The tedious process of sorting through, getting rid of, and packing our belongings is FINALLY over (thanks to the generous and priceless help of our family!).  We loaded the moving van last Sunday, with the help family and a handful of friends from church, and spent the rest of the week living the simple life… 2 camping chairs, 2 Aerobeds, an ice chest with a half-gallon of milk, and an old 13″ TV sitting on a milk crate. 

Friday morning, we loaded the last of our belongings into both of our cars (picture the Clampetts on their way to Californ-eye-ay), and accompanied by my parents and our dogs, we hit the road.  (Two hours later than we’d planned, but at least we made it out the door!)

We made a quick gas stop in Ripon at the Flying J, and then headed toward Sacramento and I-80.  We stopped for lunch and gas (again… LOTS of gas) at a McDonald’s somewhere in Nevada, and were relieved to see a huge grassy area to let the dogs out on.  We quickly got them out of the car, and they were just starting to look for the perfect potty place when the sprinklers turned on.  Nikki enjoyed getting a little wet since it was quite warm, and we all quickly went running for dry land, laughing the whole way.  The rest of the day, although uneventful, was full of more bathroom breaks, gas refills, and food.  We really started to get into a routine for how to get the dogs hooked up and out of the car, and they began to find safety and comfort in the back of my Escape.  With a little Benadryl (recommended by our vet), they were terrific travelers.

During our first stop in Nevada, my dad went in to use the rest room, and came out having played a dollar on a slot machine at the gas station… he’d won $100 and was a pretty happy dude. 

There were several moments throughout the day where I had moments of mild panic with thoughts like, “Oh no!  We forgot to turn off the iron!… Oh, wait, the house is empty, and the iron’s been packed!” 

Our final stop for the night was in Salt Lake City, Utah.  My parents have friends who live there, and we were able to hook up with them at our motel for a quick visit.  Mom and Dad went to Leatherby’s (an old-school ice cream parlor) with Jack and Maria while Ryan and I tried to settle the dogs in for the night.  The Benadryl had worn off, and they were quite nervous to be in an unfamiliar place.  Toby was practically hyperventillating, and Nikki was guarding us so fiercely, that the next door neighbors called the front desk to complain about her barking.  (In her defense, there was a screaming child in the hallway, and a party complete with pot smoking that she was really uncomfortable with.)  So it was a pretty sleepless night for Ryan and I.

Day One Travel Statistics: 711 miles, approximately 12 hours on the road, spent the night in Salt Lake City, UT.

On Saturday, Ryan and I walked in the March of Dimes’ March for Babies along w/ 11 other Stroller Strides Modesto teammates.  The weather was beautiful (not nearly as hot as last year!), and everyone was in really good spirits.  As a team, we managed to raise over $2000.  I was able to contribute $550, thanks to many generous donations from family and friends.  Thanks so much to those of you who participated financially!  The actual walking part was much more difficult than I imagined it would be as a pregnant lady.  My mother and I typically keep a very quick walking pace (although hers is even quicker than mine) because we’ve learned to keep up with taller people our whole lives.  But I couldn’t keep up with her, and eventually had to stop and take a break for a few minutes.  Luckily I had packed some Goldfish crackers for a snack, and there were booths with healthy nibbles like orange slices along the way that helped keep my energy up.  With a MUCH slower pace, we finished the walk and celebrated with hotdogs and chili.  We also earned third place in the t-shirt contest with our slogan “Team Stroller Strides Modesto: Striding Toward a Cure in 2008.”

In other news, tomorrow marks 20 weeks for this pregnancy… the half-way point!   I have to say that once I passed the morning sickness stage, I’ve been relatively lucky.  Other than being very tired and learning (the hard way) that I need to slow down and take life a little easier, I haven’t suffered from the majority of common pregnancy complaints (heartburn, etc.)… yet, anyway!  From this point on, however, life gets reeeeeeeaaalllly interesting – and BUSY!  Our next appointment is scheduled for two weeks from tomorrow (May 13th) where we’re hoping Baby will cooperate enough to let us know if he’s a he, or she’s a she.  I’ve already been feeling little movements, and it’s a pretty fun reminder that there’s actually someone hanging out in there!  Ryan has one more international trip before our doctor’s appointment, and after the appointment, we get to spend a week in Cabo San Lucas… our “last big hurrah” before Baby.  June is equally crazy with three baby showers, a billion birthdays to celebrate, and the wedding of Ryan’s sister.  Then, shortly after that, we pack up the moving truck and head east.  In my “free time” I”ll be sorting through everything we own to purge as much as we possibly can before the move.  Then it all needs to be packed.  Should be an interesting process, but it’ll be rewarding in the end to have cleaned everything out beforehand… no sense in moving junk we don’t want!

Garage sale, here we come!