SECOND TRIMESTER PONDERINGS...

Posted by the Weisdaddy. The second trimester has been exciting for a few reasons, but mostly it has just felt as though life has returned to it's normal pace - albeit with a wife whose belly grows daily. The first trimester was exciting for all of the classic reasons one imagines when they think of this phase in life. You realize you're about to become a parent and have a wonderful new little life in your world, you hear the heartbeat for the first time usually, you begin to imagine all things baby, you get to share the news with loving and excited friends and family, and the baby is developing at an awesome and rapid pace.

The second trimester has brought a different kind of excitement. It's been more mellow I've felt. Weismommy started to feel relief and happiness with the passing of the daily nausea and sleepiness, her tummy has started to grow with the baby getting bigger, we got to see our baby more developed with an ultrasound and find out the sex, and the baby is developing more of his senses and starting to develop his brain - which is pretty cool to think about. Other than that though, it generally just feels like life as usual. I remember last year when I read through "Pregnancy for Dummies", the first and third trimester had very large chapters, while the second trimester had one that was merely a couple of pages. I didn't think much of it then, but I think it appropriately reflects the atmosphere of this phase. There isn't much of note happening with the little one minus growth and a few other cool developments, and there just isn't really anything to worry about. Lindsay and I had put most of our baby plans in place before we even started trying to conceive, and so the ship is pretty much steering itself at this point. For us it's all been a blessedly smooth transition, so yeah, I would have to characterize the second trimester as oddly tranquil and normal.

As Lindsay mentioned in her last post, we've finally set our parental leave for our little guy's first year, and I'm pretty excited about it. The first month will see each of us off work and at home, but for the last two weeks of that month I'll start working a day or two each week. September and October are very busy months at our company for my role, with probably a third of our yearly quotes generated during that short period. Weisbaby's timing is thus not entirely convenient in the grand scheme, but whatever, we'll deal with it. That's why I'll have to work a bit the last two weeks of whatever date period I take off, but I'm not concerned. C'est la vie. We're also planning that I'll take a month off next March/April with parental leave, and get to spend another month with my boy before we start pawning him off between our moms. I'm really excited about that month. Our son will essentially be seven months old at that time and should be alot of fun to play with. I've read that he'll probably be in the midst or start of teething at that time, which won't be fun, but hey, part and parcel baby, part and parcel.

And now for something completely different...


Top Ten Things I'm Most Excited About for my Son's First Year

• Dressing him in uber cute clothing
• Staring at him in absolute awe as I watch him grow and learn
• Playing with him and his funky toys
• Dressing him up for Halloween!
• Enjoying our first Christmas with him and seeing how he likes the pretty lights on our tree
• Seeing his smile and hearing him laugh
• Enjoying our first summer with him, at which point he'll be more alert and active
• Seeing him meet and play with his cousin Cadence and all our friends babies, and taking mucho pictures of said encounters
• BATH TIME!!! We registered for some rubber duckies, and it's scientifically proven that they make bath time, and I quote, "so much fun"
• Every waking minute of blood, sweat, and tears we'll spend in the first year, and the amazing life memories and experiences that we'll take away as a result

Also, first time swimming, playground experience, travel experience, craploads of pictures and video, first steps, first words, first everything, etc... etc... Yeah. That's right. I'm excited. :-)