Nesting Pt. 2

The bigger of our two "nesting" projects was one we've had our eye on for a while. Our quirky but lovely little house had one quirk that just didn't pass the Nub safety test. An outdoor porch to our house had been closed in before we moved in, leaving the original windows to the house essentially in the middle of our living room. While they were fine and kind of funky when it was just the two of us, I kept having visions of our little Nub falling through one of the windows one day into that enclosed porch, or chewing on an end of what surely must have been layers and layer of lead paint. So this week, two nice men came and dismantled the windows, and an old door that used to lead outside, leaving us a incredible open space for our future addition to play in. And now that old porch area has a new name: Nub's Nook.

Nesting Pt. 1

Time will tell how well we'll do when it comes to natural parenting skills, but it turns out that we are exceptional at one thing—nesting. All the books say that right around now, we should be going into somewhat of a "nesting" period where we assess the space we have and what we should be doing with it to prepare for Nub. This week, we took two big steps in that direction. Item one was to address our closet situation. We've got three small reach-in closets that I'm sure were all the rage in 1950 when they were built but that don't quite cut it by today's standard of necessary stuff, especially as we consider the stuff Nub will soon need. So this week, we had a "system" installed. And what a difference it makes. Niki thinks our closets now look like they are walk-ins. Or maybe she's still thinking of her dream closet. Nonetheless, it's a big improvement.

When Words Alone Aren't Enough

We haven't really hit the shopping circuit terribly hard yet, but occasionally we've come across some interesting pregnancy-related items for sale. But perhaps none creepier than the Proudbody Pregnancy Belly Painting Kit for sale at Amazon.com for $16.99. The kit's description offers several suggested paintings, including a globe and a pumpkin. But keep looking and you eventually get this one above, which just could not be any weirder. I can't even imagine what colors the kit's paint comes in. "Hold on, honey, I'm almost finished. Wait, have we already used up all the Placenta?"

Sir Thumps-a-Lot

Nub has been kicking up a storm the last few days, which has earned him a new nickname: Sir Thumps-a-Lot. Niki reports thumping at all hours, although Nub has the uncanny ability to stop once I go in to feel some of the activity. Still, we've been able to catch him in the action quite a bit and can report that he's got some serious legs. Or are those arms? Thump away now Nub, better to be worn out and tired and wanting of lots of sleep when you arrive.

Hey, Hey, Paula

Niki and I survived one of our many parental rites of passage today by taking an all-day childbirth education class. And what an education it was. Aside from all the breathing and positioning and such that we learned about, we got to see some truly informational videos, including one of the birth from a couple named Paula and Chris. Let's just say that by the end, we got to see a lot of Paula. And I mean a lot of Paula. But perhaps most amazing of all was that after seeing all that Paula possibly had to show us, we both had the same thought: She needed a better haircut.

Womb With a View

Niki had her latest ultrasound this morning and so far so good when it comes to Nub. But the highlight was getting an amazing view of lil' Nub, who seemed to be rubbing his eyes after an exhausting night of kicking and moving about. Looks like he's going to have some squeezable cheeks.

Name Games

In addition to getting inspiration from sources just about everywhere, we've been studying a couple of baby-naming books as guides for something more, shall we say, flattering to call Nub once he comes along. And I have to say, some of the name meanings are just ridiculous. Marconi: One who is inventive. Or perhaps, Poe: A mysterious man. Why can't it just say: You know, there was an actual Marconi who invented stuff, so you're naming your child after him. Or, there was an actual Poe who wrote some creepy stories, so you're naming your child after him. But my favorite are the names that seem to be there just so you won't name your child them. For example, Pitney: From the island of the stubborn man. What a definition! Seems like an ominous thing to name your son.

It Never Rains in Southern California

…it pours. We found out the hard way this week when the first big rain of the season sent our beautiful (but, unfortunately, overgrown) wall of morning glory vine tumbling. The result is an alarming view of our neighbors’ properties, where once a gorgeous private wall of purple-flowered vine stood. As I stared out into the yard the other morning in complete disbelief and shock over the scene, and wondered who in the world you call to haul away hundreds of pounds of wet vine, Niki also seemed concerned. “How are you going to handle the messes that Nub’s going to get into if you can’t handle this one?” she asked. A reasonable question. But at least this was an act of nature. All I can say is if Nub does something that takes down an entire side of our property, he’s going to have some ‘splaining to do.

