Alaska

We had a great time in Alaska with Jenny's family! We where able to see a lot of beautiful scenery! Here is a couple of photos. This is our first excursion in Juneau, Alaska. Todd caught a Silver Salmon for the first time ever in his few times fishing.


This is a real Bear print on our "hiking for bears" in Skagway, Alaska..our second excursion. We were in the wild picking strawberries that were so delicious to the taste. Even the little white ones were pretty sweet on the pallet.


Our Ship got really close to this breath taking Glacier which had some Sea Lions or Seals (not sure which) resting on the floating ice around us. Was too cold a day to be wearing my flip flops so I didn't stay out side for long.

Post card perfect picture that Todd actually took on Queen Anne's Hill over looking the Seattle skyline at night. So cool that the camera captured the reddish glow in the sky.

24 weeks Pregnant

These first two were taken today, which makes 25 weeks.

Here you go Liz, I am humiliating myself just for you. I hope it is appreciated by all who see it. I don't normally take pictures of myself, let alone with a belly. Just so you know I went to get another ultrasound yesterday and I was at 25 weeks so these pictures are a week old. I already feel like my belly has inflated even more.

My tests came back and I am not anemic nor do I have diabetes. That is good to know. The baby is healthy and doesn't have clef palit or however it is pronounced. She is definitely still a girl and an active one at that. She keeps her mom very aware of her existence. Sometimes I swear she is doing summer salts or cartwheels. Of course her favorite time to be the most active is when I lay down at night to go to sleep. Luckily, I've gotten pretty good at sleeping through most of it.

Boy I'll tell ya one thing for certain...I am more of a sissy than I thought. If I moan and scream with these 'round ligament' pains than I am in trouble come delivery time. You know the pain I am talking about. When the ligaments that support your uterus are stretching to accommodate its increasing weight. I just about crushed Todd's hand the first time I experienced this blissful feeling. I actually had real tears that time, but luckily last nights episode was not as extreme. Wow..can't wait for the indescribable pain to occur!

Very Late for Fathers Day

What can I say except this is typical of me. I wanted to post something to my adorable husband on Fathers Day but didn't and now it is late like everything else in my life. So sorry honey...this one is for you Babe!

Words can not describe accurately my feelings for my cute husband. He is so thoughtful and sweet all the time. I swear he is always thinking of what he can do to make my life easier. For example: He has been the one cleaning the house lately. Since I've been pregnant and go to work all day the last thing I want to do on Saturday is clean my Townhouse. I just want to spend time with him doing fun things. He is the cook of the household. As most of you know Todd enjoys cooking and is very good at it. He has recently gotten into the baking realm of the kitchen and, sorry to say, has passed me up by now. To give myself some credit he hasn't tried to make a mean loaf of banana bread yet, thanks honey, but that one's mine. He even gets up when I do to make me breakfast sometimes to make sure I eat well for both baby and me in the morning. I am usually in a rush in the morning because I love my sleep, a little too much perhaps.

He has such patience with me when I give him a full report of my pregnancy aches and pains. He even gives me back and neck massages when I should be giving them to him every night. The mood swings...awe where do I begin. The poor guy has endured many of those and am sorry to say they may get worse in the third trimester.

Most of all...is the excitement I feel when I think about the future and what lies ahead as this phase of our life unfolds. I am so blessed to be able to share all of them with you by my side Todd.

Well, well, well...who knew that because my belly button is protruding outward so far that it looks like you could turn it like a door knob. It turns out that I have a herniated 'giant knob' in place of what used to look like my cute little belly button. UGH!! It doesn't hurt, but that doesn't mean that it couldn't turn green at any moment. Much to my dismay it can actually do that..ewe! Hopefully it won't grow any eyes and a mouth and try to eat us either. Sometimes being pregnant just feels that 'alien' to me, can anyone else relate those weird feelings?

For instance- she has just, within the last 2 days, started moving around to the point where I can feel her. She is nudging and kicking and doing cartwheels within me and boy sometimes it is Funky! Todd says it feels strange to put his hand on my tummy and feel her kicking, punching, what have you. It is fun to finally feel another life after so long of wondering when reality would sink in.

I am due for another sonogram in a few weeks so they can look at her face and check the sex for sure this time. It was a bit of a guessing game last time I gather so hopefully this time it will be legit. I want to start buying the baby some stuff for preparation purposes. Cross your fingers that 'little peanut' is more cooperative this time around.

Jane at 3 weeks!

This is my precious niece Jane Benson. She is the cutest little doll and I can't wait to see her in person. I have not only had a new niece born 3 weeks ago, but my friends Liz & Caryn had their babies in the same week. OH how eager it makes me to get my little peanut here so I can hold her and love her and smother her with kisses.

I have a funny story: One night I overheard Todd telling his friend on the phone that he hopes that his babies take after the Allen's because even though his wife's family has cute babies they have no hair until they're like two years old. Now, I want you to look at this picture and tell me that whether or not they have hair plays a roll in determining their cute factor! Honey, looking at the two of us it isn't even a question that our kids will be more than adorable...now watch we'll get a squealer or something because of that remark.

Carlsbad Caverns

OK so we went to Carlsbad Caverns last weekend and had a great time. We went with our friends Trent and Rachael. Here are a few of the pictures that I took. Jenny would have wanted more of the pictures with us in them, but these are the few that I chose. It was so dark down there that a lot of them didn't turn out.
I would recommend the walk through of the Caverns even though I think we bypassed the other cavern so I really can't comment on that one. This picture here is a big formation of Limestone that has been growing for many years.It was a little disappointing that you weren't allowed to touch the rocks and you had to stay on the trail. All in all it was worth the drive to get out of El Paso for a while.

it looks like an A

Unofficially, I have an A in Anatomy and Physiology. It looks like I will be starting RN program in the fall. It is good to feel like I have accomplished a small goal in the long fight to finish school. "A lot of people go to college for 7 years." "Yeah their called doctors." That about what it feels like. Seven years or 20. But we are moving forward and that is all that matters. Jenny is doing well. The baby is growing and all is well. In a couple more weeks we get to find out what we are having. My money is on a girl.