Cruise Pictures!

Happy 30th Birthday Kevin!

2008 is proving to be a big year for Kevin.... going on a cruise, turning 30, graduating from ASU, having a son! It's certainly full of memories. What a way to celebrate your birthday too - by going on a Mexican cruise. That left me to ask, "What will we do for my 30th birthday?" (Insert sly smile) ... "How about a Carribean Cruise?" We'll see about that. But in the meantime, having an adorable baby boy is of course a highlight for me too.

Kevin's actual birthday fell on the day after our return from the cruise, so we got to celebrate it in Simi at Kevin & Erica's place. Let's call this the budget cake due to the week-long galivanting we did along the Mexican Riviera. :)

The countdown has definitely been ticking until Kevin's graduation, and we are now a mere six weeks from the finish line! I'm so proud of Kevin for his hard work and determination in pursuing this program. He has accomplished so much, and that graduation day will definitely be a joyous day!

Now it would be great if I could figure out how to get Kevin to keep his eyes open when the camera flashes... hmm.

20 Weeks and Cruisin' the Mexican Riviera!

So I realize that it has been quite a while since I've written, but it was with good reason since we went out of the country. We held you in suspense, and now here it is! We had the pleasure and privilege of going on this cruise with a group of our close friends. What a blast! We did so much and saw so many sights that I don't really know where to begin... but I'll try to make it good.

Some of the highlights we enjoyed were:

• Room service.... 'nuf said.
  
• Watching Jaimie bravely kareoke. She was amazing! Her timid "I've never done this before" was quickly overcome by her beautiful voice and the loud cheering of the crowd.
  
• Seeing dolphins swim alongside the ship right outside our stateroom window. Incredible and beautiful! A real treat!
  
• Dinner. Connecting with everyone each evening for dinner was really special. It was like family time. And our dinner waiter "Cool" and waitress "Jum-Jum" added humor and hospitality. They were both from Thailand, and they were so fun!
  
• Warm Chocolate Melting Cake... Oh yes, in all of its warm chocolatey meltiness with a small side of vanilla icecream. Mmmmmmm, oh how I miss you!
  
• Mini golf on the top of the ship against the beautiful backdrop of sea and sunshine.
  
• Cabo San Lucas - our favorite port together out of the three (Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan were the others). Kevin and I enjoyed a 45-minute boat ride along the shore then a supreme spot on a private beach where we relaxed together and tested the water.
  
• Kevin played golf at the Four Seasons Golf Club Punta Mita with Tom in Puerta Vallarta. It is a private course designed by Jack Niklaus that they majically got to play, thanks to the smooth workings of Tom. Kevin said it's the best and most beautiful course he has ever played... and he has over 100 pictures to prove how much he enjoyed it!
• Spending time with Erica and her Kevin in Simi Valley before and after the cruise.
• Frozen yogurt 24-7. Now that was a treat!
• And last, but not least, hanging out with our friends for a week! It was like going to camp, and we had the same sad feelings as then when it was time to say good-bye.

Stay tuned for more pictures... I just have to figure out how to download a slideshow.

19 Weeks

18 Weeks

Adorable Face and Tiny Toes

I was already excited about this little one forming inside of me, but after seeing him on that screen for the first time, I was instantly bonded. My heart is already overwhelmed with love for him, and now I can't imagine how much it will be magnified when I actually hold him in my arms!

Since I became pregnant, I started reading all I could about pregnancy and the stages of development that the baby goes through. I've learned so much! And it has thoroughly fascinated me. God's creation is so amazing, and the process of forming the human life is the greatest of all.

Psalm 139 has always been a favorite passage of mine, but after all I have been learning about the growth of this little life inside of me, I now read that passage with a whole new perspective!

"For You created my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body."

I was hoping to scan the pictures in at work, but apparently the scanner at work is not geared for tiny detail... So I resorted to taking pictures of the pictures. They are a little blurry, but I think you can make them out well enough. The first picture was the best shot of his cute face. The second, as the caption reads, is one of his adorable little feet. You can see his tiny toes!

