Overdue

An update is way overdue. So much has been going on in our day to day lives. I am fully recovered from my many illnesses and back to loving life. Audrey is growing so fast! She's almost 6 months old and developing more and more everyday. She is so awesome and has the best personality. She loves to talk, play on her play mat, jump in her jumperoo and learning new things. We are currently trying to get her to sit up on her own. She can hold her bottle now. She stands really well with a tiny bit of support from us. There is so many new and wonderful things to discover with her.

What have I been up to? Tending to things I have been wanting to do at home. I've been couponing and building my stockpile. I have been working on a home makeover as well. We painted in the living room and the dining room. We have plans to paint Audrey's room and our bedroom. We are getting ready to go home for Christmas, then go to Ohio! I am sooo excited for everyone to see Audrey again and her to have her first Christmas. It's going to be so awesome. I'm excited about buying her some awesome toys to help her develop and grow. We had a great first Thanksgiving as a family together. She loved all the people and different faces to see and "talk" to.

Paul is doing well. He graduated with an Associate's Degree. He is being promoted to Senior Airman. We are looking at new opportunities for where to live and where we might want to move to. That's up to the Air Force, though, so we will see what happens.

Welp, that's the update on these Baloughs.

Hard Knock Life

Things have been so crazy. I'll spare tons of details, because those of you who are friends with me in real life or on facebook know what has gone. Needless to say, 2 surgeries (kidney and gallbladder) and a week and a half hospital stay later, I am alive. I am very grateful to be on the mend. It has been the hardest few weeks of my life, for sure, and I still have a long recovery ahead of me unfortunately. I have to go back to all the doctors that saw me in the hospital for follow up appointments, plus get 2 kidney stones zapped and my stint taken out of my kidney still. I will be so happy when all this is over. I'm exhausted and I have yet to get my energy back.

Do you know how hard it is to take care of a 4 month old when you are recovering from surgeries and have no energy? It's not easy. For this reason, we came back home with Mom so that I could have some help with Audie. Paul is on 12's again, so it would be impossible for me to recover AND take on 24 hour infant care. Some days I just cannot do it all. My muscles are still weak from being in a hospital bed for 9 days. I'm tired constantly. I'm so thankful I came home and can get the help I need. I miss Paul terribly though, as usual. And Audrey misses her Daddy. It will be nice to get back to normal and get back to La. In the meantime, I'm resting, taking care of my sweet baby who is growing way too fast, resting some more, sleeping alot eating occasionally.

Audrey is as wonderful as ever. She gets more and more beautiful every single day and I am so in love with my sweet daughter. She has recently started laughing and it is such a precious sound!! It makes my heart melt. She is enjoying time with Granmommy and T-pop and aunt becca and uncle chris. Everyone loves her so much!!

Ok, I'm not feeling too great so I need to get my daughter and myself ready for bed.

We live!!!

Things have been so crazy lately and Audrey has kept me on my toes. I've been busy making new friends, hanging out with our babies and having playdates. I am getting ready to start MOPS next Monday. It's a Mother's of Preschoolers program at my church. I am looking forward to meeting more mom's and going to those meetings! It should be fun. My mom is flying out on September 27th and we are driving back to Tennessee on the 29th. I will be in Tennessee for a few weeks. I am looking forward to visiting with family and friends and having Audie be with extended family...grandparents and aunts and uncle.

So...my favorite part of the day is when I put Audrey in bed with me at 6am. We cuddle and sleep for 4 more hours and it is a wonderful bonding time for us! I absolutely love to look over and see my baby sleeping peacefully right beside me. Heaven! Everything is going well. She is eating us out of a house and home! No joke. This girl makes us fly through the formula, unfortunately. And it's way expensive so there's really no money for anything else. Student loans are piling up and it's getting hard to keep up, making money even tighter...but we work with what we have. Hopefully we will figure finances out and get back on our feet, so to speak. Audrey is a great sleeper. She still sleeps a lot and it's nice to be able to get things done occasionally. She is in 0-3 month clothes right now. It took forever for her to be able to fit into them, but now she is in them comfortably. Some are slightly big, still. She is 3 months old in 9 days!!! Time flies. She's smiling ALOT and such a happy baby!! She thinks I'm a funny girl :-) I can't wait till she starts laughing and giggling.

We have alot of unspoken prayer requests right now. Things are kind of uncertain and I would be lying if I say I wasn't worried about finances and our near future. Just keep us in your prayers!!

Busier than ever.

I thought just being a stay at home wife and keeping the house clean was hard. Ha! A clean house is almost impossible with a baby. There are those rare moments when most of the house is clean for like 2 seconds...then it's back to the way it was. I'm ok with it though. Having baby stuff everywhere gives my home character and the feeling of family. I love my little Audie bee and I love taking care of and nurturing her. I love the way she looks up into my eyes adoringly when I'm feeding her. I love her grunts and squeaks when she's sleeping...or even awake. And I even LOVE having to pick her up and hold her because the only place she's happy is my arms. It brings me the greatest joy to be her Mommy. She's generally a happy baby. She loves to be held, but what baby doesn't? She has days where she cries if I put her down and I tend to hold her through those days. But she also has plenty of days where she is perfectly content in her swing, bouncy, or sleeping in her pack n play.

An update on me: I'm doing well. I'm over the baby blues part of post partum. It wasn't bad. It only lasted a couple weeks and I was back to normal. I spend most of my free time...what little I do have running around the house, cleaning, washing bottles, doing laundry, surfing the internet for good coupon deals, all to start over again in the routine of taking care of Audie. I am beyond exhausted most days, but that's normal and Audrey keeps me on my toes. Sometimes it seems like everything is just one reeeeeallly long, big day. No separate days because they all run together! lol. Especially when sleep is more like just a nap. All in the name of love for my baby :-) Life is good.

