First Posting

This is the first post of the BOY's blog. Here's some information about the BOY:

Today, the BOY is chronologically about 17 weeks old. However, the doctors say that he is more like 22 weeks old. He was conceived on July 3, 2008, and is expected to join the rest of humanity sometime between March 18, 2009 and early April. So far, the pregnancy has been relatively low-maintenance (knock wood)...even despite the fact that there is a baseball-sized fibroid in there keeping the BOY company. His mother also has a complete placenta previa, which is when the placenta attaches to the uterine wall covering the cervix. Because of his mother's age, the fibroid and the previa, the pregnancy is high-risk and hospital facilities must be nearby at all times.

The BOY is 5/8 Yup'ik...he gets 1/8 from his mother and 1/2 from his father. He will be born into a fiercely traditional Yup'ik family and raised in traditional Yup'ik ways to the extent possible. His mother is trying to observe Yup'ik tradition throughout the pregnancy, as well...there can be nothing anticipatory going on around the BOY while he is gestating. Therefore, his mother will not have a baby shower and cannot have baby things around the house until after he is born...this is bad luck in Yup'ik tradition. The BOY's mother cannot form expectations about what kind of person he is or will become. Technically, the BOY cannot even be named because in Yup'ik tradition, it takes a few days to figure out exactly which ancestor has been reincarnated through the BOY. Once it becomes apparent, the BOY is supposed to be named after that ancestor regardless if the ancestor was male or female. However, the BOY is apparently going to have two Yup'ik names: one from his mother's family and one from his father. And the BOY's mother has considered possible kass'aq (English) names for him...Ethan Albert is the frontrunner.

The BOY is not without personality, however. He has already demonstrated a quick willingness to indicate his displeasure or discomfort. When his mother is lying on the wrong side (the right side...which is where the fibroid pushes him), he will kick until his mother gets a clue and moves her bulk off of him. When the mother wears pants where the waistline is too tight for the BOY, he will kick at the waistline until she changes into something more appropriate (like sweats). And during an ultrasound, the BOY waits about five minutes before he moves around too much for the ultrasound lady to get a good look at him and he has even turned his back to the "camera"...the BOY does not appreciate ultrasounds.

Because the BOY's mother has not yet received her new scanner in the mail, she is unable to scan ultrasound photographs of the BOY's progress. That will have to wait for next week's posting.