Our Anniversary Celebration

The weekend of June 16-18 I was in the middle of 6 days off work so we took the opportunity to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. Friday we went up to the Cleveland Zoo and had a great time. It was hot, but a nice day. Walked around to all the exhibits and unlike the last zoo we went to, most of the animals were actually out in view. Made it to the rainforest with only a 1/2 hour to spare, but that's really all we ended up needing. Got the baby it's first zoo stuffed animal :)





This koala was too darn cute!
He was trying to sleep :)





Who could resist a mommy orangutan with it's baby? :)
At one point she was shielding her little one
from the paparazzi!

Just as we were about to leave for the day, a gentleman volunteered to snap our picture at the rainforest waterfall.

The date was written out in flowers and plants, which was cool to think they redo everyday! After the zoo that evening, we went out to eat at Longhorn Steakhouse and of course got our favorite appetizer.....chili cheese fries!!!! :) My baby is going to be born with heartburn!

Saturday the 17th we slept in and the drove with our bikes to the towpath. It was a really hot day so thank goodness most of the trail we took was shaded! We rode to Canal Fulton and back, just about 2 hours or so. The worst part was not the heat, or work, it was my sore behind! I even have a "comfortable" seat and still was sore for days! Anyhow, after that we showered and went out to look at some baby stuff, then ate at Don Pablo's (where we also got our favorite....dip sampler) Yum! Last we saw a late showing of XMen 3, which I surprisingly enjoyed. It was just really nice to spend 2 days worth of quality time together. It feels like we never get to with me working night shift. So that was our happy anniversary....lots of fun :)

Second check up :)

Thursday I had my second doctors apt with my nurse practitioner Carol. The very end of my 8th week. Did the boring stuff like meeting with the billing dept (only to find out that although my insurance is great....they don't cover any "routine" ultrasounds!) That stinks....we'll come up with some cramping or spotting ;) Went through all the history questions etc. Finally Carol said lets go back and see if we can hear anything. So not expecting much, I laid on the table and sure enough, right away there was a miraculous little 145 bpm heartbeat of something that's only an inch long in my belly. I was so suprised to hear it so soon. Tears welled up in my eyes and I wished so badly David could have been there. Not that I had any doubts of this little peanuts existence, but until you physically hear that tiny heart beat, part of you always wonders if there is really a baby growing inside. What an amazing experience! So h0pefully being able to hear it this early means he/she so far is strong and healthy! I go back July 6 for a full exam and blood work. So that's my update! Still tired (especially working nights) and my appetite still leaves a lot to be desired. Nausea is only every once in awhile for short periods. No vomiting!! YEAH!! Miss you all!

Enjoying the outdoors

Over Memorial Day Weekend and this past weekend, David and I went down to Guernsey County where he has hunting land and went 4 wheeling and relaxed. Took the dogs with us and they absolutely LOVED it. They've never had so much room to run and play. They'd stay there all the time if they could I think!! This past weekend we took my parents down for their very first 4 wheel experience. They had a blast despite my dad's contact problems. Gotta love the summer time.....able to be outside! Oscar and Abby enjoying the great outdoors....and a chewy treat :)

Mom and Dad in their sexy goggles :)

Little sister's wedding

Last weekend was an exciting time for David and I and for my sister and her now HUSBAND! Heather was married last weekend to another wonderful David :) The day was beautiful (especialy considering the last two weeks had been cold and rainy). They pretty much went off without a hitch. Heather was beautiful of course and I couldn't have been more proud OF her or more happy FOR her. Let me tell you that it was quite difficult to keep our little secret bottled up during those couple of days, but we most certainly did not want to take away from the most special day of Heather and David's lives. I told a VERY select few at the reception about our happy news, but waited till JUST as Heather and David were about to take off for Cleveland that they will be Aunt and Uncle come January. They were very excited, but I think the honeymoon was more so on their minds ;) Right after they departed, I shared the news with my youngest sister Julie as well. She let out a holler that almost gave everything away! We wanted to do something a little more special for the new grandparents, so we held off until this past Tues evening. We took over my mother's belated Mother's Day card and told her we had one more small gift for her. Inside, was a very soft sage baby blanket (which she first thought was some sort of robe/towel thing), a pewter baby frame, a "my grandparents love me" bib, and Chicken Soup for the Grandparents Soul Book. Oh mom was very excited. I think she very quickly got over the shock of I'm going to be a grandma and started planning room decorating and paint colors. Dad on the other hand was silent for about 15 minutes before he was ready to accept being a grandpa :) They're going to be wonderful grandparents. David's parents have already started all the fun planning as well. This will be the first grandchild on each side which is very exciting!

Hot off the Press...

To those of you around town and those of you who live farther away, David and I would like to announce that we are PREGNANT!!! Friends of mine gave me this idea to help keep people up to date and informed with our pregnancy. I can post pictures and messages to keep everyone updated!! What a surprise it was when just a week and a half ago (May 12) I took a pregnancy test and it came back positive. Since we weren't preventing, I knew it was possible, but to see that word "pregnant" flash on the screen was so amazing. A flood of emotions rushed through me and I sat on the toilet and cried :) I have my first Dr's appointment Thursday and my sissy is going with me. According to the calculations, I should be due with baby Estes Jan 21 or so, which puts me in my 5th week. We are truly amazed that God has blessed us with such a tremendous gift. To know that this little one has all it's days planned out by his/her maker and that before he/she was a thought in our minds, it has meaning and purpose already. We hope that you will share in this incredibly special time in our lives - if not in person, then through this site. God Bless!!