Why Don't Babies Come With Name Tags?

Seriously. Choosing a name is insanely hard. I don't have any problem finding names I like. I could write you a list 50 names long with names that I like. The problem is finding names that I can actually use.
Since we are not finding out the gender, we need to be prepared with both a boy name and a girl name. The girl name is easy - we've had it decided upon since before we found out Monster was a boy. No thinking necessary there.

It's boy names that are the big issue. I have a thing for names that end in -er. Asher, Parker, Oliver, Hunter, Cooper, Connor, Carter, Sawyer, etc. But our last name ends in -ers. I don't want our child to have a first & last name that have a repetitive sound.

And I'm not a fan of alliterations in names, and since our last name starts with an R, all R names are out. (Riley, Rhys, Rowan, Ryder, etc.) We do have the middle name for a boy chosen, and it starts with W. So a W first name is out as well (even though I love Wyatt).

And I'd prefer not to have any of us or our kiddos have the same first initial - just to make everything easier. So that means B, S, and L are out. The girl name we have our heart set on starts with an M. So we have to take into consideration that if this is a boy, we don't want to choose an M name and have to re-think our girl's name down the road. So M is out too.

Since we have the middle name chosen, the first name also has to flow well with the middle name.

Now I know there are still plenty of names out there that don't start with R, W, B, S, L or M.
But my requirements don't end there! I also don't want a super popular name, so I refuse any name that has been in the top 100 (of the U.S.) for the past 5 years or so. If it's not in the top 500, even better. Monster's real name has not even been in the SSA's top 1,000!
Yet, it's not some totally out-there ridiculous name, either. I'm not naming my child Moxie Crimefighter or Pilot Inspektor. ;)

So that means the traditional, popular names are all out. Names like Michael, Jacob, Ethan, Matthew, Jonathan, Alexander, Daniel, Anthony, David, Benjamin. I have nothing against these names - I just prefer more unique names for my children. Which means anything rhyming with ayden/aiden/aidan is out. The Aidan/Jaden/Kayden/Hayden/Brayden trend has been around far too long.

I also want a name that will grow with the child as they age. For example, if you name your child Mikey (not Michael, not Mike - but Mikey) it will be cute until the kid reaches about 10 years old. Then they will hate it. Imagine typing up a resume with the name Mikey. Not very professional. Or names like Princess. I'm sorry, you may think your little girl is a princess, but it's not a very grown-up or professional name. I want a name that can fit a baby/young child/teenager/adult equally well.

And then, on top of all of these "requirements", I still have to like the sound of the name! Take Ernest for example - it definitely fits the bill. Not in the top 500 for the past 7 years, isn't popular, doesn't start with any of the forbidden letters, and even flows well with the middle name.... but the name itself just doesn't sound good to me. (No offense to anyone named Ernest or anyone with kids named Ernest. I just don't like it for my child.)

As I mentioned at the begining, I have no problem finding names I like. It's just all the ones I really like don't go with our last name, or don't go with the middle name. *sigh*

If all babies were born wearing name tags - with the name that will be the BEST name for them - then I really think all of this would be a lot easier!

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Why Do I Do This To Myself?

I just found the most adorable outfit for a little girl... the Paris Romper & Skirt Set.

See how cute this is?! It's a 2-piece set. There's the little romper, and then the sweet skirt. And it ties in back!

 

It's on ShopBelle.com for a normal price of $76. The current price: $54. But then there's a coupon code out right now (FINAL30) that takes an additional 30% off. That brings it down to only $37.80...

Which is still a CRAZY price to pay for a dress for a little kid! People that spend this much money on clothes for kids are either really really RICH, really really IN DEBT, or just plain INSANE. I'm none of the above, so I must, sadly, ignore this adorable dress.

And goodness gracious, I don't even know whether I'm having a girl or a boy! To spend over $40 (after shipping) on a dress for a little girl that I might not even have... no, I'm too smart for that.

But I still think it's stinkin adorable. And I want it.

P.S. - Look, there's a matching Reversible Sunhat, too!

*sigh*



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My Crazy, Kinda-Scary-but-Funny, HIV Test Ordeal

Well, the title sums it up pretty well! If you've ever been pregnant before, you probably know that one of the things your Dr.'s office checks for in the initial blood draw they take, is HIV. If you didn't know that before - you do now. :)

Warning - this post is going to be pretty long. I guess I just have a lot to say! But I can tell you that it's an interesting story, to say the least! And if you're ever one of the unlucky percentage of pregnant women who this happens to, then maybe my story will help you to not freak out like I did!

When I was pregnant with Monster, they did the test, and my blood came back HIV negative. No surprise there. I have zero risk factors for contracting HIV. Ben & I were each other's first sexual partners - and we are still each other's only sexual partner. I've also never done any drugs, so the only needles injected into my skin should have been sterile hospital needles used to draw my blood or give me vaccinations. I've never had a blood transfusion. And I cannot recall ever having been stabbed by a needle from a random stranger.

