2 Months Old

Wow...time is just flying by.  Evelyn is already 2 months old and is growing by leaps and bounds it seems like.  In the past month she has had several  firsts.  She has started really babbling a lot when she is awake so we can now "converse" with each other.  She smiles quite a bit in response to not only mine or Mike's smiles but also when she is happily playing on her tummy time mat (either on tummy or on back).  Evelyn has also figured out the whole rolling from tummy to back routine so tummy time has gotten interesting.  She figured out how to roll from tummy to back right before she went on her first road trip to Portland to visit her Aunt Sherry and her cousins.  She is a very good travelling baby :)  Mike and I also got to hear her first laughter, such a lovely sound that warms the heart so very much. 

At Evelyn's 2 month appt she got her first round of shots....I cried after we got home and she was down for a nap.  I know they are a necessity for her well-being but because we had to hurt her to keep her healthy it made me sad.  I hate it when she hurts.  She is now 9 pounds 12 ounces, and is 22 inches long.  Doctor says she is growing just fine and that we are doing good. Definitely glad to hear this since so many times I feel like a horrible mommy because she cries so hard at times. 

When it comes to play time Evelyn loves her swing and is starting to become very attached to her blue Oball and her tag blanket.  I forgot the one day to put her Oball on the carseat and she definitely let me know her displeasure :(.   And if she has a grip on the tag blanket and you try to take it from her she tightens her grip and screams.  Guess my child has her favorite items :)

Evelyn in her swing....you can see her tag blanket hanging from swing, she hasn't realized it is there yet but she will.

 

Getting ready for our trip to Oregon.

 

With her Aunt Sherry

 

Look at me, I am 2 months old

 

Just chilling with the ladybug mommy gave her

Oregon Roadtrip October 18-24, 2012

Well on October 18th, my mum and I took Evelyn on her first road trip.  We drove to Pendleton, OR for her first hotel stay that night.  She was an awesome little traveler and did really well sleeping in a place other than home for the first time.  The second day we made it to Oregon City and my sister's house.  Evelyn loved the attention that my niece and sister gave her while we were there and even tho her routine was disrupted she was a trooper while we were gone. 

I wasn't able to get a picture of her by the Welcome to Oregon sign like I wanted to because it was too cool and I forgot to bring her winter pram with us (bad mommy).  I had plenty of blankets to keep her warm in her carrier tho :).  She was even in her first snow storm as we had snow over the Blues Mountains as we were coming home from Oregon.  Not even 2 months old and she has been in 2 states now :)  My hope is to get her to as many states as I can.

                                         My niece, Amy, and my sister, Sherry with Evelyn

                                                       My sister, Sherry with Evelyn

One Month Old.....already?!?!?!

I can not believe that my baby girl is already 1 whole month old.  Seems like there is no way that much time has passed.  Evelyn is more and more aware of the world around her every day.  She is awake for somewhere between 8 and 12 hours every day now and is starting to smile, coo and babble at us.  She is even somewhat playing with her toys.  She will hit at her toys while laying on her tummy time mat if we place her on her back on it.  She will sort of grab on to her doll or tiny stuffed tiger and loves watching the bar rattle or her rattle ball move.  She is up to 3-4 ounces of formula at nearly every feeding. 

I can't really say we are on a set schedule but we kinda have a routine going of an AM nap, a noonish nap and an early evening nap (along with several little naps in between).  She is also getting better at sleeping at night.  She has gone 6 hours between feedings a couple of times and 7 hours one time that I know of.  Bedtime is typically between 7pm and 9pm tho that is subject to change depending on how late/good her early evening nap is. 

She definitely recognizes me and Mike as being around all the time and she responds to my mother and Mike's Dad when they are around really well.  She is also a little trooper when we are at PWOC, MOPS and Velocity and everyone wants to hold her.  She goes to pretty much anyone with no fussing (at least for now). 

