FAQ #1

Here are answers to some of the TONS of questions we received. More coming soon!

(1) Is that a head I see?!?!

We sure hope so!

(2) Do you have any idea about the sex yet? Do you want to know?

Suzanne was torn about whether to find out, but Craig was a definite yes, so we'll find out. It'll be about 4 weeks before we know. Check back here for the skinny.

(3) What about names, have you started thinking about names yet?

Why yes, we have. :)

(4) Where are you going for prenatal care? Where are you delivering?

We're going to the Midwifery practice at UNC and they have been great so far. We really like their philosophy and approach, and are glad to know we have the UNC OB practice backing things up if there are any complications. Craig has some issues with delivering at UNC, but Suzanne has promised not to call the baby a Tarheel. :)

(5) Is Craig remodeling the house because you are moving or to get it done before the baby arrives?

Not to worry Durham neighbors, it's for the latter reason. His list is frighteningly long for having only 6 months to get through it!

(6) With Suzanne being raised Jewish, are you going to follow all the Ashkenazi superstitions about not having a baby shower or bringing anything baby-related into the house? (Not familiar with this tradition? Check out this, this, and this.)

We're trying to take a modern, compromise approach to this subject. Suzanne isn't particularly superstitious, but she does like to honor the tradition in which she was raised. Plus, waiting for a big celebration until after the baby comes sounds like a good idea to her. (That way everyone can meet the little one!) On the flip side, it does make sense to do some preparations in advance of the arrival. So, we're thinking about making sure we have all the absolute necessities beforehand and worrying about the rest after the kiddo comes home.

(7) We have a [fill in the blank] that we no longer need... do you want it?

Wow, you have overwhelmed us with all the things you have offered (from cribs to bassinets to breast pumps to baby joggers)! In the interest of being as eco-friendly as possible (and helping all of you clean out your attics), we are happy to take your used baby stuff off your hands (to borrow or keep)! Taking #5 and #6 above into account, we can't promise we'll come by to pick it up tomorrow, but let us know and we'll figure something out.

Please remember how you offered us all this stuff when you want to give us a hard time for not registering!

(8) How has Suzanne been feeling?

Let's just say Suzanne could write a dissertation on the wonders of morning sickness. She's finally started to feel a little better over the last few days and is looking forward to life without constant nausea!

(9) Is Craig going to tow the baby around in one of those bike carriers?

Why yes, Craig is already making grand plans for towing the baby up and down the Tobacco Trail... Suzanne is worried the kid will be a regular at Tyler's Taproom before it's even eating solid food!

(10) Have you started looking for day care yet?

Right now, we're looking at sharing duties between Suzanne, Craig, and Grandma-to-be Grace. That should give the kiddo a full range of influences - from total spaz to absolute zen. :)

(11) Have you figured out what you're going to do re: exercise and at what point (if any) that biking/running, etc. might not be such a hot idea?

This is one of Suzanne's favorite pregnancy research topics! All the stuff they used to tell women about taking it easy and not getting their heart rates high has pretty much been tossed out the window. We're following the logic of "listen to your body - as long as it's happy, the baby is doing fine." So, she's still running about 15 miles/week and doing yoga, spin, and swimming as time (and nausea) permits. With cycling, she's trying to be careful about being sure not to fall - so, no big group rides and no more drafting. Some websites warn that your balance can get off once you get a big belly, so we'll probably switch to spin exclusively when that happens. Our fingers are crossed that the exercise helps with our delivery (and that hopefully it doesn't last as long as the Ironman)!

(12) Was this planned? (By far, this has been the most frequently asked question - at least a dozen times!)

Yes, although we must confess, we didn't think it would happen quite so quickly!