babymoon in barbados

Over Memorial Day weekend we decided to take one last vacation before I reached the no-fly zone.  All we wanted to do was relax on the beach and do nothing else, and that is just what we did.

We had a wonderful time in Barbados.  Everyone told us how important it was to go on one last vacation before our little man arrives and we are so glad we listened.  The country was beautiful and we spent most of the time exploring the island and checking out all of the different beaches.  Jason insisted on snorkeling at each beach, convinced he would find a turtle and finally one day he was successful and found Walter while he was out swimming in the ocean.

The best part of our trip was our awesome yellow car, Betty.  She was very reliable and made sure no big bad trucks ran us off the road.  Driving on the left side of the road was a little tricky to get use to but the worst was the narrow little roads.  It was amazing how fast the cars would go on the little roads.  She was a little small for two tall people, and I'm sure we looked awesome driving around in such a mini car, but we loved it!

Besides exploring the country and swimming we heard about the Friday night Oistin fish fry that everyone said was a must.  After talking to a few people at our hotel we found out which shack was the best and headed to Oistin.  Apparently everyone in the country also goes to the Friday night fish fry because it took what should have been a 15 minute drive, 40 minutes.  We then found Uncle George's.  We only waited 45 minutes for our grilled fish, but the wait was well worth it and I will say I have never had swordfish and marlin that was that good.

The fish fry

We had a wonderful time in Barbados but couldn't help talking about our future travel plans and how excited we are to bring buddy along on our next beach vacation.  I'm not sure how old someone has to be before they can start snorkeling in the ocean but I can guarantee Jason will have our little man in the water as soon as he is able.

Local school girls in their uniforms

The view from our room

One of the restaurants we had lunch at

Me and buddy

april showers . . .

brings lots of things for baby boy!!  I know I am always a late poster and an absent poster as of late, but my mind is on so many other things right now that I keep forgetting to post. 

Baby boy is right on schedule and kicking like a mad man.  I just reached the 30 week mark and I am starting to freak out that we are almost down to single digits.  I feel like I still have so much to learn and buy before our little buddy arrives.  Every week we feel like we've lost another Saturday if we didn't accomplish some shopping for baby, so we are getting it all, bit-by-bit.

Last month I flew to UT to spend time with friends and family and show everyone my huge baby bump.  It seemed crazy to think that my family hadn't seen me pregnant - I'm sure it was a little wierd for them too.  I will admit I have been doing my best to hide the baby bump, don't worry, I have now embraced it, it's way to big to hide now.  I'm not one for having all the attention so it was a little hard for me to show it off.  When I first saw each of my family and friends they first looked at my face to say hi and then the eyes immediately dropped to the baby bump, and that is where they stayed throughout the conversation - awkward.  Now I know how large chested women feel:)

I had such a lovely time while I was in UT.  I was able to spend some quality time with my mom discussing everything baby.  I've never really had a reason to talk babies with her before so it was so nice to have a little one-on-one to hear about me and my brothers as babies - I just hope my labor is as fast as hers were.  My aunt and grandma came up from Roosevelt and it was so nice to spend a few days with them, it's been almost two years since I saw them last.  And it was so good to see my beautiful grandma looking so healthy after just completing her chemo. 

While I was home I was spoiled with two lovely showers.  One night I met up with my old high school friends for dinner at Calloways, followed by dessert and presents at my friends house.  We visited until midnight and it was so fun to hear about them as mothers and all that they have experienced raising their adorable babies.  My good friend, Michelle, who was also pregnant at the time of the shower, just welcomed her adorable baby Sophie Ann - congrats Michelle!!

The next day was the family shower.  It was so nice to see all of my family and I truly felt loved.  So many people traveled so far to see me and baby and I am so grateful for such a wonderful family.  My mom went above and beyond for the shower, making sure every little detail was perfect, and made the day so beautiful.  There were so many people that helped to make the day special and I came back NY with so many things to help us get ready for baby.

