She's still a girl!

Chris and I went on Friday night for an ultrasound to see baby Carragan. She just keeps getting cuter and cuter, if I do say so myself. But a funny thing happened at this ultrasound. We figured out just whose child she is- I'll let you guess. When the tech started the sonogram- there she was, head down, facing my spine- and wouldn't move. No matter how much that tech wiggled, poked, pushed, prodded that wand on my belly- Miss Carragan wasn't having any of it. Fearing that this would be the case since she acted like that the last ultrasound, I tried to come prepared for this one. I drank a bunch of orange juice, drank a half of a diet Dr. pepper- but nothing. She is obstinate child. So if there is any doubt about whose child she is- I'll give you a hint- and it's not me- she's as stubborn as her daddy.

And did I mention, she looks exactly like him too? Chris and I sat there and marveled at how much she looks EXACTLY like him. She's got his face shape, his nose and his mouth. There's not much that looks like me- maybe she'll have my dimples or my blond hair, but I sure hope she has his eyes and eye lashes.

The technology of the 3D and 4D ultrasound is simply amazing. It's almost as if you are looking at an actual picture. It gives us a window into her little world-a little peek- just to see how she's doing and what she looks like. It helps tide us over until that glorious moment when she decides to come and join us. That moment is less than 11 weeks away- provided she's on time. Until then, seeing this baby on ultrasound, seeing that she looks just like her daddy and knowing it's 11 weeks until she comes, well it just doesn't get any better than that. Enjoy the pictures!!

What's in a Name?

Before getting pregnant, I often wondered what some parents were thinking in naming their children. We've all heard those stories about the woman who named her little girl Female (pronounced Fa-maul-e), or the woman in Louisiana (Mary- see what your state produces :)) who had twins and named one Unique Lee and the other one Sincere Lee. Or what about the woman who named her son Nosmoking (pronounced Nos-mo-king) but it's spelled No Smoking!

There's so many facets that go into naming a child. You don't want to give them a name that could get twisted into something mean or spiteful, or that other children could use as ammo to invite jokes from their peers. And you don't want to name them something where their initials spell out a curse word or, even worse, just name them some of those listed above. Children make fun of other children for even the smallest of things, so why even add that burden to your poor child (like the old song by Johnny Cash - A Boy Named Sue)?

So when Chris and I sat down and tried to come up with names that we both liked, it was really difficult. Frankly, it was one of the more difficult decisions we've made. This name will be attached to her for the remainder of her life, and we wanted it to be a good, strong name.

Before I go any further, you should all know that Chris wanted to name her Tennessee. That was pretty much a no-go for me from the beginning.

It went both ways, too. There were name that I loved, but Chris hated. So coming to a consensus was pretty difficult. You have 2 very different people with 2 very different ideas, all the time trying to compromise on such an important decision.

So in the end we decided on name, which I'll hope you love as much as Chris and I do. So without further ado - we present to you Miss Carragan Geneva Arnold!!!

Super Stomach Sunday

Chris was able to fix the computer so as promised, here are the week 25 pictures. This belly has a mind of its own!

Time- what a funny concept

Is it possible for time to fly by yet stand still at the very same moment? In my previous blog I stated that I only had 92 days left before my due date. When you put it like that, 92 days doesn't seem like a lot of time, but when you say 1 week from tomorrow, I begin my 3rd trimester, now that seems like a lot of time left. Especially since those 3 months will be in the heat of the DC sticky, nasty, humid, hot summer.

It seems like it's been forever since we found out Muppet is a girl- it was only 7 weeks ago. And it seems like forever since we've ordered her crib furniture- which would only be 3 weeks ago. If you'd like to see what we ordered, click this link- http://www.munirefurniture.com/oldeworld_02.htm

And when I say I'm only 27 weeks pregnant and I've got all the way to week 40 to go, that also sounds like a long time. But when I say I've only got about 13 weeks before Muppet arrives, that doesn't seem so long.

We all know Chris is a compulsive list maker- it makes him more organized and in turn, makes me organized as well. Anyway, the compulsive list maker has compiled a list a mile long of "we need to do before Muppet gets here." Well 13 weeks all of a sudden doesn't sound so long.

