Columbus Day - Hike up Geissler Mountain

I went for a hike on Monday because I had the day off . . . it's great to be working for the feds. I was originally going to hike along a trail up to a lake, but once I made it to the trail head I looked up and I thought I could make it to the top of one of the mountains. The hike was all off trail with 2700' of elevation gain, so it was a tough hike, but the view was great. I did a little fishing on my way down and caught a couple of cutthroat trout, so all in all it was a great day.

Here is a video from the peak.

Taking a break on the way up. As you can see, I am growing out my beard again, for hunting season of course.

A view from the top.

Baby Rustand Update!

Whoa. That's not a watermelon! Baby Rustand is starting to make his/her presence known to the rest of the world. I'm 16 weeks in this photo, but it looks like I should be about 24 weeks. For the record, this picture was taken at the end of the day, you know, when my belly was at its biggest point during the day. We're both getting a big kick out of how my body is changing. I've been feeling great, which we are both so thankful for! Especially since my poor pregnant younger sister was sick for the first 28 weeks out of her 31... or something awful like that. Believe me, I'm ultra thankful that I feel so good! I'm now 18 weeks and have another appointment on Friday. Our ultrasound won't happen for another month, so we'll just keep waiting patiently until we can see our little sweet pea! We will not be finding out the sex of the baby and are keeping our baby names a secret. Don't bother asking - we won't crack! :)

This week marks the end of the first quarter at school, which means that my school year is already 1/3 over. It's crazy to think about it like that! My students are beginning to ask me more and more questions about the baby, which is rather funny. My favorite comment so far has been from a 2nd grader who said, "Bye Mrs. Rustand! Have fun with your baby!" like the baby and I are playing cards or something! I need to start telling my students that they can no longer lean in for a hug with their heads - they are the same height as my belly, and it doesn't feel so good! It's fun to see them so excited about our little sweet pea.

Check back for more updates and pictures of Baby Rustand's progress!