29 Weeks! This tram is definitely in motion!

I'm starting to get scared! This pic, taken by Bri (of course), is me conquering the Peralta trail after I almost threw up from the heat... Isn't that lovely. Anyway, I'm trying to boost my self confidence by remembering that I can and will conquer! damnit!
Last week Bri asked if I wanted an "umbrella stroller" from the Disney lost and found. I asked Jeff if he wanted one--and he asked me what it was. I replied with, "It's a stroller with a cover over it" in my best "duh" voice. To which Bri replied, "What kind of mother are you?!" Apparently, an umbrella stroller is a stroller that folds up like an umbrella. Oops! Which Jeff remembered after a few minutes--so now he thinks I'm dumb too!

ANYWAY... I'm in Arizona! Yay! My suitcase has yet to arrive though... But at least it's been located. Both of my flights were also delayed, but at least I got to chill in first class. That tiny bit of extra space makes such a difference. Too bad I couldn't drink the free alcohol!

Blacksburg is a tiny tiny dot of normalcy...

(pic stolen from Bri, taken in Roanoke!)

So, last week I was in Walmart--grabbing a few groceries. I know, I know. Normally I shun all that is Walmart... But I was already in Christiansburg--and Walmart is cheap--and I'm broke! So you see the logic... Despite the inevitable headache that comes with walking into any Walmart. I was making spaghetti for my dinner guests that evening--and I was on the hunt for garlic bread in the long ass rows of freezer food. They have little signs posted for each section of food, like "veggies" and "ice cream". I probably passed the garlic bread about six times because instead of labeling the bread section as "bread", it's labeled "biscuits". That's right, biscuits. I didn't even see any biscuits in the freezer (which according to Nickie, they don't come frozen--she's from VA, so we'll take her word on that). But apparently, on the hick-side of Virginia, "biscuits" encompass the vast world of bread. So now you know what to look for, when you're not only in a Walmart (which is bad enough) but a Walmart in hicksville (obviously worse).
Okay, on to more important topics ;)
M&M is up to 2.25 pounds this week! And I think he's confused about the function of my bladder. He seems to think it's a trampoline. I had to take a second glucose test on Tuesday, for FOUR FREAKING HOURS. I also had to be there at 7am--which is pretty darn close to my bedtime, so I ended up falling dead asleep in the lab which freaked them out since they'd been stealing my blood. Haha.
Anyway, Jeff and I are going to visit his son this weekend in DC. I haven't met Jeffery yet, so I'm a little nervous!
Back to finals... Wish me luck!

27 Weeks--And entering the home stretch!

Right now, (in the pic) I'm thinking that Austin has a major cootie problem. Ha ha, a rare pic of the Monteverdes from our trip to visit Bri & Nate this past summer :)
What does this pic have to do with M&M's 27th week? Absolutely nothing! But this week he's a 2 lb, 14.5" head of cauliflower, which makes for a really lame picture.
ANYWAY--M&M is busy perfecting his lungs this week, and apparently he could survive on life support at this point. Crazy! Last week his ears developed further--so he can hear us now. I probably just scared the crap out of him by yelling at Ari for chasing the cat. Oops! I'm trying to stop Mom!
Clothes have become an issue! I was laughing at the sweaters I got out of my stored winter stuff--there is no way in hell they're going to fit. Not on this belly! But I found some cute stuff at TJ Maxx in the juniors, believe it or not. And I've been wearing leggings--me. Weird! But they're comfy with the longer sweaters/shirts and look cute with boots :)

In other news... Jenni & I had a great time while she was here a couple weeks ago. We ate at the Cellar, did a little wine tasting, visited Jeff at work and even watched the Tech game. We also got to hang out with Eric & Nichole one night. Jenni got a new car, a mini convertible--it's so cute!
Thanksgiving at the Rivermill was cool--there was a TON of food. I think we only got through about 1/4 of it! Okay, we're almost up to current news :) I will be better about blogging!
Jeff and I have been playing Scrabble recently--and it's really different playing with him. I'm used to being super competitive about points and rules, etc. He's definitely more laid back than others... (NATE!) And doesn't bitch when I take 20 minutes to put a word down :) It will be interesting to play with the Scrabble king and queen at Christmas! (Bri and Nate;)
Nickie, Gene, Eric & Nichole came over for dinner Thursday--and Jeff was actually off work :) Today I got to hang out with Ian & Ethan at Sharkey's in Radford for happy hour, which was fun. And Jeff was bartending, so he kind of got to hang out too. Sharkey's was celebrating 75 years since the end of prohibition today, so they bartenders were dressed in 1930's gear--Jeff was dressed like an old school gangster in a zoot suit :)

I love you Grandaddy

Nevermore! Nevermore!

