A Thought From Dad On Preparing For A Boy

Since the day Rebecca and I found out we were having a boy, I have been thinking of all of the fun things that I will be able to teach him and that we will be able to do together; just as my father and I did when I was growing up. However, that train of thought also led me to reminiscing about all the accidental, self-inflicted (and big brother-inflicted) wounds I received from being rambunctious, and all the headaches (not to mention trips to the ER) I caused my mom and dad (particularly my mom!).

Reflecting on it now I think fondly on all of those memories as they are ingrained in my memory as a part of my youth. Of course, now that I have a child of my own on the way, I have recently begun to think of those memories from my parents perspective. What was it like every time my brother Barrett came in the house yelling to our mom or dad "Will you come look at Braden and see if this needs stitches?"

According to Barrett, there was the time I "ran into the rock" that must have been levitating in the air and had to get stitches in my head that to this day cause a small bald patch in my hair. I could fill a novel explaining all the wounds and injuries I had while growing up (many, coincidentally, occurred when I was with Barrett) so I won't go into all the details. I will just say that as I reflect on those many times that I hurt myself, I now imagine my parents thinking to themselves, "My God, when will he grow out of this?"

With little Caleb on the way, I keep thinking to myself, "If Caleb is as active as his dad was, at what age will he grow out of accidentally breaking things (and himself)?" Well, I'm happy to say that earlier this week I discovered a definitive answer; I have absolutely no idea.

You see, apparently we are never too old to make a little mistake or have a little accident resulting in us getting hurt or possibly breaking something. Case and point: we have two small stairs that lead from our garage to a door into our house. Last year, within a month after we found out Rebecca was pregnant, she tripped going down those stairs. She fell straight down and severely sprained her ankle; she was on crutches for days. Well call it Karma, but after occasionally giving Rebecca a hard time for not being able to safely navigate these two tiny steps, earlier this week I made this same mistake. While walking into the garage, I tripped on those stairs, only I did not fall straight down. I fell straight left. Where there's a wall. A thin wall. From what I can remember of physics, I believe Force = Mass x Acceleration. However, in my equation, Mass x Acceleration = Destruction.

So as I have been thinking about the years to come and raising Caleb and asking myself "When did I grow out of that destructive stage?" the answer presented itself to me; I haven't. And I have the pictures to prove it.

Maybe we never fully outgrow that stage, but one thing I do know is that as we get older, the holes get a lot bigger!

Caleb in 3D

Braden and I had the privilege of getting a 3D sonogram of our little miracle. Caleb was misbehaving and putting his hands in his face, making it hard to see him. But after some yoga moves and a little pep talk, Caleb moved his hands and we were able to see his handsome little face. He kept smiling for us and making a lot of facial expressions. It was surreal to see him moving around. Braden and I can not wait to meet Caleb and see his face in person. He is truly a gift from God.

Big Yawn

Hands folded together

Sweet little face

Room Update

Braden and I finally got around to hanging the letters in Caleb's room above his bed. Caleb's Aunt Jessica painted these letters just for him to match his room decor. The letters turned out fabulous and we couldn't wait to share them with everyone else.

Thank you Aunt Jessica!

(We still have to get some sticky tack so the letters hang straight)

Step by Step

It is hard to believe we are getting close to Caleb's due date. About 7 more weeks and Caleb will be here. I am still feeling good but starting to miss my old body. I am still going to the gym, working full time, and doing (most) everything I did pre-pregnancy which I am blessed to be able to do. But, having a growing child in my tummy, who is a night owl, has taken a small toll on my sleep. I try to rest and relax after work each day and on the weekends. But, I still find myself up a few times during the night tossing and turning and trying to get comfortable (while Braden snores soundly next to me). I think the hardest part about being pregnant for me has been giving up some of my stubborn independence. I don't like having people do everything for me. I have to remind myself that just because I can physically do things, doesn't mean I should do them. I have had to let Braden do a lot more for me as I grow bigger and unable to bend over or reach top shelves or lift and move things. Braden has been a great husband through it all.

