Our New Miracle

Today, David and I got to go to what might be our last ultrasound for this baby. We got a few awesome 3D pictures, which I've posted below. We had so much fun getting to see him or her in such detail -- being in the room while a 3D ultrasound is being done is almost like watching an actual video of your baby to be! While we were watching him (or her!), he (or she!) kept making little faces -- smiling, opening his/her mouth, grimacing. It was so awesome to see. David was blown away -- he said that the baby became "real" to him today.

The only way I would get to have another ultrasound is if my doctors decide that they need to do one right at the very end of my pregnancy to get an estimate of how much the baby weighs. The ultrasound tech today said that was a good possibility, considering the baby is already measuring above the 90th percentile is every single category (length, weight, head circumference, abdomen, femur length, etc). He or she already weighs 4 lbs, 3 oz -- whereas the average baby only weighs between 2.75 and 3 pounds. At least this explains why I'm so huge -- although it does not bode well for the next few weeks! I've spend the past few feeling enormous, hot and incredibly uncomfortable...and I'm afraid it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better!

No matter what, it's all worth it. This pregnancy has been so different for me than Sam's was. I've been bigger, busier, and it has seemed to go by much faster. But I've also been able to enjoy it more in a way. Because it's my second time around, I know what to expect -- and I'm able to relax and go with the flow a lot more than the first time. Also, having Sam taught me how bringing a baby into the world expands your life in every direction...so I'm much more excited and less scared. I also don't worry about whether or not I will be able to love this second baby as much as I love Sam -- I just know that he or she will exponentially multiply the joy and love in my life just like Sam did. There is more than enough love to go around, and no such thing as too much...in the words of Shakespeare said, "The more I give to thee, the more I have -- for both are infinite."

Hope you enjoy the photos -- I'll keep ya posted!

Have you ever seen such a beautiful face?

So we're taking bets -- boy or girl??

The ultrasound tech said that he was face up, and every time she pushed the wand down on my stomach, he would get a little tiny dent in the front of his nose!!

Cute cheeks :)

This is a shot of the front of his face...

Just a shot of his nose, lips and chin!

Profile shot

Another front of the face shot

One of his tiny little feet!

Trip to DC

David and I were lucky enough to take a weekend getaway to Washington, D.C. a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to take a trip somewhere for a long weekend to spend some one-on-one time together before Baby #2 arrives, and D.C. seemed like the perfect choice! David had never been, and for someone as die-hard patriotic as he is, that's a real travesty. My mom watched Sam and the dogs for us (yes, again...I know, she's a gem), and we were off for three nights!

We decided early on that we were not there to be crazy, see-it-all tourists. In a city with as much to do as D.C., there is no way you can see it all, and attempting it will just have you more exhausted on the way home from your trip than you were starting out! And besides, I am way too pregnant and it was way too hot for all that! Instead, we took it easy and focused on just being with each other -- anything interesting or notable we saw or did was icing on the cake! We slept late, had breakfast at the hotel every day, and took our time walking (or waddling, in my case) around the monuments, museums and other attractions that make the city great.

We took a hop-on, hop-off bus tour (which was a perfect way to see a lot of the monuments without having to walk the equivalent of a marathon!), and we also toured three of the great museums of the Smithsonian -- Air and Space (a must-see for David), American History and Natural History. We also went to the International Spy Museum (very cool), and had dinner at a couple of fantastic restaurants (I highly recommend Georgia Brown's and Clyde's for anyone planning a visit). David's very favorite thing was seeing the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights at the National Archives -- he even bought copies for us to frame and hang on our office walls at home! I loved just strolling around the gorgeous streets of Georgetown on our last day there.

While we were there, we also got to see some great friends of ours -- the Panters. Jake is David's buddy from Omaha, where they flew the RC-135 together and formed a true, lifelong "bromance." He, his wife Holly and their four daughters (Lydia, Samantha, Nora and Sophie) are now living in northern VA (Jake is at the Pentagon), and we were so lucky to have a chance to spend some time with them! They are a great family, and always such a blast to be around -- we spent about half the visit trying to convince them to move to Florida (the seed is planted in your head, Holly...don't fight it!). At the very least, we're hoping for a visit soon!

