Well, the last pregnancy-centric post i can find is from 28 weeks. We’ve done so much in that time, and while I’ll be cranking out some posts that are event specific, I also feel the need to play catch up for those of you that come here for the sweet, sweet baby news.
We were incredibly fortunate to have family and friends throw three showers for us. I was kinda surprised that we knew that many people, much less that so many actually liked us. And by us I mean me. I attended two, missing one in Indiana that wasn’t really co-ed anyway. I think two showers is more than enough for any dude to attend, so I’m not crying about missing one. DARE YOU CHALLENGE ME?!? Our dear friends threw one hell of a party here in Columbus, complete with real-deal barbeque and an Elvis impersonator in honor of Tiny E. Friends came from out of town, and so many wonderful people we’ve met in our few years in C-bus turned out as well. Tori went solo to southern Indiana for her family’s shindig, and most recently we traveled with the k9′s to Buffalo where my family got their chance to let us know how much they love us.
We started childbirth class two weeks ago. We debated between having class at St. Anne’s, where we would get a good overview of how things are done at that hospital specifically, or at CHOICE where we would get a wider range of opinions and thoughts about birth. Our classes started six weeks before the EDD, so we ended up begining with class 6 of 6, and participating in class 1 next. So far the classes have been informative and fun. It turns out that I had been following the midwife who teaches the class on Twitter for a while without knowing it! She gave her email address to the class; “you can contact me at amazonmidwife at…” and I kind of babbled out “I follow you on Twitter!” recognizing her @amazonmidwife handle. Ahh, to be a socially networking expectant daddy…
The nursery is all but complete. Artwork hung, furniture assembled, bedding laundered and bed made.
I posted a couple of weeks ago that our friends had their baby, Esther. We visited at the hospital, of course, but it’s been rewarding to see how they have transitioned back to their house. It has been inspiring, as well as making me incredibly anxious about the logistical problems we may face having a newborn in a small Clintonville house with one bathroom. But then again, I’m getting anxious about everything at this point.
Tori is looking as good as ever, and I have nothing to share from her recent visits to the OB. All is well and progressing nicely. The last few weeks, the fatigue has set in. She’s usually in bed by 10 at the latest, although she’ll fight it till midnight now and then. Tiny E just goes CRAZY in there now…rolling and kicking and punching, all visible to the naked eye if you watch her belly for a few minutes. This has led to more peeing, more uncomfortable nights and every once in a while, pain in her abdomen from the movement. Sleep is challenging these days.
We’re in a really good place with names (no, dude…we’re not sharing) for either sex. We’ve had a few in mind for most of the pregnancy, and it’s looking like it’ll be an easy choice when the time comes. We’re both still in love with them after having 7 months to mull them over, and we think that’s a good sign.
We met with our doula again at 32 weeks, and had a good open conversation about how we see things going at the hospital. The birth plan was the focus of the conversation, and we decided it would be best to wait for our first few classes before we put anything on paper. Right now all we really have is the idea that we want to be kept informed and have the right to consent to any procedural diversions.
Just this week, we had our initall consultation with the doctor who will be our new family doc. We know her through some mutual friends, and she showed an ability to be our kind of doc…not an alarmist, able to deal with my incestant questions, and a good sense of humor. She’ll be Tiny E’s pediatrician as well.
That’s really all I can think of for now. We have just over a month to go until our estimated due date (I found out this week that Tori’s mom was a week late with Tori and her sister, so we’re expecting Tiny E a little late as well). We’ve been slacking on pictures of Tori’s belly, but I’ll leave you with a photo I took today at the water park:
July 10th, 2009
Let’s start at the beginning. I left home for a hitchhiking adventure when I was 15 years old. Me and a couple of friends were headed up to Vermont from Buffalo to catch a Grateful Dead show. It took us a few days, but we made it up together, and I fell in love with America.
Fast forward a year. Jerry’s gone, and I decide to head out west to see some old friends and catch a few Furthur shows. After a crazy day at Fiddler’s Green, I make the call to hang out in Colorado for a while. There’s mountains. I like it here. Boulder, Colorado is one of those cities that just attracts traveling/homeless/adventuresome kids. I met some amazing people who took me in there, friendly and understanding. They also schooled me, taught me some things that I needed to know. As the summer was winding down, I began to hear talk of an upcoming Phish show at Red Rocks. Almost everyone I knew there was going, and I figured I’d tag along. I had heard some Phish before, and was intrigued. They reminded me of nuevo-Zappa, seasoned with Dr. Demento along with a side of some good ‘ol rock and roll. Some interesting things happened at that run, and I made some new friends. Ones with cars, and tickets. I was on the bus before I knew what was happening.
