37 Weeks... Attention Please!

Your mom said that she was tired of being the center of attention today. Not that she is a spectacle or anything, but she also said that she is feeling Very Pregnant! This came after a restless night and a very muggy day. There are just so many times that you can answer the same questions over and over again. People keep coming out of the woodwork asking her how she feels, remark that you are coming early, and can't believe she is still working. She is still running into people who didn't even know that she was expecting. I have a feeling that once you are born we will both fade into the background though. We will just blend in with the scenery and you will be the star. At some point we will lose our names. We will just be X's mom and dad. One day in the not so distant future we will actually long for someone to ask us how We are doing. And when they do ask us that question we will probably eventually make You the subject of the conversation.

36 Weeks, 6 Days...Shhh!

Don't tell anyone. It can be our secret, OK. Nobody knows it but I'm practicing up on my superman skills. I have been working on my cat-like reflexes. Who knows when I may have to use them. You may challenge me to save you from falling once you start getting mobile. I also have been working on my hearing. I've got ears like a bat. Not a sound will be made that I don't hear. Even in the middle of the night. I also have been working on my eagle eyes. Well, I do need to go to the eye doctor in a few weeks. Maybe he can help me out with that one. But for all other superman deeds, see me. I don't wear a cape. Capes just get in the way and cause you to be recognized. I am superman, incognito.

36 Weeks, 5 Days...Is There A Doctor In The House?

We went to your doctor appointment today. Doctor says you are just dandy. Next week is another ultrasound to check your size and everything, but today your mom was measuring right where she ought to be. She was measuring a week ahead last time and we had to watch certain foods. So that meant fewer things like cake and bread. We managed to sneak a bite of ice cream here and there but we paid for it by being good the rest of the time! The doctor checked to see if there was any dilation and there was none. So to all who say you are coming any day now, we listen to you and the doctor!

36 Weeks, 4 Days...Long Night

We made it through a long night. You mom was sick and had a few contractions. They were not the 5-1-1 type(five minutes apart, 1 minute long, lasting for 1 hour), but we wanted to be as ready as possible just in case it was time to go. I guess this was a dress rehearsal of sorts. At least now you have a freshly laundered outfit and your mom has a few things in her hospital bag. All the excitement was over as the doctor pronounced over the phone that it was a virus, not pregnancy related. Your mom caught a few Zzz's as side effect of the medicine to settle her stomach.

36 Weeks, 3 Days...The Nitty Gritty

We went shopping today for a few things that we didn't get at your showers. It was fun, picking up a few things that we picked out when we registered. It seems like so long ago when we went through the stores with a list of things and a scanner to pick them out. All that is over, now it's time to get down to the nitty gritty. Your mom got sick tonight and I started packing a bag, just in case. I washed a little outfit for you to come home in and some things for her to wear in the hospital. We have tried to plan things all along, and now that it is crunch time we don't want to be caught by suprise if you decide to come a little early.

36 Weeks, 2 Days...Mini-me

Today I thought about your appearance, how I imagine you to look. I would like for you to have my brown eyes and eyelashes, but not my eyebrows. My nose would be fine, but not my ears. You can have my toes but not my wide feet. Either my curls or brown hair, but not both. And definitely not my forehead. Some freckles would be nice, but fairer skin than mine. You will be a beautiful baby girl, or a handsome little man.

36 Weeks, 1 Day...Christmas in July

Baby it sure has seemed like Christmas in July around here lately. Tonight is the last of the parties and showers. A group of your mom's friends are taking her out and celebrating you. If you get very much more stuff we will be taking your room and you will need ours! It is nice to have such a big circle of people who are happy for us. Every baby should be so lucky.

36 Weeks...Getting there

Baby your almost here. Got 4 more weeks. Just enough time for us to do some final things and then relax until it is time. People get me nervous sometimes with their constant talk of you coming early. I will go with the signs that you are giving your mom and the wisdom of our doctor and not popular opinion. Afterall, you will be the one calling the shots. You did start to drop a bit though. Don't listen to the crowd. Come when it best suits you.

35 Weeks, 6 Days...All You Wanted To Know (but were afraid to ask!)

We had the breast-feeding class tonight. It was a very informative class. We hope to be able to feed you this way. It is supposed to be better for you and for mom. Found out some things I did not know. Breast milk cannot be microwaved. It can be frozen for several months. There are three stages of milk. The instructor compared them to skim milk, whole milk, and cream. The first milk produced (cololstrum)is like cheesecake. Babies are not usually starved immediately after being born. I personally think that I would be hungry after going through something like that. A babies stomach is smaller than their fist when first born. In the first few days it grows a lot. It goes from the size of a marble to the size of a golf ball pretty quickly. Babies feed from a bottle completely different than a breast, so breast fed babies should not be bottle fed for the first three weeks. That way they dont get confused. The texture of a rubber nipple can also confuse them if they aren't used to it. Don't worry baby, I plan on feeding you once you are able to take a bottle. You just learn how to do both and we'll have it made.

35 Weeks, 5 Days...Tantrum

Your mom said it felt like you threw a tantrum today! She said you pounded in the same spot several times. What were you upset about? It has been harder for her to get comfortable lately. Maybe it was you throwing the tantrum for her!

35 Weeks, 4 Days...Family Shower

Today was the day for the family shower. Your mom's friend who is a baker made a lovely cake with the same animal theme as your room. The shower was very nice and well attended. You got some cool things that we needed. Everyone seemed happy for us and can't wait to meet you.

35 Weeks, 3 Days...Listmania!

Baby, the lists keep coming but this may be the final one. So far the lists I made have kept us on target in preparation for your arrival. The newest one includes: a plan for the dogs, more thank-you notes, packing a bag, a trip to use a soon to be expiring coupon, touching base with daycare, and a class tuesday night. Oh, and did I say PACK A BAG! According to a lot of people it wont be too much longer!

35 Weeks, 2 Days...Date Night

Had one of our last Friday night date nights as a couple. Well, technically you tagged along too. Wasn't exactly dinner and a movie, but we managed to have a good time as usual. Your mom got a few new things to wear for the final few weeks.

35 Weeks, 1 Day...Word On The Street

People have lots of opinions about you. Everyone tells us that your mom isn't going to make it for 5 more weeks. The doc didn't say anything about you coming early though. Lots of people have asked if there is more than one baby. There are a couple of twins on my family tree, but there is only one baby due for us in 5 weeks. Ultrasound confirmed this. People have a pool going on whether you are going to be a boy or girl. We have our suspicions, but everyone has a fifty-fifty chance of being right. That's the word on the street.

35 Weeks...5 More to Go

Only 5 more weeks to go! As another week rolled by I thought about all the preparations we have made since first learning about you. It seemed so long ago. Your mom and I have done so much to get ready for you. There were all the "to do" lists I made, getting the nursery ready, picking the right daycare, name discussions. The doctor visits, lamaze class, our trip to Charleston, registering, showers. The birth ball, hospital bag, a plan for the pets. The list goes on and on. It seemed like we had plenty of time, but not a whole lot of time. Now there is only 5 more weeks to go. We are so looking forward to it.

34 Weeks, 6 Days...The Champ

In this corner, weighing in at 6 lbs 3 oz, THE CHAMP! That is what I thought when the doc told us your weight yesterday. We want you to be just the right size and we know that you will. It is amazing how much information that they can get from the ultrasound, like your weight and size. If you do wind up being a little bigger than some babies, the doctor told us that bigger babies can maintain their body temperature better.

34 Weeks, 5 Days...2 Thumbs Up!

Got a little more prebirth facetime with you today at the OB's office. We couldn't decide if you have my nose or your mom's. When the doctor did an ultrasound you were so very active that it was hard for her to get a good picture! It was so cute to see you suck your thumb. Then you put both thumbs in your mouth at once! I bet you knew you had an audience and wanted to put on a show for us, demonstrating your motor skills and self-soothing techniques. Show off!

34 Weeks, 4 Days...Another Party

There was another party to celebrate you today. This time it was given by my employees. It was fun. My employees can be very entertaining. There was impromptu dancing, singing, and food of course. Also a few presents to go along with the stock pile that has already been assembled for you in your nursery.

34 Weeks, 3 Days...Contractual Obligations

Well, time for another contraction! It was a quick one. Happened as your mom hopped out of the car when we finished getting groceries. She sat down and then got the ice water just like her friend told her to do. In a moment it was over. I got to feel it. Her stomach got hard as a rock. No worries though, they are normal at this point. You still have a few more weeks to go. It's just her body doing its thing, preparing itself for delivering you...its contractual obligation.

34 Weeks, 2 Days...All You Got Are Fishes

This is more advice to you when you are older than anything related to your development, adventures of your mom and myself during this time, or actually anything having to do with babystuff at all.

You are going to be a wonderfully talented child; a true individual with a strong sense of knowing who you are, and that you are well loved. You are going to have special and unique giftings and it is going to be up to your mother and myself to nurture and encourage them. No matter the measure of talent, skill, or material possessions that you may possess, none of it- not even on your best day, will be anything more than mere fishes and bread in your own hands. Once is passes from your hands into God's, there is no limit to the possibilities or potential.

34 Weeks, 1 Day...Play Ball

Had another workout with the birth ball tonight. After I made your mom laugh, that is. I got on the birth ball, threw one hand up, swiveled my hips and rode it like a mechanical bull. I even wore a straw hat. Then after your mom cracked up we did the exercises like we were supposed to. You seemed to like the bouncing motion of it. Or maybe it was all that laughing.

