Saturday, March 31, 2012

Ashley at 35 Weeks and 2 Days

Ashley at 35 weeks 2 days

Friday, March 30, 2012

So You're 36 Weeks Pregnant?


As mentioned before, I like to do a lot of reading and research about pregnancy.  I like to know as much as I can so that I am prepared for it all.  I know that the 36 week mark is a big deal, so I thought I would share the article that I read below.  I just realized that I didn't post a picture of Ashley at 35 weeks, so I am having her take a picture now and I will share it with you all later.

I hope you enjoy the article and I take no credit as this is the work of another writer.

So You're 36 Weeks Pregnant?
Author: Lisa Tong

You're getting close to the end and the arrival of your precious bundle when you're 36 weeks pregnant. If you go right to the end you only have four or five weeks left, but it is likely that you doctor has told you that you could go into labor at any time. You might be feeling a bit overwhelmed at this point and finding it hard to get comfortable when you lie down. You might also be anxious that you don't have enough things bought for the baby or that the nursery is not exactly in shape.

It is at this time that you start to get a nesting feeling. You want everything to be clean when the baby arrives so you may find yourself cleaning the house or apartment more. This is one way of keeping busy and active. Your belly is very big at this stage, making it difficult for you to sit in a chair or to get up when you want to stand. You probably can't see your feet when you look down once you are in a standing position. At the same time, you will probably be a bit uncomfortable due to the itchiness of the stretch marks on your abdomen. The best thing to do about this is to apply lots of lotion on your stomach to help relieve the itchy feeling.

The baby probably weighs about 6 pounds by now and is about 13 inches long. At this time, the baby will start to move down into the birthing position. You may notice, or someone may tell you, that your stomach has dropped. This is one of the signs that the birth is very close. You may feel the dropping or you may feel nothing at all. It is also called lightening and once this happens you will feel more comfortable because there will be less pressure on your lungs and ribs. You may also feel urges to eat more and at unusual times.

Other changes that will start to occur at 36 weeks include changes to your bladder. You may have to urinate a lot more often and may not be able to hold the water as you once could. This is because the baby in the lower position is now pressing against the bladder. You can try to cut down on the amount of fluids you drink and lean forward as you urinate to ensure that you do empty the bladder completely.

Some of the other changes could include:
  • Constipation
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Backache
  • Pain in the buttocks
  • An increased feeling of heaviness
By now, there is no danger to the baby if he/she were to be born at this stage. All the organs have developed and the baby would be able to breathe outside the uterus. Baby fat is developing on the arms and legs and there are dimples on the cheeks, knees and elbows. The sucking movements have developed so that the baby will suck the milk as soon as it is born. The gums have also hardened and the brain is rapidly developing. The baby is also blinking its eyes at this stage.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pregnancy-articles/so-youre-36-weeks-pregnant-479643.html

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Almost There!

Ashley had another routine appointment today, the doctor said that everything looks good at this point.  The doctor did mention that we have quite a big baby in there.  April 3rd is our big appointment and we are counting down the days at this point.  That appointment marks 36 weeks of pregnancy or 9 months, meaning that we will be within the month of seeing our baby for the first time.

I will try to get some more pictures tonight, this blog is really bland without pictures.  It will be a much more interesting blog when Tobias gets here, I will have a whole lot more to talk about then!  Until then I am just the daddy to be, Ashley would probably have a lot more to say on a blog than I would.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

No Blogging Today


Sorry everyone, it is a really hectic day today and I won't be posting anything on any of my blogs today.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Technology of a 4D Ultrasound

Tobias at 33 weeks

The article below was not written by me, it is merely something I wanted to share.  Every since I found out Ashley was pregnant, I do an awful lot of reading about pregnancy.  Every once in awhile I find articles that I am really interested in.  The article below is about the "4D" ultrasounds, which I really like because I love anything that has to do with technology. 

I really like seeing the "4D" pictures of Tobias and I wasn't aware that they really only do this for entertainment purposes.  I guess it makes sense, but it is just amazing how much this technology has advanced over the years.  The picture above is of Tobias during the 33rd week of pregnancy.  You can see in the picture that he is getting so big that his feet are in his face!

I hope you all enjoy the article and I will see you all tomorrow!

