Well, it is finally November…only 3 short weeks and a couple of days to the due date!  And it is the day after Halloween (which may be my favorite holiday.)  I know Michelle just posted about our street, but I thought I would elaborate…

Oh my God! It was like the Castro for kids! Thousands of kids everywhere…One block down, they close off the whole block and every house is made up in some sort of Harry Potter theme.  It stretches up to our street where our next door neighbors had the Prizon of Azkaban and our across-the-street neighbors had Hagrid’s Hut with a dragon that blew smoke!  It reminded me of our Club 615 days. (615 is the address of our old house where we used to throw a huge Halloween party every year…)  One year we thought it would be a good idea to buy a smoke machine, but not only did the whole house fill with smoke in about 2 minutes, it also smelled REALLY bad.  And little did we know that the smoke detector would not like this idea.  Needless to say we didn’t have it on for long…but I digress…Our street was like a huge carnival where everyone was dressed up!  We bought 3 huge bags from Costco and they were gone in 45 minutes!

I guess I will have to read up on Harry Potter so we can come up with a crazy theme for next year (post your suggestions here.)  We’ll want Sesame to be the cool kid on the block!

Jon Q

My first Halloween in San Francisco – the year I spiked my hair to look like Mary, from “Something About Mary” – began in the Castro. Q and I and a bunch of friends headed there before going to other parties, and I remember being blown away as I looked up Castro Street – towards Market – at the sea of people. There were literally tens of thousands of people crammed into this three-block area, and the costumes were out-of-this-world. (It took me 10 minutes – and a half-bottle of hair gel – to get my hair to stand straight up that night; some of the people I saw probably spent 10 months getting together their elaborate costumes.) People were dancing, drinking, shedding clothes and acting generally nuts – and stopping by the festivities quickly became part of our Halloween tradition.

Eight years later, our Halloween had quite a different flair. It was our first holiday in the new neighborhood, and we found ourselves surrounded not by large groups of drag queens draped in feathers (a common site in the Castro) but by oodles and oodles of children. We had been warned that our street was famous for its Halloween celebration and that kids from all over the city would descend upon us – but we had no idea how big the celebration actually was until we saw it firsthand. There were kids EVERYWHERE, and our 1000 pieces of candy ran out in less than an hour. Our neighbors said they hope to rope us into decorating our house next year (Harry Potter is the prevailing theme), and they might just be able to. What’s even more fun to think about, though, is the fact that Sesame will be here – and we’ll have an even better excuse to shun the Castro and join the party on Wawona Street. I’m already thinking she’ll look cute as a bumblebee…

-M

Last night, while Q was excitedly posting about our new car, I was at a baby party (she doesn’t like the term “shower”) thrown by my work-friend MA. It’s been awhile since I’ve sat around and gabbed with a bunch of women, and it was really enjoyable. (We didn’t even talk about babies that much!) I also received (or should I say: Sesame received) the most adorable gifts. I didn’t think I was that girlie of a person (Q will probably laugh when he reads this), but I just melted when I saw some of these things… I have to say, also, that I’m SO glad that Sesame is a girl. Girls’ clothes are just so much cuter than boys’!

Speaking of fashion, some of you will be happy to know that – after coming home last night with purple toes and some severe indentations – I’ve officially given up heels. My feet (sigh) have just become too big and puffy for them – and Q finally put his foot down (no pun intended) yesterday. It’s a sad, sad day for me, and I hope Sesame (who, presumedly, will like shopping and clothes as much as me) will understand someday what I’ve sacrificed!

Happy Halloween, btw.

