Camping at Horseshoe Lake

For our second camping trip in Michigan we decided to check out Huron National Forest. Although we've been dying to check out the UP it is a much longer drive so we thought we'd stick to someplace only a couple hours away. The campsite was advertised as primitive with vault toilets and water available. The bathrooms weren't bad at all but I was glad we brought water because it was not working. I feel like the sites could have been a little better maintained but it was nice and secluded. (only 2 of the 9 campsites were occupied).

Kevin's #1 goal in camping is building a huge fire. Considering how hot it was it was NOT necessary but he can't really help himself.

We did end up switching campsites for the second night so that we could be by one closer to the water. Kevin was really wanting to fish and it was pretty convenient being just a short walk from the lake.

We managed to find a place nearby where we could get a shower which was really nice. I love camping but I also love being clean! If we're busy hiking or doing something then I am fine with skipping it but since we were on a pretty laid back trip it felt AMAZING to be clean.

 It doesn't get dark until after 9pm here right now so we had to start the giant fire early enough so we could get dinner going.

I wanted an alternative to brats so I brought stuff to make pita pizzas on the fire. It worked really well and tasted delicious!

After eating Kevin wanted to run down to the lake one last time before dark to try and catch a fish. We don't know a lot about fishing so I was not really hopeful that we would be successful. Kevin was persistent and managed to catch a small bass! He released him back into the water but he was pretty pleased with himself!

There was a small thunderstorm that night but our tent held up great again. Besides a couple of mosquito bites it was a wonderful, relaxing trip. Hopefully we can make it up to the UP at least once before the baby is born!

Baby update: 14 weeks

Another week complete! It feels good to be making my way further into the second trimester each day. I thought I'd use this post to sort of expand on some details from the first trimester so I guess I'll go back to the beginning....

As most of you are aware...Kevin and I have been married quite some time. Over six years so it is probably no surprise that we've been talking about starting our family for awhile. Back in California I'd seen my doctor for a "pre-prenatal" visit to sort of make sure everything was good to go. Everything was great and it was just a matter of ditching the birth control when we were ready. We were ready to start trying for a baby as soon as my monthly friend came to visit. I wasn't exactly sure when this visitor was going to be arriving since going off of the pill but I started wondering so I figured we'd take a test just to check. We stopped at Rite Aid after work and grabbed a two pack (giving us one for next month too). I scampered off to the bathroom to do my business and get that test going. I started the timer and before time was up I was seeing a positive result. What!?!? Being a laboratory professional I know that the main source of error in home pregnancy tests is people not following instructions so after calling Kevin in we re-read the instructions together and went ahead and tested again. Still positive!

We were a little shocked that we were already pregnant but extremely excited. After some blood work confirmed early pregnancy we were even more amazed. The only problem was figuring out my due date. Since things had been a little irregular we couldn't use the date of my last cycle. The doctor's office scheduled an early ultrasound and that gave us our due date of 12/12/12.

Besides adjusting to the idea that Kevin and I are going to be parents soon we've spent a lot of time figuring out what I am able to eat and in what quantities to avoid throwing up. For a little bit there Kevin was comparing my palate to that of a 5 year old since I was needing macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes.There was also a period of time where I could not eat any meat whatsoever. Getting that protein source back into my diet was huge since it helped keep me full much longer. Frozen fruit bars have been another lifesaver and I was so happy the day Kevin brought those home from the store. Kevin has been great about all of my food aversions and I think he had a little fun trying to come up with things that I could tolerate.

The biggest change so far is how drastically I've had to change the way I eat my meals. I can rarely eat a full meal in one setting and I take forever to eat in general. My cousin Nate secretly timed me eating a cookie and I clocked in at 12 minutes. While I don't ever eat a ton at one time I have found that I have to eat approximately every 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If not I get very nauseous and will likely throw up after I finally manage to eat.

