Hi, I'm Sophie

Me in my cool shirt Daddy made especially for me.

Hi Everyone, My name is Sophie Grace Owen and I can't wait to meet you all! I know Mom and Dad have been in contact w. lots of you but for those that don't know I came into this great big world on November 12 at 5:49pm after a long, long day. I was a bit bigger than anyone really expected weighing in at 8lbs 1oz and 21 inches long. Mom says her contractions started at around midnight, just a few hours after she had asked me to hold off coming until the morning so she could get a good nights sleep after having a delicious dinner at Terragusto, but I just couldn't wait any longer to get the party started. She woke Daddy and they made their way to the hospital at around 2 a.m. Mom received an epidural after waiting it out for a couple of hours at the hospital, which she was very thankful for and calls a godsend. Mom,  Dad and I spent most of the day just chilling out and resting while Mom contracted and continued to dilate naturally. At about 2pm the pushing started. I was so close to coming out, I could hear the conversations happening around me. Daddy, the midwife, nurses and Dr. McNair could see the top of my head and my brown hair. Mom pushed and pushed very hard for three hours but I was just too comfy where I was and wasn't budging. Mom was also dealing with a fever and my heartrate dropped a bit, that's when everyone decided it was time I meet the world and an emergency c-section was quickly arranged. In a matter of minutes, I was welcomed into the world. Mom says it was a great big birthday party for me as at least 20 people from the hospital were in the room to greet me and we were both very carefully looked after. I was pretty proud when I was told my apgar score was a 9.5 out of 10, with all things considered the Peds seemed impressed. They were also surprised by my neck strength. I've been holding my head up high on my own since birth. Dr. McNair's first reaction once she pulled me out of Mom was "She's all CHEEKS!!". I've been told I get my gorgeous cheeks from Dad and he's warned me that a life of cheek squeezes and kisses could be in store. Nana and Pop brought pictures of Mom when she was just born and I have to say that we do look so much alike too. I am a very healthy baby, a great eater from the start. I rarely spit up, I've inherited my mom's champion burping skills and, like my parents, I really enjoy my sleep. I've already had a few great adventures out of the house even though it's been freezing cold. I especially love car rides and going for walks.

Where is Weezie?

Hi Everyone.

Well today is the Official Due Date, but as of yet Weezie has not appeared!

Kristin has had a few contractions this past week, and is holding up great. Her belly frequently makes all sorts of weird shapes, hard to tell if lil Weezie is trying to get comfortable or trying to get out.

Kristin's folks arrived yesterday to help out, it is great having them around to support our venture into the unknown.

Out next appointment in on the 10th.

We have our bags packed and in the car, we are all set go and getting excited. Lots of Love to All.

Weezie is 38 Weeks and 2 days - 95.7% Baked!

We are officially down to the wire. Only 12 days left til we reach lil' Weezie's November 7th due date. Our www.bebepool.com/kawowen closes in 2 days so get your votes in if you haven't already!

The 37 week check up last Monday went well, we met with another OB practitioner at NMPG and he, like the others we've met with, was great. At that stage I was a surprising 1 1/2 cm dilated, the baby's head was at 0 station and engaged meaning I could go into official labor at any moment, could be hours, days, weeks no one knows. After the appointment I treated myself to a Bliss 'Mama to Be' massage and bikini wax, nice but probably not the best idea after the appointment. Once we got home that's evening I was having some intense pelvic and groin pain where at one stage I couldn't move my legs, poor Rich had to come over to my side of the bed each time I needed to roll over to help move. Thankfully, that pain went away by morning and I know it's just my body prepping itself for the big "D" Day. I've been having some occasional cramping lately and get really winded quickly these days but nothing too intense. I've been able to get some frequent rest and am just taking it easy getting as much done as possible before the lil' one gets here- from shopping, errands and cleaning to hanging out with friends and getting some pampering (mani/pedi, massage, haircut). Rich has been a great help with everything.

