Maddie's First Web Video

More Pictures!

Pictures taken by Nana on Maddie's Birthday:

Madeline's Birth Day - Nana's Pespective

Maddie's Christmas Photo Shoot:

Maddie's Christmas Photo Shoot

Pictures taken by Nana in the last two weeks:

Nana's Maddie Pictures

Weeks 3 and 4 Pictures

More pictures of Maddie are now available!

We have been having a lot of fun the last week. Maddie got to spend lots of time with her Nana and Pop, as Mom and Dad were busy with winter concerts. Grammy has also been visiting every week and helping Mom and Dad, as well as bonding with her granddaughter.

Maddie had a visit with the pediatrician, and is doing very well. She is a healthy 8 pounds 5 ounces.

Enjoy this week's pictures!

Maddie Weeks 3 and 4

Maddie Week 2 Pictures

Well, we finally got around to posting more pictures. These are (mostly) from Maddie's 2nd week.

We had family visitors, we got dressed up very cutely, and we even got our picture taken with Santa!

Maddie Week 2

Maddie's Photo Shoot

Here are the many pictures from our "photo shoot" with Maddie for her birth announcement:

Maddie's Photo Shoot

More Pictures

Madeline meets Grandad

Maddie's First Bath

Tummy Time

Maddie's Birth Story

Meg here, finally.

I finally have time, energy, and a free hand - it must be time to blog! Here is Maddie's birth story, as I remember it - and it's quite possible that I'm a bit fuzzy on some details. At times I was more, uh, mentally present than others. And sorry if I'm long-winded. You know how women love to tell their labor stories.

Disclaimer: in retrospect, it's probably easy for someone who's gone through it before to see that on Sunday evening I was indeed in labor and would be having a baby very soon. But nothing - NOTHING! - was as I'd ever heard it would be. No books, classes, or personal recollections ever mentioned anything like what I felt. Everybody and every baby is different, clearly. At least I might know for next time (yes, I agreed to a next time. In the delivery room, actually).

Saturday I felt great, we went to Ikea and walked around like crazy, bought tables, and had a lovely day. I woke up Sunday feeling QUITE different. I thought that A) I'd completely overdone it the previous day or B) the baby was dropping further, and this was all part of the magic of pregnancy. MAJOR pressure, major pain. Ow.

I spent the majority of the morning and early afternoon in the one position that didn't make me want to scream, lying back on the couch. Again, I really thought that the pain was baby-head related. (Well, the little battering ram had begun its work, of course it hurt!) It really felt like an intense version of baby-head pressure.)

Around 4:45, I had been up and around, and the pain got much worse. It seemed to be related to movement, and we'd been told that true labor contractions weren't, so, again, I thought "not real". Bob started writing down when I felt these "not real" contractions. They were 15-20 minutes apart, sort of.

We went over to Bob's parents house for our usual Sunday night dinner. I was feeling somewhat less than ok, but it was manageable (at this point Bob was still timing, and I was still thinking he was probably wasting paper). As the evening went on, I really couldn't tell where one "contraction" started and one stopped, so our timing wasn't particularly accurate. They were, I guess, anywhere from 2 to 8 minutes apart, but again, it was very difficult to pinpoint. (A sign that we should have been driving to the hospital?) At 9:30 I called the doctor and explained what I felt, and she didn't seem really concerned. She said to take a shower, lie down, take a Benadryl, and call her when the contractions were regular.

We went home, I followed the doctor's instructions, but things went from bad to Oh-my-God by 11:00. We called, and the doctor said to come into the hospital to be checked. We got there a little before midnight. I told Bob to just leave the bags in the car. I still wasn't convinced that we'd be staying. The man working in the ER asked me if my water had broken and I told him I had no idea. He said I'd know - well, maybe, maybe not...

We got up to Labor & Delivery and got checked in. People kept asking me questions that I either didn't know the answers to or didn't quite have the ability to answer at the moment, so Bob had to most of the talking. When the L&D nurse checked, she announced happily that I was 5 cm dilated and 100% effaced (thinned) - and if you don't know what that means, keep yourself blissfully ignorant. The nurse was ridiculously excited for me, I remember, and went on and on about how lucky I was to come in so far along in my labor, when other women would sit for hours waiting to get that far. Being "so far along" did not amuse me. I just wanted my epidural. I had been set on that from the beginning. In the moments that I could speak, I asked "When do I get my epidural? When when when?"

We had to have tests (and wait years for the results from the lab), we had to get the I.V. in (didn't work well), we had to have the 100 cc's of some liquid through the I.V (dripped soooo slowly), and so on. Meanwhile I 'breathed through the pain', as the L&D nurse called it. I called it cursing every roadblock between me and that nice, big needle. At this point, I wasn't having contractions anymore. At this point in labor, as any mom will tell you, you are one BIG contraction.

