John Howie Steak Date Night

While driving to work one day in November, I heard the local radio station, Star 101.5, was having a contest about listeners sharing their worst date night experiences. I remembered one from way back before I met Brent and decided to give it a chance to win a prize and emailed the station. I ended up getting called and sharing my fabulous story. In case you want to know....... it involves meeting a guy at Starbucks on a first date, but the same day he had already booked an out-patient surgery to remove a growth on his neck. He shows up at the date wearing a ratty sweatshirt and a huge gauze pad taped to the side of his neck. I stayed as long as it took me to drink my hot cocoa and that was the end of that! I guess the radio hosts liked that image!

As I'm sure you're piecing together, I had to wait until early December, but I was chosen as one of the lucky winners of the $150 gift certificate to John Howie Steaks in downtown Bellevue. We decided to use it this past weekend before the baby comes because I'm sure we won't be going to any nice dinners for awhile!


















After our wonderful date night this past Saturday, the boys needed something a little special too. Here is a picture of them enjoying one of their Christmas treats - side by side like true brothers!!

36 weeks!

It is official - I'm NINE MONTHS pregnant! He better take all this weight with him when he makes his exit from my uterus! Going up and down the stairs is definitely taking a toll on my legs now. I'm not feeling the lower back pain that I'm "supposed" to feel... instead it's all upper back pain when I try to do dishes or fold clothes.

We had our Birthing Preparation Class this past Saturday.  I think it gave both Brent and I some good information on what to expect from labor and delivery. Brent installed the car seat base in the Tundra today and I washed all the cloth diapers. The last thing we have to do is pack a bag - which we will do by this weekend. I think we're ready for you, Baby!!

Seahawks and Snow!

On Sunday, December 23rd (exactly one month to due date), we had tickets to see the Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers. Even though it was cold and rainy, it was a great game! Good that our seats were high enough we were under cover, but not so good that our seats were that high....

Brent cheesing for the camera - Can you find the Space Needle in the background?

Yeah, a little high up at Century Link Field

On Christmas Eve, we ventured up towards Snoqualmie Pass until we found some snow. Less than 45 minutes away from our house, but at an elevation of 1800 feet, we were able to play in about 10 inches of snow! Diesel loved it!!

We walked a bit along the main road inside Snoqualmie National Forest - perhaps we will return when I'm not 9 months pregnant!

South Fork Snoqualmie River

Puppies smelling for coyotes!

35 weeks

We had an exciting week with TWO doctor's appointments for baby this week! Yesterday we went in for an ultrasound just to make sure we weren't expecting a 10 pound baby towards the end (if you remember, Baby Eason measured around a 92nd percentile at the 20 week scan). Everything came back 50-60th percentile so Baby is right on track to be a manageable size - guesstimates around 8 pounds. One measurement came back slightly higher than the others - the shoulders/chest - yup, just like his Daddy! Check out the picture below for a 4D image - not as good as you would expect, but since baby is so big, you can't fit that much on the screen. Today we had a routine check-up with our OBGYN which will be weekly from now on.

Looks a little more like Brent now :)

How to tell the gender....

Yes, we already know it's a boy, but I thought it would be fun to check these and see if they're accurate!

1. Be Still My Beating Heart - If over 140 beats per minute, a girl; If under 140 beats per minute, a boy.
Consistently between 120-130, so very correct, yes!

2. Sweet and Sour - Craving ice cream or sweets - this means it's a girl. If you have to have salty or sour stuff, then it's a boy.
This is a toss-up. I like my sweets, but I also like my salty items. Tie.

3. Chinese Birth Chart - Find your age and month of conception on the chart and it will predict boy or girl.
Correct - Boy!

4. Spot On - If you're breaking out like crazy, it's a girl.
Sounds right - my face has been pretty blemish free lately.

5. Queasy Does It - Sick as a dog during your first trimester - then a girl. Little or no morning sickness - boy.
Correct for me, but I know a few other lovely ladies that had AWFUL morning sickness and had all boys!

6. All Hands - Soft hands point to a girl, dry hands mean you are having a boy.
Correct - dry hands here.... but I'm thinking it has more to do with washing my hands constantly and it being cold and rainy in Seattle!

7. High/Low - If you're carrying high, it means a girl; low, it means a boy.
Correct - very low and I'm very thankful because it's still hard for me to breath sitting down sometimes!!

8. Watch Out! - If you're stumbling or more clumsy than usual, expect a boy; if nothing has changed, expect a girl.
Incorrect - Nope, I'm pretty sure-footed!

