What a day......

Expensive and annoying. Such a special combination.

Started the day going over to Toyota, so that Hubby would have a freshly clean car for his trip down to Comic-Con (or, as I call it the 4-day Geek-gasm, but I'm just jealous and want to go). I had been told it would just be a routine oil change. Not so. Major service, requiring an overnight stay, and a rental car for me. You see, at 7 mo . Preggo, it's simply not a good idea to be without wheels. Not happy about going to the rental place. Unhappier still about the extra $225 we weren't planning to spend.

Get picked up and go to Hertz to get the rental. Computers are crashing. It takes them 45 minutes to give me a crappy Chevy Malibu, even though 10 other customers have come and gone.

The good part of the day was meeting Mom for a belated b-day lunch.

As I'm leaving the mall, Toyota calls to say, the car is nearly done. WHAT? WTF did I spend my morning in Hertz for, then? Unfortunately, it's too late to turn in the crappy rental and get back the car that hubby WANTS to take to San Diego. I have to get home and meeti the carpet cleaners. Oh, and by the way, they're recommending another $350 in "preventative maintenance" for the car. That can wait, Bubbas.

The carpet cleaners arrive 45 minutes after the prescribed 1-hour window. If only they'd called me earlier, I could have returned the car! Now I have to wake up early tomorrow and get it in before the 24 time limit at 9 a.m. The carpet guy is nice enough, though, and seems extremely competent. Competent and polite. Two of the killer three (punctual is another of my favorite traits, but he blew that one) ain't bad. I don't even really mind when he tells me that getting rid of ALL Romeo's stains will cost an extra $100. The blog glut you've witnessed today is the result of being locked in the bedroom with the cats for three hours while he works.

Plus, Hubby appears to be cranky. Traffic has been brutal this week, making his normal 1 hourish commute at least 2. And there's nothing I can do about it. That's a crappy feeling. Really crappy.

Suffice to say that the extra expenses of this weekend have eliminated my plans to head to my Zen place and get a massage. I need nursery decor, and a glider... and a video camera. No massages for me. (pouty face) However, we're back to zero as far as house cleanliness goes, and I've had time to put together a to-do list for this weekend:

• Hit Michael's and drop some dough. I think that my solo time this weekend will allow me to start deconstructing photo albums, and putting the photos into boxes, as well as starting Baby Girl's baby book. I'm going to make one rather than buy something cheesy.
• Start cleaning out closets, boxes etc. and downsize wherever possible. We need room to put out all the baby gear that we're told will be arriving soon.
  
• Put together menus and do the grocery shopping for next week. Try to pull a Rachael Ray and have all the veggies washed and ready to go.
• Get Chinese take-out from my favorite spot in Camarillo. I'll be passing through tomorrow to pick up the Grandma on the way to my Sis' Housewarming party.
• See a movie? Probably Hairspray or Becoming Jane. I have to figure out which Hubby has less interest in seeing.
• Go to Jo-Anne's or a similar fabric store with the baby's sheet and scout material. Because we can't paint the walls in the rental, I'm thinking about tacking up some nice textured fabric to add a little color and interest. I simply cannot put a white crib up against a white wall. It won't work for me. I need to decide on wall decor before I can pick out rugs or a bedspread for the twin in the room. I'm ready to get started on the whole nursery thing.
• IF time allows, I'd like to start re-teaching myself knitting. I'd like to be able to do more than one stitch before I start on a baby blanket for my little one.

Muggle Blog - The Finale.....

You're gonna have to wait for this. Two reasons, really. I want to give the Potter-reading world more time to finish before I risk spoiling it for anyone. Hubby, however, will have to watch out. He probably won't read it for another month...... I'm also rereading the book myself. The first reading was quick and dirty to avoid spoilers. I'm really reading for details this time. The follow-up blog entry will reflect that. So prepare yourselves.... all 2 of you who read this blog.