The Technology of a 4D Ultrasound

The 4D ultrasound scan is often called the keep sake ultrasound, meaning that some people may find it unnecessary. It is a great way for the parents to bond with their unborn child, because they can see him moving around and making faces in the womb. An ultrasound works by using sound waves that will bounce back and show an image of the baby. This type of baby ultrasound scan can help doctors determine if there is a problem earlier and can determine for sure what the sex of the baby is for the parents. There are studies that show that women take better care of themselves after they have a 4D ultrasound scan. They have a better bond with their child and want to eat right and make sure they are getting enough sleep. Keeping the baby happy becomes even more important to them.

The 4D ultrasound takes these sound wave pictures at a very fast pace allowing them to come back in real time, and creating a sort of animation show for the parents. They will actually be able to see their child moving in the womb. Using a display screen, an electronics console, and a hand held transducer the ultrasound device emits high frequency sound waves and when the waves bounce back they create an echo that shows up on the screen as a picture. There is no radiation involved in an ultrasound scan this process so it is healthy for the baby. The 4D ultrasound allows doctors to conduct examinations on unborn babies that were not possible before, because they can see the entire picture and captures the movement.

Ultrasounds are used by doctors to see how the baby is developing, determining how old it is, spotting twins, spotting abnormalities, determining the sex, and the weight of the baby. People were thrilled with the introduction of the 3D ultrasound which allowed them to see an amazingly clear image of the baby in the womb. The 4D ultrasound scans are even more amazing to future parents because they can see the movement of the baby in the tummy.

The original ultrasound is a blurry picture and it is very difficult to see the different parts of the baby. It is also very difficult to determine the sex of the baby accurately. This can lead to some mistakes when determining if there is a boy or a girl in the beginning. This has also led to doctors not detecting twins until later in the pregnancy. With the introduction of the 2D ultrasound doctors were able to be more accurate on the age, sex, and weight of the baby. They were more accurate with the prediction of due dates, and with the sex of the babies. The introduction of 3D ultrasounds allowed parents to actually see facial features of the baby and know at a 99% sure rate the sex of the baby. The advances in baby ultrasound scans have been quite significant in the past five years, and have come a long way from the original baby scan. It will be interesting to see what advances there will be in the next 5-10 years.

For more information about how a 4d ultrasound scan works, please visit: http://4dultrasoundscans.com/4d-ultrasound-scan-faq/4d-ultrasound-scans-faq/how-a-4d-ultrasound-scan-works/

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://nicolabusley1.articlealley.com/the-technology-of-a-4d-ultrasound-scan-2376856.html

Monday, March 26, 2012

Great Weekend!

I have a new post over on Daddy Weight Loss today called Bad Weekend, but if I had a bad weekend how did I also have a great weekend?  On that blog I had a bad weekend because of my lack of diet and exercise.  This blog is a little different and I will tell you why I had a great weekend. 

I got to spend a lot of time with Ashley.  We watched romantic comedies and cooked meals together.  We fought over the temperature of these house and we cuddled to keep warm.  All in all it was great to be able to spend time with each other without having to be on a schedule.

I played a lot of video games over the weekend.  This is usually an activity that it reserved for late nights on the weekend.  Not this weekend, I got to play during the day and actually went to bed at a decent hour.  It was also a Double XP weekend on Modern Warfare 3 so there was quite a lot of activity on Xbox this weekend.

Before the weekend, Ashley being the best fiancee ever, cleaned the house.  Now when I say she cleaned the house, I mean SHE CLEANED THE HOUSE. It is immaculate, I was really surprised when I saw how clean it was.

Overall, it was a great weekend and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  I know Tobias will be here soon and everything will be completely different.  It was nice to have one last good relaxing weekend!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Cord Blood: Donate or Bank?


It seems that having a baby comes along with many decisions to make along the way.  One question that always gets my attention is whether to donate cord blood or to pay someone to bank it.  Every time we go to the doctor's office I see pamphlets about Cord Blood.

Cord Blood for those that don't know is the blood from the umbilical cord.  It contains stem cells and is used to treat around 80 different diseases. 

I don't have any personal experience with this, but I have talked to a few people who can describe it as a scam.  First of all cord blood banking is expensive.  Secondly, if your child has one of the diseases and was born with it his/her cord blood can't help as it is diseased as well.  Finally, what if your child never needs it, but other children are dying waiting for a good donor?

Ashley and I will be donating the cord blood, because we feel it is only fair to help others.  If Tobias should ever need stem cells, we will have good karma in that respect.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Wish Me Luck!

