Happy New Year!!

Ok so this is the slideshow of this year. The slides are short in order to make it a watchable video. If I had made them longer it would have been twice as long and you wouldn't have wanted to finish it. You can always watch it twice if you'd like. I hope its ok, I like it, but I'm kinda biased that way I guess. It was a pain in the ass to make but fun.

365 Days in a year. I am going to assume, lightly mind you, that this year, also was also 365, not one of those leap year deals that mess up the rotation of the planets. I pondered for a nanosecond on actually counting the days but um no! I'll say there are 365 and you'll believe me, because you don't want to count either. So back to what I was saying, 365 days, one day at a time could be drawn out to make a long year. No one can remember every single day of the year, and thankfully. So many tiny mundane things that make up our lives are forgotten due to their repetitive nature. It's amazing though how one or two things can change your life, or your perspective on life. If I've learned anything this year it’s that you really can't expect anything. Nothing is as it seems. Just when you think you've got life by the balls something happens to change it all. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason. That reason may not be obvious at any given point but just roll with the punches as they are bound to end eventually.

My Mantra, my manifesto, my decree is that LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT!

I didn’t make it up but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to steal it to use for my own. This year more than ever has made this true for me. I’ve learned that a positive attitude more than anything has kept me going this year. No amount of bitching or complaining or being angry is going to fix anything. If nothing else it’s going to make people avoid you. So then you’re miserable all by yourself. Nobody wants that. So hold your head up and charge full steam into it with a positive attitude.

God isn’t going to give you more than you can handle, and you can choose to fight it, rebel and be angry or sit down and realize the lesson of that particular moment. I’ve learned that life is a test, and a series of lessons. Take from it all that you can. Cancer has taught me so much. It’s taught me who my friends really are, and brought me closer to family. From it I have gleaned patience and tolerance, and even though it sucked there is always someone out there with a worse predicament than my own. It could almost always be worse whatever the circumstances might be. So if given the chance I would happily do it all over again.

So this year has been fruitful and we multiplied. We did as the Great Lord commanded. What will happen next year is only a mystery that we are happy to welcome. Maybe I’ll get Sarah pregnant? Who knows, but if all goes well we’ll be home in Arizona with a new plan. God Bless you all and have a wonderful prosperous New Year!

Christmas Letter

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope this letter finds you and yours in great health and an abundance of happiness. This year for us has been nothing if not eventful. So many things to say and talk about, I only wonder how I’m going to keep it to one page. It wasn’t but a few years ago when I started writing the Christmas letter that I was pressed to find things to talk about and yet here I am finding I have to take out of the letter to keep it readable. Wish me luck and here we go.

The beginning of the year Sarah and I took a cruise to the Western Caribbean, we went Cave Tubing in Belize, snorkeled with Stingrays in Grand Cayman, Dove again in Costa Maya, Mexico, and I must say that the water is unbelievably clear and warm. Finally we also went to Isla Roatan a small island off the coast of Honduras and did some diving there as well. I never realized we were the diving type, but there are so many beautiful things to see that we had to do it. We met lots of great people and had a great time. The plan also was to start trying to have a baby after it was over; I was pretty thrilled about that as well. I couldn’t wait, Sarah on the other hand had other ideas as to how to prevent baby from happening, at least so soon. However, it turns out she couldn’t hold out like she thought. Bad for her, good for me.

Which leads us into big event number two for the year, Pregnancy. It’s something Sarah and I have been talking about for years. We have been trying to wait for a good time, and by “WE”, I mean Sarah. I’ve had the baby itch for a few years now and I knew it would be a matter of convincing her it was a good idea. So we talked about it and decided after the cruise would be a great idea, this way we both could drink on the cruise and not worry about being pregnant then. We were concerned if only lightly, that it would take a few months of trying before we got pregnant. I however, was dedicated to get the job done as it’s an effort I don’t mind contributing to. I say we got pregnant lightly because really it’s “Shake and Bake and I Helped!” Turns out that being off the pill a month was all it took to get her insides back together. Sarah took a pregnancy test the morning of April the 1st, and came in the bedroom to wake and inform me that she was pregnant. Now I know that I’ve wanted a baby for what seems like forever, but this is a cruel April Fools Joke if ever there was one. But the pregnancy test said “Pregnant”. It was one of those digital jobbies that leaves no question or doubt. There is no Plus or Minus half there or not, this is the digital age. It just said pregnant. PREGNANT! It’s amazing how one word can change your entire outlook on life. So now, how are we going to tell everyone on April Fools Day? So, many a phone call later the answers were similar across quite a few of them, call back tomorrow, we’ll believe you then. So the month of April was quite the emotional high. Little did we know there is no Ying without a Yang.

Yang for us came on May 9th. I was diagnosed with Gastric Cancer. Quite the shocker for us let me tell you. My goal throughout the entire ordeal was to stay positive and strong, not just for me but for Sarah as well. I couldn’t have her stressing about me, because it might cause issues with the baby. So I did my best to just play it off. Chemotherapy sucks, surgery was a breeze, so easy I slept through it, they took 2/3rds of my esophagus, and 1/3rd of my stomach, minor issues after but nothing worth mentioning. After surgery was some more chemotherapy sucks and now I’m in remission. Lord willing it won’t be back. That’s my cancer story in a wicked tiny nutshell. I want to put here in the letter my thanks for all of you who helped out or sent prayers and well wishes our way during this difficult time, also thank you to all who bought and wore the Livestrong wristband, I’ll wear mine as long as they make them. It was because of you and through you all that I was able to stay strong and positive as we overcame this horrible disease.

The best part comes next. November 28th brought the birth of our new little girl Sedona Rae Fredrick. Thankfully the pregnancy was uncomplicated as could possibly be, and for that reason alone Sarah just loved being pregnant. 10 hours of labor and 3 hours of pushing later she was born. Sarah mentioned not too long ago that she can’t believe we waited this long to have a baby. Now she wants more, not just another one mind you but now she wants six. I don’t know that she’s serious about six, but I know that’s a bit too many even for me. Four may be my limit. So Sarah wanting more is good for me because here in a year or so I’ll be ready for the next one. Gotta keep’em coming I say. Keep them in diapers and we’ll be all set. All that being said, Sedona has been a blessing and quite the exclamation point to the end of this exceptional year. It’s amazing to watch her develop before our eyes.

And now, this is a shameless plug for my blog, check it out if you can or if you’d like. Its kind of its own deal for this year. A little more in depth and not updated as often as I’d like, not for a lack of time but often for laziness. If you’re interested please feel free to leave comments and I’ll do my best to accommodate any wishes. Stay tuned as I’ll be posting a video of pictures from the entire year set to some music in an awesome slideshow on New Year’s Eve. Check it out at www.whattoexpect1207.blogspot.com

So this year has been nothing if not an emotional rollercoaster, filled with fun ups and scary downs through the dark tunnel of the unknown. Whatever the case it’s part of that never ending ride called life, do with it what you will because it is what you make it. Sarah, Sedona and I want to wish you the very best of Holidays and heres to wishing you a wonderful New Year.

Merry Christmas Eve!!

Merry Christmas Everyone,
I hope this reaches you all in good health. I hope that my Christmas letter has brought a few new readers. This update is for all of you new readers and potential subscribers. I am going to update again in a few days as I have a video to post. It'll be kind of long but you may like it. Its going to be a compilation of pictures from throughout this entire year. I really enjoyed putting it together and will be doing them again in the future. So Julie is here (mother-in-law) and my brother in law Jim has come down from Fort Drum, New York to spend Christmas with us as well. So because he has to leave tomorrow to be back to work, we decided to do Christmas on Christmas Eve. So now to drop a quick thank you all for your Christmas cards. We've added a few more to the list this year.

I hope the Christmas Letter was up to par for you all. I didn't like it as much as previous letters. This year has been to serious for all that. I tried to keep some humor in it though not as much as usual. Fear not for I will be back next year, bigger and better than ever. I have considered posting the Christmas Letter for tomorrow. Just for the sake of posting it on Christmas. I don't think there is anyone that reads the Blog that didn't get a Christmas letter, however, if there is please email me and I'll get one to you, well next year anyway. So I'll post again tomorrow, but it'll just be the Christmas letter.

