Boo, Fireworks

I'm trying not to be a party pooper, but oh my goodness I am so tired of the neighbors setting off fireworks. It started last weekend, and I thought, okay it's the weekend. Sunday comes and more fireworks, okay still the weekend technically. Now tonight they're setting them off again. I don't think I would mind as much if it wasn't for the dogs being terrified of the noise. Benny finally got the nerve to run out and do his business very quickly before running back inside. I think Sammy is trying to hold it all night. They cry at the door and run behind furniture. It's maddening. They won't even go outside if I go out with them. I tried to take them out to play since I'm down to one leash and cannot take them for a walk, but they wouldn't come out. So now I'm stuck inside with 2 scared but restless little dogs.

Okay, the leash story. I was taking them for a walk a couple of days ago. I stopped to clean up their mess at which time Benny ran around me. I somehow freed myself from the tangle with a nice rope burn on the back of my leg, but before I knew it Benny jerked and the line snapped. There he went running free just as a car, driving a little to fast if you ask me, came cruising down the road. I tried to wave to get them to slow down as I had no clue how Benny would react to a car passing by (Sammy likes to jump at them) but they chose to ignore me. Luckily Benny stayed put and then came to me when I called him over. It always seems to be an adventure walking the dogs.

I've been meaning to go to Walmart but somehow it just doesn't happen each night. I come home from drill and feel like I just need to rest. And then it's hard to get motivated after that. I need to keep going or it's too easy to stop. But I'm going to try and make it a point to go tomorrow because I need to get a new leash; they need their walk. My drill has been going well although I'm doing much more than I thought I would be doing. Not in my job description at all, but I seem to be running the building, or at least keeping it afloat. There are several soldiers gone due to schools or surgery and today my section sergeant left for a funeral. So tomorrow it's just me and the commander and first sergeant. The phone lines are routed to my line. I don't have access to everything in the computer system, but I am trying to take care of everyone that I can. It's definitely a learning process and a lot to do, but I am really enjoying staying busy. My days are going by quickly which is good because I still have a little over a week to go.

16 Weeks

Baby is now about the size of an avocado, about 4 1/2 inches long, and weighs about 3 1/2 ounces. The eyes have moved much closer together and the ears are now in position. At the start of last week the legs started growing longer than the arms. The eyelids are still fused shut but baby can sense light. The primitive air sacs in the lungs have begun to develop as baby moves amniotic fluid through the nose and upper respiratory tract.

Well, I thought by now, yeah 4 months in, that I would finally be able to write that I am no longer getting sick. I really thought it was going to happen too. I hadn't gotten sick in awhile and then last Thursday as I was settling into bed for the night an oh too familiar feeling came over me and I made it to the bathroom just in time. Although, if I continue to get sick every couple weeks for the rest of the pregnancy then that is fine as long as I don't feel like I did during the first trimester. I get more upset about the lost nutrients than anything else. The belly is continuing to slowly swell and I'm feeling more pregnant than fat. I love to rub my belly and talk to Nutter. I have a doctor's appointment next week. I have to remember to ask my starting weight as I have no clue what I was or where I am now. It seems like those first few weeks were a blur. I'm starting to feel the effects of pregnancy limitations. Not the things that I can't do but the things I shouldn't be doing. I have to give a second thought to lifting the dog food bags or the water softener bags. All the things that I just did before now I am conscious of and how much might be too much. So, I haven't been moving anything super heavy but if it's the size of a kid then I feel like it should be okay to lift, after all, what do mother's do that already have children? I went to the pool this weekend, and besides the exhausting laps, I think I got a little heat rash on the belly. Otherwise it's another pregnancy side effect that I am unaware of. The only other big change that I wasn't expecting to be difficult this early is the no sleeping on my back deal. I always pictured it being uncomfortable in the 9th month, but not the 4th. But it hurts my hips and my legs get cramps and then my shoulder starts to hurt. So every time I switch sides I wake up, very aware somehow that I cannot sleep on my back. I would have thought that I would just sleep through the night, unaware of my positions. Oh, and I also think I've been experiencing what is referred to as sciatic nerve pain, but I'm not sure (another question for the doc). I have a sharp pain in the middle of my right butt cheek at random times. It comes out of no where and can go just as quickly. It doesn't extend up my back or down my leg, just directly in my cheek. It seems to be most uncomfortable now when I sleep (that's when it is the worst and most uncomfortable). I am instantly relieved of all the pain when I lie on my back, but it is temporary as I roll back to one side. All of this and I don't feel that it's really begun yet...I'm not huge and uncomfortable! I am scared of what lies ahead. Will I look back at this entry at week 38 and laugh at myself and my petty complaints and say to myself, "What was I thinking? That was nothing!"

