Busy weekend.

Friday we were over at Ebert studios to check out Chats's "baby belly" digital proofs. Chats usually hates (HTML needs a code for triple underlining and angry lightning bolts, don't you think?) pictures of herself and I was bracing myself for talking her into just accepting one for the sake me and her parents, but we were really pleased with the results. Jeff at Ebert Studios generously gave me permission to post a few on the blog.



Anyway, it was a flop-sweat relief that Chats was so happy with the result, because it required pleading on my part to get how she looks pregnant commemorated in the studio in the first place. There were a lot of accumulated husband-chips on the table for this particular spin of the marriage wheel.



Chats had her shower up in K-town on Saturday with her Wisconsin relatives. Her sister organized it and thanks to her being a frequent business traveler she was able to arrive early to clean up my brother-in-law's house (nice gal, smart, stable job, still single -- hard to meet guys when you're on the road all the time. Or maybe I should say hard to get a relationship going.). Chats's mom flew up from Florida as a surprise too, so that was nice. Lots of veteran moms at this shower so the emphasis was on the practical. In other words, gifts to cope with the enormous amount of soggy material a baby emits from assorted orifices.

Sunday we were back out at NIU in De Kalb for the honors recognition ceremony. I was named the Senior Honors Alumnus for 2008-2009, I'm beyond pleased to say. They gave me a little plaque. The Honors Program at Northern sure has grown since I went through it back in the age when we threw rocks to keep the Neanderthals from making long distance calls on our rotary phones. I think when I graduated, we had maybe twenty. There were about a hundred graduates this year who'd earned either Upper Division or University Honors. About 80% female (or more), so guys, if you want to meet the hot brainy types, try and get into your university honors program.

Today it was back at the baby doc. Things are going great, at least from the sprog's end. Chats is ready to hit the fast forward button and get this sequence over with.