First Protrait Session

Yesterday, I decided to attempt to take some real pictures of Gracie for her birth announcement. Portraits aren't my specialty, basically because I need to take a lot of time to set up each shot. Landscapes seem to be more patient with me than people, but I'm determined I can do this.

My initial attempts weren't so successful. But once I figured out how much light I needed and where to place it, I actually got some great shots, particularly since this is a homemade studio I've created. I'm not going to share the image I chose for her announcements just yet, but here are a few others...I didn't edit these yet, so I know there are a few distractions in the pictures that I need to crop out.

Back to Birth Weight!

Gracie had her two week check up this morning and she is back to her birth weight - 9lbs 3 oz. That is exactly where she is supposed to be by today, so we are on the right track with the breastfeeding. Yay!

From now on, she is supposed to gain 1 ounce each day. Her next check-up is in two weeks, so she should be almost 10 lbs. by then.

After all the struggle to make sure she is eating well, things are very slowly getting better and paying off. Whew!

An Update on Gracie

We know you're all here to see pictures of Gracie, so I'll post them first. If you'd like to know how our first week and a half has been going, keep reading...







We've come a long way in a week and a half. I think we're finally getting the hang of things. But I'm absolutely amazed at how little time we really have. Literally, I have about an hour or two in the entire 24 hours to do what I need or want to do. I've been choosing to eat and take a bath with my time. I'm hoping to get back to returning phone calls, checking email, blogging, and interacting with others over the next few weeks.

Ryan has really been amazing. We make a great team. I have no idea how anyone could do it alone. We've had many visitors, and are grateful for all the support. I'm so thankful for my dad who has been here for a week, cooking for us. He's leaving tomorrow, and I'm not sure how I'm going to remember to eat, sleep and bathe, but I know we can eventually learn to manage.

Grace and I continue to learn how to breastfeed. We were having many issues, so last Monday, we attended a support group and they suggested I contact a private lactation consultant. Kimberly, from the Northern Virginia Lactation Consultants, came to our house to work her magic. She was ultimately our savior. I honestly don't think I'd have made it another day trying to nurse Gracie. I still talk to Kimberly every other day to follow up and ask questions. Poor Grace was not getting enough to eat and had lost almost a pound in five days. We were on a strict schedule (aka: "the cure") for 48 hours that wore Ryan and I, as well as Gracie down, but it was worth every painful minute. I was to touch base with Kimberly on Wednesday afternoon to figure out what was next, but Grace had decided that afternoon that she was ready to wean herself from all the tools we'd been given. I was scared when she began to refuse these tools. I didn't think I could bear the pain to return, but I decided to follow her lead. To my surprise, she was right. We could do this without much pain.

Both the doctor and the lactation consultant had strongly suggested I wake her every two hours to eat. That also proved to be a painful experience. She just wanted to sleep, undisturbed. It took me an hour to wake her and another hour to eat because she kept falling asleep, and by that time it was almost time to wake her again. She was restless for those few days. So yesterday I explained it to the lactation consultant and she said as long as I'm getting in enough feedings, try letting her lead. That was at 5pm yesterday. Since then, we have a completely content and pleasant baby girl who woke for about an hour twice last night to eat. Compared to the screaming baby we had for the last week, I'm impressed. So anyone having a first baby, let me know if you plan to breastfeed because I have quickly built a repertoire of resources, tools and tricks. Of all the lessons I have learned this week...the most important for those who want to breastfeed is to get help as quickly as possible, even before you need it. And make sure whoever helps you is not just a nurse, but a lactation consultant. The nurses at the hospital tried to act as if they were specialists and I believed them. If I'd gotten help sooner, as I asked, this may have been much easier. It really is the most difficult thing I've ever done...and I have to say the pain anxiety caused by unsuccessful breastfeeding is worse than the general pain and anxiety of labor.

Tonight we gave Gracie her first bath. She absolutely loved it and cried only when we took her out of the tub. We are now trying to put her to bed in her bassinet, prior to us going to bed. So far, the bedtime thing is going okay, but not great. She did lay awake and quiet for a good while, so we'll keep trying.

