The Price of Revenge

Our tomatoes are coming in beautifully but we haven't been able to eat a single fruit since we've come under attack. Squirrels are ravaging our garden. Every time a big beautiful tomato (some are bigger than my hand) begins to develop the slightest hue of orange the nasty varmints pick them off the vine, take one big nip and throw them down. All their climbing around is snapping the plants' branches and breaking off leaves.

I'm feeling enraged. I looked up solutions on the internet: traps, spreading fox urine, building huge enclosed pens for the garden but none seem very feasible. I don't have the time or energy to enclose my whole garden in wire mesh. I don't really want my food covered in fox urine and its only a temporary solution since the squirrels eventually realize there's no actual fox around to kill them. Which made me think I need an actual fox. But apparently MD has laws against owning foxes. I suspect the squirrel lobby was behind that one. So now I want a dog, a big, vicious, squirrel eating dog. Or a bb gun. I told Aaron I found the gun I want for $80. He said that was a high price to pay for tomatoes. I told him it was a small price to pay for Revenge.

Etsy Again

Here's my other latest Etsy find. I LOVE this baby geisha print kimono dress.

The seller also has a Dia de los Muertos dress too that caught my eye. Aren't these the coolest colors?

Protective Uncle

Robby gave me an Etsy gift card a while ago and this weekend I finally got around to using it. I decided to buy a bonnet for the new baby. I love baby bonnets. While I wish I was as talented as my friend Marlo and sewed my own (check out her blog for pictures), I'm happy to purchase the talents of others. I really like the patterns the UB2 shop on etsy uses. Aren't they fun?

Robby was over when I mentioned that I was using his present. He walked over to the computer to check out my purchase and with a look of shock and horror declared "You can NOT use my gift card to make Reuben wear a bonnet." I wouldn't do that to Reuben! But it's nice to know Reuben's got family watching out for him if I go soft.

Extras

Aaron and I spent some time today packing bags for the hospital. After reminiscing about Reuben's birth, we concluded we didn't need a whole lot. All we did after he was born was sleep eat and take pictures. So we have some clothes, some snacks, a few toiletries, and the camera ready to go. When we finished packing we looked at each other and said that seemed too easy. Are we forgetting something? But neither of us could come up with anything else.

My very favorite "extra" from last time was a bag of clementines. They made the whole room smell absolutely wonderful along with being delicious. Clementines aren't in season now so I'm trying to think of a substitute fruit.

Anybody have recommendations on what else to bring?

Ow! Ow!

By now Reuben has watched a a good amount of World Cup. He seems to have developed some expectations about the games. As soon as I turn a match on Reuben looks worriedly at the screen then back at me and says Ow! Ow! signing emphatically hurt! hurt! I try to tell him it's okay, most of the players are just taking dives. He'll go on to narrate the action with a mixture of Ball! Hurt. Ow! Ball. Down (for fall down) Ball. I think he's starting to get a good grasp on the game.

Last Meal

Today I officially hit 36 weeks. Woo-hoo. I know I cheated and celebrated a little prematurely on Wednesday after my good office visit. Later that night I had some beastly contractions. They were so strong they woke me up and reminded me that oh yeah - Labor is going to be Painful.

I was starting to think that we were going to the hospital but things calmed down again. Which was good because Aaron had gone 3 straight nights without more than 4 hours of sleep thanks to his crazy job. If you ask me he's the one that needs to be on bed rest.

I'm going to be really embarrassed about all this craziness if this baby ends up staying put til her due date or after. Right now she's got the hiccups and seems content where she is. But then again I wouldn't be surprised if she came tomorrow. All the uncertainty makes for some strange behavior. For instance, as I was taught to do before any big physical event like soccer games or races, I keep trying to carbo load so I'll have enough energy. Unfortunately eating a ton is a real pain at the end of pregnancy. There's just not enough room for anything besides baby inside me. But I keep trying to eat up despite the discomfort because when I had Reuben I didn't realize I was going into labor so I only grabbed an apple and a cliff bar when I walked out the door. The next 24 hours I spent laboring I was STARVING. STARVING. STARVING. And all they give you is nasty juice and ice chips at the hospital. I wanted a burrito, a big fat juicy burrito. I'm pretty sure that my labor went a lot slower because my body was so low on fuel. So I want to avoid that this next go round. But since I can't be sure when exactly I'm going to have this baby I keep preparing and eating my "last meal" over and over and over again.

Hus & Hem

I just found out about the company Hus and Hem which makes really cool fabric and awesome dish towels. I never would have thought I could get excited about dish towels but I am. I so am.

And they offer a vegetarian deer head to hang on your wall. I can't tell you how long I've been pinning away for a deer head to call my own but I couldn't think of a good way around the killing part. Is there a problem Swedish design can't solve?

Success!

I went back to the doctor yesterday and got nothing but good news. The baby looks great. I'm measuring right which is the first time the whole pregnancy. I had been an inch or two small up til now. AND I'm only three days away from hitting 36 weeks. Another week would be good but by Saturday we are out of the woods.

