The official top 10 list...

Benefits to having a baby on the way (first 5 today):

Baby Meds (Butt Paste) - because society still hasn’t accepted itching your hinny in public- apply a little cream and be happy.

Ice Cream - Oh! I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! In the land of ice and snows, Up among the Eskimos, There's a college known as Ogiwawa! You should hear those college boys, Gee, they make an awful noise, When they sing an Eskimo tra-la-la!

Emergency napping - occurs when you are suddenly very tired and cannot continue with the activity you were originally engaged in. Activities that can drive this behavior include but are not limited to: waking up, standing up, showering, walking, et al. This type of nap can be used to combat drowsy driving or fatigue.

Picking names- At this point, everything and nothing is on the table. But getting a good chuckle after every Luciano, Luigi and Mario makes my day. What can I say, I want to have my own pizza kitchen someday and I need the names to match it.

Playing “who can grow the belly faster” game- Right now I am losing. But I am not giving up. Breakfast- Chocolate Chip pancakes, Lunch – Cheese Dogs, Dinner – Burritos!

From Lux to Baby.

Dear baby without a name,
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lux and I am the family dog. Before I touch on the house rules, I thought I should tell you a few things about my life.

I enjoy sleeping just as much as you. My crib has been on order for 4 years, so I’ve been told. I hear you might be getting one in 4 months. Don’t hold your breath.

Eating is also a hobby, but my choices are limited. This is where you can really help…People say don’t play with your food. I say play/throw/drop anything! Spills- No Problem. Cheerios- Love them.

Been walking since day 1…I don’t say that to be challenging, just want you to know that I am an expert. Running- check. Just say the word.

As for the house rules-
Rule#1 – Only 2 people and one dog can occupy a bed. The combinations do not matter, 3 is company but 4 is a crowd. I don’t like crowds.
Rule #2 – When you extend your hand, we shake.
Rule #3 – doorbells and other dogs make me bark. Don’t complain- it’s for your protection.
Rule #4 - when we ride in the car together the windows stay down. When you are older, you will understand.
Rule #5- Sofa’s are for dogs too. Nothing is off-limits.
I look forward to a long healthy relationship. Enjoy the photo.
Love, Lux

4 1/2 Inches, 3 1/2 ounces

Now the size of an avocado. At 16 weeks, baby movements may be felt by Ashley. According to the books, the earliest movements feel like gas bubbles. I find this interesting because Ashley has already turned our home into the horns section of the San Antonio symphony. I guess we have future athlete on the way.

Hard to believe we are almost at the halfway point in this pregnancy. Marty and Cheryl sent us a Discovery DVD that details conception to birth. All the baby books in the world can't compare to the actual images of this miracle. The hardest thing for me to grasp is the actual size of these babies at birth. I look at our 'lil Ashley and the math does not compute. And the delivery itself- the experts really tagged it perfectly when they called it "labor".

Put on your Sunday clothes...

Because we are going to Sears! I wonder if our little one knew this as he/she posed for the first official photograph. I apologize for the viewing challenge. 2 inch figures viewed through pea sized cameras typically limit the color and shape reproduction. However, Ashley promises to get a wave to the family for the next series of photographs. Though my money is on the "I am sleeping in a hammock look".

We've got a couple important dates to look forward to. May 24th and June 9th. According to the books, gender can be determined around the 17th week. I don't think the fancy HD camera was scheduled for this date, but we may get lucky and find out something. June 9th for sure. So will Mama Kennedy get her wish for another granddaughter? Or will Grandpop Leanord and Grandpop Bob be fighting over the future allegiance of their grandsons favorite baseball team? Only time will tell.

Super Saver

This isn't a story about getting a good deal at your local supermarket. Nor is it a lecture about the new wave of 529 plans designed to cover that future 300K tuition bill in 2030. I am talking about the 2010 Kentucky Derby winner "Super Saver".

For the 4th consecutive year, the Golia's blew it out for the most famous horse race of the year. Baby Golia had a good time watching everyone else consume bubbly drinks all while feasting on mass quantities of natural fruit juice and whole grain snacks. Who needs Coca Cola marinated baby back ribs when you can enjoy a nice piece of whole wheat toast?

Anyways, as the horses took to the starting gates I couldn't help but notice the unique naming convention used for thoroughbreds. Starting with a "Homeboykris" only to be followed up with others like "Awesome Act", "Lookin At Lucky", "Sidney's Candy" and "Devil May Care". So my question for the group- is it time to start a new trend where including adjectives, verbs, nouns or conjunctions in our children's names becomes the standard? Sound silly? Not to the original owners of the land you are occupying. I would be willing to bet that a "Dances with Wolves" or "Kicking Bird" once hunted the space you now call the "backyard". Why didn't America adopt this cool tradition? Imagine that first day of school- the teacher is pouring through the names of his/her future nightmares...Starting with Timmy, then Mary, then Mike...and then the teacher sees it- "Work Ethic". Can you say deans list?