27 Weeks and 1 Whole Day

And here is one from 24th week for comparison:

Maybe Nursery?

I came across this amazing piece of art by Ann Woods. It's way too pricey for our kid but I absolutely adore the colors. I asked Wil if he could live with the palette and he chuckled and nodded, recognizing my olive branch on the nursery color issue. It's as girly as I can manage but still has really soft and bright hues for a little girl. You like? The difficult part will be hunting down fabric. We have not found any kind of fabric/craft stores in Germany besides Ikea, which is a good hour and a half away for us.

Wil and I are heading out to explore Babies R' Us store. Our goal today is to test drive a few strollers that we have in mind. Don't really know if they carry any of them. Will report back later. And big thank you to Rachel, who forwarded me her friend's suggestion. Will post some pictures later on today.

"No, You Are Not THAT Fat, Really"

My boss at the video store asked me to come back for a bit to fill in for her while she's busy moving. A lot of my customers apparently didn't know that I was pregnant before I stopped working (I was normally behind a counter or a really chunky computer monitor), so I'm getting a lot of interesting comments as greetings. Most of the time they are kind and tactful about my sizable gain. Naturally, there are a few that just have to say something that turns me rather unpleasant rather quickly. Example:

After staring at me and my stomach for 30 seconds straight, he said something like this:
Clueless Guy#1: It's a boy, isn't it?
Me: Er, not really, sir. We're having a girl.
Clueless Guy#1, still staring at my midsection: Really? They say that if your stomach is perfectly round, then you are having a boy, as suppose to the football-shaped one, which is supposed to be a girl. My wife had one of each and it really worked. And you stomach looks pretty round.
Me: Well, I can't really tell you what it looks like from here, but I can tell you what it feels like.
Clueless Guy#1: Oh, I KNOW what it feels like.
Me: Do you now, sir?

Clueless Guy#2: You're due any day now, aren't you?
Me: No, sir, I'm only 27 weeks and fat.

Clueless Girl is on the heavy side. She has 2 small children with her and English is obviously not her first language.
Clueless Girl: How much longer do you have?
Me: I'm just finishing up my second trimester, so a couple more to go.
Clueless Girl, after taking a long pause to have a proper stare and being judgmental: Wow. WOW!

I dislike these people very much. The first couple of times were funny. Now I call to scream at my husband because I'm not supposed to scream at customers. Poor Wil. I know it must get tiring having to constantly assure his moody wife that she's not THAT big. I can't believe I'm growing out of my maternity clothes already. The next customer that ticks me off about extra poundage will be charged astronomical late fee, even if their movies are back on time.

From the Horse's Mouth

Wil is in his nesting phase. Last night he asked me to pick out beddings for the Seed. I'm totally not motivated to do real decorating since the furnitures are not here yet. Anyway, he mentioned it about 11:30 p.m., and the obsessive compulsive researcher in me stayed up until 4:30 a.m. to look through every possible online store that I could find. I thought I found nice neutral stuff, but he told me this morning after I showed him my discovery, "but she's a girl and she needs some pink in her room." Excuse me? What happened to no-pink-or-Laura-Ashley-anything mandate? I was confused and cranky from the lack of sleep, so I asked him to show me some collections that he liked. It appears that my husband has cracked his head on the pillow last night and is rather befuddled. One of his favorites was actually from a Laura Ashley collection. I don't even know this man. After an episode of accusing each other of having questionable granny decorating taste, we decided to put a hold on the searching process but not before at least agreeing on one set that we both could live with. I'm telling you, Chase is going to sleep in a Pack N' Play until she's too heavy for it.

Happy Birthday Baby Paddy!

My baby is turning 2 today! It makes me a little sad that we can't celebrate it with a trip to his favorite park. Paddy tore a small chunk off of his paw pad on Monday on a muddy trail and it took almost 3 days to get this little spot to stop bleeding. We're trying our best to keep him occupy but cabin fever is quickly settling in. I'm hoping Papa's blueberry muffin, a substitute for a birthday cake, would console him a bit.

Of all three puppies I've had, Paddy is, without a doubt, the biggest baby. He loves to cuddle with everyone but most of all he is Papa's little boy. If Wil is home, Paddy is sure to be either in his lap or weaving around his feet. He epitomizes everything people love about labs. Sometimes I feel like we should just buy a farm so he'd have all the space to roam and small animals to terrorize instead of chasing a neighborhood cat with Momma still attach to one side of the leash.

