Team Thiessen

A POST!!

2011-11-28T19:24:00.001-08:00

Yes, we are still around. I've played with some other ways to set up a blog and finally realized this site is just the most convenient; so we're sticking with it! For some reason my Google Chrome keeps shutting down when I try to upload a picture so I will have to play with that and figure out why. Then I will get pictures up... I want us to stay connected with our family and friends afar and since I am now doing online classes and spend oodles of time on the computer, there's no excuse! Now let me figure out what's going on with my photo uploader and I'll try to get a picture up tonight. No promises. ;-)

Settling in...

2010-05-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Family and Friends who still check into this blog:

I am so sorry I haven't kept up with this blog. Things have been hectic with moving and getting settled in to our new rental house. But, we're finally getting all unpacked and hopefully within the next couple weeks I'll be able to get caught up on here.

T is doing very well. We had his 9 month check up last week and everything looked great. We got a new "lotion" for the eczema that isn't being helped by living in a dry environment; unfortunately we still have a very itchy baby. Other than that he's developing well. He wants to stand all the time and has started creeping along furniture, but he often wants to get to something quickly before we pull it away from him so he'll get on all fours and crawl as fast as possible...which is insanely fast as far as we're concerned!

Again, I'm sorry for the lack of updates and I thank you for continuing to check in on us!

-J

A few "Month 3" shots...

2010-03-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

Just a few shots I got before we left for VA...

He LOVES this stationary jumper!

Trying some baby cereal...I know it was a little early but I decided my big boy was hungrier and he wasn't pushing the food or spoon out (clearly!)...and maybe I was desperate for him to start sleeping better. The cereal didn't catch on for a couple weeks. He stayed interested, he just didn't seem to like the taste much after a couple of bites.

Such a happy boy sporting his HMM 268 "Dragon Drool" bib!

Surprise!

2010-03-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

T got to meet his Uncle Andrew!

A few days before we left for Virginia, my brother called me to tell he'd be flying into California on a work trip...well he's an AF C-17 pilot so when I say "flying into", I mean that. Literally. ;-) So he came to see me and meet T! It was a super short visit but in my opinion, it's not the length of time that matters, just that you cherish the time you had!

D's new hobby...

2010-03-15T21:49:00.001-07:00

SURFING!

D came back from deployment having already comissioned this surfboard (see below) to be custom made (with a little help from me) it was done the week he returned. He'd surfed maybe once or twice during college but for some reason while being surrounded by dirt he decided he needed to be surrounded by water...a lot of it. Whatever his initial reasons for picking up this new (some times very time consuming) hobby it has become a great outlet to relieve work stress...and possibly some stress from his wife who's possibly annoyed that it can be so time consuming??? ;-)

D's custom made surfboard made by WaveWeapons

One of the few times I actually could snap a picture of D, knowing it was him I was taking a picture of!

In order to be spending time together those first few days back before heading off to Virginia we did a lot of beach trips so D could practice surfing... T and I made the most of it. He loves the beach I found out which is awesome since D and I have always loved the beach...but I definitely learned that going to the beach with a baby in tow is a completely different experience from our "Grab a couple towels and a book and hit the sand" days!! (And maybe I should add that I learned going to the beach with a baby you're responsible for is a new experience...I have definitely been to the beach with my nieces when they were babies...I just didn't have to be the one responsible for them!)

Of course, a beautiful sunset always makes the beach trips so worth it! :-)

Happy First Halloween!!

2010-03-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Daddy Time!

2010-02-22T22:49:00.000-08:00

With Dave's return, T and I found ourselves at the beach, a lot! Dave came back with a desire to take up surfing. He said after months of being surrounded by dirt and sand, he wanted to be surrounded by water. We didn't mind so much since all that mattered to us was spending time together as a family!

Dave calming T down while we were grabbing lunch at one of our favorite Oceanside cafes. Dave quickly discovered that by singing to T, he'd calm down almost instantly (for Dave). I think it must of been here where T's love of a certain favorite song of Dave's began...

At Torrey Pines State Beach

Appropriate onesie I found that someone had given us!
At our friend's 1st Birthday party T fell fast asleep in Daddy's arms!

Dave's favorite bib for T "Wiggle Worm"

We didn't have much time to ourselves before we would take off to Virginia for Dave's post deployment leave for his sister's wedding! Therefore, T's "Third Month" is broken up into a few posts since a lot happened during his third month of life!

Tarleton's Photo Shoot

2010-02-22T21:47:00.000-08:00

I figured since the link was long expired, I'd post some of my favorite pictures from Tarleton's 2 week old photo shoot! Enjoy!

Remember this picture?

TaDa!

Welcome Home Daddy!

2010-02-08T22:47:00.000-08:00

October 18, 2009...

I had this intricate sign I was going to make...then I realized I just couldn't pull it off with all the last minute stresses that came with D's return (mostly the stress of the "unknown" since we had to relearn life together, now with a baby!) So anyway, I decided to let Boo and Luna help make the sign. This means that there are tons of smudges and paw prints all over the sign. ;-) I had this image of Boo racing across the sign with perfect paw prints but since I'd spent an hour telling him to keep off of the sheet, should I have been surprised that once I gave him permission he was confused?? Regardless, the sign served its purpose and I think everyone knew that at this house, a Daddy was coming home!!

October 2008 at a wive's meeting when we were discussing squadron gifts for new moms, I made this comment that it would be cute to have little flight suits for the babies. I added that if I could find a flight suit I'd bring my child home from the hospital in it...little did I know that a couple weeks later I'd be pregnant. I did not bring my son home in a flight suit but I decided it would be more fitting for him to wear one when his Daddy came home. ;-) A great neighbor of mine even had a real name tape made just for T! Our sign. Yes, I bought $75 worth of beer, and yes, I did go buy $10 worth of tacos THAT morning for my husband...at 8 a.m. ;-) But who could think of Beer or tacos when all we cared about was this moment...

HOME!

The pass off... ;-)

....home...

SO happy! I think D had gotten T to smile here and that's why I was especially happy...giddy really if you couldn't tell.

Our new little family!

Meeting his Lela & Pop Pop!

2010-02-08T22:07:00.000-08:00

Just before T turned 2 months old, I took a trip back home to South Carolina to introduce him to his Lela and Pop Pop and the rest of my family. I was very nervous about flying with him so early but excited to be making the trip... T did a fantastic job on the flights. We took a red-eye for the first one and it worked out really well for me to get a couple hours of shut-eye while he slept. The take offs and landings didn't seem to affect him at all! I think on the very last flight coming into San Diego the descent finally affected him. I was so proud that I didn't have "that child" on the plane! ;-)

I arrived to SC just in time for my brother and BL's baby shower for daughter #3! They knew I was coming but my nieces didn't and I love surprising them when I come into town! We only stayed a week and I wish we could have stayed longer. I loved being "home" and sharing T with everyone.

Unfortunately we ended up in the emergency room with the little guy since we woke up Monday morning (we'd arrived on a Saturday) and he had a raging fever. Turns out he had bronchiolitis and an infiltrate of pneumonia. :-( How's that for your first "vacation"? It was a good thing we were only intending on visiting with family since we were stuck indoors for 90% of the week after that diagnosis. It was awful having to experience my sweet baby so sick for the first time but I was thankful that I had such experienced, helpful hands around.

Here are some of the snapshots from our week. I tried to take so many while we were there and I wish I could post them all but I think it might be overwhelming!

Dressed in his "Little Pilot" sleeper for his first plane ride!

BL modeling a cute outfit for Baby M!!

BL was very excited that we made it to the shower. Look, nephew and Auntie coordinate!

Lela pushing T in the outside swing that he LOVED! Cousin E was occasionally helping push as well ;-)

Not quite big enough really, but he just loved being outside. I got him a swing just like this when we got home!

I didn't realize that the weekend we arrived was Grandparent's Day. How great, right?!

Here's Lela and Pop Pop with their grandbabies (minus Baby M who would make her arrival in a couple months ;-)

Lela and Nini (my aunt) and a sleepy baby boy.

T rolled over for the first time while we were at my parents. Of course we missed that very first time since I'd put him down and then looked away and when I looked back he was on his back! I grabbed the camera and for the next several days kept trying to capture it but he just wouldn't do it as long as there was a camera ready! He even has a "What?" kind of look here doesn't he?

Cousin M admiring T. Poor little guy spent a lot of time in his car seat since it elevated him so he wouldn't be so uncomfortable with the gunk in his lungs.

Chillin' with Uncle M. The boys had to stick together with all the ladies around!

We made it out of the house one day so we could go see my Godparents who were anxious to meet T! He slept the whole time we visited but I'm sure next time we see them he'll be much more active and awake!

I got so excited the day it rained because I swore T would probably not see rain again for a long time since it hardly ever rains here in SD. HA HA HA! It's rained so much since that trip back home!!

Pop Pop had picked out this "Prince Charming" onesie. Pop Pop was very smitten with his first Grandson!

We made it out to see one of my niece's soccer games and my good friend J came and met us at the game so she could meet T! I wish we'd remembered to snap a picture before it got dark and we'd been sitting in the SC humidity for a couple hours! Sweet baby is again, sleeping...as he did so much the whole week! I was so happy to see J though, even if only for a short visit.

The Friday before we left, I went and had lunch at my niece (and Goddaughter's) school with her. She's in fifth grade and just turned 11...and she's already taller than me!!

T slept his nights at my parent's house in the cradle that my brothers and I all used when we were babies!

E loved T and was always wanted to hug and kiss him!

Saying goodbye for now to my brother and the girls (minus my niece, M).

The tree is MY oak tree that I convinced my parents to buy when I was probably 12 years old. It's grown A LOT!

:-D This picture pretty much sums up how wonderful and special a trip it was!

We can't wait to go back and visit again!

Month Two!

