Currently...

Thinking about... Becoming a Jamberry Nails consultant. Actually, I've decided I'm going to do it, so it's more thinking about all of the possibilities! I've still got my Etsy shop going (please go take a look!), but I've really been wanting to do this, too. I just keep coming back to the idea of doing it, and there's only so many times you can hear "I love your nails!" before thinking, "Hey, maybe I can do something with this..."

Also thinking about how stinking big my girls are getting. Is there a way to stop this?! Please? Just for a little while?

Planning... a trip to NC for the 4th! I'm super excited about this for several reasons. The first is because I love the 4th. Seriously. Maybe it's because deep down I've always been patriotic. Maybe it's because OMG, the history. Maybe it's the fireworks. Maybe it's the BBQ celebrations. Maybe it's because my birthday is 5 days afterward. I don't know. I'm excited. We haven't been to NC in a few months, and being so close it's hard not to want to go. Plus, Charlotte has practically been begging to "see cousins" for at least a week now. I know we'll all have a great time. Plus, the potential for free babysitters (thank the Lord for grandparents ;-))! So basically....I'm excited. And now I need to find our leftover sparklers from last year. Hmmmmmm.

Watching... Duck Dynasty. I'm a teensy bit obsessed, and so is Joe. I don't know if it's because they're rednecks (and remind me of where I grew up), because they're hilarious, or because they're a good, down-to-earth family. Either way, we are enjoying it. And buying all the Duck Dynasty things! Haha!

Craving... all the chocolate! You'd think I was pregnant with all the cravings I've been having lately. {I'm not. I swear.} AF has reared her ugly head, {SEE?! Not pregnant! :P} so along with her presence I apparently get pregnancy-style cravings. Never noticed that one before. Anyway, I made this Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Cup the other night and it totally hit the spot! I think it's going to be my go-to we have nothing in this house that I want treat. You can thank me for sharing that later. ;-)

Nope, she's not mine. Not at all. 

Loving... that we've cleared out a bunch of junk in the house, and things are finally starting to look the way I want! It's kind of sad that it's taken this long to get things arranged the way I like, but I guess that's just the nature of having little ones around. We still have some clutter to get rid of, and things to put in storage, but I'm thrilled with our progress. I can relax so much more without all the junk in the way! I have conceded that we will have toys all over the place, but I can't handle clutter in every corner of the house. I didn't completely realize how much it was bothering me until we rearranged some furniture last week. But when I sat down and saw what our hard work did, I felt a little lighter! Once we get things a bit more cleaned up around here, I'd like to do a tour of our house. Because it's better late than never, right?!

Trust me, it looks so much better now.

Hoping... that our summer PWOC study goes well, and will provide me with some friends. It's no secret that I'm super introverted and have a hard time making friends. I really just want someone I can connect with - someone who will "get" my introvertedness and be willing to deal with it. Someone who will challenge me, invite me over (or come to me!), and deal with my craziness. That's not too much to ask, right?

I'm also hoping that your week is off to a great start! Happy Monday, friends. Make it a good one!

Favorite Things on Friday

Taking a break from talking about my kiddos... Let's talk about a few things I'm loving lately! Nice, easy, and fun for a Friday. =) {Say that 5 times fast!}

1. This nursing tank top from Target.

It's pretty much my most favorite item right now. First of all, it's a necessity because I'm nursing. Second? It's cute. Third, I love the material! It's nice and soft. Ahhhhh. ;-)

2. This 3 Day Straight spray from John Frieda.

I received a sample of it in my Influenster box back in February. And I never blogged about it back then because life {and 2 kiddos} got in the way. Anyway, this stuff is awesome. If I blow dry and straighten my hair after using this, it definitely last 3 days. I may have to touch it up with my flat iron in between, but it takes less than 5 minutes. For me, this is fantastic, because I don't have that much time to mess with my hair on a daily basis! {Which is partially why I chopped my hair off again.}

3. Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions

I bought this stuff at Target a few weeks ago. I'd been using something else to treat my acne for quite a while, and even though I wasn't dissatisfied with it, I wanted to try something I could pick up somewhere other than Ulta. The good news is I'm really liking it! It doesn't dry my face out like the other stuff I'd been using had a tendency to do. It's also natural, which I really like. AND it's cheaper! Score all the way around.

4. My latest purse - a Franco Sarto tote bag, purchased from 6pm.com.

I love pretty much everything about this bag. The price was great (although a tad more than I'd usually pay), it has plenty of pockets, and lots of space. It's essentially a diaper bag...without being (or looking like) a diaper bag. SCORE. And since I breastfeed I don't really need pockets for bottles. I throw in some diapers, wipes, a snack and sippy for Charlotte and I'm good to go!

5. Doctor Who.

We started watching the series on Netflix last summer, I think. I wasn't sold on the first season, but it grew on me. And when David Tennant showed up on the series as the 10th Doctor, I was hooked. LOVE me some Doctor Who! Pretty sure we've watched the series about twice now, not counting the "classic" episodes. Part of me really wants to watch them, but I have a hard time with them....unfortunately. Anyway. I'm a sucker for anything spacey-wacey and TARDIS-related these days. =)

What are your favorite things lately? Anything I should try? Let me know!

Jumbly Shmumbly Mess

There are so many things I want to write about today. I should really be continuing on with my 31 days series, Faith in the Dark, but I really don't have the brain power at the moment. And that's ok, right? It is my blog, after all. ;-)

I'm sure exactly none of you were super concerned about it, but we were I was finally able to get our gas turned back on this past Friday. It took a couple hours of being on the phone to do it but, thankfully, I finally reached a compassionate person who set me up with an all day appointment. It amazes me still that it could take so long for them to be willing to come out and provide us with services we're willing to pay for. Not to mention the fact that I had spoken with numerous people throughout the week, all of whom assured me there was nothing more they could do to help. And then after a complete emotional breakdown, and probably 10 straight minutes of prayer, I get someone who can help. I'm thankful it all worked out, but it makes me wonder about everyone else I spoke to, as well as the company's policy!

