Lu is a crazy paper-cutting paragon of efficiency. After a jaunt to Esmerelda's Taco Truck (although why Rex didn't tell me it was a roach coach when I asked him for directions one wonders) for the best carnitas and chicharrones burritos EVER, we ended up at the Union City Kinko's (BTW closes at 8 pm) and then Office Max where Lu proceeded to slice and dice baby shower invites at will. In less than 25 minutes she had hacked up over 100 sheets of cardstock and vellum and broken a mild sweat over it. But we were done by 8:55 pm. Amazing, just amazing.

The amusing saga of the invites continues with the odd shaped envelopes. My much beloved "petal" envelopes caused us mass concern as we had to glue everything to each other to make the blessed things work. This is what happens when a bored mom-to-be sticks her head into planning parties. Oh well, I really like them and Lu and Paulie put up with my crazy preggers needs.

Envelopes that are misshappen -- anything outside of the #10 env. are MORE postage as Paulie found out in multi-trips to the post office. Told you they were trouble. But after a frenzy of stamping and almost throwing blows with loud ladies in line, the invites are off in the world. Now if they don't explode or disintegrate before they get to your house, we're good to go.

Life is so much easier to deal with in thinking about fixing up a house, or planning a party, but today both Bobby and I started really planning for baby. Uhhhh, diapers? disposable or cloth? daycare? part time, full time, home care, day care center .... YIKES! I have to sign up for classes, but can't go to regular birthing classes because of my "special" status. Uhhhhhh, boy.

Luckily, Veronica called to help alleviate and exacerbate the problem. More in giving me reassurance that we have time to make these decisions. After all when the baby comes, eating, sleeping and pooping are his major concerns. But then giving me mucho to think about concerning the daycare concept and idealogy. Ai ya!

Great news is, both Bob and I are getting enough sleep and baby Ryan is getting his full share of meals. Snug as a bug. A little worry, a little wear, but we are doing well.

I couldn't resist a sneaky trip to our 25-plex to see Underworld, the vampy movie starring Kate Beckinsale and - HELLO - directed by my former Thornton Junior High classmate, Len Wiseman (see June 19 archive for rad 80's pic of me and Len)

We went as an homage to thunderbolt power! Mel (of course) arranged it and we met up with Chel and Rhoneil, Cynd and Mel and Bim. Bob was happy as a clam, dunno if it was cuz we were seeing a movie after at least 8 months of not seeing any, or the fact that he got almost 7 hours of sleep last night ...

And amazingly - it was a GREAT movie!

I was completely freaked by the too scary, too gory movie PREVIEWS: Texas Chainsaw Murder, scary crazy Halle Berry movie, even Eddie Murphy in Disney's Haunted Mansion had my heart palpitating ..... I looked at Mel from between my fingers and she started laughing from behind the hand covering her eyes ....

So Underworld rocked, despite mass carnage. Here's a few random noted and quoteds: Kate does well in the Matrixy-speak little and shoot alot Keanu-type role.... and uhhhhh, yeah Lichan (like-an) sounds better than "werewolf" but let's call a spade a spade here. Lichan is actually a moss, botanically speaking.... Kate spends most of the movie saving the slubby looking Scott Speedman .... yes, Felicity's boyfriend .... until the end where he ends up looking like a very thin, very grey, not-so Incredible Hulk ....

One of my favorite parts was when Slubby Speedman asks what all the medical tools are for and Kate says to take the silver bullets outta werewolves (excuse me, LICHANS) so they don't die before being questioned -- then what happens, he asks between his shaggy bangs. She says stoically - We put them back in. Smirkety smirk smirk....

And I'm so glad that Mel called later in the day so we could rehash. And we were both kinda amazed that there wasn't anything to critique in that "even though he's my friend, that part of the movie was retarded" kinda way. I wish we coulda stayed after the movie but Ryan was pretty tired from the excitement. And Chel had to go as they were on the lookout for the perfect dinette for their new swanky casa. Wow!

One of the best pre-movie stories was Cynd's recent trip to NYC and meeting fellow swanky hotel-mates OutKast, and then on the corner of 57th and Broadway (!!) met and chatted with Pharrel from the Neptunes while crossing the street. Alas, no camera to be had...

And then today I get a giddy call from Mel, coming back from the Now and Zen, Alice radio sponsored concert with headliners Duran Duran - her super duper all time favorito 80's band. Ahhhh we carried our DD folders with pride in the 7th and 8th grades .... I won't tell you that Mel's hair bore a striking resemblance to Simon LeBons .... oh my where did that come from?!? Anyway - due to the detours that bladders cause, somehow Mel and Bim ended up tailing Roger Taylor (my favorite Durany) and John T after the concert. She said that they looked waaaaay better in person than at the MTV awards. Mel makes me laugh sooooo much.

