The Boss!

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted but I have been out of town. We went last weekend to Charlotte to see The Boss again and then Tuesday I had to go to Fairmont for a hearing. I must say the first trip was a lot more fun than the second!

Let me tell you about the concert. First of all, we got general admission floor seats which means if you want a chance to get right up front you have to get in a lottery and be in the range of numbers that starts with the number drawn from a hat. So at 2:00pm we went to line up to get a wrist band with a number on it. I was 44 and Noel was 45. We then had to be back at 5:00pm. We arrived back at the arena at 5:00pm and were lined up in numerical order, all 800+ of us. Then the event guys drew a number and it was 120. Well that meant that numbers from 120 to say 500 got to be in the pit right up front. We then were shooed away and told to be back at 6:00pm to go in as if we never even did the lottery. Bummer. Let me tell you the excitement of waiting to have the number drawn and maybe being right up front was overwhelming and then to lose, well it was very disappointing. I probably could have cried a bit. To make matters worse, the couple who had 120 and 121 were these two A-holes we were standing near at the bar earlier who were bragging loudly about all the shows to which they were going and had been. I saw them on the big screen during the show and almost puked.

Anyway, we went back up the street to a bar where they were playing all Bruce (even if it was one CD on repeat) so Noel could drown his sorrow in a Bud Light. While we were in the bar, here came a torrential down pour. Great. We waited and the rain died down some so we took off back to the arena. At 6:00pm we were waiting with a bunch of other folks and let me tell you this was completely disorganized. Anywho, we got inside and went straight to the floor because since we were not chosen for the pit we had to claim our spot as close up front in the next section as possible. We did pretty good and got pretty close. So we had to stand there from 6:00pm until the show started about 8:15pm. Noel and I actually sat on the concrete for a while but it was still extremely uncomfortable and poor Noel's feet fell asleep so he could barely stand back up. We played some Yahtzee on the phone while waiting. So finally the show started with a tribute to Danny Federici, a long standing member of the E Street Band. Very cool. Then the rocking started and it didn't stop for 2.5 hours. He played a lot of greats that we didn't hear at the last show. We were close too, I could see the sweat dripping off of Bruce. The whole band really put their heart and soul into a show. For any of you Bruce fans out there, we saw: Thunder Road; Candy's Room; Darlington County; The Rising; Badlands; The Promised Land; Reason to Believe; Prove it all Night; and She's the One.

Anyway, I imagine this show was kind of like having a baby, it was so physically painful that you swear you'll never do it again but the next day you forget and would do it again in a heartbeat!

Fifteen Weeks!

How your baby's growing:Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces, about the size of a softball. She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")
How my life's changing:You've probably gained about 5 pounds by now (a little more or less is fine, too) (probably a little more!) and are well into the swing of your pregnancy, but you may still be surprised by an unexpected symptom now and then. If your nose is stuffed up, for instance, (I've went through several boxes of tissues!) you can probably chalk it up to the combined effect of hormonal changes and increased blood flow to your mucous membranes. This condition is so common, there's even a name for it: "rhinitis of pregnancy." Some pregnant women also suffer nosebleeds as a result of increased blood volume and blood vessel expansion in the nose.

Happy Anniversary, let's go dig ramps!

We dug ramps Monday on the Scenic Highway. We found a great spot where the ramps were plentiful and big. We got a big ol trashbag full. I tell you, cleaning those things is a job! I saved the ones Banjo and Harvey peed on for Mom and Dad.
By the way, the second picture is the view from where we dug. Ya gotta love WV!

RAMPS!

Yesterday on our way to Snowshoe we stopped off at Richwood to celebrate Noel's birthday at the Feast of the Ramson. It was a great ramp dinner. All you could eat! The ramps were cooked just right and the desserts were plentiful. Check the first picture of the cake. If you look real close the ramp's name is "Rampie." ha ha! Richwood also had arts and crafts to check out. I think this is definitely going to be a family tradition. On our way up to Snowshoe we saw ramps for the digging everywhere. We brought a shovel to dig them on the way home so put in your orders on the comments if you want any. I'll check tomorrow before we leave. I already put Kim down for a batch. Oh yeah, I almost forgot the festival queen and junior queen had a picture together titled "The Royal Stinkers!"

Ale and a place to lay your head

This is what my hubby got me for our anniversary. We looked at these signs last summer at Snowshoe. I think it looks perfect on our log house. It looks pretty good with Banjo sitting in front of it too.
BTW, tomorrow is Noel's birthday. He's an oldster but I think he looks younger than me! ha ha!

Fourteen Weeks!

