Okay Backroads..

[Bini]

Here are some fun things to do while being preggos :] I'll come up with more if I can think of any..

- Watch all the Toy Story movies, and have a box of Kleenex handy!

- Take a photo of your belly progress every month. I did this and it was super fun to look back at my journey.

- Have daddy write a message on your belly to baby, and take a photo for keepsake! Third trimester is probably best for this :]

- Have lots of date nights with your husband before your little bundle of joy arrives (seriously).

- Download My Pregnancy app. It gives you fun facts about your developing baby, such as its size every couple weeks and a virtual image. I remember getting excited about my daughter being the size of a plum!

- Take advantage of the Expecting Mama parking spot. When you get to the point where you're achy and sore -- don't feel bad about parking there -- it's reserved just for you! (PS. It doesn't matter if your preggo belly is big or small either!)

- Go to the Dollar Store periodically and stock up on goodies for cheapies!

- You could do a belly cast (I didn't but I wanted to list that anyway)

- Take bets from family members and friends on what the baby's gender will be (Just for fun, of course).

- Get a 3D ultrasound when you get to 16-25 weeks (if you don't mind knowing what the gender is).

[Vort]

Other ideas for expectant couples:

• Projectile vomiting competition: Own your husband.
• Every time one of you goes pee, the other pays her a dollar.
• "Clean the house" nesting instinct race. (You will bury him.)
• Talk about after the baby is born and see whose voice gets high and squeaky first.
• Three words: Mood Swing Bingo!
• Find out who can balance the most glasses of water on his or her belly while standing upright.

The fun never ends!

[Backroads]

Thanks to both of you!

[Bini]

Other ideas for expectant couples:

• Projectile vomiting competition: Own your husband.
• Every time one of you goes pee, the other pays her a dollar.
• "Clean the house" nesting instinct race. (You will bury him.)
• Talk about after the baby is born and see whose voice gets high and squeaky first.
• Three words: Mood Swing Bingo!
• Find out who can balance the most glasses of water on his or her belly while standing upright.

The fun never ends!

Okay, I'm really digging Mood Swing Bingo!

[Backroads]

Right now we're playing the "which baby name will freak my mother out the most?" My mother has spent almost a year in terror we will name a boy baby "LeGrand" after my husband's beloved grandfather. My husband loves it, I think it's okay but would prefer it as a middle name, and this morning we started researching mythology-based names.

Partially serious, partially to upset my mom.

[Bini]

Ah yes, the baby name runaround!

It's entirely up to the parents, of course, but at the same time I think a lot of consideration should be taken in how that name potentially will affect the child's life. This can be tough when you want to go with an ethnic name, which may be perfectly normal or familiar in another country but is found quite abstract here in the US. My husband's family has old German and Dutch names. Even names that SOUND more familiar are spelled in a crazy fashion by American standards. My daughter's middle name is Dutch and is spelled as if we lived in Holland :] Of course, it will be rarely used or known by others but I chose it because it is also my husband's middle name.

Anyway, back to topic -- I did the same thing with my mum! I told her we were gonna name our child "Bruno" if it were a boy and she HATED that name. Lol

[Backroads]

That's my mom's concern about "LeGrand". My cousin made the comment the other week that you can get away with a lot, even bring a name into vogue, if your kid can work it.

I do like the idea of mythological names, but we also don't want the kid getting picked last for teams because of a name. I like the idea of going a bit "unique", but only so it's cool, not crazy.

[Wingnut]

We had a couple of family names we wanted to use, so we set them as middle names and worked from there. For first names, we didn't want anything trendy, but we also didn't want anything too obscure. We wanted normal spellings, but pretty and interesting names. We love the names we settled on for each of our daughters, and we love the rhythm they have -- first and middle names alliterate for both girls (this was coincidence with the first, but we liked it so much we planned it for the second).

[Guest]

Take a maternity class - even if you've taken it before.

Take a breastfeeding class - even if you've taken it before or even if you have no plans of breastfeeding.

It's comforting to see other pregnant women going through the same things you are.

And names may sound cool now... it may not 10 years later. My friend's kid is named Forest. It was cool until Forrest Gump came out and you bet he got teased a lot. My husband was thinking of naming our son Maximus until his boss said, "Maximus? Like gluteus maximus?". So yeah, we didn't go with cool. We went with meaningful - my kids' names are very common, run of the mill stuff, but holds a lot of meaning for us.

Edited August 2, 2012 by anatess

[applepansy]

I'm going to interject a serious note about names:

For genealogy purposes its very helpful if a family name is used. Such as Mom's maiden name for the boys middle name. 100 years down the road it makes it really easy for your posterity to say "Yup! They have to be related!"

On a less serious note! Its really fun to play "freak out grandma with the name" We did it to my mother. To this day she think she talked us out of the name. LOL

[Backroads]

Take a maternity class - even if you've taken it before.

Take a breastfeeding class - even if you've taken it before or even if you have no plans of breastfeeding.

It's comforting to see other pregnant women going through the same things you are.

And names may sound cool now... it may not 10 years later. My friend's kid is named Forest. It was cool until Forrest Gump came out and you bet he got teased a lot. My husband was thinking of naming our son Maximus until his boss said, "Maximus? Like gluteus maximus?". So yeah, we didn't go with cool. We went with meaningful - my kids' names are very common, run of the mill stuff, but holds a lot of meaning for us.

I really like your kids' names!

