Friday Randomness

I've been hard at work all morning getting Drew's nursery organized :) :) :) As I sit here glistening *goes to turn on all fans and swamp cooler* I realize I may have already pushed myself a bit further than I should, but I just. can't. stop! Mainly, I'm just putting things we've gotten recently in place (a small dresser and one of those cubby things that you can put the different colored cloth baskets in... know what I'm talking about? No? I'll have pics soon) and washing the rest of his clothes, bibs, burp clothes, etc. so I can put those away in said new items.
The crib will be here next week (thanks again mum and dad... I say dad.. but I'm not sure if he is aware that he bought this for us) as will the bedding set thanks to a source that I am not allowed to reveal. I'm really thankful for that unmentionable source, because Trey would have never allowed me to spend that amount of money on it. He is under the impression that Drew only needs the bare essentials and apparently and matching room isn't essential??? Men....

I had such an awesome dream last night. You know.. one of those dreams that you don't want to wake up from. You desperately try to go back to sleep so you can live in your fantasy world again, even for just a short bit of time. I emailed my mum about it this morning:

"I had a dream last night that I was due at any time and we were just waiting around for the signs. I can't even tell you how disappointed I was when I woke up and realized I still had 6-11 weeks left. I'm getting EXTREMELY excited to meet him and see what he looks like and am caring less and less about the pain and whatever I have to go through to get him out."
Her response was, "sounds like a mom" and that made my heart smile from somewhere it never has before I think. It's starting to become a reality for me. In about two months, I am going to be a real life mum!

This week I've been to two classes. Earlier in the week was an Car Seat Safety class. I just wanted them to correctly install the infant car seat in my car and the convertible one we have in Trey's truck. He wasn't able to get off of work, so that was a fail. Not so much a fail though... the El Paso Police Dept. gives you a brand new convertible car seat when you go to these classes! I even tried not to take it, not wanting to take anything away from someone who has nothing, but apparently they have a big surplus. Sooo we currently have 3 car seats! Is anyone giving away baby swings???
Last night we went to an Infant CPR class, which was very informative. We learned what to do if a baby is ever unresponsive or if they are choking. Here's to hoping and praying that we never have to use this information!!

I feel like I've been eating so much food without any regard to the healthiness or caloric intake. I'm really afraid to go back to the doctor on the 8th.

I went back to the stitchers group again this week. Remember, when I left last week, Mrs. Host (we're officially friends now, FB says so, but I don't like to use people's real names until I know they are comfortable with it) said it would be a success if I had an "E" stitched. I COULD NOT WAIT to show her that I actually had "NDREW" done! I showed her and her excitement did not disappoint me. It's like a 5 year old trying to impress her kindergarten teacher and when I showed her, I felt like I got my smiley sticker for the day :) I can't wait to show you guys when I'm done!

That book I'm reading is SO SO good!! I'll tell you all about it when I'm done, but I felt I should mention that because it takes place in London, I'm learning a lot of their slang. For instance, and I should have noted the page so I could give you an exact quote, in one part, there is a guy who is very stressed out and talks about really needing a "fag" in his mouth. I'm still laughing now as I remember by first reaction to this until I realized that a "fag" is really a cigarette. Who knew? I also find that when I'm thinking things in my head (like reading this blog as I type) that my inside voice now permanently has a English? accent. I kind of enjoy it, I just hope it doesn't come out when I talk out loud. That would be quite awkward. (that was said very Londonly in my head).

That's about all for now. We have a decent weekend coming up I think. I may be going to dinner with some wives from Trey's unit tonight, but I'm not sure if that's set in stone yet. Trey is going to a party tonight at a guy's house that he went to OCS with. I've already come to terms with the fact that I will be picking him up, but so help HIM God if it's after 10:00. (hey.. I'm pregnant.. that is past my going out time!) Tomorrow morning we'll be thrown into finding a new mechanic in this area. His window won't roll up. AGAIN. Well a different one this time, but still.. and tomorrow afternoon we have some kind of get together with his unit.

Maybe I'll make him steak and baked potatoes one night, since he'll be putting a crib together next week...

On my mind today

One thing I have noticed since becoming pregnant that absolutely baffles my mind, is the relationship between us moms out there. I'm talking every one of them. Family, friends, strangers. Everyone. I've seen this discussed on other blogs lately as well and I had to pipe in!

I would think there would be a sense of camaraderie between us all. Kind of like, "hey, I've been through it, you've been through it, let's help each other out" kind of thing. Instead, what I've noticed since day 1, is that it's more of a competition of sorts.

For starters, everyone has an opinion about every single matter. Which is normal, but if my opinion differs from yours, do you really have to belittle me for it? The one I've ran into personally the most is epidural vs. natural. YES, I have every intention of getting an epidural as soon as possible when I go into labor. So you did all three of yours naturally, huh? That is great for you! I respect the fact that you wanted to give birth at home, in a bath tub... please respect my decision to go to the hospital and get drugged as much as possible. MKay? Thanks.
Being a SAHM vs. Working mom. Who cares what other people are doing? Why would you ever feel the need to roll eyes, make a nasty comment, think you are better than that person? Do whatever is right for you and your family. This is a hard choice to make and everyone is different. Not everyone is cut out to be a SAHM and vice versa.

I could go on and on and on. Breast feeding vs. Formula. Letting your baby cry it out at bed time or not. blah blah blah.

Not only is every single mom different, but so is every baby. I see "baby competition" happening all the time and I think it's horrible. Babies develop at different stages. Just because baby number 1 started rolling over/crawling/talking, etc. before baby number 2 did... please don't make mom number 2 feel like a complete failure because of it. Just try not to compare your children okay? Especially with first time mothers... it hurts mom number 2's feelings... I've seen it happen.

Main point of this jumbled up thought process? I REALLY wish we could be more of a support system than a device to compare and contrast notes. In the end, isn't all that matters is that mom and baby are happy and healthy? Who cares how we all get there, right?

Now... if I happen to notice your child is still breast feeding when he or she standing up.. THEN I may start judging a little...

New Hobby

Within our first week of getting to El Paso, the realtor we were using (and now turned friend) invited us to a cookout they were having along with other military couples. There was another pregnant wifey there (again turned friend) who invited me to join in her Fort Bliss craft group. I kept saying "yes I'd love to" for about a month, but other things kept coming up. Finally, last week, I was free and went to the craft group albeit with nerves in my stomach.

I don't have the easiest time trying new things. I usually do and am up for trying just about anything, but it's always hard for me. Just have to push the nerves away!

Anyway.. I'm so glad I went! Turns out it's actually a stitchers group and these ladies are all waaay more advanced than I am. As in, they were making quilts and I don't know how to sew a button on a pair of pants! So yeah... way advanced. I felt comfortable right away though. I enjoyed chatting and had every intention of coming back next week, but not really participating.

Then the host got ahold of me and insisted I start a project. We'll start you easy she said.. with cross stitching. I looked at her like she was insane, but mindlessly followed her into her sewing room and let her load me up with supplies. It's like she had me brain washed and I could say no. All I knew is that I was in over my head. Before I knew it, I was on my way home with everything I needed to make a burp cloth for my son. Except confidence.

