Exactly One Year

I can't believe how time flies...T and I pulled out of Ma and Da's driveway in Methuen, MA exactly one year ago today. So much has happened over this past year, but yet it seems like we just left T's life-long home (and mine of 12 years). Even though I miss being back near T's family every day, I am so happy to be back near my family and in such a wonderful city. As T and I played with the dog in the backyard this morning and I carried around my rapidly-growing baby-belly, I looked around and thought to myself how happy I am to be where we are right now. We already have so much to look forward to in the next year (Baby H's arrival, J&A's wedding, visits from our East Coast family) and I can't wait to see what else is in store!

Mama H - 30 weeks

Here I am at 30 weeks! Still feeling great and not crazy-big. Only 10 weeks to go! I can't believe that Baby Girl H is almost here. T and I picked up the nursery furniture this weekend and will post pictures once the room's set up.

Mama H - 22 weeks

I think I'm getting bigger by the day!  Here is a picture of me at 22 weeks.  Still feeling really great and normal (except for the Irish step-dancer in my belly!).  Also, at our ultrasound this week, Baby H weighed in at a pound and a quarter!  She's just over the average for her gestational age -- not surprising since her Mom and Dad were both good-sized babies!

Baby H

T and I are expecting a new addition to our family on 11/27/09! At our first ultrasound (when I was 18 weeks along), we discovered that we're having a girl. :) Here is one of her ultrasound pictures where the top of her head and her little arms can be seen. I've been feeling fantastic and will post more soon!

SO big!

Check out how big Sox is getting!  She's about 30 pounds now.  It's hard to believe that our once sickly, little pup is so big and healthy now -- so wonderful!

Car ride with Sox

Our friend P, from Boston, came to visit us for a long weekend over Easter weekend.  T and I took P up to Payson for a couple of days during her visit.  Of course, Sox came along for the trip and, luckily, she does pretty well in the car (even on the 90 minute ride to Payson).  The pictures are from the ride up, but on the ride home, Sox spent the entire ride snoozing on P's lap in the back seat!  Sox is super-friendly and loves meeting new people and animals!

Proud Uncle and Aunt!

T and I went back to MA this past weekend and met, for the first time, our niece M!  She is just over a month old and is absolutely beautiful (not that this proud auntie is biased or anything!).  We felt so lucky to be able to spend a ton of time with M during a short visit and can't wait to see her again soon.

Spring Training Game

T and I made it to a Cactus League Spring Training game on Sunday.  The Mariners played the Royals at the Peoria Sports Complex (in Peoria, AZ -- about 20 minutes west of our house).  We had fantastic seats (not that there's a bad spot in any of the spring training fields) and the weather was absolutely beautiful.

Sick, little puppy

About a week after we brought Sox home, we discovered that she contracted the Parvovirus (the shelter we adopted her from called me, as I was driving to the vet to have Sox checked out for lethargy, to tell me that one of Sox's littermates tested positive for Parvo -- this information was very helpful in the quick diagnosis of Sox's problem). Parvo is an intestinal virus that is almost guaranteed to be fatal if left untreated. It is very common among puppies (because they haven't been fully vaccinated yet). With constant, professional care, puppies have a pretty good chance of overcoming the virus, but there still is a 20% mortality rate. To make a long story short, we had to have Sox hospitalized for about 5, agonizing days. As is common with Parvo, the symptoms fluctuate during the first few days. It was an emotional rollercoaster because one day Sox would show signs of improvement and the next she'd be worse again. Thanks to the wonderful dedication and support of the vets and nurses, Sox pulled through the toughest part of the virus and we were able to continue administering her meds at home (I kept a log to track what I fed her when and what time and amount I administered of her medications).

When we adopted Sox she weighed about 7.5 lbs. When we brought her home from the hospital, she weighed just over 6.5 lbs and looked so emaciated. I am happy to report that at her last check up, Sox weighs just over 10 lbs! She is acting like an energetic and happy puppy again and all the good and bad (hello teething!) that goes along with it!

