The results are in ...

While sitting in the man cave last night, my mind was wondering in a million different directions. I wasn't able to concentrate on the football game and the outcome it was going to have on my Fantasy Football team. Even though sole possession of first place atop our league standings was on the line I found myself uninterested for the first time ever.

Those of you who know me, understand that me not caring about Fantasy Football means one of two things are probably happening: 1) The world is coming to an end. 2) Something a million times better than winning a Fantasy Football championship is in the mix.

We'll go with No. 2, although I do have my complaints (concerns) about the direction things are going in the world. But, we'll save that foaming of the mouth for another day.

Moving on ...

Yep. There I was in the man cave, watching the game, following stat tracker on my phone and going in and out of not really caring whether or not my player racks up points. I just couldn't get into the football groove that normally surrounds the man cave and drives my wife and dog batty. Instead, my mind was racing between thoughts of boy or girl.

It seems like yesterday when Kelley called me at work and told me she was pregnant, which was the most magical phrase since hearing her say yes when I asked her to marry me. We almost immediately began thinking of names. We argued, vetoed, debated, wrote out lists of names a mile long and finally agreed to two beautiful names. And last night, while I was gazing at the TV I realized that today was the day we would know whether Baby Husband is a boy or a girl. No more saying "Baby Husband." No more rubbing Kelley's beautiful belly and saying things like "I wonder if it's flipping me off every time I tap on your belly." Today, I realized, it becomes much more real for us and that is a feeling I just can't explain, but, believe me, it was and is glorious.

It's moments like today that puts everything into perspective. Yeah, we are having a hard time selling our small house so we can get a much bigger one. Big deal. Yeah, I only got to go to Vegas once this year. Big deal. And yeah, the economy sucks. Big deal cuz I'm gonna be a daddy.

Everybody goes through ups and downs in a lifetime, sometimes more than others. For me, I can honestly say the last five years have been very difficult and traumatic. I lost my twin brother, Drew, in April, 2005 in an unexpected death that literally turned my world upside down. And even though it's been five years, it still is very hard for me to make it through an entire day and not cry because I miss him so much. Last January, my stepfather passed away. It's been very difficult for me to see my family ripped apart the way it has been.

But does this entitle me to the better things in life because I have suffered tremendous loss. Absolutely not. It has, however, given me the strength to aspire toward better things in life for myself and my family without feeling obligated or owed anything. And today is a undeniable example of how Kelley and I have decided to make our lives even better together than it already is. We are going to be parents and that helps me personally to focus on the positives of life and not struggle with survivors guilt that I have battled since Drew and Curtis passed away.

So, today was a very good day for me and Kelley. We took another step toward parenthood with all the emotions and fears that accompanies being parents.

And now, Kelley and I would like to announce to the world that Baby Husband is a boy: Elliott Andrew Husband.

Last night, I struggled to focus on Fantasy Football because all I could think about was how great it would be to have a boy or a girl. And today, I got that incredible news. It was a moment this father will never forget.

And, on a side note, you'll all be happy to know that I did in fact win my Fantasy Football game and I am now sitting atop our league standings all alone.

It truly was a great day!

The Name Game

NAMING OUR CHILD DIDN'T COME EASY.

Now that we are less than a week away from finding out if Baby Husband is a boy or a girl, we're prepared to unveil the name of our child.

But before I do, let me broadcast this simple, yet firm, message to all those who feel it necessary to cast opinions about the decision to find out the sex and to publicize the names or any other choice Kelley and I make about our child: WE DON'T GIVE A RIP WHAT YOU THINK!

Now that I've gotten rid of the naysayers out there, let's move on.

Naming a child, as I quickly found out, isn't the same as naming a pet. Of course I foolishly thought we would nail down the names once we started talking about them. However, Kelley and I found it difficult meeting on a naming common ground. Instead, the dialogue often went as followed:

"Nope."

"No freaking way."

"Are you nuts?"

"There's now way I am calling my child that."

"You want a knuckle sandwich?" (Yep, this was an actual response.)

We did the veto routine, but this customary practice lasted well beyond the allotted five vetoes each. It reminded me of Ross and Rachel of Friends and how they were on two completely wavelengths when it came to naming their child. At one point, I think we both gave up and realized we had nine months to agree on a name. At some point, I knew the name game was going to have to eventually extend beyond hair-pulling madness and venture into complete joy.

Here is a list of names that we agreed made the final cut:

BOY: 
Andrew, of course.
Christopher
Boston
Brian
William
Thomas
Vaughn
Jason
Cash
Elliott

GIRL:
Beatrice
Violet
Autumn
Daisy
Vivian
Ellen
Lily
Birdie
Willow
Charlotte

The one decision we agreed on once the naming debate began was that if we have a son his middle name would be Andrew, which is obviously the name of my late twin brother. If we have a daughter, the middle name would be named after someone from Kelley's side of the family.

It was a lot easier for me to come up with boy names. I drew inspiration from some of my closest friends, family members and favorite cities (Boston. Vegas wasn't even an option for Kelley). I also wanted to threw at least one name that I knew would stand out in a crowd, thus, I came up with Vaughn. And, of course, it was easier for Kelley to come up with girl names.

About three weeks ago we picked up the naming negotiations with a fresh perspective. I had heard a name on NPR (National Public Radio) that struck a chord with me and it was name that had not been mentioned. I researched the name, it's popularity and its origin and after awhile, it seemed to stick with me. I brought it up to Kelley one night at dinner:

"So, what do you think of Charlotte for a girl?"