Finally getting the hang of it.

So I am finally getting the hang of being a new Mom. At first, if it wasn't one thing it was another: breastfeeding, pumping, formula, normal bowel movements for her, finding the right bottle and nipple combo to bottle feed her...shew! Hard work and stressful trying to figure everything out. I feel like I can finally relax and breathe a little now. We are settled into formula feeding. Everything is going great!

Can you believe that...my daughter has almost outgrown her newborn clothes?!?! Who would have thought that would happen at 2 months old. lol. She's a tiny girl, that Audrey. I love her so much.

We survived our first rough growth spurt. Of course, it happened while Paul was at work all week. Fussy baby that NEVER slept, but sure could cry with the best of them. It was a ROUGH week and I wanted to gouge my eyes out with a spoon at times and bang my head against the wall. It's hard having no one to help out. I don't know how single moms do it. Thanks to the bouncy seat, swing, car seat, and lots of cuddles...we survived. Now to gear up for the next one. And teething! ahhh!!

Paul and I finally figured out a schedule so that we could both get decent sleep throughout the week. We swap nights getting up with Audrey and it works pretty well. Of course, Audrey only really wakes up once in the night...but when she does, it takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get her fed, burped, happy and back to sleep. So it's a couple hours of lost sleep. Sometimes I'll put her in bed with me if I'm really tired and cuddle her until she falls back asleep. That way I can rest..while bonding with Audie. I get up around 10:30 for the day with Audrey (she eats at 6ish and 10ish am) Then for the rest of the day, we just go with the flow. I feed her when she is truly hungry, talk to her, sing to her and play with her till she needs a nap. Sometimes her naps are only 30 minutes, sometimes several hours. It's touch and go and Audrey has DEFINITELY taught me to be more go with the flow. There's some things you really just can't control no matter what.

I am so excited for Audrey's next pediatrician appointment. I want to see how much she weighs and ask a few questions about bottle feeding, formula, etc. Lots of questions. I can't wait. August 18th is her appointment. Oh...she gets shots too. Excitement gone. I'm going to cry.

Being a Mom

Being a Mom is one of the greatest things I have ever experienced. For real. It brings me SUCH joy..to where even waking up in the middle of the night does not bother me one bit. I love feeding Audie and giving her lots of cuddles and snuggles. She is such a sweetheart. Feedings are going really well. Formula seems to be working out for Audie, as well as breastmilk. I pump 3 times a day to keep building my milk supply with Audie's growing nutritional needs. For all other feedings I use formula. The greatest thing about switching to formula is that God has totally provided for the financial expense of it and I know He will continue to provide. I have been able to use couponing to our advantage in stocking up on formula when it's on sale, as well as buying really cheap from other Moms who aren't using the formula they have. It has worked out perfectly and we have a big stock of formula now, 5 tubs, 8 cans, and 2 quart bottles to be exact. I also have tons of coupons for future formula purchases. So...life with a baby is pretty much perfect. No worries here. Well, I gotta get back to baby care. That's the update for now.

Why I switched (well, kind of)...

I have not updated in a LONG time! I have so much to say. Let me first update on the breast feeding. Audrey and I were having problems and we didn't even realize it. I came home for a visit while Paul was on long work shifts and my Mom discovered that Audrey was just not getting chubby like normal babies do. After watching me nurse, she saw that Audrey was not really eating, just pacifying. I had already been to one lactation consultant, so my Mom got me an appointment with another one. At the appointment, we found that it was true that she wasn't really eating or working to get the hindmilk from my breast. Therefore, she wasn't getting everything she needed. The LC gave us a syringe to feed Audie formula through while she was on the breast so that she could know that's where her food comes from and to get her sucking. We also had to log everything on paper...how long she nursed, how much we supplemented, wet diapers, dirty diapers, how much I pumped, how long I pumped...everything! We used the syringe and kept trying that for 5 days. We saw another LC and she put me on medicine to increase my milk production. After 5 days of trying everything we were supposed to, Audrey got frustrated whenever we weren't using the syringe. Her food wasn't flowing freely and she was angry. She stopped latching on and trying. I was in tears because I was upset and stressed and overwhelmed thinking that these problems would never end. So...my Mom and I decided (with the support of my husband!!) that we just needed to switch to formula and pump as much as possible. Since doing that, things have been SO much less stressful and much much easier. I feed her formula for most feedings, but I give her atleast 3 bottles a day of pumped breastmilk. That way she is still getting immunities and antibodies from me. Audrey is putting on weight and starting to look chubby again. It's great and both mom and baby are VERY happy. I have no doubt that this is what's best for both of us, especially for Audrey. There was no way we could keep up using the syringe in hopes that she would eventually nurse. Paul can't be there to put the tube in her mouth and hold it there to put formula in every time I nurse. It wasn't feasible to keep that up. So...now things are much better and Audie is great! She's having more awake time and loves to look around. She wakes up frequently to eat, which is a wonderful thing! We really tried breastfeeding and gave it our all, but Audrey just didn't know what to do. All is well now. I plan on trying again with the next baby, because all babies are different.

Breastfeeding so far.

