Sunshine

People have told me how wonderful motherhood is--I think I'm starting to get a glimpse. Call me goofy but it was off-the-charts exciting and satisfying to buy these adorable prints for the nursery. Can I also mention that they were 50% off? Oh the thrill! I got the above in 18x18 and a set of three smaller 8x10 prints:

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails

It may not be crystal clear from the image but we found out on Wednesday that we're having a little boy. We are super thrilled. My appointment was in the early afternoon and Paul couldn't get away from work so we agreed that I would ask the technician to write down the gender and seal it in an envelope and we'd open it together once he was home. I turned away from the screen while she got a glimpse of the goods and resisted the urge to peek. I watched while she did the rest of the ultrasound and really loved being able to see him wiggle as she measured and checked everything from the brain to the feet. I could see every vertebra in the spine, all four chambers of the heart, the stomach, bladder, kidneys, and all the fingers and toes. It was pretty amazing. I had myself all mentally prepared to be disappointed if they weren't able to get a good enough look to determine the gender but he cooperated like an angel and showed all his little parts. I was a proud mama!

I ran across this article on msnbc.com: Busy and baffled, new moms hire baby planners.

Once I get past my bewilderment that such a service even exists, I can see how this would really appeal to some people. I guess we each handle our anxiety about the blessed, life-changing event differently. The advice I'm taking? A point of view offered by Kelly Breslin, featured in an LA Times article about living with her husband and 9 month-old in 384 sq. feet. Breslin tells writer David A. Keeps that she's found that babies don't need much -- just diapers, a place to change them, and boobs.

Even before we found out we were expecting I had this feeling I'd have a boy. Of course this feeling is totally unreliable and completely unconfirmed. I ran across this blog post (linked below), written by a friend of a my friend Tiffany, that gave me something to think about.

Beautiful Things, by Carina

As I read it, I squirmed and thought, "This woman speaks the cold, hard truth." I remembered my mom grieving for her beautiful things ruined by my four brothers and felt a twinge of sadness for my beautiful things. Then I remembered something that gave me hope. Tiffany has two boys and I've never heard her talk about anything they've destroyed! Stubbornly, I thought, "Not all boys are like that." Well, then I scrolled down and read the comments below the blog post and the first was from Tiffany:

Likely said...

ditto. just this morning oliver colored all over my grandmother's antique drop leaf table. The one she had painted herself in the 40's. Awesome.

and then he giggled as I made him try to clean it with a sponge. I think he liked the trying to clean it part too much. Makes me think he will try it again so he can try to clean it.

I love my boys.

November 9, 2009 5:37 AM

Yikes.

For the grandparents

This is for my parents who are on a mission for our church in Asuncion, Paraguay. I tried to send them this video clip via email but they weren't able to view it.



At about 0:24 you can see the baby waving it's teeny little hand. Looks like it's saying, "Hola, grandma and grandpa!"