So Long Time Warner Cable....you will be missed!

We've officially made a "parental" decision and decided to do away with Time Wanrer Cable for now. Our reasons:

1) We did not have cable the first year we were married (recommended by someone somewhere and we thought it was a neat idea).

2) Caleb did not have cable growing up, and we decided that it was something that we wanted to try when we had children.

3) Caleb and I don't even like the same shows. We never watch TV together. Actually, I can't stand the History Channel and "How It Was Made" Shows....Caleb starts to vomit when he hears the theme song to Grey's Anatomy.

So...Farewell House, Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, Dirty Jobs, Fox Soccer Channel and Fox News. You will be missed! Hopefully the bunny ears can pick up something worthwhile. It does help that all MY favorite shows have now gone to re-runs for the month of December. AND...if we ever want to get it back, we can get the special again so long as it was cancelled for at least one month! I think it will ultimately be a good decision...it just stings a little now.

Baltimore Baby Shower Pictures!

Yay! My mom sent a few of the Balitmore Baby Shower Pictures. I can't believe that this happened almost 3 weeks ago! You can go to my November 15th post to read all about the shower. It was so much fun! My mom had AMAZING food- and stuck to a fall theme just like I asked. I am so thankful for each and every person who was able to make it to the shower. I felt truly blessed!

My mom's co-worker Arlene even provided this beautiful Baby Shower Cake!! (Half was vanilla and half was chocolate....it was so good!)

Everyone guessed how wide I was! It sounds like an awful game, but it really wasn't that bad! Mom also made up a "How well do you know Adrienne quiz?" Keep in mind, the guest list consisted of my mom's high school friends (my fake aunts), my mom's co-workers (who she tells EVERYTHING to), our relatives and Christina (from Campbell). Christina almost won the game. I was shocked. She was able to hang with those people who have known me all my life!

I got to sit in the princess chair and wear my princess hat! I guess once our Little Man arrives, it won't be all about me anymore.....and I was just getting used to all this special treatment!

Here's a picture of our Little One's future Grandmom (or Meemom!) and future Uncle!

The Rings Have Officially Come Off!

I don't think that my fingers are officially swollen....but I'm not able to wear my rings at work anymore. As soon as I get outside or to my house, they shrink back to normal and I can wear my wedding band with ease!

I just talked to Caleb (who's now back on night shift for the month) and he said that he was SO COLD last night. He said he went to sleep with a hoodie pulled over his head, sweatpants and heavy socks. I was asleep next to him in a tank top, pj pants and minus a few covers. It must be because of the little extra heart beating inside of me and all the additional blood flowing to him to help keep him warm!

Needless to say, I've reached a point where I am eternally warm....and the rings officially do not fit because of it! What next? Please don't say that my belly button is going to pop....I've been trying to avoid that one!

35 Weeks!!!

Here are a couple pictures of me....trying to be clever and showing that I have less than 5 weeks left until my due date. It's such a scary and wonderful thought that our Little Man will be born sometime in the next 2 to 6 weeks! Wow!

Our "Baby" Tree went up in no time at all. Caleb and I felt kind of guilty that we actually like the idea of a small tree instead of our typical 9-footer. It was so easy to put in the stand and to decorate. Next year, we will either buy 2 small trees (one for the living room and one for the window)....OR one gigantic tree to over-compensate because of the size of this one this year!!

Family Photo- It Was Worth a Shot!

It didn't turn out like I had envisioned, but it was fun anyway. Needless to say, we will NOT be using this one in the Christmas Card....I thought I would post it, though, because it was funny. Riley kept barking at everything. The first picture is the best shot we got! The second picture is what it was like the whole time trying to take the pic!

Happy Thanksgiving! (Annual Arguello Trip Trip #3)

Caleb and I were still able to attend the annual Arguello Christmas Tree Trip this year. Instead of the usual 5-6 hour drive from Raleigh, it was only 2 1/2 from Charlotte. We had the best turn out yet! 24 people total: 1/2 of that group was from Ecuador. It was so much fun! I even got to ride in the 11-passenger van. It gets better and better each year! Here are some pictures of our trip!

Caleb's Mom pretending the HUGE tree they bought fell on top of her! She's nuts! =0)

We decided to get a small "Baby" (get it?) Tree this year. Look at those muscles!

Isn't it cute? (The tree....the baby bump is not cute anymore!!! It's heavy!)

Here's a picture of us in the van!

And Another Shot of Us!

Christmas is Coming!

