Three Months

Good news! Gavin is sleeping through the night more often than not, now. Of course, that didn't stop him from waking us up twice last night, but the night before he slept solidly for 8 hours. Amazing! Here's a picture of him sleeping; he'd gotten his bib turned 'round so that it looked like a little super hero cape.


Below are my favorite pair of pictures of Gav, taken the same day. Happy baby (I think it was the first time I'd gotten his smile on camera) and Angry baby. (I had removed him from his rocking swing because his head had fallen too far forward. He was Not Amused.) I think I'll still be showing these two when he's 16.




He's eating and growing like a champ. He's using his hands a lot more, grabbing things and intentionally reaching out for things. You can see him starting to work on hand-eye coordination. He rolls to and from his side just fine, and spins around in his crib all the time. We never find him pointing the same direction as we laid him down. We haven't had much luck with him rolling front to back or even pushing himself up with his arms--he thinks Tummy Time is the best possible Nap Time. Apparently, like me, he likes to sleep on his stomach. He's getting much better at sitting up in his Bumbo chair, and his neck is very strong now. He likes watching moving things, whether it's the mobile over his crib or the action at a fencing tournament. We went to an epee event the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and he had a great time watching everything.

We've also given in and gotten a station wagon. It only took 84 days from his arrival to the addition of a new car. We traded in the 11 year old Subaru (which will be much-missed) for a 2012 Prius V. We can put the stroller in the back and still have room for groceries, and we're getting about 45 mpg. A big help! Plus, it's got some very shiny tech toys in it. Sometimes it feels less like a car and more like a giant iPhone accessory.

Gavin at 10 weeks

Wow, time is really the most precious thing you have when you have a baby. We're still getting used to juggling the baby care, working, working from home, and sanity thing. Let's see, what's been going on? Gavin went to his first tournament, an E-and-Under three weapon tournament where his dad took 3rd place in foil, earning his E rating! Here he is being held by Alex Hodgson with Thomas Cohen in the Gilruth center gym.

That tournament was named the Dunaway memorial in honor of a much-loved, recently passed fencing coach at the South Houston high school. Jerry Dunaway had always loved the Green Lantern, and as luck would have it Gary K. Wolfe had given us a Green Lantern onesie as a baby shower present. It was a big hit at the tournament.

We traveled to San Diego and Los Angeles right before Halloween, and got to introduce Gavin to lots of friends and family. He was a very good traveler, even on the airplane. I did not take enough pictures while I was there; too busy enjoying the gorgeous weather and the good company.

On Halloween he had his 2 month pediatrician appointment. He measured in at 11 lb 3 oz (38th percentile), 23.5 inches (73rd percentile) and head circumference of 15 inches (13th percentile). He's long and rangy and a bit elfin--so far it looks like we're raising an epee fencer here. He got all his vaccinations--he did his share of screaming by the time he was on the third shot, but calmed down quickly afterwards and didn't have any problems with the shot sites. A couple doses of children's Tylenol over that day and he was fine.

He's started sitting up more, getting more control of his head, and he loves babbling! It's adorable when he coos and strings syllables together. He's smiling now (although I haven't been able to get him to do it for the camera), and loves practicing sitting and standing. Here he is sitting in his Bumbo chair at one of our online D&D sessions.

Let's see, he's been sleeping pretty well. He first slept through the night on November 7th, (from 9pm to 5am), but we haven't gotten him to repeat that performance yet. Here's a picture of him being sleepy in the morning:

He usually takes a good solid nap mid-morning which is when I try to get all my personal stuff done: emails, writing, blog posts, exercize, etc. Thanks to his napping abilities, I'm 56% done with the first draft of my book, roughly 38,000 words so far. Not bad considering I was starting from zero when he was born. I've gone back to work 2 days per week, and Curtis stays home those days to look after him. I'm very happy to be back at work, starting in a new group with some fun new challenges. I've been continuing visits to a Chiropractor which has really helped my hip and pelvis pain, and usually Gavin sleeps right through those. Sometimes afterwards we visit a local park, such as Walter Hall park this past Thursday:

Overall he's been a healthy, happy, and fairly mellow baby, and we're amazingly happy to have him.

