She's a Girl!

More things we're learning:

- It's a girl! And ultrasounds just leave me in awe... Oh, and Scott informs me that "I'll just have to teach her to out throw, out hike, out hit all the boys..." Let's hope they're intimidated instead of infatuated! *Shakes head* Oh the things we get to worry over in the years to come!

- This little girl loves to move! She makes her presense known all day long with kicks and flips and such. ...Much to her Mama's enjoyment!

- Who ever said bike riding was a no-no during pregnancy? Can't believe I waited this long to ask my midwives about it. Bring on the bike rides from here on out! That is, until those little white things start falling from the sky...

- Compression stockings. Never guessed I'd be spending an ungodly amount of money on a pair of tight knee-highs. My legs will thank me, come work days especially.

- Leg cramps. Do I hear moans of sympathy out there? For someone who's never really experienced even a "charlie horse," this came as quite a shock. Here's the scene the other night: it's probably about 3 o'clock in the morning, we're both sound asleep, when all of a sudden, I "scream," as Scott puts it, and grab Scott's arm with a deathgrip, as I'm shouting (at 3 in the morning, it sure felt like shouting), "Ow! Ow! Ow!" When I managed to pry my nails out of Scott's flesh, I wasn't sure whether it hurt more to try to massage my calf that felt like it had some rabbid animal attacking it, or to just not touch it, and hope and pray that it passed. Cries of "Ooh, my leg!" finally gave way to some good chuckles, especially in the days that followed, as we re-lived the moment just for the sake of its hilarity! Scott thought something had bitten me, but says he rolled over and went right back to sleep after he realized what was happening. Not one of his most sympathetic moments, I must say, but that's okay. So... after a bit of searching and reading, sounds like more potassium, magnesium, even MORE water (and hence, more visits to my not-so-favorite room in the house), compression stockings on work days, a little salt before bed, and putting my feet up when sitting/resting are all in order for me in the days, weeks, and months to come. No more leg cramps for this gal! ...At least, I hope not.

- Hormones. Okay... society/media makes it sound like guys have the *hardest* time trying to "deal" with us and our hormones, but what about us - being trapped in a body that just decides to freak out on us once in a while? It's like an out of body experience, where your body is crying over some random, every-day conversation between you and Hubby, and you're sitting next to yourself, thinking, "What is going on? You were fine two seconds ago, and no one said anything touchy-feely or anything worth crying over... And yet you're crying... for no reason. Knock it off! You're gonna freak the Hubby out!" (I must admit, "Hubby" hasn't been freaked out by my little "freak-outs" yet. I just tell him it's hormones, and he takes it all in stride. Even wipes the tears for me if I can't get to 'em quickly enough. What a guy...) Anyways... quite the wild ride, this being-pregnant thing. At least it doesn't happen often - I don't know if I could handle myself if that were the case!

- And speaking of "freak-outs," I've learned that I must have food with me at all times. When this gal gets hungry, it's not a fun time for anyone. It was a learning experience for me when Scott and I were walking through Lowes one evening... I was desperately trying to make myself understand why I was so upset and annoyed with him, when I knew full-well that he had not only done absolutely nothing "wrong" but had been the sweetest husband to me... Then we got home, I ate something, and... suddenly all was right with the world again! Poor guy had to put up with one cranky wife for that trip to Lowes, but we both learned something that night - Liz must have food available, always and everywhere, and if Liz is cranky, feed her!

- I know I mentioned this once before, but I really can't understand why people feel so obligated to tell you their horror stories...? I annouced to some people that we're having a girl, and I was then barraded for the next however-long with horror stories of how terrible girls are when they hit certain ages. Thankfully I have enough sense about me to understand that these womens' stories don't have to be my same fate, and that raising a child to have an interactive relationship with Jesus creates different children than those I was being told about, who don't know Him, but still... I'm left perplexed. How tragic for young moms to be told such terrible things, with such confidence that the same fate awaits them too. It's like chaining shackles to someone, when you say such things. One of the things I loove about knowing Jesus, is that my "fate" doesn't have to be that of my mom's, my dad's, my peers, other young moms, other women - Jesus has a unique journey just for me, and thus a unique journey for our daughter as well. Sure, some of the struggles may be the same, but she's certainly not doomed to the same "fate" as the other girls I was being told about. Another reminder for us that misery does love company. But there's no freedom there; no life, and certainly no hope. Oh, and encouragement? Nope, not one drop. ...And so I claim freedom and life and hope and encouragement for our little girl... things only found by truly knowing and walking with Jesus. (Okay... I'm stepping down from my soap box now...)

- Is it odd that I get very excited that people can finally tell that I'm actually pregnant and not just "gaining a few pounds...?" It only took 5 1/2 months!

- Hubby's expressions are *priceless* when he feels his little girl move and kick. Love that.

- I must say... I get a kick out of a lot of these quirks that come with being pregnant. Some of this stuff is just plain hilarious to me...

- 22 weeks down; 18-ish to go... Really, how does time pass so quickly?

Aww...

I'm not sure how much Scott will appreciate me letting you all in on his *romantic*, lovey side, but as a proud wife, I can't help but share!

Here's the set-up... Steve flew in this morning to go with Scott on their annual sheep hunt, for which they left midday today, Saturday. We had to stop by Costco on the way to the airport to get Steve, and left a little late due to a phone call, so... we're running through Costco grabbing items here and there, trying to get out of there as fast as we can. As I'm speed pushing the cart into a check-out line, I ask Scott a question, but there's no answer... I look back. Scott's not there. A quick glance around, and I spot my handsome hubby, standing, croutons and massive package of paper towels in hand, staring at the flower section, with the most thoughtful look on his face. When he notices that I see him, he flags me over, and tells me to pick one out. (Now, this may not seem like a big deal, but I get flowers maybe - maybe! - once a year, so when he buys me flowers, it's a very special occasion for this gal, and I appreciate it beyond what you can imagine or may think is healthy!) Anyways... we picked a boquet out, and here's where they will remain for the next week, reminding me of my husband who is traversing mountain tops after the exquisite Dall Sheep.

Did I mention that he left me the most wonderful love note too?... I'm pretty spoiled... and loved very well!

God, please keep them safe, and bring them home to us...

Oops...

I got a little ahead of myself... We squeezed one more adventure into the month of July - another sheep scouting trip. This time, just me and my hubby... quite nice. So, I'm not usually fond of showing off pictures of me looking, well, quite goofy, but... oh well... I think I'm learning these days to just get over it...

Me, putting on some much-needed moleskin (that somehow found its way to the side of my ankle over the course of the hike, resulting in some quite lovely blisters), and showing off my "big" 4 1/2 month baby belly I had to lean over to do so! Goofy smile, I know, but I was trying to keep a straight face, as Scott was making me laugh... Good times.

Sometimes it just amazes me the things that grow out of the rocks up here. I had a thought out there, as all kinds of wildflowers surrounded us amongst the rocks... I'll bet there are very few people that travel up that valley, and yet God decided to cover it with all sorts of blues, purples, pinks, yellows, and whites in the form of wildflowers. I like to think that maybe He put 'em there just for us... you know, add to the *ambiance* of the trip... Haha... that made me laugh. Ambiance... Maybe it was more to make up for the nauseating swarms of biting flies we fought on our way in and out... Something to think about anyways...

This picture just makes me laugh. (Can you tell why?)

I told Scott that he needs to frame it...

My two boys... Handsome as ever.

Before heading down the snow field on the way home...

I sure love adventuring with my Hubby. Wouldn't trade it for the world...

Baby Update!

Here "we" are.... 18 weeks here, and growing leaps and bounds by the day!

So... we've learned a few more things in the last several weeks... Care to know?


- Maternity pants stink. You'd think after thousands of years of women going through this, that they'd come up with a better system. A piece of elastic attached to demin? C'mon... Do they actually work for some of you?! I'm not having much luck... *Stretchy pants* (for you Nacho Libre fans out there...) have become my saving grace...


- Dehydration causes the uterus to freak out... like really freak out. Like, want-to-drop-to-your-knees-in-the-middle-of-Freddies-'cause-the-pain-is-so-terrible kind of freak out. Yeah... not a fun experience, but I sure learned my lesson. The lid to my water bottle is never on, unless I'm en route somewhere. Otherwise my water bottle is practially attached to my mouth. Which also means I'm never far from a restroom!


-So, I'm not sure what this "fluttering" sensation is all about, because it feels more like someone is gently poking me with his finger from the inside, out. Either way, it's incredibly exciting and mind-blowing all at the same time. Here was the scene a few nights ago: Scott and I are laying in bed, chatting softly before falling asleep... "I think I feel the baby moving!" Scott reaches over and puts his hand on my belly... In a 'I'm-sorry' kind of voice, I tell him, "Babe, you won't be able to feel it..." "Shh!" he says, his hand still pressed against my belly, hoping for something... anything. Too cute... I love his excitement... Gives me a great peace.


- Picking a name is probably one of the hardest, most overwhelming tasks. Waiting on God to give us one feels like we not "doing" anything to help (which is obviously the wrong perspective), but looking for one feels cheap, like shopping for a piece of clothing.


- Baby still can't get enough fruit and bread...


