Crashing on the beach
Eating up the sandy shore
Strong and powerful
Author: AWR72
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Poem – The Dark Knight
1
White soul.
Tough heart.
Two lives.
Two parts.
2
He’s Gotham’s hero.
In a storm of chaos he is the light.
Reigning over the criminal elite.
He is, The Dark Knight.
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Week 30
Your Baby
Big news for baby’s brain this week: It’s starting to wrinkle and fold and looks like something that grew in the back of your fridge. This is due to the rapid growth of your little genius’s brain cells. Other highlights this week:
Fingernails and toenails are finally finished—causing his or her parents great fear and anguish the first time they try to cut those little daggers (it gets easier, we promise)! Plus, the bone marrow is completely in charge of red-blood-cell production now. Trust us, this is a good thing.
Baby is starting to shed his lanugo—the downy hair that was covering his skin. Now that he’s chubbier and better able to regulate his body temp, he doesn’t need to sport a fur coat 24/7.
“I spy an umbilical cord and the inside of my mom’s uterus!” When your baby is awake, his eyes are now wide open and he’s whittling away the hours looking around, checking out his rather dark, limited environs.
Your baby hasn’t gained much weight or height this week, as most of his energy’s been channeled to the brain. He weighs about 3 pounds and is approximately 15.5 inches long, about the size of London, not the city, Britney Spears’ Yorkie terrier. Of course your baby is less hairy and way cuter!
via 30 Weeks Pregnant – 3D Pregnancy Calendar
There hasn’t been all that much happening this week. We are gearing up for some childbirth classes and other things like that. Mom to be is going through normal pregnancy symptoms (don’t need to go into detail) and the little one is kicking away. We are starting to feel body parts and see more of him moving around. It is pretty awesome to witness.
There was some good news this week from mom to be’s brother. He and his wife had their first – a healthy baby boy just over 9 pounds. Congratulations go out to them.
We have a doctor’s visit later on today – July 12th, and mom to be has the dreaded glucose test to take.
What is a glucose test?
It’s basically this, mom to be has to down this large sugary drink (fruit punch like) and be at the doctor right on time to get her blood drawn. This is a way for the doctor to test for a form of diabetes women get during pregnancy. It’s all normal stuff and part of the process, but as long as it keeps her safe we will do it.
That’s about it.
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Week 29
Your Baby (replace she with he)Having a baby prematurely is frightening, no doubt. But here’s a reason to relax: Due to the impressive advancements of medical technology, if your baby is born this week, she’d have a 9 out of 10 chance of survival, which is seriously great news. Other awesome developments:
Baby’s brain can now control her breathing and body temperature. She can also cough, and her sucking abilities have been perfected. Look out, boobs!
Your Mini’s skin is looking less wrinkled as she packs on the pounds. She’s starting to look more like a Pampers model and less like a Depends model. She’s now beefing up on the energizing and insulating white fat she’ll be born with (unfortunately, white fat is not energizing and insulating for adults!).
And speaking of energy, your little Energizer Bunny is on fire these days. You’re sure to feel your share of kicks, punches and elbows, especially when you’re lying down. You might want to start keeping a kick chart to monitor your baby’s movements, and also to later show your 13-year-old child what you endured for him or her. Ask your doctor how to count kicks and how often you should do it.
This week your baby is a little over 15 inches long—about the length of a loaf of bread—and weighs about 3 pounds, as much as a Macbook Air laptop.
via 29 Weeks Pregnant – 3D Pregnancy Calendar
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There’s not a lot going on this week with mom and baby. We have crossed into the third trimester so all we need to do now is keep both of them healthy. This is really the growing and showing stage. Everything is supposed to increase over the weeks up until the birth.
I have started to learn a lot more about what goes into a delivery. It isn’t as simple as the movies and TV shows make it out to be. There are a lot of things to decide on, not only for the mother, but for the father as well.
We did get away for a small Babymoon this week to Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. It was a nice chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. A nice way for me and mom to be to have a few days just to reconnect. The trip was fun, a bit noisier than we would have liked, but overall it was nice to get back to the ocean. Technically this is our first of two Babymoons before the baby arrives. The second one will be a trip to the mountains in August.
