Granted, this is a fairly distant and indirect ancestor, but he is connected nonetheless.

As I dug further into this “branch” I discovered several other famous historical figures as well. These included President John Quincy Adams and, his father, President John Adams, Samuel Adams, and Daniel Boone!

I’ve gone about as far as I can go on my own, but luckily Matt gave me a year-long subscription to Ancestry.com for Christmas. I’m so excited about this because it will allow me to search other people’s family trees and compare their data with mine – quite possibly allowing me to make even more connections. I can’t wait to dive in and see what I discover!

<jenna>

I’m starting to get more uncomfortable, especially by the evening. These discomforts arrive mostly in the form of leg cramps, back pain, and tiredness. I’m definitely starting to get that “tired of being pregnant” feeling, although to be clear, it’s not that I wish I wasn’t pregnant (I’ll never forget how big of a blessing this healthy pregnancy is) but more that I’m just so stinking excited for him to be here. Also…I can’t fathom how my belly can get much bigger, but with 2 months still to go, I know it will. Somehow.

At 32 weeks, Baby weighs about 4 pounds and is just about 19 inches long. Also, his skin is now opaque (like ours) instead of see-through, since more fat cells have accumulated under the skin. Finally, I received the official news this week that Baby is head down and likely to stay this way until birth. All good news.

<jenna>

Baby has been very active lately. Nothing aggressive - I’ve yet to wince, or be woken up, from one of his jabs or kicks, but he definitely moves around a lot. Every so often I find myself completely stumped by his movements and wishing I had a camera that allowed me to peer inside my belly and see what on earth he’s up to. I’m pretty sure there aren’t drum sets, kinect sensors, or some kind of rave going on in there that would account for these movements, but that’s what it feels like sometimes. Perhaps air drums…?

There are times when Baby literally causes my belly to visibly vibrate by whatever he is doing inside his womby home. Originally, I thought nothing of it. And then, for some reason, I started to get these weird thoughts that maybe they were seizures or something else worthy of my concern. I decided it’s better to be safe, and called my nurse for reassurance. She explained that she had heard of these before and wasn’t concerned, but said that she would be happy to have us come in for a non-stress test to make sure everything looked good. More for our piece of mind than anything, I’m sure.

Regardless, I decided to take her up on the offer and Matt and I went to the clinic where I was strapped to a machine that monitored Baby’s heartbeat, his movements, and any contractions that might be taking place. For about 20 minutes we hung out just listening to Baby’s heartbeat (it’s hovering around 140 now) and pushing a button every time I felt Baby move. Not surprisingly, Baby decided not to show off his belly vibrating skills for the doctor – much like your car brakes squeak until you take it to the mechanic. None the less, the doctor said everything looked completely healthy. She assured us that those “flutters” are perfectly normal and that we really don’t need to be concerned unless his activity level decreases.

Now at 31 weeks, Baby is weighing about 3 pounds and measuring 18 inches long. While he is quickly approaching his birth length, he still needs to pack on another 3-5 pounds (or more) before his birthday. For those keeping track, Momma is up to a weight gain of about 18 pounds. While I may have started off slow, I certainly seem to be packing on the pounds later in the game – bummer. I’m still hoping to keep my total weight gain to around 25 pounds, but let’s at least keep our fingers crossed for under 30.

Baby’s brain is developing at an impressive rate right now. He is now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all 5 senses!

In other Baby news, Matt claims that you can’t have a baby without a little gambling, so we are starting up the Baby Golz Birthday Pool! If you’d like to participate, send us your prediction as to the date Baby Golz will be born, as well as his birth weight (for tie breakers) and I’ll add you to the calendar. All entries must be in before March 1st. Oh, and due to the distance, the only prize we can offer is bragging rights, so you might say it’s pseudo gambling, but who doesn’t love bragging rights?!

<jenna>

Starting on Tuesday, the Puget Sound began to experience, what national weather reports were calling, our worst winter storm since 1985. Some areas received over 18 inches of snow, which is pretty incredible considering our annual snowfall is around 5 inches!

Now, growing up in the Midwest, I get that many of you will not understand what all the fuss is about since that amount to snow can fall in your neck of the woods on any given weekend and nobody bats an eye. However one thing I’ve learned, in my almost 6 years as a Seattlite, is that this kind of snowfall, coupled with our numerous steep hills and relatively hippie-like attitude toward salt, completely shuts down the city.