Coincidentally, we've been spending a lot of time with friends with young kids lately. This past weekend we had our friend's Jen and Randall's little Weston's 1st birthday party which was chock-full of kids of all ages; last weekend we visited with our friend's LP and Sonia who just had a baby girl, Samira- a prelude into what we can expect of our lives and how it will change in just a few short days. We also caught up with our friends Jon and Kate and their twin girls on the same weekend.

Our next appointment is on Friday where we hope to get more exciting news about the progression of the pregnancy. Here's to hoping I continue to progress smoothly, Weezie is still ready to go and we get to hold her in our arms sooner rather than later. I know this time will fly by!

10-10-10 and a Watermelon

Happy 10-10-10 everyone!  It's our nephew Archer's 1st birthday in Australia, what a cool date to celebrate! Happy Birthday, lil' man. Wish we could be there to celebrate with you! It's amazing how quickly time flies as we remember like it was just yesterday receiving the news of his arrival. The days continue to pass so fast for us too and I can't believe we've already reached week 36 (9 months) and only have 28 days to go before our EDD. Only one week til we reach full term mark :). Tomorrow is our 36 week check up, I know the pregnancy continues to progress as normal but wish we could be given a firm date as to when to expect to go into labor. Suppose it's fine to be kept on our toes, keeps things interesting. Weezie is the approximate size of a watermelon (yum! one of my only cravings throughout the pregnancy). She is hiccuping heaps which I love (pretty much like clock work every night at around 9:30pm and again every other day at around 4pm). She also continues to roll around lots. I haven't had any chronic symptoms thus far, only one night of sore ribs, the occasional achy back, and a bit of pressure recently. I've continued to be able to sleep really well and don't think I've experienced any Braxton Hicks contractions yet.

Rich and I are proud, recent graduates of two classes - Baby Basics and Infant CPR. The CPR class was definitely worthwhile and recommended. I've been very impressed with Rich's active participation in all of the classes so far and the pointed questions he asks. If we were to be graded on class participation he'd definitely be top of the class. Next up is Wednesday night's breastfeeding class. Not sure if he'll be as comfortable with actively participating in this one! I'll keep you posted.

We've been making a point of doing a few things to prepare for the baby each week as well as getting out and enjoying each other and spending time with friends at least a few times a week. This week's baby prep involves finishing packing the overnight bag and heading to the Children's Hospital to get our car seat installation inspected as well as the breastfeeding class. Last week we met with our pediatrician, Dr. Levine, we are really comfortable with her and her staff and she came highly recommended.

Rich unfortunately dislocated his patella (knee cap) on Friday night and we've been a bit house bound, owing to living on the third floor walk up. We are hoping to get him in to see a specialist tomorrow (although I think he'll be competing for appointments with all of the Chicago marathon runners from today). We're confident that he will fully recover soon! Thanks so much to our friends who have come by to visit and especially to our friend Dave White who came over on Saturday morning with much appreciated and needed supplies to help w. recovery.

Before I sign off, just a quick reminder to get your baby pool stats in ASAP. Thanks to all of you that have participated already! Pool will close in the next few weeks. I love checking to see what everyone's thoughts are on Weezie's stats, it's my latest obsession. I think it may be because, frankly, I like stats and friendly competition, but above all with each entry I enjoy envisioning and revisiting the possibilities of what our lil' one may be like and when she may arrive. Again, the site is www.bebepool.com/kawowen. Winner will be the envy of their peers and also receive naming rights to the special stuffed koala I made for Weezie. xoxo

40 Days and a Baby Class Haze

Hi everyone, Kristin and Baby Weezie are going great, 34 weeks and counting. It is getting close, each time I go to my iGoogle home page I am reminded via a countdown app, today it says 40 days to go. Time has really flown by so far.

Last night we did a Baby Basics class were were learnt to swaddle, change and feed a baby, it was informative and a little daunting. Last week we did the Great Expectations class where we were put through our passes with all the labor and pre/postnatal stuff, this class was more intense, I was sure not to ask any really dumb questions.

