Hump Day, Bump Day!

Sorry for the delay. It's been quite the nuthouse around here lately...

Yesterday we completely emptied what used to be the office to turn it into WIP's room. HOLY HELL we have a lot of stuff. I swear someday the basement will start talking to us and be like, "Seriously, guys, if you bring ONE more thing down here..." Oy.

I digress. So amidst all the packing, cleaning and organizing I somehow managed to lose the camera, thus delaying the HDBD post. I panicked for the better part of an hour, fearing I accidentally packed it up in one of the twelve bags we took to Salvation Army yesterday. (And for those of you who know the story of the SA and Joe's laptop, you can totally understand my fear...and are probably laughing at me a little, too.)

Alas, all is well. I found the camera nestled in the pillows on the couch. So, here it is:

"Congratulations, Kristi! You're 24 Weeks Pregnant. Your baby measures around 8.4 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 1.2 pounds. He is starting to produce white blood cells, an important component of blood that is responsible for combating disease and infection, and may respond to your touch or sounds. Your uterus is about 1.5 to 2 inches above your navel. Expect to gain about a pound per week this month. Tests for detecting gestational diabetes are given between now and 28 weeks."

It should also be known that as Joe was taking my picture, he paused and quizzically asked, "What's that shadow? ...oh, it's your butt."

Thanks, honey...love you, too! (Feel free to send him hatemail.)

Here's to the last post of 2008 and to 2009 being the best year yet!

Five.

That's the number of times I woke up to pee last night. Average time to fall back asleep each time: 38 minutes.

New rule: Must consume all necessary water before 8 pm daily.

In other news, I've started reading "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Stay tuned to hear some of the interesting things I've learned...

A Day In The Life.

It's been a rather eventful weekend at the Talicska abode in the bustling metropolis of Auburn, Mich. In fact, we've had more catastrophes in the last 2 days than most house guests can conjure up in a week.

It began late Thursday night. We stayed up extra late to open all our presents, so by the time midnight rolled around we were all very, very ready for bed. I was in the upstairs bathroom getting ready and I heard Joe in the hallway.

"Kristi?" He asked in a small, squeaky voice.

"Yes, dear?" I replied.

"Um. I guess I have a small cut on the bottom of my foot and I accidentally got a little bit of blood on the carpet," he said.

It should be noted here that my Mom and Dad have white carpet throughout the ENTIRE upstairs and into most of the downstairs.

"Well, go let my Mom know so we can clean it right away," I replied.

So, I exited the bathroom expecting to see 5 or so little drops of blood on the carpet because, let's face it, he didn't sound too nervous when he confessed to me. Much to my surprise, I walk out of the bathroom and onto the set of Scream III. Seriously - hundreds of specks of blood throughout the entire upstairs AND up and down the stairway. Did he run a small marathon with an oozing, injured foot? I about died.

Everyone had a good laugh at poor Joe's expense (he was mortified). And it was actually nothing a little Oxy carpet cleaner, 3 toothbrushes and a Little Green Machine couldn't handle. If you look at it glass-full, Mom got her carpet cleaned! Also, for those concerned...Joe's foot is all better.

Then, to make the weekend a little more exciting, Kelli nearly flooded the downstairs bathroom on Friday. It should also be noted that the downstairs bathroom is carpeted. (I know, who carpets a bathroom? But it actually works, because it's the back entrance bathroom and is rough and tumble indoor carpet.)

Anyway, Kelli is more or less notorious for her ability to clog any bathroom toilet. (Sorry for exposing this to the blogosphere, sis, but really...the world needs to be warned.) I honestly think she could clog a Port-A-John. But this particular incident actually had nothing to do with a clogging and/or over-usage of TP, as the story has been told to us. No one was actually with her in the loo to back up her story. She claims it was the result of an improperly timed double flush. As she saw the water start to rise, she instinctively tore the lid off the back and pulled up the lever...with a little too much gusto. Some sort of necessary bolt and/or keepsitalltogether part came undone and water began to spew with great force from the back of the toilet onto the CEILING. I know. Heeeelarious. We all then had a laugh at her expense and moved on.

In other words, the Little Green Machine has been worth its weight on gold this particular trip.

Maybe tomorrow Kyle will make the oven explode or something. Although, at the rate this rain is going, I might have a sump pump incident for your entertainment tomorrow. Cheers!

Holy Addicting, Batman.

Exciting news: Joe got me a Wii for Christmas! (That's what she said.)

The not-so-exciting news: I'm pretty sure I won't be able to move tomorrow. You see, this Wii has provided me with an unstoppable excuse to get off my rear and actually increase my heart rate to a level above sedentary. I've seen more activity in the last 4 hours than I have since August, no joke. I suppose on some sick, twisted level it's good for me. But still...we all know I'm lazy. I need a Starbuckies, stat.

WIP doesn't even know what to do with all this movement... I call it payback, kid. How do YOU like it? :)

We spent the better part of the post-breakfast hours making Miis for everyone - you know, the Avatars that are the little characters when you play. We got creative and made one for all of us...Dad's is actually an uncanny resemblance.

Me - Kristii
Joey - JoeWii
WIP - Wiip
Kelli - Kellii
Jill - Jillii
Kyle - Kiile
Mom - Grammii
Dad - Grandpii

Weird and creative, right? :) Just like us.

As I type, Kyle and Joe are having the tennis deathmatch of a lifetime. Based on the yelps and "boo-yas!" I'm guessing Joe is the current victor. Grandpa Neveau is watching them from the chair - half laughing at the boys dancing around and swinging their arms around like fools and half in awe of the technological advances he is witnessing. Hard to believe that electricity didn't exist in his lifetime, right?

Kelli's running 5 miles on the treadmill in preparation for her 1/2 marathon. I'm cheering her on wildly from the futon, promise. Jill's in the shower and Mom and Dad are cookin' us up some delicious dinner. Life is grand.

Merry Christmas From The VeeDubs!

Merry Christmas!! :)

I hope Santa was good to you all...he brought me a Wii!!!!! WOOT!

Here's my Christmas gift from WIP, as indicated by an update I got this week from thebump.com:

"Baby's little face is fully formed...minus the baby fat, of course. The next task at hand for baby: sprouting two teeny-tiny nipples!"

Hahaha - reminds me of the scene from Meet The Parents. "I've got nipples, Greg. Can you milk me?"

...and with that, I'm out.

Hump Day, Bump Day!

Welcome to the special Christmas Eve edition of the Bump Express. In honor of this day, Joe has slightly re-worded the beginning of one of my Grandma Neveau's favorite Christmas stories:

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the VW house

not a creature was stirring, except for the WIP...

We attempted the whole poem, but it just got ridiculous. Our hope for you and yours is that you have a safe and blessed Christmas surrounded by loved ones and lots of yummy food! (Ok, the food was my addition...) Remember the Reason for the Season!!

