Candy Corn Treat

Today is a fun day! I love that the weather will be nice and we can see all of the neighborhood kids dressed in their costumes without heavy coats covering them up.

Marcus and I bought lots of candy, so I hope our new neighborhood represents and we give it all away!

In case you are clearance shopping the Halloween aisle this weekend, pick up some cnady corn and salted peanuts. Mix them up and enjoy! The combination tastes like the inside of a Snicker's bar.

Doctor's Appointment: Week 32

My 32 week appointment yesterday went well; although, I had to wait more than an hour for an appointment that lasted less than 10 minutes. I guess that is what happens when babies come unannounced. I spent the time texting and playing games on my cell phone. I should have turned out the lights in the room and slept!

Abby's heartrate was strong at 153, my blood pressure was still in the low to normal range, and I am still measureing one week ahead. I was excited to hear that she is in position with her head low already. I can't imagine she has the room to turn around anymore.

I did gain 4 pounds in the last 2 weeks. I don't know how much of that is me and how much is her. My belly is definetely grown in 2 weeks and my ability to walk quickly has diminished. The PA did tell me I should only gain 10-15 pounds my ENTIRE pregnancy. No one has ever told me that before. I guess they expect me to personally lose weight these 9 months. She also reminded me that with the holidays coming up I have the potential to gain more. We'll see about that. I don't plan on skipping my favorite holiday treats!

Classic Toys

The mail man knows I am having a baby- every time we check the mail I have a new catalog filled with kids and baby things that Abby Lu can not live without.

Yesterday I received a catalog from Back to Basics Toys which was filled with our childhood favorites. I really do want to order her some of these.

I had the pull phone. Why my phone needed to have wheels and be on a string I do not know.

Marcus named the View Master at first glance. Wow, there have been some drastic improvements in this area in the last 25 years. I remember everything being a shade of orange.





Finally, I am certain we all owned the corn popper as a child. It was like vacuuming and making loud noises all at once.

Check out their site - it could make for some fun Christmas presents for your kids or big kids like us.

couple of quick rants

Tis a shame to bump Anna's nice post about the announcements, but she agreed i should do a quick rant about this...

I have discovered a customer that makes a very interesting baby monitor that rests on their tummy, and monitors movement.  Baby doesn't move for 22 seconds, it makes an alarm, or jiggles, or something.  This is to prevent SIDS for sure.

But...they also make this...a test to measure the level of alcohol in breast milk.

http://www.upspringbaby.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2

Yes.  Really.  "Come on junior, people pay $6 for a white Russian!"

"Junior is really off balance, and fell off his boppy.....what happen...!  He keeps saying he loves me  man...and wants to sleep....wonder what is going on..."

WOW.  

Another quick one that came up today.  I think that the movement to that auto sensor paper towel dispenser in the bathrooms got adopted too quickly.  I'm tired of getting a paper towel to dry my hands the size of a travel Kleenex with the absorbency of a piece of Wax paper.

That's all I got.  I'm going back to my Starbucks.

Marcus 

Birth Announcements

No sneak peek on the blog for this one!

My super talented friends Erica and Kristi have been helping me decide how Abby Lu's birth announcements should look and we have a winner.... now, we just need a baby!

I love them- they are just what I envisioned when I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted. Knowing how they will look, I can go and buy envelopes and address them now when I have the time!

I can not say it enough, the Lord has surrounded me with some super talented and generous friends. I am extremely blessed.

Shameless Unsolicited Plugs Done With Love :

If you are looking for someone to do invitations, check out Erica. She can digitally design them and send them to you for you to reproduce as you wish or have them printed up for you. All of this at a very reasonable price.

If you need a photographer, my cousin Kristi loves working with kids. She is doing my maternity pictures this weekend and will come visit our little girl when she is brand new to help me complete her announcements in a special outfit from my friend Andrea.

Week 32: What in the World is Jicama?

Anyone ever ate jicama? I had to search high and low in the store just to find it. Success, Abby Lu is the size of a jicama. Although tiny, she is packing on the weight now. I feel my skin straining to hold up the weight. Pressure. I feel pressure. I'm not sure how she is going to more than double in size in the next 8 weeks. Goodness!

I have had a couple of short bouts of what I think is Braxton Hicks contractions in recent days. I feel my stomach tighten up and then release. They are not painful, just uncomfortable. I am drinking more water than usual to try and make sure I don't bring them on myself.

