21 Weeks Today

At our ultrasound on Thursday both babies were head down, which means the low kicks I've been feeling are probably punches.  Baby A is lower and kind of lounging diagonally from my top left to my bottom right side, and Baby B is above Baby A in much the same position.  The babies weigh approximately 13 oz each right now - about as much as a full can of pop I suppose.


I get a weekly email reminder from Babycenter.com with fetal development and helpful tips, not to mention plenty of shopping links.  Here's a synopsis (I changed some wording for babies instead of baby):
"Your babies now weigh about three-quarters of a pound and are approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like they are practicing martial arts as their initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to their activity as you get to know them better. In other developments, your babies' eyebrows and lids are present now."


Well, martial arts practice is pretty accurate. I keep wondering if they'll punch out my belly button - never did have the popped out belly button with Aaron or Lily. Today at work I kept leaning different directions to get them to ease up - not so much!  During my frequent trips to the bathroom, I try not to waddle, but it's getting harder to not do that.  The lower back pain is definitely showing it's ugly self.  I had back labor with Aaron, and that's the same spot/area that feels it now.  At church we worship and sing standing up, and about the 3rd song I have to sit down.   Then I can't sit very long during the sermon, so I tend to get squirmy like a little kid.  I've learned to take a water bottle and a hair clip to church with me.  I just get too hot with all the clapping and joyful noise-making!


Tomorrow is the first day of school for Aaron and Lillian - yay!!  Aaron is going into 6th grade - MIDDLE SCHOOL.  He is excited, and a little nervous I think.  We dropped off his supplies tonight and got his locker combination.  He got the hang of the lock after a few tries, then he practiced some more.  Hopefully all will go well tomorrow. It's so strange having him go to the same middle school that I went to 20 years ago!  There is still a counselor and a teacher that were there when I was a geeky middle schooler.  I didn't actually have that teacher, but I remembered him. Big notice that 6th grade has changed from 20 years ago: Standard supply list includes a 1G flash drive!  We got Aaron a 4G since it was on sale. He'd better not lose it, or his house key!  His school is very good at communication - School Website, Google Calendar with homework, and Twitter for school announcements. 


We went shopping for some jeans and gym shoes for Aaron, and it turns out he's a SIZE 8 SHOE.  They even measured, he wasn't just trying to wear a bigger size.  Yikes, he's almost caught up to me.  No wonder he keeps wearing my socks. At the beginning of summer, he got a pair of Converses that were size 7, and they had plenty of room in the toes.  Growth spurt!


Lillian is going into 2nd grade!!  She's taller than most of her classmates, not by a lot, but enough that I notice.  She and her best friend O. are in the same class = ECSTATIC GIRLS!!   Actually, ALL of the 2nd graders are in 1 class this year - 30 kids total.  I love her teacher, the same one Aaron had for 2nd grade, and I'm sure she can handle it, but I hope she has helpers every day!  


Of course, since I took Aaron shopping, Lillian had to get a few things.  She can't wear flip-flops to school, so a pair of athletic shoes was in order.  That turned into a few shirts and capris too.  While Roy and Aaron had a nice relaxing afternoon at home, I waited 40 minutes sitting outside the Target dressing room while Lily tried on clothes and came out to model them for me.  She's pretty efficient about it, but she tried on 20 things I swear!  

Almost halfway!

Monday was 18 weeks of pregnancy, and wow am I showing.  The babies sure seem to be up high under my ribs so far.  A friend told me my face is looking thinner, so the babies must be getting all the nutrition!  I'm still eating a lot of meat for protein and iron, dairy, fruit, and veggies.  This week I've been wanting Chinese food or pineapple. I had a few bites of red potatoes for lunch yesterday, and the babies didn't seem to hate it like the last few times I had potatoes, so maybe they got over it.  Aaron said the babies are like him, since he doesn't like potatoes either!  I'm taking that as Aaron bonding with his baby bros.

