Then...Amie and Gestating Gerty Goldman Gundersen

After lots of hard work, the belly began to grow...







...and grow...










...and grow...














...and grow.










Our little beastie - dubbed Gertie Goldman Gundersen as a name placeholder - made the pilgrimage to the Land of Blue Hair, Sandpaper Skin, and Mickey Mouse Ears (otherwise known as Florida) to see her Great, Great Grandmother, Great Grandmother, and Grandmother in Florida on Mother's Day. Great, Great Grandma Helen blessed the belly and Amie was home to rule the universe from the couch in our family room while on several weeks of doctor-ordered bedrest. She (and yours truly) survived with only a few hours at the bottom of the emotional barrel and Gertie managed to stay in utero until she was cooked into a Luciena Tova.

Watching the growth of Lucie confirmed one belief. Women are aliens. It's the only explanation for the transformation of body, brain, and, well, boobs. And no, boobs are not part of the rest of the body during pregnancy. They become their own beings and must be respected as such. Body parts aside, the growth and birth of Lucie was as miraculous an event as I can imagine. Whether evolution, intelligent design, or alien intervention, from seed to squawker, birthing is a marvel and the product a joy.