Ryan and Debi & Toren

Debi (and Toren) at Plant Park

We spent about an hour shooting photos in Plant Park at the University of Tampa on Saturday.  Here are some of the better photos:

On a different but related note, the main concern I have now is that Toren is not stillborn (per CDC definitions, stillborn refers to fetal deaths after 20 weeks). Luckily, his odds are pretty low – about 1 in 200. So, if we can pass that hurdle, the next is the risk of SIDS and infant mortality (also about 1 in 200, given our demographic characteristics). This is what a sociologist thinks about when he’s having a child…

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10 responses to “Debi (and Toren) at Plant Park”

  1. Holly Avatar
    Holly

    Hmmm…no offense, but those thoughts aren’t exclusive to a sociologist having a child 🙂 I remembering worrying myself sick about those things while waiting for both of our boys. And 1 in 200 suddenly sounds more intimidating when it’s your own child. Anyway, while reading up on those things while Nicole (Noah’s birthmom) was pregnant, I ran across this on SIDS prevention: https://www.babymattresscovers.com/
    None of the moms or docs that I mentioned it to had heard of it, but since you like to research stuff then I’d be really interested to hear what you think if you look into it. Also, I remembering really coveting my brother’s baby video monitor – if our next child is another infant then I’ll be investing in one like that for sure. On another note – those pictures of Debi are beautiful!! Debi, you are a stunning pregnant woman. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  2. ryan Avatar
    ryan

    No offense taken! 😉

    As per the website, turns out the claim that a fungus eating mattress pads leads to SIDS has been thoroughly debunked by actual scientists.

    Here’s how I investigated the issue. I went to the website you suggested. I saw that there was a link to a peer-reviewed publication on the site, which I always take as a good sign. But once I started reading the article, it became apparent that this was not your standard peer-reviewed journal. The author was lambasting everyone, which never gets past peer-review. That made me very skeptical of the claim. So, I did a google search on “cot deaths” and landed here/

    This site suggested the reference to the British Medical Journal, which is, of course, a legitimate, peer-reviewed journal. That site also reprints the news article from the BMJ in its entirety. Just to be certain that it was accurate, I actually looked it up in the BMJ and the reference and quote are accurate. Ergo, mattress eating fungi are not causing SIDS, despite the claims of that website and the crank who wrote the paper.

    Last issue: How did this crank get a publication in a peer-reviewed journal? Easy. The peer-reviewed journal is a crank journal. Here’s their website. They are believers in “chemical sensitivity” – an unproven medical condition – and are anti-vaccine. Ergo, they are a crank journal for publishing crank ideas. They are not a legitimate, peer-reviewed journal.

    Short answer: You don’t need to do anything special to your mattress to protect your child from SIDS. Just put your kid on his back and maybe run a fan.

    (Note: One other thing that made me skeptical about that journal: The University of Cincinnati, which has a really good health program and has pretty much every health journal, didn’t subscribe to it. Ergo, it must not publish anything of worth.)

    Reply
  3. Jessica Avatar
    Jessica

    Oh this is so exciting you guys are getting so close. I guess I’m a worry wart too. Cause I’m with you Ryan. I keep thinking I just need to get to 20 weeks, but then there is something new to worry about 🙂 I guess all we can do is appreciate the time we have with them. Debbie looks so cute, I’m glad she let ya post some pictures. I told Josh we will have to wait till they get a little older then we’ll have to come visit it will be fun for them to be kinda close in age, we were a little slow 🙂 LOL Good luck with everything. We’ll be thinking about you. You will be awesome parents we are thrilled for ya. Oh and thanks for investigating the mattress thing, that helps out alot.

    Reply
  4. mom Avatar
    mom

    I echo Holly’s reply. I don’t think that there are many moms and dads that don’t think of all of the negative things that can go wrong with new babies and deliveries. Isn’t it a wonder that we keep having babies in spite of it all. Then there is all of the agony of what they will get into when they are mobile- streets, poisons, motorcycles, and on and on it goes. The only way that I stayed sane was to think of all the positive things that will hopefully go right and most of all enjoy the moment that you are in. I also agree with Holly about how beautiful Debi is. I don’t think that she has ever looked better. The pictures actually have a glow about them. Yea, Debi– you make pregnancy look awfully good. Ryan– they are wonderful– you are getting very good at the photo taking.

    Reply
  5. Holly Avatar
    Holly

    Thank you for the info on the mattress covers, that was really helpful. I never continued looking into it & have wondered from time to time about its legitimacy – so thanks!

    Reply
    1. ryan Avatar
      ryan

      Happy to help! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Hillari Cragun Avatar
    Hillari Cragun

    Debbie looks beautiful!!!

    Reply
  7. dave p. Avatar
    dave p.

    The big question is, once he’s here, will engage in concerted cultivation or natural growth? 😉

    Great pics – Debi looks happy & healthy. Good luck!

    Reply
    1. ryan Avatar
      ryan

      I should probably say concerted cultivation, but natural growth seems easier from a parenting perspective! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Wendy Avatar
    Wendy

    I too have to say that worrying about the baby is part of the deal. Good luck with everything and yes, Debi looks great!

    Reply

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