Habari Gani? (What's the news?)

It's been a while since I posted. Now that Ophelia is awake and active more and more, there isn't as much time for messin' around on the computer. Plus, school starts next week, and I've had orientations and events for the last two weeks. I also felt too guilty to post until I had finished writing a manuscript I was working on and reviewing another for a journal. But I'm done now, so I can blog away...

Ophelia had her 1 month checkup and she was 10 lbs 6 oz (!) and is in the 90th percentile for length (geez!) and 80th for weight. I think she'll be taking after the taller Meyers than the short Eddens family. My mom said she was pretty sure no grandchild of hers had ever been more than the 50th percentile for length, much less 90th! The next milestone I'm waiting for is for her to smile. She smiles when she sneezes, sleeps, or poops (and why not, those things all feel so good...:) ) but hasn't socially smiled yet, despite my acting the fool to try to make it happen.

The first time I left O to go to an orientation at school I cried a little. But it's not so bad. We went to Bruce Springsteen Saturday night, and it was the first time I left her for 7 hours, but I gotta be honest, it was kinda like we were just a childless married couple again. We stood for 5 hours, but it was totally worth it. If I have Bruce's energy when I'm in my 60s, I'll be a lucky woman. It was an awesomely amazing concert, which totally makes up for the less than stellar shows we've seen lately (Raconteurs, Tom Waits...take some lessons from the E Street Band, my friends). The band definitely had more energy than the crowd by the end. There were great covers (Devil with the Blue Dress, Twist and Shout, Then She Kissed Me) along with all the classics, which they save for the encore. I was stoked that they played Adam Raised a Cain, Because the Night, and She's the One, some of my favorites outside the obvious Born to Run and Thunder Road. The songs from Magic were good, but I think much of the crowd didn't know them. He pulled kids up on stage multiple times, which was really heartwarming, and played crowd requests, which is apparently something they've started since the last time I saw them in '02(ish). Tracks from The Rising still brought tears to my eyes, even 7 years after September 11th. So did Thunder Road, just because it does. I haven't the slightest idea why. I had a smile on my face the first hour or so that wasn't coming off. So did Sam, who was a Springsteen virgin, and was totally impressed. What a show. If you want to see the set list from Saturday night, click here. Tony LaRussa was there, and even men of the cloth are fans (Chris?)...Read about the minister who preaches the gospel of Bruce Springsteen, buy his book, or listen to the Weekend Edition interview.

Anyhoo...People have been asking me about the birth story, so I'm planning on posting that next.

But first, more pictures, which is what people care about anyway, right? Not my ramblings...

Sam's first time feeding O

Just a cute outfit on a cute girl

Playing drums like daddy

Now who's the lazy family?

Everyone's tired after Springsteen

Sleepy...
Sleepier...
Sleepier still...
Sleepiest.

And a montage of Ophelia dancing in her playard: