Yes, he has a name

We don't just have to call the baby Peanut anymore. We picked out the name Alexander James. Alexander is from Alexander Hamilton, one of John's favorite founding fathers. (John thought of naming kids after founding fathers and famous scientists. My Dad is glad that we are not going with Galileo or Copernicus.) James for my Grandpa, who passed away in January.

I was surprised that we picked a name so fast. For some reason, we found a boy's name easier to choose than a girl's name. We have been calling him Alex, but I also like AJ. I have been in baby mode all week, and I picked out some decor that I like for the nursery. I am still looking for a crib that I am happy with though... John survived his first trip to Babies R Us, but there is more baby shopping in his future.

It's a...

BOY!

We had a sonogram today and everything looks good.

My Mom's Helper

I posted about working on campus events for around ten years, but I realized that college is not the beginning of the story. The story begins with my mom, who was not only a stay-at-home-mom but also a volunteer-mom. I remember her volunteering with the Girl Scouts and Aullwood Audubon Center. By the time I was around ten, I could be my mom's helper. She worked on the Pancake Breakfast fundraiser at Aullwood Farm for multiple years. I remember running errands with her before the event and going to help the day of the event.

By high school, we were working with the church youth group and my mom put together multiple Spaghetti and Baked Potato dinners to help us raise money for camp. By that time, the youth could take on more responsibility, but I remember my mom being an integral element.

When I look back, it is no surprise that I enjoy working on events.

Chicago

I spent last Tuesday to Saturday in Chicago for the National Academic Advising Association's (NACADA) national conference. It was a good conference, and I have ideas to bring back to UTSA. I co-presented a poster on Sophomore Day.

I am posting some pictures from the trip. The fountains are from Millennium Park, and I liked the shot of people walking around by the Chicago theatre. The other night pictures are from Navy Pier on Friday night where we saw fireworks. We also made it to the Art Institute of Chicago on Thursday night for a few hours.