So Sedona is growing so big. Ok not huge or anything but obvious growth. She has an appointment on thursday for her checkup and we'll see how much she's gained. She was supposed to gain an ounce a day and she last was at 7 pounds and 7 ounces.....er I think, if it needs correcting I'll correct it then. She's starting to hold her head up more. Not for any serious length of time but it does get longer every time she does it. We're up to 10 or 15 seconds now, and more and more daily. I noticed she seems to do it more when she's frustrated with something, and the frustration seems to come from when she's gassy. Other than that she is a happy baby. She sleeps and sleeps and sleeps, eats, poops, smiles and sleeps. She's such a good baby. More pictures coming soon. I haven't really taken a bunch more because she does the same things everyday. If I took more pictures you'd think it was the same as the day before. We're getting there though. I hear but did not see that she rolled over today from her back to her belly. I was not there to confirm or deny the fact however so I have to take it for what it it is. So thats good news to report. Ok I'm going to go for tonight. Have a wonderful Christmas everyone.

One Week ago...

give or take a day and some hours, Sedona Rae was born. She's been with us new parental beings and we're loving every minute of it.

Rule #1: The stuff you thought you knew don't mean diddly, and the stuff you knew you knew means little more. I though this baby thing was going to be a breeze. Sedona would pop out and "blam" I would be blessed with the requisite knowledge for baby and "tada", I would be the greatest father that ever lived. Except that didn't happen, "whah whah Wahhhhh". I just did what came natural. Sit and stare...and hope, and pray. Thank the great Lord above that my mom is here to guide us on our new journey. There have been many a time where I was slightly confused at my predicament. There is only one predicament for those who haven't been here. Make the crying baby stop, it seems simple enough. Now I know. There are 3 things that make the crying baby stop. I'll set the stage for those who know but don't really know. Ok here goes.

Thing #1. Feed the baby..yes yes this is easy enough...but how much? Oh..there you go. Till she's full right? Yes but when is that? Well Sedona stops eating, is she full? No? Yes? Maybe? Turns out babies get kinda full with air...yes, yes, baby veterans I realize that now. Which takes us to Thing #2. Burp the baby, again common knowledge So you burp the baby...."BUUUURRRRRPPPPP" ok now what? Babies cryin, what to do what to do....ok well turns out you can continue with Thing #1. She's not full yet, she's makin more room. Kinda like at dinner when you eat and eat and get stuffed, then you burp and voila, room for dessert. Only this dessert is more formula. So you've fed the baby....burped the baby and shes now crying again. This can lead to Thing #3 which is check the lower half. Yes the diaper covered end. Rookies beware! This end is dangerous, not only is it dangerous it's connected to a mind that doesn't know, or care. Or maybe she does and is having a little "Look who's Talking" moment. That movie makes more sense now. Anyway, its dangerous I tell you, and an example I'll give to prove my point.

This very morning, well it's 1:30 here so yesterday morning anyway, Sarah and I were preparing to go to my doctor's appointment and were planning to be out the door at 7:00am. So before we go we had allotted ourselves enough time to feed Sedona and all the requisite things that come with that, and get her in her carrier and ready to rock. Sedona it seems had other plans. We were not to be leaving at the intended time. Sarah began changing what seemed like an innocuous pee diaper, And then it happened...the poop started coming out, coming out like a man made playdough factory. So she waited and the poop stopped. Wiped the important areas, moved the diaper and prepared to place new diaper in place....she must have forgotten to press the stop button on said playdough factory because a little green snake began making its way from the press. Out it came, enough to cover a baby wipe, what now...no diaper in place and its still coming out, for the love of God what now...it's still coming out and the couch is underneath the butt.....time to change out baby wipes By the way now Sarah is getting sprayed in the leg with pee..and the doodoo is still coming....its like a bad movie, The Day the Doodoo came. So 4 full green snake covered baby wipes later the madness finally stops. Sarah is laughing so hard because, well because she just got peed on really, and it's something that we never would have found funny a week ago. That folks is a fine example of Thing #3.
Lesson learned here. It's a baby, expect nothing, and embrace it, the baby that is. It's more fun than I ever would have thought, and it's worth every minute of all eight days that I've spent with her so far.


Ok, this covers Rule #1. I’ll cover Rule #2 next time. I have to figure out what Rule #2 is first but we’ll think of something creative. I have a million things that I want to write about but don’t want to make it 3 pages long. So I’ll wait till next time. Thanks for reading.

Here is your Blog Michelle.

Ok so this is an attempt at some pictures for the Blog. I know it kinda sucks that you have to sit here at watch it in order to see them all but, it is what it is. I'm stretching out and checking my limits with the blog thing and thought I'd throw some pictures in a slide show to see how it worked out? Anything you'd like to see? The comments button that so many of you have found is near the bottom and please feel free to ask and I'll try to honor all requests. Let me know what you think of the layout of the blogger...anything you'd like to see...things you don't like at all and so on. I can't actually believe that I've posted this much in the last week? Whatever will I do. The apocalypse must be upon us. Nope just me with time on my hands and a desire to show you all the things I made.....baby and blogger both. Next I'm going to work on video. I haven't taken any of the baby yet. She really has been quite the sleeper. Nurses assure us its not always going to be that way. So while we're on the subject of baby Sedona...... She's doing great. Healthy as can be and sleeps like crazy. She's having a bit of trouble eating, as she doesn't quite have the sucking thing down yet. Everyone seems to think she'll figure it out, so I'm not overly worried about it....yet.
Well everyone new things are upon me this day. As of this very morning I am no longer taking Chemo. My last round was early this month and I have been taking my chemo pills like a good little boy and I am done. Last night (29th of Nov) was my last chemo pills. So all the things I couldn't do are coming back, but very slowly. I am going to start going to the gym again, oh how I've been looking forward to this. I can now drink beer, hence the need to get to the gym. I can go out without a concern about my white blood counts and getting infected. I don't care anymore. World here I come. Better watch out too cause I'm a daddy now and I've got an agenda. Ok well its all well and good that I've got an agenda, but I need to get moving if I'm going to accomplish it. Thanks so much for everyone that reads and comments. I really enjoy hearing them and will be answering your questions in time. Until next time....

Yesterday.......

Hey Everyone,
Ok so the intent was to induce this morning. But apparently around 7:30 the water broke anyway…so it just happened to happen today anyway. Doc came in and started the oxytocin (help strengthen contractions) even though she had already started. That was about 8:30. Epidural was started around 9 and the pain went away totally. Then they upped the oxytocin and they came back pretty strong around 1 in the afternoon. They just came in to check her again to see how dilated her cervix is and wouldn’t you know it……. 9 cm. They’re going to call the doctor and its damn near pushing time. We’ve been competing against 3 other women in labor….we’ve decided we’re gonna go first. So we’ve been thinking fast labor thoughts. This will be it for now…I’ll blog the rest when the baby is born. I feel kinda bad sitting here typing as Sarah is contracting. I have to go be with my wife.

Ok so here’s the update. Sarah went into pushing labor at 2:30. Sedona was born at 5:20. Sarah is a freaking champ. She pushed for 3 hours and wanted to give up after 2. We encouraged her to keep going and lo and behold she had another hour left in her for more pushing. We are now the proud parents of Sedona Rae Fredrick. She is seven pounds four ounces and nineteen and a half inches long. Healthy as a newborn baby should be and lying in the little heating bed waiting for her first bath.

Overall the day was exciting, breathtaking, exhausting, wonderful and million other things. What the hell am I going to do now? Ok I’m going to close this for now and save it so I have something to take home and post.

WOOOOHOOOO!

Hey Everyone,
I am blogging from the hospital. Actually I am blogging from the hospital on the laptop and going to save it and throw put it online when I get some internet service, as there is none here in the hospital. I figured there would be as there was internet @ Yale. Well that’s what I get for assuming I suppose. Ok onto the Meat and Potatoes of why I’m posting. Preggers had an appointment today to see the OB. Well her Blood Pressure was through the roof @ 164/116. So the Dr. decided to admit her to the hospital for observation to make sure all is well. So here we are. Her Blood pressure is slowly going down but her contractions are picking up. So not getting my hopes up as the doc says he wants to observe for a few days. I don’t think Sedona is ready to come out yet but we’ll see what happens. If she comes today then I’m gonna be super excited. Ok I’ll be super excited even if she doesn’t come today but whatever. Ok well this is it for now unless I think of something.
Ok I thought of something. The nurse came in about a half an hour ago and told us she thinks the doctor is going to want to induce tomorrow morning. That’s what she thinks is going to happen. So I’m writing this writhing in complete agony that we can’t do it today. Beggars can’t be choosers I guess. Well I bout did back flips when she mentioned that. BUT, the words haven’t come from the doctors mouth yet so I’m only doing jumping jacks in preparation for the Back flips. This room is big enough to do back flips in let me tell you.

