A glimpse into my mind (it's dark in here).

When Kristin created this blog, I secretly made a commitment to myself that I would use it. In my own head I'm a pretty interesting person, but when it comes to writing down these thoughts my unique and creative musings tend to lose the awesome voice they have in my mind, at least until I build some momentum. Once I actually get started I can churn out several pages of work in one sitting, an ability which greatly facilitated the procrastination of many school writing assignments until the very eve of their due dates. Nevertheless, I always made great grades on those assignments, it's merely that act of starting that holds me back. I just gotta have the inertia.

The Tennessee State Fair begins next week, and as I was looking over their event schedule I discovered that they have demolition derbies. These events have always held a special place in my heart, and I plan on sneaking out and attending one. This is pretty high on my 'awesome things to do' list, closely following 'being in a demolition derby'. The latter goal will take some time and planning, and that is why I started a secret savings account for my future mid-life crisis (shh, don't tell Kristin). I'm pretty sure I will be able to talk her into it, I plan to make her choose between that or letting me get a motorcycle so dangerous that no insurance companies will cover me. I imagine some kind of jet-bike, possibly hovering, powered by an unstable nuclear reactor. It will literally leave a trail of fire when I gun it.

Seth will arrive soon, and I am very excited. I don't know if it makes sense, but I already love the kid. All I know of him are a couple of strong kicks from within my wife's abdomen, but I really can't wait to have him here in the outside world with me. I'm eager to see what sort of physical features he inherits from us, and I'm eager to see him grow into his own person, and I'm eager to teach him all sorts of things; about God, wisdom, life, people, music, science... Yeah, I'm already becoming one of those guys that thinks he's going to give his son all the things he wanted but never had, or the opportunities he never had (not that I was lacking on those, I was very blessed and well cared for in my youth). Basically, I'm overjoyed about the whole thing, and I want to be great at it.

Well, I'll stop here. I'm sure my blog posts will be much more abstract than my wife's, but I also hope that they will be enjoyable. I'll leave you with my 'list of awesome things to do'.

Awesome Things To Do:

1. Be a father! (see, I'm starting at the top)
2. Play a guitar solo so awesome that it actually causes someone's face to melt.
3. Wrestle a bear to the death, and win.
4. Purchase a hovering jet-bike.
5. Learn kung-fu.
6. Rescue children from a burning orphanage.
7. Execute a barrel roll in a car that cleverly removes a bomb attached to the underside by bringing it into contact with a giant crane hook conveniently hanging nearby (go see 'The Transporter 2' for more details).
8. Compete in a demolition derby.
9. Attend a demolition derby.
10. Crush a car with a monster truck (blasting Lynyd Skynyd on the stereo optional).
    

Baby Shower Madness!

My mom, aunt, and grandma pulled together and threw me an awesome shower a few weeks ago. Obviously with me being the star (ok, maybe Little Seth was), I was unable to take pictures and had to wait for them. I just got them in the mail today, so I figured I'd do a combination baby shower/33 week update post.

The party was fun, although I was a little nervous at first. My aunt and mom kept adding more and more games and ideas to it, and I was a little scared it may turn into a circus or something nearly as big. However, they ended up trimming it down a bit and it ended up being what I wanted: a get-together with family where we played games and had the opportunity to chat and catch up. My grandma (who should do this professionally) made two great cakes, a diaper cake, and a bunch of cute favors, while my aunt and mom were in charge of decorations, food, games, and prizes. If all the effort that went into this occasion and all the many, MANY gifts I got are any sign of how loved Seth is going to be then let me tell you - he may as well be nominated king now! Even though it was a relatively small gathering, I got way more than any one woman should have! Suffice it to say, I felt (and always feel) very loved and know that Seth will be loved just as much.

Moving on: today was my 33 week check up, which is normally pretty dull. However, this was where I was to find out if Seth is growing a wee bit too fast for his own good (or more importantly - my own good). As it turns out, he is smack dab in the middle of the road at the 50th percentile for weight. As of today, he weighs four lbs. 15 oz. The doctor said the previous doctor must have mis-measured, which is sort of what I was thinking. My personal/skeptical opinion is that this office will run every test/ultrasound/etc. on you to line their pockets a bit more - but that is a long rant, which I will avoid.

On a side note, Michael came to the visit with me in the hopes of seeing Seth in a more active state, like I saw in the 14th week. Well, proving just how stubborn he is, he wouldn't move at all, except when the tech poked at his back - then he moved just enough to get away. Once I was out of the office, though, Seth was back to kicking Mama again.

Apparently the further along you get in pregnancy the less clear the picture is, so the tech had to explain just about everything we were seeing. Normally she gives us three pictures, but this time she gave us one, which is essentially a dark blob, that verifies that Seth is, in fact, a boy. We also have to trust her when she said that Seth does have hair and is still a thumbsucker. He is also in the head-down position, which we had already kind of figured.

So the two things to take away from this post are: 1. I have some really great people in my life, and 2. Seth (hopefully) will not be a huge baby! Yay!

And so it begins...

Louis Armstrong got it right, "What a wonderful world!"

As most of you know, Michael and I are expecting our little miracle (also known as Seth) in just under eight weeks. All the shopping is done, the nursery is nearly complete, and we only have one more pre-parenting class to go. So now it's just time to sit and wait. Unfortunately, patience is not one of my strong points.

I had planned on starting a blog once Seth was born, however it occurred to me that the last few weeks before his birth may make for an interesting prologue. We are blessed to have some family near us, but we have many loved ones who are not as close. Because of this, they may not always be as up-to-date as we would like, but hopefully this blog will help to keep them updated.

At this point, I don't have much to write about. Seth has become quite the athlete over the last few weeks. He kicks, jabs, and pushes like it's his business, but I wouldn't have him stop for anything. Michael and I enjoy feeling and watching his movements knowing that he's growing strong. And speaking of growing, he may be taking after his daddy. The doctor told me at my last appointment that Seth is measuring a bit big for his age, so she scheduled another ultrasound for next week. He's been on track at every other visit and I've only gained six pounds to date, so I'm really hoping the due date will be pushed up or that he was just having a growth spurt. Although I do want him to get his height from his daddy, he can wait to start that until after he has made new living accomodations!

I have been extremely fortunate throughout this pregnancy and have had very few complaints - some soreness now and then and some heartburn. I'm learning to control the heartburn and Michael is great about offering massages whenever I need them. Actually, Michael has been wonderful with all of this and I couldn't imagine doing it without him.

So, that's about it for now. I hope to make entries at least once a week, but we'll see how that goes.

<3