Zoe Mina Lulu

First off, very heartfelt and grateful thanks to Kristen for guest blogging for us. It was tricky but worth it. (I spent half my time helping Beth and the other half texting. Often simultaneously)

So, she's here.She's beautiful.

And I am home. Why? You ask. Well, in an amazing act of selflessness and fortitude, Beth's mother, Gail, hopped on the earliest flight from Cincinnati and flew out to be here when the baby was born. She missed it by ONE HOUR! But, that's okay, because Zoe wasn't "born" as much as "wrenched from her mother's abdomen". Yes, we had to have a C-Section.
Beth started having contractions about 1:30 in the morning and by 8 it was obvious they weren't false labor. Her doc wanted us to go the hospital.
We did. She got drugs.The room was awesome. All was good. Heart rate. Mother. Everything.

Except Zoe didn't want to come out. She wouldn't move down. And she was facing front instead of back. And, by 4 or so, it was apparent when Beth's water broke, that Zoe was swallowing some Meconium. Best to just take her out.
And that's what we did. Beth, trooper,really, an amazing woman, on her very first hospital stay ever, was sliced open like a halibut and Zoe was pulled out.

After we got to the room, Gail arrived. Perfect timing, truly. But because we were now in recovery, the room was small and cramped and not nearly as nice.It was good while it lasted, though. And they would only allow one other adult in the room on the cot. So, it was either sleep on the floor of the hospital lobby (and I did too much of that when Liz died) or go home. And, good thing I did. The workers got stuff done, but not nearly enough and I have to talk to them in the morning, hire a cleaning crew, clean up myself...there was a box of Omaha steaks on the porch, and the cat needed to eat and go out. So, in retrospect, not a bad dad, after all....

There is so much more to tell but this is a blog about the baby, and it's a blog with video, so here it is.
The very first video of
Zoe Mina Lulu
born 5:46 PM on Monday, April 2nd.
(The first day of Passover)
6 pounds 10 oz.
19 inches.
All cute.

PRESENTING ZOE LULU

ALLEN IS READY FOR ACTION

And the women of the world cheer...

BETH HAS JUST BEEN TOLD SHE'S GETTING DRUGS!

While we are waiting for the drugs to kick in - let's play a game:

Which one of these dogs is about to start flying coach?

Labor Day Came Early This Year!

And we're off!

Hi everyone. This is Kristen. You may know me as the Lulu's slightly surly friend who is always late to their parties but shows up with platters of home made desserts, which I like to think makes up for my bad attitude. I am guest blogging the live reports of little miss zoe's arrival.

So let me just say this. I am sick. I never get sick. I'd like to say it's because I live a healthy lifestyle, but really it has more to do with being a mildly obessive handwasher. You're probably saying to yourself right now, "She's guest blogging for 3 sentences and already the blog is about HER!", but I swear there's a reason I'm telling you this. Mostly it has to do with Nyquil. As in, I took a big swig of it last night before I went to bed.

...and this morning was having the strangest dream. I dreamt that Allen was in my side yard saying KRISTEN! KRISTEN! And he was telling me that I needed to put my garbage cans out soon. I told him it was okay, that there wasn't enough trash in them to warrant putting them out... when suddenly Dr. Doom started barking like crazy, and I realized that ALLEN WAS IN MY SIDE YARD YELLING KRISTEN! KRISTEN!

There they were - the Lulus - parked in my driveway - Beth in labor, and Huck ready to stay at my house (a.k.a. "The Happiest Place on Earth")

These are the first reports:

This is the view from the room - Allen says it's pretty fantastic:



Here's what Beth's room is like - pretty swanky if you ask me:



you were asking me, right? After all, I CONTROL THE LULU BLOG NOW. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA. *coughing fit*

stay tuned as the reports roll in...