My friends and their famous sightings.....

The best part of the entire weekend was just reconnecting with the girls, it's been ages. I am so lucky to have great friends.

So, by the way - - - I AM PREGNANT.

I, uh, somehow let it slip my mind as I was prepping the house, sneaking out for all you can eat Olive Garden pasta bowl and a kicken french pedicure. As always, Mr. Ryan made his presence known in what I thought was some minor discomfort which was diagnosed on Monday as more pre-term contractions, and not the teaser braxton hicks kind. Needless to say, I am now on an every 4 hour nefedrine prescription ...

We are at 30 weeks, 3 days. - which means at minimum another 5 more weeks to go or another 10 weeks for "full" full term.

It's been a hard adjustment in my head that I am now on "real" bedrest again... After all this time, now is definitely not the time to jepordize the health of the kid. Ahhhhhghg. But Nay gave me good perspective on the situation as she was like you know you don't have to be in pain all this time. You can pray for healing and claim it. I hadn't thought of it that way. I just figured I had to suffer through the aches and pains and itchiness of these next couple of weeks. But hey if you think of it, put in a prayer for me that the next few weeks will fly by and that my sanity and Ryan's healthy development continue.....

I haven't blogged about my persistent dreams about working out. Like miles and miles of running, and weight lifting and getting on a elliptical machine. Ai ya. Seriously, I have these fabulous dreams at night where I am working out like a fiend and loving every minute of it. It's all about the control and structure and routine of my life when I was working out regularly. And now I am wondering how all of that will fit into our new lives once baby makes his way into the world...

It's really finally dawning on me that we will be having a baby sometime in the near future. Uh, how wow is that?? I can't quite grasp the concept. That at the end of the remodeling, the endless hours in bed, the many trips to the garbage dumps for Bob, a million and a half doctor appts., that we will be bringing home a lil bambino to call our own.

How are you ever prepared for this?

Hey a big shout out to Nay by the way for her great assistance in dumping half a ton of my junk at St. Vincent de Pauls, after sifting thru the clutter that is my garage. Couldn't have done it without you!! In case you haven't seen it, here's a link to Nay's wedding website. We had a ball putting it together. Her wedding is only 3 weeks away. I can't believe how much time has gone by. Ch-ch-ch-changes ....

We laugh all the time about how much both of our lives are changing right now and what a cool blessing it is that we are both off at the same time to support each other through the baby and bedrest and the wedding and her work stuff. It's another way that God hooks it up. Actually all my friends have been fabulous through this time for me - so hey THANKS!!

I'm off to roll around the bed for a few more hours. Bedrest, the sleepy frontier.

Have you ever heard of making a pregnant gal fast? Not as in running the mile in under 6 minutes, or in terms of "fast and loose", but fast as in NO EATING??? What new tortures will doctors think of next .... Note to all future preggers gals -- Do Not - DO NOT - fail your first gestational diabetes test.

What happens next is that you will have to perform the 3 hour test - which consists of first eating more food than you already do for 3 days (hey that's not bad) but then stopping the gluttony at 10 pm the 3rd night and going in for a blood test the next morning, drinking some flat sugar syrup like substance and taking THREE MORE blood tests every hour on the hour. Which means at minimum you will not be eating for 14 HOURS ...

Or if you're like me, you'll wake up at 1:30 in the morning, the night before your blood tests - starving - and can't go back to sleep until 6 am with 3 12 oz glasses of water in you and then don't wake up until 9:30 am and not starting the tests until almost 11 am, adding an additional 3 hours of NON-EATING time to your fast.

Yes, many of my waking thoughts do consist of what did I eat last, what will I eat next, and is that the kid kicking me or am I in actual pain???

Seriously, it wasn't so bad. I love everyone at my medical center - I see more of them than I do anyone else except for Bob and Belle, so it made it bearable. And we were able to pop over to our church, FCC, to visit with Pastor Kevin and Kim in the sunshine for a few minutes. That felt great to chat with them.

Lunch at Elephant Bar with Bob and my mama fulfilled my rumbly tummy and a little target shopping finished off the day. Boy was I pooped!!

Saturday - I have no recollection of. Except to say sorry to the hubby for some uncommunication ... oh and a big thanks to Rex for his cable-fixin...

Sunday - What was the Sunday morning donut stop turned into a carpet/rug shop and coffee klatch at the ever busy Casa Armijo, Sr. Godson Alex, with his WWE (why is wrestling with an "e" not an "f", didn't it used to be WWF?) wrestling ring complete with coffee table size cage, Papa Armijo with his 100% all american leather hat and penchant for some of that 'real' coffee that Bobby drinks, and Mama "Mijo patient as ever with everyone - including me, dripping donut crumbs all over her couches - it's the busiest house ever. Very homey and family. Love it.

Bobby and I slip away to the DWR super furniture blowout and get a fabulously huge 9x12 charcoal grey rug for a steal. Missed the last charcoal grey designer couch though. I sat on it as the people were purchasing it ..... Ah well, it was fun...

The home furnishing doesn't stop.... After I took a lengthy nap, woke up and sent Na and Bob out into yet another Target expedition for the on sale, gotta buy it before they sell out, bathroom armoire and perfect nursery--sized set of drawers for Baby Armijo.
tbc . . .

After prompting from V, Lu and Na - I've got a new project - party for the little CC bambino! I'm in a little bit of awe that we've made it this far and the bebe has been so healthy throughout. How sweet it is to plan a celebration for his upcoming arrival ..... wait, ok, I'm not planning it - JUST HELPING OUT (like in Friendsta).....



..... Although the petal envelopes were all my idea. I don't know why they make me so unaccountably happy, but they do. And this is how much my honey rocks - he didn't mind (much) yet another errand and expense for envelopes - yes, just envelopes. Ahhhhhh to be a spoiled preggers girl.

Lately, I've been an emotional rollercoaster - usually associated with the lack of a decent night's sleep (maybe that's why Bobby keeps spoiling me..... either that or he just doesn't wanna hear it anymore and it's easier to say yes). For the last two weeks, me and baby Ryan have had a date (at his insistence) at 2 or 3 am every single night. He's gonna be a determined little man just like his papa.

Speaking of, not to toot his horn any more than I already do, but don't you think REA's posts have been really good lately? I find myself laughing cuz I learn more stuff about him thru his blog than I do sometimes when we talk face to face. The most notable being his communication with one of our favorite "bloggers"

Cyn totally rocks, and though we started reading her blog before she became preggers, talk about coincidence - our due dates are fairly close .... It's been so entertaining to read about her experiences and thoughts on being pregnant. She's quite eloquent on how it feels to have something bumping around inside of you, and not in a fun and sexy way either. Sometimes I laugh at how similar we are.... fruit cravings: hers - cherries, mine - mangos; nesting instinct: new wood floors, furniture, not to mention baby gear! woo hoo...

And speaking of baby gear, of which I have none, my baby sis and I went on covert registry mission yesterday. I am not as enamored of Babies R Us as some mommies but they do have a plethora of paraphernalia .... After pages and pages of registry though, I don't know that we have all the gear that bebe 'Mijo's really going to need. Oh boy oh boy. Maybe it just has to do with my wonder if I myself am preparado for his grand entrance. Oh well, celebrate each day and keep on praying, that's all we can do. Oh yeah, and check out the registries (new link at the top)

Did ya know I'm gonna be a Mama 'Mijo one of these days? Uhhhhh-mazing.

This weekend saw the completion of our bedroom closet - our clothes are hanging prettily on new racks, yay Bob! Just need the closet doors and it's all set. That boy Bob is a wonder. The house (not to mention the lawns) looks better everyday due to him (oh okay, and my midnight fits of cleaning and arranging...)

Sunday was a bout of eating and sleeping. Brunch buffet at Marie Callendars with the Arroy's - complete with a wailing Ava, and a nonchalant Aaron, looking around like hey - who's kid is making all that racket?? But mama Karen handled it all with grace in between bites of her custom made omelet. Me, I feasted on salmon, quiche, a full salad bar and french toast and waffles - all on the same plate. Ye-uuuum! Ryan loooooved it, he was thumping around after that meal like he was auditioning for River Dance. Both of us fell asleep for 2 hours after that, them we cruised to the Armijo, Sr. house and hung out with la familia. Batches and batches of potato salad, Bob Sr's fancy burgers and a case of the missing Coronas. Where did 22 Coronas actually go?? dum, de dum dum duh .....

Thank goodness I got out for a while. Been a bit stir crazy .... need a new little project to keep me amused. The house is coming along, slowly but surely. I am going thru another blah period. But not quite enough to get off my duff and do something. Poor Bob. He gets to live this with me. Feeling more and more heavy, and waddling is the mode of transportation, so uh ..... yeah.

No more than 80 days to go, maybe as few as 60 days ... Can't wait to meet this little guy.