Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Tis the season

It is three days until Christmas and this year it is a real mixed bag of blessings. I was given the greatest gift of my life last month with the birth of my daughter. The month before that my parents gave me the gift of two months of their loving support, my mom in person and my dad letting my mom go for two months to be with me. I know that it hasn't been easy on them to be apart for such a long time, especially when you consider they have been together since they were teenagers.

The mixed bag portion comes from the loss of my husband's grandfather this past weekend, and my husband's imminent deployment to far off lands. I have also been struggling with being sick, which is made all the more difficult because I have a 6 week old that I need to nurse and take care of, and lets not even mention the sleep deprivation that comes along with the 6 week old. I know in my brain that I can handle taking care of her by myself in the coming year, but that doesn't make the thought any easier for my heart to handle. I just keep reminding myself that I need to put my big girl panties on and just make it happen. No one else is going to do it for me and I have to do it for her.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Fear

Who knew that someone so small and cute could instill such a sense of foreboding and fear in a person. I love my daughter to bits and pieces but when she starts to screw her face up into the "I'm gonna scream and there's nothing you can do about it" face, I just get this sense like the world is going to end. I know the main reason I fear that face is because there isn't much I can do to make her feel better most of the time. She has a little bit of trouble going to the bathroom (this should improve in a couple months as her stomach muscles get stronger) and besides feeding her and holding her, until she can tell me or show me where it hurts we are both at a loss.

One thing I have decided I am going to do in order to help both of us is start using baby sign language. I ordered a book last week and it arrived today and it said to start at six months with about six signs. It isn't until that age that babies have the hand eye coordination to be able to make the signs back. The book has a total of 300 signs to use with Baby D and I am going to spend my time in the next 5 months trying to master them so that I can communicate with my baby. From everything I read there are nothing but positive outcomes from babies who sign at an early age, including: higher IQs, stronger verbal abilities at earlier ages, etc.

It is hard to believe that I am afraid of a cute little baby wearing a bright pink snow jacket...

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Sleep

Sleep has suddenly become a precious commodity around our house. No one is getting any it seems...except for Baby D, and even then only during the day light hours. It turns out that our little girl is a bit of a night owl. I am hoping this isn't foreshadowing a future of late night partying and skipping curfew, but who knows at this stage. All I do know for certain is that everyone around here is tired and in desperate need of a nap!

Another thing that sleep deprivation has caused is a new love for the weekends. On the weekends, Sgt D is home and can help me in the wee day light hours by taking her and letting me catch a few zzzzz, unfortunately that means he isn't sleeping as much as he would like on the weekends. Normally that would bother me, but honestly, I'm too tired to care right now :)

Here's our angel...WIDE AWAKE!

Friday, December 04, 2009

22 Days

That is how old my daughter is today. She is 22 days old. I can't believe that I have been a mom for 22 days already. It is still somewhat surreal, but that could also be because of the sleep deprivation that I am currently experiencing. Sgt D works all day so he needs to sleep at night, which leaves me to carry the load during the nighttime hours. Luckily my mom is still here to help me out in the mornings when I get to experience a few precious hours of sleep. Baby D has so far mastered the fine art of smiling (it is NOT gas!), and she is enjoying her daily belly time and working on lifting her head. I am quite proud of the progress she has made.

In 22 days she has gained a full pound, now weighing in at 9 lbs even, and is at least 2.5 inches longer than she was at birth. She has her mommy, daddy, nana and grandpa wrapped around her little finger and is absolutely perfect in every way...although she does need to work on sleeping through the night. I am hoping that will come with time.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Welcome Baby D

We have been parents for 16 days now, and I guess I should tell you a little about the newest addition to our family. Baby D is a girl, I'm sorry, but just like I am Mrs. D, and my hubby is Sgt D, she will remain Baby D on the blog. Her name is a mix of my grandma's middle name and Sgt D's mother's first name. The middle name is one we thought sounded pretty.
Baby D was born on November 12th at 1:26pm. She was 8 lbs even and 19 inches long. At birth she had blue eyes and a full head of brown hair, her eyes have already started to darken to brown. She looks just like Sgt D, it is scary, luckily she is way prettier than he is. I had a c-section, and Sgt D was the person who got to tell me that we had a little girl, it was a very emotional experience for us both, and really quite amazing.

We spent two days in the hospital, and were so glad to get home. As it turns out, Baby D is quite the night owl, and I personally cannot wait until she is on a regular schedule, awake during the day and asleep at night. I know that it will be awhile before she sleeps through the night, but it definitely gives me something to look forward to.

Sgt D is a natural with her, in fact as I write, he is holding her and trying to rock her to sleep. Keep in mind that it is after midnight and she has been up for 4 hours straight and we are both exhausted. She is a bundle of energy at night.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

The difference a day makes

Today I am someone's wife, someone's child, someone's friend, someone's relative, etc. Tomorrow I will be somebody's mom. The biggest adventure of my life is starting tomorrow and I can't wait. The best part is that I get to share the experience with my husband and my mom, my dad will be coming up the day after to meet his newest grandchild.

