What's In A Name?

Our baby will weigh up to 16.5 ounces by the end of this week and measure about 11 inches long. That's about 1 foot and 1 pound of baby! And let me tell you, he's an active little bugger. When I'm sitting or lying down, you can actually see my belly moving in the shape of punches and kicks and head-butts. Today, I lifted my shirt up whilst sitting upon the couch to show my mom and Tristan how the baby was moving. Either my mom or I ( I can't recall) said something about the baby kicking and Tristan said with a thoughtful look on his face, "No, I think the baby is dancing in there."

The biggest dilemma Eric and I have been having with choosing a name for our new little one is that we agree TOO much. It's hard to narrow it down when you both like the same 10 names. It was easy when I said, "I don't like Percival" and Eric said, "I don't like Owen". As of right now, we're planning to name him Dorian. However, we have about 15 middle names that we like with it and will have to take the next 4 months to narrow it down.

So, what's in a name? A rose by any other name smells as sweet. But for some reason when you tell people what you're considering for a name for an unborn child, they usually have some reaction like: Where did you come up with that? Really, or are you kidding? Oh, I rather like the name Michael better. Etc. etc. etc. However, when you actually have the cute little bubble-blower in your arms and some one asks you, "What's your baby's name?" And you say, "Dumbledorf Eisenhower the Third" or whatever, they usually just respond with, "Awww, he's so cute!" or "Could I hold him?" I thought it was the difference between seeing the cute baby and not seeing him. Now that I'm writing about it though, maybe it's just that once it's set in stone, people don't feel as comfortable giving their opinions as they do when it seems like there's still a chance to sway you from the unthinkable (in their minds). I think most people don't mind their own names though, even if it's not their favorite name or what they would've named themselves. Most people don't rename themselves. So hopefully, our little Dorian will love his name as much as Tristan loves his.

Half-time Boogie

We are officially halfway done with this pregnancy! Boogie Boogie!

As it turns out, if my record keeping was accurate for both pregnancies, I threw up the exact same number of times with this kid as I did with Tristan... which was a lot. Hopefully, like my pregnancy with Tristan, I am done with being sick now.

Tristan has come to terms with having a brother. Now the problem is that he wants to name him Knauer. So no matter what we try to call the baby, as we try out names we like, Tristan sternly tells us, "It's not that name, it's Knauer!" We told him that no one wants to be named Knauer Knauer, but he doesn't seem to care.

My good friend Roshae had her baby Tuesday morning, 4 days before her due date by emergency C-section. Tristan and I spent 6 hours with her in the hospital yesterday. Tristan showed me that he will be a fantastic big brother. He held the baby and fed him his first bottle (mom had been trying to nurse before). He was so gentle with him; he leaned down and kissed his forehead and kept repeating, "It's ok, you're ok." It was so adorable. And when I was holding the baby, Roshae asked Tristan to fetch a few things for her and he quickly ran over to comply. So helpful! He was also very friendly with all the nurses, telling them to look at his cool shirt with a fish on it that his Grandma Nana gave him. He told one nurse that his shoes were cool because they could do tricks. Then he showed her what they could do by jumping up and down and hopping on one leg.

Can I Kick?

Look! We're almost halfway there! 19 weeks down, 21 weeks to go!

This morning Tristan was able to feel the baby kick for the first time. He placed his hand on my stomach and he felt about 5 or 6 movements. Every time he felt one, he would raise his eyebrows and open his mouth with a little gasp. I kept saying, "Did you feel him kick? Did you feel him kick?" And Tristan kept nodding. Then he said, "Can I kick him back?" (I must have gotten quite a look on my face as I said "No, definitely not." Because his big boo-lip came out and he said it wasn't fair. So I had to explain to him that the baby is only the size of a banana and was not trying to kick him.)

Pictures of Knauer Baby Boy

The first two pictures are profile pictures which are pretty clear and self-explanatory. Then there is an image of the baby giving us a "thumbs up" and one of the baby's foot. I drew around them in red so that they could be more easily located.

When we first told Tristan that we found out that the baby was a boy, he just looked at us for a minute then asked, "So, is the baby out then?"

Later, I told Tristan that I loved him very much and that I loved his little brother in my belly too. He said, "I don't want a brother; I want a sister." I told him that we don't have a choice and that the baby in my belly is a boy, so he is having a brother. He asked, "Can we put that baby in some one else's belly so that you can have my sister in your belly?"

IT'S A BOY!!

We found out at our 2nd trimester ultrasound that our new baby is a boy! We are all very excited here at our house. And glad to finally know! More on this later, just wanted to let everyone know.

Bump Daddy

Last night (or this morning) at 3:00 AM when Eric was coming to bed after working late, our baby woke up and was moving around. Eric was reading and I was lying there with my hand on my belly. Then I realized that I was feeling it move on my hand too. So, I took Eric's hand and placed it on my belly. Then the baby gave him a big bump! He got a big grin on his face and said, "That was a nice big bump." So, that was the first time Eric got to feel our new little baby move. :)
(The baby-o-meter at the top is the one my friend Jennifer uses. It has more information about the baby's development than the car driving to the finish line).

Belly Shots

Some of my family far away has asked if I have started showing yet. I wasn't sure what to say... Most people I'm around regularly say that I'm not showing yet, but to Eric, Tristan and me: I AM OUT TO HERE! So, here are some pictures to help you judge for yourself. I love the one looking down on the belly; that's the view I have. I took these myself... not the easiest thing. :)