We're apparently going to unintentionally give in to the Elmo TMX craze.

Don't get me wrong, I love Elmo--and so does Julia. But no way would I pay $40 for this newfangled iteration of our favorite little Sesame Street character. I have that luxury: she's too young yet to realize it exists (and therefore, that she's missing out if she doesn't have it). No harm, no foul.

But my mom emailed me this morning and said, "Your aunt has already bought the new Tickle Me Elmo toy for Julia for Christmas! You should hear her talk about it." And not only that, but "She took an hour off work Tuesday morning to get to Target when they started selling them so she would be sure to get one!"

Heh--I can't help but laugh. This aunt of mine loooooooooves babies and thinks Julia is just the bee's knees. So, who am I to argue?

I heard someone say "Shazbot!" yesterday.

I'm totally gonna bring it back.

Most of us are thinking about 09.11.01 today. I'm no exception...I find myself slightly weepy and unable to think about it for very long, as if seeing one grieving parent will provoke a sobfest. (Then again, I feel that way lots of the time--thanks, little fetus!)

I do remember what I was doing when I first heard the news (Dan and I were in a staff meeting with Phil, the senior pastor of the church where Dan was youth pastor) and what we did that day (watched cable TV and the Internets for constant news coverage). What sticks in my mind most, though, is how perfect the weather was that day. The weather in Ohio was the same as in New York that day--sunny and clear, temps in the 70s--the kind of day that makes you feel great to be alive, positively idyllic. There was, and still is, something sickening about the contrast between the beauty of the world we inhabit and the horror we're capable of bringing to it.

Listen peeps, I hate to suck so much at updating, but it's time you knew I sorta have an excuse--I'm all knocked up and stuff. Meaning I've felt like crap for weeks, and we all know how much I suck at updating even when I'm feeling all right.

This came as a big shock to us. Actually, I think we still feel pretty weirded out. Mostly because we keep thinking about how much harder everything will be with TWO kids than with one. Ah, like my friend Mandy says, at least we won't be outnumbered. Still, I find myself flipping out about small things like, "How do you take an infant and a toddler to the grocery store?" (I'm pretty sure the answer is, "You don't.")

Anyhoo, looks like the blessed event is set for April 4 or so. Unlike the first time around, when we knew the timing of the pregnancy down to the date of conception, we have only the vaguest idea of how far along I truly am. Ultrasound says I should be about 11 weeks now, but IMO that's not much more reliable than trying to remember when we did it. It can't be too far off, though.

So if you've been thinking that I'm looking chunky and vaguely wondered if I'm getting fat, the answer is YES, AND I'M ALREADY SICK OF IT.