2009-11-15T23:53:00.001-08:00

T's second month found us welcoming some of my family to San Diego. I was very excited that my cousin C decided to come to SoCal for her birthday as an "excuse" to see me and meet T! My Aunt stayed with me at the house while C and her family enjoyed the new "hotel" on base. She even got to see one of California's beautiful sunsets from her hotel room window. It was an exciting week and I learned that while you can do many things with a 6 week old, some of them should be avoided during the hot SoCal summers (such as Sea World, Zoo, Wild Animal Park, etc!! Nursing and sweltering sun just don't go well together!) But it was fun nonetheless AND I lost about 10lbs that week (ok, maybe it was more like 7lbs but I'm completely serious, all that walking paid off for me!)

I had my 6 week post partum appointment and everything checked out so I was given the green light for exercise. Little did the doc know I was already walking regularly and using my Wii Fit as of week 4 but I definitely picked up the pace once I got the "official" okay. I was well on my way to achieving my goal of "pre pregnancy" weight by D's return date.

T and I were still working on the nursing, but I was definitely feeling more confident and comfortable with the process itself. Overal it was a month of slowly finding a routine for ourselves...little did I know that "finding a routine" with a baby would be an ever changing thing!

Here are some pictures from "Month 2"...

Looking adorable in his bathrobe from my friend H! I think he kind of looks like a boxer getting ready to go out ...only, he's a really happy looking boxer!

Look how strong my neck is already!

...and I'm pooped! Enough neck exercise for me, Mom.

Luna: "You're taking all the comfortable spots on Mom...and the floor."

T: "I'm here to stay, furry creature, this is my blanket."

"I might be stinky but I'm so darn cute you love me anyway!"

Snuggling with Mommy. :-)

First trip to the Animal Park (He slept most of the day...)

My cousin with T and her two wonderful children.

Me and T out to eat for my cousin's birthday.

(His diaper is not full, the outfit was just a little big on him!)

We did take some pictures at Sea World but a certain cousin of mine hasn't emailed them to me yet... ;-) so I'll update this post once I get them...

Month One!

2009-11-15T23:51:00.000-08:00

Month one was an exciting time for us while T and I learned more about eachother and formed the wonderful bond of mother and child.

We struggled through breastfeeding but I stayed stubborn and determined that it would work for us. I ended up having to supplement but after being upset initially, I came to terms with the fact that my child's needs were much greater and more important than my wants and desires. I was not a bad mother because I couldn't produce enough for him from the beginning and because my milk didn't come in fast enough - once I accepted that I was doing my best and relaxed (a little) we started having much better feedings. He initially slept well for me, staying on a constant "eating every 2-3 hours" schedule. The dogs were adjusting, moderately well and I was quickly recovering from the c/section and anxious to start loosing that weight!!

I will forever be thankful to D's mom for the time she spent with me and helping me with the house, the dogs and especially T. It was a special time for her as well and I'm glad she was able to share in almost his entire first month (just shy a few days!)

The following are a few pictures I took during that first month...enjoy! :-)

T's first bath in the "bath tub" and he promptly fell asleep!

Discovering the soft feel of his dinosaur from Aunt C & Uncle G.

Looking into the camera like a good boy for Mommy! :-)

I love him too!

Who's that in the mirror?

First trip to the beach! 8-12-09

"What are you doing, Mommy?"

(I was going to take a picture like this each month....not surprising that hasn't happened, though I have made sure to take a picture for his month birthday even without a sign.)

I got really excited because I thought for sure this was his first social smile but when I sent the picture to D he wasn't so sure since I admited that T sneezed right after this picture. But then the next day he did this...

SMILE!!!!! Mommy sure was funny!

What a way to mark his first month "birthday"!

Saying goodbyes and Hellos...

2009-11-15T23:50:00.000-08:00

G and C had to leave the Friday after T was born and while I was really sad to see them go, I was so happy that the timing had worked out perfectly for their arrival and T's birth. I was and am still so very grateful that they made the trip and were there for me (and D) for this very special moment in our lives.

With G&C leaving in the morning, Grandpa T arrived that night! :-) I think it's safe to say that he was smitten from the very first moment he saw T...

He was only able to stay for the weekend but it was great having him visit and meet T!

Bringing T home!

2009-11-15T23:14:00.001-08:00

In preparation of T's arrival to the house, C and G took home T's first "hat" so Luna and Boo could smell his scent.

Luna sniffed it...

Boo thought he should taste it...

Getting my little guy all dressed up! I didn't care if we were only driving 2 minutes down the street, he was going to be super handsome!

I had no idea how big the outfit would be!! He was adorable, despite the onesie and jacket being huge...

So happy to finally go home! And to think...I felt so much smaller that day! Looking back, I'm still pretty big! Though, I got on the scale that night and had lost 20lbs since his birth so that was pretty awesome!

All buckled in and approved for departure!

Boo was really curious and wanted to give Boo-kisses immediately! I was cautious, but he did amazing. After this shot, he went and grabbed a toy and was ready for play time as though nothing in the household had changed!

Talking to my Luna-girl and explaining that I still loved her very much, but T was here to stay and would be utilizing her "lap" quite a bit for the next few years ;-) And I also said we girls had to stick together since we were now outnumbered.

After an outfit change I did what many would think crazy...I packed up my 3 day old, got back in the car and we all went to Pizza Port for pizza. D had really wanted G to try his favorite beer (Chronic) served at the Port since we never made it there during G&C's honeymoon. I wanted to make sure the trip to Pizza Port happened, I think because I was emotional and felt that would somehow make D seem closer or "there" with us. Whatever it was, the pizza tasted SO GOOD and I don't regret it one bit. :-) The only shame was that they were out of Chronic beer that day so G still hasn't tasted it. Oh well, next trip out!

T's Arrival...

2009-11-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'll be honest. I had this very long, very detailed post ready to finish, add pictures, etc. (that I started to write almost two months ago!!) but I've decided to wipe the slate clean and just post a bunch of pictures. :-) If you really want all the details, email me and I'll be happy to fill you in with what happened over the span of 52 hours...

Last day before labor began...

The ONLY picture of me in labor before going to the hospital. (For anyone preggers reading this...this position did nothing for me, but feel free to try it, maybe it'll help you!)

There he is! He was actually pretty quiet and I remember thinking, "Why isn't he crying, I don't hear him crying..."

G cutting T's cord for D...

A very happy (and weepy) new Grandma!

A happy Aunt C!

Talking to D on the phone in the recovery room...I was able to be in touch with him throughout the whole weekend and several times before the decision for the c/section came and then during my whole time in the recovery room. :-) So he was "there" the first time I held our son.

Finally relaxed and snuggling! I can't post the pictures of me holding T for the first time because they all involve me trying to breastfeed for the first time and frankly, I consider those private! Plus I'm super puffy from all the fluids I had during the surgery... ;-)

A tired Uncle G...

I will explain my sweet baby's bruises: T was trying to come out in an abnormal presentation; basically face first so his neck was bent in a dangerous position. This explained why I wasn't dialating even though I was technically in "active" labor for two days. I made it to 6 cm by the time a doctor realized something was up and it was an hour later when my contractions were every minute and pretty intense (though I couldn't feel it thanks to the fabulous epideral!) literally right before they would have had me start pushing that the decision for a c/section was made. I will always be grateful to Dr. M, the doctor who was honest with me and probably saved my son's life or at the least kept him from possibly having brain damage and me from having a more intense "emergency" c/section.

Oh wow...

2009-10-01T00:29:00.001-07:00

only 2.5 more weeks before D is home...

;-) Then I will FINALLY be able to take the time to post pictures instead of just a sentence here and there.

One day...

2009-09-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

I will get a long enough stretch of time to update this and post pictures...everyone says it'll get more "routine" at 3 months...so maybe then?

Sorry everyone!! I promise I haven't forgotten that I promised this blog to be the place to go for pictures and updates of our new life with T!! But even as I sat down to start updating this, now 5 minutes later I have a crying kiddo...so this is all you get. :-(

T's Photo Shoot

2009-08-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I know, I desperately need to update this blog with everything from his birth until...gasp!...his 1 month birthday!!! I can't believe he's a month old already!

Here's the link to the sign in page. The password is: tarleton072709 (If for some reason the link didn't take you to the "Client Page" you can select it from the sidebar on the left of the screen.)

I think they're all fabulous (but I'm a little biased). He did start getting blotchy and unfortunately started peeling skin THAT morning...but he's still adorable.

Enjoy!

T's Sneak Peak!!

2009-08-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to see a sneak peak of T's newborn session!! I haven't seen all of them yet but I LOVE THEM!!

Enjoy!

Tarleton Nathaniel Thiessen

2009-07-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

8 lbs. 4 oz.

21 in.

9:10 a.m.

July 20, 2009

Pictures...

2009-07-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know I posted the "Sneak Peak" and got you all excited to see the maternity pictures...I don't know if I'm going to publically post them.

I haven't decided yet. The photographer can privatize certain photos but so many of the ones I think came out beautifully and would want to share, I'm self-conscious about giving an unknown amount of people access to see. I guess I'm more modest than I really ever thought I was!!

Right now, I'm going to keep them private. Luckily D was able to access the private gallery from "over yonder" so I was really happy that we could share in what we thought about them and which one was his favorite.

What I'm probably going to do is post the link and password a couple days before it's set to expire so I can limit, at least, how long people will have to view them...so check back closer to the beginning of August!

Sneak Peak!

2009-07-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

Go here to see a "sneak peak" of my maternity photo session!

Pictures from the far East...

2009-06-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of months D has sent a few pictures of his grand adventure in the great big sand box. Unfortunately he can't log into our blog himself or otherwise I'm sure he'd have much more interesting things to say with these pictures (and probably more pictures) than the captions he sends to me. For the time being I'll do the best I can. Maybe when he gets home I can convince him to sit down and do a post all about his trip.

