Memorial Day 2008

I know this post is WAY behind but my USB cord broke =(...anyhow- this is how we spent our WONDERFUL Memorial Day Honoring those who have fought in and for our country!!!

First we went to the beach for the first time with some friends. Unfortunately it was VERY windy and cold!!! Brady had a fun time with his little friends and got buried in the sand. They played Frsibee and Baseball with the Daddies and I was content sitting my bigt belly on my beach blanket the WHOLE time!

Next we headed to a little playground and had a picnic, which was followed by this small but fun parade!!!

Bagpipers- how cool! I loved the music!!! (and the kilts!!!)

The KORA Shriner's were a big part of the parade and all these old men were racing around in these little go-carts! It was hilarious- and they were pretty darn good!!!

I really liked this "Hot Rod!!!"

Stretch Hummer- How'd you like to drive that and FILL that with gas?!

Yeah- I thought this tractor was "sexy!!!"

These ladies were pretty darn cute!!! "When I grow old I will wear red and purple!!!"

NEXT STOP: Mini-golfing! This was probably the highlight of our day! Brady LOVES mini-golfing and just couldn't wait to go! He asks me EVERY day if we can play again!!! He started the game out with a bang- beating me and Chris!!! He even got a hole in one! But, at the end of it all his luck had worn off and Chris and I actually ended up tying!!!

PIRATE'S COVE: O.O.B., Maine

That's one happy little golfer!!!

After a crash course from Daddy he was set to go!!! "No more helping!" He would say!!!

ENTERING THE CAVE......

Inside the cave! Daddy had a hard time at this hole!!! (Mommy got it in 2 by the way....hehehe)

"Hey! Who took my ball?" Brady tries despertaely to retrieve his ball at the last hole!!!

All's well that end's well!!! (sorry, I couldn't resist the pun!) Brady was fine as soon as he understood that the last hole "takes everyone's ball" and that he could watch them fly out the pipe into the wishing well!!

Dinner by the sea: FIRST seafood of the year (and the last?!)

Okay, we enjoy a good basket of nice New England clams and shrimp every once and a while- but after emptying out pockets AND getting a gut ache and dry mouth I've decided that I can not only BUY but also MAKE much better seafood at home!!! It was fun while it lasted though- and brady even liked the clams and shrimp- a small miracle we ask?!

yummy GREASY onion ring! Yeah- not worth those calories!!!



And that was the end of our wonderful day!!! It was great to have chris home from work and spend some time as a family! When we got home we unloaded all of the beach stuff, coolers, etc. and headed in (thanks to a timely rain shower!) We spent the rest of the evening playing games and chillin' out. Oh, and we splurged a little later on some red hot dogs on the grill- definately shouldn't have eaten those!!!

8 months 3 weeks (34 weeks) !!!!!

Current Craving: I can't say that I am craving any one thing- I just really like to eat GOOD food! I must admit though that my craving for sweet things has returned BUT I am still doing GREAT with my green smoothies and healthy eating!!!!

Current Gripe: Definately hvaing to pee almost CONSTANTLY- like every 15-20 mins!!! I'm not even kidding! And waking up at night to pee is definately annoying but I guess it trains you for those middle of the night feedings!!!

Current Joy: I got a couple little outfits at a yard sale this past weekend and I'm sooooo excited to dress Olivia and put little bows and headbands in her hair! This is going to be a whole new experience for a mom with a little boy who is "all boy!" The cutest thing I get to do with him is stick a Red Sox hat on his head!!!

Current Weight Gain: I am up to 24 lbs. this week. I feel great though and have been very consistently gaining 2 lbs. per week like you're supposed to so I'm excited that I've been able to maintain healthy weight gain and hope that I will have an easier time losing the baby weight after this pregnancy than last time.

How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

How your life's changing: By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.

8 1/2 months (33 weeks) !!!!

