Time is winding down

Well I only have a month left to go until the end of this deployment, thank goodness! But on the other hand I only have a month left to get everything I wanted to get done, done & everything in order. Though that doesn’t sound like too much of a feat, with a little one it tends to me a little more challenging. But not impossible.

This deployment I set out to work on a couple things & make my time purposeful. Here is how I am doing.

1) Working on my weight: Well this I have been pretty successful at, 31.8 lbs down. Though I haven’t weighed in yet this week & have been eating bad for the past 1.5 weeks. But nothing I cannot recover from. I still have not fit my half way point, which is 32.2 lbs, which is very close. I have been able to get into pants 2 sizes smaller than when I started in July & my shirt size has gone down 1-2 sizes as well. Very exciting stuff! I feel better about me, even attractive again. I do feel like I hit my first plateau, more mentally though, hence the week & a half that I didn’t think at all about what I ate or drank. Now I am finding it a little harder to jump back on the bandwagon & get back on track. But as tough as it is right now, I am going to push myself to do it & I know that in a week or two it will be second nature again to be healthy & happy. I think I will always need my little ‘breaks’ though. So I have one month left to see how well I can do, to see how ‘big of a loser’ I can be by the time Steven returns home.

2) Working on my Spanish…well this one hasn’t gone too well – I do know a few more phrases than I use to, nothing that will help me get around town though. LOL. I have always been a pure small town American girl, I speak English & I would just rather just have a hamburger & fries (though I do LOVE me some Mexican food). :o)

3) Working on being a better wife. I don’t think I originally stated this one correctly, as I more meant to work on my marriage. I do not, by far, have a bad marriage, there is just always room for improvement & growth. I think we have worked out a few strategies for when Steven returns home to better our relationship & family.

4) Putting on any new hat is hard, whether it be high school student vs. elementary, being a wife vs. a girlfriend, being a mother vs. just a wife. It is hard, but it is all what you make of it. I always wanted to be a mother, but was always terrified of having to get through the ‘newborn’ stage. But with lots of help, I did it, I got through it. Now Landen is 5 months old and more fun than ever! He is discovering new things and picking up new tricks everyday. I thoroughly enjoy time with him. I am looking forward to all the new adventures I get to take with him and trying my best to treasure what I have now.

So, ONE month left! That’s it for deployments at least for a few years. I know November will be over before I know it.

It was a good weekend!

My little boy officially turned 3 months Sunday! Where has time gone??? (I know it flies!) We are thinking he just went through a big growth spurt because he looks so much bigger & he has been trying to work at sitting up. Of course he is not strong enough yet but he has been lifting his head & shoulders up like he wants to at least lean up & look around at more than his horizontal view. He is really enjoying the treats Papa slips him, sitting like a big boy in his new assisted sitter chair & swinging outside has become a favorite activity.

I did more than I expected myself to get done & still feel very relaxed & refreshed. The refreshed part could be largely to my parents getting up with LT two nights in a row. Thank you guys! I mowed, edged & weed-eated my front yard, even pulled a few weeds. Then went inside to kick the dogs out so I could clean the floors, while they were drying I cleaned my kitchen & reorganized a few things in the cabinets. Then cleaned out my new & old purse & downloaded some music. All before 1300 too! I was a busy girl! Then I headed out to see LT at my parents & enjoyed some time with him, did a little shopping with Dad, Mike & Katie, was thankful to eat dinner at a full table & then headed home to get some sleep. I still have just a couple things to do before Steven comes in, but nothing major. I am planning on getting a jump start on things Wednesday & spending some quality time with my little man, while hopefully not glancing at my watch too many times in excitement to see Steven! I cant believe tomorrow & can say I will see him tomorrow!

You can call me Wonder Woman

I don’t enjoy deployments, I don’t think I will ever get use to them either but they are a time that I can take the time to work on who I am. I was given another little piece of wisdom by my mother, do things with a purpose – raise your kids with purpose, love your husband with purpose, live life with purpose, don’t just get by to get it done. So, after a little bit of thought I have decided to live out the rest of this deployment with purpose. Here is my list as of right now, knowing in time they may change:

1. Work on my weight. I really miss feeling really good about my body and I commit to myself that I am going to work on dropping some weight. Thanks mom for being my buddy in this feat.

2. Work on learning Spanish. I have always wanted to learn Spanish, and Steven and I have talked about it several times, so with our bi-annual TX trip coming up I figure now is as good time as any to commit to learning at least some Spanish. I don’t know that I will pick up the full accent but I will try by best.

3. Working on bettering myself as a wife. I think we can never stop striving to be better at what we do, and a large part of what I do is to be a wife. Why not be the best wife I can be for my husband. I commit to myself, my husband and my marriage to strive to be the best wife I can be.

4. A nothing large part of who I am now is a mother. I wouldn’t trade it for the world! I am starting to work through the awkwardness of it, as 0-6 months is not my favorite age, but as every day goes by LT is becoming more aware of the world and himself and that makes it more and more fun. I commit to having more fun with my little man.

I am looking forward to being a happier person and enjoying life to its fullest. The thoughts that will keep me going are these: the look on Steven’s face when he walks off that plane arriving home from deployment and getting to surprise him with all the hard work I put into loosing weight, enjoying weekend morning goofing off in bed together as a family, hearing and seeing the happiness in my husband as he knows he is loved dearly & lastly, getting to go to TX & when we pull up to a drive thru and they greet us in Spanish or when we go to Mexico I will be able to understand them!

