XY marks the spot!

We learned today that we're having a baby boy!  Nick successfully contributed a Y chromosome (OK, genetics nerd impulse is now over) and we have 5 months  to figure out how in the world to raise a little boy (I remind you all that I come from a family of all girls). The 19 week anatomy ultrasound was really interesting beyond that- we got to see all the major organs, skeletal system and brain lobes. Thankfully no major congenital defects were detected. I'm going to spare you all from more ultrasound pics (and spare my son from prenatal exposure embarassment), but you can take our words for it, he definitely is a he (or as the ultrasound technician pointed out and labeled "HIS BOYNESS"). His head was nuzzled deep towards my spine, so I even get to go back in a month to take some more accurate measurements of his profile length. Yet another chance to see him growing and changing.

In other news this month, we've been busy with work as the Spring semester is in full swing for me and Nick has been traveling quite a bit for new and existing business. We got to celebrate RFR's one-year birthday and had a nice visit from VK. We can't wait for her baby boy PGK to have boy cousin to play with!

I've included a recent photo of my baby bump so you can chart my ever-widening torso:

Bump at 10 weeks  vs. 18 weeks. It's amazing what two months can do. From a gummy bear to a softball!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We traveled to see most of both our families this holiday season- which turns out to be tiring yet enjoyable.  We spent a few days, including Christmas Day, with the LaRocque/Spencer clan near Nashville, TN. Danielle and Jason recently moved to a new home that was perfectly decorated for the holiday season.  Jackson really enjoyed his Christmas and loved opening all his gifts. He was certainly spoiled by all his grandparents and aunties! His favorite gifts were a wooden train table, wooden kitchen set, a Little Tykes ridable police car, and his art easel.

Ready for church! 

Jackson wanted to know what shaving was like. Uncle Nicky introduced him to shaving gel, which was quickly followed by an attempt to make Uncle Nicky eat the foam. 

We flew back to DC on the 26th, only to load up the car and drive directly to Blacksburg, VA, where we spent a few days with the Kappas/Keriazes group. As always, the food was delicious and bountiful, and we both now need some time to work off all the excessive holiday cheer. We also had a chance to meet up with some dear friends and it was great playing catch up with MD and SW.

Little nephew Peter K. One of the most smily babies I've known.

We're now into week 15 of the pregnancy and everything is still progressing well. I've had to say goodbye to buttoning my regular jeans now, and have resorted to using the Bella Band (love this creation- it allows me to keep wearing all my regular pants comfortably), or maternity jeans (I haven't quite accepted these yet). I hit the payload with maternity clothing from Danielle. It's nice to be on the same track with the seasons- I get to use all her clothes!  I came home from Nashville with a duffle bag full of winter attire.

14 week baby bump. Sporting my super awesome maternity jeans now. Please insert sarcasm in "super awesome."                                                     

Our New Year's Eve will be much quieter than our past, due to the inability to imbibe and my lack of desire to be driving around late at night with people that have imbibed are also driving. We'll have a nice dinner with friends in Towsen, MD and look foward to ringing in the New Year. 2011 was a very eventful and exciting year, and I'm sure 2012 will be just as happy and blessed.

The Kappas Family is Growing!

As if a new city and a new job wasn't enough change for one year, we decided to throw a baby into the mix. We are starting our second trimester and so far everything is thankfully healthy and happy. The baby is due June 20th and we're getting excited about the new addition. We kept it a secret for so long, but were documenting the first trimester none-the-less. This posting will be a little long, in order to share all the past photos related to the last 13 weeks of pregnancy.

We're positive! I still took it two more times. The nerdy scientist in me had to repeat the test.

9 week ultrasound confirm there's definitely a little gummy bear in there. I got to see the heart beat for the first time.

13 week ultrasound. Gummy bear now resembles an alien baby. Everything looks healthy and progressing well. I was impressed that we could see the brain (seen in this shot), bladder, spine, and heart.

13 week ultrasound- five fingers waving hello! Looks like a scary Skeletor hand, but I'm sure with time it won't be so creepy.

Baby bump at 9 weeks. Yes, I know it's not a bump at all. This is a reference point to see what it looks like before my body gets out of control.

Baby bump at 13 weeks. Not much to the untrained eye, but I can certainly tell a difference. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be fitting into the regular pants....

Onwards and Upwards?

I can go on and on about how lame and busy I've been to post anything (since September!??!!), but I won't make a list of excuses. I'll just apologize and get right to the newest announcement for Team Kappas/LaRocque:

We're moving to Washington, DC!

Go Hoyas!

After a very lengthy and emotionally and mentally exhausting job search for an assistant faculty position, I ended with two job offers: one from the Biology Department at Yeshiva College (NYC), and one from the Department of Human Science in the School of Nursing and Health Studies at Georgetown University (DC). There were a lot of factors that came into the final decision, including geographical locale, job opportunities for Nick, best academic fit for myself, blah blah blah. But at the end of the day, we knew that NYC was a short-term gig for us, and moving more South (and closer to both families) was a great opportunity. The Department is a small, undergraduate-only department and the faculty there are fantastic (very much like a family already). The students are fantastic as well. I'll be teaching undergraduates (Intro to Genomics and Genetics- for Nursing and Language of Health and Disease), and running my own independent research program where undergraduates will be doing the research. It's a perfect fit for what I want to do and very excited about a position where education and curriculum development is very important and emphasized.

This is St. Mary's Hall, where my office will be and the Department is housed. My lab is across the scenic parking garage, in the Dental School Building.

So there are a lot of fun things to figure out in the next few months. I start July 1st, but this includes a 3 week stint in Chapel Hill (yay!), to re-establish my Drosophila research that I did in undergrad under the tutelage of Jeff Sekelsky. Then we'll be settling in Washington, DC. New location, new jobs, and lots of excitement!

