Prologue

We're absolutely positive that Erin was conceived on the night we celebrated our first wedding anniversary, in a castle in Dublin, Ireland. We even discussed the possibility of an "Irish Baby", and what names we would choose. Erin will be relieved to hear that her name won out over Brigid, Reagan, and Caitlin. (Although I secretly was pulling for Reagan.)

When we returned from Ireland, both of us walked in the Breast Cancer 3-Day. Not knowing that she was pregnant at the time, Christine was frustrated with how much more difficult it seemed this year than last. But when we did a home pregnancy test, and then a doctor's visit, we knew why.

At the doctor's office, right before Thanksgiving, I saw my daughter for the first time. I'm not ashamed to say that I got choked up, and nearly cried when I saw her on the sonogram monitor, even though she looked like a gummi bear. Of course we announced it to everyone at Thanksgiving.

Christine's pregnancy wasn't effortless, nor was it notably difficult. The worst issue by far was gestational diabetes, a temporary condition that develops when a placental hormone interferes with her insulin. Christine's normal diet is heavy on fruits, vegetables, and juices; the transition to a low-carb diet was difficult for her.

Another issue was anemia, and its effect on Christine's mood. At the beginning of the second trimester, Christine went through some abrupt mood swings, occasionally sliding into depression. We both knew that something was not right, but we didn't know what it was. A regular checkup showed that Christine had developed anemia, and once her iron prescription started to work, her mood changed back to her normal self. We even noticed that if she took her iron late enough in the day, she'd have a few hours of grumpiness before it kicked in. This is a bit personal, but Christine wanted me to include it because she doesn't want anyone else to suffer through this without some advice and support.

Considering that some of our friends had to be hospitalized for malnutrition or dehydration due to morning (and every other time of day) sickness, we feel pretty blessed.

Our OB was Dr. Sally Grogono, a graduate of Tulane, and a mother herself. She's got a great manner, and went through a difficult pregnancy of her own, so we knew she could handle just about anything we could throw at her.

And finally, some advice for those expecting:

• Ride it out. Pregnancy is a temporary condition; focus on each other and what's important: the child.
• Take your vitamins and eat healthy.
• Get some sleep; building a baby is hard work. And you'll need that sleep when baby gets here.
• Keep a sense of humor. You'll definitely need that when baby gets here.
• Don't start any new projects unless you are absolutely, positively sure that you can finish them well before the baby shows up. Trust me on this.
  

-Kurt