing up against my diaphragm as well as sleeplessness related to back pain. I've had some of all that but last night's events took the cake. I had had some one off BH contractions a few times at work but never more than one in one day and especially not 5 or 6 in a night. Fortunately they weren't painful just weird to have my belly turn rock hard every so often. So the excitement is building.....

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.

Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.

--Gloria Steinem

29, 30, and 31 weeks......

This is the promised catch-up post! We went to Findlay Market in Cincinnati this morning! We toured all the booths, sampling as we went and had a yummy brunch involving a divine Belgian waffle and a savory filled crepe! We bought homegrown tomatoes and asparagus, Parmesan cheese from Argentina, and chicken chorizo! Plus it was 2 1/2 hours of free entertainment. Here are some pics from this morning w/ a good friend from work and her family that accompanied us to the market. It was a perfect fall day...cool and sunny. Heavenly!

This is Brad making silly faces while we sat outside at the market enjoying the weather, people watching, and listening to a little live bluegrass music.
Here is Alana (my friend Jen Gale's dtr) and I in a self-portrait thanks to my freakishly long arms! LOL! :) Isn't she a doll!

This is Zach (Jen G's son) enjoying his photo op.

Overall, the market didn't disappoint! I would love to hit it on a Saturday when there are more booths open! I have big plans to return for some homemade adouille sausage for our Cathey family Thanksgiving weekend when there is talk of jambalaya after we tire of leftover turkey. I'll be sure to share the recipe if I am permitted by my BIL, Dale, who originally shared it w/ me!

On to the pregnancy update!! I have been a major slacker and busy lady so here is a recap of weeks 29, 30, and 31 weeks! In week 29, the impending boy was around 15 inches long and his melon was growing to accommodate is continually developing brain. He was sucking up nutrients, namely calcium to help harden his skeleton and kicking me like crazy. In week 30, baby boy was around 16 inches long. His eye sight was continuing to develop although it will still be very limited for sometime after his birth. Because baby boy has been increasingly active, I have had more and more trouble sleeping (although I can't blame his kung-fu for all my sleeplessness as I have been enjoying achy hips and knees and tingly arms and hands in the wee hours as well). During week 30, I was also supposed to expect increased clumsiness (but honestly who could tell considering my baseline clumsiness!!) and mood swings (Brad was quick to nod in agreement when I mentioned this one to him....that was really not in his best interest! LOL.). Also, Brad and I took our baby care basics class on Oct 2nd and got some practical advice and hands on practice w/ diapering, swaddling, and soothing. I'll report back in a few months on the effectiveness of that class!

Finally, here in week 31, the impending boy is supposed to be heading into a growth spurt! He is supposed to be plumping up and moving like crazy. I can definitely attest to the increase in movement! Previously, I could feel him randomly during the day and at night while I was resting, however now I feel him constantly! He is extremely active and even showed off for the doc at my OB appt this week! I have now seen all 7 of the OB's in our group and can honestly say that I am only impressed by 3 of them. This weeks doc, Dr. R, was amongst the favorites. She could palpate baby boys head-down position and was pleased to feel his strong kicks on the north end of my abdomen during the Doppler. I showed her my cankles, to which she jokingly told me the only solution for that was delivery but advised me to watch my sodium intake (hmm.. soup nearly daily at lunch is probably not a good thing, huh?) and gave me a prescription for an attractive pair of compression stockings since I am on my feet the better part of work days. My BP was nice and low so no worries there.

We are continuing the pre-baby home improvement/nesting (apparently that never ends). We bought blinds for the nursery last night and, after Brad finishes adding top soil to the flower beds, we should be installing them today! Next weekend, my family and a few friends from Louisville are scheduled to descend upon our home for our annual pumpkin carving party and my older bro , Chad, and SIL are supposed to be bringing us our crib! It is a hand-me-down from my youngest niece, Lilly, and we still need to find a matching dresser or changing table in order to fully organize the impending boys room! It is maple and since I have been looking for furniture in that tone/finish, I have come to realize it is pretty unique! Ugh! Babies R' Us only has 1 dresser in that finish! I am going to try out 2 children's consignment stores in search of a match but may end up w/ a white one instead. I have decided on simple white, lined curtains to add light-control beyond the blinds as well as insulation since baby boy will arrive at the start of winter!

So everyone is now up to speed and I vow to be more punctual w/ my updates in the future! I have hit the point in my pregnancy where I see the OB every 2 weeks instead of every month! I am a little shocked by the speed at which my pregnancy is flying by and can't believe the impending boy will be here so soon! In the meantime, here is a pic of me from today...and yes the belly is full and round!

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Third Trimester: 7 months/28 weeks

I am officially in my third trimester! Wow! Unbelievable! The Impending Boy is kicking and moving like crazy!
By this week, our baby boy is supposed to weigh around two and a quarter pounds and measure 14-15 inches from the top of his head to his heels.....I fear he may exceed those text book expectations. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. He should be able to see the light that filters in through my belly. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.


Meanwhile back at the uterus, I'm in the home stretch!
I had my glucose tolerance test and complete blood count labs done last week and since the OB said "No news is good news" and I haven't heard back from them I assume I am in the clear on those things (woo hoo for no anemia or gestational diabetes!). Since my blood type is O+, I don't have to worry about getting the injections of Rh immunoglobulin. And I have just about kicked my lingering cough and cold! Life is good! :) We are continuing to work on the nursery and have half the chair rail up awaiting wood putty and touch up paint....more on that later. Brad and I are 99% sure we will be enrolling the Impending Boy in the childcare center that has recently been completed IN our neighborhood---how convenient is that!!??!!?? (I will be returning to work 3 days/week after a 10 week maternity leave). I visited the center, "Abby's", during it's open house on Wednesday night and then met Brad there this afternoon to tour it again. I may tour some other centers next week. After that I will start the search for a pediatrician! The 'Boy' is needy already! LOL! :)

Well, I have a feeling the next few months will fly by! I initiated Christmas shopping this evening and plan to have it all completed by mid-November. We have weekend plans throughout October and November so we will have to complete home improvement projects and baby prep on week day evenings. You can't imagine the mental and literal "to do" lists I have! I plan to spend December, before baby's arrival, relaxing a bit if I can help it!

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
~ Melody Beattie ~

Alive..alive...yes we are alive....

I am now 27 weeks. Sorry for missing the updates for 25 and 26 weeks. They were busy weeks trust me. Here is a pic from today of Henry getting ready for a walk. I figured since I have been holed up for a day and a half in bed w/ an ear infection/sinus infection that some fresh air would do me some good. Henry agreed! :)

Here is a pic of the lake in our neighborhood. We did 2 laps around the lake (2 miles) and I felt great after the first but half way through the second I wished I had stopped at one. LOL! What a wuss!

This is a pic from last weekend at an 80's themed birthday party for a co-worker. I do realize I am posting blackmail material here. Enjoy! I know you're giggling. If you look closely you will see the 'crimped' hair w/ top pulled into side ponytail...accentuated by the off-the-shoulders teal sweatshirt w/ contrasting hot pink tank under it...accompanied by leggings and bangles (the arm not pictured actually had about 10 rubber ones on it). I was the designated driver and was exhausted by the end of the night and feeling the beginnings of the approaching ear ache when I hit the hay.

The next 2 pics are my feeble attempts at self-portraits before my OB appt today.

This last one was done by the professional...aka Papa Bear....Much better quality, don't cha think? (p.s. the square belly is because of the belly band on my maternity jeans! LOL!)

Update on the Impending Boy: He is supposed to be about the size of a head of cauliflower, weighing in at over 2 lbs and more than 14.5 inches long! He is waking and sleeping, sucking fingers and toes, opening and closing his eyes and continuing to 'practice' breathing by moving amniotic fluid in and out of his lungs. As of this week, the Impending Boy could live outside the womb (w/ lots of medical intervention) if need be! Big step! I have also felt what I think must be baby hiccups as of this week. Cute but annoying! LOL!

Meanwhile back at the uterus, I have been having lots of leg cramps at night (but hey I'm already up peeing so I might as well jump around clutching my calves right?). And Brad has developed sympathetic ones for me, too. Poor guy! I swear we are both drinking plenty of fluids and I eat at least 1 banana a week and plenty of dairy (potassium and calcium deficits can cause muscle cramping). My ribs pain is less frequent in the last few days so maybe baby thinks he has enough room for now and can stop stretching my innards for a little while. :) I think that if I wasn't sick then I'd be enjoying my last week of the second trimester a little more.

