Full Term

The highlight of this week is that I am now full term at 37 weeks.  It’s so nice to reach this milestone, even if it means there are only two weeks to go before we meet munchkin.  At this point there’s only about 11 days to go, but who’s counting?

Actually, I am!  I’ve hit the wall where I don’t want to be pregnant anymore.  Some days are better than others.  Yesterday afternoon was particularly bad.  I wasn’t feeling good…just blah.  I couldn’t get comfy, the heartburn was killer, I was exhausted and I was tired of having to get up every half hour to go to the bathroom.  The Man was great and just let me whine and complain.  He even let me nap leaning back on him, which has become one of the most comfortable ways for me to sit.  I’m craving fruit and chocolate cake, both things I can only have in moderation.  Thankfully I’m not swollen (yet) but being able to bend over is a distant memory and I have roll myself off the couch.  Don’t even talk to me about getting out of bed (which also happens frequently to pee.  I have to change sides often or my hips hurt a lot.) 

And can I tell you how annoying it is to have to pee REALLY BADLY but then when you get there barely anything comes out.  SO ANNOYING.  I know the bladder doesn’t have that much room anymore but still.  I hate having to go to the bathroom so often.

Oh woe is me!  Please don’t get me wrong though.  Even though I’m ready to have this baby I’m so thankful to be pregnant and be having this baby.  I’m just very, very ready to meet her already!

I know at 37 weeks it is still best for her to cook a little longer.  We’re just hoping she’s not too comfy cause she’s getting evicted at 39 weeks if she likes it or not!  We are doing what we can to prepare for that.  I’ve upped my daily amount of Evening Primrose Oil (as suggested by my midwife to aid the ripening of the cervix) and am drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea (to help tone the uterus to make contractions more effective.  This was suggested by my doula and ok’d by my midwife.)  We’re walking, I’m spending time on my exercise ball and when I remember I’m doing my squats and pelvic tilts.  We’re hoping that at my next appointment with the midwife she’ll be able to strip my membranes.  I have an induction massage scheduled for the next day.  So all that to say we’d like her to come before I have to be put on Pitocin.  We’re praying that she’ll cooperate!

Nesting

I’ve been doing a little bit of nesting lately.  Not the cleaning kind (cleaning is not my cup of tea…there wasn’t enough of the gene left for me by the time I showed up!)  I’ve been sewing and making things for munchkin.  I had wanted to sew things for her but didn’t have the energy until now.  I’ve been a little busy.  I’ve made:

 

Changing Pad

This was originally going to be my travel one but I made it a little big, so it’s going to live on top of The Man’s dresser while it doubles as a changing table.  I used PUL (a waterproof material used in cloth diapers) on the bottom and minky material on top so it will be soft against Munchkin’s skin.  I did use some batting in between for a little cushion.

Travel Changing Pad

After looking online at the sizes other people are making and what I wanted, I went back and made my own.  I used the same PUL and minky fabric and added some ribbon that I had on hand to tie it.  I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Rolled up:

Unrolled:

Cloth Wipes

Since we are cloth diapering I thought it would be nice to have some cloth wipes to go with them.  I’ve read that 2-3 dozen is a good place to start so I made 2 dozen cloth wipes.  There are several ways to make some and I did the slightly more involved method of T&T (turn and topstitched.)

Wash Cloths

We had some wash cloths but I wanted just a few more.  So I made some!  I used flannel on one side and some terry cloth I had on hand on the other side.  I also added just a little bit of ribbon so we could hang it to dry if we wanted too.

Tabby Blanket

I already had 2 tabby blankets but have been wanting to make one for Munchkin since I found out I was pregnant.  So I did.  I love the elephant flannel and the back is super soft with the brown minky.

Panel Quilt

I feel like this on e is a little bit of a cheat since all I did was add batting and backing to the panel and then quilt around the elephant.  We didn’t buy a crib set so this is it.

Burp Cloths

I had some fabric that I thought would be perfect for burp cloths so I made some of those too!  I have several already but I figure you can’t have too many, right?  I backed the animals ones (which is also the material I used to back the panel quilt) with flannel and the other one is backed with minky.  I hate working with minky but love how soft it is!

Travel Wipe Case

I had seen these in some shops costing between $15-20.  I knew I could make them much cheaper than that!  I looked for tutorials online and found this one.  There are others but this is the one I liked best.  It was very easy to make.  Mine isn’t perfect but I know I’ll be better as I make more.

I had a great time making all of this for Munchkin.  I can’t wait for her to get here and we get to use all of it!

Food For Thought

I can totally tell that I’m hormonal because this is going to be another “rant.”  Two in less than a week is a record for me (the other one can be found here.)  I normally just let this stuff roll off my back but this has been stuck in my head so I’m going to share.  Once again you might not agree.  I’m ok with that.  Please feel free to share what you think in a respectful manner.

So lately I’ve been seeing tweets and wall posts on Facebook where wives are complaining about their husbands.  It’s bugging me.  Why?  As a wife, I see part of my “job” to be one of building my husband up, not tearing him down.  The world does that enough on it’s own, I don’t need to join in.  That’s not to say that The Man is perfect.  He’s not and I’m sure he’ll freely admit it to you.  I’m not perfect and I have no problem sharing that!  Our marriage is not perfect and our life is not all roses and sunshine, contrary to what some might think.  You might think that because I don’t air our problems on the internet (I have talked about some issues we’ve had, such as The Man’s alcoholism but that is with his permission) that we don’t have any.  Not true. 

I try not to complain about The Man.  When you complain about your husband online, how do you think it makes him feel when he reads what you wrote and see others agree with you?  How would you feel if the roles were reversed?  Do you want someone bashing you in a very public place and have others weigh in with their thoughts?  No one might think much of it if it happens sporadically but what about if you do it all the time?  Do you want to read all about your shortcomings online?  Even if it is a valid complaint, would it be better to deal with it one on one with your husband instead of involving everyone in your friend list?

I suppose I could complain about The Man on Twitter since he doesn’t have an account and would never know.  But then, how would my followers perceive him?  How would my one sided complaining skew what they think of him?  I would be very upset for someone to think badly of  my husband, whom they have never met, based on my complaining!

As his wife, I want my husband to love me.  I want to know and feel that I am loved by this man everyday.  The husband also wants to feel loved.  However, there is something they want more than that.  They want the respect of their wife.  Yes, they want to be loved but for a man, respect is more important.  By bashing him in public you are being so disrespectful.  You are tearing him down.  Why would he want to work hard for you and your family if he continually feels disrespected by you? Why would he want to help you out?  Why would he want anything to do with you at all? 

Sometimes it’s not about him.  Sometimes it’s about you.  You and your attitude towards your husband.  Maybe the problem isn’t with him at all.  Maybe it’s you.  Try putting your husband first and see what happens.  You may be (pleasantly) surprised.

I strive to be a safe place for The Man.  I should be the one he complains about his job too, the one he shares his worries and concerns with.  You know what?  I am the one he shares those things with.  However, I also get to share in his joy and excitement.  I’m the one he can’t wait to tell the good things too, as well as the bad.  He’s knows that I’m there for him.  He knows I’m not going to bash him or judge him when he’s struggling.  He knows he can trust me with the little things as well as the big.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a perfect wife (I probably should have spent the morning clean the house instead of blogging.)  I have brought up past mistakes when I shouldn’t have and it’s something I’m working on.  I know I don’t want my past mistakes thrown in my face again and again.  I’m doing my best to be very aware about what I write about my husband on the internet because I don’t to EVER want to be a stumbling block to him.  It’s amazing, that when you put someone else first they will often then put you first.  Then  you both have what you want/need and get your needs met. 

This thought is kind of unrelated…but if ALL you do is complain, what does that say about you?  It makes you a person I don’t want to spend time with because you’re only going to drag me down.  There’s enough negativity in my life without you adding to it!   And for someone married to you…why would they want to come home to you if all you do is complain and nag?  Work looks better than home does…

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest.  Now I feel better!

How do you show respect to your husband or significant other?

Budget For Baby

The military has many programs set up to a help to the service member and their family.  The programs are called different things in different branches.  I can only speak for what I know and that’s the Navy.

I decided to take advantage of a class called Budget For Baby that is offered by the Navy Marine Core Relief Society (NMCRS).  If you are the spouse of a sailor or marine, you should have the NMCRS on your radar.  They are a great resource.  They will help you make a budget and can help with rent and utilites if you are having a hard time making payments.  You can also receive a $300 no questions asked loan.  They helped me get to my grandmother’s funeral in September 2010.  They made airline reservation for me and paid for the ticket; we were able to pay in back through an allotment over 10 months.  It was nice to not have to worry about it.  Just know that they are available to help you in times of need.  I don’t know what available for the Army/Air Force/Coast Guard but I would think there is something similiar.

I had been told that this is a great class and that for going I would get some free baby items.  I thought that was great, I like free.  The class lasted about a half an hour and we went over simple budgeting.  I think it was supposed to be longer but we went through the material quickly.  We were given a budget outline and even though we were told to bring a copy of our LES (our paystub for those nonmilitary folk) we didn’t use it. 

At the end we were handed a reusable bag and were able to choose a color of a hand knitted blanket.  I picked a green one.  When I got home I was happily surprised to see what was inside.  Everything is Gerber brand and I received:

1 white knit sheet, 1 cotton sheet with little lions, giraffes, elephants, monkeys and alligators on it, a 3 pack of burp cloths with cute animals, 3 bibs, 1 white thermal blanket, 2 pairs of mittens, 3 pack of sleep n’ plays (pj’s) size 3-6 months, 5 white onesies size 6-9 months, and a hooded towel and wash cloth.  Everything matches and has the same little animals that are one the cotton crib sheet.


How great is that?  These items are super cute.  I don’t have any crib sheets yet so I was super excited about that!  You can never have too many burp cloths, bibs, sleepers or onesies.  I was wanting one or two more hooded towels.  I also love the green blanket handmade blanket.  It has hearts around the edges and an angel in the middle…how perfect for a little angel!

So I’m sharing this so that other people can take advantage of it!  So please, make sure you check into what items are available to you and a military family and take advantage of them!

Oh, one more thing…I did have to preregister for the class.  If you don’t know the information for the closest NMCRS near you, you can check it out in this link.

For my Milspouse friends, what services/programs provided by the military are your favorite?

I'm linking up with: 

Heading Out

The day to leave had finally arrived.  Support for the year had been raised, the first couple newsletters sent out, tears cried, passport received, tickets bought, visas secured, goodbyes said, and luggage packed.  There were nerves and excitement and anxiety.  No fear, just a sense of stepping out into the great unknown.  A hazy idea that I was about to embark on a journey that would change me and shape who I would be.  China seemed so…exotic.  I had heard and read about it and I’m not sure it had sunk in that I would be living there for a year yet.

The first part of journey was training in CA.  It was my first time in the state and I’m sad to say that I did think the smog was fog for about 20 minutes.  Then I remembered I was in the LA area.  I did not make that mistake once I reached Beijing! 

We were able to meet our year long teammates and the others in the program.  I remember meeting with the program director. I don’t remember what we did or what was said.  I do remember taking our first team picture, minus our team leader.  We had some time together before we met our summer teams.  (That’s our first team picture ever, minus our team leader, taken at training in CA.)

As part of our training for the year, we were going to be taking part in one of the organization’s summer programs (we were an experiment year…they never did it again!)  We were put on other teams and would spend the summer teacher Chinese English teachers new ways to teach English.  Sounds fun, right?  Most of the other people participating in the program were teachers or had teaching experience.  Many of them were also older.  I don’t mean older in a bad way.  Some of them were in their 30’s but there were a lot of retired people too.  My team leader was in her 70’s.  Ann was a gentle soul and very wise.  I kept in touch with her for many years after. (Sorry about the picture quality…I took a picture of the picture with my cell phone out of a photo album.)

Little me was kinda freaking out at this idea though, of teaching English teacher?  What did I know?  I was 22 and fresh out of college.  Training was excellent (from what I remember…my brain was mush) and I very much enjoyed my team, as many were teachers and were more than willing to help me figure out what I was doing. 

We were there for about a week before heading flying to Beijing to do some sightseeing and be picked up by our school.  I was still wondering what I had gotten myself into….

 

Series Intro: A Past Season

Out Of The Loop

This post might step on some toes and offend some people.  I’m ok with that.  These are my opinions and if yours are different, cool beans.  One of benefits of living in the USA is that we can all have our own opinions.  If you do disagree, I’d love to hear your comments in a respectful way.

I’ve been feeling a little out of the pop culture loop lately.  I have to admit I’m ok with it.  It’s also nothing new.  I was out of the loop while living in Asia (I had no idea what Survivor or American Idol was, among other things, when I returned home in 2005.)  I’m out of the loop because I don’t watch much TV or listen to the radio.  I only listen to the radio in the car and it’s mostly Spirit 105.3, a local Christian music station or some classic rock.  At home it’s Pandora or my iPod.  It’s not unusual for me to first hear a song a year or two after it has come out.

You might be wondering where I’m going with this.  My Twitter feed and several blogs I read have been full of the book 50 Shades of Gray.  I have absolutely no desire to read this book.  First reason is that it is somehow related to Twilight.  I’m not a Twilight fan.  I haven’t read it either.  I’m ok with missing out on this.  I’ve also heard it’s basically soft porn and I’m ok with missing that too. I could be wrong about that since I haven’t read it but I’ve heard it from enough people that I don’t think I’m too far off.

The other item that has been getting a lot of chatter is the movie Magic Mike.  I had no idea what it was about but everyone was talking about it so I googled it.  It’s about a male stripper.  Right from that I can tell you I’m not interested.

My first thought when I was thinking of all this was ““Why are people surprised that affairs are rampant and the divorce rate is so high?”  I’m not saying that 50 Shades of Gray and Magic Mike are the causes of these things but they certainly are symptoms.  What you put in your body, including your mind, is what you’re doing to get out.  There is enough temptation in my everyday life, why do I want to add more?  Why would I want to put those thoughts and images in my head?  They are nearly impossible to erase.

Our society has traded the truth for a lie.  One of those lies is that sex=love.  Sex does not equal love.  It equals lust.  And lust is perfectly acceptable in our society.  We base our happiness on it.  We base marriages on it.  We base divorces on it.  There are many people who get married not because they are in love but because they are in lust.  When they are no longer in lust, why stay married?  Isn’t the whole point of being married about being happy (and without going into it I say NO, marriage isn’t all about being happy.)

In very, very simple terms (I even might be oversimplifying it but work with me here) lust is what makes me happy.  Love is about what makes you happy.  My favorite definition of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

⁴ Love is patient,

love is kind.

It does not envy,

it does not boast,

it is not proud.

⁵ It does not dishonor others,

it is not self-seeking,

 it is not easily angered,

 it keeps no record of wrongs.

 ⁶ Love does not delight in evil

but rejoices with the truth.

⁷ It always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails.

That’s the kind of love I want.  I don’t want lust.  I want love.  Real, time and trial tested love.  The kind that puts the other first, in wanting what is best for them.  It’s still out there though it’s becoming harder and harder to find.

My marriage is not perfect.  We still have a lot of work to do.  I am thankful that The Man and I are both committed to each other and our marriage and a 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love.  We love each other and it is work.  It’s hard but it’s rewarding.  It makes me sad that others are missing out on this, that they have traded it in for something that looks good but is unfulfilling. 

So many people are looking for love, real love.  Is it any wonder they have a hard time finding it with all the junk out there?

A Past Season

We all have different seasons in our life.  Over the course of the next year I’m going to share with you a season of my life, a year that impacted me like no other.  It happened ten years ago but it still affects me today.  I don’t know if I’m feeling nostalgic about that time because it has been ten years but it’s been on my mind lately, in a good way.  There are very happy memories.  I’m very content with my current season of life and where I am now but this one year of my life has a special place in my heart.

So you might be wondering, what’s so special that happened ten years ago?  Well, ten years ago I graduated college and was so excited to be finished with school.  I was done and if I never took another test or wrote another paper, that was fine with me.  I had a new adventure in front of me and I was excited, nervous, anxious and at peace all at the same time.  I was moving to China to teach English as a Second Language. 

I was accepted into a Teaching Fellowship that had a 1 year commitment.  I was going to be placed on a team and we would most likely be teaching English to kids in k-12.  It all depended on what school we went too.  There was a mentoring component to the program and support in teaching.  There were 70 of us in the program, all college graduates up to age 27. 

A lot of people thought it was commendable that I would do this or that it made me special in some way.  Those lines of thinking made me uncomfortable then as they do now.  I had prayed long and hard about what I should do after college.  Teaching in China was the answer I received.  I was simply following what God was telling me to do.  I was being obedient.  There is nothing special about that.  Even today, when people find out that I lived in Asia for 3 years they are surprised.  That surprises me.  In my world, packing up and moving half way around the world is normal.  I know lots of people who have done it.  I guess comparatively we make up a small portion of the population.  But I am not abnormal is doing this. 

In fact the organization I went to Asia with has been working in China for 3o years.  I did go with a Christian organization that send Christians to teach ESL.  They are still sending teachers to China as well as other countries.  Every year they send teachers to serve for the year and in the summer they send teams to teach English camps.  The need is still great and there are still hearts searching for Truth in Asia.  I’m thankful that I was used in a small way to make a difference.  I went, and teachers still go because eternity matters.  Ten years later and I still pray for my students and colleagues. Not everyday but God does bring them to mind pretty often.  I also pray for my teammates that are still in China (and Viet Nam) and for those who came after me. 

So I’m writing this series partly for me, to have a place to reminisce and to have a place to record some of the memories that have stuck with me.  I’m writing it partly for you, as a follower of Many Waters, to fill you in on some background on who I am and what I’ve done.  And maybe I’m writing it for those still to come, those who are being called to go.  Even though it’s been ten year and a lot as changed, a lot remains the same.  For whatever the reason, I feel the need to write it down, to share it, to get it out. 

*If you want to know more about the organization I taught with, please leave a comment and I’ll email you with information.  It’s not that I can’t share that info on the web, I just chose not too.  The work being done is too important to be placed in jeopardy by a blog post/comment.  Just consider it the OSPEC of working in Asia!

