Okay, so no one tagged me, but it seems like everyone does this at least once, so I'm going to do it, now. Pfft.

Five things about Maggi that relatively few people know:

1. One of my favorite smells is vinyl... Putting up a new shower curtain makes my entire week (that's relatively how long that plastic smell lasts. Love it).

2. I think I was four years old when I was finally, completely weaned off the bottle. From then, it was sippy cups all the way, baby. My brother eventually got the bottles. Lucky.

3. I entered college with 36 credits from AP classes I took in high school. (As you can see, I'm quickly running out of interesting Maggi facts.)

4. I was named after my grandma (Margaret) and my cousin Lynnda (Lynn's my middle name). Our baby girl will have the same middle name.

5. My favorite song of all time is Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn.

I'm tagging anyone who actually reads this. I'm guessing it's no one (though maybe I can get Dave to post 5 of his little-known tidbits).

So, I was put on mandatory, 24/7 bedrest, this past Monday, due to high blood pressure and severe swelling. (I also have to endure an extremely-low-sodium diet until Baby A's born, too, but that's another story.) I would have wound up in the hospital, but we were able to get it down.

Now, anyone who thinks laying on your side all day and night sounds like fun, let me tell you: it gets old. Yeah. After like, two hours. There's only so much TV one can take (though the stupidity exhibited on those daytime court shows never ceases to amaze me), and when you can't even munch on chips, you get annoyed. You have to be there. It's either that, or put your kid in mortal peril. I'll take the couch, thank you. Plus, there's that whole pesky nesting instinct thing. Do you know how hard it is to stay "relaxed" when there's a floor that could be vacuumed, counters that should be wiped down, and clothes that need putting away?

So it's after 3:30, and I can't sleep. I'm convinced it has something to do with the three-hour nap I took, before (although, that was to make up for the previous night's lack of sleep), but perhaps it also is my body's way of getting ready for those frequent wake-up calls from Baby A ("Feed me!" "Change me!" "Look at me, darnit! I'm cute!!!"). It's hard to sleep for more than a few hours straight.

Well, I guess another nap's in order, later. It's not like I'll have much else to do, until this baby decides to finally come on out.

I wouldn't normally write about strange people, since there are quite a few of them in this city, and I've learned to ignore them, but this one was abnormally weird. I had just left work, and I'm standing at the bus stop on Broadway and 22nd St, when this guy wearing a kilt and flip flops walks up and sets up his camera on a mini tripod on a standpipe by the corner. He's got the camera pointed towards the empire state building and it's on a timer. He then walks to the corner about 10 feet away, turns, and when the timer is about ready go off, he runs close to the camera, jumps up and kicks his heels together. I'm guessing the first few pictures didn't turn out right, because he proceeds to do this three more times. I almost wanted to go up to him and tell him I'd take his picture if he'd let me take another one with my phone. I decided not to in the end because, although he looked like he was from out of town, I couldn't tell if he was just a tourist or some crazy escaped mental patient. It did make for an entertaining wait at the bus stop though.

Here she is at the ultrasound we had on September 11. She was already 6 pounds, 9 ounces!

It's time to come out now, sweetie! I promise, I'll let you get as big as you want, when you're OUT of mommy!!

Believe it or not, all of these are free samples for which I signed up, online. I just received the formula today. It sure seems like a lot, especially for free!

I am now 37 weeks pregnant and this baby is ready to be born!! Hurry up, Baby Andersen! It's time to come out! You're nearly seven pounds, now (though you feel like so much more), and the ultrasound technician says you've got very chubby little cheeks. We can't wait to meet you!

Maggi's belly finally looks like a pregnant one, and not just like she put on too many pounds (though she's done that, too)!

Dave suggested we lay everything out in our living room. Here's an idea of what it all looked like. Yes, it was very overwhelming. Play "I Spy" and try to find what you got for the baby!

My mom went above and beyond with the shower she planned for me; I feel so incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful mother... She invited my friends who I hadn't seen in way too long, and had it at a restaurant and we ended up having the whole place to ourselves, and even though the remnants of Tropical Storm Hanna were outside, we had the doors open, and it was just absolutely gorgeous. In attendance were my mom, Aunt Judy, Aunt Lorraine, Aunt Betty Ann, Aunt Mary Ann (she came all the way from North Carolina!), Rae (Aunt Lorraine's friend from work and one of the sweetest people I've ever known), Rose (my mom's friend from work, and again, a complete sweetheart, Kathy (Aunt Betty Ann's sister, ditto on the sweetness), my awesome cousin, Amanda, and then my friends Liz, Christine, and Emme. Everything was so beautiful. I wish I'd taken more pictures. All the ones I have are taken by Christine while I opened gifts; thank goodness for her, or I'd have none!

I'm going to post more; my mom has some I'd like to include, and I'll get more acceptable ones of me opening gifts (there are a lot with me having weird expressions on my face).

And all the stuff (minus the handmade goodies and the big things; they deserve their own posts at a later date) spread out on the floor of our living room:

Thank you for everything!!