A Near Perfect Day

Dear Baby Bean:

Today was such a great, fun day!  It happened to be Finn's second birthday, and Becky and Finn invited Tenley and I (and you!) to the Shedd Aquarium to celebrate.  We had been looking forward to this day all year and it definitely didn't disappoint.

We woke up bright and early this morning so that we could leave at 8:00.  We hopped in Becky and Finn's car and headed downtown and got to the aquarium just in time for it to open.  You're lucky that you have a nice, warm place to be in Mommy's tummy because it was cooooold out today!  Once we got inside, we purchased our tickets and started our day of fun.

First we walked through all of the aquarium galleries.  We saw so many different colored fish, some turtles, and even some baby monkeys.  We saw sea horses and frogs, too!  We had so much fun looking at all of the fish that we almost forgot to go to the Aquarium Show at 10:30.  We made it with plenty of time to spare and we got to see the Beluga whales and dolphins do lots of fun tricks.  After that, we were scheduled to see a 4-D movie but it was a little too scary for Tenley and Finn so we left.  I bet you could hear AND feel the movie in my belly so I hope you weren't scared!

After the movie, Tenley and Finn were getting a little restless so we decided it was time for lunch.  We went to the Aquarium Cafeteria and ate pizza and veggies while relaxing a little. After lunch, Tenley and Finn were ready to go again so we walked through the Wild Reef and saw sharks, stingrays, and then went to see the otters.  Once we were done with that, it was time to make a quick trip through the gift shop and head home.  Finn got to get some fun animal toys for his birthday and he was very excited.  After the gift shop, we got bundled up again and drove home.  Your sister was asleep before we even left the parking lot and continued to sleep for another hour and a half after we got home!  Once she woke up, we played and wrapped Finn's birthday gift for his big dinosaur party on Sunday.

It was such a fun day and we were so happy to help Finn celebrate turning 2.  It makes Mommy a little sad because Finn turns 2 today which means Tenley turns 2 very, very soon.  The exciting thing is that you will be here not long after Tenley turns 2, so there are so many things to look forward to!  I can't wait to take you AND Tenley to the aquarium with Becky, Finn, and new Baby Hoyle- what fun that will be!

Here are a few pictures of Finn and Tenley from today. I love you, Bean- pretty soon you'll be in these pictures too!

Tenley kept saying these fish were "Stuck!"

Tenley REALLY loved this fish tank filled with little blue fish

So many cool things to see!

 "These blue fish are AWESOME!!"

I think Tenley is looking at a frog

Happy Birthday, Finn!

A Weekend in DC

Dear Baby Bean:

Hi there my sweet baby!  We have had a VERY busy weekend and I am so excited to tell you all about it. As I mentioned before, we had a fun trip planned but I couldn't give you details until after the fact because we were flying out to the DC area to surprise Mommy's friend Tootie with a baby shower for her soon-to-be-born baby girl!  This plan has been in the works for MONTHS and Mommy didn't want to spoil the surprise in some way by putting the plan in print before it happened.  Luckily everything went as planned and Tootie was perfectly surprised.  But, let me back up and tell you about it from the beginning.

Friday afternoon Grandma Carol came over to take care of Tenley and to take me to the bus station.  Once I (and you!) grabbed the bus, it took us to O'Hare airport where we met up with Carrie, Rob, Mia, Greg.  After a bit of waiting around, we hopped on an airplane which took us to Washington DC. Once we got there, Tootie's husband Clay picked us up along with our other friends Sarah and Nate.  We took a big van to Clay and Tootie's house where we walked in and totally surprised Tootie.  She was really happy to see us and we spent the rest of the night catching up.  All of these people are so important to Mommy because they are my sorority sisters and their husbands/significant others.  The best part was that we also got to see Brett and Marty this weekend because they live right by Tootie and Clay.  Brett was instrumental in planning this whole weekend as well.  The only bad thing about this trip is that we were SO CLOSE to Rachel, James, and Violet and there was absolutely no time to go and see them. :(

Saturday we took our time getting ready in the morning before dropping Tootie off at the spa for a pedicure and going to Brett's to decorate for the shower.  Since it was an Alpha Phi shower, we decorated with ivy leaves, silver and bordeaux ribbons, and scrapbooks of memories.  We ate tomato soup, cheese toasties, salad, cake pops, and delicious cupcakes.  Tootie opened all of her gifts and we spent the whole afternoon laughing and catching up. Here are a few pictures from the afternoon:

Once the shower was over, we headed back to Tootie and Clay's for a dinner of BBQ and played a bunch of fun games.  We were all so pooped from the day that we were in bed by midnight (which is pretty early for this group of friends!). It was a wonderful day.

Today we got up and went to brunch as a big group.  We went to a restaurant that used to be one of Alexandria, Virginia's first fire houses and it was so yummy.  We spent a long time talking and eating. Once we were done, we had just enough time to walk around a little bit and then head to the airport.  Here are some pictures from today:

 Here are all of the guys that came along for the weekend.  They are a little bit crazy and super fun!

 Here's our whole group from the weekend.  They are Brett and Marty, Jill, Mia and Greg, Sarah and Nate, Tootie and Clay (and Baby Cuddy), Carrie, Rob, and Mommy (and you!)

 These are Mommy's wonderful friends and Alpha Phi Sorority sisters- I can't wait for you to meet them!

This is a view of the city from the marina- in the middle is the Capitol Building!

This weekend was so fun but I was so happy to see your Daddy and Tenley when I got home. Daddy came to pick me up at the airport while Grandma Carol stayed with Tenley.  When I got home, Grandma was changing Tenley's diaper and when Tenley saw me, she said "Hiiiiiiiiiiii!"  She also gave me a big hug and said, "I miss you!"  It was the best thing ever.  I love you and your sister so much and it was hard to be away from her for so long.  That's the perk of having you inside my belly- I get to take you wherever I go!

This weekend marked another big event- you are 20 weeks incubated!  With all the commotion of the weekend we didn't get to take a belly picture but I'm really hoping to get one in this week.  We are halfway through this pregnancy which means we are halfway to meeting you in June, little one!  Seeing Tootie so close to giving birth to her baby girl made me just that much more excited to bring you into the world.  We have so many great people around us, Bean, and they are going to love you very much. Mommy is extremely tired now so I have to go to bed.  Thanks for being my little traveling partner this weekend and I hope you enjoyed your first time on an airplane!

Weekend Wrap-up and a Busy Week Ahead

Dear Baby Bean

Hey baby!  I have a few minutes while Tenley is waking up to write a quick post, so I thought I would take the opportunity to do so.  Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr Day which means Daddy had school off.  He went to practice yesterday morning while Tenley and I stayed home and played.  Grandma Carol came over for a little bit in the afternoon to pick up one of Stella's toys that we had borrowed, so it was a fun treat to get to see her for a bit.  In the late afternoon, Daddy watched Tenley so that I could go out to Orland Park and find some new clothes that fit me.  You would not believe how hard it is to find cute, affordable maternity clothes.  It took FOREVER, but I finally found two pairs of new jeans and a couple of shirts to get me through the rest of the winter while you make my belly (and other places) grow bigger.  The best thing about yesterday was when I got home.  I went down to the basement where Daddy and Tenley were playing to eat dinner and hang out with them.  When I was sitting on the couch with Tenley, you were moving like crazy and I could feel you kicking me HARD.  I put my hand over where you were kicking and I could not only feel you on the inside but the outside too!  I wanted to try to get Tenley to feel, but I don't think she would have really been able to feel it well from the outside.  It is just to reassuring to feel you kick, Bean, and I can't wait until you do it more often.

We have a pretty busy week coming up and Mommy is really looking forward to it.  Tenley and I just woke up a little bit ago and it is COLD outside!  We really need to go and get some groceries today but I am really hesitant to take Tenley out in this awful cold.  We'll just see how the day goes.  Tomorrow during the day is open, but tomorrow night I get to go out for dinner with my friends and I'm really looking forward to it.  Thursday is going to be full of packing and getting ready, because Friday Mommy is going out of town for the weekend with some friends.  I really can't wait for the weekend to get her, but I also am nervous about leaving Tenley for the whole weekend and that our travel plans all work out.  I'm sure everything will be fine, I'll just be relieved when we are on our way.

That's all for now, Bean.  I love you so much!  If I can't write again this week, I'll try to post a belly picture and tell you about my trip when I get back on Sunday night or Monday.

19 Weeks and First Belly Pics

Dear Baby Bean-

Hi there little one!  Once again, it has been a week since I've written because, once again, our week wasn't too exciting.  The most exciting thing about our week is today, because you are officially 19 weeks along!  I can't believe that in one week we will be halfway through this pregnancy.  I can feel you moving around inside of me daily, and you are most active when I am snuggled up with Tenley at night before she goes to bed.  Just as I typed that last sentence you gave me a swift kick to let me know you're in there.  It might have something to do with the root beer I just drank. :)

Our past week started off pretty low key.  Tenley and I stayed home all day Monday except for a quick trip to Target to pick up a few odds and ends for the week.  Tenley wasn't feeling very well on Monday, so it was a good thing we were close to home.  Tuesday Grandma Carol and I took Tenley to the doctor to see if he could help with her tummy problems, and we got lots of good news pertaining to that.  Even though Monday and Tuesday were hard because Tenley was grumpy and didn't feel good, the doctor's appointment helped to give Mommy piece of mind and Tenley started feeling better Tuesday night.

Wednesday was a lot of fun.  I took Tenley to the Munster Library for their Mother Goose on the Loose program for the first time.  We spent a half hour with other kids her age singing and reading stories.  After it was over, we stayed at the Library in the kid's corner for a bit playing with the toys.  Mommy saw her friend Katie from school and we had a little bit of a chance to catch up.

Thursday was a day full of house cleaning.  Mommy really wanted to get her work done so that we could go to Clara's big talent show that night.  Clara is in the 5th grade right now and this was her last elementary school talent show.  She did a great job introducing the acts and dancing with her friends.  Tenley had a lot of fun running up and down the aisles and between the rows of seats.  It was a fun night!

Last night was Daddy's basketball game and his team won by 12 (I think).  Grandma Carol rode with us to Daddy's school and we were able to watch the whole game.  Tenley had a great time running around in the balcony and afterwards Daddy's friend Jason kicked a ball around with her in the hallway while we waited for Daddy.  It was a great night but we were so tired when we came home!

Today was another stay-at-home day.  Tenley woke up really early but Mommy was able to get her to go back to sleep in our bed and she slept until 9:00!  Once she got up we spent the morning playing, ate lunch, and then had a nap.  Tonight we were supposed to go out to dinner with Daddy and go to the mall.  Mommy is having trouble fitting into her pants now that you are getting bigger and that's what the mall trip would have been for.  After a whole lot of mess that I won't go into, we ended up going all the way out to Orland Park to eat a late dinner and come home.  And Mommy has no new pants. :(

Tonight was the first night that I began to feel "pregnant."  I went through the morning sickness-ish phase and of course have to get up and go to the bathroom multiple times every night but otherwise I have been feeling pretty normal.  Tonight though, my back hurt the whole time we were in the car and when I was eating I just felt SO FULL, like my stomach was going to stretch and explode.  This all may sound like a bad thing but it's not- it's reassuring because I remember feeling that way with Tenley and it is all to show Mommy that you are really growing in there.  According to the "experts", you are about 8 inches long (the size of a big bell pepper) and weigh about 8 1/2 ounces.  Pretty cool, right?

Mommy thought it was about time to take some pictures of your progress.  Hopefully I will be able to take pictures every week for the next 21 weeks or so, but we will see.  For now, here is how Mommy looks this week!  I love you, Bean...congratulations on being almost half-baked :)

Tenley's Christmas present from Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Rand is coming in handy!

 I think you can tell there's a baby in there!  Grandma Carol has largely supplied my maternity clothes thus far- she's pretty awesome :)

There's definitely a bump there- excuse my belt- I need it to help keep my pants in place

A Quiet Week

Dear Baby Bean

I haven't felt the need to write this week because it hasn't been very exciting.  There was one great thing that happened- we got to see Bernie again which meant that I got to hear your little heartbeat! I went to Bernie's office on Tuesday for a checkup and she says that so far, everything looks good.  Your heartbeat was strong at 143 and it was so good to hear it.  Since I don't have much that is exciting to share, I'm going to give you a play-by-play of the past week so you know what you did during this time in your growth :)

