Hmmm.
So, it's 35 weeks of pregnancy and counting, and we haven't really done a great job of sharing pictures (there actually aren't many to share... we are not good historians) or stories. I figured it's easier to amend this now rather than later, when we have a little poop-machine to scoop up after. As soon as pictures get organized, I'll start posting preggo pics and other significant fun shots, and then we'll hopefully be more adept at this so that we can easily post once the kiddo gets here.
A few basics about the expected adoration:
Due Date: September 2.
Gender: Unknown, on purpose-- it'll be like Christmas in September
Nicknames: "Baby" (Laura and Jason), "Bean" (Nan and Ralph, and sometimes Laura), "Skeletor" (Laura and Nick), "Kiddo!" (Laura when baby kicks hard)
Expected Future Employment: Jason is starting early by calling our baby the "Astronaut-President". Laura adds "-Poet" to the end.
Is Laura Still Working?: Yup. I'm going to try to work until the due date. I don't get FMLA until October (because that's when I started my job) so we'll eek out as much time as we can. We'll be fine if the little one comes earlier, though.
How is Laura feeling?: Pretty well! Some heartburn, needing to keep up on fluids and sleep, and a little frustrated that I can't do EVERYTHING I want to as easily as before-- and that I have such a long stinking commute!
How is Jason feeling?: I think pretty well, too! He seems to be taking everything in stride, including my mood swings and increasingly odd sleep positions. He is definitely excited about this kiddo!
Are you guys ready?: Can you ever be? Yes, we've got most everything now, including a carseat, a cool Norwegian oval crib on wheels (so it's portable!), a pack and play, a place to change diapers, some cloth diapers, and more adorable baby clothes and wonderful baby books than I ever thought possible. Since we kinda half-planned to just dress our kid in old lab T-shirts and burlap and use the backyard as a diaper, this is a bit overwhelming. It'll be fun!
Are you guys nervous?: Yup. We are terrified, excited, nervous, happy, impatient, enjoying every moment of time with just the two of us, and pretty much every other emotion there is as well (except rageful. No rage.) I think this is standard-- folks just don't talk about it much. But you know, we're honest. :)
What's your baby song?: I sing just about anything that comes to mind to this wee one, often defaulting to the Welsh Lullaby and making up songs randomly. Grandpa Ralph (wow, that's the first time I've written that down) WROTE a beautiful song called "Busterflies and Bumblebeezus" which I will somehow figure out how to share on this blog-- it's great. We also are a big fan of "The Hippopotamous" which is an old-timey song introduced to us last Christmas by our fantastic neighbor, Craig. The lyrics are as follows:
The Hippopotamus Song
A bold hippopotamus was standing one dayOn the banks of the cool Shalimar
He gazed at the bottom as he peacefully lay
By the light of the evening star
Away on the hilltop sat combing her hair
His fair hippopotami maid
The hippopotamus was no ignoramus
And sang her this sweet serenade
Chorus:
Mud, mud, glorious mud
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood
So follow me follow, down to the hollow
And there let me wallow in glorious mud
The fair hippopotama he aimed to entice
From her seat on that hilltop above
As she hadn't got a ma to give her advice
Came tiptoeing down to her love
Like thunder the forest re-echoed the sound
Of the song that they sang when they met
His inamorata adjusted her garter
And lifted her voice in duet
Chorus
Now more hippopotami began to convene
On the banks of that river so wide
I wonder now what am I to say of the scene
That ensued by the Shalimar side
They dived all at once with an ear-splitting sposh
Then rose to the surface again
A regular army of hippopotami
All singing this haunting refrain
Chorus
And there you have it. Glorious, glorious mud.
