Baby updates and the Cradle Arrives today!

I keep meaning to have Frank take a picture of my growing baby belly every night when we get home, although by the time we both walk through the door lately it's always after 7 PM and we have yet to eat dinner. So the picture takes a back burner. Not to mention we are having a party at our house Friday, which has monopolized both of our time lately.

In any event, people now feel comfortable commenting on my physical appearance. Fairly regularly, in fact. There probably hasn't been a day in the past two weeks where someone hasn't told me, "wow, you're carrying kind of high," and "oh my gosh, I didn't even know you were pregnant, you're really showing!", or the like. Luckily I've been in a fairly good mood and haven't really responded, other than the occasional, "yeah, I'm bigger than I thought I'd be at this point." Needless to say, there's no hiding the fact that I'm expecting.

Last Thursday I went to another ultrasound at Virginia College, and was absolutely amazed at how active Franklin was. He's getting really big, and was going crazy in there! Even the tech was surprised at how much he was wiggling around, jumping up and down and turning. We thought at one point that he was going to do a full somersault in there, but he didn't quite make it. He also seems to be fairly content with his tushie in my left hip, he's been in a "sitting" position at every ultrasound I've been to. It was really sweet to start to see what his personality may be like... the active part most likely comes from his Dad - Frank's family has regularly commented on how "active" he was at a child. But Franklin also had a few of my characteristics too - he likes to keep his hands near his face, and at one point looked like he was going to suck his thumb! The ultrasound tech was also amazed at how long his legs were, and how big his feet are! There's no denying that he's my child if that's the case. Here's a picture of Franklin's profile:

And here's a picture that proves Franklin is a boy- and yes, that is the cord between his legs:

Our next appointment is Monday morning, the big "anatomy" scan - I suppose most parents are anxious about this scan, considering this is typically where they find out the gender and see all of baby's vital organs, etc. Luckily, I feel great about the appointment since I've pretty much had two "anatomy" scans already. I'm looking forward to another opportunity to see my little man in action.

The crib has been ordered, headboard for the bed in the nursery is in the basement waiting to be installed, and last weekend I ordered the cradle, cradle bedding and glider. This is the cradle:

Frank is going to paint it an antique white, like the crib and other furniture in the room. This is the cradle bedding:

It matches the crib bedding, and I've substituted white minky for the blue minky shown in the pictures. The cradle should arrive today! The glider takes 4-6 weeks, so we should have it sometime in July or the first of August, which is right around the time the crib should come in. I can't wait for everything to arrive! I'm sure once we start putting the nursery together, the reality of Franklin's arrival will hit me.

I was starting to feel a bit panicked about everything, until I ran by the bookstore last weekend and picked up "What to Expect the First Year." My doctor recommended it, and it was a big help - it details everything you need to know, from changing diapers to giving the baby a bath, to what symptoms to look for before you call the pediatrician. Although I've been around LOTS of babies in my life, and feel like I'm fairly comfortable with them, there's just a lot of the "unexpected" when you bring a baby home from the hospital. I have also read Baby Wise (thanks Katherine), and am ordering Happiest Baby on the Block and the Moms-On-Call How to Survive the First 6 Months books also. With many things in my life, I'm a "wing it" kind of a person. In school, work, and apparently baby, I'm of the "must know everything before they get here" lot.

Frank on the otherhand, proves to be the exact opposite - He will research a TV purchase, cigars, cornhole (don't ask), DVD players, receivers, Ipods, computers, fishing, camping, until he knows everything there is to know about the subject. But when studying for the bar, I kept waiting for that to kick in (it didn't) and he did just fine. My husband, who has never held a baby under a year old and never changed a diaper in his life, doesn't seen panicked at all. I asked that he read the parts of the "What to Expect the First Year" that I mark for him, and I have no doubt he'll get around to it. But it's surprised me how laid back he seems to be about bringing home the baby.

I guess that means we're a perfect pair.

Check back soon, posting pics of baby, the completed landscaping and the party decor!