No news is... no news.

We saw the midwife yesterday and the baby has dropped, but that could mean still two weeks to go!

Magic Gumbo

Managing my heartburn has been something that requires ongoing changes in strategy. I was just taking Tums, then shifted to generic Zantac, and am now taking generic Pepcid. Those of you who know how much I hate taking most western medicines know this means the heartburn has made me pretty miserable. It has kept me from falling asleep at night, woken me up in the middle of the night, and prevented me from participating in activities that involve bending my abdomen in the least (which around here is normally just stooping to pick something up off the floor, so I guess that's not a big loss, except poor Ryan has to take on more than his share of the house work).

People have suggested cutting out flour, white flour (or any white starches in general), spicy foods, greasy foods, or soda, not lying down for an hour after eating... the list goes on an on. But nothing has worked consistently. Drinking water before the drive to work has caused worse heartburn than eating a burger and fries for dinner. The medicine has only granted partial relief. I often have to fall asleep sitting up in bed. Last night I learned that lying on my left side caused less reflux than lying on the right. The most frustrating thing is that plain water seems to exacerbate the condition far more than carbonated drinks do. I am eagerly anticipating the day when I can gulp down a tall glass of water without consequence.

Recently though, I think I've found a formula that works. For breakfast: Odwalla Chocolate Protein Monster quenches my thirst and tides me over almost till lunch. Dinner requires a little more variety -- but standard American square meals (meat + vegetable + starch) seem to work well. On Mardi Gras, however, Ryan made gumbo. It was a little spicy, and it was served with white rice and white bread -- but mostly, it was delicious and did not cause heartburn! I got the best night of sleep I'd had in weeks that night. I ate it again the next night. It worked again. So Ryan made a second batch of what we now call "Magic Gumbo" a few days later. I've eaten leftovers for lunch and dinner over the past few days.

So right now Ryan is cooking salmon and asparagus (yum) and, on the side, whipping up a third batch of Magic Gumbo. This batch, however, will not be consumed immediately but will be frozen for easy meals after the baby comes. Even if my heartburn subsides after the baby as one would expect, the Magic Gumbo will get to work its magic on my taste buds once again. My husband pretty much rules.

North vs. South

Yesterday we got the most awesome snow "storm" I've ever seen, only because it was the first of the season and it was in Atlanta. Big, fluffy, sticky flakes fell all afternoon. We walked (I waddled) with the dog a mile around the neighborhood and caught snowflakes on our tongues like elementary school kids. I don't have a waterproof coat big enough to fit around my belly, but the cold and wet was a small price to pay for such an unusual treat. It was a magical day.

The snow cleared up by at least 7 PM, and Ryan and I went out to dinner around 9, driving safely on roads that were perfectly clear by that time.

This morning I was working from home after a horrible night's sleep (perhaps Eggplant Parmesan doesn't induce labor but, rather, it prohibits sleep?) before my 11:15 AM midwife appointment. I planned to head into work after the appointment. I'm just under two weeks away from my due date and over a week and a half from my last appointment, so I have been eagerly anticipating this morning's visit.

A few moments ago, the midwife's receptionist called me -- from home -- to tell me that the office is closed today ... due to INCLEMENT WEATHER.

Um. What? REALLY? Do I really live here? I guess this is something else about which I can agree with the president.

Eggplant Parmesan

We learned in our childbirth class that eating spicy food is one way of naturally encouraging labor. Our instructor also passed along an Atlanta myth that one particular restaurant's eggplant Parmesan is nearly guaranteed to cause labor. We have since heard about this legend from countless other Atlantans. We've kept this in the back of our minds for some time now, of course. So when eggplant Parmesan came up in conversation unrelated to pregnancy earlier today, my craving kicked in and we naturally decided to head to Scalini's tonight to try their version.

I felt a little silly ordering the eggplant, but I did. The waitress asked me after she brought our check if we were there to try to have our baby soon, and I sheepishly admitted that we were (my due date is two weeks away). She took my name down and said that if I have the baby within 48 hours, we will get a Scalini's t-shirt for the little one and dinner for two for us.

I put no stock in this myth, but they sure seem to -- check out the wall of Scalini's babies' pictures on their website. It was fun to participate in a little bit of Atlanta legend, though.

Now I just have to digest all that food before I attempt to sleep...

Preparing for Grandmotherhood

Today I am wearing compression knee highs to help with the swelling in my ankles and feet. They actually feel pretty good and are helping a little.

Apparently I'm pretty lucky, though. This just started kicking in within the last couple of weeks. Some women, like Dooce, outgrow their shoes much earlier in pregnancy.

Stacy Would be Proud

When I received a job offer from my new non-working-from-home employer back in October, Ryan brought home a gorgeous orchid plant for me. It has been the only real decoration in my cube since October 27. Of its two stems, one has a single remaining blossom, the other has been bare for weeks now. I have never been able to bring back orchids after the initial blooms wilted.

My boss pointed out this morning, however, that the bare stem now has two new buds forming. I'm totally thrilled and even just got off the phone with Ryan to let him know the news. It's the little things, I guess.

Four Years Ago Today: An Official First Date

I've lifted this entry from our wedding website to commemorate the fourth anniversary of our first real date.

I was joking with Ryan this morning that he freaked out a little bit when we started dating because things were moving a little fast (especially compared with the four years of ignoring the obvious signs that we were supposed to end up together). I mused that he must have been thinking at the time, "OH. MY. GOD. IF THINGS KEEP GOING THIS FAST, IN FOUR YEARS SHE'LL BE NEARLY READY TO DELIVER OUR FIRST CHILD!" And it's not the baby that was scaring him, it was the fact that he'd have to PAINT THE BABY'S ROOM.

*****

"How We Met ... Or, how to woo each other in four short years."

TORI: We met through friends in late summer 2001. We remained casual acquaintances until 2002, when Ryan asked me to the opera. (He had season tickets that year and was apparently inviting all the girls.) I got all dolled up, in an almost-floor-length black gown. But I kept telling myself it was not a "real date," especially since at that time I was 29 and he was 25. After the opera (which we both agree was terrible, unfortunately), I felt awkward, panicked, and jumped into the first available cab that I saw. The evening was made perfect when I ripped the hem of my dress on the way up to my apartment when I got home.
RYAN: I wanted to rip that dress, dammit!

TORI: Ryan shrugged and wrote it off, thinking I was a little weird.
RYAN: I also resolved never to pay for Tori's opera tickets again.

TORI: Despite my poor behavior at the end of that night, we remained friends. I accompanied Ryan to his company holiday dinners for the next two years.
RYAN: Tori was a great stunt date. My co-workers liked Tori more than they liked me. It was the only reason I was invited every year. In fact, I think she still goes to Christmas parties with those guys.

TORI: We spent many hours complaining to each other about our dating lives. I admit to periodically calling my friends and wondering out loud if I should date Ryan. Ryan is not yet forthright about his interest (or not) in me at this point in the story.
RYAN: Yeah, about that. You know how some people pick up subtle hints(tickets to the opera, the ballet, rides home that are waaaaay out of the way) and some people don't...
TORI: You kept telling me that you were interested in all these other girls...
RYAN: Jesus, what does it take? Should I have hit you over the head with a club and dragged you back to my cave?

TORI: At any rate, nothing really heated up till the end of 2004. That year, Ryan asked me to attend yet another company holiday dinner with him, and things just started to click. In January, Ryan took me to the movies on my birthday, and in a stealthy romantic gesture, brought the cake to my party the following weekend.
RYAN: Stealthy romance my ass, I just wanted to make sure the cake was good.

TORI: This whole time, neither of us was quite sure whether this was turning into a romance or was just an extension of our existing friendship. Through the grace of God, we took it a day at a time until clarity arrived....
RYAN: Webcam flirting is HOT!

TORI: .... which it did, on February 19, 2005, when we officially went on a date, to the annual Ignatia House dinner dance. We even shared a slow dance together, and later, our first kiss.
RYAN: The club, the cave...

TORI: The rest is history.
RYAN: Not all of the rest is history, I mean some of it is the present, cuz we are still together. And some of it is future, cuz we are making plans for then, and some of it is pluperfect....