Audiobookin' it.

So I'm currently on this kick where I listen to a lot of audiobooks. They're great for whenever you travel. I get a sense of accomplishment whenever I finish one, like I've just done something of note. Clearly I haven't, but still. Last week I drove down to the Tampa area twice for work, so I went through about 2 and a half full length audiobooks. After that, let me just tell you - I was a shining beacon of pride.

I obtain said audiobooks from the 'brary, of course because they are not cheap and the 'brary has a decent selection. My fave author right now is Stuart Woods because his books are engaging and easy to follow, with compelling characters and plots. John Grisham is good too.

That said, not every book is well suited for audio... sometimes the actors who read the books are downright irritating as James Blunt. This is because, typically, one actor is charged with voicing every character: men, women, black, white, hispanic... They try to differentiate the characters' voices and sometimes they try a little too hard and it's almost comical. Sometimes I have to pause the cd and laugh it out. So if anyone is interested in hopping on this train and is looking for good audiobook suggestions, let me know! I might advise you to avoid any book with lots of southern or New Yorky characters - or, god forbid, both. You're asking for trouble.

In other news, once again, I would like to clarify that the Burglet's name is NOT Brooke Lynn or any variation thereof. In fact, she is not named after any of the five boroughs of NYC. She actually has a name, and we are officially sharing it. I have a plan for a specific way I'd like to share it on the blog, though, so stay tuned.

Caught Red Snouted.

So dogs are funny. Listen to this. Last Saturday Gav and I were hanging out, doing our weekend thing, cleaning up, doing laundry, and watching football. Gavin decided to make some chicken nuggets for lunch, so he baked a batch and put some barbecue sauce in a ramekin for dipping purposes. He was almost done when some friends pulled up outside to drop something off, so we ran out there to say hi.We were out there for probably less than 30 seconds.

When we got back in, the remaining nuggets were gone and Maddie was hiding behind the coffee table, licking furiously. Gavin said, “Maaaaadddiiiiee……” really slow, and she came slinking out, ears slicked way back, and barbecue sauce all over her snout and paws.

SO not only did she steal the nuggets, but she made a point to dip them in the sauce first. And OMG was she contrite about it. It was too hilarious to punish her at that point. I gave her a bath later that day, and despite all my scrubbing, the barbecue sauce would not come out of her white snout fur. She was branded with sauce stains, like a scarlet letter emblazoned across her chest. Meanwhile Sugarbear slept on her bed nearby, completely fluffy and oblivious. I love dogs!

What else…. My preg survey! How far along: 32 weeks, 4 days.

Total weight gain/loss: You can take this question and shove it up your… none of your beeswax.

Maternity clothes: I got a new pair of jeans and a pair of khakis last weekend! Thanks Gavin, for going with me to shop… I know that wasn’t fun for you!Love you!

Stretch marks: I noticed a couple on my torso…. I cocoa buttered them up and now I don’t see them. Maybe it’s my imagination. Maybe denial is powerful.

Sleeping: The army of pillows is still doing its thing. I slept TERRIBLY earlier this week though, when I was traveling for work. Thankfully that was my last overnight trip for work. I think sleeping without Gavin in the bed stresses me out, too, because I feel like I need him there in case something happens, consciously and subconsciously.

Best Moment of this week: Shopping with Gavin for nursery décor, which forced us to use our imaginations, and also getting “out of the blue” flowers delivered to me at work, which made everyone in my office go “awwwwww. (Thanks Gavin!)

Movement: Still going strong! I like it when she kicks her tiny little dogs completely out and I can feel them with my hand. It’s weird, but very cool.

Food Cravings: Fruit rollups. I eat these things like it’s my job, folks. It must be obvious, too, because when I got to work the other day there was a new box sitting on my chair. So funny. I love love love them right now. Pretty sure I hadn’t had them in years before last weekend when it hit me that I wanted them and wanted them right that second.

Labor Signs: None, but having a few Braxton Hicks contractions here and there, which are interesting little “practice” contractions.

Belly Button in or out: Outer than stirrup pants.

What I miss: Second trimester energy levels.

What I am looking forward to: I have some showers coming up soon that should be lots of fun!

Shout-out to the Husby

So here's where I have to hand it to my husby Gavin. He deserves a shout-out! As I progress in my knocked-uppity-ness, I have noticed that my hormones have started ragin' again. This died down in the second tri, but now I'm back to my old mood swingin' tricks, and it's more dangerous now because I must be even scarier with my increased girth. Like, think of that scene in Jurassic Park, where the characters know the T-Rex is coming because the glass of water starts to vibrate, and all they can do is look around in fear and panic. Yes, this must be what it's like for Gavin.

For example, the other night, I was making black-eyed peas and rice. Gavin was helping me, and accidentally put the cubed ham chunks in the rice, instead of into the peas. So this really upset me, causing me to snap at him and delay dinner until I was able to transfer each individual chunk of ham from the rice pot to the pea pot. Really? It's tiny cubes of ham. Ultimately they all mix together anyway. I felt bad about it after, and couldn't figure out why I freaked. Of course Gavin forgave me right away, and in a moment of guilt and weakness, I issued him blanket amnesty for all future pork-related offenses.