Monday was a pretty laid-back day.  Tenley and I went to Finn and Becky's house to watch Finn while Becky had a doctor's appointment.  Now that Becky has told everyone, I can tell you- she is having a baby too!  I know that you don't know Becky yet, but she is a very special friend of Mommy's and her son Finn and your sister Tenley like to play together.  The best part of Becky having a baby is that Baby Hoyle is due 3 1/2 weeks after you- isn't that fun!?  You guys are going to be so close in age and that will be fantastic!  After we got home from Becky's, we ate dinner and then waited for Grandma Carol to get to our house so that we could go to Daddy's basketball game.  The game didn't go very well and Daddy's team lost, but we had fun watching it.

Tuesday we took it east for most of the day so that we could get ready for our doctor's appointment later in the day.  I dropped Tenley off at Auntie Julie's house around 4:00 and then you and I went to our appointment.  Mommy has gained a little bit of weight since our last appointment which is good because we are almost halfway through this pregnancy already!  Mommy had lost weight at our last appointment because I had the flu, so it was a little shocking to see that I had gained about 5 pounds- I definitely made up for what I lost last time!  Bernie did my annual exam, we listened to your heartbeat, and she gave me the order for your 20 week ultrasound which means that we get to see you again in just a few short weeks!  After the appointment, we went to Auntie Julie's and stayed for awhile before going home, getting Tenley bathed, and going to bed.

Wednesday Mommy and Tenley spent the whole entire day cleaning the house.  That is it.  The WHOLE. DAY.  CLEANING.  It was so nice to have a clean house and Tenley was such a good helper!

Thursday Tenley and I had an outing. We went to Babies R Us to find a baby gift for a very special baby in our lives and we can't wait to give those gifts to his or her Mommy!  We found some very cute stuff and Mommy can't wait to go back there to start shopping for you.  I had to restrain myself from buying anything cute because we are not exactly sure how we are going to decorate for you yet- we still have plenty of time!

Friday was another low-key day.  We spent it playing at home until it was time to go to Daddy's game. This game went MUCH better and Daddy's team won by 30 points!  It was fun to go to the game with Grandma Carol and when we got home I snuggled with Tenley and then went to bed.

Today is Saturday and we are officially 18 weeks along!  Just two more weeks and we will be halfway to 40 weeks and your birth.  I thought today would be just a day of relaxing at home- and it was- but we had a nice surprise that Auntie Carrie and Cammie came over for a couple hours to play and hang out.  Once they left, it was time for Tenley (and Mommy and Daddy) to take a nap and then we had some yummy pizza for dinner.  As I type this, Tenley and I are watching the Miss America pageant and getting ready for Tenley's bath.

Things are going to be so busy once you get here, Bean.  Tenley is very excited about you and every time I ask what you are doing in Mommy's tummy she either says you're "Eatin' food" or "Hidin'."So cute!

I'll try to write more to you this week.  As of right now, we have NO plans except for possibly going to story time at the library on Wednesday, Clara's talent show Thursday night, and Daddy's ball game Friday.  Until I talk to you again, keep on wiggling around in there and I can't wait to see your precious little face again in a few weeks!

The Holidays Are Over :(

Dear Baby Bean:

Hello there little one!  I am sorry that it has been so long since I last wrote to you.  I knew that the holidays would be busy, but I had no idea just how busy they would be!  I'm going to try to catch you up on everything that happened to us between Christmas and New Year's.  We had so much fun and can't wait until you are here to celebrate with us next year.

The Sunday before Christmas we went to Aunt Carrie and Uncle Pete's house for the extended Terry family Christmas.  It was so much fun to see all of our aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as Grandma Carol and Grandpa Jeff.  Tenley wore a pretty dress that Grandma Carol gave her and ate lots of mashed potatoes and corn.  We did a lot of visiting and playing, and then it came time for Grandma Carol's pass the package story game.  That is always a lot of fun and your sister ended up getting a box of Mac & Cheese, your daddy got a nifty tool belt for his wrist, and I got a towel to help my hair dry.  These may sound like funny gifts, but each one fit our personalities exactly.

