They make great slings for bigger babies. Owen and I have a Platex Hip Hammock which works up to 35lbs. And I've seen some others, less techy and more natural for keeping toddlers on hips and backs. I've found it to be handy when I don't have room for even a small stroller or places that don't allow strollers (like certain zoo or aquarium exhibits that have long lines and make you park your stroller outside).

Cindy, O's getting the snot monster. Christopher has bad seasonal allergies this year. He didn't get them until a few years ago, thank goodness. I hope O's like me and bypasses them altogether. But since he had a few play dates with his distant cousins at my sister's house, I think he may have picked up the usual kid-germs and will have to ride out another cold. I didn't even click the link on FD. I hate thinking about the petrie dish that is school just now.

Deena, isn't it funny how they're so fierce when pushing the rest of the family to get medical treatment but so not-bothering for themselves? Gah! Crazy moms!!! I'm so glad your father is doing well and I hope he heals quickly.

erika, you know my stance on porn. *g*

Well, no, the lifting in the job description actually is the furniture in question. We're expected to do a lot more church custodial type work (and less decoration/planning) than an outside wedding coordinator. I'm just lucky I had the foresight to subcontract most of the post-reception heavy lifting to the assistant custodian--my original idea was we'd work together, but she has tickets to the ball game tomorrow night, so we decided I'd be in charge of the sanctuary and the wedding party dressing rooms, but she'd put all the fellowship hall tables and chairs away and check the bathrooms after the game. I nearly didn't do it because it meant giving up part of the precious, the money.

Oh, and I heartily endorse low rise jeans for hiding at least one extra flab roll around the middle.

I'm hoping dad will turn the tables on her. If he doesn't, I will be sure to harrass her once this current excitement subsides.

Tep, he's not a marathon runner. Hee. He doesn't find exertion good unless it's useful. He's always being useful. In fact, he just finished building their retirement cottage. Thank heavens it's finished.

One of the things that helped me get perspective last night was when you posted that you'd look up information and I thought, Oh! Tep's already been through this several times! Not that I would wish it on anyone even once, but it helped me realize this isn't likely the end. Thank you for that.

I know. It's just that being able to do a bit of lifting is one of the wedding coordinator job requirements, and one I can normally fulfill with no problems. So I feel bad about asking other people to do something I'm paid for. Especially since I already cashed the check and spent the money.

My opinion is that *I* wouldn't risk injuring myself over a matter of principle, money or no.

Oh, and Cindy, the real issue is getting onto and off of the bus--having to fold and unfold the stroller while keeping Annabel from running away, because I can't have her in the stroller while on the bus.

My opinion is that *I* wouldn't risk injuring myself over a matter of principle, money or no.

But if they complained, I couldn't give them their money back. It's gone already.

One of the things that helped me get perspective last night was when you posted that you'd look up information and I thought, Oh! Tep's already been through this several times! Not that I would wish it on anyone even once, but it helped me realize this isn't likely the end. Thank you for that.

You're welcome, dearie. And I looked up the hospital's Web site, and while I as a researcher feel they need to put more information in the cardiac care part of their site, it looks like that's the top-notch hospital in the area for heart patients. So he seems to be in good hands.

Susan, as someone icing her back now, whose back hasn't been quite right for over a year -- make sure whatever you're risking it on is really important to you. Or unavoidable. There's a much bigger monetary hole waiting for you on the other side, not to mention just the pain and the mental anguish that accompanies sustained injury.

I should have made that connection when you mentioned paying for the bus. Travelling on the bus would also suck. Basically, toting babies around is hard and frustrating work.

I remember with each of my kids, getting to the point where we could do some things without a mega-ton of equipment coming along with us. It was wonderful. It will happen someday for you. And it only gets better. Someday, you will not need a diaper bag. It will rock. Someday in the still distant but I-can-see-the-horizon future, I will need no car booster seats.