Paradise Found

So here ends our first day in Kauai. I think we have actually found the most beautiful place on earth. There is something in the air here that makes everything seem better. Already I feel better. The stress of the last few months has just seemed to float away. I told Doug we could head out tomorrow and I would feel more rested than I have in a long time. Must be something in the water that just washes it all away.

The B&B we're staying in is beautiful. We got in late last night and weren't really able to get a look at the surroundings or anything other than our room (which is gorgeous!). This morning we were up at 6 (thanks to one of the local roosters) and were out and wandering by about 6:30. Yes, surprisingly, Doug was up and running that early! We headed right for the beach that is just a half block away. It was our first chance to see the ocean we had been listening to all night. It's amazing how beautiful everything is .

We came back to the house by about 7:30 just in time for breakfast. Fresh, local fruit, French toast with a great selection of tropical fruit syrups (I had pineapple and Doug had macadamia nut) and probably the best coffee either of us has ever had. All with a beautiful view of the mountains. We were even treated with a rainbow after the quick morning shower.

After breakfast we headed out to wander some more. This being our first day we didn't have a lot of plans. We just enjoyed the surroundings. It's hard to believe that this is all real. It's so beautiful. It would be difficult to not be amazed by the surroundings. We found a dry cave and a wet cave. We wandered Haea beach for a while, looking at the fish and the coral in the reef, watching some fishermen and climbing on the black rocks.

We headed out to Hanalei for lunch. We hit Bubba's Burgers - it's a great little stand with really good burgers. I could definitely eat there for the rest of the trip. We just picked a little piece of grass under a palm tree and people watched. After some shopping and a shave ice we headed back to the house for a little nap.

We headed into Princeville for dinner. It was nothing fancy and nothing exciting but just a nice end to a busy, wonderful day. We could have both gone for a cup of coffee at that point but the little coffee shop was closed. We were laughing that with such good coffee they should be open all the time!

So now we unwind and get to look at the tons of pictures I took. I promised Doug that by the time we got home we'd get our money's worth out of my camera. :)

We've got snorkeling and kayaking planned for tomorrow - and that's all before lunch. So good night for now.

Hawaiian dreams to all, since I'm sure I've found my happy place.

All our Love,

Brandy and Doug

It's a...

Girl! Yup. that's right, another one!! For those keeping track this makes 4. Poor Doug.
Yesterday in the doctor's office we were able to find out that we are having a baby girl. We are so very excited about it. Looks like we've got the beginings of our own volleyball team!
My due date of December 6th is still the same and she looks very healthy. They also checked all of my "stuff" and everything is still looking the way it's supposed to. We're still on track at this point. I'll end up on bed rest eventually but for now I'm still good to run and play. No flutters yet, but by the way I'm growing it should be soon. I know Doug will be excited to get to feel too.
We've decided on the name Fiona Opal Ione Strange. I know we're all looking forward to meeting her soon (but not too soon!).

Finally....

Ok so it's been a while but we've been busy!

The wedding is almost here and we've had so much going on. It's been a busy month! Seems as though life just won't stop so we can catch up for a moment.

Krystyne had her final chior preformance of the year! They were really great and you could see how all of the hard work paid off.

Scott turned 40! Isn't he pretty? ;-)

(And so did Debbie but I don't have any pictures from that)

Amy graduated college! We are so PROUD of you honey!

and durring all of this we are still trying to keep the house from falling down around us.

Allie and Krystyne have had volley ball "camp" the last two Tuesdays and are really enjoying it. They're really ready for next season! Jane is excited that she gets to play this time too. A logistical nightmare but we'll make it happen. The extra activities really make a difference with the girls. It gives them something to focus on besides fighting with each other. Which makes Mom and Doug happy!

We met with our new doctor last week. It was just a simple visit and there wasn't much updating. He'll check my cervix every few weeks starting on the 20th and then about every two weeks or so after that. We also went in for a second ultrasound today. That was a lot of fun!

The poor tech had a heck of a time trying to get the measurments she needed. Bean was feeling shy and wanted to keep his/her back to us the whole time. We were lucky enough to get to spend about 15 minutes just watching him/her just do what s/he does all day. Which is pretty much just wiggling around inside Mom! There was a LOT of stretching and kicking and even a bout of the hiccups! S/He'd reach up and touch his/her face and suck on a thumb for a while and then stretch some more. After quite a bit of shaking my belly and prodding the tech was finally able to get the measurements that she needed. I would've been content to sit there all day and just watch and I'm sure Doug would've been too. That little heart is going a strong 155 or so beats a minute. And with all the wiggling I'm surprised it's not higher. But really, what else is there to do in there?

It's still too early to tell if we are having a girl or a boy. That will come in a few more weeks. About August or so. We'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as we do. Doug swears you can tell it's a boy in the first picture but I assured him that's a leg. But I know no matter what that we already are so in love with this little one.

Enjoy all and we'll try to get pictures of the belly up soon too!

All Our Love,

Brandy and The Bean!

Doctor's Appointment

We had our first doctor's appointment yesterday and it went really well. I went in last week and had all my labs done so those were back. Thankfully everything is within normal ranges. Basically my body is functioning normally and doing all that it should be to keep our little bean happy. Hopefully the discomfort I'm feeling will go away soon. And the breathlessness and edema are all normal. Whew!
I think Doug did okay all things considered. I think it's difficult to have a conversation with someone while they're looking at you over the top of your fiance's knees - and they're on the inside! Bravo Honey! You survived your first "girlie" visit to the doctor. I think one of the best parts was the look on his face when Dr. Komorrow handed me the gown and that paper napkin you're supposed to "cover" yourself with and said "well, this is the part of the day where you get to take your close off". This is normally a smile inducing sentence. However, this time it was met with an inability to decide how to respond. Welcome to the brave new world of pregnancy! I'm sure that's a look that will be around a lot in the months to come.
We got another chance to hear the heartbeat. A wonderful 166 beats a minute this time. Keep it up little one. We discussed our options for care. For those of you that don't know, the girls were all born early. I went into labor at roughly the same time with each of them - 30 weeks. This included wonderful stay's in the hospital hooked up to all kinds of monitors and taking all kinds of things to keep the little bundles from making their grand entrances just yet. I am really hoping this time to avoid the lengthy hospital stays and the worry of another premature baby. I was lucky enough each time that there were not any lasting problems and all the girls are healthy. I'd rather not test God's patience, lest He test mine. So, I'm looking to do as much in the way to prevent another early delivery as possible. Dr. Komorrow's plan of attack via avoidance is to restrict me to light, minimal movement at 24 weeks. After that I am to plant my big ol' preggers butt in bed from 30 weeks on. While the thought of being stuck in bed for 8-10 weeks sounds less than fascinating it's more than an acceptable price to pay for a perfectly timed delivery.
I'm hoping to be able to work from home for the majority of this time. I am not sure yet how it is all going to work itself out but I know that it will. It always does. Working will at least make the time go by faster and help keep my mind busy even if my butt is making a permanent dent in the sofa. Plus it'll give me a chance to see what all the hype is about the daytime talk shows! LOL Ok maybe not. I'll consider it if they give Sharon Osborne her show back! ;-)
Well, that's it for now. I'm going off to bed to get some much needed sleep.

Love to all.

The Bean's First Picture

We went and had our first ultrasound today and everything looks great! At 8 weeks and 6 days everything is going just as we can hope. The little heartbeat is 169 bpm! I know there were wet eyes for us both. It was pretty emotional. In the video you can see the heartbeat and can see "him" move. It is really one of the coolest things I've seen. In the video they go from left to right, head, hands and feet. No, we can't tell yet if we've got a little boy or girl - but we'll find out soon.

Enjoy!