G.I. Joe's Wife

Highs and Lows

2012-01-30T17:04:00.000-10:00

For the most part, Joe and I had a good weekend. We didn't do much, but sometimes I think that's the best. Saturday afternoon we went to see a movie {Underworld. Warning if you go see it: lots and lots of gore. More than usual for those movies.} and then I somehow talked him into going to Ross with me. Hehehe. =) He said that since we were on a date he had to, but we all know he could have easily said no. =) Anyway. My goal was to get some cheap frames for Charlotte's room, but you just can't help but look while you're there!!

Backing up a bit, I got these cute prints in the mail last week... Which is why I needed frames. =)

I was shocked at how quickly they got here! {I ordered them from an Etsy seller in Indonesia. I guess being in the Pacific helps.} And I fell in love with them... More than when I just saw them on Etsy!

We got really lucky at Ross and ended up with 4 frames and a figurine for her room - all for $40! I was {and still am} really excited to get all of it... So much so that I came home and put the prints in the frames. =P

Don't you just love them?! Minus the stickers that sill need to be taken off, of course. I can't wait ~~for Joe~~ to hang them up!!! ;-)

Apparently I was feeling rather nest-y today... I was busy all morning with house cleaning. Then this afternoon I felt the sudden need to rearrange some things in the almost-nursery. {Almost because there are still things that need to be moved from that room. Soon!}

First, I made a little book holder/organizer out of a cereal box to hold some kids' books I found in the closet this weekend.

Cut the cereal box, pick out some scrapbook paper, get out the modge podge and voila! Something to hold your books/magazines. =) And yeah, I totally got the idea from Pinterest...

While I was in there working on her room, I decided it'd be a good time to dust. So I dusted the entire wardrobe before putting all the fun nicknacks on it. Nesting is serious business!!

This is the figurine we found at Ross!! It was $11 and they took a little bit off the price since it's a bit damaged. I love it and couldn't leave the store without it. Seriously, I had to talk Joe into letting me get it because it's damaged. I'm going to try to cover that little white spot with some acrylic paint... I'm hopeful. =)

This is the finished product of the wardrobe. Ok, mostly finished. I need/want to order another print to put in that large frame and it'll really be done. I'm so excited to be getting so much done in her room. I'm starting to get anxious about her arrival... I really want to have everything put together soon!

Amid all of the excitement surrounding this little one's arrival {plus our date}, we got a bit of sad news this weekend. My mom called while we were in church on Sunday to let me know that my aunt passed away.

My aunt and uncle {far right} at our wedding.

It's a hard, very sad thing... She was only 55 and while she'd been having health problems for a while, I feel confident saying no one saw this coming. She passed away with my uncle holding her hand and all her children {plus one grandchild} standing just outside the room. My uncle is {according to my mom} very numb right now, which I can imagine is a very normal reaction. I was pretty upset after I got word, but I am taking comfort in the fact that she's Home with Jesus and family that went before her and she's feeling no pain.

While I wish I could be there, I think it's probably a good thing for me that I can't be. I know it would be hard to see my - usually very happy and energetic - uncle so sad. My mom is going up on Wednesday, I believe, and I'm hoping that he'll feel up to talking on Skype. Anyway. Just please keep my family in your prayers this week. As upsetting as it is for me, I can't imagine how my uncle and cousins are feeling.

The Final Verdict

2012-01-26T22:29:00.000-10:00

This morning, after kind of a rough start, I headed to the lab to do the dreaded 3 hour glucose test. I was prepared for a long wait and I thought I was prepared for all the poking a blood drawing...but I really wasn't.

If you don't know, they draw your blood not 3, but 4 times for this lovely little test. The first one {prior to drinking the sugary orange drink} wasn't so bad. I mean, it hurt, but what else do you expect from someone sticking a needle in your arm, right?

20ish minutes later, I got to have a nice big cup full of that orange stuff. It was gross. Much harder to get down than the last time. And then the nausea hit. Oh, it was bad. It was very similar to morning sickness. It came in waves and just wouldn't stop. Then it was time for my 2nd blood draw of the day. This didn't go well. She tried one spot in my arm and it didn't work. Since I was already nauseous, this just sent me over the edge. Fortunately, they had ice packs and she handed me one and drew from my hand. After she was done, she had me lay down in the back. It was oh-so heavenly! I only got up because another preggo doing the 3 hour test wasn't feeling well and needed to lie down. But, that seemed to make all the difference because I was fine for the rest!

I did learn one thing while I was there today, though, and I will share it with you. The difference between a good phlebotomist and a bad phlebotomist:

The good...

and the bad.

Since I was there all day I had the pleasure of having 2 different people drawing my blood. The first lady I had sucked. You know, the one who had to draw from my hand. Yeah, she also blew 2 of my veins which no one has ever had a problem with before {bottom picture}. Oh, and it hurt when she did it. The second one? I hardly even felt it. {top picture} Not that there is anything I can do about who I had, but really? Ow.

Afterward, Joe picked me up and we went home to have lunch. At this point, I was practically ravenous. =P There's something about not eating for over 12 hours that really just makes you tired, too. I spent the rest of the afternoon plopped on the couch.

And then the phone rang, showing a Hawaii number... I didn't believe her the first time she said it...

"The test shows you have gestational diabetes."

Seriously, I had to have her repeat it which I kinda think sunk the knife in a bit deeper. She explained that she was putting in for me to see a "specialist" to teach me about diabetes and diet and that I won't be able to go back to the same OB office. I have to have all my OB appointments at Tripler from now on.

All of it just hit me really hard. It took all of 2 seconds after hanging up for the tears to start. And of course, the one time that I actually want/need to talk to Joe while he's at work, he was too busy to answer. I did get a call {and some texts} in to my bestie, which definitely helped. If nothing else, she distracted me which is necessary sometimes.

It's just so frustrating. First there's the "why me?" questions. Why me? Why can all these other women eat everything they want, hardly gain weight and still not get GD? And then there's the blame game. What did I do wrong? When did this start? How could I have avoided it? Then there's my current favorite: As if I didn't have enough to deal with already. My body sucks.

The last one is really the hardest for me to deal with. I mean, really, was having asthma and needing medication while pregnant just not enough?! I've been sick and on medication practically all my life. This is the one time in my life that I just wanted to be healthy and not need anything...and I can't even do that! Pregnancy is the one time in a child's life that you can really take care of your baby and {for the most part} not worry about what you're doing wrong. Yet here I am every day...my body failing her. Asthma - not enough oxygen. GD - too much sugar, not enough insulin. It just sucks. And of course I wonder how all of this is affecting her and will continue to affect her as she gets older.

I know that diabetes is manageable - my mom and MIL both have it. I know it can be lived with and controlled. I know these things. I just didn't want to have to live with something else, manage another disease. I also know that it'll likely go away as soon as she arrives, but my changes of having GD again are increased as are my chances of getting Type 2 when I'm older...and I already have that chance because of family history. Oh, and bonus for me, it increases my chances of getting glaucoma which {again} is already in my family history.

Then, just for fun, let's add on the fact that my aunt's diabetes made her kidneys fail and she's currently in the hospital with a life expectancy of a couple weeks at best. Now, I'm not saying that this is going to happen to me {at least not anytime soon}, but it definitely doesn't help things.

I'm just very disappointed and upset. I've had a couple good cries about it, but I expect a couple more in the days to come. I just need some time to get used to the idea. Also, I have no freakin' clue what I'm supposed to eat now and I'm almost afraid to eat anything because I just don't know....and I have no idea when I'll be able to meet with that "specialist."

So, please say some prayers for us. And if you have any GD diet tips/suggestions, please share them.

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Twenty Nine

2012-01-24T21:07:00.001-10:00

How far along: 29 weeks, 11 to go! Holy. Crap. Must have more Joe and Sarah time... I know these last weeks are going to fly by!

Weight gain/loss: About 30 pounds so far. I know everyone gains a different amount, but that number is getting too high for my liking!!

Body changes: Not too much change lately... I'm sure my belly has gotten bigger, but that's about it. I can't see my feet anymore!!!

Gender: It's a GIRL!

Movement: Alllll the time! Okay, I don't feel her every second of every day, but it's pretty darn close. She's most active in the morning and at night. Which translates to: she wakes me up sometimes and then keeps me awake at night. Silly girl. She's been down low again lately and using my bladder as a punching bag. Ugh.

Sleep: It's not so bad, especially once I get to sleep. I still get up once or twice at night, but I have officially learned how to fall asleep quickly after getting up!! I'm hoping this will help me in a few months. ;-)

What I'm looking forward to: Getting the prints I ordered for her room, finishing the quilt I'm working on, and having a baby shower!! =)

What I miss: I think I miss sleeping on my stomach more than anything. Despite the preggo pillow, I still wake up with my hips and lower back stiff. It'd be so much easier if I could just sleep the way I want to! I also miss being able to see my feet. I'm much more klutzy {which I didn't know was possible!} now that I can't see them.

Cravings: Still just the sweet stuff. I haven't had a super specific craving in a while.

Symptoms: Back pain, hip pain, feet pain {my arches have started hurting when I stand/walk for too long}... The midwife gave me Zantac for heartburn last week and I'm happy to report that it's working!!! No more heartburn for me! =D As far as I'm concerned, it's a miracle drug. Lol!

Best moment this week: Definitely our picnic at the beach. =) We got to talk a lot about us and Charlotte, what we're most looking forward to, etc. Joe keeps telling me he just wants to hold her and that he can't wait until she gets here. It's really, really sweet and melts my heart. {Side note: I've told him a lot recently that I would gladly let him grow her for a little while, if only to relieve my back pain! Haha! =)}

11 Facts and Questions

2012-01-23T16:02:00.001-10:00

I actually got tagged by two people to do this!! First was Allie and then Chantal tagged me. If I were really going to be fair, I'd answer both sets of questions. But I really don't feel like doing that. Instead, I'm just going to answer Chantal's questions... I mean, she was the last one to tag me! ;-) So, here goes nothin'.

The Rules

1. You must post the rules. (and link up who tagged you)
2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.
4. Tag however many people you want
5. Let them know you've tagged them!

The Facts

1. I loathe nasty anonymous commenters. If you're going to say something rude and unfounded, at least have the guts to put your name with it. *eye roll* Cowards. {I may or may not have had this happen this weekend. Which is why no one will be able to anonymously comment here ever again.}

2. I'm pretty crafty, but none of them ever turn out perfectly. I say this gives things character.

3. I love reading.

4. Unless I'm reading in bed, I read with the TV on. The volume is turned down, but I actually kind of enjoy the background noise. I realize this is weird and I'm ok with it. =P

5. I don't go to the beach nearly as often as I should for someone who lives in Hawaii.

6. I actually don't love living in Hawaii. The thousands of miles between me and family/friends, high prices, and lack of my favorite stores/restaurants are the main reasons for this.

7. I could probably eat my weight in chocolate.

8. Though my eyesight is definitely bad enough for it, and I'm a good candidate, I am not interested in getting Lasik. *shudder*

9. I think about getting a playmate for Jasper frequently. Then I remember the house training and the fact that I'm about to have a baby and forget about it.

10. I continually watch reruns of Grey's Anatomy {thanks, Lifetime!} even though I've seen every. single. episode.

11. I kind of, sort of, in a way, like Star Trek... <--- Totally the husband's fault.

The Questions

1. If you could go back to any period of your life (elementary school, college, that summer when you were 16, etc.), what would it be and why?

Oh, definitely college! Maybe like sophomore-senior year of college. Not all of the times had in college were great, but overall, I loved it. I'd definitely make some different decisions, but I loved being able to meet different people in all my classes and {nerd moment} I loved my history classes. Most importantly, I'd get to meet and date Joe all over again. Hehe. =)

2. Favorite childhood song or band?

Childhood? Hmmm. I grew up listening to country and Garth Brooks was my absolute favorite. Does that count?

3. Would you rather wear hats or headbands?

Headbands. Hats drive me crazy. Unless it's one of those big, floppy beach hats. =P

4. If you had to leave the US forever, where would you live?

Forever? Hmmm. Maybe England. I've always wanted to go there and they have such a rich, long history... Yeah, I could enjoy myself there. Plus, I already speak the language! Ha!

5. Favorite TV show right now?

Well, you already know Grey's is my favorite... Truthfully, I have a lot of favorite TV shows. But Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Private Practice and Once Upon a Time are my "can't miss" shows currently. =)

6. What item can you not leave the house without?

My phone. Definitely my phone. I'd be completely lost without it. Sad, but true.

7. Do you know how to shoot a gun?

Yep! I've been shooting guns since I was a kid.

8. Would you rather be famous and die young or be unknown and live until you're old?

I don't care anything about being famous. I'd rather live to be 100 and be a nobody. =)

9. Why do you blog?

The "why" has changed over the last 2 years {can't believe it's been that long!}, but mostly I blog for myself. It's a really, really good outlet for me, I love writing/journaling, and I love getting to know new friends this way. It's how I met most of the people I know in Hawaii. =)

10. What's for dinner?

Not 100% sure right now, but it's looking like we'll have hamburgers and rotel dip for dinner. Totally not healthy, but Joe requested it.

11. Dog or cat person?

DOG. Definitely a dog person. Cats' holier-than-thou attitudes irritate me. =P Although I will admit that they are cute! Oddly enough, I found out a couple weeks ago that I'm more allergic to dogs than cats, but I react more {think sneezing and wheezing} to cats. I really don't get it... And I'm definitely not getting rid of Jasper!

