Or, to be more precise, two more pics. Still working on a birth story. And about a thousand other things.

No birth story yet, I'm mostly still typing one-handed while nursing or holding a sleeping baby. But I did manage to get a few pictures up on flickr, and for those of you who haven't added me on Facebook yet, here's the important details:

Solomon Thomas Crispin-Schnepp
born 1:45 pm, December 9
7 lb. 7 oz.
20 1.4 inches

Jefferson is in awe (except when Solomon cries, which sends Jefferson running from the room!), everyone is recovering well. In fact, the midwife was just here for a follow-up, and said everything looked great. (Well, except my breasts. Solomon has a terrible latch, but we're working on that.) In fact, his second weigh-in was 7 lb. 4 oz! If you've never had a kid, you have no idea why that's impressive -- newborns typically lose a fair amount of weight in the first day or so, and then have to put it back on. To only be down three ounces on day three is pretty awesome.

Anyway, more later!

Also, because new_world_smurf posted it. And I'll generally pick up most of her memes. As long as they aren't, you know, about sports.

( cut because i care )

Sometime last week or so, I saw teachers walking around with boxes that were obviously associated with school picture day. I was excited and looking forward to this particular ritual, but a few days passed with no note in Jefferson's backpack about the pictures, so I kind of forgot about it. Until this morning, when I overheard another mom talking to her daughter about the pictures, and she had a little order envelope in her hand. So I got the attention of one of the teachers when they were herding the kids in the entryway, and of course it turns out that school pictures are TODAY, and actually in about fifteen minutes. Whee!

Of course Jefferson was wearing some busy t-shirt that was actually an advertisement for some construction or tool company, but at least it was a dark color. They got me an order form, and luckily I had my checkbook with me today. But still, it was annoying to have to make all those decisions in a rush, without being able to consult with my husband or family members who might want copies (and how many) of school pictures. You have to commit to a picture package and pay right away! What kind of deal is that? And then I heard someone say something about spring pictures! They do school pictures twice a year? What a racket!

The teacher actually suggested that I could just wait until spring pictures if I wasn't ready, but I'm glad that I went ahead and filled out an order now. When I finished the form, I walked down to give it to his teachers and met them walking down the hall to get their pictures done. Every other kid had an order envelope in their hands, and Jefferson was looking a little lost and bewildered. He seemed relieved when I handed him the envelope, even though I'm sure he had very little idea what it was for.

I also wish I'd had time to ask the teachers if it was traditional there for the students to exchange their little wallet photos or not. I ended up ordering a big enough package that there would be one for each of his classmates just in case. I'm sure Andrew will be thrilled.

But seriously, it's a ridiculous racket. If you don't want the ugly blue/brown mottled background, you can choose from twelve others! For only $3 extra!

Actually right now I'm getting paranoid that I filled something out incorrectly that will invalidate my order somehow, and Jefferson won't get any pictures and I'm a terrible mother. But then, maybe no one wants school pictures of the class bully anyhow? ;p

The first hint of it was on a day when Jefferson was particularly out of sorts. He actually cried when I dropped him off, which had never happened before. My kid is the one who wakes up on a Saturday and is disappointed that there is no school. But I think he hadn't slept well that night, and there was a confusion where he thought I was going to be the class helper that day and he was excited, but it wasn't true, so he was let down.

Anyway, at the end of the day when I picked him up, both of his preschool teachers came over to me in very serious voices to tell me about his time-out that day for hitting one of the little girls. Evidently it had been early in the day, when he was still sad, and she was playing with a toy that he wanted. They reassured me that after he recovered himself that he apologized and had a good rest of the day, but still, that kind of news is hard to handle when you think your kid is perfect.

Then Monday his friend Adam had a meltdown when it was time for his mom to leave. He started crying that he didn't want to go to school, and one of the teachers came over and conferred with the mom and tried to calm him down. Now it's always been my impression that Adam was a particular friend of Jefferson's. Adam was one of the first kids Jefferson referred to by name in his "what did you do at school today?" stories, and Jefferson had been sad the Thursday before that Adam wasn't at school and missed the school Halloween party.

