Baby Joshua

Baby Joshua is here. We delivered a beautiful baby boy on Sunday. He is very healthy. My recovery is also going smoothly.

Joshua weighed in 8lbs 13oz. Thank goodness he was smaller than Kyle. Joshua's length was 21 inches.

Sorry it has taken me a few days to get this posted, but no Internet in the hospital, and you know what I have been preoccupied with other things.

Update

I just wanted to let you all know that I am still pregnant. It looks like the baby could come at anytime. I got checked on Tuesday and was at 4 cm, we are just waiting for contractions to start. Last night we thought that it might be it. They started to become regular to about 6-7 mins apart. Then they faded away. I am feeling well, my Mum is here to look after Kyle whenever we go in. Its just the waiting game now.

What a day

Yesterday's mood changed very quickly. I woke up early. My hip just didn't feel right. It felt like one of them was out of joint. I came downstairs to watch some TV so I wouldn't wake Kris with all my tossing and turning. Kyle decided to join me after about an hour. When Kris went to PT we headed upstairs, so see if we could get another hour of shut eye. I started to feel better. I got ready to go to a appt. in the hospital (my 4th of the week). Things went well at the hospital, I even got a really good parking spot.

I got Kyle and myself home, and this is when things changed. I wasn't feeling well so I put Kyle down for his nap 1/2 an hour early. I was about to take a nap myself. That's when the nights before dinner came up. I couldn't keep anything down for the rest of the day. Including water.

What was worse I couldn't remember when I last felt the baby move. I decided to lay down and track my movements. I hadn't felt the baby move in the next 2 hours. I decided that this warranted a trip to the hospital. Unfortunately Kris was sick himself, and we can't bring Kyle into the hospital unless he is the patient (new H1N1 restrictions). I drove myself into to the hospital, and started to freak out.

They had trouble finding the babies heart beat. My contractions were also only a minute apart a strong. We were able to find the babies heart beat. But the baby still wasn't moving. I got two bags of iv fluids and started to feel better. I still couldn't feel him move.

The doctor decided to do an ultrasound to see if he was moving, and I just couldn't feel it. They also were going to measure the amniotic fluid around the baby. All was looking good, but baby still wasn't moving. The doctor went out and brought in a sound machine, this worked well. I guess little baby boy doesn't like getting woken by loud sounds, but it worked well.

Almost five hours later, and I was feeling much better. I could feel the baby move. It was past midnight, and I was able to go home. All I wanted was to go to sleep.

Today I still don't feel 100%. I have been taking it easy. I have been able to hold things down. I haven't tried very much. I am very much ready to have the baby now. Tossing and turning with the beach ball in front of me has gotten old. Thank goodness its not much longer. If this baby doesn't come sooner they have decided to induce me in 13 days. Whoo hoo.

Happy December 1st!!!

So I can't believe that it is December already. I only have 20 days until my due date, and I don't think this little boy is going to wait that long. He is definitely pushing down, he has dropped. We will see what the doc says tomorrow at my next appt.

I don't think I have posted this, but I failed my second 3 hour glucose test. Ever since I have been following the diabetic diet (well maybe I cheated a little over thanksgiving), and pricking my fingers testing my blood sugar levels 4 times a day. I dread doing this every time.

Kris is home from NTC. I am very thankful that he is home. He jokes that I have been working him hard. I made him put up Christmas lights this weekend. This is one of my favorite times of year. I love seeing Christmas lights everywhere. I love the smells of the season, the candles, the cooking, the cookies. I love looking at wrapped Christmas gifts under trees. I feel like a big kid at this time of year.

This year I am thankful for the new little package that we will have with us. So this year all I am asking for is a healthy baby. I wish that everyone could have the same. I know people that have struggled through health struggles with their children this year. I hope that 2010 will be a healthy one.

Have a great week, and come back I will try and post a ridiculous picture of my belly. It is huge.

Living Life More Thankful

This morning I opened up CF Husbands blog. He had a wonderful idea for a challenge for all of us. I have decided that I would try it. He has suggested that instead of complaining about the things in our lives that we don't like, we should turn that around, and look for something to be thankful for. His example is folding laundry. Instead of complaining, be thankful that you have laundry to fold.

So this week I am going to challenge myself to be less ungrateful, and be thankful for the things I have. The people that I love, and who love me. My health, my families health. The ability to be able to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season. (I have not been thinking very nice thoughts about cooking and all the work that comes with hosting Thanksgiving).

Feel free to join me in this challenge. Just leave a comment and let us know if your up to the challenge. Have a wonderful week.

Not the Weekend I planned.

This past weekend didn't go as planned.



I am not sure that I have let you know, but Kris has been away all month with his unit at NTC (national training center). This is where the Army does alot of its training before they send units overseas to fight in the war. It is very much like a real deployment, the guys/girls have to turn in their cell phones, there is no Internet access. We call this "the box".



