It's Week 36, and you've got class!

Wow. It's week 36 already! That's the beginning of your ninth month! Just about 4 weeks to go, but theoretically, you could come as early as next Saturday and be considered full term!

But we're keeping our fingers (and legs) crossed for a March debut! But, if you come in February, we won't think you're any less cool!

We celebrated the beginning of your Ninth month in a classroom in the basement of the hospital in which you'll be born.

It sounds boring, I know. But it was anything but boring!

Your mother and I learned so many cool things about labor and pain management and delivery and what happens next!

There's a lot to learn here, dude!

Your mom and I learned some breathing techniques to promote calm (but none of the hee-hee-hee-hooooooo lamaze stuff you see in the movies), I was taught a couple very simple massage techniques (one using a pool noodle) to help your Mom's back, your Mom learned a couple stretches and exercises to help lull you into the right position and loosen her hips. We learned about the magical uterus!

We learned all about different ways to cope with the pain, fear and anxiety about labor. There are tons of things the partner (me) can do to help your Mom work through early labor before we get to the hospital.

Apparently joke-telling isn't one of them.

The teacher had all the women in the class put a clothes pin on the most-sensitive part of their ear and keep it there for one minute. The partners weren't allowed to interact with them at all. The clothes pins stayed on for one minute.


Then we tried the experiment again, but this time, the partners could interact. So we held hands, I played with her hair, did some shoulder massage and told some really awesome jokes.

Your Mom initially thought that she preferred the version Without me! Because, apparently, I was annoying. But, then she learned that the second clothes-pin-on-ear segment lasted for TWO minutes! And she thought it had gone by as fast- if not faster- as the first one.

Turns out I'm not completely useless (much to our collective dismay!).

But, I learned a lot of obvious things too: don't argue with Holly during labor; don't tell her to do things she's already doing (breathe!); don't ask her stupid questions (apparently there are such things!), and don't tell jokes just because I'm nervous. But, I can still be funny if the moment calls for it. I think it was foolish to leave it up to me to determine when that moment may be!
We learned alot about Drugs. Most of our lives they teach us to "Just Say No" to Drugs. But for pregnant women, there are several options to help manage the pain of labor. One is a Narcotic (called an Analgesic) one is an Epidural (which sends pain medicine directly into an area in the spinal column). Before this class your Mom was thinking of being completely drugged up the entire time. She was operating under the axiom that, with today's technology, a woman doesn't need to feel any pain in the labor and delivery.
And that's true! The epidural can be administered so well that the Mother can't even feel contractions. She has to put her hands on her belly to physically feel for them to know when to push!
After seeing these videos and learning more about the options, your Mom has changed her mind. She wants to try to go as long as possible without the drugs. In effect, she wants to feel some of the pain! But, when she's no longer satisfied with her ability to cope, she'll get the druggy druggy drugs.
But her philosophy on the pain management has changed. Your Mom's idea is that a woman shouldn't have to feel any pain that she doesn't want to feel!

At the end of the class, we got on a tour of the facility to see where you will actually be born! We saw the Labor and Delivery rooms (we're definitely requesting one with a jacuzzi in it!) and our Private Room where you, me and your Mom will stay for about 48 hours after your birth.
We also got to peek into the nursery and see two newborn baby girls. They were under an hour or so old, and way bigger than I thought they'd be. Or way bigger than I thought you will be! It's still amazing that a creature that size is inside your Mom's womb right now!
It's even more amazing to think in about 4 weeks we will all be back at that hospital, in those rooms and finally, you will be here!
I watched a little animation at the end of this blog that shows how much you've grown (from a poppyseed or smaller to a watermelon). I must admit, though I didn't cry or get teary eyed, I knew at that moment that when you arrive, I'm most likely going to cry. This was re-confirmed for me while we were sitting in the Private Post-Birth Recovery room where the new family of three will be reunited for the first time. I daydreamed about you, me and your Mom sitting there together. And I knew, again, that I'm going to be so happy to see you, to finally meet you, that -yup-there will be some old fashioned waterworks going on.
But, hopefully I don't cry like a baby. Because, at that point, you'll officially be a baby- instead of a fetus- and crying like one will officially be your job!
Oh, and for the record, I didn't last for 15 seconds with the clothes pin on my ear.

