Dear Baby,
Time just seems to be flying by. We're already in week 22. Your daddy and I registered for things this week. It was fun to go through and dream about what your room would look like, and the things you might need. You need a lot of stuff!! I am blessed to have lots of friends who have had babies, so I asked people on Facebook for recommendations--I got 82 different responses from people with suggestions! I took their suggestions, as well as a list of "must haves", and made a good registry, I think. I did an Amazon registry on my own, and daddy looked over it when he got home from work. Then, we went to Babies-R-Us on Saturday and registered for some other things, just in case.
Let me tell you, even though you need a lot of stuff, we didn't register for half of the stupid things that they sell! Your daddy and I think so similarly sometimes. For instance, we came across these seat back cover things:
I was looking at them and thinking, "why wouldn't you just let your kid know that they don't put their feet on the seats?" and at the same time, your daddy said, "Those things just tell kids it's okay to put their feet on the seats." It's times like this that I know your daddy and I will work together well as parents, because we will have the same expectations for you, and we'll be able to be consistent with those expectations when you get a little older.
One thing we disagreed on was a diaper bag. I would like to have something with a lot of different compartments, but something that is still on the small side. I don't want to be one of those moms that ends up carrying a huge purse and a huge diaper bag filled to the brim with stuff all the time. Your daddy wants to get a backpack to carry things in. I couldn't find anything to make us both happy. Daddy doesn't want to buy one until after you arrive, because we won't know what we need to take with us. But I would like to have one ahead of time, so that we can be prepared from day one. I guess he and I will need to have some further discussions about this.
Sometimes, doing a registry for your first baby is hard--because no matter how much practice you've had, or how many friends you know that have babies, some of the knowledge about what you need is still a mystery. When daddy and I got married, it was a little easier to register for things, because we knew what we were going to need on a daily basis for our house, because we lived on our own before. But bringing you into the world is a completely new experience. I have a little bit of knowledge because of my nannying experience, but daddy is completely clueless about what we're going to need for you. We are learning this together!
We have told a couple of people about if you are a boy or a girl, but we are mostly keeping it a secret. I want to be able to tell your Grandma and Great-Grandma and the rest of our family in person, and I don't want to risk them finding out any other way! It is really fun hearing what people guess, now that I know what you are. Most of the people at work think you are a boy, except for one manager, who is very insistent that you are a girl. Everyone else is split about half and half. I always think it is funny when people are SO SURE about it one way or another.
Daddy and I have been talking about names. There are some that he has vetoed outright. We keep coming back to one name over and over, though. Want to know a secret? That name is my favorite, and I find myself calling you by that name when we're alone. I am hoping that it sticks!
I'm still feeling pretty good. I have been back at Old Navy for the last several weeks, and it has been good to get out of the house for a while and be busy. People at work are really nice to me, and very conscientious about making sure I am doing okay. My back only hurts occasionally now, and ice always helps. You kick a lot on the way to work, and on the way home from work. Maybe you like the car?
You kick a lot in the evenings, too, while daddy and I are watching The Walking Dead. Are you afraid of the zombies? Don't worry--I'm afraid of them, too. I will protect you, though! I try to get daddy to feel you kicking, but he says he can't feel it yet. Keep kicking, baby!
I love you with all my heart,
Mommy