slate.BABY

NURSING BABY M VS BABY C

I was so SKEPTICAL when people told me that each pregnancy and nursing experience with each baby is different. However, it's true or at least it is with me. The lactation consultant at the hospital told me that it couldn't get much worse than my last nursing experience, so this time it could only be better. She's absolutely right.

Below is a detailed comparison of my two nursing experiences.

1. Last time: My milk didn't come in until about 2 weeks later and by then, I had to supplement M with formula so he wouldn't starve.
This time: My milk supply started to come in before I left the hospital. (I really do believe that healing from the ovarian cyst removal last time compromised my milk supply.)

2. Last time: M was such a poor latcher and eater. Even with the bottle, he still wouldn't eat much. And even now, he's still a very fussy eater.
This time: C is a decent latcher and loves to eat. She definitely is eating a lot more than M did when he was the same age.

3. Last time: We introduced M to the bottle while still in the hospital. I felt that early on, M preferred the bottle to me. We tried lots of bottles and nipples to find ones that M liked. Lots of bottle washing.
This time: At around week 3-4, we introduced the bottle to C to make sure she doesn't reject the bottle. So different from M who rejected me versus the bottle. C seems to prefer me over the bottle.

4. Last time: We had to supplement the breast milk I pumped out with formula because I didn't pump out enough. Lots of money and time spent on buying baby formula. Lots of time spent researching formula and deciding which to give M. Lots of time spent measuring out formula and figuring out how much to pack in the diaper bag for outings. Lots of time spent heating up the formula and deciding what kind of water to use. (boiled vs. distilled vs. ?) Crazy.
This time: Too early to say if my milk supply will hold up, but so far C is only on breast milk. I'm doing everything I can to maintain my supply by taking herb supplements, drinking mother's milk tea, pumping when C goes long stretches between nursings or doesn't empty me out, etc.

5. Last time: I used the SNS steadily for maybe 1-2 months, pumped almost 8 times a day for 6 weeks and then pumped several times a day for a year.
This time: C empties out my breasts pretty well so I have only used the breast pump maybe 0-1x a day based on need. Since introducing the bottle, I pump about 2x a week. We tried the SNS once, hated it, and threw the thing out. :)

6. Last time: M lost more than 10% of his birth weight.
This time: C lost weight too, but never as much. Now she has exceeded her birth weight and the weight gain is all attributed to only breastmilk from the breast -- no supplements. At her two month visit, she was two pounds shy of doubling her birth weight.

7. Last time: By the time M was two weeks old, I already had a lactation consultant visit our home. By the time he was two months old, I had her come again and I had visited two other hospital lactation consultants at their office.
This time: No lactation consultant visits foreseen in the near future. Possibly no visits this time around. Woo-hoo!

8. Last time: I was on pain medications for at least a month. In addition to the c-section, I was recovering from the second incision the doctors made to remove my ovarian cyst.
This time: No ovarian cyst. At about 2-3 weeks, I had cut down my pain meds to half dosage and I was off pain meds by the end of the month.

9. Last time: We rented the hospital pump for 6 weeks. I went to the hospital once a week for months to weigh M because his weight gain was such an issue.
This time: We rented the hospital pump for a month and then switched to a regular personal pump. We also rented a hospital scale.

10. Last time: I was lucky if I could keep M on my "dead" (aka right) breast for 5 minutes or longer.
This time: C will stay on the "resurrected" (new name for the "dead" breast) breast up to 10 minutes some days -- though she isn't always sucking. But hey, at least she will stay on which is far more than I can say with M.

WHAT'S HIS NAME?

Beats me. But for this week, RTB and I have been experimenting with the name "Landon." That's the name tossed around since our anniversary weekend 6 weeks ago and it is currently RTB's favorite name. It's one of my favorite names, but I worry about its trendiness and preppiness. RTB says I am over-thinking this and putting too much weight on what others think. He's probably right because I've enjoyed calling our baby "Landon" this week. Hubby says there's a really good American soccer star named Landon Donovan right now so it makes him feel that the name fits young man as well as cute baby. I heard the name for the first time when I saw the movie, A Walk to Remember, starring Shane West and Mandy Moore, and have liked the name ever since. The Landon character starts out very unlikable and a rebel but is completely redeemed by the end. I know some of my friends are going to think that I like the name because it is a reference to Michael Landon of Little House on the Prairie, one of my favorite all-time shows, but the name really refers more to Shane West's character. RTB teases me that I have a slight crush on Shane West because I seem to like the character "Ray" he used to play on another favorite show of mine, ER, too. I just think West plays bad boys who have a good heart inside very well. It's a typecast, but it fits him.

