PFC Eric Paul Woods
Combat Medic, Grim Troop, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
KIA July 9, 2005 Tal 'Afar, Iraq
Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day
Remembering Eric...
PFC Eric Paul Woods
Combat Medic, Grim Troop, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
KIA July 9, 2005 Tal 'Afar, Iraq
PFC Eric Paul Woods
Combat Medic, Grim Troop, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
KIA July 9, 2005 Tal 'Afar, Iraq
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Baby Class #1
We experienced our first of three baby classes on Tuesday at Amma Maternity in Edina. 2.5 hours of breastfeeding 101 - it was definetly educational and Brian only giggled once or twice - he was a trooper :) The instructors were very knowledgeable. Lisa was my favorite - very laid back and had the mentality of it's a personal decision and do what works best for you and any amount of time is better than none etc. The other lady was on the energetic and eccentric side and nursed all 3 of her kids for over 2 years and was slightly intense. It was a good reality check as far as how much work it will be and the patience that will be needed in the first month. 8-12 times a day - pretty much a full time job. They were adament about taking advantage of the nurses and lacation consultants during the short time we have in the hospital to help get off to a good start. So we'll give it a shot and see how it goes and avoid unsolicited advise/opinions along the way.
On deck is 8 hours of "preparation for childbirth" (aka labor & delivery skills) next Saturday. Wohoo!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Baby Caden
My cousin Andrew and his beautiful wife Camilla had their adorable baby boy in November 2009. He is such a handsome happy go lucky little guy - it was so fun finally getting to meet him!
Mom and dad had a wedding in Indiana on Saturday so Caden got to stay with Grandma and Grandpa, hang with the ladies at his first baby shower, and in general be loved and adored by the entire family. I can't remember the last time I got to spend so much time hanging out with a baby - an excellent preview into our lives 7 months from now. Such a cutie pie :)
Mom and dad had a wedding in Indiana on Saturday so Caden got to stay with Grandma and Grandpa, hang with the ladies at his first baby shower, and in general be loved and adored by the entire family. I can't remember the last time I got to spend so much time hanging out with a baby - an excellent preview into our lives 7 months from now. Such a cutie pie :)
The celebration continues - BBQ Style
I managed to spill all over myself, thus the outfit change. And no worries - that lovely pink drink was made with love by Aunt Mel - cranberry juice & sprite...yum!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Shower Games for the Boys!
After opening gifts on Saturday the boys joined us for a bbq - it was so fun to have everyone celebrating in one place. Dinner was yummy and the cousins had lots of fun catching up over drinks. My aunts were brilliant and waited a couple hours for the drinks to hit and then a pulled a roll reversal and had the boys play the shower games. Us ladies about died of laughter and the boys were great sports.
Game #1
Men have no comprehension of what if feels like for pregnant women to have to pee ALL of the time, but this gave them a tiny taste of having to rush to the restroom. Relay race style they had to "run" with a water balloon between their legs and "deliver" it in the froggy potty...
Game #2 - Bobbing for Bottle Nipples Relay...
The boys found the nipples to be fabulous beer bottle accessories and drank out of them for the rest of the evening :)
Game #1
Men have no comprehension of what if feels like for pregnant women to have to pee ALL of the time, but this gave them a tiny taste of having to rush to the restroom. Relay race style they had to "run" with a water balloon between their legs and "deliver" it in the froggy potty...
Game #2 - Bobbing for Bottle Nipples Relay...
The boys found the nipples to be fabulous beer bottle accessories and drank out of them for the rest of the evening :)
Monday, May 24, 2010
Chicago Baby Shower
What a weekend! I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful family - they truly showered me with love and pampering on Saturday. We kicked off the afternoon with mani/pedis which was so relaxing - great idea Amanda! Then we headed over to the Merricks for the shower hosted by my fabulous aunts - Melody & Darlene.
They thought of every last detail - it was just perfect!
I was just blown away by everyone's generosity and am extremely grateful to have received so many essentials from our registries. Good thing we had 2 SUVs to bring everything back to Minneapolis! The Pack N Play from my parents and sister was a highlight - this will most likely be baby's crib in our room so it was such a relief to know he'll have a cozy safe place to sleep.
Can't wait to try out all of these items with baby, and it'll be so fun to dress him in the adorable outfits he got! We're all set to cheer on the Cyclones this fall thanks to a super cute ISU set from my cousin Jonathon. My mom knows my taste so well - the Ralph Lauren outfit is my favorite! My grandpa surprised us with a gift he picked out all on his own - I think Brian will be beaming with pride when little man wears his baseball jersey that says "Daddy's Little Allstar" on it. My grandmother had to be smiling down from above as he ventured into the baby clothing section for the first time ever - love you gpa!