Both Matt and I worked from home on Wednesday, and then on Thursday morning we became one of over 200,000 houses without power. Matt spent the day shoveling over 5 inches of pure ice from our driveway and patio! After about 30 hours in the dark ages, we were lucky enough to have power restored – whereas some of our friends are still in the dark and going into their 4th consecutive day without.

The forecast shows a warmer week ahead, which we are hoping melts away some of this mess (without causing flooding) before another storm is scheduled to arrive next weekend.

While pretty, is it any wonder why I hate winter?

<jenna>

Shortly, after graduating, I met Matt who is a fabulous chef and, for the past 5 years, I’ve been blessed to have him prepare most of my dinners for me. There have been times, where I’ve voiced a desire to cook more, but somehow it always becomes easier for him just to do it, so the resolution never lasts long.

But this time, I’m being a lot more diligent about it. I have created a plan that puts me in charge of dinner 4 nights a week. I have a weekly menu planning chart where I can map out my ideas for each day, as well as a place to jot down the items I’ll need from the grocery store.

So far I am 3 for 3 this week! I have to admit that I’m pretty proud of myself.

Monday night I went quick and easy and made tacos. This was a recipe that I’ve actually done a number of times before, so no big deal.

Which made last night my first “real” attempt and I decided to try making gyros, using a recipe I found on Pinterest. For good measure, Matt and I naturally agreed that if he wanted to hang out in the kitchen, he could answer questions, but he could not help. They turned out great!

On the menu for tonight was spaghetti bolognese. Since I work from home, I was really excited about this one because I was able to let the sauce simmer for over 3 hours! I tried to use the internet as much as possible to answer my questions, instead of Matt. It was such a great feeling knowing that I prepared something that tasted so good…and it was pretty easy!

I will be “off-duty” for the next 2 days. Thursdays have become our traditional pizza and clean night and then Friday we are hoping to go out to eat. Saturday, I’ll be back in the kitchen to prepare an Apple & Brie Chicken with Cider Sauce that I’ve actually made once before with my sister, but this will be my first solo attempt. Fingers crossed that it will be as good as the last time!

Sundays we’ve left for Matt. I wanted to make sure he had at least one day where he could come back into the kitchen and do something a little more gourmet. After all, I don’t want to take away all of his fun!

Having this much success up front definitely makes it easier for me to want to stick with the program.

<jenna>

And so here we are at 30 weeks! If you’ll recall, this is my last personal milestone in pregnancy before Baby is actually born! It is all starting to seem incredibly real, and frankly a little scary. Before, it was so far in the future that I didn’t think much about it. Now, I’m starting to realize just how close the big day is actually getting and I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I teeter between days where I am full of excitment – to meet him, and hold him, and know that he is mine and I get to take him home and see him everyday - and days full of nervousness. Am I prepared? What still needs to happen before his birthday? Will I be a good mom? Am I ready for the changes that are inevitably going to take place? Can I do this?

Physically, I am definitely getting bigger, and my weight gain is now up to 16 pounds. Although I definitely feel bigger than the scale seems to indicate. Even though I know it’s because I’m pregnant, my growing belly still occasionally takes its toll on me mentally, especially when my increasing appetite would probably put teenage boys to shame.

The increased size of both myself, and Baby, is definitely causing some growing pains (probably for both of us). I am experiencing increasing pain in my back and right rib cage, as well as general discomfort. I can also tell that Baby is starting to get more cramped as his movements seem less tae-bo-like and more like he’s pushing the sides of my uterus in a feeble attempt to create more space. Someone should tell him that the only thing he’s creating is more discomfort for his Momma – I’ve already tried telling him and he’s not listening…amazing how early they learn this skill!

Other new developments: it’s becoming more and more difficult for me to bend over to either pick things up, put on socks/shoes, etc. This past week, I actually had to have Matt put my socks on for me…I hate feeling so helpless with such mundane tasks. Also, my walking speed has slowed dramatically. I’ve always been, what I would consider, a “stroller,” but even I will admit that this new pace is rather pathetic. And if I try to speed up, I just become embarrassingly winded. The other day, I stopped in to say hi to a co-worker/friend and by the time I reached her office I was completely out of breath. She asked if I had run there and I sheepishly told her that, in fact, I had just walked across the parking lot and climbed 3 flights of stairs. Like I said, it’s pathetic.

Kasey and Maddox are becoming more and more protective of me and Baby. They follow me around the house, sit incredibly close to us, and have drastically lowered their bar for what deserves their attention via aggressive barking. Yesterday, for example, Matt opened the garage door and they went nuts! Later that afternoon, I stood up from the table and they started barking! I’m trying to remind myself that it’s endearing how protective they are of us, but in reality it’s starting to get a little annoying.

At 30 weeks, Baby is now 17 inches long and just over 3 pounds in weight! Don’t think that’s impressive – go pull out a tape measure – go on, right now – and see how long 17 inches is…then imagine that thing curled up inside the belly you see above. It’s insane. Kinda makes me more understanding of why he’s trying to push the walls of the uterus to gain more space. I mean, seriously, where is that kid fitting?!

Starting this week, Baby’s brain is starting to look like…well, a brain…taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations. The wrinkles allow for future expansion of brain tissue that is crucial for Baby to go from a helpless newborn to a curious preschooler, and beyond. Baby’s bigger and better brain is also starting to take on tasks previously delegated to other parts of the body. One of those being temperature regulation, which may mean that Baby will start to shed that lanugo layer of soft body hair it developed earlier to keep himself warm.

<jenna>

Now that you’ve all humored me, I have quite a few updates in the baby-making factory this week, so let’s get right to it.

About baby: We’ve hit the 7th month mark – can you believe it?! At 28 weeks, Baby has reached 2 1/2 pounds and may be almost 16 inches long – about the size of a squash. His lungs are almost fully mature by now, which certainly makes me breathe a little easier, knowing that his survival rate (if born today) would be greater than 95%.

And, he can add blinking to the list of tricks in his growing repertoire, that already include things such as coughing, sucking, hiccupping, and taking practice breaths. Also, Baby is beginning to get REM cycles, so he could be dreaming when he sleeps already. Doesn’t that just melt your heart?

About Momma: I believe I experienced my second belly growth spurt this week because, holy cow, do I feel pregnant now! I’ve gained a total of 13 pounds and, am officially starting to feel like a hippo. And I think I’m starting to detect some slight waddling as well…

Other notables: I received the results from my glucose screening test and am happy to report it came back normal. They look for a number below 130 and mine was 95, so no gestational diabetes here! However, as is common at this stage of pregnancy, I am low in iron so they have started me on an iron supplement, which I need to try to take twice a day. Coupled with my prenatal vitamin, I am up to 3 pills daily and, being that I was having trouble remembering to take the one vitamin, Matt forced me to purchase one of those weekly pill containers. I must admit, it’s been helpful, even though I now feel like an old hippo.

Also, at this stage of pregnancy, they want me to start monitoring/counting Baby’s movements. Twice a day, I need to time how long it takes for me to feel Baby move 10 times. The norm is that it should take about 10 minutes (yes, on average 1 per minute – what can I say, Baby is active now!) However, they aren’t concerned unless I reach 2 hours without feeling the 10 movements. At which point, I need to call my doctor.

I can’t believe how close we are getting! I’m trying not to stress out by all that we still need to do before I actually feel “ready.”

<jenna>

This has certainly been a crazy year in the Golz Family. Looking back, it’s hard to believe just how much can happen in 365 short days…

First off, Matt and I are expecting our first child!! After experiencing tremendous heartache with a miscarriage in January, we are absolutely thrilled to have been blessed with a healthy second pregnancy and look forward to meeting our precious baby BOY in late March. 

After the miscarriage, both Matt and I decided we needed to find hobbies that would help us move past the grief and also give us something else to look forward to. I started running in preparation for the Chicago Marathon in October, and Matt brought back his childhood love for cycling. In July, Matt completed his cycling goal by participating, and finishing, the annual Seattle to Portland bike ride with a friend. This two-day bike ride is 204 miles in total, and is the largest multi-day bicycle event in the Northwest! He had a wonderful time and is already looking forward to riding it again in 2012!

About that same time, I unfortunately suffered a pretty severe shin splint that ended my ability to keep up with my training schedule and ultimately my goal of running in the Chicago Marathon. Despite the disappointment, I was able to discover a new love for funning that will surely continue for many years to come.

Golz Family Cellars also had a successful year, complete with four different varietals and our first two business ventures! First, we made a 2011 Pinot Gris, called Revelry, for our friends’ wedding reception this summer. Then, our 2010 red blend, known as Mix - which is made from Walla Walla grapes and set to be officially released next year – was handed out as souvenirs at our friends’ documentary premier in Napa this fall. Our annual crush was in October and we are now working on a 2011 Dolcetto, a 2011 Tempranillo, and a 2011 red blend – all made from Yakima grapes.

