April Showers Bring Good Times!

Last weekend, Aunt KK and Nana threw a shower just for me! OK, so Mommy was invited too. :-) Mrs. Judy hosted the shower for us at her big Victorian house in Marion, Ohio. It turned out to be kind of a fancy affair - at least fancier than Mommy's been used to...no plastic dinnerware to be found! I got to meet a lot of people for the first time through Mom's belly - family friends, plus my Great-Grandma Woodling, Great Aunt Cindy, and Great-Grandma Hornsby. The next time I see most everyone there, I'll be a real baby, livin' the high life out in the real world!

Here I am in my mom's belly with my Great Aunt Cindy and my Great-Grandma Woodling...


And with my other Great-Grandma, Nana, and Aunt Kari. Not the best picture of everyone, and you can't even see all of Great-Grandma's face, but look how pretty the chandelier is...


Here are Mommy's friends Heidi and Becky - you can see that Heidi is busy cookin' a friend for me in her belly too!


Apparently, these shower thingies mean that people bring you lots and lots of presents. I got a bunch of books, toys, baby gear, and clothes. I'll be so stylin' once I'm born. I even got a onesie that says "Chicks Dig Me". You know what they say...every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man. Aunt Kat took about a thousand pictures of Mommy opening up gifts, but here's just one.



Mommy is continuing to stick to her diet and her numbers are looking pretty good. Just to be safe, the doctor wants her to start coming twice a week for non-stress tests in May. She'll also have two more ultrasounds to make sure everything is normal with me and I'm not getting too big. Can't wait to mug for the cameras again. The next ultrasound is May 20, so that gives me plenty of time to work up a dance routine...5, 6, 7, 8!! Even though she'll be spending lots of time in the doctor's office, Mommy is relieved they'll be keeping a close eye on me - plus she's so excited to see my face a couple more times before I'm born!

Long-Winded Baby

Sorry this post is a long one...for being only a week since I last posted, a lot of stuff has happened! Thankfully it's lots of little stuff - no major events like I've had in the last few weeks.

Mom's feeling a bit better about her Gestational Diabetes now that she met with a dietitian. Turns out that she doesn't have to live entirely off of celery and tofu like she thought she might! If I muster up enough ESP, I might be even able to create a craving that convinces her to splurge on a McDonald's cheeseburger every once in a awhile. She's still getting used to pricking her finger four times a day, but it's okay because I don't feel a thing...just the occasional jolt when Mommy jumps a bit.

Mommy and Daddy also went to their first childbirth class. They must be easing the squeamish fathers into it, because we didn't watch "the video" that everyone's been talking about. That'll be next week, so Daddy's getting his anti-nausea medicine ready! The parents had a little ice breaker with the other parents in the class, and it turns out that my Mom and Dad are pretty ahead of the game! They're just about the only ones to have found both a pediatrician and day care already. Even when it's just childbirth class, those two just HAVE to be the
star students, don't they? ;-)

Speaking of being prepared, my room is getting much closer to being ready! Daddy worked hard throughout his whole spring break putting together the dresser and crib and putting up blinds. Grandpa Ronald even came over with his noisy saw and helped Daddy put up the chair rail. He also brought over some cool Colts posters, so Mommy and Daddy's next task is to find frames for all the pictures to put on my walls. I can't wait to spend some time in my new room...Keno Pup is already enjoying it - see?


My Aunt Ashley and Grandpa and Granny Kahl came to visit last weekend. I played some fun tricks on Aunt Ashley, just like I do with Daddy sometimes. Mommy would tell Aunt Ashley to put her hand on one side of her belly, so I'd kick on the other side instead. It's ok though - by the end of the weekend, Aunt Ashley got to feel me kick a lot - we're good buddies now! I bet she'll be taking me to Jonas Brothers concerts and performances of High School Musical in no time!

Mommy's coworkers in Indy hosted a surprise shower for us at work last week. What a great way to spend a Monday morning! They had all kinds of treats for breakfast - don't worry though, Mommy only nibbled one tiny half-bite of Roost coffee cake. I got all kinds of fun gifts to fill my new dresser, and Mommy got some pretty tulips. She was so touched at all of the thought her fellow Schwabbies put into it!

Next time I'll post about my shower that'll be in Marion next weekend. My mommy is so excited! Check out the sign that Mrs. Judy already has out for it - I'm world famous!

No mo' Peeps for the Mama

Well, I'm starting to think that maybe my lucky streak is coming to an end. So, you all saw the last post about our accident (thanks so much to those of you who sent your concerns and well wishes!). Since then, the doctor called and said Mommy failed the first round glucose test and also that she was anemic...she's still waiting for Daddy to take her to Ruth's Chris for a big ol' steak, since red meat is supposed to help that.

Because her 1-hour glucose test didn't go so well, Mom had to go back to the doctor's office on Tuesday for a 3-hour long test. They drew her blood four different times. With the tests from last week, she has six holes in her arms! She wore longer sleeves yesterday so people didn't think she'd been shooting up or anything.

So, anyway, she just got the results back today, and she officially has Gestational Diabetes. It only affects 4% of pregnant women. That means she had a 96% chance of NOT getting it...but she still did. She's supposed to meet with a diabetes counselor hopefully soon, so she'll know more about what this means after that. From everything she's read, she'll need to test her blood 4 times a day (more holes?!?) and eat a strict diet. So, I guess that means the days of stealing tastes of ice cream and cake that Mommy eats are over for me for awhile. When is it again that I'm allowed to eat solid foods? Broccoli and spinach, here I come...guess it's worth it if it means I'm healthy and not a chunkster when I'm born.

In other news, our weekend was full of family and basketball. Daddy enjoyed yet another successful year of "Man Holiday Friday" during the NCAA tournament. Man Holiday basically consists of him sitting around in a testosterone-filled B-Dubs, drinking beer, eating wings, watching basketball, and generally being obnoxious with other guys doing the same thing. Can't wait until I get to go - wonder when it'll be? Suppose I need to grow teeth first to eat the wings at least.

Nana, Papa, Aunt KK, Grandma Misty, Grandpa Ronald, Uncle David, and Aunt Hilary also came to visit for Easter. The Easter Bunny brought me a rocking horse and a basketball-shaped Easter basket. Luckily, we were able to turn off the basketball for a little while to eat a scrumptious feast (and what I now know to be my last taste of cheesecake for awhile). I love having my family here to take of me and my Mommy!

Baby's First Accident...Not That Kind Though

What an adventurous day I had today!! Apparently, I had my first car accident, although I may have slept through it. I usually sleep in the mornings (must get that from Mommy's side of the family), but Mommy was awake, minding her business driving to work. Here's what she said happened next. A guy (a kid, really...in his late teens) was coming south on the road on which Mommy was driving north. He swerved to miss a pothole (also known as "chuckholes" in the wild world known as the Hoosier State), and he hit a patch of ice. Mommy saw him fish-tailing, then his car spun around 180 degrees in her lane. She tried to get off to the right side of the road to avoid him, but alas, she wasn't able to and crashed right into his back end. The air bag went off, which probably startled Mom more than anything. Here are some pictures of her car (the SUV) and the back of his car.


Now to the most important part...I'm okay!! The paramedics checked Mom out, and, because of me, they said it would be best to go to the ER to take a closer look. Mom got to ride in the ambulance to the hospital. I probably wasn't awake though at that point since Mom didn't feel me kick. That had her a bit worried until she remembered that I usually don't start moving around until right before lunch time. I bet I would have woken up if they would have turned the lights and sirens on!! Luckily they didn't - I might have been cranky if they woke me up.

Once I got to the ER, they checked my heartbeat, and it was normal. By that time, Daddy got there, so I decided to get up and start moving around. That made Mom feel much better to know I was awake in here. Even though everything was okay, Mommy's normal OB doctor wanted to make double sure I was healthy once she heard about the accident. I'm so lucky to have such a diligent doc looking out for me! So, we went up to the new Labor and Delivery ward (very swanky digs) and the nurse monitored my heartbeat for about an hour. By that time I was kicking like crazy - I might have even bonked the monitor right out of place at one point.

After everything continued to look good, they let us go home for a little bit. I had my normally scheduled appointment with the doctor later that afternoon, so we had a bit of downtime to rest. That meant that Daddy got to watch the first round of basketball games. See the lengths that Mommy will go to get Dad out of school to watch the tournament?

When we got to the doctors' office, the first thing Mom had to do was start her scheduled glucola test, which checks for gestational diabetes. The first step was for her to drink this super sweet fruit punch. She had been dreading it, but it turned out to not be too much different than Hawaiian punch. By the time she got to see the doctor, she had a nice sugar buzz going. The new doctors office has the added bonus of Muzak in each room, so Mommy entertained Daddy by singing along to "Say a Little Prayer for Yoouuuuuuu...." I don't think Daddy was amused. Anyway, the doctor said everything checked out just fine again after measuring me and listening to my heart beat one more time. She could feel what she thought was my little booty and head, so she thinks I'm head-down for now. As squirmy as I can be, don't be surprised if that changes!

Thanks to all of you who checked in on me and worried about me and Mommy through all of this! She tried her best not to freak anyone out, but when people love us so much, they still can get a little panicked. We are so blessed to have so many people that care about us!

Next appointment is in less than two weeks! Can't wait to update you on that, plus how things went with Easter and Dad's "Man Holiday" for the NCAA tournament. Go Dawgs!!

Booty Like a Pirate's Treasure

First, a disclaimer - a few people who have seen Mommy in person are telling her that she's really not as big as she looks in the picture in my previous post. They say the camera adds 10 pounds - guess that's 10 pounds for her PLUS 10 pounds for me! I suppose that means there should be no cameras around when Mom delivers me - don't think she'd be too happy delivering a 17-pound baby!!