The next day was Christmas Eve and we started the day at Grandma Carol and Grandpa Jeff''s for lunch.  It was so fun being there with everyone- you should have seen that living room!  There were so many gifts that it was hard to even walk around.  We had a yummy lunch of turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, rolls...you name it, we had it! Afterwards we did our gift exchange which was awesome.  You even got some great gifts- and you're not even here yet!  Once we were done opening gifts, we relaxed for a bit before packing up and heading out.

After leaving the Terry Family Christmas, we made the long drive to Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Rand's house to spend the rest of the Christmas holiday.  The great thing was that Uncle Brandon, Aunt Sarah, Lucy, and Daisy were all visiting and had been there for a few days so we got to see them right away.  We stayed up super late to go to church and didn't go to bed until it was already Christmas morning!  On Christmas we got up and ate a yummy breakfast (it's a tradition at Grandma Cindy's) and then opened the piles of gifts under the tree.  Once again, you got some gifts and you're not even born yet!  Grandpa Rand and Grandma Cindy gave you a super cute little owl outfit and they gave Mommy and Daddy a new Ergo baby carrier so that you can ride next to us in style.  After we opened gifts, it was time for your sister to take a short nap and then we headed to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Walter's house for our last Christmas celebration.  We had yet ANOTHER big, awesome dinner and spent the day laughing and having fun.  Once we were all tired out, we went back to Grandma and Grandpa's to watch a movie and go to bed.  It was a GREAT Christmas.

The day after Christmas is Uncle Brandon's birthday but it was kind of a bummer because I was very sick all day long.  I was worried about you because I felt so crummy, but I spent most of the day either in bed or on the couch trying to feel better.  We were supposed to go to Fort Wayne to meet Uncle Glenn, Aunt Sharon, Sarah, Aaron, Kelly and the boys but the weather was really bad and we decided to stay home.  It was probably better that way because the roads were dangerous and by the end of the day none of us was feeling well.  It was a very low key day and nice to be at home.

The next day was the day that Uncle Brandon, Aunt Sarah, Lucy, and Daisy had to leave.  It is always so fun to see them but so sad to see them go.  They had to drive all the way to Sarah's mom's house in Charleston to celebrate Christmas there and we were so glad that we could have them home for a few days.  The next time we see them, you might be here- how exciting!

The rest of the week was spent laying low at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  Daddy had a big basketball tournament and he ended up winning the championship game on Saturday night!  I wish Tenley and I could have been there to see it, but Saturday was also Grandma's birthday and we went to Fort Wayne to celebrate.  I am so thankful that we are usually able to be with Grandma on her birthday to help her celebrate.  Sunday we were supposed to go to church, but I was once again feeling under the weather and didn't get to go.  I was very disappointed because it was my last chance to see Great Grandma, Great Grandpa, Uncle Terry, Adam, Lindsay, and Aunt Lou before we had to go home and we weren't able to see anyone.  That was the biggest bummer about this trip home- we barely got to see any family for very long because we were sick.  We ended up heading back to our house on Monday which also happened to be New Year's Eve.  Once we were home, we unpacked and put things back in order.  Grandma Carol came over to watch Tenley and Daddy and I went out to dinner and a movie. I hated to be a bummer, but I was asleep before the New Year even came!

Now it is 2013 and we are finally in the year that you will be born!  This year is going to bring so many changes and wonderful surprises and we are so looking forward to having you with us to experience them.  Please just keep growing big and strong in there and know that we love you very much- and Happy New Year!

Here are some pictures from our holiday adventures:

 Tenley wasn't too sure of Santa this year so Mommy got to get in on the Santa action

Daddy and Tenley were a little sleepy after Christmas Eve service- but they made it through!

Tenley really liked the Christmas tree at Grandma Cindy's house and her headband was given to her by Grandma Carol

Here is Tenley on Christmas Eve morning with some of the gifts we took to Grandma Carol and Grandpa Jeff's house

 Here's a little sneak peak of our Christmas tree- you have to see it to believe it

Next year you'll be opening gifts right alongside your sister!

Mommy and Tenley before church

 Christmas Morning!

A Minnie Mouse desk for the basement!

 Oh boy!  Something tells me you'll enjoy riding "Blaze" just as much as Tenley does when you are older

Tenley really loves her new horse