A race between kitchen and baby

It's been seven days since I last posted anything. And what a turbulent seven days that has been. Oh, wait, I mean, nothing really has happened.
There's no video to post, mainly because finding the right moment to videotape a pregnant woman in her last 2 weeks is like hunting the elusive snipe.
Beth has little or no energy BUT she has ankles again. Finally. They re-emerged yesterday. I noticed it as I was giving her her nightly foot massage. I have never been so sick of peppermint Lush lotion! Trouble sleeping, discomfort, the works.
As if some cosmic joke, yesterday our lead carpenter and project manager informed us that he pulled jury duty. So, he is out for who knows how long. He's almost done, though, so that's good. And by almost done I mean he has to install 20% of the drawers and cabinets, 100% of the drawer and cabinet faces, the doors on the pantry, the storage above the pantry, the storage above the fridge and washer, the doors for the washer and dryer. He still has yet to build the shelves for the pantry, the dog food receptacle, the trash bin, the corner cabinet, the floating cabinet for the ipod/keys/checkbook, the dog food tray at the end of the peninsula with cookbook shelves and the coffee garage. So, yeah, he's almost done.
The painters are here though, so at least one coat of the white and red is going up, hell or high water.
Oh, did I mention that the microwave doesn't work? Yeah, they spent 2 days installing it only to find out that it won't turn on. Technician is coming today.
There is no way this kitchen is going to be finished by the baby. I just can't see how it's going to happen.
With any luck, the electricians will be here and they will get their jobs done. But, who knows anymore? At least the tile guys came on time and did their work.

Beth has a doc's appointment today and I won't be able to go with her as I have to oversee the work here.

Hey! We picked a pediatrician! Yay! Of the three we saw, only two were wearing yarmulkas. And the reason the third wasn't was, well, she was a she.
But, she was too holistic, to homeopathic, too California kooky for us. And the second one was very old and knew NOTHING about cystic fibrosis. He didn't even know how it is transmitted. The number one genetic killer of kids and you don't know about it???
The third one we played phone tag with for 9 days. FINALLY, we managed to stop by on a day when he was there and what a great decision that was. Kind, smart, on the ball. And we loved the practice. All the patients' parents were nice, funny, and the office was very kid friendly and parent safe. Or vice versa.
Dr. Nagle made a point, once we told him about Liz, to tell us about a preliminary stool test he could do after Zoe is born, to check for CF. Then he said he would email the staff, in case she was born while he was still away for Passover. When Beth walked by his office on the way back to the bathroom he was holding our file and emailing. Love that guy!
So, Zoe has a pediatrician.
Also, yesterday we stopped by the cop shop for our appointment to have the car seat installed. Officer Goldstein (what's with all the jews?) was great. As soon as he sawy the car seat he said, "This is a great car seat. It goes all the way to 30 pounds. Good choice." That made us feel great. Thank you, Dave, Julie, Iden and Jen.
So, Here's a couple of pix.

Zoe's seat. It now becomes very real. And Huck has less room.....poor guy.


The stove and microwave area. The tile looks nice, huh?


The main work station. To the left of the sink. To the right of the stove.


The Fridge.
I know, I know, who posts pictures of their refigerator. But, truth be told, the whole kitchen sort of keyed off this appliance. The bottom freezer, the french doors with the built in ice/water dispenser...When we saw this on "I want that!" We said, "I want that!" and designed the kitchen around it.




Zoe is due to arrive in 12 days. Hard to believe. Impossible to imagine. Beyond exciting. Please check back often or subscribe as we will be posting pix of her as soon as we can after she is born.

Baby Shower!

We are getting down to the wire, folks. Less than 3 weeks to go. Momma is fed UP.
She is seeing Dr. Lenz every week. The visits are really boring so there's no reason to film anything. I doubt there will be much video until after the Zoester is here, actually.
We just started the process of interviewing pediatricians. We've seen 2 and have one more to go. So far we are leaning toward the one who is most accessible but the others aren't too far and they are good, too. Zoe will be in good hands.
The kitchen is almost done. Seriously. Almost We can taste it.
And Beth had her baby shower. Big thanks to EVERYONE who was there, and who wasn't there but sent gifts. Everybody had a great time.
Here are some pics.


3 Weeks out. Beth is still smiling. (she's drunk, of course)


Lee, Shelly and Therese on Kristen and Vinny's new couch. Yay, furniture!



Amy and Kim.


Michele and Heidi.



Jen and Kristen. Party throwers, extraordinaire!

