OFF TO L.A. WED.!

Hello everyone,
Wed. I head out to L.A. to meet my friend Lotta from Sweden. She is competing in the L.A. Marathon on Sunday and after that we will head down to Laguna Beach where she owns a timeshare. Laguna Beach is a quaint little town where we look forward to relaxing. I look forward to walking on the beach and spending time with my friend.

It has been fun for Ed and I to watch Emma move around like a little alien in my tummy and for Ed to feel her kicks and bumps on a regular basis now. I look forward to my next ultrasound and seeing the change in her from the previous one.
That's all for now...

Julie

A WONDERFUL BABY SHOWER...

Hello everyone,

We are back from FL and a busy week putting a new roof on the house and painting. It looks great!

Ed & I enjoyed a wonderful baby shower. We had tasty chili from my friend's restaurant and other luscious munchies, cake, beer & wine. We didn't have games and gave out raffle prizes instead. 41 people attended and it was a nice chance to visit with friends and family we hadn't seen in awhile. Ed and I are very grateful for the beautiful gifts Emma received. From adorable clothes to travel beds and gift cards, our friends and family showed us how much they care. When I arrived I didn't look pregnant but by the time of the shower I had popped out a little belly. I am now into my maternity jeans almost full time. Thanks again to everyone for their love and support.

FEELING THE KICKS

Hello everyone,
For the past week I have been able to feel Emma move around and determine it is not hunger pains or gas. Ed felt her move twice. She seems to be more active in the morning and around 7:30 pm. It has been nice to have more of a connection to her in that way. My friend in Boston had a 9 pd. baby boy Saturday. She is the first of many of my friends that are pregnant, to give birth this year. There is something in the air! Saturday I head to Florida. We are putting a new roof on our house and painting it so it will be a busy week for us. Looking forward to the shower and seeing everyone.
Have a great week!

SHE'S HALF BAKED!

Hello everyone,
Emma is officially "half baked" this weekend at 20 weeks. A milestone which is exciting to hit. I am still in my regular jeans and tops - yeah!

I have been working at the Red Cross in Colorado Springs since last Tuesday. There was an apt. fire which destroyed 135 units and killed 2 people and who knows how many pets. It was arson and 112 families are now homeless. People jumped from 2nd & 3rd floor balconies, many broke their backs, arms, legs etc. Helping out at the Red Cross makes me appreciate everything I have, which is a lot.

We got 6 inches of snow over the weekend. It is sunny and the snow is sparkling.
Have a great week everyone!

SHOPPING FOR BABY FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!

Well folks, my mom and sister have quickly made the transition from Evan to Emma spending days at the Carter's store this past week. They shopped 'til they dropped and went back 2 days later to find new items on display. 35 hangers later (not including 3 piece outfits), my sister heads back to MI today content (for now) of a job well done. They tried to cover the basics in addition to getting the must have adorable outfits. I can't wait until the baby shower to see all of the clothes. They have the best of both worlds being able to shop for my nephew (due in April) and for Emma.

Here I am as a newborn. I was 3 weeks overdue, weighed 8 pds., had black hair and long fingernails that had to be cut right away.

It's sunny and 5 here!

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! EVAN IS AN EMMA!

Well boys and girls, this morning we got a little surprise! The 4 friends that convinced me it was a boy were wrong. When the technician said it was a girl I was in shock to say the least. I asked her if it was duct taped to his leg or if it was an "innie" instead of an "outie". Ed laughed his head off as I kept asking her if she was sure. This photo is the money shot, clearly showing girl and not boy parts. I can now look forward to my moms adorable knitted baby bonnets and sweaters.

I had Ed make the phone calls to the family and friends because I wasn't ready to hear the laughter (Julie was wrong!) but I could clearly hear them from across the room anyway.

I need to digest this and could really use a margarita (I know, that will have to wait awhile)! ;-)

Ed's first hair cut was a tad traumatic.