In SF for the Week

I've been MIA for a couple of days. A huge presentation for my Strategy class last Thursday and a trip to SF for the Interwoven GearUp conference are the reasons. The presentation went well without me (it was a group one) and the conference was fine. SF was exceptionally warm and beautiful for this time of year and we enjoyed it by shopping all day and taking trips to the beach. Again, no issues with the pregnancy except what to eat.
For ease of reference I've created this cheatsheet*:

Avoid: Shark, Tilefish, King Mackerel, Swordfish
Because: Potentially high mercury levels

Avoid: Unpasteurized juice
Because: May contain bacteria

Avoid: Raw meat, raw fish, and raw shellfish
Specific foods: Sashimi, ceviche, raw oysters, and carpaccio
Because: May contain bacteria or parasites

Avoid: Soft cheeses
Specific foods: Brie, feta, blue, goat, camembert, gorgonzola, and Mexican soft cheeses
Because: May contain bacteria

Avoid: Some deli meats
Specific foods: Salami, liverwurst, and hotdogs. (Hotdogs should be well cooked)
Because: May contain bacteria or parasites

What to Limit

Limit: Caffeine
Because: Reduces the calcium that is available for the baby

Limit: Artificial sweeteners
Because: Not enough is known. Some consumption is ok


* Obtained from Mayo Clinic, Guide to Healthy Pregnancy and Blue Orchid Guide to Pregnancy

Total Baby1.0 cost as of 4/22/07: $44.60

Exercising and Snacking

20 miles.. that was the length of our ride but we're only at the 8 week mark, so it wasn't a problem. Before we left, we got to thinking about what would be the best snacks to take with us so I posted the question at babycenter.com. By the way, if you haven't been there yet, it's a great site. It's broken down into tons of discussion forums and you can get input on any question you have there. So some of the things that caught my eye - apples or bananas with peanut butter, peanut butter, and more peanut butter. That seemed to be a common theme. Check it out:

Best snacks to eat at Babycenter.com

Total Baby1.0 cost as of 4/22/07: $44.60

Our First Doctor's Visit

So I've been crazy busy (I put in a quick post yesterday because I wanted to take a break from writing my Strategy paper.. gotta keep my "A") and haven't been able to dedicate a few minutes to talk about the first amazing meeting we had with our OBGYN, Dr. Tran! After waiting for about 45 minutes, we were finally taken into a room for the appointment. Mom went through the standard blood test and other standard tests without problems. As opposed to our dermatologist whom I just saw for all of about 30 seconds, Dr. Tran was super nice and spent plenty of time with us. Many questions were answered, such as:

* Exercise is OK! We already knew that, but after a couple of intensive aerobic classes with twisting and turning, we need confirmation. Since Mom has been exercising regularly up until now, continuing the exercise regimen is no problem. The only thing to consider is not doing too much - when running or doing any other aerobic activity, you should be able to hold a normal conversation. If you're breathing too hard, then you're working out too hard. 140 BPS is a good pace if you want to measure. Another good piece of info, Dr. Tran says that people who exercise throughout the pregnancy tend to have faster, less difficult births, so keep working out!
* We were planning a trip to Europe later this summer and weren't sure about traveling when six or seven months pregnant. This is ok, but if you look really pregnant, then you will probably need a doctor's note indicating that you can fly.

We then were taken to another room for a sonogram. The picture below is a baby that's only 7 weeks old! Can you believe that?? The heart was beating rapidly and it was amazing to see it (him/her) on the screen! Our due date is now December 3rd!


Copay was $10

Total Baby1.0 cost as of 4/19/07: $44.60

Dad3.0 turns 37!

Wow, I'm 37... I was going to put an exclamation mark there but I don't know how excited I am to enter my "late" 30s. Is 37 your late 30's?? I don't know, but like I told a friend "I feel no older than when I turned 35 and only slightly older than 25". It's all up here (I'm pointing to my head) and if you're going to think you're old, you'll feel old.

Guess what?? We had our first trip to the OB yesterday! It was amazing... but... I'll have to keep you guys in suspense. I gotta finish a paper for my Strategy class tomorrow. You don't know how happy I'm going to be when I finish my MBA this summer, which is before the baby arrives. I don't think I could do school, work and baby all at the same time!

Total Baby1.0 cost as of 4/18/07: $34.60

Changing Moods

Obviously this was going to come up sometime and in fact has been out there for the past few weeks. In almost all cases during life2.0, my wife is (don't forget, we're still in life2.0 for the next 7 1/2 months) a very happy and jovial person - she's always laughing, talking, smiling, and laughing again during for almost any reason. However, the thought of moving to life3.0 is a bit daunting and frankly, scary sometimes. So when you consider all the life changing events we're about to face and the fact that life3.0 will be so different than life1.0 and 2.0, it's bound to hit you at some point. I think for us, that 'sometime' has been over the past couple of weeks. Mom3.0 is nervous about all the changes that she'll be facing with her body and all the changes that we'll go through as a family. Of course, that's normal and from all the bits and pieces we've been reading, a lot of people go through that same initial nervousness. In fact, we got a call the other night from close friends of ours that have been married for 3 years... and, they're pregnant! What a surprise and what timing! Another close couple going through the same thing as we are!

I'll let Mom3.0 talk about that... yes, Mom3.0 will be making special guest appearances and today will be her first!

Mom3.0 says:

Wow...my first post! So, daddy, I am still a jovial, happy-go-lucky person....just an extremely nervous happy-go-lucky person! My whole world is going to turn upside down and I guess it hasn't hit me yet. Daddy, you don't have to endure 9 months of your body doing all sorts of interesting things! That's about it for my first post... I have a feeling I will be writing more soon, I have more than 7 months of writing time ahead of me!

Total Baby1.0 cost as of 4/16/07: $34.60

From D.C. to Savannah and back

So we just got back from our trip to Savannah, Georgia last night and it brought up a question. How long is too long to be in the car when you're pregnant? We originally estimated the drive to be 8 hours, but it took 11 hours instead! And it's just a 4 door sedan, not some big minivan or SUV that allows you to stretch out in. So is it bad for someone who's 6 weeks pregnant?

Short answer, no, especially when it's only been 6 weeks. BUT, the safest period to travel is during the 2nd trimester, or 18-24 weeks. The 'no travel' period begins around 28-30 weeks. But like any travel, use common sense and get out and walk after a couple of hours.
Two good articles:

Medicinenet and UPMC

Total spent on Baby1.0: $34.60

Waiting to see the Doc

So our OB is finally letting us see her on April 16th. Apparently waiting 6 weeks after the beginning of the pregnancy (which is two weeks after your last regular cycle) is normal. Like any new couple, we really just want to go see our doctor, but too bad, we need to wait. The good thing is that both my brother and my wife's sister are pediatricians! How's that for easy access to medical advice. I do pity them because my wife will easily be calling them once a day after the baby arrives. Oh, one new baby expense. My wife has been feeling so good, like nothing at all is going on inside of her, that she wasn't sure she was pregnant. A quick visit to Safeway and $8.99 later, Baby1.0 is still on it's way.

Total: $34.60

The first purchases for Baby1.0

As you can see, I've already named the baby. Mom3.0 won't like that... Oh, you guys don't know my wife yet. Well, that's her name (for now)

So lets see, I need to catch up a bit. The first thing to be itemized is the pregnancy test, purchased March 24, 2007, Safeway brand, nothing special - they're all 99% accurate so no point spending twice as much for the same tester repackaged in some fancy box. Cost - $12.59 for a pack of 2.

Oh, the ground rules for me. I promise at least 2 posts a week, some weeks there may be 7, other weeks it might be 2, but I'll work to keep it updated.

And since I'm catching up, I want to add the only other baby purchase up to this point. After some research on the best baby reference book, we decided on the "Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy". We narrowed the choice down to that one or "Your Pregnancy Week by Week". We went with the Mayo Clinic book because of the Mayo name and based on the reviews already posted on Amazon. Purchased on March 28, total cost $12.57.

Total Baby1.0 cost as of 4/4/07 - $25.16