Hi, friends! Philip here for a “guest” update! I’m not much of a blogger, so I’ll go stream of consciousness, okay?
You know what would be an easy topic to start with?
The Hobbit. I believe Marie has already told you (gentle reader) how I have been reading this book — tied for Greatest Book In The World — to her and the baby before bed. And how the baby LOVES it!
See? What’s not to like about this baby business? Can you imagine, when the baby is born, all the stories we shall tell and the games we shall play?
I want you to see the AWESOMENESS that is the baby’s room. It’s hobbit-themed, of course. Yellow and green are the dominant colors. Marie gets the most credit for the decoration. Check it out:
The single best part is that Penny (Marie’s sister) painted some incredible reproductions of some of Tolkien’s art from
The Hobbit. These photos give you an idea of how great these look in the room, but they can not quite convey just how stunning they are in person. I can say without wavering that these are now my most prized possession — I would rescue these from a burning building before my
War of the Ring Collector’s Edition or
Dungeons & Dragons White Box (but after the wife and baby and cat)!
So, thanks, Penny! You’re the best!
Marie, though, is also the best, because, as I said, she did EVERYTHING else in the room. Like, personally sewed it, and stuff. She even made the Dwarf-rune ABCs! How did I ever deserve such an amazing girl?
Anyway, we are now done with
The Hobbit and on to
The Book of Lost Tales — unsurprisingly, also tied for Greatest Book In The World.
What else? Well, I joined a gym, because I want to be the most energetic papa ever. Actually, I need the energy already, just to get through the day. Poor Marie has such a hard time getting up, so she often has me go fetch things for her. And the dishes aren’t going to wash themselves. So anyway, I have a buddy that I have to drive to and from the gym at set times — 5 times a week, actually — which keeps me accountable. So far I’ve only had to cancel about once per week. Not bad! But I weighed myself, and I have gained 9 pounds since I joined. All muscle, of course, but, come on! Luckily, Marie is glad I’m still heavier (much heavier) than she is, so, I guess that’s okay!
She really looks amazing, and is so brave to go to rehearsal all the time when she’s got such a great burden. You can now see the baby pushing against the edges, creating a lopsided belly, and feel him kicking REAL hard! It’s pretty crazy how close he is to being fully present with us, and yet so far away.
We had a scare about a week ago. We were stopped at a light, when BAM, we got rear-ended. For Marie, this was the second time in one week. Of course we rushed to the hospital to monitor the baby’s heart-rate and Marie’s contractions. Turns out everything is fine — thank God! And our car, rear-ended three times in as many months, barely has a scratch! While the cars that hit it are smashed up real good. Gotta love Ford SUVs! But, seriously, people, stop running into us, KTHX.
That’s enough for today, friends! We ask your prayers for our baby as we enter the home stretch, the final two months (or less) of Marie’s pregnancy. Holy Father Tikhon pray to God for us!