Spooky spider

Last night Joe and I went to a party. When we came home, we saw a little toad in the driveway. Rather than risk squishing him, I jumped out of the car to chase him into the yard. Unfortunately - or fortunately - he decided he'd rather explore the garage. I found him right next to the wall, sitting amongst some stuff, right next to a large spider web which held a large black widow spider killing another spider.

Tomorrow we'll be calling the exterminator.

I can handle orb spiders or wolf spiders or general house spiders - well, I can tolerate them, I don't handle them - but I draw the line at black widows. There's something about their shiny black bodies and long legs and the way they walk that makes them absolutely icky and creepy.

Until we moved to NC, I had never even seen one. Since we moved, we bbq'd one on our grill, I killed one in the front garden with weed killer (I couldn't find the bug killer), Joe came face-to-face with one under the house, and the one last night met her (um)timely death at the hand of a ziploc bag box. Four black widows on my house.

First all the ticks and tick bites. Now the poisonous spiders.

Yuck.

PS. No, I did not take the picture. We weren't about to run in and grab the camera when there was spidercide to be done.

Itchy and scratchy

Seems the itchies (or rather, PUPPS) have returned. While not as bad as last time, I thought I was done with being itchy, so it's slowly driving me mad. Had my bile acids tested to make sure it wasn't the nasty liver problem that can manifest itself as itchy skin, and all that came back normal and negative. Big sigh.

Off to grab some lunch and pick up ingredients to make artichoke dip for a party tonight. Yummy! Hopefully there'll be some leftover to actually take to the party when I'm done making it!

Back from the windy city!

After a week in Chicago attending the Adobe Max conference, Joe got home last night earlier than planned as he moved his flight home up. Here is one of the pictures he posted from his architectural tour of the city. He says Chicago is awesome and that we should go there together sometime. Perhaps in the new year, the three of us (!) could go as a family.

What the heck is that picture? Take a look at this one and others from his trip.

Brain taken by aliens

So, I'm at 31 weeks and it's official: my brain has been taken by aliens. Not only am I extremely forgetful and scatterbrained, today it was playing tricks on me.

Leaf peeing? What's that? (see illustration below from weather.com for what I really saw!)

Hiccups!

Just spent the last 10 minutes laying on the couch, watching Oprah and my belly move and squiggle. Baby has hiccups! Quite funny to feel baby hiccups (they feel sorta like a much stronger pulse). Now I'm hiccuping...

Joe's in Chicago - has been there since Saturday and will fly home Thursday. I've been trying to keep myself busy and out of trouble. So that, for me (when Joe is gone), always involves home decoration of some sort. Last time Joe was out of town, his dad and I painted the nursery. This time around, I continued my nursery adventures by painting little birds around the room and hanging the baby's name above the crib. I would type her name here, but not everyone has been told and I'd rather not have people read it before we get a chance to tell folks in person. So for now, she'll continue to be "baby."

I really need to continue the nursery adventure by painting the bookshelves so Joe can get to work this weekend and hang things on the wall. Between my haircut and lunch out tomorrow and my teeth cleaning on Thursday, I'm not sure I'm going to have time. But we'll see how the next couple of days plays out.

More garden shots

Indi loves her new yard

(Well, perhaps she loves the mulch more!)

Summer's bounty in the fall

A trip to Lowes with my friend Michelle yesterday prompted Joe and I to return to Lowes in the evening and purchase some of the flowers I had planned on planting in the front beds next spring. Fall is the time for planting and since the store had the flowers I wanted, we planted them now instead of next year.

Here's what the yard has looked like over the past year and a half, ending with the newest additions: black-eyed susans, coneflowers, and white daisies. I think the coneflowers will flower next summer (there are no unopened buds) but the black-eyed susans are in full bloom and the white daisies are covered with buds ready to open. Looks like we'll have some color soon!