Ok so Doctor came in and gave the news. He’s going to induce tomorrow morning. Sedona is going to be born Tomorrow. WOOHOO. I couldn’t be anymore excited and I didn’t do any backflips but man I’d like to. I don’t know. Well I need to head towards home now so I have to save this and get ready to go.

Two in a Row???

Ok I'm not sure what I was thinking but I felt the need to come in and update the blog yet again. Preggers had another appointment today. This one however was for a non stress test. For those of you who don't know (myself included before today) its just a look see at the baby to see how she's moving and if she's moving enough. So that being said we went to the hospital and Sarah got hooked up to a couple of monitors and she laid on her left side and we talked to the nurse. The idea behind the test is to make sure that the baby is moving around enough, and that when she moves that her heart rate raises. Its to make sure she's not being adversely affected by anything that may be bothering Sarah. In this case Sarah has developed some mild pre-eclampsia. Nothing we're worried about though the doctor is monitoring her well enough, and I'm keeping her chair bound or in bed lying down. She still wants to conquer everything in front of her that she thinks needs doing. She's tough to keep in check, but I'm doing what I can. Next appointment is on Tuesday and is part of the weekly checks that we're now doing, as is traditional at this point in the pregnancy. I'll try to keep everyone posted. I'm going to post some pictures here in the bit. I have to figure it out first. I thought I had a video to post but it didn't work so I had to can it. Oh well I'll figure something out.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hello Everyone. This blog was once a dream, well at least I envisioned illusions of grandeur with it. To think I was going to try and blog daily...then weekly. Now its come down to monthly I guess. I am getting harrassed yet again for not blogging, so I thought there could be no better choice of day for a blog than Thanksgiving.


So this year I have about a billion things to be thankful for. Every year I sit and ponder for at least a few minutes the things I should give thanks for, and every year I really don't come up with much and default to the usuals....family, friends health. Yadda Yadda Yadda. Turns out this year that Health is really something to be thankful for. To be finished with chemo in another week, and hopefully never having to poison my body with that is a blessing. I am eternally grateful for my wife who has been by my side during all of this. I'm thankful for family and friends, all who have supported me in this trial. These are so just the major ones. I don't really suppose you want to hear me talk about all I'm thankful for. So I'll keep it to that. Thank you all for being there for me. Ok onto something new.

So Sarah had a scare two days ago. Lots of contractions and cramping and what not so we thought it was time. We held out and waited to see what the result would be, she went to bed and had a little nap. Woke up and all was well. So just a bit of a false alarm. So we got a bit excited but no luck. 14 days left today.... this is worse than when I was 8 and waiting for Christmas. I'm foaming at the mouth waiting for her to show up. So Sarah's last doctors appointment resulted in "modified bed rest". Which goes to show that she is all go no quit..and that her body is telling her that she needs to relax a little and sit down. So now she must be sitting or laying most of the day. She's been taken off of work and now she's relaxing comfortably in her recliner. It's been a long pregnancy and we're coming to the end. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

How am I to Raise a little girl?

I guess this will be a rant/rave blog. I've been sitting on this for a few days and it hasn't gotten any better. Which is good for readers I suppose. How am I to raise a little girl in the condition of the world as it is. I can't fix it so I suppose I'll have to just learn to live with it. Ok so a little background to go with my concerns. Preggers and I went to Yale New Haven hospital for a new doctors appointment. Its over an hour away and with traffic in the morning trying to get down to New Haven, it can be kind of a drag. I had a CT scan of the chest to check out my lungs at 9 am, and an appointment to see a pulmologist (lung doctor) at 2:20 so there was some time to kill. By the way pulmologist said that my cough...just a little pneumonia, here take some antibiotics.

So Sarah and I went to lunch, little local diner as we had some time to kill before 2:20 and my next appointment. She orders up a rootbeer float and I a coke no ice and we decide to split a corned beef reuben, if you've never had one they're delectible and I recommend one immediately. Ok so long intro to say that in the background Fox news is on. I don't make a habit of watching the news as is it just normally upsets me, as it did on this particular day. A man accused of videotaping the sexual assalt of a 3 year old. So this only put me in a rage, how can this man live with himself? What are they going to do to him in prison? Actually I hope he gets justice due in prison! Then I started to think about the things I would do to someone for wrong doing against my own wife let alone my daughter. I would go to prison, of that I'm sure.

Then the third thing on the list to get my goat (as gram says) was that the State of California has passed a bill banning the use of "Mom and Dad" and "husband and wife". As these are discriminatory against gays,l The bill in question is SB777 and if you look online you'll read all kinds of things about it. Until about five minutes ago I was vehemently against it and now after actually reading the bill it eased my anger only a little bit. One of the things allowed by this bill is for boys to use the girls locker room in school and vice versa if they want. Not to discriminate based on gender or the gender that the person identifies with. Ahh what the hell is this world coming to? If you have dangly bits then you're a boy and if you don't have dangly bits then you're a girl.....proceed to the proper locker room.

The first thing that annoyed me in the news was that in CT they are going to or are thinking of banning things at recess and gym that cause body banging...no more tag, no more fun games, soon it will all be just stare at each other, and we're concerned about how obese our children are becoming. Good thing McDonalds has a milk option instead of soda.....what kid wants milk as an alternative to soda? Anyway this will be the end of this rant. I have a check up appointment with the surgeon. I have to go get ready.

Ok I suck

Ok so heres a quick update because I don't want to subject you all to the pain and agony of a complete update that would normally go right here. So heres another down and dirty. Surgery went well...Better than they hoped. They were gonna let me go at day seven but I wanted to stay an extra day. So eight days in the hospital and then home. Healed well and at home.....Chemotherapy has started again. If I could have three wishes I would use each one of them on each round of chemo I have left. I hate Chemotherapy. I could go on about how much but really if you can imagine how much one could hate something you'll just be grasping how much. Preggers is doing well, very well. We couldn't have asked for a less eventful pregnancy. Now I might add that for preggers it really has been uneventful for the pregnancy but she has had to deal with me....and for that she deserves Sainthood. She has had to deal with all the pregnancy stuff and me...and I am no easy patient sometimes. I love that woman very much. 71 days from today is Sedona's scheduled birthday. Hopefully things go as planned, although the way things advance with the baby she'll be born the day she's supposed to. I'm not making any predictions though I'll leave that to everyone else. So thats kinda the update for now...I'm trying to figure out how to add video so that we can post video when its time...still working on it. You'll know when I figure it out. Thanks for being patient all.....

My Update

Ok so here's a quick update with me...a down and dirty and the low down…its not pretty…not ugly either but here it is. I am going for surgery on Wednesday. I am going to meet with the anesthesiologist tomorrow for presurgery workup. I am expected to be in the hospital for 8-9 days and in ICU for the first 2 days. Feeding tube for a month. Expected to eat after day 5 or 6 but small small meals. I am going to maintain the feeding tube to make sure that I can maintain nutrition during chemotherapy. Um they are going to take just above the tumor and just below…so that equates to some esophagus and some stomach and everything in between. They are going in my stomach and in by my clavicle…not sure how that all works out but he’s done it quite a few times and wasn’t going to question it. He’s done well over a hundred of these surgeries and I am the youngest he’s ever done it on. 5 out of every 100 die due to complication s of one type or another. I intend to be one of the 95. So that pretty much covers it, quick and clean. I'll be at Yale Hospital and the surgeon has been doing his job longer than I've been alive. He is the Chief of Surgery for Yale New Haven and as far as I'm concerned there is nobody in the world I want to do it more than him. Well I would do it but sees as I'm going under the knife I'm not much of a candidate. Well again thats the long and the short of it.

Its a Girl!!!!!

Ok so here it is. I am sitting here in front of the computer 5 beers down, at least one to go. I haven't blogged in at least an eon and I have so much to potentially say I just may be here till the sun comes up. Thats another 5 hours for those wondering. It's A Girl. Sedona Rae Fredrick. We're excited, I know I'm excited. I can't wait to be a daddy. I went to the library the other day and went to the kids section. Got the book Oh The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss. I read it to the baby before Preggers went to sleep. Heck I figure I have to get my reading skills perfected before the baby is born. That and flipping pancakes. I have to get a griddle for that though....I realized that its still a few years down the road but I'm gonna start learning to flip them now. Ok I'm gonna eat a string cheese to go with my beer while I type up this atrociously long blog. Ok about Sedona.


