Oh Baby!

As most of you already know Carlene and I are expecting our first baby in December. To say that we are excited about it is a shocking understatement. We've been waiting for a while for this, and we are ecstatic. On Wednesday we get to find out if it's a boy or a girl. Or a unicorn. Carlene and I (but mostly Carlene) have been reading up on baby maintenance and with all the baby toys and clothes others have given us, we've been stockpiling supplies.

That is the one thing I really wanted to address, as far as the baby goes. Thanks for all the stuff you all have given us. We've got the nursery about 1/3 full of baby supplies, virtually all of it given to us by friends and family. The only thing we have paid for ourselves up to now is a stroller and a package of diapers. (Speaking of diapers, I may have to do a poll about that) We really appreciate everything you guys have given us. I often worried about how we would be able to afford to have a baby. All the things that have been donated to our baby cause have saved us a lot of money, for which we are very grateful.

Now it is time to vent! Why is it that if a perfect stranger came up and touched my non-pregnant wife's tummy (yes, I call it a tummy), it would be an assault, but because she is pregnant, she is doomed to suffer the unwanted proddings of random passers by? Am I the only husband that is upset by people laying hands on my wife without permission, or am I just being too protective? I am tempted to have a maternity shirt made that says "Yes, I am pregnant. No, you may not touch my tummy." Below that, and about where the baby would be hanging out, would be a life-size hand print, enclosed in a circle with a line through it, using the international symbol for "Keep Your Hands Off My Wife." Would anybody buy one?

One more gripe before I move on to different post subjects; Please do not ask if we have a name picked out. If we don't, we won't have anything to tell you. If we do, we probably won't tell you anyway. Those of you with children of your own must know what I'm talking about here. Right? Wow, nobody? Really? When the baby comes, we will let everyone know what his or her name is.

Now I'll move on to other things, because if I keep going on in this vein, people will start to think I am some jerkwad blowhard. They would only be mostly right. And thanks again for all the stuff.