101 Why I Love My One and Only

1. You take out the trash without being asked
2. You always find a way to make me laugh
3. Your laugh
4. Your smile
5. You married me
6. You gave me our son
7. You’re a great kisser
8. You know how to wash dishes
9. You barbecue
10. You know how to wash clothes
11. You love me
12. You learn quickly
13. Your butt
14. You enjoy “talking” to me
15. You are up for trying new things
16. You play video games with me
17. You can be motivating
18. You let me play beer pong with you even though I couldn’t drink
19. You can say your sorry
20. You listen
21. You know how to cook
22. You care about my feelings
23. You do your best to call me at least once a day on deployment & sometimes more than that! Thank you, a LOT!
24. Your dimples
25. You learnt quickly how to change a diaper & now don’t mind doing it
26. You are not scared to be a ‘get your hands dirty’ dad
27. You let me pursue my interest – even if I always manage to kill the plants I keep – I am really trying this time & they are still alive & doing well! :o)
28. You encourage my dreams
29. You have goals
30. You treat me as an equal
31. You enjoy family
32. You are respectful
33. You are fun to hang out with
34. We can hang out & do absolutely nothing & still have fun
35. You try to involve me in just about everything you do
36. You enjoy getting dressed up every once in a while & going out
37. You have self drive
38. You listen to me vent after a hard day
39. You don’t hold grudges
40. You let me work on projects with you
41. You enjoy spending time with my family
42. You are simple
43. You try to teach me things about your job & what you do when you explain something to me about work
44. You are a problem solver
45. You are determined
46. You aren’t scared to learn something new
47. You are laid back
48. You realize you don’t know everything there is to know about everything
49. You don’t mind that I am not perfectly shaved all the time
50. You like such a wide variety of food
51. You are never scared to try a new food
52. You are cultured
53. You don’t mind that I am the true American girl & would just rather French fries & a burger sometimes & clearly spoken English
54. You don’t mind ordering Chinese for me
55. You enjoy some of the same shows I do & even endure some you don’t enjoy sometimes
56. We have our secrets
57. You take turns being the DD with me
58. We have a lot of the same friends
59. You don’t mind that sometimes I am just one of the guys
60. You enjoy talking to me
61. I can say what I really think about the world & others without it going beyond you
62. You are a safe driver
63. I can trust you
64. You always make sure I am okay
65. You clean our toilets
66. You are a problem solver
67. Your style
68. The way you walk
69. That you enjoy partying with me
70. That you tell me that you will have no fun at an event without me
71. That you are willing to spend a Friday night home with me on the couch
72. You clean the shower drain
73. Even though I am capable, you deal with computer issues for me
74. You let me cuddle with you after having a bad dream
75. You always get up to kiss me good night if I am already comfy
76. Some times to try to ‘talk to me’ in your sleep
77. You’ll wrestle with me occasionally
78. You let me tickle you without getting mad
79. You enjoy theme parks
80. You’ll stop by the store for me when you can
81. You’ll pick up candy you know I like every once in a while
82. It is simple for you to make me smile
83. You pick on me cause you love me
84. You take care of me & put me to bed if I have drank too much
85. Your beer of choice is Bud Light
86. You ride roller coasters
87. You are considerate of my fears
88. You are strong
89. You have a taste for wide variety of beers
90. You don’t have to have name brand things
91. You enable us to pay our mortgage
92. You enjoy playing with our dogs
93. You don’t mind being silly
94. Your sense of humor
95. You have common sense
96. You are the father of my child
97. You encourage me to try new things
98. You enjoy fishing
99. You’ll go to the gym with me
100. You are my best friend
101. You are a wonderful husband & all mine!

Happy Anniversay Steven! I LOVE YOU WITH EVERYTHING I AM!!!

Not Too Busy Today 12/61

This week as been a full week for me at work, meaning the days have been flying by. We have an audit coming up that I have been preparing for and my replacement for maternity leave starts Monday so I have been also preparing for that too. Yesterday I just about wrapped up all my work for the week & fixed all my computer problems so now I am just sitting here waiting on the week to be finished. I did find out though that I would be able to take a week off early, early if the baby doesn’t arrive until induction, to relax & enjoy before Landen comes. So today & tomorrow I will be finding anything I can to keep me as busy as possible so I can finish up this week as quickly as possible.

In Bed before the Sun 13/61

Steven has been working the mid-shift this week so he has been leaving the house at about 6-630pm, so I only get to see him from 3pm, when I get home until 6 or so when he has to get ready & leave. So needless to say I have been missing my needed afternoon naps. Then when he gets home, somewhere in the middle of the night or morning he comes in to say he’s home safe & good night, so I manage to get broken sleep. So my solution to this dilemma is to head to bed before the sun. I have managed to be in bed around 8-830 the past 2 nights, & luckily I feel pretty normal throughout my work day. It seems that these days I can never get enough sleep.

The Green Light 14/61

Well at my doctor appointment this afternoon, I got the green light that if I went into labor anytime beyond now that it would be perfectly normal & fine. So now I just have to try to figure out how to relay that message to Landen. I keep thinking that the sooner he arrives the more time he will have with his daddy & the more time his daddy will have with him. I would really love to give Steven more than just the 1-1.5 weeks he would have with Landen if I was to wait until they induced me. Not to mention that will be a very busy time because Steven & I would be preparing for deployment. I just really hope, wish & pray that he will come soon so Steven can really bond with him & leave really feeling like a father instead of just knowing he has a kid at home that he never really got to connect to. I keep thinking this weekend, for Steven (and my dad’s) birthday would be a PERFECT time for Landen to come!!!