So fast forward to my first OB appt for this pregnancy. About two weeks after my appt, I get a voicemail from a nurse at my OB's office, asking me to call her ASAP. I didn't think anything of it - until I called. Dr. H wants me to come in to meet with her tomorrow to go over some test results. Tomorrow?! I have another routine OB appt in 2 weeks... what could be so important that I have to come in right away? What does she have to meet with me about that can't be said over the phone?! I of course start going over all the things they tested for in my head:

1. Pee test to confirm pregnancy. What if I'm not actually pregnant? That would suck. But with all my symptoms I doubted it could be that.
2. My Rh factor. I know I'm RH+, so it's not that
3. Drug screening. I know I don't take any drugs, so it's not that
4. HIV and other STD's. I know I'm HIV negative, and don't have any STD's, so it's not that.
5. Cystic Fibrosis. When I was pregnant with Monster, I was not a carrier for CF. So that couldn't change now, right?
6. I think there was another disease they tested for too... but it usually only affected people of Jewish decent, which I'm not. So it was likely not that.

I was at a loss as to just what my Dr. could have to talk to me about... but worried about it, nonetheless.

So finally, the next day rolls around, and I'm scheduled to meet wtih Dr. H after work. I get in the room, Dr. H comes in, sits down in front of me, and takes a deep breath. She tells me not to freak out about what she's about to tell me (and of course I'm getting more freaked out by the minute!). She goes on to explain that sometimes lab work has errors, and she really thinks that what happened is that mine had a error - so not to freak out. Yada, yada, yada. I'm getting ready to just scream at her to tell me because I can't stand the not knowing... and then she says it. "Your blood test came back HIV positive." - Wait, what?!? "But I really think it's just a lab error. You were HIV negative when you had Monster (just 11 months prior) so in the past year, have you travelled to a foreign country?" No. "Had a blood transfusion?" Nope. "Been poked by an unkown needle?" Um... No. "Taken any drugs?" No way.

She tells me that she was surprised when the results came in, so she called up the place that did the testing, and asked for further testing. The further testing came back 'Indeterminate' - how helpful! Not. She was told by the lab guy that their test looks for 9 markers in the blood. My blood had 1 of those 9 markers. Typically, patients that really do have HIV have at least 8 of the 9 markers. But, I had that 1. So it was 'indeterminate'.

So I'm told the standard protocol is to re-test my blood in 3 months, in case it was a lab error. So I schedule my lab date for 3 months down the road, and go home with some AWESOME news to tell Ben. (can you sense my sarcasm?) Good news is, Ben was still as sure as I was that I'm really HIV negative, since there would have been no way for me to contract HIV in the past 11 months. So we just have to wait the 3 months until the blood can be re-tested and all of this can be solved.

Fast forward 3 months. I get my blood re-tested. Fast forward 2 weeks later - I get a phone call from a nurse at my OB's office. She tells me that my blood work came back, and it's the same as it was last time. Meaning, positive/indeterminate. She tells me that my Dr. is going to be calling the Center for Infectious Diseases (doesn't that just sound scary?!) and finding out what to do next. So that's when I turn to my beloved Google. And guess what I found on Google? To sum it up, here's a blip from a website:

"Second and subsquent pregnancies in some women can induce nonspecific cross-reacting antibodies that can cause indeterminate or false-positive HIV-antibody test results. This potential confusion can be quickly sorted out by obtaining the appropriate follow-up tests."

Say WHAT?! So I wait for the call back from the nurse, hoping that my Dr. is going to obtain "the appropriate follow-up tests" for me. I get the phone call the next day, and I'm told that my Dr. has ordered a different blood test for me, and I can stop by the lab anytime to take it. I'm feeling pretty good about it now - totally sure that what I found on Google was going to be the answer to my problem.

Fast foward to 2 days ago. I had my regular monthly prenatal appt, and decided to do the blood work the same day, since I would already be at the office. I'm told that my Dr. doesn't know how long the results to this test will take, but I will get a call whenever they come in. Alright.. the waiting game again.

Well much to my surprise I got a call this morning! Apparently the results from THIS test only take 2 days. And the nurse said... "The results of your test came back... the viral load was negative." So I asked - what exactly does that mean?! And she told me the news I'd been waiting to hear confirmation of for the past 4 months... "You are HIV negative." Woohoo!!

I'm not at all surprised by this result, and in fact I honestly didn't expect anything other than this result. Because I know I have zero risk factor for having contracted it. The only possible way that I could have really been HIV positive is if Ben cheated on me, he got HIV, and transferred it to me. But that possibility really only crossed my mind once, and I immediately wrote it off. Because I trust him completely, and have no reason to doubt his faithfulness. But still, it was nice to hear the "official" diagnosis, and know that in my medical chart, the final result was in, and there would be no more testing.

So there you have it... the story of my false-postive HIV result, caused by the wonderful baby I'm growing!! Now I wonder if this will happen with each subsequent pregnancy, too, or if it's just a random thing?

Has anyone else had this happen to them? Or something similarly crazy?

