I broke it

A friend of mine was sweet enough to get me this beautiful bouncer at my baby shower:
And I was stupid enough to put it together wrong. I stuck one of those metal things in the wrong hole and the end of the medal this ended up stuck in that hole. I was not happy, Doc of course thought it was hilarious and my pouting was pretty cute. I did come up with a plan though, I decided to call the company and tell them that the piece that the medal thing is stuck in came broken so they would send a replacement part and it totally worked! It's only a half lie because it is broken but it didn't come that way. I blame it on the instructions :)

Doc was wondering why we even need a bouncy seat...he still doesn't think I need a chair in the nursery! So far I haven't bought one and I will see how it goes without one but I think one will end up in there eventually. I cleaned the room up over the weekend and I've decided that I don't love it - I will be going with a changing table which I originally didn't want but I need it to balance out the room. I have a green shelf in there and now I need more green accessories for the rest of the room. I also took down the mobile - it was ugly. When she's actually sleeping in there I might put it back up but I'm not sure. I will take pictures tonight and post them tomorrow, maybe some of my wonderful readers will have some great suggestions (on the cheap) to really make the room come together.

11 little piggies

Yesterday I took my friend out for spa pedicures as a thank you for my baby shower and it was exactly what we both needed. After being on my feet making dinner my feet were still bothering me (calling them piggies must have come after seeing a preggo's swollen toes). I've been to this spa several times and I love everyone there, I wish I could update some of the decor, some small changes would go a long way but other than that it's great. If you are ever in Puyallup, WA and need a place to get pampered try Chardonnay Day Spa (and no, they didn't offer me anything to say that - but if they see that and want to give me a free pedi I won't object haha). Over an hour of foot pampering is so much better then you're 7 months pregnant - if it wasn't so expensive I would be there every month.

We also did a little shopping before and I got TC her very own little piggy, a piggy bank. It's so cute I couldn't resist.
I had a beautiful hand painted porcelain piggy bank growing up and I loved it, I cried like a baby when my oldest sister broke it in half and took all of my money to buy cigarettes...this one has a plug in the belly so if Auntie Faith does visit and needs a few bucks for smokes this little piggies legs will all stay intact.

In other news, everything Doc and I do is very annoying to the other...just another sign that his next trip is very soon.

ugh

I worked my ass off today and made one hell of a feast for Doc and me.

This became this:
Which I carved into this:
And we adding this plate to the rest
Turkey, cran-apple chutney, maple pecan sweet potatoes. candied carrots, mashed potatoes, and apple pie (not pictured my amazing pan gravy)

Close up, it was all amazing (doc said the turkey was a little dry but I disagree) Nothing green, I was going to make green beans but Doc thought we had enough, I guess he was right.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday, if you are able to be with the ones you love hold them extra close and if you are celebrating while a loved one is far far away, my thoughts are with you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Type A

But if I do those things and not work I don't get paid so it's really a no brainer. This morning Doc said he was going to the market to get some root beer (cute right?) so I asked if he could pick up a few things...I am pretty curious to see what he came home with. On my list were things we don't usually get, fresh ginger, fresh herbs, specific types of apples, spices...It's not that I don't have faith in him, I am sure that he is able to get all the right stuff that is if he's paying attention. He's a little absent minded sometimes, if he's looking for something he will NEVER find it if it's under something else. But he read over the list and said he would get it all so we shall see!

He called a few minutes ago to verify the quote for the windshield and it sounded like the SafeLite guy's price was a little on the high side so I let Doc know the "web-only" quote I was given of $246.95+ tax and then reminded him that we should be getting $40 since they didn't come yesterday, I hope the guy doesn't give him any trouble, Doc is pretty laid back and tends to just go with the flow where I will go out of my way (if needed) to get what was promised.

Can you tell the control freak in me is having trouble not having ownership of either or these tasks? I really need to have more faith in him but it's that attention to detail thing that keeps coming back up. It's not really an issue, it is who he is and I think it's one of the reasons we work so well together. (It's taking all of my self control to mot pick up the phone and find out how it's working out!)