I took everything home and stared at it for a few hours giving myself a pep talk. You can do this. It's just a burp cloth. Who cares how it turns out, Andrew's just going to be spitting up all over it anyways. I'll be able to keep it and tell him later on, "look what your mama made for you". Just try it.. who knows.. you might be a genius at cross stitching. I finally pick up the cloth and clumsily thread the needle.. I'm all thumbs. I can't figure out what the hell she meant by stitching all in the same way and something about top left to right bottom. Right bottom of what???

The next afternoon I leave a desperate comment on above mentioned "friend" who forced me to start this crap anyways, letting her know I was giving up until we met up next. I vented and vented. Then picked it back up, pissed that I was failing, and was determined to conquer this burp cloth.. it was not going to get the best of me.

That's all I needed I guess. Something clicked and I figured it out just like that. I'm glad I was home alone because the happy dance that ensued after that was probably not pretty. I was so flippin proud of myself.

The host said if I come back on Thursday with an E done (his name is part of the design and you have to start in the middle) she'll call it a success. I'm not done yet, of course, but it's only Monday and look what we have so far...

In the end, it'll say "Andrew" and the name will be being (that drives me crazy) towed away by a tow truck.. hence the wheels on the bottom of his name. It's not perfect by any means, but I'm glad that friend of mine (we can take the quotation marks away now ) ;) introduced me to something I NEVER would have tried on my own!

Return to Sullivan's Island

No, not me I'm afraid. I wish I were on my way there. I wish I were on my way to any beach really... but South Carolina beaches? You can't beat 'em!

I just finished reading Dorothea Benton Frank's book Return to Sullivan's Island and as per usual, she did not disappoint! She is by far one of my favorite authors and I can't say enough about her books. They are all named after and take place in the different lowcountry areas of SC. With every book, you get a glimpse of what it would be like to live in that area.. the slow paced lifestyle where nothing is more important that your family, y'all. From the moment I open to page one, I feel like I am home again, well close to home anyways.. I feel like I am an SC island girl just like her. I can almost feel the sand between my toes as I'm turning from page to page.

Seriously, if you've never read anything by Mrs. Frank, start now! I've read all of them except her latest, Lowcountry Summer, and I can't wait to get my hands on that one :)

Yesterday, I went to the library to pick up my next book. The ones I wanted to read most were all checked out (really... I'm dying to read The Help) so I had to put them all on hold and went blindly in the sea of books to pick one out based on if I thought the cover was interesting. I picked one by an author I've never heard of (Penny Vincenzi, The Best of Times) and I can't put it down!! Which is a good thing since it's due in a week...

Hi, my name is Jessica...

and I have an addiction problem.

Yes, it's true. I am addicted to the Internet.

I've been seeing a little survey going around on blogger, where the husband answers questions about his wife. I thought it was cute and was curious to see what my husband would say, so I put him up to it. He begrudgingly obliged. I had full intentions of posting it up this week, but then decided against it. For as much of an open person I am, Trey is completely the opposite. He's a very private person and took the survey a lot more seriously then I thought he would. All of the answers were sweet and it turned out to be a good thing because it opened up conversation between us. We talked for probably an hour after it. TV off, no distractions, just us chatting. Sadly, that doesn't happen as often as it should.

The only reason I bring this up is that it made me realize my "addiction". I will share one answer-
Q: What is one thing your wife does that drives you crazy? (for real, not in a freaky way)
A: Spends a lot of time on the Internet (blogs and facebook) and then stresses out when you haven't gotten anything done.

At first I was defensive. I have found myself feeling bad because I'm not getting as much done around the house as I used to. And when he comes home, sometimes I talk to him about that. But that has nothing to do with my being on the Internet and all to do with the fact that I just don't have the energy right now (my growing child is sucking it all right out of me). So it was important to me to get that misconception out of the way.
He explained that he doesn't care that the house isn't immaculate or that he has to pick up some of the slack. What's really been bothering him is the fact that we'll wake up on a Saturday morning and after breakfast, he's ready to go go go. Especially being in a new city... he wants to get out there and explore it. In the meantime, I'm sitting around checking facebook, reading waaayyy too many blogs and trying to comment on whatever I feel the need to comment on, and even writing one of my own posts. Two hours later, he's incredibly antsy and I don't want to do much because of the heat.

He has a major point. He works hard all week and looks forward to the weekend to spend some QT together and do something new. Here I am, so wrapped up in myself, that I'm not even thinking about what he wants to do. Of course I want to spend time with him. And I do want to get out there and do as much as we can by ourselves before Andrew gets here. And yes, I'd love to get an early start before the heat takes every ounce of energy out of me. But I can't deny the fact that I almost feel some sort of responsibility towards blogger as well. And that is just ridiculous.

To get to the point... I'm going to be going back to the basics. I've already started going through blogs and deciding which ones I really can't live without. That way I'll still be reading the ones that I'm really connected to and can relate to, and hopefully leave more thoughtful comments on those. I'm going to have to cut the amount that I have been reading way back and I hope I don't offend anyone by doing so. I'd love to keep up with every one's blog that follows mine, but I also need to put real life first. I've gotten way too sucked into this online world. At the same time, I don't want to dissuade new followers from introducing yourselves!
I'm going to attempt to cut blogging out during the weekend as well. Baby steps here...

Thanks for listening to me blab and I hope everyone can understand!

300 :)

I just happened to notice that this is my 300th post!! Crazy! I'm ashamed to say that I'm not one to stick with very many things once I start them (you know.. diets, exercise programs, different hobbies) and I never thought blogging would be the one to stick. In September it will be 2 years that I'm been on this blogging train.. yes I went and checked the date. It started as a curiosity when a co-worker started one. I didn't have any intention to start my own, but I was reading others and soon enough I found myself invested in complete strangers lives. I started to feel like a total creeper and soon worked up the courage to start my very own blog. I didn't think I'd have anything to talk about.. ppshh.. I should have known better. Now I'm here at my 300th post, I have some girls out there all around the country world who I consider real friends, this blog has followed me through now two major life changes, it's seen my ups and downs and has helped to keep family and friends connected when I feel so far away. I'd say it's been a good ride so far!

We had a great weekend here in El Paso! First of all - it wasn't in the triple digits. Can I get an Amen?? Second of all - my Uncle Ronnie is home from the hospital!! Yaayyy... thank you so much for all of your prayers.. they truly did help! Turns out he had a small stroke in the middle of the night, and while seizing, flipped over and was suffocated by his pillow. Thankfully, both of his sons are trained heroes and my cousin Kenny was the first one to get there. He performed CPR and saved his dad - Thank God for him! I cannot express how much I love my family. I know.. everyone says that.. but seriously? These people are awesome. They have the best personalities. Once he was awake in the hospital, the humor started. Apparently, he was serenaded by a room full of people on his first night out of his coma, to songs like, You're as cold as ice and Back in the saddle again. That's just one thing I love about my family - every single one of them will be there for a shoulder to cry on for.. mmmm.. about 5 minutes maybe - but then you'll be laughing so hard along with the tears and as long as you're together, nothings too big to handle.

I.MISS.THEM.

