Short post this week

Wow! What a busy week. There seems to have been some major project to do or some appointment to go to or some phone call to make everyday this week! We are pretty worn out. Jesse finished his last class for his master's degree and turned in his last paper this week! We celebrated with a dinner out last night. I am so proud of him. Today, we went to my 27 week OB appointment, and everything looked great! The baby's heart rate was in the 140' to the 160's, and his head is in the right place- no pun intended. I am feeling the extra weight in the 3rd trimester. Fortunately with plenty of rest between all of the craziness of the week I feel fine. Jesse posted a lot of pictures on our site including our recent trip to the smokies, North Carolina, Josh and Havilands wedding, my 5 and 6 month belly shots and more. Please check them out.

Well, as the title says, this weeks' post is short. I've got a whole list of things to go and do now! Have a great week!

Soaking wet!

As tired as I am about hearing about the weather around here, I do feel that I have to mention it at least briefly. As most of you are probably aware, the state of Washington has been hit with some drenching rains, and even some snow! Certain areas in Washington and Oregon have been declared to be in a state of emergency as flooded areas and mudslides have left so many families homeless, stranded, injured and even worse. It is really unfortunate for all of the poor people affected by these unpredictable things. Jesse and I feel very lucky to be in Seattle on high ground right now.

Aside from the crazy weather, We have been very busy Christmas shopping, writing Christmas cards, baking, cleaning, and generally doing everything we can to prepare for the holidays and our new arrival. Jesse surprised me with a new Christmas tree this year, that is now decorated and shining beautifully in silver and red with white lights. Most of the presents are wrapped, aside form the edible ones (for fear they would be eaten by Marley). I am glad that we were able to get a little bit of a head start this year!

The computer room is quickly filling with baby items now. Soon, we will purchase the big pieces of furniture, and our office will move into the living room. Jesse took me out this weekend for more maternity clothes. The third trimester is requiring some larger shirts than anticipated to cover my ever-growing bump. We are getting ready to start our birthing classes soon. I can't wait, because it means were are just getting closer to the moment of arrival! We haven't forgotten about the pictures by the way. Soon we will take my 7 month picture, and will post 5,6, & 7 all at once.

Well, we hope that everyone has a stress-free week, and can enjoy this fun holiday season! Take care, and we'll talk to you soon!

Happy Birthday Jesse!!!!!

Today we celebrated Jesse's 33rd birthday! He was pleasantly surprised with a X box 360 which he had originally asked for for Christmas! His dad bought the system, and I bought him a game, and my dad bought him a bunch of accessories and a couple of games. We played for over 3 hours today, and he is playing a new game right now! It was the perfect gift. This past Friday Jesse and I celebrated his birthday at one of our favorite restaurants, "Diamond Knot Brewery." He had a peppercorn steak along with his favorite brown ale, and I had a southwestern chicken salad with water. I enjoyed a flourless chocolate cake dessert afterwards but Jesse passed on it (I wonder how it feels to not have a sweet tooth ?). Tonight we went out again for a birthday dinner at PF Chang's with Jesse's dad. Unfortunately the service was awful, and our meal took about three times as long as it should have. We did get most of the bill comped though, and dessert was on the house. Once again Jesse passed. I think it is because sugar candy was not on the menu :). So needless to say, I think that Jesse has had a very nice birthday!

I almost forgot to mention Thanksgiving. We celebrated this year at Jesse's dad's house. He had 5 friends over that Jesse and I had not previously met. Everyone was very nice and easy to get along with, and we had a great time! This year's menu consisted of stuffing, green beans, wheat and cinnamon bread, chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, broccoli salad, pecan pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, and of coarse the bird. YUM!

I am feeling pretty well. The fatigue is starting to set in a little bit which is to be expected as I approach the 3rd trimester. I have outgrown some of my maternity clothes, but fortunately we have some good friends who have been generous enough to give me some maternity clothes (which were no longer needed from previous pregnancies), and some baby clothes and accessories! We are very grateful. I have also been feeling more movement. Now he will kick and punch at the same time, and his sleep wake cycles are becoming more predictable!

Anyway, I think that about sums it up for now. We hope that everyone has a nice week back at work!

Where is all of the time going?

This week has been packed with all sorts of errands, appointments and projects. I am absolutely worn out! Yesterday Jesse and I went to my routine OB appointment. The doctor says that everything is going well. The baby's heartbeat was in the high 150's and at one point in the low 160's which is good, and she also said that he is "a good sized baby." Now of course I was assuming this by my abdominal girth, and everyone's comments about how big my belly is, but now it is official that Paul is a healthy sized boy. We couldn't be happier! The time is going by so fast. We were reminded by the doctor that it is time to sign up for classes that will start in January, and we need to research a pediatrician/family doctor for when the baby is born. Along with researching all of this stuff a bunch of other questions have come up about insurance coverage and getting the baby signed up under our plan, so many phone calls have been made. We are starting to feel a little more in control of all of this planning stuff though now that we are getting all of our planning questions answered.

We are planning on spending Thanksgiving this year with Jesse's dad and a few of his friends that we haven't actually met before. We always look forward to this time of year when we can spend special times with friends and family and eat a bunch of delicious food. This year we are bringing broccoli salad so far, and of course anything else that is needed. I am hoping for a slice of pecan pie at some point just because it sounds sooooo good. Funny thing is, I have never really craved pecan pie, but wow it has been sounding great lately!

Jesse's birthday is coming up soon. He will be 33! I can't believe it! I of course want to surprise him with something but he really doesn't like surprises that much so this year I promised him that I would tell him what I am getting him. His birthday is always right around Thanksgiving so I am hoping to separate it from the holiday as much as possible.

Well that about wraps things up for this week. Talk to all of you soon!

Late post...

We have been out of town for several days and I have not had a chance to update! Sorry it has taken so long. I plan to get back on the weekly schedule now.

Jesse and I have now settled back home after a week long trip to Indy and North Carolina. It was a very busy trip that included very little rest. We started out in Indy where we had dinner with my dad and Jesse's dad at PF Changs. The next morning we attended Josh and Haviland's wedding in Brown County State Park. The next morning we were up at 5:30am Indy time (2:30am Seattle time), and we drove to North Carolina with Marc. I stayed at Kenny's house with Vicki and Lindsey, and Jesse and Marc camped for 2 nights in the Smokey's. After that we drove back to Indy for one night, and left early in the morning to catch a flight back to Seattle. Jesse and I both had to work the next day. It took the rest of the week and this weekend to recover. Fortunately this weekend we had an extra hour of sleep which is always nice during the Autumn time change.

Other than the events of the trip, there hasn't been much going on. We had no trick or treaters for Halloween which wasn't a surprise. There aren't a lot of kids in Seattle, especially in the heart of it where we live. I participated in a big Halloween bash at work. The potluck's always go over well there. The fall colors are beautiful around here, but they we even more beautiful in Indy and North Carolina. There are a lot of evergreens in Seattle so things look pretty green year round. The temp's are getting cooler in the northwest. They seem to be running in the 50's during the day right now, and if we are lucky around 60, but at night it is dropping down into the 40's which is really chilly for weather wimps.

The little one is doing quite well lately with his scheduled morning aerobics just after breakfast, and stretches during the day. It is really an amazing feeling when I feel movement in the opposite ends of my belly at the same time! I think that I have stared to feel Paul hiccup also! I haven't confirmed this with the doctor yet, but it is the strangest feeling, and is happening up to 3 times a day. I have read that this is the time to start feeling that kind of thing! Speaking of our baby reminds me that we have my 5 month belly shot that will be posted soon. I will be 22 weeks tomorrow!

Well, I must go but I hope that you all have a nice week, and please check back frequently for new posts and pic's. We will be posting some pic's of our recent trip as soon as we can!

Crazy busy week!

This week has been eventful to say the least. It all stared out with a wind storm. It wasn't a real storm by definition, but people in the Seattle area call any change in the weather a storm. The wind was blowing pretty hard though. Up to 60 MPH in some places. Everyone that could, left work early, especially people like me that have to cross a large bridge across lake Washington to get home. It took me 1.5 hours to get home (12-ish miles). The car was pretty difficult to control over the 520 bridge. Now I know why they tend to shut it down during most wind "storms."

The roofing job is now finished. It actually has been for several days. We are happy that it is unlikely we will experience a leak this year like the one last year. Unfortunately however, we received some very sad news that our long- time landlord, and tenant in our building passed away, around the time of the roofing project (not related to the project itself). We were and still are shocked and saddened by the news. Mike was a great landlord. He was there 24 /7 anytime we needed anything. Often times recognizing little things like burned out porch light bulbs and such before we even noticed. I don't think the building will ever be the same without him. He was a great person, and will be missed.

