Before I dive into who the 3 winners of our ebook, Nap Time Cash are, I just thought that I’d share something that has been on my mind: The Holidays.  It’s getting close to Christmas and our little Monkey is more excited than ever.  Every day he asks us about presents – and we let him know that Santa brings presents to good little boys, and that seems to work… some of the time when he’s in one of his terrible 2 kicks.

Having a little child around the house certainly changes the feel of Christmas.  Jane and I were talking yesterday about how it makes us feel like a kid again.  Seeing Monkey’s excitement when we see Christmas lights or even Santa, which we did a few days ago, it worth it’s weight in gold.  Seeing him smile ear to ear the other day when he saw Santa was so cool and I’ll admit that it nearly brought tears to my eyes.  It was either seeing him brought me back to my childhood and all of the wonderful memories, or it was the bug that flew in my eye.  Either way, I’m really excited about this time of year for Monkey!

We’ve picked up several presents already and I KNOW that he’ll be super excited.  And speaking of being super excited, I used Random.org to choose 3 winning comment entry numbers at random.

They are…. 34, 11, 21

Congratulations to the winners!

Please check your comments and look at the number of your comment to see if you won.  If you are one of the winners, please contact us and we’ll send you the Nap Time Cash ebook right away.  Again, congrats!

From time to time I may provide updates on Jane and my writing business.  Don’t worry, it will not be a ton of updates, just things here and there every once in awhile.

As far as new updates on our side writing business, right now I’m spending some time looking for a few new clients.  There is a potential for a VERY niche client that I hope to hear back from and/or talk to this week regarding the proposal I sent last week.  This person is a referral of a referral, so we would have never ever found him out there otherwise.  (I talk a little about asking for referrals and what we say in the Nap Time Cash ebook.)

Anyway, I sent two proposals providing him with two options.  This is not a small project and both proposals are in the five-figures PLUS a percentage of revenue that his website earns for the next 12 months.  Would it be a lot of work if we get this client?  Yup. But the upside potential over the next 12 months plus the initial payment is so worth it.

I know some of you are wondering, how could I bid so high on a writing project?  As I talk a little about in Nap Time Cash, once you get a bunch of clients and start to find the areas you love to write about, work on becoming GOOD at writing content for those areas.  Look for ways you can become somewhat of an expert in an area.  You may already have some expertise in an area, or something that you’re already passionate about.  Or, if you are like me, it may take some time to find those little sweet spots where writing and researching is a breeze and you become fairly good at it.

I’ve been fortunate enough to tap into an industry where people pay very good money for content and expertise that just so happens to be in an area that I’ve been learning about, studying, and have experience with.  But like so many of you, I started with zero knowledge.  I started writing articles, content, blog posts, etc. for low amounts which allowed me to get/win clients, gain experience, and figure out the areas I love writing about and feel I’m good at.

Now over the years I’ve learned some tough lessons.  One of which is never counting your chickens before they hatch.  So we’ll see what happens with this client.  I expect that it will take a good couple of weeks to close this deal if we can win his business.  And I’m going to try to do anything and everything to win it.  If we do win his business, this does change a lot of things.  A lot.  But I’ll wait to talk about those chickens if they hatch.

Anyway, I truly hope that all the moms/dads out there who have a bit of time and an interest in making some money on the side check out our little ebook. Our little side business has saved us so many times and is on the track to becoming a much larger income source than we ever imagined.  We don’t make any promises – and we let you know upfront that it takes some work finding/securing clients, and then actually doing the writing.  It’s not some over night money making scheme.  And I know many of you could benefit from some extra cash – especially around the holidays.

One final side note that I will make… We have another potential client that could turn VERY interesting in a few months.  If we get this client, Jane and I will need to bring on a lot of help because the project is quite large.  So that means we’d be working the other side of the coin, which is hiring writers for short-term and long-term projects.  It’s a few months away, so stay tuned.  It would be very cool if we could hire some of you.  :)  We shall see.  Fingers crossed.

Again, congrats to the winners – don’t forget to contact us to get your ebook!

They are…. 34, 11, 21

Blog post coming in the next few days… Black Friday Deals And Toys!  Whoo Hoo!

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Here’s a giveaway that any child (and parent) will love!  Barefoot Books has generously offered to give away the Barefoot Books Singalong Gift Collection, which is a $100 value!

I just received these books two days ago & to say that I was impressed is quite an understatement.  What caught my attention about the books were so many things.

The books are such a great size & hardback so that your child can’t tear off the cover.  The colors are so vibrant & occupied Monkey’s attention for longer than any other book we have.  Honestly.  See, told you I was impressed!

The words are big enough so that you don’t have to hold the book up to your face to read the story, but not too large that they take away from the picture.  I’m telling you, these books are great!

Another thing that I really like is that the kids in the story are from various races, including Caucasian, Asian, African-America, and Hispanic.  I like that Barefoot Books has incorporated different races into one book.

And as if you were interested already, each book comes with a CD in the back so that you and your child(ren) can sing along while reading!

Once the story ends, there is additional information that pertains to what the story was about.  For example, in “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”, you learn how to play the song on the piano, as long as you can read piano keys.  You learn how the song originated & even a fun dancing game that goes along with the song.

In “Port Side Pirates” you are taught the different kinds of pirate ships, pirates around the world, famous pirates, and how to play the song on the piano.

In “Whole World” there is a “Did You Know?” section that explains what the sun, moon, mountains, valleys, plains, deserts, lakes, rivers, trees, flowers, birds, fish, and town and cities are.  There is also a page devoted to ways to reduce Global Warming and finally the sing along in the back to play on the piano.

The Barefoot Books Singalong Gift Collection is awesome and educational.  I would recommend these books to anyone and will be buying some more in the future.  It’s an invaluable way to teach your children about all different places, people, animals, and many other things in the world.

I am so glad that Barefoot Books offered to send me this collection and to give this collection away to a lucky winner!  I know that Monkey will love these books and grow into them more and more as he gets older.

The Giveaway:

Who can enter? U.S. and Canada

How to enter?
1.  Follow @liveBarefoot on Twitter and tweet them a message.  Post what you tweeted in the comment section.   (1 entry)

2.  Post on Twitter: “I just entered the @HisBoysCanSwim giveaway #4:http://bit.ly/6ukvuu ” and then tell me your Twitter ID in the comment section. (1 entry)

3.  Go to the Barefoot Books website and post a comment to let me know one book that you would be interested in. (1 entry)

Contest Ends: Saturday, December 12th at 1pm CST

You are allowed 3 entries for this giveaway.  Remember to post a different entry so that your chances of winning increase.  If you enter more than 3 times, your excess comments will be deleted.  I will pick the winner using Random.org & post it in the comments section.  Remember to check back to see if you are the winner.

If would like to buy Barefoot Books for your child(ren) or as a gift for someone else, here are a few things that you’ll want to know:

* Last day to ship ground for December 25 is December 15 (by 11:30am EST)

* Last day for upgraded shipping for December 25 is December 23 (by 11:30am EST)

* Free Shipping & 30% off all orders!  Enter SNOWY at check out!  Offer ends December 15, 2009.  Outside 48 continental states, standard upcharges apply.

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When I was pregnant I put off registering for my baby until the very last minute (or so it seemed).  I was intimidated by all of the baby stores & all of the baby things that I didn’t even know if I needed or not.  Not to mention I wasn’t even sure what some of these baby products did.

It seemed like baby products were a different language – Travel system, umbrella stroller, convertible car seat, and the list goes on and on.  I didn’t know what the heck any of that stuff was & I had no desire to find out until the very last minute.

One day I was out running errands & my husband called.  He said that he just received an email asking if I would like to register at JCPenney, online or at the store.  He said that they would give us a $100 limit to buy anything that we needed and then they would give us another $100 gift card to give away to a reader.  How awesome & I told him that I would love to register at JCPenney.

I opted to register & purchase my baby products online so that I could take my time without feeling overwhelmed in the store.  It was such a wonderful experience.  It took just a few minutes to sign up for a registry & then I could do research on things that I needed, find them on JCPenney.com, & add to my baby registry.

It was hard to narrow it down to what we still needed because JCPenney had everything.  Their selection of baby items is awesome & again, I was surprised!  The prices are comparative to any other baby store & the quality is great.  I ordered a changing pad, changing pad cover, & two sleepsacks.  I received everything in about a week & everything was exactly like it was described on their website.

Super easy!

If you are like how I was, you probably never even thought about registering at JCPenney. I’m not even sure that I knew they had a baby registry section before we were contacted.  But if you are expecting or just want to make it easy for your family & friends to buy Christmas presents, the JCPenney  baby registry is simple and I would recommend it in a heartbeat!

Check out JCPenney for all of your baby’s needs; I promise you won’t be disappointed!  And with the holidays right around the corner, just think of all the presents you could get for $100!  If you win, I will email the $100 gift certificate right over to you & you’ll be able to use it immediately!

If you want to win a $100 gift card to use at JCPenny.com, here’s how you can enter this contest:

1.  Go to JCPenney & post a comment with a baby item that you would like (1 entry)

2.  Post on Twitter: “I just entered the @HisBoysCanSwim $100 JCP giveaway: http://bit.ly/5CLW5f ” and post a comment with your Twitter ID ( 1 entry)

3.  Go to JCPenney & create a baby registry.  Post a comment here with your username for the registry. (1 entry)

Contest ends & Winner will be picked: Thursday, December 10th at 10am CST

Contest Closed – Scroll Down To
See Who The Winner Is!

**You are only allowed 3 entries for this contest.  If you enter more than three time, your excess comments will be deleted.  Good luck!**

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I love the chance to get a product for free to review for my blog readers, so it was no different when I was contacted by Belly Charms.  I was asked if I would pick a Mother’s Bracelet from her site and then do a review.

Can I just say that I love my blog?!

As soon as I clicked on the link, I couldn’t wait to get my own personalized bracelet.  No joke.  The bracelets are beautiful & the fact that Monkey’s name is on the bracelet is just perfect!

Since I seriously lack the creative gene, I opted for the “Swarovski Pearl and Antique Silver Mother’s Bracelet” because, let’s face it, it’s a really pretty bracelet!  My bracelet arrived very quickly & it was even more beautiful than in the picture.  I was in love!

Since I have this extra baby weight on, I ordered a medium bracelet & it fits just the way that I like my bracelets to fit.  Every time I leave the house I wear my bracelet.  I just love it.  Honestly.  It’s something that is hidden by long sleeves, but when I get a glimpse of Monkey’s name, I can’t help but smile.

Who knew you could get so much happiness from wearing a bracelet?!  Oh, but you can.

If you are looking for the perfect Christmas, Hanukkah, Birthday, or just an “I think you deserve a special bracelet”, this Mother’s Bracelet is for you.  Belly Charms has a special talent in making these bracelets & I could not be happier with mine.

Luckily for you readers, we are giving a single strand Mother’s Bracelet away for free ($39.99 value).  You can design this bracelet any way that you wish with your child’s name.  It’s truly a great present to someone or simply keep for yourself.

There are two entries allowed for this giveaway:

1.  Become a fan of the Belly Charms Facebook page, then post which bracelet you would like in the comment section of this post. (Mandatory)

2.  Post on Twitter: “I just entered the @HisBoysCanSwim giveaway: http://bit.ly/8rcsQS ”, then post your twitter name in the comment section of this post. (Optional)

The winner will be picked using Random.org on Tuesday, December 8th at 9pm CST.  You are only allowed to enter this contest twice.  If you enter more than twice, your comment will be deleted.

Good luck!

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Hey everyone, it’s time for a new baby blog contest where you can win all three Laugh and Learn DVD’s! Just follow the instruction on this contest blog post to enter.  But first, let’s fill you in on the Laugh and Learn DVD’s…

About a month ago, Jane and I received a copy of each of the Laugh and Learn DVD’s by Sheri Bayles to watch and review.  Since Jane and I were only able to attend one baby class (which I failed because of my swaddling techniques) these DVD’s came in handy!  We really enjoyed watching these and learned a lot from them and we would recommend them to any new parents.

The 3 Laugh And Learn DVD’s:

The first Laugh and Learn DVD is called, “Anatomy and Preliminary Signs of Labor” which is actually on 2 DVD’s and covers many subjects over 4 and 1/2 hours such as:

• Three Actual Signs of Labor

• Three Breathing Techniques

• Labor and Delivery • Pushing

• Medications used in Labor

• Induction • Forceps • Vacuum • Monitoring

• Cesarean Delivery

• Post-op C/S

• Postpartum Vaginal Delivery

The second DVD is called, “About Newborn Care“.  This brand new and comprehensive newborn baby care class runs about one hour and covers everything you need to know in 6 easy to watch lessons:

•The Sponge Bath

•Diaper Change and Dressing a Newborn

•Swaddling

•The Tub Bath

•Diaper Change and Dressing a 3 Month Old

•Baby Supplies You Need

And finally, the third DVD is called, “About Breastfeeding”.  Sheri’s new and comprehensive Breastfeeding Class covers everything you need to know in 9 easy to watch lessons that runs about one hour including:

•Breastfeeding Positions

•Burping the Baby

•How to Breastfeed Twins

•How Often, How Long?

•Is Your Baby Getting Enough?

•Overcoming Obstacles

•Diet

•Pumping

•Bras, Nightgowns, and Pads

So who is Sheri Bayles?

Sheri Bayles is the CEO and spokeswoman for the best-selling DVD series LAUGH AND LEARN ABOUT CHILDBIRTH, ABOUT NEWBORN BABY CARE and ABOUT BREASTFEEDING.

LAUGH AND LEARN is a diverse company that is expanding beyond their wonderful, instructional DVDs, to include new childbirth-friendly materials, branded merchandise and television.

Sheri, a respected childbirth authority, an award-winning Lamaze instructor and board-certified lactation consultant, was on staff at the prestigious New York/Cornell Medical Center for twenty four years.

Now known as the “Childbirth Coach to the Stars” and the “Twins Breastfeeding Guru” (New York Magazine), Sheri Bayles has created this trio of DVDs to help expectant parents everywhere prepare for childbirth and child care, in a simple, easy, private and less-expensive way to learn every bit of information they will need, from the “nurse with the personality” who will make childbirth both joyful and manageable.

Now available, a brand new version of LAUGH AND LEARN ABOUT CHILDBIRTH. Sheri, offers up a comprehensive guide to labor and delivery that is as informative as it is entertaining for all expectant parents.  All the necessary and helpful tips parents-to-be need to know about the miracle of giving birth is explained by Sheri in a non-judgmental voice, while handling the whole experience with humor, understanding and joy!  No wonder Sheri is known to her clients and viewers as “Sheri Seinfeld”.

The go-to gal for childbirth and breastfeeding instruction for over twenty years, Sheri Bayles is also the mother of twin boys, now thirteen years old, the perfect person to become the “Twins Expert”!

Sheri guides tons of bold-faced names on their way to parenthood, and is the savior to pregnant Moms everywhere.  But you don’t have to be a celebrity to make Sheri your new best friend, birth coach and baby authority.  With her new DVD series, anybody can learn what they need to know in the privacy of their own home, and without the expense of sometimes pricey and often inconvenient birthing classes!

The new version of LAUGH AND LEARN ABOUT CHILDBIRTH features five diverse couples on the verge of parenthood.  Sheri prepares them all for the big day in a series of six classes.  Her gift is to replace fear with knowledge, and by demystifying the whole process with humor and wit.