This is what I want for Christmas! I am going to start putting all of our Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Pictures in this Holiday Album and then pull it out to display during the holidays! This way, these pictures won't take up so much space in my other album...AND it'll be fun to have all these pictures of relatives and friends in one place! (I've listed these products on my Benke Family Christmas List, so I hope my Secret Santa Relative buys them for me....hehe!)

Wow!

You know you're pregnant when you can't stand your dusty baseboards, so you actually make a list that looks like this:

11/24/2007- Dust Nursery Baseboards and Wash Windows
11/28/2007- Dust Downstairs Hallway Baseboards/Chair Rail
11/30/2007- Dust Kitchen Baseboards/Chair Rail and Wash Windows
12/2/2007- Dining Room Baseboards/Chair Rail and Windows
12/3/2007- Downstairs Bathroom Baseboards/Chair Rail and Windows
12/4/2007- Living Room Baseboards/Chair Rail and Windows
12/7/2007- Stairway Baseboards
12/12/2007- Office Baseboards and Windows
12/14/2007- Guest Bathroom Baseboards and Windows
12/16/2007- Our Bedroom Baseboards and Windows
12/17/2007- Our Bathroom Baseboards and Windows

Now you can probably see why Caleb is so quick to call me insane!

34 Weeks

This picture may not look any different from my 33 week picture....shoot! it may even look like I got smaller compared to that one (on second thought....probably not)...but trust me! The expanding waistline will soon not even fit in this frame....It's amazing how in only one week's time, I grow to widths I never thought possible. I am just holding on to that idea that the actual birth of our baby combined with breastfeeding will make it all go back to close to what it was again! (Don't Laugh...the belly and scale are really starting to FREAK ME OUT!).

In other news....I bought these amazing maternity sweatpants AND I got my eyebrows waxed today.....IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS, PEOPLE!

Creativity Time!

I decided to make my own onesies! Some turned out better than others depending on how patient I was at that moment. The last onesie (Says "Tax Deduction") is actually a gift from my friend Dawn! It's what inspired me to make the other ones. It's my favorite one since I'm a tax auditor and our little one is due right at the last second for the "steal". I have already decided that if our Little Man waits until January 1, 2008 at 12:01 AM, then I will take a magic marker and draw a big line through "Tax Deduction". Then, it will look more like "Just Kidding...No Tax Deduction After All!" I may even use that picture for our announcements.....but probably not....we'll see!

Things Are Never Going To Be The Same

Since everyone feels the need to remind me on a daily basis that our life will forever be changed once our Little Man arrives, I thought it best to post a few pictures of our wedding and "the good ol' days"......even before that happens!

I LOVE FOOD LION!

So.....our Food Lion FINALLY opened right by our house (It's like 1 mile away). Now, we don't have to drive to Clayton just to get groceries (20 miles away). It is so clean and smells so new.....EVERYTHING is on sale right now for their grand opening. Food Lion opened 7 days ago....and Caleb and I have been there 5 of those 7days. I'm addicted!

I've attached a couple pictures. The first picture is my new mirror. I seriously take my picture some mornings to see what I look like instead of trusting the mirror! Caleb always makes fun of me and this picture is of him trying to ruin my shot.

The next picture is Buy One Get One Free day at Food Lion. Caleb really didn't want to go out to the store to get me (and Carson) ice cream. He folded when he realized that 1) Bryers Ice Cream was on sale (I always buy generic food) and 2) if he got 4 tubs, maybe he wouldn't have to go back for a while! All the check out ladies were laughing at him- his cart consisted of 4 tubs of ice cream and a pizza (for him)....he felt the need to explain that his wife was pregnant.

Here's My 33 Week Picture

(I know it's a little late since tomorrow I start my 35th week!)

How Exciting!!!

Only 25 days left of work! (Gotta love state holidays!)

Only 44 days left until Estimated Due Date!!

How exciting is that!!???!!

Updates!

Things have been pretty busy lately....thus the reason for the lack of posts. I do have some pictures that I hope to add soon!

Let's see.....so my back started really hurting last week. I could not even sit at my desk without stabbing pains in my upper back between my shoulder blades. By Thursday of that week, it was too much to take. I set up a chiropractor appointment.

Keep in mind, I have NEVER been to a chiropractor before AND my mom is a physical therapist (so she thinks that they are all the devil). I was planning to go to MD the next day for my Baltimore Baby Shower and I knew that if I didn't get some help with my backpain, that trip would have been a nightmare.

