kickin' me where it doesn't hurt!

Seems the movements are being felt more and more now, and the best way to describe it is the smile that dominates my face every time I feel it. We're leaning more and more towards the name Gerard, and as I've told Egan, the naming game is still open until we fill out that birth certificate. So far, though, "Gerard" has been getting points from the both of us since he brought it up the other day.

I recall my journal entry a while back about a dream that we were having a boy. Was that a dream come true, or what? A little known story: many, many months ago earlier this year, I had a dream about having a baby. And it came out of nowhere, taking me a while to realize what it meant. No, I don't think it meant I was going to have a baby soon but I had a different interpretation of it that's rather personal. And I'm going with that interpretation because at the time, it made sense with what I was going through. However, now that the dream literally came true, I'm also taking it as a signal or a message from ... a divine source. Egan probably thinks it crazy, but I'm a little more attentive to these things. The reason why I insisted on having "Gabriel" in our boy's name is because Gabriel is a messenger of good news... and twice, I've received unexpected messages regarding this baby I have yet to hold or see with my own eyes. Crazy coincidence? Doesn't matter to me. It's definitely kinda cool because I have had very significant and divinely dreams in my life that I can never disregard, and my baby dreams aren't any different. They were definitely dreams of good news, and I couldn't deny that.

Baby Gabe or Gerard (if we are 100% on that one! I hope we are) is already receiving lots of attention from us and we just can't wait until we meet him in person. Egan and I are comparing our respective baby features and traits, and predicting what Gerard would be like when he's here. It's fun to think about these things.

"Gerard" is of English origin meaning "brave spearman." Sounds like a strong dude, and that's exactly what we're going to train him as. In the meantime, keep kicking me in the pelvis, lil Ger! 

it looks like a...

Today we had another perinatal progress check appointment.  I accompanied Rio after my architecture class and we were rewarded with news that there's no down's syndrome, growth was right on target and they were able to tell us that all major parts of the brain were present.  This time they also gave us a special treat!  Through the awesomeness of the sonogram, we got to look between baby's legs and, as in the Austin Powers movies, what we saw looked just like a great...  big... JOHNSON!  WE'RE HAVING A BOY!   There went my predictions of having a daughter.  HELL YEAH!  My boy's a fast swimmer!  He sure swam his little nanomotor-powered tail off!  We couldn't agree on a boy's  name before today. We have 'Gabriel' as a middle name (other kids might call him "GAY-briel" if it was his first name.)  'Ethan' sounds like the person saying it has a lisp.  Rio just plainly doesn't like 'Evan.'  I said I didn't like 'Thomas' because if he meets a nice girl named Katherine, well, 'TomKat' is out of the question.  I thought 'Yuri' wouldn't be a bad name; Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space.  But Rio didn't like it, neither did one of her brothers.  I guess the Dr Zhivago reference is out.  We live in San Francisco, where the bigoted public school district purposely bussed me out of my nice nob hill neighborhood to the latin ghetto mission district where schools are poorly funded because my last name is Hernandez.  We also have to think of our boy's future resume, to make sure that we spell names conventionally, to help his resume be more marketable.  We won't take a name like Duane and spell it D'Wayne.  I really like the movie Cyrano de Bergerac, but Cyrano Hernandez would clearly get thrown in a ghetto public school and his mind would rot from lack of proper funding.  But Rio and I both like the name 'Gerard.'  So 'Gerard Gabriel Hernandez' is on the table.  We're going to have to fight the SF School District very hard to keep him in a school that's receiving proper funding.  We have lots of work ahead of us! 

Cold holiday greetings from San Francisco

Since we never made an announcement, Egan and I got hitched last month in a very small ceremony with just family present. We decided it was best to seal the deal in the eyes of the law before baby was born ^..^ (and before I got too big for the pictures). However, we'll have an actual celebration with all our dear and loved ones sometime after baby is born, but right now, our focus and energy are to establish a stable environment for our belly jean (that's what we're calling "it" until we have a name).

But we are now feeling baby movement here. Or I think it is. Unless it's living jello in my uterus. It sure is getting a lot harder to lean over and reach for that fallen pen on the floor! I have a bad tendency to knock things off my desk at work, and that reminds me.... I have to get more slip-on shoes because tying shoelaces is nearing impossible at this time.

And so whatever your views of Thanksgiving may be, we are still very thankful for everything that's happening and for everyone who's been supportive.

-Rio and Egan 

Craziest dream yet

I've been having wacky dreams in the past days! The other night was about baby. Ummmm. I was feeling really heavy on my lower abdomen, and then I saw that baby was trying to come out of my stomach! I saw its head and arms at the length it should be around this time, but all beneath my skin, trying to get out. I was able to "carry" it by holding my sagging abdomen up. And then there are other dreams I can't remember anymore, but I do remember mumbling something to Egan yesterday morning when I was still half asleep about something weird.
 

Annoying symptom

This scatterbrainness I'm going through lately is quite annoying.

Last Tuesday, I misplaced a whole set of keys and a company check. I found the company check earlier this week lying on my brother's dresser (he pulled it out of his jacket pocket -- I was wearing that jacket the night I lost the check and I failed to remember!). I still haven't found the keys.

About a couple of weeks ago, I missed my jury duty because I mixed up the 18th for the 15th for some reason. On the 17th, I pulled out my jury duty notification, and saw that I was called in for the 15th. There goes that! (I had to reschedule and I hope to not forget it this time)

The other night, I missed a chiropractic appointment -- again, mixing up the 8th for the 7th! I only realized this last night when I was driving to my chiropractor's office, and when I was already nearby, I called Egan to verify what the date was. Lo and behold, it was in fact, the 8th and not the 7th -- my actual appointment date.

For the most part, I haven't been forgetting days of the week, just the actual dates!

Well, this is the time I should be feeling for baby's kick, but I haven't felt anything yet. I'm also getting ready to move out of my apartment by Sunday so I have lots to do! Hopefully I don't push myself too hard because I live on the 3rd floor with no elevators!

Unrelated dream?

For the fourth night in a row, another long dream entertained me in my sleep. Though I couldn't remember most of those dreams, I posted about one of them yesterday. Last night, I had somewhat of a baby dream, though I don't think it has anything to do with me. I was attending a baptism for friends of mine who had a kid (I don't believe they are expecting one at this time though), and the church ceremony took place at a church owned by my employer. It was at this big attic, with bright windows and hardwood floors. There were devil worshippers (you read that right) and a group of creative writers with the name S.T.U.P.I.D who wore black-hooded robes. They were actually "angels" in disguise, but I forgot what S.T.U.P.I.D stood for which was announced before the ceremony began, and the devil worshippers started hissing at them wondering what they were doing there. But the others in attendance hissed back at them asking what THEY were doing in church. Then there was a voice, or some sort of inner voice, that told everyone that all was welcome in the church. And finally, the ceremony never started but it proceeded to the reception and the devil guys were the first in line for food. However, before the church sequence, I was having a super soaker water battle at a park (which also looked like my old house's living room?).

I haven't had weird dreams I remembered this clearly in years! I told Egan about the dream this morning and he made a link with the water battle and baptism.... and I have no idea what any of this means. As some of you know, I love to interpret significant dreams but this one I can't figure out!
 

Boy or girl?

We don't know yet....
But I had a dream last night it was going to be a ................................. boy.
We'll find out hopefully next week. Either way, we're only hoping for a healthy one.
Exciting times ahead =)

-R