Earthquake
Dear Little George,
Just a bit ago was your first earthquake. It was made up of soothing rolls. Your brother wants to do it again.
Love,
Mama
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October 30, 2007
October 29, 2007
Paranoia
Dear Little George,
I had a bad dream last night. Let's just say that you were not well and it wasn't going to work out between us.
So this morning I find myself wanting you to bully my insides with your feet, your hands, your large bum, anything. I sat still and waited. Nothing. I poked at you. I squeezed you. Nothing. You slept all morning and refused to wake up making me completely paranoid.
A can of apple juice from the vending machine later....
You're alive and kicking.
Sorry for the disruption. Thanks for moving.
Love,
Mama
October 27, 2007
The Iron Anniversary
Dear Little George,
Mama and Daddy have been married for six years today. The sixth anniversary is the iron anniversary and, because of that, Daddy got me a car. You see, I don't currently have a car and I've never been particularly fond of cars - until last week when, for reasons I don't even understand, I fell in love with a white mustang...
Of course we have this whole Bay Area mortgage thing and a baby on the way so buying a new mustang would be pretty impractical. It was rented for the day. We had a good time driving it around. Unfortunately, Simon fell in love with the thing. Luckily, the Feefadders brought their new car over when they came to babysit. Their car is pretty cool too, which lessoned the blow of losing the mustang.
You and Daddy and I went out for cheese, meat, and chocolate fondue while Simon and the Feefadders swam, played, and ate.
It was a very good day.
Love,
Mama
October 26, 2007
Getting Comfortable
Dear Little George,
You are settling your head into my pelvis which feels quite unnatural. I'm now walking and sitting like a person with a head in my pelvis.
Last night you nearly killed me again with the pushing on my right side. I called out in pain and Daddy came over to help move you so I could change positions. He actually grabbed your large round rear end (the culprit) and held it while I adjusted.
Now we know, you have your Daddy's bum.
Love,
Mama
October 25, 2007
Brotherly Love
Dear Little George,
This morning I found your brother playing with the baby toys. After being caught in the act, he followed me into our room and told me he wants to hold and hug you. He followed that with "I want the baby to love me." I'm pretty sure we're living with the sweetest boy alive.
I assured him you will love him and he will get to hold and hug you soon.
Love,
Mama
October 24, 2007
Names
Yes, that was an official clue (for those of you who caught it!).
Hava & Matthew
October 22, 2007
Cell Phone Photos from the Day
As usual we had quite a wait before the doctor arrived. In the mean time, Simon played OB/GYN patient...
And then he was the doctor...
Eighth Month Checkup
Dear Little George,
There are a few things you don''t expect your OB/GYN doctor to say. One of those things is "Wow! You're right!" when you've just explained that you are HUGE. You are now measuring 35 weeks (3 weeks ahead of schedule) which officially makes you "huge." Normal is plus or minus two weeks in size. Everything is good with you. She thinks you are head down but we'll double check with an ultrasound at your 36 week appointment.
Please be tall (with a small head) like your brother!
Love,
Mama
Beginning of Week 32/40
Dear Little George,
I filled out my pre-admitting paperwork for the hospital yesterday and one of the blanks on the vaccination page was a space for your name. I wrote it in. A---- Kagle. Naming you on an official form made you seem almost like a real person. I guess I still don't see you as "real" - even when there is plenty of evidence to support your existence.
Your Grandparents Kagle came back into town for the beginning of Kagle Season. Simon was so excited to play with them yesterday that he gradually wore himself into a breakdown right after they left. We've never seen him so obviously tired yet wired. He was a maniac (and not in a particularly good way). We did our best to get him to eat something, bathe him, and put him to sleep but it was necessary for both of us to be there to calm the wild arms and legs. Grandparents are just that exciting. He eventually woke up hungry and we fed a much calmer Simon a nearly midnight snack.