PS. We LOVE loropetalums (the three purple shrubs in the front/middle) - they've just taken off this summer, despite some rather severe drough conditions.

3D and 4D shots of our baby!

Just got home from our 3D/4D ultrasound appointment and have some neat shots - and video - to share!

Our baby was sitting in the breech position with her feet up to her face. In these shots you can see her face, her feet and her hands all together! She still has some time to flip around into the proper birthing position but for now, the breech position makes for some fun photos!

The best was getting her to kick on cue. She had been moving while we were in the waiting room but settled down when it came time for the ultrasound. So towards the end, I tapped my belly and she kicked back. My belly popped up, so I tapped again and the second time we got to see her foot kick on the screen!

Note: Some of the shots look like she has her eyes open or just a little weird; that's just the nature of the ultrasound. She had her eyes closed the entire visit, but graced us with a lovely yawn and a tongue poking out at one point also!

Little smile

Big yawn

Feet and hands

Peaceful baby

More peaceful baby

RAIN!

A month and a half in the waiting...

Ok, so maybe I'm a dork for taking photos of the rain but hey: 1. I got to use the action speed setting on my camera; 2. Our new sod appreciates the FREE tasty beverage; and 3. Our soon-to-be hefty water bill appreciates not having to add this evening's watering to the list.

Please make there be more where this came from!

Oh no you don't!

Yesterday Joe spent a while outside waiting with zoom lens while watching our neighbor's hummingbird feeder. We see the hummingbirds often fighting while flying up into the trees, but Joe caught this shot when a second bird decided to fly in for a snack while the dominant male was dining. Needless to say, bird number two left a little hungry.

Insta-yard!

Christmas has arrived early for me . . . and Santa brought just what I asked for: a new yard! No more weeds, no more red clay (at least not visible to the naked eye), no more mud. (Did I mention the weeds? We are now free of crabgrass!)

(One from the archives - the before picture)


The landscape guys arrived on Friday afternoon and started stripping the yard of all growth.


Then on Saturday, they continued by filling the one-day-to-be-filled beds with top soil, landscape fabric and mulch and adding a layer of top soil to the rest of the yard.


Monday they arrived with a giant truck-load of sod!



We now have a beautiful yard (just picture some shrubs, flowers and trees) where Indi can roam and sniff and lay in her sunbeams without laying on rocks and clay.



Yay for insta-yard!

Best friends

A dog and her duck. 'Nuff said.

Our crazy dog!

Our yard has been in a state of disrepair since Friday afternoon as we await the arrival of new sod today. Indi has been in a similar state of disrepair as the yard has mostly been off limits to her since that time.

This morning I let her out with me while I was taking some "before" shots that I'll post with the "after" shot when we have the sod.

She ran around like a nut, creating a huge dust pile wherever she ran. She's crazy!

Belly shot: 27 weeks!

The boys are back in town

This weekend Joe went with Jason and Scott to ride in the MS150 in New Bern, NC. For those watching the weather - specifically Tropical Storm Gabrielle - you might have wondered if they were rained out.

Yesterday they were all able to ride the first 100 miles. The plan was to ride another 100 mile (essentially making it the MS200!) but the 75 mile and the 100 mile rides were canceled, leaving only the 30 mile ride. So they rode in the MS130 this weekend!


Here they are while unpacking their bikes before hobbling to their respective houses to soak in their respective tubs.

Sore muscles abound in this house. Wonder who will rub MY back tonight?

Last weekend

Last weekend we took Indi to a nature park up a little north of Raleigh. Here are some pictures from that walk.

Could get away with murder?

So, we're getting our yard prepped for sod this weekend; sod will be set out on Monday. Our county is in the midst of water restrictions due to the severe drought conditions, so I was told by someone who worked for the Town of Clayton to call the "code enforcement officers" to find out about getting permission to water our sod every day for 2 weeks.

