Saying Hi from Dundee, New York

Here is another picture of the houses. This view is from the lake and shows both houses. Hopefully this gives you a better idea of how they are laid out.
Our last couple of days in Syracuse were a lot of fun. We spent time with my cousins, Heather, Geoff, and Ryan. Nonie cooked my two favorite meals on Thursday. We had homemade pizza for lunch and roast beef for dinner. They were both delicious. We had our last fire for our time in Syracuse and made some great memories. The second picture is of the gang at Nonie's.

I just wanted to say a quick "hi" from Dundee, New York. We arrived yesterday around 430pm. My cousin Mason graduated from Dundee Central School last night. The graduation was outside and the weather was perfect. There were 69 students in his graduating class. It is so neat to experience the small hometown feel of Dundee. After graduation, we headed up to Mason's house for his graduation party. He had about 80 people or so which was considered a small graduation party. He asked for Buffalo Bills season tickets instead of having a big bash. Lots of food, drinks and fun. I was up until almost 3am and Mikey was up until 4am. I can't believe we stayed up so late. I guess that is what happens when you get around family that you only see once or twice a year.

This morning we went to the Windmill. It is pretty popular up here. It is open every Saturday. There are a lot of arts & crafts and fresh grown food sold. It is fun to people watch. Mikey wanted to go to see the mennonites. They are kind of like amish people. They live all over the place up here. They use horse and buggie for transportation and most don't have electricity. They grow all of their food and are great craftsmen. You can google to read more about them. They are very interesting. I bought a sign to put out by the pool and some onesies for Kiley. Mikey had a snow cone and a hot dog and I had some custard. All the food is delicious!

We went by Grandma and Grandpa's on the way home. The first great grandchild, Kaleb was over. He is my cousin Josh's son. He just turned one year old on May 30th. He is such a cutie. After we left G&G's house, we came back over to my Uncle Paul, Aunt Karen, Hannah, Mason and Haley's house and spent time by the pool. They have a beautiful house that my uncle built. We stay here every time we come. My cousin Haley is so sweet to give up her room to Mikey and me. Mycah stays with Hannah in her room and Molly and Haley crash in the livingroom or down in the basement. Now we are heading to Grandma and Grandpa's for Hamburgers and Hot Dogs.

By the way, I am feeling Kiley more and more every day!! It is so amazing.

Rest and Relaxation

Today is Wednesday morning, so I have a couple of days to catch up on. It shouldn’t be too long because we are doing a lot of nothing. Monday was a nice day. After breakfast, we stayed by the lake most of the day. I tried to lay on the side of the hill and get some sun on my back, but that didn’t work out so well. I promised I would post a picture of Mikey’s “stone work”. He put stones along the edge of the dock. He says it is to prevent people from falling off…you can judge for yourself. The table and chairs in the picture is where we have coffee every morning. He also did some more fishing, as of yesterday, he is up to 5 bass.

Nonie & Al’s neighbor passed away on Friday. Addie was 99. Her two sons still live next door, so we went over to their house to pay our respects. We had some lunch and visited with the friends and family for a while. They have lived next door to Nonie and Al my whole life. Her sons would take us skiing and jet skiing when we were younger. Mom and Dad were scheduled to come around dinner time so we had been talking to them occasionally throughout the day. They drive up because they spend a month or so up here and it is easier to have a car to go back and forth between all of our relatives up here. They left Texas on Saturday morning. Dad insisted that they stop at each capital building on the way up, but Mom held off from antiquing. We had a quick little storm around 5pm, but we were already up at the big house starting cocktail hour. Mom and Dad arrived right at the end of the storm, just in time for dinner. Nonie made a big turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, 3 bean salad, and potato salad. It was all delicious, just like Thanksgiving. Mikey built us a fire down by the lake where we spent the rest of the evening. We stayed up until 11pm. We are staying up later and later!!

Tuesday morning wasn’t as pretty as Monday morning. It was overcast and windy, but we still had our coffee out on the dock. We couldn’t see any fish, but when the sun came out, it was warm. We spent the morning out by the lake. Mikey mowed the lawn for Nonie and it looks great. I had to work, so I was kind of glad the weather wasn’t fantastic. It made it a little easier to be inside.

