Pregnancy - Second Trimester

YEA!!!! We finally start our second trimester of the pregnancy! Yipee! moving right along, we are 14 weeks today! We are so excited. I am definitely "looking" pregnant, and I am still feeling really good. My headaches are lessening, and I am not as tired in the afternoons, so I am happy about that.

All is well here with the family...Bryden is doing really well and goes to school today for an Intro for new students, then she officially starts on Tuesday! We hope she loves it and meets some new friends there!

Jim is staying busy with Johnny Napp stuff and Yalick Farms (Dad's Townhouse development in Pennsylvania). Jim is working on getting everything ready for a Johnny Napp concert up at Yalick Farms to promote the development. He will be performiing the weekend of Sept 13, which we are excited about, because it is outdoors and Bryden will get to go (her and I have missed some concerts because she is too young to get into the clubs!).

So, we are off to Boston for the weekend for my cousins wedding! So much fun, we can't wait to dance the night away!

Bryden Riding "Creation"

This past weekend we went out to our friends farm where they board horses and give riding lessons. They let Bryden come out and ride their horses, and she absolutely LOVES it. Here is a great slide show of some of the pics we took when Bryden was riding Creation. Thanks Ms. Becca and Mr. Scott for letting Bryden come ride, it makes her day!!! Enjoy the pics!
P.S. Click on the first picture to zoom in, then you can choose 'Next' to manually change the pictures, or 'Play' will play them like a slide show!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Bryden - Horse Back Riding

Here is a cute video of Bryden riding "Creation". Enjoy!

Pregnancy - 12 Weeks

We are 12 weeks pregnant and doing fabulous! My headaches are lessening, which is great, and I feel really good. A little sluggish in the afternoons, but I guess that is to be expected!

Last night, Bryden and I were watching the Olympics in a hotel room in Lynchburg (Jim was at a Johnny Napp concert that Bryden couldn't get in to) and we were talking about the baby. She was asking me if she could hold her (yes, it is always a girl in Bryden's eyes!) and she asked if she could feed her. I tried to explain that I would be breastfeeding for a few months before switching to a bottle, at which point she could help feed the baby. Bryden looked at my chest and back at me and said "Mommy, that is silly!" Hmmm, that explantaion needs a little work I guess! She really can't wait for the baby though. I think we will have to keep a close eye on her because she will want to constantly pick up the baby, or play with her, or feed her...she is still a little aggressive with the dogs, so who knows what she will do with a little babe!!!

Enjoy the pics!

Bryden and Daddy

Bryden, since watching Monsters, Inc., is all about monsters or "bad guys" sneaking in her play areas and having to scare them off. She and Daddy were outside playing in her "Princess Castle" (aka. her swing set) and staving off the bad guys. This is what they came up with to keep them at bay...Enjoy the good laugh!

Virginia Beach

A FABULOUS day at Virginia Beach! Mommy and Bryden met up with Aunt Chandra at Va. Beach yesterday and had a great time. The weather was so incredibly gorgeous and it was just an all around perfect day. Last year, Bryden was scared to go in the ocean, even the waves coming in scared her. Not this year! She could not get enough of being in the water. Every time we tried to take a break, ten minutes later we were back in the water. Bryden loved the waves and totally floated around on her own until a big one would come, then Mommy or Chandra would pick her up over the wave so she didn't get pummeled!!! Thanks for a great day Chandra! Enjoy the pics!


Below is a cute video clip too...Thanks for the commentating Chandra!

Little Baby Kiwi

Well, we are 11 weeks pregnant and all is going well. I am definitely more tired this pregnancy and a little more cranky (yes Jim, I said just a "little" more cranky, I know you disagree!!!) and have some rough headaches, but nothing a little medicine wont kick for me. Overall, feeling good though. No morning sickness, still working out and normal day to day stuff.

We went in earlier this week for a check up and got some great pics of Kiwi. There is a great one where he/she is waving to us, giving us the "what's up!" We are right on track with size and heartbeat, so that is exciting. Don't know if we will find out the sex or not. I don't want to know, but Jim does. With Bryden, it was the same situation and I lost Rock Paper Scissors, so we found out. I feel it is only fair to NOT find out this pregnancy, but Jim REALLY wants to know (ha, planners...dont they know when you plan for things it usually doesn't work out that way?!?!?) So, we'll see! The debate is still on. Though, I am kind of feeling it MAY be a boy, Bryden thinks it is a girl, and Daddy is leaning toward boy. Hmmmmmm...

Enjoy the pic!

This is a profile of Kiwi. His/her head is at the right (the lighter area is the facial bones) and you can make out her forehead, nose and chin. Then her belly and at the far left is her leg. Floating in the middle above the belly is her hand held up and waving to us!

Happy 4th Anniversary

YAY! Another year down. Happy 4th Anniversary Courtney and Jim...well, it was actually yesterday...August, 7...but I am always a little behind on posting these things!!!

Bryden Going to Pre-School

Well, we enrolled Bryden in Pre-School today!!! Yikes, that kind of scares us...well, me anyway. She is getting so big! We found an awesome place called Hanover Montessori, and we LOVE the teacher and we love the method of the Montessori teachings. We think Bryden will do really well there and will truly enjoy herself, her teachers and her classmates. It is a small school with only 12 children, which means lots of attention to each child. Montessori promotes independence and confidence in oneself and in learning. The children are given time to explore different stations at their own pace and are taught practical life skills, as well as having individual lesson time from the teacher. It is definitely different than your "typical" school, in that the teacher does not sit at the head of the class and preach to the children while they sit at their desks. The teacher works with individual children while the others are working on projects together (with another teacher overseeing) or working individually. So, we are really excited to see what Bryden brings home to tell us all about. She met with the teacher alone the other day, and has already picked up some new skills that she did at home right away. So fun!
We think this will also be a great transition when the baby comes. It will give the baby some undivided attention in the mornings and Bryden will be having fun at school, then Bryden will get her time in the afternoon, then family time in the evenings. Well, if all goes according to plan anyway!!!

Bryden Working Out

So, I put Bryden down for a nap today and told her I was going to take a shower and I'd come check on her in a few minutes. Well, while in the shower, I hear her hollering, so I tell her I'll be done in a minute...when I went to check on her, I hear her yelling "I'm working out" so I grab the camera, and this is what I walked into...

Swimming at Aunt Chandra's

Bryden, Nanne and I went down to visit Aunt Chandra and Uncle Murat in Virginia Beach yesterday and had a GREAT time playing in the pool! Bryden is getting to be such a great swimmer, we can't wait to watch her grow and continue with her love of the water. You go little fishy!