Happy Birthday, Wife

As you can see from that image, my beautiful wife, Bridget, is pregnant. She's about five months pregnant now -- a little more than halfway there -- and, as you can imagine, people like to talk about that bump quite a bit. In their defense, it's pretty hard not to. It's a huge protrusion that contains a new life. How can you not talk about it? It'd be like talking to Larry Bird and not mentioning the Celtics. Or chatting with Morgan Freeman and leaving out The Shawshank Redemption.

But this post -- and this weekend -- are not about the bump. They are about Bridget because Sunday is her 31st birthday. Hooray! Happy Birthday, wife!

And to take a page from my wedding vows (which takes a page from David Letterman), I'm going to share 10 things you probably didn't know about Bridget. Some will be serious and some will be light (after this week, who couldn't use something light?), but all will be true.

Without further ado:

10. She has perfect running form. I mean, perfect. She may not be the fastest (spoiler: she's not), but she runs with this fluid motion that would make Usain Bolt weep.

9. She went to college in Canada. More specifically, she went to McGill University in Quebec. Why? Well, why not? The education is just as good and it's way cheaper.

8. She's not bitter not spending this year's birthday in Paris. Oh, wait ... Last year, we had the good fortune to spend her 30th birthday -- and the second of our mini-honeymoons -- in perhaps the most beautiful city on Earth. This year, a french restaurant in Cambridge! Same thing, right?

7. She would spend every last penny on travel. If Bridget had a choice between food, water, and a trip to Cambodia, she'd choose the third option. She's one of those people who thinks spending money on experiences is far more important than spending money on material things.

6. She hates jaywalking. Crossing outside of a crosswalk without the image of a bright white walking man in front of her makes her really, really nervous. It's peculiar.

5. She's a dawdler. When we first started dating, this was the biggest fear on her list. She tended to move fairly slowly, while I wanted to hike a mountain, give blood, and go to Fresh Pond before 8 AM. So far, we're doing okay.

4. She's really smart. She got 1490 on her SATs. I've always found that impressive.

3. She hates re-watching shows or movies. Like most people (I think), I have a collection of go-to flicks when I need a little comfort. Hoosiers, Swingers, and Sideways top the list. Bridget hates watching something she's already seen. "You already know what's going to happen," she says.

2. She could eat white rice with butter and parmesan cheese for every meal for the rest of her life. Seriously.

1. She's really, really, really excited about being a mom. Can't you tell by the big, beautiful smile on her picture above?

Happy Birthday, Bridget! I can't wait to celebrate your 81st, too ...