This month also is approximately 9 months from when they last got back from Iraq. You know what this means. Babies. Thursday evening I get a phone call from a wife, that she is in early labor. I try to call Kris (as a commander he has a duty cell phone). I start to leave message after message so his soldier will know about his baby coming. Hopefully get packed up in time and make the birth. Unfortunately NTC is in cell hell. I leave messages, and emails. To no avail.



Saturday night this wife gets admitted into the hospital to have her baby. More calls from me to him. This is also when we find out that the Red Cross won't send a message until after the baby has been born. We were always informed that once the Mama got admitted they would send a message. This was the first of many frustrations I had this weekend. Luckily this wife had her parents a sister in the area, so she had a great support system in place. Mama and Baby are doing just fine.

Then around 1:30am Saturday night I receive another phone call that we have a second wife in Labor. Luckily she was able to drop off her two year old with another family. Unfortunately she didn't have anyone to be with her in the hospital.

Sunday morning Kris' XO's wife Kadi and I went to the hospital to do our rounds. To welcome the new babies into our unit with a bunch of flowers and gift card. This is when we learn that wife number 2 is still in labor. And still alone. We convince her that she really shouldn't be alone, and that we are really trying hard to get a message thru to her husband.

We decide to volunteer to be her labor coaches. We give our numbers to the nurse, and leave the hospital, so we can go take care of her pets. I bring her dog home with me, so it will be easier to take care of.

A few hours later we were able to get the message thru to the dads, they were packing up their things, and headed on their way home. Thank goodness.

About an hour after that we receive our phone call that she is in active labor. Kadi and I rush to the hospital, (its about a mile away from where we live) to be by her side. During this time we get to witness her epidural being taken out, and reinserted, since the first one didn't seem to be working. Thank goodness the second on started to work almost immediately. Mama was able to get some rest.

That evening I witnessed my first live birth (probably not a good idea right before I am about to go into labor). I witnessed a few complications, but the hospital staff were right on top of it. I got to see which nurses I would like at my delivery. And in the end I got to see a beautiful baby boy being born.

I discovered that even if I didn't plan this for my weekend, that I learnt some very valuable lessons. That Army wives are awesome, they will step up and do anything for you. And we really are a family. Where else would this ever happen. Do you think that if you went into labor when your husband was away on business that his bosses wife would be your labor coach?

I just hope this weekend isn't as eventful. I do need my rest, as it is only just over a month to my own due date.

Sorry

I want to say I am sorry. I have been a terrible blogger at late. I have begun posts and blogger wouldn't upload my photos. I got frustrated and quit. I hope you all can forgive me.

Here is a quick update. Everything is going well. I am getting bigger by the day it seems. The mid wife that I saw at my last visit made me go thru a second 3 hour glucose tolerance test. This one wasn't as bad as the first one. I haven't heard results yet, so I am taking that as a good sign.

Kris has been in the field for the past few weeks, so I have been on single Mom duty. Thank goodness Kyle has been behaving himself.

Last week my crib got delivered and I am so excited. I also got the dresser refinished. I still have to complete the bookshelf topper. I started to go thru Kyles old clothes, I can believe that he was that small. I started washing and putting away these clothes for Baby T.

My mother in law cam for a visit this weekend. We had a good time, she said that she needed her Kyle fix.

I guess thats about it right now. I am sorry again that I have been a bad blogger, and I will strive to do better in the future.

Pumkin Patch

This weekend we finally made it out to the local Pumpkin patch. Kyle had a blast, the weather was awesome. The company was great, I couldn't have asked for more.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Crib

So I am very excited, yesterday I order the new baby's crib. It took me so long, because I wanted to pay cash for it, and since it is coming from pottery Barn kids, it took me a little while to pull out and squirrel away that much cash in the house. Here's a picture of the crib I ordered. This was the last thing that we needed to purchase before the baby comes. I am getting pretty excited now it is all coming together. I also hung the curtains in the nursery this week. Now all we have to do is finish the dresser (we are refinishing Kyle's) and we are all done. I am very excited if you haven't noticed.

Have a great weekend.

Results

I got a call first thing this morning from my mid wife. I then started to panic that it was bad news. since I was still going on the assumption that no news is good news. But she was happy to inform me that I passed. Whoo hoo.

Apparently I barely failed 1 out of the 4 times they took my blood. This is not all that unusual. You have to fail 2 out of the 4 to be considered diabetic/have gestational diabetes. That's why the test takes so long, some people just process sugars differently.

I'm glad its over with. I am thankful I passed. I do not wish the process on anyone.

I hate the Lab!!!

Last week I took my regular 1 hour glucose test. Apparently I failed. Which brought me back to the lab today for a 3 hour glucose tolerance test. This is not fun at all.

I had to stop eating for 12 hours before I head into the lab. Thankfully a good friend was watching Kyle, or it could have been even more stressful. I get to the lab, and its packed. I pull my number and start waiting. I had 11 regular people in front to me. This did not include all the active duty personnel that take priority. After a 30 min wait, I find out that the girl I made the appointment with forgot to tell me that I didn't need to wait, and should have come straight up as soon as I got there. A little frustrating. But I get escorted back and get my blood drawn immediately. I then have t wait 30 mins to see if my fasting glucose level is OK.

This is where it begins to suck. I have to down 10 oz of really disgusting solution. It almost makes me throw up. Then I start to feel dizzy. I won't even begin to tell you about the random facts that I am beginning to learn about the pregnant lady sitting next to me.

I then have to get my blood drawn every hour on the hour for 3 hours. (I hope that made sense). I can't leave the lab, as an exercise including walking around the hospital can skew your results. The lab might possibly be the most boring place ever. Thankfully I didn't have Kyle and I brought a book with me.

I did tho meet some pregnant women that just shouldn't be having babies, and I am scared for their future educational needs. Also I met a phlebotomist that needs a lesson in Geography.

1. Australia is not in Europe.
2. We speak English in Australia, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I speak English well.
3. Australia really doesn't get that cold.
4. Not all of Australia is desert.
5. Kangaroo's come from Australia, and they aren't all that cuddly.

I was scared to continue on with this conversation.

All I can say is I am thankful it is all over. This is why I have decide that I hate the Lab.

I haven't heard back from my mid wife, so I am working on the assumption that no news is good news tonight, and will call to check on results in the morning. I will let you guys know the results when I get them. Lets just hope I don't have gestational diabetes, since I don't need to be having a bigger baby then I am already having.

Cheeky

28 Weeks

How far along? 28 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss? 9.5 Lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes, I broke into the winter stuff this week. Last night the low was 25.

Sleep? Getting better, it seems like my bladder is finally cooperating.

Best moment this week? Having Kris back home with us. Being able to go see a movie with a friend.

Best baby moment? Reading and finding out that the babies eyes are now opening and closing.

Movement? All the time. I can actually see my belly move now when the baby kicks.

Food cravings? I am loving ice cream at the moment.

Gender? Boy

Labor signs? I think I started having braxton hicks this week.

Belly button in or out? Almost out. Some nights its half out, most of the time its kinda flat.

Symptoms? Nothing significant

What I miss? Being able to bend over.

What I am looking forward to? Ordering my new crib and bouncer.

Weekly wisdom: I bought newborn diapers today. They are so much smaller than I remember. Here are some pics of the comparison of what I am used to seeing and what the newborn ones look like.

Good things to know!

DID YOU KNOW?

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to Pick the little 'stringy things' off it. That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.

Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream; then beat them.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Reheat Pizza Heat leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove; set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the food channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal; mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy; squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done - easy clean up.

Reheating refrigerated bread To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave next to a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away Start putting torn newspaper in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants, overlapping as you go; cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic; they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

Flexible vacuum To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... at ad! ... static is gone.

Measuring Cups Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient (peanut butter, honey, etc.) and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield?Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Conditioner Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2 with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load of clothes.) He took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material . I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ....the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh - that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very longtime (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush at least every six months. He said that increases the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that.So, I thought I'd share!

27 Weeks

How far along? 27 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? I have gained 9 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes, but looking at my photo is that a surprise to anyone?

Sleep? I am sleeping better this week.

Best moment this week? Having painted the nursery. Thats one less thing I have to worry about later.

Movement? Lots of movement. I am now at the stage where they (the doctors) require you to time how long it takes for 10 kicks. I barely make it to 15 mins most night. They allow up to 2 hours for a normal amount of movement.

Food Cravings? Cake, chocolate pie, chocolate anything.

Gender? Boy.

Labor signs? None yet thank goodness.

Belly button in out out? Still in, barely.

Symptoms? All the usual stuff, getting bigger. My belly is starting to itch from the skin stretching. Fatigue. Being emotional. Nesting.

What I miss? Being able to bend properly.

What I'm looking forward to? Kris coming out of the field this week. Having some help around the house.

Weekly wisdom? Be on the look out I am nesting. Don't try and get in my way.

Also the baby is now at a viable age, and weighs somewhere between 2 - 2.5 lbs, and is approx 14.5 inches.

Baby T's Room

Over the past two days I have been busy painting and taping off Baby T's room. I thought that I would share a few pictures of my stripy wall. I am pretty excited how it turned out. I am even more excited that I managed to keep Kyle out of the paint, so there is not blue paint all thru my house.

Just in case your wondering I only painted on stripes on the one wall. They are way to much work to do on all four. That's the wall where I plan on putting Baby T's crib. Then I plan on having his name in wooden letters above it.

Also pay no attention to the curtains these are the blackout curtains. I love blackout curtains. We have then in each room. I am a strong believer that you sleep so much better when its dark outside. Our upstairs is pretty bright when you don't have the blackout curtains on.