While they were here, Grandfather (aka Feefadder) helped Daddy put together your crib and we hung the animal paintings on your wall. Last week Jacek installed your light/ceiling fan. We still need to put in the furniture from Simon's room but your room definitely looks like place a baby would enjoy.
Our eight month checkup is at noon today.
Love,
Mama
October 19, 2007
Symptoms
Dear Little George,
I'm enormous.
My maternity shirts are starting to get too tight around the belly.
My maternity pants don't stay up.
I waddle.
I'm tired.
I have skin tags on my upper body.
I itch.
I smell.
A light linea negra may be starting to appear on my belly.
I think you've invited some friends over for a block party in my womb. Next time, please ask.
Happy Friday.
Love,
Mama
October 16, 2007
Maternity Leave
Dear Little George,
You've been unusually sleepy today. I feel you move now and then but the movements are small and slow. Your brother has also taken to sleeping more than usual. Maybe it's the weather? OK, probably not so much in your case.
I started the process for maternity leave today. I am tentatively scheduled to be on leave from December 17 to May 5. We're going to aim for the entire 20 weeks allowed and if we need to cut things short we will. Motorola will pay 90% of my salary (tax free!) for a while, the state of California will provide 55% of my salary (tax free!) for a while, I'll have almost a month of personal time off, and the rest will be unpaid. If we were not living in California, the maximum of monetary coverage would be 7 weeks. You wouldn't even be two months old. Thank goodness for the lovely and progressive state of California.
I'm still not planning to leave work until you make motions of escape. I learned my lesson last time - losing nearly three weeks with Simon because I started leave a week before my due date.
My current project at work ends in mid-December so I'm actually (sort of) hoping you won't be early. At least, that's what I'm going to tell myself until mid-December.
I'm looking forward to spending lots of time with you.
Love,
Mama
October 15, 2007
Start of Week 31/40 (Feels Like Week 38)
Dear Little George,
Next week we start the eighth month. I feel like I’ve already reached that point and, I imagine, since you’re measuring at least two weeks ahead, technically I have. Yesterday was a pretty bad pregnancy day. If I could have lay in bed and not moved all day I would have. Simon, of course, doesn’t allow this. He walks into the room every morning and tells me it is morning, that the sun is up, that he wants “lunch”, and will I play with him? Since a change at work prevents me from seeing much of him during the week, I'm not about to reject his plea for attention during the weekends.
I’ve also had a minor cold for just under a week which is probably/hopefully the reason for my complete lack of energy. I hate having to rest after I sweep a room, fold a load of laundry, or play a game of hide-and-seek. I feel old and really really lame.
You continue to move around a lot. At Daddy’s wise suggestion, I’ve stopped resting on my left side to prevent you from hurting me in my sore area with your strong kicks. You gave Daddy’s hand a good kick the other night so he understands better what I’m dealing with. He says it felt like an adult finger jamming itself into his hand.
I noticed the other night that, when I switch sides to relieve the strain on my hips, you “fall” from one side to the other causing you to wake up. I’m now being a little more cautions to flip slowly.
Simon woke you up the other day with his loud singing. He is starting to fall into the range of “excited” to meet you. He talks about you occasionally and talks to you occasionally and even (occasionally) comes up to give you a hug and a kiss and tells you that he loves you. We’ve been telling him about babies and reading books about big brothers. Almost all of his friends are big brothers or sisters at this point so he is pretty used to seeing babies in action (or, rather, inaction).
Maybe this sibling thing won’t be so bad. I’m am, however, thankful that we waited this long.
Love,
Mama
October 14, 2007
Your Prenatal Weekend
Dear Little George,
We had another full weekend. Saturday I drove Simon to his Imagineering class which he LOVES and almost forgot to pick him up because my brain no longer functions at full speed. We call this “baby brain”; it’s only going to get worse. I’ve asked Daddy to watch that I remember important things (like our child) in the future. After class we went to swimming and after swimming we went to a Chocolate Festival in Belmont with our friends, Cindi and Mike. Much chocolate was consumed. Did you like that? I imagine so.
