It's raining PRESENTS!!!!

BABY SHOWER TIME!

Our friends here in Raleigh threw us an awesome baby shower last week.  It really was a great time hosted by Alex.  Thanks Alex for providing the party.  Any excuse to hang out with our friends while they give us presents is great.  We are awaiting photos from that baby shower so we can share them with all of you. 

After having one Baby Shower here in Raleigh, we decided one would not be enough.  My Mom and Ericka's Aunt in Georgia decided we needed two more.  YES!  We drove down with lightning speed.  The idea of a weekend away from the dog and hanging out with friends and family sounded wonderful.

Ericka and I headed out to Warner Robins and Savannah for 2 more baby showers this past weekend.  We hoped to see friends and family and that some people would show up.  What we got was EPIC!  We got a ton of friends and family lined up with beautiful PRESENTS.

Seriously Thank all of you who took the time to help share in our special moment as we prepare to make the world bigger by one.  It really meant a lot to us.  It was a great time, and good to see people we have not seen for a while since our relocation to North Carolina.

To those who sent presents all the way from Peru that was very special.  We know we are separated by thousands of miles, but it made it feel like you were there.  So now with the glory of Al Gore's internet, you can be.

Here is the web album from the party.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Beaucepheus/BabyShower#

By the way, WE GOT A TON OF STUFF!  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!  WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH!

Trading Spaces: Belly Edition

This week Eva has decided to add on to another room.  She needs space and she needs it now.  She has found interesting things to do in her spare time like playing the cajon on Erickas organs.  She is kicking pushing and poking because she needs more room.  The Belly is finally reflecting the remodeling job.

Yep the shirt cannot fit over the belly, which will work for our perspective purposes.  From here on out you should see more belly and less shirt.  That will let you know how things are progressing.

One more note.  The belly button is now out.  The innie is now an outie.  It is like Eva's doorbell.  Push it she wakes up and proceeds to perform a Tae Bo routine inside of Ericka.  Not that I can touch the doorbell without Ericka getting mad.  Does that stop me? NO. 

We are getting there.  GROWING AND GROWING!!!

What to Wear!!

We finally have some pictures of Ericka in some lovely maternity wear.  All who have asked for this get ready she may never let me take another picture.  The paparazzi (me) finally caught up to her and were able to snap some good photos.

So work it girl.  Pose for that camera. 

Inspirational music below!!

 

I have a graduate degree!!

SAAASSSSY!

SI, ES FASHION!

Pay no attention the the hat!

FABULOUS!

Perhaps one to many accessories... like that hat!

She really is a very cute pregnant lady.  She will say she doesn't look good or has lost her figure, but she is gorgeous to me.  So if this blog gets a vote we say stay SHE'S HOT!

Love ya babe!

Eva appears!

Eva could not wait to hang out with all of us so she got together with some movers and shakers in LA and shot a music video.  I know I was shocked but the proof is all there.  She then decided her adoring audience would like to see it through the magic of youtube.

By popular demand...... Eva Jimmerson Stars in Kicking Mommy!

These pictures were taken when we went to a place that does 4-D sonograms.  It was amazing.  We got to hang out on the same bed while they scanned Ericka's belly and we eventually got to see the face of our unborn child.  It was so wild.  It was amazing how lifelike it actually was.

This child is stubborn.  First ti took forever for the child to come into full view.  Then once she did she kicked her feet and threw her arms around like she was practicing judo.  Seriously, it took many maneuvering pushes and taps of the belly in order for her to finally pose for photos for the fans.  She is STUBBORN!  Ahem, like ERICKA!  OK that will get me yelled at, but these days not much doesn't get me yelled at.

Growing and growing!!!

Back by popular demand we have more photos of the belly and a fashion show.  So without further delay, we present live and in living color BELLY.

Week 23

Ericka was caught sucking in her belly so I took the photo again.

CHEATING!

This is the more correct week 23 photo

Not Cheating!!!

See, I caught you cheating and not showing all the real estate that little Eva is building.  Her father is an engineer so I assume she will be

Week 25

Two weeks later (and in the same outfit in case you cannot tell) we make another photo session of Eva's house a.k.a. Mommy's belly.  We can see she is constructing new areas but do not know how big or how much more space she is going to need.

Eva adds some more room.

As you can tell we are having a significant growth spurt.  We will have more photos this week, which will be week 27.  Be on the lookout.

