The kits are alright

I know this blog was originally supposed to be a blog about pregnancy, but I've blogged as much about our cats as "Little Elvis" of late.

Today, the cats again are the focus as we took them to the vet for a long-overdue visit. In addition to needing shots for distemper (they are otherwise perfectly healthy), we were curious to ask the vet what we can do to prepare the cats for the arrival of the baby. She advised, as we've already read in some books, that we bring articles from the hospital (a blanket, for example) so that the cats can get used to the scent. Being both a mother of two and a cat-owner, our vet also eased our concerns about the cats sleeping with us (as they are wont to do). With our plan being to have the baby in the bed with us or in the bassinette, we thought that we would have to lock the cats out of our room. With the cats being so attached to us, we worry that such exclusion will damage them emotionally (or at least lead to hours of pawing at our door and relentless meowing).

Our vet tells us, at least from her experience, that the cats will likely not want to be near the smelly, loud newborn and will likely steer clear of the bedroom for a while. Any cat-owners/parents want to chime in on this one?

Christmas kitties

It has become customary for our friends and family to expect to receive Cat-centric Christmas cards from Meredith and me. Ever since receiving a digital camera, photo printer and a rudimentary knowledge of Photoshop, it has been my mission to include our cats, Slappy and Wally, in our annual Christmas card.

This is our card from this year . . .


The kitties mistook Abraham Lincoln for Santa last year . . .


The cats have even made appearances in birthday cards . . .


And even for a card of congratulations for a former co-worker . . .


However, with Little Elvis on the way, the cats may have to give up some camera time when Christmas rolls around next year.

Do you like to take creative Christmas photos with your baby/child/children? Do you work your pets into the pics as well?

Primo pregnancy parking

While women do bear all of the discomfort of a pregnancy, they also get their fair share of perks--the attention of family, friends, co-workers and even total strangers, the "glow" of anticipated motherhood, feeling the kicks of the baby, etc. While I like to feel the baby kick and don't envy the physical discomfort that my wife is enduring, I don't really share in the rest of the fringe benefits.

However, this weekend, I found a perk of pregnancy that fathers can enjoy as much as expectant mothers -- special parking places. During trips to both Tower Records and our local Giant grocery store, we were able to take advantage of those primo parking places reserved for moms as well as expectant mothers. Despite the fact that the parking lots were packed, I was pleased to note that the handicapped and mother spots were not being abused by those neither handicapped nor pregnant.

Granted, Meredith walks four blocks to work each morning and four blocks back in the afternoon. It's not like she's unable to walk across a parking lot, but it was nice to be able to share in the special treatment reserved for this expectant mother.

Do you have these at stores in your areas? Are they usually available or are they often taken by people who shouldn't be using them?

What's in a name?

Baby Center has released its list of the top 100 baby names for 2006. The top five names for girls are Emma, Madison, Ava, Emily and Isabella, while Aiden, Jacob, Ethan, Ryan and Matthew top the boys' list.

Funny how times change -- when I was growing up, I can only remember one girl with a name in the top five, Emily Matunis, and she was the last of 12 children so I figured her parents had simply run out of names. Likewise for boys, I didn't grow up with any Aidens, Jacobs, Ethans or Ryans -- only Matt Thomas keeps this child of the 70's connected to the children of the aughts.

Our baby is codenamed "Little Elvis" -- turns out that Elvis was the 784th most popular name in 2005, according to the Social Security Administration. The real intended name for the baby (we're keeping that a secret until "Little Elvis" is born) is much more popular -- usually in the top 10 each year.

My own name, Robert, was #5 in my birth year of 1970. By the time I got to high school, my regular school lunch crew was composed of 3 Roberts and a George. While my parents and brother usually called me "Rob" during my childhood, teachers began to call me "Bob" as a way to differentiate me from my lunchmates/classmates Robert Spohn and Rob Weibley. When I got to college, it was more of the same as professors opted to call me Bob to distinguish me from my friend/roommate/eventual "best man" at my wedding, Rob Lubas.

So mine is a popular name (though it has been falling in recent years, now at #39 as of 2005). While I sometimes think that it would be cool to have a less-common name that teachers would stumble over and strangers would remark, "Well, isn't that an unusual name?!?," I guess that would get old in a hurry. So, is there an advantage/disadvantage with going with a popular name?

Condensing cat

It's turned very cold in the DC area this week and that means plenty of water droplets have condensed on the inside of the windows in our house. Our cat, Slappy, has discovered that these droplets are an excellent source of water and are so much more convenient than going to her water dish. Every window within reach is now her own private oasis.

As you can tell from her glare in the photo above, Slappy is a bit camera shy, but if I manage to catch her at her new trick, I'll be sure to post a pic. (1/19/07 update -- Finally caught Slappy in the act -- enjoy!)


So what does this have to do with having a baby? Not much I suppose, but I can only imagine the joy that Meredith and I will have when "Little Elvis" discovers the little things that make up the world around him.

We all think of those first steps or first words as major moments in child development, but I'm sure moms and dads have stories about other "baby breakthroughs" from the first few months of life. Feel free to share them by posting your comments.

Click, Clack, Moo

Now that Little Elvis is only about 10 weeks from his due date, he is supposed to be able to hear voices, so I read him his first story the other night -- Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin.

Is there a point to reading to the baby before birth? I don't know -- it was probably more for my benefit than his, to be honest. It was a bonding moment, I suppose, and it also gave me the opportunity to read a story I love. If you're not familiar with the story line on this book, essentially the cows and hens on Farmer Brown's farm are cold and want electric blankets. Threatening to withhold production of milk and eggs, the cows use a typewriter to communicate their demands to Farmer Brown. I won't spoil the ending -- go to your library or bookstore and pick this one up (whether you have children or not), you won't be disappointed.

Has anyone else read this story to your children? How do they like it? My first exposure to it was seeing a high school drama student perform it as a one-man sketch in a arts showcase that I was emceeing. It wasn't until months later when I was reading at a HeadStart that I saw Click, Clack, Moo in the bookshelf and realized that the drama student had reenacted this children's story. His performance informs my own reading of the story.