New Questions

1. What movie could you watch over and over again and never get tired of?

2. If someone gave you a one week vacation to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

3. Favorite food/recipe?

4. What's your favorite guilty pleasure TV show?

5. Harry Potter or Twilight and why? {And yes, you have to choose! =P}

6. What kind of person do you want to be when you "grow up?"

7. Something your mom said repeatedly throughout your childhood.

8. Name one thing you've done you thought you'd never, ever do.

9. What room in your house is your favorite?

10. If you could be anything, have any job, what would it be?

11. What's your favorite thing about blogging?

Tagged!

JG @ Me and My SoldierMan

Sespi @ And You Never Did Think

Katie @ Life, Love, and Pursuits of Katie

Jessica @ Jesstagirl and Her Officer

Anna @ Caranci Chronicles

Taking a Breath

2012-01-22T18:00:00.000-10:00

Before I get to today's actual post I wanted to take a minute and say thank you for all of your sweet comments on my last {and slightly depressing} post. Last week was kinda rough for me, not just because of the whole glucose test thing. All of your comments {some which I have yet to respond to} helped remind me of a few things. 1) It's not the end of the world, even if I'm diagnosed with GD. 2) All that really matters is that Charlotte is {and stays} healthy. 3) I can't control this - or anything else - and worrying about it doesn't do me very much good. Anyway. Thank you. =)

Joe and I have been trying lately to take one night just for ourselves. Usually we go to dinner and see a movie. We're kinda boring like that. =P Plus, I have a hard time thinking of things we can do that don't involve a lot of time and effort. Well, after the week we had, I decided that I wanted more than just a date night. I wanted a whole day, dang it. And we needed it too. So on our date day, we had a picnic at the beach!

During our lovely little picnic, we enjoyed this view:

Can you see the little sails?! Love.

The water was gorgeous, the breeze was cool, and the sun was warm. I was so happy we picked a nice day to go on a picnic! The weather has been really gross lately. There were a couple of voggy, hot and sticky days last week, so it was nice to see the sun and the return of the trade winds. {Seriously, I never thought I'd miss a breeze so much.}

Our picnic wasn't a traditional one... We stopped to pick up some McD's to take with us. =P We're running low on groceries and my wonderful husband loathes the commissary, so we made do.

As you can see, he wasn't disappointed in our predicament at all. ;-) I will admit, though, that it was kinda weird bringing McD's to the beach. I mean, you just don't think of fast food when you think "picnic at the beach," right? Anyway. After our little lunch, we brought out the books and read for a while. Oh yes, we're those people.

It doesn't really get better than that. It's incredibly peaceful to be at the beach reading, listening to the waves crashing. It gave us a chance to really relax and enjoy each other's company. Joe was reading a book I got him about being a first-time dad, so he kept asking me questions. It was really good just to have some time to talk. I mean, we see each other every day and we talk about things, but we don't always talk. You know? Some chill time at the beach was exactly what we needed.

I know these pictures make it seem like the beach was empty, but it wasn't. Thankfully the other beach-goers were pretty chill. I think it helps that this beach is kind of hidden and isn't frequented by thousands of tourists. {Reason #1 I'm not a fan of Waikiki.} One of the other beach-goers brought their dogs. At first I thought they were puppies, but then they ran up the beach to us.

Aren't they cute?! I think they were all Jack Russells. Full of energy! And they loved the water. My dog, however, is afraid of the stinkin' water...which is why we don't usually take him to the beach. Anyway, these guys were super cute!! I almost wanted to take one home with me. And then I remembered I have a baby on the way. =P Speaking of...

I had Joe take a shot of me at the beach. Why not?! And holy moly is my belly out there! After we read a while, we walked along the beach. We had considered getting in the water but 1) the water was freezing! and 2) there were some decent sized waves happening.

I don't know how long we spent there, but like I said before, it was definitely needed. It's funny how you can see a person every day throughout the week and still not really connect until you have some quiet, down time together.

To round off our picnic, we stopped for some shave ice at Matsumoto's on the the way home. We had to wait in line for a while, but whatevs. Matsumoto's is totally worth it! Clearly it wasn't our healthiest day of eating, but it was what our hearts and minds needed. I think that's more important sometimes. =) We've decided that we need to do this kind of thing more often - get out of the house and just relax.

What do y'all do to recover from the past week or to connect with your hubby?

Hope you had a great weekend!

Feelin' Like a Failure...

2012-01-18T20:52:00.000-10:00

So yesterday was the glucose test... It came back 9 points high, so now they want me to do the lovely 3 hour test. Yesterday I was upset about it, but several people reminded me that sometimes that just happens and it's very possible that the 3 hour will come back normal. So I rallied and felt better about it today. Until I went to my OB appointment, that is.

Apparently, I've gained 12 freakin' pounds since my last appointment. Twelve. I didn't really think about it until I saw the midwife's face. Because I thought for sure it'd been a mistake or that..well, I'm really not sure. But the last time I weighed myself I was, in fact, 12 pounds lighter.

{via}

So then she asks me about my eating and exercise habits. I'm nowhere close to being a "health nut" and I don't work out every day. I also don't eat crap all the time either. Sure, I don't make super healthy meals all the time but I also don't see them as being totally unhealthy either. I do have issues with the sweet stuff, though... And I'm thinking that's where my problem might be.

Anyway... She seemed pretty concerned. I mentioned that it might have something to do with the fact that we were on the mainland for 3 weeks and eating habits are never great when traveling. {I'll even admit to you right now that I ate Chick fil A at least 5 times while we were there.} And do you really think I did any sort of exercising while I was gone? No. We sort of left it at that, but she said that if I gain too much before my next appointment she's going to have me see a nutritionist. And that it could be possible that I have "underlying diabetes issues." CRAP.

So now I basically feel like a failure. I mean, yeah, I did eat a lot while we were gone...but no more than I would have if I wasn't pregnant. I know that the weight will most likely come off once she gets here, but I don't want to be unhealthy either. I really really don't. And I'm pretty sure gaining 12 pounds in one month is not healthy, even if I gained a normal pregnancy amount and some holiday weight.

I just don't know what to do. I know that beating myself up about it isn't really going to help, but I'm upset about it and well... I don't know how to change that. Like I said, I don't sit around the house all day and eat crap. I usually snack on fruit or yogurt. I have decently portioned lunches and I make mostly healthy dinners. We eat out maybe twice a week... I guess the only thing that I can really work on is the exercising. I just don't know what I'm going to do because it's not like I'm going to lose weight - nor do I really want to, for baby's sake.

So any idea how I keep from gaining much in the next 4 weeks?

Twenty Eight

2012-01-17T19:00:00.000-10:00

How far along: 28 weeks - only 12 left! I know I've been saying it for a while, but I can hardly believe I'm this far along already!

Weight gain/loss: A lot. =P Let's just leave it at that.

Body changes: Not so much lately...other than the growing belly, of course. =)

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Lots of it on and off throughout the day. She's getting bigger and running out of room, so I feel her a lot more now which I'm totally fine with. =) She's not super active, but she does have her moments.

Sleep: It's been okay for the most part since we got back from the mainland. I still get up a couple times a night, but I'm used to that now. What I'm not used to is being met with heartburn when I get up at night. Grrr.

What I'm looking forward to: Hearing her heartbeat at the doctor tomorrow, finishing a quilt I'm working on for her and getting her room ready!

What I miss: Not having heartburn all the time and sleeping on my stomach.

Cravings: Still just craving sweet stuff. I rarely have specific cravings.

Symptoms: HEARTBURN. It's absolutely awful. For the past 3 days, I've been eating Tums like they're candy. We will be addressing this at my appointment tomorrow. =) Then there's the hip and back pain which is becoming more common, but it doesn't happen all the time. Oh, and swelling... My closed-toed shoes {which I rarely wear anyway} are getting tight and I'm almost to the point where my rings won't come off.

Best moment this week: Setting her crib up, rearranging the room and ordering prints to hang up!

And because I can...

Worst moment this week:

1) Finding out my aunt isn't expected to live much longer. Please keep her, my uncle, cousins and the rest of our family in your prayers...

2)"Failing" the glucose test. =( I really wanted to cry. I'm only 9 points over, but they're making me do the 3 hour test. I am so upset about this... I was kind of worried about it, but told myself that I'm fine and it would come back normal. So wrong. And I'm curious if I really should fast before the test. The nurse I spoke with before and after today's test said that I should, but I'm hearing from others that I should eat toast and peanut butter beforehand. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Let the Nesting Begin!

2012-01-16T22:38:00.001-10:00

It's officially here - nesting, that is. I feel like in just a few weeks I went from "Oh, we don't need to start on her room yet" to "We need to do this NOW!" Normal or not it happened and I just couldn't stop it.

Last week I found a brand new, gorgeous crib through a FB group for $100. Pretty decent price, if you ask me. I met up with the woman selling it just 2 days later. I also purchased the crib mattress that day. Way back in September, I registered for Sears' Heroes at Home program. To be honest, I was expecting a decent amount of money and was sorely disappointed when I got the gift card in my inbox... It was only $55. I had planned on using that money to get her crib since money doesn't grow on trees and the Army isn't handing any extra out. Anyway, I ended up using that whopping $55 toward her crib mattress and only paid $7 for it. Not exactly what I had planned, but it worked out in the end.

I really wanted to get started on her room on Friday, but I figured I should let Joe celebrate his birthday without having to worry about baby things. ;-) I was planning to post about that tonight, but most of the pictures we took are on his computer {they were previously on his phone because I left my camera at home - lame} and it's not being very cooperative.

Fortunately, Joe was willing to get started on her room Saturday! We're planning on having a garage sale soon, so first we cleaned everything out of the room that either needs to be sold or put into storage.

Room mostly cleared out and cleaned up!

And then we opened up the crib box and got to work. Well... Joe got to work. I did very little work, but I figure it's the least he could do since I'm the one responsible for growing her. =P I did hand him the nuts, bolts, and screws and offered my tips on how to put it together based on the instructions. So that's something. Ha!

To be honest, I thought it was going to be much harder to put together than it actually was. I still kind of wish we'd been able to get a sleigh bed style crib, but I really do love this one. The only thing that I'm not quite a huge fan of is that the mattress is kind of low, even on the highest setting. Oh, and to lower it you have to take one side off. So that will be a pain...

After we Joe got it all put together, we moved it into place. I had told him we could wait to move furniture around, but he decided it'd be easier to just go ahead and do it now. Music to my nesting ears! ;-)

Everything {mostly} in its place!!

A few things will change within the next two months... The desk {and all my sewing supplies} will be moved to the laundry room. The things on the walls now will be removed and replaced with nursery prints. The things on top of the wardrobe will be put away and will most likely be replaced with books and maybe a print. I'm definitely going to put the rocking chair in her room and I might put the cedar chest {which is now in the laundry room} in there. It all depends on how things look once the desk is out. I'm leaving the desk in there as long as possible because I really like sewing in there. Plus, who really wants to sew in the laundry room? Not me!

So, there you have it! I am so excited to be getting started on her room! I was a little worried about the lack of things we have for her, but as of this weekend my awesome friend, Miranda, is throwing me a baby shower! Woohoo! =D I am over-the-moon excited for this!

Oh, before I forget, I also ordered these prints for her room this weekend:

Source: etsy.com via Sarah on Pinterest

The background for this one will be pink, not yellow.

Source: etsy.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I can't wait for them to get here so I can buy frames and hang them!!! =D

Hope your 4 day was as great as mine!

P.S. Stop by JG's blog, Me and My SoldierMan, to check out an awesome blog design giveaway. I really, really, really want to win!!! I would love to get a makeover for my blog... Who wouldn't?!

Christmas Vacation: Bestie Date

2012-01-15T18:00:00.000-10:00

The second full day of our trip was the best day of my visit to AR -- a date with my bestie!!! =D

She picked me up at about 10 and then we started out with some decaf mochas from Starbucks! Mmmmm. And then we headed over to the mall for a little shopping. I ended up buying a little elephant at JCPenney for Charlotte since I had a gift card...funny how that works, isn't it? ;-) Then we went over to Motherhood and I bought some comfy maternity clothes. Now I'm really glad that I did because the capri yoga pants are my new favorite pair!

Miss Jorja {Melissa's little girl} started to get a little cranky, so we figured it'd be a good time to drop her off to spend time with her daddy, who had the day off. ;-) Then we headed to Olive Garden for a very tasty lunch!! Praise the Lord for salad, breadsticks and alfredo!!! I let her pick the dessert we got because it was her birthday. Wasn't that nice of me?! ;-)

After our delicious lunch, we headed out for more shopping! Seriously, what's a bestie date without lots of shopping? Our main shopping goal was to get fabric for Charlotte's bedding,which Melissa is graciously making for me. =) This isn't all of the fabric we're using for her bedding, but there's only one print to add.

I'm in love!!! I can't wait to see how it turns out. I know my bestie will do a fantastic job. =)

After hitting up fabric stores - real fabric stores - we did even more shopping! Can you believe it?! We attempted to take pics of ourselves in mirrors at Kirklands, but had trouble getting a great shot...

And then some idiot guy came by and asked us if we were taking pics of ourselves. Gee...what does it look like we're doing?! Ugh. Anyway. We ended up getting probably the greatest shot ever of both of us when we stopped for a little snack later.

Best bestie pic ever!

Yummy snack for the preggo. =P

Sadly, after our snack and some shopping at Target it was time for her to take me back to my in-laws' house. I hate that we only get one day together when I come to visit, but at least it's always a good day, right? I can't even begin to tell you how much fun we had... It was a little like being in college again and hanging out together. Except that she has a baby and I'm married, pregnant and living thousands of miles away. =P One day I'll live closer and we'll be able to do this a little more than one day a year!

Here's to more bestie dates in the future!

My Favorite Person

2012-01-13T13:00:00.000-10:00

5 years ago, I started dating a cute guy who quickly became my best friend.

3.5 years ago, I married my favorite person in the whole wide world.

