Mommy and Daddy get out of Dodge

In looking at our calendar in the Biggest Countdown of Our Lives, we determined that if we were going to take one last kid-free or childcare-arranged-free excursion, this was the weekend to do it. You could call this an observance of our 5-year wedding anniversary, or you could call it our Babymoon, but in any case we've put the necessary planning elements together that will allow us to fill up the cat bowls with extra food and water and spend a weekend elsewhere.

The search for where to go centered mostly on what we'd want to do, or rather, be able to do. You know, given my condition and all.

I have felt supremely lazy, which rules out hikes. Sorry, Mt. Katahdin. Maybe... some other time. And, it's tough to plan something that depends on being outdoors anyway due to our not-always cooperative Maine weather. I did look into pregnancy massages, which I think I'll treat myself to sometime before D-Day, but not this weekend, since that only involves one of us.
So, what could we do, what could we do, I wondered as I searched the internet...
I determined I wanted a change of scenery, but didn't want to "over schedule" us, and pay for two nights away (as we've recently been doing budget projections for a minor life change coming up). I could stroll around somewhere, but would want sitting breaks, in case I was having a Bad Hip Day. Eating good food was, of course, a requirement. Exploring somewhere that we haven't been before would be nice. So that brought me to looking into coastal Maine towns... and can I just tell you how much I love the internet. Guess what appeared as I searched "things to do in Camden Maine"... this weekend only:

"Join us for the weekend in beautiful Camden for a food festival that has something for everyone."

It's the Maine Fare festival, and Mommy and Daddy have tickets to experience all that fresh Maine food has to offer. And stroll around Camden, and take sitting breaks. I know, I know, it's no Prairie Home Companion trip... sigh... (hey I see those eyes rolling - the nerdiness is overwhelming, isn't it?) but this was right up our alley for what we were able to do this weekend. Given my, you know, condition.

And if Nate were to write this blog entry, it would go something like this:

"The Old Lady and I are going to this thing this weekend. She can't do much these days, so I figured I'd roll her around the streets of Camden and take eating breaks. Yadda yadda yadda, the best part is we're going to 'Beer, Breads and Sausages' Saturday night and I get to have all of her beer and she drives to the hotel."

And speaking of food...
That's a whole lot of mac'n'cheese in there.

Au Revior,
Nicky and Nate
32 weeks 3 days

Poor kid...

I'm afraid I've already figured out one of Daddy's traits that Tot may be cursed with... never-ending, body-spasming hiccups.

The not-heard-anywhere-else-in-nature sound and volume that these hiccups create are actually the most distinctive features of the Daddy Sylvester Hiccups (DSH). But the duration and rate of recurrence are also defining aspects of the DSH that, I fear, have become inherited by Tot.

I was already awake this morning and enjoying the lazing around in bed on a Sunday morning until I was truly ready to begin my day, which I know I should try to appreciate while I can. I was feeling Tot's usual kicks and maneuvers that I feel when I'm laying down. Then I noticed that it seemed this one type of kick was quite rhythmic, and I didn't know why Tot would move an arm or leg that many times in a row, about 2 times per second, and continue to.... hey wait a minute, I realized... maybe that's not an arm or leg at all, but rather Tot's diaphragm jumping to a steady beat of... Noooooooooo... DSH!!! I rubbed my belly. I rolled to the other side. I tapped. To no avail. They continued for almost 15 minutes. I imagined that Tot felt pretty, well, bushed, from all that hiccuping. Poor kid.

I'm interested to see if they sound like Daddy's once he or she isn't cooped up in a bag of amniotic fluid and really able to use those lungs. At least we won't have to worry about Tot getting the worst kind of hiccups for a good many years... the AAFBSH: After-a-Few-Beers-Sylvester-Hiccups.

On another note, I thought I'd update my reading list to accurately reflect all the books I am currently reading sections of based on my mood and whatever sub-topic of pregnancy feels most pressing at the time. The main topic lately is Labor and Delivery. I feel like I'm cramming for the biggest test of my life. Although, unlike in high school or college, when I always knew WHEN the test was going to be, I am only able to narrow this one down to a time span of a few weeks... could be in October, could be almost Thanksgiving for all I know.

I am happy to report that I am now able to think and read about the topic without a huge knot in my stomach. I even continue to breathe somewhat normally. The lightheadedness has also subsided considerably.

Thanks to my fabulous doula sister-in-law Kara (how lucky am I), the most helpful book so far has been Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth. And the website of Empowerisms (yes, "Empowerisms") was also just what I was needing to help wrap my mind around the fact that labor and delivery are, in fact, humanly possible.

