A group of us also made a trip to the Renaissance Festival. We watched some funny shows and ate way too much good food!
Here are a few photos from the weekend.
-A
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Farm Kid.
Not only did I marry a soldier, I married a farm kid. Trevor loves helping out at the farm so he's been gone any chance he gets helping with harvest. Last weekend Rowdy and I went out there for a night. I rode with Trevor while he plowed, Rowdy got to run and play fetch in a nice big yard and go for a leash free walk to the farm. We ran into some people horseback riding on the way, Rowdy was pretty curious yet cautious!
A group of us also made a trip to the Renaissance Festival. We watched some funny shows and ate way too much good food!
Here are a few photos from the weekend.
-A
A group of us also made a trip to the Renaissance Festival. We watched some funny shows and ate way too much good food!
Here are a few photos from the weekend.
-A
23 weeks
Whoops! Missed a couple weeks. We've been busy and my photographer has been gone a lot helping at the farm. I'm feeling great and getting bigger but I don't feel huge yet. Some things are starting to get more difficult (bending to tie shoes, rolling over while sleeping-which I do a lot), but I know it'll only get worse!
I've been walking a lot, but I get winded easier than I used to. My appetite is normal. I even ate cheesecake with maple syrup and it was delicious. I'm up 15 lbs from pre pregnancy weight which is right on track.
Since I last posted we had a doctor's appointment and a follow up ultrasound. The doctor's appointment went well, they're all fairly quick. We went over the first ultrasound (they're done at a pathology center) and the only thing she had to say was that baby had choroid plexus cysts on her brain. She told us not to worry and they're quite common, especially on a scan before 20 weeks which ours was. She said they form when the brain is developing. (I even googled them which one should never do and I couldn't find anything too scary.) She said baby was a little too active to get all the shots of the heart they needed, so at 22 weeks we went back for another scan. Our doctor said the cysts themselves wouldn't be reason for a second scan, it was just to get a better view of the heart. The tech showed us the cysts and said she sees them a lot. She got much better views of the heart. And she double checked and said it still looks like a girl. Baby is 1 pound, 1 ounce and her heart is about the size of a dime right now, so tiny! Also, we got to see her kick on the screen and I, of course, felt it at the same time. Pretty neat!
We're making progress in the baby room. The closet is mostly cleaned out and filled with baby stuff now. There is plenty left to do though!
I think people who are subscribed to this get it by email and may not come to the actual website to read it. I'm adding this part after the fact, so hopefully someone reads it and responds. We already have a stroller (standard Graco stroller that will fit with our car seat), but I'd still like to register for one since we don't have much for bigger items on the registry. I was thinking either a single jogging stroller or a standard double stroller (since it won't be too many years between baby #1 and #2, ideally). Any input on how to decide? Or, a suggestion other than those two?
That's all for now. More next week!
I've been walking a lot, but I get winded easier than I used to. My appetite is normal. I even ate cheesecake with maple syrup and it was delicious. I'm up 15 lbs from pre pregnancy weight which is right on track.
Since I last posted we had a doctor's appointment and a follow up ultrasound. The doctor's appointment went well, they're all fairly quick. We went over the first ultrasound (they're done at a pathology center) and the only thing she had to say was that baby had choroid plexus cysts on her brain. She told us not to worry and they're quite common, especially on a scan before 20 weeks which ours was. She said they form when the brain is developing. (I even googled them which one should never do and I couldn't find anything too scary.) She said baby was a little too active to get all the shots of the heart they needed, so at 22 weeks we went back for another scan. Our doctor said the cysts themselves wouldn't be reason for a second scan, it was just to get a better view of the heart. The tech showed us the cysts and said she sees them a lot. She got much better views of the heart. And she double checked and said it still looks like a girl. Baby is 1 pound, 1 ounce and her heart is about the size of a dime right now, so tiny! Also, we got to see her kick on the screen and I, of course, felt it at the same time. Pretty neat!
We're making progress in the baby room. The closet is mostly cleaned out and filled with baby stuff now. There is plenty left to do though!
