It's a Reid!

One Year Portraits

2008-04-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! I got Hayes' one-year portraits from Cassi today. For those of you that spoke with me the day they were taken, I was disappointed because Hayes was not his usual happy self. He was sort of crabby and when he did smile, it was his wrinkle-up nose smirk that was only the cute the first dozen or so times he did it. In the end, Cassi came through for us again and got some great pictures after all. Here are a few of my favorites!

Happy 1st Birthday Hayes!

2008-04-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

Can we just pretend that six months haven't gone by since my last post? I am sorry I got behind! Life snowballed and I did not want to move on until I got Thanksgiving and Christmas up and then life got in the way.

In any event, Hayes had a really big event on Friday. He turned one! My baby is just not a baby anymore. He is not walking yet, but very very close. He chats a lot, but his real words are only "Mama," "Dada," and "Mo" (more). Size-wise he is the same as he has been for a while. 90% for height (31.5 inches) and 25% for weight (20 pounds, 11.5 ounces).

Gramma Dianne came down for the big day (weekend) from Portland and Grampa Dave flew in from Colorado. Grandma Klorys and Grandpa Ron, Krissie, Kevin, Tyler and his friend Katie, Great Grandma Happe and Jeanie also celebrated with us. Because rubber duckies are his favorite, we had a rubber duckie themed-party for him. I went all out, of course. Krissie baked an awesome duckie cake. Hayes was not too into smashing the cake, so I had to smear frosting on his face myself. Here are a BUNCH of pictures from the party, starting with his bath to get ready.

Six Month Portraits

2007-11-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

Hayes' six month portraits were finally taken yesterday - at six months and three weeks. Phew. I was afraid I was going to have to call them his seven month portraits! A real photographer, Cassi Harms, came over to my parents house to take the photos and we did a full-blown photo shoot in the backyard. At first, we were a tad concerned because Hayes was sound asleep when she got there and would not wake up. But, after a diaper and clothes change, he woke up pretty darn happy. I won't get the full proof CD until Thursday, but Cassi knew I was excited and sent me these first three today. The close up of Hayes shows off his bottom teeth if you really look carefully. Although I am really proud of all the pictures friends and family (and we) have taken over the last six months, you cannot deny these are professional quality!

Mama's Little Stinker

2007-11-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

Grandma Klorys bought Hayes a pumpkin costume right after Halloween last year when they went on sale. Krissie said it was "lame," which made me feel self-conscious and go on a Halloween costume binge. Hayes ended up with a giraffe, chick, and skunk costume as well. He ended up wearing the skunk out on Halloween night and was the cutest little stinker on the street. We took him trick-or-treating before it got dark to the McCoy's, Donovan's, Carter's and Brown's and he loved chewing on the skittles bags. He wore the pumpkin costume to visit Grandma Happe where the receptionist asked Grandpa Ron if he was supposed to be a carrot. I guess it was a lame costume. Uncle Tyler has promised to lend Hayes his barmaid costume when he is older, but for next year, he is playing on being a scarecrow thanks to Grandma Dianne.

Hey, Hayes, It's Hay!

2007-10-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Despite all of the development of the remaining farmland in our area, Vern's U-Pick Pumpkin Patch is still open for business. We took Hayes out there on October 27th to pick out his very first pumpkin. Like everything else, it went straight into his mouth. He got to go out on a hayride on the tractor, check out the scarecrows and watch kids in the maze and swing on the rope swing. I bet he will have more fun in the next few years - if, of course, it is still there.

I Have TEEFS!

2007-10-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

They are very shy teeth, but teeth all the same. Grandma Dianne and Tom and I tried for quite some time to get a picture. Nothing. The first tooth on the bottom left came through on 10/17, and the second on the right came through 10/20. Yea for teeth! Now we need to find a dentist.

Christmas Stockings!!

2007-10-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

I am so excited today! You all know that I am the Queen of Procrastination and that somedays I wear that title quite proudly. As a mom, I have had to think through that a little and at least have some foresight with some things - like today! I ordered our Christmas Stockings!

I ordered them from http://www.specialtiesinwool.com/index.html. I cannot wait for them to get here! Growing up, I had a stocking knitted by second cousin, or great aunt, or something, with Katie and 1977 knitted right into it. Krissie and Tyler each got one when they were born too. I have been looking since the year Tom and I got married for the same style so that he could have one that matched mine. Kathy Hendricks located the pattern for me, but it is totally above my skill level! In the meantime, my stocking has continued to be hung each christmas at my parent's house since Tom did not have a matching one (an aside - why do I care so much about matching?) I did not mind leaving it there because Santa still finds me at my parent's house. Tom and I just hung random, not matching stockings, that i bought at Beverly's or something. I did not always remember to hang them and Santa only remembered to come some years. This year, now that we have Hayes and we finally feel like a real family, I asked my mom for my stocking back. I was going to send it to a knitter to duplicate it for Hayes and Tom. Guess what? She decided she was going to keep it!

That stocking is such a huge part of my childhood Christmas memories that I wanted to make sure Hayes had his very own special stocking. And I wanted Tom and I to have ones that match. For that reason, I understand my mom wanting to keep the three of ours up on her fireplace.

