BACK TO SCHOOL

I just finished a week of school! The location: University of Florida. The class: Molecular Markers. The goal: To learn how to develop microsatellite markers and then do so for the two species of agave I'll be working with for my new project looking at the foraging ecology of nectarivorous bats in southeastern Arizona (yes, at Fort Huachuca). It was an excellent class (a series of labwork and lectures designed to provide all skills and background information needed to complete the task) with a great instructor, lab managers, and guest lecturers. The only issue? This class is just the tip of the iceburg... microsatellite development actually takes about 6 months from start to finish with the tried-and-true method I learned (and that's just for one species). The alternative? Spend a little more money (most labs pay to have their screened enriched libaries sequenced anyway, and there's the cost of all the kits and reagents needed just to get to that point) and send your DNA out to be libraried and sequenced with the amazing "454", and then just go from there (only about 2-3 months to complete the primer design and optimization). I like option number two... The above photo was taken in the lobby of the Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

Today is our 5th anniversary! It's hard to believe so much time has passed, but we sure have been busy. Since our wedding in 2003, we've adopted 2 cats, lived in 3 states, owned 2 homes, finished grad school, spent a summer hiking, are currently caring for 26 snakes, took some amazing vacations, seen almost all of our friends and family get married (and some have babies), and now have a baby boy of our own on the way! And that's just the first 5 years... At this rate, we'll have quite a list of accomplishments by our 50th anniversary!

Let's reminisce, shall we? Here are a few of our favorite photos from our wedding day:

To celebrate the past 5 years, we spent the day getting a couples massage (our first ever, and it was just as great as everyone said it would be!), going out for lunch at our favorite restaurant, taking our annual Christmas photo, and attending the local Christmas parade. Here we are today, with the baby belly in all it's 27-week glory (it's fun to think that this is our last anniversary as a couple, since next year we'll be a 3-person family!):

Here's to many more happy years!

DECK THE BALLS

What do small towns do to celebrate holidays? Or any occasion, really?

They have a parade of course! To best enjoy the local Christmas Parade of Lights, our friendly downtown-dwelling coworker invited everyone over to her 2nd-story apartment to watch from above. The only condition? Submit to her "Deck the Balls" theme (her take on the 'Round the World theme of the parade) and bring ball-shaped food or a ball-themed beverage. We contributed Jean's Date Balls and they turned out great! Other delicious items on the menu? Fudge Balls, Creme Puffs, Oreo Cookie Balls, Sweet Potato Balls, Meatballs, Apricot Balls, Cheese Balls, and I could go on and on (there was a large crowd in attendance). Jay enjoyed the "Cosmo-ball-itans" and "Bocce Balls", while I sipped Sandy's hot apple cider recipe (yummy, AND it kept me warm - I can't wait for the maternity coat I ordered to arrive, because one button does not keep the belly warm, especially when pressed against a cold railing to overlook parade floats). Here is Jay with a small sampling of the goods from us early-arrivers: Here is Sandy "Claus", miked-up to deliver parade commentary along with the owners of the Warehouse (pictured behind her, across the street, in front of all the Christmas trees):

Those same guys had set up a snow (something we don't see much of here in the south) machine. The kids loved it, us adults wished we had lids on our drinks to keep the soap-suds out:

Here are Jay and I out on the balcony prior to the start of the parade (and that's a Cosmo-ball-itan in Jay's hand: Note the vodka-soaked melon balls):

We hope everyone out there is getting into the spirit this holiday season as well!

GOLD STAR

It's been a busy baby week... I had my first of a long list of "baby preparedness" classes on Tuesday - the Breastfeeding Class. At first, I wondered how the nurse was going to talk about breastfeeding for 2 whole hours, but it went really well (and fast). I learned some things I hadn't read in any of my books, got the low-down on the breastfeeding "procedures" in the hospital, and obtained some fun trivia, such as "Babies go through predictable growth spurts at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months, when they 'frenzy feed' and will likely be unsatisfied for a day or two until the milk supply catches up with their demand", "Newborns go through about 400 diapers in the first month", "Breastmilk contains a natural laxative, so breast-fed babies are rarely constipated", "Babies are born with stomachs the size of marbles, which grow to the size of walnuts within the first week", "Vanilla is an appetite stimulant - our hospital uses vanilla scented pacifiers, and since they can't be purchased anywhere, some mommies dab a bit of vanilla extract high on the breast before feedings". Good stuff, eh?

Then, this morning I had my 6th prenatal appointment, at 26 weeks 4 days. I had to do the gestational diabetes test, which meant a low-carb dinner and no food past midnight last night, then a "delicious" neon-orange concoction of sweetness this morning, followed by a stab in the finger. And I passed! The rest of the appointment went well too: the doctor is really happy with my weight gain and called me her gold-star patient because I gained 5 pounds less over Thanksgiving than all her other patients, Baby James' heartrate was perfect (high 140's/low 150's), my blood pressure was really good (it's been up and down), and my blood count was excellent (so, no anemia). We're heading into the 3rd trimester VERY soon, which means the appointments will now occur every 2 weeks. However, our 4D ultrasound isn't for another week and a half, so until then, you'll just have to deal with another belly photo to complete this blog post.