While the title of the blog will always be the same, because I hope that Sgt D and I will always be in that wonderful/magical newlywed frame of mind, I have a feeling that a lot of the posts from here onward will have more to do with what it is like raising our family and doing so in the army. I know there will be many challenges, especially during deployments and training, but I know that there will be even more to celebrate and share too.

Pictures and a post may not be up for a couple weeks because I am having a c-section (Baby D is breech - already doing things the hard way!), but as soon as the hardest part of my recovery is over, I will definitely write about the first few days and post pictures.

Monday, November 02, 2009

The Waiting Game...

I am playing the waiting game right now. Don't get me wrong, so are Sgt D and my parents, but I have a feeling for me it is slightly different. Mainly because it is my body that is going through hell and back.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am the least patient person in the world. I am a big fan of instant gratification and if there is one thing I have learned from being pregnant it is that some things are worth waiting for. One of those things has been waiting to find out the gender of Baby D. I just told my mom the other day, so now I can share with everyone else one of the main reasons we decided to forgo finding out the sex of the baby: we were having fun torturing my mom. She wanted to know more than both Sgt D and I combined so we decided it would be good for her to have to wait. We told her last Thursday and even she got a great big laugh out of our reasoning.

The other part of the waiting game that has been difficult is the fact that Baby D is breech. We have already tried once to turn him/her unsuccessfully, and on Nov 12th we will be trying again, this time under an epidural. If it works I will be induced that day, if it doesn't work they will do a c-section immediately afterwards. It is hard when you are ten days away from one of the biggest moments of your life because time seems to stop completely. That is where I am at right now, frozen in time. Wish me luck for the 12th, this may be my last blog until December depending on what happens, but with an absolutely good reason.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Boobs!

***This post is intended for the purposes of humor and laughing at ones own stupidity***

When I was little, probably about age ten and onwards, I wanted boobs. In fact until I was about 26 I don't think I was ever satisfied with the size of my chest. I can admit it, I always felt like everyone was larger than life and I had somehow missed that growth spurt. Well, let me tell you!!! Being pregnant has changed all of that, and believe you me, the grass is not always greener on the other side!!!

Now that I have them, I don't want them anymore. Since getting pregnant I have more than doubled in size and it is not a welcome change. No wonder some of my bigger friends have breast reductions, I don't blame them one bit. Sometimes, smaller really is better!

Add this to the list of things I will not miss in a year, along with swollen hands, feet, ankles, and my abdomen. I will also not miss maternity clothes, which are so not flattering at all!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

October Blues

I am suffering from what I am going to call the "October Blues". This is for many different reasons, but mainly because Sgt D is getting ready to deploy in a few weeks, and I'm getting ready to have Baby D without him here. Both of these things are really hard to handle emotionally, and regardless of whether or not I knew this could be part of my future when I got married it is still a tough reality to face. I don't know anyone who gets married and decides to start a family thinking that for any length of time they will be a single parent.

Sgt D has been great about dealing with my moodiness. He has helped decorate the baby's room (which is gorgeous!), hang curtains in our guest room for my mom, and he even stayed up until 3 in the morning with me the other night because I didn't want the day to end.

I am going to miss having a "partner in crime". Someone to share my daily ups and downs with and someone to take the load off me when things get a little crazy in baby world. His sense of humor is one of those things that has been essential these past two years to my dealing with the roller coaster that is being an army wife and not having access to his dry cutting humor is going to stink. I think what I am going to miss most though is his smile and the way his whole face lights up when he is really happy or just trying to cheer me up. All I can say is that I hope they have Internet access where he is going to that we can see each other every so often on web cam!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Vacation

We have been on vacation now for exactly one week and are so far having an absolute blast. We have gone to the San Francisco Zoo where we were lucky to get to see a baby gorilla and take a ton of cute pictures. We took my car into the shop for some much needed TLC, and shockingly enough, even in the Bay Area someone in the military can get a military discount! We went to the California Academy of Sciences. I hadn't been there in about 20 years and was absolutely amazed. The rain forest with all of the butterflies was probably my favorite exhibit, but that was only because we went on a free day and the aquarium was so over crowded that it was hard to enjoy. We drove down to Monterey Bay for the day, handled some very important personal stuff and also went down 17 mile drive. We did 17 mile drive on our honeymoon almost 2 years ago and we enjoyed it as much this time as we did last time. It is some of the most beautiful parts of the coast I have ever seen.

