Houston...

we have movement!  that's right folks, two days after my ultrasound, i felt the first (of many) "real" kicks...or jabs...or punches.  it was super cool and, according to matt, it "blows that anatomy ultrasound out of the water!"  so, there you have it.

no other news to report, other than my debit card seems to be as excited as i am about the baby...ie: it's been swiped so many times i'm surprised it hasn't caught fire. not really, but i have been doing a little shoppin!

and the verdict is...

voodoo lady was WRONG-O! it's a...

girl!

i thought for sure that it was going to be a boy, simply because of my bathroom encounter and everyone's guesses...should've listened to my intuition, i guess.  regardless, she's healthy and measuring right on schedule, which is the most important part. my parents were down for the ultra sound, and i'm pretty sure my doctors office will change their policy on allowing family members in...let's just say my mom was...excited! she kept saying, "she's the most beautiful girl i have ever seen." it was pretty funny. i think matt was in shock in the corner (or was drowned out by my mom's screams of joy), i couldn't stop smiling, and my dad was the quiet observer of it all. good times, good times.

after the ultrasound/doctors appointment, we went to the mall and bought a few things to celebrate, and then went to the cheesecake factory. we had heard mixed reviews, but decided to try it out (my eyes were bulging out of my head with hunger--it was that, or eat the lamp post), and were pleasantly surprised. so, there you have it! we're super excited.

eureka!

after 18 months being "lost," i FINALLY found my wonderfully cool and unique Frank Gehry Fossil watch that Matt gave me for my birthday:

exhibit A:

i only had it for a month before we went to alaska, where i thought it met its fate. turns out i had stashed it in my laptop bag...which i hardly ever use, let alone clean out. thanks to this pregnancy "nesting" thing, though, i got in the groove and organized what will the baby's room...and found it! hooray.

karmel what?

My new, favoritest thing in the world. If you are, as I once was, a Karmel Sutra virgin, you MUST go buy some...immediately. It really is that good.

if you read this, matt, pick some up on your way home!!!

me and jack

...no, not daniels (don't i wish?!).  i'm talking about jack black.  let me back up.  today is my first day wearing the stretchy pants.  you know, the stretchy, panel pants that, while providing comfort, also strip you of any fashion fiber you thought you had.  yes, today i have befriended the panel, and only when going to the bathroom, when i have to unroll it, do i feel like jack black. you see, we have the same belly, circa nacho libre (one of my favs).  feast on jacks belly pic...cause i sure as anything holy am not posting one of my own.  at least not without blue spandex and big, red underpants (a mental image unsuitable for the weak stomached).

niagra what?!

so, perhaps the only people who will fully enjoy this post are matt (the husband) and greg (the brother in law), as they frequent the backcountry.com blog...but, when matt called me in the computer room last night to show me the following, i knew it was just too good to keep to myself.  

disclaimer: 

the following is not for the tender spirited person (ie: if you don't know what a 'taint' is, don't read it)

...i can't get the link to work, so go to www.taintpaint.com for the goods...

enjoy!

violated

here's how it all began:

i was in the bathroom for what felt like the 72nd time that day, and was washing my hands before going back to work. the only other person in the bathroom was our building janitor, which i thought nothing of. she's this cute, round, short little woman who doesn't speak very much english, but is so nice and friendly. seeing my burgeoning belly, she asked how far along i was and if i knew what i was having. when i told her that i wouldn't find out for a couple more weeks, she started walking towards me, put my hands down at my side, and proceeded to rub, poke, and push on my belly and chest (okay, not my boobies). this went on for like five minutes. i was waiting for her to start beating her chest and chanting, casting some voodoo spell on my little parasite, when she looked up and said, 'it's going to be a boy.' i smiled, told her i would tell her after my ultrasound, and got the hell out of there. now i avoid her and her belly touching ways now, most often turning and walking in the other direction if i see her. crazy old lady...

if it's true i'm seriously going to have a priest bless my baby. sheesh.