The Honeydew Period

Feel like you've been squashed for far too long? No, I'm not talking about the rapidly dwindling amount of space you have in your Mom's tummy-- though, I bet that's really squashed quarters. I'm talking about your fruit/veg comparison continuum. After spending 4 weeks on the scales as a "squash," you've now officially been upgraded:

You're now the size of a Honeydew Melon (you know, cantaloupe's amazing, green cousin)! (remind me to tell you a HILARIOUS joke when you come out about why the honeydew told the watermelon they couldn't run away to get married).

What's even more amazing, is that after a honeydew holding pattern for a few weeks, you've only got one more fruit on the list: Watermelon. Clearly these last few weeks are all melon, but that doesn't make us melancholy in any way. Granted, your Mom is struggling a bit in her landings and takeoffs from couches, beds and the floor, and her back pain is getting especially ripe, but she's just ecstatic to have a little honeydew-sized honey growing in her belly! And, in my opinion, she looks absolutely beautiful carrying you, despite the presence of 2/3 of a fruit salad in her tummy.

When we got married, someone told me that I would forever be subject to "honeydew lists;" clearly, this refers to you in this 8th month of pregnancy in some Nostradamus way. Actually, no it doesn't, but it's quite poetic, no? The honeydew list in question is, in fact, a reference to some stereotypical nagging wife forcing her bedraggled husband to do multiple chores: "Honey, Do this!" "Honey, do that!" Well, your Mother's and my relationship doesn't really work like that, as you'll soon know. Sure, we have to-do lists that we both freely populate and depopulate, but there's hardly any nagging. Unless the item on the list is something that I don't really want to do at all, in which case, some nagging or pouting may be necessary to get my butt in gear.

But, at any rate, this weekend - to celebrate your arrival as a honeydew- your Mom and I crossed another item off of our pregnancy honeydew lists. And this was one item that we've both been looking forward to, as it stretched our creative muscles!

A lot of people get professional pictures taken when they're pregnant (these are called maternity pictures). Your Mom thought that I could do a good enough job taking these pictures and -that way- we could have a really cool, personal experience taking them and save a little extra cash to get professional studio pictures taken when you are born!

So, we hung up some sheets, cleaned ourselves up and turned your nursery into a photography studio! I don't consider myself an awesome photographer at all. But, I have an awesome camera (thanks to Cousin Steve and Ruthy!), and your Mom is awesome at Photoshop, and that seemed to do the trick!

These pictures really just confirm three things for me: 1) your Mom truly makes a beautiful pregnant lady; 3) You're a good looking bump, and have been all the way from the beginning of lime to this, our honeydew period; 3) your Mom takes better photographs than she gives haircuts (note to self- pay for haircuts).

Attempting some Jedi Mind Tricks

Elegant Honeydew!

My Honey and our Honeydew

Take amazing pictures?

Honey done!

Even though you're no longer a squash, and you're definitely getting more and more squashed with each passing day, you make a peach of a honeydew!

2009: Prelude to a New Odyssey

We're standing on the threshold of a new year! Today is the last day of 2009, and what a year it's been!

Think about all the accomplishments you've had in 2009 alone. Granted, January through late May were kind of blank calendar days for you, but from June onward, you've had some amazing feats:

• You made it to the Egg when all the other spermies didn't
• You grew from an Egg to 3/4 of a baby
• You grew a spine and internal organs
• You made a brain
• You grew eyes and then they unfused and now can blink!
• You grew toes and fingers - and they're not even webbed anymore!
• You grew from being compared to a a poppyseed (in week 3) all the way to a squash now!
• You learned to kick and flail and move around inside your Mom's belly
  
• And you did this to your mother (but don't worry, she's exceedingly happy that you did):

But, now that 2009 is behind us, we have to look forward to 2010, which is going to be an even bigger year!