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1/2 There... and My Random Thoughts for Today

I'm over halfway done with this pregnancy! I can hardly believe it.

I ws 21 weeks yesterday, and overall feeling pretty great still. This little one has been doing a LOT of moving around. I'm still not feeling distinct kicks, but what feels like somersaults all around my belly all day long. :) So far, all movement is only being felt from the inside. But I can't wait to feel kicks from the outside - and I know Ben is looking forward to that, too.

So far, I have gained exactly 10 pounds. Now if i just gain another 10 pounds in the 2nd half, I'd be pretty excited! Although, speaking from experience, I'm probably bound to increase my weight gain in the last few months. Oh well - all for a healthy baby! I know I can lose it afterward, especially with chasing a toddler around the house! ;)

Since we don't know the gender of this baby, there's not much preparation to do. So instead of my time being filled with researching cloth diapers and other baby gear (what I did while pregnant with Monster) I am just kinda plugging along in daily life, and only remembering I'm even pregnant when I feel movement! LOL. I hope that doesn't sound bad.... I'm just being honest. Life is busy.

I have purchsed a few new pieces of fluff for this little one, though! In addition to all of the newborn cloth diapers we saved from Monster, I have 2 brand new Lil Joey's in Platinum & Root Beer, 2 BumGenius AIO's in size small, 1 BumGenius AIO in size medium, 2 econbums, 1 new Flip cover, and a 6-pack of Flip Newborn-sized stay-dry inserts. I'm the most excited to try these out, because I like the simplicity of the Flip diaper system on Monster, but when the insert is folded to the small size, it would be pretty bulky on a tiny baby. The newborn insert solves that problem!

Just another 19 (or 20... or 21.... haha) weeks and then I get to use all my new (and old) newborn fluff again!
In the next few weeks, I think I'm going to dig out all of the stored diapers from the shed, and start the prep work to get them all freshened up for the new baby! Which leads me to another task that needs to be done.... figure out how to store 2 babies' worth of cloth diapers & clothes in the 1 dresser and closet! :) I'm actually excited about this job, because I love organizing stuff. It's just cleaning that I'm not a huge fan of.

That leads me to another thing - we have to rearrange the nursery to add a toddler bed! I already know how I think I want to rearrange everthing. But I haven't actaully tried moving any of the furniture yet to see if it will even work. We haven't purchased the toddler bed yet, either. And I'm kinda debating on when to do that. Should we buy it before #2 arrives, and get Monster used to his "big boy bed" sooner? Or wait until after #2 comes, since baby will be in a bassinet in our room for the first 3 months or so anyway. We could just get the toddler bed when we're ready to transition the little one to the crib.... this also gives us the option of putting the toddler bed on Monster's Christmas List, in case any of his grandparents or great-grandparents would like to chip in.

So, I'm kinda torn between waiting to buy the toddler bed until #2 is a few months old, or buying it before #2 arrives. What would you do, and why?

It's Official! We've having a....

Baby! :D (hahaha... I just had to do it to ya!)

Yep, Ben decided that we're NOT going to find out - and it's going to be a surprise! I was soooo excited when he told the ultrasound tech. (As you recall - he wouldn't tell me his decision ahead of time. Stubborn man.)

But the ultrasound was great - the tech was super nice and explained everything we were looking at, and what she was doing. We got a bunch of cute pics, and this little wiggle worm is looking perfectly healthy and measuring right on track. :) Oh, and s/he weighs 10 oz.

I also put these photos on the Meet Monster's Little Sibling page as well, but here they are for you again!

Baby says "Hi!"

Don't forget, you can enter your guess about this baby's gender, birthdate, size, etc. Just click on the ExpectNet.com link over there on the right ---------->

There will be a prize for the winner in November! You can't win if you don't enter a guess. :)

The Gender Decision

I've made a decision about whether or not we will find out the gender of this baby....

I've decided that Ben gets to decide! :D

So after much thinking and debating, I just keep coming back to the middle. I finally told Ben that I'd weighed the pros & cons of each decision, and they are equal in my mind. So, it is on him now. My reasoning is that if we went team green (not finding out gender) he'd be the one getting the privilege & honor of finding out & announcing it to everyone. Totally special for him. But if he doesn't care about having that honor, and would rather know ahead of time, then he can choose team yellow (finding out gender). The 19 week anatomy scan ultrasound - the big one where they check the development of basically everything - is scheduled for June 28th. That would be our chance to find out the gender if we wanted to.

(Baby at the 11wk+4day u/s)

So Ben has until June 28th to make a decision one way or the other.... I am secretly hoping that  he chooses to wait until the birth - because I would love for him to have that special honor, and I think I'd like the surprise. Even though I have always told myself and others that I could NEVER EVER be team green. LOL. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time I eat my words!

But if we do find out, it's not the end of the world - because I could bond with the specific gender, do some planning, buy some clothes ahead of time (well unless it's a boy - I wouldn't buy a bit of clothing!), and of course buy some new diapers if it's a girl! :D