Finally she said we were ready for the epidural, she just wanted to check me one more time. It had been about 20 minutes, which to my perception was about 20 years. The doctor checked, and I was now a lovely 8 cm. dilated! "You're not getting an epidural, honey! You're practically there!" OH they were SOOOO happy for me at this point, and I sooooo wanted to beg them to pretend that we were still at 5 cm. and I wouldn't tell if they wouldn't. I wondered if there was anything else I could have, because I was NOT prepared for this whole natural childbirth thing. Had no idea how you do it when you can actually feel what's going on.

The nurse told me that whenever I felt pressure, like I wanted to push, I should call her, and we'd try pushing. Ha. Ha. Um, felt that for hours. Let's go. Eviction time, baby.

Baby didn't seem to mind. I pushed for about 40 minutes. Pushing was my least favorite part, to say the least, but it was, as least, very productive pushing. Baby had no problem with getting evicted. I didn't believe the doctor at all when she said her head had been born. I kind of stopped and thought "wha?" and at that moment, there was a baby on my chest!

She cried right away - so did Bob and I - and she was impossibly gorgeous. You see newborns on baby shows on TV and they're often ugly little suckers with purple skin and weird heads and God-knows-what all over them. You see yours, and she's perfect. They wrapped her up right there and gave her a hat and put her on my chest again, and we got to say our hello's. It was an awesome combination of joy and relief. Then they let Bob hold her, and then put her under the heat lamps to do her tests. She got a 9 on both Apgar tests, we found out later.

...and we had this long list of people to call at different times during our labor. When we got to the hospital, when we thought we were close, afterwards, etc. Ha. We arrived at the hospital at midnight, not even sure we'd be staying, had been in the hospital an hour and 40 minutes, and had our baby at 1:38 AM. THEN we called our parents to tell them that they were grandparents.

Bob's parents came in and visited their new granddaughter, and we all got to go down to the nursery together to have her weighed and measured and washed up.

I found out afterwards that natural childbirth does have its advantages; because I didn't have an epidural or any other pain medications, I was allowed to walk around, stay in the nursery when they weighed and measured her, go to my room and get into my bed myself. They nurses kept telling me how incredibly lucky I was to have such a quick labor & birth. I'd been in real labor since about 9PM, so I'd had about 4 1/2 hours. Not too shabby. Redheads delivery quickly, the doctor said later. Cool...we'll remember that for next time, and actually go to the hospital a little earlier, hopefully.

Bob came back from the nursery, having watched them give her a bath, and told me all about it. Then they brought her to me and we got to spend a little more time together. Incredible. She's absolutely incredible.

After a parade of doctors and nurses, Maddie's nurse came in and took her back to the nursery and told me to get some sleep. It was about 5 AM at this point. Bob eventually went home too, to get some rest. I was too jazzed to really sleep, though. I may have gotten an hour that first night (morning) in the hospital.

So there's our story! We had our baby! What a surprise, too! I really was lucky, I hadn't even been sure I was in active labor when I got to the hospital, and the whole thing wasn't as painful as I had anticipated childbirth to be - especially natural childbirth. We are very truly fortunate, and so very very happy to have this amazing little person in our lives now. Every minute she gets cuter and sweeter, and she's quite entertaining. I'll take a chance, tempt fate, and say that she's really a good baby so far, too. I mean, hey! I got 7 (non-consecutive) hours of sleep last night. That's pretty darn good, I'd say!

Thanks for reading our (long) birth story. We love and adore our new baby daughter, and we're looking forward to sharing her many little milestones here, from time to time.

Now if you'll excuse me, somebody needs a diaper change.