Anyway, other names potentially in the running include: Maddox (though I think we are both leaning towards using it as middle name that combines our names), Timothy (classic, never goes out of style, biblical name), Derek (though I don't like this name as much as I used to). Yes, it's a very short list. There are so many more girl names I like, but not a lot of boy names, and especially ones that hubby and I agree on (such as Cannon, Alexander, & Joseph), and ones not already used on the sons of close friends and family members (such as Bryce, Jonathan, Daniel, & David). Sigh... I just hope our son will like whatever name we end up choosing for him. (Ironically, Landon Donovan's middle name is Timothy. Maybe we should save Timothy as our second son's name. )

Meanwhile we need to talk to RTB's dad and find out if there are family names we should be using for our son's Chinese name.

WEEK 27

It has not been a fun week at all. I got a phone call two Fridays ago with results from my glucose screening test. Though the message did not say anything about my blood sugar levels, the medical assistant did tell me that bacteria was found in my urine sample and I needed to get started on a round of antibiotics. Not sure whether this was the same bacteria that was found earlier, I delayed getting the medicine until I spoke directly to my ObGyn the following Monday.

It turns out that it is the same Strep B bacteria. However, the levels have grown increasingly high so she thought it was best that the levels get under control and she prescribed the antibiotics, which I took all last week. I was to take a pill every 6 hours, 4 times a day. So I decided to take them at midnight, 6am, noon, and 6pm to make it easier for me to remember. Of course, it meant that I had to set my alarm for 6am every morning to take my meds but it wasn't so bad because most mornings I could fall back asleep. There were some mornings when the baby would keep me up for a bit with his movements, but eventually I always returned to sleep.

The real pain was not being able to eat 2-3 hours before each time I took the medicine and for an hour afterwards. It made it difficult for someone like me to snack on 6 small meals. I ended up getting very hungry each time leading up to mealtime. "L" in our bible study, who's a pharmacist said that if I really wanted to, and I was starving, that I should simply eat something small and that it was ok. Nonetheless, I wanted to stick to the schedule.

One side effect which I think is directly related to the medicine is the weeklong diarrhea bout I've had. It's been awful. We are seeing my ObGyn this week so I am hoping to get confirmation of this and to find out if I should be worried. In fact, I have lots of question for my doctor during this visit.

1. Blood sugar levels from glucose test
2. Whether the vitamin amounts I am taking are ok
3. Round ligament pain that I felt a few weeks ago
4. Vomiting that I did on 9/27 and 9/28 during my time in LA (perhaps relating to the vitamins)
5. Whether I should get a flu shot
6. What amount of Strep B bacteria becomes very harmful to baby even in vitro
7. How strict should I have kept to the medicine schedule
8. Fainting feeling at church on 10/14
9. Weeklong diarrhea
10. Weight gain

Anyway, at least on the upside, I saw the baby move with my own eyes for the first time last Friday, 10/12. It was very brief but I know for sure it was him. I also saw my stomach poke for a bit yesterday as well. I can't wait for RTB to see his son move too. It's already so fun having RTB place his hands on my tummy to feel our baby.

I'VE GOT THE BLUES

There are currently five swatches of blue painted on the wall of the nursery. I asked guests on Saturday to take a look at them and let me know what they think. At this time, the colors have been narrowed down to three. However, typical me, isn't crazy about any of them. Part of me wants to run to the paint store AGAIN and pick up more choices but I can see RTB rolling his eyes at me already. I have an idea in my head of what color I want the walls to be but I just can't seem to find one close to it that Benjamin Moore carries since we've decided to use that brand. The weekend to paint the room has been set so I am running out of time to be picky. Meanwhile there are six swatches up in the guest bedroom which we also plan to paint the same weekend as the nursery. At least, I have decided to paint that room "Pashmina." It's not that I am in love with that color either, but somehow I'm not being as picky with whatever we choose for that room.

DELAYED GETAWAY

Back in August, RTB and I were supposed to drive down and see three of my girlfriends (my bridesmaids) and spend time with their families for a week. However, RTB's work got really chaotic and we had to cancel last minute. Since then, things have calmed down a bit (we're really praying that the case RTB has been working so hard on settles soon) so we rescheduled the trip for last week.

The start of our trip was pretty ominous as I was jolted with some sharp pains beneath my abdomen that morning. RTB wondered whether we should go to the hospital. Since the pain was not in my uterus, I didn't worry too much -- plus I was starving. I sent RTB out to get me an egg biscuit and decided that if he returned and the pain had not subsided, that we would call the advice nurse. Well, my dearest came back and I was still wincing in pain on the bed. He called and was put on hold. Then, just as the nurse came online, the pain went away as quickly as it had come. It was determined that I was suffering from round ligament pain -- the ligaments supporting my expanding uterus. We looked it up online and sure enough, everything matched what I was feeling. Ouch!

Well, getting a later start than we had planned, we finally hit the road. The drive down took a bit longer than usual because we had to make more frequent stops for me. Nonetheless, we made it in good time thanks to little traffic on a Saturday afternoon.

In the one week we were there, we stayed at three different homes, visited the homes of two other sets of friends, and played with 13 kids -- ranging from 2 days to 7.5 years old. On two occasions, we were left in charge of our friends' kids while they had to attend some meetings. Hence, we got a lot of practice in baby holding, changing diapers, bedtime routines, shoulder rides, and playtime. Every night, RTB and I were exhausted but RTB says that this kind of tired sure beats the kind he gets from work. It also warmed my heart so much every time I saw RTB with our friends' kids. I really can't wait to see him with our own son. He's going to be a terrific father while I, on the other hand, will be a neurotic mother.

We didn't do much last week but sleep in (a luxury for RTB in itself); dine out; hang out at our friends' homes; pray with our friends; and go to church, the library, Babies R Us, & the mall. I promised RTB a restful trip -- a trip where we did absolutely nothing -- a vacation that would be the complete opposite of the one we took to Europe earlier this May.

I got lots of baby advice from my girlfriends and picked up a bunch of used baby items from them, too. Now our house and garage are cluttered with stuff I need to clean and assemble once RTB paints the nursery in a few weeks. I can't really set up the nursery until then. One of my girlfriends kindly accompanied me to Babies R Us last week where she helped me with my registry. She advised me on things to get, to hold off, to borrow, to purchase from consignment stores if I can, etc. and the recommended amount I should buy for each item. I even got a small crash course on how to use a breast pump from a different girlfriend. I am so glad to have people who can help me navigate through this baby mania.

BABIES GALORE

So Many Babies
I know of no fewer than 18 women (not counting myself) who are currently pregnant. The number dropped to 15 at one point but then within one week one friend gave birth (congrats michougirl) and I found out four were expecting. I know of 20 babies born so far this year alone. Oh my.

Baby Kicks
Not only do I feel the baby moving around now, so does RTB. He's been reading to the baby every night to the point of almost having Good Night Moon memorized. I think the baby is learning to recognize RTB's voice. At least I hope he is. Meanwhile, the little fella woke me up at 6 this morning and kept me awake with his movements for half an hour.

Baby Carriers
I purchased a Beco baby carrier and brought it down to LA last week to test drive it on my friend's 3-month old. My friend thought that from the mother's perspective that it was very comfortable to wear. However, her little boy couldn't see out because he had to face in towards her. From what I have gathered, it might still be worth it for me to get the Baby Bjorn Active where our son can look out into the world as I walk around. Any thoughts?

Delivery Date
This Wednesday, I will be in week 26 of my pregnancy. It's hard to believe that technically since week 24, the baby is considered viable. Then again, it just means, he has around a 15% chance of survival if he is born now, which I don't want to happen. I have had people tell me that I am carrying quite low and maybe that means I will deliver earlier than January 9. I hope not because I need all the time I can get to prepare for the baby and I really don't want to deliver around New Year's. I don't want to be surrounded by upset doctors and nurses working during the holidays and be racing to the hospital with the drunk drivers on the road. Then again, maybe I will be extra eager to get the baby out early when the time draws near.

