We are excited to announce that we will be participating in an experimental program that places mothers and babies in the precise, yet caring hands of baby delivery robots. These highly skilled Japanese robots, working closely with our doula, will make the baby’s transition into our world as comfortable as humanly possible. While Dr. 19x has less experience with autonomous operation during human birth, doctors 445x and 887x more than make up for it. We are grateful for their assistance!

According to the central computer, we have 7 days, 0 hours, 29 minutes and 15 seconds until birth. It’s coming right up!

Here are a few other photos from the day’s events.

Additionally, there was a spectacularly organized firework display in the evening. Rather than show you all of the photos individually, I chose to create a composite “firework” photo for your enjoyment.

A single firework created from the evening's fireworks.

Chris and I tried doing this a bit during grad school, but things got a little tough and we fell out of practice. Now that we aren’t in our respective studios 20 hours a day, we have decided to try it again. Sunday is our Sabbath day, being the Protestants that we are, and we’ve done it for two weeks here in Budapest now.

This past Sunday was what you might call idyllic. It was a beautiful fall day and we decided to go to a nearby Calvinist church that I had read about. We knew we wouldn’t be able to understand what they were saying, but hey, maybe it would be cool. What we should have thought about before we went was that Calvinists are notoriously fatalistic. All that Predetermination stuff can make you pretty somber. The building, however, was lovely, and in a way, not being able to understand anything allowed me to meditate and ease my mind for the first time in a while.

I didn’t get any photos there, but here is a few from one of the loveliest walks I’ve ever had. Besides the fact that I was wearing totally inappropriate shoes and my baby toe turned in on itself and became instead a large fluid-filled blister. (Sorry to those of you with weak stomachs. I’m just here to report the facts.)

First stop: A Thai food restaurant. And Christopher's La-La Land.

What do you do when you are by yourself with no mirror and you want to check for boogers? This, of course. Digital cameras rock.

We see this guy all the time in different places. I'm pretty sure he rakes it in playing these water glasses with a boom box to back him up.

Budapest is full of these little pocket parks designed in all different ways. Here we have a very French-influenced garden, but the next one may be an ode to the old Socialists who used to hang out here in Hungary.

I have no idea what this company really sells, but I prefer to believe that if you call them up on a Tuesday wanting take-out, they will show up with a Butterball in 30 minutes or less.

The Danube River is full of party boats and touring yachts. I think Chris and I will try and go on one--some of them go pretty far up the river. Maybe we'll see an alligator.

The Danube River and fall color. And Chris running away from me because I look like one of "them"; them being the tourists who are only here for the palinka.

A striking memorial of cast-iron shoes depicting the tragic execution of a group of Jews during World War II by pro-German militiamen. The memorial depicts the shoes left behind as people fell into the river after being shot.

A man was putting fresh flowers in the shoes when we were there. This is a baby shoe.

The parliament building. Wow is all I can say.

Margaret Island--or what used to be an island before they filled it in. A beautiful park nonetheless. Great people watching.

This is what happens when you take a day off. You get goofy because you don't know what to do with yourself.

Or you stay your same old mister-grumpy-pants. I guess he needs a few more Sabbaths to wipe that look off his face.

Hunter and Zoe knew that this was going to be a night to remember...

That's right, my man is wearing tennis shoes. And I'm proud of him, because when this place goes up in flames, who's going to be falling off their platforms as they race for the door? Not my man.

We had somehow stumbled into the high school prom where everyone wore black and a lot more hair gel. I felt like one of the student’s older sisters who got roped into being a chaperone at the last minute. So, because I was over the age of 19–and therefore invisible to 90% of the partygoers–I felt no qualms whatsoever to take photos like a tourist.

The club was actually decked out nicely with some of Chris’ favorite things: projections.

I want the chef's hat that model is wearing.

Why does most haute couture fashion always make the model look like they are ready to join the circus?

Chris was on the verge of a revolt at this point, so Maria and I bid him adieu and we went to another club. This particular club was on top of Mt. Everest. Okay, not really, but I’m pretty sure I should have had an oxygen mask going up the hundreds of stairs to get to the entrance of this bar. By the time we got up there, we were too tired to actually stay, so we just walked back down and took photos in front of of these tagged walls. (Remember folks, tagging is to walls as dog is to fire hydrant)

Maria, with a smile usually reserved for when you are in front of the Eiffel Tower. But that's Maria: always the optimist. She's keeping me young.

Did I mention I got into a bar fight? I don't actually remember it, but that's the only explanation as to why I look like I have a blossoming black eye in this photo.

By the end of the night, or should I say early morning, I was starting to feel like maybe I COULD be young again. After all, “young” is a state of mind, right? Right?

In celebration of our graduation and move, Laura and I recently had our photos taken for the grad school yearbook.