Hunter is here!

In all likelihood most people who read this blog have already heard, but it's the kind of great news that doesn't diminish with repetition ... Hunter Grayson Talbert is here! Congratulations to Amanda, Stephen and Bri!

He was born about two weeks early, just a few hours after a routine doctor's appointment at which the doctor informed a shocked Amanda that she was 5 centimeters dilated. Five hours later, she was holding sweet Hunter! You can read the full story in her own words here. He is an absolutely beautiful baby with a great grip and, from what I can tell, a fantastic disposition. Even his poop hardly stinks. Click here for the first round of pictures. Hooray for our growing family!

Hunter's arrival has significantly increased my antsiness to meet Evan. I've definitely hit full-on nesting mode in the past few days, probably partly but not fully due to Hunter's birth. Matt and I deep-cleaned the refrigerator and oven last weekend, if that tells you anything. The last time I had the urge to do that, much less actually did it, was about three weeks before Claire was born. We'll see if a pattern emerges.

I also am finally making progress on Claire's new dresser. It's sanded and primed and we've ordered new handles, so all that remains is to paint the final coats. This afternoon I cleaned not only the baseboards but the grout on the kitchen floor. And I'm about to wrap up my remaining stories that are due before Nov. 1. I have one more interview, tomorrow morning, and then I'm only 3,000 words away from a short break from accepting writing assignments. The last thing I want to be thinking about during labor is some article that's due in 36 hours.

Finally, and this is less about nesting than about decreasing the odds that Claire will accidentally drink bleach or eat soap or lose an eye playing with scissors, I spent most of yesterday morning doing some much needed, way overdue babyproofing. Our bathroom cabinets, linen closet, pantry and kitchen cabinets are now reorganized with everything dangerous out of her reach. This will buy us some time until she gets good at climbing, anyway.