Our neighbors and friends are sure generous!  Two friends have promised tons of baby clothes and gear ever since we announced this pregnancy.  A neighbor up the street had a yard sale and didn't sell her gorgeous cherry wood Eddie Bauer highchair, so she offered it to us.  Another neighbor got new furniture, so we're taking a dresser for the babies' room from her. Everything sure is starting to come together!

We're turning the dining room into a downstairs baby area/nursery since we rarely use that room anyway.  We're freecycling our extra desk, the other desk is going in Aaron's room, and I have our dining room table & chairs up for sale on craigslist.  Soon we'll be able to fill the dining room with baby stuff!

Aaron and Lily are enjoying the last days of summer before school starts again.  Aaron went on a field trip to Lost Island with his summer program class.  They had a blast, plus DQ on the way home!  He's been mowing our friend/neighbor's lawn for the past few weeks to make some $$.  He's hoping to save enough for an iPod Touch.  We'll see if he can actually save enough for one - he's a spender like his momma.  We're really stressing the value of responsibility with chores around here - like most 11 year old boys, he's not interested in  doing a good job, just in getting it done enough to go back outside on his scooter.  He's got a nice golden tan and hair that's too long.  We're picking our battles with the hair, but it's really obnoxious. We keep teasing him about looking like Justin Bieber (he can't stand him).   Aaron will be in 6th grade this year - yikes!

Lily has been playing with her friends all summer.  She's been a homebody about sleepovers, but occasionally she'll actually spend the whole night at a friend's house.  When she's only a block away, we don't really mind going to pick her up at 10 p.m. so she can snuggle with mommy and sleep in her own bed.  Let her snuggle while she still can.  Once these babies are here, it will be harder to do!  She's also a Wii master, kicking anybody's booty in Wii Bowling.  It's been so humid outside that the Wii has been a good way to get up and move without getting too hot and sweaty.   Lily is looking forward to 2nd grade!

Ultrasound

Roy, Lily and I went to the 16-week ultrasound yesterday afternoon.  Baby A (on my left) cooperated nicely and the tech let us know that Baby A is a HE!   Lily was still holding out for Baby B (on my right) to be a girl, and this one didn't cooperate so well.  Baby B's legs were facing my back at first. The ultrasound tech really moved the wand around a lot to prod Baby B to move. Finally Baby B moved enough to show HIS little boy part!  So we are having two boys!  Lily wasn't exactly thrilled, but she's getting used to the idea of being the only Diva/Princess in the house.  I'm the queen, of course. 

Coming up on 16-week ultrasound!

Our 16-week ultrasound is tomorrow afternoon and Lily gets to come along.  Aaron is really weirded out by the alien babies, so he's staying home.  Maybe he'll come around once we get some more pictures. 


I suppose it's too much to ask what genders these babies are (too early), but I want to know so bad!  I'm going to at least ask the ultrasound tech for her best guesses. For some reason I would really like a boy and a girl.  I suppose it's my OCD tendencies, as my sister would say.

I've felt some tiny kicking here and there, mostly when laying down quietly. More on my right side than my left. I have noticed quite a bit of squirming. One side of my belly gets tight, like maybe a head or a tushie sticking up?!  So weird knowing there's two babies in there.  


I'm hoping to keep working until at least October 16th, my 10-year anniversary with TFS. Then I'll have a lot more paid leave time if I need it for bedrest and maternity leave.  Really, my job is not stressful and I'm sitting on my booty all day.  Barring no complications, I should be able to work for a good long while yet. Please God?!


I've had more energy now that I'm in my 2nd trimester. I actually loaded the dishwasher last night - wow, Roy was impressed.  Roy and Aaron have been working on cleaning out the basement to make space for Aaron's new room.  I'd love to just throw everything out, but my hoarder tendencies get in the way.  We plan to set up a downstairs nursery area in the dining room while the babies are little, especially since I'm having a c-section again.  Stairs = Ouch. A c-section is definitely planned, no other option for me.  I'm fine with that, really!  I just won't make the mistake of trying to sleep on a regular bed in the hospital like I did when Lily was born - that was too much too soon.  