We encourage everyone to go to www.bebepool.com/kawowen, Kristin has created a bit of a guessing game there, where you can predict Baby Weezie's measurements, date/time of birth, eye and hair color. The prize will be the envy of your peers.

Oh and in case anyone missed it the in utero nickname vote recently closed, the result was Weezie 17 Maisie 14. It was close but Weezie prevailed.

On a sad note, Kristin's Grandfather passed away late last week. Michael Blake was 94 years old. He served his country in WWII. We all called him 'Popi', he was such a good man, ever devoted to his wife (Nani), who passed away 2 months ago. We will always remember Popi and his songs, which we will be sure to sing to our Baby.

13 Flights and Counting

Richard and I with CN Tower. Richard is wearing
a new Canadian pullover with a Beaver on it.

Our nice, relaxing "Babymoon" weekend went by quickly but was a welcome respite for us all. It's always fun to explore a new city and only a cruisy hour flight away from Chicago, Toronto was the perfect locale to head to. We didn't plan much and took it fairly easy as I've been losng a lot of steam quicker than usual owing to the pregnancy, of course. We did get to see and do a bit, regardless, including checking out the famous St. Lawerence Market, just down the block from our hotel. We purchased some great local cheeses, marinated veggies and meat pies to have later that day at our hotel, which was more like a full service apartment with kitchenette, in the heart of downtown. The market was similar to the Vic. Market in Melbourne. I miss these sorts of places and only wish we had something similar here in Chicago. We did a bit of shopping along Yonge Street followed by some much needed and appreciated 'Mama-to-Be' spa treatments that Rich arranged for me - heavenly!

On Sunday we headed to the CN Tower, I believe this is still considered the world's tallest tower, for an early lunch at their 360 rotating restaurant. I definately recommend booking at the restaurant as opposed to waiting in line for the few hours to get to the top of the Tower like many, many others did. For $10 more than the regular admission to the Tower top you get a nice meal in a very relaxed setting and truly get to take in the sites of the city without feeling rushed or claustrophobic. We also got to take in the Toronto airshow while having our lunch (doesn't even compare with the Chicago Air Show). Toronto had some similarities to both Melbourne and Chicago, from some of the old Victorian buildings, markets and coffees in Melbourne to being a large city on one of the Great Lakes like Chicago (albeit I don't think Toronto takes full advantage of their proximity to the lake nearly as well as Chitown). 

On the quick hop home I had realized that Weezie has been on 13 flights in utereo including a few trips to Texas and NJ, NY, Florida, DC, and this last trip to Toronto; she's also been on a few road trips to WI, GA, SC, DC. Quite the lil' traveler already! If only we could accrue frequent flyer miles for her as I know through the years, she'll be traveling with us a lot more and the miles would come in handy for our trips back to Oz.

Date night tonight as Rich and I head on a dinner cruise on the lake downtown. Taking advantage of the last 7 remaining weekends as a couple sans baby. Tomorrow we'll be consumed by all things baby as we will be taking an all day "Great Expectations" class at the hospital. We'll be sure to send a follow up as to what we learned.

Oh yeah, this week's Drs. appointment went well. Met a new, great Dr. in the group, Weezie's heartbeat is beating strong at 160 bpm, she's head down but still moving lots and all looking great so far. Results of my 3 hour glucose test were all fine too.

Babymoon and Rookie Moves

Small selection of Weezie's closet

Tomorrow Rich and I leave for our weekend babymoon trip to Toronto, Canada. We love to travel, especially internationally, but I'm really thankful that the flight tomorrow is only about an hour as I've realized during last trip to Dallas that an hour is about the max I can manage these days without getting claustrophobic or uncomfortable on planes or the like. We are looking forward to this trip and I am realizing it is most likely the last flight we will take sans Weezie! We don't have many plans for Toronto except Rich booked me some "Mommy to Be" spa treatments at the hotel we are staying at - The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Spa- on Saturday afternoon. Can't wait! Will be sure to update the blog after the trip.