Weeks 24 & 25
These were some tough weeks. I think last week was especially tough because we were traveling and not sleeping comfortably in our own bed. I brought along my body pillow but I didn't want to ask my friends for lots of extra pillows so I had to make do. Thus, I didn't sleep well every night. Also the schedule of when I usually take my prenatal vitamins got thrown off and twice I threw them up along the previous meal. Yuck. Also, though the food was good last week, I can't say that we ate particularly healthily. Hence, I gained a lot of weight in one week and I've been experiencing a lot of stretching pain these past 2 weeks. Week 24 was plagued with lots of itchiness.

Baby Names
I am hoping to finish a longer blog entry on this topic someday but meanwhile I want to share this conversation I had with my friend's 4 year old daughter.

• R: Name your baby Sarah. (Her mom tells me her daughter has a good friend named Sarah.)
• o: But my baby is a boy.
• R: Don't name your baby Gaston because he's selfish. (R loves Disney's Beauty & the Beast)
• R: Name him David. That's a nice name.
• o: Ok. I will keep that in mind.

Baby Classes / Groups
I am debating whether to drop by a prenatal yoga class this week. It's near RTB's work so maybe I can go to class and then meet up with hubby for lunch. I am also looking into birthing/breathing classes too. Does anyone know any that they can recommend? I may check out my church's moms' group later this month and then maybe a MOPS group. My girlfriends in LA all love MOPS and they say that some local chapters allow pregnant moms to join the groups too.

Church Retreat
We are still debating whether to attend this year. We would like to but if we do, I think we would need to get a private room which is quite $$$. The shared rooms are four people per room in bunk beds with a shared bathroom among 16 people. Given how difficult it was for me to sleep at my friends' homes last week and how often I need to use the bathroom these days, I am not sure I want to register for the shared rooms like we have in the past. Plus, those shared rooms are pretty darn far from the main area of the campus. The last two years, RTB and I were assigned the furthest building on the campus. There is no way I can handle that walk anymore, especially at night after the evening sessions. So we'll see.

Celebrity Kids
These days I can't help but feel for the children of Britney Spears and O.J. Simpson. Spears' kids are still too young to understand everything but O.J.'s kids must know. I just can't imagine what it must be like to grow up with such media speculation and controversy swirling around your parents.

Baby Blogs
I wish all my friends with kids would blog. I have learned so much from those who do. I know that when our baby comes, it will especially be comforting to not feel alone in my struggles to be a good parent.

STROLLER SAGA

Stroller shopping is like playing with Transformer toys, especially when it comes to figuring out how each stroller opens and collapses. This is probably why of all the items we've needed to buy for our baby so far, strollers has been the one which I sought the most help from RTB. In fact, RTB's gotten scarily good at recognizing strollers. When we go out anywhere these days, he usually will be faster than me to point out the different models he's seen parents pushing around the stores, church, Monterey Aquarium, etc. He can spit out names like Bugaboo, Peg Perego, Graco, Quinny, Inglesina, etc. as if they were car makers.

Anyway, while RTB has gotten quite good at opening and collapsing strollers, I have some trouble with certain models. Also, since he is also much stronger than me, the weight of the stroller is not an issue for him. Hence, it is far more important for us to find a stroller that's (1) easy for me to use and (2) one that I can lift in and out of the car trunk with my weak arms -- especially since I will be the one handling the stroller by herself most of the time.

Well, after testing out all these strollers, reading reviews online, talking to parents and parents-to-be, RTB and I decided to register for a Baby Trend Snap n Go stroller to go with the infant car seat and to purchase the Inglesina Zippy stroller ourselves. Since the 2008 models will be coming out soon, many 2007 models are going on sale now. So while there may be improvements with the newer models, we decided it was worth saving money by buying a 2007 version.