Next week we are heading up to Lake Tahoe for some alone time. I am really looking forward to showing Sgt D another place in CA where I spent a lot of time as a child. We are not staying in Sugar Pine Point (camping at 32 weeks pregnant is not my cup of tea), but he will be able to get a general feel for the area and see some amazing scenery. Then we have my baby shower and head back to reality.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Block Leave

Sgt D has orders to deploy, can't talk about where or when it is going to happen, but let's just say it is imminent. With orders comes the opportunity to take two weeks of leave beforehand for the soldier and his/her family to spend some time together. We are opting to take the second week of leave only, that way Sgt D can save more up for when he comes home to spend time with Baby D. I am getting excited about our plans for block leave because we are going to take a trip and do something we have never done before.

We are going to drive down the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California on our way to my parents house for my mom's birthday and my baby shower. It should be a really great drive at a great time of year. I am just waiting for my high risk pregnancy assessment on Thursday and the all clear to travel so that I can start making reservations. So far we are planning on spending a night in Florence, OR at Edwin K Bed and Breakfast. After enjoying the 5 course breakfast that comes with our room, we will head down to Eureka/Samoa, CA where we will have dinner at a place I have been dreaming about for 11 years, The Samoa Cookhouse. We will spend the night at a yet to be determined place in Eureka and then drive down to the Bay Area.

I am really excited because the furthest north I have been on 101 is Samoa, CA and Sgt D hasn't been much further north on the 101 than San Francisco, so it will be something new for both of us to experience together, and it will be our last childfree adventure for a very long time!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

A second one?

People in my life keep asking me if I am going to have a second baby. All I can think is, "Are you kidding? Can't I have the first one before I make a decision like that?!?" This first pregnancy has been anything but easy, even the doctors at Madigan agree that I have had a rough pregnancy, and frankly on a day when I have to go for a walk-in triage appointment for pain is not the best day to ask me that question.

To be honest, I don't know if I want to have a second one, at least I don't know right now. A year or two ago, I probably would have said I would like to have at least 2. Things change though, and now that I'm more than half done with my pregnancy and everything that has happened during it physically and emotionally, I don't know if I can go through it all again. Only time will tell I guess.

The doctor told me today that my rib cage is literally being splayed apart from all the pressure of the baby and the fact that I have a small frame. As my mom keeps telling me, I just don't have enough room inside for everything in addition to the baby. The doctor also said that the pain is going to get worse before it gets better, so until the baby is born, please don't ask me if I'm going to have a second one, because I am in no condition to make that type of determination right now!

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Getting my craft on

On Sunday night Sgt D and I started to clear out the closet in the baby's room. After all, we need a spot for all of Baby D's future belongings...right? We decided to move all of my yarn and fabric bins (a total of 3 large tubs) into our office/guest room. While Sgt D was doing all the heavy lifting, (I have the world's greatest excuse for not helping) I decided to go through one of the yarn bins and I found some pretty surprising stuff in there. None of the yarn was mine! All of it belonged to my grandma, who sadly passed away from Breast Cancer when I was a senior in college.

I had forgotten that after she passed away my papa gave me all of her yarn and crocheting supplies because I was the only one in the family who did anything like that. My grandma taught me to crochet when I was probably about 10 years old. It never really took, and I've always been a better knitter. The box didn't just have yarn in it though, it also had two unfinished projects: a baby blanket and a granny square afghan.

Keeping in mind that I haven't picked up a crochet hook (for actual crocheting - they have their uses in knitting too) in about 18 years, I was able to figure out the pattern on the baby blanket and finish what my grandma started. It was such an amazing experience working on what was probably one of her last projects. The blanket is now in Baby D's bassinet and waiting patiently for Baby D's arrival. The other blanket is going to be more slow going. I have been able to locate two of the three colors used in it (luckily it is no dye lot yarn, so I don't have to worry about the age of the yarn), and I will hopefully finish it in the next couple of weeks.

Working on these afghans has given me lots of ideas for Christmas gifts, which has made me excited, especially with my school ending in 2.5 weeks and the fact that I will need something to occupy my time during my last trimester!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Sacrifice

When I became an army wife I knew that I was going to have to make multiple sacrifices. For instance: being able to choose where I want to live, potentially never being able to have a stable career, time with my husband when he is deployed or in the field. I knew all these things when I said "I do", heck, I knew them when I said yes to his proposal.

Some days are harder than others though. I consider myself a pretty strong minded independent person and I hate relinquishing control over any aspect of my life to anyone. It is hard to say, "Ok, tell me what to do next and I'll do anything you say." In fact, saying that is damn near impossible for me. I want to have a say, I want to have a vote, and more importantly I just want to be heard.

That is not a reality when you are married to someone in the military. You lose your vote on all the things you once held as sacred and all you are left with is how you will handle the situation. Will you handle it with grace and dignity? Will you become angry and bitter? Will you become the army wife that most civilians think of - the cheating rotten human being who does not care about the sacrifice their spouse is making for them and their country?