So is it possible that time can stand still and fly by at the same time? The answer is YES, yes it can. Or at least I believe it can. I can't wait for the furniture to get here, put Miss Muppet in her crib- it won't get any better than that.

Are you ever prepared?

Ever since my miscarriage, I have been on a personal quest to find out anything and everything about reproduction, why the miscarriage happened, what could be done to prevent another one from occurring (the answer is not much) and other general health related and reproduction questions.

What I learned is that there is a wealth of knowledge out there on a variety of topics related to reproduction and having children. So, off I went to the book store where I have purchased (or friends have been nice enough to loan me) What to Expect When You Are Expecting; Your Pregnancy, Week by Week; Your Baby's First Year; Becoming Babywise; and Happiest Baby on the Block, among many others.

Obviously I read What to Expect When You're Expecting and Your Pregnancy Week by Week as it corresponds with my pregnancy. But recently I've begun to read more parenting style books such as Becoming Babywise and Happiest Baby on the Block. In fact, Chris has even gotten into the spirit and is about to read- New Father- A Guide to the First Year.

But this brings me to a question- how prepared can you actually be? I can read and read and read until I'm blue in the face. I can read about different parenting methods, I can read about putting your baby on a schedule or how to sooth her, or how to swaddle and diaper. I can read about developmental progress and expected milestones. But right now, these are all just words to me. All words and no action. Am I going to be prepared if I read these books, or am I to read them only to find that the words get lost in the mix, shuffle and probably a little chaos of having a newborn?

You go through life in a constant learning cycle. You are taught at a very young age, if you want to know more about a topic, pick up a book and read about it, learn about it, soak it up into your mind until you are able to master whatever knowledge you are seeking. At least that's what my parents encouraged me to do- sustain self sufficiency and learn about it. But how much can reading about an abstract thought and theory help you when your practice is another 92 days away (my due date is only 92 days away, I can't believe it!)?

Chris and I must have been cut from somewhat overlapping cloths. While Chris is very laid back, and I, not so much, we both have a constant thirst to know more, to figure out more, to become very proficient in whatever knowledge we are seeking. I think you feel less stressed the more prepared you are, or at least I do. I know whenever a big test rolled around or an important project is due at work, the more I've prepared, the better I feel. Will having a family yield those same feelings. By that I mean, the more I read, the better prepared I'll be, the more successful I'll be as a parent? Or is it really just Baptism by Fire, trial and error, feeling it out as you go along, after all like my momma says, babies don't come with instruction manuals. And if they do, please let me be first in line to grab my very own copy.

Take for instance the book Becoming Babywise- which I'm almost finished reading. The basic premise is placing your baby on a schedule. This schedule has some built in flexibility, but the book promises if you are able to achieve the feed, wake, sleep routine throughout the day, your child will be sleeping through the night by 8 weeks. I know several parents who have used this method and it's worked for them. I think my sister (the ob/gyn) recommended this book and she used it with her children). And if I'm not mistaken, my cousin did too, and her children were sleeping through the night earlier than 8 weeks. Then again there are friends of mine here in DC who read the book, hated the method and say it doesn't work at all. (This book is highly controversial and there are so many varying degrees of support and opposition for this book.) So are these different methods a one size fits all or do you pick and choose from the different methods- what works for you?

And how hard is it to place a newborn on that rigid of a schedule. I know when a good friend of mine had her baby, the baby would fall asleep during feedings, which violates the feed, wake, sleep routine. Is a schedule as easy as the book makes it out to be or is it one constant struggle?

At any rate, learning as much as I can about the changes, both BIG and small, that are about to occur in our lives at the very least, makes me feel more prepared. And doesn't that count for something? Does feeling prepared help you become a better parent, or are you going to be as nervous and scared as everyone else? Whatever happens in 92 days from now, I'm sure Chris and I will be just feeling it through, taking it day by day, perhaps armed with some knowledge, perhaps not. But knowing that we are first time parents and seeing Muppet for the first time, well it just can't get any better than that. 92 more days until our practice comes!