Speaking of Friday, my parents drove in and arrived Friday afternoon - right as the gas tech person was in the attic lighting our pilot light. If you've followed me for a while, you know my relationship with my parents isn't the greatest. Obviously I was fairly concerned as to how the weekend would pan out. I can happily report that it went much better than I thought! There were some moments that slightly irritated me, but I think some of that can even be attributed to hormones. 

Charlotte with Mimi and Pop before church.

I think the biggest issue - if you could even call it that - is just how loud they are. Since they've been gone for a couple days now, I've wondered how on earth I didn't have a perpetual headache growing up. They've always been this way, but it is so much more noticeable now! I'm not sure how to tell them that they don't have to yell everything they say. Being in a car with them, plus a toddler was nerve-racking...even just for a drive into town! Pass the Tylenol, please!

With the busyness of the weekend, I completely forgot to take an updated bump photo. *sigh* I kept thinking about it at the worst times, and then remembering before bed. And Lord knows pre-bedtime photos aren't really blog-worthy. Haha! Suffice it to say that the bump is growing, little miss Millie is growing and kicking away (mostly at my bladder), my stretch marks are growing, my hips and back ache, and my belly button will surely be an outie instead of an innie in a few short weeks. =) I'm starting to get uncomfortable, but I'm not unhappy about any of it. If anything, it just makes me more excited for her arrival.

....which we're not really prepared for. This poor girl. Her room is still a mess, though not nearly as bad as before. I haven't even ordered fabric for her bedding. Her sister's hand-me-downs clothes are still in boxes, and her closet is stuffed with all kinds of things. We still have furniture to rearrange, too. I know we still have a while, but I feel like we'd already done so much more before I was this far along with Charlotte! The one thing we do have prepared is her crib, so at least there's that. 

Ah, so many things to share. I have a few good posts planned for my 31 days series, but I have yet to write them. I think I let the insanity of last week really get to me, and keep me from writing what I really wanted to. Hopefully that will change this week! I also plan on writing a little post about our weekend with my parents, and our trip to the local pumpkin patch. Stay tuned! ;-)

All in all, this week is off to a pretty good start. (It really feels like a different day since Joe was off on Monday...my whole week is off now!) I hope yours is going well, too!

Things

I promise I'm going to share photos from Christmas at some point. It might be February by the time I get to them, but that's the way of things sometimes. ;-)

Anywho.

I'm tired of not blogging. I miss it. I miss y'all. This may not be the best post I've ever written, but I want to share some things. And maybe it'll help me get back into the swing of things. Here goes nothin'!

Thing #1

I am beyond ready to move. The 2 weeks we spent in NC were wonderful, to say the least. It was...sort of liberating. Haha! I know that sounds funny. 

I shopped at WalMart. I know a ton of people despise WalMart, but hear me out. The one(s) we have here are terrible. Tiniest food section known to man. Poor selections of anything. Higher prices. Always busy. Just blah. So going to a WalMart Supercenter? It was like I was on a vacation. {Ok, I guess I kinda was...} I didn't need to go somewhere else to get what I was looking for. People were friendly. 

I could get in the car and drive without hitting any kind of major traffic. There were hills and trees and squirrels. Highways with speed limits greater than 55. Back roads with speed limits of 55. 

Plenty of shopping options. A mall that isn't severely crowded and overpriced. 

Chick Fil A. Olive Garden. Chipotle. Need I say more?

Southern people. {Does that make me sound racist...or something? I'm really not.}

Thing #2

I am sick of being sick. Charlotte caught a cold our first day in NC and has since shared it with me...twice. Once while we were there and again when we got back to Hawaii. *sigh* And now, I've shared it with Joe. I might just die if he shares it with me. Thankfully, Charlotte is finally on the mend! No more snotty nose or cough. Hallelujah! I am feeling better...sorta. No more sore throat. Just a stuffy nose. And, today, my asthma has decided to act up. To top it off, I was supposed to go see my pulmonologist, but couldn't because....the Army sucks and Joe couldn't go with me. (Meaning I have no one to watch Charlotte. And I don't feel comfortable leaving her in the "daycare" at Tripler. Call me crazy.)

Thing #3

For the first day since we got back, it's actually normal Hawaii weather! It's been so rainy lately that I often wondered where I was. :P I've also really been wanting to take Charlotte on a walk, but you can't do that in the rain!

Thing #4

Speaking of Charlotte... The kid has been giving me a run for my money lately. Mainly with her sudden sleep problems. I get that traveling messed up her sleep schedule, but really? I've been living on the edge since we got back a little over a week ago. The first 2 nights (including the night we flew in), she woke up at 3am. Ugh. I had a feeling it would happen, though, considering 3am Hawaii time is 8am NC time. So I changed her, fed her, and put her butt back in bed. Thankfully, by the 3rd day, she had adjusted and slept through the night! 

However, her naps were awful. Terrible. The worst they've ever been. She fights sleep soooooo hard! This is all new territory for me. We were starting to have nap issues before we left, mainly because she learned she could pull up! Since she couldn't get back down, she'd freak. Understandable. Frustrating, but understandable. Sometime while we were gone, she decided that she'd rather skip naps than miss anything exciting. I assumed things would go back to normal when we were home and in our own environment. *sigh* No dice. Sometimes she barely gets 30 mins. Sometimes she'll sleep the full 2 hours. Sometimes she screams for an hour instead of sleeping. 

Translation: We're both very tired over here. She's tired from lack of sleep and I'm tired of fighting her and then wrangling her when she's all over the house. It's exhausting and I want my normal, happy, sleeping baby back!