Here's a look at our most precious blessing - he's growing!

"Congratulations, Kristi! You're 23 Weeks Pregnant. Your baby measures about 8 inches from crown to rump and weighs almost 1 pound. His body is starting to look more like a newborn, but his skin is still wrinkled as more weight is to be gained. By now, there is no mistaking that you are pregnant and you have likely gained about 12 to 15 pounds. If you have aches in the small of your back, consider treating yourself to a pregnancy massage or apply a warm (not hot) heating pad or hot water bottle for a short period of time to the area."

Some of the other updates I get talk about WIP's movement and how (even though I FEEL huge) he still has a lot of room in there to move around. I assure you he's using it to its full extent. The other night I swear he was playing Rock Band in there.

Merry Christmas!

Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake.

Hi. My name is Jake. Well, everyone calls me "Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake," but I'm pretty sure the 'a' isn't supposed to be held for 3 seconds (or longer). It's really just "Jake." Whatever. I'll answer to most anything...even "Nancy" these days. (Mom and Dad are considering "Jacob" as a potential baby name, thus mine would have to change. This kid is seriously taking over my world!)



My Mid Midlife Crisis tagged me in a meme. The first time my Mom read the tag, she thought that it was a typo, and that MMMC really meant "memo"...but after a quick Googling she learned that 'meme' was, indeed, a real word. Go fig. Although she's pretty sure it's the wrong desciptor, we'll go with it.

Here are the rules...

1. Link to the person that tagged you. (Check)
2. Post the rules on your blog. (Check)
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (Only six?)
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

(Because Mom doesn't consider herself a real blogger, we're ignoring rules 4 and 5. But if you read this blog and have a pet, feel free to play along!)

1. I know I already told you my name, but my REAL name when my Dad adopted me was "Captain Jack Sparrow." I know, it's totally weird - you might wonder how I survived on the streets with such a crappy name for all those years before Dad found me. But I made the other dogs in my dog gang call me "Fearless Leader," so it was all good. That's right - I was in a dog gang. I was their leader. We hunted squirrels. No one was safe from our humping and chasing.

2. My Mom's not really sure how I have any hair left on my body because it's all over the house. It drives her bonkers when she Swiffers, because it's like the cleaning never happened. Swiff, hair. Swiff, hair. Swiff, hair. I think it's amusing. She, on the other hand, does not. And you should see how full the Dyson is after she's done with the carpets!

3. I like to dig holes in the backyard - again, something Mom and Dad aren't such big fans of. But they don't understand that I HAVE to do it to bury my secret treasure for the fellow members of my dog gang. We cannot let the squirrels prevail!

4. I will pretty much eat anything, but I never beg. I will just patiently wait for you to give me your scraps. Oh, but not those tangerine things Mom has been eating lately. I'm NOT a fan of those. Yuck!

5. I love, love, love to run. I've secretly escaped a few times to work off some steam, but I always come back. I mean, who wouldn't come back to a warm house where you get lots of food and attention?

6. I have a secret weapon. But before I tell you, you have to paw-promise me that you won't tell my Mom and Dad. Deal? Deal. So, the secret weapon is my eyes. I have this look that I give my mom and dad when I reeeeaaaaallly, reeeeeaaaalllyyy, want something. It works every. single. time.

So, that's pretty much it. I'm a pretty cool dog...but I must stress again how much this kid thing is freaking me out. What if he gets my table scraps? I will so not be cool with that.

I Need A Vacation.

And lucky for me, my wish has been granted.

It's nothing fancy - no cocktails and sunshine - but it is a break from the everyday stresses of work and the shiteous economy in general. Much needed by many, I think.

We're off Dec. 24 - Jan. 11, and have so much planned! I'm going to be an organizing FREAK! The basement? It will shine like the top of the Chrysler building! The dining room? It will be painted and have chair rails and floor moulding! The nursery? It will be painted, decorated and organized as if WIP were going to be born on the 12th!

In all seriousness, we'll probably get to about 50% of what's on my list. Progress is progress, though, right?

In other news, Jake was tagged by a fellow blogger. (If you're a teacher, check her blog out - you'll love it!) I'm still learning the rules of being an official "blogger," as I really just consider this my platform for all my irrational and slightly amusing thoughts. But, I understand a tag means I've gotta do it...So, look for a "special edition" blog from Jake to come soon!

Simmer Down, Now!

So, what would Donna Summer's phone book entry look like?

Summer, Donna.

Now, slow it down just a bit...

Simmer down now! :)

(10 points awarded to those who get it.)

I promise there is a relevance to today's post title. Over the last few days, WIP has been more...let's say...active than usual. So, instead of wasting the hours between 2 am and 4 am (when he is most active), I thought it would be fun to think of all the silly things the little dude might be doing in my tum tum.

1. Playing a game of Quidditch with his imaginary Harry Potter friends. I assume WIP is Harry Potter, my bladder can be Hermoine and the uterus can be Ron. (Disclaimer: in no way do I claim to have passed even a high school level anatomy course.)
2. Practicing diligently for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Based on the current level of movement, I am hopeful for a gold on the Pommel Horse. Joe and I would be WAY cooler Olympic parents than Michael Phelps' mom...and I wouldn't wear those awful sweaters!
3. Vying for a new World Record in jump rope - using the umbilical cord, obviously. He's getting in some great training for "Miss Mary Mack," I assure you.

I hope he keeps practicing for all of the above, as we want him to be both creative and athletic. I just wish he could train during normal waking hours. :)

Growin'...

I was perusing through some of my photo albums on Kodak Gallery late last night and came across my "WIP" album. In it, I have all the pics from when I told Joe I was pregnant, the ultrasound pics and the bump pics. (Note: I should tell you all the story about how I told Joe. It's hilarious. Future post idea!)

I had a (weird) friend in High School who used to draw those little flip books - you know, the kind where you flip/thumb through all the pages really quickly and you see something funny like a cat chasing a mouse? I wish I could do that with my bump pictures - the bump express!!

So, here's a side-by-side look at Week 14 (when I started taking pictures) and Week 22 (this week). Hard to believe it's only 8 short weeks of growth!



Wowee. Those black pants are classy. H-o-t. :)

Yesterday at work we had two wee little visitors - baby Leighton and baby Luke. Leighton is 6 weeks old and Luke's 1 month birthday is today. It was all I could do to not steal them both. I can't wait to be a mommy!!

It's A Genetic Addiction.

When we first told everyone that we were planning to find out the sex of WIP, my dad (sarcastically) pleaded with me to not tell my mom. He was certain that knowing whether she should visit the pink or the blue section in stores would triple his Visa bill. And, I'm pretty sure he was right. (Sorry, dad!)

I am proud to report that I inherited this shopping gene from my mother. However, you should all know by now that (sans the recent jeans purchase) I'm a wicked smart shopper...also inhereted from mom. My addicition to coupons and sale items has gotten me far...and these most recent purchases are no exception.

I got these cute little onesies for the WIPster at OldNavy.com. Free shipping and they were all under $3!! The grey one is my all-time fave. If you can't see it, it says "Christmas Wrapper" and the little present has a microphone and is saying, "Everybody say 'Hoooooooo!" Ho! Ho! Ho!'" Funniest. Ever.

And...drumroll please...here's the bedding set that we found (and love!). I know that we probably should have waited to register for it, but we want to paint the nursery over our Christmas break, and it simply has to match! I didn't get alllllllll of the accessories (most, not all) so there will still be things to get down the road.

I Know I Already Posted Something Today...

But this was to good to resist! Info from another weekly pregnancy e-mail update I get:

"Your baby weighs about 15 ounces, measures just under 11 inches head to heel, and is growing eyelashes and eyebrows. Little taste buds are forming on his or her tongue, and if your baby is a boy, his testes begin descending from his abdomen. If your baby is a girl, her uterus and ovaries are already formed, as well as all the eggs she will ever produce."

Love it!

Hump Day, Bump Day!

Week 22! I'm insanely busy today, so I'm keepin' it short and sweet. Here's the bump:



And here's the first picture Joe actually took this morning...but I thought my hand looked funny. Well, my lack of hand looked funny. And, it does. That's why I'm posting it. Have a laugh:



"Congratulations, Kristi! You're 22 Weeks Pregnant. Your baby measures about 7.6 inches and weighs about 12.3 ounces. His muscles are getting stronger, and his eyelids and eyebrows have developed. Your baby's acrobatics are pretty constant, and since he responds to sound, rhythm and melody, you can try singing and talking to him. After he's born, the same sounds may soothe him. Your uterus is continuing to grow, but you're probably feeling pretty good -- no more morning sickness, and your abdomen isn't so large that it's getting in the way very much. But many women experience leg and foot cramps, as well as mild swelling of ankles and feet, around this time."

No swelling to speak of at the moment, but I'm pretty sure if a camera had been rolling when I was trying to put on my tights for Wicked, I could have won the $10,000 grand prize on America's Funniest Home Videos.

For tomorrow: WIP's bedding and some new cute outfits!!

..and for today, DESSERT POTLUCK AT WORK!!! Woooo!!!!

Confession.

Soooooooooooooooo...I have a teeny, weeny confession: I got a new pair of jeans.

And another confession: I'm a hypocrite.

You see, Joe wanted to buy me a new pair of jeans for my birthday, since my sole pair of prego jeans were, well, atrocious...and I can no longer get away with the pre-prego jeans + Bellaband combo.

So, off we trotted to Somerset, where we visited my new fave find, the Motherhood + Mimi Maternity store. You may remember a previous post where I talked about how the back half of the store is (cheaper) Motherhood and the front is (more expensive) Mimi. And mayyyyybe I was a bit, um, vocal about the comparison of prices in the front vs. the back of the store?

Well, I grabbed a few pair of jeans from the BACK of the store and (of course) little miss friendly store clerk threw some additional options over the curtain for me to try on. And, as luck would have it, one of the three that she threw over fit me perfectly. They were MADE for me. Lean legs? Check. Good length? Check. Awesome looking booty? DOUBLE Check. (Or, at least the illusion of all the above.)

They were perfect...until I looked at the price tag. She clearly retrieved them from the FRONT of the store. I won't even tell you how much they were, but to the fashionistas of the blogosphere: know that they are mavi, and priced accordingly. And they are amazing. And my husband bought them for me.

To appease my guilty conscience, I've since bid on 3 pair on ebay. :) Brills!

Screw the Circus.

The Circus is often advertised as "The Greatest Show on Earth." Have their PR people seen Wicked? I mean, seriously...it RUNS AWAY with this title.

Now, I don't go handing out these awards to every musical that tickles my fancy. I've seen more shows than I care to admit (most for free, thanks for my sweet job at Miller Auditorium in college) and I am a pretty tough critic.

To be fair, Thoroughly Modern Millie has been my standing fave since 2002, when my dad took us on a whirlwind NYC/Broadway tour. The story, the music, the costumes, the choreography...le sigh. TMM, I'm sorry to say you've been nearly blown out of the park by Wicked. Wowzers.

Maybe it was just because of the anticipation that's been building for 3 1/2 months, but everything was magical about Saturday night. We started with a lovely dinner at Andiamo's Riverfront (valet parking, what?!)...complete with appetizers, dinner and dessert. (Their tiramisu is delish!)

Then, because it was a bit dreary, we took a taxi to the Opera House. I know - a taxi in downtown Detroit...such fun! This picture is proof. :)



We arrived safe and sound at the Opera House, found our seats and then followed my nose to the roasted almonds cart. Mmmmmmmm. We managed to snag this picture first:



The show could not have been better. I was elated that the only understudy was not a lead character. And, the actors that played Fiyero and Elphaba both originated roles in Legally Blonde on Broadway - Warner and Enid, respectively. (And, Laura Belle Bundy was cast as the US to Kristin Chenoweth for Glinda in the original Broadway cast.) The female voices of the show were so powerful...argh! I can't say enough awesome things about it!

During curtain call, I was clapping furiously and wishing with all my might they would start all over and do it again. I would have sat through it 5 more times that night...sleepiness and all.

To those that have not seen it - GO! Call me, I will go with you! And, I would strongly encourage you to not read the book first. I didn't, so all the little surprises that come up during the show were even more exciting.

We took the people mover (we don't discriminate...we support all types of Detroit public transportation!) back to the Ren Cen. As we were waiting for it to arrive, we got a little silly with a new friend:





It was the best weekend, ever. And I have the greatest husband for planning it. :)

...and I wasn't kidding about seeing it again. Call me.

I Won! (Sorta)

The night Kyle and Jill got engaged, my mom thought it would be funny to take a picture of my belly and Tami's belly "smooching." (It's actually even funnier** now that we know she and Nate are having a girl and we are having a boy...maybe it's fate?)

Anyway, I thought the picture was so cute that I entered it into a "bump" photo contest that thebump.com was having. Much to my surprise, the photo was selected as a top 10 finalist! We didn't win the grand prize (new camera), but our bellies are now famous!!

Click here to view the slideshow of finalists. Choose the "bump" gallery on the left. We are picture #3, and the winner is #11.

Or, if you're lazy, here's the pic I submitted:

As you can tell, Tami is a little farther along in her pregnancy. :) Hopefully her daughter will like younger men. Ha!

** "Funnier" is a word, dangit!

Finally!

Woo hoo! It's FRIDAY! :)

I am super, super, super, super, super excited about this weekend. WE ARE GOING TO SEE WICKED TOMORROW!!!! You see, this is a show I have been d.y.i.n.g. to see since it first appeared on Broadway. Practically everyone I know (and am related to) has seen it...some twice! I love the music and (shockingly) have most of the lyrics memorized. I CAN'T WAIT! The tickets were an anniversary present from Joe back in August, so I've been waiting (im)patiently for 3 1/2 months! (No, I don't suck at math. Our anniversary is the very end of August.)