Registration: Part Deux

Register for more stuff.  Why not, we aren't quite done yet.  Of course, I'd love to go to Babies "R" Us for the 40th time.  See what a good husband I am.  Let's use word like nipple in non naughty ways.

We enlist the help of our friend Isabele in helping us determine what kind of bottles, pacifiers (I wish I could give these to people in the office), and Baby Bjorns.  We learn a lot.  Yet we learn nothing.  We need a bottle warmer, bottles, brushes, crap, stuff, junk, and things.  We scan tons of stuff, and duplicate just so we can remove the items when we get home to sort through.

Baby Bjorn:  It's a backpack but loaded with a live puking human.

When we finish we have definitely changed the number of items we have, but we feel we are informed.  We are ready.  We are scared freaking senseless of how much a child costs.  Seriously, how do teen mothers do this, crap.  Answer: they get the money from people like me and my wife who went to college.  I knew I should have been livin' off the government!

I think we are done with registration..... Think...

Dance Dance Womb-rolution

Baby is kicking.  By kicking I mean acting like an alien in my wife's stomach.  I felt her power.  She has either a great right hook or a strong right foot, we don't know yet.

This is unsettling to Ericka.  By unsettling I mean painful.  Ericka eats and the baby gets excited.  She decides to wake up and kick mommy.  She kicks back and relaxes and decides if she likes something. If she likes it, she kicks.  If she doesn't like it, she kicks. So we really see no difference.

She tends to wake up around 7:30pm.  This is almost like clockwork.  She begins to start dancing on pro speed a bit later when she decides that something cool is on TV.  She definitely wants to sleep from time to time, but most of that time is during the day (just like mom).

Dance Dance Revolution TIME!!!!!!!!!!

She works her way to advanced level about 9:30pm and then proceeds to kick until midnight. I think this final amount of kicking is based on the fact that Ericka is working late on accounting and he baby has had enough of numbers.

PLEASE NO MORE ACCOUNTING!

Profits "R" US! Registration Time.

It is time to register so all of our friends and family will know what this wonderful child will need in the future.  The time has come for.... BABIES "R" US!  Which is Wal-Mart for parents. 

The main problem with this store is when you go to Wal-Mart you generally have some idea of what you want.  We do NOT know what we want.  We have limited friends who have children in the area so we decide we REALLY have a problem.

WAIT solution in sight.  A lady with a BABY!  AHHHHHH!!!!! inside information.  We latch to her.  Excuse me, we are registering for our child and would like some advice.

NOTE:  I'm walking around with a pregnant wife.  I have a scan gun in my hand.  She gives me a look like really?  Your registering?  You mean you and your wife are not stocking the shelves?

 No it is a key chain not a scan gun, really!

The lady looks panicked.  She is busy.  Baby is crying.  Strangers are excited to ask her about baby.  OK maybe we just found the wrong person.

We pick out some things we deem essentials.  We scan them.  We leave feeling like we are responsible adults, and then.....

We check consumer reports.  The things we picked out are on recall, deemed useless by parents, dangerous, or perfect for harming your child in a myriad of ways.  We stink at picking stuff out.

The car seat has been recalled.  The Pack n Play has a slight problem of collapsing around your bundle of joy.  The baby monitor has a range of 10 feet. 

WE NEED HELP.  A desperate plea to the Internet for sane mothers to help us.  Wait business idea.... Askafreakingmom.com.  Staffed by actual moms.

Long story short.  We are not done and we need to go back.  Numerous times, apparently (I cannot wait).  I have so much to offer in a conversation about which breast pump would be comfortable.  I demand more male product testing.  Instead they just look at me like I'm crazy.

She keeps growing and growing and growing.

Many have asked us to place photo's of the ongoing baby rising from my wife's belly.  Well here comes a photo log of just what's going on in the stomach of Ericka.

We started with good news and pictures.

Then we finally started to see a little work going on down in that area.

By this time Ericka was less than pleased to have a belly photo taken.

But time marches on and the paparazzi demand more pictures.

Then for some reason (I don't know why) she wanted the face removed to conceal the evidence.  That tatoo is starting to seem like a not so great idea.

Which brings us up to date with this fine shot.

Now we are getting there.  Hard to believe it has been 5 months already.

Vacation!!!!!

We headed out one last time to Disney as a couple.  Next time there will be screaming, diapers, yelling, poo, visits with mickey, crying I think you get the point.  