Thing #5

The D word has been creeping up a lot lately. The unit Joe's in now is starting to prep for deployment. We're PCSing long before that happens, but it still makes me think. It's also possible that his new unit in GA will be deploying soon after we get there. Just thinking about the possibility makes me slightly anxious. And a little sad. Sure, it sucked the last time around, but next time? With a baby? With a toddler? Ugh. It will be so much harder. I'm sure some parts of it will be easier (like staying busy), but other parts will be harder. Nothing like the D word to make you stop and think, right?

So this was a random post... Oh well. :) Kudos if you made it to the end! 

What have you been up to lately?

Confessions

I am far too excited about Joe's promotion and re-enlistment. You would think that I am the one getting these things, not my husband. But I'm excited because this means that we'll finally be able to get closer to home.

I'm trying to plan too far in advance... I've already started looking at possible homes to rent at our hopeful duty station. It's sad, really. I mean, the likelihood of any of the houses I'm seeing now being available in like 8 months is really low. I don't know why I'm even bothering. Plus, we've still got 8 months in Hawaii. Like I said, I think I'm too excited about this...

There are times lately when I miss my baby being so teeny. I mean, she's still pretty teeny for her age... Yet I still sometimes miss the days when she'd fall asleep nursing and I'd be able to cuddle her as long as I wanted to afterwards. I also sometimes miss cuddling after those late evening (think 9-10pm) feedings. She always fell asleep during that one and I got to do this before I went to bed. Sigh.

Going back to the I-plan-way-too-far-in-advance thing... I'm already trying to decide when we should start trying for baby #2. Don't worry, it won't be anytime soon. I know my body totally isn't ready to be pregnant again. And mentally, I'm not even sure I could handle it. My bestie is pregnant with #2 (hope you don't mind me sharing that! :)) and dealing with nausea and exhaustion, so from her experiences I really know I'm far from ready. But I'm thinking about it. Why? Because I stinkin' LOVE babies. I also love breastfeeding and I'm curious what it'll be like with a different, new baby. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm thinking way too far ahead!

Even with all of the "I don't want my baby to grow up" thoughts, I do love seeing all the new things she can do. I especially love the smiles, laughs and jibber-jabber. It's the most adorable thing in the world! 

Also, things like this make me proud:

Big girl trying out her new doorway jumper.

Look at those head-holding-up skills!

Chewing the fingers = teething. 

Not the most fun, but definitely a "big girl" thing!

(Note the slight smile behind those fingers. :))

Sometimes when I put this baby girl to bed, she smiles the biggest smiles. And most of the time, it makes me want to cry many tears of happiness. It's amazing how one sweet little smile can evoke so much emotion. I didn't know my heart could hold so much love!

{Is it obvious to anyone yet that I L-O-V-E, love being this girl's mommy?!}

I'm so glad I've [mostly] gotten back into the groove of blogging and commenting. Adjusting to this mom thing took longer than I expected, but it's made me appreciate all my bloggie friends! I still don't always comment, but I always read. And I definitely missed blogging and chatting with my commenters! Thankfully I'll always have Twitter when I'm not in the blogland.

I love Twitter. And Instagram. And my iPhone. {Is it weird to say that? Oh well.} Where would I be without them? Boredsville, that's where. ;-)

Do you have anything you'd like to confess? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone! 

It's a Good Thing...

Joe and I have a lot of fun together. We don't even need to go out somewhere to have a whole lot of laughs, which is a good thing with a baby around. {She provides us with some laughs too!}

Case in point:

Scene: Snuggling on the couch together watching TV while baby naps.

Sarah: *reaches over to get something off Joe's face.*

Joe: What are you doing?!

Sarah: Stop moving! You have hair on your face!

Joe: *dies laughing* Oh, really? Thanks for that astute observation, CPT Obvious. *salutes*

Sarah: *dies laughing* No, you had my hair on your face!!!

Both continue laughing for about 5 minutes.

Sarah: You have hair on your face!!! Bahahahaha!

Later....

Yeah... It's a good thing we're married. I'm not sure anyone else would put up with one of us! LOL! 

I hope that our poor kids {obviously we plan to have more} are able to join in on the silliness. Otherwise they're going to have pretty rough childhoods, enduring their parents' crazy. ;-) 

Good 'Ole Randomness

I can't seem to decide what to blog about first/next, so I've decided to go with a little bit of everything tonight. You're welcome. ;-)

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Holy wow, Batman. I'm gonna be having a baby in 2 weeks. Two. Weeks. Sometimes I just can't wait and other times I'm freaking out about it. I find myself getting nervous about...well, everything, from big to small. What should I pack in my hospital bag? How long will it take? Will I really be able to do this? You know, those sorts of things. I know in the end all the little stuff won't matter. Once she's here I probably won't think of any of it again. But for now, these are the thoughts that occupy my mind.

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Speaking of the little girl, she's still looking perfect. =) I had another NST today {2 a week now} and the overseeing nurse kept joking about how excited/active she was. I guess people really don't believe me when I tell them how active she is?! I'm not kidding, folks! Her heart rate stayed pretty high - 160s and 170s - the whole time I was there...and then she got the hiccups. This really intrigued the nurse. Why, I'm not sure. Babies get hiccups! Oh and something else lovely about the NST... My BP was/is totally normal. I'm almost convinced that my BP issue has something to do with how much I hate the OB clinic at Tripler. Because, seriously, when I'm doing the NSTs or the time I went to L&D my BP is completely normal. It's only when I'm thrown into a super busy atmosphere that my BP is high. I'm very seriously considering putting in an ICE comment about all I've been through/dealt with since being put in the COB {complicated OB} clinic.

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I've found that I have a weakness for all things girlie. Ok, ok... Maybe that wasn't exactly a secret before. ;-) I bought some headbands for Charlotte last week and this week I bought some hair bows. But can you really blame me?!

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You may  - or may not - have heard about all the rain and crazy weather Hawaii has gotten lately. Well, let me tell you... It's definitely been interesting. What happens in Hawaii when it rains all the time and actually storms is kind of like what happens when the South gets more than like 2 inches of snow. Complete freak out. The "severe weather team" {term used very loosely} interrupted TV shows every half hour and the NSW interrupted probably just as frequently. It was a little ridiculous. Then Friday on my way home from the commissary, I saw that HPD had put up this handy dandy little sign near the entrance to our housing area.

No, let's not fix the pot holes. Let's warn people about the GIANT holes in the road!!! That sounds like a great idea! Sigh. When I saw that, all I could do was laugh. Because really? It's just bizarre. And yeah, this is what living in Hawaii is really like. Glamorous, no? ;-)

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I don't know if I've talked about them here before, but right after Christmas we got new neighbors. Nothing really new around here... This is the 3rd set of neighbors we've had {in that house} in the nearly 2 years we've lived here. How's that for turn-around time?! Anyways. We happened to "bump" into them in the garage one day not too long after they moved in and we introduced ourselves. Nothing really happened for a while, other than the occasional friendly "hello" in the garage or driveway.

Then, around Valentine's Day, we started getting a bit friendlier. B knocked on the door one night to let me know I'd gotten flowers earlier in the day while we were out. She didn't want them to be left out all night. I was very appreciative even though I had answered the door in PJs. A few days later, she knocked on the door again to ask if I had an ingredient for a recipe. It turned out that I didn't, but later she brought over some of what she made! Pumpkin. Cheesecake. OMG, it was delicious. And yes, I had some. ;-) Not a lot, but you really just can't turn down cheesecake. Am I right?!

To return the yummy favor - and her "tupperware" - I baked some cookies and had Joe take them over. I think that pretty much solidified our friendship. ;-) 2 weeks ago, we had lunch over at their house. We text back and forth every other day or so... And I even watched their 2 year old girl Friday night for about an hour when they had to take back their huge TV to Costco. They've also agreed to watch Jasper while I'm in the hospital. =) Then, tonight, B texts me and asks if I want some of the beef stew she made for dinner. I was exhausted from my trip to Tripler and Wally World {see hair bow photo ;-)} so I happily accepted. The result was delish!

Today's #marchphotoaday. =)

Lucky for me she sent enough for lunch or dinner tomorrow! =D Even better, it did next to nothing to my blood sugar. I thought with the noodles and potatoes that surely it would spike, but nope! It's interesting to see how my body reacts to different foods. I have a bigger problem with pure carbs {like bread/pancakes} and sugar than starches {potatoes, rice, beans, etc.}. But in 2 weeks... I will be GD free and free to eat the things I miss so much! Yeah, I'm pretty excited about that. 

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This WLC thing hasn't been as bad {for me} as I thought it would be. I'm thinking the preggo hormones amplified everything. I really do miss having Joe here with me all the time... Especially since we'll be spending 95% of our last 2 weeks as "just us" apart, but it's really not so bad. It's kind of like AIT all over again. I know it's rough on him, though. They have a really tough schedule {going to bed super late and getting up super early} and get bombarded with power point and tests all day. And Joe is extra hard on himself when it comes to classes and testing. I understand why {to a degree}, but I do wish he'd be easier on himself. I think that if he can just make it through these tests and the next 2 weeks without another trip to the ER, he'll be just fine. And I'm hoping to make it through the next 2 weeks with no contractions!

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This past weekend we did a maternity photo shoot!! =D I'm really hoping she'll post some sneak peeks on FB soon so I can show all of you! She showed me a few shots on her camera and those looked great, so I can only imagine how good they'll look after they've been edited. Can't. Wait!

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Hope you've enjoyed the return of randomness. ;-) I think it needed a good comeback, don't you?! Hope your week is off to a great start!

Is It Over Yet?

Holy geez. Joe just started WLC last week and already I'm ready for it to be over. He even gets to come home on weekends! I'm having experiences very reminiscent of deployment and Murphy and I just want this to be over.

Joe went back to WLC Monday morning {it's on the island} and left his phone charger here. Obviously I didn't get to talk to him that night. I wasn't too upset about it, but I do enjoy talking to my husband. Anyways.

Tuesday rolls around and I dropped off Joe's charger at staff duty before going shopping with Jennifer. We had a great time and I had planned on coming home and chilling out... But nesting got the best of me and I kept going long after that. A couple hours later, I'm laying on the floor of the nursery sick to my stomach because I did too much. Fail. The downpours continue outside, it starts storming again... Which really isn't a problem for me. I love storms. As I'm laying in bed listening to the thunder and rain, I have not one but two contractions back to back. So of course I go through all of the "I'm not in labor, am I?!" freak outs. I just laid there in bed praying it wasn't actual labor. Because I can only imagine trying to call someone to take me to the hospital in the middle of what the Hawaiians think is the storm of the century and then calling my husband... You'll be happy to know that baby girl decided to stay put. ;-)

After being by myself while being a zillion months pregnant, I have to give everyone who's ever been hugely pregnant during a deployment serious kudos. I guess I've taken for granted that Joe has been able to be home and do things for me so much. You know, like getting me a fork when I just sat down and really don't have the energy it takes to get up and walk back in the kitchen to get one after having cooked dinner. Or helping me up from the couch. Or running to the store because I'm too tired. Any number of things. I really, really miss having him here to help me out. It's hard being 8 - almost 9 - months pregnant and doing everything around the house!

Joe called me tonight and informed me that he had to be taken to the ER last night. Thankfully, he eased into that part of the story and I didn't panic nearly as much as I would have otherwise. He gets migraines sometimes and when he's unable to take medicine for them when they start, they get really really bad. Apparently this was one of those times. And because he's in WLC and sick call doesn't start until 0500, he had to get someone from staff duty to take him to the ER. And apparently he had no inclination whatsoever to contact his wife and let me know what was going on. I know he was in severe pain and everything, but come on. Even a text would have been nice! I know he's a big boy and can clearly handle being at the doctor/ER by himself, but I kinda would have liked to be there for him. You know? Thankfully the ER in the ghetto treated him well and he's back to normal now. Let's just hope he stays that way!

I have an ultrasound and a whole slew of appointments at Tripler tomorrow... I'm hoping for good news all the way around! I am not capable of handling any crap right now. Stay put for just a few more weeks, little girl!!! Please?!

A Day of Happy

After a couple weeks of mostly yucky days, today was awesome.

I woke up dreading today since I had 2 appointments at Tripler and had no idea if I'd hear from Joe. {He's officially at WLC, but thankfully he gets to come home on the weekends!} I had a pretty average morning, filled with the usual blog reading, news watching and household chores.

When I got on the highway to go to my appointments, I was kind of shocked at how little traffic there was. I figured that since I was on the road during lunchtime that traffic would be hellacious. I was wrong! I think I made it to Tripler in record timing... I usually leave my house about 70 minutes before my appointments because of traffic and parking. On a normal day, this gives me enough time to be 10-15 minutes early to my appointment. Yeah. Anyway. Today, however, I was about a half hour early. So weird!

Other than having to wait an ungodly amount of time for my NST and OB checkups, they went really well! I got to listen to Little Missy's heartbeat for about 30 minutes, which was very nice. My BP was totally normal. {Hooray!} And I got some info from the doctor I saw today {I think this makes number 4...a new one every week since I started being seen at Tripler.} about why, exactly, I have to do the NSTs. Turns out it's not related to the possible hypertension. It's because of the good 'ole diabetes! I don't know why, but getting this information made me feel much better. Maybe because I probably would have had to do this even without the BP issue? I don't know. But I do feel better about it. And Dr. Lady didn't say a word when I told her I only scheduled the NSTs for once a week. Double score! I really like the doctor I saw today and, if I'm reading my print out of appointments right, I'll be seeing her from now until Charlotte gets here! =D Yay, yay, yay.

Going up to my appointment!

This is my photo for the March Photo a Day challenge. =)

After my OB appointment, I had to go back up to the NST place so they could do a fluid check. Which means... I got to see Charlotte!!! =D {Joe is totally jealous.} They didn't give me any photos and I didn't even see her face, really, but she's looking good! And she has a ton of hair!! I told the tech that I guess all that heartburn was worth it after all, and she said that's the only old wive's tale she believes anymore. =) Now we just need to find out what color her hair is! Fingers crossed for red! I have a growth scan next week, so I'm sure I'll get some good shots of her pretty little face then. I'm even more excited about it now!

To add more happy to my day, there was also zero traffic on my way home!! I always, always, always get stuck in traffic for about an hour after my OB appointments. I don't know what was up with today, but I was happy to not get stuck in traffic! Since I had extra time in my day, I decided I'd celebrate with a little trip to Ross on my way home. ;-) I've been wanting to get a dress to wear to my baby shower Saturday {EEK!} and possibly for my maternity photos next weekend. It took me several texts to the bestie and a desperate tweet to my Twitter pals, but this is what I ended up with.

At first I wasn't too sure about it, but the more I looked at it the more I liked it. I think the belt makes my belly pop just a little bit more too. And, really, the blues and greens are great colors for me. I texted this to Joe earlier and it was a serious hit with him. A win all the way around, I'd say! Oh, and don't worry, I bought a strapless bra to wear with it. ;-) I have, ahem, outgrown my previous ones. One of the many joys of pregnancy.

To end my day of awesomeness, I FINALLY sold our old couch!!! =D It's been sitting on the other side of our living room since, forever ago, and I am so happy to have it gone! I kind of miss it, but it's nice to have my house looking less cramped. Plus I really wanted it gone before Charlotte got here. <-- That's the nesting talking. I've been nesting like crazy lately, if you can't tell. I already have nesting plans for next week, LOL!

So March has started off pretty great, I'd say. Yeah, Joe is at WLC and I won't see him much but maybe it won't be so bad after all. I'll get to see him on weekends and he should be able to call every night. I doubt I'll run out of things to do during the week since my nesting is off the charts and I think of another project to do every day. Also, I'm doing this:

So that's at least one thing for me to do every day this month. And who knows? I might just have a baby girl in my arms by the time this month is over!

I hope March is off to a great start for you too!

What Ifs...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Call Me Grace

I swear, it really should have been my middle name. I'm a klutz and have been injuring myself on a regular basis probably since I learned how to walk. It's not like it happens on purpose...but random things always happen to me.

In high school, there was carpet in some of the "newer" rooms in the school. Almost every day, I'd trip while walking into - or out of - the room. I really wish I was kidding. Fortunately I was usually early to class and few people ever noticed...or made fun of me for it. These days, I'm just more likely to run into a wall. Not just any walls either, walls in my very own house. Yes, you read that correctly. My husband likes to make fun of me when I do that and ask me if the wall just jumped out in front of me. He's a winner, folks. ;-)

My favorite recent run-in with a wall was just a couple weeks ago. I was standing in the doorway of our bedroom, telling Joe something as we were getting ready for bed. Once we finished our discussion I turned to leave the room....and BAM! I ran smack into the doorway with my shoulder. Fail. We both got a pretty good laugh out of that one.