You've got a lot more room to go, no matter how large your Mom's belly seems to get from week to week:

Week 29

Week 30

And, in 2010, you are going to be born! You will learn to smile and see and breathe and roll over and crawl! You'll learn to blink, and find your fingers and toes and grow hair on your head and teeth in your mouth. You'll get to finally meet your Mom and Me, and all the other people who already love you so much, like Mimi and Pops and Nannah and Baba, your Uncles and Aunts (official and honorary), and, of course, your Dogs.

But, we mustn't get ahead of ourselves. For now, on the brink of 2010 and on my 100th journal entry for you, we are in week 30 of our pregnancy- about 7 and a half months in. And on the verge of the most exciting year of our lives yet. Something tells me that 2010 is going to be a great year.

Your family can't wait to meet you!

Happy New Year, Son!

All Hands on Deck: Pre-Thanksgiving Edition

We've made it to week 25, and you've finally graduated from papaya to the next produce item on the list. That's right, buddy, in perfect time for Thanksgiving, you're, no, not a turkey, but an eggplant! (Mimi makes the best Eggplant dish on Thanksgiving...so, it's not a total non-sequitor)

That doesn't mean you're a purple, moslty mushy food that hardly anybody likes; It takes a LOT of effort to get as mushy as an eggplant. What this does mean, though, is that you're growing- probably about 1.5 pounds and 13.6 inches long from head to toe.

But we don't need to play guessing games to know you're there or that you've grown. We can see AND feel that just by watching and touching your Mom's belly.

Over the weekend you were kicking for what seemed like 10 minutes at a time and we both just watched and felt in amazement. In fact, you seem to react a lot to music too! Your Mom and I were playing Beatles Rock Band and at this one point with a lot of bass your Mom saw you dancing along. But more on that later.

We can't help but smile every time we feel you kicking. This show was too good to keep to ourselves, so we had to take it on the road.

At a Pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving feast at the home of our friends BJ and Kari, we were all just sitting around talking after the meal. I went over and put my hand on your belly to feel you kicking and then your Mom grabbed Michelle's hand to let her feel too. She felt you kick and, also, couldn't help but smile and laugh! Michelle said she could almost even feel a little foot kicking her hand!

Next thing we knew, everyone wanted to feel you kick and squirm and move, and you didn't disappoint your future "Uncles" and "Aunts" and friends: they all got to feel you kick, and all reacted differently. Uncle Jeremy didn't even realize it when he felt you kick- he thought it was just a muscle spasm!

But everyone overall loved "meeting you"-- and they, like me and your mother, can't wait to meet you for real.

Feeling you kick definitely makes your arrival seem more real...but it still seems so unknown, so far off and altogether UNreal. That is to say, we still can't fathom what it will be like when you're here, nonetheless, we still can't wait for it!

To feel you kicking and hold your feet and see your eyes for real will be beyond words; but for now, feeling and seeing you kick against your Mom's belly is incredible enough and, on this week of good food and family, seeing you kick, feeling you move, watching you grow and knowing you're in there definitely and being able to share that with everyone gives me something to be Thankful for.

And THAT's how you get as mushy as an eggplant!

Pigment of your Imagination

Welcome to Week 24! Although you are still supposedly the size of a papaya, we know you're growing like crazy in there. You can't look at the picture above and think "hmmm...papaya." So, we know that you've evolved beyond the papaya comparison!

You Mom said that your movements are feeling more and more fluid, rather than the jabby old punches we felt earlier. Your Nannah Joon even got the opportunity to feel you kick!