Zoe's own Logo!

As you can see now when you logged on to the page, Zoe has her own logo.

Designed by Jennifer Barrick & Iden Kamishin, this was put on all the bags and the front page of the scrapbook from today's shower, which was, apparently, a hoot.

It is awesome, no? I shall be encouraging her to get this as her first tattoo.

Rock on!

New doc. Same old baby.....

Sorry about the lateness of this post. It's been a crazy week here with the construction and all.
Beth is doing great. Still looks pretty much the same. But we got the first ultrasound of the Zoester in a long time and we got to meet a new doc because Dr. Lenz was on vacation. He's the third that we have met in that office and, if Dr. Lenz couldn't be there for the delivery for some reason, we would both be comfortable with any of them.

35 days to go.....

Today we had "Newborn class". It's amzing what you forget 14 years later. Originally, I wasn't going to go with Beth, since I've been through it all before. But, go we did. And boy oh boy, neither of us can wait now. Swaddling, diapers, holding the baby, all of it came rushing back. And with just 35 days to go, we are getting really excited.
Unfortunately we have to deal with Huckleberry. Talking about dogs and cats, the teacher commented that if we want Huck to get used to a new routine and not resent Zoe we should do it now. But Huck sleeps with us. Which would be fine if he wasn't 65 pounds and a bed hog. No, off to the floor he has to go. That's going to be really hard. But I think it would be easier for Beth to just pick Zoe up and nurse her in the bed and not have to negotiate with a golden retreiver. So, Huck has new lessons to learn.And I am campaigning hard to make Sparky an outdoor cat for the most part.
Something else the teacher talked about was noise. Since we live on a corner in the Hood and the neighbors often have late night parties and such, this could be a concern. But she was adamant that people not do the "shhh, the baby's sleeping" thing. Now, I have heard both sides of the issue but her argument was new to me. It never occurred to me just how noisy the uterus is. Beth's heart beat and Zoe's own heartbeat are, from what I now understand, very very loud. She's used to noise when she is sleeping. No reason to change that. This is good because Zoe's room is right next to the Chavez's backyard parties. (Glad they got rid of the rooster, though)

We will be going to the doc's on Tuesday for a new ultrasound and we will have video of that for you guys. Right now, here are some kitchen updates.

The cabinets are in! Not mounted, but they are in there. I am typing this from the peninsula, as a matter of fact. It's very white, clean and exciting. It's going to be a real kitchen.



This is where the stove will be and the counters to the right will also have uppers.




This is the bank of cabinets on the south wall. The hole for the outlet you can see between the windows is where the coffee bar will live.

What used to be there was the washer and dryer. They have since been sold and replaced by stackables. Someone was asking where that is. This is the hallway outside the bathroom. The door to the right is our bedroom. There will be a cabinet made to enclose the units.



Not too much more. We DON'T have to go around the house to access our refrigerator. That's a good thing. The timing is working out perfectly. I think we are both at wit's end with this project and anxious to enjoy it before all hell breaks loose with the Zoester.

Ooooooh, shiny!

So, Beth had to leave the house for two days (Insert drug, booze and hooker joke here). The reason? The stain and varnish were applied to the kitchen floor. Fumes bad for baby.

This is the best shot I could get. It's still sticky.

The great news is that this is 95% the original flooring from 1912.
It's gonna look awesome!

Kitchen pix!

Beth's aunt has asked us for kitchen updates so, here we go.
I don't want to waste your time with video, that will come later.

The walls are done. All the plaster is up, the room is mudded. The floors are next. Turns out we have 3 or 4 bad boards due to some termite damage but the rest of them are fine, they are being sanded down today and tomorrow the varnish starts.

We have been told that cabinets come in starting Friday, as well as paint. Then, all that is left is the cabinet doors, handles, fixtures and appliances.

This is what the kitchen looks like as of this morning.



This wood was going to be harvested for the damaged pieces in the center but they are actually pretty bad. We are just going to repair them and put the bank of cabinets over them.




The walls have all been mudded and plastered and look fantastic.

So, more to come as the days and work progress.

