Colorado

     We are back from Colorado!  It was a long, fun trip so this might get a little long.  We left on Friday and Adrian did really well in the car.  He got sick of it towards the end but we got to Westminster by 5:00.  So we found a Chinese restaurant and ate there.  It was pretty good, I loved their egg rolls.  We swam in the pool, but it was too cold for Matt so we didn't stay long.

     On Saturday we made our way to Gold Hill, Colorado for the wedding of our friend Ruth.  It was a beautiful ride on the way up, albeit scary because we were right on the edge for part of it, nothing between us and a long drop down the cliff.  Matt loved the drive of course, he was entertained while I was freaking out.  On the way up Adrian was babbling a lot and saying mama and dada.  So I asked "Adrian, who is prettier, mama or dada?" and he said "dada dada" so obviously the child was very confused.

     The wedding was very nice and they wrote their own vows.  I only heard his but they were lovely.  We couldn't even get through dinner before Adrian wet his clothes.  I wish I got a picture of him in his outfit, but it's the same thing he wore on fathers day.  We had to leave early because Adrian got cranky.  We stopped at a mall on the way back but it was less impressive when we walked in.  Besides Nordstrom and Macy's they had all the same stores as we have at home.  We got a onesie for Adrian with a little tie attached but that was it.

     We got Chick-fil-a and relaxed in the hotel before heading to the Irish pub for the after party.  I had planned on staying in the hotel with Adrian but decided to try going.  We didn't get to stay long but we still had fun.

     On Sunday we went to a restaurant called "Woody's Pizza" in Golden.  It's a really pretty, perfect looking town.  Matt really wanted to go because he went there in college during a Campus Crusade for Christ trip called the Denver Christmas Conference.  I didn't get the big deal.  Adrian ate black olives and mushrooms and then he repeatedly threw his toys down.

     Adrian needed a nap so we stopped at our second hotel in Colorado Springs, which was pretty crappy compared to the last one.  I got a really good deal though. We went to Garden of the Gods but it was so hot and we didn't have drinks.  I didn't last very long.  I don't think I'm a great traveler once we get out of the car.  We went to Baskin Robbins because I haven't gone since I was a kid.  I got some vanilla ice cream for Adrian and he loved it.  I got the bubblegum flavor because I'm 5 and that's what I always used to get. Of course we both ended up very sticky. We ordered pizza and Adrian passed out by 7:00.  He fought sleep for a little while and would sit up with his eyes half closed, wobbling around.  Matt kept joking "go home Adrian, you're drunk." Finally he gave in and he was out for the night.

     On Monday we visited my Grandma and had lunch at her house.  She made enchiladas and they were delicious!  She is the one who taught my mom how to make them.  Adrian ate rice and cheese.  They had a high chair for him to sit in, which was great.  The last time I saw her was 5 years ago, when we had a family reunion.  She lives with her daughter, who came for lunch too.  We got some pictures with her.  I don't think I have any other pictures with her since I was a baby, but I could be wrong.

You can see giraffes if you look hard enough

So cooperative

Not to impressed by the real-life Gary. (his toy giraffe)

     We stayed for a few hours and then went to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.  It was beautiful, and we got to see Giraffes, a moose, hippos and elephants up close which doesn't happen at our zoo.  You can feed the giraffes if you want.  I also heard a hippo, have you ever heard a hippo?  It sounds like a very deep maniacal laugh; it's awesome.  It was nice to have a different scenery at a zoo, since I've gone to the same one for 14 years now.  Even if Henry Doorly is the 2nd best, it's still nice to see other places.  I tried to point out all the animals to Adrian but the only one that really caught his attention was a pot bellied pig.  Seriously.

     On our last day we went to Carter's because I miss having a Carter's near me and got some really good deals.  Adrian is going to have such adorable clothes this fall!  Finally we went home and I think we were all glad to be done with the trip.

