Dear Baby Boy,
It's hard to believe that we are almost at 30 weeks! Only 10 more to go! It seems like forever but, at the same time, doesn't seem so long at all. I hear these last 2-3 months are a little long. Actually, I'm getting a little antsy now. I just can't wait to meet you. But don't get any ideas--I can definitely wait for another couple of months--I'd rather you were healthy!
Anyway, your doctor appointment went well today. Your heart rate was good and as soon as she put the Doppler on you, you kicked it. Guess you didn't like the invasion of privacy. Or maybe that was just your way of saying "hi". I also took the time to ask the doctor how big she'd let you get. See, I'm a little nervous since your dad was 12 lbs at birth! And though I hope you get his shoulders, I'm not looking forward to it during the whole birth part. I keep telling myself that it will all be worth it if someday you can hug and comfort a girl like your dad does for your mom!
You are moving around quite a bit now and I can feel you often. I love it! I especially love it when I lay down and put my hand on my side and you move to touch my hand. I call it our bonding time! You really seem to be most active between 6 and 7. I think you just get excited to eat! Anyway, keep the movements coming!
We are also getting ready to take our baby classes so that we know what to expect the day you decide to show up! We also are taking one that will tell us what to do with you: when to give you a bath, how to put you in your car seat, etc. Neither one of us has been around babies much so we're not totally sure what to do. Don't worry though, Dad and I are pretty smart and I promise we'll figure it out! But I guess you really haven't been around ANYONE yet so we'll learn together.
Other than that, we are slowing preparing for your arrival. Grandma and Grandpa get here from Florida in a week and we plan on getting your room all ready when they are here. Dad and Grandpa are going to put together your crib (a gift from your other Grandma) too, so you have a place to sleep! Mom and Grandma are going to be smart enough to be far away from them while they are constructing. I'm just giving you a warning now and I will try to always protect you, but don't ever try to build anything with Grandpa. I learned the hard way when I helped him install a faucet. I was 16 and that's the last handy thing I have ever helped him do. Your dad is a very patient man but that patience will truly be put to the test! Regardless, I am sure they will do a good job for you!
Well, Munchkin, I have to go but keep up the good work and I'll do all I can on this end to stay healthy and eat right! Grow well and stay healthy (and stay put!!) I'll see you soon!
Love, Mom
Monday, December 1, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
First picture of my ever-expanding gut and the reason for it!
Okay, so this is not a great picture of me but I finally learned how to use my webcam to take photos and wanted to test it out. Plus, Brooke has been bugging me for a picture. I am wearing Paul's pj pants because my own no longer fit--hence part of the sexyness! I think Baby Soto looks much better than his mom here.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Babies R Nuts!
Okay, we just registered for baby stuff this weekend. What a daunting experience! I thought registering for a wedding was stressful. But at least you know what you need. Plates, towels, linens, it all makes sense. Deciding what pacifier (out of 300 possible varieties) you need is another story. After you pick the brand, then you have to pick the nipple size. Then the color. Then the cute animal design you want. And don't even get me started on the breastfeeding stuff. I felt kind of funny registering for breast pumps and nursing pads. Who will really want to bring that gift to a shower?
After about 3-4 hours on Saturday, thousands of baby things, and registering and then unregistering for 3 different cribs, we called it quits. And we still weren't finished! Before we left though, we too a brief rest in the gliders, more out of sheer exhaustion than from testing them out to figure out which one to buy. I spent the rest of the night researching car seats and strollers so that I could choose the best one from the 400 they had to offer. Don't get me wrong, there were parts of it that were exciting, but 4 hours of anything gets old! We headed back today to finish it all up. And I think we are there! Hopefully I hit everything that I'll need. Yet I know that I will certainly have forgotten some things, or registered for stuff we'll never use. I guess it's all part of the new parent thing. And though Babies R Us has enough stuff to make your head spin, I am sure thankful that it is five minutes from home, since I'll surely have to make mad dashes there when I realize I don't have what I need!!
After about 3-4 hours on Saturday, thousands of baby things, and registering and then unregistering for 3 different cribs, we called it quits. And we still weren't finished! Before we left though, we too a brief rest in the gliders, more out of sheer exhaustion than from testing them out to figure out which one to buy. I spent the rest of the night researching car seats and strollers so that I could choose the best one from the 400 they had to offer. Don't get me wrong, there were parts of it that were exciting, but 4 hours of anything gets old! We headed back today to finish it all up. And I think we are there! Hopefully I hit everything that I'll need. Yet I know that I will certainly have forgotten some things, or registered for stuff we'll never use. I guess it's all part of the new parent thing. And though Babies R Us has enough stuff to make your head spin, I am sure thankful that it is five minutes from home, since I'll surely have to make mad dashes there when I realize I don't have what I need!!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
You're a BOY!!!
