2 Peas in 2 Pods

A friend at work is due at the same time I am so we're always comparing stories, bellies, and of course we're both on the countdown to our due dates. Thankfully she's felt better during the last few months because she was horribly sick. Now, she feels great and looks even better!!! Nevermind the fact that she's like a head taller than I am.

A very sweet colleague of ours is always running around with a camera and last week decided we needed our pictures taken. We laughed the entire time she took them and poor Ricardo had to stand there and take it all in.

25 Weeks...almost 26

I'm nearing the 3 month final countdown so of course we're taking more and more pictures. It's going to be very interesting to see my already big belly grow even more.

Long time no see...

After not seeing Lori, Pete or the kids since our wedding in 2006, we thought it was about time to get together again not only with them but with Teresa and Chad and their kids. We had so much fun sitting around talking, watching the kids play on my swing (hehe), and eating. Lori and I both forgot to get our cameras out when we should have so the only pictures of the kids I took are of them either in the background or half asleep. Livie stole the show! The highlight of the day was watching the guys play Wii. Then, Lori got in on the action and challenged Ricardo not once but twice to boxing. Watching the two of them compete was a hoot!!! Pete decided Ricardo needed to practice so he left the Wii at our house over night since they stayed around the corner at a hotel and were coming back today. Needless to say, he practiced for several hours after they left. This morning we went to eat breakfast where Livie showed us her best Darth Vader and then it was back to our house for more Wii. I can't wait to see all of them again really soon. Thankfully we talk on email like 500 times a day or I'd go crazy!

Project Swing!

My two best friends are coming this weekend and between the three of us we have 5 1/2 kids...the 1/2 being ours. hehe. So, I decided to do some things in the yard like get the swing set all set up for the kids to play on. In the spirit of saving money and being green I decided to spend a very little amount of money and re-use some wood I had in the barn to make a swing. The whole project cost us all of $10 and that was just for the rope. I had the varnish, the wood, and the structure was already in place in our yard of course. I think the kids are going to love being able to swing and play all over the yard. And, it held me up so I know it will support a few kids.

The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up!

During the heavy rains we had a few weeks ago, we had some flooding in our yard and street but our neighbors down the street really got hit hard. We knew it was crazy outside when the ducks were swimming down the street!

Bargains at 20 weeks!

We got Alexander's room partially set up before the "incident" with my hand happen and it looks really cute. We got a pretty big area rug at Menard's for $17 which was an awesome deal. The best bargain of all was the crib we found Saturday at a garage sale for $104.The people really did get robbed because it's probably a $400 crib. They were asking $125 and thankfully Mel had a $50 in her pocket and I had $54 soI said, I've got $104 and that's it so basically take it or leave it. I said you can even keep the mattress and the bedding and re-sell it to someone else. The only thing we had to do was clean it up a little and I got some stain and covered a few nicks and scratches...she said it was less than a year old. Looks brand new! Ricardo took some pics of my 20 week belly and of course made me pose with my HUGE finger right in the middle. We measured another 2 inches on the waist since the last pics.

Almost lost a finger!

The weekend did not turn out as planned...I thought it might be fun to try and cut my pinkie off when I was doing dishes Saturday night by shoving my hand into a broken glass unbeknownst me so I ended up in the emergency room and got 8 stitches and now my finger looks like a cucumber. Turns out 8 stitches is quite a lot on a little finger. I prefer typing with both hands!

Handsome...just like his dad!

I just had to post one of the ultrasound pictures of our little guy. You can already see he's going to be so handsome just like his dad!

Daddy's Little "Man"

Today, I sent out a text message to everyone after a doctor’s appointment…
Roses are red, Violets are blue…Ricardo wears blue and the baby will too!!!

16 weeks and growing and growing...

I trusted Ricardo to take a few pics of me yesterday on my 16th week. Thankfully he was successful and they turned out really good. My belly is 39 inches around right now but thankfully that's the only place it is...well, that and in the chest. EEK! So, to recap, in the last 16 weeks, my waist has grown over 10 inches. WOW! The second trimester is a lot easier on the body in my opinion. I'm not hungry like I was at first and I'm able to eat normally aside from a few extra calories here and there and I feel great so my 5 day a week exercise routine is back in full force. I'm even able to mow the yard in record time. Yesterday Mel and I played Frisbee in the afternoon so needless to say I'm staying as active as possible. Admittedly, my patience and tolerance levels are getting less and less. They weren't that great before but now they're over the top short. I told Ricardo yesterday that he was warned well in advance that this could be a very bad side effect!!! hehe

Ricardo and Fernando

Last year Ricardo and I had the privledge of going to Venezuela and seeing his Godson Fernando. We went to mass where Ricardo baptised him and officially became his Godfather. Well, this year he was able to see him again and I couldn't believe how much he had grown. I included one pic from last year so everyone could see how big he is and how cute!

New Fence

I finally got around to taking pics of the new fence we had installed. Thankfully, the yard is nice and green and finally filling in where the posts were dug. Of course, I'm going to help it along with some weed n' feed and grass seed. I also threw in a pic of the gazebo for those of you who didn't get a chance to see it last summer. We finally got the top put on it today. Enjoy!

Our First Ultrasound of Baby G!

Today we had our first ultrasound to check for Downs Syndrome and make sure the baby was progressing as planned. Many people opt not to have this test because it won't impact their decision to keep the baby or terminate. Of course, termination was never an option but there's something to be said for preparation. Well, the testing went great and the baby was absolutely perfect. The technician said she was so cooperative with her (I say it's a girl) positioning that the pics she was able to take were just great. The baby flexed like she was showing muscles, stretched, and sucked her thumb. It was the cutest thing. Ricardo said "he" was just showing daddy he was strong when he flexed. hehe. We both just looked at it in amazement. We didn't cry because we both smiled from ear to ear the entire time. I said, it's absolutely amazing to see that you actually have something in there. *Bonus for me...the technician was impressed that I was able to sit up off of the table without help. I said, the ab-roller does pay off. And, the doctor asked me how old I was because he wasn't really involved in the process and when I told him he said wow, I thought you were like 21. Um, I really liked him a lot!!!

Celebrating 10 weeks in Vegas...

Ricardo took a 10 week photo of my belly in Vegas one evening before we went out to eat. Yes, it's growing...and growing, and growing, and growing.

Vegas...warm, warm Vegas!

We just got back from Vegas where Ricardo competed in his second tournament this year. He did really well but got the bad luck of the draw and ended up having to go first and compete against third in the world. Later, that guy ended up getting beat by an up and coming competitor. We were all shocked. Ricardo's friend Antonio won the forms division overall and we were totally excited. He's second in the world so it was great being able to watch him compete again and Ricardo enjoyed being able to spend some time with his friends from Venezuela. We spent the weekend at the pool, walking around with dad and Peggy, ordering room service, shopping, and eating at buffets. We rode the gondola at the Venetian which was really nice. Anything is nice when it's sunny and 75 degrees! Dad and Peggy bought the baby a mat for the floor with animals on it and we got a mobile and 2 stuffed animals. I wish we had an FAO Schwartz here! Of course, that was right after Dad and Ricardo decided to act as if they were trying to grope the mannequins in a window. NICE!

We totally enjoyed the time away and can't wait to go back next year when the baby is here. We took notes watching all of the parents with kids and have decided on many things we will and will not do when traveling with an infant that's for sure. We were sad to leave the nice weather. When we left Vegas at 11 pm it was at least 65 degrees. Yesterday it was over 80 and when we arrived in Indy it was 39. YIKES! Put it this way, I have a horrible sunburn and it feels great. Can we go back???

9 weeks and counting

So today is my 9 week mark. That picture from week 6 doesn't do anything justice now. I can't believe how fast your belly starts pooching out. Ricardo thinks it's the coolest thing in the world to see my stomach getting bigger. He just lights up everytime he touches it...I think it's sweet. I still haven't had any morning sickness but I'm naseous a lot and smells sometimes take me over the edge but I can't complain (too much, hehe). Next week we'll be traveling to Las Vegas so Ricardo can compete in his second karate tournament this year. We're really excited to see what Vegas brings since he got a silver in the Ohio tournament a few weeks ago. Next month he'll be competing with the Venezuelan National Team in Venezuela...we'll see if he can get National Championship #5 under his belt.