I found this place with stockings that I really like. The company looks pretty stable, so I am crossing my fingers that they will be around long enough to make matching or complementary stockings for future kids, if any. I am having Hayes and 2007 put on his stocking and then Tom's will say Dad and mine will say Mom. (Is that weird that we will have stockings? My parents always did . . . )

The lady that knits them told me they are running about 6 weeks lag time, so I won't get them until right after Thanksgiving. I am just really proud of myself for thinking about this before it was too late and having to buy Hayes' stocking at Beverly's too! Hayes' stocking is the Santa one, mine the Gingerbread, and Tom's the Christmas tree!

Sitting Up!

2007-10-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

Hayes has reached another milestone! On October 2nd, he sat up for the first time by himself with Maddison. He was definitely tripoding, but he was able to keep himself up! Now he can sit "hands free" and only really topples when he gets excited about something or tries to look all the way behind him. Yea for sitting and bye bye Bumbo. (Not because of the recall, mind you - I think it is asinine that parents would leave a child unattended in a Bumbo on a counter or table top.)

Hayes Goes to His First Kiddie Birthday Party

2007-09-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

Hayes' little buddie, Brookie, turned one in September and Hayes was lucky enough to get an invitation to the party on September 22nd. He is still a little too small to play with the other kids, and it seems the party was right in the middle of his nap time. Hayes tries hard not to let anything interfere with his sleep! Tom and I sure had fun hanging with the grown-ups!

Apple Hill

2007-09-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Right before my birthday, we took Hayes up the foothills to Apple Hill. It was one of my favorite places to visit when I was little and I am excited to pass on the tradition in my family. Apple Hill can get really really busy in October, but in September it is less crowded and really beautiful. Since we played hooky and went up on a Thursday, it was perfect. Check out Hayes in his cool kids sunglasses. He actually doesn't seem to mind wearing them.

Cereal Was Not a Big Hit

2007-09-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Tom and I have been planning to start Hayes on rice cereal for about a week. We got the highchair cleaned up and into the kitchen. We bought a video camera. We bought cereal. We got Hayes a bib. We mixed up the cereal. Hayes hated it. I did not know babies ever hated rice cereal, but here is the video to prove it. It's in two installments because Tom and I were laughing too hard and we had to interrupt so that is why there is a weird stop and start in the middle.

Hayes eating rice cereal

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Looking Back on 30 Years - Well, Mostly Five Months

2007-09-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty nostalgic today, it being the last day of my "twenties" and all. As much as I joke about feeling old and how terrible turning 30 seems, I have to say in all honesty that I could not ask for more. I have a wonderful husband, a PERFECT baby, a house and a career that is letting me enjoy it all, and family that is so helpful! When I start feeling 'whelmed, I wonder how young single moms do this. I really have it too easy. Anyway, thank you to all of you. Here's to another 30 wonderful years.

Almost a month has gone by since my last post and Hayes has grown a lot. His doctor would be happy to know he now instantly rolls over from his stomach to his back. Unfortunately, he has no interest in rolling over from his back to his front. I hope that does not mean he will never learn to crawl.

Since the last post, Hayes has been to his first professional sporting event, a Sacramento Rivercats games where he peed on Tom and put his whole arm down Alisha's shirt. He also went swimming for the first time and started chewing on his toes.

Tom and I are now proud owners of a video camera and ipod (technically the ipod is mine - my birthday present from Hayes. Beats the cement mixer from two years ago. However, since Tom is the only one who knows how to put songs on it, I'm sharing.) We bought the video camera because I think it is time to start Hayes on solid food. He really stares at our plates when we are eating. We were trying hard for six months, but I am settling for five. Tom is learing how to use it too, so keep an eye out for a video clip in the future! Here are some pictures in the meantime:

First Haircut

2007-08-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

I never dreamed I would give Hayes his first haircut but it started looking so bad! He had a weird combination of what Tom calls a "skullet," i.e. a mullet when you are balding on top, and a Donald Trump comb-over. After discussing a complete shaving with my mom, I decided to just cut off the skullet and leave the comb-over on top. The process took four days (he seemed to know what I was doing when I got near him with the scissors), so from the first day until I got all of the skullet cut off, it looked HORRIBLE. I really butchered his poor hair. Fortunately, his baby hair has mostly fallen out now and so you can't really tell anymore. Phew. Next time he gets a haircut, I will be paying to have it done.

Iowa Trip

2007-08-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

The Reid Family is back and (mostly) unpacked from the big trip to Iowa. Hayes was such a trooper on all the flights and really did not cry like I expected he would. He mostly slept on the airplane, sometimes in my lap and sometimes laying on the seat tray. The pictures I am posting are of him and his first flight from Sacramento to Denver. You will see I asked the pilot for wings for him which he could not have cared less about but which I thought were awfully cute. Also, Hayes with his favorite stuffed corn toy in the John Deere tractor trailer (He is being driven by his other new toy from Iowa, Mooney, who Tom and I made at the midwestern version of Build-a-Bear). The other two pictures are of Hayes in his supercute suit from Kathy. He sort of looked like Mini Me.

Baptism

2007-08-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hayes was baptised on July 8, 2007. Pastor Olson baptised him in the same baptismal gown that Krissie, Tyler and I were all baptised in when we were babies. In fact, Pastor Olson baptised Tyler in it almost exactly 24 years before. I bet that makes him feel old. Tom was pretty distracted by the fact that Hayes had to wear a gown. At least he did not have to stay in it very long. It was way too hot! I don't know why the picture of just Hayes is so small and my blogging guru is gone for the weekend, so she can't help. I will fix that when I can.

So Hard!

2007-08-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Some mothers of four can keep up their blogs daily and yet I have a hard time getting on here more than twice a month to put up pictures of my one baby! Geeze. We have been on the road a lot this summer in Portland and then Iowa for weddings. I don't have the Iowa pictures on the computer yet, but here are some cute ones from the Portland trip. Hayes had such a good time visiting with cousin Gabriel. I think Gabriel liked him too, but was a little sad with how little Hayes could "play." The pictures are of Grandpa Dave and Hayes staring at Hayes favorite toy of the week, a red mylar balloon, Four Generations of Hays/Harris/Reids, Hayes and one of the flower girls in Meika's wedding, and Gabriel holding Hayes. Hayes was such a good sport during the two twelve hour car rides it took us to get to Portland and back. Now that he has flown to Iowa and back Tom and I swear we will never do that drive again.

NCAA HERE WE COME!

2007-07-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

What really got Hayes going when I was pregnant was listing to the announcers for college basketball. He went nuts when we went to the Sweet Sixteen at ARCO. That, combined with his long feet and toes and big hands, makes Dad and Grandpa Ron pretty sure he is going to be a basketball player. Since the NBA is pretty ghetto (sorry, I know that is not PC), we are hoping for NCAA - either Nevada or UCLA of course! To that end, he is already practicing in his johnny jump-up from Grandpa Dave. These days, he is finally getting the hang of it. He practices in this darling outfit from Dave and Paula with a baby size basketball to work on palming. (He is a ways away from that, though). And check out those Converse Allstars!!! What a stud.

Meika Is Married!

2007-07-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

Tom and Hayes and I are all home from our roadtrip to Portland last week. We did a lot of visiting with MeMaw, Dave and Dianne, Bill, Jill and Gabriel, and Andi and Jim Ed. We also attended Meika's wedding which was BEAUTIFUL. The venue was stunning. It is called the Garden Vinyards, soon to be winery, in Hillsboro. The weather could not have been better. Overall, the wedding was perfect but for missing Mikee. I will have other pictures of the trip up soon, but I was too excited to wait to get a picture of Hayes up in his tuxedo. Good thing the pictures came out cute, because the tux was sort of a disaster. First, the "buttons" bled and the whole thing shrunk when I washed it. When Tom and Dianne put it on, they were afraid we were not going to be able to get it off, so Hayes was cut out of it at the end of the night. Second, he totally up-chucked in it on the way home from the wedding. Gross. Guess he drank too much (milk) and danced too long. Anyway, it was cute while it lasted.

Tom's First Father's Day

2007-06-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

Tom was voted World's Greatest Dad 2007 for Father's Day this year. He won by a landslide. In fact, Hayes voted him in unanimously. Here are some photos from the award ceremony.

We're Back!

2007-06-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

So, I really really thought that being off work for 8 weeks was going to be a breeze and I would be able to keep everyone up to date on Hayes and his progress online. As it turns out, checking my email was hard enough, let alone uploading pictures, writing blog entries, and then including pictures. Doing all of that one-handed is really tough. And let's be honest, we all knew I was doing most of my blogging at work anyway. So here I am again - I went back to work last Monday and finally have all the pictures from the camera on the computer. I am even starting to organize them on Shutterfly. Yea for me! Here are two of the pictures we have took of Hayes last week. He has started smiling and open mouth, "silent" laughing if such a thing exists. His favorite thing to do right now is play in this little jungle gym.

It's A Boy!

2007-04-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

Kate and Tom are proud to announce that Hayes Tyler Reid was born this evening at 8:10 PM. He weighs in at 7 pounds and 5 ounces and is 20 1/4 inches long. Both Hayes and Kate are happy and healthy.

If you'd like to go visit Kate and Hayes (and I guess Tom, too), they will be at Mercy Folsom hospital for at least the next 24 hours. The visiting hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The hospital is at 1650 Creekside Drive in Folsom, California.

Because they will be moving from Labor and Delivery to the Maternity ward, the best way to get in touch with them is to call (916) 983-7400, which is the general number. You can ask for Kathlyn Reid, Katie Reid, or Kate Reid's room and they'll get you there.

Rules Reminder: No latex balloons. No one with cold or flu symptoms, i.e. coughing, sniffling or fever. Visitors cannot hang around in the hallways. They have to be in our room or one of the three waiting areas (front lobby, dining room, and dining patio).

Congratulations to Kate and Tom on the new addition to their family! (Now I'm getting teary-eyed again.)