You're developing right along: you're face is pretty much formed and you're just accumulating fat. But, one of the coolest things we learned was that as of right now you're not a red head, blonde or brunnette. You have hair, eyelashes and eyebrows already but, as of right now, it's all WHITE! Pigment hasn't been developped yet!

So you won't feel bad about being a white-hair, I wanted to show you what your Mother and I would look like with all white hair! (Please note, this photograph is not my finest hour of digital manipulation...)

So, it IS possible to look good with all-white hair. I bet you look just dashing. To make up for that tomfoolery, though, I have to share with you some much higher-quality photographs I took two weekends ago. Your cousins Ruthy and Steve were kind enough to give me their old Digital SLR, and I've been experimenting ever since! We went to the Dallas Arboretum and spent the afternoon taking pictures of your Mom and her bump (well, at least that's what I did). The results are way better than the previously featured photograph.

So, even though we are officially in week 24, you can still enjoy some of these photos from week 23 at the Arboretum.

Belly Button Watch: Day 1 - Papaya and Jambalaya

Apparently you no longer grow from fruit-size to fruit-size every week from here on out. From weeks 21 to 24 you are the size of a papaya!

But, your Mother and I definitely aware that you're still growing day to day; you just won't be a new produce item each week!

In your first week as a papaya, your mother has become even more hungry than she was before. In fact, last night, she asked for a second bowl of Jambalaya. She never asks for a second bowl of Jambalaya!

And then after that was ice cream!

So, I totally don't believe that you've plateaued in growth. Mabye the Bump just ran out of fruit to compare babies to!

As another side effect of your growth, your mother's belly button has stretched out, become super shallow and now, your mother swears, that any day it's going to pop out from an inny to an outie.

So, I hereby begin Belly Button Watch 2009.

BBW 2009 - Day 1. Still an inny.

Your Mom has been really amazed by the progression of her belly button. The first day that she could see the bottom of it was a highlight of her day a few weeks ago. But maybe sooner than later, everyone will be able to see the bottom of it...because it will have poked out from one of these:

(

To one of these!

)

We'll keep you posted- maybe a few more helpings of Jambalaya will help this Papaya turn your Mother's Belly button inside out!

A Matter of Taste

At 21 weeks, you are officially the size of a banana: Over 10 ounces and 12.5 inches long, on average.

Well, techincally YOU are a banana!

One of the coolest things about being a banana (aka being 21 weeks "old") is that you are now TASTING. That's right, bud, your taste buds are now fully functional- and you are tasting whatever your Momma is eating!

Baby-rearing sources suggest eating a variety of foods while pregnant, since studies show that when you come out, you'll be most interested in food you've already experienced.

And, boy, did we hook you up yesterday. But the sensory overload wasn't just a tasting-adventure; you got fine dining AND fine arts.

As a birthday celebration, Mimi and Pops took us to see a matinee showing of the opera "Otello" (a hilarious comedy) at the brand new Winspear Opera house in Dallas. But before we went, your Mom packed a lunch for the road. This lunch consisted of a PB&J, an apple and pumpkin seeds. And more pumpkin seeds. And more pumpkin seeds. In fact, your Mom didn't stop eating until we got to the Opera house, which was a gorgeous building which, unfortunately, you couldn't see. But, you did get to hear some really loud classical music and operatic singing! And you reacted like crazy-- kicking and rolling and punching.

By the end of act I (aka 45 minutes later), your Mom was starving again. So we went to the concession bar and being faced with a designer "micro sandwich" for 6 bucks (a micro sandwich is even smaller than it sounds) and candy, your mother chose candy.

So, a half a box of chocolate-covered almonds later, we were back in the opera house.

Now, maybe you were just a little bit bored (like your Mother who was more fascinated by the new building and hall than that particular opera) or maybe you really liked loud, tragic song. But, by the end of it, you were most likely just kicking because your mom was playing with you.

Finding the "Moor" a bore, your Mom took to pushing gently on her belly to wake you up-- and you responded by kicking and turning and stretching. At least you were both entertained!

