The jellybean countdown begins

Merry and I have entered the 27th week of pregnancy.

We're almost at the third trimester.

According to our doctors, the expected date for our jellybean (our affectionate nickname for the baby) to arrive is Oct. 19, meaning our child could share a birthday with my uncle Gary and cousin Lisa.

The final countdown has begun.

We have only 93 days before our child will enter this world.

This morning, as is the case with every morning, I called Merry to see how she was doing. I typically call her in the morning and later in the afternoon to tell her I love her and to make sure she is feeling fine.

"I feel great," she told me. "Other than every now and then I have a backache, but that's to be expected."

Currently, jellybean weighs in at a robust 2 pounds. But jellybean is obviously curious.

"I love it when the baby is kicking all the time," Merry said. "It's awesome."

Although I have only felt jellybean kick a couple of times, Merry lets me know when it happens. And it happens frequently.

"All day long," she said. "Before I get out of bed, jellybean kicks. And about 10 minutes after eating. At least once or twice an hour."

But this third trimester is when things can get rough.

We're expecting swollen hands and feet and she will have a difficult time maneuvering around.

The installation of the car seats will come soon and we will soon inspect daycare facilities.

The countdown has begun. As of Monday, July 19, if the doctor's calculations are correct, we have 93 days.

And we can't wait.