Family Time

Picked this up at the library--just what I was looking for; more or less a reggae album for kids. Ziggy Marley's Family Time. So far so good--too excited, I couldn't wait to get through the whole album before posting about it. The album features other Marley siblings, Jack Johnson, Toots (Hibbert), Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, and others. Very mello and upbeat, not far from the great Bob Marley, but with tunes that really focus on family. So great! Can't wait to rock this while dancing with Ms. Baby, enjoying a warm and sunny day, or brightening up a gloomy one. Enjoy!

All good + Census?

All is well according to our doctor who was super nice and reassuring today and complemented C on her "perfect baby bump." In fact, the news was great. Even C's blood pressure measured high at first, but at the end of the appointment it was back down to normal--she was stressed about nothing! In the cervical exam, still no dilation but the doctor felt Ms. Baby's head! Say wha?!
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Anyway, the 2010 Census form has been sitting on our desk at home, waiting to be filled out. The question remains: how many people will be living in our home on April 1st? Problem is, we don't know yet! I'm pretty sure it will still be 2, but can't know exactly. So, I want to get that mailed back--and let me just say, I was pretty disappointed with the Census; I thought it was going to ask cool questions like How many times do you bike each week? Do you smoke drugs? What's the craziest thing you've ever done? or What do you want your government to do for you?--but I feel like I should wait until next week.
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Still no name...

March Showers Bring April Babies

Like I said in the last post, this weekend was the first of two baby showers. While I had very little to do with the happenings and can't be too sure what went down, I was able to show up before the guests had departed to thank them for the mountain of gifts that were piled in the corner. Lots of great people, smiles, food, and gifts.

One of the stand out gifts of the shower was a quilt made by C's Nanny (grandma). I've been so excited since I found out Baby Girl was going to get a Nanny quilt, since this will be the closest I'll be to getting one of my own. It's awesome. C has one too and it's just as great.

Another stand out gift was a wrap that is to be used like a sling to hold a baby in a multitude of positions. It's super hippie style. I even got to try it out with our cousin's 5 month old baby girl. Fortunately I have a few more weeks to practice with puppy Alden.

Anyway, it was a fun weekend, hanging out with family. After getting back to our town, we exploded into our house and realized we (currently) have no place to put any one thing we got. Crap!

Breaking News in the Real World: Work less, but not work-less

My company isn't doing so hot, so this Monday morning we three employees were told cuts in hours were to be made, effective immediately. Fortunately, for me, this means a 32 hour work week at the same pay rate, keeping my benefits (which may or may not be necessary), and potentially an extra day of my week devoted to the personal time I value so dearly.

This isn't necessarily permanent (my boss explained this change should only last 2 or 3 months, until seasonal work picks back up); but without having consulted our budget, it could prove to be a great situation for our family. A day I could devote to being Daddy Daycare; a day less of paying some stranger to watch our kid; a day less of wage earning to pay for some stranger to watch our kid, thus helping to balance this change in our income....

Not sure what will come of it, exactly, but for now the mood is very positive! Good life go!

As they say: To be continued...

Paternity Leave?

I promised C that I would talk with my boss about taking time off after the baby is born (a.k.a. paternity leave). In the US, a dad can take 12 weeks of unpaid leave--and have a job at the same pay when he returns--if that job is the government or is a company with more than 50 employees among some other stipulations. Unfortunately, my company, which has the most employees it's ever had, is over-staffed by 5 people.

This is what Babycenter.com has to say:

How and when should I request leave?

...Consider discussing paternity leave with your employer as soon as you're ready to announce the pregnancy — usually after your partner's first trimester... You'll be in a stronger position to negotiate a leave if you approach your boss with a specific plan and allow him or her plenty of time to help you implement it. (If you have trusted co-workers who have been through this before, ask them how they handled their leave and what kind of reaction they got.) Offer your boss solutions rather than problems by having some ideas for how your work can be handled while you're away. Consider asking for leave and getting approval early in the pregnancy even if you're not sure you'll want to or be able to take unpaid leave when the time comes. It's easier to come back early than it is to ask for more time.

What if I don't qualify for leave under FMLA?

If you work only part time or for a small company, you don't qualify for paternity leave under FMLA and your employer may not provide this benefit. If this is the case, it can't hurt to ask your boss for a leave of absence anyway. Many companies may still be willing to negotiate some sort of time off for a valued employee. The earlier you start making a case for yourself as a valuable, hard-working person, the better position you'll be in for bargaining...

If you're still not getting anywhere, make sure you find out whether you're entitled to some kind of leave under your state's laws as these benefits may be more generous than the FMLA. Talking with other new dads about how they managed time away from work might also give you more creative ideas about how to take the time off to bond with your newborn child.

How can I make the most of my time with my family if I can't take unpaid leave?

If you're not able to take paternity leave, here are a few ideas for maximizing your time with your new family:

•  Consider working overtime before your baby comes and exchange it for time off after the birth.
•  On nights when you don't have to work the next day, have your partner wake you up when the baby is finished nursing so you can be the one to rock her back to sleep. Or take turns getting up for feedings.
•  Your child will experience many "firsts" in her first year of life. Whenever these events can be scheduled, do so when you have time off from work.
•  During the first year of your baby's life, look at any activities that take you away from your baby. Consider saying no to some of those events to spend more time with your newborn.

fun with music

this has me excited about the endless creativity, curiosity, and energy of young kids

Think I Got A Beat - Hi-tek

Wool, Gender...

I've had good intentions to write a post that included a photo of the first present I bought for our expected buddy: two pairs of merino wool baby booties, colored orange and green--as gender neutral as I could get...

I'm obsessed with wool and it's inherent ability to keep animals (including human animals) warm and dry... Anyway, they are kinda cute, and despite all the reviews that complained about them being too small, I bought them anyway. They were on sale too...
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All is well around here. C hasn't been burdened by nausea so much, but did learn that peanut butter granola for breakfast will make her puke her brains out a few hours later... wooops.

Not much else to report. Trying to get an ultra sound scheduled before Thanksgiving, at which point we hope to find out the sex of the baby. I haven't put a lot of thought into it beyond being anxious to know and to start narrowing down baby names, or at least rule a few out. It seems pretty hip these days to not find out and be super gender neutral about stuff, but I don't see any harm in knowing. I don't plan on forcing football on a boy, or Barbie Dolls on a girl. No matter what I plan on impressing our child with punk rock, skateboards, bikes, and gardening... I do have some slight concerns about a future baby shower and receiving gifts that are all pink or all blue...
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Oh, and C was looking on a Chinese Gender Calendar or something, and determined that, based on the month of conception, our baby will be a girl... weird...