This past weekend Eric, Maddie and I went to Corpus Christi for a mini vacation.  We had a great time.  Here's our trip in pictures:

Checking out the beach from our balcony on the first morning.

Telling us what she thinks she's going to see at the aquarium.

First stop?  Texas State Aquarium.

Waiting for the dolphin show to begin.

Maddie LOVED the dolphins.  We ended up buying a stuffed one to bring home with us.

The otters were probably her second favorite thing at the aquarium.

Outside Blackbeard's restaurant.

Maddie enjoyed getting splashed by the waves, even when they got her face.

Before we saw three jellyfish. . . . 

Playing in the sand.

Padre Island National Seashore

Sifting for clam shells.  She could have done this all day.

Yes, we fed the sea gulls.  Shame on us.

Completely worn out from a morning at the beach.

Outside a souvenir shop.  Did I mention Maddie has a new found love of dolphins?

We HAD to stop and get a picture of this since Maddie likes sharks.

When planning a trip I love to get advice from people I know.  It's obviously far more trustworthy than the "anonymous" and/or angry reviewers on travel websites.  So if you're considering Corpus Christi, here are my thoughts:

1. Don't stay at Villa del Sol condominiums.  Although our view was great, the complex itself was VERY dated.
2. Stay on Padre Island.  You'll be much closer to the nicer beaches and there are plenty of places to eat.  We stayed in Corpus Christi on the mainland and about the only thing we were close to were the bay beaches (see below), Texas State Aquarium, and the Lexington.
3. Skip the bay beaches of mainland Corpus Christi.  The sand is gritty, the water is murky, and there are quite a few jellyfish.
4. Do visit Padre Island National Seashore.  The sand was soft, the water was clear several feet out, and the shore is teeming with wedge clams which is great fun for little ones.
5. Also plan to visit Texas State Aquarium.  If it had been just Eric and me, we probably would have breezed through it, but with Maddie it was an all day event (with lunch and a nap squeezed in, of course.)
6. Don't eat at Blackbeard's.  It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great.  We only ate there because it was on "our side" of town.
7. Corpus Christi doesn't have a whole lot to do unless you want to spend several days at the beach, so plan a short visit of two or three days.  That's about as much sand as Eric and I could handle!

Our BIG ultrasound is in seven days!  When I was pregnant with Maddie, I posted some old wives tales along with the gender each one pointed towards.  Below is the same list.  You can click here to see how this pregnancy compares to my first.

Take the number of the month that you conceived and add it to your age at the time of conception. If the total of those two numbers is even, it's a girl.--BOY

Baby girls don't like to be held by women expecting a boy.--BOY

If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl.--GIRL

If you see a “V” or “branches” in the white part of your left eye when you pull it down, you’re having a girl.--GIRL

If the dad-to-be gains weight while you are pregnant, it’s a girl.--GIRL

If you had a smooth pregnancy with no morning sickness, it’s a boy.--BOY

If the heart rate is over 140, it's a girl.--GIRL

Chinese Gender Predictor--GIRL

Take a wedding ring and attach it to a thread. Hold it over mom-to-be's belly while she is lying down. If the ring swings in a strong circular motion, you will be having a girl. If it moves in a to and fro motion like a pendulum, you will be having a boy.--BOY

Now that you're armed with all kinds of useless information, you should vote in the poll underneath our family picture on the sidebar of this blog.  :)

17 Week Update

Size of baby: Baby T weighs 5 ounces and is about 5 inches long from head to bottom, about the size of a baked potato.

Total weight gain/loss: +5 pounds

Maternity clothes:  I'm still making my normal pants work with a ponytail holder and my BeBand, but that's a lot of stuff to mess with when you have to go to the bathroom so often.  I might break out some maternity pants soon just because it would make life a little easier.

Gender:  Eight more days!  Look for a post tomorrow about old wives tales and what each one predicts about the gender of our baby.

Movement:  I feel a little bit of movement almost everyday now, but only when I'm completely still.

Sleep:  Starting to get uncomfortable.  I bought (and subsequently sold) a fancy pregnancy pillow I bought when I was pregnant with Maddie.  It just didn't work for me.  I think I might buy a plain, old body pillow this time and see if it is any better.

What I miss:   Eating raw cookie dough.  :)

Cravings:  I eat too many sweets, if that counts.

How I'm feeling:  My back is usually sore at the end of the day from toting around a 30 pound toddler, but other than that and being a little tired, I'm good.

17 weeks

Maddie has been pretty busy as of late:

making matches with her Brown Bear, Brown Bear cards

visiting (and petting!) the horses that live near our house

playing at a local water park. . . she wasn't a big fan

Today was Maddie's last day of her first year of preschool.  She loved going to school and I loved getting the chance to watch her interact with her friends.  While at school she learned many songs including "Six Little Ducks" and "Deep and Wide," which quickly became her favorites.  Maddie enjoyed playing on the playground and reading in the classroom.  Nap time didn't work out so well for her, so after about a month of trying we decided to leave right after lunch so she could nap at home.  I can't believe that next year she won't be in the "baby" class!

Maddie adored Mrs. T.  I think the feeling was mutual.  :)

With all of her friends.


Maddie got a surprise from her Aunt Carol yesterday--a slide!  She loves it, and I'd better you'd never guess what she was doing at 6:30 this morning. . . .

I think it's time for some bullets:

• Eric got a new teaching position he really wanted, but it means he'll have to go to Louisiana for two weeks worth of training.  I know two weeks is nothing compared to what spouses of deployed soldiers deal with, but I'm really dreading it.
• Maddie and I went to the "choo-choo" park with Rachel on Saturday.  We usually see a train or two, but this time I think we probably saw five or six.  I think seeing the trains is Maddie's favorite part of going to that particular park.  It's sweet that the conductors take time to wave at the kids as they go by.

• We set up Maddie's pool for the first time this year.  The water was freezing cold, but she didn't care.  In fact she thought it was great fun to try to drink it as it sprayed out.

• Eric and I went on a spontaneous date tonight to see What to Expect When You're Expecting.  I cried, I laughed, and I laughed until I cried.  That last one may have happened because of pregnancy hormones.  I thought the movie was pretty cute and Eric actually stayed awake 99% of the time.
• I've been feeling Baby T #2 moving around quite a bit in the last two days.  I love it!