The Great Boy/Girl Debate

So, the story starts when we found out we were going to have a baby. Bruce wanted Ryan to be the first to know. When we told Ryan we asked him what he wanted. Of course he wanted a baby brother because he already has a baby sister. I told him I thought it was a boy but Bruce told him he thought we were having a girl. I told everyone we were going to have a boy. The whole family wanted a girl. Not one person said they hoped baby was a boy - except Bruce and Ryan. I was sad everyone was going to be so disappointed to find out there was going to be a new boy in the family.

Then I got an email from my mom, in my dream mind you, that I needed to stop saying it was a boy because Jerry and Georgia had somehow found out the sex of the baby and told my mom the baby was going to be a girl. The email was burned into my brain because the "girl" was glittery and pink and the "boy" was blue and wavy. This did not stop me from telling everyone it would be a boy, but I did tell a few people about my dream.

I didn't have a lot of dreams about the sex. I had a lot of dreams where I woke up confused, there was a baby in the crib next to a pile of hot wheels, but I had played with hot wheels as a child so what did that mean. The night before the ultrasound I had 3 or 4 dreams about the sex. There was one where it was written on a library card by I was trying not to look but I thought I saw an F (for female) but when I actually did try to look again I couldn't read it clearly. I can't remember the other ones, I just remember waking up and thinking "Another dream about finding out!"

My original plan was to have everyone find out together what we were having by asking the ultrasound tech to write it on a sealed envelope where I would deliver it to a baker to make a cake that had pink or blue frosting in the middle but would be completely white on the outside so when we cut the cake we would all then find out. Bruce couldn't wait so the new plan was that I would bake the cake, since we wouldn't have time to ask the baker because we could only have Ryan that same day before he left for a weekend excursion with his mom.

I was a little sad to not go with my original plan but it was so beautiful and moving to find out with just Bruce and I that I'm not sad at all the way we found out. I was crying so much that all the nurses and midwifes said I was going to make them cry and even the ultrasound technician (who we thought didn't have emotions). Here's our perfect little baby girl sucking on her tiny little fingers.

So, as you now know, we're having a GIRL! The ultrasound tech had to tell me at least 7 times and showed us from multiple angles that it was a baby girl with a little girl bottom and everything. I was in a state of shock. I was wrong. Bruce, of course, had the "I told you so" face. If only I hadn't been so vocal about it being a boy. It's amazing though, it truly was a surprise. I was expecting a confirmation but I got the surprise of my life. Bruce was the one who got to have the confirmation.  As we're watching our baby wiggle and hiccup and stretch and cough I was mesmerized but still stuck on the fact that we're having a GIRL. I told Bruce, "She still has to like dinosaurs and cars, though." No princesses for us. I don't mind a girly-girl ~ just not too girly. That would scare me.

So after hours of off and on crying and my trying to come to terms with the fact that we know what the baby is (the tech said she won't call it unless she knows it, I asked) we had to pick up Ryan, I had to start getting the cake ready and we had to make sure everyone was going to be at our house to share in the good news!

The cake was a disaster. I am no cake baker. It fell apart so it was useless as a "reveal" cake. Bruce had a last minute idea (oh I wish he had thought of it before I even baked a cake) about popping a balloon. Brilliant! I rushed to the party store and had them stuff pink confetti into 2 black balloons so instead of a cake, pink confetti would sprinkle out to reveal the sex.

We ate pizza, I had people vote whether it would be a girl or boy and I had all the Old Wives Tales and Myths that I had tried to determine whether BB would be a boy or girl.

Finally, we were ready for the confetti. I thought it would sprinkle down on us. No one said it would explode out of the balloons so I was stunned for a bit and didn't really know what happened. Thankfully Des videotaped it so I could re-live the moment and comprehend what was going on.

Yay! Everyone was so happy! I think so many people had voted "Team Blue" because I had been so adamant about BB being a boy! Remember, every one had said "GIRL" when we told them I was pregnant. No one really cared BOY or GIRL but know we all know. Then I got to share the ultrasound and heartbeats with everyone. Hm, I could watch that ultrasound over and over. The little ribs, spine, fingers, toes, the stretching, hiccuping and swallowing. I'm so in LOVE! Bruce and I have been all teary eyed. LOVE LOVE LOVE

Here are some family photos after I brought out the "It's a Girl" balloons!

Oh, What a Wonderful Life

Every once in awhile I stop and think "I'm creating a human being inside me!" It blows my mind. How do people just walk around not thinking about how crazy and miraculous it is. I'm so grateful every day that I have the opportunity to be going through this process. People keep telling me that I'll be complaining in the end, but I don't think I will. Sure, heartburn is uncomfortable, bumping my belly into things and not sleeping right is tough, and trying to fit through small spaces or regular clothes can be a challenge, but I can't imagine doing anything more amazing than this. Ever.



