Shlomo meets Rocky

At 37 weeks, we are just about ready to welcome Shlomo/Shlomette to our family. Thanks to the generosity of family and friends, we think we have everything we need for the baby’s arrival. We have set up the nursery, taken a childbirth class, and even packed our bag for the hospital. Last weekend we tried to enjoy our remaining couple time together with some special dates. We looked at art at Christie’s and the Museum of Modern Art, went out to a fancy Italian dinner downtown, shopped at the Barney’s Warehouse Sale, and got free tickets to see Euripides’ The Bacchus in Central Park, where we had some adventure with our culture.

Before the play, we ate some sandwiches at our seats in the outdoor arena, enjoying the perfect weather. We put our leftovers in a cardboard carton on the ground. About twenty minutes into the play, Brittney thought she felt something furry against her leg. She looked down and saw the dinner remains were shaking back and forth. A little scared, she asked Mark to investigate. He told her it was a kitten, but it was actually hungry raccoon. Mark scooted the food to the aisle and the raccoon followed. Another raccoon came to try to claim some, but the first fought him away. We were a little freaked out but tried to keep watching the play (which was rather odd). Then the raccoons came back toward our seat, so we moved a few rows up. But they kept following us. Not wanting to expose our baby to rabies, we got up to leave. On the way out, an usher offered us seats in the second row, so we took those, thinking we were safe. At the play’s most dramatic, tragic, moment, there was a scream from the center of the crowd – the raccoons were back. Mark noticed one coming toward our row, so we took off — we didn’t want to get bit, and it was pretty clear by this point that things weren’t going well for the people of Thebes.

Other than that wildlife scare, our final weeks are going smoothly. Mark is getting over strep throat and slanderous but unfounded rumors about the Michigan football team, but Brittney is healthy and active and the belly and baby continue to grow…