So you can imagine my surprise when, after the teachers led the kids to the classroom this morning, Adam's mom asked me if I'd overheard her conversation with the teacher yesterday. I said I hadn't, and she reported to me that Adam hadn't wanted to go to school because of Jefferson! That he said he and Jefferson "fight," that they wrestle around and whatever, I don't know, I guess it upsets him. Now the mother went to great lengths to assure me that her son wrestles with his siblings all the time and gets pretty rough, so she seemed surprised as well that this would upset him. To the point that he didn't want to go to school! And I assured her that I knew it wasn't done out of malice, that I thought her son was one of Jefferson's favorite classmates. I think she mostly didn't want me to feel attacked or targeted in case one of the teachers later mentioned the incident to me.

But still, now I'm left with the feeling of what do I possibly do with this information? Not being a witness to either event is frustrating, as is the preschooler time-span and the difficulty of being able to really talk to Jefferson about something hours or especially days after it happened. Certainly I don't want my kid to be the one that makes school miserable for others. And while I've mentioned before that when Jefferson gets over-amped about hugging his friends, his hugs sometimes turn into tackles, I've never seen him playing with other kids and take it to the point where the other kid is in distress. I've much more often seen him get overwhelmed by other kids' volume or rambunctiousness.

That said, he does have a preschooler's notion of justice, in that if another kid does something wrong, he thinks he should do the wrong thing back, whether it be hitting or pushing in the line to the slide or taking toys. Which we have talked to him about frequently.

I don't know. I am having trouble coming up with the appropriate level of response here. Anyone with any experience who has any useful advice?

Walmart

price wars

the wanton destruction of small, local businesses

Have you heard about this? Walmart, Target & Amazon are engaging in a price war over a list of expected bestseller hardbacks this holiday season, slashing list prices that normally range from $25-$35 to $9.

For a book addict like me living on a limited income, you'd think this would be good news, right? Ha. I'm furious. As if independent bookstores weren't already having enough challenges in keeping their doors open, there is absolutely no way that they can compete with a move like this. It's almost certain that the retailers selling these books at $9 are taking a loss, as a way of getting customers into their online stores (all the titles on the list are currently pre-orders). Small bookstores just don't have pockets deep enough to take that kind of hit.

Since I can't boycott Walmart any more than I already do, I suppose all I'm left with is pledging to not shop at either Target or Amazon this holiday season.

Am I just a curmudgeon? Because it seems to me that despite the myth that consumers win when this kind of competition heats up, that actually, everyone loses. Sure, you might get a couple of cheap books this year. But how many bookstores, already struggling under the weight of the current economy combined with competition from major chains and online stores will close their doors forever? And next year, when Walmart and whoever else have moved on to trying to eliminate some other form of local competition, they won't have any reason to sell $9 books. And no one will ever hear about the next Water for Elephants, which picked up almost no love from major retailers until months of being promoted by independent bookstores and word-of-mouth pushed it to the tops of bestseller lists for weeks.

So I'm adding independent bookstores to my list of "causes" to support with my holiday shopping this year. And remember, you don't have to live next door to a great bookstore to support it! You can support them with your online orders as well! Some suggestions:

The Seminary Co-op Bookstore
Nevermind the name, this isn't just for religious books. Check out their Front Table feature as a great way to browse an eclectic and fascinating array of recent releases.

Eighth Day Books
Okay, this one really is mostly books of a religious nature. Also my favorite bookstore in Wichita, Kansas. Download their catalog for suggestions and reviews!

Antigone Books
My favorite feminist bookstore, from Tucson, Arizona. Check out the staff picks on their website, just like browsing the front table at their store.

Of course, there's nothing like being able to actually walk into the store, to pick up and fondle the books, to get recommendations from staff and just browse around randomly until you find something you never knew that you desperately needed. It's hard to replace any of that online. So if you have a favorite local bookstore, support them! If they have a great website, leave their link here in the comments! And for those of you in Michigan, if you have a local bookstore that you absolutely love, tell me about them so I can drop in and make a visit on our many travels around the state. :)

Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Jefferson's first day of school was a Wednesday, and I of course had a brain meltdown and barely got us out the door in time, so certainly didn't have a lunch packed or a book to read while I hung out in Mecosta and waited for time to pick him up. Plus, on Wednesdays, the library doesn't open until 1:0o (preschool starts at 11:30), but happily the used bookstore was open.

