Baby picking rules

As you know, Michelle is pregnant with our first child. I can't think of a better way to celebrate this miracle of life than with the miracle of predicting. If you'd like to get in on the action, please read below. If you're repulsed by the thought of making predictions on our unborn child, perhaps you should reconsider having me as a friend/ family member - there's going to be more stuff like this for the next 18 years.

Entries and nothing else are due APRIL 8, 2009 (next WEDNESDAY) at 9:00 AM EDT. Sorry for the tight time frame, but that's the day of the ultrasound.

Submit your picks by clicking on the link here. Once all the picks are in, I'll send out the spreadsheet with everyone's entries so you can view your competition.
http://tinyurl.com/tylerbabypool

Just submit your picks. No need to send anything else.

The Rules:

FIRST ROUND - Picking the correct gender
Choose whether you think the child will be a boy or girl. If you have your own theories about the influence of how big Michelle is, what dreams she's been having, how much sleep she's been getting, or any other lame childbirth folklore tale [that will contradict all the other folklore tales], you can call Michelle to get more information.

If you pick the correct gender, you stay in the "Champions Pool." If not, you'll move to the "Consolation Pool." The Consolation Pool works the same way as the Champions Pool, but you're competing against only those other people who underachieved in the first round. This means that, for the Consolation Pool, what happens in the Champions Pool is irrelevant because you have your own mini-tournament (and vice versa). (thanks to Fanella for the pool structure)

SECOND ROUND - Picking the birthday
If you pick closest to the correct day, you're a finalist to be the ultimate winner. This is truly a "closest to" and not "The Price is Right" style. So if the birthday is the due date, August 25, and someone selects August 24 and someone selects August 26 and no one selects August 25, then we have a tie and those two entrants move on to the tie-breaker.

TIEBREAKER ONE - Length
Whoever gets closest to the actual length (in inches) is the winner. Again, this is true "closest to."

TIEBREAKER TWO - Weight
If multiple entrants have picked the same gender, birthday, and length, the final tiebreaker is weight (in pounds and inches). Again, it's a true "closest to."

Since I didn't send out anything related to the March Madness basketball brackets this year, I hope this satisfies your need for meaningless competition. Feel free to share this with others - the more entries the better. Thanks for playing, and good luck!

-David

Kicking Up a Storm

I felt the baby move for the first time this afternoon! Baby T and I were on our way to Florida for a quick weekend visit with Grandma and Grandpa Sutton when, all of a sudden, I felt a tiny little flutter in my belly. We were actually on the plane, waiting to take off at the time that it happened. It was subtle, almost like a bubble popping, but it was clearly the first of many baby movements to come. I am still smiling as I think about what an amazing feeling it was and how I now feel connected to this little one in a whole new (very real!) way.

Christmas Morning

"This is the best Christmas present I've gotten in 29 years!"

~ Grandpa Mike

After a week of trying to hide the fact that I'm pregnant (and thinking up creative explanations as to why I'm not drinking!), we told my parents the big news. Dave and I waited until all of the presents had been opened on Christmas morning and pretended that we had forgotten to set out one of the gifts for my mom and dad.

We had a card for each of them -- one of those cards that allows you to record a personalized voice message -- in which we recorded ourselves saying, "Congratulations, Grandma!" and "Congratulations, Grandpa!" We also included a photo that we had taken of our positive pregnancy test. My mom realized what was happening almost immediately, but I think the news took a minute to sink in with my dad. After a moment or two, he finally asked, "Is this for real?" And, of course, it was. We all hugged and cried some very happy tears for a bit afterwards before heading up to the attic to start pulling down all of the baby gear my mom has been saving for this very day...

Excited doesn't even begin to describe my parents' reaction -- they seemed genuinely over-joyed and haven't stopped asking us when they can start spreading the news that they are going to be grandparents.

We're having a baby!

Dave and I are having a baby! Although I don't think the news has quite yet sunk in, we are beyond thrilled at the thought of starting a family. 

We had been "not not trying" for a couple of months and honestly didn't believe it would happen so quickly. (I sure am glad it did, though, because the anxiety of waiting to take that test each month was pure heck.) I was only a day or two late, but figured I ought to take a test before we hit the road to drive down to Florida for Christmas. So, first thing this morning, I took it -- half believing it would come back negative -- and, much to my pleasant surprise, it read PREGNANT in clear, bold letters! After taking a moment or two to let the news hit me, I went back into our bedroom where Dave was just beginning to wake up for the day ahead. I'm not sure what I said (something like, "There's something you should see...") before handing him the positive test, but afterwards we cuddled in bed for what seemed like forever, letting the mix of excitement, surprise, and shock sink in. 

I spent most of the rest of the day in a daydream, savoring our little secret and trying desperately to focus at work; there were just too many happy thoughts swirling around in my head to concentrate on any one thing for very long. I did manage to call my doctor to make an appointment for after the holidays and also took one more test this evening just to make sure I wasn't seeing things earlier. :) 

Even now, two tests later, I can hardly believe it's true. We are so hopeful and excited, though, and are already bursting to tell everyone our big news...