As a Mom, and a nurse, and a well-respected female entrepreneur  in the world of childbirth education, Sheri understands the busy world of parenting these days.  While you find a famous expert in Sheri Bayles, you also make an important friend who makes giving birth what it was intended to be—an exciting adventure.

Sheri has been married to her husband for twenty, and is still crazy about him!

Baby Blog Contest Details: How To Enter!

Laugh and Learn is going to give one lucky winner the complete set of all three Laugh and Learn DVD’s!

Contest rules: Only one entry per person/household (Unless you do the bonus entry as explained below.  Then you are allowed 2 entries!)  Your comment is your entry into this contest.  And of course, void where prohibited by law as with all of our contests, if your state or country made it illegal to win a set of DVD’s or anything else for whatever reason.

Contest period: Contest will run from Friday August 7th and end on Monday, August 10th at 9 PM CST.

How a winner will be chosen: We will use Random.org to choose a random number to select the winner.  Example: If Random.org selects the number 49, we will look at comment number 49. If you followed the simple ways to enter as mentioned below, you won!

How to claim your prize: We will post the winner on this blog on August 10th sometime after 9 PM EST (Depending how busy we are with Monkey, so it may be a few minutes later if we’re changing him or feeding him.)  The winner is responsible for contacting us with his/her mailing address that we will share with Laugh and Learn so they can mail you the DVD set.

How to enter: All you need to do to enter is go to: http://www.laughandlearn.com (opens in a new window) and take a look at Sheri’s website.

Option 1: Watch the video on the home page and post a comment below sharing something you learned, something you thought was funny, a thought, comment, or anything pertaining to the video.

Option 2: If you don’t have sound on your computer, write a quick comment below letting the world know which DVD you’re most excited about watching and why.

BONUS! How you can have TWO entries into this contest: The bonus option is posting the below message on Twitter:

“I just entered the @hisboyscanswim contest to win 3 great pregnancy and baby DVD’s: http://tinyurl.com/kuksbw“

Once you post the above on your Twitter page, come back here and write a comment letting us know you Tweeted the above and let us and everyone know your Twitter page address.  (This will expose your Twitter page to many people who may want to follow you – and give you the opportunity to do the same!  Plus, you’ll have your maximum of 2 entries into this contest!)

So everyone, check out all of the other great Twitterers you can start following below.

Note: You can space out your two entries if you’d like.  It’s entirely up to you as long as you comment before the contest deadline, August 10th at 9 PM CST.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

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Are you ready for my LONGEST blog post to date?  Grab a cup of coffee and let’s get you all caught up on everything we’ve had going on!

Since we got home from the hospital, I feel like we’ve been in a tornado.  We’re busier than we’ve ever been and the days are all running together.  Our son, Baby Tarzan, is doing GREAT.  Jane is also doing great, but very, very tired as you can imagine.

Now before I go into my little “being a Daddy” piece today, I wanted to update you guys on a lot of different things based on questions that have come in from our blog here and on Twitter that people like you have asked us.

1. What is Baby Tarzan’s real name and when can I see more pictures of him?

I know many of you won’t be happy with this answer, but Jane and I have decided to keep out little guy protected and continue to protect our identities.  We don’t feel comfortable sharing his real name, as we don’t feel comfortable posting a lot of face pictures of him.

Now don’t worry, I will be uploading MANY, MANY photos of our little guy over time – and already have quite a few I want to upload.

I think you’ll all enjoy the baby pictures we upload for you to look at.  I took one the other day that is one of my favorite pictures in the world.  Seriously, this photo could win some awards! LOL  I’ll get that uploaded within the next week or so.

2. When is Jane going to start blogging and jump back onto Twitter?

Breastfeeding literally sucks the energy right out of a new mommy.  She’s tired more often than not, but does get some boosts of energy during late am and afternoon.  Jane is VERY, VERY excited to write a really detailed blog post about her entire labor and delivery experience.  If you have any specific questions for her, please reply to this post and she’ll answer them in her post.  She wants to share everything – what went right, what went wrong, decisions she made that she wished she hadn’t, and so much more.

Mommy Jane asked me to hold off on sharing any of the details of the hospital stay until she has a chance to write her post, which I think is fair since she and Baby Tarzan were the stars of the show!  I’m guessing it’ll be anywhere from 1 to 7 days before she gets that post written and up here for you guys.  It’s really important to her and we talk about it every single day.  She’s really excited about sharing the whole story with you!

3. Is this a spoof pregnancy blog?

Can you believe someone actually considered that on Twitter?  Ha Ha!  I remember hearing about a woman who wrote a blog saying that she was pregnant and had major complications and accepted money, gifts, etc. to help her out.  She finally came clean that it was all a hoax and she said she donated everything she received.  Yeah right – more like she sold everything she got on eBay.

The truth is that Jane and I are VERY honest and upfront people.  As you can tell by reading all of our previous pregnancy blog posts, we’re sometimes too upfront and VERY real – especially when it came to detailing what was going on with Jane and I throughout her pregnancy!

We have ethics and value people and the great blog and Twitter friends we’ve made.  So, sorry Mr. or Miss. Twitter person who made that comment, Jane, Baby Tarzan, and I are very real and so are all of our posts.  :)  And the question we have for you is… are you real?

4. Is the His Boys Can Swim blog going away now that Jane had Baby Tarzan?

I’m surprised how many folks asked us that question over the last week or so via Twitter.  Heck no we’re not going away!  :)  We’re going to continue to document our journey into parenthood.  Remember, our pregnancy (soon to be pregnancy and baby) blog is all about disclosing the “Chronicles of Life After the Plus Sign.”  Sharing our pregnancy journey was amazing for us.  Looking back, we would have never ever thought that so many people would have been following us, but more importantly, how vital our blog has been.

The information that so many of you shared with us throughout the journey was so helpful to Jane and I.  We made MANY decisions on many things based on your comments and feedback over the last several months.  So we’ll of course keep all of those posts up so others who begin their journey into pregnanthood can look through past blog posts and see that this whole pregnancy thing isn’t so bad after all.  Well, minus those pregnancy hormones!  And speaking of hormones…

5. How are Jane’s postpartum blues?

I’m not going to lie.  Jane has had some REALLY tough times, mostly in the evenings for some reason.  She’s great during the day, but in the evenings the postpartum blues will hit her.  I’ve become her solid rock she can count on and help her get through the postpartum blues.  They are NO JOKE and serious stuff.

If there are any guys reading this who are a soon-to-be dad, be prepared to lend your shoulder for some serious crying and get ready to do some major reassurance and calming.  I’ve read up on this so I knew what to expect because some friends of mine told me about the very, very tough times their wives had.  So I knew I needed to be prepared and educated in order to help Mommy Jane cope with this crazy time, while her hormones get back into normal working order.

When things start crashing in on her, she feels overwhelmed, fears change, worried about us not spending time together down the road like we used to, worried if she’s doing everything right, worried, scared, etc, etc, etc.  Everything hits her at once usually.  For example, Jane’s mom and I were watching Baby Tarzan after Jane fed him so she could go take a bath and relax.

After a few minutes I went in to go check on Jane and let her know Baby T is doing great and she was crying like crazy sitting in the bathtub.  It took me a good 15 minutes of talking to her to calm her down.   There is no doubt that Jane needs me more during these times than any other time we’ve been together for the years.  If you’re a father-to-be, get prepared to really man-up during these times and be there for your wife.  She needs you more than you and I will ever comprehend.  Be there for her, talk to her, ensure her that she REALLY is doing a great job.

Seriously.  My love has only deepened for Jane over the last week.  To see her give birth to our son was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever witnessed in my life.  She exhibited strength that neither she nor I knew existed within her.  Mommy Jane is one strong woman and I have so much respect for her.  And one thing I’ve told her 1,000 times – and she’ll hear 90,000 more, I’m so proud of her and she’s doing such a great job!

So yeah, those postpartum blues are really tough at times.  I’m keeping a close eye on Jane and made 100% sure she knows that if she feels sad or starts crying, to come get me so I can be there for her and comfort her.  We’re in this together, always, forever, and I want to make 100% sure that we get through these postpartum blues together naturally and quickly.  Jane’s a tough chickadee; I know she’ll get through this phase quickly and her hormones will be back on track before we know it.

6. How’s breastfeeding going?

I’m sure Jane will go into a lot of detail on this one in her post, but here’s a Daddy’s perspective… It’s a LOT harder in the beginning than I thought!  Both Mommy Jane and baby T had to learn a few things and get used to each other.  At the hospital we had a woman from the nursery come in a few times and help us out.

There was a LOT we didn’t understand.  There was a lot that we didn’t know.  There’s a lot more to breastfeeding than I ever thought in my entire life!   If anything, woman who have a baby have a new respect from me – that’s for sure!  But four days after Baby T was born, he and Mommy got the hang of it.  Jane is 100 times more comfortable, Baby T is a pro, and they are both doing great at it.  In fact, she is feeding him right now in the living room sitting on a rocking chair with a Boppy as I write this from the kitchen table looking at the two of them.

Oh, and I might want to add… I thought Jane’s boobs were big before during pregnancy.  But now, OH MY GOODNESS!  They are massive, firm, large, just, just… wow.  Oh, and might I add, they are also leaking now.  Jane woke up to a wet shirt this AM.  But seriously, they are super-sized and she is looking goooooood.  This damn 6-week rule is going to drive me mad….

7. How’s Baby Tarzan’s crying going?

Boy, our son has some lungs on him – that’s for sure!  If he needs to be changed, he’s hungry, or needs to let out a super-loud burp, the whole neighborhood knows about it.  But I’ve learned a trick thanks to watching part of the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD.  (We’ll be finishing it this week hopefully.)  When I’m holding him and Jane is getting prepared to breastfeed, sometimes he’s hungry NOW and doesn’t want to wait for his Mommy to spend even 5 seconds to get prepared.

He’ll start crying like crazy – but that little “shushing” trick I learned makes him quiet down and become very calm within seconds!  I would have paid 100 times more for that DVD above just to learn that little trick alone.  I’ve used it many, many times.

Yesterday we put him into his swing after feeding him, burping him, changing him, and getting him ready for a little nap.  He was in there for a few seconds and started to cry.  I sat on the floor and shushed and shushed.  After a few seconds he stopped crying and I kept shushing softer and softer.  His eyes began to get heavy and before I knew it, he was asleep.  There’s no doubt shushing really comforts Baby Tarzan – reminding him of the sounds in the womb I guess and makes him feel safe.  IT WORKS!

8. How are you guys sleeping?

Sleep?  I remember that word.  But I’m beginning to forget what a full night’s sleep feels like already!  It’s strange, really.  Even when I get some good sleep, I still feel exhausted sometimes.

It hits in the afternoon and then again in the evening and the same thing happens to Jane.  We’re still in the middle of trying to get on a schedule, but we’ve come to realize that it takes a little time to adjust.

Plus being on the go nearly non-stop from wake to naps/sleep jolts your body a little and I know it’ll just take us a little time to get used to this new rapid pace set by our wonderful little son.

9. How was Twittering during Jane’s labor for me?  Did Jane get mad at me at all and did I miss anything?

Jane and I talked A LOT about this leading up to the big day.  We thought it would only make sense for me to Twitter at the hospital and the actual labor, especially since Jane had me Twitter her signs of labor a few days ago.  But we also made it a rule that I would only do it at the right times where I wasn’t distracted and it didn’t take anything away from Jane or myself.  When the actual labor and pushing began, Jane pushed during contractions.

I would hold one leg, the nurse would hold the other.  After three 10-second long pushes, Jane would rest.  I would talk to her, kiss her head, keep the cold cloth on her forehead, and then Tweet.  So believe me, I wasn’t Twittering while Jane was pushing.  I was 100% there for Jane and 100% in the moment as Baby T’s head started to show.  It was the most incredible thing to experience in the world!

I also asked Jane several times in between contractions if she is OK with me Twittering still, she said yes.  So it didn’t take anything away from either of our wonderful and beautiful experience and we got to share everything with you – all of our readers.  I also saw a few comments from people (who must not have ever visited our blog!) thinking the whole birth was B.S.  Well, they can think that all they want – and I expected to get some of those comments.  I mean who would actually Twitter the birth of their child?!  LOL  Not too many people, that’s for sure.  We were not the first, and I’m 100% sure that we will not be the last!

Come to think of it, if we had family and friends scattered all over the place who couldn’t be at the hospital, I’d Twitter everything so I could keep everyone posted on the play-by-play like we did with all of you.  I think Twitter is an incredible tool for that respect.  And I admit, I’ve become addicted ever since Jane gave me her computer the day some contractions started to hit.  And that brings me up to my next question…

10. When will you, Tarzan get a Twitter account?

OK, I admit.  I was not on the Twitter bandwagon that much before all of this.  Twitter was Jane’s thing and I saw how much she loved it and had fun on it.  But for some reason just never thought I would ever want or need to be on there like she was.  But now I’m singing a different tune!  So YES, one of these days I will be getting my own Twitter account so Jane and I can both be on there.  It would be too confusing if the both of us were using just the “hisboyscanswim” Twitter account anyway.

But for now, while Jane is getting into her new schedule and with Baby T 24/7 breastfeeding, I’ll be popping into her Twitter account like I have been with updates and more importantly, questions!  I LOVE Twitter now.  I used it the other day to ask what items I should pick up from the store, as I was off doing a Baby T run.  I picked up many suggested items including a HUGE air purifier that we have running all the time.  I thought of it weeks ago, but forgot all about it.  So thankful I got it so that Baby T and us have nice clean air to breathe.

11. *** Who won the “Guess when Baby Tarzan will be born contest“? ***

A BIG congratulations to Mandi who guessed July 23rd at 6:15 PM.  The actual time was 6:37 PM.  Great guess!  You won a Babies R Us gift card!  As mentioned on the blog post, we would add $6 for each pound Baby T weighed.

So with him being 7 lbs, you won yourself a whopping $42 Babies R Us gift card from us!  Mandi, please contact us via the “contact us” link at the bottom of our blog with your mailing address so we can get the card out to you.

Again, congratulations and we thank everyone for entering!

12. So, what’s next for His Boys Can Swim?

Quick answer: A lot… but it will take some time to get things going.  As mentioned above, our His Boys Can Swim blog will continue to keep rolling as Baby T grows and grows.  We’ll continue to keep our identities private so we can blog without holding anything back as we’ve been doing the past several months throughout Jane’s pregnancy.  And as far as what’s next, Jane and I discussed this quite a bit recently and we’ve decided on a few things…

The first is that Jane LOVES this blog and talking to all of you here and on Twitter.  She would love to do this full-time once things settle down here a little.  She is really passionate about sharing her experiences with others, helping other people out, and writing.  With that said, as we continue to blog away, Jane will be creating a few additional websites.

Now I cannot go into all the details yet, but I can tell you that over the course of Jane’s pregnancy and over the past few days, we have come up with some ideas for some much needed products that just don’t exist out there surprisingly.  There have been some things that we really needed, but they just don’t make them anywhere.  I guess they haven’t been invented yet!  So during some down time over the next couple of months (if down time even exists with a baby!) Jane and I will begin to work on a few of the products we want to create.

At this point, we’re not sure if we should blog about that journey here, somewhere else, or not blog about it at all.  We have totally ZERO idea how to take an idea you have in your head, turn it into a reality, and sell it on the Internet or in stores.  I don’t know if enough people would have any interest in following us on that journey?  I wouldn’t want to distract from everything we’ll have going on here with Baby T.

We’d love your feedback on this one.  Should we share that journey here once we start it?  Should we start a separate blog to document that?  Should we not talk about it at all anywhere and just let you guys know once we finally get one of the products out there?  What would you like to see?

We of course want Jane to be a stay-at-home mom and raise our little Baby T.  It will be hard for her to keep up with her other work she had been doing from home, so having her get involved more in the mommy world and starting her own little side business would be good for her, us, and maybe even help buy some of the diapers each month.

If Jane can create a little part-time income doing anything, that would help us out a lot and free up some of my time so I can spend more time with my new family.  So we’ve got quite awhile until we get things in place and I’m sure things will change a little as time goes on.  But, one way or another we’d love to get our product ideas out there because we KNOW pregnant woman and mommies out there need what we’ve come up with.  Plus I want Jane to have them now and for when we try for Baby Jane sometime down the road.  ;)  he he he

So anyway, as far as what’s next, once things settle down, Jane will be able to concentrate more on our pregnancy and baby blog here and get the other websites out there that we want to get up and running on top of the products we want to have developed. (BTW, if anyone has any resources on that, please contact us.  Any suggestions or contacts would be much appreciated!)

13. Will you continue calling your son Baby Tarzan on your blog or give him a new name?

While Jane was breastfeeding, I asked her the above question because someone asked her/us on Twitter this the other day.

I told Jane that it would make sense for us to call him “Monkey” since we’re Jane and Tarzan and because he’s wearing a shirt with a monkey on it today, and because we have been calling him that lately.

So, the answer is this… From now on, Baby Tarzan’s new name on our blog will be… Monkey!

OK, so now that we got some of the questions out of the way, it’s time to share some of my…

Daddy Thoughts

The fact that I’m now a Daddy is starting to settle in.  The emotions I have are tough to put into words, but just to give you an idea…

This morning I changed our Monkey and was holding him while Jane was in the bathroom.  I was just watching my little guy wake up.  The little yawns.  The little squeaks.  He’d open his eyes a little and close them again.  He’d stretch.  I just sat there watching him in awe as I talked to him and sang a song to him that I made up as I sung it.

Jane came back into the living room and came up to him.  ”Hi sweet boy”, said Jane in a nice, soft, soothing voice.  He looked up at her and I swear smiled at her – not just once but a few times.  Now I know babies make all sorts of facial expressions and Monkey is no exception, and who knows if they were real smiles or just Monkey making faces.

Even if they weren’t real smiles and the timing was just prefect that he gave Mommy Jane some grins made my eyes water all up like crazy.  Everything just hit me a little this AM.  It was so fun holding my little guy.  Seeing him smile at his Mommy (do babies smile this early, or was it just good timing on his and our part?) brought a gush of tears to my eyes.

Sure, I’ll admit that I’m an emotional guy at times, but remember, me Tarzan, she Jane, and me tough.  Manly man tough! LOL  But yeah, I do have a soft side and when that happened this AM, it just melted me.  I looked up at Jane and told her seeing him smile a few times at her got my eyes all watery.  She said awe and gave us both kisses.

The moment Monkey was born, literally the moment, I felt this RUSH go through my entire body.  Jane told me I kept saying, “Oh my God, here he comes!  Here he comes!  Oh my God!  Look at him!”  Or something like that.  Hopefully she’ll add that to her blog when she blogs.  I couldn’t tell you even ONE word I said but she remembers everything during that part believe it or not.

Now one thing that I often thought about while Jane was pregnant was, “what will it feel like once our son is born?”  I often wondered if I would feel different.  I often wondered how you feel in love with someone the second you saw them and the chemical transformations that went on in one’s mind when he/she first sees their child.

I will do my best to describe this part, but language lacks the words to truly explain the rush of emotions you experience when your baby is born…

Once Monkey was born, there were so many people in the room and so much commotion, but it was like none of them existed.  I didn’t hear a sound in that noisy room.  It was like I went deaf for a few seconds.  I heard nothing.  And then within 4 or 5 seconds I heard our little Monkey let out a big cry and it was like someone hit the unpause button and I could hear and see everything around me again.

Everything around me blurred out again when the doctor said, “Daddy, it’s time to cut the cord!” Daddy?  Oh yeah, that’s me!  I took the scissors from her hands and was surprised how tough the cord was.  It took three snips to cut it.

Immediately after cutting the cord a nurse placed a blanket over Jane’s chest and the doctor placed Monkey on Jane.  They both started to clean him and that’s when I wasn’t able to see too much because my eyes were so full of tears.  Everything was blurry so I quickly grabbed the camera and started snapping as many photos as I could.   Jane was crying, I was crying, Monkey was crying.

My son was born.  Happy Birthday little guy.

The nurse then took Monkey to the warming table to check vitals and to clean the rest of him off.  I guess someone told me to go over there because the next thing I know I was standing over by him talking picture after picture as the nurse cleaned him.  I looked over at Jane and she was looking over at my crying and waived.

I took out the video camera and recorded Monkey getting cleaned.  I’d look over at Jane, then back at Monkey.  Then back at Jane, then back at Monkey.  I wanted to be next to her while the doctor cleaned her and mended things up a little.  (Jane will share details of that in her blog post I’m sure.)

It was such a strange feeling.  I was standing next to our Monkey, but wanted to go see Jane.  There were so many people around her, I didn’t know where to go.  I wanted to give her a big hug and kiss.  I felt torn and I looked over to the nurse who was cleaning him and said, “I don’t know what to do with myself right now!  I want to be here and I want to be over there!  I’m torn!”  She just laughed at me and the next thing I knew I was holding our little Monkey for the first time and having my photo taken with him and Jane’s doctor who delivered him.

The next few minutes were hectic.  I have no idea how much time passed.  Actually, I do.  I remember once they got Jane all cleaned up, I called her parents who were in the waiting room.  When I called them to tell them that Monkey was born and Jane and him are doing great, they were worried and asked why things took so long.  I looked up at the clock and saw that an HOUR had passed.  WHAT!?  How in the heck did an hour pass?

Seriously, it felt like just 5 minutes had passed.  Everything went by SO FAST like I was in a time warp.

Anyway, getting back to the feeling a new Daddy has the moment he sees is son… The best word to describe the feeling that came over me when Monkey officially came into this world was a RUSH.  Remember back to your first kiss.  Remember the first time you fell in love.  Now imagine skydiving for the first time.  Imagine bungee jumping from the top of a very high bridge.  Imagine going 200 miles per hour on a race track.  Imagine riding on the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world.  Now imagine doing all of those at once!

The rush I felt started from the top of my head, through my arms, chest, body, legs, and toes.  It was a complete body rush that filled my body with emotions I had never felt before; which was a brand new love I had never knew existed.  It’s a totally different love than anything else out there.  It’s a love that you feel all over.  It’s a love that surrounds you.  It’s a love that is completely unique, overwhelming, and at the same time, just makes sense.

And the crazy thing is that I love our little Monkey more and more every single day!  Like this morning when I was holding him and just looking at him and thinking how sweet he is as he was making little squeaks, I fell in love with him all over again.

So the best way I can sum up my experience and description for the new love you feel is this little poem I just wrote…

A love for your child knows no bounds.
It begins with an unimaginable force
that’s stronger than anything around.
It’s a bond that never stops growing.
It’s a love that never stops knowing.
And it’s a love that you never stop showing.

Huh.  I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it!  ha ha.  But seriously, for all you pregnant couples out there – just wait until you experience this love for yourself.  It’s incredible and changes everything, in a very good way of course.

Some of my new favorite things as a Daddy so far…

1. I love to watch Jane breastfeed Monkey.  It’s so soothing and so peaceful to watch.  Monkey is so sweet how he sometimes looks up a Jane or has his eyes half closed and all balled up looking so happy; so content.  Jane and I both laugh at how he sometimes moves his head around as he is preparing to latch on.  And I love how he makes both Jane and I laugh at times and how he makes both of us melt other times.

2. I love to feed Jane while she is breastfeeding.  I’m sure you know breastfeeding is a full-time job and I want to make sure that my beautiful Jane gets enough food and calories.  We know she needs extra so she can keep producing milk and keep her energy levels up.  I like to feed her fruit, one piece at a time.  It’s so nice and peaceful for the both of us and makes me feel proud of my family, which is another new emotion for me.  I’m totally a proud Daddy.

3. I love watching Monkey make his little facial expressions.  Sometimes he look like he’s about to cry and then go back to a straight face.  He’ll yawn, hiccup, grin, and make all sorts of funny faces that make us smile.  I could just watch him all day.

4. I love watching Monkey sleep.  I’m convinced the # 1 way to lower your blood pressure is to watch your baby sleep.  I nearly fall asleep just watching him sleep every time!

5. I love holding our little Monkey.  I sing to him, talk to him, make faces at him, make noises, and just stare at him.

6. I love running errands and picking up baby supplies.  I know this one sounds funny, but it feels good going out and getting things for our son.

7. I love thinking about our future.  I love to think and talk about the trips to the zoo, the aquarium, the museum, the movies, and so many other places we’ll take him as he gets older.  Jane and I can’t wait for that – but we also know to really enjoy every moment with him now because babies grow up fast.

8. I love how much Jane and I have become closer.  My love for my beautiful wife Jane also continues to grow with each passing day.  She’s my everything and she’s already proven herself 1,000 times that she’s going to win Mommy of the Year every single year forever.

9. I love being a dad.  It just feels good.

10. I love having a family.  For some reason I thought growing up that I was one of those people who wasn’t going to have kids; that I was too independent.  I’m so happy that Monkey is here – he’s the best think that ever happened to me, besides meeting Jane that warm summer day of course because without her, I’d be Monkeyless and wifeless.

Believe it or not, there’s still a LOT more to share with you… so stay tuned to more posts from me and within the next week, Jane will post her entire hospital, labor, and delivery journey.  There will be some VERY, VERY important tid-bits of information shared in her post, especially if you’re expecting.  So stay tuned for that.

Tarzan

P.S…. Remember, I will be uploading baby photos of our little Monkey in a day or two… including my favorite one I’ve taken so far.

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Pregnant Jane and I plan to get the reviews we need to do finished today – just in case.  I feel like I’m in pins and needles every single day lately and if we don’t get these reviews done, Baby Tarzan will be here before we know it!  With Jane being 39 weeks pregnant, I feel like her water is going to break at any moment.   And every morning I wake up, I’m surprised we made it another day without Jane going into labor in the middle of the night!

And speaking of labor, I want to talk a little about what got us into this journey.  Yes, it’s a subject that makes people blush.  Yes, it’s a subject that is often NEVER discussed during the beginning of a pregnancy while the morning sickness is kicking in high gear before, during, and after every single meal.

I’m talking about the word sex.

Over the past nine months, I’ve written countless blog posts about how there were some very long dry spells.  I was going crazy a few times.  But as Jane’s hormones got a little better under control and the morning sickness ended, things thankfully turned back to normal… well, somewhat.

Don’t worry.  I’m not going to go into all the wild and crazy details about pregnant sex here, so no need to look over your shoulder to see if anyone is looking at your computer screen (especially if you are at work!)

But what I do want to talk about is the DVD by Sinclair Institute called, “The Better Sex Guide To Sex & Pregnancy: Connected and Loving It!”

We were contacted by the Sinclair Institute a few weeks ago, asking Jane and I if we’d be interested in reviewing their DVD about Sex & Pregnancy.  I checked out their website first to make sure that they were legit and to make sure that the DVD wasn’t distastefully made.  Fact is, the Sinclair Institute has been around since 1991 and they’ve been helping couples improve their love lives together.

I did some digging on their site and saw that they stated: “Every year since 1991, Sinclair contributes over a third of our profits to DKT International, a social marketing organization whose mission is to fight HIV/AIDS around the globe with social marketing.”  A 1/3 of profits donated.  Nice.  I was impressed.

So last night during dinner I asked Jane if she wanted to watch the DVD.  She said OK.  Once we finished dinner (with Jane eating a LOT of spicy food hoping to induce labor!) we headed home and I put the DVD in.

The Better Sex Guide To Sex & Pregnancy: Connected and Loving It is about an hour long and I wondered which version they sent to me.  This DVD comes in two versions.  A version without any nudity and a version with nudity.  I’ll let you guess which version I was hoping they had sent us.  ;)

Jane and I watched and giggled together in the beginning.  I was laughing because I had never watched a DVD that had any nudity in it at all with the purpose of writing a review on it.  Ha ha.  But from the beginning, I was impressed with the quality.  They did do a good job making this comfortable watching this with your spouse.

Yes, we did receive the graphic version where you can see everything, but it was done in an educational way.  Sure, some scenes may have been a tad longer than they needed to be for education purposes, but that added to the entertainment value I guess you could say!

The DVD showed many positions to try and the benefits to each one.  There was a section on the “G spot” which was pretty cool and I didn’t realized how much changes down there for a woman during pregnancy.  So yes, I’ll admit, I did learn some things from the video – and I know Jane did as well!

The bottom line is that the journey through pregnanthood is sometimes really bumpy as the hormones flair up and down.  Couples need to keep that intimacy going throughout pregnancy – and you do become much more connected emotionally.  So for any of you going through that “I want to kill you” phase and your hormones are raging like a wild woman, don’t worry.  They’ll subside… at least long enough for your husband to do the pregnant chicken dance together.

Oh, and there’s also a section on the DVD about after your baby is born, so I’ll be sure to refer back to that section soon.

So check out: The Better Sex Guide To Sex & Pregnancy: Connected and Loving It and watch it with your wife or husband.  You may learn something new that’ll make your partner fall in love with you all over again!

Contest Time!

OK, so who wants to win a copy of this DVD from Sinclair Institute?  One winner will be chosen and you’ll have the choice of which DVD you want:  The version we have that shows everything, or the version that doesn’t show any nudity.

Rules: One winner will be chosen using the random number generator Random.org, which we used for our BIG contest awhile back.  All you need to do to enter is post a comment below.  The contest will end on Wednesday, July 22 at 12:00 noon CST.  (NOTE: It could be extended if Jane goes into labor Tuesday or Wednesday for a few days!)

How a winner will be chosen: Once the contest period is over, we’ll use the random.org generator to randomly choose a number for us.  We will then post the results here as a comment with instructions for the winner to contact us.  Winners must get back to us within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.  Please do not post your email address in the comments, to protect you from spam.  Just mark your calendar to come back here sometime after noon CST to see if you are the winner.

Good luck everyone!

P.S…. Also, don’t forget to enter the “Guess When Baby Tarzan Will Be Born Contest” after you post a comment here!  At the moment, there are 123 comments there!  WOW!

UPDATE: July 22, 2009 Winner Selected!

CONTEST RESULTS

The results are in!  Very funny results from Random.org.  I clicked on “Generate” and the number 43 came up.  I went to the post to see who the winner was.  And who is comment # 43?  ME!  LOLOLOL!  I clicked on “Generate” again, and the next number came up…  And the winner is…  # 8!  Congratulations!

