Lake Tahoe

Last weekend, we day tripped to Lake Tahoe when we were in Reno for our friends wedding.  Since it was only about an hour drive, we decided we couldn't leave without heading over the mountains to see the beauty of the lake.

The drive there was stunning.  Lots of flat land and snowy mountains before the curvy roads over the mountains. 

When we got over the mountain, the view was stunning.  Being from Virginia, we are used to seeing the ocean where there is no end in sight, so it was crazy to see such a large body of water but mountains on the other side.  When we arrived, the first thing our friend Eric said was, "we have to drive all the way around!" So that's exactly what we did. 

First stop we made was in South Lake Tahoe, CA.  We parked and walked far out into the lake.  It really showed how much of a drought California is really going through.  In the picture above, you can see how much sand we were able to walk out on before the water actually started. We snapped some fun pictures and walked around a bit before getting in our car for the next stop.

We love the Haase family! 

Sonny is getting so big and we can't wait to give him another best friend to play with and teach him the baseball ways! 

Then mom wanted to try - HAHA! The Haase's really have the Dirty Dancing thing down!

Someone please caption this...

The baseball crew.  Can't wait to add another boy to this picture! We are going to be outnumbered, Maria!

My sweet son son!

Our next stop was on top of the mountain, driving west, right where we could see Emerald Bay.  What a beautiful sight.

Seriously could not imagine doing baseball, motherhood or life without this amazing woman right here.  She is so inspiring, kind, loving and an amazing mother I hope I can be half as good as she is.

D.J. got his first taste of fatherhood when Sonny decided to lay a big ole fart on D.J. right at the perfect time for me to snap a picture!

We kept driving after Emerald Bay and saw a perfect spot for our gender reveal #2. 

Eric hopped out and snapped a few awesome photos of us before we kept on driving.

The dads.

Yes - that is a 10 mph turn and I wouldn't want to test any faster than that considering there were no guard rails! 

We tried to stop at some places once we drove down the mountain, but everything was closed for the season. We made our last stop in Tahoe City.  The weather was calling for snow the next day and we saw some clouds rolling in from the west, so we got the stop in just in time. 

We grabbed some lunch at Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company and shopped around for some souvenirs.  We snapped a few photos and Sonny played on the playground right as it started to flurry. 

And of course, the most memorable part of this trip was announcing our baby boy! 

What an amazing trip to Tahoe and I could not have been more excited that we got up and actually did it- and with none other than some of our best friends! 

Baby Brown - Week 20

How far along: 20 weeks!!! HALFWAY POINT!

Due date: March 27, 2016

Baby Size: a mango- 10oz!

Weight gain: +7 to 10 pounds after this weekend in Reno!

Maternity Clothes: pretty much everything is maternity now-a-days.  Loving maternity shirts and pants, but dresses I can still manage to pull off. 

Stretch Marks: nope. 

Sleep: has been great lately.  Going to bed anytime between 9 and 10 p.m. and waking up normally around 7:30.

Gender: sweet baby girl! See the gender reveal post here! JUST KIDDING!!! WE ARE HAVING A BOY!!!

Name: Brynlee Rose Brown back to square one - narrowing names down but deciding if we want to announce that yet.

Movement: yesssss lots of movement in there. I'm sure it's only going to get bigger, but it's so fun to see D.J. feel the baby kick! He's so funny - the kicks kind of freak him out!

Best moment this week: well, lots of exciting things happened from 19 to 20 weeks.  We found out Brynlee is a boy, we took a trip to Reno, NV and saw Lake Tahoe, and now I am starting all over with the nursery and everything!

Looking forward to: embracing everything baby boy - bowties, blue and baseballs! 

Husband is: definitely feeling him move now! and so excited that it's a boy!

Food cravings: bagels, pop tarts, fruit, water!! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: ugh, don't even like to think of pulled pork!

Labor Signs: .........

Missing Most: hot tubs!!!

Symptoms: other than riding on a plane and sitting pretty much all day Friday and Monday, I feel OK.  The wedding was pretty crazy and I had to make sure people wouldn't run into me and the bump, but I think it was the first time I actually felt and looked 100% preggo! 

Nursery: welll.... back to square one.  Trying to get an idea on the direction I want to go.  A boy nursery isso much harder than girls!

Belly Button in or out? in

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: Feeling great! Can't complain about anything!

Workouts: morning workouts are over now, so I will be trying to make sure I get my walking in and gym time at Planet Fitness.

Questions for mamas: Oh gosh, I feel like I have so many with the news of baby boy, but for now I think I am still processing the change.  Returning all the girl stuff and looking for new paint ideas for the room tomorrow! 

Dylan and Mikaela's Wedding - Reno, NV

Over the weekend, D.J. and I made the cross country trip to Reno, Nevada to see some of friends get married! Dylan plays baseball with D.J. and his new beautiful wife, Mikaela was one of my first friends in the baseball world! 