Thank you all for everything you did for us, we love you so much and can't wait to introduce you to our little buddy!

The Decorations

My dads clothesline with the favors he was so proud of

Baby boys new friend, Walter the Turtle

 The little shower helpers

 Grandma great

hello world

Yesterday we had a follow-up ultrasound because our little buddy was not cooperating properly the first time around, and the dr didn't get a shot of everything she wanted.  So, this time I loaded up on sugar hoping he would be a little more active - but he wasn't.  I think he just gets comfortable in one spot and that is where he likes to stay.  The tech had me turning from side-to-side and kept reclining the chair so far back that my feet were almost over my head (I had to hold on for dear life) and every time I moved - baby would move right along with me.  Lets just say he is a stubborn little guy and just wants everything his way - lets hope this is not a sign of things to come.

After almost an hour of adjusting and the tech digging the wand into my ribs, she gave up and left to get the dr.  So I climbed out of my chair and started doing jumping-jacks or anything to get our buddy to move.  It was a success, and he moved just enough that the dr was able to get a shot he was happy with.  The dr then zoomed in and baby boy gave us a thumbs up letting us know that we were good to go!! 

We haven't been very good about keeping the family updated, so we thought we would add a few profile pictures of baby boy waving to everyone.

Profile picture of his head

Another profile with his hand up, waving hello

our lil' superhero

Yesterday we had our official anatomy screening and found out, for certain, that our little Larkin, is in fact - a boy!!!!  We were both very very excited.  I'd like to say I knew all along because of my motherly intuition, but I think it's just what I thought I wanted.  Don't get me wrong, I would have loved a little girl, but I grew up with big brothers so I think in my mind it's just normal for a boy to come first.  Jason, of course, is ecstatic and can't wait to have a little buddy. 

Ever since Jason was a kid he has loved Batman - and he is convinced his son will too.  He's already bought several of the old school Batman figurines (even though baby boy won't even know what they are for a few years), and his first onesie purchase was none other than the classic Batman sign.  If he has it his way, baby will not be wearing any mama's boy onesies, and there will be no mention of Superman in the Larkin home.  I didn't think Jason would have cared about clothes and colors but he has voiced his opinion on several things, even down to the color of stroller we will get. 

Yesterday was one of those happy days I hope I never forget.  We were both so excited to see baby.  I haven't really felt the baby move (or just don't recognize the feeling) and it hasn't started to feel real to us yet, so we were just excited to see that there really was something in there.  It was the first warm day we've had in a long time and everyone on the streets were celebrating St. Patty's day, but for some reason I felt like everyone was happy (I realize they were probably just drunk) - like they were happy for us to see baby.  The girls at work have been so great and so nice to listen to anything and everything I say about baby and then everyone at the hospital was so sweet. 

The technician let us look at baby for an hour and half and we oohed and awed over every finger and toe.  I still cannot believe how clearly you could see his little parts and it was so comforting to know that he was growing strong and healthy.  Jason was very cute to watch.  He was seriously like a little kid at Disneyland and was amazed at everything.  At one point the technician said it sometimes makes the baby move when I cough so then throughout the rest of the screening when baby wasn't cooperating Jason kept nudging me and telling me to cough. 

It was a wonderful day, we are still both on a high, so I can't imagine what it will feel like when we actually get to see him face-to-face.  Thank you so much for your sweet comments and for being as excited as we are about our little one.

***  BreAnna, sorry for making you wait so long.
        Angie, I have know idea how you knew but I'm so sorry I had to lie to you:)

at last - a post

I'm sorry I've been out of the blogging world for a while, but to be honest .... I've been too busy making a baby!!!

That's right, the Larkin family will soon be three.  We are so excited to announce that we will be welcoming our little bundle of joy on August 3rd.  We will officially find out what we are having next week, but at our last appointment, the doctor thought she saw a little something in between the legs; so for now, we are calling it a he.  

For Valentine's day we sent our parents a little love package with the book "Urban Babies Wear Black" with a note that said:

Please open this Chinese take-out box with care.