The two dresses I blogged about here are my options to wear. I like the black one because I can wear my red hooker shoes and really rock the look - you know, be a hot mom. But, the polka dot one is really cute...to be cute? or a hooker? That is the question.

In shopping news, I'm totally ready for Christmas. All presents are wrapped and underneath the tree! Now, if only the Christmas cards would address themselves...

Why I Love Joe.

So, I found a quote today that I really like:

A heart is a kingdom conquerable only by love.
One smile, one hug, one kiss from you and I know you hold the key to my heart.

What kingdoms lie awaiting you my little prince charming?

Awwww....wouldn't that just be perfect for little WIP's room?

Anyway, I sent it to Joe to see what he thought. The poor guy has been in meetings all week with engineers, so his head's not on quite straight. And nothing against engineers - they keep this place innovating - but they do have a different way of thinking and processing, don't they?

Keep in mind where his head has been as you read his response to me:

And I love you. If I was an engineer, I would search the internet for all the possible definitions of love. I would then assemble a group of data analysts to vet this data, then hire a program manager to identify a project plan to develop, test and deploy a new definition of love perfectly designed just to show you how I feel about you. It would take about 12 years to do it, but you are worth it!

Fake Friday.

Thursdays are such a drag.

Because of the big day we had Monday, I've been a day ahead of myself all week. Tuesday felt like Wednesday, Wednesday felt like Thursday, and today feels (unfortunately) like Friday. Poo. Maybe the weekend will feel extra long?

Anyway, it seems that everyone else was just as excited about HE-WIP/SHE-WIP day as we were! On Monday, the blog got almost 200 unique hits, and about 300 total visits...which means you were coming back OFTEN! Sorry I didn't get to the post until later in the evening; we had to make sure that family knew first. Uncle Kyle was the official first to know, after the doc and us, obviously. :) We figured the boys in the fam needed to stick together!

In bargain news, I found some GREAT deals at Carter's yesterday. Now, I've honestly never been in that store, so they could have great sales all the time...and if they do, it's my new fave! The entire store is 50-70% off for a "Holiday Sale," and they have the CUTEST stuff! Click here if you want to find one near you. (And, honestly, doesn't the child on that page look like Shiloh Jolie-Pitt?)

No, Seriously.

Wowzers, I'm HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!! Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know what you're all saying, "Just you wait, Kristi!" To you, I say, "Bite me." (Nicely.) I'm not a dummy, I know I'm going to get even more ginormous...and that I will look back on these particular images and say to myself, "Self, you were itty-bitty then!" (Ok, maybe "itty-bitty" is a bit of a stretch, but in comparison...)

Enough with the snarkiness. Onto the real reason for today's post: the bump!



"Congratulations, Kristi! You're 21 Weeks Pregnant. Your baby measures about 7.2 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 10.5 ounces. He is steadily gaining fat to keep warm. Growth rate is slowing down but organ systems, like digestion, are continuing to mature. A waxy film, called the vernix caseosa, is being produced by your baby's oil glands and covers the skin to keep it supple in the amniotic fluid. Buds for permanent teeth are beginning to form. Friends, relatives, and even strangers can probably tell you're pregnant by now. Your uterus is starting to extend above your navel. You've likely gained between 10 and 14 pounds."

He's still (OMG - HE!) very, very active...and more so at night now than when I first started feeling him move. He's still digging the oatmeal every morning, and is resting more in the afternoons. I'm still on the lower end of the weight gain, if you can believe it.

I think it's starting to become more "real" for Joe. He was reading "Fit Pregnancy" at physical therapy the other night (don't worry, he's fine...just healing an old shoulder injury) and learned some new things. He got in the car and started full-speed ahead telling me about how we can't put WIP to sleep on his belly, how if I breastfeed he should produce 6 wet diapers and 2 "other" diapers in a day, etc. I literally don't think he took a breath the whole way home. It made my heart smile. :)

So, I would think that it's safe to say we will finally start reading all those baby books we have. Note to self: learn about circumcision.

And with that, I'm out!

Update: For those that might worry, I promise I have a very, very, healthy attitude/outlook about baby weight gain. I know it's normal and good for WIP. This is actually one of my favorite articles on the topic, for those who might be interested.

STUD!

Here are the outfits we bought for our little man yesterday - isn't the "Chicks Love Me" one the cutest?!? Aunt Kelli bought him the stocking...maybe Santa will put something lovely in it for him. (It's SO WEIRD to type "him!")


Thank you, Aunt Kelli!


This one was a present from Jake. It has a puppy on it!


Ahhhh, my fave! P-I-M-P!


The hat was too cute to resist.

I think what I'm most excited about is the little outfit for Uncle Kyle and soon-to-be Aunt Jill's wedding. I want to get a onesie that has a tuxedo screen printed on it. How freakin' cute would that be?!?! :)




I know, RIGHT?!?

I'm So Outnumbered.

Well, it's official: It's a boy!!! Also known as HE-WIP and/or Almond Joy. And, with that also comes the unofficial overruling of the females in the VW household. Jake, Joe and WIP have me cornered. Or, I suppose I could look at it from the angle that I'm the only princess of the house. Yesyesyes, I like that. :)

We are absolutely over the moon. Everything looked great in the ultrasound: 4 chambers in the heart, healthy kidneys, 10 fingers, 10 toes, 2 lips, 1 nose (ha! rhyme!), good size head/brain, long arm/leg bones and weighs 15 oz.

The first thing we did after we found out? I went pee. (I know it's crude...but seriously, they make you go in with FULL bladder! Makes the experience so painful.) I got to empty HALF of my bladder halfway through the ultrasound to make WIP flip over (better angle)...but have you ever tried to stop midstream (again, sorry for being crude) when you have to go really, really, really, really bad? It's damn near impossible. The things I do for you, kid! :)

After the pee, we went to Somerset for a nice lunch and played practice with names. I'll blog later about our top picks. Then we shopped around for a bit and bought 3 little boy outfits - his first! It was a special afternoon we will always remember.

Here's 3 good looks at the little man. The first is his foot (yes, the one he KICKS me with all the time!). The arrow is pointing to it. The second is a head profile - you can see his little nose and lips! And the third is one of the 3D ones we got...a nice surprise, as we didn't think our practice had the machine for it. I love it because you can actually imagine what he'll look like in real life (not that this isn't real life, but...well, you know what I mean). STUD!

So, to those that guessed boy: congrats! And to those that guessed girl: better luck next time. :)

Today is the Day!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! I don't even know how we slept last night. I think the only thread I'm still holding on to is that WIP *might* not be cooperative...so there is a chance we might not be able to find out today. Thus, I cannot get my hopes up too high. (But I am DYING on the inside.)

