Bakewell Beach Vacation 2016

We just got back from a wonderful week at the beach! This vacation marks another trip and another state for Baby K!

This is the fourth year in a row that we have gone to North Myrtle Beach, and each year we have stayed at my parents' friend's house called Monkey Business. It is the perfect house for our group, even as our group continues to grow each year!

 

We arrived last Saturday for a full seven days of sun, sand, and relaxation. After settling in and going grocery shopping, we grilled out hamburgers and hot dogs at the house and then went for a walk on the beach. Each day after that usually began with a wake-up from my nephews, Zander and Maddox. No alarm clocks necessary with those two around! :) Then we had a nice routine of eating breakfast and getting ready to go to the beach. In between breakfast and the beach, Mom and I fit in a 3-mile walk each day. She walks pretty fast so it was a good workout! We would then get out to the beach, either as a group or in small groups, between 10AM and 11AM. 

We would spend a couple of hours at the beach and then head back inside in the mid-afternoon for lunch and naps (for both the little boys, but sometimes for the adults, too!). For dinner, we rotated between going out and cooking in. For our nights out, we went to two of our favorite places, the Flying Fish in Barefoot Landing and Dockside in Calabash, NC. We would usually go for an early dinner, between 5:00PM and 5:30PM, to beat the crowds and to make sure our little boys would be in good spirits. Here are a few pictures of our crew just before going out to dinner!

 
During our week at the beach, it was a great coincidence that Boomer's parents and sister were also there! Bret, Cathy, and Carlin were staying less than 2 miles from us. My parents, Boomer, and I met up with them for dinner on Thursday night at a great restaurant on the water, called Molly Darcy's. 

One of my favorite parts of the week was when Boomer and I would go for walks on the beach. It was great quality time to talk about the past year and the year ahead. I am sad that the week is over...but it is exciting to look back and to look ahead, too!

Until next year...

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

When I found out that I was pregnant, I was actually on the road! I was in Maryland for a recruiting trip for work, and I had this feeling that maybe I was pregnant. In between visiting high schools and attending college fairs, I went to a CVS to buy a pregnancy test. I didn't actually take the test right then, but I packed it in my suitcase to bring back to North Carolina. When I got home, Boomer and I went out to dinner at a local BBQ place, Little Richards. We were halfway into our meal, with Boomer elbow-deep in a plate of ribs, when I told him that I had bought a pregnancy test. I think we both kinda laughed and sat there in disbelief. I still hadn't taken the test, but my instinct already told me what it would say. It wasn't until the next evening that I took the test with Boomer waiting outside of the bathroom. In hindsight, I wish I had had some sweet way to tell him that he was going to be a father. But, I also think it was a special moment when we both found out together. There were hugs, tears, nervousness, laughs, and a bit of fear all at the same time! 

Since then, Maryland isn't the only state that Baby K has visited. In the last few weeks, we have been to several different states and even another country! 

Disney World - Orlando, FL: March 25th - April 1st

This trip had been in the making for quite some time! It had been my parents wish to take my sister, her husband, their two boys, Boomer and me for a week-long trip to Disney. Growing up in Florida for the first few years of my life, going to Disney was always special for our family, but it had been many years since we had been back. My parents have always been very generous, and this time, they went above and beyond! My dad spent a lot of time researching the different resorts, meal plans, restaurants, fast passes, and other Disney hacks. It was truly magical staying on the property, eating with the characters, and seeing my nephews enjoy the whole experience. We had so much fun! While we came back quite tired, we made a lot of memories. My sister did a great job documenting the trip on her blog. Check it out!

At this point, no one knew that I was pregnant, so Boomer and I snapped this picture early one morning before we hit the parks. I did have one episode of morning sickness (the day we went to Animal Kingdom), but I recovered quickly. 

Side note: I am actually 8 weeks! Remember, I miscalculated... :)

Las Vegas, NV: May 20th - May 23rd 

"You went to Las Vegas pregnant?!" Yes, I went to Las Vegas pregnant! By now, my closest friends knew my news, and aside from swapping alcohol for water, I was still able to experience Sin City. One of my best friends, Coley, had it on her bucket list to celebrate her 30th birthday in Vegas, so early in January, we began planning the trip. I had never been to Vegas before, but I knew that celebrating with Coley would be the perfect time to go. We had so many good meals, enjoyed relaxing poolside, caught a Cirque du Soleil show, and stayed up way too late. Somehow this preggo chick was able to keep up with the rest of the girls! I am so thankful for my group of girls. We've traveled many places together (Nashville, Myrtle Beach, Charleston), but this trip certainly tops the list! I'm hopeful that my wonderful hubby will go on daddy-duty so that I can continue to enjoy some girl-time after Baby K arrives!