I want so bad to be able to handle all this with grace and dignity. I am beginning to realize that at times it is absolutely necessary to put it in the hands of God and trust that he will take care of me and my family. When you are somewhat of a control-freak...that can be a major challenge. Please be patient with me while I struggle to become worthy of the challenge.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Projects

With Sgt D away and the fact that I'm not working I have needed to find things to do to occupy my mind and my time. I am currently enrolled in three online courses, and after this experience I have no intention of ever taking another online course again. It is, however, a means to an end, and once I complete these three courses I will be one step closer to completing my Masters degree. I am also working on a knitted blanket for Baby D. It is super cute in blue and green stripes (no, the colors have nothing to do with whether Baby D is a boy or girl, I just happen to like them). Pictures to follow when I finish it.



While I've been home my mom helped me pick out fabric for a quilt I would like to make for Sgt D. Oddly enough it too is in blues and greens. I think he is really going to like it when he sees it. All my fabric is washed, starched, ironed and ready for cutting. Hopefully it will not take me forever to make. My mom and I have also been working on curtains for Baby D's new bedroom. My mom had this jungle print in her closet for who knows how many years and it is perfect because we decided to go with a jungle theme for the baby room.

Today though is going to be the best distraction of all, and while it does not fit into the category of projects I think it bears mentioning. I'm going to see Harry Potter! Can't wait :)

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

I just got back from a Giants game, even though I live in Washington I've still managed to attend two so far this season, and one was in Washington! The first game was the Giants against the Mariners, and while the Mariners won (every dog has their day) it was still an awesome game. My parents flew up for the weekend, and Sgt D, my parents and I all went together. It was the first time that my dad went to a ballgame at a "foreign stadium", so that was pretty cool.

Today I went to a game with a friend from elementary school. We had a good time even though the Giants got stomped. Oh well, they won 7 of their last 10, so they are still tops in my book. My friend was wonderful, the game was for my birthday and while we were there, she bought a tee for Baby D. It says "My first Giants Tee" on it and is super cute. Can't wait to try it on our little one...although i am going to have to wait another 4 months for that to happen.

The rest of my stay in California looks like it is going to be just as fun as the first week was. I am going to have dinner at my favorite restaurant tomorrow and spend Thursday and Friday with my mom. On Saturday I get to see my extended family including my niece and nephew, which I am really looking forward to. I brought down one of Sgt D's old BDU uniforms to give to my nephew. He is a cutie, whenever I talk to him he always asks me how Uncle GI Joe is doing. I'm not even sure if he knows Sgt D's name at this point, but Uncle GI Joe is so cute that I don't have the heart to correct him.

More later in the week....

Sunday, July 05, 2009

Normal fears

Sgt D is deploying soon. In order to get ready for that deployment he is going to the field for a month. This is the longest we will be apart since we got married. To top it off, I'm also 20.5 weeks pregnant, which means our little bundle of joy has begun to turn my insides into a one-sided kicking contest, and Baby D is definitely winning. I decided that during the first part of his training I would come to California for a visit, which I'm glad I did because I am usually so busy here that I don't have much time to think about just how much I miss him until I go to bed and right when I wake up in the morning.

One thing that is really hard though is that Sgt D did not get to feel Baby D move before I left, he got to see it on my last night, but not feel it. This has just about broken my heart. It makes me think of all the other "firsts" that are going to be missed in the coming year. I know that it is important not to focus on this, but it is on my mind and I can't really help it. I am reminding myself that I need to be strong, which I am, but sometimes I wish that I didn't have to be. Oh well, this is the life of an army wife and a soon to be army brat. We will get through and we will support Sgt D 110% during this deployment and whatever else the army may have in store for us.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Footprints on my belly

As most of my readers know I have not been having the easiest of pregnancies, I'm 18 weeks and 2 days along and I've already been to the ER twice and I've had to have a consult with the Maternal Fetal Medicine group. I haven't been able to consistently take my prenatal vitamins because they either make me throw up or make me wish I had thrown up. I haven't been sleeping well because I cannot get comfortable (and this is causing me to be a cranky bugger, just ask Sgt D or my mom, who have more than once been on the receiving end of my crankiness).

Well...today made the past 4 months all worth it. I got to see Baby D on an amazing ultrasound and this is my favorite picture. Baby D was making footprints on my belly and on my heart. I fell absolutely head over heels in love today with Baby D, and I'm finally starting to see past my misery to what I have to look forward to in 22 weeks!

Monday, June 08, 2009

Dear Doctor

Dear Doctors everywhere,

I just thought I would point out a few things that you may have forgotten on the road to becoming the medical "genius" that you are today. Your patients are people, they have real emotions and real issues, they are not something to be studied in a vacuum. Your actions can impact not only your patient but all of that patients loved ones who are depending on your expertise to make the patient better.