How your baby's growing:This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a fist — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Making Baby's Lunch

This is what I have to deal with when I make Noel's lunch in the morning. Everybody's looking for a handout! I must admit that it's probably my fault because I've given too many hand outs. Whatever the kitties don't eat, Dumb and Dumber come in and clean up!

Tax Season is OVER!

YAY! Tax season is over. I have my husband back until the next deadline. I'm not in a very good mood today, so I'm keeping the post short. I'll do better tomorrow.

Hoot Hoot

We have owls that live around the house. They make quite a racket! Anyway, Noel took these pictures last night. These are not great pictures but you can blame that on Dumb and Dumber. They kept scaring the owl away. Last year, we saw a big owl and two little babies sitting in the branches near each other. The little owls looked like exact copies of the big owl. So cute. We have abundant species of creatures flying around here. We'll have to get out there and start taking pitcures!

Thirteen Weeks!

Crown to rump length is 2.5-3 inches and weight is about .5 and .75 oz. It is about the size of a peach. The uterus fills the pelvis and is starting to grow upward into the abdomen. The baby has doubled in length from 7 weeks. There is a relative slowdown in the growth of the baby's head. Right now the head is about half of the crown to rump length. By birth the head is .25 size of the body. External genitalia have developed enough so male can be distinguished from female outside of the womb. Intestines initially develop within a large swelling in the umbilical cord outside the fetal body. About this time, they withdraw into the fetal abdominal cavity.

Our New Additions

This is Noel's pet project. He's planting shrubs and they look fabulous! These are English Boxwoods. They're just wee little now but I know they'll look great when they reach shrub size. I can't believe we went so long without any plants in front of our house. The problem is the deer eat everything. But these Boxwoods are supposed to be deer resistant. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Oh yeah, and the lovely white fence is to keep Dumb and Dumber away from the plants. I bet it it wouldn't take them a whole day to destroy the shrubs!

Boo Martinsburg

I'm in Martinsburg for the night due to a protest hearing tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I don't get paid enough to spend the night out of town. I get comp time to use whenever I want for the hours after work hours, but it has to be earned traveling or working. I can't get comp time for the time spent in the room, though I wouldn't be in this room by myself if not for my job. Spending time in a hotel room by myself is not my idea of a great time. Driving 5 hours to get to a hearing is not a great time either. While driving, I got a cramp in my leg you wouldn't believe. Oh well, enough complaining. I'll update with something better tomorrow.

Oh Baby!

This is from today's ultrasound. It wasn't at my usual doctor's office so I don't have the pictures on a disk like normal. I had to take a picture of the picture. Anywho, the top pictures are the baby's head and neck and chest. The bottom picture is the baby facing downward. The prominent little L in the middle of the picture is the baby's arm. I imagined that my cyst went away but it's still there. The good news is that is hasn't grown. I should have included a picture with the cyst on it because it's amazing how big it is, but if you check out the bottom picture and look right above it to the picture cut in half, that big black hole that you can see is the cyst. It's as big as the baby! Or maybe even bigger! It'll dissolve I know it.

Second prenatal visit

I went back to the doctor today. All's well! I listened to the heartbeat today with some kind of high powered stethoscope. This time the heartbeat was 165 bpm. Mainly, during this visit we just talked. They did test a urine sample and that came out good too. One thing we talked about was cystic fibrosis. There is a blood test that can determine if you are a carrier of the gene. So after my doctor appointment I went to the lab in the hospital and had my blood drawn for the test. Unfortunately, I have little, piddly, hard to find veins. So every time I give blood I get nervous. I've had a lot of mess ups and I won't even include some of the disasters at the Red Cross. So anyway, the nurse sticks me and no blood. I immediately tense up and feel nauseous. Oh by the way, did I mention that I don't like blood and I HATE veins? So, with the needle hanging out of my arm, the nurse goes to find the master sticker, Rita. Rita tried to get blood to no avail. She takes the needle out and tells me she has to try the other arm. Bummer, because the arm I offered up was actually the good one. Anyway, she ties me off with the rubber string, I make a fist, and she goes about finding a vein. She's poking around and she's poking clear on the side of my arm--not even close to where you think the vein is. That's where she found the vein. GROSS! She stuck me and she got it. Yay Rita! Thank goodness they only needed one vial, but it was a huge vial. It did leave a bruise but, in Rita's defense, I bruise easily. So they put gauze and tape (which practically ripped off my skin) on both arms. So now we just wait. If I come back a carrier then Noel will have to go and see if he is a carrier. You can't have a baby with cystic fibrosis unless both parents are carriers. The next appointment is Friday and that involves an ultrasound so Daddy is going to that visit. He hasn't seen the baby or heard the heartbeat yet. It should be an exciting visit!