Is the honeymoon over??

Okay, never mind. Our "sleeps like a baby" baby kept Ike and me up ALL NIGHT (at 2:30 am we were actually a little jovial. By 8 am, I was almost crying), alternating between eating and crying.

Please please please don't let this be the new trend...

I love you people!

Look! Some of you are on my blog! :) Aunt Jane sent me this picture from the hospital waiting room. It's cool to know so many people were there (I don't know where the rest of the family is, but I'm assuming they're there...). Sorry I couldn't come out and visit. Haha.

Thank you also to everyone who has visited, brought food, cooked food here (Sara), cleaned the kitchen (Sara), done laundry (Sara), kept me sane, called, emailed, offered help (that we'll take you up on later, I promise). When we had Jake, Ike and I knew very few people in Asheboro, so I think we felt a little isolated. I always knew that if we moved back to civilization, we'd find people who loved us!

(Sorry about the Asheboro joke, Jaimie!)

My family!

Who would have thought I'd be so lucky to have such a good-looking family?? This was taken by my dad while we were still in the hospital. Notice Annie's little smile? It's not gas, I swear. She smiles when she hears Ike or Jake's voices.

More pictures will probably follow as I work my way through my inbox over the next few...months...

Too Much To Tell

Okay, now I get it. Every day when I pick Jake up from school and ask him about his day, he says the same thing. "Mommy, it's too much to tell."

That's how I feel right now. Our beautiful baby girl is here (pictures will surely follow). She was born Tuesday, December 20th at 8:50 pm. She was 7 lbs, 6 oz, but is currently hovering around 7 lbs. So much for the 10-pounder. She was born by c-section, which is both good and bad, but was definitely necessary, since my cervix didn't want to let her out. I'm proud to say that I didn't ask for (okay, demand) an epidural until I was at 8 centimeters...I can handle pain better than I thought. And I'm meaner than Ike thought... :) Sorry, Ike.

Anyway, there's so much to tell about Annabelle Mae since her arrival. So many funny things from the hospital, so many touching moments at home, so many hormones coursing through my body...

It's just too much to tell. I'll get to it eventually.

Collecting Hospital Bracelets

Well, we're back home after a fun-filled couple of hours at the hospital. Once my contractions were 4-5 minutes apart for an hour, Ike and I headed to maternity admissions. Several friends and my family met us there (Ike's family is on "Jake duty"), and I want to thank all of them very much for coming.

It turns out that my contractions aren't strong enough to mean anything and I'm still at 5cm. Dr. Funny (yes, he was the one on call, but you know, I do like him) sent me home with an Ambien to sleep and hopefully come back in the morning.

Again, thanks to everyone who came tonight. I'm sorry I didn't talk to everyone when I came out. I wasn't feeling my best... But it made a huge difference in how I felt to see so many people I love there in the waiting area. :)

Ok, let's see how this Ambien works...And we'll try again another day.

I think she's coming

Today the doctor pronounced me 80% effaced and 5 cm dilated. She said, "Go forth and walk." We have walked.

She also "stripped my membranes," which sounds gross and hurts a lot. It means she separated my "water" (amniotic fluid--you know, it's the "water" that breaks) from my cervix. It definitely doesn't feel good, so thank goodness for the breathing we've been practicing. She offered to set me up at the hospital to have my water broken, but I'd like to see my body do it on its own if it will.

At any rate, contractions seem to have started, but obviously I'm okay enough to write on my blog. That's dedication, folks.

See you on the other side.

Over & Gone

Well, apparently Jake meant something else with his "December 18th" prediction. It is now after midnight, making it officially December 19th. No baby here.

But we are very, very ready.

For anyone still placing bets on my son's psychic abilities, he said tonight that he thinks she'll come on Christmas Day. Santa, if you're reading this, can you please please send her before that??

Christmas Humor

Okay, I thought they were humorous anyway. Thanks to Jessica G for sending them.

Why I Wish I Could Pee Standing Up

It's not any kind of anatomical part envy, ok? I like being a woman and everything that comes along with it (except menstrual cramps, but it's been so long since I've had those that I've forgotten how bad they are).

But today is the birthday of Gustave Eiffel (he'd be 173). He's the civil engineer who designed the Eiffel Tower (that might have been obvious to some of you). Reading this reminded me of my study abroad trip to Paris during the summer after my freshman year in college. Mom, Dad, you might not want to read this...