The dates over the photos are the dates he sent them to me, not necessarily the dates he took the picture. For the ones with dates and locations - again it's the date he sent the picture to me and the location he says it was taken. If it happens to be the same date as another picture that has a location attached, please don't assume it's in the same location! I have no idea and if D didn't specify it's probably not the same location!

5 May

landed at Ranah

24 May

24 May

24 May
"Me after a long flight in Tal Afar"

24 May

30 May

10 June

"Me after 7 hours flying at 43 degrees C"

(109.4 degrees F)

10 June

17 June

"Seemingly typical day at around 1700"

Luna and T updates...

2009-06-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

Luna - bloodwork came back and she can't safely undergo surgery, just like I kind of thought. So I can stop feeling guilty about not being able to afford it and debating whether we'd have it done even if we could afford it. So for the meantime we're going to keep her on anti-inflamatory meds to help with swelling and hope that nature helps her little knees grow some scar tissue that will actually aid in her ability to walk as normal as she possibly could. The vet would still like to address her heartworm issue, but at least is understanding that 1. can't really do that expense either at the moment and 2. even if we could life is going to be too hectic over the next couple months and heartworm treatment requires an animal to be completely immobile for several weeks. Depending on the treatment cost, it may be possible once life settles down into a "routine" of sorts. But in the mean time, we'll just continue to give her Heartguard and hope for the best. She seems to be as happy as she's ever been since I've been paying her even more attention than she normally gets. :-) Not to mention all the extra treats so I can hide her meds in them.

Baby T - I went in for my 36 week appointment on Tuesday and T is just about as head down as he could possibly get without making his grand entrance! I was pretty excited to be able to relay that news to D and nervous since this means that we're really hitting the home stretch now!! I keep having discussions with him about timing...any time after July 16th is okay with me. We'll see how well he "obeys" mommy's first request of him!

The Nursery!

2009-06-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I took enough pictures and posted enough to satisfy all you curious minds out there! :-) Enjoy!

View from bedroom door.

Crib and bedding set. The mobile is handcrafted by D, finished just before he left. There is a different version of the CH 46 helicoptor representing each of the four military branches - because we're fair people. :-) Each is a scaled replica model of an actual helicoptor - D pieced together each and painted them. He'd want me to be specific about the different helicoptors but I can only remember the CH 47 (Army) and obviously, the CH 46 (Marine Corps).

When I saw this crib bedding set in the store, I knew if we had a boy I had to have it!! I chose to focus on the "Adventure Around the World" as the main theme of the room, not just helicoptors and airplanes...

Baby bag slowly getting put together for the big trip to the hospital!! And a couple puppy dog friends and T's "First Mickey Mouse" that I picked up for him at DisneyLand. When you pull his pacifier out it plays a lullaby.

View standing in front of the closet door. Slightly better picture of the mobile. It's not motorized but with the fan on and the window open it gently moves around which is really cool. The picture on the wall is of several Land Rovers chilling out in the African desert on safari. See, that's where the "Adventure" comes in...that and D is pretty excited about his Rovers. ;-) Oh and that is a little palm tree in the corner. I'm trying really hard to keep it alive...so far, so good!

Another view from the closet door. Second Rover picture, rocking chair, super awesome National Geographic map I had framed and mounted so we can stick little flags in it of all the places we've lived and visited (I haven't picked up the flags yet). And the wonderful "bookcase" my friend and neighbor H basically stained for me (I helped a little.) It came out matching everything so well considering none of his furniture is an actual "set" of any kind!

Better picture of the rocking chair and glider - a gift from my daddy.

Close up of the "bookcase" and map! The picture is one S took of D and I at the lake before he left; there's a little grey/black puppy dog bank I painted for T at the base hobby shop; the stuffed monkey is one I got at Disney's Animal Kingdom back in high school; the panda bear and teddy bear were D's when he was little; and the lamp was actually a wedding present that used to be in our room but had to move when I pulled the pack -n - play into it, so I figured it'd be a nice "night light" for the time being. :-) Some of the books are new and some are actually D's when he was little. Somewhere in our garage is box full of my old Dr. Seuss and Little Golden books that I'll have to pull out in time. The containers are full of more stuffed animals and some little toys and I think one of them has bath towels. I have a couple more containers he can use for toys later when he's bigger if he wants to move the books somewhere else. Gotta say, love IKEA for their innovative storage ideas!

Little wall space between the bedroom door and closet door. I'll be honest the little table is one that I couldn't find any other place for it and it used to be the bedside table in our guest room so...I decided to leave it in the room and it works for holding picture frames and T's first rosary, which I believe was D's first rosary. The framed picture is of D's grandfather flying a plane - I forget what kind, during his time in the MC back in the day. Pretty cool, huh?

And this is how exciting Luna and Boo thought finishing the nursery was! Luna actually has taken to laying under the dresser/changing table while I'm in the room and Boo tends to move from in front of the crib to just outside the door. I'm curious to see where their "spots" will be once T arrives!

And arrive he will any time between now and hopefully 4 weeks from now (let's all pray for nothing more than 4 weeks!!) Here's his "coming home" outfit I got from Strasburg Children! Just because my son will be born in California doesn't mean I can't dress him as though we were still in Charleston!

Cotton onesie with overcoat, little booties, hat, and blanket. And even if I have to leave the bottom unbuttoned, he will come home in this outfit, despite whatever size he may end up being! I'm getting really excited now!!

Quick Update...

2009-06-23T23:17:00.000-07:00

I am not purposefully neglecting this blog! I've been having problems uploading my pictures to the posts. I'm working on resolving the issue and then there will be several posts probably all done on the same day!! It's been frustrating but I haven't just stopped posting, I promise.

The sweetest man ever!

2009-06-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

My husband!! He has truly amazed me with all the ways he's found to be wonderful even from thousands of miles away...

I'll back up a little bit. A little over a month ago Boo and Luna had a bit of a run-in, literally and Luna was left with a limp leg. I gave it a week or two to heal and it never really did. While she did eventually start putting some weight on it, she still favored the hurt leg and usually would hold it up while she walked or ran. I kept putting off a visit to the vet for one reason or another, mostly because I knew it would be a few hundred dollars, at the very least. She didn't seem to be in a lot of pain so I consoled myself with that.

Then the night that I went for the 3D ultrasound I came home to discover that Boo had an apparent upset stomach. Never a good thing for two dogs in a kennel together. While bathing Luna she slipped. I knew it was because her balance was still off from the injured leg but didn't think much of it until she was out and all dried up and I placed her back down on the ground. She couldn't walk. Both of her rear legs were obviously hurting her and she couldn't decide which one to put weight on. I felt horrible and knew I had to take her into the vet, which I did the next day.

Diagnosis: she has two dislocated knees and two torn cruciate ligaments (the doggie ACL, essentially). Ouch. There's really only one solution to fix these problems - surgery. Very, very expensive surgery...

Needless to say I've been really upset because I know Luna is getting on in years, she's at least 10 if not older and I would love to do everything necessary for her, but with a baby coming, it's just not possible. Knowing that I have to make that choice makes me feel even worse. Not having my bestest friend and the one person who truly understands how I feel about my Luna here to console me...I can't even describe how much I've missed D these last couple weeks.

Lucky for me, he knows me well enough and loves me so much he's done everything he possibly could to help console me and simply be there for me. He emailed me research on her injuries that gives hope for her to have a decent activity level even without surgery, he called more than he had the whole time he'd been gone so far and he set up a wonderful gift for me:

A pregnancy massage!!

This gift was two fold as he's convinced that a relaxed me will help the baby to settle into the "perfect" head down position AND obviously I've had some stressful weeks so nothing like a massage to make a girl feel better!

I was able to take a friend along to enjoy the spa while I got my massage and then we got lunch afterwards...it was all in all a completely relaxing day! I was so relaxed, in fact, I came home and passed out until 9 p.m. when I woke up on the couch and decided to relocate to bed! Before I did finally make it into bed though, D called to see how the day had turned out and because of his call the day ended just as perfectly as possible! Here's a picture that L took of me in the Resort/Spa lobby - I'm just shy of 35 weeks here:

As for my Luna? I'm taking it one day at a time and we're going to get her some blood work done to see if she could even safely have surgery. There's no reason for me be upset over something I can't afford for her if she couldn't even have the surgery anyway. In the mean time I'm just protecting her as much as possible from Boo and pampering her a little more than usual. ;-)

Our New Addition!

2009-06-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

A 1980 Land Rover Safari!!

I asked my friend L's 4 year old son which car did he think was Mr. D's? He said "the blue one...and the white one's yours." Yes, yes that would be nice wouldn't it? It's a Lexus. *sigh* Doesn't matter...if and when I get a new car (and I do mean I, not D) it'll be a new Range Rover or Land Rover of some sort...you know. When we hit the lottery we never actually play!

The story behind this totally cool vehicle: it's long and complicated so I'll save you all the many details. Let's just say that D found this exactly 10 days after deploying. It finally just arrived today. I have learned many lessons in Power of Attorney's, purchasing a vehicle, attempting to sell a vehicle, registering a vehicle, etc...etc...

I can sum up the 2.5 month crazyness in two statements:

1. I love my husband very, very much.

2. Happy Birthday D!

34 Week 3D Ultrasound...

2009-06-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago at my 32 week appointment I found out that Baby T was in a breech position. While this wasn't the end of the world, it's always best for baby and mom if baby comes out head first. My nurse/midwife told me not to worry, he had plenty of time to flip around but I should do some "Breech Tilts." Well those consist of laying at an angle upside down to encourage the baby to flip. They're not comfortable. I can happily say that until now I really haven't had any serious discomfort in my ribs because of Baby T. Flipping myself upside down for 20-30 minutes at least once or twice a day for the last couple weeks has caused some pain in my ribs! My nurse/midwife told me it'd feel like the baby wanted to come out of my throat...he wasn't kidding (and I did doubt his knowledge in this area as he's a man and obviously has never experienced it firsthand.)