I figured I'd do a post on my experience with breastfeeding so far. It's going well, but I have had some struggles. The main one was waiting for my milk to come in and my supply to increase. I am JUST now getting a good enough supply that I think is enough. I had supplemented with formula when needed since she was born. Luckily, supplementing hasn't hurt my milk supply because I pump the same amount for every ounce that I supplement. This keeps my body knowing to produce more milk. I was worried that something was wrong when I would nurse Audie for 20 minutes on each side and she would still seem hungry. I get frustrated because I can't know exactly how much she is getting when nursing. There have been times where I have cried and said I just want to switch to formula...and how much easier that would be. The one thing that keeps me going is knowing that formula is expensive and I feel like I would be cheating Audrey out of what is best for her. I resolved to pump, pump, pump and pump some more to try to increase my supply and to also get my body to produce alot more milk than it was producing. Today is the first day where I feel like I am making lots of milk. I pumped a full bottle of milk to supplement when she doesn't seem satisfied after nursing. In my opinion, bottle feeding breastmilk is just as good. Breastfeeding is ALOT harder than I thought it would be. It's not painful to me atleast, but it's SO time consuming. I feel like I'm nursing or pumping all day long, but I refuse to let my supply dwindle. I hope and pray that nursing continues to become second nature, because it's still exhausting and draining at time. If need be, I will go to a lactation consultant for any problems. I *think* she's latching on right, but I'm no pro at this so I don't really know. Those are just some of my struggles with breastfeeding. I keep telling myself it's worth it, but goodness...it's hard.

Motherhood

Being a new Mom is really awesome. It's overwhelming as well, though. Some of the best things about having a newborn is waking up to Audie's sweet noises. She *almost* never cries. When she's hungry or waking up, she just just makes a bunch of little sighs and grunts. It's so cute! The times she does cry is when she's cold from a bath or baby wipes. Audie furrows her brow alot in her sleep, making the cutest faces. I absolutely love having a newborn baby and it makes me sad to know that she's growing everyday. I want her to stay this little forever! lol. I cannot kiss her little baby head enough or her chubby cheeks. People aren't kidding when they say there is nothing like the love a mother has for her child. Audrey is still in preemie clothes. My mom said that I'll be sad when she actually fits in newborn clothes, saying that she's growing up too fast! lol.

Other news: Breastfeeding is going great! It was hard at first because it took a while for my milk to come in, then I wasn't producing much. I just pushed through it and kept breastfeeding and pumping to increase production. It worked and now I don't have to supplement with formula. I only do that if it's the middle of the night and I just want to feed her really quickly. Using disposable diapers has gone really well, so far, surprisingly. A week and 2 days in and there have not been any blowouts or leaking problems.

Post partum hormones are crazy! I'm super emotional and I go back and forth being sad and happy. It's normal though and I'm still adjusting to the role of mommy. Whenever I do feel sad, I just hold and cuddle Audie and I feel better. She's such a joy.

It's dinner time and almost time to feed the babe so I need to go! I'll update again soon.

Audrey Leona: June 17th at 11:20am

Well, my baby is officially here. She was born on Friday June 17th at 11:20am. She weighed a teeny tiny 5lbs, 10oz. She is SO BEAUTIFUL. As of right now, she has blond hair and blue eyes. That will probably change. Let me tell you about her birth story:

We were set to be induced on Friday. They broke my water early and started pitocin. After a while I had not progressed and the nurse seemed concerned about something. She had the doctor come check me and that's when they said that they didn't feel the baby's head down. They immediately got an ultrasound machine and discovered my little Audrey had flipped sideways after they broke my water. There were no other options at that point but to do a C-section. In no time, I was wheeled to the OR and put on the operating table. A short few minutes later, I heard Audrey's first cry. That of course brought me to tears. Paul went over to see her while they cleaned her up and said her birth weight. We were absolutely shocked because she was a pound and a half less than what they said she'd be. Paul brought her to me to see her, then they had to take her to the nursery. I waited an hour and a half to hold my baby for the first time. TORTURE. But having her after that was heaven. My blood pressure was really high after I had her, so they put me on meds and told me I couldn't nurse. I was super bummed. We used formula for the first day, then attempted nursing the next day.

As of now, my blood pressure is still really high. We're trying to get it down with the help of my doctor and prescribed medicine. Life with a newborn is AMAZING. My baby sleeps through the night. I wake her up to nurse around 6 or 7 every morning. Nursing is going great. Audrey is a dream come true. She's so precious and I never knew I could love her SO much. I look forward to waking up and spending the day with her and seeing her beautiful face. Seriously, my baby does not cry. She has only cried twice and that was in the hospital. That will change, but she's a happy baby right now.

Anyways, that's the update!

FOUR DAYS!!!

I am getting so excited. I've been super busy cleaning, nesting, organizing, whatever you want to call it. It is so nice to have a clean home ready and waiting for my family and my baby girl to be here. Friday is going to be a crazy day, but I am so ready. Here's the agenda for the rest of the week:

Tuesday: Appointment at 9:30 with my perinatologist (the last one!!)

Lunch with Paul

Go get Paul and iPhone 4

Last couponing shopping trip

Cleaning

Wednesday: cleaning

finishing packing hospital bag and necessities

taking dogs to get nails clipped

Dr. Appointment

Dinner out with Paul

Thursday: Last OB appointment at 10:10am

last minute cleaning to be done

family comes in!

Possible go to the hospital at midnight

Friday:

Officially starting induction at 8am

So that's the agenda. That's more for me since I'm scatter brained and forget what else I need to do. I've got a busy week and I'm excited :-) Pray for me for an easy labor and recovery! Can't wait to post about her birth!

Oh Gee!!!

Paul and I are going into our LAST weekend before we are officially Mom and Dad. I am in total shock that I will be giving birth to a baby girl in a week. So here is the plan for next week: If I have not progressed toward labor before then, I will being going in Thursday night at midnight and will be given meds at 12am and 4am. Then at 8am Friday morning, they will start the pitocin to get labor going. I just ask that everyone keeps us in their prayers because I'm getting very anxious over the pain and everything I will experience before she arrives. I just can't wait to hold her for the first time and nurse her and begin this journey as a Mom. I absolutely cannot wait for Paul to hold his daughter for the first time either! It's going to be great!

Today I set about finishing a bunch of tasks I was putting off. I now believe that a clean house makes for a happy home, in my case atleast. I started out by cleaning all the bathrooms. Then I cleaned all our floors (the floors in this house are all tile, so lots of sweeping and mopping). After taking a little break, Paul and I gave the dogs a bath. They are now clean and ready to meet their new baby sister :-) I got laundry done AND got the kitchen cleaned. I am HAPPY. I haven't had the energy for that type of cleaning in a long time, on top of taking care of the dogs as well.

Anyways, that's about it for an update. Still a few things left to do before I "feel" ready. Will I ever really feel ready? I doubt it, but bring it on!

In 2 weeks...

I will be getting ready to bring a new baby girl into the world. I am really really having a hard time grasping this concept. It just seems totally surreal that I can say "I will be going to the hospital to have my baby on this day." Most women have to wait around for their baby to decide to join the world. Today it really dawned on me that my days as only a wife are almost over. I'm taking on another role for LIFE. So, in light of this, Paul and I have been doing lots of different stuff spontaneously...going out to eat, going to see movies, shopping and all that fun stuff. The timing is really perfect because Paul is currently taking a class for work that allows him to be home with me for most of the day and night. He goes to class for a few hours every morning, then we have to day to do what we want. I am SO thankful for this, because I definitely need him around alot more in these last few weeks. I don't have family here that can help me with anything, so having his presence and help around the house means everything.

So, uhhh, pregnancy brain set in and I just lost my train of thought. I have lots to do!!

A baby post!

This weekend has been really, really awesome. I feel quite a bit more ready for Audrey to be here now. We seriously have like NO money anymore, but we have everything we need, thank the Lord! We miiiight need to get some more newborn diapers, but we can do that when we have her and figure out how big or small she is. So anyways, here's how our Saturday and Sunday went:

Saturday- I was a tad bit down. Ok...really down. Some days it's really upsetting to not be able to do all that I'm used to and to feel so huge. All that on top of having to watch everything I eat and everything I do so that I don't have blood sugar problems or go into early labor. Paul took me out to a nice dinner at our favorite steakhouse here. I was able to eat my favorite diabetes friendly meal and enjoy what I was eating for once. I get so sick of eating the same thing over and over, so I'm going to make it my mission to find some other meal plans for these next 2 weeks. After dinner, Paul took me to Target..my favorite store. I did a tiny bit of couponing, which included buying 2 things of hair color, 1 with a $2 off coupon...and the second one gave me a $5 target gift card. So it basically ended up being buy 2 for the price of 1. I then went to the baby section and got another pack of newborn diapers since we only had 1. I wasn't really expecting to have a baby early, but since I am...I want to be prepared with newborn diapers. I also got some hospital pacifiers. Fun stuff! When we got home, I was able to color my hair and do a little bit of self pampering...on top of getting laundry done. Feeling much better!!

Sunday (today)- I relaxed and printed off coupons until Paul got up. We decided later to go to Which Wich (an amazing sandwich shop here) where I thoroughly enjoyed eating something other than "the usual." I had the idea to go to Carter's babies and kids afterwards. When Paul walked in with me, he realized we didn't have any newborn clothes. He decided we really needed to get her a small newborn wardrobe until she grows into the bigger stuff. The store was having a big sale and was also doing a 10% military discount for memorial day weekend. Let me tell you...it was SO weird to see Paul SO actively looking for our daughter some clothes. Even after I said I thought we had enough, he was wanting to pick more out...and who was I to say no? Take advantage of his desire to buy baby clothes!!! He picked out some cute stuff and we ended up getting about 14 outfits (some onesies, some 3 piece sets etc) for $60. It was decent for Carter's! Now our baby will be well-dressed no matter what size she is when she's born :-) I'm excited. When we got home, we both worked together and cleaned the inside of my car...wiping and cleaning everything. Getting it ready to put the carseat in.

That about sums up all the baby preparations at the moment. I plan on getting other things ready, slowly but surely. SO EXCITED!!

A bit more on it.

Today I had the opportunity to devote some time to researching couponing and organizing all my coupons/stuff. This is really the first day this week I have been able to do so, due to doctor's appointments out the wazoo and being on minimal activity requirements. lol. It was a GREAT productive day in the coupon department :-) So I wanted to share a bit about the things I have learned recently. Thursday night, Paul and I were lucky enough to be able to go to a couponing class held here in town. I had been wanting to go to one for a while and was thrilled that Paul wanted to come along. It feels good knowing that we are doing this together. I learned quite a few new little things that I had not known before:

1. When using a B1G1 free coupon, you can use ANOTHER coupon on the product that you are actually paying for. For example: Today I went to Target. I had a buy one gillette body wash, get one gillette deodorant free. I used that coupon and also a $2 off gillette body wash coupon. So, I paid a total of $1.49 for the body wash and the deodorant. The deodorant is normally $4.24 and the body wash is $3.49. That's a really decent savings right there.

2. When shopping at a pharmacy: If they have a buy one get one sale going on, you can use a B1G1 coupon on top of that sale and get BOTH products free. How freakin sweet is that??

