Week 13: Welcome/Benvenuti

Welcome to what will be the place for all information on Baby Cugini.

Baby Cugini is not a very inspired name, you say...
Yes, we know. Bimbo Cugini ("bimbo" - pronounced "beeeeembo" is the word for "baby" in Italian) did not sound that much better. As soon as we have confirmed the baby's sex and come up with a name, Cristiano is going to set up a domain for him so that he has his very own domain at birth. Newborns love having their own domains!

And why Cugini, you ask?
As the baby will be born in Italy, there will be no choice as to what last name he takes. No mother's maiden name. No hyphens. No being called just by his first name. No Prince-style symbol or Baby-Formerly-Known-As. When push comes to shove (and all pushing and shoving will be done by the MOTHER, need we add, without a birthing suite and perhaps even without an epidural, which is not widely available in Italy...), he has to take the father's last name. Yes, we could go to the trouble of legally changing his name in the U.S. and then coming back with the new name but in a country full of this much red tape and bureacracy, do we really want to complicate the kid's life by giving him a hyphenated or "foreign" name? ("Sorry, we'd accept your child at our preschool but his application can't be processed because he has a hyphenated name.") So, let's just stick with Cugini and give the kid a break.

Why are you referring to Baby Cugini as a "he"?
At this point Baby Cugini is being referred to as a "he" because at the in-depth 12-week scan, the doctor told us he was "95 percent a boy" - or "a girl with genitals that are too far forward." Until we are told otherwise, we are referring to Baby Cugini in the masculine. We've been told that 12-week scans can be wrong so we are not getting the sky blue paint out yet for the nursery...

Are you having a shower? Are you registering?
Both my cousin Gina and my mother have graciously offered to host a shower for me when I will be in Dayton over the weekend of August 11. Mom won out on doing the hosting because as they say in Italian "La mamma è sempre la mamma" ("Mother is always mother"). I will be providing details as they become available. I was on the fence about doing a registry because I always fear it makes people feel "obligated" to buy something. But if I learned anything during wedding planning, it's that people get annoyed (dare I say belligerent?) when there is no registry. People actually like giving gifts even when told it's not necessary. Who knew?

I know nothing about babies so actually it will probably help me out to do a registry and cover the basics. Or even just hear from other mothers about what I will need (I was recently told I absolutely have to have a Boppy and that this Boppy product is not available in Italy). So, yes, there will be a registry but I can already tell that this child will be inundated with love and things (did I mention he'll have his own domain name at birth?) so I will also be providing a link to a cause that is near and dear to our hearts, which is giving aid to the children of Darfur. Baby Cugini can live without a Boppy. The children of Darfur can't live without food and water. If you feel so inclined, please help these children. Again, all links to come later.

Will you be providing belly shots?
No. Never. Absolutely not. Sorry to disappoint but that's just not my thing. I'm already at the point where when I see a camera, I run. I know other people do it and they insist I will regret it later, but I can't bring myself to. I will however try to put up some shots of the ultrasound scans and perhaps even the video that we have of Baby Cugini doing his thing in the mother's womb. He's already got a lot of personality. Really!