Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone, we have been busy with Amy's family over the past few days and this weekend we will be driving down to Annapolis to visit my family. Here is a picture of a few of the outfits received so far.

Hiccups

Amy said that the baby had the hiccups the other day but I didn't get to feel them. That is pretty cool. Another thing that is cool is this jeep stroller, modified a little of couse.

Week 29

from About.com

Your baby is busy getting ready for the birthday! The baby is beginning to regulate his own temperature and the bone marrow is completely in charge of production of the red blood cells. The movements that you feel will probably begin to change at this point. You once were the home of wild gymnastic parties, now as the space becomes cramped you will notice smaller movements, such as elbows and knees. Try monitoring the baby yourself, using fetal kick counts. Your baby weighs in at about two pounds nine ounces (1.16 kilograms)!

Napolean is still very intent on guarding the baby.

The Diaper Bag

Alright folks, without further ado, here is the diaper bag that I settled on. I already have it at home, opens just like a tool bag.

Update

The baby is really getting strong now. It is moving constantly. Amy held its hand for a short time the other day before he pulled it away and punched her. He reacts every time you press on him now and it is possible to always find a foot or a hand, which he will then move immediately. Napolean is very protective of Amy's belly and has chased me away on more than one occasion.

Week 28

the latest from about.com

Your baby's eye lashes are developing, as subcutaneous fat is deposited. If you have a baby boy, his testes will probably begin descending. Your baby is about 13.8 inches long (35 cms) and weighs about 2 pounds 4 ounces (1 kilogram)!
A baby born at this time has a good chance of survival with the help of medical technology.

Belly - 27 Weeks

Back by popular demand.....BELLY PICTURES

Week 27

About.com has the following to say:

Your baby's skin is very wrinkled from floating in water. This will stay this way until a few weeks after birth as your newborn fills out into a baby. Although take heart in the fact that your baby's looks are assuming the looks that they will have at birth! Baby has also hit the 2 pound mark (900 grams).


2 pounds, He's strong for his size!

New York

This past weekend Amy and I visited New York and while we were there we checked out FAO Schwartz. They had a baby section and guess what we found in the back of it. The MURSE. I decided against buying it, I have already gotten a manly Jeep diaper bag.

Another Picture from Hiking

Here is Napolean crossing the river, sounds like a famous moment in history doesn't it?

Big Baby = Belly

The baby is really getting big now and starting to fill out Amy's belly. He is keeping her from getting out of the couch and he doesn't like her to tie her own shoes. I now help with these tasks. You can also feel him at any time now. He always has a hand or foot or head pressed up against the belly and you can feel the hard spots. He is really active and when he gets going Amy's belly looks like the ocean in the middle of a storm. It is pretty cool to watch. I will post another picture of the belly soon if Amy permits. The names highest in the running right now are Eli and Bryant, perhaps James (but not Jim). Amy really likes Max but I think Max Miller sounds a little strange, Mad Max Miller is worse. Either way Amy and her mother are for it so I could use a little back up. Here's to Eli James Miller.

Week 26

About.com has the following to say about this week:

Veins are visible through your baby's skin, although it is quickly changing from transparent to opaque.
Your baby can hear you and those around you. Although we assume that the uterus is a quiet place, the baby has been surrounded by noise for a long time. Things like your heartbeat, digestion, and other body functions are heard by the baby as well as external noises. Now you may feel the baby jump at a sudden noise. My daughter would always jump when I clicked the bathtub lever. It became a game!
The uterus also allows some light to be seen. So your baby is aware of lightness and darkness.
S/he weighs 1 pound 12 ounces (794 grams) and measures 32.5 cms or 12.8 inches total length.

Gifts from Cali

Thank you so much to the Culpeppers out there on the west coast sending warm clothes for the baby. We will need it out here.

Baby Steps

This weekend we went for a hike to get out of the house and get a little exercise. There is nothing like hiking over roots and streams with a 6 month pregnant wife and a chihuahua to show you what it is going to be like to be a dad. I was a nervous wreck. Also, you can see the baby moving now in Amy's belly. At times there are 4 little bumps moving around at once. It reminds me of a scene from Alien or something but definately cool.

Test Drive

Here is Amy giving the glider a test drive. I should try it out also as I imagine I will be spending a lot of lat nights in this chair.

Week 24

Here is the latest news about week 24:


Your baby is almost completely formed, and is beginning to deposit brown fat on his or her body. The purpose of the brown fat is to retain body heat. Newborns are notoriously bad at regulating body temperature at first. This is particularly a problem for a baby born early. S/he weighs in at 1 lb 5 ounces (595 grams) and 30 cms or 11.8 inches total length!

