Stomping in the Old Stomping Grounds - Philly Edition

Some of you know that I lived in Philadelphia for a year, through a program called Mission Year. It was a really formative year for me spiritually as well as theologically (sort of formative... maybe that would take a while to explain...)

Anyway, so Alison and I are in Philadelphia this week visiting some friends. Though we are actually staying in the suburbs of Philly, we have been able to go into the city a few times this week. On Sunday, we walked around some historic and trendy areas of Philadelphia. I didn't spend a whole lot of time in these areas when I lived here, but its kind of fun to go to, none the less.

Yesterday, Alison and I headed into the city again, but this time to Southwest Philly. We took the trains into the city, and then took Philly's iconic trolleys into Southwest. We had intended to meet a friend, and so we stopped off a park near where we though he lived. Not there, though. After that, we took a chance further into the city, hoping to meet a family I knew/know well. We just kind of showed up, and fortunately they were home! We sat and talked with them for about 3 hours, catching up, telling them how Alison and I met. It was a lot of fun to see their girls, too, who had grown up so much. One is 23 with a son of her own - not really a girl anymore!

I wish I had pictures to post while I was with my friends. Unfortunately, Alison and I didn't think it important to bring a camera back with us. Oh well. Next time.

An Update on Round 2

A blog post just isn't complete without an update on the little guy/girl (no, we don't know which yet). 66% of physicians surveyed agree that Alison is a little over 15 weeks along, which means that he/she is about the size of an apple.

According to the Baby Center, the following things are happening to "The Hunter", as my own father has taken to calling him/her.

• The air sacs in the lungs are developing
• He/she can move all the limbs now
• The eyelids are fused shut, but he/she can sense light and will respond to a flashlight shined on the womb
• Taste buds are forming, and cravings for Chipotle, Dark Chocolate, Dr. Pepper and Caribou Coffee are beginning to develop
  
• It's POSSIBLE to know the gender of the baby, but we won't have a checkup for a few weeks, probably. When we know, you will know.
  

Remember to vote for your favorite name. Its amazing how many people have voted on my poll so far!