I called. Here's a snippet of the conversation:

Lady: Clayton police.
Dale: Yes, I was told to call this number and speak with the code enforcement officers about watering my yard on the restricted days.
Lady: Hold please.

Another lady: Animal control.
Dale: Yes, I was told to call this number and speak with the code enforcement officers about watering my yard on the restricted days. Since you're animal control, perhaps I have the wrong person.
Lady: No, that's me.
Dale: Great! We're getting new sod this weekend and I wanted to find out how to get permission to water on the restricted days as we have to water the new sod for at least 2 weeks.
Lady: That's fine.
Dale: Great! Do you need my name and address for the record?
Lady: Um...... No, I have so many things to keep track of right now. You'll be fine. If anyone shows up or questions you, just tell you spoke with me.

I had to ask her what her name was just for my records, since they don't seem too hung up on keeping such things.

So, I'm wondering. If it's this easy to break the water restrictions and water every day, what other rules might we be able to break - er, bend - easily?

Stamps to brighten your day

Needed new stamps and while in line at the post office, I noticed these beautiful stamps. If I happen to mail you anything in the next several months, one of these gorgeous stamps might grace the envelope!

Busy Sunday

Woke up this morning and went for my usual 2.5 mile walk with Indi, but this time I added on a new loop as we explored the new trail behind our houses. Not sure how much mileage that added, but I walked for probably 25 minutes more, so we guessed I probably walked between 3 and 3.5 miles. Good stuff!

Then, while contemplating breakfast, I decided that I really wished I had bought some pancake mix at the store this past week. So, Joe and I hopped into the car and went to the grocery store with a list to make a yummy Sunday brunch. Eggs, chicken sausage and pancakes with bananas and syrup. Hit the spot!

Then onto those little things that I have been neglecting. Baby stuff. Thanks to the huge generosity of friends and my parents, we have more baby clothes than I ever imagined! I have slowly been washing / drying / sorting them, and today was the big sort and store. Below you'll see the a "before" collage with many little piles of clothes; after you'll see all those little piles neatly (and age-organized) in giant ziploc baggies. I love giant ziploc baggies!

Whew! All that folding. Time for a nap... or at least a snack, now that my large breakfast has settled.

While I was sorting baby clothes, Joe was installing our much needed (and much overdue) curtains! Woohoo! We finally have curtains in our bedroom and the little sitting area (no more bright street lights at night time) and the baby's room is also curtained. She'll sleep nice and cozy now. Pictures of the baby's room to follow... whenever we get our furniture delivered and assembled.

She'll have more clothes than I do. Perhaps we're creating a monster. She'll grow up with an insatiable appetite for shopping and a need for a closet the size of her bedroom. Yikes!
I love giant ziploc baggies! They're also perfect for traveling!

Belly shot!

Here's me at 20 and 24 weeks for comparison. A little larger, but not such a huge belly yet. Big enough, though, to warrant a little shopping trip to the maternity store tonight (managed to hit the summer sales - 2 pairs of shorts, a bathing suit, capris and a skirt all on sale) and found 2 bonus items (not maternity, but they work just as well) on sale at Banana Republic!

Baby ticker

What's a trip to Virginia...

...without a trip to the doctor? In the past few visits, I've gone to the doctor for some near bronchitis and a lyme disease scare (diagnosis: eczema of the belly button. Who knew!?). Last night I said to my mom that I had just about made it through a visit without a trip to the doctor. Within the hour, I was eating my words as my dad drove us to the emergency room at Fair Oaks hospital.

In a nutshell, all is well with me and baby - just a thing that could happen with pregnancy, but being this is my first (so no previous experience to go on) and I was not near my regular OB, we felt a trip to the ER was the best thing to do. Much like when your dog limps in the morning but walks fine at the vet's in the afternoon ("He *was* limping really bad this morning"), what I was worried about didn't happen again.