Dear Baby Boy Soto,
Thank you for your cooperation yesterday. Apparently, you were more than cooperative, since the ultrasound technician said that as soon as she put the camera on you, you were all about showing off! Not shy this time, I guess! Needless to say, we were quite surprised, since we thought, for sure, that you were a girl (sorry). But at the same time, we were super excited too! It's kind of a nice surprise too--we were so convinced of your girlness that we now are excited about thinking of you as a boy and focusing on boy things! We plan to go shopping this weekend and find all sorts of cool stuff. We have to start thinking about your room. We want to make it extra cozy so you love sleeping through the night (fingers crossed)! Anyway, we are so excited to meet our little boy. Dad's already picturing the two of you playing football and I am looking forward to life with a son--you're the first boy on Mom's side in a long time! Well, thanks again for your help. Now we just can't wait to see what you look like. Take care, grow well, and feel free to give me some good kicks whenever you feel like it--it's crowded in there and you need your space. Plus, I can take it! See you soon!
Love, Mom
Thank you for your cooperation yesterday. Apparently, you were more than cooperative, since the ultrasound technician said that as soon as she put the camera on you, you were all about showing off! Not shy this time, I guess! Needless to say, we were quite surprised, since we thought, for sure, that you were a girl (sorry). But at the same time, we were super excited too! It's kind of a nice surprise too--we were so convinced of your girlness that we now are excited about thinking of you as a boy and focusing on boy things! We plan to go shopping this weekend and find all sorts of cool stuff. We have to start thinking about your room. We want to make it extra cozy so you love sleeping through the night (fingers crossed)! Anyway, we are so excited to meet our little boy. Dad's already picturing the two of you playing football and I am looking forward to life with a son--you're the first boy on Mom's side in a long time! Well, thanks again for your help. Now we just can't wait to see what you look like. Take care, grow well, and feel free to give me some good kicks whenever you feel like it--it's crowded in there and you need your space. Plus, I can take it! See you soon!
Love, Mom
Monday, October 13, 2008
What are you?
Dear Baby,
I don't mean to be a pain or sound ungrateful that things have been going so well so far, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind being a good little fetus and letting Dad and me know what you are next week. I mean, you just have to move a little and stay out of hiding from behind my belly button.
I really don't think it's too much to ask. I mean, think of all that is in it for you: Grandma will buy you tons of stuff probably the minute you let us know, we will make you the coolest room ever that is specific to your gender, we can start to buy you really cute clothes that will help people distinguish what you are (sometimes it's hard to tell what a baby is when it is so little) so that they don't call you a boy when you are a girl or vice versa, etc. I really think it will be a benefit to you, though I do respect your desire for privacy and that you don't want to show complete and total strangers your private regions. In fact, this is something that I would be quite thankful for when you are older so keep this prudishness in mind then, please.
If for some reason you decide that you are shy again, I won't be mad (but I can't make any promises about Grandma or Auntie Brooke) and I will still try to buy you cute clothes and make you a cute little room. As long as you are healthy and continue to grow right (you are making terrific progress by the way--you've passed all of your first tests and Mommy thinks you are a genius already), I'll be happy with anything. By the way, we don't care what you are, because boy or girl, you are ours and we can't wait to meet you and love the heck out of you. But in the meantime, if you could give us a little hint, we can, in turn, give you a pronoun and stop calling you it! It makes us feel rude! So, I guess we'll see you next week for likely the final time until we see you live! We can't wait for both! Take care, grow well and see you soon!
Love,
Mom
I don't mean to be a pain or sound ungrateful that things have been going so well so far, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind being a good little fetus and letting Dad and me know what you are next week. I mean, you just have to move a little and stay out of hiding from behind my belly button.
I really don't think it's too much to ask. I mean, think of all that is in it for you: Grandma will buy you tons of stuff probably the minute you let us know, we will make you the coolest room ever that is specific to your gender, we can start to buy you really cute clothes that will help people distinguish what you are (sometimes it's hard to tell what a baby is when it is so little) so that they don't call you a boy when you are a girl or vice versa, etc. I really think it will be a benefit to you, though I do respect your desire for privacy and that you don't want to show complete and total strangers your private regions. In fact, this is something that I would be quite thankful for when you are older so keep this prudishness in mind then, please.
