NOT FOR LONG

THIS MORNING BJ AND I WOKE UP IN A HUFF.

HE WAS LATE FOR SOCCER PRACTICE.

OF COURSE THE ONE JOB DESIGNATED TO ME LAST NIGHT WAS TO SET THE ALARM. THAT'S WHY WHEN THE WORDS, "DANG IT ELLE!" RANG OUT LOUD THIS MORNING, I COULDN'T GET DEFENSIVE. MY METHOD OF COPING: STAYING OUT OF THE WAY. BJ BECOMES A FRENZIED CRAZY MAN WHEN HE IS LATE FOR SOCCER PRACTICE. DANG IT ELLE IS RIGHT. SORRY HONEY.

THE FRANTIC FEELINGS WILL BE GONE TONIGHT WHEN HE COMES ON HOME TO A LOVELY, ROUND-BELLIED WIFE, A BEAUTIFULLY CLEAN HOUSE, AND A HOME-COOKED MEAL. AH, IT'S GOOD TO BE A MAN.

 THE VIEW FROM UP HERE.

THAT DARK SPOT ON THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER IS THE SHADOW OF MY HAND HOLDING THE CAMERA. WOOPS.

FAREWELL TO JANUARY

DEAR JANUARY,

WITHOUT ANY INTENDED OFFENSE, I AM HAPPY YOU ARE ALMOST OVER. YOU ARE COLD, AND LONG, AND A STRESSFUL ADJUSTMENT AFTER A LONG AND ENJOYED CHRISTMAS BREAK.

NONETHELESS...

I HAVE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED YOU JANUARY. YOU HAVE BEEN GOOD TO US. YOU MOVED ALONG QUICKLY WHICH OF COURSE, I GREATLY APPRECIATE.

I NOW AM ONE MONTH CLOSER TO MEETING MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER. YOU'VE KEPT ME BUSY IN ALL THE BEST WAYS. I'VE LEARNED AND GROWN AND STRETCHED IN YOUR SWIFT MOVING TIME. THANK YOU.

'TIL NEXT YEAR!

*FOR ANYONE AWAITING A PICTURE OF THE BABY BUMP, YOU CAN ANTICIPATE ONE SOON ENOUGH.

SUGAR AND SPICE

WHAT BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE MARTIN LUTHER KING WEEKEND THAN A WEEKEND WITH LIFE-LONG GIRLFRIENDS, TALKING INTO THE WEE MORNING HOURS, LAUGHING, JOKING, DISCUSSING, AND OF COURSE, EATING LOTS OF SWEETS.

AFTER THE TABLE WAS SET AND HOUSE WAS CLEANED BJ CAME IN AND SAID, "WOW. YOU NEVER DO ANYTHING THIS FANCY FOR ME." AND WITHOUT MUCH DISMAY I CAN RESPOND TO THAT, "NO BJ- I DON'T DO ANYTHING THIS FANCY FOR YOU, BECAUSE I KNOW IT TAKES A FEMININE HEART TO TRULY APPRECIATE SOMETHING LIKE THIS."

GIRLS LOVE BEAUTIFUL DISPLAYS WHETHER THEY ARE PRACTICAL OR NOT. THEY ALSO LOVE TIME SPENT WITH OTHER GIRLS- BEST GIRLFRIENDS.

AND ALTHOUGH I AM A CONGESTED, COUGHING, EMPHYSEMIC MESS TODAY FROM STAYING UP UNTIL FOUR AM ON SUNDAY NIGHT- I WOULDN'T TRADE THOSE HOURS OF TALKING FOR ANYTHING. QUALITY TIME WITH MY GIRLFRIENDS IS COMPLETELY PRICELESS.

TO MY HUSBAND

AS I DROVE TO WORK THIS MORNING I WAS SUDDENLY COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED WITH GRATITUDE. I SAID PRAYERS OF THANKS THAT I NOT ONLY AM WHERE I KNOW I SHOULD BE RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT I'M EXACTLY WHERE I WANT TO BE TOO.

NATURALLY, THE FIRST ITEM ON MY LIST OF THANK YOU'S WAS MY DEAR, SWEET, HUSBAND BJ.

 I'M NOT JUST SAYING THIS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE NUMBER OF GOOD, HONORABLE MEN IN THE WORLD IS CONTINUALLY DWINDLING- I'M SAYING THIS IN SPITE OF THAT. BECAUSE I TRULY BELIEVE THAT YOU COULD MATCH UP MY HUSBAND AGAINST SOME OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST- HISTORY INCLUDED, AND I'D STILL BE A LUCKY SON-OF-A-GUN THAT HE CHOSE ME.

I AGREE WITH WHAT MY DAD SAYS, THAT "BJ IS GOOD TO THE BONE."