Once I got my work done, we went for a walk. On the way out, we took pictures of both houses to give you a better idea of how it is laid out. It was windy and overcast most of the day, so it stayed pretty cool. I don’t think it got up to 70. We played cards out on the front porch of the big house during cocktail hour and then had dinner. Brats, Hot Dogs, and homemade mac n cheese. It was yummy. I am not much of a brat fan, so I had a hot dog, but they said the brats were delicious. Nonie boiled them in beer…the best way to do it. After dinner, we came down by the lake for another one of Mikey’s famous fires. It was a cold night, so the fire felt great. Last night we stayed up until 1115pm!

So we are back to Wednesday morning and it is gorgeous outside. We have already had our coffee out on the dock and our English Muffins up in the little house. Mikey is back out on the dock fishing and I am sitting by the lake blogging. We are definitely getting into a little vacation routine. Mycah is coming in today. My cousin Heather who lives in Rochester is picking her up and bringing her here tonight. My other cousins Geoff and Ryan are also coming for the night, so we will have a full house tonight. It should be fun.

As for a quick baby update…yesterday we were 21 weeks. More than half way there! This morning while we were having coffee, Mikey said that my stomach is definitely getting bigger, so it looks like, at least from the outside, that Kiley is growing. I THINK I am feeling her kicking. It is lower in my stomach than I thought it would be, but last week in my update it said that the top of my uterus is now at my belly button, so I guess that would make sense. It kind of feels like gas bubbles, but different. Every since the plane ride, I have been having a lot of back pain in the middle of my back if I sit in one place too long. It must be a result of my growing belly. I am getting heavier on the front side. Also, since Nonie won’t be able to come to my shower, she had a shower here for me. She got me and Kiley a couple of books and two little onesies. She made the most gorgeous blanket for Kiley and she found the cutest little stuffed dog that matches it. I took a picture. Besides the monkey we made for Kiley a while back, these are the first things that belong to Kiley!!! We will have to get shopping for her when we get back to start adding to her collection…

Home Sweet New York

Yesterday was our first full day here in Upstate New York, but I will start from the beginning. We woke up at about 7am on Saturday morning, and left for the airport at 8am. It was sad to leave the house for so long, but Mikey’s Dad is going to come by and take care of the pool and flowers. Our flight was at 940am, so we had plenty of time once we got to the airport. We didn’t have to pay for our bags since we had booked before the 15th, but of course our bag was 5lbs over the limit. Mikey talked the nice lady into “overlooking” it. We flew American Eagle direct to Syracuse. It has been years since I have flown straight through to Upstate NY. The flight was only 2 hours and 40 minutes, just enough time for one movie. The good news was that my bladder held up and I didn’t have to go in the little bathroom on the plane, but the bad news is that my back was killing me about half way into the flight. They say you are supposed to get up and walk around, but it was such a small plane. So anyway, we arrived safely in Syracuse at 150pm. It was a short drive to my Nonie’s house in Bridgeport, New York. We were in and settled by 3pm. They have two houses on the lake, the big house (where my grandparents actually live) and the little house which is down a hill and literally right on the lake. I will have to post pictures of this tomorrow to give you a better visual. We stay in the little house. Mycah isn’t coming until Wednesday, so Mikey and I have it all to our selves until she gets here. It has a full kitchen and bathroom, a beautiful closed in porch, and a nice breezy porch on the side of the house. Upstairs has two beds and a dresser. Nonie made us grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and then it was time for cocktail hour. Nonie, Poppy Al, and Mikey enjoyed their cocktails and I enjoyed my water. We had a nice steak dinner up at the big house. We thought Mikey would build a fire, but we were both exhausted from our long day. We were in bed by 830, and no it wasn’t even dark yet! We are officially on vacation.

