2007-08-24 - 1:53 p.m.

we're naming the baby 'Pat.'

It's been a very eventful week and a half. My parents have come and gone, leaving me a bit sad. They are so much fun to have around. I nearly cried when they left this morning.

But the time we had was great - we spent my birthday (last weekend - the 19th) out on Salt Spring Island. We seemed to defy all weather predictions and had mostly sun. We managed to see many of the island sights while still spending ample time on the porch of the B&B, looking out at the sunsets over the water. Splendid.

We did a few of the mandatory Vancouver stops - a walk through Stanley Park, a trip to a local outdoor equipment store, and an evening watching the sailboat races at Jericho Beach. If you take my stepfather to water and give him boats to watch, he's as happy as a clam.

We also spent a lot of time doing nothing - sitting around the apartment on the balconies and porches, cooking food, drinking wine (while I watched..), talking, and just enjoying ourselves. Lovely.

And then we accomplished several chores. They brought us a haul of baby stuff from my brother and sister-in-law and have literally saved us a fortune. My sister-in-law gave me an incredible load of maternity clothing - all of which needed to be shortened for my stubby little legs! Mom spent a day sewing up trousers and also took me shopping for some new things. (we found most of it on consignment, which makes me very happy).

Strange thing about maternity wear. There seems to be a correlation between owning the stuff and the definitive appearance of the bump. I have a bump now. A kind of noticeable one, and it just sort of popped out in the last week (just after buying the maternity wear, in fact). Well, one thing's for sure: I'm a heckuva lot more comfortable in clothing that fits.

Another chore accomplished was the first ultrasound (yes, indeed, it's about time). I got to treat my parents to the first viewing of baby teranika. Nope, we still don't know the sex. The babe was very happy to be boppin' his/her head all over the place, but was also very content with remaining in a sitting position that simply would not reveal the privates...My mother concluded from this behavior that it must be a girl. K and I are thinking of naming it "Pat..."

In any case, I was quite glad to have my parents there to see the little critter - I think it's the first ultrasound of a grandchild that they've been invited to watch, and they really seemed to love it.

The only sour point during the visit involves an ongoing stitch in my side. It has gotten so bad during the last two nights that I couldn't sleep. The general opinion is that I'm feeling ligaments or muscle pain from everything expanding rapidly. But the pain is sharp and consistent enough that the doc suggested that I come in. I am taking it easy at home this afternoon, and will check in with the doc in about a half hour.

A brief report of all the fun we've been having. I wish that everyone in the world could have parents like mine.