October Updates

I am 25 weeks along now and over the last month my belly has started to poke out noticeably. It's a strange change, I've never looked pregnant before and it's surprising to see it happening to me. Here's an obligatory belly-documentation photo:


The only thing that makes me hesitate to use that photo is that I look too perky. I still have morning sickness, which should have stopped about 2-3 months ago depending on your point of view, so smiling is not often one of my facial expressions. But I don't want to scowl at you all out from the internet, so that is the picture we are going with (journalistic accuracy be damned). Morning sickness aside, other fun things are happening, like the baby kicking so that Michael can feel it, which makes him smile really big. And as long as we're talking pregnancy, some of my favorite pregnancy foods right now are: strawberries with Nutella, cheerios, and cheese bread from Little Caesar's (mmmm). Fresh fruit and protein are often what I'm craving; food evils include anything heavy in onions, cooked tomatoes, and peppers.

I got vaccinated for h1n1 on Monday with my sister, just after they got the shots in, and about 24 hours before they ran out completely. So that was lucky, though exhausting as we waited in line for about an hour and a half through a parking garage. But working at the public library has had me paranoid because we get so many sick people ("We need books and movies for the week while we get over the flu"), and I've been eyeing sniffly patrons suspiciously and wishing that they would go away. Now I think I can feel a little more sympathetic.

The world is slowly but spectacularly changing around us. My backyard has suddenly gone from green to gold:


But the tree out front can't make up its mind whether it wants to start turning yellow yet (even though all his friends on the street have already done it. I think he's trying to be cool):


This weekend takes on a somber tone as Saturday marks 1 year from the day I miscarried. As wonderful and delightful as this new pregnancy has been, we still think about how we might have a 4 month old right now. Even though we're in the midst of wonderful things like looking at fun pink baby clothes and feeling the baby kick, Saturday is at least a day to remember very significant events from last year, and to think about how much our lives have changed.

Happily, on Sunday we can go back to "pregnancy as usual"

The Name Game

Well, we've been living in this house for 2 months now, and I finally found my plates yesterday. My favorite plates. The plates that we use all the time, every day, for every meal. The plates that I saved the BEST, most easiest-to-get-to spot in the cupboard for. I found them after 2 months of looking. 2 months of getting frustrated and walking down to the basement with a sharp object and cutting through boxes at random, even though I PACKED these boxes, even though they have labels on them that I WROTE and are RIGHT.

But the kitchen got packed for me, and though it's a wonderful service and gift that I really am grateful for - being pregnant and sick as I was, it's hard to find things later. But I found them. And now they're in the hallowed spot in the cupboard. And the house felt just a little bit more like home last night.

Of course it probably helped that we had a cold front move through, and the cold air outside makes this house seem so cozy and inviting. There's nothing like a old warm house with big windows to look out at fall from.

Anyway, since we found out we are having a little girl, the first and most natural question that comes to everyone's mind is: what are you going to name her?

I have been asked what feels like a million times. I have no idea. Well, I have some ideas, but nothing seems right. Michael is ready to drop everything and commit to a couple of names right here and now. And paint them in big letters on the wall in her room. And take out an ad in the paper about it. And maybe involve a skywriter.

But like I said, nothing seems to fit quite right to me. There are names that I like, but I just can't imagine my child with that name. Or I like that name for a baby, but what about when she's 30 and wants to be taken seriously? And my biggest fear is that we'll pick a name (Myrtle), and then we'll meet her and be like, "What! You're not a Myrtle! Now we have to pick a whole new name for you."

We're open to suggestions.