24 Weeks

Not much change this week.... Officially I don't "turn" 24 weeks till tomorrow, but with Christmas Eve and all, I know that I won't be posting. So here it is!

How far along?: 24 Weeks. Officially 6 Months. Which means officially only 4 to go....

Total weight gain: Still don't own a scale. I am gonna pretend that I have gained under 20 till my next appointment. Maybe positive thinking will help =) 

How big is Baby?: 12 inches and over 1 pound. Still tiny!

Maternity clothes?: Still mixing and matching, but mostly all maternity pants. Thankfully he is still pretty high that I can get away with regular jeans on occasion. As long as they are unbuttoned when I sit down. 

Stretch marks?: Not yet!

Sleep?: When I am asleep, fantastic. It's the getting to sleep part that is hard.   

Movement?: Just starting to see him move from the outside. But apparently it's very light and almost looks like me breathing because J doesn't see a thing. 

Food cravings?: One day I eat normal, the next I want to chew my arm off...Or eat all the fudge in the break room. Then I have days like today where I am stuffed for hours after I eat lunch. Weird. Also weird, I am drinking a TON of water. Like today, when I drank 72oz at work (9-5). And now I am STILL thirsty.  Hmm.... Gestational Diabetes? Or just random water cravings? We shall see in about a month!

Gender: Boy! And he is still not named. For now, J's family is calling him Hyatt which will probably be his middle name. 

Milestone: 6 months! One more month down. It's weird to think that in a few short months instead of having a squirming baby in my belly, I'll be holding him in my arms. Also, we bought a crib for the lil man. Yay!

How's Mom?: For the most part doing great. I had a day where I just wanted to ball my eyes out because I miss my job at home, I miss my friends, and I miss just being home, but thankfully that only lasted a little while. I am excited for Christmas because baby Hyatt has some presents under the tree and I can't wait to see what he got =) 

Sisters

I have been noticing lately the amazing relationships that some of my friends/family members have with their sisters. My sister in law and her sister. My Mom and her sisters. My MoLaw and her sister. KTina and her sister. And I'll have to admit that I was a little jealous of the relationships they had. It's like having friends, but BETTER! 

And then one day, I was talking to a new friend of mine about the relationship that I have with two girls from High School, and it hit me. I love them like sisters. We may not have grown up from birth together, but I could not love them more if we were really truly related by blood. 

Tish and Cha-Cha have been there for every major moment of my life from the day I turned 16 (we met on my 16th birthday) on. And even though we don't live in the same state any more, I still know that they are only a phone call away. And every phone call, we pick up right where we left off. 

These two amazing women have been my sounding board when I've needed advice. Been my cheerleaders when I have exciting news. Cried with me on bad days. Drank wine with me and giggled like girls. Sipped our morning coffees and had long heart to heart discussions about life, love, and faith. With out them, I am certain that I would not be the person that I am today. 

Right now, the three of us are at very different places in our life. Cha-Cha is nearly graduated from college with a degree in accounting (and I couldn't be prouder of her!!!). Tish is married and a mom of a 1 year old beautiful baby girl, who is also going to school (as if being a mom isn't enough of a full time job). And I am a pregnant, working "mom" and military wife. Three different paths, three different lives, but I could not imagine life with out them. 

So Tish and Cha-Cha, I love you. You are truly a gift from God, and He has blessed me immensely with your friendship. And hopefully you guys feel the same way about me, cause uh...how embarrassing if you dont! =)

Love you both! Thank you for being my "sisters"

Love,

L

23 Weeks

Belly is getting bigger this week! My belly button has started to poke out a bit, which is WEIRD. J and I have been throwing around some names, but he still has no name. Good thing we have about 17 more weeks. Wow that seems like a long time. It will go by fast though!

How far along?: 23 Weeks! Almost 6 Months =)

Total weight gain: I don't own a scale...Hopefully I'l hovering around a total weight gain of 17lbs. 

How big is Baby?: Around 1.2 lbs and 8 inches long. About the size of a papaya. And the the length of a piece of paper (the short side). 

Maternity clothes?: Yep, all the time! A lot of my wardrobe consists of mix and matched clothes from pre-pregnancy and maternity. 

Stretch marks?: Not yet!

Sleep?: When I am asleep, fantastic. It's the getting to sleep part that is hard.   

Movement?: Lots and everyday. And getting stronger, a couple of them actually hurt. But mostly it is all still so cool. And some kicks, you can see outside my belly. CRAZY!

Food cravings?: Nothing specific. Somedays I eat normally, and then somedays I eat and eat and eat....Hope I have more normal days than eat everything in sight days. 

Gender: Boy!

Milestone: Hmmm... Well, It's almost Christmas and J's parents will be here tomorrow. I am so excited about both of those things!