Brian spent the afternoon golfing with my uncles and cousins and he arrived just in time to check out all of the cool things baby received. Several friends recommended a backpack style diaper bag in a manly color if I wanted any chance of Brian hauling it around for me. Looking forward to him "wearing" this and the Baby Bjorn - nothing cuter that a daddy carrying around his little one :)
A huge thank you to Melody & Darlene for hosting this for us and to the Davis and Mares crew for your love & support. I heart my Chicago fam!
They thought of every last detail - it was just perfect!
I was just blown away by everyone's generosity and am extremely grateful to have received so many essentials from our registries. Good thing we had 2 SUVs to bring everything back to Minneapolis! The Pack N Play from my parents and sister was a highlight - this will most likely be baby's crib in our room so it was such a relief to know he'll have a cozy safe place to sleep.
Can't wait to try out all of these items with baby, and it'll be so fun to dress him in the adorable outfits he got! We're all set to cheer on the Cyclones this fall thanks to a super cute ISU set from my cousin Jonathon. My mom knows my taste so well - the Ralph Lauren outfit is my favorite! My grandpa surprised us with a gift he picked out all on his own - I think Brian will be beaming with pride when little man wears his baseball jersey that says "Daddy's Little Allstar" on it. My grandmother had to be smiling down from above as he ventured into the baby clothing section for the first time ever - love you gpa!
Brian spent the afternoon golfing with my uncles and cousins and he arrived just in time to check out all of the cool things baby received. Several friends recommended a backpack style diaper bag in a manly color if I wanted any chance of Brian hauling it around for me. Looking forward to him "wearing" this and the Baby Bjorn - nothing cuter that a daddy carrying around his little one :)
A huge thank you to Melody & Darlene for hosting this for us and to the Davis and Mares crew for your love & support. I heart my Chicago fam!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Dr. Appointment - 32 weeks
My doctor appointment went great this morning! My blood pressure is normal, and baby's heartbeat was 150. I'm measuring 33cm and baby's head is down. Cervix is closed and hard - all the better to keep our little guy "cooking" for 8 more weeks. Quick and easy appointment - hope they continue to be like this!
We're 4 hours into our drive - only one restroom stop thus far - not bad!
We're 4 hours into our drive - only one restroom stop thus far - not bad!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
32 Week Belly Pics
32 weeks down, 55 more days to go! I have a doctor appointment tomorrow morning and then we're hitting the road for Chicago for a nice long weekend. I only get to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles, & cousins 1-2 times a year so I'm really looking forward to hanging out with everyone.
Quick family history lesson: my parents were junior high sweethearts (so cute!) and grew up a block apart in Warrenville. He was the neighborhood paper boy and my mom was good friends with his younger sister - the rest is history :) Both sides of the family still live in the Western Suburbs of Chicago.
Brian is golfing with the boys on Saturday and my aunts are throwing me a baby shower that afternoon - so sweet of them. Then we'll all meet up for a big bbq Saturday evening. Nervous about the 7 hour car ride each way (yuck!) but it will be well worth it to see the fam. Have a great weekend! xoxo
Quick family history lesson: my parents were junior high sweethearts (so cute!) and grew up a block apart in Warrenville. He was the neighborhood paper boy and my mom was good friends with his younger sister - the rest is history :) Both sides of the family still live in the Western Suburbs of Chicago.
Brian is golfing with the boys on Saturday and my aunts are throwing me a baby shower that afternoon - so sweet of them. Then we'll all meet up for a big bbq Saturday evening. Nervous about the 7 hour car ride each way (yuck!) but it will be well worth it to see the fam. Have a great weekend! xoxo
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Hospital Tour
This morning we toured the Birth Center at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park where Baby Woods will most likely be born. We gathered in the waiting room with about 10 other June/July mommys-to-be and their uncomfortable looking "birthing partners." The volunteer leading the tour was a sweet little lady and kicked it off with 3 key instructions for the boys. 1) She made them take out their cell phones and program in the labor & delivery triage # that they are to call when leaving for the hospital to let them know we're coming. 2) Instructions on where to park once they safely get us to the hospital. 3) She made them promise to do whatever the momma says and wants starting the second they step foot in the hospital. I liked this lady!
It was nice to get the lay of the land and definitely made it feel even more real. Unfortunately we still had the beautiful maternity ward we saw last weekend in DSM fresh in our minds so our hospital felt pretty ghetto fabulous. It's the standard old school model where you're shuffled between 3 different rooms during the process - triage, birthing suite, and then the recovery room which was pretty small and cramped and only had a recliner for dad. Not a lot of privacy. The nursery is on the other end of the unit with no windows. It'll work just fine and the staff seemed friendly, but overall kind of disappointing. Since my doctor will be on vacation the two weeks around my due date anyway, we might see what other options are out there.
This is a picture off the website of the birthing suite - oh the magic of a wide angle camera - it was about half of the size it looks like in the picture. Oh well!
