Week 38 - Welcome Lucas Elijah Castro!

Our little Lucas Elijah Castro arrived on December 3rd at 11:48pm, just 12 minutes shy of his Papa's birthday. He weighed 7lb 8oz and was 21 1/2 inches long. Sorry for the short post, but just wanted to post an update and a photo to document the day. We are tired, as expected, but doing well. Thank goodness my parents arrived on Tuesday. I don't know what we'd be doing without them. Edgar is a superstar, taking care of me and Lucas around the clock.

I'll try to post pictures as I can. Thanks to everyone for your notes and emails...

Week 37

Wow...little baby is really growing now. He is putting on fat, which means pure weight and inches for me! Just in the past week, I've really started feeling pregnant, as in tired with no stamina. We had a small hiccup last weekend with some pain on my side and some elevated liver blood levels. The conclusion was that I must have pulled a muscle or ligament, which caused the pain, and the elevated liver levels were caught by accident while trying to figure out what was wrong with my side. In the end, the pain comes and goes, but is nothing to worry about, and the liver levels have returned to normal. Apparently they were a by-product of the stomach virus I had the weekend before. My doctor will never believe this. I've had such an uneventful pregnancy and in the two weeks he goes on vacation, all this drama happens.

Edgar is working so hard to get our flat ready for the baby. I do what I can, but it's not much these days. He is such a superstar and I really can't say how much I appreciate him. He is the perfect partner for this journey and I really could not have made it without him. He has fed me, clothed me, cleaned up after me, painted my toenails, provided me with endless ice cream...the list really is endless. I have a pregnancy journal that chronicles the changes in baby and myself on a daily basis, and since I've received it, he's read it every single night. It's our ritual before we go to sleep. I love him so much.

Mom and Dad arrive on Tuesday morning. We are very excited to have them for a few weeks! It should be a great Christmas!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! We are enjoying our last Thanksgiving here in the UK. Edgar got off work early and I made a little feast for us-turkey, homemade dressing, sweet potatoes and salad. We splurged and also had sweet iced tea. It's hard to believe I've missed my mom's Thanksgiving feast 3 years in a row now, but she assures me that next year will be no holds barred Thanksgiving. I'm sure she is going to make every single yummy casserole we ask for. We Skyped in this afternoon and visited with everyone at their house and now, thanks to Sky Sports, we are watching the Dallas Cowboys game!! YIPPEE!! Also, can you believe that this time next year, that little bump I'm sporting will be almost or mostly walking and eating turkey of his own?

Week 36

Week 36!!! We are in the homestretch!!! My regular doctor is on vacation until next week, so today I met his backup and she is really nice. I am in great hands either way. The best part was that she has an ultrasound machine in her exam room that she uses to check the baby, so I got to see the little guy again. She showed me that he has hair and I also got to see some fat rolls on his tummy. I told her my fear that he was going to be a gigantic baby based on my 4D ultrasound, but she said she didn't feel like he was. She thinks he is the right size for my body. PHEW! Everything looked great as usual and I was in and out in 10 minutes. I'll see her one last time next week and then it's back to my regular doctor until the grand appearance.

We finished our prenatal classes this past Monday and I have to say I was thoroughly impressed with them. Not that you can ever be fully prepared to be a parent, but the organization I took the classes through focuses on the whole process of having a baby, from pregnancy and birth, right on through to the transition to parenthood. So we learned alot more than just the stages of labor and the pain relief options, we learned what we would go through personally and as a couple and how to tackle some of the common obstacles that can make that transition more difficult. We met so many people right here in Richmond and now have 14 instant friends in the same position as us. The women in the group are fabulous and I am so lucky that they all live literally a block away from me. In fact, we were all so sad that the classes ended, that we are keeping our usual Monday night time slot open, but instead of meeting for class we are going to meet at different pubs and just hang out...at least until we start dropping like flies and then eventually start showing up again with newborns.

Sorry for the lack of posting on Week 35. Edgar and I came down with some kind of stomach virus on Wednesday and I spent Thursday at the doctor's offices and the hospital for monitoring, etc. to make sure everything was OK. I was pretty dehydrated, but the baby and myself checked out fine in the end. I was just sent home and told to sip water and sleep. By Sunday, we were fine and back to normal. Thanks to those of you who kept me on my toes (...Sharla).

A Package from Home!!

Our postal workers have been on strike and I've been anxiously awaiting a package from my sister for two weeks! It finally arrived this morning! It contained some great gifts! First, was a newborn Santa outfit. Since I found out I would be having a baby very close to Christmas, I've been on a mission to find one...Shaila found it first. Isn't it cute? Next was a booklight that I can attach to my books. This is a lifesaver because my bedside lamp is very bright and annoying, and even though he won't say it, I'm sure Edgar would rather I not keep it on while he is trying to sleep. Last but not least is a SNUGGIE!!!! I've been wanting one of these for over a year now!!! Now I can read, drink hot chocolate, and change the TV channel without having to unsnuggle from my warm blankety nest. And I like that it is leopard print...so chic. THANKS SO MUCH, SHAILA!!!

Week 34

Yeah, I know...my molehill has turned into a mountain.

A Perfect Viva Baby Shower

I was completely and utterly surprised when I opened an evite from Amber last month. She is always on top of the latest cool thing to have a party for...Pampered Chef, wall stencils, and well, other things...so I thought she had found some great new invention that I would have to check out. WRONG! It was an invitation for a baby shower in honor of ME, given by my best girlfriends-the Vivas-Amber, Carolyn, Marisa, Leslie and everyone's significant others!

Throughout my pregnancy I had tried to play it cool and act like the fact that I wouldn't have a good ole traditional American baby shower didn't bother me. But the closer I got to my due date, and the more my belly expanded, the sadder I got knowing I would miss out on this right of passage for every new mom-to-be. I tried to act like it was ok that I wouldn't play all the silly games, devour some cake and punch, and basically be the center of attention.

About a week before the shower, a package arrived from Marisa containing napkins, decorations, a CD with a great mix of music, and some little gifts. Little did I know all that was going on behind the scenes. James and Edgar were busy preparing the best chat-Skype vs. Google (Google won hands down). Edgar had been receiving emailed instructions throughout the week from everyone, and he had been busy getting everything ready on this side of the world.

