Thursday, August 25, 2011
MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #55
The first thing I think of when I get up in the morning is - Katie Beth. How could it be anything other than Katie Beth? I mean, she's either awake or not, so I'm either thinking "Here we go!" or "Wow.. she's still sleeping!" So either way, it's Katie Beth. Not that she's a bad thing to think of first thing in the morning :)
Lately, I've been craving ______ because _______.
Nothing, because I'm pregnant. Kind of unexpected isn't it? Not if you're me.. I'm used to it. Nothing ever sounds really good when I'm pregnant. Sigh.
Whenever anyone says the word _______ it reminds me of my childhood because _______.
"The woods" - I grew up in the country for the most part, and my brother and I spent a lot of time in the woods. So when anyone says "the woods" for any reason, I conjure up images of pine trees, the ground covered with leaves, the trees so thick that you can't see the sky when you look up. It's always Fall in these images, too.
The happiest word I know is ______ but _______.
"Baby", but just hearing, seeing or saying the word does not give me any more energy. Lord, I'm tired!
My spouse may hate it, but I absolutely love ______.
Crap television. Yes, I keep up with the Kardashians, and watch Bachelor Pad. I suck, but I like mindless television. I need the drama in my life because my life is (thankfully) completely drama free.
Head over to Wife Of A Sailor to link up!
Finally a girls' night, and PARAMORE!
I've been terrible about linking up for What's Your Song over at Goodnight Moon, even though I love this theme. Well, this week I finally have something to actually link up, and I had a lot of reminders when I logged into Blogger just now.
Last night and tonight have been my first nights out with the ladies in MONTHS. I am positive that the last time I was out with just a bunch of girls was in February. Do you realize that we're talking 6 months here?? Holy cow! I used to have dinner with just the ladies all the time, even in Guam! And it's been 6 months!
Anyway, last night we had a Wardroom dinner, but it was just the wives, no boys allowed. Jason kept KB for me (because he's an awesome Daddy like that), and I was out until 10:30! That's super because I'm usually asleep by 9:30. What was so awesome about last night is that my throat was actually scratchy from laughing so much. I can't remember the last time that happened!
Then tonight, I went to the Paramore concert with some girls. We've been planning to go since March when we first bought our tickets, and it was great. I love Paramore! There's just something about a kick-ass girl lead singer that makes me want to wear a lot of black and rock out. Ok, not really.. but it was a great time!
So here is MY song for the week, the song that made me fall in love with Paramore years ago:
Last night and tonight have been my first nights out with the ladies in MONTHS. I am positive that the last time I was out with just a bunch of girls was in February. Do you realize that we're talking 6 months here?? Holy cow! I used to have dinner with just the ladies all the time, even in Guam! And it's been 6 months!
Anyway, last night we had a Wardroom dinner, but it was just the wives, no boys allowed. Jason kept KB for me (because he's an awesome Daddy like that), and I was out until 10:30! That's super because I'm usually asleep by 9:30. What was so awesome about last night is that my throat was actually scratchy from laughing so much. I can't remember the last time that happened!
Then tonight, I went to the Paramore concert with some girls. We've been planning to go since March when we first bought our tickets, and it was great. I love Paramore! There's just something about a kick-ass girl lead singer that makes me want to wear a lot of black and rock out. Ok, not really.. but it was a great time!
So here is MY song for the week, the song that made me fall in love with Paramore years ago:
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
To my Katie Beth, on her first birthday
Dear Katie Beth,
Today you are one year old, and we have come so far from this tiny but still beautiful little thing:
We have had a great time over the past twelve months, haven't we? We've traveled, played, swam in the ocean, ridden on boats, spent time with family and friends, read lots of books and had some great sweet treats.
You've learned so much in the past few months! You learned to roll over, sit up, crawl, say your first word ("Dada", of course), and stand. You even have a few teeth!
So now that you're one, there are some things I want you to know. These are some things that I promise to you. I promise to be the best Mommy I can possibly be, and here are some ways I plan to do it.
I promise to always, always tell you "Good night, I love you, sweet dreams, and I'll see you in the morning." when you go to sleep at night. I'll tell you even when I'm not there and I won't really see you the next morning. I will always answer be just a phone call away when you spend the night with your friends. And if, when you stay with a friend for the first time, you have a little freak-out and want to come home, I promise to come get you. But only once. I promise to help you be a strong little girl who can fall asleep at her friend's house, even if it means I have to send your favorite books in your over night bag.
I promise to always tell you when I think other people aren't good for you, even though you probably won't listen. I'll tell you whether those persons are new friends at your new school, or your new boyfriend when you get to college. You'll probably get mad at me, but that's ok because I'm ready for it.
I promise to embarrass you in front of your friends, but not every chance I get. You'll laugh at those stories when you have your own little girl to embarrass.
