Buddah Belly

I've always had one and the ability to fill it up with air and appear 6 months pregnant. But now it's for real and doesn't go back down. I've actually noticed that inner folds of my belly button that have never seen the light of day are now so stretched that they are coming to the surface. I think I may have an outie before all this is done.






Donut? Eye of a Hurricane? Buddah Belly? Can you pick which is which?

5 months, 1 week, 1.5 days

Self-portrait, the final cut was easily the 5th or 6th picture. My face looks a little too happy for taking my own picture, but I know nobody is looking at my face. Everyone looks at my ever-expanding belly. Here it is in all its glory at 5 months+.

I have to say I'm bit intimidated to post since the excitement that Beto's post brought. But I must keep going...

Let's see, what's happened? Well, we had a Dr. appointment on Monday. Dr lady says I am having a "text book" pregnancy. Everything is as it should be. No ultrasounds this time, just the heartbeat doppler. She had a hard time getting him to stay still to listen to his heartbeat. But she chased him around until he tired out and the heartbeat sounded good and strong. She mentioned that his active movement is a good thing, means the nervous system, muscles and bones are all developing well. It may be good now because I still can't feel all of it but what about when he's bigger? He'll be punching out all my internal organs! I can feel him from time to time, feels like bubbles popping. He's especially frisky in the early evening, when I'm relaxing on the couch. Last night was the first night I actually SAW one of the kicks. Right to the side of my belly button, looked like Alien was trying to pop out for a split second. He kicks...and he scores!!!Beto was cute, he sat all evening with his hand on my belly so he could feel one. We felt quite a few together.

I have a new unwelcome symptom, heartburn! Ugh, it's the worst. Seems every night after I go to sleep, I wake up with acid burning my throat. I stumble to the kitchen to gobble down some Tums. Last night was really bad, so I got smart and just decided to keep the Tums on the bedside table. I plan to just take some before I go to bed and try to keep ahead of it. We'll see.

Dr says at this point in my pregnancy I can expect to gain a pound a week!!! A pound a week! Are you trying to kill me? I'm going to need to get around in a Lark.

ITS A BOY!

YES!! YES!! YES!! YIIIIEEEAAAHHH!!!! Oh sorry do I sound excited? Well hell I AM!!! Yes this is Beto and I am on cloud 9!!! Its a boy!! Not that I have anything against girls I really like them, I grew up in a household of all girls, all of my cousins growing up were all girls, and I currently live in a household of three females and me. So enough is enough, I need a little company in the male department. So I am ecstatic over the news. I woke up early on Thursday morning we were on our way to the doctor's to have the week 20 ultrasound. We had decided that we were going to find out the sex of the fetus, I had butterflies on the way there. I maintained my composure and controlled my emotions all the way into the ultrasound room. And for those of you that know me that's not easy for me. The lady started digging around taking a bunch of pics and all that nonsense that they always do. All the time I could barely breath in anticipation of the news. After a few minutes of looking around at a bunch of other baby limbs the question finally came..."Do you want to know the sex? I was standing right behind the lady breathing hard on the back of her neck eyes glued to the screen. When she dropped the question I felt I was following the images pretty well and I was looking at a picture of my baby's backside, leg on each side and I could see it!! Yes I believed I was looking at the package dangling on the right side. An overwhelming emotion took over me I felt it from head to toe, I brought my hands to my mouth and creeped closer to the screen for I was still not 100% sure that I was looking at what I thought I was looking at. Then the lady proceeded to say this is a leg and that's the other leg......As soon as she said that I knew!! I clinched my hands over my mouth to prevent the emotional outburst that I was dying to release, my eyes became full with tears as she blurted out the words I was hoping to hear....."And that's a penis!!" I was overwhelmed with emotion and it took every ounce of strength for me to hold back from having an extreme emotional outburst. I looked over at Jen who didn't have quite the vantage position that I had. Our eyes met and it was bliss! It's a boy and Maximus was the first thing that went through my head. I am an emotional and demonstrative person, but this was a feeling that I have never felt before. I wanted to run, jump do push ups, climb to the top of a mountain and scream at the top of my lungs!! But no here I was stuck in this tiny, sterile, cricket sounding closet and all I could do was rejoyce within myself. Shortly after the doctor came in and she started with the same little pinche machine belly roller, digging around looking at stuff. All the while I am thinking, enough with that crap let me out of here!! So finally we get to leave and once we stepped out of the treatment area into the waiting room I could hold back no more. There was a nice little couple sitting there patiently waiting their turn. They looked at us walking out I looked at them and said in a loud and proud piercing voice "It's a boy!!" 2 seconds after exiting the examination area it had begun, I'm having a son. We ran in to some other people in the parking lot and of course I had to share my news. I was off that day and had a tee time (golf) later that day. Usually that consumes me with excitement it is something I absolutely love to do, it didn't matter. I could think of nothing else but having a golfing, wrestling, bowling, baseball playing, football tossing, hooping, pool sharking, little buddy to hang out with for the rest of my life! I immediately got on my phone, took a pic of the sex-identifying ultrasound and began shooting it to all the folks that I could think of. And although I am a lot calmer today, I am still overwhelmed with joy with wha'ts ahead. It consumes my every thought and I truly understand the old cliche, "I cant wait." Jen went out and bought him a bunch of athletic Nike clothes and a baseball outfit and a tiny little baseball glove!! Yes his first glove!! Its the cutest thing I have ever seen. I immediately put it under the couch to break it in correctly. I also have his first tiny golf club. A real club not any of that dumb ass plastic crap. The sports room is coming soon!! Yaaaahooo one last time "ITS A BOY!!" And I couldn't be happier.

