18 week update!

I've realized that none of my links were working properly. Instead of trying to figure it out - for which I have NO patience right now - I'm just going to paste the text from the Babycenter email into each post. Like this:


18 weeks pregnant: Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin, and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Changes with us: I'm ravenous - constantly. Pickles and ice cream are right up there on my list of favorite foods right now; it's not just a myth. I have had my belly patted twice, and I am told that I definitely look pregnant. The emotional roller coaster seems to have cooled down, only to be replaced by physical aches and pains. Why didn't anyone tell me how much it would hurt to be growing this much?!? I am, of course, worried that I am just a wimp and this doesn't actually hurt that badly, and that I will never survive the pain of labor. The ultrasound - the big one - is scheduled for March 12th. We STILL haven't decided if we want to find out the sex of the baby.

We'll be delivering at Mercy Hospital in Portland, and we had a tour of the Birthplace there yesterday. It is very much a hospital - duh, Lindsay - but this section has nicer curtains and some hot tubs. They have one tub for water births, an option we're considering. (If any of you have a good resource on the topic, please share it with me. ) It really looks like they have made an effort to make the delivering mom comfortable, so I will be perfectly happy to bring Critter into the world at this particular place. Dads beware, though: the chairs in the delivery rooms are plain, wooden chairs, and you have to wear a swimsuit if accompanying your wife in the tub. I know - who cares about the Dad's comfort?!? I certainly won't in the heat of the moment, but I got a sore rumpus just looking at those chairs.

We're both working a lot right now - Dan's district will be doing inventory for all of the stores next week, so he'll be on the road a lot helping out his fellow managers. I'm gearing up for my new consulting responsibilities at work with online training. We started a registry with Babies R Us, but gave out in a fit of exhaustion without really finishing it...I don't think what we accomplished is truly "starting" the registry. I think we managed to get a mattress and a thermometer on there...

My friend Bonnie will be here next week, so she and I will get to play/work on the nursery and registry some more.

We're still brainstorming a baby-moon to take this Spring. The one consistent piece of advice we receive from everyone is that we should take a trip together, just the two of us, before the baby comes. We hate the idea of spending any money, but we're going to make an effort to get away for a romantic weekend sometime in April.

Any cheap vacation ideas? Anyone win a vacation that they can't take? :-)

March is almost here, we're setting our clocks ahead soon, and the songbirds are out again. Hurray for Spring! I hope you are all well, and please stay in touch!

-Lindsay

Here is the meat from this week's email from BabyCenter.com:

Your baby weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now, rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden into bone. Some of it will remain cartilage for years after he's born. A newborn's skeleton has 300 parts (a combination of bone and cartilage). As your child grows, some of these parts harden and fuse together. By the time your baby reaches adulthood, he'll have just 206 bones.

This weekend Dan and I drove to New Jersey to visit my sister and her family - husband Drew, son Ben (5 1/2) and daughter Lolly (2 1/2). The drive took a bit longer than usual, what with the extra pit stops and all... Plus, we had to try out Dan's new Garmin Streetpilot 330, which will establish the best route for your trip, and recalculate a new route if you miss a turn. We discovered how handy it is, but the one thing it's missing is the reassurance of a familiar route! The unit needs to say, "Don't worry! Even if you have no idea where we are, I DO."

We crammed in as much play-time with the munchkins as possible...bowling, Twister, Crazy Eights, and Ice Age: The Meltdown. We had dinner Saturday night at a Hibachi grill Japanese steakhouse; Ben's eyes just got bigger and bigger as the chef tossed around pieces of chicken and build onion volcanoes. (Dan had to close his eyes and go to his happy place, as he realized the chef was re-sheathing his raw-chicken tainted knife over and over again...)

Sunday evening Dan ad I watched the kids so Noelle and Drew could have a date. Throughout the evening we experienced moments of pure fun, sweetness, and exhaustion. Bribery with ice cream was used. Tag-team diaper duty was a true contact sport. The most fun was when Uncle Dan and the kids had an improvised game of Twister involving hiding under a blanket, running around, shrieking, yelling, laughing and a variation of bear wrestling. Even Riley got in on the action!

Monday Drew and Noelle pulled out all of the potential hand-me-down baby gear. (Score!) We loaded up the car with as much as we could take without completely blocking the rear window view. Looking at the baby clothes was the best, though...I know it will be nothing like playing dress-up, but, man! are those little outfits sweet.

The weekend was really good and fun and restful overall. For me, I had a lot of "Am I ready for this?" anxiety. I realize baby-sitting and being the visiting Aunt is different than the 24-7 job of being a mom. On the one hand, you get to hand them back at the end of the day. But on the other, there hasn't been the day-to-day strength training to build up stamina! I just know that as much as I love, love, love being an aunt (it takes compulsive shopping to a new level), being a mom is going to be one of the most challenging and rewarding and tender blessings in my life.

Thanks, Noelle, for always giving me a taste of the sweetness to come. (And all the baby booty!)

16 Weeks and counting!

My appointment with the new practice is tomorrow - weather permitting. The snow has been falling all day, and will probably continue through the night. Some of us are enjoying a snow day at home!

Here is the update on Critter from Babycenter:
At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails. Her finger - and toenails will continue to grow throughout pregnancy, so don't be surprised if she needs them trimmed soon after birth.

Boy names - The good, the bad, the ugly.

From last week's email, we received several suggestions for names. You may know that we have a girl's name picked out, and a middle name picked out for either gender. We're still struggling with the boy names.

Some of you put a LOT of thought (and humor) into your suggestions, which made for a very funny day of reading for me!