I want to get a full night's sleep so badly, but it isn't happening. I am going to ask about taking some Tylenol PM. I just want to stay asleep. I go between positions, try out each bed in the house and lie awake about 50% of the night.

We see the doctor on Thursday afternoon and are hoping for continued good progress toward December 24th.

from Baby Center:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Fun With Oranges

UPDATE: I just read this was my 500th post. Wow- I wish I had something more interesting than oranges on such an important posting.


The grocery store is lots of fun for us right now! Not only did I use the bathroom 3 times in the 45 minutes we were there, but we got to play with produce.

Knowing that Abby is the size of 4 large navel oranges, Marcus decided to show me what he can do with 4 large navel oranges. Thank goodness she is safe inside me!






In addition, we found orange juice that expires after her due date. Wow, that is a sign she is coming soon! When I was a kid, I always looked at schoolfor the milk carton with my birthday on it. We looked all over for OJ with Abby's due date and struck out.

Nursery Updates

Since Marcus was out of town this weekend, my Mom and I spent the weekend shopping and crafting for Abby Lu. Mom brought up her mattress and did the trim work on her bed skirt, so I was able to put her bed together.

Mom sewed the pink ribbon, red ric rac and blue pom pom on her skirt. Her bed turned out like I had hoped- soft and whimsical.

While Mom worked on her curtains, I spent time organizing all of the sweet gifts we have been given and starting to display the things I have purchased. Her memo board will eventually be filled cute little pictures of her. The pink lidded candy jar is stuffed with bows and headbands that every little girl needs and the green suitcase holds some books to help Mom and Dad be better parents as well as two teddy bears she received at the shower last weekend.

Every nursery needs a new baby's name and I love the fun letters we found at USA Baby. They are perfect above her bookcase and next to her custom made curtains.

I bought basic white curtains from Lowes and then Mom spent hours sewing ribbons, ric rac and pom poms on them. There is pink, yellow, blue and green ribbon, red ric rac and blue pom poms. We even attached a pink ribbon tie back. I am so grateful to have a seamstress in the family- these would have cost me a fortune!

Finally, I spent hours organizing her closet. We have been given so many well loved and brand new clothing that I was losing control- already! I hung the organizers, separated out the clothes by size, and donated the clothing that was for boys or would be the wrong size in the season she would be in. I also placed tubs of clothing bigger than 12 months in her top closet shelves.

Here is my dilemma- I have a large stack of clothing for the first 12 months in the nursery. I have a dresser with 3 empty drawers (top drawer is pajamas, socks, and caps/mittens) and lots of closet space. How do I organize her clothes- by type, by size, by season? I don't know if all onesies should be together or if all 0-3 months should be together? Please help! What will work best?

Pickles and Ice Cream

On Saturday, Mom and I ate lunch at Willy O's in Cedar Park. They had a great kids special- grilled cheese, french fries, drink and a scoop of ice cream for only $4.99. Perfect for me!

We added fried pickles ahead of time and then laughed- I had pickles and ice cream for lunch!

Goodbye Greta, Hello Cici!

My office gave us Friday afternoon off to celebrate a successful year since we changed leadership and I used it to go and buy my new Abby Lu approved car.

I said goodbye to Greta the Passat with a smile. Although I loved her at first, I outgrew her and was frustrated by things like my plastic bumper that was loose, the tiny glove box that rattled, and the beginnings of a peeling dashboard.

As I left Greta on the lot, I drove home in Cici, my new Chevrolet Equinox. It gives me more room, gives us a comfortable ride as a family and is much safer in terms of air bags, LATCH, and visibility. I am tired of waiting for the SUV to move so that I can see if I am able to go right!





It also has a lot of fancy features I would have never dreamed of. I just wanted leather and ended up with all kinds of extras- steering wheel controlled radio, XM, Onstar, heated seats, tire pressure alerts, iPod plug in capability, a compass, outdoor temp gauge, automatic lights, auto start and more. It is fancy!




And, just for Abby Lu, Kyleigh and Cohen, I went ahead and got the model with dual DVD players built into the head rests. Each can play their own video and they have wireless headsets. It just might save me from hearing Barney over and over again on a road trip to see Grammy.

Celebration

Last night Marcus and I had the Equinox for the night and made sure it fit in the garage and the car seat and stroller worked in the possible new vehicle. All was a success!