Jesse and I attended a fund raiser dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Snohomish for the families of the 10 people recently killed in a skydiving accident. I believe the story was on the news all over the country. We were glad that we could be there to support everyone, and hope that the families and friends of those who lost their lives heal quickly.

On a happier note, little Paul is doing quite well. He is growing quickly as evidenced by the size of my belly. Not only is it sticking out more, it is also getting wider. He is becoming more and more active, especially when I am trying to go to sleep at night. He also seemed to enjoy my manicure and pedicure today as much as I did. He moved non- stop!

W ell I hope that all of you have a great week! Talk to you soon!

The latest pic's are up!

Check out the "new baby album" for the latest shots of Paul. There are two. One is a picture of him lying on his back, with his hand behind his head in sort of a lounging position. His elbow is in front of his face. The other is the embarrassing (for him) little butt shot picture, and I think that you all can figure out the rest :). Enjoy!

Well, it is official. It's a............

BOY! As official as an ultrasound gets, but wait until you see the pictures for yourself. We will be posting them soon. Jesse and I, and the ultrasound technician knew it as soon as we saw the little butt shot. We are so happy. We of course we would have been happy with a girl also, as long as the baby is healthy! The ultrasound took an hour, and measurements of all vital organs were taken. Also, hand, foot, head, trunk, nose, lip, placenta, femur, humerus, spine, and umbilical cord measurements and pictures were taken. Little Paul was active as usual, and was still preoccupied with his face. I have heard that a baby's mouth is the 1st thing that they discover, because they get such a strong sensation when sucking, and once the thumb and fingers are found, they spend a lot of time there! Anyway, all is well according to the OBGYN. I have gained 24 1/2 pounds, and some days after a long day of work, I think that each one of my feet weigh ten pounds. Thank goodness for support hose.

This past week started out a little chaotic when I came home Monday night to find roofers putting on a new roof, with no notice from our landlord. I was horribly loud. So much so, that Jesse had to take Marley to his dad's house in fear that she would be too scared to eat, drink, use the litter box, or even come out from under the bed. Marley stayed there till Sunday, and seemed perfectly happy when we visited her. She tolerated the 10 minute trip really well on the way home, but unfortunately on the way there she threw up. Oh well, what's new ;).

Jesse is well as usual. He is enjoying his class, and has been working a lot. He is fortunate enough to be able to walk to and from work, and has been doing so often. Hopefully, the rain won't set in too much for a little while. Then the city bus will be used a little more often. For those of you who aren't familiar w/ Seattle, the city bus system is a popular commuting option giving the parking situation around here. Jesse is lucky to get a discounted pass through school.

Well that is about it for now. Hope you all have a great week, and check back soon for the pics!

P.S. The baby will be named Paul Addison :), and the color scheme for the nursery is coming soon!

I'm convinced......

....that our baby is going to be a professional kick boxer or gymnast! Today, I felt the baby kick harder than I ever have before. It happened 6 times in a row, and I could see my belly bulge out each time! It was amazing! Soon we will find out if we are having a boy or a girl, and we are very excited to break the news (especially to the grandparents :). I have been feeling well. The only complaint that I have this week is the same one from last week - orthopedic issues! That is fine though, I am willing to put up with it. After all look at what we get in another 4 1/2 months or so!

This weekend Jesse and I went to our favorite restaurant - Diamond Knot Brewery. On the way there we saw an aircraft carrier on the Puget Sound. It was huge! It really helped us put it's size in perspective when we noticed that a ferry was close by as well.

Today was a lazy Sunday - kind of. We saw the Seahawks get completely stomped on, and heard that the Colts won! I did a bunch of laundry, and cooked a big comfort meal of my famous BBQ ribs, and homemade mac n' cheese with extra breading on the top! It was delicious, and we are thoroughly stuffed. Marley slept on the couch in the same spot for about 6 hours this afternoon, and I am regretting that I didn't join her for some of the time.

That pretty much wraps things up for now. Have a great (and dry if you are in Seattle) week!

Pain in the back!

That is my lower back. I think all of the extra weight is changing my posture now. Fortunately it is tolerable, but requires frequent stretches and good supportive shoes. I still really do feel lucky that I feel as well as I do though. I am really not complaining.

Jesse has posted the 4 month belly picture for you all to see. Soon we will have our next ultrasound, and then we will (hopefully) finally know the sex of the baby. Then we can start letting all of you know about colors and stuff for the nursery. It is so exciting!