Anyway, the very first time I got drunk (on fine red wine, of course. We were in Paris. They don't sell cheap booze.), I was standing with a few other people on the trip beside the Eiffel Tower. After passing around the bottle a few times (eww, germs. But I didn't think about that then.), we decided to go to the top. Once we got there, this guy on our trip had to relieve himself.

He did so over the side of the Eiffel Tower.

I know, that seems disgusting to me now too. But at 19 years old? That rocked. Now everytime Jake points out that because I'm a girl I can't pee standing up, I think of Paris...and what could have been...

Another Day, Another Doctor

I keep getting stuck with Dr. "Funny Man"...Today my appointment was supposed to be with someone else, but apparently he's on medical leave until the end of February...probably hurting from Dr. Funny's bad humor...

So today was yet another appointment. My pee is fine, it hit the cup with no problem. My weight is more than yours, I'm sure. My blood pressure was apparently impressive...the nurse looked like she wanted to give me a smiley face sticker after taking it.

Must've been a slow day at the office because I hardly waited at all before I was in the Room. You know, that bad room where they poke and prod you... The nurse who led me in said the same thing as usual, "Take off your bottoms, and there's a sheet to cover up with."

I just want to know who the skinny little wench is who can cover herself--at nine months pregnant--with those tissue-sized sheets. My bare bottom was very cold.

Dr. Funny came in to examine me and seemed to truly be rooting for me to get this baby out (in a similar fashion to Woody's recent comment, actually). He suggested an ultrasound at 40 weeks to see how big she is...and I pointed out to him that last time I saw him he made that suggestion for 39 weeks...and it's scheduled for Monday.

"Oh...well, that was a good idea I had."

Boy, I really get the feeling I stand out to this guy...I suppose all cervixes look the same after awhile.

Anyway, he told me my cervical wall had softened considerably (which completely grossed me out. Can we just talk percentages here?? Softening is what you do to butter or something.) and that I'm (drumroll, please...) dilated to 1 centimeter. That's the equivalent of being dilated one fingertip. In order to fit a baby through, I need to be dilated to 10 cm, which is about the size of a cd. That still sounds small to me, but I suppose that's where the pain comes from... So one centimeter isn't much, but it's better than where I was last week.

My next appointment is Monday for the ultrasound and another cervix check. Here's hoping I don't make it that far... My mom emailed yesterday to point out that tomorrow night is a full moon. Ike says that with the possible ice we're getting tomorrow morning and the full moon, it's a sure bet that I'll be in the hospital, shallow breathing, by tomorrow night.

Tighten, tighten, squeeze, relax muscles.

More About Breathing and Torturing Baby Dolls

Tonight was the second and last childbirth refresher class for us. Thank you to Leslie for staying with Jake and doing these amazing cool things with him. He'll be talking about it for days. :)

So, the class. Well, let me say, I loved the nurse who taught these two classes. Her personality was wonderful and she shared great personal stories that helped us feel like she'd been there. Four births, all natural...I'd say she's been there more often than anyone taking the class ever will be.

That being said, let me tell you what isn't a funny joke to tell when you're teaching a childbirth class... Tonight she pulled out various and sundry (those words mean the same thing. Why do people always use both?) tools that can go along with a birth. You know, forceps (yikes!), the vacuum (um...yikes!), the crocheting needle they use to break someone's water...etc. She pulled out the internal heart monitor, used when a baby's heartrate can't be read while still inside mommy. It's a little tube that is attached to the baby's head (since that's the part that should be coming out first) and at the other end attaches to a machine that takes readings.

So here's how she describes this monitor and how it works. "They take the end of the tube and screw it into the baby's head. Don't worry, it doesn't go in very far. They stop just before they see brain matter."

The room was deadly silent. I think I heard one dad gag. I started doing Kegels (this is my response to any stressful stimulus these days. Kegel exercises are supposed to cure anything). Then she said, "That was a joke, people. You're supposed to be laughing."

Oh. Hardy har har. Tighten, tighten, squeeze, relax muscles. (That's a Kegel exercise.)

Then there was the poor baby doll. You might remember this model doll from last week. The one who got stuck in the fake pelvis? Well, tonight the forceps were used on Baby X. As she tried to explain that forceps are actually not as bad as they look...we all watched her mangle this baby head with them. Whack, whack on the ear. Bang, bang on the nose. Yeah...they don't look like they'd hurt. Tighten, tighten, squeeze, relax muscles.

