We got home this afternoon to see this guy (a beautiful 5-footer) hanging out at the mailbox. I stopped the car and poked at him to try to get him to move out of harm's way (he was in the road sunning). Instead of moseying into the woods as I'd anticipated, he slithered over and climbed up onto our mailbox and stared at me. Then he raised up about a third of his body until he was eye level with me and just stayed that way. Very strange. (Was he guarding the bills? And why/how did he pick my mailbox- there are three in a row.)
It was the strangest animal encounter I'd had since last night around midnight, when a bat dive-bombed my head while I was out on the deck trying to glimpse the perseids.
No time (as usual) for a real post, so here are some quickie points:
- Today was Pookie's 2-month appointment. Her stats: 13 pounds, 6.5 ounces, and 22 inches long. Just the other day I was holding her thinking, "Where did my tiny baby go? This kid must be 11 pounds."
I had no idea she was this big though!
- She also had her first round of immunizations. Vaccines are such a "maybe you're damned if you do" and "maybe you're damned if you don't" situation. On the one hand, of course you don't want your baby to get polio, but on the other it's easy to imagine the Big Bad Corporations and The Gubment approving some scary mercury-containing concoction that makes your little one sick as well.
And they almost had to restrain me as well as her when they stuck all those needles in. My poor baby...she took three (massive) shots in her (massive) thighs and just sat there looking shocked for about 3 seconds before it dawned on her how much it actually hurt. You can fill in for yourself what happened then.
- The internet is a bad thing for a worrier mother, especially one who was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder some time ago. I went online looking for "baby sweaty palms" and ended up terrified of lung problems, heart failure, SIDS and a bevy of horrible genetic diseases. The pediatrician (who must deal with crazy mothers frequently) patiently explained to me that all these diseases manifest first as "failure to thrive" and that a 13.5 pound two-month-old doesn't exactly fit that description.
- Non-pediatrics-related: we had a big weekend that included visits from family and friends, and dinner Saturday night at the home of my boss (note to self: become a vice chancellor someday). That was all on Friday and Saturday, so Sunday was largely devoted to resting. The family all came up to see Maren of course, but I think that the cooler mountain temperatures (90 degrees is cooler?!) made them want to stay.
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