Current Craving: I'm "redifining" food in my life and learning as much as possible about health and nutrition for myself and my family so I've been doing great. I actually haven't had ANY cravings this week and suprisingly the "green smoothies" I've been having for breakfast or lunch (once a day) have been sustaining me! I tried a new watermelon recipe: 5 C. watermelon, 1 C. frozen strawberries, 2 C. baby spinach, 2 T. flax seed, and blend! YUM! Brady loved it too!

Current Gripe: Uncomfortable! I have to watch what I eat. Chris and I ate our first seafood of the season and may I say it will be my last that I eat fried and purchased at a restaurant. I can buy it cheaper and make it better and healthier myself! I had indigiestion and cottonmouth (and so did Chris) the whole night! What a great opportunity to talk with Chris about how food really does affect our bodies though! Maybe I'll reel him around to the importance of nutrition at some point! (Oh, and he DID try the green smoothie and liked it- just requested that I add ingredients to his that make it another color!)

Current Joy: Oh, I'm just feeling happy and excited about having our little Olivia! I can't believe that she will be here so soon! Another little sweet smelling bundle to cuddle with =)

Current Weight Gain: I am very proud to say that I am still at 22lbs. weight gain!

How your baby's growing:This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

"Super Power" Green Smoothie

Okay, some of you are going to think I'm crazy but I have always been interested in health/the environment etc. and try to expand my personal knowledge on these subjects and incorporate as much as I can into my life. With that said, I have been trying to come up with some alternative meal ideas- specifically for breakfast- because I always feel lousy in the morning and NEED A HEALTHY PICK-ME-UP!!!

I have done soy protein shakes in the past combined with soy milk and frozen berries but that gets VERY expensive and we're definately trying to be budget consciouss...so I did some browsing on the internet and found GREEN SMOOTHIES! At first the idea is VERY unappealing: who wants to drink a combination of fruit and veggies? Well, let me tell you- Brady and I made up a shake today and it was good!!! For anyone interested in learning more I found a great site: www.greensmoothiegirl.com (let me know if you make one and tell me what you think!)

I'm definately going to incorporate this into my life as much as possible (at least for me and Brady b/c I don't think Chris will jump on this bandwagon!)

There are so many benefits of these "smoothies" because you're getting TONS of veggies and only taste the fruit. I am chronically anemic and being able to get so much FRESH, RAW leafy greens will really help with that!!!

Here's the "recipe" Brady and I made:

2 bananas
1 apple
1 C. frozen strawberries
5 C. baby spinach
2 C. baby romaine
2 T. ground flax seed
3/4 C. water

First blend apples and bananas w/ 1/4 C. water (I'm going to have to get a better blender for this because it took a while and I had to keep stirring it) Then add greens. Blend. Flax seed. The rest of the Water. Enjoy!

Brady called it his "Super Power" smoothie and drank about 1/2 C. of it. This is in place of a meal (lunch) which I would also pair some other veggies or a small "snack" like a pita and hummus etc with it.

I think I'm going to continue a weekly post with health tips and good/healthy/filling "snacks," meal ideas etc. So, if anyone is ACTUALLY interested in this stuff, let me know or I won't waste my time "blabbing" about things no one else cares about!!!

Why the Green Smoothie...

Can you count with your children how many wild animals live on greens alone? Buck, zebra, elephants, hippo, giraffes, apes – the list is endless!

Greens nourish every cell in your body-brain. I blend a quart of Green Smoothie daily.
We humans are losing our connection with Green. Truly we need to GoGreen in our diet. A chlorophyll molecule (the green in leaves) differs from a human blood molecule by only one atom. The late Dr Jensen proved in The Healing Power of Chlorophyll that if you're anemic or tired, Green Smoothies will quickly raise your red blood cell count.

The core atom in Green Smoothie is magnesium (in human blood it's iron). Cravings are often a sign of magnesium deficiency. Green Smoothies are the best food to end your addiction to cakes, cookies and chocolate. When your body gets the nutrients it needs, cravings go. Green Smoothies are rich in alkaline minerals like calcium. The high-calcium greens are the fibrous ones such as dandelion, kale and collard. Wherever there's a hard shell – as in teeth, bone, or tough-to-chew greens – you will find calcium.

Believe it or not, Green Smoothies are a good source of Omega-3 unsaturated fat. Green leaves are the plant’s food factory where all these nutrients are made. Blend a LOT of greens into a Smoothie, rather than kill the fish in the sea. Fish oil is NOT a good source of Omega-3. Green leaves and flax seeds are far better.
Some greens are high in oxalic acid which binds with calcium to form calcium oxalate, an insoluble salt. Add these to a Green Smoothie for variety, but do NOT make an entire Smoothie out of them. They are, beet leaves, spinach, Swiss chard, parsley. Baby spinach is fine to eat in quantity.

LOW in oxalic acid and good to eat in Green Smoothies are: dandelion greens and kale (more calcium than dairy), lettuce, celery, watercress, escarole, mustard greens, turnip greens, carrot tops, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, and most other greens. Alfalfa is rich in minerals and trace elements – its roots grow more than 100 feet deep – and it has all essential amino acids and all known vitamins.

Green Smoothies are a perfect food for children of all ages, including babies when introducing new food after mother's milk. Be careful and slowly increase the amount of smoothies to avoid food allergies.
How does an elephant get her protein? She weighs 3,000 pounds! How does a gorilla get hers? She can bench-press 4,000 lbs! From eating green leaves.

Did you know, this is the best-kept secret in the capitalized world? That the richest source of protein for humans is green leaves? Leaf protein is easy to digest, easily assimilated into the tissues, and has none of the harmful side effects of flesh protein.

Add a sulfur green often to your Green Smoothies – all the cruciferous vegetables are sulfur-rich. That’s any plant of the Mustard family – broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese celery, collard, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, radish, rutabaga, turnip, and watercress.

For fruit in your Green Smoothie, enjoy apples, pears, bananas, oranges, papaya, and all the summer fruits. Strawberries and raspberries taste good in Green Smoothie when combined with ripe banana.
Watermelon is perfect, so sweet and quick to blend with greens into a Smoothie.

Here's my basic Green Smoothie Recipe:
2-3 sweet fruits, e.g. apple or pear – blend first to form your blending base
1-2 vegetable fruits and/or a celery stalk added next (zucchini, cucumbers also good)
5+ Cups pre-washed greens

(I have a TON of other recipes if anyone is interested, let me know! =)

Temple Trip/Jordan's Furniture Store/Bean Town

Chris and I went down with some good friends, Jared and Tyneal Mulliner to the Boston Temple. It was so beautiful there with all of the flowers in bloom and it was nice getting back to the temple. I love that it's a familar place to me and that I don't feel uncomfortable anymore or unsure about what to do. Tyneal and I are both expecting (she is a week ahead of me) so it's been a lot of fun comparing pregancies and looking forward to the births of our little girls!

Tyneal 33 weeks- Me 32 weeks!!!

"Raegan" & "Olivia"

The Watershow

Jared & Chris

" The Green Monster"- The Red Sox Mascott- if you look carefully you can see he's holding a Yankee player in his mitt!!! We tried to get a close-up but it was moving and was too blurry!

The Trapeze School- you can sit there and eat your ice cream, watch the water show and watch people learn how to do the trapeze!!! How cool is that?! And all for FREE!!!! (except the ice cream, of course!)

Richardson's Ice Cream- Yum Yum!!!

This whole are was called "Beantown" because almost everything was made out of Jellybelly Jelly Beans! It was so awesome!!! Even the tables we ate at and the walls were made of the beans!! These are a couple of the flowers in the "flower garden" area.

This is "Beantown" City!!!!

Eating delicious food at Fuddrucker's! Chris enjoyed a tasty 1 lb. hamburger- yeah that's right!!! A $15 hamburger- oh well, gotta let the guy "live" every once and a while!!!

8 months 1 week (32 weeks)!!!!!

So I decided not to take a picture because my cute "little" tummy really hasn't changed...I think I was bigger with Brady! I really don't feel very big for being just under 2 months away.

Here's the update though on "this week's pregnancy!"

How your baby's growing:By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Current Craving: Strawberries and just plain old good food! I am making a lot of food that involves fresh produce and experimenting with new recipes. I just love summer time and can't wait to pick my own "fruit" off the vine! I'll be growing a salsa garden this year on our deck!

Current Gripe: I feel really happy this week. Brady and I went to have my ultrasound yesterday and he kept asking what the "special machine" was! He said: "Nurses help people who don't feel good and who have babies in their bellies! Are they going to take Olivia out from your belly?!"

He was so cute and was very interested in watching the "pictures" of Olivia on the screen. I am happy to report that all is healthy and well and that my placenta (sorry so detailed) has moved up within the normal range so now I don't have to do any "time" on bedrest! YEAH!!!

Current Joy: What a joy it was to see Olivia's face yesterday! The first glimpse we got was straight-on and I swear she looked just like Brady! He thought that was pretty neat. She blinked her eyes at us and then rolled over. Unfortunately the sonographer wasn't able to get a good "photo" of her face so the ones we got are a bit distorted, and really quite freaky looking! But I am amzed at the life within me and how soon she will be here!

Current Weight Gain: okay, well, maybe my goal of gaining only up to 30lbs. will not be reality- I'm almost at the 25lb. weight gain! (I'm not going to get down on this though because I'm posting this almost into my next week AND I'm still feeling great!)

8 months!!!! (31 weeks)

Current Craving: Nothing really, I'm actually wanting alot of produce (which we're out of) and I have to wait until we get paid to go grocery shopping again!

Current Gripe: I've been feeling "blue" a lot and feeling anxious over how everything is going to come together with our living situation, Chris' job and if/when we'll be moving etc.

Current Joy: Feeling the squirmings from within. I can't wait to hold and nurse Olivia and to have that bond between us stregthen even more. I know she will be healthy and that she will be a sweet little girl. Mother's intuition I guess!

Current Weight Gain: I've pushed it up to 20 lbs! Time to BE VERY CAREFUL! I don't want to gain more than 25-30 lbs. overall...we'll see how that goes!

How you're baby is growing: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy!

Excerpts from a 3-year old: May 11, 2008

Brady never eats very well on Sunday mornings for some reason so by the time he gets to church he's really hungry and knows that he has to wait until after Sacrament to have his snacks. So anyways, this is how it went:

BRADY: "Mommy, I'm hungry!"

ME: "Remember we need to wait until after the Sacrament; it's almost over. When the Young Men sit down then that means that it's over, okay?"

BRADY: "Okay." Then he looks over at Raymond (a Teacher who was passing the Sacrament right next to Brady) and he says: "Hey Raymond! Sit down!"

I guess he was REALLY hungry! Some things are just so funny and trying to tell about them later just doesn't do it justice! But I'll keep writing them down because it's so fun for me to go back and read and remember the things that he says!!

"Excerpts from a 3-Year old" May 5, 2008

Brady and I spent some quality time talking today about the new baby and how she is going to be a new part of our family. We talked all about how things are going to change when she comes, how we'll have to be gentle with her and that Mommy and Daddy will still love him just as much as we do now! I asked Brady:

Me: "What do you think Olivia is going to look like?"
Brady: "A clown! She will have blonde hair and brown eyes!"

Then I asked him if he thought that she's have a nickname like he does (because his full name is Braden but we NEVER call him that).

Me: "Do you think Olivia will have a nickname like 'Livy?'"
Brady: No, it will be Nick!

At first I was confused because he has an Uncle named Nick.

Me: "Nick? Why would we call her Nick?"
Brady: "Because...Nick-name!!!!"

I thought that was pretty clever!!

7 mo. 3 weeks (30 weeks)

The countdown is officially on! I can see the light at the tunnel- however, I am becoming nervous about the upcoming labor/delivery! I've begun the "obsessive" reading about labor/delivery phase (if any of you have experienced this). I have a strong desire for a natural delivery this time around. I've done a lot of personal research and have given it a lot of thought and I really feel like it's an important thing for me to do. My experience with Brady and getting induced/being pumped with Pitocin and having an epidural left me pretty groggy and unfortunately when he was born I felt really disconnected from the experience.