Sooo.. anyways.. got a little carried away on that subject. Other highlights from the weekend:

We did some work around the house. I am almost box free! Drew's room is a lot less cluttered as I spent a good 3-4 hours starting to get it organized on Saturday. I washed his clothes for up to 3 months and now have some of them hanging in his closet :) All we need now furniture wise is the crib (which should be coming soon.. big shot out to mum and dad), the bedding, and a dresser. I can't even think about all else we still need without having a slight panic attack, so lets not go there.

We got together with some new friends Saturday night for game night and had a great time.

Tried a new church out Sunday morning. I can't say that we'll be going back. Let's just say it was VERY contemporary. Too much so. And for me to say that, you know it was pretty far out there. I felt like I was in a Will Ferrell movie. We couldn't see a thing when we walked in it was so dark. The band was completely rocking out on stage, smoke, neon lights, and crazy guy on the electric guitar included. The sermon was great, but all we could do was laugh when we got back in the truck... not quite our cup of tea.

Went to a pool party/cookout Sunday afternoon. It's the second time we've hung out with this group of people and I big time heart them. We're now becoming facebook friends so it's pretty official. Not to mention - it felt awesome to be in that pool and be weightless.

And most exiting part of my weekend - I got the cutest package from my mum! I LOVE GETTING PACKAGES IN THE MAIL. Especially when they come with little notes everywhere. Great job mum!

A little onsie for Drew to wear on Labor Day... he just better be here by Labor Day is all I have to say about that. Then it occurred to me that my family will probably be here to celebrate Labor Day.. do you know how happy that makes me??? Hello, grillin out and good times!Clearly she is a little silly. She loves Deadliest Catch and Captain Phil's death was a little hard on her. So here we have a set of PJ's with crabs on them apparently in memory of Capt. Phil...Patriotic solar lights to put in our rocks yard for the 4th of July. I can't wait to use them!

Amen!

Another quick post, as I don't know much yet, but I know all I need to know for now.

My uncle woke up this morning at 3:45 and is responsive! He's answering questions by nodding or shaking his head and squeezing fingers. We know he is returning to his normal self as he is pretty pissed that there is a tube down his throat... which I hear should be coming out soon!

They don't know what caused this to happen yet, but we are all just celebrating the fact that he seems to be on the way to recovery. Now we just hope and pray for a full one.

Him and my aunt have plans to come down to SC for Christmas and Lord help Trey's commander if they don't let us go as well. My uncle has a great nephew to meet and I can't wait to get my arms around him!

Dance

Just a quick post to share a thought...

Is it possible for your life's passion to be something you are not even capable of doing yourself??
Can you tell where this is headed? I post about this every time it comes back on, as if I haven't explained enough how much I love it. Yes, another season of So You Think You Can Dance has started and I am in love all over again.

As I sit here watching the dancers perform in their own genre tonight, my heart explodes with happiness and some performances even bring me to tears. I can't get enough of all the Contemporary, Jazz, and hip hop numbers and the choreographers, in my opinion, are shear geniuses. Travis Wall, Mia Michaels, Napoleon and Tabitha, Lil C, Mandy Moore, and Tyce Diorio... I love your crazy sick dancing selves.

Now if I only had their talent. Instead I live vicariously through them all.

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers! We still don't know much more information. They are slowly bringing his temperature back up and as soon as they do, they will bring him in for a cat scan. We should know something tomorrow morning. I'm staying positive!

Today, my heart is sad

Yesterday I was asking for advice, today I'm going to be asking for prayers if you're the praying type, lots of good juju if you are not.

Last night, my uncle (he is also my godfather) started seizing in the middle of his sleep. CPR was preformed on him before he got to the hospital and when he did arrive at the hospital, he was life-flighted to another one. The doctors don't really know what went wrong other than they believe it is something to do with his heart. He's now on all kinds of machines, they have him in a medically induced coma until tomorrow afternoon, and they will be preforming an echo tonight. They don't know what will happen tomorrow when they wake him up.

I JUST saw him while on my trip to Massachusetts. He was fine. His normal ornery self. I was just sitting on his lap while he loved on my belly. We JUST enjoyed a dinner of Papa Gino's pizza together. Now I'm sitting here all day, praying, glued to my phone for any kind of update.

For now, I'm staying positive. I'm thinking good thoughts and plan on giving him hell when he wakes up for scaring us all like this. We'll show him...

A little help from my friends?

Have just a few thoughts that I would love to get some opinions on :)

After many conversations with my mum, we are both at a loss as to when she should plan on coming to visit for Andrew's birth. She has set aside two weeks of vacation time to be with me (let's get real.. for me? More like for that grandchild of hers, but either way, yes I know I'm very very blessed), but we just don't know when she should buy her plane tickets for. I know you can't very well plan the birth of a child, but I'd love to know what some of you ladies have done! She would love to be here for the birth, but how do you do that besides just plain guessing? If she gets here too early, and he decides to arrive too late, then she misses a lot of time while he's here. Or have you found it better to just suck it up and plan for your family to be there afterwards? I guess our real issue here is that she wants to be here as soon as possible before/after birth but not have to buy a last minute plane ticket. Unless for some reason we have a scheduled birth (which doesn't seem likely at this point), I'm thinking we're going to have to make our best guess, but I wanted to see if you girls had any genius words of wisdom you had to share!

Second subject... After all of Trey's hard work.. it's finally here. He's working a real Army job and has real responsibilities. He seems happy with everything so far! But that's besides the point. He has some stuff coming up that he is required to go to after working hours and I'm not sure if I should be going to or not. For instance, this week, he has to be at a volunteer recognition thing. I'd love to go with him, but is it customary for the wife to go to things like this or is it set up for a certain amount of people that they have accounted for? I clearly have more learning to do!

Thank you so much for your input!

P.S.
I took the Gestational Diabetes test last week and passed! No three hour nasty test for me.. thank God! I also had my Rhogam shot since I have a negative blood type. They always assume the baby is positive and if that's the case, without this shot, if our blood mixed it could kill the baby :( How's that for starting the confidence of a first time mother? My blood is pretty much poisonous to my child! All should be good now and I'll have another one after the birth to protect any future children. I have my first Centering appointment this Thursday, so I'll let everyone know how that goes!

~28 Weeks~

Welcome to our third trimester!! I can't believe how fast time flies (I'm sure I'll be saying that for the rest of our life, watching Drew grow like a weed)!

Drew,

Your daddy and I are growing more and more excited by the day to meet you. You keep us smiling and laughing already from all of your rolling around and kicking in there. I've been enjoying this for quite some time now, but your daddy is really getting into it. He can feel you just about every time he puts his hand on my belly and he is loving it. We can even see you moving around in there just by looking at my belly.

According to What to Expect, you weigh about 2 1/2 pounds now and should be about 16 inches long, although when I went to the doctor on Friday she said you were measuring a little bigger (by about 2 weeks). Daddy may get his football player after all. You'll experience immense pressure from him to play college ball at Alabama, but trust me, I'll make sure you know that you can go and do wherever and whatever you want!

You'll be very confused as to what teams to be a fan of with this family. Just roll with it... with every one's favorites, and all the clothes you've gotten so far.. you can't really go wrong with whoever you chose. You're just not allowed to be an Ohio State or Colts fan. You'll have natural instincts to favor the Patriots I'm sure anyways! Don't you let that Norton side of the family to talk you into be Dallas fans...

