Sailing

The boat ride, if about a half hour too long, was lovely. The pregnancy-unfriendly hors d'ouvres and cocktails were on the crowded and stuffy lower deck, which meant I was able to plant myself in a corner of the upper deck for the duration of the three-hour sunset tour from the Berkeley Marina out to Alcatraz and back.

With luck, I found myself surrounded by a batch of Simon's coworkers I hadn't met before, and not only were they just dying to talk about all things baby, but they also encouraged me to take off my heels and just relax while Simon shuttled up and down the stairs fetching me plates of pickles and portions of Sprite (in a martini glass).

I found myself appropriately attired in a dress and heels, but I also went with stockings for warmth, in the process discovering that one doesn't have to stuff oneself sausage-like into full-length pantyhose if one has a collection of thigh-high stockings from years of dressing up like a Sexy Fill-in-the-blank for Halloween. I always knew that wild and crazy youth of mine would come in handy someday.

Speaking of Halloween, it's coming up and Magic 8 Ball says "All signs point to Leah is going to be gigantic on October 31 of this year." What should I dress as? I somehow think that this is not the year to be another Sexy Fill-in-the-blank (although I already have the stockings!) and I should turn my focus instead to things like Pregnant Fill-in-the-Blank. How do you guys feel about knocked-up nuns, girl scouts, and school marms? Simon's already got his heart set on being a douchebag, but I just don't know that I can pull off hot chick.

It should be obvious that Simon is not being a douche in the above picture but instead being his usual sexy fill-in-the-blank self, although now with more Obama. (He's wearing a little campaign pin, which I just realized you can't really see in the picture very well.) He got a set of buttons in the mail last week, an addition to his election collection that includes a giant stack of Obama bumper stickers and this, which he made with his own two hands:

He's sending it to his conservative, swing-state, cribbage-addict uncle in hopes of reforming some of that narrow Midwest thinking of his. Winning votes one card game at a time.
And finally, speaking of narrow thinking, I'm excited to announce that we are maybe probably sort of narrowing our thinking down to a good first name for Wombat. It's something that I took to at once and have already started using when the uterine kickboxing gets a little boisterous, but Simon wasn't so sure about it to begin with and has spent the last few weeks rolling it around in his mind and mouth to test the fit. What that means, of course, is that I'm forced to be a little more lenient on the middle names he's suggesting, which run the gamut from Duke to Schopenhauer. Tell me, which do you like better: Obama or Barack?

Twenty-sevenish weeks. Those aren't stretch marks but indentation lines from my p.j. bottoms because I am STILL working from home.



A three hour tour? A three hour tour!?
I'm going to make a tasteless political joke in the form of a totally legitimate Halloween suggestion now. Please feel free to delete it if it makes you squirm.
If he's got his heart set on going as a douchebag he should go as McCain and you should go as Palin.
Forgive me?
Are you suggesting that Palin is a hot chick because, um, I don't see it.
(Tim--I took my high-tech coconuts just in case.)
Last year, Brad went as a female high school art teacher and I went as a male high school gym teacher (based on my real high school gym teacher, Coach Howard). I had to rely on a blanket for the beer gut, but with a pregnant belly, you've got it in the bag (or the belly).
WARNING: this costume is in NO WAY sexy:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62765927@N00/1760288839/
Um, you could paint the belly like a jack-o-lantern. Or, dress yourself up as a kitty and your belly can be the fish bowl that kitty wants to get into. That's all I've got, though I always think the pregnant nun gig is pretty good.
a couple i know went as a devil and fallen angel. she delivered their son a few weeks later. she said it was the most comfortable costume she'd ever worn.
You could go as Britney Spears in her gestating-Sean P period. Simon could totally pull of Kevin Federline (and, uh, it satisfies the douchebag requirement.)
Your arms are still super skinny!
Please go with Schopenhauer--that would be hilarious.
LOL, Hillary!
I went as a bun in the oven last year. The costume I used was terrible. I don't recommend it. I may try and freecycle it.
My vote is for the Blueberry girl in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
How about a pregnant Angelina and Simon as Brad Pitt? You can do card board cut outs or dolls of all their other kids. All you need is a pair of sunglasses and some lipstick for those pouty lips, aviator sunglasses, jeans and a black t-shirt. Then you can be super comfy all night.
I'm always a fan of "pregnant celebrity fill in the blank." Though Bristol Palin might be a little touchy, how about pregnant Jamie Lynn or Ashlee Simpson?
Simon told me last night that I should get a sign with a downward pointing arrow that says "I'm with stupid." The only way I would agree to that is if it were a Halloween costume, so maybe this is my chance...
I too vote for Schopenhauer. That would be fantastic!
Oops--did I forget a comma in my last comment? I think I forgot a comma. Ack!
You could be Juno. Good excuse to find a hamburger phone.
I don't know about you, but your pregnancy is going WAY to fast for me. I'm not ready yet! Your belly is so adorable!
You could go as a Stepford wife.
I am due on Election Day and have only gotten about 20 gajillion comments about how we should name our kid after the new president. Sorry, but Barack does not go with our last name.
When my cousin was days from delivery, she and hubby went as Plain and Pregnant M & Ms. It was quite fun.
Along the McCain/Palin theme suggested above...You could go as Bristol Palin.
Totally tasteless? Why, yes.