BOY oh BOY!

That's right... we're adding another boy to the Martin family, and we think we're ready for this adventure!  TJ is very excited to have a baby brother, and we can't wait to see the boys grow up together.  They'll be the best of friends, and hopefully, Mommy will be able to keep up with all these boys in the house!

The big reveal was a family affair.  TJ & Grandma joined Mommy & Daddy for the ultrasound.  All this time, TJ had said he was getting a baby sister, but on the way to the hospital, he changed his mind and told us all, "Um... I think it's a boy."  And boy was he right!

We weren't sure how TJ would do during it, but he was awesome!  He was very excited to see the baby, and he talked excitedly about his baby brother.  He even asked Daddy if the ultrasound tech was a doctor.  Frankie told him yes, and TJ turned to her and said, "How you gonna get my baby brother out?"  TJ lasted about 20 minutes before he got bored, and he and Grandma left the room to go play.

The little guy is quite the mover, just like his older brother.  It was so fun to watch him squirm around.  He's also very healthy, and everything is growing just as it should.  For that, we are grateful.  Since TJ his named after his Grandpa, we've decided to name his baby brother after Daddy -- Robert Frank Martin, Jr.  For now, we'll call him Baby Frankie.  Although, we had to explain to TJ his name isn't Boy like he had been calling the little guy.

Grandma was able to stay with us for a few more days after the ultrasound.  Unfortunately, she was here for the five straight days of rain in the Bay Area.  We couldn't get out to do much, but that didn't matter to TJ.  He had fun staying home with Grandma, playing cars, drawing pictures, playing puzzles  and tearing the house apart!  We did manage to get out of the house to show off TJ's new gymnastics skills and have Mickey Mouse pancakes at the Blvd. Cafe.  It was a great visit, and althought TJ was sad when Grandma left, we're excited because we'll be in Colorado in just a few weeks to celebrate Christmas early.

Playing Catch-Up

Since it's almost Thanksgiving, it's probably time for a blog post about Halloween. Between the exhaustion from the baby and the busy time during November sweeps, Mommy hasn't had a moment to sit down and post an entry.

The end of October was packed with fun.  Mommy, Daddy & TJ drove down the coast to Half Moon Bay to find out pumpkin at this great little farm.  Not only were there pumpkins to pick out, but we were able to take a train ride, play in the bounce house, and ride a pony.  TJ was so proud of himself that he was able to ride the pony all by himself. 

On the Sunday before Halloween, TJ's school hosted a party for all the kiddos.  They had a bounce house, music, pizza and snacks.  It was so much fun to see all the little ones dressed up (and in Daddy's case, the big kids dressed up, too).  We enjoyed watching TJ play with his friends and have a great time.  His teachers and the parents there kept asking if TJ's second language was Russian.  Apparently, he's quite the little talker when it comes to speaking Russian with his friends and teachers.  He even sings Russian songs in music class, and his music teacher says he understands what it means because, "he sings with such feeling."  So funny!  After the party, we headed over to the SF Zoo for Boo at the Zoo.  We were all a little tired, but TJ managed to grab some candy, see some animals and play at the park there.

Halloween was a real treat this year because both Mommy & Daddy were able to take TJ trick-or-treating.  Our Toy Story trio managed to get in about a half dozen houses on our block before the rain started falling and we headed back to the house.  TJ had a great time getting candy, but I think he loved handing out the candy to the kids even more.  He would dump overflowing handfuls of candy into their buckets, and when they left, he'd turn to his and say, "I want another kid to come to my house and get candy."  He was so cute!

The past two weeks, we've been busy with visitors, much to our delight.  We get lonely up here all by ourselves, so it's nice when we have a houseful!  TJ loved spending time with Uncle Justin & Auntie Ann, and it was fun for Mommy and Ann to share pregnancy stories since our due dates are a month apart.
We took them to Pier 39 for lunch, some shopping, carousel riding and sea lion watching.  Then, Daddy and TJ took them over to Alcaltraz.  It was such a fun weekend, and we were all sad to see them go.

Last weekend, Uncle Rocky was in town for work, so he stayed a few extra days to visit.  Mommy loved having him around on Saturday.  He was such a huge help with TJ, and we think he needs to come up every Saturday and "stand-in" while Daddy works his 15 hour day at the Pac-12 Network!  TJ loved having Uncle Rocky read to him and play hide-and-seek with him.  On Sunday, the four of us made the trip across the bay for the Saints-Raiders game. Uncle Joey was gracious enough to get us four tickets in a suite, so we didn't have to deal with the crowds.  It was TJ's first Saints game, and although, it was in Oakland, we did get a win... and had a great time!

We're spending Thanksgiving at home, just the three of us, because Mommy has to work.  We will manage to get a turkey dinner in, courtesy of Daddy.  :)  This weekend, Daddy is heading to NOLA for the Saints-Niners game, and Mommy & TJ will get ready for Grandma's visit.  She flies in on Tuesday evening.  Then, the big reveal: Wednesday morning we find out if this little one is a boy... or a girl!

Baby Update

We had our 16 week appointment yesterday, and so far, our little nugget is doing great!  We were able to hear the heartbeat, which is always special.  This time, the doc had a difficult time getting the baby to sit still long enough to get the heart rate.  When he told us, "This one's a mover."  I looked at Frankie, and said, "Great.  Not another one."  TJ was the exact same way when he was in my belly, so we need to brace ourselves for another active one!

This time around, our doctor wanted me to go through a prenatal screening, so at 13 weeks, we went in for a blood test and ultrasound.  It was wonderful getting a bonus peak at the baby, and see the little one at that stage.  The images were pretty impressive, as well!

We're starting to gather some items for the nursery.  It's going to be owls, and the colors are orange, turquoise and brown. 

It'll be another four weeks until we find out if we're having a rambunctious boy or a rambunctious girl!  We can't wait!