Preparing For The Little One: The Mental Stage
Monday, we went for an ultrasound at 24 weeks. As long as everything goes well, this will be the last pictures we see of the little tyke until he is born. It got me to thinking about all the preparation that occurs when one is having a baby.

The latest image of the latest Howelett. Isn't he cuuuute?
When we were anticipating my daughter’s arrival, there were all the outward signs of preparation: buying the car seat, deciding her very first outfit, bringing home the crib, etc. There are many emotions that go along with this for a dad. I remember seeing the crib in my bedroom and thinking, there’s a crib in my room! What am I going to do?! And then the obvious answer hit as soon as she was born: I’m going to make this beautiful little creature the center of my world!
I couldn’t believe that such a cute little thing could:
a) really have come from my genes. (I think all the good stuff came from her mother, although she has an insatiable appetite for bacon and fried potato products, which is all me.)
b) be entrusted to my care. (What did I know about babies? Changing diapers, dealing with spit-up, teaching ABCs and 123s…)

A sampling of the boy apparel we have already aquired...
This time around, I’m receiving a boy, a whole new crop of fears are setting in:
a) I was never in to sports, do I have to get a subscription to Sports Illustrated now and figure this stuff out?
b) I have two girls that somehow I’ve managed to relate to. Is throwing a boy in the mix going to offset the balance somehow?
I’ve never been big on worrying. I’ve never seen what it accomplishes. But, I do admit to doubts and fears, especially when it comes to the little ones that are entrusted to my care. I find myself thinking thoughts like, ‘Am I really the right one for this job?’
And then, when I see my daughters smile, or proud of an accomplishment, or just want me to get on the floor with them and play, the answer becomes a resounding, ‘Hell, yes. This daddy gig is alright!’

Oh yeah, this micro-dude is gonna rock!
Having a boy in the house is going to be strange and exciting. Of course, I’ve already bought some nice ‘super-hero’ type outfits. I’ll also introduce him to the sports side of being male. If that suits his fancy, I’ll be at every game. If he follows along beside me and his interests fall on the geek side, I’ll be there. It’ll be all up to him, and I can’t wait to see the places he goes!
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Speaking of the geek side, I couldn’t let this May 1st go by without plugging one of my favorite events of the year that happens tomorrow: Free Comic Book Day! For those of you ‘not in the know’, free comic book day has been happening every year since I believe the first Spider-Man movie hit the screen. FCBD coincides with the big comic-book movie release. This year that movie happens to be X-Men Origins: Wolverine that opens today!. This year, there are quite a few great all ages offerings:
‘Owly and Friends’ (If you haven’t discovered Owly yet, scoop this up tomorrow!)
Disney/Pixar’s ‘Cars’ published by Boom! Comics. I just picked up their ‘The Muppet Show: The Comic Book’, and it was fantastic. I can’t wait to see their versions of the Pixar gang!
‘The Savage Dragon’ issue this year claims to be for all ages, which this one issue may be, but in my experience, Savage Dragom often crosses the line. Be careful if you’re using these as introductory books in to the world of comics for young ones.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Archie: The Mighty Archie Art Players
Transformers:Animated/G.I. Joe
DC Kids Mega Sampler, featuring Tiny Titans, Billy Batson and the Power of Shazam!, and Batman: Brave and the Bold
Not all titles will be available in all comic book stores, and usually there are a few surprises that you may not be expecting! I would definitely visit freecomicbookday.com for more details, and be sure to visit several stores!
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Tags: Arts, Comic book, comics, Free Comic Book Day, New Howelette, new little one, preparing for baby, Tiny Titans, X-Men Origins Wolverine

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