Week 13 = Princess Peach Will Bake You a Delicious Cake

Quite a bit has happened since little Teddy Graham was a the size of a Teddy Graham. First off, his name changed to Shrimp in week 10, and he got his first look at the hospital where he will be born thanks to my emergency. Little shrimp also visited the doctor again and Amy was able to hear his heart beat for the first time (I sadly was unable to go, since I had just returned home from the hospital). For those of you that believe in the myths of gender predictors, Shrimp's heartbeat was a relatively fast 171 beats per minute which would suggest that Shrimp is female. Of course there is still no way to know at this point and Amy and I still have no guesses on what Shrimp may be.

In week 11 Shrimp became a British sailor when his name changed to Limey. Old Limey had an uneventful week, and quickly tired of sailing the high seas for King and country.

Week 12 was Christmas week, in which Limey once again changed names, this time to Egghead. Christmas gifts were already being indirectly given to Egghead, as Amy received some very nice maternity clothes for the upcoming months. Egghead used this week to demonstrate his superior intellect by solving many quadratic equations and suggesting that I wear a shirt that spells 'Dad' in binary code.

Finally we are in week 13, and Egghead's name has changed once again, this time to Mario's best girl, Princess Peach. Peach is known best for baking Mario delicious cakes after he saves the kingdom, as well as being a formidable go-kart racer. What this means in reality, is that our baby is rapidly growing and developing now (over 3 inches long with developed hands and feet and even fingerprints). The excitement is growing as well, as the pictures of development in this stage look much more human and real, and the realization that our little guy will be here soon is sinking in.

The other exciting news is that week 13 is the official end of the first trimester of pregnancy. The first trimester is the most critical time in the baby's development, and generally the hardest on the mother, but Amy has passed with flying colors. The second trimester is usually the easiest and it seems to be headed this way with Amy as well. First off her nausea seems to be getting better and she feels better throughout the day now. She is able to eat and drink most things that before she had to avoid, and just seems like she is feeling better over all.

As we move into the new year Amy and I are happy and healthy, and most of all excited that Peach will soon be along to preside in her castle and bake us delicious cakes.

Back In Action

After a short hiatus from updating Big Rock Ending, I'm back and ready to roll. One of the reasons I haven't updated in a while is because Amy and I were away for Christmas spending time with family. However the biggest reason is simply because after I went back to work after my recovery, I was simply exhausted at the end of the day and did not feel at all like writing when I got home.

This week is a different story though, since I am happy to report that my stamina is returning and I even plan to be back in the gym (with a reduced workload) and maybe even running again by next week.

Speaking of Christmas, we had a great holiday and enjoyed relaxing times with family throughout the week. The travel to and from our destination was treacherous with the freeways closing right behind us. I got some great loot that I will no doubt be blogging on here in the next few weeks. I have been playing Gears of War 2 over the last few days and so far it improves on the first game in almost every way, which is high praise indeed.

Lastly I would like to thank everyone that has left a comment or told me personally that they enjoy my writing, I really appreciate it. Your feedback has made me strive for improvement, and made me want to post articles of substance, humor, and class. I hope that I can continue to improve in the new year, thank you for reading.

The Tale of the Emergency Appendectomy

Saturday morning just after 5, I awoke with an incredible cramp in my lower right stomach. It takes something extra special to consider any pain in my stomach serious, as I have lived with acid reflux for most of my life. At first, I thought it was just a case of overeating from the night before, and I was simply paying for it now. Soon it was clear this was not the case, as the pain increased in intensity and persistence as time went on. Thirty minutes or so later I told Amy that I needed to go to the emergency room, and since she knows how I prefer to tough most everything out, she knew that it must be something serious.

Typically, going to the emergency room simply means that you are going to have to wait in the waiting room until your emergency can be dealt with. This was not the case for us, as there was literally no one else there at 5:30 in the morning on a Saturday. We were taken directly to room 102 immediately after the admitting nurse took my vitals and asked me my symptoms and my pain level.