Only 9 weeks and 3 days until my due date! We are continuing to stay busy and had a great time with my family for our Godson and nephew - Jacob Liam's baptism in Texas a few weeks ago. My mom just left after a week-long visit. Her timing was perfect as I had to take the three-hour glucose test at the Drs. office while she was here as well as appear in traffic court to dispute a ticket and get my license back after making a right hand turn at a red light, an infringement that occurred while Rich's parents were in the car during their visit (note: first ticket I received since I was 16). Thankfully, the glucose test came out fine and I was able to get the traffic court case dismissed. Thanks to mom for her support and company during both experiences.

My friend Katie also hosted a great baby shower for me last weekend with my Chicago-based girlfriends. It was so nice to catch up w. everyone  and am grateful for all of the generous gifts received as well as the effort put into the day to make it such a fun time!

The baby's room is pretty much ready to go we have the crib put together, bedding in place, closet already full of gorgeous lil girl clothes and I've finished up the artwork for the walls (a few modge podges and chalkboards on special frames that I made). Pics to follow. I also recently realized that I have a new addiction of buying baby clothes. There are so many cute things out there for such great, reduced prices, I've pretty much wiped out all of the Baby Gap stores around the Chicago area and refuse to pay full price after seeing the crazy markups. The walk in closet and dresser drawers are already nearly full. She already has a few pairs of skinny jeans, her winter whites including a snowsuit, her first pair of Uggs, Paper and Denim Jean Dress, custom t-shirts and onsies that I've made, Bonds Wondersuits from Oz, a collection of Ralph Lauren winter and spring outfits and a gorgeous vintage wool dress from Ireland that mom kept from when I was a baby-just to name a few.  I just hope the clothes fit her at some stage and that I have the seasons right, esp. since most have already been washed and can't be returned. Rookie move, maybe.

Better get going Weezie is going nuts moving around lots, it's gotten to a cool point where I can see her moving and she shakes my belly, and I have to get ready to meet a friend for lunch.

Home Stretch Approaches

We've reached the home stretch as I approach the third trimester. Only about 90 days to go. I still can't believe just how quickly this pregnancy has gone to date and I am still feeling really great.

Marg and Don left this week to continue with their travels in Europe; Rich spoke to them yesterday and they are having an amazing time in Prague. We had such a nice visit with them over the past month. It's back to a bit of normalcy for us now. Our road trip was lots of fun and just flew by so quickly. Weezie's already seen and done so much and hasn't even been born yet -- from a carriage ride through Charleston's historic streets, walking tours through the Savannah squares in the sweltering heat and enjoying amazing Southern meals to visiting the White House (and even resting on White House furniture in the Green Room) as well as tours of our nation's monuments and museums - it was a great respite, with lots and lots of walking and we are so glad to have enjoyed it all with our parents (and Kevin in Charleston). Weezie was moving a lot, giving everyone kicks, so I think she enjoyed her time too.

We arrived home to boxes of gifts that were delivered to the house, including the crib, stroller system, mobile and pack and play. We are so grateful and thankful for everyone's generosity. We already have everything we received put together and the nursery is coming together nicely. In typical Rich fashion, while unpacking from the trip he took off the tags on all of the baby clothing we received and bought special baby detergent and has already washed all of her clothes.

We now look forward to our next trip to Dallas for lil' Jake's baptism next weekend. We are both very excited to be his Godparents and look forward to some more family time. Dallas trip will be followed up later this month by a visit by my mom, a shower here in Chicago (thanks Katie B!) and a last minute babymoon to Toronto which Rich has arranged. The fun times continue!

PS- It looks like the poll is tied to date. Out of habit I've continued to refer to our lil girl as Weezie but  happy for others to refer to her as Maisie or Weezie Wee, Weezie May, Maisie Wee, etc.. for the time being.

Vote for Name Change

It has been a few weeks since the last entry. Time has definitely flown bye, like good times tend to do. Kris is still aglow with pregnancy.