27 years ago today, he entered this world. And I will be forever thankful that he did. =)

Happy Birthday to my love, my best friend and my hero. I love you many muchen!

Christmas Vacation: Arklahoma

2012-01-12T18:14:00.000-10:00

I know you guys think I just totally made up that word, but I can't take credit for it. The area I grew up in {the border of Oklahoma and Arkansas} is referred to as Arklahoma pretty often...for those of us who live there, anyway. Moving on. =)

We took 2 days to get there from NC, stopping overnight in TN. Stopping for one night totally made the difference. I was able to get some REAL rest, eat good meals and shower. Definitely beats flying overnight. To be honest, I really enjoyed the drive. I've always preferred driving over flying and this just solidified that. Yeah, driving can get boring but there's so much scenery!! Mountains, hills, farming fields... I love it all. {And whoever says that the US is overpopulated needs to drive on I40 from NC to AR. Seriously.} We arrived in AR/OK on New Year's Eve around 4pm. And, no, I didn't stay up until midnight. I think I made it to 10 before desperately needing sleep. I've never really been one for NYE, so it didn't exactly bother me.

The next day we got up and went to church with my in-laws. Joe and I attended church there before we got married, so it was nice to go back and see friendly faces. After church we all went to lunch and Joe's brother and his wife joined us. Then the boys went shooting. =P This whole gun thing is a new development... Joe's brother got interested in guns within the last year or so and now this interest has spread to Joe and my FIL. Before this, none of them had had any interesting in owning a gun. Well, ok, except maybe Joe...and that was because of me. We always had guns in the house growing up, and I was all for having one for home defense. Still am, actually. Anyway, it's just really weird and sometimes a bit much. The whole time we were gone Joe, his dad, brother and grandpa talked about guns. I wish I were kidding. Anyway. I hung out with my MIL and BIL's wife {does that make her my SIL too?} while they did their thing.

And then there was dinner with my family.... To which we ended up being late because of said gun shooting. We had dinner at Nana's house and Nana is notorious for having dinner ready like 20 minutes early. We were late for the original time, not "Nana time." Translation: they started without us. Thanks, guys. We get there and only my grandparents and mom are there. Dad and my brother were working. Now, this isn't exactly a new thing and I generally understand that my brother is on call a lot and has weird hours. Andrew {brother} did actually come by as soon as he could. Dad? Didn't even show. He was working supposedly because they're expanding his shop {adding new machines and stuff} and he "had to be there." Nevermind that I flew 7000 miles and then drove 1000 just to be there....

Dinner wasn't so bad, except for the 9 million "did you do ___ while flying/driving?" questions from my mom and Nana. I don't know how my poor Papa puts up with all the worrying/obsessing the two of them do. Actually, I think I do know. Pretty sure he tunes them out and I really can't blame him! =P

We stayed for around 2-3 hours... I enjoyed catching up with Nana and Papa...and Mom, I guess, but it just wasn't the same as it's been in years past. Nana consistently talks about how bad Papa is doing - in front of him. Which, of course, makes me feel even worse for him. He's really doing quite well for all the things he's been through in the past 2 years. He has COPD, is on oxygen most of the time, takes meds for blood clots and his lungs, but he really looks good. I know he can't get out and do much {which is really hard for him}, but he looks healthy. Papa loves to talk about God, the Bible and politics. =P And Mom just likes to interrupt. It was seriously getting irritating how many times she'd try to start a conversation with me or Nana while Papa was talking to us about God/Bible things. To be honest, a part of me really wondered if that sort of talk was making her uncomfortable... Really, though, it was much easier to let Mom's odd comments just slide while I was there. Still irritating, but not so bad.

The next day of our trip was the bestie date, but that one will take too long to cover. I'm gonna save that one for next time. ;-) Sorry!

Day 3 was spent with Mom. Just me and Mom for a whole day while Joe went pheasant hunting with his dad and brother...

Can you figure out which one is my hubby?

The day with Mom wasn't all bad... But there were times when I really wanted to pull my hair out. {Or hers. =P} Because there's not enough time in the world to go over it all, I'll give you a couple Mom-gems of the day:

Please tell me you're not going to homeschool that child.

My rebuttal to this was 1) it will be great if we stay Army and are moving every 3 years - stability. 2) What better way to instill values and Bible knowledge in your children?

Joe really doesn't need to get out of the Army right now - there are no jobs! He should just say in and move to GA. We could come visit you so easy then.

My thoughts: You didn't visit us when we lived in GA before. I know the economy sucks, but we're not dumb. Most importantly, it's our decision. {Side note for you guys: We're weighing reenlisting/OCS/ETSing options right now. Weighing, not deciding.}

My actual response: "We have a lot of options."

Make sure you let me know where you are when you're traveling.

Seriously, Mom? I'm 25. Not 15.

Your dad isn't coming to Hawaii in June. He's probably going to get promoted and he'll have to be here for meetings.

Glad to see your grandchild is as important as I am.

See? Not all bad, but not all great either. I've realized since our visit that my mom still feels a serious need to have a say in my life and decisions. She also feels the need to incessantly worry about my {and Charlotte's} well-being. Neither of these are healthy, but I haven't figured out how to address this yet.

Our last full day in AR/OK was spent running errands, doing lunch with my in-laws and seeing my family one more time before leaving. {Side note: I saw my dad for a total of 20 minutes on the day I spent with Mom. Still ticked about that one.} It really was good seeing my family. I really do love them {despite my complaining}, but MAN do they drive me insane!!!

I promise I'll be done with these Christmas recaps soon!! Just one more to go, and it will be the best/most entertaining one!

It Ain't Easy...

2012-01-11T17:30:00.000-10:00

Even though Joe has been in the Army for 2 years there are still times when I feel like a complete newbie. Another milspouse first for me happened yesterday morning...

I met up with my fabulous friend, Annie, for some coffee on post. We didn't get to chat long because she and her hubby had things to do, but it was a good chat and I'm so glad I got to see her. This will be the last time I'll see her for who-knows-how-long. She's PCSing to Italy with her hubby and they're leaving today.

It's been a heartbreaking process for her because Hawaii is what she considers home. I think that's only part of the heartbreak for her, though, because once they get to Italy their days are numbered. He's deploying...again. If you remember, we met last year while both of our hubbies were deployed. The unit he's going to is deploying soon after they arrive. I hurt for her because I know how that is. Joe deployed when we'd been in Hawaii for less than 2 months. I wasn't in a different country, but given the amount of people I knew I might as well have been.

I hate that she's going through this and I really hate that I have to finish out our "tour" here without her. We didn't spend just a whole lot of time together once our husbands came home, but I figure that's about normal. We had some great times together while our husbands were gone, and even when they came home. We spent July 4th, my birthday, Labor Day and Thanksgiving together. She {and her hubby} became family.

And yesterday I was forced to say goodbye to my deployment sister... It's hard saying goodbye to family, even the ones you adopt. I still don't know how I made it through the day without crying.

Several of the friends I made during the deployment are leaving soon, so I know this is just the first of many to come. I dread all of them and can only hope that God will send me some more friends and help me to keep in close touch with the ones who are leaving.

Twenty Seven

2012-01-10T22:10:00.000-10:00

How far along: 27 weeks!! Yikes!! 90 days left to prepare for Little Miss to get here... It's going by so fast!

Weight gain/loss: Oh geez, I don't even want to think about it. I've gained a lot.

Body changes: I'm starting to notice some stretch marks on my sides, and I'm getting more on "the girls" and toosh.

These are the make-up photos since I missed posting the last two weeks.

Woah... Check out the 27 week belly! It looks so much bigger in photos!

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: I feel her just about every time she moves now, which is GREAT most of the time. You know, when she's not kicking my bladder. =P I've gotten a few almost painful kicks lately, and I think once she was stretching and it just hurt. For the most part, though, I love feeling her move...and when she moves my belly. =) She's most active at night and lately she's been more active in the mornings when I first wake up. Please, oh please, don't be a morning person, Charlotte!!

Sleep: It's been much better since we got back in our own bed!! I still get up a couple times a night to use the bathroom, but I'm getting used to that. So much so that it hardly takes a few minutes for me to go back to sleep once I get up.

What I'm looking forward to: My appointment next week... Picking up her crib tomorrow!!! I found a great crib on a FB group that's brand new for only $100.

{via}

It's not the exact one I wanted, but I can handle it for saving money. =) Hopefully getting the crib will spur my hubby into action! I've been dying to start on her room since we got back, but he hasn't been very motivated. Fingers crossed!

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach. Oh my word, I have never missed it so much! Sometimes I can roll onto my side enough that it sort of feels like sleeping on my stomach {probably because it's getting so big}, but it's just not the same. =/

Cravings: Generally sweet stuff. For the last few days I have really been wanting a chocolate covered donut. =P Trying to satisfy that craving with different things, but somehow that one keeps coming back.

Symptoms: Heartburn {it took Tums and water with baking soda to help last night}, back pain and - most recently - hip pain. I'm pretty sure yoga will help with the last two...but that involves me getting off my toosh to do it. Haha!

Best moment this week: Finding a great, new crib at a great price! Getting back in my own bed... Hearing Joe talk about how he just can't wait to meet our little girl. Yeah, those are all pretty great moments. =)

I just can't believe that 1) I'm already in my 3rd trimester {according to my app, anyway} and 2) we've got about 90 days until we meet Charlotte!!! Eeeek! =D

Christmas Vacation: North Carolina

2012-01-06T19:12:00.001-10:00

Fortunately, our vacation was nothing like that in the movie. ;-) We spent a total of 3 weeks on the mainland and enjoyed it immensely.

After entirely too much traveling, too much back pain and too little sleep, we arrived at our first stop - NC - on the 20th. Adjusting to the time difference is always difficult for me, but I was super excited to be in NC and staying with my SIL, Anna {check out her blog!!}, and her little family. I mean, how could you not be excited to spend time with these two cute kiddos?

My niece, Eden, wearing her birthday gift(s) from us. =)

My nephew, Harry, being super cute and happy as usual.

Seriously, isn't he adorable?!

Things started getting busy a few days after we arrived. You know, all the Christmas celebrations and all. I'm not usually one for the busy-ness, but it was nice. =) First we had dinner and a Dirty Santa game with some extended family. It wasn't as fun for me as times past because my preggo brain forgot how to play the game. I boringly chose to grab an unopened present instead of stealing one. Sigh. The next day was a fairly rushed Christmas Eve celebration followed by a Christmas Eve service at the church Anna and her hubby attend.

My FIL {known as Pop to the kiddos} with Eden and Harry.

Jason, Anna, Eden and Harry {well, the top of his head, anyway}.

Jason being a bit of a goofball. =P

Us opening gifts!

Then on Christmas Day, we got up, got dressed and headed to Grammy and Gramps' {Joe's grandparents} for a pre-church breakfast. This also ended up being super rushed because we were going to church. We had planned to visit our "old" church - where we attended before Joe enlisted - but that didn't work out so well... We didn't realize they weren't holding services on Christmas Day. So we drove back and went to church with the rest of the family instead. =P After church, we headed back to Grammy's for snacks and more presents.

Grammy's Christmas tree

It took 3.5 years, but I finally have my own stocking at Grammy's!

Opening gifts...

Pop and Bossie {FIL and MIL} with Harry. =)

My oldest nephew, Kellan, excited about his gifts.

Showing off gifts.

The only {posed} picture of us from Christmas.

Take note of the beard... Does anyone else's husband boycott shaving during leave? GAH!

After all of the Christmas gifts and dinners {oh my word there was so much food}, we finally had a little bit of down time. Joe spent a lot of time with his dad going to gun shops and ranges {a new development} and I...well, I spent a lot of time with Anna and the kiddos. It was very nice. =) Especially since I ended up being able to go through some of Eden's barely worn clothes and got to bring some of them home for Charlotte!!!

Joe and I were also able to have lunch with some of his "old" friends {who have become my new friends, since they're both girls =P}, Rebecca (along with her hubby and kids) and Katie. We had a really, really great time with them and I only wish we were able to do it more often! Sadly, no pictures were taken... What bad bloggers we are!

On one of our last nights in NC, we were able to get together with most of the people in our old small group. It was so nice to get together with everyone who was able to come and just catch up. We're all on Facebook, but it's really just not the same... It's just so hard to connect with people you don't see all the time or aren't related to, you know? Anyway. Dinner was awesome. We had a great time. The best part about this little get together is that all of us are expecting. Seriously. There were 4 couples there and every single one of us is having a baby within the next 2-4 months. Even better? We're all having girls. How awesome is that?!?!! I just really wish we were going to be there.... I miss NC enough as it is...this doesn't make it much easier. I miss those girls, our friendships, and the fact that we're literally at the same place in our lives. Sigh.

All four of us in order of due date, from right to left. I'm the last one!

We spent our last day in NC with family. We had 2 weeks there, but it seems like no matter how long we're there it's never enough time. Joe and I kept saying the entire trip that we just have to get back there...sooner rather than later. One day...

Since this post is already long enough, I'll have to fill you in on the last week of our trip later! Stay tuned, it's pretty interesting - complete with a bestie date and Mom drama. ;-)

Cute, Cheap Onesies

2011-12-27T09:28:00.000-10:00

A while back, someone on Twitter asked me for a tutorial for the onesies I've ~~made~~ decorated using my Silhouette. I did this soon after, but kept forgetting to post it. =P Since I'm all busy with family, I thought this would be a great time to fill up the silence on my blog with a little tutorial!

First, it'd probably be a good idea to get all your materials together. =) These include:

Silhouette
Heat transfer material
Onesie
Iron
Cloth {a washcloth or scrap of fabric will do}
Scissors
Hook tool {especially if you have a tricky design}

The next thing you'll want to do is pick out your design. {duh}

Make sure you get it sized right and then you MUST flip {or mirror} the image. Right click on the image and click "flip horizontally." DO NOT forget to do this!! It's very important.

