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http://thebrinks.wordpress.com

Additional photos (see below post)

34 weeks!

As the title of this post indicates, I am now 34 weeks along in my pregnancy and still feeling well. I am somewhat ready for our baby boy to arrive and am facing the normal difficulties associated with living life with a belly. But we are so thankful that the pregnancy continues to go well! We have decided to have a repeat c-section, and we've set that date for October 8. I go to the doctor tomorrow, and we hope that things are still going well.
Since Annabelle's trip to Jackson/our vacation, we have pretty much just been around the house doing normal activities. I just wanted to post a few recent pictures of Belle (to satisfy the interests of those who check this blog regularly). The other precious girl you see in a few of these photos is Susanna Brink, Belle's cousin. They are almost exactly the same age, and we love having Susanna come play. Watching the two of them grow up together will be such fun!
The seemingly odd pictures of Belle on a large machine were taken at our church's Labor Day gathering at the farm of one of our elders. The kids at this annual event look forward to rides on this "glorified golf cart," and Annabelle took an interest in it as well. At one point in the evening, I looked up from my dinner to see Daniel, Belle, and another elder from church headed off for a ride. According to the reports I received, Annabelle had a wonderful time (despite the fact that her facial expression was stoic the entire time).
I guess the one interesting "process" we've been through over the past couple of weeks is the removal of the pacifier from Belle's life. For a LONG time she had only used it in the car and the bed. After our trip to Nashville in July, we took it away from the car with NO problems. We knew we wanted to have it totally gone by the time she was 2, and I also knew that I didn't want to be dealing with it when the baby arrived. So two weeks ago we decided to take it away from the bed (the remaining area). I would say that we are pretty much past the transition, and as everyone says, it wasn't as bad as I thought. But it WAS hard, especially for the first few days. Her naps got very unpredictable, and she would wake up crying and unable to sleep but still clearly tired. She also spent less time playing happily in her bed after naps and in the mornings and would want out sooner (which affects me more than it does her). We are still dealing with a little of the latter issue, but we are all adjusting. :) Clearly she drew more comfort from it that I realized. But I am thankful to have that step behind us!

MS150

In two weeks (Sept 13-14) I will be riding in the Memphis edition of the MS150, which is an annual bike ride to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society. My company forms a team each year for the event, and this will be my first time to participate. Medtronic is also sponsoring a "water stop" along the way which will provide food and beverage to the hundreds of riders passing through.
The ride begins at Graceland on Saturday morning and heads 75 miles south to Tunica. The next morning we start the 75 miles back Graceland.

I have a bit more training to do to get ready for the 150 mile weekend, but I should be fine. This will be my first extended ride since our Natchez Trace excursion we completed last November.

Anyway, the main purpose of this event is to raise money for a worthy cause. Each rider is doing his/her part to round up support, and if you feel so inclined to contribute, you can do so at Daniel's Support Page.

More photos from Jackson

Vacation Update

Well, once again, I am slow to update the blog. Maybe I should just quit saying that I am slow and just accept that speed as the norm.
Anyway, our "vacation" is over. Belle spent a week with my parents in Jackson, and she had a fabulous time. My parents really were delighted to have her, and despite the physical demands of running after her, they were quite sad to see her go. She got to play with so many fun toys, and she had many visitors come to see her. She played in a park, went swimming, and even went to the mall (and discovered the world of elevators and escalators). Daniel and I thoroughly enjoyed our "stay-cation" here. We went out to eat twice and took our time doing so. I was able to get lots accomplished around the house, and I also just enjoyed doing things when I wanted to do them. As great as the joys of motherhood are, I relished not having to fix Belle's meals, change her diapers, get her dressed, etc. But I did miss her, and Daniel and I were both glad to see her when we arrived in Jackson.
I will post some pictures that my mom took of her activities in Jackson.

Sitting Around

I wanted to capture Belle doing something she rarely does -- sitting still. She is such an active child, but she has recently gotten into the habit of getting a book or toy and plopping down in the middle of the floor to enjoy it. She sticks her feet out in front of her (as shown) and reads or plays. These beautiful moments don't usually last too long, but they are precious and quite humorous.
She is going on an adventure next week (or maybe I should say that my parents are going on an adventure). Sweet T and Granddaddy (my parents) are coming to Memphis this weekend for a wedding, and they are taking Annabelle back to Jackson with them Sunday for the entire week! In case anyone has failed to make the connection of what that means for me, it means that I will be in my house alone all next week. Daniel and I are so excited about our "vacation," and my parents are thrilled about their undertaking (definitely won't be a vacation for them). I plan to do work around the house, get the nursery much more ready than it currently is, rest, and just enjoy doing the things I'd like to do when I'd like to do them. We will probably go to a movie one night...but hey, we can be spontaneous about which night that will be because we won't have a child to think about! I will miss her and will probably be a bit sad when they pull out of my driveway Sunday afternoon, but I have a feeling that I will quickly ease right into the childless week. My parents are so kind to give us this break, and I will enjoy every minute of it -- and be so glad to see Belle on Friday when we arrive in Jackson for our weekend there!!

