A crib/changer combo, a playard and now an ottoman/glider, oh my!

Well, we had a total blast in Minneapolis this last weekend - but we didn't get to see too many people.  There were some awful storms, literally couldn't see an inch in front of you and even Jayson was a little nervous in the backseat on the way to Mitch-a-palooza.  I got to see Kari and Mark and meet little Allie on Friday and I hung out with Beth and Hopers and Angie most of the weekend and we had a good time!  Bethany and Angie both bought baby Riley some really nice gifts that are very much appreciated (and already put away for good use).  Here is a really cute pic of Hopers that I took, she's so big and running around already!

Travis had fun at Ian's bachelor party all day Saturday, they went on a boat ride, went to the Knox' for an awesome steak dinner, played bocce ball and then went out on the town.  So Travis definitely had a very good weekend, but we came home and went to bed at 7:30 on Sunday and at 8:30 on Monday, which are early times for us! 

And I have been keeping myself busy these last few days!  I put together our crib/changer combo, which is super cool.  I didn't even know it had a hamper and some of the items that it had.  Unfortunately, the hamper and the trundle drawer were a huge pain to put together and the whole thing took me a little over a day (which includes a trip to Lowe's to look for a metal insert that I ended up pounding into the crib... but I'm over that).  And it was worth all the sweating and frustration because it looks great and is easily disassembled (I did have to go back and fix a couple of things as well, but they were easy fixes).  Here is a pic of it in the room: 

And at the end of last week, I put together the playard, which I thought was "hard" at the time bc I couldn't get a couple of the screws to loosen to put the bateries in the vibrating piece or in the music piece.

It has a canopy and an adjustable changer table.  Right now we have it in bassinet mode and it is hanging out in our room.  It is actually very easy to fold and pack up, so I am very impressed with it.  I also put some diapers in the side pockets, why not?  I figure I have a lot more time and energy than I will starting next week and then especially when school starts back up.  And I just noticed that our ottoman/glider got dropped off on the back porch, so now I have another thing to put together tomorrow!  Travis said he was pretty impressed I'm doing this all by myself, but it keeps me busy and hey, I've got time during the day :)

And we are hopefully going to see Eclipse this weekend!  Yes, that's right, I can't wait!!  I'm sure Travis is stoked too!

20 weeks, the halfway point!

Well, tomorrow I have officially made it to the 20 week mark, which is pretty exciting!  Although a lot of the books celebrate this day and act like it's a super big deal, I have never been one of those people to think, great, halfway there, that means only half more to go.  No, I'm not being negative, and I am very grateful for God blessing us with a child and for getting me through this much!  What I mean is, even when I've been running a marathon I've never thought, way to go 13.1 miles in, 13.1 miles left, same thing with swimming.  Although with swimming the mile, they are actually counting every lap or every other lap, so it's hard not to think about that when it's in your face every other flip turn.  This is from last weekend, so a few days over 19 weeks, we take our pics on the weekend, so I'll get an official 20 week pic up soon.

Anyway, so Travis and I are ~20 weeks away from meeting our little baby boy.  We have definitely been going back and forth picking out a name, so it will be good for us to be able to brainstorm another 20 weeks.  Baby is about the length of a banana and about as big as a small cantalope, depending which book you consult. He's around 10 1/2 oz and is 6 1/2 inches long, so he is getting up there!  Fortunately, for the next 4 weeks it says the baby will start packing on the pounds and so will you (but at least I won't be more than doubling my weight!) 

We said goodbye to Rick and Karen on Sunday - we had a really great visit and we will be going to Des Moines at the beginning of August and will be seeing a lot of family, which will be super fun and is something to definitely look forward to!!  I love this little pink shirt from motherhood maternity that I'm wearing in the pic, it says "a little baby grows a long way".  I will admit, before pregnancy I would've thought that the shirt was incredibly cheesy, but now I really like it.  Maybe bc it pretty much says to everyone out there, I am pregnant, not a chub.  Although everyone keeps telling me I look pregnant, I still feel like a chub now.  Not to mention at the gym, when I am lifting, I am definitely off balance when I try to bend over, which isn't any fun.  Also, I am swimming a little less competitively now - I think the whole swimming recommendation is leisurely swimming, not competitively swimming.  So I am sticking to backstroke and breaststroke from here on out. 

Other than that, Travis is still training away for the ironman (I attempt to swim with him, he says my presence helps, but it's probably bc I push him and make him swim harder verbally.  And I don't let him whine about anything.)  I start teaching on July 6th, so that will be nice to make a little extra summer money and to keep me busier.  We are going to MSP early Friday morning for a long weekend, which will be super fun and we'll get to see a lot of people up there!

Video of baby Riley

I am going to try and upload a video, so I hope it works.  This is just one of the videos the u/s technician recorded at our appointment, it's at 18 weeks, 6 days :)


18 weeks 6 days from Holly Riley on Vimeo.

Our baby boy is ok!!