After the last curtain call, we headed to dinner at The Grape, where you had a very nice gourmet meal. For appetizer, you tried candied brie (which we made sure was pasteurized, so you'd be safe) with crackers and bread with butter. For dinner you had grilled beef tournedos, maitre d'butter, garlic-herb frites, bitter greens salad and a red-wine demi glace (that's gourmet talk for steak, with garlic fries and a salad). And for dessert, you had the apple pie with Heath bar ice cream.

So, sensory overload for you in the taste department- what a way to start using your taste buds!

But, of course, later that evening, your Mother was starving again and- low and behold- needed to eat...you guessed it...a banana. But I wouldn't be to worried about those cannibalism worries we had earlier. It's been weeks since she's craved the fruit that matches your weekly size.

In the end, though, no matter what you experience in utero, whether you like bananas or tournedos or the Bard or Turendot, it's all a matter of taste. And now that you have taste buds, you know what I'm talking about!

All's Fair in Love and Pregnancy: A Photo Pictorial

To celebrate our 20th week with you, and also to celebrate that the greatest of American ideals, gluttony, is acceptable while pregnant, we took a trip to the Texas State Fair.


Cravings aren't exclusive to the Pregnant Woman; the father to be gets them sometimes too. Let's just say that we both had dreams about Fletcher's Corny Dogs. And those dreams were fulfilled last Saturday.

Your Mom, You and me had a great time eating our way across the fair grounds, and putting you proudly on display.

We shared a Turkey Leg...

A corny dog...
A corn on the cob...


and for dessert, your Mom had a Caramel Apple...

While I went the more sensible route and had 4 deep fried Oreo cookies.

The Oreos were a horrible idea. But don't worry, we didn't just eat. We had to walk around to get to the different places to eat. So, we showed you off to Big Tex...

The Ferris Wheel...


And the Texas Discovery Gardens (which just so happens to be the place where your Mom and I got married!)

But don't think that this adventure to the Fair was a victimless adventure. The Belly, sticking out the way it does, got hit with a particularly juicy glob of caramel, much to your Mother's (pretend) dismay:

But perhaps the biggest victim of the day was me. Those Oreos did not quit torturing my stomach for about 24 hours. But they tasted so good going down...however, the second after consumption I realized I'd made a huge mistake. And my body was more than happy to remind me of it constantly... I think I was sweating fried Oreo out of every pore.

Needless to say, you're going to LOVE the fair!

The best part of this adventure, though, was the coda. Less than 2 hours after we left the fair grounds, your Mother announced that she was hungry. Me? I was still futilely fighting off the fried fair fare.

Sometimes it pays to be preggers!

Roger Dodger- Hiding from the Doctor

First of all, don't worry- you're not going to be named Roger.

But, apparently, you are really good at hiding (hence the "dodger")! Which is pretty amazing, considering that -now at 20 weeks in utero- you are the size of a cantaloupe!

Your Mom went to see Dr. Hagood today for the standard heartbeat-hearing-only examination. But, at first, the Doctor couldn't find you!

She said you wouldn't hold still and she was having to chase you all over your Mom's tummy with her Doppler device to hear your heartbeat.

That takes some skill, son, because a cantaloupe is pretty hard to miss!

But, after you gave your Mom a brief scare, Dr. Hagood pinned you in a corner and was able to find your heartbeat: 154 bpm!

You are consistent, for sure, with your heart rate; but this whole experience shows that you may be a crafty little guy: Playing games and hiding from the Doctor!

But there's no real hiding from you now: your Mom's belly is most definitely showing (and still growing). The belly bump is getting in the way more often, your Mom feels you kick all the time and she has gained 4 pounds! The Doctor said that Holly's gaining the right amount of weight, but - as for now - the weight gained is "all baby weight," meaning there's not much extra fat on your Mom.

It's not for lack of effort, though: we basically spent the weekend eating. I think I probably gained more than 4 pounds at the Texas State Fair alone!