We are currently in Hammock Beach, Florida at Bill and Jo's place, it is so relaxing. Don and Marg are with us, along with Jen and Freddie and baby Jacob as well and Lisa and Emily (Kristin's Cousin and her daughter). The baby shower was great fun and we love all of the great, generous gifts we've received for the baby. Tomorrow we take off for the road trip which everyone is looking forward to.

Kristin and I have managed to keep the name secret, after a little bit of probing no one has guessed it yet. However, a small yet powerful movement (lead by Marg and Jo) has formed to change the in utero name from Weezie to Maisie. Personally, I am against this movement however as a compromise it has been decided to put it to a vote.

Sadly, Kristin's Grandmother passed away last week. Nani was 96 years old she had 4 children, 10 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren and counting (not including Weezie). Rest peacefully Nani.

Milestones

Today Rich and I celebrate our third year of wedding bliss- 070707 seems like just yesterday but in retrospect so much has happened since then - moving to Chicago, buying our first place, new jobs, lost jobs, fulfilling a dream of visiting Paris and Rome together, and of course falling pregnant with our lil Weezie- just to name a few.

I know it's been mentioned in previous posts, but since about week 19 I've been able to clearly feel Weezie's movements in utero which is such a cool and exciting new sensation. What makes it even more fun is that as of last week, Rich has also been able to feel a few kicks. We look forward to the coming weeks when we know we'll be feeling her even more as she gets bigger and stronger. The timing of this new milestone is perfect as Rich's parents, Marg and Don, will be arriving from Oz tomorrow for a month-long visit and we head to visit with my family in a week's time. We look forward to spending quality time with everyone and hope Weezie has some kicks to give for everyone to enjoy in the coming weeks. As part of our travels we can't wait for our baby shower in Florida as well as our road trip with both sets of parents from Florida-Savannah-Charleston-DC. We'll be sure to document everything with Rich's new Flip cam, a gift I got him for his birthday.

Weezie stats: Apparently the approximate size of a papaya - 8 inches long; 1.2 lbs. Most active around noon, 4:30pm and 8pm.

Weezie is a GIRL!!!

Kristin and I are happy to announce that we are having a Girl.

Today's ultrasound went extremely well. The Technician and the Doctor were both great, all the necessary checks were done and everything is as it should be, we are thankful parents to be indeed. The very best part was seeing (and then hearing) her heartbeat and then looking on as she waved to us (no, I don't think she meant to).

So, at 20 weeks we are at the halfway point (well Kristin is anyway, I don't really do much come to think of it), and it has really flown by. The second half is sure to go by quickly as well (we hope). We have some travel plans; my folks coming to the US for three weeks starting 8 July and we will be doing an East Coast USA road trip with Kris's parents starting in Palm Coast FL and taking in Savannah, Charleston and Washington DC. We then have our God Son Jacob's baptism in Dallas in mid August. After that we will be settling back home in Chicago to work on the Baby's room and take in the rest of the summer before the craziness really starts.

Thanks so much to all those who have commented and voted. This is heaps of fun for Kristin and I. The name is under wraps until birth, until such time the baby girl is referred to a Weezie.

XY or XX? TBD soon!

Not long to go before we head to our big 20 week appointment on June 22. As mentioned in a previous posting, we switched hospitals and therefore will be meeting with a new doctor for this long-awaited appointment.

It's nearly last call for those of you that haven't cast your vote on what you think lil' Weezie is! Boys at the moment are in the lead although I have a feeling Weezie is a girl. This run of boys being born has to stop at some stage! Either way we're thrilled to find out and hope that Weezie cooperates and there are no issues about finding out during the scheduled appointment. We'll be asking the ultrasound tech to not tell us at the appointment, but rather write it down and put in envelope which we'll open later in the day together. Also hoping to get a DVD of the ultrasound to share w. those interested. Next week is an exciting time, along with the appointment it's also Father's Day here in the U.S. on June 20, Rich is excited that he'll always have two Father's Days as in Oz it's on September 6. It's also Rich's birthday on June 26. So we'll have a bit to celebrate.

