the days of trying

Everyone keeps asking what my name will be.  Mama says a name is a very important thing, and its a very big decision.  Mama and Daddy have been talking about different names a lot the last few weeks. They like to try one out and say it a lot for a few days, and then they move on to another one.  A lot of the names Daddy likes Mama thinks sound strange or not like me (or not like her).  A lot of the names Mama likes Daddy says are the same as students that were bad in his class.  They are also trying to decide if I should have names from our relatives in my name or if my name should be totally unique.  Deciding is hard, but Mama says trying out and agreeing about a few options is even harder.  Last week the best name that Mama and Daddy could agree on was Buzz Lightyear-Volcano-Hurricane Higgins.  Daddy says since he sings songs and my Mama will give my friends physicals for a living, I will need a big, strong, manly name so I don't get made fun of on the playground.  Do you think kids will make fun of me for having the nick-name "Volcano"?

Grandma and Grandpa Holmes have been calling me "little chooch's little chooch" because when Mama was in Grandma's tummy they called her "little chooch" because her heart beat sounded like a train. Daddy and Mama have been calling me "little man" and "little tiger" and "baby boy" and sometimes "sweet pea" too.  Uncle Jon called me "limey" when I was smaller because that's how big I am, but lately he has been threatening to call me "volleyballey."  Mama's boss, Greg, calls me "Matthew Gregory" because he thinks that's what my name should be and he says that's what Mama and Daddy will decide eventually.  It seems like no one can tell who I am!

This week Mama and Daddy started looking at all the things they will need to buy for me.  They were very excited to try out some strollers, but when they got to the store they could not figure out how to get a lot of them open and closed again.  One lady in the store passed by and saw Mama and Daddy laughing and trying so hard to work a stroller and she said "maybe that one isn't for you..."  Mama says baby things make her feel silly.  Daddy says maybe we don't need so many things after all if we can't even work them.  Mama says that baby things are too smart for Mamas and Daddies to figure out without a lot of tries.

Daddy and Pastor Jon started to design a crib for me this week too...Daddy says that cool babies get to sleep in their Daddy's bass drums because they are the perfect size and cribs are too expensive.  Mama isn't sure about whether the drum will work but Daddy says I will love it.

Some of Mama's friends are starting to plan a party to welcome me into the world. They won't tell Mama about it but she says it makes her feel very special, and it makes me very special too!

This week I am getting bigger and starting to get fat underneath my skin...that means my skin won't be see through much longer!  I am making my own blood cells from my bone marrow so I don't have to use all of Mama's blood.  I am also able to taste all the foods that Mama is putting in her body because my taste buds are coming in! All of the fluid around me changes from pizza to salad to stir fry to Chinese food.  I think food must be very yummy when I can taste all of it. I kick Mama a lot when she eats Chinese because it tastes my favorite.

A lot of people ask Mama if she is having cravings, because apparently a lot of mamas do.  Mama wants ice cream and ice pops all the time, but she says that is how she is when a baby is not in her tummy too, so she isn't sure that counts.  It is getting hot out so she usually needs to be eating or drinking something cold, and she is swimming in the pool with Aunt Maddie whenever she can and sitting under the air conditioner when she can't.

This week I am 21 weeks old.  I am the size of a big banana or a baby bok choy (about 9-10 inches long and about 10-12 oz)!  Mama says my kicks are so strong they surprise her sometimes, but so far Daddy hasn't been able to feel me.  I am growing my legs bigger so that I can kick him soon! Mama also says that I need to turn upside-down soon so that I'll be in the right position to come out.  But I can't tell what way is right and what way is wrong! It is very dark in here.  Luckily I have some time to try out all the ways I can sit.

Mama is researching all about classes for she and Daddy to take.  The classes will help them know what is coming when I am born and will help them know how to be the best team to help me be born.  Picking classes is confusing and a little strange, Mama says.  How do you know what class is best until you try it?

There are so many questions, but there is also lots of time to keep trying things out.  Some day we will have to make decisions, but this week seems to be for trial and error and dreaming and failing and realizing we won't always know the best things to do.  It's good that we have each other to try and learn together.