In November, Maddox – our 4 1/2 year old Rott/Lab mix – suffered from salmon poisoning. This poisoning affects dogs that somehow encounter raw salmon, or trout, and is fatal for 90% of those who aren’t treated within 16 days. Maddox was diagnosed around day 10 and spent 4 days in critical condition at a local hospital. Luckily, once diagnosed, the treatment for salmon poisoning is easy. They gave him the necessary antibiotics and he started to show significant improvement in the next 24 hours. We can’t describe the level of stress and worry we shared during this experience, nor can we describe the level of pure relief when we finally received the good news that the medicine was working. We are so grateful to have two healthy dogs again! And, in true Kasey fashion…she remains problem-free.

This year, also included a bit of traveling…

• In May, we took a long weekend to California and drank our way through explored Sonoma Wine Country.
• In August, we spent a week visiting Matt’s family in Charlotte, North Carolina. We had a great time catching up, playing at their lake house, and visiting the U.S. National Whitewater Center.
• In October, we excitedly flew to Omaha for the homecoming of my sister, Melia. She had spent the past 14 months volunteering at an orphanage in Bolivia. Our Midwest trip also included a drive up to Sioux Falls, SD for the wedding of my cousin, Megan.
• In November, we found ourselves back in Omaha, where we celebrated Thanksgiving with Matt’s mom and my immediate and extended family. We also had our first baby shower!

Like I said, it has been a busy year! As it draws to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on all of the memories the year has brought, thankful for our blessings, and looking forward to the adventures 2012 will bring…and as we embark on our new journey as parents, we are sure these adventures will be plentiful!

We hope this year has been good to you and wish you nothing but health, love, and happiness, in the year to come.

If someone were to ask me to describe the past 3 months in a single word, that’s the word I would use. So much has happened that I have pretty much felt like I was in a 90 day whirlwind just busily spinning from one obligation to the next.

Somewhere in there, the holidays came and went, and here we are at the turning of the new year already. Again, whew!

2011 Holiday Card

Matt and I hosted Christmas this year for his family, who flew in from Charlotte, North Carolina. I think it’s been 3 years since the whole crew was in Seattle, so it was great to spend some time with them and show them the new house, etc.

The flew in Tuesday night and then spent Wednesday and Thursday in Vancouver, Canada touring Landyachtz for Parker, whose a huge longboard fan. Unfortunately, both Matt and I had to work and were unable to tag a long, but I’m told it was a great time.

Friday, we ventured downtown to watch the Seattle Men’s Chorus in their Christmas performance called “Cool Yule.” This is an annual tradition for the group that features a live swing band and classic Christmas favorites, along with some good (and risqué) humor.

Matt decided on a somewhat traditional Italian menu for Christmas dinner this year. We had chicken cacciatore, linguine with a homemade pesto, zucchini and asparagus crudo, butter and brown sugar carrots, and homemade parmesan rolls. I tell you, those Italians sure do things right. It was delicious!

Oh, and of course there were gifts! We received so many wonderful presents from our families – including a ton of things for Baby. The little man’s not even here yet and he’s already being spoiled. He’s so lucky to be joining such a wonderfully thoughtful family.

The highlight for Matt and I was the gift we gave ourselves…a brand new DSLR camera, perfect for capturing all of the touching and “high-speed” moments ahead of us with Baby.  And we have just enough time to figure out how to use it! We are pretty excited because even the “point and click” method, we’ve mastered over the years, is producing much higher quality photos – Heaven help us when we actually figure this sucker out.

And so, that was Christmas in the Golz household. Hard to believe it was the last one for Matt and I as “just the two of us” and next year there will be a 9-month old gathered ’round the tree!

We hope your holidays were just as festive…now onto the New Year!

<jenna>

As of today, I am officially in the third (and final) trimester! I can’t believe it. The past six months have passed so quickly and I imagine the next three will be similar. I am growing so very attached to you, little one, and cannot wait to finally meet you and hold you in my arms.

Of course, your daddy and I still have much to do before we are fully prepared for your arrival. We started painting your room last week, and begin our childbirth and preparation classes next month. We also have a lot of things left to buy, so you are safe and comfortable when you come into this world.

You, too, have some growing and developing left to do before you are ready for life outside of the home I am currently providing for you. As excited as I am to meet you, I hope you stay put for a few months longer.

You have been so good to me thus far, my sweet boy. I am so grateful for how easy you have made this experience for me. I know that you will probably get a little fussier as your quarters start to become more cramped; I am starting to feel you press against my bladder more as well as other unpleasantries like foot cramps, heartburn, and back pain. I will try my best to tolerate these discomforts if you try your best to remain kind…deal?

Son, you will never know how important you are to your daddy and me. We already love you so much and are so excited to be able to call you “ours.”

Love,

Mommy