Other things discussed were things like matching rock bottom sale prices at stores with the coupons for dirt cheap prices. Sale cycles are normally 3 months, so having a 3 month stock will get you through to the next sale where you can stock up again :-) Side note: store loyalty cards are AWESOME. Find a store and get one. My personal favorite is Kroger. Another good couponing store is Target, where you can use both target store coupons and manufacture coupons on 1 item for more savings. After a while, you figure out items that you won't ever need to pay for again, due to knowing what kinds of coupons come out and sale prices etc. Here are a few things you can normally get for free:

1. toothbrushes

2. toothpaste

3. soap

4. body wash

5. disposable razors

6. laundry detergent

7. dental floss

The key is to not be very brand oriented. Be willing to use different brands, depending on what you can get free or cheap.

Anyways, those are a few of the things I learned at the class and am learning more about as I go along. I wanted to go ahead and learn as much as possible before I get really busy with the baby. Frugality is awesome.

On that note: Today I got 4 pairs of flip flops for $7.96 at Kohls.....YES!! I'm starting to save in other areas as well and it is so much fun. They are having a sale for flip flops for only $1.99, so I definitely wanted to take advantage of it. Then I came home and reorganized my coupon binder into specific categories. Fun stuff.

Ok, meds are kicking in. Must sleep.

A quick update...

This week has been way too eventful for my liking. Sunday night I started having bad contractions. Once they got to 5 minutes apart, Paul and I decided to go to the hospital. We got to the ER and they sent us up to Labor and Delivery. I had no idea what I was in for...I thought it was going to be a false alarm and I would be sent home within an hour. Not so. I told the nurse my symptoms and mentioned one tiny little detail that made her go "hmm, well that may make all the difference in what's going on." They had me pee in a cup, put on the hospital gown and get in bed. After a bajillion questions, I was hooked up to the different belts to monitor contractions and fetal heart rate. The nurse discovered right away that my contractions were coming very close together and very frequently. So then, they went about trying to figure out what was causing it this early on. Another nurse came in a little later and told me I had bacteria in my urine and I would be staying overnight. This made me cry because the last place I wanted to be was in that stupid hospital bed. When the contractions started getting worse, the nurse put Demerol in my IV for the pain. In about 2 seconds, I was KNOCKED OUT. Gone...out of this world. All the medicine they gave me still did not stop or slow down the contractions. I was given lots and lots of fluids and dozed in and out of sleep all night. My doctor came in Monday morning to tell me what was going on. She said I had a "raging bladder infection." I was given 2 prescriptions to treat the infection and stop the contractions, told to rest as much as possible and RELEASED.

Tuesday: I saw my perinatologist and he determined that I would deliver at 38 weeks because of all that had gone on and the risks of gestational diabetes.

Today: My OB set the date for June 17th!

So, Audrey will be making her appearance on June 17th and I am super excited!! Paul will have the best Father's Day present ever :-)

A year of marriage.

Ok, this post won't be directly related to baby either...

Paul and I have officially been married a whole year. One year ago, I was joining my life with his forever and I cannot believe how time has flown. It FLEW by. There are so many things I want to say. Marriage was nothing I expected it to be...in a good way!! I guess you could say I went into it with somewhat low expectations because I had seen so many people disappointed at how unglamorous it can be at times. I also think that being separated a year prior to getting married made things a tad bit different for us. We didn't have any of those "knock down, drag out" fights that some people say they have in the newlywed year. We did argue occasionally and we got mad at each other, but that's normal for every married couple. There were a couple times when we just need a break from each other, so to speak. Those 2 times, I just went home to visit family. But even during those days apart, I found myself wanting to be back with my husband. Absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder. Paul's work schedule has thrown many wrenches into plans made the past year. I believe I am a stronger, more independent person because of the military though. Paul can't always be there for me and I know that. I'm learning to be ok with that. He tries and that is all that really matters. That and the fact that he wants to be there with me, helping me, every step of the way. I would not trade one day of being married to him for anything and I know he feels the same way. We love each other deeply and I am sooooo blessed to have my husband be my best friend as well. Marriage is SUCH a gift. A gift that I am so grateful that God saw fit to bless me with. Now let me tell you about our "anniversary day/date."....

We celebrated a day early, because Sundays things close early and there's more of a time crunch. I woke up today and Paul and I started the day off by watching Army Wives. Yes, he wanted to watch army wives. We spent several hours just spending quality time together. Time where we were just concentrating on each other and being in love :-) We got ready for our date. Took our time and just made everything relaxed. I wore a red dress and Paul wore a polo shirt with dark jeans...and his wedding band. We went to Target and bought a few things for cheeeaaap with coupons. Had to get some couponing in there! Then we went to Saltgrass Steakhouse to eat. It's one of our favorite restaurants here. It's definitely expensive, but an anniversary is a good reason to spend money. I was able to stick to my diet and still thoroughly enjoy my meal. That made me really happy...really! Dinner took a while, but it was nice to just sit and enjoy Paul's company. We had limited phone use today, so it was extra special being together. After dinner, Paul took me to Motherhood Maternity....romantic, right? lol!! He bought me 4 nursing bras since that was the only thing left that I needed to buy before Audrey came. Now I feel really prepared and Paul was super sweet and understanding while bra shopping. We came home after that and worked in the yard together for a little bit, until it got too dark. Then we cuddled up on the couch together and watched tv.

