Baby Girl Grows

Maternity Photos

I am so thankful to have a husband who is extremely talented with the camera.  It took us two shoots but I think we were able to get some great shots and I am so happy that we have these photos to document the pregnancy.  Enjoy!

*Photos by Bast Photography.  Do not copy without permission from owner.

35 Weeks

Well we're almost at the 9 month mark.  I know I keep saying this but I just feel big.  I don't know a better way to describe it.  I'm starting to really feel uncomfortable in the evenings, especially at night.  I think this stems from having a ton of energy during the day and not taking it easy.  My body is just done by the end of the day.  I have this one spot on my back and under my ribs that usually starts to hurt first.  I'm guessing that its baby girl's feet that cause that one.

Sleeping is on and off.  I've gotten into a rhythm of one good night to one bad.  On my good nights I only wake up a few times to use the restroom and when I do wake up I'm not in any pain.  On my bad nights I still wake up the same amount of times to use the bathroom but I also usually have stomach aches and back pains.  Overall I've found myself staying in bed a bit longer in the mornings.

I don't mean to complain.  Besides the general uncomfortableness I'm doing really well.  I still don't have any heartburn or stretch marks.  Sure she's sitting on my bladder but that's normal at this point.  I definitely just need to slow it down and soak in these last few weeks of this pregnancy.

We finished up our maternity photos last weekend and I'm in love with the results.  Josh did such a great job and I'm so glad we took the time to document this stage.  I'll make sure to get a few up on the blog soon!

I'm also completing a lot of projects around the house and trying to get things in order before she arrives.  Next week I'm starting Operation Deep Clean and trying to tackle one room in the house per day.  I'm talking a serious clean of all nooks and crannies.  I've got lists of things that need to be cleaned and organized.  Lets just pray that it all goes well...I am also going to start planning some freezer meals so that we have to do minimal cooking when the time comes and we have our 36 week appointment coming up next week.   I'm excited to see how baby girl is doing and hear her heartbeat again!

Overall I'd say we're ready to meet this little one.  She's getting big in there and this momma to be is ready to have her on the outside.  I'm not holding my breath though.  My guess is she's going to soak in all the time she has in there!

35 weeks.  5 to go (give or take)

Hiring a Doula

Last week we took the plunge and hired a doula for the birth.  We had tossed around the idea for a week or so after being introduced to concept by one of Josh's coworkers.  Our major hurdle in hiring a doula was wondering if it was really necessary.  Was she going to do anything that Josh wasn't planning on doing?  Would she take over Josh's role?  We were unsure.  SO...we scheduled an interview and asked these questions.

And I have to say I was surprised.  I was surprised how comfortable I felt with her immediately.  I was surprised about how much she knew about my pregnancy by just looking at me.  I was surprised about how willing she was to make sure Josh was as involved as he wanted to be.  I was surprised how accommodating she was to whatever your birth plan may be whether its completely natural or reliant on medical intervention.

In the end we decided we needed to hire her.  Her knowledge and familiarity with the hospital staff alone made us feel so secure in our birth choices.  What was most comforting to me was the familiarity I was gaining.  I can't describe it but from the beginning I've struggled with the fact that I most likely won't be delivering with the doctor or midwife I've seen for my care.  Heck I was lucky enough to get the same provider for my prenatal care!  This fact really bothered me.  I didn't want to deliver with just anyone, especially someone who was not on board with the kind of birth I wanted to have.

Having the doula gives me this extra continuity of care.  I know both she and Josh will be there and will do everything in their power to give me the birth I desire.  And that's super comforting.

Sure a doula may not be for everyone but I'm so glad we were introduced to the idea.  I really think that she's going to make this birth a memorable one for both Josh and I.

Hugs and Kisses Consignment Sale

Fayetteville just happens to be the home of one of the largest children's consignment sales in the area.  The sale has over 2,000 consignors and takes up the whole of the expo center.  I heard about the sale from our local cloth diaper store a little late and was surprised that there was still slots left in the new mom's preview sale.  New moms got the option of shopping early before the sale was officially opened to the public. Thankfully I got a ticket for this earlier sale (they only gave away 300) as we also had a birth class that night.

Now consignment sales aren't usually my favorite thing.  I appreciate the savings but I'm not a huge fan of the lines and the mad dash to get the bigger ticket items.  But I was willing to risk it for the hope of finding a few last minute big ticket items that we really needed.  Plus I knew the items I found at this sale were going to be higher quality than the typical garage sale.  Every item is checked for rips and stains as well as expired warranties.  You are pretty much guaranteed that everything is going to work.

So on the day of I packed up our stroller (to use as a makeshift cart) and headed down to the expo center an hour early.  Since I had a limited amount of time to shop I wanted to make sure I was one of the first ones into the sale and not wasting that time waiting in line.  When the doors opened I made a beeline to the big ticket items first.  I had high hopes of getting a swing, high chair and bumbo seat.  I knew these items would be there but would go fast.  

I was shocked when there was still so many options to choose from.  I quickly checked off the large items off my list and settled into a more relaxed shopping pace.  I was able to roam from table to table and even look through some of the racks of clothes.  

When my time was up I had a full cart and headed to the check out. For $250 I got a huge amount of stuff for baby girl and crossed off all the big ticket items on our list.  There's another sale coming up this week and I'm happy to say that I don't have to go into this one with such a frenzy.  I should be able to shop and browse at a more normal pace without having to worry about not finding something.  

Here's all I was able to get for my $250:

6 swaddlers

1 Halo sleep sack

4 hats

1 stocking hat

9 hairbows

4 pairs of tights

1 pair of leg warmers

9 bibs

5 long sleeve onesies 

13 short sleeve onesies

6 sleepers

3 outfits

1 shirt

1 jean jacket

6 cloth diapers

1 set of toy blocks

4 hooded towels

1 flannel blanket

1 car seat support

1 washcloth

1 boppy cover

1 shopping cart cover

1 infant swing

1 high chair

1 exersaucer jumper

1 bumbo with tray

All the clothes

Adding to our cloth diaper stash

Boppy cover, toy blocks, shopping car cover and towels

The large ticket items: jumper, bumbo, swing and high chair

A Nursery Update

We decided to put the crib in the back corner of the room because it worked best with the positioning of the window.  The bedding is super simple with just a cream sheet and the red polka-dot bedskirt.  We didn't really have a "theme" for the room but just wanted to stay within our red, yellow and teal color palette.  I also love how her room has turned into a slight collection of things we've collected over the years.  The mobile is something I got in Kenya and just happened to work in the color scheme and the little things in the cubes are all recycled from either Josh or I's personal collections.

I decided not to paint the changing table and actually prefer the natural wood.  The dresser is stocked with our cloth diapers, blankets, extra sheets, towels and wipes.  The changing pad is something I picked up on Etsy as well as the hanging wet bag.  I think for the most part we're going to use the stainless steel trash can with a pail liner for our cloth diapers and wipes.  I heard that the steel prevents the can from smelling and the foot pedal will be good for hands free disposal.  I grabbed the organizer at Target to hold our cloth wipes, diaper cream and wipe solution.

This dresser is recycled from my nursery and we're using it right now to hold her current clothing.  I'm not a 100% happy with it as there's a musty smell that still lingers from it sitting in my dad's shop for two years, but I do love how it matches the crib and rocker.  I created a burlap hair bow holder out of an oatmeal can.  I'm sort of happy with it but think I need to mount it on a some kind of candlestick to give it some height.  The pull behind mickey just happens to be the perfect colors and is something Josh took from his grandmother's house.  The collage wall is one of my favorites.  I picked out some fabric matching our colors and stretched them in wooden embroidery hoops.  I added in the teal cork board, yellow mirror and cloth covered frame to mix it up a bit.  My favorite part though is the wooden carving that Josh did when he was little.  Again it just happened to be the perfect colors for the room!  The pile of toys will hopefully be soon in a small toy basket.

Here's a close up of the cork board.  I stretched some yellow fabric on the back and put up this quote.