In the meantime, however, a great quote from Stephen King, writing about saying goodbye to Harry after 7 books: "Hell, I had trouble saying goodbye to Tony Soprano, and let's face it — he was a turd."

The Name Game

Naming a whole person is hard work. If she's made fun of her whole life, it's OUR fault. At this point, we're down to two or three favorites. Those who read this blog may comment, but be KIND, and understand that this is not a democracy. The stats in this post were found here, a supercool Baby Naming Tool!

As much as we both love the names Emily and Emma, those are off the table, because they are the two most popular names in the US right now.

We both love the name Kate. It would be Kate Elizabeth, after Kate in Taming of the Shrew and Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice, two of the strongest, and most interesting women in Literature. HOWEVER, everyone we tell about naming her "Kate" says, "Oh, we'll call her Katie." Um, no. If we wanted her to be called Katie, that's what we'd name her, but family members have actually said, "You won't stop me from calling her "Katie." And I don't like the idea of fighting an uphill battle to have my child called by her name.

Kate is currently 142nd in popularity, but if you count all the names that start with Kate, you're looking at twice as many kids with similar sounding names, according to the tool, about 2000 for every million babies.

We also love Avery Marie. Avery is just a name we both think is beautiful and feminine. Marie has a lot of history in both Hubby and my families. Avery is currently 52nd in popularity with about 1200 babies per million. However, it's currently spking in popularity. Who knows, it could be the Emily of 2010, and she could end up with a name that's "Just so 2010." Just like Brittany, etc. are really 90's, and Stephanie and Jennifer were uberpopular in the 80's.

We've come back to Sadie (157th, 500 per million) and Sophie (125th, however, if you count Sophia, it's 9th in popularity). I know we're overthinking this, but it's tough. I'm really not sure if she'll have a name before she's born. We may have to take a look at her before we make that decision.

Pregnancy Update- Weeks 27 and 28

The morning after we got home from Buffalo, we had another appointment with the Parinatal specialist. It's so much fun to see her moving around in there. Everything is measuring in the normal range according to Dr. J. She's currently about 3 lbs. and I think she's pretty cute - even in 2-d. She's got big eyes (no shock there) and big pillowy lips. Check out this profile shot- they stick out almost as far as her nose!

The next day- which was the start of week 28, I got a call from the regular Doc's office to tell me that I passed my 1 hour Glucose test, meaning that I'm not at risk for Gestational Diabetes, and therefore don't have to take the 3- hour test, which would have been miserable. My iron is a little low, though, so I'm on Iron Suppliments. Doesn't sound bad, right? Weeeeellllllll..... Iron suppliments tend to back things up a bit, gastro-intestinally speaking. The nurse told me to go ahead and just start taking the maximum dose of colace at the same time. We'll see how well that goes. Pregnancy slows down that system as it is. Ick! Thank goodness for coffee. Is that TMI for a blog? Pregnant women have no limits.

We've also started kick counts. When she's active, she's VERY active, and hourly kick counts are completed in roughly 10 or 15 minutes. Most of the time, though, she's pretty quiet. That can be a real disappointment for those who want to feel her move. Ah, well. I hear that behavior in the womb forecasts behavior outside. I like that she's quiet most of th etime. I like it a lot, in fact. I want her to be a good sleeper, just like her daddy and I were.

Angel on his shoulder......

The gentleman that I'd refer to as my most significant high school sweetheart and first ever "boyfriend" was nearly killed at an explosion in the Mojave Desert. He works for the company building Spaceship 2, and was at a propulsion test that went wrong. 3 people were killed, and more badly injured. I'm so sad for those families, but very pleased that my favorite Elvis impersonator is still around. It doesn't matter that I haven't seen or spoken to him in years. Bad stuff happens too often and too close for comfort.

More Updates from Buffalo....

