02.27.09 (Week 29, Day 7): Entering Week 30

Dear Friends and Family,

The weeks are beginning to fly by. And, Pioneer is growing like a weed. They've gotten to the point that when I'm reading and my arm is resting on my belly, if they kick, my book moves.

My stomach is running out of room. As a result, my meals have shrunk and my burps have returned. Sleep is getting a little less comfortable, but I'm still managing a full night's sleep.

And, last but not least, I'm getting to the point where I realize my days alone with Pioneer are numbered. When this week is over, the serious countdown begins. 10, 9, 8...

Baby
Your baby measures about 17 inches from head to toe and weighs about 3 pounds. Baby is growing plumper and beginning to control its own body temperature. Eyebrows and eyelashes are fully developed, and hair on the head is getting thicker. Head and body are now proportioned like a newborn's. Hands are now fully formed and fingernails are growing.

Mom-to-Be
Your uterus is about four inches above your navel, and it's hard to believe you still have about 10 weeks to go as baby continues to push on your ribs. You may be feeling more discomfort in your pelvis and abdomen. You'll probably be gaining about a pound a week.

Tip for the Week
The membranes around the baby that contain the amniotic fluid are called the bag of waters. They usually do not break until just before the onset of labor, but if it does break prematurely, your risk of infection increases so call your practitioner immediately.

What's Happening Inside You?
At the end of the seventh month, fat begins to be deposited on your baby. Your baby is about 14 inches long and weighs from 2 to 4 pounds. Your baby's hearing is fully developed and he or she changes position frequently and responds to stimuli, including sound, pain and light

The amniotic fluid begins to diminish.

If born prematurely, your baby would likely survive after the seventh month.


Cheers!
mouse

Blissful Night's Sleep

Dear Friends and Family,

Tuesday night, Mr. mouse and I were at loggerheads with each other. I wanted him to sleep with me. He wanted to stay up and organize the house. Needless to say, I went to bed alone and he stayed up and did his thing.

Well, the results look good. And, last night, he spent the whole night with me. We ate dinner together. And, we watched TV together. And, then, we went down into the basement and I slept while he read. I woke feeling so rested. It was one of the best night's sleep ever.


Cheers!
mouse

Ferengi at Work

Dear Friends and Family,

I haven't had a chance to write about my two Ferengi colleagues at work. No, they're not Ferengi in terms of personality characteristics, even odder, they're Ferengi in terms of physical characteristics. No, they don't have the giant ears or the brain lobes or the short height. But, they do have nose ridges. Odd, but true.

I wonder, is it dominant? recessive? gender linked?


Cheers!
mouse

KENKEN, the New Sudoku?

Dear Friends and Family,

Nothing like a quick 15-20 minute stretch for the brain each morning to get it going. I used to play sudoku, but lately, I've gotten hooked on kenken. There's a new puzzle everyday on the NY Times site at http://www.nytimes.com/ref/crosswords/kenken.html. Instead of just mixing and matching, it forces a level of mathematical logic. Hopefully, the mental gymnastics keeps the mind elastic.


Cheers!
mouse

02.23.09: Preparing for Pioneer

Dear Friends and Family,

In case you're wondering, I'm still battling the lingering effects of my cold - runny nose and intermittent coughs. Two weekends, that's a lot longer than my usual 24-36 hours. Hmm...

Friday afternoon, I got home early from my business trip and had a chance to unwind and catch my breath. We used a couple of hours to tour a day care facility. It's not as bad as I imagined it would be. I would be okay with Pioneer going there vs. having a nanny at home. The social interaction looked like it would outweigh the less individual care.

Mr. mouse was torn between starting work Pioneer's room and traveling. Ultimately, we opted for staying in which gave me a chance to get some rest and get a little bit better.

My sister and brother-in-law arrived around 9PM Friday night. And, we headed out for Vietnamese for dinner/late night snacks. Then, we all turned in early Friday night. Or, at least, I did. My sister's turned into a night owl.

Saturday, we made pancakes and started on the big project. First, we hung all of the paint chips and picked a very boring, very neutral, very flexible taupe. Then, while Mr. mouse went to get the paint mixed, my sister and brother-in-law started moving stuff from the room into the basement and I started taking down wall hangings and patching the room.

We cleared everything from the room and spent the afternoon painting. It looks good. Saturday night, we headed out to Due for deep dish pizza and then over to Spring for dessert. They're so good to us there. Mr. mouse and I need to go back for dinner one weeknight soon.

Sunday, we had brunch at Moonshine before loading my sister and brother-in-law into their car. Mr. mouse and I headed over to IKEA and picked up a crib for Pioneer. It's sitting in their room with some odds and ends that's the start of their room furniture. I want to do a thorough floor cleaning before we start moving furniture into place. Hopefully, we can do that on a weeknight, since I do want to start hitting the road before we hit our "no fly zone."

We'll see how it all plays out.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: I almost forgot. B and Chef M came over Sunday night and we watched the Oscars together.

02.20.09 (Week 28, Day 7): 28 down, 12 weeks to go

Dear Friends and Family,

We went in last Friday for a doctor's appointment.

Pioneer continues to grow and do well. They measured 2 lbs 5 oz at the ultrasound which is right on track. And, good news my placenta moved from low lying to normal. So, I'm off the pelvic rest and can continue the last three months with fewer concerns than before.

This week also marks the end of week 28. Each of the past and upcoming weeks are a crucial week in the probability game. If Pioneer was born now... the chances of survival would be... and the risk of complications would be... As you'd expect, each week provides better odds. But, it's not linear. I believe 28 weeks is one of those non-linear tipping points. Yeah, Pioneer!

How am I feeling? No new symptoms. Pioneer continues to move. Burping has largely faded. I think the thing I need to manage is food. No need to grow too large with the pregnancy - 25-35 pounds is my target. The thing I need to focus on is eating healthy. Sometimes, I snack now because I can get away with it. I don't need the snack calories. Nor am I particularly hungry. It may be emotional. It may be just for fun. I need to instill more discipline cause sooner or later I'm going to need to work off any additional poundage.

I talk with Pioneer in little snippets. I know they can hear me even if they can't understand me. It's fun to engage them. I wonder what their day is like. And, I picture what they'll look like when they're born. In my mind, Pioneer is a little lumpiken - not much muscular control, not much shape, a little lump/blob whose head you need to hold up - a cute lumpiken, but a lumpiken nonetheless.

Baby
Your baby measures about 10.4 inches from crown to rump, or a total length of about 16.7 inches from head to toe, and weighs about 2.7 pounds. At this stage a fetus's eyes are almost always blue and can distinguish bright sunlight or artificial light through the uterine wall. Baby is performing fewer acrobatics as conditions in the womb become more cramped, but still doing a lot of kicking and stretching.

Mom-to-Be
Your uterus is about 3.5 to 4 inches above your navel. Weight gain is probably between 19 and 25 pounds. As odds improve that baby could survive outside the womb -- although in a neonatal intensive-care unit -- you may be feeling relieved and excited, or anxious about motherhood, your baby's health, and labor and delivery. If you do experience premature labor, signs include menstrual-like cramps or lower back pain, a trickle of amniotic fluid, or a watery pinkish or brownish discharge preceded sometimes by the passage of a thick, gelatinous mucus plug. Your practitioner often can stop labor from progressing with bed rest, muscle relaxants or other drugs, possibly requiring hospitalization.

Tip for the Week
Your blood pressure typically may rise a little around the seventh month, but contact your practitioner if you get severe headaches, blurred vision or severe swelling of hands, feet or ankles, or if you experience severe weight gain. These symptoms could signal the beginning of preeclampsia, a dangerous condition marked by high blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine during pregnancy.


Cheers!
mouse

If it Can Happen to a Friend, it Can Happen to Us

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry for the late post. On a business trip and we were out late last night and hence off to a late start this morning.

