Panda, it is!

Panda narrowly beat out Jesus Ignacio (Chuy Nacho) in the naming poll, so we'll be sticking with that for now. More name polling to come.

The Panda is becoming more active. I can feel him doing what must be jumping jacks. Or the dance Jennifer Beals does in Flashdance where she's basically running in place. Yes, I am anticipating a very active Panda.


But now on to more pressing issues. Things that really keep me up at night. What kind of diaper bag should I get? Do I want to share one with Josh? Can two Virgos keep one bag organized in the "correct" way? As a bag connoisseur, I find it totally unacceptable that I'm not well versed in diaper bags. Looking for suggestions here, people!

FAQ

I know you're all curious about the Panda. Otherwise you wouldn't be reading this. And we're really thrilled that you're so excited about him! Here are some answers to questions you might have:

Due Date & Delivery

• Yes, we know when he's due. Estimates include 11/27, 11/28, and 11/29. No, he is NOT going to be a Scorpio. No, we will most likely not be at Thanksgiving, but thank you for the invite.
• No, we don't know where he will be born. We are going to tour Kaiser Oakland and Kaiser Walnut Creek.

Pregnancy & Parenting Advice

• Yes! We'd love to know what worked/didn't work for you.
• No, we do not want to hear what we "have to" buy, read, do, or eat.
• Yes, we know the benefits of breastfeeding, and yes, that's the plan.

Names

• Yes! The names in the polls are fun. No, we're not really going to go with any of them.
• No, we're not going to tell you the name until the Panda is here.

Stuff

• Yes, we'd love to know about baby/child stuff you're looking to pass along.

Other

• Yes, we will have a meal delivery plan, coordinated by the lovely Molly & Darren Croteau. Stay tuned.
• Yes, we are taking prenatal classes, vitamins, etc.
• Yes, there is a ton of work to be done on the house before Panda gets here, and yes, we'd love your help. Projects range from major demo & remodel (bathroom) to cleaning & painting (Panda's room). Let me know if you're interested in helping with any of it!
• Yes, we will have a registry for baby gifts. But not yet.

It's a...

Panda! And not only is it a panda, it's a boy panda.

The 20 week ultrasound (pandavision) revealed a very active, squirmy, flexible, and healthy kid. 

And now we get to start seriously considering boy names. Josh's family has made some very, um, interesting suggestions. Vote for your favorite!*



* Absolutely no guarantee we'll go with the name that gets the top votes.

El Panda Or La Panda

5 days until the 20 week ultrasound. That means only 5 more days for you to look into your crystal ball, wildly guess, or place bets on the gender of the Panda.

18 weeks in...

 

Whoa! On the way home today, Molly started feeling tiny bubbles in her belly - a sure sign of Panda movement. The quickening is here! (Josh says "there can be only one.") 

Molly is certainly feeling better...though not quite convinced of the glory of the 2nd trimester. Still waiting. She played her last softball game on the 19th, yet continues to attend games (dressed up, of course, as all players on the DL should). Her last two games were amazing - clearly the Panda is going to be a great softball player.

We've received some really great advice from friends that have children. Here are the top three:

3. Sleep in. And sleep as much as you can.

2. See movies. Lots of them. You won't have an opportunity to do this for quite some time.

1. Avoid children under 10. You'll have enough time with them later.

The 20 week ultrasound is scheduled for 7/11. We are definitely going to find out if it's LA Panda or EL Panda. Molly hates surprises.

The Panda is weird

Now that I've emerged from the first trimester, I can reflect back on the many ways I know Panda is weird. Here are a few highlights:

1. I hated the taste of coffee for 6 weeks. If you know anything about me (including my early career years in the coffee roasting and coffee retail industry), you know this is just plain wrong. I love coffee. I love the taste. I love the smell. And fortunately, now that the Panda is older, I love coffee again (half caff, for those of you paying attention to my caffeine intake).


2. Tap water tasted like dirt for a month. REALLY?!?!! I love water. My friend at work is convinced I only drink coffee and water. I had to add lime or fizz the water to try to keep hydrated. But now we're back on the stuff again, straight from the tap.


3. Hand soap. We had to stop using our mildly fragrant (lemon or something) hand soap because the smell repulsed me. But wait, there is more. We had to purchase the most sickeningly sweet hand soap on the market (sugary clementine, if you have to know) and use that. Luckily we just ran out, and our normal hand soap is perfectly acceptable now.


Stay tuned for more reflections on how the Panda is taking over.

16 weeks...and very hungry!