Sox

After several years of discussion and pining, T and I finally adopted a puppy. On Valentine's Day, we attended an adoption fair at Petsmart where 5 shelters were going to be with their dogs. I've done quite a bit of research on dog adoption and learned that the process can sometimes be pretty rigorous. With that in mind, T and I figured there would be no way that we'd be coming home with a dog, but had hoped that we would at least start the adoption process. We made several loops of all the adoptable pups and kept coming back to a pen with 4 sleeping puppies. After making some inquiries of the agency, we learned that these puppies were a mix of terrier, lab, shepherd and pitt. They had been dumped at the shelter after the previous "owner" had tried to clip their ears (without anesthesia or antibiotics) and couldn't stop the bleeding. Sicko. Since it was pretty cold that day in the shade, the agency had put little sweaters on the pups and T and I were drawn to a little female wearing a pink sweater with white markings and soft, short hair. I held her first and she snuggled right into my neck -- she did the same when T held her. We were immediately smitten and asked the agency what we needed to do to proceed. They gave me several forms to fill out and, as I was completing them, it became apparent that they were getting the pup ready for us to take home (putting in her microchip, getting all of her records together, etc)! Good thing we were outside a Petsmart because we didn't have anything at home that would prepare us for a dog! So we completed the "exchange" with the agency and took her into Petsmart to buy everything we needed.


I hate to admit it, but our new puppy didn't have a name for about 10 hours! T and I went around and around about numerous names, but we didn't love any of them. Finally, my friend, D, suggested the name Sox (because of her white paws and our love of the Red Sox!) and T and I decided that it was the perfect name for her! We can't wait for the many adventures we will have with Sox.

The Lobsters and Z

T and I ordered live lobsters (2 lbs each!) from Gloucester for Valentine's Day.  They arrived on Friday afternoon packed in styrofoam, cold packs, and seaweed.  D&J came over Friday night so that Z could meet the lobsters.  He was a bit unsure about the weird-looking creatures, but he was curious enough to touch them and occasionally get close.  On Saturday, we boiled the lobsters in our turkey fryer, which worked really well.  I was also able to get fresh corn-on-the-cob from one of our local grocery stores (who knew that Mexico has great corn this time of year!?).  The best part of it all was that we ate our lobsters pool-side in mid-February!!

Golf, sunshine, and the FBR open!

On Saturday, January 31st, T and I went to the FBR Open (formerly the Phoenix Open).  The weather was amazing (actually too warm for the jeans I was wearing) and the crowd is as rowdy as everyone says!  The famed 16th hole is set up like a stadium with stands all around it.  Unfortunately, we didn't have tickets for the 16th hole and we didn't want to wait in the massive line for general admission.  We had a blast, though, walking around the beautiful course, soaking up tons of sun, and drinking plenty of electric lemonade (well, I did, T stuck with lots of cold beers!).  We are definitely planning on attending the Open next year!

Rock and Roll Marathon

Sunday morning was the PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Phoenix.  T and I went with my parents to a location close to our house where we could watch the marathon and be near one of the bands.  The band was great and playing rock and blues.  We had so much fun listening to the music and cheering the runners on as they ran by us!  After the marathon, we went back to our house and watched the Cardinals win the NFC Championship, so it was a pretty great day!

Phoenix Light Rail

About two weeks ago, the new Phoenix Light Rail opened, so T and I rode it for the first time last Sunday.  We decided to pick it up at the end of the line, which is near our house, and ride it downtown for brunch.  I picked this great Thai place that came highly-recommended.  We drove to the park-n-ride (which was FREE to park the car!) and hopped on the light rail (only $2 to ride it all day!).  The train was packed and it was clear that there were even families on it just riding it from end-to-end!

T and I easily found the restaurant that we were looking for and discovered that it's closed on Sundays!  So, we walked back to the Light Rail platform and as we were waiting for the train and discussing where to go next, we saw my brother and his girlfriend drive by!!  We waved them down, they parked their car and then we decided to all go to brunch together.  I love that Phoenix is a big city, but yet, at times, so small!  

We hopped back on the Light Rail and rode uptown to a great, new cafe on Central.  Sidenote: we sat outside on the patio while eating brunch.  ;)

Grapefruit!

Check out one of the grapefruits from our tree!  It was extra-chilly around Christmas (in the low-30's a couple of nights) and the colder weather helps to sweeten the grapefruit.  T and I have been enjoying our grapefruits for breakfast -- no sugar needed!  YUM!