Baby Edi on the way...

We have made our list and checked it twice...we (think) we are ready for baby. Car seat (base in car), crib, diapers (we hear you can never have enough though), onesies, bag packed for hospital, it all seems to be in order. Now what? We wait.

-----Scott took these beautiful pictures at the Edmonds Dog Park-----

We are 10 days away from the due date, all seems to be on track. The last 2 weeks they have been tracking my placental fluid level through ultrasound because there was some concern it was getting low. Apparently if the fluid levels get too low it is a sign that the womb is no longer the best place for baby and they induce you. The fluid keeps baby healthy and keeps the umbilical cord from being compressed. At last check, the fluid levels had come up and all was well in Baby Edi's temporary home.

I am taking it easy these days, just a little walking each day and my yoga seems to be enough. We are still having lots of fun getting the baby's room all put together. The baby is still really active and amuses us by moving across my belly and poking a leg or arm out the side. Looks a bit like an alien movie.

Fletch would like to tell you about his Christmas...

"My parents put this silly hat and beard on me...so about my holiday: There were all these dogs. Crazy dogs, dogs that seem to ignore me (Sally is deaf), and dogs that like to lick my ears and play tug o war with me. There is so much of that white cold stuff I love. My parents threw these balls of the white cold stuff into the air and I catch them and eat them. It is so fun. I chased these little people all over the neighborhood, even while they were going fast on round slidy things down the hill. My parents have all this new stuff. Little stuffed animals that look like my toys but when I take one, they say no, it is very confusing. There is even a whole other room filled with stuff I have never seen. Colorful bouncy things, books to chew on, clothes that look like they fit on a poodle. Please tell me we are not getting a poodle. What is going on around here? They say I will find out soon, I hope I can play with it."

T-minus four weeks and counting!

Scott here and I am starting to freak out a little bit.
Every day that passes, the more I realize I have no clue what to expect...or what I need to do to prepare for the newest addition to the family.
Luckily we have cribs, changing tables, strollers, onesies, bottles, pacifiers, blankets, and other things that I sorta knew we'd need. But, it turns out there are other things that may be involved that I have never even heard of until recently such as:

-Moses basket
-"Swaddlers"
-Boppy
-Nasal Aspirator
-Babywise (people are pretty passionate about this little book)

What is all this stuff? What did we do 100 years ago when most of it didn't exist? What did we do 1,000 years ago etc?

I really wish there was one agreed upon method to this baby business, but no! There are 5 million books with 5 million different messages, tips, and warnings about what should/should not be done with your baby. Sheesh.

Luckily my wife is pretty savvy and will undoubtedly be a grade-A mom, plus we have tons of great family and friends who have done all of this before.

Get ready, I'm preparing to call you for advice

Baby Pre-Func a BIG Success

With only a few weeks to go we wanted to have a baby celebration, rather than a shower. In college, we called "the party before the party" a "pre-func", so we thought hey- a pre-func for Baby Edi seems like just the thing. And it was...A chance to get together with friends and family to share in the joy that is Baby Edi! We ate delicious "baby" foods (mini crab cakes, mini Kobe beef sliders, mini pork mole tacos), the decorations were gorgeous (orange Gerbera daisies with turquoise accents), and what wonderful people to share it all with! As you can see by the pictures, fun was had by all.

It is exciting for us to see that in only two weeks "the bump" as we affectionately call it, has grown significantly. In the photo above, Em is barely beating Jim and Matt in the belly contest...now she wins hands down. Our recent ultrasound showed Baby Edi weighing in at approximately 4 pounds.

Mom and Dad are trying to get out of the house as much as possible in the 5 week countdown. We have been out for several wonderful dinner dates and keep reminding ourselves that our spontaneous "let's get out of the house" nights out are soon to be few and far between.

In getting ready for this little wonder to move in, we decided it best to do a little shopping. Venturing into Babies R Us proved to be the most overwhelming/confusing/nightmarish experience we have had so far. Do you really need 110 different brands of baby monitors? How about 230 different strollers? And 3 rows of bouncy seats? We quickly departed (after listening to a youngster scream at the top of his lungs for a good 20 minutes, with his mom saying if you don't stop crying...blah blah blah) siting that on-line shopping from friends recommendations, was much more our speed.

Mom and Dad are both doing well, even with the acid reflux, indigestion, bloating, pants not fitting, emotional roller coaster that is pregnancy. Baby Edi spent Thanksgiving night doing somersaults he/she was so excited about the pumpkin and pecan pies. It is truly an amazing experience seeing "the bump" move to its own beat.