Some Belly Photos

A few baby bump photos

 9 Weeks - I was having trouble buttoning my pants but still pretty much looked like my svelte self. I see my baby bump, but I don't think others can.

 13 Weeks - I'm starting to omit certain pants from my wardrobe because they became "standing only" pants - not very functional for work

 16 Weeks and feeling like I look enormous. I was shocked to see my photo where I don't think I looked that big, but I visibly have more girth (at least to me).

17 Weeks and it seems Baby Toney just  popped out all of a sudden. I got a lot of double and triple takes from parents at work but not one person asked if I was pregnant. It seems pretty obvious to me.At this point, my skin feels stretched & tight, I feel full all the time superficially but then my stomach will be growling for food. Then I eat and I get indigestion like there's no room! Oh, and I measured myself. I gained 5 inches around the smallest part of my waist! I hadn't measured below my belly button before I was pregnant, which is clearly an area that is growing more than above the belly button, so who knows how many inches I've gained there. No wonder I feel stretched!

I'm 17 weeks and 3 days today and I woke up this morning and I've shrunk again but still feel the tightness. It's so strange. I thought it was here to stay, but I guess the baby's just messing around with me again. I was going to go show off my bump to my family because it's much more impressive in person and then se fue, it's gone. It feels pretty hard and maybe when I eat it will get big again. I don't know what's going on anymore, I'm just here for the ride.

Pregnancy Cravings/Aversion Thoughts

I just found an article about food cravings during pregnancy. I find this interesting because I craved so many things that, although normal to others, were not normal for me.  As I'm starting this second trimester (17.5 weeks along), I find that I don't have the cravings or aversions that I once did. I'm thankful for this because it allows me to eat more foods that I typically like, but that also means I could possibly gain more weight than recommended because I can eat most cookies again!

Anywho, in this article, I thought it was interesting that those who have the greatest food cravings also have the greatest food aversions. Thus, if you don't really crave anything you will also not likely avoid certain foods. Hmm. In my 1st trimester I craved fried foods (fried fish, the skin of extra fried chicken ~ though I didn't actually cave to this one, french fries), ranch dressing, potato chips (any flavor, I'm normally a tortilla chip girl), Thai food (mmm, curry!) and anything that peaked my interest on tv or in magazines (McDonald's ice cream sundae, Nutter Butters, pomegrante seeds, etc.). When I wasn't eating my high fat cravings, I was stuck with crackers, ramen noodles, brothy soups, you know, bland things. I avoided (and mostly still avoid) CHICKEN (which turned to any poultry in any way), all cookies (sad face), beans, wheat bread (still not eating), brown rice, steak, bell peppers, apples and I couldn't stand to be in the room with cooked ground beef (shivers).

As I've entered this 2nd trimester, I think I could eat salad 2 times a day every day ~ which I do many days. I haven't gotten remotely sick of it.  I will eat warm veggies but my dreams are of cold, fresh veggies. I drool for tomatoes, croutons and olives ~ all the first things I would pick out of a salad before. And I MUCH prefer vinegars to any other type of dressings. Unfortunately, I found I can eat many types of cookies (yes to White Chocolate Macadamia nut, Butterscotch Oatmeal & Eggnog cookies,  but no to Peanut Butter, Frosted Animal Cookies and others that weren't my favorite anyway). Baby Toney is not craving cookies, I think I just eat them because I can.  I could also eat oatmeal all day long - in bars, mushed, in cookies, sprinkled on other things, whatever way I can get it I'll eat it. This baby is so healthy, if only I could stop myself from eating bad things just because I can!

I also read this:

What do pregnant women crave? When we surveyed BabyCenter moms, almost 40 percent said, "Give me something sweet." Slightly fewer (33 percent) chose salty snacks. Fans of Mexican food and other spicy cuisine came in third (17 percent). Trailing (at 10 percent) were those who craved citrus fruit, green apples, and other lip-puckering tart or sour foods.Obviously my preferences have changed from the salty group to .....wait, oatmeal and veggies isn't on the list. Am I that strange?

Now, it reads that there's no real meaning for cravings, or at least none that they could find, although many people think our bodies are smarter than us (but why don't we crave veggies instead of candies?). The article did suggest in the end that you should give into your healthy cravings (well, duh) and limit your un-healthy cravings (so no more eggnog shakes from Jack-in-the-Box?). If you do want to give into your cravings, it suggests finding healthier alternatives like yogurt instead of ice cream. What they didn't address is how specific my cravings can be and substitutions just don't cut it. I had to have Better Chedders, Goldfish crackers or Cheez-It's didn't work. I needed a McDonalds vanilla ice cream sundae with caramel and nuts, not store bought ice cream. I required a balsamic vinegar not a vinegarette.

Well, this baby has decided that, once again, I will be hungry all the time. I'm trying to make healthy choices not only for my waistline (which is 5 inches bigger!!!!!!) but for a healthy baby also. So, as I'm surrounded by goodies I love to indulge in this time of year, I hope that I'm listening to BB to reach for more salad, eggs and oatmeal rather than listening to my mind which says "You know you've always loved these before and you have an excuse for gaining weight this year."  Did I mention I love being pregnant? All this stuff fascinates me endlessly. I can't wait to find out what my sisters will be like when they get pregnant :)

How Big is Baby Ticker

Black Friday

Call us crazy but we get into the Black Friday madness. I always loved that day at the mall when all the shoppers crowded the store and kept me busy for hours. Then when Des started dating Mike, much later after I wasn't working at the mall, I joined them for Black Friday. I didn't need anything, but I went and still thought it was fun. Then I just kept going. Not once had I looked at an add and thought, I have to be there early to get that specific item. I did think, "Ooh, I hope I get a door prize" (which they don't do anymore really).

This year was a little different. Ryan was here and he was ready to go. I tried to talk him out of wanting to go but he was so excited to be a part of "the mob." He thought he would see pushing, shoving, elbowing, fights....so pretty much what he saw on the news. He even remembered the news coverage of Walmart from last year. We couldn't talk him out of it once it was an option.

We tried to get Ryan to take a nap before going, since the stores open at midnight we thought it was a must. Generally Ryan falls asleep in 5-10 minutes. He took a whole hour! And he even tried to act like he had fallen asleep just so he could be up with us - we didn't buy it, of course. He finally got 1 1/2 hours of sleep instead of the 2-3 hours he should have gotten. No worries, he was raring to go.

We started out at Target and saw just what Ryan was hoping for - a line that wrapped around the building. We weren't standing in that huge line so we got hot cocoa's and by the time we got them the crowd had dissipated - outside, that is. Inside it was madness. Ryan said "This is just like trick-or-treating, but you have to buy stuff!" The things we wanted weren't there and other things we were going to get weren't worth the wait in line, which was twice the size of last years. Bye, Target. On to Macy's. Ryan didn't elbow anyone even though there were plenty of opportunities.

At Macy's we didn't end up getting anything but everyone else did. We were only 2 hours away from the rest of the mall opening so why bother going home? We peeked through the little stores that opened early, too. We spent a lot of time in Eddie Bauer because they have all the crazy gadgets, Old Navy where we got Ry some pants for super cheap (he was so excited *note the sarcasm*) and we stopped at Subway for breakfast sandwiches.

The whole time I was asking Ryan if he was ready to go, we could go. He was so excited he was telling us that he was going to go Black Friday shopping with us every time he gets a chance. He was practically jumping up and down. Luckily I took a nap too. I was buzzing from the energy like everyone else. On to JCPenney's where I was victorious for the one thing I did want but wouldn't have cried over if I didn't get it. Boots for 70% off, but the awesome part was that they were the last pair in the color I wanted and they just happened to be my size. If that's not fate I don't know what is.

We met up with Mike at Sears where he was buying a tv, of course. He apparently needs to buy a tv every year on Black Friday. Then on to Fred Meyer. We got there just in time for the doors to open. Britt got games and what did Mike get? Another tv, of course. What else? Bruce was tempted to buy one too, but we didn't need one. Maybe next year we'll upgrade.

Enough! We've been shopping for 6 hours, it was time for us to head home. Well, some of us. We dropped off Mike, Des & Britt and they were off for more shopping and Christmas tree hunting last we heard. Ryan said he would keep going but it was going to be 6am by the time he got into bed. That was insane. He fell asleep in 2.5 seconds. Just long enough for his head to settle. He slept until lunch and I think his hunger woke him up. He'll sleep well again tonight. Crazy kid ended up with 2 new pants and a new dvd ...and memories of his first Black Friday experience. I think when he grows up he's going to want to be like Mike. He'll get caught up in all the madness and start buying anything and everything his credit card will allow.

How Big is Baby Toney?

I love that I can have all the sizes of Blueberry (see week 7 when we told the immediate family) in fruit so I thought you might think it was fun too. I love, love, love this stuff!