Your patients deserve a good bedside manner and are looking to you to be their advocate, that is why they have entrusted you with their health care. You are not the only fish in the sea and believe it or not, for the most part, patients have a choice in whether or not they allow you to continue as their health care provider. Please remember this the next time you have over-booked yourself and can only allow five minutes for the exam and no time for questions. Also remember that, believe it or not, your patients have schedules and lives that are just as hectic as yours is, and when you keep them waiting you are potentially interfering with their entire day as well. Most people work for a living or have other commitments during the day and do not have time sit idly in a waiting room while you send emails and twitter on your blackberry.

I would also like to take this time to thank you. I realize that what you have done by becoming a health care professional is a great thing. You have chosen to help others and at times you sacrifice your personal life and time with your family to do so, please do not think this goes unnoticed or unappreciated. Sometimes it is easier to be angry with you personally rather than a health care system that does not work because we know you, and the health care system, while part of our lives, is a somewhat abstract entity.

Please take these suggestions and compliments to heart. Patients everywhere, this one included, would appreciate any positive changes that may result.

Sincerely,
A patient of 27 years, 11 months and 6 days

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Advice

Sometimes when you tell a friend that you are having a bad day or that crappy things are going on you really do want their advice on how to handle the situation. Generally when you are looking for advice phrases such as: "what do you think?" "what are your thoughts?", are common.

Other times though, you are simply looking for someone to listen and be supportive. You don't want their advice, in fact you don't even want their thoughts on the situation. You just want to know that they care and understand what you are going through.

Today I am looking for someone to listen and be supportive. I'm not looking for advice or how someone else would have handled the situation because guess what, no one else is in the situation, I'm the person going through it and all I want right now is someone to empathize with me. I don't want to hear about a time you went through something similar or how you think I should handle the situation. I am handling it, I just wanted to share part of my day with you and know that you care.

Before giving advice or thoughts, make sure that the person you are giving a piece of your mind to actually wants it. If not, all you may be doing is upsetting them even more and that is probably the last thing in the world that they need right now!

(Sorry for the rant, but I needed to get it out of my system and off my chest!)

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Food Glorious Food!

I'm back up to three meals a day and two snacks! I am so excited. So far the second trimester is infinitely better than the first one, which was just painful. My energy level is up and I know that eating regularly is so much better for Baby D.

Who knew how happy a simple sandwich and chips could make me. Amazing!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

maternity clothes

I haven't wanted to go maternity clothes shopping, but this weekend my mom took me and after wasting our time at Target, we ended up at Kohl's and found some great stuff. I would just like to tell the people who run Target that in the Pacific Northwest our summer doesn't get too much hotter than 75 degrees and therefore carrying nothing but shorts for pregnant women is STUPID. It gets cold and wet here! We need pants too!!!

I digress... Kohl's had a great selection and an awesome sale going on. I was able to get two pairs of jeans and four tops, which I was so excited about! It is amazing how much more comfortable I am wearing my maternity pants compared to my jeans. I am so happy, and not only that...but my nausea is getting better. Two things to celebrate!

Monday, May 25, 2009

starting to feel better

This weekend was the first in my pregnancy that I didn't feel like absolute garbage every moment of every waking day. This was especially nice in light of the fact that my parents were here for a visit and that we moved and I couldn't really afford to be sick the whole time. I swear, any woman who says that pregnancy is great and wonderful and all that jazz is full of it (and I'm sure you can figure out what "it" is).

We had a lot of fun this weekend with my parents. We unpacked almost the whole house on Saturday and had a great dinner at our favorite Japanese restaurant, Two Koi in Tacoma, WA. We also went to an action packed Giants v. the Mariners game on Sunday, which was so close, but alas, we lost. My mom also took me shopping on Sunday for maternity clothes, which are way more comfortable than wearing jeans with the button undone.

Today we went for a nice walk around part of American Lake which is right beside our new house. It was a great walk and I can't wait to go fishing there. Now they are on the plane and leaving for home. I'm gonna miss them, but I'm really looking forward to going to California this summer for a few weeks. It will be a nice treat.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Hearing Things

For years now I have slept with earplugs in...nine years to be exact. When I was younger noises at night didn't seem to bother me too much, when I got to college though...everything changed. My sophomore year roommate snored, and I don't mean a dainty little snore, I mean a football linebacker snore. I had every intent after the school year was over to go home and stop using the earplugs, but then I found that the slightest noises at home were keeping me awake too. You know the noises I'm talking about, the wind, an annoying 18 lb cat that needs attention at 2 am, my mom opening the garage door at o'dark thirty, etc. So I kept using them.

Ever since I've been pregnant though, they have been really bothering me, but what is worse is that (according to my pregnancy books) my hearing seems to be getting better the more pregnant I get. So now I hear all the sounds in my apartment, AND in the apartment above me (and some of those sounds I really wish I could block out, like the sound of my neighbor going pee). I realize the neighbor problems will end on Friday when we move into our 3 bedroom house on post, but all the other noises will still be there.

Well last night was the first night in about three weeks that I was able to sleep with my earplugs in. I only woke up a couple of times (which is normal for me), and I was able to sleep from 11:15pm to 10:48am. I was so happy. I really hope this turns into a sleeping streak!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Facebook

Facebook is an interesting experience. I have a page, and ever since joining I began to get friend requests from people I went to high school with. This was no surprise from my good friends from high school, but some of the people who sent me friend requests was down right shocking. I mean, some of these girls barely knew my name in school, and now they want to be my friend. I generally accept the requests when I get them. I mean after all, I do know the person (six degrees of separation know them), and we do have something in common. I just get a little disappointed every time I accept one and come to figure out that the person is what I like to call a friend collector. They have 300+ or 400+ friends and can't possibly keep up with each and every one of them. It really does bring me back to high school and reminds me that life really is a popularity contest, and you know what, I didn't have time for that game in high school, and now...I don't have the energy for it!

I found out yesterday that my high school reunion is on September 10th of this year. It seems to be at some kinda bar in San Francisco. By the time it rolls around I will be at the end of my seventh month (or sixth) and I'm not really sure that going to a bar that far along could be viewed as anything but inappropriate! We shall see what happens. I didn't have any interest for the 5 year, and while I am mildly more interested now, I just don't know if I am interested enough.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

13 Weeks

Today I am thirteen weeks along in my pregnancy, and so far...I'm not loving the experience. I have always heard of women who loved being pregnant and I'm beginning to wonder about their sanity. Throwing up, being nauseous, dizzy, tired, my skin drying out, my hair feeling and looking dull...and the icing on the cake today was that I fainted.

I'm really looking forward to the 2nd trimester when everyone swears I will start feeling better. This cannot happen quickly enough.

****FYI...I just got off the phone with the urgent care nurse at the hospital and she says fainting at this point in the pregnancy is perfectly normal. She wants me to watch my temperature and make sure it does not go too high, or I have to go in.****

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

We're Moving!

I finally managed to convince Sgt D that we need to move on post, and we are moving on May 22nd. I am really excited, because we are expecting Baby D to join our family in about 6 months (give or take depending on whether or not Baby D will be early or late) we qualified for a three bedroom house in a great neighborhood. Our new neighborhood is called Beachwood and our house is literally less than a block from American Lake. I can't wait to go fishing in the summer and walk back and BBQ our catch at our new house.

The house is a three bedroom home, with a carport and two storage areas. The best part is that our move in date matches almost perfectly with when our lease is up at our current apt, so we won't be charged any lease breakage fees. Sgt D's commute is also going to be cut significantly and we will be closer to grocery shopping, the PX and most importantly in the coming months...the Hospital.

Once we get settled and have the internet up and running at our new place I will post pictures. I am very excited!

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Long time no blog

So, many of you may have noticed that I haven't been blogging recently. I have a good reason, I swear. I have been keeping a secret and trying to let as many people know personally as possible, however, at this point I have either been unsuccessful at getting in touch with you or you already know.

SGT D & I ARE HAVING A BABY!!!

We are really excited and I just wanted to let everyone out there know that this is the reason I haven't been blogging. I'm terrible at keeping secrets, but now that we have reached the 3 month mark, I finally feel good about sharing the news.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Never Say Never!

I was watching the weather report on Friday morning and the meteorologist said that there was going to be rain all weekend and (direct quote here) "absolutely no chance of snow below 3,000 feet." Well...this is why weathermen should not use the word absolutely in any sentence. I woke up this morning to snow falling, and falling hard at that! It was absolutely beautiful, but it made me laugh. Why on earth would he say that, all it did was guarantee that at some point this weekend we would have snow!

Silly weatherman should have known better than to be forecasting in absolute terms!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

NO Adult Supervision

I started quilting when I was 20 years old. My first quilt was for the birth of my niece. Very simple, in fact the backing was leftover fabric from my rainbow days. My next quilt was for a four year mistake, damn I wish I hadn't wasted the quilt on him! My third quilt was for my nephew, then I made a quilt top for my cousin B, my mom finished it this past year and it was a Christmas gift from both of us. My fourth quilt went to my in-laws and my sixth quilt made it here to my own bed. It turned out beautifully. It is an "Around the World" pattern and while it isn't perfect I absolutely love it.


Yesterday though was a really exciting day in my quilting life. I put together a quilt that I made by myself...With No Adult Supervision (meaning no help from my mom). That was a big moment for me. It isn't 100% perfect, but that is what makes homemade gifts special, the little imperfections. This quilt is for my Adult Supervisor (I like to call her mom though). She has already seen it and knows I'm making it, so I don't mind posting it in a place where she can get a sneak peak of one of her gifts.