Spring Snow was the first book to catch my eye on entering the store. I suspected at the time and have since confirmed that it sounded so familiar because it was on Bookslut's top 100 books of the 20th century list. And I'm happy to say after reading it I feel it definitely deserves its spot on that list. I loved this book from beginning to end.

Set in early 20th century Japan, this story plays out against a backdrop of a country in flux -- where families with money and families with rank have access to different kinds of power. Where old world elegance clashes with those emulating the tastes and values of the west.

In addition to this intriguing glance into a foreign culture, are the more familiar forms of a young man's coming of age and the tragic tale of a forbidden romance. But almost all of these things seem secondary to the languid, hypnotizing style with which the story is told. One never stops to wonder how the recitation of a dream or a religious discussion or a rumination on law moves the story forward, because every word just seems to draw the reader further into the dream that is this book.

I can hardly recommend this book highly enough.

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The Enchantress of Florence: A Novel by Salman Rushdie


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I don't remember precisely where or when, but this ook was another impulse buy when I was bored in a bookstore. I'm always willing to take a chance on Salman Rushdie -- even his books that I wasn't entirely crazy about were usually enjoyable or interesting enough in some way that made them feel worth my time and investment as a reader. Also, I confess that I was drawn in by the good cover design -- the rich colors and antiqued gold look. So I bought it.

With my crazy life, it's difficult to ever give a book my undivided attention, and that was definitely a detraction in this case. For Enchantress sprawls across continents and generations, with unfamiliar names that sometimes seem to blend together. I often found myself having to flip back to remind myself which character was which.

On the other hand, there were portions of this book that were absolutely entrancing, when the story called to me every time I had to put the book down, and these sections flowed beautifully with Rushdie's magical lyricism.

But there was so much in this book that it was occasionally weighed down by its riches. Transitions from story to story, place to place and time to time sometimes seemed abrupt. Some details never seemed to connect to the tapestry and left me wondering why they'd been included at all. Then there was that ending -- strange, troubling and lacking in poetry.

In balance, I'd say that the strengths of those delightful passages were enough to earn The Enchantress high marks in my book. Had the rest of the novel lived up to these moments, it could have been near perfection.

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Collected Poems by Eavan Boland


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Jessa lent me this book years and years ago. I picked it up this summer as I suspected it might be on the short list of books she would want to take with her to Germany -- she's mentioned Boland a few times as an author whose work it is difficult to find in the United States.

Anyway, I enjoyed this poetry well enough, Boland is clearly a very accomplished writer. However, I felt that I was really missing most of it. Much of Boland's earlier poems were based heavily on mythology and traditional stories that were largely unfamiliar to me. (Darn my lack of a classical education!) Then later poems were informed by the history of Irish-English conflicts, which really I just know nothing about at all.

There were quite a number of poems more generally on womanhood, motherhood and relationships. Those, of course, I could relate to, and were lovely, some biting, and all very intelligent and skillful. But it's easy to see why Jessa, with her interest in mythology and Irish history, would get a lot more out of this collection than me.

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Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The midwife lent me a whole stack of books (and is always pushing me to take more), but so far the only one I've read cover-to-cover is this one. And I'm wishing I'd read this before I had Jefferson.

Roughly the first half of this book is birth stories. Almost all of them are midwife-assisted births at The Farm, a village/commune in Tennessee, mostly just in homes without a lot of special equipment. Very few of the births had to be transported to the hospital, though those are represented as well. The stories are testament to what a calm and experienced birth assistant, a trust in the power of a woman's body, and the natural process of birth itself can do -- even when the mother gets temporarily hung up by fear, even with extremely large babies, and even with some fairly troublesome complications.

The second half of the book is a collection of essays by Ina May on the current state of birthing in the United States. (Primarily it's about this country anyway, there is also a lot of data from other countries for comparison.) The latter chapters are sometimes hopeful, sometimes chilling, but mostly make me glad we're trying for a midwife-assisted home birth this time.