I know two personal instances of where a name was ruined by a movie. Ariel is a family name, and my cousin received the name--right before "The Little Mermaid" came out. She has spent her entire life explaining she was named after her great-great grandfather--not a Disney character.

I also know a kid named Forrest--born shortly before "Forrest Gump". Fortunately, he was always very gregarious and popular, so he survived school. Right now he's on a mission, so he doesn't have to really worry about the name.

[Backroads]

I'm going to interject a serious note about names:

For genealogy purposes its very helpful if a family name is used. Such as Mom's maiden name for the boys middle name. 100 years down the road it makes it really easy for your posterity to say "Yup! They have to be related!"

On a less serious note! Its really fun to play "freak out grandma with the name" We did it to my mother. To this day she think she talked us out of the name. LOL

I like the idea of using family names. We've talked about giving a little girl my maiden name, though my husband worries she'll be considered to be named after a certain girly country singer. I liked my grandfather's name of Jack, but my cousin recently stole it for her baby. My other grandfather is... Theil. Not for us.

Then we just have a bunch of other weird names further back.

[Windseeker]

[Wingnut]

I really like your kids' names!

Y'all must be Facebook friends. Or did I miss Anatess posting her kids' names? I think I probably didn't, because (if I recall correctly) I believe she has a strict no-personal-information rule.

I know two personal instances of where a name was ruined by a movie. Ariel is a family name, and my cousin received the name--right before "The Little Mermaid" came out. She has spent her entire life explaining she was named after her great-great grandfather--not a Disney character.

When I was younger, my mom often had my babysat by an older young women in the ward who was named Ariel. (This was when I was 3-5 years old, and the Little Mermaid came out when I was in sixth grade, just for perspective.) But get this...Ariel had an older sister, named Ursula, and a brother named Eric.

I like the idea of using family names. We've talked about giving a little girl my maiden name, though my husband worries she'll be considered to be named after a certain girly country singer. I liked my grandfather's name of Jack, but my cousin recently stole it for her baby. My other grandfather is... Theil. Not for us.

Then we just have a bunch of other weird names further back.

I wouldn't touch "Jack" with a ten-foot pole. When it's a family name, I guess that's different, but in the past five years, I've lost count of how many little boys I've known named Jack. It's soooo trendy.

[Bini]

I liked my grandfather's name of Jack, but my cousin recently stole it for her baby. My other grandfather is... Theil. Not for us.

Then we just have a bunch of other weird names further back.

I like the sound of the name Theil but not too fond of the spelling.

I went through all kinds of baby names but the one that I really liked was Sophia/Sophie. Unfortunately, I didn't like the fact that it was super popular and ranked number 1 for girls :[ So I veered away from it. I, personally, know three Sophias.. Still, it's such a feminine name.

[Guest]

Y'all must be Facebook friends. Or did I miss Anatess posting her kids' names? I think I probably didn't, because (if I recall correctly) I believe she has a strict no-personal-information rule.

Not a post. Not facebook either. It has something to do with Skyflakes...

[Bini]

Not a post. Not facebook either. It has something to do with Skyflakes...

What are Skyflakes?

[Guest]

What are Skyflakes?

Bini! You're a disgrace to the Filipino community! :D:D:D:D

[Bini]

Bini! You're a disgrace to the Filipino community! :D:D:D:D

LOL

They look familiar but I don't recognise the name -- still!

[Backroads]

They are so amazing in how they settle my stomach!

[Backroads]

Went out on a lunch date and got sushi. Among by little-to-no-raw-fish rolls, I gave in and ordered two pieces of nigiri sushi. So fresh and delicious. I'm now thinking the baby likes escolar because I wanted more of it.

[Bini]

Caught Marley & Me on FX this morning. I've watched it before but can't remember if I liked it or hated it, or was simply indifferent but this time around I really could appreciate the storyline. Maybe it's because since I last saw it, I've got married, I've had a baby and we also have three indoor dogs - so I can totally get the frustration that comes with a chaotic household!

There were also some fantastic lines in this movie, too.

Nothing prepares you for this. Having babies. - Jen quote, exhausted on the sofa.

You mend it, you don't end it! - John quote, after fight with his wife.

You probably hear this kind of thing all the time but this - this is a special dog. He once ate an entire answering machine, digested it, and then ate the phone for dessert. - John quote, convincing vet that Marley would make it through the night.

A lot of what this movie is about, is patience, with your loved ones.. be it your spouse, kids or dog..

Backroads, you should watch this :]

Edited August 16, 2012 by Bini
Missed Italic..

[Backroads]

I shall have to! I haven't watched in a few years!

[Guest]

I loved that movie! The thing that comes to mind when I hear Marley & Me is the dog getting out of the car window and they had to drive with half the dog walking next to the car... LOL!

One of our pet birds died yesterday. So, yeah, chaotic household... that's us. We held a funeral last night with kids bawling their eyes out.

[Bini]

On FX right NOW is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and I've got it recording!

Beautiful story. One of the first movies my husband and I saw together on the big screen. If I was pregnant and had watched it - I would have gone through an entire box of Kleenex! But even not being pregnant, the story itself is really touching. Cinematic photography is visually stunning too, just very artistic but doesn't take away from the story. This is going to be "our" story (me and DH's) down the road.. I'll be in my fifties and he'll be in his seventies. Oh what it would be like if we were to meet "halfway".. As Daisy once said, "We're meeting in the middle".