Welcome to the World, Grace Éibhleann Gibbens

We are very excited and proud to announce the birth of our daughter, Grace Éibhleann. Gracie was born on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 5:22am (her due date...so she should be punctual like her mommy). She weighed 9 lbs, 3 oz (exactly what her daddy weighed) and is 20 1/2 in long. Éibhleann, pronounced "AYV-lan," is a Gaelic name that means beautiful. Those are some high expectations to live up to (grace and beauty) but we think she'll do just fine :-)

I found out at my doctor appointment on Monday morning that if I wanted to attempt a natural birth (and avoid a c-section), I was to be induced as soon as possible because she was measuring on the larger side of the spectrum. So we checked in at Fairfax Hospital on Monday night at 8:00pm for prep stuff (details omitted) for a 9:00am induction. I did end up opting for an epidural eight hours into labor, after pitocin proved to live up to it's reputation and was a little too much for me to handle.

(details omitted)

After 17 hours of labor and 3 hours of pushing, the epidural was no longer active anyway. Gracie was finally born with a little help from a great doctor and nurses, a wonderfully patient and kind coach (Ryan), and a friendly "vacuum."

Gracie, mommy and daddy are still very tired and trying to spend much of their energy getting to know one another. But all things considered, we feel like we're doing extraordinarily well. We got home at 7:30pm tonight (Thursday). We're anxiously awaiting a good night's sleep and some much needed family time tomorrow. As you can see...we're turning in for the night, but will have much more to share on a more regular basis.

Here are some more pictures of Gracie's first 48 hours or so:

Welcome Gracie!

Great Grandma Rice was Gracie's first visitor! "Hi Gammie!"

(Great Uncle Todd and GGR drove from PA in the middle of the night to meet Gracie)

Comfy girl

"Aunt" Connie (above) and "Aunt" Sandi (below) were Gracie's second visitors.
...come on, you know you love explaining
how those "aunts" and "uncles" are not really related :-)

Nothing like a little cuddle with daddy

Gracie's first car ride...going home

My co-worker, Teresa, met us at home this evening,

greeting us with pizza and yummy welcome home presents,

but I forgot to get he picture with Grace, so next time.

Daddy and Gracie, and their favorite past time so far
(I almost can't watch, they're so sweet together -
it brings on all those post-pardum hormones)

Ok...but this is ridiculous!

I just had to post this for the record....

It really is only 5:30am.

Anyone who knows me, even a little bit, knows that I'm not a morning person. Not in the last 28 (and exactly 1/2) years, have I ever voluntarily got out of bed and felt like doing anything. However, it has not been uncommon for me to wake up several times in the night for the past month or two. But this morning is a little different.

As I laid awake for the last hour, I tried to go back to sleep, entertain myself with a movie that was half over, and even woke Ryan and asked him to rub my back. But the longer I laid there, the more compelling my urge to get up and do something. I thought of finishing the wash, putting the few dishes we left in the sink into the dishwasher, dusting, running the vacuum, watering the freaking garden (which I don't even do - Ryan does). Oh, and my stomach is growling like never before. It sounds like I haven't eaten in three days.

The weird thing is, my dad keeps telling me that the day before I was born, my mom cleaned the entire house, even scrubbed the walls. I can't help but wonder what time she started this cleaning spree. Well, I don't scrub walls...I barely have the energy to dust most weeks. But suddenly this morning, I probably would. So I can't help but wonder why all this energy and random desire to clean or complete something? Am I preparing for something? If so...great...but can I have a warning so I can try to take a nap first?

UPDATE: 7:35pm - By the time Ryan woke up this morning, I had finished the laundry, and was nearly finished cleaning the basement and the main floor. We had some breakfast and went to the Farmer's Market. Then, I was pooped! I took a nap all afternoon and feel great again. I need to dust and clean the bathroom upstairs and then I'm not sure what is left to do this weekend but have a baby...

Whoa, Baby!

We went to have Grace measured via an ultrasound today. As I mentioned in my previous post, the doctor is afraid that the reason she has not "dropped" is because she may be too large, and therefore too large to be born naturally. I doubted this theory, but asked what "too large" meant at our appointment on Wednesday. He said 4500g was too large. I'm fairly sure I've translated that to 9 lbs and 9 oz.

Well, she is measuring an average of 9 lbs, 4 oz! These things can be wrong by a pound in either direction. However, they said they are pretty sure she really is between 9 and 9 1/2 lbs. Some of her measurements were what the average baby that weighs over 10 lbs or is over 42 weeks shows. She has a normal amount of amniotic fluid and the placenta looks to be functioning as it should be right now. So she's likely to continue to grow as an average baby would until she is ready to join us. The doctor who discussed the measurements with us told us that at this point, babies typically gain a pound each week. Holy crap!

I'll do my best this weekend to try anything and everything to encourage her to come the natural way, but I have a feeling the doctor will have some other plans to suggest to us by Monday morning.

Any suggestions? Please?

Update - No Progress!

We went to our 39 week check-up today and there's still no progress. We scheduled an ultrasound for Friday afternoon and a non-stress test for Monday morning to make sure all is going well.

The doctor is afraid that since she hasn't dropped at all, she may be too big. So, that's what we're looking for. The magic number is "4500g" or 9 lbs. 9 oz. If she is measuring/weighing around 4500g, then we will have to discuss some "other options" (aka: c-section). As you may have guessed by the tone of this post, I'm dreading that talk. But I had some time to think about it, and I know that whatever they have to do to make sure she's healthy, I just have to do it.

On a positive note, I am having some preparatory signs that things are progressing...it just hasn't done anything for me yet. I just keep hoping and praying...and walking!

What a Great Weekend!

For the majority of last week, I was looking forward to having a baby this weekend. However, as the weekend approached I realized that may not happen. So Ryan and I made the best of a gorgeous weekend. We watched the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics on Friday evening. I taped the ceremony so that Gracie could see a little of what was happening when she was born, since I'm pretty sure she will be born sometime during the 17 days of these Olympics.

Yesterday, we went to the Reston Farmer's Market to find some fresh fruits and veggies for the week. Then we quite literally walked across the street to the Asian Festival. It was a lot of walking, but it was really fun walking around in the crowded park, looking at the vendor booths (kind of like Canal St. in NYC, but without the haggling), and choosing from the many food vendors to have lunch (so many familiar Thai choices was quite surprising). We listened to/watched some Indian music/dance while we ate and stopped at the Singha (beer) area for Ryan before heading out. For the remainder of the day and evening we hung out, watched the Olympics and took cat naps....my favorite!

Today we set out in search of a mini-golf course and a place to have a picnic. We found Algonkian Regional Park had both, so we headed there. Unfortunately, the mini-golf course was too much in the sun for my liking right now, and they didn't have any grills (who has picnic areas with no grills?) So we decided to try one of Reston's pools (we brought our suits just in case we decided to stop) that claimed to have grills. We found North Village Pool and they did have grills, but not at the pool. So we followed the directions of the lifeguard up around the corner to the cutest little pavilion and picnic area I've ever seen. It was great. There were no people (except a few who were riding bikes or passing by). It was one of the nicest lunches I've had in a long time. We must have stayed for two or three hours, just hanging out and talking. We had prepared some Bratswurts, accompanying veggies (peppers and onions), and corn on the cob for our picnic. Of course we also had some of the fresh fruits and veggies (watermelon, cucumbers and hummus) we bought yesterday. Mmm-mmm-mmm! What a yummy lunch/dinner. Now we're settling in for more Olympic fun tonight.

"Grace's Spaces"

After many long months of hard work remodeling Gracie's room and creating her furniture, everything is finally finished (with the exception of a few accessories I didn't have enough hanging hardware to put up and the safety stuff, like outlet covers and baby gates which we have a couple of months to get to).

Much thanks goes out again to Robert and Jelani for helping Ryan to complete this project.

Thank you Dad, for building Gracie her furniture, based on my vague descriptions. It is absolutely perfect! We will cherish it always, and Gracie will be so proud to have these pieces handmade by her "Daideo."

And last but certainly not least, thank you Ryan, for putting up with all my mood swings and for helping to make all of my dreams come true! And this tedious construction project is just one of the many ways you continue to amaze me! You really are going to be the best dad! I can't wait to share it all with you!

