Rockabye, Baby!

I arrived home yesterday to find that a package for Curtis had arrived! After hearing an intstrumental, soothing rendition of Metallica's Sandman (and who would've thought such a thing existed?!) while shopping in a baby store awhile back, we decided that we must own a few of the CDs in the Rockabye Baby! collection. There were a few staples that we felt Curtis must own:

How great is it that we can fall asleep to music that we'll all enjoy?? Now the only problem is, playing it! Anyone have one of those ancient devices known as a discman laying around??

Music for Baby

Last night I played some songs from the album 'Clarity' by Jimmy Eat World. You were rocking out like crazy! I have a feeling that you will have great taste in music :)

Ice Cream is for Winners

I had ice cream for breakfast today. It's not a usual occurance, but my stomach told me to indulge, so I obliged. I ate the Banana Split flavor, so to be fair, I got both a serving of dairy and fruit. At least that's what I tell myself to feel better. Besides, Curtis' loves ice cream, so I'm sure he'll be happy once it reaches his little tummy.

Baby Wagon

I think you might have problems getting your daddy to share your new wagon. Hopefully you can both fit, but I doubt that I can pull you!

Joys of Pregnancy

Besides the normal joys of being pregnant (feeling a connection to my child, etc etc), I am most going to miss my ability to let my stomach stick out after eating too much without feeling self-conscious about it. What better excuse is there to look fat than being pregnant? I'm pretty sure the answer is none.

Health Checkup

I had my annual work health screening today. My job offers them in hopes of catching any potential health issues that could cause problems and cost them money for insurance payments. My results last year were great - I got a 97%, which was far above the rest of the people on my team. This year wasn't so fun. I marked yes on the "Are you pregnant" question, and after being weighed I even mentioned it just in case she didn't catch it on paper. She calculated my BMI anyway (very unscientifically by only height and weight) and then marked me as obese. OBESE! The last thing an otherwise healthy pregnant woman wants to hear is that she's obese. I still want to punch her in the face. That is all.

Baby's First Pictures

I've finally gotten the time to post the first pictures of Baby Curtis! We got these taken back in April, but I just haven't had the chance to get them online. Sorry you had to wait so long to see him, Grandma & Grandpa!

And no, we don't know "his" sex, we just call it a he as it's temporary name is Curtis. However, the nurse who did the ultrasound did give us an envelope with the sex sealed up inside. I'm very proud of us for not peeking!

Without further ado, I give you Curtis:

#1. Best profile shot


#2. Curtis blowing bubbles


#3 Crossed legs

#4. Creepy face picture that just looks like a Halloween skull.


5. His Superwoman pose. Chris and the nurse came up with that - I'm apparently too young for the reference.

Baby Kicks

I started feeling movement in the beginning of the 20th week. I'm now about to week 24 and I can feel it all the time and it's getting stronger! Now Curtis can kick and punch at the same time, which is a weird sensation to feel it in two different spots at once. Daddy can feel it too, which I think is so neat.

P.S. - The picture on the header is what I think Curtis will look like with Chris' dark curly hair. Cute!

Ultrasound

So, we finally got to see CURTIS!! Actually, I'm surprised Kylee hasn't posted anything. :) It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. It even beats the time I saw a friend of mine down an entire Stuffed-Crust Pizza from Pizza Hut..BY HIMSELF! Anywho, back to the baby..

Curtis was moving around A LOT, which makes me think he/she gets that from me since I tend to move around a ton when I'm sleeping (sorry kylee!). It was so strange to see the feet, the spine, everything. Well, not everything. We didn't see the baby's equipment, so we don't know the sex. However, the tech did write the sex on a piece of paper and sealed it in an envelope. We can open it IF we want to. Man, it's like wanting to open a piece of mail that was accidentally delivered to your house. So, we're not sure if we're going to look, or not.

I can't wait to meet Curtis.

Another Bed Update

Well, we got MOST of the parts for the bed. However, we are missing a couple of pieces that hold on the front piece that keeps the baby from falling out. We have discussed this and have come to the conclusion that this part is probably an important one to have. :) One day our baby will have a complete bed. Yeah, and maybe I'll have an XBOX 360.

Bed Update

Well, we have a bed, but not the nuts and bolts to put it together. The girl we bought the bed from was supposed to bring them over when she delivered the playpen and headboard. Boo. We've tried calling her several times, but do not get a response. Good ol' Cragislist folks!