I wanted to add some scripture somewhere and thought these hoops were the perfect place.  I cross stitched this into some spare fabric and adhered it on the hoop.

The bookcases are spice racks from Ikea that I spray painted red.  Josh got the joy of hanging them which turned out to be a bit trickier than expected.  We wanted to anchor at least the bottom two because as she grows she will be able to pull at them and lets just say getting the anchors in and the right size screws was a bit trying.  But they're up and filled with some of our favorite books.  

In the corner by the window I hung three frames in which I put some of her ultrasound photos in.  The rocker is from my parents and I bought the cream cushion for it.  The side table was one of our projects and I ended up painting it teal.  I love that there's a side portion and I can store all of my breast feeding things in there.  It's even big enough to hold the boppy!  I plan on spending a lot of time feeding in this chair.  I picked up the simple lamp at Target so that I wouldn't have to turn on the main light in the middle of the night. 

This is the rug we picked up in Morocco that inspired the entire room.  I love the colorful geometric designs.

Her closet is packed full of outfits.  I used cloth dividers to separate them by month.  I plan to move things to her dresser as she grows into them.  I may have to get another hanging bar if she gets anything else!  I also repurposed the dividers from my old dresser to hold hats, bibs and socks.  They are really handy and light to pull down and get whatever I need from them.

The nursery isn't completely finished but its super close.  We finally have the last few of our major projects accomplished and almost everything bought that we need.  The little things that I'd still like to do aren't critical and will probably not happen till little girl is here.  I still want to get a small toy basket for the few things she has and possibly do a large red initial above her crib.  Of course I can't do this until we have a name picked out :) We also have a few frames scattered about the room.  Right now they have old pictures in them but I'd like to replace them with photos of baby girl or potentially some of our maternity photos.

I also need to finish sewing our cloth wipes and make the wipe solution.  I still have some time for this because we're not planning to start cloth diapering right away.  We want a little time to settle down into parenthood first.

34 Weeks

34 weeks feels like a huge milestone to me for some reason.  Its not the start of third trimester but smack dab in the middle.  34 weeks means we only have about 6 weeks left till we meet baby girl.  Its so exciting yet a little scary at the same time.  I know we're ready but the whole being responsible for another human being does still get my heart beating a bit faster.

This week I have really slowed down.  I am finding that sleeping is a bit uncomfortable now a days.  The pressure on my hips is unreal and its really hard to find a comfortable position at night.  Baby girl is also sitting really low which is giving me a lot of pressure.  I can't say for sure if she's dropped yet but she just feels lower.  She is still head down so I hope this doesn't mean she has plans to come early.  Stay in there a little longer and cook a bit!

We also went ahead and interviewed a doula.  We had been throwing the idea around a bit and were a bit unsure about whether or not we really needed the service.  In the end we were just so impressed with her knowledge of birth that we just knew it was a good idea.  I am constantly amazed at how much she knows just by looking at me.  At our interview she asked if my placenta was in a different position just because of the way my belly looked.  I really love her philosophy on birth and her desire to give me the birth I want.  I also love the rapport she has with the hospital staff.  She is really well respected there and knows the ins and outs.  Most of all I love the consistency of having her there.  One of the things that has bothered me throughout this pregnancy is that there is no guarantee that I would deliver with providers I knew.  But now, now I have her and Josh and that's good.  

The nursery is basically finished which makes me really happy.  We hung the bookcases on the wall and everything is pretty much stocked.  I do still have a few small projects.  I don't have a toy basket in there yet and I still need to put pictures in the frames.  The pictures will have to wait till she's born but that's ok.  

34 weeks

I Am So Blessed

I am so blessed.

I am so blessed to have a beautiful home in a great neighborhood.

I am so blessed to have an amazing family who are always supportive and encouraging.  

I am so blessed to be able to stay home and take care of my family.

I am so blessed to get to be momma to this little girl in October.

I am so blessed to be married to the most amazing man who is going to be the greatest dad.  I love how excited he is to meet his little girl.