I think people who are subscribed to this get it by email and may not come to the actual website to read it. I'm adding this part after the fact, so hopefully someone reads it and responds. We already have a stroller (standard Graco stroller that will fit with our car seat), but I'd still like to register for one since we don't have much for bigger items on the registry. I was thinking either a single jogging stroller or a standard double stroller (since it won't be too many years between baby #1 and #2, ideally). Any input on how to decide? Or, a suggestion other than those two?
That's all for now. More next week!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Catch Up.
There's no way I'll actually go back in time to give any of these things an individual post, so here's what we've been up to for the past month!
A week after we got back from Maui I had my Scentsy launch party. I've always loved candles, but don't love the fire hazard or soot/residue they leave. About a year ago I got started with some Scentsy products and fell in love. They're ceramic warmers with a lightbulb inside and a special wax that melts at the temperature of the light bulb. No more fire hazard. The wax is also different so there's no soot/reside either. Perfect! They have all kinds of other fun stuff, too, like body sprays, room sprays, stuff for your car, stuffed animals with scent pouches in them, laundry stuff, bath/shower stuff, etc. Despite the fact that I never ever thought I would be one to sell stuff, I couldn't help myself. These products sell themselves and I have fun sharing that with people. Bonus: it really seems to be cheaper than buying candles.
Labor Day weekend was our big 19 week ultrasound and found out we're having a girl! I know, we said we weren't going to find out, and we weren't, but Trevor changed his mind then convinced me. As much as I'm a planner, I was totally fine not knowing. The final conclusion was that I get more attention, a baby belly, a shower and I'll be the one giving birth and primary feeder, so for Trevor to be able to picture his son/daughter made sense. We registered at Target and Baby Girl is registered for 2 pink things, everything else is neutral, blue, or green. I'm sure we'll get plenty of girly stuff along the way, we just both had a hard time requesting it. It'll grow on us. We're both thrilled about the sex (probably would have been either way), just not used to girly stuff! The next day I went with my dad to visit my cousin, Alex, who was home on leave. He's in the Marines and stationed in New York, so it was nice to see him and other family. Trevor was stuck at home with a ton of homework.
The following weekend I went to visit Angie and Collin. I went to her softball game, had lunch with Felicia and Georgia, and made homemade pizza with Angie and Collin. We stopped by to visit her parents which is always nice, too. That Sunday Taryn and Cassie came to visit. Taryn and her dad brewed Trevor a special welcome home beer, so she dropped that off for him. She even left me with some delicious Tastefully Simple cocoa that I now love. Oh, and a Vote No sign, too! After their visit, I went to see Kelli and Jenna's house and went for a walk with Kelli. Trevor was busy at his final 2-135 drill. Starting in October he'll be drilling with a new unit. This last drill was the final wrap up of the deployment and now anyone who's transferring will go to their new units. Otherwise, the forward (those who deployed) and rear (those who didn't) will be mixed back together as one. I'm excited for the new opportunities ahead for Trevor, but it's a little strange to no longer be a part of 2-135!
Last week I attended the United Way of Steele County kick-off event in Medford for work. Some of our funding comes from United Way, so we participate in their community events. Each agency had a table with games and prizes for kids, we got free pizza and had a short presentation from United Way.
And, finally, last weekend we went to a housewarming party for our good friends Cory and Ashley. Cory deployed with Trevor when he went to Kosovo, met Ashley when he got back, and got married last September. They just bought a house this summer, so it was nice to see their new place. When they went on their honeymoon, I watched their dog Rachael so she and Rowdy are good buds. We brought Rowdy with and those two ran and ran all over the yard.
There, all caught up. Trevor needs lots of computer time to get his homework done (not kidding, every day), but I'll be doing my best to sneak in when I can!
-A
A week after we got back from Maui I had my Scentsy launch party. I've always loved candles, but don't love the fire hazard or soot/residue they leave. About a year ago I got started with some Scentsy products and fell in love. They're ceramic warmers with a lightbulb inside and a special wax that melts at the temperature of the light bulb. No more fire hazard. The wax is also different so there's no soot/reside either. Perfect! They have all kinds of other fun stuff, too, like body sprays, room sprays, stuff for your car, stuffed animals with scent pouches in them, laundry stuff, bath/shower stuff, etc. Despite the fact that I never ever thought I would be one to sell stuff, I couldn't help myself. These products sell themselves and I have fun sharing that with people. Bonus: it really seems to be cheaper than buying candles.
