Gone to the Dogs

Did you have a good Christmas? Wil and I had fun cooking our first holiday meal together. We kept it small and manageable but nonetheless still ended up with a short week's worth of leftover. Good thing, too, since we both caught a bad cold and were in no mood to make or consume anything nutritious if it weren't already prepared and waiting in the fridge. We can laugh about it now, but it was rough for about 5 days. The couch became our headquarters. We ate, napped, watched a lot of football and CSI, and rarely got out of our pjs. In the midst of a dream of fully functional nostrils, Wil got a call about his confirmed surgery date, February 12th. We toasted the long awaited occasion with shots of decongestant and went back to sleep. Everybody around us seem to be sick as well. One of our good friends is recovering from pneumonia and I can't walk through the PX without getting snot sprayed on by those who think that covering their noses and mouths are too taxing on their germ incubating bodies. But let me tell you that there's no one else with whom I'd rather be sharing the couch, a big roll of toilet paper, and the cold virus. Both of us being sick at the same time was really hard on our boys, but it was a lot of fun for us. It was like a never ending slumber party. With killer sinus pain and pounding headaches, but that's all behind us now. Those who are sick together, stick together. Our new motto.

My brother Non came to stay with us for a couple of days during Christmas. I'm not exaggerating when I say Brutus hates his uncle. I told my mom on the phone that it was probably a sign that Brutus was an excellent judge of character and she laughed heartily. From the moment he stepped inside the apartment, Brutus went into a panic mode. He refused to go anywhere near Non and would bark non-stop if he even heard his voice. One day Non took Paddy, a true lab who LOVES anyone who would cuddle with him, out jogging. Brutus'eyes got real big when he saw his little brother walking out of the door with that mean man and kept pacing and hyperventilating until they came back almost an hour later. Paddy got a thorough sniff, lick, and complete check up from his big brother before passing out from exhaustion. It was cute to see that Bru really loved and worried about Paddy even though he tried to never show it. I would have taken a picture but my camera suddenly gave out after taking years of abuse. Rest in peace, PowerShot A70. You have made your Canon family proud. My clumsy digits are not a big fan of tiny pocket-sized camera, so I'm hoping to find a new model of the same line. We'll see.

This cold and damp weather we're experiencing is really for the dogs. Bless my husband, the dedicated father that he is. He's been taking the pups to the park pretty much everyday even though there's standing water on the field. Brutus and Paddy apparently have developed impressive slip-n-slide techniques, which require them to receive a quick shower after every park visit. I think Brutus already works out in his head that the degree of fun and accumulated mess on his body are a fair trade to a nice warm bath, so he just hops into the tub when we open the bathroom door. Paddy, on the other hand, probably thinks that the bathroom is a gas chamber and just goes limp. It's like trying to pick up a 90-lb pile of muddy silly putty off the floor. It would have really been comical if there were someone else giving him a bath.

Tibetan Incantations

I have a sudden urge to share the incredible love I have for my adorable Mom. My brother, Non, got in last evening from Koblenz, and he came baring my mom's care package. Non was just home in Thailand a minute ago, so mom sent stuff with him. Along with clothes that would definitely fit me when I'm skinny again (knock on wood...) and loads of food I was missing from home, she also sent me 3 different CDs of relaxing and soothing type of music. I told her that I hadn't been able to sleep well since getting pregnant and she thought meditation and music might help. My mom is just too cute for words. Anyway, after an enormous meal of bar-b-q baby back ribs, baked beans, corn bread, and some Yankee coleslaw, I found myself still wide awake at the wee hours of the morning and decided to give one of mom's CDs, titled "Tibetan Incantations, a try. Since it's almost 5 a.m., you know it didn't work as a sleep aid, although I must say that I am uber relaxed. However, the monk's chants have had an utmost surprising effect on other unintended targets. Namely:
1. Brutus, who was sleeping at my feet and grudgingly stormed off to seek refuge in the bedroom with snoring Papa and Paddy.
2. The Seed, who decided to adapt his Dance Dance Revolution routine to the mellow sounds of the Tibetan mountains.
3. My bowel movement. I really spent 5 minutes thinking about a more polite term for this but I don't think there is one. I haven't been this happy to go to the bathroom since getting knocked up.
4. Since we already went in the TMI territory, another drop in the bucket wouldn't hurt. Lemme just say colostrum LOVES the monk's chants. Am thinking about bagging and freezing it for future use.

