I really like this woman's take on being 36 weeks along:
any moment now, my belly button will simply pop out with a ping and the Wee Bald Stranger will be cooked—like a blueberry Poptart.... the principal hardship of pregnancy lies in months of pretending that you are a rational, competent professional, even when you are, in truth, a sweaty preverbal beast. I have become expert at filing stories, doing radio interviews, and editing copy, while fluffy white bunnies frolic through my prefrontal cortex, scattering chocolate and cheese popcorn and the occasional Heineken in their wake. It's been like this for months. Which is why I am deeply relieved—in the most sexist way imaginable—that Don Rumsfeld is not expecting twins next month.
Go read the whole week long series. I often laughed aloud.
We had a lovely time at Mary Sue's shower on Saturday. Click on thumbnails for larger view:
 Guest of Honor |  Parents' Basket |  Mommies to be |
 My placecard |  Kathy and Alex |  Penguin Power |
As I was cruising south on I-95 through Maryland yesterday, I was passed on the left by a Honda Accord bearing a bumper sticker that read: "Slow Down For Peace: Conserve Oil to Stop the War in Iraq." As I said, the car passed me on the left, and I was cruising. Cruising along at 80 mph, to be exact.
Keri's visit was fabulous, but too short. Thankfully, a big work headache went away at 6 pm on Friday, so I was not put in the awkward position of having to put my foot down with the powers that be, and could enjoy the weekend like a normal person. Instead, we enjoyed a lovely dinner out on Friday at local fave Layalina, spent Saturday doing girl stuff, cooking (and eating!) chicken paprikas, and then laughing like crazy at a showing of Bringing Down the House, and then relaxed on Sunday with a girls-only movie (Chicago) and experimenting with making homemade pasta (yummy Fettucine Alfredo!). Click thumbnails to enlarge:
 Keri and our handiwork |  Closer... |  Closer still! |
This morning, the darn Super Shuttle was 20 minutes early, robbing us of the time I was going to make Keri just keep her hands on my belly until the baby cooperated and kicked. Oh well. But all in all, how could I complain? It was a great time.
Today is my hubby's birthday. I thank his parents for bringing him into this world for me to find some 26 or so years later, and I am grateful that he is still in my life some six years after that. They even let me keep him!
Tucker is not this spoiled -- I can't imagine pre-chewing food for my dog or my child -- but I do like the notion that it is becoming more acceptable to bring the little one along in public. It is true that more people go gaga than get upset if we bring him where he really doesn't belong.
Probably not what the Church had in mind, but for Lent I have taken up actually going to church. I made it on Ash Wednesday (to the 5:30 service at the cathedral downtown; talk about crowded!) and went to my parish (St. Ann's) for Sunday services yesterday. I had only been to St. Ann's once before -- for Easter the weekend after we moved into the house -- but I was struck then by the feel of the church. It just seemed very homey and welcoming. I got the same feeling this week, and I am glad that I am going to start going more regularly.
I've also decided to participate in a several-week Landings program, which is basically a low-key, non-judgmental way to welcome people who perhaps have not been regular churchgoers back into the church. I think going regularly and attending Landings will be good for me, and will help me meet the folks with young children and babies, and prepare for baptizing the little one.
Hard to believe, but I am in the home stretch of this pregnancy. If the baby were to be born right now, it would weigh about 2 pounds and would need to spend a considerable amount of time in the NICU, but it would have a pretty good chance of survival. Now, I tell this little bean every day to stay put, but it is just amazing to me what technology has achieved. May I never have to use it.
While I was in Atlanta, one of the many things I did was act as a sleeping cot for an assortment of dogs and children. To wit:
From left: Cracker, Chuletta, Ellen (top), Babybean (bottom), and Dina.
OK, so I know I've been obsessed about the living room furniture. Certain readers have been asking for pictures. Here they are.
Mike & Tucker enjoy the couch and ottoman.
Tucker shows the front entryway. The mirror was a garbage find by my Dad!
Finishing touches that still need to be done include: Getting a mantle for the fireplace and glass doors on the sucker (for both safety and efficiency reasons), getting the rest of our pictures out of boxes and onto the walls, fixing up the lighting situation, getting drawer dividers for the entry table so that we can use the space efficiently, and fixing the errant bookshelf on the back wall (piece finally received, 3 months later) and arranging the bookshelves all pretty-like. Work to be done, for sure, but it's 88 percent there.