An ice storm kept us captive inside all day yesterday. Edward got up at 6 a.m. and went to bed at about 7:45 p.m. In between we had the enormous task of keeping him entertained within these four walls. (Luckily he did take a 3-hour nap in the afternoon.) Our new bedroom configuration allows access to a full circle path from the living room through the kitchen, office and bedrooms and back to the living room. John introduced this variation on their usual chase game around the kitchen table one night this week while I was finishing dinner prep. Now Ed points to the door from the kitchen to the office and demands "chase" at every opportunity. He tried to get me to play one afternoon after his nap, but I told him we had to wait for Dad to come home from work.

To get a break from chase, we closed the bedroom and office doors reducing play space to the living room and kitchen. This met with considerable resistance until I brought out the tunnel, which had been "off rotation" for quite some time. Worked like a charm--Ed thought it was a whole new toy and it entertained him for a good portion of the morning. (While he was distracted with his afternoon snack, some of his other toys were spirited away to the tunnel's former hiding place. I'm sure we'll need to repeat this trick to survive the winter months!) He especially liked it when John crawled in and he could "chase" him out. Not a high-speed chase, mind you. This tunnel definitely does not have an adult-friendly circumference. I did not venture in, afraid I might not have the flexibility to wiggle out.

I had been to the grocery store on Friday night to ensure we had provisions for the day at home. I used to scoff at those who raced to the store in a panic at the slightest hint of an oncoming storm. But the prospect of being cooped up in the house with a toddler AND nothing to eat sent me scurrying with the rest of the panic-prone. So at least we had our beef stew simmering on the stove all afternoon, filling the house with a warm and cozy aroma. And we survived the day. No doubt there will be others before this season is over. I actually have no problem taking Ed out in cold/snow, but ice is a different story. I've had quite a few falls in my day and don't want to risk another at this point in pregnancy and certainly wouldn't want to put Ed in danger, either in the yard or in the car.

The mention above of the three-hour nap reminds me to offer an update on his new sleeping arrangement. Actually, there's little to report. After the first night he has not had any trouble. He sleeps all night and naps in the afternoon as if nothing had changed. We are almost afraid to talk about it for fear of jinxing things. We may see some difficulty when the crib reappears and is inhabited by a tiny creature who demands more parental attention than Ed is willing to cede, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Also this week I had another doctor appointment with all good reports. The baby was kicking vigorously, making it harder to capture a heart rate, but eventually we got one in the 150 range, which is where it's been all along. My BP was fine and despite the Thanksgiving gorge, I did not gain weight in the two weeks between appointments. This caused some astonishment, but no worries. I'm on track for proper weight gain and the baby is measuring in the expected size range. From now on I'll be seen weekly, sort of. Because my doctor is on maternity leave, I'll see a couple of different doctors who have clinic hours on different days of the week. So sometimes there will be more than a full week between appointments and sometimes less. The holidays also complicate the schedule as the clinic is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. I'll try to post reports as I get them.

Signing off with Edward's "cabin fever" video. Note John's considerable videography skills in maintaining his shot even as Edward uses him as his personal jungle-gym.