Stork Tour

2007-04-09T23:21:00.000-07:00

Tom and I have finally gone on our "Stork Tour" to check out Mercy Hospital Folsom, where Itsy will be born. It was supposed to be a tour with a bunch of other parents-to-be this evening, but instead we did it by ourselves during our short stay this morning in Labor and Delivery. (I had to get a nonstress test after my doctor's appointment today). Because of the preeclampsia/toxemia that I have "brewing," the doctor does not think we will make it to our due date. In fact, he seems to think Itsy will come in the next week or two. I go back to the doctor on Thursday morning, so maybe we will know more then.

Here is some information for those of you who will be coming to visit us for our upcoming and quick (we hope) stay in Folsom.

The website for the hospital is www.mercyfolsom.org. It is located at 1650 Creekside Drive in Folsom, California. Tom says Itsy's theme song will be the Folsom Prison Blues. I hope not. The main phone number is (916) 983-7400. Just ask for Kathlyn Reid, Katie Reid, or Kate Reid's room. The easiest way to get to the hospital is to take Highway 50 East from Sacramento and exit at the East Bidwell exit, taking East Bidwell to the left over the highway. You will drive quite a ways down E. Bidwell, and then turn right at Creekside Drive. The hospital will be on your right approximately .2 miles.

At the Family Birth Center, visiting hours for labor patients are 24 hours a day. Only Tom and I will be in the delivery room and Krissie will be allowed to come into the room for occasional updates. The hospital is pretty close, and certainly our feelings will not be hurt if everyone chooses to wait at home or the hotel until Itsy actually arrives.

After delivery, visiting hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. One adult support person (yes, Tom, that is you) may (i.e. WILL) stay overnight. All visitors are required to check in at the information desk daily to get a Visitor's Pass.

For those of you who may be around the hospital a lot while we are there, there is a dining room, located on the lower level, that is open to visitors, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. for breakfast; 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for lunch; and 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for dinner. On Saturday and Sunday the dining room is open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.; for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; and is closed for dinner. Vending machines are accessible in the dining room 24 hours a day. There are many many better places to eat around the hospital if you promise either: 1) to bring me something back or 2) not talk to me about how good your meal was. Hehe.

Madeline will be posting baby "stats" and our room number and telephone number as soon as I call her with the details. I have promised not to call her until 10am if it is a weekend, because she is a late bird.

Other rules: No latex balloons. No one with cold or flu symptoms, i.e. coughing, sniffling or fever, will be allowed into the area. Visitors cannot hang around in the hallways. They have to be in our room or one of the three waiting areas (front lobby, dining room, and dining patio).

We will keep you all posted! And Happy 29th Birthday, Alisha! Sorry I missed your birthday party today.

Checking Out of "Hotel Mom"?

2007-04-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

Itsy and I had a less than ideal 36-week appointment yesterday. My blood pressure was really high and my feet and ankles were so swollen, I looked like an elephant. Because of that, the doctor kept me at the office for a while, laying down on my left side and checked my blood pressure again about half-an-hour later. By that time, it was down a lot but still "slightly high." I had to go get blood work done to check my liver and kidney function to rule out preeclampsia. The doctor also mentioned that Itsy was already measuring 40 weeks. YIKES! Now I'm off work and resting for the weekend. I have to monitor my blood pressure and go in to Labor & Delivery if it goes back up or if I have any of the other symptoms of preeclampsia. I go back into the doctor first thing on Monday morning to get checked out again. If everything seems fine, I get to go back to work, but they still might do another ultrasound to see how big Itsy really is. The bottom line is that Itsy may be checking out of Hotel Mom a little early.

Clarification of Terms of Eviction By An Expert

2007-03-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Lest I begin to think my family has much sympathy for my current state, I have recently been put back into place by Bill. Please visit his blog at http://www.billandjill.blogspot.com/ for a hysterical, and quite true-to-life rebuttal to my last post on Baby Reid's impending eviction. Bill, I have a feeling my parents agree more with you than me. And they would add that the option of a 4-year renewal after the 18-year renewal is optimistic considering Tyler is still at home and turning 24 in two weeks. I wonder how many 4-year renewals are actually allowed? And dare I ask, what, exactly, is a triple-net lease? Thanks for at least sparing me the "This is the easy part" comment. Even though I know that is what everyone is thinking . . .

Month-to-Month Eviction Notice Served

2007-03-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

Baby Reid, Tenant, has 30 days in which said tenant can either gather his or her belongings and vacate the premises, or wait until the final day, after which said tenant will be physically removed from the property. Tenant is being evicted due to a breech of contract and destruction of property. Expansions only to the front of the property, within reasonable limits, were discussed. Not only have these limits been exceeded, but additions to the back of the property were also made. Remodeling and gutting the property was never approved, nor was changing the initial layout and base structure. And due to property damage, there are now leaks in both upper and lower levels of the property. Also, late night parties have been discovered on the property and are not greatly appreciated! Any further problems will result in immediate removal!

