I keep hoping the next post I write will be announcing the birth of a child, but so far, no such luck. Last night we had a bit of a scare. On the way back from my parent’s house, I started having painful contractions - I figured they were “fake” ones (whoever thought of that was crazy). However, I had to eventually pull into a parking lot and get out of the car to see if walking around would stop them or at least make them less painful. Lily, meanwhile, was trying out her latest vocabulary word after eating lunch at Chik-Fil-A. While I’m circling the car clutching my huge belly, Lily is screaming out the window at me: “CHIK-A-LAY! CHIK-A-LAY” and giggling hysterically. For whatever reason, she thinks that is a really funny word. I was trying not to laugh because laughing hurt, but how bizarre was that? I’m thinking I’m about to drop a baby in the parking lot while Lily recites her lunch at CHICKALAY: “chitsen (chicken) . . . hot . . . CUT! . . . knife . . . blow . . . CHICKALAY . . . milt (milk) . . .” It would have made for an interesting birth story, that’s for sure.

I’m gritting my teeth and just trying to get through the next couple of weeks. Not sleeping and having no energy has made me sort of cranky, to say the least. I try to keep Lily entertained, but with activities that do not require me to chase after her because at this point she is twice as fast as I am and has no conception of the word “STOP!” I really may have to consider the leash idea . . .