6 weeks away

We are down to the wire. Zoe's due to arrive 6 weeks from TO-DAY.
Beth has settled nicely into her pregancy. She seems to be made for doing this.



Beautiful, no?

What the hell, here's another shot of my gorgeous wife, Zoe's mom-to-be.

Rats!

If you are still with us, God bless you, you are good friends.
There is nothing really going on with Zoe. No more big events as we wind down to the last few weeks of baby brewing.
Since I keep getting emails wondering what is going on with the kitchen and how Beth is doing, I thought I would just upload some video showing the renovation with a little bit of Beth. She looks great, feels tired. The end is near so the discomfort is settling in.
If you want to know more about the baby shower (and many of you have asked) please go to http://www.freewebs.com/newlulubaby/ where Kristen has set up more info.

It's just around the corner.

It's almost six. Beth is napping. And when I say napping I mean three hours. So when I say napping I really mean coma.
She needs it.
So, what's going on.......
Okay, every day Beth asks me to "come quickly" because Zoe's is moving around and all. When I arrive and put my hand on her belly, she stops moving. So, I think that lays the groundwork for the future relationship with my daughter. Read what you will into that.
For some reason Beth actually looks thinner. Nothing to worry about, she just seems to have settled into pregnancy.
And, what would our baby's dawning be without some kind of stress related scenario? The Canadian company I work for has pushed back my shoot dates again. From February to March and now to April. So, there is actually a chance that I will miss my daughter's birth. How fucked up is that??
I refuse to stress out about it.
No video right now mainly because there isn't much going on. I will have something up in the next few days but it is probably going to be kitchen related more than babystuf.
Kristen and Jen are arranging the baby shower. It's chick only and I am probably going to play poker at a casino because that is what I want to do. Lose money at the poker table. Because that is the kind of father that Zoe should have.
Um....what else? Not much. I will videoblog later.
Oh yeah!
7 more weeks!

T Minus 10 weeks and counting

Many of you have asked for more updates so I will try to upload video and let you know what's happening more often as we get closer to Zoe's arrival.
Since there is very little happening preggo-wise and some of you have asked to know more about the kitchen I will use this blog to give you a play by play on that as well. So you can commisserate with Beth and sympathize with what she is going through because living through a kitchen remodel is bad enough, add the last trimester to the mix and you have a recipe for "ugh".

Blood and Dust

Sorry we have been so absent. It's my fault. I wanted to post something every week during the pregnancy but little happened baby wise and then the holidays hit and....well, you know how it is.
So, here is the latest update. We have a doc appointment this coming weeks so we will no doubt be adding to the blog. Along with classes and the like, it seems like everything is going to get into high gear.

Also, for shits and giggles, I am going to use this page to show you all the upheaval that we are going to be going through during the last trimester. Namely, the kitchen remodel. She's a trooper, that wife o' mine. Not only is she gestating the parasite, AND going to school full time, but she is doing all of this with no kitchen for the next month or so.

So, here's a pair of videos.

First, Beth goes to the doc to find out if she has gestational diabetes. (She doesn't)



Next the kitchen gets the whammo.

Yay. Another trip to the doctor........

Oh, boy, oh boy, are you all in for a treat! Well, not really, but.....
Okay, we are past the half way point....t-minus 4 months and counting.....
This was the month of weirdness for ol' preggo. Some kind of weird stomach virus, flu-like symptoms, stuffy nose, post nasal drip, and itching.....A body taken hostage, indeed.
But, Zoe is brewing along nicely in that EZ Bake Oven.
For those of you who don't know, my brother, Jonathan and his wife (whom you probably met under less than desireable circumstances earlier this year) just had a baby boy, Justin Lulu was birthed a couple of weeks ago.




And, that means we are next on the conveyor belt.

Here's a little video. It's still the best way we can make everyone a part of the proceedings.





Happy Holidays!

We're back!