                                                         Salina checks out Evelyn in the crib

                                                   Tummy Time with Penny

                                                         Evelyn and her first Smurf

                                                       Watch me grow - 1 month old

                                                       "Look at me sitting in the glider"

                                                             Cuddling with Ridget

2 Weeks Old

Well, Evelyn had her 2 week appointment at the Pediatric clinic on base yesterday (10 September).  According to the doctor she is a very healthy little girl, weighing in already at 7 pounds 11 ounces and measuring 21 inches long.  She is growing so much already, kinda makes me sad. 

I introduced Tummy Time on a blanket on the floor this week.  She seems to be taking to it just fine.  She will kick legs, rock body, and lift head while on her tummy.  When she is tired of Tummy Time she will fuss at me and I will flip her on to her back and she'll lay there and kick and move her arms happily.  We had been doing tummy just with me laying on my back with her on my tummy but decided to add this in for more freedom for both us.

She also loves her rocker/bouncer, happily sitting in it while I fold laundry or try to do other minor chores around house. 

                                                          Rocker/bouncer time

                                                                     Tummy Time

                                                                 After Tummy Time

One week old

Well, we have survived the first week of Evelyn's life.  It has had its share of ups and downs as any new adventure has.  Parenthood is DEFINITELY a new adventure and one that I truly believe that God has given me the strength, peace and knowledge to get through. 

Evelyn is up to a minimum of 2 ounces of formula at every feeding and sometimes 3 ounces.  She has taken to the bottle a lot better than she ever did breastfeeding and is a good little eater.  We also have had our share of baby messes, including feet being placed in it (EWWWW).  By no means are Mike and I perfect parents but we are doing our best in trying to care for this little angel. 

Evelyn got to watch Star Wars movies with me on Saturday so we are already teaching her how to be a geek.  She also has watched a couple Chicago Cubs baseball games with me.  In fact I was trying to change her during the last inning of the game today and she decided to roll onto her side and not stay on her back.  It was like she was trying to see last little bit of game. (I know that isn't the case but that is what it seemed like).

She loves the little infant/toddler rocker that we have for her.  She enjoys it both as a rocker and as a bouncer and has taken a couple naps in it.  She is such a cutie in her rocker waving her arms and legs when we first put her in it.  Definitely a perfect purchase.

In my mind, Evelyn also hit a milestone today.  The stump from her umbilical cord fell off tonight nearly exactly 1 week from when she was born.  (about 1 hour too early)  The sight looks terrific and no sign of any infection. 

I am so blessed to have such a beautiful little girl.  I never imagined how much love I could have inside me.  I just want to share her with the world, too bad my energy levels are lagging at the moment.  Oh well I can share her soon enough.

Evelyn Marie is here:)

Well a lot has happened since my last post on here.  Let me start with the day before Evelyn Marie's birth.

Saturday August 25th, 2012 - Mom and I had gone out in the morning looking at garage sales.  We found a few good deals but had to cut the outing short as I was having some tightness in my back and we wanted me to be able to go out to dinner that night.  After our dinner outing later that night I sat with a heating pad on my back as it was still causing me discomfort and pain.  Eventually I went to bed on the couch.

Sunday August 26th, 2012 - 6:30AM
              WATER BREAKS!!!!!!  We are on our way to base hospital and I am thinking I was right, wasn't gonna make due date for all the doctors' said I would.  Get to base and get admitted into Labor and Delivery.

Sunday August 26th, 2012 - ALL DAY
              What a way to spend a lazy Sunday, walking the halls waiting for contractions to get strong enough and close enough together.  Finally around 330 they started me on medication to speed up the labor process and then a few hours later they add pain medication to IV to help me deal with contraction pains.  I DID NOT have an epidural.  Around 10pm contractions are getting strong enough and hard enough that they actually think my baby will be here in the next hour or so

Sunday August 26th, 2012 - 11:15PM
              After over 16 hours in labor Evelyn Marie is born into this world at 7 pounds 1.3 ounces, 20.5 inches.  I can't believe this tiny human is actually mine, feels surreal to be a mother to someone so precious.  I do hurt but the love for my daughter totally is overriding the pain.