The holiday marathon continues with a wonderful Christmas celebration to look forward here at our house. The "nesting" continues and has evolved with plenty of baking (cookies, pies) added to the list. Our doc recommends we stick around for the next few weeks, so we welcome visitors to keep us entertained (Em can only organize so many closets).

More soon...stay tuned!

It's official...Baby Edi Loves Mexico Too!

Baby Edi had a wonderful time in Cabo San Lucas, although baby didn't get quite as tan as we did! We learned that he/she loves the water, loves to dance the salsa in moms belly, but doesn't necessarily love 10 chili oil on top of prawn and goat cheese stuffed chili relleno. Can you say up all night snacking on Tums?

This vacation was all about taking the advice of our friends who have new babies: 1. Sleep now- check (minimum 10 hours per night in Mexico) 2. Take time to be stress free- done.The most challenging activity of the day was choosing pool or beach, quesadilla or taco, and one day...how to get the cow out of the way of our car. 3. Take time for us- Lets see...a few massages, breakfast in bed, fabulous dinners out, I think we qualified.

Em even had time to work on a few new talents...look ma no hands! Scott worked hard reading a few books, including studying up on

his "Father's First Year" manual.

We had a wonderful anniversary celebration.

Hard to believe it has been 7 years since our beautiful wedding in Troncones. We are so excited to meet our new little one and introduce baby Edi to you. Only a few weeks left!

She's a natural!

No, we didn't sneak the kid out while you weren't looking, the photo to your left is Emily holding Jenny and Rick Rioja's beautiful baby girl just a day after she arrived. Obviously Em has some skills in this area.

The weeks are flying by as we prepare for the arrival of the littlest Edison. It seems like yesterday that we found out we're pregnant, and here we are with just a hair over two months to go.

The nesting continues out here in our sleepy suburban lair. We now have a room dedicated to Baby Edi complete with beach-y paint colors, a clean-ish closet, and some repurposed furniture. In order to create the new baby space Scott has moved his office into the gym and will soon be stacking dirty dishes and old newspapers on the treadmill.

We met with Steve our financial planner in order to a) tell him to fix all this stock market bs, and b) to help us figure out how to prepare for Baby's college fund. We're establishing a 529 savings plan and if you're interested in taking part we'll gladly share the details.

It turns out you need all kinds of new stuff (stuff we did not even know existed) in order to care for newborns and if it weren't for Babies 'R' Us, Target, or our friends Rochelle and Lesley we would not have a clue what to buy. Luckily we're not the first couple to go through this, we've got great friends, and there are lists all over the internet providing decent guidance. We haven't actually bought much, but we picked out a few things on Target.com, created a registry, and Em's having a baby shower in Yakima which should help kick off the baby gear collecting spree.

We are off to Mexico Tuesday for some pre-baby RnR. We celebrate 7 years of marriage Nov. 3rd and will do it with a couple of virgin margaritas and a plate full of guac by the pool at Cabo Azul in San Jose Del Cabo, We promise lots of pics when we return.

If you find yourself in the Seattle metro area on November 15th, stop by our place anytime after 6pm. We're having what we're calling our baby "pre-func" which can be loosely translated as "the party before the party" for those of you who haven't enjoyed the phenomenon before. Should be a good time to catch up, hang out, and trade a few baby war stories.

T-minus 14 weeks!

Proof. We really are having a baby! This photo was taken on Sunday afternoon on Whistler Mountain and features Emily and Edi against a beautiful BC backdrop. As you can tell, Em is finally "showing." Hard to believe we are more than half way there!

We had a nice long "weekend" up north involving sleep, reading, the spa for Em, and cycling for Scott. Scott saw three bears on Monday, none of whom had any porridge.

Edi has been having some fun lately...Huey Lewis Concert with Grandpa Merv, waterskiing, So You Think You Can Dance Tour with MaShar, hiking w Fletch, Whistler, and soon off to Mexico! Busy baby (busy mommy) getting ready to fit into the Edison family. Baby also seems to be a bit of a night owl, dancing the night away in mom's belly.

We are feeling great, reports from Doc are flying colors. No more ultrasounds needed because everything looks so good. We would love to hear from you...let us know what you are up to!!

Corn on the cob anyone??

Week 24 of this process and boy oh boy (no we don't know if it is a boy or girl) we are really seeing some changes. My belly is growing slowly and Scott is talking to the baby on a regular basis (seems to think the baby likes to dance and do gymnastics) and the baby seems to poke him back when he gives it a poke. A fun game for Scott and baby Edi.