Despite the funny/scary incidents, I felt great after attending this class. Ike and I are prepared in a much different way with this child than we were with Jake. I feel more confident and more in control. I'm not saying that I'll go against my doctor's ideas on what's best. He's been delivering babies since before I was born (and maybe since before my mother was born), so I'm going to listen to him if he thinks I need a certain drug at a certain time or a c-section. But I do feel like I'm more...maybe just more interested in being a part of this birth. I'm not as afraid as I was the first time. Ike and I got a chance to practice breathing techniques (and coaching on his part), and we had a good conversation on the way home about his role in this birth. When I had Jake, I think we both felt a little out of control and hurried into decisions that we didn't necessarily need to make (would it have hurt to let me have a couple of contractions before giving me the epidural??). I think I've spent the past four years thinking I just can't handle pain when in reality I haven't given myself enough credit.

I'm not saying I'm going natural and I'm not saying I don't love epidurals. But I've come a long way from saying, "I'm in month three of my pregnancy. Can I get the epidural now??"

Next task: pick out music for a cd to play while I'm laboring. You know, Eminem and TLC suddenly don't seem like the best picks. (I don't listen to Eminem, but I threw him in for Brandee.) :)

Tomorrow is the 13th. We'll see if Baby Annie comes. Tighten, tighten, squeeze, relax muscles.

If I'm This Obsessed With the Room...

...imagine how I'll be with the baby pictures! Here is the baby's room rug (thank you, Jane!) purchased today and the crib. I think the crib picture is hard to see, since it's small. So you'll just have to come over and see it for yourself. Oh, and in the lower right corner of the rug picture? That blob is my belly...I just couldn't get past it.

Ike has been amazing. I didn't know one man could get so much done in so little time. Between the room, the kitchen, the outside of the house, and anything else I'm forgetting, he's been a workhorse. Last night at 2am (or was it later than that, Ike?), he went through the house and put fresh batteries in all of our smoke alarms. Both my dad and his will be pleased. :) As I write, he's outside putting down more mulch and moving bricks away from the side of our house (they've been there since we moved in). And it's RAINING.

Thank you, Ike. I appreciate it all very much, even if I don't say it enough.

We ordered a glider/rocker and ottoman today, too (thanks Mom and Dad!). I'm sure when it's here...you'll see pictures.

What's A Girl To Do?

I think we have a problem here. Annie Mae isn't even born yet, and she already has a shoe problem. I've picked out her outfit for the hospital (not an easy choice)...along with three pairs of shoes/booties/socks...

So far.

(This could have something to do with the fact that none of my shoes fit over my swollen feet now. Is it okay to wear bedroom slippers in public??)

(I'm kidding, Ike.)

Stress Stress Stress

The picture doesn't do it justice, but the room is coming together nicely. This is just one corner, with a picture, the border, and Annie's dresser (painted purple by Ike).

If I stare at this picture long enough, I calm down a little. I can't stop stressing out today. The only things helping are...well, this picture, Jake with his jeans on backwards (he dressed himself), and talking to Ike. A brief conversation with Ike in which he said to put away baby clothes instead of worrying (okay, that's a good de-stresser too--I swear there's something calming about teeny, tiny clothes).

I'm on the edge of tears constantly today, and I'm frustrated because I know it's hormones. Knowing it doesn't make it go away. I think it's good Jake is home from school. It's hard to keep crying over nothing when I'm trying not to freak out my child.

So...are we there yet??

Home for the Holidays...and EVERY DAY

Okay, Jake is out of school again today. This is day three, with a weekend...of being at home...to look forward to. He coughed all night last night (except when cough medicine kicked in every now and then), so with it being so cold out and a short day at school anyway, we decided to keep him home.

When we told him he wouldn't be going to school yesterday, he almost cried and said he really wanted to go. Last night he couldn't wait to go to school. So this morning I was very nervous about breaking the news...

"Jake, Daddy doesn't think you should go to school today." (Yes, I admit it. I really did put all the blame on Ike.)

"I don't have to go to school??"

"Umm...no." (Suddenly I wish I had told him it was my idea.)

"YAY!!"

This doesn't bode well for Monday morning.

At any rate, he is now coughing on his Transformers, which is a lot better than coughing on his friends, I suppose.

Note To Annabelle

In case Jessica S. is on to something with this idea that Annie Mae can read my blog from my tummy, I'm writing this note for her.

Your father and I have discussed it. You have our permission to be born on Tuesday, December 13th.

Don't argue with me, young lady. And can you please let me sleep tonight??

My Second Home...Another Visit to the Doctor

I've decided to pack a suitcase and an extra toothbrush next time I go to the doctor. I'm there quite a bit, so I might as well be comfy.

Today's appointment was a great one! I was a little worried because I had to take Jake with me. He was out of school today because we kept him out so late last night (and now seems to have a mild flu, so will be out tomorrow), so I packed a few Transformers to distract him from my exam, and we headed to the doctor.

Jake wasn't very interested in his Transformers once we got past the waiting room, however. "Mommy, what's she doing to your arm? Why does she have to take your blood pressure? How much do you weigh? Can I watch you pee in the cup? Why can't I pee in a cup? What's taking the doctor so long? Why did you take off your pants and put on that sheet?"

Ahh...curiosity. I think they're wrong when they say it killed the cat. I think it killed the cat's mother.

At any rate, my appointment today was with my primary doctor, and I'd like to take back anything I said in previous posts or conversations about not liking him. He was very personable today, stayed to answer my questions (okay, mostly to talk to Jake. At this point, my only question is, "Are we there yet??"), and seemed focused on me as a patient, rather than on getting on to the next patient. Of course, I may have been so taken with him today because of what he said. I am not dilating yet, BUT I'm 50% effaced! (That means my cervix wall is thinning, which means it's the only part of me that's thin right now.) And he said he thinks it'll just be a week or two! A week or two!! Of course, these things can't be predicted, but if she's not here by the 21st (two weeks from today), I'm suing for malpractice and false hope.

I'm hoping for tomorrow, actually. Ike is not--something about plans with the guys, the crib not being put together, working all weekend... Yeah, whatever. I think December 8th would be a lovely birthday.

The Mall Experience

Okay, we're all recovering tonight from our whirlwind tour (and spending spree) at the mall. Ike had today off, so after picking Jake up from school, we headed to the mall to visit Santa before the after-work crowd hit. We were a little worried because Ike heard on the radio that it was "Pet Day" with Santa, which meant we had the potential to be surrounded by smelly cocker spaniels...Fortunately, the dogs stayed home. We were in line with other sweet-smelling, well-dressed kids. AND we were third in line, so we hardly had to wait.

This year Jake seemed more nervous sitting with Santa. Maybe at four he has more of a sense of "stranger danger" or is more shy. Or maybe he was worried about leaving a good impression to get what he wants. When Santa asked, he said he wants, "Almost everything." Got that, Santa? I hope you read my blog, 'cause you're on the hook now.

We bought the picture (a pretty good one), then waited for our appointment time at the Picture People. This is where I'm a sucker. I found a coupon online for a free sitting and a free 10x13 portrait. Great, I say to Ike, we can go in, get a free picture, then get out.

We only spent $50...

Not free. Well, actually, we DID get the free stuff, but then...well, you know, they're really good there. They always bring the best picture out matted and framed. I fall for it every time. Tonight Ike did too. It's beautiful. Grandparents will have a chance to order pictures online if they want them starting tomorrow when the store calls me with an online password.

By the way, the dogs who stayed away from Santa all had appointments at the Picture People tonight. Loud, yappy dogs that didn't like children. Does that make sense to anyone else? Doesn't PetsMart do pictures? You know, PetsMart, instead of the Picture People??

T.A.C.O., Shallow Breathing, And Other Things We'd Completely Forgotten

Last night Ike and I attended the first of two childbirth refresher classes at the hospital. Boy, did we ever need the refreshing! I had no idea how much I'd forgotten/blocked from last time. Eww, mucus plug?? Yuck, yuck, yuck.

Anyway, the class was good. We spent a good deal of the first hour sharing birth stories, as everyone in the room had had a baby previously. I thought we would be the ones with the oldest sibling, but the woman with a 7-year-old and 10-year-old beat us by quite a bit. If I've forgotten everything, I can't imagine how she must feel! None of the moms had natural births before, although at least one of them wanted one. Can I admit that I was secretly relieved? There'd be nothing more intimidating than walking into a room full of women whose previous births were natural, in a pool of water or something like that. All these women had an epidural, which I think disappointed the nurse. Personally, I was thrilled. Some of them even sounded like they'd never felt a contraction either, despite already giving birth. Whew!

