Trip Pictures

I decided to try my hand at Picasa and post my Colorado pics there - I have a public set that is open for everyone and then one with just pictures of me and Sonya posing around (didn't want to make that public). So, you can click on the link to the right you'll get the public set and if you'd like to see the 'private' set, let me know and I'll send you an invite (I'll need your email for that if I don't have it already!). Enjoy!

It's a boy!

Well, we had our 20 week ultrasound on the 11th.  We are having a baby boy!  Bo and I had a little issue picking the first name, but after consideration, the baby's official name is Korban Atreyu Brooks.  We picked Atreyu for the middle name in honor of my friend Nikki's son, Atreyu, who passed durring labor.  She is very touched that we chose to name our son after hers because she wants the world to know that Atreyu DID, in fact, exist.  Just because he was still born doesn't mean that he wasn't here, that he didn't live, and that he didn't have an impact on other's lives.
On a brighter note, we got the specs back from the ultrasound a couple of days later.  Korban is very healthy, everything is just the right size it should be, etc.  They did find out that I have a...retroverted (?) uterus.  So, that's why I'm only looking 3-4 months pregnant instead of 6.  My uterus was tipped back, now it's straight up and down and it SHOULD pop forward to the correct placement around month 7-8.  The only difficulty this posses is that it's harder to feel where the baby is at right now.  Which would explain why I'm not feeling him move nearly as much as I think I should considering how active Korban is!
Work is getting very difficult.  I'm going to apply for the Oregon Health Plan once I reach my third trimester.  If I wait until then, I will be 100 percent covered, if I get accepted.  And if I do get accepted, I'm quitting my job!  Nikki and I are starting a business together.  We will be making and selling cloth diapers, blankets, burp cloths, post-partum pads, nursing pads, etc.  We have almost everything in place.  We just have to figure out our pricing (we know the cost to make each of everything and aproximately how long it takes to make them), get some inventory stocked up, and get licensed.  We all ready have an offer from the store "Off the Rack," a baby consignment store, to sell our diapers!  I'm very excited for this! It's also something I can do from home while taking care of Korban!

Tetons and Yellowstone

I'm never quite sure what pics will be in what order when I add them, but now that they're here, this is what you see! Top pic is of Yellowstone Lake from the top of the Elephant's Back. Second down is the Fishing Hole geyser in West Thumb Geyser Basin - they used to catch fish and then dip them into here to cook them! Next is up in the Tetons on the Canyon Cascade Trail. Last is a beautiful morning in front of the Tetons. I'm hoping to get all my pics up and into a web album soon! We had a marvelous time and loved every minute of our trip (except for maybe road construction...).

Red Rocks, Aspen and Rocky Mountain National Park

The first pic is at Red Rocks Amphitheatre where we saw the tribute to John Denver. Red Rocks is an amazing place and we got there early to explore and then just stayed until the concert. The place was packed, the weather awesome and I almost sang myself hoarse! The next pic is of Emerald Lake from our last day in Rocky Mountain National Park. Sonya and I hiked over 9 miles and visited 7 lakes on the hike! Next pic is of the Ute Trail in RMNP where we came across these two marmots and this one kept getting closer and closer to Sonya! Next pic is near the Alpine Visitor Center at RMNP at about 11,796 altitude. We hiked up the 'stairs' to Marmot Point and this view to the Never Summer Mountains. Last one is up at Crater Lake underneath the incredible Maroon Bells just outside of Aspen. I got to see a pika up there! I can see I'll need to set up a Picasa account for all my pics! We've had a great time, and leave tomorrow for the Tetons and then Yellowstone!