Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Spring? FInally?

Good Morning Humble Readers...

I hope you are all doing well this morning.  It's a gorgeous day here on the flatland, blue sky, light breeze and the sun is shining.  Our condo is nice and cool, and everything just seems restful.  This is the spring I have been waiting for.

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Pregnancy news: nothing major to report.  My weight has been fluctuating quite a bit, which I guess I should expect because it always has.  It just freaked me out when it went up 4 pounds and stayed up for most of the past week.  Thank you bloating, constipation, and water retension.  It's back down today, thank heaven.  I think I am going to have to get a chain for my wedding rings sooner rather than later, with the puffy fingers and everything.  I find it interesting that the symptoms are still coming and going.  A bit of pukiness, and for the last couple of days the b00bs of wrath have reappeared.  On the random front... my fingernails are growing like mad!  I just wish that they would grow stronger... they've always been on the soft side. 

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Sadly, it appears that as long as we live in this building, we will not be able to get the pug I have been longing for.  There was a condo board meeting last night and when my Beloved brought up the issue because we really want to have a vote on it, those present all had concerns... concerns that they have never expressed until now.  Grrr! I love our little home, but I am really hoping that sometime in the next couple of years we will be able to sell and move up. 

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Confession time:  I have a breadmaker that I hardly ever use.  I really want to start making better use of it.  I am baking challenged, so I'm wondering if any of you lovely ladies (or gents if you're lurking) have any fabulous bread or bun recipes? 

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Why is it that lab techs, nurses and doctors (in my experience) don't listen to their patients?  I had to go for more bloodwork and ended up having 6 vials of blood taken.  Generally, I have pretty good veins.  And I've been through this enough to know which arm and where on the elbow works best.  I told the tech to focus on the middle of the inside of my elbow, as that works best.  Instead she goes for a vein on the outside edge of my arm.  I knew that she wasn't going to get much of anything from that spot, but she kept digging like she was looking for oil.  Finally she gave up and switched to the spot I mentioned, at which point all went swimmingly.  Hmmm, maybe I do know my body?  Now I'm sporting a lovely bruise from her digging expedition. 

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If you haven't already, you need to swing by Mel's place and check out the Celebration Society!  I'm planning on posting mine tomorrow. 

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I'm thinking about going for a pedicure.  It was going to be my reward to myself for losing 20 pounds.  Of course, I didn't quite make it to 20 before our little halfling moved in.  So I think, perhaps in celebration of getting to the second trimester in a couple weeks, I might splurge and go to a local spa.  It's been years since I've had a pedicure.  My tootsies need some tlc.