Race For The Cure

This past Saturday we walked Race for the Cure.  It has been a tradition of Jennifer and I to run it every year in Fort Worth.  We are both ZETA's and it is our philanthropy(breast cancer), so it has always been something we like to participate in.  This year I almost forgot about it with all that has been going on so I did not remember to sign up.  No worries, Jen signed up and had extras for Craig and I, so we decide to go. 

It was a great day for the race, nice and cool but warm in the sun.  We loaded Linc up and took him to my parents for my dad to watch him, he was excited.  This year the race had a bit of a different meaning for me and for Jen.  Jen's Husband, Mike, had a close friend die this past year.  While it was not from breast cancer, she did have it before she died and was very young.  Her name was Sara Sullivan and she had just given birth two weeks before she passed.  You can read her story here and keep up with how the father and daughter are doing now, he is so strong.  While I did not know Sara, it hits close to home because she was close to my age, was a new mother and one of Mike's friends (it was his sisters best friend growing up).  I also walked in Celebration of Carmen Gaume (Paula's Step-Mother).  She overcame breast cancer and is now a survivor, go Carmen.

The race was packed with over 14,000 people, pretty amazing for downtown Fort Worth. They had some amazing sponsors, my favorite wholly guacamole.  We started the race about 8:30, but didn't get to the start line until 12 minutes later, it was so packed.  Since we walked it this year, it took us a much longer time to finish.  We finished the total race in 1 hour and 9 minutes, dang that is long, but that is ok.  Because of where the baby is sitting, if I bend over I feel like I will pee myself, haha.  So even light jogging was out of the question.  We still had a blast and had a lot of time to chat, which was great.  This year we brought the hubby's along, so here we are with Mike and Jen after the race.

Here is Jen's mom and her friend Pat with Jen and I.  They also walk it every year and made it back before we did, so we must have been going slow, haha.

We had a great time and hopefully next year I can run it again. 

Boots and Brownies

Yesterday we made dinner for the Brawley's.  On the menu: Tacos!  But the best part was the cheesecake brownies.  Lincoln loves to help when I cook so we pulled up the stool and got started.  I have to get out two of everything because he does not want to be left out.

After we mixed up the brownies and put them in the pan, Linc wanted to lick the bowl, just like his momma.  He really has an appitite for chocolate, check out the pics!

He was getting after the bowl so much he got some on his boots.  Yes, Linc loves to walk around in his boots and diaper, no need for pants.  I think it is too cute.  He also likes to wear them with shorts to school, I wonder what the teachers think of us, haha!

I also finally printed out the 2 year photo session we had done two months ago.  I had to figure out what I wanted to do with the photos already there.  We decide to put them up in our room, but we have not done it yet.  I think the 2 years came out so great and look great on the wall.

Lastly, I am now 19 weeks, or was yesterday.  I am getting so excited because next week we find out what we are having.  I wish it was this friday.  I finally think I feel the baby moving around, which is exciting.  Last time it was not until my 20 week sono that I really felt Lincoln move, so it is kind of exciting that it is earlier.  This week I have really been craving sweets.  I have them at every meal!  Wish me luck at my sono next week!

 

Baltimore & Very Sad News

It seems like since December I have been traveling about once a month for work.  I have been to Kansas City (2 times), DC, Philly and now Baltimore.  I had never been to Baltimore, so I was curious to see what this city was about.  I had heard mixed reviews.

I ended up going this past Monday for one of my account that we will be closing out in September.  The city was very pretty and not what I expected.  The hotel was also very nice and we did the whole conference there so I did not have to leave much.  I did get to see parts of the harbor while I was there eatting lunch one day and it was very pretty.  Here are some pictures.

While this trip was needed, I was so distracted because of some very sad news I recieved when I got off the plane on Monday.  Our best friends, The Brawley's, had lost Niki's little brother Eric.  If you live in Fort Worth, you know the story because it has been the major headline all week.

I have known the Forresters for a better part of my life.  When Niki and I became close a few years back, I began to know Eric as well.  Anytime we did something fun, he was there with us.  Craig also had a good realtionship with Eric.  He went on kayak trips, camping and burgers lake with Philip and Eric many times.  The hardest thing for me this week was not being able to be there with them when all this was taking place.  Being hundreds of miles away drives you crazy when you know everyone is hurting at home.  

Niki's family is so close, I can only imagine what this is doing to them.  I know that Eric is in a better place, but it is so hard to think that he had to go so soon.  Tomorrow is the funeral and I ask that you please continue to pray for the Forrester family today, tomorrow and beyond.  I can only imagine how hard it will be for them to find a new kind of normal so please pray and take some of the burden from them.  We love you Niki, Philip, Avery, Levi and the whole Forrester Family.   

What A Day For A Picnic

Two Saturdays ago, we planned our first picnic with Lincoln and The Brawley's.  Craig and I made cold pasta salad and chicken and The Brawley's brought the fruit salad and dessert.  We could not have had a nicer day.  It was so wonderful outside.  We got there a bit before The Brawley's and so most of the pictures I took that day only have Linc in them.  I was too busy playing when everyone got there.

We decided to have the picnic over at Z-boaz park, which was great because of all the green space and not too many other kids.  Linc was having a blast being a big kid and going down the slide.  Here he is exploring the playset.

Daddy going down the slide.

Linc heading up the ladder.

We had a very nice picnic.  The boys brough their bikes and took the kids in the trailer a few time, while we chatted.  The food was great and the company was great.  I think we stayed out there about 3 or so hours. 

We headed over to the Brawley's afterwards and Linc wanted to play outside of their house as well.  What can I say, he is an outdoors man.  He saw Levi's four wheeler and had to test it out.  Good thing the battery was too low or we could have had a problem, haha.

After the kids went to bed, Niki and I worked on a sewing project.  I wanted to learn to make a towel and she had just made a few.  It was a lot of hard work, but I got the top half done and it was a lot of fun.  It sure does take time though.  When I complete it, I will have to post pictures. 

17 Weeks

I love belly pictures, but we have been so busy with Lincoln this time, I barley have any of this little bean.  I took one last month that was suppose to be 3 months, but it was really 13 weeks.  I did the same thing this month, it was suppose to be 4 months, but it ended up being 17 weeks. You can see below, the one on the left is 3 months and the one on the right is 4 months. 

I think it is starting to look more like a preggo belly this time.  I am still in that awkward stage where I kinda just look like I ate a big lunch, well a huge lunch really.  I know by next month I will look more round, I hope. 

I was randomly looking at my old belly photos with Lincoln and realized I look the same as when I was 5 months preggo with hime, yikes!  They do say you pop out more with your second one faster, so I hope that is it.  I know I have not been gaining a lot of weight, so I guess it is just the stretched muscles. 

I am starting to count down the days to when we can find out what we are having.  I have been bombarded by all this cute baby girl stuff and I can't buy any of it because I don't know what we are having, it stinks.

The Hypnobirthing book is getting better everyday and it truely is helping me just to relax on a daily basis, good stuff.  Only 3 more weeks and 2 days until we find out what our little one is! Yay! 

16 Weeks

Check out the latest two posts.
We had my 16 week check up today.  I know I have not blogged much about these checkups, so I wanted to start.  Everything is pretty great now.  For the most part all of the nausea has gone away.  There are a few things I just don't think I will ever be able to stand smelling this pregnancy, but that is ok.  I am still having what seems like a daily headache.  I hope they will go away, but I have been able to deal with this so far.  I have also had some random numbness, but my midwife says that is common too.

I have been pretty steady on my weight gain, about 2 to 3 pounds an appointment.  And we heard the baby's head beat today and it sounded very strong.  It always gives me butterflys when I hear that sound.  We also did the blood quad screen today and will get those results next time.  It was really just a very routine appointment, which is great.  The next appointment, in 4 weeks, will be a very exciting one.  We get to find out what we are having, a boy or a girl!  That will be a lot of fun.

But I do have things to keep me busy until that time.  My midwife suggested at my 12 week appointment to read a hypnobirthing book.  I really want a different experience this time when I birth, so I want to prepare myself now.  I want a natural birth (no drugs) this time and she said this was a good way to go.  She has had many success that self taught from this book.  It also comes with a practice CD, and I hope that will help.  I am only about 50 pages into the book, and am really liking it so far.  I can't wait to get into the teaching part of the book.  Both Craig and I have to be fulling on board for this to work and I am tooking forward to that making our realationship stronger.  

For next appointment, please pray for a healthy and happy baby.  It won't be long until we know what name we can give our little one.

Ear Tubes Take Two!

I know it is normally said that third times a charm, but I hope in this case it can just be second.  On Thursday, Lincoln went in for his second set of ear tubes.  He got his first pair in January of 2009.  Those worked well for a while, except one ear always seemed to clog up.  
About 3 months ago, he started to get ear infections again.  It seemed like he would get one, we would medicate it and then he would get it again 2 weeks later.  Finally I think his body just got use to all the meds and they were not helping anymore.  He finally got a really bad ear infection and it lasted 3 weeks.  They tried everything to get rid of it, and it just would not go away.  
Our doctor sent us to the ENT that did his last tubes and he decided within 2 seconds of looking at him that he needed a second set.  Since we had been through it before, I was not worried about the operation.  It takes all of 5 minutes and then 10 in recovery before we can see him.   
Here he is at 6am getting ready for surgery at Cook Children's.  I love the little gown they give them.

The thing that worried me the most was when he wakes up.  Last time he screamed and was really scared when he came out of it.  They had someone comforting him, but it was a hard few days afterwards. 

This time was a bit different.  I was prepared for the screaming (not all kids do this, so no worries if you are getting this done).  And the kid next to him got a popsickle, but they did not give him one and would not give him anymore juice, so he was super mad.  After we got him in the car and got some breakfast down him, he was much better.  

He fussed a bit for the rest of the morning, but we could tell he was tired, as was I.  I laid down for a bit and Craig put Linc down as well.  Linc and I woke up about 2 and half hours later, and he was a different child.  It was like nothing had even happened that morning.  He was happy, wanted to play and seemed like he felt good.  It was very different from last time.  

I hope that this time the tubes work better.  I know sometimes you just have to wait for the child to grow up a bit so that the canal will get in the right position, and I hope that will be soon for him.  I have had problems with my ears all my life and I hope that is not the case for him.  It makes fun hobbies like scuba diving near impossible.  Anyway, thanks for the many uplifting thoughts, he did so great!