Cute comments from III

As our pregnancy progresses, III gets more and more outwardly excited. He has said some really, really cute things.

One night in bed, I wanted him to try to feel the baby move. (This was before he had felt him.) He wasn't able to, but he wasn't upset about it. He said "It's so weird- there are three of us in bed right now!"

This weekend while baby was jumping around like crazy and we could see it from the outside: "Is it weird to be growing something in there? Like an alien?"

I participated in a gift exchange with other women who are due around the same time as I am (through a message board I've been on). My gifter sent me some really cute onesies, and they were sitting in the dining room. III saw them in there, and said "Are these for us? They're really small!" I told him, "I know. The baby is going to be really small!"

He bought me a card congratulating me on a small recognition I got at work. He signed it "Love, III, M-dog, Peanut and Nathalebriel"- a mix of the three names we are considering for baby boy.

And my favorite...

He came home this week and we were sitting down to dinner. He looked at me and said, "I wish it was September already. I just want to hold my son."

Moment

Since I started to feel the baby move, III has gotten more and more excited. I couldn't wait until he could feel it from the outside, but we never could get the timing quite right.

Last night, just before we headed out to dinner with his parents, I was laying down as he got ready. Baby started kicking a bit, so I asked III to come sit with me. He put both his hands on my belly and closed his eyes to concentrate. Baby boy gave a good kick just below my belly button.

III's eyes flew open. The expression on his face is one I'll never forget! I think the memory of it will remain one of my favorites for the rest of my life. :)

Registering

Today I am 23 weeks.

KB is planning to throw me a baby shower- not until July, but the planning is in the works. My mom and MIL I know are itching to start shopping. Plus, we're going to have to start getting prepared at some point.

So I've started researching. I literally have no idea about all the baby crap that is out there.* I bought the Baby Bargains book which has actually been helpful. KB also gave me a list (and is going to give me handmedowns! Woo hoo!) to go off of.

I've made some choices and started two registries... but I've made both of them private for now. I'm not sure when I will be able to make them public. I'm so nervous about this part... I'm so afraid of picking out baby things and requesting gifts. I don't know if I'm afraid to tempt fate or if I'm just afraid of how it will feel if something were to happen.

I am more excited and less nervous than I was, say, a month ago.** Especially two or three months ago. But it's like I'm still waiting for the bad to happen. The only purchases I've made are supplies for projects I have in mind for the baby. I bought yarn to make a homecoming bunting. Then to make a teddy bear- which is the first baby thing I've finished. Today I bought fabric for the nursery, to make a blanket and other bedding. Some unfinished frames and paint for a wall project I have in mind for the nursery. I don't know why that's easier- maybe because I can view it as a project rather than part of my planning.

I wish it was September and baby boy was here. I know that brings a whole new set of worries, but there's still so far to go, and so much that can go wrong. Statistically, I should be in really good shape. But statistics have never been on my side before.

*I'm so clueless, that whenever I'd hear or read about "BRU" I thought it was some fancy, upscale baby brand name. Nope. It's just Bab.ies R U.s. LOL
**I wish he'd kick more. And more consistently. And harder. He can kick me all day long. I'd love the constant reminder that he's alive.

Kick away, baby!

I am finally feeling some daily movement from the baby. During week 19 I would feel some pokes at bedtime. I wasn't sure if it was the baby or not... I haven't felt any "butterfly flutters" or "goldfish flips" like many describe their first movements.

At my 20w ultrasound, the tech told me I have an anterior placenta. Not a problem, but it explains why I wasn't feeling much movement, even into my 20th week.

Now, when I go to bed I spend about 10 minutes laying quietly on my back. Probably 80% of the time I feel him kick. I'm a fan. People keep telling me that I'll get sick of it in my 3rd trimester when he's keeping me awake... but right now that's just not something I can imagine being irritated by. It will mean I know he's alive and kicking in there.

In the last few days, I've started to think I can feel him moving at other times. A poke here or there while I'm working. A kick while I'm watching TV. This morning, I was doing the newspaper crossword online and there he was- kicking away. I love it. Keep going, baby. I love the constant reminders that you're here.

Friday night, III lay next to me with his hand on my belly trying to feel baby. I don't know if it's strong enough now... My OB did feel a kick at my last appointment as she was listening to the heartbeat with the doppler. I think III could feel him if it was the right kick, but at the times we've tried they are still not quite strong enough to feel from the outside. I told him he settles the baby down- that it means when he's fussy, I'll just hand him off to III and he'll stop crying. :)

Though he was disappointed that night not to be able to feel him kicking away in there yet, he was still excited to know that I could feel it. As he rolled over to go to sleep, III told me "There are three people in our bed right now. That's so exciting!!!" :)