30 Weeks

Just 10 weeks to go. When I mentioned this to Scott the other night both of our mouths dropped. Kid Stedman is certainly becoming a reality. She loves her weekly prenatal yoga classes with all the rest of the big bellied Brooklyn mommies and seems to enjoy avocado on toast and Nutela... Hmmm Nutela.

Though we still haven't purchased the crib, car seat, stroller, and other items on the endless list of necessary baby gear we are finally getting her room all spiffed up. Here you can see the shelves that the Kid's mom put up last night.

Juliet Rose Svenson

We finally got our hands on a picture of Eric and Sarah's daughter Juliet. She's even cuter in person. Congratulations guys!

1 Turkey, 3 Babies and a Newport Wedding

Nothing beats feasting, and babies, and seeing old friends at an old friend's wedding, so overall the last few days have been a successful validation of life and the goodness of humanity. Here are some photographs of the Stedman family Thanksgiving, the 2nd dessert-eating at my folks' house (with the delicious dumpling Lila) and 2 lovely ladies (Maggie Abely in the cozy sling and Indigo Cramb tasting her first beer) at Eric and Christin Sanders' wedding in Newport, RI.

Return from Bhutan

Barbara and Michael, our resident world travelers, have just returned from a Himalayan trekking adventure in the tiny Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan. We're thankful that they narrowly missed the coup and seizure of the Bangkok airport to arrive safely back in Boston on a 36 hour flight! Here the Stedman cuties play dress up with Thai and Bhutanese costumes.

Greetings from Papa Sted

Beloved wife points out that ikea and I did battle again. However, spurred on by my love for our unborn babe, we were able to leave Ikea triumphant! Not more than 3 tantrums on my part, a paltry single panic attack, and no useless fruit parers, woolen rugs, or gadgets. SUCCESS!

Moreover, beloved babe has shared her first secret with me (I'll never tell). I'm earning her trust already. She also gave me a robust high five about 7 millimeters to the left of Moms belly button. Fatherhood— Here. I. Come.

THE THIRD TRIMESTER...dun dun dun dun.

So I've arrived at the final 3 month segment of this pregnancy journey. Kid Stedman is somewhere between an eggplant and a large squash in size and my tummy gets rounder and bigger by the day. Though I still have more to grow, small activities like carrying laundry up the stairs and bending over to tie my shoes have become slightly ungraceful and accompanied by quiet grunting. I know, that's not very pretty.

To celebrate the momentous 28 week mark Scott and I went to our local Brooklyn IKEA to buy the baby a dresser. Scott has a somewhat complicated relationship with IKEA and fears it will inevitably get the best of him each time he walks through those sliding glass doors- the lights, the labyrinthine pathways, those endless alleys of simulated bedrooms and workspaces. I understand his wariness. Keeping our eyes fixed on a certain HELMES style dresser and blocking out all the LACK and BILLY and the aroma of swedish meatballs we chose, purchased and cleared out of IKEA in a record 45 minutes. Veni Vidi Vici!

Putting together said dresser was not such a record breaking event. For part of Saturday and most of Sunday I sat on the floor making the dang thing. Scott deemed this project a "one man job" but jumped in for a picture (I even gave him a screwdriver to hold so it would seem like he was helping...) Scott did however, manage lots of other household projects that can no longer be handled by a pregnant wife- took the air conditioner to the storage space (good man!) and moved around the furniture in our office/baby room like a true Hercules. My hero!

We'll check back in during Thanksgiving!

27.5 weeks

27 1/2 weeks at last. Scott and I had a lovely weekend in the Berkshires complete with chilly hikes and toasty fires. Here we are walking the Benedict Pond loop. As the dark days of winter approach it's important to get outside to enjoy nature and to get the blood flowing. Lord knows that as the temperature drops, the appeal of complete hibernation becomes hard to resist. Also, on hikes like these, I like to commit to loud deep yogic breathing to purge that Brooklyn air that sits glued in the lungs all week long, this I've been told, can be quite embarrassing for my walking partner. Nevertheless, Kid Stedman felt very energized by all the outdoor activity, so much so that she continued on her own 3k that spanned the hours between 2 and 6am Sunday morning.

In other happy news, Eric and Sarah Svenson welcomed Juliet Rose Svenson to the world. We'll post a picture once we receive one. Mazel Tov!

26 Weeks

Life is good. We have a new president and the world seems delighted. Kid Stedman seems quite pleased about it too. Upon hearing the announcement on Tuesday night that Obama had been elected she set about a tumbling routine that lasted well into the night. Who can blame her? There was excitement, relief and hopefulness on the air.

And here we are three days later at the 26 week mark. The baby is about the size of an eggplant and I'm about the size of a woman who can only fit into stretchy pants and muumuus.

There was dancing in the streets...

in our Brooklyn neighborhood, throughout New York City, across the country and across the world. We did it!

We're so proud to be Americans again.

Scott, Crystalle, the Kid

A Message From Kid Stedman:

Dear Adults,

Please get out there to vote! I'm counting on you to help change the world before it's too late. Kids like me need a president that they can look up to. Thanks a whole bunch.

Love,
The Kid

In other baby news

One of my best friends in the whole world just delivered her first baby at home (my hero!). Alison and Zach welcomed Caroline Fox Feuer to the world on November 1st at 5:36 am. Congratulations guys!

Lila McSorley

Just back from Boston and I already miss my sweet little niece. Luckily before I left they had given her a beautiful name, Lila McSorley. Can't wait to see her again at Thanksgiving.

Emily had a G I R L !!!!

So it looks like Kid Stedman has a built in best girlfriend. My sister Emily had a C-section that was "like a breeze" and the result was this perfect and adorable 7lb 9oz little girl!!! They haven't named her yet so we're calling her Wee McSorley which has a nice ring to it.

Hooray for babies! Enjoy these first pictures.

Halloween Baby for Emily!

My Sister Emily is having her baby tomorrow! Little McSorley is in a breach position so she's having a cesarean at Beth Israel hospital in Boston tomorrow morning. If this baby follows the trend of its McSorley cousins in Ireland it could well be a massive creature nearing 13 lbs in which case she'll be very very very lucky he/she's arriving via surgery.

Now off to Boston!

Note: Obviously the pumpkin in this picture is not her baby. I'll post pictures once we meet him or her.

25 Weeks, Art Teacher Style

I have always had a penchant for dressing like a grade school art teacher... now there is no alternative. It's smocks and leggings, clogs and jumpers here on out. Please bear with my terrible photography. Perhaps one of these weeks we'll actually get Scott or some other real live human behind the camera so that I can avoid these timer shots with the camera sitting on the book shelf.

Anyhow, Kid Stedman is loving life. She kicks all day long and seems to respond to sweet foods and Bob Dylan (good baby). Some nights her wild dance routines wake me with a start but then I look over at her dad and know that she's going to be just like him- a little hyper and a lot of fun.

23 weeks

Being relatively tall it's taken me a little while to get that whole "pregnant" look but alas, over the last few weeks I have finally developed a belly bump that says "give me your subway seat" rather than "I've been eating too many ham sandwiches at lunch every day".

Girl's Weekend

Three years running Daniel, Scott and Mikey Stedman have taken part in an annual "Bros Weekend" during which they drink copious amounts of bottled spirits, play Wii in a dank room and do not shower. They claim it's tremendously fun and we believe them, sort of.

This year the Stedman women blazed ahead with their own version of a members-only get away with lots of hiking, shopping and chick flicks.