11.30.08 (Week 17, Day 2): Week 17

Dear Friends and Family,

The second trimester really is the best time. Well, so far, it has been. Almost all of the symptoms of the first trimester have passed. And, I've only had to cope with coughing/burping. Plus, I'm definitely developing a "baby bump" instead of the standard pot belly I've been sporting.

Baby
Your baby, now about in its 15th week of development, measures about 4.4 to 4.8 inches from crown to rump and has doubled in weight in the last two weeks to about 3.5 ounces. Fat begins to form, helping your baby's heat production and metabolism. The lungs are beginning to exhale amniotic fluid, and the circulatory and urinary systems are working. Hair on head, eyebrows and eyelashes is filling in.

Mom-to-Be
You're showing more now, with an obvious swelling in your lower abdomen. A five- to 10-pound weight gain is typical by now. You also may be noticing an increase in appetite.

Tip for the Week
Change positions slowly, especially when you move from a lying down position to sitting or from a sitting position to standing to avoid feeling dizzy or faint. If you feel lightheaded, sit down and lower your head, or lie down for a moment.


Cheers!
mouse

11.21.08 (Week 15, Day 7): Week 16

Dear Friends and Family,

The weeks are beginning to blur together and I'm having trouble keeping track of which week I'm in. By the time we get back from vacation, We'll be beginning month five. Wow.

Symptoms continue to improve. A couple of cases of the burps. And, last night, I came home and crawled into bed when I should have been helping Mr. mouse prepare for vacation.

Next steps? Dec 6th, blood draw for the next round of screening tests. Then, the week after, the next doctor's appointment. And, the following week, our next ultrasound. Fortunately, the first two are on Saturday. And, the last is on a Friday afternoon during the holidays.

Baby
Your baby now measures about 4.3 to 4.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 2.8 ounces. Fingernails are well-formed and the fine hair, lanugo, may be growing on the head. Arms and legs are moving. The nervous system is functioning and muscles are responding to stimulation from your baby's brain. You may be able to hear the baby's heartbeat in the doctor's office.

Mom-to-Be
Your uterus has grown significantly by now and weighs about 8.75 ounces. Within the next few weeks you may start to feel your baby move, called "quickening." It's often like a gas bubble or subtle fluttering movement. As it happens more regularly, you'll know it's your baby. There are other physiological changes happening in your body. Increased blood volume to support your growing fetus may produce nosebleeds, and leg veins may become more apparent. Your uterus is shifting so you may not have to urinate so much.

Tip for the Week
If veins in your legs are beginning to bulge, you may want to use support stockings, elevate your feet when you can and exercise to improve blood flow.

What's Happening Inside You?
Your baby's fingers and toes are well-defined; eyelids, eyebrows, eyelashes, nails and hair are formed. Teeth and bones become denser. Your baby can even suck his or her thumb, yawn, stretch and make faces.

The nervous system is starting to function. The reproductive organs and genitalia are now fully developed, and your health care provider can see on ultrasound if you are having a boy or a girl. Your baby's heartbeat may now be audible through an instrument called a Doppler.

By the end of the fourth month, your baby is about 6 inches long and weighs about 4 ounces.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: No updates until we're back from vacation. Enjoy thanksgiving!

Enjoying it All

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been awake for over an hour and waiting for inspiration to strike. And, well, sorry to disappoint, but it hasn't yet.

So, you're getting a work update. I'm surprisingly happy at the new job. I feel like a valued member of the team. I like the people I work with. I'm included in the "right conversations." And, yesterday, I met my new direct report, and although brand new to the work world, she seems like a gem.

I'm a little scared. Life seems to being too smoothly right now. Pioneer is doing well. I'm feeling good. The screening lifted a huge anxious cloud from over me. And, work is going well. I'm really glad I took the role. The promotion and raise lifted my spirits in this down market. We're putting away chunks of cash each month - both towards our rainy day fund and towards our house balance. And, with any luck, Mr. mouse and I will be boarding the plane tomorrow for the beach.