We got to practice breathing, which felt very silly, but important. We talked about the signs of labor, the stages of labor...all that stuff you forget (yuck, mucus plug). The nurse used a doll and a model of a pelvis to show the baby moving from anterior to posterior (or is that backwards?). Unfortunately, the baby got stuck, and Ike and I sat horrified, watching the nurse yank this baby over and over trying to get it out.

OUCH. I know what we both had nightmares about last night.

While we were in class, Jake had an unusual treat. Because of bad weather, Leslie couldn't come stay with Jake (Leslie, please don't apologize again--you know I would have worried about you the whole time). So, Ike's backup plan? Mark. One of Ike's best friends, and someone we both trust very much.

Mark came to hang out with Jake and put him to bed. For me, it's a little funny. You know, boys babysitting and all. But I made sure Jake was fed, bathed, clothed, teeth brushed...and I reminded him again and again, "If you poop while Mark is here, you will have to wipe yourself." After all, someday we want Mark to have his own kids--we don't want to scare him away.

It must've gone well because Jake talked about Mark all the way to school this morning. And Mark didn't seem unusually scared by the time we got home.

A good night on all counts.

Stupid Pregnant Brain

(Please don't tell Jake I wrote "Stupid." I'll get a lecture.)

This morning Jake and I left early for his school, since I'd heard reports of black ice on the roads. I did hit two slippery spots, but nothing too serious. And we left early enough that I could go slowly.

In my haste to get out the door early, I forgot a little something...The greeter who helped Jake out of the car at school asked him, "Jake, where's your bookbag?" He looked at me...and I said, "Isn't it there on his floorboard?"

The greeter looked at me like I was crazy. And it turns out...I am crazy. His bookbag, with today's lunch in it, is sitting on my living room floor. So I'm on my way back to his school now.

I keep telling myself it could have been worse. The greeter could have looked at me and said, "Umm...where's Jake??"

New Quote

I've found a new quote for the top of my blog page. I'm not actually a Woody Allen fan (nasally, whiney man who belongs to my parents' generation), but I appreciate the sentiment here.

Dr. Visit Last Week

It's not that I forgot to write about last week's visit. It's just that I don't think it was that interesting. But as I had a few people ask me over the weekend how it went, I thought I'd share. Of course...all those people already know how it went, so they can skip this and get back to whatever they were doing...

The appointment went well. I'm right on schedule with weight gain, but I'm far enough along that I'm not writing out how much I've gained. I'm not even telling Ike. No, I'm not, Ike. Suffice it to say that while his jeans are falling off of him, they wouldn't begin to fit over my hips. My blood pressure was a little higher (130/95) than normal again, but the nurse didn't mention it, so I'm assuming that's fine. I also noticed a trend--both this time and last time when my blood pressure was a little higher, I was working on Christmas cards in the waiting room beforehand. Could it be that the pressure of finishing them pre-baby is stressing me out and raising my blood pressure? Of course, in reality, I probably have more time than normal to finish them since I'm not sending them until after the baby comes. So, no excuses, I guess.

It's just about impossible to pee in the cup now. I have to do it by sound and touch. Does it sound like I'm hitting the bowl or the cup? Does it feel like I'm peeing on my hand? All those fun things about the pregnant belly...

Oh, and I have carpel tunnel syndrome apparently. I'm assuming that will go away, but for awhile now I've noticed that my hands "fall asleep" during the night, and I wake up with tingling or painful wrists and hands. The nurse said that's common for pregnant women...yet another common thing I'd never heard of and didn't experience at all with Jake. At least now I know. I thought maybe the baby was just cutting off my circulation every night, the way she's cut off my bladder. :)

Finally, this was the first of the "check to see how you're progressing" appointments. From here on out, they'll be checking to see if I've dilated. I had not as of Thursday's appointment (no surprise). The doctor did the exam, and man, that hurt. When I complained, he said, "You know, my fingers are a lot smaller than the baby's head." (This is the same oh-so-funny doctor who suggested the "10-pounder" that got me all in a tizzy a few weeks ago.)

I politely-ish replied, "Yes, but I expect an epidural with the baby's head."

