Drum roll please...I'm a boy! Nana and Aunt KK thought that Booty sounded a bit girly, so Mommy decided that until I'm born, I shall be known as Bootiford T. Kahl. Here's a side view of my face. Good news is that it looks like I may have escaped with Daddy's nose instead of Mommy's schnoz!
The ultrasound was lots of fun! Everything checked out, so I'm a healthy boy! The parents and Nana got to see the four ventricles of my heart, my brain, and my spine, and the doctor said that everything is measuring just right.
I didn't quite do a jig as I mentioned I would, but I definitely squirmed around enough to provide some entertainment. I kept making a punching motion - Daddy says that means I'm ready to work a trombone slide. The ultrasound technician also showed my hand - I waived my fingers back and forth several times...had to say hello to everyone!
Besides waving, I also mooned the room! I was a bit shy at first - the umbilical cord was hiding my boy parts. However, when the ultrasound technician came back around a second time, I had no issues showing the Full Monty! The parents think that even if they hadn't wanted to know what I was, it would be hard not to tell after that shot! Dad was especially proud. :-)
After what seemed like a long time, I went to the doctor's office last week. My heartbeat was strong in the 140s, and the nurse said I'm measuring as big as I should be at this point. Mommy took a blood test called a quad marker screening, which predicts the likelihood of a problem occurring with me. It made her pretty nervous waiting all weekend to get the results, but I passed the test with flying colors! Now if only there was a test that could tell her how ornery I'll be, so the parents could prepare for that. >:-)
Mommy and Daddy are getting so excited to find out if I'm a boy or girl! They've been putting off a lot of the to-dos until the big reveal...they sure are going to have a lot of things to add to their lists afterwards! The good news is that they have done a few things. The biggest check mark on their list is that they found a day care for me. I think I'm the only kid on the roster so far for September 2008...I'm pretty sure they put a big "Anal Parents" stamp in red on my file. I'll be hanging out at the Methodist church while Mom and Dad go to work. From what I hear, those Methodists don't sacrifice goats or pray to aliens or anything, so I think I'll have fun there.
The parents also started researching baby gear to put on my registry. Mommy has read just about every car seat, crib, high chair, baby monitor, and stroller review on Target.com and BabiesRUs.com...did you expect anything different? We babies need SO much stuff! Mom and Dad haven't even really looked at anything in the stores yet, because their heads start spinning just thinking about it!
Only 14 more days until the big ultrasound! I'm putting on my dancing shoes right now so I can do a little jig in front of the cameras. Hopefully next time you hear from me, I'll have pictures and/or video...oh yeah, and I might tell if I'm a boy or a girl!
Welcome to 2008 - also known as the Year of the Booty! OK, so it's really the Chinese Year of the Rat, but that's neither cute nor appealing. Plus, my Nana may pass out from fear and/or disgust if I begin referring to myself as a rat. Also, I guess Chinese New Year isn't until February. And I guess I'm beginning to babble...wait, isn't that what babies are supposed to do?
I still haven't been to the doctor since my last post...and they moved my appointment until January 9. That doesn't mean that some fun things haven't been happening though. I went on a trip with my mom and dad to Chicago. Mommy wore me out shopping with her good friend Heidi and Aunt Hilary! She tried to stay away from baby clothes and managed not to buy anything for me. The best part about the trip is that I found out I'll be getting a new friend! Heidi and Darren will be having a baby at the end of July - I can't wait to have someone to play with!
I also kinda experienced my first Christmas...or at least as much as I could see peeping through my Mommy's belly button. Santa came to Kentucky and brought
Aunt Ashley all kinds of cool presents...I hear that next year the Fat Man (Santa, and maybe Papa C too) will be bringing presents to my house! I also got a few things this year - lots of onesies and hats, socks, and towels from Uncle David & Aunt Hilary and Grandma Misty & Grandpa Ronald. Plus, Grandpa and Granny Kahl showed me the nicest quilt that they'll give to me once I'm born...it's going to have my name on it, plus my birthday and how much I'll weigh. Man, it sounds like all I care about is gifts! I'm really happy to get them, but it was even more fun to spend time with my family at Christmas. I missed seeing Mommy's family, but I'm sure I'll be seeing them lots soon! Since I don't have any recent pictures of me, I thought you'd want to see a picture of Daddy and Mommy - you can see me if you look hard enough at her little belly. I'll be so big before you know it!