How's Mom?: Good this week. A little emotional and feeling a little crazy, but mostly great. I am truly enjoying being pregnant and I think that it will be hard once the baby is out. I think that the pregnancy part is truly the easy part of being a parent. But at the same time, I can't wait to actually hold our baby. =)

Disneyland Jesus

Disneyland Jesus is a term that I have only heard used by my one of my best friends, Cha-Cha. And this came up after one of many long conversations about life over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Give us either and we can talk for hours =)

Disneyland Jesus is exactly where I am right now in my life.

Let me break it down for you. Having Disneyland Jesus is like rubbing on a magic lamp and asking for your wishes to come true. They have no bearing on what trials you should be going thru, they don't know what path your are on and what curves are coming ahead. It's all about wanting instant gratification for the things you want in life or the things your think you need. Having this sort of relationship with Jesus is like only having all of the good things in life with out having any of the bad. It's like wanting all the great things about having a relationship with Him with out doing any of the dirty work.

And that might sound really nice. But it's not life. And it sure isn't how life works.

And so when I am at a point in my life where I feel like I should be telling God exactly what He should be doing and the opportunities He should be giving me, I am reminded that He isn't Disneyland Jesus, and life isn't all ice cream and puppies.

How can we appreciate all of the good things in life if we have nothing to compare them to. And why should we be giddy and grateful when we finally see why things have worked out a certain way and how they have turned out better than you could have even imagined.

So for now, I am going to remember that life isn't always unicorns and rainbows. And one day, I will look back on this time of my life and some of the struggles that we are going thru and rejoice in the way things have turned out.

Love,
L

22 Weeks

So after my last ultrasound, the tech changed my "weekly date" to Friday. So, tomorrow I will officially be 22 Weeks. Not that this changes my due date at all, but it changes the date I do my updates. 

How far along?: 22 Weeks!

Total weight gain: Up only 3 lbs! I am right around 139 now. And fingers crossed, I'll stay in the 150's when I have the baby.  

How big is Baby?: Still right around 1 lb. Baby is about the size of a spagetti squash. Yum!

Maternity clothes?: Love maternity clothes! Ahhhhh so comfy!

Stretch marks?: Not yet!

Sleep?: When I sleep it's GREAT. I am having problems going to sleep though. Instead of being tired and going to sleep at 10, its more like 12 now...Weird.  

Movement?: Lots! And getting stronger!

Food cravings?: Thankfully my appetite is mostly back to normal. Though I wish all the See's Candy at work would go away!

Milestone: We are officially having a boy! I am so in love with my lil man already! J and I have decided to postpone naming our baby till we are in the hospital. Or at least telling people what his name will be. Too much drama and I think that it will make it less stressful for me/us if we tell people after he is born. But, his middle name will Be Hyatt. That much we do know!

How's Mom?: Still getting over this cold. It's hanging on! So glad I got to talk to my doctor about the medications/vitamins that I was taking. All were fine to take and baby and I are both great. I LOVE my doctor. He makes me feel at ease about everything. Love it!

Baby Stuff!!!

There is something about being pregnant that makes me want to be crafty. I have no idea what it is or why it is happening, but it's pretty strange! Currently, I have the overwhelming urge to make some burp cloths. Why? No clue! I don't even own a sewing machine! And it's too late to ask Santa for one for Christmas. Maybe I will get one as a "New Year" present to myself. Also, along the burp cloth idea, I also want to make a blanket. Again, why? No clue. Another note, I have no idea how to sew. Awesome. These projects are going to go fabulously!

Right now, J and I are pretty sparse on the things that we have to Lil Stratton. We've picked out a crib (will be picked up next weekend) and I have picked out the cloth diapers that I would like to buy. Yep, we are going to do cloth diapering. No, I am not a hippie and yes I think we are a little crazy. But we will save a ton of money diapering our baby this way and he will have a very adorable bottom. What we do own right now is a car seat, a moby, and 1 onesie. Yep. If my baby were to come now he would be very naked. But at least we could get him home from the hospital and in his own bed! I am hoping to get a lot of our essentials at the baby shower(s). I don't want to buy a ton of stuff now, only to have the baby shower and end up with a ton of stuff we don't have room to store or will use. So for us, minimalism is the way to go right now. 

I am SO excited about our crib. I searched and searched and finally found one that I am in love with that fits in our budget and most importantly is super duper safe. YAY Ikea!

                                                       

Also, super excited for our diapers. They are adorable and long lasting, and affordable. How amazing is that? I am all about a great deal!

                              

I can't wait till I get to order some of these bad boys! Probably after the first of the year, when things have calmed down a little bit. But hey, at least I know what I want!

I've been adding things to my registry at Target slowly but surely. Any time I think of something, on it goes! The only downside? Probably a lot of the items I want are "online only." Crap! Oh well, we'll make it work!

Night night all!

Love, 

L

Sorry about the CRAZY formatting....Gotta love blogger somethings!

Sigh...

FYI, I am whiny and pregnant. Not a great combo!