San Diego, CA: May 31st - June 4th 

After spending Memorial Day weekend at the lake with the Kennedys, I had the opportunity to travel to San Diego for a work conference. This trip was my first time to California. The conference was hosted by CIVSA (The Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association) at the beautiful Loews Coronado Bay Resort. The conference had about 400 attendees, all professionals in higher education, with most working in Admissions. Many of the other conference participants supervise the student ambassadors at their institution as I do at UNCG. It was a fun week of learning and networking. And another state for Baby K!

Niagara Falls - Ontario, Canada: June 21st 


These next two photos are taken only a day apart, but since I technically crossover on Wednesdays, I was in Niagara Falls at 19 weeks and then Toronto at 20 weeks. Both photos were part of the #KennedyBallparkTour. The trip was planned around seeing a Blue Jays game at the Roger Centre, but since Niagara Falls is only about 133 km (approximately 80 miles) from Toronto, it seemed like a worthwhile day trip. And it was! We took a MegaBus from downtown Toronto to the Falls. We had only a short amount of time there, but we made the most of it. We took several photos of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls (pictured below) and the American Falls. We also ate at a Tim Horton's, a Canadian fast food chain, and bought a Niagara Falls Christmas ornament to add to my collection. 

Toronto, Ontario: June 20th - June 23rd

After spending a day at the Falls, we returned to Toronto where we ate dinner at the top of the CN (Canadian National) Tower. It is the needle shaped building in the background. The round section is the restaurant, observation decks and glass floor levels. The meal we had at the restaurant was delicious (prime rib for me, duck for Boomer), and while we ate, the restaurant rotates a full 360 degrees in 72 minutes. The food and views were amazing. The next day, we went on a boat tour along the harbor and islands near the city and then went to the Blue Jays game. The Blue Jays played the Diamondbacks and won 5-2. That means we crossed off another park on the #KennedyBallparkTour, bringing the total count to 7. During the trip, we talked about which park we would go to next year and how travel would be quite different with a 7-month old. We hope we can still make it work!

Pretty soon, we will be going on the Bakewell Beach Trip to North Myrtle Beach. That will add one more state to Baby K's travels. Stay tuned for a pic... :)

A Labor of Love

Maybe I shouldn't be using the word 'labor' yet, but we have been working hard to get ready for Baby K. We accomplished a major item on our to-do list this week -- painting the nursery! Boomer was not a part of this fun task, but luckily I had the help of my wonderful parents, Baby K's Grammy and Grandpa. Several weeks ago, Boomer and I decided to relocate the guest room and convert that room into the nursery. As a guest room, it was a turquoise blue, a leftover color from the previous homeowners. It wasn't an ugly color. We have lived with it that way for the last 5 years, but I wanted fresh paint for the baby's new room. Going to my brother-in-law Zack for his expertise, I chose a light gray (Austere Gray by Sherwin-Williams). 

Armed with the paint and all of the supplies, Mom, Dad, and I started painting around 9AM and finished up just after 4PM. We got into a good rhythm, with Dad outlining the ceiling and floor, Mom doing the white trimwork, and me with the easy job of rolling. We were a good team! It brought back memories of the summer of 2010 when Boomer and I first bought our home. The original homeowners had chosen every bright color you could imagine. In fact, the paint, although only cosmetic, was a major negative when we were weighing the pros and cons of the house. We knew right away that we would have to paint! In the downstairs, each room was a different color: a salmon orange, a bright lemon, a lime green, a sky blue, and a lilac purple. It took a solid week of non-stop painting and many wonderful volunteers to paint the entire downstairs and the upstairs master bedroom. Of all the original colors, we decided to keep the turquoise blue in the guest room, but it was time for a change.

I'll keep you in suspense for the 'after' pictures. For now, you will have to envision an empty room but with a beautiful gray paint. Next on the to-do list: FURNITURE!

