An Open Letter To My Son

Son,

You're going to be here in a few weeks. I am not the only one excited for your arrival but I might be the most excited. Don't tell your mother.

Here's a list of twelve reasons why I can't wait for you to get here. These are not in chronological order. I hope.

1. I am going to read you the entire Harry Potter series.

2. We're going to play catch and, someday, you're going to hit a home run.

3. I'll probably give you a hundred nick-names. I hope you like one of them.

4. I don't care how far I have to drive, I am going to buy you a Blizzard.

5. The look on your face the first time we watch Jurassic Park.

6. I can't wait to see your golf swing.

7. I'm going to make you laugh. I'm going to try really hard to make you laugh.

8. I'll teach you how to shave. Or better yet, I'll teach you how maintain a beard because I'm terrible at shaving.

9. I'm going to cook you Grandma's spaghetti.

10. We're going to watch the Vikings win the Super Bowl.

11. The first time (and every time) I take you to a concert.

12. When you beat me at ping pong. If it ever happens.

I'll see you soon. Be good to your mother.
-Dad

34 Weeks

Six more weeks! Where has the time gone?!

In the last month, we've been super busy. We're juggling school and work priorities and our workloads have picked up considerably over the past couple of weeks. Baby showers (more to come!) and a trip down to Charlotte with the Vote Against Project have provided much needed fun with friends and family. We're also trying to do things that will be impossible in a few weeks: babysitter-less dates, cooking together, sleeping in, and taking late night trips to Cookout.

We get asked a ton of questions about the pregnancy so we thought we'd share our answers to some of the popular ones... 

Shannon, what are you craving? 

Apples - I have craved them like crazy from the start of the pregnancy. I can't get enough. Overall, though, I crave anything sweet. Fruit, pies, cakes, milkshakes - I want them all. Especially the french silk pie at Foster's in Durham. Oh my.

Carl, will you take off from work when the baby comes?

I'm going to take as much time off as I possibly can. Without paid paternity leave, I need to get creative but I'm going to do whatever it takes to be as present as I can from the day he's born. Even if it means taking FMLA-guaranteed unpaid leave.

Carl, which position will your son play as a professional baseball player?

Theo, stop calling me at home. But, since you asked...I always played second base, so I imagine that he'll follow in my footsteps.

Any new symptoms in the third trimester? 

Noticeable, (sometimes) painful contractions started about a week ago. There's nothing to be concerned with but we're taking it as a sign that Shannon's body needs a break. She's trying to stay off her increasingly swollen feet and remain relaxed as she finishes the rest of her schoolwork in the next few weeks. The insomnia and nausea that's kicked in the last few weeks aren't exactly helping and have Shannon longing for the good old days of the second trimester.