The best thing about the trip was purely, simply TIME. David and I are busy people. We both work full-time in a hectic and sometimes stressful career field, we are both in graduate school, and we have a toddler. To add to that wonderful chaos, we are now expecting our second miracle -- who will no doubt fill our lives with more joy, laughter, and (let's be honest) exhaustion! It was wondeful for us to be able to get away and spend some time just strolling and lounging and cuddling and talking -- reminiscing about our past, discussing our dreams for the future or just laughing at nothing at all.

At the end of every day, we would lay in the plush, king-sized bed in our room at the historic Phoenix Park hotel downtown, and David would talk to my belly...whispering things to our unborn baby that sometimes even I could not hear. It filled me with an indescribable feeling. Contentment, I guess -- mixed with joy, love, comfort and gratitude. I married an incredible, loving man. I have a beautiful, intelligent, healthy son. My family lives all around me, and enriches my life in ways I could never explain. We have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, and live in the greatest country on earth. We have built a life that is full of opportunity, adventure and promise. It is more than I deserve...I am lucky, blessed, thankful.

Here are some photos -- hope you enjoy looking at them as much as we enjoyed taking them!

Backyard Playground

My parents decided to give Sam one of those awesome wooden playgrounds for the backyard, and man has he been loving that thing lately! Let me tell you -- they have come a long way from the rickety metal swingsets of my childhood. This thing has not only swings, but a sandbox, slide, rings, a fort (complete with steering wheel and periscope) and a rock wall.

David put it together (with the help of our great neighbor Ryan), and we caught some pictures of his first time playing on it.

PS -- Don't judge me for his crazy outfit. It was morning, so he was still in his pajamas, but he had just eaten breakfast and gotten stuff all over his shirt so I took it off. Socks and shoes were mandatory, especially since our backyard has recently been taken over by fire ants (we're working on it).

So my point is, do not let the outfit distract you from the sweet, happy, earnest adorableness!!!

Iron Man

Phew, that whole "lost camera" thing didn't last long!! Anyway, on to photos!

So someone in this house has been obsessed with Iron Man for quite awhile now (here's a hint -- it isn't me). David decided to buy this "someone" an Iron Man helmet as a present and I (the clueless girl that I apparently am) thought "He'll play with this for five seconds and then lose interest."

Wrong.

He loves that helmet. It's way too big for him -- he looks sort of like a bobblehead in it -- but he puts it on, lowers the visor, screams "IRON MAN!" and pretends to fly around the house in it nonetheless. David says that superheros and helmets and making gun/bomb noises are just boy stuff that I will never fully understand, but I have to say -- it is very cute watching the two of them bond over these things.

Just for fun, David decided to see if he would wear the helmet that he flies in. We told him, "This is Daddy's helmet." He looked at it, looked at David, smiled shyly and said "Dada...Iron Man!" Oh great, now he thinks David is Iron Man...could I fall any further behind in the favorite parent contest?!?! ;)

Lost Camera??

So I come to the computer, all ready to post some recent pictures and share some memories with you, and...WHAT?!?! Where is my camera???? My wonderful, high-tech, expensive camera that David gave me as a gift. Where, where, where?!

So. I've misplaced my camera. Please keep your fingers crossed that it is only misplaced, not... (cue scary music)...lost.

I'll keep you posted...

New Job!!

A quick update for anyone out there still reading -- I got a new job! I am still working for the Florida National Guard, but now I'm serving as the Public Affairs Officer for the 125th Fighter Wing in Jacksonville.

It's a great move for me for a couple of reasons. First, it's more secure -- it's a permanent job, whereas the position I've been in for the past two years was not. Also, it's a sort of promotion, and includes a raise that is big enough to cover the new baby's daycare. Last (but certainly not least), I get to work on the same base as David, which means we'll get to carpool and have lunch together some days!

I started last Monday, and have been working on getting settled in, meeting new people and trying to figure out what exactly it is that I do there! A new job is always a little unnerving for me. I'm a perfectionist and its important to me that people think I'm competent and doing a good job. So whenever I start a new job, I always feel sort of like I'm a fraud -- not really qualified for the position -- and it's only a matter of time until they figure it out! Until then, I guess I'll just have to "fake it until I make it"!

Overall I'm excited -- it's nice to have a change of scenery. I'm not sure if it's my military upbringing or just my nature (or maybe a little bit of both), but I always get some "wanderlust" after a couple of years. I need new challenges, new responsibilities, new coworkers. I was starting to feel a little complacent at my last job -- which is the feeling that precedes burnout for me. So this came at the perfect time.

Anyway, more to come -- there is lots to fill you in about the pregnancy, and photos from my recent trip to DC with David!