                                 Evelyn Marie just a mere 15 minutes after being born

                                         Daddy and Evelyn with Salina kitty

                                            Evelyn likes her rocker/bouncer

Baby Shower time :)

Well today was the baby shower.  I was officially at 38 weeks pregnant and feeling EVERY bit of it.  No matter what the symptoms/feelings are I am having I wouldn't change it for the world.  But back to the baby shower.  My good friends, Jennifer Huff and Stephanie Higgins, hosted my baby shower and while it was a smallish affair it was lots of fun and lots of good memories were made :)  Loved the games, especially the multi-tasking one where you had to talk on a cell phone while holding the baby and hanging up laundry on the clothesline.   Definitely have to work on being able to multi-task better. 

                                   Delicious red velvet cake that Stephanie made and decorated

                                                  Clothesline before Multi-tasking game

                                                    How well can you multi-task???

                                                               Starting to open presents

37 weeks Pregnant (LATE POST)

Well it has been a few since I posted here.  I am now at 37 weeks and the baby is considered full term.  I would be more than happy to deliver her before my due date as every day it gets harder to get comfy. 

Mike and I did go on our trip to Tucson and Show Low, Arizona.  Was nice to be out of Idaho for a while but thinking I may NEVER travel during weeks 34 and 35 ever again if I get pregnant again.  For time in vehicle it was the MOST uncomfortable I have ever been on a trip but according to the doctor after we got back it did neither of us any harm.  In fact I do believe that Evelyn's heartbeat was actually better after the trip than it was before the trip (YAY!!!!)

Next step along my baby journey is the baby shower.

                                          37 weeks 3 days along :)

34 Weeks along

Been a while since I posted anything on this blog so I figured I better add an update. 

I am now 34 weeks along in this pregnancy so not long now before we all get to meet this little angel.  There really hasn't been anything new to report as my doctors appointments keep being ones where the doctors sound like broken records "Everything is going great,"  "She is right on track,"  "Nice strong heartbeat."  All things I am LOVING hearing.  I would greatly love to have another ultrasound of her but unless there is a problem the base hospital won't do any more ultrasounds and part of me isn't really sure I want to see her all squished up inside me and I know she must be fast running out of room as her kicks and punches are getting stronger with every passing week. 

Evelyn Marie has 2 new games that she is playing in my tummy now.  The first one started about a month ago and I lovingly call it "Let's See How Far We Can Stretch Mom's Tummy."  I swear that she is taking a foot or a hand and just pushing outwards with it.  I'll be sitting or standing doing whatever and all of a sudden I will feel and/or see my tummy just start to stretch forward.  It isn't really painful but definitely annoying and catches me off guard EVERY time.

Her 2nd game is now using my ribs as her personal xylophone which in small doses isn't bad but when you are stuck in a car travelling 5 hours down the road toward your destination it can get downright uncomfortable. 

Now don't get me wrong with either of those games, I WOULD NOT trade any movement I feel from her for anything.  I fiercely love this child and will do ANY and EVERY thing to protect her.  But definitely getting to the point of the pregnancy where part of me can't wait until it is over and part of me wants it to last forever because I know she is protected in there.

Well I don't want to start rambling too much so here is picture of me from last weekend when I was 33 weeks along.

28 week Prenatal appt

YAY!!!!! Found out today that my Glucose levels are A-OK so no worries about Gestational Diabetes, but I do have a first in my life.  I am slightly anemic.  Never have had to deal with anemia but since it is only slight we are figuring it is the fact that that I don't regularly remember to take my pre-natal.  I have to try and do better.

Heartbeat and size of baby are still good and baby is still measuring big for how far along we are but nothing to worry about.

