We went in for our second appointment with Dr. Tu on the 12th - at 13 and a half weeks - and after a routine check-up, she said, "So do you want to listen to the heartbeat or shall I do a quick ultrasound since you're in the room with the ultrasound machine?"
Of course we wanted to see our babe growing, so we were eager for the ultrasound. The baby looked fantastic - long legs, straight spine, hands up near the little face, heart pumping beautifully. And then, almost as an afterthought, Dr. Tu said, "Hey - did you want to know your baby's sex?" At 13 weeks! You can already tell!! Yes, Yes! We want to know!
We are proud to announce that our third little BOY will be joining us in approximately 176 days!!
We are so thrilled! A houseful of boys thus far ... I am so enthused to see how the dynamic plays out for our family! And oh the adventures we will have!!
So, now at 15 weeks, our little boy is around 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of a large lemon). He's busy inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which will help develop the air sacs in his lungs. His legs are growing longer than his arms now (which we saw in the ultrasound), and he can move all his joints and limbs. His little hands are becoming functional - grasping and searching, and sweat glands are appearing. Although his eyelids are fused shut, he can sense light, and his taste buds are beginning to form.
*We're welcoming suggestions for a baby name that fits with Collin and Owen (doesn't need to rhyme, but needs to "belong"). We've discussed several so far, but none are striking us both. And we
must both agree or it's off the list. Such a tough decision.
And I have so many rules:
1. Can't be mistaken for a girl's name.
2. Can't easily become a girl's name.
3. Can't end in "-er" (because of Tepk"er").
4. Can't be in the Top 10.
5. Shouldn't be in the Top 25.
6. Must be recognizable and somewhat traditional.
7. Prefer Irish origin (in keeping with Collin and Owen, although we spelled Collin - with 2 Ls - in the English manner).
8. Can't be readily broken down into a nickname (i.e. "Matt" for Matthew, "Andy" for Andrew, etc.)
Enjoy a "few" more pictures from our family vacation at SunBanks Resort on Banks Lake!
Collin really dug into this chunk of cantalope!
Owen is trying desperately to learn to turn somersaults like his brother ... as you can imagine, showers were in order every evening!!
A boy and his first kite.
Collin grew to love marshmallows. His version of roasting them, however, was much different than ours. So long as the fire was lit and the marshmallow was perched on his stick, it did not matter if the marshmallow ever neared the heat or flames. He preferred them luke warm and not the least bit browned. A burnt mallow was a travesty!
The boys gathered freshwater clams/mussels (?) on our sandy beach and enjoyed them with Daddy the next afternoon! 
Another favorite camping treat: fireside popcorn! My favorite!!
It's so tough to say "cheese!" with your mouth full!!
The boys often put together puzzles in the morning hours as the sun started to warm the beach.
The little girl in the background was Collin's first "kiss"! They were playing on the playground and she leaned in and kissed his cheek. She was so disappointed (tattled!) when he climbed higher and denied her a kiss back!
I was eight weeks pregnant during our trip and spent much of the week battling morning sickness (and a nasty stomach flu the first weekend).
The boys enjoyed the fresh water morsels so much that Daddy could hardly fish them out of the seasoned broth fast enough!
The boys lounged in the shade of the trees each afternoon for their naps. It was so sweet!
(Interestingly, Owen has since started throwing footballs almost exclusively with his left arm.)
Marshmallows in the morning?? Ok. Which sneaky raccoon got into the food bucket while I was heating up the milk?? 
Collin learned to cross the monkey bars during our trip!
Kevin teamed up with our neighbors for a game of beach volleyball. Owen stood fascinated on the sideline nearly the entire game!
