The big news

Well, this evening I went to see Dr. Soffici to have an ultrasound. He found a beautiful brain, a healthy heart and strong spine on a baby BOY! I guess we are creating a basketball team :) Our fingers were crossed for a baby girl.... but I guess they weren't crossed far enough. Dr. Soffici said "maybe next round". Hmmmm.
A baby boy will definitely be easy. We have all the clothes, all the toys and we know just what to do with boys! We are excited to welcome brother #3 into our family come May. Now I really need to start thinking about names! I will have to put my Leila Anne back on the shelf for another day.
Hooray for Boys!

Hiking & Battle wounds

Yesterday we decided to go on a family hike. So we put on our backpacks... Billy packed William and I packed Zachary. We started from our front door and headed down the trail to the compound, across the river crossing to sage hill camp ground and back to the Aliso Canyon trail. The trail is a 3.5 mile loop and adding the distance to and from our house it was a little over 5 miles. It was a perfect day for a hike, the weather was not to hot nor to cold and perfectly sunny and clear. The Aliso trail climbs up to a ridge top where you can look down at the Santa Ynez river and across to Rancho Oso. I was surprised that there was still so much water in parts of the river. Then the trail turns back toward the back country and there is a connector trail that you can take to upper Oso camp ground where you can get on the buckhorn trail. (You could do some serious backpacking on that trail). We stayed on the aliso trail which loops back around, drops you back down to the canyon bottom where you follow a creek bed back to the trail head.

By the end of the hike, I was tired, hungry and my feet were starting to hurt. I guess that would happen with all the extra weight I was carrying plus being about 18 weeks pregnant. It was so nice to get out and get some good exercise though. As we were crossing back through the camp ground, all sharing a pear and not paying attention, we walked under a pine tree. Billy ducked, but not quite enough and William took some branches to the throat :( Poor guy. He was scratched up pretty good and not very happy about the surprise. Kind of a bummer to finish off the hike that way. Especially because the bruise on his forehead, from tripping and head butting a big rock not quite a week ago, is finally fading. Good thing he is a tuff boy.

Sorry William, I know you will heal fast.

I love living in the wilderness!