Strange and Benevolent: Growing season

Since we have started taking weekly pictures tracking Sarah's pregnancy, I've also decided that it would be a good time to dust off Ye Ole Strange and Benevolent, and start posting on it weekly.

I figured, if nothing else, it would provide us with a good forum to record our day to day lives as we prepare for parenthood because, y'know, no ones ever done a blog tracking a pregnancy before. Sort of like how we invented the Travel Blog.

Anyhow, last week was an especially exciting week for us, because not only did we get pictures of Sarah's belly from the outside, but we got pictures of the inside too! This was because it was the week of our first (and possibly only) true ultrasound appointment. Let's take a look at the Tummy Tot™ now!

I'm not sure why he or she looks like they are blowing bubbles. It's probably just a distortion in the picture, but it sort of entertains me.

You can also see a couple more images here. Honestly, before this, I have to admit that ultrasound pictures didn't do much for me. I had a tendancy to fall into the camp of people who either dismissed them as "not looking like anything" or "looking like an alien skull." But, having one of my own child, I can't believe that I love a pixely image as much as I do. It blows my mind.

But, having the pictures was only half the experience. Actually watching the ultrasound and seeing the baby twist and move on the computer screen was unbelievable. And, I think the only thing that kept me from getting choked up and teary eyed right that was chuckling as the technician wiggled the ultrasound wand up and down on Sarah's belly trying to get the baby to open it's fists so that she could get an image of its fingers.

And, speaking of movement, Sarah's now officially feeling the baby move. In fact, if I press my head hard enough to her belly ("hellllooooooooo!!!!!"), I can even few the occasional shift and wiggle. It'll be funny because Sarah will be in middle of telling a story, and suddenly just sort of break off in the middle of a sentence with a quixotic smile on her face. Then, after a pause, "sorry, the baby was moving." Pretty cute.

But, this week wasn't just babies for us. Trav and Meg are in town to see friends and family, and celebrate their two Birthdays. Also, while Sarah was getting a Baby Massage ("No, the baby doesn't get massaged, I'm just getting the massage."), me, Trav and a couple of friends decided to check out the Georgetown Art and Garden Walk.

While I technically live on Beacon Hill, the neighborhood of Georgetown is just a few blocks away at the base of the hill. Georgetown, which originally grew up as a neighborhood for people working at Boeing Field, is now known as a funky, punk rock enclave. One of the few neighborhoods that is still affordable and isn't in the process of being consumed full-scale by multi-use condos. And, we figured that the art walk would be a good way to really explore it.

The Georgetown "Castle." One of Seattle's most notorious haunted houses.

A makeshift alter built at the base of some massive trees in the Castle's backyard.

Probably the most surreal aspect of the walk is that all the gardens you visit are those of private home owners, so you are effectively spending your afternoon wandering through strangers yards and taking pictures. Not surprisingly, the people who had opened their homes to the neighborhood were all friendly and wonderful, and even those who weren't offically part of the walk were friendly... Such as the gentleman who invited us into his backyard to check out his chicken coop.

"Goldie" and three other chickens in their backyard coop.

Seeing the chicken coop was especially interesting because Sarah and I have talked about maybe setting up and urban chicken coop someday. I'm not sure if it is something we will be able to juggle with a baby on the way, and all the other work that needs to be done around the house, but seeing "Goldie" and her friends pecking around their coop, I still think it would be a great experience.

After wandering around a bit, working up an appetite and then filling our stomaches with burgers at Calamity Janes. We ended our walk by going over to a friend's uncle's house who lives in the neighborhood. There we enjoyed a little wine, watched his uncle's band play a little, and rode their vintage '32 Schwinn up and down the street before making our way back home hot and sweaty.