In my Belly

So here are some picts. I saw this idea on another blog, to take a pict each week, wearing the same thing. It was my idea to measure, I like to see when the changes are happening. Not much change the last month except I gained 1 more inch. What's the most interesting, is in the morning I am my regular 36-37 inches, but by night I am a whole 2 inches rounder, the clothes definately feel tighter! All these picts are taken on Friday mornings, so you don't see my full 'large and in charge' yet! I am feeling bigger, but still feel healthy and well.

I started a journal for myself and baby, again to document when changes happen, how I feel physically and mentally at different times, what people say, stuff like that. This is an exerpt of what I wrote about my growing belly: I am about 6 months (24 weeks) along now and you can tell that I am pregnant, and don't just have a chubby stomach! I am loving my cute little round belly. Some of my clothes look even better! I have looked forward to seeing myself with a pregnant belly, and my body is growing well to accomodate you. It's funny, because people now give me a look that says "Oh, you have a pregnant belly now!" Which is then what people voice to me in some way. My friend's husband saw me yesterday and noticed my growing belly and said "Ya know, there's nothing more pretty than seeing a woman pregnant." That was very nice of him. I am mostly getting surprised looks from those who didn't know I was pregnant (acquaintences), or people saying I am now looking pregnant, pointing out the obvious. It is nice to hear genuine comments about my quickly changing looks.

99 days

...until Baby is supposed to come. Um....hello, that is less than 100! Where has the time gone? I am 25 weeks and 6 days along (6 1/2 months); I only have 14 weeks and 1 day to go. Wow! Tis the season for time to rush by even faster now too. I will post some picts of the growing belly soon. I am beginning to start feeling him moving more distinct now. Spencer felt his movement last night for the first time. Sweet.
"I weigh just under 2 lbs and am 14 inches tall; I can respond to noises from outside."

Cruisin the Cold

September 10-18, 2009 we left for Seattle, WA to catch the inside passage Alaskan Cruise. Click on the pictures to enlarge. We were so excited for the fun. We met up with Spencer's old H.S. friend Rachel and her cute little family in Seattle. They were so great and took us to see Mt. Ranier. What an amazing National Park. It's this huge, snowcovered mountain in the middle of the forest. So crazy. We loved Seattle and want to go back for a real vacation. Thanks Rachel, Sterling and Stockton for the great time. CRUISING ALASKA: Day 1: we left Seattle to make our way towards Alaska. We saw our 1 and only sunset this night. It was beautiful! (The flowers I got for $5 at Pike's Place Market in Seattle before we left)

Day 2: Was our first day at sea. No pictures, no need. The boat was rocking so bad, going over 16 foot swells, let's just say that is NOT ideal! Melina threw up 6 times (after everything she ate) and Spencer just did not feel normal either.

Day 3: Our first port, Juneau Alaska. We took a bus tour to Mendenhall Glacier. We wanted to do a little hike here, but Melina wasn't fully recovered from the day before, and it was a little colder than we expected! We walked around the town, then got back on the ship.

Day 4: Our second port, Skagway Alaska. This was our favorite port in Alaska. We had our full energy back and had a beautiful, sunshiny day. We started out on the White Pass Railway tour. It was a bus tour that took us to the top of the railroad, then the railway took us down it's route. It was so interesting to learn about the Gold Rush and all the drama that went on back then! After this we went back and changed to some cooler clothes and did a little hike. It was so green, and being in the fresh air did us some good.

Day 5: The ship took us to a Fjord, which is an inlet, to see a Glacier. Unfortunately, it wasn't the one on the schedule, and not as pretty, we heard. We were in there at 6 a.m. and left there at noon. So the rest of the day was a day at sea. (we did not look forward to 1.5 days at sea). We got some cool pictures, and the glacier was neat, seeing all the broken ice in the ocean, but there was no wildlife.

Day 6: our second Day at Sea. We played it really safe, not wanting to have another awful day at sea. We woke up and made it through breakfast. We found mid-ship where it rocked the least, and parked it there for the day. We took our books and labtop, read and watched a movie. We made it through the day not throwing up, but we still did not feel ideal, and on the brink now and then. See all the fun towel animals our stateroom attendant left us each night.

Day 7: Our last port in Victoria, Canada. Again, we had a beauiful,clear day. Our main event here was to visit the Butchart Gardens. WOW, they are so worth it! We love flowers and landscaping, so it was perfect for us. Even though it was the end of the season, it was still an amazing sight. One day...hopefully our backyard will compare!

Day 8: We ended the cruise at Vancouver, Canada. We wanted to spend the day here, so booked our flight for the next day. We were SO glad we had this extra day. We absolutely loved Vancouver. There is a ton to do, but we figured out a great game plan that allowed us to do a lot, and enjoy what we did. We laughed and lived up the last day of spending with each other on vacation.

In the end, this Alaskan Cruise was a little rough for us. We did not see really any wildlife we expected to see (dolphins, eagles). The mountains were cool, but we have awesome one's here. We had an awesome start in Seattle and end in Vancouver, with some high points in between, but this vacation took a little toll on us. We still love the idea of the cruise, and will go on another, but we'll make sure it's in mostly calm waters...and I'm not pregnant! Enjoy the pictures. You can view these and lots more in our picasa album.

Warnings/Precautions

I received this email from 2 family members now. Usually I don't pass the word along b/c I've heard it before, but I found these to be some very good tips on avoiding danger and keeping ourselves a little bit safer by being aware of what we can do.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
2. Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you....Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy..The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.) DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..
...If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, Repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage: A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side.... If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP. It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird.. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door..'The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.
10. Water scam! If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and then attack.
Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors!