Unto us, a child is given. Unto us, a child is born!

And his name shall be called....

Spencer Evan Lamar

Born December 18th, 13:05
7lbs 3oz, 22 inches

Throughout my pregnancy Adam and I would occasionally joke about reverting to "self-induction"if baby decided he wanted to stay much longer than his scheduled 40 weeks. On Thursday evening I told Adam to start googling ideas. I said this more out of boredom and humor rather than seriously wanting to self-induce.

We had a good laugh about some of the suggestions we found. One tip said to sit cross legged. Making a joke out of it I sat criss-cross apple-sauce for about 20 minutes in our recliner while we read through the rest of our search.

It was getting late and I was getting tired. Finally at 11pm I told Adam I was ready for bed. We made our way upstairs, went through our bedtime routines and went to sleep. I was woken up two and a half hours later with one of the strongest contractions I had ever felt! I had three very uncomfortable contractions before I finally woke Adam up. If I was going to be awake and uncomfortable Adam might as well be too right?

I continued to have strong contractions and had Adam time them, they were consistently three minutes apart. We phoned the hospital to let them know we were on our way. We spent a few minutes gathering the rest of my hospital bag items and were at the hospital by 2:30. I was already 4 centimeters and agreed to an epidural when it was offered to me. The next few hours involved waiting, waiting to be 10 centimeters, waiting two hours for the epidural to wear off...Finally my midwife told me it was time to start pushing and 40 minutes later Spencer made his debut.

Not too bad for a first timer:)

Spencer was very patient while the midwives poked and prodded him.

Spencer and I had to stay two nights in the hospital for routine monitoring. We both passed all our tests and were able to come home Sunday evening.

During our stay at the hospital one of our friends showed up to visit and took some nice photos for us. He snapped this nice one of Adam (I think it has a "professional photo shoot" look to it) and the first black and white picture of Spencer.

We are all very happy to be home. The first night was rough and we are all sleep deprived (except for Spencer, he seems to get plenty of sleep) but with time we are getting adjusted. I know we are going to have good days and bad days but Spencer is the BEST Christmas present we could have ever asked for and we are so blessed to have him as part of our family.

London Trip

Even though the UK doesn't recognize Thanksgiving (seeing how it is sort of an American holiday) Adam still got the day off work. We are a bit spoiled here when it comes to holiday leave because Adam gets BOTH the British and the American holidays off. We don't complain, at least, not about that anyway...

With the day off and nothing to do, Adam and I took a bus down to London. We just walked around ALL day, probably a total of 5 miles. I was exhausted by the end of our trip, but I don't regret going.

This was the first major attraction we came across. Adam couldn't resist snapping a photo of The Shopping Channel sign...

We truly had PERFECT England weather. It only misted on us for about three and a half minutes, not even enough to bust out the umbrellas but it was enough to produce this beautiful rainbow. If you look close, this is actually a double rainbow. You might be able to see the faint second rainbow on the left side above the obvious rainbow:) It was incredibly vibrant -- even some of the locals were stopping for a look.

I am not sure why they felt the need to post this phrase on this building, but it is a nice reminder.

This is the House of Parliament.

I am sure this bridge has a name-but I don't know what it is. I love this picture!

The buildings here have a lot of statues and crescents on them like the picture above and below. I find them simply amazing.

This was one of the more entertaining statues.

This is another side of the House of Parliament. There were guards with big guns on this side of the building. While walking by I saw one of the guards with a gun pull out his cell phone and send a quick text. I wish I could have got a picture of him but it all happened so fast.

Here is a historical statue...in the middle of a car park (aka parking lot). It just felt out of place...Adam found it really amusing.

Ah Big Ben. We actually saw and heard him strike at 3 o'clock.

I felt like this picture really captured the culture and essence of London; it is a busy city! We want to make another trip down to London again sometime; there was so much to see and do. We at least want to go visit the Temple (which isn't actually in London), and maybe even catch a showing of Les Miserables.

Site Seeing So Far

I wish I could say that Adam and I have been spending every free second site seeing. Our year is going to go fast and we'll be back in the states before we know it. Unfortunately we haven't been able to do as much touring as we would like but once we get settled in our permanent housing and our car arrives (which should all be happening this week) we'll have a little more freedom.

We haven't been completely boring though! We have gotten out to see some nearby attractions. Adam had the day off on Veterans day so we and another couple went to a small town called Tetbury and Gloucester.

We started the morning off in Tetbury where we hit a small farmer's market and local shops. This little town was more like what I was expecting when I thought of moving to England. It was very old and simple with cute little stores. We spent about 3 hours looking around and absorbing the history of Tetbury. Here are some pictures we captured of the small village:
This is the building that held the small farmer's market, and below is a snapshot of one of our purchases. We bought a jar of the best raspberry preserves I have ever tasted!
This was just a really old building that caught our fancy. I don't know if you can tell from the picture or not but the building is slanted slightly to the right.
We had lunch in a traditional English pub and then headed off to Gloucester, which is much bigger and more touristy of a town. Our main interest in Gloucester was the Cathedral. The architecture was stunning including features like glazed fan-vaulted cloisters, medieval stain glass windows and historic tombs. Parts of the Cathedral are over 1300 years old and I was surprised to learn that worship still takes place daily.


This is a picture of one of the tombs we saw inside. I am not sure why it was taken in black and white...
I liked the cloisters the best, I thought they were absolutely amazing. All the detail and time put into creating this masterpiece has me truly awestruck.
I also learned that parts of the first Harry Potter movie were filmed in this Cathedral and I believe that the picture above is one of the settings used. After the movie came out the Gloucester Cathedral showed the movie inside on a big screen to celebrate!


We definitely had a fun filled day and are looking forward to more site seeing in the future!

Busted Big Time

Lately I have been having a hard time sleeping. Most nights I wake up around 3am and toss-n-turn until I finally decide it is hopeless and get up for a few hours. This morning I woke up and was going through my tossing and turning routine when the alarm clock went off! WHAT?!!? I actually slept through an entire night-I was amazed.

I perked right up for two very distinct reasons, 1. I was hungry and it was time to feed the boy, and 2. I was excited for Adam's and my date tonight. Adam bought New Moon tickets for this evening at 5pm; so the sooner he got up and went to work the sooner he could come home and take me to the movie. Yes I am a desperate Twilight fan and really should be commended instead of judged for waiting THIS LONG to go see the movie:)

With motive number two burning strongly in my mind I tried very hard to be Adam's cheerleader and make it look like it was fun and exciting to be awake at 6:30 in the morning. He needed a little more time than I did to perk up so I tried to give him some space. I went out into the living area, had a bowl of cereal and picked up reading where I left off in the third Twilight book.

He finally emerged from the bedroom looking groggy but not upset about my attempts to get him out of bed. He proceeded to get ready for work and I mostly read Twilight to stay out of his way. When he was ready, I helped him out the door and gave him a goodbye kiss.

I had started to feel a little tired with all the reading and charades I put on while Adam was getting ready. I decided I would wait until after he left to lay back down for a few minutes. I watched as he walked down our driveway to make sure he was good and gone before I turned off lights and headed back to bed.

I just started getting warm and cozy when all of a sudden the front door opened. Adam, surprised by the lack of light or wife could say nothing but: "WHAT!?! Oh my Gosh!" I was busted. My fake perky cheerleader cover was blown. I couldn't help but laugh because I had put on a pretty good show implying that I was up for the day. All I could say was "What? I am still tired." Adam let out a "Tell me about it," while he grabbed whatever it was he had come back for and walked back out the door. I guess that just goes to show that I should wait a good 30 minutes to make sure he is good and gone before I assume and go back to bed:)

"Oh Cake, Oh Lovely!"

This is what Adam and I heard as we walked down the street on Saturday night. I love the accents here, pretty much anything said becomes comical but I found this particular statement amusing because the man that said it was sincerely delighted to see cake. The Brits are truly the most genuine and sincere group of people I have ever met. He made me feel a little like a celebrity because we were the ones carrying the lovely cake down the street.