TMI ALERT..........
I've been reading up on nursing twins at the same time.  Maribeth U. has been very helpful with my questions!  Hopefully we can get breastfeeding established with both of the babies without too much trouble. We have a deep-freeze lined up for pumped milk, extra food, etc. 


I mentioned to my sister that we were thinking about making our own baby food with a food processor, and she said, "Yeah, right!"  So maybe that won't happen, we'll see.  
I admitted to Roy that I've been "milking it" sometimes, so he's been pointing it out now and then.  We were at Sam's and I wanted to get a 24 pack of pop, and I looked at him expectantly like, "Are you going to get that for me?" and he called me on it. "What would you do if I wasn't here?!"  Ok, I'd pick it up no problemo. Got me.  


I've bought some maternity clothes, and some loaners from friends and my sister. I should be set for awhile!  I outgrew my regular clothes in no time, plus it was depressing to wear the bigger clothes I'd just slimmed down from (I'd lost 25 lbs with Weight Watchers before the pregnancy).  I bought the new maternity clothes in the next bigger size, so hopefully they'll fit all the way to the end.  37 weeks will be December 13th. Will we make it that far?  I hope so, only God knows. We keep praying for healthy babies, healthy momma, and no bedrest!  I'm looking forward to being home and cozy with the babies during the cold winter, at least the 8 weeks of maternity leave I'm planning on. 


Well, this is long, and I'll post more tomorrow after our 2-hour ultrasound and appointment.  Good thing I have Thursday afternoons off!  

Weird Dreams

I've had some of the weirdest dreams EVER.  Mostly too creepy to talk about, much less the odd people included.  If I look at you weird, you were probably in one of them.  Sorry. 
Roy knows it's been a bad dream if I wake him up to hold me.  I've had to start sleeping on my side.  Too much belly to sleep on my back or stomach anymore.  I went to the chiropractor today, and it was so nice to lay down on my stomach!  The table folds down to make room for my tummy.  Ahhhh...drool.

Eating for Three

I've learned from books and other twin moms to eat PROTEIN and lots of it!  At first, I tried eating a lot of meat, which my body just isn't used to processing.  I felt awful on Monday.  I posted a status about it on Facebook and got tons of unsolicited advice - okaaaaay!
Those protein shakes are really good, and I've been drinking chocolate milk and paying attention to balanced snacks that have protein - apples and peanut butter, bananas and cheese.  Honey Nut Cheerios and Milk has a ton of protein too. So far I've avoided the pregnancy curse of constipation - lots of fruit!!  TMI. TMI. I know. 
I seem to be craving Culver's a lot, both the food and lemon ice coolers with raspberries.  Cottage cheese has sounded good off an on too. I've been avoiding tomato-based foods and sauces because I get an icky tummy, but the only food that I can't stand has been popcorn.  Weird. 

BOGO! (13 weeks)

When we thought we were having one baby, we had already decided on the name Cameron for a boy, and Camryn for a girl.  Since we need to think of more names, I suggested "BOGO" (Buy One Get One)" or "Bo" until we know their genders!  I am a dork, but Roy loves me that way.

On Sunday at church, we got to talk to the head pastor and his wife.  They also had "just one more baby" and ended up with twins - 4 kids total!  She said she just cried and cried when they found out about their twins.  Roy and I just laughed - I keep saying, "God must know what he's doing, because we don't!"  We had everything planned out for 1 more baby, and boom! - here's TWO.  We had already ordered a RAV4 with a 3rd row seat, thinking that would be plenty of room for a carseat and everyone else.  Now we're not sure, but we'll make it work.  I see a minivan in our future though - sigh. 

Sunday night Roy took me out on a date.  We went to Granite City and I chowed on Idaho Nachos so much that I couldn't eat any of my chicken wrap.  It made a nice lunch on Tuesday though.  We finally got to talk about logistics of TWO babies.  We had already planned to build a non-conforming room in the basement for Aaron, so the babies will share Aaron's old room.  We're going to Freecycle the dining room table and chairs, and make a downstairs mini nursery area, especially since I'll be having a c-section again. Stairs are not a good thing after a c-section, trust me. Unfortunately the only bathroom is upstairs, but it'll work. 

We have very good friends that have 1 year olds and want to give us their baby stuff.  Once the dining room is cleared out, we'll have a place to put stuff so we can figure out what we'll still need.  Sarah told me we won't need two of everything, really, especially the big stuff. 

I've had no energy to do anything.  I can fall asleep in 5 seconds flat.  Since I'm 13 weeks now, I hope to get some energy back soon.  I've been eating practically non-stop I swear!  Our friends down the street gave me some yummy protein shake mix to try. I had one this morning mixed with chocolate milk and it was SO good.  I'm going to try one with fruit later.  Food tastes SO good or SO bad. I can't stand popcorn, even the smell of it.  Somebody at work had made microwave popcorn at 8 A.M. the other day.  Yuck!

It's Sinking In....

It's been a week since we found out about the twins on the way, and the news is sinking in. We usually say "babies" now, instead of "baby".  We found a book about Twins, Triplets, and Quads that is pretty helpful about nutrition, although fairly extreme about eating meat.  I've had some advice from friends/family about how to add protein to my diet without just eating meat all the time.  My belly is definitely growing!  I read that I'll measure about 6-8 weeks ahead of a singleton pregnancy, so I look about 20 weeks prego now.  I was kind of wondering why I was showing already (before the ultrasound).  It helps to know it's because of two babies!  

I spent most of Friday getting nothing done at work.  I showed the twins' ultrasound picture to anyone that walked by, plus some people at lunch, on break, etc.  I couldn't shut up!!  I think the more I told people, the more it sunk in for me. 

On Saturday we went to a wedding, and I could still wear my empire waist dress - good!  I told one of the wedding guests we were having twins - a complete stranger!  I am a dork. 

The reception was outside, and it was a very humid day, so I didn't last long in the heat.  We came home and relaxed in the air conditioning for awhile.  Ahhhh.....

Ultrasound Surprise - TWINS!!!

These past few days have been very interesting.  On Thursday afternoon we found out we are having TWINS!  At our 11-week visit with Dr Olson, we decided to have a screening for Down's Syndrome, which includes a blood draw and an early ultrasound, between 10-13 weeks.  Down's is not likely at aLl, but we would want to know to prepare if that was even a possibility.  Since I was 12 weeks, 4 days on Thursday, it was perfect timing. I told Roy he didn't need to come with me, because it would be quick and it's too early to find out the gender anyway.  Was I wrong about now having him there!  I laid down on the bed and the ultrasound tech barely got started when she said something like, "Looks like two babies here."  WHAT?!  All I could do was grin with a "deer in the headlights" look on my face, I'm sure.  I asked her how she could tell so fast and she told me "18 years of experience". Okaaaay.  She just said it bluntly, but I suppose people would react in all kinds of ways to that kind of news.  
The twins (!) are looking great.  One measured 12 weeks, 4 days, and the other measured 12 weeks, 5 days, so our timeline was right on.  Their neck measurements (the reason for the ultrasound) looked normal.  They'll do another measurement in a few weeks to compare. The twins each have their own placenta, so likely they are fraternal.  
We'll have an ultrasound every 4 weeks now - next one at 16 weeks might be too early to determine their genders, we'll probably need to wait until I'm 20 weeks for that info.  
After the ultrasound, the tech let Dr Olson know about the twins, and she made room at the end of her day to see me for a quick chat.  She greeted me, "Hi there Fertile Myrtle!"  Love her!  She knew we were planning on just 1 more baby, so she wanted to make sure I was okay with the news.  I was still stunned, but goofy happy about it.  She told me to gain about 10 extra pounds, and to eat lots of meat/protein to keep my iron up.  And drink lots of water. 


I was at the office for close to 2 hours!  Roy and the kids had gone swimming with some friends, and I was going to meet them after my appointment, since I wasn't planning on a long visit.  I called my sister on my way to the car and told her about the twins. She said, "You're lying! No way!"  I had to convince her, telling her exactly what the ultrasound tech said.  It must have been the same tech they had - told them about their twins the same way - BLUNTLY.


I wanted to tell Roy in person, but Mom's office is very close to the doctor's office, so I called to see if she wanted to see the ultrasound pictures.  She reluctantly agreed - "how much can you tell from those anyway?".  Dad was picking her up that day, so he was already in the parking lot waiting for Mom.  I got in the van and didn't say a word about TWO babies. I handed him the pictures of Baby A, which he said looked like David (what?!), then I showed him Baby B.  He caught on that they said "Baby B?  What's that?"  I said, "There's two!" and Dad said, "Well, outstanding!" and chuckled.  Then I showed him the pictures of the babies together. 
Mom came out and I showed the pictures to her the same way - Baby A, then Baby B.  She asked me why the pictures were flip-flopped, "Do they take an ultrasound from your back now too?"  "Nope, there's two babies!"  "WHAT?!!!"  Her boss Jo came out and I showed them the pictures of both babies.  


I'M STILL ROYALLY STUNNED AT THIS POINT.  Roy and the kids were wondering where I was, so I headed home to change into my swimsuit, since I didn't let on about anything.  I just couldn't text or call him about TWINS!!!
When I was almost to the beach, I asked Roy to come to the parking lot and help me carry stuff - I wanted to catch him alone to tell him.  He was waiting for me, so I showed him the pictures.  He had his sunglasses on, so I couldn't see his eyes, but his mouth was hanging open!  He accused me of using my sister's ultrasound pictures of her twins!  I showed him my name on the pictures - definitely our babies!!  He just started smiling and chuckling, again with the deer in the headlights look on his face.  
Our friend Beth and her kids were also at the beach, so I showed her the pictures of the twins together.  It took her a little bit to catch on, then she couldn't believe it!!  She laughed because we'll have more kids than them now!
We called Aaron and Lillian over and told them about TWO BABIES!  They both took it in stride, grinning and surprised like us. 
My sister and her twins came out to the beach too, mostly to see how we were taking the news.  Everyone was about done swimming, so we went to grill some burgers and brats near a playground area for the kids. 
We spent the evening just looking at each other with glazed looks on our faces, in shock!  My sister got a big kick out of us, since she'd been through that whole experience herself.  Gee, thanks!
After she left, she texted our brother Jared to be sure to call me back.  He was surprised, that's for sure!  I told them to be careful, as the odds for twins in our family seems to have suddenly changed.  Uncle Jared was happy for us. 
Roy took uploaded a pic of the TWINS!!!!!!!!!!! ultrasound pic to Facebook, and soon the whole world knew!  

Cedar Rapids Library Staff Award

This article includes an interview with our next door neighbor Tamara Glise, who is the most humble interim library director ever!

Comment from a little sister

Lily said, "Aaron, you're not as funny as you think you are."

Aaron's new guitar!

DSC02733 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Catch me on Facebook

So I haven't been on my blog in a long time. It seems it's easier to stay in touch with people on Facebook. "Staying in touch" usually means a game of Scramble with friends or relatives, and a picture comment now and then. I do miss the art of emailing back and forth, as the "Wall-to-Wall" option is so popular. At least in email no one else can read your conversation!