Every morning, Paddy would gently wake Brutus up with a laborious cleaning session. It starts innocently enough with a few licks around the face, then the ears, and eventually his big brother's poofy fur. Then he'd move onto Momma or Papa, whomever should be the closest. If the comprehensive cleaning fails to wake the parents or big brother up to play, he would grudgingly give a heavy sigh before deciding to join us back to the land of slumber. I wish I could snap a picture with all of us in bed together. I assure you it's quite a sight.

I still can't believe the baby in our family is 2 and about to become a big brother himself. I have no doubt that the boys will welcome Chase with a curious sniff and an exuberant joy. For some reason I don't have very many pictures of baby Paddy on my computer, so I'll have to post his chubby baby picture some other time.

Keeping vigil of sick Papa. North Carolina 2/2007

Resting after a long hike in Idar-Oberstein, 8/2007

Hang to the Right

I'm convinced that I'm incubating a feral goat or at least a baby grimlin. Needless to say, I'm thankful she's healthy enough to yield powerful kicks and punches at a tender age. She has learned a few new tricks these past several weeks. The first sign that the child is going to be as wild as a billy goat is her new routine that Wil calls "booty dancing." We sit and watch in amazement my whole stomach jiggling and bouncing in every which direction. It's an intense, non-stop party that can last for longer than half an hour at a time. Then she shows us her stubborn streak by constantly sticking something very large, like a head or a butt, wayyyyy out to the right of my tummy and holding the position until momma begs for mercy. Chase, I know growing room is getting tight but you really can't break out of jail just yet even if you headbutt the chosen spot repeatedly at all hours of the day and night. All it's really doing is hurting me and making me keep tab of how many times in your life I'd need to flick your ear lobes when you're not looking to get even. The funny thing is I can plead with her all day trying to get her to move. And what do I get? A bigger and tighter ball of an epically lopsided proportion. Now, bring her papa to the tummy, let him whisper something to her and gently nudge the bulge back to the other side--and presto! Seriously, it's not like I'm giving her my flesh and blood or anything. I detest this in-utero preferential treatment.

On to a brighter note on baby gear shopping. Since no retailers would ship anything bulky to us, we decided that our baby was going to be a second hand baby. Yesterday we picked up a nearly new swing for the Goat--the exact same one that I wanted and couldn't get it delivered--for a steal, along with a precious few newborn clothing items I couldn't resist and a BuddleMe. Good thing about living in a baby boom community is an abundance of gently used stuff for sale. It's lifting my foul mood that seems to have descended on this portion of the pregnancy. My poor husband doesn't quite know what to do with me in between my manically scrubbing something as if the humanity was depending on it and getting pissed off at the contestants on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" for being retarded. Really, have you seen those people? They make me question our children's future educational system. I'm blaming my moody kid for my ill temper.

P.S. Tubs of delicious ice cream and sorbet just keep springing into our fridge. Either my husband really loves me and knows that my therapists, Ben and Jerry, have the magic touch and can bring me out of my pregnancy gloom with one simple scoop, or he's trying to tell me that he likes his women big. I'm going with the latter.

APO Address

Trying to shop for a baby while we're over here is very hard. No retailers would ship anything that is bigger than a book or a package of clothes to our APO address. I'm just getting mighty frustrated that I can't buy my baby what I think is best. You have already heard how much I think of aafes' selections, so I'll spare you that particular rant again. My latest hunt is for a good and sturdy stroller that is easy to maneuver (because we live at the bottom of a steep hill and Baumholder is just a bunch of rolling hills string together), lightweight (because we live on the second floor, have no elevator, and can not leave anything laying around at the entrace of the building), fold up nicely and compact (because we live in an apartment). Really, I don't think that's asking too much. German strollers look super cool, but I don't think they are engineered with lightweight 5'4" mothers in mind. And why should they be, really? If you know of a retailer who would ship a stroller to APO addresses, I would greatly appreciate the information. Baumholder is expecting 500+ babies in 2008, and I know I'm not the only mom who's desperate for decent baby gear.

When Pain is Good

So it's been about five days since Wil's last procedure and he's doing as well as can be expected. As I said earlier, the doctor went in and burned off some nerve endings, so he wouldn't feel as much pain. His bad disc was still pinching 3 different nerves, but the idea was that he would feel a lot more comfortable. That was a good theory. The first day after the procedure, he woke up with absolutely no pain at all, the first time in more than 3 years. It was an interesting day. Since there was no sensor to let him know how far he could push his back, he probably overdid it a tad. I tried to get him to sit still, but honestly how could I not let him experience a day without pain? Let's hope that's a preview of what's to come after the surgery. Needless to say, the effect didn't last long. The following day he went back to living with the usual discomfort, although it felt a little bit different since the procedure. We're still looking forward to Feb. 12 when we can hopefully put all of this behind us.

