[UPDATE: It’s gonna be a boy!]
WOWWWWWW!!! I finally get to tell everyone!! Do you know how long I’ve been keeping this hidden for??? Exactly 12 weeks and a day :) Which my wife specifically told me to keep hush just in case something bad happens to him/her in that 1st trimester (for those who don’t know about baby stuff, like me, it’s when they’re the most likely to be miscarried).
But today we cross that mark, and Mr. J. to the Poppa Money is one happy mother f*cker. (Will probably have to curb that language soon, huh?)… I haven’t really been blogging about it much cuz we were a bit scared at the possibility of maybe not being *able* to have kids cuz it was taking so long, but almost 2 years later after we started trying we are looking on the up and up :) And while this post right now probably won’t be much about the money aspects of it all, you better believe I’ll be divulging all of that craziness over the next 6 months till that baby pops! (OMG 6 months!!!). And I guess then forever and ever and ever too, haha…. Freaky! And AWESOME! And Scaryyyy!!!!
But while it was certainly all kinds of emotionally mixed earlier on over 9 weeks ago, we’ve now got it under control and it’s become our new way of life already :) Here’s a breakdown of how I found out, and how much I was in utter shock throughout the whole process:
- Nate and I are in Indianapolis, IN – a good 592.5 miles away from my home – getting ready for Love Drop #10.
- We are in Babys “R” Us (no joke!) shopping for our recipient’s newborn triplets, and every dang baby in that store was smiling at me. I even make a joke to Nate about it and he says, “One day you’ll have one too.” Who knew THAT DAY was “the day!”
- After 5 hours straight of shopping (no joke, again) for diapers and baby formula and all kinds of doodads I don’t even know what are used for, I send Mrs. BudgetsAreSexy a picture text of the $1,500 of stuff we’re buying which fills up not only 4 large shopping carts, but also the check-out line as well ;)
- This text apparently triggers her to take a pregnancy test, as she was about to down a nice glass of red wine (hah!), and frantically calls me back leaving a voicemail along the lines of “Call me now! Call me Now! It’s IMPORTANT! But I’m safe, don’t worry.” – which I didn’t get cuz I was spending that $1,500 worth of said merchandise, and by the time I listen to it we’re in the car about to pull away from the store.
- I tell Nate to take the wheel cuz my wife’s freaking out (though I’m glad she ended the message with “I’m okay,” which is VERY important when you leave crazy messages like that), and I quickly shoot her a call back.
- Now I’m thinking she’s probably won backstage passes to NKOTBSB or something, cuz she’s always entering (and winning) contests like that, but as soon as she utters the words my mouth drops WIDE open and for a second the whole world freezes and I’m at a complete loss of thought.
- “I THINK WE’RE PREGNANT!” She quickly gets out… *silence*… *silence*… *silence*, “OMG“ I finally manage to say. And then I tell her to go take like 10 billion more tests, just to make sure, and each one comes back positive :) “We’re gonna have a boobie!”
And the rest is history :) I fly back the next day after presenting Love Drop and holding all those babies imagining that they’re my OWN (and Nate telling me to enjoy my freedom while I can!), and we quickly start figuring out what to do and how to do it, and when to do it and all the rest that comes with the territory. AKA we jump on Google for 10 hours straight and proceed to freak ourselves out :)
But that’s the beauty of it all right? New soon-to-be parents trying to figure it all out, and filled with every single feeling under the sun. And after trying for over a year and a half at that point, really still in SHOCK more than anything that it hit us when we least expected it. Or at least when *I* least expected it – sitting in the parking lot there of Babys “R” Us when it seemed more like an April Fool’s joke than the start to an incredible and exciting adventure!
And if you can see those pictures down there, our baby looks really healthy so far!! We just did our latest rounds of checks and balances to see if he/she is high risk for any horrible diseases out there (blood work will come back in the next week), but right now all is good and I’m working on a new financial game plan as you would probably expect I’d be doing :) In fact, I think one of the first things I managed to mutter out after the “OMG” incident was “I need to open up a savings account for her!” Haha… it’s funny what your brain tells you when you get such drastic news like that :) And yup, I said “her” because I want a baby girl more than anything in this whole entire world, and I will not stop having babies, or practicing to have babies (ow ow!) until I finally get one in my arms. But of course I’ll love that little booger no matter what it turns out to be!
So that’s my life over these last 9 weeks so far… quite a whirlwind, and incredibly hard NOT to slip up and say something on Facebook or Twitter or even here on the blog until we got close to that 12 weeks scare period. You never know what the Big Man has in store for you at any point of a pregnancy (or life, for that matter) but no matter what happens going forward, I will never forget this overjoyed feeling I have right now, or even this instance here of sharing it all with you guys as I type this. I love y’all so very much for continuing to support my dreams of blogging this entire year (my 1 year fired-versary was last Thursday!!! WOW!!), and I’ll continue sharing our lives with you for as long as you continue to want to hear it :)
If you have kids yourself, or you know a lot about t ’em, now’s your chance to share all your secrets with me! So I can make sure I’m the best father a little J. Money can ask for! We still got a looooooong 6 months to go, but something tells me our lives are gonna change more than we can ever imagine :) Here’s to love and happiness!
