Random Stuff

A few weeks ago Concordia had their annual benefit auction and this is what some sweet friends got for us... a Daddy Diaper Bag Basket. It has so many wonderful things! Here's the contents...

Thank you, Mary and Julie! What a sweet and thoughtful gift! Nathan will look so awesome sporting this masculine daddy diaper bag! (He's kinda rolling his eyes right now but no worries, he'll see that real men DO carry diaper bags!)

Recently we went camping with our friend, Brian, at his family's ranch in Pearsall. Zeta and I just went up for the day but Nathan camped out overnight. Here's Nathan preparing dinner for everyone. Brian sure does have it made on these camp outs! Nathan does all the work. (Sorry, Brian! You know it's true!) He does all the cooking. Kills the rattle snakes. Gathers all the wood and supplies to make the fire. Brian's main role in the outing is to just sit in his chair with a book and repeatedly say, " Gosh, it just feels so good to sit here and relax." Well, duh!

Check out the "grill" Nathan cooked on...
I know what you're thinking......Rednecks, right? Don't think that, rather, think....resourceful! In case you haven't figured out what our grill is, it's an old single bed frame. It worked great! There used to be a normal, more civilized iron grill out there but we don't know what happened to it. Maybe some of the deer hunters took it.

Below is the beautiful sunset.

20 Weeks!

I'm officially half way and I've been feeling pretty darn great! I don't have to get up every night to pee...just every once in a while. I'm not craving anything weird....just my usual grapefruit and fish. Not together, though. I daily have a sonic grape slush although today I switched things up a bit and had cherry. I'm trying to display some self control with my ice cream intake but geez- BlueBell Moolenium is just toooo yummy! I can function if I don't take a late afternoon nap but hey, if I can have one, why not?! Being pregnant is pretty fun.

I had my sonogram this past week and it was so precious. The baby was moving around like a little wiggle worm. We got some cute pictures of baby sucking his/her thumb! The tech and the doctor were very careful not to reveal the baby's sex. Thank goodness! We've been so excited about it being a surprise. So far, so good.

My doctor said that since this was my first pregnancy, I wouldn't probably feel any movement until week 20-22 but as we were getting ready for bed on March 18, I felt it! It felt like a little butterfly flitting around in my belly. I'm guessing that was the baby. I've felt it just about every other day since then. I can't wait until I feel a big 'ole KICK! Nathan keeps saying how it isn't fair. He keeps asking What does it feel like!? What does it feel like??!! I can't wait for the day when he can put his hand on my belly and feel the baby. What a miracle, huh?

As we were watching the sonogram screen I couldn't help but think how amazing and detailed God is. He created us so perfectly. We had a level II sonogram which is a little more detailed, so I'm told. We saw all 4 chambers of baby's heart, saw the kidneys, the stomach, lungs, and so many other things- I can't even remember b/c I was overwhelmed at the wonder of it all. The pictures were great. Baby's heartbeat was 150 and baby weighs about 10 ounces.



Every night Nathan and I take turns and pray for our little miracle. We pray for all the normal things that every expecting mom and dad pray for. We are so thankful for an uneventful pregnancy thus far, for God's protection over us and the baby, for great doctors and great care, for wonderful friends and family and their excitement and support and the list could go on and on! Okay- enough gabbing- here's baby Carmines....

Our Little Gymnast

Ashley, our youngest niece, has the perfect little build for a gymnast. Nathan has been saying for the last few years that she needs to start gymnastics and I guess my sister thought so too! Ashley has been in gymnastics for several months and she really seems to enjoy it! Ashley has always been fearless. As a toddler, she would stand at the edge of the pool and while in mid-air, she would yell, "Catch me, Aunt Nickie!" She knew that I would and she didn't even worry about going under water. When she walks, she barely touches the ground. She kind of floats and skips a few inches above the sidewalk. She loves for her Uncle Nathan to throw her high in the air. She loves for her dad to hoist her up toward the sky in the swimming pool. She's a gutsy little girl! It's no different on the balance beam, uneven bars, vault and floor. I went to her first meet and she did great!

Here's Lacey, me and Ashley right before the meet began...
Here's Ashley on the uneven bars. She got a first place ribbon!
Here she is on the balance beam. She got a 2nd place ribbon!
I couldn't get close enough to take pictures of her floor routine or of her on the vault but she got 1st on floor and 2nd on vault.
Congrats, Ashley! I'm so proud of you!!

"10 Things" Using the Letter G

Here are the rules: If you want to play, leave a comment on this post letting me know and I’ll assign you a letter. You write about ten things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it on your blog. When people comment on your list, you give them a letter, and the chain will continue.
Try it! It is fun!
Robyn assigned me the letter “G.”

1. God- This, for sure, is my most favorite of all my "G" items. I am so glad to know God as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I am a child of God and I'm so thankful for all the blessings in my life. Like everyone, I'm a mess inside and a forever work in progress but thanks to our Heavenly Father, I have hope and a future!
2. Girlfriends- Throughout my life I've had some amazing women come into my life like my sweet mom and sister, AOII's from college, friends from Concordia who are like sisters to me and long time friends from childhood. Women need other women. There's no doubt. We're there for each other in good times and bad. We cry with each other when we're facing those valleys and we laugh with each other when we're on top of the world. To all the ladies in my life...thanks for making my life richer.
3. Gordita's- My favorite gordita can be summed up in one "word" (acronym, actually) NIOSA! That's "Night in old San Antonio" for all you non Fiesta folks!
4. Ginger Ale- This is 'da bomb for "morning sickness" which I no longer have, thank God!
5. Garlic- Garlic is a staple ingredient in my cooking. I love it and it's good for you!
6. Google- How did I ever survive before Google?! I Google everything!
7. Gardening- Although our parched yard doesn't look like it now, we love to work in the garden together. We've planted tomatoes and we're going to plant corn, cucumber, strawberries, carrots and peas.
8. Grand Canyon- Seriously, one of the most beautiful places I've even been and I can't wait to go back!
9. Gone with the Wind-GWTW is my all time favorite movie. I love the time period, the way of life, the wardrobe, and most of all- Scarlett's bratty attitude. It's a classic! In fact, we're getting ready for a Gone with the Wind viewing party with Daniel, Sylvia and Larry.
10.Grapes- Especially when they're on sale! The green seedless ones are my favorite. I also like them frozen.