-M

 

 

Sesame will be riding home from the hospital in style, as we just purchased a new car!  Yesterday, we drove home a brand new 2007 Camry Hybrid.  We got lucky because the car was just released and is in pretty high demand.  Not only that, but we were able to get the fully-loaded Magnetic Grey one!  Long story short – someone had ordered the car 2 months ago and had not picked it up, and we were in the right place at the right time to get it.  The car gets 40 miles to the gallon in the city, and here are some of the cool features in the fully-loaded model:

Navigation Package – Voice-activated DVD navigation system with JBL AM/FM 4-disc in-dash CD changer with satellite radio capability MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth wireless technology, eight speakers in six locations and FM diversity reception

Moonroof Package – includes power tilt/slide moonroof with sliding sunshade, dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors with dimmer control and rear personal reading lights

Comfort and Convenience Package – includes heated front seats and outside mirrors

Leather Package – includes leather-trimmed seats and door trim with integrated armrests, driver and front passenger power seats, and dual front and rear map pockets

Here are some stock photos of the car (not in our color).  We will be posting pictures of our car shortly.

For those car people out there, here is some more good information on the Hybrid:

Hybrid System Net Power 187 hp (140 kW) Electric Motor/Power output 199 lb.-ft. @ 0–1500 rpm (105 kW @ 4500 rpm)Motor type Permanent magnet AC synchronous motor Voltage 650V maximum Traction Battery /Power output 45 hp (30 kW)Type Sealed Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH)4 Voltage 244.8V Transmission Electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (ECVT)Brakes Power-assisted ventilated front/solid rear discs with Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and integrated regenerative braking

After today, only 25 days until the due date.  We’ll have to figure out all the cool gadgets in the car by then! 

Jon Q

On Friday, Michelle will be a full-37 weeks pregnant and in full-term.  That means that anytime from then on, the baby will be ready to handle life in the real world.  So, since we are so close, I decided to take some last-minute pregnancy pictures of Michelle.  Of course, I could only put up the “good” one (I liked them all, but Michelle only found one she liked.) Here she is…

Doesn’t she look great?  I think so…

Jon Q

There’s a scene in the movie “Old School” that always make me laugh. One of the main characters, a thirty-something newlywed, is at a frat-like party and tells a couple of college guys about his weekend plans. “I’ve got a big day tomorrow… Actually a pretty nice little Saturday. We’re going to go to Home Depot - buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond… I don’t know if we’ll have enough time.” This obviously sounds like the lamest thing in the world to the guys (and why wouldn’t it to be a bunch of nineteen year olds?) and they just stare at him with their mouths open. Anyway… I often think of this when Q and I are running around doing random errands. The truth is that, as lame as it would have been to me ten, maybe even five, years ago, I have a lot of fun doing this stuff. And it’s been been a lot of fun doing that stuff specifically in preparation of Sesame.

This isn’t to say, of course, that I don’t sometimes get pangs of nostalgia/sadness for my own “old school” days – when errands and babies were the last things on my mind. We watched the Badger football game on TV this weekend, for example, and I got really nostalgic when I saw the student section dancing to “Jump Around” during Fifth Quarter. I commented to Q how much fun we had back in those days… and how sad I was that I wouldn’t be jumping around or drinking peach juice and tequila (don’t ask) anytime soon – at least not in the next four weeks or so. He reminded me, though, that we still do fun stuff – it’s just different kinds of stuff now. And I guess our definition of “fun” will continue to morph as we get older… That’s normal, right??

I am pretty sure of one thing, though. I don’t think I’ll ever like going to Home Depot. It’s just too damned crowded.

-M

The body is pretty amazing. Due to a pesky autoimmune blood disorder, my platelet count is always way lower (usually 40K or so) than the average healthy person’s (150-200K) – yet my counts have been significantly higher since I’ve gotten pregnant. (At my last appointment, my count was above 80K.) It’s like my body knows it’s best to boost the count for the baby and has gone ahead and taken care of that… How cool is that??

I bring this all up because I had blood work again yesterday, and I learned last night that my platelets are at 75K. That’s a good number – and fairly close to my ideal of 80K, the minimum requirement for an epidural. My hematologist was pleased, and we’re going to wait and see what my count is next Friday when I go in again. I’m hoping my count will go even higher – because I don’t want to have to go on meds and run the risk of getting “moon face” again. (For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, just do a Google search for “prednisone and moon face,” and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Prednisone sucks.)

