Baby Update - 14 weeks

WHOOPS - WROTE THIS POST A WHILE BACK AND FORGOT TO POST IT. HERE IT IS, FOUR WEEKS LATER!



Time for a quick baby update! Yesterday (Wednesday) we went for our monthly appointment. I'm back on a 4-week schedule like the other patients now so it had been a while since we'd seen our doctor. All of my lab results checked out great and I'm up a whopping 6 lbs! That was a bit of a surprise. I went from 2 to 6 overnight, well at least it felt that way! This will probably be my last weight update but, for some of my friends, I know that's an interesting part. I always wondered how quick you put it on and of course, how long it will take to get it off :-) I'll let you know in 9 months, ha ha.

After my shock on the scale Josh and I met with the doctor to touch base and to hear the heartbeat. Last time she had to push around for a while to find it but this time she barely held the machine to me and there it was loud and clear! It was a strong, healthy 155-160 beats per minute. They say higher heartbeats are girls but who knows, could be a really active little boy!!

Speaking of the gender, at our next appointment we'll get our 18 week ultrasound. At that point they will check every little detail of the baby to make sure things look good as well as tell us what we're having. I'm most excited for that part, I can't wait to know so I can start planning!

Everything else has been going very well. My morning sickness has faded although I still don't quite have an appetite back (at least in the evenings). I get headaches every now and then which I can deal with, at least I'm keeping food down! As far as clothes go, I have a couple pairs of maternity pants now. They are too big but they are way more comfortable than trying to wear my regular work pants. All of my dresses, tops and other things still fit which should hold me over until about 20 weeks or so, at which point I'll start worrying about the rest of my wardrobe!

Hope you enjoyed the update and I hope everyone is doing well.

Love,
Jenny and Josh

New York and Chris and Emily's Wedding

This past weekend we had a chance to get away for a couple of days. We were heading up to Newburgh, NY (West Point) to celebrate the wedding of our good friends Chris and Emily. While we were there we decided to take the train into the city. It was Josh's first trip ever!! Despite the rain, we had a blast and just like magic the weather cleared and was perfect and sunny for the wedding on Saturday.

We arrived on Thursday and took our rental car to a little town called Cold Spring. It's right on the Hudson. It was so amazing to see all the old houses. The town was founded in 1708 or something like that. Hard to believe! That night we enjoyed a BBQ at Chris and Emily's place. It was great to spend a little time with them before their big day.

Early Friday we got on a train to the city. It took us about an hour and before we knew it we were in Grand Central. Our first stop was the drugstore for some cheap umbrellas. They didn't disappoint in the cheap department! By the end of the trip Josh was ready to tear it apart. I, on the other hand, was grateful that it kept my hair and face dry (although it didn't help the rest of me!). Next up was Rockefeller Plaza and Top of the Rock. We took the elevator ride to the top and even though it was a bit rainy and cloudy we could still see quite a ways. We could see all the way downtown and of course Central Park and Times Square and the Empire State Building. After Rockefeller we walked up 5th Ave and stopped in to FAO Scwartz. It was just as a I expected. Josh wandering around in awe of all the toy displays, especially the Lego's. We picked up a little stuffed Darby for the baby and headed on to our next destination....Central Park. We continued up 5th Ave and made our way to the boathouse for some lunch. Even though the weather wasn't so great, it was still a beautiful place.

Next on our list was new shoes and socks! Not having looked at the weather that morning I was wearing these cute, black leather flats. They were now stretched, soaked and pretty much destroyed. Josh had on his big heavy leather shoes so he was in the same boat. Two new pairs of sneakers and a rain jacket later, we were on our way again! This time we were headed to Times Square and Crumbs for a cupcake. Oh my gosh were those cupcakes HUGE! Of course we polished them off (while crashing in the lobby of the Marriott).

Our final stop was downtown. We walked around Greenwich Village and checked out that area (and did a little shopping) and then met my good friend Stephanie and her mom at an amazing Cuban restaurant for dinner. We had such a blast and the food was amazing! Before we knew it we had to hop in a cab back to Grand Central to catch our train. Even though it was a short day it was full of great memories for us. We squeezed as much as we could in and I think the little taste of NYC is just enough to get Josh to return back. Maybe for the Macy's Thanksgiving parade one year? I've always wanted to do that....

And Saturday was the most exciting day. We attended the wedding of our friends. It was a Byzantine Catholic ceremony at the Catholic Chapel on West Point and then a reception at the West Point Club. All I can say is that Emily was a stunning bride and you could just see how happy and in love they were! We really felt honored to be a part of their day.

I've included lots of pictures from the trip. Enjoy!

Emily's Wedding and NY

Lake House

A few weekends ago we made a trip back home to see Josh's family in Crestview and to visit his parents new lake house in Alabama. We had a great time traveling with Josh's sister Caitlin and her boyfriend Mike, and of course Darby was along for the ride too.

On Saturday morning we had some time to visit with Josh's Nana at her live-in rehab facility. She was doing very well. She was so excited to meet her great-grand pup and he definitely liked her too. We had a nice visit and relaxed in the courtyard. Her facility is very nice and you can tell they take good care of her there. After visiting with Nana we went to see Josh's Mamaw. She's doing great as usual and even admitted to recently getting on her bushhog to take care of the yard. We don't think she'll ever give it up, even at 90.

Finally it was on to the lake house. The property is in Andalusia, AL about an hour north of Crestview. It was a pretty quick trip up although there is pretty much nothing between the two cities. The house was great. Very big with lots of bedrooms and a nice kitchen. The best part is the beautiful view of the lake. They have a wonderful outdoor area with a nice dock and boat lift. At the time they didn't have their boat yet but they do now so next time we'll be able to do some fishing and cruise around on the water. For dinner we ate at this place called the Catfish House. We were celebrating Dad Highlander's 62nd birthday. I was the only that didn't have something fried (not much else on the menu) but for some reason I was craving a salad. Probably not the best place to get one, but oh well. The baby wanted some veggies! The food was delicious, especially the cheese grits - definitely my favorite!

Sunday we just relaxed, had a big Sunday breakfast and took a quick drive downtown before we headed back to Crestview and then back on the road to Gainesville. It's a beautiful place and we're very excited for Josh's parents.

Here are some more pictures from the trip...

Lake House