Holiday Party

Well we got all gussied up and had a big night out at the Salesforce.com holiday party on Friday, Dec 15th. It was at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco -- very classy. Great food, all sorts of music, and the exhibit halls were open. So we ate and visited and wandered, and then got matching henna tattoos on our hands (this is done in India on a woman's wedding day). At that point there were only a few minutes left for dancing, but let it be known that we did dance! We were out later than the BART runs, so we bummed a ride home and slept for a very long time!

Belly Cast

"what did you do this weekend?" you ask...well, we stood in Stacy & Zach's kitchen, Noelani in just her tights, underwear and socks, with my hands on her belly, while Stacy & Zach smeared blue goopy stuff on us from Noelani's shoulders down past my hands. The result was this belly cast mold. What did you'all do? ;-)

Luther practicing

Also on Thanksgiving weekend, Luther had a chance to practice having a baby around. Angela and her almost-1-year-old, Olivia, came to visit. It was great to see them! Here's Luther checking Olivia out. He was gentle and mostly ambivalent, as expected. Olivia was also a good "is the house kid-proof" tester!

Bailey practicing

While Bailey was here she was diligent about caring for the practice little g (a stuffed animal dog from my childhood...he's the one on the right in the cradle (the cradle that Tia Silvia's babies slept in!)). The aforementioned teddy bear is the one on the left. The book Bailey is reading is Buenos Noches Luna (Good Night Moon, in spanish, a wonderful gift from Joan and Jen). She fed him, changed him, read to him, and rocked him in his cradle. She is going to be a GREAT big sister!

Bumbum bumbum

I heard little g's heartbeat with just my ear on N's belly yesterday! It was soft and strong...bumbum bumbum bumbum. Noelani heard it with the fetascope (she cannot put her ear to her belly, it seems!). Very cool. We also found out that he is as big as the teddy bear that Silvia gave him...perhaps I need a visual of that so you can really see...but not tonight! ;-)

Thanksgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving at Tia Silvia's house with all of the local family, including Duncan's mom. It was a wonderful time, full of stories and laughter, and three 20 minute walks: before dinner, after dinner, and after dessert! Bailey was with us, and Tom came with us, too. Here is a picture (taken by Tom) of Noelani and I with Bailey and her soon-to-be little brother. :-)

"Can you please tie my shoes?"

"Can you please tie my shoes?"

I have been waiting to hear those words! It is a quintessential step in pregnancy, and I was overjoyed when Noelani asked me this morning. :-) Here is a picture from last night showing what (who!) is in the way when she is trying to tie her shoes...

Shotgun Wedding

Well, if you were there then you know that Noelani and I eloped at our Baby Shower this past weekend. It was a wonderful shower -- good people, good food, good energy. We feel so lucky to have found each other and to have such good friends and family supporting us. This little g is a lucky boy!

Bedroom Walls & Crib

Here is the final result of our stencil painting. And, the crib (graciously donated by Laura!) which we finally put together. We have a rug (which was the inspiration for the figures on the walls). Now we just need to add a baby...

Little Figures

This was "get the baby's room ready" weekend. Well, the start at least. We put together his crib, and painted little figures on the wall (thanks to the kindness of Steve & Kate for making and cutting the stencils). Here's Noelani, hard at work...

Practicing with Renata

Our neighbors, Shannon and Carlos, came to visit tonight with their 12-day old baby, little Renata. She is so very small and beautiful. It was wonderful to see her, and to see them with her. They are doing a great job, and we are happy to know that they are a few steps ahead of us.

We both had a chance to hold Renata. For me (Mary), she wiggled just like Gabriel is doing in the womb right now. With Noelani, she used Noelani's finger as a pacifier, and held her hand with her little tiny fingers. It was so sweet!

Kicking and rolling

Little g is very active these days. We are midway through our 28th week. Third trimester here we come! He is rolling and kicking and just very busy in there. It is great to feel him (on the inside and the outside), and to even see him moving sometimes.
Here's a pix of my dad and Noelani (and little g) from when we took my mom & dad to the classic car show in Alameda, Oct 14th.

Babies R Us

Today was N's first trip ever to the Babies R Us. I've been before, but never to shop for my own baby! It was overwhelming, but it was great to be able to touch and try out so many different items. This having a baby thing seems very complicated...

It's a boy!

This is little g at the 20 week sono. That's when we found out he's a boy!









Here's the email from Noelani spreading the news:

Hey All,

For those of you who don't already know, Mary and I (well, technically me) are pregnant!
AND, we had a sono last Weds., and found out it's a boy!! We don't have a name yet and are inviting all ideas, of any kind, so please, feel free to give us your favorites.

Sonograms are so amazing. It was great to watch him wiggle around in there. I have been feeling him for about 2 weeks now, and Mary felt him for the first time a week ago Sunday. That was the coolest, to be able to share it and feel him together.

We are really excited, of course, and now beginning to prepare in earnest.

In the meantime, here are the sonos, from first pre-baby Blastocysts (one of those is him) to this latest set where we found out the gender. Then, finally, a belly shot I am finally willing to share with the world outside of Mary's camera.

Thanks so much to Rikki for letting us use her scanner to share these prints.

Love, N~

Baby Update

First email from Noelani with the Baby Update:

Just a quick note to you all know how it's going.

We have now heard a very strong little heartbeat three times. Things look good. We're going to have what is called a Level 2 Ultrasound in about a month (we are at 16 weeks already, two weeks from halfway through! Can you believe it?!). We will know the gender then, unles s/he's shy! We met with our midwife last night and during the exam she helped me recognize these funny feelings I was having as baby movement! That was amazing. The baby responded to the Doppler by moving away, then coming back (curious?) and kicking me - twice. Maybe speaks to a strong opinion already? Guess that shouldn't be surprising, should it.

Life is bound to only get more hectic as the arrival approaches, but we will try to give little updates as time goes on.

Love to you all, and thanks for all of your good thoughts and well wishes.

Noelani and Mary

Getting Started

This is our first blog post, so I'm starting with the first photo of little g, at the blastocyst stage, with a second blast (that didn't stick).