Fair Weather in My Hemisphere

It's late October, about 10:30 p.m., and I'm sitting in my chair on the front porch after a run, listening the to the crickets - they're particularly vocal tonight - and watching the leaves fall to the ground under the streetlight as a light but insistent breeze blows.  As the breeze picks up steam, it rustles the leaves in the stately old maple tree in our front yard and the branches sway just a bit.  It's a great time of night and a real treat to be sitting outside with the temperature hovering in the low 60s, glass of wine by my side.

I've been fighting a cold and cough since late last week, so I took Monday and Tuesday off from running.  It was killing me and it's supposed to turn cold and rainy tomorrow.  I couldn't help myself, so I ventured out for a quick 3-mile night run through the neighborhood.  It was good to knock the rust off my legs, so to speak, and get a run in, although my cough has picked up again since I got back.  Sitting here on my front porch and listening to the sounds of the city, relatively late in the evening, is probably the time of day when I love my house and where I live the most.

J.P. accompanied Jude and me this afternoon to see Roseann Maikis, our friend and Jude's Ob/Gyn.  Although he was a little skittish at first, J.P. quickly warmed up in the waiting room when he saw there was a play area.  Our nurse, Gina, found our new son's heartbeat easily and it sounded strong and fast.  J.P. wasn't so wild about the noise (he's never wild about noises), so for the most part, he kept his hands over his ears while we listened to the heartbeat.  When Roseann came in to examine Jude and talk with us, J.P. was great.  He showed Roseann his doctor's bag (he's brought it to her office) and pulled out the plastic stethoscope so she could see it.  Roseann was fantastic with him.

Jude's gained almost 10 pounds, which is right where Roseann wants her to be, 22+ weeks into the pregnancy.  Roseann was pleased with the results of the 20-week ultrasound and told us the baby is growing like he should be.  Good news all the way around.

In a couple of weeks, Jude will go in for a test to see if she has gestational diabetes.  Last time around, she did, so it's more likely she will have it again this time.  If she does, it will mean pricking her finger a few times a day and watching her diet very closely.  She's already been staying away from sweets and juices, for the most part, so we're hopeful that she may not have gestational diabetes.

All in all, we're good to go.  Not ready to launch, yet, but getting there.  Like so much in life, we're taking it one day at a time and trying to live in the moment.  And as moments go, it's a pretty good one to live in for a while.