28 weeks/Mother's Day

I’m in my third Trimester!  I’m pretty sure my body knows that all-of-a-sudden and has decided that 2nd trimester bliss is over.  Let’s do a survey:

How far along? 28 weeks and 2 days technically

Total weight gain: 12 pounds; about half of what they say I should have gained, but I eat all the time so I have no idea why it’s not more.

Maternity clothes?  I can’t wear my long work pants anymore because walking in heels is torture.  So I really have to get short people maternity pants.  I got two dresses from Old Navy but they need to be hemmed and I am SO lazy.

Best pregnancy moment this week: When Matt asked if babies like to cuddle with their dads too J  He’s going to be such a good daddy.

Miss Anything? my figure, but I’m sure it’ll come back by next year.  And I only miss it when I see other girls in super cute dresses with little waists.

Movement: He’s getting strong.  Sometimes it’s enough to make me grab my belly and say “whoa!”

Food cravings: nothing specific.

Food aversions: Fast food just doesn’t do it for me anymore.  Maybe if they hadn’t gotten rid of chicken fries, it would be different.

Gender: Boy!

Symptoms:  Shortness of breath (probably worsened by my lack of a torso) and sometimes by the end of the night my belly will just start to feel really heavy.  Oh and Matt tried to watch Xmen last week.  He got through about 5 minutes but changed the channel when I started bawling because the beginning is during the holocaust and magneto is being taken away from his parents.

Looking forward to: Our anatomy scan on Thursday!  We get a long ultrasound and a really good look at him.  We might get some 4D pictures, cross your fingers.

     Matt told me that sometimes he will wake up in the middle of the night and put his hand on my belly.  The other night he felt huge movements (either a bottom or a head) and said it kind of freaks him out because that was only the second time he felt that.  He said “to you it’s like ‘wow, I’m creating a life!’ to me it’s like ‘what the hell are you doing to my wife?’”

     Yesterday my in-laws were working on the townhouse so we stopped by and brought her Mother’s Day cards. Then we got food and hung out until Matt had to go to work.  I haven’t seen him a whole lot this week because when he does have time off, he works at the townhouse.  There’s nothing for me to do there yet and there’s all kinds of fumes from staining wood and painting.  So I really miss him and even though I tried really hard not to, I sobbed when he started leaving for work.  I’m sure it made going to work even worse for him, but at least he knows he’s loved I guess.

     I bought some pink impatients for my mom’s porch and headed to my parent’s house for a mother’s day barbecue.  I got a few pictures of the kids and Sophie.

Also, Matt got me flowers :)

Half Baked

I am 20 weeks pregnant!  Baby is half baked, but not in the naughty way. 

I feel constant movement, the other night Matt had his hand on my belly and the baby was so active, he just kept kicking and flipping or something.  I can’t tell what he is doing but it’s getting stronger and more frequent all the time.  To me a lot of the movement feels like muscle twitches.  Those movements can get kind of annoying, I’m ashamed to admit. 

We have had such beautiful weather lately.  I can’t wait until the baby can see the sunshine and smell the rain.  The weather makes me want to open up all my windows and let the fresh air in and get my house sparkly clean. 

I love the pastel colors that come with Easter.  Matt doesn’t like Easter decorations because they take the focus away from Jesus.  So I’ll have to make do with some pretty sweets and maybe a wreath. I’ve seen some yarn wreaths people have been making, so I bought some yarn and felt this weekend to make my own.  Here is some of my inspiration:

 I started my wreath and finished the fabric canvas project I started a couple months ago.  I'm making progress on the blanket too!  

     On Friday we had a surprise birthday dinner for our friend Katie.  It was at a sushi place so we had chinese food first, which was delicious.  Well Katie was mad at her boyfriend all day because he had told her he made plans too late and no one could come.  So she was very happy to see us waiting for her when she walked in.  I'll never go back though, the hostess looked 16 and she was a total snob. Most of the staff seemed stuck up.  After dinner we hung out with Bart and some of his friends.  