I am so blessed to be loved unconditionally by the Lord.  

I am so blessed.

My Love of Hammocks

There's nothing better about spending the afternoon relaxing in the hammock.  About a month ago I won a hammock from Allison over at Nestful of Love.  I've been following Allison's blog since I started on this blogging adventure a few years ago.  I love reading about her and her husband's hiking adventures as we also love exploring and camping.

The hammock was sewn by her talented sister over at Sew inn Love and we took it out for a test "drive" on our last camping trip.  First of all I love the color.  The mint green works well on our screened in porch as well as hides the dirt in the outdoors.  My second rush of love came when I was packing it up to go.  It conveniently stuffs into an attached side pocket making it super compact and perfect for camping.  I have a secret love for how camping stuff is so compact and folds up perfectly.  This hammock played into that obsession perfectly.

It went up super easy between the two trees

When we got to camp we strung it up between two trees and I was so surprised how easily it went up.  The loops sewn into the end were great for securing it between the trees and we didn't have to use the additional hooks and string we had brought for the purpose.

We took it for a test "swing" and never looked back.  I love having the option to throw this in with our camping gear and am looking forward to many more camping trips with it!

Josh enjoying the morning in the hammock

Thanks Allison!

Pregnancy Must Haves

Pregnancy in general has been fairly easy for me.  I really didn't experience any of the first trimester morning sickness but I definitely am feeling the pains and discomforts of third trimester.  I have a few tricks with dealing with them and I wanted to document some of my favorite pregnancy must haves to look back for future pregnancies.

1. Bio Oil

I love this stuff.  I have been rubbing it on my stomach since the first day I found out I was expecting.  At first I did it mainly to prevent stretch marks but when I hit the halfway point it turned more into a hydration technique.  In general I have sensitive skin and Bio Oil was the only cream/oil/lotion that relieved the itchiness and didn't cause a rash.  With my belly being so big, I'm now just slathering it on.  My only beef is its pretty expensive for the amount you get.  That being said I'm on my third bottle now and would buy another if I needed too.

2. The Snoogle

At first I was so against these maternity pillows.  I thought they were bulky and honestly would have rather snuggled with my husband than a pillow.  That being said...I am SO glad Josh talked me into this pillow.  I've had it since 20 weeks and have slept with it every night.  At about the halfway point my hips started to really hurt at night and the pillow provides the support I need to get comfortable at night.  I still have a love/hate relationship with how big it is and now getting up in the middle of the night to use the restroom is a bit cumbersome but its worth it for those hours of sleep.

3. Water bottle

I go everywhere with my water bottle.  I've had a hard time picking the perfect bottle but lately I've really loved one that I picked up from my brother.  Its just a basic cup with a lid.  The straw is what makes it for me.  There's something about the straw that just encourages me to drink more water which is always good.

4. Cotton T-shirts

I really don't have a ton of maternity wear.  I just can't get over the high prices they want for clothes that I will only fit into for a limited amount of time.  The majority of my wardrobe consists of plain t-shirts.  A little boring yes but I love to just throw on one of these shirts and run out the door.  They are super comfy and soft and that's what's most important.

5. Snacks

I'm constantly snacking. Earlier in my pregnancy I think I just needed the added nutrition but now its a matter of a small stomach from being squished by baby girl.  I am also trying to eat pretty healthy so its all about keeping easy snack foods around.  I have so much dried fruit, nuts, string cheese and yogurt in the house.  These are my go to snacks.  I know that if it involves too much work I won't prepare it so anything I can grab and go is great.

33 Weeks

This week has been super busy.  I've been slowly getting a few baby essentials here and there.  Yesterday I hit up the largest children's consignment sale in the area and made bank.  I got a highchair, swing, jumper, bumbo, and tons of little items all for $250!  The large items alone would have cost me that if I would have bought them new.  What I loved about this sale was how organized it was and how "like new" every item was.  They are very picky about what they take checking warranties and condition and it shows! I am so excited to organize it today.