It may not sound like the best date, but to me...it was amazing!! It's way too common for us to be together without appreciating each other. There are times when you feel more like roommates than husband and wife, so reconnecting us necessary. Getting that quality, devoted time with my husband today was SO refreshing and just what my heart and soul had been needing, especially with this baby coming soon!! I think I'm just wanting to really enjoy our one on one time while it really is just us two. Well, I'm getting sleepy and my husband is already asleep beside me so I think I will hunker down and see if I can sleep. I am SO thankful for this wonderful life God has blessed me with.

Couponing...

This post has nothing to do with baby, so I apologize in advance for that! hehe. I wanted to blog about something I have become passionate about. Free money...errr...coupons. Well, that's what they work as, right? I really don't know how Paul and I ever went without using coupons to buy groceries, toiletries, etc. They are available and out there, why not use them? Atleast once a week, I will come across free deal through my searches of different couponer's blogs. Some of the things I have gotten for free have been:

~Body washes (nivea body wash)

~Toothbrushes (reach toothbrushes)

~Razors (Nocxema, and wilkinson sword)

~Dental Floss (reach)

~Soap (Ivory)

~Deodorant (men's degree)

~conditioner

I love love love getting necessities for free!! The main blog that I follow is The Krazy Coupon Lady. She posts tons of walmart and target freebies with what coupons to use and from what insert or website. She has a facebook page you can "like" and stay up on the deals. There are TONS of other pages and sites to follow and keep up with for free stuff. Ask me for a list if you want one.

Another good way to get free stuff is to watch these pages for giveaways and free samples that companies are doing. The companies will send you samples of their product for free, with high value coupons to use to purchase in the future. I can't count the number of freebies and samples I have signed up for.

I have recently started couponing for food and grocery items. It can be a bit trickier to do, but every little bit counts. Paul and I can normally save around $15 per grocery trip when using coupons. Coupons.com is the best for this. Also, if you have a grocery list made out, you can go and search online for coupons for the specific items that you are going to buy. It *is* a bit time consuming, but saving money is worth the time.

You should almost *never* buy something at retail price (food is another issue...you can't avoid buying retail on some of that). Companies will send you coupons for their products if you go to their site and request them. Sometimes, you can just print them off straight from the site. Another thing to do is get a store loyalty card. We use Kroger and it allows us to double and triple coupon amounts. Doing that on top of a sale means CHEAP stuff.

Anyways, I'm exhausted and probably not making a whole lot of sense at this point. I'm definitely not a pro at this, but since I have free time while waiting for Audrey to arrive...I'm working on perfecting the couponing art so that I can just stick with it forever! I still have so much to learn!!

I'm terrible!

I have been so bad about blogging lately. There's really not a whole lot to update on the baby front. I saw my dietician last week and realized just how much work this really is. I'm having to write everything I eat down and test my blood sugar levels 4 times per day, which is finger pricking. I totally changed my diet and I'm losing ALOT of weight already. It was soooo overwhelming at first and I cried a lot because I honestly didn't know what I was doing. I've got the hang of it now somewhat and am doing much better. I still need to come up with dinner plans for me because I just kind of graze on whatever I know I can eat at this point. Cooking and I just don't mix. There's only a little bit left of this, though. I'm 33 weeks on Friday and she will be here in no time! I'm getting very excited and anxious. I've washed all her clothes and stuff, now I just need to get on top of the cleaning that needs to be done. I'm still incredibly mobile and able at this point..which surprises me. I stay busy and that helps. No sitting around for me.

Monday is my next appointment with my perinatologist. I'm anxious to know how big she is, because I'm sure she is a big baby!! Labor and birth should be interesting, for sure. Then I have an OB appointment next Wednesday and I meet with my dietician on Thursday. Busy busy busy!

Anyways, there's really not a whole lot else to update on. I'll blog again when I have more to say.

Health update

So I have an update on all my glucose testing: I have gestational diabetes. I'm very upset about this, as everything has to change about my lifestyle. Since it's for my baby, I will do it with as good of an attitude as possible. I'm being put on a strict diet and the things that I normally crave, I will no longer be able to eat. I really hope Audrey comes before 40 weeks so that we don't have to deal with this for very long. I will probably be losing quite a bit of weight over the next few weeks because of this low carb diet. I guess I can consider this getting a really early start on losing pregnancy weight. And this diet something I HAVE to do for Audrey's health and safety. I just really want to hold her right now and know that this is all worth it.

On top of this, I have an ear infection that is almost impossible to get taken care of by any of my doctors! My ENT can't see me till May 24th and my OB office isn't calling me back. I'm fed up with health, healthcare, and health problems right now. When it rains it pours.

Other than that, things are alright I guess. Just getting through each day doing the usual cleaning, cooking and everything that I normally do. Not too much excitement at this point. 2 months or less till Audrey is here. I'm so ready.

I fail..

At glucose tests! I figured since I hadn't heard back from my nurse on my glucose screen in 13 days...that I was fine. But she called today (dang it!). I failed my 1 hour glucose test. My levels were slightly higher than they like, so tomorrow I have to go for the THREE hour test. Oh please let me pass this one. I DO NOT want gestational diabetes. My Mom had it with her youngest and had to give herself shots everyday and eat super healthy. The shots are what scares me. I can't give myself a shot, so Paul would be doing it for me. Ack! And ow...So I really hope this was just a small bump in the road and doesn't change the rest of this pregnancy. Things are going well.

Another extreme couponing success today :-) A $15 purchase that was only $3 for me! That includes free body wash and free allergy medicine. And 2 toilet bowl cleaners that were cheap. I love doing this and saving all this money!

Our friends gave us their high chair and boppy pillow today. Woohoo! If I'm not prepared...I really don't know what prepared is. lol. Well, I still have to order our changing table, but that's it.