The chiropractor visit was FINE. I survived! I was put on this roller coaster massaging machine (and Little One was kicking up a storm...he LOVED it!) Then, my upper back was "adjusted". The doc said that my rib bones were pressing into my back (Oh the joys of pregnancy). She said with all the relaxin in my body, all she had to do was blow and they would go back into place. (She didn't just blow...but it didn't hurt either) But, that also means that they can go back to being out-of-whack again in no time at all. I will probably schedule another appointment or two between now and delivery day.

Anyway.....because of that visit, the trip to Maryland was wonderfull! My mom threw an amazing party and kept to a true "Fall-Like" theme (per my request- I love Maryland in the Fall). My mom's co-workers all pitched in and one even brought a beautiful cake. My mom's friends from High School (my fake aunts) were all there as well. Joe and Christina were able to be there and Joe provided some much needed "guy-time" for Caleb (Poor Caleb has been to EVERY baby shower that I have had....hehe...I promise, I didn't plan this!) Others were there as well....and really made the event wonderful.

Oh! The nursery is painted! Carson surprised us while we were out of town....he painted the accent wall in our hallway (it's like 40 feet tall) and painted the nursery, too! Soon I will be able to hang all the pictures and wall hangs. The crib has been assembled....it's so exciting!

Again, I hope to post the pictures from the shower soon along with my 33 week photo that I took on Sunday.

1 week to Thanksgiving

5 weeks to Christmas

6 weeks to my due date

My Back Hurts!

So, I have been pretty miserable the last couple of days at work. My upper back is throbbing! I know that it has to do with sitting at a computer all day at work, because as soon as I am home or even leave the building, it feels 10x better. I also know that it is normal (because it isn't lower back pain) and that it is a result of all the extra weight I have to carry out front.

I know that I need to start back on my pregnancy yoga videos. It's been a good 4-6 weeks since I have worked out. I'm kind of ashamned, but I do know a lot of pregnant people who haven't worked out a day during their pregnancy....so I was doing well for a really long time. I am just SO tired when I get home....not to mention, I have ben trying to work longer hours. Nonetheless, I can't handle this back pain anymore. It is absolutely impossible to function at work with it. I am just praying that working out will help.....

My Poor Husband- Less than 8 weeks left

I called Caleb today at lunch.

Ring Ring

"What?" (Caleb)

I'm thinking, "What? No hello? No nice to hear from you? Hope your having a good day since I know you will be working 12 hours today"

Just a "What?"

"Caleb, are you ok?"

"No! I'm cleaning. I HATE cleaning bathrooms."

That's when it hit me. I made him a little honey-do list. One item on that list was to clean our bathroom since I didn't get to it this week-end. Caleb and I have been married 3 1/2 years. I just now realized that never ONCE has he cleaned our bathroom....hehe. He's cleaned just about everything else in our house....he is actually a really clean person....but never once the bathroom. I didn't know he hated it that much =0) Now I know....next week-end, I'll start with the bathrooms first so that when I run out of time or energy, he'll only have to clean the kitchen or wash the floor. Maybe THEN I'll get a "Hello, mother of my SON....so nice to hear from you when you call!"

Back Off, Lowe's Paint Man!

I had a pregnancy "episode" today.

After working 4 hours (to earn comp time), I hit the mall. I desperately needed dress pants (since it has gotten cooler...and now that I know I'm having aboy, I suddenly feel like I am carrying lower and can't pull up my pants!)! Thank goodness for Target, where I happily bought new clothes, new flats (for future work fire drills), my new breast pump (Too much information???) and updated my registry with some BLUE stuff!

Last night, Caleb and I picked out the paint color for the nursery. So, on my way home from shopping, I stopped by Lowe's to get the paint.

I did not know that the paint man was an idiot who obviously had no idea what he was doing. Had I known this beforehand, I would have happily left the store and would have driven out of my way to a different store to avoid him.

I gave him my little color sample and he wrote "1 gallon" on the color I wanted. Smooth sailing so far! He said it would take about 15-20 minutes. Really? I looked around....there is no one else waiting. I told him I would wait! He took his grand ol' time getting the paint...his grand ol' time mixing it up...and then he placed it on the counter. I asked him if he would mind opening the paint and putting a little dot on the top so I could see what it would look like when it dried. He looked at me like I was the idiot. (Isn't this what they do? Past paint people have ALWAYS done this for me. Afterall, the purchase of mixed paint is final, so I would kind of like to know what I am getting before I pay for it. )

He put on some latex gloves and "slapped" them like he was about to insert his finger up someone's butt (Too much information???) He dipped his entire finger in the paint and smeared it all over the top of the can. (Great...that is going to get all over my car, I thought) I didn't even make a big deal about the wet paint....they have these nifty little blow dryers behind the counter for the very purpose of showing you ahead of time the color you are buying....I let it go! I didn't ask for the blow dryer.

I took my paint and went to get rollers and tape and to wait for it to dry a little. That's when I realized the idiot gave me the wrong color. Not good. The label said "Sea Meadow"....he wrote "1 gallon" over "Limeish". I wanted "Limeish"!

I walked back to the counter and "politely showed him HIS error". It took forever for him to finally understand what color I wanted. After he mixed up the new paint, he placed the can on the counter again. Yeah, right! Like I am going to just believe him that he got it right this time. I asked him if he could put a little dot on the top of the can (again...like before) so that I could see what I was buying. He opened the can and put a little dot on the lid and went to walk away. "Um, do you mind closing the lid for me?" I asked...then....THEN....THEN....THAT'S when he pushed my last button! He handed me the hammer to shut the paint can myself!!! THIS IS YOUR JOB! I DIDN'T EVEN ASK FOR THE BLOWDRYER TO BE USED...THE NERVE! hehe

I let him have it...I believe these were my exact words:

"Dude! Are you serious? Clearly you can see that I am over 8 months pregnant. I am not going to sit here and hammer this shut! I've waited for this paint for 45 minutes...the least you could do is close the can!" Braxton Hicks and all, I managed to storm my large pregnant self out of there. The nerve...hehe!

Back off, Paint Man!

More Recent Photos!

Picture 1 & 3- Our Little Man's Face

Picture 2- Little Foot

The Envelope Has Been OPENED!!!!

We're having a......

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE SUNDAE!!!!!!

(It's A BOY!)

We went out to dinner at 518 West! We got the little two person table on the staircase (best seat in the house) and enjoyed a fabulous dinner. After we ate, we gave the waitress the envelope and asked her to bring out a chocolate brownie sundae if the paper said "boy" or a warm apple tart if the paper said "girl". I had to cover my eyes....I couldn't look. The suspense was too much to take.

Out came our waitress from the kitchen, carrying our dessert over her head so we couldn't see. She placed it down in front of us with a big smile and "Congratulations!". My response....."What is it? Is that a Brownie? Does that mean boy? YAY!!!!"

Caleb was speechless. I had him SO convinced it was a girl....hehe. He was grinning from ear to ear!

It was a night we will never forget! I am so incredibly happy...I can't tell you how good it feels to know. It's like a HUGE weight has been lifted off of me. I can't wait to meet my Little Man! Thank you, Danielle, for the wonderful idea on how to get the news. The dessert idea was really memorable! Here's a picture of "The Envelope" and one of us!

Attention! Attention!

WE HAVE THE SEALED ENVELOPE!!!

The envelope is in the car. The contents of this envelope say whether or not we are having a wonderful little boy or a wonderful little girl!

Caleb and I have a dinner date at 7:30 PM to find out!!! We're going to 518 West (a great little Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Raleigh). We are SOOOOO excited.

Long story short, I was able to get another ultrasound today. The point of this ultrasound was to measure my amniotic fluid levels, check to see if the baby was face down yet (mainly out of curiosity since I will be declining the internal exams as much as possible...that baby can still flip over) AND to see what we were having!!!!! I said a little prayer (loud enough for our Little One to hear)....stating that I was just kidding about keeping those legs closed.....and that I really wanted to know! Caleb fixed me some coffee (which was WONDERFUL, by the way).....it's been too long....I missed you, coffee...and wine....and....ok...I'll stop there.

Caleb was saying last night that since I wanted him to go with me, then I could not be mad at him if he peeked when the ultrasound lady got close to the "telling" areas. Needless to say, the ultra-sound lady was wonderful. She said that she was positive about what we were having....but had managed to avoid any close-ups that would give it away to Caleb.

Little One's heartbeat was 141 bpm during the ultrasound and 148 bpm when the doctor checked later. Little One was head down, weighs 4 pounds 1 ounce and is in the 51st percentile. Based on this information, we are predicted to have a 7 1/2- 8 pound baby...which is the average. Fluid levels were great! Blood pressure was great! Measurement was great!Everything was great! I could not have asked for a better visit. Now, I get to start kick counts. My office wants me to record 7 kicks within a 2 hour period each day. Little One has been kicking up a storm. It is almost painful how hard I get kicked sometimes!!

Anyway, that's about it. Can you tell I'm excited? I am typing about 1000 words a seccond. So, now, we wait! Countdown until dinner......