Baby's first trip to Taylor Catfish

MB's Symposium Wednesday Look

Today, in brief: new floor construction revealed termite infestation in the kitchen. Good times. Proof of termite damage in case we have any recourse with our original inspection (given that his work needed to continue) required me to direct our floor repair man to my digital camera so he could take photos. Of course, I keep the digital camera in my top dresser drawer: my underwear drawer. Awkward phone call, for sure. We're just going to have to mail him his check. Mean (and not-too-generous UM donor) was condescending to me today, which I hate. I've spent the entire afternoon envisioning the retaliations I should have used, instead of my polite "keep-your-job" smile, but they all ultimately sound like George's jerk store retaliation. In good news: the officer who caught me going 68 in a 55 only flashed his blue lights at me, the termites will all be gone by the time I return on Tuesday, and Ned and I will get to spend a few days in Oxford this weekend. In addition to all its other charms, it's a town with a Chick-Fil-A now.

MB's Pre-Symposium Look

It's my favorite time of year, just before the symposium, but it is insane. Crazy hectic insane. And here's how I've looked all day: ballcap in lieu of a shower and washed hair; fleece to disguise the fact that I haven't even taken 5 minutes to change out of my PJs; screwed up face representing my "Are you KIDDING me?!?" response to the 100+ e-mails that have come in today with last second requests that should have been made months ago. Ned got out as soon as he could, escaping to New Orleans today for two days of meetings. It's probably better to be a Corps of Engineers employee in NOLA than it is to be my husband in the final few days leading up to the symposium! Not sure how I feel about that... On top of all of this, our house is upside down in preparation for the flooring work to be done next week. I have refrigerator doors in my hallway, a baker's rack in my bedroom, and flour jars on the dining room floor. Normally, when I leave for trips, I go through a manic cleaning routine in case something terrible happens while I'm away and people have to gather at my house (morbid, but true). This time, to hell with it. Apologies, in advance, if you have occasion to stop by while I'm away. I swear we don't normally live this way. Except for the week prior to the symposium.

Baby M keeps growing!

This photo is from almost a week ago, so the baby bump is even bigger now. Baby M is very active, and s/he particularly likes to kick Ned in the head when he puts his ear to my belly to hear the heartbeat. We completed the three hour glucose test this morning. The "three hour" part of the test wasn't so bad--I worked the whole time with my laptop in the office--but the blood tests were killer! They drew my blood five times in three hours, and my arms are so sore tonight! And let's not even talk about the anxiety I have about needles... MB asked the doctor about baby deliveries during the holiday. If all is well and the baby is healthy, she's willing to induce the week before Christmas so we can have a baby in the house on Christmas day. In the short term, that'll help our families plan travel. In the long term, the more time between birthday and Christmas, the better for baby!

Our house is upside down

again! This time, we've moved everything out of the kitchen in anticipation of new floors for that room next week. I think we're the only people we know whose home is topsy turvy so often! If we're not painting, we're flooring. Or we've bought new furniture at an auction. Or we're making way for a nursery. Always something!

Friday night at home

playing with the baby, who is very active tonight!

Going home blanket

This green and white blanket, crocheted by MB's dad, arrived today. It looks good on the bear, and it'll look good on the baby, too. It's the going-home blanket, and hopefully the first of many that Baby M will receive from his/her Big Daddy (or G Diddy, depending on what he wants to be called). Green and white: MB thinks Irish when she sees it; Ned thinks Delta State. Everybody's happy.

Chicago dog night

We thought of Fat Johnny's in Chicago as we ate tonight. Ned's got a dog in a tamale in a hot dog bun with yellow mustard, onions, and peppers. We forgot the celery salt, though.

Getting ready for Baby M

Today MB mailed a traced pattern of her Christmas stocking to Aunt Ellie, her godmother, who will make one to match for Baby M. (Ned was offered a matching stocking, but is sentimental about his own, which is totally understandable.) We'll look forward to something great, since Aunt Ellie always delivers. Friends may remember the hand sewn wedding dress with ornate embroidery; Lasseters know Fluffy, world's best-loved bear (and baby gift to MB), pictured here.

And Ned planted more garlic!

Meanwhile, MB's no help while this awful cough and cold persist. I do sneak out of the house on occasion to snap blog photos, though. Note to all you baby countdown watchers: we made it to the second to last square. Wow. Scary.

Ned's cleaning up the garden

First job: pick the peppers.