I promise to raise you the way I was raised, for the most part. I will teach you to say "Yes Ma'am" and "No Sir", even when we don't live in the South and you get funny looks for saying it. I'll teach you to say "Please" and "Thank You" and "Bless you" when someone sneezes.
I promise that I'll teach you to be an open-minded and kind-hearted woman. I promise to scold you when I hear you making fun of a person for something they can't help, and sometimes for things that they can help.
I promise to show you how to be generous, mostly by donating the toys you don't play with to needy children, (and mostly because we'll have to move every two years anyway).
I promise to give you the opportunity to spend time in the country with your grandparents and great grandparents. Someone will teach you how to fish, pick blueberries, drive a four-wheeler, and (sigh) maybe even take you deer hunting. That is, if you are unlike your Mommy and you can learn to keep quiet in the deer stand.
I promise to bring cupcakes to your class for your birthday for as long as you want me to.. even if that is your Senior year of high school. Or college. I'll be your Mommy, so I will never have any shame.
And lastly, I promise, promise, promise, that I will always be there when you need me. I will either be on the other end of the phone, or right beside you, no matter what. Even if you're ashamed of something you have done, or afraid of my reaction. I'll be there.
I love you so much, and I can't believe how much you have already changed my life for the better. You are the answer to so many prayers, and the light of our lives.
Love,
Mommy
Today you are one year old, and we have come so far from this tiny but still beautiful little thing:
 |
| Birth day! |
We have had a great time over the past twelve months, haven't we? We've traveled, played, swam in the ocean, ridden on boats, spent time with family and friends, read lots of books and had some great sweet treats.
 |
| About to leave the NICU - 28 days old |
You've learned so much in the past few months! You learned to roll over, sit up, crawl, say your first word ("Dada", of course), and stand. You even have a few teeth!
 |
| Almost 2 months old! |
So now that you're one, there are some things I want you to know. These are some things that I promise to you. I promise to be the best Mommy I can possibly be, and here are some ways I plan to do it.
 |
| First Thanksgiving! 3 months old |
I promise to always, always tell you "Good night, I love you, sweet dreams, and I'll see you in the morning." when you go to sleep at night. I'll tell you even when I'm not there and I won't really see you the next morning. I will always answer be just a phone call away when you spend the night with your friends. And if, when you stay with a friend for the first time, you have a little freak-out and want to come home, I promise to come get you. But only once. I promise to help you be a strong little girl who can fall asleep at her friend's house, even if it means I have to send your favorite books in your over night bag.
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| On the Metro at the Dallas Airport - Headed home to Guam! |
I promise to always tell you when I think other people aren't good for you, even though you probably won't listen. I'll tell you whether those persons are new friends at your new school, or your new boyfriend when you get to college. You'll probably get mad at me, but that's ok because I'm ready for it.
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| Tired after opening First Christmas presents with Daddy - 4 months old |
I promise to embarrass you in front of your friends, but not every chance I get. You'll laugh at those stories when you have your own little girl to embarrass.
 |
| First family photo shoot! - 5 months old |
I promise to raise you the way I was raised, for the most part. I will teach you to say "Yes Ma'am" and "No Sir", even when we don't live in the South and you get funny looks for saying it. I'll teach you to say "Please" and "Thank You" and "Bless you" when someone sneezes.
 |
| Daddy comes home today! 6 months old |
I promise that I'll teach you to be an open-minded and kind-hearted woman. I promise to scold you when I hear you making fun of a person for something they can't help, and sometimes for things that they can help.
 |
| We just moved to Hawaii! 7 months old |
I promise to show you how to be generous, mostly by donating the toys you don't play with to needy children, (and mostly because we'll have to move every two years anyway).
 |
| Very first Easter - 8 months old |
I promise to give you the opportunity to spend time in the country with your grandparents and great grandparents. Someone will teach you how to fish, pick blueberries, drive a four-wheeler, and (sigh) maybe even take you deer hunting. That is, if you are unlike your Mommy and you can learn to keep quiet in the deer stand.
 |
| First trip to the beach in Hawaii - 9 months old |
I promise to bring cupcakes to your class for your birthday for as long as you want me to.. even if that is your Senior year of high school. Or college. I'll be your Mommy, so I will never have any shame.
 |
| First Polo match - 10 months old |
And lastly, I promise, promise, promise, that I will always be there when you need me. I will either be on the other end of the phone, or right beside you, no matter what. Even if you're ashamed of something you have done, or afraid of my reaction. I'll be there.
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| First trip to the Zoo, in St. Louis - 11 months old |
I love you so much, and I can't believe how much you have already changed my life for the better. You are the answer to so many prayers, and the light of our lives.