Labor Prediction Quiz

2007-03-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

I found a site that is supposed to predict when the baby will come and how big it will be, etc, based on Mom and Dianne's experiences with Tom and me. I just found out today that Tom was 18 days LATE!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, the site says:

"Just about the time you think you can't handle hearing one more "when is that baby going to pop?", your baby will decide to make it's appearance. We predict your baby will be born 3-7 days before its due date. Your baby will most likely be born in the morning. Justmommies predicts that your baby will weigh approximately 8.8 pounds and that your labor will be about 12 hours long."

I guess I will take that. Beats being almost three weeks late. Tom, I cannot believe you did that to your mother! Obviously, this quiz was just for kicks and giggles. Here is the website for you other expecting mothers:

http://www.justmommies.com/quizzes/labor_prediction_quiz.php

Taurus

2007-03-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

Chances are good Baby Reid will be a taurus. According to Wikepedia, Taurus is an astrological sign, which is associated with the constellation of the same name. The opposite sign to Taurus is Scorpio. Taurus is the second sign of the Zodiac and associated with material pleasure. (Uh oh). Individuals born under this sign are thought to have a practical, reliable, patient, affectionate, sensuous, ambitious, and determined character, but one which is also prone to laziness, jealousy, inflexibility, greediness, and stubbornness. In terms of anatomy, Taurus is said to rule the vocal chords, tonsils, palate, throat, neck, ears, and lower jaw. Physically, individuals born under the sign of Taurus supposedly tend to have a full and square face, small ears, a rounded and dimpled chin, a short and turned-up nose, large and expressive eyes, glowing and opaque skin, full and well-shaped lips, small and even teeth, and thick hair. Generally, there is something distinctly sensual about the appearance. They are thought to usually be of average height. According to astrology, those born in May are usually big-boned and those born in June are sometimes more slight-of-frame. Taurus is said to be compatible with Virgo, Capricorn, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, with the best match being Scorpio, its natural partner.

It's An Ark!

2007-03-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

I am always a few steps behind my painters, but I finally have some nursery pictures! Yesterday, Mom and Nancy nearly finished it up, but here are some pictures of the progress as of Saturday. Thanks again, Mom and Nancy!

What A Shower!

2007-03-06T21:49:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, Pat, Krissie, Madeline, Jen and Jeannie threw me the greatest baby shower! I now have so many of the baby "essentials" that I am actually sleeping better at night knowing that if Itsy comes early, we will get by. This is the baby cake that Krissie made. How cute.
Grandma Dianne made this Noah's Ark quilt. It is beautiful! There will be more pictures to come, but for some reason I am having trouble uploading anymore right now!

The Nursey Is Coming Along

2007-02-20T15:13:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the painting progress in the nursery. I wish I could take credit for it, but Mom and Nancy Corbett have done 99% of the work. Progress is being made so fast that these pictures don't reflect how it looks today, but it was the start of the painting process. The porcupines (yes, they are porcupines) have already been erased.

February 18, 2007 is Chinese New Year

2007-02-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

Baby Reid is going to be a real pig! People born in 2007 are born in the Year of the Pig and are said to be chivalrous and gallant. Whatever they do, they do with all their strength. For Boar Year people, there is no left or right and there is no retreat. They have tremendous fortitude and great honesty. They don't make many friends but they make them for life, and anyone having a Boar Year friend is fortunate for they are extremely loyal. They don't talk much but have a great thirst for knowledge. They study a great deal and are generally well-informed. Boar people are quick tempered, yet they hate arguments and quarreling. They are kind to their loved ones. No matter how bad problems seem to be, Boar people try to work them out, honestly if sometimes impulsively. They are most compatible with Rabbits and Sheep. Grandpa Happe is also a Boar and so is Uncle Tyler. Dad is a Rabbit and Mom is a Snake - Sounds like Baby Reid will be his/her father's child for sure!

Sugar Test In Time For Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

To answer the second most common question I get after "When are you due?," last Tuesday was my glucose screening test. I went into the lab at 7am (very very early for me) so that I wasn't tempted to snack before hand. I was there with pretty much the entire senior citizen population of Fair Oaks. The glucose challenge screening test screens for development of gestational diabetes. When I checked in, I got a bottle of "lemon-lime" sugar drink that looked like Scope mouthwash in a tonic water bottle. It actually did not taste nearly as bad as I thought it would and it was the consistency of water. Then, after an hour of quietly dictating letters to clients in the waiting room (I sort of felt like a spy or something), I had blood drawn. The test itself wasn't so bad, but I think the drink made me feel sick to my stomach the rest of the day.

The second part of the test was on Friday, and this time I got an orange drink with twice the amount of sugar. It tasted EXACTLY like Triaminic. I had my blood drawn four times in three hours with that test. Fortunately, everything came back normal which means I will get to have some Valentine's Day candy. Yea!

P.S.

2007-02-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Aunt Krissie!

Love,

Itsy

Rib Pain

2007-02-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

My upper abdomen on the right side has been giving me a lot of trouble since the beginning of December but all of my tests have come back fine. The ultrasound of my gallbladder and other internal organs and my liver function test say nothing is wrong with any of those body parts. My doctor has now concluded that my lowest rib on the right side, which is a "false rib" is being pushed away from my body by the baby and all of the other changes going on in there. This explains why in the beginning when the baby was smaller I had to eat a big meal to really feel the pain and now I have it pretty much all of the time. It also explains why lying down flat on my back makes it feel the best. What I don't totally understand is why it started in my back, but my doctor said it was something about referred pain. Sorry for the time since my last post, I did not just want to complain without a diagnosis.

