more of the same

1. You should ask me what has kept me busy this week. A little boy who had an allergic reaction to a cold virus, that's what. His body is allergic to being sick - I'm not making this up. And the lesson I learned once again is that maternal instinct is God-given and every time I ignore it, I regret it. I KNEW I should have taken him to the doctor yesterday morning. But I couldn't justify it, and I'm always trying not to look like the neurotic mother that I am, so I went to work (and he went to his grandmother's) instead. I spent the next four hours trying to undo that decision, unable to get my student's mother on the phone in time for an a.m. doctor's appointment. I really will learn to trust my maternal instinct one of these days. But Asher is fine. Just allergic to colds, that's all. FASCINATING, don't you think?

2. We finally bought an armoire and brought it home today. We're so close to having matching living room furniture I can taste it.

3. Tonight, through a series of unfortunate events, I ended up making throw-together ravioli at the last minute for a couple who came to dinner. It's not the best meal, not the worst, but it is reliable and not out of a box. As we're sitting to dinner I am told she's a chef. In an Italian restaurant. Part of me thought, nice. More frozen ravioli, anyone? The other part of me was relieved I had not known until that moment, when it was too late to care. Throw-together ravioli notwithstanding, a good time was had by all.

4. I have been asked, "If it's a girl, are you going to be done?" more than once. This feels like a strange question to me. My answer - no. BUT. I've been in some stage of prenatal or postpartum care (or trying to achieve one or the other) since 2005. I couldn't be happier to be having this baby. But after this, I'd like my body back for a while. And I'd like to do the same thing two years in a row, something we have not done since 2002 (isn't that odd? We haven't had the same year - with the same jobs in the same town living in the same place with the same members of our family - since we left Montgomery the first time). I'd like to raise the ones we have for a few minutes. So, no, we're not done, boy or girl. But we will be done for the moment. Also? If it's a boy I will not be disappointed. Two boys sound like fun. But it's also a little more intimidating - two boys may be an adventure. The possibility of ALL boys is scary.