To celebrate the car (which we should buy in the next week or so) and the good news on the diabetes test, we had snow cones! On the recommendation of my little friend Abbie B. I tried a grape slush with cream topping from Kawaii Shaved Ice in Round Rock. That girls knows her snow cones! Yummy! Marcus had buttered pecan with cream which he liked.

For anyone else needing a snow cone fix, they are open year round until 8 PM and are cheap and tasty. No indoor seating, so be prepared with a coat or keep the car running. We'll see you there!

Week 31: Four Oranges!

Nine weeks to go until Abby Lu joins us!

I am happy to report my diabetes numbers came back "great" and I do not have GD. Who knows what happened to me yesterday, but I am happy she is not getting excess sugars and my body is processing everything normally. Whew!

This weekend brings big work in her nursery- closet organization, her mattress and bedding put together and the hanging of curtains. Pictures to come on Monday!



from Baby Center:


This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She'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.

GD Test: Blow by Blow

Yesterday was a bad bad day. Let me tell you how it went.

6:20 AM- Alarm goes off. Anna thinks, why am I getting up this early? I normally get up after 7:00. Oh yea, I have to take my gestational diabetes test this morning. Great, I am hungry already.

7:50 AM- Arrive at CPL for test.

8:00 AM- Give clerk my lab slip, called to the room, give blood and see the dreaded 8 oz. orange soda. Really, this drink again. Great, now I know what it tastes like. Fun. Clerk- "you need to drink this within 5 minutes and I'll call you back at 9:05 to give blood." 5 minutes, I couldn't drink 8 ounces of the best sweet tea (McAllister's Deli) in five minutes!

8:03 AM- I have chugged 6 ounces and begin to feel ill. Thinking oh God, please don't let me throw up. I am in the CPL lobby with 2 other pregnant women who seem to be doing fine. My stomach is gurgling, Abby is kicking and I am burping. I walk over to the other side of the room and get the trashcan for good measure.

8:05 AM- I am telling myself, drink up. You must do this or the other 6 ounces are a waste. I chug the final two ounces and immediately hate myself. I am certain puking is next in my to do list.

8:10 AM- My body realizes just how much sugar I have consumed and the freak out begins. I am sweating, panting, and my head suddenly feels too heavy for my neck to hold up. I am shaking and I can't seem to concentrate.

8:15 AM- I slowly walk up to the clerk again and lean on her counter. Through my heavy breathing I ask her if there is a bed where I can lie down. After a few minutes, she shows me to a bed. It was like being in the nurses office in junior high school.

8:25 AM- I ask to speak to Diana who first took my blood. I tell her what I am feeling and she recommend I relax and lie down. Relax, why didn't I think of that! I lie down and taste sugary orange soda, okay, lying down is not good. Diana reminds me that if I puke, I will have to reschedule the drink for another day. Uh yea, you'll have to drive me and hold me down to get me to drink this again! Crazy lady!

8:27 AM- I call Marcus. Please come sit with me. I am afraid I will pass out in this dark little room and they won't ever come check on me.

8:45 AM- My knight in shining armor arrives with a pillow and blanket because I am now freezing and have the shakes. Note to self, stop by Hallmark. Marcus deserves a card.

9:05 AM- Time to draw my blood. Do I have to get out of the covers for this? Darn. Why is it so cold in here? The 8:05 test was on my left arm, so 9:05 is for the right arm. Great, they never find a right arm vein. Okay, that wasn't so bad. Now, I have matching cotton balls for each arm. Wait, where will they get blood at 10:05? Oh well, must sleep.

9:55 AM- Woah, have I been asleep all this time? Wow. Ow, my right hip hurts. Did they take blood from there? No? Okay, this bed really needs some cushions.

10:05 AM- Time to give blood again. Okay, you want the left arm, here you are.

10:06 AM- I really need to go to the bathroom. Woah, my eye makeup looks awful. Thanks Marcus. Yea, my stomach is really unhappy with me.

10:07 AM- Back to bed.

11:00 AM- My arm hurts. Great, my arm is bleeding. Guess giving blood and then sleeping with your arm under your pillow isn't so smart. Clotting didn't occur. Oh, a nice bruise is coming. Pretty. One more test to go and then I can really sleep in my bed. Oh yea, and I am hungry. Marcus leaves to get us food and meet me at the house. Eat then sleep. Okay, I can do this.

11:05 AM- Take my right arm and have your way with it. I just want to leave.

