Preparing for the baby

Saturday, June 20, 2009

You would not believe how excited I am to prepare to bring our baby home. Today our baby is 14 weeks and 3 days old. He or she is about the size of a fist...4in long and about 2.5 ounces in weight. Hair is starting to grow, but doesn't have any color yet. The baby has fingerprints, and can suck his or her thumb!!! :)

Hopefully Eric and I will find out if our baby is a boy or a girl in about 6 more weeks, at the end of July. The wait is killer!!! We have decided on an airplane theme for the nursery, whether the baby is a girl or a boy. The planes are great since Eric is a pilot, and we're hoping to gear the baby toward becoming a pilot someday so we can get free flights, lol! Here are a few pictures of things we might use:

If it's a girl:
The pink plane and clouds


The name Emily (this would go above the crib)



If it's a boy:
The blue planes and clouds


Not sure on a boy's name yet, lol


Bedding would coordinate somehow.

As for names we know if it is a girl the name will be Emily Kathryn Thomas. Kathryn was my mom's middle name. We aren't quite sure for a boy yet. There are a few names in the running.

I contacted an adoption agency yesterday to get an idea of what this process is going to be like. We have to start with an application to be approved for adoption. I don't think we'll have any problems there. After we're approved we have to a home study which requires several visits with a social worker (before and after the baby arrives). I believe we meet once together, each meet once separately, and then do a walk through of the house to make sure it is fit for a baby. After the baby comes home there are a couple more visits to make sure everything is going well. I totally and completely understand the purpose of this, and think it's great that people are concerned that children are adopted to good homes but I also find it funny that any moron junkie can get pregnant and have 12 babies without a question, but two respectable successful adults want to adopt a baby and they are put under the microscope, lol. Eric and I will also each be fingerprinted and have background checks done. We will also have to take a training class which I think involves infant care, and teaches you how to bond with an adopted baby.

Eric and I are still trying to work out the logistics of getting to CA for the delivery. I think what we may do is drive out to CA for Thanksgiving and then fly back home, leaving our car in Livermore. Then, we can fly back to CA in early December. We would ideally like to be there a few days before the baby is due and then stay through Christmas. We would then be able to drive back home. Eric and I are trying to figure out lodging during this time. He's going to try and see if he might be able to get a deal with Sandia through their corporate housing program. That way we could potentially rent a furnished apartment for about a month. That's the plan for now anyway, but we'll see what ends up happening!

So far everyone has been great. The support has been wonderful and we really appreciate it. We are so excited.

Well, that's the latest and greatest. Lori and Richard mailed out our ultrasound pictures, which will hopefully be here on Monday. We can't wait to get the first glimpse of our little baby!

:) Jenny