The baby is getting extremely gross these days. Before it was ugly. Now it's still ugly, but slimier. To wit:

The vernix caseosa is beginning to form. Egads, what the heck is the vernix caseosa? It's a "creamy-looking substance that covers the baby's skin in order to protect it and its developing glands and sensory cells."

Where does the vernix caseosa come from? Dead skin, oil from the oil-bearing glands of the baby's skin, and the lanugo. You may recall that the "lanugo" was the baby's "temporary downy hair".

Okay, this is all, quite officially, gross.

But that's not all! In addition to the vernix, the baby is also producing heat-producing brown fat, on its neck, chest, and crotch. It's nature's heat pad, only without the extension chord.

Given the sudden emergence of heat producing fat, it's clear that our child's career prospects are as follows:

Superhero:

But we really don't want to pressure our child into any one particular career, like crime fighting or "working for good" or anything like that. I mean, we'll still love him if he decides he wants to work for evil. I'm sure he could make a great living as a Balrog:

Just remind us to buy flame retardant pajamas when the baby is born.

In addition to his "burning inferno" schtick, the baby is also starting to grow eyebrows. With luck, our baby will have my "crazy eyebrow" gene.

No kidding, there's one eyebrow over my left eye that grows uncontrollably long, jagged and crooked. At times I can pull it straight all the way below my eye. It is so cool! It gives me total personality.

But Elisa hates it. I'll wake up at two in the morning with Elisa hovering over me with scissors, trying to cut my crazy eyebrow off (at least that's what she claims she's trying to cut). Every once in a while she'll actually catch me by surprise and pluck it off. But that crazy brow is a gamer, and always returns, longer and crazier than before. I love it!

And just last week, I saw the beginnings of a second crazy brow. Let's take that as an omen. Our baby will be imbued with my crazy eyebrow. And I will be content.

Amen.