The End is Near!

Well, I had my appointment at 9:45 this morning, and very little change. I dilated maybe another 1/2 cm or so, but nothing exciting!

We then discussed what was next. He said that at this point, he wouldn't oppose if I wanted to do an elective induction. He said that he wouldn't let me go past 41 weeks regardless, that an while an induction has an increased risk for a c-section (statistically, 30%) that so is having a large baby who might not fit through the pelvis.. He estimated that she is about 8.5lbs right now between what she was measuring at my last ultrasound and on palpation today.

After some thought, we opted for induction on Friday. That will give her 5 more days (counting today) to make it on her own, and if she doesn't at least Mom will still be here when she does come and letting her go another full two weeks to grow, I could increase the risks of having a c-section regardless. I go in at midnight on Thursday to get induced (unless labor begins on it's own before then), and we go from there!

So that's the update.. hard to imagine by this time next week, we'll have a BABY in our house! I do admit that I'm pretty nervous. I really don't want a c-section, but at the same time I'm not looking forward to pushing out a big baby. I hope he's off on his guestimate at least a little! All I know is that I'll do everything I can, and I hope it will be enough to get the job done on my own!

Also, our shipment came today. Wow, we have a lot of STUFF. We managed to get quite a bit unpacked today, though there's still quite a bit to do. We did have a few losses, a coffee table, a dresser, a book case and our desk were pretty much demolished. Oh, and our night stand for our bed. Hopefully they will be quick to come out and look at the stuff so we can get reimbursed and get some replacements.

I have a feeling we will all sleep well tonight. Not sure if we will make it until midnight or not! That's all for now, I'll update more when I know more.

Happy new year to everyone!!!

Nope, not yet!

I hope I didn't keep you all hanging with the lack of posts!

Still no labor, though I was sure yesterday was going to be the day! Drew and I picked Mom up from the airport on Wednesday night. Thursday, mom and I went walking through the mall and I felt great! Yesterday we went and got the Zx2 registered, and did some more walking and I was having all sorts of pain. Sharp pains in my lower abdomen that took my breath away and made me have to stop and take a deep breath. I wasn't sure if they were contractions or not, they were different than anything else I had felt, but it hurt! I was feeling quite a bit of pressure as well. When we got home, everything just up and stopped! I had one more contraction as I was falling asleep, and had the first uninterrupted nights sleep in a long time! I went to bed at midnight and didn't get up until 9, not even to pee!

Today we all (Drew, Mom and I) went to 3 malls.. the Louisiana Boardwalk, Mall St. Vincent and the Pierre-Bossier Mall and walked..we were out for 6 hours, and not even the slightest sharp pain. A little heavy feeling now and then, but that's it. What's up with that!? This kid is messing with us, I know it! I had two contractions total today so far (and one was as I was typing this). At least we got some exercise, right?

I think all the window shopping wore Drew out, he's currently passed out in the glider. Too tired to play his games even, that's saying a lot! I think we'll all probably go to bed fairly early tonight, I know I'm pooped as well.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring.. we're running out of places to go, so perhaps we'll walk up and down the street! It couldn't hurt anyway.

I'll keep updating, and don't worry we'll call and post as soon as something happens! But nothing as of yet.

Merry Christmas Eve!

I was up this morning getting ready for my doctors appointment and Drew was hanging out in the living room when we heard sirens going on and on for about 5 minutes. It sounded like it was on our street, so we thought we better go outside and make sure we didn't have a neighbors house on fire or anything, so we popped out and this is what we saw!





There was a police car with sirens on escorting a fire truck (with sirens on) with Santa up on top waving! Apparently they were going up and down every street in Haughton to wish us all a Merry Christmas! It was pretty neat, and made me smile at the fact that we are in a nice little community where they do things like this.

Since I had the camera in hand, I had Drew shoot a quick photo of me. I think it's terrible, I feel so huge! But I have to think positive and remember that it's part of building a healthy baby! Besides, if my rear didn't get bigger with my stomach, I'd probably fall over from being front heavy right??? We'll just pretend anyway, teehee!

Alright, here's my 38 week photo!



So I went to my Doctors appointment, and alas.. there was no change! He said I'm still doing good for most pregnant women at this stage, for a first pregnancy. I feel like there is definitely stuff going on, but apparently my cervix doesn't agree, so we continue to wait.

I went to the store to pick up some of the last items I need for Christmas dinner tomorrow and came home. Since we missed Thanksgiving, we decided to do Turkey instead of Ham for Christmas. I'm so boring, I usually make the same side items (fresh green bean casserole, and whipped sweet potatoes with coconut streusel topping, mashed potatoes, salad, and rolls) for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but we both love it so it works out well. Plus it feeds us for about a week each time! Can't wait to get cooking tomorrow!

Off for now, I'm thinking I'll go for a walk and see if we can't get this kid to move her way downwards.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Night Before Christmas! Our thoughts are with you, wish we could be too!

Baby Stuff

Since we now have a car big enough, we finally picked up some furniture!

We got the crib today, which is a lifetime crib. It converts from a crib to a toddler bed, to a full size bed. We also ordered the matching dresser which will be here in a week or two. None of the stores in a 200 mile radius had them in stock, bummer! The crib is REALLY solid and gorgeous! We love it! We went with the natural color because it seemed to hold up to wear and tear the best. We looked at all the different finishes in the store, and the dark and white finishes showed dents, bumps and scratches a lot, but the natural they seemed to blend in. Since this crib should be with us for a long time, we wanted to make sure it would stay looking nice.



We also got a glider chair, and it's super comfy! Drew was putting it together and one of the arms didn't have holes for the screw and lock to go in, so he had to go back to the store and swap out the part... then the one he got had holes, but they were off a little. He made it fit for now and it's solid, but we're going to call the company tomorrow and see if they will send us a new arm.


That was what we got today, but this is some of the other baby stuff we've gotten. It's so exciting, but I'll be even more excited to actually USE it! The Travel System.. it's a stroller, carrier/infant car seat. The base (on the floor) goes into the car, and the carrier locks into it, and also locks into the stroller, so if the baby is sleeping, we wont have to wake her up to get her in and out of the car. Amazing the things they come up with these days! You should have seen Drew and I with all the different strollers and travel systems in the store. We were trying them all out, pushing them up and down the isles to see which ones were the most comfortable and "handled" the nicest. Such weirdos!

The swing.. this was more of a luxury than anything, but I hear the Mom's rave about it. Most of the ladies in my pregnancy group (that have already popped!) have one, and can't say enough good things about it. It's the Natures Touch Papasan swing. It swings front to back (positioned in the picture) and it also rotates at the top and swings side to side. It plays music or nature sounds and the leaves and stuff turn at the top. The tray comes off as well.
The Pack N' Play will be great for travel, but we also had it in case she came while we were still in the hotel, and before we got a crib. We'll probably use it at first also, because it has a bassinet addition and a changing table! The changing portion flips up (in the second picture), can be removed, and the bassinet portion comes out, so when she's big enough we can convert it to just the play yard. The little control on the side is a little light, so we can peek in on her in the dark without having to turn the overhead lights on, it also controls music/more nature sounds (that seems to be a popular feature), and it also turns on a light vibration which is under the bassinet pad. I guess it's suppose to be relaxing for them.. We have it in our room now next to the bed, just awaiting a baby!



I'll post more of the nursery when it gets finished, but all this talk about baby stuff and I hadn't produced any pics yet! I can't wait for everything to get completed, but I know it will take some time. I think we've done pretty good for the time and space constraints we've had, and having to have a process for everything this last couple of months.

We want to send a big gigantic thank you and hugs to our family who have been so supportive in so many ways during this transition for us. We feel like our appreciation can't be expressed enough in words, but please know that we are extremely grateful. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, and we've had a few set backs, and definitely a bit of stress, but it's all coming together. It couldn't have been done without you. I feel truly blessed to have such incredible people in my life.