It is a dreary, dreary gray day. This morning (or noon... whatever!) when I took the dogs outside, it was freezing cold (still is) and flurrying. The outside of our building was devoid of people or movement except for one lone raven, chillin in a leafless tree. So, it's easy to see why it reminded of me of good old Edgar Allen Poe. Bri was pretty obsessed with him for awhile when she was a kid. I think it's a bit dark, even for me!

We really seem to be stuck on Cadiem Rey for M&M. But we're going to call him Cade. We're not completely sure on the spelling yet, I guess it's a made up name so it doesn't matter? haha. His kicks are getting strong, I can actually see my belly move at times.

Jeff was in DC all weekend, and gave his son Jeffery the big news about M&M. He's excited to have yet another new sibling (his mom just had a boy, "Ian"). I had dinner with Gene and Nickie on Friday night at Carrabba's, which I hadn't been to in years, and it was tasty :) Saturday I met up with my friend Wade for lunch and a little mall wandering--isn't my life the epitomy of excitement?! Yesterday I had this huge plan to deep clean the apartment, and I got as far as dusting and doing seven loads of laundry before Jeff got home. Oh well, hopefully today!

Jeff and I both are counting down the days until our Arizona trip--I know he's going to love it :) I can't wait to show him all of my favorite spots--and I think we're also making a trip up to the cabin--which will probably be covered in snow. And Ari will be excited to see her cousin Cleo :)

I AM hirable! YAY!

I finally found a job! YAY! And they said I can work from home when I have M&M! Double YAY! Where is this magical place? Moog :) They make motors--it's all so familiar! I'll be doing basically the same work I did at Danaher--so it should be a pretty easy transition... Teaching 5S, working on layouts, inventory, blah blah blah. YAY!

In other news... :)
Jeff and I got to go hiking yesterday, and it was a beautiful and even warm fall day. We actually didn't end up finding the trailhead we were looking for, "War Spur", but walked around "Wind Rock", which had a fantastic view of the mountains stretching out for miles and miles. There were still some pretty leaves left on the trees too--but enough on the ground for the dogs to have fun running through them :) Ari was scaring me, I thought she was going to leap off of the cliffs!
We also made a kick-ass dinner last night: garlic mashed potatoes, maple dijon pork chops and asparagus :) yum!

23 Weeks = Tropical Fruit

M&M is 23 weeks old, and the size of a large mango.
Sidenote: Did you know mangoes are the most popular fruit in the world! They are full of vitamins C, A and E--plus niacin, potassium and iron. That's one awesome piece of fruit!
Back to M&M: He weighs a little bit over a pound, and apparently he's turning my uterus into a crazy nightclub. He moves mostly at night, Jeff can feel his kicks now too :)
I definitely have a protruding belly now--but I'm still feeling pretty normal. Although, I'm a little retarded at times, which I'm attributing to my shrinking brain. Yeah, pregnancy causes your brain to shrink! Seriously! And once you pop out the kid, it expands again. Weird. Pregnancy also causes shrinking eyeballs (thank god i don't wear contacts) and gingivitis! I could go on--but the gingivitis scares the crap out of me. I've been a flossing fool! I also started using Jeff's high powered toothbrush--it gets a smiley face on it when you brush for long enough. Haha.

Jeff and I both voted yesterday evening and then headed downtown to Rivermill to hang out with friends and watch the polls on the big screen (we're TV-less losers!). It was pretty exciting because most people in the bar were Obama supporters (go figure) as well, and everyone went nuts when Virginia went democrat. Yay! Now we don't have to leave the country! (We were planning to escape to an warm island or small European country if McCain won)

Tomorrow is Jeff's day off, a real day off! No four hour meetings in the middle of the day--yay! We're going to go hiking with the evil mutts and then do some REALLY late pumpkin carving. Haha. Three pumpkins still await their fate. Scarface XV will live again!!

The Witching Hour Draws Near!