Adam had a Thanksgiving work party on Sunday and we were responsible for bringing a desert. Of course we didn't decide to actually go to the party until the last minute so we were scrambling Saturday for something to take. Once we made up our minds about attending the party I knew exactly what I wanted to get: Chocolate Fudge Cake from Pizza Express.



I had a piece of this most desirable cake about a week ago and haven't been able to stop talking about it since. We called Pizza Express and asked if it was possible to order an entire cake for take away (what they call take out), and although I greatly confused the girl on the phone because nobody calls a pizza place and just orders cake, we were able to purchase one for 17 pounds (that's a $29 cake, but so worth it!)

We had a few people call us out on the cake at the party...one lady asked if we actually made it and all I could respond was "we made it come here." Another guy (who is a big time baker) ask how we managed to make the cake because the ovens are so small here. I finally admitted that we cheated and purchased the cake-I don't think we were fooling anyone.

We had a great time at the party. It was nice to have Thanksgiving. I wasn't sure we would this year.

Maybe that is why

Some people say that Brits don't have the best teeth. I think in my short stay here I would say that about half the people I've met have nice teeth and the other half don't. I know that is very subjective because it is based on personal preference, but let me put the record straight by saying that not all British citizens have terrible teeth. Maybe I just notice more because I used to work in a dental office. We can't negate the fact however that the Brits do have the reputation of having less than aesthetically pleasing smiles.

Let me switch gears for just a second and say that Adam and I were out the other night and we came across a little vending machine. You know those little machines where if you put a quarter in you can get a gumball or a fake tattoo? Well, it was one of those machines, but instead of a quarter it cost a whole pound (£) and instead of candy or a toy it was a tooth brush.


I don't know if you can see it very well but it is called a Fuzzy Brush. It is a chewable toothbrush with some sort of toothpasty stuff on it that you chew for a minute or two and then discard. I don't know how else to describe it other than a bad tasting mint that you can't actually swallow.

I guess this is better than just chewing gum or sucking on a mint after a meal, but I could never see it as a permanent replacement for my sonicare. I think the Brits are on the right track though with putting toothbrushes in vending machines. It is important to promote good oral hygiene. Now if only it didn't cost a whole pound for two little disposable toothbrushes maybe more people would be inclined to purchase them.

Pleasantly Plump

Have you ever wondered what I look like 34 weeks pregnant? If you have you are probably either related to me or seriously bored. Either way, let me relieve you of your anxiety.

I am feeling great. I am yet to know the sensation that comes from Braxton Hicks and I have had very little swelling. My only complaint is that I can't move quite like I used to. I solicit Adam's help when putting on my socks and shoes and I no longer walk but waddle every where I go.

Just like everything else here in England, being pregnant is approached a little bit differently. Adam and I do qualify for the free health care during our stay here so we went Monday to register me at a local GP. A "GP" is basically a doctors office. I met briefly with my new midwife, Nadia (she is a sweetheart!), and we set up an appointment to get together yesterday.

Typically women see midwives throughout their entire pregnancy and are even delivered by midwives unless complications are foreseen. I will still deliver however at a hospital where a doctor will be on staff.

What is very nice about having a midwife is that they come to you and you have your appointment in the comforts of your own home. This is working out beautifully for me because as I mentioned before, I am having a difficult time getting around on my own and our car isn't scheduled to arrive for a few more weeks. SO if my midwife didn't come to me I would be walking to her and my GP is located about a mile away.

To be quite honest, I am very pleased with the attention and care I am getting from Nadia and feel better taken care of by her than I ever felt with my OB practice back in Maryland.

I am glad we asked!

While Adam and I are stationed in temporary housing we are privileged with a benefit called "actual cost per diem," meaning whatever we spend on food up to a daily maximum amount will be reimbursed. This is a nice little perk. We don't eat out every meal but we have taken this opportunity to try out some of the local restaurants to see what we like.

As a side note, one thing I have learned about eating out over here is that you don't want to wait until you are hungry to decide you'd like to go out. Eating out is a completely different experience here, once they give you a table they plan on you keeping that table for the entire evening.

