Hey, it only took me five months to finally do another entry.

Yes, I have some news. And it seems like it's high time that I start this journal up again, especially considering the news.

So, sometime last fall, Jack and I decided to start a project. We talked about it for quite some time, and then talked about it some more, then talked about all the options we had, and then researched all the various options and how much each option might cost. Then we went for it.

And damn if we didn't get lucky on the first try.

So now I'm pregnant! Due October 9. Holy shit.

Damn, life is good.

Besides the Big News, a few other things are going on as well. I'm working on becoming certified as a computer forensic expert, which basically means that I'm learning and re-learning all the geeky shit that I'd put out of my head for so long. I'm actually catching on to everything pretty quickly, which makes sense, I guess, since once upon a time I was something of a computer nerd type person. The big advantage for me with all this new training (which is all being paid for by my department!)is that so far I am the only person in my department to be on this "path to certification" and not only does it make me more valuable to my department, or any other law enforcement agency, it also has the potential to earn me some nice $$$ in the private sector eventually (or maybe on the side). The only real downside to this is that the schools are usually out-of-state, which means I have to be away from home and away from my hunny. This next school I'm scheduled for is two weeks long in Orlando at the end of April.

We also have a new puppy--a golden retriever which I am perilously close to dubbing "puddles" on a permanent basis due to her slow learning curve with respect to housebreaking. The puppy was a Christmas present for the girls, who, of course, all said would take care of the puppy and train her and feed her, yada yada yada... Fortunately I really did not harbor any delusions about who precisely would be tending to the puppy's needs, so I was not unduly upset when it was I who cleaned up all the dog piss and shit and fed her and gave her her medicine and made sure she went outside, etc... Zeus thinks this was the greatest present we could have ever gotten for him. Nice furry chew toy! It is so funny watching them play together. One of these days I'll post some pics of the two of them wrestling--the ten pound puppy and the hundred pound shepherd.

Back to the Big News for a minute. This was extremely very much a planned pregnancy, to the point of many visits to the fertility clinic, I had my first official PreNatal visit today with my OB/Gyn, which really wasn't much more than just a long talk with my doc about expectations, family history, various testing, and general health. She doesn't plan on doing an ultrasound until my next visit (approx 3 weeks) since she says it's really too early to see anything worthwhile right now (I'm only 5 1/2 weeks at this point.) I basically already knew most of what she told me, since I'd done huge quantities of research on nearly every aspect beforehand. She did manage to reassure me on a couple of things, and warn me of a couple of others. I like this doctor very much; I've been going to her for my annual "lube and oil changes" for over ten years now. Kind of exciting to go all the way now!

So there you have it. The past five months have been a bit of a blur of comfortable routine. I love being married to Jack more than ever. He is so incredibly good to me, and I think we make a really strong team. He's definitely my best friend.

Anyway, over the next several months I will probably be posting all sorts of gory details related to my being knocked up. You have been warned.