January 30, 2012

Emotional Rollercoaster

And the saga continues....

Let me preface this that I try my best not to bash the Army on my blog.  After all, they are my husband's employer.  He works for them; I don't.  I don't usually feel it's my place to air the laundry concerning Army issues on my blog.  However, there are some times when the Army affects MY life so much that I need to talk about it partly for my own sanity and also to let people know what's going on in my life.

So to the issue.  Do you recall how bitter I've been recently about our cancelled move?  I may not have liked it, but I'd come to accept it.  Well, last week Pat got tentative orders for that move from his branch.  He immediately called them to inquire because he has been told he is "stop moved" and cannot move on.  Branch told Pat that they know about the request to keep Pat here, but they still plan on moving him.

I don't know if you can imagine the absolute elation Pat and I felt knowing that our dream assignment might actually work out.  We were flying high until Pat's LTC tells him that his unit plans on trying to get his orders deleted.  It is extremely disheartening to have the people you work with/for working against you.  Pat was devastated (and so was I).  Another call to branch tells Pat that they do not plan to delete his orders, and it will have to come from way up above for that to happen.  And again, we begin to feel a little comfort and joy about the idea that we may get what we want.

And then today we hear that the fight will be brought to a two-star general to fight with Army Human Resources.  (I am not sure if this is true or will happen.)  I can not adequately explain my feelings on this whole ordeal.  I guess I could say it is a combination of annoying, worrisome, frustrating, comical, and so much more.  

This situation is most of all stressful.  If it works out in our favor, we will be PCSing before our baby is born.  We need to sell our house in order to move.  We are running out of time.  If it doesn't work out for us, I'm not sure what we do in the future.  We will be heartbroken because this is not an assignment Pat can do later.  We had finally come to terms with losing it, but now I feel like we could lose it twice.

So that's where I'm at and what is going on here.  I'm not sure when I'll know more, but I really do hope and pray that this will end in the way I desire.  I'll let you know how it turns out when I know.  It wouldn't hurt if you could cross your fingers for us ;)

January 25, 2012

One Year of Command

Today marks the one year anniversary of the day Pat took command.  It's bittersweet.  During this past year a lot has happened--both good and bad.  Unfortunately the part that will stick in my head is that we were ready to be done and move on this spring to much better things, but this unit is preventing that.  Pat will have over another year in command.  All that said though, I really think this is leading us to a path that may just be the best one for us.

Other than the above anniversary, I've got very little to say/update on.  The kids are sleeping miserably in the new room.  They are taking 1.5-2 hours every night to go to sleep.  Tonight I'm moving the bedtime even earlier.  Sometimes they are waking in the middle of the night.  Since they're not sleeping well, they are even getting up early (6:30 a.m.) every day.  Plus being pregnant I'm finding it hard to be comfortable enough to sleep.  Add to all that 3 dogs trying to sleep in my bed too, and I wake up ready for a nap.

Maybe tomorrow when I'm not so grumpy I'll have more to write.

January 20, 2012

Pregnancy Update

I know I've mentioned my pregnancy on here in other posts, but I thought I'd give a little bit of an update and maybe even a few photos of how large my butt...errr... belly is getting.

So let me go back a while for a quick story first.  Around 10 weeks a friend in town let me borrow her doppler.  I had never used one at home with my other pregnancies, but I was having a hard time trying to make it until my 12 week appointment without any confirmation that things were going well.  I was nervous about trying to find the heartbeat at home, but thought if I did succeed it would give me some peace of mind.  Hubby and I nervously began looking for the heartbeat.  We mostly heard static and my own heartbeat.  I was beginning to worry and get frustrated.  We hadn't been patient enough to wait till the kids were in bed, so they were running around during all this.  Hubby went to get a snack for the boys and I continued looking.  I was just about to give up when I heard the beautiful sound.  Hubby heard it as he entered the room.  We shared a smile and sigh of relief.  I used the doppler one last time the night before my 12 week appointment, and I am so glad I did.
At my 12 week appointment they took out a doppler that looked like it belonged in the Ghostbusters movie or like an old-school boombox.  I hoped that they kept the old thing around so long because it was super good or something.  That wasn't the case though.  The midwife I was seeing couldn't find the heartbeat and calmly asked the nurse to bring the ultrasound machine in.  I was quite calm still because I knew the heartbeat could be difficult to find, and afterall, I had listened to it the night before.  Part of me was hoping they wouldn't get the doppler to find it so I could have the ultrasound, but a bit of me was starting to worry.  The ultrasound machine gets wheeled in, and she started looking at the baby.  My breath gets caught in my throat because I don't see any blinking on the screen.  My mind starts flooding with worry that in those past 24 hours since I heard the heartbeat something terrible must have happened.  The midwife says, "do you see the heartbeat?"  To which I reply, "I don't, but if you do that is great."  It turns out the ultrasound machine is about as old as that doppler.  Upon closer inspection of the screen, I could see the heart moving.  I finally felt happiness surge though me.  I even got a couple photos of baby from that whole ordeal.

So back to present.  I'm about 18 weeks now (give or take).  And from the looks of the photos, the baby is growing in my butt and thighs as well as my belly.  When this pregnancy began, I had high hopes to take belly pics where I looked glowing, well-dressed, and just cute.  Then reality hit me.  I hardly ever get out of sweatpants unless I have to, and I definitely do not feel beautiful.  So you'll have to settle for pictures of reality.
Here are some of the typical details:
How far along? 18 weeks
Sleep?  ehh, I'm usually a back sleeper, and that's not comfortable or safe in pregnancy, so I'm not sleeping as well as before the pregnancy.  The two little boys who wake me up don't help it either ;)
Movement?  I've started to feel taps and kicks.  I look forward to feeling more as he/she grows.
Food Cravings?  Thankfully for the first time in any of my pregnancies, I'm craving fruit.  I also sometimes crave light and fresh foods like salads or sandwiches.  But that doesn't mean I don't also crave ice cream too ;)  (and it's beginning to show)  It also happens that if I want something once most of the time I'll be grossed out by the thought of it after I eat it.
Anything make you queasy or sick?  As I said I'm feeling so much better these days.  In the evenings I sometimes feel gross, but overall things are pretty good now.
Gender?  We'll find out for sure in a couple of weeks.  We have a hunch, but I'll wait until we know for sure before I say anything.  Any guesses?
Symptoms?  I'm still pretty tired, but the lack of good sleep could be causing that.

So there you have it.  You are completely up to date with baby #3.

January 19, 2012

What's In Your Bag?

I'm linking up with Becky over at The Branches for a what's in your bag link-up.  Go on over and join in the fun.

The bag I'm currently carrying is a casual canvas bag that I bought during a Thirty-One Fundraiser at Ryan's preschool.  It's a great bag that fits tons of stuff.  It was great for traveling over the holidays.
And here's what's inside:

  1. Keys
  2. Vera Bradley coin purse
  3. Vera Bradley zip around wallet
  4. iphone
  5. Optimus Prime Cell Phone (Ryan's)
  6. Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in graped-up (Posted about HERE.)
  7. Kate Spade Glasses (that I should wear more often instead of just carrying around)  (Posted about HERE)
  8. EOS Lip Balm that I got in a blog swap.  
  9. Eclipse Mints
  10. Tylenol for the headaches that pregnancy sometimes brings.  
  11. Vera Bradley bag full of band-aids, neo-to-go, more lip balm, hair clips, tampons, eye drops, etc.  
  12. Foldable Travel Potty Seat (Buy HERE).  This may seem weird, but it is seriously priceless.  In potty training both my boys got the hang of it, but toilets in public places pose different challenges.  This seat has really added to the success of public potty trips.  Definitely worth it!
  13. Flushable Wipes are great for the potty trips I mentioned above.  
  14. Extra pull-ups or a change of underwear in a pampers diaper bag I got for free. 
I also have a spare plastic bag in there just in case of issues while out.  And of course before any trip I toss some snacks in the bag too.

