Wedding and Mariners game...

We had a busy weekend! We went to our only wedding this summer on Saturday (which is crazy, usually there's a bunch!) for my co-worker Kelly. It rained on us a little bit during the reception, but other than that the weather was beautiful and we had a great time.

Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Hansen!

Kyle and I...

Kyle holding my co-worker Darryn's baby Anela... for some reason she cried whenever a man held her! I guess he thought if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! :)

A bunch of my co-workers (some of my favorite people!) from left to right: Ally, Denise, Crystal, Kelly, Kerri, me, Valerie, Darryn, and Tracie.

Sunday morning we woke up really early to go to a Mariner's game with Rick and Tanner. The game was at 1:00, so we left Portland around 7:30 and hit the road! I was really excited because I'd never been to Safeco field, and the last time I saw a Mariner's game was at the Kingdome when Griffey was still in the outfield, so it had definitely been a while... Kyle got free tickets through Nike, and they were awesome! We were 22 rows back, directly behind home plate. We found free parking too, so it was a very cost-effective trip!

Hanging out before the game

The view from our seats!

Tanner gave me a Mariner's jersey to wear... Kyle wore a Houston Astros hat :)

After the game, the boys dropped me off in Portland and headed off to Seaside. Kyle has a reenactment there this weekend, but got to go and relax for a couple days... unfortunately he has to come home this week for school before heading back for his reenactment at Ft. Stevens. My mom and dad are joining the Halls this week in Seaside, and I'll be heading over there after work on Friday. I'm excited, it will be a fun weekend! We're going to relax on the coast and watch Kyle and Bryan shoot at those rebels. :)

This week I will be 13 weeks--the last week of my first trimester! Yay! That means that I'm officially 1/3 done with my pregnancy, which is a pretty crazy thought. Here is what's going on this week:

The baby has reached the size of a peach, and is about 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce. It's intestines, which have been growing inside the umbilical cord, are now starting their trek to their permanent position in the baby's abdomen. Also developing this week: baby's vocal cords! Fingerprints have formed on the baby's tiny fingertips, and it's veins and organs are visible through translucent skin.

I'll post lots of pictures of Seaside and Ft. Stevens when I get back! Hope you all have a great holiday weekend! :)

Ahh, to relax...

Kyle and I had a relaxing weekend, which are really rare for us during the summer! We actually got a chance to catch up with old friends, and catch up on sleep, laundry... all that good stuff. :) Friday night after work a bunch of my co-workers and I went out for drinks (well, a sprite for me) for our friend Kelly who's getting married next weekend.

My friends Ally and Kelly... the bride is on the right!

A couple of college friends were also in town for the weekend, and so we had lunch together on Saturday and caught up on life... it was so good to see them, we hadn't seen some of them since Halloween!



It was like a Klamath reunion! :)

Today I've pretty much just been running errands and hanging out. I needed a few new pregnnacy essentials... for example, I've officially moved up a bra size already and although I don't really have a bump yet, I can tell my waist is starting to get thicker so I got what's called a Bella Band, which is this stretchy thing you put over your pants so I can still wear my regular jeans but wear them unbottoned if I need to. I'm not quite there yet, but I have a feeling I will be soon and I don't want to be caught unprepared! I also had to get some Benefiber, although I definitely wouldn't trade that problem for morning sickness, which has finally started to go away! I've been feeling better lately, and I'm about to reach a big milestone... my first trimester is officially coming to a close! This is a day that I feel like has taken forever to come, but I only have about a week and a half before I start the second trimester. I don't know why I feel like this is such an accomplishment, but your chance of miscarriage drops significantly, and I'm so excited to start physically seeing the evidence that I've been growing this little person for the last three months! :)

Here's what's going on in week 12, which I will start on Wednesday:

The baby has more than doubled in size during the past three weeks, weighing in now at 1/2 ounce and measuring about 2.5 inches. It is about the size of a large plum! Though most of his or her systems are fully formed, there's still plenty of maturing to do. The digestive system is beginning to practice contraction movements (so the baby will be able to eat), the bone marrow is making white blood cells, and the pituitary gland at the base of the brain has started producing hormones (so the baby will one day be able to make babies of his or her own). One of the most dramatic developments this week are reflexes: the baby's fingers will soon be able to open and close, the toes will curl, and the mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if I poke my belly the baby will squirm in response, even though I won't be able to feel it! The kidneys will also start secreting urine into the bladder. My uterus has now grown to the point where my doctor would be able to palpate it in my abdomen!

I had a really great birthday, and wanted to thank all of you for all the birthday wishes and cards! Kyle got me several gifts, and I have a picture of one of my favorite ones below:

It's a frame that says Mom + Dad = Me, it was so sweet... and he put the goofiest picture of himself in there of course!

He also got me a baby naming book, but that has been really overwhelming to look through... there's seriously a million names in there! The best part was he got me a foot rub and an hour long massage at a really nice spa in the Pearl District downtown, which I can't wait to use! :)

Kyle starts grad school on Tuesday already! He's not looking forward to going back to school, but is really excited to be able to apply his degree towards his profession and can't wait to start this next phase in his life. I'm excited to see him passionate about teaching and knowing that he will be so great in this career. Think good thoughts for him this week as he starts his new adventure! :)

Girl's weekend!

I had a really great weekend with the girls (plus Kyle lol)! Carissa and Chelsea got to my house on Friday night, and we all went out to eat at Red Robin before relaxing at home... everyone was tired from a long day! Saturday morning we were kind of lazy, eating breakfast and watching TV, then when we got motivated we decided to... you guessed it, shop! :) I drove us downtown to Pioneer Square, which is nightmarish for me because of all the traffic and one way streets, but we survived. We shopped a little in the mall, but then spotted a Nordstrom Rack across the steet... that's where we all really went crazy! Then we decided to grab some lunch and get a movie to take home to watch that evening. We rented Confessions of a Shopaholic, which was really cute!

For dinner we made my favorite... breakfast! It was delicious! We made french toast, bacon, hashbrowns, and eggs... yummy!

Chels and Carissa!

Sisters!

Cooking...

It was a relaxing weekend, and we just enjoyed chatting and being in eachother's company. I think we'll make it a tradition for next year! :)

I'm 11 weeks tomorrow, and here's what's going on with baby Hall:

The baby is just over 2 inches long now and weighs about a third of an ounce; it is about the size of a fig! The body is straightening out and the torso is lengthening. Baby is busy kicking and stretching, even though I won't be able to feel it for at least another month or two.! Hair follicles are forming, and fingernail and toenail beds are beginning to develop (nails will actually start to grow in the next few weeks). Those nails are forming on individual fingers and toes, having recently separated from the webbed hands and feet of just a few weeks ago. Ovaries are developing if it's a girl, and if it's a boy, the testes are already producing testosterone. The hands and feet are in front of the body, ears are nearly in their final shape, there are open nasal passages on the tip of the nose, and a tongue and palate in the mouth. Also, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under the gums. Amazing how much it changes from week to week! :)

I turn 23 on Thursday, which means that it's already been two years since Kyle popped the question... I can't believe how quickly time passes, it seems like it was just two months ago! But our first wedding anniversary is quickly approaching, it's already less than six weeks away! So much has happened in two years, and we have been blessed in so many aspects of our lives... as I turn another year older, I realize how grateful I am for health and happiness. Sentimental, but so true! :)

I have a coworker getting married next weekend, so we're going out on Friday night to celebrate and hang out... other than that, we are just going to relax and try to stay out of the heat... it's back! Hope you all have a good weekend!

Happy birthday Kyanne!

We'll miss you so much Lindsey, we love you and will be thinking about you!

Camping at Foster Lake

This last weekend was really a treat... I got to spend it with my husband! :) We went camping with the Hall's to Foster Lake in Sweet Home, which is the same town that the Jamboree was in the week before. The weather was beautiful, not too hot (finally!), and we just got to relax, play games, and go out on the lake. Kyle has so many memories of summers spent at Foster Lake; it's where he spent a lot of his childhood, and it's fun to daydream about making those kinds of memories for our own kids...

Wakeboarding!



...and kneeboarding. Kyle was starting to think his body was a little too old for that one!

Tanner was a stud, he got up on the wakeski on the first try! It's basically a wakeboard with no bindings, and a lot more difficult.

Catching a little air

Brittney and Tanner on the tube!

Hanging on the boat...