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| One year old today! |
Love,
Mommy
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
On this day last year..
I could have written a blog post entitled "Heartburn: My first real pregnancy symptom". I spent the entire morning in bed, and the entire afternoon lying on Jan's couch. I remember that my chest hurt so badly, that I spent a good portion of the morning crying. I had been up all night with that terrible chest pain, what I thought was heartburn. I threw up violently about 3 am, and the nausea stayed with me until well after noon. I remember that I finally ate a piece of dry toast in the evening, and the pain was starting to subside. That is, all except for that pounding headache... Whew! That was over.. or so I thought.
Of course you all know the story, and if you don't, you can go read it here: The Day We Became A Family . I was actually terribly ill with HELLP syndrome. Since this isn't meant to be a depressing post, I'm going to leave it at that.
So anyway, a year ago today, I had just hit 33 weeks with my baby girl. I was so excited about seeing her in 7 more weeks!
Of course, you also know that I actually gave birth to Katie Beth a mere 48 hours later.
And then, just one year later, before I've even had time to blink my eyes...
My bedroom floor looks like this:
You read correctly. That's MY bedroom floor, not Katie Beth's. When did she become old enough to throw toys around like that? And when did she get big enough that she needed a push toy to help her learn to walk?
Today I made KB's very first birthday cake. I am no cake artist, but I sincerely believe like a baby's very first cake should be one that is made by Mommy. That includes mommies who have absolutely zero talent when it comes to decorating cakes. Here is KB's very first birthday cake, made with lots of love:
And here is KB eating her first birthday cake, with even more love:
And lastly, here is my precious Katie Beth sharing a piece of her cake with Mommy, because she loves her as much as she loves the cake:
To be honest, I really just wanted to share this picture because of the awesome face she's making. I love that kid!!
So yes, suffice it to say that we've made it through a whole year, and I can't believe it. We've conquered a life-threatening disease, super prematurity, terrible baby reflux, two trans-Pacific moves, fussy eating habits, two deployments and 43 total hours on airplanes. We've made it!
Happy birthday, Katie Beth. Your parents love you more than you will ever know, and are thankful for you every single day!
(For the record, the cake we use for her birthday party will come from a bakery. No one needs to see my works of art that close.)
Of course you all know the story, and if you don't, you can go read it here: The Day We Became A Family . I was actually terribly ill with HELLP syndrome. Since this isn't meant to be a depressing post, I'm going to leave it at that.
So anyway, a year ago today, I had just hit 33 weeks with my baby girl. I was so excited about seeing her in 7 more weeks!
Of course, you also know that I actually gave birth to Katie Beth a mere 48 hours later.
And then, just one year later, before I've even had time to blink my eyes...
My bedroom floor looks like this:
You read correctly. That's MY bedroom floor, not Katie Beth's. When did she become old enough to throw toys around like that? And when did she get big enough that she needed a push toy to help her learn to walk?
Today I made KB's very first birthday cake. I am no cake artist, but I sincerely believe like a baby's very first cake should be one that is made by Mommy. That includes mommies who have absolutely zero talent when it comes to decorating cakes. Here is KB's very first birthday cake, made with lots of love:
And here is KB eating her first birthday cake, with even more love:
And lastly, here is my precious Katie Beth sharing a piece of her cake with Mommy, because she loves her as much as she loves the cake:
To be honest, I really just wanted to share this picture because of the awesome face she's making. I love that kid!!
So yes, suffice it to say that we've made it through a whole year, and I can't believe it. We've conquered a life-threatening disease, super prematurity, terrible baby reflux, two trans-Pacific moves, fussy eating habits, two deployments and 43 total hours on airplanes. We've made it!
Happy birthday, Katie Beth. Your parents love you more than you will ever know, and are thankful for you every single day!
(For the record, the cake we use for her birthday party will come from a bakery. No one needs to see my works of art that close.)
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Today's Mommy Moment
I wanted biscuits for breakfast this morning, so naturally I had to share with Katie Beth. Being the good mommy that I am, I didn't want to give her sugary jelly to put on her biscuit, so I used her favorite puree, pears and blueberries. I tore her biscuit into hand-held pieces, and then dipped them into the puree. Yum, yum! KB loved it. She was going to town on those biscuit pieces! Sometimes she'd eat a whole piece, and sometimes she licked the puree off, and wanted more on there. Fine by me! I took the container of blueberries and pears, and dipped the soggy biscuit pieces back in there for her.
Having a happy baby makes for a very happy mommy! Especially when that baby has been a fussy eater for months. While she was eating happily, I decided to swiffer my floors. I looked up a few minutes later, and this is what I found:
ACK!! I left the container of puree on her tray, and now it's EVERYWHERE!!
She's digging in with one hand, and then smearing it all over her face!