I do have a bone to pick with Facebook though. Facebook gave me the option of sending invitations to people in my Gmail contact list to come try Facebook. At first, it had everyone selected. I de-selected all, and proceeded to checkmark a few people's names. Right in the middle of that, Facebook sent the invitation email to everyone in my Contacts list. I was so mad!! I am technologically savvy, or so I thought! I got some interesting comments from some people, but no one seemed mad. What really ticked me off was when I got banned from Freecycle!!
Freecycle does not allow mass-emailing, of course, and I broke the rules, even though it was Facebook's fault! Oh well, a new Yahoo ID later and I'm back in the game.

Twinnies!

"Aunt" Nicole put together this beautiful video of David and Zoe

Lily's Videos

Some people aren't signed up for YouTube, so I'm embedding Lily's videos here:

I LOVE this movie!

The World Traveler

Aaron just returned from a two-week trip to Nicaragua with Roy's parents. He had a wonderful time and is still talking about everything! If you ask him a question, he'll answer, "Si", and he pronounces "Nicaragua" like a native speaker. He's so much more independent now, doing things for himself and making his own decisions. He's really grown a lot, although he still doesn't like to take out the trash. I can't possibly tell about his trip, so here's a link to Aaron's pictures, from Aaron's unique point of view.

Lily Sings Her Favorites

Just posted 3 videos of Lily singing her favorite songs.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Duff Girlz

It's time again for the annual Duff Cousins Weekend, filled with giggling and cultural events. Here's a short video of last year's festivities in Decorah, IA.

Florida Trip

In February we took a whirlwind trip to Florida for Roy's cousin Carolina's wedding.
The Plan: Rent a minivan with Roy's parents and drive to Florida all together
Monday: Snafu with rental place, Roy's dad found a better deal online, with pickup in CR
Wed-Thurs: Driving straight through to arrive in time for Rehearsal at 5 p.m. Thursday. We tried to see a lunar eclipse on Wed night (in Tennessee), but the clouds got in the way.
Thurs Noon: Arrived in Coral Springs, FL. Spent time at Tia Ligia's house, where the kids got t-shirts from Carolina saying "Coin bearer" and "Ring bearer". Checked into La Quinta Inn, very nice accommodations. Went to Aaron's tux fitting, minor tailoring to be done by Friday. Lily's dress fit well but straps were too long - dropped it off at the seamstress' house, to be done by Friday. Rushed to hotel to get ready for Rehearsal. Kids did a great job at Rehearsal, of course! Rehearsal dinner afterwards at Romano's Macaroni Grill. VERY good food.
Friday: FUN DAY! While Grandma Myriam stayed behind to do the wedding cake, Roy, me, Aaron, Lily and Grandpa Dale went down to the Miami Seaquarium, about an hour away. A relative's mother-in-law works there, so we had free tickets!! LOTS of pictures from the Seaquarium in the video at the bottom.
Friday evening: Pickup Aaron's tux and Lily's dress. Kids go swimming in Tia Ligia's pool, with quick warm-ups in the hot tub!
Saturday morning: Aaron gets into his tux, dubbed "The Monkey Suit"; the pants are a little short, but the jacket sleeves are better. Lily's dress straps are just right, and her dress looks good. We have a family photo shoot in Tia Ligia's backyard. Aaron and Roy's cousin Daniel head to the groom's house for pictures. Aaron is SO excited about riding in Daniel's Mustang.
Saturday afternoon: Lily gets to ride in the limo with the bride and her 5 attendants, the junior bridesmaid, and Tia Ligia and Uncle Pat too! The wedding starts about 20 minutes late, but it's Florida time! The kids do a wonderful job. Aaron is the ring bearer, and Lily is the coin bearer or "treasure girl" as she calls it. She carries the "arras", which is a small ornate box that holds thirteen gold unity coins (arras) which are given to the bride by the bridegroom, signifying he will support her. This represents the bride's dowry and holds good wishes for prosperity. These coins become a part of their family heirloom. The kids walk down the aisle together, and Lily later brings the "arras" up to the stage. Carolina and Carmine are married in a traditional Catholic wedding.
After a few pictures at the church, the wedding party sets off in the limos to Carmine's parents' house. Lily rides in the limo again, but we're going back to Tia Ligia's house! Roy's cousin Christian volunteers to drive behind the limo and pick Lily up, just so she can have another ride in the limo.
Saturday evening: The reception has a "Rockstar" theme, complete with VIP passes for every guest, CDs of Carmine & Carolina's music, and party favors. The kids each have gift bags waiting for them with activities to pass the time. Myriam's cake is gorgeous, and she even had time to make a groom's cake for Carmine. It's a replica of his favorite black hat, complete with silver buckles. The wedding party is announced, and here comes Aaron, with Lily on one arm and the flower girl on the other! Carmine and Carolina have their first dance with the guests surrounding them. Dinner is excellent, with choices of Prime Rib, chicken or salmon. There is a slideshow of Carolina and Carmine growing up. Carolina's family is Latino, from Nicaragua. Carmine's family are New York Italians. And there was an Irish priest! Sounds like the setup for a joke, right?! We dubbed the reception "West Side Story", as the two families were seated on opposite sides of the room, with the dance floor in the middle.
The DJ gets the music started early. Aaron and Lily love to DANCE! And they're pretty good at it, too! Roy even gets me out on the dance floor a few times. Finally, at 10 p.m., Myriam asks why the cake hasn't been cut? Oops! The bride and groom cut the cake, and it is delicious! We get back to the hotel very late and fall right into bed.
Sunday: We mentioned going to the beach today, so Daniel (Roy's cousin) and his girlfriend Angel volunteered to take us to their favorite beach in Fort Lauderdale, about an hour away. The ocean is calm and we can see the sand on the bottom. Aaron and Lily get in the water, and Lily sputters, "Why'd they put salt in it, Mommy?!" I told her GOD did, and the ocean has the most colorful fish because of the salty water. The kids swim and collect seashells. Aaron makes a friend but doesn't ask her name. They start digging in the sand until the waves get a little bigger and start filling in their holes. Lily takes some time to tan. Even with SPF 50 she already has a tan line going.
We walk to a place called Sloppy Joe's for lunch. It's a restaurant on the 2nd level of a store, so we can see way out in the ocean. Gorgeous! The food is excellent. Aaron even had popcorn shrimp! After lunch we start looking for t-shirts for the kids. Lily finds a pink and blue tie-dye one, but Aaron wants one with sharks. When the beach starts to get insanely busy, we had for the van. Parking is so scarce by now, that we had three cars waiting for our spot. One woman spotted Roy with the remote in his hand and asked if we were leaving. When he said yes, she jumped out of the passenger side and came and stood by the van, then blocked the spot so her husband could park there. Yikes! Another car had to back up just so we could get out of the parking space.
Then we went to the Discovery and Science Museum. WOW, that place is cool! Lots of hands-on activities for everybody: fly an airplane, test wind resistance, take a ride on the NASA moon rover, check your weight on different planets, and even a volleyball game on a big screen! Aaron found a shark t-shirt in the gift shop too! Daniel bought some Astronaut Ice Cream (freeze-dried), which wasn't too bad, but the Astronaut Strawberries were better. We spent so much time on the exhibits, we didn't get to the IMAX movie we had planned to see there. Luckily it rained while we were at the museum, and it had stopped by the time we left. We got back to Coral Springs later than we planned, but we had a great time.
Monday morning: One last breakfast with Uncle Pat, Tia Ligia, Abuelita, Christian and all of us (including Roy's parents). On the way back, we managed to stumble upon the Russell Stover Factory Outlet somewhere in Florida. Not very much chocolate made it all the way back to Iowa though.
Monday-Tuesday morning: Driving home. We came up through St Louis to avoid driving through a major snow/ice storm. The roads were cleaned off by the time we made it to the Missouri/Iowa border. We were NOT excited to see all that snow again. The next day, Lily begged to wear just a jacket and sandals, because she missed Florida so much! Enjoy the video of our pics: