Good Books

As a grad student, whenever there's something that I want to learn about I start a quest to find some good books on the subject. So it's probably not surprising that I've been keeping an eye out for good books on pregnancy and child development. While the quest has just begun, Sara and I have found two books that are both very useful and interesting.

The first is the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. This is a great reference on everything pregnancy related. It covers the baby's development and the what the mother is going through week by week. And it includes lots of good reference material too. Plus, it's less than $15! We've already recommended this book to some friends as it has served us well.



The other book is one that I just started reading this weekend. What's Going on in There? by Lise Eliot is an entire book on the development of the brain, from conception to 5 years of age. It covers how the neural system is created and developed, and how these developments influence a person's capacity to learn at different ages. And it's all presented in a way that's approachable by someone who is not a biologist (which is good for me!). This book is also a deal at under $15.



I'm sure we'll find some other fun books as the quest continues. Perhaps you know of a good one? I'd love to hear about it!

Another week, another doctor's visit...

We took another trip to the doctor this week. This appointment was a little less exciting than the others. Although we did get to hear the baby's heartbeat again, which is always fun! Beyond that, we just got the results of Sara's blood work from our previous visit: all good news, and no surprises. Sara's not a carrier for cystic fibrosis (which means I don't need to get tested), and she tested negative for a wide variety of things that they routinely check.

Perhaps the biggest news from this visit is that the doctor moved Sara's due date again, based on the recent ultrasound. The "new" due date is July 26, which puts us right back where we started. Funny how things work out sometimes. Of course, the due date doesn't really mean too much (I'm sure the baby isn't marking days on a calendar like we are!), but I think it's fun to automatically be a week further along.

So, our next appointment is scheduled for February 29. At that time they will take some more blood from Sara (for the 2nd trimester screening tests) and just make sure that everything continues to go smoothly. And it will only be a couple of weeks after that when we should be able to determine if it's a boy or a girl!

Even Harvard Would Be Cheaper!

Perhaps you've heard that both Harvard and Yale are going to start offering generous financial aid packages to middle and upper-middle class students. I personally think that this is a great move and am happy to see schools willing to take this step. But the "funny" thing about these new financial aid packages is that it would be cheaper for us to send a child to Harvard than it is to send a child to day care! Sara just realized this the other day, and I'm still trying to figure out how that can possibly be true. Perhaps child care centers just need bigger endowments!

12 Weeks

I'm just over 12 Weeks Pregnant. According to the books, the baby is about 6.3 cm long, or about the size of a large lime, and weighs about 14g. It's face is taking on further definition, and the baby is starting to grow fingernails and toenails. It's intestines have formed and the kidneys have begun functioning. It is beginning to develop reflexes and will move in response to bumps or pokes to my belly.

It always amazes me to read all this stuff. The development that is going on inside my body is just incredible. It's also really amazing to see the sonogram confirm everything. Based on the ultrasound yesterday, the baby is measuring just about 6 cm and the heart is beating like crazy. And at one point, the baby seemed to fall asleep, so the ultrasound tech just pushed down a little bit on the belly to wake it up, and it almost immediately started kicking and waving its arms around!! Seeing this, and hearing the heartbeat brought tears to my eyes.

I'm feeling much better these days. Most of the nausea is gone, though I do still feel a little queasy sometimes after taking my prenatal vitamin. My appetite is definitely back, and I'm doing my best to find healthy snack alternatives so I'm not always raiding the vending machine!! I've also learned that I need a certain amount of protein and fat in my snacks, or I'm hungry again 30 minutes later! So, I keep a small jar of peanut butter on my desk at work that I will use for dipping some carrot sticks or apple slices. I also have some whole wheat pita and hummus in the fridge if I want a break. It seems to be working out well for me.

While I"m not quite back to "normal" (some might claim I was never there to begin with), I am noticing that my energy level is slowly increasing again, and I'm just starting to find the energy to do more than work, come home, and go to bed.

So that's how things look from "mom's" perspective. Most people consider the second trimester to officially begin at 13 weeks, so I'm almost there. I have to admit, I'm not sad to say goodbye to it. I won't miss the nausea, the fatigue, and the general just not feeling well. And from what I hear, second trimester is the good one...where you feel good, you eat well, you have energy. And it's also when you get fun first like first time you feel the baby move, finding out if it's a boy or a girl, and all that other cool stuff. I'm ready!!

Sonogram #1

We went in for the first trimester's screening today. This is when they do an ultrasound and check everything over to make sure that the baby is progressing as expected. They can also gauge the risk of down syndrome at this time. Fortunately, everything looks perfectly good and normal. The heart was beating 160 times per minute and the baby was 59.5mm long. Below is one of the pictures that we got. I know there's not too much to see, but it's fun to share anyway :-) I've made a few notations so that you know what you're looking at...

Child Care

Several people have asked me what we plan to do for child care. I've given a variety of different answers, but I suppose the real answer is that we don't have it figured out just yet. We'd love for Sara to be able to stay home full time, but that would require me getting a "real" job. And if I get a job it will make finishing my graduate work nearly impossible. The other option seems to be some form of child care.

The world of child care is a little daunting. Options are available through day care centers, nannies, "in home" day care, churches, and even the YMCA. Most of these places will only accept (or give preference to) children who will be at the facility full time. Most of these places have *really* long waiting lists. And most of them are very expensive.

To give you a feel for things, consider one place that we visited today. We went to the day care center affiliated with GA Tech. To use this facility, you must be affiliated with GA Tech or live in the neighborhood next to campus. Even with this restriction, there is a waiting list that is about 1.5 - 2 years long! GA Tech subsidies the cost, so if you are lucky enough to get a spot you will "only" have to pay $1050 / month for your child to stay there. But, the place looks really nice, so we are now on the waiting list.

We are also putting our names on waiting lists at a variety of other places, but the story looks about the same everywhere you go. So we will just have to wait and see where we get lucky enough to get a slot. In the mean time, we'll be looking for quarters in the sofa cushions and exploring additional options.

Getting Healthy

I'm a pretty healthy guy. But between turning 30 this year (not til July!) and having a baby on the way, I have decided that it's time for me to be a little more proactive about my health. So tomorrow I'm heading to the doctor for my first physical in very long time. When I called to make the appointment, they asked if I wanted a "full physical". I said "yes", thinking that it would seem silly to omit anything. Of course, now I don't really know what I've gotten myself into!

I'm awake at midnight this evening because I'm not supposed to eat anything between midnight and my 1:20p appointment tomorrow (anyone that knows me knows that this this will be tough). So I'm here at midnight having a final snack with hopes that it will hold me over until tomorrow afternoon. Of course the request for me to fast means that they plan to draw blood. And I'm always a big wimp when it comes to needles. I used to nearly pass out, but now I just dislike it. So here's hoping they don't have trouble finding a vein.

The next step towards better health will be seeing the dentist. I don't mind the dentist so much, but I will probably have to drag Sara in kicking and screaming (ok, she's not quite that bad). But that will have to be a story for another day...