——————
PS: Those are our real sonograms! Check out the one of him/her waving to us, haha…
PPS: Remember how I was saving all that cash, but didn’t really know what to do with it yet, except for to keep storing it up as a nice safety pillow? Well, I think we have the answer now :)
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EEEEE! Big congrats Mr J!
Yaaayyyyyy! Congratulations to you both!
Congrats! Congrats! Congrats! I’m so happy for you and the Mrs.! Baby J. Money will be well taken care of!
Yahoo and congrats!!! :)
Congratulations!
Congrats! (And if you’re not already, you should probably be checking out my weekly diapers & wipes price roundup ;) )
Congratulations! It is the most amazing thing that will happen to both of you. Our baby girl is already 4 1/2 months and we are excited for more. We won’t be trying until this time next year though!
Wow! Congrats! Your baby and my brother’s baby are due pretty much the same day) July 1?)! Exciting. As a momma of three amazing kiddos I can only tell you that it is so amazing being a parent. It is the best thing you will ever do and it honestly feels better than winning the lottery (I can imagine!)!!
One piece of advice I could give you though is that the baby won’t need much at first. Make sure you have a comfy chair for nursing (breastmilk is FREE) and a good pump if she’s going back to work. Other than that you just need some basic onesies, diapers (cloth is cheaper!), wipes and a pack n’ play or bassinnet. You’ll want the little booger close for at least a couple months while he/ she’s waking every 2-3 hours to eat. I think the biggest mistake (if you can call it that) new parents make is buying a bunch of crap that they never need or use. Keep it simple and save money for the expenses that come along the way. They just get more expensive the older they get (my oldest is almost 15!!).
Congrats J Money!
Congratulations! I knew that was your news. Being a parent is the best experience– you learn things about yourself and your partner that you wouldn’t otherwise. One piece of advice: try not to compare your parenting experience and your child to others. It’s incredibly difficult but just know that you choose to do what works as a parent out of love for your special and unique child, and each kid and set of parents are so different. And just love him or her to death, which I’m sure you already do. Congrats again!
Awww!! SO excited for you :)
Advice? Sleep now while you can;-)
DUDE!! I just *KNEW* this was coming. And I KNOW you’re going to be the most awesome Dad ever. Seriously, I was waiting to hear this news since forever as I know you’ve been talking about it ever since I started reading.
WHHHEEEEEE…can’t wait to follow along for the ride. :)
Awww, yaaaaayyy!! I am REALLY excited for you guys! And yes…it’s about to get real crazy! But I’m sure you’ll be great =)
Congrats that is awesome!!!
Congrats!!! We’re expecting our second girl in early May. Baby girls are the best, but I’m pulling for a boy someday. My advice: cloth diapers. WAY cuter (endless designs and prints) than any disposable (Huggies jeans diapers -Wha?!) and can save you tons of money, especially if you use them for future babes too. Best wishes for the next 28ish weeks!!
That is AWESOME!! Congrats to you both! My advice is to enjoy every moment with him or her, good or bad and save up A TON of money!!! When you think you’ve saved up enough money, save some more lol My husband and I were all ready to go with baby #2, until he was born with a birth defect and needed life saving surgery immediately after birth (which even after all those tests was when we found out)and threw our whole life on a crazy (expensive & emotional) roller coaster ride. We call him out “million dollar baby” because he’s passed that mark already (mostly paid through our awesome medical insurance which you need) but we paid a hefty portion of it ourselves too (like his super special formula that we have no choice but to pay over $500 a month for) so we’ve had to adjust a lot, that’s life!
Best wishes for a healthy baby.
I am so happy for you guys. I love how excited you are. Best of luck!
Congratulations to you and your wife!! Parenthood is amazing!
Congratulations J. Money and Mrs. Money!
Best advise – just enjoy the time now and when that little one arrives.
Blessings. – Jackie.
YAAAYYY!!!! (HHUGGGS) At our Nuchal scan our baby waved at us and started dancing!! it was amazing. Congrats to you and Mrs. Money :) I hope she starts feeling better soon. I just hit 16 weeks yesterday and as if by magic I started feeling better a few days before. Just out of the blue the nausea/barf etc stops like magic. I’m so glad for you both! That kids gunna pop out with a budget sheet in his/her lil hand hehehehehhe
Dani
That is awesome. Congrats.
Congratulations! We just had our first baby three weeks ago. One thing I’ve learned is that all of the advice you’ll receive is B.S. because every baby is different. Every baby is an individual person and they respond to things in their own way. So when someone (everyone will) tells you “this worked” or “that worked” or “you HAVE to do this” take it all with a grain of salt because each different technique may or may not have the same effect on your baby.
One more thing: When the baby does get here do not let your pride get in the way of going to bed at 6:30. :)
Congratulations to you both!
Congrats J!!!! That’s awesome!
Congratulations. Your life will be changed for the better.
Congratulations, Fatherhood will look good on you!
Holey schmoley — congrats! I know how hard it is to wait for that miracle of conception, but now the real fun begins. Best wishes for a healthy pregnancy and baby!
Congrats to you both! and great job with the secret keeping! my husband blabbed to everyone he could about 2 hours after we found out – he was too excited and couldn’t keep it in!
PS- baby girls are awesome :) I have 2 , so I’m a bit biased :D
What a blessing! Best wishes to Mrs. Money for an easy and joyous pregnancy and birth.
J—Congrats! I’m so happy for you! Make sure you date now because once the babies start coming dates are hard to come by! I love the idea of diving into the money aspects of it all. I had has the doc when we had baby number one if there was a financial planning guide and she laughed at me. Now that we have baby number three I think I could, or maybe my wife, could write one. Best of luck bro!
Omg congrats to you and Mrs. Money! There is so much love and excitement in this post, J. You’re both going to be great parents, whenever the lil’ beans pops out :)
Congratulations!! Our munchkin will be 2 in January!! I wanted a girl and I got one, so hopefully you will too!
Wow, how amazing!! Congrats! That’s so great. Will you be finding out the gender?
OMG !!!!!!!!!!!! Super excited for you guys – congrats :)
CONGRATS J$ AND THE MRS!!!!!
This is fantastic new and I wish you the best. I can’t wait to follow along for the ride!!!
Congratulations! I am so happy for you. I know how hard it is to try for so long, it can be very emotionally draining. then when you get the news that you finally are about to have a baby it is so surreal and the best thing ever.
:)
Congrats, J! That’s really awesome man! I’m happy for you.
Congratulations J$ and J Mommy! This is a very exciting time, enjoy it.
Such great news! Congratulations – wonderful time ahead, full of expectation and hope. I remember being rather calm for about seven months and then panicking totally – there were only eight weeks left to grow up. You know what? I didn’t and my son is grateful – adulthood is not for me it turned out. About the language – my son has told everyone that he knows all the words from mummy but she alos taught him when to use them (and when not to do so). Enjoy!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope you realize it is taking EVERYTHING in me to not scream and jump up and down in excitement for you and Mrs. $ right here in my office. This is so awesome! I’m so happy for you!!!!!!!!!
And I’ll see you in 3 DAYS to congratulate you FOR REAL.
This is wonderful news; congrats to you both!!
and the question is: did i cry when i read this?!?!? Damn straight i did!!! OH. MY. GOD! I am so so so so happy for you guys! and auntie trinnie is gonna go shopping!!!
Congrats to you both… imagine, you were money smart even BEFORE you were having kids. Makes you look even more like a super genius!
(In 13 years or so, your offspring will tell you that’s not the case — telling you now, just so you’re prepared.)
Well Merry Christmas to YOU! Congratulations buddy, kids turn your world upside side but they are so completely worth it.
Yeeei congrats!
I actually opened a saving account as soon as my baby was born, it’s a kids account and he’s even got his own debit card!
of course he’s only 4 months now and won’t be using it for a long time, but we manage to split our “saving money” into three pieces now: my saving account, husband’s saving account and baby’s saving account. Hopefully once he gets older we will take him into the bank to put money in his account (we do it electronically but what the heck, he’ll love the feeling of handing in his money to get more later on, I hope xD)
So happy for you, we tried to get pregnant for two years and I know the feeling of dispair and all the fears that come along
you guys will be fine :)
Congrats! So happy for you and the Mrs.! But, you are such a fibber! When I told you I was pregnant you said you hoped it would happen for you, and you are 3 weeks ahead of me!
I never have followed that 12 week rule, but I can understand one’s caution with it! I would have NEVER been able to hold it in, and its my second!
Best wishes for a healthy pregnancy and delivery and a happy, healthy baby!
So, what’s your due date? Guessing 1st of July? Mine is July 25.
Congrats. That is wonderful news. Start thinking about a 529 account.
By the way, my unborn baby already has a 529 college plan! I inquired if they can be open for an unborn child and was told yes! You put yourself as beneficiary, and once the child is born, your transfer it to their name and social security number.
Awesome news man!
I became a proud Dad for the first time on Sept 29th. Lil’ SPF is a bundle of joy! And like you, I found it sooooo hard to keep things under wraps until 12ks-1day!
Congratulations, I’m sure it’s a great feeling to know that all that effort finally paid off.
Congratulations!!!!!! That is awesome news!! I’m so happy for you! I will be there with Emmy to congratulate you in person in a few days :)
Even though I’m not a parent yet I’ve been reading lots of parenting books lately, and I would agree with everyone here who is saying there is no one right way to parent. What’s been most helpful for me is thinking about what is most important to me when it comes to my kids–for example, some people care most that their children are polite and well-behaved and they achieve that through fear and authority (which I’m not a fan of); some people care most that their kids are happy, and they can end up with spoiled kids. I just finished a book called Liberated Parents, Liberated Children that argues your goal should be to raise humane, caring children. Having that kind of idea in mind helps me to think through all of the more specific decisions that have to be made (breastfeeding, co-sleeping, spanking, etc.).
Best of luck to you and your family and congratulations again!!
CONGRATS!!!!!!! So happy for you!!! I have two little girls (1.5 & 3) and I can say that girls are awesome! You’re going to be an awesome dad. Let your sweet wife rest a lot and help out as much as possible. And research breastfeeding, its the best for baby, for mom, and for your bank account. That’s my soapbox. :) But please do research the benefits, its difficult but very worthwhile.
So happy for ya!!
Congratulations! I don’t know how good the 529 plan is in your state by here in Indiana you can get a 20% tax credit (up to $5000 of your contribution) per year. For the old lady and I this is really going to help our stupid state tax bill!!!
Again congratulations!
Good stuff J! Congrats!
You’re going to be such an awesome dad, congrats!
Congrats on the happy news! We had our baby girl this past summer and it’s been a BLAST! Wishing the two of you a wonderful pregnancy and happy birth :)
Yay! Congrats! You will be the coolest pop around.
Congrats dude! Look forward to many posts on the little one. And your first tattoo dedicated to him/her!
Congratulations!
That’s so awesome, J! You’ll love every minute of it!
Congrats on Baby$ !
“I will not stop having babies, or practicing to have babies (ow ow!) until I finally get one in my arms.” I went to school with a girl whose family was like that only trying for a boy. She had 9(!) sisters before finally they had a boy. And what did her parents name her little brother? Guy. I always thought that after 15 years of trying, they could have come up with a little more creative of a name. :)
Congratulations!!!! Such exciting news : )
Congrats and I wish you’ll be the best dad!
Congrats, J!!! Your little one will be one lucky kid to have such a face-rocking dad. Best wishes to both of you!
Congrats to you both!!! You are going to be awesome! Can’t wait to hear all about it. Are we going to get to see a baby bump ever?
Congratulations JMoney!! Great news!
Congratulations!!! I also agree with the “no right way to parent” philosophy. No matter what the books or your friends and family tell you, you just kind of figure it out as you go. I quit my full-time job to stay home after baby #2 and that sparked some changes for us. I knew I would need to breastfeed for at least the year because we couldn’t afford to formula feed and I also decided to switch to cloth diapers when he was about 6 months old. The initial investment can be high (though you guys have time to do it here and there), but they definitely pay for themselves!! Here in the Pittsburgh area, we have a cloth diaper store http://www.happybabycompany.com that ships most orders free! And the owners are awesome, even if you don’t live in the area – check them out! We’re still strapped for cash on a regular basis, but we would never have been able to feed and diaper our youngest without doing those two things. Best wishes and best of luck to you both!!
Congrat man! I knew you guys had it in ya ;)
Congrats to you and your wife. Great news. The next 6 months will be most challenging. She will have her ups and downs as you will too. Hang in there and be supportive. Teamwork will make it successful and easier for all. Things to start thinking about financially,
college savings, banking more $$ for time when out on maternity leave, increase life insurance and getting legal docs ready.
Congratulations!!!!!! Soo exciting :)
You should totally look into cloth diapering. SUPER budget friendly, and much healthier for the baby and environment. :)
Congrats, J!!! Very exiting!!
Woo Hoo!!! Congratulations!!!
I have two kids and my best advice would be to love your wife above all else and put her first in your life (she should do the same for you). When your kid(s) get older and things get rough, your wife and you need to have each other’s backs and the bambino(s) need to know that you guys are a team no matter what. It fosters a sense of security in them that nothing else can compare to. Also, don’t hesitate to be physically affectionate with them. Kids – especially girls – need a fathers hugs.
You’re going to do great – I’m so excited for you!!
Congratulations! What an exciting piece of news at Christmas! A child will change your life forever in the best way. I never knew I could love someone so much and so purely until my daughter came along. Praying for a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery. Merry Christmas!
That is awesome! I think kids are cute and fun, but so glad I don’t have one. I hope you blog about him/her every day, so maybe I can live through you HA!
One word of advice, get him/her on your insurance as soon as he/she pops out! Don’t wait like with your insurance :)
Is your head still spinning? Mine would be with all the information there is out there on babies, including financial stuff.
I’m so happy for you! We tried for quite awhile with number one, but #2 and #3 were no problem. It’s a wonderful ride, the whole thing! Frustrating and wonderful at the same time. Nothing can prepare you for the change your life will be, but once you’ve lived through the changes, you’ll never want to go back to the way it was before kids.
Congratulations and welcome to the new world!
Congratulations! My little one turned two months just a few days ago. Having a baby will rock your world, turn your life upside down and redefine love and happiness for you!
Congratulations to you!
J,
Congrats! I remember we were trying around the same time. I am glad it finally worked out for you 2. You are going to be an awesome pops
What a happy way to start a Monday…thanks for sharing your wonderful news. Congrats to you and your wife. Blessings to you all…may God hold you all close in His embrace.
Kathy
So awesome!!!
Congrats, man! In other exciting news… me too!! We are 14 weeks along now!
My best wishes to you, Big Daddy. Here is the only baby advice I ever give: Keep one end full and the other end dry. :-)
And let me share some happy news right back at you: I’m going to be a grandmother!
http://www.donnafreedman.com/2011/12/19/gran-grandma-grandiose-grandiloquent-which-do-you-think-best-describes-me/
We can take turns boring each other insensate with baby pictures and cute-baby stories. Congratulations, friend.
CONGRATS!!! Super Exciting!
Mazel Tov! It seems that there is a PF Blogger Baby Boom. Donna Freedman from Surviving and Thriving is apparently going to be a grandmother.
My only word of advice is: sleep now! Sleep becomes a commodity more precious than money. I have actually paid for the privilege of napping (by putting the child in drop in daycare). And try not to wantonly enjoy caffeine in front of your wife: http://sahmnambulist.blogspot.com/2011/04/not-caffeine-anything-but-that.html
What lovely news! Congratulations!
Congrats to you and Mrs. Money!! That’s awesome news and I can imagine how hard it was to keep it a secret for the first trimester.
I love that you found out on your way out of Baby “R” Us!
HOOORAY! So excited for you and your wife, J!
Any advice? Breastfeeding, if your wife is able, is most healthy for the baby and saves you huge amounts of $$$$! Seriously.
And – you don’t need nearly as many gadgets as Babies R Us will try to convince you that you will? Full size towels and washclothes work just as well as tiny ones. =)
Congrats again!
Congratulations! What a happy holiday season this will be. :)
Congratulations!!! What an exciting time. All the best to you and your wife, and I can’t wait to see pics of the little guy or girl when he or she arrives!
Congratulations, J Money! :)
Congrats! Fun times :)
Congratulations J. “Poppa” Money
CONGRATS!!! I know he/she will be a lil rock star, with a ESA to match!
Congrats! And the curbing the language thing will probably come pretty naturally…
Congrats dude, my wife is pregnant too and we are on the same time table. We should get drinks later… :)
Congratulation, J. “Poppa” Money!
Ahhhhhhhhh congratulations J! I’m so happy for you guys :) Babies are the best gift ever. I’m glad you guys made it smoothly through the first trimester :D Omg I’m so excited for you.
Congratulations, kids are amazing. Sometimes frustrating, but always worth the joy they bring.
Congratulations! What an exciting time. Been there twice, and sometimes I sooooo wish I could rewind to when they were 2-3 years old. My best advice for you is to drop everything at that age, spend as much time as you possibly can. You can get back to “normal” life a few years later, but those most golden of years will never return.
Congrats!!! That’s awesome.
Better start thinking of names now. I like “Lil’ J”. :D
Congratulations! Been there 2 times to the end, and lost one angel before we got to hold them. Children are terrific – but there are so many things that change, and most of them you don’t realize until about 4 years down the road. Be wary of all the “baby items” – half of them you don’t need. There are some that are nice to have, but completely useless after having a baby. Also, don’t pay top dollar for the clothes – especially during the first year, get as much second hand as possible. The child doesn’t know the difference (nor do they care) and if you are careful about where and what you buy, you can get virtually brand new clothing at a fraction of the cost. Also, be careful of the amount of toys bought. Again, most of them you don’t need, and the child is happy playing with a box (or an old remote control or cell phone that makes noise).
Congratulations J$!!! I can see the little mohawk already….
Oh, if you’re at Babys “R” Us make sure to use the shopsavvy app to price compare – they’ll price match as long as the place you find has a physical address… we ended up getting a $250 carseat for $180 with price match and a 20% off coupon. Giddyup!
Here’s to a happy and healthy “B$”! B for Baby, of course. Best wishes to Mrs. Money, too.
I just needed to say congratulations! That is amazing news! I cant wait to hear about all the new parent related things in your posts ;-)
Congrats! I’m so looking forward to reading the parent posts as well!
Oh wow… what amazing announcement! Congrats!!!!
Thank you SO MUCh everyone!! Wow do I feel the love! (and baby J Jr. too!). It’s gonna be a helluva good year my friends, so glad to be able to spend it with y’all :)
@Jess – Wow, okay – I’m making notes, thanks! And big congrats to your brother too – we’ll see who has it first! :)
@Kandace – Okay, sounds good! I can keep that in mind :)
@Adam – Thanks man! It’s been a long 2 years, but we’re crazy excited! :)
@Maggie – Thanks! And congrats on your new bundle too!
@Lily – Wowww, that’s crazy! I’m so sorry to hear that :( It’s a good thin he has wonderful parents!! :)
@Dani @ Ok, Dani – Hehe, yeah – ours was dancing and moving all over the place too – so fun! I’m hoping her nausea goes away fast like that too, she’s been so worn out from it all :(
@Michael – Haha, will do my man ;) Congrats on your new one too!
@Cait – Thanks!! Funny how both Krystal and I waited for today to release crazy news, huh? haha… great minds think alike ;)
@Daisy – Yup! Not for another 8 weeks though… only thing we’re gonna hide from people are the names we’ve picked :)
@Maria Nedeva – Haha… that’s good cuz I don’t want to grow up either! :)
@Emmy – YAY!!!!! You can scream up and down when we finally meet each other for the first time :) Woohoo!
@Trinnie – Hehe, I love you so much Trinnie :) Honestly, from the bottom of my heart.
@Charlie – HAH! I’m gonna remember that ;)
@mints – I like it! I totally want to start setting up accounts ASAP too – so fun!
@Nicole – HAH! I had to, miscarriages happen a lot in my wife’s family – I was too freaked out (and still am, to a degree)… We’re both gonna have a great 2012! Can’t wait! :) (Oh, and July 2nd is our due date – same month as yours! Good idea on 529 too – already on my list ;))
@Sustainable PF – Woohoo! A hearty congrats to you too, my friend :)
@Jessica @ Faith Permeating Life – Oh cool! Excited to meeet you too soon :) Thx for the tips!
@stacy – I’ll research it, I promise! :)
@Jeff @My Multiple Streams – Do you know that that was one of the first things that crossed my mind?? Besides money stuff? That I FINALY get to have their name tatooed on me? Haha… I was originally waiting for kids to have my 1st tattoo, but I quickly grew impatient :) But now it’s on, baby!
@Edward Antrobus – Wowww, that’s incredible! I def. don’t think I’ll go that long until I have a girl, haha… at least I hope not! :)
@Ashley @ Money Talks – Hehe, sure. I could probably swing that once it gets a bit bigger :)
@Katie/b> – Oh cool, thx! Will add it to the list to research :)
@Wayne – Thanks man, yeah – already kinda challening on some days but knowing what present we’re about to get in the future sure does help us stay on track! :)
@Angie – Okay, I like it! And def. no worries on the affectionate side, I probably hug/kiss TOO much! Haha…
@LB – Haha, yeah. I don’t know where to begin really :) But at least it’s all fun/exciting stuff! I’m always up for an adventure, especially NEW ones, so I’m looking forward to him/her coming out on so many different levels. Just glad we were able to have one!
@One Frugal Girl – Congrats on the new baby!!
@Donna Freedman – Haha, yay!!! And congrats to you Mrs. Grandmother! :)
@Emily Guy Birken – Haha, good tip! I have to be better about that – I’m always making coffee and drinking beer in front of her :( I keep forgetting!
@Jen @ SheBloggs – I know, right? Insane :)
@Kaye – Haha, roger that :)
@LaToya – You better believe it ;)
@Sun – AWESOME! Yes, totally :) Congrats to you both too!
@Briana @ 20 and Engaged – Yayyyyy! :)
@David Leonhardt – Oh man, okay – I can do that! I’m working on cutting down my work hours by 50% this year, so that will def. help w/ baby spending time! :) Thanks so much, love that advice.
@Laura – Oh jeez, so sad you lost one – I’m sorry! SO GLAD you got 2 though!! Wonderful advice as well, thank you so much friend :)
@Nick – Haha, will make a note of it!
CONGRATULATIONS! What wonderful news!
J$ – What a wonderful start to the week! This is terrific news, and I am happy for you, Mrs. J$, and the wee one. May you enjoy a long and happy life together.
This post brought a smile to my face. So happy for you both! Can’t wait to hear about your new adventure.
Congratulations! What wonderful news! :)
Reading your play-by-play almost made me cry! Congratulations, J$! You’re going to be a daddy!
Congrats! I have 3 poop machines myself although they’re no longer in diapers. Whew!!
Congratulation my man! It’s a cliche, but your life will change so much. Awesome bro!
Congrats! That is really great news!!!
Congratulations!
Three pieces of advice:
1. Never turn down a hand-me-down. Even if you can’t use it, you can always sell it or donate
2. If someone wants to buy you something, ask for a Fisher Price Rock and Play. Great portable sleeping/containment and rated for overnight sleeping.
3. Your needs may change depending on whether mom has a c-section or regular delivery. Things like a waist high changing table/area, support pillows, good chair, etc. are very much necessary when you have a big gash cut in your stomach and can’t lift/bend over. Consider keeping some cash in reserve in case of an emergency c-section.
Congratulations!!!! I hope you get your baby girl! I already know you will spoil her rotten. You are gonna be such a wonderful Daddy!! Here’s to an easy rest of pregnancy for the Mrs. :)
Congrats on your new addition to the family! :)
Congrats J! It took my wife and I a while to have our first (almost one year ago) but it’s been AWESOME ever since… even the “bad days” are good days.
Hang on and enjoy the ride, your life is about to change but in a very, very good way.
Congratulations! Such exciting news!
Congrats! I’m so happy for you two, maybe you’ll get lucky and get your baby girl on the first try. :-)
Congratulations!
Advice comes leaping out of the woodwork when you are expecting, ignore 99% of it (except this one, of course)
-WR
ohhhhhhhh mmmmmmmm geeeeeeee
congrats!!! You know what that means? Less beer more diapers!
Congratulations!!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! That’s so awesome, congratulations J$!! I love how it’s waving at everyone :) You’re going to make such an awesome dad :D
So is this the other project that you were talking about when you said you were going to be stopping love drop???
You all sure know how to make a blogger smile :) THANK YOU thank you THANK YOU!!
@Camille – Awwww… I was wondering if I should put all that out there (kinda detailed and nothing to do w/ money, haha) but I figured this is my blog and I can do whateve I want, right? Thanks for the sweet note :)
@Jerret – Ahahahaha… well if you get bored, you’re more than welcome to come out here and be my poop assistant ;)
@A Family of Geeks – Okay, will do!
@MissGina – Thank you!! I will for sure spoil her (even if it’s a him!), I won’t be able to help myself! :)
@Jeff @ Before You Invest – I’m so glad you were able to conceive too! Congrats!!
@WR – Haha, roger ;)
@Kathryn C – Thanks! And no names yet — you will have to wait until he/she is born! I can’t give away all the details just yet ;) (But you’re more than welcome to shoot over any boy’s names you like – we’re at a loss for those, we just got girls on lock)
@Cassie – Haha, no – but it’s certainly one of the reasons for hitting pause right now ;) My goal is to work 50% less come July (when it’s due) and cutting out 20 hours a week certainly helps with that! Though I’m sure I’ll fill up some of it w/ the other projects on my list – one thing at a time, right?
Congrats …. a baby will definitely change your life …. I am going to the hospital to have number 3 tomorrow …… looking forward to following your journey over the next 6 months and beyond as you prepare for her arrival …. best wishes to both of you!!!!
Woahhhh that is so cool!! I hope it all goes really smoothly, and congrats!! Make sure to give him/her a hug from J. Money ;)
Congrats! That’s amazing! Parenthood is a trip, enjoy it. Like everyone else said, parenting is a choice, so no advice there. But…try to make sure you buy your breast pump before the baby gets there because man! The pain of engorgement and not having a breast pump was amazing. I almost killed my husband.
Congrats J. Moneeee!
Congrats. To save on some baby expenses, mom should definitely consider breastfeeding. Exclusively breastfeeding will not only save on formula money, but will decrease baby’s risk of allergies, asthma, SIDs, and certain cancers; less likely to develop ear infections and common colds/viruses; baby will have higher IQ; and no need to worry about bottles!
I remember that moment so clearly, man. Happy to be mixed in with all the crazy madness and joy, haha . . . tell the little booger Uncle Nate says hi!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! How exciting for you and the wifey! Can’t wait to hear more about the prep for the little one! :-)
Congrats! That is wonderful news, I wish you and Momma J nothing but an easy, healthy pregnancy and delivery!
Congratulations! That is awesome!
My second husband & I tried for 7 years before we had our little boy…so you just never know.
I agree with the others above about the breastfeeding.
I didn’t do it with my first two but I was older & wiser with my last child and I am so happy that I decided to do it. Actually it was my 10 y/o daughter that talked me into it…and honestly the only reason I could give her about why I didn’t want to do it was that I felt uncomfortable about it. And when I said that I realized that I wanted her to grow up fearless, strong, & confident and the only way I could do that is to be that way myself…and thought how silly it was that I was worried about what people would think, etc.
It was an absolute wonderful experience & I would not have changed a thing…and am thankful to my wonderful daughter, now 17 years old, who many times is much wiser than her Mother (just don’t tell her I said that, lol)
Congrats to you and the missus! What a very exciting time for y’all.
Hope everything goes smoothly these last 3 months.
Congrats!
The only advice I can give is for momma to watch her nutrition. Pregnancy is so hard on women’s bodies because the child takes priority, and gets what she needs, even if it means robbing mom’s requirements to get it. I’ve heard many people say great things about a paleo style diet, but regardless, there are many quality sources of info online.
Ah, this is so fantastic!!! Congratulations to you and your wife!!
Congrats, J!!! That’s so exciting :)
Congrats! You’re gonna make a great dad.
And don’t let any baby raising horror stories scare you – raising a child is an absolute thrill and one of the best feelings in the world!
J. Money, I am sooooo excited and happy for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Having kids is the best and craziest thing in the WORLD! I just had baby #3 about 5 weeks ago, and it becomes even more crazy the more kids you have. HAHAHAHA. Welcome to the magical world of parenting!!!
Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Congrats, what wonderful news! I am so happy for the both of you!
Hey Congrats for you and your family. It will be a blessing and get ready for hella gifts for the little one, especially with the generosity of your family, as I’ve read. It will change your world, if you need any advice send me an email.
Congratulations J! I’m sure you are extremely excited.
Congratulations J “Poppa” Money!!!
How did I miss this yesterday!? Congrats!
Congrats! That’s great news!
Congrats bro! Good think the little one isn’t Tebowing like every one else in the figgin’ world these days.
Aw, man. Your pure joy has brought tears to my eyes! I’m so happy for you and your wife, and I’ve never even met you. Congrats to both of you, and I hope your wife has a very smooth pregnancy.
Let me be the 148th to wish you “congratulations”. It is a grand adventure!
Congrats my friend! I know you’re going to be a great daddy! I know when we had our son it was one fo the biggest life changing events I’ve ever had, but mostly in a good way as there’s nothing quite like holding your little baby for the first time! Good luck, and hopefully your Mrs. J Money won’t have too many cravings!
Congratulations! Great news!!!
Congrats and happy womb reading.
Daaaang, I am FEELING the power of you guys this week! THANK YOU!!! I get more and more pumped up everytime I come back to read these comments :) I love it that we’re all connected here! It’s like 10 billion times better than Facebook! Haha… HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!
@Kris – “The pain of engorgement and not having a breast pump was amazing. I almost killed my husband.” Haha… wowwww, was NOT expecting that! :)
@Nate St. Pierre – You were the VERY FIRST PERSON to find out! Crazy man, remember that? And how delirious we were after all of that combined? Great great memories we’ll have forever… we’re certainly blessed :)
@aj – Awwww, that is so cool though! I’m VERY impressed by her – and you can def. tell her that ;) I’m so glad you two were able to conceive after all those years too, I can’t even imagine. Life works mysteriously sometimes!
@Sharon V – Thanks :) We’re def. trying our hardest to keep her fit and healthy, just so hard sometimes w/ all the vomiting she’s been doing, jeesh… hopefully we’re out of those woods going forward though, we gotta keep that food in there! ;)
@Serena – Haha, thanks! And a hearty congrats to you as well! :)
@Rich Uncle El – You got it my man, appreciate it :)
@Heather – Awww, thank you so much! That is so cool to hear since we’ve never met :) And I love your blog name btw, haha… “A Skirt With Pockets” – that’s cute. Happy holidays new friend!
@Peter – Thanks man! And I’m sending positive vibes out your way that you guys have your 2nd one realllllll soon! Hehe… life is good, brotha!
@MaJenDome – Haha, thanks :)
Congratulations to you and your lovely wife!
Congrats to you both! I hope you’ll still have enough time to be both a dad and continue the excellent work on your site.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Congrats to you and Mrs. J$! How awesome! Your world has changed forever but for the best. Having a kid is such a blessing. Enjoy every minute of it!
Congratulations!! I’m currently 13 weeks pregnant with baby #3. Babies are awesome, and they grow into awesome little people. I’m so excited to hear a dad so excited about his baby!!
I can’t wait to read all your baby-related posts in the coming 6 months!
J$, I mean J Poppa $, CONGRATULATIONS! You will be an awesome dad and pass on your amazing sense of humor (and your financial knowledge of course). Can’t wait to hear more updates and pics of J$ Jr. The SaveUp team is also growing – our CEO just gave birth to her first baby today. Baby mania!!! :) Congratulations again.
SOOOOOOOOO thrilled for you — you are going to be an AWESOME Dad!!!
Yay! So happy for you!
You all are good to me – thank you :)
@Squeezer – Yes, me too! My new goal is to work 50% less, but still keep up all my projects and passions :) Wish me luck!
@Molly – COOL!! We’re gonna have our babies around the same time then :) It’s gonna be a great year!
@Jean @ SaveUp – Haha, baby mania indeed! :) Thank you so much.
@Janice (5 Minutes for Mom) – I was finally able to tell everyone! Hehe… thanks for keeping it a secret for me ;) You were one of the VERY first to know! Hope we can hang out soon, my friend, always fun chilling with you!
Goodness, how did I miss this? Awesome! Best wishes to you!
Congrats!! My sister had her first a couple months ago and it has been awesome! I’m not even someone who wants kids, but I am so in love with him and just wanna stare at and kiss on him all the time. In 2 months, I think I have more pics of him sleeping than I do of anything else. Invest in a good camera if you don’t already have one, you’ll want it. Also, start signing up for emails from Enfamil & Similac (well, if she’s not breast feeding, in which case get everyone you know to sign up too-I just got a sample & 2 coupons for my sister), carter’s, children’s place, and anywhere with baby stuff so you get a ton of coupons. And expect some coupons from shutterfly too.
Wow! Congratulations J Money! I haven’t been reading as much as I should be lately, and I can’t believe I missed this one! This is awesome! So happy for you!
Congratulations! You’re in for a lot of fun :)
Thank guys! :)
@amanda – Cool!!! I’ll def. have to remember about the camera – I don’t think my iPhone will cut it all the way ;) Though it will for Facebook! Haha…
OMG, I don’t know how I missed this post, but WOW! Congratulations!!!!
THANK YOU! 6 more months to go! :)
How awesome!! Congrats! It will change your life in amazing and wonderful ways – enjoy every minute and get lots of sleep now (while you still can! ;))
haha, I’m doing my best! :)
Wahoo!
Congrats to you, Papa J! I’m grinning from ear to ear hearing your story. Having done that 3 times with my hubby, I know how exciting it is…makes me sad we’re all done. :)
Have fun with it, and enjoy every second!
Heather
Awww, thanks friend! Can’t wait for the adventure to start! :)
Belated congrats! :)
Not sure how I completely missed this post but CONGRATS!!
Thanks guys! We just found out about the sex too – stay tuned for the news!! :)
I just discovered your blog toady and enjoying it tremendously. Congrats on your baby! Mine inspired me to start blogging which I just startd recently. Parenting is awesome. I wish you and your wife a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Very cool! Will go and check it out now – thanks for stopping by :)