So, this is how it went down (as my nephew Brody would say)...Our Google chat rings, we answer, and there is everyone on the screen with huge smiles on their faces. We started with snack time. Everyone at Amber's house had some great nibbles while Edgar handed me a plate of goodies he had prepared. We then went on to the party phase. We started with the tummy measure game. Amber was the winner, hitting my waist size spot on. I am going to overlook those who guessed my waist to be over five feet around ;) The camera does add 10 pounds! We did a word scramble/unscramble, and we drew a picture of the baby on paper plates while holding them on top of our heads. We then went on to the cake phase. While everyone pigged out on cake-Amber had gotten them a delicious chocolate on chocolate because that's my favorite-James held a baby-daddy-boot-camp for Edgar. He gave him the in's and out's on diaper changing, feeding, and how to get the baby into and out of those baby carrier contraptions. They finished with the diaper race, which I'm proud to say, Edgar won! After cake was gift time! Now this was a very clever idea...since it would be pretty impractical to ship gifts all the way over here, they had emailed Edgar pictures of the gifts they had purchased for us. He printed them out and put them in envelopes for me to open. I really felt like I was opening real gifts! We'll actually receive them when we move back. After gifts, it was entertainment time! Leslie, Carolyn, and Marisa did a hilarious rendition of our new favorite song, "Cheese Enchilada" by Big Smith. If you've never heard it, look it up! Amber and Cade then sang us a few original songs that we can sing to our Little Baby when he is taking a bath.

The end of the shower was upon us and they had saved the best for last. Edgar presented me with a package of Huggies and it was explained by Carolyn that each diaper contained some piece of advice or inspiration that I would discover throughout the use of the diapers. Everyone involved in the shower had emailed Edgar these little nuggets (no pun intended) of love and he had printed them out, cut them into individual pieces and placed one each in a diaper. I don't know why, but this just made me cry so hard. I knew that everyone had worked very hard to put this together, unbeknownst to me, and this just showed the thought that went into each and everything. All combined, they had sent enough tidbits for over 50 diapers!

I tried to express how genuinely happy I was to have been the recipient of such a thoughtful experience, but I was all choked up and couldn't even speak. I just buried my head in Edgar's shoulder and had a good cry (and trust me, when I get started these days, it's hard to stop). And then everyone else did to. I think all I could squeak out was "Thank you so much". I can't tell you how much this meant to me. I really felt like I got to experience the same thing every one else does. It didn't matter that I was in a different country or time zone, I felt like I was right there.

So...just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I get an evite from my sister a few weeks ago, and it seems I get to do it all over again with my family!!! How in the world did I get so lucky in life? I have the best friends, family and husband I could ever ask for. It's not easy being so far away from everyone you love (except for Edgar, of course) during a time as special as this. It just means so much to me that people have taken the time and made the effort to make me feel extra special. I appreciate it all and can't wait to report on virtual shower #2 in the very near future!

Week 33

I wasn't sure if I would ever post a bare tummy picture, but Edgar had a "photo shoot" with me on Saturday, and I had a little fun playing around with Photoshop. I was happy with the result and thought I would share it with you as my official Week 33 picture.

Inherit the Wind

I promised myself when 8 months ago that this wouldn't become the pregnancy blog. It's just that I'm to the point in my pregnancy now that we aren't really doing too much, so I feel quite boring! We are making a concerted effort to do more things around London since we are now homebound, and I'm hoping the postings on them will be a nice break from everything baby related (although I'm sure my 5 readers probably want it to be all baby, all the time).

On Thursday evening, we saw a play at the Old Vic Theater, just down the road from Waterloo Station. Inherit the Wind stars Kevin Spacey as a defense attorney for a young school teacher in 1925 Hillsboro, Tennessee-a very conservative, religious community-and is based on the real life "Scopes monkey trial". The teacher's crime was teaching Darwin's theory of evolution, a crime back in those days. It was a critically acclaimed movie in 1960 with Spencer Tracy as the famous defense attorney. Kevin Spacey did a very good job playing a very old man! We really believed he was about 80 years old, with his hunched shoulders, slight limp, and silver hair. It was only after final bows when he ran off stage that we remembered he isn't really old at all!

4D Ultrasound

As you can see, we had the big 4D ultrasound today! It was so amazing and I will never forget the feeling that came over me when I saw his little face. Who knew I could fall in love with an image on a screen?

Everything measured perfectly. He is approximately 5.4 lbs, which means he will be 8.4lbs if I make it to 40 weeks. I really hope I can push that out! His head was way down in my pelvis. The technician just said that means he knows where he's supposed to be. I knew he was pretty low, because I can feel all 5.4 lbs of him on my bladder right now. I did throw in one 2D picture for everyone who keeps telling me, "Oh, those ultrasounds aren't always accurate, you may have a girl after all!" I'm pretty sure after today that we are having a boy.

I will see my doctor again on Tuesday, and will continue with weekly appointments until he makes his appearance. I don't know why, but I just think he's going to come early. Watch me go over my due date and you will all refer me back to this posting..hahaha.

Up

We saw the 3-D animated movie Up last weekend. I wasn't too exited about seeing it because I'm usually not into the animated kiddie flicks. Edgar promised me that it had gotten good reviews and that I would like it. He also took full responsibility if I didn't. Well, verdict in, I LOVED it! It's a very sweet story about an husband who tries to fulfill his deceased wife's life-long dream of living on top of a beautiful waterfall in South America. He flies their whole house down south using helium balloons. Adventure ensues when a young boy accidentally tags along and, of course, there is also an evil villain to conquer along the way. I actually cried a few times and I don't think it was because of hormones. I think you should go see it even if you don't have kids. In fact, I think there were only about 2 kids in the whole audience that night.

Week 32

Week 32!!! My appointment went very well on Tuesday. My iron levels were a little low, so now I get to take this delicious liquid iron supplement. It's only 10ml twice a day...I just hold my nose and pretend it's a bad shot. My next appointment is in 2 weeks, and then I start going weekly. I thought you might also enjoy a front shot of me. I'm starting to fill out on the sides now...he needs all the room he can get these days, so my stomach is expanding in all directions. He is VERY active. In fact, Mr. Spence-Jones (my doctor), was literally chasing him around my stomach with the doppler to get the heartbeat. I hope I can have enough energy for this little guy!

The Baby Show

This is a very late post because it happened last weekend. Oh well, better late then never I guess!

Last Saturday we went to a very big Baby Show. It's got every single thing under the sun for babies, and it's all designed to make you feel like a bad parent if you don't get it for your new little bundle of joy. Just joking...they had lots of very useful products and provided great discounts for show shoppers. They don't really have big baby showers around here to help new parents get stocked up, so anywhere you can save a buck is always appreciated when you and you alone are responsible for buying everything for your baby.