Sunday was our first full day of vacation. We slept in until 9am. There was a thunderstorm during the night, and the house has a tin roof, so it was good sleeping. Not to mention that you can hear the lake from our bed too. It is so peaceful. We had breakfast on the covered porch, and then got our bathing suits on and headed out for the sun. I realized when I woke up that I wanted coffee, and of course there was no decaf in the house. Mikey and I have a ritual when we are on vacation. We make coffee and sit outside and enjoy the view wherever we are. I missed not having my vacation coffee, so Mikey said that we could go buy some today. He is really getting the hang of catering to his pregnant princess. Just to give you an idea of the weather here for those of you who are stuck in the 100 degree weather in Dallas, it is getting down into the 50’s at night and up in the high 70’s during the day. Absolutely perfect weather!
So basically we spent the day by the lake. Mikey did some fishing off of the dock and I laid in the sun. The water is pretty cold. Mikey swam a few times, but I only got in once up to my waist and I think my whole body went numb. Nonie made some delicious quesadillas for lunch. We sat in the sun another hour or so and then a storm came in around 3pm. We put all of the cushions in and went inside and played cards while it blew through. I got some good sun on my front side. I will have to figure out a way to get my back. My belly is getting too big to lay on my stomach. Then we decided to take a walk. I showed him where some of my childhood friends lived. Of course now just their parents live there. They are grown and have their own families and houses now. I wanted to show Mikey where I used to ride my bike over to a little marina to get candy, so we came back and got the golf cart. We drove down three different streets and we couldn’t get to it. Apparently they have it blocked off now, so he just had to take my word for it. As we were coming back towards the house, we saw a little white dog running high speed away from the house and sure enough it was Nonie’s baby, Maggie. We chased her down and got her in the golf cart and sure enough, we couldn’t get the golf cart started back up. Mikey got off and pushed while I drove and we finally got it started, and headed back to the house. We decided to go into town to look for my coffee. Our two options were Kinney Drugstore or Dollar General. We decided to check out both. We found my coffee at the drugstore and then my creamer at the Dollar General. We had to make a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts; they actually have something that we have back at home. We each had a chocolate donut and then went home. We got home just in time for happy hour.

Last night for dinner, everyone else had fresh fish (walleye pike) that Al caught that morning. I had a pork chop, since fish out of the lake isn’t recommended for us pregnant people. It was all delicious. Mikey decided that he couldn’t wait for my parents to get here on Monday to have a fire, so he built the first bonfire of the summer. He did a little more fishing right before dark and caught a little bass, but threw that one back too. He likes to catch them, but doesn’t want to clean them. We sat out by the fire until about 10pm and then went up to bed.

Today is Monday morning, and guess what? We aren’t at work! Yah! Mikey made my coffee first and boy was it delicious. It was definitely a craving that was satisfied. We sat out on the dock and enjoyed our coffee. The water is so clear and it was so calm this morning. We sat and watched all kinds of fish swim by. The lakes here are real/natural, not man made like the ones in Texas. They have rocky bottoms and besides the occasional seaweed, you can see the bottom. They aren’t mirky and muddy like the ones in Texas. We just ate breakfast up in the little house and now we are back down by the lake. I am blogging and Mikey is hard at work. He says he is making something pretty. He has a shovel and is digging up rocks out of the lake and bringing them to shore. Stay tuned to see the finished product whatever it may be….oh, and Mom and Dad should be here in time for dinner tonight! Miss you all…..

The temperature is rising...

The weather sure was hot in Dallas this weekend. Luckily we spent the weekend in the water! Before I get to the celebrations, I have one quick baby update. I think Kiley woke me up on Saturday morning. I felt someone poking my tummy. I opened my eyes thinking that Mikey would be standing there and he wasn't. Of course by the time I woke up and realized what was going on, I didn't feel it again, but it was a pretty distinct feeling. I can't wait to feel her again!

We spent all day Saturday at KC's pool to celebrate Kelli's birthday! We had such a great time with everyone. We ate lots of yummy food and everyone else drank lots of yummy beverages. Thanks to Tom, we played some great games. There was even a watermelon seed spitting contest at one point. As you can see, Kelli loved her cake. It was a perfect day to spend in the pool. The time flew by! Before we knew it, it was 10pm!! Happy Birthday Kelli!