Wil and I went to see "Lions for Lambs" yesterday at our on-post movie theater. It was sobering watching such a film surrounded by our fighting men and women and their families. One lady who sat by us couldn't stop whaling. Regardless of what one thinks of the war, the movie was well made and precisely to the point in my opinion. I'll say it's a great example of how a movie can obviously speak against what's going on in the region but continue to wholeheartedly support the troops. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I know we're months behind the states on movie rotation, but you should check it out on DVD if you missed it in the theater.

I'm beginning to get my energy back now entering my 26th week. Better late than never I guess. A few of our friends have had their babies this past week, which only heightens my excitement/anxiety about our own kid's arrival. The nursery furnitures that we ordered are still not here yet, and probably won't be for a while, so there's not much decorating going on either. Sigh. I'm just itching to sew something for the room. Maybe I should start with the curtains. Anyway, life has been rather quiet this week. The weather is cold, wet, and extremely windy, so the pups don't get much time outside either. We're all are going to be chubby by Spring.

P.S. Wil's watching "Nine Months" with certain amount of amusement and fear. I really hope my doctor is as funny as Robbin Williams.

Another Procedure

Wil had another procedure for his bad disc today. To sum it up, they cauterized his bad disc, burned off some nerve endings, and hoped that the procedure would close the tear in the disc. We all thought it was a little too late since his surgery was already scheduled, but the doctors are still hoping that it'd help some. He's sound asleep right now on the couch and I'm hoping his pain would be minimum. It'd be a rough couple of days for us, so updating might be light. I'm gonna take a nap while all the kids and papa are down. Later!

Chase Riley

Have I mentioned that we decided on Chase Riley for the name? With Uma as her mother, I personally think that she got off pretty easy. I like something short and not too girly. And she definitely feels like a Chase. And for those who have been asking about the baby's registry, we have set up a few at Walmart and Target. I feel a little strange about the registry because it's not a tradition in Thailand, but I'm sure it'd make shopping for the Seed a bit easier. Chase sends her heart felt thanks :).

We'll be babysitting an 8-week old puppy on Sunday and Monday. Tucker is a black Cocker Spaniel and belongs to our friends Carol and Bryan. Carol has brought Tuck to play with the boys a couple of times and they are learning to behave around a tiny little baby. Paddy is still a little too rough with him but Brutus has been great. I'll try to take some pictures, if I can get any of them to sit still long enough together.

24 Weeks

I'm almost certain that I'll be giving birth to a 5-year-old. That's the only explanation I have for gaining 10 lbs in the last 4 weeks, which brings the total up to 25 lbs so far. At least now I know that all the aches and pains I'm experiencing are very real and not made up by my overactive imagination. We took the belly picture with my computer's built-in camera, so the lighting and resolution are not ideal. Perhaps it's for the best since I'd hate to scare you into following through with that old favorite New Year Resolution of eating less and moving more.

24 Weeks

20 Weeks pic for comparison.

I'm having cereal for dinner for the rest of my pregnancy.

P.S. Thanks, Rachel, for your helpful suggestions. I'm gonna go browse now.

Baby Registry?

Friends and families have been very kind and wanting to buy stuff for the Seed. The problem is I'm utterly clueless when it comes to what to get the baby and was getting pretty comfortable with the idea of sending her off to school in a pair of socks and maybe a toga. My mom told me not to buy any clothing items, since she lives in Bangkok, the world's garment manufacturing capital. A few friends started asking if we had registered. Wil and I didn't register when we got married. We collectively had enough stuff between the two of us and honestly didn't need anything more. I'm of the school of minimalism and was just overwhelmed by the vast amount of things I saw online. Wil bought me one of those maternity magazines that came with a buying guide, which eased my anxiety a touch. I apparently way underestimated even the basics to keep a newborn happy and comfortable. So, to parents out there, what are items you can't live without? Any suggestions will be much appreciated. Rebecca, I re-read your Top Ten post and took notes. Thanks. Ok, should head to bed. I'll post 24-week pictures tomorrow.

Which Ugly Crib Would You Like?