We decided to take one last great trip with adult rides and adult restaurants before the stork arrives. We stopped in Savannah along the way.  Pictures after the link.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Beaucepheus/DisneyVacation

It's a Girl

Yep it's a girl. Pink. Girl stuff. Eventually Boys will want to date her. I do not know how to describe my first reaction. I think sometimes photos explain things a bit better.

That is how I felt on the inside.

On the outside I thought, wow I am so lucky to have a child. It is just a bit different. It is hard to know what girls like. I know a boy wants trucks, ninjas, and footballs. What do I get a little girl? A pink ninja seems out of the question (plus I can't seem to find one yet). I think this is the part fathers struggle with the most in the beginning. They know what they would want, but not necessarily what their little princess would want. I guess I still have much to learn.

I did get the first gift. I searched through probably 40 of the exact same ones, but I looked for one with a straight bow good ears, and quality stitching. Why did this take so long I have no idea. I am wrapped around this little girls finger and all I have is a sonogram photo.

Every little girl needs a Minnie Mouse. It also rattles. Which I am more than sure I will regret later.

As for the boys dating thing I have many years to purchase guns!

New Sonogram Photos

The Future Power Struggle.

Ericka and I were talking.  We said what will Jazz do now that she is no longer the "Baby" of the house.

WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!  I am the princess here.

Yep we are concerned that the dog. will not appreciate an inordinate amount of time and energy being expended on the baby.  We know it will be a change for her as well.  We had friends come over and we found out Jazz is great with kids which is a plus.

She did so well we are actually thinking she will be just fine.  As long as we ease her into it and explain why the baby can poo inside and she cannot I think we will be ok.

Until Jan she is still the princess, and will be treated as such.

Or perhaps she is a nun?  We may never know.

Visit with the Doctor.. part duex!

We had our second meeting with the doctor today.  It went great.  We now know the schedule of visits to the doctor.  Once a month for the first 7 months, then once every other week, and finally once a week when we are ready for our bundle of joy.

Ericka is doing great, and looking great.  She has gained 8 pounds that I am really sick and tired of hearing about.  I understand she wants to maintain her figure, but baby has got to eat ya know.  Her blood work went great.  Hope that keeps all the families up to date on what is going on.

We heard the heartbeat.  WOW!  I have no idea what the baby is doing down there but that is some quick heart rate.  It is dancing salsa or preparing to run a marathon.  It was sooo fast.

This meeting was much quicker and easier than the last.  I feel like we are starting to know what to expect and the schedule.  That helps out a lot.

We then met with the insurance lady.  This is where they take you to a separate room and tell you how much it costs to have a baby in the United States.  I would like to move to the Ukraine.  Kids are expensive.  Doctors are expensive.  Doctors delivering kids is just as expensive as a tornado headed right for a trailer in Alabama.  You know the mix is right for losses yet you still stand there, with the camera, shocked.

It is expensive.  We have insurance.. YAY!  it is actually very affordable (BTW, isn't it illegal, you know selling babies?  What if I do not pay the doctor what will they do take the kid back?).  Open letter to democrats.  If you think it will be as cheap to have a kid, or quality healthcare, once we have national healthcare you are STUPID!  The care will be worse, and private insurance will be 10X more expensive.

So we are all set both physically and financially with the doctor.  Now we just wait and see what else happens.

Vamos a la PLAYA!!!!

We are off on vacation to the Beach.  Wilmington NC.  We've never been to Wilmington, but it is bound to be fun.  Normally a vacation would have nothing to do with a blog about a child, but this one has EVERYTHING to do about the child. 

My wife buys a special sunscreen for me.  It is little kid 50 SPF.  That is because my skin is the shade of Casper the friendly ghost.  I'm like a white highlighter.  I am clear.  Get the point here... I"M WHITE.

I go out to the beach for a few days and no real issues with sunburn.  Then Monday afternoon occurred.  I put on my liquid t-shirt and go out into the sun.  I am goofing off trying to boogie board, which I am unsuccessful at.  I wind up rolling under most of the waves and not impressing people with my deft boogie skills.

I go back inside and shower to head for lunch.  I am hot but not burned.  SO I THINK.  We make it back from lunch and my back is warm.  It is about the room temperature of the inside of a volcano.  Small countries are calling me a new source of heat for the poor.  I'M BURNING.

It looks painful and I assure you it is.  My wife kind of rolls her eyes and makes a very astute comment. I hope the child does not have your skin.

CORRECT!