The doctor who saw me initially asked me his questions and narrowed down my problem. The highly localized pain in my abdomen typically meant one of two things - kidney stones or Appendicitis. The doctor ordered a specialized CT scan to look specifically for inflation in my Appendix, which I unfortunately had to wait about 30 minutes to get because the CT machine takes anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes to start up and calibrate for the day, and I was it's first scan. During this time I was fitted with an IV and drugs were administered that eased my pain a bit, and certainly relaxed me.

The test required me to drink 24 ounces of barium sulfate contrast which basically tasted like Sprite mixed with salt water. Needless to say my nausea did not improve after drinking the contrast. The test was basically me lying on a table while I was moved back and forth underneath the scanner. During the scan a second contrast was given to me via the IV, and it made my whole body feel flushed and warm.

After I was returned to my room we both waited for the results with a pretty good idea of what was to come next, I was going to need surgery as quickly as possible. The doctor returned and informed us of what we already had suspected, I had Appendicitis and needed an Emergency Appendectomy right away, and he had already paged the surgeon.

Before the surgeon arrived I had steeled myself to the prospect of going under the knife. While this operation was fairly routine, I was still frightened by the prospect of it. After all the only other surgery I had ever had (on my hand) was when I was a small child, and I don't remember it. I quickly got over my anxiety and by the time the doctor arrived I was ready to have the procedure.

The surgeon was no nonsense and straight forward, he explained Appendicitis and the risks of letting it continue (basically certain death), and the risks of the surgery. He told me that I was a good candidate for Laparoscopic surgery which is much less invasive and is (typically) quicker to recover from. I agreed to the surgery and everything was set into motion.

At just after noon, I was on my way to the operating room, 90 minutes later I was awake and my Appendix was gone.

There are problems with American health care. Indeed I witnessed some of those myself during my stay at the hospital, but as soon as it was clear that my life was in danger, everything moved very rapidly to help me. These people cared about making me well, and their skills, technology, and compassion saved my life, and for that I am very grateful.

For the patient, the operation is the simple part. I was asleep before I knew it, and then awake as if no time had past at all. The recovery is when the going gets tough, and it was true for me as well. Generally a Laparoscopic Appendectomy patient only has to spend one night in the hospital, but I ended up having to stay an extra night due to some nausea and headaches that I wasn't able to shake. The nurses that cared for me were very helpful and attentive and the room was comfortable for a hospital room.

I would like to thank the doctors and nurses that cared for me during my stay, and for my family for their calls of concerns and their gifts*. But of course the true hero of all of this is Amy, my amazing wife. Amy was there for me from the time I arrived, to the time I left. She only left to get things that would make me more comfortable and to take care of our animals at home. She held my hand when I was in so much pain I was in tears. She brewed my tea and helped me out of bed when I was unable to. She looked after me when I was asleep and she put up with all the bad TV shows I watched. The care I received from her made me recover that much quicker, and I will always be thankful for her.

Today I am well on my way to full recovery. My three incisions itch and still hurt but they are improving. I am able to walk around the block (slowly). I am eating some solid foods and am able to use the computer for short periods. If anything I am now more ready to care for Amy when she delivers in July, as I have first hand experience of being on the receiving end of loving care.

* The gifts I received were;

• Blue and Orange Bronco colored flowers (thanks to my mom and her husband)!
• A great potted plant (thanks to my boss and my workplace)!
• A lasagna dinner and a 1600 point Xbox Live card (thanks to my younger brother and his wife and family)!
• Dragon Quest IV for the DS (thanks to my older brother and his family)!
• Alstroemeria flowers and the 2oth anniversary edition of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (thanks to Amy)!

Thoughts on Deadwood Season 1

After we finished off The Sopranos and Rome and with Lost and Battlestar Galactica seemingly both taking their sweet time to get back on the air, we recently looked to another HBO series, Deadwood, to fill the gap.