I love that my husband now has a steady job with a company he loves (go Navy!), a paycheck that we can count on every month, and great benefits to go along with everything. But I do not love that I traded my well paying, good hours, steady income job for my new job. I know that I cannot have everything. But I would really love a job that pays the bills and then some. We are going to have to start day care here soon and I am pretty sure those people want to get paid. I know that I am most likely not going to find a new job at 5 months pregnant. But a girl can wish, cant she?
And since I am wishing, here is what I would like:
better pay, normal working hours (like 9-5), close to home, close to day care, in a fast paced or at least busy environment, working with people who are nice, and somewhere where I fit in.
It's not too much to ask is it?
Maybe someday!
L

The easy part of the military...

So far it has been easy to fall in to the false sense of security that the military brings. My husband work 7-4 Monday thru Friday. Some weeks he has duty. No big deal. I forget that part of being in the military is deployments.
One the the guys that J works with got assigned to a carrier today. And found out that he will be deploying for 14 months. And while he is excited stoked happy as a clam to be deployed for that long (he's single).  And it has me thinking. What if J deployed for that long? Our baby would be almost 2 by the time he came back. He would have only had a few months to be a hands on daddy. This part of the military isn't "fair." But it's what we signed up for.
I need to remember the reality of the job that J has taken. Why I am so proud of him. And how amazing this is for our family as a whole. Yes there are things that stink. But I need to remember all of the amazing things that the military has brought us. And if he does deploy, yay for extra money! And if he deployed for that long HELLO! I get to move home!
Right now I am going to enjoy the easy parts of the military and prepare myself for the downside.
I love that my husband is in the Navy. And I know this is and always has been a part of God's plan for us. And I know He will never steer us wrong.
He makes good on all His promises!
Love,
L

21 Weeks

How far along?: 21 Weeks, 2 days. Trucking along here!

Total weight gain: I am going to cross my fingers and pray that I am still at 16 pounds gained. But, knowing me and the scale....Probably around 20. Ugh. 

How big is Baby?: Officially 1 pound!!!! And 8 inches long. 

Maternity clothes?: Yep. I am now into maternity jeans. But I am still in that awkward phase where I'm too big for regular stuff, and too small for a lot of my preggo pants. Thank you Tish for your 7 For All Mankind jeans. They rock. And they fit. I kinda want to live in them!

Stretch marks?: Not yet!

Sleep?: I've been sick this week, so not good. Mostly because I am being woken up by my loud snores, and dry mouth. I am a mouth breather these days. So not cute. 

Movement?: Lots! I think he/she likes the car. I always feel kicks in the car to and from work. 

Food cravings?: I think my appetite is going back to normal. I am not wanting to stuff my face all the time. Hoping that stays!

Milestone: Find out the sex of our babe tomorrow! And I can't wait! 

How's Mom?: Good this week. Feeling a little less like a hippo. Even though I have to roll off the couch. Also, I am back to walking and that makes me feel good. Mind and body!

20 Weeks

Well, it looks like I skipped a week here, but that's okay. There is not a ton going on! I am officially half way thru cooking my little one and personally that has freaked me out a little bit. I mean, we are going to be parents. SOON. And I am sure that the day will come where I am uncomfortable enought to really want my babes to come out of my belly, but for now, I am SUPER glad he/she is still in there.

How far along?: 20 Weeks, 4 days.

Total weight gain: Approximetly 16 lbs. Half way to my "pregnancy goal weight."  It's official. I am having a love affair with my food. And it needs to end. Or I am going to just have to face facts that I am going to gain 50lbs. Either way I'm gonna have to be okay with it.
How big is Baby?: 7 inches, 11 ounces. About the size of a banana.

Maternity clothes?: I can still fit into one or two pairs of my slightly larger pre-pregnancy jeans. But I can't sit down for long periods of time so I am using my belly band. And my pregnancy jeans are still too big, so I am using my belly band there too. I am trying to use pregnancy tops also because they fit better and are more flattering. In the last few weeks my belly has been growing SO much!

Stretch marks?: Not yet!

Sleep?: Mostly great! I feel like I am wanting to sleep a little less at night though. Instead of needing to sleep 9 hours a night, I am doing better on 8 or maybe a little less. Starting to get leg cramps though. Those are NO JOKE! I've only had about 2 so far, but every night before I go to bed it feels like I have a leg cramp coming on and want to stretch my calfs and rub my feet.

Movement?: YEP! I feel rolling around and kicks about every night. And I am pretty sure I have been feeling them since about 15 weeks or so. Every time I thought it was digestion? Most likely baby. Those were the coolest! Every now again I feel him/her roll around or something and I get a little sea sick. I've started talking to my belly and telling it to knock it off! =)
Food cravings?: Everything still tastes amazing. Great! Or not so great depending on how you look at it!
What I'm looking forward to: Only a few more days till we find out what we are having! And I am always looking forward to feeling more movement.
Milestone: Officially feeling movement and recognizing it.
How's Mom?: Feeling a little like a hippo and not really enjoying that I am just going to get bigger. I think that feeling is coming from growing out of my regular jeans and not quite fitting into my pregnancy jeans. I am thankful that there is room to grow into my jeans because I am pretty sure that my butt is spreading. And so are my legs. My growing belly does not bother me at all. I think it's pretty cute! Everything else that is growing however can just stop, thanks! The rest of my feeling? See previous post!