I went home, ate my lunch and went to sleep for another 3 plus hours. Then, I just sat on the couch the rest of the day wondering what happened to me? I did a little GD research. I am pretty sure they are going to confirm my positive diagnosis this afternoon. My reaction doesn't appear to be normal.

Thank you!

Abby Lu received a very nice gift this weekend from her Grandpa and Jacque- her car seat and stroller travel system. Her proud father put it together nicely.

Funny little story, we could not figure out how to get the car seat out of the base. In the end, it came out with Marcus holding the car seat upside down and using both hands and feet to shake it. We were certain we were doing something wrong! Seems it was stuck on something and comes out much easier now. Whew!

This gift comes just in time for us to see how it fits in the new SUV we are looking at. My Passat is not safe enough or big enough for our baby girl. We are borrowing a new Chevy Equinox tomorrow night to see how it all fits.

Thank you both for this wonderful gift that will keep our little one safe and sound in the car and on the move.

Friends Baby Shower

This afternoon while Marcus was in College Station for the football game, I was able to celebrate Abby Lu with many of my favorite people- my girlfriends!

They were kind enough to put the game on for a little while so that I could confirm my Red Raiders were doing okay.



We played a little game putting toilet paper around my belly to see who knew how big I was. As you can see Chandra thought I was much bigger than I am! Brandi was the bigger winner and was off by just half a square of paper.





My friend Tabriah was one of the fabulous hostesses and had the cutest cake made for me. Check out my figure- the "girls" look wonderful! She also made some amazing food including homemade poblano mac and cheese. Yummy!








Abby Lu was blessed with many handmade gifts that are so very special. Alison's mother made her a princess quilt with the softest chenille like fabric on the back side. She has made a blanket like this for each of her grandkids. I love it!

In addition, we received a collection of cross stiched blankets and bibs from Marcus' best friends Mom, Shirley. They are priceless.


Look at this cutie from Baby Kiersten. Abby Lu has her own ladybug plate. I just love it!

I am so very lucky to have such wonderful girlfriends who provide me with so much love. They show it in their care for Abby Lu and the many treasures they bestowed upon us today. Thank you all!

Woo Hoo Texas Tech

Yea Red Raiders!

Our boys went into Kyle Field and beat up on those Aggies. Woot! Now if we could just get a Missouri win to help us move up in the rankings..... nothing personal, we just have to cheer against everyone ranked above us. I'm sure you Longhorns understand.

I Heart Charming Charlie

There is a new shopping center in Cedar Park- 1890 Ranch- with lots of great stores coming in each month. Hobby Lobby recently opened as did Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Gotta love their caramel apples!

My new favorite in the center is Charming Charlie. It is an accessory girl's dream! It is filled with shoes, handbags, scarves, headbands, belts, jewelry, jewelry, and more jewelry. Plus, most everything is less than $20. I love good cheap jewelry. I recommend you check them out in Cedar Park or south at Sunset Valley.

30 Week Appointment

My appointment went well today. Blood pressure was good and no swelling! My total wegiht gain is 14 pounds. I only gained one pound in the last two weeks which included Hawaii. Shaved ice must be good for me :)

Since Abby Lu is due near the holidays and the end of the year, my doctor is already taking appointments for induction. So, if she doesn't come on her own, I will be induced on December 29th. Yea!

Marcus did his flu shot today and was a brave little man! I have my GD extended test on Monday and another appointment in 2 weeks. Moving along nicely!

I Really Am Sleepy

This pregnancy is affecting my driving!

When I was about 2 months pregnant and had bronchitis, I was sleepy, sick, late to work and got caught. I was given a speeding ticket in May for going 40 in a 35. The officer was on a motorcycle and hidden in the trees. I pulled into a parking lot- OF A CHURCH DAYCARE- where the parents dropping off their kids stared at me with looks of shame shame. I told the officer I was pregnant, had bronchitis and was late to work. He didn't care. He wrote me a ticket. I took defensive driving online last month.

Last Monday when I parked at the doctor's office for what I thought was my GD test, I was so tired and felt weak that I didn't brake hard enough and instead of parking in my spot, I rolled into the truck in the spot across from me. We hit bumper to bumper. I was going all of 5 mph, so no damage was done, but I felt like an idiot.