Wanna see something funny? Check out some of the silly things that people can buy (and spend too much money on) for babies these days! Mom happened upon this site called whattherock.com that has a bunch of wild clothes for babies. Mommy thought this one was was funny, considering my namesake. I just hope I'm not born with one eye, a beard, no arms, and blue skin like the baby wearing this onesie! Yikes!

Here's one that I think Nana D would like me to wear, although they're all out of the smaller sizes. Thank goodness Dubya won't be in office long enough for me to grow into the toddler sizes they have left.


Grandma Misty and Grandpa Ronald undoubtedly would approve of this onesie. Wonder why the T-shirt doesn't have Ozzy biting the head off a bat on it, though? Maybe they just figured other babies weren't as tough as I am and couldn't handle it.

Mommy ended up getting me my first Butler Bulldogs T-shirt instead of all those scary ones. Much cuter and it'll definitely get lots of use! She and Daddy went to the basketball game last night and I took a few peeks at watching the 'dawgs kick some UIC booty (tee hee).

My next doctor's appointment is March 20 - I'll keep you posted!

Shake, Shake, Shake...

Good news - the doctor still says I am completely normal in every way...she may change her tune once she actually meets me though! I have no doubts I'll inherit some of my family's quirky personality traits, which would make me anything BUT normal. At my appointment yesterday, I measured exactly where I should be (24 1/2 weeks), and my heart rate was super strong again at 144 bpm. This was a quick appointment - Mommy got there a bit early and she was in the room so quick that the doctor almost beat Daddy there! Guess they know better than to keep cranky pregnant ladies waiting for too long.

It's been a while since I showed you what I look like in my Mommy's belly - here's a pic. Sorry about cutting her head off...I haven't yet been able to master the skill of photography with all of the other stuff I've been learning to do. Mommy's struggling a bit more to do simple things like bending down and getting out of bed and off the couch - just wait until it gets closer to my birthday! Other than beginning to feel like a beached whale and the occasional bout of 3am sleeplessness, she's still feeling pretty good. No weird cravings, no swollen feet, no crazy mood swings (or at least that's what she says).


I've been having lots of fun lately - kicking, punching, disco dancing, Kung Fu fighting, training for the 2028 Olympics...you know, the usual. Daddy can even feel me moving in Mommy's belly. I like to play fun games with the parents. Whenever Mom has been feeling me go really crazy, she'll tell Dad to touch her belly. That's when I get to be the trickster and stay very, very still. As soon as Dad takes his hand away, then I pop back into action!

The parents have also started on my new room! The painters are here today and tomorrow to add a splash of Rhythmic Blue and Lupine (Sherwin Williams-to-English translation: Light blue and dark blue). Daddy's going to be busy during his spring break putting up a chair rail - his first major home improvement project using (hopefully borrowed) saws and fancy tools. Mommy's obsession with researching my Babies R Us registry has waned a bit since they registered a few weeks ago. In addition to the long list of outlet covers and corner guards, there's some fun stuff for my room - mostly teddy bears, sports paraphernalia, and teddy bears playing with sport paraphernalia. Once the room gets closer, I'll make sure to post some pictures.

I love hearing from all of you - getting comments is the best. Keep posting!

Luck Be a Baby Tonight

Mommy and Daddy have decided not to share my name until I'm born. They say that they want something to remain a surprise, since I already blabbed a few weeks ago that I was a boy. I know the real truth though - they're just buying time because they can't decide upon any names! Mom keeps shooting down the names that Daddy likes...with all of the students Dad's had in his 8 years of teaching, it should be the other way around! Then, there's the whole issue of this darn last name of mine I'll be inheriting. Aside from the jokester names like Booty Kahl (and Testa Kahl, thanks to my Uncle Davy), there are lots of good strong boy names that are getting the nix too:

• Will Kahl - Where you would pick up the free concert tickets that I, lead guitarist of a Grammy-winning rock group, might set aside for my family.


• Kurt N Kahl - When I, Broadway star Booty Kahl, would take my final bow after a standing ovation.


• Perry Wynn Kahl The signature color of future world famous painter, Bootiford T. Kahl.


• Porter Kahl One of the exotic stops on the Around The World cruise I'll be sending my parents on for their anniversary...you know, Port O' Call.


• Beck N Kahl How Mommy and Daddy will be once I am born...always at my beck and call.


• Jack Kahl - It's just not nice to name a kid after a wild scavenger dog [jackal] or bad 80s hair metal bands [Jackyl].


• Paul Kahl - Mom always thought it would be cool to name her kid after some of her favorite musicians - Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, and Paul Hewson (aka Bono)...but there's nothing that'll get a kid beaten up faster than a rhyming name.

Lately, Mom and Dad have been joking about maybe naming me Lucky, because I've been bringing them lots of good luck! Mom never wins anything, but since she got pregnant with me, she won free movie tickets, free theatre tickets, and the latest surprise - one room in our house professionally painted for free! She entered a raffle at a home show, since they're going to have some people come in to paint the high loft in our house. Well...she won! Daddy's always been pretty lucky, but he won the 50/50 raffle at the Morristown basketball game the other night. Guess the parents better start playing the lottery soon!