The Tide is Turning

Yes, it's no longer about me. Or Leah. All thoughts, decisions, and expenditures shall be largely in part driven by this little creation that is scheduled to arrive in December. Your honor, I would like to present "Exhibit A"--our shopping trips in Nashville.

Part of our trip to Nashville was to see comedian/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham. But we also knew that we would've had our ultrasound by that time, and thus the days of "If we only knew what we were having" would be over. And so it took a very short time to start making selections for the little guy. As noted in a previous post, we were in town for every bit of an hour before we made it to Opry Mills. First purchase came at Old Navy--a cute little patriotic short set and a tank top--for an Abraham Lincoln and a handful of change. On Friday, we made our way a few miles east to Lebanon, TN, home of Prime Outlets. We hit the OshKosh store, and Gap, and wandered through a few others. We also found an outfit that we couldn't live without at the Carter's outlet--too bad they didn't have the size we wanted. So what did we do?--like parents on a mission, we went back to Opry Mills, hoping to strike gold. We did (not as adrenaline-charged and satisfying as getting the last Cabbage Patch kid a week before Christmas by stealing it from the grasp of an unsuspecting grandmother, but hey, give us SOME credit!).

So . . . wanna hear the final tally? Mommy ended up with some lounge pants from Jockey. Daddy bought a blue T-shirt (for his Cubs jersey) and 2 Van Heusen golf shirts. Grand total--probably $45. Baby ended up with a 2 piece shorts set, 5 onesies (one collared "golf shirt" style), a tank top, an adorable overalls/jumper set, 2 sleepers, 1 pair of khaki shorts, a short sleeve shirt, and a teddy bear. Grand total--I don't even wanna know.

Know what else is funny? Leah and both looked at and considered buying new tennis shoes while we were there. Somehow, some unexplained way, we became so non-self focused, diverting our attention to something altogether different, that we totally forgot, and came home without buying them. Now, how did that happen??

This tax-deduction better be BIG.

It's a Boy!!!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, Eric has produced an aspiring fastball hitter and 300 yard golfball driver. Thanks to the marvel of ultrasound technology, we saw with our very own eyes the unmistakable evidence that we're having a boy. And so the Russell anti-female curse remains unbroken since 1978 (when Kristi was born). We also found out that as it stands now, the baby's head seems a bit bigger than normal for his age. Hmm--just like his daddy. I never can find a cap to fit me--usually 7 5/8 or 7 3/4--thereby disproving the "one size fits all" crap that is on most of them.

Today we did a very brief pass through the Opry Mills mall, but still long enough to buy our son some stuff. Gee, that sure does sound weird. "Our son." For the first time in my 32 years of life, I am able to use the term "My son." It's still quite surreal, in a way. Anyway, we picked up a couple of great clearance steals at Old Navy and also patronized the Carter's outlet for some sleepers. I'm sure there will be more to come, but already I'm overcome by the paradox--spending money on adorable stuff that will be outgrown quicker than you can say, "He's growing like a weed."

Anway, that's a brief set of thoughts for now. I'm sure more will be coming as the days and months pass. Our parents are very excited, and Saturday, Mom and Donna will be going to a Grandparents Are Special class over at Babies R Us. Mike (Leah's dad) says that this is proof that he should always have a fishing boat. And I've got to start shopping for golf clubs. : )

It All Comes Down to This . . .

The day that we've been waiting for since April 1 (the first day we thought we were pretty sure that we had a little one on the way) is almost here: the ultrasound. Boy vs girl. Which one will it be? There are SO many wive's tales, and pseudo "but I think that one's really true" tales that I don't really know where to start.

First, there's the obvious. As previously mentioned, the Russell side is stocked full of boys. Early on, Leah had a decent amount of hormone-driven acne, which is supposedly a sign of female. The heartbeat "test" was inconclusive--pretty much right in the middle of the non-scientifical fast=girl, slow=boy litmus test. There's even a wive's tale concerning urinating on Drano (it produces different colors), but the big debate is what the different colors mean. Lest you think I'm making this up (I AM creative, you know), check out this little article.

I told Leah last night that I can actually see myself being ecstatic, yet a tad bit disappointed, no matter what the outcome. I have spent a considerable amount of time thinking about the implications of each X or Y chromosome. A girl would mean that special father-daughter bond, looking up and down every boy that comes home with her, and a walk down a church aisle followed by the words, "Her mother and I do." And don't forget those adorable little dresses and bows in her hair. A boy would mean t-ball (hopefully) and golf. Fishing and Hot Wheels cars and playing in the dirt. Those things, and so many more, cross my mind daily.

So, where are our thoughts right now? Leah is convinced that it's a boy--perhaps just bowing to public opinion. I, on the other hand, think that the boy vibe has temporarily left us and God will give us a girl. Who knows. The cliche term is "As long as it's healthy," which is totally true--but the piece of information that we hopefully receive tomorrow will dictate clothes selections, paint colors, nursery patterns, and probably Santa's toys this year.

Blue or Pink. Ballet shoes or golf clubs? This time time tomorrow, we'll be in the know. Oh boy (or girl!)

Gotta New Crib (and Chest, and Dresser)

Well, the first major purchase is behind us--the kid has furniture. I sure hope he/she likes it, because he/she is gonna be looking at it for awhile. : )

We starting glancing through the furniture a couple of months ago, just to get a feel for the styles that we like, colors (white, natural, cherry, etc), costs, order policies (all up front, 50% down, etc), and any cute salespeople. Wait, forget the last one. After getting past the initial sticker shock (what, you mean you can't get all 5 pieces for $200?!?!), we found a set that we liked at Babies R Us. It was a tea-stain color by Bassett Baby, and had a nice, classic look to it but didn't feel too formal. Then we stumbled across a set that we thought we liked better over at Kids Furniture in Cordova. We thought we were set on that one, but still kept an open mind and continued to explore all options. This particular set is by Angel Line, and comes in your choice of the above-referenced colors/wood finishes. After going to Babies R Us one more time (as if Leah needed an excuse) to make sure that we hadn't missed any new products, or changed our minds, it was back to Kids Furniture to spend a whole lotta dough on the little peanut.

For those who may not be familiar with baby furniture these days, the "convertible" crib has become quite popular. That is, it can be converted to a toddler bed and even a full size standard bed. Some come with all the necessary stuff, others make you buy a "conversion" kit. But the options are still there. Then you have the options such as dressers, chests, changing tables, etc. But some dressers are designed to double as changing tables. I know, it made my head hurt, too.

Some might say that we're doing this too early. Well, as anyone who has ever bought oak or hardwood furniture can attest, rarely do you leave the register and pull around back to load it up. You have to wait "4-6 weeks." What if it comes in damaged? Well, that'll be another 4-6 weeks, but they might get to rush that order since it'd be a do-over. In other words, it isn't really advisable to go out a month before your baby is born and decide on furniture--you might just be having to put the baby in the bathroom sink for awhile if you did.

Of course, now the hard part is waiting on it to get here. Yes, we bought furniture, but we can't show it off. Heck, even if we took you to the store, all you'd see is the crib (and not the other pieces). Yes, we still have to paint the nursery, and do a bit of cleanup, but I can hardly wait to get that furniture in the house--it will start making the transformation from "spare bedroom" to "nursery" seem a lot more realistic. Now all that's left after we get it in....buying a mattress (you want springs or foam?) and deciding on a pattern for the bedding (gender-specific or neutral?) which will get the paint selection and decorating into high gear.

Suddenly, it doesn't seem like we accomplished that much at all. But alas, we're halfway there, and things are starting to roll. We're come a long way since January, tears, and a fertility meds prescription.

Almost Half Way

Well, the whole baby thing is gaining steam. There's only so much you can do early in your pregnancy--for example, they discourage you from taking classes that early (might forget everything), and the ultrasound isn't until the halfway point (20 weeks), preventing you from spending too much time at the paint counter at Home Depot or Lowe's, unless you're just gonna go with the gender-neutral stuff.