- Tea... it's hard to find a tea that "they" say is not only good for you, but that isn't potentially harmful to Baby. Even the "pregnancy" teas out there contain herbs that aren't recommended during pregnancy. Sheesh... Somebody should just tell me that all teas are bad so I'll at least stop looking for one!


- "Nesting" started long ago for me... For many, many weeks now, I've had the itch to rid my house of anything unnecessary, unused for some time, and to organize the heck out of things. Thinking ahead to all the "stuff" that accompanies Baby makes me want to gut our house and all that's in it, to "start fresh" when the little one arrives. The Arc of Anchorage hauled away several boxes and bags of items just this week, and I already have another growing pile that will need hauled away here soon. I'm seeing corners of rooms that I haven't seen in a year or more! And I feel that I've only just touched the surface... So much to do. It's work, but it sure feels good to get rid of it all, and to organize our house a little better.

July Adventures

For the 4th of July, we headed back into the mountains as far as an old beat-up Toyota pickup would take us, and as far away from as many people as is possible on that particular weekend. We headed to "our spot" in Hatchers Pass looking like hillbillies for sure... Vince, my brother, was at the wheel of Ol' Blue, I was riding shotgun, and the bed was loaded to the hilt with gear, guns, fireworks, dogs, and 5 other people. It's a shame we don't have a photo of that... Quite priceless. Anyways... here's some evidence of the fun that weekend...

This little guy came for a visit while the boys were out galavanting amongst its friends, and while I was in camp catching up on some much-needed R & R. He poses quite nicely for photo shoots, I must say...

Grampa and Gramma Bertolini came for their annual summer "fishing" trip. Grampa got to fish from a private dock and smoke his cigars (the highlight of these trips for him), and they both just soaked up all the quality time with family. Love, love, love my grandparents... they're one-of-a-kind.

The third weekend in July, Scott and his cousin headed to sheep country to do some scouting, and encountered some unique terrain, as well as a handful of the much-sought-after animals...

It's a shame this first picture is so small here; those animals really are quite stunning, even from a distance.... I sure enjoy my fair share of hunting, more for the adventure involved and knowing that it will fill my freezer, but there's something about these sheep that just draws some excitement out of me... They're quite majestic... Just like the country they live in...

June Adventures

The first weekend in July, we found ourselves drifting in the ocean waves for halibut... in a zodiak. A great new adventure for us, and likely not the last time we'll be seen out there...A few dozen eagles decided to camp out along the beach as fellow fishermen tossed their "leftovers" aside... Made for some good entertainment, to say the least.

A gal I work with and her boyfriend offered to have us up to the Copper River out of Chitina to go dipnetting with them out of their boat. And who could turn down an offer like that?! So... the second weekend in July, we got ourselves all kinds of slimy and sandy, as we camped on the beach and fished at odd hours of the night. We took home 30 reds and 5 kings. Just what we'd been hoping for....And then we proceeded to processes the fish for days thereafter... most of which included smoking and canning it.

Third weekend included some rather unsuccessful fishing on the Kenai, and then a 5 hour-long stint of wood cutting. Do you think we'll have enough for the winter? I don't know...

We wrapped up June with an annual rafting trip down the Kenai. Not many salmon to be caught then either (thanks to the no-show run of fish). But the boys had fun trying their hands at fly fishing, even catching a few trout.

When we're not backpacking, we sure do camp food well. It's actually probably one of the highlights of these types of camping trips for us - we eat so well! Let's see... pork loin, deer chops, corn on the cob, steamed mixed veggies, and...

...A baked potato bar that would rival any found in any restaurant. We have... s & p, sour cream, bacon bits, butter, scallions, and shredded cheddar cheese. Mmm... Makin' me hungry!

And the aftermath: one pooped puppy. We couldn't have kept him awake if we'd tried!

May Adventures

The beginning of May found us atop some new terrain, looking for what most folks try to avoid: bears. As you can tell by the snow, we were a little early for the area, so our bear sightings came in at a grand total of: 1. We had a fun chase, but that bear was not to be had this spring. Maybe he'll stick around 'til this fall or next year...

And yes, in spite of the snow, it was quite warm. Warm enough that Tucker was a little particular about finding just the right spot to stop and rest...

Our next adventure took us to a new-found spot for falling birch trees that will provide wood for our beloved wood stove this winter. Though it was just a one-load day trip in my Ol' Blue Toyota, it provided a few days worth of work for Scott as he split and stacked it.

A second trip back to "Grizz Ridge" later that month brought a little more excitement and wildlife, with a couple close enounters with bears and... ptarmigan? And lastly, the month came to a close with Scott's annual Proving Trail Adventures' Youth Hunt. Three bears were taken on this trip, but you'll have to ask this rugged bunch for the details...