So what's in your bag?

January 18, 2012

Boys will be boys

This is what happens when little boys play with the kitchen sink.

Don't worry, I was the one who opened the cabinet to clean up the mess.  The kids can't get to the chemicals.  

And this is what happens after they make a giant mess.  
He's asleep on my floor.  We can thank the AT&T service people that never showed up for the lack of a proper nap.  

Little boys are so much fun though!

January 17, 2012

Where is the coffee?

If I were not pregnant right now, "where is the coffee?" would be my first thought each morning.  The boys moving into one room has been worse than I anticipated.  I thought Ryan would be the more difficult of the two because the first two nights you could hear him yelling "wake up" to his little brother each time he fell asleep.

But alas, they're both proving equally difficult.  Ryan was pretty good about bedtime in his own room.  Right before we moved them together he started to have some difficulty because he didn't want to be alone.  I thought the move would be a solution.

I also thought it might help solve Sean's need for me to sleep with him.  I figured if he and his brother were in the same room they could fall asleep without me.

Well, nothing is solved.  We now have two boys crying out for Momma each night.  It takes me a minimum of 1.5 hours to get them quiet and go to sleep.  This is not working for me and they are so overtired at this point.

Tonight I'm ready to play hardball.  Bedtime will start at 7:30.  We must get on a routine that works for all of us, and I'd like to find that routine FAST!!!!!

If anyone has some secrets that have worked in their house, I'd love to hear them ;)

January 13, 2012

The Laundry Fight

Getting laundry done in general is a fight in this house, but that's not the fight I'm talking about.

The other night the hubby decided he would fold the laundry.  Every night I am exhausted, nauseous, cranky, and pretty much just feeling too done with the day to move.  So hubby and I were sitting together on the bed while he was folding.  I realize this makes me sound very lucky to have a hubby willing to fold laundry.  However, after a while my urge to be cranky overwhelmed me, and I let loose on the poor guy.

My pet peeve when hubby folds the laundry is he doesn't sort it....like at all.  All the clothes are mixed in together--my clothes, his clothes, the boys clothes---shirts, pants, it doesn't matter.  Hubby also will not put any of the laundry away.  So I'll end up with a basket to sort and put away anyway.  The last straw though was when I saw that nothing in the piles was going in the same direction.  (I'll admit, maybe I'm a little particular!)  I at least expect the collars of all the t-shirts in the same direction.  After all, this is the same man that at the beginning of our marriage insisted I fold his boxers 3 times at the top and then 3 times up the legs; no other way was acceptable.

So as I said my mean side came out.  (I blame the mean side coming out as often as it does these days on the pregnancy).  Thankfully Pat did chuckle a bit because some of my points are legit, but I think I've lost his help on the laundry anytime in the near future.

January 11, 2012

Bread

Pat and I decided not to do big gifts for each other for Christmas this year, but he still wanted some ideas from me.  I knew exactly what I wanted to ask for.  I've been wanting to get a bread machine for years now.  And since I'm not currently on a quest to get thin carbs can be a staple of my diet, right?

I couldn't wait to try my bread machine when we got back from our trip to see family.  The first weekend home we decided to have some homemade chili with buttered fresh bread.  It was delicious!!!

After making my first loaf, I guess you could say I'm a bit obsessed.  The next day I wanted to try another recipe.  The only one I had all the ingredients to try was Chocolate Bread.  Sounds a bit odd, huh?  I decided to give it a whirl though.  It ended up pretty good.  Sean is a big fan.  It is recommended as a breakfast bread and served with cream cheese.  If you like chocolate, why not add it to your breakfast?

Since I had a bit of the white bread left over I decided to try a recipe I'd been craving.