I am hoping to take advantage of the labor tub in my private room at the hospital I'll be delivering at and that this second experience will be a much more aware and connecting emotional experience for me, Chris and Olivia. It helps to know that I have options and that I can make more desicions than I knew I could with my first baby. I truly look forward to this delivery and have such a feeling of peace about her arrival even though my nerves of the unknown are still present (if that makes any sense at all). Isn't it such a miracle that we can bring forth new life and be co-creators with our Father in Heaven? I marvel everyday that there is a tiny little human being living within me. It's so uncomprehendible! I am grateful for this blessing and for my opportunity to be a mother!

Current Craving: Chocolate, pasta, cinnamon toast, ice cream (that doesn't mean that I'm actually getting to eat any of this- it just means I WANT it! If there was a Dairy Queen close by I'd be having some ice cream though! It's one of "those things" that I won't buy because Chris and I will both eat way too much! Same goes for the chocolate!)

Current Gripe: Olivia is truly a "mover and a shaker" with a mean kick or right hook! She likes to stick her hands (I think) underneath my ribcage and move them around! Ouch!!! I'm also starting to have "pinchy pains" and have had lower back pain and a sore tailbone!

Current Joy: I know this is kind of like saying the opposite of what I just said, but even though a lot of times it's really uncomfortable when she moves/kicks I still love it because that's when I feel the connection between us! Watching my belly grow and feeling so beautiful. I truly love this stage of pregnancy (not for the uncomfortableness of it all) but because it's an amazing feeling as a woman to house a child and to watch your body conform to meet those needs. I think pregnant women are one of the most beautiful creations!

Current Weight Gain: 18 lbs!!! YEAH I haven't gained a pound this past week (let's watch and see what next week shows though!!!)

How your baby's growing: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Still HOT after 5 years!!!!!

Chris and I celebrated our 5th Anniversary on May 2nd by attending a Stake Dance that I was part of organizing! It was a lot of fun making and hanging all of the decorations (it was an Academy Awards Theme) complete with red carpet, limo for the kids to have their pictures taken by and "Old Hollywood" paraphenalia, popcorn machine, chocolate fountain etc. It was by far the BEST Stake dance I've ever been to! Hopefully we set a new precident for other wards to follow!!!

The night was busy and fun but unfortunately Chris and I never got to dance! He was the "bouncer" and I was running back in forth between the sign-in tables, organizing prizes and certificates and monitoring the dance floor!

The next night we went out to OFFICIALLY celebrate at a new a Brazilian restaurant called Gauchos. It was a nice formal atmosphere and the food was pretty good but not in comparison with other Brazilian Restaurants we've been to (like Rodizio's in SLC!) We gave it an overall 6 on the scale of 1-10. The best part was the salmon, the yucca fries, the fried plantains and the roasted new potatoes! We were sad that they didn't have grilled pineapple or fejoida (black beans and rice), Brazilian stroganoff or other Brazilian salad items like Heart of Palm. The meat was good but it was pretty bland, so overall I don't think that we'll go there again.

The night ended (non-eventfully!) with a trip to Wal-Mart and the grocery store (got to do the errands when we can!) We rented a movie called "STARDUST" and then went home to watch it. Unfortunately Chris' stomach wasn't feeling well so after downing home-made orange julius he started nodding off about 15 minutes into the movie. Needless to say he ended up going to bed and I stayed up and finished the movie by myself! The movie was a strange one that's for sure, but it was good too. Anyhow- HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to us!!!!

Three Year Old Vocabulary!

Sometimes Brady's vocabulary cracks me up! Everyone is always telling me that he talks so well for his age (ever since he began talking!) and he knows LOTS of words, but sometimes it's really funny how he USES those words! Like today:

We were driving somewhere and he started talking about his ear wax:

BRADY: "My ear wax is so special because Heavenly Father gave it to me!"
I said: "Wow! You're right, what does the ear wax do for your ears?"
BRADY: "I can't talk about that with you mommy, it's too special! You are a riot mommy! Hahahaha!!"

Later in the afternoon:

I said: "Why did you turn off the movie?"
BRADY: "It was just too hilarious!!!!"

The other day when we were at Wal-Mart and had to go to the bathroom:
I said: "Brady try not to touch anything!"
BRADY: "Yeah because there's thousands of invisible germs!!!" (The lady in the next stall starts to chuckle!)

We've been reading "Snow White" lately because he likes the Dwarves (aka Dorfs) and when I was yawning the other day he said: "Mommy, you're a Sleepy Dorf!"

I think he says funny things like this all the time (maybe they are more funny to me) but I think I'll start writing them down more often because they're too easily forgotten!

7 1/2 Months (29 weeks)

Your baby is growing rapidly now. This week she weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is getting bigger to accommodate her growing brain — which is busy developing billions of neurons. Every day, about 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in your baby's skeleton, which is now hardening. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester.

Current Craving: Chocolate, peanut butter, milk...basically anything NOT good for me!!!

Current Gripe: Feeling "squished," having very few clothes that "fit"

Current Joy: Knowing there's a beautiful baby living right within me and that I'm supplying everything she needs!!!

Current Weight Gain: 18 lbs. (they just keep "creeping on!")

I think this may be one of my favorite pictures of all time!!! The other day my mom made this sign for the little bike and she and Brady were walking it down our driveway so we could get rid of it!!! I couldn't pass up the opportunity and had her tape the sign on Brady's back (it had been a particularly EXHAUSTING day with him!!! I couldn't help thinking: "Baby for free!!!" No, really, I love Brady more than anything- but I think I'm not the only mother who can relate to the humor of this picture!!!!

SLAM DUNKIN" BABY!!!

Any son of Chris' would have to LOVE sports- and basketball is at the top of the list! Brady is in early training and even has his own basketball and hoop! This is him actually HANGING off the rim after having Daddy lay him up for a SLAM!

Brady "BUZZ" Graf

For the past two days I have been the mother to a super hero!!! Brady got this "light saber" at the Circus and has been having fun slaying me (the dragon) or me (the Evil Emporer Zerg!)

Life is a ... CIRCUS!!!!!

So, nothing can be simple right? Like trying to bring your little boy to the circus for the first time! We left EARLY to get GOOD seats and when we arrived at "the location" Chris noticed right away that there weren't any kids- just old people all dressed in suits!!! So we asked the nearest guy we saw if he was there for the circus! He laughed and said, "No! This is a convention! The Circus was here LAST weekend!"

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I then proceeded to look down at our tickets (that we'd purchased in advance) only to realize that I miss-read the date and place! Oops! Not to fear- we loaded back into the car and headed for the highway to try and make the show (which was about 45 mins. away at a different location!) Can't dissapoint an excited 3 year old, right?!

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Well, when we got there we couldn't find any parking and the show had just begun so, we opted to wait for the evening show (not for another 6 hours) and to let Brady continue his nice little nap! Well, the afternoon ended up being some nice "family bonding!" We ended up spending quite a bit more money than planned because we had to eat, and all there was to do was shop in the free time! But Brady came out of it with some slick new sneakers and a Red Sox hat!

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The Show Must Go On!!!! THE SHRINER'S CIRCUS

Brady's first pretzel- YUM!!!

First cotton candy- he was so excited to get it but upon first taste he decided that he didn't like it because it "felt like little hairs!" Oh well, Chris and I didn't have any problem finishing it off!!!

" The Wheel of Destiny"

One Lovely Circus Lady- there were enough "scantily clad" women there, that was for sure! Chris and I joked that it must be to keep the Dad's entertained!

What a CLOWN!!!

SAD because he missed his calling in life!!!

Clown in training!!!

My Favorite ACT: "Miss Victoria" Okay- at first this looks a little sketchy but what this women could do with 40 feet of red curtain was amazing!!!

These two were AWESOME!!!! They rollerskated on this platform and performed stunts like her wrapping her legs around his neck and being swung around blind-folded like figure skating)

The Circus Ring

At one point I guess Brady was tired of all of the noise- he stood there for like 10 minutes plugging his ears!!!! This was about the same time that he started asking for his "blankie" to snuggle with and was no longer interested in the show (it was getting late for a little guy!)

This was another AMAZING performer! He was on his back doing all kinds of tricks with his feet! Right here he's spinning a flaming steel ring with 6 rods sticking out of it!

I didn't get a good picture of this but there were a bunch of small dogs and poodles performing tricks with this ring of fire! Brave little things!!! Another dog jumped out of a "doggy elevator" into his "master's" arms!

"The Pork Chop Review" Complete with a singing pig named "Oink!"

It was a good show but was much smaller than other circus shows that Chris and I have been to. I think next year we'll try Barnum & Bailey's which has all the Circus animals like the lions, elephants etc. and the trapeze artists (which are my favorite)!! They have better clown acts too.

7 MONTHS 1 WEEK (28 weeks)

"By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open and close her eyes, which now sport lashes. This movement is more of a reflexive blink than a deliberate opening and closing, but it won't be long before she's batting those beauties at you."
(www.babycenter.com)

Current Cravings: Cereal!!! Which is weird because I'm usually not a big cereal person. Honey Bunches of Oats w/ Almonds and Malt O' Meal "Cocoa Roos!"

Current Gripe: Still feeling VERY tired a lot but it's MUCH BETTER than it was- I can at least get out of bed by 8:30 in the morning and don't have to have a nap most days!

Current Joy: Feeling Olivia kick and swim around! Knowing that she is growing strong and healthy and that I will be able to hold and nurture her soon!

Total Weight Gained: 17 lbs. YIKES!!!

Wolfe's Neck Woods, Maine

This has been the first real nice weekend we've had that Chris hasn't had to work or we had other obligations so we went to a nearby State Park and had a little picnic. I was unprepared and forgot to check the tide chart though so when we got there we found out that it was high tide and we wouldn't be able to have our picnic on the beach and look for shells!

We found a staricase leading down to the rocks/water though and plunked down there with our little cooler and had a lovely picnis by the crashing waves! First real picnic of the season! We were also able to walk almost a mile through the trails in the woods and Brady had a great time crossing the bridges (he always says "Trip Trap, Trip Trap, Over the bridge!!!"

Chris has made a "real fine 'Yankee' (New Englander) transplant"-

can you tell he's a Red Sox fan?

After our pinic and tryst in the woods we went up into the village to L.L. Bean where Chris is still employed as an "Ocassional Worker" basically meaning he works about once a month and we still get the glorious discount! We went to the Bike, Boat & Ski shop to check out the kayaks that we'd like to buy (depending upon where we move) and had a great time "dreaming" anyway! Brady loved climbing in the different floor models and can't wait to get one too!

The Kayak Chris chose (for the future) includes a removable child seat for Brady and the one that I would most likely get would be big enough to have a small child in as well. We also found infant PDFs (lifejackets) for 8-30 lbs! Wow! I didn't know there were that many people crazy enough to bring their babies kayaking!

I see many fun times paddling in lakes and rivers ahead! Hold on Brady and Olivia!

We rounded out the afternoon with some free popcorn from the street vendor and a trip to the grocery store. When we got home Chris helped my dad build a new wall for the deck off of our apartment and I helped my mom clear out some of the winter debris and cut back the flowers in the garden! What a GREAT afternoon! Then we had our first BBQ of the year and I made a meal "Fit for a King!"

Grilled lemon pepper salmon, Caesar salad, corn on the cob and roasted red potatoes: Yeah, sometimes, I just think: "Dang, I'm a good wife!" (Hahahahaha)

And to top it off we tired Brady out so much that he fell right asleep!

They are the cutest when they're fast asleep!!!!!