Preggers and I went to her 2nd Ultrasound, and the lady was lookin around and checkin things out. I told her if you don't know 100 percent what you're lookin at don't guess. She says oh I know what it is. Its a girl! If I could've been more excited you'd never have known it. I was jumpin around pumpin my fist in the air and doin a dance. I was so excited. EVERYONE else knew it was a boy. The baby is sittin high or it's her complexion or blah blah blah. Eat it! Its a girl. HA! I guess thats what I have to say to that. I actually didn't think I'd get the girl. I figured that I should be thankful for the fact that we got pregnant so quickly, and I should prepare for the fact that because I wanted a girl I was gonna get a boy. But so far I'm battin a thousand. What next I wonder? The world may never know. Tomorrow is an Appointment with the OB and I'll meet him for the first time and another ultrasound to check Sedona's heart. We couldn't see it last time because Sedona's back was facing Pregger's front. So yet another free ultrasound to check on the baby. Woohoo.

Ok so we've registered for Sedona. We registered at Babies R Us. I can't belive how much fun that was. It really was fun. It took a long time and Preggers hates shopping but it was fun. Its under Sarah Fredrick and um I hope that we thought of most everything. If not then please feel free to let me know what we missed so that I can put it on the list. We're kinda new to the whole thing anyway. Well thats about it for the ITS A GIRL blog. Sorry for taking so long to update.

Update

Ok no pictures this time nothing fancy....until I can think of an appropriate postable picture. Ok I have no idea where to start. So I'll just start somewhere. Preggers now feels the baby. I am still out of the baby feeling loop as it were but I am hopeful for the future. Um...I....hmm yes ah well we did have an appointment. Yes this is where I might get in some trouble. I did promise to post after the appointment but the news was ambiguous anyway so I'll use that as my defense. Anyway the appointment was for the ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby. Really it turns out they want to take a bunch of measurements and if you happen to find out the sex of the baby then kudos to you. If not oh well. But in our favor the baby was all hopped up on sugar and didn't let the ultrasound tech find anything. So no sex of the baby....no measurements.......come back in 2 weeks. So thankfully the tech couldn't get any of the things she needed otherwise we'd have to wait until our next scheduled ultrasound which I think is at 30 weeks. We have another scheduled ultrasound on the 2nd. So Preggers and I are cautiously optimistic about that. Today is Week 21 and 3 days, and the day of week 22 we'll hopefully get to see some more.

We intend to register for the baby stuff after we find out the sex. I'm pretty sure we're going to register at babies r us and target and I'm pretty sure we know most of what we want. We went into babies r us to find the crib we wanted and we always go from the beginning of the store to the place where we intend to actually look. I love that place and normally someone will stop and ask if we need help, the answer is always no and that we're just looking and so on. However this time we had a little extra help anyway. We just stopped to check out some car seats recommended by Michelle and the nice lady asked if we needed anything and we told her no but she asked me if we had a car seat picked out...I said well yes and no....which then made her all inquisitive as to why yes and no. So I told her what I knew about them and she told me a little more. So she sealed the deal on the one we want cause she pulled them all out and showed us why. We then spent the next two hours going down the aisles talking about each section and what was popular and what was the most expensive and why and so on. We also got some very valuable input from mothers that happened to be walking through the store. What they thought of the products and why they liked or disliked them. So overall a great experience.

So thats about as good an update as I can provide today. It's something......I felt guilty not having posted. I didn't get any ribbing from anyone about it though...at least I don't think so anyway. Well I hope it goes as I plan because I'll post when we know the sex. Wish us luck

Cobwebs

Ok so I guess from Michelle's recommendation I should update. According to her the blog has begun to grow cobwebs. I decided that no one likes to read about my woes and everyone loves to read about the baby, so I am trying to keep my bad, horrible stuff out and focus on the baby. That being said Preggers is having such a wonderful pregnancy that there really isn't much to keep updated.

Now we did have a doctors appointment that I was unable to attend due to taking family members to the airport. I swore up and down that I wouldn't miss one but it wasn't an important one and this one I could afford to miss. The trip was to finally meet the Dr. that could potentially be delivering the baby. They're kind of on a rotation and all that cool stuff so we may or may not get delivered by him, I say we like we're some furniture...ok not we, the baby. Speaking of the baby.

We find out the boy/girl news on the 18th of July. So that gives us 10 days from the writing of this letter to find out. Pink or Blue, Blue or Pink woohoo I can hardly wait. We're going to register sometime after we find out. I'm not sure when the appropriate time to register is or even if there is an appropriate time. But thats when we are going to so thats ok by me. We've talked about registering at Target and Babies 'r' Us.

Also on the realm of really kick ass news. Preggers felt the baby move for the first time a few days ago. She said it felt like "someone was lightly dragging a finger across her skin". Thats way awesome I can't wait till I can feel it. I've even heard that later in the pregnancy that you can actually see the baby move. That would be cool in an Alien kinda way I guess. It would be cool if I could get a picture of it. Maybe some video. Still working on getting some video to put on the blog. That will happen though in time. Preggers is getting bigger though, I guess thats worth mentioning. She has to sit in all kinds of funny positions to keep the pressure of the baby. So sometimes I look over and see her sitting in her chair sideways and one leg up on the end table, it's amusing to me because its a recliner. She doesn't find it all that funny, the recliner doesn't take the pressure off and so she sits however she wants.

So I apologize for taking so long...I know I have some die hard readers out there (Hi Gram) and that they check often. So I figure from now on that posting and mentioning that I have no news is better really than no news at all. So I'll post baby growth updates. I got that idea from Michelle too. I just have to figure where I'm going to get my updates from. So this is it for now. I suppose I've rambled on long enough.

Concerns this week:
1. Have to get Preggers a Maternity Belly Ring
2. Have to read up on the good and bad baby products before we register.
3. Need to get real smart on baby safety as far as Car Seats are concerned.

P.S. Kristi this link is for you Phoneme.

Baby Names

If you were to ask me what the perfect amount of humidity is.....I would tell you about 70 percent. For you Arizona types this is absurd I know, however when coupled with the awe inspiring oceanic breeze that seems to be everywhere in Hawaii, I would tell you to think twice. The air seemed to have a hint, of the smell of the hibiscus flowers that grow everywhere, and the weather just seemed perfect. At least that was my question when I stepped outside of the airport for the first time in Hawaii. What makes this place so "perfect"? I know now. It's the weather. It could just be my thoughts on the matter but allow me to opine just a bit longer. I think that the perfect weather is weather you don't think about, you wake up and get dressed, not something you have to adjust for. What you wear today is just as good as tomorrow and next week. If you stop and think or say something about the weather it isn't perfect. Or if it is different its because the day before was less than perfect one way or the other and this day that is so ideal in comparison. There really is a huge segue here by the way....just have to get to it.

So that's where we are now, Hawaii. The setting is along Ala Moana (for those that care about this kind of stuff, Ala Moana is Hawaiian for "Path to the Sea")Boulevard in Hawaii. We're walking along just past the mall and the beach is on our right hand side with the crystal blue-green water crashing upon the sandy shore, and the cool Hawaiian ocean breeze drifting off the ocean carrying the smell of paradise across your senses. People running along the trees, and the multicolored beach towels spread across the fine sand. (it's hard to believe that I couldn't wait to get off that island). We were walking and talking about things, stuff, random everyday things people talk about. We weren't married at the time so just stuff. As we walked along noticing the stores and whether or not we wanted to go inside, mind you the stores were across the street and not really on the agenda. As we continued we saw a particular store, a furniture store (at least I remember it that way) if you will, a store like any other but the name stood out. Sarah and I are both Arizona people and the name of this store stood out of all Hawaiian nature. Six letters and the letters transitioned from one color to the next with every letter. The word Sedona, it's a city in Arizona. It said something to Sarah and I and we decided then that if we got married, and if we had kids and if the baby were a girl we would name her Sedona. Sedona Rae is the girls name we've chosen.

Now the boys name has no particular story or cool meaning or even anything remotely close to that of the girls name. I chose Tallon. Tallon Jacob, it has a story albeit a rather short and uninteresting one but I'll at least tell it and let you know why I'm not sure about it. I remember the name from some BMX game I was playing many years ago and liked the sound. Something I pocketed away in my brain like many other useless tidbits of information that matter to nobody but me. So we started thinking about names and Tallon is what came out. Tallon Jacob. Sounds good, has great phoneme structure. If you think I made that last one up you can look it up yourself. Eat your heart out Mrs. Whateveryournamewas English Teacher of 10th grade. I don't think I'll ever use that again in a sentence on purpose in my life so lets relish the moment......ok thats enough relish.