Yoga in the Womb

It feels like you're dancing in my belly today! You must have enjoyed the stretches so much in yoga last night that it inspired you to move yourself. I can't wait until I can take you to Baby and Me Yoga with me after your born. I think it will be a great experience for the both of us, and will really help you get more accustomed to moving about outside of the womb.

Our baby will have somewhere to sleep!

Kylee found a pretty nice crib and dresser combo on craigslist for the upcoming addition to the family. Now the nursery is starting to show signs of life. :) Kylee was so excited about the crib that when we got it home, she proceeded to shine it...with VEGETABLE OIL! She claimed that it's some hippy-enviromentally safe way to shine it. Amazing to think that the same item that is used to cook french fries can be used to make your baby's furniture look brand new and taste delicious!

Dear Son/Daughter

Your mother has failed to mention what an HONOR it is to be wearing an item bearing the logo of THE BATMAN. There will be a point in your life where I will introduce you to Batman. I have a pretty decent collection of action figures that you will enjoy seeing. And if you ask, 'Daddy? Can I open one?', my reply will be, 'Not Likely'.

I also own all of the movies on DVD (even Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, which I don't consider 'Batman' movies because they were atrocious. You'll understand when I make you watch them). I haven't decided if you will watch Batman (1989), or Batman Begins. It's a tough decision.

I remember seeing Batman in theatres on that warm night in June of '89. I had to take the bus downtown with a friend in order to see it (Yes, your grandpa Brock allowed a 10 year old to take public transportation to see a PG-13 movie DOWNTOWN. Don't worry, I'll never let you do that. Heck, I probably won't even let you leave the house).

Baby Batman

Dear Baby Brock,

I apologize in advance if your dad dresses you in this everyday:

Thanks for your understanding.

Current Cravings

Cheese-It Crackers
PB&J's
Reese's Peanut Butter Cereal

And I get to hear the baby today!

First Maternity Purchase!

I was browsing through the huge clothing clearance section in Super Target and found the cutest top - for $4! It'll be perfect for the summer months when I've got an expanding stomach and a huge aversion to heat. How cute will this top be with a pair of black leggings and flip flops?! The perfect outfit for my Saturday mornings at the farmer's market!

Food Stuffs

I really don't like that I can't have some cheeses, namely the Parmesean that Chris put on his half of the foccacia bread from last night. I guess that true Parmesean usually isn't comprised of pasteurized milk - who would've guessed?!

Secondly, I wonder if they make a nitrate-free hot dog because I could really go for some old-school mac & cheese with hot dogs and peas. Delish!

Thirdly, in my attempt to stay healthy, I was so focused on getting skim milk for my cafe mocha this morning that I neglected to ask for decaf! Mental note: skim milk sucks.

Still in denial...

I got the phone calls for the doctors out of the way today. My job has a great prenatal care program which I was anxious to take advantage of. Basically I just have to check in with a nurse once a month to let her know how I'm doing. In return, they provide me with the book What to Expect When Expecting (which should prove useful, as I have no clue what to expect), a $600 out-of-pocket maximum for all prenatal/birth expenses, and even a $50 savings bond to get Baby Brock's savings started! I was nervous that the program wouldn't cover a midwife, but the lady helping me found a few with whom I'd be covered. I would have died if I had to go into a hospital and have them stick an IV in my hand. Do you think they refuse service if you refuse an IV?

So, my other call was to set up an appointment with the midwife. I was partially annoyed that my first prenatal appointment isn't until February 18th as I want a blood test pronto just to verify the validity of the "pee on the stick" tests. One good thing to come of the call was finding out that I can continue taking my Flinstones vitamins! I merely have to up my dosage to two Flinstones per day, and I'm good to go!

Baby!

1 month, 5 days

And so it begins. After two pregnancy tests (one analog, one digital - for more accuracy!), it still hasn't settled in. I'm still thinking that they might be wrong, so I'm looking forward to the doctor's face when she tells me it's just too many Doritos and not baby weight. I stuck the tests in a baggie and hid them in the store room, as I thought it'd be fun to put in a scrapbook someday. Although, now that I think of it, that'd just be gross.

No more than an hour after finding out, I get a call from Grandma. Grandma and I call each other often, but her comment after I answered the phone was a little eerie. She told me that "something hit her that she should call me." How weird is that?! I wish I could have told her just how weird it really was, but I'll just have to remember to let her know when the time is right!