Tigers, Deere, and Colonies......

I want to start off saying how truly sorry I am to be on vacation now four whole days and not updating my blog at all. I think as you read this one VERY long post you will see, that a lot of it I could not help. Secondly I also want to apologize for the length of this post,  but I hope you enjoy seeing what we have been up to.

We started out Saturday by dropping the dogs off at the grandparents house and going up to Columbia for a MIZZOU game. First of all, I am not a game buff, I am really just a people spectator. A lot of the times I didn't even know who had the ball or where the ball was at, but in this case it really didn't matter, cause MIZZOU put the whoop on Western Illinois with a score of 69 to 0. So I really didn't have to pay to close attention to the game. It drizzled most of the game and with a temperature only in the 50's, I was glad that the game was a pretty short and pretty fast paced. Oh and we was in the company of only 63,000 other people at the game, most of which left at half time or after the third quarter.

My favorite part of the game is the band and the half time show.

We were on the other side, but they spelled out M-I-Z-Z-O-U and T-I-G-E-R-S. The other fun thing that occurred during the games is every time MU got a touchdown a cannon shot off and then the National Guard Men would come out and do as many push-ups as what the score was. Towards the end of the game when they were doing 69 push ups, I was really feeling sorry for them.

That fuzzy yellow guy in the middle is Truman, MU's mascot. He was not as ambitious as the rest of them doing push ups. He usually did about 4 or 5 then called it good. After the game and after the almost 3/4 mile hike back to our vehicle we left Columbia heading to Moberly which was only about 30 miles away to stay for the night. But every motel in Moberly was booked up for the night, so we traveled onto the next big town which was Quincy, Illinois and after stopping at the first motel and being told that they were booked up, Farmboy started getting nervous, cause his very pregnant wife was very tired and very moody after traveling now for an extra 2 hours because Farmboy decided that we didn't need a plan for this vacation. Fortunately for Farmboy, the nice desk clerk found another motel that had vacancy and we were tucked into bed and asleep by 12:45.

Sunday -

After getting into Quincy so late we were not early risers on Sunday, but we did have the continental breakfast and headed out of town by 11:00 on our way to Moline. We had just gotten on the highway when Farmboy noticed that we probably should have gotten some gas before we left, but with no plan, what does it matter? Surely there will be a gas station near by. Following our GPS, we pulled off the highway at the exit that it requested and promptly turned onto a gravel road and traveled this gravel road for 10 miles, all the way seeing nothing but corn fields! We did not see a gas station for a whole hour and in that hour our low fuel light had came on and was dinging at us. Farmboy was more than nervous when we pulled into that gas station.

This was our second day of vacation and it was still drizzling and temp's still in the 50's. We did make it to Moline by 2:00 and looked around the John Deere Pavilion. Farmboy told me stories about tractors that his dad had when Farmboy was just a boy. He also gave me his wish list of tractors he would like to have to redo.

This was just a place that held several tractors inside this building. Some were antiques tractors that had been redone, but most were commercial type tractors.

After we left Moline we headed to Davenport, Iowa and stayed the night there. It was soon on this trip that I realized that I had left my adaptor at home so that I can do my blog with pictures. But no problem we will stop in the morning and pick on up.

Monday -

We got around earlier on Monday and headed towards the Amana Colonies but on the way we could not past the Worlds' Largest Truck Stop on I-80. Oh yes, be jealous. I was at first, very sarcastic about stopping here, but on the advice of my father to my husband I got out voted and we were pulling in. After all, we did need to get some gas. I was pleasantly surprised by what all this truck stop held.

First of all - a whole tractor trailer!

and then several other trucks.

After we spent some time and money at the truck stop, I found a cookbook and Farmboy bought some sunglasses. We then traveled on to the Amana Colonies. We got there a little before noon and stopped at the Visitors Center.

The Amana colonies stem from a religious movement that was started in 1714 in Germany by Eberhard L. Gruber and Johann F. Rock, both of the Lutheran faith. They believed that God communicated through inspired individuals, just as he did in the days of the prophets. This individual was called a WerkzeugGruber and Rock started traveling through Germany and Switzerland forming small groups of followers, which became known as the Community of True Inspiration.