     I was a little disappointed that everyone seemed to be going out on saturday and we were "stuck" at home.  I would have been miserable at a crowded bar though, it's not like I was missing anything.  I worked on my wreath while Matt played video games.  Today I went to the park with my mom and Caroline, who got tired after about 15 minutes.  It was hot though, I was glad to sit in the shade at my parents house instead while Coco played.  I really need some summer clothes.

• How far along? 20 weeks
• Total weight gain: We finally got a scale!  I gained 2 pounds since february 28th.  With the way I've been eating, weight gain wont be a problem.
• Maternity clothes?  I need shorts!  I'm wearing mostly maternity clothes or empire waist clothes now.  
• Best moment this week:  Enjoying the gorgeous weather! 
• Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back, not having a backache
• Movement: She's a little mover and shaker.  If only I could identify some of the movements.
• Food cravings: BLTs, pancakes
• Food aversions: Nada!
• Gender: 10 days!  I'm so excited for either gender.
• Symptoms: Just my back, I imagine it will get a lot worse but it's all worth it.
• Belly Button in or out? I imagine it will be out within a month
• Looking forward to: March 28th!  

Conversations With Dorks (and 18 weeks)

• How far along? 18 weeks
• Total weight gain: 1.67 pounds in the past 4 weeks.  Not too impressive.
• Maternity clothes?  Most of my shirts are starting to get short, so I’ll probably start wearing a lot more soon.  I just have to force myself to go buy maternity jeans.  Jeans shopping is no fun.
• Best moment this week: my sister got married but I didn't get a picture of her so I have to steal one from my parents camera before I post about it. Also, Discovering the mecca that is the Dillards Outlet store in Council Bluffs.  Seriously, we bought Matt 4 pairs of dress pants and a dress shirt for $100.  Normally you can't even get two nice pairs of pants for that amount.  The only thing they lacked was baby and maternity clothes :(                                                 
• Miss Anything? Raging rooster pizza from Extreme Pizza.  MMMM.
• Movement: Lots!  But normally when I try to feel it on the outside it stops. 
• Food aversions: Getting better.
• Gender: We find out March 28^th!  Hopefully baby cooperates, cross your fingers.
• Symptoms: I’m feeling well actually, I just can’t eat too much at one time.
• Looking forward to: March 28^th, and picking out fabric for baby’s curtains and bed skirt.

     We had another appointment on Wednesday and everything looks good.  Baby’s heartbeat was 148 bpm.  These appointments are so short, there’s really nothing to tell.  Although Matt complained of feeling left out afterwards because no one ever asks how he is feeling or if he has any cravings, lol  I told him they will include him when they ask if he wants to cut the umbilical cord.  Poor Matt.

     

     The other day I turned Buffy the Vampire Slayer on and picked a random episode from the last season.  That’s a lie, I chose a really cool episode (where Buffy meets the dudes that created the slayer) in the hopes that Matt would get into it.  Matt was sitting next to me on his laptop computer but got up to move. 

Me: You can’t even sit next to me while Buffy is on?

Matt: Nope.

Me: Why not?

Matt: I don’t like Buffy.

Me: Well you never really gave it a chance; you just decided you hated it from the beginning. 

Matt: That’s not true; I watched it and I didn’t like it.

Me: Didn’t you say it would be a deal breaker if I hated Star Wars?

Matt: Yeah I couldn’t have married you if you didn’t like Star Wars.

Me: Well Buffy is my Star Wars; I love Buffy as much as you love Star Wars.

Matt: Oh, I didn’t know that, I understand now.

Then he sat next to me and put his headphones on. I think I’ll either watch Buffy or Gilmore Girls while I’m in labor all day, I bet Matt would LOVE that. 

I will not apologize for my fanatic loyalty to Buffy.  We all have our issues.