A summer trip to Apple Hill

Last Saturday morning, we headed up the hill for some late season berry picking. We went to a farm and picked both blueberries and raspberries. Owen loved it! He ate a number of berries off the vines and enjoyed being out in the country. We came away with basket full of raspberries and at least a couple of cups of blueberries. As if the fresh berries were not enough of a reward, we stopped at a second farm and bought fresh apple donuts and apples to go!

Later that evening, we were blessed with cooler temperatures and ended up having a picnic at the park for dinner. Owen played and played, while I sat under a tree, enjoying a cool breeze and my Olive Garden salad and pasta (Kris was a trooper and played with Owen and ate his food near the swings). The cool weather stuck with us Sunday morning and gave us a wonderful preview of Fall. Needless to say, I’m more than ready for leaves to start changing colors and the fall trips to Apple Hill to start.

August - Baby Ultra-sound

Last week, we had our main ultra-sound (u/s) appointment. The tech checked out the baby’s fingers and toes and heart valves and a number of other measurements such as the size of the kidneys, thighs, brain, and heart. The tech can’t give any indication if anything is wrong, but at the end of the appointment she said not to expect a call from the doctor since that usually only happens if there is something grossly wrong. This was nice to hear since we couldn’t read her at all during the exam and there were a number of moments she was concentrating really hard. We saw the heartbeat and were told it’s in the normal range at 154 beats per minute and found out the baby is 11 ounces now. Today was our chance to find out the sex of the baby. Up until this weekend, I was really set on not finding out the sex, but as the appointment got closer, I started to think about how nice it would be to know. In the end, we decided to stay surprised until the birth of the baby. It will definitely make choosing a name a little harder, but this way, we’ll have the chance to experience the surprise of finding out the sex of our baby at birth. Plus, we’ll get to play the guessing game for another five months or so.

The data today places the expected due date on 1/13 – originally, Kris and I calculated the date to be 1/11 but our doctor was pretty adamant that the baby would be another week later (1/18). Because she was so certain about something so inexact, I now find this extra funny and look forward to hearing her response at our next appointment. I’m sure she will say the measurement has a margin of error of 1 week (which we know it does)– and that we should keep the 1/18 target due date. Given Owen’s arrival 2 weeks early, Kris and I now know better than to depend on any u/s predicted date as babies come when they are good and ready (but this time we’ll have baby diapers on hand at least a month early so nobody has to run to the store for us while we’re in the hospital)!

In other baby news, I can now feel the baby kicking. This is always a wonderful milestone and helps to make the pregnancy more real and exciting. I’m looking forward to more and more kicks and flips.

Here are a couple of the u/s shots. They are extra- small for some reason - but hopefully you will be able to see the baby's foot and face.

August Pregnancy Update

This morning I had my monthly check up with the doc. We heard the heart beat – which sounded perfect and lovely and the doc reported that all my blood-lab work has come back with great results. She’s happy with my weight gain (few pounds), and the height of the fundus (top of the uterus), and my blood pressure. My morning sickness has passed for the most part – which is a major relief to both Kris and me. Last night, I actually helped make a homemade pesto sauce which is significant because it’s really the first time I’ve helped in the kitchen in months! As for exercise, I continue to be a bit lazy and haven’t walked as much as I should. Although it’s a poor excuse, I’m sure the heat has played a major factor in this decision- but I will be going to my second pre-natal yoga class tomorrow – so that’s something! Kris will join me for the next appointment in a couple weeks, as it’s at a lab to get our next ultra-sound exam. At that appointment, we’ll get a better update on the baby’s size and how the baby, placenta, and umbilical cord are positioned. Plus, it’s typically a chance to find out the baby’s sex, but we’re still planning to be surprised! Our fingers are crossed that the tech doesn’t spill the beans…