The Hot Wings were a hit. We toured the Darwin Martin House (Frank Lloyd Wright), which is under restoration in Buffalo. It's a lovely place, and I can't wait to see it when it's completed. To support the Buffalo economy, and the restoration, we registered for the china Frank Lloyd Wright designed for the owners when we got married. The photo is of the Conservatory- one of the few areas that is finished.

As for the rest of our trip, don't know how I ever got so lucky. Tonight, we had a get together with my parents in-law, aunt & uncle-in law, SIL and her fam, and BIL and his fam. We were just getting together to see eachother- we're back East visiting and only MIL and FIL have seen me preggo. Well, after dinner, they surprised us with a mini-shower, since none of them will be able to make it out to my big shower.

We are now the proud owners of a beautiful bassinet that has a lot of family history (almost all of the 7 grandkids have been in it), and an enormous load of books and clothes and great gear that we need. Mom and Dad T also got us the most beautiful cake- check it out, and it was as good as it looked!!!!

They are too too good to me. I appreciate them so much. I'm so glad Baby Girl will have this house as a place she feels at home. To ensure that during the first year, we had some fun shopping with Mom T at Babies R Us, and got a pack and play for the In Law's house.

Pregnancy Update - Entering the 3rd Trimester

So.... there's not a lot to tell. I'm getting awfully big, and starting to have really uncomfortable days. Braxton Hicks contractions have also started. They're a bit frightening because sometimes they're stronger than other times. They don't hurt, but it definitely lets you know that that eventually they're going to get really big and REALLY strong. She's moving a lot more regularly, which is fun.

We're spending most of week 27 here in Buffalo with the in-laws and are having a great time. I'm not sure if I've had any calcium, or seen a fruit or a veggie since I've been here, but it is still a lot of fun. Hot Wings tonight. We'll see how she reacts to that. :)

Media Blackout....

I'm having to be very careful about where I trip around the internet these days. Even PerezHilton appears to have spoilers about Potter. That just sucks. Why would you want to ruin the fun for the I dunno..... 6 or 8 million people that are looking forward to this. I've been changing the station when something comes out on the news, being careful to scan web pages for any sign of spoilers before really reading anything, etc. Is it SATURDAY YET? Although, until the Amazon.com package shows up, Saturday will probably be the worst, since all the news outlets, etc. will know the ending by that point. My guess is at that point, I'll be going for full media blackout, and hoping for a pre-2:30 mail delivery.

Muggle Blog....

Finished Half Blood Prince last night. (See photo of Bump and I reading in the D.C. airport) I'm more confused this time than I was last time, but more than ever appreciate the richness of the universe J.K. Rowling has created. The things I found that are "new" this time are minute, but important to me, because I care about every detail. Here's what I've got:

p368 (paperback- I'm traveling)- Dumbledore and Harry are describing how Tom Riddle managed to kill his family and blame it on Morfin. He said that because it was in a wizarding house, they were unaware of who performed the curse. However, the Riddles were killed in the Riddle house, and they were Muggles. I'm sure they're just trying to point out that the Ministry jumped to conclusions... but it seems like an inconsistency to me.

I'm also still bothered by the fact that despite how many times we've heard that no one can apparate or disapparate within the Hogwarts grounds, House Elves can do it. A lot. Why them. We've heard they have different powers, but why that? Are we goingt o get an explanation.

Okay, the Horcruxes:
The Diary- Destroyed
The Locket (Slytherin) - Assumed Destroyed
Hufflepuff's Cup?
Ravenclaw's?
Gryffindor's?
Unknown?

Dumbledore things Nagini the snake might be one. I'm not sure if I buy that. And if Dumbledore is right, and he has the only remaining relic of Godric Gryffindor is safe at Hogwarts, we're missing 2. This is not a great start for our guy Harry.

My favorite thing about this book, however, is that the power Dumbledore describes Harry as having, is growing stronger, all around him. Throughout the book, you have examples of Harry and his friends becoming a stronger unit, which is more than "the cause." The same is true for Harry and Dumbledore's relationship. It's far more than student/teacher. It is familial, and very loving.

Love, despite all the odds is everywhere. Tonks is in love with Lupin, and willing to give up anything for him. Fleur does not care that Bill has been hurt in battle, and wants to marry him anyway, leading the Weasley's to love and respect her as it is. Ron and Hermione have finally found their way to eachother, taking a great friendship to another level. Last but certainly not least, Harry pulls the "Batman" move of breaking it off with his first love, Ginny, in order to protect her.

It is all this Love, and the power created by it that makes me believe that they can't kill off Harry in book 7. There will be many more sacrifices, but in the end, good will win.

I honestly don't know which way Snape is going to go. I see arguments for both sides, but as we have learned, Dumbledore is rarely wrong. I can't WAIT for Friday/Saturday.

And- in rebuttal of some of the points made by my Dude over at mysocaldlife.blogspot.com:
Yes, Alan Rickman plays him good. But Alan Rickman is the best. He could turn that on a dime for the next movie and amaze us all. He rocks. Especially in Dogma. If you haven't seen that movie, rent it NOW.

As for the "hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face." I agree that it makes him seem bad. However, we need to think about just what a difficult position he's been put in. He could be hating Draco and Narcissa for putting him in this situation through the Unbreakable Vow, and hating Dumbledore, for giving him, what I assume is the same orders he gave Harry. The greater good, and Snape's position within the society of the Death Eaters is more important than D's life, and therefore, he's on orders to follow through, even though it's the last thing he wants to do. You can love someone (Dumbledore) and hate them at the same time. If I'm right about that, though.... I don't understand how Snape could EVER come back and gain the trust of the Order again. Dumbledore is the ONLY one who knew why he trusted Snape. However.... we do know that Dumbledore has saved many of his memories in bottles for the Pensieve. Maybe that is one of them.That could work. I'm babbling. I need to stop and just stew in all of this for the next 4 days.

The best boss ever!

Today, Baby Girl decided that I should have some fierce heartburn. OW! After checking with four or five people in the office that did NOT have Tums, I called my boss in a panic. I knew he was offsite and would be passing a stripmall on his way back... and he saved me. He brought me a vanilla milkshake. ICE CREAM CURES ALL.

Naughty, Sicky Kitten

Romeo was not pleased that we went on vacation . . . he "cristened" the house in 8 places and worked himself into a nasty cold. He's on the mend now, with the help of meds and mommy MAKING him go in the litterbox twice a day, but actually got a bloody nose last night. I woke up to him having a particularly nasty sneezing fit, and in the morning, there were little bloody sneeze spatters on the sheet where he'd been sitting. Because of that, and his snugly lovey behavior the last couple of days. He's been forgiven.

To battle the "I'll pee where I want to when you're out of town" attitude problem, we're trying a product called Comfort Zone with Feliway. We bought both a spray and a diffuser that emit happy kitty pheramones into the air, and is supposed to chill them out. They both certainly SEEM chill, but we'll see. It's worth a try. It get's amazing reviews from every website/user I've found. We'll also be getting the carpets chemically cleaned. . . once we get back from a week and a half in Buffalo. Something tells me that my boy will act out no matter what while we're gone.

Mahalo, Hawaii!

We have once again returned from the Big Island. It was a shorter trip this time, but just as wonderful. The pictures show it better than i could ever explain, so I'll let them do most of the talking. Some Highlights, though:

• The coral "graffiti" Honu that we created last summer is still there, and virtually untouched around mile marker 79. We were so proud!
• Making time for real vacation (ex: sitting in a lounge chair by the pool for umpteen hours in a row) will a wothrwhile use of time.
• Pahu I'a at the Four Seasons has unseated Daniel Thiebaut as the best meal on the island. Maybe the best meal ever. We're turning into foodies, Hubby and I.
• All of the best goodies can be bought at Farmer's Markets and Roadside Stands. We bought tropical flowers to enjoy in our room, a tiki for the house, andlots of treats at our favorite fruit stand. If you happen to be passing by the South Kona Fruit Stand, I highly recommend their fresh coconut macaroons, and their dark chocolate/coconut brownies! Hubby says try the tomatoes.
• Baby Girl likes snorkeling (she thumped when I saw Honu), and did not want to leave the island.... in fact, I blame the crying fit I had upon leaving the Fairmont on her. I wasn't overly happy or sad, but couldn't stop the tears. Really, though, who'd want to leave? Maybe she knows how much we love it there, and is excited for all the time she'll spend on that beautiful island in her life. We can't wait to show it to her for real!
  

Making babies without men....

Just in case my pregnancy and reproduction infused blog hasn't bored you yet, I found an interesting article today that suggested that sperm could be created from bone marrow stem cells, thus negating the need for men in reproduction. The article was supposed to be funny, and alluded to women taking over the world, and men living in stag colonies, subsisting on Doritos..... however, this got me thinking.

If it is possible for a woman to create sperm, or men to create ova from his or her own stem cells, could this not be the start of same-sex couples being able to create genetic offspring with their partners? I think that would be pretty great.

Pregnancy Update - Week 23

There have been a few nervous moments this week. Little girl appears to have relaxed or something, because she's not moving as much as she was last week, or at the very least, I can't feel it as well. So, the Doc wanted to see me. They're going to be so sick of me by the time I deliver. However, when I apologized for another un-scheduled appt. the nurse and the doc assured me that if there's something wierd, they certainly prefer to have me call and ask and let them decide if I need to be seen rather than just assume everything is okay. They also let me know that I am certainly not the first first-time mommy to make a lot of calls and ask a lot of questions. At least I don't panic or get demanding. I think they like me. And I love the staff there. Pregnancy can be spooky, and they always make me feel great about it all.


The good part of going in for this appointment was that I got to try out a new toy- the fetal non-stress test machine. This is the one where they put two straps with monitors around your belly- one to measure uterine contractions, and one to measure the baby's heartrate. The heartrate and fetal noises are amplified on a speaker, and you get to watch the little richter scale of both readings print out while you lay there for about 20 minutes. Baby Girl's steady heartbeat was so fun to listen to, and while I couldn't feel her terribly well, you could hear her swimming around in there. Getting very close to the monitor (loud heartbeat) as to investigate, and then swimming away and giving it a swift kick. She's funny. And spunky. I like that. Dr. Hannah said that even though I'm not feeling it well, she's a very busy and healthy little person, and the fact that she was annoyed by the monitor is a good sign. It means she's hearing well enough to be annoyed by the echo of her own heartbeat.

Just to check, she also did an ultrasound. The good news is that it appears my placenta is moving away from my cervix, but is still totally upfront. While that takes a lot of risk out of the equasion, it's still giving Baby Girl a nice squishy pad to hole up behind. I could see her wiggling around, but can't feel it because of all the padding.... Hmm. Perhaps that means I should rethink the chocolate croissant I'm about to munch? I think not.


Getting another reassurance of her health and wellbeing won't be great before heading out on our vacations. Now I can really just enjoy myself, and enjoy feeling her move when I can. It's the greatest.

4 Real?

Apparently, there is a family in New Zealand going to court because the government is refusing to recognize their baby's name. They have named the baby ..... wait for it.... 4real. Because they were so overwhelmed with the reality of actually having a child. I mean, you should be allowed to name your kid what you want, but I have to kinda side with the gov't on this one, if only for protecting them from their own idiocy.

Apparently, this same authority has also blocked the names Satan and Adolf Hitler. Do people really want to do these things to their kids?