Der Weinerschnitzel !

I haven't experienced any pickles and ice cream type, odd cravings. But I have let my food guard down and my new, old favorite has become Der Weinerschnitzel. Lucky for me there is one in downtown Livermore. Last night I split a deluxe cheeseburger with Beto, had my own ketchup dog, corn dog and fries! I know! I'm going to be as big as a house! But oh my is it ever delicious.


One evening, Beto and I were watching '27 Dresses' on HBO and there's a line in there where she orders a chili cheese dog. As soon as the line was delivered, I looked at Beto with chili cheese dog dreams in my eyes and off we went that very minute to get dinner. I actually ended up ordering chili cheese fries instead of the dog but oooh were they tasty.


I remember the A-frame style one that used to be on A St in Hayward. There was no where to sit but outside with all the hungry pigeons. The birds did not fear humans, they'd sit on the chair next to you waiting for you to throw them a morsel. I also remember walking there from Sunset during Band Camp. You couldn't make the walk during regular school time lunch, it was too far. But we would have a longer lunch time at Band Camp. That one is gone now, it was moved and rebuilt just up the street when they put in the new Lucky shopping center.


This isn't the Hayward one, but it looked just like this.

Future MLB SS for SF Giants

View it as if the baby is sitting on the camera. It's a picture from the bottom, it's two legs pointing left, flanking it's obvious male features. IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't see it at first, the tech had it at a different view than this one. But Beto could tell right away. I was watching his reaction because I couldn't see. But I could tell by looking at him that it was a boy.

And beyond that, he's got all his parts and organs. He's about a foot long and weighs just under a pound at 15 ounces. I just started week 22, which is the final week of the 5th month.

He sure is a squirmy thing though. The tech lady was chasing him around trying to get him to stay still so she could get pictures. I can't feel a lot of movement yet, the sensation is more like bubbles or flutters. He's still too small to start kicking my ribs or anything like that.

I'm relieved to finally know, Beto is thrilled to have his little baseball player.

Pink or Blue ?

THE question of all questions will be answered tomorrow, boy or girl.
After much consideration and rationalization over whether or not to find out the sex, we've decided to take a peek. Tomorrow morning we have an ultrasound scheduled. Among various other measurements, checks, tests, pokes and prods this is the visit where we can find out. So we will.
Although I've always thought if I should ever had a baby, I want a boy. I've come to the conclusion that a girl would be pretty cool too. Except of course when she's a teen ager and hates me for about 10 years, but besides that I'm OK with it. So bring it on, I'm ready.
I'll let you know tomorrow...