Okay, so Beth got back from her Kentucky trip, had a great time, went out for her birthday, saw family, all the good stuff. A week later and we are back at the doc's for yet another ultrasound.
But, this is the last one for a while, and the last baby related doc visit for a month, so rest easy, folks.
Beth is reporting all the reg'lar aches and pains. Zoe is about 7 inches long and has basically told Mom, "You will NOT lay on your stomach, dammit!" So, it's time for a baby pillow. Last night was also the first real cramping, enough to wake her up at almost 1 in the morning to take a bath.
Huckleberry is the real loser here, though. Since he is a needy sort who likes to sleep on his mom's belly (and she encouraged that behavior) it is no longer tolerated. She just can't really do it anymore. Poor Huck.
And bending over seems to be more of a challenge to Preggo. The darned parasite just gets in the way.
But, all in all, everything seems to be normal. The doc liked what he saw, and all that.
Here's something kind of cool. Apparently, Zoe has kind of long legs. Like her thighs are longer than the average. She might be tall, this kid. That would come from Beth's side. Definitely, DEFINITELY not mine.
So, without further adieu...as always, we have a video for you. We hope you enjoy it. It works a lot better if you let it fully load.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Come see through the baby!

I know, I know, we just posted something but this will be the last videoblog for a few weeks at the least.
Beth is off to Kentucky and poppa gets a much needed break from drama. So, on the heels of pins and needles, we present our most indulgent video so far.
I don't blame you if you don't want to watch, but it's kind of cool. You get to see her brain and stuff.
Enjoy.
Zoe. T-minus 162 days and counting.......

Finally. Some good news.

So, as you all know, two weeks ago, on Friday the fucking 13th, we got the news that the baby might be sick.
This morning, at 11:00 AM, the lab called to say that, while she is a carrier, Zoe does not have Cystic Fibrosis.
And we couldn't be happier.

When it rains........

It's pouring outside here in Los Angeles. Appropriate weather for this posting.
Beth and I have talked it over and we agreed that this would be the best way to avoid unwanted conversations....
A few weeks ago, when we were at the genetics lab they showed us a chart. It was a list, a long list, of the common cystic fibrosis genetic mutations. They already had Liz's mutations on file, so they knew that I had one of the two that Liz had. In order for a child to be born with cystic fibrosis BOTH parents need to have some form of the gene. In those cases, each child has a 25% chance of being born with the disease. In all her tests Beth came up with no gene for CF. They asked us if we wanted to do a full panel on Beth's blood, just in case she had some rare form of the gene. We were both adamant that we do the panel. I don't know if I can do CF again.
About 3 hours ago we received a phone call from the lab that Beth does, believe it or not, have a rare gene for Cystic Fibrosis. This was a shock to us, to say the least. Our chances of having a baby with CF went from one in 10,000,000 to 1 in 4.
They are going to run a test on the placenta sample they have to determine if the baby does or does not have the gene. If she has one, then she is just a carrier. If she has none, we are free and clear. If she has both, she will be born with CF and we will have to make a determination on what we are going to do.
The problem? The earliest we can get the results is two weeks. We will know in three, but the earliest is two.
Suffice to say, we are on pins and needles.
We could use your support. Prayer, whatever......again.....
It is all we can do to remain calm for the next 21 days. It's easy to panic. Easy to get manic.
Unfortunately for Beth, she can't get drunk, medicate, or do anything to dull the madness that is waiting.
Fortunately for me, I can start drinking again.
I'm sorry to have to report this news.
I will let you all know the results as soon as we know more.

Allen

And the winning sex is....!

A true VideoBlogger would have caught the information as the call came in, but, alas, I am just a hack. (And I was getting my faulty ipod replaced for the 3rd time.)
So, I just got done with a great callback for some show called "Big Day". It was really neat because I read for the director and it was Adam Arkin. I did everything I could NOT to tell him how great it was to listen to him, when I was younger, and he was the voice of Biggs Darklighter on the Star Wars Radio Broadcast. Geeky enough for ya?
Then it was off to the gym, good workout and guess who was there? Yes, Dr.McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey goes to my gym. No, I don't know him but we shared a moment a couple years ago when a really hot girl was working out and her shorts rode up in very revealing way. So, McDreamy and I had a nice "male bonding" time.
Then, at the Apple Store, while I was waiting, there was the slutty girl from Showgirls. Remember? The OTHER one who ended up doing the black choreographer dude?
So, celeb and semi-celeb sightings and then....Beth calls.
Just as I was about to take off.
And she has news.
The CVS testing went really well. Only really waiting on the CF sampling and that is the least likely thing to go wrong.
Oh, yeah. And we know what it is.
So, gang, click the video and find out if it's Zoe or Dashiell!



http://youtube.com/watch?v=BWjAahSDx_Q click that if the link doesn't work

Blood tests and boredom

I have just realized that a weekly blog about a 9 month long gestational process is a pain in the ass. Mainly because nothing much happens for a long time. Now, I should have remembered this because I've done this before but, there ya go, selective memory at work.
Beth just called. She had an appointment to have some blood drawn, I think it was to check for Spina Bifida and it since it was really no big deal she let me sleep in and left.
Of COURSE they forgot about her in the lobby and made her wait for over an hour. Of COURSE the nurse had no idea why she was there. Of COURSE said nurse as chewed out for making a pregnant mother wait for just a blood test. Of COURSE Beth was upset.
It seems I should have tagged along for nothing except to at least document the frustration that comes with even the best insurance plans.
With the mundanity that is human procreation I realized that, in keeping with my own determined agenda, I MUST blog something. So, here goes a little nothing.
I really really really want this house to be done for the baby. As many of you know our kitchen is a disaster zone. One of the reasons we bought the house was because it needed a new Kitchen and a new bathroom. Glenn, Beth's father came out last year and we cranked that water closet out in 4 days. But, the kitchen. I would like something that is commensurate with our lifestyle, reflects well on the home and creates ease and comfort. So, we are hiring the local Jefferson Park/bungalow expert contractor to do the job. We have met with him a couple of times, met his designer, love their ideas, hate the cost, and plan to demo the kitchen on November 1st.
But, yesterday, a new wrinkle.
Before Liz was hospitalized I submitted our back "yard" to an HGTV show called Urban Outsiders. They turn crappy inner city backyard spaces into something amazing.
We were picked to be on the short list and the host and his producer came out yesterday to measure and brainstorm.
If we get picked they will come out probably DURING the kitchen demo and tear up the backyard as well. At the same time, Beth's best friend from high school, his boyfriend and aNOTHER friend are coming to stay with us for a week.
Okay, what does this have to do with the baby? Well, nothing inasmuch as the kid will have no idea that this house was in disrepair before she arrived. But, plenty when you consider the baby's room.
With Liz gone, we are going to use that room for the baby. Which means we are going to have to paint it, remove all of her belongings, get rid of her bed and redesign. All before April 1st.
And we start this process after the holidays. It's too hard to dismantle now. The loss is still too fresh.

So here are some pictures of the baby's room "before". Obviously, it was Liz's room. And it might make some sad to see it, but we will find a fitting tribute to her for her sister or brother.





In 8 months it will be filled with diapers, toys, mobiles and the crying wails of a newborn.


It's really pink, no?

Genetics testing

This morning's test was, in a word, daunting. In another word, kind of boring. In a third word, exhausting.
We decided to have the CVS testing instead of the Amnio because we could do it earlier. It was especially hard when the interviewer starting asking questions about CF. Not that it is hard to talk about, just that when we looked at the common gene mutations and she indicated the two that Elizabeth had, it was really difficult to see her as statistical numbers. Reduced to that on one hand and being the informational catalyst for us on the other. Very difficult.
You know what was also hard? Realizing that Beth's family is fine and dandy, while my side, replete with CF, still born twins, Autism spectrum, possible schizophrenia and SIDS, is a mess. Maybe we shouldn't procreate at all. Now, admittedly, most of these ailments, diseases and the like are distant relatives, but still, kind of makes you wonder, you know?
Enjoy this short VideoBlog of our latest test as we continue to, unabashedly, document our life.

The (real) Dancing Kid

How exciting. How great to live in the future. Screw flying cars! We have VideoBlogs. Ladies and Gentlemen, we present, DaZoe! In the fluid. Dancing in the belly of my wife.

Quick update: We are changing the length of reported pregnancy. While Beth IS only 9 weeks, according to "the formula" she is 11 weeks. But, actually, that's better. Now we get to close out the trying and difficult first trimester. Whew!