I'm ready for the piano/safe/shoe to drop. It's been a good month.


Cheers!
mouse

Three More Days

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been counting down the days until I get to my week of vacation. Today, tomorrow and Friday. Three more days.

Work's been flying by. The unfortunate thing is so have the evenings. I still tire pretty early (say by 10PM-ish) and since I work until 6:30ish and get home around 7:30ish, and bring an hour to an hour and half of work home, it's not a pretty picture.

I've got to head in early this morning so no real time for a post. Happy Hump Day.


Cheers!
mouse

The Value of Respect and of Values, and of Faith

Dear Small,

Last winter, I wrote you a letter, and I want to revisit it. A lot has changed in this past year.

A year ago, you were a thought and a wish. Now, well, you're still a thought and a wish. But, you're also a three and a half month old fetus who is growing at an amazing rate. We'll get to meet you before this time next year if everything goes according to plan.

In the past year, we elected our first Black president. And, in doing so, took an unimaginable leap forward as a nation. What seemed impossible before doesn't seem so impossible now.

And, that brings me to faith. Ultimately, if you have faith, you have confidence. If you have confidence, you have faith. They build upon themselves. And, when you lose one, you quickly lose the other. But, when you have faith and confidence then all things, even the impossible, are possible. It's what gives me enough hope to try to bring you into this crazy world we live in.

Faith in what? Some people find faith in religion. Others look inward for faith. I don't know if there's one right answer. I look to life for faith. Ultimately, you'll have to find what works for you. I have faith you will.


Love,
your mom

11.17.08: Weekend, What Weekend?

Dear Friends and Family,

If everything goes to plan, we're off to vacation on Friday for a week. Between that, tying out odds and ends on the old job, getting off on the right foot on the new job, and catching up from two weekends worth of friends, we had a crazy weekend this weekend.

We had our follow-up doctor's appointment on Friday. And, Pioneer seems to be doing fine. Heartbeat's in the 150s - sounds like PacMan according to Mr. mouse. I spent a very frustrated 30 minutes trying to get our appointment schedule sorted out. Honestly, I thought Mr. mouse had it under control, but I think he's too much of a softie. They had us coming in a billion and one times for our appointments. Seriously, need to combine visits so I'm not MIA at work, people.

Saturday, we drew up our list of errands. And, it was daunting. We:

1. returned our library books
2. dropped off dry cleaning
3. spent some serious lotion time to try to avoid stretch marks
4. took our weekly picture
5. dropped of pants at the tailor
6. picked up a prescription
7. picked up book for work
8. called our friends with the news
9. picked up the mail
10. picked up a couple of "maternity" tops and bras
11. and... food shopping

Sunday morning, I finished off the "quick hitter" list with an evite for a Christmas get together. Then, bless Mr. mouse's heart, we made Thanksgiving dinner together early. Mr. mouse knew I wanted to, but wasn't feeling up to it energy-wise, so he went and picked up all of the stuff Saturday night while I was napping. We didn't do the whole shebang (e.g. pies) but we did make the turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potato, sweet potato, green bean casserole, corn, and cranberry relish. And, afterwards, Mr. mouse made turkey stock with the carcass. I got through my work emails and "finishing up" a deck for my old department. And, we went out for dessert to celebrate Pioneer.

Still on the docket for this week (which is a crazy week at work and chock a block with vacation prep) is scheduling our next ultrasound and alumni council work - I'm beginning to regret signing up for it. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have it hanging over my head this week. Sigh.

So, what am I thankful for? In no particular order, I'm thankful for (and I'm sure I'm going to miss some of the stuff from my list yesterday and think of new ones, but such is life): the health and happiness of our friends and family, of my grandparents, and Mr. mouse's grandmother, and our parents, and my sister and new brother-in-law, and my brother, and Mr. mouse, and Pioneer, and all of our friends, for making it through the first trimester, for the first trimester screening results, for the stuff being bearable, for the bleeding stopping, for both being gainfully employed, for the promotion, for the raise, for having (almost) built up our cash reserves for a rainy day and taxes (plan is to have them in place by end of Dec), for paying down the house, for enjoying work, for a shorter commute, for nice weather so far, for all the places we got to go this year, for all the friends who came to see us, for our wellness, for good food, for balance and perspective, for laughter, for tears, for humility, for the elections, for the future and for hope. Wow, there's a lot to be thankful for.


