Rocking and rolling

So the New Englanders experienced their first Californian earthquake this past Tuesday and we're all fine. I think it officially was a 5.4 magnitude quake and we definitely felt it. Bryan had just gotten off the golf course and was sitting down to eat at the clubhouse restaurant when it struck. He said the liquor bottles in the bar were rattling so hard he thought they were going to fall off the shelves. As for Ethan and me, we had just returned from a morning at the park and were getting ready for lunch. Ethan was playing on the couch while I was on the computer. All of a sudden I started to hear some rumbling and felt the ground shaking. The dishes in the kitchen were rattling and at first I just assumed it was a large truck driving by. The intensity of the shaking grew and I quickly realized what was going on. Ethan did not appear scared but more startled at my reaction. I quickly jumped up, grabbed him off the couch and first stood under a doorway in the house, and then ran outside. By the time I got outside it was over. The whole thing probably last 5 or 6 seconds but felt like an eternity. Of course the phone lines were jammed but Bryan and I were able to connect within a few minutes to ensure that everyone was okay. I was pretty shaken (pardon the pun) as the severity of what could have been dawned on me. Ethan came home from school today and told me that "when there the ground moves and shakes, you get under the tables". Crazy that at this age they teach them that but it is never too early to learn! This was the first quake of its magnitude to hit a populated area so it felt a lot stronger but it has been 15 years since an earthquake has hit the area. Let's hope it is another 15 or more until the next one! Sure makes New England snowstorms seem like no big deal compared to the disasters earthquakes can cause!

In other news, I had an ultrasound on Tuesday morning and all looks well with Baby Phillips. Ethan was with me and got a kick out of seeing the baby on the screen. The baby is measuring on the small side but within the normal range so all is well. It will be weird to have an "average" sized baby after the gigantic baby that Ethan was. Maybe this baby will actually fit into newborn clothes unlike his older brother!

Ethan continues to love his new school which is a relief as we were worried about the transition to a new school especially given the timing, only a few months before the baby. Swim lessons continue to be good and tonight, Ethan did a back float totally on his own for the first time! We were very proud and he has made so much progress that we signed him up for more lessons. He is not a fan of getting in the water at the beginning, (especially since Bryan and I are no longer getting in the water with him) but once he is in, he has a ball.