Anthony's 30th Birthday

I had been planning for over a month to take Anthony to the ASU vs U of A football game the Saturday before his birthday.  Going to college football games is something we have enjoyed doing together and we hadn't yet gone to an ASU game together so I thought it was perfect timing.  When we woke up Saturday morning, I had him open his gift and that is when he found out about the game and his new Pat Tillman ASU throwback jersey.  He was so excited to try it on (it fit him perfectly) and get to wear it to the game that night.

It was a very exciting game since the score was pretty close the whole time.  We decided to leave with a few minutes left in the 4th quarter to beat the crowd.  Since we were up by 10 we didn't think it would be a big deal, but by the time we reached our car, U of A had scored two touchdown which left ASU trailing by 4 and they ended up losing the game :(  We still had a good time, but it was a late night for us! 

Since my mom's Ironman was on Sunday, we spent Anthony's birthday running all over town.  We headed home in between her swim and run to spend some time with Anthony's family.  We had them over for Del Rio Tortilla soup and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies that Marian made.  It was nice just to hang out with them, but we were exhausted!  Must be that old age creeping up. Speaking of old age, ever since Anthony has turned 30, I have noticed the following things:

• He keeps saying he needs to have "man-strength" now
• Just as soon as he says he needs to have "man-strength", he says he is giving up on working out
• It takes him a little longer to get out of bed in the morning
• He has turned into a lumberjack
• I offered him peanut butter cookies and he wouldn't take them (this has NEVER happened)
• He gets more handsome everyday

To sum it all up, Anthony said "I am married, have a baby on the way, a homeowner, and I have a beard"...guess it doesn't get any more "30" than that! :)  I'm sure I will hear all about it next year when it's my turn, but I am looking forward to growing old with Anthony!

Infant Care and Breastfeeding 101

Last week Anthony and I started our childbirth classes.  It was a long and information-filled night, but well worth it!

Some things we learned:
-We should have a pediatrician before the baby is born
-Kids need to be in a booster seat until they are 4'9' and 85 lbs (this means Nana needs a booster!)
-There are MANY variations of poop and each one means something different
-Breast feeding is not as easy as it appears
-One of the triggers for "let-down" could be just looking at another baby
-Milk doesn't come out in one stream, but more like a shower head
-Anthony likes to pick the "dark" babies for practice :)
-I'm not as big as I feel
-I will have to "pump and dump" for 13 hours after having just one alcoholic drink
-Eating spicy or acidic foods can still update the baby's stomach while breastfeeding

We'll keep you posted with all the fun things we learn! :)

Halloween 2011

Tennessee Vacation

After an early morning starting with our 5 am flight, we arrived in Knoxville (in the smallest commercial plane ever made) around 1:30 pm and headed straight to Brandon and Penny's house.  We had a wonderful evening spending time with the girls, catching up with Brandon and Penny, and enjoying Penny's cooking!

During our stay in Tennessee, we stayed in my Aunt Gwen's Farm House in Townsend- just about 30 minutes from Brandon and Penny.  I loved showing Anthony around and telling him some of the stories from when I used to visit here has a kid.  After settling in, we went to bed and got to hear the rain all night long.  I don't think I have ever heard it rain like that anywhere!

In the morning we enjoyed a quick breakfast before heading to Cades Cove.  I wasn't sure how much we were going to see since it had rained all night and was still pretty wet out, but we were pleasantly surprised when we got to see two big black bears eating in one of the open fields!  It was so exciting!!

We were hoping to catch a sunset at Clingman's Dome, but since it was a cloudy day, we decided to do sunrise the next morning instead so we took it easy for the rest of the day.  We went into town to grab lunch and get some UT gear for the game the next day and then headed back to the Farm House to relax.  It was just what we needed since we were going to have to wake up extra early.

My favorite blanket I always remembered from the Farm House

We woke up especially early to start the hour drive to Clingman's Dome.  We slowly started to see the the sky light up and made it to the lookout just in time to see the sunrise.  I didn't realize that there would be a 1/2 mile walk up a steep road to the lookout and I didn't expect the freezing temperature, but it was worth it!  We were the only ones at the top and it was the best view I have ever seen!!