We also took some maternity photos this week.  Josh is amazing behind the camera so we set up shop in the house and got some great portrait shots.  We still have some more to do as the light was fading fast but I'm excited to see the finished products.  I'm excited to finish them up this weekend.

Last night we had our third birth class and it was by far the best one yet.  Besides the general information that we get at every class this one was focused on relaxation techniques.  We brought our birthing ball and pillows and got to work!  I really enjoyed trying some of the techniques and finding what was most comfortable.  Our instructor also tried to work muscles that would normally tire in labor to get us thinking about what work we needed to do before the delivery day.  I'm actually surprised that I'm not super sore this morning.  I can see where I need to work on stretching and stamina but overall I think I'm doing great.

We also got to talk to the doula we are thinking of hiring.  She was at the birth class to introduce herself and help out with the techniques.   She gave us some good tips about positions that would most likely work for me during birth based on my body shape and complimented me on my pilate positions.  Guess all that dancing in high school paid off!  We're meeting with her again next week and we'll see what we think.

In general I still feel pretty good.  Sure I feel big but I'm getting used to my new shape.  Baby girl is head butting my bladder and loving sticking her feet up in my ribs.  She just likes her space in there.  I can't believe she's going to be here in approximately 7 weeks.  That's less than 50 days!  Where did the time go?!  As nervous as that makes me feel, we are so excited to meet this little girl and cannot wait for her to get here.  (But if she wants to wait till October, this momma-to-be isn't going to complain :)

Belly is growing

My New Role

When we were in Kenya, I had a full time job working for CDC in their infectious disease department.  I was knee deep in my career field coordinating an encephalitis study in a rural hospital in western Nyanza.  Working for the CDC literally in the trenches of international public health was a dream first job for me.  I felt incredibly lucky to be a part of that project and the experience was invaluable.

With Josh in the military its a given that we're going to be moving around a bit.  A few years here and a few years there can be rough on some people but I love the excitement of a new place and areas to explore.  It also goes without saying that it can be hard for spouses to pick up and find another job so quickly, yet alone one in their career field.

When we found out we were headed to North Carolina, we knew it was going to be difficult for me to find a job.  Its a bit more rural here and the opportunities in research just aren't readily available.  Add on this sweet baby girl who is scheduled to make her arrival in early October and we just weren't sure how two jobs and an infant were going to work.

Bring in the solution:  I would stay home.  I would put the epidemiology on hold for awhile and focus on my family.  And you know what...I LOVE IT!  Sure the day to day cleaning and other household activities aren't my favorite thing to do but I appreciate the reward in the end.

Come October I'll add another role to my list, that of mom.  I feel so blessed that I'm going to be able to stay home with our daughter and provide for her all her daily needs.  I know so many moms aren't allowed this and I am so grateful that I'm going to be able to have this opportunity.

Staying at home has also given me a much greater appreciation for Josh and the hard work he puts in day after day to support us.  He works countless hours so we can make this household run.  His efforts allow me to stay home; to get to be that stay at home mom that I always wanted to be.  And for that I only love him more.

Sure I know staying at home isn't for everyone and I'm sure that sometime down the road I may have to go back into the workforce, but for right now this is what works for us. :)

My Love/Hate Relationship With Nesting

Nesting.  That lovely pregnancy thing that usually strikes the average pregnant lady sometime during their third trimester.  That surge of hormones that suddenly makes you want to expect every nook and cranny of your house and get down on your hands and knees to scrub that grout that you would normally never touch.

So why do I love this stage of pregnancy?  I mean if you're a bit type A like I am you love an organized house.  I'm just generally happier if everything has a home and I can find things easily.  Nesting has me washing outside windows, trimming hedges, moving rugs to vacuum under them, bleaching anything and everything, etc.  Normally I'm not this much of a clean freak but I do appreciate how clean my home has been the last few months.  And the beauty of it is its not over yet...I have huge plans for one last deep clean before she comes.  I mean total scrub down of EVERYTHING.