Last Saturday, Brad and I attended our one day Lamaze class (9-530...long day...followed by that 80's party...yawn). It was a lot of info in one day but I think it was very helpful (and Brad thought so too) and we LOVED our instructor. Our instructor's name was Petu and she is from Finland..she was a hoot! To see a 60-something year old Finnish lady roll around on the floor and talk about pregnancy, and anatomy, and sex and labor was very entertaining. Best case scenario for an 8 hr class on those subjects. I think we got a lot of practical info for the labor and delivery. Brad is trying to convince me to 'just take the drugs' for labor and delivery. I still want to try w/o them and if I absolutely can't handle it then I will agree to use them. Mostly I really don't want to be induced and hope that the baby can make an appearance w/o help before the end of the year (how cynical are we for pushing him out for a tax deduction??).

During our Lamaze class, we also took a tour of the Labor and Delivery unit at the hospital where the impending boy will enter the world. They have a hydrotherapy room w/ a giant tub and a rocking chair which I plan to take advantage of....additionally they have feng shui (sp?) birthing rooms which I plan to point and laugh at until at some point in my labor crystals, water features, and fire all seem like feasible means of redirecting the 'energy' of child birth. LOL! We were paired w/ a couple who is also from our side of the river (that would be the Ohio River...and by that I mean the Kentucky side of it). They are due 1 month exactly before us, use our same OB group, and got pg w/ IVF w/ the same infertility doc! Pretty neat, huh? In fact, I ran into them today at the OB bc they had an appt w/ the same doc at the same time! And we are taking our baby care basics class w/ them on Oct 2nd! While we missed the opportunity to exchange info w/ them at the last class, I traded numbers w/ her (Amy) today. So at least I will be able to share first time mom jitters w/ someone in this area and may pick her brain for child care options in this town when I next see her. We are back to square one on that subject......

Ok. That was a lot of 'updating'. Can't promise a time frame for the next one.... In the mean time, I am feeling grateful for my loving husband, my impending boy, my family and home, and all the blessings of life in the U.S. Even when we've got it bad (economy in the crapper, natural disasters, war, bad foreign relations..etc)...we've got it good.

Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands,
because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have
we will not be happy -- because we will always
want to have something else or something more.

-----Brother David Steindl-Rast

17 weeks

Baby Cathey is continuing to grow (as is his/her mom's belly!). The picture on the right was snapped just this morning before a trip to Lowe's to get more retaining wall bricks. We have a very exciting stay at home weekend planned and I love it!

About Baby, it is supposed to be the size of your hand spread out wide this week! I'm picturing the little Hamburger Helper glove man. Scary, I know! By now the major elements of Baby's lung are formed except those involved with oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange (rather important) so breathing air is not yet possible. Merconium (early baby poo material) is beginning to form in baby's bowel. Great...this one's brewing for 5 months...it should be lovely!

On a more pleasant note, I think I felt the baby move in the middle of the night a few days ago. I am often up off and on during the wee (or should I say wee wee...ok I know that was bad) hours and when I got back in bed I felt a weird fluttery sensation...I thought I was imagining it but then it happened again! I have been trying to lie still when I am fully awake to try and feel it again but I haven't had any luck. All my baby books say early on that I may not be able to feel it everyday. I'm sure there is plenty of time for that! :)

More regularly, I am feeling the sharp round ligament pains when I roll over in bed (normal) and general discomfort when trying to sleep. I am still waiting for the fantastic uplift of the second trimester!!!! I have instead been having continued fatigue and new onset horrible sinus headaches (I have seasonal allergies anyway but lack of medication is proving a little tough). Geesh...what a whiner, huh? I know, I know! My skin on the other hand is great and Henry (and I) are getting more walks in around the lake. Also, since the discovery of the 'Tummy Sleeve' from Motherhood Maternity last week I have loads of wardrobe options! (This little sleeve allows you to wear some of your pre-pregnancy clothes by covering unbuttoned pants and bridging the gap between your regular shirts and pants! Brilliant!).

My only goals this weekend are to rest and do some household chores. This coming Thursday is my next OB appt, although nothing spectacular is expected. Next Saturday on the other hand, we have an appt scheduled to visit 'Becoming Mom' (a pregnancy spa and imaging center) to have our sex determination u/s!! (We won't have an u/s with our OB until August @ 22 weeks). So the next couple weeks will be exciting!! :)

A grand adventure is about to begin.
-- Winnie the Pooh

Belly Montage--weeks 4 to 15

I thought I'd post a little belly montage since I have been slacking in the belly pic dept. Some of these are never before published, behind the scenes exclusives...LOL. And yes I know that technically I won't be 15 weeks for two more days but chances are I won't take another pic until at least 16 weeks. :)