Happy Birthday Doug!

Yesterday was Doug's 32nd birthday so he is finally as old as me. The day before Abi and I went to Ben and Jerry's to see about getting him an ice cream cake. We ordered this one that had a layer of Cherry Garcia and a layer of Chunky Monkey with some crumbly stuff in between and whipped cream frosting. Doug really doesn't like frosting and so I thought he'd enjoy this much more than a normal cake.
Abi did a really good job keeping it a secret until we were out running errands yesterday and she couldn't help but ask when we were going to go back to the ice cream store and if she could have a bite of the ice cream cake. It was pretty funny.
Anyway, he really enjoyed the cake and we had such a fun time having him home yesterday (and today!)
We love you Doug!

Apple Pickin'

Ever since we moved here I have wanted to go apple picking in the fall but have just never got around to it.
So, when we got a message on Friday night inviting us to meet up with some friends the next morning to go apple picking we couldn't pass it up!
Doug was able to come too so it made for a fun family outing.
Abi loved it. We bought a small bag ( a peck I guess) and were able to get as many apples as we could fit into it.

Of course there was some taste testing along the way as well. That was probably Abi's favorite part. She couldn't believe I wasn't making her wash it first.

Some of our spoils...

The rare family picture... I just don't enjoy getting my picture taken this far into a pregnancy!

After getting our apples we headed over to the main building where we could buy donuts and cider. They also had goats and turkeys to look at and a playground. Abi enjoyed swinging for awhile. Here she is with Johnny.

and taking a break to eat some of her donut.

It was really fun and we have been enjoying eating the delicious Honey Crisp apples since!
On a sidenote, we had no idea where we were so we had to follow some friends home. When they took a little detour down this road to see the "ski area" we followed and couldn't help but laugh. So, Mark I took this picture mainly for you. I wonder if they would let me up there with a sled?

A BIg Big Bird is hiding in our house

About a week ago I was upstairs cleaning out our closet while Abi played in her room. I was made aware of the fact that she had gone downstairs when I heard what sounded like the glass lid being put back on the fruit snack jar. I called Abi upstairs and asked how she got to the fruit snack jar since it is pretty far back on the counter.

She threw her arms out wide and said, " A big big bird picked me up and took me up there and it bit me!"

I wanted to just start laughing but first I had to say, "Abi, that's a lie. You know you're not supposed to get up on the counter."

So then she confessed that she climbed up from a chair.

So, a few times during the week that big big bird has shown up in conversations. Just now she was playing in the family room with me and she jumped up on the couch.

"Say, 'how did you get up there'!" She always likes to feed us our lines.

"How did you get up there?" I asked.

"A big big bird brought me up here!"

So, I guess we have a big bird hanging out around here somewhere.

Due

Right now it looks like my C-section will be on Friday the 13th of November. Nice. I'll be having another ultrasound in a few weeks and then we'll know for sure. I think that would be so funny to have Madeline born on the 13th too... Abi's birthday is December 13. 13 was always my lucky number as a teenager so I guess it still is.

Videos from the road

I have a few videos I took on the road but my laptop wouldn't upload them. Here are two of my favorites. One is just Abi singing along with some music in the car. The other is outside the Buckman tavern in Lexington, MA waiting for our tour to start.

Road Trip Day Nineteen: Milan Ohio and home

We stayed partway home in a pretty seedy little burg and hotel.. but found out that it was the birthplace of Thomas Edison so we thought we should drive by his house. First, when we got in the car Abi got her Ohio prize.. a sticker book. The day before we had forgotten her prize bag in the trunk.

When we got over to Thomas Edisons birthplace the town was much nicer.

Abi got an airhead for Indiana and a little notebook and pencil for Illinois..

We were so glad to get home and have really enjoyed being in our own beds with all our stuff and especially with Doug!!

Road Trip day Eighteen: Palmyra and on the road

We got into Palmyra after dark on Friday night so we waited until Saturday morning to see the sights. First stop .. the temple.

Then we went to the Sacred grove. Abi wanted to bring her elephant with her for the walk. I was a little nervous she would be loud and silly and there would be someone in there that would be trying to feel peaceful that wouldn't appreciate it. We talked about being reverent even though we were outside and why. I was so proud of her. She did amazing.

It was really calm and quiet in there. It was an amazing feeling to stroll through the trees and just think.
When we came out I got this shot of Abi by the farm.

the log home

looking down from Hill Cumorah

Road Trip Day Seventeen: Massachusets, New York and some candles

While in the New England area I got some lobster suckers. Both times that I have gone to PEI in Canada and been near the ocean on the East Coast my parents and I have gotten lobster suckers. I had to initiate Abi into this little tradition..

As we made our way out of Massachusetts we made one last stop in South Deerfield to the Yankee Candle Company village.It is such a fun place. They have an all year Christmas shop that is huge and divided into a bunch of different sections like the Black Forest, the Nutcrackers Castle, etc. It even snows inside....

Abi loved that!