Ashley at 34 weeks and 1 day

Sorry for the short post today, I am headed off to our house closing!  Please wish me luck that everything goes smoothly. 

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Closing On Our House





For those that know, Ashley and I have been living in our new house since December 29th.  We are finally closing on the home tomorrow (March 22nd), the owner was generous enough to let us live there until the closing happened.  I got everything lined up for tomorrow and double checked every detail.  

This has been a huge stress for me because I wanted to close before Tobias comes.  It hasn't felt like that was going to happen and I was getting very nervous.  I am still praying that everything goes off tomorrow without a hitch, but I know that everything will happen the way it was intended.

I may not be posting tomorrow because I will be very busy, but I will be back on Friday for sure as a less stressed man.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Routine Baby Appointment

We got a good laugh out of this picture...

Ashley had a routine baby appointment today to check her vitals and measurements.  The doctors are keeping a close eye on the size of Tobias because he seems to be growing pretty rapidly.  Don't quote me, but I believe they said that he is the size of a 36 week old baby rather than the 34 that he should be.
April 3rd we will have an appointment with the doctor to check his progress.  They will do a sonogram at that point and decide how big he is then.  They said that if he is 9 pounds they would take him out the same day as long as he is healthy.  

We are closing on the house on Thursday and getting everything straightened up.  I am so thankful that we are getting everything done this week in case he does happen to come early.  I can barely contain my excitement when I tell people all about Ashley's pregnancy.  Thank god I have this blog or I would probably lose my mind!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Nesting Is Upon Us and I'm Not Talking About Birds!

Just as an update, Ashley's ER visit on Friday was nothing serious.  It was just some issues that showed up from the previous night's exam.  Other than her ear infection, everything is okay.

Ashley's "Nesting Instinct" has kicked in and she wants all of the household chores done and everything cleaned.  We had some friends over on Saturday and they brought their daughter.  We watched as she tore through the house, showing us everything that wasn't "baby proof."  After they left, Ashley started talking about how she wanted to spend Sunday getting everything straightened out.  My friend Matt offered to come over and help us tackle some projects.

Projector finally mounted on the ceiling

The picture above is our projector in the living room that has been a big point of interest for Ashley.  Previously it was sitting on a table in the middle of our living room with cables run across the floor to it.  Every time someone would walk in the living room the picture would move and lose signal.  I ordered a mount from Monoprice.com  (My favorite website) and Matt went through the process of mounting it securely to the ceiling.  We then adjusted it and made new cables to run through the basement and then up the walls to the projector.  As you can see in the pictures the wires are still just draped, but we will be getting conduit next weekend.  Matt also took it upon himself to mount up all of our surround sound speakers which is something I never got around to.
Projector "screen" with Ashley for reference
After Matt left Ashley started to organize the cupboards and pantry in the kitchen while doing laundry.  We aren't done yet, but we are certainly getting there!  We will get the inside of the house cleaned up throughout the week and then we plan on cleaning the exterior of the house next weekend.

 Gizmo is loving the weather

Friday, March 16, 2012

Another ER Trip!


 We made another trip to the ER for some concerns that we had about Ashley.  We called her OB and they arranged for us to go to the women's hospital.  They did the standard testing and everything came out okay.  I was exhausted before we went, but I was completely burned out after we left.

I don't like to leave you guys with cliffhangers (because I don't write on the weekends), but Ashley is back at the doctor again this morning for some other complications.  At this point we aren't getting worked up, but we would like answers as to what is going on.

See you all on Monday with more stories from the journey of a Daddy To Be!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Counting Down the Days

I know I shouldn't be counting down the days until Tobias comes, but I can't help myself.  I know that it makes time seem slower.  I am just so excited to see my son and see the looks on everyone's faces the first time they see him.

Ashley is starting to feel a little bit better, so hopefully the infection is starting to clear up.  I feel bad for her that she is sick because it is already hard enough being pregnant and tired all the time.  She still pushes through and manages to keep up the house and still have fun.

We finally have a closing date on the house, next Thursday 3/22/12!  I am just so excited for this ordeal to finally be over.  We have been working on buying the house since October 2011 and we were supposed to close on December 29th, 2011.  It has been a long winding road getting to hear, but the end of the tunnel is near!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Another Birthday and Another Hospital Visit

Ashley at 33 weeks

So as of Monday (March 12th) I am a year older, clocking in at 26 years old.  I had a great birthday this year, which I really needed.  I got out of work early, Ashley made a fantastic dinner (Steak and Potatoes), and I got presents of course!

