“Once upon a time, a very long time ago now, about last week, Kathleen was in a series of doctors’ offices all by herself under the name of Rauch.”

Wasn’t that a great opening to this blog post? But don’t think me clever. I re-adapted the line, after brazenly stealing it, from A.A. Milne’s brilliant book Winnie the Pooh. But I like the sound of it.

The original line reads:

“Once upon a time, a very long time ago now, about last Friday, Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest all by himself under the name of Sanders.”

Johnny loves this book. We have been listening to it over and over again this summer. Well, he is listening to it. I am usually asleep while he is quietly listening to Dame Judi Dench read on the Libby app. A word of advice. If you are going to listen to a book written by a British author, it is imperative that you find a recording done in a British accent. It makes all the difference. It might make you smarter too.

Which leads me to a movie recommendation – the 2018 film Christopher Robin. If you haven’t seen this movie, you really must. It follows the story of Christopher Robin as he leaves The Hundred Acre Wood and grows up. It is simply endearing. The wisdom of Pooh is priceless. Like when Pooh says, “I always get to where I am going by walking away from where I have been.” That’s brilliant philosophy from a stuffed animal. The movie will warm your heart and leave a smile on your face. A great, uplifting selection for all ages.

Here is the trailer:

Anyways, I did have two doctors appointments last week. One with my OB (Dr. L) and one with my Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor (Dr. S). Dr. L is graciously continuing to see me even though I will deliver in another hospital under the care of another doctor. I appreciate his continued care and support.

I had another peek at Baby Ocho at Dr. S’s office. This child continues to be difficult and simply does not want us to take a closer look at that little heart. Every time the tech would get anywhere near the heart, Ocho would arch its back and turn its head. Stubborn baby. But I hold out hope that the little one is growing an incredible left ventricle and wants to wait to surprise us all at a later date.

The good news is that the baby is growing well. All measurements are on right on schedule. Baby Ocho weighs about 1 pound, 8 ounces, which is about the size of a big can of Ranch Style Beans (thanks for the reference, Dad). Those are some good eats and a staple from my childhood.

Dr. S said the ultrasound was the best he could hope for. He is cautiously hopeful that I can make it to 38 weeks.

I appreciate how patiently Dr. S answers my questions. I am learning more about how a 46 year body handles pregnancy differently than a younger body. Differently does not mean better in this instance. Some of it has to do with my body’s inability to handle hormonal surges. Some of it has to do with environmental factors. I think he means the environment within my body but I am taking a more global view. Surely he means the 7 active children who are driving me nuts this summer. It’s no wonder I feel so rotten all the time.

I’ll close with a final look at Baby Ocho. Notice the identifying features on the picture (HEAD, BODY, LEG). The baby is upside down and folded in half. The little leg is literally over the kid’s head. As Pooh would say, “Oh, bother!”

This child will fit in just fine around here.