Oh well. She was happy.
Friday, August 19, 2011
MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #54
My spouse and I rarely agree on what to watch on tv, but always agree on what to have for dinner.
If I could use one word to sum up the way I feel right now, it would be well-rested! Thank you for sleeping in, KB!
One of the things my spouse does that grosses me out is oh, I don't want to say and embarrass him.. But he's a boy, so I'm sure you can guess some things.
My readers may think I'm crazy for doing this, but I really love to watch the news.. obsessively. I don't think that's that crazy, but I can't think of anything else! And I imagine someone out there thinks it's crazy.
Frankly, my dear, I don't have the energy for petty, childish people anymore.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Cravings, or lack thereof.
Dear Pregnancy gods,
Know what would make me super happy? If, just for once during a pregnancy, I craved fresh veggies and lean protein. That would be awesome.
Sincerely,
Sick (but not really) of all these carbs.
See that up there? Story of my pregnant life. All 10 months of it so far. For probably more than half of the meals I've had lately, I've had nothing but carbs. For instance, yesterday went thusly: breakfast - cereal, lunch - fried rice with a tiny bit of chicken, dinner - another tiny bit of chicken, lots of grilled potatoes, carrots, onions and mushrooms, late night snack - cereal. Today: Breafkast - cereal, lunch - mac and cheese, dinner - cereal. Absolutely no protein today, and I'm fine with that.
Except I'm not! I mean, for the most part I'm not overeating, but I'm not eating like I should be. It's just that nothing ever sounds good, especially if it is mostly protein. Jason has to talk me into eating normal people meals, and on duty nights I don't even try. (Hence tonight's dinner of cereal..)
Oh! And get this! Tomorrow I'm meeting one of my favorite girls for lunch at the best burger joint on this island. Am I excited?? Sure, about seeing Jess. Not so excited about that delicious burger, though.
Oh, but the fries are going to be awesome!
Our new plan
You know that old saying about how God will laugh in the face of your plans?
Know who else does that? The Navy.
Our plans have changed, but I have to admit that I'm not devastated. In fact, I don't even really mind. Here's what happened:
Jason got back to the boat on August 3, where he met his new CO. Old CO's Change of Command ceremony was during our vacation, so new CO has been on board for roughly a month now. New CO says, "Hi, I hear you are one of my number one Division Officers. If I can convince you to extend X months and see the boat out of dry dock, I want to tap that resource." (I later asked Jason if he told CO that he is my Baby Daddy, and I will also need to tap that resource. He did, but not in my exact words.)
After much thought on both our parts, we have decided that Jason should extend this tour for yet another 3 months. Here's why:
If Jason extends, I will not be moving back to Mississippi to have BF2. I will stay in Hawaii with him because the threat of moving before the baby arrives is gone. No more worrying about having to fly in my final trimester. Since that threat is gone, there is no real reason for us to have to spend 3 - 4 months apart. This is very happy news to me for that reason, but sad news since I won't be with my family to have BF2. In this case, however, Husband most definitely trumps Family.
If Jason were to stick to this slate, his report date to NPS (Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA - our #1 choice for shore duty) would be March 22. Baby is due March 17, will probably come around March 10. In that case, it would have meant even more time apart for our family because neither baby nor I would be travel ready in just 2 weeks. That was weighing heavily on both of us.
Also, if Jason were to stick to this slate, he would be condemning himself to a course of study in which he didn't particularly want a degree. If he waits until the next slate, his area of interest opens up for more students. Falls right into place, doesn't it?
So all that to say, we will be in Hawaii through next Spring. I'll have the baby here with Dr. Chapman, and I'm very fond of her already, so that's ok by me.
My only concern is that Jason might have to go to sea again for a short time before we leave. I'm not going to lie; that will suck. If that is the case, we may fly a family member in to help me with KB and BF2. Besides being exhausted from waking every 2 - 3 hours with the baby, I won't be able to do much with KB after major abdominal surgery. (For the record, not being able to pick my baby girl up for a good month is going to break this mommy's heart.)
We are excited, though! Staying here for 3 additional months not only improves our chances of getting to go to NPS for shore duty, but we get extra time in paradise! We have really come to love it here. We love our house, our neighborhood, and our friends. As odd as it feels for me to say this now, I will be very sad when we have to leave next year!
Friday, August 12, 2011
MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #53
The best thing my parents taught me to do when I was a child was to respect myself as well as others. They taught me manners, which is something that I think is seriously lacking in this world.
However, one thing I wish they did differently was discipline my brother and myself more calmly. My parents are both yellers, and that's the one thing I won't tolerate in my household. I love them, and I think they did a great job with us, but to this day I can't stand someone raising his or her voice in my presence.