Inside you will find a little book that we wanted to share.

We hope you learn a lot from our little Valentine's Day surprise.

Because on August 3rd a New York grandbaby is going to arrive!

The gift

The poem

new york looks a little lonely when you speed it up

christmas 2010

We had a wonderful time in Utah for Christmas this year.  We were only there for a few days but we were able to see almost all of our friends and family while we were there and it was so fun catching up with everyone.  I love the city at Christmas, but there is something about the rush of fighting the crowds at the airport and the anticipation of not knowing if we are actually going to get there that makes going to Utah so special.  And when we finally pull in to Lewiston, I know it was all worth it.  I know I say this all the time, but after being gone for a few years, I truly love Lewiston and I am so grateful I was able to grow up in such a great small town.

As always, our Christmas was filled with a lot of back and forth with families but I am so glad we are able to see everyone at this time of the year.  One night we had a sleepover with Shea and the next day Jason got to experience the joy of making his first gingerbread house.  Shea was a big help; however she was very serious when it came to the gingerbread house and we were warned several times to not even think about eating the candy because it was all for the gingerbread house:)

The finished product (check out Jason's awesome icicles)

It was very entertaining to have Christmas with Shea and Dylan this year.  Of course Shea believes everything you tell her about Santa and the Elf on the Shelf was a big hit with her this year and she was constantly reminding us that the Elf was watching us.  Dylan loved Jason.  He was a little hesitant at first and wondered who the big guy was, but he quickly warmed up to him and soon became his new friend.  Every time, without fail, Dylan saw Jason he would point at him.  We could all walk into the room and Dylan would only point when he saw Jason.  He was fascinated by him and I think Jason was secretly glad he had a new buddy.

Christmas PJ's

Dylan, the macho man

 Dylan pointing at his buddy

Shea performing for us with her new Barbie karaoke machine after several wardrobe and hair changes (note the socks used as gloves)

I didn't get any pictures, but we had some much fun at Jason's grandmas.  Jason's cousins always get the funnest games for Chrismas and this year they brought their Wii and the game Just Dance.  Let's just say there were several dance performances and even a shirtless robot performance by Brent.  Some were okay with being beat by their component and others, not so much (Jodie!)

We were both spoiled for Christmas and we are so grateful for our wonderful families.  I know when we come to visit we expect them to stop what they are doing and entertain us, and it really means a lot and we always feel so loved when we come to visit.

For New Years Eve we went to our friends Scott and MaryLynn's apartment where they have a perfect view of Times Square.  We thought we were going to have to fight the crowds getting to their apartment but we went early enough that we didn't have any problem getting their.  However, on the way home there were no cabs to be had and the buses weren't running so we walked home, along with a million other New Yorkers.  We had so much fun hanging out with Scott and MaryLynn, we made homemade pizzas and played games all night (well the boys did) and even unwound a few rolls of toilet paper on the crowd below:)  Thank you for a fun night!!

View from their window when the ball dropped

100 years of the NY subway

The NY Times did an amazing photo feature of the last 100 years of the NY subway system (this would make a great coffee table book).  While I am very thankful that the city is much cleaner then it was back in the 70s and 80s, it would be fun to go back and see, as some say, the true NY.

Yes, we are still alive.  I will get back to regular posting eventually.

scuba certified

Jason and I have always wanted to get scuba certified but we always said we didn't have the time; first it was school and he was always studying, then it was work and there was never time.  In August I finally decided that if we didn't just commit and do it we never would.  I found a dive shop in the city that offered an extensive weekend course and we signed up.  If I had really known what I was getting myself into I probably wouldn't have done it, but once we signed up, there was no turning back.  Deep down I was super nervous that I was going to freakout once I got under water, and then I found out there was a test involved and was sure I would fail it - do you know how long it's been since I've taken a test?