Another thing they don't have over here are big box stores like Babies R Us and Target with millions of everything on display to test and tryout. Many things you just have to order online or from a catalog and wait to see if you like it when it's delivered. Needless to say, I don't like spending loads of money on something without being able to try it out first. So, I was focused on trying out glider chairs and baby slings. This is the only place with more than one chair to test out...they had three!!! I sat in one that I thought was comfortable and reasonably priced, but it was ugly and not something I would want to keep long term. We have had our share of chair drama around here that I haven't blogged about, and I have decided that all signs point to just not getting a chair over here. I know when I get back to the US, there will be 10 times more choices that I can test in person and they will be 1.5 times less expensive. Also, when we move, we will have to wait 6 weeks for it to arrive in our container shipment...so it's either have a mediocre chair here for 6 weeks and then wait 6 weeks to have it again, or just make do with our seating arrangements here and get one I really like as soon as we move back.

I also wanted to try out some baby slings. I never really thought the front carriers looked very comfortable for babies as they just kind of hang there. So I wanted a sling type carrier. I was able to try out several and found one I liked, fits Edgar and I both, and will grow with little baby for up to 2 years if we want (and he wants us) to keep carrying him around for that long!

We also found an ear thermometer for much less than the store price. All in all, it was a successful trip and we more than made up for the price of the ticket in product savings. You wouldn't believe the things they have out there. It was like a new world for me. People who know me know I don't handle too many choices very well. I get overwhelmed when there are too many things to pick from. Like the scrapbook aisle in Hobby Lobby. That's why I never started scrapbooking...too many choices of paper and I couldn't decide. I also get that way in Babies R Us. I walk in that store and look like I've hit a brick wall, there are just so many things and, up until a few months ago, I had no idea what was good. Well, I had a Hobby Lobby/BBRU moment as soon as we walked through the show's doors....brick wall. Good thing Edgar was there to keep us organized and keep me focused. We just took things one aisle at a time and remembered what we were there for. After 5 hours on my feet, though, I was ready to get home and have a nap!

Week 31

Here is my bump, although it now feels more like a mountain. This little man kicks so hard that I think I should sometimes yell "GOOOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!". He has definitely found my rib cage and loves to rub his feet and hands along its ridge. A very bizarre but wonderful feeling. I usually have to create a barrier with my hand so it won't be too uncomfortable. Edgar says I should just let him kick, I say let me kick your ribs for a while and we'll see how fast you put up a barrier. It's all in good fun and Edgar is continually amazed at the growth and jerks/movements in my belly. My next appointment is Tuesday. This is going by so fast!

Strasberries

Have any of you ever heard of or had strasberries? Edgar spotted them at the grocery store this past weekend and they were too interesting to pass up. They were from Holland, but I don't know if they are a Holland specialty. They were very sweet with the flavor of strawberries, but the flesh was a little less firm, a little more soft and raspberry-ish.

A Cheesy Confession

A have a confession. Some of you may find this hard to take. I have to admit that even I was a little disappointed. I hope it doesn't send you into a tailspin and I hope you won't think any less of me. Ready for it? My name is Vonda, and I no longer like Velveeta and Rotel cheese dip.

It happened on Sunday. Edgar and I were preparing tacos with our stockpiled HEB taco seasoning, topping them with Ranch, made from our stockpiled dry Hidden Valley Ranch stash. We thought we would take it one step further and whip up some cheese dip with our stockpiled Velveeta and Rotel. The cheesy delight was melted and ready for Taco Cabana style flour tortilla dipping. I took one bite and almost couldn't swallow it. It tasted so salty and so...unnatural. I only took 3 bites. Edgar managed to polish off a whole tortilla dipped into it, but even he has agreed that he has lost his taste for it. I just couldn't get over how salty it was! I dug the cardboard container out of our recycle bag to check the ingredients (a very scary thing to do with processed food) and nutrition content. Sure enough, that stuff is loaded with sodium! A half inch slice alone contains almost 20% of your daily intake. We used the small one pounders, so if you use the big box, I'm sure the portion size is even smaller than a half inch. We surmised that the average cheese dip amount we used to eat or anyone probably eats is equal to the entire amount of sodium you should have in one day. The dip is still sitting, very lonely, in our white corning ware dish in the fridge. We may have a proper burial for it soon and say goodbye forever.

So this all got me thinking about how my taste buds have changed these past three years. I always ate what I thought was healthy in the US. I cooked alot and didn't eat junk food. But I also had Sonic, Wendy's, Taco Cabana, and every other food place at my disposal, at least until midnight and sometimes 24 hours a day. When I think back, I indulged more than I should have. I ate too many Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops as snacks. I'm sure I partook (is that even a word?) in too many summer 99cent Sonic sundaes. The list is endless. The don't really have drive-thrus over here, with the exception of the occasional McDonald's or Burger King on the motorway. They don't have a Texas Roadhouse or Olive Garden or Cracker Barrel at every exit. In fact, if you are on a road trip, it's sometimes hard to find a restaurant. You usually have to drive into an actual village and find a pub or something.

But I have also learned that even when I thought I was being healthy, the food in the US can tend to just be flat out unhealthier. For example, next time you buy chicken breasts at the grocery store, notice how gigantic they are. Then read the label...I'm sure it will say something about "broth" or "salt solution". This is just salt injected into the meat to plump it up. Here, the meat is just meat. When I first started buying chicken, I thought I was getting totally jipped because the pieces were so much smaller. Then I realized I was paying for the same amount of actual meat. It's just that in the US, they throw in the salt water to make you think you are getting a great deal. Next example-soups. I admit that the canned soups over here are rubbish. I don't eat them. In the US, canned soups are sometimes the only soup options you have (thanks, Campbell's). Over here, there are tons of refrigerated, fresh soups to choose from...chunky, seasonal, cream of whatever... I bought a carton of Cream of Mushroom soup to pour over my chicken last night. I decided to compare its ingredients with that of Campell's cream of mushroom soup. The soup here had just basic ingredients that you could pronounce and would use if you were making it homemade...mushrooms, milk, celery, onions, etc. The Campbell's, which I looked up online, had at least 3 or 4 different types of oils near the beginning of the list, meaning they are some of the main ingredients. I couldn't believe it! All those tasty meals I used to make with all things Campbell's Cream of ---(reduced fat, reduced sodium or whatever) were just junk. I knew that creamy soups were not exactly healthy back then, but I didn't realize the extent until I had another alternative.

