My node is stubbed up

Can I just say that of all things that have to be sacrificed during pregnancy, cold medicine is by far the hardest to give up. No alcohol, ok, fine. I don't drink much of anything anyway. No unpasteurized cheese, well, that brie will still be waiting for me in a few months. A little harder is eating meat cooked medium when I prefer it close to bloody (sorry T, I'll never be a convert). But, having a miserable head cold and not being able to take the medicine that would offer a bit of comfort is by far the worst.

I know there are medicines that I can take, but they're the kind that never give me any relief even when I'm not 5 months pregnant. So if they don't work normally, why add the extra chemicals to my body now when I'm being so careful about everything else?

So if you happen to run in to me, I apologize. If the hormones weren't enough to make anyone cranky, that combined with the cold...well, maybe I should stay out of the public domain for the next day or so anyway.

My child, the exhibitionist

I had my third sonogram this morning. I will actually wind up having 4-5 more before this baby is born. Have I mentioned they're being extra special careful with me this time? Nothing like good pre-natal care folks!

During both the previous scans, the baby was too small to have made any sort of guess at gender so there was no chance of finding out what we were having. We both prefer it this way. You don't get too many surprises in life like finding out what your child is while it's being handed to you. So we had no intention of finding out this time.

Now, given our situation and that we were going to wind up having so many pictures of this little one before it's even born, I thought we might find out somewhere along the line by accident.

This morning started out very well, the tech promised to keep the secret for us and did a fantastic job of getting all the right measurements while managing to avoid the baby's nether regions. Almost the entire time she scanned, our little one kept both hands over it's face almost as if we were paparazzi desperately trying snap Brittney doing something else foolish. "No pictures please!"

The doctor came in shortly after the tech finished up and was scanning here, there, everywhere to make sure everything looked good to him. As this was happening I got a smack on my elbow from Andy.

Sure enough, clear as day, no denying anything, the baby was laying pretty much spread-eagle in front of us. Both hands still covering HIS face.

Overheard at the Orioles game

We went to Tuesday's game this week at which there was a ceremony for Cal Ripken in honor of his upcoming induction to the Hall of Fame. In line behind Andy were two people who were clearly not locals.

Couple from out of town: Wow there's a lot of people here tonight. Is it always like this?
Local cop patrolling: Well, not always. Tonight's a little special.
Couple: Oh, it's for that Cal Ripken. You think it's crowded tonight because of him?
Local cop: Well, it sure as hell ain't for the Devil Rays.

And the florescent lights took on an angelic hue and a choir of voices began to sing...

We went to the grocery store yesterday on the way home from the movies. Ostensibly, (oh yes I DID just use that SAT word!) to pick up something for dinner. But something always happens when Andy and I grocery shop together. Usually a lot of silliness and me pretending not to know him.

We took a turn down the organic food aisle, him joking about getting the system cleaned out, me pretending to be offended but really enjoying every joke...when we saw it...

A small shelf full of imported foods. Not any imported foods, mind you, but foods imported from the UK, Ireland, and Australia!

Bounty bars! Violet Crumble! Ploughman's pickle relish! HP BROWN SAUCE! Club Lemon and Club Orange! Marmite! (EWW! That could have stayed overseas!) McAvitie's Hob Nobs! Fine cut marmalade, made with sugar and fruit, and NOT high fructose effing corn syrup!!!!!

We gazed in wonder at the miracle before us. Someone had obviously made a recent trip overseas and decided they liked it. We agreed with them.

These were the real deal too, not made-in-Canada-for-dumb-Americans-junk (like Cadbury so often does. WOE to Americans eating Cadbury that tastes like brown wax and not like the good stuff they sell everywhere else in the world). These products had American labels pasted over the British ones so you couldn't read the price in pounds sterling anymore. Perhaps so you wouldn't realize how much more you were paying for the product.

We managed to drag ourselves away with only a bottle of brown sauce for us and two Violet Crumble bars for my dad. We really wanted some Club Orange but it was $2.29/bottle and we're aren't talking a two liter here, we're talking 20 oz.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed the little section will expand to eventually, maybe, another shelf. Get some of the great flavors of Nesquik that the Aussies love, like Caramel or Banana. Some of the European Fanta. Or maybe even... some Cadbury Crunchie bars.

Again, again!

I've been trying to formulate how to word this post for quite some time and I still haven't come up with anything very clever. The stumper has been a combination of my utter joy and complete terror of all things that could possibly happen. This seems to have frozen the part of my brain that would allow me to create something "cutesy."

However, you simply can't box yourself in safe and sound somewhere and hope that bad things never happen. You have to continue living life. So we've decided to continue bravely forward and pray for the best.

We will be welcoming a new Glendinning to the clan in December. The day after Christmas if the guesstimates of the doctors and sonogram tech are accurate.

I hope they are, because it would truly be the Best Christmas Present Ever.

Yarr Matey

My pirate name is:

Calico Mary Rackham

Often indecisive, you can't even choose a favorite color. You're apt to follow wherever the wind blows you, just like Calico Jack Rackham, your namesake. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
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Brand Loyalty

I bought a pair of Saucony running shoes in college because a friend recommended them. I liked them. It was good.

Since then, they've been my preferred brand of sneaker. I didn't really understand just exactly the implications of that until the other day when we took the dog out for a walk. I didn't want to wear my brand new sneakers out since it had just rained, so I dug in the hall closet for an old pair.I reached in and pulled out 3 left shoes. All sneakers, all Saucony. It was good.

Included in the way back, the first pair from college, right up through the latest pair, my "grape" pair. 

One year ago, Stuart Pierce Glendinning joined us.

He didn't stay long, but he taught us a lot.

It feels simultaneously as if it's been only a few days and also like it was part of some other life 100 years ago.

We miss you every day my little man.

Happy Birthday

Darwinism, where art thou?

I am absolutely amazed that one of my cube-mates hasn't yet appeared in a headline that reads "Tractor accident tragedy!"

Christina, Christina, Christina...

When you write the lyrics next time around, please remember that you simply cannot rhyme "You've got class" with "Shake that ass."

Thank you.