Monday, November 23, 2009

14 Weeks

You know you are excited for your child to arrive when you are so excited that they can now produce urine!! That's right folks - my child can now produce urine and pee!! It's been a couple weeks since my last blog, because honestly there is not a lot that is changing! Christine is moving along nicely and without sickness...and this is good for her and even better for me! You hear all the horror stories..."Just wait man...she is going to start flipping out on you, and getting sick everywhere!" Truthfully, she has only snapped at me when I have given her a good reason to do so!

We have started to search for the essentials, and the not so essentials for the baby! By essentials I mean: Crib, Dresser, Rocker, Changing table, etc. The furniture is the big ticket stuff that needs to be addressed!! By non-essentials I mean the stuff we have filling part of the Baby Room already! That "baby room" by the way, has once been called the "wedding room" (used to stuff all our extra items from the wedding in 2007), and then "the Everything we don't have anywhere else to put" room! The room has successfully been cleaned out and now is suitable for a baby! TOT SWAP...2 words that every expectant father has heard, and the origin on the non-essential stuff we have acquired! Don't get me wrong...I know eventually we are going to need a dog that talks about numbers and the alphabet and laughs when you touch its red nose...but we don't need it NOW! The best part about this is that all guys have heard the same thing..."But it was on sale!!" I swear women will buy anything if its on sale! Christine had a budget of $50 for the TOT Swap a month ago...I told her that we will be getting a lot for our Baby Showers (3 of them) and we don't really need to spend money yet! The night was a success for Christine, but not so much for the budget...she spent $98!

Cleaning out the room was no easy task. Christine and I both had a vision of how that process would go, but I soon realized that mine was simply a vision, and in now way resembling a plan of action! It is amazing too me how much "stuff" you can acquire in 2-3 years...and I am sure it only gets worse from here!

The new developments are that we now know the date where we can find out if we are having a boy or a girl - December 29th!!! and YES, we are finding out...I know, I know - Its a natural surprise that life gives you and we should not find out...and, "Back in the day we couldn't find out so we were surprised!" Well, I look at it this way...Back in the day you could not take Tylenol for a head ache because there was no Tylenol...So I'm taking my Tylenol, and if they can "surprise" me on December 29th and let me know what we are having...I'm all IN! It will still be a surprise, just 5 months early, and I am OK with that! We also have the names ready to go WAY ahead of schedule, but we have always really had our names we liked. I will let you know those later!

Have a safe, Happy, and Healthy Holiday this week, and make sure to spend as much time with your family as possible. Family is what it's all about, so enjoy each other....and as always: GO HALL!! BEAT THE DONS!

Monday, November 9, 2009

The Heartbeat That Changed Everything

The best advice or "words of wisdom" I have received so far came from my friend Matt...He told me that no matter what I hear, nothing can prepare me for whatever is coming my way. He said that no matter what people tell me about certain experiences through this process, they will all be so different to me. He has been so right, and I would imagine this trend will continue!!

For those of you that know my wife and I personally, you know that we have had to overcome many obstacles to get pregnant. The entire process to me has been more amazing and life-changing than I can possibly describe on this blog. I am a better person already because of my child that has not even taken a breath...and to me that is completely amazing. I learned at an early age that things in life are not guaranteed, or promised. Times like these in our lives we can only classify as gifts. My wife and I are truly grateful for our gift.

As stated in previous blogs, early pregnancy can be scary! There are the medical issues that can happen, but I am focusing more on the "real-world" end..."How can we afford this baby? How can we pay for daycare? Will we be able to be the parents our parents were/are to us?" Well, today all that was put to rest. it was as if someone waived a magic wand over us...in truth it was waived over my wife's stomach. As we walked into the doctor office today we had all of this on our minds....We left with nothing but smiles and a sense that everything was going to be alright, no matter what!

Our doctor entered the room and greeted us in the most cheerful way possible...She was incredible and genuinely excited for us. Capital Women's Care has been nothing but fantastic. They are "all smiles" from the secretaries, to the nurses, to the doctors....they are all truly invested in their field and completely involved in their patients life, and it is very inspiring. their practice consists of 5 doctors. Each time you go to the office you see a different doctor, so that on the day of delivery you can be comfortable with any of the doctors that are on call. This would eliminate any "Knocked Up" Hollywood moments, where their doctor was on vacation and they didn't know the doctor. These doctors that we are seeing act as if they understand how important each piece of the process is to their patients. As a sales rep, maybe I can take a page from their book and act as if I understand that each time a new customer comes in to buy their first mobile office, I should take a vested interest! These professionals take the time to make you feel important during their part in the "gift" of life, which is so inspiring since they do it thousands of times!

Today was so much different than other appointments...we actually could hear the life emerging from my wife. When the doctor put the stethoscope to my ears and I heard my child's heart beating I swear that all my worries of life (money, stress, etc.) melted away with each tear as it rolled off my cheek. I remember saying to myself: "No matter what, I will be there for my child, and everything will be fine...The money will be there when it needs to, and all that matters is that I will be there for my family!" I also thought about the fact that I have always been a family man...I love my mom and dad and my brothers, and I am so proud of our family. Well, it dawned on me today that I don't only have that family....I am going to have my own! I have my lovely wife and now I am going to bring another life into our circle. It finally hit me: I am going to be a dad!

Many people judge and measure their lives on different levels....some things make people "tick" more that others, and that's life. Not to brag, but I live and lead an amazing life. I have an amazing family, I went to my dream high school, graduated from college, got my Masters degree, have bought 2 house, and married an amazing woman. All of these things would be enough for a lot of people...not for me. My life will be complete when my child is born...All I have ever wanted to be was a father, and I am truly grateful and amazed that this is about to complete my life! I want to experience it all...the good times, and the bad times. The homeruns on the diamond and the bad Parent Teacher Conferences! I want it all!! I want to be there for my child like my parents were for me, and it is my only goal in life moving forward!

I'm sorry I dropped a bit of a sappy blog here, but I said I would tell you what was on my mind. I will forever remember the happenings of this day and apply it to my life always...because today I learned that all my dreams would come true, and as long as I put my wife and child first - the rest will fall into place. I don't need the money, the cars, the fame, or the fortune - -I just need my family, and it all started with a heartbeat.