OK, I just cracked up. There is a woman outsidethat isn't one of my neighbors arguing with someone on a cell. Now, normally, around here? It's laced with explicatives and demands about who slept with whom and child support and that bitch/fucker/n-word... this one was "Just answer my question! Are you a RE.PUB.LI.CAN! JUST ANSWER MY QUESTION! Did you vote for that bastard Erlich!?"

It's gentrification in its fetal form, sarameg.

Cindy, sick sick. I have been coughing like crazy for over a week. My ribs are actually incredibly sore and if I pop my sternum, I'm going to be pissed. My ob, though, is the mostly pragmatic type. She said I don't have pneumonia, but nor is she convinced I have a sinus infection. She prescribed cough syrup with codeine. I know that is the horror of most pregnant people, many of whom in my life have shouted, "you can't take medicine!" But actually, I can't sleep either, so better limited codeine and more rest.

Oh, Kat! And feh on the other pregnant people. My feeling always was that my OB knew a little bit more than the other pregnant people.

I had bronchitis when I was pregnant with Julia. They finally gave me an antibiotic. I still had one dose left the day after she was born. I remember how sore my ribs were from coughing, though. I think it must be worse when you're pregnant because of the belly and all the stretching going on. I would wake up in the night, cough and end up crying, because it hurt so bad.

I hope you feel better soon, Kat. It's miserable being sick when you're pregnant.

Anyhow I have two sestinas to write for my next poetry class (ARGH) and I was told I need to turn in my thesis proposal and have it approved before the end of summer so I can take a leave of absence in peace. Which means, I go back to grad school tomorrow in order to try to crank this out.

Oh, you poor thing. I hope it goes easily for you.

brenda, the bread sounds lovely. Please come make it for me. Also? Lucy is adorable. There's something very sweet about her little face.

I was all excited to actually be able to go to yoga yesterday, but when I checked the website, the Basics class I wanted to intend had been moved back an hour and it was only five minutes until it started. Feh.

She prescribed cough syrup with codeine. I know that is the horror of most pregnant people, many of whom in my life have shouted, "you can't take medicine!" But actually, I can't sleep either, so better limited codeine and more rest.

Also, your doctor gave it to you, which means it's fine.

I wish I weren't allergic to codeine. It would make finding functional cold meds so much easier. (Though I will say, this last cold I had, which was the first time in forever I hadn't taken any decongestants, went away really fast. I was quite impressed with the healing powers of mucus.)

I wonder if Jesse was consumed by a massive mound of bread dough overnight.

Also, your doctor gave it to you, which means it's fine

Right. But I had been taking Delsym for a couple of days before that. Again to the horror of everyone else around me. She said, "OVer the counter cold and flu meds are fine as long as they don't have alcohol or aspirin."

Of course when I have a three-headed baby, we'll know who to blame. But for now I'm embracing my codeine cough syrup.

Seriously? Will someone else do my poems and thesis please!

I'm stuck on my first damn poem because I'm playing with the image of a hellmouth and everyday sins. I can't get the first verse done which is problematic because then I can't get the pattern established for my other verses. DER.

I wonder if Jesse was consumed by a massive mound of bread dough overnight.

Like the blob!

Sue, how's the new house?

I have no poetry for you, Kat. I do have a pukey kid you could borrow for the day, though. You know, if you want to practice.

Of course when I have a three-headed baby, we'll know who to blame. But for now I'm embracing my codeine cough syrup.

A couple years back I found a book from the 40s -- Eastman's Expectant Motherhood, I think it was called -- and man, they wanted you to sit back and enjoy your pregnancy like whoa. Feeling stressed? Take a sleeping pill! Need a little romance to lift your spirits? Have your husband make you a cocktail! It was bizarre, from a 90s perspective. But I really believe that 98 percent of the time, OTC meds and even an occasional glass of wine or cup of coffee (or two) is NOT going to affect your baby. There's a lot of CYA that goes into modern OB practice, with the malpractice problem.

That's so true, Amy.

One thing I hated about being pregnant -- all the other pregnant people contradicting my OB. That's why when someone wants to know what cold meds they can take or whatever, I always tell them to ask their doctor.

I wonder if Jesse was consumed by a massive mound of bread dough overnight.

This image is making me giggle!

I need to do laundrey and I don't want to, but it is urgent! No clothing! Will need to go to work naked! And I am trying to break myself of the habit of going out and buying clothes when this happens. I realize it isn't so much the lazyness of not wanting to do the laundrey, but the laziness of not wanting to deal with the steps and the doors involved (3 doors, 3 flights of stairs). And since there is only one washer/dryer for all of the people here, I feel like I can't hog it all day on a Sunday, so I need to pick and choose what I wash. I used to do my wash at the theatre, but for some reason both the Hot and cold water are warm. Or rather the hot is hot, and the cold is warm. I thought for awhile that the lines were just switched, but there is no cold water! I think that the cold water pipe runs along the heat pipe, and is getting secondary warmth.

I have already been to the Grocery Store, and I'm changing my allegiance over to the Whole Foods near Alewife, since they reliably carry the Cherry Almond Ginger Chew cookies that I crave. They are seriously like crack!cookies for me.