The Halfway Mark

I'm finally feeling pregnant! I know that sounds silly, but it has taken some time to get used to the whole idea! Because of my miscalculation in the beginning and thinking I was 8 weeks when I was really 10 weeks, it all seemed to happen so fast. I had my first doctor's appointment at 12 weeks (about 2 weeks later than most expectant mothers). It was a flurry of appointments after that, and then before I knew it, I was at the halfway mark! Many of the appointments have been the standard weight and blood pressure check, sometimes drawing blood, and listening to the heartbeat (always a great sound!). My mom came with me to one appointment when I was 17 weeks, and she got to hear the heartbeat, too. That was very special! 

In the first half of pregnancy, there have been a few other milestones: 

Last week on June 27th, we had the big anatomy ultrasound. Although we are not finding out the gender, it was still a very big moment seeing our little baby again. We saw the baby for the first time during the first ultrasound on April 28th. With this second ultrasound, there was a lot more to see. It was great news all around! The baby was measuring 14 ounces and just a few days ahead of schedule. The heart and other organs are developing as they should. The heartbeat was 144 bpm. We left the office with several ultrasound pictures but mostly relieved minds. Thank you to everyone who is already praying for this little baby! Since we did not find out the gender, it has been fun to have friends and family make guesses. Many are saying a girl, since my sister has two little boys. Her theory is that I am meant to have all of the pink in our family. Many others are saying boy, especially my boss, Kacy. She is pretty convinced it is a boy! We will see!

My clothes are starting to get tighter, and I have a noticeably rounded belly. With some clothes, I'm not sure if it's obvious that I am pregnant, although I rocked a bikini during this past July 4th weekend, and I think it was pretty clear! The weekend was a lot of fun! We spent the weekend at the lake with the Kennedys, and Baby K went on several boat rides and even one (slow) jet-ski ride! It's a tradition each year for the family to get together, and it is a weekend that I always look forward to. Unfortunately Kyle, Boomer's youngest brother, was not able to come, but it was still a full house with everyone else there. 

Trivett (6 years old) and Adelynn (4 years old) are so full of energy. Kessley (16 months) is on the move, too. Baby K will have so much fun with his/her cousins next year!

Ready or Not...

It is hard to believe that I am halfway through this crazy thing called pregnancy. Well, first I have some "catching up" to do! :) We found out mid-March (March 16th to be exact!) that we were expecting. With my 30th birthday just around the corner, it seemed like the right timing to get serious about family planning. We were surprised when the test said "Pregnant". (Thank you Clearblue, no guesswork necessary!) It was a bit surreal. For the next few weeks, we kept the news a secret from all of our friends and family. I think back now on how sweet that time was when only Boomer and I knew. Of course it couldn't be that way forever. I would soon be showing! 


The first person I told was my sister. We were just a couple of weeks out from running a half-marathon, so what better way to tell her than right before one of our long Saturday runs? She was very surprised and excited to say the least -- and the 10 miles went by pretty quickly! As a professional mom of two little boys, she wanted to know everything -- how was I feeling? any morning sickness? when was the due date? I had not yet been to the doctor, so I estimated that I was 8 weeks. Turns out, I was actually already at 10 weeks! She even predicted my due date, which was confirmed by the doctor: November 9th, 2016.

November 9th, 2016. Wow!


A few weeks later, on Mother's Day weekend, we told both of our families. There were great reactions from all the grandparents, aunts, and uncles. One thing is for sure, this will be one loved little baby!

Since Mother's Day weekend, it has been a blur of doctor's appointments, fun summer travels (more about that later!), and early preparations to create some sort of nursery in our home. It's hard to turn off the scrolling to-do list that I have in my brain and to instead enjoy this special time. Rather than listing the things still left to do, I'll share the things that we have accomplished so far: 

• Found a doctor's office in town
• Scheduled our Infant CPR and Lamaze/Birthing classes
• Removed all furniture from the former guest room (a soon-to-be nursery!)
• Announced to our family and friends that we were expecting

• Made our first payment for Baby K's pre-natal care (whew, this will be expensive!)
• Registered at Babies R Us - thanks for your help, sis!

• Picked out a paint color for the nursery (stay tuned for the big reveal!) 
• Organized all of the maternity clothes that I have received (again, thanks Meg!)
• Oh, and grew a baby that is now measuring 21 weeks and 14 ounces!

By the way, I completed that half-marathon but have since been taking it easy and indulging just a bit! #YOPO