Any last words??

Okay, I have 2 major regrets about things that I have not done or learned prior to the arrival of a child:

1) Not getting that dang Lexus when I had the chance. Bye bye dream car, hello Hyundai for life!

2) Never learning how to fold those stupid fitted sheets. As that is the only thing acceptable to put in the crib with a newborn (to prevent SIDS), I have a feeling that I am going to be balling up a lot of these sheets in frustration and stuffing them in a drawer somewhere. Do babies really care about wrinkles?? I think not.

~Mommy and "L.B." Jean (6 lbs at 35 weeks)

Countdown of My Top Ten Pregnancy Annoyances

I try not to complain about being pregnant...but I gotta let a little bit out or I'll go crazy!

10) The irony of being able to fit only 3-4 bites into my squished stomach at a time during a period of my life when it is considered acceptable to pig out and consistently put on weight each week. It’s not much fun to finish your meal in four minutes and then stare at your husband for another twenty while he is obviously enjoying his shrimp and grits.

9) Anyone who has ever perused a pregnancy magazine or watched a movie with a pregnant chick in it (real or fake) knows that knocked-up women’s navels tend to poke out during their pregnancy…but no one said anything about HALF of a belly button!! Maybe it’s because Little Baby Jean (L.B. for short) hangs out pretty much on the same half of my ribcage and pelvis all of the time?? I think L.B. may take after his or her daddy in the respect that he or she doesn’t like change…

8) Why does your weight gain seem to go straight to your face???

7) Having complete strangers (including gas station attendants and members of the clergy) drill me with questions about the due date, sex of the baby, potential names, breastfeeding preferences, etc, as well as offer advice on birthing positions, potty training theories, nipple salves, and natural hemorrhoid remedies. Yeah…awkward!!

6) Becoming short of breath while sitting on my rear watching TV or talking on the phone…a short torso equals baby in the lungs at all times!!

5) Having elderly patients ask me if I really think it’s “good for the baby” to be working as much and younger co-workers asking why I’m not working full-time. Can’t I please anyone??

4) My abdomen has become a comfortable “pillow” for Haley and Willie to rest their heads on…apparently Kiddo Jean does not like smelly dogs lying on him or her because he/she kicks a lot when they are around. At least this provides hours of free entertainment to watch the dogs peacefully sleeping and then startle quickly or growl in their sleep in response to these powerful kicks (I think I am breeding an Olympic soccer player…or martial arts expert).

3) Growing out of my t-shirts for goodness sakes!! T-shirts are the one thing that’s always supposed to be comfy and loose!!

2) Craving a hard workout at the gym…what’s up with that??

AND THE NUMBER ONE PREGNANCY ANNOYANCE IS...

1) “Are you having twins??”

Watchamacallit

Welcome to the Jean Team blog! Our blog has been created to keep our friends and families updated on our ever-changing life (it's really not that exciting, folks). Recommended by a friend (thanks Shawn!!), this will be our way of sharing the excitement of future Baby BoyorGirl Jean with everyone. Feel free to check it at will, as we will try to post something a couple of times a week. This way, you won't get annoying mass e-mails in your inbox!!

Emily is now 32-going-on-40 weeks pregnant. With less than 8 weeks to go, we are still holding out on finding out the sex of future Baby Jean. In a society where most people find out the sex in order to prepare the nursery, prepare for showers, or just mentally prepare for the new addition to the family, we have opted to find out the old fashioned way: waiting to hear "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!" or "Man, did you see the size of his...!!!" in the delivery room. Yes, we agree with everyone that this makes planning a little bit more difficult (it's a darn good thing that sage green is a favored color in our family!). Making things even more challenging is the fact that there is a very limited selection of "true" gender neutral clothing made for babies. Never has one been so excited to spot a green, yellow, or white onesie in a store, only to experience extreme disappointment to discover pink flowers, blue trucks, or a nerdy looking slide ruler imprinted on the front. I mean, who wants to encourage their kid to grow up to be so nerdy as, say, an engineer??? (Okay, we do!!)

Another question we get asked a lot is how we are decorating the nursery. Well, truth be told, there is no nursery! As we are waiting to sell our beautiful and affordably priced home in Louisville, Kentucky (spread the word!), we are temporarily occupying a townhouse in Goose Creek, South Carolina. To be honest, there really isn't much room for 2 adults, 2 dogs, and a baby in this place! We will be lucky if the crib and dresser that we recently purchased (yes, we are procrastinators) can be squeezed into random corners of a bedroom, living room, or laundry nook (okay, just kidding; that last one may be frowned upon). Regardless of the inconvenience, we know this is just a temporary blip in the ensuing chaos of the Jeans' life.

Stay tuned for more posts on life in South Carolina as well as the impending birth of future basketball star Baby BoyorGirl Jean. Much love to everyone; you are all dearly missed!

~Emily & Phil; Haley & Willie; Baby GenderAnonymous Jean (4lbs 4 oz at 31 weeks)