Audrey is 3lbs 8oz as of yesterday. That's crazy because she had put on a whole pound in 12 days. We got another 4D ultrasound and you can definitely tell that she is putting on the baby chub. She is absolutely precious and beautiful. I cannot wait until we get to hold her. These ultrasounds can be such a tease!! I want to kiss her sweet cheeks and forehead (that she got from her daddy). I love her.

Well I gotta feed the dogs and get some sleep. Big day tomorrow.

Blessed beyond belief!

The past few days I have been feeling blessed way more than I deserve. We have had an outpouring of love and help in preparation for Audrey from people here in Louisiana. It makes me feel a lot more loved and accepted here. Let me tell you what has transpired over the past few days. First of all, my sister in law sent me a $5 coupon for a diaper pail. I had a $25 gift card for walmart from my aunt, so I was able to buy the diaper pail absolutely free to me. My best friend here bought us a baby gift. She heard me mention wanting a girly playmat for Audrey, since most of the stuff we have is gender neutral. So she and her husband bought us an adorable girly tummy time playmat and a girly rattle for her. I cannot wait till she's old enough to lay and play on it. I cannot wait till I can play with my daughter!!! So next, we had the absolute honor of babysitting one of our friends 18 month old. I absolutely LOVE this little boy and Paul and I have so much fun with him. It makes me so much more excited to have children in our house. They paid us to babysit us and we bought an exersaucer/activity center for Audrey with the babysitting money. That was the last thing on my list as far as toys/gear goes and I am so excited to have gotten it. Especially brand new :-) So the last thing is...this same couple is also giving us their high chair and boppy pillow. I cannot say enough good about them! They freely gave us their crib, and now they are giving us their high chair and a pillow for me to us. You wouldn't believe all the stuff we have gotten free or dirt cheap due to friends, family and good deals on the internet.

Crib

bedding

Glider and ottoman

swing

jumperoo

high chair

nursing pillows

travel system

pack n play

bouncy seat

exersaucer

changing table

clothes

diaper pail

play mat

We've hardly had to pay anything! We are so so so very blessed.

So on another note, I did some extreme couponing today and had major success on body was and deodorant! Frreeeeeee. I love it. Couponing is addicting. Anyways, I need to get ready for bed. Going to the doctor to see my baby in the morning!

Feeling better

After several days of being severely depressed, I am feeling MUCH better today. I don't having anything specific triggering the depression and I'm sure it's similar to what I dealt with before getting pregnant, so I plan on talking to my doctor at my appointment next week. Anyways, onto happy thoughts...

I woke up this morning and went to the Airman's Attic. It's basically free stuff other people donate for E-4's and below. I found a really really cute outfit that I HAD to get for Audrey.

Couldn't believe how good of condition it was in, so that's why I got it. Plus, it's 12 months and I need some of the bigger sizes anyway. I got a few other things as well, but this was the main steal this week. Last week, it was free diapers. hehe!

This afternoon, I met a fellow AF wife at the BX and bought a jumperoo from her for $40. I brought it home, cleaned it up and put it together and I love it! I can't wait for Audrey to spend time in it playing and jumping. It's going to be cute. Here's what it looks like...

It's missing the rear leafy thingy, but I can get a replacement easily on eBay if it bothers me enough. lol! It was less than half price, so I'm happy! I wanted this specific one to match the baby swing we have. Here's the picture of that :-)

We got this for free from Paul's supervisor. All it's missing is a little stuffed animal from the mobile. Again...easy to replace! I *think* we are set on baby gear, although I feel like I'm forgetting something. And if I see something on craigslist or something some else is selling that I might want for Audrey, I'll probably get it. We order our changing table at the beginning of May. And then I put the finishing touches on the nursery! Eek. It's almost time for her to be here. 2.5 months. I can't wait!

Paul has been amazing lately throughout my ups and downs, especially my downs. Last night he took me to taco bell since I hadn't had much of an appetite and wasn't eating well. Then, he came home and made tonight's dinner to put in the fridge...just so I didn't have to cook. How awesome is that? So now, I don't have to worry about cooking and we can just enjoy the meal he made for us last night. I'm so thankful for him! We are going to a childbirth on Satuday and I'm excited to be able to do that together, especially since it's our first baby. I didn't think I wanted to do a childbirth class, but now that it's closer...I want to know what to expect and stuff I'll be experiencing before I go into labor. Plus, we found a class that works for Paul's schedule. Should be fun!

So that's the baby update for now. I'll have more to say either Thursday or Saturday :-)

Feeling blessed...and stressed.

Well, lately I have been feeling really blessed...and a little stressed on the side. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the fact that my life if about to drastically change. Maybe it's the fact that I desperately want my little girl to hold NOW....not 12 weeks from now. Maybe it's the fact that my house is never clean enough. There's still so much to do to prepare for Audrey and I am really in the nesting mindset. My house is not baby ready, in my opinion. I'm in my 3rd trimester and I get exhausted so easily, making it hard to do everything I want to get done.

I do feel blessed for all that I do have and every way I AM prepared for this sweet girl. Her room is basically done, minus a few more decorations and the changing table. Her closet is full of stuff already that she needs and stuff I want for her. Clothes, diapers, wipes, bottles, nipples, pacifiers, blankets, burp cloths, bibs, towels, washcloths, medicinal stuff, nursing pillow, pump, everything. We have a great crib and glider. We have the travel system, the pack n' play where she will sleep in our room for the first little while. We are ALL stocked on diapers through size 3. This includes almost 1,000 diapers. No lie. We have an infant swing and a bouncy seat to occupy her when I can't be holding her :-)

I just wish I could relax. I am so tense and keyed up about everything. One thing...the boxes that still need to be unpacked and clothes to put away in my room. Ack! And I want to set the pack n' play up beside the bed just to have everything ready. That is...after I clean my room spic and span. Ugh. Still so much to do :-/

Haven't blogged in 50 million years...