I've also had some flashbacks to my teenage years with some of the breakouts I've had. While not as bad I'm definitely struggling with my complexion now. Not being on the pill, not being able to use my old moisturizer (salicylic acid), and the new array of hormones going through my body is taking its toll! So if you see zits all over my face please try not to stare :)



Baby K is growing to the size of a naval orange this week (4.5 in, 2 to 3oz) and he/she's heart is beating strong. We have finally been able to pick up the heartbeat at home on the fetal doppler we bought after my last doctor's appointment. I don't know how accurate the readings are but it was in the 150's the other day when we used it. I still haven't put on any weight so if that really is a bump in that picture it is definitely from the baby! I think people in my yoga class think I just have a gut...but I don't really care :)

We're camping this weekend so I'll have a non-pregnancy related post soon but let's face it....since pregnancy is taking over my life it will likely be reflected in my posts!

Oh Baby!

We're expecting!

The word has sort of been out for a few weeks now but I figured it was time I put in on the blog. Kevin and I found out in April and our little one is due on 12/12/12! I had an early ultrasound picture but there wasn't much to see then so I decided not to bother posting it. I did start taking some 'belly shots' a few weeks ago and while there isn't much going on there either I will post them.



In the very beginning I felt fantastic! I was eating great, exercising, and besides being tired I was just really really excited. Then at around 6 weeks things changed drastically. It was "hello nausea and vomit". Needing to eat something to avoid feeling more nauseous but then getting more nauseous after eating was a terrible experience. I felt lucky that my job had slowed down or I don't know how I would have survived! I had a second appointment just before 12 weeks and we got to hear the heartbeat....160 bpm! I had also lost a pound.

The nausea began to get a little bit better around 10 weeks and I feel like every week it gets a little bit better. I still have an occasional bad day but I feel like a more productive human being now then I did a month or so ago. I've been getting back into exercising and I'm starting to stomach more and more fruits everyday. Veggies are still hit and miss but they are gradually making their way back into my diet. 

Kevin thinks this is the start of a bump but I'm a little skeptical. I've always had a little extra padding around the midsection and some of this might be bloat. But since I haven't really gained much weight yet maybe it is a bump and I'm just in denial. We'll see how I look in a few days when I hit 14 weeks!

We are just so overjoyed right now and we couldn't be more excited. We've enjoyed the last 6 years of just the two of us but now we're ready to add to the clan and begin a whole new chapter! 

Arena Football

After getting back to Michigan (and taking a nice long nap after getting up early for my flight), Kevin and I headed to Saginaw for an Arena Football game. Kevin bought tickets at work for $5 each and we thought it would be worth checking out. It was the CIFL championship and the Saginaw Sting were playing the Dayton Silverbacks.


I wasn't sure what it would be like but I had a really good time. The game is so fast paced and the announcer was pretty entertaining. Not to mention just people watching. The Sting ended up winning which made it pretty fun too. Go Sting!

 

Back in Kansas

I was barely back in Michigan a week before it was time to head back to Kansas. Luckily this time Kevin was coming back with me (at least for a few days). We got in super late Friday evening but enjoyed the rest of the weekend. On Saturday evening, Kevin and Patti took several of us (Joe, Kevin, and me) to Kansas City for dinner and went to a movie at Legends. We got to sit in the VIP section to watch MIB 3. The movie itself was mediocre but being VIP was a blast!

As often happens this post is a little heavy on 'kid pictures'. It was great seeing Adell again....she is changing all the time!

Crazy Uncle Kevin!

Give me that Camera!

  While Kevin was in Kansas for a quick weekend back in March and I was just back, we hadn't been in Kansas together since January. It was great seeing family and hanging out.


I just really liked this picture.

Seth is making a goofy face but I still liked this one too.

Marbles champions!

We enjoyed a Copp family get together to celebrate birthday's and Memorial Day. My pictures were few and far between so I didn't include any but we had a wonderful time!

A highlight of our trip back was the annual Kent Memorial Day party. We rarely make it back for the party so we were pretty excited to be there and to have a chance to visit with so many people we don't see very often. 

It was a hot day but the shade made it pretty easy to be outside. We had such a wonderful time!