Name Guesses

First Name Guesses

• Abigail (Brenda)
• Adelaide (Nana)
• Alexandra (Caitlin, Gram)
• Alexis (Gram)
• Alison (Pop)
• Allison (Nana)
• Amelia (Julie G)
• Amy (Aunt Cyndee)
• Angela (Brenda)
• Anna (Aunt Cyndee, Julie G)
• Arianna (Gram)
• Bailey (Gram)
• Bertha (Gram)
• Beth (Aunt Cyndee, Gram)
• Burrita (Brenda)
• Carolyn (Brenda)
• Catherine (Julie G)
• Chalupa (Brenda)
• Christine (Julie G)
• Costanza (Gram)
• Cynthia (Aunt Cyndee)
• Daisy (Aunt Cyndee)
• Diana (Brenda)
• Dixie (Aunt Cyndee)
• Donna (Pappy)
• Elena (Gram)
• Eliose (Gram)
• Elise (Gram)
• Elizabeth (Gram, Julie G)
• Elliott (Julie G)
• Elma (Gram)
• Emily (Caitlin, Great Grandmom)
• Emma (Julie G)
• Errt (Sboy)
• Esmerelda (Gram)
• Ethel (Gram)
• Gertrude (Gram)
• Gordita (Brenda)
• Hailey (Gram)
• Hannah (Nana)
• Harper (Julie G)
• Hazel (Julie G)
• Helene (Gram)
• Isabelle (Julie G)
• Janet (Brenda)
• Jenine (Brenda)
• Jennifer (Nana)
• Jessamynn (Nana)
• Jo (Aunt Cyndee)
• Joanna (Julie G)
• Judith (Julie G)
• Julie (Julie G)
• Katherine (Brenda)
• Kathleen (Brenda)
• Lauren (Gram)
• Laurie (Aunt Cyndee)
• Lucy (Julie G, Aunt Cyndee)
• Madeleine/Madeline/Madelyn/Madelynne (Julie G, Nana, Gram)
• Mamie (Gram)
• Marissa (Gram)
• Meg (Aunt Cyndee)
• Michelle (Nana)
• Miranda (Julie G)
• Morgan (Gram)
• Natalie (Nana)
• New (Julie G)
• Nicole (Brenda)
• Nicole (Julie G)
• Null (Brenda)
• Paige (Gram)
• Pollyanna (Gram)
• Quesadilla (Brenda)
• Rebecca (Gram)
• Roberta (Pappy, Brenda, Aunt Cyndee)
• Sandra (Brenda)
• Sara (Gram)
• Sboy-ee-ee (Scottie Boy)
• Seven (Sboy)
• Stephanie (Gram)
• Susan (Julie G)
• Tuglas (Sboy)
• Winifred (Gram)
• xz
• Yar (Sboy)
• Zelda (Gram)

Middle Name Guesses So Far

• Anne (Aunt Cyndee)
• Marie (Nana, Aunt Cyndee)
• Rose (Nana)

Full Name Guesses

• Adelaide Rose (Nana)
• Cynthia Marie (Aunt Cyndee)
• Insufficient Information D'Errico (Brenda)
• Madeline Marie (Nana)
• Madeline Rose (Nana)
• Natalie Rose (Nana)
• No Answer D'Errico (Brenda)
• Not Applicable D'Errico (Brenda)
• Roberta "Bobbie" Anne (Aunt Cyndee)

We're Home! More Pictures

We are officially home now. Well actually, Meg and Maddie came home yesterday, but we were a little busy, as you can imagine!

We were discharged from the hospital around 4 yesterday. We came home, got organized, and managed to get a few hours of sleep last night.

Today was thanksgiving, hosted by Nana and Pop, with the help of Gram, but at OUR house, so that we didn't have to lug Maddie and all of her gear. Maddie got to meet two of her great-grand parents, Granny and Grandpop. Aunt Laura, Aunt Caitlin, and Uncle Nick were also there. Despite Meg and myself being a little sleepy, we all had a great time!

There are two more albums for you to check out. Enjoy!

Madeline comes home

Maddie's first thanksgiving

Baby Pool Results!

The results for the baby pool are in! Check 'em out below:

http://www.expectnet.com/game.php?babyid=1&tx=1152040220

Great Grandmom Uber won by a long-shot.

Day 1 Update

Dad here again, home from a day at the hospital.

Maddie and Meggie are doing very well. We had a very exciting day, as Maddie got to meet almost everyone in her new family. Nana, Pop, Gram, Aunt Caitlin, Uncle Nick, and Aunt Laura all paid a visit. I was also busy making phone calls and sharing the happy news with everyone.

There isn't a whole lot more to report on right now. We should be finding out soon when Meg and Maddie will get to come home. I am sure Meg is looking forward to getting on here and telling the story, as she is a better writer than I am.

As for the baby pool, I can't figure out how to log in and enter the stats. It looks though, as if the unofficial winner is her great-grandmother Mommom, with all stats except for the sex being very close.

Nana, Julie G, and Gram, and Aunt Cyndee all won the name game, guessing Madeline. However, Nana wins the grand prize for guessing her first AND middle name.

I will be going to school tomorrow to do report cards and get things ready for the sub. Then I plan on taking off on Wednesday, and Monday, giving me a full 6 days home with Maddie and mom. That said, I need to get some sleep.

(Just a reminder to check out the Maddie's photo album frequently, as I will be uploading new pictures whenever I get the chance)

Pictures, etc.

Dad here. Sorry about the typo in this morning's very sleepy entry. As Nana points out, Madeline's birthday is November 20.

I've uploaded the pictures from last night (I mean, early this morning), and you can check them out below.

I called the hospital, and Meggie and Maddie are both doing well after a little shut-eye. I will be leaving for the hospital soon.