We arrived on Friday later than expected because leaving DC we were delayed an missed our connecting flight in Salt Lake City.  We barely made the 3:30 flight to Reno! Luckily we made the flight, got the rental car and check into the hotel before we passed out to take a nap.

D.J. went to the airport around 9 to get the Haase's.  How cute is this little ring bearer?!

We are so thankful for this amazing family and with the news our our baby boy, it was great to see a boy mama for the weekend.  Not to mention how much I love Maria.  The three of us ladies were together so much a few seasons ago and I could not be more thankful for their friendship.  Having those friends that you "do life with" are such special people to have in your life. 

The venue for the wedding was absolutely stunning.  The wedding started at 3 p.m. and thank goodness because as the sun went down it got chilly! 

Mikaela was such a beautiful bride! Her dress had a key hole back and her flowers were perfectly simple.  I absolutely loved them.  They had 10 bridesmaids and groomsmen and it was so special to see how many people they have that were able to share their special day. 

Sonny was the most perfect ring bearer ever.  When they were saying their vows, he stood right in front of the audience and photographer and his expression was priceless. 

The newlyweds! 

This cake was so simple but I loved it. And the cake was actually pretty AWESOME!

Before it got to chilly, we took some more photos and hopefully can use them for the Christmas card!

The baby bump is growing bigger and bigger every day! I can feel him move in there all the time! How handsome is my baby daddy?!

Baseball besties.

The  boys! We are so lucky to have such great friends with the Indians.  Who knows what the future will bring, but we know that these boys will be friends no matter what.

The three amigos!

And on the blog next is our trip to Lake Tahoe!

TEAM BOY MOM

In case you are having "one of those Monday's", this will be a good blog post for you to read.....

Remember when we posted about our sweet baby girl, Brynlee? Yea, well.....

BRYNLEE IS A BOY!

....... I cannot believe I am even typing that.  So here's the story.

Back in October we had all our family together for a sweet gender reveal and both D.J. and I were 100% confident leaving the doctors office on 15w5d that it was girl.  This appointment was with the doctor - not the ultrasound tech - and she said the only way she would write it on the card and seal the envelope was if she was 100% sure. Well, she sealed the envelope shut and we gave it to a friend to make the reveal party poppers and she filled them with pink confetti. The gender reveal party was on October 17th and with everyone there, we confirmed our baby girl!

The first thing we did was go to the store and browse the baby girl aisles! Mom was obsessed with all the cute patterns and we ended up getting a few things for Brynlee Rose and called it a day - didn't want to go overboard on the first day shopping!  Over the past two weeks, we have received gifts, bought more clothes, picked out paint colors, purchased nursery items, and been talking to the growing bump and calling her Brynlee.....

Well this past Thursday (19w4d) that all changed. I had my 20 week anatomy scan at 11:30 a.m. - right in the busiest time of the day for D.J.  With us heading to Reno on Friday, he was already going to be off two days and didn't want to take a third day.  But we decided that this is our first baby and last ultrasound, so he should come.  He picked me up at school, which is only 2 miles away from the doctors office and we arrived around 11:15 a.m.  When we were walking in we both were saying "time to confirm baby Brynlee"! And in the back of his mind he swears he was thinking "what if it's a boy".  I was to, honestly.  But I just thought, no way the doctor would have wrote it down the last visit if she wasn't right.  Even my cousin who works at the office saw the ultrasound last time and knew it was girl at the gender reveal - it's definitely a girl - just here to confirm and get measurements.

We went back to the room at around 11:40 and the sweet ultrasound tech Katherine asked if we were going to find out the gender.  We told her that we were confirming a girl and at the last appointment the doctor told us so we could have a gender reveal party with our family and close friends. She proceeded to ask us if we bought anything big and honestly (and thank goodness) had not bought anything big and pink...yet! We were getting closer to a final paint color for the nursery, that was not gender neutral and had some outfits purchased, but nothing monogrammed or big and pink! She said "ok good because I never tell people to trust the doctors - that's like asking me to do a c-section - something I'm not trained how to do!"

So she proceeded to put the warm goo on my belly and take a peek at our precious babe growing inside me. First thing she did was look at the gender.  Except baby B was being stubborn. The hand was conveniently right over the area she needed to see and we could not get a good look at it.  So she moved on to a few other measurements and everything was measuring right on track for 19w4d except the arms were long (wonder why that could be?? Maybe the fact that my husband is 6'6?) So after 30 minutes, she had me cough, walk around, go to the bathroom and hopefully then we could confirm baby girl parts.

Little bean was laying transverse (like a hammock across my body) and breech, so it was making everything more complicated. Finally - baby was cooperating.  After a few minutes of her looking between the legs, she put the wand down and looked at us and said "honey, this baby is a boy".

WHAT? A BOY? NO WAY? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? IT WAS A GIRL A MONTH AGO! IS THIS APRIL FOOLS? SHUT THE ... UP!!! WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE TO CALL!! WE ARE BACK AT SQUARE ONE! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO NAME HIM?!