For example, a few nights ago we went to an Italian restaurant called Gianni Ristorante. The food was excellent and the service was good too, but it might have been considered slow according to American standards. Once we were seated we were given about twenty or so minutes to look over the menu before we were checked on. After ordering we had a good hour to talk amongst ourselves while we waited for our food. This is pretty on par with the other restaurants we have tried as well. You aren't just going out for a meal you are truly dining out for the evening.

I was only able to finish about half of my food because the portion size was huge, so Adam asked the waiter if we could get a to-go box. Apparently this is an American thing to do as well because our waiter gave us a funny look.

"You want to take this with you?" He asked.

We felt very foolish at this point but still said yes:) I guess you are just expected to either sit and eat all night until your food is gone or surrender the left overs as waste. I couldn't bring myself to do either so we ran the risk of looking like dumb Americans. Here is what it got us:


Isn't it cute?!? Adam calls it a duck but I think a swan is much more appealing. Instead of to-go boxes they wrap your left overs in attractive tinfoil animals, at least this Italian restaurant did. I very much enjoyed receiving my swan, I am glad we asked!

Ooops

We have already fried our first appliance. We used a power converter to plug in my blow dryer, however we were missing a crucial piece of equipment that controlled how much wattage to supply to the dryer. It worked for about two seconds, got extremely hot, and hasn't worked since...

As luck would have it though, while I went through my traditional snooping I found a blow dryer in one of the closet drawers. Problem solved:)

Smooth as Butter

Somebody out there is watching out for the Lamar family, and they are one smooth operator. We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers of all our family and friends; we have truly been blessed during our transition from the states to the U.K.

First and foremost, we were able to rent out our house just in the nick of time. Five hours before we boarded our plane we were signing a lease and turning over the keys. It all worked out so perfectly. We rented to a nice young couple with a four year old son. They just got new jobs in the area and needed a place to rent starting Nov. 1st. We felt very comfortable with them as renters and know that they will take good care of our home while we are gone.

The flight over was generally pretty good. We didn't have any delays and we didn't really hit any turbulence. Of course it was a red eye and we didn't get more than about 3 hours of sleep but we did get dinner and a movie. Adam and I both watched the new Transformers, however I only made it about half way through.

The only real hiccup we had was once we landed. Adam and I made our way to the baggage claim in terminal two instead of terminal one. Of course when we got there and realized we were in the wrong place there wasn't any turning back. We had to exit the airport, go back through security and then pick up our luggage. No harm done though, we probably would have spent that time waiting for our luggage at the baggage claim anyway:)

We had a driver there at the airport waiting to pick us up and take us to our temporary housing. Here are some pictures of our crib :)

It looks real nice (and it is) but there were a few surprises. The biggest problem is that the shower is too small and I can't reach down if I drop something.

I would have to say that the cars and driving over here are probably the weirdest things I have ever experienced. It probably didn't help that I was sleep deprived but every time we made a turn and I saw an oncoming car I would get scared about being on the wrong side of the road and worried about crashing.

We have been here a few days now and I still get confused with the driving patterns. I never know which way to look when I want to cross the road and even when I can predict which direction the cars are coming I can't tell where they are going. I am sure onlookers get a good laugh at my confusion. Hopefully by the time our car arrives in December I'll have a good enough grip on reading street signs and which side of the road to drive on that I'll be able to drive without causing too many problems:)

All in all, we LOVE it here in England. The country side is beautiful and the people are charming. We are excited to get settled and make England our home for the next 12 months!

Marriott

We have just spent our first week in the hotel and other than living out of a suitcase, I could really get use to the idea of taking up permanent residence:)

Naturally, the first thing I did when we arrived was snooped through every cabinet and drawer to see what I could find. Our room comes with a full kitchen including all the accessories you would need to prepare a meal; including a potato peeler. There is a lot of security that comes from knowing you have a potato peeler if and when you need one.

I almost fell off the bed when I opened the drawer of the night stand. I found a copy of the Gideon Bible which I expected and a copy of the Book of Mormon which I had not expected. I quickly shut the draw and tried to conceal my amazement. I told Adam I wanted to show him something...

"What, did you find a Book of Mormon?" He asked...

How the heck did he guess that!?!? Apparently, the guy that owns Marriott is LDS and has a Book of Mormon available in every room of every Marriott hotel. Who knew? Apparently Adam did, I however learned something new.

I am very fond of the five pillows that come with the bed. If you do the math that means two pillows for me, two pillows for baby, and a left over pillow for Adam. I have never slept so good!

AND THE FOOD, the glorious food. Each morning breakfast is provided and four nights a week a light dinner is available...what can I say, I am a girl motivated by food;)

All in all, I would have to report that our time in a hotel really hasn't been too bad.

Getting Ready to Rent....

The countdown has begun, our movers are coming on the 19th to pack up all of our stuff and we fly out on the 29th. We are officially "short-timers." Of all the things on our list of "things to do before we leave the country," we are most anxious about finding good renters for the next year. In preparation for renters, we have made a few home improvements to make our home a little more appealing. We have painted the entire house, installed ceiling fans, and changed the outlets and light switches to nice new white fixtures (instead of the off-white/yellow).

A long time coming

I know I have been promising a lot of people for a long time some updated pictures of our handsome little man. And I know that these "updated" pictures are a little outdated because they are over a month old, however they are still the most recent pictures we have and therefore still qualify as updates. Enjoy!

Growing

We've had a few requests for an updated baby bump picture. I'll be 23 weeks on Wednesday and we just measured tonight: I am 36 inches around. I am feeling the baby move everyday. He is VERY active. Adam has been able to feel the baby move too. It is a very exciting time.

I am starting to feel better too, I am mostly out of my sick stage. I still need to take my medication from time to time but my nausea has gotten much better and I have been finding more energy to do everyday things.

An Amazing Day

On August 13th, I had the opportunity to spend the entire day in the Washington D.C. Temple for our Stake Temple Day. I had an amazing time! My day started at 5am when I woke up and ended at 9:30pm when I hit the sack. I packed a lunch, a dinner, and enough snacks to feed a small army so I was good to go ALL DAY! I was able to complete four endowment sessions during my stay. By the end of the day though I must have been looking pretty worn out because everyone was asking if I was feeling okay:) My time at the temple ended with a combined meeting on the 7th floor where the Temple Presidency addressed us and gave us a take away message. I love the Temple. I love learning and serving, but mostly I love the peaceful spirit that comes from being there.

Car Wash

Adam recently helped out with a community car wash through Mormon Helping Hands. It was a pretty simple affair -- they setup a hose, filled some buckets with soapy water, and waited for people to come get their cars washed.

Most car washes held in our community are intended to be fundraisers. Mormon Helping Hands however is a program designed to provide service to a community without anything requested or expected in return. Our car wash was a no-cost, no-donation, all-the-cookies-and-juice-you-can-handle car wash.

Mormon Helping Hands is primarily geared towards bettering a community through Christ-like service. You may have seen Mormon Helping Hands on NBC's Nightly News during Hurricane Katrina or after Hurricane Ike. From natural disaster relief to delivering food baskets to needy families the message is the same: Strive to serve others with unconditional Christ-like love and strengthen your community by providing relief for your neighbor.

The Mormon Helping Hands program was designed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, however, you do not have to be a member of the church to participate in these service opportunities. The events are purely service oriented, in fact church members are instructed NOT to pass out brochures or talk about the church unless they are directly asked. The only catch is that you'll be asked to wear a bright yellow "Helping Hands" vest, but they really aren't too bad:)

As for our recent car wash, Adam helped wash about 55 cars in 4 hours. What was really great about the event other than meeting new people and seeing them smile was that 15 people gave us their contact information and asked to be involved in our next service activity. This is what Mormon Helping Hands is all about, uniting a community and working together to make the world a better place.

We are absolutely gobsmacked!

Some of you have already heard, either by Adam and I, or through that notorious grapevine, so we wanted to make a formal announcement...We are moving to England! About a year ago, Adam applied for a position overseas. In March we started to get "request approvals" and in June we received official travel orders. We are relocating October 29th to Cheltenham England for a one year tour.

Answers to most frequently asked questions:

1. Yes, I will be 7 months pregnant when we fly.
2. Yes, the baby will be born in England however will not have dual citizenship.
3. We are hoping to rent out our house for the year while we are gone.
4. You are welcome to come visit if you:
   
   1. provide your own passport and airfare and
   2. agree to treat us to dinner at least once during your stay :)
   
   
5. Yes, we will be returning to Maryland after our tour.
6. Our cat is not coming with us, we are looking for a good home for him for the year.
7. No, we do not already have a place to stay over there. We are given 45 days in temporary housing upon arrival to look for something more permanent.
8. We are planning on getting a US phone number so that your calls won't be long distance. However, do not call after 5pm Eastern Time for it will be 10pm and the baby will be sleeping.
   
9. We are selling our second car. If you are looking for a great commuting car we have a 95 Honda Accord. It has some miles on it, but it is in great condition and has several more years left in her. 32+ mpg!
   
10. Unfortunately our tour is only for one year. We cannot extend our time, however we may have another opportunity to go overseas in the future.
    

Boy Oh Boy, It's a Boy Oh Boy!

Adam and I went for our ultrasound on Tuesday,
Here are some pictures of our baby boy!

This first picture was taken back in May...

Here is June...

And finally July...

And it is a...

Today was the BIG DAY, the moment of truth; the day we went to the doctor's to find out the gender of our baby.

13 Weeks Ago...

When we found out we were expecting Adam made up his mind about what he wanted the first one to be. He, like most other men out there, wanted a boy. His argument was that every kid needs a big older brother to help them through life, so therefore, our baby had to be a boy. To counter-argue I offered that having a girl first would guarantee a built in babysitter and would be a nice alternative to a big brother if our child happened to be female.

Adam wouldn't have anything to do with this "girl talk" I was trying to entertain and politely corrected me if I referred to our child in any way other than being a little boy. Every few weeks I planted seeds in Adam's mind in hopes to prepare him for the notion of a baby girl by saying something like: "Wouldn't it be funny if our "little guy" actually turned out to be a "little girl?" Adam would typically respond with a "not really," and continue on with whatever it was he was doing. I never really got much of a rise out of him.

Finally I pulled out the BIG GUNS and started telling him about dreams I had of our little girl having an ear infection, or of how the Chinese fortune wheel predicted our child would be female based on my birth and conception date. Holding his ground Adam reminded me that we were not Chinese so therefore the prediction was inaccurate.

4 Hours Ago...

After weeks of anticipation and nonstop excitement Adam and I went in for our four-month check up. I was so nervous I couldn't sit still. Who was going to be right? Were we going to have Adam's little boy, or my little girl? We were called back and put in a room to wait for Dr. Keith. I noticed the room was kind of plain; there wasn't a big machine that looked like a gender detector like I had expected. When Dr. Keith came in I asked her if we could try to see the gender today. She sadly informed me that the office didn't have "that kind of equipment" and that we would need to go to a radiology clinic for our ultrasound. Oh...Okay...

1 Nap Later...

All I wanted to do after that disappointing doctor's appointment was to go home and take a nap...so I did. After waking up, I resolved to make some phone calls tomorrow to nearby radiology clinics to see if they A. take our insurance, and B. have immediate availability.

To Be Continued...

Look at me from the side...Do I look different to you?

I have always enjoyed Disney's Aladdin. From the songs to the one-liners, it is just a fun show. However, recently I have found myself relating to the Genie. No I am not dying my skin blue and joining the Blue Man group, and I definitely don't have phenomenal cosmic powers.























I'll let you make the comparisons and decide for yourself if we share any common characteristics.

We're expecting!! The baby is due December 23rd, just in time for a 2009 tax write-off!

Happy Fourth of July

There were many debates between Adam and I in regards to what our first post would be on our new blog. Adam didn't want anything too heavy and I didn't want anything too boring...We came to a nice compromise when we decided it was finally time to share the picture we took of Grandpa Todd's grave on Memorial Day.
I know we are a few weeks behind getting this picture to everyone, but we figured it was better late than never. We wanted to take this opportunity to remember Grandpa, all his corny jokes and his homemade applesauce. Grandpa was great and we miss him. We also wanted to express our gratitude to the men and women who have fought and are currently fighting for our country. We are so blessed to live in a land where we are free. Happy Fourth of July!