They have a Halloween section, a home decor section, and all the candles of course as well as a huge toy area that Abi and I played in for a really long time. It was great!
Here are Grandma and Abi in the German area of the Nutcracker castle trying on royalty

In the toy section Abi put on a puppet show for me. Santa Claus is usually here year round but today he was off.

pretending to be Santa...

Of course my mom and I had to get some yummy smelling candles and a few other things to stress my dad out about space in the car but I think we all had a pretty good time.
As we went into New York a while later Abi got some Ariel stickers...

I can't believe we are finally heading home.. we got to our hotel in Palmyra pretty late and couldn't see anything but planned to do as much as possible in the morning.

Road Trip Day Sixteen: Boston

The day I both was looking forward to and nervous about had finally arrived... I was nervous because of the long walk and the actual getting around in Boston since we weren't driving and the last time I had been there I had driven...
on the way to the car Abi lead us with her "noculars"

We drove to a nearby subway station and rode the subway in. It was pretty fun. I had never been on an underground subway before so it was pretty cool how fast it got going. there were a few times when I got jarred around and thought to myself that if pregnant women aren't allowed on rides at amusement parks I wonder what the stance on this would be. Abi thought it was so much fun!

We got off at the Boston Common and began the long Freedom Trail walk. My paperwork said it was 2.5 miles but the sign at the end said 3 so I'm not sure what it was. We did add on to that as well walking around the Public Garden at the end so I'm sure we walked at least an additional half mile.
This is one of my favorite pictures of the day. I took it outside the Paul Revere house.

Abi wanted to see this little door near the Old North Church up close. She thought it was a special house for her. Sorry the pic is sideways..

My mom showing off running up the hill with Abi. This was getting pretty close to the end and right when I started getting pretty tired and having aching feet.

Abi pretending to take a nap on the steps to the Bunker Hill Monument

It was so much fun to walk through Boston. It is a great city. The highlight however, for Abi was our jaunt into the Public Gardens to see some things from a book we both love. If you have read Make Way For Ducklings you'll recognize the Mallard family....

and the swan boats! We barely got there in time and were on the last swan boat ride of the day.

What a great day this was and we went back to our room to pack up to head out of the Boston area the next day.

Road Trip Day Fifteen: Lexington and Concord

We were all excited to see the sights in and around Lexington and Concord but I was really excited to go to Orchard House. My mom read Little Women aloud to us as kids and I've loved it ever since and the recent movie (well not that recent but in the nineties) is one of my favorites.
When Abi stood out front of us and did this pose is just made me happy inside...

After going on the fun tour of Orchard House we went on to the North Bridge to follow in Paul Revere's path...

We had lunch at this great inn. It was a little fancy and Abi was really upset when she spilt her water on herself out of her glass goblet but the food was great and it was such a fun atmosphere. Abi just had to take Betsy in with us- the doll she got in Williamsburg.

We didn't have time to go to all the tavern tours but we did get to Buckman tavern which was the headquarters for the minutemen militia the night of Paul Revere's ride.

I kind of cheated and got a picture of it...

Mom standing at the Paul Revere capture site.

Our last stop of the day was Walden pond and this picture made me wonder if Abi just knows to do this pose when we are at authors homes or if it's just her new favorite pose...
standing in front of the replica of the home that Henry lived in for the year..

Walden Pond... it was so pretty

The water was actually really warm which was surprisng because it was a pretty chilly day.

Next up the day in Boston!

Road Trip day Fourteen: Salem

With Salem being just a short trip from where we were staying we decided to spend one day up there. We rode a trolley around learning a little about the city which was really fun and informative. We saw the house from Hocus Pocus where the girl lives that the boy has a crush on, the house that's story is what they based the board game Clue on, and even a house of a man that converted to mormonism and was a friend of Brigham Young and so Brigham's daughter lived there for a while.
We got off the trolley once to go to The House of Seven Gables. If you have read the book, this is the house that Nathaniel Hawthorne used in the book. It was right next to his birth place. It was a beautiful home with amazing gardens and such a view! Our favorite part was going up the hidden staircase. That was tricky with my huge baby belly but Abi thought it was awesome.

playing in the garden after our tour..

As we waited for the trolley to come by again we had a wonderful surprise visitor. Abi said, "Hello kitty." and we thought she was just talking to an imaginary one until we looked behind us and saw a little black cat. It hung out with us for quite a while letting us all play with it. We thought that was pretty funny to have a black cat find us in Salem.

We ate at Red's sandwich shop which was in a building that was once used for meetings of the Sons of Liberty. Abi got the hugest Mickey mouse pancakes ever. She only ate about one ear.

We then did a little shopping. Abi had recently informed me that she wanted to be a witch for Halloween so I really wanted to get her costume in Salem. We found a little costume shop and I got one. It is very cute and was pretty inexpensive.. it's also the first costume we have ever bought for her!There is a dress, hat, tights, broom, and cat. She loves it.
Then we went into the Salem Witch museum which was really great. The presentation was really interesting and done in a fun way. Abi got scared in a few parts but still seemed to really like it.

Such a fun day! I would love to go back some day and spend more time here.