Anywho.. I got off on quite the tangent...

How far along: 28 weeks! Beginning of the 3rd trimester!

Total weight gain: 15 1/2 pounds.. I've gained 7 lbs in the past 7 weeks. Not necessarily a pound a week.. I gained a lot last month. It seems to be evening out again, but I'm sure there is a lot more to come.. right? I'm okay with this. It happens. I'm eating lots of fruits and veggies, but I sure will have an ice cream if I'm wanting it bad enough!

Maternity clothes: This hasn't changed much since the last questionnaire I did. I'm in mostly all maternity clothes.. all maternity bottoms and dresses, but I can still wear some normal tops. Maternity everything is just more comfortable at this point though!

Stretch marks: Just a few and very faint. I'm okay with this too. I'm a mom.. it's okay not to flaunt my belly around in a bikini if I don't want to. Let's get real.. I shouldn't have been doing that for a while now.. probably ever ;)

Sleep: I actually feel like I've been sleeping better lately. Maybe I'm just getting used to the aches and pains, or I've just mastered the art of the body pillow. I do get up once during the night to pee though, never fails anymore.

Best moment this week: This has to be a mix between starting to feel you nonstop now and hearing your heartbeat again.. still up there at 158 bpm! I'm loving seeing Trey's face when he feels a big kick! Or it could have been this morning at church when a complete stranger simply said to me "you look very beautiful". That was nice because, 1. most people just say, "oh my, when are you due" and 2. sometimes I do feel beautiful pregnant and sometimes I just, well, DONT.

Movement: Oh yeah! The last time I did this was at 21 weeks and I could feel you, but not from the outside. 7 weeks later and we can feel you non-stop! It's the best feeling in the world :)

Food cravings: Ehhh... still not a lot. I think I'm just now starting to experience this just a little and it's been for ice cream. One day last week, I talked Trey into going to Coldstone at 4:00. I think even he enjoyed having ice cream before dinner a little bit. I wanted some again last night, but not enough to go out and get it. I refuse to keep it in my house! I'm still LOVING my fruits!!

Showing: Ha.. yes! My belly looks like a boulder. Here's some pics:

21 Weeks 28 Weeks

28 Week Frontal

Labor signs: Still none yet that I know of. I worry a little because I hear lots of girls have been feeling Braxton-Hicks by this point, but if I am, I have no clue! I'm guessing I'll know it when I feel it though..

Mood temperament: This seems to have evened out a little bit since last time too. Although, this El Paso heat does test my temper. I feel like when I'm out there in it, all patience goes out the door and I'm a bit testy. I don't really cry any more than usual.

Milestones: Welp, making it to the 3rd and final trimester is a big one, I would say!

Weekly wisdom:

Dear Self,

I know you love to be outside. I know you feel trapped when you stay indoors while the sun is shining. It may be okay to run an errand or two during the middle of the day if you really have to get out, but this El Paso sun is NO JOKE. Stay inside as much as you can. You get drained very easily when you're out in temps above 100 degrees and it's just not good for you. Take your walks at night and take Jennifer up on her offer to use her pool to swim some laps!

3 Years

Yesterday was Trey and I's 3 year wedding anniversary. We have actually been together for just about 8 years now.

We had a very quite day celebrating together. In true "us" fashion, we didn't get crazy with it. I wrote him a long letter, letting him know just how much I love him and re-promising our vows. I feel like we've come such a long way in just the past 3 years that I wanted to take the time on this special day to recommit to each other. To make sure he knows that no matter what we've been through and no matter what may come our way, that I still think the world of him. That I still love him to a million tiny pieces. That I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.

We never have celebrated with elaborate presents or outings, he does little things that speak so much louder to me. We slept in and after a lazy morning we went to Target where he bought me curtains for the living room and yet another fan because he can't stand to see how miserable I get in this heat. After that we mosied on over to Chick-fil-a to turn in our coupon for a free spicy chicken sandwich.. delish! They cheered loudly for us when we ordered and even got our picture taken with the cow ;)
For dinner we went to the Olive Garden where I enjoyed a simple bowl of linguine alla marinara and he got the grill plate. His looked at tasted marvelous! I know what I'm getting next time! Then we came home and flipped channels between SYTYCD, the final Alabama baseball game (where they sadly lost), and the first of the Celtics/Lakers games (where the Celtics thankfully won).

And that seriously wraps up our anniversary day. Not much to share and very simple and laid back... I wouldn't have it any other way!

June?!?

The 1st of June comes with a few different realizations for me.

1. Seriously?! It's really June already? The month of May flew by for me... I'm not really sure if I really even participated in May, or did it just skip from April to June for me?
2. Hubs and I keep talking about this human growing in me like it's a far off, pretend concept. As I was peeing for the 3rd time in a 1/2 hour today, it suddenly hit me that he will be here.. like soon. Like in possible 12ish weeks soon. Holy crap! I have a lot to do. WE have a lot to do!
3. My busy period is over.. for now. That is until the above mentioned child decides to enter into this world. Which means.. I should be back to my blogging away self. Everybody all together now - "yyaaaayyyyy!! Woohoooooo! Oh Em Geeee we've missed you" *all while jumping up and down and clapping*

Awww thanks guys... I've really missed you too. I seriously skimmed over the last 500 some odd blogs you've all written, so hopefully I have a free pass for a while if I've missed anything important. I'll catch up soon.

I just got back from a short little trip to Massachusetts for my long long time friend's wedding. Really.. it was a little emotional watching the girl I used to take baths with say "I do" to the best man out there for her. She was absolutely the most beautiful bride I've ever seen!

The bride at her rehearsal... so pretty!!

In her beautiful dress dancing with my cousin

When the bridal party was announced into the reception, we all came in to different songs and acts to play out. I'm pretty sure ours was the best. He's a huge hulk fan... I've never seen him wrestle a day in my life. He quickly showed me what to do and we were champs out there. Here I am in the shirt he made for me. If only I had it on video.. it was pretty classic.
It ended with us ripping those shirts off and throwing them out to the crowd. They loved it.

Now, I'm back in El Paso with my hubby and enjoying a few more days of free time before his 10 days are up and it's back to reality. We'll be doing a lot of relaxing and going a few different places we want to see here and there. Tomorrow will involve calling our landlord. I know that I still don't fully understand the whole Swamp Cooler concept, but seriously, somethings gotta be wrong. I know it's hot down here, but I'm pretty sure I'm living in cruel and unusual living conditions. I'm sweating from every orifice of my body and it's not pretty. Makes for a very cranky 27 week pregnant woman.

Tomorrow is also our 3 year anniversary!!

Where do I begin???

Let's just say up front that this post will be a tad bit scattered all over the place!

First things first ~ we ARE NOT homeless anymore! We found the cutest little house thanks to my before mentioned saving grace here, Jennifer. Long, semi-confusing story, but basically she had some inside information on this house that was just put back up for rent and we scooped it up before a For Rent sign could even be put out. It's perfect. I knew it when there was a baby boy's nursery already there and "God bless this home" was inscribed on the back "patio" concrete area. We love it!

