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!)

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.****

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!

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.

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!

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)

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.

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...

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!

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...

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.

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...

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.

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!!!

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.