Christmas in September

So I'm a little behind in posting pictures... here are a few from Christmas that I never got around to... Click here to see the whole album.

It's a...

We're expecting Zoe Mae Zincke right around Thanksgiving and I can't wait! It was amazing to see the images of her brain, spine, and tiny little face on the ultrasound. I've been feeling her move around a lot, but so far John hasn't been able feel her kick at all. Hopefully that will happen soon! I'm 20 weeks now and finally looking pregnant. I think I'll add a little calendar on the side here...

Happy News!

I've been so excited to share this news (many of you already know):

I'm pregnant!

Yay! John and I are so excited and we are having so much fun celebrating this news. I'm at 15 weeks and due November 26. We've had a couple of ultrasounds and the doctor said the baby looks perfect. We find out the gender the first week of July and in the meantime we're still getting used to the idea of being parents. We've started shopping for baby gear and furniture and we're feeling pretty overwhelmed, but mostly excited.

Our lives have been centered around this news for the last few months, but life has been moving on. Our jobs are going well, we're looking forward to seeing friends and family during upcoming vacations, and we're having fun in SoCal!

Settled and On the Mend

John and I have been in California for a month and a half and I have been sick for most of that time. I came down with a cold/flu thing a little over a month ago and now I have a cough that has been lingering for 4 weeks. Yes, I'm drinking plenty of fluids and getting as much sleep as I can, but it made my lungs sore and my back tense up. I did go to the doctor and he said I just need time to heal...

Fortunately, my employer has been very understanding and I was able to work from home for a few days when it was really bad. Every day is just a little bit better and I have learned to be grateful for all the little things - like each moment I'm not coughing. John was also sick for a few days and he still has a bit of a cough, too, but it didn't hit him quite as hard. I'm grateful for that, too.

Meanwhile, we've moved into our new apartment, found our grocery stores, walked along the beach, and even tried one of the local restaurants. We've still got a lot of unpacking to do, but I think we're feeling settled in. The weather is moderate and beautiful, the traffic in our area isn't too horrible, and I think we're going to manage for the next 7 months!

We're looking forward to visitors! Our apartment is a 2 bedroom, so we've got space and an air mattress! Let us know when you're stopping by!

Cross Country Move Days 3 & 4

We left Louisville early the next morning and drove to St. Louis, Missouri. We stopped by our old neighborhood there to see our house. It looks the same as it did when we lived there, which was a strange feeling. It brought back a lot of memories to see everything look the same.

We had dinner with the Makowski's and the Losli's. We had a wonderful time catching up with them and hearing about the things they've been up to in the last few months. It was too short, though.

The next morning we got up early again so we could visit with the Gomes and the Taylor's. It was so great to see everyone again and we're sorry we couldn't spend more time with everyone. On our way out of town we stopped for lunch at Rich and Charlie's, a Zincke family favorite.

Then we left for Kansas and saw an awful lot of this:

Cross Country Move Days 1 & 2

It has been so nice to relax and just sit in the car. John and I are trying to make the most of this time off by seeing friends and family along our journey across the country.

We left Herndon, Virginia behind on Saturday morning and our first stop was to see John's Uncle Doug just outside of town. We had a wonderful visit and then headed to Tennessee for dinner with Joseph and Mariah. It was so nice to hang out with them and catch up on the last few months. (And I did say hello to JMU for you ladies out there!) I'll admit that I don't know if I could live in Tennessee, but it sure is beautiful country! We drove through lovely rolling hills, passed a Christmas tree farm, and saw the most amazing castle-like house. I wanted to take a picture, but we had already passed by the time I got my camera out.

Our next stop was Louisville, Kentucky to visit with Uncle David and Aunt Roxanne, which is always a pleasure. We're excited for Amanda's upcoming marriage and all the happiness that will bring her. And we hope Nicole and Clayton get to experience the DC area and enjoy it as much as we did!

Didn't get any pictures from our first couple of days, which I regret, but I'll have some to share from the next few days!

Almost 3 Months Later...

We are catching our breath after a few crazy months. At this moment we are in transit to Los Angeles, California. John's next rotation is in west Los Angeles and we have said goodbye to all our friends in Virginia to move across the country. John is looking forward to his new assignment and I will continue to work for Booz Allen Hamilton in California.

We were sad to leave Northern Virginia - we really became comfortable and happy there - but we are excited about our new adventures on the west coast. And we get to see a lot of our friends and family on the way!