My mom thinks that I'm addicted to ultrasounds (earlier in the day we were talking about people being addicted to getting tattoos), so this was a way to get one in. After arriving at the ER (where I was expecting to wait for three hours before being seen), I was hurried up to the Labor and Delivery area where I was admitted and attached to the fetal and contraction monitor. Fetal heartbeat was great; no contractions on my end. Both good news. The doctor ordered an ultrasound to measure both the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby and the thickness of my cervix. After a nice long ultrasound (where the technician had a difficult time gathering measurements of the baby due to her uncooperativeness - there was no nice baby profile shot this time), all was pronounced excellent and we were discharged. So, at the end we did spend about 3 hours at the ER, but not sitting in the waiting room. Whew!

Baby's moving around a lot this morning, so that's comforting, both to me and to Joe, who was stuck in Ohio and waiting for update phone calls all night.

Next trip to Virginia, I think I'll opt for just a small paper cut or a minor bruise. Nothing that requires a trip to a doctor, thanks.

Carrying a large puppy?

Found out at my routine OB appointment this morning that I am 22 weeks (knew that) but am measuring at 24 weeks. And I have PUPPS. PUPPS stands for pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (certainly a mouthful) but a more pleasant way to say it is I have an itchy rash all over my belly. Fun stuff.

All the ultrasounds we've had have put the baby right on track for her December 7th arrival, so today's large measurement may be just a growth spurt. Docs will see how I measure in the coming weeks.

As for the itchy skin, let me go take care of that before I scratch it all off!

My daemon

I started reading "The Golden Compass" in preparation for the upcoming December movie (however, likelihood of me actually seeing it on its release date is slim to none as it's release date is also that of little baby). However, in looking at the site, I found a section where you answer 20 questions and are assigned a daemon of your own.

A daemon is the external form of a person's soul and are paired with a human of the opposite sex.

This is my daemon: Araphon, a snow leopard - my profile says that I am modest, spontaneous, inquisitive, sociable and solitary.


Find out what your daemon is.

A showdown at the Kruger National Park in South Africa

All I can say is "holy sh*&t!" This is unbelievable - it's 8 minutes long but well worth it. I wonder if it's filmed at a water hole where Joe and I watched for wildlife last October. I wonder... I think that rock looks familiar!

New sightings

Two new birds to add to the ones I see often while walking with Indi around the lake.

The belted kingfisher and the indigo bunting.
Note: I don't walk with my camera in the morning, so sadly I did not take these photos.

Tick scare...yet again.

This morning while petting Indi, I removed a speck of dirt. But suspicious of said speck of dirt due to tiny movements, I took a closer look. A tick. The tiniest damn tick I've ever seen!

Here's the tick next to a bobby pin for comparison and a close-up shot.

Unfortunately most ticks don't come with "dog tick" or "deer tick" labels that are clearly visible, so in my book, they're all bad.

Damn ticks. Now I have the heebie jeebies.

The Two Coreys

So sad. I'm not sure I can ever watch "The Lost Boys," "License to Drive," "Dream a Little Dream" or "Lucas" ever again. Happened to catch a few minutes of A&E's new show "The Two Coreys" (I thought A&E brought us quality tv...) and all I can say is "Oh my..."

What a waste. Corey Haim was such a cute young actor - yes, I had a crush on him - but boy, oh boy, he has gone down hill and then some! What an irritating has-been. Again... so sad.

Corey Feldman, on the other hand, seems to be doing alright for himself. Married and newly vegan, and he has an awesome house to boot!

Seems "The Lost Boys" is reaching it's 20-year anniversary and the two actors decided to get together to promote it. 20 years. How old am I?

But enough of that. What a stupid show.

Best ice-cream!

Look for Full Circle ice-cream at your grocery store. The neopolitan flavor is the best! It's creamy and tasty and so delicious!

It's so yummy that while I haven't had any real cravings for the past five months, I might just have to develop one!