The First Trimester

Notes to my family while we kept our baby a secret

September 23rd, 2011 
Yay! Today our baby is the size of a blueberry! So small yet making so many life decisions for me already. Since I haven't told Des and Britt, I have to let you know that this little blueberry has decided that I need to go to bed by 8pm, I need to eat every 2 hours (3 hours is pushing it), it doesn't like candy, brownies, cookies, chicken, trail mix, steamed veggies, the smell of fire or letting me sleep through the night without eating between 1am and 3am. It has decided that I should have constant indigestion but that I love pasta, sandwiches, crisp veggies, fruit, cereal and water. Pasta? No cookies? Whose baby is this? Oh yeah, and what's with the random teary eyes?

 

Well, blueberry may be small but he or she is getting little eyes, paddle arms and legs, a mouth and ears. BB has an umbilical cord and it's tiny microscopic heart is already starting to beat even though we won't be able to hear it for a few more weeks. BB is 10,000 times the size it started at. BB seems to be sticking in there nice and cozy. I'm counting down the weeks until the exhaustion is supposed to disappear especially because around that time we'll get to start telling other people about it!

 

Bruce said I shouldn't have told anyone, including him, until 12 weeks in because it's torture waiting to tell others.  It is torture, but it's kind of fun to have this just be a family secret for now, too. Besides, i think Bruce would have noticed something was up when I randomly couldn't eat things I love or avoid certain smells or feel nauseous and burpy all the time But, then again, it's football season, so maybe he wouldn't have noticed :)

 

Love you guys Thanks for letting me share because I'm so excited!

 

September 29th, 2011

Blueberry has been wonderful this vacation - hardly a peep from him or her. Sadly, as we travel back BB will be the size of a kidney bean (but that's unpleasant, so blueberry it will stay). Blueberry is getting little webbed fingers and toes and almost has eyelids! His or her heart now has 4 chambers and will be forming some healthy lungs. He or she is moving around constantly but is still too small to feel. Creepy - I'm going to have an alien stomach at some point - but not now.

BB has been really resting up this vacation. So much so I forgot he or she is in there - until I try to eat chicken. BB loves ice cream! Still hates most candy (found lemon heads to be ok) and all cookies so far (even some of my personal favorites). Blue doesn't like winding roads and still wants to be fed first thing in the morning - however, I'm not constantly starving, just need a nibble every 2-3 hours. Phew, because at the rate I was going last week I would NOT fit into my clothes much longer! The most unfortunate thing, which Bruce loves, is that Blue loves french fries. Bruce wanted to take a picture of me finishing those narsty little fries off of Stephanie's plate. What BB wants, BB gets. BB also LOVES sausage. We will be looking into nitrate free sausage because the protein selection feels slim and variety would be good. **shiver** I just thought of chicken. In no shape or form does BB want that.

Ugh, coming back is going to be hard. I think BB prefers my life of leisure. Maybe it's actually me, but whatever. We have plans to bring the baby back in 2 years. Just young enough for a free plane ride but old enough to get a little water splashing time in.

October 12, 2011

Hello family! Well, as you know, Blue was a bit younger than expected but TODAY officially marks the beginning of the 9th week. That means a lot to us, who can't wait to tell every one about Blue in about 4 more weeks, and me, who heard a lot of unfun stuff with nausea and exhaustion is supposed to pass.

 

You guys will get to know more about this baby than you ever wanted if you keep reading these emails but I'm so excited I have to share with SOMEONE!

 

Well, this week is huge because BB is getting a little hoo-ha or wee-wee this week. We wont' be able to see which is which for quite some time (I think around Christmas?). Also, Blue is about the size of a grape now and beginning to move around! He or she is getting little nipples and has a complete anus now (I know this is one thing you were wondering about). The placenta is about formed, little eye lids are now pasted shut in there, the arms and feet aren't just little buds any more and there's little tiny ear lobes, mouth and nostrils.

 

Now that BB is basically finishing the basics this week it's about the time he or she gears up for rapid weight gain. Yikes! So I can't give birth to a grape and let baby finish outside of me? I'm no marsupial so I guess I'll start gaining weight rapidly with baby. Who knows, maybe I'll be like those women on TLC and nothing will change, but probably not. I wonder when BB is going to start poking out of me so much so that I can't hide it anymore. I guess we'll see.

 

Love you guys and thanks for letting me share :) 

 

October 21, 2011

Today, Blueberry is 10 weeks and 2 days old. How is time flying and inching by at the same time? Still counting down to our November 1st check-up and plans to tell the Cali family after that. I'm breaking the news to my co-workers on Bruce's birthday (Nov. 8th) because we do stuff like that at CTU on Tuesdays when everyone's working. Enough about that..