I did not manage to keep the cat out of the paint unfortunately. He was laying down on my drop cloth, and Kyle came over to pat him, and he rolled right over into the paint can lid. Thank goodness it was only a quart lid. I was also able to catch him before the grey paint made it self all over the house. I know he didn't enjoy it, but he ended up getting a sponge bath to get all the paint off of him.

Bella also didn't really enjoy the painting process. Since we moved here she has come to believe that this was her room. Every night she would sleep on the queen sized bed that we had in there. As you can see I cleared out the room before painting, as I think there is nothing worse than having to move furniture every time you reach a new wall.

Crazy Cat

Kyle's First Soccer Practice

On Friday night Kyle had his first soccer practice. All day he was excited talking about playing soccer. Once we got to practice it was a different story. Kyle didn't want to do anything.

He ran away from me. He even tried running into the street that runs along side the field.

He sat and he pouted.

He threw himself on the ground and threw a major tantrum. So much so that I had to cut his practice short and take him home so he wouldn't disturb the other kids. Lets hope that next week is a better week, and that he might actually participate. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Instructions

Since a few of you asked here are some basic instructions on how to make your own playhouse.

I bought 6 yards of the blue fabric this was 45 " wide. 2 yards of the red. 2 yards of the brown. 1/2 a yard of the other colors. I know this sounds like a lot of fabric, but I bought all mine at walmart and it was less than $30.

• Measure your card table. I have read that they come in different sizes. Mine is approximately 34" x 34" on the top. So I cut a 35" x 35" square out of the brown fabric.
• Cut 8 sides (if you want it lined this is what I did 4 if you don't). Mine measured 35" x 30". Thats one extra inch the the actual measurement. This allows for a 1/4 " seam allowance.
• Complete all your sides with whatever embellishments you would like. I don't have actual measurements for mine since I just winged it.
• Sew your four sides together at the side seams.
• Pin the roof on around the table so you can get a proper fit. Sew the sides onto the roof.
• Sew your hem.
• Enjoy.

Here is a link to the one that I originally found, if you would like another look. This one is more like a fort.

Thank you all for the feedback I got on the last post, but I will not be selling these on etsy. I think they are just way to much work to sell to strangers. I might make them for friends, if your really nice to me ;) . Let me know if you have any other questions.

Play House

So this week I found some vague instructions on how to turn your card table into a play house. Kyle seemed really interested in it, and wouldn't let me navigate away from the page. So I decided that it would be worth a try.

It was a hit instantly. Even before I had actually started sewing anything. I cut out the top panel and the side ones, and pined them on the table he loved it then. During hi nap time I was able to finish the front panel with the front door. He loved it even more. The more I added the more he got excited. It was really motivating all the appreciation that I was getting.

So I cranked this puppy out in about 16 hours of work. I still want to add some more detail to it, but you get the idea.

I still want to add a name plate to the front of the house. And make some mail to put in and out of the mail box.

I have thought about adding a flower box under this window, or some flower pots, and flowers. We will see if this happens, since its probably on the bottom of my to do list right now.

Kyle makes you knock on his door before he talks to you if he's inside. Another fun game Kyle likes to play is the big bad wolf. One of his favorite books right now.

The shiny square above the fire place will hold a 8 x 10 picture of the family. I plan on printing one off today for him.

I plan on making some logs and fire for the fire place. I am thinking of putting some Velcro on the back of them, so he can choose to have a fire or not. I made the inside of the fire place felt, so that they would stick.

The plaid squares on the sides are pockets so he can store some stuff if he likes.

If you would like to make one for yourselves, I would be happy to let you know some more specifics like how much fabric you need, and how to get started. Just let me know.

This weekend

We had a busy weekend this week. I think this was one on Kyle's favorite part. I will post more later when I recover.

23 Weeks

How far along? 23 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? 6.5 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes Yes Yes. I have been in for a long time now.

Sleep? I am having troubles sleeping this week. I just can't get comfortable.

Best moment this week? Watching my friends Husband come home safely from Iraq.

Movement? This baby moves all the time. More than Kyle ever did.

Food Cravings? Still fruit. I am moving on to dairy and Popsicles this week as well.

Gender? Boy this hasn't changed from last week.

Labor signs? None yet thank goodness.

Belly button in out out? Still in, and still squishy.

Symptoms? Just getting bigger. The baby is moving more. I can't stand on my feet for prolonged periods of time otherwise I get cramps.

What I miss? Sleeping. Having a bladder that is normal sized.

What I'm looking forward to? Decorating the nursery. I finished making the crib bedding this week, and am looking forward to doing the rest of it.

Weekly wisdom? If you like your sleep, don't have children. ;)

Family Day

Kris has been in the field all week. Yesterday was a army sponsored family day. This was my first time going down on the range. Usually they don't let civilians down there. Kyle had a great time exploring Kris' tank. He had to be pried off of the tank at the end of the day. This made Kris such a proud father.

Kris Showing Kyle his tank.

Kyle actually taking a second to look at his mommy for a picture.