Kelley's eyes lit up, she smiled and quickly replied "I love it."

So, there you have it. If we have a girl, her name will be Charlotte Ellen Husband.

I thought I had convinced Kelley for Vaughn Andrew Husband if we have a son. I was pretty stern on Vaughn ... until Kelley, my mother and my sisters teamed up on me on night. I was about to throw in the white towel and start this process all over again until a name came to my head out of the blue that neither of us had yet mentioned: Elliott.

Bam! Nailed it!

Elliott Andrew Husband.

We loved it immediately and kept saying it aloud to one another. It was perfect for both of us.

Eventually, we did find that joyous common ground that seemed like an impossible destination. Once we did, we were both elated knowing we now have the names of our son or daughter.

Charlotte Ellen Husband or Elliott Andrew Husband. You don't know it, but you've already made your parents so very proud.

Oh, and by the way, don't listen to your mother. I was the one that came up with both names!

Getting $$ in order

I'm no longer a cash-spending habitual offender. And we can all thank Baby Husband for this.

CASH LOCKDOWN.

I have always loved to spend money. No lying. No fabricating the truth. It's been a downfall of mine for a long time and has gotten me into trouble a time or two in the past. Like the time I spent my rent money in Cleveland (1999) for fifth row seats to a Dave Matthews Band concert. Or the time I decided buy a second flatscreen TV and  telling my wife after the fact. That one didn't go over so well, but at least we have high def in the bedroom.

Since July, something in me changed. I no longer have the impulses to have this, have that or spend time online scrolling for another sports jersey to add to my already insane collection. My wife has finally found a way to curb my annoying spending habits. Having a baby on the way was the trick.

So many of my friends with children have told me and Kelley since July that having a baby changes everything. For us, the change began when I all of-sudden became a money-saving, no spending fool. Totally blew my wife's mind. Although I almost fell off the wagon this past weekend when I wanted to buy a Randy Moss Minnesota Vikings jersey that was half off in price because apparently Moss is now the Antichrist of the NFL. However, my wife reminded me of my new-found love of not spending money ... Damn! 

So, for the next 18-plus years, it's apparently all about Baby Husband while my wants and needs have slowly faded into the backseat, or better yet, fell off the face of the earth. No more vintage Boston Celtic and Red Sox jerseys. No more walking into a brew pub and walking out with the glass with the cool logo and no more speakers, TVs or any other device to improve my makeshift theater system in the man cave. Instead, we have made a deal with each other to rid ourselves of what little bit of debt we have. We wanted to be able to wipe the slate clean of all outgoing monies now so we can inherit more important debt thanks to Baby Husband. 

In one of the numerous books we are reading now, getting your finances in order is one of the first suggestions when getting ready to have a child. Having a clean slate, and peace of mind, when the baby arrives will allow us to do more for the baby and pay off what I can only assume will be a small mountain of medical bills.

So as of this blog, I'm proud to say Kelley and I are now pretty much debt free. It wasn't easy, but we were able to wipe that slate clean a hell of a lot earlier than expected and now can breath a huge sigh of relief knowing we can save even more money for not only Baby Husband but the new house we've been talking about, just not another jersey, shot glass, TV or anything ever again from Best Buy.

Yeah, right!

Too soon to tell

Bummer-ammundo!

For some strange reason, Kelley and I both thought we would find out the sex of our baby Tuesday. Our hopes were as high as the Denver air and our excitement could barley be contained and was about as comparable to the day we got married.

Then, poof. Our premature hopes were thwarted ... for the time being.

At our last ultrasound, the baby was incredibly visible. We could see Baby Husband's legs, hands, skull and spinal cord clear as day. Our doctor told us then he thought we might be able to find out the sex on our next appointment, which was Tuesday. So, of course Kelley and I built up this incredible hope and all but convinced ourselves we would no doubt find out if Baby Husband is a boy or a girl.

There was a momentary sigh of sadness for us when we found out it was too early. However, that moment was brief and soon filled with the same growing joy we've had since we found out we were having a baby. We did, however, get to hear the heartbeat again, which is something that makes all the bad things in the world go far away. There is nothing better in my life right now than my baby. It truly is a magical feeling. Knowing we are going to have a baby and be parents is something we've always wanted, but when it's actually happening it can seem surreal at times.

Many people wait to find out the sex of the baby and we respect that. Honestly, for me, I couldn't hold out that long. I'm too weak when it comes to something like this. Either way, it's going to be surprise if we know or not. So kudos to those who can hold that long - I can not.

The magic date is now Nov. 23. That is when we will no doubt found out the sex. And as I write this, I am one day closer to finding that information out.

So, until then, stay tuned ...

Impatient Daddy

Even though we still have six months until Baby Husband arrives, I've already started the nursery. Aside from the excitement this gave me, I must admit that my inability to be patient kicked in.

Being patient is a phrase that simply doesn't apply to me. I get a plan in my head and there's no stopping me and certainly no waiting. It literally drives my wife nuts.

So when we recently inherited a crib from some friends,  I went to work. It wasn't in the house 10 minutes before I was knee deep in screws, panels and plenty of WTF questions. Yet, two hours later and a six pack of St. Paulie Girl, I had Baby Husband's bed together.

And to think, Kelley wanted me to wait awhile to start the nursery. I may be impatient, but in this case, I think Kelley actually applauded my impatience considering every time she walks into the nursery the first thing the hits the airwaves is "Ahhhhhhhh."