Feeling is Believing

Until this morning, I was still unsure if I could feel the little man move inside Lindsay's belly. Not so anymore! This morning Lindsay woke me up to the little guy dancing inside her expanding bump and I felt it! Of course, it didn't quite knock me across the room, but it no longer felt like just another rumble in her tummy. It was a definite poke from a hand or foot or bum. It was great! For a month or so, Lindsay has been enjoying the kicks and prods of our little boy while I have been anxiously waiting to decidedly feel him. I think this yearning came from the desire to connect to something that she knows exists. It's not that I don't believe that she is pregnant-that part is evident-rather a lack of physically experiencing it first hand. Well, the waiting is over, which has brought on another stage in the realization of becoming a parent. It's fun experiencing these changes through the pregnancy because they are so evident. Unlike other changes in life, the development of becoming a parent has been very real and in-my-face. The greatest thing about the latest change is that I can now feel his movements and start creating a bond. Of course, I am offering my wife's belly to other's hands, but I can't wait for family and friends to feel our little man. It is pretty special!

Baby Boy

On January 7, 2009, Lindsay and I recieved the news that we were having a baby boy. Although we were a little surprised, it was very exciting news. First, it is worth mentioning that this day was the birthday of my father, grandmother, and Lindsay's grandmother. This continued the amount of crazy coincidences that have littered throughout this pregnancy. Any-who, it was pretty incredible watching as the ultrasound technician displayed our baby boy on her screen. It amazed me how closely he resembled a fully developed baby. His arms, legs, feet, and hands look as they will when he enters this world. Although the images did not pick up his skin, he still seemed to be a miniature version of a fully developed baby. It was incredible! I was torn between watching the screen and the technician's hand as it slid over Lindsay's belly. I couldn't decide whether to watch him or to decipher how he was situated in his little incubator. This pregnancy has completely changed my understanding of becoming a parent and what it means to be a family. Crazy how this baby has yet to enter this world, however, he has already changed mine. I am sure most of you are thinking, "just wait," but I am expecting nothing less than my bewilderment to continue. I also am expecting the rest of the pregnancy, and beyond, to be no less spectacular as the last few months have been.

Below are the second set of pictures of our baby and I need to include an advisory. After sending these around, I have learned that it is very obvious that he is a boy! If you have any problem with seeing the male anatomy, please be advised that the following might disturb you.

"BIG" Update

Okay, so I have fallen behind once again on keeping the blog up to date. Duh, right? Well, I will do my best to cover all that has happened in the last 1 1/2 months. The most important news will come tomorrow, Lindsay and I will find out the sex of our baby while hitting a halfway point in her pregnancy. We both are super excited to see the baby again in the ultrasound and look forward to putting an identity to this baby. I feel as though it is a starting gun, issuing the beginning of our purchasing marathon that will soon follow! This is a very exciting week for us and as soon as I can, the next baby pictures will be on here. Okay, so past that, we had a great Christmas spent with family and friends. It really felt like a vacation this year, our Christmas stretched from Dec. 24-Jan. 3. Lindsay and I really enjoyed seeing everyone and being able to make the rounds while also having some time for ourselves. We also had a great New Year's day with our friends Dain, Leslie, and their 5 month old, Carver. Those guys amaze me everytime we visit them; they are building a house (pretty much with their own hands), working full-time jobs, and raising a baby. I could only hope to have the mental, emotional, and physical capability that those two have! Well, since we came back to talking about people with babies, I guess that I could add a few coming-of-age photos of our baby! So here they are, the much anticipated photos of the "lady with a baby!"

November 30, 2008 Lindsay at 14 weeks

January 3, 2009 Lindsay at 19 weeks