Cheers!
mouse

11.14.08 (Week 14, Day 7): Week 15

Dear Friends and Family,

I must admit the weeks are ticking by now. Being busier at work definitely makes a difference - the days just go faster. And, I'm beginning to enjoy the second trimester. Let's see... Still burping. And, still getting bouts of bad coughing. Now that I'm feeling better, I need to get the eating under control. I can be more disciplined about what I eat instead of eating whatever I can to keep food down.

We go in today for a scheduled doctor's appointment just to make sure everything's progressing as it should be. The other thing I've noticed is I'm spending less time reading the baby books. There's less going on now, Pioneer's in a growth spurt, but it's not like the first trimester where every week there's something new being formed. I feel sorry for Pioneer sometimes, they get jostled and woken every time I cough or sneeze or move suddenly. It must feel like an earthquake zone in there sometimes.

Baby
Your 13-week-old fetus now measures about 4.1 to 4.5 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 1.75 ounces. Its body is covered by an ultrafine hair, called lanugo, which is usually shed by birth. Eyebrows and hair on the top of the head are beginning to grow. He may even be sucking his thumb by now. Bones are getting harder.

Mom-to-Be
Your uterus can probably be felt about 3 to 4 inches below your navel. Sometime in the next five weeks you'll be offered a quadruple marker screening test, which measures four chemicals in your blood -- alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), inhibin A, and estrogen produced by the placenta. The test is a more accurate predictor of Down syndrome than AFP testing alone. Amniocentesis, which tests a small sample of amniotic fluid withdrawn by an ultrasound-guided needle, is usually performed between now and 18 weeks. It may be recommended if you're 35 or older or if your AFP or quadruple marker screen test results were suspicious.

Tip for the Week
Start learning to sleep on your left side because circulation is best that way. Lying on your back or stomach after about the fourth or fifth month can put extra pressure on your growing uterus and decrease circulation to your baby. You can try tucking pillows behind you and between your legs. Some manufacturers make a pregnancy pillow that supports your entire body.


Cheers!
mouse

Bare Trees

Dear Friends and Family,

As I was waiting for the bus yesterday, I noticed that there were a lot of leaves on the ground after two days of rain and wind. Then, when I looked up into the trees, I noticed that they were all bare.

Winter is here, well, technically not here until Dec 21st, but here as far as I'm concerned.


Cheers!
mouse

Sources and Uses of Money

Dear Friends and Family,

Money. Too much is not a good thing. Not enough is not a good thing. Ideally, like Goldilocks, just right is what I'm after.

I like to think about money in two frames: sources of money and uses of money. Fortunately for us, we have two primary sources of money: Mr. mouse's paycheck and my paycheck. We have a couple of other sources of money (e.g. interest on our checking account) that we essentially ignore because it's rounding error, frankly. And, we have a couple of sources of money (e.g. appreciation on the home, appreciation on our investment account, credit card accounts) that we essentially ignore because we don't utilize any of them as a source of money. That's money that's "not available" to us. Simple, but it works for me.

Onto uses of money. Well, there's the stuff that comes out before we even see the paycheck like taxes, 401k savings, health benefits, etc. Then, there's fixed expenses. Fixed expenses used to be a large slice of our expense pie at one point with student loans and car loans and credit card balances and stuff. Now, it's a smaller slice of a, thankfully, larger pie. We've got the mortgage, real estate taxes, home owner's assessment, home insurance, car insurance and the broadband bill. All of these bills are the exact same amount each month and constitute our "bare necessities."