I should mention, for those who might now worry, that my disorder poses no real risk to me or Sesame. As long as my count is above 20K, I’m totally fine to deliver. Women with ITP have babies with normal platelet counts all the time – and I’ve got a great team of doctors who know all about the platelet issue. My OB is actually one of the best at UCSF (which is one of the best hospitals in the country), and I feel lucky to have her. And I’ll feel even LUCKIER should my platelet count stay high!!

-M

So, I just got back from a doctor’s appointment. Today was all about testing: I had a quickie ultrasound and then the baby’s heart was monitored. Last week the appointment took forever b/c the baby had hiccups and was moving around too much, and we couldn’t get a good reading. (I had to just lie there for 45 minutes – and I couldn’t even read! The technician took my magazine away from me b/c she thought that would help the baby relax. Whatever.) Today was a lot smoother. The baby was very calm – although active enough to get a good reading – and I was able to catch up on my celebrity gossip (“Life & Style”) while listening to the heartbeats. My technician commented that everything looked perfect – and we obviously had the model child. (That really made me laugh. I’m not sure how that’s possible, given the parents.) Another highlight was getting to – very briefly – see the baby’s profile (which I’ve only seen once before). The technician  noted that she had chubby cheeks, and all I could think about was those mini Snickers I’ve been eating like crazy! (It’s Q’s fault. He bought them for me!)

I used to be obsessed with Owen, the baby on the old Fox show “Party of Five” - and only because he was this blubbery little thing. Fat babies are just the cutest, and I used to always say to friends: ‘if I ever have a baby, it better be fat!’ So… it seems like Sesame is doing her part to ensure a fat baby will be mine! Maybe she is a model child, after all…

-M

Well, today is the start of week 37.  That means Michelle is a full 36 weeks pregnant and we only have this week, week 38, week 39, and week 40 to go!  Time for us to start buying all those last minute items because Sesame could technically decide to come any day now.  We are getting new energy efficient windows put in the nursery and then the drapes go up (see the Nursery Picture Gallery).  After that, I think she can come without much left to do.  This is cruch time and we are all getting very excited…

Jon Q

The other day, a stranger commented to me that I was a nice-looking pregnant person. She said I really carried my weight well, and she hoped to look like me when she was pregnant someday! It was certainly a nice comment – but also kinda hard to believe. I mean, I certainly don’t feel like a beauty queen these days! My mom warned me that the last month-plus of pregnancy is not the most fun time, and she was certainly right… Not only do I feel (and look) huge, but my feet are the size of footballs – and it’s increasingly difficult/uncomfortable to move around. (Good news, Mom: I actually bought and wore a pair of flats today!)

I really shouldn’t complain, though, because I’ve had a very easy pregnancy overall. I missed out on all the morning sickness and weird pains – and the baby is doing really well. I had another ultrasound last Friday and she was – as always – happily moving around. What a shock it’s going to be to her when she finally arrives – and is taken from her current warm and cozy home.

I was talking about baby stuff w/ someone last night, and I commented that I’m most freaked out about actually having the child: the physical labor. That is terrifying to me. The other stuff – like taking care of this totally helpless creature and making sure she has a safe, happy life – seems like a cinch in comparison. (I’m only half-kidding.) My admittedly messed-up view reminds me of a scene from one of my fave movies, Forget Paris. After establishing ground-rules about bedroom temperatures, toilet seats and toothpaste squeezing, Debra Winger’s character asks her new fiancee if he wants to discuss before getting married one another’s views on religion, politics and money. “Nah,” Billy Crystal replied. “That stuff will work itself out.”

-M

As of today, we’re 30 days from November 24 – which is Sesame’s (see “Who is Sesame?” under the Pages tab) expected arrival date. We’ll try to update this site a lot as the day gets closer… so come back often!

-Jon Q and Michelle