Memorial Day Weekend

This year for the long Memorial Day weekend, Cayne and I decided to spend some time at the National Aquarium and Inner Harbor in Baltimore and then shopping on Memorial Day. The best part was that traffic was not bad, making each of our day trips pleasant in that regard.

On Sunday, we drove up to the Inner Harbor at Baltimore to do some exploring and see the boats. We had fun walking around (it was HOT), but I was bummed when my camera broke after taking only a few pictures. I'm not sure if it's just that the batteries don't recharge or the camera isn't making a good connection with the batteries, but either way, it seems kaput. There were lots of people out and part of the visit turned into stroller-dodging!

The highlight of the day was visiting the National Aquarium to see all the jellies, rays, sharks, corrals, and dolphins. We also went to a dolphin show and to see Planet Earth in 4D. My favorite parts of the aquarium were the anemones and the jellies. Oh -- and seeing them feed the huge sea turtle!

Today, Cayne cooked us delicious bacon, egg, and cheese bagels and then we headed out for outlet shopping at Arundel Mills, which was fun.

Little Bit is a Boy!

We had our 20-week ultrasound yesterday to check out Little Bit's growth, etc. We found out that he's a little boy and everything on the ultrasound looked good. Unfortunately, Little Bit wasn't cooperating very well and stayed curled up on his belly -- no amount of prodding was going to get him to change positions -- so the only thing the doctor couldn't get good measurements of was his heart. We got to see all 4 chambers beating, which was very cool but we have to go back in 4 weeks to try to get better measurements.

Because of his position, we didn't get as good of pictures as last time. But it was great to find out that we'll be having a little boy and now we can get started on choosing names and decor/playthings. And it's great to find out that all his bits and pieces are developing well. We are halfway there!

Andrews AFB Airshow

Today we headed to Andrews Air Force Base, home of Air Force One, with the Conlans to experience the 2010 Joint Service Open House and Airshow. It was Cayne's first ever time at an airshow and he seemed pretty excited once he found out that this was a chance get to see fighter jets and to go inside military planes rather than a show where folks are trying to sell their passenger planes.

The highlights were the F-22 Demo and the Blue Angels. I'm always impressed with the formations the Blue Angels demonstrate and the F-22 maneuvering was just cool. It was also fun to see everyone on the airfield walking around with their eyes to the sky (rather than in front of them).

See more pictures here.

Day trip to Deale

On Saturday we headed out to Deale, MD for a get-together with friends and their families. Deale is such a relaxing place to visit and is a nice drive. It was also nice to have some views of the water and boats while visiting. It was especially fun to get to see Caroline and Mike with Ella, who has gotten so big since the last time we saw her -- she'll be walking soon; and Kathryn and Craig with Hudson, who we got to hear giggle -- quite possibly one of the cutest things I have ever heard (or seen). And watching Beckett and Dexter playing fetch and swimming in the bay was so much fun! As always, Caroline's parents were wonderful hosts and we left full of good food, good memories, and a little too much sun!

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Our New Niece

We are excited to welcome Mackenzie Oakes Wade into the family. She was born on May 6, 2010 (the day after her daddy's birthday -- what a great belated birthday present for him!). She's a little cutie in the pictures we've seen so far and soon we will have photos of our own to post. We can't wait to meet her in person and to see the happy and proud new parents!

She's the first grandchild for all of her grandparents, making her particularly special. We are happy for her entire family and look forward to seeing her grow up!

Congratulations Russ and Ashley!!