(the picture quality isn't the best because I used my camera phone)


Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Rant Against Scramble!

Written by a very passionate Sgt D!

To whom it may concern:

Your game, however fun it may be for those in this world who find it amusing to play a game with stupid rules, sucks with the force of a thousand black holes. My wife finds your game amusing, even fun, well not even that will stop me from exposing you for what you truly are: 1. Madre is Spanish, so why in God’s creation is it in this game, last time I checked the game wasn’t “Scramble en Espanol”. 2. How about the word Edh? Find that in a Webster’s dictionary. Just because it represents a sound in some backwater Anglo-Saxon dialect doesn’t make it a word. 3. I don’t approve of your use of frowning faces with tears to represent vanquished opponents in your pathetic excuse for a waste of time. I’m in the military and let me just tell you that not even my organization can match the insipidness and lack of planning as your game.

You have wasted my valuable off-duty time with your dunderheaded attempt to compete with timeless games such as Scrabble and Boggle!

Thank you very much for taking away time which I will never get back, time which could have been better served ironing the wrinkles out of a used pair of gym socks!

Unless you are completely lacking in intelligence you will make drastic changes to your useless game, but since I feel that this is a stretch by any means of the imagination, just continue to wander the path of mediocrity that you are currently on.

From a concerned citizen of the world.


P.S. your game blows hard…..REAL HARD! Good day to you.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Looking for a reason to celebrate...

2009 did not start out quite the way I would have liked. During the first week I found out that my husband is being deployed this year, I have sort of known for months, but now it is official. During the third week I found out that one of my dad's co-workers passed away, he was a very nice man and he will be missed by everyone who knew him. Exactly one week after that I found out that someone I have known my entire life passed away, and that one really hurt as it is the lady who taught me to knit and who had an amazing spirit.

I wrote on my Facebook yesterday that I needed some good news and my dad was able to put a big smile on my face when he reminded me that him and my mom will be visiting twice this month. That really cheered me up, and I really needed it.

If you have anything else going on in your lives that deserves celebrating or is in the realm of good news, please let me know because I really could use something happy right now...

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Sleep

When I was younger (I know, I know, I am young now, but when I was even younger!), my mom used to get on my case about the amount of sleep I got. In her eyes I didn't sleep enough. I would stay up really late, doing whatever, and then get up relatively early. I was a zombie all day and at times really unhappy or grumpy (there's another word for it, but I won't use it here).

I am finally starting to understand the value and importance of sleep. I am going to school full-time, substitute teaching part-time, and I'm a full-time wife/friend/cook/housekeeper/laundress/daughter/etc. On top of all that I am dealing with the emotional highs and (mostly) lows of being married to someone who is gearing up for deployment. While he is excited about getting maced, tazed, and shot with bean bags, I am sitting here thinking "why on earth would anyone be excited about that!?!" Keeping all of this in mind, I haven't really been sleeping all that well for the last week or so. I've been having nightmares, waking up at 3 in the morning and finding myself unable to fall back to sleep. I reached the point yesterday when I realized that I had done all my reading for my classes and couldn't remember one thing that I had read. That in and of itself is a big problem as my teachers have the expectation that not only will you read, but you will be able to discuss what you read in an intelligent manner!

Last night we went to bed around 11 pm. I know it is late, but I don't even get home on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 10:30ish. I only woke up once last night and I didn't have any bad dreams. I felt wonderful when I woke up this morning. I felt ready to face the day and felt a lot more positive about life than I have felt this last week. Sleep is an amazing remedy for a lot of things and I just want to use this platform to say to my mom, in front of the world (well really the people who actually bother to read my blog)...YOU WERE RIGHT!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Inspiration

I have been having a lot of nightmares lately. Go figure, my husband is getting ready for deployment and I'm not sleeping well. That combined with my stressful class schedule this term, it is a wonder I am getting any sleep at all.

This morning when I woke up, as I was making my bed, the color white caught my eye. I normally don't open my blinds until after I have taken my shower and really started my day (mainly because I live on the first floor and don't really want people peeping in on me when I'm getting dressed). Today though, I opened my blinds first thing, and when I opened them I saw white every where. In the past year I have only woken up to snow a handful of times, and for some reason this time I felt really inspired by it. Maybe because I am trying to find beauty in my surroundings today or maybe because I need a little inspiration to power through.
Whatever the reason, here are the results: I took some photographs of a beautiful holly bush and the plant next to it just outside my back porch. I hope you like them.




P.S. As I write this post it has started to rain and the snow has begun melting away...