In addition to maintaining his sensitivity and thoughtfulness while living with a live grenade, Gavin has been assembling things like a maniac. First, it was our crib and furniture, and the other night it was our travel system, which is AWESOME and was a great gift from Gavin's parents - thanks guys! I just HAD to have it assembled right away, so Gavin got right on it, and it is rarin' to go.

Gavin has also had to pick up the slack around the house. Literally. I drop things all the time, and he just quickly comes along behind me and picks them up so I don't have to bend over and contend with my ever-changing center of gravity.

Finally, he has insisted on completely relinquishing our relatively new soft leather recliner to me, in all its soft cushy majesty, so I can put my feet up at all times. And this during football season. What a guy!

So, props to my man. We have been married more than 5 years now and I love him more every day - I can't wait to see him as a dad!

Here's my little update.

How far along? 30 weeks, 4 days. (Due date was actually moved up two days to November 15).

Total weight gain/loss: None of your damn business.

Maternity clothes? Thank God for them and those who make them.

Stretch marks? Still none to be found on my glorious naked body... what I can see of it, anyway.

Sleep: The pillow system is working well, although it is difficult to get out of bed. I now have to roll out. Gavin is still hanging onto some bed territory, but it doesn't look good...

Best moment this week: Well, the 4D ultrasound was awesome, and that was one week ago, and then yesterday, we had a great regular doctor's appointment and learned that the Burbi has put on a few more ounces. Go girl!

Movement: We still have a very active Burglet all up in my uterus. She responds to Gavin's voice, and likes to stretch out. The other day she had the hiccups, which was really funny. She's up in the morning and at night, and sleeps in the middle of the day.

Food cravings: I had a burning desire for orange juice the other day as we were checking out at Publix - like HAD to have some right then. Gavin ran over to little fridge that luckily had some small bottles and got me one, which I chugged in one swig while standing right there in line. Then I was fine. Crazy.

Labor Signs: None.

Belly Button in or out? Out and proud.

What I miss: Beer during football games!

What I am looking forward to: Buying the baby's first Christmas Card outfit. You guys are going to die when you see it. No hints.

Milestone: Getting through the first week of college football without the benefit of delicious cold beer and still having fun, driving around with an actual car seat base in the back seat!

So that's about it for this update... out!

A parent looks at 4D.

So this past week, Gavin and I took the Burglet in for her close-up at her 4D ultrasound. It was sooooo neat. We actually could see - in real time - the Burbi (someone pointed out that it should be Burbi with an "i" since she's a girl) yawning, blinking, rubbing her mug with her hands, and just moving around... technology is incredible.

She had her hands up by her mug most of the time, and was hiding behind the placenta a little bit (which accounts for the blurriness on her face on the right side of the pics) but cooperated just enough for us to get some good shots. What do you think?





We obviously think she's beautiful and perfect in every way, AND the best news of all is that her measurements all came back normal and her growth is right on target for her gestational age, which was so great to hear. I'm about 30 weeks knocked-up now, so we are moving right along!

By the way, I feel like the inside of my uterus looks like a cave, and I'm a little self-conscious about it. Are they all like that? I look at these pics and think there should be stalactites and stalagmites hanging from the walls or something.

Also, I am FINALLY posting some pics of our awesome nursery. We still have a long way to go as far as decorating, putting stuff on the walls, getting the changing pad in place, and so on and so forth, but we are trying to pace ourselves. At least the furniture is up and running, and you get an idea of what it will look like.






Other than that, not much new to report! We had a very nice, relaxing long weekend, with lots of reading, resting, football, and together time for Gavin and me, which we are cherishing because it won't be long before we have a new (and probably noisy) roommate moving in. See you soon!

SURPRISE!

So last weekend, Gavin’s family and I pulled off a great feat – a surprise party to celebrate Gavin officially getting old. I mean he’s 30 now – only a few short years away from being the guy who backs over his own mailbox and gets confused by the automatic doors at Publix. So we thought this was the perfect opportunity to throw him a big party! We threw the party down in Deland so his family and friends from way back could all be there. BIG shout out to my mother-in-law for doing all the leg work!!!

He was actually genuinely surprised – more confused actually, because I cleverly scheduled the party to take place 3 weeks AFTER his actual birthday, so he would suspect nothing. This was his reaction!

We had such a great turnout - here are some pics....

Well, you wanted belly pics, so you got 'em. Here I am with Gavin's lovely cousins Erin and Cara who, as you can see, are carrying smaller than me.... Hey - who invited Barney to the party?

Group shot with all Gavin's friends that made it - thanks guys!

The cake.....

Strategically attacking the candles! He actually conquered them in one attempt - yayyy!

We also got a few gifts for the burglet - thanks guys!

What else, what else.... Oh yes, I continue to be annoyed by the pig population for their inconsiderate behavior in setting this swine flu business into motion. Stupid a*s pigs, once again complicating my life. Apparently this swine flu is quite dangerous for persons of the knocked-up persuasion, like myself, but did they care or think of that when engaging in all their risky barnyard behavior? No.