A Few Things That Annoy Me 15/61

I can’t complain about this pregnancy (too much), as it has been a very easy ride, even though it is starting to get to me. There are not too many things that are daily activities that I am not able to complete myself. I can still bend down to get things off the floor fairly easily, even though I look like a 1 year old squatting down, I can still get up off the couch by myself & my favorite I don’t waddle. So, standing at the sink doing a few last dishes that wouldn’t fit into the dish washer I realized how hard it was starting to get to wash dished standing a foot back from the sink or bent over like an old lady. Then I was thinking there are a few other things that are a bit annoying to me – like how I sometimes cant have a conversation with out sounding like I am running a mile while I talk, or how the simple task of taking clothes out of the washer to put in the dryer or just taking them out of the dryer seems to kill me. Walking is something else that is starting to get to me too, ugg, I feel like I am carrying floating bowling ball behind my pubic bone & with every step it bounces up & down on the back of my pubic bone, I feel like I am just waiting for it to just break. Wow, would that be a sight! While none of these are huge deals & I am thankful that these are things I am just complaining that these things are getting harder as I can still do them. Completely off topic of things that are harder to accomplish, but on topic with things that annoy me, while I sit here & endure my darling little one’s hiccups – let me just add though very cute in the beginning boy are they annoying now & he sure seems to get them a lot! Ugg… Ok, I’m done complaining.

Cinderella!?!?! 16/61

I have heard a few people say that if you want baby out, then scrub your floors. Well I have managed to scrub my bathroom floor & bathroom, which was an all day event. I think I cleaned some spots that have not been cleaned since we moved in 3 years ago! It is so clean now that we debated on eating dinner in there the night I finished. Steven kept coming in to check on me, to lend a hand if I needed it & to make sure I wasn’t doing anything too crazy or the cleaners getting strong. So today I decided after Liz’s party & a visit with family I would go home & be productive, so I decided to scrub my dinning room & hallway floors. They look better than ever now! I am slowly running out of floors to scrub…Steven keeps asking me “what’s up with being Cinderella?!?!?!” The work is keeping me busy though.

An Easier Day 17/61

It was a beautiful day and we set to enjoy it. We didn’t do much, as Michael & I managed to get the front yard work done the night before. I am thinking my neighbors think I have fully lost it though, I mowed – by my choice, which Mike edged, which was an over grown task of its own. It was the first time of the year our front yard was cut, we got lucky to wait so long. So with not much to accomplish on Saturday, after we all got breakfast I wandered off to get a pedicure. Not that I cant reach my feet, because I still can & manage to paint them on my own, it just takes me 3 times as long as this belly of mine manages to get in the way. After completing the endeavor of trying to pain my own toe nails I sound like I have just ran a marathon & need a nap after all the hard work. It was really nice to sit back & relax while someone else did them.

Congrats to Liz! 18/61

Liz graduated today with her BA! Congratulations!!!!

A Day Late but Not a Dollar Short 19/61

Yesterday was Administrative Assistance Day, which is not a big deal to me, but my General Foreman got me a card, which was really sweet & thoughtful of him. This being said there has been questions from my Deputy Director asking for votes that he is my favorite out of the 4 guys I mainly work for. Mostly he is looking for validation, I think. Anyways after confirming with him, for sake of his ego, that he was in deed my favorite just Tuesday, yesterday I had to inform him that I had to drop him to the bottom of my favorites list. He forgot Admin Day! It was even on his calendar & he forgot! I gave him a little bit of a hard time all in joking & ended it at that. This morning though I was presented with a vase of a dozen orange roses & a thank you card from all 4 of them. I was really surprised & thankful. It is such a nice feeling to know you are appreciated, even if it was a day late.

A Little Disappointed 20/61

I know it was a little early, but I was hoping that little Landen was ready to join us…Nope, he wasn’t. Not just yet anyways. I know I only have 3.5 more years…oops I meant weeks left but it seems to be painfully dragging by.

I’m So Over This! 21/61

I have 2 more weeks left until I am full term & sometimes I feel like it is 2 years! I am so over this pregnancy! Some days aren’t bad but others I wonder if I have the sanity to get me through the next, possibly, 4 weeks until my induction time. I know I am luckier than others because the doc has a plan to induce me at 39 weeks, but that is so far away! I feel like I don’t have anymore room for this baby to grow anymore & I am so ready for him to come out & meet his daddy! All I keep thinking is the sooner he comes the more time he will have with his daddy & the happier & more relaxed mom will be. My desk guide will even be done today. Being patient is so HARD!!!!!

More Work Left to Do 22/61

I know with first time moms they say baby usually doesn’t come early but it is not something unheard of. I have been trying to do everything I can to get baby to come early, not too early, but as soon as he is full term, which would be the first weekend in May. I have been trying to stay active & taking some extra time to walk more, eating fresh pineapple & kiwi (which is so hard – NOT!), taking evening primrose oil & trying to get some extra love, when I’m not under the weather. Hopefully something will work & we can coax Landen out that first weekend in May, dad & grandpa would be ecstatic to have such a big birthday present. Anyways, I had the thought all weekend, as I kept getting more & more Braxton Hicks contractions, that my little boy cannot come now, I’m not ready! My desk guide is not done! So this week I will be in work mode with trying to finish up the last half of my desk guide & make as many notes as possible for my replacement. Then I will be able to sleep a little easier

Very Productive Day 23/61

I was feeling a lot better, the pain in my tailbone was minimal & usually only occurred when I sat back against something so I figured with feeling better I should get some things done around the house & run to pick up a few things. I got one of the last items we need for baby, now all we have left to pick up if the traveling system (stroller & car seat). Then I made it home to start washing some clothes & working on cleaning our bathroom. The bathroom ended up getting a deeper clean that I originally intended but it really sparkles now! I managed to scrub down everything & make it shine. Now I would feel comfortable with a guest viewing & using it. We have plans to finish up the last few touches on the rest of the house next weekend in preparation for baby’s arrival. There is not too much that needs to be done, but there are things that I don’t want to have to worry about taking care of once baby arrives.

The Baby Room is COMPLETE! 24/61

Even though I was still in a good amount of pain from the cyst procedure I accompanied Steven & Michael to Home Depot to get the final few touches for the nursery, a ceiling fan & curtain rod. When we got home I sat in the baby room, in a very comfy chair & watched then install both items, I even managed to help a little bit. Now, though, we can say that the nursery is finally COMPLETE!