Monday, January 26, 2009

Dinner

Four nights a week I am not home for dinner. It bothers me a lot that I do not get to enjoy a meal with my husband on these days, especially in light of his upcoming deployment. Instead of focusing on how much it bugs me, I have started to invest extra effort in the meals that I cook for him ahead of time. On Sunday nights I go through my cookbooks (for the first time Sgt D did this with me yesterday) and I pick out recipes that I will cook during the week and I make my shopping list.

Monday mornings I go grocery shopping, which I find oddly relaxing. I usually have to make two trips, one to the PX (post exchange - kinda like a big Walmart with no food) and one to the Commissary (the grocery store on post). Then I come home and put everything away. Around noon everyday before I make my lunch I start cooking Sgt D's dinner. Today it was a Chicken Tex-Mex Casserole. Tomorrow it will be a beef stew. I try to make things that don't require him to do very much beyond putting something in the oven or turning off the crock pot. He works hard all day and the last thing he wants to do is come home and learn to cook.

It is weird though, I have begun to really enjoy these meals I make for him. Trying to find good recipes that won't require to much work on his part has been fun (if you have any please send them my way). I also like the nice break it provides in my days, which are usually spent doing nothing but homework. It is also a great challenge every week, trying to keep things new, interesting and delicious.

Friday, January 23, 2009

The Washer and Dryer

Call me weird if you want...well most of you already have at some point in my life...but I really love the sound of the washer and the dryer. I do all my laundry while I am doing my homework throughout the week. At least one load every two days, I know this sounds like a lot considering we don't have kids, but Sgt D wears two different uniforms a day and his PT uniforms need to be cleaned immediately or they start to smell something awful! I find the noise the machines make to be relaxing and they lull me into a good working frame of mind.

Maybe it is the rhythmic sound the dryer makes dropping the clothes in a circle and the zippers and buttons hitting the sides, but there is something about it that I find kind of relaxing and peaceful. I'll have to ask my parents on day if I was one of those babies had to be put in the car or on top of a running washer to soothe them to sleep. I know I sleep great in the car, anyone who has gone on a long car ride with me can attest to that fact, but I don't know about the washing machine thing...

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Inauguration

There are few moments in our history, where the entire country sat in front of the television, somewhat united and watched an event with bated breath. I am certain that today is one of those days. It is historic. The first person of color is being sworn in to the Office of President of the United States of America.

Not only is this a historic moment, but it is a positive one. The last time, in my short life, that I can remember a moment like this it was 9/11. It was not a positive moment in our Nation's history, but it did unite us as a country.


President Obama has the hopes and dreams of an entire country in the palm of his hands, and he is on the largest stage the world has to offer. For those of us in the military it is a different moment altogether. It is a moment filled with anxiety. There are so many rumors and concerns floating around about pay cuts, scaling back the military, pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan before either country is secure. Some people worry whether or not they will be able to re-enlist, some people are worried that they will not receive the re-enlistment bonuses that they are counting on to pay off debt or to put a down payment on a home.


I would like to wish President Obama good luck in his future endeavors as the president of our nation and I will stay positive, that as a military wife he will try to operate with our best interests at heart, considering the many sacrifices our military has made for this country the past 8 years.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Bums...

Sgt D and I are the biggest bums on the weekend. We get up around 10 am usually, but we don't really seem to accomplish anything until much much later in the day. Today, Sgt D decided to completely rearrange our office in light of all the new gear he got and the lack of room in our apartment. 5 hours later...the office looks pretty good. Let me tell you, it took a lot of compromise to make what few changes we did make, but at least we didn't have any major fights (which is usually what happens when he starts organizing!).

It still looks like a military clothing and sale store blew up in our office, but that should only last a couple of more weeks...I hope.

Tonight we are going to catch a movie, we figure on a Sunday night, how crowded can it really be. Via three day weekends!!!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Orders

Sgt D got orders this week to go Down Range. I can't post anything about it here, other than to let you know that it has finally happened. I fully plan to respect all Op Sec rules regarding this future deployment and want our friends and family to know that we will keep them informed through other means of any developments. I am ok. I had a hard time dealing with it earlier in the week, but we knew it was coming for sometime. Although, even though we had an idea, having it in writing was still a difficult thing to handle.

I am eternally grateful to my family and friends who have listened to me cry this week. I'm sure over the next several months you will get more phone calls from me just asking you to listen. I know that I signed up for this when I married someone in the military, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with and I certainly do not need to be reminded of that and I would like to thank everyone for not taking any cheap shots at me by reminding me of that fact.

This is probably the first time in my life I have ever looked forward to starting school so much, as it is an excellent distraction. I am also trying to re-pick up my hobbies of quilting and knitting (not that I ever really stopped knitting). I am having my sewing machine serviced and it will be ready by tomorrow evening and my mom is being generous to give me some quilting kits to work on for her, which I am really excited about. Anything to keep my mind from wandering to places it does not belong.

Please keep Sgt D and his fellow soldiers in your hearts and prayers these next few months as they prepare for their deployment.