In other words, Happy Halloween! How do you like Captain Jeff Sparrow's new work uniform? Yes, that's right, Captain Jeff is bartending tonight as a pirate. Hopefully he'll give a healthy "Arghhhh!" with every drink he serves. We even beaded up his goatee and put eyeliner on him.

Did I mention that I went to every store in Christiansburg to find his costume? Seriously--I found one piece at each store. Boots at Walmart, hat at K-mart (yes, i ventured into K-mart and was very afraid), jacket at Joann's, sword at Walgreen's, beads at Michael's... Are you tired yet? Because I certainly was. I had to stop at Starbuck's and Taco Bell to fuel up in-between stores. And I am extremely disappointed in my beloved Target, they were cleaned out. But, they did have a pirate costume for Ari Lynn.

My costume was quite easy to find... I'm using Nickie's idea, and I will be "Under Construction". So I'll be dressed like a cute construction worker with a toolbelt full of baby stuff (bottles, baby powder, stuffed animals, etc.) complete with a hardhat and a sign over my belly that says, of course, Under Construction. So along my search for all things piratey, Home Depot was yet another stop.

I tried dressing up the dogs--but they weren't very good subjects. Especially Luci--she sucks. Totally uncooperative! She took her costume off within a minute.

So, my pet pics suck. Oh well, I guess I should leave it to the photography master, Bri.
Okay, time to go finish up Scarface XV! He'll be evil as ever! Jeff is going to lame out and make a happy pumpkin, what's up with that? It's Halloween damnit!

The alien parasite is a BOY!

Yup, M&M is a boy :) Now what to name him!? I have like 30 girl names, and 1 boy name... Oops!! So obviously I'm starting a new spreadsheet--and so far have 2 names on it. We need ideas people! And then, I think I'll either post the spreadsheet on google--or take votes over the blog... So far, we've come up with Caden (or Cadiem, haha) Rey Mangold. Which would be my initials and middle name :)
Now I can peruse Target and drool over the cute baby boy stuff. We went straight there after our ultrasound appointment yesterday and got M&M a Classic Pooh "Pram Bag". What the hell is a Pram Bag? We just thought it looked cozy and liked the ears on the little hoodie, but were very confused about the slits on the front and back... Jeff asked a "Target Team Member"--she laughed at us, and said it was for the seatbelt to go through... Ohhhhhh, that makes sense! I'm clueless!
So even though I was hoping for a girl--I'm happy about having a boy--there's pros and cons to both :) And now I can put dinosaur crap everywhere which would have been a little weird for a girl, even though I've always loved them!
In other news... Jeff got a promotion--which will be more responsibility of course, and dealing with stupid employee drama/crap--but in the next month or so should hopefully develop into more bar shifts, and less overall time at work. Yay! He was making spreadsheets this morning to prepare for his meeting today to get training records organized. I keep telling him he's the industrial engineer for bars/restaurants! Yesterday he was talking about cutting down on process steps and walk times... So many parallels!
Anyway--even though he has a meeting which cuts about 4 hours out of the day (i'm not complaining!), it's his day off... We wanted to go hiking today--but it's flurrying outside! Brrr!
If you haven't seen pics of M&M's latest ultrasound, check out the following link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/cassie.monteverde/MMTheBOY#

21 Weeks! Halfway to seeing mini-me/Jeff!

(Mike, Jeff, duh, Jeff, Ian)

Ah, the days before we were in the know about M&M. That's right--M&M is in this picture too! And I'm looking pissy because it was hotter than hell outside. PA sucks! (Sorry Nate!) Why exactly did I post this picture? Because this week M&M is being compared to a carrot--and I'm tired of posting pics of fruits and veggies damnit! And tomorrow is the big day!! Hopefully I'll be able to post a picture of our ultrasound--and also the big news!! Everyone cross your fingers!! And then, we'll be able to start the name game. I've already got a google spreadsheet started, so I figure we can all pass that around :) I can also pick out a color to paint M&M's room--but I promised Jeff's friend Jason that I would steer clear of pink (not that I would pick it anyway ;)

Jeff took me shopping at the Greenhouse the other night, after they were closed :) It was awesome--the owner, Lee, locked us in while he went to have a beer--and we got to shop. I tried on about everything in there! I think Jeff knew I was feeling like an ugly cow, and we found some really cute shirts and a couple of sweaters with room for the belly to grow :) So now I'm a stylin' cow... Hahaha.