Wil has been bugging me for days to pick out a crib for the Seed. With his upcoming surgery and the subsequent downtime, we're trying to set up the nursery before one of us has to worry about holding stitches together and the other being too big to move in any kind of coordinated fashion. The problem is none of the major retailers would ship a bulky piece of furniture over here. So it falls on the fine buyers at aafes to pick out the crib for our kid. Since aesthetic is never raked high on the military's priority, why should the family members concern themselves with this minor detail? Well, you see Mr./Ms Buyer, I'd hate to have to loudly curse out every time a sight of a crib comes into my view, especially if my child, with her virgin ears still intact, is laying peacefully in it. Seriously, we've hit every BX/PX/Furniture Store in the nearby posts/bases and I finally am convinced that aafes stores are where ugly furnitures come to die. Yesterday my poor husband feebly suggested that we should just buy a pack and play and call it a day already, after weeks of looking at the same ugly 5 cribs at different stores. We thought about buying stuff on the economy, but I also would like to have some money left over after the nursery is finished to put her through a state college. With the exchange rate the way it is, the only trip to IKEA this momma is making is strictly for fabrics. But after an exhausting search, we found a way to get our baby some decent looking furnitures. There's a crib that I actually LOVE and Wil can tolerate on aafes.com. We found a very helpful Furniture Store Manager two posts away who's willing to order it through his store for us and have it ship over. Apparently, it's not a practice they advertise because they would rather you take the ugly cribs off their hands. I was so happy I wanted to hug the man but didn't want him to get a weird vibe from me and change his mind. Wil painted the nursery and now we'll have very nice looking furnitures to fill the room. I'm actually beginning to get excited about decorating, which is a big deal for me since the only thing that really gets me going these days is the prospect of a fabulous feast that I don't have to make or clean up afterwards.

My Feisty Baby Girl

It's nice to finally know that we are having a baby girl. I must tell you that I'm ecstatic. While I'll be grateful for a healthy baby, I must confess that I was secretly hoping for a little girl. Wil is a touch over protective but I guess that's a normal response from a dad, who had quite a run during his bachelor days. He said to me after we came back from the hospital and finally settled down for the evening on our couch, "you know she's going to be beautiful." He said this with a worried look that was accompanied by a heavy sigh. It had to be the most endearing thing I've discovered about my husband as a father thus far. I normally try to ensure him that her big brain will be the thing that carries her through life and he still has years before having to get background screening for frequent visitors. I'm not sure that's helping much.

As Wil said in the previous post, we went to the hospital to get a quick check up because I was having bad cramps and lower backaches. Even though the nurse I spoke to on the phone was pretty sure that it was just normal pregnancy discomfort, she asked me to come in just to be sure. Unbeknownst to me, another girl from Baumholder, who was just about as far along in her pregnancy as me and having similar symptoms, was admitted because she was already dilated 3 cm. It was New Year's Eve and I've been thinking about her a lot since and hoping that all would turn out just fine for both mom and baby. Our girl was mighty active for about 48 hours straight before I started to experience pain. Even the doctor and the nurse commented on what a busy body she was while they were trying to listen to the heartbeats and do the ultrasound. Since the hospital visit, she's calmed down quite a bit and actually letting me get some sleep. It's so weird to say that the baby keeps me up already. I don't think I've ever slept longer than 4 hours at a time since the Seed's conception. Well, at least I'll already be accustomed to the sleep deprivation comes April.

Both friends and fams greet the news of a baby girl Steinhauer with amazing enthusiasm. Apparently, there's been such a girl drought in our circle. Wil instituted the no-Laura-Ashley-anything mainly for my sister Kwan because she had been looking at, and perhaps already stocking up on, party dresses with lots of flowing flower prints and layers of tulles a little too longingly. Can't blame a dad for not wanting his baby to look like an over decorated cupcake. I also got to break the good news to a few of my relatives in Thailand on New Year's day. Grandmas were all elated and one kindly reminded me, multiple times, that she almost died giving birth to my mom and her siblings. Thanks, grandma. Nothing shakes me up like your pep talk. Thank God for modern medicine and drugs.

I am broke for life.

Well we found out yesterday that I will be broke for the rest of my life. Uma was having some funny pains so we went to the Labor and Delivery office at Landstuhl to get her checked out. The Dr. said she was fine it was just a different round ligament pain. He was cool enough however to give us another ultra sound and let us know beyond a doubt that we are having a baby girl. I am so screwed. So yes all of you who were hoping for karma to come back around got your wish, but its alright cause I already bought my gun. We do have rules for anybody wishing to buy anything and they are simple. NOTHING PINK, RUFFLES, BARBIE, OR LAURA ASHLEY COLLECTION. I think that they are pretty simple to live by. I hope everybody had a great Christmas and New Year. As Uma said we spent most of the time on the couch sick but we are both feeling much better now. We spent last night on the couch listening to fireworks, trying to comfort the babies with the booms going off and watching football. Well here is to a new year and all the excitement that it will bring.