One thing I've always wanted to try but haven't is skydiving!! It WILL happen once I'm no longer pregnant.
One thing I never thought I'd try but I have is living in Guam. Seriously.. never saw that one happening.
If I could give my 16-year-old self one piece of advice I'd tell myself study!! Apply for more scholarships! I think about this one every single month when I'm paying my student loans. Boo.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
First appointment for BF2
Jason and I decided months ago that if I were to get pregnant, I would switch to Tricare Standard so that I could see a private practice OB instead of someone at Trippler (our Military Treatment Facility). Personally, my only problem with Trippler was that while I was seen there with KB, I only ever saw a nurse practitioner. There's not a thing wrong with nurse practitioners, but when you know you're going to have a very high risk pregnancy, you want the OB. Trust me.
I switched to standard, and did a quick little search of OBs that deliver at Castle Medical Center, the hospital closest to home. I found one who was very interesting to me. Her name is Dr. Susan Chapman, she's in her mid to late 40's, and I really liked her. I chose her because I liked her practice. She has a few nurse practitioners as well as a few midwives that practice with her, and they offer a birthing center. I like an OB who is open to alternate forms of delivery, not just the sterile lights of an operating room. That's pretty funny, because I'll probably only ever see the lights of an operating room.
So Dr. Chapman was great. She came in and was already pretty well-versed in my chart. She asked what I was already doing to prepare myself for a healthy pregnancy. I told her that I'm taking pre-natals, extra folic acid, extra calcium, fish oil and a baby aspirin every single day. She was happy with that, but I knew she would be after talking to the OB who delivered KB. He reiterated to me that I could never prevent HELLP, but taking the extra vitamins would help the baby to be developed as much as possible, and there is some evidence that the baby aspirin, taken up to 20 weeks, aids in warding off recurring HELLP syndrome.
Next we did the ultrasound. Heck yes, she did an ultrasound at 8 weeks! Guess where that doesn't happen. Trippler. Or any other MTF. Blah.. Anyway. She said baby looked great. He/She measured at 8 weeks, 6 days, but my calculations (which I know are perfect) had him/her at 8 weeks, 2 days. This doesn't mean much scientifically, but in my mind it means that baby is going to be big and healthy, and that my extra vitamins are doing their job!
Dr. Chapman went ahead and tested my blood for baseline liver enzyme numbers as well as blood platelet numbers. She wants to have an accurate baseline in case things do go wonky later. She told me that she'll schedule me to go to a specialist at my next appointment in 6 weeks. The specialist will run further tests to make sure things are looking good for a HELLP free pregnancy. My chances for having HELLP again are about 20%, maybe less. My chances of pre-ecclampsia or toxemia, however, are higher. That part sucks, but I'm trying to not think about it. Studies show that these problems are more likely in the first pregnancy than in subsequent pregnancies, so that's good news. More good news is that Mom got sick with me, but not with Scott, a mere 15 months later.
The last bit of important news is that I will most likely have a scheduled c-section. That doesn't bother me.. I figure the hell I know (c-section recovery) is preferable to the hell I don't know (vaginal recovery). Dr. Kellum, the OB who delivered KB, said that the latest he would let me go before scheduling the c-section is 39 weeks. Dr. Chapman agreed. That means that BF2 will make his/her appearance sometime before March 10.
Whew! So that was a pretty important appointment, and it went perfectly! I'm so happy I found an OB right away who matched exactly what I wanted. She was appropriately extra cautious with me, and I'm so thankful.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Now that we're out of the baby-hiding closet..
Here's the story of how the revealing all went down:
I was able to wait until after Jason's huge test, but I didn't make it to being able to tell him in person. The boy simply wouldn't let me! He says things like, "So, since you're on your period, do you need chocolate and cheese?" To which my brilliant self responded with "No, I've really been craving onions and peppers." Strike 1. Then I told him about crying at the Folger's commercial. Strike 2. I didn't even make it to Strike 3. He knew.
So anyway, I just told him over the phone, which was TOTALLY not my plan. It was ok, because he giggled. That was enough to tide me over :)
Jason flew into Jackson on July 15. KB's church dedication ceremony was planned for July 17, and since all of my side of the family would be there, that's when we decided to tell them.
So I put KB in her super adorable big sister onesie, and proceed to prance her around my family. My aunt holds her, doesn't notice. My step mom plays with her, doesn't notice. We sit down around the table, and KB is planted in her high chair up by the head of the table between Mammaw and Pappaw. Nobody notices a gosh darn thing. After a few minutes, Mammaw was feeding her and it was obvious that she was going to get messy, so I took the onesie off. Still, nobody noticed.
Finally, the conversation turned to weight management, and I don't even remember why. I'm so suave. I said "Well, I'm about to start gaining weight, but at least there's a good reason." and I grabbed KB's onesie and showed it off. We got a chorus of "No way!/You're kidding!/Emily!!/Congratulations!" It was a lot of fun, and Jason and I felt very loved.
We drove up to TN a few days later to spend time with his side of the family, and I just couldn't even contain myself anymore.. I blurted it out within just a few minutes of being there. I took KB's onesie out of her bag, and asked my MIL if she thought it would be cute on KB. She goes "Well yeah, but not right away, right?" "Right away, like in March!" She says "Nuhuh!! Really??" Again, we felt very loved and we are so happy that everyone is excited for us. We couldn't be happier!
I was able to wait until after Jason's huge test, but I didn't make it to being able to tell him in person. The boy simply wouldn't let me! He says things like, "So, since you're on your period, do you need chocolate and cheese?" To which my brilliant self responded with "No, I've really been craving onions and peppers." Strike 1. Then I told him about crying at the Folger's commercial. Strike 2. I didn't even make it to Strike 3. He knew.
So anyway, I just told him over the phone, which was TOTALLY not my plan. It was ok, because he giggled. That was enough to tide me over :)
Jason flew into Jackson on July 15. KB's church dedication ceremony was planned for July 17, and since all of my side of the family would be there, that's when we decided to tell them.
So I put KB in her super adorable big sister onesie, and proceed to prance her around my family. My aunt holds her, doesn't notice. My step mom plays with her, doesn't notice. We sit down around the table, and KB is planted in her high chair up by the head of the table between Mammaw and Pappaw. Nobody notices a gosh darn thing. After a few minutes, Mammaw was feeding her and it was obvious that she was going to get messy, so I took the onesie off. Still, nobody noticed.
Finally, the conversation turned to weight management, and I don't even remember why. I'm so suave. I said "Well, I'm about to start gaining weight, but at least there's a good reason." and I grabbed KB's onesie and showed it off. We got a chorus of "No way!/You're kidding!/Emily!!/Congratulations!" It was a lot of fun, and Jason and I felt very loved.
 |
| KB enjoyed dessert with Pop after we announced the big news. |
We drove up to TN a few days later to spend time with his side of the family, and I just couldn't even contain myself anymore.. I blurted it out within just a few minutes of being there. I took KB's onesie out of her bag, and asked my MIL if she thought it would be cute on KB. She goes "Well yeah, but not right away, right?" "Right away, like in March!" She says "Nuhuh!! Really??" Again, we felt very loved and we are so happy that everyone is excited for us. We couldn't be happier!
"Morning" sickness
Yet another blog that I won't post for a while. I doubt I make it all the way to 12 weeks to announce BF2, but I will for sure make it until at least the 8th. That's when my first appointment is, and I'd like to announce with an ultrasound picture. Anyway, enough of that... on to my nauseating topic of choice today.
Dude, this sucks. I never got nauseous a single time with KB, and here I am going on hour 13 of constant nausea today. I've eaten crackers, drank ginger ale, nothing is working. I tried to eat a salad for lunch and only managed a few bites. Then for dinner I managed a whole bowl of mac and cheese because Jason loves me enough to make it. It was the only thing that sounded the least bit appetizing.
Playing with KB all day has been hard, and I feel bad about that. I don't want this pregnancy to come between us. She's still my #1 girl, and she always will be, but I'm afraid of what taking care of myself will do to taking care of her. I'm especially worried that I'll get put on bed rest in my final trimester, and that will really put a damper on Mommy and KB time. Sigh.
Anyway, I will post this soon, hopefully! Until then, I appreciate everyone for not unfollowing me for the lack of posts. As you can see, I am writing!
Dude, this sucks. I never got nauseous a single time with KB, and here I am going on hour 13 of constant nausea today. I've eaten crackers, drank ginger ale, nothing is working. I tried to eat a salad for lunch and only managed a few bites. Then for dinner I managed a whole bowl of mac and cheese because Jason loves me enough to make it. It was the only thing that sounded the least bit appetizing.
Playing with KB all day has been hard, and I feel bad about that. I don't want this pregnancy to come between us. She's still my #1 girl, and she always will be, but I'm afraid of what taking care of myself will do to taking care of her. I'm especially worried that I'll get put on bed rest in my final trimester, and that will really put a damper on Mommy and KB time. Sigh.
Anyway, I will post this soon, hopefully! Until then, I appreciate everyone for not unfollowing me for the lack of posts. As you can see, I am writing!
Holy Hormones, Batman!
Here's another hidden blog that y'all won't get to read for at least 2 weeks.
I really wish I had the ability to make that longer than 2 weeks, but I have a mouth on me. AND I want everybody to know our happy news! So I probably won't make it to the 12 week mark without spilling the beans.