22 Weeks

So I thought that I would post my first belly pic for you all to see. I decided that I would cut off my head since I didn't do my hair, and I am kinda looking funny at the camera. I took the photo myself using my self timer for the first time.

I also decided that I would answer a pregnancy survey that I stole off my friends Carries blog. I hope you enjoy.

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? 5 lbs. Not to bad I guess

Maternity clothes? Yes Yes Yes. I have been in for a long time now.

Sleep? I am actually sleeping this week. I think it might be cause Kris is in the field and I am getting the bed all to myself.

Best moment this week? Hearing the baby's heartbeat again/ finding out I get another ultrasound.

Movement? The baby is moving more and more. Likes to kick my bladder especially if its full.

Food Cravings? Fruit. I love fruit. Especially peaches and nectarines.

Gender? Boy this hasn't changed from last week.

Labor signs? None yet thank goodness.

Belly button in out out? Still in, and still squishy.

Symptoms? Just getting bigger and bigger. Still really tired.

What I miss? Adult beverages, especially on margarita Wednesdays.

What I'm looking forward to? Holding the baby in my arms and snuggling.

Weekly wisdom? When going to the bathroom empty your bladder completely. Yes I actually read this in more than one place, it is advice for pregnant women. But what I want to know is when don't you empty your bladder completely?

I was excited

Yesterday I had another check up for the baby. Everything looks good, even though my baby is measuring big, I am right on track. I also haven't gained a whole bunch of weight, even tho you wouldn't know that by looking at me. My belly is huge. But what I got excited about is that I get a third ultrasound. Why if everything is looking good, well its cause the baby was being stubborn last time. I guess they didn't get enough face and spine shots for what the recommend. So I get to go back and see my baby boy again. Whoo hoo.

It's a .....

This little cutie is another Boy!!!!

Flat Tire

Yesterday as I was driving to pick up Kyle, I got a flat tire. In the middle of nowhere CO. Seriously I had no idea where I was. I couldn't see a mile marker. I had no idea of what the last town I passed was, or what the next one coming up was. I was in the middle of nowhere.

I am thankful that I do know how to change a tire. I am also thankful that my car has a full size spare. I wouldn't want to make the rest of my drive with a doughnut on. I am very thankful that in my last 300 miles that I drove that day that I didn't blow another tire. That was a big fear of mine.

It's great having Kyle home, but I don't think that I will be doing that drive alone again anytime soon. Especially with my pregnant belly.

I hope you all have a great weekend, and tomorrow I will post results of what we are having. Just o let you know the baby has has a name change since Thursday when we found out. I don't think I am going to post the baby's name, since I guess it could change again.

The Results are in.

Today I had my big ultrasound. I broke down and we found out the sex of the baby. It is not what the intellegender said. Kris and I are both really happy. But now we are rethinking the name we picked out. I will share what the gender is as soon as all our family knows. But feel free to speculate.

The Baby is healthy, and everything looks good. But the baby is looking big. Lets just hope that it's smaller than what Kyle was.

Kyle's Gone

Today I dropped Kyle off with his grandparents. I am childless. Well at least until Saturday. What will I do with my time? I have no idea. Any suggestions?

intelligender

So this week I have been getting antsy about what the gender is of this new baby. I decided to go out and purchase a product that I first heard about from my sister in law.

It's kinda gross, but you collect a urine sample, put the required amount in the jar, swivel it around and wait ten minutes. It is suppose to change your pee green if your having a boy, and orange if your having a girl. I never really wanted to watch my pee for this long any time in life.

So I did it, and I don't think that I am ready to share the results with you guys just yet. We are going to find out during our ultrasound in two weeks what they say the baby is. Maybe then I will share the results.

I just wanted to let you guys know that there is this test out there, since I have many pregnant friends, who might want to try this test too. The accuracy rates are supposedly 90% in the lab, and 82% in the field. From other stuff I have read on the Internet, people are saying it is 50%. So just do it for fun.

If the test is correct, I am excited. If not I will be excited too.

Slide!!!

This is what we did this afternoon. What did you do?

Emotional

So I think my pregnancy hormones are getting to me. Last night when I couldn't sleep I started watching the MTV show 16 and Pregnant. I have watched episodes of this show before, and generally these couples are just a train wreck. What I would generally expect out of a teenage couple. The episode last night was different. They actually seemed to care about each other. They cared for the baby. They decided that their baby would be better off growing up with adoptive parents.

I can't imagine how hard of a decision this would be. They picked the parents. I don't know how you go about doing this. How do you choose who is going to raise your child for the rest of their lives. Ok, so you get the drift, but why I am blogging is I was balling my eyes out. When she handed the baby over to the new parents I totally lost it. I felt like it was me giving away my baby. I couldn't imagine the pain these kids were going thru.

I am so glad that Kris didn't wake up during this. I don't know how I could explain why I was crying over an MTV show. Except that I am just emotional these days.

Thankful

Today I just want to say that I am thankful for all the friends I have in my life. Old ones new ones. Ones I speak to each and everyday and the ones I only speak to once in a while. I am thankful you are all in my life. I don't know what I would do without you.

Olivia

Today's post will be a very serious. A friend of mine daughter Olivia will be starting a long process of medical treatments that will hopefully help her lead a more normal life. In October of 2008 she was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called MPS III or sanfilippo syndrome, Type B. MPS stands for: Mucopolysaccharidoses. It is a genetic lysosomal storage disease (LSD) caused by the body's inability to produce specific enzymes. Normally, the body uses enzymes to break down and recycle materials in cells. In individuals with MPS and related diseases, the missing or insufficient enzyme prevents the proper recycling process, resulting in the storage of materials in virtually every cell of the body. As a result, cells do not perform properly and may cause progressive damage throughout the body, including the heart, bones, joints, respiratory system and central nervous system. While the disease may not be apparent at birth, signs and symptoms develop with age as more cells become damaged by the accumulation of cell materials.

Babies and young children with Sanfilippo Syndrome appear normal, but symptoms begin to appear with age as more and GAGs build up in the cells of the body. There are 3 stages to the disease. Stage 1 the child begins to lag behind peers and begins to display difficult behaviors. Stage 2 the child losing his/her language, becomes hyperactive, chews on everything, and has sleeping difficulties. Stage 3 the child slows down, becomes dependant for all mobility and loses the ability to chew/swallow. There is no treatment or cure for Sanfilippo. Life expectancy varies.

Today Olivia is being admitted into a hospital where she with begin an experimental trial to help with her syndrome. Today she undergoes surgery to get her central line in. Tomorrow she will begin Chemotherapy.

I am asking that you please pray for Olivia and her family today, tomorrow, and over the next few months. I know they will greatly appreciate it.

If you would like to read more about their family and what they are going through please visit their blog Lifewiththeleiva's

Belly Button

So this might weird you out, but I thought it was quirky enough to share. Last night after going to bed, while watching a bit of TV for some reason I decided that I would stick my finger in my belly button. The skin inside my belly button has become really soft and squishy. I know its because the Baby is pushing on it, and starting to push it out. It feels really weird, so weird that I made Kris feel it too. I hope this didn't gross you out to much.

4 Years Ago.

Happy 4th Wedding Anniversary Kris!

New Camera

I got a new camera for my birthday. I love it. I am learning how to use it. I was having fun watching Kyle on his swing today. Here are some of my first shots. I hope you enjoy.

2 Days

I have two days left of my 20's. It is really starting to set in. I can't believe that I will be 30 on Saturday. I hope you all have a great weekend, and I don't want to hear any old people jokes.

Margarita Wednesday

So we are reinstating Margarita Wednesdays here in CO. I will be drinking virgin ones in case your worried. If you don't remember what Margarita Wednesday is, let me fill you in. Some friends and I decided that we would get together once a week (it happened to be one Wednesdays), have dinner and margaritas. This worked great during the summer. We let the kids run wild, and have a chance to unwind. I also urged everyone out there to join us, start one of your own. So I am going to do that again. Get together with some good friends, have dinner, and drinks. It doesn't have to be Wednesdays, any day of the week that works for you. If you don't have close friends in your area, I urge you to invite your neighbors over. It would be a great way to make some new friends.

So have a Happy Margarita Wednesday!!!

Really?

So the other day I saw a commercial and I thought, really? It was a prescription to make your eye lashes grow longer. My first thoughts are why is this a medical condition? How many millions of dollars did the drug company put into developing this, when other things like say Cancer or Aids still haven't been cured. Secondly, and I really that obsessed about my eye lasses that I would make a doctors appointment to go get the prescription? Really are we really clogging up our doctors offices with little trivial things like I want thicker fuller eye lashes?

Really? This is all I am saying Really?

The Verdict

So I guess we still have no real idea on what we think this baby is going to be. The poll results were 50/50 boy girl. Also there were two votes for don't find out. I still haven't decided on whether or not I will, but we still have a little less than 6 weeks until my next ultrasound, so I have time to decide.

On other topics, Kris and I had a crazy weekend. After work on Friday, we drove the six plus hours to get to his mothers house. We spent the night. Socialized a little, got some sleep. Had breakfast and were back on the road, towards KC. On the way we stopped in a little town of Abeline and ate awesome fried chicken, at a place called Brookeville Hotel. If you are ever driving thru Kansas you should stop there. Its the best fried chicken diner ever. I also love their coleslaw. Kris doesn't like regular coleslaw and even he likes this stuff. The meal is also served with creamed corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, cottage cheese, and other condiments. Ice cream is also served if you left room for it.

Anyway We made it to KCMO for a wedding of a childhood friend of Kris'. This was very exciting for him, to be able to catch up with old friends. Any wedding that we are able to attend while he is home, we do.