Lot's more to love here!
L

Pregnancy blues...

While I adore being pregnant, lately I find myself missing some things from before I was pregnant. At this very moment I am missing my old body, my old appetite, and wine (not that I even drank that much!). After I am done missing all those things, I am also freaking out about becoming a parent. You think that we would have thought about that BEFORE we got pregnant. Holy crap we are going to screw this child up. We have no idea what we are doing. And OMG we are going to have a very small being that is looking to us to provide for his/her every need. That is a huge responsibility! Every one says, we'll figure it out but of course I am hormonal and pregnant and freaking out. Ahhh gotta love those pregnancy hormones!!!!

That's all I've got right now!!!
L

We've been blessed

I follow many different milspouse (or gf) blogs, and one common factor thru all of these blogs is the struggles they face being a military couple. It may be deployments, temporary separation, odd schedules, low pay, hard work, crazy neighbors, or many other things. And I feel bad saying it, but so far we have been blessed. No deployments on the imediage horizen, our neighbors are nice (or just keep to themselves), J works a normal schedule, and life is pretty much as we expected.
I know that one day (probably sooner rather than later) we will "enjoy" the craziness of military life. And I hope when that day comes, I will embrace the change. I hope that I can look at the bright side of whatever trial we are going thru. So far, navy life is, for the most part amazing. I hope that in the midst of deployment I can feel the same way.
I have learned of so many strong and amazing military wives from blogging. They have been strong thru depoyments, rolled with the punches, and enjoyed their husbands more that most wives because of their crazy schedules. I am awed and inspired by they strength of a milspouse. When I go thru my first deployment, I hope I have half the strength I've seen in you ladies.
Thank you for being an inspiration!
L

Thankful

So many many things to be thankful for this year. And I know that I am a few days early for Thanksgiving, but since we will be traveling, I will post a little early this year.

I am so very thankful for my husband. He is the head of our household and I look up to him in so many ways. He is sweet and kind and doesn't put up with my crap. He is my rock and he has held my hand thru so many things. I could not imagine being married to anyone else. I am thankful for my mom who loves me even when I am not very lovable. She gives me advice and tells me when I am being spoiled. She takes care of me, even though I am married and living on my own. I am thankful for my in-laws. They have taken me in when J was away. They have taught me what a godly marriage looks like. They have loved me like their own and taught me so many things about my husband. I am thankful for J's auntie who has shown me how to be a working mom and how to be involved in my kids lives and till take time for myself. She has also inspired my love for jeans, purses, and shoes.  I am thankful for my sister in law who is a super woman. She is the mom that I strive to be. She is constantly busy and happy and playing with her kiddos. And she may not realize how awesome she is, but I look up to her so much. I am thankful for my family who always let's me know that they love me and never holds it against me that I stink at keeping in touch. I am thankful for the Navy who provided a way of life that my husband and I love. And while I know that it will not always be this easy, I am thankful that for right now it is. I am thankful for a little baby rolling around in my tummy. While I feel completely unprepared to take care of a child, I know that I will love him or her with all of my heart, and that has to count for something. Finally, I am thankful for a God who loves my unconditionally. A God who knows what is going on and knows the desires of my heart. I strive to be a woman of God and fall short daily, but to him, what matters is that I try.

Hopefully you have lots to be thankful for too. Enjoy your Turkey Day!
Love,
L

Babies Babies Babies

Is it just me or is there so much baby stuff out there? There are so many choices! Not only with things that you can buy for baby, but also the choices you make for baby. For me, being a first time mom with practically no experience with babies it's all kind of overwhelming. Breastfeed or bottle feed. Disposable or cloth diapers. Circumcise or not. Epidural or no epidural? Which is the right car seat, the right crib, the right onesie! Holy moly there are OPTIONS galore.

Personally, I find all of the options a little stressful. On top of all of the options, living in a small town makes it hard to even find some of the products that you are looking for. *MP I'll bet you understand that!* We hardly leave the island to drive to the "big city." So our options are Wal-Mart (which has a teeny tiny baby section) and the Nex.  While the Nex offers a lot different products, we can't register for anything there  because none of our family and all  but like 3 friends can't shop there. Thank you Jesus for the Internet. So while the selection is limited at home, the selection online to immense! There are like 5 bajillion car seats. How on earth are you supposed to pick just one? And which one is safest? Adjusts easiest? And of course looks cute too. Oh and isn't going to cost more than your entire "buying for baby" budget.

So what do I do? Uh, not buy anything. And register for things online because I can. And I can register for lots of things and just delete them because I've changed my mind. Online, you can only choose things  off of reviews. You can't touch, feel, and coo over baby items thru a computer screen.

Thank goodness that baby will be cooking for approximately 5 more months. Lots of time to decide which cloth diaper I want to purchase! (BumGenius or LuvYourBaby)

Love,
L

18 Weeks

How far along?: 18 Weeks 1 day!