I'm not saying that everything over here is healthier. Trust me, they have their share of processed nasty food. It's just that I feel there are more healthier alternatives that are not considered "healthy" or "low fat", it's just they way they are. There are generally less preservatives, additives, and salt. The milk, bread, yogurts, etc. expire more quickly. And don't even get me started on the bread. I think I'm going to have to buy a bread machine and make my own when we move back. The cereal aisle is an eye opener. Instead of the healthy stuff being pushed into the health food aisle or squeezed into the end of the regular cereal aisle, it's the main selection. The sugar cereals with cute cartoon characters are in the definite minority. One last thing about the grocery stores...there are no temptations at the checkout. That's right...the only thing you have to look at and contemplate slipping on the conveyor belt are a few magazines and maybe some brochures of the store, no candy bars, no refrigerated cases with over sized bottles of Coke. That alone has saved me plenty of calories from peanut M&M's (my checkout vice). The exception to this being Asda, which is Wal-Mart. I don't know why they don't just call it Wal-Mart, but for some reason, when WM opened stores over here, they decided to call them Asda.

Now I am in a quandary. I've not really developed taste buds for many of the foods over here...the meat tastes different, the veggies that are popular are not my favorite, and I just can't make myself crave Indian food (the TexMex of England). Now I'm afraid that I have lost my desire for US foods. Will I still like the bread in Carraba's, the hot fudge sundaes from Sonic, the cheese enchiladas from Romero's? I guess it wouldn't be so bad if some of these things are knocked off my favorites list, I just don't want to be in limbo where nothing tastes good. I guess only time will tell. All I know is that as of this past June, I still enjoyed my last ditch chips and queso from Pappasito's in the airport and I had probably one too many DQ treats. Whether I liked them for nostalgia's sake, hormones, or I truly liked them, it will definitely be another post-expat adjustment.

The Weekend

Edgar and I had a very relaxing weekend...no more travel means more time at home! The definite highlight of the weekend was our meet up with some friends at a local pub for Saturday lunch. George and Dorothee are Greek and French, respectively. They have an adorable 2 1/2 year old girl named Alicia, who is already trilingual (Greek, French, and English). They also have a baby girl named Penelope who has the softest blond hair you've ever seen. Larren and Deena have a baby girl named Keira who is so cuddly and cute, and I'm surprised she has any cheeks left since everyone just wants to kiss them off. Penelope and Keira are around 4 weeks apart and will be one year old in just a few more months. These two amazing sets of friends have been so kind in letting us borrow some essential items for our little bundle for the few weeks we will be in London with him. I don't know what we would have done without them.

The rest of the weekend was nothing to write home about...we cooked, we cleaned, we grocery shopped...aren't we so international and exciting?!?!?!

Yeah for Brody!!!

Congratulations to my nephew, Brody, for winning FIRST PLACE in the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo's Mutton Bustin' competition! For those of you who don't know what mutton bustin' is, here's the run down...Kids around 5 years old and younger are set on top of a very fluffy sheep, told to hold on for dear life, and as the little sheep shoot opens, they ride this ball of cotton for as long as they can. Some kids fall off right out of the shoot, some hang on sideways for a long time, and some, like Brody, hang on for almost the full length of the arena! The judges give them scores, just like real cowboys, and the one with the highest score wins. I've been to my share of these events, and I can tell you that Brody's score of 90 was excellent...obviously, since he won!

If you would like to see some pictures of the event, just click here
http://www.wacotrib.com/search/mediahub/media/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=191779

Week 30

The countdown is on. Is it already 30 weeks? I am still feeling great, and despite what I hear about the 3rd trimester woes, I'm sleeping and feeling the best I've felt my entire pregnancy. I owe this to several things, I think. First, it took me 30 weeks, but I have finally figured out my pillow situation...which ones to use and where exactly to put them. Edgar is very thankful that I have reduced the number of pillows from 5 to 3. Secondly, I have switched from sipping on water throughout the night to Gatorade (a trick learned from Amber). The water just goes straight through and the Gatorade takes a little longer to process. With this, I have managed to stretch my sleep from 2 hour increments to 4 and sometimes 5 hours! Third, the pregnancy yoga classes have stretched some of my more annoying aches and pains away. Lastly, we are starting to get deliveries of the essential items we have ordered to make our little baby safe and snuggly when he arrives...part of the nesting process I guess.

Edgar is a champ. With only 4 months remaining here in the UK, he began the process to obtain his UK driver's license, just so he can drive me to the hospital. This really eases my mind and is something I'm sure he would rather not be spending his time on right now. This past week, he passed the written portion of the test and will now just need to pass the driving portion in a few weeks. I'm so proud and appreciative of him.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRODY, #5!!!

Dear Brody,

It's hard to believe that 5 years ago today your very brave mommy brought you into our world. You were the sweetest, cuddliest little baby, and your little face was the cutest I had ever seen. Now, you light up our days with your smile and provide us with endless entertainment as you tell your very imaginative and funny stories. I am so lucky to have you as my nephew and I can't wait until you get to meet our little baby. You will be the best Big Cousin...I'm sure of it. I hope you had fun with all your friends at school today and I will see you in just a few more months!

Love,
Aunt Vonda

Week 29

I know, I know....they look the same as last week. I promise I do have another shirt, I just really like this one and it's easier to compare photos when everything looks the same. I had my 28 week appointment on Tuesday and everything is still progressing perfectly. I love how everyone I've dealt with medically has made me feel like the best baby maker/grower they've ever seen. Usually, after 28 weeks, the doctor sees you every 2 weeks, but I'm doing so well, he extended it to 3! So, I'll go in again on October 20th.

Week 28

This is the traditional side view I've been taking. I'm really starting to feel pregnant now. Not quite as nimble as I once was..haha. The floor just seems so FAR away these days! If I look relaxed, it's because I am. I got the best pregnancy massage yesterday. It wasn't just a pamper session, I actually therapeutically needed a massage due to some aches and pains that are creeping up. This lady specializes in all things women, mainly pregnancy, infertility, things like that. She's got all sorts of training in holistic stuff and I almost felt like I was in a counseling session. We had a consultation for about 30 minutes before my appointment to discuss how things have gone so far, my anxieties/fears, etc. She had great advice and then whipped up some aromatherapy oils based on all the information I provided. The best part of it all is that her table has holes cut out for boobs and the bump. It felt so great to lay in that orientation after weeks of side sleeping. I'm normally a stomach sleeper anyways, so that in itself was worth my time. In fact, I would pay just to lay on her table for an hour, face down. Well, maybe I might want the massage thrown in, too. Little baby loved it too. When I got settled on my stomach, he started moving like crazy!

This is more of an angled view. I'm trying to get a shot of what Edgar and I have nicknamed my upper abdomen-The Torpedo. The bottom of my torso is nice and rounded like a ball, and then my upper torso does this weird pointy thing. Can't really make it out in this picture, so you'll just have to trust me. Maybe one day I will get brave enough to post a picture of my bare stomach. You could probably make it out with some strategic shadowing. Meanwhile, I think I'll just keep my shirt on.

My next appointment is Tuesday. After that, I start going in every 2 weeks. Is it already time for the every other week appointments??? Holy crap!

Julie and Julia

I forgot to post about the movie Julie and Julia, which we watched a few weekends ago. Edgar owed me 2 chick flicks for making me sit through The Hurt Locker. It's not that I didn't like THL because it was a somewhat violent war flick, I just didn't think it was a very good movie. Even Edgar agreed that it equalled 2 chick flicks.

So, #1 was Julie and Julia. It was a great movie! Edgar liked it, too. Julie decides to cook her way through all of Julia Child's recipes in her classic cookbook and then blog about it. She had one year to complete over 500 recipes. Meanwhile, a separate storyline traces Julia Child's life as she arrives in France all the way through to the completion of her cookbook. If you get a chance, I recommend you go and see it. Thanks to Lilly for telling me about it.

Week 27

WOW! I had to look at the previous week's belly posting, because I can't believe it's already 27 weeks!

The "Nursery Advice" Session

Saturday was the "nursery advice" appointment at John Lewis on Oxford Street. I almost cancelled it because I didn't think we needed enough things to warrant an entire person walking around the store with us for 2 hours. Most people spend their 2 hours discussing all the different strollers or car seats, but since we don't need that, I was curious as to what exactly would wind up on our "list". Come to find out, we had a nice little selection of basic things we needed. It was worth our time just to have someone right there with us to answer any questions we had about bottles, diapers, creams, and all those little things. Some of the brands over here are different and I don't know what are considered the "it" brands. She very nicely and patiently answered all of our questions, and an hour later, we took our free coffee voucher to the little store cafe and had a snack while she printed up our list. I can't tell you how many people were wondering around that baby section with perplexed looks on their faces. The best ones were the men...they didn't have a clue (and that is something Edgar pointed out, so I'm not just being mean). We already ordered everything off the list we decided we would actually need, and it should arrive on our doorstep in the next few weeks...easy, easy!

Week 26

I'm still feeling great, despite getting tired very easily. My back has been hurting quite a bit, but the yoga classes seem to help. I always sleep really good on yoga nights. I also started having some random Braxton-Hicks contractions...mainly in the evening, but they go away when I sit down. Little baby is still kicking like crazy, always as soon as I lay down for bed. It's fun to feel where he is rolling and know that he is safe and warm just playing around in there. I am getting nervous about the day he gets big enough to kick my ribs...I still have a few more inches to go. Tomorrow is a big day for Edgar and I. We are going to a store called John Lewis, where we have a 2-hour appointment with a "nursery advisor" to help us get all set up with the basics we will need while over here. Who knows what we'll come home with. The good news is that you pick it all out on one day and then you tell them when you want them to deliver it to your house (for free). This means we don't have to store and walk around it for at least a few more months.
Remember, you can see my belly getting progressively bigger by clicking on the link to the left.

A Cool Little Coincidence

Yesterday was 09/09/09 and there were 99 days until my due date. I knew this child was special.

Another Near Tragedy in the Kitchen

I only wish it would have involved leftovers. I try not to pay attention to old wive's pregnancy tales and when I receive advice, I politely nod my head, smile and either file it away or let it blow away in the breeze. So far, the best (and I say that loosely) advice I have received was from some well meaning and wonderful people in Cyprus. They kept offering me beer for my morning sickness and also said it would make my milk strong. My doctor said, "Really, like a pint?" Also, the doorman at our hotel there went on a very long tangent about how I should give my baby a teaspoon of starch (as in the starch you use to stiffen your clothes) every day in his bottle. This is because it makes the stomach very strong. His mother did it for him and he is now 60 years old and has never been sick. Everyone in Cyprus appeared to be normal, happy, and strong, so maybe there is something to their advice....

One thing you always read is that you get clumsy in pregnancy. I thought maybe I would bump into things since my body is changing shape and I'm not used to carrying around this particular weight. When the stomach expands several inches, that couch is a little closer than it used to be. But I'm beginning to think the clumsy thing is actually true. Last night as I began to prepare the Jamie Oliver Mexican cornbread and tortilla soup, I sliced open the tip of my left thumb. I thought I might need stitches it was so bad. It appears to have sealed a bit overnight and now it's just really sore and I have absolutely no feeling in it. Then, a little while later, I dropped said knife onto the floor only inches away from my bare feet. During clean up, I took the knife out of the drainer, whipped it around to put it in the drawer and actually scraped Edgar's arm with the tip of it (don't worry, no blood and he's OK). This is a serious knife, too...not a little paring knife, but a Santuko chef's knife. I NEVER do things like this. I think for every one's safety, I should just stay out of the kitchen.

Tragedy in the Kitchen

I awoke this morning to tragedy in the kitchen. Edgar and I both forgot to put the gumbo in the fridge last night. So, we had a big pot of delicious leftover gumbo laughing at us all the way to the trash can. I tried to tease myself into thinking that it was pretty cool last night, so perhaps the natural temperature of the kitchen would have preserved it. But, since my pregnancy journal has been focused for the past 5 days on how to prevent food born illnesses, my better judgement took over the sentimental feelings, and common sense got the best of me. I called Edgar as soon as I discovered it. He said he found it this morning, but decided not to tell me as he gently kissed my forehead goodbye. Sleep has been an enigma for me lately and I was just too peacefully snoozing for him to wake me with such earth shattering news. It was a sad morning. We grieved for the hard work, the chopping, the stirring, the laughs we shared as we mutually prepared this feast for dinner less than 12 hours prior. We also moved on. The pot is now clean, safely drying in the open air. Tonight's dinner is already accounted for, and tomorrow, when we make our planned Jamie Oliver inspired tortilla soup, we will not forget to put it in the fridge. Especially since I'm planning on making double the recipe to fill my freezer for many delicious lunches to come. That would be a double tragedy.

