I have been incredibly remiss in posting something here about Monica, perhaps because as she graciously entrusted me with the updating of her blog while she was in the hospital, I was drunk with the weighty responsibility and heady giddiness that that kind of power unfailingly brings. Also, I was paralyzed with fear of not keeping up her usual standards.

Monica: "Oh please woman, you posted TWO THINGS and I TOLD you what to say in both of them."

NG: "But it was Haaaard!"

Anyway, for the one of you who didn't come to this website from hers and therefore haven't already seen multiple cute pictures, heeeeere's Marielle:



Here's some graffiti in their room that still remains to this day. Who can resist a cute picture of a dogchild?

And here is Marielle's Dad (Are you used to THAT yet, Barry?) holding her up for The Dormouse, who was not allowed into the maternity ward, to see through the window. You can't see it, but behind him, Monica is desperately trying to hand us a chicken sandwich through the window, because she's concerned that it won't get eaten and she might not get her money's worth from her $89,000 hospital stay. Note to hospital employees: What part of "I'm a vegetarian" is so hard to understand?

The most hilarious thing about that day, however, was the decorations on the room doors that the um... nurses?... candy stripers?... put up to make The Birthing Inn more festive for the upcoming Christmas holiday:


I'm hoping that the "TBI" referred to here is meant to be an acronym for "The Birthing Inn" and not "Traumatic Brain Injury", like it is in most hospitals. Because that definition of 'good' is probably a whole different thing.