Some facts and figures for this week:
-Edi gained about 4 ounces since last week, weighing in at over a pound
-Some say Edi is about the size of an ear of corn, or a tall boy, or my foot.
-Taste buds are developing (we think baby must like pears/blue cheese, because I can't get enough) as are respiratory system and thickness of skin (no longer see through, like a strange sci fi flick)

Here's what's been going on...
Merv (dad) came to the rescue by clearing out some fitness equipment out of what will be Scott's new office. Sharon (mom) is coming Friday to put her decorating ideas to work in planning the new baby room (Scott's old office). Funny thing is, she was just here painting the office a few short months ago when we found out we were pregnant!
We are on our way to Whistler for a little get away end of next week. Probably no downhill mountain biking for mom, but I am sure Scott will get after it while I bask at the spa.

We gave ourselves the summer to "ease" into the idea of our tiny new roommate, and now we're preparing to kick it into high gear. Scott is doing stroller research, we are asking our friends for tips and tricks for new parents, and the nesting has reached a feverish pitch.

If you have any advice regarding gear, diapers, anti-cry methods, sleep deprivation techniques, or how to not freak out while anticipating a new baby please share!

coincidence?

Recently we were given the gift of produce. Yes, that's right produce. Emily's friend belongs to an organic produce co-op and the way it works is this: she owns one share of the farm's vegetable/fruit "yield" and each week she can visit the farm, pick up the seasonal goods, and even pick some fresh stuff on her own. She was out of town so we had the opportunity to enjoy some great organic produce.
The place is called Jubilee Farms
and while I'm not a very good hippy I loved the experience. We picked up fresh lettuce, onions, kohlrabi, squash, hot peppers, edible flowers, dill, cilantro, and...AMAZING HEIRLOOM TOMATOES. These were literally the best tomatoes I've ever eaten and while we were visiting the fine folks at Jubilee, Em and I actually discussed how cool it will be to bring our kid to visit this farm. Little did we know that Baby Edi is the size of an heirloom tomato this week!!!
Turns out Baby Edi is about 8.5 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. The hair on Edi's scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Edi's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that Edi may be able to hear voices now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, taking to Edi, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.
We hope you stop by soon to shout your favorite song at Em's belly.

17 and counting

17 weeks down...23 to go.
The baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Little Edi baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and is about 5 inches long from head to bottom. Baby can move joints, and sweat glands are starting to develop.

So (in my spare time) I am reading my pregnancy website www.babycenter.com and there are a few questions listed for this week. I thought this would give you an indication of what is going on with little Edi's Mama this week.

BC: Are you feeling off-balance?
Well, just so happens that at Crescent Bar this weekend while trying to get into my friends boat (remember absolutly NO alcohol involved here), I stumbled, dropped our new camera right in the water (better it than me), spilled my beverage all over the dock, and dropped my sunglasses all in one fell swoop.

BC: Do you have itchy skin?
YES and no amount of lotion, or potion or even benedryl seems to ward off this nasty beast. Not only itchy but bumpy. No one seems to know why this happens. Speaking of skin, I thought I got rid of zits at age 13, but NO, here they are again!

Anyway, all is well with Baby Edi, negative for spina bifida as well in our testing, just an FYI.

Lots of love from Baby Production Central!

Pickles

Yesterday I drank pickle juice straight from the jar.
Talk about pregnant.
Just my 2 cents for the day.
-mommy to be, Em

Good times!

Welcome!
Sorry its been so long, we've been busy being busy.

Emily is in her 17th week and is absolutely glowing. I swear other women can **feel** her approach from a block away and beam as she walks by.

FYI: Em is sitting next to me and she informed me that the baby can swallow, suck a thumb, and some other crazy stuff. Pretty amazing. Did I mention that Baby Edi is the size of an avocado? Wow.

Yesterday Em met with the midwives...I'm still not clear on what a midwife is all about. Why not call them "very caring nurse-like practitioners" or something more descriptive? The big news from yesterday's appointment was the final results from our "combined screen" were good; the tests indicated that there is a very high likelihood that Baby Edi will be healthy. They check for issues such as Down's Syndrome, Spinal Bifida, and other genetic defect. Baby Edi passed with flying colors...nice work little one :)

The second trimester seems to be much better in terms of Em's morning sickness. She has been feeling better, has more energy, and is less susceptible to smells such as cooked meat, coffee, or me.

While we've modified our activities, Em is still managing to have some fun. We traveled to Minnesota this last weekend for some great family time with both the Wark and Edison clan. The weekend before we spent at Crescent Bar where we both enjoyed some water skiing. This is probably the only time in our 10 years together that I've skied more aggressively than her (I'm not saying I skied nearly as well, just fell more ;) We need her to keep it pretty tame during the pregnancy!

I guess that's all for now. Next time maybe we'll have some pics of our pregnant lady but to date there's not much to see.

Limes

So many things I can think of with limes...key lime pie, margaritas, put the lime in the coconut, limeaide. Never before have I thought of a little baby as the size of a lime! Baby Edi is officially about 2.5 inches long. It's little foot is .78 cm long, whoa. We got a video of the event and hope to put Scott to work getting it uploaded.

We are considered "high risk" because of our elderly ages. So yesterday we went in for testing called the Combined Screen for Genetic Disorders (1 in about 280 that baby would have a genetic defect at our age). This testing is non-invasive and is about 99% accureate. There is no risk to the baby, but does not give you 100% accureacy like amniocentesis (carries a risk of miscarriage). We most likely will not go through any additional testing. Our results are not back in their complete form, but based on the data they collected yesterday, it looks like our baby does not have any genetic defects like Downs Syndrome (or other). We will keep you posted.

In the video Baby is moving around, high fiving the camera, and seems to be having quite a good time in Mom's tummy. It's internal organs are all formed now and it is moving its little hands and feet around. Scott says it looks long and skinny with a big head. Sound like anyone else we know??

What's new with mom? Well, we learned (the hard way) that when Mom is hungry, food best be withing arms reach or someone is going to get hurt. This includes Scott chasing down waiters to find out when our food will be ready and all but storming the kitchen to get that basket of bread. And just when we thought we were out of the woods with the sickness, along comes the mad rush to the public (old stinky dirty not been cleaned in years) toilet in the middle of a trip across the state for Scott and I. Yikes.

Anyway, we are off to San Diego tomorrow for a family gathering and to share the news with the rest of the family! Fun in the sun.

Love to you all! Scott, Em, Fletch, and Baby Edi

Changes to Mama

Greetings Baby Edi Fans!
There have been a few changes around here, no we haven't painted the baby's room or added a west wing...I am talking changes to me (and to Scott for that matter but more on that later). Now I fully realize A LOT more is to come but I thought I would give you a glimpse of what is going on around here.

First I must say that I have never been so excited to poop in all my life. I know this is a but personal but I figure if you can't share it with your family who can you share it with. Usually I figure "what goes in, must come out" but I am not so sure at this time. Yeah it will come out but it may be a few days...ug. More water, more fiber, prune juice, I know.

Next I must comment on TV advertising. I think each company must have a pregnant woman or two working there. I usually TIVO everything I watch so just fast forward through commercials, but for some reason I have found myself watching...and crying. I have never know anyone to cry at the site of well...babies, puppies, hungry children, you name it, bring on the Kleenex!

Scott's changes have more to do with my requests: "honey will you get me some ice cream," "sure honey" and "honey will you turn on the fan, I am hot" "be happy to honey" and "honey will you take out the dog, I am resting" "i will get right on it honey". I have to be the luckiest girl on the planet to have such a wonderful hubby! I also have to say he is always willing to participate in a late night dessert outing...a girl has to have a partner in crime right?!

One great thing, the last three days I have felt very little, if any sickness. Not counting my chickens yet but heading the right direction!

Lots of love from Little Edi's BIG Adventure!

Fava Bean

Well, its for real! Baby Edi has been identified as human, has all his/her appendages, and I think I even saw hairy forearms. Nice! Looks like a day at the beach in this pic.

Being an "older" expecting parent is pretty sweet...they treat you as if you and the babe to be are royalty. Early ultrasounds, lots of encouragement, and plenty of congratulations!!!

So far, we have learned a lot about how this process works. With plenty of advice from family and friends (some good, some ???), a stack of books 2 stories high from the library, and a great team of medical folks we think we may just figure this whole thing out. Basically right now we just eat and wait...

Speaking of...the cravings range from 4 star Thai to peanut butter cookies. The feeling of having a constant hangover seems not to go away. Too bad there aren't any great stories to go along with this one! Emily isn't feeling 100% either ;)

This phase of pregnancy is a very interesting one; lots of wondering, waiting, learning, and anxiousness. We're both very excited to be in the beginning stages of this wild ride and will happily share bits and pieces with you along the way.


Pretty cute kid if you ask us!