BJ'S DAD, KIM, TOLD ME BEFORE WE WERE MARRIED A STORY THAT HE THOUGHT PERFECTLY SUMMED UP BJ'S CHARACTER. HE TOLD OF THE MANY TIMES THAT BJ WOULD RUN UP TO HIM AND SAY, "DAD, DANI BREE JUST HIT ME." KIM'S RESPONSE WOULD ALWAYS BE, "WELL WHY DON'T YOU JUST HIT HER BACK?" TO WHICH BJ WOULD INEVITABLY REPLY, "I CAN'T HIT MY SISTER!" ALTHOUGH DANI BREE BEGS TO DIFFER THE FACT THAT BJ DID HIT HER A TIME OR TWO, THIS PERFECTLY ILLUSTRATES BJ'S BEING "GOOD TO THE BONE."

BJ LOVES HIS MOM, AND OH HOW SHE LOVES HIM. JALAYNE HAS TALKED TO ME BEFORE ABOUT THINGS SHE DID FOR HER KIDS WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG IN HOPES OF CLAIMING A PERMANENT SOFT SPOT IN THEIR HEARTS. HER METHODS WORKED. BJ ADORES HIS MOTHER.

BJ LOVES KIDS. I KNOW HE WILL BE A FANTASTIC FATHER. I'M PREPARING MYSELF NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME I SEE HIM WITH OUR LITTLE ELLIE LAYNE. MY HEART IS SURE TO MELT.

THE BEST THING ABOUT MY HUSBAND THOUGH IS THE WAY THAT HE LOVES ME. I COULDN'T BE LUCKIER. AND I ALWAYS THINK THAT I COULN'T LOVE HIM MORE- AND YET, EACH DAY, EACH WEEK, EACH MONTH, EACH YEAR I'M WRONG.

TO ELLIE

IT'S GONNA BE YOU AND ME BABY.

 I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU. I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO HAVE STRAWBERRY BLOND HAIR AND A SMATTERING OF FRECKLES, BUT IF YOU DON'T, YOU WILL STILL BE IRRESISTIBLE TO ME. MY BELLY IS GROWING AND THAT TELLS ME THAT YOU ARE TOO. ACCORDING TO MY PREGNANCY BIBLE, YOU WEIGH ONE POUND NOW. I CAN FEEL YOU HONEY. I LOVE TO LAY DOWN AND PLACE MY HANDS ON TOP OF MY STOMACH. I CAN FEEL YOU TWITCH AND FLIP AND RESPOND WHEN I COUGH.

IT'S GONNA BE YOU AND ME GIRL.

MAY FEELS LIKE FOREVER AWAY. BUT I KNOW THAT IN YOUR OWN TIME YOU WILL COME. I PRAY YOU DON'T COME WHILE DAD IS AWAY, OUT OF THE COUNTRY PLAYING SOCCER- CAUSE HE CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU EITHER. 

WE HAVE THINGS ALREADY WAITING FOR YOU HERE: BLANKETS AND BEARS, DRESSES, TOYS AND BOOKS. WE'RE GONNA LOVE YOU MORE THAN WE'VE LOVED ANY BABY IN THE WORLD... THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING.

I'M SURE YOU REMEMBER YOUR COUSIN TATE. MAN ARE YOU GOING TO LOVE HIM. ON SUNDAY WE SAT AROUND WATCHING TATE FOR OVER AN HOUR, TALKING TO HIM AND DOING ANYTHING TO MAKE HIM LAUGH OR SMILE. WE ARE IMPATIENT TO KNOW WHAT YOUR PERSONALITY IS GOING TO BE LIKE. ARE YOU CALM, HAPPY, FIESTY, OR GOOFY? WHAT'S IT GONNA BE LIKE WHEN YOU'RE HERE?

I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING LITTLE DARLING, YOU ARE LOVED ALREADY.

I HAVE A SECRET TO TELL YOU LITTLE MISS: YOU ARE GONNA LOVE YOUR DAD. I'VE SEEN HIM CHANGE ALREADY. I CAN TELL NOW THAT WHEN HE SEES ME, HE CAN ALSO SEE YOU. HE FEELS FOR YOU EACH DAY ON MY STOMACH AND IF YOU'RE NOT AWAKE TO PLAY WITH HIM, HE WIGGLES HARD TO WAKE YOU UP. HE ADORES YOU ELLIE.

WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'LL GO ONCE YOU'RE HERE, AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY WHAT LIFE WILL BE LIKE THEN. BUT THIS MUCH WE DO KNOW, YOU ARE COMING TO A MOM AND DAD WHO LOVE EACH OTHER AND WHO PROMISE TO LOVE YOU THE WAY YOU SHOULD BE LOVED. WE LOVE YOU LITTLE ONE.