34 Weeks...License to Stroll

I put together your stroller tonight. It is nice: lightweight, green and grey with cup-holders built right in. A set for me and a set for you. The directions were of no help at all in putting it together. In fact, they seemed to be mocking me. Thank goodness your mother helped me figure it out until she fell asleep in the floor and left me to finish it out alone. I had it done when she woke up. We will have to teach you to yell out, "Drop and roll, I'm coming through!" for those trips through the mall when we want to be obnoxious. Maybe I can find a way to hook up a horn or some lights to it until you become vocal. I guess I'll have to design a license plate for it too. I told her we should practice walking the dogs with the stroller before you get here so they would be used to it. Before long you can help us walk the dogs.

33 Weeks, 6 Days...Surprise

Today was the monthly meeting of the Managers of the company I work for. We had our usual meeting and then, Surprise! They had a little party for me celebrating You. I have known these people for a long time and they were so excited and happy for us. There were gifts and cake. It is nice when your friends celebrate with you. I have a feeling you are going to make friends quickly. It is important to celebrate your friends as they achieve their milestones and support them when they need you.

33 Weeks, 5 Days...Nesting

Well, baby, I did a bit of nesting of my own today. Some things around the house that I have put off for a while. I put some new mulch in the flowerbeds, scrubbed out the garage, found some "touch-up" paint and worked on covering a few spots on the walls. Living in a place 6 years you tend to make your mark on a wall here and there. All this nesting is things that I wanted to get done before you come so we can just focus on YOU and not anything else.

33 Weeks, 4 Days...Pursuit of Happiness

Today during Church you were so active. Either you like Pastor's voice and what he said or couldn't sleep through it. Pastor was talking about the pursuit of happiness and gave some information about it. He said people need 3 things to be happy: someone to love, something to take care of, and something to look forward to. I couldn't help but to think of you. Your mom had a dream about you last night but couldn't remember much about it.

33 Weeks, 3 Days...Home of the Brave

Today was the Fourth of July. This is celebration of the birth of our country, America. Everyone celebrates. Cookouts, picnics, fireworks. I grilled for us and then after dark I ran through the backyard with sparklers while the dogs chased me. It was a party. Next year we will have a celebration for your birthday. Maybe I will run through the yard with sparklers too.

33 Weeks, 2 Days...Energizer

Tonight we picked up some more stuff for you. A ceiling fan for your room and lots of batteries. We needed batteries for your brand new stuff. I have never bought such a large amount of batteries at once. After we got home I put together one of your bouncers and we watched the lights and listened to the music it that played. I can see how it will entertain you. It had me entertained.

33 Weeks, 1 Day...What Expands Must Contract

Baby I got a call at work today. Your mom had a contraction. This must be a normal thing at this point in the game because the OB asked her earlier in the week if she had experienced any yet. A co-worker got her a glass of water after it happened. She gave another co-worker instructions that if it happened again the next day to get her some water. I don't know if the water actually did anything or just gave your mom a private moment. Mom sounded kind of excited when she called me. She described the feeling as her stomach tightening suddenly. Then it was over. We all made it through.

33 Weeks...Birth Ball

Just in time for your 33rd week the Birth Ball arrived. We had great fun playing with it. I dribbled it like a big basketball, danced with it, romanced it (demonstrating the Tango), and dipped it. These may not have been the practical functions of a Birth Ball but it sure was entertaining to your mom. I haven't acted that silly in a long time. People actually sit on them at their desks in offices. We saw pictures. I demonstrated how she should dribble it across the parking lot, go through the turnstile, past her boss, then act like she was going to take a free-throw shot, and suddenly plop it down on the floor and sit on it. She may have to work up her nerve a little bit to do that.

32 Weeks, 6 Days...How To Save A Life

Baby, I had to help a man with a medical problem today. He was disoriented and wasn't doing so good. He told me he was going to die. I told him that he was going to be OK. I kept him focused and talked to him, keeping him alert and as comfortable as possible. Found out his age, medicine he was taking, and condition. Then I called for some help. 911 to the rescue! I couldn't help but to think about you as I was helping this man. Staying calm under pressure can help save someone's life. It is best to know what to do rather than wait for someone else to do it. That someone else may be waiting for you.

32 Weeks, 5 Days...Have System, Will Travel

We got your "travel system" today. It is pretty cool. We may put a bit of mileage on it. It would be interesting to have an odometer on it just to keep track of that. Your first set of wheels. Still has that "new stroller smell" to it. I just may have to get a pair of fuzzy dice to hang from the mirror. Oh, wait, there is no mirror. I'll use one of those handy dandy clips that we got to hang it from wherever I can. There may be benefits to the stroller, but I think I'll be more of a babybjorn/carrier kind of guy. Less bulky and obnoxious, although I do like to be obnoxious at times. I hate it when I see the HUGE stroller coming and have to duck out of the way because the parents aren't watching where they are pushing it. This is where a skillful "drop and roll" technique comes in handy, to escape from being ran over by an out of control baby carriage. The kid is not usually in this 8 wheeled steam-roller anyway. It's always just full of all their stuff. Sigh, I could rant on for hours.