Tuesday was Jeff's day off, and we perused at Target (but we just didn't have time for Bed Bath & Beyond... I know, I'm lame) like normal people. We also got to have dinner with the other Jeff and his girlfriend Laurie--plus her mom and aunt. We went to Poor Billy's which was tasty tasty as usual. Laurie's family owns the Carol Lee Doughnut Shop--so we got to hear some funny doughnut stories. They also ordered every appetizer on the menu--and I recommend a new one that has a baked pastry stuffed with Brie cheese served with candied pecans, apricots and crunchy things--yum! I stuck with the classic melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon. Soooo good.

"Cheddar isn't better when Bri's in the cheese!!" Hahahaha. Bri heard that all through junior high and high school. They either recited that fun little phrase to her, or just called her "cheese". Poor kid. ;) How's that for random!?

19 weeks and M&M is on the move!

That's right! We're at nineteen weeks! And, if you haven't guessed, M&M is now the size of a large heirloom tomato and weighs about half a pound. Where do they come up with these crazy size comparisons? So this week, M&M's senses are developing and he/she is sprouting hair! Anyone want to bet that it will be wild brown curly hair? (If you haven't met Jeff--he has hair pretty similar to mine :) But there are exceptions of course, Jeff's son Jeffrey has straight white blond hair. Jeff calls him a toe head? I really don't get that expression... Anyway, I've also been feeling the baby move! Mom says I should be feeling little kicks soon as well. Here's the weird part--I got on the scale this morning--and it hasn't moved. Weird!

I have a maternity clothes rant:
Do the people that design maternity clothing think that people having babies are 75 years old? What's up with the baggy legs and shapeless-baggy ass? Maybe they need an anatomy lesson. And what's up with the ugly-plain-high-necked-school-marm shirts? I have new boobs and I want to show them off damnit! Do they think pregnant women are giving up on looking attractive? That we want to look like a shapeless tent? What gives? I searched Ann Taylor, Gap, Motherhood, even by beloved Nordstrom (all online, no shopping around here). And they all SUCK. Ugly ug ug. But, to my great surprise, Old Navy rocks! They were the only store I found that carried cute jeans that weren't $200. I got a pair that has an elastic band built in to the waistband that you can't see, and they actually fit in the butt and legs :) I also got some cute trouser jeans that have an adjustable elastic band on the inside so they can expand with the growing belly. Plus, a denim pencil skirt that also has an adjustable elastic band inside. AND--they were the cheapest! Win win! I also found some cute empire style shirts at TJ Maxx on clearance :)

In other news... Ian and I went to the cellar last night for dinner and blues music. I love the blues! Sunday I had dinner with Nickie & Gene--which was tastylicious as usual :) We also watched some crazy yet entertaining vampire show on HBO, "True Blood". I have two words, "SOOKI SOOKI!" (in an extreme southern accent) Jeff has tomorrow off, because he's getting more work done on his tree tattoo. I'll have to post a picture of it. Okay, I'm done rambling/ranting!

Two Dogs, One Cat and a Lizard! Oh My!

Okay people, so my apartment is now "our" apartment--which includes a zoo. Jeff and Mike did a switcheroo with apartments on Saturday--which was somewhat convenient. Mike seems pretty happy with his new bachelor pad. Jeff is also excited. The cat (Casey Two) and the lizard (Flava-Flav) have been the only residents at his apartment for the last couple months. And Jeff had been living out of small assortment of clothes at my apt. Anyway--he's happy to finally have everything in one place! Two, the cat, seems especially happy. He's taken up station in a bed filled with catnip. Ari keeps trying to play with him--which he doesn't appreciate--and she's earned a lot of crate time in between trying to get in the cat box and being a shit in general! Luci, who knows better, also tries to double team Two along with Ari. So everyone has been getting into trouble. Flava-Flav has not yet arrived, but she's getting moved this Saturday. And don't worry Nickie! I'm steering clear of the cat poo and the lizard :) No salmonella or brain damaged children for me!

Friday night I had people over for chicken curry--which was pretty tasty :) I was running WAY behind as usual--so we didn't get to actually eat until around 10--but it was a good time anyway! There was a lot of scary talk about twins--some Ukrainian guy had his twin inside him!
Saturday, after moving Jeff's stuff all day, we went to his friend Jeff's to watch the game and chill--I fell asleep in the 4th quarter :)
Last night I spent THREE hours setting up the damn router--a few minutes my ass, Linksys bastards! But, in the end, I have conquered!