Okay, so it hasn't been the easiest pregnancy so far, and I'm sure it's bound to get worse. But, I love it. People say that it's all worth it in the end, when you hold your little baby. Well, I think it's worth it now. I love to look down at my belly and know that there's a life growing in there. I love to tell people I'm pregnant. I love to read the books and the baby websites that give me weekly updates on what my baby is doing this week. I cannot wait to meet little Nutter Butter and just thinking about it now makes me so anxious!

A Little Dinner and Shopping

Michael and I usually go out to eat on Fridays and more often than not it's Mexican. So today what am I craving? You got it, chips and salsa. I don't know if I just really wanted it or my body knew that it was Friday or what, but I decided to go out to eat. Yep, just me. This is something I don't think I've ever done. I geared up with a good book I'm currently reading (Handle with Care) and went to town. It wasn't too bad. I munched away on chips and read my book and except for the lack of conversation, it went okay. While I much prefer to dine with people (and it made me miss Michael because that's where we go/what we do on Fridays), I think this is something I might have to get used to doing this next year, especially when I want certain foods and nothing else will work. So now that the first solo venture out to a restaurant is under my belt, I feel like I can do it again.

Afterwards I decided to walk it off at Target. I wanted to look for some undies for Lucas. Jaime is still working on the potty training with him. I was looking for those underwear that feel like underwear but they're lined with plastic/rubber, or even the little plastic ones that go over the cotton underwear. No luck. Do they even make them anymore? I lingered in the baby aisles for awhile, trying to picture what it was going to be like to have the baby. I shouldn't go in the baby section. It makes me SO anxious for to meet this little baby. I did venture over to the maternity section and picked up a pair of comfy shorts. My goodness maternity clothes are expensive. I am going to go up to the outlet mall and see what they have there too. Although I don't need a whole lot, since I have clothes that were lent to me, but I just want a couple pieces of my own (and one super duper cute outfit for when I go up and see Michael at the end of the month).

It felt nice to get out and do a little. I started my annual training this week and so I'm getting used to waking up early again. I've been pretty tired each evening when I come home and so I take a little nap and don't do much around here. Yesterday I had a bad headache and so I laid down for a couple hours after work and even went to bed early. So today it feels good to feel good.

Family Night

Jaime volunteered to have family night at my house every Monday. I don't mind being volunteered for the cooking as it's nice to have some visitors in the house. I made a simple dinner, just some chicken with cheesy potatoes and veggies, and of course some brownies for dessert (which I'm going to dive back into). It was nice to have them over and to visit-helps make the evenings go back quicker. Although, I don't think Jaime is real fond of Benny, he still is excited and jumps when people come in the door. It's a process to train him and it a little bit slower going since there aren't a ton of visitors that come over. He's gotten pretty good with me, that or my tolerance is higher. I love to see my little Lucas too. We watched Chicken Little, which he's never seen before and seemed to like it.

Other than that things are going. Benny woke up in the middle of the night last night and puked in the bed. Not sure why but he seems fine. I don't know what it is with my dogs puking. It makes me wonder what they might be getting from the neighborhood kids. So that was lovely, but I'm used to dog vomit (not usually in my bed) and so it doesn't faze me too much.

I also finished up the paintings I did for the baby's room. They turned out okay. I think it will be nice to add a little bit of color to the walls. My projects around the house will probably be put on a temporary hold. I start my 2-week training tomorrow, so I'll be working up at Camp Atterbury each day. I feel like I have a pretty good start on the house projects so far and will continue them next month. It feels good to have a start on things.

Cleaning Up the House

Whew, I'm exhausted! Not that I've been going non-stop, but I feel as though I've accomplished quite a bit this week. I thought this summer would be a good time to start cleaning up the house. Not just cleaning, but organizing, getting rid of junk, and just getting things in order. My big goal was one of the back bedrooms upstairs. It has been a dumping ground for all of the things that didn't have a home. Well, while cleaning that room, it turned into all these other little projects around the house. I would find some papers there that needed to be filed and I would end up cleaning out a few of the files in the cabinet, which would then turn into another project of shredding all the papers and then taking them off to be recycled. And the pattern would continue on like that. I'm proud to say I have the bedroom all cleaned out and Lucas' little bed and box of toys moved in there. I figure that will be the new play room. I've also hung all of the frames that needed to be hung in the guest bedroom. We've lived here for over 2 years and they've been sitting on top of the dresser in there patiently waiting. I love going in there now and looking at the walls, feels more like home now. On top of all that I've gone through and organized little parts of the unseen house, like drawers and cupboards, here and there. I still feel like I have a lot to do, but I'll conquer it each room at a time. It's taken me a lot longer than normal to do this as I cannot carry loads all at once and I'm trying to listen to my body and rest occasionally.