The boys

And this is why we moved - a chance for Joe to play gee-tar with his friends. From left, Jason, Mike and Joe strumming and drinking beer. So, I may not be winning the paparazzi Pulitzer prize anytime soon, but not bad for a zoom lens and a bedroom window. At least I'm stealthy!

Halfway there!

This weekend marked the 20 week point in my pregnancy. Halfway to baby time! Hard to believe that 20 weeks from now will be December. Seems like we should be out shopping for Christmas already!

To celebrate the milestone, Joe made dinner for me - yummy pasta with artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, sweet italian sausage and loads of fresh mozarella - all the finest things in life (and in a pasta dish!). After that, it was time for Neopolitan ice-cream (cos sometimes you just want some strawberry AND chocolate ice-cream) and hot fudge and a movie (Talladega Nights - not nearly as funny as I thought it might be, in fact I found it to be rather boring).

Friday night, we went to dinner at Maggianos with Kim and Mike and their baby Tristan before going to the Bodies Exhibit. Without going into too much detail, the exhibit feature real human cadavers that have been specially preserved to show the different parts: skeletal, muscular, nervous, etc. It was fascinating! The cadavers looked more like plastic than anything real (due to the preservation process) and it was just amazing to see what's actually inside your body - I've always been amazed at how long the large intestine is and how it gets scrunched up in your torso. For me, now, it was more fascinating as all my innards are scrunched up higher due to the 10 inch long baby that is takin over my lower half!

On the baby side of things, I've been feeling her move a lot more lately - used to be 2pm and bedtime were her active times, now I feel movement at random times during the day. Some times there's just one movement, others a series of 4-5. The best way to describe is to say it's like a little blip in my belly.

The most unusual sign of pregnancy is Indi's protectiveness of me while we're out on our way. The world can rest assured that no old ladies walking, nor trashed plastic bags will attack me while Indi is by my side. This morning she stalked a plastic bag as we neared it on the bridge. Her ears went back, she hunched down and walked slower. I can only imagine she senses that I'm more "fragile" or something, but it's definitely new and endearing behavior for her.

Early belly shot

Found this picture from a few weeks ago while Joe and I were visiting folks in Virginia. This picture shows me showing my friend Cate the finer points of where the baby is. Judging by her much more pregnant belly, I think she already knows! Her little boy, Devin, is due in September.

New bed for Indi?

The other night while I was putting clean sheets on the bed, Indi decided that she MUCH preferred our down comforter to her foam filled bed. She made herself right at home - but not for long! Sorry girl, no dogs allowed in bed!

Typos at Lowes

Spotted this (and others like it) typo while walking into Lowes. Apparently, it's a good weekend for a sale?

Our weekend

Had an enjoyable weekend with Joe's parents who were in town for his mom's birthday. They arrived on Friday afternoon and we had a low-key dinner at home - yummy burgers followed by even yummier lemon yogurt cake.

Saturday morning Joanna and I went to the water aerobics class while Joe and Richard worked on chair rail for the baby's room. Later in the afternoon we went to eat dinner at Rocky Mountain Firebirds and I had yummy salmon and then ate chocolate while we watched "Live Free or Die Hard" - we all really enjoyed it!

This morning, Richard and Joanna left around 10:30ish and Joe and I grabbed some lunch at Five Guys (again, yummy burgers!), some paint swatches at Lowes and some groceries at the other Lowes.

Joe's out riding with Jason so I'm puttering around, trying to decide whether I want to work on my wedding/honeymoon album book or go for a swim at the indoor pool or take a nap. All good choice, but not so easy to narrow down.

It's a girl!

Joe and I went to the doctor on Monday for my 18 week ultrasound and found out that we're having a baby girl! She was very cooperative during the gender scan part of the ultrasound - the technician is pretty certain it's a girl, not because she was unable to definitely see boy parts, but because she saw the three lines they look for on girls.