M&M! Show yourself!

We got our first ultrasound on Friday, and got to see M&M, who was moving around like crazy. Jeff said, "M&M is truckin'!" (You can see the outline of M&M's head under the word "dad") We both just stared at the screen with our mouths open--it's so cool! We haven't found out the sex, but will at the next appointment which is next month. Then we get to see the 3D ultrasound which should be unreal. The doctor (who I really like--luckily) measured M&M's thigh bone and head--and M&M is actually a week ahead of schedule! Maybe my procrastination genes didn't pass on... ;) Apparently I have to pee in a cup every time I go in. Why don't they explain why? They also forgot to give me some kind of lab test, and called me to come back. And I asked what kind of lab tests and the answer was, "Oh, you know--just typical lab stuff." HUH?? So is it another pee test, blood test, how many jumping jacks can I do, what the hell kind of test?? Luckily, the book Bri got me explains everything you could possibly want to know.

Today I'm cleaning, doing laundry and homework. I'm trying to make up for yesterday because all I did was lay around and watch movies. Jeff has been gone all weekend visiting his son in D.C., but he gets back tonight :) I'm going to Nickie and Gene's later today, and taking Ari to meet their two Australian Shepherds. Hopefully they'll get along!

I WANT A BEER DAMNIT!

Cold... Refreshing... Malty, nutty brown goodness... That's right people. Sam Adams Octoberfest beer is out and parading around in front of my pregnant eyes. My ultimate, favorite beer--out ONCE a year for one lousy month! Grrrr. Sam & Ben also share my love of Sam Adams--and have been drinking up my beloved Octoberfest. Taunting-teasing-bastards! But there is a plan in motion... Jeff thinks we should buy some while it's out, and then in about six months--I can partake. Yaaayyyyy!
In other news...
Since I currently don't have a schedule to keep, I've accidentally adapted to Jeff's. Oops! It was pretty easy to slip into considering my history as a night owl. Which really sucked growing up because my mom and sister are morning people. They'd burst into my bedroom chirping about the sun shining, what a beautiful day... blah blah blah! And then they'd rip open the shades and yank off my covers. I was a tortured child.
Anyway... I think the dogs like Jeff better than me! Little beasts. They wouldn't eat without me! Although, they treat Jeff like a Tootsy Roll Pop. As soon as he walks in the door he's attacked by licking from both dogs, they love that Sharkey's chicken goodness. It's rumored (from Jeff's boss) that eventually he'll only be working around 50 hours/week versus the 75ish he's working now. I don't know how he does it--I would one huge pile of evil grouchiness!
Alright--I'm done with my ramblings... Until next time... Go have a tasty Octoberfest for me and M&M!!

"Excuse me. I am a sacred vessel, alright? All you've got in your stomach is Taco Bell." (Juno)

Mmmhhh... Taco Bell... Pintos and cheese... Taco Supreme...
Okay, I got distracted. So, week 15!! Holy Cow!! (Yes, I will be one soon) M&M is now about the size of an apple... I had one at lunch... Not sure what that has to do with anything. Hmm...
So, M&M's legs are finally catching up to the arms, and the air sacs in the lungs are starting to develop. Sea monkey be gone! I'm really excited to see the ultrasound--hopefully that will happen soon.
I'm struggling to eat healthy... Jeff and I ate pizza rolls for dinner last night. Are you proud Bri?! Haha. Tonight I'm going to make some experimental egg rolls I've been perfecting, but they should be pretty healthy :) I had a job interview on Monday for an assistant accountant position, and I think it went well... Cross your fingers for me! Jeff FINALLY has a day off on Thursday, he's been working for two weeks straight. He's also getting tattooed on Thursday (yeah, he still has some space!), the "tree of life" is getting more work. The roots go all the way down his leg--and the branches with little leaves spread across his chest. It's quite the tattoo!

We've got pee people!

It's week fourteen, and M&M's kidneys are doing their job! M&M is also busy making faces (maybe he/she is doing the patented Cassie-squint-eyed-glare) and is now about the size of a lemon. I'm growing a lemon, I'm so magical! Haha.