Gumbo!!!

Jamie Oliver, a.k.a. The Naked Chef, spent many months driving across America in search of what makes true American cuisine. He spent time with and studied the creations of everyone from the Navajo in the Wild West to the soul food cooks in Georgia. All this work culminated in a series on TV and a cookbook to match. We enjoy watching anything American over here, so we tuned into the first episode this past Tuesday and really enjoyed what we saw. Edgar was so inspired that he bought the cookbook! Tonight, we made Jamie's gumbo recipe derived from his time in Louisiana. I have to say that it turned out very, very good! We filled it with the typical veggies like okra and tomatoes, and added the suggested chorizo sausage and shrimp. We wanted to add crab meat, but the grocery store was fresh out. Just to make it complete, I brewed sweet iced tea and our dinner was complete. The best part is that we have leftovers for tomorrow!

Saturday in Richmond

First, a stroll throught the Saturday Richmond Market.

Then, a little spectating at the 2009 Great River Race. You might remember I did it in 2007.

Just a picture of me.

Lastly, beer and bratwurst at Stein's on the river.

Week 25

Hard to believe I am already this far along! I had my 24 week appointment on Tuesday. Everything looks really good...weight in the appropriate range, tummy is the right size, blood pressure good, my pulse was a little high but it's usually because I am still recovering from the walk to the office and I always get a little anxious. Last night I started prenatal yoga. I've tried yoga before and I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan. I just always thought I should be briskly walking or kickboxing or something else instead. But yoga while pregnant is completely different for me. I loved it. It felt so good to stretch my back and relax my racing mind. I think I'm really going to look forward to my weekly classes. In a couple more weeks, I'm going to start prenatal Pilates. Now Pilates I love. I did Pilates for several years before pregnancy. I've done matwork and the Reformer machine and loved each one. I'm hopeful that the Pilates will help me build some strength for the task to come in the next few months. I'm going to throw in a few aquafit classes during the week and I think that should keep my energy up and counteract the ice cream I'm eating!

Ranch AND Sweet Iced Tea

Edgar and I have been to the Texas Embassy several times since moving to London. We can get a slight TexMex fix if we really need to. The food was always OK, but nothing to write home about. I went there when my parents came to visit and discovered that they had revamped the menu. They condensed the menu and focused on fewer things, but made them better. Edgar and I went there a few weekends ago because we really just needed some chips and salsa. Obviously, I'm not drinking margaritas right now, but I still wanted a fun drink, or at least something besides water. So I asked for an iced tea...that's what they call the Lipton premade lemon flavored bottled tea you get over here. It's usually the closest you can come to the tea we are used to. To my surprise, we discovered that they now serve REAL ICED TEA!!!! And the lady asked if I wanted it sweet or unsweet! It's not on the menu...I guess they got tired of too many homesick Texans telling them it can't be a Texas restaurant without real iced tea. They now have pretty good chicken flautas as well. And can you believe that they serve them with a big container of RANCH!!!! I was so in heaven that day.

My chicken flautas with RANCH!!!

Chips and salsa, and REAL ICED TEA!!!

Week 24

Week 24! If you are counting months, I guess that makes me about 6 months. However, when you become pregnant, you discover there are so many ways of counting how far along you are. Personally, I like to still count in weeks...it seems like I'm not as far along and that I still have some more time to prepare! I'm feeling really good. I do get tired easily and talking tends to make me huff and puff. I think that I grew this past week. I've been really hungry and my belly has really been itching. The little one is still kicking like crazy and it's fun to watch my stomach shake when he pulls a roundhouse. Other than that, we are now just getting ourselves in planning mode. We intend to do some shopping this weekend while I am still truly mobile and feel like doing it. If we can just stop ourselves from buying cute stuffed animals and toys and focus on essentials, we may just make some headway. Don't forget you can click on my "Bump" photo link to compare the different weeks. It's on the left side panel.

7 Years!

Yesterday marked Edgar and I's 7th wedding anniversary. We celebrated by dining at a swanky little restaurant in Kew called The Glasshouse. The food is always delicious and the service impeccable. It's the type of place where, when you get up to use the toilet or whatever, they refold your napkin into a fancy design and put it back on the table instead of in wherever you left it. We had so much fun reminiscing on the past 7 years (or the 9 that we've been together) and how next year's anniversary will be a little different for us.

So...Happy Anniversary, Babe. You've made the past 7 years magical and adventurous. I can't wait to see what the next year brings and share in all the new memories with you. You are a husband I thought only existed in my dreams and I feel so lucky to have you, your support, and and your love every single day. love you...L&LB

Week 23

20 Week Ultrasound

I did it! The video actually uploaded! I hope you enjoy our little boy! Notice at the very beginning how he is doing the bicycle with his legs. I think that he has been taking Spin classes in there lately...and kickboxing.

If you can't see the video above, just click here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj4rXSyS96I

Summer is Here!

Well, we've waited for a very long time to say that summer has arrived here in London. It came yesterday, and, according to the weather people, it's leaving today. Two glorious days of hot (90F). Although I think it was hotter back in the beginning of June. Oh well, we take what we can get, and, quite frankly, I'm quite happy to not be lugging my pregnant self around in extreme heat.

Life has been a little slow for us lately. We are mostly hanging out around the house and visiting with friends. Our baby gear research and shopping is beginning to unfold. For some reason, even though I am obviously pregnant, I feel like an outsider when I visit these baby stores. It's as if I feel like people just look, laugh, and say "What do they think they are doing in here?" And most of the time, we walk around with a deer in headlights look on our faces. We are trying to keep it simple and not be the parents who buy a bunch of un-needed stuff. Since we will be moving back to the US, we'll wait to stock up at that time. For the first six weeks, we're just concentrating on the basic essentials. When you live in a small space and really think about it, it's amazing what you realize you can do without!

This past weekend, we had lunch with our good friends Larren, Deena, and their adorable 8 month old daughter, Keira. They gave us some good advice and Keira is so good and sweet, that we weren't totally scared of our impending parenthood journey.

Sorry there isn't more to report! I'm trying to upload my 20 week ultrasound video to youtube so you can see our little one. I don't know if it will work, but I guess we'll all find out!

