2 weeks until the "Estimated Date of Confinement"

She'll make sense if you keep reading...

Estimated Date of Confinement, that's what they used to call the due date. Just like the state of CA defines pregnancy as a disability. Whatever. I have done so much during this pregnancy -- it has been very empowering to me, personally.

This post is going to be all over the place. I've been trying to nap for the last hour and it's just not working. Prepare yourself non sequiturs and bad segués.

We received the most final versions of our house plans by e-mail yesterday, and I had them printed on giant paper today. We have changes to them, of course, and need clarification on a bunch of the symbols used, but overall, I think they look pretty good. Now if I could just get Andy to stop second-guessing each little thing. At least we know the baby has to arrive sometime within the next 4 weeks... this house project could be dragged out indefinitely.

I had my first visit with one of the midwives at the new clinic this morning, my last visit with one of the midwives at the old practice yesterday and a visit with Cleo's pediatrician yesterday. Everything was totally normal; no surprises. Andy accompanied me to all visits, and I wonder if he's getting tired of riding shotgun. :)

Speaking of the new clinic... There are 5 people on staff who could potentially deliver Cleo. Two male doctors, one female doctor and two female midwives. I know that when it really comes down to it, I won't have time to think about it, but I'm not so thrilled about having the chance of a man help Cleo out. I've met these doctors, and they seem very nice, but... I think of a male OB/GYN as a mechanic who has never driven a car. I don't know. With the old practice, I was guaranteed one of three women, and I was just fine with that. I kind of understand old guys that are OB/GYNs -- women didn't have the opportunities to become doctors in those days -- but I doubt either one of these two doctors is even 45 years old. What kind of man decides to practice a kind of medicine that he'll NEVER actually experience? I mean, how many female doctors specialize in men's reproductive systems? Is any woman cocky (pun intended) enough to believe that she could actually learn more about those parts from books, school and patients than actually having her own penis and testacles? Enough. Maybe it all goes back to my first (and last) visit with a male gyno. It was the first time I had ever been in for that kind of check-up, and his name was Michael Jordan. This guy was as far in the other direction as one can imagine from the basketball star. Let's just say that the whole experience was beyond awkward. Eew.

Earlier this week, our friend, Monica, and her 18 month old daughter, Maya, were in town visiting the in-laws. I got invited to join them all for a jaunt around our local zoo and a picnic in the park afterward. We had a great time! Our tiny little zoo has been renovated within the last few years, thanks to a local family with LOTS of money. The animal enclosures looked pretty well kept up and the facilities for humans were quite nice. The animals themselves, however, were questionable. The bear and the owl looked kinda, well, stuffed. We teased quietly amongst ourselves that the family had renovated the zoo grounds and purchased mechanical animals to fill their lovely perfect zoo. Seriously, the bear was completely sacked out in the sunny dry moat area, and we really couldn't see it moving at all. (I think I saw its lip twitch once, but maybe not.) The owl sat completely still on a branch and winked one eye. It really looked like one of the automatons on an old ride at Disneyland. Maybe we were all just a little giddy because the sun was shining. :)

I think that's all the news for now... more next Friday, or possibly sooner. Who knows?

P.S. -- I forgot to mention two things that struck me as funny today:

1) Our fave local radio station plays a different comedy album every Friday morning. This morning it was Steven Wright's "I Still Have a Pony." Chock full of super dry observational humor and very funny, but there was only one one-liner that made me laugh out loud.
"When I was a fetus, I used to sneak out at night while my mom was sleeping."

2) I went to the mall this morning to exchange a gift (different size needed) and I got there a little before the stores opened. As I walked past the Bounce-A-Rama (15 or more giant inflatable slides and jumpy things) I could hear music playing from inside. It was the song "Elvira," sung by a children's choir. This was a little disconcerting to me... kids singing about the Mistress of the Dark. Yikes.