An Open Letter from Baby Codd

Contrary to popular belief, I am not "overdue" as Mommy and Daddy say!

I am fashionably late. I am making an entrance. I am building anticipation.

Besides, what's four days anyway.

I don't get much news in here but I know that nowadays you have to grab attention to get noticed. This is my coming out party and I'm gonna milk it.

Mommy and Daddy like to plan and prep. They are not the most patient people on the planet.

But I'm destined to change that.

You see, I like to play.

My favorite game? Hide and seek. I mean, come on, is there a better hiding place than where I am? Nobody is coming in here to get me.

It could not be cozier in Mommy's tummy. There's a constant flow of food. It's so dark I can sleep all day. I even get to float. Float, people!

The only drawbacks -- I'm upside down most of the time and sometimes Daddy plays his tunes a little too loud for my taste.

Let me set the record straight. Mommy and Daddy have been posting all kinds of stuff about me being "late" on their Facebook page. (Yeah, I get the internet in here. Wifi rocks. Look me up on FB. I'm "inutero2010?")

Daddy even says I won't make much of a journalist since I can't adhere to deadlines.

But I'm not upset with them. They're first time parents, what do you expect? Hell, they don't even know if I'm a boy or a girl. The suspense must be killing them. Awesome.

And with all the stuff going on the world -- oil spill, stock market falling, some crazy stuff in Arizona -- why would I be in a rush to escape?

(An aside -- after I cross the border into the world, is someone going to ask to see my papers? I really gotta gather my things...)

I hear there's lots of people that want to meet me -- more than half a dozen grandparents, aunts, an uncle, cousins, great aunts, great uncles, friends -- and I hope there's enough of me to go around.

One thing I promise, though, no matter how long it takes me to join y'all, I will be well worth the wait.

And Dad, two things. One, I would love an iPad for my first birthday gift. And, two, don't even think of dressing me in that Orioles outfit you bought. They suck.

The Waiting Game

Well, these are the last images we will see of Baby Codd in utero. Next time we take pictures of this little one, Baby will be in our arms!!! It was very exciting to see that everything looks perfect and Baby is already 7 pounds 6 ounces. Based on my exam today, it looks like Baby might not make an appearance until the due date if not later. While we are both so anxious to finally meet Baby, I guess we're on Baby's timetable now.

Everything is ready. The nursery is set, the hospital bag is packed and I started my maternity leave this week. Maybe some gentle coaxing is in order to let Baby know we are ready whenever he/she decides to make the amazing journey into the world. It's exciting to think our next blog post will be announcing the birth of our first child complete with pictures and a gender and a name!!

37 Weeks...

It feels like yesterday that Meredith whispered those words in my ear while I was half asleep -- "I'm pregnant."

Friday, the midwife told Mere the baby could come any day.

Did I sleep through the past 8 months?

Holy cow, there's about to be another Codd in the world. I couldn't be happier.

As the song "Fatherhood Blues" from the musical "Baby" goes, "My head is high and the air is sweet and the street will not stay under my feet. I walk along to a funky beat, wherever I go, I'm happy..."

After all the work preparing the house -- I feel like we're about 90% there -- and preparing our minds -- I feel like I'm about 50% there! -- we could meet our new family member at any moment.

I must admit to some trepidation. That's not to say I don't feel I will be a good father. Instinctively, I know that I will. (And I am certain Meredith will be a confident, doting, learned mother).

This child will be surrounded by loving family and friends and lots of other stuff. Toys. Books. Art. Music. Movies. Sports.

After Baby Codd arrives, Mere and the baby and I will have three weeks at home to get to know each other. We'll host a few family members and friends. We'll take a TON of pictures and video. We'll Skype with family and friends spread out across the states.

Whether this baby will sleep or be cranky, fuss or play, be healthy as a horse or endure the occasional cold, one thing is certain -- Mere and I are thrilled to be on this journey together. We're ready to welcome a new player to Team Codd.

6 more to go and we'll be able to fill a baseball diamond.

Meet our Doula!

We would like to introduce family and friends to our doula, Lisi. I discovered doulas while I was in massage school and even considered going through the training to become one myself. A doula is a birth assistant; someone to help mommy and daddy through the process of labor and delivery through massage, aromatherapy, and other relaxation techniques. We are gearing up for a completely drug-free birth and wanted the support of a professional who knew lots of alternative pain relief options. Lisi has been attending deliveries for almost 10 years and we love her laid-back, warm personality and sense of humor.

On Saturday, she came over to the house for a consultation and we practiced some breathing techniques, learned different labor positions, and even simulated a few 'mock contractions' where I had to hold ice in my hand for several minutes. Carey is definitely front row and center, rubbing my back and helping me to remember the proper breathing patterns.

With Lisi on our team, we are confident this baby can make his/her entrance into this world without the help of narcotics or an epidural. In the next four weeks, we will continue to practice our breathing and getting everything we need ready for the big day. I'm working on getting my hospital bag packed, a birth playlist created, and putting the finishing touches on the baby's room. It's hard to believe in less than a month (let's hope!) we will all discover who this little person is who has been growing and growing and growing inside me for the last 9 months!!

As the Belly Grows...

Here's a brief visual tour of Mere's belly over the past few months. This miracle of life thing is pretty amazing.

As the Belly Grows...

Easter Showers Bring Presents for Baby

Mere's family threw us a wonderful shower on a picturesque Easter Sunday afternoon.

Enjoy the pics!

Future Mom & Dad take Future Baby to Ballgame

I'm a huge baseball fan. Always have been. Ever since my Aunt Cathy took me to see Brooks Robinson play third for the Baltimore Orioles when I was 4 years old.

Mere enjoys baseball also. Greg Maddux was her favorite (Further proof of our age difference!).

We took our future little gal/guy to an Orioles Spring Training game on Saturday. We think she/he is a good luck charm. God knows the Orioles need it.

The score doesn't matter -- O's won 11-0 but we introduced the great American pastime to our impending arrival. There will be many more games in she/he's future.

And a big thanks to Aunt Denise for providing the tickets to our Spring Training festivities!

For those keeping score at home, Mere is officially 33 full weeks today. By the way, 33 is a great number. Eddie Murray wore it for years while manning first base for the O's.