The last weekend in August...

Friday and Saturday of last week had blistering temperatures. Yes, 95-100F is blistering for anyone, even me, who prefers the sun over cloud any day. On Saturday afternoon, we headed to the beach along with most of the surrounding population. The drive was slow but the car had a/c so no complaints. The closest beach was packed and had no parking spaces left... let alone grills for BBQ'ing.

We then drove south another 10 miles to another state beach and although it was crowded, there were parking spaces and a few grills open. A dinner of hot-dogs and chips and s'mores was just what we all need to end our last weekend of August. It was 99F at our house and only 69F at the beach:-) The fog started rolling in about 7pm and the temps just dropped after that.

My man:-)

Next weekend is Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. I have really enjoyed this summer since the last two summers were spent in a fog of confusion and sorrow. Here's to an autumn of new beginnings and joy...

Photo Shoot at the Beach

My long time and dear friend Alysun came to visit this past week for a few days. She is gaining notoriety for her photographic work in Oregon and although I don't think she is planning on marketing in California on a permanent basis, we were totally blessed to have her do our shoot.

Once Dan came home from work on Thursday, we headed out to the beach (10 miles away). The weather really was a miracle, because although it routinely is 80-90F in the Bay Area, the coast and the fog remain in the 50-60F range... with no sun. For our photo shoot day, the sunlight was perfect, the winds were calm, and the evening was warm.

Russell kept busy playing in the sand but scampered close by a few times, enough for Alysun's quick shutter lens to capture a few pictures of us together:-)

Thank-you, Alysun, for coming to visit!! Don't worry, I won't ask you to do the infant shots in October... you'll be busy enough with your own infant;-)

By request...

28 weeks, 30 weeks

(trust me, the scale says I'm definitely bigger!)

One thing I dreamed of doing during the season of all our miscarriages was to have a professional photo shoot of maternity pictures. We never did that during my pregnancy with Russell. I guess I learned that you never know what the future will hold. This season of a woman's life is so fleeting and I wanted to have it captured. I've contacted a photographer in the area whose rates are resonable (i.e. less than $300 per sitting). We're still working on the details with that.

In addition to that, my long time (no, not 'old'...) friend, Alysun, is coming to visit next week. She'll be 35+ weeks pregnant by then. What a friend! As a photographer, I'm sure she'll bring her camera as well:-)

This Year's Trip to Pismo Beach

A Visit from the Folks...

My parents drove down from B.C. two weeks ago and stayed with us for 5 days. Russell and I and my parents spent the week doing 'day trips' in the area, from Oakland to Carmel. Fun times!

Russell at the Carmel Mission fountain. I now need to carry more pennies instead of dimes and quarters so he can optimize his 'tossing' into the waters.

My child- the child who tries the hardest to be the least photogenic... Don't expect a Christmas card this year with all of us smiling and sitting pretty. We'll have to PhotoShop Russell into it somehow.

(Yes, there is a white herse in this picture. There was a funeral in the church and we had to wait until it was over to visit inside the building.)

For lunch, we drove to Monterey and ate at our favorite spot on Cannery Row. Usually, we don't visit Monterey at the height of summer so it was busier than I thought it would be. Russell loved the ocean!

Later in the week, we visited 'Filoli Gardens'- a mini-Butchart Gardens, except that this garden was accompanied by a mansion of a residence.

The last day of the week, Dan took the day off and we drove to Treasure Island and then to Oakland, to tour the USS Pontomac- the 'floating White House' that FDR owned in his day...

Once Russell got over his fear of being on the boat, he really enjoyed the experience. We ate Subway and had Ben & Jerry's ice-cream for dessert. This picture was taken before Russell realized I had the camera in my hand.

Thanks for coming to visit, Mom and Dad!

Yeah! 3rd Trimester!

24 weeks, 26 week, 28 weeks

I don't see a huge change in the pictures, but the fact that I only wear these jeans for pictures now confirms that Baby Girl is indeed growing- or at least my waist is!

I love feeling the baby moving inside and it is so reassuring that everything is fine with her. I (thankfully) haven't had the painful & stiff, claw-like hands I had during my gestation with Russell, although I do wake up during the night with my arms experiencing pins & needles if I sleep on either side. I know I'm not really supposed to sleep on my back but it is the only position I can get a good rest.