Just a big belly!

Well not bad - 6 correct, 1 incorrect and 1 tie. As my OB says, it's a very good thing to have a boring typical pregnancy!

34 weeks!!

 

Here we are at 34 weeks! Belly is getting bigger and bigger! I started to have a slight pain in my back after doing dishes and folding clothes this weekend, so I may be taking a break from those things until after baby is born. Brent has been super helpful and even though he sometimes complains that I go through too many dishes, he's the best dish washer I know!! 

We had a nice visit with my mother who flew in from Raleigh on Thursday. She helped work a bit on the nursery and hand-washed a bunch of baby clothes that were hand-knit from my Grandmother Lillian; things that I wore and my brothers wore will now be passed on to Baby Boy Eason! It was also pretty nice having some home-cooked meals that were made by someone else!

Brent and I came home Friday night to find a surprise! While we were at work, my mother had spent the day wrapping presents and making dinner/dessert for my Baby Shower!! This was Brent's first Baby Shower and I think it was a perfect size to start him off! ;) The dogs were also very interested in smelling all the new toys and clothes for the baby. 

Boy do I look all belly in this picture!

 

32 weeks!

32 weeks today! Can't believe it's only 8 +/- weeks to go!! It's definitely getting more real every day... especially since "the bump" is a full on belly now!

Tonight we took advantage of a B1G1 coupon at the Snoqualmie Casino Buffet (which wasn't that great) and then proceeded to play a little slots. Well, I played slots, Brent played Blackjack. Brent did alright, but I totally scored. After "borrowing" $20 from Brent, I proceeded to WIN $105. Yes, I cashed out and pocketed that money! Yay, it will go towards the new bra I had to purchase today for my ever changing body. I believe I've purchased more bras in the last 5 months than I have in the last 5 years!!

Enjoy a picture of the husky making himself comfy on a Michael Thomas chair - only the best for Diesel! *Note, we do not condone the boys getting on the furniture in our household, but we had to capture the "battle" we've had with Diesel the last week.

Happy Thanksgiving!

31 weeks

 Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We had a really nice day relaxing around the house and cooking! Brent was outside frying our turkey and I was responsible for all the sides - what teamwork! Check out our spread and the first time we are using our beautiful china!

 After a little break and a little football time, it was time for pumpkin pie! Yum! I think the baby enjoyed his first taste of Thanksgiving....he was kicking all night!

30 weeks!!

We're moving right along now! Can't believe we only have 10 weeks to go! Sleeping is getting better now that I have a body pillow - just doesn't leave a lot of room in the bed for poor Brent! The nursery is coming together nicely, but we still have a few things we need to finish before we do the big reveal.

Sad news though - I was not fortunate enough to be one of those lovely ladies that does not get stretch marks. When Brent returned from his elk hunting trip, he looked at my belly and asked me if the baby had kicked so hard he had given me a bruise?! Nope, just the start of a nice purple stretch mark. I lotion every morning and every night now to try to control it, but I've accepted them and ultimately just hoping these will go away quickly after baby arrives.

Elk Hunting

Brent was hunting elk on the west side of Mt St. Helen's this past week. He had a good time camping and tailgating, but alas no elk. He was in the truck by 5am and then had to drive at least 20 miles on uneven dirt roads to get to the entrance of the hunting grounds, then typically another 4-7 miles on foot or bike to get to where he was going to hunt. Good thing he's in such good shape!

The Tundra nice and dirty, ready for lunch!

Mt. St. Helen's from the Tundra's view

Mt. St. Helen's - roughly 12 miles away

28 weeks!

Happy Halloween everyone! We had about twenty kids come to the door this year and it was really fun to see the neighbors' kids all dressed up! Diesel loved meeting all the kids and getting some extra attention; unfortunately Oscar was just not a fan of the doorbell ringing. We got one new dog costume this year and they both had to share it. I think it would be really cute, but it doesn't seem to "fit" either of them - it just falls in their eyes! Silly boys, we still think you're cute in your cowardly lion outfit!

Brent had a busy last weekend putting together the central point of the nursery! He did an amazing job and the crib looks great in the room. We are looking forward to working on the other finishing touches for when we welcome Baby Boy Eason into his room!

Smile Brent!

Making sure the crib is all secure for baby!

Daddy, I'm just helping you get this plastic into tiny little pieces to make it easier for you to carry downstairs, k?

All done with a stuffed animal husky in the crib!