I set a bad example here, but to avoid wasting your heat transfer, you should move the image closer to the left. Then you want to "Send to Silhouette."

Then you want to make sure you have your settings correct, so click "Change Settings."

Change settings to Heat Transfer material:

Once you've done that, you're ready to "send to Silhouette" and "cut page." Provided you've loaded your choice of heat transfer first! Do this with the plastic side DOWN. {Side note, I am using what was in the heat transfer kit, so yours may or may not look different.}

Once it's been cut out, get your scissors and cut out the design. Then you're ready to peel off the excess material. This is also where you'll need your hook tool, if your design is intricate like mine.

Once you're done with that, admire the pretty work your Silhouette has graciously done for you. ;-)

Now you're ready to put the design on your onesie! Get out your onesie, iron and cloth. Along with your design, of course.

Place the design exactly where you want it to be, plastic side up.

Place the cloth on top of the design and iron for 45 - 60 seconds. {Sometimes mine even takes a bit longer. Just keep ironing until the design is completely stuck.}

Once you're done with that, peel the plastic off very gently, step back and admire your little creation.

Cuteness! If you've got all the materials, this is easy and quick to do. Good for baby shower, Christmas, or even birthday gifts. Or you can just make some for the little cutie in your life. You're welcome! =)

Happy Christmas

2011-12-25T12:00:00.000-10:00

I hope y'all are having a wonderful Christmas today!! I'm sure hardly any of you will be on the interwebz today, but I just wanted to say Merry Christmas from all of us!

I hope that no matter where you are - or what you're going through - you can find some happiness in this day and remember the real reason for this season of joy and peace. =)

Merry Christmas!!!

Twenty Four

2011-12-21T17:47:00.003-10:00

How far along: 24 weeks {and almost 2 days}! 16 weeks to go! {Seriously, this is flying by! Probably only because I'm in the 2nd trimester and feeling good.}

Weight gain/loss: About 19 lbs so far. Still not so sure how I feel about this.

Body changes: Not too much really... I've noticed maybe a couple more stretch marks. And my belly is definitely getting bigger. See for yourself!

Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Still lots of it. =) She loves to hang out down low and kick my bladder. {Seriously, when we had my appointment on Friday, the midwife had to use the tiny doppler attachment to find her heartbeat. Silly girl!} And those kicks are getting harder every day!

Sleep: Well, since we flew from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning....not much. And now that we're at my SIL's house, I'm still adjusting. It's been better lately, but I'm sure I won't sleep great the next few weeks being in a different bed and not having my preggo pillow.

What I'm looking forward to: Christmas with family, of course!

What I miss: Without hesitation, sleeping on my stomach. I sort of attempted it yesterday when I laid down for a nap... I guess I was so tired I forgot there was a soccer ball where my mostly flat tummy used to be? Lol!

Cravings: Ice cream, cookies...lots of sweet things.

Symptoms: Holy back pain, Batman. And hip pain. I also have been feeling rather large today. My belly just feels really heavy for some reason. Oh, I know! 'Cause there's a kicky, squirmy baby in there! ;-)

Best moment this week: Seeing family again and staying with my SIL, her hubby, and two sweet kiddos. =)

For fun, I'll say that the absolute worst moment this week was flying 15+ hours while 24 weeks pregnant. I don't recommend flying to the east coast from HI {or vice versa, really} while this pregnant. My back hurt most of the way and I didn't get comfortable enough to rest much. While the dramamine kept the nausea away, it did not help me sleep. Sad.

I wanted to share some photos of my cutie pie niece and nephew, but the camera and my phone {both of which hold photos I've taken today} are out of reach and I don't feel like moving right now to get them. {Spoken like a true preggo, right?!} So you'll just have to wait until next time!

Hope y'all are having a great week!

You Can't Beat Home Sweet Home

2011-12-19T18:00:00.000-10:00

Over the ocean and through the skies.... To Grandmother's house we go!

As you're reading this, Joe and I are on a plane crossing the ocean. We are officially headed to NC for the holidays!!! =)

Friday was my doctor's appointment and - much to my mother's dismay, I'm sure - we were a GO for travel! I just have to remember to drink ungodly amounts of water, get up and walk, and stay away from salty airplane snacks. Oh, and sleep and avoid puking. Should be fun, right?!

The real fun will start once we're there. Usually we stay with Joe's grandparents, but this year we have the pleasure of staying with my SIL, Anna, her hubby and two sweet kiddos! I can't wait! =) Joe is excited to be with family this Christmas and I know I will have a great time too. Personally, I'm hoping for a repeat of last year... Snow on Christmas Day:

Joe's grandparents' house

Even if it doesn't snow on Christmas Day, I'm sure it's going to be a great Christmas. It'll definitely beat last year's by a long shot!

I'm sure you can imagine how busy we're going to be over the next few weeks. I will update when I can {probably with photos of my cute niece and nephews}, I promise! Until then, I hope all of you have a very merry Christmas!!

Or as the locals say, Mele Kalikimaka!

Christmas Came Early...

2011-12-15T22:15:00.001-10:00

Since I've been talking about it for who-knows-how-long, most of you are aware that we're spending the holidays on the mainland with family. We won't have much time to ourselves while there and we also had some family who sent gifts to us anyway. *ahem*

Joe had kind of a rough day yesterday and we both felt like we could use a little bit of a pick-me-up. So what's a couple with Christmas on the horizon and presents under the tree to do? Have our own little Christmas celebration, of course!

We started with a nice little dinner of pasta, salad, and garlic bread by the tree. {And a little bit of wine. =) No worries, I had maybe half a glass.}

It really was a nice little dinner. We even turned on a Pandora Christmas station to enjoy while we ate. After dinner {and cleanup, of course} the real fun began!

It wouldn't be Christmas without a photo op!

Presents!!!

We were very nice to each other and took turns opening presents and snapping photos. =)

We definitely got some goodies! Charlotte got some bibs that my mom embroidered. =) I got a couple of maternity shirts {yay!}, a pair of black maternity cargo pants {more yay because they're super comfy}and a cookbook mainly for baking. Joe got a few shirts, and together we got a picture frame that we already own {my mom really doesn't pay attention} and salt and pepper shakers that match my living room instead of my kitchen. Whatevs. The real gift I was waiting for was from Joe - and vice versa.

Being the awesome wife that I am, I got him Skyrim. He asked for 2 games and when I walked into GameStop the other day, all I could remember was this one. I totally blanked on the other!! {Further evidence of the preggo brain.} It worked out pretty darn well, though, because this was the one he really wanted. Score for both of us!

Joe got me the complete collection of the Harry Potter movies on Blu Ray! =D I've been begging him to buy the movies for at least a couple years now, but he's been insistent on waiting until they all came out. Lucky for me the box sets came out just in time for Christmas! And yeah, we totally popped in one of the movies last night. We have to play with our new toys, right?!

Somehow, this bow found its way to my belly. Still not sure how it happened, but I love it! She's our present too, right? =)

Have you ever celebrated Christmas on a very non-Christmas day? What do you do to make it seem a little bit more Christmasy?

Merry Christmas!

Twenty Three

2011-12-14T23:00:00.000-10:00

How far along: 23 weeks {and 1 day}!! It's crazy how fast this pregnancy is flying by. I was thinking the other day how this many weeks in the deployment just drug by and these are flying. I guess there's something true to the statement "time flies when you're having fun" after all!

Weight gain/loss: I don't even wanna know right now. =P To be honest, I'm still having a hard time realizing that the weight gain is all for baby and isn't necessarily just making me fat. I know I need to gain the weight, but at the same time... My brain is having a hard time grasping that.

Body changes: The stretch marks have arrived. =( At first I thought they might be spider veins, but Joe confirmed they were stretch marks. Not on the belly {yet}, but on "the girls" and bum. I don't even wanna know how you get stretch marks on your bum. *sigh* And of course, our girl is growing, growing, growing! So that means my belly is too. =)

Gender: It's a GIRL!

Movement: Lots of it, every day. =) Mostly just in the evenings and night though. Occasionally I'll feel her moving in the mornings, but it's rare. The other night, I swear she was having a late night dance party in my belly! I absolutely love feeling her kicks - and seeing them! she makes my belly move sometimes now - but she kept me awake. Silly girl.

Sleep: Not so great lately. I don't think it's pregnancy related because I'm getting used to only sleeping on my sides. I just haven't been able to turn my brain off and just sleep. And of course I get up 2-3 times a night to use the bathroom. Yay, preggo bladder!

What I'm looking forward to: My appointment on Friday {hearing her heartbeat is always wonderful} and heading out to see family for Christmas soon after!

What I miss: The lack of back and hip pain, less frequent heartburn... Sleeping on my tummy and being able to wear ALL the clothes in my closet.

Cravings: Anything sweet!! Sunday night I randomly had a craving for an ICEE {strawberry, of course}, so we stopped for one on the way home. Gotta love it!

Symptoms: Other than back and hip pain, I've been mostly symptom free lately. Woohoo! And Yoga and Pilates can help with that, so all in all...not too bad.

Best moment this week: Joe and I both seeing her kick and make my belly move. =) It's a little strange, I guess, but we really think it's fun! If she does it again, I plan on trying to get a video of it. Hehe!

P.S. If you missed it yesterday, please feel free to check out the Milspouse Holiday Blog Swap! I had a blast participating and reading everyone's posts. =)

Milspouse Holiday Blog Swap!

2011-12-13T20:34:00.000-10:00

Hello, my lovely readers! Today I - along with several other Milies - am participating in a holiday blog swap hosted by the lovely Wife on the Roller Coaster! I'm very excited to be participating in this lovely little holiday-themed event! As I said before, a bunch of Milies are swapping blogs today so be sure to click this cute little button and check out all the swapping that's going on!

I have the pleasure of hosting Mrs. P from A Little Pink in a World of Camo today! When I got word she'd be taking over my blog for a day, I was a little more than excited. ;-) I've been reading her blog for only...forever, and I love connecting with my favorite bloggers! She's prepared a great post for you guys today, so be sure to leave her lots of love here!

And don't worry, you're not missing out on what I have to say about the holidays. You can check my post out over at Max & Kaylee. {Thanks for hosting me, Kaylee!}

Now, without further ado, here is Mrs. P's post. Merry Christmas!!

The Places of Christmas

It's no secret that I have been on the go-go lately. Most recently, I've been in the Lake Geneva area of Wisconsin, the glitzy city of Los Angeles California, and my home town of Aberdeen, Maryland. I would really like to share with you the difference in decoration but still the presence of holiday cheer in Wisconsin and Los Angeles.

For Wisconsin, I happened to be there the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and a few days after. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Wisconsin embraced the holiday spirit early and whole heartedly. Lights were already appearing on houses in the days nearing Thanksgiving. For an area that is much less urban than what I am used to it was surely lit up like a city. My nearly two year old daughter loved the lights, it is so exciting to watch her face lighting up just as much as the lights make the houses sparkle. We were only there a few days after Thanksgiving, but the town really came to life as soon as one holiday was over, it was embracing the next. As a resort town, Lake Geneva's many inns, spas, and resorts came alive with holiday spirit. These grand buildings were decked out head to toe (er… roof to sidewalk?) in lights announcing Christmas is on it's way! The little towns were even adorned with lights and garlands on awnings and street lights, almost like something you'd see in a Christmas storybook. My favorite by far was the Geneva Grand resort. Upon entering the Geneva Grand, a lit sign welcomed you with the message "Christmas in the Country." As you drive up toward the main building, you pass all sorts of lighted holiday friends. As we went by the lighted 12 days of Christmas, we all sang along. We saw an elf summersaulting onto a house, a reindeer jumping over a pond, Santa golfing, and a holiday castle, to name a few more. At the end of the drive of lights, we reached the main building that was elegantly done in white lights with touches of blue. In front of the main building was a huge Christmas tree that, of course, we had to take pictures in front of. The good part was we got to pass through the drive of lights on the way back out to the main road and pass all the houses lit up on the way back home. The last evening we were there, a light snowfall took over the area and I got to see what all the hype was with "you should see the lights when it snows." Beauty doesn't even touch it, and the spirit of Christmas shone from the buildings and reflected in the falling flakes. It was our trip to Wisconsin that really started getting me into the holiday spirit and start decorating my own home.

During my trip to LA, I was surprised with all the holiday spirit in that city. I kind of mistakenly assumed that a city like Los Angeles, in sunny California, would be lackluster on the holiday decor and I was happily proven wrong. It wasn't the classic and timeless decorations that graced Wisconsin, but a more modern Christmas/holiday spirit that seemed to thrive in this city. As we drove the roads of downtown LA, the trees were lit in a bluish/white light with little lights the seemed to be falling from the trees (one of the coolest light tricks I've seen and I wish I could copy it for my own decorations). It was like tiny stars dripping in the trees and was really cool. In LA Live! there was a carnival set up (which is more of a summery activity to me) but a very neat addition to this carnival was the ice skating rink. I was super surprised to see ice skating outside in LA. Even though it was pretty chilly the weekend we were there, it was still a pleasant surprise and I loved watching the skaters, even some in tee-shirts twirling around the ice. In the middle of the carnival was a neon lit Christmas tree, definitely not traditional Christmas but still pretty cool. In my hotel, there was a huge Christmas tree with presents collected by the Marine Reserves for Toys for Tots. That was one of the first things I saw when I arrived at the hotel, in fact, was the Marines standing there collecting the toys beneath this ginormous tree. In another corner of the hotel lobby was a huge menorah with blue and silver packages underneath. None of the lights were lit yet, but I think it's safe to assume they will light one on each day of Hannukah (at least, that'd be the cool thing to do). While it was a less traditional Christmas scene than I might be used to, even Los Angeles was all decked out for the holidays.

