3 Months

Today marks our 3rd month with Kace and it's been a beautiful roller coaster.

It seems like it's been one thing after another...and I'm not complaining...I think.  Looking back on my pregnancy with him, it's been up and down constantly. 

Pregnant!
Spotting X
First sonogram!
High protein count in blood=neural tubal defect X
3D sonogram to look for defect--all looks normal!
Leaking X
Everything looks normal--call if it continues!
Still leaking--back to doctor--admitted to hospital immediately X
Stay the weekend, get some IV fluids!
Just kidding, perinatologist says I'm staying until baby arrivesX
Meet great people in hospital, new friends!
Obsess over baby development and constantly worryX
Every day is a blessing!
As due date gets closer, worry about c-sectionX
Delivery date, no c-section!
Baby's feet turned in, look like they're "praying" X
It's positional, will be okay, not permanent!
Now constantly worrying about NICU baby X
Room in with baby!
Baby fails car seat test, (apnea) so no rooming in X
Baby comes home next day!
Mommy terrified to bring baby home--afraid of apnea episode X
We're all home!
Stuck at home, limit visitors, keep baby away from people (and their germs) X
Baby's growing, putting on weight!
2 month checkup doctor notices dimple and orders ultrasound X
Find out that spine is completely normal, NOT spina bifida!

Which brings me to today.  Today I feel peaceful, but I don't always.  I'm a worrier, just like my grandmother...and my mother.  I was so thankful to get the message about the ultrasound today on my voicemail.  If you know me, you know how I hate checking messages.  Today I checked and was happy to hear the news, "The ultrasound is completely, completely normal!" 

Thank you, God.

Smile!

Kace is smiling so much lately and because the weather has been absolutely gorgeous most days lately, we've been getting some good outdoor time.  I captured this precious smile yesterday evening while we were out enjoying the sunshine and grilling steaks, okra, and zucchini.  Hope it's not dinner that he's smiling about...

2nd Annual

Last Spring Break, Greta and I spent a day downtown shopping and eating.  This year we continued the tradition and I enjoyed every moment.  Like last year, it was SXSW (and this year St. Patrick's Day too) so there was a fun crowd to add to the atmosphere. 

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, sunny and a little cool.  We started with some coffee on the patio at Austin Java.  I think we could have sat there all day...

We moved on to our next location and along the way snapped this one--I have a million pictures of the Frost Bank Building and will never tire of it.  I think it's a stunner! 

We were meeting Greta's sisters, a brother-in-law, and some of their friends' at Fado's for a green beer, but there were 7 of us and the cover was $15.  I wasn't impressed.  We stopped in another Irish pub for a margarita--ha!  Everyone had a beer but me.  Hey...it was green (ish)!

Our table was right across from these open doors and we could people watch while we listened to a one man show.  Life is good--friends, a margarita, music, and great weather!

Our plan was to go to The Driskill and have some 1886 Cake, but it was already 2:00 and we had things to do--like eat!  Off to South Congress and Mighty Cone....I'd been anxiously awaiting this one!

Mighty Cone.  Saw it on Food Network, I think and sounded right up my alley:  hot/sweet crunchy coating, avocado, chicken, or shrimp.  Man, it was as good as I hoped it would be.

While we were there, I had to snap a few more Austin photos: 

Lucy

Justin

And what trip to South Congress would be complete without a visit to the original trailer in the trailer park?

(Another little something I've taken a million pictures of...hey, I have a soft spot for cupcakes and airstream trailers!)

We HAD to take this picture--look how skinny we are in the cupcake trailer!  Well, Greta looks skinny and I look normal, NOT like I'm still carrying an extra 30 pounds.

I'm already looking forward to next year!  Thanks for playing, Greta!

kites+cooks+humphrey+corn dogs+lemonade+school bus ride+lines=best day ever!!!

I really wanted to go to the Zilker Kite Festival this year.  Wanted to take some photos, enjoy the outdoors with my boys, and now that Riley is old enough to enjoy something like this, we went for it.  Russ wasn't thrilled, but I convinced him we needed to go.

We didn't leave the house as early as I wanted to, but my mother in law volunteered to keep Kace and boy was I glad she did.

We arrived downtown to the parking garage to ride the shuttle to the festival.  As we pulled up, we saw school buses.  Riley was THRILLED to be riding a school bus.  We met some friends there who were willing to be adventurous with us.  Waited in line to get on the school bus 1 hour and 20 minutes.  The line wrapped around the entire parking garage, inside and out.  NICE...

Get to the Zilker Park, we're all starving, and head straight to a food vendor.  Get in line, standing there and overhear someone mention tickets.  Oh gosh, do we really have to have tickets?  Can't we just get a corndog and lemonade please?  Russ investigates....we need tickets.  We would manipulate the system and split up.  Some of us stayed in the corndog line while some of us went to the ticket line.  Aaah, the benefits of traveling in packs.

We're standing in the ticket line after a while of starving, realizing the line hasn't moved an inch.  Find out shortly afterwards that the ticket booth is out of tickets.  We're waiting on the ticket both to get tickets so we can get tickets so we can EAT.  This isn't the adventure I'd planned....Meanwhile, Russ bought tickets off someone getting rid of them so he could entertain Riley while we waited in MORE lines.  At least the 4 year old was happy!!

Called a member of the pack about the ticket situation...they're at the front of the line letting people go ahead of them because we still haven't arrived with the tickets.  Hearing people going by saying that all of the ticket booths are out of tickets.  Okay, so what do we have to do to get a corndog around here?  We leave the ticket line because the corndog folks are now accepting cash but they have no change.  As I'm ordering 3 corndogs and 3 lemonades, the cornie man (ha!) walks up to the counter and announces that he has 4 corndogs left.  (If I do the math right, that means I still get 3, right?)  With cordogs and lemonades in hand, we head to find the boys, sit on an extra large beach towel that I packed, and enjoy our long awaited lunch under the kites.  The best corndogs we ever ate.

After the corndog, we packed up to get back into the bus line.  Busses quit running at 5:30 and since it took almost an hour and half to get on the bus to get here....well, it could easily happen again.  So....back to the lines we go.  Russ and Riley had a little more fun while we held our place in line...and our ride back to the truck.

Through the drama, we had lots of smiles, enjoyed the wonderful weather, and admired the beauty of downtown Austin.  Mandy said it best, "kites+cooks+humphrey+corn dogs+lemonade+school bus ride+lines=best day ever!!!"  Thanks Mandy, I think I have a new title.

Looking forward to next year, right Babe? 

It was a Great Day to be in Austin, TX!

It sure feels like Spring, especially after the unusually cold winter we've had this year....with some snow too, very unusual around here. What a glorious day today was and a wonderful start to Spring Break.  We spontaneously went to one of our favorite places and invited 2 of our favorite people to come along. 

This last one is my FAVORITE!