endperform.org

We are pretty much set to go as far as baby items go. Beth is at the 8 month mark, and we have an exact birthdate: September 17th. How do we have an exact date? Simple, Emma is going to be delivered by C-section. Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

Most people tend to worry about big-ticket items when it comes to a new child: stroller, car seat, playpen, but there’s also some other things you need to remember, aka the small things.

Diapers, wipes and related
You’re going to need plenty of these. Don’t buy a ton of newborn diapers, though. Our stragedy is to buy enough to get us going and buy as needed, since the baby will be growing. Wipes on the other hand come in handy, so we’ll have plenty of those on hand. One other thing comes to mind is a separate trash can for the diapers. Our plan is to pick up a Diaper Genie and use that.

Clothes
As with diapers, we won’t be going overboard with clothing purchases to start. Emma will be growing quick, and also we may be getting some clothes from others. Second hand clothes are not a bad thing, and can save you some money as well.

Bottles and related items
Depending on how you plan to feed the little one, your purchase of formula may come sooner or later. Bottles, though, are going to be needed no matter which way you decide to feed.

So anyway, those are just some of the things on my mind as far as making sure things are in order around here come September. By far I’m no expert, but I think I’ve got a pretty solid idea of what we’ll need.

I’ve also been thinking this morning about my father again. Emma will never get to meet grandpa, but hopefully I’ll be able to at least give her an idea of what he was like through me. I was in the same boat she is when I was born. My grandfather on my mother’s side passed away a couple of months before I was born, so I never got to meet him. Unfortunately I never really got to know him all that well either, but I know of him at least through the stories my mom would tell, plus the picture I have of him and my grandmother. One thing I have going in being able to tell Emma about her grandfather is that I’m (apparently) a lot like my father was.

We’re closing in on the home stretch of the pregnancy now, and as time progresses, my excitement level builds. Last night, we could see baby’s kicking through movements in Beth’s stomach. A bit freaky at first, but undoubtedly awesome. We picked up the final big items we need, and now we just need to get the smaller items when the time gets closer. I really cannot wait until I can hold my daughter in my arms.

I’ve been preparing as best as I can for this new life change. I know there’s only so much I can do, but I’d like to be ready when the time comes. As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve been getting some advice from people at work. The biggest thing I keep hearing is how much sleep I’m going to lose. Well, I’m not really going to mind that too much at all. It’s a team effort to take care of a child, and I’m not going to drop the ball.

I still wish my father was around to see his grandchild, but that’s something that is beyond my control. I’m sure he’s watching over us all, so that puts me at ease. My family has told me that I remind them of my dad so much, which I can see, so I guess our daughter will get to know him through me and the rest of the family.

In case you haven’t been checking out the gallery lately, I’ve been archiving photos over here. Clothing, items, ultrasound and belly progression pics (no, not my belly… hers!). I have a few more to add soon, so keep checking back if you’re at all interested.

Last night while we were watching Fight Club, I had a little daddy moment. Something came over me and at that point in time, I just wanted to hold my child in my arms. I don’t know the exact cause, but it was a nice little moment. I nuzzled up to Beth’s stomach as we continued to watch the movie, and I felt a bit more at ease. Yes, believe it or not, I have emotions :)

I was getting ready for work this morning and kept thinking about what things are going to be like when the time does roll around. People keep telling me that restless nights are ahead, but then again, the night owl in me is beginning to return, so it may not be all that bad. Frankly, I can’t wait.

Work has been pure hell today, and has been taxing my brain. I’m ready to go home and spend time with Beth, the kitty and get kicked in the head b your daughter. I think work actually made me sick since I’m not feeling all that great. I think I’m in for a looooong afternoon.

I spent my first official father’s day out of state in PA for the weekend. Beth and I decided to make the trip up so she could meet the family before she had travel restrictions (no travel after the 7th month). My mom made us dinner on Sunday, and the original plan was for us to go up to the cemetery and visit my father’s grave. We never made it because for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to go up there this time. I had been up there time and time again, but I just couldn’t do it on Father’s day.

Beth got me the coolest card ever. She made it herself and gave it to me as we sat in Cracker Barrel in Harrisburg Sunday morning. There’s pics of it in my Flickr account, but it was really sweet. I’m getting a bit edgy, as I’m ready to hold my daughter now, and I know Beth is the same way. We can’t wait to see our bundle of joy. Tonight we were watching TV and I decided to put my head on her tummy to see what I could hear. Not only could I hear when Emmalynn (yep, we got a name) kicked, but I felt a few strong ones again as well. It’s getting to the point where she realizes someone is touching momma’s stomach and she reacts to it. I’m a happy father already. I can’t wait for September to arrive.

The time has come for us to start getting the items we’re going to need for baby. Last weekend, we took a trip out and picked up some clothes, and some pacifiers, along with pricing out some other needed items. I’ve put up a new baby-related photo section in my gallery to keep everything related to her in there. I know already that there’s going to be a ton of pictures and I like the idea, really.

We have our list broken out by the big stuff, then the little stuff. We’ve got plenty of time to get things, but lately Beth’s been in a nesting phase so we’ve gone with it. I foresee us getting a few more things when we return back from PA. The countdown continues, though. less than 3 months to go. We should have a date for the C section I believe by her next doctor appointment.