
For our first stop in Branson, we decided to check out the fish hatchery near the dam. Abbie absolutely loved it and didn’t want to leave when it was time to go.


Mark loves water. Sometimes I think he’s part fish. So obviously, when it comes to getting Abbie in water, that’s Mark’s job. I prefer to sit on the sidelines and watch. However, when he’s on the other side of the world, and we’re at a hotel with a room that overlooks the pool, it becomes my job to take Abbie swimming.
She definitely takes after her daddy. She hasn’t been swimming very often. Her first swimming experience, which took place in Phoenix, AZ can be viewed HERE. (She was 2.5 months old.) Her second swimming experience was in Zurich, Switzerland and she was 13.5 months old. And her third swimming experience was here in Hannibal, MO.
I thought she’d be a little hesitant, but she really wasn’t at all. At first she was like a little leech with her legs wrapped around me and her fists tightly grasping my swimming suit or hands. But before long she was sitting on the wall and flopping herself into my arms in the water and asking to do it again. She liked kicking her legs and splashing around. And she loved launching herself off the side of the pool. She even did it standing up a few times.
I even got her to float on her back by herself for a few seconds. She LOVED swimming in the “bathtub”, as she was calling it. I had a hard time getting her to go to bed because she just wanted to swim some more.
Hurry home, daddy. This is definitely your job and your kiddo obviously loves the water as much as you do.
On May 6th, I had my first appointment with this pregnancy. It was more of just an interview than a doctors appointment. We sat in the midwife’s office and just talked about our family histories and Abbie’s birth. I got to brag about Mark quite a bit and I showed her his picture on my iPhone and she said “Oh! And he’s really good looking too.” Haha! Yeah, he’s hot. I’m lucky. That was the best part of the appointment.
My first “real” appointment is May 25th, when I get to have an ultrasound. I’m excited, but very nervous about that. If something isn’t right, that’s when I’ll find out and I’ve had too many friends have miscarriages to be completely confident that everything will be fine. My mom wants to go with me for the ultrasound, but honestly, I don’t want her, or anyone else, there. I feel like this is Mark’s and my baby, and if he can’t be there with me, then I don’t want to share it with anyone else. Maybe that’s selfish of me, but that’s just how I feel right now.
I’m 9 weeks pregnant now, and for the last 3 weeks I’ve felt pretty nauseous at times. Usually from about 4pm-7pm I just feel kinda icky. I’ve never come close to throwing up or anything, I just feel gross. Usually I could eat something and I’d feel better, and I’ve noticed in the last week I’ve not been having any nausea. I’ve been REALLY tired for the past month and I often take a nap when Abbie takes her naps. I’ve gotten a few minor headaches, but NOTHING like the terrible migraines I got for weeks when I was pregnant with Abbie. I’m already starting to show and the top of my stomach gets really hard at times. I’ve been kinda crampy and achy, but nothing too terrible.
At times it doesn’t seem like I’m pregnant. Most of the time it doesn’t seem like I’m pregnant. Mainly because my husband isn’t around to share the excitement with. I’m sure as I get bigger, and we get closer to him getting home, things will start to feel different but for now, it’s all pretty surreal.
Written 5/12/11
1. what's your favorite rainy day activity? Snuggling up on the couch and reading a good book or watching a movie, preferably with Mark.
2. what time do you go to bed? I’m usually in bed by 11pm, but sometimes I don’t fall asleep until much later.
3. how many magazines do you subscribe to? Probably 4-5.
4. did you sell all your belongings because you thought the world was ending yesterday? Honestly the only reason I knew that was predicted to happen is because a bunch of my friends posted stuff about it on FB.
5. what's your beauty obssesion? I don’t really have any beauty obsessions. I’m perfectly fine leaving the house without make-up on.
6. if you could only wear one designer/brand for the rest of your life...what would it be? Probably The Limited or Express.
7. what's your summer must have? Sweet tea or pink lemonade, but I could drink those any time of year really. They’re just extra good in the summer.
8. do you make weekly dinner menus? I’m not currently, but I have in the past. I would make them a month at a time. I loved doing it and if I don’t do it, we tend to eat the same thing multiple times a month.