...7 Weeks Later (sorry everyone)

27 weeks everyone, here I am...

Sorry to be such a bummer. There really has been PLENTY going on, but for various reasons, I haven't been posting. For one thing, our camera was left behind a few weeks ago when we visited some friends. They very kindly posted it to us last week. For another... I like to post when I have good news, or at least, concrete, solid, factual news. There hasn't been a ton of either, lately. Here is what I can share now:

We are almost certainly staying in MD next year. (Almost). Therefore, we have been looking high and low for suitable housing. This place is a bit expensive for the lifestyle change we're hoping to make. I'm really planning to do only part-time work next year so that I don't perish trying to do something I believe is impossible: teach high school and have an infant. I'm pretty tough, but I'm convinced that would be beyond my scope. I am planning instead to try to do tutoring/home-teaching only a few hours a week, when Jon's able to be home with Toodles.

So, we search for a new place for when our lease runs out this June. It's tricky, because most craigslist deals are made last minute, and if you know me... well, I don't really DO last minute, especially with a baby on the way. So I've had to deliberately sit on my hands lately and try not to panic when we lose an apartment or when we don't have any leads for a few days... We're hoping to move in June to save money (though we wouldn't mind improved carpeting or something). Lately I get excited about a new lead about every week only to lose it (we can't rent till June) or find it profoundly unsuitable in some way. This is a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, and probably would be even if wicked powerful hormones WEREN'T already coursing through my body.

In other news, we recently celebrated our 3 year anniversary with a trip to Williamsburg and Jamestown. I took very few pictures. I seem to have a lot of pictures on my camera from past trips and mini-breaks and I no longer value the pictures at all; they're just taking up space. Suffice to say, Willamsburg is amazing (you should ALL go), and Virginia has an ideal climate exactly one month a year: this one. They do crap winters, falls and summers down here, but spring is a big dollop of good Karma. Lovely lovely lovely!!

I'm also really looking forward to next weekend's trip to the ROC to be showered and to shower my cousin who, for the first time in our lives, I expect to find bigger than I am (though I doubt very much she will be any heavier). We shall see :-)

I've had two flus and some rough patches dealing with Change and the Unknown since I last posted, but spring is here and everything is picking up pace... I am 9 weeks from the end of the school year, 8 weeks from moving, 13 weeks from Toodles' due date... Toodles, by the way, has developed elbows and knees. I can tell you empirically.

Finally, here are some shots from our trip about a month ago to see the Barschingers and their new daughter, Scarlett. I look TERRIBLE, I know; I was on my way down with the first bug. However: Scarlett. is. an. angel. Here is some Marijke and Jeremiah Sutter, too: