7 weeks, 5 days: Congratulations J & A!!

I want to issue our biggest congratulations to our friends J. and A., who two days ago gave birth to their first-born son Jude. Good job, A.! I can't wait to hear your birth story and meet your sweet little one! Send pictures!

J. and A. are our first (I think?) personal friends to attempt a homebirth (since we've known them, that is - we've made lots of friends with HB families) - with one of our midwives, no less! Unfortunately they ended up transferring for high maternal blood pressure and so weren't able to birth at home, but it sounds like they had a great experience anyway and are probably at home by now.

Good job, you guys!!

On this end, the world continues a deep shade of green, but no worse, thank the Lord. I am consciously willing these weeks to go quickly - they don't seem to be obeying, but I try.

I attempted to watch the inauguration this morning from the church, but no luck - the networks were just too overloaded on the internet and the best I could get was a few choppy pictures. Bummer. I always like keeping up with historical events, regardless of who's being inaugurated. Regarding the whole to-do, what is there to say? Not much more than I said at the elections - God help us all. I am absolutely disgusted at the sappy and tearful media love-fest over this man (gosh, where was that the two times Bush was elected?). However, he was lawfully elected, and God is not going to protect a country from the choices they make at the voting box. But before I degenerate into political mudslinging (and I have NO desire to start political debates on this blog), I will simply say that President Obama is now in my constant prayers - for his safety and that of his family, for wisdom, and for spiritual growth. I don't envy any man or woman the job that he now faces.