Based on some peoples' comments tonight, I feel like we've raised a certain bar for ourselves when it comes to Halloween costumes.

Funny to think about Halloween next year- one more little dwarf to add to the mix?

I was too preoccupied with the impending hurricane the other day to highlight a very important day that happened for this baby in utero: Aunty Shan's fortieth birthday!

Shannon loves babies. And since her baby just turned seven, I'm thinking little Blueberry is going to get a LOT of attention from my family.

Kidney Bean

This week, little blueberry is now the size of a kidney bean.

I've been checking in weekly at Babycenter.com, and it's fun to read what normal development is like at 8 weeks in utero:

How your baby's growing:

New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

Sandy

Everything around here has already been canceled for tomorrow, including our Monday homeschool co-op. On the one hand, I'm excited for the break in our schedule and am hoping for some time to play with the kids, do some projects together, and maybe get some projects done in the house. On the other hand, I'm not so sure it's going to go well. Chris is planning on staying over near work tomorrow night, so I'm on my own from wakeup until bedtime. These pregnancy hormones are making me less patient than usual with the kids as well as super exhausted. And food is so complicated. I feel like I have to eat all day, but only very specific things, and I can't smell it before eating or after or else I feel sick. So all of that could make for a difficult, long day.

But, we're not sick (like we were last year at this time!), and I have friends and neighbors I can call on if need be. And maybe this whole thing will blow over, not be such a big deal, and Chris will be able to come home to us.

Seasons

We did some raking in the yard today, and as I raked some leaves near the garden, I thought about the fact that when I'm weeding and prepping the garden next spring, I will be very pregnant. Speaking of seasons....you know what's awesome about this pregnancy? I will not be and have not been pregnant at all during the summer. That is really great. I was pretty miserable in my first trimester with Atticus in the summer and then in my last trimester with Enzo. So that's nice.

The lack of picture from today shall represent my overwhelming fatigue. I went to bed at 7:30 last night!

This is the building where I work at Smith. My office is on the top floor, up on that little triangle of a roof on the left. Today I left work at 6:30. I teach three classes, take a little walk for a break, and then work until I'm done. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my work days, and I don't bring work home and feel like I can really focus on the kids on the other days.

Next year, I'll have to be more creative. I can't exactly stay away from a new baby for ten hours at a time, can I? It's hard to imagine what scenario is going to make sense for me when I go back to work with a 3-month-old and 2 older homeschooled kids at home.

One step at a time, I guess.