So far, belly & baby have added 15 lbs to my body- which is healthy. We're eating as many juicy nectarines and B.C. blueberries that we can stomach right now, because the season is short and I'll miss the fruit once the fall comes:-)

A Temporary Farewell

My dear friend and her family are moving to Colorado today. Over the last few weeks, we've tried to squish in a couple last playdates and meals. It's been almost 5 years since we met and through it all, there have been many laughs, tears, and prayers.

We'll miss our friends so much but we know God will make their paths straight in Colorado. Now, I'm really excited to visit over the Christmas break! We were supposed to visit Dan's sisters and their families in CO for Christmas anyway, and visiting our friends will make it that much more special:-)

Stupid Comcast

The ads for our mammoth cable carrier, Comcast, always feature cheezy compaigns like, "everyone loves to save money" and "That's Comcastic!" Yeah. Idiot proof ads.

Here in the States, analogue TV went digital on June 12th. Last week, while relaxing after 14hrs of taking care of my child, I realized that half our channels were snowy. I figured, "some sort of upgrade... give it a few days." As of yesterday, the channels were still snowy. I know you might be thinking, "who watches TV during the summer, anyway??" Well, we do. We are suckers for movies and documentaries. And it's not like we can just take a walk around the block while our child sleeps alone at home.

I called Comcast and told them our problem. So much for help... they said our basic package now only went up to a certain channel, and we'd have to pay $12 more (plus taxes) to get back our other original channels. Not Comcastic. I asked why we should stay with them and if they had any insentive deals. "Not for existing customers," she said. I declined their offer.

The problem is, we are stuck with Comcast (for high-speed internet) and I hate spotty TV reception. Those years are behind me. AT&T doesn't serve internet in our area (near a population center of a few million) because we are out of the 5-mile radius of their internet servers. Grrr.

I don't mind paying the companies their prices when I know there is a contract of what we'll receive. What I don't like is getting stiffed in the deal when the companies decide to change their mind, cut service and add fees. Two years ago when our cell phone contract ended, we decided to get a pay-per-minute plan. Until then, 25% of our bill was fees and 'government' charges.

We may be one of the few backwards people in this high-tech area but that's okay. We're not stuck with $140/month iPhone bills, $150/month Comcast package 'deals,' and certainly not any other tech deal.

And life is still worth living!

63% done already!

Yes, 25 weeks today! I love every kick and sometimes Little Girl wakes me up. Guess I'd better get used to it;-)

Decluttering 1000 sq. ft.

Our place is just over 1000 sq. ft. If you were to discount the two bathrooms and little laundry room, you might be down to 850 sq. ft. So, my question: where does all this clutter come from???

Both the bedrooms have floor to ceiling closets, and there is plenty of built-in bookshelves in the living room- yet, when I look around, I still feel like stuff is seeping out of every crack and cranny. I usually do a donation run every 6-8 weeks to the local thrift store and I've been trying to curtail random Target purchases in an effort to save money and space.

My official mantras, "would I put this is in a moving truck, or not?" and, "if I haven't used it in the last year, get rid of it," work most of the time, but there are a few items that escape this reasoning... 1) camping equipment/sleeping bags, and 2) my fine china.

We used to camp a lot when we lived in San Diego (read: pre-children days). The items are of nice quality so I don't want to get rid of them because we'd like to camp again in the future (maybe another year or more). In regards to my fine china, I collected a few pieces in my teen years and was gifted some when Dan and I married. Most of the pieces were given to me when a great-uncle died and the estate was divided up. I still hope to have a china cabinet one day in the future.

In the mean time, I'll keep stacking items on top of the camping equipment and around the boxes of china. There are always other items that can be given away to make space for newly stored items:-)

My 'Old Fashioned' Side

I love names that have endured time but aren't 'old lady-ish', so in my pursuit for our little girl's name, I decided to read my 25 much loved L.M. Montgomery books again. My Anne books are the most read, so I wanted to start over with the not-so-famililar books, like Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat. These are the only two books in this story line but if the author had decided to do so, I'm sure she could have written many more books about Pat.

