How many TOT's did you all get? We hit a new high of 270!!

[Murfreesboro]

Yea now we just have the great gender debate. Not which one we're having that's clearly out of our hands at this point but to find out or not. I don't want to know and have always wanted to be surprised. She wants to know her main arguing point is that you get more and better stuff when you know the gender. Additionally she hates surprises. She knew about her wedding shower in advance and still had to be coaxed inside the building.

You all will have to work that out.

I refused to learn with any of mine, including #3, who was our first girl, born when I was 42. The whole reason I had a third child was in hopes I would have a girl, but I decided not to find out until she was born.

Not sure why I felt so strongly about not knowing. I guess I figured that if it were a boy, I'd spend all that time pregnant being disappointed, even though I would for sure have loved him once he was here.

[NeverMore]

I was just driving home from work and saw a mom waiting to cross a corner with her two little kids. The kids were holding their trick-or-treating jack-o-lantern pails. Surreal moment two weeks after Halloween.

[Murfreesboro]

Funny! I guess those little kids just didn't want to let go of Halloween. I can relate.

[Pumpkin_Man]

So can I. There was allways a lot of the "yucky" candy left over as late as Thanksgiving.

Mike

[Big_Guh]

There's a house that I pass on my way to/from work that is still adorned in cobwebs, surrounded by jack-o-latern and spider inflatables, and flanked by trees dangling skeletons and ghosts. It's always fun to drive past, and get one last look at Halloween, in all of its splendor, before its fully extinguished for the year...

One of these days, soon, I imagine, I'll drive past, to find the house decked out for Xmas. Always bittersweet!

[jadewik]

Oh by the way Jade...my wife seems to have contracted the same parasite you have. It is making her miserable.

Well, I hope her parasite treats her better than mine is treating me!! =)

I'm possibly allergic to my husband's half of the DNA. Grrr! I spent a few hours in the hospital this weekend with a blood pressure that would make a fat man blush before it came down to "normal" levels. Hopefully it doesn't get worse... but they're throwing around the word "Pre-Eclampsia"... and at 24 wks, that'd be not good in a big way. =/

... I love how they list the possible side-effects including kidney failure, liver failure, seizure, stroke or death... and then tell you not to stress about it if you get it. Pbbbbbb. Silly Doctors.

Good thing we have more holidays on the way-- the "cure" (IF I'm diagnosed w/ pre-eclampsia-- right now, I just have high blood pressure) is bed-rest and I can't afford to take time off of work. I'm saving my hours for a mandatory week off at Christmas and the week or so before my Short Term Disability will kick-in when I go on maternity leave.

It'd help if life were less stressful... but I do get a kick outa describing to medical staff the laundry-list of badness. The looks on their faces-- PRICELESS.

We did get an update on the robbery investigation from when our house was broken into back in August. The police found our Nintendo Wii in a pawn shop and they now have a suspect with which to match prints and DNA evidence. I don't expect anything to come of it, but it'd be nice to see some of those belongings again. We're planning on using Black Friday sales to replace some of the items insurance is paying pittance to replace-- like the cameras.

My Mother-in-Law finished radiation treatment for her cancer. Phew. My Brother is still a heroin addict in denial... and my sister hasn't threatened to kill herself but has been trying to pick fights with me over stupid things. Still waiting for life to throw a little respite this-a-way... but with the holiday this weekend... It should be easy to get a little R&R in there. =)

[Pumpkin_Man]

Big_Guh, there is still a house with Halloween decorations up, and it's situated right inbetween two other houses with Christmas lights up. Go Figure.

Jadewik, I hope you're feeling better soon. Hospital stays can be very boring, as I have found out on too many an ocassion.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

Best wishes to you, Jade. I hope your medical problems don't worsen, but in any event, your first job right now is to take care of yourself and the baby. Let other people worry about the other problems. I know, easier said than done.

[Demonic Duck]

I'm sorry to hear that Jade. My wife is getting better they gave her some anti nausea meds (same stuff they give to chemo patients). Though hopefuly she won't need them much longer she's at 9.5 weeks now.

[jadewik]

I'm sorry to hear that Jade. My wife is getting better they gave her some anti nausea meds (same stuff they give to chemo patients). Though hopefuly she won't need them much longer she's at 9.5 weeks now.

I was nausia-sick from weeks 7-12 about... nothing was appetizing at all and I was generally ucky. We decided what to eat for dinner by what sounded remotely okay-- I ate a lot of apples... and added a lot of things to my "stuff that doesn't taste good twice" list. As soon as I hit week 13, I was good-to-go. It has to do with the "capacitor" (okay, placenta, if you wanna get technical) forming. Once that link is there, I hope it's smooth sailing for your wife!! Just hang in there!

Those prenatal pills taste gross (the fish oil makes me queasy)-- I stopped taking 'em and switched to the vitamin gummy bears. They're much better. Yum.

Since this is my first minion, I've been following the site: http://www.whattoexpect.com/

It's a no-nonsense site that actually gives the sciency side of things. I like it in lieu of all the "OoOooh. I LOVE being Preggers" sites that are out there. *gag* Sorry, but being pregnant SUCKS. The only thing "magic" about it for me, so far, is that I have a really good excuse for being a lazy-slacker around the house. Granted, the state of my house is driving me crazy. The floors need vacuuming and mopping, bathrooms need cleaning... and my husband rarely folds and puts away the laundry so I can't tell what's clean and what isn't... just looking at the mess makes me cringe... and my poor husband can't keep up with all the housework by his lonesome, though he tries really hard. Can't wait for this kid to come out! ... just hope he cooks long enough... I'll put up with the feeling <deleted> all the time to make sure my little boy comes out +35 weeks or more.

[Demonic Duck]

At this point she seems to be on the road to less nausia which started around week 6. Her prenatal vitamins taste fine though she sometimes gets a fishy burp. She thinks it's when there isn't enough food in her stomach. She takes 1 A Day which is over the counter if you want to try them. She reads all kinds of sites I'm sure she has looked at whattoexpect. This is our first minion as well so we're both very excited. By the way I can't stand the term "preggers" which seems to demean it. Though calling someone "prego" is even worse it's like you're calling them pasta sauce. Our house is never as clean as it should be even when she didn't have the parasite. I am doing most of the cooking now since many cooking smells are bothering her so on my way home I ask her what she thinks will stay down today then stop at the store to get it and cook it when I get home.

[johnsoneliza52]

Hope you are feeling better, Jade! Also Ducks wife! I

[The Duchess]

hOPE ALL ARE FEELING BETTER!

I USUALLY GET A COUPLE OF FAMILIES THAT BRING THERE KIDS AROUND - LIKE TWO.

I DON'T SEE THIS IMPROVING.

IF I HAD A LOT OF TOT'S I WOULD LOVE TO DRESSOUT AS THE KINDLY GRANNY LOU AND PASS OUT CANDIES AND TREATS.



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MAYBE I OUGHT TO VOLUNTEER SOMEWHERE AS THIS CHARACTER.

THE DUCHESS

[Morticia]

We were so overwhelmed with big groups of TOT's this year it would've been really hard to count, even with a clicker.

[Pumpkin_Man]

A get a lot of ToTers from neighboring towns, because we have the least restrictive ToT laws, all though they are pretty restrictive, compared to the way it was back in 'the day.'