4 pounds is pretty good, though; and Dr. Hagood is really happy with the way you're growing. With the added weight, growing belly and a cantaloupe-sized you, though, there's no missing that your Mom is pregnant! You may be able to hide from the doctor, but you're not hiding from anyone else!

p.s. We're officially halfway through the pregnancy! March will be here before you know it!

Preggo Yoga, or Preggoga [(c) Aaron Weinstein]

Your Mom's back has been hurting her recently. Why? you may ask. Well, we're pretty sure it's a normal part of pregnancy: the growing weight of a big baby bump adds pressure to the spine-- it's arching out more to compensate for the extra weight. And so, to help her back feel better, your Mom has relied on a time-tested technique: complaining about it.



Okay, maybe she's only doing some minor griping, and she totally deserves to gripe about it. If I had to carry a watermelon (actually more like a mango inside a small watermelon) around all the time without being able to use my hands, I'd whine too. Or maybe I'd make a fruit salad. But, that's not an option here.

So, I've been resorting to one back-pain remedy a lot: the back massage. I don't want to creep you out- and I know it will, because it creeps me out to see Mimi and Pops engage in any more physical contact than a high five, hand hold or hug- but, I've been performing back massages to rave reviews. The reviews normally go something like this:

Me: "All done. How did that feel?"

Your Mom: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

But, massages aren't cutting the mustard any more. So, I suggested we bust out the prenatal pilates and yoga DVDs that have been collecting dust. Exercise is good for any body, but prenatal yoga is supposed to be super good for the pregnant body. And just for good measure, I figured I'd tag along and try the work out with your Mom too. Enter: Shiva Rea Prenatal Yoga.

We've done pilates and yoga before. But this Prenatal stuff was weird.

First of all, you know how they say that everything looks flattering on a pregnant woman? Well, that's still true...as long as it's YOUR pregnant woman. Everyone in this video was wearing a form fitting unitard (see Shiva, above), and it left nothing to the imagination. Plus, I was jealous because I don't have a unitard and I probably would have looked lumpier than the pregnant-est yogaer in one.

Secondly, the video had three women (each in different trimesters) demonstrating how the more pregnant you get, the less mobile you become. The third trimester workout lady (who was probably due to deliver right at the end of the video) basically sat in a chair and did the hand jive the whole time.

Our oddly-named pregnant yoga hippy for second trimester folks, Britta (which Shiva Rea insisted on pronouncing as "Brit. Ta." (as if we didn't know there were two t's), was fortunately mobile enough to still get a good work out in. And your mother followed along very well, stretching and breathing and kegeling and all that.

I, on the other hand, was still freaked out by the unitards. Maybe it was the fact that each trimester lady had a different color on: red, green and blue. And this color combination always reminds me of "Alvin and the Chipmunks" who always freaked me out. Partially because they're talking chipmunks. Partially because they don't wear pants. And partially because of this photo from my childhood which was recently unearthed:

More frightening than My Little Ponies.

And don't get me started on Shiva Rea's odd pronunciation habits. By the 30th time she said exhale as "ex-ale," I'd had enough. Plus, I couldn't participate in the 15 minute kegel workout, so I bowed out.

But, don't worry, I stayed on the sidelines to make sure our star Yoga-er wouldn't fall over or anything. And she didn't fall over! At the end of an hour of Preggo Yoga, or Preggoga (which I've copyrighted), your Mom felt great. Her back was feeling better, she felt relaxed and refreshed. I guess she didn't have giant Chipmunk related trauma as a child.

But, the first thing your Mom said after Yoga was the following: "I need a giant bowl of cereal."

So, this silly workout was actually a pretty good workout! She worked up an appetite (which would have happened anyway), and she worked out her back-- giving her more strength and flexibility for you to continue to grow and grow.

And, judging by the picture below of you at 19 weeks, we're gonna be experiencing a lot more back pain, and a lot more "ex-aling" with Prenatal Yoga workouts.