In other news...
Ian, $10 Mike and I checked out Jazz night at the Cellar, which was cool--except when the trumpet guy decided to blast our eardrums. Then we went to visit Jeff at Sharkey's. Jeff talked $10 into drinking a PBR--he was lured by the $1.50 price tag--I'll pay the extra buck for a decent beer anyday! yuck! Jeff is still working like a dog--but we did get to hang out yesterday afternoon, even caught some sun sitting on the deck at TOTS for lunch :)

It's only money, I can get more?

Does anyone know how to escape Target without spending $50?? I bought ONE frivilous item--a $3 tube of Burt's Bees chapstick. I'm not kidding, the rest was cleaning supplies, toiletries and toilet paper for my new peeing hobby. Jeff, on the other hand, bought some gadgets to use at work which he is very excited about. He rigged up a sharpie on a retractable key chain so he can clip it to his shorts at work and whip out the sharpie with the greatest of ease. Haha. And he got a flashlight that can be seen from 2 miles away. It's all very exciting. ;)

We went to The Cellar last night for dinner with Jeff's friends Jeff and Laurie. We sat at the bar downstairs, so we got to have Nate's buddy Tom as our bartender/waiter. I ordered a pasta special, striped pasta with marscapone cheese and sundried tomatoes--it was pretty tasty. And it really was striped with red! We got to see Obama's suprise attack while we were there--everyone was pretty excited--no Republicans in that room! We also dropped by Rivermill and checked out the new music venue--The Lantern--which used to be a skeezy dance club with really scary booty dancing. The Lantern is definitely an improvement! One of Jeff's friends was drumming in the band that was playing. They played some pretty cool covers.
Okay, time to attack some homework!

Second trimester, here we come!

Well, almost! We've made it to the thirteenth week :) And still no morning sickness, woohoo! M&M should be around three inches long and now has fingerprints! Pretty cool, huh?

In other news... Doggie-Smack-Down-Week (as Bri so aptly named it) has returned. Luci has been a regular house guest since Jeff has been working so much, and Ari has decided to pee all over the apartment to establish her domain. Marty's advice to me was that I need to re-establish who the real top dog is (that would be me). So Ari is getting alphaed everytime she decides to disobey and they're no longer allowed to wrestle and run all over the house 24-7. So far, it seems to be working, no pee for the last day... Horray!
Also--this past Friday my 2.5 year internship at Danaher finally came to a close. I think I hold the record, haha. I'm actually relieved, I was pretty bored. So, the job search begins :) So far, I've applied for a bank job and a couple of clerical positions. I don't think I'll have any issues since all of my classes are online this semester. And, I should be a shoe-in for Medicaid now. Yay for free medical! One more thing, I have a new hobby--peeing. No kidding, I think it's been around 15 times today. Eek!

To Lime? To Salt?

We all like to frequent a Mexican restaurant, Cinco de Mayo because of their large margaritas and excellent deals on Dos Equis... Our favorite waiter will ask, "To lime? To salt?" for each drink order. It's pretty comical.
Anyway, if you haven't guessed, M&M is now lime sized and weighing in at half an ounce. This is one fast growing baby! Apparently this is a big week for reflexes.

Mom, Bri and Nate all left yesterday morning. We all had a good time, even with 6 of us squished into my tiny apartment, plus 2 dogs :) Nickie & Gene lent me their awesome air mattress--which is more like a blow up queen size bed--and it took up most of the living room! As predicted--there was much activity centered around eating. Ha ha. But we did make it to the Floyd Jamboree on Friday, the farmer's market in Roanoke on Saturday, Chateau Morrisette on Sunday, and played a few games of Scrabble and Balderdash in between.

On several car rides--Mom, Bri and Nate worked on name suggestions for M&M. They came up short. But maybe this is because they were listing off every street sign in sight--and then moved on to naming characters from movies or trashy romance novels. Such as Atticus, Scout, Trevelyan, Percival, Ginny, Harry, Ariel, Aurora--and they only got more ridiculous. Mom really likes Francesca and Olivia. I like Olivia, but Jeff and I both agree that Francesca is out--we don't like the nick name Fran, or Frannie... Too plain! Anyone have any boy name ideas? Girl names?

Biznatch arrives today!

Otherwise known as Nate :)

The Mom is arriving in T-10 hours!

