And the winners are...

Congratulations to Trophy Life, AthenaBee and Dri for correctly guessing the birth day of my baby! Your copies of the birth video are on their way to your homes. Enjoy!

And a very honorable mention goes out to Tiny for correctly guessing the first name! How you did that I do not know. I'll admit that it freaked me out a little :) It was really hard not to email you and tell you that you were right. Excellent guess!

But, no one goes home a loser in this game. Just take a look at the photo in the previous post, consider that your partying gift. (Is it partying gift or parting gift? I've never known which is correct.)

Thanks for playing, all!

Look what we made!

World: meet Stella Jane...

Born: December 22, 2009 @ 11:05 p.m.

Weight: 6 pounds, 6 ounces

Length: 19 3/4 inches

We named her Stella not necessarily after my great Aunt, but because of her. It was a name that we both liked and it just happens that I had a loved one with the same name. My Aunt Stella always called me "doll" and had an enviable costume jewelry collection. She liked the fancier things in life and had a great laugh. She never married or had any children.

The name Jane is after Mike's Godmother who was also the nurse of the doctor who delivered him and his 3 older siblings. His Mom befriended her after seeing the same doctor all those years. Coincidentally, she never married or had children either. (I hope we're not sealing this sweet little girl's fate.) We think it's pretty cool that we're honoring them both in this way.

We chose this name way back in July, the same weekend that we found out we were having a girl and we've never waivered on it. Not once. It's perfect. She's perfect. I can't believe I kept it secret for so long!

We are completely in love with this little girl. It's makes me cry to think about what an honor it is to be her Mom and what a special gift she has been to us already.

Look at her! Sigh. I think we'll keep her.

If you hate going to the mall at Christmas.

Try Etsy!

For the last two years, Turtle Parade and I have bought each other Christmas gifts via Etsy. We set it up like this: we each search around the Etsy site for things that we like. And we save them to our favorites. Then we tell the other when it's time to go shopping. The other person goes into their account and purchases one (or multiple) of the other's saved favorites.

Of course there is a certain amount of secrecy and trust involved with this. If I were the type that liked to ruin my Christmas, I could easily go into my account and see what has been purchased. But I'm not. I prefer to wait until Christmas Day to open my gifts. Or at least wait until the day that she and I agree to exchange gifts.

It's really quite fun. I like that we are purchasing handmade items. I like that they are unique gifts. I like that I'm not buying her a gift card. I like that I'm not buying her a sweater that she already has 18 of. The best part is is that I know she will like it - she picked it out! But she doesn't know what I've chosen, so there's still an element of surprise involved. It's totally fun.

Perspective.

The following photo is not for those who are easily scared:



Yes, this is my actual belly. Looking upward.

Are you as entertained by this photo as I am? It cracks me up! I can't believe how different of a perspective it is down there.

It's the final countdown.

Hold up both of your hands.

Fingers stretched out.

That's how many days we have left... 10.

TEN!

(theoretically.)

I'm still feeling good. Just large. But not so much in charge.

My calisthenics involve getting out of bed or off the couch. Three or four good grunts and an "ouch" and I'm up! From the main floor of our house you either have to go up or down steps to get to a bathroom, so my calf muscles are in really good shape right about now.

I'd say this poster accurately describes how I'm feeling with 10 fingers left to go: Pick an emotion, any emotion, and I'm feeling it. I've gone through this entire poster of faces over the last couple of weeks.

But, like boyscouts, I think we are prepared. We've got bags packed, Christmas presents wrapped, tree erected, a clean house, a finished nursery, books read, doctor's phone numbers on speed dial, all major baby "stuff" put together, car seat bases installed, basic knowledge of what to expect, video camera, regular camera, underwater camera, everything that will ever touch the baby has been washed, a dog sitter has been lined up, we've notified the authorities, stopped our mail, and told all interested parties that under no circumstances is there to be a wooden stork placed in our front yard.

Let me know if there's something I'm forgetting.

Bring on the baby!

I'm guessing they didn't move on to the parlor for tea and crumpets following this meeting.

Well Lady Gaga, if that is your real name, I would have chosen to wear something a bit less pleathery to meet the Queen of England. And maybe a trowel less blood-red eye make-up too.

You've confused her. You call yourself a Lady? I mean, you're not even wearing gloves for Heaven's sake! Your hands are not folded respectfully like the gentlemen to your left. And she's probably thinking she'll see a semblance of you in her nightmares. Why, you're no Lady at auwl!

No, Queen Elizabeth, I don't think she crashed your party. If she did, she is about a week too late with that trick. People have already been there, done that, got the restraining order. Someone must have wanted to frighten you and really test your manners. I hope the Lady with the blood-red eyes and pouffy sleeves and gloveless hands doesn't haunt you tonight. But if you get a second, listen to her "Poker face" song. It's frustratingly catchy, and it's a real foot tapper.
...
In what universe did the tween meet? I mean really, this photo is quite the juxtaposition.

It's December.

This month changes everything. It is the month that I shall give birth to a baby girl. It is the defining month for us to say that we became parents. Forever. Somehow November 2009 already seems like a lifetime ago. It was the last month of my life I can say that I didn't have a child. And come January we won't know life without her. My mind = blown. Again.

I have decided that even after I'm done being pregnant that I will probably wear a basketball under my shirt to give off the illusion that I am pregnant. People have been so kind and friendly when they see that I've got a burgeoning belly and I hate to give that up. Strangers haven't tried to touch me or tell me inappropriate stories, they just smile at me and have sometimes told me a cute story about themselves - which has been (surprisingly) fun to hear. I've bonded with Moms at Babies R Us and we met a great couple at our birthing classes who we're fairly certain is leading our same life. Their due date is the day before mine, she and I have worn the same shirts to class twice, and we found out that we have the same doctor. I just have a gut feeling that we're destined to know them forever. Like we will end up having our babies at the same time on the same day and they'll either be best friends or end up married or something like that. Wouldn't that be something?

Overall, being pregnant has been a fantastic experience for me. I consider myself very lucky to have made it through these last 37.5 weeks with very little to complain about. In fact, I'd say I've had NOTHING to complain about. I can live with the 4 trips to the bathroom I've been making throughout the night. Part of me is sad that soon it will all be over.

But now we just have to sit and wait (Yeah, right, sit and wait...I've been nesting my butt off. Onesies don't wash themselves!) for this baby to decide when she wants us to meet her. Wow, I can't believe it's her month already!