Anniversary Date

John and I went out to lunch at a new Italian restaurant in town today for our 5 year anniversary, and it was great! We gave each other our cards after we ordered, and couldn't believe that we got each other the same cards (inside and out), except for the cover looking a little different! What are the odds?! We're going to have dinner at home tonight, and go for a walk on the beach after dinner...and probably grab some ice cream or something. It was fun dressing up a little bit for a hot date :)

Us at Benzi in Town Center - Hampton

Me at 6 1/2 months...and feeling pretty huge

The cards I mentioned that are exactly the same!

My hot date!

Happy 5 Year Anniversary!

Happy 5 Year Anniversary!

I am so blessed with an amazing husband! He is loving, hilarious, motivated, committed, and humble! In many ways, fives years has absolutely flown by! A lot has happened over the last five years: three miscarriages, two moves, new jobs, our pregnancy now with Avery, and much more- but I really can not imagine going through it with anyone else! I try really hard to not take for granted the amazing relationship and friendship I have with John. Thank you John for adding so much
C O L O R to my life!

Another great weekend with great friends

Rae and Bailey on the surfboard

Katey, Katie, Bailey, and Claire watching the boys surf

We call this one...God Bless America

Just over 6 months pregnant

Giving the bellies some love! (26 wks, 23 wks, and 25 wks from left to right)

6 Months

Here is the belly at 24 weeks (6 months)! I was at my parent's house when this picture was taken.

My next appointment is in about 3 weeks, and I'll have to do another glucose screening, to test for gestational diabetes. The following appointment, I will be 7 months along, and then I start going every two weeks! After the 8 month mark, I start going every week-holy cow!

Here is what BabyCenter.com says about Avery's development this week:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

NY Whirlwind Trip

John and I just got back from going to NY for a few days. I was there about a week, and John was there a little less.

It was a whirlwind trip: best friend's bridal shower, John's parents 30th wedding anniversary party, and my baby shower!

It was an amazing time spent with family and friends that we don't get to see very often. Everyone showered us with love, prayers, gifts, and affection...Avery is a blessed little girl!

Here are some pictures from Sunday at my baby shower.

John and I at the baby shower

My two girlfriends Jen and FriedaThe two hostesses: my sister and my mom

John and I with his mom
My two girlfriends from elementary/middle school: Jenn and Wendy

23 Weeks

Here is what BabyCenter.com says about her development this week:


Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

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On Monday I had my 6 month appointment, and everything went great! Her heartbeat was strong, and my doctor did an ultrasound for me, which wa super nice of her! It wasn't a detailed ultrasound, just a quickie so I could take a current picture of Avery to NY for my baby shower in a few days. I'm excited for share the pregnancy with my long-distance family, and friends who haven't seen me much, or at all, during the pregnacy. I'll post pictures from the shower when John and I get back home to VA.

Bye Bye Palmer

Like I wrote in the last post, I ended an amazing school year yesterday!

We had to report to school at 8am, and we were given time to work in our classrooms to clean up, pack up, and finish paperwork if needed. We had a luncheon at noon that we went to in downtown Hampton at the marina.

It was really hard for me to say goodbye to such wonderful people who have been so supportive of me throughout the school year. The luncheon was spent enjoying yummy food, giving out awards, recognizing people who are retiring, moving, or being transferred, and then saying good-bye.

Me with Alice and Sandy (the 4th Grade Collaborative Teachers)

Me with Ms. Brown, Palmer's Principal

3rd Grade Team (minus Jacqueline who left early)

Myself and two of the 4th Grade Teachers