And she's waiting to board her plane right about now! Nine more hours of traveling and she'll arrive in good old Roanoke. Sans Cleo. Don't let the picture confuse you...
Tonight we won't get to do much since she gets in so late--but hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to get some quality mother-daughter time in :) Jeff is going to take her hiking to McAfee's Knob on Thursday--it has a great view, I think she'll enjoy it. Nate is coming in on Thursday (i already have cheese & crackers waiting for you Biznatch!) and Bri on Friday morning. My apartment is going to be packed! Ari will be so excited.
Speaking of Ari--she's been mopey lately, so yesterday I bought her three new toys. Her favorite, of course, is the new nyla-dental bone. She likes to sit on the couch with me and chew her bone--which I'm not crazy about, but tolerate because I'm a sucker! She's also making out in the food department. I cut her new food back too much and her little ribs started showing. So I kind of freaked out and have been feeding her lots of tasty snacks.
Jeff has been working like a dog--yesterday he worked from 9am-midnight. He said he smelled like a chicken wing by the end. Luckily, I didn't have to find out if that was true! I won't even see him until Thursday. But he's off for the weekend after that--so plenty of quality time with Mom, Bri and Nate :)
Side Note: It really annoys me that I haven't gained any weight--but my jeans barely close. WTF??

Eleven weeks and counting!

M&M has now reached fig status. Are figs any bigger than a kumquat? Well apparently this measures about 1.5" long. M&M is almost fully formed (crazyness!). Bones are hardening and apparently M&M is having a good time kicking and stretching--and could even be hiccupping.
Side Note: Jeff thinks I'm jinxing us by refering to M&M as a "she"... and we can't have that--so no more she talk!

My mom is coming in tomorrow night--so guess what I'm doing tonight?! That's right--crazy cleaning. I've already warned Mike to look out for the scary cleaning machine (me). Alright--time to forage for food... ;)

The Return of $10

My roomie has returned! And he's sporting a new haircut! I barely recognized him when he took his hat off. He looks so young--he hates that! Ha ha ha.

Yesterday Jeff and I went to visit some of his good friends who had a baby girl yesterday morning. I was afraid to hold her--but Jeff was pretty comfortable with it--at least one of us is!! I just kept looking at her the whole time thinking, how in the HELL am I going to squeeze that out??!

Later we went to Thai with Eric, Nichole, Nickie and Gene. I don't think M&M likes Thai food--which is unfortunate for me :( I hated my dish (Orangy Cashew Beef), but everyone else tried it and liked it. Boo!

And even later, after Mike arrived, we went for a celebratory beer at the Rivermill(don't worry, no beer for me!). Coincidentally it was Jeff's last night working at the Rivermill, which is kind of sad. He's an institution in that place! Rivermill just won't be the same without him.

Another Theory... (just for bri)

Have you ever sat down to a tasty, steaming stir-fry--and suddenly it hits you... What's the deal with the baby corn? Why is it so tiny? Where does it come from?
I have the answer. Baby corn is the stunted, reject corn from the regular corn crop harvest. Yup--it's not baby corn at all! More like, the outcasts of the corn community. Never to reach the full potential of the regular, normal corn. Forever stuck in stir-frys and pasta salads.
I hope you won't discriminate against baby corn because it's a stunted reject. Personally I'm an equal opportunity corn eater.

In other news...
Mom is coming in to visit the 'Burg on Tuesday night--with Bri & Nate also visiting the following weekend. I'm not sure what we're doing yet, but I've got a feeling it's going to involve copious amounts of eating :) Mom turns into the queen of snack whenever she leaves Phoenix (it's true Mom!) and I'm sure Nate & Bri will be happy to follow her lead!

Possessed Dogs
Last night around midnight, I'd just settled into bed, cozied up with a Janet Evanovich novel. A few minutes later, Ari started growling and barking from her crate, which is right next to my bed. Luci responded with a deafening bark. I didn't hear a thing besides the whir of a/c units from the apartment complex. This barking back and forth continued for about ten minutes, with me yelling at them in-between to shut their traps. Finally I couldn't take it anymore, and shoved both of them in the hallway and slammed the door. It worked! Ahhh, beautiful silence.

I have a theory...

Have you ever wondered why we have all of these pointless states in the middle? How on earth did they ever come to be? Who exactly would deign to live there? Do we need them? I have a theory that answers all of these questions:
The Oregon Trail!
That's right!! The people who settled in the boring, pointless states such as: Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas(sorry Tara!), Missouri, Idaho... These were the people whose wagons broke down. They over-packed their wagons and broke the axles. You might be thinking, well, what about Arkansas(sorry Ash!) and Oklahoma? How in the hell did they come about? Those states were settled by the people who chose to take the "road less traveled". Yup, they were trying to avoid traffic--and it backfired. The wagons broke down. So not only were they too far from the trail to get help--they were stuck in Arkansas and Oklahoma. So there you have it--the mystery is solved! You're welcome! ;)

158 minutes of my life are forever lost...