Boy or Girl????

Today was an exciting day - We had our first ultrasound! I'll post the pictures tomorrow once I get them scanned in, but here's the fun story...


Baby was busy squirming around all day long. Must have been one of those days in there... well, I love feeling Baby move, but I was just hoping that Baby wouldn't get tired and decide that 3:30 would be a good time for a nap!


Luckily, Baby was still moving around just fine as we gazed at that adorable face pictured on the monitor. Well, moving around at first, that is. Baby was facing outward, which was perfect. We could clearly see the face and all the essential body parts... arms and legs, hands and feet (even fingers and toes!), and we watched the strong heartbeat. It was amazing! Kevin and I were just at awe at this little person developing inside of me. It is a miracle, and it brought me to tears. I am in love already, and I haven't even met Baby face to face yet!


Now to the good part... it was time for the tech to try to figure out the gender. And wouldn't you know that Kevin's child decided this would be a good time to relax and take a rest. What? Oh, and it gets better... as the tech searched, she discovered that not only were Baby's legs comfortably crossed, Baby was also straddling the umbilical cord! She said, "It looks like Baby is comfortable, shy, ..." Or stubborn!


So in an effort to get Baby to move around a bit more, the tech proceeded to prod with the wand to shake Baby up and hopefully get the umbilical cord out of the way. It worked a little, and Baby started to move (probably in annoyance). After some time, the tech found an angle that could work. The cord was still in the way, but it had moved slightly. The tech studied the screen further and said, "From what I can see here, I am going to say that it appears to be a BOY." She pointed out the umbilical cord and then the male parts. We could see it once she pointed it all out, although it was still a little fuzzy.


After a little bit more prodding to see if we could try again, Baby decided he had had enough poking and prodding. After all this time facing us, he turned completely around and put his back to us as if to say, "Show's over. I want to relax now!" I guess he was letting his actions speak for him! Oh BOY!!

Mocha Frappaccinos and Blogging

Now I'm feelin' Baby all the time! And I think I've learned that Baby enjoys decaf mocha frappaccinos... and Momma is realizing even more that what she eats goes directly to Baby! Talk about pressure to eat well! Yikes.

And talk about blogging... I'm hooked! I love reading everyone's comments, and now I'm checkin' everyone else's out almost every day. So much fun! :)

Woah, glowing cat eyes... kinda creepy! As long as she doesn't sit at the foot of my bed at night with eyes like that....

Study, study, study... is it May yet?? Kevin has been working really hard!

Awww, so cute! That's Chloe loungin' around... she's actually really good at that. She just loves her personal "cat mat" made by grandma Lynn!

Kick Kick Kicking!!

Last night was an exciting night. I felt Baby really kicking for the first time! I have been feeling Baby much more often just in the last week. But up until last night, it felt like Baby was just turning over or shifting from one side to the other. Last night after we got home from church, Kevin and I were lounging on the couch for a bit. All of a sudden, I felt a distinct KICK... then kick, kick, kick, kick. It was amazing!

I invited Kevin to put his hand on my stomach in the hopes that he could feel it too. He tried pressing in the spot it was happening, but it must be too early to feel from the outside. He couldn't feel anything... but he rejoiced with me and Baby continued to kick kick kick.



How exciting! What a blessing! We can't wait to meet this little one face to face. What a charm it will be.

Small Group Picnic

On Saturday we enjoyed a late afternoon picnic at Freestone Park with our small group. This was our first official small group social this year, and it was a blast! Only about half of our group could make it, but we had fun anyway. What a beautiful day - the sun was shining, the ducks were out, and there was a wedding nearby.

Me & Autumn - just hangin' out

Marian, Jaimie, Amanda talkin' girl talk... with little Caleb most interested in chewing on someone's fingers

Thank you, Kevin, for humoring me with a "BBQing" pic :)

Cody and Kevin chowin' down after making the food

Frank pauses from twirling around in circles to Levi's delight

The picnic was capped off by a beautiful sunset - another amazing masterpiece by the ultimate Painter