Sorry Baby M. Addy lives here!

The cats have taken up residence on the changing table. Not a big deal since we covered it with numerous blankets, cushions, etc. If they live there when Baby M arrives, that should be ok, too, I figure. I have a feeling we'll change the baby quite often on the bed or wherever. (And I imagine the cats will scramble if I approach them with a crying baby when they're on the changing table.)

That being said, the cats are going to have to learn that this new piece of furniture is strictly off-limits. (That means that we will have to learn how to keep them out of it. In extreme circumstances, a squirt from a water bottle is pretty effective, even if it pains me to do it.)

In the meantime, the new bassinet is also filled with quite a bit of covering, as you can see. Oh, what we tolerate for those cats!

P.S. The little miYim organic chick rattle is just in there for effect. The baby will be quite a bit bigger, needless to say, and we know not to put anything in the bassinet but a swaddled baby.

Patrick, the great storyteller!

Kelly is right. Patrick's version of the hockey story was considerably altered and quite a bit happier than the original (above).

If the version above is too quiet, click here.

My husband's heaven

Hockey galore.

Mom update for Week 28

Here's some TMI from www.pregnancyguideonline.com...

Welcome to the third trimester ~ the period of leg cramps, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, itchy skin, aches and pains, swelling, heartburn, indigestion and . . . your baby's arrival!

Your uterus is around 3 inches above your navel; average weight gain is between 17 and 24 pounds at this point. If you haven't had a glucose tolerance test yet to test for gestational diabetes, your care provider may order one this week.

As for my own wee pregnancy problems, I have experienced the leg cramps that wake me up in the middle of the night, the itchy belly from my growing, stretched out tummy (no stretch marks yet. Yay! Or do those show up later?), a few aches and pains which feel like growing pains in my abdomen, and a little indigestion (you can't imagine how squished up your stomach gets inside your body). Back rubs and massages help with 90 percent of it. For the heartburn, which I've never really wrestled with before, I have come to lovelovelove warm milk with a little honey.

I feel extremely lucky that pregnancy has been easy-going so far. Cross all your fingers.

As for Baby M: heart beat is 145 beats per minute and head is down (good sign).

Week 28

From www.pregnancyguideonline.com (adapted for Baby M)

Baby M is growing and developing at an astonishing rate! Eyebrows and eyelashes are now present, and the hair on the head is growing. The eyelids open, and the eyes are completely formed. The body is getting plumper and rounder (weighs about 2 pounds) and is composed of around 2 to 3 percent body fat. Muscle tone is gradually improving. The lungs are capable of breathing air but if the baby is born now, it would struggle to properly breathe. Be sure to talk to your baby a lot because s/he can recognize your voice now.

Since we know that Baby M is listening to us, Patrick told the baby its first from-memory bedtime story yesterday. It went something like this...

Once upon a time, a little upstate New York hockey player named Philippe really wanted a Montreal Canadiens jersey that he once saw in the Eatons catalog. Poor little guy asked and asked and asked until his mom finally broke down and got him one for Christmas. He was so excited opening the box, only to find out that it was a lame-o Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.

Poor Philippe donned his jersey anyway and went out to skate with his buddies, knowing that they'd make awful fun of him. And of course, they did... that is, until Philippe started skating. His swooshes, slides and crisp turns on the ice were so incredible that all the little New Yorkers stopped to stare. After that day, no one made fun of Philippe and his Toronto Maple Leafs jersey ever again. In fact, everyone wanted a Maple Leafs jersey for their own closets.

The end.

Well, it went something like that and was pretty cute. Quite different from the stories I read to Baby M but pretty darn cute nonetheless.

:)

My anti-immigration stance!

Listening to the Republican debate got me to thinkin'. I, too, am opposed to immigration...that is, the immigration of lead toys into this country!

Down with immigration of lead toys! We should build a really big fence around the whole country with really small air holes that NO lead-covered toy trains, toy tea cups or toy Halloween teeth could even try slipping through.

What could be better?!

Seeing great community theater is always a treat. It's even more of a treat if someone you know has a starring role.

If that starring role is that of the Big Black Man in the Full Monty? Well... that's another story. Let's just say that the Dearborn Players' Guild's rendition of this very funny production was totally enjoyable. So was seeing one of our colleagues strut his stuff on stage! What guts!

Scenes from the D's annual Thanksgiving Day Parade