Then, there's voluntary fixed expenses. What's that?!?! It's how I think of money that we spend each month on our future. Currently, we're fortunate enough (or maybe it's frugal enough) to live off of one income. The other income (my paycheck) is the voluntary fixed expense. Each month it goes towards savings. Early 2008, it was stocks and bonds and retirement funds and stuff. Now, we're focused on paying down the house. Hey, as far as I'm concerned, it's a guaranteed positive return on my dollar which is far better than our portfolio is performing.

Next come variable expenses. Well there's the obvious eating in, eating out, electricity, gas, phone, shopping, and other miscellanea that constitute out consumer-oriented society. This is the stuff that gets spent last. It's what's left after the rest of the money is spent.

It takes awhile to get all of your ducks in a row. And, it takes discipline. But, I'm glad it's something we prioritize. We could have "more" "fun" now, but life is good now with the money we have for variable expenses and I'm not sure life would be "better" if we had more.


Cheers!
mouse

A Feast to Remember

Dear Friends and Family,

We met up with B and Chef M last night to celebrate - Chef M's birthday, Mr. mouse's birthday, my promotion, and our "news." We had reservations at Boka, a place Chef M knew well; he had worked there for the summer. And, the amount of food that came out was stunning.

We had cocktails at the bar before heading to our table. We ordered three appetizers and four entrees. What did we get?

We started with an amuse bouche that was a sampling of four different cold appetizers, for each of us: hamachi, two oysters, and tuna. Then, our appetizers came out. But, funny enough, there were four of them, not three (squash soup, risotto, baby octopus, and duck terrine). And, just when we thought we could tackle it, two more came out for us to try (the sweetbreads and the sea scallops). We were struggling to save room for dinner (mahi mahi, tenderloin and trout) and when the entrees came out, so did a generous helping of each of the six sides (cucumber salad, curried carrots, creamed spinach, black rice risotto, brussels sprouts, and mac and cheese). And, just when we thought we couldn't eat another bite, out came the parade of desserts. Why bring out one or two when you can bring out five? We had beignets, waffles, banana bread, panettone, and seven kinds of ice cream and sorbet.

Suffice it to say, it was an amazing dinner. And, I'm still full this morning. More than the stomach, my head is full. I can't keep it all straight. And, each bite was a feast unto itself. A true once in a lifetime dinner to remember.


Cheers!
mouse

11.10.08: Birthday Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

What a week. What a weekend. It started with the election. And, was followed by the screening results and sharing our news. And, was capped off by a fabulous weekend birthday visit from Mr. mouse's college roommate and family.

I had my last "work from home Friday" on Friday. Mr. mouse came home around 4pm and we headed out to the airport to get the minivan and the guests. It still blows me away what a year can do to kids. T-Rex is four now. And, she's totally in love with dinosaurs. Her brother, fan-boy, is two. And, totally in love with fans. While two years apart in age, only 3.5 pounds separate them in size. It's a sad, sad day when your younger sibling grows bigger than you. Fortunately for me, I had the size advantage until sometime after college, but alas no more.

We picked up deep dish on the way home because we figured a 45 minute wait at the restaurant wasn't on the high priority list for either the parents or the kids. Afterward, the kids discovered our basement which can be a treasure trove of random toys just waiting to be discovered. Fan-boy's pick of the night? A model Cathay Pacific plane. T-Rex found some Mardi Gras beads and a JAL plane, but she was more interested in all of the dinosaur books Mr. mouse borrowed from the library.

Saturday, we ate in - bread from Zingerman's, muffins from Red Hen, eggs with basil from our box. Then, we loaded everyone into the minivan and drove down to the Field to visit Sue, our resident T-Rex along with her friends in the Evolving Planet exhibit. I petered out after lunch and took a nap on one of the sofas in the museum lobby while everyone else went to see another exhibit on animals. T-Rex was fascinated by all of the videos in the exhibits. I wonder how much of it she absorbed. Her brother? I think he was just along for the ride.