I am, however, going to keep it under wraps from the Facebook/Twitter/Blogosphere until we have told all of our family members in person. That will be at least another 1.5 weeks.. sigh.
So yes, back to the hormones. Holy moly! I'm a force to be reckoned with! I don't remember my hormones being *this* bad *this* early with KB. So far, I've cried at a Folger's commercial, seeing a little baby cry during my friend's wedding (because I missed KB), and seeing a little girl spin circles on the dance floor at the reception for the same wedding (also because I missed KB). I've also yelled at my very sweet husband, who almost never deserves being yelled at. (Almost.)
I'm 4 weeks and 1 day today (Sunday, July 10). I began having heart burn after every meal a few days ago, which sucks. It better mean this baby has hair! I've also been burping, which I find disgusting. I keep apologizing to my friends for grossing them out, when it turns out that they haven't even noticed.
I've gotten nauseous a few more times, which officially makes it about 100% more often than I got nauseous with KB.
Know what I hope all of this means? I hope it means that every thing about this pregnancy is different. #1 - I hope that I don't get gestational diabetes. #2 - I hope that my blood pressure stays normal. #3 - I hope that this baby is HUGE! #4 - I hope that I get to carry this baby to at least 36 weeks.
#5 - It would be cool if BF2 is a boy, but I don't necessarily hope for a boy. I would love one baby of each sex, and I would love to carry on Jason's family name since he is the last blood-line Frederick. I would also, however, love for KB to have a sister, since I don't really know what that's like. So I don't so much hope for a boy, but it would be cool.
I really wish I had the ability to make that longer than 2 weeks, but I have a mouth on me. AND I want everybody to know our happy news! So I probably won't make it to the 12 week mark without spilling the beans.
I am, however, going to keep it under wraps from the Facebook/Twitter/Blogosphere until we have told all of our family members in person. That will be at least another 1.5 weeks.. sigh.
So yes, back to the hormones. Holy moly! I'm a force to be reckoned with! I don't remember my hormones being *this* bad *this* early with KB. So far, I've cried at a Folger's commercial, seeing a little baby cry during my friend's wedding (because I missed KB), and seeing a little girl spin circles on the dance floor at the reception for the same wedding (also because I missed KB). I've also yelled at my very sweet husband, who almost never deserves being yelled at. (Almost.)
I'm 4 weeks and 1 day today (Sunday, July 10). I began having heart burn after every meal a few days ago, which sucks. It better mean this baby has hair! I've also been burping, which I find disgusting. I keep apologizing to my friends for grossing them out, when it turns out that they haven't even noticed.
I've gotten nauseous a few more times, which officially makes it about 100% more often than I got nauseous with KB.
Know what I hope all of this means? I hope it means that every thing about this pregnancy is different. #1 - I hope that I don't get gestational diabetes. #2 - I hope that my blood pressure stays normal. #3 - I hope that this baby is HUGE! #4 - I hope that I get to carry this baby to at least 36 weeks.
#5 - It would be cool if BF2 is a boy, but I don't necessarily hope for a boy. I would love one baby of each sex, and I would love to carry on Jason's family name since he is the last blood-line Frederick. I would also, however, love for KB to have a sister, since I don't really know what that's like. So I don't so much hope for a boy, but it would be cool.
SURPRISE!!!
I'm writing this today, but I won't post it for almost two months..
We're expecting Baby #2!!
Here's how it all happened - without details that no one but my bestest friends will ever know:
Jason and I agreed that we wanted our babies close together. We are both close in age to our closest siblings, and we liked growing up that way. Yes, we know that having two babies under two will be a challenge, but we're ready for it! Also, we are in the longest span of time Jason will ever have without going to sea. It's almost 3.5 years, which seems perfect for expanding our family. This way Jason will not miss out on any of the fun toddler things with KB and BF2 (Baby Fred 2).
So, having decided that, we knew we wanted to start trying for BF2 soon. We assume we'll be PCSing back to the mainland around mid-February. That means that if I were to get pregnant, we would have to fly myself and KB to the mainland around December. We decided to do that because we're pretty sure that no doctor in his right mind is going to let me fly after trimester 3 begins. So, Jason will take leave around Christmas stand-down and move us home to have BF2 before we move to wherever the new duty station will be.
So, we decided that if I got pregnant in June, it would be ok! AND! If I were to get pregnant in June, my due date would be March 17 - St. Patrick's Day!
On Thursday, June 30, I got suspicious. I was nauseous a few times on Wednesday, and then nauseous off and on all day Thursday. I told Mom to keep KB, I was headed to the drug store for a pregnancy test. I came home and took it right away. Faint, faint line, but a line nonetheless! Mom couldn't really see it, though.
Friday morning, I took another test. Still a very faint line.