Being in these cities has really prepped me for the holidays. I'm so excited to get home and finally get our decorations up and our Christmas on in our house. I bet the baby will be super excited when it's done, too, because she LOVES Christmas decorations, we've learned. I am also inspired by tons of hand made Christmas decorations and gifts on Pinterest. I can not wait to get started. I hope everyone out there is having fun getting all decked out in the holiday spirit, I'd love to see what you've done (and maybe steal some of your ideas - just saying')!

Big thanks to Mrs. G.I. Joe for letting me have a bit of her space today and patiently dealing with my horrible procrastination. You rock girl!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a prosperous New Year to you all!!

Semper Fi,

Mrs. P

Home Is...Where?

2011-12-12T19:00:00.000-10:00

You've all heard the saying, "Home is Where the Heart Is." I've even seen this pin on Pinterest that says "Home is Where Your Husband Is." But is that really where "home" is?

Joe and I were in the car on our way to do some shopping when I mentioned that, even after living here for over 1.5 years, it still doesn't fee like home. Sure, the surroundings are familiar and I pretty much know my way around our slice of the island. But it just doesn't have that "homey" feeling.

That got me thinking... What makes a place feel "homey"? Is it the people, attitudes of the people, surroundings or an attachment to a certain place?

Since we've been married, we've lived in 3 different "houses" in 3 different states. We've been married for 3.5 years. Our first "house" was in NC, where we moved right after we got married.

It was cute, cozy and had a decent yard {which we only used once we got Jasper}. Our landlord lived about 50 yards in front of us, and on a private drive. It was nice and peaceful. We had an amazing church and had a great group of friends. We also lived about a mile from family and were able to spend lots of time with them, allowing me time to get to know my new family. We went through a lot there... I totaled my car within the first 2 months, we celebrated our first married Thanksgiving and Christmas, adopted Jasper, Joe lost his job, enlisted in the Army and went off to BCT and then AIT. See? A lot happened. And it was definitely home.

When Joe was in AIT, I moved to GA so we could actually see each other. We got a cute little apartment in town, not too far from the post. And apparently I don't have any decent photos of that little apartment. I guess I was a bad little blogger back then. =P Anyway, even though we only spent about 6 months there, I began to feel like it was home. It was only a 3.5 hour drive to see family in NC - a drive we made several times. We managed to find a church we liked pretty quickly, it was sort of a small town and I was able to find my way around after less than a month. I still don't understand how that place felt anything like home... We only lived there 6 months!

And then we moved here, to Hawaii. House number 3 in almost as many years.

As I said before, we've been here for over a year. Okay, well I have been here for over a year. Joe has been here for about 8 months total, thanks to deployment. I've made friends, found a couple favorite beaches, places to shop and know my way around. I don't know if it's that Hawaii is so completely different from the places we've lived before, the people are different, or that the culture is different...but it's not home. Our house, I guess you could say, is home... It's decorated the way I like, has all the things we need, and we're going to bring our baby here in a few months. But it's still not really home.

So what exactly is it that makes a place, home? I'm not sure... And I have to wonder if I'll feel this way about the other places we move while Joe is in the Army. Will they all feel strange? Will I ever be able to feel like we are "home" when we're not living near family?

I guess this is just another one of those military family conundrums.

Do you feel like where you live is "home?" Or are you having the same problem I am?

Yummy Food Friday

2011-12-09T08:57:00.000-10:00

Blame it on the preggo status or on the season - I've been seriously ~~jonesing for~~ craving gingerbread cookies. As in, I've been wanting them for almost a week. =P I went to the commissary for our weekly food stocking Wednesday and got the few things I still needed to make the yummy cookies. Then yesterday afternoon, I got to work! And since they're so delicious, I thought I would share the recipe with you! You can thank me later. {And I promise, you will.}

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

{flour and sugar not pictured}

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves {to your liking, I use about 1 tsp each}
1 cup of butter flavored crisco
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses {Spray cooking spray on the inside of your measuring cup so that this doesn't turn out to be a giant sticky mess. Trust me, it works like a charm.}

See? It works!

1. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinammon ginger and ground cloves together. {You can also just stir with a fork. Same effect. I do it all the time.}

2. Mix the crisco, brown sugar, egg and molasses together until fluffy.

In case you're like me and wonder what exactly "fluffy" looks like. =)

3. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. The dough will be pretty dry and thick.

{Since I have a ~~sad~~ hand mixer, I do about 1/4 cup at a time.}

Finished dough.

4. Now, you can either roll them into 1 inch balls and bake them like regular cookies or you can roll them out and use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes. They taste great either way!

I use my medium Pampered Chef scoop and bake them like regular cookies. =)

5. Bake at 350° for 9-10 min.

6. Smother with cream cheese frosting and inhale.

Trust me, you need the cream cheese frosting.

These got finished baking right around the time Joe got home yesterday. He helped himself to one while I was wandering around the house and I could hear him "mmm"ing while he ate it. =) ::pats self on back:: They did turn out pretty great...if I do say so myself!! Not to mention they made my house smell a little bit like Christmas, and that is always fun!

Now, go get baking and enjoy!

Happy Friday!

MyMemories Giveaway WINNER!

2011-12-07T20:44:00.001-10:00

Today I bring you the winner of the MyMemories Digital Scrapbooking Software! Only a few people entered {much to my dismay}, so those of you who did enter had a great chance! Yay for you, right?!

Before I get to the winner, I want to remind you that even if you didn't win you can still get a discount on the software by using my special coupon code {STMMMS86011} at checkout. With it, you'll get $10 off the software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories store! {And if you play your cards right, you can get a lot for $10!}

Now, for the winner!! I used the trusty random.org to choose the winner of this giveaway.

And who is lucky number 7?!

Jane!!! Congratulations!!! If you will just send me an email or leave a comment {making sure your reply-to email is set!} I will make sure you have what you need to get your free software. Enjoy!!

Twenty Two

2011-12-06T17:23:00.001-10:00

How far along: 22 weeks!!

Weight gain/loss: Around 18... I weighed myself this morning. I really need to just wait until I go to the doctor from now on. It makes me all self-conscious

Body changes: Nothing new, really. Just a bigger belly and maybe some stretch marks on my hips.

Gender: It's a GIRL!

Movement: Holy moly, does this kiddo move! I'm feeling a lot more these days! Last night she even woke me up twice kicking around. A couple days ago, she made me squeal...she kicked really hard and then she shoved! Joe's also been able to feel her a lot more lately. I love it. =)

Sleep: Meh. I always suspected that I was a light sleeper, but now I know it. I end up sleeping mostly on my left side because it's the most comfortable spot...but then I wake up with a sore neck. Sigh.

What I'm looking forward to: My appointment next week and then going home to see family just a few days after that! =D

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach! Oh, how I miss it. Being able to wear the clothes that I want to... Oh, and not grunting when I get off the couch.

Cravings: Everything sweet. Seriously. I only thought I had a sweet tooth before! I bought some Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream a couple days ago and it's been all I can think about lately! Sad, isn't it?

Symptoms: Heartburn! And of course the occasional back and round ligament pain too.

Best moment this week: Hearing Joe say, "How is it possible to miss someone you've never even met?" It melts my heart and makes me happy because I feel exactly the same way.

Also, today was my sweet little niece's birthday!!! This cute little girl is a whopping 2 years old now!!! I still can't figure out how she's already TWO. {What am I going to do when my baby girl is 2?! Cry, I think. =P}

Poor thing has an Auntie Sarah with preggo brain... Her present has yet to arrive at her house AND I forgot to call today. Epic, epic fail. Thankfully she probably won't remember when she's 16! ;-) Shhhhh, don't tell her!

P.S. One more day to enter the MyMemories giveaway!! You've got a great chance to win - only 4 people have entered!

Ah, the Holidays...

2011-12-04T22:42:00.001-10:00

You know, I really enjoy the Christmas season. Not just the getting gifts for people {which we're seriously cutting back on this year} but just the general joy of the season. The decorating, the lights, Christmas carols sung at church, spending time with family and friends... That sort of thing.

But do you know what I don't enjoy? All the stress that inevitably comes with visiting my family. And let me be clear, when I say "my family" I mean my side of the family. Generally, visiting Joe's side of the family is hectic but enjoyable. Visiting my family, making plans with them, and dealing with them is incredibly stressful. They're my family no matter what and I do love them {no matter how crazy they drive me}, so if I can I go visit.

Source: google.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I'm sure you remember the post where I talked about the drama with my mom. Sadly, the drama there has hardly let up. It's just taken a different turn now. Instead of complaining/whining to me about who's coming {and when} once Charlotte arrives, she now berates me with things I need to do when traveling. Nevermind that my doctor says flying is fine. We are planning to drive from NC to AR with Joe's parents a few days after Christmas. It's a long drive, but we're taking it in 2 days. I haven't cleared it with my doctor yet, but I don't see any problems with this. She does.

Joe put in for leave a while back and asked for 3 weeks, this way we could go to AR to see his brother {who can't come to NC} and to see my family. A win-win situation for everyone involved. I waited a while to tell my mom because I wanted to make sure that we would actually be coming. Well, one day I decided I'd tell her early. Mostly because she kept talking about mailing our presents and I didn't want her to mail them if we'd be coming. So, I told her the situation...that we might be coming if Joe's leave got approved. I was giving her a heads up...being nice, right? Apparently she didn't think so.

I gave her the tentative travel dates and all the info I could. I kind of expected her to be excited. Instead I was met with: "Well, I go back to work on the 2nd." When I told her that I had a feeling and that we'd be staying with Joe's parents {not just because I know my mom will be back at work}, she says, "Well, why even come, then?"

Knife. In. My. Heart. Then she lays on the "I don't want you to travel so much...it's not good for the baby" guilt crap. Personally, I don't see the problem with me riding in a car... How's it different from flying? Since then, we've had basically the same conversation. Except now she throws in "this nurse I talked to said you need to do this. Did you know that?!" kind of things. It's incredibly irritating. She's also said how she's just worried about me. I told her that it's not her job to worry about me all the time. She disagrees because that's what she's always done. Nevermind that little verse from Matthew 6 that says "DON'T WORRY."

I don't fully understand all of the issues she has with me traveling, staying with someone else and generally following my own rules. But after praying, talking to Melissa about it, and hearing a great sermon today at church... I think I've got a few things figured out:

My mom either has control issues or boundary issues. Possibly both.
She still thinks I'm "her little girl."
She can't see me as an adult.
She clearly doesn't fully trust God. {I struggle with that too, but the difference is I realize I struggle with it.}

So basically, I have a lot of praying to do. I also potentially have a hard conversation ahead of me, because I can't keep dealing with this. I can't keep cringing whenever she calls... I can't keep being on edge when I talk to her. I can't keep getting upset every time I talk to her. It's not good for anyone involved and I don't think either one of our behavior is honoring God. {That's where today's sermon comes in.}

Somehow, she needs to realize that I'm not 5 years old anymore, that I'm a married woman {with a baby on the way!}, and that she cannot control my life or what happens to me. More importantly, she needs to realize that I'm trusting God to take care of me, my husband {he did just come home from Iraq, didn't he?!} and this little girl in my belly. And I obviously wouldn't do anything that I know would hurt Charlotte. She also needs to realize that there are certain boundaries in life... I need to learn how to set them, though. I'm very seriously considering buying the book, Boundaries. My pastor in NC recommended it a long time ago and I think it could come in handy now.

All that said, I have a feeling the holidays with my family are going to be very interesting....and possibly very difficult. I'm really looking forward to getting to see all of my family, but I don't look forward to dealing with all the drama. Say a prayer for me? Pretty please?!

How are holidays with your family? Blissfully drama-free or woefully drama-filled? =P

P.S. Just 2 more days to enter the MyMemories giveaway! Only a few people {literally} have entered, so you have a great chance! Don't miss out!

A Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-01T21:54:00.000-10:00

Cue: "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas - Everywhere we go..."

Well, it definitely doesn't look much like Christmas in the Land of Aloha, but it is starting to look like Christmas in my house! Saturday morning, we dug the tree and decorations out of our little storage closet and got to work. With two people working to decorate it didn't really take much time at all. I'm pretty sure it took me most of the day last year. Yay for Joe being home!

Since we still haven't gotten rid of the other couch {grrr}, we opted for what turned into a Christmas corner this year. It wasn't the original plan, but it turned out nice and I think I like it a bit better than what we did last year. Besides, it's not like I have a window to put the pretty tree in front of for everyone to see when they drive by. {One day!}

This year, I chose to make us some new stockings. The ones we had before were, well, not that great. We bought some decorate-able stockings from good 'ole WalMart the first year we were married. They were cute at the time, but 3 years and some DIY lessons later I was beyond ready to trash them. So what's a crafty girl to do? Order fabric from Etsy, of course! =) I got my fabric in the day after Thanksgiving and have been working on them all week. I finally finished them this afternoon.

In case you want to make your own, I traced one of our old stockings and then used this tutorial. I had found another one, but 1) Melissa suggested this one first and 2) I ended up liking it better. I think they turned out great! I was really probably a little too shocked at how easy they were to make. The only hard part about making them was cutting out the fabric, and that was only hard because it was time consuming. And, yeah, I made one for all three of us. =) Joe's is the one on the left, mine is in the middle, and Charlotte's is the last one. I love, love, love them! I really couldn't resist making one for our baby girl. Plus, I'm sure I'll be thanking myself next year when she's 8 months old and crawling all over the house.

Stockings were hung by the...kitchen? ;-)

Oh, what I'd give for a fireplace.

