A Star is Born

If you read our post about the timing of the conception of this baby, you will remember that it happened the week I auditioned for the play The Foreigner. It spent its first 8 weeks of life in the theatre with all the adrenaline and joys of stardom. If the phases of the moon or the days of the week supposedly shape the personality of the child, why can't the feelings and actions of the mother also have an impact? I'm starting to really wonder if it does.

Case in point #1: The Foreigner is running again currently with all the same cast members except for me. They claimed I would/might appear too pregnant. Hogwash, I know! Well, not really since I can't wear any of my prepregnancy clothes. Advice to other pregnant women - Don't even try. You'll be pleased when your jeans fit over your hips. You'll be pleased further when you can button them, but very displeased when your belly is bulging over the top. So, back to The Foreigner. We went last Friday night to opening night of the play and our baby jumped around the whole time. It wanted to be on stage again and so did it's mommy!

Case in point #2: Last night I went to see the new Harry Potter movie. Last night was also the first time I could push on my stomach and actually feel it bump, so we have decided to name the baby if it's a girl Hermione Lavender, and if it's a boy, Harry Albus. I was lying in bed smiling to myself as if the world could melt away around me as long as I could keep this connection. I would press down and feel it press back. I could even feel it move more to one side than the other. I don't know what was a foot or arm or head, but I could feel it change positions and it was the most amazing thing...magical even!

So the point here is that our baby likes to be entertained and seems especially stimulated by the theatre. I've also changed my inclination to think it just might be a girl and when I think of dramatic, theatrical little girls I think of none other than Samantha Luterman and Mary Kristen (Galanos) Frank.

Pictured on the front row are Mary Kristen on the far left, Samantha third from the left and I am right next to Samantha during our kindergarten Christmas play.

I have known these queens since I was 4 years old. We went to school together all our lives. Mom tells carpool stories about Samantha how she would cry the entire way home but when she got out of the car she would do cartwheels to her front door.

This is Samantha now on the right dressing up and I bet she can still do cartwheels.

Mary Kristen and I were in the same first grade class and when the teacher left us attended by a high school student MK would behave so badly! I remember her getting in big trouble for opening the window in the classroom and escaping while the teacher was gone. MK even got married on stage at the Saenger Theatre in Mobile! Both of them were very active in theatre and had an uncanny ability to hold their audiences captive. All I can say is I will forever be entertained should this be true.

This is Mary Kristen. She titled the performance in this photo "NY Bar Prep While Drinking Sangria."