August 2010, Trip to Mystic, CT

As a wonderfully generous and creative wedding gift, family friends sent us a gift certificate to a bed and breakfast and train tickets to Mystic, CT. A great idea to have a trip for Nick and I to take that we'll remember for years and years. After waiting to find a great weekend to go, we finally went in August. The weather was perfect and it was a great weekend out of the city. Mystic is a great little Sea port town, with great food, wonderful people, lovely views of the water.

The Mystic Aquarium was incredibly entertaining. Here is the Beluga whale exhibit. We were quite impressed overall with the aquarium.

On our walk back from the aquarium, we stopped by Mystic Seaport.

View from peering inside the penguin exhibit.

On Friday, we went to dinner at the Flood Tide Restauarant. It was associated with the Inn we stayed in, The Inn at Mystic. They had great food- a wonderful lobster crepe for appetizer, and a delicious stew of locally caught fish and shell fish. And the views were great as well.

You can't go to Mystic, CT and NOT get a slice from Mystic Pizza. It was quite tasty, and the local Mystic brew was really good. Reminded me a bit of Magic Hat #9 and a bit of a raspberry aftertaste.

Waterfall on the grounds at the Inn at Mystic. So pretty!

When the drawbridge goes up.... This weekend there was an annual arts fair in the downtown area (here). It was a great event so we could peruse through local arts and crafts. The weather made it perfect for being outside.

Jackson's baptism, and his first visit to NYC

It's been way too long since I've posted anything, and its a shame because we had quite an eventful summer, including Jackson's baptism in July (Nashville, TN), and his first visit to NYC. First the baptism:

He was baptized in July in D and J's church in Nashville, TN. I was his godmother, and their dear friend Frank was his godmother. Nick and I flew to Nasvhille and joined all of Jackson's grandparents, his Aunt Linde, and cousins of the Zander sort. We had a great visit and of course a great baptism. Jackson screamed when he was being baptized, and a parishioner came up to us afterward and said " Its OK that he cried. It just means that it took." The cutest thing to say, and it must have taken. A lot.

Jackson snuggles with Mom before the big event.

Newly baptized! I'm not sure who cried more: me, or Danielle. I love how cross-eyed Jackson is in this shot. He hadn't quite mastered complete control over his eye movements (he was just 6 weeks old)....
Grandpa, Meme, Kathryn, Travis, Jackson, Danielle, Jason, me and Nick.
Little Jackson, with Mom and Godmom.
Uncle Nick plays with Jackson in the way to brunch post baptism.

We were lucky to have Danielle and Jackson visit us, just 2 months later. Danielle and Jack flew up for the weekend to visit NYC (Jackson's first trip to NYC). He had already flown to Charleston for a trip at the end of July, so he was no longer an amatuer in the skies. But this trip was much more different, as it was too NYC! We had a great visit with them both, mostly hanging in the apartment and wandering the streets (in a good way) and Central Park. On Saturday, Aunt Dee came from NJ to visit and meet Jack for the first time (the other part of the Zander contingency). I only have a few photos, as I learned that I have lost my camera battery charger. But enough to remember the wonderful weekend.

We went on a nice long walk in Central Park. And Jackson got his first big swing experience. He seemed to like it. Mom on the other hand got motion sick. Gone are the days of hours and hours on the swings :).
Danielle and I shared a room growing up. Each October we LOVED decorating our entire room for Halloween. We no longer have a room to decorate with each other, but now I can decorate Jackson! I got him this heinously cute Jack o' Lantern outfit with hat.
Very easy to be happy holding such a sweetheart.
Snuggle bug.
Jackson's make-shift play mat. It included toys Danielle could fit in her carry-on, a Virginia Tech blanket, and a box of huggies wipes (he really liked the crinkly sound). He played here in practically the entire time he wasn't sleeping.

Emily and Brian's Wedding

On May 29th, our dear friends, Emily and Brian, wed in Baltimore, MD. It was such a fun weekend. We arrived on Friday for the rehearsal in the Lithuanian Park, and then dinner at Brewer's Art. Dinner was delicious, and their beer was amazing. Toasts, etc ensued and it was a great kick off for the wedding weekend.

On Saturday, Nick and I explored Baltimore a bit, walking down to the Inner Harbor and having lunch on the water. We then ventured back to the hotel so I could get dress and kick my bridesmaid responsibilities into high gear. The afternoon/evening rush before the wedding included putting the tables together (the flower arrangements had been prepared the day before), tieing ribbons on the napkins, setting up placecards, hanging flowers in the park, and putting the finishing touches on the reception hall. It was fun to share this with the other bridesmaids, Sara, Jen and Mindy and bridesman, Zach. Nothing like bonding over a pre-wedding frenzy! Although now I've seen the pictures of the groomsmen who were simultaneously chilling on the deck with beers in hand, I've decided I'm going to be a groomswoman for weddings to come ;).

The ceremony was beautiful (I cried twice), and of course the couple was amazing. The post ceremony cocktail party was in the park, with Brandy Slush provided by the Fisher family (deliciously intoxicating). The reception was a very yummy crab cake dinner followed by an amazing cake, baked by bridesmaid Sara herself and an assortment of cookies provided by various guests. E and B's friends from down the street offered their backyard patio/garden for the post party which was also super fun and very chill. The first time we got to really hang out with the Bride and Groom, so I really appreciated that.

It was a wonderful weekend and I was so happy to share it with E and B. Many blessing and well wishes for the rest of your days together to be as happy and full as love as your wedding day!

Emily is a bride! And a gorgeous one at that. Waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Handsome groomsmen.
First kiss as hubby and wife. So perfect!
Brandy slush = refreshingly cool and delicious.
We bridesmaids know how to class it up, don't we?