#8 is Alex.  We have no way of contacting you Alex, so please contact us using the “contact us” link at the bottom of this page with your full name and mailing address.  We’ll send your information to Sinclair Institute and they’ll mail out a copy of the DVD to you.  Oh, and be sure to let us know which version of the DVD you want.  The one that shows “everything!” or the one that doesn’t show any of the action.  Again, congratulations Alex and HAVE FUN!  :)

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On Thursday Jane will officially be 39 weeks pregnant and we’ll be going to her next doctor’s appointment on Friday.  With the BIG day approaching fast (heck, it could even be tonight!), I decided to run a little fun contest for you.

Here are the details…

How to enter: Just comment on this post

What to write: Guess the date and time Baby Tarzan will be born

What you will win: A gift card to Babies R Us.

How much will be on the gift card: For every pound Baby Tarzan weighs, we will put $6.00 onto the gift card and mail it to you.  Will Baby Tarzan be 6 pounds?  7 pounds?  8 pounds?  Ouch!  So if Baby Tarzan is 8 pounds, we’ll mail you a Babies R Us gift card for $48.00!

All you need to do is tell us the date and time you think Baby Tarzan will be born on.

For example, you could write: July 15th at 11:41 PM

The person who is the closest to the actual day and time will win the gift card!  If there’s a tie, we’ll mail cards to both winners!  Only ONE entry per person.

Once Baby Tarzan is born we’ll post the results and the winner.  If you linked to your site in your comment, we’ll contact you to get your mailing address.  If you do not have a blog or a site, be sure to keep checking back here every day to see if Baby Tarzan has arrived!

Good luck everyone – and YES… somehow, some way Jane and I will get all of the reviews done that we need to do – and we have several things to give away – including a $100 gift card to JC Penny’s!   Stay tuned – I’m hoping that’ll start Friday and this weekend.  Sorry this is taking a little while to get out there

So tell us…. What day and what time (remember to put AM or PM) will Baby Tarzan be born?

Post your comment below!

P.S… To check out a list of the top 233+ baby-related blogs, click here after you post your comment. (opens in a new window.)

UPDATE!!! Comments are turned off.

Updated on July 21st at 4:34 PM… We think Jane is having contractions.  I’m closing down comments on this post to make it fair for everyone who entered.  :)  Wish us luck!

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Pregnant Jane’s 35 weeks pregnant belly picture is on the left and it has been added to Jane’s pregnancy week-by-week belly pictures page.  From a father-to-be perspective, everything is going really smooth lately.  Really smooth!  Dare I say this… but I believe Pregnant Jane’s pregnancy hormones are not acting up like they were a week or two ago.  Or a month or two ago… or months and months ago…

It’s great to see my beautiful little 35 week pregnant wife back to her normal self.  Well, minus a few things here and there such as:

1. Help, I’m pregnant… and I can’t get up! When Jane decided to sit on the floor to watch TV, she needs me to help her up.

2. The ultimate “Pregnant woman trap”! If you have a large beanbag, have your pregnant wife sit in it.  (Especially when she has a beautiful 35 weeks pregnant belly!)  Once she sits down, she’s down for the count! There’s no way she can get up.  A couple of weeks ago Pregnant Jane sat on our large beanbag to watch a movie while I worked in my office.  Every 20-30 minutes I received a text message that she needed help up so she could run to the bathroom.  Lesson learned.

3. The “you just never know when” bladder! No matter where we drive to, I always have to map out the route in my head to ensure that there will be nice clean bathrooms on the way so Jane can make pit stops.  Little Tarzan must know when we’re in the car because it never fails… as we’re driving he decides to push and poke Jane’s bladder making her want to pee all the time.

4. The “you’re the sweetest husband ever” phase! This one is GREAT!  Pregnant Jane’s hormones must have switched gears a little because all the little things I do to help my beautiful pregnant wife get noticed and are greatly appreciated.  I love it!  From getting her a cup of water, helping put something away, you name it!  She’s more mushy, huggy, lovey dovey, and sweet to me.  Compared to how the pregnancy hormones effected her before, pregnancy weeks 34 and 35 have been a breeze!  So fellow father-to-be’s, there REALLY is light at the tunnel.  The hormones REALLY will subside.  She REALLY will go back to normal and those pregnancy monster hormones will be all but a distant memory (we hope!).

5. At Pregnancy week 35, the Pregnant Brain continues to kick in! This is something that has not gone away and Jane’s pregnant brain is still running in high gear.  It’s all good though.  It has provided us with hours of laughter over the past 8 months of pregnancy.  From forgetting things to mixing up words, you just never know what to expect now-a-days!

6. Pregnancy emotions continue to make it rain! Thankfully the monster hormones have subsided, but Pregnant Jane is still very emotional.  She’ll still cry over all sorts of things on TV or when she hears the song that the thing hanging over baby Tarzan’s crib plays.  (I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s a song that you always hear those things play.)

7. The mom-to-be non-stop worry engine is always running! Pregnant Jane worries a lot.  It’s not a bad worry, it’s what I call a “mom worry”.  It’s amazing to see my little Pregnant Jane transform into a mother right before my eyes.  They say you never stop worrying about your child from the moment he or she is born.  I think that should be changed to: you never stop worrying about your baby from the moment you hear his or her heartbeat for the very first time.  The excess worry isn’t a big deal though, it’s a good thing.  Heck, I admit that I have also become a little more worried, or shall I say I’m more aware of things that I never thought about before.  From sharp corners on our end table, to how fast I’m driving, to safety in general, to just about everything.  So it’s not just Jane that has changed a little in this category, I plead guilty to the same charge.

8. The Pregnancy Gas continues! When will it ever stop!?  Somebody help me!  Thankfully, they are not as bad as they used to be.  Well… sometimes… there have been some deadly silent attacks I’ve walked through over the last few days that I’m still recovering from.  See the previous post about the wonderful journey of pregnancy gas.

It’s Official!  35 Weeks Pregnant, And We’re Packing Our Bags!

It’s crazy to think we’re already in pregnancy week 35.  Seriously!  Time is flying by faster than I can keep track of it.  And speaking of time, Jane and I decided last night that today is the day that we pack our overnight bags and spend some time planning everything out.

I’ll just toss some shirts, boxes, shorts, and my toiletry bag in a bag and I’m good to go.  I have no idea how much stuff Pregnant Jane will want to bring to the hospital.  I think I may have to dig out our BIG suitcase just in case.  So we’ll get the bags ready and put them by the door and have them 95% packed and ready to grab when the time comes.

Also, I’m going to pack the car with some towels and a couple of large garbage bags.  Why?  Just in case Jane’s water breaks while we’re driving somewhere or to put down if her water breaks somewhere else to put down on the seat on the way to the hospital.  This is something I maybe should have done before Jane became 35 weeks pregnant, but hey, at least I’m remembering to do it now!

We’re also going to make some copies of our house key and give it to a couple of friends and family in case we’re not home when it’s time and need to ask our neighbors to come and take care of things, turn off lights, or whatever we may need.

Besides that, I think we have everything pretty much under control.  Like I said, I think.  :)  One thing that I need to remember to do is bring my computer so I can post blog updates while Jane and I are hanging out in her room.  We’ll bring Jane’s so she can Twitter about everything.  Now I have a feeling that she will not be Twittering while she is giving birth to baby Tarzan… and I have a feeling that I won’t be blogging while he’s being born, but we’ll do the best we can to keep everyone updated before and after baby Tarzan is born.

And last but not least…. Who wants to win a….

$100 JC Penney Baby Registry Gift Certificate!?

We will be launching a contest within the next day or two where you can win a $100 JC Penney Gift Certificate that you can use to purchase items from your JC Penney baby registry.  The contest will be launching soon and the details will be announced on this pregnancy blog and on Twitter .

- Tarzan

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Chicken!  (From Chic&Cozy blanket bag.)  Oh boy, we had fun with this one!  Tarzan had some problems saying several words like “Chic” and “couture” during our live video blog contest winner broadcast this evening.  

He kept saying “Chicken Cozy” when talking about that prize.  LOL!

Many people kept typing “Chicken! LOL” in the chat box.  One person even spit out her soup!  Poor Tarzan, he has so much to learn when it comes to terms us girls say.

Seriously, Tarzan and I totally had such a great time on the live video show we did tonight announcing the winners of the His Boys Can Swim Pregnancy Blog Contest.  We really had such a great time and appreciate those who joined us on a Saturday night.

Now before we list all of the winners, we wanted to share a great story about the girl who won the biggest prize, the $200 Babies R Us gift certificate.

Kelly (comment # 154) had a tough decision to make.  She contacted us and let us know that she and her husband have not told anyone about her pregnancy yet.  (She is 10 weeks pregnant)  So she decided to only enter once because if she did the 2nd or 3rd entries her friends, family, etc. would find out that she’s pregnant.

So a big congrats to Kelly on your baby and for winning the $200 Babies R Us gift certificate!

Another interesting note, many of the winners won because of their 3rd entry into the contest.  If it wasn’t for your 3rd entry for many of you, you wouldn’t have won!  Just something to keep in mind for future contests I guess.  :)

Important Information For Winners

You have 48 hours from right now to contact us with your information.  Please contact us using the form here and provide us with the following information:

Your first and last name:
Your email address:
Your mailing address:
Your phone number:

Please do not supply the above information as a reply on this blog post.  Please only send the information via the contact form on our “contact us” page.

If we do not hear from you in 48 hours, as per the contest rules we have to award your prize to someone else.  So be sure to contact us right away.  Once we receive your information we’ll send it over to the person/company who will be sending you your item.

Thanks again for entering and a BIG congrats from us to you!

BLOG CONTEST WINNERS:

# 1. Website: CuteSlings.com
Donation: Organic Cute Sling, key chain, burp cloth & a set of 2 hair clips.
Value of items: $65
Winner: Lanea E (Comment #40)

# 2. Website: Usborne Books & More
Donation: 3 books: First Picture Nursery Rhymes by Jo Linchfield; That’s Not My Bunny by Fiona
Watt; Under the Sea Chunky Board Book by Jo Linchfield 
Value of items: $24.97
Winner: Kristine Sorochinsky (Comment #143)

# 3. Website: Baby Fashion and Bedding
Donation: Baby Light & Clip and a Lil’ Rinser.
Value of items: $29.95
Winner: Lauren Renae (Comment #133)

# 4. Website: My Posh Pads
Donation: POSH Pads Fashionable Organic Bamboo Nursing Pads.
Value of item: $10 to $16
Winner: Lesley (Comment #169)

# 5. Website: Olive and Ollie
Donation: Appliqued onesie with a coordinating bib and burp cloth gift set.
Value of items: $45
Winner: Anu (Comment #198)

# 6. Website: Baby Med Basics
Donation: Winner can choose either the baby MEDBASICS home pack (pink or blue) or travel pack (red or gray).
Value of items: travel pack $25, home pack $35
Winner: Alice Phua (Comment #196)

# 7. Website: Life’s Images
Donation: Gift certificate toward maternity or newborn portraits (outside of Houston area winner may
receive a photo related prize as substitute.)
Value of item: $100
Winner: Sherryl (Comment #37)

# 8. Website: Sitter City
Donation: A one-year membership to Sittercity!  (Winners #1 and #2 will also win this prize)
Value of item: $95.88
Winners: Tori Michel (Comment #125), Lanea E (Winner #1), Kristine Sorochinsky (Winner #2)

# 9. Website: Bug and Pickle
Donation: Any combination of our Bug & Pickle bath and body products for moms and babies
Value of items: Up to $50
Winner: Stella (Comment #41)

# 10. Website: Designs by Mama
Donation: Any one of their birth announcements, birthday invitations, or adoption announcement templates.
Value of items: $15
Winner: Katie Leach (Comment #227)

# 11. Website: Sharmooz
Donation: Book: New Mom’s Survival Guide – A must read before the bundle of joy arrives.  Don’t Rock That
Baby!  The Other Advice: 46 steps to survive the first year of motherhood.
Value of items: $15.95
Winner: Judith Brown-Fonger (Comment #147)

# 12. Website: PumpEase
Donation: PumpEase hands-free pumping support.
Value of item: $29 to $34
Winner: Angel Ishmael (Comment #5)

# 13. Website: West Coast Favours
Donation: Any of the three Baby Time Capsules they sell including personalization!
Value of item: $30
Winner: Kelly Smith (Comment #69)

# 14. Website: Juicy Bags
Donation:  Winner’s choice of any Juicybag, made from recycled juice pouches.
Value of item: Up to $30
Winner: Elizabeth (Comment #184)

# 15. Website: Vintage Confections
Donation: Birth announcement fortune cookies.  Qty. 48
Value of item: $50
Winner: Laura (Comment #60)

# 16. Website: MagnetStreet Baby
Donation: 50 birth announcements, winner’s choice.
Value of item: $80
Winner: Aimee Cantrelle (Comment #121) 

# 17. Website: La La Baby Boutique
Donation: A maternity t-shirt.
Value of item: $41
Winner: Cat (Comment #2) 

# 18. Website: Chic Tots
Donation: Chic&Cozy Blanket Bag, any color you want.
Value of item: $60
Winner: JennyOH (Comment #166) 

# 19. Website: LunchBots
Donation: The Uno stainless steel lunch container or the Duo stainless steel snack container.
Value of item: $14.99
Winner: Jamie Stewart (Comment #16) 

# 20. Website: A Mothers Boutique
Donation: Carly Swirls Breastfeeding top or a $50 gift certificate to pass on.
Value of item: $62
Winner: Doreen (Comment #230) 

# 21. Website: Scrapless Press
Donation: Gift certificate for 25 birth announcements or birthday party invitations.
Value of item: $43
Winner: Tara (Comment #205) 

# 22. Website: Planet Kreative
Donation: DIY Baby Shower Invitation & Thank You Cards Kit/ Simply Scrappin’ Kit- Baby Theme.
Value of item: Approx. $20
Winner: Karen (Comment #139) 

# 23. Website: Kool Roomz
Donation: A little Taggie
Value of item: $19.95
Winner: Adeah (Comment #201) 

# 24. Website: Smiling Spirit Creations
Donation: Handcrafted one-of-a-kind custom Gemstone Story Bracelet
Value of item: $80
Winner: Mara (Comment #191) 

# 25. Website: Imag-inations
Donation: 1 Pack of (25) Cards, press printed on your choice of card stock.
Value of item: $42-$46
Winner: Cent Saving Mom (Comment #74)

# 26. Website: Creative Memories
Donation: A Treasures Journal Jar
Value of item: $25
Winner: Stephanie (Comment #29) 

# 27. Website: Mozzee Design
Donation: Cocoon Couture Beanbag, Cocoon Couture Kinderbag
Value of item: $144
Winner: Kim Eich (Comment #222) 

# 28. Website: Milkshake Music
Donation: Milkshake’s new DVD ”Screen Play” and CD ”Play”, along with the first-ever Milkshake comic.
Value of item: $25
Winner: Sara (Comment #175)

# 29. Website: Kidz Med
Donation: Kidz-Med Thermofocus 5-in-1 NON CONTACT Thermometer gives an accurate temperature reading
without  touching your child’s skin.
Value of item: $69.99
Winner: Kara (Comment #99) 

#30. Website: Bloom Maternity
Donation: Three prizes: Doctor T’s Lotions n Lips Set, a JJ Cole Cocoa Tree Bib, and a Pacifier Pod
Value of item: $47.90
Winner: Chrystal (Comment #229) 

#31. Website: Babies Online
Donation: Winner will receive a $200 gift card to Babies R Us.
Value of item: $200.00
Winner: Kelly (Comment #154)

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