Panda Does Paris

Allyson and I are back from our wonderful week in Paris. Panda was the perfect little tag along inside my belly. I felt great the whole week! I think my energy is finally back (I stayed up until 2:30 am one night!) and that all the walking was great for those pesky “digestive issues.” I could’ve left my Maalox at home! One of the benefits of being pregnant in Paris is that I didn’t have to watch what I ate at all! Chocolate croissant? Two, please. Cheese crepe? I don’t mind if I do. Gelato? Yes, please! Panda really likes French Food – especially those deliciously cheesy au gratin potatoes we had on our last evening in town, not to mention the apple tart with vanilla ice cream I had for dessert!

Panda was having such a good time that she decided to get us to the front of the line at the Moulin Rouge. Saturday night, we were lined up behind hundreds of people waiting for the ushers to open the doors to the 11pm show. To my surprise, an usher approached me and asked if I was pregnant. I said that I was, and he escorted us to the front of the line so that I could sit down and get off my feet. It was a very nice gesture and was much appreciated! The poor guy told me that the last women he had asked if she was pregnant wasn’t, so he was very glad that I was!

Because she was such a good sport, while strolling along the Champs Elysses, I couldn’t resist picking up a few onesies for her at Le Petit Bateau, a very cute maternity and baby store. Both pink and white, one reads “Ma Petite Princess, “ or my little Princess. She’s already on her way to being a very cultured, world traveler.

I’ll update the post with a few photos as soon as I get them uploaded. If you want to see the whole batch of photos, edited and titled, let me know. I plan to work on them this weekend. Au revoir pour maintenant!

Belly Photo Diary: My 18 Week Belly

Here's a glimpse of what's going on behind all those still too-big maternity tops as my waistband continues to expand. I haven't gained must weight yet, so I figured I'd get one of these photos posted before I head to Paris next week and enjoy all the crepes, french onion soup, baguettes, boeuf bourgiugnonne, and creme brulee my growing baby girl desires!

Outfitting Panda

While we narrow down our list of girl names, why not just go with Panda for now? It will sure make my mother happy for the next 22 weeks. Truth be told, she’s happily clipping out newspaper articles on such topics as how to avoid raising a finicky eater, and how to build the baby’s neck muscles by putting her on her belly. Providing these pertinent articles makes mom happy, and let’s face it, who wants a picky eater with a sad, weak, wobbly neck? Not me! Bring on the articles!

Last Saturday, Greg very willingly went with me to a kid’s consignment sale at the Baptist church near our house. We went shortly after it opened in search of some good deals, and boy did we score! Panda is going to love being propelled around the Boling Park jogging trail in a very stylish gently-used Nordic Track jogging stroller. We also secured a nearly-new Graco stroller for her jaunts around town. Other great deals were to be had on a baby carrier, bouncy seat, boppy pillow (sans cover), a few neutral sleepers in sizes newborn to 6 months (see photo – aren’t they so tiny and adorable?) and the deal of the day, a pair of Motherhood maternity cords for mom - $2! All of these items were purchased for a grand total of $115. What a steal! With a crib, monitors, pack and play, and a few other items donated by Chris and Danielle, Panda is well on her way to being outfitted with all the necessary baby accessories. The bad news is, these are just a few of the things I know she’ll need, versus the dozens and dozens that I haven’t identified yet because I don’t know what the heck they are. Admittedly, Babies ‘R Us is really just a whole world of retail that I don’t understand, and I’m just not ready to conquer it yet!

It's a girl!

Today's anatomical ultrasound showed that we're having a healthy baby girl! She has ten teeny tiny toes (see photo 1, her feet are 1" long), ten tiny fingers, and according to the ultrasound tech, very long arms and legs. I think we have a future Kerri Walsh on our hands....or maybe I've just been watching way too much of the Olympics! She currently weighs 7 ounces and gave us a good show of her acrobatic abilities. She rubbed her eyes with her hand and at one point had her toes up by her head! We got to see a lot of her today, which is good, because this should be our last ultrasound, unless we have a change of heart and decide to pay the big bucks for one of the 3-D ultrasounds not covered by insurance.
We're both very excited to meet our daughter in January and Greg is anxious to make her Daddy's little girl. Don't forget to submit your applications soon to take over guardianship during Miss Bayer's teenage years. As my mom says, payback is hell.