Labor Day weekend was our big 19 week ultrasound and found out we're having a girl! I know, we said we weren't going to find out, and we weren't, but Trevor changed his mind then convinced me. As much as I'm a planner, I was totally fine not knowing. The final conclusion was that I get more attention, a baby belly, a shower and I'll be the one giving birth and primary feeder, so for Trevor to be able to picture his son/daughter made sense. We registered at Target and Baby Girl is registered for 2 pink things, everything else is neutral, blue, or green. I'm sure we'll get plenty of girly stuff along the way, we just both had a hard time requesting it. It'll grow on us. We're both thrilled about the sex (probably would have been either way), just not used to girly stuff! The next day I went with my dad to visit my cousin, Alex, who was home on leave. He's in the Marines and stationed in New York, so it was nice to see him and other family. Trevor was stuck at home with a ton of homework.
The following weekend I went to visit Angie and Collin. I went to her softball game, had lunch with Felicia and Georgia, and made homemade pizza with Angie and Collin. We stopped by to visit her parents which is always nice, too. That Sunday Taryn and Cassie came to visit. Taryn and her dad brewed Trevor a special welcome home beer, so she dropped that off for him. She even left me with some delicious Tastefully Simple cocoa that I now love. Oh, and a Vote No sign, too! After their visit, I went to see Kelli and Jenna's house and went for a walk with Kelli. Trevor was busy at his final 2-135 drill. Starting in October he'll be drilling with a new unit. This last drill was the final wrap up of the deployment and now anyone who's transferring will go to their new units. Otherwise, the forward (those who deployed) and rear (those who didn't) will be mixed back together as one. I'm excited for the new opportunities ahead for Trevor, but it's a little strange to no longer be a part of 2-135!
Last week I attended the United Way of Steele County kick-off event in Medford for work. Some of our funding comes from United Way, so we participate in their community events. Each agency had a table with games and prizes for kids, we got free pizza and had a short presentation from United Way.
And, finally, last weekend we went to a housewarming party for our good friends Cory and Ashley. Cory deployed with Trevor when he went to Kosovo, met Ashley when he got back, and got married last September. They just bought a house this summer, so it was nice to see their new place. When they went on their honeymoon, I watched their dog Rachael so she and Rowdy are good buds. We brought Rowdy with and those two ran and ran all over the yard.
There, all caught up. Trevor needs lots of computer time to get his homework done (not kidding, every day), but I'll be doing my best to sneak in when I can!
-A
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Sunrise to Sunset on Maui.
Holy moly. A month later I'm finally wrapping up the Maui posts. I'll come up with some sort of catch-up post for all the fun stuff we've been up to since our vacation, too. Keep in mind as you read this post these photos don't do the views any justice. But until you can get to Maui yourself, they'll have to do.
Click for part 1, Welcome to Maui, part 2 the Road to Hana, part 3 Pearl Harbor.
Day Seven, August 16: (Yes, I skipped Day Six-we were lazy bums and didn't do much at all after our two jam packed days) We got up at 2am to prepare for our 2 hour drive to watch the sunrise at Haleakala National Park. This is a big tourist thing to do on Maui, so we figured we had to suck it up and do it. The drive itself is only about 50-some miles, but with the slower speed limits and long windy, hair pin curve roads to get there it takes longer than you'd think. We put on whatever heavy clothes we had because on top of a mountain is chilly, even in Hawaii. We got to the visitor center, where the big event takes place, at about 5am. We stayed in the warmth of the car for half an hour then decided to head out and wait for the sun to rise. I prefer cold weather to heat, believe it or not, but this was cold. The temperature itself wasn't so bad, but man was it windy. I had on a sweatshirt and a windbreaker and zipped my hood shut as tight as I could. Had I known it would be that windy, I honestly think I would have tried to bring my snowpants. Anyway, the idea is to watch this awesome sunrise from way 10,000 feet high, above the clouds even. The pitch black dark photos are pretty much worthless, so we'll start with this one, the sun hadn't peeked up yet, but there was some light telling us it was coming.