We've already received a bunch of clothes from our friend Liz who was cleaning out daughter's closet, so we're well on our way to being ready for our new arrival. This weekend Joe and his dad are working on the baby room, adding a chair rail, and soon after that, we'll make a trip to Lowes for the requisite too-many-to-count paint chips from which to choose the final colors! All the fun that awaits!

Did I mention the fun of chosing a name? That has begun and is not nearly as easy as I would have hoped. We'll be keeping the name secret until the birth. We already have one baby name book, but I have a feeling this is going to take numerous books to sort out!

Enjoy the newest ultrasound picture!

Joe feels the bean!

After my doctor's appointment later this morning, we'll be able to say "he" or "she" instead of constantly refering to the baby as "it." But last night, Joe felt it!

The baby is most active around 2-3pm and bedtime (both when I'm laying down... for a nap or to read before bed). Yesterday afternoon, I thought I felt movement from the outside, so I told Joe the next time I felt a movement, I'd let him know. So, it's bedtime and I felt the flutter, so Joe put his hand on my belly and we waited. And waited. And waited. And sure enough, he felt it move - twice! We're very happy as most of the books say you *might* feel the baby between 16-20 weeks but most likely not until 20 weeks - and that's for the mom feeling the internal flutters or "quickening." I've been feeling the baby since 16 weeks and Joe got to feel it at 18! Woohoo!

Off to get ready for the big ultrasound!

Straddle your noodle!

Three words I didn't expect to have added to my vocabulary this morning but after attending my first water aerobics class, I can say it with confidence!

So, I went to my first water aerobics class, even after being "warned" by lady that it was (in hushed voice) "mostly older ladies." I had such a great time! There were 7 of us and the instructor (she and I being the youngest by probably 10-15 years) and we all chatted and huffed and puffed our ways across the pool for the hour class. I think I am definitely going to feel the burn in my arms and upper body tomorrow (those little weights are practically weightless outside of the pool but definitely pack a punch when you put them under water). I think it'll be a good compliment to my usual 2.5 mile walk each morning, adding some toning and a different style of aerobics. Next class is Monday and I plan on being there!

Oh, there was also talk (while we straddled our noodles) of the "unexplained chafing and rashes" that might be experienced after the class, but the instructor told us to tell our husbands to call her for verficiation that we did indeed get such chafing from an aqua class. Perhaps the class should have a PG rating!

Transformer underwear!

Yesterday afternoon, Joe played hooky (er, finished early) from work and we drove off to a most enjoyable time. First stop, the mall. I need a few more pairs of maternity underwear and found 2 3-packs on sale! Woohoo! Underwear on sale and underwear that is MOST comfy - couldn't have asked for a better deal! I think I will wear these underwear long after baby arrives!

After undies, we dined at PF Changs - we shared the honey chicken and the Mongolian beef (with brown rice and a side of broccoli) and then enjoyed the banana spring rolls with coconut ice-cream. Delicious!

After the meal, we drove to a different mall to visit REI for some bike parts. Seems these days, a trip for us is incomplete without a stop at some bike shop for some random bike part.

After REI, we went to see Transformers. (I told Joe he owes me big time: two days at a geeky computer conference AND Transformers!)

Now, being a Thundercats kinda gal, I told Joe to enjoy his "boy movie" and after sitting through at least 4 horrible "boy" movie previews, we settled into the feature film. I really enjoyed it! It was funny and fast and the fight sequences were pretty awesome! I'm sure seeing the cars and trucks and hummers and tankers transform into gigantic robots on the big screen and "in person" was way cooler than watching them do such tricks on a dinky cartoon tv show. Pretty impressive graphics! Joe enjoyed it too, so all was worth it! Definitely a fun summer movie if you're looking to enjoy a couple of hours with some loud action and crashes and explosions and not want to follow too closely to some intricate plot.

Speaking of intricate plot, I think we're going to netflix the first two Bourne movies in preparation for The Bourne Ultimatum, which opens sometime in August, I think.