I will eventually tell the whole exciting story, but I want to get up to the hospital to see my wife and my daugter. All I can say is that, boy, it all happened really fast!

For those who are on our 'call' list, you will hear from me later today. Otherwise, you can check out the pictures.

More later, I gotta go be with my family (that sounds so cool!)

Madeline's First Night

Announcing the birth of our beautiful baby, Madeline Rose

At 1:38 AM on Monday, November 20, 2006, our daughter Madeline Rose was born!

She is 8 pounds 1 ounce and is 20.5 inches long.

She has lots of wavy blondish-brownish hair, and is adorable.

Mom is doing well and is catching up on some sleep at the hospital. Dad will be going to bed as soon as he is done with this post. I promise I'll put up some pictures soon, but right now, I am too tired.

Name Game Clue 11 - Week 39

Okay, okay, we get it. Our adoring fans don't like middle name clues. So here's one to make you happy:

Baby D's first name ALSO appears on the lists.

This week's sarcasm, I mean, ticker! 39 weeks!

Heh. This kid isn't getting a choice. As of right now, we're on for 10 AM Friday, November 24th. Don't go hopping on the baby pool trying to change your guesses, though. These things are supposed to take time. And things can change. Hospital schedules, for one.

NST, AFI, appointment, & further induction news

Baby was reluctant to get going today, probably asleep or something, so the non-stress test took longer than usual. The ultra-sound technician actually came in to see what was taking so long. The nurse who runs the NST's said that if she didn't perk up and get reactive soon, I'd have to have a bio-something-or-other ultrasound where they check the baby's practice breathing and other things, to see if anything major's wrong. I asked what would happen if she didn't look active on THAT test -
"Then you're having a baby today."

(AAAAAAAHHHHH!)

Baby perked up after getting the tummy buzzer (noisemaker that's supposed to initiate the startle reflex), and eventually she had a reactive heartrate and looked good again. Messing with us.

Fluid looked good, measuring the same as last time. We got one more ultrasound picture of her face, although it's hard to distinguish what's what, she's grown so much. We do have a nice outline of a chubby little right cheek.

She was still head-down, turned to the left at the moment, and looking good.

The doctor discussed the upcoming induction a little bit, and explained that Meg would have to come in on Monday and be checked to see how 'ready' things are. How that examination goes decides exactly when we'll go in on Friday, and whether they'll start the Pitocin right away or not. But either way, we've been assured that FRIDAY 11/24 is officially the day we'll go to the hospital to have our baby. We may have her that day, Saturday, or *gulp* even, dare we say it, have things last till Sunday. (Very rare that it takes that long. They usually give you a C-section before they let you go 3 days. But man, wouldn't that be nice for inspiring a little guilt: "I was in labor with you for 3 DAYS!") ...on second thought, um, NO.

So Friday is it. Unless we have to go earlier than that. But that we won't know about ahead of time, will we?

38w4d - Non-Stress Test & Good News!

Relax, no, we're not in labor here.

Every person we call just seems disappointed that we're not making 'the call'. Sorry to disappoint you all, we usually just want to get Christmas Gift planning done.

Having bi-weekly non-stress tests now, which is nice. It's so nice to just lie back and concentrate on baby's movements and heartbeat for a while. Her heartrate and movements looked great. "Gorgeous" was the word, actually.

And we got some great news too! The nurse midwife Meg saw after the test said that they would absolutely not let her go past the baby's due date of November 24th. Her size is good, her health is good, and they want to keep it that way. So when Meg goes in on Thursday for another round of tests, they'll sit down and schedule an induction for the day after Thanksgiving. So at least we know that now! That all assumes that we don't go into labor before the 24th, of course, and that everything else keeps looking good, health-wise.

But we're THRILLED to know that the end is indeed in sight and that we'll have our little girl soon! 10 days left, maximum!!!!!!

Name Game Clue 10 - Week 38

We realize that we have quite a few blog-checkers, but very few guessers left. Well to those of you who have stopped guessing, we say:

HEY! No fair! That was some good weekly entertainment! Let's go!


Here's your name game clue for week 38:

All these names that people have guessed, sincerely or in jest, have accumulated into quite a nice set of lists. Good for you, guessers, because her middle name already appears on one of the lists here.


Can't be long now (at least that's what we keep telling ourselves)!

NST & AFI & Growth Scan oh my! 38 Weeks

Update from Meg. Lots of appointments and tests, all good news.

Non-Stress Test: Very good, Baby D. was active & reactive as usual. She's looking good. Cute little heartbeat!

AFI (Fluid Check Ultrasound): Again, she's looking good. The ultrasound technician joked that around 38 weeks women start bringing in extra cash to bribe her to say that their fluid is low, so they can be induced...darn, you can do that? Baby D.'s fluid measured very well, and she's still head-down and getting ever-lower. (Didn't need an ultrasound to know that, though, lemme tell ya.)