It started to get brighter, but we still couldn't actually see the sun yet. Here's a look at our view. You can see all the people on the right, bundled up, just waiting for the sun to rise.
The view got better and better as it got brighter.
And, finally, the sun started to peek up at us. It was a lot of waiting and anticipation for something that happens so slowly!
Click for part 1, Welcome to Maui, part 2 the Road to Hana, part 3 Pearl Harbor.
Day Seven, August 16: (Yes, I skipped Day Six-we were lazy bums and didn't do much at all after our two jam packed days) We got up at 2am to prepare for our 2 hour drive to watch the sunrise at Haleakala National Park. This is a big tourist thing to do on Maui, so we figured we had to suck it up and do it. The drive itself is only about 50-some miles, but with the slower speed limits and long windy, hair pin curve roads to get there it takes longer than you'd think. We put on whatever heavy clothes we had because on top of a mountain is chilly, even in Hawaii. We got to the visitor center, where the big event takes place, at about 5am. We stayed in the warmth of the car for half an hour then decided to head out and wait for the sun to rise. I prefer cold weather to heat, believe it or not, but this was cold. The temperature itself wasn't so bad, but man was it windy. I had on a sweatshirt and a windbreaker and zipped my hood shut as tight as I could. Had I known it would be that windy, I honestly think I would have tried to bring my snowpants. Anyway, the idea is to watch this awesome sunrise from way 10,000 feet high, above the clouds even. The pitch black dark photos are pretty much worthless, so we'll start with this one, the sun hadn't peeked up yet, but there was some light telling us it was coming.
It started to get brighter, but we still couldn't actually see the sun yet. Here's a look at our view. You can see all the people on the right, bundled up, just waiting for the sun to rise.
The view got better and better as it got brighter.
And, finally, the sun started to peek up at us. It was a lot of waiting and anticipation for something that happens so slowly!
It looked a little bit like Mars if you ask me.
I hate to admit it, but the drive down was almost a better view than the sunrise. We were driving above clouds, then through them. We could see parts of the island as well as the ocean. It made the drive down a lot better than the pitch black drive up.
We made our way back to the resort after a quick Starbucks stop. I think we were back before 8am. The whole thing wiped me out so it was back to bed for a while! After we got up, it was more lazy time then a sunset cocktail cruise around the ocean. We were on a pretty small boat with a one man cover band that sounded like the real thing. The views from the boat were a-maz-ing.
We got some really cool photos with this sail boat.
And that wrapped up our last full day on Maui. The next day we took our time packing up and headed towards the airport. We spent some time in Paia, a Bohemian/hippie town, got gelato, walked around, and ate at a fish market. We had a little more time to kill before we needed to get to the airport, so we pulled over at the beach for a while.
One more biology lesson from Trevor.
And we took one cheesy mushy beach photo.
Totally awesome trip! Just what we needed after a long year apart and before all kinds of baby excitement. I'd definitely recommend Maui to anyone!
-A
Sunday, September 16, 2012
21 weeks
Woah. So I skipped a week, the big halfway mark! I was out of town and Trevor had drill, that week turned into two and here we are.
In general, all is well. I'm feeling kicks (punches? Who knows what really, but something) and seeing them now, too. Trevor hasn't seen it yet, but he felt it a month ago. Last weekend when he was at drill I caught a kick on video so he has seen that, pretty cool. We both got to feel some pretty strong kicks tonight. I'm feeling good, still have mucous in my throat but it doesn't seem as bad. I gag occasionally, but not often. For the most part, I have plenty of energy. I get winded a little easier but I'm back into walking as usual. I've been suffering through diarrhea all day, but Trevor has, too, so I'm not sure I can call that a pregnancy symptom. He has, at some point, had every pregnancy symptom I have though so maybe!