I'm sure this is not the kind of post you expect on this fine Christmas morning. Never can say I keep stuff from ya. I plan on on over feasting on my husband's fabulous cooking, laughing a whole lot, and hugging my family a little tighter, even my ugly little brother. Christmas doesn't hold religious significance for Non and I, but we've always enjoyed the time spend with those closest and dearest to our hearts. I hope you get to celebrate the day with those you love in the way that brings you peace.

21 1/2 Weeks, Etc.

Behold the bulge:
The Seed was enjoying a quiet couple of weeks but now appeared to be hitting a rapid growth spurt. Again. I feel like I've doubled in size every morning I wake up. Here's a comparison from the 18th week:

Well, it's either the baby growing or a result of feasting on this on a regular basis:
I love having Make Your Own Pizza Night. The leftover toppings are just perfect for making super omelet. It's so chunky I have to eat it with a spoon. And I'm certain that washing it all down with holiday baked goods is the way to share the Christmas spirit with the Seed. Yes, I'm only doing this out of my love for the kid.

We had the last consult with Wil's neurosurgeon this past Friday. By next Friday we should have his surgery date. Things are finally moving in the right direction. Also in the good news department: it appears that he won't be needing a disc replacement surgery right at this very moment. All the tests led his surgeon to recommend cutting away a portion of his bulging disc that was pinching several nerve endings instead. With Wil's degenerative discs, he will probably need a replacement surgery down the road, however. But for now, this should eliminate most of the pain in his back and legs, if not all, and allow him to have a normal and healthy life. Let's just hope that he heals before the baby comes.

We're having a pretty low key holiday season this year, mainly because I would rather be napping than slaving myself away in the kitchen. We've gone to parties and eaten our fair share of the bounty (see pictures above). Just when I thought we would sleep through the actual Christmas day and only wake up long enough to have a bowl of cereal, Wil decided that he was going to cook dinner for us. I've been put in charge of desserts and maybe a veggie side dish but that is it. The Man is going to whip us up a scrumptious meal. The last I peaked in the pantry, there were lots of canned green beans and a jar of molasses. And my stupid little brother is coming to join in the fun tomorrow. I didn't realize that it had been 2 years since I saw him last. I'm sure he's still ugly and mean. He.. Really, Mom, I'm just kidding. Sort of. Will post more pics of the smack down, er, family dinner. Hope yours are as wonderful and entertaining, if not as sugary sweet, as ours. Merry Christmas!

Tired

I have to clarify something Wil posted. Even though we didn't find out the sex, it was a blessing to know that the baby was perfectly healthy. All fetal measurements came back to be within about 65th-75th percentile--that's what my husband meant when he said the baby was about 70%. Cute when boys try to explain baby measurements, huh? The seed now weights about a whole pound. We have a good picture of his profile, which I'll upload shortly. I haven't been able to sleep these past couple of nights for no apparently reason and am exhausted. Gonna try to take the boys out for a walk to make myself really tired. Will update when I'm finally able to finish my own sentences. Peace!

AND THE SEX IS....

Bet you wish you knew huh! Yeah well so do we. It seems our child gets his/her stubborn attitude from my wonderful wife. He was sleeping in the breach position and would not move to save our lives. Uma showed up with a hugely full bladder she was in so much pain sitting around waiting for the Dr. to come get us and the baby kept kicking for position. Once we got into the room and the Dr. started the ultrasound she marvelled at how full her bladder was. She said it looked painful. I can attest to that cause Uma kept hitting me to take out the pain. Anyways she said it was stupid to keep her bladder full with the baby this big and she couldnt see anything else. So she went to the bathroom and we started again. This time the baby was asleep in the breach with his or her legs together and would not spread them for anything. The Dr. kept pushing and we were thumping the belly and Uma was squirming but to no avail. I actually think I saw the baby give us the finger at one point. Now the good news is that the baby, whatever it is, is completely healthy and somewhere around the 70% body size. We have a really nice profile photo of the baby's face. Uma swears he has my nose and my forehead. God help this poor child if that true. Has anybody seen my forehead, I mean seriously, what a rough way to start out in this world looking like me.

20 Weeks!

Here's a picture of my growing belly at 20 weeks.

And here's the bump at 18 weeks for comparison.

