Georgia Fall

 Finally made it to Georgia just in time for perfect fall weather.

 The leaves are changing into beautiful reds, oranges and yellows...the temperature is cool and fresh.  It's been a wonderful visit so far!  So great to see family and friends!

 Here are some photos taken while strolling through the woods, overlooking the Chattahoochee wetlands, playing with Cody and Bruno, smelling the last of the flowers before winter and enjoying the sunset.

 Love this yellow and green weeping willow

Awaiting a new life

First I want to send apologies for all of those readers who have been disappointed with my lack of posts lately.  A lot has been going on!  My camera hasn't been strapped to me as it usually is.  Sometimes it's important to just live in the moments...taking mental pictures and enjoying life without the digital.  Bear with me!

We've decided on a name:  Lucas.  and we will call him LUKE.  Baby Luke.  Luke Fillman.  Such a nice ring to it.  And Adam and I decided on this name amicably which makes it all the more wonderful.  As of right now we are leaning towards Lucas Rushton. 

So this whole baby thing is pretty epic.  So many things in our lives will change in a few months.  So many things have changed already.  (Including my pants size.)  What I really mean is my entire outlook on life.  Just when you think you have certain things figured out... New Life, Innocence, Growth, Love...Every kick inside my belly is the best feeling because it's all of those things at once.  Anatomy, Biology...how our bodies are designed to grow, nurture and support a human life inside of us...It's exhilarating, and truly weird at the same time.  Nothing can be more beautiful than this.  What a wake up call!  I was always the girl that said...noooo, I don't want kids, not ready for that, not yet, woah woah woah, no, no, no...slow down.  The big question...can I do this?  Would I be a good parent? But out of nowhere, life happens.  What is meant to be will be.  And now all I can think is yes, yes, yes...this is right.  This is beautiful, natural, a gift, a blessing, an experience to learn from, grow, give and become more aware, patient, loving, observant.
Here are a few excerpts from messages that I've received from a couple of wonderful friends I have who have become amazing mothers recently...I reread these all the time. 

"A baby is the most beautiful, complex, perfectly unimaginable/imaginable and expectable being on the face of the planet! Seriously...whether you are pregnant when you least expect for or plan it (like I was with my darlin') or whether you work for 15 years to finally have a baby...either way, it always comes when you NEED it to...whether for your well-being or theirs, life happens. And it is the most beautiful, unbelievable experience in the world. I've witnessed your travels and adventures through your beautiful blog, and I can honestly say that with all the amazing things that you've seen, nothing in the world compares to the amazing things that you feel when you bring a new life into this impossibly beautiful world."

 <3

and more words from another truly amazing mama:

"the best, best part is experiencing this world again through innocent eyes. The wind, grass, sand, ocean, smells, etc. becomes new and amazing. It's so much fun! I forgot what a piece of grass tickling your nose was like or when the wind blows taking that chance to stand there and let it suck you in or take away the stress from the day."

"Being a mom is the best experience of your life, but also the hardest."

"Don't worry. Once you have that baby, a motherly instinct goes into full effect. Your baby lives inside of you for 9 months and during that time I believe that your souls become connected."

I loved the one about experiencing all the small things again for the first time...walking on grass in bare feet...what a strange feeling that would be for the first time?  Looking at the clouds, listening to the birds...the things that we just become accustomed to and no longer pay any attention...the really beautiful small things.

It was definitely overwhelming when we read that pregnancy test...but that was nearly 5 1/2 months ago...and during that time we've seen him grow from a small bean into a baby...with a profile, hands, feet, eyelashes, fingerprints!  We've learned that it's a boy...a little boy.  We've felt him move around inside of me...inside of my body!  This body that I've always been so familiar with and is suddenly changing...doing things it's never done before.  Growing, growing, growing!  I've danced with him, put headphones to my belly and felt his reaction to the music...We sing to him, and talk to him because he hears us, and recognizes our voices.  Everyday it's something new.  When I laugh my belly jiggle like a bowlful of jelly!  I understand now!  haha!  I imagine he is in there jiggling too!

Anyway...this has been my thinking pattern.  A new connection to motherhood.  Women who have children love touching my belly.  Japanese women LOVE touching my belly...and freak out when they learn it's a boy...boys are like gold over here.  I'll keep the belly pictures coming.

I'm taking a trip home this week to see family.  The future Grandparents need to see me all preggo and feel baby Luke before he gets here.  So there will be lots of picture taking I assume.

Remember the women who brought us into this world.  :)

It's a BOY!!

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!

Here is his profile!

 Yep!  Definitely a boy!

SURPRISE!  We are having a baby boy.  We just found out this morning at our 2nd ultrasound, and we are very excited!!!
He weighs 15 oz, just shy of a pound.  His heart rate was healthy at 156 bpm.  He has 2 long arms and 2 long legs, and he is so active!  I'm always feeling him kicking me, and even Adam has been able to feel it.
We are 21 weeks and they have moved our due date twice.  It started as March 4th, then moved to March 2nd, and now the due date is February 29, 2012.  (which is a leap year!)

