Just a quick note...

to tell you all that we are off to Germany. We will be home Saturday and make sure to update with more pics and tales of our adventures. Oh, and it is time for another belly picture... I decided this as I was packing tonight and pants that fit me last week no longer fit! I happily got online and ordered some prego pants and am anxious to get those as well as some great finds Jess has graciously placed in the mail for me!

In case you hadn't heard (since I called so many people that day), I finally have been feeling the baby move!!! It is a very exciting and weird feeling all at the same time. It comes off and on, but it is definitely baby and I am excited for the day when Shaye can take part in it as well. I know, I know, I say that now and will be complaining about my ribs in future :)

Talk to you all soon! XOXO

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

Rylee!!! (one of my most dedicated blog readers ;-) And Sara on Thursday!
Hope you guys have lots of fun celebrating.

Shaye and I are doing well. Did I mention previously that Shaye is back in his habit of running? This is nice to see as it is the first time since his back surgery this past fall. I take it as a great sign that he is feeling well again. He runs on his own and with a really good friend of ours (Neil)here in England. They even participated in a 5 mile run last Friday in a nearby town and both did really well!! They continue to train and are even talking about the London Marathon... so we'll see, but I know they are enjoying themselves (crazy people - who likes to run?:)

I am in my last week of school! I'm ready for this as the fatigue part of pregnancy is starting to set in. The nausea comes and goes, but I am optimistic that my "good" days are a sign that I'm that much closer to being nausea free. 16 weeks of pregnancy has also brought on... "oh, my, look how you're growing" and "can I touch your tummy" Weird! But exciting as well!

Shaye and I are headed to Germany next week - Ramstein to be exact. We have a friend from SD stationed there and found great rates on plane tickets so we are going for a visit. We are going to take advantage of the sights with a cruise down the Rhine River, a stop at a German castle, traditional German food, and surrounding areas. I'll definitely update with photos!!

Oh, the BIG ultrasound has been scheduled for July 21st. It is a ways from now, but with timelines and our vacation - it is the earliest appointment. Let's hope the little one cooperates with us so we will all know... HE or SHE?

Until next time...

Do you have your belly button pierced?

Yes, After being asked this several times on several different days I decided that it was time to take the ring out. Apparantly, the bump is now large enough to reveal my secret, and I suppose after 9 years, the time has come to part ways!

Well, we are 15 weeks and counting! Today was another doctor's appointment and all went well. The heartbeat is strong and both of us check out healthy. The tech did say, "Well, this lil one is definitely moving" as she tried to get it to stop long enough to monitor the heart rate :) And I am finally gaining some weight! This is good news as the nausea is more and more under control each day. I'm really looking forward to the time when I can truly enjoy being pregnant! Hope you enjoy the new belly pics and also, below, you'll find a video of one of our many walks with Daisy. She loves running through the wheat fields behind our house and the wheat is tall enough now, well... you'll have to check it out for yourself!

USS Cole

Shaye had a great opportunity to go see the USS Cole yesterday. He went with the Navy Chief he works with here and got a tour of the ship as well as the luxury of dinning in the Chief Mess Hall (but the food left nothing to brag about). He said it was slow around there because they were at port and most people take this opportunity to be out and about and off the boat! He also got a coin from the Chief who was giving them the tour - very cool! Hope you enjoy some pics from his exciting day out...

The ship and Chief peekin out for a pic.

Lookin off the front of the ship and a 5 inch diameter gun (there is a British aircraft carrier ship in the background).

Shaye was quite happy he opted out of the Navy after seeing these luxury accommodations. There were cozy in this hall with 12 beds stacked from the floor up... watch your head!

Shaye driving the ship ;-)

The stars are a memorial for the fallen sailors from the bombing on Oct. 12, 2000.