So...

I may or may not be annoyed with a few choice people and there may or may not be a good reason. With these raging hormones, it is hard to decipher between what may be legitimate annoyment (yes, I'm aware this isn't a word) and what is just me being ridiculous.

What is currently annoying me you ask?

• GP pretending that she is boss and trying to "organize" us. 1) You are not my boss. 2) You have NO organizational skills whatsoever. You frequently admit to people that you suck at organizing and that's why I've had to step in and help you. Many times. 3) You just bother me by being you. (Who is GP you ask? For a little background read this or this.)
  
• Banks, lendors, title companies, buying/selling houses. We are selling our house, they are supposed to close next week. We are buying a house, we were supposed to have closed like 8 different times over the past month or so. The lenders are annoying and ridiculous and driving me nuts. I may be homeless if they don't get their ish together.
• Not being able to go grocery shopping. Directly linked to bullet item above. Not knowing if/when we're moving really puts a damper on buying food. Meaning I can't. Meaning I'm eating like a college student. Lots of canned goods, boxed meals and cereal. Not satisfying for anyone, much less a pregnant lady.
• Having to "reinterview" for my job. We have new head honchos. They seem plenty nice. We are having to meet with them one on one and bring our bio, updated copy of our resume and our updated job description... not sure what it means, but it's slightly annoying. This "meeting" was original posed as a getting to know you sit down chat, not looking that way now...

I don't know what the heck is going on, but people are driving me nuts. Anyway, another day...

In 7 short weeks...

In 7 weeks, we've gone from this...

17 Weeks

To this:24 Weeks

And the first ever front shot...

Touche

Excerpt: Parents, your kids aren't that special

• Story Highlights
• Jack says there's no such thing as the perfect family, only degrees of dysfunction
  
• Cafferty: Parents' inability to impose limits reflects in dropout rates, drug abuse, sex
  
• Jack can't recall a generation "ever so indulged and enabled to behave so badly"
  

Below is an excerpt from CNN commentator Jack Cafferty's new book, "Now or Never." Jack appears daily in "The Situation Room" on CNN from 4 to 7 p.m. ET.

I never presumed to have any more answers about being a parent than anybody else.

There are no perfect parents, perfect kids, perfect families -- only degrees of dysfunction.

You get up in the morning and do the best you can. At the end of the day you say, "Okay, that wasn't so bad, let's try it again tomorrow." Some of my instincts were pretty good and some of them were awful.

I did stay engaged and didn't say to hell with being a father when my first marriage ended. With the younger girls, I eventually made the choice to clean up my alcoholism before I pushed things to the point of no return. But most of the credit does to my second wife Carol; to the girls; and to God Almighty. Ultimately, I've just been very fortunate.

I don't know the status of parenting in America. But I know a little about the status of education in America. Parents' growing inability to impose manners and limits on their kids when the kids are in school is reflected in record dropout rates, as well as teen drug and alcohol abuse, teen sex, and unwed pregnancies. Maybe it's parenting that's on the decline, more than the schools. Watch Jack Cafferty talk about "Now or Never" in The Situation Room" »

Exhibit A: My wife and I have just been seated for dinner when the maitre d' walks over and seats a young family at the table next to us and the kids start carrying on like orangutans on a leash.

The parents are going, "Timmy, that's not nice, don't throw your food, stop stuffing your mashed potatoes up your nose." Are mom and dad having fun yet, picking food up off the floor, apologizing to people like us, and wiping food flung across the table off their faces?

Some parents still have this attitude that their kids are too special to be burdened by discipline. And the rest of us are supposed to put up with their little mutants. That attitude really pisses me off.

I hate to break it to them, but the kids aren't special, and I don't have to put up with their behavior. If you can't control your obnoxious little brats, leave them home.

They don't belong out in public annoying other people, period. I don't remember a generation of kids ever so indulged and enabled to behave so badly. What's going on?

I remember as a kid I was expected to behave myself out in public or suffer the wrath of one very angry father. And of all the things that used to piss him off, those expectations didn't seem unreasonable. Something's gone terribly wrong here. My guess is it has to do with the breakdown of authority, the collapse of strong family structure, and the abdication of parental responsibility, dictated in part by the necessity that both parents work.

Plus, we have a whole generation of Baby Boomers who are too busy feeling entitled to prolong their own self-indulgent, self-absorbed adolescences to rein in their own kids.

Just a theory.