This entire experience has really been incredible.  It was certainly a surprise pregnancy!  We found out at 5weeks along, when it was just a bean (see ultrasound.)  My first question was...there is only 1 right?
So far pregnancy has been a pretty amazing journey.  So many 'firsts.'
Now I am in the middle of the 2nd trimester and feel great.  Just in the past 2 weeks I have doubled in size!  My belly feels huge...and I have a long way to go.

Adam is hoping for a little Japanese samurai baby.  It sure does kick a lot.
We will keep you updated on the progress!

Yay!  The miracle of life!  It never ceases to amaze me.

Does that say FREE?

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2011/10/10000-free-round-trip-tickets-to-japan/

Apparently, Japanese tourism has declined significantly and they are trying different tactics to bring people back!
Japan is safe people!  Come visit me!!!!!

Cinder Bender

Our balcony has squares along the walls, which are perfect for Cinder.  She can just reach the squares to look out over Yomitan, watch the cats walking by and check on the weather.  Of course, every time we return home and our car pulls up to the apartment,  the first thing we see is her head poking out to look at us.

It always makes us laugh.

Paddleboarding

 

I love this little splash of water...and there is a blurry paddleboarder in the background.  Captured!

These photos were taken by my amazing and talented husband, Adam.  

 Cinder at full speed. 

A day at the beach with Cinder is both wonderful, and exhausting...not exactly relaxing.  We have to constantly be aware of who may come around the corner, any animals she might decide to run towards..(lately she feels as though she can fly, chasing birds no matter where they are headed), what she is chewing on...(in past instances, dead fish carcasses), why she is out of sight and how long it will take us to find her...we could always just tie her up, which we've done at more public beaches...but then she can't run with her tongue flapping in the wind and her big lips formed into a smile, kicking up sand with all fours in the air at once...It's the best day of her life, most days of the week.  We can all learn from her.  :)

 When we aren't worrying about Cinder's escape artistry, or any stimuli inducing such acts...we are usually staring out at the sunset...which seems to be especially incredible here on Okinawa.

I love his photography.  Inspirational! This picture in particular...that is a paddleboarder out in the ocean, just under the sun.  Perfectly framed clouds with the horizon. Beautiful and natural color. 

Marina beach clean-up

 Beautifying the beaches!!  Giving all those hermit crabs some room to breath!

An ocean away

Looking out over the ocean everyday is truly marvelous.  It's funny, sometimes I will go days without even noticing that its there...in all its vastness...surrounding us from all sides.  Other days, we will go out on the balcony and stare at brilliant sunsets, reflected over the water...take a deep breath and remember our insignificance in this great world.  Remember....71% of the earth's surface is covered by oceans.  Pretty amazing.

 

view from our balcony

The beaches never disappoint.  So refreshing and cold on these really hot summer days.  It's still so hot and it's September!  We are waiting very patiently for the cold front to move in...aka low 80s. 

The beaches during the summer weekends get pretty packed with people.  It's fun to hunt for shells during the week and take the dog out when no one is around; dig our toes into the sand, marvel at underwater life, look out over the ocean and let our minds wander.

Chicken Pot Pie

I made a delicious chicken pot pie the other day.  Full of veggies and chicken inside of a delicious Pillsbury crust.  This was SO easy to make!  I must say, it wasn't like my Mama's...but I'll be working on that.  Need to start practicing the family dressing recipe for Thanksgiving!

Cape Hedo

We took a little trip to the Northernmost point of Okinawa yesterday.  Cape Hedo is where the East China Sea meets the Pacific.  A gorgeous coastline roadtrip, tunnels, cliffs, rocky beaches, climbing, and one big chicken.

 Monument at the northern tip

 Two bodies of water crash together...literally, the waves were crashing into the cliff.

 Awesome limestone rock was everywhere ...making a very interesting landscape.

 

The layers in the limestone were as thin as paper.

 Of course there was the breathtaking overlook and winning photo for the day...a tropical paradise.

It was a gorgeous spot.  Amazing day for this trip.

 After we left Cape Hedo, we headed down to Usa beach.  Down a winding road surrounded by cliffs.  We arrived at a rocky beach...it reminded us more of a lake.  But we found an amazing climbing spot with tall stone cliffs and boulders, with waves crashing at our feet.

 Rising so dramatically...there were bolted climbs all over this wall!

 Adam, the climber, had to get some chalk on his hands...these rocks were smooth and beautiful.  If they weren't 2 hours away then I'm sure he would be there everyday!

 We were headed on our way to another overlook, when curiosity got the best of us.  There was this giant chicken up on a cliff nearby that you could see all the way from Cape Hedo.  Yes, a chicken.  So we investigated..

 I was clucking like a chicken in this picture...

 Weird..

Rollin in the deep

 My friend, Jane, and I decided to take it to the deep blue.  Water was calm...it was a hot day, but being out on the water definitely cooled us off.

 We both had lobster legs the next day.

We considered paddling to China but decided our husbands would probably worry...