Thus, over Labor Day weekend we went to Lullaby Lane, a local baby furniture & accessories store, to purchase the Inglesina Zippy. The store sent us over to its warehouse for pick-up. When they gave us the box, a little voice inside me told me to ask RTB to open it there to double-check that it was the correct item. It turned out to be the wrong color. We show the guy at the warehouse how the box was incorrectly marked, and he goes back into the warehouse to look again. Eventually, he told us that the stroller in the color we wanted was not available. The computer that kept track of inventory must be incorrect. We returned to the store where we explained the situation and got a refund for our purchase. Then, we re-purchased the same stroller as a special order. We got an additional 10% discount for the store's mistake and got the regular 60-day return policy on the stroller, unlike the final sale policy on most special orders. We are also told that the order could take 6-8 weeks.

Instead, a few days later, we received a call that the stroller is again ready for pick-up. Then while RTB helps pilsang and psismine move 2 weekends ago, I returned to Lullaby Lane. I asked the guy at the warehouse to again open up the box to confirm the item. How relieved I was to find that it was the correct color this time.

Then on Friday night, a week after we picked up the stroller, RTB took it out of the box and assembled it. It's beautiful. It's easy to use. I'm so happy. Except that we find a small hole in the basket beneath the stroller. Sigh. So this morning I called Lullaby Lane and asked if I could simply bring in the basket for a replacement. The saleslady told me to bring the entire stroller with all the packaging back in and the store will give me a full replacement. With no other choice, I complied and drove back to the store, then to the warehouse, and exchanged for a new one. Then, when RTB came home, one of the first things I asked him to do was assemble the new stroller. That's when RTB and I laughed. Why? Because the basket again had a small hole right in the middle.

We're now convinced that the hole is supposed to be there. Why it's there, we have no idea. In fact, I showed the saleslady at the store the hole in the basket when I returned the first stroller, so we're not the only ones who think it's odd. End of this boring story: We've got our snazzy orange stroller which we hope will be easy to spot in the sea of strollers at church and the mall in the future.

Now onto choosing baby carriers. (By the way, thank you to the mothers who have been giving me their best advice on what to get and what to hold off.)

PREGNANCY OBSERVATIONS IN WEEK 23

1. Chivalry is alive & well. - Yesterday I boarded a Bart train after spending the afternoon at SFMOMA with supa_gee. It was crowded and standing room only. Thus, I found a spot to stand and prepared myself for the 30-minute ride. However, within a minute, a gentleman asked if I would like to sit. I thanked him, graciously accepted his offer, and took his seat. So nice to know there are people like him out there.

2. I can turn my innie into an outie. - My belly button hasn't popped out yet, but with a gentle nudge, I can turn my innie belly button into a slight outie. LOL. You'll just have to picture this on your own. I will provide no demonstrations of this.

3. Purse weight gain. - As I have gotten heavier, so has my purse. I now bring water wherever I go, and sometimes one of my pregnancy books too. Hence, I have needed to carry a purse that is large enough to fit everything I need. These days, I have resorted to carrying a totebag in place of a purse. I guess this is a harbinger of my future days of using an even larger bag, a diaper bag, as a purse.

4. Two McDonalds visits this week. - Before Sunday, I can't tell you how long it has been since I have eaten at McDonalds, except that it had been a looong time. Earlier in my pregnancy, I craved sausage egg muffins, but I actually never satisfied those cravings at McDonalds since I always wanted them at night when such breakfast foods were not served. Instead, dear sweet RTB tried making them on his own for me. Now three months later, I am again craving breakfast sandwiches but this time, egg biscuits with ham instead of sausage. On Sunday, we were late to church because RTB kindly indulged me by driving to McD's before service. Then yesterday morning, I went to McDonalds again and this time, I ordered two egg biscuits. I finished one before I even got home. Oh my. It's hard enough trying to limit my intake of In-n-Out burgers, and now I have to worry about McD's, too. This is soooo not good. It's little wonder why I am gaining weight.

5. Fatter arms. - Speaking of weight gain, I nearly cried the other day when I discovered that my arms don't fit into one of my favorite cardigans. Wah! I am really hoping this is temporary, and that one day I will be able to wear that sweater again. However, I realistically understand that most women's bodies never return to their familiar size and shape. My knees are looking chunkier too and my shoes are feeling tighter.

6. Love the body pillow. - Over Labor Day weekend, we bought me one of those special pregnancy body pillows. It's been great. I am still trying to find the perfect position to sleep with it, but my back is hurting less these days. Now if only I would stretch more regularly each night before I went to bed so I could prevent the knots in my calves.

7. Does a baby really need all this stuff? - I have been so overwhelmed these days with researching baby products and trying to figure out the must-haves for a first-time parent. We have narrowed down the basics like car seat, crib, stroller, etc. But it's the other stuff that is more confusing, like does the baby need a swing and an exersaucer? Which baby carrier is the best one to use? How much newborn clothes should one buy? How the heck does a breast pump work? And all those breastpump/ breastfeeding accessories? Help! Any advice from you parents out there would be greatly appreciated. What are your favorite / most recommended baby products?

8. Nursery update. - I bought a great mobile for the nursery from the SFMOMA store yesterday. Not only were the colors perfect for the nursery, but it was on sale too. Woo-hoo! Meanwhile, the paint saga continues. (See 8/13/07) I'm back to wanting to paint the walls blue again. Unsurprisingly, RTB has stopped listening to me because I seem to be changing my mind every week anyway. Well, until the paint is bought, I suppose I can keep changing my mind.

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CRYING WITH HER

Last Saturday we learned that our friend "L" suffered a miscarriage two days earlier. I was so devastated to hear such news since I sort of have felt a kinship with "L" ever since I learned that she and her husband also had been trying to conceive without success. Also, I have witnessed her playing with kids and I know how much having children would mean to her. Hence, I can't imagine how she must be feeling right now, both emotionally and physically.

Tonight, her husband "Ch"called me and I further learned that the miscarriage was due to a tubal / ectopic pregnancy. Wow. I have known other friends who have suffered miscarriages but none due to such a condition. Since I didn't know too much about it, I spent the better part of tonight reading up about it. It's a uncommon condition but most common in women from ages 35-44. The chance of conceiving naturally and having a subsequent normal pregnancy depends on how soon the prior ectopic pregnancy was detected, the extent of damage of the fallopian tubes, and the type of treatment one received. Obviously I don't know the details of "L" 's situation except that the couple knew they were pregnant for four days before she was rushed to the hospital. Thus, my guess is that the pregnancy was only a few weeks along.

Anyway, "L" is at home recovering for two weeks. I am supposed to drop by sometime to pick up seat cushions for this Saturday's CAL football game. I want to ask her out to lunch but that of course will depend on how she is feeling, so we'll see. Meanwhile, RTB and I will continue to pray for her healing.

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Update 9/12/07: I brought over Chinese takeout from Marina Foods to "L" 's place where we had a leisurely lunch and talked at length about her loss. She was very candid with the details, telling me everything. It turns out she was between 4-5 weeks along and the sharp pains she felt in her left abdomen area were due to a rupture in her fallopian tube. She had to have an emergency surgery done to remove the left tube. I was greatly saddened to hear that her condition was far worse than I realized. She was pretty much bed-bound the first few days and only started consuming real food yesterday. "L" looked remarkably good for the ordeal she has been through. Though she still was very slow in getting up and ambling around the house, she was able to move on her own, which wasn't the case days ago when she needed even assistance going to the bathroom.

Anyway, my admiration for "L" and her strength more than doubled during my visit. She is very aware of her lower chances in conceiving naturally and carrying a child to term, but is handling it with a lot of grace and courage. She and "Ch" are going to see a fertility specialist and perhaps look into IVF. Meanwhile I hope "L" continues to make strides in her recovery and is able to join us for SpiritMusings & LT's wedding on Sunday.

ROLLERCOASTER DAY

GOOD

I cannot express truly how happy I am today. After crying and fretting for almost two weeks, we got good news when we went to get our Level 2 ultrasound this morning. At first, I was very worried because two choroid plexus cysts still showed up (one on each side of the brain) on the screen, but the technician reminded me that it didn't matter that they still existed. What mattered more was if other abnormalities appeared in the baby, and none were found.