Anywho, we still haven't decided how (or when) we are going to tell the fam, and obviously they all have to find out before the blogosphere. So, stay tuned!

In other news, the Christmas music at le desk has been temporary suspended for the new Britney Spears CD, Circus. Ummmm, maybe it makes me unfit to be a mother, but I think it's ahh-mayyy-zhing. Loving it, loving it. Specifically, Kill the Lights and MMM Papi. Dance party, what?!

Funniest.Thing.Ever.

So I sent my friend Lindsay a thank-you email today, thanking her (duh) for my awesome birthday/Christmas package that came in the mail--it was seriously faboo. Anyway, in her "you're welcome" response, she included the following:

"I can’t wait to find out if WIP's an Almond Joy or Mounds (think about the jingle…hee hee!)"

If I didn't already have some serious bladder control issues, I would be concerned about how extremely funny I find the above comment. Peeing.my.pants.

Apparently, WIP Likes Oatmeal.

WIP IS MOVING! And I can FEEL it!

Every morning at about 8:30 when I'm eating oatmeal at my desk (I've never been a b-fast person), WIP says, "Good morning, Mommy!" and starts a-movin' and a-shakin'. I mean, we're talking SERIOUS movement. It comes again around 4 ish and then again around 8 or 9...not a schedule I'm a fan of.

It's very exciting. People keep saying, "Just wait until you can see an elbow move across that belly!" Weird. Weird. Weird. (In a good way.)

I guess I'll keep eating oatmeal. :)

My Tree & My Boys.

Here it is, in all its glory:



I honestly don't think another ornament would fit if we tried. Well, we could put more around the bottom, but Jake's tail knocks them off if we do. :) He's actually been very good around the tree--just did some preliminary sniffing and let it be.

And here's my boys all tuckered out after a long day of decorating:



I just love them. If WIP's a girl, we even the score. If not, I'm soooo outnumbered!

Hump Day, Bump Day!

Can I get a resounding "woooooooooooooooooooot!" from the crowd?!? Heck yeah, people...we've made it to the halfway point! Today marks 20 weeks...but I can't figure out if I want to be glass half empty or glass half full about it. :) Either way, here's a look at the bump. (A colleague that I rarely see at the office stopped me in the hall today and said, "Do I see a baby in there?" To which I replied, "Well, lucky for you I'm not just fat!" Sooooo, I guess that means I'm officially starting to look pregnant.)



"Congratulations, Kristi! You’re 20 Weeks Pregnant. You're at about the midpoint of your pregnancy. Your baby measures about 5.6 to 6.4 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 9 ounces. He can hear sounds by now – so talk to your baby often. Baby will even cover his ears with his hands if a loud sound is made near you, and he may even become startled and "jump." Your baby is moving often, too -- twisting, turning, wiggling, punching and kicking. Can you feel him? Your uterus is just about even with your navel and your waistline has pretty much disappeared. But don't worry, it is only temporary!"

Ummmm...I would now like to send an open letter to the author of these weekly updates.

Dear rude Author at Fit Pregnancy (you are most likely a male who is also not a babydaddy of an "expanding" female):

While I really appreciate the updates on the happenings and goings-on in my tum tum, I would really, really, really appreciate it if you would cease from dissing my disappearing waistline. Sure, I know you added a disclaimer that it's "only temporary"...as if that's supposed to make me feel better or something! Well, it doesn't. Temporary is like an hour. A day. Even 2 days, max. 9 months is SEMI-FREAKIN'-PERMANENT. Please start saying nice things about my expansion or I will be forced to hunt you down and stuff your shirt with sacks of potatoes.

Sincerely,
Kristi "Ever Expanding" Van Wormer

In birthday bootcamp news, Joey sent me flowers yesterday - gerber daisies - my fave!



And, I received a "free scoop" coupon from Baskin Robbins for my birthday. Add it to the list!!

Also, WIP is going to have a new friend and long-distance playmate on or around June 26, 2009. My friend and coworker, Marissa (and her husband Tom) are expecting!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Birthday Bootcamp.

The first week of December might just be the best week of the year as far as I'm concerned. You see, I practice a little tradition I like to call "Birthday Bootcamp." This began when Joe and I were dating and consists of me getting lots of attention and gifts the week leading up to my birthday. (Shocking, I know.) He's survived 3 of them thus far...we shall see how he prevails in 2008.


In other birthday goodness news, I (still) LOVE COUPONS. The following are offers that I have received via e-mail or snail mail from some of my particularly favorite retailers. I am so thankful that they have also opted to share in the Bootcamp celebrations this year.

• FREE burger @ Red Robin
• $15 at Limited
• FREE medium drink at Caribou Coffee
• $10 at Victoria's Secret (more free prego undies!)
• FREE Blizzard at Dairy Queen
• 20% off at Hallmark
• FREE bubble bath at Sephora

And those are just the ones I've received so far. Who knows what will come between now and Sunday?!? Woot! Bring on the free stuff!

And speaking of bargains, I must also share some of the newest additions to baby WIP's nursery. We nabbed these at 30% off and used an extra $40 off coupon - so what should have cost us a total of $358 ended up being only $212. That's $146 for the college fund! (So glad there is a calculator at my desk...)

So, that about wraps up all the essential furniture for the nursery. The extra storage will be so, so good to have - and we're going to put different (cuter) pulls on the drawers to tie everything together. I'm so pleased with all the bargains we've nabbed. Now we just need to have carpeting put in (it's hardwood now...brrr on little toesies!) and figure out a "theme." We'll know more about that next Monday!!

Happy December!!

Well, I pinky promised that I wouldn't let my Christmas obsession leak on the blog until December 1...so, here it is! Complete with new background AND playlist for your reading pleasure. (If you think this is bad, you should see my house. It looks like the garland fairies puked all over it. It's GLORIOUS!) <--More to come on that in a later post.

A lot has happened since I last updated. We had Thanksgiving dinner in Auburn and I literally ate until it hurt. I swear that I alone can keep the makers of Tums in business. Mom and Dad let us scam all sorts of leftovers, so WIP has been swimming in gravy for the better part of 5 days now. It's heaven, truly.

Joe and I woke up SUPER early on Black Friday for 2 reasons: 1) to take Kelli (or Scott, as Joe now likes to call her) to the airport; and 2) to cash in on the DEALS! DEALS! DEALS!

We were at Best Buy for an undisclosed gift for an undisclosed family member at about 6:15 am. It wasn't super crazy, and we managed to get what we went in for. There was an Office Depot next door and about 100 crazy fools were in line in the FREEZING COLD. They didn't open until 7. I'll never understand the whole standing in line thing. Sure, in California...but Michigan?!?

After Best Buy, we grabbed a quick (and healthy!) b-fast at Mickey D's and hit up Meijer, JCPenney, SEARS, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Value City Furtniture and not one, but two Art Vans and Macy's. (Didn't have what we wanted at the first stop for both.)