The nursery is coming along well. Since we moved here it's been a giant storage closet, but the clutter and junk is slowly finding its way out. And just as soon as we clear a spot, baby stuff filters in. The crib is put together, looks good! The dresser is set up and quickly filling with clothes. It's all starting to feel more real now that the room is coming together and my belly is actually looking pregnant.
This week's pregnancy question: registry item tips? Must haves? Over-rated stuff?
-A
In general, all is well. I'm feeling kicks (punches? Who knows what really, but something) and seeing them now, too. Trevor hasn't seen it yet, but he felt it a month ago. Last weekend when he was at drill I caught a kick on video so he has seen that, pretty cool. We both got to feel some pretty strong kicks tonight. I'm feeling good, still have mucous in my throat but it doesn't seem as bad. I gag occasionally, but not often. For the most part, I have plenty of energy. I get winded a little easier but I'm back into walking as usual. I've been suffering through diarrhea all day, but Trevor has, too, so I'm not sure I can call that a pregnancy symptom. He has, at some point, had every pregnancy symptom I have though so maybe!
The nursery is coming along well. Since we moved here it's been a giant storage closet, but the clutter and junk is slowly finding its way out. And just as soon as we clear a spot, baby stuff filters in. The crib is put together, looks good! The dresser is set up and quickly filling with clothes. It's all starting to feel more real now that the room is coming together and my belly is actually looking pregnant.
This week's pregnancy question: registry item tips? Must haves? Over-rated stuff?
-A
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Pearl Harbor.
Part three of our trip to Hawaii posts. Click for part 1, Welcome to Maui, part 2, the Road to Hana or part 4, Sunrise to Sunset on Maui.
Day Five, August 14: We visited Maui. Pearl Harbor is part of Oahu. We were so close and knew it would likely be a while until we could come back, so we booked a day trip to visit all the big Pearl Harbor locations. This one will probably be mostly photos and captions in an attempt to not give you all a giant history lesson. I thought I knew a fair bit about WWII, but this really opened my eyes and showed me how little I knew. I came back with lots of questions and a desire to read up on some of this. Trevor has been watching WWII, specifically Pacific WWII, documentaries on Netflix, too.
Anyway, we headed to the Kapalua Airport just 5 miles from our hotel. The flight was about 25 minutesto Honolulu, Oahu. Too bad we didn't plan this for earlier in the trip or we could have picked up our luggage while there. As soon as we got off the plane, our tour bus was waiting to take us on our Pearl Harbor journey.
We started at the USS Arizona Visitor Center where we had a good view of just about everything we'd be seeing that day. We walked around, looked at written information about what happened, memorials, and quickly snagged some postcards and a shot glass for my collection.
Our first big stop was the USS Arizona Memorial which started with a video about the attacks on December 7, 1941 and events shortly thereafter. This is where our involvement in WWII began. I always thought this was the big Pearl Harbor must-see; don't get me wrong it was surreal to be there, but there's so much more to it. Read on...
Next we grabbed some lunch and went to the USS Bowfin memorial. This was a submarine that was first launched one year after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1942. By the sounds of it, she sure earned her nickname of "Pearl Harbor Avenger." It included an audio tour of the inside/outside of the submarine (yes, we were the tourists with the headphones), but I rushed the inside part a bit because it was quite warm in there and I do not do heat well.
After the submarine, we headed back to the bus and took a quick drive to Ford Island, which is in the middle of Pearl Harbor itself. It's mostly a military installation with some naval facitilies and military housing. The reason for our visit was to see the USS Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum.
As we were driving, we saw the airfield where Amelia Erhart first attempted to fly on her big journey. She had some technical difficulties and never made it anywhere which is why that fact isn't really known, but now we know. Our first stop on Ford Island was the USS Missouri, where WWII in the Pacific ended. It is moored where the USS Oklahoma capsized during the attacks. This is also the site of many filmings such as the recent movie Battleship and Cher's video for "If I Could Turn Back Time."
And, finally, the Pacific Aviation Museum-in an actual hangar that was there in 1941. Trevor could have spent the entire day there. The first half of it was all WWII planes. We watched another movie then one of the volunteers, a former C-130 pilot, gave us a guided tour. He sure loved planes and history-we could have listened to him go on and on if we had the time.
