Coming Clean

I have to be honest with you. I have been keeping something from my dear readers.

I picked up a little more than a tan and some pottery when I was in Thailand. I got a very special little souvenir. One that will be running my life for the next 18 years at least.

Yes, I am in the family way.

Because, "Hey," we said to ourselves, "our lives are getting a little boring. What can we do to really spice things up? How about raising a baby in sub-Saharan Africa? That sounds fun!"

Actually, we are thrilled. Yes, a little freaked out about how we will manage on a contract-based career, but I was raised in hippie-Seattle in the 70s, where what didn't kill a kid only made him stronger. Like running around the streets naked (they've got plenty of that here), playing with matches unsupervised, and chewing on lead-paint toys. If I survived all that, I'm sure this baby will do just fine. That's what malaria nets are for.

So, details, you ask? Well, I'm due in mid-April, we have no idea if it's a boy or a girl, but it's big and healthy so far, and we're hoping to have the baby in the U.S., insurance permitting. I get a generous six months of maternity leave, then we will probably return to Malawi for another year, although that's not fully decided yet.

If it's a boy, Jorge wants to name it Tonka. I said no. He nixed my suggestion of Aramis (the bookish, sensitive Musketeer, in case you're not a Dumas fan), so we are at an impasse. If you know my husband and me, you will know that coming to an agreement on anything is usually a long battle of wills, so this should really be an interesting few months.

I think my greatest success so far is keeping my mother-in-law from rubbing oil on my stomach every night. South Americans have no sense of boundaries. ;-)