Week 22

Roujan, France and Barcelona, Spain

I've been really bad about updating the blog with our trips. We've taken several major trips that I have yet to report on. I thought I would fill you in on our latest trip while it's still fresh on my mind and then I'll get caught up on everything I've been missing.

August 2-8, 2009

I don't know if you would call our last trip a "Babymoon" or not, but it was probably our last major trip until the baby is born. It has become increasingly uncomfortable for me to fly, especially on these discount airlines where there is absolutely no leg room. I was so happy our latest trip was only a couple of hours on the plane, because I don't think I could have lasted much longer. The up side is that Easyjet makes all pregnant ladies sign a release form that states how many weeks you are and we got to board with the "people with children and those needing assistance" group, thereby avoiding the cattle call that is Easyjet boarding.

We arrived in Montpellier, France on Sunday and had decided to do some of our trip "Lilly and Aron style". Lilly and Aron are the friends from Oxford that we traveled with (they are now back in Houston :( ). In all of our trips, I plan EVERYTHING-flights, car rental, where to stay, train times/tickets, etc. We were spontaneous on restaurants and sometimes on what we did when we were at our destination, depending on our destination. But for the most part, I planned for months and everything always went off like clockwork with no stress at all. Lilly and Aron were a little more freestyle in their travel, sometimes not even knowing where they would spend the night. So we decided to take inspiration from them and *GASP* not pre-book our rental car! I know, it's hard to believe, but we did it. We started going from desk to desk in the airport and every single one of them said "Sorry, it's a very busy time, we have no cars available". So I begin to panic a little because a car is literally the only way we can get to our ultimate destination of Roujan. At the last desk, we hit the jackpot with a VW Golf for a reasonable price. I was relieved. And to top off our "Lilly and Aron style", we *HUGE GASP* did NOT get a GPS system. We are so crazy, I know...next thing you know, we'll move back to Texas with a 6-week old...oh wait, we are already going to do that!

We arrived in Roujan with no problems. It seems we can still read a map and road signs. We were warmly and graciously welcomed by our friends, Lizzie and Ali, at Le Couvent. We always said that we would never visit any of our previous travel destinations twice, with the exception of Le Couvent. It's like visiting old friends and we could not leave Europe without seeing them one more time. Within a half hour of arriving, we were greeted also with the sounds of a trumpet and the beginning of the Roujan Fete. This is an annual celebration in Roujan that consists of many activities, such as a parade, carnival and wine tasting from the region. I loved the parade. It's the kind where after the last float passes you, you follow along, so by the end of the parade, everyone in the entire village is following this parade and they all wind up down at the carnival grounds. We both had fun watching the musical entertainment and Edgar had fun tasting the different wines and fresh oysters. Dinner that night was at a local restaurant with the entire house of guests from Le Couvent. It was great to get to know everyone we would be seeing for the next few days. Our second day consisted of sleeping very late and getting a very late start. But it's OK, the purpose of this trip was not "travel", but "vacation", and we promised ourselves we would just relax and basically do nothing but enjoy each other and the sunshine. We drove over to Pezenas the second day for some lunch and a little shopping and then on to Neffies, a nearby village, for a delicious French dinner at Les Goutailles. The highlight of our third day was sitting by the pool at Le Couvent all day long, and capping our day with homemade vanilla ice cream courtesy of Lizzie. And because I'm the pregnant lady, I got to finish off the canister, and I did...I don't think they even had to wash the thing. We had dinner that night at another nearby village, Servian, at a restaurant called Le Vesuvio. We decided that on our last full day, we should probably do a little road trip. We love driving through the little French villages, and this would probably be our last chance for a while. We wound up in Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert, a beautiful medieval village and considered one of the most beautiful in France. We meandered along the narrow passageways and up and down the hills popping into unique shops and stopping for a cool drink every now and then. Needless to say, it was a very active day, and when we returned to the car to head home, we were both sufficiently exhausted, and hot. We capped our last night with an aperitif and games at Le Couvent before heading back to Neffies for dinner.

This is where things got interesting, because we were supposed to go to Barcelona on Thursday for the remainder of our vacation. And in keeping with our "wing it" philosophy, we did not reserve train tickets. I mean, Barcelona is only 3 hours away, how hard can it be to get a train ticket? Well, apparently, everyone wants to go to Barcelona in August and no matter what we did, the train website kept saying there were no tickets available. We had alot of fun at breakfast Thursday morning with everyone trying to help us out. We had suggestions of hot air balloons, finding a fishing boat and working our way across the Mediterranean, and hiring the local taxi driver who is also the local mortician (and hopefully no none would need his services while we were away). In the end, we just drove to the train station, crossed our fingers and hoped for the best, which happened. There were tickets available, just not the direct kind. We had to change trains in Spain, which wasn't too bad, except the train we had been on in France was built for long distance travel and was very nice. The train in Spain was more of a commuter train and you can imagine hot, sweaty, stinky people getting on and off after a day at the beach. It was probably the stinkiest train I've ever been on. No offense to any Spaniards, and I can say this because Edgar is of Spanish descent, but please take a shower and wear some deodorant (don't worry, he does)!

We arrived in Barcelona, a little later than anticipated, but we at least got there. The very cheap taxi (they are plentiful and cheap in Barcelona) dropped us in front of our hotel, the Grand Hotel Central. We grabbed some delicious tapas close by and then retired to our room to scrub the train stink off of us and get some sleep. We spent our day and a half in Barcelona walking Las Ramblas, touring some Gaudi sites like the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, and bascially just enjoying the beauty of the city. We have both decided that it is now our #2 favorite city we have visited behind Rome. The buildings are beautiful, the people nice and the food really, really good. It was the perfect combination of modern cosmopolitan and old world.

This was a great last trip for us. And it is so appropriate that our first and last big trip to Europe included Le Couvent. We have made so many life long friends during our time over here and we are so thankful to have had the experiences we have had. We both realize we are living a dream and it's hard to believe it is winding down for us. We've hit the snooze button as many times as possible, but now we know we will have to wake up eventually. Thanks to everyone for supporting us and being interested in what we are doing over here. It's made it that much more enjoyable for us.

21 Weeks

We were in France/Barcelona on the "birthday" of 21 weeks. This picture was taken in Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, France. It's a beautiful medieval village about an hour's drive from Roujan. Sorry I don't have on my usual long-sleeve pink shirt. It was over 100 degrees outside.

A Little Late, but the End of Mom & Dad's Visit...

