THE BABY FLUTTERS, BRITTANY CHASES

As Brittany perks along in her 19th week of pregnancy, let me share my observations.

The baby-bump is definitely getting bigger, but then Britt is not tremendously tall.

Although too early to share the experience with others, she tells us that BBB is moving around with little flutters. It will be a few more weeks, I think, before it becomes outwardly visible.

The other evening she ate spicy food from Chili's and the next day shared with me how she did not believe BBB cared for it all that much. Uh-huh.

Also, she has begun a reading program. Golden Books! Hope the baby is ready to hear about bears and trains and such. I have decided to branch out from the goodnight tome and am considering, The Poky Little Puppy. I don't know though.

Brittany works at Chase Bank in Palm Beach Gardens and does a little bit of almost everything. Unlike Brandon, she did not hang her college diploma at the office. Her college? Texas Women's University.

Interesting that she has to wear blue clothing as that is the official color for that particular financial institution. Well, it got me to thinking...will the fact that she wears blue every work day be an indication of the gender of BBB. We should know soon enough!!

HANGING AROUND B'S OFFICE IS SUPREME

Beach Baby Barker won't be interested for a few years, but I thought it would be fun to document just a glimpse of Brandon's office.

Just last week he received his certificate from the Supreme Court of the State of Florida.

In other words, the officially-official piece of papyrus he put inside a frame and on his office wall.

As a matter of fact, he has several papyrus-imprinted sheets stuffed under glass, all gathered together on sheetrock.

That's a lot of years of study.

Those represent a ton of money!

Beach Baby Barker should be supremely proud of his daddy-to-be!

MEMORIAL DAY 2012 IN PALM BEACH GARDENS

Memorial Day was bright and sunny with a large dash of rain tossed in.

It was brunch, al fresco, first.

The evening found us wearing a plastic lei, dining on a plastic tablecloth imprinted with pink flamingoes. Also, al fresco.

When darkness fell it was time for sparklers around the pool.

As Beach Baby Barker Bump rested comfortably under Britt's chiffon and stone encrusted top, we honored family veterans and all the others.

TARGET IS NOT ON MATERNITY-CLOTHES-TARGET

So, yesterday Brittany (these are not Target leggings and this in not a photo of Britt, btw) breezed (this is my picture of her anyway, being just breezy as can be) to the lovely, Gardens Mall, in Palm Beach Gardens.

Her destination?

Destination Maternity, which houses both, Motherhood and Pea-in-the-Pod.

She was on a leggings mission.

So, here's my question?

Why are maternity leggings priced $35-$70?

Regular old run-of-the-mill leggings can be had for half that if you're a good shopper (and, I like to think I am).

You may recall that I searched for some at, The Gap, in West Palm. Failed. Could drive to the one in Boca, but no.

Britt oped for the $35.00 version, but we may go back for the more expensive ones as she feels they are really comfy and she has a few months to go. She needs to be comfortable.

I simply think the question begs to be asked...WHY do they price maternity clothes the way they do? In other words, OVER-priced!

Yes, expensive as can be and they aren't that fantastic. I mean the construction is marginal and the quality is as well.

On-line shopping is an option, but she can't try them on until they are shipped and in her hands and that can be an aggravation that she doesn't need.

Biggest disappointment in the whole seeking good preggo-outfits for her at reasonable prices?

Target.

Our good friend in Minnesota, Gretchen (who had a baby in September, 2011), agrees on this assessment.

Target is terribly off-target in this area. To be blunt...they've got NOTHING worthy. At all.

Oh, another thing about this whole shopping for Britt's ensembles?

Britt tells me that when I tagged along she observed how they ushered us DIRECTLY to the most expensive items.

When she stepped in alone?

They ushered her to the better priced items.

Coincidence?

I think not as it was the same salesperson both times.

I have told Gerry, for years, that when I step into a store of any sort they immediately size me up as a sucker. Perhaps they are right, but I do know how to shop for deals (I'm not saying I always have or do) most of the time. This crappy economy brings out improved shopping skills in all of us, I think.

Heck, I'm shopping at, COSTCO these days.

Wait, we haven't looked for leggings there!

JUST MY JOURNAL

Hope everyone is enjoying my BlogNal (blog and journal).

I am having tons of fun as we are almost to the halfway point in Brandon and Brittany's preggerz-journey.

It is wonderful to be with them, observing the emerging baby-bump and how it is affecting all of our lives.

Of course, this is just MY perspective. Something the baby will, hopefully, want to read at some point with the understanding that it just MY journal.

Brittany and Brandon will have to write their own version of this very special time!!

Of course, anyone is welcome to jump in and add thoughts in the Comment section.