I've got a feeling & a Stroller Coaster

Baby W, you are now 19 weeks old! We're getting closer and closer to that official half way point!

You keep growing, and so does your Mom's belly! This week you're the size of a Mango!

Seeing as how you're really climbing up the produce food chain, and that you're moving like crazy in your Mom's belly, it's no wonder that she's been feeling you kick and turn and move for just about a full week.

But, what was a wonder to me, was that I felt you move too! We were on the couch watching a movie (oddly enough, a movie about an expectant couple called "Away We Go"). During the movie, I had my hand on your Mother's belly and...POP!...I swear I felt you move below and to the right of her belly button.

Was that you in there?

Holly said that she "wasn't paying attention" to know if what I felt was, indeed, you moving...but I'm pretty convinced that was you! It felt almost like being gently flicked, but very quick and abrupt. Was that your foot? Your hand? Did you hit your head?

No matter what it was, it made my night! No, it made my whole week! Maybe you could hit your head against her belly again tonight?

Speaking of moving, you'll be happy to know that your Mother and have moved forward in a particularly difficult arena: registering.

As you'll recall, we were both incredibly overwhelmed by Babies R Us and hightailed it out of there with our tails between our legs. I was happy with never going back to that store again, and figured you'd do just fine in hand-me-downs and old cardboard boxes taped together to create a crib. Little did I know, though, that your Mom found her comfort zone for registering and basically went through every category of everything you'll ever need by registering online. It was way easier!

But, when I got filled back in on the loop, there were still two items that were vexing your mother: your crib and your stroller. So, I figured we should take it up a notch. Biting the bullet, we headed to another baby superstore: Buy Buy Baby.

They even let me park right up front!

This store was A LOT better: each employee is an expert on baby things, and the store is laid out to not induce hyperventilation and vertigo. So that's a plus. On our first trip there, we learned a heck of a lot and saw about 15 million strollers and cribs.

Stroller Over-Load! We felt like this couple, except that I still have my lucious head of hair! (as of this writing)

We definitely still felt overwhelmed...but not as badly as before. I guess going to these baby stores and registering is like being bludgened: the more you experience it, the less pain you feel! But we ironed out a lot of ideas and brainstormed and discussed and talked and thought and thought some more and sought advice and turned inward and...we made a decision on both fronts!

So yesterday, we decided that we needed to go back to Buy Buy Baby to see if our idea would even work! In order to make ourselves feel better about being bright-eyed and deer-in-the-headlights at these baby stores, we decided to bring some folks who would make us feel like old pros: enter the Nodelands! So, with BJ and Kari in tow, and confidence artifically heightened, we went back to Buy Buy Baby to register for more amazing junk for you and test our stroller idea.

Registering can stink. Is that a fake burger patty in your hands or are we in a PetSmart?

After a hands-on demonstration from three different associates, encountering an even-more bewildered couple than us, and test driving (and test lifting) about 10 carrier and stroller combinations, you might have thought we'd high-tailed it out of there again. But no! Consider your stroller and infant carrier registered-for! You're gonna be so comfortable (and safe (and stylish))).

I've got a good feeling about this!

Your new ride! We don't look too scared, do we? Plus, check out your Mom's 19 week bump!

Orange You Glad I went to the Airport?

You are officially well into your 15th week inside your Mom's belly. The fruit equivalent of your size, on average, is a naval orange! The site says that on average a baby at your age will be 4 inches in length...although you were 4 inches from rump to crown about two weeks ago!

But still, an orange is a pretty big piece of produce! You are continuing to grow in your Mom's tummy and nearing normal proportions. This week your legs should finally be longer than your arms. No wonder in the video you were so easily touching your toes! Your arms were longer than your legs. But not any more!

On a good note, though, Oranges are very good for you. And you've been very good to your Mother! The post-plane nausea has all-but disappeared, and she's gotten her appetite back; although she's now mostly hungry for Egg Drop soup and egg rolls.