I don't think I'm expanding at the speed of light as I was about 3 weeks ago anymore. Speaking of expanding, anyone cares to guess how much weight I gained from week 17th-20th? Think BIG. Like 7 lbs big. The Seed was either really growing or the glutton pig in me finally came out for a partay. I had to weigh myself twice just to be sure that the number registered on the scale was in fact mine. It's the baby. That's the kind of lie I have to tell myself from getting completely freaked out by the prospect of gaining about 40 lbs (or more!) at the finish line. But the most important thing is that all is well with The Seed. All the tests came back showing low risk, the heartbeats are strong, and the kicks are getting more potent everyday. His way of telling momma that he wants breakfast RIGHT NOW is never subtle, and apparently the Seed was STARVING yesterday morning. I was about to get up when he started throwing temper tantrum and put on quite a show for Wil. My uterus was turned into one baby mosh pit until he got some cereal to calm him down. Now if I only know how to stop him from scraping my cervix with his toenails...

We had a combined "Make Your Own Pizza" dinner party and Game Night last night. We were expecting a few more friends but fun was had by all regardless. Carol brought her friend Jordan, who was new in town and also pregnant! It was nice to not be the only one rubbing the kicks away after dinner. Our babies will only be a few months apart, so automatic playdates for the Seed! I think we all are going to be great friends. Oh, and we'll find out the sex of the baby on Tuesday!

There's not much else to update besides baby news. The weather is bitterly cold these days, which pleases Brutus but not so much the parents, especially at a very windy park. We celebrated Brutus' birthday with red velvet cupcakes that Wil made. Theirs without frosting, of course. It was the first time they had cake and it was interesting to watch. While Bru took his time to savor every morsel of scrumptious crumb, Paddy inhaled it whole as soon as the mass made a soft landing in his bowl. They both have been exceptionally good and are enjoying early Christmas presents of new fluffy beds by the window. The cuteness is turning my brain into cotton candy.

"Please, no picture before breakfast."

Happy Birthday Baby Brutus!

Brutus is turning 2 today! When Wil and I decided that it was time for Conner to have a baby sibling, we had no idea we'd be falling in love with the bratty poof that exhibited none of the good doggie behavior we had grown accustomed to with our perfect first child.
Brutus was fearless as a baby, which scared the living life out of me. He would be the first to stick his tongue in the light socket and vacuum hose to see what they felt like. He bullied all the adult dogs in the neighborhood into playing with him even though he was only about a tenth their sizes. He was mischievous to say the least and taught himself to chew his way out of collars and harnesses, eat electrical cords, climb over the puppy gate, and destroy all of Conner's perfectly manicured stuffed animal collection. He was cute and knew it. The attitude could not be contained in that tiny body.
When we lost Conner, no one grieved more loudy than Brutus. He would set out to do a room to room search for Con at all hours of the day. It got especially hard at night when he woke up and wanted to cuddle with his big brother. Trust me, nothing was more gut-wrenching that having to listen to a 4-month old puppy whinning at 3 a.m. because he couldn't understand why his Conner left him all alone in that big house.
Wil begged me to consider getting another puppy because Brutus was not coping well as the only child. We took him away from his litter and Con adopted him. Then for the first time in his life, he found himself the lone puppy. I was too sad and exhausted to protest, and Patton made us into a household of four.
Bru grudegingly accepted his role of a big brother. Though he would never intentionally show affection for our newest addition, sneaky parents witnessed Brutus lovingly clean his little brother's face and cuddle with him when it was nap time in their quiet private moments. And even though he bullied Paddy around the house, no one was allowed to be mean to his bro on the playground. We've seen Brutus going after much larger dogs to get them off little Paddy, even now that Paddy outweighs him by about 20 lbs. I think the poof gives him a false sense of security.
Brutus has grown into a sweet and loyal Steinhauer protector. On more than one occasion, he has proven that nothing was going get pass him to hurt Momma. Nothing except for black cats but that's a story for another time. He faces everyday challenge of living with severe hip dysplasia, which he never lets interfere with his fun time with Paddy and his friends at the park. We've decided against surgery for him because we know that being kept still in his kennel 3 months post-op is not for Brutus. We had unfortunately seen what hospitalization could do to his spirit. Bru only wants to sit in the wet and cold grass and keep his eyes on his charge and occasionally gets up to show Paddy who's the boss. Wil and I have made a conscious effort to not take our time with Brutus for granted because they could be ever so fleeting. For now he's a beautiful, happy, and healthy baby, and we can not be more grateful to have him with us. Don't tell him that I actually love having him climb in bed with us in the morning and sit on my chest to let me know that he was ready for us to be up. Our morning cuddle time is easily one of my favorite times of the day. Trying to have a "me" time and hiding from Paddy. They both served as witnesses at our wedding, which was a day after this picture was taken. Forced picture time with Momma.