If the complete video didn't load then go here

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3iAlqxZhdJY

Number 9...Number 9.....

What is it like to be pregnant with a LuluSpawn at 9 weeks? Apparently, not much different than being pregnant at 8.....except that Beth has a little more energy.
But!
STILL NO MORNING SICKNESS!!!
Of course, we aren't counting chickens quite yet, but, hey, thank god for small favors!

This is Sunday afternoon. E True Hollywood Story, "Rich Socialites", "The Hilton Sisters", "Lost - Recap"....Baked Lays and French Onion Dip. Good times.

Oh, yeah, Dr. Doom and Shenanigans are visiting while Kristen and Vinny are off jet setting in Tokyo. Ah, to be able to drop everything and go off to Japan.....yeah, that'll be easy when the alien arrives.

Now, for some reason Beth finds this comfortable. The only thing missing is Sparky, our resident anti-socialite. As I write this, Huck has finally left the brood, Doom is contemplating attacking Lulu and, instead, opts for smelling her ass. Shenanigans is still depressed, missing her mom (or lamenting the poor reception of the last Cure album) and Lulu is wondering how come she hasn't been put to sleep yet.

Third Trimester of the First Trimester.....

Month 2 comes to an end.
Pardon the crappy image but I HAD to grab a shot of Beth just as she stuck her fork in the "gargantuan" sized Fettucine Alfredo from C&O Trattoria. But, pictures do lie and what this one doesn't tell you is that the chicken on the side is for me (apparently fowl makes mommy feel foul still) and we split the portion because, well, seriously, I learned early on that Beth will NEVER finish a full meal on her own, so what's the point of ordering two? More tip for the waiter, I guess, but when service is good and a dinner out with the mother of my child is less than $40 in Los Angeles, then the waiter gets 30%. So, I grabbed this shot of Beth and her giant bowl-O-food. Even though it's really OUR giant bowl-O-food.
On the preggo front: avocado is the word of the day. Guac! And lot's of it. The parasite is craving Mexican. Great. Beth is doing a bang up job of walking every day and getting just the right amount of rest.
Bought Beth a book by a friend of ours, "Mommies who Drink" by Brett Paesel. I guessed that it was the perfect book for a "beer-a-day, ex-nightonthetownie" and I was right. Now, Brett apparently did more cocaine than we ever did, but the sentiment is there. An hysterical book. Apparently. I am waist deep in the new (mediocre) Chuck Klosterman.
I swear, it's going to get more interesting that this......it has to, right?

Sunday in the Park with Dash......or Zoe......

As week 7 comes to an end we take Huckleberry up to the recently opened dog park in Culver City. It's a hot Sunday and there aren't many other dogs but it's a good time to get out. We also just got our bikes back from the shop so Beth can tool around the neighborhood and I can get back to riding.
I made a delicious Chicken Mole the other day. I'm not sure if it was the cloves, the cinnamon, the cocoa, or a combination of all of it but just the smell of it made Beth want to gag. In fact, I had to brush my teeth immediately afterward since she could smell it on my breath from 4 feet away.
Exhaustion? Check. Melancholy? Check. Fatigue? Check. So far this pregnancy couldn't BE more normal.
All she seems to want to eat is macaroni, rice and tuna. Unless she wants something else but it's never what I have cooked. So, it's a crapshoot.
BUT! We have pretty much settled on names.
For a boy: Dashiell Zave Lulu. The Dashiell because we wanted something literary AND easily shortened. Dash is cool and Dashiell is...well...dashing. Zave is the name that Liz made up for her eye color, which were blueish and hazel-ish. (But there is a small chance that Algernon will be the middle name.....very small)
For a girl: Zoe Mina Lulu. Zoe is way popular, yes, we know. Not all that original, but, like Zave, it has a "Z" that represents Lizzie for me and it is a fun name. Zoe's are cute. Short. Sexy, spunky, fun, smart, etc. The middle name is the name that Liz wanted to name her daughter. Once again she thought she made it up. She was heartbroken to know that it had been featured in Bram Stoker's Dracula. It is also Persian for "daisy" and was extremely popular in the US in the late 1800's. So, it reps Liz, and is literary at the same time. As is Zoe, in a way. Salinger's Zooey is spelled differently but I don't know anyone who pronounces it that way.
So, there ya have it. The race is on. Dash or Zoe. Zave vs. Mina.
We'll know in about two weeks.