That’s it.
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The Business of Being Born
* * * * STARS Director Abby Epstein’s controversial documentary takes a hard look at America’s maternity care system, juxtaposing hospital deliveries against the growing popularity of at-home, natural childbirths that some expectant parents are opting for. Former talk show host Ricki Lake was inspired to produce this compelling exposé after a dissatisfying birthing experience with her first child left her with many unanswered questions.
via Netflix: The Business of Being Born
I was shocked when I watched this with my wife. I had no idea the world of birthing a child could be so complicated. I had no idea there was so much stuff going on behind the scenes that may or may not be necessary. From a guy’s point of view or the uneducated eye – here’s the way it goes:
Woman goes into hospital.
Doctor does what he or she can to deliver the baby.
That’s it.
That’s what TV shows and movies have taught us through the years. The woman is flat on her back and the doctor is giving her whatever they deem necessary at the time of the delivery.
After watching this movie a lot of that thought process has changed. I had no idea (or didn’t want to believe) that doctors could be so cold to a woman in labor. That they would worry more about getting home than they would be about getting the woman to have a healthy baby. Aren’t doctors supposed to take care of us? We have to trust them because they usually know what’s right or am I misguided in thinking this.
The topics explored here are topics that all women should have the option of knowing about. It is like there is this secret under layer to pregnancy that the hospitals and insurance companies have enough money to keep quiet. It’s disgusting to see money take over in such a way.
This was a solid documentary that everyone should see whether you are pregnant, not pregnant, thinking of being pregnant, or you are just someone who needs an eye opener. Is the mid wife way the best? It seems to be working throughout the world, but not here in America. Watch this movie and then decide for yourself.
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Week 28
Well folks. Welcome to July and the third trimester. That’s right. Mom to be is now into the last stage of her pregnancy. She’s gotten through two trimesters so far and that is so hard to believe. I said this last week about how it seems like time has flown so fast from the first time we learned she was pregnant. Now here we are, entering the dog days of summer, one of the hottest weekends of the year, and she is going into the home stretch. Two full months and then a couple of weeks until her due date.
There hasn’t been a lot going on this week. It is a lot of same old same old, which is good.
We did find a pediatrician. So that’s a plus. Mom to be and I attended a small class they had on Monday. It was very informative and we learned a lot of stuff we didn’t know.
That’s about it.
Your Baby
As the Big Day nears, your baby is getting ready to go towards the light at the end of the tunnel (the tunnel being the birth canal, the light being the one the doctor is shining directly into it so she can see what the heck she’s doing). Other highlights this week:
Your baby’s eyes are partially open now and can blink. Truly superior babies can actually wink. (OK, there is no way to prove that, but it’s fun to imagine, no?) Your baby can also now become a shiny, happy person as she has begun having rapid eye movement (Get it? REM? Shiny, happy person?? We’ll be here all week.)
Her eyes have color now, too. It may not be the color she ultimately ends up with, especially if they’re light gray or blue. The eyes typically don’t settle on a final hue until nine months after baby is born. So when your mother-in-law says that the baby has her eyes, you can politely inform her that they’ll most likely change soon. Sorry.
Your babe is downright chubby compared to a few weeks ago. She is about 15 inches long, about the length of an amusement park cinnamon-sugar-coated churro (yum!), and weighs 2 to 3 pounds.
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Haiku – Solitude IV
At home with my wife
Each on one side of the couch
The T.V. is on
If you’ve been reading the last three Solitude poems you will notice they were beach related. I wrote those before I got married.
The Haiku above is a current version of my Solitude. The beach is still my place to go, but since I got married. I have discovered new ways to take my mind away, other than just running to the beach.
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Poem – On The Beach
The palm trees blow easy behind me,
yellow sand shifts between my toes.
Standing in the shallow surf on an island,
a quiet little place nobody knows.
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Week 27
Well folks, one week away from the third trimester. Can you believe it has gotten down to that already? Almost two trimesters already in the books. I still can’t believe how far it has progressed from that first moment when we saw the stick say, she was pregnant.
There isn’t a lot going on, as usual for this part of it. Mom to be is now showing some symptoms that we knew would eventually happen. Such as, swollen hands and feet, sore hands with carpal tunnel syndrome like symptoms, and various other unpleasant things like that. It’s just part of the process.
That’s about it. Right now it’s just a lot of growing and showing.
Your Baby
Baby’s lungs and immune system are maturing this week as baby prepares for his grand entrance. If he were born today he would have an 85 percent chance of surviving as his lungs are capable of breathing air (with medical assistance, of course). Other exciting developments:
Baby’s done a lot of growing over the past few months. His length has more than doubled in the past 15 weeks! And that’s not the only thing growing—baby’s brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace. His brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby. If baby is a he, his testes will have completely descended at this point.
Your baby now weighs in at approximately 14½ inches and just over 2 pounds, or about the size of that roast you made last time your in-laws were in town. (OK, the baby is the size of that roast you meant to cook before you decided that ordering Chinese was a much better idea.)
via 27 Weeks Pregnant – 3D Pregnancy Calendar
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Poem – Solitude III
The palms trees blow with the island breeze,
life moves by at an easy pace.
I’m just a castaway on a small tiny island,
far removed from the rat and the race.
I prop myself against a palm tree,
and crack open a frosty cold beer.
I then let the island life take over,
as I’m lead into a world without fear.
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Week 26
To epidural or not epidural that is the question?
We have started talking about birth plans and how does she want to deliver? What mom to be is found is that a natural birth is actually the better way to go. The epidural way has a lot more side effects and issues with it that the movies and all those TV shows don’t tell you about. People are always screaming for the juice and they get it so easily when it comes to fiction, but in real life its a lot more complicated. There are a lot more issues that can come out of it. Decisions, decisions, decisions. None of them are easy to make, but they have to be made.
Other than that all is well for mom to be and baby to be. He’s been kicking and punching and doing whatever it is he can inside of her. Pretty cool stuff.
Your BabyDeep breath! Air sacks are developing in your baby’s lungs, which means it just might be possible for your baby to take a breath at the end of this week. The air sacks (technically called alveoli) will continue to grow for the next nine years. The membrane that keeps the alveoli separate from the blood vessels is now thin enough to allow for that oxygen–carbon dioxide exchange we call breathing. Other highlights this week:
The retina completes the development of its normal layers this week—all the better to see you with. Well not you, per se, because her eyes are still sealed shut and it’s really dark in there, but your baby’s eyes are now fully developed.
Brainwaves for the auditory and visual systems are detectable in baby’s noggin this week. That means baby’s brain is registering things like sound and light. She can’t understand what any of it means yet, but she’s on track to comprehend an entire episode of Blue’s Clues in no time!
As hearing continues to develop, your baby will start to recognize your voice. One hint that your karaoke rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” is not the best would be when the baby starts banging on your gut. Your bambino will also start to recognize your partner’s voice. He may feel silly talking to your stomach, but assure him that somebody other than you is definitely listening. Research has shown that newborns actually recognize familiar sounds after birth. Proof that your baby has been paying attention all along.
Break out the sparkling apple juice—baby has now completed two-thirds of her stay in Hotel Womb. Your baby is about 1 2/3 pounds and is 14 inches long head-to-heel, or about the length of a burp cloth (otherwise known as your primary wardrobe accessory for the next several months).
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Poem – Solitude II
Free as the white gull,
flying in the blue above.
Feeling the quite lull,
with an open and simple kind of love.
Within this secret place,
there is tranquility and peace,
providing a perfect gentle line,
from a world of violence,
that will never cease.
