Waggy?

Today makes 32 weeks. For you math majors, that's 80% of pregnancy completed. I suppose a quick Jennie update should come from her - but she doesn't want her direct quotes to be hastily replicated on the Internet. She is looking forward to June 20 (or earlier) (uh, or later?) and meeting Allison face-to-face. Jennie will sometimes admit to some back pain, soreness, and some asthma, but overall - she's really grateful to be pregnant and excited for what lies ahead. Some people probably don't believe that it's asthma, and say stuff about normal breathing problems in pregnancy, but no - this is real asthma, just exaggerated by pregnancy. FYI, I suppose.

She loves how everyone tells her constantly "you look GREAT." Or "you look so CUTE." Or cool stuff like that. I try to give her props like that on a regular basis, pregnant or not. I mean, let's face it - as Tommy Bennardo once said, "Gar, you're marrying WAY up!"

Seriously, to have landed a wife who openly and honestly empathizes with me every year when the Browns ruin their chance to improve through the NFL Draft - I mean, she seems to really feel my pain here - I have a terrific wife. Jennie somehow shares my unexplainable concern for the Browns, connected with a growing disapproval and resentment for their stupid coach, Butch Davis. If I thought you were interested in my reasons for Butch's incompetency, I'd write them. But it's just football, and only one team matters in football (see our daughter's wardrobe... now 4 Ohio State outfits and counting. A kid can never have enough of those goodies!)

Meanwhile, the demise of the Browns, coupled with the fact that they never pick guys from Ohio State, makes me think Allison will have more Green Bay Packer genes in her developing psyche than anything else in the NFL.

On to more serious matters. With parenting, I suppose my vocabulary will need to expand to include such profound expressions as "get your JAMMIES on" - or "honey, where are the BURP-CLOTHS?"- or - "Allie, here's your BINKY." But, when we registered for baby gifts at Target, I found the baby term to end all baby terms.

"Waggy."

I love that word. "Waggy." Still not sure what it means, but it's the name for a baby stuffed animal we registered for (and received), that I think is just beautiful, CUTE, and shrouded in mystery! The "waggy mystery" is that it's a very cute animal - but I have no idea what animal it is. It looks like some toy company ran out of cute animals to make, like the standard elephant, rabbit, duck, or bear, and decided to mess with genetics, breeding a new animal - the "waggy."

Silly "waggy" looks like part lady bug, part puppy, part turtle, part beetle, and part guinea pig. Mix them all together, paint the thing pink, and you've got your "waggy." If postmodernims had a favorite stuffed animal, waggy tops the list. Click here for a visual of our wonderful WAGGY.

I had to register for that one. I know that my daughter is going to grow up in a world full of mysteries, unknowns, and questions - and I want to prepare for that. I want her to know that not everything in this world is an issue of "black or white" but that some things are complex, and we just have to be willing to live and thrive in that kind of world.

In short, the "waggy" is a GREAT gift, and I wouldn't try raising my daughter without one.