I have to admit even though I've hated staying put I do feel a lot healthier. So thanks to everyone who has helped me reach this point!

Now we have to figure out a name for this little girl. I've been playing around on the website Nymbler which does a great job suggesting names based on a few you say you like. It's really fun to look at all the choices. Though I am occasionally offended by the names it offers. Who in the world names their kid Moss and why does Nymbler think I would be one of those people??

The Walls are Closing In

Yesterday I tried to go to the library. I was successful. I made it to the library, returned some books that were due, chose a dozen more and made a few copies for a project I'm working on. By the time I walked out of the library I was in the midst of some major contractions. Dang it. When I got home I had to lay down and stay very still for a while to try to help my body calm down.

Which is frustrating because the library is about as boring and easy an outing as I can think of. Granted I did select some heavy books and maybe I should have stuck with the more light weight paper backs but if I can't go to the library my world is a much sadder place.

My latest brilliant idea to help me ignore that the walls seem to be closing around me is to try to read a book from every country. I've been thinking about trying it for a few weeks now but today I'm going to start. I just happened to pick up How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent by Julia Alvarez who also wrote In the Time of the Butterflies which I enjoyed a few years back. I enjoyed it even more because Aaron could never remember its name and kept referring to it as The Time of Crying Butterflies. Both books takes place in the US and the DR so I'll start with those locations and travel the world from there.

Happy Father's Day!

It's definitely summer in Maryland. Which means we've been enjoying kale, lettuce, tomatoes and as you can see from the picture some mighty fine basil from our garden. Reuben gets pretty enthusiastic about picking the basil leaves. He also enjoys chasing the bunnies away.

Reuben and I were happy to celebrate Father's Day with Aaron. Reuben was so excited he decided to skip his nap so he wouldn't miss a minute of honoring his good old dad with his presence. It made for a long and somewhat dramatic day but still enjoyable.

Aaron is an absolutely wonderful dad. He's patient and loving and fun. He makes things work that I would never believe possible. For example, a week or two ago Aaron convinced Reuben National Geographic is excellent bed time reading material. The latest edition had stories on Mexican drug cults and the Mount St Helen's eruption. Not the sort of material I would use to sooth a one year old to sleep but according to Aaron "He (Reuben) loved it. He snuggled right up to me and we talked about all the pictures. He really got into it." Mhmm I thought. But the next day Reuben kept dragging the magazine around asking for someone to read it to him. So for Father's Day Reuben got Aaron a subscription to National Geographic.

Today I found Aaron explaining the weather map in the Washington Post to Reuben color by color. Once again, it's not the sort of thing I'd ever expect to be successful but Reuben looked as happy as a clam on his Dad's lap.

I love Aaron and think he's an incredibly fun and supportive husband which makes him an even better dad. When I asked him what he wanted for Father's Day he told me he wanted meat. So for Father's Day I cooked him some biscuits eggs and sausage and tried to not make too many faces when he fed a few links to Reuben. I also got him a micro-credit loan for kiva.org so he could pick a small business to invest in. When the business repays the startup loan he'll get the money back and can choose another to support. I'm interested to see what he picks.

I'll Be Your Bunbury

The Invalid by Carl Larsson (I really like Carl Larsson's painting)

Lady Bracknell: Well, I must say, Algy, that I think it is high time that Mr. Bunbury made up his mind whether he was going to live or die. This shilly-shallying with the question is absurd!

- The Importance of Being Earnest

What irritates me most about my current situation is a fear that I'll turn into one of those terrible 19th century bed ridden invalids that crop up so often in Victorian literature. I remember studying British lit and wondering, what is wrong with all these people?? A long walk outside either kills them or they end up in their bed for months if not years. It happens in all the Bronte novels, in most of the Jane Austen's, George Elliot's, Thomas Hardy's, Dicken's, Stowe's and every sentimental children's tale - The Secret Garden, The Velveteen Rabbit, etc. etc.

To combat my fear and irritation I've tried to think of shut ins that I like. I have a generally favorable and slightly envious feeling towards almost all hermits, especially Tolstoy's.

I love the poetry of reclusive Emily Dickens.

I remember learning that at 18 Frida Kahlo took up painting after a metal beam impaled her in a bus accident and she became bed ridden. From her painting Without Hope I think we might have similar feelings about bed rest.

Caravaggio and Van Gogh both executed some great paintings while convalescing.

Isn't this a great image? It's called Ward of the Hospital in Arles.

Charles Darwin stuck close to home due to the grievous effects of some tenacious intestinal parasites he picked up on his Beagle journey.

So it seems that being put to bed can have a positive outcome. Although this brain stomring has me thinking I should be using my time much more productively.

And there are some bed ridden characters in lit I do like - John Bergson from O Pioneers, Grandpa Jo from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (though he does get out of bed so his invalid status is questionable) Algernon's dear, dear friend Mr. Bunbury from the Importance of Being Earnest. Which reminds me, if you want to skip out on an unpleasant social function I am willing to offer my Bunbury services.

Can you think of any others?

Update - Failed Relaxation

I went back to the doctor yesterday and got hooked up to the monitor. I felt like I was being hooked up to a polygraph machine. I felt so nervous I was worried I'd skew the test. My heart was beating about a million beats a minute and I had adrenaline streaming through my system. I wanted to jump up and run as far away as possible - exactly the sort of activity that is completely off limits.

Thankfully I was able to prove I was not in active labor and the baby's heart beat looked good. So after portraying a sufficient amount of penitence and promising to change my ways I was allowed on "modified bed rest" which means I'm allowed to sit up sometimes. Lame. But I'm trying to be as sedentary as I can to avoid having this baby too early.

So in two days I've finished two books and enjoyed every World Cup game. But I am NOT happy about convalescing. Yesterday I asked myself what I would like to do that I normally don't have the time to enjoy. I decided to read the Washington Post from cover to cover. I had it handy and I thought it'd be relaxing.

Unfortunately the front page story was this one. Teka Adams was nine months pregnant when an insane woman abducted her and attempted to steal her unborn child by cutting it out of her with box cutters. Ahhh!! I will now have nightmares for the rest of my life.

So paper reading for stress relief was probably not my best idea ever. Time to find something else to do. Like write really long blog posts...

There and Back Again

I just spotted this shirt on Threadless called "There and Back Again." It combines two of my loves: Tolkien and Public Transportation Systems. I also think it's funny that none of the girls sizes are sold out but both the men's X-large and XX-large are gone.

Scale

The amount of oil spewing into the Gulf Coast I find almost incomprehensible: 30,000 t0 60,000 barrels (each barrel is about 42 gallons) a day. The spill is so large it is easily visible from space. The bright white spot is the oil slick reflecting the sunlight. NASA has been taking images since the explosion. You can see a slide show of more images on the NASA website here.

She Got Up Off the Couch

I'm reading and loving this book, "She Got Up Off the Couch and Other Heroic Act from Mooreland Indiana" by Haven Kimmel. It's hilarious. Aaron noticed it this morning and is threatening to take it away so it doesn't inspire me to violate my prescribed "bed rest." I'm on the couch right now enjoying New Zealand v. Slovakia.

Time Out

Yesterday I went to the doctor for a routine appointment. I mentioned that the previous week I hadn't felt the best. I mean, I felt fine, but I felt like the baby/my body might be feeling a little over eager to wrap this whole pregnancy business up. Sure enough, the doctor checked and the baby was super low in my pelvis, I was dilated, and about 50% effaced. All of that would be great if I was another two weeks along. Unfortunately I'm only at 34.5 weeks.

At that point they tried to send me to the hospital to get monitored to make sure I wasn't in active labor. I told them I wasn't in active labor and I didn't need to go to the hospital to find that out. So they hooked me up to a monitor in the office for an hour. (Why they wouldn't start with the in office monitoring instead of the hospital in the first place is kind of annoying to me) I think I would have gone crazy with only the "Female Reproductive System" posters to stare at. Thankfully I happened to have some library books I needed to return in my bag. So instead of pondering the great injustice that is female anatomy I read some Uncanny X-Men comics. I was feeling happily entertained but I think I may have lost some bargaining power when the doctor came back in and saw my reading selection.

My chart looked okay, no active contractions but I was encouraged to go get more tests, go get another ultrasound, go to the hospital for more monitoring etc. etc. to make sure things were okay. Because something had triggered my body into early labor. I said that I didn't think there was anything mysterious about what had triggered early labor -- it was my crazy life. I knew when I was triggering contractions (picking up Reuben, moving boxes, staying up all night to finish deadlines, walking up hills, walking too far, not drinking enough) and I would try to be more careful.

The midwife was unconvinced but so was I. So she played the dead baby card. I hate that. That's when the medical professional says I don't agree with you and my bottom line is a healthy living baby. As if that isn't my bottom line? Oy. So I was assigned bed rest and given a day to think about things. Which I think is the adult form of being put on time out. So during the last 24 hours I've been consigned to feeling guilty about not doing every test to be absolutely certain nothing is wrong and to enjoying the World Cup.

Thankfully Amy is here with Eliza so Reuben hasn't had to be stuck on time out with me. He gets to have fun with his aunt and cousin. Check out Amy's facebook photos she took yesterday. They're hilarious. And yesterday was Amy's birthday. Happy Birthday Amy!

It's Hard To Shave a Moving Target

Since it is hot and Reuben's hair was getting shaggy I decided to try to shave his head yesterday morning. Despite a popsicle bribe, it turned into a wrestling match, a hot, itchy, hair and purple popsicle juice everywhere wrestling match. Now Reuben is mostly bald except for a few patches where he managed to dodge. Oh well. It'll even out as it grows out, right?

I also been having fun playing with a holga camera filter which make Reuben look like he was born around the time Aaron and I were.

And here's a portrait of Battle just for kicks.