"Got a question for you..."

I answered the phone this afternoon, surprised to hear Ellis' voice on the other end (clinic days are usually too busy for him to call). He said, "Hey, I have a question for you."

"Yeah?...."

"Want to be a pregnant model?"

"What?!!!"

Oh boy. Did I hear that right? "You mean, for Front Royal Family Practice?" I pictured myself draped in some hospital gown in the middle of a room while a bunch of residents were learning on me as a model. "Is that what you mean?"

"No, I mean pose with Dr. Westfall and be a model for us to advertise our OB services."

Oh man. Another picture came to my mind. There is this huge wooden stork (at least 5-feet tall) in the entrance of the building holding a fake baby doll wrapped up in a sheet. (You mean that advertising method wasn't getting the job done?) Anyway, I suddenly pictured walking into my future Dr. appointments to see a huge cardboard cut out of myself posing there for all to see, belly and all! "Ummm, no thanks." I mean, have you seen our attempt to get a pregnant picture of me?

Well, Ellis convinced me that it would just be maybe a picture on the website or something. I agreed. But then I realized I had about 15 minutes to get the kids out of bed, on the potty, shoes on and out the door to get there in time for the "photo shoot." Okay! Let's do this kids!

Then I looked in the mirror. Doh! Even by Front Royal standards, I was in need of a little touching up. Maybe a hairbrush, a toothbrush, and definitely an outfit change (the striped moo moo and Ellis' slipper socks - way too big for my feet - were probably not going to attract many more patients than that stork did).

Well, we pulled ourselves together and we got there as the office door was closing for the night. We don't have the official photo shoot pictures yet (very professional - done with some lady's iPhone), but Ellis did take some pictures while we there. The real ones have me and the doctor pretending to be conversing about important things, but the ones Ellis took are just of me.



And then me and the kids. This is why checkups get a little hairy sometimes...they both always try to climb on my lap when I am on the table.



The best part of the whole deal was that we got to go out to dinner together afterwards. Hooray! Got some pictures of that, too. "Hey guys, say cheese!" Well, the only one who actually looked at the camera was Mac. And what in the world is he holding?



"I found a treasure mommy!" Well, what is that? "It's a tiny purple balloon that will grow big and make the house float!!!" Yep, that's Mac.



Best burgers in town. That is actually a Jr. size burger I am holding.



And then there's Corrie. She demolishes anything Ellis is eating if she can get the chance. If it were on her plate, would she want it? Of course not!