Don't forget to vote for if you think I'm a boy or a girl! I'm going to reveal what I am on January 29, so you have until then to guess. So far, it looks like most everyone thinks I am a girl. Nana and Grandma Misty have both had dreams about me being a girl, plus the Chinese gender predictor thinks I am too (I know - again with this Chinese thing?!?!). However, Mommy had a dream the other night that I was a boy (and also that I was peeing all over the place). What do you think?
Yes, it's been a few weeks since I last wrote. It's kind of annoying - I'm stuck inside this belly of my mommy's, and she won't let me out to roam free! Mommy's been very busy going to concerts and rehearsals, so she's barely had time to get me in front of a computer lately. Nana D and Papa C were here last weekend, and so where Grandpa and Granny Kahl and Aunt Ashley. It was a very busy house, but I like having my peeps around. I got some of my first presents, including a Colts sleeper and pacifier from Nana. I should be all set for the 2008 playoffs! It's so nice that Indy decided to build a new stadium for my first year as a Colts fan.
I keep hearing that everyone is so busy because of this thing called Christmas. I'm not quite sure what Christmas is...some sort of celebration where you sit on a fat man's lap and eat cookies? At church, they keep saying that a baby is coming and will be placed in a manger - think they're talking about me?!? Also not sure what a manger is, but it doesn't sound very comfortable at all. I'm hoping that the parents decide to put me in one of those comfy cribs that Mommy's been eying on the internet instead.
Other than a busy Christmastime, nothing much is new with me - just working hard at growing big and strong. Mommy's feeling much better than she did - some days she even makes it all day without taking a nap! Her belly isn't super-big yet, but she already had to resort to stealing Daddy's belt and wearing bigger pants. Tonight I'm going to my daddy's Christmas concert - I'm not sure whether I'll be able to hear anything yet though. The websites say I've already developed ears, but it may be a week or two more before I can distinguish sounds.
My next doctor's appointment is January 7, so I'll write more after that. I'm so glad so many of you wrote me messages last time! I knew that a few of you would call me Booty, but I didn't think it would stick so well! I'm still not sure what it means...guess I'll have to ask Mom and Dad when I'm old enough to talk.
Merry Christmas!
Greetings to all my future family members and friends! Being the spawn of honor students, I, Baby Kahl, am starting my writing career a bit early. Last week, I officially became a fetus, so I figured I'd better get crackin'...would hate to be behind the other kids in the hospital nursery.
Since Mommy is getting ready to enter her second trimester, she and Daddy decided to start breaking the news of my impending arrival. They are both so thrilled to begin sharing the good news. Because so many of you are so far away, this is a good way for me to continue telling you what is happening with me.
I just had a check-up yesterday, and all is well! Mommy and Daddy heard my heartbeat on the Doppler - 168 bpm. It took a while for the nurse to find it, which worried the parents at first, but I was just playing hide and seek! So sly and crafty already...and humble too. :-)
I've been pretty good so far - I haven't made Mommy puke once! I really don't like the smell of certain foods cooking, and I let her know that sometimes. She's had a bit of trouble giving up her Diet Cokes and coffee, but eating ice cream and cheeseburgers helps her forget all about that. Mommy's been working very hard at helping me grow, so she's been pretty tired. However, now that I'm getting a bit older and bigger, she's already feeling better!
I've also had a few pictures taken of me so far. This picture is at 6 weeks. Mommy heard my heartbeat for the first time when I had this picture taken. It was kinda slow, but the nurse said that was normal for as little as I was way back then...guess I got the slow heartbeat from Daddy!
This second picture was taken at 7 weeks. Both Mommy and Daddy heard my heartbeat then, and it was up to normal speed - over 150 beats per minute! I'll get another picture taken at the end of January. This one will tell whether I'm a boy or a girl! I'm very sneaky and
haven't told what I am yet - I'll make the nurses figure that out. You can see how much I grew in just one week, so I bet I'll be really big for my next photo shoot in January!!
I didn't quite do a jig as I mentioned I would, but I definitely squirmed around enough to provide some entertainment. I kept making a punching motion - Daddy says that means I'm ready to work a trombone slide. The ultrasound technician also showed my hand - I waived my fingers back and forth several times...had to say hello to everyone!