Gavin Month 1

Finally getting some time to get pictures off of my phone and onto the blog! There are some more on Facebook, for those who follow us over there.

This is me right before going into the hospital--the most pregnant I ever was.

This was the whiteboard in the delivery room. Melissa was the nurse who coached me through labor, and she was awesome! I just love the "Plan of Care."

Gavin, looking super-cute in close-up after just getting home from the hospital.

Snuggle time with Curtis.

Wiggling around in the ThinkGeek onesie that Alex Hodgson got for him. Thanks Alex!

Overall we're starting to get the hang of things. It was wonderful having Shiho, my sister-in-law, visit from Maine. She helped us soooooo much! She went back to her three kids early Tuesday morning, and since then Curtis and I have been figuring out our new routines. It's been challenging, but we're figuring it out as we go. Gavin continues to be a great baby. He probably weighs close to 9 pounds now, and is eating like a champ. He's also been very good about waking up for night-time feedings: usually one around midnight, one around 3-4 am, and one closer to 6 or 7. That's really good, and with Curtis and I switching off we're both able to get a decent amount of sleep.

A Big and Fateful week

It has been quite week in the Potterveld / Burnham household. At the beginning of the week we said goodbye to Amama and Grandpa. They had a lovely visit with us, but it was time for them to head home. We are so happy that they made it out here for Gadget's Birth and Homecoming. It was a big help having them around to watch Gadget and help around the house. Grandpa and I even managed to clear out the guest bedroom.

On Tuesday we brought our pups home from the kennels to introduce them to Gadget. Unfortunately, we did not get the reactions we where hoping for. Medium dog (who we had been more worried about) reacted fine. She sniffed around, very submissively sniffed Gadgets toes, licked them a little and then went and laid down. Big dog on the other hand was very intensely interested in Gadget. Not aggressive, nor anxious, but focused on Gadget. Any time Gadget would move or make a noise, Big dog would try to nose his way into Gadgets crib. When introduced to Gadget, Big dog very determinedly and repeated nosed him.

Both Karen and I released that this is the same behavior he would display towards a new toy or small animal. This troubled Karen and me greatly. It was not at all the behavior we expected. Big dog had always been very good with children at the dog parks, but newborns act and behave quite differently from small children. We talked with a few animal behavior experts and they agreed that this was not good behavior. But it is also instinctive and could not be trained out.

While heartbroken over this, Karen and I both agreed that we would need to place Big dog outside of our family. We are fortunate in that we found a no-kill rescue shelter that specifically work with Big dog's breed. The agreed to take him in and find him a new home. They have a very nice facility where they will work with Big dog. There he will get to socialize with horses (they are also a horse rescue) cattle, pigs, goats, and other dogs. They have a very strict adoption policy and very good placement success rate. They even encourage us to go visit Big dog while he is with them. We think Big dog will be quite happy up there. For more information you can find them at:

http://www.spindletoppitbullrefuge.org/

In happier news, Karen's sister-in-law came to visit us on Saturday. It is great to have Shiho down to visit, even if Med. dog is still a little unsure of her (it's been a big week for Med. dog).

Arrival!

Sorry for the belatedness of the post (I hope that most people have already heard from Facebook or Twitter) but Gavin Paul Potterveld is here! His birthday is August 30, 2011 (4:42 pm) and his statistics are: 7 lb, 14 oz, 20.5 in long. There's some debate as to whether he is blonde or red haired/strawberry blonde--apparently it depends on the lighting. We'll have to wait and see what it settles on once he has a little more actual hair. Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes; we're planning on printing out all the congratulations from Facebook and Twitter so we can show Gavin someday that people from all over the world were rooting for him!

He was a little past due, so my OB decided to induce. I went in on Monday night, and he was born on Tuesday afternoon. Everything went smoothly from my vantage point (thanks to the epidural) but he was only just barely small enough to fit through the normal channels. In his early pictures there are marks on his head that look like a forceps delivery, but apparently those came from my pelvis bones. They had to take me to the OR afterwards to fix all the damage, and kept me in the hospital an extra day. But the Dr and nurses were awesome: they waited until I got a chance to hold him for a few minutes and start nursing a bit before whisking me away.