This weekend I did something that's not my usual kind of klutzy. As I said before, I do a lot of things to injure myself on a regular basis. It's not unusual for me to find bruises on my arms or legs and have no memory of how they got there. Anyways, this weekend my left foot was kind of itchy. I didn't really think about it until later when I noticed this little gem along with a little swelling:

Y'all, I sliced my foot with my own nails. And I didn't even realize it at the time. You'd think I'd notice something like that. You'd think. I guess only non-klutzy people realize when they're hurting themselves? LOL! Joe found this particularly funny and strange. =P I just still can't believe I did it.

Note to self: Pay better attention when scratching.


Oh the things our kids have to look forward to... And Lord help them if they inherit my klutziness!!

❉❉❉ Are you guys out taking fall photos?! If so, make sure you email them to me tomorrow!!!! Can't wait to see {and post} them!

❉❉❉ P.S. Stay tuned to find out how you can get FREE Shutterfly Christmas/holiday cards this year!

Hodgepodge

Seriously, guys, I have got to get back into the habit of posting regularly. At the very least, I'd like to post every other day. I guess I just feel like my life is sooo boring these days! In reality, I suppose it's not...considering I find a reason to tweet at least 5 times a day. =P I'm working on it, but who knows when I'll get back to being a regular blogger.

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In other news, I was really planning on starting season 2 of the Fall Foto Contest this week. I meant to post about it on Monday, but Joe kept me busy cleaning out our indoor storage closet. And then I meant to yesterday, but I had a doctor's appointment and was entirely too tired by the time I got home to do anything but veg on the couch. So here it is Wednesday and I've yet to post.




In case you don't remember, to enter in the Fall Foto Contest I need a photo emailed to me by Thursday evening my time so that I can have the Fall Fotos up on Friday. Then, I put up a poll so readers can vote for their favorite photo. Whoever gets the most votes wins! Easy peasy, right? Right. =) I would really have liked to start it this week, but I know it's kinda late notice. So we'll do it this way: if I get enough photos in tomorrow evening, I'll post it. If not, we'll start it next week. How's that sound? It may not seem like it, but I'm really eager to start this up again and be able to see what fall looks like where you are! It's one of my favorite seasons and I really, really miss it.

Entries from last year's contest.

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I also wanted to say thanks for the comments about our church search! We visited a new church on Sunday and really liked it. The worship was really good - though not quite as contemporary as we're used to - and the message was even better. During the service, I realized that I felt like I was actually being taught and convicted of things that I need to change/let go of...and that I hadn't really felt that way in church in a while. Now I feel even better about our decision to leave the other church we were attending. We're not sure if this is the church God wants us to be a part of, but we are going back next week to learn more. I'm excited. =)

And while we're talking about church and faith, one of my BBs wrote a thought-provoking post that I think you guys should read if you haven't already. So go check out JG's post. You won't regret it.

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Let's see... What else is there? Oh yes, the baby bump:

As of yesterday, I'm a whopping 14 weeks. =) Apparently there's some sort of dispute as to when the 2nd trimester starts. Some say 13 weeks and others say 14 weeks. Whenever it happens, I'm feeling pretty good. 

My nausea is gone as far as I can tell. For about a week, I would get sick whenever I was riding in the car but it hasn't bothered me the last couple of days so who knows. =P I'm not nearly as exhausted as before, although I do still get tired fairly easily. Like yesterday, I went to a doctor's appointment (for my lungs, not baby) and was completely worn out by the time I got home. *sigh* I'm having cramping off and on, but I'm sure it's just my belly making more room for my ever-growing baby. I told Joe the other day that I think my uterus is just extra cranky. Haha! I have horrible cramps when AF is around so I suppose it shouldn't really surprise me that I cramp while pregnant.

My next OB appointment isn't for a couple more weeks and I'm ready for it. =P If they didn't cost so much, I might consider getting a Doppler so I could hear the baby's heartbeat. =) And I would love to get an ultrasound at my next appointment, but I doubt it'll happen. Another girl (whose husband works with mine) suggested that I just ask the doctor...but I'm not one to push things or ask for favors. Apparently this girl asked at her last appointment and they did a quick ultrasound and gave her a picture. So...I don't know. What should I do? ;-)

I'm Alive!

Thanks for all the sweet comments regarding my cold from hell. =P I know it was a bit of an over share, but it felt good to let it all out. You will be happy to know that I am officially on the mend! I started feeling a little bit better yesterday, and a little bit of energy returned today. Woo! Naturally I spent most of the day cleaning since my house had been pretty messy - even though Joe did help clean some - while I was sick.

I don't know if I ever updated you guys after I had my appointment with the pulmonologist last week. Basically, I have asthma. Shocker, I know. {sarcasm} And 1/3 of pregnant women with asthma get better, 1/3 stay the same and 1/3 get worse. Very helpful isn't it? So the answer is to put me on a daily, preventative medication. *sigh* I was really hoping to not have to do that, but I need to breathe so baby can breathe. Yay, me!

Yesterday I had the privilege of being power-pointed to death in an asthma education class... Allow me to remind you that I was diagnosed with asthma when I was - wait for it - 10 years old. I am now 25. I've lived with this for 15 years and yet they sent me to a "class" which was one-on-one. I was annoyed the entire time. Not only did I pretty much know everything that CPT Nurse {who was male, by the way} read off the power point, but he also managed to offend me a few times. I'm a female, I wear wedding rings and I wear civilian clothes - NOT a uniform. Clearly I'm married and NOT in the military...as if the dependent ID card didn't give that away. Every time he should have said "your husband needs to know ___" he said, "your husband/boyfriend/significant other should know __." By the third time he said it, I said "husband" and he had the nerve to act all offended!!! Ugh, anyway, it was a big fat waste of my time AND I have to go back in a few weeks so he can develop an "asthma action plan" for me based on my peak flow charts. Shoot me now.

