Could it be?...

...Or is it just my imagination? Either way, I think I have been able to start feeling the baby move. I've been reading that it's about this time in pregnancy when you're able to feel a few little kicks, but wasn't sure if I was imagining them or not. (Still could be that I'm totally imagining them.) I am now 16 weeks pregnant. We had our third doctor's appointment yesterday and got to hear the baby's heart beat again. The doctor said everything is going perfectly which is always comforting to hear. We'll have our 20 week ultrasound at our next appointment out in OH- assuming we can find a doctor out there- and will hopefully find out if we're having a boy or a girl depending on how modest our child decides to be. (We were planning on finding out yesterday since we've had some complications with insurance coverage in OH but decided since we were going to have to pay for one out there anyway, may as well not pay twice. So we'll have to wait a little longer for that exciting news.) It has been fun trying to figure out if what I'm feeling down in that region is the baby or just gas... I think Gordon is a little creeped out by the look of concentration on my face all of a sudden at random points in the day. I'm just trying to concentrate hard to see if I can figure it out! :)

Well, other than that, life has been pretty busy and boring. I'm not sure how that all works, but somehow it does. We've been cleaning out all of our junk in our 2nd spare bedroom so the baby has some place to sleep when it gets here. What a project! Who would have thought that just two people could pack a room so full of crap!! It does feel good to get it all out of the house though. So far we've made two trips to the DI and are probably going to have to make a third before we're finished. I'm hoping to take some pictures of our house to post a virtual tour before it gets filled with boxes as we pack this weekend, so stay tuned for that! I'm not promising too much- nothing exciting anyway. But I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Tagged...

I've been tagged by Ashlee so here goes.

If money, time and babysitting were no object, where would you go and with who?

That's a tough one... Because we have to leave every summer, I've seriously missed camping. I think I would fly the Gardners in and take the whole fam and go to some cool lake with an awesome lodge (showers would be required) and spend a week or two or three just canoing, eating yummy camp food, 4-wheeling and enjoying the beautiful mountains so close to us. Dad singing with his guitar around the campfire would be a must.

When was the last time you cried?

Let's face it, I'm pregnant so this is a pretty regular occurrence. However, the last time I can remember was about a week and a half ago when I watched the movie Becoming Jane. If you haven't seen it, it's a pretty good one! Just watch out for the first half. There are several sexual references but the second half is just so heart breaking that I bawled my way through it! Gordon came down in the middle of me watching it and with a worried look on his face asked, "Are you okay sweetheart?" Yep, just a pregnant lady watchin' a chick-flick!

5 things you were doing 10 yrs ago- 1998?

I was in the eight grade and playing lots of volleyball. That summer I went on freshman interim which is always a great time. This is kind of sad to admit, but I was probably preparing for the state debate tournament- which we lost that year but gave it a good go (that's right, I even competed all through high school). I can't remember much else, other than piano lessons and young womens.

5 things you were doing 5 yrs ago- 2003?

I had graduated from high school and was still working at Maceys. That was when we spent a lot of time hanging out with our Maceys friends (Johnny, John, Austin, Evan and Jimmy. You Mannings remember them? Good times.) I was probably going through a "Nate" stage then (not so pleasant to remember). I was just about to start at BYU in the fall and we were playing a lot of grass volleyball at the time.

5 things you were doing 1 yr ago- 2007?

We were getting ready to head to Louisville for another summer of selling. I was leaving where I currently work for the first time. Kara and Ryan were engaged and we were getting excited for their wedding. I think I was taking a few classes and getting ready for my portfolio review.

7 of your favorite hobbies?

1. Sleeping 2. Painting or drawing 3. Interior decorating 4. Playing the piano 5. I'm a musicals/broadway junkie 6. Watching movies I've never seen 7. Hanging with family and friends.

5 of your favorite foods?

There are just so many... 1. Coconut shrimp (any shrimp really) 2. Snicker's ice cream bars 3. Brats and kraut 4. Cafe Rio salad 5. Clam dip and potato chips

5 places you've been?