All in all, the day was a huge success. With the exception of one item, we got screamin' deals on everything we bought. And, of course, Joe loved that he was praised by all the women we met in the checkout lines...because their husbands were at home sleeping/watching football. :) I'm so lucky.

We spent all day yesterday decorating the house for Christmas...ooooooohhh it looks so pur-ty! I'll try to get some pics of our tree up this week. HAPPY DECEMBER!

Gobble, Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

I am thankful for many things - and if you are reading this blog, it is likely that I am thankful for y-o-u! Or, maybe not. But you probably know either way. :)

Last night in typical Talicska holiday tradition, we saw a movie - Four Christmases. I recommend it to all - so, so good!

I'm currently blogging from the couch. Dad's making stuffing in the kitchen. Kelli's going crazy somewhere. Mom's reading the sale papers. It's a perfect morning.

We have quite the crowd coming today. Our whole family plus Gma T., Gpa N., Susan and John. 11 in all. I'm sure my Monday morning recap will be entertaining, if nothing else.

Hump Day, Bump Day!

Greetings, faithful Wednesday readers!

Today I'm blogging from my childhood home - WIP is very snuggly hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa T. :) Mom, Kelli, Jill and I are about to embark on a shopping extravaganza, so I must keep it short and sweet today. Here's the bump at Week 19:



"Congratulations, Kristi! You're 19 Weeks Pregnant. Your baby measures about 5.2 to 6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 7 ounces. The baby's skin is developing and is transparent, appearing red because of the visible blood vessels. A creamy white protective coating, called vernix, is also developing. As your baby continues to grow, you may be feeling some mid-pregnancy aches and pains -- lower abdominal achiness, dizziness, heartburn, constipation, leg cramps, mild swelling of ankles and feet, and a backache are all normal. Dilated blood vessels might cause tiny, temporary red marks (called spider nevi) on your face, shoulders and arms."

Week 19 sounds joyful, eh?

Happy Hump Day! And to those of you planning to go out and enjoy the biggest bar night of the year, have one for me!

Tomorrow's THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pregnant Women Like to Shop, Too!

As if!

I'm pretty sure that 92.367% of my readers aren't pregnant women, but for the 7.633% that might be, I thought I would share a few of my best finds. These aren't necessarily deals (though I encourage you to find coupons - I rarely shop without them!) but they are priced right and you're guaranteed to get the most bang for your buck.

The basics:
Tank tops/camis. H&M's "long" variety are are GREAT! Not only are they long enough to cover the tum-tum, they are priced right at about $8 each - and you can wear them all the time! (Mine are actually from my pre-prego days.)

Underros. For some reason both Joe and I both get the Victoria's Secret "Free Panty + $10 off any bra" coupons in the mail from time to time. I've started using them to get low rise bikinis in a size larger than I normally wear. Stocking up slowly on these bad boys...and for free!

Sweatpants. Steal them from your husband. If he complains, use the "But I'm preeeeeegnannnnnnnnt" excuse. Works like a charm. Also see if you can scam a footrub while you're at it.

Pants:
Jeans. I can actually still rock my regular jeans with the BellaBand, but am getting closer to busting out my prego jeans. I have a full-panel pair from Old Navy and a wide-band pair from Motherhood...both were priced around $30 and are actually really, really cute. I'm not a fan of the way Target's jeans fit. They are really narrow at the ankle...which my cankles are NOT cool with!

Dress Pants. Since I have to dress up every day for work, dress pants were actually the first investment I made. Target's UTB (Under-The-Belly) dress pants come in grey, black and brown and are uber comfy. They have side elastic bands that you can adjust as you get bigger. I'm currently on button #3. :) The price isn't bad, either - especially if you work out the "spend $50, get free shipping" deal. They wash up great and don't need ironing. Woot!

Tops:
Casual. Old Navy's long sleeve maternity tees are great! They come in every color under the rainbow and are nice and long. Plus, if you snag some during the 2-for deal days (almost all the time), they are cheap, cheap! These fleece tops (not maternity!) are also only $15 and are comfy-cozy.

Dress. As odd as it sounds, I've found some of the cutest tops at Kohl's! Their ELLE line (not maternity!) has a lot of really flowy tops with the wide bands at the bottom in some really great colors for fall. And Kohl's always has extra coupons or deals...just make sure everything scans right at the register. They've screwed up my purchases more than once!

Night on the Town:
Dresses. Both Motherhood and Target have some really trendy and cute options for winter. I've scored this and this - and like them both because they specifically do not look like "pregnant girl" dresses. You know, the deep v-neck, empire waist, flowery patterned ones. Gag me.

That's a good start for now. I'm sure this list will all change as I continue to expand. :)

Seth & Amy (and Kristi!) With Your Weekend Update.

I love SNL. If only Amy hadn't had a baby, left the show, and been replaced by not one, but TWO un-funny women. And I won't even talk about how much I miss Tina Fey. Le sigh.

I digress...what a weekend! We celebrated lots of birthdays - most notably, Michael Johnson who is *cough* 25 and holding. :) And Miss Melinda's birth was also celebrated, but as I fell asleep on the way, we sadly did not attend. The FB pics looks like it was a good time, though!

Saturday was a l-a-z-y day. I slept in to an hour I'm ashamed to admit and did nothing but watch football, sleep, eat and fold laundry all day. It was awesome.

Sunday marked the beginning of our Thanksgiving family celebrations. We went over to Susan's (mother-in-law) and were joined by Uncle Don, Aunt Delores, Jack, Mickey, John, Tommy and Dana. WIP got a lot of attention...and so did Mommy's belly! John joked that WIP was swimming around in a belly full of gravy saying, "Thank you, Mommy!" (Probably not far from the truth.)

Aside from the delicious heaps of food (we literally could have fed 50 people), the highlight of my afternoon was a very special gift that WIP received from Great Aunt Sharon.



Ohmigosh isn't it the CUTEST thing you've ever seen? She made it! I cried when I opened it - it's the most precious little sweater I've ever seen. And the BUTTONS! Oh! The whole set is just perfect. Thank you so very much Aunt Sharon - WIP will be so snuggly warm and wrapped in lots and lots of love.

In Christmas-obsession news, a few of our neighbors have up their indoor trees AND outdoor decorations. T minus 1 week, people!

Better Than Wine.

I have a confession to make: the other night Joe and I went to Kona Grill for dinner. They have an ah-may-zhing happy hour menu, so we like to take advantage of it from time to time for a cheap, fancy-ish dinner.

Their Merlot was the wine special of the evening, and as I ordered my H2O with a splash of lime on the rocks, Joey ordered himself a delicious glass of red wine goodness. I was honest-to-goodness salivating when the waitress put it on our table. (Add this to the fact that it was 20 degrees out and I was wearing flip-flops with my work outfit due to a recent pedicure, and I'm 98% sure she thought I was a total nutjob.)

