Winding Summer Down

We (finally) had some cooler temperatures this past week, and just that little taste has my mouth watering for fall. Combine the weather with Thursday night's official start of college football--and Mike & I are lucky enough to have tickets to the OSU vs. Marshall game!--and I'm having spells of downright giddiness in anticipation of my favorite season. Well, that & I'm gonna have this baby, too!

My love of fall being expressed, there is still some summer left, and thus still some baseball. Mike's love of the vintage game has recently inspired two things; first, my brother and future brother-in-law have both joined the Ohio Village Muffins as well (I just LOVE all of their expressions and differing takes on facial hair!), and two, he's started his first blog, Huzzah, dedicated to all things vintage base ball. I'm very proud of him on both accounts. Next weekend, as you can read about on his blog, is the Ohio Cup Festival here in Columbus; if you're looking for a fun family event, I highly recommend attending! :)

Mike & I are looking forward to a night out this evening for my bestest bud Angie's 30th birthday (that's RIGHT Angie, I said 30th, not "second 29th"). Today, however, we took a random trip to the Ohio Historical Center with Mimi & Grandpa. If I had ever been there before, I don't remember it, and I was pleasantly surprised; I would love to spend more time looking at all of the artifacts, but perhaps when a certain rambunctious two-year-old can understand and appreciate it a little better (or maybe just after he had a nap).

A Day with Mommy

Aiden's daycare had an in-service today, and that meant a day off for me & my little buddy. I've been promising him for weeks that we'd go to the Columbus Zoo, so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised that when today actually arrived, the weather called for lower 90s and high humidity. I just can't seem to catch a cool summer day for any of my planned activities! I shouldn't complain, though, because despite sweating a bit, we had a great time. I purposely did not bring my camera this time because I wanted to have my hands free, and I don't regret that choice--Aiden & I got to do more hands-on stuff than we usually have gotten to do there, and when good photo-ops (see above) presented themselves, I always had my phone. Aiden was SUCH a good boy; he enjoyed petting the goats, seeing all the animals and learning their names, and he even let me know when he had to go potty (YAY!). He also went on his first carousel ride, which he LOVED at first, and but then got a little scared half-way through and wouldn't let go of my neck. I think his favorite was the aquarium, because he giggled & squealed every time the fish would swim up to him. Another big hit was the boat ride--it was a good opportunity for us to sit down for awhile and enjoy some nice breezes. It was a great time spent with just the two of us, and I hope he'll remember it for awhile. :)

Breathing Easier & Home Improvement

Today was a stressful day, but it all seems to have gone well. I had my appointment with the specialist mentioned in my previous post. It didn't really feel so much like an appointment as it did an ultrasound session; we spent most of our time looking at scans. I'm happy to report that Nolan is measuring right where he should be for 30 weeks; he's about 3 lb 4 oz, and has just a little bit of hair (as opposed to the mop-top Aiden had). His head is somewhat on the large side, and he's currently in a breach position, neither of which bother me much since he's coming out via C-section anyways. As far as my platelet issue, we're just going to keep an eye on it; I have another blood draw in 6 weeks, and if they're low but still above 50,000, they'll try a steroid shot; if they're below 50,000, it looks like I'll be asleep for the delivery. I'll get over it as long as we're both healthy & safe. :)

Our other excitement for today was in the home improvement department; from the day we first looked at our house, I have HATED the two giant, old, dying pine trees in the yard. And as of today they--along with another smaller tree that died late last summer--are GONZO. I can't believe how different our yard looks! I meant to take "before" photos last night, but I was just too tired, so all you'll see below is the after. The amount of sunshine that comes through the kitchen & living room windows now is just amazing. The company that took them down is owned by a guy I went to high school with, and I would HIGHLY recommend him if you're in the area and looking for landscaping work.

30 Weeks and a Little Nervous

This pregnancy has DEFINITELY gone faster than Aiden's, but he probably has a lot do with that; I'm busy keeping him entertained, and that's keeping my mind off of the anticipation of welcoming another munchkin into the world. I feel good, which is apparently a weird thing, considering I'm now a high-risk pregnancy. After my glucose test two weeks back, my OB's office called to say my sugar was fine, but my platelets were low--really low, equal to the lowest point I got with Aiden when I was actually in labor. I was looking on the internet (BAD idea, I know, but I have a curious mind), and it looks like if they stay this low, I'll have to be knocked out completely for the delivery. :( So I have my first appointment with a specialist at OSU on Tuesday, and I know I'm getting an ultrasound and probably some more blood work. Hopefully things will be okay; we've already scheduled Nolan's birthday (!) for October 18th, and since I've gotten everything squared away at work for my maternity leave with that date in mind, I'm hoping we don't have to alter things too much. It's frustrating that there's nothing I can do for this, and that this is the second time my body is giving up on me in the third trimester. But as long as my little guy is healthy, I'll do anything...

The Big Boy Room

I can cross something off my list, and even pat myself on the back for getting it done when I wanted; we've finished setting up & moving Aiden into his big boy room. He's actually been sleeping in there for about 3 weeks now, so I'm a bit late on this post. We still have a few things to do (I'd like to get heavier curtains so maybe he won't see the sun come up quite so early and decide that 6 AM is the PERFECT time to go wake up Mommy), but for the most part, we're there.

I keep patting Mike & I on the back for making the brilliant decision to paint that room a gun-metal gray back when we painted the ENTIRE house before moving in; we decided to go with a neutral sports theme, but then sprinkle in Aiden's favorite teams, and so the gray looks great with all of them (except maybe the Cleveland Browns, but eh, you can't please everyone). I'm so happy with the theme we chose because it can really grow with him; he can recycle out the more juvenile items as he gets older, but then can keep other elements (obviously the Jim Tressel autographed football will never go out of style).

Perhaps the best part of this is that Aiden absolutely LOVES this room; when we get home everyday, he asks to go in his big boy bed so he can sit with his Brutus and read a book. Speaking of Brutus, he CRACKS us up; about 10 minutes after we put Aiden to bed every night, Mike & I usually hear the Ohio State fight song playing softly from the kid's room. How hilarious that he's using Across the Field for a "lullaby." Probably just gearing up for the season. :)