Upgrades

A few fun things have been added to the sidebar. I decided to add a list of photography gear simply because I've spent the last year scouring other people's lists, consumer reviews, and sending emails to unsuspecting bloggers (thank you Amy, Karen, and Justin) asking for advice. I finally settled on the stuff listed over there, and I couldn't be happier.  The 50mm f/1.8 lens, alone, is well worth the investment. The picture of Jackson above was taken in rather low light, but you'd never know it based on the results.

You'll also notice the 'Nice to meet you, a top 5' widget. I've been thinking about a way to introduce myself to people visiting the site for the first time (or relatively new readers). I chose a few posts from the archives I thought represented all corners of my life. I figured the post about my boobs was a total necessity. If you can think of something I might have overlooked, please let me know!

Now, go play.

Duck Hunt

Eva and I spent the morning at Hinkley Park which means we adventured to a magical place where Eva and Jackson could run wild to the point of passing out. Eva was obsessed with the ducks and Jackson was obsessed with chasing his ball.

Two items of note. 1) Eva finally allowed me more than 5 seconds to wrangle her hair. Those piggies are off the charts cute, but most days it's not worth the trouble. Doing Eva's hair is like trying to herd cats. 2) That sweet, peaceful face is when Eva is looking at the ducks. The wild 'get the hell away from me' face is when I was trying to snuggle with her.

My plan is working

Tuesday mornings are quickly becoming the best part of my week...sigh.

Fine, the universe has won, and I fully acknowledge that I work too much. The summer came and went just as the same damn thing seems to be happening with September. It's no good, boss, and I'm determined to slow things down. Part of slowing things down means turning down some photography work which hurts my heart a little bit. But I fully understand that saying yes would mean missing out on another lazy Tuesday morning with my crew. I would miss reading stories in bed, stumbling down to the bakery for our morning cinnamon roll and coffee, and then stumbling home just in time for a baked goods picnic on the living room floor while watching Elmo. I would also miss Eva wanting absolutely NOTHING to do with anything food related that might be in that white paper bag as Jackson waits patiently in the background to scavenge wayward crumbs.

Our conversation with Jackson

But first, an update. I've been contracting pretty steadily since Saturday afternoon. Apparently, these contractions are characterized as 'prodromal' or non dilating. They're more than braxton hicks but less than the real deal because they could stop at any minute...or they could keep going until the end of time which is exactly how long this creature plans to use my body as its residence. They're getting more intense, but Ferris says I'm suppose to wait until they start to take my breath away to be considered actual labor. Sweet. More waiting.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Jackson is aware that something freakish has happened to me, and I'm pretty sure he wants absolutely nothing to do with it. He skulks around giving me looks as if to say, "What the hell is wrong with you? Pull yourself together." He stopped cuddling with me a few weeks ago, something that actually broke my heart a little. Cuddling was our thing. Now, he reluctantly allows me to pull him up onto the couch by his collar. I give him my signature two-handed massage around his ears and neck thinking I can guilt him into staying, but as soon as I finish he bolts. No love.

Our friend gave us a little book with great instructions as to how to prepare your pet for a new baby. One of the suggestions is to make nursery changes early so the pet doesn't associate the change with the baby. You're also not suppose to let the pet into the nursery, a tid bit from The Dog Whisperer. Our second room used to be our office and Jackson's private lair. That's where he would retreat if he needed a few minutes alone to collect his thoughts, to get away from the annoying humans, to hide his bones, and to plot his eventual world domination. We finished the nursery in February and haven't let him in for about a month. The first two nights were pretty rough when he would sit and cry at our bedroom door several times during the night, "What have I done to deserve this abuse?!" Such a queen.

A few nights ago, Ferris had 'the talk' with Jackson to explain that there would soon be another puppy in our family. The puppy was going to come soon, would be super loud and smelly, and would kick him out of his position as number 3 in our pack. As much as we still loved Jackson and as much as we would still continue to shower him with affection, he was expected to take a seat further back on our bus. Our very, very short bus. I might be imagining things, but I swear I saw Jackson shoot Ferris a look that said, "This blows."

Our original little monster