Gearing up

And so it begins. Before this week, the only things I had purchased for baby were a couple adooorable outfits and some of my favorite kids' books. Oh, fine. I also bought a stuffed animal that I couldn't resist. It just seemed to early to buy anything practical. I have no idea what's normal but I know that some of the women who post on The Bump have already completed their nurseries. I'm not just talking a fully constructed crib, but diapers at the ready, baby's name stenciled on the wall, night light plugged in, the works. For comparison's sake, here is my baby's nursery.

Picture this with a crib and some blue things.

Nice closet eh?

Kid gets his own balcony, don't feel bad for him that he has no furniture.

Since we are having one of our nephews visit next week who is a REAL LIVE BABY, we've decided it makes sense to start getting some gear. That way baby Wyatt can borrow his cousin's stuff. It also means I can get off my butt and start admitting that my own baby has to come out one day and will likely want more than books and footie pajamas. (Did I mention the pajamas are super cute though??) Now I present to you our first useful baby purchase. I should clarify and say that by 'purchase' I actually mean 'acquisition'. G's parents got him a gift certificate of sorts for a blazer a few Christmases ago that he never fulfilled and so they decided this gift should be passed on to the next generation. Sooo they generously bought baby a car seat! I present to you G's new blazer.

So cute it makes me tear up. And it's safe too!
source 

I'll admit I haven't gotten much further than that on gear selection for a couple of reasons. First, it is overwhelming. I have absolutely nothing on which to base my decisions about, say, a bouncy seat. Do I need one that plays 5 melodies or 7? Do I need one that vibrates or one that has ocean creatures adorning the fabric? The other reason I'm having trouble picking things out is that most things are so gender specific. Everything is either HOT PINK or ALL BLUE. I know this is the baby industry's way of making me buy all new items if we have a girl some day. I also know that G assures me that he "only makes boys" so this shouldn't be an issue anyways. However, I'd just like to have some items that don't scream, "BOY!" and perhaps just say quietly, "small human".

In other news, I think I now definitely look more pregnant than fat.

19 week bump. A fake smile for all the critics out there. Sorry about the wet hair.

In further other news, baby is now kicking up a storm. You can even feel it from the outside! (If you try to touch my belly without asking I will touch yours back.) He seems to be most active after a big meal. His favorites include: spicy peanut sauce pasta, mac & cheese, pizza, and ice cream. It could also be that he is just getting stronger and that is what I happen to have eaten for dinner the past few days. He also likes to put up a bit of a fight at bedtime which probably isn't a good sign long term but is adorable for now.