Total weight gain: Uhhh....12 freaking pounds. Holy crap. Apparently I really have been stuffing my face with everything that sounded yummy! I know that I am supposed to gain weight, but from now on, I am going to try to combate my need to eat everything with eating some healthy alternatives and walking three times a week. I really do not want to gain 50 lbs!

How big is Baby?: Baby is the size of a soda can and weighs between 5-7oz. 

Maternity clothes?: Lovin' those maternity work pants! I have also been wearing some maternity tops. I still fit into a lot of my regular tops so I'm mixing and matching a lot. Still haven't gotten into pregnancy jeans. 

Stretch marks?:  Not yet!

Sleep?: Amazing. Sleep like a log! Starting to get more vivid dreams though. Has anyone seen that YouTube video of World's Biggest Zit? Well my husband made me watch it, and then I dreamed I had that zit on my face. I woke up in a PANIC! Gotta love the combo of pregnancy acne (awesome BTW) and YouTube videos. 

Movement?:  Maybe....I'm not sure. 

Food cravings?: Anything and everything. See above Weight gain. 

What I'm looking forward to: Dec 3 when we find out what we are having! Nov 18 for my birthday and my mom coming to visit! And Thanksgiving where J and I get to go home! Lots of exciting things these next few weeks. 

Milestone: Umm..... Started parenting classes! J and I liked it. We will be going every Saturday and we get "money" to go that we can use in the store on site and buy baby items!

How's Mom?: Good. Emotional. Had several mini freak outs today. 1st was the weight gain. I am not enjoying seeing those numbers on the scale. Then one of my dogs naughty on our walk today that for some reason made me in a bad mood. The pay periods at my new job SUCK and so when we get paid on the 15th, it will only be for 5 days. And that is going to make for a skimpy month. I am thanking God that we have a savings to dip into because we are going to need it this month. On the bright side, when I get paid on the 30th it will be for 3 weeks. That will be nice and we can put back the money we took from savings. Personal finance is much easier when you have lots of money to spread around!

Pregnancy Survey 17 Weeks!

November is going to be such a busy month!!! 

Besides having all of my families birthday's this month (holy shopping!), this year we have two really exciting weekends coming up. 1st is on my birthday (Nov. 18th!). My mom is coming to visit! And we are going to do a little shopping in Seattle and just plain have an amazing weekend. I can't wait. And then for Thanksgiving, J and I are going home! Lot's of home cooked amazing food and friends, and family. And I am hoping to have most of my Christmas gifts picked out by then so I can just bring them down and not ship everything. Fingers crossed!!!

Here goes the Survey:

How far along?: 17 Weeks 1 day!

Total weight gain: I don't really want to think about it! I will get the official word on the 10th when I go in for my next appointment. I am hoping for around 5 pounds total gained. We'll see...

How big is Baby?: The size of an sweet potato. 

Maternity clothes?: I am lovin' the maternity work pants! They are amazing! I am wearing a few maternity tops but still mostly regular tops. Especially for work I am still in regular tops but they are showing off the belly! Still haven't switched over to maternity jeans yet. 

Stretch marks?: No thank goodness! I thought I had some starting and FREAKED, but apparently I had just scratched my tummy or something because they were gone the next morning. 

Sleep?: Starting to dream more (which is weird!) and they aren't so nice. I have having more scary dreams. =(

Movement?: Not yet. But I am feeling myself digest which feels exactly like how the first movements are described. But since it's only after large meals I am 99% sure that it's digestion. 

Food cravings?: Still just food. I still love pickles, and peanut butter pickle sandwiches. And comfort food. And candy. Why can't I crave healthy food?

What I'm looking forward to: My next appointment! I am wondering if he will do another ultrasound...Probably not, but maybe!

Milestone: Bought my 1st baby purchase! a Moby (in orange!). Totally stoked about that! And I've signed up childbirth classes and parenting classes. Parenting classes start Saturday!

How's Mom?: Good this week. Work is going better. I'm not feeling any more ready to have this baby but I am coming to terms with what my timeline is can be totally different from another pregger lady's. And what I mean by this is that I am feeling okay that we have hardly any baby items or clothes, our baby is not pre-named, and while we may have a baby room it is in no way, shape, or form ready to house a baby. And this works for me! And for all you pre-prepared preggo's out there, more power to ya!

Swoon...

My husband knows the way to my heart.

I worked a normal day today, 9-5, and when I walked in the door I could smell food cooking. And as I made my way into the house, I could see amazing lines in our carpet from where it had been recently vacuumed. I love carpet lines. And a quick peek into the laundry room showed that the clothes I put into the wash are not only clean, dried, but are folded. And as I give the cook a hello kiss, he goes on to inform me that he has also cleaned our bathroom.

I was swooning just from the fact that food was cooking when I walked into the door. And then on top of that, the entire house that I/we had neglected to clean this weekend is completely done. I have officially married Superman. I love my husband for taking the stress off my shoulders. And now we can relax and enjoy our week without having to catch up on housework.

He is amazing. And I am going to reflect on this moment next time he annoys me. =)

Love,
LiLu

Pregnancy Survey

Enjoying a lazy weekend here with the hubs! Nothing terribly new here. Just trucking along...

How far along?: 15 weeks and 4 days

Total weight gain: At last apt, 3lbs. But I am certain that I have gained more weight than that. I am thinking probably at least around 5 lbs. Hopefully not more! I need to keep walking!

How big is Baby?: The size of an avocado. 4-5 inched long and 3-5oz.

Maternity clothes?: Yep! Maternity work pants. And they are fabulous! They are stretchy and amazing. I still fit into my jeans and regular tops, but I can also fit into maternity wear.

Stretch marks?: None yet!

Sleep?: Weird dreams...but good sleep still.

Movement?: Not yet. Hopefully next week or the week after.

Food cravings?: Um everything. Pickles, chinese food, anything that resembles comfort food, oreos, and apples. Why can't I crave healthy things?

What I'm looking forward to: Movement!

Milestone: Hmm...I guess moving into maternity wear would be a milestone.

How's Mom?: I am seriously getting annoyed with people who are counting down the days until their baby comes out. Maybe annoyed is not the right word....I'm not sure what the right word is. But I for one am seriously happy that baby will be staying in my belly for another 6 months. I am so not ready for sleepless nights and labor. Maybe one day I will be counting down too, but for right now I am more than happy to have a baby in my belly and keep it that way.

Can't have it both ways.

Hello, my name is Debbie Downer, and this is what I have to say about this week:

Being home all day long by myself is hard. Going back to work is probably just as hard. I can't not work, I can't change that work is different from what I'm used to. It's a catch 22, and I just need to buck up and put a smile on my face.
I miss home, I miss my family, I miss my job, and I miss my friends. I don't know if this is just pregnancy hormones or what, but crying over things I can't change isn't going to help. I can't work for my old company. The commute would just be too far. But I still miss it. I miss the culture, the attitudes of the people, having more responsibility, using a system that is easy to navigate and not freaking numbers for everything. Ugh. I know that the longer I work there, the more it will make sense, but I feel like I just want something that is the same as it was back home. Is a little normalcy too much to ask?

I am so thankful for a husband who takes care of me. I think that I would be in the car and driving home if he wasn't here. After a rough day at work, he hugged me, made me dinner, cleaned up after, and told me it would all be okay. I can't compare this to my last job. Even though it's in the same industry, I am not doing the same job. I need to think of it as a whole new opportunity. I am sure that I have been placed here for some reason, now I just need to have patience and an open mind to find out why.

I hope this gets better.
L

Easily Lost

Easily lost... This term could be tattooed on my forehead. Ask my husband or anyone who really knows me: I am horrible with directions. Not only do I occasionally ignore the directions in my hard, I will go off of the direction I think I should be going in. Or I will try to remember how we got there last time. And it usually does not work in my favor. Today was no exception. It was my first day of work, and I had to drive a few towns over to go to my orientation. I pinky promised J that I had the mapquested directions pre-programed into my phone and I was good to go. Low and behold I get lost. Thank goodness I gave myself LOTS of time to make this drive because I could have easily been late. And I ended up finding the building, only after I re-mapquested it about three times. Happy ending to a story that will repeat it's self over and over again. 

As I drove home from my adventures in orientation I thought about how easily lost I can get not only with driving but in life as well. I know all the right steps, the things I should be doing but how often am I taking action? I know my faith life is lacking, but what am I doing about it? I know I should be getting out and walking every day, but am I? I know how to manage my time and make sure that my house is running well, but am I taking the time to do those things? Much like I needed to continue to mapquest my directions, I have to continually remind myself of the life I want to live. There are things that are important to me and they need to be at the top of my To Do list, not the bottom. 

God first, Husband second, Family third, Friends fourth. Everything else will just have to wait it's turn. 

A girl's gotta have priorities and a good To Do list!

Love,

L

No more HouseWife-ing

I am pretty excited, I accepted a job at a local bank here. And I have to say that I am so glad to no longer be a house wife. And not because I think that being a house wife (or Domestic Engineer as Wife on the Roller Coaster calls it)  is bad, I just think that I am bad at it. I am horribly lazy. When I have all the time in the world to clean the house, walk the dogs, and make dinner I end up sitting around watching TV, reading books, and just generally being a lazy bum. I am not a good housewife. I am a much better housewife when I have less time. The less time I have, the more productive I am with my down time. And I love when J and I share the cooking and cleaning.

The job that I took is only part time so I should be able to still do a lot of the cooking, cleaning, and walking the dogs. Or more like half of the cooking and cleaning. Just busy enough to keep me out of trouble.

I am so glad to be working again! There were a lot of prayers from my family and friends that I would find the right job and that I would wait for God's plan in my life. And it looks like our prayers were answered! God is good!

Love,
L

Pregnancy Survey 14 Weeks

This whole pregnancy things just keeps chugging along! I am trying to enjoy every minute and not rush it. And to be honest, at this point the lil monster in my belly can wait a good long time before he (or she) makes an appearance. I am not ready for you baby-no-name! =) 

This will be short and sweet. 

How far along?:  14 weeks

Total weight gain: 3lbs. Gonna keep on walking so I can eat all the wings I want!

How big is Baby?: The size of a navel orange.

Maternity clothes?: Not yet. Pants are getting tighter though

Stretch marks?: Not yet! While I am sure that I will get them, none have showed up yet. 

Sleep?: I've had a few bad dreams, so restless nights, but for the most part I am still sleeping like a rock. I am waking up a happier person though. That is weird!

Best moment this week? Having dinner with my husband every night this week. I am really enjoying the time we spend together. He didn't work on Monday, so we spent the whole day together. We even went on a very long walk that was super nice. 

Movement?: Not yet. Hopefully in a few weeks?

Food cravings?: Apples everyday. Pickles are yummy. Food in general sounds good. And spicy food is amazing. I will think of something and then HAVE to have it. 

What I miss: Wine. And Lambic. I think I need to pick up another bottle of sparkling cider to hold me over =)

What I'm looking forward to: Feeling my wiggle worm move.

Milestone: Officially in the 2nd trimester!

How's Mom?: Eh.... I don't feel pregnant. And since I am less tired I need to be using my time more wisely. But on the bright side, I am much less nervous about having a baby now than I was when we first found out. 

Accomplishments

I can understand a little bit why people say the 2nd trimester is the best. I hardly feel pregnant. I am not as tired as I have been and because I haven't been as tired I finally got caught up on all the things that needed to get done around here. I swear my washing machine was running for 8 hours straight. And everything has been folded and put away. My floors are vacuumed and mopped. My house is clean and I managed to make dinner yesterday! Ahhhh....The accomplishments of a housewife. My life is a little boring. But I am happy to be here.

I had a little breakdown the other day with the hubs. I am having a hard time adjusting to life here. Not that I don't like it here, but I just am feeling useless. And on my walk with J we got to talking about my job search and how it's going and how I am liking being here and I started crying. Missing home, missing my family and friends, missing being a productive member of society =) weighs on me. And my hubs, being the sweet idiot that he is offered to let me move back home. I would have a job, I would have family and friends, but I would be missing something pretty important. Him. And I would rather be sad here than lonely without him. Home is where my heart is and my heart is with my husband. I am a Navy wife. A this is is part of my life as a Navy wife.

God has a plan. I know he does. I'm just not sure what it is yet.

Love,
Lindsey

Pregnancy Survey 13 Weeks

Wow... No post's all week. I am a loser! And it's not for lack of time unfortunately. It's honestly because I have nothing new to talk about. I could talk about looking for a job, missing my friends and family, actually liking being up here in WA (minus the friends and family part) but none of it is really new. Only thing new is baby is still growing. I had a new apt on Friday and really liked the doctor. I think that I will try to request him again. I know that he may not (or will probably not) deliver the lil monster I'm growing, but it might be nice to see a familiar and nice face every week. He was super patient with me, answered all of my questions, and actually laughed a little. I like people with a sense of humor and he has one. All good in my book!

Nothing terribly new with the babes. Doctor said I was doing perfectly and so was baby. I'm not worried if he's not worried. Baby slept thru the apt. When we were looking at him, it looked like he was cuddled up on the placenta like a pillow. It was pretty cute.

That's all that's new here! On to the survey:

Survey Time:

How far along?: A little farther than I originally thought. About 13 weeks and 5 days.

 How big is baby?: The size of a lemon. 3 inches and 1.5oz

Weight gain?: 3lbs. I am a little worried about gaining too much weight during my pregnancy and so I am happy with 3 right now. Not that this is really affecting my eating. I still eat what I want, I am just trying to make walking a priority. 

Stretch marks?: None yet

Maternity clothes?: Still regular clothes. I use a belly band with my smaller sized pants. But the low cut jeans are still fitting like a dream!

Sleep?: Perfect. I sleep like a rock. Minus the nightly pee. 

Best moment this week?: Seeing baby again. I wish J could have been there. We didn't know that he would see the baby at any appointments before my 20 weeks one and so I told him he didn't need to be there. Well, I was wrong. I think. 

Food cravings?: Wing. Only boneless though. My aversion to meet on the bone has gotten worse. And apples. Bakes apples, apple juice, dried apples, apples and peanut butter. Oh and I finally had a pickle. AMAZING. Who knew pickles tasted better while pregnant. 

Gender?: Still thinking boy, but I'm happy as a clam either way. 

Movement?: Not yet. 3 weeks probably?

Belly button?: I could see my belly button ring thru my shirt so I know my belly is sticking out a little more. But the belly button it's self is still normal. 

What I miss?: Being able to eat whatever I want and not worrying about things like lunch mean, nitrates and fish.

Labor signs?: No. Praying they stay away for a long time! 