Air Supply

Continuing his remarkable development, Nub last week apparently developed functioning lungs that would allow him to start breathing if he had to do so today. But as we’ve tried to impart on him during his time in the womb, we’re hoping that he eventually uses those lungs for breathing, and not for, say, wailing uncontrollably in the middle of the night.

T-Minus 100...

We are now under 100 days until the expected arrival of Nub! For some reason I find myself with "100 Bottles of Beer" in my head, but somehow I think we're in for a different kind of bottle in the near future. "100 bottles of milk in the fridge, 100 bottles of milk..."

Football!

Well, Nub experienced a number of firsts this weekend. First Thanksgiving (which we're sure tasted delicious through the cord...), first time hanging out with his Colorado cousins (one of which REALLY is holding out hope we'll name him Forest Fire...) and perhaps just as significant, first football games attended (both pro and college so we could get them both out of the way...). We took some photographic proof of Nub's appearance at the Broncos and Buffs games this weekend. From what Niki reports, he seemed to enjoy the experience. And luckily for him, his eyes aren't fully developed so he didn't have to actually watch the Buffs limp to the end of their miserable 3-9 season. But he did prove good luck for the Broncos! Hopefully there will be more fun visits with family around the country and more fun games in his future.

Taste Buds

We read that Nub now has his very own taste buds, and that you never have as many taste buds as you do than when you're born. It will be interesting to see how Nub's remaining taste buds develop over time. Will he prefer pickled herring? Chopped steak? Spaghetti-Os and orange juice? Or will he just want to eat pizza for every meal?

Protected

We waited in a long line this morning, but Niki finally received the coveted H1N1 flu shot today. And she took it like a pro. Much better than the screaming, squirming, little boy at the next table who required three people to keep him down. Poor guy. But at least now Niki can be sneezed on worry-free!

Lacing Them Up

One of my biggest fears is that one day, Nub will inevitably ask me to tie his shoes. For some reason, that is one human task I have never been able to fully master. Not sure why, but it's always been a problem. Once I find a good knot, I tend to keep it there, cramming my shoes on my feet without ever untying them again if I can get away with it. The thought of tying someone else's shoes makes me feel even more uneasy. But it came as a good early lesson the other day when for the first time, Niki asked me for help tying her shoes before a walk we took. And my fears were confirmed: As hard a time as I have with my own shoes, it was even harder attempting it on someone else from the other direction. I think I tied an OK knot, (or three knots on one shoe just to make sure...) but I also have a funny feeling Nub is going to have a lot of Velcro in his life unless mom wants to take over that task.

Land O' Lakes

Niki read the other day that Nub is now about 1 pound, or about the weight and size of a package of butter sticks. So to practice what it might be like to take care of our little Land O' Lakes, we went to the fridge. I think Niki looks like a natural.

Vroom

We went over the weekend and picked out some pretty cool furniture for Nub's room, including a crib and a dresser. Furniture picked, we moved on to sheets and blankets and things to add to it. The options with which to decorate a little boy's room run from cute to ridiculously cute. Sports, animals, musical instruments, so much to choose from. After some consideration, we settled on a pretty adorable-looking transportation theme. Perhaps Nub will become a race car driver? A transportation engineer? An airplane pilot? A sailor?...

Human Nature

Nub took in his first movie along with us and his grandparents this weekend, Michael Jackson's "This is It." And continuing an interesting pattern, Niki said he seemed to be enjoying "Human Nature" over the other songs in the film, kicking and moving about. It would appear that Nub's affinity for the King of Pop continues to grow.