We then made the long drive back to town, but it was a beautiful drive with all the turning leaves.  We made it into Knoxville just in time to catch Kenna's soccer game.  She played goalie for most of the game and did a great job!  After the game, we had lunch and hung out at Brandon and Penny's house with the girls.  Watching them play Just Dance 2 was hilarious and Anthony enjoyed playing basketball and four square.

Our time with them was short since we the UT game was that evening.  We said our goodbye's and headed to the game.  We did a lot of walking downtown and I was a little discouraged at first, but we ended up having a good time and it was a fun college football experience.  It was awesome to be at the third largest college stadium and we just happened to be there for their homecoming game.  There wasn't much competition since they played a division 2 team, but since it was Middle Tennessee it created a little extra rivalry.

Just as we started to get settled in, it was time to head back to Arizona.  Our trip felt short, but it was so much fun to experience a real Fall.  We are looking forward to future trips to Tennessee since my mom will soon be moving there and since Chris's mom lives there, we are hoping we could do a family trip with Chris and Gina once the babies are here!

It's a Baby Shower!

I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by!  Before we knew it, the baby shower was here and it didn't really sink in until the day before.  Marian and Jim hosted the shower and we are so thankful for them opening up their home to our friends and family!  I know there was a lot of time and effort behind the scenes that went into the shower and it really made the shower special.  From planning all the details to all the decorative touches, it was perfect!  Marian did have some help from Gina, Candis, and Jayne- thank you ladies for all your support.

Since we first knew about our little baby boy, we knew we would want a co-ed baby shower- Anthony is a very involved dad and I wouldn't want him to miss out on a special day like this one!  At the end of the day, we were so happy with our decision to have a co-ed baby shower so all of the men in the family could be a part of the experience.  I am sure it was a little weird for those who had never attended a baby shower, but we were so happy that everyone could be there.

Gina helped coordinate the games- we had played the Candy Game, Name this Tune, and How Well Do You Know...It was a very good choice in games since it seemed that everyone had fun participating and there was some good competition.  In the How Well Do You Know game, Gina had come over a few days before to interview us.  We didn't know ahead of time what the questions would be so there was some debating on a few of the questions, but at least we came to an agreement (for now :) ).

After the games, it was time for the gifts and boy did we have a lot to get through!  We were shocked at how thoughtful and giving everyone was and truly did not expect what we got.  THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR GENEROSITY!  We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family and to know much Carter will be loved.

I also want to send out a special thank you to my husband.  Anthony has been so amazing and supportive during my pregnancy.  He makes sure my breakfast and lunch are packed everyday, reminds me to take my vitamins, will go out of his way to make sure I am comfortable, takes care of many house chores, and does all of this while working full-time, going to school, and never complains!  Carter is going to be so lucky to have Anthony for a dad.

The Making of a Baby Room

Over the last week we've been getting Carter's room all ready for his arrival.  There is still more to come, but we got the best part done- the crib!  After about an hour of frustration, we got it all assembled and we can't wait to add to the room!

I really wanted to show "the girls" the baby's room, but we don't typically let the dogs on the carpet.  Anthony had to talk them into coming upstairs several times and Lima was extra sketchy about being up there- it was funny! 

Conquering the Mountain

After working out on a more frequent basis, I mustered up enough confidence to attempt Squaw Peak this weekend.  Pre-pregnancy Anthony and I would hike this trail on a regular basis and we even got to a point where we were hiking it with weight vests in under 30 min.  It was a hike that I never thought I would be able to do while pregnant since it is a pretty strenuous trail.  I knew I would have to take my time, rest when needed, and drink lots of water, but after 40 minutes of huffing and puffing, we were at the top enjoying the beautiful day!  P.S. don't mind the Indiana Jones hat! :)

The hike got us excited about hiking with Carter once he is here,  The baby carrier that we have had our eye on was on sale, so we went ahead and got it...can't wait until we can use it!

Top of Squaw Peak

Carter's carrier

24 weeks