An Unpleasant Surprise 25/61

My tailbone has been bothering me since Monday & I just figured it was more moving & shifting of my body in preparations for baby. Much to my surprise the worsening pain came along with a hard bump about the size of a dime. So I decided I couldn’t take the pain anymore & headed into the doctor’s. I thought they were going to tell me it was a small problem, give me some antibiotics & tell me to take Tylenol & send me on my way. That was not how it went at all! After taking a look at the sore area & bump they told me it was a pilonidal cyst. The doctor called in the surgeon to see what he suggested to do with it since I am pregnant & so far along. The typical cure for the cyst is surgery to remove the cyst & the area that caused it, but since I am only weeks from my delivery date that was not an option. So the short term fix was to cut a pea size hole in the cyst to relieve the pressure of it & give me some pain relief until after baby comes. After baby gets here though & I recover enough from that I will have to end of having the surgery to remove the 3-4 inch area to solve the problem completely. Ugg…

A Special Day for Me 26/61

This year we decided to do an Anti-Valentine’s Day, I did a special day for Steven early in February and Steven decided to wait until it warmed up a little & treated me to mine today. I woke up to a wonderful surprise breakfast in bed. He snuck out of bed early to make cut up some fruit and make cinnamon rolls; he displayed it all so beautifully on a platter with a white daisy. Then we got ready & again he surprised me with a trip to the zoo, it was the perfect day, it was breezy & sunny. We had so much fun watching the animals, I think the moneys & the baby jaguar was the most fun to watch. We also managed to get in about 5 hours or walking & I was feeling great afterwards. We headed home & Steven told me he was thinking about Japanese for dinner, which sounded wonderful. We sat at the hibachi grill this time & ended up with the whole grill to ourselves, the food was great & the time spent with him was treasured. He did SUCH a wonderful job! Thank you Steven!!!

Fish, Turtles & Alligators. Oh, my! 27/61

It was a beautiful afternoon so Steven & I decided it was a good idea to take the boat out to grab some dinner & do a little relaxing. We decided to take the trip to Clark’s Fish Camp, which is always a fun & yummy experience. We sat outside so we could feed the fish & turtles before & during dinner right from our table. Then after dinner we decided to take a minute to feed the fish out at the front of the restaurant, we were presently surprised to find a small alligator hanging out in the shallow waters there. He was only about 2.5 feet long and didn’t seem to cause much commotion. After watching him for a while we decided to head back out on the water to find a place to anchor to relax and take in the evening. It was really a nice time spending some quality time with Steven out on the boat, just me, him & the water surrounding us.

Smooth Sailing Again 28/61

The waters have been a little rough at our house the past few days & now that everything is sorted out it is smooth sailing & sunshine again. If we never have the storms we forget how much we love the sun! I am very thankful though that I have such a strong marriage & that I can see that. I have a lot of faith in my marriage & my husband, he is so wonderful!

A New Week 29/61

Well it is the start of a new week! I have more faith in this week, as last week was very long & nonproductive. I only managed to make it to work 3 days last week and only one of those was a full day, I ended up with a fever & had to go to L&D – I still have the bruises to prove it and spent over half of the week very sick & in bed. This week, so far, I am feeling much better, though I still have a little cough & stuffy nose, both manageable things & I made it to work on time – so the outlook is in the up direction. :o)

Happy Easter! 30/61

It was a quiet day, Steven went fishing & I hung out at home & visited my family for a little bit, it was very low key.

The Baby’s Room is Ready 31/61

We spend a little time hanging all the decorations on the walls in Landen’s room & it finally looks finished. There are still a few shelves empty but I am sure in time those will quickly fill.

County Fair 32/61

It was a beautiful evening, no a cloud in the sky & slightly breezy so we decided to take a walk around the county fair. It was a really nice time. We looked at all the animals, it is nice to see God’s sense of humor and diversity. We then got caught up in watching a ShamWow demo, it was nice to see that they really work, Steven ended up getting them. We took a stroll around the rides area, not that we were looking to get on any, we mostly just reminisced about how we use to thing that something that spins you around very quickly, turns you upside down & jolts you roughly in several different directions use to look like a blast – now just the thought of them turns your stomach. We had a really good time.

Early Learning 33/61

I am learning early the effects drugging up a child. I have been very sick the past 4 days & most of the time I have been drugged up on Benadryl to sleep better, trying to get better. Well being pregnant I wasn’t the only one feeling the sleepy effects, the baby has been sleeping a lot along with me. Boy oh boy is he awake now though, today I am feeling well enough to make a day of work & haven’t taken any kind of sleep aid since early last night while I do not have all my energy back, he seems to have enough for both of us. He has been moving all over the place; at least he is confined to my tummy & not running crazy all over the place. Hopefully I will keep this early learning experience stored back in my mind so I am not quick to use drowsy cold medicine after he is born.

First Trip to L&D 34/61

Luckily this pregnancy I have been pretty problem free & have not had to make but one other trip to the hospital (other than the planned progress appointments). I have been very sick with some kind of cold/flu, I never remember feeling this bad for this long with no relief before, but I it was something I knew I would just have to fight through. Well I woke up Tuesday afternoon with a fever & everything I have been taught is if my temperature got to be over 100.3 I need to head into Labor & Delivery. So that is what I did. For some reason I thought it would be a fairly quick trip, that they were just going to check the baby, tell me & was ok & send me back home, this was my ignorant thinking. Instead, I went in about 6pm and they didn’t let me go until about midnight. They checked the baby, which was doing just fine, gave me 2 bags of fluid through IV, did a bunch of lab test & gave me some Tylenol. They were very helpful & caring. So after a late night in L&D, the doctor gave me a note to rest the next day & sure enough that is all I had the energy to do.

