why i love thanksgiving

• refrigerator lemon pie sans meringue
• dark meat
• "placenta" jello a la Aunt Karen
• Dad's cornbread stuffing (even though it has giblets in it) -- DEE-licious
• Annual Thanksgiving Poop Conversation
• hanging out with the family
• making gravy
• not eating vegetables

accosted

Today at the girls' school, some random boy jumps in front of me, rubs my belly (I hate that word), and then proceeds to embrace me for several seconds. Fully embrace. Strange, little boy cheek to baby bump. Fingers splayed against my sides, gently rubbing to and fro. He finally finishes, but before he pulls away, he gazes up at me from my mid-section. "You finished?" He gives me a final squeeze and skips away. How weird is that? He's lucky that he had the benefit of surprise, otherwise I would have had my knee in his little chest, forcing him away.

boy dog

This is my mother and her youngest son, a min-pin named Dutch. Yes, he is wearing a hoodie. Yes, that glow in my mother's eye is a loving, maternal one. My father sent this to myself and my brother yesterday evening. I guess they wanted us to know we'd been replaced.

buggin' me

You are making me irritated. In a number of different ways. No, it's nothing new, but sometimes I just want to hit you in the head with a pot.

12-ish weeks

Yup. That's right. I'm just about finished. Hard to believe but true. I haven't gotten to the point where I'm done with this whole preggers thing, although sleeping at night is currently no picnic. My average number of trips to pee between midnight and 5 am is currently 4. Just so you know...

goodnight

For me endings are always difficult. The idea of letting go causes me to struggle to hold on even tighter, grasping to prolong the moment. An impossibility, I know. But I can't seem to help myself. I am unable to stop the tumult of images and deep-seated fears from rushing in and taking me in a head lock. I worry. About the pain being felt. The fears that must be present. The inevitable end the must and will come. The loss that those remaining will be left to contend with. I fight to remain rational. Act like a grown up. And yet still it trickles out. Settling between my shoulders. I wrestle it back again and trick myself into believing that it's not really forever. It's just for awhile. Not really a goodbye, but just a goodnight.

vomit burps

I have entered the heartburn phase of my pregnancy and have spent almost the entire morning and afternoon burp/vomiting into my mouth. Oatmeal and water shouldn't cause this to happen, right? Also note that I've consumed about 47 tums in an effort to combat my problem. Not working out so well.

whew!

I am so relieved!

I'm glad this election season is almost over. I'm hoping that Americans voted with their minds and not their phobias. I know that in my ultra-conservative neighborhood, McCain will be king. But maybe, just maybe the rest of the country voted for change.