Thanks to Anne’s friend, Steph, we have several pregnancy and parenting magazines in our living room. One of them is a publication from the U.K. It’s fun to read as they talk about the experience of being an expectant “mum”. And they call diapers — “nappies.”

I wouldn’t mind our kids calling Anne “mum” and using the word nappy but there is one UK tradition Anne will probably pass on. In their section on food and nutrition, they give suggestions on easy and healthy things eat. One of their suggestions is baked beans on toast. Their comment is: “What could be easier than beans on toast!”

Sardines on toast is easy too but it doesn’t mean I want to eat it. Apparently the beans on toast is big across the pond. Anne’s first response was: are they heated or cold?

What food suggestions would you have for Anne that are easy and healthy?

According to our pregnancy book, our baby is now over 2 inches and weighs about a third of an ounce. Here are some other interesting facts about our 11 week old.

• Starting to grow hair follicles. (Will they be blonde or brunette?)

• Fingernail and toenail beds are forming

• Open nasal passages

• A Tongue and palate in mouth

Anne continues to feel queasy and tired but overall the expectant mom is doing great. She will have her second doctors appointment in about 10 days.

They said there would be difficult days for Anne during her pregnancy. She would experience nauseousness, headaches, muscle and stomach pain and emotional ups and downs. For three hours today, Anne went through the whole gamut while sitting on the couch. Her emotions were up and down. She felt nauseous. And several times there were intense pains that went through her entire body.

Strangely enough, I also experienced the same pains for those same three hours. The same nauseousness, aches and shooting pains running through my body.

They said we would have days like this. I just never knew it would be this difficult. But the reality is it was just one loss and the Dallas Cowboys are still 3-1.

Well, the season premiere of the Amazing Race just started…so Anne and I are starting to feel much better.

Earlier this week, Anne and I were flipping through the channels and came to a documentary on the movie “Cool Hand Luke”. Anne said she had really liked that movie and I said I had never seen it.

“Oh, we’ll have to rent it.” she replied.

Last night, I swung by Blockbuster to look for a movie. While I was browsing I had remembered there was a movie Anne wanted us to see so I gave her a call.

“Cool Hand Luke” she said as she prepared one of my sister’s new chicken recipes.

So I found it on the shelves and it was free since in September all non-new releases are free.

We came home and watched it. I thought it was an odd, slow-paced movie and it wasn’t as good as Anne had remembered.

Paul Newman’s character Luke dies at the end. When I woke up this morning I found out that Paul Newman had actually died yesterday. Just thought that was odd.

And now we return to your regularly scheduled programming…

Tonight is the first presidential debate between McCain and Obama. It is an opportunity to discuss and debate the issues of the day like the economy and Iraq. But for me right now there is an even greater issue looming out there: boy or girl.

So while the candidates prepare for this evenings event, I am going debate myself on the pros of having a boy or girl. First up, “Why we should have a boy”

Having a boy first takes the pressure off that the Horch name will continue. He will develop immediate leadership skills and responsibilities as the first child. If we have girl later, that girl will have a big brother. He will be someone to look after her and teach her things. He can also be a protector when it comes to other boys who want to ask his little sister out. My sisters have all boys so there will be plenty of cousins for him to play with. There will also be plenty of hand-me-down boys clothes. As an older dad, I need my boys to come early so I will still be able to play with them in my older age.

and now the reasons, “Why we should have a girl”

Having a girl will be wonderful because it means I will have the joy of raising a daughter. Anne will be able to buy all those cute little outfits she has been dying to buy every time we walk through the baby’s department. Girls tend to be more responsible so our oldest will set a good example. Older sisters can teach younger brothers about how to treat a girl. As she gets older she can babysit the younger kids. Since my sisters all have boys, it will be nice to have a girl on this side of the family. Both Anne and I have a sister who is the oldest so it will continue a tradition.

So there you have it — my arguments for a boy or a girl. I encourage you to leave a comment on why we should have a boy or girl. Let the great debate continue.

Anne and I have started a new tradition during the pregnancy: walking after work. They say its good for pregnant women to walk about 30 minutes a day. (I’m sure that’s also just good general advice like people should breathe regularly and eat a couple times a day). But since we are trying to follow every pregnancy rule and advice we have started walking regularly in the evening. Now this really isn’t a big change for us since we often walk in our neighborhood or at Lake Radnor near our house. But now it is a daily scheduled after-work event.

And if you have to walk in the evenings somewhere it might as well be in Nashville. One of the reasons I love this area is because fall is just amazing here. The colors are incredible. They take you by surprise every year. The area is full of hills and beautiful views are everywhere – even right here in our neighborhood.

I’m sure songwriter Marc Cohn made lots of money writing “Walking in Memphis” and it brought lots of people to Beale Street but for me I’ll take my walks in Nashville anytime.

My goal has been to write everyday about our experience in being expectant parents. And so far I have kept that streak going (38 and counting). But it’s 8:21pm and I have nothing to say. Nothing. I am blank. When I try to dial into my inner thoughts all I get is a recorded message that says “Jeff’s brain isn’t available right now but please leave a name and number and he will get back with you as soon as he can.”

My wife is a book editor. She deals all the time with writers with writers’ block working on a deadline. So I asked her for some advice and motivation. Here is her advice for me in beating my blogger’s block:

1. Take a long deep look at your expectant wife.

2. Think of the people who are depending on your blog

3. Write something…anything at all.

Ok, so I gazed deeply at my wife. Then I thought of all those people who depend on the blog (This one didn’t take long). And finally, I am exercising the third step…I’m just writing.

Well, for all those people who rely on this blog for fresh, cutting-edge, inspiring, thought-provoking words to keep them going throughout their day…I apologize. Hopefully a good nights rest will give me a second wind.

Until then…pick up a copy of one of my wife’s latest editing projects, Isolation by Travis Thrasher. FaithWords. $13.99. Available now wherever fine books are sold.

So far the team we cheer for and the teams we live near have a perfect record. Last night, the Cowboys beat the Packers 27-16 improving my record as an expectant dad to 3-0. But I also realized that the two Nashville teams are also undefeated. The Tennessee Titans are 3-0 and the Vanderbilt Commodores are 4-0 and ranked in the top 25 for the first time in 24 years.

Can all of this simply be coincidence? Or is there a connection between our unborn child and these teams competing at a higher level? I’d like to believe that this little Horch inside Anne is indeed inspiring these three teams to achieve athletic excellence. Maybe this is just crazy ramblings of a first time dad who thinks his child is gifted far beyond the average 10-week fetus. But when you look at the facts from an unbiased viewpoint you can’t deny that these three teams are undefeated at the same time Anne is pregnant. It seems you just can’t explain it any other way.

Now, if any of these teams go on a losing streak – I might have some new theories.

According to our trusted book What to Expect when your Expecting, it says our child is about the size of a prune (1 1/2 inches long). It also says that their tiny elbows are already working and they are starting to form tiny buds of teeth. Wow, that is amazing!

In other news, Anne still hasn’t thrown up which was the goal she set early on. Last night she was feeling pretty queasy and she thought this was going to be it. So we got the one thing that we thought might sooth a nauseous stomach — a pepperoni pizza from pizza hut. (Editors note: Anne and Jeff actually didn’t find that solution in any pregnancy book. It just sounded like the wise thing to do at the time.)

And here’s the ironic part. As I was finishing up my last slice I all of sudden became nauseous — quickly running to the kitchen and gagging in the sink. I didn’t throw up but Anne’s cure from nauseousness almost made me lose it.

Hmmm…maybe I am going to start marking some food off my list.

Throughout Anne’s pregnancy I am going to be featuring “5 questions with Anne”. Here’s the first round. Feel free to submit your own questions and we’ll feature them in a future blog.

1. Favorite craving?

Sesame chicken at Fulin

2. Favorite article of clothing during pregnancy?

skirts and flip-flops

3. Most missed food?

cheese slices

4. Most missed activity?

Staying awake past 9:30 pm

5. Best advice you have received so far?

Mary Helen (Jeff’s aunt) said “Nausea is the sign of a healthy pregnancy so barf on.”

Since yesterday, 85% of Nashville-area gas stations are out of gas. That number is probably even higher this morning. Anne and I are having to stay in this weekend because both of our cars are very low.

Last night I started thinking about all the expectant parents that are due to deliver this weekend. They are probably stressed making sure to have everything packed and the quickest route to the hospital mapped. But imagine not knowing if you are going to have enough gas to even get to the hospital. I think that could create a little stress for a very pregnant mom.

I think this weekend some babies might be born in some very unusual places.

Anne’s parents arrived in Denver today to get ready to move into their new home on Saturday. They will spend the next 5 years in Colorado working for Officers’ Christian Fellowship (OCF), an organization that ministers to military families. Anne’s dad is a retired Army colonel and her parents have a long history of working with OCF.

We are excited about this new season of their life but we are also saddened that it will take them farther away. They had been living just 90 minutes from Nashville in Hunstville, Alabama. And now ironically with the new baby on the way the grandparents will now be a plane ride away. But its only temporary and they will be back in Huntsville in 5 years. They will come home to an almost 5 year old and hopefully a few more grandkids.

Grandpa and Grammy, we love you and we are praying that God uses you in mighty ways in Denver. We look forward to our first visit and make room on your wall for some new family pictures from the Horches.

I have just added “The Horch Wall” on the right side of the blog. It is simply a quick way for you to say “hello” and let Anne and I know that you have stopped by. Although the blog was started so we can remember this experience, it has been fun to see your comments and know that you are reading along with us.

So sign the wall and keep the comments coming. You are adding to our experience. Just 7 more months!

It is never too early to start saving for college especially considering how expensive it is to get a higher education these day. So I went to collegeboard.com which has a college savings calculator. It tells you how much you need to save based on inflation, type of tuition (in-state, out of state or private) and how many years until your child is going to college.

So I chose in-state simply because it was the cheapest. And I selected 18 years from today. Here are the results:

If college costs rise at 5.0% a year, your annual cost will be $41,721 (up from $17,336 over 18 years). The total cost for 4 year(s) will then be $179,823

Yikes! 179,823.00 – Does my child also get a free house when they graduate?

I think the first thing I plan to do when my child arrives home from the hospital is sit him or her down, look them in the eyes, hand them a newly purchased gift and calmly but firmly say: “This is a football. Never let it leave your side.”

One of the most sobering thoughts is the reality that part of my child’s view of God is going to be shaped by their view of me as their father.

So many people can’t fathom God as a father figure because their own father was the very opposite of love. Instead of seeing a man they could run to for protection, he was the very person that they feared. But even good intentioned fathers have created a skewed version of God. They send a message to their children that they have to earn their love – that grace isn’t given freely.

So much of our child’s understanding of unconditional love and forgiveness and mercy and grace is going to be defined but how Anne and I model that to each other and to our kids. Too be blunt, that makes me nervous. Because I am still a sinner with love that sometimes has conditions attached in very small print and grace that sometimes needs just a tiny bit of effort in return.

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about Paul’s description of love in 1 Corinthians 13. I have decided to make verses 4-7 my husband and father barometer. When it comes to Anne, am I patience and kind? Have I become boastful, prideful, envious, rude, self-seeking or easily angered in any way toward her? Do I hold the past against her? Am I protecting Anne, trusting Anne?

When our first child comes I want those questions to constantly shape my relationship toward them.

I think one of the greatest indications of success as a father will be if a Sunday school teacher tells my child that God is our heavenly “Father” and they immediately know that God is love. They know God is patient and kind. A protector and a refuge. Someone who is unconditionally pursuing them in love. And I will constantly remind them that God’s love is infinitely more than daddy’s – and daddy loves them very much.

It is a sobering thought that part of my child’s view of God is going to be shaped by their view of me as their father. And it spurs me on!