the underwear drawer

clearing the air

First off, I just have to say this, because there has been some commentary, and I want to make something clear here:

Maybe I should have said this more plainly from the outset, but we created Cal's website for friends and family. Because not everyone lives right next door to us, you see, and the power of Al Gore's "internet" brings us together. Right now it just has some ultrasounds and belly pics up on it, but when the kid joins us on the outside, we plan to add more photos of him doing interesting things like breathing air and looking at things. Many friends and family have asked us where we are registered, and therefore there is a link on the website to our baby registry (which, like a bridal registry, is fairly common in this day and age). This, again, is for friends and family who actually know us and will know the baby when he comes out. We set up a similar website for our wedding two years ago, and most people found it to be helpful and fun. If you are in any way offended or feel the need to say snarky things about the fact that we have a baby registry, then by all means, do not click on the link to Cal's webpage, click on the registry links, click to view our registry, and then get mad that we have registered for baby washcloths. And in exchange, I will not go seek out your bridal registry and deride you for registering for a breadmaker, because lord knows, you will never use that thing. Trust me on this one.

You may have noticed a link on the sidebar to Cal's Amazon wishlist, which I put up in response to the surprising number of reader e-mails and comments I have received asking if they could get a present for Cal. Which is, of course, insanely nice, you guys are nuts (in that good way), but thank you so much for even thinking about us. Not wanting to put a link up to his actual registry registry (because again, that's for--say it with me--friends and family), I instead created a list of children's books that I thought Cal might enjoy someday. Because lord knows I like to read, so this kid will probably pop out with an Itty Bitty Booklight already strapped to his head. Books from this wishlist are an option for those interested, and we deeply thank those who have already contributed to Cal's growing library. Another option, and I might say an even better one, is to just think nice thoughts about Cal and to donate time or books to Reach Out and Read, a program promoting early childhood literacy through community-based Pediatrics clinics. Or don't click on either link. It's all good.

But if the fact of us having a baby registry upsets you, by all means, don't look at the registry. Think it looks like we're just making a list of things that we need for the baby and would be thrilled to recieve? That's right, because that's what a baby registry IS. But if it makes Great-Grandma Rita happy to buy our kid a nightgown with a picture of a duck on it, we're damn well going to let her buy our kid a fucking nightgown with a picture of a duck on it. However, if it offends you for some reason that we have registered for said nightgown, please just look away and let Great-Grandma Rita do her thing.

Seriously, usually I don't let the errant comment get to me, but the insinuation after almost five years of keeping this website that suddenly I'm whoring our future kid to the faceless online masses for a free baby gifts is...well, more than a little silly. Hell, if I wanted free crap, I would have started demanding presents years ago. Like all Rolexes and shit.

OK OK OK, group hug! We're done with this topic. Now run along and play, Mommy's gotta go watch her stories.

Currently watching: The finale of "America's Next Top Model." Last night, I mean, not right at this moment, because I don't have TiVo. Hey faceless internet masses, buy me a TiVo! (Heh, kidding, kidding, now I'm really really done.) I hadn't actually watched this show all season, but luckily they had some sort of season-ending recap on the night before where they showed the highlight of each episode, so by the end of Tuesday night, I was all caught up and ready for the finale. And the girl I liked won! You know, little Mohawk girl! I mean, not little, since she was probably seven feet tall, but you know what I mean. However, on a slightly different note, who knew that Tyra Banks's boobs were so ENORMOUS? I guess anyone that gets the Victoria's Secret catalogue.