But this book is mostly famous in our house for two pictures of a face-presentation. Jefferson was looking over my shoulder one day as I was reading this book and liked all the pictures of babies. So I started flipping through it with him looking for the pictures. Most were standard mom and baby post-birth posed shots, but on page 58 there is a picture of a baby where only the face has emerged from the birth canal, and then another of the baby right after delivery, with its poor face all smooshed and swollen. I was a little worried about Jefferson's reaction, as I hadn't intended to give him quite such a graphic introduction to "where babies come from," but he loved the pictures, and for a while developed a nightly routine of wanting to see the baby pictures before bed. At one point he even indicated the face presentation and told me he wanted me to have that baby. I told him no matter how much I loved him and wanted him to be happy, I would never wish for a face presentation.

Anyway! I loved this book. Very authoritative and informational. Would recommend to anyone interested in a more natural version of childbirth.

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Homer and Langley: A Novel by E.L. Doctorow


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I think a good deal of the reason I got so behind in reviewing my books is my reluctance to write about this one. There was a fair amount of pressure to do so -- I got this book free as a part of a publicity giveaway in advance of publication, and they even followed up with a postcard to remind me to post a review (before I'd even read the book.) So, dutifully I moved the book to the top of my to-read pile, finished it fairly quickly, then... stalled.

I simply have no strong opinions on this book. I enjoyed it enough to read quickly, yet was almost always conscious that if this book hadn't been free, I never would have read it. Based on real life peole (which I actually didn't realize while reading it), it tells the stories of two brothers who become increasingly cut off from the world, Homer by blindness and Langley by his bitterness caused by his wartime experience. They hole up in their massive house (left to them by their parents) in New York City, interacting with outsiders only rarely (but usually very memorably), and slowly boxing themselves in with Langley's growing compulsion to collect and hoard.

Now, I have some hoarding compulsions myself, but I was never able to really connect with Langley. And while the novel said some interesting things about the value of community, they were said rather obliquely, and were never in focus. So, to the reader with no previous exposure to the Collyer brothers legend, what was the point?

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FREE BOOK! Since I got this book for free, I think it's only fair that if you think you would enjoy this book more than I did, I will send it on to you for free. Just leave a comment to claim.

The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution by Sean B. Carroll


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It's a very rare book review that causes me to immediately go and purchase a book. But that's exactly what I did when I stumbled across a glowing review while browsing SEED's science blogs. Clearly I was feeling a serious lack of science and critical thinking in my life that day.

While I have some criticisms of this book, most of them stem from the fact that it was written for a general audience (and I'm glad that it was) and so sometimes had less detailed descriptions of physiology than I would have liked to see. But I'm getting ahead of myself! The Making of the Fittest examines DNA evidence as the ultimate forensic proof of evolution -- rightly pointing out that DNA evidence is routinely used and universally accepted in courts of law. Which raises the question -- how can someone accept, say, the use of DNA to prove paternity, and yet not accept the overwhelming evidence provided by DNA analysis as to the mechanisms and effectiveness of evolution?

Carroll takes a comprehensive approach to proving his case -- from addressing common arguments of evolution-deniers (most notably that evolution "couldn't have had enough time" and the evolution of the human eye), showing examples both of useful genes deteriorating when selection pressure was removed and of how under similar selective pressures, many species independently evolved the same adaptations, to some interesting discussions of other historical resistances to other scientific ideas, and why this resistance happens over and over with major new ideas.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in evolution.

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the book I was looking for earlier in the year when I bought Flight instead. Purchased at Grand Rapids downtown Schuler's when I was going out of my mind with boredom after spending all day at the Children's Museum with Jefferson. Luckily, I remembered seeing this store when we parked so I left Jefferson with Andrew and made a quick dash for some intellectual salvation. Unfortunately, while it was a Schuler's it was primarily a downtown bookstore -- the selection sucked. Heavy on book club fare and current events, very light on everything else. Nothing interesting in any featured section, so I started on my list of reliable authors. Was very pleased to find this in paperback.

Anyway, so Diary is a young adult novel about a bright boy who -- to put it bluntly -- is having his soul beaten out of him by the atrocious quality of the rez educational system. Finally a teacher tells him he has to get out before he gives up like everyone else on the rez. Which is how he ends up going to an all-white school 20 miles down the road (also his school's athletic arch-rival.)

It's a great introduction to Alexie and his sharp class and race observations -- and I've been using it as such, trying to get more reading friends hooked on him. Easy to read, the illustrations are wonderful (the narrator is a cartoonist), and dark, but not too dark -- it's really the perfect introduction.

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Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion by Sara Miles


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the story of unlikely conversion: A radical lesbian activist, who spend much of her youth involved in people's uprisings in Mexico & Central America, one day walks into a church, receives communion, and is transformed. She becomes filled with the idea of "sharing the body," which for her becomes a command to feed the people. Which leads her to setting up a weekly food bank in the church, and then to helping others in the city start new food banks as well, challenging her congregation, those in her neighborhood, and even those who visit the food bank to expand their ideas of community, service, and comfort.

What I appreciated most about this book was the author's meditations on what it means to "be the body of Christ," and sharing in that call with those whose religious beliefs differed significantly from hers. (And vice versa!) It's a thought that I've been mulling over all summer, and it's helping me be less reticent expressing my beliefs around those with more conservative views (Pretty much everyone.)

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Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I resisted this book for a long time despite the appeal of its topic, largely because of its popularity as a book club book. And we all know I'm a snob like that, despite my claiming of the bookslut title. Anyway, when Tava sent me a copy, it erased most of my excuses not to read it.

I'm very glad I finally did read it. The author, through a chance encounter, develops a relationship with the people of a small, remote village in Pakistan, and pledges to build them a school. This, despite his limited income, working only enough as a nurse to finance his many mountain-climbing expeditions, incredibly limited contacts, and complete lack of fundraising experience. Still, he somehow succeeds, and goes on to build dozens of schools, despite the opposition of corrupt local organizers and mullahs, a kidnapping at gunpoint, wars and rapidly changing political climates. What he accomplishes is truly amazing, though it makes the rise of violent Islamic factions toward the end of the book all the more depressing.

Highly recommended to anyone who wants to better understand what's going on in the region, and to anyone who believes in the power of education.

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Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape the Human Species by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was finally motivated to pull this weighty tome down off of the shelf after an intriguing review by my sister of Hrdy's most recent work: Mothers and Others. An anthropologist, Hrdy uses human history, observations of our closest evolutionary relatives, and even social insects to examine what is really the true nature of motherhood. As a feminist, she is perhaps not surprised to find that much of what we have traditionally viewed as natural maternal behavior is in fact wishful thinking.

I found this book incredibly impressive and profoundly influential. Many times I've found both Andrew and I reciting anecdotes and arguments from this book in discussions on gender and parenting. (There were quite a number of sections I just had to read aloud to Andrew.)

Though I didn't always agree with her every point, I look forward to reading other work by Hrdy, and will continue to recommend her far and wide.

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Do you think it will catch on?

Andrew went away last night for gaming/boys night, then kind of told me this morning that he figured "I could do stuff today." Which I am choosing to interpret as he's watching Jefferson all day while I do whatever I like, at least until he decides to disabuse me of this particular notion. So I decided to make today all about catching up on those little things that have been annoying me that I haven't gotten done, whether or not any of those things are actually high enough priority to deserve to be at the top of my to-do list.

Caught up on a few household chores this morning, then took pictures of my newest beaded ornaments and posted pictures of those available for sale to my Facebook account, where several of my friends have expressed an interest in buying some. (I'm not sure how many of these offers were serious, but I guess we'll see!) Now I'm trying to catch up on book reviews. Then I have some letters to write, but I don't expect to be able to finish all the letters I feel that I owe today, so I'll probably won't get any farther on the list than that.

What things do you really want to do but just always feel like there something more important to do?

