Catching up

I have a lot of catching up to do.

Usually I post while the boys are taking a nap, or after they've gone to bed for the night. These days, though, I'm usually climbing into bed myself at those times. The first trimester of pregnancy and I do not get along well. I feel as if someone is plugged into me, taking my energy and using it as their own.

Oh, wait. That is what's happening.

Now, couple it with waves of nausea throughout the day that decide to kick in full-force at 4 p.m. with such regularity that I can actually tell the time without having to look at a clock, like an arthritic person can predict coming storms with achy knees.

I am thankful for the symptoms, though. They suggest that things are going well so far.

But I'm a little behind in the blogging department.

I feel bad knowing that you're probably checking in here and wasting a trip, but please bear with me. I'll get some energy back in the next few weeks. I'm 11.5 weeks along right now, so by my calculations, I should be feeling like myself again in two and a half more weeks.

I have no shortage of photos, though, so there's lots to write about, as soon as I get the chance.

Since my last post, Patrick and I took a little camping trip to celebrate his 35th birthday. We got a tent as a wedding present back in November of 2005 envisioning the camping trips we'd take together, outdoor-lovers that we are, but since then, I've been pregnant or nursing a baby every summer and we've never had the chance to even take it out of the box.

A few months ago, I thought it might be fun to finally break it in and, not being pregnant or nursing (at the time), I planned a weekend camping trip for the two of us.

Then I got pregnant.

Still, I'm not quite big enough to be terribly uncomfortable, and not quite nauseous enough to be lying on the floor and moaning for large portions of the day (like I was with the boys), so we decided to keep our plans.

I'm so glad we did.

We went to Ricketts Glen State Park, did a little bit of hiking and a whole lot of sitting around the camp site reading, talking, and napping. It was so peaceful and we both came back refreshed and anxious for the day we can take the boys camping too.

We didn't take a lot of photos, but did manage to snap this one of the two of us by a waterfall.

(Please pretend you don't see the bags under our eyes. The night before, our campsite neighbor, who referred to himself as "Uncle Dave," spent the evening arguing with his wife and singing lullabye harmonies to his fussy baby - Andy Bernard-style - into the wee hours of the morning.)

I don't want to speak too soon, but so far I think that trip was the highlight of our summer.

What's been your favorite part of the summer so far?