Old work is going through lay-offs. And, a friend just wrote to tell me that they were impacted. I know we're planning a second round of lay-offs at the end of this month. And, I know someone who will be impacted, but doesn't know yet. And, I have a friend who was laid off in the auto industry. And, another in the housing industry. And, one in the banking industry. And, well, the list is long and only getting longer.

This is the hard part about the crisis in confidence the nation is facing. It's hard not be affected. Even if you keep your job, you can't help planning for the what-ifs when people around you are affected.

This will be an interesting time to look back on in a decade or two or three.


Cheers!
mouse

Another Month, Another House Payment

Dear Friends and Family,

When we met with our financial adviser in January, we looked at our plans for the year and discussed and debated the strengths and weaknesses of investing vs. saving in today's economy. All logic says that now is a good time to buy. Buy low, sell high. Right?

To be honest, most of the debate was internal. Our adviser is more than happy to give information and advice, but to ultimately let us decide what's the right course of action for us.

I still think we're in for a rough ride. There will be more ups and downs before the market stabilizes. And, once it does, I think it'll be a slow steady climb, not a swift leap. And, last but not least, I don't believe I can time the market, so I don't really try to.

What that means for February, especially considering the swings in the past couple of weeks, is that I just made the adjustment to my February mortgage payment to continue to plug away at that. Sooner or later, that option will go away, but for now, I'm more than happy to park my cash there.

Liquidity? What happens if we need cash? Well, option A is the rainy day fund which should cover most basic random cash needs, after all that's what it's there for. Option B is the line of credit we have on the house which we keep open for a $50 maintenance fee a year. Option C is to sell some of our miserable under-performing stocks at a loss. Option D would be a list of more desperate options: credit card debt, refinancing the house, selling the house, renting the house, etc. We can only assume we'd get to D if things got really bad. Let's hope we never get there.


Cheers!
mouse

Home Alone II: Sick Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

What a miserable day yesterday was. My cold got worse. In addition to being totally congested, I picked up an intermittent cough and a bad earache in my right ear. Happiness and joy.

I called the doctor's office to check and they didn't seem overly concerned. So, I'm assuming minus the constant jostling Pioneer is getting from the sneezing, they're doing okay. Speaking of Pioneer, sometime between Friday and yesterday, they either shifted or had a growth spurt, because I'm certainly bigger than I was just a handful of days ago.

Mr. mouse comes home today. I have to admit, I missed him more than I thought I would. It must be the pregnancy hormones, since it was a normal occurrence in our not too distant past.

Hope today is a better day than yesterday.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Mr. mouse called this morning. I missed his call. But, he called again. It was really good to hear his voice.

02.16.09: Home Alone

Dear Friends and Family,

Sometimes Mr. mouse hears things I have no recollection of saying. Like, when he deleted our entire registry when I asked him to delete two items. And, like when he heard that I was too busy to take vacation in February.

So, due to some poor communication and poor planning on both of our parts, Mr. mouse boarded the jet plane bound for Japan without me for the weekend (work, not leisure). Originally, I thought about going to San Francisco and/or Seattle. But, then one of my friends ended up out of town. Flights ended up full. My uncle ended up sick. And, ultimately, I came down with a cold and couldn't muster up the energy to get motivated.

Instead, we spent Friday night and Saturday morning together. I dropped Mr. mouse off at the airport at noon on Saturday and saw Air Force One sitting on the tarmac. Came home and made a pizza for lunch. I spent the day doing stuff around the house. Nothing ambitious, just quiet time with Pioneer. The highlight was a call with my cousin. It was good catching up with her.

Dinner was rice with chicken and an Asian pear for dessert. I watched some TV and then crawled into bed. And, that's when the water works started. I wrote Mr. mouse a long letter and fell asleep exhausted.

Mr. mouse called when he landed. And, we spoke briefly on the phone before he headed out to dinner. Then, I spent a couple of sleepless hours on the computer before we spoke again and I napped.