Pt. Defiance Zoo

We’ve lived in the PNW for just under three years.  We’ve managed to get into Seattle multiple times and even over to the Olympic Peninsula.  Somehow we haven’t gotten to the zoo.  It’s only 30 minutes away.  I’ve been wanting to go for AGES.  A friend has a membership and is able to bring two guests for free so they brought me.  I’m looking forward to getting our own membership cause I think Munchkin is going to love the zoo!

It’s a small zoo but perfect for kids.  It was a little crowded but that’s because there were a bunch of school kids there for a field trip, plus it was the 30th birthday weekend of one of the walruses.  It was also the first sunny and warm day we’ve had in about a week.

There is a gorgeous view on Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound from the area where you walk into after getting your tickets. If you look in the middle, kinda right above the kid in the red shirt, that white thing is Mt. Rainier.

It was pretty warm and it made some of the animals sleepy.  The elephant was snoozing and enjoying his midmorning nap!

The tiger was sleepy too.  I wasn’t quite ready for a nap yet but a few hours later I would have loved to be snoozing too!

The thing in the middle that looks like a rock?  That’s a walrus swimming around.  It was kinda stinky so I didn’t stick around for long.

A cute meerkat.  They’re not just cute, their meercute!

One of my favorite birds is a puffin.  I think they’re really cute!

This is my new favorite maternity picture.  I love Mt. Rainier in the background.  I think I look pretty good too.  As big as I feel, at least the mountain is bigger!

Sadly they don’t have any giraffes, my favorite but there is a good selection of animals.

What is your favorite animal to see at the zoo?

Happy Father’s Day

It hit me this week that this weekend is Father’s Day.  With DH gone (so we won’t be celebrating) and my dad gone, it snuck up on me.  It hit my on Thursday and my dad had been on my mind.

It’s been a hard year but Munchkin has brought joy to my grief.  I know that my daddy would be so happy to be getting a granddaughter. 

I miss you, daddy.

Thank you for being a great dad.

The Man is more like you than I realized when I married him.

I know he’s going to be a great dad like you.

I love you daddy.

I’m looking forward to seeing you again!

Easy Lasagna Roll-Ups

Often when I’m cooking I like to wing it.  I usually have a general idea of what I want the end result to be and I just go from there.  I enjoy looking at cookbooks but actually following the recipe exactly? Not so much.  I usually don’t measure and just eyeball it.  I know some people freak out at the idea of that and if you’re one of those people, this recipe is probably not for you.  If you would like a recipe to follow, try this one.  I saw this on pinterest and got the idea to make them.  I just saw the picture and thought “I can make those!” so I did. 




Ingredients:
1. Lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
2. Sauce
3. Cheese. I used Colby-Jack, Parmesan and Cheddar.  I did not use Ricotta because I was only making a few and didn’t want to waste the cheese. 
4. Parsely flakes
Steps:
1.  Mix your cheese together.  I used about a cup of shredded Colby-Jack cheese and then shredded some parmesan cheese into it.  I didn’t think it looked like enough so I grated some Cheddar cheese we had into it.  I also added some parsley flakes.  I just eyeballed it.  This is what my cheese mixture looked like:

2.  Lay the noodles out.  I used a cutting board.  Spread some of the sauce on it.  Use the amount that looks good to you.  I don’t like dry lasagna so I used a lot.

2.5.  At the last minute I decided to ass some of the leftover hamburger I had in the fridge.  It was seasoned with taco seasoning but it still tasted good.  You could also add veggies or other meats…it’s up to you!  I only had enough for 2 so my other 4 rolls were only cheese.

3.  Add cheese

4.  Roll up and place in baking dish.  You can use a glass dish if you want.  I used a round deep baker because I wasn’t going to be making many, only 6.  I thought I would be able to fit all 6 in it and maybe if I squished them I could have.  Instead I just put in 3 and put 3 in another piece of stoneware.

5.  Cover with more sauce and cheese.

6.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and it looks done.

7.  Dish up on your plate and enjoy!

I really, really enjoyed these.  The parsley flakes really helped them to taste like lasagna without the ricotta cheese.  They are really easy to make and I’m excited to eat them for lunch tomorrow! 

35 Weeks

I’m 35 weeks and feeling it.  I’m feeling pretty uncomfortable but I know with 3 weeks left to go it’s only going to get worse.  The only way I bend over is if I’m standing and even then it isn’t pretty.  Trying to bend over while sitting is funny.  As in I can’t do it.  I am now rolling off the sofa and out of bed.  Tying my shoes?  Forget about it.  I’m loving my flip flops and Toms.  They are the best shoes EVER.  Easy to slip on and very comfortable.  Munchkin is also very active.  She’s put her foot back up in my right rib a couple of times.  She’s still turning every which was and kneading away in there.

(Please don’t mind the unmade bed behind my in the picture.  Or the clothes hanging over the end.  In fact, please don’t look at the background at all.  Thanks!)

I had my first nonstress test on Monday and it wasn’t too bad.  I go at 1 pm.  I get hooked up to the two monitors and am surrounded by pillows on the recliner.  The nurse dims the light and I get to doze while listening to Munchkin’s heartbeat.  She was sleeping so we had to wake her up and once we did she didn’t want to calm down.  She finally did.  I didn’t realize an ultrasound was part of it and it was great.  I got to see her face straight on.  Her mouth was moving like she was chewing.  She still has an arm up by her face, reminding me of her daddy and how he likes to sleep.  I have another one tomorrow and am hoping I’ll be able to sleep during it.

I’ve also started nesting.  Kinda.  I cleaned  the washing machine earlier in the week.  For some that might not seem like a big deal but I can’t ever remember cleaning a washing machine before.  It was pretty nasty before but looks great now!  I’ve also been sewing a lot this week.  I’ve made a travel changing pad and another one for the bedroom (for those middle of the night changes on The Man’s dresser), some cloth wipes and some wash clothes.  I’ve started a scrap quilt for Munchkin.  I also made a quilt with a panel but messed it up so I’ve had to take it all apart and will sew it together again.  I hate it when I do silly stuff like that but oh well.  I had been putting off the sewing and it’s nice to finally be motivated to get it done!  I have a few more projects I’d like to get done but we’ll see.  I’ve also started washing her blankets and clothes.  I’ve done a few loads and still have a few to go. 

Any ideas on other things I should be doing? Besides walking, reading about breastfeeding and drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea?

On The Bright Side

The furbabies and I are on our own again since The Man is underwater at the moment.  It should be the LAST TIME EVER in his military career.  It’s a short underway (for you non navy folk, it’s not a deployment or a partrol that a boomer sub does but a shorter amount of time that the sub in out.  It can last from a few days to a a couple of months.)  I’m so excited that he will never have to go out on a sub again (unless he choses to for his civilian job, which is a whole other story.) 

As was thinking of that though, I as realizing that there are a few things I’m going to miss about this time apart. Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather be together than separated, but the time apart isn’t bad.  So here’s my list of things I enjoy while The Man is gone:

1.  I get the WHOLE Queen size bed to myself.  This is more exciting to me now that I’m 35 weeks pregnant and I can allow my pillows to take over the bed.  I’ve always enjoyed it but never as much as now!

2. I can plan the menu around what I like.  There are certain foods that The Man does not enjoy and I do.  BLT’s, Mac N’ Cheese, Lemon Chicken & Zucchini and Orange Chicken all fall under this category.  Guess what I’ve been eating since he left?  Yup, all those foods (well, not the BLT but everything else!)  It’s been wonderful! (The Mac N Cheese picture is from the cookbook…it’s not mine.)

3.  I get to have plenty of ME time.  I usually get more than he does but when he’s gone I get a ton!  I have hermit like qualities and see nothing wrong with spending a few days holed up at home.  I tend to do it while he’s gone and it’s wondrous.  This time is a little more special because it’s the last time (for at least 18 years) that I won’t have to worry about anyone else while he’s gone.  It’s the last time I can focus on me without worrying about kid coverage or wondering what munchkin is up too.  It’s also nice to have the time so close to her arrival.  I’m enjoying being able to take naps and sleep in late as much as I want!

4.  This one goes along with the one above, but getting to decide when I want to go to bed and what I want to watch to fall asleep.  Even after (almost) 3 years of marriage, we go to bed at the same time.  We’ve gone to bed at different times maybe 4 times. Maybe. That might be pushing it.  We have a routine and I enjoy the us time at the end of the day.  But it’s nice to go to bed whenever I want.  We also put a movie on to fall asleep and we take turns deciding (the other person has veto power.)  With him gone I can watch whatever I want.  So for the past week it’s been Top Gun. Mostly because we only have the Wii hooked up so it has to be on Netflix.  Also because it’s easy and I know the movie so well that it’s easy to fall asleep to! (Picture Source)

5.  I like how when we’re apart it forces us to communicate differently.  Unlike some wives, I don’t get to talk to The Man every day while he’s gone.  Skype and phone calls don’t happen unless they’re in port.  I write him an email every day while he’s gone.  I start it in the morning and write it all day and send it at night.  I talk about what’s going on, how the furbabies are doing, what I’m eating/cooking.  Boring stuff mostly but he loves it.  It helps him stay connected to what’s going on at home.  I know he likes them because he tells to me keep sending them.  So send them I do!  I get very few in return but that’s ok.  I know that when I get one he’s had a chance to write on and that he’s thinking of me.  A two line email can make my day.