The society purchased 18,000 acres  of Iowa land and between 1854 and 1859 the six Amana villages were founded. The Community of True Inspiration was incorporated in 1859 under the name of "Amana Society" and existed for over seventy years as a religious society operating without pecuniary profit and providing food and housing for its members, who worked on community farms, community enterprises and ate in communal kitchens.


After the visitor's center we stopped in and had some lunch at our first "Family Style" restaurant. I ordered a fish sandwich and Farmboy ordered pork chops. "Family Style" means that along with his pork chops he got all he could eat salads, mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn. They all came in little bowls and you dished out what you wanted and then when you wanted more, you just told the waitress and she would bring more out to you. After lunch we walked around and took in the sights. We stopped at the Woven Shop where they still make quilts today.

The furniture shop, where they still make furniture today. 

We then decided that we were tired and wanted to rest for a while. We thought we would just pick up where we left off. So we checked into the local motel, got our key (which was an actually key that unlocked a door) and layed down for a while.

After resting, we got up and took off to do some more sight-seeing and shopping and soon realized the whole town shuts down at 5 and we were about 10 minutes away from that. So we decided to go the the brewery and buy some root beer and cream soda which is manufactured there and sit under a tree and enjoy a cold one. HA! After that we traveled to Cedar Rapids which was only about 20 minutes away to eat some dinner.We were back in our motel room by 8:00 and realized that we had no Internet, so I still couldn't update my blog. It was at this point I realized we were a step above the Amish.

Tuesday -

We were up and at them early today, since we still had a lot of the Amana Colonies to see. We went to the Ox  Yoke Inn and had breakfast where Farmboy had his second "Family Style" meal with breakfast. Neither meal did he ever get seconds on.

After breakfast we headed out on our great adventure, only to find out that most stores don't open up until 10. What is up with this place, open at 10 and close at 5? Some places chose not to even open at all if they don't want too. So finally when places started to open we were on our way. We stopped at the original General Store which opened in the 1880's.

It is still set up like it was when it opened and had lots of antiques in there for sale. After that we headed to another part of the Amana Colonies and came across Iowa's Largest Rocker, over 11 feet tall!

We then traveled to the Mini- Americana Barn Museum. Mini-Americana is the largest known collection of 1/12 scale miniature replicas built by one man, woodworker Henry Moore. Following a scale of one inch to one foot, Mini-Americana is a unique display of over 200 miniatures that depict the history of rural America. Each building, an exact replica of an original structure either past or present, took an average of six months to complete. This place just blew Farmboy and I away. The details on these buildings were amazing and how much time he put into one building to make sure that it looked just like the replica.

 After that, we traveled to a couple more stores and were unsuccessful at several, but all in all a very good day. The sun shined and it was in the 70's with a nice breeze. After we finished shopping we grabbed some lunch at a local bakery and had chicken salad on homemade bread with some cookies for dessert. We then traveled on to Waterloo where our next big adventure awaits....stay tuned.

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Lil Hoff Update - Week 31

Week 31 and we are having fun!!

What is happening with Lil Hoff....

1. This week, Lil Hoff measures over 16 inches long.

2. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt.

3. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

What is happening with me...

We had a doctor's appointment this week, I always get nervous right before I go to the doctor. I like the old saying "No news is good news" and that is how I feel about being pregnant. I do like it though when the doctor hooks up the monitor and we can hear the Lil Hoff's heartbeat. It makes me a little teary-eyed each time. Here are the statistics from my doctor's appointment.

1. I have gained two pounds.

2. Weight and blood pressure is good.

3. I am now measuring about 3 to 4 weeks bigger than what I am suppose to be! EEEEEKKKK at this rate the next time I go in, they might ship me over to the hospital to have Lil Hoff.

4. The doctor is going to do a ultrasound on my next appointment to see what the weight of Lil Hoff is. I did gain enough nerve to ask the doctor if there is just one baby in there, after his laughter died down he assured me that he has never said there is just one baby in there. So after some questioning, he did say that yes, as of now, there is just one baby in there.

5. Farmboy and I attended a birthing class this week. I am not sure if I had a positive experience or not. It was helpful in seeing all that happens behind a delivery and it was taught by a nurse of the hospital that I will be having Lil Hoff so she gave lots of tips. There were definitely several things that I learned, and none that I want to mention on this. I am grateful that we went almost two months in advance therefore maybe some of it will not be so vivid in my mind. It also opened up Farmboy's eyes, that a delivery doesn't always happen as soon as you get to the hospital. He didn't learn quite as much as I did, since basically cows and women are the same thing and he has delivered tons of calves in his lifetime. He even knew several of the medicines that the nurse referred to, so this just emphasised his point more that he could deliver Lil Hoff by himself and we wouldn't even need a hospital. On a side note, my only complaint is that a nurse held up a baby doll's head and a pelvis to show how the head comes thru and then the baby turns. Now the head that the nurse held in her hand was the size of a orange and I'm not talking like a good size Florida orange, more like a clementine. I am wanting to see a full size baby head, more like what Lil Hoff's head is going to look like coming.

It was a good thing last week was so slow, because this week made up for it. Sunday we went down to the river at my parents house and had a fish fry, birthday party, and zip line ground breaking. Why yes, I did say zip line.

My brother has made our family (and close friends - i.e. people who won't sue us) a homemade zip line. He is quite crafty that way and after several trips down the zip line made by his family, he was ready to show it to the rest of us.

These are his two boys..can you tell that they have went down it a time or two?

Then Farmboy went down it, he is not holding that same look of confidence that my nephews are....

But he did make a big splash at the end.

This little fella had no fear at all as he climbed up on the zip line, nor did he show any as he went down into the river. Amazed all of us. Grandma was ready to catch him.

This was also this little fella's birthday party. I don't think he was ready to celebrate his birthday.

Until the gifts started coming out, and then he was ready!

Best gift goes to the lasso that he got. He now has everything he needs to be a real cowboy! Although based on that day, the only thing he caught was his foot, his cousin, and his cup.

The other thing we did this week was register at Wal-Mart. Our final place! It was a horrible experience. One of which I will not talk about. All I can say, those of you that might want to get Lil Hoff a gift from Wal-mart - Good Luck and I'm sorry.

So that has been our week it has been busy and crazy, but that is also one more week closer.....

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Lil Hoff Weekly Update - Week 30

Hello All! Dropping in for a quick update on the happening of Lil Hoff.......

What Lil Hoff is Up to.....

1. Lil Hoff is about 15.7 inches long now

2. Lil Hoff weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). Although I feel like I could be carrying a whole cabbage patch kid in there right now!

3. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus.

4. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

What I am up to....

1. Lil Hoff has been so active lately. He is moving constantly.

2. We are still struggling with naming Lil Hoff..who knew that a name could be so difficult. So don't be surprised if he comes out and we are still calling him Lil Hoff.

3. Sleep is hit and miss lately. Some nights I sleep so hard, that Farmboy wakes me up to tell me to quit snoring, other nights, I toss and turn trying to get comfortable just to get uncomfortable within 2 minutes.

4. I am starting to make some meals and freeze them. I feel like a little Martha Stewart has spawned out of me.

5. I started on Lil Hoff's baby book this week. That is exciting!! As much as I can fill out now I am trying to. It's neat to remember back to what it was like when we first found out and how we celebrated and when we started telling everyone. It seems like a lifetime ago now.

This week was a special week in my other man's life.....

No, not that one..Farmboy's!

It was his birthday...he turned the big 2-8. Really that's not big, but he is younger than me (by a few months) so he likes to rub it in that on every birthday, he will always be younger.

We had a family lunch at his parent's house. My mother-in-law made a wonderful meal and he got spoiled with a gift card to Sears and a really nice pull-over.



This little one got spoiled too...by all the attention he gets at Grandma's house.

The next night I made him a birthday dinner of baked ziti, green beans, garlic bread, caesar salad, and a four layer dessert. Afterwards he got to open up his gift from me.