Growth Scan: Good good good. Baby is measuring in the 49 percentile for growth, which is excellent. The doctor was very happy with both of us, actually. She said with all diabetic patients, gestational or otherwise, the babies are usually significantly bigger by this point. She said that means we've been taking care of this diabetic business and controlling my blood sugar very well. So that was a happy little pat on the back. Of course, I'd preferred those congratulations came with a large stack of pancakes, but whatever...

We also visited Baby D.'s future pediatrician this week for an 'expectant parents' visit. That was very imformative, and we really liked the practice. They're right nearby in Laurel Springs, and they have night hours (very important!)

Meg is happily on maternity leave now, since last Monday, and trying to strike a nice balance between getting necessary stuff done, and getting some R&R. And not falling down.

We finished up our pre-baby classes on Saturday with the Breastfeeding class, so now we're all educated (ha ha) and ready for baby.
Whether she's ready for us is another story. But unfortunately, impatience doesn't do much to start labor. So now we're just playing the waiting game...

This week's sarcasm, I mean, ticker! 38 Weeks! (Gross!)

Ok, this one is a bit gross, and pretty much false. Except for the legal action part. But whatever.

...actually, we were going to promise her a Power Wheels Jeep if she'd come out this week. Hmmm...

Have a nice trip, see you next fall...

Hello, Meg here, with a little update:

Ok, we've learned in the past 24 hours to start the story with this phrase:

"Everything's ok, we just wanted you to know..."

Yesterday I was enjoying my first official day of maternity leave. I did some shopping, puttered around the kitchen, etc. Well I apparently puttered a bit to quickly around the slippery kitchen floor in my socks, because I turned the corner into the wood-floor hallway, slipped, and fell forward. You know how, mid-fall, you always have a very vivid thought? Like, "This is going to hurt!", that kind of thing? I thought, "Thank God I'll fall forward and land on my hands & knees!" Well, sort of. My knees hit and just kept right on slipping backward, and I landed flat as a pancake on my face - and my tummy. OW.

Bob was on his way home. I waited a while to see if I felt the baby moving, to make sure everything was ok. And wouldn't you know it, our over-active, wiggly-jiggly kid was completely still. And to make matters more worrysome, she was all bunched up way up high in my tummy (ribs, whatever, she doesn't care) and wasn't responding to anything that usually gets her moving.

I called the doctor's office, to find out what they wanted me to do - I figured I'd have to do a special kick-count or drink a lot of water or something. Nope. The doctor wanted me to go to the hospital and be monitored. They told me to wait until Bob got home because I shouldn't drive myself, and then go right to Virtua.

We went, pretty darn scared, and baby still wasn't moving. We got checked in and we were put in what we found out later was a high-risk labor & delivery room. The doctor explained that they had to do bloodwork to make sure her placenta was still intact, and then monitor baby's heartrate and my contractions for 4 hours and make sure we both were having normal patterns. If we were, we'd be discharged. If not, we'd be induced! ACK!

They hooked me up to the monitors and after a few tense minutes of trying, we found Baby D.'s heartbeat, and she sounded good. Her activity level picked up a little while later, and from then on she looked great on the monitor. She was very responsive, and looked neurologically very good. I was having mild contractions, some I didn't feel at all, and some which were, uh, quite "noticeable". We're getting close now, so that's totally normal. The bloodwork came back fine from the lab, and we were cleared to go home after the 4 hours were up.

We were discharged around 9PM with instructions and an 'everybody's ok'. And strict orders to stay off slippery floors in socks.

So Bob and I got a nice little dress rehearsal for the real deal. Once we knew we were fine, it was actually nice to hear her heartbeat, see all the equipment, and get comfortable with the whole hospital environment.

And that was our eventful evening. All's well, just wanted to update. Today I plan to take it easy and couch it a good bit - still pretty sore.

Name Game Clue 9 - Week 37

"I'd like to buy a..."

Her first name either begins or ends with a vowel.

This week's sarcasm, I mean, ticker! 37 Weeks!

Week 36 NST, AFI, Dr. Appointment, and Bob's Shower!

Long title, lots done lately.

We're just hours away from officially have a full-term baby on our hands (and stomach) here!

We had our usual round of tests today, and everything's looking good. Baby was actually a little sleepy, and had to be 'buzzed' twice, to wake her up during the non-stress test. She reacted well, though. And we're definitely having some 'false labor' contractions - they showed up really well this week on the monitor. So that's a good sign.

Fluid looks good. Baby is lower still, and head-down. ("Smart baby!" says the doctor.)

We were a little concerned about the fact that Meg's blood sugar numbers have been a little higher these last few weeks. The doctor actually said that was totally expected, and pretty much a sign of a healthy pregnancy - so that's kind of a relief.

...and then the doctor said, "See you next week, if you don't go into labor before then!"

EEP! That was a bit strange to hear!

****

Bob's faculty gave him a shower today! How cool is it that they give showers for men now? We got a toddler carseat, a Jumperoo, an activity gym, and some really cute clothes. Bob was totally surprised, and we're very grateful! (Good cake, too!)

****

Tomorrow is Meg's last day working for QUITE a while. And yes, they did finally find a long-term substitute music teacher. Of course, they found her the last possible week, but hey, at least there's somebody there to teach next week! Meg is very relieved, and despite the fact that tomorrow is looking quite busy, she's thrilled. (And even happier to be getting a break!) Her goals for any time off before baby-time include (but are not limited to):

1. Decompressing after a stressful last few weeks at school
2. Hopefully getting the Christmas cards started
3. Having time to go to the bathroom whenever she feels like it for a change

Name Game Clue 8 - Week 36

No one on either side of her family has had her name, as far as we know.

This week's sarcasm, I mean, ticker! 36 Weeks!

October 26th: NST, AFI, appointment, & hiccups

Well, we have a little entertainer here folks!

We went for our weekly round of screenings and tests yesterday, and all is well. We had a non-stress test that took significantly longer than usual, due to our little one's overactive lungs & diaphragm. Now, she gets the hiccups almost daily, but it's usually a very quiet affair that only Meg is aware of, and baby is usually pretty, well, subtle about it. Ha! You've never heard hiccups until you've heard them through a fetal heart monitor. At first we thought she was kicking the exact spot where the monitor was. Nope, hic-hic-hic-ing away, for almost 15 minutes, she made quite a racket. It was so funny, hearing her HIC like that, so loudly! You could hear it echo through the monitor if you listened outside the room!

You can't really monitor baby's heart's reaction to movement when she's constantly hic-ing, so the nurse who runs the NST's tried several things to get her to stop. Baby didn't cooperate much (when does she?). Eventually things settled down, and we go the rest of the test finished.

The nurse said hiccups are a good sign; baby's practicing breathing, drinking, and they actually strengthen her lungs and diaphragm, so she can take a nice big breath and belt out a good strong cry in a few weeks. On the other hand, they were pretty annoying to the nurse. We just found them hilarious - they were so loud, and for some reason, this time they were VERY visible!

Everything else still looks good. We got some good answers to our questions, and even got a LOVELY screening for group B Strep...not for the faint of heart, this one. OH so pleasant.

We have the usual set of appointments next week as well, and another growth scan - our last - on November 10th.

Meg's last day at school is November 3rd. 5 more days, 5 more days, 5 more days...

Anyway, we're doing quite well, and were quite entertained by our little girl's little hiccup show.

Name Game Clue 7 - Week 35

A math word problem for you all...

Last Week, Meg stopped by a craft store and purchased some items to make a wall decoration for Baby D. This decoration will include her name, spelled out in wooden letters, strung up with ribbon.

Meg walked up to the check-out counter with two rolls of ribbon, a can of glossy spray urethane, and the letters required to spell out Baby D's name. Including NJ sales tax, the total cost of these items was $23.10. How many letters are in Baby D's name?

Here is some algebra to get you started:

a = the cost of a letter
b = the cost of a roll of ribbon
c = the cost of the urethane spray
x = the quantity of letters purchased

((x * a) + 2b + c)*1.07 = 23.10

Solve for x

Get out those calculators and start guessing!!

This Week's Sarcasm - I Mean, Ticker! 35 Weeks!

Update on Baby D. & Her Many Tests

Ok, back from our 2nd round of tests in less than 24 hours. :-)
We're busy peeps over here.

We had a growth scan yesterday, at 34 weeks, 5 days. Baby D. is looking great.

Her tummy was measuring a little ahead, and her head was actually a little small. Well, "narrower" was what the tech said, to which she added "here's hoping it stays nice and narrow for your sake!" (Hey, Gram, can you believe it? She's actually small-headed!) (I had a huge head at birth, so I'm told.) Legs were right on.

Total weight: She's measuring 5 pounds 4 ounces, which, although it's still in normal range, is actually a little small. They were expecting her to be larger, based on her previous growth, so they want to see me in 3 weeks instead of 4, just to make sure her growth is still on track. So we went from being concerned that she would get too big to now needing to check that she's not too small. It never stops with this kid. At least we know we're doing a good job with the GD and it isn't getting the better of us.

Today (Thursday) we had our weekly NST, AFI, and Dr. appointment. Everything's cool. Baby D. was very active and "very reactive" today, which is a good sign. "Reactive" means that her heart speeds up and recovers well in relation to her movement. Everything else they check was good, too.