 
Unfortunately, Kevin had to leave really early on Tuesday morning to get back to work. The downside of being new to a job is having to carefully use your days off. I know Kevin was happy to have been able to make it back even if he was exhausted by the end of it all.

I spent the rest of the week catching up with a few friends and spending time with Hailie and Seth. I spent a few hours with Serena and Adell, a few with my friend Heather and her daughter Avery, and a lovely lunch with my friend Kara and her daughter Abby. There was some park time included in there with Hailie and Seth and we had a great time riding the train, the carousel, and wandering around the park looking at frogs, fish, and birds. The week was fantastic and flew by way too quickly.

Luckily we'll be back again in July and we can't wait!

Friendly Faces

Even though traveling to Kansas for a funeral isn't the most fun thing to go home for I still had a really nice trip. I was able to see several people that I hadn't seen in years and it was fantastic.

The most surprising visit occurred at my random layover in Charlotte, NC. (strange layovers for last minute flights). I was sitting near my gate toward the end of my 3 hour layover when I heard them calling a 'Ronald Ash' up to the gate. I'm sitting here thinking....'there is no way that is Dr Ash, my undergrad adviser and research mentor'. I heard the name again and was looking all around. Dr Ash was living in North Carolina, but in Raleigh. But what are the chances of someone from NC traveling to Kansas City.  I continued to look around and then I saw him! He was traveling back for a retirement party for another professor at Washburn. It was wonderful to catch up both before and after the flight and I couldn't wipe the smile from my face.

Couldn't pass up a photo op with Dr Ash!

Always fun to see the kiddos. 

We weren't heading out to Scott City for the funeral until the next day so we were able to head out to the farm for Mother's Day. I haven't been back for Mother's day in forever and even though I didn't get to see my mom that day it was still great to be with family.

The drive to Western Kansas went quickly considering it is a fairly mundane drive. I felt a little sad heading out there knowing I probably won't be making that particular drive again. The one bright spot about funerals is seeing family that you don't see very often. After about 11 years I finally got to see my cousins Nathan and Molly. We used to see each other at least once a year but once we started graduating high school it just hasn't happened. We decided we can never let that much time pass again. It was so fun laughing and telling old stories from our childhood.

After returning to Topeka things were a little calmer. Mom and I had some time to do some gardening that needed to be done around the house which included some of my Grandmas Iris'. It was nice working outside sort of as a tribute to Grandma Koch. I know she'd be so happy to see us out there digging in the earth.

I also had a little time to see some family on the Kent side as well. I only got to see Kevin for a little bit but I had some quality time with Patti, Thomas, and Adell.  Thomas was sweet enough to bring Adell over so I could see her (she's changed a ton since seeing her in January) and Serena and James were able to stop by later. We couldn't resist a photo with all the Kent girls!

Kevin and I are actually headed back to Kansas tomorrow for Memorial Day and it will be nice to have some more time to catch up with family. We can't wait!

Grandma Koch

 Last week was a tough week in that we had to say goodbye to my Grandma. It's hard to say goodbye but there is some comfort knowing that the pain she's had for so long is no longer there. I flew out to Kansas and from there I drove with my Dad and the kids to Scott City for the funeral.

The funeral was small but lovely and it was great to see some family that I hadn't seen in far too long.

It was nice being in my grandparents house for a little bit. There are so many wonderful memories there. It's not the same but here is a picture of the backyard. My grandma was an amazing gardener and always had the best garden around. I remember her letting us go out and pick strawberries to eat (and there were always lots of them). Grandma Koch could pretty much grow anything and was always at it. I only wish I had a fraction of the green thumb she had.

Grandma Koch was also an incredible seamstress. She was always knitting and sewing something. One of my favorite Halloween costumes was my Belle (Beauty and the Beast) costume she made for me. It was the blue commoner dress not the yellow one that EVERYONE was buying and wore that year. I loved it. 

You'll be missed Grandma...we love you!

 

Frances Pauline Koch

December 11th, 1918- May 13th, 2012