We are getting very close, people! Amy is still doing fine. No sign yet that this little one wants to arrive anytime soon, though. I had a dream that the baby was hugging me around the neck last night. And sister-in-law Abi called to say that she dreamt someone was having a baby (looked like Amy) and the baby was laughing. She thinks today is the day. I don’t know that the baby agrees, however! Pictured at right is Amy’s belly on Thursday.

And since the baby hasn’t arrived, Amy and I took advantage of the delay and went to the Atlanta Symphony Friday night. First, right across the street from the Woodruff we checked out Shout, one of Tom Catherall’s string of succesful ‘see and be seen’ restaurants around town. Woah, nelly! The place had throbbing house music, pappadum flatbreads, sushi, and a nice tagine. Yummy. Our dear friend Laura Najarian was subbing for one of the basoonists with the ASO, and it was great to see her onstage performing Maurice Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso (1905), Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 in E-flat Major, K.543 (1788), and then the amazing Petrushka by Igor Stravinsky. This may have been one of our last outings to a venue like this for a while, so we made the most of it, getting snacks and drinks with Laura post-show at the nearby South City Kitchen, watching all the hipsters arrive on Cresent Ave. for an evening of drinking, etc. Heading back to Shout to get our car, it was a whole new variety of people watching as the urban crowd filled the restaurant to overflowing. Most entertaining.

Today you, dear reader, have a NEW blogging author. The one with the belly! Look for more posts from Amy in the future. Anyway, today was one of my favorite activities – my twice weekly water aerobics for preganant ladies at the YMCA. The water always feels so good no matter how tired I am. Besides getting exercise, it’s a wonderful opportunity to meet other women in my condition and to share stories and ideas for what we’re all experiencing. And for those of you keeping track, the 10 kicks arrived by 11am, a 1 and 1-half hour improvement over yesterday! Woohoo!

We’re at T-8, and we have settled on a pediatrician. Last week, we interviewed a highly recommended doctor, and looks like we’ll stick with her. She’s Dr. Debby Pollack of the Dekalb Pediatric Center. Unlike when I was a kid going to Dr. ‘Buddy’ Portman, they now have separate sick and well waiting rooms. Makes sense, no? I like their practice most of all due to the panda bear theme. It’s close (Decatur), convenient (no highways), and they are on call 24/7. More updates tomorrow.

Today was a good pregnancy day. Amy had a doctor’s visit (Dr. Fisch) this time), and baby and mom received clean bills of health. This was Amy’s first visit with Dr. Fish, and she spent quite a long time. We now have a ‘kick-sheet’ to keep track of the baby’s activity – ten movements in ten hours or we call the doctor. So far, that doesn’t look like it’s going to be a problem – Amy gets punched and kicked every few minutes or so it seems. It would have been cool to have the baby today – the new baby Trotz could have shared my brother Seth’s birthday, the first day of Spring!