Belly Watch Alert! Twenty-seven Weeks

Here she is in all her gestational glow. Bring on the comments!

Baby Registry

The baby registry is up and running. We're still figuring out what we'll need, but we think we have a good representation of staples that will help us get Chili-bee off to a great start. I've heard talk about showers coming up and we've had requests to get this together so here it is:

http://www.myregistry.com/public/babyGV

Thanks for checking it out and let me know if it needs maintenance, clarification, or anything else.

Eastern Phoebe by Dan Lane

A friend of ours Dan Lane is a world-renowned bird illustrator. We work together at the LSU Museum of Natural Science and have a shared interest in Peruvian birds. Well, Kimberly and I asked Dan if he would paint an Eastern Phoebe for us and this is what he did for his first painting of 2011. WOW! Thanks for helping us decide on a name. We're definitely locked in now.

Name Decision

We have plodded through the baby name book, mined the baby name websites, and called out candidate names in our best you're-in-trouble voice. We think we've finally settled on a name for the baby girl that is increasingly making her presence known.

Phoebe Kay Gibbons will most likely stick. The abbreviation doesn't offend or lend itself to any more teasing than usual and most of all, we like it.

From the Baby Name Wizard website, Phoebe is Greek for bright or shining. In poetry, Phoebe is the moon personified. In Greek mythology, she was a Titan. It is a genus of plant, a common name for the three Sayornis flycatcher bird species, and a moon of Saturn, which was named after the Titan.

In the US it barely breaks the top 400 most popular names, but in England, it's in the top 40. Nicknames include Phebes, Bee, Chili-bee, Phee. PK could be used too. Well, what do you think?

Giving Thanks for Baby Gear

Wow. We are so thankful for the generosity of our friends with their baby gear. Although we don't know what some of this stuff does, we expect to figure it out before too long with classes at the hospital and more reading from the "What to expect when expecting" book. I think the harness thingy will allow us to multi-task with Baby GV and chores e.g. dishes, porch sweeping, grocery shopping(?), ...not sure of the limitations, but we'll find a pro to consult. Jo Beth sent a giant pillow and some incredible maternity clothes for Kimberly. We have an awesome changing table that is waiting to be moved into position once dad finds a new/temporary home for KV's desk.

Allison Pollan, a year ahead of us in the baby process is our number one, go-to, advisor on what we need. We have put a few of these items in a registry.

Thanks to everyone for their unbelievable generosity.

Baby Bump at 20 weeks

We have movement! "Definitely not gas" said Vetter after a strange sensation from her belly. We were advised during the last obstetrician visit that we should start expecting some action. Asked how she is feeling Vetter went on: "I feel good! More energy, I can go to the gym regularly, more swimming (feels great), less running."

Baby Names

Names are tough. We know it's a girl so that helps, but picking a name is tough. We had some fun at a website called the Baby Name Genie. At this site you can see what names are trending. Kimberly liked Sophie or Sophia, but it looks like it is smoking hot right up there with Ava and Isabella. One thing the books suggest is to first make a list of all the family names to consider: Marguerite, Mildred, Dot, Alma, Evelyn, Kay, Connie, Charlyn, Amy, Marie, Rene, Reta, Lenda, Kathy, Ann, Katie, Sarah, Kimberly, Shari, Lindsey, and Macy.

With the Baby Name Genie you can put in a name and it will give you a suggested middle name that should sound nice. You can even ask for fifty if you want. Next, check out to make sure the initials don't spell something the child will hold against you like Penelope Isabella Gibbons, Grace Alma Gibbons, or Olivia Marie Gibbons.

Finally, the Baby name Genie even lets you try the name out with a lifetime of situational sentences where you are blasted into the future when their name will be spoken:
" If Phoebe would consistently turn her homework in--on time--she would be one of my star pupils".

We haven't decided on a name yet, but we're test driving a few around the house. We'll keep you posted.