I took the day off of blogging for my birthday and then locked out my Google account yesterday, so sorry for not posting.  I am back up and hitting the ground running today. 

Ashley had to pay a visit the emergency room yesterday.  She got a little cold and it led to a nasty ear infection.  The doctor prescribed ear drops and an antibiotic.  She is feeling a little better today, but isn't up to much.

We also got news last night that we will finally be closing on our house next week.  We have been living in the new house since December waiting for the closing.  That will be one less thing to stress about and we will be all settled down for Tobias.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Sometimes you can't be too sure....

Yes, she took three...
 
Ashley was told that due to a thyroid condition she would probably never be able to have kids.  We still tried to conceive for well over a year since she stopped taking birth control.  Well, we started to notice that all of the side effects of her condition were going away.  Her hair stopped falling out, she gained a lot of color in her skin, and she had more energy throughout the day.  Then she started to go to the bathroom a lot and I jokingly said, "Well you must be pregnant".  She took a pregnancy test that she had from a previous scare and ran to the bathroom.  A few minutes later I heard, "Um, Ryan, Come here!" and I ran in to see her looking at something on the sink with a huge smile on her face.  We hugged, kissed, and laughed.  For the following 2 days she took the other tests and finally got it confirmed by a doctor.
That's the story of how we find out that Ashley was pregnant, I hope you all enjoyed!

Friday, March 9, 2012

It's Friday!

Don't worry I won't be playing any Rebecca Black for my readers, I'm not that cruel.  Friday is by far my favorite day of the week, it means that I will have 2 days to spend with my friends and family.  Weekends are huge for Ashley and I, because we can't spend a whole lot of time together during the week.  Ashley has been busy organizing the house and getting everything set and I would like to be able to help her with that.  My birthday is Monday and we will probably celebrate it this weekend.

This wait is killing me though, 54 more days (assuming he comes on his due date) and I don't feel like I could wait 1 more day.  Everyday I wonder what he is going to look like, how he is going to act, and if he is going to love me from the start.  I'm nervous, excited, and impatient all at the same time.  My weight loss is motivated by him (http://wedding-weightloss.blogspot.com) and I want him to meet me when I am in shape.  I know he won't remember, but I will.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

It Finally Hit Me


I thought all along that it had hit me that we were having a baby.  While the baby shower was going on I listened to this song because I had heard it on Glee before.  Yes, I know this song wasn't written for the show but it is something Ashley and I watch together.  I don't know what it was about the song, but I started tearing up and had to stop and think.  I really was excited about Tobias before, but now it feels completely different.  Last night while celebrating Ashley's birthday someone mentioned how nice Ashley looked and that it seems like she's lost weight.  She told the person that she was actually 8 months pregnant and the person was kind of embarrassed, but we all got a good laugh out of it.  Ashley's grandma mentioned that there was only 4 weeks to go, and Ashley corrected her and said that it was longer than that.  For a mere second I believed that we only had 4 weeks and I was ecstatic.

Listen to the song if you have the time, I thought it was a pretty good song.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Ashley's Birthday!


Today is Ashley's 21st birthday and Tobias is 32 weeks!  Her mom and grandma took her to the casino today to celebrate.  Ashley ended up winning a decent amount of money and cashed out, so she is very happy.  I will be taking her to our favorite restaurant (El Canelo's) tonight after I get out of work.

As far as her appointment from yesterday is concerned, everything is okay as far as we know.  The doctor wants her back in 2 weeks for a check up, which is standard procedure for how far along she is.  Thank you to everyone that prayed for and is praying for us now.

Ashley received a few gifts already of money this year, which is very nice seeing as she can't work.  She has had problems her whole pregnancy eating enough and lately she has been eating healthy because she has extra spending money.  I am very happy about this, because it is very hard to get her to eat 3 square meals a day.

