Cutest dog

Hi everyone,

I put Gracie's photo on the cutest dog competition web site. Please vote for her!

Vote here!

- Ritchie

Maternity Photos

We have some fabulous friends, Rob and Sharon Vreeland, who gave us a maternity photo shoot for our shower gift. The outcome was amazing and they have been beyond generous with their gift! We're so excited to show off a few until we get the rest of our favorites on a disc!

Robert Vreeland does photography in the area so if you need pictures of ANYTHING get in touch with him! He does amazing work and is such a fun, warm, creative guy - you'll love working with him!

www.murphydogstudios.com

8 Weeks Left!

Today I'm officially 32 weeks pregnant! This 8 week mark brings so many feelings for me. For one, 8 weeks is still 2 months so it seems somewhat far away still. However, when I look at the 8 weeks in sections (like I go back to work in 3 weeks, have 2 weeks of prep work, then 3 weeks with the kids) it seems like it could fly by and that makes me excited/nervous/stressed/giddy all at the same time! I cannot wait to meet Max and I don't know how it's possible to be SO in love with someone you haven't even met yet, but everyday I love him more.

So in the next 8 weeks we have a few things to do around the house before we (okay, I) feel truly ready. The nursery is ALMOST done, but we need to put up blinds and the mobile and hand a clock and some frames. We also need to tailor the curtains some. I also need to wash Max's clothes and we need to assemble the swing, pack n' play, bouncer, etc.... I would love it if Ritchie would finish cleaning out the garage, patch, sand, and paint the baseboard downstairs, and we have to find room in the kitchen for bottles and bibs. Other than that we're feeling pretty ready. Going back to work brings a whole other list of "to-dos" that I'm not allowing myself to think about yet!

So, countdown continues and before we know it I'll be updating weekly on the plans for delivery!!! Since I have gestational diabetes they are watching Max's size carefully and will not let me go past my due date. So NO MATTER WHAT I'm having this baby within 8 weeks. I would prefer 6 or 7 weeks, but if he needs 8 to be ready then so be it!

1st marathon out of the way

As most of you know, I have been training to run a marathon since November 2008. On July 26th, 2009 I have accomplished my goal of running a marathon. This grueling, strenuous, rewarding, and ultimately crazy activity occurred over the course of 5 hours, 52 minutes in beautiful San Francisco. We started on the Embarcadero along the famous piers, traversed through the Presidio and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. Coming back over the bridge, we ran back through the Presidio due south to Golden Gate Park. Once through the park, it was a downhill jog through Haight-Ashbury back to the Embarcadero and through to the finish line. (Sorry for the pic on the right, had to grab a proof photo.)

Most people would consider this a physical accomplishment and I would agree to a certain extent. Physical training for this endeavor was absolutely necessary, but I had no idea that there was a mental element as well. By the halfway point, I would have been content to call it quits, get a ride to the car, and enjoy a warm cup of coffee. By mile 18, I seriously began to question my sanity and wondered why I even attempted such a long run. With 8.2 more miles to go and a large blister on the ball of my left foot, I found myself determined to cross the finish line. Time was not important, just the fact that I was not going to quit. When I passed the 25 mile marker, I actually choked up a bit. I can't really say why now, but at the time it seemed appropriate. Crossing the finish line was an instant feeling of relief, pride, and joy. Mostly joy for the fact that I didn't have to run anymore, but also joy that I broke through the pain and completed a goal.

Aside from everything Jamie and I have done together, this has been my greatest accomplishment so far. Much to Jamie's dismay, I look forward to the next big race and hope that I can make huge improvements in time and physical strength.

If you are interested in increasing your level of fitness and doing a bit of self-exploration/discovery, I would absolutely recommend this to you. Find the time for yourself and push yourself beyond what you think you can do. I promise it is worth it in the end.

Baby Shower #1

Saturday July 25 was my first baby shower thrown by my mom! It was a gorgeous day and we got to enjoy some delicious Mexican food at Pedros in Los Gatos. There was about 25 people who were very generous towards Max and "showered" him with gifts! haha! My mom did a wonderful job putting on this event and I am so grateful to everyone who came and celebrated with me!

The greatest of all friends, Kim and me!

And here I am with my two closest friends, Kim and Kirstie! I don't think I could survive without these two!
Yummmmmm........
Gift time!

Shannon and Bella came to celebrate!
Me and the host!
And here's a shot of the 30 week belly and Kirstie's 10 week belly!

3D of our little man!

So today was the big day that we got to have a sneak peek at our little guy whose been causing all the ruckus in there! haha! He wasn't super cooperative because he seems to enjoy facing my backside where it's difficult to see him. The umbilical cord was also right in front of his face for many of the pictures. Once the umbilical cord moved, he put his hand there! They were having me try all sorts of fun things to get him into the right position and we were able to get a few good pics, but we definitely determined that he's already strong willed!

He looked like he was laughing in there!! Good to know he found our difficulties so amusing!
My mom, Terry, and Kim were able to join us today for the viewing. My dad was bummed to miss it, but stayed home because he's been very ill. Ritchie's family decided they wanted to be surprised to see all his features for the first time at his birth. The small group was perfect though as we could all gather around the smaller, clearer screen to get a good view. All in all, it was a fun experience!

Pregnancy Update

It's time for another update since I'm officially in the 3rd trimester! Only 11 weeks to go until this little munchkin is being evicted from my uterus!

Well here's my list of pregnancy gripes:

1. My ribs now officially hurt and they hurt even more when he kicks them.

2. It's difficult to sleep - perhaps preparing me for his arrival?

3. I may have Gestational Diabetes. I'm currently testing my blood sugar levels (or BS levels as Ritchie and I like to joke) and they are sometimes a little high. I'm hoping that when I go talk to the gestational diabetes counselors next week that they allow me to try to modify my diet and that I can keep it under control that way without medication. I seem to be only slightly high and that's only when I've had a TON of carbs. We'll see and I'll make sure to update about that!

4. I'm officially moving slower than I've ever moved before. One mile takes about 30 minutes.

5. One word: HORMONES. I'm a wreck. I can cry for no reason at all and then laugh about it!

Here are the joys of pregnancy for me:

1. Feeling him move is amazing! He's a wiggler for sure and I just love to feel his rolls and punches and kicks. He stops when daddy puts his hand there to feel, which further leads me to believe that Ritchie is going to be able to soothe him better than me (grrrrr.....).

2. I love seeing him on ultrasounds. Next weekend is our 3D and I just can't wait!!

3. Preparing for the little guy is SO much fun! We've been working on the nursery and organizing the house. It just amazes me to know that soon he'll be here making use of these!

4. I love the pregnant community I've come across. I take a pregnancy yoga class and also just started birthing classes. It's been such a relief to talk to other pregnant women about what they are going through and how it's not just me feeling down sometimes.

5. For now I have NO UTI!!! It's a first this pregnancy and I'm probably more excited about that than anything! Woo-hoo!!!

Here I am 1 week ago at 27 weeks: