Pokus Still Pokin'

First things first:  Pokus has not made any discernible progress toward life on the outside.  We had our biophysical profile this a.m., a nontress test and a sono, and there was exactly ONE contraction in an hour (which I did not feel).  Otherwise, we found out that there is plenty of amniotic fluid still surrounding a happy and healthy thumb-sucking, hand-waving Pokus, who moved the requisite amount in the allotted time and was given the all-important "Normal" rating on all measures.

So, this all means that while we here on the outside are suspended in a state of slow torture, Pokus is apparently quite contentedly happy on the inside.  Fine!  Maybe Pokus wants to be a Capricorn after all-- maybe we're looking at the 22nd.  Speedy, who studies Chinese medicine, wants Pokus to be born on the winter side of the solstice to be a "water" rather than a "wood" sign, so she's gunning for after the 21st.  And my acupunturist tells me that her astrologer friend says that babies born at this time this year will be tremedously powerful and world-changing, so we know Pokus has her work cut out for her.  Maybe the extra cooking time is a good thing.

The sonographer did refer to Pokus as a "she" although she said that she did so only because she heard Speedy do it-- she knew before she whisked the curtain around the cot that we did not know and had no intention of finding out.  But this is the only shred of possible evidence we have had to this point, so we both are thinking and double-thinking the meaning.

And...that's all I got!  Sorry-- I know that some people are waiting for an exciting update, but I am feeling like this could conceivably go on for a week longer-- or more, if the midwives would allow it.

In other news, the zoo yesterday was fabulous!  It was all of about 25 degrees and we were two of the maybe ten people in total who thought that going to the zoo on a frigid Thursday sounded like a good idea.  I am quite sure I was the ONLY one who was 41 weeks pregnant with a broken foot-- but hey, as Sarah Palin says-- that's just the way I roll.  We saw only the tail of the aardvark, who preferred to remain in his snug little fake cave, but the tree kangaroos and gibbons made up for Hoover's reluctance to be seen. Then we went to the nearby Little Italy of the Bronx, where we bought real olive bread (made with oil-cured olives bursting through the crust), quaresimali (which is like a very hard, sweet almond biscotti, also known appropriately as "jaw breakers"), torrone (almond nougat) and then had delicious cappuccinos with pignoli cookies before heading home.  Heaven.  And not a single cramp the whole time.

Today I am taking Cindy's advice again and going to Rockaway, which is about as far away as you can go and remain in the five boroughs of NYC, to watch the accumulated Dexters that Ex has recorded for me & Speedy, while hanging with Ex & her partner and their baby. 
Seen here:  tree kangaroo.  Clearly, evolution has given these guys a very easy ride.