Baby Bison

Fee made his first trip to Bucknell this weekend. It was Homecoming and we hadn't been there in a few years. We saw the comedian Jim Gaffigan (hot pockets?) and got 3 FREE beer tickets. It was cool, as long as we had that ugly orange wristband we could walk anywhere on campus with an open beer. I could walk right up to public safety and chug a beer in his face...he'd just have to stand there groovin' on it. We saw Lambda Chi, my old fraternity. It still has the same stale beer/piss smell that conjures up memories of parties past. Fee was very happy walking around campus all day, he's already thinking about matriculating. NASA is currently calculating how much it will cost to send him there.

What's Up Chair Rail?

A woman sacrifices a lot when she becomes pregnant: lost sleep, changes in body, sore muscles, people telling her she "looks huge". What then should the man sacrifice...besides having to put up with the woman (don't worry, I've already gotten smacked for that comment). Part of my sacrifice became putting up a chair rail in the nursery. Painting alone was not good enough for my little man. Besides. Caryn wanted it. Anyway, how hard could it be? Well, take a look for yourself. Have you ever cut a perfect 22.5 degree angle? I did...twice. It turned out much better than I ever thought it would. Now we're going to cover it all up with a crib, dresser, and changing table but I'll know it's there, protecting the wall, in case the furniture ever goes away and someone accidentally bumps their chair into the wall. I'll be there to say, "this wall was protected by me, you're welcome." I haven't decided what my theme music will be but in the far chance this exact situation occurs, I'll probably hum something provocative.

Super Dave

This has nothing to do with Baby Brof. However, I just wanted to give a fine "Hazzaaah" to my brother, super Dave (aka brof-en-brother). He ran the Steamtown Marathon a week ago and finished fourth. His time was just over 2 hours 25 minutes. For those of you not familiar with marathons (aka not insane), that's well under 6 minutes per mile for 26.2 miles. I can't run one mile under 6 minutes....hence the name super Dave. Anyway, this is a pic of him about 10 minutes after he finished. I call this photograph "Caged Passion." The fence Dave is leaning on symbolizes how his passion for running has imprisoned him while at the same time has set him free. People in the background seem not to notice the heroic figure leaning on the gate. Could this infer the idea that Dave is still waiting for validation from his peers for excellence? The snapple water in his hand...is he willing to sell out to become a larger than life runner? There are many questions to this riddle of mystery known as "Caged Passion." Take some time to reflect on your own personal marathons, whatever they may be....

We're very proud of you, Dave.

We Have Movement

Evidently, Fee loves cheerios. Not only was he kicking the heck out of Caryn, but I actually saw her stomach move for the first time!!! It's only a matter of time until the incubation period is over and this thing bursts out of her stomach, starts spitting acidic saliva and eating our faces. My son will either be a soccer player, karate champion, or an alien. Make me proud son; make me proud.

The Nursery

Here's the before shot of baby's room. I was going to do a step by step series but I think the effect will be better if you go from this to the finished product. The blue lining is actually tape because I was about to paint the room. The doctor doesn't want Caryn to smell a lot of paint fumes so painting became my solo mission. I guess Caryn has to carry Fee for 9 months so I shouldn't complain. Ladies, it's an excuse that works for anything. "Why do I have to do the dishes?" "Because I have to carry this bowling ball for 9 months." "Why can't you run to the store for eggs?" "Because my feet are so swollen from carrying YOUR son that it hurts to walk." We men have no comeback to this so it's better off just to do it. Besides, not that I want to admit it, she's right.

Fee's Getting Larger

Here's Caryn at around 23 weeks (just over 5 months for you "non-breeders"). Caryn went from a flat stomach to this in about 2 weeks. He is a good kicker and swimmer...likes to speed-bag her bladder. Both Caryn and fee are happy, healthy, and beautiful. I however, have gained 30 pounds, started losing my hair, and gotten a job at the nuclear power plant. No, wait, that was Homer Simpson.

Baby Formerly Known as Fee

Caryn and I had a girl's name firmly picked out so it was no surprise when the doctor said we were having a boy. Now comes the hard part. My suggestions of Max Power, Optimus Prime, and Dirk Diggler have already been vetoed. We need a name that sounds good with Bronfenbrenner. I realize that's impossible but I'm limiting the first name to less than 3 syllables; preferably 2. Any suggestions are welcomed as long as you don't get insulted if we don't use it (or make fun of it).

Baby BOY Brof

It's official, we are having a boy!!! You get a certain sense of accomplishment when you find out you've gotten a woman pregnant; but to find out it's a boy makes every Y chromosome in my body stand up and grunt. We saw the four chambers of his heart, the two halves of his brain, numerous other organs, and, of course, his "manhood"...by the way, all parts are developing nicely. The doctor says he has the schwanz of an 8 month old fetus already! We don't have a name yet so stay tuned.

Gonna be a soccer player

Very excited, Saturday night was the first time I (Eric) felt little Fee (fetus) move. There was a hard lump under Caryn's belly button that moved away then quickly pushed up against my hand. Fee was either trying to shake my hand or kick me away and yell "stop poking me, I'm trying to sleep!" It was truly amazing. We also found that if Caryn drinks lemonade, Fee does somersaults...fun party trick.

STAY TUNED! Coming Friday....Is Fee an "innie" or an "outtie?"...and I'm not talking about the belly button.

Santorini

This is the view from Oia, Santorini. People actually live here. According to our book, Baby Fee can sense bright light and will move away from it. Given the weather we had all week, I think the poor little one spent the trip hidden somewhere behind Caryn's colon and pancreas.

Baby Brof (aka Fee, short for Fetus) has gone international

Here's little Fee and Caryn in Taormina, Sicily. I don't know the man next to her but he split after he heard Caryn was with child. He may or may not be involved with the mob which may or may not actually exist.

12 Weeks 5 Days

Baby Brof is getting bigger. In one of these, you can see its face and brain. Do you think it looks more like me or Caryn? I think it looks like Skeletor. It might be wearing a mask, we won't know for sure until birth.

The pic with the baby face down is of its healthy spine. Our baby has the correct number of vertebrae...unlike Uncle Dave...freak. Mom and baby are both very healthy. Stay tuned. Coming August 24th, we find out the sex...will you?

Well that didn't take long, here's our baby. Actually, this is Sarah Collier, we were just practicing with a friend's baby...only dropped her twice. For you future parents, it's better to practice on someone else's kids :)

This man is going to be a father...

First picture

Here's Baby at 10 weeks and 4 days...approximately. It's waving on the second shot...say hello, don't be rude.

We're pregnant!!!

The lady of the lake, her hand clad with the purist shimmering EPT test, held aloft the pee stick from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Eric, was to be a father. Some say strange women lying in ponds distributing EPT tests is no basis for a system of determining preganancy. I thought we were an autonomous collective. Regardless, Caryn and I are having a baby...and that baby will be awesome.

***If you haven't seen Monty Python's Holy Grail, do not attempt to make sense of the previous paragraph. Just know that Caryn's preggo.