Sandblast 2007

Crane Beach had their annual sand competition. We were a bit late so some of the sand sculptures were already knocked down. Eleanor ran around the entire time and stayed in the 60 degree water as much as possible. It was one of the hottest muggiest days of the summer so we were glad to be in the water. By the time we left Eleanor was so tired she could barely stand it and we are all still recovering today.

33 Weeks

So I have about 7 weeks to go before baby number two arrives. We still don't have a name picked out, so keep those suggestions coming. Over the past week Eleanor has decided very suddenly that she likes to watch TV. She likes Elmo, Curious George, and her favorite is a 10 min DVD sampler called Classical Baby. She gets mad now because we won't let her watch as much as she wants.
In the picture with Eleanor and John, John was taking a nap and Eleanor had just gotten up from hers. She decided to crawl up on the couch with Daddy and nap. She laid still for about 10 seconds then made John get up too. She is quite the daddies little girls these days.
The other picture of Eleanor is of on the playground stealing toys from a friend. I love her outfit. Its very vintage.

Doctor's Orders

At my 32 week appointment it was disconcerting to my midwives that I had LOW blood pressure. So low that they sent me to my primary care physician for an EKG. Good news...my heart, iron, and sugar levels are in peak condition. My normally low blood pressure is lower even for me. This isn't a health concern for me or the baby (only if I pass out and fall on the baby). I just feel kind of like passing out all the time and I don't have a lot of energy. Get this, my doctor recommended that I drink more caffeine! I told him that was a funny recommendation. I will happily drink caffeine! I should have asked for a prescription for Starbucks and tried to see if my insurance would cover it! So if you would like to help improve my health, feel free to send me gift cards for Starbucks in any amount.

Wingersheek Beach

We found out that you can go to a couple of local beaches after 5pm for free. Yesterday we took Eleanor to Wingersheek Beach for the first time. It is a perfect beach at low tide for the little ones. The water was shallow, the waves were gentle, and tidal pools were warm. Eleanor pulled John all over the place. She loved every second of it...until we had to leave. Tears ran down her face as she had to say goodbye to birds, water, sand, ocean, and everything beautiful.

Name Game

OK, so we are at 31 weeks now and that means we have about 9 weeks to go (give or take 2 weeks). We don't have a name for this kid. We would like some ideas, so give us your opinion.
Things to remember:
1. We are having a boy
2. His last name will be Hutchins
3. His sister is Eleanor Grace
4. Other family names: John Michael (father), John Leonard (Paternal grandfather), James Owen (Maternal Grandfather and Uncle), John Robert (Uncle), Matthew James (Cousin), Jacob (cousin), Joshua (cousin)
5. If you suggest the name you plan to name your child and we like it...we are not above taking it.
6. Don't be offended if we don't like your suggestions. We haven't agreed on any suggestions so far.

By The Time I Am 40

I (Mary) will turn 40 years of age on June 6, 2018. The reason I am thinking about 40 is because it seems that I will have to revisit some of the things I wanted to do by the time I am 30, which will be next summer. My big goal was to have visited all 50 states by 30. At this time I have not visited Alaska, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, Delaware, or New Jersey. I am confident that the last 4 could be accomplished rather easily as they are all near where we live, but the other two seem to be beyond my reach. So, I think I have to get a 5 to 10 year extension for that one. There are other things I would like to do. Some of them have been on my list since high school some of them are new. Just to name a few, I would love to learn to sail, play tennis (and actually be good enough to complete a game), and I would love to participate in some type of outdoor challenge. Maybe in some grueling race of sorts that requires biking, hiking, and canoing (If you know of one let me know). I want to race a horse as fast as it can go and learn to ballroom dance. I want to go to another country (yes, I have been overseas, but I want to go somewhere further and more foreign). I want to learn another language enough to speak to a native. I want to create some type of art and grow a garden. I would love to go to a day spa (not exactly sure what goes on at a day spa, but I would like to be pampered). I want to meet up with old friends every couple of years and never loose touch. I want to try new foods and read more. I want to watch a sunset every week. I want to research our family tree. I want our kids to spend a summer on the New River eating catfish, tubing, and hearing stories about "when we were kids".

Well, I had better get started. What about you? What is on your list?