trips to AL and MD

As Bilbo Baggins said in The Fellowship of the Ring, "It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life." That is just what Geoff and I did on our 10 day excursion to Pell City, AL, and to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Aside from the slight hiccups in travel, such as my big suitcase for shower gifts getting lost on the flight down and Geoff and I forgetting to take the air mattress to Salisbury, Geoff and I truly relaxed. In Alabama, Geoff, Connor, and Dad did some fishing. I failed to get ANY pictures of that, but trust me, they were out in the boat A LOT. I even got to take a couple of boat rides myself! We had a lovely birthday breakfast for my 82-year-old Memaw, and I enjoyed my lovely baby shower given by my Godmother and dear friends. However, my favorite part of the trip to Alabama was doing a whole lot of nothing--sitting in the shade with a book or picking fresh green beans from my grandfather's garden (and later that day cooking them Southern style).

The Watson/Glenn/Robey/Jones/Howard clan (minus Emmi and Wes)

Me opening a memorable gift--this was MY dress as a toddler; Aunt Susan saved it for me!

Geoff's clearly very excited about all the poopy diapers to come!

Granddaddy watching me pick his green beans while in my bathing suit--hey, I was in Alabama after all!

In Maryland, Geoff and I enjoyed some beach time and Maryland crabcakes with Jim and Janet. We were only there two days, but I find that the smell and sound of the ocean, even for a little while, is enough to calm and relax any weary soul. After the beach, we headed to Salisbury to hang out with Steph and Colin over the 4th. Again, we celebrated the small-town life. We went to a local carnival hosted by a volunteer fire department, visited a small craft brewery, and shot our own fireworks. (Sadly enough, all of the beach pics are on Jim's camera, and the really funny pics of blueberry picking and the carnival are on Steph's camera.)

The gang visited Evolution Craft Brewery. Everyone enjoyed the yummy suds but me--just look at me pouting!

This shot was taken at Furnace Town, where I was mistaken for a local gal and Steph as the one from DC due to her camera.

Although Geoff and I truly enjoy our home and all the opportunities that come with where we live, each trip to Pell City and the Eastern Shore reminds us what we're missing. We long for the days when we can find a nice home on a nice sized piece of waterfront property and fish and garden to our hearts' content. We realize this dream is a long time coming, so we are grateful to have family that live in such areas. We LOVE visiting you!

New nickname for Baby Howard

So...most of you know the story of how Baby Howard came to be called Pierpont. If not--it's from my mom. There's an I Love Lucy episode when Lucy is trying to think of names for Little Ricky, and she keeps changing her mind every 5 seconds. Each new name gets more and more ridiculous, and Pierpont is one of her choices. Pierpont was Baby Howard's nickname until Monday's ultrasound. My new doctor didn't like the old pics, and because I was "measuring large", she had another ultrasound scheduled.

Well folks, Baby Howard, a.k.a. Gigantor, IS indeed large. I'm not even at 29 weeks yet, and Baby Howard weighs 3 pounds (most likely). His/her head is in the 80th percentile of head sizes, and Geoff and I are shocked by all of this. We were not large babies, and neither of us have gigantic craniums, so where's this huge baby coming from? My mom's guess is my Dad. He was over 9 pounds at birth, so if I end up with a 9 pound baby in September, I am putting all the blame on the Glenn genes! Here's a pic Baby Howard's gigantic cranium. Pics and postings from the trips to Alabama and Maryland are soon to follow! Love to all!

Kitchen and Dining Projects....To Be continued....

Here is the latest in the kitchen remodeling project. It has been difficult at times with the constant travel, but we are at a good point to show the progress thus far. Tile has been laid on the floor and backsplash; halogen lighting installed under the cabinets, and flooring laid in the dining room. What's left? - finish shoe-molding, or quarter-round (I know Steph, you are impressed with the handyman terminology), touch up painting on the trim and then we can finally focus on painting the nursery. I left in the picture of the compound mitre saw that I convinced Leslie to let me buy if I promised to use it to cut and install the crown molding...Here is a sample of where we are in the project:

Belly update and O's game

Greetings! Here I sit at 24 weeks' pregnant and feeling great (for the most part--some back issues, but that's to be expected). I have gained a total of 12 pounds, and get told constantly that I "don't even look pregnant from the back." Every time I hear that, I ask those people to tell me that again come September! The doc thinks things look great, and he made a funny comment today when trying to count the baby's heart rate. He said, "MY, what a squirmy child!" Folks, I think we have a little Geoff on our hands--constantly moving, no sitting still...definitely NOT a trait he/she inherited from me! Here's me at 24 weeks with only 16 to go! Behind me is our magnolia (with some beautiful blooms that are just out of range) and my snapdragons! I love Spring!

Geoff and I also recently took in a Baltimore Orioles game with Steph and Colin. It was a pitchers' duel lasting just a little over 2 hours, the O's lost, and we all forgot to bring sunblock, but we had a great time anyway. We especially enjoyed people watching some of B'more's finest! Too bad we couldn't discreetly capture on film the one guy we loved--he was awesome with his faded O's tank top from the 80's and the tanline on the back of his neck indicating his recent haircut! Here are pics we did manage to take! Here's 3/4 of the crew (the only shot of the 4 of us is on the McAllisters' camera) and me standing at the foot of the infamous Babe. He hails from B'more for those that didn't know that.

Love to all!

The Glenns' visit, Memorial Day 2009

We had a lovely weekend with my mom and dad. Lots of good food, cold drinks, great company, and FINALLY summer-like weather added up to a fun time. We grilled out Friday night upon their arrival, and Saturday morning was dedicated to bonding time. Geoff took Dad shooting, and Mom and I got facials and shopped. Saturday afternoon was Geoff's and my 4th annual trek to see Garrison Keillor in Prairie Home Companion at Wolf Trap Park. We, along with Casey and Cass, have our picnicing on the lawn down to a precise science, and we have also learned to time our pregnancies VERY well in order to get the primo parking spot. (Her turn was last year, this year mine, and next year, hers again). It was warm Saturday afternoon, waiting for Garrison, but we didn't complain after the yucky spring we've had. (See pics). On Sunday, we took my parents to the Quatro Goombas' winery for another outdoor picnic, and then grilled out again for dinner. After the unseasonable cold weather and rain the South has gotten, we all felt the need to enjoy the unofficial start of summer by being outdoors as much as possible. It was a wonderful weekend, and I cannot wait to be back in 'Bama in one month's time to enjoy the lake, a baby shower, and a visit to good ol' Camp Winnataska! HOORAY FOR SUMMER!

I made it halfway!

Well, I am "over the hump" so to speak. I am officially halfway through my pregnancy, and although there were some days that seemed long at first, especially when Geoff was away, I truly cannot believe how quickly has seemed to fly. I had my 20 week appointment on Tuesday, and my nurse called me a "pregnancy overachiever." (Well, I do tend to be that in lots of areas, so why not this one too?) Everything looks amazingly good, and despite my occasional longing for a glass of wine or cold beer, I feel great! Here is a picture of me 4 and 1/2 pounds heavier than the last belly shot at 16 weeks. And here is a sweet picture of Bella and me, simply because it is precious. (She wanted to be in my belly shot, so I had to make it up to her). Love to all!

Mother's Day 2009

Today I awoke to my first Mother's Day gift ever, a lovely orchid, and a card promising me dinner and a pair of crocs (because I've been using the pair Steph left here over two months ago, despite their being too big for me)! Geoff was really sweet to do this, although I take my own mother's view of this day to heart. "If you can't tell me you love me every day of the year, don't bother on Mother's Day." Since Geoff does tell me he loves me on a daily basis, I can accept his gift without any reservation!

We also had our 20 week ultrasound on Thursday. It was not as fun as we thought it would be. First of all, I had to drink 16 ozs. of water beforehand, and then lay on a hard table for an hour and 15 minutes. Imagine my discomfort! Second of all, we didn't know this ultrasound would be all business, making sure the heart has 4 chambers, that there were 2 kidneys, that the femur measured a certain length, etc. Man that lady took a lot of pictures! This was all compounded by the fact that Baby Howard was CONSTANTLY moving. I certainly hope this is not any indication of future behavior, as we may have a serious case of ADHD on our hands. The sonographer was getting exasperated, saying (in her Indian accent) "Oh God, baby. Please, baby. Be still, baby..." over and over. I started to find it funny, but Geoff did not. He asked for a facial shot (because we saw some CUTE ones during the exam), but she only managed to take these Skeletor shots (remember him from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe?). Anyway, Baby Howard looks perfectly healthy, no spina bifida or cleft palate, thank goodness. As for the sex, Geoff asked the doctor to write it down and seal it in an envelope, which is now magnetized to our fridge. I don't know how long this secret will last, since our sonographer said she was 100% sure she was right. We're still trying to keep the sex as a surpise until delivery, but if we do open the envelope, we'll be sure to let everyone know! I go back to the doctor on Tuesday for my normal health screening, at which time I will know how much weight I've gained in the last 4 weeks (no, there is no scale in this house). I will post a belly shot and a weight update then.

News on the Howard house renovation: Geoff is halfway finished installing the dining room floor, we sold the old dining room table and chairs, and the new dining room table and buffet have been delivered. Now we just need some chairs, some crown molding, some curtains, and the grand kitchen/dining room renovation will be complete and we can start creating a nursery! FUN! Pictures will be posted!

Happy Mother's Day to all mommies, and our love to all!