The movers were not so perfect this time. First of all, when they got here with our stuff, they flat out told me (a 6 month pregnant lady) that they would not unpack our stuff. That it wasn't their policy. I know, I know, y'all have all told me otherwise, but I'm still new at this game. I believed them, thinking that maybe some companies really can't unpack. I all too often believe that people are nothing but good and the thought never crossed my mind that they could be just trying to get out of it. Trey was furious!
Also, they didn't use wardrobe boxes this time so all of his uniforms and suits are currently hanging trying to de-wrinkle themselves. One of my favorite frames broke. And his dumbbells and the plunger disappeared. Grrrrr... I know things could have been worse, but lets just say we won't be using them again!

I'm getting to know the area a little better now. I'm really going to love it once I know where everything is.... I can't wait to have people visit us here! I have to admit... I was having a very hard time with this move. I'm not sure what it was.. if the area overwhelmed me, it seems more real to me because I know it's more than just a few months, being yet another hour away from my family, not having that core group of friends we had in Oklahoma, or just plain pregnancy hormones... but I was really sad and upset for a while there. It's getting better, but there were tears every day. Just some MAJOR homesickness going on really. Like I said, it's not quite as bad now, but I'm not going to lie and say everything is perfect. I do like it here, but I'm having some good and bad days. I know that's normal, but I have more bad days than I'd like. I'm sure it'll just take some time!

That is us driving on I-10, the major highway around here. The picture doesn't do it justice, but that whole area you're looking at? Juarez, Mexico. That's how close we are. You can actually see the river and the gate, but like I said, crappy picture!

We still don't have Internet service, nor do we have a washer and dryer yet. Sooo, I'm over at Jenn's apartment washing close and catching up on the Internet world. Again, I don't know what I'd do without her!! We'll have Internet starting on the 28th and a washer and dryer and soon as hubs gets that DLA money!

I know I said I'd catch up on blogs last week... buuutt I just looked at my google reader and saw that there are 252 for me to "catch up" on. I quickly got on Facebook instead...

I found my way to the hospital and now know where to go for all of my appointments :) They are very friendly. The hospital is huge, but surprisingly easy to maneuver around in. Yesterday I was showed around to every place in there that I could possibly need to go to. They gave me a motion sickness prescription because..

in the midst of this all, I'm jumping on a plane to Massachusetts tomorrow for my dear friend's wedding!! The planes on my way home to SC and back made me excruciatingly ill, so hopefully these pills will help out quite a bit!

My mum has been bugging and bugging me to do a pregnancy post. I'm too scatter-brained to do a full one, but here is a little update:

I'm 26 weeks pregnant and Baby Drew is now measuring to be around a full 2 pounds!

I feel him moving around more and more and it never fails to put a smile on my face.. Trey's too. They kicks and punches are stronger. He will actually respond most of the time now if you press on my belly.. usually he'll push back. That is beyond cool. I can also feel him squirming around in there.

When I wake up in the morning, it's almost like I can feel where he's snuggled up in a little ball and it's always in the same place. I think it's the sweetest thing ever.

I talk to him more and more and it's beginning to feel a little less strange.

It's getting a little harder to move around freely. My belly is starting to get in the way and it's harder to get up out of certain positions. We take walks almost every night, and I am having to slow down a bit. I loose my breath quite often and I'm seeing my first sign of *gasp* tiny little stretch marks.

I'm up and down with whether or not I'm ready for him to be here. I'm petrified and ecstatic all at the same time. On one hand, I can't wait to see what he looks like.. to hold his tiny little body in my arms, to kiss him all over constantly, and to see what this does to Trey. On the other hand.. WOW!! I'm going to be a mum. We're going to bring him home from that hospital and it's going to be real. I'm going to be responsible for keeping him alive. What if I can't feed him right? How will I know if he's getting enough food? Am I going to be a nervous wreck while he's sleeping, checking on him every 5 minutes to make sure he's still breathing? How am I going to shop with him and what if he's hungry while I'm out?

I have selfish thoughts as well that I'm embarrassed to admit, but I like to keep it real. Am I going to miss it being just Trey and I? It's going to be a pain in the rear to pack up everything to go out anywhere.. nothing will be this easy anymore. We'll base every decision we make around him. I'm sure these thoughts go away and I'm sure it's very normal. I know when I see that little boy, it's going to change my life... for the better and none of this stuff will matter to me anymore!

26 week belly shot :)

I think that's enough information overload for now! I'll be back next week with regular posting again :) Happy Memorial Day everyone!!

We made it?

Welp, we're here in El Paso.. do we want the positives or the negatives first? Negatives? Good idea... let's get that crap out of the way.

Not so Good
1. It's scary.
This is a big darn city! I don't know how to drive in this traffic anymore first of all! These people are crazy. And I'm not sure I'll ever figure out my way around.. so many loops! Second of all... we are ridiculously close to Juarez, Mexico. Can you even imagine how much I'd freak out if I accidentally got the the line to cross over there??? My palms sweat and heart palpitates every time I get into the car.
2. We're homeless.
There's an insane amount of people coming into this area apparently. We won't get on post housing for like a year. When we asked for help finding off post housing they basically told us good luck with that. The prices of homes are actually being gauged because they know there's such a high demand. Because of that we are either going to be completely settling for something we're not crazy about AT ALL (hello upstairs apartment.. again) or getting something a little out of our price range and living dangerously close to living in poverty level. What to do, what to do?
3. I'm EXTREMELY homesick right now.
Maybe due to the fact that we're now another hour behind home and that makes me feel very far away? Or maybe just because we feel so lost right now? Or could be hormones.. either way... I miss my mommy.

Plus sides.. shall we?
1. This place *for the most part* is BEA-U-TIFUL!!!
I have a sneaking suspicion that once we do actually find a place and I can get my little routine down pat, I'm going to l-o-v-e it. The Franklin mountains are a beautiful view to see from just about any point. The palm trees make me feel exotic. I love all the stucco buildings. Gorgeous.
2. Jennifer has been my saving grace.
God love her. Once we get settled I'm going to owe her my life. We've been her little pet project all week, and she's helped so much! It's been wonderful to have a familiar face here!
3. Pretty much anything we could possibly need is 10-15 minutes away.
If we do live in that decent apartment, hello Target, you'll be right down the street from me. Let's just ignore, for now, the fact that we won't be able to afford to take advantage of any of these lovely places.

That's all for now.
I'm way behind on blogs. Trust me, I'll have plenty of time to catch up and comment away while Trey is doing in-processing all next week. I'm not quite ready to put my big girl panties on and venture out by myself just yet.

Have a great weekend!

Busy Busy Busy

I tried to make this post much, much more interesting by uploading pics to give you mental images.. but blogger is not cooperating today.. sorry!

I feel like since I've last been on here that my life has been one big whirlwind of chaos. I didn't think I'd be doing a post until we actually got to our new home, but here I sit, waiting for the movers, with nothing to entertain me except interenet.. sooooo...

