Myth Busters: Late Baby Edition

Over the last week, we've heard about ways to "encourage" a late baby to enter the world. Since I don't yet have any diapers to change, I figured I'd spend a few minutes putting together our own little version of Mythbusters -- Late Baby Edition.

Option 1: Eat Spicy Food. We've heard this one a lot over the last couple weeks. I guess the assumption is that a spicy meal will jolt the baby into action. We even had a waitress at one of our favorite diners tell us that a pregnant customer who ate their chili for brunch went into labor later in the day. We didn't try their chili, but Yuki has ordered her share of spicy foods without any results. This one appears to be busted.

Option 2: Drive on a bumpy road. This one came from someone at work who told me that her husband started driving on pot hole-filled streets when she was a week past her due date. It took her a few bumpy trips to finally ask him why he was taking the bad roads. His response: I thought a bumpy ride might make the baby come out. She told me the only thing it did was make her have to pee more. Despite my skepticism, I gave the bumpy road myth a shot yesterday. Nothing. This one is busted.

Option 3: Threaten induction. Our midwife thought the mere act of scheduling our induction might be enough to send Yuki into labor. The "threat" of induction has been hanging over her head for a couple days now and there's no sign it's doing anything. Yuki's never seemed better (or unlikely to go into labor). Unless Yuki goes into labor tomorrow, this one should be listed as busted too.

Option 4: Do a baby dance. Okay, this one was probably a long shot, but our friend in Chicago promised to give it a try anyway. She danced. Mika stayed put. Busted.

Option 5: Lure the baby out with promises of a vacation to Disneyland. Yup, I was willing to give that one a shot too. Either she's not interested in the Magic Kingdom (it is a little overrated) or this one is busted too.

So, the wait goes on...

Tick...Tick... Tick...

My chances of winning a pizza are looking pretty dim. It's 6:30 PM and there is no sign that Mika has any interest in joining us today. As mom noted in her email to me today: "Tick... tick... tick..."

Hello, my name is...

So I've decided that Mika just wants to be fashionably late... After all, it's never good to be the first person at a party. She's going to be an instant celebrity, so it makes sense that she carefully plan her entrance.

Yuki and I have been using our new-found time without Mika to figure out her middle name. After much discussion, we were considering muraskai, which means purple (Yuki's favorite color). But one of our friends suggested Naomi. It works as both a Japanese and American name, and it even has roots in Judaism (sounds a lot like our daughter to be). It's not easy to find a name that meets so many different requirements.

Of course, we can always change our minds. Not just in the next couple days, but over the next few years. I guess naming a baby is a lot like giving a wedding gift. As long as you make your final selection within a year after the event, you're fine.

All Quiet on the Pregnant Front

Still no signs that Mika is ready to join us... not even a false alarm. Looks like she has a head start on resisting the will of her parents. Of course, Yuki and I are late for everything, so maybe she's just trying to fit in to the family.

A Large Meat-Lovers Please

I've got a pizza riding on Mika's delivery date, so I'm hoping she arrives soon! Right now, I'm leaning towards a large Meat Lovers from My Brother's Place. I promised the midwife she could have half if she helped "encourage" Mika to get things going before Thursday. I also owe Yuki half since she's doing all the hard work. In the end, I'll settle for a stray pepperoni and a brand new baby daughter!

Maybe we'll start a tradition of having pizza on her birthday...

Happy Due Date!

So Mika is officially late! Yesterday was our due date, which came and went without any trips to the hospital. Yuki and I went to breakfast, Yuki went shopping with her mom, I got the tire fixed on the Nissan, and then we all had a nice dinner together. I was secretly hoping we'd end up in the car racing toward the hospital, but we had no such luck. Not even a sign of false labor.

Today has been much of the same -- we went to dim sum for breakfast, took naps around lunch and now we're sitting in the kitchen with Hachi enjoying the afternoon. The wait continues!