6.  I love getting surprise phone calls from The Man.  Sometimes (ok, it seems like all the time with his sub) they have to make an unexpected port call cause the sub breaks.  I love getting that surprise phone call from him.  I usually get a few phone calls while they’re in.  The man, who normally hates talking on the phone will call as often as he can and is willing to talk for awhile too. 

7.  I’m sure you’re wondering what the absolute best part of being apart is.  It’s the homecoming.  It’s feeling his arms around you, the kisses and being able to touch him.  It’s watching the puppies go crazy getting daddy love and the kittens trying to get in his lap.  It’s fixing his favorite foods for dinner and relaxing on the sofa.  It’s being able to do all those little things you do when you’re together. 

Those are all things that make the separation bearable.  A teeny, tiny part of me will miss this part of military life once The Man is a civilian once again but only a teeny, tiny part.  I’m looking forward to having a “normal” schedule and having The Man around for holidays…all of them.

What do you look forward to when your spouse is away?

Coming Into The Home Stretch

I’m at the end of 34 weeks today.  I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and I’m so excited about that.  Nervous but excited at the same time.  It’s a little unbelievable to me that very soon I will have a little girl in my arms.

Yesterday I had a centering appointment.  My midwife took a look at my blood sugar levels.  My fasting numbers were still higher than the 90 or less they wanted but were below 95.  She consulted with an OB and they wanted to put me on medicine.  So they started me on glyburide.  It’s an oral medication and I’m only taking a 1/2 of a pill at night. 

However along with the medication comes other things.  I now get to go in twice a week for a nonstress test to make sure munchkin is ok.  It could be worse and I’m ok with getting to listen to her heartbeat and make sure she’s ok.  The part that I really dislike is that I will be induced by 39 weeks if she has not arrived on her own.  It’s not longer abstract…it’s actually been scheduled and is in the system. 

I’m actually taking this better than I expected.  I was expecting this so I think that has helped.  I almost started crying when I told my mom about the induction but other than that I’ve been ok.  I can’t claim I’m going to be ok tonight but I’m ok for now.  It sucks that The Man is under water but we’ve had email communication so I’m hoping this email will get through.  You never know what they will and will not let through.  Either way, as long as she stays put he’ll be here in time, as will my mom.

Actually…I got a surprise phone call from The Man last night after I wrote the above paragraph.  It was great to be able to talk to him and tell him what happened.  He’s amazing and supportive.  He reminded me that we can still go for no pain meds and have a natural childbirth.  So that’s our goal.
I love that I got to talk to him.  God knew I needed it.  He also knew that all of this was going to happen and he’s still in control.  I’m trusting…it’s hard but I’m trusting. 

I’d give you a picture but that would involve me putting on a bra and cleaning up our room so you’ll have to wait till next week.  Instead I’ll leave you with super cute picture of Joey.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Confused

The furbabies are a tad bit confused.  We’ve has a baby seat in the living room for weeks now.  Just this week the furbabies have decided that it would make a good bed.  Why they just now decided that it would be a good place to sleep is beyond me. 

Yeah, gotta love it.  Now I just have to take it off and wash and then keep them off it.  Which I’m thinking might be harder than I originally thought.

I also have a mopey Molly who’s missing her daddy:

Poor puppy.

Best Mom Advice

When you announce that you’re pregnant with your first baby, people are so happy for you.  You get a lot of congratulations and along with that women feel free to start to tell you their labor horror stories.  They also give you lots of advice.  You should wake up baby to feed them every two hours, you shouldn’t wake up baby to feed them every two hours, you should take it easy after birth…blah, blah blah, on and on it goes.  You’re often given conflicting advice.  To be honest, I let most of it go in one ear and out the other.  So if you were one of the many people who were giving me advice, I didn’t listen, sorry!

However, there were two people in my life that gave me the same advice.  I think it’s the best advice I’ve received about being a mom.  The first person to tell me was my friend C.

She wanted to make a list for of things that she found helpful when her son was born but she didn’t want to be pushy.  She had been a nanny before becoming a stay at home mom so I was more than comfortable in taking her advice.  She also passed on advice that had been given to her:

You’re the mom now.  As the mom, it’s up to you (and your husband) to decide what works best for you.  What works for us may or may not work for you.  If it doesn’t work, that’s ok, something else will.  You guys will need to do what is best for your family.

Talk about freeing!  Then a few weeks later while I was visiting my cousin T in New Hampshire, she said just about the same thing.  T has 5 kids, ages 11 to just over a year with another one on the way.  Her kids are very well behaved.  They are still kids and misbehave but they are some of the best kids I know.  I’m not just saying that cause I’m Auntie Poe either.  She is at the top of my list of people to contact with new mom questions.  I told her that and she was flattered and said that was fine but to remember one thing.  That what works for them might not work for us.  That as the parents, we will need to figure out what will work for us.  That we’ll make mistakes and that it’s ok but that we’ll figure it out. 

