I am not a fan of pregnant belly profile pictures, which explains why you have not seen, and will not see, any of me. I would really prefer not to put pictures of myself out there that will only lead to comments about my size relative to so-and-so, or other comments that make me uncomfortable. It has nothing to do with body image. I'm really not worried about my size at all. In fact, my doctor declared this week that my size and weight are both, "good," so I'm perfectly happy to take his word for it. I just don't think I'm very photogenic, which is why I don't change my profile pictures very often. There aren't that many pictures of me out there that I intentionally want to use to identify myself. I also don't think I'm "cute" or "glowing," and I'm really not sure what people mean when they say either of those things. So, I have not been, nor will I be presenting myself for an unflattering photo every few weeks, and then posting that photo for friends, relatives, and friends of friends and relatives to see. I am not against posting pictures taken with family or friends or at some special occasion, because those are actually meaningful beyond, "Hey, look at how big I am this week!" I hope I don't sound critical of those who do enjoy taking (and seeing) belly pictures. It's just not something I am choosing to do, and I really don't believe I'll regret not doing it.
On a related note, please don't expect to see many pictures of me in the hospital after the Dukeling is born. By that point, I will be more than happy to pass the spotlight on.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some questions that we commonly hear regarding the Dukeling:
When is the baby due?
We have heard both April 30 and May 2
Is it a boy or a girl?
We don't know. We decided it's more fun not to know. Plus, since we don't know anything about babies anyway, it doesn't seem to matter much. So we're looking forward to the surprise!
Are you registered anywhere?
We are registered at Target, but since we're clueless, there are probably things we need that we didn't register for.
What do you still need?
Again, because we're clueless, we really don't know. We are not refusing any gifts at this time (although we're not expecting them either, so no pressure)
If you have a question that is not answered here, please leave it as a comment. We just might answer it! :)
When is the baby due?
We have heard both April 30 and May 2
Is it a boy or a girl?
We don't know. We decided it's more fun not to know. Plus, since we don't know anything about babies anyway, it doesn't seem to matter much. So we're looking forward to the surprise!
Are you registered anywhere?
We are registered at Target, but since we're clueless, there are probably things we need that we didn't register for.
What do you still need?
Again, because we're clueless, we really don't know. We are not refusing any gifts at this time (although we're not expecting them either, so no pressure)
If you have a question that is not answered here, please leave it as a comment. We just might answer it! :)
Friday, February 26, 2010
"So... how are you feeling?"
As most of you know, we've waited a long time for baby #1, most of which has been our own choice. When we first got married, our greatest fear was having a baby in the first year. I remember making it through month three and breathing a sigh of relief! Then, we made it through college for Allison, and me for seminary. Only when I turned 30 did I start to realize that if we didn't get started soon, I'd be in the nursing home by high school graduation. Now, in our tenth year of marriage, here we are... two months (or so) from parenthood. So... how am I feeling? TERRIFIED!
Don't get me wrong... I love kids. Remember, I taught music nine+ years, and the most fun for me was the relationships with students and fellow teachers (well, most of the time!). But I've ALWAYS been scared of babies. I mean, their necks don't even work! And they POOP in their PANTS! GROSS! However, I do realize that only in the most extreme circumstances is that a permanent feature, and eventually these little wiggleworms do grow to be little boys and girls, which become young men and women. It's just been the baby thing that's terrified me.
I know that I'm weird, but one of the most frustrating things to me is when people say to me, "OOOOOOOHHHHHHH, but you'll LLLLLOVE it!" I think it frustrates me because I'm not really a "feeler". Well, actually, neither me or Allison really are. I know I'll LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOVEEEEE my child, just like I LOOOOOOOOOOOVEEEEEEEEEE my wife, but I'm just not the gushy type. Love is more an action for me than a feeling. As the old DC Talk song proclaims... "Luv is a verb!"
Now, you gushy types out there (and you know who you are), PLEASE don't take this personally. It's just me (and us). I figured out a long time ago that I'm definitely in the minority on this "feelings" thing. Most people are much more emotional than I am (and that is, more than likely, a HUGE understatement). Since I got over the crying fits of my youth, I've always been pretty much on an even keel emotionally. One of the things I ask of all who read this, though is PLEASE, don't tell us how we're going to feel. That really frustrates us. I already know I love my child, and we will love it more and differently than anyone we have ever loved before. But please, let us figure it out, and don't try to read into our responses.
Allison put in the info that much of what we will share will be "tongue-in-cheek." We joke about a lot of things, simply because we don't take OURSELVES that seriously. And that makes our lives a lot more fun together. Actually, the main reason we haven't found out the gender early is that we think it's a lot more fun that way.
We're looking forward to the new adventure we're already on together. We laugh all the time about the crazy things Dukeling does. For the record, I think it's a boy... but we'll find out soon enough.
Thanks for your love and prayers. Pray for us on our new adventure. And yes, we are scared out of our wits.
Don't get me wrong... I love kids. Remember, I taught music nine+ years, and the most fun for me was the relationships with students and fellow teachers (well, most of the time!). But I've ALWAYS been scared of babies. I mean, their necks don't even work! And they POOP in their PANTS! GROSS! However, I do realize that only in the most extreme circumstances is that a permanent feature, and eventually these little wiggleworms do grow to be little boys and girls, which become young men and women. It's just been the baby thing that's terrified me.
I know that I'm weird, but one of the most frustrating things to me is when people say to me, "OOOOOOOHHHHHHH, but you'll LLLLLOVE it!" I think it frustrates me because I'm not really a "feeler". Well, actually, neither me or Allison really are. I know I'll LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOVEEEEE my child, just like I LOOOOOOOOOOOVEEEEEEEEEE my wife, but I'm just not the gushy type. Love is more an action for me than a feeling. As the old DC Talk song proclaims... "Luv is a verb!"
Now, you gushy types out there (and you know who you are), PLEASE don't take this personally. It's just me (and us). I figured out a long time ago that I'm definitely in the minority on this "feelings" thing. Most people are much more emotional than I am (and that is, more than likely, a HUGE understatement). Since I got over the crying fits of my youth, I've always been pretty much on an even keel emotionally. One of the things I ask of all who read this, though is PLEASE, don't tell us how we're going to feel. That really frustrates us. I already know I love my child, and we will love it more and differently than anyone we have ever loved before. But please, let us figure it out, and don't try to read into our responses.
Allison put in the info that much of what we will share will be "tongue-in-cheek." We joke about a lot of things, simply because we don't take OURSELVES that seriously. And that makes our lives a lot more fun together. Actually, the main reason we haven't found out the gender early is that we think it's a lot more fun that way.
We're looking forward to the new adventure we're already on together. We laugh all the time about the crazy things Dukeling does. For the record, I think it's a boy... but we'll find out soon enough.
Thanks for your love and prayers. Pray for us on our new adventure. And yes, we are scared out of our wits.
Introducing The Snukeville Herald-Gazette
Since the announcement that the Dukeling is on its way, there has been a sudden flood of interest in the Dukes as a family. This blog is an attempt to stem that tide by providing an occasionally serious, often tongue-in-cheek chronicle of the happenings in Snukeville. Greg and Allison will be the most frequent authors, as we do not expect the Dukeling to add its commentary for several years yet. Feel free to log in frequently, view the posts, and comment...or not.
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