So anyway, I’ve got to get a series of vaccinations (much like my 2008 rabies adventure) starting October 22. That rabies stuff was super fun for Christmas, but as it turns out, I never developed any super cat powers, which pisses me off for so many reasons. Sometimes I think the animal population is out to get me, which vexes me greatly, since I’ve always been such a champion for them. I mean, really? Thanks.

Pictures of the nursery are still on their way... (they’re on my other computer but I promise to post them soon)!

Tank of Redemption? No.

Well, it appears that although we are good at repopulating the tank of death, we are still quite inept at keeping its inhabitants alive. We've seen a number of deaths over the past couple weeks - not sure what is going on. It's like we have a tank full of celebrities and it's Summer 2009.

Some of our fish have survived, so we'll keep trying. We named our algae eater that sucks up all the algae Dyson. We also have a few black fish with rhythm that are survivors so I call each of them Fishy Cent. Other than that, I'm trying not to get too attached.

Hey, so here's a fun thing that some of my fellow pregnant broads with blogs are doing - it's a pregnancy survey. I thought I'd give it a shot.

How far along? Started my 29th week today!

Total weight gain/loss: None of your damn business. Are you kidding me? Eff that.

Maternity clothes? Yes. Mostly everything I wear now, although I do have one dress and a couple tops from my pre-pregnant life that still kind of work.

Stretch marks? Haven't spotted any of these guys yet.

Sleep: That would be great. Wait - what were we talking about? Actually I'm ok with sleeping right now in my nest of pillows. I snuggle down ensconced between body pillows on both sides and two pillows below my head, and I tend to migrate more and more towards the middle of the bed with my army of pillows, requiring Gavin to cede more and more territory. Sometimes, as I'm getting up 12 times a night to go to the bathroom, I look over to see Gavin teetering precariously on his little sliver of bed. Aww.

Best moment this week: Getting the crib set up with the mattress and the bedding, washing all the clothes I have so far and putting them away, and continuing to set up the nursery. I'll post pictures soon, I promise!

Movement: The Burby has been kicking like she owns the place. She definitely perks up riiiight around the time we are all snuggled up in bed and ready to go to sleep. She's clearly a night owl. A party animal. Destined for a dance floor somewhere. I have no idea where she got this, since I've always been so demure.... I think she'd be cute with a little tiny tambourine.

Food cravings: Poached eggs for breakfast, and at night - frosted lemon squares. It's frustrating because I want them but I have none and it's not like it's something I can just send Gavin out to pick up. I'd have to actually bake them to satisfy this particular desire, and so far I haven't gotten that desperate. I think it may happen tomorrow though.

Labor Signs: None, thank goodness. This one is stupid.

Belly Button in or out? Outer than Perez Hilton.

What I miss: Drinking alcohol, sleeping on my stomach, being able to buy and wear the cute clothes I pass in the store on my way to the maternity section, cold (real) beer.

What I am looking forward to: Showers. Hells to the yes. Also, announcing the name, and the moment after I completely pop this puppy out.

Milestone: Hitting the third trimester, getting our furniture, and finally getting on track with the nursery.

Well that was fun. I seriously will take some pics of the nursery tonight and post them tomorrow.... I know so many of you are losing sleep wondering what it looks like at this very moment. I'll probably also post some pics next week of my pregnant self, since folks have been asking.

Maddie and Sugarbear are doing well, sweet as ever, probably wondering WTF is going on in the back room with all the new stuff. They probably think it's all for them. Oh Maddie and Sugs....

See you later!

Moving On.

(Not our actual fish tank, but a reasonable approximation from google images)

So this weekend we decided to forge ahead and proliferate a new fish community in Scarface’s former habitat. At first I was a little hesitant, like I felt it might be too soon, but life goes on. So now, instead of having just one big honkin’ cranky fish, we have a bunch of tiny, colorful, agreeable, community-oriented tropical fish that swim around in schools and live together in harmony, plus one algae eater that sticks to the side of the tank. It’s great. I also like how, when they die, we can just purchase a few replacements with a five-dollar bill and call it a day. Our tank is pretty big, so I think we’ll add a few new residents here and there. It’ll be a whole thing.

Other than that, we had a very productive nesting weekend… Gavin put the crib together with minimal frustration, and we finally found some nursery furniture in our price range that will fit the room and meet our needs as far as space and function. Trust me – this is harder than it sounds. Furniture, like actual furniture that you don’t inherit from your parents or grandparents, is expensive and with so many options, it’s hard to choose sometimes. Who knew?

I’ve also been baking a lot. I never really baked much before I was pregnant, but now I’m like… mmm brownies/cupcakes/cookies/random bake-able treat….. that’s happening tonight. Then I realize I can’t keep them in the house or I’ll eat them all so I endeavor to give them away. Last night I baked some chocolate chip caramel cookie bars. They were really good – even Gavin, who doesn’t really have a sweet tooth, wolfed one down. Note that I have made no attempt to divest myself of these.

So that’s about it for our weekend – hope everyone else had a great one!