First impressions: it's good - I'd even say so far it is superior to Rome. If you are unfamiliar with the show, it is set in the city of Deadwood in the South Dakota territory before it had been annexed into a state. The 'camp' as they call it therefore has no laws, which provides some pretty interesting characters that are not bound by laws or even morals.

The most interesting character so far is that of "Wild" Bill Hickok, based in part on the real life gunfighter/lawman. The writers really knew how to set him up so the audience didn't know what to expect. In the very first episode, everyone is aware that Bill is coming into camp, and everyone has a different story about him, and it really leaves you wondering what he will be like when he actually shows up. When he finally does, he's portrayed essentially as a gentleman, he's soft spoken, well dressed and relatively cultured. I have no idea what the real Wild Bill was like, but the way he is portrayed here is pitch perfect.

The local saloon owner (well one of them), Al Swearengen is basically Quark from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine if Quark had no laws to bind him and no lawmen to watch him. So far he's portrayed as the main villain of the show but I have a feeling more is in store for him than just evil deeds.

One thing to mention is the language, the show is almost legendary for gutter mouth dialogue. I'm not really opposed to cursing in any type of media, but I will admit that Deadwood seems to stretch it a bit thin. In The Sopranos, cursing was just a regular part of speech, it rarely if ever seemed forced or out of place. In Deadwood the cursing gets to a point where it seems to smack of laziness, or to just add a bit of shock value. I have no doubt that people of the old west used salty language, but it gets to a point where cursing loses the value to shock and serves little purpose. Still, it has not hurt my interest or enjoyment of the show and I look forward to the next discs heading our way now.

Week 9 Ultrasound = Sleeping Teddy Graham

Amy and I went in for the week 9 ultrasound today, and as you can see little Teddy Graham is much larger and looks like a little sleeping bear (with a giant head). He is right on the mark for 9 weeks, 2 days, measuring in at 23.4 millimeters (or just under 1 inch long). Needless to say it was thrilling to not only see the size difference from last time, but little Teddy was also moving around in his happy home.

Again Teddy's heartbeat was racing along and his mother and I were as proud as we could be, our hearts racing in return.

Parents instinctively look towards ways in which their children are like them, to see pieces of them handed down to live on for further generations. I got a very early look at how my child is like me as Teddy was sleeping peacefully and soundly. Every time he was poked or jostled, Teddy would move and wiggle as if to shake off the intrusion so he could get back to much needed sleep. There is no doubt that this trait has been passed from me and Amy to him.

My kid is just chilling, kicking it in his mom's comfortable bed until he makes his grand entrance. We patiently await his debut.

Week Nine and I'm Feeling Fine

But unfortunately Amy is not. At this point, the notion of 'morning sickness' is absurd since she basically feels nauseous to some degree 24 hours a day. Typically when I'm feeling like I want to throw up I just want to lay down and die, yet Amy handles it all like a champ. Smells, tastes, movement, and now even colors will make her sick to her stomach, yet she never complains. In fact, the only way I know she feels bad is because I ask her every few hours how she is feeling (which I'm sure she is sick of as well).

I had no doubt that Amy was tough, but she is the first place winner of the the tough it out championships.

In other news little Peanut is now little Teddy Graham. Next week we will be going to our next ultrasound in which we may actually get to hear the heartbeat and Teddy will look more like something resembling a human. The journey is just beginning!

Rock Band Weekly - 11/25

I got just two songs today - Mr. Brightside by The Killers and Red Devil by Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force.

Mr. Brightside is like The Killers other Rock Band song, When You Were Young, not too difficult yo play yet not too easy, and really fun throughout. The guitar part is constantly moving up and down the fretboard yet isn't really all that complicated.

Red Devil is, really, really freaking hard. I failed at around 73% on six straight runs. It's a shame too since the main riff and chorus sections are great, and the song is really catchy, too bad I can't finish it. I'm sure I'll get through it eventually but it wil have to wait for another day.

I might pick up the Laid to Rest by Lamb of God later, but it was never really a favorite of mine form Guitar Hero 2, so I may just save my points.