We got to take home 3 pictures, but they're not very clear. It gets harder to get recognizable pictures as you get farther along, they say, because of baby's size.

So we're 5 pounds, 4 ounces. And this week the ultrasound technician kept commenting on her chubby cheeks. Awwwwwww!

Yesterday we finished our Prepared Childbirth Series, and got a tour of the hospital. It looks great, and we've heard nothing but good things about Virtua's Labor & Delivery ward. Cool birthing rooms, and we got to see a newborn in the nursery.

We still have a loooooooong list of things that we'd like to get done before Baby D. arrives, which we're slowly picking away at. And if you have an hour free, ask us about the Malvern Mess or the Changing Table Challenge... *sigh* But it's all getting done.

Meg's still feeling pretty good. She's feeling a little more tired every week, and the usual preggy complaints, but nothing to truly complain about, and we're happy and grateful for that.
11 more school days left. Oh, yes, there's a countdown going on. And no, they still don't have a substitute. How fun. Just have to refuse to worry about it, though. That's the district's job.

(*psssst!* anybody know anybody who wants to be a long-term sub for K-5 music & a 65 kid chorus? )

Name Game Clue 6 - Week 34

Here's the Name Game clue for week 34:

Her name is a 'literary' one...and her genre is your guess, too.

...thanks for the proofreading, Brendy and Nana. Typing late at night is not a good idea.

This week's sarcasm, I mean, ticker! 34 Weeks!

Um...Mommy was never dancing to Brittany, trust me.

Week 33 Dr. Appointment, NST, & AFI

33rd week appointment, 2nd NST (Non-Stress Test), and AFI (Amniotic Fluid Inspection) today, and all's well.

Baby D was very active and reacted well during the non-stress test. She kicked the monitor off a couple of times, actually. But her heart reacted well during the test.

The AFI looked normal, too. She's still head-down. Yay! And still a girl, btw (they checked).

Everything else that was tested looked good too - sugar, protein, blood pressure, etc.

So we're healthy, kicky, still a girl, and getting bigger by the day.

Babies tend to gain about an ounce a day at this stage, we're told. And moms, about a pound a week.

Grrrreeeeeaaaat...

Name Clue 5 - Week 33

What a coincidence! An actress from a favorite movie named her daughter the same thing.

Well, she has good taste in roles, why not names?

This Week's Sarcasm - I mean, ticker! 33 weeks!

NST's & AFI's

We now start going in weekly for Non-Stress Tests and Amniotic Fluid Inspections. I think that's what AFI stands for, anyway. :-)

It means Meg taking a few half-days off of work, which we are NOT thrilled about, but what can you do?

They strap you up with these lovely elastic bands, and attached are a heart monitor and another monitor that measures contractions. They monitor baby's heart rate while you push a button every time you feel baby move. They're looking for an increase in her heart rate every time she moves. Then you get an ultrasound that measures the amount of fluid around the baby's body, making sure that's all ok.

Well, so far, so good!!! Everybody's measuring fine, with everything that's measurable. We have weekly doctor appointments after these tests. We're all scheduled up to our due date.

So that's the latest on Baby D. All good. And lots of movement.

OH! And she decided to turn head-down! YAY! *Stay there, kid, ok?*

Name Game Clue 5 - 32 Weeks

Here's your Name Game clue for week 32 - hey that rhymed!

She could appear a dark-haired bambina, or have little blonde ringlets (think Gretel Von Trapp) - or be bald as a cue ball! BUT:

Her name will NOT reflect her ethnicity in any particular way.

So you can put away your Francesa Antonia's and your Hilda Briggita's right now, sorry.

This Week's Sarcasm - I mean, ticker! 32 weeks!

Name Game Clue 4

Here is the name game clue for week 31:

Her FIRST name has more than one syllable.

Keep 'em coming!

Week 31 Growth Scan Update

We had our 31 week Growth Scan yesterday at Virtua. Despite some moderate annoyances with parking (you never needed a stinkin' parking token to get out of the lot before, ever!) everything baby-wise went very well.

First of all, we got a great view of her face. She even waved to us! And the tech wasn't sure, but she thinks she saw hair! The pics are posted below. Yes, that's a face. Yes, it looks a little ghostly here, but trust me, she was pronounced a "cutey". I know, you had to be there.

Baby's measuring in at almost exactly 4lbs.

Her growth is great, still normal. She's measuring a week ahead, which is just fine, the doctor said. They always give you a 2-week window on either side before they begin to suspect an unusual growth rate. So she was measuring exactly 32 weeks. The doctor also said that since she's been about that far ahead for a while, it's possible that our due date is actually a week late. (Originally we had a due date of November 17th). But whatever. Either way, she's healthy.

