Ready or not.... here she comes.... maybe?

Be ready.

Ever since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes over two months ago, my doctor has been trying to prepare me for the possible medical interventions that Rasbaby and I might need.

Be ready for a lot of medical tests. Be ready for an amniocentisis. Be ready for a C-section.

The semi-weekly non-stress tests haven't been so bad. Leaving work early every Monday and Thursday so that I can spend half an hour in an overstuffed recliner listening to Rasbaby's heartbeat and counting her kicks... hell, I'd pay for that experience even if my health insurance didn't.

A very Ras-baby shower

Yesterday, Sam and I attended a baby shower thrown in our honor.

Even though they're usually hokey, I love baby and bridal showers. I love helping people celebrate joyful milestones. I love giving gifts.

Mostly, I love the feeling of anticipation that permeates the air at a shower. Unlike a wedding or a birthday party, a shower celebrates something that hasn't happened yet. It's a day of pure, unabashed optimism.

It's a shame that people only seem to throw showers for babies and weddings.

We all need more parties to celebrate the wonderful things that haven't happened to us yet.

Even if we don't know what they are.

Rasbaby update

Yesterday, I went to the doctor for a Rasbaby checkup. It was great to see her on the ultrasound, although I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get to take home any photos.

Here's what I learned about my favorite little fetus:

She weighs approximately 4 pounds 5 ounces, which is right on track for her gestational age. I'm very relieved, because diabetic mothers tend to have freakishly huge babies. But Rasbaby is just the right size, and she's expected to gain about 1/2 pound a week until she is born.

I can leave the "Someday, I'll Demand a Pony" onesie on the gift registry, because she is definitely still a girl. No surprises have popped up since we last saw her at 18 weeks.

She has long legs. I don't know how long, but my doctor pointed out and complimented Rasbaby's femurs. I wouldn't be surprised if she turned out to be tall; I just hope she doesn't tower over me the way I tower over my mother, since I'm 5'10". On the other hand, perhaps in 20 years, 6-foot tall women will be the norm.

She has assumed the head-down position that babies are supposed to get into before birth. Her feet are just above my belly button, and the hearty pummeling I feel in my mid-section is coming from Rasbaby elbows.

She's an active little fetus, simultaneously impressing and annoying the doctor's staff with her ability to wriggle away from a heart monitor as soon as it's in place.

Even though she's getting her oxygen through the umbilical cord, Rasbaby is already practicing breathing. That's a really good sign; I couldn't be prouder of my little overachiever.

All the little details - heart rate, amniotic fluid level, etc. are exactly as they should be.

It's a tremendous relief to know that Rasbaby is healthy, strong, and appears to be well-equipped for a few more weeks in the womb. I'm also pretty healthy, all things considered, and there has been no talk of bed rest or starting maternity leave early.

Now, the biggest remaining question is, When?

Because my diabetes makes things a bit riskier, my doctor will continue to peek in via ultrasound every week. If things do happen to go awry, I have to be prepared for the possibility of an early baby.

If Rasbaby needed to be born tomorrow, she would eventually be fine, although she would need a stint in the ICU before coming home.

If she can stay put until March, I should be able to dress her in some cute newborn clothes, put a hat on her little head, and bring her home from the hospital when I check out. Who knows - I might even have her nursery ready by then.

If you want to send Rasbaby some positive psychic energy, just remember: March over February. Aquamarine over amethyst. Pisces over Aquarius (although I would welcome another Aries into my home, if push came to shove).

But no matter when she arrives, I trust that everything will happen exactly as it should. She's a good baby. A strong baby. And she's got her mother's femurs.

Remember when I was only slightly pregnant?

I used to think it was silly to speak of pregnancy in anything but absolutes.

Could someone really be "very pregnant" or "kind of pregnant?" Wasn't it a yes/no situation? A matter of black and white, or, as the test would indicate, pink or clear?

Now I know the answer.

I can state, with confidence, that I officially feel "very pregnant."

Where's the stork when you need him?

I can't stop thinking about the ship in the bottle.

It's a visual paradox.

Most people see the ship and wonder, "How did it get in there?"

I'm contemplating the neck of the bottle and instead thinking, "How badly would you have to damage the bottle to get that sucker out?"

Black ice & beige gravy: an eventful Friday night

I was going to stop by Happy Hour, have a Diet Coke with my beer-loving friends, and then head home. I needed to eat dinner no later than 6:30. Perhaps I would have salmon. Then, I might visit MySpace or check in on my Sims.

I was thinking rather mundane thoughts as I stepped off the curb into the office parking lot, momentarily contemplating its icy treachery as I found a seemingly safe patch of pavement on which to place my shoe.

Crash.

In a split second, I was thinking of nothing at all.

My face was pressed against the cold, wet pavement. The contents of my purse were spilled at my side. My laptop case was ten feet in front of me.

Not just a river in Egypt

I can't believe it's already 2007.

The last few weeks seem to have flashed by in fast-forward.

Rasbaby's negative-first Christmas.

Boxing Day.

Back to work again, then another long weekend.

I enjoyed my most pleasant New Year's Eve in several years. Even though the bar was excruciatingly low, it was still a good time.