I got him a neon sign to hang in his shop. He loved it! I had to hold it up in the window so he could go outside and see how it looked.

So overall not a very busy week, but a nice one. 



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Lil Hoff Update Week 29

Week 29 and I'm doing fine......

 What is going on with Lil Hoff....

1. He can be as tall as 17 inches (depending on if he takes after his daddy who is 6'1" of his mommy who is 5'4") ha!

2. Lil Hoff can weigh nearly 3 pounds now. But he is not done yet, over the next 11 weeks he could double or triple (yikes!) his weight.

3. Lil Hoff saw his doctor this week. Heartbeat is strong and good! The doctor did say that I am measuring about two weeks bigger than what I should be, so in this case I am measuring in at 31 weeks. He does not seemed concerned by this, but did not lead me on that  I could go early either. He just simply said that the longer I go the bigger he gets.Eeek!

4. Lil Hoff is soooo active he moves all the time. Which I love! I will sit at work and just look at my belly and watch it as he moves and then at night either sitting in my chair or laying in bed he is on the move. I have tried to watch Roscoe when he is on my lap cause I know he has to feel Lil Hoff but he never acts any different.

 What is going on with me......

 1. I have gained 4 pounds at this doctor's appointment, which in grand total means 5 pound for the whole pregnancy. 

2. Doctor says my blood pressure is good, and weight is good, so he is pleased with everything. 

3. He wants to start seeing us every 2 weeks now, so the countdown is on the closer and closer appointments. 

4. Being pregnant has relieved me of some of the my thoughts pre-pregnancy. One is that my house has to be picked up and tidy no matter what. Before I would work hard every night or every morning and make sure that everything was in its place and I couldn't go to bed if there was still a pile of laundry on the floor that needed to be washed or a dish in the sink that needed to be washed, and it caused fights between me and Farmboy and it was stressful, but now, due to being pregnant and I just don't have the energy I figure what is it going to hurt for that newspaper that we have read to sit on the coffee table for one maybe two more days. Or one skillet is not going to matter if it sits overnight in the sink. 

5. This week I have became more self-conscience about my belly and how large it is getting. I am trying to be aware if I am starting to waddle or if I am standing to close to people or even getting too close to something and your not paying attention and my belly stops me cause it has hit it first. When people look at me now its the belly they notice first and while part of that I love the attention, another part I'm going , "What?? Yes I know I have a large belly" 

6. Last but not least, I have seriously come to the conclusion that bending over is high overrated. I now look at something on the floor and weigh my options if it is worth it to pick up or not. That might reference back to point number 4...something things can just lay around for a while. Ha!

This week after we went to the doctor, Farmboy took the rest of the day off and we headed to Springfield to do some baby shopping and to register at Babies R Us. 

This registration went a lot better than at Target, by the end of this we might be ole pros. The lady that helped us was very friendly and very helpful. She gave us a list of suggestions that we might want to register for. Well a list is all I needed, and away we went. Our scanner here was more high tech than at Target. When you scanned something, it had the ratings for that product and if applicable a video demonstration, which kept Farmboy entertained for several isles. The only problem we ran into is of course the list had EVERYTHING you could imagine EVERY needing for a baby so it took me a while to NOT go by the list and use some common sense as well. But I am such a list follower, it was hard to break free. Farmboy got irritated when hour number two rolled by so then it just became scan, scan, and more scan. I was afraid when I told him  that  I had him scan the wrong thing, which means he had to delete it and rescan something else, he was just going to leave me without a baby's daddy. Then in one corner of the store the scanner wouldn't register with the computer so he had to take the items a couple of isles over and scan them and bring them back. Such good times and happy memories made. 

After Babies R Us, we did do a couple of other stores for Lil Hoff, but then we ended up at Bass Pro for Farmboy and then at Texas Roadhouse for a early birthday dinner for him. It was a great day of talking and planning and getting ready for Lil Hoff. 

The next night we headed back up to Springfield for a Cardinals Game. One of the insurance companies that I write for had provided a bunch of us agents in this area with tickets as a thank you. The game was so-so, but we got free food and a free game. So in my book that is a good night. 