 

Blueberry is going to be the size of a kumquat today - or about 1inch long. So big!!! Little toes and fingers are coming in and the tail is disappearing! Tiny vital organs (like kidneys and stuff) are starting to function on their own! BB is getting peach fuzz and fingernails this week. ***teary eyes ~ my baby's getting so big already *** He or she is getting a more solid skeleton and his or her head is still kind of big right now. So much has been happening over the last few weeks it's amazing to think that most of the rest of thetime inside me will be spent just getting bigger.

 

 

This is about what Blue looks like right now.

 

Last night I dreamed that the baby was in a crib and it had a pile of hot wheels in the corner ....does that mean it's a boy?  No other clues. I was doing the math, though, and we won't find out boy vs. girl until after Christmas. Maybe in early  January.

 

Again, thanks for letting me share. Every free moment is spent thinking about this. :)

 

Love you guys ~ Mel

 

October 26, 2011

11Weeks (as of tomorrow) !! So little time but so much time has passed.

 

For me, I have been feeling good in the morning and fat in the evening. My stomach just seems to grow as the day goes on. Not quite a baby bump so I just look like I'm getting a spare tire. It's amazing for me to see. Maybe, if you're lucky, I can show you what my stomach can do now ;)

 

As for baby blueberry, fittingly he or she has a pumpkin head now. A little body but a big giant head (comparatively). Still only about 1.5-2 inches long (I eat food bigger than that that doesn't make my stomach do the things this little one manages to accomplish) Blueberry weighs about as much as 2 packets of sugar. Also, apparently, blueberry can now move around like an acrobat. Unfortunatley, I wont' be able to feel it for some time. Maybe he or she is jumping for joy because all the vital organs are now functioning and there are little tiny tooth buds forming and fingers and toes are starting to move!

 

Pretty soon all the cool stuff will be done and the only job Blueberry will have is to get bigger. And bigger. And bigger. So that must mean I am going to get bigger, and bigger and bigger. In 9 weeks, BB is going to grow 30 times the size he or she is right now! Yikes!

 

In other related news, I think BB is a boy. The swinging necklace over my stomach (twice) said it, the nausea said it, and I think it (the tie breaker). Otherwise, my acne and a fast heart rate indicated a girl.

 

However, as I continued to do research, the Chinese Gender indicator says I'm having a girl. Throwing us right back into even. According to the Mayan's I'm having a boy (odd # conception year even # age). There's others, but basically, we just have to wait and see. However, 71% of moms guess gender correctly, sooooo (sorry daddy).

 

Love you guys!

Mel

 

November 4th, 2011

As you guys may know, this baby is trying to kill me. Not intentionally, but it's taking all my wonderful immunities away for him/herself, which I'm fine with, kinda, but it left me with a persistant cold. Who has a cold for a whole week? Me. I lost my voice repeatedly over 4 days!!! I've gone to work 3 days this week to be careful that this little cold doesn't turn into something more serious. The doctor said that was normal, but it doesn't make it any more fun.

 

Good news is, while baby is swimming in my immunities, I can actually POKE the baby and make blueberry wiggle around. Too bad I can't feel it, but I feel better that I can poke BB and he or she can dance :) BB is already the size of a lime (huge!!!) and is looking more human every day and can even swallow now! BB is also getting reflexes this week so soon BB will be able to open & close the little tiny fingers and can make sucking movements with his/her mouth.

 

As you guys know, I had my 12 week appointment. So far everything seems healthy and strong. The heartbeat was 168-170 bpm which, according to old wives tales, means BB is a girl. Of course I cried, but the midwife was much more compassionate than the ultrasound lady. I even got a tissue. The doctor told me I need to do a Draino test for fun, also. That seemed too involved. My next appointment is December 2nd. Yay for healthy babies :) Also, baby has been craving salads like nobodies business. I have eaten more salads this week than I was able to do for the last 2 months! I think it's great that I crave something that should be making my cold go away - now if it would just GO AWAY.  Even better news though, I can eat Pumpkin Spice Gobs without getting sick. Maybe baby will like sweets afterall.

 

 

Anywho, that's all I have for now. I love you guys. Can't wait to tell the world Tuesday!!!!

 

xoxo,

Mel (and BB)

 

November 9, 2011

Wow! It feels good to tell people. Yesterday I had lots of visitors to my office and lots of hugs and tears - everyone is so happy. It was fun because I guess I threw people off, just like I thought I would, with the 4 pumpkins and using the Cricut machine which one of my co-workers is always talking about and posting on FB. My pumpkin cookies were all eaten by 10am! Little piggies!

 

Best part of all, I can finally wear any clothes I want without worrying about how big my stomach will grow after eating. Bellybands are now a must for my wardrobe. I think I have one pair of pants that I can keep buttoned all day, maybe 2. Technically I can keep them buttoned, it's just uncomfortable and results in heartburn and more indigestion, so who wants to bother with that? Or I could just stand all day, it's really the bending part that's the most bothersome. Why can't I just live in leggings?

 

Back to Blueberry: Fingerprints have formed on his/her tiny fingertips and BB's body is starting to catch up with his/her head. If we're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries! What???!! 

 

BB is almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce - the size of a Nutter Butter, yum. 

 

Blue can make a fist and even suck his/her thumb this week—both skills that are über-cute. Yay! BB also has vocal cords and a larynx - is BB singing in the womb "Baby it's Cold Outside"? Well stay in there Blue! Spring will be a much better time for your arrival, anyways!

 

Anywho, I love you guys. Sorry if I made you crave Nutter Butters. I'm into pomegrante seeds at this moment and have no way of getting to them until tonight.

xoxo, Mel

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes a Baby in a Baby Carriage

Yay! It's time to finally come out and let everyone know about the exciting news for our family. We're having a baby!!!

On September 3rd we went tubing on the Wenatchee River. That morning I told Bruce I think I might be pregnant. I would take a test the next day that was faint, but a yes.

Here's the happy couple keeping the secret!

It was hard being in a car with my sisters all day wanting to shout "I might be pregnant!" Somehow we made it :)

Then we took another test a week later - just to be safe. I only take one more after that! We told Ryan on Saturday, September 17th. Bruce wanted Ryan to be the first to know. He was pretty excited and said he hoped it would be a baby brother (not that he wouldn't be happy with another sister). Then we rushed to tell my family that evening - we didn't want to hold it in any longer - and we tried to keep it casual and not suspicious.

My plan was to get mama and daddy together and then I would get Des and Britt together separately - impossible to get the family entirely together on short notice with no obvious reason. Unfortunately, mama and Britt talk too much and Britt found out so I had to pick her up to have dinner too. Then I was sad because Des wasn't there. She and mama were ruining my secret plan!!!

I made a "Baby on Board" sign on a yellow shirt. My plan was to open my cardigan and walk around like normal until someone noticed. I was so nervous I wanted to throw up, so when I came around the corner and everyone was talking I froze and squeaked or something. Not on purpose. Erin was the first to read my shirt, mama and daddy turned around and I didn't even really give them time to read it! I was crying and they looked shocked. Shocked and speechless. Surprise!!!

 A beautiful day for a revelation!

 The grandparents, over the shock and able to smile :)

The little family is getting bigger!

After all the love and excitement we were exhausted but we still had to tell Des & Mike. Right as we dropped Britt off I called Des and she said she was 5 minutes from home so we turned around and waited for her. Later she said she thought it was weird that I had asked her that - it was late, it was unusual, but she didn't give it that much thought - she was only a few minutes from home. 

My original plan of waiting until she noticed could finally be put in effect because I was calmer after having told everyone. When she finally read it, after some strange looks by Britt and me for not noticing sooner, she was so happy. Phew! I thought she would be sad she missed it with the family but, judging by the photo, I don't think she minded. 

No photos of Bruce's parents (not photogenic), but we waited 2 more weeks to tell them. We would have told them that day but, well, that didn't happen. Ryan was the one to break the news. I think they were a little shocked too. Not like my family, but happily surprised. 

This baby has been occupying my mind every free second I have had. It was hard not telling people because I'm so happy I want to shout, but it was fun keeping it a family secret for awhile too. I love my family, immediate and extended, and I can't wait to meet our little one.

Maui Wowie

Ah, Maui. We went there as a 1st Year Anniversary present to ourselves. We were in love with the shorter flight, the beautiful weather and the variety of underwater climates to explore.

We snorkeled at Black Rock in Ka'anapali and we swam with a sea turtle. Actually, the sea turtle appeared to be attracted to Bruce. I got some GREAT photos of Bruce with this sea turtle who just couldn't get enough of him for about 30 minutes before we decided it was time to get out of the water. Once in a lifetime photos. They were amazing!

We lazed on the beaches in Ka'anapali and Napili Bay (which we thought was Kapalua, but we were wrong.). We voted Napili Bay the best beach because it had a little bit of everything. People watching (especially this little boy who just ran out to the waves and let them bring him in for at least an hour, that's it. He looked so happy. And the elderly people who fell down in the waves). was awesome, there were 2 types of water - big waves and calm. There was a huge area great for seeing tropical fish and the view was amazing. Importantly, there was a lot of shade to go around and the sand was soft. We had one of the most relaxing days here.