Then, today, as I was driving to work I ran a stop sign and was pulled over. I drive that street at least one time per day. I always stop. I was tired and distracted. I think I "rolled" through the stop, but don't even remember. I sure as heck did not notice the officer sitting at the stop sign. I didn't cry, tell her I was pregnant, tired or anything and I still got a ticket. The ink is still wet on my defensive driving certificate.

Before being pregnant, I had only received one speeding ticket in my life and it was from 8 years ago! This is horrible! I may need to put some caffeine in me before I leave the house. WAKE UP ANNA!

Chop Chop

I have wanted full thick hair my whole life, that is, until I got it. I am tired of blowdrying my hair. I now sit to blow dry and need to take a beverage break in the middle of it. I am tired of it being poofy in random places. So, last night, I cut it off.

She took out most of the bulk in the back and on the sides and razored it all over to remove the thickness.

In some ways, it looks the same as it did, especially in these pictures. But, it is much shorter and closer to my face than it was. I am happy to report that it was much quicker and easier to fix today!

Hurricane...?

So Anna discovered the other day that there is a tropical depression that is making its way towards the US....Tropical Storm Nana.  This is a sign that no one is really proofing the names that the computer generates.  Seriously...Nana?  Can you imagine if this storm goes off and becomes the next Katrina?  The headlines will read "Nana devistates Eastern Coast" or "Nana causes gas prices to sky rocket".  Little 3-4 year old kids all over America will be confused and calling their Grandmas asking them why they would do such a thing.  

And you know they have to have an exclude list...I mean next year we could run into Hurricane Jesus (pronounce like the Hispanic (Heysoos) but the headlines would still be interesting).  You don't want to see "Jesus destroys Cuban coast" (Republican party would have fun with that headline)  or even "Hurricane Moses causes massive flooding".  That would be irony.  

So get ready for the wrath of Nana.  And I have got to stop getting on the blog before coffee kicks in.

Marcus

So You Think You Can Dance

Last night my girlfriend Heather and I attended So You Think You Can Dance live at the Erwin center. It was just like watching the show.... Nigel and Cat did voice overs, the dancers did solos, and they performed many of the favorites from last season.

I am happy to report there were many people there older than Heather and I and they did not appear to be chaperoning their children. We also saw a fair share of men in attendance.

It was great fun, but also reminded me how pregnant Anna is different from non-pregnant Anna. We bought cheap seats and ended up front and center, but on the top level, row 24 which happens to be the very back row. Dear God- the stairs! I thought I was going to die! Shortness of breath- check. Pounding heart- check. Sweating- check. We did those stairs twice thanks to a required potty break. In addition, the route down was scary. The Erwin center mezzanine is very steep and I can't see my feet and am top heavy. I held that rail with all my might!

If you are a fan of the show, I recommend the tour next year. It is amazing to see how high they really can jump and how fit they really are!

Week 30: Abby Lu is Getting Bigger...

... and so am I! There is no denying I am pregnant now. Random strangers look at me and smile. Some even give the sympathetic smile of "oh honey, you look tired". I am!

Hawaii was a wonderful time to sleep in, take long naps under a palm tree and enjoy relaxing before she arrives. It also brought the harsh reality of a long plane ride home and jobs that went on while we were away. These are the times when you wish voicemail and email were not around.

I started iron pills this weekend and they have not upset my stomach. Thank you Johnna for the recommendation- you saved me! I was unable to do my GD test (an appointment is required), but will take it next Monday.

We did more work on her room this weekend which is always fun. I have a baby shower this coming weekend and then Mom and I are spending the following weekend making her curtains, personalizing her bedding (think ribbons and little yellow pom poms!) and will be organizing her closet. We start birthing classes in just 3 weeks. Wow!

from Baby Center:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

nnnnoooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

So I was on a conference call at 7:20 this morning.  Im sitting in another conference call right now.  I have 4 more lined up this morning.  I have 196 emails.

I want my shave ice, salt water pool, and breakfast buffet please.   One other thing that Hiro from Heroes can do is go back in time.  I would like to now do that.

Marcus

PEO Baby Shower

Thursday night before we left for Hawaii, I had my first baby shower. I am a member of PEO- Philanthropic Education Organization and have been since graduate school. My PEO chapter consists of 25 amazing women- we are strong wives and mothers, community activists, passionate Christians, and supportive friends. I look forward to Abby Lu being inducted in about 25 years!


In honor of the strong educational values of PEO, we held a book shower and everyone brought classics or childhood favorites to begin Abby Lu's collection. It brought back wonderful memories and I look forward to reading them to her very soon.

Hawaii Day Seven: Back to Reality

On our flight out of Hawaii to Dallas, the pilot greeted us all with, "Welcome, this is your flight back to reality!" Now being home, we feel it. No more fresh fruit each morning, poolside drinks, and nightly parties. There is luggage to be unpacked, laundry to be done, groceries to be bought and a nasty gestational diabetes test awaiting me. But for now, enjoy the photos of our last day in Hawaii starting with the view from our hotel room.... ocean awaits you beyond the hill. We spent 2 hours this morning poolside and enjoyed one last yummy lunch before loading up all of our luggage into the rental car. Thank goodness I married such a strong man!
Since we drove east on Wednesday, we drove west on Thursday and found Joe Jo's, noted as the best snowcones on the island. OH....MY......GOODNESS! We should have eaten there before it was time to leave the land of yummy goodness. I had the #4 which included homemade macademia nut ice cream, shaved coconut, shaved ice with coconut syrup and topped with coconut cream. All of it was sugar free, of course!
Before going to the airport, we saw one last tourist spot- Spouting Horn. The water and land formation created a hole whereby water shoots up when the tide comes in and makes a water spout that sounds like a horn blowing. Very cool!
The plane ride home was hard. We got to the airport in Kauai at 2:30 local time (7:30 PM Central) and finally arrived in Austin at 10:30 AM Central time. Although we had the same comfy seats in first class coming home, neither one of us could sleep. So, we landed in Dallas on less than 3 hours with red eyes, an unhappy Abby Lu, and the need for breakfast. We came home and napped and hope to relax and turn our bodies around so that Monday morning isn't so very bad. I hope there is fresh pineapple and a pool at work!

Just in Case you are Paying Attention...

Ireally
like
snow cones :)

Hawaii Day Six: Scenery and Styx

Our plan for today was to tube the plantation area of Kauai. We had planned this for 8 weeks. However, Abby Lu had other plans. I sat in the demo tube to take a picture and it was horribly uncomfortable. She was not so fond of me squenching her up and neither was my stomach which has already repositioned itself in a smaller area. So, we paid the small cancellation fee and decided to drive around the island and see the sights.

One of the first sights we found was a pineapple store and Marcus jumped out of the car for a picture. He is such a cute GIRL pineapple. We found the boy pineapple shortly after this shot was taken.
Kauai is filled with waterfalls and we saw one of the today.
After 6 hours of adventure seeking in our rental car, we came back to the room for a 2 hour nap before the Styx concert which was preceded by dinner on the lawn.Once inside the concert hall (grand ballroom) we found our seats and awaited the band. As you can imagine, Marcus found ways to entertain us all. The ballroom was filled with old heavy metal memorbilia, light up guitars and necklaces, and neon beer signs. It was open bar and the liquid was flowing!
Styx came on and sounded great, but boy are they a lesson in drugs do bad things for you. They have surely aged a few extra years! I am sad to say that Styx will go down as Abby Lu's first concert. She didn't like the noise too much, so I left early and retired to bed.
Tomorrow is our last day.... we plan to drive the west side of the island and to enjoy the pool one last time before beginning the overnight trek home.

Hawaii Day Five: Golf and Spa

Tuesday was our Avnet sponsored activity day. I had chosen to spend the day at the spa and Marcus chose to play golf at Poipu Bay which we had heard is the #4 course in the world.

I had a 9:00 facial and a 2:00 maternity massage scheduled. The time in between was for lounging, reading, napping and eating. This is my breakfast- Auntie Betty's Banana Breakfast Bagel. It was divine.... a warm bagel topped with cinnamon cream cheese, sliced bananas, macademia nut granola and honey. Yummy!

My facial was wonderful and included a moisturizer that I loved, until I went to purchase it for $70! I forced myself to pass. I must look for Tomato Sun Cream online when I get home. Before my massage, I decided to get the sunscreen off of me and took a lava rock shower. I had never showered outdoors before. It was pretty cool.
Marcus spent most of the day on the course. His team didn't win any prizes, but they were good company and he was able to have a couple of his balls used in play which is always a good thing!
Tuesday night ended in the resort gardens with a traditional Hawaiian luau. The food was wonderful- I've had more fruit that I can count. In case you hadn't seen my belly lately, it was grown!

Capturing a good shot of moving objects in the dark proved to be too much for our camera, but here are the Polynesian fire dancers.