Jesse started his graduate seminar this week and really likes it. He is in a small class that meets once a week, that is fortunately being paid for by the University! That is one of the perks that he gets for working hard and getting great grades! Nothing else has really happened this week to mention. Just the same old work week stuff, so I won't bore you with that. We hope you have a nice week this week and will talk to you soon!

Hay Fever !?!?

So, apparently Marley has hay fever! She went to the vet this past week, and he said her ears were congested, and she, like humans suffers from hay fever of all things. Strange, but at least she doesn't need to take any medicine. Fortunately aside from this, and her "obese" rating on the cat body type scale she is perfectly healthy - knock on wood! For those of you with cats, if you don't already use a "cat only" vet, I would highly suggest doing so. It is amazing how much quieter it is for scared felines when there aren't a bunch of dogs barking. No offense against dogs :).

This past week has been really nice and relaxing. I celebrated my 32nd birthday with a beautiful bouquet of roses from Jesse, a massage, 2 shopping trips, and a steak dinner at the outback! I received a lot of calls from friends and family, as well as cards, more flowers, and wow- a whole lot of stuff! Thank you everyone for your generosity. It is so nice to be remembered and loved.

I am feeling pretty good these days. I am into my fifth month of pregnancy, and am growing very fast. People often ask me if I am having twins! Of course, I am not- as the ultrasound proves . According to my OB doctor, it is just the way I am "carrying." That is fine with me as long as I can keep "carrying" in my belly alone, and nowhere else. I am proud to say I am still wearing the same pant size aside from the extra stretchy material in the front!

Jesse starts classes this week, for the last time before he finishes his degree. He is ready to go and get things moving! Hopefully the quarter goes smoothly and quickly for his sake. I know he is ready to be finished, work full time without school, and focus on being a daddy!

Hope you all have a good week!

It's been a nice long weekend...

Jesse and I had originally scheduled a camping trip over this past weekend, but canceled at the last minute. Much to our disappointment, the beautiful Seattle summer weather brought rain. Normally the summers are nice and warm and dry, and despite a beautiful week last week, the forecast was not worth taking the risk of wet soggy gear. Instead, Jesse and I stayed home and took care of a bunch of errands, got plenty of rest, and enjoyed some meals out at our favorite restaurants. It has been really nice.

Tomorrow we go to the OBGYN for another check-up. I don't have a lot to report, other than all of the usual things you might expect a pregnant person to be experiencing. The most joyful of these things is the fetal movement. It is happening more frequently, and is starting to feel like less of a flutter and more of a wiggle. The "morning" sickness has nearly vanished, and I have a lot more energy. The not so pleasant (but tolerable) other things I've been experiencing are daily headaches (thank you hormones :)), heartburn, and swollen throbbing feet. I have been wearing support hose during the day at work that seem to be helping with the swelling, but am soon to indulge in a pregnancy massage at the spa. Also, despite my always referring to the baby as "he," it has felt more like a little girl this week!

Jesse is doing quite well with his job lately. He is enjoying working for the University very much. He will be registering for his last graduate seminar soon, which will mean a lot of extra work, but is happy to almost be finished with his degree. At some point in the future he will have his acedemic website up again for everyone to view.

And lastly, I apologize for this post being a little late (more than a week since the last). I don't really have an excuse, but will try to post a little more often. Have a great week!

What a view!

Jesse and I spent this past week at one of our very favorite places to go, Kalaloch. We stayed in the campground for 2 nights over the holiday weekend. We were very lucky to have one of the best beach front sites. The views of the Pacific ocean were magnificent. We were able to relax in our chairs while watching the waves and the sunset, and kids flying their kites and burying themselves in the sand. We saw a gorgeous sunset the first night, and enjoyed a late night walk out towards the ocean at low tide. No flashlights were necessary as the moon and the reflection of the stars on the sand provided enough light to navigate. The lucky few that have been to this campground know what it is like to have driftwood fires on the beach, and crunchy french toast at the lodge for breakfast. For those of you who haven't experienced this, you really need to visit Washington's wild Olympic coast. Speaking of the crunchy french toast, there are other sleeping options at the Kalaloch lodge, such as cabins, and rooms. The best part about staying at the lodge is that you are that much closer to the restaurant for breakfast. Did I mention the crunchy french toast? haha Sometime I will type a little more about this area, and other places that we love in Washington state and elsewhere. Check out the website when you have time: www.visitkalaloch.com

Oh yeah, one other thing I need to mention, I felt the baby move for the first time while on this trip. It felt just like a butterfly was caught inside of me just below my belly button! Well we hope that everyone has a nice weekend, and we will talk to you soon!