FAT PANTS

Anyone who knows Amy and I knows that we like to hang out around the house in our sweatpants. I have an old grey pair that Amy wears and a newer grey pair that I wear all the time. Well we though it fitting to welcome the little one to the family with his own pair.

Bellies (23 weeks)

I wanted to post another picture of Amy's belly now that she is coming close to the 6 month mark but she didn't think it fair to put her belly on the internet without my own. So I compromised and agreed that I would reveal mine also if I could post hers. Well here is the side-by-side:

Thanks to Danielle

I had a good weekend trip to my parents to see them and my grandparents. I came home with a lot of new clothes for the baby and some books to read for him. I want to thank my sister for this wonderful camouflaged onsie. I will put the baby in this when we go to Grandma and Grandpa Zurlo's so that the Osprey don't try to snatch him up. Thanks to mom also for some pretty cute clothes. I will post more as I get time.

Website Changes

As you can see I have added a due date ticker in the header of the blog. The due date is March 7, 2006 and this ticker will keep an accurate countdown going. I thought it fitting to have a baby in a sailboat since that seems to be the theme throughout the pregnancy.

Week 22

About.com has a nice section on pregnancy that outlines weekly the changes that are happening in the baby. We are on week 22 and the entry looks like this:

Baby:
The baby is getting bigger and continuing to practice for extrauterine life. This week your baby has developed eyebrows! S/he weighs about 15 ounces (425 grams) and is 27.5 cms or 10.8 inches total length!

At 20 weeks we went to the Dr. and the baby was about 10 ounces and 10 inches long. It grows pretty fast. Amy and I are hoping that since it is a boy it will come out looking like me. Lucky for him though Amy's father still has plenty of hair so maybe he will get to forego the balding expereince.

At 10 inches long you wouldn't expect him to be very strong but he has begun kicking hard enough that it makes Amy move now. I still enjoy feeling the kicks whenever I can.

Gifts from Amy's Sister

Thank you to Sarah for the onesies and the socks that we received last night. Napolean is very jealous and thought he would try one of them on.

"Murse" Update

Ok, so that camo bag with the dragon seemed pretty manly but I have a found out a few facts that really make it not an option.

1. This bag is called the "diaper dude" bag? (bad)

2. This bag was featured on Oprah (even worse)

I will now strike this one from the options.

Sleep Cycles

According to Amy the baby is sleeping for about 20 minutes and then waking up and kicking like crazy. Last night I was able to feel him kicking again and Amy's parents also had a chance to feel it. The dog seems to like to lay on top of her belly every chance he gets and has become very protective.

Rental Car Coupons

The Nursery

A lot has taken place in the room that will be the nursery. It started as a small bedroom with nasty carpet and mint green walls. We ripped out the carpet, sanded and refinished the wood floors. We have painted it blue, built wainscot around the entire room with a small shelf as the cap. We have also put up crown moulding and a new light. This week we received the crib set and I hung the window treatments. The crib, dresser, and glider are in and there is a row of little clothes in the closet.

"Murse" = man purse

The search is on for a manly diaper bag. Now I don’t just want a bag that will allow me to maintain my dignity. I need a bag that screams masculinity, something that I could change a baby out of if he and I were stranded in the forest for 2 weeks, and something that would be as comfortable in a dark alley as in the changing booth at Homegoods. Yeah, maybe something camouflage would work. Yeah…camo….with some kind of scary animal on it. Not a cute little baby animal, something that smells, and flies, and strikes terror into the heart of baby animals, and breathes fire….yeah, breathes fire. This just might work.

Belly at 5 months

Last night was the first time I got to feel the baby move. I put my hand on Amy's belly because she said he was moving around and sure enough he kicked me....twice. I think he is going to be pretty strong.

The Name Post

We have been thinking of names and bought a book for suggestions. There are around 75000 names in it which can be overwhelming to say the least. We are looking for suggestions. Use the comment section to add yours or comment on others' suggestions. Right now we have several that are in our heads. They include:

Ian
Evan
Ethan
Elliot
Bryant

We have suggestions of Liam and Christian from my mom and Levi and Noah from my sister.

Opening Post

Hello family and friends. I am creating this blog as a way for you to see what is happening in the lives of Amy and I as we progress towards having our first child. We are both excited and hope keep everyone well informed on the progress. To date Amy is at 5 months and we recently visited the doctor's for a sonogram. We found out that it is going to be a boy and are open to any name suggestions you may have. You can see him in the pictures above. The very top are obvious. The middle pictures are proof that he is a boy (not a very shy one either), the bottom left is a foot and the bottom right shows his face and elbows.