Hi everyone...long time no post, eh? I'm sure you've all been dying to know what we've been up to, so without further ado, I'll give you the update. Ryan and I have been very busy these past few months, and I have a surprising lack of pictures to document them for you. Don't fret though; we do still hold the record for the most photographed couple ever. I won't let that title slip away from us! We have been making an effort to live up these last few months of "freedom," since my older siblings keep reminding us that this time being just the two of us is coming to a rapid close. I will back up a couple of months, since it's been forever since we've posted. First, I thought I would include this picture of Ryan that illustrates how neglected he was during the 1st trimester of the pregnancy. Not only could I not cook for him, but I also didn't get around to cutting his hair. When he came out of the bathroom looking like this one day, however, I found the strength to finally give him a haircut.
One good thing that resulted from my inablity to function during the 1st trimester was that Ryan was forced to become more self-sufficient in the kitchen. I was able to walk him through making some chicken quesadillas (I was directing him from the couch, while he made them in the kitchen), and they turned out SO well! I think he should cook dinner more often...he disagrees. Here he is showing off his work:
We made a trip into D.C. to go to the Zoo one weekend, and ended up catching some of the Cherry Blossom festival as well. Ryan also got to see the White House for the first time (we drove past it)...it was only our second time in D.C. since we moved to VA, and we had a really good time! We got this picture of the tiger who was trying to ask for some food:
We asked someone to take a picture of us:
This is a picture of us on our 9 month wedding anniversary...time flies when you're having fun!
On Holy Thursday we were able to meet up with Steve, Krista, and Ava in MD, since they were in town visiting family for Easter. We had a great double date with them at Cheesecake Factory, just like old times. We love these guys, and hope that they will move back up to the VA/MD area soon :)
For Easter my parents made the trip down to Manassas, as did my brother Christian and his wife Michelle and daughter Natalie, who came up from North Carolina. We got a ton of pictures (my obsessive picture taking-ness runs in the family) but I will only post two. Here I am with Michelle, who is due in June. Michelle also had a miscarriage, with her 2nd baby who was due the day after Bella was due. She and I have gotten close over the years, but I think our shared experience made us even closer. In the picture, I am 3 months along and she is 6 months.
And here I am with my husband. Isn't he a stud?
Our good friend Tom DeCaro had some job interviews in D.C. one week, so he spent the night before with us in our apartment. I was able to make dinner that night for the first time in forever, so he picked a good time to come :) Ryan was happy to have someone to play video games with. Here they are:
The last 2 weeks Ryan and I have been occupied with helping my sister and her husband move into their new home. The previous owner was somewhat of a cat lady, like my sister, and she left her 4 cats behind. My sister already has 2 cats, so it is now cat heaven there. More like hell for me, since I am allergic to them :( Ryan, however, has discovered that the is a natural with animals. The cat named Grizzly has grown very attached to Ryan, as you can see, and loves to jump on his lap whenever Ryan sits down.
Since I couldn't help with the packing and lifting, I was the designated baby-holder, so my sister could work without having to hold Simon herself. I had a great time with him, he is one of the cutest babies to ever live, I believe. He also loves to have his picture taken:
Here is the new Kaza estate, on 11 acres of beautiful land. It is going to be their "forever" home, and Ryan and Babu are already talking about the paintball games that will happen there in the near future.
Ryan has also become attached to the cowboy hat that was left behind in the house, and he has perfected his (somewhat annoying) country/redneck voice.
Yesterday we went to my friend Katie's wedding at Christendom College. She works at my school, and she married her high school sweetheart Sam. It was a beautiful wedding and we felt very blessed to be there. Here I am with Corinne and Liesl, my two other friends and co-workers.
The bride and groom; don't they look classy?
The reception was Irish themed, with a live Irish band and a lot of Riverdance going on. Some uninhibited Christendom guys seized the opportunity to show off their Lord of the Dance skills, and while they were pretty over-zealous at times, it made for some good entertainment. Ryan has perfected his impersonation of their dancing/yipping as well. Here we are at the reception.
Now for the pregnancy update. I am now in my second trimester and feeling much better; I am regaining my appetite and the ability to make dinner for Ryan. He is very pleased to be eating home made meals once again! I had my 16 weeks checkup this past week; I got to hear the baby's heartbeat again and I LOVED it; it's so miraculous to me. I also found out that I have not gained a single pound over the whole pregnancy; in fact I lost a few pounds between my 8 and 12 weeks appointments. I don't know how that could be since my tummy is most definitely getting larger. I like to think that the fat from other areas of my body, such as my arms and legs, has somehow relocated to my tummy. Here are my pregnancy pictures to illustrate the tummy progression: 8 weeks:
12 weeks:
16 weeks:
I am beginning to feel the baby move now; only when I lay down and stay very still, I can feel little waves and flutterings. Ryan will often put his hand on my tummy then, and we will both be very still and quiet so he can feel the movement as well. It is all very exciting. I have scheduled my sonogram to find out the sex of the baby for May 26th. I can't wait for that day!! Any guesses??
And that's all for this update. We can't wait for baby Sofia to arrive, and we are keeping you in our prayers, David and Marisa! We are also looking forward to seeing the rest of the Tompkins clan next weekend for Joseph's graduation. So many exciting things going on, we can't wait!! Keep the updates coming, because we love them and they make us feel close to you all. With love, Ryan, Mary, and baby.
I could not wait to get in there and see the baby!
Now for her pictures. Here is a profile shot. It looks like a Suarez head to me...see her hand there? She likes to suck her thumb:
Here she is looking right at us:
Here she is doing one of her many flips; you can see her head tucked down and she's getting ready to kick off. Seeing her legs in action was so great! Those movements are very familiar to me already..
Curling even more:
Here is one from a little farther away to show the arms and legs. She has very long limbs.. we are thinking maybe a soccer player/supermodel.
The baby's adorable feet:
And finally, my 20 weeks pregnant lady picture. Halfway there!
Hope you all enjoy the pictures as much as we did :) We sure do love seeing her!! 
I could not wait to get in there and see the baby!
Now for her pictures. Here is a profile shot. It looks like a Suarez head to me...see her hand there? She likes to suck her thumb:
Here she is looking right at us:
Curling even more:
Here is one from a little farther away to show the arms and legs. She has very long limbs.. we are thinking maybe a soccer player/supermodel.
The baby's adorable feet:
And finally, my 20 weeks pregnant lady picture. Halfway there!
Hope you all enjoy the pictures as much as we did :) We sure do love seeing her!! 
