Start of Week 16

Hello! We've had such a wonderful weekend after a busy week at work for each of us. The weekend kicked off with dinner at our house with our fabulous friends, the Minahans, the Nivisons, and the Heidergotts. Then on Saturday morning, Doug and I packed up the car and headed to the Salmon La Sac river where we found a private campsite. The weather was amazing, and we relaxed, explored, ate, and laughed a lot. Doug perfected his marshmallow roasting techniques while I mastered the technique of going to the bathroom in the woods while pregnant. The weekend was beautiful in every way!

Slash update: We learned that although the baby's eyes are shut, s/he can be affected by outside light. Supposedly, if we shine a flashlight on my stomach, the bright light will cause the baby to move around. Additionally, we learned that our baby gained muscles and now possesses the ability to form a fist. I developed the following theory: could I feel my baby move for the first time if I shined a flashlight on my stomach to make him/her punch me? Doug said: "That's crazy!" My mom said: "It's fetal abuse...poor Slash." My dad responded via email: "Shine a light on this baby and he/she might just have the muscle power to give you the finger." Despite the skepticism of my loved ones, Doug and I tried it. And, it worked! With my eyes closed so that I couldn't see where Doug shined the light, I felt the fluttering! It was amazing. While we were camping, I was then able to notice this same feeling (minus the blazing light). My baby's got moves!

Love to you all!

(D) and E