A few weeks ago, I decided that I'd put some vinyl on our kitchen window to make things a bit more Christmasy upon entering our house. I had a bit of trouble with my Silhouette this afternoon {thanks to the trusty preggo brain!}, but I finally got it to spit out "Merry Christmas."

I'm planning on cutting out some silver snowflakes too. I was just too tired to deal with it by the time these were done. I'd already had a busy day and the last thing I wanted to do was fuss with my Silhouette some more. Also, this window opens from left to right. So when the window is open "Merry" will be above "Christmas." I'm hoping to be able to place the snowflakes so that they don't get all jumbled up when the window is open too. We'll see!

We also put a few Christmas lights around the other window near the door. This is one of the windows in what will soon be Miss Charlotte's room. I'd like to put lights up around the rest of the house {you know, that's ours since we live in a quadriplex}, but I don't know if that's going to happen.

All that said, I'm loving our Christmas decorations! Have you started decorating yet? Or did you get to Christmas before Thanksgiving? ;-)

P.S. Don't forget to enter the MyMemories Digital Scrapbooking Software giveaway! It ends December 7th.

Twenty One

2011-11-29T20:56:00.000-10:00

How far along: 21 weeks! Just a little over halfway there. =)

Weight gain/loss: Um... Last I checked it was 13 pounds.

Body changes: Just the growing belly... Although, I did go to Motherhood this past weekend for a bra fitting {you know, 'cause those are growing too} and come to find out I have doubled in size since getting pregnant. Doubled. Sigh.

Please excuse the lack of makeup and attention to my hair.

Gender: It's a GIRL!! =)

Movement: Lots, lots more these days. Sometimes I can even feel her kick when I'm up and moving around, which is a new development. For the most part, little Miss Charlotte thinks it's cool to kick, punch and jump on my bladder. That, my friends, is not cool. I love her tiny little feet and hands but I sure wish she'd leave my bladder alone. =P

Sleep: Meh. It depends on the night, really. Between creepy dreams, getting up to go to the bathroom and waking up to roll over, I don't always get a good night's sleep. But I do sleep in between, so there's that.

What I'm looking forward to: Going home to see family next month!! We bought our plane tickets yesterday. While that process tires me out, it got me excited about seeing family. Not to mention I get to eat Chick-Fil-A and shop at Hobby Lobby! =D

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach, sleeping through the night {oh, the irony...}, not getting heartburn regularly... Oh and having a working brain. Ha!

Cravings: At this point...anything sweet.

Symptoms: Mostly just heartburn. I have some round ligament pain occasionally, but it's not so bad right now.

Best moment this week: How to choose? Hosting Thanksgiving was fun, as was hanging out with my hubby for 4 straight days... Then today I "found" the lost memory card that wasn't. Funny story, really. Last night I was up blogging and picking out our Christmas card. I had uploaded some photos, took the memory card out of my computer and set it on top of the camera...on the couch. At some point, I moved and everything on the couch shifted. The memory card was nowhere to be found. I gave up the search until the morning...which turned into this afternoon when I remembered I needed to look for it. =P I searched under the couch, pulled up the cushions...nothing. Finally I resorted to the {ancient} 512MB card. I grabbed my camera to put in the card and whaddaya know?! The memory card was there all along. Sigh.

And then we got our first baby gift from my bio dad {yeah, I don't talk about him much...don't feel out of the loop}! Miss Charlotte now has a Pack N Play!! Which she won't be able to use for about 5 more months, but that's ok!

Joe already wants to put it together. =) I'm inclined to let him but at the same time, do we really need to put it together right now? Meh. We'll probably do it anyway. That's our prerogative, right?!

P.S. Stay tuned for a crafty giveaway this week!

My Memories Giveaway!

2011-11-29T20:31:00.001-10:00

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the lovely people at MyMemories to review their digital scrapbooking software. I was pretty darn excited because I've been wanting to try out this whole digital scrapbooking thing for quite a while, but never could justify spending so much just to try it out. Not only have they provided me with the software to try, they are also allowing me to give away one free copy to my readers! =D

I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure if their software was Mac friendly or not. Good news: it is! They have a PC version and a Mac version! It's really easy to download and doesn't take too much time. I was also surprised at how easy it is to maneuver. Some programs aren't so easy for me to find my way around, but this definitely is. So easy that I've been able to start a few albums already. =)

I've been wanting to do one for Joe and I yearly, but haven't really done anything. What I love about this software is that you can easily add your photos to it. It's not like regular scrapbooking {which I still love doing} where you have to purchase everything, print out the photos, decide which to use and then cut them if need be. Just click and add. Easy peasy!

For these, I chose to select a photo layout and then my own "paper" background. You can also make your own photo layout, or choose from papers they have. You can also purchase backgrounds and paper kits from their online store. Some layouts are free and others are a few dollars. Here is what I've done so far:

A homecoming page for the Joe and Sarah album...

And a little page for photos we had taken about a week ago by the lovely Annie. =)

Not only will I be able to use it for our yearly photo album, but I'll also be able to use it to document the life of our little one once she gets here. I can only imagine how many photos we'll be taking... For this one, I chose a ready-made layout. Here's a little preview of what I'd like to do with her album.

So cute and girly. =)

You can also use their software to create Christmas cards, announcements and pretty much anything you can imagine. I just like the easy scrapbooking function.

Yeah, yeah, but how do I enter, you ask? If you would like to win one copy of MyMemories Digital Scrapbooking Software, here's how:

Visit MyMemories and choose your favorite digital paper pack or layout. Then come back and tell me which one you chose. {Mandatory, 1 entry}
You must be a follower of my blog. Be sure to leave me a comment! {Mandatory, 1 entry}
Tweet about it, mentioning me: @gijoeswifeblog. Limit 1 tweet per day. Be sure you leave me a comment each time you tweet!
Blog about it, linking your post back to mine. Be sure to come back and comment with the link! {1 entry}

The giveaway starts today and will end Wednesday, December 7 at midnight EST. If you haven't gotten the memo yet, please make sure you comment for each entry.

If you would like to purchase MyMemories software now or after the giveaway is over, please enter my special coupon code: STMMMS86011. This code will give you $10 off the software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories store.

Go forth and enter!! =) Good luck!

Stuffsgiving

2011-11-28T21:39:00.001-10:00

I figured since Thanksgiving was almost 5 days ago I might want to post about it. =P

We had a really great Thanksgiving this year. I was really excited that Joe was home with me this year. It's amazing how completely different everything is when your husband is deployed. I really felt like I could enjoy myself this year. So, I decided I'd host Thanksgiving...20 weeks pregnant. =P

We were planning a Thanksgiving lunch, so we got up at 0700 and put the turkey in the oven. Not without issues, though. It's the first turkey I've ever made, so I guess I should have been prepared to have a problem with something. Fortunately it wasn't a huge problem; we just couldn't get the darn wire from around the legs. I ended up calling my Nana because, well, she's made a bazillion turkeys in her lifetime. She's far wiser than I when it comes to cooking. I think she enjoyed me calling to ask how to get the wire off...she had a great laugh at our expense. =P And after her instruction, we {read: Joe} got the wire off in no time, buttered it, seasoned it and popped it in the oven. I was still worried about it though.

I had planned to make cinnamon rolls for breakfast, but I forgot that I wouldn't be able to cook anything else in our oven after the turkey was in there. Oops. So we had a lovely breakfast of cereal while we awaited turkey dinner. We watched the Macy's parade for a while before we started getting the house {and ourselves} ready for the day. If nothing else, the house looked really nice..in my opinion. =P

The table all ready for our guests!

Dessert table in the kitchen...awaiting more desserts.

Sadly, these are all the pictures I took of the kitchen, food, etc. I took a couple of desserts after the fact, but none during. Actually none of us took any pictures. There were 3 bloggers in this house on Turkey Day and not one of us took a single photo!! For shame. ;-) I'm going to say we didn't take pictures because we were having too much fun and digging in on the good food. I did manage to get a shot of our lunch menu:

I was so nervous about how the turkey would turn out... Like my awesome hubby said, I shouldn't have worried so much. It turned out far better than I expected it to! It didn't look that great, but it tasted very good. I think it would have made my Nana proud...as would the mashed potatoes I made that were gone by round 1 of lunch. ;-) I now understand why she made so many - they don't last long! Jennifer was a big help and brought the green beans, salad and rolls. It was a relief not to have to do everything.

For dessert, I made a chocolate pecan pie {first pie and first pecan pie ever}.

Annie brought some delish red velvet cupcakes, apple pie {with ice cream}, and pumpkin pie. I really don't think we had enough options for lunch or dessert. Do you? ;-) By the time we were finished eating, I think we all could have used a nap. Well...I could have, anyway!

One of Annie's yummy cupcakes. Mmmm.

It wasn't the Thanksgiving I'm used to having with family, but it was definitely a great one. I'm thankful that I was able to spend it with my hubby and good friends this year. And next year I won't have to worry so much about making a turkey! We rounded out our 4 day weekend with a tiny bit of Black Friday shopping, Saturday tree decorating, and Sunday dinner with our good friends, Mr. & Mrs. C. =)

I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving weekend as well!

P.S. Stay tuned for a super fun, crafty giveaway this week!

Twenty - Halfway!

2011-11-23T09:54:00.000-10:00

How far along: Twenty weeks (and one day)!!! We're halfway there!

Weight gain/loss: I weighed myself on Friday and I've gained about 13 pounds. Just a few more than 7. The app that I use says this is too much for where I'm at... But, seriously, I'm hungry all. the. time.

Body changes: Not much... I think I'm seeing the beginnings of stretch marks, but that could be my imagination.

Taken Saturday...so not quite at 20 weeks.

Gender: It's a GIRL!! Charlotte Ann. =)

Movement: Depends on the day, but I've been feeling a lot more these days. She was very active yesterday, especially last night. I love that I can feel her kicks...even though they're getting stronger every day! She actually kept me awake last night kicking away. Silly little girl.

Sleep: Eh. It's better-ish. I've been waking up in a sweat the last couple of nights thanks to the lovely hormones. =/

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing the photos my awesome friend Annie took of Joe and I on Friday afternoon! We took a few belly related shots and one of us with an ultrasound photo. =)

Cravings: Pretty much anything sweet...or chocolate. What can I say? She's all girl!

Symptoms: Heartburn. Before dinner, after dinner, after Tums, after baking soda and water... It comes and goes as it pleases. All I can say is, she better have lots of hair!

Best moment this week: Seeing Joe's face when he was able to feel her kick for the first time. =) He was so excited. She usually won't kick when his hand is on my belly. I guess she was just feeling cooperative. No clue where she gets that! ;-)

Creations for Baby

2011-11-21T22:03:00.000-10:00

Believe it or not, I've actually been doing a fair amount of crafting lately. I'm just glad that I finally feel like doing something again! I knew I felt awful during the first trimester, but I don't think I truly realized the effect it was having on my life. Thankfully that's over and I feel like being productive again!

A long, long time ago {okay, like a year} I bought some super cute fabric for a baby quilt. Joe was deployed, I was learning to sew...and I was a little bored. Not to mention I had baby fever. ;-) So, I ordered the fabric, had it sent to Melissa so she could be sweet and cut it for me {again, learning to sew}, she sent it to me and I laid it all out. Then it sat in a drawer...

Until I found out I was preggo! I suddenly had the urge to start on it. Imagine that. I started working on it again in September, I think, and I finally finished it this weekend! Yay me! It's a rag quilt similar to the ones I made for my mom and then for my nephew, Harry.

A little over halfway done...

All 6 rows sewn together!

The final product!!!

Baby Girl now has her first quilt. =) I know it's not super girly, but I still love it. And it'll definitely still go with the fabric for her bedding. Well, mostly anyway.

A couple nights ago, I was going through a drawer and found some extra fabric I'd forgotten about. I actually bought it to do my very first project with, but that never worked out. It was supposed to be a flannel blanket for a baby shower gift. I cut it out, pinned it together and everything... And it's been sitting in that drawer since we moved in over a year ago. Whoops...

Since baby is a girl, I figured I'd go ahead and make it for her/me. ;-) Unfortunately, my super-novice self did a horrible job cutting the fabric out so it was a little crooked. And my preggo self had no desire to correct that either. I sewed it all together and only ended up having one issue that was easily solved. It took maybe a half hour to do, and I think it turned out well. What do you think?

Side 1: super cute polka dots. Squee!

Side 2: hot pink plaid with lady bugs. =)

It makes my heart happy.

Now little miss Charlotte has 2 blankies and I am feeling like a pretty accomplished momma. =) I'm still working on a diaper clutch. And I'd like to make a few more burp cloths... Oh and I need to make another blanket with some minky fabric. I'll tell you the story behind that one later.

Maybe I'll get to work on those after I host Thanksgiving. Oh yes, it's going to be interesting for sure! Stay tuned!

It's A...

2011-11-17T20:32:00.001-10:00

Baby!!! ;-) Just kidding! {Well, it is actually a baby, but I'm talking gender here.}

Today was a big day! I woke up right before Joe at about 0500 and had a very hard time going back to sleep. My mind kept wandering! Plus, I'd had a dream about the ultrasound and it's result...that didn't really help things. =P My appointment wasn't until 1100, so even though I got more sleep, I still had time to kill! It was brutal.

I don't think I've been more anxious about anything in a long time!!! I suppose maybe I was anxious the day we found out I was pregnant, but I didn't have an appointment time to worry about. Anyways, I thought it'd be like a normal appointment minus chatting with the doctor, so when we got there I tried to calm down so my blood pressure wouldn't be so high. Well, they didn't check it. =P All that for nothing!! They just called me back and walked me to the ultrasound room. =)

Y'all, I can hardly even begin to describe what happened when Joe and I saw our baby on that monitor. It was absolutely amazing. We saw feet...

...which look like tiny versions of my own feet. =) We saw arms and legs, and the cutest little face:

Thankfully, our tech was very nice and told us the gender very early on in the appointment. I took a poll here on the blog and a poll of sorts on FB and Twitter. This of you who voted here thought Baby was a:

Boy. =) Most of my FB friends thought Baby was a girl. And I think it was kind of tied in Twitterland. So, what is the real answer? Well, our Baby is a.......

GIRL!!!!!

Our sweet baby is a little girl!!! And her name is Charlotte Ann. =)

She even waved to us once or twice:

Look at those long little fingers! Again, me.

Hands by her face. She was so done with the photo shoot by this point. =)

I have to admit that I cried a little bit. I just couldn't help it! Whether it was the hormones or it just kind of sunk in that we're having a baby, I'm not really sure. It was definitely a moment that I'll never forget and I'm incredibly thankful that Joe was able to be there with me. Even though it got a little uncomfortable for me {having someone press down on your uterus with baby inside while you have a full bladder is not what I'd call fun}, it was worth every single minute. Learning that our baby is a girl was great, but knowing that she's absolutely perfect and healthy was even better. =)

Seeing Joe's face was also pretty great. He loved looking at our daughter wiggling around in my belly. She kicked a few times where I could feel it, and he just thought that was the best thing ever. Of course, I thought it was neat to be able to see her kick instead of just feel it, but I'm glad he got to experience something other than my symptoms for once.

After the tech checked every nook and cranny of her heart and the rest of her body, we took our baby's first pictures and headed to lunch. {Praise the Lord!} After our delicious lunch at Subway, we grabbed a few things for little miss Charlotte at the PX. We ended up buying her 7 outfits... Spoiled much!?

I love these sweet little outfits!!

Do I have to tell you why we bought these?

I think Daddy's heart melted a bit when he saw this one. ;-)

This is one I made for her with my Silhouette a while back. =)

Joe ended up having to do CQ tonight, but even that can't put a damper on this day. We are over the moon excited that we're having a little girl. Now we just have to get through the next 20.5 weeks and we get to meet her!!

Drama, Drama, Drama...

2011-11-16T18:03:00.000-10:00

What better way to celebrate my 500th post than with a little bit of good 'ole fashioned drama?!

I don't normally air "dirty laundry" on the blog, but this is something I just need to get out for my own mental well-being. And hopefully a few of you will have some good, helpful advice for me too!

As when most people do, once I found out I was pregnant {and told the family} the planning began. Planning for decorations, clothes, and when people are coming to visit. My mom is a paraprofessional at an elementary school and since the baby is coming during the school calendar, it isn't really possible for her to come. As some of you know, teachers don't get vacation days and they only get a few sick days a year. So my parents plan to come in June, after the school year is well over. After learning this, my MIL graciously offered to come right after the baby is born to help out. I was over the moon excited because I know I will be needing some help! I'm no newbie when it comes to babies, but I hear it's a little different when they're your own. ;-) Obviously, I accepted her offer.

I was a bit nervous about telling my mom the news, but I prayed she'd understand. When I told her, the conversation went very well. I know she was a little sad she couldn't make it, but I assured her it'd be fine. I didn't want to be upset when there was nothing I could really do about it anyway. I guess this is one of the things I've learned being a milspouse. There are just some things you can't control and being upset about it doesn't do anyone any good. So, anyway, I thought that was the end of discussion about who was coming when.

Until a couple days ago. Mom texted me asking how long Joe's mom would be here and when his dad would come. I didn't really think much of it {other than that it was a little odd} and told her that my MIL will be here for 2 weeks and my FIL will come for probably a week in there somewhere. I got little response and it didn't cross my mind again. Until yesterday morning. I got the joy of waking up to a text that went something like this:

I'm upset because you said you wanted your MIL to come care for you when the baby's born... Sometimes I feel like you left your family behind when you got married...

There was a bit more to it, but that's the gist of it. I automatically locked my phone and didn't think much about it. Or tried not to. When Joe got back from PT, I showed it to him to see what he thought. Since I wasn't feeling well, he offered to call her and tell her that the way she was feeling wasn't necessarily what was true. Sadly, his conversation with her didn't go so well. I suppose I can understand why, but I think she should know {at least by now} that he knows how I feel and what I think just as well as I do. Anyway, after she talked to him she texted me... Even though I learned later that Joe had said he'd talk to me when he got home and then I'd call her if I was feeling well. That alone irritated me. We talked when he finally got home and I called her because I basically wanted to be done with this issue. It'd been bothering me all day... I was upset and worried and...everything I should not be right now.

So I called. Joe says it went better than his conversation with her, but I'm not so sure. I told her that, no, I did not accept my MIL's offer to come after the baby was born until after I knew that she wouldn't be able to. She apparently doesn't believe this but then said that she wanted me to know that she'd come if I ~~begged~~ asked her to come. That she'd "make it happen" even though it'd be difficult. After going round and round with this for about 5 minutes, I realized that she wanted me to beg her to come. She wants me to be upset that she can't come. Basically? She's making this all about her.

To be honest, I don't really care who comes after Baby gets here. The one person that I'd be very, truly upset if they weren't here is Joe. And he'll be here, so I'm fine. Will it be easier if my mom or MIL were here to help me afterward? Absolutely! But I'm not going to beg anyone to come help me, and I'm certainly not going to put anyone in a difficult financial situation. Nor will I be upset about something I can't control. So, I can't tell her what she wants to hear. I can't validate her... And I honestly don't think it's right for her to put me in that position.

I don't know what to do now. She ended the conversation before I could try to make her really see my point of view. Which, I guess is relatively normal when we have arguments/disagreements. All she wanted out of that conversation was to make me say something and when I didn't do it, she was done. I want to have a good relationship with my mom {and my family}, but I can't be responsible for validating her feelings. I won't apologize for the way I feel.

I didn't even touch on the "I feel like you left your family behind" portion, because that's just blowing all this up. You guys know that when I got married I moved to NC with Joe. I did it because - wait for it - I wanted to. I always wanted to move after I graduated college. Sure, Joe put NC in my brain, but I was okay with it. My family, however, wasn't {and apparently still isn't} okay with me moving. Why? Mainly because that's the central location of Joe's family. Nevermind that we'd have someone close by to help us out if we needed it, they stayed focused on the sole fact that his family would be there.

She says things like this without recognizing the fact that she and Dad have never, ever come to visit us. Not one single time. I'd bet a million dollars {that I obviously don't have} that the only reason they're coming next summer is because of Baby. Yup. I said it. It's Joe's parents that have made an effort to come see us, no matter where we lived. Meanwhile, my parents travel to Vegas every year and don't come to see me. Now you see why I didn't bother bringing that up.

I don't know what to do. I prayed about it all day yesterday and I do feel a certain peace...if only that it's okay for me to feel and think the way I do. I don't know how to make this better. I've always been at odds with my parents over the years, but I thought I was done with all this. I suppose the better part about it now is that I don't live in the same house and I live far enough away to let it be for a while before really needing to hash it all out.

Just say a prayer for me so that I'll be able to figure this all out. I do not need this right now. I should be happy and only thinking about the happy future of my little family. Instead, I have my mom creating issues that shouldn't even be there. And if you have any advice, I'll take it! I'm at a loss.

Oh, and today's the last day to cast your gender vote! My ultrasound is tomorrow! Eeeek! =D

Nineteen

2011-11-15T19:46:00.000-10:00

So I realized earlier that it's been a whole week since I posted last. Whoops! Sorry, readers! I promise I'm trying not to make my blog into an all-preggo, all the time blog. Must be better. =P

How far along: Nineteen weeks!

Weight gain/loss: Around 7 pounds. We'll find out in a couple of days.

Body changes: Just the growing belly!

Gender: Don't know yet but we find out Thursday at 11 {Hawaii time}!!! We are SO excited! I can't wait to find out if Baby is a boy or girl. Go make your vote over on the right hand side! I enjoy seeing who thinks what...and seeing if they're wrong. =P

Movement: Lots more lately!! In fact, just as I was sitting down to write this I got two pretty hard kicks. You know, compared to what they felt like before. And I usually only feel anything when I'm sitting down or resting.

Sleep: Sort of better the past week. I got the preggo pillow and finally figured out a decent way to sleep with it. Plus, I've been going to bed later {which is my norm} so that helps too. Although I'm either having allergy issues or I have a cold... Last night's sleep wasn't so great and I'm not holding out hope for tonight either. Sigh.

What I'm looking forward to: The ultrasound Thursday, of course! =D

Cravings: Cookies. Yeah, that's pretty much all I've been craving the last couple of weeks. Maybe some ice cream too.

Symptoms: Heartburn {usually just when I eat pizza or something equally spicy/acidic}, back pain {sad face} and round ligament pain. Doing more Yoga/Pilates will help with the back pain. I just have to remember to do it. The others I have no real control over.

Best moment this week: Getting my hair cut yesterday! I used a Groupon I bought forever ago to get it cut, styled and a treatment - which ended up being a clarifying treatment. It was fabulous. My hair turned out great, and I barely had to give her instruction. Honestly, that's the way I prefer to get my hair cut. I go in and say something like "I want a little more layers, but I want to keep some of the length" and then they just do whatever. Not everyone can do that, but I think my hair always turns out better when the "artist" has creative control. =)

It looked so much better yesterday...when I wasn't the one fixing it. Oh well! I'm still loving the new 'do. =) What do y'all think?

Eighteen

2011-11-08T20:27:00.000-10:00

How far along: 18 weeks!

Weight gain/loss: Last we checked it was about 5-7 pounds. Not too shabby!

Body changes: The ever-growing belly and girls! Oh, and I'm getting more heartburn these days. Yay.

Sooner baby belly!

Taken Saturday, so it's not exactly 18 weeks...but pretty close.

Gender: We find out on the 17th!! {Vote what you think via the poll up on the right side of the page!}

Movement: I've been feeling a lot more these days!! It's still not every day, but I notice it more. Mostly it's after Pilates or Yoga...or after I clean for a while. That sort of thing.

Sleep: It's been better lately, but I think it's because I've been going to bed later instead of going to bed when Joe does. I'm a night owl and he's not. I like going to bed with him (and sometimes I do, I just read), but it makes my sleep not so good.

What I'm looking forward to: The ultrasound next Thursday!

Cravings: Pretty much the same...but I haven't been downing all that sour candy lately. I did have a craving for chocolate chip cookies last week and remedied that with this recipe. =)

Symptoms: Heartburn, round ligament pain and back pain occasionally. One of my apps says that Yoga and Pilates help with back pain, so it looks like I'm already doing well on that front!

Best moment this week: Feeling the baby more and picking out bedding!! Well, the fabric for bedding that Melissa is going to make for me. =D

I'm seriously in love with the elephants and chevron. Thoughts?

What Ifs...

2011-11-06T17:56:00.000-10:00

Don't worry, this is a post of good "what ifs"! I found this on Rebekah's blog, who also got it from someone else. It's a really cute little post, so I hope you enjoy! =)

What if I were to get pregnant? Already there!! And super excited. =) I've really been itching to get started on the baby's room lately. Just another week and a half before we find out the gender! Eeeek! You should vote on what I'm having on the poll on the right side of the page. Hint, hint.

What if I could have any job in the world? Hmmm. I always thought I'd be a teacher (which I kind of will if I absolutely decide to homeschool), but I really like the idea of working in a museum. Volunteering in the museum on post here during the deployment really got me interested in the research and art behind all the displays in a museum.

What if I had a day all to myself? I'd be bored. =P I think I had enough of that while Joe was gone... But if I could do anything...I'd probably get my hair cut and get a mani/pedi. Just a little pampering!

What if I could get married all over again? Sign me up! I loved our wedding, but if I had it to do over again I think I'd just elope. Get a pretty, simple dress and run down to the courthouse...just like my grandparents did. Oh, and I might grab a photographer too, just so I'd have pictures. Our wedding was very pretty, but the planning was hectic and stressful.

What if I could live anywhere in the US? Put me on a plane back to NC, please!! I fell in love with NC when we moved there 3 years ago. Well, really before that. I'm not sure what it is about that place - the people, the scenery or the history - but I love it and I'd love to move back.

What if I were to have more children? Can I please have this one first?! ;-) Seriously, though, we'd love to have more in a few years. We haven't exactly talked about it a lot, but I know we'll have more and it'll be a blessing. For now, I'm just going to worry about getting this baby here and loving on him/her. =)

What if I could have any talent in the world? Hmmm. I suppose the only talent that I don't have to some degree is dancing. I sing fairly well, I play the piano and flute, I sew and scrapbook, so I am talented...but I'd honestly rather get better at those things than have a new one.

What if you met me in real life? Well, you'll probably discover that I'm a little shy at first. True to the introvert's description, I like to feel out a situation before I feel really comfortable. I was much better about this in college, but since being out of a lot of social events I've crept back into my little shell. Once you've been around me for a while, though, you'll find that I'm very chatty and open. And maybe a little loud sometimes. =) That one I can't really help, it's a family trait.

What if I went back to school? I'd probably try to get my Master's in American History. And then maybe I'd try to work in a museum.

What if money weren't an object? Fun question! I'd pay off my student loans and our car...and maybe buy another car because I'm not a fan of being carless while Joe's at work. Then I'd work on refurnishing our house. =)

What if I could meet one celebrity? Honestly, I could care less about celebrities. They're people just like anyone else, they're just well known. I wouldn't pass up meeting Patrick Dempsey (*wink, wink*), but I don't dream about meeting him.

