My living room smells like pine, and I love it...

For my husband who picked out a beautiful Christmas Tree today:

"All right, listen up guys. 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except... the four a$$holes coming in the rear in standard two-by-two cover formation."
Die Hard

What a gorgeous day. We (The Garvey and Battaglia Clan) drove out to East Aurora to cut down our first live Christmas Tree. It was amazing. The Tree Farm is called Field of Dreams and it was so much fun. Todd found our tree which we came to find out is a Grand Fir Tree and now it is in our living room and the smell is intoxicating.

Here are some pictures:

Todd and Lisa pulling Maeve and Adelaide.

Addy having fun (?) in the Infant Boggin'.

Maeve looking adorable.

Todd cutting down the tree.

LOOK WHAT I HAVE CREATED!!

Mike and Maeve in the Infant Boggin'!!

KTB looking tough.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, this can be posted...

I posted this last year as well, and it deserves another run.


SNL Christmas Song

26 weeks and 1 day...

Wow. We have 97 days to go before we meet Baby Benzin. Of course I would be ok with 80 days making this little one a February Baby, but whatever Mother Nature decides is fine with me.

Here is what is happening with Baby Benzin this week:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. The Baby may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. Baby Benzin is inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his or her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when the baby is born and takes that first gulp of air. Baby Benzin is continuing to put on baby fat and weighs about 1 pound and 2/3rds and measures 14 inches from head to heel.

Baby Benzin really enjoyed his or her 1st Thanksgiving. Strangely enough, I think Cranberry Sauce was the favorite side dish for our Tiny Dancer. Todd and I are so blessed and we are looking forward to holding and cuddling our little one soon.

My husband is gorgeous and BRILLIANT!

I went to see Triangles at Road Less Traveled yesterday and the show is BRILLIANT! I am going to see it again because two of Buffalo's most amazing actresses, Lisa Vitrano and Kristen Tripp-Kelley switch roles every night.

The show is spectacular. Seriously, go see it.

Kelly Meg and Bonnie are so incredible and Todd is just perfect.

I spent the entire show watching him and I couldn't help but feel so proud and excited. Hearing people react to him and clap, laugh and just be as excited as I was just made me beam. I was so thrilled that I wanted to tell everyone that the amazing man in the show was my husband and was going to be the Father of my child.

He beat me to it.

My loving and beautiful husband let everyone know in his Playbill Bio which reads, "...is in the early stages of planning a new full scale production with his wife, actress Michele Roberts."

Sigh. He makes my heart melt.

I think I am carrying a 3rd grader...

25 weeks and 3 days.

I think by 9 months it will look like a teenager is crouching underneath my shirt.

Here is what is happening with Baby Benzin this week. Head to heels, Baby Benzin now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Weight — a pound and a half which is about the size of an average rutabaga. Baby Benzin is beginning to exchange that long, lean look for some baby fat. As the baby does, its wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and the baby will start to look more and more like a newborn. Baby Benzin is also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

"I hope he grows out of that face." - Todd (after seeing our virtual baby)

I encourage all of you to give this a try. It is good for a laugh.

Have fun!!

Meet our virtual baby:

And I can KKKIIICCCCCK!

This picture from the Broadway Musical Billy Elliott really made me laugh today. Go figure.

Dear Buffalo Burglars...

Pick up a pen and fill out a job application. Although this would cause you to live a somewhat respectable life, you will be able to afford your own toys!! Just think, you won't have to break into other peoples cars parked right in front of their house and take things that we, the working folk, worked very hard to EARN. Now, in the case of you vs. me, you broke my window with a bowling ball sized rock and did not get a thing. Sorry I couldn't help you out with making a quick couple hundred which would buy you more crack or whatever it is you crazy kids are doing these days. But again just go to McDonald's, Burger King or Walmart and fill out an application and join the work force! Good luck to you, and thanks for the unnecessary aggravation.

Oh and I took your Pet Rock that you left behind for memories. It misses you. Asshole.

6 months!!!

Sorry it has been so long. We haven't had time to take a baby bump picture yet, but one is coming soon. We are officially 6 months pregnant with 115 days left until we meet Baby Benzin. Princess or Junior is growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him/her at just over a pound. The baby is almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), and cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but the baby's body is filling out proportionally and will soon start to plump up. The brain is also growing quickly now, and taste buds are continuing to develop. The lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he or she hits the outside world. The skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

As for me, my uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball. JOY!! I have 1 more regular OB appointment and then it is time for the dreaded Glucose Screening. This test which will be at 28 weeks checks for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related high-blood-sugar condition. From what I hear, I drink an Orange Crush (syrup only) and then wait an hour for the results of how my body processes the sugar. After that we will be in our 3rd trimester and it will all be downhill from there.

Todd and I are getting more and more excited about meeting Little Miss Michele or TR Junior (Todd's nicknames). He or she is kicking and moving every which way and really loves to hear Daddy singing. To quote Judy Garland, "I've just about got it made."

What I wouldn't give to see this...

Amazing.