Okay, now that I'm all emotional (it's those hormones I tell you), I'm off to bed. It's 11pm (yikes!) and since I've been waking up at 6 every morning (so not typical of me), I better try and get some sleep. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow morning at 10:45 , and I have to stop at the store and get the last few ingredients I need for Christmas dinner. When I get home I'll update with what the doc says! Progress maybe? Who knows!

Oh! I did have a few really strong contractions last night. The kind that made me wince and go ooooowwwww..... they lasted a little over a minute, and were about 5-10 minute apart, but there was only a few, then they went away. I had a few more sporadic light contractions before bed, but nothing even worth timing. Drew made me giggle a little bit because with that first big one, he whipped out his timer on his cell phone to start timing how far apart they were.. then he realized he hadn't packed HIS hospital bag yet, and went to do it. I think he'll be a good support person!

I didn't have much in the way of contractions today, and actually very little pain anywhere else either, which was a nice change! Drew is going to snap a new photo of me tomorrow, my belly is huge now! Well, compared to what it has been anyway. It sticks WAY out, and I rub it all the time because it's like a foreign object, lol. Okay, I'm really off to bed now, I hope everybody had a good weekend, and hey, tomorrow is Christmas Eve! I can't wait until next year when we can have a tree and lights, and all that good stuff!

Until tomorrow... ta ta!

We got a family car!

I'm just full of updates lately aren't I???

Well, here's the story:

Drew and I went out car shopping today.. we already knew we wanted a Trailblazer and how much we wanted to pay, we just needed to find the right deal. I had found some online, so I printed out their carfax reports and their prices and off we went.

We went to four dealerships, only 2 of which I actually knew they had TBs at, the other two were just ones we were checking to see if they did. The first dealership, the car had been sold. The second one had one, but it was out on loan until Wednesday. An 04 with 25K miles for 13,500... of course we couldn't see it and didn't know the condition it was in or anything, but we gave him our info and told him to call us when it was back. We really didn't want to wait until Wednesday, but since it was the best deal so far we would definitely keep it in mind.

The 3rd dealership had an 05 with 21K miles, but they were asking 16,900.. he said he the absolute lowest he could go was 15,900 so we walked.

The last dealership, I knew there was a car at in our mileage range (under 40K), but they had it listed for 16,999, I doubted they were going to drop down as low as 13,500 but I figured we'd check and see if they had anything else anyway. So the sales guy introduced himself (Dave) and we told him what we were looking for and that we had been offered an 04 with 25K miles for 13,500.. he said he'd look at his inventory. He said, well we have an 05 with 31K miles on it (this is the one I had seen for 16,999, but I didn't mention that).. he totally surprised me by saying, we could probably get it to you for 13,800. He never even mentioned the original price! So we went and test drove it... it was fantabulous! There's a few dings in the paint on the bumper and drivers door, but he said they would get those fixed for us... awesome!

So we went in to check out the numbers.. it was going to come to about 15,200 with tax.. I said, 15 was really our limit, any way we can get it for 15 out the door? He went and chatted with his manager and said no problem, so that dropped the price of the car to about 13,700. The whole process was so laid back, I've never felt more comfortable and less pressured at a dealership before. Come to find out, the sales guy was actually from the town I grew up in! So we reminisced and chatted.. it was good fun. Anyway.. I think we did pretty good on the price, and we now have a family car. We take it back in about a week to get the paint chips fixed, oh and they are going to give her a bath also since it was raining today. It also still has some of the manufacturers warranty left also which the other one didn't . We haven't decided if we are going to do the extended or not yet. We have about 6 months or 5K miles to decide.

So, here she is.... I think I shall call her Goldilocks...

maybe not.Next stop... baby furniture! Now that we have some place to haul it :)

House pictures!

Here's all of the pictures!

Me showcasing the house :) Just call me Vanna.. at least I've got the last name right! :)


Drew opening the door




My turn!

The living room taken from the dining area

The dining area taken from the living room (kitchen to the right)

My new kitchen (I *heart* my fridge!)

Hallway from living room to bedrooms (Master bedroom on right, main bath straight ahead, two more bedrooms after turn left down hall)


Master Bedroom from door (small doors lead to master bath/closet)


Purty Windows

Closet (sellers left us shoe rack even!)


Master Bath (it has a curtain and a rug now, hee hee!)


Hallway leading to other bedrooms (linen/storage closets on left and right, standing next to main bath)


main bath (shower/tub behind door)


This will probably be the baby's room!


From the inside looking out

This will probably be the "office".. I love these windows!

Looking out from office

From the kitchen this is the back door.

The back of the house

Last but not least, Drew checking out the attic, and the car at home in it's garage.

You ready for a novel?

Wow, what a week.

Talk about a bundle of mixed emotions all at once! I'll start from where I left off.

Monday, we packed the car with the rest of our stuff and went to our closing appointment at 11. We started off with the settlement statement where a problem arose right away. Apparently the sellers mortgage company only sent over part of their actual mortgage, they had two loans (an 80/20), so it was showing they were getting back way more than they were suppose to.

Then as we were going over everything else, it was discovered that they had a pre-payment penalty that was going to make them top heavy on their loan. It would have been up in February, but I guess they thought it was up last February and they weren't going to get penalized. So all the paperwork was signed EXCEPT for the settlement statement, and they were having a hard time getting the mortgage company to send over the second mortgage ASAP. They told Drew and I we were done and could leave and they would call us when they got it sorted... at this point they could still back out and we didn't officially own the house yet, so we had no keys or anything, and no where to go! We said that we'd go have lunch next door while we waited since we didn't have anywhere else to go. We were freaking out a little and not sure what we were going to do if they backed out! About 45 minutes later our Realtor came over and gave us keys and garage door openers, yay! They had signed the agreement and it was official, we're homeowners! I guess they only ended up making about a dollar after their penalties, and I felt bad for them, but that was bad planning on their part!

So Drew and I came HOME took lots of pictures which I will upload this evening( I just need to load them on the comp) and then went shopping for food and necessities (like a shower curtain, pillows, and a set of sheets for our aerobed!). We still didn't have any cooking utensils or anything, so paper plates, plasticware and anything we could make in the microwave or eat fresh was on the menu.

Tuesday we got up and went to base so Drew could get a haircut and I could get some batteries for the baby swing and pack n' play (it plays music and vibrates!). I've been putting together the baby's stuff, and reading to keep me busy since we had nothing here. Quiet and Empty! I did do some cleaning though, you should see the faucets sparkle! We also purchased a dining set, since we didn't really have one in England (unless you count the coffee table), but it wouldn't fit in the car so we had to leave it there until yesterday when somebody could help us.

When we got home, our water had been shut off!! We got back in the car and went down to town hall, where apparently a clerical error had been made. The previous owner had gone in to get the water out of her name, and they didn't check to see that I had already gone in to put it in my name effective Monday, so it got shut off. They were really quick to get it turned back on though, only about 10 minutes and they were back!

Tuesday was also my doctors appointment. No change as of yet. Still 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I admit, I was a little bummed, but she'll come when she's ready, as long as she's healthy. That's the important thing! I'm definitely hurting these days though. I feel like I just got done riding a horse for about 4 hours and then trying to walk straight, just doesn't work. My back and hips hurt, and my stomach is quite hard! I've been having a lot of contractions, the last couple of days, but I think they are just Braxton Hicks ones, they are uncomfortable, but not painful. Nothing regular, but definitely getting more and more frequent.

Wednesday (yesterday) was my breastfeeding class. It went well. No questions or concerns, I'm just thinking positive. I'm sure there will be a learning curve, but I'm excited to give it everything I've got!

Also yesterday, the previous owner finally got their internet services switched to their new address so I was able to set up activation for today. The modem was delivered this morning, so I plugged it in and couldn't get anything to work! We had a storm last night and I guess it knocked out services to this area ALL day. We finally got it up and running this evening.

Our fast shipment also came today, but it didn't have quite as much as I thought it would in it.
At least we have some silverware, knives, cooking utensils, plates and bowls, and pots and pans! Looks like I might just have enough to cook a Christmas dinner after all (as long as I'm not in the hospital, heehee).

Drew started working swingshift this week also, so without a TV,internet, or a car, the evenings have been SOOO long, but at least it's slowly coming together. They called today and said the rest of our stuff was here, but the soonest they could deliver it would be the 31st, so that's when we'll have furniture and the rest of our things (I've been having stamping withdrawls!).

This weekend, we go try and find us a family car. I've been shopping around and have found some pretty good deals, but I need to check them on carfax to make sure they don't have any problems before we look closer, you know how it is.. some deals that sound too good to be true, probably are! Assuming we find something this weekend, we'll also go pick up the rest of the baby furniture so we can get her room ready!

So, how's that for an update??? I'm going to go relieve myself for the millionth time today and then I'll get my camera and load the pics up so I can post them for ya!

Happy Friday!

Here we are heading into the weekend before closing day!

I went to Haughton today (where our house is) to get the water set up to be switched to our name on Monday. The electricity is already set, I found the internet company that services the area (YAY!) but the people that live there haven't called to have it shut off yet, so it still might be a few days before we can get service established and the equipment to use it.

Lynn (the mortgage broker) called and we went over all of our prepaids (Home Owners Ins., Per Diem Interest and Reserves) so we know exactly how much we need to bring to closing so I can get a cashiers check. She's also going to call and see if they will let us take a load of stuff over on Sunday when we do our final walk through since we have WAY too much stuff to fit in our car in one trip, but we have to check out of the hotel on Monday morning by 10AM, and closing isn't until 11 when we actually get the keys! So if we can take one load over the day before we should be able to fit the rest in on Monday morning.

So a little recap.. our birthing class is tomorrow (9:30am - 1:30pm). Final walk through on Sunday (at 3pm). Closing at 11am Monday. OB appointment Tuesday (2:30pm). Breastfeeding Class on Wednesday (9:am11:30am). So far..that's it.. lets hope it all goes smoothly! I'll keep you posted! :)

Do you want an update????

I thought you might!! :)

My appointment went well, I lost a pound which is normal for the end of a pregnancy. Blood pressure, HR, urine check and everything was perfect. My Group B Strep test was negative so no antibiotics as long as I don't get sick. I'm 1cm dilated, and 50% effaced. He said he'd like to see her a little further down settling into the birth canal so he recommended I buy an exercise ball and sit and bounce on it all day long, lol. Since mine is on the boat, I stopped by target and picked up a cheap one, so I'll be bouncing away.

My next appointment is Tuesday at 2:30. It was suppose to be Wednesday, but I have the breast feeding class that I don't want to miss so they moved it a day earlier. We'll see where we're at! It's going to be a busy week next week!

Click this to Meet My OB/GYN! I was looking up some stuff on the hospital and found my Doctors profile on the hospital website. It's kind of weird having a doctor barely older than you are, but he's very nice and I feel very confident, he seems to be a very thorough doc. Anyway, I thought you might want to "meet" who I'm visiting every week!

Also, spoke with the realtor yesterday. Our final walk through is Sunday afternoon, Closing is on Monday. I have our electricity set up to be transferred for Monday, and I'm waiting for a call back to find out which water company they use out there so I can go in and set up the water for Monday also. We still can't figure out if we can get DSL or Cable internet out there, but I hope so! I'll probably cry if we have to go back to dial-up! So, we might be without internet for a few days but we'll have our cell-phones!

That's it for today!

Sunday Update

So what am I this week..36 weeks? 37? Who knows! Sticking with my original due date we'll say 36. Nothing new to report, we had a relatively quiet weekend.

Friday, I went to install the infant car seat in the ZX2 only to find out that it BARELY fits! The base fits in fine, but when you put the actual seat in, the front passenger seat has to be all the way in the vertical position and scooted pretty close to the glove compartment. It will work in a bind, but it looks like we'll have to get a bigger car sooner rather than later.

Yesterday, Drew and I went to see The Golden Compass which was pretty good! Afterwards we looked around town a bit, we stopped at a car dealership to look at a couple of cars. We looked at the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevy Trailblazer and the GMC Envoy. We like the Jeep, but the way the back cargo area is configured, we don't think it will be big enough to haul Cossie comfortably, along with extra stuff. The Trailblazer and Envoy are essentially the same, but we preferred the Trailblazer and the size is right. We also saw an Isuzu Ascender on the road that is also the same (or similar) as a Trailblazer, so we might look into that as well.

Today we stayed in the hotel room for the most part. We went to the commissary to stock up on food for the room (hopefully for the last time before we stock up on food for the HOUSE!). We were going to go check out the FamCamp area and go for a walk after our laundry was done, but the good dryer was in use, so we had to use the crappy dryer and it took a few hours to dry our clothes, by then it was getting dark. Maybe next time!

Plans for this week...our customs form came for the Zx2 so I'll see if I can go get the car registered tomorrow and at least get temporary plates so people don't give us a hard time. I'll also call and schedule a spot at the Breastfeeding class for the 19th. Wednesday Morning I have a Doc. appointment to check progress. Saturday is our birthing class. Next Monday we should get the keys to the house! Yay!!

On the baby front, I've been having cramps on and off all day, I've felt some tightening a couple times along with the cramps, but nothing regular or very strong. Otherwise nothing exciting to report! I wish there was a magic way to tell how things are progressing, but I guess we'll know when we know. :)

Here's an updated picture for you all.. it's not a very good one unfortunately. Now that I'm finally showing a lot, I'm feeling very unattractive and blobish. I do have more pictures from last weekend, but the computer is running so slow I can't process them to post them without going nuts, so I decided to leave them for now until we get our desktop, hopefully next week.

I hope everybody has had a wonderful weekend, we'll talk to you soon!



-Jen

My Doctor Appointment!

Wow, today was the longest appointment ever! The doctor sat with me in his office for about 45 minutes going over all my records so he could update my chart with his office and make sure all my history was covered. After that I went and did my pee sample and went into the exam room.

The nurse came in and checked my sample, normal! Blood pressure was 112/70, HR was 74 bpms. All normal. The doctor came in and did a physical on me, he measured my belly and guess what, I'm still measuring big! He said he wanted to send me to get an ultrasound because he thinks based on my chart information, my previous ultrasound and my measurement that I'm a little further along and he wants to get a measurement of the baby. He did my Group B strep test and checked my cervix. I'm a finger-tip dilated, he didn't say if I was effaced or not, and I didn't think to ask at the time so I'm assuming that I'm not. He said the cramps I'm having are normal and have to do with my cervix dilating.

I headed back to get the ultrasound, she still has 2 legs, 2 arms, I got another picture of her face. The U/S tech commented that her legs were really long and asked if Dad was tall.. yep! She measured her head circumference and her middle. She's estimated at about 6.5 lbs. right now, with a due date of December 31st (which personally I think is more accurate anyway). She tried to check and make certain that she was a girl, but she had her foot in the way and wouldn't move it, so we're going to have to still assume that the first U/S was correct!

Anyway, things are moving a long. I have another appointment next Wednesday at 10:45 to see how things are going. I'll keep you posted!!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Well Saturday we heard about something called The Festival of Lights in a town called Natchitoches ( we still haven't completely figured out how to pronounce it). It was about an hour away so we thought we'd go check it out since it's suppose to be a really big deal. We got there, found a place to park and followed the masses into the center of town. There were thousands of people lining the streets for a parade which was huge! It lasted for 2 hours, there were clubs, beauty queens, local businesses, bands from all over. Most of them were throwing candy or beads into the crowd. It was a lot of fun!

After that we headed to find something to eat. It ended up being a little Mexican Restaurant. The service was terrible, but the food wasn't bad. The guy next to us got the biggest burrito I've ever seen! We ate and then headed down to the river front where they had all sorts of people selling their products, there was a live band, tons of fair type food booths. At 5:00 people started finding seats for the fireworks show. We didn't really know where to go, and we didn't have chairs so we found a place to sit on a couple of tree roots on a dirt hill. It wasn't the most comfortable but after standing all day, it was nice to sit!

The fireworks started at 6pm and it was awesome! They were setting the fireworks off on one side of the river and we were on the other side. They were set to music, and they had colored spot lights to add to the effect. It was probably one of the coolest fireworks shows I'd ever seen! They finished it off by lighting the 300K + lights along the river and front street.

When we got home I checked online to see if there was an update on our car, and sure enough.. it was here! The VPC (Vehicle Processing Center) was closed on the weekend so we planned to go pick it up in Dallas on Monday. We left at 6:30 in the morning and got there about 10:30. It took about an hour to do the paperwork and get the car. There doesn't seem to be any damage, a couple of scuffs we don't remember, but they say it was marked on the shipping document. It's not really that big of a deal. The battery was dead, so they jumped it, it died again, they jumped it again, then it died AGAIN, just trying to roll down the window! So they jumped it again and we drove across the street to an auto parts store to get the battery tested. It was dead beyond repair, so we ended up buying a new battery and installing it in the parking lot. At least it starts like a champ now! It has a squeaky wheel that we need to get checked out so we'll do that this week sometime.

Also on the way back we stopped at Babies R' Us since I had found a 15% off coupon online. I printed out two of them so we could pick up a couple of things. We got our pack n' play, a baby tub, a boppy and a few other odds and ends. We split up, I took the boppy and a few other things, and drew took the pack n' play to a different teller to check out. Apparently my coupon was a fraud! The lady I went to wouldn't take it, luckily the boppy wasn't very much so it wasn't a big deal, but I was bummed about the pack n' play. When Drew got to the car I asked him if his lady took the coupon and he said yes! Well, now I felt guilty, but it saved over $20! I guess they DID have a 15% off coupon, but somebody copied it and changed the dates it was valid until.

We also had some 10% off coupons for Baby Depot at Burlington Coat factory (these were real!) so we picked up the travel system, and the baby swing while we were there. We now have a corner of baby stuff in our hotel room, but in case she comes early.. we're prepared! Everything is really cool and I'm excited to use it!

I called and had the car insurance switched to a stateside policy today and they e-mailed me a new card so we can get the car registered. Since we are military we don't have to pay some of the registration taxes, and we don't have to get Louisiana drivers licenses. We just need to wait until the customs form gets mailed to us (the VPC hadn't received it yet) so we can go get the plates which we have 30 days to do.

We also have a time for our closing date... 11AM on the 17th!!

Some frustrating stuff for today. I had my OB appointment scheduled at 10:30. They called at 9:15 really apologetic but that the doctor my appointment was with wouldn't be able to see me... ever. Apparently she just has too many babies due the same time as ours to be able to accommodate me. They said they could get me in next Monday with another doctor. I said that wasn't acceptable. I'm 35 weeks, I haven't been seen in almost 7 weeks, and I have questions. She was able to squeeze me in on Thursday at 1:30, but I'd have to go to our Tricare office and make sure that I didn't need to wait for another referral. I went, and they said they could just switch the doctor since he is in the same office, I wouldn't need to wait for a referral, so that was good. I went to the doctors office to drop off my records and also pick up the new patient paperwork so I didn't have to do it on Thursday.

I'm still doing well.. I'm certain the baby is dropping now, as I definitely have an increase in pressure. I do have some cramping as well, but there are no other symptoms that are raise for concern. She's been dancing a lot this evening and I can feel pressure from my pelvis to my rib cage as she bounces around. I'm really anxious to see the doctor so he can give me some information and make sure labor isn't imminent or anything. I know it would be really early, but weirder things have happened.

So that's the update, sorry it's taken so long!! I'll update again soon I promise, as soon as I know more, I'll post!

House Exterior

I just got an e-mail from Lynn to tell us that the appraisal is done and all is well along with a copy of it. There was a picture of the house in it so I thought I'd post it so you can all see! I can't save the ones of the inside that are on the web, and I can't post a direct link so I probably wont be able to post those until we get the keys, but I'll take pics when I can!

Got the internet back!

The hotel wireless internet connection has been down for the past few days so I haven't been able to update! It's back though, so I'm posting to let you all know what's been going on this week!

Monday we went and filled out our loan application, our broker Lynn is just waiting for the appraisal to come back (she should have it by today or Monday) and then she'll send it up! Everything still looks great, and we're getting more and more excited (and impatient I might add)!

Tuesday we went to our OB orientation, it was pretty much a repeat of a class we already took in England, I felt like a seasoned pro at this point, and of course almost everything they were talking about didn't really apply to us because I'm so far along at this point. I did get a few resources though and that's always a good thing! Amazingly, the girl that was sitting behind me tapped me on the shoulder so I turned around and it was somebody that I had met in England! She is a really good friend of my Stampin' Up! downlines, so I actually know somebody here! I had completely forgotten that they were coming here too. She's 13 weeks a long. I gave her my number, so hopefully she'll call so I can have somebody to talk to and maybe we can get together, this hotel room gets pretty boring.

Also on Tuesday I was able to call and schedule my OB appointment. They tried to get me in this week, but the doc's schedule was completely booked so I have one for next Tuesday at 10:30AM. I'm really looking forward to the appointment so I can get a bit more information and also see how things are progressing!

I'm still feeling pretty good, though I think the baby has begun to drop over the last few days. I've noticed a significant difference in pressure on my lungs, it's so much easier to breathe! However I can feel quite a bit more pelvic pressure and my tummy seems to be lower and sticking further out now. I'm still getting kicks in the ribs, but those are quite tolerable! She rolls around a lot, Drew gets a kick out of feeling my tummy and guessing what parts are sticking out. It's kind of funny when she's leaning forward or out one side because you can feel an obvious distinction between her body and just the fluid. Oh, I also had a Braxton Hicks contraction the other day. Just one though! I felt my whole uterus tighten for about 60 seconds and then it released, it was pretty weird feeling, it didn't hurt or anything though. Guess my body is just practicing!

I have signed up for a birth preparation class on the 15th of December for both Drew and I. Then on the 6th we have a required tour of the hospital facilities and their anesthetic procedures. I still have to schedule the breastfeeding class which is on the 19th, and a couple more things. Otherwise things are getting on track!

Drew and I are going to a Christmas party (very early) for his shop tonight at 6. I'm looking forward to meeting some people in his shop, some wives perhaps?? I hope I'm not the only wife there! I get embarrassed and feel out of place when I am. I think that's most of the updates for now, if I think of anything else I'll let you know! I'm going to try and get some pictures for you all this weekend of the area we are in and a few other things.

Love to you all!

34 Weeks!

Drew took my 34 week photo today! I must admit I love finally having a belly, when the baby is really active (most of the time) I love watching it move and bounce all over the place. She moves a lot for Drew now also so he gets to take part in baby moving. She was going crazy at dinner tonight so while we were waiting for our food we were watching her roll around. Such fun!

We went to a place called the Louisiana Boardwalk yesterday which is a big shopping center on the riverside. It's all outdoors though and it was raining so we just popped into a few places then decided to go to the movies to see Beowulf. It was pretty good! We were there really early and they had a Dance Dance Revolution game, so I played it for a little bit. I was surprised that I still had the stamina to play, but I rocked it!

We went to the gym today and went and stocked up on some groceries for the room. Drew starts in-processing tomorrow and we have to take our rental car back and swap it for a smaller one and do another contract. They have been really helpful at enterprise trying to keep us in a car for as cheap as possible. Unfortunately because last week was a holiday, their corporate office hiked up the rates, which is why we are re-doing the contract tomorrow when the rates go back down.

I'll probably hang out on base while Drew does his stuff tomorrow. It's a pretty long walk to the gym but if it's not too cold then I might go there. Hopefully my referral will come tomorrow so I can schedule my OB appointment. Other than that.. same ol' same ol'! We should hear in the next day or two about when the appraiser will be out and when we can finish up the loan paperwork.

All for now!

House Inspection

We just got home from the house inspection, it did fantastic! There was only 2 things that need attention. One was the shower head in the main bathroom was loose and in the master bathroom the tub faucet is also loose. Everything else passed with flying colors! The fireplace has never even been used. We got a whole binder of the "property inspection report" that had everything that he checked and even definitions of the stuff he checked for those of us that don't know much about houses! There's also a book in the back of DIY maintenance stuff like keeping your heating/air running top notch, replacing filters, fuses, things to test regularly. It's a pretty handy little information book!

After getting to check out the house again, we're even MORE excited! It was even better the 2nd time around, and we're so happy that it passed the inspection so well. They did ask us for an extension until the 17th of December, but since we still wont have furniture anyway it shouldn't be a problem. The house they are moving into isn't completely ready I guess.

So that's the update for today, Pat (our realtor) said they should be out to do the appraisal next week and she'd keep us posted.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! We don't have much planned for today. We got up this morning and went to breakfast. We came back to our hotel room and are just hanging out until we get hungry, then we're going to head to the "chow hall" to get some Thanksgiving dinner. Hopefully it's pretty good. We almost did a microwave Thanksgiving, but then remembered the dining facility was having one and decided just to go there. We did pick up a no bake strawberry cheesecake for dessert though!

We did want to share a few things that we are thankful for however. We are thankful for being able to be together and in the States for the holiday's, even though we wish we could be with family, we know that now that we are back it will be easier come future holidays, and look forward to them! We are thankful for all the love, help and support we have received from family and friends during our move, and this pregnancy. We are thankful that the baby is doing so wonderful and that things have been progressing so well for the past 7.5 months. We are thankful that we were able to find a nice house that will suit us and will be in before Christmas. There is so much more that we are thankful for, and we send our love to all those that we can't be with during the holiday season. You mean so much to us!

We hope you all have a wonderful day and we'll talk to you soon!

Love,
Jen, Drew and Baby L!

Offer Accepted!

Well, they accepted our offer! They did put a cap on the closing costs but it should be pretty close to that. They put a limit on the appraisal and the home warranty as well, but it's enough to cover both of those things. We have to pay for the inspector, and might have to pay a little out of pocket at closing, but if anything it should be a small amount, so that's exciting!

They are military also, but are not moving to another base, they are just buying a bigger house. They are putting an offer in today and the house they are interested in is empty and ready to move in, so essentially we could be in before the 14th of December depending on how long it takes our VA loan to process.

So, yeah!! We're super excited! We'll call the Lynn at the mortgage office tomorrow and set up an appointment with her to get the loan process started. Pat (our realtor) will get with her to set up the appraisal so we know when to schedule the inspection.

We'll keep you posted as the process goes on, but it looks great so far!

We put in an offer!

Today was so eventful! I couldn't believe how much we got accomplished today!

The realtor picked us up at 10 this morning and by 4pm we'd looked at 15 properties and pretty much had made our decision at #10. We had covered all of the houses that we had written down in the last 2.5 months that were still available, plus a few extras that she thought would suit our needs and budget.

We saw 2 houses that we really liked, but had small things that we weren't completely satisfied with and they were both just a few thousand out of our price range, one was probably negotiable, the other one was not likely to budge.

The 3rd one that we absolutely fell in love with is in Haughton, about a 10-15 minute easy drive from base. Outside of the city limits so we don't have to pay city taxes which were quite substantial, it's also out of the flood zones! It's a 2006 model, 3 bedroom, 2 bath and 1330 sq. feet. It's a little smaller than we originally planned, but it's layed out well and is cozy, but not cramped! It has a 2 car garage, but a big long driveway, enough to fit 4 more cars in if we have company! The kitchen is gorgeous, appliances are new and they are even leaving the fridge! The sheet listed the washer/dryer as negotiable, so we asked them to leave them in the offer if it gets accepted. It has a nice sized fenced yard as well.

We're really excited and should know by 4pm tomorrow if the offer is accepted. If it is, then we have a closing date set for December 14th! So wish us luck and we'll keep you posted!

We made it!

Just wanted to let everybody know that we're here in Louisiana safe and sound!

I left San Francisco this morning about 8:50, and flew to Las Vegas, then to Dallas. I realized that Drew and I both were going to be in Dallas but his flight to Shreveport left two hours before mine, so I hunted down his gate and surprised him there! We had a late lunch, then hung out until his flight left. I was going to try and see if I could get on his flight but decided we would have to wait for my luggage anyway so stuck to the original plan.

My flight arrived in Shreveport and Drew was waiting for me, we got my bags (which made all 3 flights, yay!) and we went outside to wait for our ride. I guess there was a little lack of communication because we knew nothing about our sponsor except his last name and that he was suppose to be there at 9pm, no phone number or anything. We waited until 9:45 and it was getting pretty chilly outside so we decided to go ahead and rent a car for the weekend. The rental car place was very helpful and gave us a map and directions to base which really wasn't that far! We didn't get lost once,well, we passed the road we were suppose to turn on, but got right back to it. We went straight to billeting and got our room.

We just got settled in and we're really hungry now, it's 11:25pm here, so 9:25pm in CA and 5:25am in England so we're all messed up! Luckily we were able to order a pizza for delivery so we don't have to go and try and find something. I hope we can stay awake long enough for it to get here.

Tomorrow morning we'll call the realtor to get some times set up with her and also try and get some cell phones so we can have an easier way to communicate with everybody! As soon as we get numbers we'll call and let you know what they are! In the meantime, the main number for billeting here is (318)456-3091, registered under Drew so if you need to get a hold of us in the meantime, that's the best way!

We'll keep you posted on how things are going! Drew and I are stoked to be back together and getting a move on the next chapter of our lives. What will it bring us??? Stay tuned!

Love to you all,
Us

A picture!

I know, I know, I'm REALLY late with this, but I kept forgetting to have somebody take a pic of me, so I did it myself this afternoon since I don't know when I'll have computer access again. It's not a great pic, but you can see I'm definitely popped now (in the front AND back)!! It's still hard to believe I only have 7.5 weeks to go! Hey, look at all that California blue sky in the background!



So Drew is all done out processing in England, the house checked out and his car is sold! I finally get to see him tomorrow evening, yay! I have to be at the airport by about 7AM and my flight gets in at 8:50pm LA time, I think Drew gets in about 7:30, so he'll wait for me there and his sponsor is picking us up around 9 or so to take us to the base hotel. We're slowly making progres..next stop, house hunting!

We'll probably go and get phones on Friday also so as soon as we have numbers I'll pass them along so we can stay in contact! Tah-tah for now!

Time Flies..

Is it Monday already???

Mom picked me up Thursday and we stopped at the Gilroy outlets to check out the shops and wait for the big traffic to pass. Mom got me a few tops at Motherhood and I picked up a really soothing lip balm and a lotion for $5 at Bath and Body works! We got home about 7:30. I absolutely cannot believe how big the boys are! It makes me feel old!

On Friday, I got up and took Mom to work/school so I could use the car for a few hours. She gave me a tour of where she works at UC Merced and some of the campus. I met a bunch of people that she works with, then off I went to a couple stores just to browse. Who would have thought Target would be so exciting? I kept getting asked if I needed help finding anything because I was just meandering around looking at all the new things that are available that I've missed out on! I went and saw my old band director who was busy preparing for the band review on Saturday, and then stopped and saw a friend from high school for just a few minutes before I had to be back to pick up Mom.

We had to go straight to the High School to pick up Shawn for an optometrist appointment. The optometrist also happens to be the dad of another friend of mine from high school and she works there so I got to chat with her and we're having brunch this morning! Shawn does need glasses so we helped him pick out a pair then headed home.

Saturday Mom and I went to our Stampin' Up' meeting and made a bunch of cards for the shoebox swap. It was a lot of fun, I definitely needed to get some stamping therapy done! We got home and Shawn and I went to CCBR (Central California Band Review) to check out my high school. We missed the marching portion, but we saw the Jazz Band, they were pretty darn good! I ran into two other friends as well, it was good to see them! Then back home we went for a little bit. When we got back Mom took the boys and I to see the house that they want to buy (we looked in a few just for fun though) then we went to the store and back home.

Yesterday we got up and went to Grandma Helga's for lunch. I got to see my cousins Katie and JR, then a little later my Uncle Rob, Aunt Yas, and other cousin Hannah came by so I got to see them as well! I received some lovely gifts for the baby as well! I can't wait until she gets to start wearing all these adorable clothes! I didn't get a chance to see my buddies in Sacramento, but hopefully next time we are here we'll meet up, because I miss them too!

We got home a little after 9pm, and I was exhausted, so I went to bed. Kristina should be here in about half an hour for our brunch date, and I'm not sure what the plans for the rest of the day are, but I guess I'll find out! Mom is going to bring me back to Dad's tomorrow and my flight is Thursday.

I spoke with Dad Saturday and he said Cossie is doing well. Dad slept on the couch with him a couple nights in a row. I think somebody is spoiled, and I think his name is Cosworth! Dad said he doesn't seem to be stressed at all, so that's good. I'm glad he's enjoying it there. I'll get to see him tomorrow so he knows that I'm coming back! It's going to be so hard leaving him, but it's really the only option we have right now. At least I know he's in good hands!

I was 32 weeks yesterday, 8 weeks left! She's still active and doing great as far as I can tell! I am getting anxious to get to LA and get set up at an OB though so I can have my check up just to verify, though I'm not worried. I've been feeling fantastic. I do get some leg cramps in the middle of the night, and my right ribs feel bruised most of the time since that's where she likes to hang out the most, but overall nothing too terrible. I feel pretty lucky actually.

I'm off for now, I'll update more later. Hope everybody is doing fabulous!

Love to you all,
Me

Thursday update.

I talked to Drew this morning and he said they came and picked up most of our stuff today (the slow shipment) and everything went well! He said the house is really empty, and kind of weird. They will come tomorrow for the rest of the stuff and he'll spend the weekend cleaning the place, sodding the back yard and getting ready for the final inspection on Monday. I hope it goes well!

I'm headed to Mom's today, she should be here in an hour and a half or so to pick me up. We're going down to see Auntie Debbie, and then back home! I'm looking forward to seeing Gary and the Boys as well! Grandma is coming down tomorrow I think, so that's exciting! I'm not sure who else I'll get to see but I hope it's as many people as possible. I sure miss everybody! It seems like forever since I've seen anybody! I wish I was going to be here longer, BUT we'll be back as soon as possible with a new addition to the White Family.... are you excited?? I am!!!

I'm still doing well, the baby is still active and rolling around a lot. Cossie is getting better and better every day. He was full of energy this morning, but after breakfast and his medicine he's resting on the couch again. I think the pain meds keep him a little subdued, but that's a good thing! He's really been a trooper and I'm very pleased with the way his recovery is going.

I'll update more this weekend!

Love to you all!

Single Digits

9 weeks left to go! I'm 31 weeks today. .amazing huh?

It's been a crazy week, and nothing really new to report on the baby front. Still waiting impatiently and things are going smooth as ever. Baby L was quiet for a couple of days and has been really active for the past couple. We've had a lot going on of course, but she seems to be doing well! As soon as we get to Louisiana I'll get an appointment with an OB, it's going to be a busy last couple of months!

Cossie is doing well. He's a little bit sore which is to be expected, and he has been resting comfortably wherever he can find a spot. He's been good about staying calm and not licking at his sutures. I'm so proud of him, he really is the best dog ever! I just wish he didn't have to go through these traumatic experiences this week.

A couple photos

Here's the pic I took of Cossie last night when he came home and conked out on his bed. You can see how his abdomen is all shaved from the surgery.

It's hard to see, but this is his incision, it goes from his penis to the middle of his ribcage, which is quite a long way on a dane! It looks crooked, but only because I'm pulling up on his skin so you can see it.


He seems to be doing well this morning. I was scared to feed him, but I did and he's doing great. I'm offering him small amounts of water at a time so he doesn't overdo it and we'll feed him twice a day. He did well throughout the night, slept on his bed the whole time and didn't lick his wounds which is good, I don't want to have to put his e-collar on unless I have to! He'll HATE that thing!

He's home.. again!

Cossie is home! He looks great, better than he's looked at all since getting off the plane Wednseday. He looks like himself again! He has a huge incision about 8-10 inches on his belly, it's really purple and bruised, but he looks great otherwise. Apparently he had a small umbilical hernia and they fixed that too. He's currently passed out on his new bed and has his head on a pillow. I took pics but I wont be able to upload them until tomorrow. I'll be sleeping on the couch next to him for the next 4 or 5 days to give him a bit longer to heal. I don't want him to hurt himself by getting on the couch or trying to get on the bed so I'll just lie next to him so he'll stay there.

The emergency clinic was wonderful with him, they kept us well informed and didn't mind my many phone calls to check on his progress. He came out with a cute bandana and ready to rock. I thought he would be in much more pain, but he was good to go and happy to see his mom and family! I don't even want to let him out of my sight I'm just so thrilled he's home.

While it's been a traumatic experience for all of us, I'm glad it's mostly over (still another 10-14 days of recovery) and he's on his way to being our happy healthy Cossie boy again! Thank you to everybody who sent their well wishes and prayers. They were very much appreciated! After some long nights, I'm hoping to finally get a good night sleep, so I'm off to bed!

Pray for Cossie

Well, Cosworth bloated and torsed tonight and is currently in the hospital undergoing emergency surgery. They were able to decompress his stomach and they will do surgery to flip it back where it's suppose to be and tack it in to place. He's not out of the woods yet and we should be able to call in an hour or so to see if he is doing okay.

It most likely occured due to the amount of stress he's been under the past few days with the travel and being in a new place, and everything combined, but nothing that we could have prevented.

I'll keep everybody posted as we find out more, but we sure could use all the prayers we can get.

UPDATE:

I just called to check on Cossie and he's doing well. They were just closing up his surgery when I phoned. They said that it wasn't a bad torsion and they were able to fix it and tack it while they were in there. There was no damage to the rest of his internal organs and he should recover just fine. He'll be in recovery for the next couple of hours and I'll call and check on him again. Hopefully everything else will be uneventful and he can come home tomorrow night.

UPDATE #2:

The vet just called to let me know how Cossie was doing. She said that his spleen was a little bit congested, but it should be fine. His stomach was flipped 180 degrees (it can flip anywhere from 90-360), so they fixed it and did the gastropexy. He's recovered from the anesthesia and is on pain medication and resting. They will offer him food and water tomorrow and see how he does. If all is well he should be able to come home around 10pm. So I'll call in the morning to see how he's doing and go from there, so besides the huge hole in the pocketbook, things are looking great.

He's here!

So we went and picked up Cossie last night! I felt sick when I saw him, my poor baby. His eyes were as big as dinner plates and it took him a few minutes to realize who I was. I don't think he'd slept in the 3.5 days he was in transit, and I'm not sure he ate or drank very well either. He started crying right away and was acting not quite like himself.

He was so dehydrated his poor tongue looked all dry, but the people at the airport in SF were REALLY nice. I had called several times throughout the day to get info and they always knew who I was. As soon as I walked in they told me he was here and safe and they would get him to me as soon as possible. As soon as they wheeled up his crate they let me take him out and she got me some water for him which he inhaled. He looked so skinny, even for the few days he was gone, but I think if he didn't eat well and being dehydrated contributed to the look.

We got his kennel loaded in the truck and then we hopped in and headed back home (about a 45 minute drive). He was still really out of it and he was SO tired he collapsed onto my lap and wouldn't move even when I was talking to him and trying to get him to respond. I was scared to death, and kept checking his pulse to make sure he was still with me.

Once we got him home I let him out and he peed for about 5 minutes (no joke) and then I gave him a bit of food and more water which he gulped down. We went to bed and he passed out right away, even the cat was sleeping right at his feet and he didn't care. He's been sleeping most of the day, but he looks a million times better than last night, almost back to normal. He's a little confused with all of the new sounds and smells and people to get to know, but I think he'll adjust well. I'm just glad to have him back safe!

No Cossie! Argh!

So Dad and I drove to San Francisco last night, left at 9, got to the airport about 9:45 to find our way to Cargo. The lady there was really nice, she asked me if he had stayed overnight in Detroit and I said no, not that I knew of. She looked confused and then walked away for a while, then came back and looked a few things up on the computer again and sure enough, they were keeping Cossie overnight in Detroit last night and not shipping him until TODAY!

Apparently they require a 4 hour space between flights and since his connecting flight was only 2 hours, the kept him overnight. A kennel service came and picked him up and then will take him back at 5pm Detroit time for his 7:30 flight to SFO. She gave me a phone number to call today to check and see how he is doing, and when I called they said that there might be a problem with the plane he's flying on having a big enough cargo door so of course I'm all worried our poor baby will get stuck in Detroit until we can figure out how to get him.

I found Cossies kennel dimensions and looked up the plane he is going to be flying on (I think) and it looks like he will have enough room to spare by about 2 inches. I hope that's the case and we'll get him safely tonight! I also called the kennel he is staying at in Detroit and they said he is doing fine. He ate and drank, and had a big poop for them that was normal, so hopefully he's not too stressed out. I know I am!

I'll call the airport in Detroit at 3:15 CA time and make sure he's going to be on that plane, and then as long as he is, we'll be out to pick him up this evening. So, here's hoping for some good luck and a safe arrival for our boy!

It's SUNDAY!

So a lot has happened this week! Last time I posted I said, WE HAVE ORDERS! Now I'm in California! Imagine that! It's been a VERY busy week, so let me tell you about it!

Tuesday Drew and I got started getting things scheduled. I picked up my records from the OB. They actually gave me the WRONG ONES and I had to go back and get the right ones as there are TWO Jennifer Marie White's that are pregnant on base right now. After that I went to SATO to schedule my flight which they booked for Friday at 11:30. Drew went and got the housing stuff scheduled for pickup and did some other things he needed to start for out processing. Later that afternoon I had the dog and cat scheduled to get their Health Certificates for travel. Cossie got booked for his flight for the following Tuesday.

So I had a few days of preparing and packing and trying to get things in order, Friday morning Drew and I got up at 4:45AM, loaded my bags and the cat in the car and he drove me to Heathrow Airport. It's difficult to park there, so I just had him drop me off and I was struggling a little pulling all of my bags to the door to get a cart. I finally made it and stopped to try and get them loaded up and the first thing I did was DROP THE CAT! Poor baby. Her kennel fell face first on the concrete (luckily it didn't open up) and the small litter box I had in there and her food went flying everywhere. The poor cat was covered in litter and a little shaken, but was okay. I finally got everything loaded and went inside. When I got to the check in I found that they had changed the baggage requirements and I had one small bag too many, so I had to try and re-arrange everything at the counter and downsize. I was NOT happy and struggling a bit. They also would check in the cat (as it was first come first serve on pet spaces) but they wouldn't take her until 10AM. I also was suppose to put ice in her water bowl (another thing not mentioned on the website) so I had to haul her and my stuff upstairs to the bar to get some ice for her, then wait an hour and a half before they would take her.

At 10 I was down waiting and they finally took her back at about 10:20. By the time I got through security I literally had to RUN to my terminal and I was one of the last people on the plane, but I made it!

The flight was uneventful. I didn't have anybody next to me and I was in an isle seat so I was able to get up and walk around regularly. The flight was long and extremely boring, I didn't sleep much, but I finally made it! Auntie Bea picked me up at the airport and took me to Dad's, we all stayed up until 2AM chit chatting and I finally went to bed after not sleeping for about 27 hours! Then of course I was awake at 6AM since my body isn't used to the time change yet.

Dad had Auntie Bea, Myself and Leslie (who ended up refusing, so Dad joined us) for pedicures on Saturday afternoon.. and BOY was that nice! I now have cute pink toes and after the flight and drive the foot/leg massage was heaven! Dad took me shopping afterwards and got me a new maternity top and we got a couple of bras that fit me (well, we had to order them, but they should be here this week). When we got home we had lunch, then went to the movies to see Michael Clayton. It was a little hard to get into but it turned out to be a good movie! We came home and had some dinner, then off to bed I went about 10PM. Up again at 6 this morning!

We ran some errands this morning, went to the store got Cossie some dog food so we would be prepared for him on Tuesday. We got home, napped for about half an hour, then headed to Grandma's! She had been cooking all day and made a wonderful early Thanksgiving dinner.. a turkey, home made cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, Auntie Shawnda brought a fruit salad, there was even pumpkin pie! Everything was fantastic!

They also had a wonderful surprise of gifts for the baby! It was incredible all of the beautiful clothes and blankets, and towels that I received from the family. Before I opened gifts, Uncle Steve said a heartfelt prayer, it really hit home, and I cried as I am so thankful for my wonderful family, the fact that I got to be here to spend some time with them, the love that they show me, at the same time I wish Drew was here to enjoy it with me as well. I really miss him a lot and cant wait until the 15th when we meet in Louisiana.

I'm not sure what the rest of the week holds, I know it's going to be busy! We'll pick Cossie up at the airport on Tuesday night.. I'm so nervous about his flight! Everybody is looking forward to having him here though, so I know he'll be in good hands.

On the baby front.. I'm 30 weeks today, 10 weeks left! The baby seems to have taken the trip well, she's still really active and kicking me in the ribs as I type. I have a bit of a sore throat and acid reflux, maybe a combination from sitting on a plane with recycled air for 11 hours, travel, time changes and food I haven't had in a long time! I'm hoping that it gets better quick though.

Drew is shipping Cossie on Tuesday (well, dropping him off to be shipped on Monday), the car ships on Tuesday. Housing pick up comes on the 8th and 9th. His final out is on the 12th for the house, and he will fly to Louisiana on the 15th and land a couple of hours before me. I'm going to Mom's in Merced from the 6th to the 12th or 13th, then will be back for my flight on the 15th. I'll keep posting in the meantime with updates of what's going on, and try to keep with my regular Sunday blogs! I know I'm due to post a picture today, but I didn't have a chance to get one, so I'll post one as soon as I can! I hope everybody is well and I'm so glad things are finally moving along!

THEY'RE HERE!!!

WE GOT ORDERS TODAY, YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Drew just called to let me know they are in and he's going to make 50 million copies of them. So now the ball can finally get rolling, woot!!!

I'm going to go tomorrow and see if I can't book my flights and pick up my records and everything to get moving, the dog and cat already have their health certificate appointments for tomorrow, so they'll be good to go after then. I can't believe they finally came!!!! YEAH!!

I'll update more as we get some things accomplished!

Oops!!

I almost forgot to give my Sunday update!

There's really not a whole lot to tell for this week. Baby is doing well, very active the past few days, my belly is bouncing and rolling all over the place! I've been at the gym, getting my cardio exercise in and feeling fantastic! I have to eat a little extra for the calories I burn, but I don't mind that part so much.

We're still waiting on orders, we're told that they are working on them, and we should have them this week. Of course, thats what they said last week as well so I don't want to get my hopes up too much. Drew has been working 12 hour day shifts and he's still sick, so I've been trying to let him relax as much as possible, though I must admit it's been nice having him home for dinner every night!

I've been doing small things around the house, cleaning mini-blinds, cleaning out kitchen drawers, and making sure we have all of our important documents and records together for both the move, and for what we'll need to out-process here so it doesn't get packed up! All of the pictures and shelves have been taken down off the walls and ready for the movers. Drew and I cleaned out the shed today and got rid of a bunch of stuff. I went and paid the pet shipper last week, so he's all set and just waiting for a date from us. I went and closed our British bank account and got the pets scheduled for their health certificates, though we might need to reschedule if we don't have orders soon! The phones/internet have been scheduled to be shut off by the 10th of November, so hopefully we're well out of here by then!

Other than that, same story, different day! I'm 29 weeks today, T minus 11 weeks and counting until we get to meet our baby girl! Seems like it's just around the corner. We're both really excited and can't wait!

All for now... we'll keep you posted about when we've got some orders in hand!

Love to you all!

Today's OB appointment

First I'll start of by saying I gained 4lbs. ACK!!!!!!!!!! I know it doesn't really seem like that much, but considering my overall gain is suppose to be 18-25, and I'm currently at about 16 with 12 weeks to go, it's not looking too promising. I know it probably doesn't help that I'm a tad OCD about the whole weight gain thing and I'm SUPPOSE to gain. It's still a painful experience that I wasn't quite prepared for emotionally I think. As long as I keep going to the gym or getting exercise 3-5 days a week, and eat as healthy as possible, and drink my water, I can't really ask anything else of my body right? I'll just have to think positive.. .I mean sheesh.. I'm 28 weeks pregnant and I still weigh about 50lbs. less than I did a year ago. If only brainwashing myself were that easy. :)

Okay, on to the appointment. She said the weight gain was okay, but borderline. She suggested I go talk to a nutritionist when we get to our next base. Of course I find that somewhat of a moot point by then considering I'll be almost due.. I've been asking about talking to a nutritionist since I got pregnant and they kept insisting that I was doing fine and had nothing to worry about. I still don't think I'm doing too much wrong nutritionally, but having he backup and confirmation from a professional would have been helpful.

My blood pressure was good, a little higher than last time, but still well within normal ranges (115/73), Baby L's heartbeat was 150 bpms and I'm still measuring 2cm bigger than I should be, but that's been the case all along, so no surprise there. She nonchalantly made the suggestion that I might just be having a big baby. I smiled instead of decking her.

My blood results from Friday were all normal. No gestational diabetes, and I'm not anemic so no extra iron supplements needed. She gave me a handout on things to watch out for and avoiding pre-term labor and we went over how to make the flights comfortable and safely (lots of water, walk as much as possible, move my feet regularly to keep circulation up). That was about it, just another routine appointment. She said I should try and get to our next base and seen in about 4 weeks for the 32 week checkup, so that's the goal. Can we make it there in 4 weeks? Lets hope!

No orders today though... perhaps tomorrow?

And we've reached the 3rd Trimester!

28 weeks today! I have a lot of pictures for you. Nothing exciting has happened in the last couple of days. I went to the gym two more days in a row for a total of 5 days this week. It feels great to be working out, but it doesn't seem to be slowing down this fairly quick weight gain I've had in the past week and a half. I'll ask the doctor about it tomorrow. Maybe it's normal for this point in the pregnancy? I just don't want to gain more than I'm suppose to especially since I've been doing so well in that area!

Anyway, on to the pics, and I'll give a update tomorrow after I'm home from the OB! Now maybe it's just me and because I feel huge, but I don't know what that phlebotomist was thinking, I think I look preggers now!

Cossie was getting in the pic so we had some words about being in the way:
Then I told him pretty soon he was going to have a little baby around soon and that he better be a good big "brother". I'm not sure he understood, but he pretended anyway.

That's all for today! Drew and I cleaned the backyard yesterday and spray painted our patio set (I guess they wont ship anything that has rust on it). We're slowly weeding through the little tasks that need done before we can go. Now hopefully we'll get orders this week and really get things moving! (No pun intended).

Until tomorrow!

Apparently I still don't look pregnant

I went this morning to get my glucose test done (results pending) and I had the same phlebotomist that tried to drain me of all my blood when I had my initial labs drawn back in May. She called me back and I walked in and sat down and she looks at me and says "Are you seriously 28 weeks pregnant?", I said, "on Sunday I will be". She said, "wow, I wouldn't have pegged you as pregnant if I saw you walking down the street". I pouted and said that I knew, and I was feeling pretty jipped because I'd rather look pregnant than have people wonder if I'm pregnant or fat. She said she hadn't thought of it that way and proceeded to stab me with a needle. Which reminds me, I guess I can take my Dora the Explorer band-aid off! It's only been about 5 hours!

I know she didn't mean it the way it came out, but it's still pretty depressing! I'm so excited to have a baby belly and to be showing and have people notice that I'm gonna be a Mommy, and I haven't had ONE comment from somebody who doesn't already know. At the store right after I had my blood drawn there was a pregnant lady in front of me and the checker was asking her when she was due (only 2 weeks before me) and talking baby, and I got to my turn to check out.. nothing! What gives!?

Anyway, everything else is going good. Baby L was really active last night and she was sideways so she was bouncing off both sides of my belly at once and doing some acrobatic thing. At one point I felt a pressure on my right side so I put my hand there and I'm pretty sure it was her head (or butt) sticking out! I could actually feel the little round part sticking out from the outside! I admit, it kind of freaked me out a little, sometimes I feel like my body is being taken over by an alien and it wants out, that was one of those times.

No word on orders yet, but I did get a call from the pet shipper today that Cossie's kennel was built and he'd hang onto it for us until we were ready to ship, so I'm glad that's done! I'm going to pay him next week so we can close our British bank account, it will be nice to have only one bank account and our savings account to worry about.

I'll post a pic on Sunday, and let you know how my OB appointment goes on Monday!

Love to you all!

-Me

P.S. You like my new Header?? I made it myself!

Midweek Update

Just thought I'd give a small update. It looks like they got what they needed back from Barksdale and the orderly room sent the packet for our orders up today so hopefully we'll get them by next week. I'm beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed with all we have to accomplish in the next few months. I'm not quite sure how we'll do it, but I guess we'll figure it out. For now we'll just have to take things a day at a time and hope that everything falls into place. We've done as much planning as we can and prepared as much as possible. The only thing we can do now is to wait and hope that things roll fast.

I feel like I've doubled in size this week! I'll post pictures up on Sunday, but I'm feeling like there has definitely been a lot of growth lately! I was feeling out of shape and terrible, so I started going back to the gym carefully. I went yesterday and did a little bit of cardio and some arm weights (low weight, lots of reps) and today I did more cardio and started to do legs, but I had a little bit of a sharp pain so I stopped right away and called it a day.

There is a magazine called Fit Pregnancy, but it's hard to find on base regularly, so I went to their website. They have a lot of useful information about exercising while pregnant. I found a walking schedule so when I don't have a gym to go to regularly I'll start doing that instead. Some of the benefits of exercising while pregnant are that it's usually easier to get the weight back off after baby is born, labors are usually shorter and less painful (I HOPE!), backache relief, stress relief, less excess weight gain, and reduction of constipation. All those sound good to me!

I've also been reading about different foods. Since the baby is in the stage where her brain is developing a lot, it's recommended that your intake of Omega 3's are increased. I have been eating regularly fiber filled cereal for breakfast (Raisin Nut Bran, Oatmeal Raisin Crisp) and topping it with Breakfast Booster from Julian Graves that has all this good stuff: Apricot Dice, Raisins, Sultanas, Sunflower Seeds, Flaked Raw Almonds, Dried Banana, Pumpkin Seeds, Linseed (these are good!) and Roasted Hemp Seeds. It definitely feels like I start my morning off right! While I love fish normally, it just hasn't been palatable since I've been pregnant so I also started taking an Omega 3 supplement that is mainly fish oil along with my prenatal vitamin. Hopefully I'm doing everything okay to make a healthy (and smart!) baby girl!

So that's my mid-week update! I'll go Friday to get my blood work done for my appointment on Monday, hopefully it will show everything is normal and we're good to go! I'll post the 28 week (beginning of 3rd trimester) photo on Sunday!

Ta Ta!