Catch Up

Sorry, we've been remiss on the blog lately, partially because we were visiting several of our readers in Atlanta! We miss y'all already....anyway, to make up for it, I'm posting two weeks of photos, plus one alternate view...

April 13

April 30

Also, a scene from our baby shower at the historic Strand Theater in Marietta, hosted by our wonderful friends Earl and Terri Reece, and Colleen and Peter (also wonderful friends, but of course so much more).

I, of course, am used to being world famous, but this was a real treat for Cati, who has shunned the limelight all her life.

The baby is up to all kinds of gymnastics in Cati's belly, and the newest move involves using the entire body at once. Cati's been getting pokes and kicks up until now, but last night s/he stretched full out and kicked on one side of Cati while ramming either his/her head or elbow into the other side. I am amazed how Cati greets each new beating with a beatific smile, especially as this one occurred during sleep time, which is usually a very dangerous time to disturb her. Nonetheless, I enjoy the somersaults immensely. I think it's pretty clear that all our dreams of a recessive gene showing up and creating a quiet, demure child are evaporating now. This kid wants to move!

Cati's been doing well, though the third trimester has brought it's host of discomforts and fatigue. She's bearing up so well, that I feel pretty embarrassed now if I complain about a hangnail or something. I imagine that will get even sharper after I watch her give birth. I still can't believe I get to say that sentence: "After I watch her give birth." wow, I'm a lucky man.

My Own Two Eyes

Ok y'all, I have some news for you...Cati's pregnant! Damn, look at that belly.

And as we've discovered in the last couple days, if you look at that belly long enough, a big rolling wave will cross it. Or a brief poke. Or a little jiggle. For the first time last night I saw that little bugger moving around under the skin. Cati said, "Isn't that cool?" And to be honest, I kinda paused..."Um, yes..." But I was also a little unnerved for the first time. Feeling it kick was cool and electric, hearing the hearbeat was amazing, seeing the ultrasound was sweet. But seeing her belly move around? That was cool, but also...freaky. I think each stage of baby contact brings you a little closer to a creature emerging this you but also not you. At first it's a touching little picture from which you can imagine who this person will be. But at this point, that belly is moving around on its own, there's no contained "in there" happening anymore. S/He is reaching outside of the container, moving the air around out here.

And, of course, there's always the extra power of the visual. Feeling, hearing, all cool. But seeing something has a different zing to it, as most filmmakers know. You can write the best well-researched 700-page-book ever on tree eradication in the Amazon without making a ripple, but one shot of a tree falling and animals running and people get mad. Also, you can easily rationalize or convince yourself of something until you see the opposite with your own eyes. That's why that expression, I guess, "See it with my own two eyes." Despite the fact that our eyes lie to us all the time, especially in league with our memories. They like to play tricks together, apparently. So I can sit and imagine that baby all I want, but the moment I saw it kicking around under her skin, the truth of his/her otherness was concrete.

Which, of course, is wonderful. But also a little terrifying. That's a new life in there, wriggling around, trying out limbs that weren't even there a month or two ago!

I know, because I've seen him/her with my own two eyes.

Rainbows in the baby's roo

That's right, it's finally sunny in here! Yeah!