My vacation home was everything I expected it to be. I soaked up every.single.minute I could with my family. I was especially clingy to my mum, which we chalked up to me being on my way to becoming a mummy. We were able to spend so much quality time together, but for me, the whole time it was a little bittersweet. I tried to enjoy every moment and really, I did... but it got more and more hard towards the end. All I could think about was the fact that the next time I see my parents, I'm going to have a BABY. I'm going to be a parent myself. I was scared, honestly and feeling a little more than vulnerable. The weather was beautiful the entire week. I spent an endless amount of time on their beautiful and infamous deck. (seriously.. the only thing that could make it better would be a beach next to it with waves crashing lightly onto our feet). Got to see four of my little brother's baseball games, two or three of which he pitched in. Got pedi's and mani's with the girls. Had dinner one night with some great girlfriends of mine. And really.. just spent a lot of down time with the fam.

The shower... it was perfect! They put so much work into throwing this for us and I feel extremely lucky to have these people in our lives. I can't wait for Andrew to meet all of these people that love him so much already. One room in my parents house is fully covered with baby stuff ready to be shipped to us!

The only things I can complain about are:
1. small planes aren't fun for pregnant bellies. Holy cold sweat and queasiness. Just sayin..
2. I was extremely emotional the entire time. Like cried just about every day, emotional.
3. I now miss my family even more so..
4. It's hard to see everyone you want to see when you only have a limited amount of time with your family. I know my time with them is limited now, and honestly.. when I am home.. I can't be pried away from their presense. I may have upset some people, but hopefully they understand.

But we will see them soon when they fly out to El Paso to see baby Drew <3>




Sidenote: packers are here and same as last time.. kinda awkward

Remember those birds I've been complaining about for like the past month? The awful, squaking at all hours, severely annoying birds? I feel horrible now. I walked to my car yesterday and saw their babies dead on the sidewalk. The strong winds must of knocked them down and it was the saddest and slightly grossest thing I've seen in a while.

I can't wait to get to El Paso! I'm ready for a change, even if I am a tad bit nervous and a little scared. It'll be nice to be able to "settle" in somewhere. I know it'll only be for a couple of years, but compared to this move where we knew it would only be a couple of months... I'd call it settling :)

A few random thoughts before my hiatus

My husband finally *is jussst about done* with training!! Yesterday he graduated from his FA BOLC 3 class and I could not be any more proud of him than I am. He has worked harder than I've ever seen him work at anything before. Long long days, starting at 5am and not ending until around 10pm. Constant studying and having very little free time. Test after test after test. Days out in the field. All while also taking great care of an ever growing pregnant wife. He really is my very own hero and I realize that more and more every day.
The ceremony yesterday was perfect. Only lasted an hour and had plenty to keep my self-diagnosed ADD self occupied. The speaker (a COL from Fort Hood, I believe) was entertaining and even got a few laughs out of everyone. All the graduates got up on stage and said their names and where they were headed instead of someone just calling their name and handing them a diploma. And that was pretty much it. They sang the Army song afterwards and it was on to picture time!


Here he is, in all his glory, excepting his diploma.

We are here for another 2ish weeks before we move on for his AOT training. Then it's on to the real Army - finally. He's a little nervous just because he has no clue what to expect, but I have so much faith in him. I think he's going to be wonderful at his job - whatever that may be.

Afterwards we went to dinner with 2 other couples that we have gotten to be incredibly close with. One of them left this morning for their new post, so it was a last night out together type of thing. I thought I had my emotions under control, but was quickly proven wrong when Trey and I got ready to leave. The waterworks were in full force. It's funny how quickly us Army families form a bond with one another. I guess we know that our time together is never indefinate so you don't waste any time in getting to know each other. All I know is that this couple filled so much of my heart in just a quick 3 months and they will be friends for life. It truly is more of a family than friendships. I know they will do great at their new post and I can't wait to hear about what the next few years brings their way!

I'm going to be on a blogging hiatus for a little while. The next month of my life is going to be CRAZY! I'm leaving tomorrow for a visit home for a little over a week. I'm so so excited to see everyone - especially my family. I'm going to soak up every moment I can with my parents and even some extended family flying in from Massachusetts. My mum, SIL, and MIL are throwing a shower for me on Sunday. I can't wait for that. It really overwhelms me to think about all the people will be there to celebrate Andrew's life. I highly doubt I'll make it through that afternoon without more tears!

We'll be moving three days after I get back from that trip. It'll be a two day drive. A week later, our household goods will arive to *hopefully* our new home. Less than a week from that day I'll be on another plane headed to Massachusetts for a very good friends wedding. Finally, 4 days later I'll be headed back to my husband to celebrate our three year anniversary!! I think around then I'll be ready for a break and exploring our new life in El Paso!

Precious

I've seen this email forwarded around quite a few times now, but it just gets me every time. Epecially now. We have one picture of Andrew where I know he's probably just sucking on that thumb, but I like to think he has his hands up praying. I imagine that to be God's hands holding him up by his behind and keeping him safe. I think it's such a sweet picture.

The email is a newborn's first conversation with God.

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow,

but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have
to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you.
And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the small child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand
when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words
you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will
teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach
you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach
you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth
could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave
now, please tell me my angel's name."

God said, You will simply call her, "Mom."

Waiting..

I'm patiently waiting for my husband to come home!

He's been in the field all week, but I swear it feels more like a month! They got back on post around noon and have been waiting to be released. Three hours later and I got nothing. Silly Army.

I'm so much looking forward to a quite night home together and a very low key weekend!

He cannot get his stankin behind home fast enough! Literally, he said the stench is pretty awful. I remember attempting to do his laundry after his week in the field during OCS. I just about passed out from that God awful smell. I didn't know such a smell was possible.

Now I can't wait to smell it again :) 

I'm bringing sexy back

Welp - I survived day one of hubs in the field. Kidding, I never doubted I could handle a week on my own. I do miss his crazy self, but I also don't mind a few days/nights of alone time. It's good for the soul says I.

Last night, however, was not one of those nights. GIRLS NIGHT. and it was the ultimate girls night let me tell you...  nail polish galore, hand and foot scrubs and creams, face masks and the N'Sync channel on Pandora to top it all off. I had more fun than I've had in a long time. It was great to be able to just let go and be silly girls for a night. No making dinner for the men, no watching them do homework in our peripheral vision. Just the 5 of us blasting the music and being complete girls. Much needed!

Some other things that have went on or will go on that I feel is worthy of your knowledge:

My sweet, amazing brother got a little confused when he was buying Andrew's shower gift and had it sent to our apartment instead of my mum's house. Imagine my thrill yesterday when the UPS man delivered our STROLLER!! (Jeep Liberty Sport jogger stroller) and Andrew's very first dump truck. I can't wait to see my son *that still sounds sweetly strange rolling of the tongue* crawling on the floor, rolling his truck around and making vrrooom vroomm sounds. I'll make sure he knows his Uncle Charlie gave that to him! I really wanted to open the stroller immediately and find something to push around, but I surpressed that urge...

Today I plan to pack away all of my winter clothes for the movers. I bought a plastic tub for them yesterday. That way when we get to El Paso, I can just store them away without even having to look at them.

I'm going to be cutting up my first real, live pineapple today. I've always been too intimidated... I'm going for it today!