We've had a great past few weeks, the Memorial Day weekend trip to Lake Geneva was a welcome get-away but highly unlikely to be anything like the Hampton's as a few Midwesterners claim. The resort we stayed at had it's issues, but we were able to enjoy the pool and get a few good swims in which was nice. Once returning back to Chicago, our good friends Katie and Darrell came for a visit from Florida. We had such a fun time playing tourist and checking out the sites that our great city has to offer as well as catch up with good ol' friends; not to mention, Weezie went to his/her first beer festival in Lincoln Square, Mayfest. Chicago has finally come alive recently owing to some warmer weather, festival season as well as our Blackhawks taking home the Stanley Cup this past Thursday. The vibe in this city has been exciting.

A Baby Bump

Hi Everyone, all is going well.

Kristin is starting to show as you might be able to tell in the photo. She and lil' Weezie are doing great. Aside from the bump, the only sign of pregnancy is that Kristin gets a little more tired throughout the day and that I have started to walk with a limp; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couvade_syndrome.

We are both anxiously awaiting the 20 week appointment on June 22.

Recently, we have had a few trips to Babies-R-Us and Target and are slowly becoming well versed in things for lil' Weezie, from changing tables to strollers to car seats to pack&plays, you name it we have probably looked into it in some way. It can be a little daunting, but fun.

Kris is still going to prenatal yoga class once a week and the warmer weather has made it easier to go for some walks, last weekend we went for two bike rides, so we are keeping active. In addition, Kristin has turned her hand to crafting a montage of postcards for lil' Weezie and a few other things for the baby's room.

This memorial weekend we are planning a short trip to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, the Hamptons of the Midwest I am told, for a bit of r&r.

Before finishing up Kris and I would like to give a shoutout to Kristin's Grandmother on her Mother's Side. She has not been feeling very well. She is in her mid-90s. We love you Nan. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

New Sensations

Yesterday marked week 15 and I am still feeling great. I think I've begun to feel the baby moving last night, it was a strange but exciting sensation. It's hard to tell since I have nothing really to compare it to. I've also begun to show a bit more recently and will need to take/post belly pics soon. Last week was great as Weezie took his/her first in utero flight since being conceived, making his/her way to Texas (on Mother's Day) where I got the chance to meet our adorable little nephew Jacob and catch up w. Mom, Dad, Jen and Freddie. Jen and Freddie are doing great in their new role as mom and dad and my folks are loving being new grandparents. I don't think they've settled on names to be called yet, but know that Nana, Nan, Gram were a few thoughts for Mom and Pops, Pop and Grandpa may have been top contenders for Dad. I think at last chat they decided on Nana and Pop. I returned home to Chicago late Wednesday and have had some Jacob withdrawals ever since. Now really can't wait to have our own little one, which I know will be here before we know it. We had an appointment on Thursday and heard lil Weezie's heartbeat once again, no ultrasounds this time but can't wait til our 20 week appointment when we see Weezie again. All is continuing to progress nicely. We recently had tours of a few local hospitals and have decided to move forward w. the newer, more cutting-edge Northwestern Prentice over Illinois Masonic (where my OB Dr. Sodini delivers). I love Dr.Sodini so it was hard letting her know that we'll be moving on but she was great as always and understood completely. After writing this posting I'll need to contact a new OB and book next appointment. Prentice is a new women's facility downtown built in 2007, which looks more like a five-star hotel than hospital. We've had some not so great experiences in the past at Masonic and are confident we are making the right choice.