Here I am today at 26 weeks 4 days. If you thought the belly was big before, check it out now! Mouton wanted to pose pretty with me in the photo this time, but the camera flash blinded him!

TIS THE SEASON

...for Christmas decorations!

Jay and I made some hot apple cider, put on the Christmas tunes, and decorated the tree and mantel:

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS...

...to our house Grandma and Great-Grandma go! I met them at the airport with lots of WELCOME...

...then we got down to baby business. We washed, folded, and organized all the baby clothes, and thanks to our amazing family and friends, Baby James' dresser is almost full already! Then we shopped 'til we almost dropped getting the BIG BASICS: carseat, stroller, and crib mattress, and some other fun items to decorate the nursery with.

Here are Mom and Grandma with the goods in front of one of my new favorite stores:

Then I practiced using the carseat and stroller, with the help of the stuffed monkey Robyn and Stephen gave us, and Mouton, of course, and he has since decided that the stroller is the new best place for cat naps:

And then came the really fun part... setting up the nursery! We still need a few wall hangings (Baby James' Auntie Taryn is working on one, and his daddy plans to frame a few photos for him) and a bookshelf (which Jay will be building), but here is the "finished" product:

And here I am with Baby James' Grandma and Great-Grandma. We are very proud of our work and I really LOVE our nursery:

In between all the baby business, we found time to eat some delicious meals (including mom's lazagna - I know you're jealous), watch some movies, enjoy some fireside chatting, play some games (I am the Scrabble CHAMP!), and drink many a bottle of wine (well, mom and grandma did - Jay had his beer and whiskey, and I stuck to cream soda). Here are the 3 generations out on the back deck, checking out the falling leaves and rising pond level (we got a lot of rain this week):

Oh yeah, and then there was Thanksgiving! That's another blog post entirely..... It was a busy week, but it was also restful, and we're feeling awfully productive! Mom and Grandma had to leave early Saturday morning and it was really hard to say goodbye. We're so grateful they were able to come this week, to have some down-time, and to be a part of getting ready for this baby boy!

Thank you for everything, we love you!

GIVING THANKS

I have a LOT to be thankful for this year, but I'll keep this short. I am thankful that my Mom and Grandma are here to share this holiday with me, and to share the experience of preparing for Baby James' arrival. I am so thankful for Baby James, for this smooth pregnancy, and for the support of my husband throughout. I am thankful that I will be raising my son with a cousin so close in age, and that I am blessed with a nephew! And I am beyond thankful that my best friend Stephen is cancer-free and that his treatments were successful, and I am so happy that he and Robyn finally tied-the-knot this year! 2008 had it's ups and downs, with some really great highs, and I'm praying for an even happier 2009. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

WHAT PRETTY EYES YOU HAVE!

Just for fun, we thought we'd predict our offspring's eye color using the Eye Calculator:

ONE POUND, ONE FOOT

Because we didn't have a sonogram scheduled for this month's appointment (which happened to fall on the Veteran's Day holiday, so we were both off work), I went alone so that Jay could stay home and work on the bathroom remodel (which is going really well). Also, since we don't have any new pictures of Baby James for this post, we thought we'd add a new belly photo and some fun facts about his development to date. With only 117 days to go, we're getting more excited by the day!

Here are the stats according to BabyCenter.com:

At 24 weeks, the baby should weigh in at just over a pound and be almost a foot long (the same length as an ear of corn). He has a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up (hence, the reason they have you wait until the 28 week mark to do the 4D sonogram, so he looks cuter). His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree", as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he joins us on the outside. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon (again, he'll look more like a cuddly baby for that sonogram at 28 weeks).

Here I am tonight at 23 weeks 2 days:

As far as the actual appointment news, Baby James is doing great. We listened to his heartbeat with the doppler and had to chase him around - the doctor said "Wow, he's an active little guy". It was disappointing not to get to see him, but at least I got to hear him (and feel him move, he was kicking around throughout the appointment). My weight gain is on track and my blood pressure is still good (Hooray! All the walking Jay and I have started doing during lunch is helping). I'll also report that I'm feeling great (other than a little sciatica and round ligament pain every now and then) and have really loved the past couple of weeks, feeling Baby James move and kick (and punch?) more and more. It's become such a constant thing now that I notice it more when he's NOT moving around than when he is! Jay has been able to feel quite a few kicks at his point, and I've even seen my belly move when the baby shifts positions (just a little tilt, no elbows poking out yet or anything). My belly is really starting to round out and it feels so hard now (Robyn could really feel it when we hugged goodbye on Saturday)! Jay is definitely taking notice of this and is hugging/holding his baby boy more and more each day. We're both spending more time talking to the baby, and have even started reading him stories at bedtime (not every night, but we're making an effort). We're still working on a special song to sing him everyday, so please send us your suggestions if you have any. And remember that we are not too vocally inclined, so we need a simple melody with easy-to-remember lyrics...

I recently received a Baby Egg Pregnancy Calendar as a gift from my friend Michelle (thanks Michelle!), so I thought I'd also post a photo of me and my "egg baby" at 23 weeks development:

In other baby news, for those of you who don't read my brother's blog, he and Taryn are expecting a baby BOY! We found out on election day when Taryn was at 19 weeks. We are so excited to know that we are having a nephew! We hope that he and Baby James will be good buddies, even if they do live far apart. And we can't wait to see the two of them together at Christmas next year - just imagine the adorable photos we'll be able to take...

Also, we'd like to formally congratulate our friends Leah and Mike, who are expecting their first baby, due at the end of May. We'll keep you all in our prayers!

KITTEN UPDATE

I got a few pictures of our adopted kitties and thought I'd share them. Stripey and Blackie (named by Fiona's young son, and I bet you can guess which is which) are doing great and have really made a place for themselves with Fiona's family. Stripey is bigger (though he eats less) and more cuddly, while Blackie is more independent and loves to play on his own. Both of them are really attached to Fiona, so much so that they sleep on her pillow and follow her around the house! Isn't it great to hear success stories!! So, without further delay, check out the size of these little guys:

And on another positive note, we finally got Stripey and Blackie's mother into the vet to get spayed (we had to wait and wait for the discount clinic in Jackson to have an opening and give us approval - as the procedure is $200 in Vicksburg). So, Maxine will finally be able to leave the confines of the sunroom and resume her normal life as an outdoor cat in about 2 weeks, when she's fully recovered. However, we have put an advertisement for her on PetFinder.com and we are hoping that we can find her a good home, since she really wants to be an indoor cat...

THE BEST SURPRISE EVER!

As mentioned in the HALLOWEEN BASH blog post, Robyn and Stephen surprised us Friday night by coming into town for a visit! We got to spend the whole weekend with them before they headed west to tour parts of Texas and Louisiana. Plain and simple, these guys are just the best. We were so happy to see eachother, we must have all talked nonstop for 2 days straight (well, Stephen did at least!)

Since we were all dressed in gray, we figured we might as well take a family photo!

Also, I would just like to mention how great Stephen looks! Many (probably most) of you know what Stephen has been going through over the past 6 months. He recently completed his final round of chemo, and if I didn't know better, I'd never be able to tell by looking at him. He is probably the strongest individual I know, and I'm just so grateful that his treatments are finished and he's out vacationing and enjoying himself (not that he ever slowed down)!

While visiting, Robyn and Stephen wanted to see the battlefield (because, what else is really a must-see in Vicksburg?), and I wasn't about to miss a minute of their time in town, so I went along. Jay went too, but he was less-than-enthused (about the battlefield, not Robyn and Stephen, of course), despite his happy-looking double-thumbs-up shown here... What a stinker! Although, in all fairness, we've now lost track of how many times he's been to our local national park (and it's a few more times than I've gone).

At the Illinois Memorial (the biggest and prettiest in the park), we took another group photo.

And here is Robyn, pretending she cares about history... (she's not-so-interested in museums, or museum-type locales). We think she just liked the horse... (and yes, that's Grant up there). It was such a fun and relaxing couple of days! I'm already looking forward to Saturday, when they'll be back in town for a night before they have to fly home. Then, it will be hard to say goodbye...

HALLOWEEN BASH

Happy Halloween!

We threw a monster Halloween party, complete with Witches Brew and Monster Toes, a bone-chilling soundtrack, a crime-scene bathroom, lighting by candles and Halloween lights only, and a haunted photo booth!

Here are some photos from the booth:

Jay and I as a Beauty Pageant MC and Miss Conception

The Cole family as characters from the Wizard of Oz (how cute are those kids?)

Our surprise guests... they didn't RSVP, but we were sure glad they came!

At the party for 10 whole minutes before they took off their masks!

It's Stephen and Robyn!! Those sneaky kids came all the way from Oregon to surprise us!! They mailed us a box of Halloween candy and text-messaged a picture of themselves sitting on the couch "waiting for trick-or-treaters" to throw us off the trail... We never expected them to show up at the party (although, we did invite them), and I literally screamed in their faces when they finally took their masks off! It was the best surprise EVER! And, by the way, they won the "Scariest" category in the costume contest!

Jerry and Michelle won "Most Original" in the costume contest - a (working!) traffic signal and speed bump!

The controversial costumes (and quite the good effort "ladies"!)

And finally, here I am with Bat-cula, my pal Chester

THIS IS HALLOWEEN, THIS IS HALLOWEEN

We started off this year's celebrations with a potluck at work and most everyone dressed up!

Jay, Cindy, and Karl

Yum... Witch Fingers, Jellyfish Rolls, and Monster Toes

Jay and Sandy enjoy the Ghost cookies

Fiona, Cheryl, and Rick

Karl's calling for a bailout...

Jay and Jim, wildland firefighters

The Microbiology Team: Steven, Fiona, Dawn (she went as Steven), Margaret, and Karl

Sandy was a jellyfish, complete with gonads