Camping at 28 weeks along

Well I survived our second camping trip of the year and the second while pregnant.  We spent this trip up at Placerville, ID (a former mining town from during the gold rush days).  This is the second year we have been up in Placerville to help with the Idaho Road Rally and like last year it was tons of fun.  Unfortunately, also like last year it was rainy, windy and cold.  I think we went through all the seasons on Saturday (we had snow in the early AM, rain off and on all day, a spot of hail, a wee bit of sunshine and windy ALL DAY LONG).  This is semi-primitive camping at its best we do have access to portapotty's but the actual campground is private property that the owner agrees to let the Road Rally drivers and volunteers camp on for the weekend. 

There are 3 stages of the race (Harris Creek, Alder Creek and Grimes Pass).  This year we got to be road guards on the Alder Creek stage which had 4 runs (2 Saturday and 2 Sunday).  What an awesome way to see the race from actually down on the roads, you see drifts, near accidents and this year sadly we saw a car overheat Saturday and have to sit for most of the race losing time.  It was nice to get to chat with the driver and co-driver but would have liked them to do better in the race.  Luckily the only accidents I heard of were 1 car that spun around and hit either a tree or the side of the mountain and the other was one of the Stage Captains (he totally ruined a flat tire on his truck).  Definitely lots of fun and hope we can find a way to go next year even tho we will have an 8-10 month old baby. 

Camping at 26 weeks

I love this time of year.  The weather is just starting to warm up during the day where you are comfy in shorts, jeans or capris.  Sweatshirts or t-shirts are both options that keep you comfy.  Also this time of the year is perfect for lower altitude camping because the days or nights are perfect for campfires. 

I had a fear earlier this year that because I was pregnant I wouldn't be able to enjoy any camping trips but when I had my 23 week doc appt and he told me I could go camping we jumped at the chance to go.  Mike and I set up the camper at home long enough to see what was in it, buy what we needed for this trip, and we set out for Elk Flats (up by the South Fork of the Boise River).  Memorial Day weekend you are usually questionable about whether or not you'll get a campsite if you don't reserve one but we showed up early Friday afternoon and the campground wasn't even 1/2 full.  It was a bit cool but enjoyable.  We got set up and I ended up taking a short nap in the camper before we explored the campground.  While exploring the campground, I guess I overdid it a wee bit because I started having a few sharp pains but after laying down with a book for a while the pains subsided and all was right again.

Saturday dawned overcast and a bit drizzly but the day soon turned out rather nice.  I again ended up taking a short nap midway through the day (not normal for me on a camping trip).  We drove up to a few other campgrounds in the area and checked them out for future trips (both pre-baby and after baby born).  Saturday ended with a nice rainstorm coming through the area and the campground was still only about 1/2 full.

Sunday we woke up to a drenched campsite and decided that the better part of valor would be to back track to Pine, ID and have breakfast at the little cafe there.  After a filling breakfast we decided to go back to camp and come home a day early since I was having some back soreness.  We did prove tho that as long as I take it easy we can still camp while I am pregnant. 

Here is a picture of me at 26 weeks:)

Mother's Day

Well, today is not only that day which you celebrate being a mother (or having a mother) but it is also my 34th Birthday.  I always find it strange to share the day of my birth with a day that celebrates my mother but yet at the same time it makes perfect sense.  Without our mothers we wouldn't come into this world. 

Today started out pretty much like any other Sunday for me other than Evie (Evelyn Marie) decided to kick me awake an hour earlier than I wanted to be awake.  As much as I wanted to be upset with her I am loving feeling her move.  Had a nice quiet morning while Mike continued to sleep a wee bit later than I did.  After breakfast and Mike had been awake a wee bit we went out and got our shopping out of the way and lunch.  The best part of the day was getting to watch the Cubs win their game against the Brewers with Mike and then spending the evening in Boise and eating dinner at the Chinese Buffet. 

A simple Mother's Day but means so much to me to have time with Mike. 

