A different kind of shower

Sorry about the virtual silence, but Meredith and I and "Little Elvis" have been away for a few days visiting Meredith's family in Mississippi. This morning, before hopping on our flight back to DC, we had a baby shower at Meredith's paternal grandparents' home in Tupelo, Miss.

I'm a meteorologist by trade, so showers are right up my alley. I wasn't invited to the last shower that involved Meredith, but I assume that the baby shower bore some resemblance to the bridal shower. It's a lot of family and a lot of presents, cash and gift cards.

The twist, having married into a hunting family, is the presence of camouflage and firearms at the shower. Two of Meredith's uncles, Randy and Dan, showed up at the shower after having been deer hunting in the morning, then returning to the hunt immediately after the shower. Meredith's father can't wait to introduce "Little Elvis" to hunting and even, as a joke, presented us with a rifle as a shower gift for the baby.

So did you get any unconventional baby shower gifts? Leave your story by clicking the comment button.

Welcome to the jungle

I'm sure you've seen some of the footage of people crowding around electronics and toy stores and then the mad dash to get into the store to get their hands on a brand new Sony PlayStation 3. If you haven't, check out this YouTube link.

I'm not a gamer, but as I understand it, these consoles retail from $500 to $600. This blows my mind to begin with, but even more mind-blowing are some of the ads I'm seeing on Craigslist. Some of the lucky few who have gotten game consoles are trying to resell them to the have-nots. I've seen markups of two, three and even up to nine times the retail price!!!

Next year, I'm not likely to have to stand in any lines to get a particular item for "Little Elvis," but what about a few years down the road? What about when he wants the next big thing and I find myself on the demand end of the supply-demand curve?

What are the other must-have (but in too little supply) items this Christmas? Any parents care to comment about how you're dealing with it and what you are telling your children who want (and may not get) these items?

You're my brest friend

My wife and I don't talk . . . at least not during the day. Instead, we IM each other. Well, apparently today we had a "failure to communicate."

I had noticed an ad on Craigslist, offering a free "My Brest Friend" breastfeeding pillow. With three months left in the pregnancy, we've accumulated most of the necessary items. However, Meredith plans to breast feed and we don't yet have a breastfeeding pillow, so I thought we'd give it a shot. I'm sure I used the term "breastfeeding pillow" in my IM to her and she seemed receptive to the idea, so after I picked her up at the Metro, we headed in the direction of our Craigslist contact.

We picked it up (it was wrapped in plastic due to the rain today) and brought it home. When I unwrapped it in our living room, she was completely confused. When I asked about her quizzical look, she admitted that she was trying to figure out how she was going to sleep with it. She saw the pillow in my IM and thought it would be an item that would help her sleep more comfortably during her third trimester.

Despite the acquisition under false pretenses, I think the "My Brest Friend" is a welcome addition to our growing collection of baby items. Any moms out there who have used this pillow? How about dads? In the flash intro on the website, it shows a guy using the pillow as well.

Why didn't I think of that?

Meredith sent me a couple of interesting links to baby products today -- the first one really intrigues me. It is a place setting for babies that has suction cups on each item that stick to the high chair tray. That way, when baby discovers the fun that gravity can be in sending spoons and bowls overboard, mom and dad can teach a lesson in air pressure (or the lack thereof due to the suction cup). Can you tell that I was a physics teacher once upon a career ago?

When I see an item like that, I can't help but think, "Why didn't I think of that?" I do, after all, come from a very short line of inventors. According to family legend, my great-great-uncle on my mother's side was H.H. Renneker, inventor of the Telerest. What's the telerest, you ask? Before the days of hands-free phones and Blue Tooth technology, there was a thing that used to clip onto the back of the telephone receiver that also had a hook that went over the shoulder. Pictured above is a Telerest that recently sold on E-bay.

Little Elvis kicked my butt

I'm relatively old to be a first-time father (just turned 36). As such, I recognize that by the time Little Elvis hits his teen years, I'll be hitting the big 5-0 and beyond. My body and athletic abilities will be on the decline while his will be on the rise. Therefore, I anticipate that he'll probably be able to "kick my butt" in head-to-head competitions in basketball, tennis, golf and other sports.

However, last night Little Elvis "kicked my butt," and he's not even born yet! Meredith was sleeping behind me, her belly to my lower back and bottom when I felt Little Elvis kicking. Guess he's just trying to let his Ol' Man know what's in store.

Uncle Bob?

It's official, not only am I going to be a first-time father, I'm also on the way to being an uncle as well. My brother, Dave, just told friends and family that he and his wife, Merlie, are expecting their first baby. Merlie is now two months pregnant and the due date is in early July 2007.

Merlie is currently in the Philippines on an extended visit with her family. She will be returning to the states at the end of the week, and Dave has an OB/GYN appointment already scheduled.

Meredith and I are very excited for Dave and Merlie! It'll be great that we'll have cousins just months apart in age.

High 5's from Little Elvis

According to Little Elvis' ticker (24 weeks), the bones and ligaments in his spine are forming. We certainly know that his feet and legs are gaining strength, as Meredith has been able to feel his kicks for several weeks now. If I'm within shouting distance during his active moments, I get to feel Little Elvis kick as well.



I have to assume it's his foot, as I don't think his arms and hands are strong enough to make such an impression on his mother's innards. In any case, I like to think that he's giving me a high-five.

Hard to believe that our due date (Feb. 17) is now only about 3.5 months away. We just received our registration form for a childbirth class in late January, just weeks before Little Elvis arrives. Just looking at the syllabus for the class, two pillows and a mat or blanket are recommended. I think they're supposed to be for Meredith, but, considering the birthing movie that is on the agenda, I may wind up using them more than she (see doctor office dizziness post).

I'm assuming that, being a one-day class, there will be a lot of material thrown at us. Have you been to such a childbirth class? What can we expect?