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Archive for the ‘First Time Dad’ Category

We went in for the second ultra-sound today and everything is looking good. The baby has grown from a minuscule pulsation to a restless and acrobatic tiny little person whose can swing his arms, kick his legs, and turn-over on to her side—(We don’t need know the sex yet, but I just can’t bring myself to use the impersonal their…so I will interchange he and she) Sorry for the digression.

At this visit, I felt like a voyeur peering into a life I helped create in a world outside of my hands. Just like the past three visits, my wife’s eyes welled up with tears. It is amazing and eye-opening whenever we get to see and hear the baby–though my wife knows she will soon be feeling those cute acrobatic kicks and swings soon. The baby looks safe, secure, and happy. The doctor said all the measurements are well within the normal range, at the next visit we’ll get the results of the blood work.

Well, I am very excited to show-off the latest pics to family and friends. We’ll know the sex of the baby very soon…I’ll keep you posted. ultra scan pics

This weekend, we just hung out and chilled–the rainy weather was perfect for staying in. We did manage to get in a long walk, but otherwise it was extremely low-key and filled with way too much football. I promised my wife that I am simply enjoying the last vestiges of my child-free lifestyle and football filled Sundays will not be the norm when our baby arrives. Right now, anticipation and worry are my occupation, I spend my work day listening to Dr. Laura (I can’t help it and, yes, I am ashamed) and thinking about how different my life is going to be. Tomorrow there is a possibility that we’ll know the sex of the baby–Now that we are telling folks about the pregnancy, the number one question is, “Do you want a boy or a girl?” and my response is,”we’re hoping for a healthy and happy hermaphrodite.” Seriously, I couldn’t care less about the sex, but we’ll assign the appropriate gender role as soon as we know. My wife, on the other hand, really wants a girl, because there are “so many” cute outfits for them.

On Sunday, our local paper, the Oregonian, ran an extensive feature on still-birth in their lifestyle section. In the past, I wouldn’t blink an eye at the story, but I was really sad after reading that “1 in 200 births are still“. I wanted to hide the paper from my wife, but I left it out on the kitchen table. Everything has become more intense, I feel closer with my wife and my family than I ever did before and even if something were to happen to the baby nothing could replace these memories. —Hmmm, I guess it wasn’t such a chill weekend after all. If I wanted to, I could spend every day reading and worrying about the tragic possibilities inherent in every pregnancy, but I choose to stay informed and hopeful. I’ll let you know how the ultrasound goes

This morning, my wife and I heard our baby’s heart-beat for the first-time–It was even more amazing than seeing the baby on the ultra-sound a four weeks back. The baby’s heart sound like a freight-train and I just imagined it filled with all the necessities to create a life–hormones, vitamins, blood, and all the other things most men know nothing about. It was such a rush to hear my wife’s second heart-beat. I can’t imagine having that much activity in my body–no wonder she is a bit tired . The doctor said we can now tell they world about the pregnancy. Over Thanksgiving Dinner, we revealed our secret to my four-sisters, my mom, and close friends. We are the first in our families to get pregnant, so the tears were as plentiful and joyful as the food. It was definitely a great moment. My sister’s boyfriend caught-on to my ability to still make things about myself–I revealed the secret by touting my abilities to keep a secret. Anyway, having a baby is a very exciting and thought-provoking time. As my blog progresses, I will be sure to include cogent, emotionally-gripping, and thrilling insights into my transition from whatever I am now to fatherhood. I will try to use a lot of humor and honesty in describing it We are on week 11, about 30 more to go Stay tuned!