Jenny at Seven Months!

Here is a new photo of Jenny. We are trying to get a decent picture at least every month, so here is month seven! Yesterday morning we had an epic string of doctor's appointments. We left the house at 6:45 am to go to Stamford Hospital for them to do a blood draw and then to inject her with a shot of Rhogam. This is the drug that will keep her body from producing antibodies to positive type blood. If the baby has positive blood, like mine, then there could be problems if we were to have another baby. I don't really understand all the details... Anyway, we had to wait for an hour for some reason between those two things, and then we had an hour to kill before we saw the ObGyn, so we went to Starbucks, then had our second appointment with Dr. Zino. According to her, everything about the pregnancy is going "perfectly" except for that Jenny is gaining weight too fast and will go over our target of 35 lbs. by the time the baby is delivered. We're both a bit amazed that the doctor told Jenny to "back off on the carbs" because we don't feel she's overeating at all. We've been eating pretty healthy, so I guess we'll just keep doing that and hope for the best.

I think that's all for now, but keep checking back! - Doug

It's all the same right?

So, after consultation with my cousin, Sarah, I decided to risk buying a breast pump second hand. I've read up on the types and brands and how long they last, etc...also absorbed the shock of how much they can cost! Anyhow, they are all over Ebay, many only slightly used or still in packaging. I heard one warning about them being only durable enough to be intended to make it through 1 baby, but Sarah used her sister's, spanning about 11 yrs between 4 cousins and this one pump...the brand I got. Tonight was my first testing and sterilizing session of all things bottle/ nursing related. The good news is, it was a good buy. It's in fine shape and I saved a bunch of money. The pamphlet doesn't have assembly/ cleaning instructions, just product accessories and pats on the back for breast-feeding. I eventually found a handy youtube video showing me exactly what I needed to know, but really when it comes down to it, the foreign-looking assembly is just like cleaning and assembling the old Surge brand Milkers. In fact the pamphlet from Surge was much more informative:)

[caption id="attachment_1717" align="aligncenter" width="300"] It comes self-contained in this sleek tote bag..tremendously quieter than the old parlor milking system[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1724" align="alignnone" width="300"] Very informative[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1727" align="alignright" width="300"] Brewing bottles and things[/caption]

The new car seat

Gifted from grandma and grandpa Detrick, here is our new Graco Snugride 30. We're thinking about getting the swing adapter for it. The car set hook right into the swing frame. It's small and plain which we like, if you haven't looked at baby swings in the last 10 years...my god, they play music and vibrate, massage and are gaudy as all get out! Now we just have to figure out how to install it correctly. Uncle Carl put in baby Natalie's, so he tells us, and the nurses re-did his creative installation. they won't even let you leave the hospital unless it's properly installed. However, I've always been curious about what NYC parents do, so this is pulled from Yellow Cab FAQs:

• What are the rules regarding child safety seats and seatbelts in taxicabs?

Drivers of yellow medallion taxicabs and for-hire vehicles and their passengers, are exempt from laws regarding car seats and seatbelts. Keep in mind, the TLC encourages everyone in the vehicle to buckle their seatbelts while riding in a cab. There are no Taxi and Limousine Commission rules regarding this, as it is a State exemption. Passengers with children are encouraged to bring their own car seats, which the drivers must allow passengers to install.
*NOTE - Children under the age of seven are permitted to sit on an adult's lap.

Modern Schmodern

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFFnaaKBN24&w=420&h=315]

Here's a sample of a modern swing...10 types of motion, soothing nature sounds, lights on many....I hate these new swings

[caption id="attachment_1749" align="aligncenter" width="192"] Here is our old swing..an actual swing...can I say enough how I dislike these high tech "swings" yuck.[/caption]

Ongoing installments of baby gifts/ online shower

[caption id="attachment_1375" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Our primary color nook, I got the soft blocks and the bird house is from my boss.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1377" align="aligncenter" width="640"] A sample of the blocks, they are all different, one even has water and a fish. very cute.[/caption]

A week or two ago I got a huge box from my high school classmate, Laura. She has two cute kids, Max and Stella and gave us some lovely things including a lot of baby-proofing gear, a play gym, a cute storage shelf, wall hanging (that matches our bumpers great), and cozy quilt, teething toys, and a really cute set of blocks.

Infant care 101

Tuesday we went to an hour and a half class at the hospital for new parents on the basics of baby care. We learned never to shake a baby...but if you do, work past the shame and bring him to the hospital. We also learned more relevant information to the look of our crowd of new parents. It was taught by a nurse with a cabbage patch doll, they never go out of style. It was all the normal stuff: umbilical cord care, SIDS, bathing, temperature, diaper rash. According to Doug, his memorable highlights include: never put the baby to sleep on his stomach, pre-grease baby butt while diapering to make clean-up easier at the next change, and NO SHAKING :) It was a different demographic than we likely would see in Eugene or WI. Of 15 couples, I wouldn't have pegged any couple as in their 20s, mostly professional looking and no chubby mamas. She went around the room in the beginning to see when people were due and what they were having. It was about 50-50 and one set of twin boys that everyone gasped/awed at. Doug did our swaddling practice when it was our turn, here he is practicing on our free Wells Fargo horse from when we opened our joint savings.

Stretching

[caption id="attachment_1309" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Jenny's new stretching method.[/caption]

Daddy DJ

[caption id="attachment_1308" align="aligncenter" width="384"] The little guy is listening to some tunes.[/caption]

Shoveling Nemo

After some eggs and bacon for breakfast, we went out to shovel the ten inches of snow off our car. We had a nice night cuddled up inside, and have enjoyed a three-day weekend together as work was cancelled for both of us!



Here's the house.

Two "before shoveling" pictures.

And after! Jenny kept asking me if I was having fun. I asked her if is what they call "fun" in Wisconsin.