So back when I got pregnant and sick, I got behind on everything. And then camp started. So while I was reading books during that time, I didn't really journal them anywhere. In mid-August I tried to remember all the books I'd read that summer in order (not that many, but still) and wrote them up in my paper book journal. But for whatever reason I never got around to updating them to my online sites. And then I got behind again. But at least today I'm aiming to catch up on those I've already journaled on paper, and then hopefully sometime I'll be able to track all the books I missed since then. Some of these reviews are pretty brief, but I was trying to catch up as quick as I could.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A graphic novel of a young woman trying to figure out her father's life in retrospect. Only in college, after she comes out as a lesbian, does she finally learn that her father is gay. A few weeks later, her father dies, leaving hundreds of questions unanswered. Her father's distance and the author's early discomfort with her own gender create a massively hollow feeling at the center of this book. It's there for good reason, but still, it's disconcerting.

This book won a lot of acclaim when it first came out, and I've no doubt that it's well-deserved. Still, it will probably never be one of my favorites.

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I stole this off of Facebook. I've heard all of these tips from at least one other source that I trust, so I promise no woo-woo advice.

Jefferson and I were able to get vaccinated for both H1N1 & seasonal flu yesterday (though poor Jefferson has to come back in a month to get boosters for both.) Andrew got the seasonal vaccine, he's not in a high-risk group for H1N1 until after the birth. I am very very happy to be vaccinated, as I know there was no way I would get Jefferson to follow half the rules below, and pregnancy is a serious risk factor for flu. But I know vaccination doesn't make as much sense or isn't possible for many of you, so I thought I would pass this good advice along.

Prevent H1N1 Flu - Good Advice


Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc.. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The following message given by him, I feel makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected
one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

I know, I haven't made a personal post in ages. As usual, there have been lots of things I've thought about posting, entire posts I planned in my brain, but then always when I was actually at the computer I would forget. Anyway, here's a strange thought that keeps recurring to me:

When I was pregnant with Jefferson in Tucson, I pretty much lived in sundresses. I had a few actual maternity clothes, handed down from one of Andrew's cousins, but for the most part I just wore my dresses all the time. It was very convenient, because I didn't like having anything around my "waist," and sundresses were an easy workaround. I had enough dresses that fit me all the way through nine months that I never had to spend money on actual maternity clothes. (Well, except undergarments, but there's not much getting around that.)

This time, as soon as I realized I was due in December, I knew I wouldn't be getting away with that again. Sad. I gritted my teeth and lived in dresses as long as I could, but my inability to deal with being cold won out a few weeks ago. Off to Target I went, where I bought one of each of the two styles of maternity jeans they had. (Mount Pleasant has a smallish Target.) Neither fit particularly well, but as I just don't have time to go shopping in actual maternity stores, I'd already waited long past it was comfortable temperature-wise and needed *something* now, plus even if I wear them every day until I deliver, it's still just not that many times to have to deal with them.

(Actually, they're both a pain, as I'm always having to hitch them up. I'm hoping as my belly gets bigger over the next two months, they'll stay up a little better.)

But the weird thing is, how *normal* I feel wearing jeans. I almost forget that I'm pregnant sometimes. (Which is a minor miracle. I'm huge, tired a lot, and nearly always have at least one nagging pain in my pelvis or knees from my pregnant-girl-waddle.) Especially when I'm driving, which I do a lot more often as the designated person who drives Jefferson to and from preschool. Something about driving the car wearing jeans, it's just so normalizing.

Other than the constant twinge-type pains while walking, I'm having a pretty easy third trimester. (So far.) I've actually gained a normal amount of weight this pregnancy. I skipped the glucose tolerance test and just took my blood sugar fasting and after a meal, and my blood sugar was good/low. My blood pressure remains low, the nausea is in the past, and while I've had a few excruciating episodes of heartburn, they are very few and far between.

Things are good at 31 weeks. We're well on target for a home birth. My midwife is a little concerned about the trip we have planned in November to Ohio for the Outdoor Ministries Association conference, but she says as long as I get out of the car every few hours on the trip, keep my fluids up and watch my stress level, that should be okay. Of course, if I keep my fluids up I'll probably be getting out of the car a lot more often than every few hours. Good thing this conference isn't any farther away...