August 2009 Trip to OC

We just got back from a great visit in Orange. Owen and I arrived before Kris since I had the opportunity to work from the house a couple of days. We had a few adventures and also some nice quality down time where we just hung out and relaxed and caught up with the gang. Our activities included a beach day in San Diego with friends and family, a guys day at the beach in Newport followed up by pool time, and two family get-togethers for Owen's 2^nd birthday and little bro Gianni's 12^th birthday. Owen LOVED his presents and went crazy for his new trucks, books, and tool set- he's one lucky, happy, and entertained kid these days! Since we've been back home, Owen has barely asked to watch TV and has been happily distracted by playing with his train set AND his new trucks and motorcycles all at once! One of the best parts of the trip was spending time with my good pal Erin in San Diego- we were able to meet her very adorable, almost 1 year old Lindsey for the first time which was really a treat!

Lindsey ~ 11 months



Cake time for the birthday boys



The boys playing/opening presents

Jamie, Kristin & me


cousin Aiden ~23 months

Owen's 1st Boating Adventure

Today, Owen had his first boating adventure on our new inflatable raft. We thought we'd try this raft out to see how Owen would do out on the lake. He isn't a big fan of the life jacket, but once he adjusted to it, we had a great time and were out on the water for about an hour. He loved to splash his hands and feet in the water and wave to the many kayakers. Here are a couple of photos and a short video.

15th Week Pregnancy Update

I'm now at 15 weeks and still counting the days for the “morning” sickness to pass. Other than that, I feel good. I should admit I took some type of short nap and slept in late every day during our Virginia vacation- which was great! My belly is growing, but I don't think any stranger will be asking me about my pregnancy quite yet. This belly shot is from 2 weeks ago- week 13.

My third appointment with the doc will be in 2 more weeks. At the last appointment, I had the chance to hear the baby's heartbeat, which is so amazing. Hearing it for the first time is so special- it helped to make this pregnancy more exciting. The doc would like me to gain a bit more weight in the next two months, but I'm not worried as my current weight gain progress is very similar to the last pregnancy. I think she's comparing me with the lucky Mom's who enjoy eating during the first trimester. I enjoy thinking about the days when eating will be fun again, but until then, I expect to be on the low side of of the weight gain averages! I will take my second trimester blood screen next week and we will have our next ultrasound in week 20. During that visit, we COULD find out the sex, but we are going to try to hold out and be surprised!

Virginia Trip - Summer 2009

We just arrived home after a week vacation visiting with Kris' family and friends in his hometown Roanoke. We attended a beautiful wedding with old friends, enjoyed a family and friend “reunion” at the Wiseley's where our little rug-rats had the chance to meet and run around together, visited the historical Monticello- home of Jefferson, and spent time with family throughout the week. It was a great trip- we already miss everybody (and the green hills!). Owen had a blast playing with Jenkins and Onyx and Oliver (the Wiseley dog clan) and his cousins and new friends. It took him a few days to get adjusted to the time change, but all in all, he was a great traveler.

Kris has a great group of friends from home and luckily we get the chance to visit with them every year or so. Back in 2000, after Kris' college graduation, some of the gang took a group photo on the lawn in Kris' backyard. A couple years later (on my first visit back to meet the family), we took a similar picture. One with just the gang and one with the gang + significant others. It's been 9 years since the original photo shoot, so we thought it was time for a repeat performance. This time, we have the gang (a couple friends weren't in the original because they couldn't make it to the party and vice versa) in one shot, the gang + their spouces/kids and one with the gang + their parents + their kids- 3 generations! We had a great time taking the pictures and of course visiting and catching up with everybody.

One of Owen's favorite activities during our trip was the visit to Grandma's, Aunt Beth's, Uncle Ray's, & cousin Nick's house. There he met his cousin Logan (1 year younger) and played on the farm. He walked in the garden, fed and pet goats, fed the pretty horses, jumped on the trampoline (A LOT), played on the playground, sat on a BIG tractor, and he even rode an ATV for the first time (with his Daddy of course).

We had so many great pictures from our trip that I decided it would be easier to post a link to our web albums than post a couple on the blog. Most of the pictures are from the reunion, but there are some others, too.

Virginia 2009 Pictures