Portugal

Rob made a comment today about how sad it is that Michael has traveled all over the world, but still has never been to California. Since I am pregnant, it almost made me cry. All this traveling and yet he's never been where I call home.

Anyway, our trip to Lagos, Portugal was heavenly. Rob's parents, sister Amy and her husband John met up with us there, so Smalls had all the attention a little attention-craving boy could ever dream of, and Rob and I had all the free time the parents-of-an-attention-craving-boy could ever dream of. It was a lot of fun to have a full house of good company on vacation. There were even some decent surf spots for Rob, so it was perfect!

Is there anything cuter than baby bum? He was so excited about the ocean that he escaped as I was trying to get on his swim trunks.

More baby bum. He's a bit on the skinny side and can't keep up his trunks. Half moon the whole time.

Michael and his grandpa, or as he calls him, his boo-pa. Every time Smalls woke up, he immediately exclaimed "Boo-pa!" and wanted to go on a hunt to find him....even if it was the middle of the night. They are true love.

Our villa. We had this place all to ourselves for the week for cheaper than if we all got rooms at a Motel 6. It's nice to be married to a man who must've been a travel agent in his past life.

Couldn't wipe this smile off his face as long as we were at the beach. Oh, all the trouble I've gone to entertaining Michael through the long cold winter, when he is happy as a lark just to play in the sand and water.

There were some hikes through some seriously cool rock formations, although this is a poor shot of it.

Gotta love the sand-in-mouth expression of Sir Smalls. Sorry to my mil Joy for posting an eyes closed picture, but you still look cute anyway and I couldn't help myself. He was asking for you this morning.

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Best News EVER (to a pregnant woman)

My due date is OVER THREE WEEKS SOONER than I thought it was all this time. I thought the pregnancy was 18wks 2 days, but I just found out at the sonogram yesterday that it is 21wks 4 days. Seriously, how awesome is that?! I couldn't stop laughing with giddiness of the news, to the point that I think the sonogram lady thought I was a little unfit to be bringing life into this world. Maybe even Rob is wondering. But I think any pregnant woman would back me on my over-the-top reaction.

If I could sell something like "subtract 3 weeks from your pregnancy" on Ebay, I'll bet it would go for enough money to start up a Taco Bell and Titos Tacos and Beto's in Stockholm in order to put an end to the cravings I've endured without them during this pregnancy. During the last week, I recall at least 4 nights with very realistic dreams about me and Mexican food. One was a nightmare where I was chewing out a worker at Taco Bell because I had been waiting around for hours for an order of a tostada and nachos supreme, while they handed out food to everyone else, and then they told me they were all out. I woke up Rob with my yelling.

Okay, and now on to other news I am ecstatic about...it's a GIRL! We've been calling the baby Chilla for a long time (long story), but now that we know it is a she, her name is Ella. I know that news should come first, but the fact is I was expecting it to be a girl or a boy and either case would have left me on cloud nine. The first news was totally a surprise and I have since had to figure out alternate explanations to happenings with my body that led me to definitively think I was not pregnant in October when in fact I was. Anyway...I guess I ought to leave it at that although I would love to chat more because it really was quite surprising. The new due date is July 16th. Rob will tell you July 22nd because that is what the ultrasound lady said, but the ultrasound lady contradicted herself and made a mistake. I'm sure we will be making a bet about who is right very soon and I will be winning all sorts of back and foot massage time out of it, thank you very much ultrasound lady.

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