To be so hardy

Shortly after Ruth and Floyd arrive in Paradise Valley Ruth determines that she is pregnant. She figures this out on her own, without a doctor, without even a copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting. Although I am only to her seventh month, it appears she dances through her pregnancy without ever seeing a doctor. I contrast the two books I read by A.J. Jacobs for my "year of books" project (see January and May) each of which featured his wife during one of her pregnancies. While in neither case was the pregnancy the focus of the book, it was certainly woven throughout the fabric of the story. In Schmoe's case it is only mentioned casually, and only very occasionally. Heavy lifting, "belly flopping" onto a tobaggan, learning do "high altitude" cooking through trial and error, and virtually no company are all part of Ruth Schmoe's life as she negotiates her first pregnancy. I apparently think more about this than Floyd did.