This is Grace's space in our living room.
(I know it needs a rug, but I can't find one I like yet)

This area will change over time, as she needs new stuff to do.

But it will work for a while...

All is Well!

I had my weekly check-up today, and there's no progress just yet. The doctor did an ultrasound because I was concerned that Gracie had turned herself around and was head up. But thankfully what I'm feeling is just her getting really big in there. Her head is down...but not very low yet. So we're anticipating it being a few more days at the very least (most likely longer than that).

Here's a belly picture Ryan took today: 38 weeks and 1 day

Whoa...can you find the right triangle? :-)

Grandma and Grandpa Anderson Visit

Ryan's Grandma and Grandpa Anderson came to visit for the weekend. I don't think we'd seen them since last Thanksgiving, which was much too long ago.

On Friday evening, we had dinner and talked about anything and everything for ours that night.

Saturday we all got up early and started the day with a big breakfast. In the early afternoon, went out for a little shopping at Walmart and had lunch at Panera (Grandma and Grandpa's first experience at Panera...they enjoyed it). When we got home, we all took a cat nap before going to our neighborhood block party for a little while. We ended the evening playing Pinochle. It was my first time...now I want more visitors so we can play again! I still like Spades a little better, but Pinochle was great!

Today, we made homemade waffles before seeing Grandma and Grandpa on their way back home to Virginia Beach.

It was a lovely, relaxing visit. We hope to visit with them more frequently in the near future!

Great to see you Grandma and Grandpa!

Take a Guess!

Following are the results from ExpectNet.com poll we conducted throughout the pregnancy. If you haven't guessed, what are you waiting for...the big day is almost here?


Let's see who comes the closest to guessing correctly (organized by date/time):


Tommy: Jul 31, 3:00 am, 7 lbs 0 ozs, 20 in
Erin: Aug 6, 10:45 am, 8 lbs 10 ozs, 20 in
Ryan: Aug 10, 10:00 am, 7 lbs 12 ozs, 21 in
Mikie: Aug 12, 7:37am, 8 lbs 8 ozs, 18 in
Paige: Aug 12, 9:37 am, 7 lbs 10 ozs, 21 in
Kristy: Aug 12, 10:24 am, 7 lbs 6 ozs, 18 in
Carolyn: Aug 14, 9:00 am, 6 lbs 14 ozs, 19 in
Erika: Aug 15, 4:37 pm, 9 lbs 3 ozs, 16 in
Rachel: Aug 16, 10:17 pm, 9 lbs 3 ozs, 18 in
Lizzy: Aug 17, 6:30 am, 6 lbs 5 ozs, 19 in
Maureen: Aug 17, 7:21 am, 7 lbs 13 ozs, 19 in
Shira: Aug 17, 7:52 am, 8 lbs 4 ozs, 19 in
Amy Z.: Aug 17, 3:00 pm, 8 lbs 0 ozs, 20 in
Lynn: Aug 18, 12:18 am, 7 lbs 0 ozs, 20 in
Christian: Aug 18, 7:25 pm, 8 lbs 5 ozs, 19 in
George: Aug 19, 6:15 am, 7 lbs 10 ozs, 18 in
Leah: Aug 19, 1:14 pm, 7 lbs 7 ozs, 18 in
Becca: Aug 20, 7:15 am, 8 lbs 9 ozs, 19 in
Lara: Aug 22, 12:23 am, 7 lbs 0 ozs, 20 in
Sarah: Aug 22, 3:30 am, 8 lbs 3 ozs, 17 in
Tara: Aug 22, 5:20 am, 8 lbs 13 ozs, 20 in
Donna: Aug 23, 12:43 am, 8 lbs 9 ozs, 21 in
Barb D: Aug 23, 4:24 am, 7 lbs 13 ozs, 21 in
Debbi: Aug 23, 12:00 pm, 8 lbs 12 ozs, 18 in
Katie: Aug 25, 7:09 am, 8 lbs 6 ozs, 21 in
Todd: Aug 26, 2:46 am, 9 lbs 4 ozs, 22 in
CJ: Aug 28, 12:28 am, 7 lbs 0 ozs, 20 in
Gustaf: Aug 29, 3:20 pm, 6 lbs 8 ozs, 20 in
Barbara: Aug 30, 12:10 am, 7 lbs 0 ozs, 20 in

Back to the Technology Age

We haven't had cable or Internet access for over a week. Comcast finally came out to see what the issue may be, and apparently Verizon cut our cable line (and only ours somehow) when they installed Fios for one of our neighbors.

So we're back online and have lots to share!

Jenny and Jun's Baby Shower

On Saturday, Jenny and Jun had their baby shower at their home near Baltimore...a very nice place at that! There were so many people there to share this wonderful time with them and the food was delicious. I had a chance to take some pictures, which I haven't done much of with this group for some time. Here are a few of the best:

Congratulations, Jenny and Jun!

Kate, Connie, Me, Jenny and Sandi

Jelani, Connie and Aliana

Sandi and Shawn


Bernard, Kate, Nuri and Lua


Yes, they are drinking beer from baby bottles!

Another Baby Shower!

Didn't I just say we have the greatest friends? My friends from work put on a little baby shower for us on Friday. I thought I was just going out to eat at my favorite restaurant, the Olive Garden. I was very surprised when we (Jenna, Leah, Teresa and I) went to pick up Shira (on her day off) for lunch, that she and Ben and Ryan were waiting for us with baloons, Olive Garden (take-out), ice cream and presents. It was a complete surprise, but a very thoughtful one at that.


Thank you so much for helping prepare us for this wonderful event, and for always being willing to celebrate! And of course, to those who contributed but couldn't be there, thank you too (Ben and Christina)!

(The pictures Ryan took have to be cleared before putting on the blog :-)

Our Baby Shower

Ryan and I are so lucky to have the greatest friends! Connie and Sandi threw a Baby Shower for us on Saturday, July 12th. Tommy and Amy came from Philadelphia and stayed the weekend. It was so nice to get to spend a little time with them. Robert and Theresia showed up and hung out with us for most of the evening. Jenny and Jun hurried back from their babymoon in Florida to be with us. Shira, Jenna and Hana from work came. And of course the Coleman's, Gremminger's (including Marissa which was a pleasant surprise), and the Songer-Johnson's all joined us! Thanks for showing your love and support...we can't wait to share our little bundle of joy with everyone.

It was a great time, and here are some pictures to prove it...

What is Montessori?

Whenever someone sees Gracie's room or the pictures of her furniture, they always ask why she will be sleeping on the floor, because that is the most noticeable difference between our nursery and 99.9% of nurseries in the US. We certainly don't mind explaining that we're planning to follow Montessori principals in raising our children. Then the next question is usually - "What is Montessori?" To the contrary of what many people think, it isn't a religious or cult-like phenomenon. It is quite simply, an educational philosophy.

For those of you who care to learn more, the Montessori philosophy has roots in every part of a child's life, not just in the classroom and not beginning at age five or six. It is based on the premise that children should be respected and receive "freedom within limits" in order to become independent thinkers. So what does that mean? I bet you are imagining screaming children running around, doing as they please. That's what I thought when someone first explained it to me. It is quite the opposite if well-understood and implemented properly. It actually leads to a happy, confident, intrinsically motivated, independent, responsible and well-disciplined child. I know, it sounds too good to be true. But it actually is possible. I've seen what children can do if given the opportunity. It is truly amazing!

Ryan and I both believe that education begins at birth and is a life-long process. So this philosophy actually fits well within our own ideals, and provides a framework to help us on our way to being decent parents and our children's first teachers. But I'm certainly not an expert on the Montessori topic, so here are some additional resources that may help those who are interested to learn more:

Montessori Connections
Birth to Three - Parenting
Birth to Three - Preparing the Environment
The First Year
Montessori Education - The Differences Between Montessori and Traditional Education
NAMC - Montessori Home Environment

The Montessori method is not our only plan for our children's lives - traditions, morals, religion and all the "normal stuff" play an even larger part, but that's nothing new to anyone and therefore doesn't seem to spark much conversation. And to answer the other FAQ we've been getting recently, our children will enter public school at age 5 or 6 and very likely fit in just the same as every other child. While you may be thinking, as my brother Evan put it: that we sound like Rick Moranis in the movie Parenthood, forcing his three-year-old daughter to study and learn constantly and not allowing her to just be a kid. But we don't have preconceived expectations for Gracie or any future children. It is quite the opposite, in that we don't believe in hurrying our children, rather simply providing opportunities to help them develop and learn at their own pace, while encouraging them to just be kids. Eventually, they will have the confidence and independence to become whatever they choose.

