An impromptu Sunday dinner turned into a full social occassion this weekend, complete with a pre-party =) Sunday dinner became barbeque bonanza with Bob's new bbq grill, a ton of Tres Colores meat, and lots of yummies from Shy, Nay and Piia. A total community effort with lots of help from the gang, and the entertainment of the night provided by the lovely JLo Junior, Miss Ava, and the usually-not-so-feisty, feisty Gabriel Ramirez.

A visit from Chris, wedding pics, mommy tips, and a little Corona made the night fly by, capped off with some outrageous 310 calorie-a-slice (that's right girls, I looked at the label) Apple-cinnamon streusel-sour cream-costco bundt cake. Yeeeee-uuum! =pics here=
once inside - click the big pic again to get the full/print pic.

Noted and Quoted: Victor spending quality time with the corn dip..... "Well Ava, mommy ate all the cake, No More!!" and Ava sashays away unperturbed ... "Is it okay if I take a shower now???".... "I usually don't bring the albums, as I can't carry them by myself" .... "Huuuuuuhhhhh - yaaaaay (Nay, making Gabe scream in laughter, 20x in a row - BEFORE he threw the strawberry magnet at her nose....) and the crash boom bam of the screen falling off for the third time, and Mrs. Ramirez saying "Is that my baby or my husband??" Of course, it was .... Luis!

A good time had by all, and a tired but pleased Armijo family retires to the air conditioning. Thanks gang - I needed that! Doc gave me a clean bill of health and said the kid is doing fantastic. Yippee!

Pre-Party
Saturday night started out with Lu coming over, and progressed to Paul plus appetizers plus a visit from Val and sickly Rudy and video camera. Our get togethers seem to expand exponentially without effort. And I love it, love to see everyone. After snazzy spinach dip and baguettes, two kinds of taquitos and chicken wings, brie and crackers and a mess of fruit, I was stuffed and highly entertained by Lu's unending scrapbook and a new episode of Big Brother. All in all a fabulous weekend ....

Watching others work is a lot of work!

It's been wood floor guys, crazy outside house painty guys, and our talented family (Rex, Paulie, Beth and Boyfriend Matt) armed with scrapers, sprayers, rollers, and a mess of paint this week to get Casa Armijo shiny and happy for our new arrival. Not to mention the REA Daddy going nonstop, from the previously mentioned John Lennon nursery border and coordinating paint search, to the ceiling scrape, to the great junk exodus to the garage, including but not limited to the complete dismantle of our closet organizer!! Baby Ryan is a lucky ducky!

I now feel like I live in the prettiest of the Ikea showroooms. sigh. It really makes the heart happy, although it took me all day yesterday to recover. I don't think I left my new-to-us craigslist IKEA king bed but 4 times (for meals of course) I was pooped from watching everyone work =)

And we're back to the 3 am wakeup calls as Master Ryan is feeling a bit peckish... We've been drinking juice and munching cookies, like a pre-school snack, and contemplating the pretty pretty house and sneaking a few decorating/cleaning binges in.

The best part of all of this? Knowing again, how blessed we are to have fantastic friends who keep calling cuz they know I have dialing issues, and family who instead of saying hello, start every conversation with "How much water have you had??" That's love.

So thanks folks. Couldn't do it without you, am more grateful than you know, and have 1.5 liters of H2O under my belt =)

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. ~Psalm 52:8

Follow up appt. today w/ Dr. Burrs after our dehydrated contraction scare on Mon ..... Ryan is a dance dance dancin' machine. He's kicking and moving and thumping like he's putting on a show, so she gives him a clean bill o' health. As for me, it is what it is.

Most women's cervix are shaped like a cork for the uterus. This holds the baby in. Because I have an incomplete (we'll use that term instead of incompetent) cervix, I don't have that. All that's standing between Ryan's head and the great big world are the little stitches holding my cervix shut. Wow, pretty graphic.

Hence the heaviness and she said I can now look forward to more cramping too. Uhhhhh, ok. As long as he's healthy, I'l do my part to keep him where he belongs. But we did get props for "growing him right" he's a good size Doc says and is pretty responsive and has a pair of working and happy lungs. Yay for fetal development!

This is kinda scary and miraculous stuff.

The cutest thing yesterday? Bob listening to a Beatles song as he's painting a bright sage-y green on the walls of the nursery. Which matches perfectly with the palm leaves of the John Lennon wallpaper border ... it just makes a preggers girl teary eyed for her guy.

And a big thank you to my style savants, Lu and Piia, who helped me make the final, and very cute, border decision!

Yesterday was a fun day, started off with the mad nursery paint color hunt (thanks again so much honey!!) and then Renee's visit with her bee-uty-full wedding invites (ordered at Tri-City Engravers - shameless plug) and then a visit from Auntie, Christian and my mama bearing all manner of filipino food. That's right, I ate a whole (little) fish and an entire mango - how very filipino of me....

But I managed to take it easy through it all, laying down through paint chip sorting, polishing off a litre of water while Nay was here and being good for most of the day. I know, I know I'm s'posed to take it REALLY easy, and I am, I will. Got the call from Bob, Sr. to be a good girly!! Yikes ... I've scaled back all social visits after this, I really have.

Lest I forget, I always have my honey looking out for us... I don't know how to thank him - feeding me, fixing the nursery, and working tirelessly day and night and watching out for me when I don't think to.

In case you don't know it honey, I love you unendingly. . .

Paulie: The last name is Armijo
Clerk: No, there is no one here with that name
Paulie: No, she's here, it's A-R-M-I-J-O
Clerk: Go inside there and find out how to spell the name correctly
Paulie: No, that's how you spell it, IT'S MY LAST NAME TOO... do you want to see my ID?
Clerk: We don't need YOUR name, we need the patient's name .....

Finally Beth and Paul's name badges are approved, and they run upstairs to the second floor to visit me, where I am ensconced in a pretty turquoise room at Washington Hospital.

Rx to prevent unexpected hospital trips for fetal monitoring:
1) Don't wear a dress to your regular doc appointment.
2) Don't try to rush your usually 15 min. appt, as you will invariably end up with a 2 hour appt and a trip to the hospital
3) 3 liters of water everyday, drink it even if you don't wanna get up in the middle of the night to pee.

With a little help from Beth practicing her future Doctor (okay, not that kind of doctor but still) self, and a couple photo ops we got thru a couple hours of monitoring contractions brought on by dehydration and probably too much activity by my pregnant self. My parents came and amused me too as Bob ran around getting my things in case I had to spend the night. That was sweet...

Anyway, again, all's well that ends well.

Since to doc-on-duty had to deliver two babies last night, she was able to check my dehydrated, contracting self and determine that I was okay and sent me home. Thank goodness as being in the bed for only 2 hours already gave me a back spasm...

So I am bedrest, real bedresting today and through the week ... all activities curtailed. I did realize, again, that I am the only one who can bring the heir into the world, no one else is gonna do it for me. So in the meantime, things will have to wait. Such a bummer too as my bible study group was coming over tonight and Mel and the gals were s'posed to come on Sunday ..... But we have reset our priorities and focus, and remembered to endure with patience ....

Thanks friends and family for the love and support. And thank God for good medical support.


...That you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened ... so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father. ~ Colossians 1:10 - 12

Thump, thump thump... Obviously Mr. Ryan is in good spirits and/or hungry as he's thumping away in utero... As for me, happy Leyla is here visiting. Gosh, I miss the Lil Lamb being around and kickin it with us. And it's so funny how she's friends with each of us in our own unique ways. I'm getting spoiled cuz she brings me the loveliest flowers. This visit is a snifty mix of purple-bells (like bluebells?) and my favorite stargazer lilies. My favorite thing is that she was so comfy on the recliner last night she looked like she melted onto it and barely made it off the chair to go out with the kids to D&B's for too much fried food. Good thing Lu and Rachel picked her up so they could make sure that Paulie and Bob escaped the pleasure that is City Beach. No one told me if Victor actually played or not .....

I, uh, subliminated my desire to consume quantities of fun foods and loud arcade noises with intense ebay shopping for King Size sheets for our up and coming craigslist-bargain-IKEA-matress and headboard. Ahhhhh, nothing like bargains galore to entertain you into the wee hours.

I realized that I didn't finish a post but am too lazy to do it. Here are snippets from the last coupla lazy writing weeks:

- Bob and I had such a good time at Piia and Greg's for dinner last Sunday. It was so amusing to watch Gabe and his baby einstein videos. Seriously I could watch those videos at any age, under any influence. Note to self, get a $1.99 golf set as soon Baby 'Mijo can walk. Oodles and oodles of fun to watch. And even funner to hang with Piia and chit chat, free dinner and excellent company. It's good to know we can share in all aspects of family life and realize we all have stuff going on. Brothers rock!

- Renee and her wedding bonanza. Loooooove when she's here. Learning and growing with every decision and every choice. And now we're on a roll - invitations, veils, makeup (or not, Maybelline here we come!) rsvp's and we're getting good to go. Each day brings us closer to the real fun!!


- Digging on the Asian persuasion wave on reality TV. Dat Phan (Christian, I'm almost sure) Last Comic Standing, Harlemm Lee (winning song "Over the Rainbow" or some sappy thing) and currently the secret alliance - Jun and Jee on Big Bro 4.

- My house being cleaner than it's ever been. And nice fire restoration people. This fire is a blessing. Sigh.

But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD ~ Joshua 24:15

I know, I know, it's good practice for when the baby is born.

But the kid wakes up at 9 pm and likes to hang out thru the night. Like 11:30 pm - 5 am, night time. And heartburn is boo boo. Trying to keep positive attitude, and be quite thankful for many things. Here's a few things that make me smile:

* Dana is gone from Big Bro 4
* Talking live to Mel
* Great emails from friends
* Bob's can do attitude
* Renee ordered her invites!
* Tran, Tran the haircut man, is back in town
* Realizing my parents are cool folks....
* Dat Phan won Last Comic Standing
* Na's 15 lb weight loss and her cutey pink shirt
* Awesome dinner at Piia and Greg's. P - see tomorrow's posts for the recipe =)

Yaaaaawwwwwwnnnnn... Life is good, just sleepy.

110 days to go .....

So I've left the Friday Fivers off for a coupla weeks due to a bad attitude and an even lazier disposition. But it's a nice way to recap events I haven't blogged for a while:

Favorite Visits a la Casa "Mijo
1. Renee's visit and re-visit while we debated, designed, and found her ultimate wedding invite courtesy of Lu's internet endeavors. Ahhhh, if only the sample would show up in the mail!!
2. Miss Leanne and Rebecca Witham (and mama, my buddy Veronica) Visit includes the new hopping on one foot skills of "Leelee" and ballet moves by the budding ballerina, Miss Rebecca and culminates in a full round of "Where is Thumbkin?"
3. Gabe and his mama, Piia, Friday night for girl talk and mommy basics. It's really great when a friendship grows roots and gets stronger. So happy that we can share more than just holiday get togethers ....
4. My Bible study gals for fellowship and all things "blue" *blueberry muffins and blueberry juice, cheesecake and "boys"inberries in celebration of our upcoming "heir". Sooooo good to see the gals and then really catch up with Karen. We are so alike and became newbie Christians roughly the same time.... She just bought a house, is kicking butt at her job and totally rocks. The neatest thing about her is that she's really attained a sense of peace and tranquility over her life thru living in Christ. It's amazing to see the changes.
5. A five minute visit from the Arroys. I didn't get to see them, but I was the proud recipient of the new Ava Arroy pic. It's the funniest pic I've seen in ages. That girl was a born photo-op. Obviously, taking after mama Karen !!

Advantages of Having a Fire in your House
1. Friends (Mel) that you usually communicate electronically with are strangely compelled to call you on the phone. And then the two of you laugh like it was the 8th grade again and you just snuck out of Mr. Vargas class for no good reason
2. You didn't really like that red striped sweater anyway
3. The carpets had to go, and now they're gone. If only the smell will go with them ....
4. Relieves the boredom of a long pregnancy and even longer seeming bedrest
5. Makes you appreciate yet again, your husband, your dog, and your family that really, no matter what they say to others, actually do care about you

Favorite FoodTV Recipes that Bob has cooked. These have been tried and tasted, and appreciated. Piia - the corn dip recipe is for you!

1. Emeril's (I hate the BAMM phenom, but it's quite tasty dish)
2.
3.
4.
5.

I set fire to our living room Thursday night.


The "heir" woke up at 2:30 am, prompting me to slip outta the bedroom to try to keep the papa-to-be from waking up, Junior and I decide to eat waffles. (multi-grain, whole wheat Trader Joe type)  Waiting for the toaster, decided to water my poor bedraggled plants.  Switched on the first light, no light shines forth.  Turn on the other light, give the plants a bit of water and switch off the light.  Back to eating waffles and magazine reading in the family room.  About 10 minutes later my preggers nose smells the faintest whiff of something .... uhhh.... maybe the toaster?  no.  maybe the electrical outlets?  no.....  so I get worried about electrical fires in the walls and wake Bob up.  Traipsing thru the house we don't seem to find anything.
 
We go to the front door, me thinking it's something outdoors and my super preggers smell sensory has just picked it up.  Turning away from the door, I see a haze of smoke in our front living room.  Uhhh, babe, there's smoke in the front room......  He looks, tells me to get whatever I need and get outta the house.
 
I, of course, put on my contacts, grab a sweater and the dog and pop outside.  By now, Bobby's woken up my aunt, gotten the phone and is filling a bowl full of water to stop the blaze that was once my grandma's roccoco lamp (yes, it was a golden figuring of a boy and girl holding hands sans the enormous lampshade) and one of my favorite cardigan sweaters I had rescued from the garage sale. That lamp did turn on when I first flipped the switch, it was just so buried under clothes and crap that I didn't see it turn on, and neglected to flip the switch off again.  Let's just say that cashmere and a bare bulb make flammable friends.
 
The little blaze managed to singe the wall, the love seat and a stack of clothes and crap that I had hazardly piled up near the lamp.  We thought we had put the fire out with a wet towel but it managed to flame up again.  Thank goodness by this time the firetrucks had come - as requested without sirens whaling.  It was a little hysterical that there were 3 fire trucks from one station and another truck from another station (we found out we live right in between 2 different fire stations) as well as 2 cop cars for a fire that was maybe two feet tall......
 
Then who should stroll up the street but my wonderful in-laws??  My mother in law was worried about me and the heir, and Bob, Sr. was trying to wake up to survey the scene.  They whisked me away, my brother took my aunt to his house and Bobby stayed to supervise the firefighters.
 
Needless to say all's well that ends well.  Glad that the 911 operator understood my hesitant call enough to send someone anyway (ma'am, is there still a fire?  Well, yeah .... but it's a SMALL fire, do the trucks have to have their sirens on??)  and that I stayed awake after the waffle munching instead of heading back to bed which would have let our entire front room burn down and effectively barricaded all of us in our bedrooms.
 
And hey, talk about jump starting the wood floor installation.  Uhhhh, not the way that I wanted it to happen, but let's just say God works in  mysterious ways.