Belly Pic 3 (Updated July 2)

I'm sorry for the delay of pictures - its been a while since Chris was home on a picture day (Friday) but here's the latest. For your comparison pictured left to right is 19 weeks, 21 weeks and today 25 weeks (July 2). I'm larger and more uncomfortable as the weeks go on! I started swimming a few weeks ago and love it. It feels so good to be in the pool and moving around. The baby seems to really enjoy it also. He has been moving more frequently this week and Chris has been able to feel him squirm, especially today :) It's great being able to share this experience with him in any way I can.

Evermore

I rang the doorbell and heard the familiar buzz granting me access into the house. I went up the staircase lined with black and white wallpaper which is still in perfect condition, not an edge in sight peeling. The door opens and the white tile is sparkling. Everything looks just like I remember. Aside from a new stove top the kitchen is the same, the carpet is the same-worn on the staircase where me and my siblings slid down one too many times, couches still perfectly preserved in plastic. Grandma Barbara hands me some photo albums to look through with my sister Mindy while she cooks up some of her delicious food. When we finished looking through all of the albums I put them away and noticed some toys that we used to play with as kids: the Bingo wheel my brother and sisters would spin, the building set we would fight over to make towering masterpieces, the hanging curtains I wore when I pretend married my childhood crush. It's all still there. Even though I hadn't been to my grandma's house in a while before that visit, it felt like I had just been there yesterday and that no time had passed at all. We live in such a fast paced world where everything changes so quickly and were constantly looking forward to the next great thing, its easy to forget how sometimes the unchanged can be so nice.

Ultrasound 3 - 19 weeks 3 days

Our third and "big" ultrasound was May 24th. Chris was finally able to join me so I didn't have to feel like a single mom! I really enjoyed having him there to share the experience and was hoping he could see the baby squirm around like it did last time, only the baby slept through the entire ultrasound :(

So it's a boy and he is growing so quickly. I can't believe I'm more than halfway there. This pregnancy is flying by...I'm sure in 10 weeks I am going to be saying the opposite!

It's a Boy!!

Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics

So my gender dreams were accurate...maybe its not just an old wives tale! Everything looks good...brain, spine, bones etc! His heartbeat is now 141. We're very excited!!

A Few Random Pictures & Events

Mindy & Jonathan's 2nd 24th Birthday Dinner @ Benihana:

One of the cake's from birthday dinner @ dads - thanks for all the helping hands to make this!

Event for Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland - one of the official Cleveland Indians Charities. It was a bowling event (obviously), Indians vs. Browns teams. Amy, pictured below on the right is an amazing bowler and deserved to take the trophy home having won best female bowler out of all the bowlers there! I on the other hand, won the worst female bowler and took home a lovely vase from Crate & Barrel and some coupons for free bowling :) Honestly though, I wasn't even that bad! There was some serious competition (see Amy & Jackie below: two of the many competitive bowlers)!

Me with Onion, my favorite hot dog at the field! Love her new hot pink purse! LOL

MLB Opening Day April 5, 2010

2010 is the first year Chris is on the Opening Day roster! Congratulations Chris! This also means it is the first year I got to attend Opening Day hoopla! The Indians opened the year in Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field against the White Sox on a beautiful day, to a sold out, excited crowd. The atmosphere was of pure joy and hope for a great season. There were even fighter jets flying overhead during the Star Spangled Banner!
**Click on the pictures to enlarge** (Chris is #54)

Unfortunately, the Tribe lost the first game, much to the delight of the White Sox crowd. The second game went better-Chris made his 2010 debut as Closer and got his first save of the 2010 season! Go Chris!!

Opening Day at home vs. the Texas Rangers on April 12, 2010 was pretty exciting also! Chris made his debut at home, there were balloons, a flag presentation and a sold out crowd...Unfortunately the Indians lost and the fans disappeared with no sign of return...

Quotes I've Enjoyed Recently

*Excerpt from an article in the May 2010 Oprah magazine on yourself and relationships:
"Your relationships with others reflect your relationship with yourself, wherever you may be in your personal development.
The key to meaningful connections with the people in your life is making yourself whole by honoring your body, mind, and spirit, filling the voids that cause you not to love yourself. You can't give love if you don't have it. And you can't receive (or even perceive) it because you won't recognize it when it shows up. You've got to care for yourself in order to be able to care for others."
-Oprah

*Quote used at the end of one of my favorite shows:
"If I am what I have and if I lose what I have who then am I?"
-Erich Fromm

*Written to me in a card and very applicable in my life:
"Life throws us many turns and curves, bend with them and you will come out smiling"
-Dad & Pat