Anyway I think I have an issue with the name. People ask about the names we've chosen for the baby and Preggers and I are quick to respond to the girls name. Preggers is also quick to respond to the boys name too, I however find myself hesitating, even half saying it under my breath. I mean I can't name my baby something I'm embarrassed to say before I even know the sex. I mean maybe I'll warm up to it, who knows. Maybe not. Nonetheless we bought a baby name book at the store yesterday to see what else we can find. Let me tell you. Names are not prophetic, if I knew that it would make the boy successful I'd name him Adonis, or maybe Thor I like Thor, but I know I was a scrawny kid. In fact all the pictures I've seen of those Fredrick's before me were kinda scrawny too, I mean we grew into it but nothing worthy of the name Thor. That's just asking for a beating. So all the names with their meanings in this 450 page book from around the world, is going to be kinda tough to sift through. I mean don't get me wrong, Some countries names I'll pass over with ease, not that I have a problem with the most common Cambodian boys names...I'm not Cambodian, I don't intend to be Cambodian, I could be an Israeli Prime Minister, I'd still have to bum rides off of people. Sorry Ferris Bueller Plug, nobody will get it but me so it's ok. So some of the smaller countries names I'll pass over and those chapters will stay untouched. I'm in the Hebrew names right now and it's starting to pick up a bit. However I don't want a name that you spit everytime you say it, specially if you're yelling at the poor kid and spitting on his face the whole time....so I'll be cautious in this area too. Just going to look for a good sounding phoneme structure, that and the lack of the need to spit when it's said. Yeah! Well everyone I have bored you all to death and ended this rather quickly. I apologize. But this is it for today.

The New Stuff

Well I suppose that I should update as its been awhile and I sit here wondering what I need to write about. I suppose we'll start with a Preggo update and move from there. Preggers and I went to her second appointment last Wednesday the 30th and we just really updated the status and the Nurse felt Pregger's uterus. We got to listen to the babies heartbeat and I couldn't be a happier man. It sounded so awesome. I almost cried. Held on this time though. We set up our next appointment and out the door we went. It really was mostly uneventful. So the up to date status is that Preggers is 14 weeks along this Thursday. She is doing well, although she though the nausea was gone, and although it was for a day or two it seems that its still around. Still no vomiting, just typical (typical for her anyway) morning sickness.



My new updates.....I am doing much better now. All the suck it seems is in the first week to a week and a half. My fingers and toes are no longer numb and tingly from the Chemo. Nausea is mostly gone if not all gone. I get an occasional fit of nausea once in awhile but nothing to complain about. The new stuff however is I have started losing my hair. Preggers and I were in the shower and she nonchalantly had asked if I had started losing my hair yet. The answer was of course no and emphatically I reached up and grabbed a handful of hair and gave it a tug to show her how attached to my head it still was. Only it seems the joke was on me and fate had a different story to tell. My hand came away from my head with a large clump of hair. I thought well thats an odd amount of loose hair. So I did it again, with the same result. Albert Einstein once said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." So one last time for the insane I pulled out a handful of hair. I was so pissed off. Why now? Why not next week? For that matter why at all? So I said screw it and went to my favorite Barbershop and had Michelle shave it all off. Danielle and Michelle both took pictures that I may one day get a hold of and post somewhere. It still didn't change the fact that I was angry. I know, I know. I hear you all saying it. Wasn't it supposed to fall out anyway? The answer is...yes. I knew it, hell I expected it. Why then was I so angry? I don't have that answer. Hair isn't supposed to fall out. It didn't all go. Just quite a bit. Well it is all gone as I have shaved my head. Thats the only hair thats gone too. So far anyway For all I know my leg hairs are falling out as I type. I've been told that my eyebrow (yes, singular) is rooted somewhere deep, somewhere close to oblivion but not as far as infinity, so who knows when that will go. But I'm sure that you'll hear about that when it does. I can only bet I'll be angry then too. The fun starts up again on Thursday. 9:00 in the morning I'll be getting my blood taken and waiting to see the Doc. I am freaking ecstatic. I just wanna scream lets get this over with. But I don't really want to walk back into that building. I don't want to go anywhere near it. Whats worse is I still have so many rounds left. So I'll suck it up and put on a happy face and go (as if I have a choice). This is it for now. I have to go to sleep. Its late. Goodnight everyone!

Memorial Day Sale

So today is Memorial Day and with Memorial Day comes Memorial Day sales. Ha! Three Memorial Days in one sentence. I rock. OK so as I was saying. Well Preggers and I decided to go shopping to celebrate, as if one actually celebrates a Memorial Day. We don't but we do go shopping apparently. Nevertheless, we decided to go to Babies R Us and check out the cribs. Preggers kind of already had one picked out but I wasn't sure which one and what color. So she wants white and she showed me the one she wanted. I didn't care for it one way or the other but I did see one that I liked better. To be completely honest I don't care what it looks like. Only that it secure my baby and send it peacefully in the land of the sleeping. It could be a cardboard box for all I care so long as it does the job its designed to do. That being said I think I may have convinced her that the one I like was better....I do have those skills you know. So we walked in and looked around really with the intent to buy....but....Preggers wasn't feeling up to buying which didn't hurt my feelings any. So we looked and decided to go on about our afternoon. Went to best buy to check out some cameras and camcorders then had some lunch at the nearby Ruby Tuesdays. We don't usually go there and I always have a hard time remembering why. Now I know. The menu selection sucks. In my opinion anyway. So now we're home and Preggers is fast asleep, off in dreamland, meanwhile I sit here eyes wanting to nod off myself and the only thing stopping me is the fact that its almost 5pm and I shouldn't be sleeping. Otherwise I'll be up all night. Well I don't have much else to say. I'll end this for today. By the way I found this book that I'm eventually going to get....totally made for people like me. Its the Consumer Reports Best Baby Products. The A to Z of what to get for the baby. I have to find it at the book store though....hopefully they have it. Well for now its time to be off. Thanks for reading.

Another day

Ok so today is another day. I can tell you that since the first day of Chemo I had expected that the days would gradually get better. The nausea the first day was as someone I know would put it....crippling. I only hoped that would be the last crippling day. It has been from a nausea point of view. Energy is something I wish I had more of. I never know how much I'm going to have or what to do with it. So I confess. I am a royal pain in the ass, during this suck they call Chemo. I can only hope that Preggers is inducted into Sainthood for putting up with my crap. She's nothing if not persistent, and here's why.
I enjoy eating...well normally anyway. Since Chemotherapy I can't really stomach anything..not food not drink. So she has to coerce me into eating something....at least three times a day. The sight of food just turns my stomach. The smell of food....yep turns my stomach. It's unnerving I really like food. At least I used to. Thats one of the many fun side effects. Weight loss is another. I have lost uh...almost 20 pounds, total anyway was down 15 pounds...and up 5 and now back down a few....I'm at 172ish. I wouldn't call it 20 down from original but whatever. Um well the one effect thats almost gone but so far really isn't my favorite is called Peripheral Neuropathy.
Peripheral Neuropathy is what the tingle you get when you fall asleep on your arm. That intense tingle is what I feel everytime I touch something cold. My whole hand or fingers just start tingling. To make it even more fun...Johnny tell'em what he's won. I can't drink anything or eat anything cold. My esophagus starts tingling.....way intense tingling. So all my drinks have to be warmed up. No cold foods for me. It's kind of a pain in the ass.

I told Preggers that I needed to get out of the house yesterday. The days seem so long. I wake up and eat...under protest. Take my meds. Lounge for a bit. Take a nap wake up eat something else under further protest, take another nap wake up look around and realize that I haven't been napping long enough...check the mail....take a nap. Eat dinner, take my meds....watch some t.v. Shower....go to sleep. I think of it like a time machine. Thats what we called it when we went out to sea. We would spend time in the rack sleeping...it made the bad times go faster. Or at least seemed that way. I figure that the nausea isn't so bad when I'm sleeping and that the pain isn't so bad while I'm out. So the time machine is where I choose to be. I don't know how else to explain it. So back to the needing to get out of the house. I thought how bad can a walk around the house be, just a quick jaunt around the block. Except that it wasn't quick by any stretch of the imagination. It was long...and painful....lightheaded and chest pains....ok bad idea. Mental note don't do that again. Not for awhile anyway. Alrighty...I'll leave this one alone now. I am going to sleep. I haven't stayed up this long in almost a week.

