10 days to D-day

Or as the HypnoBirthers would say, my "estimated birthing day/week/month." No signs, unfortunately, that the baby will come early. Which really is fine, because it gives us more time to choose a pediatrician and read about how to care for an infant. And come to a consensus about circumcision.

Yesterday we took a break from car-hunting (Alvin's Accord is going to die, so he wants a Lexus) and house-cleaning (this so-called "nesting instinct" has quadrupled my desire for a clean house) to go snowshoeing. Destination: Little Cottonwood Canyon. Ahh. . . to be above the Salt Lake City smog. And it wasn't cold enough that your fingers instantly freeze outside your gloves. Just nice and refreshing. The top layer of snow on the ground had crystallized like corn flakes.

For those curious about how 8.9 months of pregnancy and snowshoeing mesh: the snowshoeing part was not that difficult. But it was exhausting trying to bend over and strap my gaiters around my boots. Miles is not as squish-able in my belly as he used to be!

Look how vibrant and healthy Alvin's coffee plant is! He got it at Smith's almost three years ago, and since then he has nurtured the plant like a father, awaiting the day it would bear fruit. He nearly cried with joy (not really) when the first tiny pink star blossoms appeared. Now the fruit has matured into beautiful midnight-blue berries. I'm no expert in coffee beans, but that seed sure doesn't look like a Starbucks candidate to me. Alvin, only slightly devastated, is ruminating over how to go about identifying the precise plant species. Any botanists out there?