Overall, everything is going pretty well for us and we have really enjoyed unpacking and organizing all of the baby shower presents.  I will try to get some pictures up from the baby shower within the next few days.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Pray for us

Ashley had a routine doctor's appointment today for the pregnancy and they found that she had high blood pressure.  They performed a non stress test and found that Tobias' heart rate was a little low.  They did clear Ashley and let her go home, so everything should be ok, but prayers can't hurt so if you could include us in your prayers today we would appreciate it.  Her pregnancy hasn't had a whole lot of problems, so this has her pretty worked up.  I will be going home to spend time with her and try to calm her down.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Busy Day

Very busy day today and I won't be able to sit down and write a post.  My apologies to anyone who came here today to read my posts.  We had the baby shower yesterday and it went off without a hitch, but it put me behind on some other things.  Thank you all for reading and I'll see you all tomorrow!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Father's Weight Loss: Motivation, Moderation, and Pride


I have mentioned it before, but I wanted to elaborate a little more.  I am currently dieting and exercising and writing about it on my other blog (http://wedding-weightloss.blogspot.com). My reasoning and motivation behind this is very special to me.  I don't want to be the father that is lazy and out of shape, I want to be the father that my son can't keep up with.  I know a lot of fathers that I know are busy men with no time for dieting and working out, and I also know that all of these men share one thing in common... good excuses. 

Working 40 hours a week and leading a family can be almost too much for a man to deal with and free time can be hard to come by.  Being in shape can extend your life so my view is that the time spent is returned to you later in life.  Most children I know will tell you that their father is the strongest man in the world, and that is an amazing thing to hear.  When a father really is the strongest man in the world it is even more amazing.


America on average is an overweight/obese country and we the American men can band together and change that.  Just think if every father took 30 minutes out of their day to exercise that stereotype could fade out tremendously.  We have one thing going for us that is a great secret weapon, Testosterone. This hormone gives us the ability to build big muscles and be strong.  Now don't get me wrong, women can be strong too, but ask any woman that is losing weight and trying to build muscle they really do have it harder.


I want to be the father that other fathers look at and think I wish I could be that physically fit.  Quit kidding yourself men, you can be that fit and I want to be the one to show you all it is possible.  Run, swim, lift weights, jog, take up boxing, go to the gym, or even take exercise classes.  The possibilities are endless and just imagine what the father-son sporting events could be like.  If you take an interest in your fitness, I can promise you that you child will as well.


This doesn't mean that you need to get rid of your video games, favorite recliner, or even your favorite foods.  The word of the day is moderation, read it, love it, and remind yourself of it everyday.  Forget about the beers on the weekend, cut back to a few but don't overdo it.  When you order chicken wings get a smaller order and have carrots and celery to fill you up.  Don't bring the whole bag of chips to your chair to watch the game, put some in a small bowl and when they are gone don't get up for more.  It really is all of the little things that lead us to be overweight.


Convenience is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome.  As cheesy as this may sound, just think if it is convenient it probably isn't healthy.  Instead of eating a convenient TV dinner, cook up some fresh food and make some extra for lunches and when you are busy.  I know we are all busy, but we all know that home cooked meals are the best.


Count calories, it isn't just for chicks anymore.  Men can do it too and I think that we all should.  You can keep it to yourself, instead of saying I am close to my calorie allotment for the day just say you aren't hungry.  You probably really aren't hungry anyways.  Check out MyFitnessPal.com and get the app for your smart phone and start today.  My other blog (http://wedding-weightloss.blogspot.com) has a post today with more information about this.


If you do weight lifting in addition to cardio, avoid the scale for a while.  You may be losing fat, but if you are gaining muscle that scale isn't going to move much.  Maybe weigh once a month to get an idea and look in the mirror more often.  Visual results are always much nicer than the number on the scale.  Set a goal, but don't be frustrated if you don't reach it.  You may want to lose 50 pounds and only lose 25, but be the epitome of physical fitness.  I would say if that is the case you found your goal and blew right past it!


My final advice is, DON'T PROCRASTINATE!  Please don't read this and utter the words, I'll start tomorrow.  Start now, every minute we waste with bad health is another minute we could be doing something about it.  Even if you ate terrible food all day, still count the calories and see where you were before you started.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Related Videos

So some videos were shared with me and I thought I would share them with all of you.  The first one was shared by Ashley it is a song by Rodney Atkins with lyrics and I thought it was pretty cool.



The other video was shared by one of my readers, DoceanMotion, and it makes me really think about what I am doing with my blog.  It is called DearSophie by Google Chrome and it is about a father emailing his daughter while she is growing up to show her later in life.  I can only hope that I will be able to do the same with Tobias.

I'm sure that someday, whether I want to imagine it or not, that Tobias will find out that he is becoming a father.  I want him to be able to read this blog and understand how I felt during this process.  I want him to know that I am excited to be his father and want to play a huge role in his life.