So why do I hate this stage of pregnancy?  Nesting stresses me out.  It makes me compulsively write lists and freak out when I don't have things on them completed.  It comes in these sudden urges which are usually accompanied by tears and anxiety.  Poor Josh must think I'm crazy to be completely happy with the way things are one day and upset about them the next (or even hours later!).  I am so blessed to have such an understanding husband who just blames the hormones and doesn't start to question my sanity :)  Nesting for me also started a lot earlier than the normal pregnant woman.  With our move from Kenya hitting about 20 weeks, I've been in full fledge nesting mode for literally half of my pregnancy.  Not fun.

So how do deal with this balance?  Well I just take each day as it comes.  Sure some days are going to be bad but then there are those days where I get a ton done and feel so good about myself.  Like finally being able to say the outside windows are done today.  Priceless.  I know I'll be happy everything is clean and ready for when she comes because I'm sure not going to want to be doing that kind of stuff when she gets here (that's what family visitors are for).  Until then I'll just keep plugging along on my lists and hopefully not drive Josh too crazy.  It'll get there and I just need to keep reminding myself of that.

32 Weeks

This week I have really felt pregnant.  I know I know.  I'm 8 months pregnant.  I should feel such but until this week I really hadn't.  Baby girl is running out of room in there and I'm feeling the effects.  Towards the end of the day my back starts to hurt and I get the same cramp in my upper right rib cage.  I've also been waking up more and more during the night to roll over.  The pressure on my hips is pretty bad and I can only sleep about an hour or two on one side.

My feet are swelling a bit and I've tried to make sure I'm elevating them when I sit.  Otherwise I haven't really noticed any other major changes in my body.  I'm still stretch mark free and the belly button is still in.  I am up a few more pounds than I normally would have liked to be but all the weight seems to be situated on the belly so that's good.

We were supposed to have our 32 week appointment this Monday but a personal emergency with my doctor rescheduled us for today.  I'm a little disappointed that we won't be seeing him again but am happy that we got rescheduled with one of the midwives on staff.  We still haven't put our birth plan into writing and I'm sure we'll get asked again for it at this appointment.  Life has just been so busy that unfortunately it has gotten pushed to the back burner.  I'm going to make it a priority the next week.

We also started our birth class yesterday.  Its a four class course that meets over the next two weeks.  I'm excited to learn more about the whole process and to have Josh there with me.  It doesn't hurt that our teacher is a hoot to be around.  She is constantly cracking jokes which lightens the mood.  The only downside I see thus far is the class is pretty huge.  Its a free one on base and it seems like a lot of people are taking advantage of it.

We are also tossing around hiring a doula for the birth.  One of the other commanders in the unit talked to Josh about it and had really positive things to say.  We're going to check into it and then make a decision.  Both of us don't really know exactly the services a doula has to offer so a little research is definitely in order.

I am also hoping that this weekend we can do some maternity photos.  Josh gifted me some photos as a birthday present and I'm excited to take them before I get too huge.  Josh takes beautiful photos and I know we can get some good shots just the two of us.

I still feel like I'm in full blown baby prep mode.  I just want to cross everything off of our list and have everything ready and waiting for her.  I haven't made any more progress in the nursery since my last post.  The shelves are still on the ground and the gallery wall is still waiting to be put up.  I also need to make sure the car seat bases are properly installed in both of our cars and get a few more supplies.

Don't mind the dirty mirror

Wilmington, NC

This weekend Josh had a four day so we headed off to Wilmington, a small beach town on the Atlantic.  We didn't have any solid plans but wanted to soak up the sun and see a few of the major sites.

Our first stop of the afternoon was the Battleship North Carolina.  The ship was used heavily during World War II and served as a protector for a few of the major aircraft carriers of the time.  The ship was supposed to be sold for scrap in the early 1960s but a few key people in Wilmington pushed for the ship to be returned home to its namesake and its been in the harbor ever since.

