The Naming of the Child

Before we found out the sex of the baby, we had decided on names: Levi Piper for a boy and Lydia Piper for a girl. Keeping in the tradition of my husband's side of the family, the baby would be referred to by it's middle name. (My husband, our daughter, and her aunt all go by their middle names.) In telling friends, I got a lot of flack for wanting to call my son Piper: "Ya know, he's going to get beat up on the playground with a name like that." They are glad to know that Piper will actually be a girl.

Tonight my husband was on the phone with his fraternal grandmother, a woman who resides in Texas, has a very heavy southern accent, and is hard of hearing. This is a portion of their conversation:

"Grandma, we are calling the baby *Piper*."

"Pay-per?"

"No, PIPER."

"Pay-per?"

"PIPER!!!"

"Pay-per?"

"NO, Grandma! It's Piper! PIPER. Like your pipe, but with an er? PIPER"

"Oh....Paahh-per!"

Good lord....It was like that scene in 16 Candles..."Mallied?" "Mallied!"

And the winner is....

ME!


I get the Coach handbag as we are pregnant with a GIRL!!!

Of course, my husband does not really recall making a bet with me and commented that I won't be carrying a nice handbag for a few years; I need to sport a diaper bag. I'll get the Coach bag out of him. In the meantime, he offered to buy me this.

Now that I know we are definitely birthing a female, I am motivated to start shopping. We have NOTHING for a baby in this house. Well, there are those ball gowns, but they are not so practical.

I guess you want to know about the baby!

I feel like a horrible mom, not talking about my pregnancy, but honestly, there hasn't been much going on. Well, except the recent ultrasound where we were to learn about the sex of the baby!! (Please note the past tense version of 'are'.)

This past Tuesday, I had a second trimester diagnostic ultrasound scheduled. Upon meeting with Dawn, the ultrasound technologist at my OB's office (the one who was at the helm of the uncomfortable dildo ultrasound), she told me that her calculations had me at 17 weeks 5 days while the OB has me at 18 weeks 1 day which puts me on the cusp of having a readable diagnostic scan. What does this mean? It means that we may not be able to get proper readings on measurements, not to mention the crucial viewing of the private parts. So, my belly gelled up, we got a look at little one and immediately Dawn said, "I can already hear the radiologist, 'I can't see the four chambers of the heart, I can't see the lungs...' So you know what that means? We can't go on with this scan. Unless of course you have insurance that will pay for as many ultrasounds as you want."

I sighed.

My husband interjected, "Uh, I can see testicles."

Dawn glared at him. "No you can't. Trust me. You will have to wait another 5 days or so we can get an accurate reading."

It amazes me that just under a week can be so crucial in the growth and development and I have to trust the healthcare professionals who care for me aren't feeding me a line. So, I go to make an appointment for Monday when my husband and I start to have a conflict of scheduling and end up agreeing on Thursday.

Next Thursday!!

6 days to find out the sex. Oh. And to make sure that the heart is doing what it is supposed to be doing and that limbs are growing and toes aren't webbed, but really, all we care about is: Is it a boy or a girl?!!

It's the only argument we have: my husband really wants a son, because, well, he played football and went to a military academy and wants to share those experiences with someone who won't roll their eyes or say, 'Can we just play dolls now?'. My mom wants a boy because she only has granddaughters and wants a grandson. Though she did note while looking through Darian's closet that it is a shame all the lovely ball gowns (she gets a new one-sometimes two! every year for the theater) would never be worn again. Unless we had a girl. I want a girl because I am so in love with Darian and love raising a daughter that I actually think I am good at it. (Sidenote: Darian has told me that she thinks I am the best mom ever. I am getting that in writing to show her when she is a teenager.) Of course, whatever the baby turns out to be, I am going to love it unconditionally and be satisfied enough with my gene pool and parenting skills that whomever I give birth to will not turn out to be the spawn of Satan. One can only hope.

So, I have been banking on GIRL while my husband is rooting for BOY. We even have a bet: if I'm right, he buys me a new Coach handbag and if he is right, I search for an Xbox 360. So, tune in next Thursday to see who wins!
(Mom, I will be sure to call you first!!)

