Timing is everything

Wes and I were at dinner with friends last night, and he somehow the due date was mentioned. Wes made an offhand comment that certain upcoming events, some involving travel, would have been easier to accomodate were the baby due sooner. I just turned, looked at him, and said, "Do you really want to bring that topic up for discussion?" He laughed.

No news is good news

The next midwife's appointment is on Thursday, and even though nothing really happens at the apointment (which, granted, is a good thing), I still look forward to it. Confirmation that everything is alive and growing and the due date is getting slowly closer. Other than that, not much has been happening on the baby front. I've been reading my myriad childbirth books and trying to include more movement into my workouts that mimics the various positions encouraged in unmedicated births. We're still short of making purchases but have tentatively picked out a color for the nursery (Jonquil). The baby is moving a lot, and I can feel him all over now, not just down low. It's nothing strong (the anterior placenta) but certainly noticeable. Wes even got to feel him finally. He came to bed really late after a shift and snuggled up next to the belly. Just then the baby started kicking -- as if to poke Wes on the shoulder for a bedtime snuggle back. I was amused to see how much Wes reacted to it. For someone who sees pregnant women daily and has seen births repeatedly, he's really enjoying experiencing it firsthand finally.

Dear Husband Part 19

Wes and I have been continuing to read to the baby most nights at bedtime. The other night we broke out Frog and Toad are Friends and read "The Story" reader's theater style (each person reads a role). I was the narrator and Toad. Wes was Frog.

Monkey see

If only they'd had these in crib sheeting!

Dear Husband Part 18

I found out yesterday that my coworker (the "third pregnant lady" at school), like our other pregnant coworker, is having a girl. This made me experience a good 5 minutes of "girl mourning." I emailed Wes and asked him to remind me all the ways that little boys are fun. This is his response:

oh boys are very fun because
they can pee on you when you are changing them
you can give them a bowl cut
dress them in trucks and gorillas
and they have excellent accelerated verbal skills

Three out of four ain't bad!

Dear Husband Part 17

For the last few weeks, I've been reading the baby a book before bedtime, after I finish my reading. We've done The Five Chinese Brothers (possibly a bit racist and kind of scary -- they're going to execute the brother!), Harry the Dirty Dog (one of Lucy's favorites), The Butter Battle Book (too many weapons for such a young fetus). Then for a few nights we read Goodnight Moon. Last night I told Wes it was his turn to read to the baby, and he could read anything he wanted. His pick for our 21 week in utero son: "Chapter 8: Huai-Hai" on the Chinese Civil War, 1948, from The Battle 100: The Stories Behind HIstory's Most Influential Battles. Alrighty, then.

Paint!

Wes and I have decided to paint a couple walls in the nursery. We're renting, and only for another year, and we'll have to paint it back to white before we leave, but there's just something cozy and warm about a nursery with color on the walls. Heck, it's our first baby. Why not. Plus it's a small (if tall) room, so it'll only be a few hours labor for months of enjoyment.

Since the furniture in the room is pretty light and we have light wood floors, I want something with some presence, but not anything overwhelming or that will be hard to paint over. Plus the room has no natural light (save from over the transom in our "soft loft"), so it can't be too dark. For those who want to check it out, here are our color picks. Just click on the name and a sample will pop up. I know it's hard to imagine not in the room, etc., but if you see something you really like, let me know. Blue is perhaps cliched for a little boy's room, but honestly I just like blue on the wall. I probably would have done blue even if it were a girl (but perhaps one more purply or green). We didn't see any greens we liked. Anything light enough to was too pastel.


For blue:
Celestial
Cancun Blue
Billowing Clouds
Enchantment
Blue Silk

For yellow:
Jonquil
Uplifting

For brown:
Bonjour Beige