I guess the real cravings start at month 2

I wondered when the cravings would start. This is the state of our house as we close out week 6. Bucket of KFC. Ice pops and half gallons of Baskin Robbins in the freezer. Cheesy crackers, Wheat Thins and Animal Crackers in the cupboard. Thank GOD I lost those 15 pounds because I am pretty damned sure I'm about to put them back on. Beth? She's powering through, tired as hell, walking the dog every day, enjoying her time off from working....all the good things that come with having your body hijacked. Myself? I have to beg her to feed the leftovers to the dog. I REALLY don't want to gain weight with her. I am determined. Foolish? Perhaps. Foolhardy? (SP?) Definitely. Where the hell is that edamame and hummus?

6 weeks......still not sick!

So, not a real update this week. Beth is reporting a strange phenomenon: Apparently she weighs exactly the same, no gain, no loss, and yet, none of her clothes fit. Almost like her body is transforming, altering, accomodating. I can't even imagine what that would feel like, must be very disturbing and slightly scary. Much kudos to her.
I did get to snag this photo this morning as she got to sleep in with her morning cuddle-buddy, Huck.
There ya have it. This is a sleeping pregnant women on Day 41.

The gooey plasma with a heartbeat

So, long story short, good and bad, I missed the first appointment with the OB/GYN. But it couldn't be helped: My flight from Vancouver, which was supposed to leave at 9AM, got sent BACK to Vancouver, grounded for an hour, deplaned, replaned on another aircraft and arrived in LA at 3:30,a nd the meeting was over. On the plus side, I sat next to Pierce Brosnan on the flight. On the plusser side I got recognized as the A&W guy by another passenger who said that other passengers were wondering if it was really me. On the uber-plus side (the Kirstie Alley plus side) I was standing next to and shaking hands with International Superstar Pierce "James Bond" Brosnan when I was recognized and that was super cool.
So, Beth got to hear the heartbeat and talk to the doc about all the important stuff and all I got for my troubles was a little ultrasound pic. The little words in the upper wight part of the blotchy center (the gooey center, for all its worth) is the word, "baby".
We still don't know what the name will be, Darth, Zoe, Dashiell, Mina, Lex, Fallopia, Cthulu, or Caligula. But, it's gonna be something. Right now I think it's a boy, Beth thinks its a girl. Either way....it's still a parasite and we love it.

STOP documenting our kid! 30 days in.

It's been a month. And Beth gave birth to a cat. Actually, we debated getting rid of the cat, but the toxoplasmosis screen came out negative. So, Lulu the cat lives to whine another day. And the deep exhaustion creeps in.

This is what 3 weeks of pregnancy looks like.

I dunno, I don't see anything there. However. Tendons are strengthening (sp?) boobs are tenderizing, hormones are a raging. Something is setting up camp in my wife's uterus and will burst forth from her in about 9 months.

Breakin the news

So, Beth took the test a few days later and, of course, the lines were pink. Or blue. Who can remember what the hell they are supposed to look like? But, in the morning, as she was getting ready for work she told me, "I left a little something on your laptop." My wife knows full well that I am in love with my laptop, as much as I love her and napoleons. (Ooh, Napoleon....now there's a name!)
So, this is how I came to know that I was, indeed, going to be a daddy again.

13 days

So, here we are, at The Gig in Hollywood...la la la.....getting ready for the first ever fundraiser/benefit concert for The Elizabeth Lulu Scholarship Foundation....la la la....
What we didn't know is that, right here, right now, Beth is 13 days along. That's right, the little zygotian parasite is being formed as we hang out, rock, dance, drink. Who knew? I mean, we hadn't even been trying for more than 2 months! Rock on, Seed of Chucky! But, what makes sense now was those horrible cramps that Beth had that sent her to the emergency room. Even though we were SURE that she wasn't pregnant, lo and behold.