All in all it was a really fun weekend! :)

Alright, so I've officially made it to week 10! It seems like the first trimester is passing by really slowly, but my friends just tell me not to worry because somehow the second and third trimesters just fly by and March will be here before we know it! At ten weeks baby officially graduates from an embryo to a fetus, which means the critical portion of development is complete--now all the tissue and organs will begin to rapidly grow and mature. Baby is about the size of a kumquat and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce! It's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs like the kidneys, brain, intestines and liver (which is now producing red blood cells) are in place and starting to function. Tiny nails are starting to grow on fingers and toes, which are no longer webbed. Peach-fuzz hair is beginning to grow on the skin. The baby can also bend it's limbs, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from the spinal cord. Pretty cool stuff! :)

A peek inside the womb at 10 weeks...

Hope you are all having a great week!

First MD appt!

So I had my first appointment with my new doctor today, and it went really well! I really really like her, she was very upbeat and knowledgable. Her name is Dr. Bauer, and her office is in the same building where I work, so it's very convenient for me. I had an official ultrasound today as well to date the baby, and it's measuring exactly as it should, so my official due date is March 10th, 2010.

Baby Hall's official first photo! Sorry it's kind of blurry, I had a hard time holding the camera still. The head is on the right side of the picture, and the body is on the left side. I got to see baby move today, which is very exciting! It was being a wiggleworm. :)

They gave me a complimentary diaper bag full of samples like formula, wipes, and prenatal vitamins! Bonus! Of course, the expiration date on the formula is in February, so chances are we won't use it... but it's the thought that counts! :)

Baby's first outfit! You can't read the writing below it, but it says "since birth" :)

So I'm going to be seeing her once a month until about 28 weeks, then every other week until 36 weeks, then every week until I deliver. We're definitely going to get to know eachother!

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers, only a few more weeks in the first trimester; I can't wait to finally feel better and have more energy! It's greatly appreciated though, I can definitely feel the love!

Love you all and have a great weekend! :)

Oregon Jamboree

I spent the weekend in Sweet Home, OR for the Oregon Jamboree! It was really fun... and really hot! I got into Albany on Friday night after work, and met up with Sue to drive to our campsite. Sue and I stayed in the tiniest trailer ever built, take a look!

Isn't it cute?! Hard to believe, but there is a bed, fridge, sink, and bathroom in there!

There was a bus that ran to and from the campsites all day, so we would just catch that back and forth from the Jamboree. We hopped on Friday night to go see Tim McGraw, which was a great show!

He could have been on mute, and I would have still enjoyed it... :)

You have to line up with your chairs to get your spot on the lawn for the day, and people were lining up the night before to spend the night. We weren't that crazy, but a few saintly people got up every morning and sat in line starting at 7am so that we could all have good seats. Thanks guys!

It was hard to stay at the Jamboree all day because of the heat, so we would go back to the air-conditioned motor home in between concerts so we could chill out for a while. On Saturday we saw Phil Vassar, Tracy Lawrence and Leann Rimes. I enjoyed Leann Rimes the most because I knew her songs the most! But they were all fun.

Do we look like cowgirls? :)

Ms. Leann Rimes

The jamboree!

The view from our seats...

This is Kristy Lee Cook, she was awesome! She was on American Idol last year and finished 7th. She's from Oregon, and was one of my favs from the weekend!

The girls! Trying not to melt

The boys enjoying the music!

I was really exhausted by the time Sunday rolled around, but definitely had a lot of fun! Next weekend we're camping again, but we're going to Foster Lake... and this time Kyle gets to come! My future sister-in-law is moving to Montana later this month, and this was the only weekend that we could all get together and hang out, so we're taking advantage and spending some quality time! I'm really sad she's leaving... but glad I get to spend some time with her before she goes!

Ok, I'm going to combine weeks 8 and 9 since I'm already 9 weeks tomorrow! :)

Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from the baby's hands and feet, breathing tubes extend from it's throat to the branches of it's developing lungs, and that "tail" is just about gone. In the brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. The baby is now nearly an inch long--about the size of a grape--and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. The essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes: baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form, as do tiny teeth. The embyronic nerves and muscles are kicking into gear. The eyes are fully formed, but the eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. It has tiny earlobes, and the mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The baby is now poised for rapid weight gain! As is mom! :)

Stay cool this week!