After we could eat no more, we drove to Foster City for a run around the park and a paddle boat ride. They wouldn’t let me take the boat for a spin (afraid I would go into labor) so Daddy and Cindi paddled and Simon steered around the Foster City Lagoon before we all went out for some food.
Today I took Simon out while Daddy finished painting your room. It looks so nice! Here is one corner…
Tonight we let Simon preview his Halloween costume. He asked to be Laa-Laa from the Teletubbies…
After we convinced Simon to remove his costume, we visited the new neighbor, Kate. She was born just over a week ago. I hope you two will be good friends. She is very cute. You know, Calvin was born to the family a few doors down two months before Simon (when we lived in the townhouse) and they’ve been good buddies ever since.
Love,
Mama
October 12, 2007
The Nose Knows
Dear Little George,
One of the side-effects of being pregnant is an ability to smell things far above the normal range. For example, Daddy cooks basmati rice and I smell the slight "dirty sock" undertone. During the first three months of pregnancy, fish cooking in the large cafeteria at work would send me running for the door even if I was completely on the other end of the building. On the positive side, I've changed only three or four poopy diapers in the past seven and a half months - each time I ran for the toilet. The real problem with this new power is that I smell bad. I've smelled bad for months and as this pregnancy progresses, it just gets worse. No one else seems to be able to tell (thank goodness) but here I am, smelling myself. There is no escape. Yuck.
Love,
Me
October 09, 2007
Your Prenatal Weekend
Dear Little George,
I think you might have had a good weekend - we sure did. Saturday morning I took Simon to an "Imagineering" class for some Mommy-Son bonding only to be thrown out after five minutes. It is a class for 3 to 6 year olds and, apparently, parents are not welcome. Simon had a good time without me and I had an hour and a half of "so what the heck do I do now?" which is a very rare circumstance.
After the class and lunch Simon and I did actually bond for an hour or so at indoor family swim. You probably got a little enjoyment out of that experience - defying gravity is always fun, no? And then, after swimming, we gathered together again for Lucie's second birthday. What fun! It was a teddy bear picnic dinner complete with crafts and a teddy bear hunt. Simon was the oldest of the kids (a first) so he put himself in charge of alerting the toddlers and adults when it was time to eat and when it was time for cake. I bet you liked the food and the cake, I did.
Sunday we drove to Half Moon Bay for Anushka's third birthday. The party was held at a pumpkin patch full of kid friendly activities [See Flickr Photos]. Simon and his friend, Juliana, wandered around for a couple of hours holding hands and taking turns being in charge. They fed some goats, rode a train, picked out some pumpkins, ate cake and pizza, and Simon thought about riding a pony. We didn't believe he would and, in the end, he chickened out; Simon loves cats and Winslow but that is the extent of his interest in the animal kingdom.
In preparation for your arrival this weekend...
- We met some nice people who are going to buy Simon's crib later this week.
- Daddy finished most of the painting in your room (we decided to add a star border later this week).
- Simon's new dresser arrives tomorrow which means the dresser/changing table will move to your room after the paint is dry.
Love,
Mama
October 08, 2007
Start of Week 30/40
Dear Little George,
10 weeks until your due date. To be honest, you are a totally obnoxious fetus at this point. Simon was busy in the womb but I don't remember his movements being painful. You INSIST on big movements even though you have no space and it burns. My only hope is to lean to one side or forward to get you to stop. This is really fun when I'm trying to appear professional in all-day meetings.
Between that, continual bouts of insomnia, and the sheer weight of my belly which pulls at my skin, I'm pretty much ready for this to be over. Sometimes? If I'm in a narrow space when I sit on the floor to play with Simon, I can't get up by myself. Saturday Simon and I went swimming and a woman looked at me in my suit as if she had never seen anything so shocking IN HER LIFE (after she realized I could see her she turned and scooted away).
I GIVE BIRTH TO LARGE BABIES, OK?!?!?
Two-and-a-half months to go...
Love,
Mama
October 05, 2007
Let there be sleep! And there was.
Dear Little George,
Your brother passed out last night in the car at 5 pm without having had dinner and, no matter what Daddy tried, couldn't be roused -- until 5 am this morning when he came to our door with a request for water. I've never spent so little time with Simon in a single day. It was actually disturbing.
Moral: Sleep! It's necessary.
Love,
Mama
October 04, 2007
The Week Only Gets Worse
Dear Little George.
I really don't intend to spend the next three months whining but sometimes you have to tell it like it is. For some reason (hmmm, I don't know, the enormous high energy bump for which I am maintaining life?) I couldn't manage to get to sleep last night. Daddy had even switched our nice way-too-firm mattress for the soft cheap one we bought in Chicago and my hips were feeling great. So around 2 am, when Simon woke up yelling and moaning, I was primed and ready for action. All of Simon's recent sleep issues have been handled by placing a sippe cup of water in his hands. He can never find the cup which is always in the same place right next to him. I handed him the cup and he drank deeply and fell back asleep. I went back to our room. Fifteen minutes later there was more yelling and moaning and crying. I went in and he was thrashing around half awake, half asleep. We woke him up to find out what was wrong and he started talking about food. I fed him, read to him, and put him back to sleep. It was 2:45 am. He woke up again and again and finally decided, at 6 am, that he wasn't tired anymore so he had loud conversations with us (pretending to be himself as well as us) from the other side of his bedroom door... for an hour. By then it was time to get ready for work.
Welcome to our lives. We are the Kagles who do not sleep. Watch us go.
Love,
Mama
October 03, 2007
I'm so tired I can't even think of a title
Dear Little George,
I'm so tired. I'm so very very very tired. I've spent two nights flipping back and forth from one side to the other trying to keep my hips from collapsing. I'm not as graceful at flipping these days so it is an ordeal that takes longer than it should. And just when it is most convenient to roll out of bed and get on to the computer instead of getting everyone dressed and ready before driving me in to work - work at home days have vanished due to a restructuring.
This isn't my week.
Love,
Mama
October 01, 2007
Start of Week 29/40
Dear Little George,
Over the weekend we ordered Simon a big-boy dresser; as soon as it arrives we'll put his in your room along with his rocking chair. Daddy has finished painting the bottom half of your room; now all that is left is the middle - white and blue stripes. Once the painting is complete we'll invite our handyman over to install your ceiling fan, we'll put your crib together, and we'll make sure we have the necessities in place. This is all going to take at least another month or two or three. We're not in the rush we were last time to have everything "just so" - just so I can stare at it and wonder in a deeply induced hormonal state if you will ever arrive after my due date comes and goes with no baby.
I am hopeful that, even with all the baby furniture in the room, our extra queen bed will fit. I plan to sleep in your room for at least the first month, maybe more; it depends on how often and long you nurse. Daddy still needs to have enough energy to entertain Simon so I'm eager NOT to wake him every couple of hours. I also feel like I know what I'm doing this time around. I expect very little sleep and I'm ok with that as long as Simon's life doesn't come to a crashing halt because of your birth. After all, we want him to LIKE you not resent your existence. Also, Daddy? REALLY CRANKY when running on only a few hours of sleep.
You are now starting your 29th week. Since you're measuring two weeks ahead you're probably around 16 inches long and weigh around 3 pounds. You are very active and, we're certain, very cute. Daddy thinks you have brown eyes and that you will end up with brown hair. I'm convinced your brown hair will fall out to make way for blond. I think you'll have brown eyes like mine. Maybe it is wishful thinking that at least one of my sons will cause people to say "He looks JUST like YOU!" and not be pointing at Daddy.
Love,
Mama