Post from a PIT

Hallo, Papa In Training (PIT) reporting in.

Half Pint has graciously offered/strongly encouraged an opportunity to contribute to her blog empire, so here goes.

For me, this long journey from seed to son has been constantly building in suspense, excitement, and happy moments just like a good film should. I know that Boyota has been on HD's mind non-stop since Day 1, but for me (and I would think most Dads) the first few months are pretty low key. Something's going on, but it is subtle. I think it would be a little weird to dance with excitement when your wife has to buy some bigger pants for the first time.

But in the most recent months it is very hard to think of things other than the baby on the way. Each day features at least one task related to the baby, from setting up the nursery, to reading up on the delivery sequence, to just day dreaming. I walk through a park twice a day on the way to and from work, and I always picture Boyota on the swing or slide or kicking a ball around.

It's been great having such support and advice from family and friends during this time, and of course the biggest thank you goes to HD. She has proven time and time again that she has all the dedication, drive, and love that makes a great mother. I can't wait for Boyota to meet her outside the womb.

Cheers,
PIT

Broke-down body

The pelvic pain is back after a two week respite. Not a big surprise after a very full weekend feathering the nest and generally running around. I don't think it will be as bad as last time when it was agony to walk or even get out of bed, but still, groin pulls are no fun. Ironically, I find that puttering around is better for the pain than lying down -- maybe because the weight of my body is distributed funny when I'm reclining.

i-am-pregnant.com explains the condition (called symphysis pubis dysfunction):

During pregnancy, your body produces hormones and body parts shift to meet the demands of your growing baby. Your body produces a hormone known as relaxin during pregnancy. Relaxin softens the ligaments in your pelvis to enable your baby to pass through your pelvis. Normally, the two halves of your pelvis do not move very easily because the symphysis pubis is strengthened by ligaments. If one side of your pelvis moves more than the other side, you can experience pain and inflammation. This can happen when you walk or move your legs and the pain can become severe.

The most common symptoms of symphysis pubis dysfunction are pain in the pubic area and groin. If you suffer from SPD, you might also complain of back pain, hip pain, or grinding in your pubic area. Sometimes the pain does radiate down the inside of the thighs or between the legs. Women that experience the symptoms of SPD have a hard time walking, going up stairs and other activities that involve separating their legs. It may be hard to get up in the night to use the restroom and getting sleep may be harder.

It's a bit discouraging when there are so many things I need to be doing before the baby arrives. But what does make me happy is that I've set aside today to launder all of Boyota's various undershirts and sleepers and blankets and am looking forward to folding and putting away each item. Funny how stoked I am about this. I don't remember feeling remotely sentimental about my wedding. There were no rituals -- no hope chests or trousseau. Now, with Boyota, I'm tempted to run out and buy some fancy tissue paper that I can wrap each of his garments in. I won't of course, but the thought did cross my mind.

Something more for the nursery

Another work in progress. A woodland scene for next to Boyota's crib.

Apartment for rent

We're ready to rent out our main floor. Jon's renovated the bathroom and all the rooms have been freshly painted. If anyone out there is interested, drop me a line. You can check out the listing on Viewit.ca
http://viewit.ca/vwExpandView.aspx?ViT=60878

Family

Spent the day in Uxbridge with Jane, Rene, Liz, Magnolia, and old family friend Gerry. As you can see from the pictures, there was a lot of snow up there. I always love going up to Uxbridge, and I'm very pleased that Boyota will have a little bit of a country upbringing thanks to his paternal grandparents. I'm also hoping that he will visit his maternal grandparents and uncle in Vancouver regularly, and something of the West Coast vibe will rub off on him too. Yearly trips out west to snowboard perhaps?

Anyway, we showed Jane and Rene the DVD of Boyota's 3D ultrasound, and they seemed to agree with me that the baby looks like Jon. My mom thought so too. So much for dominant Korean genes. I think people believe in this myth because the mixed baby ends up inheriting the asian parent's colouring. I have no doubt that Boyota will inherit my dark hair and eyes, but who's to say that he's going to inherit my nose or my ears or my hands?

The other pics are of Jane and Juicy, er I mean Lucy, the porcine calico.

First Snow

It started snowing last night and now it's really coming down. Just finished resolving a couple of staffing situations in other branches because so many people called in sick. If I, at eight months pregnant, am able to drag my ass in to work, then surely others should be able to as well.
Quite frustrated this morning by the self-absorption of other commuters. No one got up to give me their seat on either the streetcar or subway. Even worse, they kept jostling past me, pushing my big old belly into the post that I was hanging onto for dear life.
Obviously, I feel like a martyr today. Am planning on hot chocolate and a foot rub from hubby when I finally get home tonight.

Our Other Babies

It occured to me today that I haven't once mentioned our other babies on this blog. Ned and Chimpy. Ned's about 7 and Chimpy a little over a year. Chimpy is still quite tiny and has a squeaky immature meow. Ned is a respectable size but acts like a wee little baby because he's such a deeply sucky cat who looooves affection. I don't think they have any inkling about Boyota. I assume they will be good and love the baby when he arrives.

But there are some pretty horrific myths out there about cats and babies -- cats stealing the breath of babies and babies suffocating under the weight of cats that lie on them at night because they like nothing better than to curl up against a warm body.

Anyway, Ned and Chimpy aren't even allowed upstairs to the bedrooms, so I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. When Boyota becomes a toddler, anxious to explore the world and feeling especially drawn to animals, I'll be feeling sorry for the cats instead, who will most likely be fleeing from Boyota's rough embraces.

3D Ultrasound

A small sampling of Boyota hanging out in the womb last Thursday. He's got momma's chubby cheeks and fuller lips and daddy's everything else.

Busy Week for Baby Stuff

I'm off work this week, and it feels heavenly. Not that I'm taking it easy and hanging out at home in my sweats. No, I'm working very hard getting ready for baby. Yesterday, Jon and I went to the Bay, Toys R Us, and a boutique-y place, Dick & Jane, to register. It was a bit daunting. There was so much to choose from -- ranging from the super-practical, such as pacifiers and bottles, to the mostly aesthetic (i.e. designer soft toys). Actually, we were fortunate enough to have Liz help us choose stuff at Toys R Us. She's a real pro.

I've also spent quite a bit of time getting the nursery ready. The walls are a pale, cool blue and the trim a nice creamy off-white, courtesy of my parents when they were here in September. The crib is white, and the dresser we acquired recently will also be white after we find some time to paint it. To inject a little energy into the colour scheme, I'm planning on fresh green accents. The rocker will be painted green for example. And I've just finished sewing some green striped curtains. The quilt that I've started will have a white background with squares of green, blue, yellow, and brown.

I've also painted a few little canvases for the room, made an elephant-like soft toy, and created a memo board. I'm hoping I'll also get around to a few more soft toys and one or two more pieces of artwork before I'm through.

But I'm really starting to get that I'm running out of time. It's both exciting and scary. Scary because I absolutely loathe leaving things undone . Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go with the flow!

Gratuitous Belly Shot

Week 31. Okay, it's not cute or funny no more. I'm seriously running out of room.

Week 31

Went to see Robyn today. It turns out that I've gained a whopping 5.5 pounds in the last two weeks! Golly, I knew I was turning a corner!

This was the first time we could hear Boyota's heart beat without the aid of a doppler. All we needed was the stethoscope. He was hiccuping like mad during the appointment and Robyn pointed out that my whole belly "jumped" with each hiccup. I guess he hiccups like his mother sneezes -- dramatically. Anyway, it turns out that he's head-down (and, at this stage of the game, unlikely to flip back up again). The hard bulge I sometimes observe near my ribs is Boyota's bum apparently. How cute.

Anyway, another belly shot and a self-portrait of sorts.