Sunday, I spent some time organizing and some time working on a couple of projects and turned in early for the night.

Still feeling congested. Hope to feel better soon.


Cheers!
mouse

02.13.08 (Week 27, Day 7): Somersaults R Us

Dear Friends and Family,

Pioneer learned a new trick this week.

Tuesday, I was in a meeting when I had the weird sensation that my entire middle was rising (like if I was jumping a wave) and then coming back down. Until then, the movement had been mostly quick jabs and wriggles like Pioneer was doing the hokey pokey. This felt like they were doing a whole body roll. I felt it again on Thursday afternoon. I'm assuming it's normal and that I'll continue to feel it until they run out of room.

Wednesday, I felt a couple of cramps in the morning - kind of like what you feel when you start your cycle. But, they went away after breakfast. Guess the body's practicing for the big day.

Baby
Your baby measures about 10 inches from crown to rump, or a total length of about 15.75 inches from head to toe, and weighs about 2.4 pounds. Brain waves show rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which means your baby may be dreaming. Eyelids are opening. Branches of lungs are developing, so there's a good chance that baby would survive if born prematurely now.

Mom-to-Be
Your uterus extends well above your navel. As baby gets bigger and stronger this month, you may be experiencing leg cramps and mild swelling of ankles and feet, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath, lower abdominal achiness, clumsiness or scattered Braxton Hicks contractions (hardening and relaxing of the uterus, like rehearsals for labor). You may also be urinating more frequently again as the uterus continues to push on your bladder.

Tip for the Week
Even if your husband is planning on being with you in the delivery room, you might want to consider hiring a doula -- a professional labor assistant who provides support, but not medical aid, for the mother and her partner. Studies show that doulas can shorten a woman's labor and reduce the likelihood of needing pain medication, forceps deliveries or a Caesarean section.


Cheers!
mouse

Salad for Lunch

Dear Friends and Family,

After six months of eating willy-nilly, I've decided to add some discipline back into my food routine. For lunch, yesterday, I had a Chef's Salad and it was good. I need to do that more often. I didn't have that after lunch carb surge followed by the after surge carb slump followed by the after slump carb craving. Instead, I made it through the whole afternoon on an even keel. Perhaps, I'll have salad for lunch again today.


Cheers!
mouse

Growing Banker Disgust

Dear Friends and Family,

Warning: personal pet peeves coming out here

In the continual skirmish between bankers and consultants, I've always sided with the consultants. With their out-sized egos and their arrogance, bankers have always struck me as a sorry lot of people with no sense of reality.

And, in the current mess, my firm belief is they're getting what they deserve. In fact, they're getting more than they deserve. They're the first to pull the plug on any under-performing company in the name of capitalism. Well, let their own under-performers get weeded out!

Yesterday's market reaction especially ticked me off. Didn't get the bailout plan you wanted? Why not throw a tantrum and send the markets into free fall? I feel like they're trying to hold the American people hostage - clean up the mess we made or we'll refuse to let the economy recover and we'll continue to send stock prices spiraling.

Well, in my naivete, I'm all for letting them throw their tantrum. What's the worst they can do? Let unemployment go up. Let the stock market crash. Sooner or later, it will all self-correct. There's pain involved in it. But, I only have so much pity for the credit drunk consumer looking to absolve themselves of all guilt in the name of ignorance.

What a total sham.


Cheers!
mouse

February Rain

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been unseasonably warm. And, as a result, the piles of snow have been melting. Last night, it was raining as Mr. mouse and I walked home.

It's too early to wish for spring weather, but it is nice to enjoy a break from the Arctic cold we had earlier this month.

It's been slow for us now that the party is behind us and most evenings are spent just lazing and enjoying Pioneer and most days are spent plugging away at the office.

I like the downtime that winter provides. It's a chance to take a breather from the craziness of the summer months and let the body and mind rejuvenate.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: I installed my new lamp yesterday. It's okay. It's not as bright as my old lamp. I did almost tip the new lamp when my laptop cord got in the way again. This time I solved that problem for good, by moving the brick onto the desktop and hanging the cord. I just wish I had done that before I broke my old lamp. Sigh.

