rotten to the core

So baby Giz, looks like you are going to follow in your mama's footsteps and end up a spoiled rotten child. In case the one perfect baby shower we had wasn't enough, you got three more. My work threw you one, and your papa's work threw you two, one in Chicago and one in Texas! I would have loved to see your dad at the baby showers, I'm pretty sure he didn't quite know what to do with himself.

Anyways, everyone was so sweet and made just the biggest fuss over you. I'll tell you babe, once you are here and old news and we stop getting all this attention, I am in for a very rude awakening.

Here are some pictures of my work shower. I tried to get some of your dad at his, he swears they exist, but I have decided getting pictures from a boy is more difficult than squeezing water from a stone. So these will have to do.

ummmmm Sweet Mandy B's cake. Thank you Monica!

My most adorable Godkids, Cam and Hud, came all the way down just for your party (and probably for the cake too). They were quite the hit. Is it just me or do I look like I am going to topple over in this picture??!!

They couldn't be any cuter!

By the way babe, don't ever let anyone make you feel bad about being spoiled. I'm totally cool with the spoiling, I think I turned out just fine in the end. Your dad may have a differing opinion, but what does he know anyways.

go ahead and smile

I have noticed that when you are pregnant people smile at you a lot. They look at you, look at the belly, and then just sort of smile up (or down) at you. In a city where I am automatically weirded out when a stranger says “hello” to me, it is really sort of a sweet occurrence.

I find myself wondering why the smile? Does much of humanity just love a pregnant lady? Are we all just sort of in awe of the whole pregnancy and new life thing? Are they remembering their own experiences with their children? Maybe they are just smiling in thanks that it is me and not them.

I wonder if people smiled at the mothers of Idi Amin, Pol Pot, and Stalin, and Charlton Heston while those women were pregnant with them (and yes, I consider Charlton Heston worthy of that group). Huh, if those people knew then what they know now….

looking so long at these pictures of you

Gizmo,

Today we had our 34 week appointment and one of our coolest ultrasounds yet. A 3D one, which was a total surprise. You are a boy, a real boy! No longer do you look like a sea monkey or Mr. Peanut, you look like a full fledged baby. Today we learned:

1. You have hair! I LURVE hair on babies! The more the better. My ideal baby would come out looking like a troll doll. I already have visions of faux hawks dancing in my head.

2. Your testicles have descended. We saw them ourselves, full on. I guess that's good. Your dad seemed proud. Baby balls. Weird.

3. You are head down, butt up by my left ribs, and feet out under my right ribs. Excellent work. Genius even. Now just stay that way.

4. You are about 4 lbs 14 oz. which is the 50th percentile on the nose. Perfectly average. No shame in that baby. The tech thinks you are on track to be an average size baby, somewhere in the 7-8lbs range. I like it. 7-something sounds very manageable to me.

So without further ado, I give you....you.

p.s. The tech assured me that is not an accurate picture of your nose. You are smashed in there so your nose looks bigger. You may just dodge that Roman nose yet that seems to run on my side of the family.

head, shoulders, knees and toes

Petite Giz,

You are all body parts these days. We are 33 weeks into this ride and I think your watery home is getting a bit cramped. Your donkey kicks have turned into different movements. Sort of squirmy, I-can't-get-comfortable-in-here movements. Also, little parts sort of jab out now, and if I press back on these knees/feet/elbows/butt you usually retract...sometimes though you ignore me and continue to stick out. Try and stay within the lines Giz!

Probably the most fun though, and by fun I mean torture, is the way you love to crowd my lungs. Ugh. At some times of the day you are all jammed up in my lungs and I find myself huffing and puffing. I worry that I sound like some kind of a pervert what with all the heavy breathing I have to do! So feel free to do that "lightening thing" and drop down a little, just try not to land on my bladder.

oh good times Gizmo, good times.

We have your 34 week check up next week. I am going every 2 weeks now. We are having one last ultrasound at that appointment and it will be crazy to see you again. It's been 13 weeks since we last saw you and I think we will be blown away at what a little butter ball you have turned into. It would make me particularly happy if we learned at that appointment that you are head down.

So work on that, and head towards the light babe.

it's raining, oh baby it's raining, it's pouring rain....

Hey Baby,

Long time no post. I think this time I will blame my lack of posts on the hot, hot weather which makes for a lazy me. It has been really hot. Honestly. And I have the Shrek feet to prove it. I know it is July and what do I expect, blah, blah, blah, but pregnant in the hottest summer in 5 years is just mean. Also, we have been bu-sy. Getting your room ready, getting the house ready, getting Bax ready, and best of all having your baby shower.

Um Giz, I'm pretty sure I can say, with some certainty, that you had one hell of an amazing shower. Your Auntie Em really out did herself. It was so beautiful! She knows me oh so well, Scary well actually, and everything was just so perfect. The flowers........

.....um the amazing cake (it came in three flavors: red velvet, chocolate, and vanilla and I may have tasted all three)

....and if you look really carefully, past the big lady, you will see the cutest banner made up of baby pictures of your papa and me. Awwwwwwwww.

And so many people came here to celebrate. Your Gammie, your Grandma and Grandpa D, your Aunt Chandra braved the horrible humidity and hauled her cute belly out here, your Great Aunt Deb, and Grammie's friends Carolyn and Nancy...and Nancy's two girls, Maria and Anna. I sort of even hate to type this, but I babysat Maria and Anna one summer when they were little girls. Oy, that makes me feel elderly. They are the cutest though, and it was so great to see everyone. You are one popular fetus!

And Gizzie, check out all this stuff. That isn't a shower, that is a freaking downpour.

Who the heck is going to wash all this stuff and put it away?? That is really going to cut into my tv time babe. Good thing your Grammie is coming back in a couple weeks, she'll fix everything.

Thanks Emily! We love you Schmoolie!

super bad

2 things to tell you tonight Gizmo:

1. I made zucchini bread. It was an epic failure.

2. As much as we love dogs, we are definitely Team Edward.

If these two random musings give you any sort of insight into my night than by now you know your mom is one wild and crazy gal. Baking bread and watching tween movies.

Bad ass.

ch-ch-ch-changes

Gizzie,

One year ago your Papa and I were in Thailand on an amazing two week vacation. One year ago we were laying on the beach

being attacked by monkeys

eating copious amounts of noodles and prawns,

drinking bottles of Chang and Singha and Tiger

and taking elephant and Tuk Tuk rides

My oh my how times have changed. All good changes, naturally, but changes nonetheless.

Actually, your Papa is currently on a plane to London, and then onto Stokholm to play soccer. So maybe life hasn't changed all that much for one of us <-------insert giant eye roll here. What a charmed life he leads.