FAMILY TREE TIME FOR B

We haven't really talked much about Beach-Baby-Barker's, Father-to-Be.

Shall we?

BBB will come to know that Brandon, unlike Brittany (she has one younger sister, Kristen), is an only child. What does that mean? BBB will have to pose that particular question to Brandon at some point.

Although an only child, Brandon came into the world a very, very wanted child. Just like Beach-Baby-Barker is very, very wanted. Loved.

Let's talk about Brandon's family for a minute.

Brandon has two first cousins, both approximately ten years older. Brittany, or her Mother, Kerry Gaylor Harrison, will have to fill in the cousin and other family information for BBB. She has more than two cousins, I know that. But, I do know her Grandmother, Joyce Hinkle, lives in Rockwall, Texas, and is a college teacher. We'll just let Brittany fill in the details about her immediate family.

So, let's get back to Brandon and the family who were around the year he landed in the universe.

When he was born he had a larger family than now.

On his maternal side (that's me) he had:

Grandfather, Darrel Lee Conn (he called Granddad).
Grandmother, Mary Patricia Harris (called Nana).

Some people called Darrel, D.L. He liked to be called, Darrel. And, if you wanted to get on her list, call M. Patricia, Mary. She was Pat. She did not like the name Mary for herself. She felt it didn't fit. Both of them adored Brandon. Loved him so dearly and if they were here today they would bursting with pride at the adult he has become. They would also love, Brittany, I know this.

Great-grandmother, Cora Myrtle Harris (called Mama by all of us).
Great-grandfather, Oran Jewell Harris (called Granddad by us, and Jay to everyone else).

On Brandon's grandfather's (Darrel Conn) side he had even more great-grandparents.

Great-Grandfather, Martin Franklin Conn (also called Granddad by all of us).
Great-Grandmother, Minnie Effie Smith (called the very formal, Grandmother).

The paternal side (that's Gerry)?

Grandfather, Floyd Clinton Barker (called Papaw).
Grandmother, Mildred Marie Judd (called Mamaw). Mildred is the only grandparent still with us, and she is very happy about the impending birth. She wants a girl as there are NO girls on the Barker side. However, she'll be very happy with a boy as well. Mildred loves Brandon and to cook for him when we were in Texas.

Great-Grandmother, Willie Tina Thomas Judd (called Grandma by Gerry, but she didn't live to see Brandon to his talking stage, sadly).

Great-Grandfather; Frederick Judson Barker (called Grandpa by his grandchildren, and Juddie by everyone else).
Great-Grandmother; Marietta Avery (called Grandma).They lived in Atlanta, Ga., where Gerry was born.

Brandon has a very special aunt. Barbara Conn Gulick Hoffman. She has been a big part of his life from before he was born and still is. She knows and loves Britt.

Brandon also has another aunt. Vicky Conn Burris.

He has one uncle, Ronald Clinton Barker.

As in many families, he hasn't been around his aunt and uncle. But, that's not unusual these days.

All of Brandon's family live in Texas at this time, except for us and we are in South Florida. Palm Beach Gardens, to be exact.

This blog is for BBB, just because I think it may be of interest someday.

SWIMMING, CLASSICAL, DISCO AND DOC

Typically, Sunday brings Gerry, Reggie (our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) and I to the beach near Worth Avenue.. Palm Beach was beautiful this morning, and the Atlantic was deeply blue.

After we had soaked up as much beauty as we could stand, it as time to zip home where Britt joined in and we whipped up a HEARTY brunch, complete with homemade biscuits.

Before Beach Baby was on the way, we would, on occasion, have a mimosa. Regular OJ works just fine though.

Today was a bright and sunny morning, so we ate inside at the dining room table instead of at the glass-topped table outside by the pool.

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And, speaking of the pool, Brittany decided to take the Beach Baby Barker Bump for a dip. The warmth of the sun and the glistening water were hard to resist, and I couldn't resist capturing this image of her. Someday BBB needs to see what a lovely mother-in-waiting Brittany makes.

Of course, the ever-inquisitive Tabby, Crookshanks, kept her company. As you can see, they both saw something of interest in the pool water. Maybe it was a beautiful-reflection of the growing baby bump!

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Much later in the evening, the outdoor patio area was the perfect place for Gerry and I to sip a glass of cool wine while Britt sipped on water.

I always like to have music set the tone, so Gerry brought it via his iPad (this technology will be laughed at in years to come by BBB).

The music was classical, which is great, but not right for the mood of idle chat about baby-stuff and family-stuff and just stuff.

No, I wanted to hear Rock or Pop or Jazz. Sweetly, he changed it, but not before he and Britt both agreed that classical was good for the baby.

