Mom's birthday is Sunday. I was thinking it was next Sunday and hadn't gotten her anything yet since I was waiting until I got paid.

I have no idea what to get her and I'm freaking out.

For those of us unfamiliar with gestational timetables, does 28 weeks means she's good and far along or what? IE, if Weenie decides to appear early, what does that mean?

Just spoke to Hec - JZ & the baby are both fine, but she's being kept in the hospital over the weekend.

Whew! It wasn't until I read this and started breathing again that I realized I had stopped. Much ~ma, good thoughts and prayers to JZ and the Halloweenie, and indeed to all Chez ZMayhem.

She is leaving for a trip with her two favorite brothers and their husbands today for two days in Vancouver and then a cruise to Alaska.

If you talk to your mom again before she heads out on the cruise, tell her to wave when she gets to Juneau!

Gestational period is 40 weeks. Full term is considered anything past 38 weeks.

28 weeks is very early if (God forbid, crosses self, knocks wood) the Halloweenie decided to come now. But she won't. She is staying put - by order of The Empress.

adding my continued-ma for the Zmayhems. Juliana (or Hec), please let me know if there is anything I can do.

SO glad to hear that JZ and Halloweenie are all right and, while being in the hospital sucks, it's good she's being taken care of.

Oh, Calli, I'm so sorry. All sorts of -ma to you and your family.

28 weeks is very early if (God forbid, crosses self, knocks wood) the Halloweenie decided to come now. But she won't. She is staying put - by order of The Empress.

It is. (And she is, damn it.) On the small plus side, 28 weeks is also considered a big ol' gestational milestone with a much higher chance of a good outcome than you'd see a week or two before that. (As I recall: 24 weeks is the effective threshold for viability, though you have the occasional 23 weeker who makes it. 32 weeks is the next big one, with 36 weeks being the one following. Depending on your doc, either 37 or 38 weeks is considered term, though if you're being considered for induction at 37 weeks, they'll do an amnio first to determine lung development status.)

(Not, you know, that I obsessed over this during my pregnancy. What can I say? Statistics are soothing.)

Today was one of those days it was good to be behind. I got to hear the not-awful end of the story almost as soon as I read about the scary part. All good thoughts for David, Jacqueline, and the little one.

Ginger, we have lived here since this neighborhood was built, and the city keeps promising sidewalks. They put in water and sewer lines, streetlights, followed immediately by an increase in breakins and car vandalism (the theives could see what they were doing, now), and tax increases regular as clockwork. They built a 100-unit development at the end of what had been a quarter-mile dead end street, put in quaint olde fashionede lamplighter streetlights instead of the War of the Worlds Orange Death Glow hideosities we have, and...you guessed it, sidewalks.

And now that I have watered all my expiring deck plants, I hear the sound of distant thunder. Yay.

Calli, I'm so sorry. I had hoped you'd have more time.