Now is that time. I feel tired and worn out. So I rest. There's not much on t.v. and a storm is moving in so I don't want to go out and get a movie. This is the time that stinks, when I stop and realize it's just me and the dogs. Weekends are worse for some reason, not that the days really matter because they're all the same, but I guess it's just because everyone's home and I feel like Michael should be home too. We haven't talked much since he got to Wisconsin. He called to let me know he was there and that was about it. I miss him a lot and I can't help but to think about doing this for a year. Here's to having time pass by quickly.

14 Weeks

Well, I'm officially in the second trimester! Baby is 3 1/2 inches long (about the size of a lemon) and weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. Baby can now frown, squint, and pee-probably all at once! Baby can grasp and even possibly suck its thumb! Amazing when you think about how big baby really is. Baby's, which is now affectionately referred to as Nutter Butter (the size of the baby last week), organs are continuing to develop and the body is becoming more in proportion, the head is now just a third the size of the body and the arms are lengthening.

I'm still feeling okay, yet I'm still throwing up every week to 10 days. It's coming without the nausea though so it's much, much better. It will just come out of nowhere and there's no holding back, trust me, I try. But I can deal with it. I continue to have heartburn but not quite as bad as before. I actually ate Mexican today and this time did not need to eat any Tums for dessert. I've been getting a few headaches, but I'm not sure if they're those pregnancy headaches I hear about or just from the heat. I'm going to up my fluid intake to see if that helps. Other than that, I am starting to get some energy. My belly is growing, which I love, and I am living in sweatpants and gym shorts, courtesy of Michael. I'm not quite big enough for maternity and will live in these clothes until I can upgrade. I cannot wait to feel the baby and often I lay down real still and just to see if I can feel anything. I hope I will know it's little Nutter and not just gas when the time comes.

Leaving for Ft. McCoy

Michael is leaving for the second part of the deployment, his mobilization training at Ft. McCoy, WI. This first month was pre-mobilization training, a sort of preview of what's to come. I dropped him off at the unit tonight. It was a difficult good-bye and I write this almost not as myself so I don't get too emotional. Although it will not be the last time I see him before he flies over, as he gets one more pass at the end of June.

His pass this weekend was a little bit longer than the other ones, which was nice, but we also tried to fit a lot more into it. There was a departure ceremony at East High School Thursday afternoon and then they were released. That evening we went on a really long bike ride through Columbus. I must say that is one thing I really enjoy about this city. We biked from the campus (which is close to our house) all the way through town to the lower side of the city and back. The trails are really nice and they have little benches along the way, which we utilized. Biking while pregnant is not the easiest, but the exercise is good for me. Jaime, Jeremy, and Lucas came up on Friday night for a cookout. It was nice to see them and much easier than taking Lucas to a restaurant, so I think it worked out well (although I completely forgot to cook the beans and I'm still upset about it!). After dinner we ran up to Dairy Queen for some ice cream. We sat outside on the picnic bench and it felt wonderful to be eating ice cream outside, summer is finally here. They left Zeus here for the weekend because they went to TN to visit family so Sammy was ecstatic to have her playmate here. She has been outside since (unless he has been in here). Benny could care less and prefers his place on the couch no matter who is here. On Saturday we went down to see Michael's parents. His dad is getting the pool ready and I think it will be a perfect spot to relax when I go down there to visit this summer. We also went to his niece's pre-school graduation while we were down there. It was so cute. They had little robes and hats and sang little songs. Absolutely adorable! The rest of the weekend was just spent doing whatever; going out to eat, watching t.v., walking the dogs, going to the movies, whatever we felt like. We slept in and cuddled often.

All in all, the good-byes with all the family this weekend went okay. It was the one thing Michael was dreading. He hates saying good-bye and it's hard for him when people are upset. But it really went okay. I was the biggest baby of them all. I tried to keep it in and be strong, but once I started that was it. The first night is always the hardest and house always feel so empty when I come home after dropping him off. But I know I have good support around me and I'll be just fine.