So, keep the questions coming. We're happy to share ideas and eternally grateful for yours.

Have You Seen "Sicko?"

While most of you know I find it difficult to keep my opinions to myself, I usually refrain from posting anything that is politically charged. I try to save those discussions for when I'm least likely to offend someone. But I can't hold back on this one!


As a result of a discussion we had with Rory while he was visiting, Ryan and I watched Sicko the other night. I hope you have seen this movie. I know, Michael Moore is out-there and usually tells a one-sided story. I'm certain there was a little bias in this documentary as well, but every American should watch this movie!


The message stuck with me so much, that I had a dream about health care. So it was fresh in my mind when I woke up this morning. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I immediately thought of four instances where this broken system has affected my life, so I thought I should share them to spark some discussion and hopefully eventually some action. (I'll attempt to keep it short).


1. My brother is a full-time student and hasn't had medical insurance since my mom passed away because he was covered under hers, can't afford it on his own, and can't get a full-time job while finishing school.


2. My dad was a contractor and couldn't afford private health insurance. He had a bad hip from sports injuries, but just took ibuprofen for years to get through the day. The ibuprofen eventually killed his kidneys at age 48. Luckily he was able to get help, but was forced to live on dialysis for three years, and has since received a kidney transplant. But had he had insurance to get his hip taken care of, it never would've happened.

3. When my mom found out she had cancer, several doctors told her she needed a PET Scan to really figure out what, if anything could be done. She never could get the insurance company to approve it. I'm not saying that the lack of having this scan led to her death, but we'll never know if more could've been done to help.

4. My first job away from home afforded me "full benefits," by my insurance didn't kick in until April 1st. My appendix ruptured on March 23rd. Two days in the hospital and an appendectomy later, my doctor/hospital bill was over $25,000. My employer tried to convince the insurance company to help, but no luck there. I applied for Maryland medical assistance for this one instance, but I hadn't established residency and I made too much money to get help. I tried to get help in PA, but they said I wasn't a resident there anymore. That hospital bill has come back to haunt me more than once.

I feel for anyone who has issues with medical insurance. It's sad that we cannot keep up with countries like Canada, the UK and France who have excellent health care for everyone and even higher life expectancies. I only hope someone devises a way to fight the insurance business in this country!

Consumer Gives 2000 Honda Accord 5 Star Crash Test Rating

Thankfully, everyone is fine...but Ryan was in an accident today. A supplier representative was his passenger, and when I got there he was covered in coffee, but unharmed. The woman driving the other car had minimal damage and left the scene shortly after exchanging information. Ryan doesn't have a scratch, though he may feel a little banged up tomorrow. His car took the brunt of the accident, which is what it is designed to do, I suppose. We'll know tomorrow what kind of damage was done. We're just so glad no one was injured.

He was approaching a one-lane bridge and the woman in front of him was stopped. He thought she was going to move. She didn't move, and he hit the brakes. He clipped her left rear fender and swerved to the right, hitting a telephone pole. Both he and the other guy said he wasn't going very fast, but it sure looks like they were. You can see the damage below. I was quite amazed actually, that the car just buckled like that and no one was hurt.

Out $164 and In-Need of Shower

We smelled a strange gas smell the last couple of times we turned on the stove. It was really bad on Saturday and worse on Sunday. So Ryan called the gas company to see if someone could come check it out to make sure everything was working properly. We were not home when they came, so they shut the gas off "for safety." Washington Gas told us that we had to get a plumber to certify that there were no leaks before it would be turned back on.