Thank you to everyone for the prayers and thoughts and well wishes!  Our baby boy is 100% okay.  The specialists said they don't typically even point out calcification in the stomach, bc it most likely is just composed of dead skin cells, mucus or proteins - the baby is swallowing amniotic fluid.  So we feel so much better!  And we got 176 pictures of the baby at the appointment - I was starting to get a little bored laying on that bed!

And there is no doubt about it being a boy now, as the baby's Aunt Lindz pointed out:

Travis' parents are here and we've been having a great time so far!  We went out baby shopping yesterday and we even ordered our crib online - it's the Shelby crib and changer combo by Delta.  Walmart was actually almost $100 cheaper than babiesrus and $70 cheaper than target.  The baby is very happy that Grandma and Grandpa Riley bought him a place to sleep and to be changed :)  and so are Travis and I!   Most of the cribs you do have to order online only, so they're all made at the same place, here's a pic:

Otherwise, we have been hanging out in the sun.  Rick, Karen and I went to the gym today and I did the elliptical for 20, lifted and then swam, Rick lifted and then swam and Karen swam and we all laid out for a bit.  I have a 2 piece workout suit now since my 1 piece doesn't feel very comfortable and it's much harder to pull up over me.  Travis is slaving away at his job, but we did eat lunch with him yesterday! 

K - thanks again to everyone for all of the support while we were worried.  Thanks to God for everything he has blessed us with!  Have a good weekend!

Praying for baby (boy) Riley

Here was a recent pic of me around 17 weeks, I believe.  Today I am 18 weeks and 6 days.  We went to the doctor for our u/s apptmt this morning and they found calcification in our baby's boy stomach.  I have a follow-up u/s tomorrow with a perinatologist, so I am really praying, hoping, wishing, thinking that everything is A-okay with the baby.  I really feel like it is and I have been praying nonstop for this baby and his development and God has been so good to us, so I am trying to keep my chin up.  Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts as well.  I will keep you all posted on how it goes tomorrow.  Travis' parents get in tomorrow morning at 9:30 am, so they will be here right after my apptmt, which is really nice.  It'll be nice to see them, since we haven't seen them since Christmas!

Here are some pics of the baby from this morning: 

This skeletal shot is a little scary in my opinion, but we still love him :)

We even got to see the baby sucking his thumb and yawning - it was super cute!

There's the confirmation of our baby boy! 

I'll check in tomorrow and update about the calcification!  I read online that it usually works itself out, so that is what we are praying for!

¡Chao Perú!

Well, it´s been fun here in Perú, but the time has come to say chao or adiós... depending on when/if I ever return with Travis and the babe of course!  I will definitely update more when I get back, it´s been hard to upload photos on some of these computers.  But here are some pics of Tipón, which was almost more gorgeous than Machu Picchu bc of the water!

There was water everywhere, the Incas built tons of little canals that ran through this whole civilation (now obviously ruins), but it was gorgeous, this is the picture of one of the main fountains they had. 

Patsy and I definitely saw a lot and had a great time in Perú.  We had the same grammar teacher (Maritsa) and it was just a little sad bc she really did not know much more grammar above us, so the school we went to here, Fairplay, really isn´t equipped to handle advanced students.  However, I think we were the first two Spanish instructors they had ever had.  The director of the school, John, should have told us that they were not equipped or prepared to handle advanced students and we could have gone to a different school.  My practica teacher, Rocio, was absolutely 100% amazing though.  I really enjoyed walking through Cusco 2 hours and practicing my speaking with her, it was very cool.  She used to work in tourism, so she knew a lot about the places, she knew a ton of the Inca history and just was overall a great, wonderful and warm person.  And I definitely think my speaking did improve, I learned some new vocabulary words and definitely experienced a different and unique culture.  I even was mistaken for a Spaniard a couple of times, not bc I speak with a Spanish accent, but bc of my skin color and my Spanish speaking ability.  When I said, no, estadounidense, the native speaker definitely said, but you speak so well and I wanted to say U.S. people can speak Spanish really well too, but I just said gracias and then said I had studied in Spain though.  Our host family was also great and very helpful in terms of vocabulary and asking linguistics questions. 

The diet down here is absolutely healthy, we ate lots of quinoa, lots of vegetables and everything was organic, locally grown.   Hopefully I will keep eating as well when I get home, but Travis and I have always eaten pretty healthily, so I´m not too worried.

I also bought a lot of gifts for people.  They handmake everything here and it´s gorgeous and super unique, so I hope people do like it.  I even bought the four little kids from Travis´ cousins and one aunt and uncle some really cute gifts that I am going to put away until Christmas!  And I couldn´t help it, I loved wandering around the markets and I think Patsy did too.

Patsy and I had a night out once too and I have a pretty cute picture of me all ¨dressed up¨ with my growing tummy, but I couldn´t get it uploaded, so I will post it later.  I´m still looking pretty thin though, since a lot of people still look at me and say, oh, you are?  But maybe they don´t want to be rude down here, it does look like a little ball though, so I´m wondering if people just think I have an odd body shape. 

Next trip around, Travis will definitely be coming with me.  I miss him like crazy and this is supposed to be the ¨honeymoon¨ trimester, right?  So it´s time for me to get back home!  Hope everyone had a great week!  USA arrival on Sunday morning!!