8 Months & Catching Up

I'm 8 months along today...still can't believe that only 4 weeks (if that!) remain of this pregnancy! Here's a picture to prove my hugeness:

Want to see something scary? Here's a picture of me when I was 8 months pregnant with my Peanut, almost three years ago:

Hubby and I notice a, well, large difference. Can't you?! Well, my midwife confirmed my feelings of being large at last week's appointment. I was 35 weeks and was measuring 40 weeks! So, she sent me for an ultrasound to see if the size difference was due to lots of fluid or lots of baby. The result: amniotic fluid level = normal; baby size = possibly big boy. I'm still trying not to panic and praying that God makes this kid come a bit early so he's not absolutely ginormous! :o)

On a different note: We took Peanut fishing for the first time last week. She was really into it for the first 10 minutes or so...then she found other things to keep herself busy, such as rocks, sticks, and emptying out her Daddy's bait jacket (which he greatly appreciated!). The highlight was catching her first fish with Daddy...too cute for words. :o)

Summertime Fun with the Girls!

We are back! Peanut and I spent a day or two down in Rehoboth Beach, DE with the girls from our church small group...and it turned out to be such a fun time! The weather was wonderful, with low humidity, so I was able to breathe! :o) We spent most of Wednesday on the beach, and both children who were there actually took naps on the beach (completely not expected by us mommies). How nice to just sit in the sun and then wet my swollen, block-looking feet in the cold, cold water. Thanks, ladies, for a great time...it was much-needed!

Summer Vacation 2008

Whew! What a weekend!

About a month or so ago, Hubby and I decided to plan a mini-vacation weekend before the baby comes. We wanted to take our Peanut to some special places for her to enjoy before 1) I got too large to walk a lot, and 2) before her brother would be born so that it's special just for her.

The weekend started on Friday afternoon when we took off for Baltimore to take in an Orioles game (my Hubby's fav baseball team).

Of course, the evening wasn't complete in Peanut's eyes without seeing the Orioles bird and getting a picture with him...but when I finally chased him down (yes, I ran through the ballpark carrying my 30-pound two year old and my almost eight-month pregnant belly to get a hold of that darn bird) my daughter had a bit of stage fright (notice her keeping a firm hold on my shirt), so I ended up in the picture.

We trudged back to our hotel room (within walking distance of the ballpark...nice!) and finally got to bed around 11pm, which is SUPER late for Peanut's normal 8:30 bedtime. Of course, God worked it all out, and the three of us slept really well...until almost 9am the next morning! Can you believe it?! Hubby and I knew that was a once-in-a-lifetime happening (well, at least when you have kids), and we were just excited that we got to sleep in until that time. :o)

So, we packed up our clothing, got snacks together, and took off to the Maryland Zoo of Baltimore. Peanut has been asked for months for us to take her to a big zoo, and so we surprised her.

The zoo was in need of some maintenance and an upgrade (hence the missing "o" from the word "zoo" in the first picture), but it was so cool to see lots of animals, especially the almost three-month-old baby elephant named Samson. (Sooo cute!) Danae got to feed a giraffe, brush a few goats, and leave happy. The zoo was definitely not as enormous as Philadelphia or others that we know of, but it was just the right size for a two year old to last a couple of hours.

We headed home Saturday afternoon, got home, and the three of us napped until almost 6pm! Oh, glorious naps...don't ever underestimate the power of a good mid-day sleep! :o)

Sunday brought church and another after lunch nap. (YES!) Afterward, we decided to go see Hubby's brother and wife for a little bit and then head to Chocolate World at Hershey Park. Peanut is too little to ride most of the rides or even last a day at Hershey Park, but Chocolate World is a different story. First, parking is free for the first two hours, and second, it's free to get in, see things, and even ride the Hershey history tour ride. PLUS, you get a FREE piece of chocolate at the end...oooh, so worth it.

Ha...you wish this was the free piece of chocolate.

Overall, our much-needed getaway/Father's Day weekend was tons of fun for all three of us and full of lasting memories...exactly what we wanted. :o) To see more pictures, click on "Our Online Albums" to the left.

Have a happy week, and Peanut and I will be back...after we take in a couple of days at the beach with my church small group girls. :o)

Danae-isms, Round 3

Here's a third helping of some of the things Danae has said to us in the past few weeks/months...we continue to laugh our pants off. :o)


1) Daddy takes Peanut to the potty. This bathroom happens to have a urinal...Peanut's first encounter with one.
Danae: Hey Daddy, what's that on the wall?
Daddy: Oh, umm...that's a potty for Daddy's to use.
Danae: Oh...You fit in there?!


2) I'm trying on clothes in an attempt to find some type of summer clothing that actually covers the watermelon I'm carrying.
Danae: Are you trying on clothes, Mama?
Me: Yup...Mommy can't find anything that fits, though.
Danae: (after I put on a nice skirt and shirt that DO fit): Oooh, Mommy...that fits! That looks good!
She then proceeds to another room where Daddy is, and, standing at the doorway: Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting...my Mommy!


3) The three of us are outside, playing in Peanut's little plastic pool. After lots of splashing and games, Daddy dumps the water out...on top of me.
Danae: No, Daddy-O! Leave my best friend Mommy alone!


Enjoy the weekend, and we'll be back...with pictures from the NEW new camera that arrived yesterday. :o)

THE HEAT IS ON!

Wow...If you live in the Northeast, all I have to say is air-conditioning!!! Or, go to the mall if you don't have it, because it is unbreatheably HOT out there. (I think I just made up a new word.) :o) We were out for about 1 hour this morning, and I felt like I was going to pass out. Nevermind that I am carrying a person inside of me...humidity like this can't be good for anyone.

Well, that's about all the post you're going to get from me today. Sadly, our new camera was not functioning correctly and had to be returned. :o( Hopefully the replacement will be here within a week, and I can continue to share photos with you all. For now, we are going to move my office to the basement, paint a bedroom, and work on moving our Peanut's room over to the newly painted room. Thank you, Lord, for a cooled down house!

An Update

Seven months down, two to go!

I really am floored by how quickly this pregnancy is going by. God always knows what we need, and I'm certain he's helping this pregnancy along at a quicker rate. :o) Now if He can only make this summer a little cooler and less humid, my feet a little less Flintstone-looking, the allergy attacks non-existent, and my mood swings a bit less swingy-er, we'd be set! HA! No, but seriously, I really can't complain. I've had minor aches and no major problems with this one, and I know of women who have gone (or are going through!) much worse things in their pregnancies than I am...so, the complaining shall cease.

Our Peanut seems to continue to love her baby brother, even though he's still in-utero. (We'll see what happens when the little screamer keeps her up at night, right?) She daily says hi to him, kisses him (well, my belly), and includes him in talks, prayers, and just about everything. It's too cute for words and definitely brightens my mood each day. Her choice of a name (Trash Gordon...yes, the man from Sesame Street) is still not on our list, though she says she is going to call him that. We've run many names by her and had her say them out loud, but Trash Gordon seems to reign in her 2-year-old mind. :o)

Speaking of our little trooper: A few days ago, we went for a short, slow walk around the block. While walking, Danae fell on the sidewalk and scraped both knees. Her Daddy scooping her up and carrying her the rest of the way and only about 30 seconds of crying seemed to make the pain go away. When I noticed the blood trickling down both knees, I told Danae that I'd take care of them when we got home...to which she responded in the sweetest voice, "It's okay, Mama...I'm gonna be okay." How I didn't burst into tears on the spot I'll never know.