The site also says you should be very busy in there, wiggling and squirming around, though your Mommy can't feel it quite yet. But she's looking more and more pregnant each day! Check this one out from our trip to Maine:

Someone else has been moving around like crazy this week too: me! But I wasn't in anyone's belly...I was in a plane. But at the airport in Chicago yesterday afternoon, waiting to come home you and your Mom, I saw stars from one of your Mom's most favorite television shows: "Myth Busters."

I went up to the stars, Tory, Grant and Kari, and got their autographs, a picture and chatted with them.

I even asked them for advice on baby names, since your Mom and I seem to have writer's block on baby boy names!

Now Kari, who apparently just had a baby girl 10 months ago, said she couldn't give me her best boy names, in case she had a boy next. Then she offered "a boy named Sue" (which is a Johnny Cash song and also completely not an option for your name).

After some moments of thinking, Kari and Tory both offered up the name "Buster."

"Buster" is their show's famous crash-test dummy who gets stabbed, beaten up, drowned, exploded and abused in every episode.

The bruised and battered "Buster."

I also pointed out that "Buster" from "Arrested Development" doesn't fare to well either (See below).

But, Tory added that "Buster Keaton" did quite well with that name. And, hey, the name "Keaton" isn't too bad... but it's not an option either!

So, needless to say, the Mythbusters, who can solve nearly every conundrum thrown at them, couldn't do anything to help bypass this baby naming boondoggle! Well, except maybe they contributed two names that are definitely off the list (and weren't on the list to begin with!)

But don't worry; your Mom and I will have a great name picked out for you by the time you are ready to come out into the world!

James (or Jane) and the Giant Peach

Here we are: week 13! I would think it's safe to say that we are officially in the Second Trimester now. But "The Bump" says that doesn't happen til NEXT week. But, either way, you, my friend, are roughly the size of a PEACH!

This is big news because, well, Peaches are pretty big! This means that soon enough, your Mother will be entering the "definitely showing a baby bump" phase that has thus-far eluded her. (She's still convinced she's in the "lay off the sweets, lady" phase [aka a root beer belly])


But, speaking about size, things are supposedly progressing quite nicely for you in your Mom's belly. You are quickly reaching human proportions: your head is now only about 1/3 the size of your body. That looks a lot more normal than you did a couple weeks ago when your head was the same size as your body!

See? Having a head 1/3 the size of your body looks almost normal. Though, I feel that champagne flute will be useless to someone with those proportions.

Something else is happening to you this week, and I gotta say, it's gonna make a world of difference for you down the line. According to sources, this week, your intestines are making a strategic move. They're relocating from the umbilical cord (which you don't get to keep) into your tummy! I think you'll really be pleased with this change; your intestines can serve you a lot better inside your tummy than housed in a weird-looking tube hooked up to your belly button. And trust me, as a Weinstein, you'll be using those intestines!

Speaking of the old intestines, your Mom's nausea has almost gone all away! But she still is not hungry for a lot of food. She is, however, hungry for a little bit of food about 76 times a day. If you're an old wife (like Mimi or Nannah (which is the decided-upon name for Nita!)), then you might use this eating-pattern information to predict your gender.

Of course, we already discussed the speed of the heartbeat indicating that you might be a girl (based on nothing but fiction, of course).

But, the other old wives tale that says that women pregnant with boys can't stop eating and never get full; women pregnant with girls eat more like birds, picking only what they want, eating little amounts frequently and having their mothers regurgitating that food into their mouths (or something like that). Well, your mother is quite peckish, and gets full pretty easily. So that would also indicate "girl!" But, my co-worker had two baby boys and was also peckish with her eating habits during pregnancy.

So there you go. Another gender prediction busted! So, as for now we don't know if you're Jane or James (neither are names we're considering). But, we do know that you are one cute peach!