Karate Kid - Baby Chloe

I'm 26 weeks pregnant and this kid is attempting to show off her ability to move by crippling me. She moves A LOT. We went to church today. The baby seemed to dance with the music and the preaching. Who knows, it could be a sign.

Naiyah was very cute in a jumper and sweater that I picked up at Redmond Town Square. It's this cute little shop, Naartjie, with reasonably priced clothing. Adorable. I will add a picture of it later today.

I have the baby's room 1/2 painted. The first coat of paint is on three walls. I need to finish the 1.5 inches at the top. I don't have a steady hand, so I really hate that part. My dear husband needs to move a desk, so that I can do the 4th wall. It will get done this week. I love the color. It's a vibrant purple/lavender.

No name yet, but I still love Chloe. I even call her Chlo.

New Football Blog

I've decided to create a separate blog for Rodney's Football Season. This give him the ability to share it with his friends, who don't really care what his mother thinks about other issues in life.

Rodney's football related accomplishments can be found at

Oh and of course, I will continue to download clips to YouTube. It's fun.

O'Dea falls to West Seattle

Well, it was a disappointing game, but my child did score a touchdown. I'm really getting into creating videos. Ohhh . . .flash backs to 8mm film and other hideous home films that parents subject their friends to during parties. Oh well, it's in our nature.

It's Football Season!!

Rodney, my oldest child, is enjoying a nice start to the football season. He is the starting running back for O'Dea High School. After last night's game, he enjoyed a little print in the local newspapers. "Rodney Stokes led the charge with 90 yards and a score on just four carries . . ." The Seattle PI "Rodney Stokes, a senior running back, had 91 yards on 4 carries, which included a 34-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. " The Seattle Times

As is usually the case, I just don't have the right photo equipment to capture sports shots, but I used my little sony camera to catch 10 seconds of his first run. I was out of battery power by the time he scored a touchdown. Take a moment to enjoy my 30 second home movie. Yes, like most filmmakers, I managed to multiply the actual substantive film with a lot of fluff.

Healthy Baby Girl and the naming wars

Okay, so it's been awhile since my last post. I have three sets of ultrasounds of our baby girl. The amnio was easy and provided very positive results. The full scan was also very positive. So, we don't have a thing to worry about with the baby.

The scans to the left are nearly 30 days apart, June through August.

The old woman carrying her is a bit of a different story. As with my previous child, the blood pressure is beginning to creep up. The doctor decided last week to not put me on blood pressure medication, as a side effect is smaller babies. So, they will wait 6 weeks to reassess the situation. All of my measurements (protein, neck ultrasound) are within the standard ranges, so there is a good reason to be more conservative with treatment. I completely expect my gestational diabetes to show up again. I have the screening in a week. Ugh, reduced sugar intake through the holidays. That is a hard one.

We haven't decided on a name, but I like Chloe. Unfortunately, everyone else around me seems to not like it. I'm not sure that I care. If I hear another name that moves me, then I will truly consider it. My husband like Brooke or Gia. Okay, they are not horrible, but not exactly that interesting to me.

Pregnant!

Okay, I am not surprised. I knew I was pregnant during my first 5k. But, I actually saw the baby this week. I went in for a CVS, but I was only 10 weeks and 3 days, so that was an problem. It all happened for a reason, as I've decided not to do the CVS. The miscarriage rate at our hospital is 1-2%, which is nearly the same as my chances of having a birth defect. So, I will have the integrated screen and then an amnio, much lower rate of miscarriages. I can wait the few extra weeks.

The baby looks fine. There was a strong heart beat and all nubby legs and arms. 42 and having baby number #3. Cool or Crazy. Only time will tell.

We have kept it very quiet. My boss knows because I kept falling asleep during meetings. Thank goodness that has passed. : 0 We do plan to tell everyone at the end of the month or early next month.

My very first 5K

I completed my first 5k today. It was great. I put Naiyah in her jogging stroller and walked and ran the 5k. My first event on Mother's Day. Yeah.

The weather is very cooperative. It was on the cool side, but for those doing the half marathon it was probably perfect. As we completed the last mile, I was more than warm enough. The 1st mile ended with a nice hill. It was great fun pushing that stroller up the hill. It really blew my plan of walk .5 and run .5. During the second mile, I was able to get in some running.

Honestly, I think I could have ran more, but the stroller held me back a bit. Oh well, it also challenged me during the hills. So, all probably evened out. I'm sure only my time suffered. My heart rate was certainly in the upper ranges.

The race is sponsored by the Hope Health Institute - http://www.promotionevents.com/events/events-08/khm/index.htm

Happy Mother's Day!!!