As the baby can hear sounds from the outside (see previous blog), Gerry offered that Mozart is said to make babies smart. Britt and I agreed that we knew this, but I held firm for more modern tunes.

Sadly, Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees passed away today and I will be forever grateful to him and his brothers for bringing us the soundtrack to, Saturdday Night Fever.


It was some of the music I listened to when I was pregnant with Brandon and, with all due respect to Mr. Mozart, I think he turned out pretty smart. Well, discounting his Doc Marten foot attire phase!

READING, RANTING AND EDITING

We're at week something-or-other on the preg-o-meter, but I think Britt has just ended her fourth month. Calculating the weeks-vs-months thing, Lunar Months, etc., makes my head spin. So, let's move on to what we THINK is going on with Beach Baby Barker this week.

Britt tells me the BBB can hear now.

Hm.

My first reaction was that we should all begin to monitor and edit our vocabulary and salty language. Plus, we should select classic reading material, play better music and dial in more PBS stuff.

Of course, we will excuse Britt from the editing the language situation as her hormones continue to rage and she's free to rant while driving. Blue-speak while behind the wheel seems to be her current condition. Fine. She's decided to just go ahead and WARN the baby prior to an outburst directed at the idiotic drivers of South Florida (and, they really do drive you to BLUE language...cursing if you don't get my drift).

The way we see it, if she says "beach baby barker, cover your ears," she's good to go.

As for intellectual reading material for the baby, I've pulled out the standard one I used for Baby-Brandon. Yes, you can not go wrong with, The Goodnight Book, and I still have the one from his babyhood. It's worn, but still intact. If it was good enough for Brandon, I'll just stick, damnit. I mean darn it!!

BRITTANY, MOTHER'-TO-BE-DAY

May 13, 2012-Mother's Day

For many years this day, for me, has represented the universal sign of Comedy:-) and Tragedy:-(.

Missing my own Mother representing the sadness, and the being a mother representing the happiness. This year is unique.

Gazing upon this photo Brandon snapped while Gaz and I were away on a seven-day cruise, I fully appreciate what it represents.

A new life, growing among us. It brings forth a quiet time of reflection. Joy for what is to be, with a touch of bittersweet for those lives who came before and are now gone.

But, the joy is completely overflowing in my heart as I look at Brittany, growing and growing, embracing each stage to the fullest. I look at Brandon, reflected as only a shadow (look closely on her feet, legs and abdomen area, and you will see him-the sun was behind him when he snapped) in this photo and wonder how he will change. And, he will. Yes, they both will change, forever.

How do I know this?

Because I am a Mother, and I said so!!

Happy Mother-to-be-Day, Brittany Hinkle Barker. You are beautiful.

LEGGY-LEGGINGS AND PHOTOS GONE WILD

May has arrived and I thought it was about time to look into grabbing Brittany some comfy pregger-leggings. She looks great in that dress, but you should see her comfy pj's she slides into when she comes home from work. No, probably not (she's always beautiful though).

So, I sail into The Gap (you heard me-now when you get that image out of your head, let's move on) at City Place in West Palm Beach. The place is empty, High Season has wound to a halt, evidently, but the two clerks were busy chatting...with each other.

Before I let you in on how this went down, I have posted these snaps of the Parents-to-Be, taken on April 27 (Brandon's birthday, Brandon's swearing in as an official lawyer and Brittany displaying her amazing pregnancy gorgeousness (think I made up that word)).

They have already decided against having one of those finger-hearts over the bump taken, so I did one. They can't stop me, it's my photo program, right? Wait, does this mean I will dismiss their wishes throughout the pregnancy? Stay tuned, but I think we all know the answer to THAT!

Yes, I respect them, they are smart as can be, but creating a little heart photo can't hurt, can it?

While I was at it I decided to just pop in a few other treatments. Some day Beach Baby will use these against them. Oh, I love 'em and think they look fabulous. Their child will probably not. Again, time will tell.

Brittany is having 'pregnancy-brain.' Translation: although she is really a Miss Smarty-Pants...she's now a tad NOT.

The proof? She can't keep track of her doctor appointment days. Thankfully, the medical team is helpful and calls with friendly reminders and stuff.

The way I see it, it is just never too early to start assisting Beach Baby in shenanigans to annoy these two. Right?

Oh, about The Gap in West Palm? They did NOT have the pregger-leggings, but were quite helpful about it. They suggested I cruise on down to Boca. I'll pass on that, but once I got home I started checking the 'net and found some better prices, so Brittany can just pick, click and ship. Too bad The Gap won't get our dollars. I hope she finds free shipping!! I just LOVE free shipping.