Celebrate good times, come on

So, no news is, in fact, good news this week: the funeral went well, as well as can be expected for a funeral. It was, umm, enlightening? to see many of my cousins I haven't seen in ages and to remember why I haven't seen them. My father's family has led a somewhat checkered past and a complicated present, so seeing all my cousins and aunts and uncles reminded us all (us being my immediate family) how grateful we are our lives are so simple and straightforward in comparison. You know, because we don't have children from multiple others, criminal records, marriages in all sorts of disarray, that sort of thing. But the service itself was quite moving and enjoyable, strangely, even though my sister and sisters-in-law and I were shanghaied the day before into performing a musical number we practiced (ie sang) twice before the actual event. And still we got rave reviews. Low standards, you see.

As for the ultrasound, it went as well as it possibly could go. We are having a boy (no pink bows for me to toss out, no symbolic bras for me to teach someone how to burn, hurrah!) and according to all the markers both old and new he is well within normal limits, meaning his risk for Down's has now gone back down to "normal" levels (which are elevated because of my age but there is nothing I can do about that. Apparently a young-looking face doesn't really help you in the genetics department!). So this is very good news indeed.

We opted not to do an amnio, which would be conclusive, because of the risk of miscarriage and because I really don't want to know any more. I am putting my head back in the sand and keeping it there, thank you very much! I was also appalled when the genetic counselor told me that if we were even considering it, we needed to do the amnio that day because it is still legal to terminate a pregnancy until week 24 in South Carolina. This after having just seen what is most definitely already a person on the screen in front of me (indistinct though some of those images were to me...turns out I am 3-D illiterate: "that is the stomach? really? Okay, whatever you say!"). Discussions of abortion rights aside, the timing/juxtaposition of information was viscerally shocking to me.

And so we continue apace. If all goes well, we are closing on our new-to-us house tomorrow afternoon. We got some concessions, they made most of the repairs we wanted done, and we are moving forward, meaning we will move in by the end of the month. So anyone who has some free time between now and then and wants to come over and help me pack, I would greatly appreciate it because I have never packed when I couldn't move all the boxes myself, and I'm not looking forward to the prospect. I think more denial is in order!

Today I challenged my bible study students to keep regular journals and committed to do the same, so this is going to stand in as my journaling effort, which means more regular entries (huzzah!) and perhaps more meaningful ones as well...though I wouldn't hold my breath about that last part! I mean really, have you met me??