Maybe he wrote that in my chart and they'll start giving me epidurals with each exam...

Next exam is with my regular doctor (not my favorite, but at least he's not a comedian) on Wednesday. Ike and I also have our first childbirth refresher class tonight at the hospital. The closer we get to the date, the more we both want a class after all...

Nesting

According to my weekly email updating me on what to expect at this point in my pregnancy, I should have started "nesting" last week sometime. You know, suddenly feeling the incredible urge to scrub the kitchen sink on my hands and knees (I actually had that urge pretty early in my pregnancy...and not since), constantly cleaning and re-cleaning the house, dusting in my spare time...Nesting.

What the email didn't tell me to expect is that like the "sympathy pains" husbands can get and the "sympathy weight" they might gain, my husband can apparently take on "sympathy nesting." The man is a cleaning, fixing, painting machine. It's amazing and scary. But I'm grateful.

I'm sure he'll be grateful when my own nesting instinct finally kicks in. The email said nesting kicks into high gear right before labor begins. So maybe it's coming...

So Sorry to Disappoint the Kid...

Tonight in his bath Jake said this.

"Mommy, when you have a baby in your tummy and it comes out and becomes a big boy, do you get a new baby in your tummy?"

"Um...sometimes. But this will be the last time Mommy has a baby in her tummy." (Per Daddy...)

"But what about my baby brother?"

"Jake, you're not going to have a baby brother. You're having a baby sister."

"But I want a baby brother, too."

"Mommy and Daddy want two children. How many do we have now?"

"One."

"And how many will we have when your sister is born?"

"Two."

"Okay, then we'll be done."

I wanted to add that all complaints about this should be taken to the Daddy end of management, but I refrained.

Welcome Back, Mrs. Inman!

Last post, then I promise I'm going to the grocery store, Ike.

Jake's favorite teacher's aide (I think I mentioned her in an old post. He says she's his best friend, and I know she did a lot to help him transition into school.) came back to school yesterday. She'd been out forever (in 4-year-old perspective) because she fell in the classroom one day and tore an ACL. (I don't know what that means, except that she hurt her leg very badly.)

Since she's been out, Jake has pined for her. He made a card for his teacher to deliver to her. He dreamed one night that she was back at school. He believed that dream and was very disappointed to find out she wasn't back yet. He's talked about her occasionally...like one would talk about an old, long-lost friend from back during the war. He missed her like crazy.

So I was nervous Tuesday night when he said Mrs. Inman was coming back the next day. I mean, we'd been through this fantasy before with the dream. I cautiously said, "Ok, that's great, honey."

Fortunately, it's true: the hero is home! Or at school, anyway. He said last night that she rubbed his back at naptime and told him she missed him. She has no idea just how much she was missed...

Quotes for fun

I have a friend (named Brandee--you can view her blog from my links) who gets bored easily with the look of her blog. She changes her background every few days.

I'm not that motivated. But I am bored with my "description" of my blog. That's the phrase underneath "Bloggy Mommy" at the top of the page. If you read this blog, you know what it's about: Jake mostly. Sometimes Annie Mae (much more of her to come, I'm sure). And sometimes Ike. So. Since that's well-established, I've decided to change my description every few days to a new quote. Today's quote comes from my friend Paula, who said it last night at the baby shower. I'm particularly inspired by it because I think not believing in Santa is similar to not believing that the Oldies 93 people are really stationed just south of the North Pole until Christmas.

Apparently no one else believes that. But you know, I believe. So I'll get more than underwear this year.

(And if you check out the Camp Christmas information on Oldies 93, you might start to believe. I'm not crazy. Or hormonal...really...)

"That's Not My Cat!!" and other baby shower oddities...

Since several people from my online mom's group read this blog, I would like to take this space to say THANK YOU for my baby shower last night!! I received a swing (for the baby, of course, not for me) and a beautiful, handmade baby blanket. I also received graffitied diapers, anonymous baby food jars, and a chance to stick my nose in several dirty diapers...

What are friends for, right? :)

I had a great time, ladies! What a way to make me feel more even more excited about this baby! (Not that I want her to come today, mind you...) Thank you so much to Erica for hosting...even though I'm still not entirely convinced that it wasn't your cat. Or that you don't live in Sanford.

Thanks again!

(And by the way, consider this your official thank you note. I'm cheap, stamps aren't.)