We brought him home on Friday, and he's really been incredibly mellow about everything. We got him into the car seat and he barely even woke up. He didn't see any of the car ride home, either. He's a little charmer, all adorable.

Since then we've been learning what works and what doesn't in terms of feeding, diapers, sleeping, etc. The grandparents have been visiting and have just been wonderful, especially with making sure us adults get fed. There are more (and better) pictures to be had on Facebook, especially if you follow any of the Potterveld clan, who know what they're doing when it comes to cameras.

Geeky Frivolity

Some folks have expressed *ahem* concern, that our Amazon.com wishlist is too... practical (read 'boring'). For those worried that we may be suppressing our geekish tendencies, fear not! Here's our super-secret, super-cool baby wishlist at ThinkGeek.com.

Thanks for looking out for us! The little geekling will thank you too as soon as he can.

2 Months (Plus or Minus) To Go

So my little iPhone countdown timer says nine weeks to go. Wow. I'm definitely in the third trimester now. Where people used to look at me and do a double take, or perhaps I'd get a look like "I'd better not say anything, she *might* not be pregnant," now they simply ask: "So when's it due?"

We're starting to really get ready now. We've got some of the bookcases out of the nursery, and I've been finding places for stuff, clearing out closets, etc. We also finally have a baby registry up at Amazon.com. You could search for Karen Burnham, but it's more fun to search on the last name 'Potterveld' and find out that we're the only Pottervelds with a registry up right now! (There are 19 Burnhams on there.)

Health-wise everything is going well. The latest ultrasound showed everything progressing normally, Gavin's heartbeat has been good and steady, and everything is measuring on track. Gavin probably weighs about three pounds now, and the ultrasound technician said something very scary: "The head's measuring a little big!" (Ouch.) I'm starting to have a little more trouble sleeping through the night, but that's not surprising. I'm still able to exercize on an elliptical machine, and that combined with some light yoga has been helping keep my back pain to reasonable levels. In the heat down here I've been doing my best to stay hydrated, but I'm still having Braxton-Hicks contractions. Luckily they're not painful for me, just a bit uncomfortable when I'm sitting at my desk.

The parenting classes continue to be good and useful for Curtis and me. Last week we toured the hospital and the labor and delivery floor. We saw the birthing rooms and the general layout, plus the nurseries and the post-partum rooms. While we were there we saw two extremes: a little premature baby weighing less than 1 pound being transported in an incubator, and a newborn in the transitional nursery (only about 4 hours old) who weighed in at 9 lbs, 1 oz. Wow! I'm also pre-registered for hospital admission now, so no matter when Gavin decides to arrive (with luck no earlier than August 27th or so), we'll be good to go.

Second Trimester Update

Hard to believe that I'm almost done with the second trimester! I'm sorry I haven't been posting more--after 5 years of consciously keeping personal stuff off my main blog, it's turning out to be a hard habit to break.

Gavin and I are both doing fine. I'm gaining weight slowly but steadily. I took a weekend trip to California (just got back last night), and that will be my last big trip for a while. Traveling was still pretty easy, although my back has been aching more recently, even in situations that used to be comfortable. (No surprise there!) Getting up and walking around has cured the problem every time so far. I'm still sleeping fine, and haven't much needed wedge or body pillows (yet). I'm also still wearing my hiking boots, although I'll need to find some comfy slip-on shoes/sandals soon--my feet aren't swelling, but bending over to tie my laces is getting less comfortable.

I've got another OB appointment tomorrow, including tests for anemia and gestational diabetes. Not expecting any problems there, although I won't be surprised if they put me on extra iron supplements. When I would go to donate blood before, I was usually about 50/50 for being turned down because of slightly low hemoglobin levels. I'd be surprised if pregnancy made that sort of thing better!

