Drums please.....

IT'S A BOY!!!!!! The week we arrived home, we had an appointment for THE ultrasound - the one that tells you that there are 10 fingers, 10 toes, and maybe a little unit down below :) I really didn't care if it was a girl or boy - but I think I was leaning slightly towards the Y chromosome. I already have my girl and I know this is probably the last baby for us. So I thought it would be nice to have one of each - a new experience this time around. Plus, I really wanted a boy for BJ as well. So, as we were looking at our healthy little peanut on the screen - I saw some "stuff" between the legs. BJ and I both looked at each other and knew it was a boy just moments before the doctor said "It's a boy - there is your son". We both got a little tearful. Unfortunately this wasn't the neat 3D/4D ultrasound like the one we had with Addie. No great shots of the face with a baby sucking it's wrist. But we did get a peak at his precious little face yawning and he has very full lips!!!! That's okay, only 4 more months and we can meet him in person. Now, we just need to come up with a name.....

Scotland/France 2010

Here is a slideshow of our great European adventure! We had a wonderful time. Addie did pretty well on the flight over to Paris - en route to Edinburgh, France. We stayed with friends of ours whom we met in Prague many years ago. They were kind enough to let us stay at their home in Edinburgh. It was a nice way to start our vacation because we could rest up, get used to the new time change, and let Addie play with their beautiful little girls. Addie loved the new toys and the sheep that grazed near the backyard. Unfortunately she had some difficulty with the new time change. Thank you BJ for staying up with her in the middle of the night :) The best part of the Scotland trip was visiting a real farm. We were able to interact with the animals in their natural habitats. Addie got to feed the sheep, goats, horses, ducks, etc. She had a wonderful time!!! Next on the list was a quick journey to Paris. We arrived in the evening and went to a restaurant visited by Anthony Bourdain on one of his episodes. The steak and escargot was fabulous!!! We went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower after dinner and got to see the beautiful view of the city and the light show. The next day we took the bullet train to Strasbourg, France. I really enjoyed this final chapter of our trip. Strasbourg is a lovely town and the main square with the Cathedral of Notre-Dame was breath-taking. Since this town is so close to Germany - we were able to experience the German cuisine - who knew I loved SAUERKRAUT so much!!!! BJ was at meetings during the day - so Addie and I were able to spend time together at the local park and browsing through all of the little shops. It was a more relaxing trip than we were used to - but that is OKAY since we were traveling with a baby and a pregnant lady!!! The trip ended with a BANG when Addie, who was sooo good during the whole flight back to the USA, threw up all over BJ after the plane landed in NYC. Both were covered in stinky-ness and thank goodness it was time to exit the plane!!!!! All-in-all it was a wonderful family vacation and I am very happy that Addie was able to experience her first overseas trip without too much difficulty. It was also wonderful to take a European trip again - and this pregnant lady got to experience some good eating!!!!

What's your name?

Oh - and Addie amazed us by answering the question: "What's your name?". Now we are working on "How old are you" - she says "six".

Jersey Shore Party

I can't believe I am saying this - but BJ and I are fans of the MTV hit "Jersey Shore". It's quite addicting to watch these people drink, fight, tan, etc. The drama in the house is fabulous and their style is quite unique. Many of you may know Snooki and her infamous "poof". BJ and I were quite jazzed when we found out our friends in New York were having a Jersey Shore party. We headed straight out to the stores to put together our perfect outfits. It was a little harder for me, being pregnant. But in the end - I think we would have won a prize had there been one. We represented Jersey Shore style quite well that night! Addie was quite amused with Mommy and Daddy and loved all of the jewelry and sunglasses that we were sporting. I just hope that Addie, the babysitter, and the neighbors don't think that this is how we normally look for a "night out on the town".

Reconnecting with old friends

I really had dear friends back in high school and it was unfortunate that none of us really kept in contact after graduation. Thanks to Facebook - I was able to reconnect with my friends and we have been keeping in touch ever since! We recently scheduled a playdate at good ol' Wilson Park. It was so nice to catch up on old times and watch our children play together. It didn't seem like that much time had passed!

Fun with the grandparents

Trying on jewelry, visiting grandpop at Boeing, going to the Edwardsville Children's Museum - Addie had too much fun! It is so wonderful to see her interact with my family and start to form true relationships. Although she didn't like to sit on laps, she liked playing with everyone and showing them her toys. Too bad we don't live closer :(

Addie's first visit to the Magic House

It is so nice that Addie is a little older and can enjoy some of the children's museums. During our visit to St. Louis in August, Addie made her first visit to the Magic House. It has come a long way since the little house that I went to when I was little. Now they have an area specifically designed for little ones. Addie had so much fun playing in the sand and water and watching the other children. Of course, before we left, I had to get her picture with the infamous static ball and her hair standing on end :)