So that's the labor preparation. And for full Team Tot participation, our full-day Prepared Childbirth class is next month.

But lately it's occured to me that maybe I should have a clue about what to do with Tot once he or she arrives. (Ahhh what a nice word - "arrives". Sounds like the baby will show up with a knock at the front door. Has anyone looked into that delivery method? Maybe there's still time for that to become an option. I can see it now - Nicky's Birthplan: Tot will knock on door. Nicky and Nate will answer door and pick Tot up. Tot will be fully clothed and diaper will have been recently changed. They will begin happy life together.)

Okay, enough Fantasy Land talk.

Anyway - I've heard from a few people that it is helpful to have done some research on the basics of taking care of a newborn before you have a live newborn to practice on. I'm sure that trial and error are an integral part of how one figures these things out, and every kid is different, blah blah blah... but I'd like to spare Tot, and us for that matter, any stress and tears that we can possibly spare by getting a basic clue before we become in charge or his or her well-being. Thus also registering for the "Breastfeeding Basics" and "Baby Care" classes.

I know, I know. At this point you are concerned for my blood pressure level due to the level of neuroticism I have just outlined. But, awareness is the first step, right? So, at least I'm able to identify where I'm at with all of this. And share it with all of you. Funny stuff, right??

And speaking of funny, I was reviewing pictures from our wedding, 5 years ago Friday. Wait a minute, that didn't come out right.

What was FUNNY was when I pictured Nate trying to re-create the one below with me in my present condition. I think the likelihood is quite high that another picture would follow it that shows a bride and groom emerging from the water having just created a good-sized splash.

Nicky and Nate
31 weeks 4 days

One more for the list

Nate didn't have to say so after last night's game, but I'm quite sure the name "Clay" just got added to the Red Sox players name list.

Hmmm...

Clay Sylvester
Buchholz Sylvester
Buch Sylvester
Holz Sylvester

Nicky and Nate
30 weeks 4 days
Holy September
The first of the "-ber" months

Name Talk

Although we are being difficult yet again by not sharing the names we decide on until Tot is born, I'll indulge you with a glimpse into our brainstorming process. Nate's in charge of presenting Team Tot with a panel of boy names to chose from. He's used the internet as a guide to get him started. But when he's feeling either really creative or really stumped (I'll let you be the judge), he looks for inspiration from, you're not going to believe this, non-traditional sources. Like Red Sox players while watching a game. Or road signs. Or inanimate objects.

And when I say brainstorm, I do mean brainstorm in the purest sense of the word. No editing. All ideas are verbalized. Free-association style. The following are some gems he's thrown out there. For consideration / entertainment.

For extra fun, just add "Sylvester" to any of these while reading down the list. Enjoy.

Big Poppy
Coco
Manny
Papelbon
Pedroia
Javier
Julio
Youkilis, or "Yuke"

A random one that he just can't get enough of:
Otis

While driving home from Dairy Queen this evening, he looked to road and business signs:
Konoco
Quirk
Nuzzo
Wadleigh
Bolley

As we pulled into our driveway, he looked internally. No, not within himself, but rather, the car.
That gave him:
AC
and finally my favorite,
Airbag

Nicky and Nate
30 weeks 2 days

Waaaaaaaa

That's the sound of me crying you a river.

I grunt a lot these days.
Bending over, turning over, reaching over.

I had always prided myself on my special talent of picking stuff up with my toes, but I've really been honing my skills lately with the added motivation of avoiding the bend-over. These toes can fetch socks, pencils, hiking boots, you name it. Okay, okay, I'm working on the hiking boots.

Thanks to, I guess, ligaments stretching, my right hip hurts. So depending on the degree of hip pain, I've got a very sexy limp.

I was feeling really good about remembering my vitamins about two-thirds of the days of the week, but my recent blood test revealed that my iron is low. Hmmmm... could that be adding to why Nicky feels like doing nothing but eating ice cream and sitting at the end of a work day? Or even in the beginning of it? And the record of all records: she took not one, but TWO naps this Saturday?

This could also be part of why I haven't gotten around to putting the brain cells together to muster up a blog entry.

But I was thinking about our original purpose for having this blog, and although it has served as a fun outlet for Nicky's creative writing energy, we really started it to help keep interested family and friends up-to-date on the need-to-know information about our pregnancy. Especially when we had so many significant family members living far away - it was important to us that everyone gets the same information at the same time. And we are aware that even though some folks live close by, we still don't see them as often as we'd like.

