Alive & Kicking

It's been a busy time here in Expectant Fatherland! On Friday I spent much of the day cleaning out what used to be the office and is slowly becoming the nursery. You never really know how much stuff you accumulate until you have to clear out a room. I could just grab much of it and pile it elsewhere, but I'm trying to find a home for everything before it comes out. So, it's not going as fast as I would like, but at least I have most things organized and against the walls!

Then on Saturday we went to Babies R Us to start our Baby Registry. Boy they have a lot of stuff! We've taken a good number of trips there to get an idea what to expect, but it's not the same when you are let loose on the place with a scanner. Fortunately, Julie had made up an Excel spreadsheet with everything we needed, so we managed to get it done fairly quickly. Trips there often remind me of the things I had as a kid, although I can't really remember much until I was 3. I find a lot of the same things, however, and keep them in mind for our little one. There's one book I know I'll want for the kid called My Book About Me by Dr. Seuss. It's really designed for when kids are a bit older, but I always took that book off the bookshelf in my room when I wanted to read about what I used to be like.

Of all the events of note during the pregnancy, my new favorite has to be what I experienced on Saturday night: I felt the baby kick! It was nothing like I thought it would be and I am still in awe today. I had heard others, including Julie, refer to the sensation as a "flutter," but that doesn't do it justice. The kid moves around so fast that it's hard to get a fix on the location. However, once you find it you can't believe what you are feeling. That's my kid! I'm the dad! Holy crap! Hey, don't kick your mother! :) Well, I guess he or she has very little else to do (sorry hon!). I'm going to try playing some music for the baby in the next few days, so the bonding will definitely continue. And, at least for now, I won't tell the kid to turn down the music.