So we chose the plumber who charged $89 to "test for a gas leak." It turns out, the $89 was just to come to our house and give an estimate. It would be an additional $600 to test it, and more to fix it. We said "no thank you" and sent him on his way.

After calling the gas company over a half dozen times, Ryan finally pleaded with someone to send the gas people back to turn on our gas, because he never really said there was a "leak" but something wrong with the stove. They finally agreed and said they'd only leave it on if all gas appliances were in working order. We thought...they probably aren't, but it is worth a try.

The gas people came back today, and we don't have a gas leak. However, they "tagged" the stove and said if we use it and it blows up, it is our fault not theirs. Note taken! So Ryan called the stove repair people.

The stove repairman also showed up today to let us know that there's nothing wrong with the stove. We used an oil-based cleaning product on it and it has to burn off (who knew SoftScrub was oil-based or that you can't use that on a stove...there's a picture of one on the back of the bottle). That house call cost us $75.

So the moral of the story is...don't call the gas company's emergency line unless it is an emergency. Come to think of it, don't call the gas company until you've exhausted all other resources. And if you have gas-heated hot water and decide to call the gas company, at least take a shower before you call them because you may not have hot water for a few days.

Playing Catch Up

Where have we been for the past few weeks? Well, here's a short recap:

June 13th Weekend - (No pictures? I don't know what I was thinking)
It was our last out-of-town trip before Gracie is born, and we spent it in Uniontown seeing family and celebrating Father's Day. It was a whirlwind trip as usual, but we got to see just about everyone.

June 20th Weekend - (I can't believe I didn't take one picture. I may have to steal some from Theresia :-)
Rory came to visit on Friday and we had dinner with he and Robert and Theresia. It was a nice evening, and good to have company after a long stretch of no visitors.

On Saturday, my Aunt Mary came to visit from NY for a little impromptu trip that should've been about 4 hours took her more like 7 and a half. We met up with the Gibbens boys and Theresia for dinner in Old Town Alexandria. Shortly after, we headed to our trusty old Irish bar for some music. It was a great time!

June 27th Weekend -
Ryan spent a great deal of time on the baby's furniture, getting it ready to be moved up to the nursery...it looks great, and is just about finished now.

Saturday evening we took a break and headed into the city for a little romantic walk around the monuments (and I was also craving a little photography time). We headed to the Capitol first, since we've never actually walked up to it. I had an opportunity to take some pretty cool pictures. It rained cats and dogs as soon as we got back to the car, so I didn't get to photograph anything else, but after I got completely soaked running from the car to a bathroom (seriously, I've never been so wet while completely clothed in my life), we completed a wonderful evening by driving around looking at an Embassy or two, getting a little lost on a gorgeous back road, finally finding our way to Georgetown and enjoying a late night coffee and ice cream...hmmmm...what a great evening!

The Capitol

July 4th Weekend -
On Thursday, we headed down to Annapolis for an overnighter to hang out and relax a bit. It was a much-needed break. We had such a great time. I wish we could do that a lot more often. We just walked around, without a plan, stopped and had cold drinks whenever we felt like it, and ate whenever we wanted.

Annapolis

On Saturday, our friends Connie and Jelani brought their new little one, Aliana, over to let us borrow their carpet scrubber and help Ryan finish up Gracie's furniture. Connie and I worked a bit and played with Aliana while the guys did their thing. Three of the four pieces of furniture are now where they belong. Thanks for the help guys!

Aliana...isn't she adorable!?!

This week will be dedicated to cleaning for my Baby Shower next weekend...I can't wait!

Gracie's First Pictures

Ryan and I had a 3D ultrasound done yesterday in Philly, compliments of our great friends, Tommy and Amy. They chose to get us a gift certificate at this particular place because they had such a wonderful experience and their images were so clear with their little one. It was well worth the trip and great to visit with them for the day. Thanks again, Tommy and Amy! It is an experience that will last a lifetime.

The technician confirmed that she is in fact a girl and shared his non-medical opinion that Gracie looks to be about 32 weeks, while I'm not quite 30 weeks pregnant. We came home with 80 images and a 20-minute video of the ultrasound. We were able to see her open and close her eyes, stick out her tongue and smile. It was so cool! We can't wait to welcome her home very soon!

...check out those cheeks...

Excellent Estate Planning Seminar

Ryan and I have been discussing the plethora of plans and precautions we need to take before or shortly after the baby is born. One of the necessary steps is estate planning. So when we heard about a seminar to learn the details of the options, we thought it may be useful to attend before choosing a lawyer and blindly spending money on the process.

We booked the session about a month ago and attended the Estate Planning Seminar this evening. I didn't really know what to expect, but Ryan mentioned it would likely be a waste of time and money, particularly once we saw how many people were there (well over 50 couples). We paid $30 for the two hour seminar and were the youngest people there, by at least 20 years.

To our surprise, it was well worth our time. The presenter was easy to understand (not over our heads or too elementary) and extremely knowledgeable (a lawyer in the firm, the son of the owner to be exact). It was generally money well-spent.

I truly thought we could likely do everything on our own, but after learning about all the choices, forms, and consequences of not doing things appropriately, I'm sold that it is a necessity. They didn't really try to sell their firm (though the papers we received do), but explained that no matter who you choose to help you through the process, it is essential to receive the guidance of a lawyer. It made perfect sense and I'd highly recommend it if you live in the DC area, whether you're single, dating, married, with kids or not. The only issue is that they don't go into the details of the process if you have minor children (they only discuss adult children, because 99.9% of attendees are old). But you can let them know if you'd like to set up a free individual consultation (where they give you a plan and a flat rate), which we did. It is worth the $30 if you have 2 hours. There are a variety of locations to attend a seminar.

Here's the link to learn more: http://www.mikecollins.com/seminars.html

Lovely Baby Shower

With all the action this past weekend with my grandfather in the hospital, the Rice ladies (my grandma, aunts LeeAnn, Robin and Dawn and my seven girlie-girl Rice cousins) managed to carry through with the Baby Shower they had planned for me (and Ryan).

Ladies on both sides of my family, distant cousins, the unforgettable ladies I worked with at DOTS for six years (from when I was 16-22), ladies who worked with my mom for over 20 years, and family friends all joined us for lunch and presents. It was such a nice get together. It really made me miss being home, miss sharing in their lives, and made me realize just how many people are as excited to welcome this baby as we are. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you!

We received more girl clothes than I ever imagined possible, so I certainly hope we really are having a girl and that I have enough energy after she is born to change her clothes three times a day to ensure she wears them all (look forward to many pictures of her in cute outfits). We also received some homemade gifts (from my grandma, Aunt Paula, and my cousin Monica), lots of baby-care products, keepsakes, and necessities from the registry.

The one gift that really got me was my mom's baby blanket (also used for me) that my Grandma Cappy (my mom's grandma, my great-grandma, and our little girl's great-great-grandma) gave to her. My grandma had it wrapped with a note to let me know what it was and where it came from. I cried so hard I couldn't even tell anyone what it was. Not that I need another excuse to be emotional as it seems to be my favorite pastime these days, but it made me cry periodically throughout the day too. My mom would've been 50 this year, in October, but the blanket sure doesn't look it. Perhaps that was one of the reasons I cried. It is very special to have something of my mom's to give to our little girl. I'm so thankful to have it.

Thanks to everyone for sharing in our special event, for showering us with love and support, and thanks to the "Rice ladies" for all your effort. It was so nice of you to go to all that trouble. We love you all!



I'll post more pictures once I download them from my camera. Here are a few to tide you over:

Gram and her girls...

Get Well Soon Pap!

My grandfather was admitted to the hospital last Sunday with chest and stomach pain. After nearly a week of scaring the family with a seemingly unidentifiable ailment, the doctors narrowed it down enough to be relatively sure it was his gall bladder. So Friday afternoon at about 2:00pm, his doctor came in and said he would have his gall bladder removed that day.

As it turns out, it was in fact his gall bladder. It was actually gangrenous, so was the likely culprit of all of the severe symptoms. He's now thankfully resting and recovering and should be able to go home in a few days.

As a result of all of the tests he had last week, they also figured out that he is otherwise more healthy than me. We're glad you're getting well Pap!