We have a fromagerie not far from us now. I shall have to try this out once the baby comes (so I can have soft cheeses that do not specify whether they’re pasteurized) and when we have time. Anyone up for a trip in the early spring? I bet little kids would love a tour, too.

It is said that not long before the onset of labor, a woman will get a big surge of energy?the last nesting binge?but I’m just generally exhausted. I hope to get that second wind soon, ’cause the house isn’t going to get cleaned without it. Though we did manage to move the hospital bag from the pile on the couch to the trunk of the car, so at least that’s ready (and not cluttering up the couch anymore).

Had my week 38 doctor appointment today, and with it came the excitement of the first cervical dilation check. Apparently that’s standard practice beginning at week 38. The outcome: the baby has dropped into the pelvis and I am dilated to 1.5 cm. Everything is looking right on schedule, the doctor said (my OBGYN was over at the hospital delivering another baby, so I saw a different doc).

I could stay at 1.5 cm for the next two weeks or longer, or I could pop this baby out at any time (hmmm, maybe before I have to go to work tomorrow, because then I would not have to go to work tomorrow). But, most likely, everything is running right on schedule.

Here are a couple of new pictures, showing off the belly and our 18 feet of snow. Well, OK, two-ish feet of snow.

When the mortgage rates began flirting with less than 5%, I called the mortgage man and said, “lock us a rate. We’re ready.” Is it especially smart to start doing all the financing paperwork with V. coming at any time now? Probably not. But 5% or less! With no points.

Had my work shower this last Thursday afternoon. One of my artistic co-workers, who painted a Dr. Seuss character for us already, gave us another painting, this time a slightly modified scene from the ABC book. It’s hanging on the first wall of the nursery, so it’s the first thing you see coming into the room. I think it’s appropriate to have Veronica’s very own painting there to welcome visitors to her room.

We now also have tons of Dr. Seuss books, including board books, and a Horton plushy and puppet book, and more clothes (between size 12 months and 18 months so it’s OK and several of the outfits are the most amazing deep plum purple color). And a vibrating teether shaped like a strawberry. I’d never seen a vibrating teether. We’ll see how she likes it.

Depending on whether I take the measurement from the patio table, the hot tub or the ground, we have five, six or seven inches of snow. And it’s still snowing. I “shoveled” the drive again with our handy dandy leaf rake. Maybe we should invest in a snow shovel this year . . . once they’re in stock again at Home Depot.

?

It’s snowing. Just starting to stick. And we have a winter storm warning in effect until tomorrow evening with possible accumulation of up to eight inches. Sounds like a good day/weekend to sit inside and play board games. (The hospital forms are filled out and a batch of thank-you cards completed so I feel OK with this plan to slack.)

Had the first of our weekly doctor visits today. From here until labor, we’ll be seeing the doc once a week. The bad news: I lost three pounds since my last visit 10 days ago. I got the look. Do you know what calorie-laden things I’ve eaten in the last week: Costco muffins, amazing Jessie lasagna, vegetable lasagna with cream sauce, lots of bread (an entire loaf of julekake by myself!), K. cookies, Christmas cookies and cranberry shortbread courtesy E. and M. How did I lose three pounds???

I’m currently eating ice cream.?

Also, word of the day for you: sweetie. Something about my existence convinces female co-workers over the age of 40 that the appropriate name for me is “sweetie.” As in, “I don’t know what I’m doing. Can you fix this for me? Thanks, sweetie.” There’s nothing sweet about the words that come to my lips when someone calls me “sweetie” in that consciously or unconsciously demeaning way.

My mantra: only a few more work days until three months of maternity leave. Repeat as often as necessary. Which is often.

This year, we decided, instead of going to Home Depot or the parking lot tree seller or Klicker’s, to venture into the wild for our Christmas tree. Now we don’t have a truck, but we do have friends who have a truck. On Sabbath afternoon, the C.’s and H.’s and the spouse and I headed for Tollgate area to get trees. (We almost didn’t make it out of the driveway: when the spouse and I hopped into the back seat of the Passat, baby A. took one look at us and started howling for help. We traded the spouse for A.’s mama at the C. house, and disaster was averted.)

Here are pictures of our tree-picking adventure and our triumphant return. There was even hot chocolate and cookies and caramels after all our hard work tromping around, finding the perfect trees.

Percy wasn’t so sure about the whole endeavor since it involved replacing her favorite chair with a prickly tree that she can’t sit on and our putting ornaments on said chair, even for a few minutes. (She tried sitting on top of the ornaments, just to prove her point, but I kicked her off the chair.) She was momentarily entertained by chasing and biting a strand of Christmas lights, but I discouraged such antics; I’d rather not submit her to electro-cat therapy. She’s resigned herself to sitting near the tree sporadically.

One Sunday mid-November, M., E. and c threw a shower for me and the baby. The food was amazing: spinach pastries, bookworm cookies (to go with the bookworm theme, complete with thematic children’s book), fresh fruit. We played baby Scattergories (I lost, horribly) and word unscramble (I did better on that one, though I still couldn’t unscramble the word “bottle” ? I swear it looked very odd at “tebotl” or whatever it was). And I got to visit with the ladies. A couple of friends who used to work at the office but have moved to T-C even came over, and I haven’t gotten to see them in forever.?

Thank you to everyone for the wonderful baby stuff that is now adorning the nursery (some of which, such as the green-eggs-and-ham blanket, is shown on the recent Heather-is-huge pic). And, star in my crown, I sent the thank-you cards out at least a week ago.

(For perspective, I procrastinated until the very, very end of respectable etiquette to write out the last of the wedding thank-you cards almost six years ago, though the spouse wrote his share in a much more timely manner. I’m not very clever at coming up with unique, interesting ways to say “thank-you” and I hate to say the same thing over and over again, which feels ungrateful to me somehow.)

So, one shower and much yummy food and good hanging out took place in mid-November. And then, Saturday night after Thanksgiving, we had the family shower, thanks to my sister-in-law, Holly. My step-mom made tons of food: crackers and cheese and vege-meat toppings, spinach balls, carrot balls, sweet-and-sour meatballs, vegetables and dip, and on and on. We heard lots of advice from the relatives on child-rearing and on ignoring advice from people about child-rearing. And we generally hung out and caught up with people we hadn’t seen in weeks or months.?

We have not yet finished the thank-you cards for the family shower, but it’s on the list, right after filling out the hospital paperwork and blogging. You can watch a video of the shower at the spouse’s blog (and leave him a comment about his video editing skills, which he has been practicing). The video camera battery died before the opening of the big present: the travel system stroller and infant car seat which five nephews and a niece helped us tear open. (They were all very excited to help open presents, but especially the huge box with red and blue fish on the packaging.) Come by our house sometime and we’ll subject you to a full review of the workings of the stroller, including the one-handed collapsing maneuver for going from strolling baby to stroller in the trunk. Actually, the spouse will show you that; I’m still practicing doing it one-handed and so far failing.?

In two days, there will be a shower for Veronica at my office, where I’m sure there will be more food. (Do you sense a theme? Lots of food everywhere. No wonder I’m getting so fat.)?

And next week, Ted’s office is throwing a shower for baby V. I’m even invited, which is good, because for now at least, V. and I go everywhere together. You could say we’re inseparable (though I hope the separation comes a tad sooner than January 10).

That’s the word on the baby showers. I never imagined ending up with four baby showers, but hey, they’re a good excuse to eat food and hang out with cool people, so I’m OK with that.