Phelps Phan

I read in “The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy” that it’s common for pregnant women to experience dreams of a naughty subject nature. According to the book, these dreams may involve their partner, but they also could involve a mysterious hunky stranger or a celebrity. Whether reading that put the notion into my subconscious or not, or it was a mere coincidence, I experienced a naughty trifecta of dreams around week 12 that were headboard rattling. And just like that, they went away. Dreams were PG again. Until the 2008 Olympics started, that is.

I first became smitten with Michael Phelps during the 2004 Athens games. You could say I’ve always appreciated swimmers’ bodies. Long, lean and muscular, what’s not to like? Since Athens, like you, I may have read the occasional headline about Phelps, seen the sporadic photo, but didn’t keep tabs on his impressive athletic career. I attribute my lack of interest to the fact that the real excitement about Phelps is just seeing him in action – crashing through the pool with perfect form and precision with every stroke, not to mention that body suit of his that leaves nothing to the imagination.

Saturday night, Day 1 of the official Beijing Olympic Games, I saw just the action I needed to give those naughty dreams a jump start again. After Phelps earned his first gold and broke the first of many world records during these games, PG turned back into XXX. With every world record he breaks and every gold medal he earns, this Phelps Phan has one very satisfying night of sleep, and an even greater appreciation for the Olympic Games. Go USA, go! And that’s a direct quote from one of my dreams.

Panda Bayer

We've been getting a lot of questions about names lately. I've found that's the third question behind 1) how are you been feeling? and 2) is it a boy or a girl? I'm not complaining, I love talking (and blogging) about my pregnancy, I'm just saying, that's how it seems to go down.

Since we are finding out the sex (in one week!!!) we've decided to wait to announce the name at the birth, thus keeping it a secret until then. Besides, it will probably take us until then to officially decide. Until then, we're getting quite a few suggestions. While Yogi, Pooh, Smokey, and yes, Ted E. Bayer have all been suggested, the most interesting suggestion came this weekend, from my Mother. Her name of choice? Panda Bayer. Let me say it again. Panda Bayer.

Incredulously, I questioned her seriousness. But she was not joking, nor was she tipsy on wine like the time during dinner a few months ago when she made us promise we'd play Janis Joplin at her funeral. Her response, "It's so cute. All the celebs are coming up with unique names, why can't you?" Well, I'll tell you why. I haven't spent time in rehab, am not a Scientologist, and don't currently plan on adopting a basketball team of kids from a third world country. And the best reason of all? I don't want my child teased about his/her name for their entire life. Baby B is already going to have it tough enough with the Bayer feet and the Courtney 'fro. Enough said. Panda just isn't making the list.

Broccoli, broccoli, the musical fruit????

To date, I haven’t had any food aversions or consistent cravings to speak of in my pregnancy. I have, however, officially identified one food that, upon ingesting it, I experience unpleasant side effects….or at least those around me do.

I’ve read that certain foods, such as broccoli, can bring on gas. Well, I really enjoy eating broccoli, and it’s very nutritious, so I was willing to take the risk. Early on in my pregnancy, I made a delicious broccoli salad with raw broccoli, cheese, red onion, and Vidalia onion dressing. It was delicious, but I definitely experienced some issues post broccoli consumption. As a result, I mentally deleted raw broccoli from my go- to list of veggie sides. But feeling brave some weeks after the first incident, I thought to myself, “Hey, maybe cooked broccoli will not have the same effect as raw, especially now in the 2nd trimester!” That’s sounds possible, right? Again, I was willing to take the risk, and for dinner last night, I concocted a delicious medley of tortellini with Alfredo, broccoli, and sun dried tomatoes. Unfortunately, after consuming dinner, I was able, and am still able today, to put a middle-aged, beer-guzzling, chicken-wing-eating, beer-bellied man to shame with my flatulence. And even more unfortunately, the dish was so delicious I brought leftovers for lunch. I’m definitely going to have to shut my office door this afternoon….