A visit from Meemaw

We were treated to a visit from Meemaw this weekend. My mom had a training class @ FBI headquarters and was able to stay with us from Thursday evening to Sunday morning. Unfortunately Brett was either at work or @ VT most of the time she was here. The only real time they got together was commuting in to DC on Friday morning. But I thoroughly enjoyed some wonderful time with my mom! Boy did she take care of us! She walked the dogs. She cooked us meals for the week. She did the laundry and cleaned up. It was Fantastic! I wish she lived closer...no, not because she's just so good at all those things and at taking care of her daughter, but because it was just so wonderful to have her here. I love you Mom!!!

btw, here's a few picts of Brett and super cutie lil' Hokie Riley Sommer and friends at this weekend's tailgate:

Do not ask me what they are doing in the last picture...Brett was again stingy with his story telling. :p

100 Days To Go!!!

They say the average pregnancy is between 266 and 280 days. As of today, we have 100 days left until our original due date of December 28, 2007. The doctor advises that very rarely are due dates actually met. But nonetheless, a milestone is reached. whoo hoo! It really does seem as if these past few weeks have flown by. I still remember eagerly awaiting the first doctor's appointment, then the next to hear the heartbeat, then the sonogram, then to feel the kicks. I cannot say that I am eagerly awaiting labor and delivery though- lol!

Serenity Now!
Brett recently made me pose for this picture that he thinks is so funny. The buddah belly is in full effect.

One in the oven...a little Hokie bird that is!

*Daddy Post*

Most kids wait until they are juniors or seniors in high school before they begin touring college campuses. Not Ziggy, he had his first VT campus tour this weekend - in utero!



The "tour" began with the longstanding Hokie tradition of pre-game tailgating. Thanks to mommy, he had some good eats and some exercise – VT bean bag tossin’ style. Afterwards the Luhring family (and friends) packed up and headed over to Lane Stadium. At the game, we took in some sun (a little too much) and some football (Hokies beat Ohio 28 – 7).

Following the game, Ziggy's tour of the beautiful VT campus was documented.

First stop: the Drill Field. The same Drill Field daddy walked across some 13 years ago with his dad. Next stop was the 4/16 memorial in front of Burruss Hall, where Ziggy got his first dose of what it really means to be a Hokie. The scene there was very moving. Ziggy continued his campus tour by taking a quiet stroll past the Duck Pond.

All that walking got the little guy hungry…so it was off to the next Hokie tailgating tradition – dinner at Hooters! What better way to top off the day!? Thanks to mommy, he got some more calcium in the form of grilled cheese…it'll be a couple of years before he can eat the hot wings like daddy. ;-)

What a great weekend! No pressure little guy, but for the next few decades, you'll have many more VT campus visits...after that, Mommy and Daddy will visit you at college in Blacksburg! Daddy can't wait to see how the Hokies are doing in 2025!

Growing a tax write-off

I love the IRS! huh, what? :) The IRS is my government client. I usually go to their Maryland facility about once a week. Last week, for the first time, someone I didn't know commented on the baby. I noted it as my first "stranger comment" and it was awesome! One of the security guards said, "How is your baby?" to me and at first I thought I heard her wrong. But then she smiled and looked at my belly and I said, "Oh! Thank you so much for asking!!! The baby is doing just fine!"

Then today one of the woman I see from time to time in the office (but who is not our client and I don't work with) saw me and noticed my belly and said, "Oh my! How exciting! Is this your first?" Then she launched in to a bunch of questions. It was so fun! IRS employees in particular find Brett's "tax deduction" comments thoroughly amusing. When people ask when the baby is due, and I respond December 28, they usually say, "A Christmas baby! Or maybe New Year's baby!" and I tell them how babydaddy has said, "We gotta get this kid out this year to take full advantage of the tax deduction! If Dick Clark comes on, we're going to the hospital to induce!!!"
Yes Ziggy, your daddy is funny...almost as funny as he is budget conscious! :p

Labor Day Weekend

On Friday night, I saw the baby move for the first time...VERY funny! At home with only the dogs, I laughed out loud for a good 15 minutes. I was sitting there and could feel him moving and happened to look down. My whole belly had these tiny little shakes in response to his kicks (or elbows or punches...who knows for sure?). I was cracking up! I emailed Brett to tell him we had a new trick to show him when he got home. (He was in Blacksburg living it up like a college kid in anticipation of the 2007 Hokie football season opener the following day.)

On Saturday, I watched an emotional ESPN College Gameday. It was definitely not just the hormones, the show was well done with many clips of "We are Virginia Tech" and stories remembering the victims and attempting to ramp up the 2007 season. Following the game and on Sunday too, I mistakenly watched many "Labor Day baby specials," telling the labor and delivery stories of various women, on tv. What was I thinking?! eeesh! Sometimes ignorance really is bliss!

On Monday, Brett and I attempted to register @ Babies R Us (BRU). I say "attempted" b/c it's harder than it sounds. When we registered for our wedding, we gleefully went around beeping fun stuff with the scanner gun while a nice guy from Bed, Bath, and Beyond walked us through the store telling us all the cool gadgets that we might want for our house and for married life. We were all alone in BRU and probably couldn't have looked like two more clueless fools. Sure, we were armed with the BRU checklist and the Baby Bargains book, but still we had no idea what was going on or what we would need. Heck, Brett didn't know what most of the stuff was for!

There were a few times when I was literally doubled over in laughter though. When we saw the "snuzzler" designed for baby head and body support, Brett says, "Oh damn! Look at that thing...we're getting it and I'm using it! That thing looks so comfortable! I want it!" Then we saw a sort of pad that you could put underneath the baby in the carseat and right on the packaging it said that it was for "diaper blowouts." Brett lost it! He said, "This thing is just cool b/c it says 'diaper blowouts' right on the packaging!" We got a good laugh at that...indeed, we are mature enough to be parents!