Anyway, I've never in my life wanted anything more. I would have cut off a limb to get bottle service at our table. And let it be known - I'm no drunk! I just really, really, really like wine. (Not a very good argument, huh?) So I sniffed up the glorious aromas and had the teeny tinest of sips. It's so good when it touches the lips!

I know a lot of doctors (and women) will tell me that the "occasional glass" is "totally fine." And I don't disagree, but there is a proven risk factor there...even if it's minuscule. And, quite frankly, it's not something I am willing to risk. I'm sure that makes me an anomaly to some - the girl who's not willing to read pregnancy books to learn everything she can about babies/pregnancy, but is totally willing to give up wine, coffee, tanning, etc. I'm ok with that - to each his own. :)

Alas, I've found a nearly suitable drink to bide my time over the next 5 months: the salted caramel hot chocolate from Starbuckies. It. Is. So. Deliciously. Delicious. (Shield yourself from the nutritionals.) Seriously, you need to get in your car and drive to the nearest SB (I recommend one w/ a drive-thru...like I've said before, I'm lazy) and get yo-self one. I'm sipping one at this exact moment and it's pure bliss. Le sigh.

The even BETTER news is that right about the time Starbuckies will discontinue this delectable holiday treat (tear), McDonald's will have their Shamrock Shake back on the menu (joy!). Baby WIP's timing could not be any better...I love you, little one. Thank you for gifting mommy with all these treats and just at the right time!

SCROOGES!

Argh. It's exactly one week to the day since my "Respect the Turkey" post, and I already have bad news to report: the cube decorating contest has been squashed by the HR scrooges. Apparently, our company employees people of all religions (um, duh) and to capitalize on Christmas would be inappropriate. WHAT? Are you kidding me? I purposely called it a "holiday" contest to be sensitive to that exact issue. It's not like I wanted to plop a manger in my office!

Instead, we're allowed to have an "end of year" party with cookies, coffee and hot chocolate. Lame. I'm considering going balls-out decorating my cube, anyway. At the very least, I'll put up my tree with some fake little presents. And those giant 3-D snowflakes hanging from the ceiling? Yeah, I'm making 10. I might even wear an elf hat. So boo to you, scrooges of the HR world!

In WIP-related news, my mom and I did some hardcore shopping over the weekend and I discovered a secret, hidden treasure in Somerset Mall! You see, they have a Mimi Maternity store, but I always refused to go in there because it's far too expensive. I mean, if I didn't want to pay $170 for an ugly cardigan before I was preggo, what makes you think that price is any more attractive when I am?

We decided to go in and look just for fun and much to my elation, the BACK of the store is Motherhood, the cheaper (and much more practical) version of Mimi Maternity! Woot! I scored this turtleneck (which I'm actually wearing right now) and mom bought me this sweater as a Thanksgiving treat. Love it!

The only question that remains: why would any woman in her right mind pay $118 for a pair of jeans when she can take 20 steps to the back of the store and get the same, exact pair for $48? The Secret Fit jeans are seriously identical to one another under both brands - only the price is different. I'm just sayin' that I can probably drop the $70 difference on a pair of shoes that I can wear for.ev.er. 9 months of style? Please. I suppose it could also go into WIP's college fund. You know, whatev. :)

Hump Day, Bump Day!

Ahhh, week 18. I'm now just 2 weeks shy of the halfway point, which is so terribly hard to believe. Time is flying by, yet moving at the speed of molasses at the same time. How can that be?

Here's a look at my ever-growing self. Today you get a special treat - me with a shirt on! (That sounds worse than it really is, doesn't it?)





"Congratulations, Kristi! You're 18 Weeks Pregnant. Your baby measures 5 to 5.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 5.25 ounces. The rapid growth spurt is tapering off, but reflexes are kicking in. He can yawn, stretch and make facial expressions, even frown. Taste buds are beginning to develop and he can now distinguish sweet from bitter. The baby can suck and swallow, and he may even get the hiccups. The eyes have become sensitive to light, so if a bright light is shined on your belly, baby will probably turn away. Your uterus, about the size of a cantaloupe, can be felt just below your navel. You're most likely feeling the baby move at this time. A mid-pregnancy ultrasound may be performed between now and 22 weeks to assess your baby's growth and development and to verify the due date. If the baby is in the right position, the ultrasound may even be able to determine the baby's sex."

I'm really starting to feel better and am so thankful for that! The headaches and evening death wishes have passed, but extreme heartburn has taken over. Soon, it won't even be worth it to eat my precious chips 'n salsa. A sad day, indeed. I'm pretty sure I haven't felt WIP move yet, but I'm told that it's hard to tell the difference between other pregnancy ailments (read: gas) and baby's movements this early.

I'm so looking forward to Thanksgiving and spending time with family. I think the most exciting part is that I don't have to pack my Thanksgiving "fat pants." Maternity pants will do the trick!

WIP's a Very Popular Little Girl/Boy

As of this morning, WIP's blog has had over 1,100 visitors since our first post on Oct. 16. Not bad for just a little over a month of activity! :) And, I'm pleased to report that as a result of my expert stalking abilities, we have visitors from all over the country, including:

• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Arizona
• Wisconsin
• North Carolina
• California
• Ohio
• Illinois
• New York
• Indiana
• Pennsylvania
• Orgeon
• Florida
• Connecticut (a.k.a. Columbus and/or Cleveland...right, David?) :)
• Kentucky
• Maryland

WOW! I can definitely figure out some of the non-Michiganders. Hello to Mark, Katy, Kristi & Charles, David, Lindsay & Mike, Julie & Paul (and Charlie!), Aunt Teresa, Jen, Brooke & Justin (Trace & baby #2, too!)...but some of the others befuddle me. Well, whoever you are, welcome to our blog and I hope you come back often. I've got lots to say!

WIP Gets a New Auntie!

WOO HOO!! What a weekend! I'm happy to announce to the blogosphere that Kyle proposed to Jill on Friday night (debatably very early Saturday morning) and she said yes! It was the perfect evening - he brought her family in from the West side of the state and Kelli, Joe, Mom, Dad and I were all there, too. Mom had chocolates made that said "Kyle & Jill" that were a big hit - especially with Joe. If you're wondering why he's noticeably absent in all the pics it's most likely because he was hiding in the back of the church eating all the goodies. :)

As an uber proud big sister, I'm also happy to report that Kyle did a BANG UP job with the ring. Things were so crazy I didn't even think to get a picture of just the ring, but I'll try to get one soon. As a general idea, it's an oval center stone surrounded by two rows of swirly pave-style diamonds. Um, yeah. It's awesome.

The mayhem after:

Some family pics:

So, Auntie Jill - welcome to our crazy little family! We love you so much and are so excited to add one more to the bunch.

Miracle of the Moment.