I know, I've been super boring lately but my life is pretty calm at the moment and while it's great for me it doesn't make for interesting reading. In 10 weeks I'm going to be someone's mother and I am sure I will have lots to say about that when the time comes :)

2 more days

Just 2 more days and this work week is over! I have to tell you, I have not dreaded coming to work like I did this morning for a very long time. I got here and everything was fine but the drive in I was not happy. No more complaining about work for me, I have a job that and I am happy about that, it's not a given in this economy.

Another reason I wasn't too happy about my drive to work is because I was driving Doc's micro machine. His car could seriously fit in the back of mine and I HATE it. He hates it too but that's what happens when you really need a second car and don't have time to shop around. Safelite was scheduled to go out to my house and replace my windshield today so I had to drive Doc's car. I got a call around 2:30 that they didn't get the part they needed so they would have to come tomorrow but they are dropping $40 off the price! Score :) Had Doc or I take the day off of work to wait for them I would be pissed but he's on leave and is home playing video games all day so it's not a pig deal. But hey, $40 is $40.

While I was driving this morning I looked up at Doc's oil change sticker and it really hit me just how much he's been gone in 2009, he needed a change by 21,500 miles or May 27, 2009...his car only has 20,000 miles on it. Don't worry, I will change the oil on it while he's away again. (and by this I mean I will have Jiffy Lube do it)

anything else?

My windshield needs to be replaced...anyone want to punch me in the face? Seems like today is the day to do it.

I'll snap out of this soon.

update

Not like I expected anything differently but I got nothing. After realizing all that I have put up with for this company without so much as a thank you in return I cried. Yup, I cried at work - in a meeting with my boss. I am NOT that girl, I do NOT cry at work (where people can see me). I am blaming it on the pregnancy.

Don't get me wrong, I love my life. I love my husband and my baby and pretty much everything in my life but I wish I could hop into a time machine to a night in the summer or 2004 or 2005 where I could just go out and get drinks with my friends and then head over to Olives in Providence and dance the night away. Then tomorrow I would wake up and feel refreshed and happy.

big day

Well kind of a big day, my boss FINALLY set up a meeting to discuss my pay/benefits. I was glad to see the meeting request yesterday because I was ready to go barging into her office...well I would have knocked but there is no way this week was ending with out this talk. I did get a little nervous this morning when I came into news that a coworker (the one I wrote about before who really sucked and should have been let go in March when we had all the layoffs) was let go last night. Her meeting was at 4:30....my meeting is at 4:30.

I went to talk to the HR guy, who is a friend of mine, just to see if I had the same fate waiting for me at the end of the day and he hadn't heard anything so that was good. He will be in the meeting this afternoon which is a first. I gave him a heads up about where I stand and how it seems like I am being discriminated against. Obviously given his position with the company he can't agree or disagree on that but he agrees with all of my points. I did learn today that after a year hear I started accruing vacation and holidays (nice to know now) but I don't want to have to accrue holidays, I should get them like everyone else. I should get sick time like everyone else. I should have been accruing vacation time from day one or at least from my 6 month review.

I let him know that if they are talking about letting me go try to talk them into do it towards the end of January, that would really work out best for me :). It's just too bad this place made so many poor investment choices, there really is no reason for us to be in this situation.

Christmas is coming early

We are putting the tree up this weekend, Doc said "what's the point, I wont be here" well Mr. Grumpy Pants I will be here! I figure that getting it up early will give us a little taste of Christmas. I don't plan on really celebrating this year but if I don't decorate I will kick myself. I've decided not to send Christmas cards and I am pretty sure that we aren't sending gifts, we usually only send them to young cousins and nieces and nephews and we are lucky that the older ones are old enough to understand what it means to be saving money and the younger ones wont even notice. One advantage to being far from home on Christmas. (I'll take any silver lining I can get this year.)