After hearing this I felt much better.  I still do.  I have ideas of things I’d like to do/try and if they don’t work, it’s ok.  It’s ok to try something else.  I’m sure I’ll get frazzled but knowing that I don’t have to do it they way others do…that feels good.  I like knowing I can ask for advice and if it doesn’t work, that doesn’t make me a bad mom. 

What’s the best mom advice you’re received?

Something New

Well, for me anyway.  There are times when I get into a food rut.  I really enjoy eating one particular thing and keep eating it until I don’t want to see it again for a long time.  With the gestational diabetes it’s gotten a little harder.  I’ve been eating a lot of the same things because it’s easier since I already know how many carbs are in it.  The downside is that it gets a little boring. 

So on a duty night I was stuck on what to have for dinner.  I decided bacon sounded good and figured scrambled eggs would go well with it.  I have to be in the right mood for scrambled eggs and didn’t want just plain scrambled eggs.  I thought about adding fruit but that wouldn’t give me enough carbs.  Then I had (what I thought was) a brilliant idea.  I’d make a breakfast wrap!  I’ve been eating wraps a lot because they have 25 carbs per a tortilla and that’s about half of what I need for lunch and dinner.  Adding eggs would make it different than the bean and cheese “quesadilla” I’ve been eating. 

Since I wanted my bacon on the side I decided to use some of the Canadian bacon I bought for egg sandwiches (ran out of English muffins so it’s just been sitting in the fridge.)  Here’s what I did:

1.  Cooked the regular bacon so I could still enjoy it.  I like mine extra crispy so I tend to let it burn.  So yummy!

2.  Cut up some strawberries and defrosted some frozen mango for 30 more carbs to round out my meal.  Munchkin and I have been loving fruit, especially mango.  I’ve had to cut back so this was a perfect chance to enjoy some!

3.  Once the bacon was done, I cooked the Canadian bacon on the same frying pan.  Once they were browned on both sides, I lined them up on my tortilla.

4.  I added some sour cream on top of the Canadian bacon for a little extra flavor.  Next time I would put the sour cream on first but it was an after thought.

5.  In the same frying pan I scrambled two eggs.  I added some salt and pepper and well as some cut up green onion.  I love me some green onion!  When they were done I put them on top on the sour cream.

6.  Then I topped the eggs with some cheese.  I had a few grape tomatoes hanging around so I cut them up and put them on top.

7.  I realized that I had to much filling.  This is a common problem for me so I decided to eat it more like a taco than a wrap.

Here’s what I ended up with:

The end result was delicious.  This might be a new go to meal while DH is gone!

Do you have an easy, favorite meal when it’s just you for dinner?

June Friday Fill In

YAY for June!  I’m very excited because it means we’re that much closer to meeting Munchkin.  Also, I’m kinda impressed that I managed to post everyday this week.  I wouldn’t get used to it but it was nice.  Anyway, on to the Friday Fill In.  The lovely Wife of a Sailor hosts this meme on the first Friday of the month.  You can head on over to check out other responses and don’t forget to say hi to Wifey!

1. What’s one thing in the past month you would have changed?

One thing I would have changed in May?  Let’s see…I would change my fasting numbers.  They’ve been all over the place and I’m trying to get them under control.  I can try but it’s a little out of my control.  I’m working on it though.

2. What was your favorite thing that happened in May?

May was a great month. My post yesterday talked about the things that made me smile but the highlights include a visit from my mom, a baby shower, time at the dog park, a warm day at Pike’s Place and lots of time with The Man.

3. June includes the first day of summer… what are your plans for the summer?

Have a baby!  That’s the big plan but we’re also going to be transitioning to civilian life.  Other plans include picking blackberries once they’re ripe and enjoying our daughter once she arrives.

4. Do you use the services on base (gym, financial planning, family services, daycare)? And if so, what’s your favorite one?

We don’t use a whole lot.  Sometimes I shop at the commissary and the NEX.  We’ve used ITT for tickets and we enjoy the discount.  We also like the bowling alley even though we haven’t gone bowling for awhile.  We’ve used the Navy Marine Core Relief Society a few times for and I’ll be taking the Budgeting for Baby class this month.  So maybe the NMCRS is my favorite because I think they offer great services.

5. What are you looking forward to in June?

I am most looking forward to The Man going on terminal leave!  We can’t wait for him to be done.  The Man will be much happier and life will much less stressful (we hope!) 

I hope you all have a wonderful June!

What are you looking forward to this month?