If for some reason you decide that you are shy again, I won't be mad (but I can't make any promises about Grandma or Auntie Brooke) and I will still try to buy you cute clothes and make you a cute little room. As long as you are healthy and continue to grow right (you are making terrific progress by the way--you've passed all of your first tests and Mommy thinks you are a genius already), I'll be happy with anything. By the way, we don't care what you are, because boy or girl, you are ours and we can't wait to meet you and love the heck out of you. But in the meantime, if you could give us a little hint, we can, in turn, give you a pronoun and stop calling you it! It makes us feel rude! So, I guess we'll see you next week for likely the final time until we see you live! We can't wait for both! Take care, grow well and see you soon!
Love,
Mom
First Baby Gifts
This past week, I got an e-mail from a Steve, a former student of mine who graduated in 2006. This is one of those special students who makes all the trials and tribulations of teaching worthwhile. We keep in touch and I am only sorry that, if this baby is a girl, he will be too old for her to marry! Anyway, rumors (and facts) spread like wildfire through the Fremd community and the news of my pregnancy was no exception. Two hours after I told the first class, I was getting e-mails from former students. Ah, behold the power of the text message!
Anyway, this student came to visit me and brought a gift along. In addition to an adorable little rattle, his mother knitted a beautiful baby blanket for the baby. I was really touched and can't think of a better person, from whom I would like to receive the baby's first gift. It makes me feel so good that I had an impact on him and made a difference for him. Now, he'll be making a difference for my kid when it gets cold!
Anyway, this student came to visit me and brought a gift along. In addition to an adorable little rattle, his mother knitted a beautiful baby blanket for the baby. I was really touched and can't think of a better person, from whom I would like to receive the baby's first gift. It makes me feel so good that I had an impact on him and made a difference for him. Now, he'll be making a difference for my kid when it gets cold!
Friday, September 26, 2008
The Beginning
I always thought the idea of blogs were kinda stupid. I mean, who really wants to read an online diary? And no one would possibly put anything juicy on something that everyone could access. But, my friend Brooke has one for her baby and I thought it would be a great idea. Not only to keep a running baby book of sorts, but also to communicate happenings, show pictures, etc. to people who aren't around to see the baby everyday.
So here I sit, 5 months pregnant, starting my own blog. I want to put things down on paper (or digital paper anyway) so I don't forget, so my parents in Florida can remain updated (even though we talk daily), and so someday, if and when Baby Soto wants to, he/she can read it.
About the he/she comment--I should know what Baby Soto is by now. I had my ultrasound appointment that was to determine which pronoun we should give it. But IT decided that it didn't really like the ultrasound machine, and wiggled away each time, hiding behind my belly button. Apparently the belly button is the black hole of the ultrasound world and, despite the technician's best efforts, she was unsuccessful. I had mixed feelings on this. On one hand, I was frustrated that the baby was trying to hide. On the other, I was proud of this kid's very early awareness of "Stranger Danger". Paul was excited because he thinks the activity means that this kid is going to be an athlete. I'm still grounding it when it comes out! But it was hard to be frustrated for too long. Everything looks good with regards to size, weight, development, etc, so it is pretty hard to get hung up on the sex of the baby.
I am also feeling little flutters now and then which are pretty cool. They are increasing in frequency and now, even though I have seen the baby, I am truly beginning to feel like I am pregnant. My belly is gettting a little rounder too. This whole thing is really interesting and I can't wait to notice more, feel full-fledged kicks and meet this little munchkin!
So here I sit, 5 months pregnant, starting my own blog. I want to put things down on paper (or digital paper anyway) so I don't forget, so my parents in Florida can remain updated (even though we talk daily), and so someday, if and when Baby Soto wants to, he/she can read it.
About the he/she comment--I should know what Baby Soto is by now. I had my ultrasound appointment that was to determine which pronoun we should give it. But IT decided that it didn't really like the ultrasound machine, and wiggled away each time, hiding behind my belly button. Apparently the belly button is the black hole of the ultrasound world and, despite the technician's best efforts, she was unsuccessful. I had mixed feelings on this. On one hand, I was frustrated that the baby was trying to hide. On the other, I was proud of this kid's very early awareness of "Stranger Danger". Paul was excited because he thinks the activity means that this kid is going to be an athlete. I'm still grounding it when it comes out! But it was hard to be frustrated for too long. Everything looks good with regards to size, weight, development, etc, so it is pretty hard to get hung up on the sex of the baby.
I am also feeling little flutters now and then which are pretty cool. They are increasing in frequency and now, even though I have seen the baby, I am truly beginning to feel like I am pregnant. My belly is gettting a little rounder too. This whole thing is really interesting and I can't wait to notice more, feel full-fledged kicks and meet this little munchkin!
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