A Good Laugh

Pregnancy comes with many different faces: it can be overwhelming, exciting, nerve-wracking, and at times, pretty hilarious.

For one, I am finding that I'm the least pregnant-acting person around, and you might be shocked at the usual culprit: men! I can't tell you how many of them I've noticed with pregnancy symptoms. I actually spotted a businessman waddling down the street the other day, the way an 8-month-pregnant woman would! A good friend of mine gave me a giggle on Halloween - his costume forced him to sit and stand like a pregnant woman, holding his back all night. :) The father, in particular, seems to have a severe case of couvade syndrome. He's got it all - cravings, backaches, forgetfulness, mood swings, exhaustion. The plus side? It also means that he's beaming and talking to the baby every chance he gets.

Also, pregger brain is for real. I am severely loopy right now! I've been forgetful, dropping things, and swearing that I called someone back when my phone log clearly proves that I did not. I left my apartment for work one morning with my coat and wet bath towel on my arm. I've dropped all of my prenatal pill bottles in the last week. You can just imagine how dangerous I am when I'm singing onstage with a banjo neck sticking out to my side. ;) I can't seem to speak straight, either. When asked by a friend if I knew the gender yet, I perked up and said, "Yes! We're having a baby!"

One of my favorite places to go for a good laugh: online pregnancy forums. The majority of posts, no matter where they start out, end up spreading cravings like wildfire. It only takes the slightest mention of food, and we're off! "My mother-in-law is being a real pain in the rear." >> "Ooh, tough cookies." >> "Mmmm, ginger cookies" >> "...with marshmallows" >> "...and mint chocolate chip ice cream" >> "...and macaroni and cheese..." >> and all of a sudden there's a spike in mac & cheese and ginger cookie sales across the nation. I should really be using this insider information for stock investments. One of the moms in Australia has heard the Americans talk about Pumpkin Spice Latte's so much that she started craving them, even though they don't sell them over there! She's having to make her own pumpkin coffee concoction. Basically, it's a forum of enablers. Well-meaning, hungry enablers.

I'm not sure what to do with this material. I can only keep my fingers crossed in hopes that Steve Martin will stumble upon this and be inspired for his next schtick. Or maybe I should try my hand at stand-up? I do have a banjo, after all.

It's a "she!"

We're having a little girl!! I couldn't be more excited. It was such a strange ultrasound! Very Halloween-appropriate. The images were all skeleton & bones, at weird angles. Thank goodness the ultrasound tech was there to narrate, I couldn't tell what we were looking at half the time!

Now comes the task of narrowing down names. And if you've ever been with me to a movie store, you know that my process is pretty involved. I grab every movie that looks good to me (so that I don't forget!), carry them around the store while I browse and add to my stack as I go. I only ever end up with one, and am very satisfied with my choice. :)

My name list so far? Over 30. And I added three today. Yeah.

Aurora
Sofia
Olive
Margot
Rosalyn
Carina
Colette
Jolie
Madeleine
Lili
Lucie
Alice
Clementine
Gentry
Luca
Sage
Siena
Sanna
Vivienne
Juliette
Lena
Vianne
Indigo
Odette
Solena
Tate
Allegra
Leta (pronounced Leeta)
Netta
Lotta
Tea (pronounced Taya, like Tea Leoni)
Scarlett
Anabella

The most annoying part of this whole naming thing? I've had two favorite names picked out for years, but evidently everyone else had the same idea. Sofia and Olive, why must you be so popular? I may end up naming her one of those anyway (I just love them!) but I really don't want her to be "just another Sofia."

Also, I kind of like Arabella, but just imagine if she can't say her r's or l's! "Awabewa" - that could be pretty adorable, actually. :)

Adababy Itsa...

I can't wait to make that phone call. :) I'm almost 19 weeks along, le bebe is now about the size of a sweet potato, its current resting place is supposedly the size of a cantaloupe (though somehow still fairly hidden in my long torso), and I go in for a gender sonogram on Monday! It'll be so nice to have a pronoun to use safely.

Evidently, being able to find out the baby's gender is a fairly new luxury. Using ultrasound technology didn't become commonplace until the 1980's, so before then you relied on old wives' tales, and even then it was a coin toss. For my parents, who were cautious of using the expensive newer technology, my heartbeat was quite misleading. ;) And actually, even the ultrasound can be misleading!

For me, signs point toward a little chiquita, but I will be curious to see if these rumors actually apply:

heartbeat

A little girl is said to have a heartbeat quicker than 140 bpm. Mine's been coming up at 157 bpm.

mood swings

A girl, with all of those extra female hormones, is said to make you extra moody during your nine months. Mmmmm…I may be guilty.

cravings

A baby boy makes you crave salty and sour, while a girl brings out the sweet tooth. I'm having such a hard time passing up dessert displays. It's also said that dairy cravings indicate girl, and spicy and protein-rich foods indicate boy - I'm wanting more of both of those!

boobs

If you notice significant growth in this area, start buying the pink! They're up at least a cup size over here. (It is not helping my posture!)

face shape

If your face rounds out while you're preggers, it's said to be a little girl. You know, it's tough to tell on this one. I've been feeling a bit chipmunk-y lately, but it also might be something only I notice.

complexion

Supposedly, when you are expecting a girl, she will steal your beauty from you. I'm not going to lie, some evenings when I get home from work I swear up and down that she's in there. Though I've also had a few people comment that I'm glowing every now and then.

hubby weight

If your partner gains some sympathy weight, it may be a girl. (...)

morning sickness

Signs point to pink if you've been suffering from morning sickness. I have not been that sick, actually. I did suffer from nausea a few times during the first trimester, but nothing too overwhelming.

