Archive for May, 2005

Baby Facts and Stats

Tuesday, May 24th, 2005

Reading these statistics makes me feel so… typical. Still, it’s interesting to see trends in the U.S.

For your viewing pleasure

Monday, May 23rd, 2005

A Robin Williams video on Scotland and on golf. Really amusing stuff.

Updates

Monday, May 23rd, 2005

Here are the exciting happenings in the Caird household for the past week.

  • We still don’t know exactly when we’ll be closing on the house, though we had planned to fill out final paperwork tomorrow.
  • All’s well on the baby front though I’m getting increasingly uncomfortable with the increasingly large belly. All of the non-stress tests — even an unexpected one sparked by fears about a lack of baby movement — have come out just fine, and my blood pressure has continued to be within normal range.
  • We had the most beautiful weekend here in the Bay Area. Super sunny and warm. It’s so lovely even to be around the house as long as windows and doors are open. Lunch al fresco on the weekends is a delight.
  • Childbirth classes continue. We are doing an 8 week course that covers everything from the birth to breastfeeding to newborn care. It’s in our hoped-for new neighborhood, so we hope to make some friends who will also have new babies at the same time we do.

  • We Ordered a Crib

    Tuesday, May 17th, 2005

    Crib1

    Crib2
    Yes, the little creature will have a place to sleep upon his arrival. We placed an order down at Darla’s Baby Boutique, and it should be arriving within the next few weeks. I took a couple of pics in the store to show to my dad, who helped us make the purchase. Thought as long as I had pictures, I might as well share them with you.

    And for those of you who come and visit, you might be sleeping in this, too. That’s because it coverts into a daybed, and into a full size bed, as well.

    Gardening & Parenthood

    Tuesday, May 17th, 2005

    My colleague and new father Zach posted a great entry today on gardening and parenthood. I expect with the new house, we’ll soon be finding out a whole lot more about both of those subjects.

    House Closing Fast Approaching

    Saturday, May 14th, 2005

    Antcupcakes
    I think my last house-related entry was pretty negative so I’d better update. It turns out we ARE getting the house! (A call from Michael’s brother, Ian, this morning reminded me that we haven’t really spread the news that widely.)

    The sellers came back to us with a reasonable offer with regard to repairs. The price will be the same, but, at the closing, we’ll get checks written out to the repair people of our choice, so we can get most of the major things fixed. Then we’ll have to repair other things ourselves, or get them done after we move in.

    We actually found this out on Michael’s birthday, so his fancy birthday dinner was not only a celebration of Michael — it was also a celebration of our future family house together. Since then, we’ve been very positive but still disbelieving that it’s actually happening. It’s hard to believe that we’re on track to buy our little house. (I added a couple more pictures to the album today.)

    We’ve set a date of Tueday May 24 to sign the final paperwork (and write lots of checks) on our end. Then the official close is on Friday the 27th. That’s when we’ll get the keys. It’s right before Memorial Day weekend, so I think Michael will have both the Friday and the Monday off work. I believe I just get the Monday. Also that weekend, is a sidewalk chalk art and chocolate tasting festival along Solano Avenue — so we’ll have a nice opportunity to get to know the ‘hood. (Picture above is chalk art example from the event Web site.)

    Then, the repairs can commence! Of course, then we get to move.

    So less than a month before the baby is due, we’ll be moving. It’s great, though, because now we have a room for him and we can be preparing it for his arrival. We’re holding off buying the crib — which my dad has generously offered to pay for — until we get into the new place. We’re going for a safari theme — not too boyish — so it would hold up if we eventually have another child.

    And speaking of children, I’ll use this opportunity to say everything is looking fine. I have been going in for twice-weekly monitoring (non-stress tests and ultrasounds). Every time, my blood pressure is just fine (way down from the high reading that was cause for concern before), and the baby seems to be doing well. One added benefit, I guess, is that I’m getting quite comfortable with the hospital where I’ll be giving birth. On the way to the monitoring area, I get to pass the nursery and see the newborns.

    The quest for a name

    Wednesday, May 11th, 2005

    This is going to be us.

    Baby Shower Pictures

    Wednesday, May 11th, 2005

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    Michael and I at the Baby Shower



    Mother_s_day_018

    Since I know you’re dying to see my true gargantuan proportions, here’s me (with belly), along with (L to R) my cousin Shannon, her husband Brian, my Uncle Lane and Aunt Mary. (You can click on any of these pictures to see them bigger.)

    Trip to Houston

    Monday, May 9th, 2005

    We are home today after a whirlwind weekend trip to Houston for a baby shower. For all you Scots, the idea behind the baby shower is that the to-be parents are “showered” with gifts by friends and family, in preparation for the new arrival. I don’t think there’s such a tradition in Scotland…or maybe it happens AFTER the baby comes. Anyway, here it’s very common — for the first baby in the family — for it to happen around this time (30 weeks or so) before the blessed event. Traditionally, it’s been more of a female-focused event, often involving just the mother-to-be and the women of the family, but, more recently, men have been involved, too. In this case, it was both men and women (and lots of kids) who attended, and it was a full house!

    I really can’t say enough about how special the event was to us. We got to see so many people who we haven’t seen in such a long time, and we got to share our excitement about becoming parents. Everyone was so wonderful and supportive and generous. We were a bit overwhelmed, I must say. It also makes this whole baby arrival thing a bit more concrete, as we now have very important gear such as a car seat (can’t take the baby home without it!).

    Despite thunderstorms on both ends, we made it home safely, at the end of what had been a fairly smooth trip, all things considered. We miss everyone and wish we’d had more time to spend catching up with everyone. Aargh, it’s so hard living far away sometimes. Come visit!!!!

    Happy Birthday, Michael!

    Tuesday, May 3rd, 2005

    Birthdaycake_1
    Just wanted to wish my darling husband a Happy Birthday on this special day! We’re going out to dinner tonight in Berkeley to celebrate.