Last Friday we went out to dinner at Outback Steakhouse to celebrate eleven months of marriage. We eat out so rarely that it's still a treat - I think it will always be a thrill for me, even just running to Subway or Pizza Hut. We talked about how quickly a year goes by and pondered the fact that two years ago this time, we hadn't even met. After dinner we stopped by Babies R Us to pick out a gift for Andy and Jamie, whose shower we were attending the next day. (Andy is a co-worker of Michael's).

Me: This is so cute! Everyone will look at us and say, 'What a cute couple! They must be shopping for their own registry?'
Michael: Hey, here's a reserved parking space for expectant mothers. Are you trying to tell me something?

Saturday we went to the shower. The food was great and completely counted for both lunch and dinner. And we won two of the three games! One of them was that annoying game (at least I always find it so, because it's so limiting to my conversation) where you get a necklace (made of ribbon and lifesaver) at the beginning of the shower, and anytime you hear anyone say the word 'Baby' you get their necklace. The goal is to get as many necklaces as you can. Michael was awesome at this game. He collected necklaces rapidly and was up to three before I had even lost mine. I, meanwhile, was working the joint of small fry. There was this one kid who was either very good at it or had siblings who were very bad at it, wearing four necklaces. I laid diligent traps for him. 'How old are you? Nine? Can you read yet? Oh, you can? Can you read what that banner says?' [It said Baby Shower.] No good. He was too smart for that. Michael played off my scheme, though, and eventually tripped him up by telling him that the game of Guess How Many Jelly Beans In The Baby Bottle was Guess What The Jelly Beans Are In. And then, at the very end, when Jamie, surveying the field of battle with satisfaction, said, 'Now all we need is the baby,' Michael thought that was so funny that he actually repeated it after her! 'Did you actually SAY that?' I cried, pouncing upon his necklaces. The compensation is that he gets to share the prize (a gift certificate to Pizza Hut) with me. And he did come within three beans of guessing the baby bottle riddle.