On the way home, we all passed out while Mr. mouse and friend picked up cupcakes and sausages. We snacked on the sausages at home and then the kids played while Mr. mouse and friend went out for groceries. T-Rex played with a magnet calendar while fan-boy found a singing frog White Elephant gift that he ended up taking home with him. Dinner was stir fried bison with onion, curried bison with potatoes, sauteed sea bass with butter sauce, and stir fried napa with garlic. Afterward, we busted out the cupcakes and first fan-boy and then T-Rex sang Happy Birthday. Mr. mouse and his roommate share the same birthday so they had number candles. Fan-boy had candles on his cupcake. And, T-Rex didn't want candles on her cupcake because she didn't want to deal with the smoke.

Sunday, the kids got to eat cupcakes and pizza for breakfast. Then, we headed out into the cold to see the bean at Millenium Park. (Side note: I had a serious case of the burpies on Sunday that got pretty bad on the car ride out. They just wouldn't stop. ) We took some pictures by the bean and then by the fountain with the faces and then hightailed it to the car. We drove down to Chinatown for dim sum and then to Wicker Park to walk through the shops. I was tired and burpy so I sat in the car and read the paper while everyone went for a walk.

It was off to the airport for the return trip. Then, Mr. mouse and I headed out to work for 30 minutes to pack my desk for my move to my new desk. My new desk is sad. I may want to talk to the admin about moving out some of the furniture. It's way too cramped for me.

We came home and I was exhausted from all of the burping. I cried when I realized how quickly the time was going. I wish I could slow it down so I can savor our life together. Instead, the years go faster and faster. And, I guess I'm greedy. I want them to last forever. Even more exhausted, we napped together until almost midnight.

We got up in time for birthday dinner - fried rice - and a couple more birthday hugs. Mr. mouse spent some time organizing photos while I read in bed. We ended the night with a bout of burp-induced queasiness and about three hours of light sleep.

Off to the new job today. This week's priorities? Starting the new job off with a bang, finishing out a couple of loose ends with the old job, and picking up my neglected Alumni Council work. Next week, it'll be vacation prep. And, before we know it, the holidays will be upon us.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Fred and Gen called Sunday morning. And, we were able to celebrate on all four counts (election, job, Pioneer and birthday) together.

11.07.08 (Week 13, Day 7): Week 14

Dear Friends and Family,

Definitely feeling better this week. Still have some belching/burping going on, but it's not as bad as before. And, cross your fingers, seems like the bleeding and queasiness may be behind us.

Besides that, beginning to feel like I may make it through the next 27 weeks. Pioneer seems to be behind the growth curve since they were 2.7 inches on Wednesday. Guess that's what happens when your parents are short.

Baby
Your baby measures about 3.2 to 4.1 inches from crown to rump now and weighs almost an ounce. The ears are shifting from the neck to the sides of the head, and the neck is getting longer and chin more prominent. Facial features and unique fingerprints are all there. Your baby is beginning to respond to outside stimuli. If your abdomen is poked, the fetus will try to wriggle away.

Mom-to-Be
You're probably wearing maternity clothes now. Your skin and muscles are starting to stretch to accommodate your growing baby. You may notice some constipation because pregnancy hormones relax the bowel.

Tip for the Week
Try to alleviate constipation with moderate exercise, and by drinking plenty of fluids and eating lots of fruit and vegetables, preferably raw.


Cheers!
mouse

11.06.08 (Week 13, Day 6): Sharing Our News

Dear Friends and Family,

We went in for our first trimester screening yesterday and got the good news. Based upon four independent tests, they were able to assess our risk for Down's Syndrome and Trisomy 18/13. There's still the risk of a false negative and the risk of other "stuff" going wrong, but for now, it doesn't look like we're at increased risk.

We have a second screening to be done between weeks 15 and 16. But, for now, the risk of a diagnostic test that would tell us "for sure" if something was there is higher than the risk of the likelihood of something being there. So, the prevailing wisdom is to enjoy the good news and the continuing pregnancy.

For us, we feel like we can begin to share the news with everyone. We've code named our baby Pioneer for the developmental phase of their life. We'll come up with an official name for launch, but for now, it's Pioneer.

Pioneer is 6.88 cm (2.70 inches) from crown to rump (CRL) which is the common measurement for fetuses. Pioneer has a heart beat of 157 beats per minute. You can see Pioneer in the ultrasound below with a tiny foot off the the right and an even tinier nose.

I'll be publishing a little over three months worth of posts under baby... maybe. And, going forward, we can do this real time instead of holding posts.


Cheers!
mouse

Day after Election Day

Dear Friends and Family,

It's the day after election day and I couldn't be happier. To think, less than 50 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, we as a nation are able to realize that day when we "live in a nation where [people] will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

I think this nation is ready for change. Myself, in trying to follow the teachings of Buddhism, believe that the "middle way" of moderation is the right way to live. The last eight years, I saw lives of excess, lives of greed, lives of over-consumption. And, while it's sobering, I think it's good to take some time now to step back and reassess ourselves as a nation. To scale back on the present and invest in the future.

W. never asked me to do anything for our nation. Well, he did. In a moment of crisis, he told me to go shopping. I think our nation is hungry for nation building and receptive to a president who'll ask something of us in exchange for a better future.

I'm filled with hope and optimism and joy. And, in a strange way, I'm glad the day is behind us. I've had a lot of balls in the air recently with changing jobs, taking on new responsibilities with my alumni association, Mr. mouse's birthday and stuff. It's nice to have one more piece of life "settled" so life can begin to approach a sense of normalcy and I can focus on fewer priorities.


Cheers!
mouse

11.05.08 (Week 13, Day 5): First Trimester Screen Part II: Genetic Counseling

Dear Friends and Family,

We go in this afternoon for the second half of our first trimester screen where they check if Pioneer is at risk for chromosomal abnormalities. I think Mr. mouse and I are both approaching it with an attitude that it is what it is. We can't control it at this point, so there's no point stressing over it.

This week has seen some improvement in how I'm feeling overall. I'm less fatigued and not as nauseous. The bleeding seems to be tapering off. And, the trips to the bathroom are not as frequent.

I'm still pretty burpy. And, something happened between 4 and 6 pm on Monday because I went from not showing to showing in the space of two hours. I ordered maternity pants online yesterday. They're scheduled to arrive next Friday. Until then, I'll continue to wear my 4s and maybe my 6s.


Cheers!
mouse

Grant Park!!!

Dear Friends and Family,

I still can't believe our luck...

We've got tickets to Grant Park for Obama's Election Night Rally!

I'm speechless.


Cheers!
mouse

11.03.08: Birthday Surprise

Dear Friends and Family,

We spent the weekend in the Motor City with our friends and our dentist.

Saturday morning, Mr. mouse and I went in for our regular teeth cleaning. Then, we drove out to Zingerman's in Ann Arbor for lunch. Instead of buying one of their pre-made sandwiches, we bought bagels, roast beef, and butter and made our own sandwiches. They were so good! We also loaded up on olive oil, balsamic vinegar, strawberry jam, and sardine oil while we were in the store.

We checked into our hotel. And, then we picked up groceries. Then, we drove over to our friends' house where a group of friends were waiting for us - we had planned a surprise birthday party for Mr. mouse. And, he was totally surprised! Yeah, us. Lot of food, lots of cake, lots of catching up, and a sad, sad game of Clue Jr. made up the evening.

Sunday, we met up with Joey for lunch. Then, we all went over to a friends' house to watch the F1 race. Joey and I fell asleep on the couch. Mr. mouse had a good chance to catch up while we slept.

I'm glad our dentist is in Detroit. It provides the perfect excuse to go back twice a year and see all of our friends.


Cheers!
mouse

11.01.08 (Week 13, Day 1): Another Chapter

Dear Friends and Family,

Day one of a new trimester. We're a third way through this adventure. It hasn't been a cake walk, but in all honesty, it hasn't been an absolute nightmare either.

We're off to Michigan for the weekend. And, although our friend, the ob/gyn, counseled for waiting until we had our first trimester screening completed before telling friends, Mr. mouse is eager to share the news with our friends. So, we'll be bringing the non-alcoholic bubbly and ultrasound pictures.


Cheers!
mouse