**Just my two cents, but I totally agree. I heard last week that "fair" is the worst four letter word in the English language. I couldn't agree more. All of this bull ish that society is feeding us that everything needs to be fair and everyone should be seen on an even playing field is BOGUS. If I am better than you at something so be it. If I put in the effot I should be recognized for it. If you suck, you need to FAIL. Lessons are not being taught by hand holding these kids who don't give a crap. If they are going to fail and don't want to put in any effort, we as a society need to let them face those consequences.

As a soon-to-be new parent, here is my vow to you society: I will raise a child with manners. He will say please and thank you and he will respect his elders. He will be taught that no is something he will hear often and he just needs to get over it. He will know that life is not fair. He will be taught that if he works hard he will be rewarded. He will know that if he doesn't try his hardest, he may not like the outcome and he will have to deal with it. He will not think that he "deserves" anything. He will know that there will be punishments and consequences for his actions. He will know that the only thing he has a right to is food, water, and shelter. He will know that anything beyond this is a privilege. But he will know that he is loved and that we will help him to accomplish anything he sets his mind to.

It's a bit daunting to think that I will be responsible for shaping this little person. I know the stuff above is easier said than done, but I know I have to write my goals down, so that's what I'm doing. :)

Letters and Soccer Balls!?!!?

Your baby weighs more than a pound and a half right now and sports a crown-to-rump length of about eight and a half inches (standard letter size!). In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball.

Wondering what (and who) your baby will look like? If you had a baby cam at 24 weeks pregnant, you'd almost be able to tell by now. That beautiful face (though still tiny) is almost fully formed. What's still missing from the picture is the fat that will be piled on under baby's skin. Until those fat deposits are made, that very tender skin is still very transparent, which means a close look would let you see clear through to all the organs, bones, and blood vessels. Fortunately, that see-through look won't last much longer. Babies at this stage of fetal development are gaining about six ounces each week — with much of that gain coming from fat, in addition to growing organs, bones, and muscle.

What's been playing on your little rocker's stereo system these days? All kinds of sounds can be heard by your baby in your womb: from air exhaling from your lungs (deep breath now), those gastric gurgles produced by your stomach and intestines, your voice and your partner's (which your baby will be able to recognize at birth), and even very loud sounds such as honking horns, barking dogs, or a wailing fire truck.

Wow, he's gaining almost 6 ounces per week! It's crazy to think that he will double in weight in the next few weeks. He's been a little lazy the last few days, I was starting to get worried, but realized it's probably because he is a little growing machine. Lounging around packing on that fat so his skin isn't see through anymore... :)

As for me, I'm still feeling pretty good. I'm having to keep a close eye on my blood sugar as I get that funky light headed feeling if I don't pay attention to what/when I eat. I'm used to that though.

Next doctor's appointment is next week. It should be relatively uneventful. Other than that, just enjoying feeling this little man kick away. We haven't yet started ANY of the buying/planning needed for the nursery, but it will come in due time. I think we are shooting for a shower in May sometime. I can't believe we are down to less than 4 months!

Strangers started making comments on my belly and asking pregnancy related questions last week, so I'm officially past the point of no return! Oh, and based on the description at the top of the page, I have this image of my little boy bouncing around inside of my soccer ball uterus. Haha.

QUACK.

If it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck... It's a duck.

Well, I walk like a duck, but I'm not quacking yet, so I guess I'm not yet technically a duck. Hmm.

I was told be a COMPLETE STRANGER yesterday that I'm starting to waddle.

Thanks lady. Way to boost the confidence.

Quack.

This is the best thing ever...

I do feel bad for the poor thing, but holy moly this is classic...

Wha?

Sorry, I doubt you all want a pregnancy anatomy lesson, but I can't get over this. My stomach is behind my boobs... Wha?

Who knew. Oh the amazing things our bodies do.

And Baby J must be in this very similar position as his kicks are all right near my belly button. :)

23 Weeks.

So the Papaya comparison holds until the end of next week, but as far as development this week, the "experts" have this to say about our little man...

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing his for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

As for me, my good friend nausea seems to be making a reappearance. Not sure what this is all about, but I'm NOT a fan. I'm also getting hot flashes. Our little boy gets more and more active every day. He is already taking after his father... he LOVES food. I swear as soon as I put something in my mouth, he starts doing back flips. It's pretty entertaining.

I can now see kicks from the outside. It's really cool and kinda weird, but I love it! Strangers are finally starting to make comments on my belly. It's good to know that the rest of the world can now tell I'm pregnant.

Other than that, nothing much to report... :)

My subconsicous at its best...

Last night I had a dream. I will try to describe it the best I can...