Bumps and bounces

Well I am at week 23 of pregnancy and am definitely feeling motions in my tummy region.  While they aren't actual sharp kicks or punches they can be just as annoying at times.  My little girl feels as if she is moving ALL DAY long and ALL NIGHT long.  The day time ones sometimes do get less frequent but I still feel her moving. At night, especially about the time I lay down to go to bed, it feels like she is just rolling and bumping and bouncing around in there.  She has to be doing some really cool dance moves or gymnastics.  I love the feeling of her moving and it is a soothing comfort to me to feel her, but I would like to be able to fall asleep easier than laying there 15 to 30 minutes before I finally drop off. 

Patience....what is that?

I know that back before I was ever medicated (pre-2005) I had little to no patience when dealing with most of the people around me.  Since getting pregnant and being taken off ALL my medications I am starting to notice that my patience is as low if not lower than it was back in those days.  Now I have heard that as you get older you get less tolerant of stupidity, but I don't think that is entirely my problem.  I think that my problem is a combination of being un-medicated and pregnant.  Let me share a couple recent examples of my lack of patience or understanding.

Example #1:  HUSBAND'S WORK HOURS
I am to the point of wanting to just go to my husband's shop and yell at someone higher than he is.  in the last 2 weeks my husband has worked approximately 150 hours.  Yes, 150 hours in only 12 days.  While I have a deep seated respect for the men and women of the USAF, I am thinking what moronic idiot thinks that my husband isn't needed at home.  I am currently 21 weeks pregnant so during that 2 week period I was in weeks 19 and 20 so not exactly un-pregnant.  Anyone who knows anything about me would know right off looking at me that I am pregnant.  I am to the point that I can only see my toes when looking down at my feet from a standing position (without bending forward at all).  I am not allowed to wear my back brace to help me lift things around the house because it would compress on my baby too much.  My husband and my mother have pretty much banned me from lifting anything heavier than a ream of paper.  When my husband works so many hours how is anything supposed to get done around the house?  According to my husband and my mother I can't lift the dog food bag...so if I run out of food in the container in the house, how do I feed my dog?  Laundry baskets can be much heavier than a ream of paper so how am I supposed to do laundry?  I feel like the military is forgetting that without the military family there would be a definite decrease in military members because a lot of the current military is a product of a military family. 

Example #2:  CUSTOMER SERVICE
When the cable/internet service went out today, I did what I usually do.   I called Windjammer Cable to see what was going on.  First problem with this...the 45 minutes on hold waiting to talk to a representative.  That wait alone got me more and more angry with the company, as if I wasn't mad enough to start with.  This was the 2nd outtage in the month of April and the 5th outtage this year alone (minimum of 1 a month since start of 2012).  I DO NOT feel that I should have to call the cable/internet company EVERY month to straighten out my internet/cable issues.  The next problem I had with them was after I FINALLY got a real person she was such an idiot that she couldn't even understand my last name after I spelled it for her twice.  What is so hard about W-E-S-T-C-O-T-T?  Then when my husband took my cell phone from me she asked him to spell it yet again....can we say MORON????  Then I guess she asked my husband for the phone number on the account and he rattled off his phone number, NOT ONCE, NOT TWICE but 3 times before she got it right...really starting to wonder where they get the people who answer service calls.  She actually got the address right I guess didn't hear him repeat it to her after he said it the first time.  Then she had the audacity to ask him for his SSN.  There have been several times that I have called and they were able to help out without us giving them a SSN number.  I always thought that giving out your SSN was an open invitation for identity theft.  Then I heard my husband ask for her supervisor and he was put on hold for over 1/2 an hour.  HOLY MOLY!!!!  I am ready to spit nails at the cable company Monday morning when the office opens up. 

A year ago neither of these situations would have caused me to get as upset as I did.  I mean I actually yelled at the lady on the phone from the cable office and called her a B****.  I also told her to do her D*** job.  I felt bad afterwards for doing it but felt justified at the time.  How do I regain or obtain some patience?  I don't wanna yell at people like that.

LORD PLEASE GRANT ME PATIENCE..........NOW!!!!!!!!!

20 Week Ultrasound

Well the day finally arrived.  Today we find out whether or not the Minion is a BOY or a GIRL.  For someone who wasn't sure she wanted to know the gender before giving birth, I sure woke up an extra hour early today.  Spent all morning constantly checking the time to see if it was time to leave for the Base Hospital yet.  Yes we did decide to find out the gender.  And after what seemed forever.  The tech at Radiology got us into the ultrasound room and started gathering the data on my uterus and the baby.  Lots of ultrasound pictures later, he had me clean up the goop/gel stuff while he went and talked to the Radiologist.  We still didn't at this point know BOY or GIRL.  It seemed like it was taking FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!  He finally came back into the room and re-gooped/gelled my belly and started showing us the different parts of the baby, the spine, head, heart, arm, hand, butt, leg, foot....Then the baby didn't want to cooperate.  Trust my child to be difficult.  We finally got a decent look at her and he told us that he was fairly certain we are having a GIRL!!!!!  Guess it will be a blue, pink and lavendar room instead of a just a blue room like it is now.

20 weeks pregnant

Well I have made it.  I am half way through my pregnancy.  Almost to the point where I feel I can quit holding my breath and thinking this is all just a dream.  So many things are different this time around than they were back in 2005 with my first pregnancy. 

I was much sicker in the first trimester this time around.  Last time I had maybe an hour a day I felt miserable whereas this time around I was miserable for basically 3 months straight.  Most people (me included at first) would feel that this was a horrible thing to be unable to keep anything down but water, 7-Up, and Ginger Ale.    But for me it kept the fact that I was pregnant real in my mind.  What other reason is there to feel miserable all day but the joy of knowing that you are growing a life inside of you.  That God has bless you with the chance to be a mommy to your own miniature you (or miniature hubby).

In the 2nd trimester so far, I have been feeling more movement from baby than I did first time around.  I started feeling flutters around week 15 1/2 or so.  Today those movements are a bit more than flutters but not as much as the jabs and kicks my friends further along tell me about.  I know those movements are coming but I am enjoying the little motions that my baby is doing now, it is comforting to know that God protected my little one while I was so sick at the beginning. 

Another HUGE difference about this pregnancy is that I have the love and support of my, Husband Mike.  Unlike in 2005 (before I even met Mike), when I was living in Montana and working 50-60 hours a week trying to just to support myself.  I was alone except for friends and the occasional phone call back home to mom.  This pregnancy is just that much more healthy for both me and baby I believe.  It is amazing what knowing someone cares about you does for your outlook on EVERYTHING. 

While I know that back in 2005 I would have loved my little girl with all my heart.  I know that I wasn't ready to be a mother then.  I was way too self-absorbed at that time and financially it would have definitely dropped us from being broke into the poor bracket.  In my opinion not the best way to bring a child into this world.  While I am not entirely sure I am ready to be a mother now, financially things are much stabler, and I know that this child will not only have 2 parents that love him/her very much, but also 3 grandparents, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; and a TON of family friends who love him/her lots n lots.

Thank you God for protecting all of us and providing for us.  Please continue to do so all the days of our lives.

Do I call this week a blessing?

This week is full of lots of things for me.  For starters today (9 April) is my 28 month wedding anniversary.  My mother also needed me to stay with her for a couple of days due to having major dental work done, which has forced me to actually figure out how to do things that are at knee level and lower.  It is also the first time Mike has had to work a complete overnight shift since we got married.  So life has gotten interesting really fast. 

I sincerely wonder if I can consider this week a blessing.  I believe I can.  It is a blessing because Mike and I have been married 2 years and 4 months.  It is a blessing because I am able to spend it with mom even tho she is hurting and not entirely herself.  It is a blessing because it is another week that I am pregnant with our little Minion.  It is a blessing because Mike has a job that enables us to live comfortably, not lavishly, but comfortably.  Blessings are all in how we look at the world around us.  It might seem like life is trying to kick us down but change your perspective a little bit and you can see the good in it.  I thank the LORD for my husband, my mother, my unborn child and for my husband's job.

Clothing Issues Part 2

I know I already addressed clothing issues once but decided that I wanted to revisit this issue again. I finally broke down and bought some maternity jeans and a couple maternity tops.  You know they aren't so bad.  Yea, it is a bit different feel with that pregnancy panel over the tummy, but I feel like my 4 month baby bump is supported.  I also went through all my clothes and amazingly I have a few of my favorite tops that actually fit me and look good with the baby bump. 

The good Lord is blessing me with the ability to be able to appreciate (finally) the changes happening to my shape.  He is also blessing me with continued good health. 

Perspective

There are times that this little gal, who was born in a big city but raised in the country, gets slammed with the reality of the big bad world out there.  Having been raised in small town Idaho near an airbase I realize that there are things such as war, death, and troubles in the world but not really had it hit as close to home as it did last night for me.  I was reading the news online like I do most nights and came across a story on KTVB's website about the Gunfighters (MHAFB).  Like most air bases we have our share of men and women deployed overseas at any given time.  Right now the large group gone happens to be the one connected to my husband's squadron, by this I mean not only his squadron but the planes they work on and the other squadrons that also work on those same planes have people over there.  When I read in that article that a plane had went down and we had lost a pilot the thoughts and emotions that went through me were some of the strongest I had ever felt when reading about military deaths overseas.  I actually fell asleep last night bawling my eyes out crying not only for the loss of this life but for the family and friends that were left behind.  For the first time in my life I believe it actually has fallen into the right perspective for me.  As a civilian, military deaths were just something that happened they didn't directly affect me, now however as a military spouse, it means so much more.  I am probably overly sensitive to it because I am pregnant, but I am actually afraid now for the men and women overseas.  I know I shouldn't let this stress me out because of the baby but how do you not let it stress you when you know they are over there for a set amount of time.  I need to bring my perspective back on to staying unstressed for baby but fears are there now.

Emotions? Where did these come from?

One would think that at the age of 33 I would know how to deal with emotions.  However, I have been nicely medicated for the last several years where my emotions stayed on a nice even keel, so these massive emotional mood swings are new to me. After 17 weeks of pregnancy I still don't have a clue how to deal with this new teary eyed me.  I cry with my favorite TV shows. I cry with cartoons on Boomerang and Cartoon Network.  I cry with baseball (not unusual other than this is only Spring Training).  I cry when playing games on my computer, when I am cooking, when I am trying to fall asleep at night.  I pain feel like all I do is cry and I don't know what the heck I am crying about.  I want my emotional evenness back.  I want to deal with things in my normal way not in this crying way.  I know that God doesn't give us anything we can't handle but I sure wish He'd give me a clue as to how to handle this. 

Mike looks at me, on the occasions I do cry around him, with a complete look of being lost on his face.  I feel so bad that I can't really explain to him why I am crying or how to help me deal with it.  The last thing I want to do is frustrate him, especially on his days off when he needs to be relaxing.  I guess the best thing for me to be doing during all this emotional upheaval is to be praying and asking God to help me.  To guide me and give me the knowledge to deal with this new found emotion.

On a happy note (tho I did cry after taking the picture, go figure)  Here is my 17 week along picture.

Clothing Issues :(

While I am loving the fact that I am pregnant and gonna have a Baby Westcott, I am hating some of the changes to my body.  Currently I am in that wonderful stage where I am too big for most of my regular clothing, but am yet still too small to fit in maternity clothes.  I have this overwhelming desire to get back on my diet of last year and try to loose these "excess" pounds my body seems to be packing on.  However, I have to keep reminding myself that I am not really gaining weight as one might think but am actually building a little human being inside me.  I am a factory of sorts and in being said factory changes to my body are gonna happen.  This bump on my front will most likely get bigger as the months progress along until I finally have a wonderful little one to hold in my arms.

I am about a week late with my picture but here I am at 15 weeks along.

Eating Changes While Pregnant

Well you already heard me rant about not being able to eat much meat with this pregnancy, which is a downside of it.  But today I want to talk about all the foods I am able to eat again with minimum to no side effects.  For the last several years I have had to watch my dairy and my wheat/gluten intake.  Now I am all of a sudden able to eat normal bread (even wheat bread) with no bad effects on my body that I can tell.  I am enjoying this new freedom by eating foods I have missed out on like crescents, cheese sticks, and Eggo Waffles.  I am also able to eat all the cheese I want with no ill effects, in fact this child is making me crave cheese.  I even had a Shamrock Milkshake from McDonalds and the only bad side effect I had was a minor upset tummy.  God is being so gracious to me by letting me be able to eat these foods that I have missed while my body and the baby have taken away my meat.  Praise the Lord for all He has done and is doing for me.

Meatless???? You have to be kidding!!!!

I had heard about people having cravings while pregnant, and even kind of expected a few food aversions while I am pregnant.  But I had never heard of anyone being pregnant and not being able to eat hardly anything in the way of meat, however low and behold the Minion is keeping me from some of my most favourite foods.  I haven't been able to enjoy a good steak or pork chop in about 2 months and as for sandwiches, if it has meat on it forget about it.  This child, this blessing growing inside me is giving me fits just about every time I eat meat (or even smell it sometimes).  It is very hard for a gal who is used to eating her meat and potatoes to all of a sudden have to find alternatives to getting her protein and give up her cow and pig.  I am slowly figuring out other things I can eat, such as Campbell's Cheddar and Bacon Potato Soup.  The bacon pieces in that are just small enough that they sneak past the Minion I believe.  Life has been an adventure and even with this little hiccup of not being able to eat meat much I wouldn't want to miss a moment of this pregnancy.  God has truly blessed me.

A bit about this Country Gal

Well I though it might help me to get through life in general to start a blog and give me an outlet to show my pictures to my family once the baby is born.  Let me use this post to share a little about myself.

I was born in Southern California in a suburb of Los Angeles but moved from there when I was 5 years old to the small country/military town of Mountain Home, ID.  I don't really have any recollections of ever living in California just vague impressions.

I am an only child and the youngest of 5 children.  At this point you are probably questioning that statement but it is wholly true.  I am my mother's only child and my daddy's youngest child, the product of a second marriage.  I have 3 older half-brothers and an older half-sister.  I love them dearly and typically we don't use that little 4 letter word "half" when speaking because we think of each other as brothers and sisters.  I have 7 nieces and nephews ranging in age from 35 year to 5 years.  I also have 3 great-nieces, a great-nephew, and one on the way as my niece Sarah is pregnant right now.

Currently I am still residing in my hometown of Mountain Home, Idaho (remember I don't recall life in California) courtesy of the United States Air Force.  My husband, who is a Tech Sergeant in the USAF, is stationed at Mountain Home AFB and we are buying a house in Mountain Home about a mile from where I grew up.  There are worse places to live in this country so I can't really complain.

Life as a Military Spouse has been an eye opener to say the least.  Not sure how others deal with it but for me there has been a lot of tears, yelling and prayer.  The first 2 don't really do much except help me get the emotional part out of me, but PRAYER has been the most helpful.  While I don't feel like God is answering the way I want Him to answer I know He is answering me.  He gave me this wonderful gift of a child growing inside me and a handsome husband who loves me very much.  God also is providing for our needs even tho I haven't been able to work due to the typical annoyances of the first trimester.  God is great in so many ways and He is always there for us.