Here is the best description I could find online about the problem I am having:

Patients experience tenderness over the lowermost ribs, especially at the end of the lowest floating rib. The diagnosis 'painful rib syndrome' was established once other possible conditions had been excluded. Following an explanation of the condition and some advice about posture, the symptoms disappeared. Painful rib syndrome can be a cause of chronic debilitating pain located in the left or right upper quadrant of the abdomen. The pain is movement and posture dependent. The syndrome is often not recognised. No data on the prevalence is available.

Mind you, the baby is causing most of my problems, though certainly my posture does not help. I do not expect the pain to disappear until after Itsy is born. Ice packs work pretty well though!

Noah's Ark

2007-01-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

We are painting Itsy's room with a Noah's Ark theme. The walls will be murals with lots and lots of animals. Since the walls will be so busy, the rest of the room decorations will be VERY VERY plain. Here is the book Mom and I are using as a template for the painting - it's called Noah's Big Boat.

100 DAYS!!!

2007-01-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

Seriously, from and including today, Saturday, January 20, 2007 and including my original due date, Sunday, April 29, 2007, it is 100 days from the start date to the end date, or three months and 10 days. 100 days can also be converted to one of these units: 8,640,000 seconds, 144,000 minutes, 2400 hours, or 14 weeks (rounded down). Since this whole process should take 266 days, that means we are 62% of the way there.

Baby Reid Has Baby Hiccups!

2007-01-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning thinking Itsy was up early and kicking me. Then I realized the kicking was in the same spot every three seconds EXACTLY and went on for a few minutes straight. I'm pretty sure Baby Reid was hiccupping! Experienced moms have been telling me how fun it is when I start to feel the hiccupping and, I have to say, it was awfully darn cute.

Baby Reid has probably been hiccupping intermittently since the late first or early second trimester, although I couldn't feel the hiccups at that early stage. One theory is that the contractions prepare the unborn baby's respiratory muscles for breathing after birth. Who knows.

A Little Disappointed . . .

2007-01-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

As you know, Tom and I were really excited to pick up the nursery furniture on Saturday. We had gotten the phone call that all the pieces were in and made an appointment to pick them up at 11 am. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a SNAFU apparently and only the dresser was in the store. The crib is supposed to be on today's truck but we will wait for the changer to come in before we go pick it up. Too bad. I was really hoping we could arrange the room how we wanted it and then figure out the painting plan. We did pick out the glider for the nursery and the fabric for the upholstery. That won't be ready for a couple of months. In the meantime, I finally found a picture online of the crib as a crib (instead of a bed). And the good news is, the dresser looks great.

Nursery Furniture

2007-01-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

I am so excited! On Saturday we get to pick up the nursery furniture that we ordered before Christmas. It is all a dark oak and is supposed to be the "ark" part of the Noah's Ark theme. Well, it is not really the ark, but we wanted wood that looks pretty rustic and could be a boat if it wanted to be. The crib turns into a toddler bed and then full-sized bed, so when the kid(s) are grown, this could be the bed you all sleep in when you come to visit us.
We also ordered the dresser/armoire and changing table, although the changing table is not pictured on the Bassettbaby website. Too bad the room is so tiny, there are a couple other pieces of furniture that I love! Once we get the furniture into the nursery and decide how to arrange it, Mom and I will be working on the Noah's Ark murals we are doing on the walls. Yea!

Holy Cow! Six Months Prego!

2007-01-09T10:15:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that I hit the six month mark on Sunday. There is no denying at this point that there is a baby in my tummy. And, thanks to Mom and Krissie, I now have enough maternity clothes to get through the week without duplicating shirts.

Baby Reid (also known as "Itsy") seems to really love NCAA basketball. We have been watching a lot of it lately and it just wiggles and wiggles and wiggles the whole time. Although this might make this March a little uncomfortable for me, it will be nice when the kid is of television watching age - It will take some of the pressure off of me to sit and watch with Tom.

The only real baby-prep news of late is that Tyler got my cradle out of my parent's attic over the weekend. My dad made it before I was born and we will keep it in our room for Itsy when s/he first comes home from the hospital and for as long as we want to keep the baby in our room instead of the nursury. Mom's biggest concern is that the cats are going to get into it, so it is behind closed doors in the nursery-to-be at this point. I am going to put the Time-Out Lamb in there to guard it.

Happy New Year!

2006-12-30T16:09:00.000-08:00

Only good news from the doctor's office on Thursday. Our AFP blood screening test came back normal and Baby Reid's heartbeat was at 150. The size is right on and Baby Reid is now almost one foot long! The only thing that really made me panic was the N.P. warning me that we needed to get signed up for our parenting classes "right away." I still thought we had plenty of time - and then I looked at a calendar. Yikes! The next doctor's appointment is on January 23, 2007, and will be my last monthly appointment. After that, my appointments will only be two weeks apart. In January, I will finally meet the other doctor in the office who could deliver the baby depending on who is on call. Dr. Mary Sterner-Sosa is my main doctor, but Dr. Cragun is the back-up. I will also have to do the glucose screening test for gestational diabetes, which I have heard is nasty.

