Oh Baby...

Who would've thought a 4-5 inch long little baby could make your stomach look so darn big?! I have not gained a pound (yet), and somehow my tummy decided it was finally going to look pregnant. I'm thankful- no more of that silly muffin-top looking thing going on, now it's all in the front (boy, maybe?). I've been having a lot of fun painting our nursery, and it's really coming along quite nicely. Birch tree, oak tree, little tiny maple... soon it will turn into a little wilderness or an enchanted forest. The little tree house that was present when we bought the house is becoming cuter and cuter as the nursery comes along. A little lantern, a nook for reading bedtime stories, and shelves lined with books. We've been collecting children's books for a while now... potentially since before we got married, just because we see reading as such a marvelous source of imagination and wonder in a child's life.

Something we also did this week- register! And let me just say, registering for a baby is a thousand times more overwhelming than registering for a wedding. Luckily, Mike and I had a lot of great input from our doctors, friends, family, and did a lot ("a lot" is really an understatement) as to the must-have's and don't-need's for baby. And we STILL had a hard time deciding... do we register for high chair that attaches to any chair with a back, or do we get a fold-away stand-alone high chair? Nevermind the high chairs that they now make that attack directly to the table, and the baby looks like it floating in mid-air. Is that even safe?

I personally never knew just how much it helped to have had experience through my work for child safety and what an infant and toddler does and does not need. Sound spa? Yes please! Mesh container for bottles to go in the dishwasher? Oh yeah! Adorable little outfit with bumblebees on it... I'm sure we're going to get one regardless :) After an hour just at Babies R' Us alone, we decided we'll come back in a bit to go crazy again. Mike had WAY too much fun pushing all the different types of strollers around the store. And the weird part was, no one even gave him a second glance. Nevermind the baby toys and building blocks aisle... I decided it was time to go home when Mike started asking about a demo for the breast pump. Not today, sweetie!

Overall, planning for a little one is probably the most joyful, exciting, and terrifying experience we've ever experienced. We love it, have done hours of research into all the five star rated, crash tested, mother approved gizmos and gadgets, and yet have no idea what we're doing. Have a suggestion? Email it to us! Comment here! Tell us something you loved or hated having when you were figuring out what worked and what didn't. We would LOVE your input! There's no one better than family and friends to help us survive this beautiful whirlwind :)