[in the style of Lake Wobegon ]: It’s begun to feel a little like Fall around here. The wind doesn’t sweep by you like from a hair-dryer now. The yard gives the slightest intimation that it’s tired of growing for this year. The dogs seem friskier, the colors sharper, now that the oven-like temperatures have receded further south. It’s a slow and welcome transitioning.

The same can be said for Bella: a gradual transition into a quiet waiting period.

Christy’s latest sono showed no hydrops, no appreciable change in the mass, and Bella’s growth-rate was right on-the-money for a three-week period. (The fetal surgeon in Houston went so far as to say that he’s only seen one case of a child at this stage of a pregnancy develop hydrops and require surgery!)  So, no trips back to Houston until 34 weeks when we’ll have another fetal MRI to see the most precise picture we can of the mass. Weekly sonograms continue here at UTSW and we’ll have an echocardiogram next week to check in on the condition of the hole in Bella’s heart.

So we’re in an encouraged holding-pattern presently.

Christy’s been upgraded to “modified” bed-rest now. We’re keeping Wonder-nanny on retainer during the week, but Christy can get out so long as she doesn’t exert herself too much. We took advantage of that new permission by partaking of the fare of the State Fair of Texas last Tuesday. Christy got the regal treatment as she took in the sights, sounds, and smells from the comfortable confines of a wheelchair. It’s the equivalent of the all-access pass in that you get front-row seating at all the shows. Savannah was introduced to her first Fletcher’s Corn-dog as we all gulped down food you’d feel guilty about eating at any other time.

And while we’re on the subject of Savannah, she has a new toy this week: two legs walking without help or support. She outpaced both her big brother and her father by taking unaided steps for the first time at the tender age of 16 months. With every advance though comes new opportunity for trouble, and Seamus quickly found a new spin on an old game: Savvy-tipping. (That game was quickly banned.) Our second-born is not without her retaliatory impulses, though. A quick bite to one of Seamus’ forearms and the shenanigans cease. That, too, has been deemed unacceptable (even though she takes advantage of the fact that she doesn’t yet understand “no”)

We’re nearing the t-minus two-month point. Like watching the leaves changing around here, we’re having to wait patiently for discernible differences. We’re thankful. Thanksgiving comes early this year. To the Father’s credit through you.