Open Mouth...Insert Foot

Have you ever had one of those moments? You know...when you say something that you wish you could immediately take back. These moments are sometimes referred to as..."Open Mouth...Insert Foot" moments. I know we have all been tempted to ask someone how far along they are in their pregnancy, without officially knowing that they are pregnant. Most of us would refrain from asking, with the fear that the person is not at all pregnant, and saving ourselves from a great deal of embarrassment! Over the past month or so, as I have gotten progressively bigger, it is no longer a secret that I am very much pregnant. It took awhile for my belly to pop out so there was a period of time where I looked quite strange. I would get looks from people, and I could tell what they were thinking..."Is she pregnant, or is she just gaining weight?" These are people that I do not know very well, so they did not know that I was in fact pregnant. And since it was not completely obvious yet, they probably felt strange asking. So I would just get a curious look from them. These are the people who wanted to avoid a, "Open Mouth...Insert Foot" moment...understandably so!

Our baby on the other hand is literally practicing this...even as a small fetus. Just check out the picture below... Yes that is our baby, trying to put it's foot into it;s mouth! How funny is that? I can't blame the baby, as it must get pretty bored in there. It has to find some way to entertain itself for nine months!

So yes...this week we had the ultrasound...and no...we did not find out the gender. We did however get our first look at the face and other important body parts of Baby Menor! According to the doctor everything is on track and looks good. Baby is quite curled up in there right now...which explains why it's foot is so close to it's head. This definitely does not look like a position I would want to be in, but the baby obviously does not mind. Here are a few other pictures. Don't worry if you are not exactly sure what you are looking at. We were a little unsure at first also. But I will try to explain...

This is a straight-on view of the baby's face. It has one of it's hands in front of it's face. When Todd saw this on the screen he immediately said..."That is my nose!" So we do know one thing about the baby...that is has it's father's nose. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

This is a profile view of the baby. It is trying to put it's hand up to it's mouth, working on the whole sucking of the thumb thing.

So as far as we can tell Baby Menor has all of the necessary body parts and organs! What a relief! It was truly a special experience for Todd and I to be able to see our baby for the first time. It is hard to believe that in a little over three months the person that you see in the above pictures will be here! So what do you think...boy or girl? Everyone seems to have their own opinion on what they think we having. I on the other hand have no stinkin' idea! The only thing I do know for sure..is that in about 12-14 weeks we are going to have a baby and life as we know it will change forever! But in a good way!

Not much else to report at this time. I am in my 24 week and growing daily! My current nickname from Todd is "Large and In Charge!" Here is a picture of the ever growing belly...

I am feeling and doing great...life is good!

The Name Game

What is in a name? No one told me how difficult it would be to choose a name for this new little person that will be joining us soon. Knowing that our baby will be stuck with this name for the rest of his/her life makes for a great deal of pressure, resting on our shoulders.
When we first started discussing the topic of names we thought it would be easy. Well...not so much. Not only do Todd and I seem to disagree on every name that we think of. We also seem to have a very different idea of where this name should come from. I have been trying to think of names that are not common, but at the same time not so weird that people think..."That poor child." I have come up with what I think are some very good, strong names. Todd on the other hand seems to think that the name topic is the perfect time for him to suggest some of the most ridiculous names on the planet! Most of these names seem to come from famous sport figures of years past...more specifically his favorite baseball team - the New York Yankees.
So far some of his suggestions have included:
Mickey Mantle Menor
Babe Ruth Menor
Jeter Menor
And if it is a girl...Shaniqua Menor - not a famous Yankee player, just another goofy suggestion.
Very funny!!!
His intentions are to annoy me with his suggestions to the point that I refuse to discuss the topic any further. So most of our name conversations usually last no longer than 5 minutes, before I decide to leave the room. Therefore we have not made a great deal of progress so far. We have about 3 1/2 months left to agree on some names, so I think we better get to work!
Since I have recently been taking some advice from celebrities in the area of parenthood (thank you Britney) I thought I would continue this trend by looking at some names given to babies by their famous celebrity parents...

*Satchel - daughter of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen - did their baby look like a purse when it was born?
*Sage Moon Blood - son of Sylvester Stallone - maybe putting "Blood" in his child's name is a tribute to his Rocky movies
*Elijah Bob Patricus Guggi Q - son of U2's Bono - why BOB in the middle of all of that?
*Pilot Inspektor - son of Jason Lee (NBC's star of My Name is Earl) - that is just mean!
*Moxie Crimefighter - daughter of Penn and Teller magician Penn Jillette - what????
*Audio Science - daughter of actress Shannyn Sossamon - there really aren't any words!

Although these celebrities are offering a great deal of help (as to what NOT to name our baby), I think Todd and I will choose to go a bit more traditional. The decision as to what names we will settle on is still up in the air. That is why we want to enlist your help. Any suggestions? Feel free to comment on this blog entry with any names that you think we should consider. Whether they are serious suggestions or just goofy names that will make us laugh, we want to hear 'em!
Now for a quick update...I am in my 23 week. Next week we have the ultrasound. Look for some pictures to be posted late next week. Other than that, I am feeling great and looking forward to seeing our baby on a fuzzy black and white screen! Stay tuned for more updates...

Kick Me Baby One More Time

Having been inspired by the #1 Mother of the Year, I decided to follow in Britney's redneck footsteps and appear naked on the cover of a high profile fashion magazine! What do you think?
When this photo was released last week, I just could not resist! And with a little graphics help from my cousin and his friend (not to mention a lot of laughs), I too can be a famous naked person on the cover of a magazine.
If nothing else, Mrs. Spears-Federline has taught this mom-to-be a few very important lessons...
1.) NEVER pose nude on the cover of a high profile fashion magazine. Why you ask? Because no one, other than your husband, really wants to look at that!

2.) Driving a car while holding a baby on your lap is bad!

And finally...
3.) When pregnant it is important to know when your baby is due. When asked about her pregnancy during her recent Dateline interview Spears replies...
Lauer: How far along are you?
Spears: I don't know. I think six to seven months.
Lauer: So you're due in September?
Spears: Uh-huh (affirms).

What???

Now back to reality. The baby has been kicking up a storm lately. I am fascinated by this. Not only can I feel the kicks but others are able to feel them as well. Todd was the first to feel it...on Father's Day in fact! My mom was able to feel it recently also. We spent the weekend in Milwaukee, visiting my Aunt and her family. They will be moving soon to California and I will not see them again until after the baby is born. I really wanted my Aunt Sue to be able to feel the baby at least once while we were there. On the last day of our visit she got to feel a few kicks of her own! It is all very exciting!

I am also able to see my stomach move a little when the baby gets going. I spend a great deal of time just staring at my stomach, watching it move. I am easily entertained!
That is all for now. Time to start working on the nursery!