FEEL THOSE KICKS? HE'S GONNA BE A SOCCER PLAYER!

Sorry, couldn't resist a little "Billy Madison" quote... ;o) Anyhow, yes, (s)he has started to kick!! Aside from the weird, shifting pressure, I finally felt a couple of what I thought were kicks last week, and then last night the baby went nuts when I had some Ghirardelli hot cocoa while catching up on CSI with Craig. (UPDATE: I just got a few good ones while typing the end of this post :o) Yeah!!! It's the one part of pregnancy I actually like! Craig was a little disappointed he couldn't feel anything (I told him it was too early but he wanted to try anyhow), I forget how long it takes until movement can be felt externally, I'm thinking another month maybe? We'll know the gender (ten days!!!!) before then, at any rate. Not that it matters, I'm just continuing to slowly go crazy while we wait...

On another note, I've started to look at some baby gear I want for this one...aside from the usual diapers, clothes, crib bedding, etc. I have decided I would like:

1. Video baby monitor.  When I was pregnant with Ava, I thought that was one of those stupid, useless extras (like wipe warmers....I still don't get those). I mean come on, how lazy do you have to be to not just go in and check on the kid?! Ummm....more like, how dense do you have to be to not understand how utterly useful a video monitor could be???? It would have saved me a LOT of trouble with Ava, when I didn't know if she was just being fussy or actually needed us, or when she was a little older so I could see what she was up to in her crib without actually going in there. I figure since we have all of the expensive baby gear taken care of already (furniture, car seats, strollers, etc) that we can splurge on this particular item.

2. Covers for the Boppy lounger. I just don't have any.

3. New bottles. I need these anyhow, and a few years ago (right before Ava was done with bottles, so I didn't get them) I saw some that were pretty boob-like, which seems like a good idea, especially because I don't plan on nursing very long. (I'm thinking I can almost exclusively nurse for 3-3 1/2 months and then maybe do enough pumping/partial nursing to last another month....but that's it. It's also dependent on exactly how my maternity leave pans out.) Unfortunately I cannot remember the brand name and a search of Babies R Us (online) didn't produce anything.

4. Glider. All I have is the creaky old rocking chair from when I was a baby (not that it isn't cool to have that, but it's LOUD), and it's in Ava's room...although she doesn't care that her old crib will be used for a new baby, I don't think she's going to part with the rocking chair. Unfortunately, the baby's room is half the size of Ava's so I don't think we'll have a place for one of those big things.

5. Fisher Price Rock n' Play Sleeper. It just looks useful--very portable, can have the baby next to the bed, or the couch, etc. Keeps the baby's head elevated in case reflux is a problem or if it has allergies like Ava and is frequently congested. I don't know that we NEED this but I'd like it. (Yes, there are other colors besides pink).

Things I currently have that are fairly useless?

1. The Boppy. Unless we have a small baby this time, the Boppy was only helpful for about a month or two before it was easier to sit Ava on my lap while feeding her.

2.) Diaper Champ. So, I don't think diaper disposal units are much help after all--at least, once the diapers take on any kind of real odor. But, it keeps the used diapers out of sight, doesn't require special bags, and I already have one, so I guess we'll use it.


3.) High Chair. These aren't useless as much as they are just disgusting. Even with wiping down after each use, we still had to drag it out back periodically and hose it off. But I'm too cheap to buy one of those little portable ones that sit on a chair (even though it's not expensive) so we'll use what we've got.

Tidbits About the Firstborn

As I was typing the beginning of this post, Ava was dancing--naked from the waist-down--with her stuffed camel and singing. Kids are insane. She drives me NUTS with some of her behavior (which I know is typical toddler stuff), but oh my goodness, she can be so sweet and so funny! Lately, she's taken to grabbing me by the hand and saying, "Mommy, you're my best friend!" Awwwww! And--this isn't good but I couldn't help laughing--she got in trouble for sitting on another kid at day care. That itself isn't funny or acceptable but when I questioned her about it, she very matter-of-factly told me, "Yes, I sat on David and got a time-out!" We talked about it and she hasn't done it since, but it was all I could do to keep from laughing. Unless she does something particularly vicious, I'm not going to spank her for a first time offense when she's already been disciplined at school with a time-out. She knows if she does the same thing twice (pushing, squeezing, sitting on someone) that she'll get spanked. I just hope this doesn't mean she's going to just get more and more creative with her misbehavior to avoid doing the same thing twice.... ;o) Doesn't seem like it thus far.