A bump in the night

So it finally happened! I finally felt little baby Harrison kick...or nudge...or whatever you want to call it. He moved and he's finally big enough or active enough for me to know about it.

It happened all last week (which was 23 weeks or 5 1/2 months on the preggers timeline) but I'm logical and cautious so I waited to make sure I was really feeling the baby and not just blogging about gas to all my friends! When it first happened I was laying on the couch relaxing and all of a sudden felt a weird double pop sensation or poking feeling below my belly button on the right hand side of my big ol' tum tum. It was so strange and foreign that at first I really couldn't believe that that would be what 'the baby moving' felt like. Everyone kept saying that 'it feels like butterflies' so of course I was sitting around waiting for some fluttering feeling. I didn't expect to be prodded from the inside. So, all the rest of the week I'd get home from work and lay down to relax...and would wait. The first few days it would sporadically happen once or so during the night so I felt like I wasn't still totally sure of what was going on (always the skeptic eh Steph). Well then the next few nights I was really determined to figure it out; so I'd sit on the couch with my hands where I kept feeling movement and would yell over to Mark to come feel whenever something 'swishy' or 'prodding' would happen. Harrison at first was pretty elusive and hard to catch but as the week rolled by he seemed to become more and more active. Last night I was even able to grab Mark at the right moment and he felt the baby move too. It's pretty cool and surreal at the same time. To think at this point the baby is somewhere between 1-3 pounds and just rolling around in his little watery home (that within itself is foreign and weird).

So now, it's like Harrison knows that we know and has stopped playing his elusive game of poke and hide...he's active now even during the day at random times. I've had some strange moments in meetings at work where he's just randomly awake or is sleep-jabbing me.

Like I said, it's definitely pretty cool but still so strange. At first, I really had no idea what was going on and now that I'm familiar with how it feels, it's like I have this heightened awareness and feel it so much more. It will be interesting to see his little personality continue to develop and hopefully all the kicking and prodding isn't ever so out of hand that I'm a walking freak show at work...but oh well, we'll soon enough find out!

Gravity

So I'm not a doctor and I'm not going to look any of this up...I'm just thinking out loud. Gravity...this seems to be the current villain of my pregnancy epic (I'm assuming back pain will be next...or swollen appendages). You can laugh, but I promised my friends that I would take them down this journey whether strange or embarrasing and so here we are. I never thought a human would have to pee this often. Seriously. But the gravity part, where does that come in? Well, I seem to be fine when I'm sitting down. It's the instant I stand up that I realize I have to pee again. My only logical assumption without experienced knowlege is that I stand, the weight of the baby, uterus, amniotic fluid, gross fat, and whatever else I'm missing...shifts and just sits on my bladder. And then I'm off again to the loo. Lucky for me, my office at work is right around the corner from the restroom. Honestly though, I'm only assuming that this gets worse as more weight is put on and my poor little bladder, with no defenses of its own, gets smooshed more and more every day! It probably eventually looks like a pancake inside there. So yes, it's just one more 'little thing' I'm learning about pregnancy. It's funny though, you read about ALL this kind of stuff when you get pregnant but you just aren't thinking about it happening to you until it does. Maybe you try to convince yourself that you'll be that one woman that this symptom does not occur to...now those chicks, no one has to like them (and if you were one, keep it to yourself!). 5 1/2 months as of today and counting!

The 1,000 faces of Ezekiel

In a constant search to better understand parenting and the coming of a new baby, millions of people flock to the book stores in an effort to find that tome that will impart upon them the wisdom of the ages. Steph and I have done it like millions before us.

What is less realized by those about to have a baby is the overwhelming volumes of advice heaped upon the expecting by friends and family. I'm mockingly pointing a finger at every person who currently has a child. =)

One thing I've come to realize is that everyone becomes a prophet... hence the biblical reference in the title. Everyone speaks their "truths" about babydom and those truths constantly contradict each other from one person to the next.

For one person, their baby slept throughout the night because of the formula they used... another person says the diaper genie is pointless, while another swears by it... while still others discuss the best way to breastfeed (awkward to say the least).

A famous author by the name of Joseph Campbell wrote an equally famous book called "The Hero with a Thousand Faces". I've adapted the title to the multitudes who have spoken their truths to Steph and I. Essentially Campbell discusses how the hero myth, regardless of story, uses the same cycle or formula. You can see this cycle repeated from the ancient Greek myths of Perseus to the more modern Harry Potter novels. Hence, there is one hero and he has thousands of different faces.

