28 weeks....GAME DAY!

We're going to the UT game tonight with Bill, aka Country Pop. It will be Ruby's first football game, so I figured a belly pic would be a good way to commemorate such an important day in her life.

Come on in, and pull yourself up a chair

This morning, we picked up the chair we had made for the nursery. Emilia's already enjoying herself.

Belly! And other pictures

This past weekend, Emilia's folks came into town to visit. We went to Barton Springs to enjoy the sun and the cold, cold water. Emilia rocked the belly; I rocked the whiteness.

27 weeks!

I get regular email updates from "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Sometimes they're really interesting, like the one below:

Week 27: I Sense Something Is Going OnMost babies this age, yours included, still like to snuggle in a slightly curled position inside the uterus (thus the term "fetal position"). Even so, beginning at this stage, your baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe — which makes your baby nearly a full 15 inches now. And at just over two pounds, he or she has doubled in weight from four weeks ago. Your baby's auditory development (hearing) is progressing as the network of nerves to the ears matures. And even though the sounds your baby hears are muffled (thanks to the creamy coating of vernix covering those ears), he or she may recognize both yours and your partner's voices. So this might be a good time to read and even sing to your baby (or rather, your belly) — and a good chance to start boning up on those nursery rhymes and lullabies you'll need to be repeating (and repeating) pretty soon. And while you're at it, here's another way to have some family fun: If your partner presses his ear to your belly, he might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat. Your baby's taste buds are very developed now too (with more taste buds than he or she will ever have outside the womb, actually). Need a taste test? If you eat some spicy food (you hot mama, you), your baby will be able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid (but keep in mind that you'll have different mealtimes, with your baby's coming about two hours after yours). Some babies will even respond to that spicy kick by hiccupping. And although hiccups (which feel like belly spasms to you) may seem like they're disturbing to your baby, he or she isn't stressed at all. It's just one more sensation that babies need to get used to.

Single Digits!

I haven't been paying much attention to my little pregnancy ticker lately. I checked it today, however, and realized that Ruby will be here in 93 days! We're into single digits! I will officially be in my third trimester on Saturday, a milestone I am very excited about reaching. The little lady will be here before we know it.

Update from David: I'm sure some of you have noticed that Emilia thought the number 93 is a single digit number. She blames the whole being pregnant thing. I don't buy it. So I just had a sit down with her and explained the difference between single and double. I think she's got the hang of it, but I'll keep a close eye on her.

Le Toilette

What you see below is the receptacle of Emilia's first controlled potty-related maneuvers. It has since been scrubbed down and painted by GiGi for use by Ruby. Gigi also added the Longhorn decals for extra awesomeness. I took it upon myself to add the OU sticker at the bottom of the pot, but let's be serious: anyone with any sense isn't going to complain.

The Furry Children, Part 2

Now for a post about Stanley, our handsome little man. He joined our family less than a year after we got Stella and instantly became her best friend. Stanley and his dad love to play rough and I sometimes worry that Stan doesn't realize his own size or strength. But even when I do get mad at him, I don't stay that way for long because his sweet little tongue peeks out to remind me that he's not the smartest pup in the world and all he wants to do is be loved.

I'm sure that Stanley will take a little longer to adjust to Ruby's arrival than his sister, but I have no doubt that he will love and protect Ruby just like he does the rest of his family. He just might need some extra loving when she first arrives to be reminded of his special place in our family.

I love you Stanley.

The Furry Children, Part 1

Stella was our first baby and deserves a post all her own. I don't want anyone thinking that we've forgotten about the furry children just because we have a baby on the way. I've included some pictures from her earliest days when she had Mom and Dad all to herself, plus a current one to show what a cute little monkey face she has today.

Stella is a moody little lady, but very loving and gentle. All she requires in life is a backyard to run in and dinner at 6pm on the dot. I know that she will love Ruby from the minute we get home from the hospital, and it makes me smile to think of them playing together as Ruby gets older.

I love you Stella.

I want to dedicate this next one to a special lady

Thelonious Monk's "Ruby, My Dear." Paris, 1969.

Nursery Progress!

Lots of progress is being made today to get ready for Ruby's arrival! We spent the morning breaking down the furniture in the guest room so we can begin the nursery transformation. David is currently painting the room the perfect shade of green, seen in the pictures below. The Lonestar ensures that he gets nice neat lines inside the tape.

Crazy Liberals

Ruby is already so smart. She is endorsing Barack Obama for President, saying that she won't make her appearance in the world until "President Poopyhead is on his way out." Smart AND funny.