Slowly but surely Caleb's room is coming together. Every weekend Braden and I work on putting together baby gear or organizing the gifts we have already received. I think we are close to being ready for Caleb's arrival.

If you know me, you know that I am super organized.

This is one of my favorite gifts, the changing table organizer.

I will have everything I need to change Caleb's diapers, right at my finger tips.

Now the hospital will release Caleb to us

Caleb's Car Seat

We picked up my Glider & Ottoman last weekend

It is super comfortable and I can't wait to rock Caleb to sleep

I have been busy washing Caleb's clothes before his arrival

It is so cute to see how short all his clothes are in the closet.

Also, check out Caleb's cute shoes on the top shelf

A Thought From Dad

It's closing in on us! It seems like it was just last week that Rebecca and were anxiously awaiting to tell our families we were pregnant, and now here we are less than eight weeks away from his arrival. This has been a truly wonderful experience so far, but I know the real experience hasn't even yet begun.

Something I have been thinking about lately are routines and roles. Rebecca and I have a lot of them, both together and individually, and we each have our roles in the household. Whether it is waking up at 4:30 AM to go to the gym during the week, taking the dog outside to do her business before bed, making dinner and doing the dishes each night, or doing the laundry on the weekends, we have a routine for just about everything. And the other night as we were both in the bathroom brushing our teeth the sudden realization of just how much our routines will change hit me. I started thinking, if we're both in here brushing our teeth, who is watching Caleb?

I started to realize and understand what so many parents have told us; life as we know it is going to change. Please note that I said it is going to change; not life as we know it is over. I hate when people say that. To me, life will be starting all over again. And for Caleb, well, it will be the beginning for him. The beginning of life outside the womb. I guess the most frightening part about that is that for nine months, he has relied 100% on his mom to provide him everything he needs. And from the reports we get every other week at the doctor (soon to be every week!), Rebecca has done an outstanding job taking care of him. Every time I hear his heart beating with such force and speed, it makes mine skip a beat. But after he is born, he is going to be relying on me too! As he learns that dad is there to provide for him to, dad will be learning exactly what he has to do to provide for him!

In fact, dad is going to have to develop all new routines!

• How do you wake up at 4:30 AM when the baby has kept you up crying all night?
• How do you still let your wife do all the laundry when she is exhausted from taking care of the baby 24/7 (I know the answer to this one - you don't. I'll be doing the laundry!)

Of course, those are really new routines, but adaptations to existing routines. The real "new" routines are weekend trips to Babies R Us, and spending some time each weekend working on the babies room.

In the end though, for me, it doesn't matter what routine has to be adjusted or what new routine needs to be incorporated; whatever has to be done will be done. It can be overwhelming and seem like a hassle at times, but anytime I hear Rebecca talking about how she feels Caleb moving, or whenever I place my hand on her belly and feel him moving myself, and especially anytime we are at the doctor's office and amid the brief silence in the examining room I hear the thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, of Caleb's beating heart, I understand a little more how parents say they would do anything for their children. I know that every routine for the rest of my life will in some way be for Caleb.

2 Months To Go

That is right - Caleb is due 2 months from today. It is hard to believe that we are 8 weeks away from our little man gracing us with his presence. I had another doctor's appointment today and everything is on track. I go back in 2 more weeks (then weekly after that).

I am feeling good and my belly is growing so big. I have started to have trouble sleeping at night. On top of having to get up and go potty constantly throughout the night - Caleb likes to flip and kick and keep me awake. I am trying to get sleep whenever I can.

This past weekend we worked on the Caleb's room some more. We don't have pictures because it is a mess right now and still not organized. I started washing some of Caleb's clothes and putting them away in his dresser. While I was going through all the bags and boxes, Lexi (the dog) wondered around and sniffed and tried to get acquainted with the new surroundings. She definitely knows something is going on. I keep praying that she will continue to be a great dog once Caleb arrives and she will love him as much as we do. I will have to make an effort to still love on her when Caleb is here. She's a lover not a fighter so hopefully the transition will go well.

One more thing - - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY on February 6th to Mom & Dad Howell!

31 Weeks