Planned to Make a Full Day of It 35/61

Well, I made it to work; I woke up feeling better & slept pretty well – better than the 2 nights before. But after only a few hours of work, it is starting to take a toll on me, so at lunch time I am making an early day of it (only 3 hours early). I hear my bed calling me! Hopefully the extra sleep today will sum this cold up for me & allow me to get through the rest of the week.

The Clouds Started Rolling In 37/61

The morning was nice, we grabbed lunch at the mall then ran a few errands, nothing crazy & nothing really fun. Then went home to relax & catch up on house work. I managed to catch up on most of the laundry, though it seemed that with the passing of every load I started to feel a little more under the weather. So I slipped a nap I never wanted to end in, ate dinner & went back to bed hoping to feel better in the morning for work.

An Unexpected 4 Day Weekend 36/61

Well I had taken Friday off already & planned to head back to work Monday, but my body had other plans. I was feeling worse than I had all weekend – the sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, headache and backache – there was no way I would make it to work. I sounded awful & felt as bad as I sounded. So I spent the day in bed and drinking OJ. It helped, before I knew it the time was already 8pm, but I was up and about for a bit before headed back to bed. I did though manage to watch Marley & Me, which was great & makes me very thankful to have such wonderful dogs. I have a few of my own horror stories about my 2 but nothing to write a column about. The movie broke my heart in the end when they finally after I am estimating about 15-17 years, the family said their final good-byes to Marley, I thought that one day I would be doing the same with our little boy & our dogs. We have quite a while with ours though as Trigger is only 3.5 years old & Maddi is a spunky 2 years old. We still have plenty of memories to make!

Bring on the Guns 38/61

Anyone who knows Steven knows that he has a soft spot for any kind of weaponry, especially guns. Jacksonville was having one of its Gun Shows this weekend & of course we had to go see everything. It was a lot of walking, which was good for me & a lot of people; I just tried to stay out of the way. I was not real interested in the show, just getting out of the house was nice. Afterwards we stopped by a small pool party for a friend’s kid & then to the store to get dinner so Steven could bbq later. Over all the weather was great, the bbq hit the spot & the day couldn’t have been any nicer.

Where are the cameras? 39/61

I attended a real redneck wedding this evening for a couple Steven works with. It was not tacky, just simple beyond the means of the word. The attire for the wedding party was white t-shirts or polo shirts (for the guys) that stated who they were (i.e. groom, bride, maid of honor, etc). As the bride in her white “Bride” t-shirt and white jeans walked down the isle to ‘Dueling Banjos’ we looked around for hidden cameras from the CMT show “My Big Fat Redneck Wedding” (at least I believe that is what it is called). The wedding was followed by a simple yet traditional reception. There was the cutting of the cake, which was very pretty, the toast, first dances and of course the partying. Food, drinks & shots all around (except for me, I stuck to my water). It was a really good time, laid back yet very festive & seemed to fit the couple to a tee.

Fix It Please! 40/61

Today I came in to what is usually a very cold office, is now a very warm office. The A/C has not kicked on once all day & as the sun is out for longer the hotter our office seems to become. The day is almost done though, so I will pull out a small fan, drink some more ice water & get through the rest of the day with that.

April Fools 41/61

Well this year I didn’t play an April Fools joke on anyone & none were played on me. It was a low key very rainy day. I did have a doctor’s appointment that went great. Everything is looking good, the baby is growing great and everything is moving along. Not too much longer now.

Done! 42/61

For Steven & me it is a day to smile at. One more month is done today & only one more full month to go with this squirmy little boy in my belly! Yea! Steven finished up a really big inspection today at work, he has been working his tail off on it for a little over a month now. It is a huge weight off his shoulders to have it done & over.

My Desk Guide 43/61

I am working on my desk guide today; I realized I have only a little over a month of work time left. I will have a replacement for the time I will be on maternity leave, so everything has to be wrote down & simplified. Not very much fun, but it reminds me that I am even closer to meeting my little boy & I will have a little bit more piece of mind leaving my desk to a stranger who doesn’t know my job at all & will only be here for 6-8 weeks. I think being gone will help the people I take care of appreciate me more – not that they don’t now, but I hope I will be missed.

Monsters vs. Aliens 44/61

The weather was beautiful after the dreary day Saturday and all night storms. The skies were beautiful, it wasn’t too hot & there was a great breeze. After Steven wrapped up a few things at work, we went to lunch, stopped by a pet store to check out their new animals. I wanted to go to the zoo, so this was our compromise. They had a new monkey I wanted to see, the 2 lb thing was so cute & busy. Then we headed to a movie – Monsters vs. Aliens 3D, it is a Disney animation & very good. The 3D effects were good & the movie was funny for all ages. It was a very nice day!

New Toy 45/61

I went out with Steven today & got him a new gun. He is like a kid in a candy store – always appreciative too.

Saying Goodbye 46/61

Today is the last day for me to wear my well known flip flops to work. We are being made to convert to steel toe safety shoes. Most of us are not too thrilled about it, but it is a small sacrifice to make to keep our job & us safe. So today I bid my flip flops farewell (until weekends at least).

I'm Thankful 47/61

Do you ever sit back & take 10 minutes to be thankful & remember how lucky you really are? I am not a negative person by any means & usually look for the good in a situation & try to never forget that I am blessed for many, many things in life. With the hustle & bustle of life sometimes I think we all forget to truly be thankful for the things we usually don’t give two thoughts about.