French Toast Casserole (Modified from FamilyFun Magazine)

Ingredients:
5 large slices homemade white bread
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon or to taste
4 eggs
3/4 + a bit extra milk
1tsp vanilla extract
maple syrup for serving

Cut bread into 1" cubes.  Place half of bread cubes in a buttered casserole dish.  In a small bowl combine cinnamon and brown sugar.  Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture on the bread in casserole dish.  Add the remaining bread to the dish.  Top with the remaining cinnamon and sugar.  In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Starting at the sides and working toward the center pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread.  Gently press down on the bread to make sure it all gets some of the egg mixture on it.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours).

Heat oven to 350*.  Bake covered for 20 minutes.  Then remove foil and continue baking about 20 minutes until the top turns golden brown.  Serve warm with maple syrup.


I love french toast.  This was definitely a good variation of it.  It hit the spot, and I didn't have to do much work to get it ready this morning.  It would be a great dish to serve if you are hosting a brunch.  
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January 10, 2012

Outgrown

Just like I've outgrown my pants recently, we've also outgrown this house.  This was one of the hard things to accept about our move being cancelled.  Our house right now isn't technically too small for us.  In fact with a move we'll probably be downsizing the square footage, but the truth is the layout just makes this house too small for our family.

While we have a large living room, we do not have a playroom.  Our living room is full to the brim with children's toys.  So almost all of my day is spent feeling like my world is being taken over by colorful plastic.  And to add to the pain of it, our bedrooms are literally inches from the living room (no hallways here, my door just opens to the living room).  As soon as I wake up the clutter hits me.

As much as I complain about this, I am not one to take the toys away from the kids.  I just know in my next home, a safe and designated play area is a MUST.

With all the growing we have going on here, we've also had to make some changes.  Since we aren't moving and we do have a baby on the way, we had to combine the boys into one room.  I was planning on this with a move, so now I just started earlier.  Sean's new bed (identical to Ryan's) arrived yesterday.   Sean is having a little bit of a hard time falling asleep without momma in his bed.  And Ryan is still learning that at bedtime we have to be quiet.  They didn't fall asleep until just after 11 p.m.  I'm sure it will get easier with time.  And it was so worth it to listen to the two of them talking over the monitor.  I couldn't help but laugh at them.

Here's a pic of their new room.


Here's hoping for more sleep tonight.      
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January 5, 2012

Why hello there!

Last night I spent a little while trying to catch up in the blog world.  So much is going on right now for many of my favorite blogs.  I also noticed the plethora of 2012 goals/resolutions.  Before I tell you mine, let me start by catching you up on where I've been.

We arrived home last night from our holiday trip to see family.  It was a great 13 days.  I miss my family so much.  Being back in New England was bittersweet since that is where where were supposed to be moving in the next few months until the stop move.  And I'm sure you remember how upset I was about all that.  I can at least say that Pat and I have hashed out a plan for our future.  Of course it's only written in pencil at this point, but I'm a planner and having a plan makes me feel a lot better.

The boys had an awesome time getting so much attention from everyone.  We celebrated Christmas up there and had a little visit from Santa last night for a TN Christmas this morning.  There is absolutely NO room in my house for any more toys.

So that leads me to the present.  We're now in 2012!  I know I entered the new year feeling a little stuck and at a stand still.  But really there are such big things in store for us.  In June we'll welcome a new baby.  Next fall/winter (fingers crossed) we may be selling our home and buying a new one in preparation for a BIG move.  I have another trip to visit family planned this spring, but I'll be flying with both boys alone (and pretty pregnant) so that is exciting and scary at the same time.

As for goals, I have lots of goals that I'm working on all the time.  So for 2012, I just want to have a broad goal of choosing happiness.  I want to choose a happy outlook at life and also to actively pursue happiness through the decisions I make.  Maybe I choose this since we ended 2011 with such a let down.  I don't want to let noise on the outside color my mood or perspective.  We'll see how it goes ;)

Happy 2012 everyone!  I hope the new year is filled with blessings for all.


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