I am here today to say that the same is true for parents.

What I have learned from all of this advice is simple... each person has a particular way of raising their child. What worked for them might not work for others. Try everything more than once. Don't save the cord blood. Each child is different. Eat when you can. Sleep when they sleep. Don't screw them up too much. And so on...

For all of those giving advice, please don't stop! In spite of this post's mocking tone, we love to hear what everyone has to say. Even those who "speak... therefore it is so!" Steve, I'm looking at you brother!

What it ultimately means is that you care enough to say anything in the first place. Harrison's not even here yet and because of every one's advice, Steph and I can't wait to meet him and screw him up in our own way. Keep the advice coming!

The Adventures of a Light Sleeper

When I was young I had a bed wetting problem. This is something I certainly hope my son doesn't inherit. My problem was that I would sleep too deeply and my body wouldn't wake me up in time. For years this was an issue until my parents found the solution. A little buzzer would sound like a freight train next to my ear if a sensor on my undies got wet. I learned pretty quickly to sleep much lighter and this has become the newest issue.

Its great for security around the house and it will come in handy when Harrison starts crying in the middle of the night. However, the smallest noise can wake me up, so we have fans going at night to help fight off the inconsequentials that happen throughout the morning hours. This does not include my wife's newly discovered snoring.

Now, to be fair, its not that bad. She's not sawing logs like a lumberjack. Instead she lightly snores, just enough to keep me up ALL NIGHT! At first I fought the urge to run screaming into the night. I would tap her arm or jiggle the bed and that would turn her over. Not the case anymore as its become a constant thing. Plus anyone who knows Steph around sleepy time can confirm that she's a bit crabby when woken up. Sorry Steph, but it had to be said! (I'm in trouble now.)

My boyscout training kicked in one night when I couldn't stand it anymore. I ran downstairs, grabbed my gear, and set up camp in the computer room. I'm sure most of you are picturing a tent with a full blown campfire. Actually, its just my sleeping bag and a tiny air mattress I use when hiking.

I felt bad. I felt like I had abandoned my wife to a lonely bed and I think she may have felt the same way. Then Kirsten saved my life. Thank you by the way! She mentioned how the same had happened with her and the results were the same. Since then Steph has been a little more "okay" with the floor sleeping.

The moral of this whole tale is thus... the snoring is a little off-putting, but the alternative is a 33 year old bed wetter. I think we've chosen well.

5 months

5 months pregnant already!
The time is going by really fast--it's very weird to think I'll officially be a "Mom" only a few months from now.

I'm feeling great right now--I actually have energy and don't have any major food aversions. I'm not really craving anything yet either but I've often heard that happens later. I'm definitely learning a lot of funny stuff about my pregnant self. I'm out of breath a lot now. I can still paint my toenails (with effort). My feet are already a bit snug in all my size 7 shoes. "Maternal fat stores" suck! I'm still waiting for my hair to start growing like crazy as everyone says it will (I really want to be able to have a ponytail again...a lot more low maintenance with a kid in tow). Sleeping on your right side is a lot harder said than done. Sleeping with a bra is becoming increasingly necessary (ouch!). And the snoring continues, LOL, sorry Mark!

It's a boy!

We went in this week for our 20 week (5 months) sonogram hoping to confirm that indeed our baby was a boy (since we got the 80% the last time)....and it's 100% confirmed! Dr. New was great; he walked us through every little bit. He pointed out the chambers of the heart, the femur bone in the leg, the bladder, the stomach, the spine...every little part. Everything is working as it should and the baby is growing just right. The funniest part of the whole experience was trying to get that one clear shot between the legs. Our baby is very content to sit and relax in whatever is his present position (stubborn like his parents) but we were finally able to wiggle him out of his modesty. The Dr. showed us his little rump, his two legs, the umbilical cord and finally the confirming body part (which the Dr. so aptly named his turtle). So, we have confirmed and as you can see by the video--he already has a name. Harrison Rhys Massey. We can't wait to watch him grow and develop even more. It's pretty crazy to realize that we are over halfway through this initial journey already. It really does go very fast and I can only expect that it will all feel like a blur just a few months from now. So we will continue to capture these moments along the way to share with you all--we're so blessed to have such amazing family and friends to share this with. We love you all! Enjoy the show!

(Special thanks to my awesome husband for the sweet U2 tunes and subtitles provided in the video!)