As I've been growing more physically uncomfortable, I've had writers block on how to share it. One never wants to be a complainer, but to omit these very real aspects of having such a huge change to the body is lacking authenticity. And my English teachers always said to "write what you know."

Emotionally, this pregnancy is also getting "bigger" - so big that I haven't known where to start to express all of the thoughts, fears, dreams, and musings enough to do it justice. Thus the lack of blog entries. The perfectionist in me is to blame.

So, while you may have enjoyed the tone of entries to date, I'm writing with a heads up that in order for me to write more frequent entries, I'm giving myself permission for them to not necessarily all come from the same writing formula.

And with that, I am pooped, or "bushed" as my dad says. As I write that, I realize that I don't think I've heard anyone else use that term in that way. Maybe they're out there, I just can't recall ever hearing it outside our family.

Oh and by the way,
we're THIRTY WEEKS tomorrow....
or "three quarters of the way through this thing"

Stay tuned for future posts on things I love:
Elastic waists
Overalls
Sleep

-Nicky and Nate

Big and only getting bigger

Finally took the time to take a belly pic... hope you enjoy.

Notes of late:
Nate's on his 6th annual Man Week vacation with the guys,
we had a Multi-Family garage sale this weekend,
and I harvested the first batch of tomatoes and peppers from the garden this weekend.
I also watched a birthing video earlier - we'll see what kind of dreams I have tonight...

I know, I know... this is all I have for an entry after such a drought...
but I'm going to try this crazy thing I've heard about called "Going to Bed Early Because I'm Tired."
Hey, I've got to do it while I can, right?

Nicky and Nate
28 weeks 5 days
Holy Mama

T Minus 3 Months

Yes, THREE MONTHS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And that's if I deliver on time and not early...

I know some of you have heard me say this recently, but three months is seeming like a long amount of time in which to grow ever so gradually more uncomfortable and awkward... but a short amount of time in which to "get things done" on the OTP list. I know, I know, the proverbial in-box is never empty...

I've had some friends and family, through different conversations and e-mails, share LOADS of wisdom developed through their own trial-and-error experiences. They've also offered some reminders to cherish not only this special time, but the highlights of what's to come once Tot is part of the "outside world". I'm embarrassed to say I've had to pause and realize, oh yeah, you're right - this is an exciting life change and we're going to have a new little family member join us soon; this is not just an extra-important To-Do list! I don't think I'll shock anyone when I say that I come from very productive, task-oriented stock. Which has its merits and has served me well in life. It's also helpful to get those reminders to breathe and smile every once in a while. I've been taking these words of wisdom all in, and immensely appreciating every word.

But if you still MUST know about some of the successfully completed OTP tasks, read on:

We signed up for Lamaze, Breastfeeding, and Baby Care classes. Not sure if they think I'm a nerd already at the hospital, but hey, I figure why not soak up the knowledge. With my partner in crime by my side.

I had a VERY successful trip to BabyLand again today, this time with the help of my oh-so-experienced friend and mom of 3 months, Stephanie, to give me the low-down on what's a must, what's a bust, and to agree me with about how much this gig is a total racket. A MILLION thanks to her. I know that at some point, I, too, will be in her position in this cycle of new parents, passing on wisdom and goods. Priceless.

So right now our registry looks like we went around the store and selected every item with the parent-to-be zapper gun. But some of the items were temporarily selected as a reference... there is still tweaking to do.

I am also eternally grateful to friends and family that have lent maternity clothes. Every week I dip into the supply as my belly grows and the weather changes. WHAT a help.

Both grandmothers have gotten to feel Tot's kicks - my mom last night, Nate's mom tonight. VERY thrilling to share the joy :)

Tot's room has finished being painted "Celery Sprig", or "Celery Stalk" as Nate calls it. A million thanks to Aunt Leigh and Punchy for insisting that primer fumes are too strong for a pregnant lady, and doing all the prep work for the fun part of painting the color.

Tonight we picked up the tools and supplies leftover from the paint job, and next thing we know we were taking apart the twin bed that has been the main feature of our former "guest room". I was not planning on packing up that bed today, as it has also served as my late-night-reading getaway so as not to disturb Nate. But I guess the time would have come soon enough, anyway. So we put it in the attic, and will take it out again when Tot "graduates" to it once he or she gets too big for the crib. Wow.

