Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! Halloween is not really celebrated here in India. (Yes, I know you are all really surprised! Hahaha!) However, our friends Stephanie and Carl, originally from New York, invited us over for an evening of pumpkin carving, Charlie Brown, and American style pizza to celebrate All Hallows' Eve. We had a great time despite the lack of typical festivities we are used to partaking in at home. Paul is pretty impressed with pumpkin carving skills, so I decided to post some photos from the evening.

Paul with his pumpkin . . . I tried to make mine a scary pumpkin, but instead it just looked scared. Paul decided to drip ketchup down the side of its knife wound to make it look a little more shocking!

Here we are lighted up!

They are proudly lighted up on our terrace at night. Hopefully, the pigeons will not eat them!

Sibling Rivalry?

Paul and I were watching Sophie part of this week. Normally, Sophie and Lily are the best sort of friends--always playing and napping together. However, this morning Lily decided to tell Sophie to "take a hike." I am still not sure if she was playing or seriously throwing a temper tantrum.

As usual, Lily was definitely hamming it up for the camera. She loves to have her photo taken.

Peanut Behrens

Surprise! . . . We're Preggers! ;-) I'm 12 weeks finishing up the first trimester, while as you will see from Paul's photo below, he's further along in his pregnancy.



Who knew that 3 weeks ago, at 9 weeks, Peanut Behrens would really resemble a 'peanut.' Indeed, there was a peanut in my belly 3 weeks ago with a strong heartbeat and moving so quickly that it appeared as though Peanut was dancing the tango or practicing for a gymnastics meet.

Today, we got to see Peanut at 12 weeks. The screen was not facing me, so I did not get to see Peanut's dance moves, but Paul states for the record that it was moving its hands and arms around to some funky beat. Also, the heartbeat was audible today which was amazing to hear. Below you can see a good profile of Peanut's head, its hand close to its mouth, along with its Buddha-belly.
I am feeling pretty good. The nausea is over and the cravings have begun. I have the oddest healthy cravings. All I want to eat is chicken, yogurt, boiled eggs, veggies, fruit, fresh lime soda, and Jell-O. Yes, there's me below with a tiny bump today.

Paul has been having some cravings lately as well. He likes to eat ... hmmm ... well let's just say he enjoyed all the sausages, spatzle, and Weiss bier at Oktoberfest this weekend. See Paul below in his undetermined pregnancy stage.

The Behrens family is currently doing well. We are expecting Peanut to arrive around April 27th, but we still are not sure if the baby will be born at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor or at Jehangir Hospital in Pune. Paul and I will be sure to keep everyone posted once we have made our decision.

Random Photos from Home 2009

Here are some random photo highlights from our Homestay 2009 trip this Fall. As you will see, we had an awesome time!

Just another typical Sunday dinner at the Behrens' with 1 liter of beer. . . just kidding!

Mark decides to take a morning jog in Suttons Bay searching for a bicycle rental shop . . .

Finally, we found some bicycles and we're off on Rails to Trails in the heart of wine country in Northern Michigan.

A shaded path . . .

Idyllic farmlands . . .

Tractor X'ing . . .

We left Suttons Bay and travelled North to Mackinac Island. Here is a view of the Island as our ferry pulls into station.

We took a tandem bicycle tour around the island this afternoon. Here Paul sits and contemplates while staring out at Lake Superior.

Ah...The Great Lakes...

Gross! No, we did not go in to see ...

Royal Oak Brewery happy hour with Molly, me, Matt and Alina.

Even Schweitzer showed up, but I couldn't get his photograph. Just wait until we visit you in Thailand next year, Roy!

Matt and his Pops...

Daljinder, Paul, Melina, Rob, and Ed...

Mom B., Marten, and Joke...

Jill and Mark with Alina ... Alina is the social butterfly of the family ... Hahaha!

Molly and Dan...

Richard's wedding at The Henry Ford Museum. Erik, Richard, Christina, Paul, me, Leslie, Greg, and Jessica...

Unfortunately, when the cousins and I decided to take our museum tour after the wedding, we found the Wienermobile. So yes, we had to take lots of photos with it before moving onto view the much more insightful exhibits.

Yes, this is Jessica posing as a wiener in a bun...only you J!

Back to India!