Week 26 Day 1

   Pregnancy game #5.  Fun with flashlights.

We are now in the third trimester and I’m more excited than ever.  The pregnancy app on my phone says if you shine a light on the baby bulge (I wouldn’t call it a bump any more) it will actually turn towards the light since its eyelids can now open.

   That is freakin cool!  I can start teaching the ways of the lightsaber before the baby is even born!  Speaking of teaching the ways, here’s a PSA on how to expose your kids to StarWars for the first time.  It’s a little tongue in cheek but I suspect many of us will secretly take it seriously.  At least those of us who grew up with episodes 4, 5 & 6 before the calamity of 1, 2 and 3 came out.

   But yeah…   the baby can see light now.  How cool is that?  It’s so cool that it makes me an ass when I’m keeping the baby up at night and my wife wants to go to sleep.

Week 25 Day 2

   Here’s something I haven’t thought about; inadvertently hurting my child.  I guess I’ve been so preoccupied with the pregnancy and all the changes going on in our lives that thinking about actually BEING a father and all that it entails has not really made it into my waking conscience, yet.  Thanks to “How to be a dad” I now have this to look forward to.  Woo. hoo.

   Then I found this on Youtube.  And while I’m laughing my hownottobeanass off at this video (and more like them) I can’t help but cringe at the thought of actually being a participant in accidents like these.  And with our new video camera these events will be adequately documented and probably published here some years from now. 

   Can’t.  Wait.

Week 24 Day 7

   It’s been a busy 3 weeks so sorry for the delay.  I hope I don’t miss big chunks of my child growing up like I’ve been missing big chunks of days between posts.

   My partner was gone for two weeks earlier this month on two different business trips and I spent 50-60 hours at work last week.  I imagine this will be much more difficult to navigate when a little one jumps to the top of our priority list.

   On an awesome note, the baby’s heartbeat is very audible.  Not only can we hear it with the fetoscope that our midwife left us, but I’ve been able to hear it by forming an airtight seal with my ear on her belly.  I can just hear it: dum dum dum dum dum right next to my wife’s ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.  It takes my breath away every time.  It’s remarkably fast.  In my wife’s words: “It’s like a techno dance beat.  It’s so fast and strong!”  This filled my head with images of the little one with Daft Punk helmet in front of a DJ station rockin it.  Yeah.  That’s not weird at all.

   As she leaves for work this morning, I give the bump a little squeeze earning me a scolding because apparently I get it all riled up and then she has to deal with it for the next few hours.  I figure it will all come back to me once the baby is born.  Doesn’t make me any less of an ass today, though.

Week 24 Day 2

   One of the things we decided that we HAD to have before baby’s arrival is a video camera.  Thank goodness for Woot!  There was a pretty sweet deal on this JVC Enverio for a little over 100 bucks.  A great deal for the financially challenged or those about to have babies.  Doesn’t have many frills, but it takes good video.

   Here’s a sample of the baby moving!  

    The baby is actually pretty active during the whole video here.  But look just above the belly button at around 13 seconds for a really good one.

   Pardon the sounds of a dog licking in the background.  Dog's can be total asses sometimes.

Week 23 Day 5

   I think that I am beginning to realize the ways in which having a child will impact my life.  I probably won’t agree with that statement several years from now.

   But after being without my wife and unborn child for several days (business trip in Little Rock, Arkansas one week and San Fran the next) the impact has been palpable.  (I am NOT going to do well with college)

   I have been pretty mopey. (That’s the lesser known 8^th dwarf that Snow White didn’t like)

   This has come at a particularly busy time at work compounding the difficulty.  Yay me.  

Week 22 Day 5

   Pregnancy game #4:  Wake the baby!

And I will fully admit that this totally makes me an ass.  But this is really fun for the non-pregnant partner. (me)

   This game is played pretty much the way it sounds.  Jostle, poke, prod, talk to, tickle or do whatever it takes to wake up the baby and make it move!  Then you get to giggle whenever you feel the baby elbow, punch, kick or stretch against your hand.  It’s pretty awesome.

   This is assuming, of course, your pregnant partner will allow you to do this and hasn’t smacked you upside the head before the baby gets woken up.

    While waking the baby can be highly irritating to your wife, studies have shown (if it wasn’t already obvious) that interaction with the baby pre-birth can be beneficial.  So I may be an ass, but I’m thinking of the baby, right?

Week 22 Day 4

  Yet another physical change that happens to the female body during a pregnancy is swollen ankles.  Or “pankles”.  (get it?  Pregnant ankles!)  The word “pankles” can almost make me think of pancakes.  Which are yummy.  But I imagine having pankles still sucks.

   My wife was recently on a business trip in Little Rock, Arkansas.  And really, what kind of state is Arkansas?  It’s like Kansas with pirates…   Arrrr.. Kansas.

   Anyway, here are two photos she took of her ankles.  One in the morning and one in the evening.  Guess which is which.

  

   So I heard about swollen ankles during pregnancy but I really didn’t have any idea.  Ouch.  This is yet one more reason for the need to thank our wives/partners during pregnancy.

   Thanks, hon!

Can I not be an ass this week?