From my sister:
Aragorn - okay not really - he'd get the crap beaten out of him as the Lord of Rings freak
Luciano - cause you keep eating Italians...maybe you are making one!
Dan - cause we need another one in the family - HA!Coffee Walsh - I dig that...its got meaning man -- or maybe Jamocha...
Subaru Walsh...maybe they'd give Dan a free WRX!
Aaron Walsh - translates to mountain - and he'd always be first in line at school
Warf Walsh - cause you both love NexGen
Ewan Walsh - consistent with the Welsh last name
Leo Walsh - when is the baby due? If he is to be a Leo - why not....
Holden Walsh - means kindly, gracious

"Okay - if he is born a Leo in the year of the fire pig - you should go for a name that means fire. (I am having WAY too much fun with this!)Year of the Fire Pig - http://www.firepig.com/horoscopeyear.aspx"
Aidan Walsh
Keegan Walsh
Brant Walsh
Flint Walsh
MacKay Walsh
Prometheus Walsh (call him Meth for short)
Ur Walsh - no really its a suggestion from the search on fire. Good for forgetful people.....Urrr....you, that Walsh kid. (Sound like anyone we know?!)

From my Kristin:
Old man names: Myron, Hiram
Names of mostly-forgotten English kings: Stephen, Alfred
Overpopular names: Connor, Hunter
Vaguely Catholic names: Xavier, Aloysius, Hieronymus
Two out of three kings names: Caspar, BalthasarDiscarded deity names: Thor, Hephaestus, Balder, Apollo
Vaguely protestant names: Martin, Henry
Unisex names: Morgan, Leslie
Astrological names: Leo, Aries
Old Hollywood names: Errol, Humphrey, Rock
Vaguely Puritan names: Oliver, Cotton(Semi-)
Mythical hero names: Tamburlaine, Arthur, Beowulf, Gilgamesh
British names: Nigel, Robin
Geographical names: Bosphorus, Gibraltar, Eustis
Shakespearean names: Tybalt, Fortinbras
Swashbuckling name: Roderigo

From my Kate:
Boy names... here are some of my favorites that my husband wouldn't allow me to name my own son:
Wyatt (my all-time favorite)
Junior (Junior Walsh has a nice ring to it)
Huck (I would go with the full Huckleberry, but I'm not that brave)
Trigger ( I really like this one and actually knew someone named Trigger and he was really cool)
Some I like now:
Bill (believe it or not, my kids don't know a single person named Bill, other than my boss, so it is unusual these days)
Simon
Will
Cal ( I've heard it as a short form of Callister)

Other suggestions from family and friends include:

• Cole
• Tyler
• Devin
• Juan
• Jacob
• Kahlil
• Pike - because if minerals and trees are allowed, why not fish?
• Trout
• Joseph
• Addison
• Samuel
• Alexander
• Asterix
• Feldspar
• Simon
• Hunter
• Thomas
• Theodore
• Justin
• Tinsel
• Titanium

Keep 'em coming! I'm enjoying the brainstorm.

15 Week Update

Here is the info from the weekly email about Critter Walsh's development! Below is my blabbing on and on so you know what's actually happening to US.


At around 4 inches long, crown to rump, your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. He's busy inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which will help the air sacs in his lungs develop. His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all his joints and limbs. That means his hands are more functional, too. Sweat glands are appearing, and although his eyelids are fused shut, he can sense light. If you were to shine a flashlight at your tummy, he'd be likely to move away from the beam.
If you're scheduled for an ultrasound in the coming weeks (most women have one between 16 and 20 weeks), you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! Don't be disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down the gender depends on how clear the picture is and the position of your baby during the ultrasound; he may be curled or turned in such a way as to keep you in suspense.
Your baby's taste buds are beginning to form now, too, and a study at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia suggests he may be able to taste what you've been eating. Researchers found that flavors from the food pregnant women ate ended up in their amniotic fluid. They also found that eating healthy foods during pregnancy may help your baby develop a preference for those foods that could last a lifetime.

I've gained about 6 pounds, all (or most of it) focused in the belly, so I have a little "pooch" and I've had to get new pants! Dan, on the other hand, has gained about 10 sympathy pounds. :-)

We heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time yesterday! It was very cool. 153 beats per minute - boom, boom, boom. So strong! We're scheduled for an ultrasound on March 5th, when we can find out if Critter is a boy or a girl...but we're still not sure we want to ruin the surprise!

I'm in the process of switching Obstetricians. My current OB is part of a huge group practice, fairly robotic with her answers to my questions, and on a totally different wavelength from me. When I go into labor, with this group practice, whoever is on call will deliver Critter...and there is no way for me to meet any of them before hand. Yuck. I have a preliminary appointment with another group next week - one MD, one DO and a midwife. All women. Small, small, small, which to me means they are able to be more personal. Dan asked me "What are the potential drawbacks to a smaller practice?" I couldn't think of any...do any of you have any answers to that question? Anyway - the doctor I choose at this new practice is the one that will deliver Critter. I will meet all three practicioners at my various appointments, so the entire practice will - get this! - actually KNOW me. Wow.

We moved downstairs last weekend with the help of Mom, George, Mike & Deborah. We took over the back bedroom, which is refreshingly large, cozy, and close to the bathroom! The nursery will be the front bedroom (the old guest room). It's currently green, like a hosptial room or a bowl of pistachio ice cream. It will be painted before Critter arrives!

We are still trying to decide on a name for a boy Critter. Any suggestions? Greg has told us how important it is for a child to have a unique name in this over-populated world...so his current suggestions include Tinsel, Titanium, or any mineral or tree. I asked him if "Salt Walsh" sounded good. :-p What boy names do you like?

I hope you are all well!

Love,
Lindsay,