Off topic but I thought I would share, little miss TC must have done a lot of growing this past week because look at how much my belly grew in just 8 days! Yikes!!

all about baby

I don't really talk much about my pregnancy here because this blog could very quickly become only about that and no one wants that. Today I thought it would be nice to update my wonderful readers on our (TC's and my) progress. 29 weeks today and my ticker says that she's now able to blink her eyes and weighs about 3lbs. Am I the only one creeped out that she is blinking? There is a person in there who can blink and I am just walking around like it's normal? Being pregnant obviously did nothing to make me stop this whole process is gross.

I've been feeling OK lately, 2 weeks ago my back pain was almost debilitating but she must have shifted in there because it's getting better. I am still carrying her very low which can be torture on my bladder and whatever other organs are being crushed by her constant movement (she's going to be a hockey player - field and ice, she's working on her dekes). Her movement is enough to be visible even when I am wearing a sweater but whenever I want to show someone she stops. At my last appointment I was up 17lbs, I am hoping to still be under 20 at my next in a few weeks but if I'm not I'm not. My belly is huge and my fingers are a bit swollen and my thighs have a mind of their own but the rest of me looks the same.

I look the same but there have been some major changes, my hips are spreading. I had "child bearing hips" before all of this so I am not really happy that they are getting wider but if it will help push this child out of me then so be it. What it really means is that I am out $120 because the pants I bought at the gap no longer fit, my hips pull them. I wonder if I will ever get back into my jeans, if not it's OK I knew there was a chance that my body would be forever changed. The weirdest thing is my bra size - it hasn't changed! I am round in the middle and small on top, I'm not complaining I just think it's weird. My wedding rings are gone, I have my cheap Target replacement which I am fine with as my fingers go from normal to puffy in 2.5 seconds.

Her room is coming together, I hope to have more done this weekend and then I will post some pictures. We are almost ready too, we have her car seat, stroller, pack 'n play, a closet full of clothes, a bouncy seat, crib, a swing on the way, food (I will be in charge of making that!). We just need some diapers and wipes and we're good to go! (OK not really, I still have a lot to get but as far as basic necessities we're good.)

She's perfectly healthy and so am I. Can't ask for more than that.

I have a problem...

...and it's name is Harvest Moon Animal Parade.
Doc pre-ordered it for me on Tuesday and after a few delays it was finally ready on Friday for pick up. I'm not going to lie, I am one hell of a rancher.

OK if you are not familiar with Harvest Moon, it's a series of Nintendo games where you are a rancher with a crops and livestock and you tend to your farm while trying to restore the harvest Goddess and save the town. I was skeptical too until I started playing my old Harvest Moon game last year. It's a total time suck and I love it.

I've been playing all weekend and I must admit that my ranch is thriving and I've already started saving the goddess...I am such a loser. I went to bed late last night because I needed a sunny day on my farm and tonight when I get home I will have to replant many crops that the monsoon destroyed and the sad thing is that I am thinking about it all while I'm working! I wonder if there is enough time left in the season for more tomatoes or if I should just stick with onions....

I judge, I admit it (soapbox post)

I know it would be great if I could sit here and say that I don't judge people I don't know or make snap decisions when meeting someone for the first time but I can't. I do like to give people the benefit of the doubt when I can and when it comes to my initial judgment upon meeting someone, I try very hard to not let that get in the way of me getting to know who that person really is. I've been lucky to have made great friendships with people I thought were crazy (or something like that) when we met.

Where is this spontaneous confession coming from you ask. I was driving to work today and saw a minivan with a stick figure family on it with like 6 kids and 2 dogs. My first thought was how loud that van must get - having 4 of my brothers and sisters under one roof was fun but very loud. Then as I passed the drivers side I saw it, the thing that made my childhood memories go from happy to pissed, the driver was unloading a cigarette and preparing to light up.

I HATE smoking but I understand people have the right to do it, their body their choice. This is the van that carries your babies - the children you would probably lie down in traffic for and yet you are polluting it with cancerous toxins. I just don't get it. Were there kids in the car? I have no idea but if your kid spends a good amount of time in a car that is regularly smoked in you can be sure that you child will smell like a cigarette (you just wont notice it because you smell like one too).

