22 weeks... and today has been okay.

Three things:

1) I felt good today. Really good. Almost like the old days.

2) Tim is not exactly an effusive person, which isn't to say that he doesn't get excited; it's only to say that he usually shows enthusiasm with a barely perceptible smile, or by slightly raising his eyebrows. He's very quiet about experiencing joy. I did, however, catch him smiling broadly during our ultrasound, and when the doctor told us we'd be expecting a girl. The other day, he wrapped his arms around me and said, "How's my girl?" I said, "I'm okay, a little tired..." and he said, "I didn't mean you... how's my other girl?"

The other day he went to Target to fetch a birthday present for his nephew. He came home with said presents, as well as a stuffed elephant that plays a lullaby and matching blanket for "his girl." I thought it was really cute that he picked out some gifts for her, completely independently from me.

3. I've been begging Tim to let Cami and/or Erin and/or Joanne take a couple pictures of us that we could send out in announcements or frame for the reception. He has been, really, truly, exceesively, adamantly opposed to this idea. He really hates having his photo taken. Today I begged one more time, and he agreed to sit through a ten-minute shoot at... wait for it... Sears (since we had to go to the mall anyway). I think he thought it would be shorter that way... but it was pure and undiluted agony. The waiting room was full of 50-60 screaming children dressed as angels and elves and such. Furthermore, the gal who took our photos seemed to think we were 14 years old and posing for our first prom dates. We finally had to request some conservative poses. She insisted on taking a couple "maternity" shots... which I didn't know existed. We were laughing in 100% of the photos she took, mostly due to the silliness of it all. This is the least silly of the maternity poses (Tim would kill me, really, if I posted the others):