Etheridge Beach Week

After what felt like an eternity during our time out in Roswell, and then coming back to SoCal and having to go straight back to work for over a month... a week-long vacation at the beach in Florida was ecstatically welcomed with massively open arms!!!   

Not only did Moe-Joe & Dad-Oh invite us Californians to relax and enjoy the hot Florida sun and play in the warm Atlantic waters all week long together... but those crazy Coloradans were invited too!

 Yep, that's right... one big happy family at the beach!

The sand and the waves kept Hamp & Sammy entertained all week...

but there was no way we were going to let them have all the fun!

 So we helped dig, shovel, tunnel, sculpt, and mold in the sand...

And helped jump, swim, surf, and relax in the water!

This of course was the first time any of the family had seen the baby bump up close & personal.  Needless to say, we had to limit how many times Moe-Joe could molest Jei & her belly!

Our little guy was kickin' & pushin' and showing off for Moe-Joe... so we called Sammy over to see if he could feel him.

When the sun wouldn't let us play out on the beach and in the ocean anymore, we had family game time... which always provides excellent entertainment and lots of laughter!

Moe-Joe & Sammy teamed up together and pretty much dominated our game of Apples to Apples!

There were some intense moments and a lot of persuasive techniques used by big brother... but Sammy stuck to his guns all game long!

According to Hampton, I was a great partner to have for the game... but apparently not good enough to win! 

And the winner was... well, it certainly wasn't a secret! 

Everyone was surprised when two of Moe-Joe's friends gave us extremely thoughtful gifts for the baby that week.  Three months out and already have quite the collection going!

After an incredibly long day in the sand, surf, and pool... there's nothing better than a pre-bedtime book read by Moe-Joe! 

And then the next day we were back at it again...

on the beach playing, tanning, and relaxing!

Here's Mandi & I playing our favorite family beach game: keep-away from Sammy! Actually, we were enjoying a nice game of 'Pro Kadima' when Sam decided to be "Monkey-in-the-Middle!"

All that playing on the beach leaves a man tired & parched... 

Thank God for beer, lounge chairs, and the pool!

Speaking of which... when the sand & ocean wasn't providing the entertainment, the community pool stepped in and did a fabulous job! 

A certain little somebody even learned how to snorkel!

It's a fish!  

No, it's a shark!!  

Actually, it's just Sammy exploring the great barrier pool

with his new found snorkeling skills. Way to go Sammy!!!

One of our favorite evenings came when Dad-Oh treated all of us out to dinner at 'The Garlic' one night!

 

The scenery, atmosphere, weather, and of course the food was nothing short of spectacular!

The company wasn't too bad either... but awfully friendly!

Did I mention the food??? ...and how amazing it was?  I tell ya what, if you ever find yourself in New Smyrna Beach, Florida... you've got to go!  Naturally, we couldn't let dinner proceed without taking a picture of Dad-Oh and his enormously and abnormally large "Bocce Ball"!!! 

With all the delicious and abundant food and the tasty adult beverages around the table... it was hard not to smile and have a good time!  (Sammy had plain ole' chicken strips and french fries, with no tasty adult beverage... hence, no smile!) 

On the other hand... the men of the family had quite the opposite!

We literally almost shut the place down (thanks to me & my heavenly chocolate cake!), so by the time we finished up with all our drinks & desserts... it was quite obviously time to go!

 Thank you Moe-Joe for the wonderful dinner idea...

and thank you Dad-Oh for paying for it!

It's going to be hard to forget that night!

Our family beach week finally came to an end... and although we really didn't want to leave and have to say goodbye to both the beautiful beach and the wonderful family... it felt good knowing that we had as much fun as we possibly could have had, and I don't think we would've changed a single thing! Thank you Moe-Joe & Dad-Oh for such an incredibly fun and relaxing week!!! 

For more great pics from our week at the beach, click here!

Preggers on the Beach

Alec & I welcomed week 25 of our pregnancy in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Not sure if baby liked the heat, humidity, sand, ocean, and the "no-see-ums"... but I have no doubt with a little help from his grandparents, he'll learn to enjoy it just as much as we did! (Except of course for those annoying no-see-ums!)

Almost hard to believe we're at 25 weeks already... but even harder to believe that our little baby boy is growing & developing into a little person right before our eyes! Just the other night we were sitting on the couch together and I felt him move & kick, so I told Alec to look at my belly and with the way the light was shining from the laptop computer screen, you could totally see all the movement that was going on in my belly... and we just looked at each other and I told Alec how amazing I still think it is that there's a little person in there! 

Anyway... this week baby 'E' is inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. Also, he's continuing to put on baby fat and should weigh about a pound and two-thirds and measure approximately 14 inches. (Sorry, but no visual aid this week!)

His bones are becoming solid now and his hands should now be fully developed. His tiny little feet are about 2 inches (5cm) long and his hands are very active (yeah, no kidding!). Believe it or not, he can already learn and remember... and can also recognize its mother and father's voice (he's going to think his name is 'Ming & Bing'!).  

For the first time ever, his wee-little eyelids have finally opened (remember: they were fused shut previously), and he's probably having his first moments of sight as you read this. In addition to taking in his first visual impressions of his comfy amniotic-filled studio, our little human-bean recently acquired the ability to move his head around.

And finally, the structures of his spine begin to form -- all 33 rings, 150 joints and 1000 ligaments. His tiny brain is growing rapidly, and he is starting to fill the space in my uterus... which just so happens to be about the size of a soccer ball now! (Seriously?!) Also, as we have just begun to learn, touching and playing with our little guy is possible now, as he sometimes responds to our touching, poking, & shoving through my belly wall. What fun!!!

Dads need Lovin' too!

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Quality Time Together

So I woke up this morning and walked into the kitchen...

and saw this ridiculousness:

What again did families do together back before computers & smart-phones???

How Sad!!!

"Hey Mom, I just sent you an email."

"Okay, I'll check it as soon as I send you this text!"

Anyway... driving down to San Diego today to drop off Momma Soch so she can go back home and enjoy all her other kids & grandkids!  Thanks for a great visit and we'll see ya in August!

As big as a Papaya

Week 23 is here... and only 17 more to go! 

  

Baby should be about 11½ inches long and weigh somewhere around a pound, or about the length and weight of a Harry Potter book. His hands have grown bigger and stronger now and the nerve endings in his fingers have developed his sense of touch... so I'm sure he's in there testing out his new-found abilities by touching his face and grabbing the umbilical cord. Baby has also started growing taste buds and may be able to detect strong flavors in the amniotic fluid, which makes sense seeing as how he starts to move around and kick when I chow down on spicy foods!  

And speaking of kicking... Alec finally got to feel the little guy a couple of nights ago.  We were lying in bed and he started to move around and kick when I quickly grabbed Alec's hand.  Of course baby immediately stopped once Alec's hand was on my belly... but he soon picked up right where he left off and started showing off for his daddy! This whole parenthood thing is getting exciting!!!