The Battlefield

I wrote this last night but wasn't sure I wanted to post it.......here it is.

I apologize now for this post. It’s not about the baby...not directly anyway. It's 1:15 in the morning here in the great state of Connecticut. I have much to say I think and I don't know how tactful I can be. Preggers is at work and I'm alone. Alone with myself and my thoughts, I can only wonder what tomorrow brings. Really it brings a dresser for the baby’s room. Beside that I am unsure of what’s going to happen. I think I should “feel” something. Really all I am is angry…because I don’t feel anything.

For those of you who don't know, I was diagnosed with Gastric Cancer. It seemed as nonchalant a conversation as one could ever have. I sat with Preggers in the Oncologists office, waiting for the news I knew was coming. I was hoping deep inside somewhere that it was a mistake. Somebody in the pathology lab was a little tired after lunch and they saw something that wasn't there. You have Cancer. No one ever expects to hear those words. I certainly didn't. I laugh alot about it. I don't know what else to do. I must seem like a fucking lunatic laughing out loud as if I've lost my mind. I have I don't know where it went but its hiding from this reality that is going to hit me like a ton of bricks. I try to remain positive. I try not to think about it. Try really is the operative word. What other choice do I have? Everything I do now revolves around it, my appointments and planning. What will I be doing next week...next month? Make plans....its going to be tough. I don't know how I'm going to feel. I don't know if I'll be up to it. Up to what you ask? Everything, and nothing. I don't know if I'll be well enough to make the Obstetrics appointments, strange that I was worried that my military obligations would hold me from that.

If you were to ask me what cancer felt like I couldn’t tell you. I don’t feel anything. Which makes it that much harder when I have to surrender to the treatment that is going to destroy what I can’t feel. I've had diagnostic tests all last week and yesterday. "Staging" they call it. I can tell you what that feels like though. To determine where, how much and what they're gonna do. A procedure to them, a list of things to accomplish before going home, it’s their job. They go home and remove themselves from it as easily as if they were working any other job. It's a life to me, actually its 3. Me, my wife and the life of my unborn child may be affected. My life, the life I live doesn’t belong only to me. It encompasses those I love and those that love me I have to be strong for them. I have to remove stress from my life so that it doesn’t affect Sarah. Every appointment is another part of the checklist of treatment. I want to do them all at once. I want it over with. On an ever growing positive note its small and its localized. Call it what you want, its taking over my life....no matter how small it may be. I have pondered this for a week now. I heard that they found the cancer cells last Monday it was the 7th of may. It was then that I hoped the mistake was made. The Confirmation was 2 days later. I don't want to tell the story again of the hows and whens. I'm tired of telling it. I'm tired.

Chemotherapy starts on Thursday. Thursday afternoon at 12:10. I don't know much about it. I know the side effects. I know what what happens to other people. I just don't know what happens to me. What lies in store for me as the evil poison enters my blood to eradicate the cancer that has placed its foot inside the threshold of my body. I see it like the picture of the sharks. I am below and the sharks are the chemo....and its going to suck but I have to swim it to get to the surface. I've done my research, my recon of the battlefield before the conflict. I know what to expect. But I'm not ready for the war.

The Turkey

Well I suppose I should post as it's been awhile. Preggers is now as of today 10 weeks and 6 days along. Not much new to report really, as far as making the baby anyway. I guess its kinda like a Thanksgiving Turkey. You have to prep it and rub it down and then stuff it...thats the fun part. Now you occasionally look through the oven glass with the light on to see how its doing...then once in awhile you open it up and squirt juice on the top to keep it moist. I can see the metaphor in most all of that except the squirting juice on it...haven't figured out what part of the pregnancy that is. Hell even the belly button pops out when its almost done. See turkey metaphors all over the place. I like it. I'll use it....I mean, I'll use it again after this time. So the next time someone "looks through the oven glass" is on the 31st. Just a follow up with the OB. Hopefully no juicing, just looking through the door. So nothing very new. I mean nothing you all want to hear. I mean her boobs are getting bigger..(bonus), and they're more sensitive(sometimes bonus). But other than that she hasn't started cravings....least not yet, that I'm aware of. No new Aches and Pains...just the traditional stuff. She doesn't get the nausea like some people we know...Michelle. Sorry to hear that it sucks so bad for you. Just a little nausea here nothing too serious. Thought you'd like to know! So overall pregnancy still a good ordeal overall.
So now for those who may or may not have heard. I was diagnosed on the 9th of May with Gastric Cancer. I suppose this could have been worse, but the timing I think may have been a little off. It's ok though, I guess better now than 6 months ago. In the big world of Cancers I suppose I have won the Cancer lottery. So far it seems very localized, no spreading and a small tumor. I'm glad that we're already pregnant as the Chemotherapy has potential for sterilization....although the doctors assure me is unlikely. I was going to post a huge angry at the world blog last night but I'm glad that it turned into this. I'm not angry.....well yes I am but no reason yet to let it all out here. Just trying to stay positive an get through it. Until next time Ladies and Gents.....

Ultrasound

So there it is...the fetus what soon will be known as a baby....my baby. Mine. The kidney bean is mine I tell you. Ok so there it is....I can only tell you that until today I was excited about really a prospect, about a what might be. It seemed real but not really...I can't make this make sense. It was like reading a book about going to Disneyland. The best author in the world can describe it, and even the readers imagination and imagine it....but today it became a picture I SAW Disneyland. Maybe this is a really crappy analogy but its what I'm going to use for now. All I can say is that when I saw this, It all became real. It became tangible, the thought of starting a life was very evident, it moved during the ultrasound....it moved. I cried, not big sobbing crybaby cries but tears....I couldn't stop them, honestly I didn't want to. So after the ultrasound was all done and we were getting up I had to find something to wipe my eyes.....so Preggers hands me a tissue.....A tissue wasn't going to cut it so I reached over to this stack of paper towels. Only it wasn't the paper towel that I was imagining it to be, let me set the story for you so you understand....I am a man(yes I know you're aware of this) and as a man I've been in an ob/gyn office all of about 2 times....so up on this shelf, next to the tissues was this stack of Paper towels, not the papertowels I was imagining. More like Lap Napkins. These things were like 4 foot by 4 foot. Preggers tried to warn me....But no no, I don't listen.....so I grabbed one anyway not really realizing what I was grabbing opened it up and opened it and opened it...holy crap this think is freaking huge.....Oh well I guess this is good enough to dry my eyes....and my body after a shower and maybe the car after that too...crap...so then I kinda wadded it up and threw it away....so next time...don't use the lap napkin. Just the tissue.
So Preggers has been talking about having twins....up till today that is, she was hoping for twins. I on the other hand only want one, and I am happy that its only one. So if she was bummed about it, it was very short lived and now we're good to go. We had her regular appointment yesterday to check all the stuff. Everything seemed good to go. I just wanted to hurry up and get the hell out of there, I had an appointment at Yale New Haven Hospital and needed to get there in a quick hurry. So thats part of the reason for the Ultrasound today instead of yesterday.
Ok so an update. Well not much to report really I suppose things are progressing normally. Preggers and I seem to look at baby stuff more often now and we look at furniture and baby gadgets and gizmos...So far the thing I want the most is that baby backpack thing...I think that thing is so cool. Wear it in front or in back....Theres this one I like cause its all padded the right way and has some cool attachments and stuff....coolest thing about it is that its like 30 bucks. Oh the silly things I take pleasure in....Looking for strollers too....gotta have a cool set of wheels for the kid ya know...get corvette emblems and stickers put on it..heck yeah gonna make it fast....airbags for safety....the works...dual cup holders with Cd player....this babies gonna go. Ok so maybe the cd player is a bit much....I might just stick with the Satellite Radio.
Ok so this is where I say a hello and a thank you to all my readers....Gram and Cathy (Michelles Mom) and Sissy and Mom and well everyone..thanks.

Kidney Beans

Good evening Ladies and maybe Gentleman, I am again writing to you about the wonders of pregnancy. There really aren't any wonders anymore I suppose. If someone can take pictures that look like this than it can't really be wonderous...wonderful maybe or maybe not...Full of wonder....wonder...wonder. Hmm
Wonder(noun) amazed admiration or awe, especially at something very beautiful or new. According to the dictionary the answer is yes wonderful. Ok so looking at this fine picture we see that it has eyes and arm and leg stumps. So this is what 7 weeks looks like. I can tell you that 7 weeks is pretty cool. It will be 8 weeks officially on the well tomorrow the 26th. We're both pretty excited about the doctor visit on May 2nd. It will be the first Ultrasound. I've always seen other peoples ultrasound pictures....a bunch of black and white pictures on a long strip of paper much like what teenagers get from the photobooth at the mall. Only the real fun with the baby pictures is trying to discern what is baby and what isn't....I mean for all I know its just spitting out the same pictures to everyone. I think that I'm going to compare mine to someone elses make sure that they aren't trying to flimflam me......Oh look Mr and Mrs. Fredrick its a kidney bean......I wanna make sure that my kidney bean doesn't look like anyone else's. Mine alone.
Ok so Preggers has nausea fairly consistently. We now have crackers to fight it and so far so good. Works like a champ. Aside from the fact that today is day one of crackers...and it worked...the statistics show that it worked so we're batting 1000. Just like a champ. Ok I suck at freaking sports analogies. I know it don't rub it in. Giggle quietly and let me be. She seems to be doing well and doesn't actually vomit....just nausea. Thank God for that. Hopefully I didn't just jinx it. I feel bad during when she doesn't feel well, and so far the crackers are working...I'm puttin them things everywhere. Glove box...both cars...nightstand.....end table...wherever...I'm sure the dogs will appreciate it as much as Preggers will.
I want to thank all who read this and thank you for your patience as I know I should be updating this more. I will....I really will. Thank you Danielle for my haircut today Its awesome.


Concerns: 1. Whats Next?

Tangible somehow.

Ok so I've been slacking, slacking bad, everywhere....I just took my psychology test and well I bombed it rather badly. I wonder sometimes if this is because I am spending more time focusing on the right or wrong thing. Is my inattentiveness going to follow through to baby? I hope not. I like to think that I am ready for this life changing event, however its a proven fact that people resist change, but to what end? I guess I'll have to wait and see. Sacrifices will have to be made and whatever they happen to be I'll do it.
Well ok so on to the reason for the blog...it isn't about me (or is it). Yesterday Preggers seemed to have a bout of some sort of sickness. Every part of me is screaming that it has to be Morning Sickness the book says it can come at anytime. And it did. It was in the evening when she woke up. So she didn't make it to work and got plenty of sleep. So we're kinda on the fence about the morning sickness but I think she's starting to believe. "The book says it starts in the 6th week...being that yesterday was 6th week 5th day...I would say that it qualifies. But I'm open to interpretation.
Ok so I went to the store on base today and I found that they are having a 20% off sale on baby stuff and there happened to be a basket of info for parents to be. In it was a nuk. Which ladies and gentleman (if there are any reading). Preggers has been fighting the urge to buy something....something I think to make the pregnancy seem more real, tangible somehow. I 've felt coming from her. I think I noticed it because I feel the same way too. So the nuk that was free and in the package was well kind of that tangiblity thing. So it worked.

I also want to extend some congratulations....Michelle....the woman to whom I gave my extra baby mojo a few weeks ago. is pregnant...and I hope that I am not giving away too much and I'm sorry if I have. But damn I'm good. Thats long distance mojo. Pretty strong stuff. I also learned that one of the guys that I work with his wife is preggo too. I guess when it rains it pours....huh?

Just a few days late...

Ok so this is a week five picture. I figure this is sufficient because well lets face it they don't look like this on day one of week five. More like towards the end of the week right so week 6 started on Thursday...so technically this is what baby looks like..as of like now. I have been slacking a bit on the blog I guess, some of it was for my sociology test and some of it was for well um I got nothin. Ok so not much new going on. Today was a decent work day and then to home. Preggers has the next few days off. So we went for a fun drive up to Gillete Castle in the Corvette. I think I enjoyed it more than she did, and I think that she just went cause I asked her too. I appreciate that it was a good time for me...lots of twistys and no traffic....very fun..two thumbs up. After that we went to Babies R Us.
That was just as fun. Ok so this is like the store of all stores for babies. I just couldn't pry myself away. They had like 3 aisles alone for car seats......and then some strollers...and then they had like the baby swings and the vibrating chair things and then the cribs and rocking chairs and holy cow lots crap and stuff and things and wow. We've discussed what we want...although there is no real selection set. We don't want to get too excited before the end of the first trimester and all.
Ok so mom is predicting a boy......Preggers is predicting a boy...actually not just one boy but two...I think she's trying to mentally prepare herself for the possible worst...not that two would be bad just more than I'M expecting. So if at the first ultrasound we find another heartbeat she'll be mentally prepared and I'm just going to cry. I'll figure it out I guess. If its meant to be it's meant to be. Well I am getting sleepy and I have to work tomorrow. I now have computer access at work and with the large amounts of nothing to do so I should be able to get another blog in. Alrighty Good Night and sweet dreams.
Concerns:
1. Twins.
2. Keeping up with the blog....

Almost Easter

Alright I didn't get to post yesterday as I had duty. I have to confess that I didn't bring the "books" with me on duty. So I spent some time at work answering phones, and such. I went to sleep about 1230 in the morning. The picture on the left is a Jet Engine. If you're wondering what a jet engine has to do with well a baby blog the answer is really it doesn't It is very similar to what I slept next to last night. The room next to where I slept has more computer equipment than nasa....ok not even close but it makes for a good exaggeration. Anyway it has it's own industrial Airconditioning unit. So that particular unit is right along the wall that i sleep on. And it starts up every 20 minutes or so..and runs for 5 minutes...the ducting holding that thing together must be held together with paperclips and elmers glue because it rattles so bad it would wake even the dead....and trust me I can sleep with the best of them....I sometimes have a hard time with the A.C. So i didn't sleep well. So I came home and napped with the dogs.
Well I had some fun at an Easter get together and played with a friends baby and fed and put to sleep the babies. I was told I was a natural...Whatever, not as much a natural as I'm gonna be. I still have yet to change a baby diaper. But I'm sure I'll get more than an opportunity or 50 eventually. Ok well I realized that these blogs are getting a bit excessive. I can talk all day about seemingly nothing. So I'm going to do my best to kick it down a step. I suppose if it's too long I won't keep you're interest. Well as I didn't do much today and I did close to nothing yesterday this is the end of this blog for well yesterday...I will double post today.
Concerns today:
1. Will Preggers get Morning Sickness.
2. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop.

A Vacuum to end all Vacuums

For those of you wondering what a vacuum has to do with babies...I look at it this way. I want to make sure that my carpet and upholstery is as free from dog hair as I can possibly make it without going so far as to excommunicating my dogs to the basement. Which for those of you who know us better we would never do. So the vacuum, its purple and is called the animal. It has more parts and pieces than a tinkertoy set and is just as easy to put together. I was amazed. I generally make a habit of reading the instructions before I start trying to put something together....yes ladies there is a man that will use instructions...not in this case but none the less it was very easy. It has about 4 buttons all of which I had to play with to figure out. So the claim is that it doesn't lose suction. Whatever, I just wanna fire this puppy up and see what it can do. Lets just say that the results were freaking phenomenal. Watching Pregger's face as I pushed this purple dirt destroyer around was interesting to say the least. It was a look of horror. It made me laugh to watch her watch the dirt cup fill up. This thing really does perform. The swirling vacuum inside the see thru cup filled with dirt and dog hair. It was borderline...no it was just gross. When all was said and done..I could've made another beagle....I even pondered it for a half a second before I realized that 1. It probably wouldn't work no matter how hard I tried. And 2. We have no room as we're planning for a baby duh. Ok so this tool for one reason or another just fascinates me to no end. I want to vacuum the whole house down. It came with 3 different attachments...thats on top of the normal attachments that come with most vacuums. It has the barefloor attachement, the upholstery attachment and the not quite sure what it is attachment for extra special carpet cleaning things..I guess. Also the handle come s out and becomes a wand...and extends at least 10 to 15 feet for doing like the stairs so you don't have to carry the vacuum with you. I am very impressed. I would recommend this thing to anyone. So maybe spending a billion pesos on this thing wasn't as bad as I expected.
Ok now some baby stuff. Preggers went to her primary care physician today to see what kind of acid reflux meds they could put her on and there a few categories of medications when it comes to babies and mothers. A quick breakdown as I understand it is that Category A meds are ok for mother and baby and Category d are not...Preggers Acid Reflux medicine is category D which is bad for baby..and the one they want to give her is a C. Which isn't great for baby. So she decided to hold off until she sees her new OB/GYN. I believe that Appointment to be on the 2nd of May. That puts her at her 8 weeks and 6 days. So we'll see what happens then. She said she didn't wanna risk anything with the baby and is being a tough cookie and dealing with her heartburn until then.
As far as what the good books say..well today I'll put something from the other book.
Today I read about Couvade...french for to hatch.....pronounced Coo Vad. Now I thought this might be a hoax but apparently not. Couvade symptoms are the same as associated with pregnant women....the expectant father gets the same symptoms such as weight gain and nausea, mood swings, food cravings and apparently some that aren't associated with pregnancy at all such as headaches, toothaches, itching and even cysts. According to the other book couvade is experienced by 90% of expectant fathers. So that is from the other book for today. A lesson learned. And hopefully I'll be somewhere in the 10%.
Ok one other thing...I found the third book that we bought a few months ago for fathers and pregnancy called Pregnancy Sucks for Men. Its a rather strange book and seems to cater to those men who have ABSOLUTELY no idea whats going on. So I may occasionally excerpt from this one. Well I suppose this is it for now. I have duty tomorrow and will try my best to post but make no promises. Preggers will be on her own tomorrow and I'll have to get an update by phone to make it to the post. Alrighty then. Farewell until tomorrow.