It must be something in the megapixels

I was just visiting one of my favorite blog buddies who happened to share with the rest of the internet her big secret. Go over here to find out what it is. Hee Hee!

Chess Tournament

Yesterday my daughter competed in her first ever chess tournament. What made this a cool experience was that it was an all girls tournament. (Thanks again, Tracey!!) Darian competed with girls from as far away as Portland, we had an hour's drive from our home to Olympia. She played five rounds in six hours and though she was exhausted by the end, she was able to keep on her game face.

The child kept her cool for so long, we are thinking of teaching her Texas Hold'em so she can win us some cash at poker tournaments.

And how was YOUR weekend?

Limerick Friday

This past Friday was St. Patrick's Day and while I really have no reason at all to partake in the beer drinking and corned beef eating, I did make the day fun by only communicating with my co-worker in limerick form. I thought you might enjoy reading what we had to say to each other. (His limerick's are in italics.)

There once was a person named Matty
Who celebrated the day about St. Patty.
He wore his color green
Drank beer, made a scene
The next day he thought he'd gone batty.

there were quite a few email about form and creative license

Stymied for rhymes, he sits and he waits
Making his coworker think he's great
At writing some pros
Really- causing woes!
C'mon, it's not hard, take the bait!

Here's my first shot at this game
I was worried about being lame
What if I'd choke?
You'd think me a bloke!
Though that may be the case all the same...

I think you're a bloke, yes, it's true
But I hope that not makes you feel blue
You're a great friend, indeed
Always there for my need
Will you help me to lace up my shoe?

Schein's driving me straight up the wall-
So high that I fear when I fall,
I'll land with a splat
The true end to that
Unable to get up and crawl.

Is that why you incessantly tap
Your hands on your desk, sometimes Whap!
Crazy it makes me
Too much noise, what it be
The virtual shelf just fell in his lap.

Here is a new e-mail thread that had to do with a web application used in our office

The OOR is a tool that you rock
No one should ever think to knock
You out of your place
They'll get a pie in the face
Your coworkers, you continue to shock!

Thanks for your thoughtful support
I'm glad we have great report.
Able to dish
Occasionally wish
That certain folk weren't in this sport.

You have a certain way with the word
Sometimes makes me feel like a turd
But them I'm not KR
Or the Cos, what a cur
They speak like a mimicking bird.


Ha-rah! You used "turd" in you limerick!
Poop references don't make me sick.
Duker and shat
what's up with that?
I'll play this way it's my schtick.

There's a word that's called 'pronoun'
Which when used incorrectly, I frown
It is 'your', not you
Grammatical check, et tu?
Without it, boy, you are going Down.

What's that about houses of glass?
Throw stones and it may all colapse!
An example for you,
Will shortly come through.
We're still at the head of the class!

By the skin of your teeth you will pass
This test on limericks, it's a gas!
I don't know much about cliches
The only rhyming word is mayonnaise
But that glass you profess is your ass.

You can tell we had entirely too much free time on our hands this day. We even started talking to each other in the limerick, annoying the heck out of the people around us. I love my job!!!

The Tao of Darian

Tao Pronunciation Key (dou, tou)
n.

1. In Taoism, the basic, eternal principle of the universe that transcends reality and is the source of being, non-being, and change.
2. In Confucianism, the right manner of human activity and virtuous conduct seen as stemming from universal criteria and ideals governing right, wrong, and other categories of existence.


The other day my eight year old daughter was talking about popularity. It's a subject that really bothers her as there are several girls at her school who she says, 'think they are all that.' My daughter can't stand these girls. She has had an off again/ on again relationship with one little girl for the past 4 years. A lot of the reasons why they are 'off' have to do with what other people think of them. My daughter could care less.

"You know, Meghan and I aren't really friends anymore. You want to know why? She really gets on my nerves with talking about how popular she is because she is friends with Darla. Well, I'm friends with Darla, too, and it's cause we both like to play games and use our imaginations. I told Meghan, You know what? This isn't a popularity contest; it's elementary school!"

I think to myself that I am raising someone with strong core values and positive self esteem and I can't help but smile with pride.

She then says, "You know what, Mommy? I don't believe in popularity."

"Well, what do you believe in?" I ask.

"I believe in the bright side."

Wow. I'm left speechless and awed.