Monday, July 30, 2012

Whatcha gonna look like?

As the days tick by to baby Clifford's arrival I find myself wondering more and more what he is gonna look like.  There are a lot of ways this can go.  Lots.  Clifford being an ugly baby is one of my irrational fears.  I know that I will think that he is beautiful regardless.  Fully aware that that will be the case.  But I still fret about it.....still find myself wasting time thinking about it. 

Probably doesn't help that Zac said to me the other day, "Just so ya know, I was an ugly baby, so....you might wanna be prepared for that."  Thanks hunny.  I wanted to hear that for 9 months I have been growing a child that will likely be unattractive.  Que up the Seinfeld episode.  


When I survey my family they all agree on one thing.  "He is gonna be huge."  Thanks guys.  
That really helps to curb the fear that comes with anticipating pushing him out of my body.  

I am in denial.  I keep saying he will be little.  I know he will not.  Maybe I need to make one of those vision boards like from The Secret.  Perchance if I have lots of pictures of 6lb babies around me Cliff will not make it to 10lbs before he gets here.  Again, denial.  I can only hope 9lbs over 23 inches is easier than 9lbs over 20 inches of babe.  

I have always assumed he will be blonde haired, blue-eyed and long.  Kylie agrees.  He says that he always figured I would have "mini-Zacs."  But then again....the ugly baby curse.  Maybe there is hope though via our combined family genes.  For just a second...let's take a peep at some grandparents and great-grandparents.

These are mine.
Grandpa Howard had brown hair and brown eyes.  Grandma Toots had red hair and super blue eyes.  


That got them all 4 dark haired kids and one redhead, all with dark eyes.  
I think just my cousin Jared made it out with blue eyes....but there are a lot of cousins, so I may be wrong. 

For you viewing pleasure, this is mom, with her older sisters Judy and Linda and her twin Jackie. 
Mom is on the right. 



I think Penelope kinda looks like mom in this picture.  I think it is the ears.
(Penelope is on the left.  On the right is baby Evelyn, her cousin)


As far as I know...and can remember, Grandma Leta has always had blonde hair and blue eyes.



My dad's dad, Everett, had dark hair and I think had dark eyes.  I know he looked just like dad when he was young, and I only remember him having white curly hair and being adorable..so it doesn't really matter.  (None of my picture of Grandpa Everett were anything but mostly blurry...so...sorry)

 In this picture you can see dad's grey-green eyes.  I swear when I was little, they were hazel.  
Maybe I am losing it....hell, I am probably losing it....but the man looks absolutely lovely in a green polo, so that's what counts.  


And of course, there is my mama, with her red hair (colored now as "red does not go grey well" but she is a natural red head) and dark eyes.  


Zac's turn.
I've not seen many picture of Zac's grandparents to know what they looked like in their youth. 
I have this picture of Zac's grandpa Dick....which is not so useful for demonstrating hair and eye color, but Zac says both Dick and Betty were blue-eyed blondes back in the day. 


This is the two of them at our wedding 3 years ago.  Cute aren't they?!



When you look at Zac's parents, all you see is the reason dad has nicknamed him "the Viking."  
Lolla says that her hair used to be dark though.  I had to ask after Zac and I got into an argument about the color of his mom's eyes.  He insisted, INSISTED, they were brown.  I was shocked that he was so far off.  I call them blue....but they are more on the grey side.  


 While we were up for Dick's funeral, I did get to see a few pictures of the family that Betty had hung on the walls.  I was loving it.  Check out Jim when he was little.  



Could he BE any cuter?  
No.  No he could not.  

Then I got to see a picture of him in high school.  This is his senior picture if I remember correctly.  
Dad would call him man pretty.   I would agree. 


Now back to the family...when you look at Zac's siblings, it seems there is really only one option, a blonde haired, blue eyed boy is what we are gonna be coming home with.  
Basically every blonde in the picture is a brother or sister.


But, when it comes to nieces and nephews, and we have started adding in a little genetic variety....we are running the gamut.
We've got redheads and blondes, curly headed babes and kiddos with stick straight hair.  (When Everett's gets long he looks like a dandelion and I LOVE IT!)



Lots are blue eyed, lots are not.  I suppose this kinda thing is to be expected when you have 21 nieces and nephews.  


Maybe with all this variety I should do the logical thing and compare Zac and I.  When we were up north, I got to see the famed "ugly baby" picture.  This is Zacman at 6 weeks.  
Isn't he HILARIOUS.  I can only hope it made you laugh.  
Look at how fat he was!  That double chin....it is fab!  

Plus I love his hand position.  It's so Ricky Bobby.  "I don't know what to do with my hands."  


When I sent the picture to my sisters and best friend I got ridiculous responses.  I think Maggie just wrote back, "Cliff is gonna be a BEAST!"  and Courtney wrote something like "O.....M....G....YES!  I want Cliff to look just like this..but with red hair."  

Now me...I was pretty.  This is my 6 week picture.  
I had great hair.  What can I say.  
I totally have my Dad's mouth in this picture...and his ears.  
But all in all, I was cute.  


And I stayed fairly cute.


This picture cracked me up.  In this one it looks like I am wearing a toupe...and should anyone have the desire to sing a song, again, I'm all ears.  


Really, I have no idea what Clifford Stuart will look like.  I am selfish enought that I want him to be pretty.  Is that awful?  It might be awful.  I am pretty sure it's awful to say that.  
Oh well, he is my baby so maybe I get to be.


Today I am 36 weeks pregnant.  That means any freakin time now Cliff could make his appearance.  
His blue-eyed blonde-haired dad, and his brown-haired hazel-eyed mama are excited.  

At the very least, I am sure he will grow up handsome like his Daddy.   




8 comments:

  1. Zac's Uncle Jay's kids were only 6 lb 1 oz and 7 lbs 6 ozs. So there is hope for a "normal" size baby in the Ballard side. You know it will all be worth it in the end. I'm looking forward to seeing the little guy soon. (BTW, I'm going to burn a CD of pics that we scanned a couple weeks ago of Dick & Betty. Would you like a copy?)

    Aunt Jean

    (Are your mom and I the only ones commenting these days????)

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  3. Okay this was a BIG post and I have so much to say, but i'm sure I have forgotton most of it by now.
    My guess for Cliff is that he will be medium size, like 8 lbs and he will have blonde hair and brown eyes. Write that one down bc I will be right! HA
    Also I just wanted to say that there are more factors than just HIS size when it comes to pushin him out. LP was bigger than Evie and Maggie tore less. So clearly the Fox girls have the perfect baby bearing parts :)
    Also Zac's dad was stinkin cute as could be as a baby and your baby picture instantly made me think of Aubrie

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  4. Abbie,
    Love the Seinfeld episode. Sad thing is, that was the exact reaction I had to my nephew when I saw him for the first time. He was seriously my brother-in-law shrunk into a newborn. It was not cute, there was no way around it!!(I often referred to this episode when describing my first reaction. I am a horrible person, I know.) You just never know how big they're gonna be...I am 5'9" 125 lbs. and my first (natural delivery) baby weighed 9 lbs 3 ozs. That was good sized, but I managed. My second one was taken two weeks early because she was breech and they thought she was probably 8 and a half pounds...so we were a little surprised when they pulled out a 10 lbs 2 oz giant!!! Seriously, she looked like a 3 month old!! She looked like a cherub, head full of hair--where my first had been bald til she was 2. You'll do great and he'll be precious!!! Cant wait to hear the good news!

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    1. Those are big babies. I can only hope my wide hips will make it easy on me :) I imagine your second was great looking. Mom says when she had my little sister, the lady next to her had a 12lb baby and he was beautiful!

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  5. I think your Cliff will be blond and blue-eyed, those genes usually win. But,I promise, no matter what, you will be positive that your baby is the cutest thing EVER. I look back on pictures of my daughter(not a cute baby) and wonder how I could have been so sure that she was adorable, lol:) And, I hate to break it to you, but birthin' 6 pound babies feel exactly the same as 9 pound babies, it hurts.

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    1. both valid points. I am still hoping for 7lbs 9oz :)

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  6. how did I miss this post?!! I laughed out loud at Ricky Booby. oops Bobby but I am pretty sure he will be a Ricky Booby man. LOL
    I am all ears comes from your dad. My ears are dainty like my arse. bahaha

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