So right now the room has, resting at the edges of the floor, the collection of baby books, some outfits, free stuff from BabyLand and prenatal visits, and a lamp. All I can think is that this room will never again be as empty as it is now. This room, and our lives, are about to get pretty darn full. Which is what we wanted. Although I'm very aware that we can not possibly have any concept of how full they really will be until we really get there.

I remember talking with Nate years ago about the idea of having kids, or not, and he said that while the time to start trying seemed pretty far in the future at the time, he anticipated that there would come a time that the status quo got pretty boring. To which I raised both eyebrows and suggested that having kids because we're "bored" doesn't sound very responsible or justified. I just KNEW he didn't really mean it that way. To which he clarified, "Well, no, it's just that I think we'd get to the point where it would seem like, there's something missing." That's more like it.

I forgot to take a belly pic this weekend, but take my word for it, I've got a belly. Looks a little bigger than the last pic.

Nicky and Nate
27 weeks tomorrow
And, did you know, we're in the last month before delivery that doesn't end in "-ber"...

ParentLand

"You know, you can't put EVERYthing on the blog. I'm being slandered! You didn't mis-quote me, but it was still out of context. You're making me look like a real..." ...well, I don't think I have to remind you all of the choice term the father of my child used earlier.

He continued... "I meant, BIOLOGICALLY - I was wondering BIOLOGICALLY when they are going to get bigger... I was looking at them, wondering: Is my kid going to have enough to EAT?!?"

Oh man, it just gets better and better, doesn't it?

Seriously, I do know what he meant. It's just cracking me up that he's so worked up over what people will think of him.

Again, I've invited him to use this wonderful blog that HE started as a forum to expound upon the rest of the "context" as he puts it, as well as what on earth is going on in his mind these days. Until he takes me and everyone else up on the offer, I guess I'll have to represent the both of us.

He also said to me, "I had kind of a mini 'Holy Sh**!' moment the other day. Well, not really like 'Holy SH**!,' but more like 'Oh WOW - I'm really going to become a parent.' I've been kind of waiting for a big one, but I don't know if I'll have a big one. I think it will be more like a bunch of little ones that add up."

And right now he's reading this and cursing me because he's certain that I will share the details of his "Oh WOW" moment. However, he did specifically say to me, "Now you can't go putting this on the blog" just as I was thinking how perfect the material was. But, I did promise him I wouldn't. So, I just wanted to share enough to say, I think we're both gradually having more and more of our own "Oh WOW" moments.

Last night as I was trying to fall asleep Tot was kicking so hard that it literally made me kick my own legs in response - like at the doctor's office when they tap your knee with the rubber triangle. On the cartoons, of course, the entire lower leg always kicks a full 90 degrees upwards. I definitely thought I was doing something wrong the first time that "test" was included in a doctor's visit and I did not have a feeling of need to kick my leg up. Besides, I would have kicked THE DOCTOR.

Anyway. I kicked my legs like that last night. Not 90 degrees, but I jumped. And smiled and kind of laughed at the same time. In bed, in the dark. I just couldn't get over how strong our little Tot has gotten!

Nate is also getting to feel these kicks with more and more regularity. Whenever we get a kick while his hand is on my belly, our eyes bug out at the same time as if to say, "Was that what I think it was?" and, "That IS what you thought it was!" We don't want to speak or move for fear of making a change that will stop Tot's movements.

For some reason, I haven't been able to get the heartbeat with our Home Heart Monitor as easily as I did the first time I tried it. I promise we'll figure out how to record it once we find it again, though. I guess it gets more clear at about 28 weeks. Which is NOT that far away.

I also wanted to report on a successful trip to BabyLand. We stayed "focused" as Nate wanted, "just on the major things that we have to try out and compare and stuff." Done. So now we'll be doing more research, tweaking the list and adding more of the little things... but for now it's a start.

For me, BabyLand followed spending a morning in a baby-sitting role for my two youngest siblings. We spent most of our time at the jungle gym in a nearby park. They played and I supervised while chatting with the other parents on the sidelines (of course, Dad and Lus, I played with the kids, too). One mom was a fellow beading friend who I haven't seen for a while. Another woman was someone we just struck up conversation with, based on the fact that we had this being-in-charge-of-other-human-beings thing in common. They were talking about which parks and beaches were most kid-friendly, where to find good deals on kid's clothes, and how to best navigate a trip to the grocery store - a piece of information I didn't get until AFTER I took Alex and Lilo to the local Hannaford upon Alex telling me 20 minutes into playground time that he had to go the bathroom. RIGHT! Kids have to go #1 and #2 and you're supposed to ask them if they have to go either or both before you go some place, especially a place without a public restroom within walking distance.

In this grocery store, the bathrooms are, or course, in the far back corner, past the free kids' cookies in the bakery (which I forgot about until we got the skinny on that at the playground afterwards), the live seafood tank complete with Friendly Seafood Guy Who Doesn't Mind Taking the Crabs and Lobsters Out of the Tank So the Kids Can Either Pet Them or Run Away Screaming, then onwards past aisle endcaps of chips and soda for a tempting 10:00 am snack, and finally the restrooms, which of course we couldn't all go into the same one together, what with both sexes being present, and Alex is too much of a big boy to compromise his big boy self by going into the women's room. Clearly, as he pointed out to me by the sign of the person with a triangle for a lower half, he could NOT go in that room. So next was the juggling of who's going in, when, and how much help they need, and of course washing your hands with PLENTY of good-smelling soap. When I realized that I should go, too, Lilo joined me in the ladies room, outside the stall, and asked me during my 90 seconds in there: "How are you doing, Nicky?" Cutest quote ever.

Anyway - both the BabyLand excursion and my morning as a pseudo-parent were chock full of great Oh WOW moments and primo blog material, but as Nate said, you can't put EVERYTHING on the blog... especially if you have a job to keep and sleep to get.

So with that,
enjoy the 25 and a half-week belly pic...
and stay tuned for colorful descriptions of what it feels like to maneuver around with this soccer ball for a midsection these days. Let's just say I'm not feeling like I am at my most graceful as of late. Because, you know, normally I am all about the grace.

Nicky and Nate
25 weeks 4 days

Baker's Dozen

"You're making me look like a real dink on the blog, there."

This is Nate's way of telling me he's read the latest entry.

"I'm sorry, did I mis-quote you?"

"Well, you took it out of context."

Context? Umm, you basically said my boobs were not as big as big as you might have expected as a side-perk, if you will, to this whole pregnancy deal.

Sure, I'm just as bummed as you are that we have not been "visited by the Titty Fairy" as one of the husbands in The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy refers to the condition of being pregnant. But jeez, man, do me a favor and hide it a little better, will ya?

Really, I'm not losing sleep over it. The most entertaining part of this exchange for me, besides the fact that it inspired a verbal reaction from Nate about the blog, was that he used the word "dink". We've been together for darn near a baker's dozens' worth of years, and I don't know if I've heard him say "dink" before. And the first several years were college years. You know, the crass party years when you're living on your own without supervision, so to make the most of it, you bring back bad words you first learned in middle school and use them just because you can. You know they sound elementary but they're just so ridiculous you can't help using them, especially when you see how much it makes your friends crack up. Oh wait, not everyone did that? Just Nicky and the guys? Oh- Well then; ahem... I promise I'll try to keep them to a minimum. Although, it's a little too late now, having used "boob" and "titty" in the past couple of entries. But technically, I WAS QUOTING OTHER PEOPLE.

Baker's dozen is also a fun phrase to use but for different reasons. A) It makes me feel like I have an advanced command of the English language B) It makes you stop for about .3 seconds to make sure you know how many a baker's dozen is so that you can follow along with the conversation and C) for some reason it makes me think of a jolly round pastry chef with a puffy white hat holding a box of 13 glazed donuts - the kind with pink icing and sprinkles, that I wouldn't actually like the taste of, but have always thought look pretty.

Okay I hope you've enjoyed this segment of "Nicky's Active Procrastination of OTP Activities".

This weekend we're headed to Babies'R'Us, or "Babyland" as Nate calls it, to immerse ourselves in the foreign world of baby stuff. I will need to keep reminding myself that I'm not there to get stuff for someone else's baby... it's really and truly to look at stuff for OUR baby... holy moly.

Nicky and Nate
25 weeks 1 day

I know what you're thinking...

"When are your boobs going to get bigger??"
Don't worry - Nate already asked me that a while ago.

"I mean, they kind of did at first, a little bit, but then they, like, stopped."

There's nothing like having a 9 pound weight gain that has all gone to the belly region to make me feel even smaller in the chest region than I already did.

You just wait, buddy. Fill these girls up with milk and you'll see what they're really capable of.

Nicky and Nate
24 weeks 5 days

p.s. - OTP (Operation Tot Prep) is finally underway.
Seeing that my cousin Jess, who is due AFTER me, has registered at FOUR places has definitely inspired me to get on the ball.
And you thought I was the queen of to-do lists before OTP...