It's "def," not "deaf"

That first picture shows the strong and rapid heartbeat of our unborn son. Am I already a proud papa? You betcha.
The baby stuff buying binge has kicked into overdrive. At first we just bought a few necessities, but now we are actively seeking out qaulity products and/or good deals. We scored a major find yesterday at a Marshall's in Mt. Pleasant - and Eddie Bauer stroller for a ridiculously great price. I also ordered a onesie from ipopmybaby.com that has an iPod clickwheel on the front. I also bought a onesie at the last Blue Dogs show I attended that reads "Make Your Mama Proud" on the front. I'm considering others.
The Bean is really moving around now. Not only can I feel him kicking, but you can actually see Margaret's stomach move when he kicks or somersaults. We were told that in the last month we will be able to see hands, feet and other body parts pressed up against her stomach. Freaky. I got a promotion at my day job. Unexpected but certainly not unwelcome. It means a bit more money, which is good, seeing as we need to start saving for the Bean's college fund immediately. With any hope he'll be a little genius and get a scholarship, but better to be prepared in case that doesn't transpire. We went over to a friend's house to watch the Superbowl this past Sunday. Very boring game. Only the Rolling Stones at halftime and the funny Budweiser commercials made it worth it. Our friends, Brian and Cathy, have a son, Evan, who is about to turn one, so we were able to get a look at life twelve months down the road. Evan is a pretty cute little kid, very well behaved for his age, and with any luck we'll have something similar in the Bean.
I have sort of fallen into managing a local rock band, The Fire Apes. I've been a fan for years and I went to high school with the band's drummer. They asked me if I was interested in managing them, and it sounded like an interesting (and hopefully lucrative) undertaking, so I said yes. So far it's going well. The first big gig is March 24 at the Music Farm. It will be a CD release party, and we hope to fill the place. I can't wait to take the Bean to his first rock show - with hearing protection firmly in place, mind you. I don't want him to meet the same fate I am currently facing - namely losing my hearing. It's nothing drastic yet, but I can tell that my years of concert-going have damaged my hearing. Oh well, I guess you have to pay the price for doing what you love. I was impressed when I saw Gwyneth Paltrow's little baby, Apple, backstage at the Live 8 concert with pink ear protection on (see photo above). I had to hand it to Apple's mom for looking out for her. I plan to be as careful with the Bean.