Hero of the Golden Dawn

As we go through books of potential names for Nub, we're discovering that not only is there a choice of name to consider, but also of meaning. The tough part is they may not always match up. For example, we discovered that Zorro (and before we go any further, or give any family members a heart attack, let's go ahead and add Zorro to the will-not-name list...) actually has the coolest meaning of any name out there: Hero of the Golden Dawn. I think whatever we name Nub, we will tell him that his name means Hero of the Golden Dawn. While our website won't allow a poll for people to post their favorite names, feel free to comment on this post if you have any suggestions for us to consider (preferably ones that don't involve natural catastrophes or masked crusaders...).

It's a Boy!

Well, the faithful readers of Nub in the Oven seemed to be onto something with our poll. Turns out, as the majority of people suspected, we are having a boy! Niki and I had a funny feeling ourselves that that's what we were going to have. But after the first doctor who examined Niki said that's what it was, and the second doctor came in to "concur," we knew for sure. Of course, they are quick to warn you in the same breath that you can't be 100 percent sure until you're actually holding your baby. But while we're pretty patient people, we can't wait that long, so we'll go ahead and start planning for our little guy now. We started discussing names on our drive into work this morning, but turns out the 405 Freeway between Long Beach and Los Angeles may not be the best place for inspiration. Crenshaw? Westchester? Inglewood? Ford Ranger? Kia? Goodyear? Marina del Rey? Definitely a work in progress...

Forest Fire?

Today is a big day for Nub. Later this morning we've got an appointment where we're hoping Nub will reveal itself as a little boy or a little girl. Our niece Rachel thinks we should have a girl and that her name should be Amanda. But our nephew Benjamin thinks we should have a boy and that his name should be Forest Fire. We're not exactly sure how that would work though. "Come here Forest Fire! Didn't we tell you not to play with matches?" Hmm. Well, first things first. Let's figure out what we're having, and then we'll continue our search for a name.

Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming

Niki and I were driving home from work tonight and the duet "Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming" with Jermaine Jackson and Michael Jackson came on the radio. And Nub, to its credit, seemed to know that Michael was completely singing around Jermaine during the song. Niki said Nub was moving around when Michael came on. Such musical appreciation at such a young age! I think we're all going to get along quite well.

Eyebrows

This week, Nub grew eyebrows! We are hoping that Nub will, of course, have normal-looking brows, maybe something classy if Nub is a girl and at least something separated if Nub is a boy. (Or a girl come to think of it...) In other words, we're hoping Nub doesn't look like Bert, Andy Rooney or Joan Crawford, which, come to think of it, maybe are additional names to add to the will-not-name list...

All Aflutter

So we've been secretly willing Nub to spend as much time awake as it possibly can while it's in the glorious confines of the womb, in hopes that it will just want to sleep through the night a whole bunch when it's born, maybe like for the first five years or so. And so far, it seems to be heeding our advice! Niki felt Nub's first flutter of activity last week and, last night, Nub woke her up with its fluttering movement. Stay awake Nub so you can sleep later!

So Far So Good

Niki had another appointment yesterday and everything is going swimmingly. But speaking of swimming, one thing we learned in one of Niki's books is that it is no longer advisable for her to be water skiing at this point. Or horseback riding. There goes our winter vacation at the Lakefront Dude Ranch.

What's in a Name?

So far, the list of names we absolutely don't want appears bigger than the list of names we like. I think some of that has to do with baby-name books that suggest ridiculous names that no one would possibly ever want to name their kid. Zanthippus? Would you call it Zanthy? We'll keep a running tab of what's out of the running. Here's the latest to be scratched off the list:

LaToya

Zanthippus

Sheniqua

Choices, choices...

The 7-year-old son of my boss was in the office tonight selling magazine subscriptions for his school. After looking through the absurd array of choices, it was a toss-up between Gun Dog magazine (cover headline on the latest issue: "These Show Dogs Can Hunt!") and Parents magazine. Intrigued as I was by Gun Dog, we've got two years of Parents coming our way.

A blog begins

Hi, and welcome to a blog devoted to Nub, the soon-to-be addition to our family. With family and friends spread across the country, we hope this will serve as a place to update our progress, and a chance to share the amusing conversations we've been having about our future as parents. So check in from time to time to see the latest, and maybe share a laugh or two.