Fortunately, I have my first {real} OB appointment to look forward to next week. One of the girls in Joe's company is about a week ahead of me in her pregnancy and she got an ultrasound at her first visit! So, fingers crossed that I'll get one too! I know I already had one a few weeks ago, but nothing really beats being able to see the baby that's growing inside you. =) Especially when I can't feel him/her moving around yet! I told Melissa the other day that I felt it was kind of odd that I've basically seen every doctor under the sun since I've been pregnant except for my OB. Although I almost feel vindicated because the nurse at my initial visit didn't seem concerned at all about my asthma. =P Not that I want to have problems, but I guess I wanted her to take my only health issue a little bit more seriously than she did.

I also have a lot going on this week, so I'm glad I'm feeling better. Our church is hosting a conference and Joe and I both signed up to volunteer. I'm going to be working with kids and Joe is going to be doing sound related things. {I don't pretend to know what he does. =P} I'm glad to be doing it, but I also know it's going to take a lot out of me. The conference starts tonight and lasts through Saturday night. I'm only volunteering for the Thursday and Friday night sessions and then again on Saturday afternoon... But when you work with little ones, things tend to get tiring. If you think about it, send lots of energetic prayers my way. I'm gonna need 'em!

Hope y'all are having a great week!

Friday Randomness

I swear I'm going to try to post more than once a week. The creative juices just haven't really been flowing lately... Which is why a "randomness" post comes in handy! =)

I haven't really been up to much lately. I had no idea I could ever be so tired!!! Some days I don't even feel like taking a shower. For the record, I do shower even when I'm feeling lazy. =P Of course, I don't think anyone understands the tiredness pregnancy brings until you're pregnant yourself. It's crazy. Add in some morning/most of the day sickness and it's a wonderful combo! Thankfully, I'm getting a handle on the morning sickness but there are also good and bad days.

Monday we went with some friends {Annie, Jennifer and their hubbies, to be exact} to the sandbar and rented a boat from the Marine Corps base. I had kind of wondered how I'd do on a boat - since I tend to get motion sick anyway - but I was fine the last time so I assumed I'd be ok. Do you know what happens when you assume??? I do! I had a good time but I was fighting nausea the entire day. It was a really nice day...other than the waves rocking the boat. =P

I even tried paddle boarding! =) I stink at it - and even fell once - but it was fun! Joe was way better at it than I was.

And then we tried paddle boarding together. This was taken after Joe attempted to stand on the end of the board with me sitting in the middle. I don't have to say that that idea didn't end well. =P

Despite the on-again-off-again nausea, I had a good time hanging out with friends. And, bonus, we had someone take a picture of all of us this time so we could prove we were actually together! =)

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Did anyone else watch Obama's pep talk speech last night? I didn't really want to but I knew if I didn't I'd be kicking myself later. Plus the historian in me just can't help it sometimes. 

Please tell me I'm not the only one who was extremely unimpressed by his speech! I will agree that he has some good ideas, but that's all they are. I'm also willing to as far to say that he has absolutely no clue how to put any of his ideas into action. Do you know he hasn't even submitted his glorious, job-creating, money-sucking plan to Congress yet? You would think that giving a speech on it, he would have done so already. How can he even beg Congress to pass something they haven't even seen yet?!

My biggest problem with this idea is that he never said what it entailed. Oh sure, he said it'll create jobs here, here and here but did he say how? Did he say "here's where the money is going to come from?" NO. In fact, he even mentioned that he was going to give tax breaks to businesses who hire people. Um, really, Obama? Let's give tax breaks, therefore lowering the government's income and then spend $440 billion on a bill that will hopefully create jobs. That sounds like a brilliant plan!!!!

Oh wait, it gets better. Remember how he mentioned cutting payroll taxes? That means $240 billion less going into Social Security. {thanks for the info @jamiedupree} And to make up for that shortfall, money would have to come from the general fund. It just keeps getting better and better.

If you are following me on Twitter, you read all of my tweets about this. At one point he said, "It's time to do what's right for our future." I think he's right on target...if, in fact, he means elect a new president. =P Someone please tell me how this plan is even feasible!! How is it possible to lower the deficit - which he's promised to do since day one - spend $440 billion creating jobs, and cutting payroll taxes? Hmmm?

My favorite part of the speech {I hope you sense my sarcasm} was when he said this: "What kind of country would this be if this chamber had voted down Social Security or Medicare based on some rigid idea about what government could or could not do?*" At this point, I about lost it. I'm not sure if he meant it the way I took it or not but to me it sounds a whole lot like our president - whose main duty is to uphold the Constitution - is bashing the Constitution and the rules that it has in place for our government. And if you don't like what the Constitution says you can or can't do you have two options. 1) Get the heck out of this country or 2) Change it. I'd prefer he do the former, personally. 

And just so we're clear on the issue, this country would be a country that is not reliant on the government for everything if Congress had voted down Social Security and Medicare. I say this as someone whose grandparents are completely reliant on the government for those two things. I've seen them struggle over the past 5 or so years to make ends meet using their sorry excuse for a paycheck and pay bills for hospital stays, surgery and medications Medicare won't cover. I've seen people abuse the Welfare system and Medicaid. I think the idea behind all of these government run programs are great, but they are failing our country and allowing its citizens to take advantage of what it offers.

If you were wondering, I feel much better now. =P

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In other news, my hubby got me something very sweet and unexpected yesterday. =)

"Just because" flowers!! And not just any flowers either - tulips! In case you didn't know, tulips are by far my favorite flowers. =) In the picture above some of the flowers were a little sad and weepy. Today they are nice and perky though!