The Battleship North Carolina

I have never been on a battleship before and was in awe of the sheer size of it.  The outer deck alone seemed to be the length of a football field.  The original guns lined the deck and it was interesting trying to figure out how the sailors managed to fire these huge artillery.  Below the deck was a maze of floors and rooms.  We toured the kitchens and the engine rooms.  We also got to see the hospital, barber shop and officer quarters.  It seemed to go on and on!  Just when I thought it was over we realized that we hadn't even explored the upper decks.  There were two upper levels that you could tour that mainly housed the captain and any visiting admirals.

The outer deck

Overall it was a bit exhausting going up and down the narrow staircases but I loved the history of the vessel and trying to imagine spending the better part of a year aboard.

After touring the ship we headed over to a local brewery for lunch and then out to Carolina Beach, about a half an hour drive from the heart of Wilmington.  When we got to the town we went straight to the beach to dip our toes in the water.  The surf was a little choppy but we wanted to see what we could expect the next couple of days.  On the way back I managed to talk Josh into stopping for some ice cream at a local shop and from there we headed to a local state park to set up camp for the night.

Josh in front of the ocean

Now I knew going into it that camping while 8 months pregnant might be a bit of an experience but I was excited to break out our gear again.  Camping in the U.S. is quite a bit different than in Kenya.  I kind of felt claustrophobic with our site almost on top of the people next to us and hot showers, who has those?  Overall it could have been worse.  We've had worse!  But it was VERY humid and I pretty much got eaten alive despite putting on DEET (oh and somehow managing to get it in both of my eyes as well)

The next day we slept in and had a lazy morning around the camp.  From there we headed out to the beach stopping by the local farmer's market on the way.  The farmer's market was filled with yummy treats and fun crafts.  I only wish ours' here in Fayetteville was similar!

The beach didn't disappoint and we enjoyed just soaking up the sun.  The surf was calmer than the day before and made for a refreshing dip every half hour or so.  Josh tried some body surfing and I enjoyed some people watching.

The pier at Kure Beach

After a few hours we were sunned out and decided to check out the local aquarium.  It was a bit on the small side but still had a ton of exhibits.  There was a reptile area as well as an outdoor botanical garden.   Of course they had the typical underwater exhibits.  They even had small touching pools where you could handle some of the sea life.  I especially loved the turtles and jellyfish.

An Albino Alligator

At one of the touching pools

This tank had small reef sharks 

One of the jelly fish

That evening we headed back to the beach to do a little fishing on the pier.  Josh brought his pole and we got some bait shrimp.  He didn't get a lot of bites but it didn't seem like anyone else was either.  Just after I made him pose for a picture the line started to get some movement and sure enough he pulled in a small fish a few moments later.  A friendly pelican immediately slantered over looking for a free dinner.  He was a bit disappointed when Josh threw the fish back in.

Josh's catch of the evening

On Sunday we decided to spend the majority of the morning on the beach so after packing up camp and a quick stop to a local shop we headed down to the surf.  That morning we bought an umbrella and body board and I am so glad we did.  The umbrella provided much needed shade and Josh had a blast boogie boarding out in the waves.  That afternoon we tried to visit a few other museums on the island but were disappointed when they were closed.  Instead we walked around Fort Fischer, a local civil war site, and chatted with a family "fishing" for crabs with chicken thighs.

Soaking up the sun and rocking the baby bump

That afternoon we checked into our hotel and promptly fell asleep.  The sun and added activity just wiped us out.  We woke up around 8 and headed to a local Thai restaurant for dinner.  The food was amazing.  I felt a little bad not eating sea food but the food came highly recommended and it was totally worth it.  That night we headed to a local bar and grill to listen to a live band and relax a bit.  The bar was really fun with cornhole sets and a sand volleyball court.  I was feeling a bit sore but was glad that Josh was able to play a few rounds.

The next day we indulged in our air conditioned hotel room and slept in a bit.  We slowly made our way home via Wilmington and spent the rest of the day unpacking and cleaning everything out.

Overall it was a great vacation and I'm so happy that we were able to get out of town for a bit.  It was great to spend some quality time with Josh too before we are officially a family of three.  Despite a few bumps in the road (mainly the mosquitoes and heat) it was a great trip.  And I mean what would camping be if we didn't have some stories to tell afterwards!!