On Sunday, the temperature broke 100. Despite the heat, we had a great Father's Day. Sunday morning, the Dads and soon-to-be Dad (Mike, Mike, and Mikey) played golf. Then we all met at Mike and Connie's. We went to the pool and played water volleyball, and then came back to the house for dinner. The pulled pork was delicious!! We also watched some golf. Dad and Mikey had to relive their Torrey Pines experience (see the April blog) by watching the US Open. I know I said this on Mother's Day, but it is so fun to think that next year we will have a little one to celebrate with. It is so hard to picture what it will be like with a high chair at the dinner table and a little one crawling around and giving Daddy lovins on his special day. It will be so different, but so amazing.

After this unusually hot weeekend, we are looking forward to our trip up North!! In less than a week, we will be in NY. We can't wait!!

She is making my tummy grow.....

As promised, a picture of my tummy. Today I am 19 weeks and 3 days. This is officially the first picture we have taken of my belly. I meant to start earlier, but something about me getting fat and a camera just didn't seem appealing. People are starting to notice at work. It isn't as easy to cover up as it was a few weeks ago, and I am sure it is going to grow pretty rapidly from here on out. My wardrobe now consists of juicy suits and dresses. Anything tight around my waist is super uncomfortable.

Besides my growing tummy, I have a few more baby updates. The doctor's office called yesterday with our test results. She said that my iron looks good and the down syndrome test came back negative. We were so relieved. It has been a long week and a half. Thank you for all of your prayers.

I also stepped foot into my first baby store this week! I had a work outing at the Rough Riders game up in Frisco on Wednesday. It was pretty hot, so I decided to leave during the 7th inning and have a "pregnant day". I went by a baby store where I had some potential bedding picked out online and then went by my new favorite custard place. Baby and Mommy both thought it was very yummy and we had a fun day together!

We have spent the last two weeks tossing around names, and we think we have named our little girl. Her name is going to be Kiley Baird!! We have been through several names and we kept going back Kiley. Today at work, I looked up the meaning of Kiley and sure enough, it means "good looking". That pretty much sealed the deal for both of us! Of course our baby is going to be good looking, have you met my husband, Mr. GQ himself? We are still working on the middle name, but for now, we love calling her Kiley!

Almost half way there!!

A week has passed and we are getting even more excited about having a little baby girl. We haven't gotten very far with names. I would like to find a name sooner rather than later. I love the idea of calling her by her name for a while to make sure we really like it. I would like to use a family name for the middle name, and I know I would like multiple syllables for the first name since our last name is so short and simple. I would like something different, but not too unique where people can't pronounce it. There is so much to think about. I know we will find the perfect name for our beautiful baby girl. Mommy just needs to have some patience.

Tomorrow I will be 19 weeks and I still have not stepped foot into a maternity store or a baby store. I think it is about time to start shopping. I started an online registry at Babies R Us last week, so I have made some progress. I can really only register online for things that I don't need to touch or see in person. There are so many things out there that I have never even heard of. I will really have to rely on other mothers for advice. I have picked out the furniture which is a big step, and I have a store picked out to go look at bedding, which is my goal this week!

Also, it looks like the baby shower is going to fall on September 20th, so please pencil it in on your calendars!!

Happy Birthday Girls!

This weekend was another busy one. Mom and Mycah came up on Friday night. We were able to work on the scrapbook a little more. Thanks to Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bob, we have some pictures of the rehearsal dinner!! Only a few more pages to go and we will be done!

On Saturday morning, Mom and I did the Race for the Cure up in Plano. It was so fun and the weather was great. It was way less crowded than the one at Northpark in the Fall. Mom and I checked out strollers during the walk. We did see a running stroller that was made by JEEP. We thought Mikey would love that. After the race, I headed to Lake Granbury to celebrate Gretchen and Lisa's birthdays. The whole gang was there and we had a great time. Everyone (except me of course) took turns on the tube. I hear it was a beating, but everyone had a blast. I did get to go for a short jet ski ride, but the waters were pretty rough because of the wind, so we didn't get too far. We spent most of the time floating in the water. The weather was perfect all weekend and of course the company was great! Happy Birthday to Lisa & Gretchen!!

We came home early on Sunday to let the boys out. We lounged around the pool most of the day. Mikey cooked the most delicious ribs for dinner. They were so tender that they fell right off of the bone. My mouth is watering just thinking about them.