It's been really cool... I can feel Drew's body usually after I eat. He was a little further up last night and I could feel little body parts and feel them moving when I'd press on them. I'm assuming feet. I then insisted all the girls feel as well.

The other day, I found out how old my Wii thinks I am. I thought I was kicking ass the whole time. Not so says the Wii. It told me I was 46 years old. Isn't 40's the new 30's??

Also, 9 days before I'm home for a blissful 8 days!

21 Weeks

Here you go mum!

How far along? 21 weeks exactly today!
Total weight gain: As of my last doctors appointment (which was the 1st) I've gained a total of 8 lbs. I know it's not much for 21 weeks, but Drew is growing just fine.. even seems to be a little bigger than what he "should" be, so I'm not complaining a bit! I'm pretty sure it'll catch up with me.
Maternity clothes? Looking back at 16 weeks the only thing I was wearing was belly bands over my jeans. Those still do the trick when needed but I'm in maternity pants for the most part now and I LOVE them. I wear some maternity tops, but a lot of my own tops still fit me too.

Stretch marks? Still not yet!
Sleep: Ugghhh.. this has changed a lot since my 16 week questionairre too. It's very hard to stay comfortable now. I naturally sleep on my stomache or back. My tummy is clearly out of the question now and when I lay on my back, it's hard to breath. My back hurts a good bit so I toss and turn a lot. Trey surprised me last week with a body pillow and I'm loving that! Plus the damn birds don't help...
Best moment this week: Last Friday ~ learning that "it's" a he! This week ~ just feeling him move around a lot more has been wonderful! I can't desribe the feeling, but it never fails to put a smile on my face.

Movement? Why yes! I can feel him kicking or punching and flipping around, but nothing felt on the outside yet. I can't wait for that!
Food cravings? Still no real cravings I don't think. I guess by cravings, I'm waiting for this huge, gotta have it now feeling and I never really feel those. Some foods I'm enjoying though? Mashed potatos and grilled chicken. Sonic slushes. Ehh... I'm actually really sick of eating. I'm hungry more and more but nothing really ever sounds good to me. I need some ideas of things to eat.. healthy things.
Showing? Quite a bit. I've had just a few strangers ask me how far along I am, which is pretty cool. Here you go.. I'll let the pic speak for itself.

16 Weeks

                                                                                                          21 weeks

21 Weeks

Gender Prediction: We're having a sweet baby boy!! I'm so meant to be a little boy's mama :) I guess you can't tell much from the heart beat. It's been very high all along...he's just very active! And he's a typical boy.. has stuck his tongue out at me at both ultra sounds ;)

There's that tongue! Sooo cute!
Labor Signs? None of that yet!
Mood Temperament: Ohhh man.. I'm still on that roller coaster, but now it's a little more bumpy. I have very high highs and very low lows. There's not much of an in between.
Milestones: Finding out that we have an Andrew and not an Ava.
Weekly Wisdom:
Dear Self:
Don't be so hard on yourself when you are having your "sad" moments. Stop trying to figure it out...it's hormones. You're most relaxing moments are in the bathtub or sitting out in the sun - both spots with a good book. Do that when you're feeling down and stop worrying about that. Time is going by very fast so enjoy every moment possible.

Home

I've heard this song quite a few times now (especially with my husband being a tad bit in love with Miranda Lambert) but today, it really tugged at my heart. I was on the way on post about to go through the gates when the tears started... I just knew the guards were going to make me pull over or something.

I'm sure this song would strike a cord with anyone, but for me it brings back such vivid memories of the two homes I grew up in, but mostly the first one.

We grew up in a little town in Massachusetts. The summer before 3rd grade, my parents and I moved into the house I'd spend the next 5 years of my life. We lived in a duplex - us in one side and my aunt, uncle and cousins lived in the other. I have some of the best memories of my life living in that place.

Being able to just walk next door to see some of my favorite relatives to eat with them, watch tv, or probably just bother them at that age. I can still here my Uncle Ronnie's voice now, yelling at me to put my socks on! Having some of my best friends over to play. Swimming in the pool almost every day during the summer. My brother Charlie being born there. Me moving my room up into the attic because I was SO old enough to have my own space. My cousin Ronnie getting me in trouble for riding my bike around the corner of a busy street (I was supposed to walk it). But him also buying me a hampster when my mom said no and sneaking it in to me in a happy meal box. And then said hampster "disappearing" and no one ever did find it. Sledding down Bolton Street. My dad calling me home by whistling for me when I stayed out past the street lights coming on. My BEST FRIEND living 3 houses away. The HUGE clam bakes we'd have every 4th of July.

The cab pulling up to the front door when it was time to bring us to the airport for the move to SC. I was curled up by the couch on my aunts side of the house and they practically had to carry me out of there.

There are so many more memories I have of that place, but I would be here all day. And you would get bored.

What would I give to be able to walk into that house again and relive every single one of those moments. Unfortunately, I'm miles and miles away and no one in our family lives there anymore. Most of us do move away from our childhood home, I'm just glad to be able to have such vivid memories that I'll be able to carry with me.

You HAVE to listen to this, especially if you haven't heard it before. I promise you'll be able to relate and it will touch your heart!

Honesty

I knew I've been a bad blogger when my mum texts me to say she needs another pregnancy blog. Sorry mum!

Truth is.. I've just had NO motivation. I knew I was in a slump last week, but I thought I'd gotten over that. Turns out it just got worse.

I'm really not quite sure what's been wrong with me to be honest. Probably hormones. I've just been so down in the dumps.. especially the past couple days. I can't express why. I have no reasons. It's not so severe that I'm walking around crying.. I just feel like a major debbie downer. It's just a feeling I have in my chest. Like I have no desire to even smile. It's really not like me at all. Especially now. I have every reason in the world to be floating on cloud 9.
I do have my moments. Like when I look at my belly or feel him moving around. That never fails to make me smile. Or when my husband comes home with a body pillow completely out of the blue because he knows I'm not sleeping very well.. at all. Or when he sends me a text like the one I just got that said he couldn't wait to hang out with me tonight.

Mainly, I think it's a mixure of not sleeping much because I can't get comfortable, HORMONES, and the loud screeching birds I have outside of our window that you can hear squacking obnoxiously in any spot in our apartment. I can't explain how horrible it is. It never stops. It starts at 6:30 in the morning usually (5:00 this morning) and doesn't stop until it's dark. I'm being very literal when I say I'm afraid they are going to drive me insane. The only solice I get is when I get in the shower (can't hear them with the water running) or I have to leave our apartment. It's non stop. I can't wait to move away from this place. Hopefully there won't be any horrible birds nesting on top of our house in El Paso.

Stay tuned for another post today.. all about baby and me with less focus on the negatives. Your welcome mum.

Gender Reveal Party

We had our gender reveal party yesterday, and it was so much fun!

Some of our closest friends got together dressed to let us know their guess..

We had lots of delicious food and pretty decorations

We finally cut the cake to surprise *almost* everybody. I kind of stayed true to form and blew it for the first couple. I was showing them the US pics and said, "I'm just not sure what's going on with him in this one. Are those his arms...ohhhhh nooooo". Yeah, throw up of the mouth, as per usual.

We grilled out in the perfect spring weather and ate the best burgers ever!