Today I've decided to get a bit sappy. Forgive me, it's the hormones. Ask anyone in my family - I'm usually quite snarky.

Anyway, I was jamming to my iPod yesterday, trying my darndest to avoid the real world (read: work, chores, to-do lists, etc.) and Steven Curtis Chapman helped to snap me out of my trance. His song "Miracle of the Moment" was ringing in my ears and the chorus really caught my attention. Mind you, I've listened to this song approximately 82 billion times on other occasions, but this time was somehow different.

The chorus goes a little somethin' like this:
So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment

That line - there's a wonder in the here and now - really jostled me. (Ok, I really just wanted an excuse to use the word 'jostled'.) I mean, how often are we just buzzing about our days, trying to clean the house, get the groceries, cash the paycheck, pay the bills...and we're forgetting to stop and see the miracle of the moment that God is putting right in front of us? It's kinda like the "stop and smell the roses" cliche, but instead of just sniffing a weird little flower, you actually take a moment to thank God for creating that rose, giving it the ability to grow and multiply and for using it to make His Earth a little more beautiful. See the difference?

Today I'm remembering to thank God for all my "miracles of the moment." Most notably, my husband, my WIP, my family, my friends, my job and my health. But aside from all those big, obvious things, there's little things in my every day life that I'm so, so thankful for...so take a moment in your busy day today and be thankful for one of your miracles of the moment.

Respect the Turkey.

Ok - I realize from the title of this post that you may think I'm a proponent of respecting Mr. Turkey and his ever-popular Thanksgiving holiday. Weeeeeeeell, you would be big time wrong-o.

You see, I'm of the mindset that the Christmas season should start the second Halloween is over. I'm itching to put up my tree as I close the door on the last little munchkin at my doorstep and turn off the porch light. And I KNOW there are bajillions of people out there that disagree with me, but I just can't help it. I. Love. Christmas.

Big shocker: I'm on the "party planning" committee at work. (Eerily similar to "The Office" team, honest.) We had our big Thanksgiving potluck lunch yesterday, though we had to call it "Fall Fest" to make HR happy. Anyway, it was very successful and we're already making plans for the next event. And when the crew told me that they want to do a cube decorating contest for December I almost peed my pants.

It honestly kept me up all night. I have literally played every scenario and option out in my head. If I could draw, I would already have my blueprints ready to rock. I envision a sea of Christmas wonderland - garland, lights, my mini hot pink tree, little fake presents - it will be puketastic. I will blare Christmas music so the 2nd floor hears it. I will hang snowflakes from the ceiling. I will cover the ground in white felt and pretend it's snow. It's going to blow your mind.

However, out of respect for the turkey and my husband, I will not flick the Christmas switch until Dec. 1. But beware - I will be preparing in the meantime!

Hump Day, Bump Day!

Well, lucky Wednesday readers, I thought today's post was going to have to be later tonight because Joe left super early for work and I just didn't have the energy to get out of bed for a picture before he left. However, modern technology and my quick thinking allowed me to prop the camera up on the couch and use the self-timer! So, it's not the greatest pic in the world, but it gets the job done.



Fit Pregnancy had this to say about Week 17:

"Congratulations, Kristi! You're 17 Weeks Pregnant. Your baby measures about 4.4 to 4.8 inches from crown to rump and has doubled its weight in the last two weeks to about 3.5 ounces. Fat begins to form aiding heat production and metabolism, the lungs are beginning to exhale amniotic fluid, and the circulatory and urinary systems are working. Hair continues to grow on baby's head and his eyebrows and eyelashes are filling in. You're showing more, with an obvious swelling in your lower abdomen. A five- to 10-pound weight gain is typical by now. You also may be noticing an increase in appetite."

I am very pleased to report that I fall right in the middle of the weight gain, at 6 lbs. Joe is still anxiously waiting for my ice cream cravings to start, but for now I'm lovin' the mashed potatoes. Sometimes even TBCY doesn't sound good, which is sooooo abnormal. I seriously don't know what we will do if our child doesn't like ice cream. Is there therapy for that? I keed, I keed.

In other news, I can now thank Facebook stalking for not one, but TWO faithful followers of this blog. Seriously, what did we do when internet stalking wasn't cinchy?

Enjoy your hump day - it's potluck day at work so I'm JAZZED! :)

Tuesday Funnies.

Oooohhh how I love my husband. He's honestly the most adorable guy on earth. From his daily made up songs to his insane obsession with football, I love every single part of his madness. That said, he's probably going to be really fake mad at me for posting the following story.

I was brushing my teeth on Sunday night, getting ready for bed. I have a little nightly ritual where I take my prenatal vitamin before I brush my teeth and set my Thyroid medicine out on the counter to remember to take in in the morning. Well, as I was brushing my teeth, I remembered that I forgot to take my vitamin. Since Joe was in the kitchen, I hollered to him and asked if he would get it out for me and set my other medicine out on the counter.

A minute or so later, I went in the kitchen to take my vitamin, which I expected to be sitting on the counter next to a glass of water (like I said, he's the best). Anyway, Joe was still in the kitchen and had the vitamin in his hand and was in the process of filling up the glass of water.

No sooner had I opened my mouth to thank him for his help, he was popping the vitamin in his mouth and SWALLOWED IT. I was stunned for a second and asked, "Um, did you just take my vitamin?"

He spit out the water that was left in his mouth, but the vitamin had already begun its dark descent into the depth of his belly. Whoopsie! We then both proceeded to laugh for the better part of four minutes about how he accidentally totally took a prenatal vitamin.

"It was habit!" he swears. "I was filling a glass of water and had a pill in my hand, so I just took it not thinking."

Seriously, we laughed about it for the rest of the night. I still giggle when I imagine the look on his face when he realized what he did. Kills. Me.

Now he's complaining on and on about sore nipples and feeling extra emotional. Go fig.

Today is Veteran's Day. Be sure to take a moment to honor all soliders - both past and present - and thank them for all they have done and continue to do for this great country.

Our Little Baby Bronco

Behold:



Yes, friends. That is the FINAL score of the WMU Broncos vs. the Fighting Illini game, which took place on Saturday at Ford Field. I know, right? The running joke of the day was that it was the first time the home team has won there in a loooooong time. :)

It was an awesome game shared with a super fun group of people, albeit a bit...enthusiastic. John Lee, our fearless leader, even managed to swing us FREE tickets...AFTER we paid him for the ones he had already purchased. WIP enjoyed his/her first experience as a Bronco with a delicious, delicious soft pretzel with cheese and some popcorn. Yum-o! Add them to my "good" list!





WIP even let everyone know that (s)he's a future 'lil Bronco:


My shirt says "Baby Bronco on board!" And see the BMB in the background? Oh, how I love them.

And simply because I'm addicited to video blogs now, a Bronco entrance:



A Bronco touchdown:



GO BRONCOS! :)