After approximately 900 hours in the car this week, we're back home in Baltimore. It was weird leaving my childhood home (my parents lived there even before I was born) and thinking that the next time I'll be there, it will be with my own child. Freaky, man.
We've come to a milestone I was hoping to avoid. A bare left hand. 29 weeks.
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| If you like it then you should have put a ring on it. |
I knew with being pregnant over the summer, the odds were not in my favor. Technically my wedding and engagement rings still fit, but it was becoming what I imagine a CrossFit workout to be like to get them off. And that was in a climate (upstate NY) significantly cooler and less disgustingly muggy than ours. Conventional wisdom states that I should stop wearing them while I still have the option in order to avoid whatever probably terrible thing would happen if I wait until I can't remove them at all.
A lot of people asked if I was sad to be a teetotaler at my sister's wedding. I've made my love of wine pretty clear, and the wedding was at a vineyard, and we all know things taste better when someone else pays for them. I did have a little "aw shucks, that looks delicious, wish I could have some" jealousy. I would have been a lot more upset to be able to show up to the wedding and drink my face off with no baby in sight, so it was a pretty worthwhile tradeoff. And if I had any doubts, comparing my sense of well being to everyone else's the following morning definitely squashed them.
The morning after, some of us suffered and some of us had strangely great runs along the harbor. (Side note - I need to stop telling people I'm going for a short 30 minute run and accept that these days, that's just called a "run".) It was this amazing miracle where I didn't even feel pregnant, running actually felt normal (although I'm sure my pace was just as pregnant). Especially shocking considering the run was at 9am and this was me at 3am.
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| In case you ever wondered what I looked like being woken up in the middle of the night to let drunk people in hotel rooms who are waiting to take pictures of me. |
After the run, it was time to realize a life goal.
My new brother in law grew up on a dairy farm with something like 3,800 cows - they supply tons of milk, including to Cabot (I love their cheese). I've always been dying to see it and his family was nice enough to give my whole extended family a tour the morning after the wedding.
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| SO MANY COWS |
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| In case you were unaware, as I was, up close cows are freaking huge. |
I've been on a few farm tours in my day but never a farm of this size and never one that was intended for adults. I've been taking for granted running to the store for milk my whole life and never appreciated all that went into it.
I have a pathological fear of all animals and even though everyone else was letting the cows lick them and stuff, I couldn't shake the feeling that they would absolutely bite my hand off if given the chance. I enjoyed looking at them and learning about them though.
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| BABY COW. Even I find this cute. |
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| Not quite cute and innocent enough to make contact with, but cute. |
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| My awkward impression of a cow. Or let's pretend that's what I was going for. |
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| Unrelated, but we babysat on Monday and my mom gave this guy a cow tattoo on his arm. SO. CUTE. |
I actually want the answer to this question: obviously my sister's new husband is my brother in law. But is the rest of his family "in-laws" to me too? Also now is he considered Eric's brother - in - law too? And what do you call them - I mean I already have a mother-in-law and I'm pretty sure most people only have one of those. However, I like relationships that are described simply. "My sister's mother in law" is too many qualifiers. Is his sister my sister-in-law? Does it make a difference that she's adorable and I love the whole family? Am I making this much more complicated than necessary?
What do you call your slightly more extended family?
I second Sarah, you look pretty good for being woke up by drunks, I think I would look a lot, ahem. bitchier.
ReplyDeleteDairies are an incredible amount of work, which is why there are so few small dairies any more, to make them profitable they have to be huge. You also won't find many cows tamer than dairy cows. We have some pretty wild ones, although some aren't too bad. Technically a baby cow is a calf, you probably knew that. When my brother went to school they tried to tell them there were cows (females) bulls (boys) and calves (the babies) he corrected them that there were also steers (neutered males) heifers (young females) yearlings (the cows that are one year old, a lot like teenagers) and the two years old (first time mothers that have already calved (were previously heifer yearlings) He was very adamant they were not just bulls and cows. Ha, don't know what made me think of that. Glad you all got educated about where your milk comes from, yay for a brother in law from a dairy! Slightly more extended family is not my pain in the ass, but theirs. :)
I had to remove my wedding rings around 30 weeks but I was wearing a slightly larger and thinner banded ring I got on my honeymoon as a replacement. Then at 36 weeks I finally had to remove it as well and now my finger is naked. My mom told me she had to have hers cut off when she was pregnant with my brother so I didn't want to risk it!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about all the family relation names.. I definitely think that he is Eric's BIL. Not sure how you would qualify the rest of the family. When speaking of my own extended family I would just say 'my SIL's sister' or my 'BIL's mom'.
You are a very well dressed pregnant woman. I applaud your good taste!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I haven't heard of too many maulings occurring from dairy calves. You'd probably be safe next time to touch one :)
Was I supposed to put my wedding ring back on? Seriously, my fingers seem permanently altered because im still having the Cross Fit-like episodes to get it off. The dairy looks fun and frightening :) love your impression :)
ReplyDeleteDave is Eric's brother in law but his family is nothing to you.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed both you and Kara are traveling 2 weekends in a row.
hahah that picture of you on Eric's lap. I'd say that's more of an impression of a birthing position. Also I like the sound of "new brother-in-law". You are welcome at Porterdale Farms anytime!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good thing you didn't let the cows near your hand. It is a well-known fact that cows are enraged by red things, such as your hair, or a matador's cape.
ReplyDeleteCasey is your co-sister-in-law