Check out the new baby album!

Hi everyone!  The pictures of my belly over the past 3 months are posted in the "new baby album" in the photo gallery section!  Anyone notice a difference?

Finally...The 2nd trimester is here!

The past week has been uneventful for the most part. The weather in Seattle has been unseasonably cool and overcast. For those of you who haven't been out here in the summer, the weather is normally just beautiful. The temp is usually warm, but not hot at around 75-85 degrees, and humidity is almost nonexistent. Oh well, maybe we will have an Indian summer this year.

Jesse is doing well. He is going to be registering for his last graduate seminar soon, and after that, it is all thesis work (which is already partially done). He is working very hard to finish, and we plan for the timing to work out perfectly for our new arrival.

Marley has recently discovered the joy of fresh catnip. She takes sooo long to eat it, but thoroughly enjoys herself, as she only leaves behind a few crumbs, and a puddle of drool. It seems to have a sedative type affect on her though. For some reason, she only makes it a few feet before plopping down to the floor onto her back for a long nap! Silly cat.

I am doing quite well, now that I have entered the 2nd trimester. Not only do I have piece of mind, but I seem to be getting more energy. My appetite is increasing as well. For the first time in my life I don't mind gaining a few pounds! I have outgrown all of my pants now, but that is OK because the elastic bands on my maternity pants are quite comfortable. And for those of you that are wondering, the pictures are on the way. It is just a matter of actually getting them off the camera and onto the website.

It has been so nice hearing from all of you that have called and written. Sometimes it is easy to forget how large of a support system we really have. I hope that all of you keep in touch regularly as time goes on. We miss all of you that are far away. Please check back soon for the pictures, and have a great week!

Our exciting day!

Today was a great day. Actually this whole weekend has been very nice. Jesse and I had a little bit of extra time off which was originally for a camping trip. Unfortunately the weather here was overcast and rainy, so we canceled the reservations and spent the weekend out and about around Seattle. Despite all of the extra R & R, Jesse and I went shopping for a maternity outfit (my pants are just too tight :), and we also saw the movie "Superbad." The movie was absolutely hilarious, and I highly recommend it to those who enjoyed the movie "knocked up." We also enjoyed dinner out and a couple of nice long naps. I think we need weekends like this once a month!

That brings us to today. Today, Jess and I had the pleasure of viewing our little baby during my second ultrasound at 11 1/2 weeks. We were able to watch the baby for about 30 minutes while various measurements and such were taken. For those of you in the generation prior to us, I understand that this technology was nearly unheard of. We feel very lucky to be experiencing all of the new and upcoming breakthroughs in science. Today we were able to see the baby's face, eyes, nose, mouth, and both arms and legs. We were able to see and count 5 fingers on each little hand, and what appeared to be 5 toes on each foot, but the baby was nearly constantly moving and crossing it's little legs!

We were also able to see quite a few of it's internal organs eg. the stomach, liver, kidneys, brain, and bladder. Every so often it would drift off to sleep until I would laugh or the ultrasound technician would wiggle my belly to wake it up. We actually saw it stretch once after being woken! We were told that it is swallowing the amniotic fluid and then urinating, and that it's sleep wake cycles are 10 minutes or less. We saw it change position from left to right and it would turn over on its belly and cross its legs. It also seemed to be pre- occupied with its face as you can see in the pictures. The heart rate today was 174 beats per minute which is normal, and its size (crown to rump) was within normal limits as well. We still do not know it's gender, but should find out in 5 weeks during the next ultrasound! Please check out the pics, as we will be posting them regularly. We hope everyone is well. Have a great week!

Welcome friends and family!

Well, this marks the beginning of our website! We will be updating our blog on a weekly basis (or so), so please check it often.  We have a lot of traveling ahead of us this summer and will post pictures when we return from our trips.  Please let us know if you have any trouble navigating our site.  We are hoping that this site will enable us to keep closer contact with our family and friends, and keep everyone informed about all of the exciting (and sometimes the not so exciting) things in our lives.  Speaking of the former, as all of you that have access to this website already know, I am currently 10 weeks pregnant!  We will be posting all of our ultrasound pictures as well as a monthly picture of my belly growth (which seems to be growing faster each day)!  We will also keep you abreast of Jesse's school happenings and other life events from week to week.  We are so happy that all of you are keeping up with us, and look forward to writing our future posts!