There's a lot of moving around going on and Baby Reid already seems to be a morning person, which could be a problem for both parents. Of course, Tom doesn't really know the meaning of "morning" anymore.

We have put in our order for the baby furniture that I picked out at Babies 'R Us, a crib, changing table, and dresser. The glider we have picked out takes 10-12 weeks, so we are going to have to order it pretty quick here, too. Krissie and Mom have also been on my case about maternity clothes and now I have jeans, two shirts and a long skirt. I am going to have to do some more shopping soon - I had my first stranger offer me a chair "because of the baby." Clearly my tummy is sticking out more than I am willing to admit.

You will all be happy to know that I have retired my boots and heels. Tom threatened to cut all the heels off my shoes if he catches me wearing them. My fall on Christmas Eve scared him a lot. The baby was fine, and now my knees are doing fine, too. After shopping for maternity clothes, I will be shopping for cute, or at least not ugly, flats.

Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year. Tom and I are really excited for 2007!

Christmas Eve

2006-12-24T17:02:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post on the Blog. Bill and Jill got us a Webcam for Christmas, so here is my attempt to get it to work. One of these days, we are hoping to get a "Babycam" up and running. Keep checking back for updated pictures.

20 Week UltraSound

2006-12-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

Well, this process is officially half-way over and yesterday was the big ultrasound. Apparently Baby Reid is not napping at 3:30pm and the technician had a little trouble getting the pictures my doctor needed. The good news for us was we got to watch the baby on the screen for over an hour. Of course, there were a few parts where we had to look away, "just in case the baby flashed us." It is a funny feeling that the radiologist knows if we will have a son or a daughter, but we don't! She did take a picture and put a note on it for us and sealed it in an envelope in case we change our mind. Tom had to take that to work because I am afraid I would peek.

After two check-ups with heart rates of 155 beats per minute, yesterday the heartrate was up to 167 beats per minute. Either the baby was really exercising in there or did not like being pushed on with the ultrasound thing-a-ma-jig. There is a story out there that if a baby's heartrate is 140+ beats per minute (BPM) it is a girl and under 140 BPM it is a boy. This has actually been a pretty popular theory in gender prediction for a long time. However, I have discovered that the heart rate of a baby fluctuates as they grow and as they move. Heart rates start out slower, and then by 8-10 weeks run in the range of 170-200 BPM. That seems fast since Baby Reid was at 155 at week 10 . . . However, as you approach mid-pregnancy the average heart rates run between 120 - 160 BPM. When the baby moves, his or her heart rate goes up, just as your heart rate does with movement. But they say none of this is related to the gender of a baby. A study was actually done to test this theory. The study actually shows that there is no correlation between gender and fetal heart rate. Although they did find a correlation between heart rate and gestational age prior to 9.2 weeks. So what does that mean? I don't get it. All I kinow is that they have cut off the ultrasound picture above so no clues are available. Darn it!

The Chinese Lunar Calendar Says "It's a Boy!"

2006-12-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

The Chinese Lunar Calandar is, depending on who you ask, a myth or ancient truth. The lunar-based calendar used to determine your baby's sex was taken from a 700 year old Royal Tomb near Peking, China. The original document is on display at China's Institute of Science. Many thousands of people believe that this calendar is 99% accurate. It's based on the month a baby is conceived not the birth month. The second factor is the mother's age at the time of conception adding 9 months to her age to adjust the calendar. When the mother's age and month of conception are determined, you follow the two coordinates to where they intersect. Blue for a boy, pink for a girl. For me, it intersects at August and 29, which is a blue square! I am not getting my hopes up that we can really decide this way, but it is fun to pretend.

19 Weeks

2006-12-05T14:46:00.000-08:00

So, at week 19 Baby Reid is really growing. It looks a little tight in there, but fortunately for me, we still have plenty of room to grow. It sort of makes me sad to see the baby all scrunched up like that. The baby weights approximately 8 1/2 ounces and is about 6 inches long from the top of the head to the bottom. The five senses are developing rapidly. I even asked Baby Reid what we should have for breakfast today, but got only the silent treatment. I went with Cherrios, like always. The hair should already be sprouting on the head, although I think genes are involved here, and since I was bald until I was 2, chances are good this baby is bald still, too. Baby Reid may also be testing out sucking its thumb.

Class of '29

2006-12-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

So, you may think it's a stretch to include this post on my blog. However, I expect Baby Reid will be a member of UCLA's freshman class in September 2025. That's why UCLA shocking the snot out of USC yesterday is an appropriate post on It's A Reid. Now, UCLA is #1 in NCAA Championships across the board. But I will admit our football team has been disappointing lately. None of that matters, now. I could handle UCLA football losing to USC for the next 10 years straight after yesterday's upset. Here's what the Associated Press had to say about yesterday's game:

Step aside, Trojans. Your chase for the national championship is over.

