First Impressions: A Poll

Time Keeps on ticking ticking ticking... I am very much looking forward to my life never being the same again. With Sutton so close to popping, I am mentally pacing around. We are both pretty ready for something to happen -- ready, not necessarily prepared. We have some nitty gritty to do (and work), but I am just eager to meet the guy.

Several people have said the seeing the child for the first time is indescribable, that something quite unexpected comes over you. I am excited to find out what they are talking about. If you want, please comment and tell me what you felt like when you met your first child for the first time (or, if not your first, your best :)). If you want to express yourself but remain anonymous to the world, email me. I'll post your comment without the name. Thanks!

On Baby Names

The inevitable questions that you get when you’re pregnant:


When are you due?


What are you having?


Do you have a name picked out?


“Can I touch your belly?” is also in there, but not as prominent as the other three, and often it's acted on before being asked. Hands off, Gropey McFeelerson!


The first two questions are pretty easily answered with no trouble. Spit out the date. Tell them a bit about what you’re having: We don’t know. Twins. A boy. Puppies. One of those alien deals that pops right out the belly – no need to induce; that’s a plus.


It’s that third question that’s the problem. There is an infinite number or names for a baby, and when you think about it, only one is right. And what’s right is subjective. What’s right to mother is not right with the grandma. Gershwin? Feldspar? I will be cold and dead in the ground before I have a grandson named Wilbur!


That, by the way, was for illustration purposes only. My sincerest apologies to the Gershwins, Feldspars, and Wilburs of the world that just spit up their old fashioneds in indignation.


If you say a potential name to a friend or stranger alike, if they are polite they will say, “Oh. That’s nice” but with an expression usually associated with a cat hair in the throat. If they are impolite, it’s worse, or they may even helpfully posit that the name is stupid.


Thanks.


We will tell you the name when we figure it out. Which might be tomorrow, seeing as someone we know had her baby a month early (nice name, Hanna Mabel, by the way).


In the mean time, we do have names that we call the boy for easy reference; feel free to use one of them:


Rico, RJ,little RJ, Arj, Hugo, Herbert, Lumpy, kicky, Squarebaby, Elbows, Cletus (the fetus), Bugger, and Little Brat.

The Susie Smith Makeover show

This is long, long overdue, but THANK YOU SUSIE SMITH!!! While we could have spent the weekend of August 29th thinking about Katrina's effects (or more likely watching a marathon of Little People, Big Dessert of New Jersey), we instead hosted Ms. Smith at Rancho Rogelio for our own makeover show: a remodel of the baby's room. Rather than traipsing around the Quarter with a daiquiri in hand, Susie spent sunup to sundown (or longer) planning, purchasing, painting, pinning, sewing, straightening, assembling and rearranging the baby room. With a daiquiri in hand. Loyal helpers Annie and Sutton helped make things happen (thanks for the sewing, Annie!), and I put some furniture together and bought a laser level. At least that's how I remember it.

So why remodel the baby's room? I mean, its just a baby; what does he care what color it is, or what's on the walls, or what the dresser looks like? Because before Susie came, it looked like this:

Before she came, susie told us to get the room painted white for a blank slate type of effect. We did the walls in flat winter white and the trim in gloss swiss coffee, which sounds brown, but it's not. Looks white to me anyway. We already had the crib, changer/dresser, and rug, but Sut and suse went out and got the bedding, window fabric, picture frames, and all of that sort of stuff. Annie, Susie, and Sutton sewed the stuff together, but Susie painted and put on the wall stickers that you'll see in a second. As I said before I put the furniture together and bought a level. I also got really tired and took a nap.

So here's what it all wound up looking like. This is the peek in through the door.

If you look closely at this second picture, you can see Sutton in the corner with her hand over her mouth. Maybe it is making her sick.

The third picture has her with this 'wow' kind of look, where people look around and say "wow." Behind her is the picture wall or the Wall of Ancestors. I am not up there yet. Trying to tell me something?

THANKS AGAIN SUSE!