I love, love, love them! I've been getting "just because" flowers fairly often since he got back. I don't know if he's trying to make up for lost time or what, but I'm totally okay with this showering of flowers. Especially when they come in the form of tulips! =)

Hope y'all have a great weekend! We have no big plans and I'm hoping for a nice, lazy weekend. =)

*Emphasis is all mine. You can view his whole speech here.

Kickin' the Block

Writer's block, that is. {Or blogger's block, whichever you prefer.} Clearly, I've had a touch of this lately. Joe has technically gone back to work, but since we're still in the block leave period there's not much "work" to be done. He goes in for PT in the morning and comes home. So basically, he's getting leave without having to take more leave. A plus for all involved, wouldn't you say? I would. =) I love that we're getting more time together.

We honestly haven't done all that much since we got back on the island. We did get season passes to Wet N Wild, and we've been twice since then. I think we've been to the beach once... =P And last week (or the week before...my days/weeks run together now) we went down to Honolulu so Joe could get the process started on owning pistols here. The process is ridiculous even though he technically purchased the pistols from the military. The were shipped here {to what I think might be the only gun store on the island. I could be wrong though.} and then he had to have a memo to take to the gun store - and later the police department - stating that he has had gun training and therefore doesn't need to take a safety class. So we went to the gun store to pay the outrageous shipping fees and to see the guns. Then, we had to go to the police department so he can get a permit. Then you wait like a week before your background check and permit goes through. I think we have to to back to the police department to get the permit, then to the gun store and then to the police department again to register the guns. Ugh. Do you know what the process is in Oklahoma? Take a safety course. Buy a gun. Maybe there's another step in there. But it's far less complicated. Freakin' blue state. ;-)

So yeah, other than that we've basically been hermits...which is usually okay with me. It's even better now that I'm not a hermit by myself. Haha! And we've started watching LOST again which is always fun. =)

Today, though, we did do something fun. Well, fun for me anyway. I'm not sure Joe enjoyed it very much. =P Do you remember the couch I told you a few weeks ago that we might get? We were on a waiting list for it and weren't sure if we were going to stick with it or not. Well...yesterday they finally called and told us they had one for us! Unfortunately we had to drive all the way to the other side of the island to pay for it, but... Next week, this lovely piece of furniture will be in our living room! =D

I'm seriously excited about it! I think Joe is happier that we got the couch for about $200 less than it was originally priced than the fact that we're getting a new couch. It was really just a big bonus for me. =) And on our way home, we stopped to get some extra pillows for our extra big couch. I can't wait to snuggle up on it! So much room... And it'll be even better when we have friends over - more seating! =D And don't worry, you'll definitely see pictures once it arrives.

So, that's what we've been up to. Sadly there's not much to report. Maybe things will get more interesting around here when Joe goes back to work. Or at least I'll get back into a routine of blogging again. One can only hope!

Neglected

It appears that I have been neglecting my blog as of late. Woops. =P

Apparently this is what happens during reintegration. It's not that haven't been wanting to blog, but it's a mixture of spending lots of time with Joe and also not having much to talk about. Since it's been so long since I blogged, I actually have some things to talk about now!!! =D

We had a great 4th. We got together with 2 other couples and went boating! Annie, Jennifer, their husbands and Joe and I collectively rented a boat from the Marine Corps base on the other side of the island. This was the view we enjoyed:

Gorgeous, right?!

We spent about four hours out on the water chatting, eating, laughing, floating and snorkeling. It was really a great time. It was nice to be able to spend time with other couples for a change!! Don't get me wrong, girl time is awesome, but there's nothing like hanging out with your husband and other couples. =) Although we had a fantastic time, Joe and I ended up with some very painful sunburns. 

As we were heading back...

You can already see my sunburn. *sigh*

Mine is patchy... I have burn patches basically all over my body...including a patch on my forehead. I'm not going anywhere until that sucker has faded!!! Joe isn't burned quite as badly as I am, but he does have one little burn that I find quite hilarious. His belly button. Yep. Belly button! I think we discovered it later that night, and I died laughing. How on earth does that happen!? He let me take a picture, but I'm forbidden to post it anywhere online. Anyway, it was hilarious. =)


In other fun news, Joe let me order my birthday present last week!!! We found it on Overstock for much cheaper and he let me buy it. =) Usually it takes forever to get packages here, but this one arrived just a couple days later! Happy early birthday to me!!!

That's right. I got my very own Silhouette!!! =D I'm so, so excited to start using it!!! But since I ordered it from Overstock, I didn't order anything to go with it. You know, like vinyl or heat transfer stuff. Until I get stuff to make with it it's sitting pretty on my desk.

I have decided, though, that with whatever money I get for my birthday {which is Saturday, by the way *wink, wink*} I'm going to buy some fun Silhouette things. I think that's a pretty good compromise. It's killing me that I can't do anything with it yet!!! It's just sitting there...taunting me with all of the things that it's capable of doing. Lol! 


Speaking of being capable of doing things.... My bestie just opened her own little shop. She makes just about anything you can think of - from crib bedding to coupon/cash wallets. She doesn't have an Etsy shop {yet} but she does have a Facebook page that you can check out. It's called Melissa's Custom Sewing. This weekend, she made a super cute cash wallet with some chevron fabric. It's freakin' adorable!!!

So go check her out!! =) 

Now that I've plugged my bestie, I want to plug another friend. There's been a lot of complaining about the Casey Anthony trial verdict. How she should have been convicted, etc. While I don't really doubt that she did it {who doesn't alert the police that their child is missing?!}, no one had any shred of evidence that proved without a doubt that she did it. Katie, who is also a criminal defense attorney, shared her thoughts on the verdict on her blog. I completely agree with her. While she probably did do it, the prosecution had nothing but circumstantial evidence. That does not a conviction make.


Now, I'm going to go enjoy some more moments like this one:

Hope you guys are sticking with me through yet another one of these Army transition times. =)