1. Cancun 2. Seattle, WA 3. Colorado Springs, CO 4. Louisville, KY 5. Belize (Before I married Gordon I had only been to CA and ID and had driven through NV. Since then we have actually lived in 6 different places, soon to be 7, and visited a number of others. Pretty crazy!)

5 of your favorite memories?

1. Our wedding day of course! 2. My first trip to Seattle (read previous posts) 3. The family trip we took to Moab some years back 4. Any variety of camping trips and family activities growing up 5. Finding out we're pregnant and hearing the heart beat for the first time

I now tag Mom, Kara and Amy. (Just answer the same questions I did on your blog.)

I've got the blues...

So it's been one of those weeks already where you just want to crawl in bed with a great movie and a cup of hot chocolate and just wait for the week to pass... I'm not sure if it's this "wonderful" winter weather that has decided to return, the fact that I only have ONE (count it, ONE!!!) more week of work left, it's almost finals week for Gordon (which is almost as stressful for me as it is for him), or just the fact that I have a house to clean and pack in the next 15 days. Every morning I wake up thinking, I wish it was warm enough outside to take my breakfast out into the backyard and enjoy the morning sun on my face. Or, I wish Gordon could just take the day off from studying so we can go grab some lunch and spend the afternoon together. Or, I wish I could spend all day in a salon being pampered with facials, manicures, and a new hair-do (all of which I am in desperate need of). Alas, here I am at work, finding myself thinking about all the other places I'd rather be. So I've decided that this weekend I'm heading to IKEA to purchase the outdoor furniture I've been eyeing (even though we won't be here to enjoy it for the summer) and we're going to FORCE it to be spring whether it likes it or not. So be prepared and dress warm 'cause you may be invited to an outdoor bbq with the Richards- rain, snow, or (and preferably) shine.

Painting of the Week: #4 Most Expensive

The painting for this week is the #4 most expensive ever sold. Completed by Vincent van Gogh in 1890, "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" is 67 X 56cm. In 1990, the painting sold for $82.5 million. There were actually 2 portraits of Dr. Gachet painted by Van Gogh. Gachet took care of Van Gogh during his last months. Van Gogh wrote of the portrait:

"I've done the portrait of M. Gachet with a melancholy expression, which might well seem like a grimace to those who see it... Sad but gentle, yet clear and intelligent, that is how many portraits ought to be done... There are modern heads that may be looked at for a long time, and that may perhaps be looked back on with longing a hundred years later."

Vincent van Gogh's paintings are one of the most inspiring things I've ever seen in person. A little personal side note: I have a special place in my heart for Van Gogh not just because I love his paintings but also because one of my most memorable moments took place at a van Gogh exhibit. Gordon proposed the first time he took me to Seattle (where he is originally from). The second day we were there, he surprised me with tickets to the Seattle Art Museum downtown. We happened to catch the Vincent van Gogh exhibit which turned out to be good as he is the only painter Gordon is even remotely familiar with. It was absolutely incredible standing in front of the real deal. Reproductions in a text book or on a poster just don't do his paintings justice. The thickness of the paint is really something you just have to see in person. It's incredible. Anyway, as we finished our tour of the museum, Gordon started acting really odd. Little did I know that as we were about to leave, he would get down on one knee and pop "the question". You can all guess my response. We finished our perfect day with a ride along the waterfront in a bike buggy with the coolest driver ever and ended with the best seafood dinner I have ever had. If you're ever in Seattle, Ivar's is an absolute must! You really can't get better seafood, or better scenery of the waterfront, anywhere. So thanks for letting me have that personal walk down memory lane. Hope you enjoy the painting of the week!

The Blog Chameleon

I am officially confessing to being a blog chameleon. I think I change the look of our blog as many times as I change outfits! So I apologize to all of you who like stability. As much as I wish I did, I definitely don't fit into that category! So, until I find a shoe that fits our blog, bear with us as I experiment with the many different looks we call "Two Odd Ducks". And if you happen to visit while we're under construction and can't read or see anything, we're definitely glad you stopped by anyway! And we'll try to be a little more stable...