Birthday Partying

Recently, Belle was invited to her first non-family birthday party. Warren Barnes II was turning 1, so we all went to celebrate his big year. Belle had a blast eating food and playing around their house, and once the temperature cooled from about 110 degrees to maybe around 95, we went outside and played on the swingset. Here are some photos from the occasion.

Four Years

Katy and I celebrated our 4th anniversary this past week. In what has become sort of a tradition, we returned to Erling Jensen for dinner on Friday night. I guess it's our favorite restaurant in Memphis--I don't know if the restaurant is that much better than everything else, or we are just associating it with a special event. In any case, it is easily the meal of the year we most look forward to, and I can't imagine that if we are in town next year that we will go anywhere else.

I've written about Erling Jensen once before on this blog, one year ago to be exact. The only thing that rivals Erling's food is Erling's service. The staff treats you as if you are really special. I appreciate that, because I think I'm pretty special too. Some high-end restaurants treat their customers well, but with a side of snootiness (if that's a word). It's as if you should feel privileged to eat there. It's not like that at Erling. The staff treats you as if they are privileged to serve you. I especially like that they show you which of the 9 utensils you are supposed to use for each course. Even though I'm pretty certain what goes with what by now, they step in to remove any doubt. That's helpful.

There are two things we make sure one of us orders each year: the crabcake appetizer and the chocolate soufflé dessert (neither can be topped in our opinion). In between, we always try out different entrees. There are three "tastes" along the way, complimentary of the chef. We received our complimentary pre-appetizer-appetizer soon after we ordered (I don't know the official name for this course, but I don't have to because, again, I'm special). It was a small citrus-smoked salmon tart, topped with a pesto butter. Yum. From there we moved into our appetizers. To accompany Katy's crabcakes, I got the foie gras. First-timer with the foie gras, and it won't be the last. Mmmm...boy.
After we woofed down our appetizers, we were treated to a pineapple sorbet. I look forward to the sorbet, even though my pallet always seems clean enough. For our entres--Katy had the monk fish (one of the specials) and I got the rack of lamb. I was told the lamb was Erling's signature dish, but that's the first I had heard. The lamb was really good--easily moved into the 2nd slot for my favorite Erling entree (the first slot is firmly held by the ostrich).
We only got one dessert. Weak, I know, but that's all we could stomach at this point. Of course it was the chocolate soufflé. Chocolate and I are good acquaintances, but my wife's relationship with the sweet is much more rich. I could try to describe Erling's soufflé, but I'm not sure it would match Katy's standard. Our complimentary after-dessert-dessert was some sort of chocolate candy. A little too bold for me. In Katy's words, "that's pretty hard-core," and that's pretty high praise.

A future typist

I also wanted to post some pictures of Annabelle practicing her typing. I am sure she will be a better computer-navigator than her mother in no time.
On a different note, I had a good doctor's appointment yesterday. I am about 27.5 weeks along now and am still feeling well! I passed my glucose test, meaning that our baby boy doesn't have gestational diabetes. My blood pressure is still great, and we are hoping that it stays that way! I go back in 3 weeks for another check-up and then will go every two weeks after that! Time is passing right along!
Two special "people" have birthdays today. Happy Birthday to Halley Williams and to our dear dog Dugg. Halley is 25 and Dugg is 3.

Reunion and Wedding

I have been slacking in my updates (what else is new?). I feel like I have spent the past 7-8 days recovering from a very busy 8-9 days we had in mid-July, but I do think that life is now back to normal. We spent the July 4th weekend in Nashville at a family reunion for Daniel's mom's side of the family. Daniel hadn't even met many of these family members, so the weekend was filled with new faces as well as a few familiar ones. All of the "Memphis Brinks" were in attendance, and we all stayed right around each other at the hotel. Hotel-living with a young child is tiring, but we were so glad that we made the effort to go and meet family. Belle was so exhausted by the time we left on Sunday that she slept for about 40 minutes in the car (which is long for those of you who are unaware), and she did sustain two minor bruises to the head due to exhaustion-reduced motor skills. But she had a great time playing with her cousins (both first and second ones), and I've posted a few pictures from the weekend.
My dear friend Meg Daughdrill was married on Saturday the 12th to the wonderful Brian Flowers. The weekend was filled with happy celebrations, some of which Belle participated in. I posted a picture of us at the wedding-day lunch; Annabelle was in the process of eating a delicious bit of peppermint ice cream! The ceremony was beautiful, and my dress fit! I shouldn't have tried to wear tall heels and definitely did knee-bends during all of the prayers, but I made it! I was so thankful to be a part of the festivities, and of course Meg was such a beautiful bride. Many happy wishes to Dr. and Mrs. Brian Flowers!!