Welcome Jacob Liam Welsch

Today we give a big shout out and welcome to the world our new nephew - the adorable Jacob Liam, born yesterday afternoon. He weighed in at a whopping 8lbs 12oz; 20.5 inches long. A fellow Taurus, it's no wonder he's apparently a sweet, great baby and champ feeder and sleeper. Both baby and mom (my sister Jen) are doing well. Although Jen did mention that her epidural wore off which wasn't pleasant to say the least! I'll be heading down to Dallas to meet the little man on Sunday (Mother's Day) and can't wait! Lil' Weezie  looks forward to making his/her debut, coming out to play in around 184 days and having an older cousin so close in age. We thought we'd refer to Jacob Liam as Texas Jake as he is our second nephew named Jacob following three-year old Jacob Phillip Owen (Nathan and Robyn's son) now aka Aussie Jakey. Texas Jake is the first nephew on my side of the family and our fourth overall joining our niece Emma Kate and nephews Jacob Phillip and Archer Maxwell on the Owen side in Oz. Big congrats to Jen and Freddie!

33 and Pregnant

I really love birthdays and today we celebrate my 33rd which happens to coincide with the beginning of my 2nd trimester - Exciting times! We have had a great and busy week leading up to today filled with lots of dinners, lunches and brunches out with friends, some very generous gifts from family, my first prenatal yoga class and an ultrasound yesterday. It was so awesome to see very active little baby Owen (aka Weezie) doing flips and waving for the camera, followed by a nap while sucking his or her thumb. Can't wait to see him or her again at our next appointment in a few weeks. Better run as Rich has a full day of celebrating planned starting with lunch at the Four Seasons followed by cake and games with friends! Making the most of this last birthday before becoming a mom!

Weezie stats at 11weeks/5days: 5cm long; heartbeat 171bpm.

Nickname In Utereo

For the time being, Kristin and I have decided on naming Baby Owen; Lil Weezie.

Lil' Weezie (AKA: Lil Wayne, Dwayne Carter, Young Weezie and Weezie) is a rapper and a musical genuis. I read an interesting article about him in Rolling Stone soon after finding out Kristin was pregnant. He was touted and being the 'Best Rapper Alive'. Sadly, he is currently serving a 9 month stint in jail on some trumped up weapons charges. He is due to be released around the time Kristin is due, which is part of the reason behind the in utereo nickname for Baby Owen. To learn more about Lil Wayne go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil_Wayne

Kristin had a bit of trepidation w. the nickname at first but liked the correlation that he and our unborn child were both stuck on the 'inside' for 9 months, learning and growing as a person in that time. I've been noticing it's catching on quite a bit with her recently. There were other options but Lil Weezie has won out for the time being over the others.

The real name of Baby Owen will be kept under wraps until birth.

Let us know of any interesting in utereo nicknames you may have heard over the years. A few of our friends with young ones have had some cute in utereo nicknames including Nubbin and Sprinks. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to vote on the sex of Lil Weezie, although this most likely will not influence the outcome.

OUR BIG NEWS

Hi Family and Friends,

It's official! We are very excited and happy to announce that we are expecting our first little one on November 7, 2010! I'm about 10 weeks 6 days along and we had our first official prenatal appointment today. All has been going well and we even got to hear the little one's heartbeat which was a special moment. We have had a few other ultrasound appointments previously over the course of the past month or so as well where we've seen the little flicker of the heart which was also very cool. All is continuing to progress nicely. I've been feeling great besides having some bouts of tiredness throughout the day which I'm hoping will pass in the next few weeks as I approach my second trimester. I know I need to take advantage of the opportunities now to squeeze in as much rest as possible. I've also started busting out with the belly bands our friend Carly graciously provided as a few of my favorite jeans are getting a bit snug. Generally, no real belly to show just yet, more feeling and looking like I've had one too many cheeseburgers (bloated).

Just finished up my afternoon nap and now we are off for a walk to enjoy this amazing weather!

xoxo,

Kristin, Richard and Baby Owen

This is the first of what will hopefully be many posts and we'll look to update with weekly progress or stories on how we all are doing (Kristin, Richard and Baby Owen). As with most things we will be sharing the blogging responsibilities. Any spelling or grammar mistakes are most likely to be Richard's. We hope that you save this site as a favorite and check in when you are able to, leaving a comment or two would be awesome.