Last night we subjected ourselves to "There Will Be Blood". At first, I thought it was going to be a pretty good movie. There was creepy string music which was apparently composed by a member of Radiohead--it was reminiscent of the "Ravenous" soundtrack. (side note: "ravenous", a civil war movie involving cannibals, had me so freaked out i was afraid to use the movie theater bathroom alone, for fear of being attacked and thrown into a stew!) There was also a crazy religious cult leader and his creepy followers. Sounds promising, right? WRONG!! The movie went on and on and on--without any real change or climax. Or maybe that was the movie magic I missed--perhaps they were just trying to drive home the misery by keeping the same dreary monotony? I just expected more plot-wise I suppose.

On a positive note--this pregnancy stuff isn't so bad thus far! Other than constantly feeling the need to shove food in my face and nap--I'm feeling pretty good :) I don't think I've ever been so food focused. I wake up hungry, which is totally abnormal for me, and I'm pretty much hungry on the hour all day. I'm a bottomless pit!

Drum Roll Please!

Yes, M&M is now comparable to a kumquat. What a strange little fruit! Apparently you have to chew the sweet skin to counteract the super-tart juice inside. I've never tried one, but I think I'm going to pick one up next time I'm at the grocery.
Back to the subject at hand... M&M is an inch long this week! Her kidneys, intestines and brain are beginning to function--and her liver is even making red blood cells. She has a giant head--it's half the size of her body! I'm amazed that so much action takes place in so little time.

In other news...
I made some blueberry and walnut pancakes yesterday that were yummy--and it was my first pancake attempt without the aid of Bisquick--which is FULL of trans fats FYI!
Jeff & I went to Kabuki for dinner last night to celebrate the closing year of my twenties. Boo! But dinner was tasty, and we were the only two at the table--it was nice to have our own personal chef :) Jeff claims he rented out the place--haha.
I received a new cactus(one of my gifts from Jeff), Seῆor Spiney, who is chillin villain style in my windowsill. So now I have a little bit of my beloved Arizona in this overly green state of VA :) I got a bunch of calls and texts yesterday--it was nice to hear from everyone--thank you!!
We've been watching a lot of movies instead of going out--this weekend we watched Charlie Bartlett, 21 and Death at a Funeral. Bri talked me into renting Enchanted--which was cute, I admit. But it would have been a lot more entertaining twenty years ago! Sorry Bri! :0

Spoils

The Captain (Captain Peanut) was in! We also found some organic honey and lemon crumb cookies--made by Mennonites. According to Jeff, if someone wearing a bonnet made it--it has to be good. Maybe it's a valid theory, they're pretty tasty :)

Tatatouille

So, you think the baby's arms will look like Jeff's?
photo: Christina OConnor, 16 Blocks Magazine

"The baby? I don't really know much about it other than, I mean, it has fingernails, allegedly." (Juno)

M&M may not have fingernails as of yet--but she (my wishful thinking) is starting to grow some microscopic teeth! Her heart is also almost fully formed, and her "tail" is about gone. She's also been compared to several different kinds of foods--which are doubling in size each new week. Last week (week nine), she was a kidney bean. Now, towards the end of week nine, she's a grape or green olive. Stay tuned to find out next week's mystery fruit... ;)

In other news... (those of us who have all of our body parts)
Jeff is starting his new job on Monday. After six years at the Rivermill--he's pretty excited for a change of pace!
My last day of summer school was yesterday and I'm happy for the break. I managed to finish up well, despite the recent distractions! Finally, I can read the pile of books I've been wanting to read, guilt-free :) Bri sent me some new vampire books I'm excited to try out.
Steppin' out is happening this weekend in the 'Burg and Ian's girlfriend Sedef is in town from Turkey for the weekend--so Jeff and I are going to hang out with them at Steppin' Out Saturday and possibly check out the wine tasting at Vintage Cellar. I will be living vicariously through the three of them of course--maybe I'll bring a snack to keep M&M satisfied. Or maybe I'll just camp out at the peanut stand--they have like 10 flavors of roasted peanuts--yum!