I am thankful that I was born in America, even though we are going through a rough patch & I may not agree with everything going on, at least I have the option to disagree & our country is still a float My life has been & still is full of many opportunities to achieve & become the best person I can, though I may not always take advantage of them all. I am blessed to have loving parents & a supporting family; even though my childhood wasn’t perfect I was always taken good care of, steered in the right direction and loved. I have had major heartaches and experienced let downs throughout life but I have learnt something from each of them. I am thankful I have a job, even though it may not be my dream job, I still have it & it helps me put food on the table, keep a roof over my head and even enjoy a few pleasures in life. I have a wonderful husband, who thinks of me as a dear friend, an equal partner and an adored lover. We had a long struggle getting pregnant that was full of fixable complications, it didn’t last longer than a lifetime & we were blessed with a very healthy pregnancy and baby thus far. And of course I am thankful for the most common things we often never thinks twice able – I am healthy, able to run, walk & hop, able to see, hear, smell, feel, I am emotionally stable and happy!

Breaking Out 48/61

My little boy feels like he is trying to escape, or that he doesn’t like being so cramped. I am pretty sure he is either sitting facing my right side or facing my back, so as he pushes & kicks the front of my belly feels like he is going to burst out any minute now. He still has a little more time that he needs to stay put & I haven’t broken the news to him yet that within those weeks of staying put he will get a lot more cramped. I’m not really looking forward to it.

We Forget He Can Hear 49/61

I thought to stop this weekend & pick up a few new dogs toys for the rats, one which was a squeaky toy, which they LOVE. I didn’t give the toys to them until yesterday evening though. Steven thought it would be fun to play around with the toys a little before we actually surrendered them for shredding. He realized that the dogs were trying very hard to find the squeak they heard & didn’t see, as he kept the squeaking toy hid on the counter. So as I approached him, with my back facing the now very intrigued dogs Steven placed the toy on top my belly to use my body as a new hiding spot. With only a squeak or two we were quickly reminded that our little one has ears too, & I don’t think he was as willing to play our little hide & seek game. Steven decided to surrender the toy to the dogs & enjoyed feeling the baby, who was now wide awake, move & kick. Yea, more fun for Steven!

A Hit! In a World of More Misses 50/61

I, I’m sure like anyone else who has ever been through a third trimester or pregnancy, am having trouble comfortable to get some sleep. I have tried more pillows to assist my comfort, sleeping on a folded up thick mink blanket, I even tried stacking the couch pillows to make a little more comfy & cushiony bed. Hauling in the couch cushions last night, trying to stay a quiet as possible as Steven was already sound asleep, I start stacking them, to look over & see Steven staring at me – to make sure he wasn’t dreaming he said. Now chuckling, I climb on top of this long mountain I have made & tried to get comfy. It worked for about 20 minutes, and then I was back at square one. I knew that I usually had no trouble sleeping on the couch when I nap there, so I figured why would nighttime be any different? Though I really didn’t want to sleep by myself on the couch, despite the knowing it is more comfy, not having to listen to my dear husband snore, not having to lay there jealous that he was fast asleep and not have to deal with him sleeping in the middle of the bed, I grabbed a few blankets and my pillows & headed out there. After being able to get to sleep in what seemed like record timing, I was able to stay asleep a longer & sleep better, all with exceptions of getting up to use the bathroom multiple times, getting sore & needing a huge production every time I needed to flip over. It was a HIT, in a world of more misses than hits!

A Better Day 51/61

Trigger is not limping anymore, but is still suffering from allergies, nothing that a little more Benadryl can’t fix, Steven is finally home for a day off & I spent the day working on the CO’s scrapbook, I only had a few pages to go & boy was I ready to be done with it. Indeed though, did I finish it. We enjoyed the movie Role Models over dinner, which was great! Very funny. Then headed off to bed a little early for some extra shuteye.

Not Triggers Day 52/61

It started out as a quiet day; Steven went off to work again - 14th day in a row (the Navy doesn’t understand the concept of weekends or time off)! I woke at a decent time just to lay around the house until lunch time, so I could go fetch lunch, head to base to Steven & I could enjoy lunch together, as we always try to do on weekends. Then I went running around to finish up some errands. I had a scrapbook that needed to have some work done on it for Stevens CO, in hopes of finishing it up. I finally got home just in time to notice that my Trigger was limping. It was his front left leg that he was favoring, though it was not stopping him from doing anything, just slowing him down a bit. As I carefully examined it he yelped, which is not his nature, so off to the store again to get something to help ease his pain. It took me a few hours to realize that it was just the aftermath of the shots he received the day before, even still though, I felt for him. Later that evening around time to give him another dose of pain medicine so he could sleep a little easier I noticed another problem – allergies. This was just not Trigger’s day; he was still limping & now trying to deal with this new case of allergies. So on came the Benadryl, for Trigger & Dad, as his allergies have been bothering him worse than years before. I now had a dog that could breath better & wasn’t in as much pain but boy was he spaced out!

Proof 53/61

I have proof that hours & hours of structured attention does wonders for a dog (as I'm sure the same for a child). Today I had to bring Trigger to the vet, never a looked forward to thing as shots are never ever fun. But that time of the year had rolled around for him again, so off we went. He rode so quietly to base & we even took a little walk when we arrive as we were a little early, then sitting inside he sat so contently on my lap without making a peep at the other dogs. When back in the exam room he was so nice & calm even though he was not thrilled about being there & made it so easy for me & my protruding belly to try to hold him on the table for 3 shots & one nasal injection (not a shot, just a liquid up his nose). To finish this up we got his weight & just like a well behaved little boy he hopped up on the scale, sat & stayed perfectly until instructed otherwise. I was SO thrilled with how well behaved he was for our whole trip! I couldn't have asked for a better dog, I am so proud of him!!!

No nap for you 54/61

I actually made a full day of work, only my second this week. It has been a very relaxing & stress free week, when the boss is on vacation we all seem to be on vacation even if we are at work. I made it home about 3, fed the dogs, got a quick snack, set my alarm to take a 1.5 hour nap, turn on the fan & crawl into bed. Peacefullness. No more than 20 miutes into my nap did Steven call to anounce he was coming home (just from a days work, nothing exciting), then another 20 minutes later I have this over sized, smelly child (Steven) crawling into bed with me asking me if I have thought of anything for dinner. No! I have been trying to sleep, I havent been thinking about dinner. As I am now wishing I could get even just 15 more minutes do I hear Steven, who is still in the middle of the bed still bothering me, start to whine that he is hungry as I then get a full list of everything he has ate that day, I guess to try help prove his point that he is really hungry. Maybe he is just trying to get me prepped for the little boy we have coming - either way, I was forced out of bed and into getting the hungry one something to eat (I decided going out to dinner was effort enough for me).

No Adult Supervision 55/61

I woke up feeling much better! It is amazing how feeling cruddy one day & feeling better the next can make you feel like a whole new person. I made it to work just in time to get a pleasant surprise that all our ‘adult’ supervision will be out for the day, so I was able to take ½ a day and enjoy the weather. I went to Michael’s & Joann’s to look for letters for our little boys room (to spell out his name on the wall), I happened to find some on sale that are adhesive, and they had all the letter I needed. So, for all of you putting two & two together, yes we have finally decided on a first name for our little one, his middle name is still up in the air yet. We are still not letting the cat out of the bag quite yet, nor are we putting the letters up in his room (so no need to try & peek at them – they wont be there).

I will though share what were some of the names we crossed off our list working to get to our decided name:

Connor
Rylan
Logan
Tristen
Brendon

Not the Best of Days 56/61

I spent Monday evening & all of Tuesday worshiping our porcelain throne, I didn’t even get green beer out of the whole deal. Uck!

Stevens Novel Concept 57/61

I seem to be headed to the bathroom more now than ever in my life. I am starting to kind of feel like a little one that is potty training, needing to head to the bathroom every hour or so. My brilliant husband came up with a novel concept to counteract this problem while I am at work – “Move your desk down to the bathroom! Your efficiency should increase by 200%”. I don’t know about the whole working in the bathroom thing or even that my efficiency being increased at all. He thought it was a good idea though. Do you ever think what would happen or where would we be if we left the world to be run solely by men! That’s scary!!!

Productive Sunday 58/61

Sunday was productive & I didn’t hurt the next day! Steven had to work, so he was up & out the door a little earlier than I, but once I did get up & moving I decided to change my hair just a bit. I brought back my bangs, they are not a huge difference, but difference enough to give me a new bounce. I then brought Steven some lunch & enjoyed that with him for a bit then headed off to check out the new Babies’r’us in the St. John’s Town Center. It is a Babies’r’us combined with a Toy’r’us. I guess it is a good idea if you have a one to shop for a each store but if not both stores seem to suffer by being smaller and with less options to choose from. I will just save the gas & stick to the Babies’r’us by me from now on. I did manage to get a few more things crossed off of my ‘need for baby’ list. I made it home to get some things done around the house. I managed to get a lot of our clothes done, dishes done & a few things in the baby room done. I did remember to sit down & relax when I started hurting – so I am starting to learn. Over all it was a good & productive day.

Back Dating 59/61

Well, it is a good thing that I am trying to start this habit early, as I have not been the most faithful to it. I need to try a little more to be better. I am going to back date a few blogs, as I am sure it wont be the first time I get caught up in a busy week & need to do this.

Time sure does fly when I’m having fun! Saturday was a very busy day. I managed to do a little bit of yard saleing I wanted to. I was mainly looking for a few baby things that would be acceptable for second hand use, like toys and blankets. I managed to find a few small toys, a tummy time mat, a bouncer, a few cloth items, a wipe warmer & a few books all for $25! At noon I met Steven to drop his truck off to get the tint fixed & then headed to Hooters for a Hail & Farewell for such a wonderful friend that we hate to see go. We then snuck home so I could grab a quick nap & then headed out again to a friends house for another get together. By the time we finally got home 14 hours after my day started, I was sore & tired & Steven was toasty & tired as well.

What happened? 60/61

I was waiting for breakfast today & one of the older gentlemen that works in the building walks by & pointed to my belly asking “what happened?” Hmmmm…now being in my third trimester I am look undoubtedly pregnant. I just looked at him a little puzzled & quickly responded “I don’t really need to explain that to you, do I?” We both just laughed as he continued to ask a few more questions pertaining to my unborn child, these being a little bit more intelligently thought out before they were asked. I got back to my desk & just chuckled at some of the dumb & funny things people say when they don’t really think about what they are asking or how they are asking it before they actually open their mouth.

Do aliens get headaches too??? 61/61

Sometimes I think I have an alien inside me instead of a sweet little baby boy! I’m sure it is not a new thought though to any woman who has ever been pregnant. Well my little alien is on a very slow & undeceive decent to flipping head down, as he has been sitting breach for 2/3 of this pregnancy. I have had a little big head testing the stretching capacity of the left side of my stomach the past week & ½ or so. For the past week I can usually feel exact position of his head. The first time I thought it was going to pop right through my belly was this past weekend; I was waiting on Steven & Michael to get their lunch from a new favorite taco stand of Steven’s. I eagerly had Steven & Michael feel how prominent his head was, not really considering that it was his head! The only thing that really crossed my mind was ‘push it back in, push it back in!’ trying to gently yet firmly compel the baby to switch positions, as a concerned dad declares “that’s his head!”

Attempting to start a new habit

A brilliant friend has decided to post one post & picture a day for a whole year, which I think it such a neat idea. I have really enjoyed reading her post every few days & getting a glimpse into someone else’s life. Not only that but at the end of the year how neat will it be to look back at a years worth of events in pictures & words.