Everything was measuring healthy - head, waist, leg, heart, fluid, etc.

Heartbeat was 150.

She's still breech, but the doctor assured me that we shouldn't even begin to worry about her position for at least 3 more weeks. I think I could have told them that she was still feet-down, seeing as she's still loving to step on my bladder. She thinks it's funny. Yeah, sweetie, reeeeaaaaly funny.

She still frequently gets the hiccups, and that's always fun. At first I thought, "Hey, my musical genius is kicking to a steady beat!" Nope, just hic-hic-hic-ing away.

Her kick counts are QUITE healthy. They give you up to an hour to feel 10 kicks. We've never needed more than 10 minutes. My kick-count chart is one straight line. They found that very amusing.

And speaking of kicking, to quote the ultrasound technician while she was trying to convince Baby D. to stay still long enough to get a measurement or two, "Um...she's moving this much now - you're in TROUBLE soon!"

Greeeeaaaaat.

This week's sarcasm, I mean, ticker! 31 Weeks!

See the lovely ticker above? Well a very funny lady who writes a very funny blog that I love worked with a great baby site called "Baby Gaga", and they developed a much more REALISTIC version of those adorable little pregnancy development tickers. So I decided to share them here. This one is particularly accurate. Love our lil' girl!

Here's this week sarcasm, I mean, ticker, for 31 weeks:

Name Game Clue 3

Here is the Name Game clue for week 30:

Her MIDDLE name has less than three syllables.

Keep those guesses coming!

(when guessing, let us know if you are guessing a first or a middle name, or both)

7th Month Appointment

We had our 7th month appointment at our OB/GYN today.

We're doing great!

Her heart rate was in the 150's, which is normal. She made it VERY easy to find, she was very cooperative this time.

We're measuring right on at 29 weeks, belly speaking.

My blood pressure was great, and all those other things they test for were fine, too. Blood sugar measurements look good.

I have to start kick counts! You measure how long it takes to feel 10 movements from the baby once a day, and record it on a worksheet.

There's a higher rate of cesarean births in women with gestational diabetes (like me), but the doctor said we're good candidates for a vaginal birth, since our little girl's growth is right on track.

Our next growth scan is on September 22nd at Virtua.
Next OB appointment is Oct. 2nd. Have to get a blood test for anemia (standard).

So everything's looking good!!!

Name Game Clue 2

This week's Name Game clue:

For at least the past 20 years, her name has NOT appeared on the Social Security department’s list of top 20 most popular girls’ names.

Name Game Clue 1

This weeks's Name Game clue:

In a popular baby website’s poll, users were asked to attribute character traits to names. Based on her name, public opinion predicts our baby to be:

• Beautiful: 16%
• Exotic: 2%
• Attractive: 8%
• Pretty: 9%
• Plain: 0%
• Homely: 0%
• Ugly: 0%
• Cute: 5%
• Sophisticated: 12%
• Confident: 11%
• Outgoing: 8%
• Funny: 4%
• Serious: 2%
• Shy: 2%
• Geeky: 0%
• Feminine: 12%

…of course, some things are left up to genetics. Like the ‘geeky’ part.

Welcome!!!

Welcome to Baby D's Blog!

This is a site we've created to post updates on our little girl-to-be. We'll be adding pictures, info, and a little thing we like to call: "The Name Game".

We're not sharing the name we've chosen for Baby D. But if you'd like to guess, as many of our friends and relatives seem to, we'll be posting a little clue each week. You can guess as many times as you like! Just click "post a comment" below the clue. You'll be asked to type in a series of letters that you see on the screen, as a security measure (to keep the evil blog-spammers away).
We'll be sure to let you know who guessed right...when baby makes her debut.

We also have a few highlights and links to the left, intended to be helpful for family & friends.

• We have our kiddo's latest "head shot", which we will hopefully be able to keep updated monthly thanks to the wonder of growth scans.

• We also have a recent picture of us, Bob & Meg (Daddy & Mommy) so you can try to mentally fuse our facial features together and transplant them onto a baby's head to see what Baby D. will look like.
  

• There's also "Sites-To-See", a few links to other websites.
• Our online baby pool! Guess baby's gender (duh), arrival date & time, weight, and length. Prizes will be awarded to the most accurate guesser, as well as to anybody who doesn't indicate that baby will be very late and over 9 pounds. *ow!*
  
• Our baby registry at Baby Depot.
• Our family web album, full of nursery shots, baby shower shots, family events, and all kinds of other good stuff (like doggie Max with his butt sticking out of the clothes hamper).
  

Well, we hope you find this new site we created helpful & fun. (See what you can do with a late summer day and a DSL connection?) We'll keep it updated as often as possible, so check back soon! "Name Game" clues will appear on Mondays!

Love,
~ Bob & Meg