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Week 25
Your Baby
Get ready for pat-a-cake! Baby’s hands are now fully developed and he spends most of his awake time groping around in the darkness of your uterus. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that your baby can feel the sensation of touch. That doesn’t mean he can feel it when his father pokes your stomach, however, so tell him to knock it off. Other highlights include:Your baby’s arms and legs have grown to almost the proportions they will be at birth, which is still sort of short. So don’t be alarmed when your newborn’s arms barely clear his waist. Baby’s nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, clear out (like he’s taken a super-dose of Sudafed) and he can practice breathing through the nose. The structures of your baby’s spine are now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and some 1,000 ligaments. Can you believe you’re growing something that complicated inside of you?The capillaries, the teeniest blood vessels, are now forming in your baby’s body, giving his formerly translucent skin a pink glow. The blood vessels in the lungs also develop this week. You’ll see how well that worked out when your baby gives those lungs a workout while you’re on line at the bank in a few months.
Your baby weighs about a pound and a half and is about 13½ inches long—roughly the length of one of those recorders you played in elementary school music class. Who’s up for a round of “Hot Cross Buns?”
There hasn’t been a lot going on this week. Mom to be is settling in to the pregnancy and the baby is growing and moving. I’m not sure if he is in there doing little acrobatic tricks or kicking or what, but he’s active. I have actually been able to sit and put my hands on her belly and feel him move that way. He gets so active sometimes that you can even see her skin move. Crazy stuff to witness and certainly something I will always remember about this pregnancy. You just don’t see stuff like that every day. -
Poem – Solitude
Sitting alone on a forgotten beach, watching the waves crest the shore.
His feet they nearly reach, as he sits upon the sandy floor.
He listens to the palms, conversing on the warm salty air.
They seem to whisper on the warm gentle breeze,
as the day wanders on without a care.
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Week 24
Not a lot of news to speak of concerning mom to be and baby to be. We are in the holding pattern right now and looking for the landing strip. Mom to be still has a few things that pop up from time to time such as headaches and backaches, but that’s to be expected. The night’s are getting a little more eventful with the baby starting to kick and move a lot more. He seems to wake her up off and on, but mostly its towards the earlier parts of the morning. All in all things are going okay for now.
Your Baby
Your baby isn’t just sitting around (on your bladder) doing nothing, he’s working hard preparing for life outside the womb—perfecting his lungs and packing on the pounds. He’ll gain ½ pound this week alone. Other highlights this week:
Things are starting to get a little crowded inside the old womb as baby grows bigger and bigger. Your ribs are probably pining away for the good old days when they didn’t have a foot permanently lodged between them. Hate to break it to you, but it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Your baby’s ears are fully functional now. And since they are, you may notice that loud noises and sudden movements can startle the little bugger. He’s getting used to the everyday sounds inside the womb: the sound of your heart beating, your lungs inhaling and exhaling air, the growling of your stomach because your partner promised he’d be right back with that double cheeseburger and he’s taking forever! He’ll even be able to hear your voice when your partner finally arrives and you ask him where the bleep he’s been! So talk nice!
Baby’s got a fully developed inner ear now. This means his sense of balance is working and he can tell whether he’s hanging upside down or right side up. He can also feel you moving, so go ahead, pop in your favorite tunes and boogie.
Your little Wiener schnitzel is about the length of a foot-long Chicago hot dog and weighs about 1 1/3 pounds.
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Poem – The Gout
I’ve been under a massive gout attack the last few days that is finally starting to subside so I thought what better way to get some frustration out than to write a poem about it. Anybody out there suffer with this? It stinks, right? Throw some stories my way if you feel like venting about it. We can share this pain together.
Gout, a 1799 caricature by James Gillray
Lurking in the body,
deep in the shadows of uric acid.
Hides a creature,
that isn’t so passive.
One day you are fine,
the next day you’re not.
This creature has attacked,
right on the spot.
You can fight it,
try to show it the door.
You will not win,
because this animal knows how to roar.
The best you can do,
is find a place to lay low.
Because if you can endure,
it will go away, ever so slow.
But even when its gone,
it is always there.
Hiding and lurking in the shadows,
soulless and evil, a creature without a care.
Gout (also known as podagra when it involves the big toe)[1] is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected (approximately 50% of cases). However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate nephropathy. It is caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood which crystallizes and the crystals are deposited in joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues.
A Poetry Journey 
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