I think I am going to attempt to do kind of the same. I am not waiting until the first of a new year though & don’t know if I will be good at keeping up with it, but I am sure going to try.

My plan is to post everyday of my little boys first year. I think this will help dad feel like he is staying connected with us while on deployment and what fun will it be to look back on in a little over a year from now. I am going to start posting daily now so I can try to create a new habit before the new one arrives. My track keeper now will be the final countdown until he reaches full term (38 weeks) as we are going to try to get this little one to come as soon to that day as we (Steven, I & our doctor) can due to Steven’s upcoming deployment. Then I will start with the first 365 day of my little boy.

Maybe One Day...

Maybe one day before this pregnancy is over I will learn to stop when it hurts. Mostly it is that I am not use to my back or hip hurting me. I have been very fortunate throughout my pregnancy to not have many back aches or many aches of any kind. If I spend too much time (which is not very much) on my feet my hips start to hurt me & if I sit too long or do too much bending then my back starts to hurt. Even doing a simple sewing or scrapbook project seems to take a toll on me now. I guess it is the Smith in me that seems to think the pain will just vanish once I am done that keeps me pushing on. When the Smith part of me & reality collide I tend to hurt, usually pretty badly. Walking is not an essential part of life, is it??? It does really feel nice to have everything I need to accomplish done & my list checked off.

I will have to take it really easy for the next day or so, which is fine…I am fortunate enough to be able to take time to recover.

On the other hand I have the baby room is put together & looks great! The carpets are cleaned, the walls are painted & finished, all the furniture is bought & moved in and it all seems to match. The shelves and walls still need a few decorations but in time we will get those things done. With only a little over 10 weeks left I am very happy with the amount we have completed. I plan to get the camera out this week & snap a few shot to post them on Facebook & bring to the baby shower this weekend (which I am SO excited for).

Overdue & Much Needed Update

Here is a long overdue update…Wow, last time I updated my blog on life was mid-November…Time sure does fly!

Well, I entered my second trimester in November…time sure does fly!!! With the entrance of that we were introduced to the base ER, we spent the better of 14 hours there because I ended up with a bladder infection, it was painful (the bladder infection & the 14 hours in the ER). Thanksgiving was next, it was really nice, Steven had been on his way to Japan with a plane, hadn’t made it there yet because the plane kept breaking. Thankfully he was able to come home for Thanksgiving. He left again early the next day, so I took advantage of having to be up crazy early on Black Friday and did a little bit of shopping. I didn’t do all the crazy waiting & lines, just kind of strolled to kill time; I was able to find a few things for Steven for Christmas though.

A couple weeks later I was already 16 weeks & needing to see the doc again, everything went great. He was thrilled that I somehow dropped 10lbs & had not gained any of it back yet! Not sure how I am working that magic, but I like it. Baby’s heart sounded great & I passed the early sugar test he popped on me! My worst complaint was stiff neck headaches. I had one other real noticeable symptom but it wasn’t that bad, I was also eating about every 2 hours. This is now starting to taper off but it still isn’t back to normal, I could only eat a hand full or so of food & meat seemed to be completely off the menu for me. Now I am getting to the point that I am able to eat a normal, healthy amount and only now about 5-6 times a day, instead of 8-10 times a day. Steven I think got the biggest kick out of this because there had been times that he mentioned a food when I was hungry & I lit up like a little kid on Christmas or if he got me something I really wanted.

About a week before Christmas Steven got his two bottom wisdom teeth pulled. Well, one was pulled the other had to be cut out because it was growing up under another tooth & then it was also fused to the bone so they had to scrape it off the bone in order to get it all out. This is the one that gave Steven the most grief. The doc I guess Steven was made of steel & nerves because he didn’t give him very much nor very good medicine to help with the pain so Steven substituted with whiskey, which seemed to do the trick. Christmas was so great, thanks again to everyone! We were gave a camcorder so we could get pictures & video before the baby of me & my changes & when then of course when the baby arrived. My first real video was of the junk room before it became the nursery, it was really a mess. But after a lot of cleaning & some focus by help of Jen I was able to get everything sorted & put away. Now it is officially a nursery!

New Years was good, we spent it would some good friends. We did a crawfish boil, drinking (I drank water) and fireworks. Gosh were the drunk guys funny with the fire works, we saw them dance like we never knew they could!

The week back to work after being on leave was a tough one to get through, I didn’t manage to make it a full week as I got a super bad headache, tipping the scales towards a migraine & ended up cutting a few days short, but I managed to wake up all 5 days on time. The week catching up the Steven was a bit kinder; he ended up with a evening event a time or two & was able to cope with just a few hour nap. What a trooper! This week was better for both of us!

This week we had the ‘big’ ultrasound, even though we tried at 16 & 18 weeks with grandma to find out the gender it was still a toss up. We thought it looked like a girl though, oh we were wrong. After a lot of persistence & patients from the technician we were able to verify it was a BOY! Steven was thrilled, I of course was really happy too, the baby looked great, had all 10 fingers & toes and a beautiful heart! I am so proud to be giving Steven a little boy! So now that we know it is a little boy we are expecting we started planning the nursery & a color scheme. I had thought before finding out it was a girl & had everything all planned out so this put me back to square one. With no hesitation I went out the next day to find a plan & colors for the little guy, Jenny was brave enough to go with me. We put together a great color scheme (I will be making the blanket, crib skirt & curtain) we picked out the colors pool/aqua, a sherbet green, a soft sunshine yellow, a dark water blue & brown. These colors should open up enough possibilities to decorate the rest of the room. I am really excited to see everything together. The past day or two we also spent looking for the furniture needed to complete the room, we are still missing a piece or two but it is coming together & the room looks like it has a purpose now.

So that is my noveled up date on the past 12 weeks or so. They have went by quickly but have been mostly great.