Baby was active as usual, causing the ultrasound technician to have to chase him down in order to get the pictures and measurements she needed. Weighing almost 14 ounces, he is the average size for a baby of 21 weeks. We could also see all four chambers of the heart, his hands, and feet though the picture of the feet we got from the previous ultrasound visit was much cuter. Nothing looked out of the ordinary according to the technician even though I couldn't tell. She even reconfirmed that our baby was a boy. Funny thing is that what I thought was the baby's mouth turned out to be his bladder so I had no idea that I was even looking at the baby's genitals. Meanwhile, the placenta is attached to the front side of the uterus, so I also don't have the same low placenta worries that LuvsNY has. Anyway, the technician finished her work and then the high-risk ObGybn came in to also say that he found everything to be fine. While there is no guarantee that our child cannot still be born with Trisomy 18 without having an amniocentesis done, he believes it's not worth it -- especially since the chance of our baby having Edwards Syndrome is less than the risk of a miscarriage caused by the amnio procedure.

When we finally got into the car, I let my happy tears of relief flow. I had told RTB that if the baby turned out to be ok, I was going to go on a shopping spree, which I sort of did when I arrived home. I purchased the tummy balm from Occitane, some cute cards and a onesie from Wanart, and a Beco baby carrier with Becopod infant insert. The day before I ordered the Binth baby book and a Lotta Jansdotter totebag because I wanted to be optimistic. To top it all off, RTB told me that we should just order the Pottery Barns Kids Kendall crib that I've been wanting because he is in such a good mood.

BAD

Unfortunately, RTB's good mood did not last, for his day ended on a low note at work. Something happened for which he is partially at fault, and he feels terrible about it. He bought a new videogame called Bioshock today to cheer himself up. With the baby coming, RTB's days of playing such violent games are increasingly numbered, and I am patiently realizing how much he needs these games to unwind from the stresses of his workday.

GOOD

Mom called me today. She and Dad are leaving for L.A. and China tomorrow for three weeks. She also called to share some good news with me. Just minutes earlier, my brother let her know that he was going to be proposing to his girlfriend sometime in the next few weeks. Hallelujah! No more bugging him when and if ever he was going to do the deed. Now, I just have to wait around for his phone call. I wonder if he won't share the news with anyone until after our folks return from their trip. Drats. Don't tell me I have to wait until September 24!

Meanwhile I wonder when he & his girlfriend plan to get married. On our dad's side of the family, there are already two weddings, a family reunion, and our baby's arrival happening next year. Quite an eventful year already. If their wedding is also in 2008, it's going to make things very hard for the relatives to decide which wedding to attend. Right now, RTB and I plan to attend jadegenie's but if my brother's wedding is also next year, his takes greater priority and hers would be a bonus if we go to hers too. Cousin "M" 's wedding is supposedly set for early April so I doubt we will be going to that one. Plus, our baby will barely be three months old at the time, and maybe not even that if he comes a week or two late. Anyway, it's going to take some interesting juggling on behalf of all the family members.

BAD

Today, eileenslee went to see an oncologist. For almost a year, she has been noticing her right hamstring has been bigger than her left. At first, she thought maybe she was working out too hard in the months leading up to her wedding last year. However, over time, her leg remained visibly larger (even though honestly, I never noticed). A couple weeks ago, she finally went to see the doctor who then sent her to get an MRI done. I don't remember what happened when she went to get the MRI the first time, but it took a second visit for her to finally get the scan. The eventual diagnosis: a lipoma -- approximately measuring 8.5" long by 5" wide by 2.5" deep. Due to its large size, her doctor sent her to go see a surgeon to arrange for the removal of the lipoma. When eileenslee saw the surgeon, he noted some irregularity in its shape and said that he couldn't fully rule out cancer without doing a biopsy. But he also didn't want to simply go in and cut for fear of stimulating cancerous growth if the lipoma turns out to be cancerous. Hence, he referred her to see an oncologist.

Again the oncologist said he couldn't make any diagnosis without the biopsy first, which is now scheduled for next Friday as an outpatient procedure. When eileenslee actually goes in at a later date to have the surgery done to remove the full lipoma, the oncologist mentioned that she might need a recovery period of 4 weeks, meaning she can't work during that time. We are hoping that the doctor was being conservative with his prediction and that he was basing his statement on the idea that she worked for Gap on the retail side and thought that her work required her to stand a lot of the time. Because if her recovery indeed takes that long, she is afraid that it might impact her pre-planned vacation to New Zealand in early November. Oh dear. Looks like we need to pray more for her situation and some critical decisions she and her husband will need to make in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, I am waiting to find out if she wants some company next week when she goes to get the biopsy done.