Apple Farm

We made our annual trip up to Sky Top on Labor Day week-end.  Tessa is getting so tall!

And this is Baby Brother's first trip to the apple farm so we took his picture in front of the sign too.

 

The weather was beautiful, finally we are having some sunny days.  We went out in search of apples.  Galas and Honeycrisp were ready for picking.  Honeycrisp apples are delicious and we soon discovered that those trees were picked clean.  But there were plenty of Galas for us to pick.  This was fun because we just read a Fancy Nancy book where she picks Gala apples.   

Daddy and Gampa took turns boosting Tessa up onto their shoulders.  The best apples were up high.  We picked two buckets before heading getting tired.  

 My cute little apple eater, um I mean picker. 

We paid for the apples we had picked and grabbed a bag of the precious Honeycrisp apples.  Then we settled down on a blanket in the shade to eat our picnic lunch.  For dessert we bought fresh cooked apple donuts, yummy.  Tessa played on the playground for a long time before we went on a hayride.  This is such a fun family tradition.    

Baby Bump

Here I am at 20 weeks pregnant, my first official baby bump picture!  My plan is to take pictures periodically while wearing this same shirt so I can really see how my belly grows. 

I have been wearing maternity clothes for weeks now.  Friends have shared their things and my mom took me on quite the shopping spree.  The jeans especially are so comfortable!  Why don't they make regular clothes like this?  Now that I know I am having a boy, I have an excuse for my enormous appetite.  Unfortunately, indigestion is kicking in making my afternoons a little uncomfortable.  I have never had indigestion before, I can usually eat anything, so this is an adjustment for me.  This baby is strongly opposed to pizza, one of my favorite foods.  Peanut butter, my go to staple for the first trimester, is also causing problems.  According to an old wives' tale, my indigestion means he is going to be born with lots of hair.  That one might hold true since Ryan and I certainly both have thick hair.  And that hair is probably going to be totally straight too, we don't have a single curl between us. 

 

Sometime after my 16 week appointment, I felt the first movements.  It felt like champagne bubbles in the left side of my belly.  At first I wasn't sure what I was feeling but my friends assured me that it was the baby.  I can feel him kick pretty regularly now and it's amazing.  His little flutters are too gentle for Ryan to feel yet.  But it's sweet when Ryan puts his hand on my belly and we both hold our breath trying to feel something.    

 

Overall I feel really good and am enjoying this pregnancy tremendously.  I tell Ryan all the time that a lot of that is due to him providing me such a pampered lifestyle.  He's a big help around the house and lets me get plenty of rest.  I thought my energy would return in the second trimester, but I am still sleeping all the time.  My coworkers pamper me too, making sure I don't lift too much or work too hard.  While I love all the attention, I don't want to be one of those annoying handicapped pregnant women.  With a few adjustments, like going to bed at eight o'clock and drinking tons of water, life is continuing in a fairly normal way.  

First Day of School

Who's ready for the first day of school?!?!?  Tessa is!!!  But first, you know Momma has to take a few pictures.

I can't believe my baby is going to kindergarten at "big school."  Last week we went up to meet her new teacher.  She has almost thirty years of experience and seems really nice.  Tessa and I did a little scavenger hunt together to get oriented to the classroom.  For this week, I will be able to walk Tessa into her classroom.  After these first few days, she will be navigating the halls by herself.   

A couple of days ago I had a good cry about school starting.  This marks the end of my time with just us two girls at home.  Next summer, my attention will be divided between Tessa and Baby Brother.  I have treasured these sweet years, but they have gone altogether too fast.   

Ryan came with us for the big first day.  We walked into the school, Tessa holding hands with each of us.  This was the only sign she gave that she was a little nervous.  But with Daddy on one side and Momma on the other, she bravely marched in with all the other kids and families.  She found her classroom and then her cubby where put up her backpack.  Then she took a seat at the table, ready to start the day.

Even though we are going to the nearest public school, we don't know one single kid in her class.  All of our neighborhood friends got different teachers.  With eight different kindergarten classes I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this, but I am.  Tessa is a social kid and I know she will make new friends quickly.  I can't wait to hear all about her adventures at school.

It's a....

BOY!!!!!   Look at our handsome little guy.

We brought Tessa to this appointment with us so that she could see the baby.  I ate a Snickers and drank my one Diet Coke to ensure this baby would move around during the exam, which he certainly did.  The ultrasound tech didn't make us wait long to find out if we are having a boy or a girl.  One swipe over my belly with the ultrasound wand and it was very obvious this baby is a boy.  I burst into tears, not because I'm sad, just because it's such an emotional moment.  Then he gave this cute wave and we caught a picture of his sweet little hand.  The tech continued with the ultrasound taking all the necessary measurements and checking everything.  There was a tense moment where she thought something was wrong with my placenta.  But, it was just a bad angle.  Upon further exam everything looks great.  Tessa was unimpressed with the whole process but I am still glad we took her.  My doctor stuck his head in to check on us.  He had already predicted that I was having a boy.

We let the grandparents know our news and then, after all the excitement, we went out for my birthday dinner.  How fun that this appointment was on my birthday.  As we sat in a sports bar, munching on fried pickles and hot wings, Ryan assured me that I am going to be a great boy mom.  He pointed to his blue shirt and told me that he really didn't wear blue on purpose.  I looked down and was amazed to see that I was wearing a blue shirt too.  Coincidence?

Momma's Birthday

In honor of our upcoming trip to France, I had a French birthday this year.  I love all things French and may even decorate the nursery in a pink and black French theme if we are having a girl.  We celebrated at my parents' house on Sunday where my mom had this great cake and little French books and treasures for me.  Tessa loves the poodle on my cake.  She wants our next dog to be a poodle but this is not going over so well with Ryan.  Maybe a cockapoo, they are really cute dogs. 

Ryan shopped for French cheeses that I could actually eat.  Apparently, pregnant women are not supposed to eat unpasteurized cheeses.  Surprisingly, not all cheeses in the US are pasteurized especially the imported cheeses I love.  But the ones he found for us were delicious and we munched on cheese and crackers.  Tessa is quite adventurous when it comes to trying new cheeses.  She is going to do just fine in France.

I had a little helper when it came time to blow out candles and cut the cake.  Tessa wanted to take no chances at missing any of the icing. 

Tessa served me my cake.  She is sweeter than any icing I have ever tasted.  I do love this precious little girl.

Notice who else is nearby, just in case any food hits the floor.  It's my lovable furry vacuum cleaner.  Now that I am almost 20 weeks I am really starting to show.  More baby bump pictures coming soon.  While I don't want to admit to being another year older, I enjoyed celebrating with my family.