FIVE: The cramp

L and I went to Port Townsend, Washington for about five days to visit/meet my best friend from college and her family. This was L and I's first official vacation together and probably our last for quite some time (although I did have a dream recently where the baby was fine for several days after placing him tenderly in a cabinet and sprinkling a few raisins around for sustenance, so assuming we have enough raisins perhaps we can still travel for long weekends).

The first couple nights, J and T were kind enough to give up their bed and we were able to stay with them and their two fantastic and brilliant sons.

That's Henry on the left, preparing a series of questions regarding the internal combustion engine and infinity and Sebastian on the right, warming up for a dramatic monologue and/or an aria.

Then L and I had a couple getaway nights at a delightful little beach guesthouse nearby.

It was in this entry that I was going to recount, in gory detail, an anecdote involving a horrendous calf cramp (another miracle of pregnancy which I rank as worse than peeing oneself in public but better than hemorrhoids) which struck during a moment of...romance. But it is my understanding that this blog is getting some unanticipated distribution, so I'll skip the details and just provide the highlights of the event: sudden screaming, an elbow to a face, calf-clutching and more screaming, (to borrow L's phrase) "a lack of patriotism on flag day", laughter, crying - all of which required several hours of physical and emotional recovery time, a Nanny 911 marathon and an entire package of oreos. Ultimately, I think we are a better, stronger couple for having been through that together.

And finally, a few of you have been requesting a picture of L. Understandable since so few have met him (Don't feel too badly, I just met him myself) but I feel hesitant about completely exposing him, particularly since I've just told you about how suddenly unpatriotic he can be.

So here his is (only sort of) on the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island.

as you were.