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..."