Anyway I decided that I was going to go ahead and see if Baby T had flipped back over. If he had, I could stop doing something uncomfortable and all stress over a possible c/section could cease. I knew I would get a discounted visit at the same 3D ultrasound place D and I went to when we found out T was a boy so I took them up on their "return visit" offer.

In addition to finding out T is mostly head down, he's a little off center still but in the general "correct" position, we got these images that I'm really excited to share - provided any of you actually read everything above before looking at his chunky face!!

Apparently he's comfortable like this since it took a little bit of proding to get his foot and hand out of his face so we could see it!

There it is!! Look at those CHEEKS!!

It's harder to see on this still b/w but on the DVD I got you can actually see the hair "waving" around when she proded my belly...it was really cool. I decided that, for me, the old wive's tale that a baby with a lot of hair causes more heartburn/acid reflux must be true! I can't wait to see what color it is!

I invited my friend and neighbor H and her daughter M along to see Baby T with me. I thought it would be something nice to share with them since they've been a big help getting T's room together! I was really glad I had good friends with me!! It was amazing to see his face and how much he really is a baby now! And it was a little scary seeing that he appears to be a bit of a chunky monkey...the ultrasound tech said that all babies look a little chunkier on the ultrasound than in person but I think she was just trying to be nice. :-) We'll just have to see in a few weeks!!

BL's Visit and Disneyland!

2009-05-28T20:38:00.001-07:00

For my Birthday present I decided that what would make me happiest (and was actually attainable) would be to have my sister in law BL come visit me. So several months in advance my brother and I started scheming to make it possible. She basically had no choice in the matter! ;-) This required a lot from her - flying across the country alone...something she'd never done before. But I think it was totally worth it, wasn't it BL??

Unfortunately we had a lot of the "May Grey" going on so there weren't any fantastic California beach days, despite it being sunny at my house the whole week!

I drove her by the "Top Gun" house that's in Oceanside. Sadly it's all boarded up and I think it's supposed to be moved or knocked down. Who would want to get rid of that house?? I mean, it's nothing grand but it was still a part of a very famous movie.

Gardens at Stone Brewery for my Birthday lunch with S.

BL had never really had sushi before so for her last dinner out here with me we went to one of my favorite sushi places and got a couple rolls...yes, I know it was very bad for two pregnant women BUT I was super safe with what I ordered AND one of them is tempura. O:-) Most importantly, she really liked it!

Okay so I was trying to plan for us to go see a taping of "America's Got Talent" but unfortunately that fell through. So on the spur of the moment I decided that despite BL and I both being pregnant we should go to Disneyland. This year the Disney parks are having free admission on your birthday so I registered and got my "free" ticket and then went to ITT to pick up BL's ticket. Perfecto, two for the price of one basically! I figured, even if we can't go on the "big" rides, there are plenty of smaller rides and neither of us has ever been to DisneyLAND and if BL is able to make it out to Cali again, it'll be with my brother and the kiddos and Disneyland would be a completely different kind of experience for her (and for me, since I'd have a kiddo too!) So we went...and it was fantastic fun!!

Sleeping Beauty's castle is incredibly smaller than Cinderella's in DisneyWorld...I thought she should complain to Walt.

A note from Mickey thanking me for Celebrating with him, how sweet!

We totally lucked out and happened to enter the park just as Mickey was parading down Main Street USA! Of all the times going to DisneyWorld we used to try so hard to get a picture of him waving at us and here, it wasn't an issue at all!

We went on just about every "small" ride the park had. But there was one in particular I absolutely couldn't miss, not for all the swelling or braxton hicks contractions in the world!

It's a Small World!

It was far more extravagant than DisneyWorld's version (about one of the only things that was) and I loved every second of hearing that song over and over and over and over and over and over again!! :-)

I think as a whole it was a pretty relaxed week with BL. Other than DisneyLand, my shower and a party, we just hung out: went shopping, saw a movie and just caught up on a bunch of talking. Part of what I miss most about being so far away from my family is being able to just hang out. I'm glad BL made the trip out here and that my bro was able to work everything out with some of his awesome friends to help with the girls. It really made my Birthday "week" a fabulous one considering D is gone.

I can't wait until we're able to see eachother again since we'll both have new additions to our families!

Birthdays, Farewells & one more Shower!

2009-05-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever blogged about this but when D and I moved into this neighborhood, we moved in the same weekend 3 other families moved in on the same street basically all right next to eachother. Instant friends since we were all relatively new. Add in meeting a few of the other surrounding neighbors and you've got, literally, a row of friends.

Anyhoo, we discovered that 3 of us had birthdays in row in May (19, 20, 21) so we knew this year we'd be doing something collectively. Sadly our multi-birthday celebration also acted as a Farewell to our neighbors S&M. :-(

The same neighbor who made my baby shower cake, made our Birthday/Farewell cake and did a beautiful job...see her other masterpieces here.

A bit fuzzy, but the three of us blowing out our candles.

Last year S and I went out to lunch and got pedicures on her birthday in celebration of both of our birthdays (since they're a day apart)...we decided it'd be fun to make it an "annual" event..har har har! This is us in the gardens at the fabulous Stone Brewery. It's a favorite brewer of our hubbies and not only can you take tours of the brewery, but they have a delicious restaurant we discovered is also open for lunch! (And for those of you curious, I'm 31 weeks in this picture.)

Before M could leave, we had to have a baby shower for her! She and S are expecting their second child in September and found out they're having a little girl this time! She couldn't have been happier and we all couldn't help having fun giving her pretty pink girly things despite the fact that she was packing up her house to move! ;-) We were all very sad to see S&M move out and can't wait to see pictures of their new arrival!

If you look closely you'll see that the cake (again done by A!), is a 3D Duck!!

Baby Shower!

2009-05-28T11:47:00.001-07:00

The Cake!!

Beautifully done by my neighbor, A.

The Guests!

The gifts!

So many cute little boy clothes!

Lots of Puppy Dogs!

Smocked outfits!

Blankets and blankets and wait...there are even more blankets in there!

The Hostess

Thank you S for a great shower! I know there was a lot of effort, time and money put into making my day super special and I am so grateful!!

I was so happy BL was able to come out and be there with me!! :-)

Once we got everything back to the house, Boo and Luna were a bit un-nerved. Luna kept laying on all the clothes and obviously Boo was anxious to see if anything in the bags was for him! I can already tell that any toy with a squeaky sound will have to be "fought" over between Baby T and Boo! :-)

It was a great shower and I was so thankful for all who came and everyone from near and far who sent Baby T some wonderful and useful gifts! It felt wonderful to know so many people already love and care about him and he hasn't even arrived yet! I'm not quite done with the Thank You notes, but I'm working on them!

Happy 3rd Birthday Boo!

2009-05-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

I shared my "Mommy to be Day" with Boo this year as it was his 3rd Birthday! It's hard to believe that he's already 3, probably due to the fact that he's just as energetic, mischievious and "puppy-like" as he's ever been...just bigger and a little smarter.

I tried to made the day as much fun as D would have: trip to the lake, trip to PetsMart, Birthday cake and a steak and rice dinner. He was quite the pampered pup with tons of Boo-only attention (Luna was left, sadly, at home).

Unfortunately I didn't catch any pictures at the lake. We met up with a friend and neighbor of mine who was having a picnic with her two boys. They threw a ball for Boo while they finished up lunch, then we relocated so Boo could get some water time in. As usual he loved it and wasn't ready to leave when I was!

Then we headed to PetsMart where he "picked out" his own presents. (He tried to pee on the package of stuffed animals you see in the picture below but I stopped him and attempted to pick up the raw hide out of it's basket.) So it being his birthday, I bought all of them for him.

Don't let the picture fool you, he actually took his time with the raw hide - about a week and a half. And Luna did get to share in some of it's broken off smaller parts. The stuffed animals...well they lasted longer than I thought they would. The first one died a week later. The only one left now is the big green one and last night he successfully ripped it in half. I've been having a great time picking up fluffy stuffing and catching the squeakers before he eats them.

Enjoying the Birthday cake I got for him. After I snapped this picture he walked over and ate about half of Luna's piece since she was eating "too slowly" for him.

Steak and brown rice dinner. Please note the toy in the picture. He really loved them and I thought he was being cute with them for a couple days. This was the first casualty though. :-)

Overal I think he had a good day of being as spoiled...ok, more spoiled as I could possibly make him. Hopefully next year his daddy can make it an even better day for him!

Happy Mommy to be Day!

2009-05-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

My very first Mother's Day bouquet! Who's it from you (and I) wondered??

:-) Such a sweet boy already! He had a little help from his Grandpa T...

Third Trimester...no really, it's here already!

2009-04-29T00:12:00.000-07:00

I can't even believe it. In a little less than three months, I will be a mother. There will be a baby in my arms to hold and look at and well, take care of!

Insert frantic scream of panic here.

No really. Yesterday I thought I had all the time in the world to finish up the final details of T's room. I had all the time in the world to finish getting the house totally clean and organized. Today, some crazy new panic has drifted over me and it hit me that the last few months have flown by and time has suddenly sped up...I don't have that much time left.

I was getting ready to go take my diabetes test and looked around my bathroom and thought "Oh no! What if something happens and he comes earlier and I have to send someone to my house to get personal stuff?? I don't want anyone to be in here or see my house like this!! They wouldn't be able to find important documents, etc. etc." I know it seems silly but honestly, if something were to happen between now and my MIL arriving, I'd have to send one of my friends and neighbors in the house to get me stuff and I would just die if they saw certain areas of my house!! It's not a pig-sty but not presentable in a way that D and I would feel comfortable with.