Saturday, we started our Target registry, which was pretty fun (look for links here and on homepage soon). The multi-store registry does present an interesting dilemma. Here's why: we register for a Diaper Genie at Babies R Us. No prob. But in Memphis, for example, there is exactly ONE Babies R Us, and it may not be all that convenient for somebody or they simply refuse to drive that far. So they go to Target. Now, if we register for a Diaper Genie at Target, then there's the potential for getting more than one, and the giver's self-inflicted disappointment for giving a duplicate gift. And of course, the standard, "But it was on your registry!!" Of course, in the day of gift receipts, this becomes a lot less hassle, but things can get quite ugly and complicated without them. Although we didn't register for many "double" things, there were a few. We made that decision and we'll just have to deal with it. We're trying to make it easy for folks--not forcing them to feel bad for buying a duplicate item (that we can exchange for more great and wonderful items!!). But for now, we've got all the bases covered......From travel system to humidifier to burp cloths to Baby Einstein, we've got it down!

If you're paying attention to the "Quick Facts" box over on the home page, you'll notice we are on week 18, and that our next appointment is next Thursday. Wow--the ultrasound. We actually get to find out if it's boy or girl. Pink or blue. When my friend Michelle had hers back in 2002, she made the comment that the ultrasound day is almost as big a deal as the actual birth itself. Now that I'm here, I would have to agree with that. It's so much more than what color to paint the nursery. I realize that the possibility exists that we won't find out (i.e, if the baby isn't cooperating), but we'll just think optimistically. We are going to Nashville next weekend, so we'll most likely be visiting the Carter's outlet at Opry Mills. I'm hoping we'll have a clearly defined color choice by then.

Sleepless in Cordova

I guess "sleepless" isn't really the right terminology to use here, but Leah has been experiencing more of a "discomfort" in the bed. But then again, "Discomfortable in Seattle" wasn't a movie title (that I could find) and thus wouldn't have made a very clever heading. Anyway, Leah has been having a lot of trouble "getting comfortable" in bed, so she wondered if there were any sort of pregnancy exploitation, I mean assistance, device that some retail store could sell us. Sure enough, we found a rounded wedge-shaped pillow that is designed to support the stomach while the woman is on her side (sleeping on the back is not advised, and on the stomach, well...you figure it out). She wasn't sure if she liked it at first, and it even ended up on the floor a couple of nights. But alas, she has deemed it worthy, and I don't have to worry about visiting the Returns counter at Babies R Us.

Remember back in an earlier post, I mentioned that we had rented a doppler from those folks at BabyBeat? We've had a lot of fun with it......and sometimes we'll be lounging around the house and Leah will say, "Let's play with the doppler!" About a week or so ago, we tried and tried and tried to pick up a good, solid heartbeat, and the little swimmer must've been being a bit stubborn. Just like it's mother (he he he). We didn't get worried or think anything was wrong; we just figured we'd get it another time. A couple of weeks ago, Kristi & Joe were over at the house (remember, she is about 34ish weeks), and they both laid out on the furniture and Joe and me found our children's heartbeat. Come to think of it, ours was a bit difficult to find that night, too--I hope this isn't a pattern of stubborness!!

Last night--success!! It took no time at all, and little Eric/Erica decided to make amends, apparently. We heard a good, strong beat, and apparently he/she decided to stay in one place for a bit (sleeping, perhaps?). Because of the onboard record feature, I captured it digitally and moved it over to the computer in .wav file format, so that all you RussellBaby blog readers can hear it. Now, when the little one is 3 or 4, you can say stuff like, "I remember when you were knee-high to a grasshopper, and I heard your heartbeat at 18 weeks of gestation."

Of course, out of my excitement, I brought the doppler to work today to play back the cool recording. Then one person basically said, "That's an absolutely pointless loss of money, and you're a currency-wasting fool for being duped into renting it." OK, maybe that's what it's gonna feel like when I say, "Did you know that my kid did _____?" and somebody deflates my child-excitement balloon with, "Big deal--mine did it 6 months before that. I'm not impressed." Anyway, so that I spare you the needless and awkward position of telling me in person that you don't care about hearing the heartbeat, I've put it online over at the home page. If you wanna listen--help yourself. If you don't, that's cool too. Gotta love choices. I even put smaller version (about 10 seconds shorter) on there in case you're on dial-up.

Just a Word of Thanks

I'd like to give a shout-out to my work buddy Michelle, who actually found and utilized the Comment feature!! At least I know that 2 people are reading our blog (besides me; Michelle and Leah).

Don't get me wrong . . . I'm blogging for YOU (whoever you, singular or plural, are!). But I'd like to know a little about who stops in. I'm not looking to inflate my ego--it's all just curiosity!

Anyway........As you were.