Growing up my dad smoked and he would smoke in the house and in the car, we all hated it. He was good about cracking a window but that did nothing. I had to store my prom dress at the dry cleaners because I didn't want to keep it in my house where it would pick up that nasty stink. My mom is a smoker too and she is the worst kind, a chain smoker. In the winter my stepfather didn't always crack the car window and my sister and I would try to breath through our coat sleeves.

It just really pisses me off. If you want to smoke and kill yourself that's fine just don't get others involved in it. I don't doubt your love for your kids, not one bit, and I know that most parents would step in front of a bullet for them so why is it that some of these same parents are so quick to compromise the environment where these kids live? It wont kill you to wait 20 minutes and suck on your cancer stick after you get out of your car, think about your kids.

it got ugly

I guess since we've had our briefing (waste of time...same crap as the last 2) it's all starting to feel real. I have a plan in case I go into labor before the get Doc home.

His last two trips out have sucked, I never like saying good bye but I've always been sure that he will be back, this one I am not. I know, we aren't supposed to talk about it but screw that. I don't think his head is in it like it should be, you can't really blame him he's going to be more worried about me than ever before. I've assured him that I'm fine and all that is going to happen is that I'm just going to get bigger and more uncomfortable and irritable - I wouldn't mind not being around me either!

Here's where it was ugly: I was driving to the market on my lunch break and heard "Traveling Soldier" followed by "Brothers" and I lost it. I was hoping I would stop when I got to the store but nope it just kept coming and it was an ugly curl-you-mouth-up-wrinkle-your-forehead cry. I did manage to pull myself together and clean up (removing half of my makeup in the process) but the funk is still with me.

I hope he's home early tonight so we can snuggle and I can put on my tough face. He knows that I am worried about this but I don't need him knowing just how hard it's hitting me.

Thanks!

Thanks to all the vets out there and the wives who support them.

I don't really know what else to say about Veteran's Day that hasn't been said. I am sure we all feel the same mixture of pride and sadness about this day.

I guess for me I will try to remember these types of feelings when I am in the commissary silently cursing the retirees who walk too slow and clog up the aisles with their shopping carts. I might be in a hurry but they are vets and should be revered everyday not just on Nov. 11th (and it's not their fault that I am in such a hurry to get my Cinnamon Toast Crunch).

I made 2 mistakes today

The first mistake was listening to some Christmas music this morning. I love it and it's almost the middle of November so I thought it was about time. I knew it was going to be a little hard knowing that this is my first Christmas all alone but I would rather have that first mini break down in the privacy of my cubicle and not in a mall somewhere after hearing "I'll Be Home For Christmas" for the first time this season.

We knew that trying to get pregnant as soon as he returned from his last deployment was risky, we knew that if it happened the first month I wouldn't be able to fly home for Christmas but we only had so many months to try so we just went for it. Lucky fertile us haha. I am not at all bitter with the Army for him being gone over Christmas, this is his job and we've been lucky to have never spent a Christmas apart so it's our turn. What I will admit is that I feel sorry for myself, 3000 miles away from family on Christmas and more than twice as many miles from my husband. I was going to go to a friends house but the more I think about it the more I want to just lock myself in the house and watch movies with my critters. I am praying for snow on Christmas day so I have an excuse to stay home.

My second mistake - I counted. I know how many days until Doc leaves. For some it might not be that big of a deal but what I really just did to myself is put myself in countdown mode. I say it every time he leaves - waiting for him to go sucks. I will be doing my best to push it out of my mind so we can enjoy his leave but I am sure I will think about the countdown at least once a day. Blah.

weekend in review

Last night I had to take my wedding rings off, my fingers are swollen. I am pretty sure it's just water weight because my finger size varies through out the day (or at least that is just what I am telling myself). I would hate to think that I am getting fat enough for my fingers to actually be fat. Does this mean swollen feet are next? I don't know what these celebrities are talking about - there is nothing sexy about being pregnant. Oh and Doc doesn't like to touch my belly because it weirds him out! Guess I am not getting any before he leaves (honestly, I am OK with that!).