We stopped at the Olivine pools. Haha, I say "stopped" like it was on the way to something. No. We had to go way out of our way for these pools and we doubted they were even the right pools (there was no sign but there was a sign saying, Do Not Walk Past this Point. Danger. Which we ignored.). When we climbed down, we were sure we had the right pools but, because it was so overcast at that time, it wasn't as beautiful as in the photos of Frommer's. It was pretty neat to see tropical fish living in relatively tiny pools in the lava rock off the ocean. The pools were big enough to swim in, well maybe one person to swim in. There were sea urchins and anemones and all that good stuff too. We saw a small blow hole that sporadically erupted and we met some nice people who had wanted it to be a beautiful day as well.

We went on a boat snorkeling tour to Molokini Crater and "Turtle Town" where we saw so many amazing tropical fish! We saw an eel out for lunch and those huge spotted shells you see in stores. More amazing photos were to be had in this clear water. Turtle town was a little murky but we saw 4 turtles - all smaller than the one that was trying to cozy up to Bruce, but they were cute nonetheless. Then. It happened. Our underwater camera broke mid picture. Fear and terror struck. When we got back to the condo we couldn't get the pictures to come up. All our amazing, beautiful pictures were gone. I read about recovery software so I couldn't let this get us down. It started to get Bruce down but he pulled himself out of it and we continued to have fun in Maui.

RIP Maui photos. After a professional photographer attempted to find the photos, they were gone. We're mourning the loss of those photos but we still have the memories. We just can't visually share them with you.

We plan to go back to Maui in about 2 years. We would love to go with family and bring a better underwater camera that won't break next time.

A September to Remember

Ok, I realize it's only mid-September, but it's already been amazing. The weather has been awesome, lots of family time is great and lots of planning and preparations to be had (my specialty). Sharing some pictures of tubing the Wenatchee River through Leavenworth starring Bruce, Me, Britt, Des and Mike.

Bruce and Britt take off down the river - Wait up!

Super happy Melanie

Mike and I chilling around the cooler - Bruce trying to catch up

Britt's fancy in a LBD (little black dress) and frisbee paddles

Britt and Bruce are the first to brave the rapids - brrrrrr

Checking out my ring as it sparkles in the sun

Des has a problem with my banana - I don't see anything wrong with it, do you?!

Bruce relaxing on our own private island

Britt laughing because she was just peeing by Bruce - he didn't appreciate it

Now Des has to go.

Relaxin'

We formed a star around the cooler and gently floated down river

Mike and Bruce ignoring us

 Me so relaxed I could sleep

And for the grand finale....Ryan's newest wakeboarding video (can you tell we're proud of him?)...

Summer is coming to an end and this has been the best September that I can ever remember (ack! We're going to Hawaii in 2 weeks too!)

Ryan Becomes a Board-head

A video of Ryan's attempts to finally become a board-head. We're proud of him for trying so much we had to make him stop so that he could rest his muscles. His endurance paid off and he can get up. We'll be working on staying up longer, but the hard parts over. Good job Ryan!

warning: this is my first attempt at making a video. it is not my intention of making it look fabulous so don't judge too harshly. 

warning: this contains a song Ryan likes to "Just Dance2 " to so turn it up, turn it down, it's up to you. xoxo

Video Clips from the Road Trip

Have Car. Will Travel.

Road Trip 2011 mission completed. Here's a recap of our activities:

Thursday afternoon we left for Seaside, Or where we were going to enjoy the beach and stay the night. We were armed with Road Trip activities like a scavenger hunt, a map of the US so we could find license plates and a book for Ryan.

I was in love as soon as we got to the beach. The weather was great so we were all in high spirits. We had a great ocean front hotel, went to a really nice dinner and walked the beach for awhile.

 

The next day we visited the Seaside Aquarium and fed the seals, stared at some fish, we walked the board walk tried on funny hats, bought salt water taffy and did some people watching.

Then we went to Ecola State Park where we got to play in the sand, look at some tide pools and walk around looking at the sights, like the lighthouse Terrible Tilly.

After that we were off to Cannon Beach to play some more in the sand after eating lunch and checking out Goonie Rock (aka Haystack Rock).

Sadly, we had to leave for a 4 hour drive to Florence, Or where we planned on visiting the sand dunes. On the way we stopped by the Tillamook Cheese Factory to see how cheese is made and, of course, eat some ice cream. We also made some stops along the way to check out the view - it was awesome and the sun was setting so it was even more beautiful.

In Florence, we had a riverside hotel that had a great view of a fireworks display over the casino on the other side.

