Baby 2010 at 31 Weeks

Yes, I am actually pregnant, but we don't quite have the time we did when I was pregnant with RJ (2 year old + first year in a new position will do that), so all we've managed to do is one belly picture at 31 weeks. I'm now almost 35 weeks, so maybe over Christmas break we'll get some more pictures of my big ole belly out to you before the baby comes out and there is no more huge belly.

This child is not being as easy on me as RJ was though. The heartburn is about a million times worse, I'm bigger earlier, and carrying much lower, so there's a lot more pressure in my pelvis, which is just uncomfortable. So while everyone hated me for having an easy pregnancy before, you can rest assured that I am getting the full uncomfortable pregnancy experience this time around.

All is going well for the baby though. Baby is healthy with a nice strong heartbeat and growing appropriately. Just like with RJ, we are not finding out whether the baby is a boy or a girl - in fact, we didn't have an ultrasound this time around as there was no indication for one.

The birth of this baby should also be a little different as we're planning on laboring and birthing at an independent birth center with a midwife. I had a midwife with RJ, but was not happy with the restrictive hospital birth setting. Since I had an uncomplicated and unmedicated birth, there was really no reason to be in a hospital (home birth and birth center births are actually SAFER than hospital births for low risk pregnancies), so we found a birth center in Oakland, where I've been receiving all my prenatal care and plan to birth as long as all goes smoothly (and I can get there). I plan to work right up until the baby is born, so I could potentially go into labor at work, 2 hours from Oakland. Luckily, the assistant midwife lives a few minutes away from CSU Stanislaus, and since we pass my house on the way to the Birth Center, we could always switch to homebirth if things progress too quickly! I'm very excited about not going to the hospital, having the option for a water birth (not just laboring in water), and getting to come home as soon as we're ready. We'll see how it goes. I'm due January 24 and will be full term in a mere 2 weeks, so now we just wait!

Santa Cruz - Labor Day 2009

We decided that now that RJ is 36" tall, and able to ride the smallest of the kiddie rides, it was time to take him back to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. One of the things that my dad seemed to enjoy when my sister and I were kids was taking us on the rides at Amusement Parks, so we thought it might be something that he would enjoy with RJ too. Plus, it would give him a chance to get his feet into the Pacific Ocean for the first time! Oh, and there's typically good seafood near the coast! The goal was for Grandpa to have some fun after his busy week babysitting RJ.

I think we achieved the goal. RJ loved the rides.
And both RJ and Grandpa really enjoyed playing on the beach. RJ was a little afraid of the waves when we'd go to retrieve water though.

RJ Goes Fishing

On the Sunday after orientation (September 2009) we went to the nearby Bass Pro Shop in Manteca.

"The 120,000 square-foot store...and a 65' replica of the world's largest tree (in volume), The General Sherman in Sequoia National Park, welcomes visitors...Massive rockwork soaring 28' to 30' high above the aquarium replicates Yosemite's Half Dome and allows visitors to walk under the waterfall as it cascades into the fresh water aquarium.

The store is insanely impressive and made my dad completely awestruck (and RJ tired from running around it).



We picked up some bait and some hooks for our fishing poles and took RJ and Grandpa fishing at Caswell Memorial State Park, which is on the Stanislaus River.

RJ loved running into the water at the edge, but was initially a little scared at going in with me and Grandpa. However, by the end of it all, he was loving the water.

RJ was also really good at reeling in his fishing pole - but unfortunately the fishies were not biting that day for anyone. It seems that he might have some more fishing in his future though because at age 2, he was actually able to focus on the activity for more than a few minutes. We'll have to take him more often now that we have the gear (thank you cousin Zach for giving RJ your old fishing pole!) and the river is only about 30 minutes away!