10 Weeks and Counting

Here is the latest picture that I have showing my little baby bump. It was from about a month ago. I'm starting to show much more now. We have had some very exciting events over the last few days. I had my first Braxton Hicks contraction on Sunday night. It was so interesting. Not painful but weird to feel how tight my uterus could get. Like a big hug for the baby. I hope that this a sign that my body will go into labor without being induced. Both my sisters Susan and Karen did not have much success with being induced and I would like to avoid it if I could.

On Monday we started our first baby class. It is so great to be around other first time parents and know that I'm not the only one having back pain and getting up all the time to use the bathroom. The best part of it is that Aaron and I can take the class together. We get 2 hours a week to be together and focus on this new adventure that awaits us.

On Tuesday evening we were practicing the exercises and massages we learned. After which we were looking at how big my belly has gotten and feeling for the baby. We found it in the usual spot and as Aaron had his hand on my belly the baby moved and Aaron was able to fell if for the first time. He was so excited. I can't wait to see his face when the baby gets here since I can't imagine he could have a bigger smile than what he had last night. I guess we shall soon see.

Till We Meet Again

I had been home for almost a week when we got the news that Grandpa Zsembery had died. He had had a massive heart attack. Aaron and I had just been down there for Easter and to tell him and grandma about their little great grandchild. They were so excited. It is their first great grandchild. One of the first things that grandpa said was “well Aaron, at least we know you are not shooting blanks.” It was so funny. That is how I will always remember grandpa.

We ended up driving Aaron’s parents 15 passenger van down with all the kids. We left at 5:30 in the morning so that we could get down there and be in time for the family viewing. The one good thing about this was that I finally got to meet the rest of Aaron’s cousins and his uncle from Virginia. Grandpa went so unexpectedly and fast that it is hard for everyone else but it is the best for him. He had just found out the he needed to go from his cane to a walker. He was not happy. But I could sense him at the viewing and he was happy to be free from his physical body which was holding him back.

Grandpa Zsembery was a Chief and Commissioner for the Holbrook Fire Department. They did a very nice ceremony for him at the evening viewing. The next day we went to the fire hall and the whole family was taking in the Chief vehicles’ and fire department bus to the viewing home and then onto the funeral. The funeral was at the Catholic church that grandpa attended. The strange thing was that I didn’t feel grandpa there as I had in the funeral home at his viewings. It was cold and sad. After the funeral we all loaded up in the fire department vehicles’ and headed to the cemetery. Since he was a veteran, we was buried at the veterans’ cemetery on the end of Long Island. As we drove there we went under American flags that were hung from two fire trucks on either side of the road. It was so cool and what an honor for grandpa.

Grandma was so proud of her future great grandchild. She told everyone there how excited grandpa was about being a great grandfather. Grandma would not let me do anything and she would always pat my belly and say to take care of her great grandchild. Aunt Maryanne and Aunt Marjorie want to know when the baby comes so that they can bring grandma up to see the baby. I told grandma that she can’t go anywhere so that she can be here for the baby. Grandpa will be there I’m sure of it.

Almost 7000 Miles in 3 Weeks

Last month mom and I drove across country to my niece Caitlin’s wedding. We had a nice drive and we were able to stop along the way. We stopped at my sister Tracy’s house in Missouri. It was the first time we had been to her house. We had a good time bird watching and resting from our trip. We then stopped in Colorado and visited with my mom’s sister and their cousins. After a few days there we finished out our trip and made it to Utah.

It was so great to be there for Caitlin and Morgan. What a wonderful experience it was. I'm so happy for them and wish them as much happiness as Aaron and I've had so far. The picture of Caitlin and Morgan and their "shot gun wedding" picture was just for fun. The baby is my sisters youngest, Jacob. It was just so cute I couldn't resist.

The original plan was to go visit my brother Kevin in California and then go home. But we ended up taking Nancy and Alli home to Florida. Alli did not do very well on the plane ride to Utah and Nancy was not looking forward to the flight back. So instead we loaded them into the van and drove home by way of Florida. We stopped in Missouri and spend a day at Tracy’s again. Nancy had wanted to go to Tracy’s so it worked out well. I made Tracy drive me to Oklahoma so that I could say I've been there. We then headed onto Florida. We spent a day there to recover and then headed home. It really worked out well because I’ve always wanted to drive through all the 48 continental states and I was missing a lot from the south. Now I’m only missing New Mexico, Kentucky and Louisiana.