So we studied our book and watched our video for two nights leading up to the class and it turns out - we LOVED it!!  Other than a little issue with my ears and taking in a little too much water when I was trying to equalize, I really enjoyed being under the water and that was just the swimming pool.  We couldn't wait to get in the ocean and start exploring.

We had a trip booked to the Dominican Republic and set up all the arrangements to finalize our certifications while we were there - and away we went!! 

Our first set of dives were a little rough due to a hurricane brewing further south.  After our first day of dives were weren't too sure about it.  On our second day of dives we went on a little adventure to the other side of the country and the waters were perfectly calm.  Our first dive of the day was a wall and it was so fun to follow the wall down as we got deeper and deeper.  The corral was beautiful and I couldn't believe how calming it was to just swim around and check out the wild life - and don't worry, there were no shark encounters.  Although we were fully aware of what we needed to do just in case we came face to face with Jaws, thanks to Shark week!

The resort where we stayed was beautiful. Our room was perfect with a jacuzzi tub and all (Jason was in heaven)!!  It was a very peaceful trip and we were able to spend most of our time relaxing at the beach or by the pool.  We were very grateful for Jason's Spanish on this trip.  We had read that a lot of the waiters couldn't speak very good English and we were very surprised how true this was.  At first Jason would start out speaking in English but would eventually have to switch to Spanish when they couldn't really understand what we were saying.  By the end of the trip Jason didn't even try to speak in English.  Everyone loved when Jason would bust out the Spanish and I will say that everyone was much more friendly when Jason started speaking to them in Spanish.  However, the best part was when they would try talking to me and Jason would have to tell them I didn't speak Spanish.  For some reason everyone of them thought it was so funny that I had no idea what they were saying about me.


Surprisingly there weren't very many Americans in the DR.  Everyone we ran into was either Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilian, German, French or Russian.  It was crazy to come back to America and actually understand what the person next to me was saying.

We had a wonderful time in the DR and now that we are officially scuba certified (wahoo!!) we can't wait to plan our next diving trip. 

** We dove with a Frenchman who had an underwater camera who was going to send us pictures but we never received them so I don't really have any great pictures to document our trip.

Oh and I forgot to mention - Michael Jackson even came back from the dead to perform for us:)

labor day weekend

Can I just start by saying we had the BEST Labor Day weekend! Back in July we talked about going somewhere for the long weekend and luckily Megan was on the ball and found us a great little house to rent in Westhampton - such a great idea!

After working out the logistics of everything we were ready to go on Friday. We had a few scares with train delays due to Hurricane Earl but we weren't going to let him ruin our weekend. Luckily it only stormed on Friday night and the rest of the weekend was beautiful. The house had a great back yard with a pool, hot tub and grill and that is where we spent most of our time.

There was nothing better than waking up and walking out back to the pool. Jason was up at the crack of dawn each morning testing out the hot tub, making sure the temperature was just right. My favorite part was hearing the pitter-patter of little feet running around each morning waiting for the rest of the house to wake up.

Our days consisted of lounging around the pool, one morning at the beach, checking out the quaint little town of Westhampton, rotating dinner with the guys and girls so we could each go out while the others stayed with the kids, music and ice cream on main street, and the boys favorite - grilling. You should have seen them all gathered around the grill making sure their steaks turned out just right.

But overall, our favorite part of the trip was definitely the company. We could have stayed in a hole and still had a great time with this group. We enjoyed many laughs and more than one prank was played during the weekend. Late nights were spent screaming while playing PIT, arguing over Catch Phrase, watching everyone's favorite YouTube videos and even a fully clothed cannon ball into the pool by Jason. Our friends have the best kids and we loved fighting over who got to hold baby Chloe, who got to sit in the hot tub with Ashton (without the Jets on) and who was pulling the kids in the radio flyer.

We were all sad to see the weekend come to an end and can't wait for more weekend getaways with the Porter's, Granum's and Walker's!!

The House

A mean game of water basketball

The Kids

Gotta love the goggles

The guys

The girls

The cannon ball