jambalaya, crawfish pie, seafood gumbo

Greetings from Louisiana. Keith and I are finally reunited (and it feels so good...sing with me now) and spending time with his family in Lake Charles. Last night we were proud to witness his best friend tie the knot and join the wonderful world of marriage. Keith, as Best Man, spent the day catering to Luke's every need while I napped on the couch. I met him at the church and to my delight, we were matchy matchy! (don't you love it when that happens!) My flashy, super-fun, gold dress actually was the exact color of his tux accessories. Beautiful. At the reception, we ate lots of delectable Louisiana delights and danced the night away.



This morning we had a special treat. Keith's dad, Dr. Keith, made a few phone calls and we found ourselves in an ObGyn clinic for a 3D-4D Ultrasound. There I was, surrounded by my in-laws (Dr. Keith, Dale, Emery, and Ainsley) with my belly all slimy, looking at a large screen on the wall of our baby boy. Being only 20 weeks, our baby we decided still resembled Yoda a little more than an actual newborn child. However, it was pretty amazing to see such images in 3D motion and in color of our boy. As a special treat, Doc (Dr. Keith's grandpa name of choice) wanted to escort Mommy and Grandson DeSonier in his blue Thunderbird convertible. Chasing behind in the van were Daddy, Mia (Dale's grandma name of choice), Auntie Em, and Auntie A. All in all, it was just so wonderful to hear his strong, perfect heartbeat again an hear from experienced medical lips that our baby is developing well. Praise! Praise! Praise!

a visit south

I am back in the heartland, otherwise know as Texas...the land of wide open spaces, endless horizons, family, good brisket, blistering temperatures, cheap gas (relatively speaking), and Sonic! There are two purposes for this trip. One - to attend my 36th annual family reunion held every July. I have only missed two in my 31 years of being on this earth due to living in Spain. Second - Keith's best friend Luke is tying the knot in Louisiana. I will meet up with Keith toward the end of this week. Until then, I plan on spending time with friends and family and all the yummy food I miss so much...oh, and missing my hubbie terribly!!! (i do honey!)

And finally, for your viewing pleasure (drum roll, please)...my belly! Sorry I didn't get all dressed up for ya. It was not long after waking and still before breakfast. More baby news...I am noticing little movements as our guy practices his future olympic swimming and gymnastics skills. I will admit it took me a while to distinguish these from other normal bodily happenings...like digestion, hunger rumblings, and gas. As of yet, nothing is strong enough for Daddy to notice by laying his hands on the growing Mt. DeSonier. I'm sure it won't be long.

keith lives!

I realized my sweet lovie husband had yet to appear on the blog. He really is not that absent. He does show his face...so here is some proof. Our last day with Lauren and Amelia, we made buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, and then went to East Rock Park so they could see the view of New Haven and the Long Island Sound (the water in the pic). Keith was with us all morning, much to the delight of Amelia, who has upgraded his name to "TEETH". Precious.

I realize none of these pics show my "belly". I promise I am not doing this on purpose. I will heed your requests soon and throw in some sonogram pics to boot. Stay tuned! (or whatever you would say for blogs)

the stem on the apple

Ladies and gentlemen...it's official...we are having a baby boy!!! If he is anything like the stories I've heard about Keith, my darling dear, as a child...I will definitely have my hands full. We are very thankful the sonograrm showed he is developing well with no complications. What a relief and an answer to prayer! Keith is just proud that he can boast of being able to "put the stem on the apple"...he owes that lovely phrase to Bill Cosby. (sonogram pics to come!) Keith also had his inaugural trip to Babies R Us to assist in registering. No alcohol was required to help him make it through the ordeal. That a boy!

In other news...we've had visitors!! Lauren and Amelia have been keeping me distracted while Uncle Keith (or according to Amelia...EETH) prepares for his next round of tests. We've gone shopping, exploring in little towns, saw the oldest house in Connecticut built in 1639, and spent the morning and afternoon at the beach today. Amelia even rearraned my tupperware shelf for me. Good times all around.

we got connections

Moving to Connecticut definitely has it's benefits...numero uno being its close proximity to very cool places!!! Coming from Texas, we are used to driving 8 hours and still not leaving the state. However, in this wonderful little state, 2 hours in any direction gives you at least 6 state options, a luxury for these two travelors. I'm not sure how much sight-seeing my hubbie will be able to do with his nose always in a book...but you better believe I will do my darndest to explore new territory.


As of yet...Trip #1: Two weeks ago, Jane, Kestlee and I drove to Boston while our men were slaving away over Diagnostics and Pathology (don't ask me what either of those classes consist of because i still don't know.) I finally got to see Paul Revere's house, the site of the Boston Masacre, and as a bonus, the tallest building in New England (New York City is not considered part of New England, we learned.) We spent the day walking the Freedom Trail, exploring part of the Harbor, getting lost, eating chowder and bagels, and were home in time for supper with our hubbies by 9:00. Truly amazing.



Trip #2: Since my hubbie that I love so much was abandoning me for a bachelor party over 4th of July weekend, my cousins living in Brooklyn kindly offered to take me in. Brooklyn, New York? Yep, that's what I said. No biggie. We just took the train, and in less than 2 hours, were standing in Grand Central Station. (it looks just like the movies!) Keith flew to Louisiana, and I stayed. Brooklyn is huge and very nice...with still some sketch areas here and there. Jen, Zach, and Chelsea were great hosts. Together we shopped in Manhatten, ate Italian, French, and Mediterranean cuisine, got pedicures (just the ladies on that one), visited the Brooklyn Museum, and played some Mexican Train...a must in our family. I could get used to this.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday was my birthday. We celebrated with our new friends because Brad's birthday is also July 1st. I got to speak with so many people that mean the world to me...including 2 special friends from Spain!! The best part was my sweet hubbie took time out of his studying in the morning to bring me breakfast in bed. (a first for me!) On top of that...he gave me a card with a check signed for Pre-Natal Yoga classes. Perfect! There was another card on the tray, for "my mommy". Yah. Inside was the following letter:

Happy Birthday Mommy! I'm so proud of you. I wanted to write for Mother's Day, but I wasn't strong enough yet and I don't think I had fingers. Mommy, I think you are the greatest!! I'm doing everything I can to grow and become strong and I hope you're proud of me. I know I seem like a distant dream still, but I want you to know that I'm trying. I love the sound of your voice, it makes me relax and know that everything is alright. Mommy, I bet you are the most beautiful woman in the world. I can't wait to meet you. You do so much for me Mommy and I know it makes you tired, but I get pretty tired too. Thank you Mommy for giving me everything I need no matter what. I might forget to thank you when we first meet, but I want you to know I am thankful.

Love, cheetoe

So, tears were streaming down my face. I have such a sensitve man that loves me and our baby. OH...mark your calendars...July 11th is the day we have the ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby. Unimaginable!