Farmboy this time it was a bit shorter than in June when I last wore it. :)

Here's the rest of the clan, cheering on the Cardinals. 

"For it's one! two! three! strikes your out at the ole ballgame"

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Lil Hoff Update Week 28

Busy, busy week here in the woods! Shewww, glad that it is almost over.....

What is going on with Lil Hoff....

1. Lil Hoff has reached 2 1/2 pounds and may be almost 16 inches long. 

2. Lil Hoff is mastering the skill of blinking...coughing...sucking..hiccuping..and taking practice breaths.

3. Lil Hoff is also catching up on his zzzzzzz's

4. Lil Hoff's lungs are almost fully developed.

What is going on with me.....

1. Lil Hoff continues to make it hard for me to get the deep breaths that I need. Every once in a while I feel light headed or my body will take a deep breath just to get caught up. 

2. Heartburn has been ever present this week. Which is not bad through the day but at night it just makes sleeping unbearable. 

3. I had a charlie horse in my leg that shot me out of bed like a cannon going off..oh it hurt. 

4. Farmboy continues to help me with meals which is nice, we never have really ever had something that we both work on together. 

5. My sister-in-law and new brother-in-law had a wedding reception this past Sunday. They had gotten married in June but we got to really celebrate them now. My mother-in-law out did herself decorating. The place was beautiful! 

She had her cakes on tree stumps, the whole place was amazing with a rustic woodsie theme. I believe she had five different cake flavors too. Mocha, White, Strawberry, Peanut Butter and Butter Pecan, yep that is five and the fact that I remembered them, shows you where I hung out, ha!

We had family in all weekend long to help us celebrate so needless to say I was completely wore out before my Monday even started. 

Farmboy and I went and checked cattle one night this week. He is already starting to have some fall calvers. I asked him if it was a little early but he said "some cows are just easier calvers, they grow them and shoot them out, that is what we are hoping for you." as he patted my belly. A reference to a cow, I am a lucky, lucky girl. 

They are both acting like they don't know I am taking their picture. 

Baby Reese was not so excited that I was along for the ride because she gets kicked to the back of the gator while I ride upfront. She truly believes she is the only female in Farmboy's life. 

Farmboy is a lucky, lucky, boy to be able to ride around in fields looking ultra manly with a fluff, fluff in his lap. I believe that is what he is thinking right now. 

These are my mother instincts kicking in already. In ten weeks just take fluff out and replace with Lil Hoff. I really don't see a difference.

Several other milestones were made this week....

We got our first piece of furniture for the nursery! My mom and dad got this as a baby gift for Lil Hoff (which I believe his momma will like and use more than he will). My mom, sister, and I loaded up one morning and went on a recliner buying journey. After several stores and several potty breaks we found this one. Actually I found one that was heated, cooled, and massaged you, but mom said that was not what she had in mind. Ha! But I believe this will do the trick for those late night feedings and if I happen to fall asleep in it as well, it will be a comfort to me as much as Lil Hoff. 

But I wasn't the first one to fall asleep in it :) I guess this proves my point, it is made for comfort. 

The other big milestone we made this week was registering!! Of course Farmboy has wanted to be a big part of the whole pregnancy adventure, so we took off to the lake with hopes of playing Putt-Putt but with humidity still looming around 100 degrees I told him I just didn't think I would be into it, so instead how about we go register at Tar-jay? That is almost the same thing, I be just as fun... right?? But he assured me that he had already thought of doing that as well, so off to Target we headed. 

When you have two people that have never really been around children, and haven't really done any research or reading on children, registering is like sending a blind person into a group of people and telling them to find someone with a red shirt on. We walked up and down isle after isle going what about this, and the other going, I don't know? What about this?? and so on and so on..... We went through two scanner guns cause they kept dying on us and we literally shut Target down. When we left I felt like I could have spent the whole day there and we were both completely exhausted. 

Farmboy was not as excited either, but if you can imagine this look was before we even started. We still had hours to spend together. Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Life is but a dream. 

( We did treat ourselves to ice cream afterwards, which always puts Farmboy in a better mood!)

 

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