Small unborn baby Jimmerson.  This is an open message to you.  DO NOT LISTEN TO MY SKIN GENES.  They are BAAAAAAAAD.  They are full of pasty pail fun, and they will make you burn later in life.  You might want to get a little South American while your in the womb.  Don't take everything from your mom, but take the skin.  She has perma-tan.  I have perma-burn.  Peruvian genes are better than Swedish genes in this case.  There I said it.

OK so the story ends that my back eventually returns to normal, and is no longer the temperature of the sun.  I am peeling like an onion.  It itches like crazy, but I'm OK now.  LISTEN TO ME CHILD... ACT NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

Vacation went great and we got away from work which was the ultimate goal.  I am selling the thermal heat off my back at $0.10 a therm so with rising fuel costs some of you might want to sign a contract with me.  I have better rates that Duke Energy.

What not to wear?

It is that time.  Time to fid new clothes for my lovely wife.  This sounds fun, and exciting.  This should be a breeze.

OK babe no problem lets go and get some clothes.  It will make her feel better (I think, you'd think I'd know not to think anymore).  OF TO THE MALL!  My most favorite place on the face of the planet.

We look around and decide to go into Pea in the Pod.  This place should be renamed Gun to your Head.  It is the perfect mix of everything a pregnant woman could want.  It has designer clothes in her new size.  It has overly helpful and overly complementary helpers.  They proceed to give my wife her own dressing room offer her water and make her feel like a million bucks (The million will come in a second).

She tried on a ton of stuff and it all looked great on her.  She is sooo cute even with the fake pillow belly they gave her.  She made a couple of choices and we were ready to check out.  Then it happened.

WHOA!  These guys charge INSANO pricing for something that can only be worn for around six or so months.  It is like someone walking into your house making you tea, cooking cookies, and cleaning the kitchen then they place a gun to your head and say give us your money.  My first reaction was, we were friends three seconds ago.  Now the cookies you made might be laced with cyanide.

My wife looks at me and says, "Well I do need good stuff for work."  Translation if we do not get this stuff I will be mad at you, and I have enough hormones to smite you.  I grin and bear it.  She looks great in it and she needs it. 

They say having a child is expensive.  Keeping the future mother happy isn't cheap either.

First Appointment…. Time to count the beans!

First sonogram. We are told this will determine if we get one screaming child or multiples. We are excited. We are prepared or so we think. Let’s start the show.

Room goes dark. I am instructed to “Go to my spot.” I stand there and literally say nothing for the next 15 minutes. For people who know me this is at least one of the signs of the apocalypse (get thee to confession immediately). I just listen and look at my wife. I only count one bean. No twins or multiples.

It is awe inspiring. A tiny little bean WITH a very noticeable heartbeat is on the TV. It is a strange feeling. I can’t help wondering is it a boy or girl, will it grow up to graduate college, will it hate the University of Georgia the same way I do?

It is a moment in life. I’ll never forget it as long as I live. For the first time I felt like something was waaaaay more important than me. There it was and it was great. I’m not a sentimental guy, but that moment kind of consumes you.

The rest of the appointment was a blur. We are told about testing options for birth defects, but to me my little bean is perfect already.

Not all posts are funny. Sometimes there is no joke. Sometimes there is just a moment. A moment you chose to remember.

My God has an amazing sense of humor!

Babe… hey babe there is a stripper on the front lawn. Hey Babe.. Come here, look. Babe. Where are you.. OH MY GOD. It is you!

Some people just understood what I was saying and others will need an explanation, which I am happy to give. Pregnant women get big boobs. It happens shortly after they become pregnant. I was amazed to see my wife’s new “friends.” I am happy to see them.

This is the part in the movie when God sits back in his lounge chair, and starts laughing at the people on stage. Those people on stage are me and my wife. God gives her something so completely tempting, and then makes them painful to the touch. Well played God, great joke.

Seriously! They come home with stripper sized fun, and then someone makes them feel like they are about to explode. Look but do not touch. It is one of life’s unique twists.

I have come to realize (or hope) that this will not last forever. For now, this bit of awesome is just viewed as the preparing of a food source for the little one. I’m already making sacrifices for this little guy or girl. Hope they appreciate it!

So what can she do that won’t kill the baby?

Consultation day!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are excited we get there early and everything. Fill out 27 forms of varying colors and sizes. Put things so embarrassing in print you wouldn’t even know yourself when you are done. Forget to find the prescription card. Yep it’s time to visit a doctor and we are ready to rock and roll.

My wife has a bag full of creams, vitamins, books, and a list of things she needs explained. Folic acid seems to be top on her list. I don’t know what it is but she needs it like a crack addict needs a hit.