It was nice to get the lay of the land and definitely made it feel even more real. Unfortunately we still had the beautiful maternity ward we saw last weekend in DSM fresh in our minds so our hospital felt pretty ghetto fabulous. It's the standard old school model where you're shuffled between 3 different rooms during the process - triage, birthing suite, and then the recovery room which was pretty small and cramped and only had a recliner for dad. Not a lot of privacy. The nursery is on the other end of the unit with no windows. It'll work just fine and the staff seemed friendly, but overall kind of disappointing. Since my doctor will be on vacation the two weeks around my due date anyway, we might see what other options are out there.
This is a picture off the website of the birthing suite - oh the magic of a wide angle camera - it was about half of the size it looks like in the picture. Oh well!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
31 Weeks
Another week down, 9 to go! It's been a really long week at work - so ready for the weekend. I'm doing alright making it through the work day but by the time I get home I'm exhausted and on the cranky side. I've been falling asleep after dinner for an hour or two and wake up at 8 or 9 with some energy to get things done. Bella is finding my belly to be a great ledge for stepping or sitting on, especially in the car. Baby is still pretty active, and he's switched from flutter kicks to bigger thumps and more of a feeling of scraping against my tummy when he shifts positions. Still the best feeling in the world so no complaints here!
We came home to have a super fun package waiting for us tonight! Really excited for this highchair - a huge thank you to Brian's Aunt Lynn & Uncle Rick in Arizona!
We came home to have a super fun package waiting for us tonight! Really excited for this highchair - a huge thank you to Brian's Aunt Lynn & Uncle Rick in Arizona!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Weekend
This weekend went way too fast. We were able to pack a lot in. Friday night we attempted to be our pre-pregnancy fun selves. I took a long nap in the afternoon as a warm up and actually straightened my hair and put on make up and found my long lost fun pants. We headed over to Batch & McQ's house in St. Louis Park for their summer kick off party. It was so nice to catch up with the girls and I suppose it was baby's first kegger (and last until he is 21!) Team Woods stepped out of retirement for a beer pong game - wow are we out of practice. Brian drank for the two of us and I drove us home in the snow - yes snow in May - crazy!
We made an impromptu trip to Des Moines on Saturday so see Brian's mom. I was so impressed with the new Methodist West hospital in West Des Moines - such a gorgeous building - it felt more like a lodge resort than a hospital. We went up to see the maternity ward which was state of the art - I have a feeling it will make the hospital we're delivering at pale in comparison. The best part was that Jan got to go home Saturday afternoon! She has an antibiotic regimen to follow and lots of resting up to do - she is such a trooper.
Spent Saturday evening & Sunday morning hanging out with Brian's parents and then made the drive back up to the cities. We've done the drive hundreds of time but this time it felt like for.ev.er. Couldn't get comfortable - ready for my road trippin days to be over.
Sunday afternoon was the first mother's day in years that all the Davis kids were home to celebrate with mom. We cheered the Twins on to victory in the treehouse and made dinner for her. She has made comments every summer for awhile now how nice it would be to take a family vacation up north, so for her gift we all gave her a "coupon" to promise we'll find a week to make it happen this year. Miss Katie was the master artist and came up with a splendid 3-D coupon - nice work!
It'll be fun to plan the getaway for late September to the Grand Marais area on Lake Superior and it might be baby's first big adventure. Oh the memories it brings back of Davis family vacays in the wood paneled mini van across the country. Should be fun and I'll still be on maternity leave which works out well. Thinking Brian and I should take baby someplace beachy and relaxing as well before I have to go back to work, even if its just for a long weekend - could be a fun project to plan while I'm recovering in late July!
We made an impromptu trip to Des Moines on Saturday so see Brian's mom. I was so impressed with the new Methodist West hospital in West Des Moines - such a gorgeous building - it felt more like a lodge resort than a hospital. We went up to see the maternity ward which was state of the art - I have a feeling it will make the hospital we're delivering at pale in comparison. The best part was that Jan got to go home Saturday afternoon! She has an antibiotic regimen to follow and lots of resting up to do - she is such a trooper.
Spent Saturday evening & Sunday morning hanging out with Brian's parents and then made the drive back up to the cities. We've done the drive hundreds of time but this time it felt like for.ev.er. Couldn't get comfortable - ready for my road trippin days to be over.
Sunday afternoon was the first mother's day in years that all the Davis kids were home to celebrate with mom. We cheered the Twins on to victory in the treehouse and made dinner for her. She has made comments every summer for awhile now how nice it would be to take a family vacation up north, so for her gift we all gave her a "coupon" to promise we'll find a week to make it happen this year. Miss Katie was the master artist and came up with a splendid 3-D coupon - nice work!
It'll be fun to plan the getaway for late September to the Grand Marais area on Lake Superior and it might be baby's first big adventure. Oh the memories it brings back of Davis family vacays in the wood paneled mini van across the country. Should be fun and I'll still be on maternity leave which works out well. Thinking Brian and I should take baby someplace beachy and relaxing as well before I have to go back to work, even if its just for a long weekend - could be a fun project to plan while I'm recovering in late July!
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