Devastated

Don't call about the game. Don't e-mail about the game. Don't comment about the game.

Gameday!

Check out the campus schedule for the day. With this many Masses offered, surely we'll have a chance this year?

Wedding Weekend

Ned and I had a WONDERFUL time at Lauchlin and Olivia's wedding last weekend. And, amazingly, the rain even stopped for a few hours so we could celebrate outside. Congratulations, ladies! We had to take separate photos with each of them because, per all wedding receptions, the couple rarely got to see one another after the ceremony.

Gameday Flashback

About this time two years ago, we were at ND to see the BC game. We won't talk about the outcome of the game, but the trip was great. And the pumpkins--those were amazing. Wonder if I can recreate one of them this weekend?

Dylan's Christmas album available now

It's out, as of yesterday. He plays traditional tunes, and he plays them straight. Wacky. We like it. In other Christmas news, I picked out the Christmas ornament that I'd like Mama to buy for us this year. It's here. I'm a big fan of snowpeople.

I failed my test...

I took the one hour glucose test last week. I wasn't worried about it, but I found out today that I failed it. This is problematic for the following reasons: (1) I haven't failed a test since Calculus in high school, and I don't quite know how to handle the news. (2) I now have to return to Jackson for a three hour glucose test, which means a whole morning will be wasted in the doctor's office during the week of the SFA symposium--not good. (3) Possible consequences for repeated failure mean a diet and frequent finger pricks to test my blood sugar, neither of which sound like happy things. (4) This news strikes at the worst possible time, when Halloween candy beckons. Why couldn't this test have been in November? Complaints and whines are sure to follow, along with the update in two weeks.

Special delivery!

We enjoyed a visit from MA/Mom and Jimmy last night. They made a
special delivery for Baby M, which included this wall hanging that Ned
had over his crib. MA stitched it! Thanks, y'all!

And if it's a boy...

He'll wear Ned's going home outfit. Again, hard to believe it ever fit!

Saturday morning

We saw 5:30 a.m. this morning so we could volunteer at the Over the River Run. It was a fabulous success and, though waking up that early wasn't too fun, at least we were working and not running! Next year, though...next year. Tonight we're looking forward to wedding fun in Vicksburg with friends. Rain, rain, go away!

Ned & the girls

At Rosemary's wedding, Ned was quite the hit!

Diploma hanging day

They're back from the frame shop!

Or is it really cornbread?

This is snagged from a fun new blog find, Unnecessary Quotes. But I cannot let myself become obsessed with taking pictures to submit; there's just too much to photograph around here.

Flashback...and Flash Forward

As I look back at some childhood photos, I wonder if our baby photos will be tinged a crazy (orange?) color in a few years...

Babies 'R Us

It's fun that I'm expecting at the same time as my friend (and SFA colleague and fellow blogger) Amy. She's a few weeks ahead of me, so she's been great about giving me the heads up about what to expect. No pun intended.

Sunday night find

Aren't double egg yolks supposed to bring good luck? Or money? We'll happily accept either. Found during cornbread-making yesterday.

Fashion show

There are a whole lot of things that we don't know about this baby, including the names we'll use. But we do know what the baby will wear home from the hospital. If a girl, she'll wear MB's going home outfit, the one Daddy bought. Hard to believe it ever fit me...especially these days! If a boy, he'll wear Ned's outfit. Sneak preview of that one later.

Today's favorite book

I'm catching up on my kiddie lit these days, and this is a fabulous new find...

Happy Birthday, Mama!

No, your eyes aren't going bad. It's just a blurry post-football game photo in poor lighting.

VSU-DSU: early and all are happy--then an update

Lasseter smiles didn't last as long as Ned's smile did, but at least the Blazers made it interesting. At the end of the first quarter, Patrick and I were thinking about taking the field. I thought that, being pregnant and all, I might be allowed to run with the ball and nobody would dare to tackle me. At least that could get a few points on the board. But, alas, Blazer victory was not meant to be. The game was fun, but the ride home was miserable. There were terrible storms, and it took us almost three hours to get from Cleveland to Vicksburg. Pat's drive to Batesville was long, too. We all thought we'd be able to beat the red line of storms on the radar, but either the radar was slow or our weather prediction skills are awful. We won't do that again, let me tell you! We encountered lots of lightning and rain, and killed more than a few of our share of frogs as they hopped across the highway in the downpour. It was like a plague -- they were everywhere!