The next part of the museum, also a hangar from 1941, was everything from post-WWII until present day. The building itself is considered a historical site and therefore can not be changed in any way. Because of that, it still has broken windows from bullets and blasts from the attacks on Pearl Harbor.
And that wrapped up our Pearl Harbor trip. We headed back to the airport, got on our plane back to Maui, and had a quiet relaxing night after two long days of sight seeing. Here's a nice view from the plane ride back.
Day Five, August 14: We visited Maui. Pearl Harbor is part of Oahu. We were so close and knew it would likely be a while until we could come back, so we booked a day trip to visit all the big Pearl Harbor locations. This one will probably be mostly photos and captions in an attempt to not give you all a giant history lesson. I thought I knew a fair bit about WWII, but this really opened my eyes and showed me how little I knew. I came back with lots of questions and a desire to read up on some of this. Trevor has been watching WWII, specifically Pacific WWII, documentaries on Netflix, too.
Anyway, we headed to the Kapalua Airport just 5 miles from our hotel. The flight was about 25 minutesto Honolulu, Oahu. Too bad we didn't plan this for earlier in the trip or we could have picked up our luggage while there. As soon as we got off the plane, our tour bus was waiting to take us on our Pearl Harbor journey.
We started at the USS Arizona Visitor Center where we had a good view of just about everything we'd be seeing that day. We walked around, looked at written information about what happened, memorials, and quickly snagged some postcards and a shot glass for my collection.
Our first big stop was the USS Arizona Memorial which started with a video about the attacks on December 7, 1941 and events shortly thereafter. This is where our involvement in WWII began. I always thought this was the big Pearl Harbor must-see; don't get me wrong it was surreal to be there, but there's so much more to it. Read on...
The actual Arizona is still below the monument. This photo was taken from the Arizona Memorial and that white buoy in the distance shows where the end of the ship is on that end.
The Arizona is still leaking oil and they say there's enough that it should continue to leak for at least 20 more years.
Next we grabbed some lunch and went to the USS Bowfin memorial. This was a submarine that was first launched one year after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1942. By the sounds of it, she sure earned her nickname of "Pearl Harbor Avenger." It included an audio tour of the inside/outside of the submarine (yes, we were the tourists with the headphones), but I rushed the inside part a bit because it was quite warm in there and I do not do heat well.
Cool tourist headsets.
No wonder I felt cramped in the heat dungeon.
We guessed this was the first class luxury suite.
After the submarine, we headed back to the bus and took a quick drive to Ford Island, which is in the middle of Pearl Harbor itself. It's mostly a military installation with some naval facitilies and military housing. The reason for our visit was to see the USS Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum.
As we were driving, we saw the airfield where Amelia Erhart first attempted to fly on her big journey. She had some technical difficulties and never made it anywhere which is why that fact isn't really known, but now we know. Our first stop on Ford Island was the USS Missouri, where WWII in the Pacific ended. It is moored where the USS Oklahoma capsized during the attacks. This is also the site of many filmings such as the recent movie Battleship and Cher's video for "If I Could Turn Back Time."
The USS Missouri was put back into service during Desert Storm. See that black painted shape? That's Kuwait.
This marks where the documents (see above) were signed.
The Missouri's dental office.
We got cute tourist stickers, too.
View from the top. Obviously.
And, finally, the Pacific Aviation Museum-in an actual hangar that was there in 1941. Trevor could have spent the entire day there. The first half of it was all WWII planes. We watched another movie then one of the volunteers, a former C-130 pilot, gave us a guided tour. He sure loved planes and history-we could have listened to him go on and on if we had the time.
The pilot of this plane is wearing his dress white uniform. Our guide told us that was accurate. We often forget these attacks are surprises-the sailors had a formal event the night before and some were still "carrying on" when the attacks started.
Map of the attacks.
And that wrapped up our Pearl Harbor trip. We headed back to the airport, got on our plane back to Maui, and had a quiet relaxing night after two long days of sight seeing. Here's a nice view from the plane ride back.
-A