Potatoes in the Mist

So I was relieved that my placenta moved...but I did get a bit of a weight lecture. My weight in itself is not horrifying (I now weigh 2 lbs more than my niece, who is the same height) but the doctor was un-thrilled that I gained 7 lbs in a month. (I didn't clue her in that I gained 10 lbs in a week, fairly late in the pregnancy with E). My last doc, who now lives in California, didn't care that I gained 47 lbs with E. "I gained 50 lbs and I'm 5 feet tall! You're 5'7"! I am not worried," she declared. This one said she wouldn't yell at me about weight gain, but it could lead to a difficult labor. Hitting me where I live. So I have cut out onion rings, potato chips and milkshakes. I am still eating chocolate granola bars and sometimes, sweet potato fries. I am only human, after all. I'm reading Groundswell, written by Billy Joel's (estranged) wife Katie Lee. It's fun. Before that I was reading To Be Sung Underwater, which was well-writ...

So I went today for an ultrasound and...my placenta has moved. Completely. They're not worried about it anymore. And the technician told me, "It's still a girl." Good to know... She also told me she weighs 13 ounces (the fetus, not the technician). When I got home, I looked up "20 weeks" on babycenter.com and learned that the average weight at this age is 10 1/2 ounces. So, I think she may be a biggie. E was 8 pounds.

So my Kindle arrived today. It was very exciting. So did the pink cover, which actually came with its own set of instructions. I kid you not. I've read a bunch of a book (Claire Cook's first novel, if you are curious; I've read all her others) on it and I've concluded as follows: PROS I like not having to go to the bookstore or wait for an online shipment to get new books. Reading from a "device" feels surprisingly natural, probably because we all spend so much time online anyway. It's easy to navigate. The e-books are cheaper than their paper equivalents. CON I wish it were backlit. This is ironic because Amazon is very proud of it not being backlit. They say this will reduce eyestrain. And yet, I found myself developing a bit of eyestrain/headache. I'm sure there is a way around this. It's probably best to read it with strong natural light or lots of indoor light. It is actually *darker* than a book. I think they wanted to avoid "glare"...

Today I got a pedicure. I think I've mentioned how much I love this. First you pick the color. I got "dim sum plum." It was a little lighter and brighter than it looked in the bottle, but I like it. It can be fun to make a change. There were 3 other people getting pedicures - all of them men! Two of them were gay, and probably a couple. The other seemed to be straight. I wonder why men get pedicures. They all seemed to be getting clear nail polish, which takes away most of the fun if you ask me. While I had my feet in the bubbling bath I saw a truck go by. Written on the side were the words, "The details are not details. They are what makes up the product." I might be paraphrasing the second sentence, but you get the gist. I like this sentiment. I've traditionally been a big picture person (an "N" for "intuitive" on the Myers-Briggs test), but as I get older, I am realizing the importance of care, with regard to details. They really do ma...

I'm reading a little book called 13, rue Therese. Very strange and delightful story. I really do love most things French, though I haven't been there since 1996. I am glad I studied French instead of Spanish. I am heading to Massachusetts tomorrow, because my oldest nephew is graduating from high school. I can hardly believe it. My family will also celebrate E's birthday, which falls on June 4. He is turning 3, which is also hard to believe. Last night we celebrated his birthday with the in-laws, and he actually blew out his candle! They got him some balloons which he proudly carried out of the restaurant. But, they didn't make it outside. He let them go and they got caught in the ceiling fan. The staff was working to extricate them when we left. I felt bad about it but they were good-humored. Anyway, there was a tornado in Massachusetts, so I wonder if our visit is ill-timed. However, it happened in the western part of the state, which is not where I am going, and the ...