Review - Rock Band 2 Stratocaster

I've been using the second generation Rock Band Stratocaster for a few weeks now, and I'm finally ready to give a verdict on it. I never used the first version guitar, instead using the Guitar Hero 3 wireless Les Paul. The positive reviews for the new guitar lead me to try it out at best buy and eventually pick one up. Since I used the Les Paul for so long, much of this review will be comparing the two.

First thing you will notice is the aesthetics - this guitar looks great. The two tone wood finish make it the most realistic looking fake plastic guitar on the market. The buttons are placed such that it looks like a real Strat, which is a nice touch - but it makes for awkward placement of the whammy bar (more on that later).

So it looks good, but how does it play? Well depending on where you are coming from you might have mixed results. First, the buttons are not raised up from the fretboard like all previous Guitar Hero controllers, they are flush on the neck which may trip you up if you are used to raised buttons. Once you get used to it though it feels natural, and it's actually easier to move your hand up the neck to play the orange note. The buttons are also more closely spaced, which is good and bad. When I first started playing on the Strat I was accidentally pushing two buttons at once because of the spacing, but once I got a feel for it I was able to move up and down much faster, plus green/orange chords are much easier than with the Les Paul.

The strum bar is built for speed and as a result, it's really sensitive. I'm used to resting my thumb on the strum bar when not actually playing but I've found that this is unwise since even a small movement of the bar can cause a strum. On the positive side, strumming fast sections is much, much easier than with the Les Paul. Since Rock Band 2 features many fast strum songs, this is a good thing. The strum bar is also very quiet, with the slightest of click when strummed, which is nice when you are trying to jam with the music and not the clicking of the bar.

So it's all good right? Well, not everything. The whammy bar is placed directly below the strum bar when you stand the guitar straight up and down. This is a really unnatural place for the bar to be, making it really tough to reach, especially when you need to get to it quickly. The Les Paul's whammy bar is really perfect, directly underneath your hand for really quick access. I would say this is the only aspect of the Les Paul that is clearly superior to the Strat. I applaud Harmonix for making a realistic looking controller, but I wish they wold have modified this aspect of the design for ease of use.

Overall I'm very happy with the guitar, my scores are up overall, my solos are improving, and fast notes/chords are much easier to manage now. It is worth the price, especially from Deep Discount where it is $59.00 shipped.

One Plus One Equals Three

Even though it seems like the most basic of human achievements, conception is still one of the most unpredictable events there is. How else do you explain everyone's different surefire method to get pregnant?

Full moon? Sure! Listening to soothing music? Why not! Eating pineapple and coconut? couldn't hurt!

The reality is, at least from what I've read and what I've now experienced, is it comes down to timing and chance. I'm not a real believer in luck, but I do like to think that some karmic rays shined down upon us and gave us a boost, and provided us that extra little bit we needed to conceive our first child. However, I know that in reality, everything happened as it should, at the right time, and nature took over and is now doing its thing (and making Amy, my wife sleepy and nauseous at the same time).

Whatever the explanation, be it hocus pocus, star and planet alignment, or good timing, it feels great to say that we have a baby on the way in July of next year.

The (blurry) pictures here represent our first ultrasound that was performed at 7 weeks. At the time of the ultrasound our little guy* was the size of a Tic Tac, and so that was his name during that week. We are currently in week 8, and now he is roughly the size of an peanut or large jelly bean, and has naturally been renamed peanut.

There are many things in life that you look forward to, many times your expectation of that thing can be better than the actual event, and many times things just can't live up to what everyone else has said is so great. Every day I looked forward to the ultrasound, and I must say that when I saw our child on that low resolution screen, and his beating heart was as clear day, my expectations were so far exceeded it was a feeling that I can not describe. The sight of our child, a combination of Amy and myself made into something completely new was a truly awesome, albeit blurry, sight.

1 + 1 = 3.

* By the way I'm using the pronouns 'he' and 'him' here in a general sense because I think 'it' sounds crazy. We do not know the gender and I'm not rooting for a male, nor have any guesses at the gender. Honest.