baking soda + urine

This gender test is based on pH levels. Any fizz when you mix points to blue. I tried this at about three and a half months, and no fizz! (There's also a similar test that involves Drano which I have not tried. Maybe this weekend.)

bump locale

If your baby bump is higher up, it's a girl. Lower is a boy. I don't have any visual clues yet on this one, but when I try to feel where the baby might be, it seems pretty low.

bump shape

A little boy will make for a pointier belly, all out in front. A girl will be more rounded, and you may get wider. Again, it's tough to tell right now.

wedding ring

This is another one that I'm unable to do at the moment, but seems like fun. Tie your wedding band to a string and have someone hold it over your belly. If it sways back and forth, you are having a boy, and if it circles it'll be a girl.

ancient mayan prediction

The Mayans looked at the age of the mother at conception and the year of it. If both are odd or even, it's a girl. If one is even and one is odd, it's a boy. I conceived in 2012 at the ripe old age of 26.

Geez, after looking through these, it looks like having a little lady in the belly makes for a rough nine months! But whatever he or she turns out to be, it will all have been worth it. :)

...any bets?

[ baby boy shoes can be found at Tea Collection (and are listed as both boy and girl shoes); baby girl shoes can be found at this très chic french online shop, Little Fashion Gallery. ]

Song List

As a singer and a mother-to-be, of course I've been singing to my baby. :) The funny thing is, I've realized that some of the songs on my swing band set list aren't exactly perfect for the chitlin. "Do Right" comes to mind, although it's got to be pretty amusing to see a pregger lady singing that. ;)

So I'm constructing my song list for the baby. I love these song suggestions that were put together for Adele, I'll be stealing a few of these. :) Here's my list so far:

Dream A Little Dream
Sweet Pea
Baby Mine
Goodnight Sweetheart (can't help but think of Three Men and a Baby)
Beyond the Sea
Honey Bee (Zee Avi)
Edelweiss
Fly Me to The Moon
Annie & Irving (Robin Aigner)
Around the Corner
Zou bisou bisou
You and I (Ingrid Michaelson)

You Are My Sunshine

Of course, I'm also subjecting it to classical music when I can. It's a work in progress. I'm open to suggestions! Did you have a favorite song as a child?

The Birthing Biz

One of the big questions you face when you're pregnant is planning the big finale. Are you going to the hospital and demanding any and all pain meds they will pump into you, regardless of what the consequences of that could mean? Are you going to suck it up and bear the pain at home with just a midwife, partner and a tub of water, complications be damned? Whatever you decide, we all know that the universe thinks plans are hilarious - who knows, you may end up on an elevator with your coworkers, with someone from accounting holding your baby up to you. However it happens, the outcome will be beautiful. (You'll be giving life, for heaven's sake! And meeting your little one for the first time.) But what about the process?

Me, I'm in the middle of the extremes I mentioned before. I want to experience the entire thing, I don't want to be drugged out and experiencing unnecessary complications or pain from any meds they're giving me (possibly without asking). I want to be present, I want to own it. However, I also begrudgingly acknowledge that some of the medical advances could be helpful during the birthing process, and immediately after - especially if there truly are natural complications.

The solution that I'm happy with? A birthing center. It's a beautiful thing! It feels MUCH more like a home, but has some of the medical equipment of a hospital, has the capabilities of easily transferring you to a hospital, and is run by midwives and other hippies of the sort. In other words, they'll do anything they can to avoid inducing or a having C-section, they'll actually listen to you when you say your preferences, and they'll be as natural as possible but still keep the health and welfare of you and your baby first - they are capable of saving your life on the spot. Sign me up!

I must say, I was actually very happy with my OBGYN and it's hard to leave her for this, but stories I've heard about possible problems at a hospital didn't always have anything to do with the doctor. In fact, the doctor that I know and trust might not even be there at all! I am just so much more comfortable in a birthing center. My first appointment with them is in two weeks.

P.S. Some of you may recognize the title of this post - a play on "The Business of Being Born," which is an excellent documentary, and the reason why I ever thought of trying something besides a hospital in the first place. I highly recommend it to anyone who will be having a baby in the future, to educate yourself on possibilities and other options. Not everybody has bad experiences in the hospital, but some of the points made in the documentary seem to be true.

Secret's Out!

Alright, secret's out! I'm expecting. I've been so excited, I just couldn't hold it in any longer. :) Plus, I've been dying to use the "Expecting Mothers" parking spot at Whole Foods without being nervous about getting caught red-handed. Honestly, I'm surprised none of y'all called me out! I've been turning down my usual wine orders at The Balcony Club for a few months now.

The bébé pep is due March 26th, 2013. Not sure yet if we'll have a little bambino or bambina, but a home test involving baking soda predicts girl! I like that answer just fine. :) (I am definitely looking forward to having a pronoun to use.) At 15 weeks along, he/she is currently about the size of a navel orange, and has just developed the ability to hear! This means he/she is now subjected to our singing and sometimes my banjo. Let's hope he/she's a fan. I can not feel anything yet, nor can you really see much of a change in my tummy. All in good time!

If you'd like to follow along with the development, I'll try to post here as often as I can remember. With all of the new technology and pregnancy apps, there's plenty of videos and information on the bébé that I can share from time to time. I may also post for help on here when I need it - advice, daycare recommendations, hand-me-downs, etc.

I want to thank all of you for the congratulations and support! We're so lucky to have such amazing friends and family. We're both looking forward to this journey, with all of its joys and hurdles.

Baby's First Photo