Baby D's Shower

On Saturday my dear friends from college and my sister hosted a VERY special shower for Baby D and me. We enjoyed delicious snacks and learned all sorts of trivia about Karen and Byron as babies. Most importantly it was a wonderful time to share with close friends and family.

Memories of Istanbul

We've been remiss in updating our blog since we arrived back in the States. Here's a little tribute to our last couple of weeks in Istanbul.

Karen and Ernestine waiting for our flight to head home.

Our last Sunday night outing with friends to Biber (Bess and Karen).

Byron excited about his bonfile with begendi at Biber.

One last farewell boat cruise on the Hiawatha.

Enjoying dinner out with friends from the Consulate.

Our last trip to the Grand Bazaar (this is the part where Karen cries). Here we are enjoying lunch at our favorite restaurant in the Bazaar.

Rules for the bridge

In case you ever need to drive on the freeway or cross a major bridge in Turkey, you'll need to abide by the rules on the sign below.That's right, no walking, no bicycles, no horse-drawn carriages, and no tractors on the freeway!

OK to go!

We went to the OB doctor today to have an NST test done to be sure that Karen isn't having any contractions and can fly tomorrow. She passed with flying colors, and we even got to take one last look (in Istanbul) at the little guy. Dr. Erkan has been a great doctor, and all three of us will miss her!

We'll write you from the other side! To all of our friends in Istanbul, we'll dearly miss seeing you, but we'll definitely be in touch. Please pray for safe travels and calm nerves as we leave Turkey. God bless you and keep you!

33 Weeks

So here's the bump at 33 weeks. He sure is growing! A couple of things about the bump my husband lovingly pointed out:

1. Apparently I look like I've swallowed a watermelon.
2. This particular top especially emphasizes that fact.

Also, can you see my belly button?
Take a closer look - my inny is now an outie.

Moving Day

Well, the day has finally come to pack up our worldly possessions and head on back to the good 'ole USA. The movers spent yesterday and today boxing up our stuff and hauling it off to get on the slow boat to America. It's a very weird feeling. Our apartment feels so lonely and empty.
Ernestine was a very good pup during the move. She'd been pretty stressed as we were organizing and cleaning things out in preparation for the move. But when the day came, she put on a happy face. I did manage to catch her in this shot feeling a little sad as she watched one of the movers pack up her favorite chair from our bedroom.