and straddling a marble statue of Jesus Christ, snapping off only the thumb and forefinger of his outstretched hand.

My friend Betty (who used to live in New Orleans) called this "Touchdown Jesus" because the shadow it cast in the streetlights made it look like he was going back for a pass.

Cereally...

I went to my first Russian wedding this weekend, and WOW, so much fun! It was a mixed wedding -- the bride (a good friend of mine from college) is an atheist from Tennessee, the groom (who is just wonderful, and I couldn't be happier for her) is the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. So the service was a modified Jewish ceremony, and the reception was a full-on Russian Jewish extravaganza. Alex tried to prepare us ("The food that is on the tables when you get there is JUST THE APPETIZERS. Dinner won't be served until 10:30! Pace yourselves!") but...wow. So. much. food. When we got to the banquet hall, the tables were literally covered in cold appetizers. There was not a free square inch to be had. We also had a bottle each of vodka, cognac, and red wine (which turned out to be SPARKLING! fun!) for the table. We nibbled on the apps for a while (while the emcee made us toast the couple over and over and over again), and we danced a lot, and then they brought out what we thought was the main course.

Nope, these were the hot appetizers. There was soup, and quail, and caviar (which wasn't hot, but the blini were warm, so I guess it counted as part of Course #2), and more stuff I can't even remember, and at this point our table had finished our wine and were almost out of vodka.

Then we danced some more. By the time they'd brought out the real entrees, we'd been eating and drinking and dancing for almost three hours. Somehow, we ate more anyway, and then danced more and drank more (finished the vodka, and moved on to the cognac).

Dessert was served around 12:30, and we were all falling down tired, but still dancing and drinking because we were just having so much fun. (Except my poor freshman-year roommate, who was one of the bridesmaids, and was on call -- she's a doctor -- all day Friday and Saturday night, and hadn't slept in 42 hours. She fell asleep after the entrees arrived.)

I have pictures at home that I wanted to post on Flickr, but iPhoto was being a little bitch, so I couldn't. I'll try again tonight. But the whole affair was such a blast that all the miserable wedding stories I've read here over the past couple of days have been completely wiped from my mind.

How often do you feed her solids?

3 times day.

Does that include paper?

sounds like so much fun Jessica!

I love my new grocery store. It's like the ultimate shopping experience. Unfortunately, I usually go over my budget thanks to its wonderfulness.

Ooh, what grocery store is this?

Ooh, what grocery store is this?

The Stop and Shop on McGrath Highway. It is really, really dangerously wonderful.

Our wireless network stuff just came. Guess what I'm going to be doing the rest of the day?

Ok...disconnecting for a while while I try to get all of this set up. Yay!

Wow, Jess. That's a wedding! I just know Maria's going to have the Italian version of that, with too much fun for one event.

3 times day.

You could probably do four 8-oz. bottles now, one with/after each meal, one at bedtime, but your pediatrician can advise you best. I'm trying to remember what Sara was getting at that age and it's amazing how it blurs so quickly.

It does blur. I think there was a brief period where Ben was at eight 8oz bottles a day, because he was an extreme piggy boy, and too young for solids (just before he was four months).

Emeline is petite, so my inclination is that if wants the bottles, and the solid food, let her have what she will, but I'd check with the pediatrician, too. It seems to me we eventually settled into a 5 bottles and three meals sort of schedule. I know the formula is still more important for her than the solids, nutritionally speaking, but the solids will fill her, more, which can be good, or not, depending on what the doctor thinks of her weight gain.

that's a good one! we used to go shopping there.

Hmm. I am trying to decide whether to be safe (aka, panic) or see how things pan out. I have some leg aches/pains. They don't feel like muscle pulls or pains at all. The achey-ness/pain is a low level constant thing, not affected by any particular position or weight put on it or anything. The ache/pain is in my calf, above the back of my knee, and in the ankle area. There isn't any numbness. I've walked and swam (not too vigorously) and it still hurts. My fear (for no reason) is that it is a blood clot. This has only been happening for the last couple hours or so.

Any thoughts?

Wow, Jessica, that sounds absolutely amazing. I can't wait for pics.

Nora, I wouldn't worry, but I think you should just call your doctor's office and let them decide.