Friday afternoon, in the company of two of my best friends in this world, I took another one. This one was digital.. no faint lines, just a word: PREGNANT. And I took it in the Walmart bathroom. (Yes, really.)
I was telling them how I want to surprise Jason with the news, so if it turns out positive, I'm not going to tell anybody. This older lady in the stall next to me says, "Except all of us in the Walmart bathroom, right??" I walked out to find that I had an audience. Jen and Lessa, the older lady, two young girls, and a Walmart employee were all standing around. The Walmart employee used the restroom, then came out and continued to wait on the results. "Well?? Are you?? Are we excited?!"
As of right now, Jason still does not know. His PNEO exam is tomorrow morning, July 5th. I don't want to add anything to the mix of his studying and test nerves. He told me that I can tell him one way or the other after his exam. I told him yesterday that I wasn't pregnant.. that way he won't keep at me about it! I want to be able to surprise him! I want to wait until after his PNEO interview in DC. In fact, I want to wait until I see him in person when he gets off the plane!
I ordered a tank with a stork on it that says "Guess What?" I'll be wearing it when he gets off the plane.
I ordered a onesie with this super cute graphic on it for KB to wear for us to tell the family. I can't wait!
We're expecting Baby #2!!
Here's how it all happened - without details that no one but my bestest friends will ever know:
Jason and I agreed that we wanted our babies close together. We are both close in age to our closest siblings, and we liked growing up that way. Yes, we know that having two babies under two will be a challenge, but we're ready for it! Also, we are in the longest span of time Jason will ever have without going to sea. It's almost 3.5 years, which seems perfect for expanding our family. This way Jason will not miss out on any of the fun toddler things with KB and BF2 (Baby Fred 2).
So, having decided that, we knew we wanted to start trying for BF2 soon. We assume we'll be PCSing back to the mainland around mid-February. That means that if I were to get pregnant, we would have to fly myself and KB to the mainland around December. We decided to do that because we're pretty sure that no doctor in his right mind is going to let me fly after trimester 3 begins. So, Jason will take leave around Christmas stand-down and move us home to have BF2 before we move to wherever the new duty station will be.
So, we decided that if I got pregnant in June, it would be ok! AND! If I were to get pregnant in June, my due date would be March 17 - St. Patrick's Day!
On Thursday, June 30, I got suspicious. I was nauseous a few times on Wednesday, and then nauseous off and on all day Thursday. I told Mom to keep KB, I was headed to the drug store for a pregnancy test. I came home and took it right away. Faint, faint line, but a line nonetheless! Mom couldn't really see it, though.
Friday morning, I took another test. Still a very faint line.
Friday afternoon, in the company of two of my best friends in this world, I took another one. This one was digital.. no faint lines, just a word: PREGNANT. And I took it in the Walmart bathroom. (Yes, really.)
I was telling them how I want to surprise Jason with the news, so if it turns out positive, I'm not going to tell anybody. This older lady in the stall next to me says, "Except all of us in the Walmart bathroom, right??" I walked out to find that I had an audience. Jen and Lessa, the older lady, two young girls, and a Walmart employee were all standing around. The Walmart employee used the restroom, then came out and continued to wait on the results. "Well?? Are you?? Are we excited?!"
As of right now, Jason still does not know. His PNEO exam is tomorrow morning, July 5th. I don't want to add anything to the mix of his studying and test nerves. He told me that I can tell him one way or the other after his exam. I told him yesterday that I wasn't pregnant.. that way he won't keep at me about it! I want to be able to surprise him! I want to wait until after his PNEO interview in DC. In fact, I want to wait until I see him in person when he gets off the plane!
I ordered a tank with a stork on it that says "Guess What?" I'll be wearing it when he gets off the plane.
I ordered a onesie with this super cute graphic on it for KB to wear for us to tell the family. I can't wait!
I feel much better now that I've written out my secret. Oh, and even though I'm only 3 weeks and 2 days along, I can already see a difference between this pregnancy and my pregnancy with KB. For one thing, I'm hungry like a large man. That's not good. The other thing is that I'm actually having cravings - onions and jalapenos so far. Haha.. Jason is going to love me!
I can't wait until we can tell everybody! We may even already have an ultrasound to go along with it! Until then, I'm filling this space with a clover for my little clover baby :)
**EDIT** - I have an ultrasound picture to add, so here it is!!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #53
Last week was the or's, this week is fill in the blank. Go link up at Wife Of A Sailor!
Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and you'll lose him every single Saturday morning at 0400.
It is amazing what you can accomplish if you don't have an 11 month old keeping you company while you try.
If you can't stand the heat then don't move to Mississippi!! (or anywhere else in the South or South West, for that matter.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to who lies beside us.
Well behaved women seldom marry sailors ;)
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