The doctor comes in and he asks us how long we have been trying. I said, oh were not trying doc we’ve succeeded. He then says great so do we have any questions. We say do we need to take a more formal test. He says not if you took an over the counter test. We say we have. He says then your pregnant (which still annoys us).

He then tells us what to expect over the course of the next few weeks. My wife might puke like the exorcist. She might experience enlarged breasts that are very tender (check, we already covered that). She might, at some point ask you for a peanut butter and tuna fish sandwich at 4:30am and you better get it (hasn’t happened yet, but his face was SERIOUS when he said this).

Apparently she does need folic acid and should stop using every cream or vitamin she currently possesses. Additionally, she can’t eat sandwich meat, hot dogs, unwashed fruit, alcohol, unpasteurized milk, cheese, caffeine, or breathe air in a funny way. Seriously you start to wonder what won’t kill an unborn child

Side Note: This has been going on since the dawn of mankind. I’m sure a caveman ate a wooly mammoth sub sandwich. If all this is true how does the human race even exist today. For the love of god, what harm could come from unwashed fruit???

We leave scared but informed. Everything will be fine as long as she eats nothing that has taste, and does nothing fun for nine months.

This is going to be interesting.

Indiana Hormones: The Quest for the Golden Doctor

The next day my wife heeded my warning, “YOU better get a doctor and an appointment SOON.” Drama was to ensue.
At this time, we had no idea what that meant. We had a pretty good idea that we needed to get a pregnancy test done by a doctor. WE WERE WRONG. We called and the nice lady on the other end of the phone said, “Did you get and over the counter test.” My wife says, “Yes and both were positive.” The lady says, “Congratulations you are pregnant.”

Side Note: Here we go again; apparently CVS is now THE definitive pregnancy yes or no indicator in all of the land. Doctors have surpassed the point of lazy. Now they just ask you what your test said and agree with it. For all they know my wife could have chewed on the test and gotten a plus to come up. This baffles me. But then they hit us with a twist…..

Ok well your probably 4 or 5 weeks so we can make an appointment for you in three weeks. WHAT? My wife has a very pained sound in her throat. I don’t know what to think. My mind is racing as I think for three weeks the only confirmation I get is a $13 test strip. I just want a professional (or an old man with a cane) to tell me she is pregnant.

Ericka has called three doctors and each of them have not told her what she wanted to hear. She is angry. She is full of new hormones (duck out of the way world!). She is getting more desperate for someone to tell us for certain we have a kid on the way.

My wife actually is beyond the point of talking to the doctor so I step up to help out. I say look I know the first one you called you didn’t like so let’s call a different one. We do they tell us the same story. They do agree to let us visit on a consultation (with an actual real life doctor or so we think. It could be an actor they hire to deal with information freaks like us.).

We can meet the following Tuesday EXCELLENT.

Plus Sign ... REALLY!

It had been 3.5 weeks since we left the "Practicing" phase and entered the "Trying" to get pregnant phase. I mean after all we had been practicing for a while. Some day you have to go play an actual game. Well I'm informed that we might have a game over as soon as it started. We crushed the competition. I half heartedly say whatever then lets get a test kit.

Side note: MEN SHUT UP! Don't look at these and act like you know what the h#ll goes on with them. I thought one that said pregnant vs not pregnant was the way to go. Wife had other thoughts and this lead to the CVS standoff get what you think I should have face. I'll spare you the drama, I'm wrong she's rigt blah blah stupid man.

We get home and rush to take the test.. Wait plus before we even look at it... Honey you must have done something wrong. It is already positive. That just can't be. It took less time to tell me I have a kid on the way then it takes me to find football on TV. That is too fast by anyones calculation.

OK try it again. EVERYONE does this exact same process. Not one soul, whether they were expecting it or not, just trusts one $13 stick meant to be used as a tolietry item. NO ONE. That is ok. I thought ahead. I bought a pack of TWO (no I was not at Costco). PLUS sign comes up within 20 seconds of the second try.

It is exciting and so anti-climatic. In the movies some wise man (preferrably with a cane) walks up and says in old english, "She is with child." Where is my know it all sage wizard. Instead me and my wife look at each other and are excited, but woefully unprepared. We need to call our doctor. We need to actually GET a doctor. We need to find the insurance cards. We realize a lot of things we thought were important (sniff sniff, Rockband) are not really that important anymore.

We are incredibly excited. That was easy. We must find a doctor first......