This past weekend was great, Friday I had my glucose test, I haven't heard anything from the hospital so I am taking it as no news is good news. Drinking that sugar stuff wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. After the test I had to finish cleaning my house - at 3 months pregnant offering my house for my baby shower seemed like no big deal but at almost 7 months the deep clean necessary when having guests was almost impossible. Doc wasn't any help, he was barley able to move after his 20 mile road march - yup 20 miles in full kit! Most people train for a few months before attempting that. (side story alert) But I guess the town they ended up in was a very small town who went all out to welcome his company, the took the kids out of school and bussed them in to welcome them with signs and banners. They had food and drinks waiting and everyone was just so happy to see them. It really touched Doc, had then ended in Tacoma or Seattle no one would have even batted an eye. It makes me want to cry knowing that there are still towns like this, towns where the flag means something and those fighting for it deserve a big welcome.

Anyway...I got all the cleaning done in time for my friend Melissa (the hostess for my shower) to get to my house on Sat and let me tell you, this girl did not mess around with her hostess duties. (not really a duty, I would have been happy with a single balloon) Here are some pictures of all that she did:

The amazing decorations - she made the ball things!

The food minus the biggest hit of the day - Pizza Rolls, who knew?

The candy table

Favors

And finally, a friend gave Teagan the giving tree and I was once again reminded how ugly Shel Silverstein's picture is!

It was a great shower, everyone had a great time. Once again I was reminded how blessed I am.

thanks

Thank you all for the positive feed back on Doc's upcoming promotion. We are really excited, it is something we were really hoping for before the baby comes. He works his butt off and it's so nice that he's getting some recognition for it. It was his first board so he was super nervous, I guess when he first walked in he was marching like a toy soldier or something just as silly and his first sgt was like, "Doc, go back to the door and try that again" haha. I had no idea how much tradition was involved with the whole process, how he had to sit just so and all that. Luckily there he will only have to do that one more time.

We celebrated with Mexican food, I am not a big fan of Mexican so I got 2 soft tacos and curly fries :) I can't decide if TC loved or hated it because she seemed to be doing a Mexican Hat Dance after dinner. Maybe she's just excited that her Daddy's moving on up.

In not so happy news, I will find out the date of his next "exotic vacation" tonight (don't get too excited, I am not telling you people). Sure does have a way of creeping up on you doesn't it? But once it starts it will be over before we know it because he's coming home early for baby time!

Oh and FYI I am craving champagne like it's nobody's business...I am going to throw that out there at my next appointment on Friday and see what my OB says about it. I know...90 more days then I can have all the bubbly I want.

I have to tell you

Doc passed the promotion board today!!!!

I am so proud of him.

November already?

YIKES! I guess I better get started on all of the projects I want to have done before Doc leaves. I am thinking about putting up the Christmas tree early just so it feels like we have Christmas but I am not sure if that would just depress him. The weekend was pretty uneventful, I had more rude trick or treaters than polite ones which made me want to go out and slap their parents. Honestly, I would have NEVER thought to complain to the person giving me candy or ever to reach my hand in the bowl and take a handful unless otherwise instructed. I am not giving out candy next year.

On Saturday I spent more time on the phone with the Apple Care people, I am glad to say I did not get sent to India. I spoke with a very nice Canadian who was very easy to understand :). The news however was not good, while it was testing OK the issues was my hard drive. As I suspected, it shouldn't have take 8 hours to install Snow Leopard (and that isn't an exaggeration). Luckily I was able to make an appointment and bring it to the apple store at 9:30 Sunday morning and my 7PM Sunday evening it was fixed. I picked it up today. It has been a little annoying to deal with all of this but the computer is 3 years old and I haven't had to pay a dime. Oh and they didn't have my 250 (something byte) so I got a 320 and they upgraded my iLife. So yea...I'm still a Mac girl and still tell everyone they should get one.

Other than that I wasn't able to do much this weekend, my back has been killing me. I feel like I have grown a lot this past week and my already bad back is having a hard time keeping up. My heating pad has become my best friend, I need to remember to bring it to work with me.

OK enough with my rambling - I am really just trying to pass the time until I hear from Doc, there was a lot going on with him and I just want an update. (hehe I love being cryptic)