What I'm looking forward to?: The baby moving. And 2nd trimester!

Milestone?: 2nd trimester is only a few short days away!

Pregnancy Survey 12 Weeks

I am a little over 12 weeks now and still feeling great! Not much new this week. I see my doctor at the end of the week and so fingers crossed that everything is just truckin' along!

Survey Time:

How far along?: 12 weeks

 How big is baby?: 3 inches long! About the size of a peach. 

Weight gain?: As of Wednesday, 2lbs. Hopefully no more than 3 lbs.

Stretch marks?: None yet!

Maternity clothes?: Belly band. Though I would prefer sweats! 

Sleep?: Like a rock!

Best moment this week?: Visiting with my friends from Portland, and In-Law's came to visit! This was also the hardest. I cried when they left!

Food cravings?: Wings. Boneless only. And HOT.

Gender?: Guamanian test says boy =) We won't find out for 8 more weeks.

Movement?: Not yet. Hopefully 4 more weeks.

Belly button?: Still perfectly in!

What I miss?: Drinking wine. 

Labor signs?: Please not for a long long time!

What I'm looking forward to?: Showing. I just look a little chubby.

Milestone?: Last week of the 1st trimester!

eh....

Apparently finding a job on my lovely little island is TOUGH! I feel like I keep looking and looking and I qualify for nothing! I wish that I could go back to my bank. I wish that they would move just a little further North so I could work there again. You hear that Uncle Ray? Take over a few more banks in WA please! Nearly every job I look at is wanting experience that I just don't have. So my options may be limited to barista and banker....Which I love both. Come on Starbucks! Start hiring here! =)

So for now I will just keep swimming...just keep swimming...

I know that God will provide. He is good!!!

Love,
L

Week 11

Life has been a little crazy over the last day or so, and I don't really want to get into it but I am glad that J and I are going to be making a few changes in our life. With a baby on the way we know that life is going to be completely different. And we might at well start making small changes now and part of that includes weeding out people who are not conductive to our family lifestyle. And with that, I am going to do a weekly pregnancy survey. I am excited to note all the changes that are going on. So here we go!

Survey Time:

How far along?: 11 weeks. How big is baby?: 2.5 inches long, .5oz. About the size of a large plum. 

Weight gain?: At my appointment 2 lbs. gained. Now, probably at least a pound or so more. Darn cake!Stretch marks?: None! Hopefully it will stay that way!Maternity clothes?: Not yet. But I do have to wear my belly band with 1 pair of pants. Sleep?: I sleep like a rock. Getting up once a night to pee. And nap time is 3:30pm. =)

Best moment this week?: Napping with my puppies. I think I sleep better with them on the couch. Food cravings?: I see things and then I HAVE to have them. Nothing constant though.  

Gender?: Don't know yet, but I am thinking boy. Movement?: Not yet. I can't wait though!Belly button?: Still there and looking normal!What I miss?: Drinking. I would love a glass of Lambic! I am pretty sure that's on the no-no list though. 

Labor signs?: Not yet and hopefully not for a long while! What I'm looking forward to?: Actually showing. I can see my baby bump but it could easily be mistaken for chubby. Milestone?: Next week will be be the end of the 1st trimester. 

Cable TV.

I am beginning to HATE T.V. 

From March to early September I did not pay for cable (or more accurately Dish). When I moved up here in September we did not have cable. We used Hulu.com and T.V channels like USANetwork.com and CBS.com. I loved this. We hardly watched TV because it's not like you can just sit on the couch and watch whatever is on. There are much less options. And I think that was a good thing! The only downside to not having regular TV was not being able to watch football. And that is pretty important in our house. On to the reason of why we even have cable TV anymore.

We have Dish TV. We are in a contract with Dish. We had been on "Dish Pause" while J was in basic and A school. Dish Pause is only 6 months long. September was month 6. We still have about another 6 months until our contract is up. *sigh* So I call up Dish and reinstate our service. And it's $100 buckeroos to just get a new dish installed. *double sigh* There are about 100 other things that I would love to spend $100 on. And then I get my bill today. $189 bucks. SERIOUSLY? I feel like we are being screwed! For TV that we can get for free! Granted the $89 is for a month and a half in service and $10 in taxed (that's a whole bunch of crap-ola to me!) but our regularly monthly charges will be about $60 a month! $60 DOLLARS! For TV we were previously getting for free! 


I love my husband. I really do. And I know he loves having cable. But I am pretty sure that we will be having a serious discussion about our TV watching habits come March. Because we will have a brand spankin new baby come April (uh...Mini panic attack! I am SOOOO not ready for baby!) and I am pretty sure that I can buy baby some lovely cloth diapers with those $60 we are wasting. PLUS, we spend entirely too much time watching TV anyway. 


How do you do it? Do you pay for cable? Is your bill much cheaper than ours? Do you watch online? Anyone know how to get live football online?
I am all about saving money and spending our (okay his) hard earned money on things that are important to US and TV is not all that important to me. 


Love,
L