Sunny Gault

There are certain things you dream about when you're a little girl. At the top of that list are your future children. First, you say how many you want, then how many boys versus girls... and finally, you list your favorite names.

I've always wanted at least one of each, a boy and a girl. Preferably in that order.

As you grow older, your list starts to evolve. You realize how precious life really is, and you begin praying for more selfless things... like the health of your baby.

All these thoughts were racing through my mind today during our BIG ultrasound. Please God, let there be five fingers and five toes. Please let the baby's heartbeat be normal and its brain be functioning well.

And God, if it's not too much to ask, can you please give us a healthy baby, that's also a boy?

That would be perfect.

I'm obsessed with baby names.

I've been combing the web for the perfect name ever since that pregnancy test showed positive. It's something I take very seriously because I believe a person's name can drastically impact their life. I'm proof.

My parents had a lot of confidence to name me "Sunny", because it could have gone horribly wrong. I could have rebelled and turned into some goth chick who only wears black lipstick and combat boots, but instead I embraced it. "Sunny" is a hard name to live up to, but it's one I wouldn't trade for the world. It's uplifting and typically brings a smile to people's face. And it's unusual, which always made me feel special. It was the perfect choice.

You would think this "perfect baby naming gene" would run in the family, but lightning rarely strikes twice... which is probably why I'm having a hard time.

As of now, we don't know if we're having a boy or a girl, but that should change in about a week when we have our next ultrasound. You obviously don't have to know the name when you learn the baby's gender, but it's something I want to determine as quickly as possible. Which means, we need to be thinking about it now.

My husband is convinced we're having a boy, and since we've already decided on a boy's name, he's determined to NOT talk about baby names until he's proven wrong. I have no idea what we're having, but I can't ignore the fact that both my mom and I recently dreamt about having a baby girl.

If this happens, I'd like to be prepared. And so, the name game begins.
Here are my favorites (in no particular order)...

1. Sadie Marie
   "Sadie" derives from "Sarah", an important biblical name. "Marie" is my middle name.
2. Emmy Grace
   "Emmys" are important in my line of work. "Grace" is beautiful and biblical.
3. Saryn Noel
   "Saryn" is a combination of my name and my mom's name "Karen".
   "Noel" is a family name meaning "Christmas".
4. Eva Scarlet
   "Eva" derives from "Eve", an important biblical name.
   "Scarlet" is a tribute to our favorite football team, The Ohio State Buckeyes!
5. Lexi Cruz
   "Lexi" is the feminine form of Alexander meaning "man's protector or defender".
   "Cruz" means "cross" in Spanish.
6. Grace Elizabeth
   Elizabeth means "God's promise", it's also the name of both my grandmothers.
7. Sage Olivia
   "Sage" means "wisdom". "Olivia" derives from "olive tree", a biblical symbol for peace.

I obviously need some help in narrowing down my choices. I might be opening a HUGE can of worms here... but I'd really like to have your opinion. Which names do you like best and why?

I wish I was one of those pregnant women who appears to have accidently swallowed a bowling ball. Oh, how I long to have a round, little tummy perfectly positioned in the middle of my body. Unfortunately, God had other plans.

This baby is so low... I swear it's going to be dragging on the ground by the time our due date arrives!

But the baby's position explains a lot of things. Like, why I was forced to wear maternity pants starting at 10 weeks. There's no way this baby was going to let me button my regular pants. And now, at 17 weeks, I can't even cross my legs when sitting down. Not because of a huge bump, but because I literally feel like I'm crushing the baby (and all my internal organs).

If I were supersticious (and I'm not), I might be convinced that carrying the baby lower meant we were having a boy. I mean, it is one of the most popular pregnancy wives tales out there. But, if I believed that, then I'd also have to worry about black cats, breaking mirrors and walking under ladders.

I do think having a boy would be wonderful... it's what my husband really wants. And we already decided on a boy's name, so at least that would be taken care of. Although, my in-laws already have three grandsons, which makes me think having a girl would also be really nice. Plus, my mom has always wanted a granddaughter.

In the end, it really doesn't matter, because we're getting one or the other. We just want the baby to be healthy, so if resting on my lower organs is the way to do it... so be it!

And as far as the whole penis/vagina thing goes... we should be able to see something in a couple weeks at our next ultrasound.

It's amazing how a pet can completely change your life.

Two and a half years ago, my husband and I welcomed Fizzgig into our family. He's a four pound teacup poodle... but try telling him that. As far as he's concerned, he's the baby of the family.

And... with good reason. I mean, we baby him all the time.

Fizz is constantly smothered with attention and he goes more places than most young children. We're always focused on his needs. So, you can imagine my concern about bringing an actual baby into the family. I'm afraid he will be absolutely devastated.

I recently learned my in-laws had a dog when my sister-in-law was born... who actually died shortly after. Apparently, from a broken heart.

No pressure.

We've been racking our brains, trying to prep Fizz for this next phase. An article in Healthy Pet Magazine suggested bringing home a blanket with the baby's scent on it and placing it in his cage, along with treats and praise. They say it's important for your pet to equate the baby with good things. Makes sense, right?

But what if that doesn't work... or it doesn't work right away?

Our dog nearly freaked out last week because we were paying too much attention to the fish in our aquarium. I literally had to pick him up and show him the fish so he wouldn't be jealous.

Oh, I can picture it now.... one parent holds the baby while the other parent is forced to hold the poodle. Anyone know of some good tricks to prevent this from happening?