The Sand Dunes were completed sans camera - not only did I forget it because I was nervous, but I didn't need to break the camera by loading it with sand (which is what would have happened). The sand dunes were more enormous that I could have imagined. Ryan had his own mini-quad and Bruce and I rode together. Bruce, thankfully, was playing it safe, as was Ryan. The sand was very tricky to the eye. It seemed flat and then you were going off a little dune. At one point Bruce almost went off an enormous dune because it just looked like a hill - not a cliff! But he stopped quickly enough that only one wheel was dangling off the edge rather than us getting air and then getting hurt. Water that seemed so far away would suddenly appear right before you and, if you weren't careful, it would suck you in! The best part by far was when Ryan got stuck going up hill and Bruce tried to help by pushing Ryan while Ryan was still on it and Ryan gunned it throwing up dirt higher than Bruce right in his face! I WISH I could have gotten that on film. Hilarious!

After the dunes we were all pretty tired but we ventured on to the Sea Lion Caves. The largest sea lion cave any where. It was pretty cool in the cave big enough for a boat. All the sea lions were outside, though. I thought it was because of the nice weather but apparently it was just that time of year!

Checking things off our list of things to do, we headed to Bandon, Or where we planned on visiting a Wild Animal park. This was by far the most relaxed place we've been. The hotel was quiet and looked like a little town house. The beach was pretty much deserted because of the winds but it was beautiful. We watched Ryan play in the sand for an hour or so and then walked the beach and played on mini-sand dunes.

Early in the morning we went to the animal park. Much to our surprise, there were leopard and cheetah cubs out so we got to pet them! We also got to pet ferrets, weasels, skunks, hedgehogs, ponies, baby goats and more! This was a fun park that was relatively small but we stayed there for hours because it was so neat.

So sad to leave again, we headed a couple hours south to Crescent City, Ca. Ryan was super stoked to go to California, but I'm not quite sure why. I think he just wanted to say he drove to California. We stopped off at Ocean World to pet a shark but had fun looking at the other sea creatures.

I probably wouldn't visit Crescent City again. Not much to do there. We got up early (as we have been doing this whole trip - not on purpose) and we headed to Redwoods National Park to see the Trees of Mystery! Ah Paul Bunyon and Babe, I remember you from my childhood. We walked through the trees, rode on a gondola and ate some fresh fudge. We then drove through a Redwood tree in Klamath. With all our activities done early in the day we wandered around Klamath and stopped at the river wondering what all the people were looking at. Yes, it's a big river, but so the Rogue had a much bigger opening into the ocean and no one stopped there. We walked over and were surprised to see a WHALE in the river. It was swimming in circles. Pretty cool stop.

Then we were headed north again, back to Oregon where we would stop in Cave Junction. It was a beautiful drive and we got to Cave Junction early. Since we were there early we stopped at a Wild Cats park. It was soooo hot but we managed and we saw A LOT of cats. Ryan loves predatory animals (his words).

We played a lot at the pool once we got to the hotel because it was sooo hot (a 40 degree temperature change in one day -52 degrees to 94 degrees!). In the morning we headed to the Oregon Caves. It was pretty cool to go inside the freezing cold caves (year round 44 degrees = frozen toes for me) and then back out into the sun. 

We had to rush to our next adventure. Riding the jet boats through Hell Gate on the Rogue River.

Oh, what fun. But it's not over yet! We have to leave Grants Pass to visit the Oregon Vortex and the House of Mystery in Gold Hill, Or on our way to Crater Lake. This place was creepy. Ryan and Bruce didn't feel anything but I was feeling dizzy and queasy walking around and some spots were definitely worse than others. The vortex has a strong magnetic pull which animals avoid - but we did see some pretty spooked dear running through at one point. If you were standing around relaxed you would start to sway (this is real, I noticed it when reading a magazine and not paying attention!). We appeared to shrink and get taller just by facing different magnetic directions. We went into a crooked house, which wasn't all that amazing except for the magnetic pull was stronger there (in other words, I got sicker) and we got to see some cool magnetic tricks. This was pretty fun for Ryan.

Then off to Crater Lake! I love this place because it's sooo beautiful. We stopped off at many scenic overlooks and hiked down to the lake to relax in our dust. Ryan cannot resist the water. Unfortunately, he fell in. Funny for us. Not so funny for him. It was a refreshing glacial lake on a warm day :)

Our last official stop on the trip is Winston, Or where we visited a Wild Animal Safari park. It was a drive through (of course we went twice) and a little zoo-like area. We got our pictures taken with a grown Cheetah, fed some ducks and enjoyed the animals do their thing.

On our way home we finally hit some traffic but we managed to past the time. We had a great vacation and were sad to see it end.

 Note bumper sticker "Visualize Grilled Cheese" - too funny

 This is how Ryan passed the time.

We almost got every state and, surprisingly most Canadian Provinces. 

The end