So Sunday we started our almost 10 hour drive back here to CO. We stopped back in his home town to have lunch with his dad for Fathers day. Also to pick up Kyle who was being babysat for the night by his Mima. By the time we got home on Sunday night none of us really wanted to do anything. I am sick of being in the car. I have been avoiding anything longer than a 5 minute car trip all week.

One other thing this road trip made me thankful for is dry heat. I forgot just how humid it gets in Kansas. I swear it feels like a 20 -30 degree deference between our two states.
I LOVE DRY HEAT!

Boy or Girl???

So with Kyle we didn't find out what we were having. This drove people nuts. This time round people keep asking us if we are going to find out. I am still on the fence. Kris wants to know, and he wants to know now.

What do you think, should we find out? And do you think its a boy or a girl? I am going to attempt to put a poll up to see what you guys think. Please vote. You can choose more than one answer. Just don't pick boy and girl. ;)

Why?

Why is it that now that I am into the second trimester when I am supposed to be feeling better, I seem to be feeling worse?

Why is it that I am now throwing up every day? Even tho I didn't throw up once in the first 12 weeks?

Why is it that I look like I am about 20 weeks pregnant even if I'm not quite at 14?

Why? Why? Why? That's what I want to know.

Big Announcement

So our big Announcement is that we are expecting Baby #2. We are due December 21st, so we will be having a Christmas baby. I had my first ultra sound today. The baby looks good. Its heart was beating strongly, at 169 beats per minute. Our baby is about 3 inches long from its butt to its head. The baby was moving quite a bit, and wasn't cooperating so the tech could get the proper measurements. I told Kris those must be his genes, since I would never be difficult like that. ;) Our only hopes is this baby will be strong and healthy. And maybe be a bit smaller at birth than Kyle was (9.8 lbs).

Profile Picture

The Alien Shot. Looking straight at us.

Full body profile.

Update

My SSIL came thru her surgery with flying colors. Her vein is now 100% open, as opposed to 60%, after the emergency fix. They were also able to completely stop all her bleeding. And remove a large blood clot in her leg. They also put in a filter to stop any other clots that may occur from reaching her lungs, which if that happened could be deadly. She is getting moved out of the ICU today, and all things are looking up. Thank you very much for all your thoughts and prayers.

Finally

I finally got Kyles 3 year old pictures taken today. Only a month late. I don't know what took me so long to get around to it, but better late than never. Right? So here are a couple of my favs. The girls at the portrait studio did a real good job, considering Kyle hates to have his picture taken. Usually when you break out the camera he immediately turns around so you can only get pictures of the back of his head. Getting him to sit sill is even more of a chore. He doesn't want to do anything that you want him to.

Prayers Please

I am asking you to send out your prayers for my step sister in law (ssil) today. On Monday she had a routine surgery, and the doctor nicked a vein. She lost a lot of blood, and has been in the ICU every since. Today they are going to go back in and try to repair the damage properly. They did what they could at the time, but it was not a long term solution. So I am asking that you please send out some prayers todayfor my ssil, that this operation goes smoothly, and all this drama can be over with.

Gossip

So yes I have no life, but I thought this was hilarious. http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/06/world-exclusive-octo-mom-slams-kate-gosselin

So it is the Octo-mom slamming Kate from Jon and Kate plus 8. It also turns out that Octo-mom has signed a reality television deal. All I can imagine is that show is going to be such a train wreck. I guess I'll stop gossiping now, but I just couldn't hold it in.

Never Ever speak in a Elevator

So this is my note to myself. Never ever talk to strangers in an elevator. Yes usually I am that person that has no problem talking to strangers. But this weekend I learnt my lesson. My friend H was running a 10 K in Boulder. She asked me to go for moral support, I thought girls weekend, sure. So H books a hotel room for us in a hotel close to the race, with a spa attached. We check in, walk around o check out what the hotel has to offer. We notice all these people about with tags hanging from their necks, with a big C A on them. Its surrounded by a circle, and I read the word Faith off of one of them. I figure that its a christian group. H suggested that it was a singles weekend. So we hop into an elevator with one of the conference goers. I decided to be nosey and ask who is hosting the conference. He politely answers "cocaine anonymous". This is where I freak!!!! What am I supposed to say to that. Initially I thought that he was kidding, but later am reassured that he was serious. This was the most awkward elevator ride ever. Thankfully we didn't run into the same man again during our stay. So my advice to myself and all you out there is never ever talk to strangers in an elevator.

Twitter

So I was just reading a question over at twitter, Do you tip at Sonic? It got me thinking. Do you tip at Sonic? What is the correct protocol? Let me know.

American Idol

So I don't know why, but this season I have become obsessed with AI. I haven't even watched since the first season. So I have a confession to make last night for the first time I actually voted for my favorite singer Danny Gokey. Since I have never voted before, I don't know how hard it is to get thru on the phone lines. But I wasn't having very much trouble. I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means, and that people weren't out their voting.

So does anyone else out there watch American Idol, and get obsessed with one singer, or am I the only crazy one out there?