Lots of those statements were said in that moment and running through my mind - I don't even remember exactly what she said. But she did confirm over and over again with a 3D image that little baby Brown is most definitely a BOY. She then said "that's why he had his hand over his butt - he was holding his wee wee!"

So we left the office in complete shock.  All in all, baby B is looking like a perfectly healthy little boy and we are so thrilled. A little shocked and overwhelmed, but beyond thrilled! We called everyone and texted our friends and everyone had a pretty good laugh.  Total amateur first mom move on my part!!!

Looks like I have a lot to re-think! Paint color, nursery theme, clothes....

TEAM BOY MOM it is :)

Weekending in Reno

Today D.J. and I start our crazy weekend trip tot Reno, Nevada! To make our Friday morning a later, we are driving up to my in-laws house to spend the night before our 4:30 a.m. departure time on Friday! My brother-in-law is driving us to the airport in DC on his way to work for our 7:30 flight time.  We arrive in Reno around 11:30 a.m. local time and we cannot wait to explore a new city and cross another state off the list!

As I was googling "things to do in Reno" lots of exciting things came up, but the most important think we will be doing in Reno is celebrating the love of two of our best baseball friends - Dylan and Mikaela! D.J. and Dylan have been roommates a few times throughout their careers and Mikay, Maria and I were the only baseball ladies together a few years back and it was the best time.  My first experience with other baseball "wags" and it was so much fun with them!

So we did make the weekend a little longer and are heading out tomorrow and coming back on Monday, so we plan to make the most out of our time in Nevada and plan to check a few things off our list:

South Lake Tahoe

Only about and hour south of Reno is South Lake Tahoe in California and right when we arrive tomorrow, we plan to make the drive south and see the beautiful sights of Lake Tahoe. D.J. has never been to California, so we will cross two states off his list! We don't have any plans other than just go, so if you have any suggestions on places to eat or things we must do in the few hours we will be there, let me know!

Casino
We obviously will be hitting up the casino, but since we have little B on the way, we can't go too hard! I have only been the casino one other time in my life and lost, so anything other than a negative would be a good day for me!

And obviously see lots of friends and try a few local places in Reno! Please share any places we need to stop by if you are from the area or have visited Reno before!

Baby Brown - Week 19

How far along: 19 weeks - almost halfway!!

Due date: March 27, 2016

Baby Size: a zucchini measuring at about 8 1/2 oz and 6 inches long!

Weight gain: +5 pounds and going up! Still lathering up with lotion though!

Maternity Clothes: oh yeah! Now that the weather is starting to get colder, I'm in desperate need of some long-sleeve maternity shirts. Any suggestions?

Stretch Marks: nope. 

Sleep: has been great lately.  Going to bed anytime between 9 and 10 p.m. and waking up normally around 7:30.

Gender: sweet baby girl! See the gender reveal post here!

Name: Brynlee Rose Brown

Movement: oh goodness, YES! I finally have been starting to feel a little movement in there! Crazy to see the different weeks that mamas feel their babies move.  With the anterior placenta, I guess it made the wait a little longer, but I can most certainly feel it now.  I was laying on the bed the other day and put my hand on my bell and oh my gosh, it was the sweetest feeling in the world! To know that my body is able to produce another human being and I can feel it all happening is truly amazing.  Each new thing with pregnancy makes me so amazed by how much of a miracle giving birth is! I can't wait for the movement to get bigger and stronger!

Best moment this week: feeling B move, getting paint samples and a few items for the nursery, (see my ideas here) and receiving Brynlee's first gift in the mail! A sweet family friend, Sabrena, sent me this precious outfit and perfect little bibs! I'm sure I will be using them all the time!! We are so lucky to have such amazing friends and family that love Brynlee as much as we do already!

Looking forward to: 20 week anatomy scan on Thursday and heading to Reno for some of our baseball friends to get married! 

Husband is: trying his hardest to feel the baby move! And although I am not 100% positive he can feel it, he reacts when I feel it, so who knows, he probably does feel her! 

Food cravings: bagels, pop tarts, fruit, water!! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: ugh, don't even like to think of pulled pork!

Labor Signs: .........

Missing Most: nothing I can't wait another 5 months for :)

Symptoms: starting to feel some more lower back pain and noticing that my skin is actually starting to stretch - I can feel it! 

Nursery: coming along! Making paint decisions, carpet decisions and then getting the ball rolling is the next steps! 

Belly Button in or out? in

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: Feeling great! Can't complain about anything!

Workouts: 2 body back workouts in the mornings, but this is the last week of that! They are trying to find more preggo friends to get a Fit4Baby class together, but nothing is official yet.  May have to start hitting up Planet Fitness again!

Questions for mamas: Any feedback on the Ju-Ju-Be Be Right Back diaper bag??? I looked at it in the store and feel like a backpack would be great for me with the amount of baseball games this babe and I will be heading to. Thoughts?