Great Timing

The Fates decided that Shannon and I needed a few more items on our plate. Do I mean the headache of a lottery win or the hardship of a free vacation to Bali? Unfortunately, no. I'm talking about the always fun move to a new home. To be fair, we could have put this off for a few months, but the thought of strapping on our newborn so we could pack everything we own into boxes, followed by the big unload in a new place, well, that seemed a recipe for disaster. So the past 45 days or so have been dedicated to getting our move started and finished pronto.

I'm guessing records aren't kept about the time elapsed from the moving van's departure to saying, "You mean there's nothing left to unpack, put away, arrange, hang on the wall, repaint, put on Craigslist, donate, leave on the curb or bring to the basement?!?!" It may be just as well because our ownership of that record would be so firm that Guiness would have to rename it in our honor. I was a bit player: carry-the-box and hang-the-shelf guy. Left to my own devices, this move would have taken a year and a half to complete. However, I've got Shannon on my team. She's been a hurricane of activity, a hurricane leaving neatness and order in its wake. I can honestly say I've lived in the presence of greatness. To help you know it when you see it: Greatness works until midnight every day, has Platinum frequent flier status with Target, Home Depot and Home Goods, and has mood swings to beat the band.

Ask Shannon. If we never move again, it'll be too soon.

As for India, we actually have a lot to share and one blog entry won't cut it. Most importantly, our carrier's complete placenta previa has yet to improve. (Recall that placenta previa is a condition in which the placenta blocks the exit. By saying our condition is 'complete' we mean the exit is completely blocked, making a C-section mandatory.) As a result, we're starting to gear up for a proactive Week 37 delivery. Not ideal. That 37th week is the one during which a baby's i's are dotted and t's crossed. If only we could make it to the 38th week - that's bonus time.... Of course, the carrier's health takes precedence so when it's time, it's time.

The 37th week begins on February 15 so Shannon and I have booked a flight leaving Boston on the 14th. Yep, Valentine's Day. A nice coincidence. I'm hopeful we'll be changing that departure date 'til later in the week because that will mean the pregnancy has been allowed to progress a bit farther. However, to ensure we have good seats - and, in particular, to ensure we have bulkhead seats with bassinette access for the trip back to Boston - we didn't want to wait any longer.

We'll have another blog entry soon to share more details about the planning of our return. In the meantime, I need to run downstairs. I'm typing this entry at 11:30pm and Shannon - Hurricane Greatness - is still at it. It's not yet midnight, we've got our baby shower in three days and there's lots to do. Like I said, a full plate!