The Duty Phone

Kris took command of his company on Friday. With that comes a cell phone called the duty phone that he is supposed to keep on him at all times so that if anything happens to one of the soldiers they can get in contact with him. Great idea. But I have already started to hate the duty phone. For the past two nights someone has drunk dialed the duty phone, at 4:30 am. Not for a ride home, but to invite the old commander out drinking. I guess all the soldiers haven't realised that the phone has passed hands already. So I already hate the duty phone, and we are only on day 3. I guess this will be a long two years.

All moved in!!!

So we gave up our keys to the old house last week all our stuff is here, so I guess we are all moved in. The garage is still a mess, and we just started to hang stuff on the walls, so I guess the unpacking continues. I don't know what to make of it, but the only injuries of the move were mine. I fell off the moving truck ramp after loading a piece of furniture in. My ankle rolled and I landed hard on the garage floor. So all weekend I was limping around.

Kyle has done well with the move. He doesn't seem to be fazed at all about getting a new room. This time I am not going to paint it a pretty color, as it took 4 coats of primer to cover the last room. Can I tell you how much I hate painting white over any other color.

I hope things are going well with the rest of you. I am still reading blogs even if I'm not commenting or posting on my own. I will post later this week on Kyles birthday party, and Kris' change of command.

The Ball

Last night Kris and I attended yet another army Ball. We seem to be required to attend about 2-3 a year when the guys are not deployed. Dress shopping was horrible for this one. I have never had so little choice when shopping. Yes I know its not really the season for long formal dresses, but I still want more of a selection.

So last night we are running late as usual. I don't know what it is with my husband, but he never sees the value of putting together his army uniform the night before, he always waits until we are already late to start. For some reason he also didn't think that the metals that he was pulling straight out of the packages were shiny enough. He needed to pull out the dremel and shine them up more. Let me tell you that I bet that not one person at that ball noticed how shiny his medals were. Most people I saw were missing things, or you could tell they just really didn't care.

So the reason that I started blogging about the ball is not the men in their uniforms, but the women that the brought as their dates. The invite says formal black tie for those not in the military. So why do some women think its appropriate to come dressed in things that you would where to a club? I am not kidding you. Short barley covering the essentials tight Lycra "dresses" I put dresses in quotations because I am not quite sure that they really qualify. I over heard many conversations on whether or not they were strippers. It wouldn't have shocked me if they were.

So if you are ever invited to attend a military ball please dress appropriately, or I am likely to blog about you too.

Moving

If you don't hear from me much this week, don't be alarmed. We are in the process of moving house. We are still going to be living here on post, but in a brand new bigger house. We are very excited. I put our names on the list 7 months ago, and we got our call about two weeks ago that our house is ready. In the new house we gain an extra bedroom, and a extra garage. Also a ton of storage space. So during the week while Kris is at work, I will be moving the small stuff a trailblazer load at a time. Then on Friday we pick up a uhaul, and move all our furniture.

This morning we discovered that we have a bonus room. We are not sure what we are going to use this room for. Right now the floor in it is sub floor, but I am thinking of going to a carpet store, and seeing if I can buy a remnant for it. Our options for this room are;

1. an office, it has all the hookups that we need in this room.
2. Kris gym, the other choice is in the garage, which is where we currently have it.
3. A guest bedroom, it doesn't have a window, but no one stays very long with us.
4. A play room for Kyle.

Please let me know your opinion on what we could best use this room for.

Easter

This was us Easter Saturday. We celebrated Easter a day early. My mum flew into town for Friday and Saturday, and it was nice of Kris' family to move their Easter a day early to accommodate us. We had a fabulous meal. Decorated Easter eggs. Played some traditional Lithuanian Easter egg games, and had a egg hunt. I think Kyle ate nothing that didn't have sugar as a main ingredient. He has a blast. I hope you all did too.

Vegas Part 3

So sorry it has taken me this long to get around to posting. We have had a sick child in the house this week, and he takes priority.

Day three was awesome in Vegas. By this stage I had pulled a muscle in the bottom of my foot, so I was limping around everywhere. Good thing that I drank alot of alcohol to numb the pain. On this day we went to see the Bodies exhibit, ate at hooters, spent the afternoon on the lazy river. Watched the tournament of Kings show. Gambled, went to coyote ugly, and who knows what else.


Day four. Yes there was a day four. I forgot to mention that we decided to spend an extra day since we were having so much fun. We spent the day walking the strip, doing a bit of shopping. We walked the miracle mile. I got my nose pierced again. Kris thinks this is awesome. We watched the water show at the Beligao. Went inside looked the the butterfly garden. Ooooed and ahhhed at the flower displays. Then hoped on our flight back to Arizona to see your little one that I missed so much.

Kris and I before KA

Across the street from our hotel with my boot of booze.

Kris and I at the tournament of Kings.

Kris and I in front of the Luxor.

Kris and J in our hotel room pre partying.

H and I ready to go out.