Hello Friends and Family,
For those of you we have not been able to tell personally, we are expecting another baby in late November! Below are some of the first pictures of baby #2. You can see recent ultrasounds showing her foot, face (only the bones show up) and hand. In the larger picture you can see her spine clearly. We don't actually know the sex of the baby, but Keith thinks Noah will have a new baby sister later this year.
We started off July properly with a trip home to Canada on Canada Day. Arriving
in Toronto late on July 1st, we missed most of the festivities - but 
Keith
did get to see a few fireworks on the distant horizon from the airport hotel
window. While home, we got in lots of visits: Paul & Lisa & Abigail
& Aidan, Laura & Denis, Darrin & Lyndsey & Erin & Katelyn,
Marilyn Welland, Murna & Kathy at Grampie's office, Mary Alice from Sydney
Steel, Carrie & Colin & Carter, and of course lots of members of the
Poole and King extended families. Many apologies to those we missed, but we
will put at the top of our list for the next visit!
Noah got to see his new fishing pond (courtesy of Grampie Poole) for the
very first time, and even fed the fish! The fish came right up close to us on
the shore, and were even breaking the water surface to get at the food pellets.
Noah was very excited, not only with the pond
but with Grampie's tractor as well. In a few years Noah and Keith can get out
in a boat and go fishing on Noah's Pond.
We also had a great visit in Dominion, where Noah got to spend some time
with his cousin Madeline. They both got to be 'cool
dudes' (see below), fly home-made kites (courtesy of Aunt Vanessa), and enjoy
a great summer picnic in Nana and 
Papa's
yard. Although we were very disappointed that Dominion Beach was closed during
our visit, it was actually quite chilly while we were home so maybe it was just
as well.
Also while home, we both renewed our passports. This proved to be no simple feat, as the only people who know us well enough to sign a passport are in Nova Scotia, and in Natasha's case in Cape Breton. In the end we got everything we needed, but only after use of our brother in-law Matthew's Bum-a-Ride shuttle and a last-minute meeting with a retired P.Eng friend before he hit the golf course. Next we need to work on one for Noah... The main reason for obtaining new passports now is to facilitate H-visa paperwork. Natasha needs to have hers renewed, and Keith is switching from a TN to an H-visa courtesy of his employer NAVTEQ.
Immediately upon our return to Indiana, we went in to see Dr. Strittmatter for an extended ultrasound session, and he gave us the ultrasound pictures you see above. The baby looks very healthy and is very active. Keith also continues to donate blood whenever he is able to, especially since he is type O negative (the universal donor) and the gifts are getting better. As a regular donor, Keith received a folding chair similar to the Canada ones we already have.
While in Nova Scotia, Keith missed the second annual running of his new favourite triathlon in Valparaiso, Indiana. Luckily he had the Warsaw tri last month to help get ready for the big Accenture Chicago Triathlon coming up in August. The training now continues with occasional swims at the gym, biking Sunday mornings with Mathew in Valparaiso and occasional bike rides to work in downtown Chicago (after driving the first half of the way), and runs on the treadmill at the NAVTEQ fitness center.
Back at work, Keith participated in a week-long training session on the ISO/TS 16949 automotive standard and the automotive industry Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) process. While already very familiar with this material, it was still a valuable session. Keith will no doubt get to use some of this knowledge as the Distribution Services department in North America works towards certification to this standard. Keith also began preparing for an internal quality audit of the Toronto, DC, and Philadelphia field offices coming up in August. Acting as treasurer for the local section of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), Keith also prepared records for an annual financial audit and statement submission to ASQ headquarters.
Natasha continues to enjoy her job as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at
St. Margaret 
Mercy
immensely. The hospital is a very nice place to work and she enjoys interacting
with so many patients. Her co-workers over in X-ray/CT take good care of her
and often host pot luck lunches and BBQs. Walking a lot at work wearing a lead
apron is also giving Natasha a good workout! The large ultrasound from June
is courtesy of one of her co-workers in ultrasound, as is a video ultrasound
we have started.
We repeated our usual attendance at the annual Pierogi Fest in Whiting. We arrived early enough on Friday evening this year to get a good spot along the International Polka Parade route, which is always a highlight - including the highly anticipated Precision Lawn Mowing Brigade and many new entries. We didn't stick around to eat that night, so we came back for lots of pierogis and corn on the cob on Saturday. The Food Network was back again, this time filming a pierogi cook-off. The highlight of the evening was Noah and his discovered piece of multi-coloured string. He managed to derive more entertainment value from that little piece of string (for him and for us) than anyone else ever could.
This month we were also very excited to see a new Target (our favourite
store) open up just a few blocks from our house. The location is the former
site of a Chicago-based Wards (which went out of business) department store,
but
the new store is a complete rebuild and it is very nice. We have also managed
to get out on dates a few times again, now that we have an excellent babysitter
(one of Noah's teachers from daycare) who is always available when we call.
One night we returned to one of our favourite restaurants after a long absence
- Up for Grabs in Whiting. The food is always great and it is a nice little
local place to hang out in for a few hours.
We also ventured to Chicago a few times, once
to spend a wonderful afternoon on a south side beach (near the Museum of Science
and Industry Noah and Keith frequented last year) and again for the grand opening
weekend of the new Millennium Park downtown. Noah loves the beach but isn't
too pleased if the sand touches his bare feet, 
so
water shoes are a necessity. The new downtown park is fabulous, with a giant
stage surrounded by billowing sheets of steel for free open-air concerts (the
symphony performs each week in the summer) and an amazing reflecting sculpture
that is perfect with Chicago's skyline. Follow the hyperlinked photos here to
view more on Ofoto.
We all had a great time at both events.
This month Noah graduated to his own (small-sized) bed, since he is old enough now and also we will need the crib soon for the new baby. Noah even helped Keith to put it together! By bedtime, Noah was so excited that he gladly jumped right into his new bed, complete with Bob the Builder sheets.
We wrapped up the month with the Festival of the Lakes in Hammond. This brand-new event celebrates the lakes in the portion of Hammond that sticks up next to Whiting and extends right to the shores of Lake Michigan. We went one night and saw the country band Diamond Rio perform live. Noah loves country music (actually, any kind of music) and was dancing up his usual storm. He was also very interested in the fair rides, but he is too small yet for even the kiddie rides. Instead, we let him play at a game booth - the one where he could pick rubber ducks out of the little river and win a prize based on the letters on the bottom of each duck. Picking up ducks was fun enough for Noah, let alone winning a stuffed Clifford the Big Red Dog sized just right for him! The evening ended with awesome fireworks, as is the norm around here. Since Natasha can't get enough country music, on the 31st we also ventured out to the Tweeter Center to catch Terri Clark (Canadian) and Toby Keith live in concert. The show was actually pretty good.
This month we also went to an open house at a beautiful home for sale a few blocks away from the one we now rent. We are getting tired of paying rent after five years, so maybe I will have more news next month...
Keep in Touch,
Love, Keith & Natasha