Concerns today:
1. How many appointments are there going to be? I'm going to have to make a calender...
2. I wish she didn't have to worry bout her heartburn.
3. CT scan on Monday for me.

P.S. This is a baby mojo reachout to Michelle..who asked that I spread some around. Good Luck.

Endoscopic Ultrasound

Alright cruising along...day four? Yeah ok so today I am going to talk a little about my day. But lets stick to the reason for the blog and then move on to me. Today I found out that our week count is every Thursday. So today is the end of week four. So I posted a picture that I found on the internets of a four week old embryo. Tomorrow I'm going to cheat and post the week five embryo. Ok so today....um in the land of babies. Well I did start The Expectant Father(the other book). I has a lot to say and focuses on being prepared for whats going to happen. I really like the fact it gives an idea of the questions to ask. Some meals to prepare, and pregnancy nutrition facts...which I can say so far hasn't been in the book(Your pregnancy week to week). So I like my book better at least for now. Alright so Sarah and I talked about the pregnancy and the doctor, and the hospital and that sorta thing. Well we decided on Lawrence and Memorial Hospital because she works there and is comfortable with the maternity area. I just ok. What do I know....I know when to agree. Really what it boils down to is that she has to be the one comfortable, so I'm ok with relinquishing that to her. I realized that there is so little I can actually do. Just support her in all that I can. So right now I'm trying to anticipate where I can help and do everything I can.

Ok so this morning Sarah and I woke up and dressed and took a trip to Yale New Haven hospital about an hours drive away. Turns out they have valet parking. So we pull up and this guy comes to the window and says...here you go and hands me a ticket and says "Give that to your mom and make sure she gets it validated." So I wasn't sure I heard what he said and Sarah and I start heading into the hospital...and she asks.."did he tell you to give that to your mom?" Sure did mom...here ya go......WTF? It was funny because I wasn't sure thats what I heard but she confirmed it for me. How old do I look? Better yet how old does she look. I think he may have figured it out on his own and I can't begin to imagine how big an ass he felt. So the procedure sucked and as much as I want to complain about it, I can only imagine the things that Preggers is going to go through and the tests she will endure and they will shadow over my little endoscopy. So no real results and now a CT scan..in the future. Thats about it. I'll keep you all posted for more of that.

At a friends request I decided to change the background as I'm told black background with white letters is hard on the eyes....I liked it. But I'll do what I can for my readers. Well all I'll be signing off for now. Tomorrow holds another day.

Concerns:
1. I have to keep healthy so that I can help Preggers out...after todays procedure she was taking care of me..I felt a little guilty.
2. What happens if she miscarries?

The Fun Begins....

Ok day three and I have become aware of an issue that apparently has been happening for the last three days. Preggers has stopped taking her acid reflux meds. Which means she is terribly uncomfortable after eating....lots of things really. I wasn't really aware of this until today. She was eating pizza when I got home from class and it totally didn't dawn on me until after we took a nap. She said it felt like she was breathing fire.....Now why is that I ask....i felt like a retard for asking as I already knew the answer....acid reflux. Well if I had known or rather realized she wouldn't have eaten said pizza. Fair enough...I'm on it now.
ok so a quick update to what i thought Preggers went to the doc....new due date is December 6th, and shes almost 5 weeks along. Thursday is the magic day. So every Thursday is a new chapter in the book, what book you ask? The book is Your Pregnancy week by week.....hereafter named the Book, says that
week 4 the baby is just 1mm in length. Thats way small....and the rest of the chapter goes on to say you can take this medication and not this medication and oh don't smoke...or drink or hang out with people who are smoking. If you take these medications this is what can or will happen to the baby. So everything from Spina Bifida to death. Its fortunate in this day and age that the internet to help me understand what all this is. What makes it worse is that it only makes it scarier and I can see someone getting all paranoid...not me, not preggers but someone out there in neverland. Also to avoid other things like um PCBs and mercury and lead and pesticides. Lots to take in. Ok the OTHER book...the man version called THE EXPECTANT FATHER breaks it down differently. I have more to read in that one before I comment.
Alright, aside from the fact that Preggers has severe heartburn....she also said something that blew my mind. Preggers and I are both susceptible to multiples.....she has twins on her side of the family and I on mine. It's something we've both discussed in the past and kinda was a concern and something I thought we agreed we didn't want right away. She says to me today that she kinda wants twins.....I bout pissed on myself.....WHAT DID YOU SAY? Yeah I think they would be cool. WOW! What now? I don't know what to say to that. I don't know if I want them....really I hadn't thought about it. What a bomb. Eh its not like I get to decide anyway. Whatever. Well thats today in a nut shell. More to follow.

Concerns today:
1. What else is going to give Preggers heartburn...I need to make a list.
2. Names...?
3. Read the other book.
4. Finish my Sociology Exam....hey it all isn't baby you know.....life does go on.

A journey of a thousand miles.....

Starts with but a single step.......Day two...of the beginning of the rest of my life....so I suppose (and I could be wrong) Sarah (Preggers) is alot further along than we thought. I was under the impression that she was like 2 weeks... but I guess she is almost 6 weeks along? I'm not sure how this works but I'm sure that my books will bring me up to speed.

Events of day two...well pretty eventful...Preggers did go to the doctor however....a hearty thanks to the person that decided that pregnancy tests as a walk-in at the military hospital was a good idea...so in she went and 2 hours later....through the miracles of modern science(ok not so modern, but science nonetheless)blood test confirmed we are preggo. So Preggers is officially preggo. So I bought her a bouquet of Daisies just to let her know I love her and that I was thinking of her. Oh crap and one of the most important events for today...well as far as I'm concerned. I decided what I want. I wanna girl. I want a daddy's little girl....well thats what i want today. We'll see what happens.

Ok so I found like three "when your pregnant" websites...and then today I found three "being a dad" websites...and they are totally geared for guys like me. It has all the gadgets and what to get. What not to get and why. The results with the baby and how well they work. Dude its the poop. I don't even know where to begin. Also I need a new vacuum. With three dogs and a baby on the way...I think its gonna be a Dyson. Of all things to be worried about right now huh? I know pretty lame.....but ask me if I care? Do it....ask me, I dare ya. Cause I don't, so there.
Concerns for today.
1. Will I be a good father (still a concern)?
2. Will I be supportive enough as a husband?
3. How can I make this a better experience for Sarah?

April Fools....

Day one....what is it day one of? Well Sarah has woken me today with a pregnancy test. No plus minus or any of that. One word, pregnant. The digital display of life change...screaming one little word in it's silence. Pregnant! So this is the beginning, my memoirs of a man in pregnancy. Our look at the past, present and future.
I am being cautious though...we're only going on a pregnancy test. I know I have told the world that we're pregnant but a part of me thinks I should have waited until the doctors confirmation. I really want to wait until the end of the first trimester. This blog may never see the light of day. Before I post it I want to make sure though that we are pregnant. I am excited, crazed, in awe and ready to start my learning progress of what it takes to make this a great experience for us both.
I want to know whats going on with the baby and with Sarah. I want to know everything. I want to be there for everything. I want it all. Whatever it is....We have the books...I've read mine already...couldn't help it. Going to have to break them out again, start over...it means more now I guess.
Concerns at the moment:
1. I am a kid myself....how will I take care of a baby?
2. Will I be a good father?
3. Is the baby going to be healthy?
4. What am I going to do now?