This is a bit late in posting, but I wanted to do a conclusion to Mom and Dad's visit so we could have a record of all they did while they were here....

Saturday, July 25, 2009

(On top of the overlook with the White Cliffs behind)

(Dover Castle)

(The English Channel and all the ferries to France behind us)

We loaded up the car for a little road trip to Dover. Our intention was to see Dover Castle and tour the tunnels used during WWII. The Castle was closed, but it actually worked out for the best, because we were able to spend more time touring the grounds, which were open. There is an overlook located at the front of the grounds that was used to keep an eye on the sky and sea during the wars. The top of the overlook is now a great place to get a good view of the ferry harbor and the White Cliffs of Dover. The overlook, which is actually underground, is a series of bunkers, a communications system and a room with a full wall of windows that was used to view any enemies coming towards the coast. Keep in mind that we chose this day randomly, having no idea of what events may have been going on in the actual town. As we were standing in the overlook, looking out the same windows used by soldiers many years ago, we heard a rumble, looked up and saw a huge WWII airplane flying at eye level to us. We really couldn't believe our eyes! Come to find out, Dover was hosting their annual Dover 2009 event, which is an airshow showcasing everything from vintage planes to modern coast guard helicopters. Dad was beyond himself and I've never seen him move faster than when he climbed the staircase back to the top of the overlook to get a closer look at the plane and take some photos. We admired the airshow for a while before heading down to do the tunnels tour.

I had already taken the tour a few years back, so I hung out in the little cafe while Mom, Dad, and Edgar learned how they were used during the war for everything from communications, to a hospital, to housing. I think they thoroughly enjoyed the tour and learned alot about the Dunkirk retreat, which was a massive operation to move retreating Allied soldiers from France back to the UK. The operation was expected to save maybe 5,000 soldiers, but wound up saving close to 400,000. Pretty amazing.

It was a long day, but it could not have been more perfect. We all headed back to Richmond with smiles on our faces and just a few aching feet.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Tuesday was their last official day as tourists as they were leaving on Wednesday. We finished it with a bang...Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and a tour through the National Gallery. Unless you get to the Palace 2 hours before the changing begins, you can't expect to get prime views. We thought we had a great outpost, but we wound up not being able to see much of anything happening in the courtyard behind the gates. We at least got to see everyone march in and out and here the band play a few songs.

We headed down the road towards the Texas Embassy for a much deserved lunch of mediocre TexMex. It's pretty good for London, but they would get laughed out of town in Texas.

We then did a quick, whirlwind tour of the National Gallery, where Mom and Dad saw paintings by artists such as Raphael, Van Gough, and Monet. I think they were pleasantly surprised by the art and enjoyed it!

(On the front entrance to the National Gallery with St. Martin in the Fields Church in the background. We had coffee and hot chocolate to fuel us for the ride back home to Richmond.)

Week 20 Bump

Week 19 Bump

London Wetlands Center

Dad really enjoys birdwatching, so I thought a trip to the London Wetlands Center in Barnes would be appropriate. Barnes is just up the road from us and a very easy drive. One look at their website told me everything I needed to know...my three favorite words here in London..."ample free parking". The Wetlands is a manmade resevoir where birds, ducks, and geese of all kinds migrate and hang out during the different seasons. We didn't see as many different types of birds as we wanted, but we saw plenty of ducks! It was a beautiful day outside (no rain) and we had a very relaxing day meandering around the trails and spying on wildlife through our binoculars.

Arundel Castle and Brighton

While Edgar was "straggling" his way through the English countryside (see post below), Mom, Dad and I headed down towards Brighton. On the way there, Dad said, "Hey, look at that castle!" I'm no stranger to castles, so I thought it was probably just another ruined old castle barely worth a look. Was I surprised when I looked over and saw an amazing structure just off the side of the road! The road signs pointed to Arundel Castle, so we took a little detour and wound up staying there for about 4 hours! This castle is still the home of the Duke of Norfolk and his family (including 5 children). Most of it has been restored, but there are still some anciet towers and pieces from the original build in the 11th century. We had a grand time wandering around the place and finding our way up and down very narrow, winding staircases. When you think of the perfect castle with hidden passageways and random hallways you can get lost in, this is the castle for you.





We finally made our way to Brighton and checked in the Queens Hotel on the seafront. The hotel is located in a lovely, old (imagine that), restored building almost directly in front of the famous pier. We had a quick freshen up in our room and then headed to a well known fish and chips place for dinner. I'm not a huge fish and chips fan, but all our visitors just can't wait to have it! I have to say that these fish and chips were really good and not too greasy. I just stuck with a salad and baked potato. After dinner, we strolled along the boardwalk and up and down the pier. It is full of games, people, carnival rides and all things fun food related, like cotton candy and doughnuts. We had a great time and somehow managed our stroll during the 2 hours it didn't rain that evening. Brighton is a well known party town and brides and grooms to be love to go there to celebrate their imminent end of singledom. Once the revelers went back to their rooms to pass out, we had a peaceful night's sleep listening to the rain and the wind blow. Edgar's finish line was exactly 1 mile up the road from the hotel (we didn't even plan that, it was purely coincidental), so Dad and I set off to cheer his team through the finish line and help him hobble back to the car. Mom stayed back at the hotel so just in case we didn't make it back for check out, she could do it for us. Edgar grabbed a quick shower and we got him home as quickly as possible. It was a very fun weekend! Edgar is walking normally again and we are still talking about that castle!

Edgar Walks 60 Miles for Charity!

Last weekend was a busy one for us. Edgar signed up for a charity walk several months ago and this past weekend finally saw the event come and go. The name of the event was TrailWalker 2009. Several thousand walkers trek for 60 miles through trails and paths in the English countryside. But don't let the "countryside" fool you. It's arduous, hilly, muddy, rainy, and most importantly...a VERY, VERY long distance. He walked with 3 other co-workers from BP and had an amazing support crew of 2 people helping along the way. About every 2-3 hours were designated checkpoints where these support crew members would set up a tent and make food, replenish water bottles, etc. This gave the walkers a chance to dry their feet, tend to their blisters, and do some carb loading. The "Stragglers" started and finished as a full team (meaning no one dropped out half way through) in just under 27 hours. That's 27 hours of straight walking....this doesn't include any sort of cozy night in a tent. Needless to say, they were all exhausted, but very proud of themselves. I am so proud of Edgar. His determination and mental strength continually amaze me.

The Stragglers crossing the finish line

The team on the official finisher stand