I saw just under one hundred shows (my count is now 101) from summer ’96 to summer ’98. I became the man I am today for the most part. I learned to thrive in parking lots, hotels and campgrounds. And I fucking LOVED every minute of it. Phish was my life for a few years. Then, as these things usually go, I fell in love with a girl and decided to slow down. I would catch a show here and there, and actively traded tapes, but Phish was changing too and I had no desire to follow them down the road they had chosen. I immersed myself in bluegrass and jazz for a while. I knew that they were on “hiatus” for a while. And I listened to their “last” concert, Coventry, live on XM radio at work. It was so bad, I sheepishly shut it off. I was completely embarrassed after having told so many co workers how great the band was. Coventry may have been emotional, but there’s a damn good reason you don’t see it on too many fans iPods.
Then came the arrest. And the resurrection I witnessed at ROTHBURY.
Now it’s 2009, and after playing together at a friends wedding they announce a 3 night run at the Hampton Coliseum with a tour to follow. We were on the edge of our seats…could they do it? Would it be the same? Better? Different? Hampton turned out to be a barnburner, and I knew the tour would be steaming.
And so it has been. A few flubs here and there, but that’s only expected after so long apart from each other. They’re playing a handful of songs a LOT, but introducing new tunes and busting out some old goodies too. As a spectator, the biggest change has been the ability to watch the shows as they’re happening. I’m watching and listening to tonights set at Bonnaroo as I type. Cell phones have come a looooong way. When I was on tour, I had a pager.
Tori, Tiny E and I are heading to our old stomping grounds in the cornfields next week. This may very well be the last show I see at Deer Creek, and will certainly be the last time I see Phish before were a family of three. It’s gonna be a blast taking our unborn child to see so many friends, and four very special ones indeed.
June 14th, 2009
Well, I’m glad you asked. Tiny Elvis was a recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live in the early 90′s. At one of our first ultrasound appointments, I voiced the tiny fetus…”Hey man, get a load of that uterus…that suckers HUGE” and the rest is Tiny E history.
From the Wikipedias:
Tiny Elvis, also called “Tiny E” by his companions, was a miniature (about 2 inches tall) Elvis Presley, as portrayed by Nicolas Cage (and in later appearances, by Rob Schneider) in a series of sketches. He would frequently remark jokingly upon how “huge” certain objects were (“Look at that salt shaker! That thing’s huge!”), to which everyone around him would laugh and fawn over him (“Good call, Tiny Elvis!”). However, he was easily roused to anger when his compatriots, Sonny and Red (a reference to Presley’s real life bodyguards, Sonny and Red West), would comment on how cute he was. The character was apparently a parody of the ludicrously self-assured persona assumed by Presley in his many movies, and the equally ludicrously sycophantic followers that attended upon him in those films.
I’ve searched high and low on the intertubes for a video, to no avail. But today I realized that before YouTube, we used to look at pictures. And then I found some. Enjoy both Nick and Rob as Tiny E:
As I said, no video (yet!) but here’s a transcript from snltranscripts.jt.org.
Tiny Elvis: Hey, man.. look at that salt shaker, man. That is huge! Man, I’ll never be able to use all that salt, man. That is way too much!
Red: Yeah, that’s a big salt shaker, Elvis!
Tiny Elvis: Sure is huge, man.
Sonny: That’s hilarious, Elvis!
Red: Score another one for the Tiny E!
Sonny: Man, we can’t keep up with you!
Tiny Elvis: Well, I’m just saying it’s a big salt shaker, that’s all.
June 14th, 2009
Tori and I will be bringing Tiny E to tonight’s DSO show at The Newport. I used my Decibel Club membership (finally!) to get free tickets to the show. If you don’t know, DSO recreates the music of the Good Ol’ Grateful Dead in an alarmingly accurate manner. They modify stage setups, band members and set lists to match the exact period they are recreating. In 2007, Tori and I attended Gratefulfest at Nelsons Ledges, and DSO performed flawlessly. The shows are not only a great time, but they serve as a meeting point for area Deadheads. I’ve talked to others about how it can be really difficult to connect with like minded people when you move around as much as we do, so the ability to boogie my ass off and meet new friends is always welcome. I’ve seen them maybe a dozen times, and always had a fantastic experience. If you’re in the Columbus area, come check them out tonight!
February 20th, 2009