The boys *and dogs* played some football

It was truly a perfect day.. and a long one. And finally, here was the most exciting moment.. I caught the cake cutting on video.. hopefully blogger will cooperate with me and let me upload it.

Yup.. just what I thought. I'm going back to the original posting page. I'm sick of no spell checker anyways.

Thank you SO SO much for all of your comments yesterday! We are on cloud 9 :)

Drumroll Please...

It's a.......













Ready??












Sure you want to know????










We are having a sweet, sweet, boy!!!!
Mmhmmm... most of you were wrong according to the polls. Mostly everyone in my life was telling me I was for sure, no doubt about it, having a girl - so you can imagine my *thrilled* surprise when she told us differently. I may have squealed and I definitely cried a little bit. Trey is beyond ecstatic.

I guess you can't really pay much attention to the high heart beat rule, that little heart was still going away at 152 bpm tonight. I've had two ultrasounds now and both technicians made comments about how active HE is... so HE gets worked up a little too easy just like HIS mama.. that's okay! HE was moving around in there like crazy! I know one thing's for sure... he's the cutest little boy I've ever seen <3

So bring on the dump trucks, legos, Army men and baseball bats and blue clothes... we are ready for it.

Andrew "Drew" Gates Norton, I can't wait to welcome you into this world and wrap my arms around you for the first time! We already love you more than words can express.

The Big Day

No, I'm not telling what the sex is in this post! We don't even know yet. I'll have a scheduled post up tomorrow early afternoon to spill the beans :)

I am just overwhelmed with excitement. Trey is home now.. go figure. The original appointment was set up for 4:15, but I pushed it back to make sure Trey could go. He hasn't been able to go to any appointments yet, so I really wanted to make sure he could go to this one. I can't wait to see his facial expression when he finally sees that precious baby moving around and hears the heartbeat. But, of course, he was released super early today (after he passed his last big exam!!) and we now have to sit around and wait for 6:15 to roll around. The suspense is KILLING me.

I've been lucky enough to have a couple girlfriends keeping me occupied through the morning, but now they've all carried on with their own lives and I'm just counting down the minutes.. trying not to watch the clock.. because a watched clock never ticks?

I can't believe in just a few short hours I'm hopefully going to know what we're having *please don't be modest today baby and show us all your goods*. I can finally stop calling it "it". We have names picked out (yes I'll share both names tomorrow) and I can start addressing "it" by an actual name. I can pick out lots of cute baby clothes!

It's going to be great to just know and I'm in disbelief that it's April... I'm just about half way through with this pregnancy. Where has the time gone?

Moving Adventures Part II

I can't believe we'll be heading out of here in 33 days!! It feels like just yesterday I started out on this adventure - my first big move away from my family, away from the east coast, away from everything I knew, and on towards my new life with my soldier. And now, here we are, about to take another step forward, finally entering in to the REAL ARMY and finally being done with training.

I tend to make things more difficult then they need to be. It's just the way I am. I blow things out of proportion and put more stress on myself then I need to. I'm determined not to do that to myself this time. After stressing out last weekend with a million thoughts running through my head, I took the time Monday morning to write out feelings, thoughts, concerns, and listed things that need to be done. I feel MUCH MUCH better and have all week. I've been taking care of little things here and there and we are now on the right path.

I got a lot of my housing questions answered on Monday by just making a little phone call. Imagine that. I don't know why I get so worked up from just the thought of picking up the phone. That's what they are there for! And if I don't do it.. it will never get done! So, I called housing and found out that there is a 9 month to 1 year waiting list. (better than the flat 1 year they told me the first time.) I'm still a little confused and not sure about what you are supposed to do while you are waiting for housing. Is there someone that sets you up with temp. housing on post? Are we supposed to find some place to rent in the mean time off post by ourselves? If so, how do you go about finding someone that will be very flexible with leasing options?

I went to the Transportation Dept. on Tuesday and set up our move and got an advance on our partial DITY. They will be here to pack up and move out on the 11th and we'll start our trip on the same day. I found out that the Army WILL move us from temporary housing to on post, which was a big deciding factor for me.

If you can't tell... we are strongly leaning towards (as in just about 100% planning on) living on post. I know there are pros and cons to each option, but for this move, we just feel like it's the best option for us. Really, the BAH for this town isn't very much compared to the cost of the renting I've seen so far. It seems like between rent and utilities it will add up to be more than our BAH. With us being a single income family for now and having a baby on the way... that just isn't an option. Plus, I'm really kind of excited to have that experience. I wanted to try it out at least once to see if I'd like it.

That's about all for now. I'm turning in our vacany form to the apartment office today. I know in turn they will give me a cleaning list and how much it will cost if we don't do each thing... grrrr... not looking forward to that! Then I'm going out to buy decorations for our Gender Reveal Party for Saturday!! I don't remember if I've told y'all about that, but I'll do a full post on it after the weekend :)

Tomorrow's our big day!! One more day to vote. I am so very excited to find out if we are having a boy or girl, I can hardly stand it!

A True Fan

I actually had a semi-important post to do today (and I still may) but this deserves a two-day post! When I heard this this morning it immediately trumped my "What in the world to do about housing, please help me before I go insane, post)

If you've stuck around my blog for a longer amount of time, you already know that I'm sports fanatic. You know that I'm a very dedicated Boston everything lover... especially my Patriots and Redsox. So you can assume I was glued to the tube on Sunday night for Opening night against the Skankees Yankees. Great game, btw.

When I did fail to see was this gem. It's definitely worth the next minute and 36 seconds of your life. You won't regret it, especially around the 1:16 minute marker. It doesn't matter who you're a fan of.. you can appreciate this!

Happy Easter

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend - I know we did. If you were without your loved ones, please know that I was thinking about you! It has to be so very hard to spend holidays especially without your spouse, sibling, or parent... I hope you at least got to chat with them and you found comfort through friends or a great church service.

The weather was beautiful here in Oklahoma! It seriously could not have been any more perfect.

We picked my brother up from Sheppard AFB so he didn't have to spend Easter alone.
Sunday we went to a beautiful Easter morning service at the church we have been attending here. I think Easter service is my favorite one of the year. It's such a nice reminder of what our Lord did for us and what that really means. That we are forgiven and loved PERFECTLY. The God loves us SO incredibly much, that he had his only son crucified just to bring US closer to him. Could you imagine doing the same... it's overwhelming really and makes me want to be such a better Christian.

After church we went to a friends house for a huge potluck Easter lunch/early dinner. It was delicious!! Who knew our little group of friends were so talanted?? We had a cheese ball, ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole (courtesy of me), deviled eggs, potato salad, coleslaw, buns, death by chocolate, rice crispy treats, ice cream sandwhich cake, red velvet cake balls... Ohh my gosh!! Everyone left hurting!

I can't even explain how much it means to me to have this group of friends here. It's so important when you are away from your family. In a sense, we've made our own little family away from home. We're all in the same postition and it takes the sting out of missing your loved ones back home, especially on such important days. These people mean the world to me:                     
                                                                                                    

                            

P.S.

My mum's package hasn't arrived yet, but I did want to reassure everyone that she did put a few Easter goodies in there for me :)