27 weeks!

So is it the start of the Third Trimester or not? Wikipedia says yes, Baby Center says not until 28 weeks. Regardless, here I am at 27 weeks! Whoohoo!

I've been feeling great.... during the day. Do we have to discuss how my nights have been? I wake up to flip sides every 2-3 hours (some nights every hour) and sometimes one side just aches until at least mid-morning. I'm learning to cope with the lack of sleep and thinking that naps after work may be beneficial in the future. All in preparation for a newborn though!! I took my glucose test on Friday and all is good - no gestational diabetes!

We're all waiting for you to arrive little one!!

26 weeks!

We're at 26 weeks today and it's definitely showing! I was out measuring a seven-story building renovation this morning in Seattle and I think that will be the last time I do that for awhile!

Before my staircase exercise, the dogs and I dropped Brent off at the airport so he could fly to JFK. He'll be in the New York office tomorrow, Bristol on Friday and then hanging out with the Rotolos and Hannas in Fairfield before returning to Seattle on Sunday. Here's hoping for good weather so perhaps him and Uncle Sam can catch something while fishing this Saturday. Try to catch something for the husky!

25 weeks & Salmon Days

25 weeks today and I am definitely feeling this belly is getting in the way of normal activities. I'm adjusting daily activities like sitting down and rushing to tie my shoes as fast as I possibly can or practicing the pliés I learned from elementary grade while picking things up off the floor. I love being pregnant and I love that I get to feel the little guy kick so often. We are so blessed to be having a healthy baby boy and now that things are progressing a little further, it is getting much more exciting to prepare for his arrival.

This past weekend we visited the nearby town of Issaquah to participate in the Salmon Days festival. Yes, quite a reminder that we live in the Northwest!! Issaquah has a working Salmon hatchery which is pretty cool to walk around and see the different life cycles of this fish. They have one area where you see the fish from the side of the tank (think big aquarium like in the zoo). Last year Diesel saw the fish right away and went up and licked the glass window - this time he was a little more distracted by the other dogs, but he did catch a glimpse of them.... and their smell! We enjoyed walking up and down the tents looking at the crafts (mostly about salmon or bears or glasswork - all very popular in this area) and all the different types of food (Fried Halibut anyone? You don't see that at a food booth in North Carolina!).

Vietnam era River Boat

24 weeks and a North Carolina beach wedding!

Sorry I missed last week's picture, but we were just too busy preparing for our North Carolina trip - what a difference two weeks make to the baby bump!!

Bridesmaid Kimberly, Bridesmaid Cassie, Bride Jessica, Bridesmaid Vanessa

Brent and I traveled back to North Carolina this past weekend for Jessica & Alex Beardsley's wedding. I had the honor of being one of Jessica's bridesmaids. The wedding was in Nags Head at the Roanoke Aquarium and so much fun! We loved the rehearsal dinner food since we were treated to some NC barbeque! Jessica's colors were stunning - bridesmaids wore royal purple dresses and we all held yellow flowers. Jessica looked gorgeous in her dress and just seemed so happy all weekend! Everything was beautiful! Hope you're having a great time in Jamaica, Jessica and Alex!!!

Can you find me? I'll give you a hint... I'm short!

Dress was definitely purple, not sure why it looks blue here!!

 Brent flew home Sunday to get back to the ESPN grind. I was able to stay in the Raleigh area until Tuesday to visit with some friends (and their babies!!), my parents and of course little Mia. 

She moves too fast - no way could I get a good shot of her!

Seahawks Monday Night Football!!

Did you see that game? I would think that even if you don't follow football you might have heard about the most talked about game thus far for Football Season 2012... and yeah, Brent was there for the Monday night, Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks on September 24th. He thought it was awesome.

He got to tour a few of the MNF busses - one whole bus is solely responsible for tracking the yellow "first down line" throughout the game. His tour took him out on the field as the players were warming up and for the filming of the pre-show. Brent saw some big names including Stuart Scott, Jerry Rice, Steve Young and Trent Dilfer. When it was time for him to make it to his seat, they walked him to the "player's elevator" and he was able to ride that up to the stadium seating level - 50 yard line, 22 rows up from the field.

One of his favorite moments from the night was stopping at the Metropolitan Grill after the game and seeing Marshawn Lynch walk in with his family. Someone had shouted out, "Hey Marshawn, who caught that last ball?" He turned around, winked, calmly replied "No comment" and continued on his way. Who cares! Seattle won!!!