Updates and such.

Ok... so on to week #29!

Woohoo... in the past 3 weeks we

hosted our annual massive Cookies and Cocoa party (20 kinds of cookies this year! --- and yes, some are in the mail to the lucky folks!)

-Craig found out his job is ending at the end of the month... yikes! (S-- please don't tell your parents, we don't need more worrying) Since then, he's gotten 2 job offers and has had 4 more interviews-- so it will be fine-- but not a happy thing to hear 2 weeks before Christmas.

I "spectacularly flunked" my gestational diabetes screen (the docs words) and then a week later my results on the longer glucose tolerance test were completely normal... so go figure, but it definitely did have me very stressed out for a while there. Probably compounded by the fact that the naughty cat snuck out one night while Craig was walking the dog and was gone-- outside, in the cold and the wet overnight-- I found that out the same morning I found out I flunked and might have to give up potatoes and cookies... not a good thing to hear! Luckily, Tiki cam back after just over 24 hours outside, a little muddy but seemingly none the worse for the adventure, and we are now VERY VERY VERY careful that she does not get out the door. And thankfully, she had been fixed just 3 weeks before, so no worries about suprise litters of kittens this spring!

So end result, cat is home and safe, I am NOT diabetic... (thank GOD)-- I still have an ultrasound on Jan 2nd to check this whole low-lying placenta thing-- and I am on decent insurance starting the 1st-- Craig should start his new job (still here at the Med Center) ---so all of that will make it a less stressful new year.

Tadpole seems to be doing well... I am measuring right on schedule and finally managed to gain a whole 2 pounds! Hopefully I can keep doing well with the weight thing and come out skinnier at the flipside... (yeah, right!) I get my guts kicked out like crazy-- I think Tadpole must like TaeBo, and I have finally settled into "looking pregnant" instead of just chubby which makes me a happy camper. Now if only they made petite maternity pants so I could stop tripping over these freakishly long pants!

I will try and get some pics up of Christmas decorations and events before we head home for the holidays... so stay tuned!

To Ligonier to retrieve the animals

Murph and Tiki spent Thanksgiving at my parents-- and on the trip to retrieve them, we got to visit with my brother and his fiancee-- I only got one picture, but here it is!

Ok.. and a few gratuitous shots of the dog being well... the dog. He is utterly convinced that it is his duty to carry around HUGE branches... and then try and bring them in the house. Silly pup.

He is completely confused as to why he can't get inside, but nothing will convince him to just put DOWN the stick.

Presentation of Log the Third!

Murphy's favorite Christmas tradition took place this weekend with the "presentation of the log". For the past 3 years, the 6ish inches of trunk we trim off the bottom of the Christmas tree in order to fit it in the house has gone to the dog, and he couldn't be happier. He carries his LOG around all year slowly chewing all the bark off. And new LOG is the best because it has lots of bark and is all sticky and sappy and delicious. So, on Saturday, Craig and I got our tree (Craig said the really fat one I wanted was just toooooo big) and presented the Murph with his new toy. I think this goes in the same category of kids liking the boxes things come in almost as much as the toy-- because he goes NUTS for this thing. So here it is, the presentation of Log the Third!






mmmmmmm.....pine sap and bark (see, one VERY happy dog)

"What rolls down stairs alone or in pairs, rolls over your neighbors dog, its great for a snack, it fits on your back, its log log LOG. Its log, log, its big, its heavy, its wood. Its log, log, better than bad its good!"