What's in a name?

At almost 6 1/2 months pregnant, it's high time we narrowed down our names for little panda [our nickname for unborn baby Bezanson]...but the sheer WEIGHT of such a big decision can be chest crushing. Growing up with a name I was never quite fond of, I have always felt added pressure that one day when I had kids of my own I'd have to pick JUST the right name, & that pressure has only become magnified as my due date draws closer & closer.

Patrick & I have narrowed things down from a looooong list. At first there were probably 30 names for a girl & the same for a boy. We eventually cut it down to 5 each & now, we're at a comfortable 3 each which we'll take to the hospital & then try to get a feel for just who our gunk-soaked & squishy-faced newborn really is. But besides the first name pressure, is the added nightmare of middle names. How many? One or more? Traditional & maybe a homage to family members? or something completely oddball & off the beaten path?

It's all quite exciting, with a side of nervous jitters. I don't want my child to look at me one day & say "I hate my name". I want them to feel strong, confident & at peace with it...like it fits them like a glove & they can't imagine being anything else. A mother can dream, right?

Here's lookin' at you, kid.

It's hard to believe, but I had survived nearly 29 years without seeing the movie Casablanca. Living under a rock has suited me just fine, thank you very much. But when The Imperial Theatre decided to play it last night...their first showing of a feature film since the 1950's...it seemed a no-brainer. We had to go. Our good friends Tim & Leah kindly bought us all tickets [If they would have paid for dinner I would have wondered what they expected in return ;)] & I have to say, the movie met all of my expectations, even if I thought it was kind of cool I was one of the last people on planet earth to have avoided seeing the film.

Bogie & Bergie were the perfect couple in black & white. I couldn't get over the wit & humor that held up, even by today's standards. At the end of the movie they raised the screen & the stage was set to look like Rick's Cafe Americain & everyone was welcome to mingle & order drinks & dance. We were starving, so we stayed long enough to see the contestants in the look-a-like competition [everyone was encouraged to dress up, but being 6 months preggers limits what will fit around an ever-growing baby bump] & were amazed by two people in particular, who really wowed the crowd with their costumes. To vote for your faves, you made a donation by placing your money in a ballot type box corresponding with their picture. We placed our votes, then headed out for some late-night Wendy's which really hit the spot...only to get caught in a thunder, lightning & rain storm as we left. It was a really fun night & I'm glad I FINALLY lost my Casablanca virginity ;)

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

Recycle, reduce, reuse & all that good stuff ;) We've been growing increasingly more "earth conscious" over the past few years & have been trying our hardest to do our part. We use canvas grocery bags, recycle our bottles, have tried to cut down on our plastic use in general...our world is a precious thing & I don't want my kids, my grandkids, my great grandkids to be left with a shriveled pile of dirt that's beyond repair. So do your part too, pretty please.