h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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Hi!!!!
Wow, where did you copy that from?!
The last paragraph starts 'My friend's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes' - and by the time I got there I was reading through tears in my own eyes, I think that was beautiful, and although the baby's not here yet, I feel like a mother already and can well believe what I've just read to be true. Thanks for thinking of me!
How's life on your side of the planet? Haven't you sorted your presidental mess out yet and how do you feel about Mr Gore and Mr Bush?
Ready for the holidays? What have you asked Santa for this year then!?
Take care.
-x-

Hi Tigerlily,

Someone sent that to me via e-mail. There is another one called "An Angel call Mommy" that I also want to send you if I can ever find it again. I glad that you enjoyed it. I have some others is you wish to see them.

Life in my little corner of the world is getting better. The whole family has had the flu. I'm still a little under the weather, but I do feel better than I did yesterday. The rest of the family is already over it. I caught it last so I guess it's only right that I'm the last one to recover.

Well,we will not offically elect a president till Dec. 18th. That's the day the electoral college comes together to elect the president. Bush did win the Florida electoral votes giving him the 270 electoral votes he needs to win the election. Gore will now contest the election to try to win via the courts.

I still have 4 more presents to buy, besides my wife, she hasn't told me what she would like yet. But I am ready, I have taken the week of and the week before christmas off for vacation. We are going to my parents home in Nashville TN, my home town.

How are you feeling?? You are about 19 or 20 weeks preg., aren't you?
Half way there. Any cravings? Have you decided on a name? Natural birth or C section? And if any of these question are to personal you can tell me to go and bite myself.

Good Luck,

Mostly

Hi Mostly!!

Sorry to hear that you're ill, I hate the flu bug, thankfully I don't seem to catch it that often, although I do get lots of head colds.

I'm 18 weeks this week, half way there! I've been feeling fine, tired a lot of the time still, but I try to eat properly and get early nights. My tummy has an obvious bump now, and I'm rather proud of it, although some people think I just look overweight
So far we've had two scans the first at 11 weeks and the second at 16 weeks. Unfortunately both showed up water retention in the baby's bladder, the second also indicated fluid in the kidneys. We were referred to a fetal medicine specialist and I did some research to prepare for the appointment. The condition sounded like Hydronephrosis, which affects the kidneys and bladder preventing urine to pass through the body. Urine builds up in the kidneys causing them to swell. Most cases detected by scan clear before the baby is born. Those born with the complaint are usually monitored and put on antibiotics. There are then those that have surgery. Even though it's not life threatening we were obviously worried sick. The appointment was last Thursday, I was scanned and they gave us the all clear! There was no sign of water retention and the baby looked fine! We go back on the 14th of December for a follow up scan so I'm hoping all will be okay.
We don't know the baby's sex and have decided to wait until the big day, which is May 2nd 2001. If it's a boy we'll name him 'Jack' and christen him 'Richard' after my husband's Grand Fathers. I can't decide on a girl’s name! At the moment I quite like 'Georgia' and 'Olivia' and 'May' as a christening name.
I will probably have a natural birth although I'm still absolutely dreading it! I'm having the baby in a National Health Service hospital, so unless I have medical complications, which require a caesarean, I don't have a choice! Lots of painkillers, that's what we'll have!!
Better get back to work! Take care of yourself - lots of Vitamin C!

You're are going to be staying home with your baby aren't you?? Then I have a new title for you besides housewife, here is the story. I hope you enjoy it.

A few months ago, when I was picking up the children at school, another mother I knew well, rushed up to me. Emily was fuming with indignation. "Do you know what you and I are?" she demanded. Before I could answer (And I didn't really have one handy.) she blurted out the reason for her question.

She had just returned from renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office. Asked by the woman recorder to state her "occupation," Emily had hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is," explained the recorder, "Do you have a job, or are you just a......?" "Of course I have a job," snapped Emily. "I'm a mother!" "We don't list 'mother' as an occupation. 'Housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.

I had forgotten all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high-sounding title, like "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar." "And what is your occupation?" she probed. What made me say it, I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm...a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in mid-air, and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pompous pronouncement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?" Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters (the whole darned family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are in satisfaction rather than just money."
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she
completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door. As I drove into our driveway buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants---age 13, 7, and 3. And upstairs, I could hear our new experimental model (six months) in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt triumphant. I had scored a beat on bureaucracy!

And I had gone down on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another......."