02.09.09: Quiet Weekend with the Rents

Dear Friends and Family,

My Mom was convinced it was my Dad's 70th birthday this weekend, so Mr. mouse and I went home to celebrate. Secretly, I'm convinced it's his 71st, but that's a whole 'nother story a whole 'nother day.

Our original plan was to get a new water meter installed Saturday morning and then fly over for dinner. The water meter install person was scheduled to come between 8 and noon and Mr. mouse was really hoping for earlier rather than later. We woke at 8, went downstairs and found... a "sorry we missed you" post it note on our door. No way! Well, it's rescheduled for mid-April now.

Instead, we ran some errands (dry cleaning, library, bread, gas, mail, lunch) and headed to the airport for our flight. We landed just in time to head to the store before it closed. My Dad was feeling tired, so we opted for a quiet dinner at home before he turned in for the night. It was a good chance to catch up with my Mom while Mr. mouse caught up with HGTV.

Sunday, we took my Dad out for brunch. Then, we spent a couple more hours at home, flew back, and hit the errands hard. First, Buy Buy Baby (which we both like way more than Babies R Us) to see what they carried. Then, IKEA to see what a bargain basement crib looked like (perfectly fine) and to return some parts left over from our shelving project (shortest line ever) and to buy a new lamp since I broke my old one at work on Friday (I've got high hopes) and last, but not least meatballs (since Pioneer was giving me the burpies). Next, the supermarket, to pick up cereal and milk. And, then to Borders, only to find that Borders closes at eight on Sundays.

The weather was gorgeous here Saturday and Sunday. And, the piles of snow are smaller. It makes it feel like May will be here in no time.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Not UTI, but bacterial vaginosis. Common with pregnany women. Antibiotics through next Friday. Lovely.

PPS: Glucose tests came back well within the normal range. Yippee!

02.06.09 (Week 26, Day 7): Finally Leg of the Journey

Dear Friends and Family,

What new to report?

Well, I wrote about the infection yesterday. Another lovely symptom I picked up is leg cramps. I woke Wednesday morning from a deep sleep with cramp in my right leg that startled me. I woke Mr. mouse and he was able to massage my leg and I fell back asleep. Last night, we read that it's a common pregnancy thing. Who knew?

The other thing we have going on this week is a survey Mr. mouse launched on Survey Monkey. We sent it to a bunch of friends to have them rate products on a scale from must have to skip. Anything that has a third of the people in the skip camp is a skip in my book. And, anything with over 80% in the must have is a must have. The rest, we'll need to sort through.

Last, but not least, definitely getting bigger and more round. Tomorrow is the start of the third trimester. If the last two are any indicator, it's going to fly.

Baby
Your baby measures about 9.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs a little more than 2 pounds. Hands are active and muscle coordination is such that he can get his thumb into his mouth. Thumb-sucking calms the baby and strengthens his cheek and jaw muscles. Your baby can cry now.

Mom-to-Be
You may see stretch marks as your uterus continues to expand. Most women have gained about 16 to 22 pounds by now. Balance and mobility also may be changing as you grow larger.

Tip for the Week
During your last trimester you should talk to your doctor or midwife about the delivery. You'll learn such things as signs to predict labor and how far apart the contractions should be before going to the hospital or birth center. It's also the time to begin interviewing pediatricians and to take care of other logistics, like pre-registration and a birthing plan (what you envision your labor and delivery will be like). This plan should be written in your patient record or attached to it in the form of a birth plan.


Cheers!
mouse

02.05.09 (Week 26, Day 6): Unplanned Doctor Visit

Dear Friends and Family,

It wasn't fun, but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't bad.

Monday, I noticed a change in my discharge from clear to yellow and from thin to egg white consistency and from odorless to well...

Tuesday, nothing.

Wednesday, more discharge, no odor.

Called. And, they wanted us to come in, just in case. They think it's a urinary tract infection (UTI). Test results should be in by Friday. Happiness and joy.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse Pad Milestone

Dear Friends and Family,

Slow and steady wins the race. And, when it comes to paying down debt or losing weight or other long term goals, I've, fortunately, got the patience and the perseverance (or perhaps it's simply stubbornness) to slowly whittle away at something until I finally reach my end goal. In fact, for me, the journey is part of the fun.

That's why, strangely enough, I love getting the mortgage statement each month. Who in America can say that? Now, if either of us lost our jobs, that might be a different story. But, for now, it's a fun bill to open. Each month, I get to see the payment and how it was applied - how much went to principle and how much went to interest. Then, I get to see the remaining principle amount and how it decreased from the prior month.

Last month, I felt like it was a milestone month. It wasn't a particular number that we hit or anything like that. But, it was an attitude adjustment. It felt like a tipping point, when the momentum turns in your favor and for the same effort the progress increases. It felt good.


Cheers!
mouse

02.03.09 (Week 26, Day 4): Sleeping a Lot Again

Dear Friends and Family,

It feels like we're rewound the tape to the first trimester. While I'm not as wiped as I was then, I am napping more again. Perhaps I'm trying to bank some zzz's knowing that the last trimester will be tougher and once Pioneer is here, it'll be even tougher?

Somehow January passed in the blink of an eye, as it always does, preparing for the party. And, February, a short month, always comes and goes quickly. And, before you know it, it'll be March, and then April, and then May. Wow.

I hope everything is going well with Pioneer and that they're growing and developing and doing all the things they need to do to prepare for the big day. I wonder what it's like for them. It's dark and quiet and cramped and there's no one else to talk to or interact with or anything. I wonder what must go through their mind. Are they self aware? Certainly, they know nothing of Mr. mouse and me. What an odd existence.


Cheers!
mouse

02.02.09: Superbowl Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

What a fun weekend.

Saturday, we woke up at a decent hour and had breakfast together before heading out to pick up mail and to begin shopping for Pioneer. We spent a couple of hours at Babies R Us just soaking in the range of products and options. Then, we came home and went to a small boutique store in the neighborhood that focuses on higher end baby gear. Out of all this, I was able to make a list of immediate needs (e.g. crib) and later needs (e.g. high chair) with each split into two buckets "must haves" (e.g. bottles) and "maybes" (e.g. bouncer). I think I'm getting a handle on all of this.

The other decision point I came to Saturday night is that I'm leaning towards outfitting Pioneer's room from IKEA for the first couple of years. It's durable. It's cheap. It's functional. And, it's disposable. With only one child in the plans and with a frugality made worse by the current economy and by the realization that Pioneer will remember almost none of it, I can't justify some of the crazy amounts people spend on preparing for baby. I think I'll do an IKEA stock up for birth. Do an upgrade at 2 or whenever they outgrow their crib. And then do a second upgrade at 5-6 years of age to the "real" stuff.

Sunday, we picked up cupcakes for a Super Bowl party. Then, we hit Target for some random stuff we needed. Then, came home and did some final recovery from the party - making both beds with new sheets, and folding all of the towels and table cloths. Then, I apparently climbed into bed and passed out for two hours for a nice afternoon nap. We headed out to our friends' house for pizza, wings, cupcakes, ice cream, Superbowl squares and some general fun.

Over the weekend, Mr. mouse and I spent a lot of time talking about Pioneer. Overall, minus a couple of scares early on, we really can't complain. The pregnancy has been going so smoothly. And, knowing we've only got one in the plans, we've both been trying to savor each phase of it since we know it's a once in a lifetime experience for us. While on the one hand, I'm looking forward to being able to take a deep breath and to have a flat belly again, on the other hand, I think I'll miss Pioneer once they're born and we're not sharing what we share now. I never thought I'd be "that person," but in a way I guess I am.


Cheers!
mouse