UCLA knocked No. 2 USC out of the Bowl Championship Series title game with a stunning 13-9 victory over its crosstown rival Saturday. The Bruins did it with a vastly improved defense and a quarterback starting on three days' notice.

Patrick Cowan passed for 114 yards, ran for another 55, and the Bruins snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Trojans in paving the way for a Michigan-Ohio State rematch or an Ohio State-Florida matchup for the national championship Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.

USC's bid for a third straight appearance in the national title game was over following its only turnover of the game. (Ha!)

The Trojans got one final shot at winning, but Booty's desperation pass from the USC 12 with six seconds left fell incomplete, and the celebration was on at the Rose Bowl. Moments after it was over, defensive end Justin Hickman led teammates into the UCLA student section.

Besides having their national championship hopes ended, the Trojans (10-2, 7-2 Pac-10) had their NCAA-record scoring streak of 63 games in which they had scored 20 or more points snapped. (So there!)

The loss was just USC's fourth in the last 59 games. As Pac-10 champions, the Trojans will return to Pasadena on New Year's Day and play in the Rose Bowl game.

"I don't have any feelings right now," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "I'm just disappointed that we couldn't find a way to score some points today. It just didn't happen today. You've just got to credit them for that.

The Bruins (7-5, 5-4) hadn't beaten USC since 1998, when they topped the Trojans for the eighth straight time. UCLA, a winner of three straight, will face Florida State in the Emerald Bowl on Dec. 27 in San Francisco.

"I feel great for our players," said UCLA coach Karl Dorrell, who's been hearing criticism all season - his fourth on the job. "I feel great for our players. They've had to endure a lot. We believed in ourselves. We were fortunate to be the ones on top.

"I didn't believe it until the clock hit zero. All we wanted to do was stay close and get a chance to win."

You are welcome, Michigan. Really, it was our pleasure.

So, for my favorite UCLA v. USC joke:

What do USC students and UCLA students have in common? They all got into USC. Teehee.

Moving!

2006-12-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

I started to feel the baby move last night! Yea!

It's hard to explain why, but it did not feel like I was expecting it to. Intead of it feeling like little feet or hands banging around on my insides, it felt more like going down a hill on a rollercoaster. Maybe that means I am feeling the baby roll over, or swim around, more than kick. It is still too early for Tom to feel it from the outside, but I like to think he is excited for that. Hard to say though - I woke him up to tell him the Baby was moving around and he said, "Really?" and then went right back to sleep.

18 Week Doctor's Visit

2006-11-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

Everything went fine at the doctor's office today. The heartbeat was loud and clear and 155 beats per minute, exactly the same as last month. This time, I taped it for Tom to hear since he had a dentist appointment this morning. I got my blood drawn for the screening and will get the results at the next appointment on December 28th. We have the ultrasound on December 14th, though we may not be able to look if Baby Reid's sex is obvious. Wouldn't it be sad to go have the ultrasound and not be able to look at it? (Hint, hint Tom.) I will keep you posted.

Blogging Is Hard Work

2006-11-28T17:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I have already changed my blog and am not setting it to private. If I do that, you all have to register with gmail and then you will have to remember that name and password. Sigh. Really, I am just trying to make this easier.

FYI, I am now on pregnancy week 18. Baby Reid is about 5.5 inches long from the top of the head to its bottom and curled up is about the size of a big sweet potato. No moving felt yet. Tomorrow, I go back to the doctor for a check-up and will get to hear the heartbeat. I also have a blood test that screens for anomalies. Cross your fingers everything goes fine!

It's a Reid!

2006-11-28T17:05:00.000-08:00

This is a new blog I am starting under heavy pressure from my friend Madeline, a superblogger. I am still not sure how I feel about writing personal stuff and having it out there on the web, so please, no complaints, no making fun, or correcting my grammar, or I just might shut down! I am starting this blog after receiving today two friends' mass emails of baby pictures. To all of you who send those out, DO NOT GET ME WRONG, I love seeing your baby pictures! Please do not take me off your email lists. But, I now have logins on several different photo websites and usually I can't remember my login and passwords for each. For the photos that don't require logins, I have weird software now installed on my work computer. Whoops.

In any event, I figure that this way, you can all find out what is going on with Baby Reid when you feel like it. Please note, my first choice for a blog was babyreid.com. However, that was taken. I have therefore chosen to call the blog, "It's a Reid!" because I cannot call it "It's a Boy!" or "It's a Girl!" As many of you know, Tom and I will not be finding out if Baby Reid is a boy or a girl. If that makes you unhappy, say, for example, you don't like using the pronoun "it," talk to Tom. (Or the rest of my family and his family except for my brother-in-law Kevin who was on my side on this one.) I have set up the blog so that Tom can post, too, should he want to try it out. Maybe he will defend his position there.

You may ask why I am starting now when Baby Reid's due date is April 30. My answer: I think I'm going to need a lot of practice. Plus, I can update you on pregnancy status between now and then. It won't hurt my feelings if you don't read before the baby, though.

I have set this up so that only those who I invite can view the blog. If you think someone may be interested, please let me know by sending me their email addresses. Thanks!