Thank you all for the congratulatory wishes. DH and I are very happy. I am 9 weeks today!!! We can't wait to tell our parents on Saturday. The waiting is killing me! I found some lovely nursery bedding on the internet yesterday. I have already decided that we will do neautral baby colors, yellow, green and plue pastels and I found some patterns I really like. I also checked out the gap.com maternity clothes on sale - how fun! I mist say that I feel like my clothes are getting tight already! I have gianed about 6-7 pounds - way too much for only 9 weeks. I need to cut back on the treats.

Trish - I plan to continue going to the gym as much as I can. I will do the cardio until I am too tired and just keep sclaing back. I don't do as many weights as before. Do you have names picked out yet?

Lolly - The cookies sound delicious, I am going ot check out the recipe! I have a horrible sweet tooth that I have been indulging lately!

Belle - I am so happy that you found ahome for the kitt y and you are breathing better too.

Rina - Good for you for getting back on track. I know I will go crazy eating around the holidays! I do love the leftovers too!

Shaylene - Have fun at the REnaissance Festival. the one in MD was very fun again this year.

Ali - Good thing you aren't actually working on Xmas Day. It will be nice for you to be with b/f family.

DH and I are going to Louisiana for Xmas to be with my family. We alternate so we are going to Florida to the in-laws for Thanksgiving. I love my family's Xmas traditions and can't wait to go back. We are going to be staying for 6 days which will be wonderful!!!

Ok, I have been goofing off for a while now. I don't have much work to do today eventhough I am usually busy at this client. Talk to you later. Hi Tonya, Kay, Kirsty, Brenda, Jen, JenL and everyone else!!!

Sarah

Lolly: I am also avoiding working...and I am leaving in 1 1/2 hours. In the US, many people (or most) don't get Christmas Eve off work either...or maybe a half day. My firm has it off, but this is the first job I have had were we did. My hubby's firm works half day. So funny about diffrent names for the same product. In the US, we call your soft cheese "cream cheese." Noticed the same thing the other day when you talk about jumpers we call them sweaters. Our jumpers are like a dress with no sleeves that go over a shirt.

Belle:ah yes, Nells was a good man. So kind and funny. I have to say, from teh outside looking in, your aunt is a hoot. I bet not so funny from the inside. You know, every family has one.

Stacey: I was just thinking about that one. How funny. Also, I think Albert dies right at the end of the show run (one of the last episodes). Very strange. Am I remembering that right? They don't show those last ones very much. Remember when Mary's baby died in the fire. I thought it was so dumb that they left the baby in the room when the went to evacuate the rest of the school. I mean really people, take the baby who can not even walk with you when you go. Blind children can walk at least and you can get them out while holding the baby!

Ok, must go.

Trish

Hi everyone - I'm having a slow start today - sore throat. I went with my brother, his wife and their 2 little girls to get their flu shots last night and then to dinner and helped with baths after. All of you baby makers are making me want one so I figure if I spend lots of time around other people's children I will remember how frightened I am of becoming a mother and I can delay it for a few more years. They are very cute girls but last night were very bad. The eldest didn't want to co-operate AT ALL (she's 4)But they still had fun playing with Auntie.
As for the poll, I'd love to have my whole family at my house but alas, I have no house, yet. BF is not fond of his family but we usually do Christmas day brunch there and Christmas dinner at Mom's where I help out as much as I can. I love christmas.
Evil internet police on her way in - I'll be back
KT

Sarah: I really started wearing maternity stuff at about 12-13 weeks. I did not need it too much but my other stuff was tight so I thought why not! Great places to get great stuff are gap.com (but they take FOREVER to come in the mail) oldnavy.com (who is having a big sale right now. These can run very big, so may want to order size down) imaternity.com (really really great quality and an extensive work line) and maternitymall.com. Also, JC Penney's catalog has some great basic stuff. Target has great stuff as well and also caries maternity bras. The undies are very important and really are one of the first things you will need. I find i like regular maternity bras better than the maternity/nursing kind. Also, your chest really will continue to grow a lot. YOu are doing fine on weight. My dr always says it is not a problem unless he says it is. So I try to go with that. makes you less nervous. The weeks really fly by. Have fun. Our babyroom stuff is from Laura Ashley. Called Teddy Bear Tea Party. We are painting the room periwinkle blue and butter cream yellow with white trim. My folks bought us a white sleigh crib and my g-ma got us a rocking chair. It is an antique north caroline porch rocker. Fun since her family is from NC and I have great memories of sitting on my great g-ma's porch rocking away. We have not decided on a name yet. I am sure one will come to us.

Wow, get me started on babies and I can talk forever.

Oh, I have to go to a Junior League thing. We are having a huge thing this weekend where we are putting up this big community playground.

Trish

no time to read all of the posts...Lolly-those brownies sound fab!!!
Sarah-congratulations...isn't there someone else besides Trish who is PG also? You guys must keep posting-we'll need to hear all of the news!!!!
OK-I have a confession to make-I am wearing a thong for the first time today and I think I am a convert Didn't we have a thread discussion about this at one point???
I have to work the entire weekend before Christmas into christmas eve and Christmas day-I am actually on call from Sunday morning till wednesday morning-72 hours....hopefully not too many babies will be born, but it means I can't make any holiday plans...DF has to work as well-he has a big deadline right around that time...but we are planning a trip to Chicago to see his family for New years....
Back to work...Jen, how is the eye???
Hi to everyone else-Kieie-it was good to ehar from you yesterday!

I think I've seen every episode. For a while, the shows were on every morning and I'd watch them while getting ready for work. They were taken off for Buffy or something like that and I'm VERY UPSET. (I have started watching Buffy this season, though). There was a Melissa Gilbert bio show on E earlier this week!

Girls, I'm down in the dumps today and I don't know why. I just want to go home and sit in front of the TV. I'm feeling perfectly useless at work these days and I haven't been taking any initiatve. So much for a vacation rejuvinating me. Part of it, I think, is my b/f schedule is bothering more than every. He got home at 3:30 in the morning, didn't go to bed until 6. When I got up at 830 and left an hour later for work, I asked him if he wanted to meet me for lunch. He said he wanted to sleep. I said fine, and left. But it made me feel so very sad. I don't know how much more of this I can take. Since we've gotten back from vacation, I've seen him in waking hours for about 4 hours. We managed to get to a movie Tuesday night, but only after he met me there on his way home from work (he was supposed to be off that day, but had to go in), and afterward we went home and went to bed.

I'm complaining so much these days. Maybe I should go see someone.

Right now, I'll go see some food.

Kim - did you 2 have fun on the trip? I think you have just reached your breaking point, I hope you have a turn around!! Do you ever feel like you give and give and aren't getting back?

Who knew there were somany little house fans out there??

My goodness. WE are the posting queens today!!! I have no timeto post right now but I have been reading and I am cracking up at the profound effect that Little House had on us all. I guess you girls are right that Pa was attractive however I think you have failed to mention Almanzo. I wanted to marry him. I loved manly. My fav episodes are the ones when Nelli and Laura are fighting over him and then ofcourse Laura gets him and Nelli gets percevill which I thought was pretty cool. ANyways Gotta Go but Belle is this a new b/f? I am so out of the loop!!!

Fill me in,
Becky

You know, I think Almonzo was cute when I was 10 or so...but now as an adult, looking back, I think Pa is really much better looking. But I really like dark hair better. And boy, were their pants tight!

Oh, Kim, i have ment to ask you. What the heck does your BF do that he has to work all those hours and not get time off? I hope he gets paid a lot. That is crazy.

I was always in love with Manly, too! But watching the shows now, I realize what a chauvenistic dweeb he really was. I loved the story line when he and Laura first realized they were "sweet" on each other. The stations that show the reruns never show all those later shows, though. Sometimes, I'd like to see the shows again when Albert was older.

Now off the Little House topic ... Trish, my b/f is managing editor of a small daily newspaper about an hour from where we live. Because it's a small paper, it means that everyone there basically does all jobs, editing and reporting. When he got the position after starting as a copy editor, he was told he would sometimes get day shifts, and he was working only every third weekend. Well, then the editor got it in her head to put him on a Sunday through Thursday schedule, at night. She asked him if he wanted it, he said no, but she gave it to him anyway, saying it would be short term until a new copy editor got his feet wet. Well, that copy editor is a dimwit, and they don't trust him by himself to get the paper out. At a small paper like that, you end up with a staff of about 5 putting out the paper at night. Maybe three copy editors, a sports editor and a reporter.

Two months ago, the sports editor was fired, and Brian was made interim sports editor, which he hates. His days off became Friday and Sunday, because he's needed to put out the big Sunday paper on Saturday. And now, he's editing AND writing for sports, and occasionally writing for news as well. He gets to work at 3 p.m., sometimes earlier, and doesn't leave until 2 a.m.

I know it's a long explanation, but does it make sense why I never see him? It's gotten to the point where I resent his job. He doesn't even get dinner breaks and hardly ever has free time to give me a call. The best thing he's done so far, in my eyes, is threaten to quit when the general manager tried to cancel our vacation.

Whew!

Now, I have GOT to find some work to do. Or just go drive around and pretend to be looking for stuff to cover.

Hi everyone. I have been sick a lot lately. Went to the doctor again for my eye yesterday and was referred immediately to an eye doctor. He was kind of a putz, but said it was a viral infection and there is no damage to the cornea, etc, yet. If it doesn't clear up in a week, then I am supposed to come back. I think another week is an awfully long time and I am miserable. My aunt and mom are a little irritated and want me to go back to my doctor. I am just tired of this! SO... NOW I HAVE FLU SYMPTOMS! I came in late this morning because I have the chills and then the sweats, headache, body aches... You name it. UGHHH!

TRISH... the week before I had Emma, a lady had a 13 pound baby, delivered naturally!!! The day before Emma was born an 11 pound baby was born c-section!! Those are some big babies. Emma was 11 pounds after 2 months of age! WOW!!!

Oh and for the quilter wanna bes.... I have my get together tonight and we are learning a new pattern. Should be fun. There are 6 of us that get together... me, mom, aunt, sis-in-law and then 2 other people that are friends of ours through work relations. It is fun to chat and learn. I also belong to the Thimbleberries club (fabric and pattern designer) and we meet once a month. New patterns there too. Although because of my class I won't be there for 4 months straight! BOOO HOO!!

Sarah.... CONGRATULATIONS!

All this baby talk. My little Emma will be 1 year old on Oct. 29. We are not planning on trying for #2 until spring. I loved being PG... even tho at the end it was getting irritating!! Think of it as a blessing!

I love the episode when Laura puts apples in her boobs to impress Manly! Hee hee hee...

Becky - its hte same one, we've been together 14 months, but he's taking me home to NB for xmas this year! yay!

Jen - my niece Julianna will be 3 on Oct 29. She is a handful alright!! yikes.

I gotta go back to work again. I have such bad cramps, but hey, at least TOM came!?

Belle