I was in a hospital, but it wasn't like a normal hospital. It was like a cafeteria. I was in a hospital bed, but there were lots of tables and people in the giant gymnasium like room. (I attribute this weird setup to watching Grey's Anatomy last night and the scenes where they are in the cafeteria). Anyway, I'm holding a beautiful dark haired baby boy and am ecstatic. As I'm holding him, I feel a kick in my stomach. I'm holding a newborn baby, but I'm still pregnant. Two men (I think they were doctors) come up to my hospital bed to talk to us. The conversation goes on back and forth and I tell them there is another baby, I'm supposed to be having twins, they forgot one, they need to get him out. They said no, you had a c-section, and you are holding your baby. The other baby inside of you is dead, you will have to wait and have the dead baby naturally, we can't help you. I try to insist that the baby in me is not dead, I can feel him moving. I am freaking out because they gave me a c-section and only took one baby out, they forgot one.

This goes on and on for what seems like forever. I get up and hand my baby off to be taken care of by none other than my boss Casey, weird. And I start roaming the hospital looking for this blonde lady who was apparently the doctor I wanted. I kept telling her, he's moving inside me, he's not dead, we have to get him out.

Then I woke up.

I laid in bed trying to analyze my bizarre dream and I came to an oddly prolific conclusion.

Had my first pregnancy been successful, tomorrow would have been my due date... 3/14/09. So I would have probably already been holding my baby. And I always felt like that baby was a boy. And I think I really was feeling this current baby boy move while I was dreaming because when I woke up he was kicking away.

Sorry if this freaks any of you out, but it's amazing how our subconcious works. I thought I was doing totally ok with coming up on my first due date and I still think I'm doing pretty well, but I will never forget what could have been. I'm so incredibly thankful for this baby boy I will have in my arms in 4 short months, but I will never get back what I lost in that first baby.

Anyway, not sure what I should be feeling, but I think it's a mixture of sadness and hope.

As promised... 22 weeks, 2 days. You're welcome Mom!

HI-YAH!

I'd like to introduce you all to my child... the ninja.

Weeks 22-25: Papaya!

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

22 weeks, holy moly. The countdown is on. I started a registry online last week, but mostly just so I could keep track of what I like in one place. We need to start finalizing it, but that will probably take a bit longer. I think I decided on a nursery theme. I want to go with really simple so it can grow with him. I'm thinking colors very similar to my blog design, blue and brown. Accents will be footballs! That way I can incorporate the sports element for Jimmy but not have gawdy sports stuff everywhere. Have you seen the sports bedding sets? They are fugly. Anyway, it's becoming more and more real that this little man will be here soon. Wow, the whole sense of responsibility is starting to weigh in. Wow is about the only word that describes it.

Pretty sure Jimmy felt the little man move Friday night, although he doesn't quite believe it. We were sitting on the couch and he had his hand on my stomach. I usually have to force this as it kind of weirds him out for some reason. Anyway, little man was wiggling around like crazy and I just kept looking at Jimmy to see if he could feel any of it. He gives a big kick and Jimmy kind of looks at me wide eyed but didn't say anything. I said, "well?" He goes, "I think I felt something, did he move?" I said yes, but then Jimmy went in to denial mode and was like, no I don't think I felt anything, I don't know... blah blah blah. Ugh, men. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he feels him for REAL.

Nothing else to add. Still hungry a lot, trying to get out and walk everynight.

There was an incident in Phoenix this week where a newborn baby was attacked and killed by the family dog. Kind of scary, but just stresses that even the most loving dogs need to be trained and prepared for baby. We are setting out to buy a baby doll this week and start pretending it's real around the dogs to teach them basic "baby" manners. It should be interesting.

Anyway, I took a belly pic this AM, but I was super tired so it's not centered and a little lopsided. I will retake tonight and post tomorrow. :)

Week 21: Banana

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Feeling great! So happy to be past the half way point. Had a Dr. appointment today with another ultrasound. Little Bub looks great! He was wiggling away and made it hard for the tech to snap pics of his face and feet, but she said his measurements look PERFECT! She made sure to point out that he is stubborn... cuz we didn't already know that. Wonder who he gets that from! He weighs in at 14 oz. and has a heartbeat of 148 beats per minute.

And great news, my placenta has MOVED!!! It's in the right place, no more pelvic rest and no major concerns at all! My blood pressure was normal, so all is good, and I am on track with my weight gain. YEA!

Here is a pic taken Saturday night when I was in LA. Like my new shirt?