34 weeks

Hard to believe we're already 8-1/2 months into this journey, huh? Well, just pics today -- I'm in between morning yoga (hence the getup) and church with Amy. My audacious plan is go for a swim after church (we'll see how that works out) and then we're having a birthday party for Jody this afternoon. Busy, busy, busy!

On a separate note, poor New Orleans... that Gustav looks like it's not messing around! Let's all say a little prayer that NOLA residents pay heed to the warnings and get the heck out of dodge right now!!

One... Two... So what's three going to be?

As of Friday morning, I am FPA's new communications/PR manager (when I get back from maternity leave in January). A very cool career opportunity for me: I will shift my focus primarily to writing -- VIP speeches, annual report, media pitching, all that jazz. I'm very excited!

I am even MORE excited, though, because...

As of Saturday morning, Jody is the new national marketing director for Imperial Headwear! He interviewed with the company back in May and nothing came to fruition at that time -- they hired someone internally, despite him being their #1 candidate for the position. Turns out the woman that took the job at that time needed to resign for personal reasons... so Jody got a call out of the blue from the CEO, met him for breakfast at 7:30 this morning and by 9:00 landed a FAT new gig! This is ENORMOUSLY exciting for Jody and for our little burgeoning family!!

So since we all know that things (good or bad) happen in threes... what's next? Keep your fingers crossed that #3 is that our condo sells -- it's going back on the market on Thursday, and that would be the end to a lot of issues.

O happy day in the Bennigsdorf family! Hope all is well with you, too!

Just belly photos

Why I love this particular maternity shirt:

"Oh, look at that lovely lady right there... she could stand to lose a few pounds, but gosh she's a hottie..."

[turns to side for full checking-out] "WHOA!! There's a bun in that there oven!"

Jody's Published!

Just a moment to brag on behalf of my huzzband... An article he wrote is published in today's YourHub -- both online and in print! Kudos to Jody!!

http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Stories/News/General-News/Story~510311.aspx

I'm slacking

Sorry, dedicated readers: I've been slacking something fierce! I'll post photos later -- I took some this morning, and then promptly forgot to upload the photos from the camera to the computer. Oops.

Random thoughts from the mind of Jaime:

• Great speech by Hillary last night. I re-gained some respect for her, despite that questionable orange jumpsuit.
• Before her speech, whilst I was dozing, I had a dream that McCain named Hillary his VP. Never gonna happen, but how brilliant of a political strategy would that be!?
• We've been all-DNC-all-the-time, what with living just down the way from all the hooplah. I've been on Celebrity Watch 2008, but so far have absolutely nothing to report. Disappointing.
• Was watching CNN the other day and the correspondent reporting from Denver had the last name Yellin. I thought it would be fun if I married that woman, as then our joined last name would be Yellin-Wrabetz.
• I sure hope that Gustav spares New Orleans. He's a big ol' beast of a storm.

On the baby front:

• She is growing at a rapid rate nowadays -- quickly outgrowing the space allocated to her.
• She weighs between 3.5-4 lbs. and is gaining about .5 lbs. per week. 'splains a lot.
• She's 17-18" long, all stretched out. Which I think she likes to do a lot. Super fun.
• We toured the hospital and birthing suites last week, and I have to report that it's all pretty pimp! For only $750/night we could upgrade to the super-deluxe room (with "brass fixtures"!!!), but since that's actually more than we paid for a week-long vacation in Cabo earlier this year, I think we're going to pass. All you visitors will have to settle for slumming with the riffraff.

A little over six weeks to go... My promise to you: I will update more frequently going forward. My apologies to those who are disappointed in my performance thus far. (ahem KATHY)

32 weeks and a 98% finished room!

We have a mostly-finished room! Good thing, too, because with only eight (scheduled) weeks left to go, the little one will likely appreciate a space of her own! I don't have much to update on her development (she's getting bigger -- currently the size of a large jicama (haha), as is evidenced by her flipping and wiggling for space in my now-ginormous belly, she likes to use my lowermost ribs as leverage to perform sun salutes and she has toenails), so I'll just post the pics.

The "mostly finished" bit is because the last piece to arrive will be the rocking chair from granny 'n gramps' basement -- it will go in the empty corner indicated in the photo above. Little Betz' room is definitely snug with all her gear... but I think it's adorable! (Biased opinion.)

And then there's me -- this is becoming a very constructive lesson in vanity; I actually realized about 5 minutes ago when I snapped these photos just how, um, rotund I've become...

31 weeks down, 9 to go

We're just home from a day on the boat, so I thought I'd post my round ol' belly for all to see.

I can also report that:

• I do not have gestational diabetes. (yay!)


• Baby is 11" crown-to-rump -- give her another week and she'll be a ruler!


• She weighs about a hefty 2.75 lbs. (so where is the other 20+ lbs. coming from...? hmm.)


• If she was born right now, she would likely have a callous on her thumb from sucking it.

That's all I've got for now -- more pics later this week after her changing table arrives; that will make her room about 90% complete! (We bought her crib mattress yesterday, so the only thing left outstanding will be a rocking chair, which granny and gramps will be bringing from Madison after she arrives.)

The Olympics are here! The Olympics are here!

Just hunkered down on the sofa this evening, puffy feet elevated on several pillows in front of me, rain falling in buckets outside my windows (huzzah!!), watching the opening ceremony for the Olympics.

WOW!!!

What a spectacle! Truly something to behold. Almost pitched an absolute fit -- I was on my way to the phone! -- when NBC's sound went kaput just as the Chinese national anthem was starting; I thought for sure it was a political statement. I was ready to get all stabby! Turns out it was (allegedly) just weather-related. Questionable. But the sound came back and the ceremony is truly beautiful.

Yay for Olympics!! Go world!!

30w2d Belly Photos

It was oh-so subtly suggested to me today that I get my heinie in gear and post some belly shots this week... So I still can't figure out why all of a suddenly I can't take a non-blurry self-photo and Jody is gone to softball tonight, so here ya go (shame be darned):

Rivaling the baby Uggs for the "cutest thing for a baby EVER" is the string bikini given to little Betz by Vicki -- which Jody has already forbade her to wear:

The child is still 10(ish) weeks from joining us and we already need a bigger house! (We are so very grateful for everyone's generosity and thoughtfulness; who knew that such a little person would haul in so much gear?!)

Lesson learned on Tuesday, August 5

Three-hour glucose testing for gestational diabetes sucks. Not recommended.

That is all.