What if I could only shop at one store for the rest of my life? Just one?! I can't do it! I'd say Target (pronounced tar-jay ;-)), but I have to have somewhere to get fabric too! I shouldn't have to choose. =P

What if I could choose an animal/pet? Done! We've had Jasper for almost 3 years. He's definitely a member of our family [and if you ask if we're getting rid of him when Baby comes, I'll hurt you]. Sometimes I think I'd like to adopt another dog/puppy, but then I think about training another one and forget about it.

What if I could go on a trip right now? Trip, as in a different country? SO hard to choose! But I think I'd have to pick England. I've wanted to go for as long as I can remember.

What if I had to choose between a house cleaner and professional chef? House cleaner, please!!! Having someone come clean my house would make my life a lot easier. Not to mention it'd give me more time to meal plan! I'm a pretty good cook [if I do say so myself], so I think I'll pass on the chef.

What if I had the option to get plastic surgery? Meh. I'm not a huge fan of plastic surgery, or surgery in general. I may consider it once I'm done having babies, but even then I'm not sure I would.

Best Cookies Ever

2011-11-04T15:16:00.000-10:00

I have a special treat for you today! And you can thank yesterday's craving {brought on by a Facebook post of Chantal's} for this. =)

Anyway, I've had bad luck with chocolate chip cookies...and other cookies lately so I was reluctant to try it. But the craving was there and I had everything I needed so I started searching online for a good recipe, with good reviews. After a few minutes of searching, I found a good recipe from my allrecipes.com app. So I've decided to share with you the recipe for the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made. You can thank me later. ;-)

Never Fail Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup butter

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Stir with fork so all ingredients are mixed together. [Set aside.]

3. In large bowl, combine sugars and butter. Mix until smooth. [Mine was still a little clumpy because of the brown sugar, but just make sure it's mixed well.] Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy.

4. Add 1 cup of dry ingredients at a time to [wet] mixture until all is incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

5. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. [I cooked mine for about 11 minutes because my oven tends to run a little hot.]

I didn't take pictures of the process because, honestly, I wasn't sure how they'd turn out. Oh, and I used 1 cup of semisweet chips and 1 cup of white chocolate chips because I didn't have enough semisweet. It was definitely a win. This is how they turned out:

Last batch baking in the oven. Looking good!

Mmm-mmmm good!!

I've never been so happy after baking cookies in my life! I'm a little proud that I didn't have another epic fail on my hands, but I mostly attribute that to the recipe. =) Go bake some now! You know you want to!

Happy Weekend!

P.S. If you have fall photos, feel free to send them anytime!! And for those of you who've wondered where to send them {and don't have your reply-to email set, shame, shame}, my email address is on the left side of the page under my photo.

Seventeen

2011-11-02T20:29:00.000-10:00

How far along: 17 weeks!

Weight gain/loss: Somewhere around 5 pounds. I don't weigh myself every day. =P

Body changes: Just the growing belly and "girls!" I haven't noticed any stretch marks...yet.

Gender: Don't know yet, but we find out in 15 days!!! I'm going to post a poll on the right side of my blog so y'all can vote on what you think Baby is. =) Start voting!

Movement: I've been noticing a bit more the last couple of days! In church Sunday I got kicked 3 times. =) Yesterday morning after I did preggo yoga (thanks, Netflix!), I got a couple kicks too. Oh, and I'm fairly certain Baby woke up at 5am with Joe this morning and did jumping jacks on my bladder. Not cool, kiddo.

Sleep: Some nights good, some nights bad. A couple nights ago I woke up every two hours. Around 2am I got irritated and thought "I don't have a newborn yet!" Haha =) I probably need to get a pregnancy pillow or body pillow. I'm fairly certain that's part of the reason I'm having issues sleeping.

What I'm looking forward to: The ultrasound in 15 days!! And shopping for cute baby things. I've been holding back, but after the 17th I don't think I'll be able to anymore.

Cravings: About the same... Still loving the sour candy. I've also been craving a lot of spicy foods lately. Oh and Cocoa Puffs. No lie. Before last week, I probably hadn't had them in YEARS. Suddenly, I can't get enough of them. So weird.

Symptoms: Some round ligament pain here and there...along with some back pain. It's not too bad, but it is annoying sometimes.

Best moment this week: Getting kicked in church! =)

Just for fun, here are some photos from our date night on Saturday.

This is a shirt that I rarely wore before I got pregnant. Now, however, it makes "the girls" look good and of course it doesn't make the baby belly look bad either! This may be in my wardrobe more often until my belly starts sticking out of it. ;-)

I love that his hand naturally went to my belly. =) Oh well, what can you do? It's not like it's gonna get smaller anytime soon! {Nor do I want it to.}

Go vote for what you think Baby is! Oh, and if you took some this week, email me your fall photos! Pretty please?

Shutterfly Winners!!

2011-10-29T02:00:00.001-10:00

The giveaway ended at midnight EST last night, so today I get the pleasure of announcing the very lucky winners!!! Here they are!

Congratulations, guys!! I'll be emailing you the codes for your free cards within the next day or so. In the meantime, you might want to start looking at their cards! =)

Happy Weekend!

Friday Project

2011-10-28T18:04:00.000-10:00

Joe had today off, but he chose to spend the day at the range, shooting with his battle buddies. {I won't even mention that he's going to be at the military range on Monday.} That left me plenty of time on my hands today. So after some urging from Melissa, I started on a craft for my kitchen.

You see, I bought some coffee themed fabric almost a year ago and I'm pretty sure I've only used it once. Sad, isn't it? Although what I made with it was pretty darn cute:

Melissa and I got to talking about what I should make and she mentioned a dish drying mat. I don't do the dishes much anymore {thank goodness!}, but my pots and pans aren't dishwasher safe. We have a small drying rack in the opposite side of the sink, but that gets crowded sometimes. Plus, Melissa also mentioned that once Baby gets here I'm likely to have pump parts and bottles that need to be hand washed. Dish drying mat it was!

So I ironed my fabric, cut up and old {and really ugly} towel, and then cut my fabric. I made mine 18x14, but I almost wish I would have made it bigger. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes. It's really simple to make, but if you want a tutorial this is a pretty good one I found via trusty Google. ;-) In the tutorial she uses one piece of fabric and a towel, but I used two pieces of fabric and sandwiched the towel in between the two. This is how mine turned out:

Front (or top...)

Back

{Just pretend you don't see my crooked stitching.}

Oooooh.... Aaaaaah.... ;-)

I think it turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself! I've thought about going back and tacking it all together (think big X) but I can't decide. Anyway, I like. =)

Then Melissa suggested I make one for my SIL. Anna told me recently that she's decorating the kitchen in her new house around the potholders I made for her for her birthday.

Well, I just happen to have some scraps of that fabric leftover! So I made her a dish drying mat today too. =)

Front

Back

For hers, I did just as the tutorial I posted above did. I thought I'd have enough to do one like mine, but I didn't. Hers is simpler, and a little less bulky than mine but I think it'll do the trick just fine!

I think it'd also be cute to take a bunch of scraps and do a patchwork one. I'd do that, but none of my scraps go with my kitchen and I'd kind of like things to match. So I guess I'm just going to have to figure something else out for them!

Anyways, these are really easy to make. If you're looking for a good project or just find that you need one, definitely go make one!

Sixteen

2011-10-26T16:51:00.000-10:00

Well, I finally decided I should start doing bump-dates...if only so I remember all this stuff later! ;-)

How far along: 16 weeks (and 1 day)...lots more to go!

Weight gain/loss: So far I've gained about 5 pounds, which I think isn't too bad. My doctor hasn't said anything either way so I guess I'm doing okay!

Body changes: Well, my belly is definitely growing! I can no longer wear my pre-pregnancy shorts without a belly band. =) Oh and "the girls" are growing too. They're huge. Haha, too much info?!

Gender: Don't know yet, but we'll find out on November 17th!! =D

Movement: I feel little flutters (seriously, it's almost like butterflies) every once in a while, but not a lot. Mostly it's in the afternoon or at night when I'm being still.

Sleep: Ugh. I've been having a hard time getting comfortable lately. I'm a tummy sleeper, and hello, my tummy is much bigger these days. I seriously need a body pillow. And I've been getting up a couple times at night to potty. Yaaay.

What I'm looking forward to: The ultrasound in November and being able to feel Baby more. =)

Cravings: Sour candy...namely chewy sweet tarts and sour skittles. Oh and last Friday I had a major craving for a steak... Odd.

Symptoms: The only real symptom I've had lately is cramping, which Doctor says is just round ligament pain. Yay. Thankfully the nausea went with the first trimester. =)

Best moment this week: Feeling Baby tickle my belly as I was trying to go to sleep a couple nights ago.... And hearing Baby's heartbeat (160!) today was also pretty awesome. =)

P.S. Don't forget to go enter for free Shutterfly cards here!! Only a handful of people have entered and I have 3 codes to give away! Giveaway ends the 28th!

P.S.S. If you have fall photos, please, please, please email them to me by tomorrow for the Fall Foto Contest!

Five

2011-10-25T10:18:00.001-10:00

I suppose there comes a time in every marriage (or relationship) when you forget certain things. Or even when both people forget something. Even something significant. Like a day.

This time has come in our relationship. *sigh*

On October 11, we "celebrated" 5 years of being together. We celebrated by going to my doctor's appointment, Joe going to work afterward and then bringing home my prenatals. That's right folks, both of us forgot. I mean, completely forgot. Want to know when I remembered? When I was laying in bed one night thinking of all the things we had to do that week. I grabbed my phone to see the date and suddenly realized... We forgot. Or if Joe remembered he didn't say anything. =P

I actually think it's kind of funny that both of us forgot. It's not unusual for Joe to forget dates (other than our wedding anniversary and my birthday; he's good about those), but it is unusual for me to forget dates. Especially significant ones. What's even funnier is that when I scheduled that doctor's appointment, I knew that there was something important about the 11th. I just couldn't figure it out... And there wasn't anything in my iCal to tell me otherwise. Lo and behold I was forgetting an important Joe & Sarah date. Pregnancy brain definitely is taking the blame for this one!!

After I realized the important date (as in the next day), it made me think of how completely different our lives are now...and not even in a way that we imagined those 5 years ago.

Taken a few days after our first date in 2006.

We were in college, both seeking teaching degrees and our "significant other." I think maybe we hoped we would be that for each other, but didn't really have a clue. Well, I guess we didn't really have a clue about a lot of things back then (and I'm sure we still have a lot more to learn!). I highly doubt that either one of us thought that Joe would be in the Army 5 years later. Or that we'd be living in Hawaii. Or that he'd be sent to Iraq; to spend a year far away from me in a strange desert, being shot at on an almost-daily basis. The only thing we were certain about then was that we were going to be teachers. And even that isn't true today. Teachers at heart, maybe, but definitely not by profession.

One week ago.

Geesh, we even look different now. Not in a huge way, of course, but in subtle ways. Both of us have gained a few pounds - even discounting my baby belly. Joe likes to call that his "happy fat" because he was so happy - and extremely well fed - when we got married. He's got a high and tight these days and is only unshaven on the weekends. My hair kinda looks the same. =P There is one difference though:

Hellooooo baby bump! That's definitely the biggest change from 5 years ago. I definitely couldn't have told you back then that in 5 years I'd be married to Joe and pregnant with our first baby. =) It's absolutely exciting (even a little scary at times), but so completely different from back then. I can't even begin to imagine what's going to happen five years from now. And maybe it's better that way. But at least I know that whatever happens, it'll be with Joe. With him I think I can pretty much handle anything.

So here's to many more years...and even years when we forget to remember our first date. ;-)

P.S. If you'd like to send in photos this week, I'd love to start the Fall Foto Contest! Make sure you email them by Thursday.

P.S.S. Don't forget to enter for a chance to win FREE Shutterfly cards!! Only 3 days left! Go here to enter.

FREE Christmas Cards!

2011-10-21T13:18:00.001-10:00

Yes, you read that right. FREE Christmas cards for bloggers, courtesy of Shutterfly. =)

They did a similar promotion last year, which I was also super excited for. I started thinking about what I was going to do if they didn't offer it again this year, but fortunately I don't have to worry about that now! All I have to do is choose from a bazillion cards that I like. They have everything from Christmas cards to greeting cards - and even photo books - all with some pretty great designs.

I loved the cards that I got from them last year:

I'd never done a photo card before and was excited to see how they'd turn out. I'd also never used Shutterfly before. I was very pleasantly surprised to see how well they turned out. =) It's really a great alternative to the "traditional" Christmas card. These can be hung on the fridge with all the rest of the pictures instead of put on a table or in a drawer somewhere. =P

This year, I'm inclined to do the photo Christmas card again... But I'm having a hard time deciding which design I like best!!! Here are the front-runners:

The "here's what we did this year" card.

Covers the photo part and adds in a nice little letter for those we don't talk to every day.

I like this one simply for the Hawaii factor.

Plus, who doesn't like decorated palm trees? ;-)

Again with the Hawaii factor. I also like the collage of pictures.

I think this one is just plain cute.

It also kind of reminds me of Joe's grandma because she's all about Santa. =)

Traditional, vintage spin on the photo card. Me likey. =)

These are just a small taste of the many, many designs they have for cards. Now do you see why I'm having a hard time deciding?!

If you're a blogger, Shutterfly is offering you the chance to get 25 FREE Christmas cards! Woo!! All you have to do is go register on their website, http://goo.gl/DDw7Q. Easy peasy!

Even if you're not a blogger, Shutterfly is offering you a chance at free cards too!! I have 3 codes to give to 3 lucky readers. All you have to do to enter is this:

Leave me a comment telling me what you will do with your free cards. One entry per person. Contest will run until October 28 at midnight EST. Winners will be posted the following day.

Note: You must have a working reply-to email address in order to comment. If I can't reach you by email, I will choose someone else. Don't miss out on this chance because you don't have your email set!!

{Go here to find out how to do that.}