He has a name!

The whole naming process is a lot more difficult than it seems. Mick and I had "picked out" names before we were pregnant, but when the reality hit of how significant this will be for our son, those names went out the window. It's not only about what we like, but what seems right for this particular child. I mean this is how he will be referred to for his whole life. It is often the first thing most people will know about him. The weight of it all seemed daunting...that and the fact that Mick and I couldn't agree on anything!

But, alas, I was relieved to discover that we would not have to wait to name him until after he was born as I had feared. When I came back from California we began to toss this name around and discovered it met one very important criteria...we both liked it. Finally, we were getting somewhere! Then we began fishing it out to various people as a possibility. The reviews were quite comical at times. We could tell who didn't particularly care for it by the way they immediately began throwing out other names for consideration.

Now for the other important criteria - does this seem right for this child? To the best of our knowledge in what we are learning about our son, yes. However, Mick wants to reserve the right to change his mind in the event that when we see him, we decide that we were mistaken. I don't think it'll happen but you never know.

I've kept you in suspense long enough. Our son's name is Cash Michael Crawford. Cash means "maker of chests." While the meaning of this name is not that profound, I believe it's what our son brings to the name that is significant. He should define his name, not be defined by it. And, if he hates it, he can go by his middle name.

So we feel we've covered our bases on the name issue as best as we can. Now we just can't wait for him to get here! One final thought, in case you are wondering. We promise to not name future children Check, Credit or Debit.

Happy Mother's Day

Yesterday was my first Mother's Day, and although I'm sure it'll mean something completely different next year, it was still fun for me to be able to celebrate. We went to a Mother's Day buffet with my mom, Reagan and Oscar, and met Reagan's in-laws there as well. Apparently I was a source of entertainment for some of the other diners as we waited in the line for omelets because I was already munching on a chocolate eclair. If that's not the picture of pregnancy, I don't know what is.

Mick was very sweet to make sure I had a nice day. He bought me a beautiful boquet of flowers, shopped for baby furniture and bedding with me and even gave me a foot rub. What a guy!

Here are some photos from the day.

Miscellaneous

With the absence of any real noteworthy news, here's a few odds and ends:

* By popular demand (or the fact that a couple people have mentioned it) I've changed the settings on the page so that anyone who so chooses can leave a comment. This means you no longer need a google ID to let us know your deep thoughts on the posts. If you post under anonymous, though, just remember to type your name in the message box.

* I got to spend last weekend in California visiting with friends and attending a baby shower for Kim. It was great to be back in the ol' stomping ground again. It is an interesting paradox to live in a place that does not yet fully feel like home and then to return "home" only to find that it no longer fits either. All part of the process I'm sure. I really enjoyed getting to see everyone and am looking forward to our return in July.

* The baby's movements are getting more and more profound. I pushed into my belly the other night and felt an actual body part moving underneath my fingers! It was both awesome and creepy at the same time. I tried to get Mick to feel but the baby wasn't cooperating and then Mick got a little worried he might "squish" him.

* Mick and I are both entering into what I've termed the "freakout" time of the pregnancy. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say I'm still averaging at about a four with periodic spikes of 8 or 9. For me, I am faced with the reality that I am going to have to somehow get this baby boy out of my belly. No option really sounds that appealing, which is why I've tried to avoid thinking about it until now. With only a few months left, I can no longer pretend that he will just magically appear without permanent damage to my body. For Mick, I think it is the realization that our lives as we know it are going to cease to exist and this child will take over. Although we are well aware that this is a wonderful blessing, we have NO IDEA what to expect except that everything will change.

*Lastly, we are this close to choosing a name. We'll keep you posted as soon as we decide for sure!