Oh and I haven't washed anything of T's yet...I put sheets on his mattress but I mean, that was because I was so excited to see it all put together. I haven't washed them yet, or any of the clothes yet.... I'm pretty sure that's something you're supposed to do before the baby uses them.

Ok...I'll relax. A little. Deep breath.

In other news I took the diabetes test today and it went alright. I was blessed with a great lab tech so I hardly felt the needle and he got all he needed within seconds it seemed. I should have gotten his name, then I could have requested him the next time I have to give blood for testing. Anyway, while I was there there were 5 other women who came in for the same test and judging by their conversations (they all seemed to have brought a friend...did I miss a memo or something? I didn't realize you brought a girlfriend with you to testing!) anyhoo judging by their conversations they were all within 26-29 weeks as well. And they ALL had smaller bellies than I do. ALL of them. I'm not being paranoid, it was as plain as day. The only ones I didn't glare at were the ones who were rediculously taller than I am. The others I just silently growled at.

Oh well, he's going to be a big baby - D is a foot taller than me, after all.

Washington...the state this time!

2009-04-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

So my little weekend excursion went well and was very enjoyable. It was nice seeing and spending time with my brother A and sister in law S, especially since I hadn't see S in a little over three years! I liked the Seattle area, a lot actually! (The good weather we had all weekend probably helped that!)

My brother lives right next to Lake Washington so Friday S and I went to the park next to Lake and got milkshakes and walked around the coastline. The island you see here (I forget the name) but it's the "rich people's" island....as in Bill Gates lives there.

If you look carefully to the center of the picture you can just make out a water plane landing on the lake. I got really excited and was trying to watch it and take a picture at the same time...so the picture didn't come out so well. I'd never actually seen one in person so it was pretty cool! (And I instantly missed D, a lot, 'cause he would have loved to see it too!)

Saturday we headed off North a little ways to see some Tulip fields...the first fields we saw, though, were Daffodils. They were so pretty and had a very "romantic" feel about them. S and I are actually standing over one of the few Tulips we saw in this particular field.

A and I in front of the Pinwheel tower at the main Tulip "farm" we visited. This place had tons of Tulips in bloom and it was hard not to want to pick some! Of course you could order bulbs to be delivered at the perfect time of the year to plant but who wants to wait?? :-) I did not pick any, just took too many pictures to post!

Of course I had to take a picture of these type of Tulips!

I bet the next weekend all of these were open...

They were still so beautiful and peaceful looking with the mountains behind them!

This was my brother's first attempt at taking a picture of me and the Space Needle...which I was apparently wearing as a hat! It's much more a picture of Baby T's first "visit" to the Space Needle!

There we go!

At the top...and just for those of you out there who may have believed the Space Needle was actually tall enough to be in a part of Space...clearly I'm still on Earth. ( ;-) You know who you are and I just had to give an anonymous shout out to you.)

For you Grey's Anatomy fans out there. This building was used in the first couple seasons as the hospital and the helicopter landing spot. It is not a hospital, rather a news station.

Seattle and Mt. Rainier. I was trying all weekend to get a good picture of the active volcano...that's not so active...thankfully!

The original Starbucks! Notice the change in the logo?? Sorry it's fuzzy!

Pike Public Market...such a cool market. Aside from milk and eggs you could do just about all of your food grocery shopping here; and the bouquets of flowers were amazing for only $10 - $25, simply amazing!

YUMMO!! ha ha ha ha this fish stand was crazy fun!

Our very funny "helper" just threw our crab to the dude in the back who's nonchalantly walking by with his hand out...and dude in the back totally caught it without any problem! Then our very funny "helper" turns and says, "Okay, I've got to go meet my parole officer! Have a great night!" S and I figured it was totally possible he was telling the truth!!!

So like I said, I had a great weekend and I can't wait to go back with D and visit the area some more. Maybe check out some of the mountain trails or even venture into Canada. I finally got the "money shot" picture of Mt. Rainier when I was leaving Seattle and it dawned on me that we'd be flying right over the mountain! Sadly my camera was stowed away out of reach, but I had my cell phone and thankfully the picture came out pretty well! It definitely ended my trip on a very happy note.

Picture Update

2009-04-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

25 weeks, 4 days

I took this the other day to send to D so he could see how big the belly and I are getting... 3 more months to go!

Funks

2009-04-14T22:29:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty sure I'm in one. Which makes me that much happier that I decided to go to Washington after all. I definitely need a weekend out of town. I don't think I'm escaping from anything - I certainly don't feel spectacular about abondoning the pups for even a weekend. I just feel like I need something to kind of "wake me up" if that makes sense at all to anyone.

Before D left I'd gotten into this great routine of keeping the kitchen clean...for almost two weeks straight and I was so proud of myself. Now, it's a constant battle and it makes no sense! There's ONE of me and I caved and got paper plates and cups. Yes, I'm that lazy. Of course there are times when I still have to use the real stuff and then those pile up...oh it's just so sad. I stare at it and just want the Bewitched powers of a twitchy nose so it'll all disapear instantly.

It's not just the kitchen though. I wander from room to room starting on cleaning and then getting distracted by invites for walks or other outings which are so much more fun than staying in the house alone cleaning. By the time I get home, I'm too tired to do it and then it's one more day of mess piled on top of what's already there. AAAAAACCCCHHHHH!

So I'm trying to get it into a kind of order before I leave this weekend. Maybe not spick and span like I'd like it to be, but just in order. So when I come home Monday mid-day I can anticipate dog mess but not human mess. ;-)

*Sigh* The sad frustrations of a bored, missing-her-husband, pregnant woman.

I know, I know...so many other people in this world have such bigger problems on hand. I should feel lucky.

:-)

2009-04-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

D sent me this today...it literally made my whole week seem "sunnier"!

So much to do...

2009-04-06T07:39:00.001-07:00

And no energy to do it!

All in all I've been more energetic than the first trimester, however, now I have physical boundries; i.e. weight my body (feet) has never experienced before, swelling that's so foreign it freaks me out, hip and back pain, etc, etc... I know, I know, I'm not saying anything new to anyone who's been pregnant. I really do consciously try not to whine too much but sometimes it's just so bizarre to me, I can't help it!

The garage sale on Saturday went alright. We didn't have too many people show up, but I did make at least $40-$50. Woo hoo!! And hopefully another $50 for a patio umbrella we haven't used for over a year. We're going to put out our stuff again this coming Saturday since we noticed another bunch of families are going to have a garage sale in the neighborhood.

My body took half a day of recovery though, before I could stand long enough to clean my kitchen so my "All Day Clean House Day" was a total bust. I'm just going to have to spread it out over the week. I did manage to take a walk with S though and while I slowed her pace down and could only make it around the loop once, at least I got out there and did it. OH yeah, I've accepted the waddle...it's only going to get worse so I might as well accept it now.

:-) I got a call from D this morning so that put me in a better mood, and I'm heading down to San Diego to visit IKEA and the Container Store this afternoon with a couple friends. I made a list (something I've gotten a lot better at in the past week!) so I'm not just going blindly - if I were, there's no telling how much needless money would get spent! S C A R Y!

So proud...

2009-03-31T23:04:00.000-07:00

Of myself!

My friend and neighbor H sent me a text a couple days ago about taking part in a garage sale this Saturday. I knew we had a few things we were going to post on the base's "yard sale website" so I decided to go through the house and collect old clothes, books, purses and other miscellaneous items to try and sell. The garage sale is still 3 days away and all the purses are priced and in a pile; the clothes are in a pile ready to be priced, and I started sorting through the books. I'm so proud of myself for being on top of things AND for taking part in the first place!

I've also sent D two letters already and tomorrow I've got to go pick up some items to go into the first package I'm sending out later this week. ANNND he called me Sunday evening and it was wonderful! :-) It was good that I was getting ready to go grab some chinese food with a friend because otherwise I might have gotten a little sad after we hung up.

Oh and I decided to take my brother A and sister in law S up on their invite to visit in Washington. I found an awesome priced ticket from LAX to Seatle so I've got a little weekend trip planned for mid April.

And, as if I hadn't already gotten enough planned out, I finalized plans with my brother M on our scheme to surprise and get my sis in law BL out in May for my baby shower and birthday!!! I finally told her today and after being completely stunned and now a little nervous about flying alone, I'm pretty sure she's excited about spending a week in California!

So I think I've set myself up pretty well to keep busy for the next couple months at least and hopefully time will slip by!

Taking deep breaths and getting off the couch...

2009-03-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

I gave myself the weekend to be lazy and mopey to my hearts content. (And to eat every bit of junk food I wanted.) I watched a marathon of the Harry Potter movies; enjoyed a bonfire with my friends and neighbors (most of whose husbands are also deployed); and spent time with the pups.

Speaking of pups...those two gave me quite the afternoon on Friday. I came home from the squadron and farewell planning to curl up in bed with the both of them and have a good cry. Luna, it seems, is having some stomache issues and Boo decided to rip the stuffing out of their kennel bed so I had quite the lovely mess waiting for me! Such stinkers!! But they were generally well behaved the rest of the weekend, considering I didn't do much with them...oh right, I bribed them with raw hides and lots of treats! ;-)

Anyway, my sulky time is up and now I need to start getting things done around the house. Tomorrow I have some "deployment business" to take care of and then in the afternoon I have my 24 week prenatal check.

So it's back to the real world and off the couch for me!

Goodbyes

2009-03-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

They suck.

Actually, I don't think we ever really said the words "good bye" and maybe that's for the better. I did my best and honestly, I made it all the way until we were right outside the bus before I broke down so he never really saw me a mess...which I like to think helped him. I couldn't stay standing outside the bus to wave goodbye, I just couldn't. So I walked back to the car and sat inside watching the busses take off...I just didn't want to be around other people...

We had so many special moments in the days leading up to his departure and I'm glad we made the time to have "us" time and that we made it as special as we could. I found that I was feeling so many different emotions I couldn't express them, so I wrote him a little note and gave it to him before he left.

I personally didn't take a camera but S brought hers and snapped a few photos of D and I...I hadn't brought mine because I didn't think I'd want pictures; thinking that I didn't need a picture to remember this day, I'd look forward to the pictures of the return because that will be SOME day to remember! But after seeing the ones S caught...I'm so grateful to her because I'm really glad we have a visual memory to look back on...

S saw D doing this and told him to do something cute with the belly...he did this:

He's playing drums. :-) I miss him so much already...

We all find our own way to deal with stress; this is mine...

2009-03-18T18:16:00.002-07:00

Don't laugh, I'm serious. Since I first picked up book 1 in my sophomore year of college, I've noticed a trend: every stressful event I've been through in life since, I've gotten through by re-reading these. (And obviously by dealing with whatever issue was at hand, eventually.)

There's just something about diving into Harry's magical world that I can completely escape to and forget what reality is facing me...

I started re-reading them about 3 days before we took off to Virginia. Finished the first one on the plane and started the second. Finished that one while in VA and since we've been home I've made it through books 3 and 4 and now I'm half way through book 5. At first I was only reading them at night so that I could fall asleep thinking about what I knew came next for Harry rather than what I knew was coming in the next couple weeks for me. Now that I'm so close to having to just deal with what's coming for me, I'm reading them more and more during the day, as well as night, when D's at work...so I don't have to walk around the house seeing his bags slowly getting more packed and realizing how quiet the house is going to be without him rough-housing with Boo every night, or laughing with me over something silly on TV or listening to his crazy music and videos on YouTube.

It's not as though I haven't known this moment of seperation was coming for a very long time now. I thought I was prepared. No, I knew I was prepared. Then I became pregnant. NOTHING could have prepared me for dealing with a long seperation AND him not being there for the birth of our first child...NOTHING. Will I get through it? Of course. Will I be all alone? Of course not. But it doesn't matter whether I'll get through it or not, whether I know that deep down I do have the emotional strength to get over the disappointment of him missing that moment, and that I can get passed the fear I know I'll have that only D can squelch out of me with some retarded joke or simple touch. He still won't be there, and nothing can change that fact.

I suppose it's for these reasons that I've been removing myself from reality and into the world of Harry Potter. If I face that this deployment is here and now, then I have to face that he won't be here then...

Lake O'Neil

2009-03-18T18:16:00.001-07:00

There's this man made lake on base about 3 minutes from our house. It's a recreational place and it's nice and scenic. Since people can't swim in the lake and we haven't found any signs telling us otherwise, we've found it to be a nice place to take Boo and let him run around after a toy and practice his retrieving skills in the water. He loves it and loves getting wet and we love watching him have so much fun! Luna likes just sniffing around marking everything she can. ;-) So far we haven't seemed to bother anyone so I'll keep taking Boo until told something else!

Anyhoo, I really wanted to get some "family" pictures before D left and our good friend S just acquired a new spiffy camera so she was nice enough to come and take some photos for us. Some are just fun since we were trying to coordinate two very independent dogs and the sun was starting to set (I have now learned that that can cause more issues when taking pictures!) and a few are really awesome ones that she edited and made special. Overal, I LOVE all of them because they're mostly candid and really, that's what hanging out at the lake with the dogs is...free and fun and whatever goes!

Here are a few of my favorites:

It took about 6 shots to finally get both pups looking the in the "right" direction! That's why we're laughing so much.

We didn't plan this shot, I think S called my name and I turned and honestly, I just love it!

:-) I just think this is a good picture of D...

We're watching Boo run after the ball into the water...or maybe we're just staring off over the lake! It's a thoughtful looking picture of us, regardless of what we're doing.

D had said he didn't want to do "belly" photos with me because he thought he'd feel silly. Then, much to S's and my surprise he voluntarily put us into "belly" photo poses and was a really good sport about it! :-) And as a result S got some really sweet "belly" photos with the two of us! He's such a sweetie when he wants to be...and when he knows it'll make me really happy!

If you look closely in the far left background, there's Boo!

:-) Up close, edited version...S is really getting talented with the camera and photoshop!

He was making me work for it...so damn tall!

:-) Love him...

Love them!

Thanks again S!!

Fun with G&C!

2009-03-18T18:15:00.001-07:00

Of course we were able to spend some time with G&C while we were in VA. D got to meet Maggie finally and apparently they hit it off great...but who wouldn't love her, she's as sweet as can be and totally holds her own with her big "brother" Sammy!

At one point she rested her head on my shoulder and started to fall asleep, it was just too sweet and of course, made me want a puppy. ;-) I know, I know...I'm crazy! We're about to have a baby!

At the Oyster Roast, L, my MIL, made this fabulously delicious strawberry/banana dessert...C tried to hog it all!

Just kidding! After this picture, she probably dished out some more for me since I couldn't get enough of the yummy goodness!

G came over to help D set up his Dad's birthday gift - and by set up, I mean get it into the house!

C and I got a little shopping spree to DSW in where we bought a pair of matching sandals...we're not dorks - they were Coach and we both LOVED them, so we got them regardless of what our hubbies would say! 0:-)

One of the days G was hanging out with D, he found a clip in a magazine that he couldn't resist cutting out for me...then the two guys insisted I tape it to my belly:

At dinner later that evening, D pondered this question:

Ha ha ha! Always a laugh when the four of us get together! I can't wait for G&C to get out here and hopefully it all works out so they're here for Baby T's arrival...we'll be praying that God and Baby T work out the timing in our favor!

Virginia, Part 2

2009-03-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

Ok to finish up the summary of our trip to VA...

D and I took a trip to Mt. Vernon which was really wonderful since I'd never been and it turned out to be the last sunny, warmish day we'd have while out there!

Our first president had a pretty sweet piece of property with a lovely view. I wish we could have seen the third floor!

D got the idea to have an oyster roast while we were on the East Coast, so we planned a "seafood" themed get together for family and a few friends...

...and I got to see my good friend K (who D loves too!!) It's pretty convenient when you have friends who end up living near relatives, isn't it? ;-)

This is what the Sunday morning after our 3D Ultrasound and Oyster roast looked like...

....this is what it looked like by the late evening...

...and then this is what it looked like the next morning!!

I was so excited because I rarely got to play in snow when I was a kid - usually only when we'd go visit NYC. So needless to say I couldn't wait to get all bundled up and outside so I could do this:

I was laughing hysterically the whole time because once I got down there and finished up my snow angel, I couldn't get up without help!! My sis in law helped me out. Then when the family dog Palo was let out he couldn't quite make it to his "pee tree" and my snow angel was peed on!! Oh well, it was so much fun making it!

D was a sweetheart and helped clear some driveways (he's making a silly face):

Then he took me on a sleigh ride!!

We couldn't do a whole lot after the snow came because it was so cold and obviously not the greatest conditions outside to drive. But we did manage another day of exploring and ended up in Fredericksburg so I could get some Sonic Drive-In and then to Montecello; where I'd never been as well!

The highlight of D's trip was honestly the arrival of a Birthday gift he'd been orchestrating for his Dad for almost a year. It arrived while we were in VA, albeit a couple days later than planned, and D was bursting with excitement until his Dad came home from work:

It's an ejection seat from the type of jet D's dad used to fly for the Marine Corps: the Harrier. D worked really hard to find one and find people who could get it all together for his dad. It turned out that the guy who put it all together not only knew his dad but had flown with him so it turned out to be quite the special project and a great Birthday present and moment for D and his dad.

Overal we had a great trip seeing friends and spending time with family. It was sad to say goodbye since we knew they weren't going to be seeing D for a while. Me, on the other hand, they'll be seeing lots of (I hope) during the month of July and into August probably! :-)

Virginia, Part 1

2009-03-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

So we made it to Virginia with no hiccups in the travel. In fact, we weren't charged for luggage which was awesome and they included military in the early boarding group! It was a nice two weeks spent with family and friends. The weather kept D from being able to do any outdoor activities that he loves (hiking, fishing, etc.) in addition to the fact that all of his gear for these activities was still here in California. None the less we made the most of the time we had away from here and with family and friends.

I had made it clear to D that this trip was all about him since this was his time before he deploys. But somehow I got lucky and ended up seeing a few relatives I haven't seen in a few years and a Charleston friend who happened to be in DC for business!

My good friend K, also known as my "co-spouse" :-) I got to see her the night before she flew back to Charleston, what luck!!

Me, my aunt E, and second cousins S, V and O

My aunt E actually lives in Summerville now with another cousin of mine (her daughter) but happened to be visiting her grandchildren (from her other daughter) who all live in Maryland, about an hour from D's family. D had planned a day with G so I hopped on 95 North and took advantage of the opportunity!

And because she loves and misses me so much, my cousin C, who is genetically practically my sister (our dads were brothers and our moms are sisters...you do the genetics on that!) Anyway, she drove down from Long Island, NY with my aunt N and goddaughter G...just to see me and meet D finally! The made it in time to be at the 3D/4D ultrasound that we had and were able to hang out for a full day before heading back to NY. Everyone loved G and the energy she brought into the house; she loved D's sisters old ballet costumes, being the budding ballerina that she is! D thought my extended family were pretty awesome and nice and they, likewise thought he was pretty cool and his family very welcoming...because they are!!

Aunt N, G, me, and C

I was so excited to have gotten to see some of my family while out on the East coast! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that some of them will make it out this way sometime this year, or at least before we move. I mean, come on, even if you don't come to just see my happy face, think of all the attractions around me?! Ha ha ha, you think I mean Disney Land, Sea World, Legoland and the San Diego Zoo...I'm totally referring to Baby T!

18 week 3D Ultrasound

2009-03-17T21:26:00.000-07:00

Images from the February 28 3D ultrasound that we did while in VA...Enjoy!

Hi everyone!

Look, I'm sucking my thumb already!

Everyone's favorite image: "Gang signs!"

Ugh! Stop taking my picture already!

I like laying against Mommy's belly best! It's the perfect pillow...

*Sigh* One day he's really going to hate me for this!!

I promise!

2009-03-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

I will update the blog tomorrow!! I got all the pictures uploaded (finally) and my good friend S took some fun family pictures of D, the pups and I at the lake this weekend and some of them are just so sweet I can't wait to share! I'm too tired now to write out the rediculously long update...maybe I'll break it all up. But I promise I'll do it tomorrow.

Someone hold me to this...

Sad, Insulting, or Hilarious? You decide...

2009-02-23T19:29:00.000-08:00

This is the perfect post to follow the last that included my belly picture.

Ok so my MIL (mother-in-law) and I headed out for lunch with my SIL (sister-in-law...got it now?) and we had a great time at Panera. Then my MIL and I headed out for a super, awesome, fun afternoon shopping.

After finishing up at Babies R Us (BIG SMILES from me!) we headed off to Macy's so I could spend some Motherhood Maternity gift cards my MIL had given me apon arriving in Virginia. They have a section in the Macy's out here. The sales lady was amazingly attentive and I had the entire "secret" maternity dressing room to myself. One of the best shopping experiences ever! The saleslady kept encouraging me to go a size up from what I was grabbing because I still had several months to go. I was slightly upset because I think I'm huge already and can't imagine myself bigger - though I know it's inevitable and I should really get over it. So, anyway, after realizing I do in fact need the larger size and being there for about 30 minutes, the saleslady asks me this:

"Are you sure you aren't having twins?"

I burst out laughing. What else could I do? She persisted with the question asking if we'd had an ultrasound yet to be sure. She honestly found me too big for the number of weeks that I am. She was nice about it and I didn't take it insultingly (is that a word?) but I've been chewing on it and chewing on it...

am I really that big all of a sudden???

As requested...

2009-02-20T16:13:00.000-08:00

I've had a few requests to put up "belly shots" and I have to admit, I hadn't taken any specific ones until the other night. So I thought I'd put this up now since I'm not sure how much blogging is going to happen while I'm in VA (we leave tomorrow!!!)

So here you go:

Feb. 18, 2009: 18 weeks

It was only fitting...

2009-02-18T22:47:00.000-08:00

...that D and I should have a memorable Anniversary.

The day, itself was pretty normal and nothing out of the ordinary happened. D went off to work, I slept in, then went over to my neighbor's to visit for a bit, came home and ate lunch and then settled into my project of making D a super awesome Anniversary card. (He is not a fan of commercial cards, he'd rather make one or buy a blank one and write his own sentiments. After the sweet card I received on Valentine's Day, I decided to put a little more creativity into his Anniversary card.)

It took me 2.5 hours and I was almost finished when he got home. This made me a little sad since I had to ruin the total surprise so he wouldn't try to enter the room I was working in. But it was still worth it when I gave him the card and he was impressed with how much effort I put in to it. :-)

Now I thought we had decided on Sushi for dinner. I was wrong. He wanted Mexican food. Neither of us wanted to spend a lot of money. Fine. So we try to call up our favorite Mexican place (since we tried to go there on V-day and they were randomly closed) found the number had been disconnected. I search online and discover they have been shut down: because of health code violations. We're both saddned and a little grossed out.

I hand the task of finding a restaurant over to D and go get ready. He finds this restaurant called Savory down in Encinitas. Neither sushi or Mexican, so totally fair. Great, we head out. We couldn't find it at first but decide that we'll try a place called Firefly that we passed if we can't find Savory, since it looked like a nice, well populated establishment. Turns out Savory is in the same shopping center. So we go to Savory since that was the "original" plan.

Savory: casual dining and fare (that's what their sign says.)

Savory: expensive, small portions and .... AWFUL!!

D had some mac-n-cheese dish that had no taste. They somehow managed to screw up one of the easiest dishes ever. You couldn't even taste the pasta!! I had duck leg with some sausage and lentils...D said, "Fast food, Chineese duck tastes better than this duck!"

We had a good laugh, because honestly, what else could you do? Say you don't like your meal and have to deal with the manager and possibly chef coming out to see what they can do to make your meal better? There wasn't anything else on the menu that we could translate (I believe it was all in French) and/or that we wanted. So instead I lied and said everything was "good" when the waitress asked.

We leave and immediately start laughing at the bust that our Anniversary dinner was. D mentions what we can pick up for dessert. I ask if we can stop by In-And-Out so I can get a burger and fries. Having tasted the duck, he agrees that I'm probably pretty hungry. He got some fried ice cream flavored ice cream from the store for himself. We were both pretty tired from the day, so much so that this is what our 3 Year Anniversary picture will forever be:

:-)

Next time, we'll try Firefly. Their sign said "Grill and wine bar" - that can't ever be bad, right?

Oh the food!

2009-02-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

I can't seem to crave healthy things...I wonder if, in the history of woman, has any pregnant woman ever craved something that was actually healthy for her body??

First it was these:

Last night it was this:

D refused to take me to KFC or Popeyes or let me fry the "healthy" skinless, boneless chicken breasts I had in the fridge. So I made a healthy meal of baked chicken and lots of veggies. And I was bitter. I wanted fried chicken.

D then wondered what was in the house that could be dessert. We don't really have many snacky things (for good reason) but I suddenly got the urge to make some good ol' Jello brand pudding and some regular Rasberry flavored Jello. This was fine, however neither would be ready for at least an hour or for the Jello, overnight. D suggested going to Chili's to get dessert. I suddenly found my way out of the pajamas I'd been in ALL day.

We arrive at Chili's and grab a table in the bar area (you get served quicker there, if you didn't know). Waiter arrives and I order water and their new Chocolate chip version of this:

But I can't stop looking at these:

So I sweetly suggest to D that we share the Lava Cake (yes, I was going to eat it all by myself) and get some Burger Bites as well. PLEEAASSEE!!! I got the look of complete disbelief but the okay to order them. Our waiter returns and after a little confusion on the order in which to bring the Burger Bites and Lava Cake, he goes to put in our food order.

This would have been the end of it, but no. The Burger Bites came and I ate one and then realized if I ate my second I would be a little more full than I wanted to be to enjoy my portion of the Lava Cake to the fullest. So I again, sweetly, look at D and offer him a third Burger Bite. Again the look of disbelief. I explain my dilema and stress how delicious that one Burger Bite was...he's going to be a great parent because I got the age old "Take one bite of the your second one and then I'll eat it." So I did and the Lava Cake came and I was in heaven. 0:-)

Now I could end my junk food confessional here but I think I should finish off with today...

After enjoying a bowl of Jello vanilla pudding for breakfast and thinking that nothing tasted better for breakfast, my friend and neighbor called me to see if I'd like a fresh blueberry muffin. How could I turn her down? Then I scooted over to another friend's house to watch her little girl for a bit.

While babysitting I decided that I wanted steak for dinner. Steak and potatoes. Not so bad. We needed the steak so I head off to the grocery store and on the way I knew I'd be passing Popeyes. I promised myself I'd fight all temptation and not stop. I did well on the way to the grocery store. I ended up spending a lot more than I planned but I was hungry and that's what happens. On the way home from the grocery store I started to get very, very hungry and what I wanted was that fried chicken I didn't get last night. With no one to stop me, I drove into the drive thru and ordered. I couldn't even wait to get home. Literally. The smell was too much and I dug right in. I stopped long enough to drive through the gate so the guards didn't think I was a complete pig (I'm sure they've seen worse) but made it 6 ft and I was eating up fries and the biscuit. It was delicious, I don't care what anyone else thinks.

My plan was to destroy the evidence and the trash aided in the fact that it was full and needed to go out anyway. I, however, continued drinking my Sprite knowing I had a couple more hours before D came home. I forgot about that Sprite in the clearly labeled Popeyes cup when I decided to be social with my neighbors and D came home before I was back home. It took less than a minute of being in the house together for him to say something about me getting my fried chicken after all.

He just doesn't understand.

It's a ...

2009-02-05T23:02:00.000-08:00

Ok so I know it's hard to tell and it took the technician a few minutes to get D and I to see what she wanted us to see... even looking at the images now and the video we got of our whole session we're still straining our eyes to see the little "p"! But she was 90% sure and there were a couple images throughout the whole session that were pretty telling enough to convince D and I that we are in fact having a BOY!!

I think this was one of the most convincing ones for me because I see the umbilical cord and then this little thing in between his legs...

I loved this image because he just looks so comfy trying to curl up. I have to admit I ate a fair amount of chocolate before going and the technician was really poking my belly to get him to cooperate and move into a position that allowed us to see between his legs - the "money shot" as she called it. I felt mildly guilty that I was probably disturbing sleep time for him and maybe all the kicking we saw was from an annoyed little guy! (Which would be pretty on par with being the mixture of D and I and how we both react when our precious sleep is disturbed!!)

It truly was one of the most amazing experiences and worth every penny. I discovered that all the little feelings I've been having are in fact baby movements since during the session he was kicking like crazy and I could feel little flutters that matched what we were seeing on the screen. At one point D even turned and said "Can't you feel all that??" And it felt wonderful to be able to say - "I can!"

I know we have another 3D ultrasound planned for a couple weeks while we're back in VA and by then Baby T will look less skeletal so it'll be more fun to share with family and friends; but I'm really glad that D and I were able to find out the sex and have this moment to ourselves.

We were getting into the car leaving Wal-Mart after stopping on the way home to pick something up and he looked at me and said "I don't think I've ever loved you more than I do right now...gees I'm getting teary!" and then he laughed at himself.

:-) I can't think of a day that I was ever happier than I am tonight.

I almost forgot...I got a blog award! :-)

2009-01-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

While I was out of town, my good friend Megan over at Magnolias and Mimosas surprised me with my first blog award: the "Friendship Award!" Getting this award means the following:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find friends and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships will be propagated. Please give more attention to these writers."

Deliver this award to four bloggers who must choose four more and include this cleverly- written text into the body of their award.

I'm sending this award to the following:

Back to Megan because she's been such a good friend and has been encouraging me to get a blog for a while now! And D thinks she's a pretty awesome friend as well...she did introduce us!

Steph because she's become such a good friend out here in California and was the first person to show excitement about Baby T (not to mention now she gets to share the knowledge she's gained over the last 4 1/2 months!)

Team Holt because we will always have a connection because they refer to themselves as a Team just like we do (okay, they did it before us since they've been married longer but we didn't steal it from them, I promise!) and their son is super cute!

Yvonne LeBrun because I love, love, love her photography! And she's a pretty cool person too! I can't wait to set up a session for D, me and my belly!

I gained another pound! (And other exciting happenings...)

2009-01-27T16:35:00.000-08:00

So I weighed myself today before getting into the shower and discovered that I've gained another pound. Before you get it in your head that I've been obsessing about getting bigger, I haven't. I've actually been surprised that I've only teeter-tottered between the same 3lbs from my weight at the point of discovering I was pregnant. I guess I always expected that you immediately started gaining weight right from the beginnng. I haven't, and I won't complain. (But I will continue to eat pretty much what I want, when I want because I haven't been able to do that in a really long time! :-)

Now on to the more exciting happenings of the last few weeks:

As you all know from my last post, I was in Virginia visiting D's family and getting ready for C&G's wedding. C and I took a break from wedding stuff to go meet their new family addition, Maggie...
Big surprise, D received a text after this visit asking if I could bring a Dalmation puppy home with us...response = "No." It was a joke, honest! Aside from getting kicked out of base housing, I think I'll have my hands full with Luna, Boo and a new baby.

Then G invited me to come visit his firehouse and I got to have fun (like a kindergartner!) with some fireperson equipment:

After a busy week running errands and getting the small details taken care of, C and her wedding party had a much needed spa day at Elizabeth Arden the day before the wedding. Because I'm preggers they wouldn't give me the leg massage that came with my pedicure package but instead gave me a complimentary parafam treatment...I think it's some kind of hot wax type thing. Whatever it is, it felt wonderful and I could have easily fallen asleep during my manicure and pedicure.

Another big surprise, I got emotional during C & G's thanks you at the rehearsal dinner. And as you can see D made it just in time for the big day! :-) Thank goodness for red-eye flights!

Wedding day!! Off to Elizabeth Arden again for hair and make-up....this is the before picture...

And the after! There were no hiccups with the day, everything went according to plan (from what I remember!) and everyone looked beautiful! It was frigid outside but I'm pretty sure our excitement kept us just warm enough during the brief outside periods. The ceremony was lovely, I don't think anyone will ever forget the organist who was oblivious to her surroundings and played the wedding march at least 3 times (would have been great except the aisle wasn't a mile long!)

Despite a few directional issues between the church and the reception and the reception and back to Springfield, the day itself was as perfect as could be for G & C and we were so happy to be a part of their very special day!

We left Virginia the next evening and got super lucky that G&C were seated in the row directly behind us for the first flight! That was great considering the second flight I think G, C and I all slept and D stayed awake since his "awesome first row seating" was actually not that awesome in that the arm rests didn't come up. He was happy with the extra leg room though.

Before they took off for their Temecula vineyard/resort getaway, D took them to the squadron and showed them around a couple CH-46s:

We took a day trip to Sea World sans D who had to work, but still had a blast in an almost empty park. Note: best time to go to Sea World and not deal with crowds? January during the week.

Kids' meals and Beer...what do you mean that doesn't go together?? C and I were nice enough to help G out and get him 4 more free beer samples than the two he was allowed. We also went to the Beer Tasting after this where G score even more free beer (albeit 4ounces at a time) since C doesn't drink any and I obviously could do little more than sip politely as the person bringing us the beer commented on what each sample was. G was a very happy camper for the rest of our time at Sea World!

Icy, icy cold water!! Sadly there was a family across the pond lifting the star fish out of the water :-( which we were specifically told not to do.

C and I getting ready for the Shark Encounter...gotta love the Jaws-like music throughout the exhibit!

Let's see, next came the 80's themed squadron hosted party. I was supposed to be decked out in a flight suit styled for the 80's but with being out of town and not getting the flight suit at the begining of the week, C and I did our own thing:

A day to the outlets for C and I produced quite a shocking picture for G...

He gave us exactly the reaction we were hoping for! :-) Just a little view into the future, that's all! Thank you Motherhood Maternity for the fun little pregnancy pillow you offer in every dressing room.

D needed to go talk to a guy downtown San Diego about a tall ship as a possible location for a squadron event...we got to tag along and check out the tall ships!

Overal it was so much fun having them come visit after the wedding and getting to spend some time with them without all the demands of being at Place A at such and such time. :-) We're excited about our upcoming trip back to VA next month for a longer stay than this time around. It's been a busy few weeks and I think after a day and a half of almost pure resting, my body is finally recovering. (Though, I'm sure I'm not feeling half as bad as C and G who had to be at work today after traveling all day! Ouch!)

On a completely side note from our adventures the last few weeks: it's always interesting to be at or a part of a wedding ever since getting married. I always take a few minutes to look at and reflect on my marriage and relationship with D. We're not perfect, but no one is. We both make mistakes on occassion, but these last few months especially, after discovering I was pregnant, I've learned that despite all his flaws, he's always there when I need him. Whether it's standing outside the bathroom with a glass of water waiting for me to finish vomitting, patting my back for an hour before bed while I belch uncontrolably (that was quite the romantic night, let me tell ya!) or just knowing when to take the baby book away from me when I've read too much for my own peace of mind. I can't imagine spending my life or starting a family with anyone else. We won't be perfect parents, and we're both (okay, maybe more him) have a lot of growing up to do in the process, but we'll get through it all - together.

Whew! Ok so this was a long post...I thank anyone who actually took the time to read it all!

Sleepy in Virginia

2009-01-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

Ok so I'm not so great at the posting on a regular basis...I'll work on it.

I'm in Virginia visiting D's family and getting ready for our close friends G&C's wedding. D's best man, I'm maid of honor and I'm so incredibly excited the wedding is finally here!!! The second half of this week will be full of tons of errands run with C and finally getting to really fill my MOH duties...but this leads me to the title of the post...

I'm so sleepy! My internal clock won't adjust to East Coast time so I'm sleepy at "normal" times, however, my body thinks it's just nap time and therefore I wake up 3 hours after falling asleep and I'm wide awake. Then I'll get tired again at oh 2 a.m. when my body thinks it's 11 p.m. which leads to the "wake up and start my day" at 10 a.m. Eastern time and I'm ready to go by noon....blech!! Half the day is over!!

Today's nap, that I was going to try and avoid but simply couldn't, was timed earlier so maybe tonight I'll get more "normal" sleep. Otherwise I'm going to be the one person of the wedding party begging someone to find a cot so I can just get 30 minutes of sleep to make it through the reception! :-(

There is the other alternative...forgo the no caffiene rule for 24 hours and make the most of it. Of course that could lead to twice the number of bathroom runs.

What did C tell me after I went through the list of fabulous body changes going on - "It's a magical time, Jess, magical!"

Starting to look like a baby!

2008-12-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

So we went to the first OB appointment and after being poked and proded for a few minutes we got to the part of the visit I really cared about...seeing Baby Thiessen and hearing the heartbeat! And boy did we see Baby T! Turns out he or she is quite the acrobat inside my womb. If he/she decides to keep it up, I'm sure I'll have no problems feeling the movements for the first time! The first few pictures were quickly done when Baby T would stop moving for a millisecond of time. Our nurse/midwife didn't really warn us that he was going to turn on the doppler, but there was no mistaking it when he did. :-) By far, one of the best sounds I think someone could hear; not to mention, just plain cool. Then I laughed and Baby T started moving around again making it harder for the nurse to measure his/her heart-rate...my bad!

Overal, it was a very special experience and I'm overjoyed that D was able to be there with me and will definitely be able to make at least one more appointment before he leaves. We'll set up the 3d ultrasound we want to do at some point before he leaves so we can *hopefully* determine whether Baby T is a him or her! Big smiles, all around today. Enjoy the pictures!

This was one of the second sets of scans after the nurse/midwife discovered someone had messed with the contrast settings so the first few didn't come out very clearly. I tried my best to clear them up through editing. :-)

Already has a little pot belly! :-)

Baby Feet! And look how modest Baby Thiessen is; didn't show his/her bottom for the camera!

I think this one makes Baby T look a bit like a Glow-worm! :-)

Bottles and Diapers and Pacifiers, Oh my!

2008-12-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, so here we go, post numero uno...

First of all, I'm starting this blog to provide a place for family and friends to keep updated on Team Thiessen's adventures through life... ok, mainly so that family and friends can keep updated on our coming new addition's progress because in about 7 months, he or she will be the star of the family. Let's just be honest with ourselves (and not share that with Luna or Boo!)

Yes, yes, for those of you who don't know yet, we're expecting our first child...well, human child, in July. Our two fur-babies have no idea what's about to shake up the household and their very spoiled lives!

As Baby Thiessen is a huge surprise and wasn't exactly scheduled in either of our calendars for at least another three years, this is going to be a very exciting, interesting adventure for us.

So that's that, a snip it of what lies in store for Team Thiessen. I can't guarantee that everything I post will be interesting, but I can guarantee that it'll likely be humerous (even if at my expense).