Sextuplets

I know it was very important to Hubby and I to see that there was only one bun in the oven early in the pregnancy. We could have handled two, but prefer one at at time. This year, however, there appears to be a rash of multiples in the news. Most visible, were the two sets of sextuplets born just a day apart.

My first comment on this is humorous. Look at this poor guy. Interviewed for the Today show, he looked like he just wanted to end it all. Hell, mom had to carry them, then had heart failure after the delivery and she looks downright perky. I dunno what I'd do with 6, but I certainly hope our one doesn't leave Hubby with an expression like this.

Sadly, for second set of sextuplets, 4.5 months early, news came today that 4 of them have died. I can't say what I'd do in a similar situation. I know that doctors recommend selective
reduction in cases of more than three fetuses. While it would be an agonizing choice to do this, one has to wonder how someone can go through a pregnancy, knowing it'll be wrought with complications, health problems and low survival rates for the babies, risk to the mother herself, and the physical/financial/sanity challenge of raising 6 children of the same age, something I imagine very few people have the wherewithall to undertake. I have to wonder if delivering 6 babies in an emergency at 24 weeks, only to watch 4 of them die is easier than making the decision to remove 3 or 4 embryos early in the pregnancy. As I've said, I have no idea what I would do. I am so very sad for this family, and am so very grateful for my easy and healthy pregnancy (knock wood!).

I am converted.....

Say will be horrified. Today, at the behest of some friends, I tried on a pair of crocs. True, they're not attractive, but they may be the most light and comfortable shoes I've ever tried on. I wore them for hours and my pregnant feet are very, very happy. In fact, I may get a second pair tomorrow. And make Scott try some on. Wow.

My friend's Kickass job....

This is awesome.

Addition to Muggle Blog....

I totally forgot to add that I think I found evidence to prove that Snape may be ultimately good. When Harry is in the office with the faux-Moody, faces become clear in the Foe Glass- Dumbledore, McGonegall and Snape. It was unclear to me whether the faces became clear because they entered the room, or if they became clear right before they entered the room. Because of the way the foe glass was described as working, it seems that it would only show your enemies. If Barty Crouch Jr.'s foe glass showed those three, one could assume that they're all on the side of good. Devices like these are not fooled by behaviors. I'm open to suggestion on this one. I think I could be wrong.

Muggle Blog II

So my Dude over at www.mysocaldlife.blogspot.com has already made some good points about Goblet of Fire, but I have a few of my own to add. However, I can poke a hole in his theory about Voldemort/Tom Riddle. Voldemort was Tom Riddle. Named for his muggle father, and his middle name was from the wizarding side of the family. So the Riddle's grown up son was the one who got Voldy's mom preggo, then left her when she found out he was a witch. Same name. Makes it confusing. Because there was no record in the Muggle world of Tom Riddle having a son, Tom Marvolo Riddle, he probably wouldn't have inherited the wealth.

So, on to my observations. At first, I thought I'd found a HUGE problem in the Priori Incantatem scene, where James came out of the wand before Lily. Meaning that James would have been killed AFTER her.... Unfortunately, after spending more time researching, this was a mistake made by the American editor in the rush to get the book out, and was changed to the correct order in later editions.

The planet Mars seems to be very important to the series. In Azkaban, the centaurs keep repeating that "Mars is bright tonight." And now, in Goblet, on page 575, professor Trelawney says, "We have almost finished our work on planetary divination. Today, however, will be an excellent opportunity to examine the effects of Mars, for he is placesd most interestingly at the present time....." Mars was the God of War, so it may just be that simple. But perhaps Harry and the others should pay a bit more attention in Divination, because it seems to forshadow big movements by Voldemort.

My final observation is also small, and could just be a editing mistake. On page 725, the book refers to the horseless carriages that will take the students to the train. At this point, Harry has witnessed the death of Cedric, and therefore should be able to see the Thestrals that are pulling the carriages as he does upon his return to school in book 5. This is far more likely an editing mistake, but it's something that caught my eye.