Curtis and I passed a big milestone last week when we started in on the 6-week delivery/parenting class offered by the hospital. After just one session we've already found it very useful--we're both the sort of people who feel calmer when we have more information. Just the revelation about what it is that contractions are actually doing (early contractions are modifying the birth canal, not pushing the baby out yet) will help me be more calm and rational about the whole thing. We're also learning about what the hospital offers in the delivery rooms, and what to expect in terms of doctor and nurse care. It's all very reassuring for us, and we're looking forward to the other sessions.

So everything is moving forward! We haven't made a big push to acquire all the stuff we'll need yet. I think we'll spend June learning more about just what we'll need, and then we'll start seriously acquiring in July. We are starting to move things around to get the nursery cleared out--so far we've moved two of the seven bookcases out!

Over half way!

Hi All,

Been a while here, Karen and I just passed the half way point. So far so good. Both Karen and Gavin are doing fine. We did have some concern a while back when the quad test came back with an elevated risk for some genetic concerns (not high mind you, just a little higher than the nominal threshold). However, we had an amniocentesis test done and those results were completely normal, and definitely a boy. In the mean time, Karen has tested positive for heterozygous factor five leiden. Not a big concern normally, but with the pregnancy there is an elevated risk of forming blood clots. So now she is on an injectable anti-coagulant.

On a brighter note, we are starting to collect baby furnishings. So far a Radio Flyer Rocking Horse, and baby swing. (The horse was donated by a co-wrokers his children had outgrown it, and the baby swing a target of opportunity at a neighbor's yard sale). Somehow, bringing bright primary colored furniture into the house is making it all more real. We've started a list on other items we need to get, but haven't gotten serious on buying stuff just yet. There's still plenty of time, and we both can be world class procrastinators.

New news!

We had the detailed anatomical ultrasound this morning. This time Curtis came along to watch, which was a big thrill for him. The most important thing is that it appears that the baby is developing normally: beating heart (149 bpm!), functioning kidneys, spinal cord & brain doing fine, arteries and veins developing, placenta & umbilical cord doing their jobs. In the pictures we can see two arms, two legs (even the bones inside them: ribs, radius & ulna in the arms, femur, etc!), and even all five fingers on one hand. It was so cool to see! By their estimates, the little one is 17 weeks along, which is still in the general vicinity of an August 27-30th due date.

The other thing that the scan showed is that it looks like the baby will be a boy! No more Gadget baby for us, we'll probably be calling him Gavin from here on out. That's going to take a little getting used to!

Things are changing

So I'm going to be a father. That is pretty incredible. After 10 years of deliberately childless marriage, I pretty sure most people had written us off for producing progeny. What can I say, life is nothing if not changes! (I am firmly in the camp that believes that 'May you live in interesting times' is a blessing, not a curse).

I've been thinking a bit about the changes that are coming our way. There are some obvious one's: like setting up a nursery, cutting back on travel plans, letting folks at work know that I will be out for while in August - September, etc. I've been kind of surprised at the not so obvious ones. I noticed recently that my world view has shifted. Not a really radical change, more like we have to fix these things, cause my child is going to have to live in the world! I mean, its OK if I wind up living in a post-apocolyptic, daily struggle for survival, existence. More or less it would be our own fault. But I'll be dammed if I had that sort of world off to my kids.

I'm sure this shift is by no means unique to Karen and I. It's just interesting to suddenly realize my perspective has shifted without consciously thinking about it. Probably explains a lot of the heated politics at both the local and national level.

And So It Begins!

It's looking a little shadowy in there, but this is the first picture of the baby that Curtis and I are expecting! We're so excited! We're starting this blog so that we can gush and do the new-parent thing, and friends and family can check in and see how things are going.

The ultrasound was taken last Thursday, and they estimate that the little one is about 14 weeks along. I got to see it wiggling around, and we confirmed 2 arms and 2 legs. We don't know the gender yet, but the next ultrasound in a couple of weeks might give us that info. All the tests & pictures look great so far, and everyone is healthy. I've had some predictable morning sickness, but I'm fine so far. The current estimated due date is August 28th.

Here are the other pictures from last week's ultrasound: