Sunday, April 20, 2008

32 weeks of expansion!

Well, my belly must have really changed a lot in size recently because even people who see me on a regular basis have been commenting on "how much I am sticking out" now! Big is big is BIG, so it all feels large to me! I am still doing wonderfully and although my nights are interrupted with frequent trips to the bathroom once again, I am really loving this pregnancy. It is hard to believe that we'll be meeting this little one in about a month and a half or so! WOW.

Here are photos of my "basketball belly":

32 weeks pregnant

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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Family Reunion in Arizona

From April 11th-14th we were in Arizona (Sun City) for a whirl-wind Family Reunion on Matt's Mom's side. We were also there to celebrate Matt's Grandmother's 90th birthday! It really was a wonderful time. I was able to get to know relatives that I had never met and everyone had a wonderful time celebrating and catching up. The weather was warm but wonderful and we spent lots of time chatting in the warm Arizona sun and swimming. There were a lot of little ones running around and so Lola had a blast...plus her cousins Brosnan, Xander and Ethan were there and she absolutely adores them. Thirty-five of us converged upon Uncle Joe and Aunt Dianne's home and we were able to coordinate a professional family photo by the lake despite the number of people and uncooperative little ones! Lorelei did much better with the flights to and from Arizona and was not nearly as afraid. She was very wiggly but overall was a real angel. I had gotten permission from my OB Doc to fly for our two trips, but he has since asked me, "now, you are staying put for now, right?" and the answer is YES! I am tired! Both of our vacations were wonderful, but now it is time to slow down a bit and prepare for baby #2!!

Photos from the weekend:

Arizona Reunion April 2008

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Las Vegas Baby!

We spent a fabulous week in Las Vegas (courtesy of a very generous friend who let us use her condo). We stayed at the Wyndham Grand Desert Resort about a mile off of the strip in a three bedroom presidential suite. My brother Kyle and his fiance Aimee joined us for days 1-3; friends Brandon and Laurie Harbin and their 1 year old son Brenden joined us for days 2-4, and Matt's parents joined us for days 4-7! What a revolving door! It was so much fun and Lorelei did SO well with everything. Our flight to Vegas was her third flight (she flew at 9 weeks and 6 months) but the first time that she ever really was aware of what was happening around her. We were seated right next to the engines and they scared her a bit. She covered her ears during take off and landing and cuddled into us. We also hit a bunch of turbulence on the way there and to make it "fun", Daddy chanted "bouncy, bouncy" to which Lorelei replied "NO bouncy, bouncy!" Although she was a bit freaked out there weren't any tears and she didn't freak out on the way home since they sat us near the front of the plane where it was quiet.

Lola LOVED our condo and all of the new spaces to explore. She slept great (no matter what room she was stuck in). She actually slept in our huge bathroom for two nights because it was quiet, dark and didn't entail her taking up an entire bedroom that guests could be using. She did really well in the stroller, in the taxis and on the shuttles/monorails. Everything was greeted with a "WOW" and the bright lights of the city entertained her endlessly. She loved the Shark Experience at Mandalay Bay and enjoyed chasing the small sharks from one end of the tank to the other yelling "come here...hold you?". The other highlight of her trip was FAO Schwartz where she hugged every stuffed animal on the first floor and totally dug the giant piano (from BIG) on the third floor although she was hardly heavy enough to register any sound from the keys!

I did really well with all of the walking and my feet didn't really swell much at all! I hit the "30 week mark" while there and found myself taking time to really enjoy my pregnancy since the worries of everyday life were left behind.

Lola was in 7th heaven with all of her favorite people around. She was Papa Baker's buddy the whole time and did not allow him a second alone! Grandma Baker was a huge help and was constant entertainment for Lola. She has a blast with her Auntie and Uncle who won her stuffed animals at Circus Circus and she also enjoyed having Brenden for a playmate while he was there (and she especially loved the new toys he brought along). It was a wonderful and relaxing trip...different from any vacation we had ever had to Vegas. Maybe having Lola along made us take a breath and pause a second...to really experience what time away from reality should truly be.

Photos from our trip:

Las Vegas 3-31-08 to 4-5-08

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March Fun at 18+ months

March was a great month. We had a bunch of birthdays to celebrate and some good weather too! We spent a lot of time outdoors with Lorelei who LOVED getting wet and dirty while helping Daddy with yard chores. Easter was a blast too. Lorelei loved her dress and said "pretty" every time she caught a glimpse of herself in a reflection. She enjoyed her Easter Basket full of her favorite snacks and also loved her new gardening tools, sidewalk chalk, and bubble bath. She received an adorable swim suite ensemble from Grandma and Grandpa Baker along with new books and toys...and her "Easter basket" from Grandma and Grandpa Barrow was a red wagon. Daddy took her for a spin right away and she was all smiles. Lola still enjoys hanging with her doggies and feeding them even when she is not supposed to. She says more and more every day and loves to tease us by calling us "Matt" and "Dana" to get a reaction. She is obsessed with stuffed animals and wants to hug every single one she sees. She says, "hold you?" when she wants to snuggle someone and offers hugs and kisses galore. Her favorite foods right now are apples, mixed veggies, chicken nuggets, veggie dogs, cheerios in milk and olives. She is totally obsessed with any kind of shoe whether they belong to her, are sitting on a shelf in the store or are sitting on the living room floor. She loves to put them on and slide around in them and insists that we put on our shoes if we are barefoot. Lola just started counting to TEN thanks to Papa Baker but she often forgets "five". She loves to sing and do the motions to pat-a-cake. Her hair is finally getting some length to it and it has a lot of curls! She wakes up with an afro after every nap. What a doll and we love her to pieces (all 21 pounds of her). March was good to us.

Here are some photos from March:

March fun

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30 weeks pregnant

I hit the "30 week mark" while on our fabulous vacation in Las Vegas. I am feeling great still and the belly is ever-growing!

View pics here:

30 weeks pregnant

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