Over the past two weeks, I've stayed up too many late nights- but it has been worth it when I enjoy the novels so much and my time doesn't feel wasted like it does when I read modern literature. In between the pages, I get a good cry when Bets dies and I feel the anxiety when Hilary Gordon supposedly gets engaged, and relief when Pat realizes it's not Silver Bush she loves but Hilary.

I'll wait a few more days to start the next novel. I want to ponder the story line a little longer before I slip the books back onto the shelf for another year or more:-)

Signs of Nesting...

- passing along some of Russell's outgrown baby/ toddler clothing to make room for Baby Girl's clothing

- giving Dan the evil-eye any time he mentions moving, even if he is thinking 2-5 years in the future

- trying to figure out how to fit both Russell's twin bed and a crib in the second bedroom... we'll be (hopefully) getting rid of our bedroom set (it attracts dust so badly, anyway), and moving the sofa chair into our room. Ta Da!

- we ordered a brand-new jogging stroller! I looked at the gold-standard, the Bob Revolution, and I just didn't like the short torso space between kiddo's seat and the sun-shade. I found a Baby Jogger online for the price I wanted and the style I wanted (discount because it was the '07/'08 model year). We donated Russell's well-used stroller a little while ago so my conscious is clear with this purchase;-)

- rereading the birthing packet we got from Russell's birth class in '05. I looked at the hospital's birthing classes, and the next one open is November/December. Oh well. In the middle of it all, you forget everything anyway;-)

- reading and rereading the baby name book. We're still convinced we should let the girl name herself...

20wk & 22wk belly photos

I took a few pictures when I was pregnant with Russell, and although I weigh a little less this time, my belly is bigger at the same gestational week-marks. When I finished work at the end of 5 months gestation with Russell, no-one could tell I was pregnant and I wasn't wearing pregnancy shirt. Definitely different this time.

These pictures are from this pregnancy...

20 week belly photo

22 week belly photo

Morning at Coyote Point

Yesterday morning, we met up with two other gals and their children. We visited the Coyote Point Museum. Russell loved the hands-on wind tunnel, complete with foam discs. Once it was time to see the animals (snakes, otter, birds), he lost interest in the playdate and wanted to go back to play with the foam discs. I think we'll take him to the Discovery Muesum in San Jose... it sounds a lot more like his interest level. At least I won't have to waste money on a zoo membership!

On the baby side of things, we're at 22wks, and my appointment this morning was uneventful and reassuring. Baby Girl continues to kick my upper abdomen and sometimes I can feel her arm movements in my lower abdomen. With exception to my continual hunger, I feel great. I keep from lifting too much or vacuuming too long or else I get uncomfortable but other than that, all is well.

Eye on the Prize

I never did well in Physical Education. The best I ever did in my younger years was an 'S' for satisfactory effort, and in later years, a C+, which was more for attendance than anything. I opted out of P.E. in grades 11 & 12 because the last thing I wanted to happen was to be tested with a 'fat' gauge to measure change in physical inches between Day 1 and the end of the year. Couldn't they guess what that would do to a teenage girl's self-esteem? Anyways, the goal for me all those years was June- and the end of PE for another two months.

During this pregnancy, I've kept my eyes on intermediate goals such as 1) strong beta hcg numbers, 2) 6 weeks, when the heartbeat is seen, 3) 9 weeks, the latest gestation date of our miscarriages, 4) 10 weeks, the promotion from RE's office to regular OB, 5) 13 weeks, the beginning of trimester #2. Last week, it was our 20wk milestone of half-way, and the anatomy ultrasound.

It continues to be surreal to be pregnant again and to feel Baby Girl's kicks and tumbling. It is difficult to wait four weeks in between appointments because I'd like someone 'official' reassure me everything is okay but in the meantime, my prayer life and dependency on God's provision carries me day-to-day.

In the past years since having Russell, I've sometimes wandered over to the girls' side of clothing stores but haven't lingered too long unless I'm buying for a friend's daughter. The girls' clothing was just so super-cute, it was hard not to at least look. Last weekend, I needed to drop a few items off at our Thrift Store and so I took the liberty of going inside and checking out the girls' isles. I don't plan on buying too much 0-12 month clothing because Dan's cousin's wife is setting a few bags aside since they have three daughters, but I still just wanted to look for random items that usually aren't given as gifts (coats, shoes, hats).

I was so pleased to find the following winter coat:

The picture doesn't do it justice, but for now, this coat symbolizes my 'eye on the prize' and hope. It will do Baby Girl for next winter (12-18 months) if we spend Christmas up in B.C. And for $1.99, who could pass it up?

A few more details...

I didn't write much yesterday because I was typing in between phone-calls to family, but to answer some questions:

- the ultrasound was scheduled for a one-hour time slot because in order for the doctors to confirm that everything (and I mean everything) is healthy, the technician measures every detail from tip to toe; diameter/ circumference of head, size of brain lobes, the three 'ropes' of the umbilical cord, detailed chambers of the heart (incredible to see all four!), liver, stomach, kidneys, length of arm bones and leg bones, size of feet. Like I said, everything. It didn't help that I drank 16oz of Gatorade water (Propel) before I went to the appointment. It took the technician 20 minutes to measure the head and get what she wanted since Baby Girl wouldn't stop moving.

- all along, Russell's said he's having a baby sister named Lucy (like his pal Jack has). So when I told him yesterday we were having a baby sister, he said, "yes, Mommy. I know." Dan couldn't come to the appointment with me because he was overly swamped at work so I called him with the news afterwards. I think we're both still shell-shocked. The names we (okay, I) picked out were all boys' names. After looking at the girl-end of the Name Book last night, we both agreed to let the child name herself once she got old enough. Seriously, is "Calypso" really a girl's name???

- as far as sleeping arrangements are concerned, we'll have both kids in the same room after three months (or so we hope). The nursery/ room decor I picked for Russell has neutral based tones with African animals on it, so that won't be a problem. (And, yes, Jenn, I'll be hanging up my Raggedy Ann framed cross-stitch!) Since we're renting, our walls continue to be a lovely egg-shell white, and will stay that way. I don't have an artistic bone in my body but even I would paint a wall if I could...

Thank-you for your continued prayers for healthy development and delivery of Baby Girl. The appointment yesterday was only to check on the baby's growth and not to check on the uterine muscle. At this point in pregnancy, every woman's uterine muscle is thinning so they don't measure that.

20 week ultrasound

The ultrasound went smoothly today:-) After about an hour, the technician said, "let's find out the gender." She wove the wand over to the baby's pelvis area and I said, "there's nothing there!" She replied...

"That's because it's a GIRL."

Gymboree, here I come...

"Awww..."

My youngest sister Andrea (19) and her boyfriend Kris (20) make a great couple. She's spending the summer up in Edmonton instead of coming back to Vancouver Island since there are more jobs available in the city and transit is easier (no car insurance, gas, etc.). Kris is the second of four boys and Andrea, the youngest of four girls and an older brother. Kris was cute and took her shopping for a dress for their first year dating-anniversary. I don't know if he'll ever go shopping with a woman again, but both seemed happy with the dress she chose!

I love ya, sis! I still remember the day you were born!

Pink or Blue?

Seven days 'til we find out! I'm praying the baby's legs aren't crossed in utero so we can find out the gender:-) We haven't even started thinking or talking about names but we'll have something picked out by the time the baby is born.

We asked Russell what toys the baby can play with once it is born. He said, "My old cars. And my Elmo car. I'll play with my new cars from Target." I guess a child only says what an adult only thinks! We'll work on sharing in the years to come.

PS- vote on the sidebar for gender!

My Helper

Since the maid quit (ha- ya, I wish!) and I don't always have the energy to actually do the housework, Russell's desire to help out has become, well, helpful:-) He loves the laundry, especially. I turn on the water and he fills up the washer. Later, when the dryer is finished, he is the one to pull everything out and pile it on the couch to be sorted- it saves my back a few extra bends:-)

He is also helpful taking plates off the table and on occasion, setting out the silverware as well.

As Russell grows older, his strong will becomes apparent, and we dislike having to discipline him, so I love the time we spend together when all is calm and sweet- and helpful. Someday, his wife will thank us;-)