Happy July

I realized it had been awhile since I last posted, so I'll just give a quick update and include some recent photos. We continue to rearrange/organize/clean out our house as we prepare for Baby #2. It's a slow process, but we have made some progress. I am growing and now definitely look pregnant, but I am still feeling pretty well (aside from the usual discomfort that comes with an expanding belly).
Annabelle has had a couple of trips to the pool, and she is not sure what to think about it. We hope to keep working with her so that she will become excited about the water. I bought a maternity swimsuit for our swimming outings because I decided that the "belly poking out of the tankini" look was not for me. Belle continues to be very active and is looking more like a "little girl" rather than a baby. One of her new tricks is shuffling around the house in my slippers (see photo), and she is pretty good at getting around. When she walks in them, she looks like she is an old man (somewhat hunched over) wearing snow shoes.
We are headed to Nashville this weekend for a family reunion (Daniel's mom's side), and next weekend is my dear friend Meg's wedding. We'll start wedding festivities towards the end of next week. I took my bridesmaid's dress to be altered yesterday, and it was quite humorous. The woman had kindly agreed to alter the dress at the last minute since I am constantly expanding, and I am SO glad that I decided to order the dress 3 sizes bigger than my normal measurements. She is letting it out across the middle so that I can breathe! Let's hope I don't grow too much over the next ten days or so.

Top Chef

Annabelle's favorite toy right now is her new wooden kitchen. Her Oma and Opa (Daniel's parents) were planning to get a kitchen for her at Christmas, but we had noticed that whenever we went to a child's house who had a kitchen, she was fascinated with it. Opening and closing the doors, putting things in, taking things out...all of this was so entertaining for her. So Daniel and I approached Oma and Opa with the idea of getting her the kitchen now as an EXTREMELY early Christmas gift. They were kind enough to do so, and after much searching to find a good deal, a kitchen arrived via FedEx last week. The FedEx man backed into the driveway and propped the box against the garage, and I figured that because of its weight, he hadn't wanted to bring it up to the front door. I was correct. I opened the garage door and pulled with ALL MY MIGHT to move it about a foot into the garage, hoping the whole time that none of my neighbors could see. :) Anyway, Daniel got it in the house that night, and we opened the box and found a 24-step instruction manual and about 50 pieces of kitchen to assemble. Sweet Daniel spent about 3 hours putting it together, but his time was well spent. She absolutely loves it and has played so happily with it. The pictures are of her when she first saw it and played with it. In case you are wondering about the funny-looking part next to Belle in the last picture, it's a removable dishwasher rack. They really do think of everything.
On a different note, I had the treat this past weekend of going to Pickwick (a lake near Memphis) for a celebration of the upcoming wedding of my dear friend Meg Daughdrill. Nine girls came, and we had the best time relaxing, laughing, eating, sunbathing, etc. You get the picture. Daniel was kind enough to be "extra fatherly" on Father's Day weekend while I went to be carefree, and I enjoyed myself so much.

1.5

When Belle hit 18 months, we decided to get some pictures done for her. If you're familiar with Germantown, we had these done in the caboose garden (or whatever you call that place) over on Poplar Pike.

If you know Belle, you know that she is not prone to stay in one place for long. Getting a good shot requires the photographer have stamina, quick feat, and a fast camera. Thankfully our photographer, Brenda, has all of these. Belle was not as cooperative as we had hoped, but we got some good shots regardless. She did a lot of smiling, but it was usually as she was running away from the camera. Next time, maybe we'll get one camera to use as a decoy, and then have another to get the great shots of her running in the other direction.

We're Back

We are back from our vacation, and we had a wonderful time. Daniel and I really enjoyed getting away to New Orleans and having a few days to ourselves, and our main activity while we were there was eating. We ate some wonderful food and could have stayed longer just to eat at other restaurants! For those of you familiar with New Orleans, we frequented places such as French Market Cafe, Gumbo Shop, Camelia Grill, Dick and Jenny's, Cafe Maspero, NOLA, Croissant d'Or, and of course, Cafe Du Monde. So we definitely didn't leave the city hungry.
Annabelle also had a wonderful "vacation," though hers was a bit different from ours. She spent those days in Jackson with my parents, and she had a blast. My parents had some new, exciting toys for her, and I really don't think that she noticed that Daniel and I were gone until we got back. :) My parents enjoyed having her, and I am sure that she wore them out. But Daniel and I returned to a happy, well-rested, well-fed child, and we were so pleased! The pictures are a few that Mom took while Belle was with them.
Changing the subject a bit...I am still having a great pregnancy. I have "expanded" over the past week, though I am relieved that the growth is because of the baby and NOT the New Orleans food. Daniel and I went for our ultrasound today, and we are pleased to say that we have a healthy BOY growing. So Belle will have a little brother. We are thrilled, though it does seem strange to think about having a boy when all we've known is a girl. But it will be a new adventure, and we are just thankful that HE appears to be growing normally.