The Coronation Ceremony

The Dairy Farmers of Washington are one of the WIAA's title sponsors.  I work with the Washington State Dairy Ambassador to schedule awards presenters for each of our state championships.  The outgoing Ambassador is honored and new State Dairy Ambassador is crowned at the annual Coronation Ceremony.

I was invited to this year's event by the 2010-11 State Ambassador, Kristyn.  It was the first time I've attended the event, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  Darin was gracious enough to go along with me.

We sat in the far corner of the banquet room with a few folks that I know from the Dairy Products Commission.  Over the course of the evening, we watched nine hopeful county ambassadors battle it out for the crown.  At one point, everyone joined in a milk toast - Darin's favorite part of the evening...especially because they had chocolate milk.

Eventually, it was time for Kristyn to make her closing remarks.  At the end of her speech, she announced that she had one more person that she wanted to recognize, and the next thing I knew, Darin and I were being called up on stage.  By the look on Darin's face, I could tell that she was less than thrilled about being on display in front of the audience...which is understandable, considering she was 8 months pregnant at the time.

When we got up on stage, Kristyn thanked me for my help and support throughout the year, and presented us with a beautiful basket of baby gifts from the Dairy Women.  It was an incredibly unexpected, and incredibly generous gift.  Among other things, the basket was stocked with some adorable dairy-themed baby items.  Can't wait for Baby D to slip on those cow-print galoshes.

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The Baby D Lottery

Early on, Darin and I decided we weren't going to find out the baby's gender.  We both agreed that this was one of the few times in life that we could truly be surprised.  Naturally, a lot of people have been pressing us for our preferences.  While each of us might lean slightly in one direction, we're both pretty excited about either prospect.  I grew up in a house of boys (one brother), and Darin grew up in a house of girls (two sisters), so it'll be interesting to see which gene prevails.  Not surprisingly, there are a few family members who have strong opinions.  Allegedly, Darin's Grandpa Dave has been referring to the baby as "GGS-2" (Great Grandson 2).

At the end of June, my mom threw a baby shower for Darin down in Camas.  One of the activities was 'The Baby D Lottery'.  While the activity was a collaborative effort between my mom and dad, I'm sure my dad will claim all credit for the idea whenever it's referenced in the future.  In true Knapp fashion, this project was not half-assed.

Guests were asked to submit guesses for a variety of birth details, with varying point values assigned to each category:  Gender (5pts), D.O.B. (15pts), Weight (16pts), Length (12pts), Time of Birth (12pts).  They constructed a scoreboard matrix (pictured above).  First prize?  A bottle of champagne, bottle of wine, or six-pack of microbrew. 

At this point, The Lottery is ladies only.  If you're interested in getting in on the action, there might still be time.  You can contact The Lottery Commissioners at r2knapp@comcast.net.

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The List

During an SGS alumni event, two of Darin’s former students (Kyla and Olivia) presented Darin with a list of potential baby names for Baby D.

Highlights include Nay Nay, Kooladish, Bonquiqui, and Jelly (girls), and Fredward, Billious, and Zephyr (boys).

As you can see, there are actually some serious names on there.  The list has been on our refrigerator ever since D brought it home.

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Baby D

That's what we're calling our mystery baby right now - Baby D.  Originally, I suggested 'Lil Smokey'.  Darin humored me for awhile, but it was short-lived.  In her 8th grade classroom, the girls refer to Darin as 'Ms. D'.  When they found out she was pregnant, the baby was naturally christened 'Baby D'...and it stuck.  Darin's class and her teaching team threw her a surprise shower toward the end of the school year.  Each girl gifted her favorite children's book - a great idea that was given especially high marks by my mom the librarian.  The girls wrote dedications at the beginning of the books, addressed to Baby D.  A few of my favorites:

From Bailey (Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester)

"Dear Baby D, I hope you like this book!  It was one of my favorites when I was little.  I like this book because it lets you know that being yourself is not a bad thing (cheesy but true).  So I hope you like it, and maybe I'll get to meet you someday if your mom still teaches at SGS.  If you ever need help in math, ask her because she's really good at it."

From Ruby (Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells)

"I was a curious bunny just like Max!  I hope you have an amazing life with your wonderful mom:)  P.S. My name's Ruby:)"

So, Baby D it is.

Darin just passed the 35 week mark and everything is going great.  Other than my dad referring to her as 'The Whale' on a recently family vacation, she has had a relatively smooth pregnancy.  Let's hope it continues in the closing weeks!

While we don't know what the baby's gender is, OR what we're going to call him/her, one thing is certain...this baby will be smothered with love.  This is the first grandchild on either side of the family, so the grandmas-to-be are so excited, they are about to explode.

As we countdown toward the due date, we'll post some of our favorite memories of the last nine months P.B.D. (Pre Baby D).

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