Not this one. I just got exactly what I wanted from my sweet husband as we approach the birth of our daughter: a super cool camera so we can catch every moment of her beautiful life (well, many of them, anyway).

In case you haven’t heard of it, there’s a custom out there of husbands giving their wives a birth gift to recognize the effort of carrying and having their baby. According to the NY Times, “Some call it the ‘baby mama gift.’ Others refer to it as the ‘baby bauble.’ But it’s most popularly known as the ‘push present.'” – and often it’s bejeweled. Sure, I haven’t pushed yet, and yes, I’ll bet my sweet husband would have gotten the camera for me anyway. But what a great custom ;)

So back to the camera.

It’s a Nikon D90. I’ve been coveting it for a few years (yes, Gary, I’ve wanted to steal yours several times). So I finally found an excuse to buy it – and with a “No Sales Tax” sale at Samy’s Camera (and a pending birth), timing seemed perfect. In a city with 9.75% sales tax, that’s almost like an actual sale, and our salesperson was very knowledgable (read: he upsold us on a second lens, a fast SD card for video, and two protective filters… we held strong on the camera bag – I have 2).

So now all we have to do is figure out the bells & whistles over the next 2 weeks, so we can take some AOK pictures of our new arrival to share.

That’s right, WE ONLY HAVE 2 WEEKS LEFT!

We have one more week of work (last day is Sept 3rd), then we’ll be off for the week before the due date running around doing last minute “wouldn’t it be nice” projects, if all goes well. Of course, we’re hoping to deliver right on time (Sunday, Sept 12). I’m quite sure I’ve already mentioned this (I remind myself every day), my sister delivered her first child on her due date in 4.5 hours. And we’re identical twins – so it really IS possible.

I’ve warned my doctor (who assures us she’s ready when we are) and our doula (also ready, and hopeful since she stays with us throughout labor), and I’ve told many friends and strangers. No one quite seems to believe me (laughter is a sign of disbelief, right?), but if YOU don’t mind, please cross your fingers and do your best to BELIEVE :)

Anyway, at this point all 3 of us are doing well, the hospital bag is packed, the car seat is in the car, and we’re as mentally ready as we’re getting. Thanks for all your support through this whole thing, and wish us luck!

One thing we can promise: whenever Zoe gets here, we’ll be ready for PICTURES!