Ok, not entirely true...but it's been a bit longer than I usually go. There are quite a few things to update on. My trip home was really wonderful and I loved being with my family. I got some things that I've been wanting. One of them being the moby wrap. I cannot wait to tote little Audrey around with me in it. I also bought more diapers! lol. I have been trying to buy a good amount of diapers every pay period. Another thing I do is keep track of how many I have so far so that I know approximately how long they will last. Official count right now is....*drumroll*...564. I've got about 360 size 1 diapers and am now working on size 2 which is currently at 204. I really want to not have to buy diapers for a while after she is born, so that's why I'm doing this. Plus, I've been on a huge couponing mission, so I'm trying to not buy diapers without coupons. I coupon for other stuff like pacifiers, diaper rash cream, bathing stuff. All this small stuff REALLY adds up, so every little bit helps.

Anyways, on Friday I came home to be with my husband. I REALLY missed him and he really missed me, so it was sweet to be together again. What I loved was his sudden increase in interest in my belly and our daughter. All he wanted to do was feel her move and watch my belly's movement. He kept trying to feel around for where exactly she was (you can always tell, because it's really hard in that certain spot). It was sweet. Then on Saturday, I had my birthday present...which was a spa day. I really felt like a new woman after that!! Prenatal massages are a MUST for when you get big. I had never had a facial before, so that was nice to experience. I got a new haircut that I absolutely LOVE...and a pedicure. So I was all set and brand new. Paul and I went out to dinner with friends that night.

Yesterday was my birthday and it was one of the best! I am going to recount all the details, so here goes: Paul took me to get an Icee at the Shoppette, then we went to the BX to look at washers and dryers. We ended up buying a big rug for our living room, since it's all tile. It was only $33.99. Good deal! And it adds a more personal touch to the house. The next stop was Target: my faaaaavorite store ever. There, we bought a rug for our room, the baby's room and a mat for the kitchen. Yay for making the house more of a home! We also bought more diapers and other small stuff. Next, Paul and I went to Best Buy to look at washers and dryers...again. lol. We had some time to kill until we got hungry so we can home and set up our rugs and stuff that we had bought. Then we went to Ralph and Kacoo's (a nummy cajun restaurant!!) for my birthday dinner. It was delicious and almost right up there with the actual food in New Orleans. Just what I wanted! After we got back home, we watched Army Wives and some other shows. I got the urge to clean and organize more in the baby's room so I spent a while doing that until my back hurt too bad. It was so much fun!

So basically that's what has happened since I last blogged. My 4D ultrasound is on Wednesday and I am SO excited to see Audrey. Hopefully, she cooperates and we can get a good look at her facial features. Should be fun :-)

Worn out

I am just exhausted. Emotionally and physically. Pregnancy + moving + instability of military life are really not a good combination. The whole process has just worn on me. And on top of it all, Paul has been on off and on 12 hour shifts through everything. They are always last minute so plans get cancelled all the time, Paul can't help with anything, and I'm alone. This has just not been good timing for his work schedule, but there is nothing that can be done. At all. Paul is tired most of the time so if I ask him to do anything, he snaps at me. He's grouchy and doesn't need me to worry about while work is so back and forth. So...I will be going home on Saturday for a few days. This is one of those times where I just need to step back and let him have his space to do what he needs to do. Right now, that is work, eat and sleep. Not worry about a pregnant wife who needs him for certain things around the house. Plus, it will be the last time I can really do any traveling by myself.

I really feel like I could sleep forever right now. I have done so much running around the past few days and this week has flown by because of it. Of course, a lot of it has been buying various random baby things: clothes, headbands, wipe warmer, etc. On top of cooking, cleaning, unpacking...all that other stuff. Tomorrow will be really busy as well, especially if I plan on leaving Saturday morning.

Well, I'm going to lay down and try to relax before I need to make dinner. I'll update again when things slow down a little.

Eventful.

Today has been really good. Much, much better than yesterday. Yesterday I was having an "I hate being pregnant" day. Some days it's just a big strain and makes it hard to do anything. I'm not saying I wish I wasn't pregnant, because I wouldn't trade being able to have a child of my own for the world. It's such a wonderful gift. But pregnancy itself can get cumbersome and frustrating. One word: back pain. Oops! That's two words...I try to do anything that requires being on my feet and my back is killing me in no time. It sucks. But I digress...

Today Paul and I got our apartment the rest of the way cleaned out and we are DONE with that place. We wrote the leasing office a check to break the lease, turned in the keys and walked out. It was SUCH a relief walking out of there knowing that we are permanently (well, as permanent as military life is) in a bigger house that has room to grow. I'm so thankful. Now I have to go about finishing up my house and get it all set up.

This might be tmi, but I'm really excited about it so I have to share. I am getting a really awesome nursing pillow! It's one that Michelle Duggar uses and swears by. I found it on Craigslist, brand new/never used for only $15. It's called My Brest Friend. lol! I'm getting it on Friday :-) Then on Satuday, we are getting our baby swing. Woohoo!! Almost totally prepared for miss Audrey. We're getting our changing table at the beginning of April. The only big thing we still need is a high chair, but those aren't too expensive. I'm not worried about it. There are a few things I want...like a moby wrap, a girly play mat, and more cute clothes :-) We are setting up the crib/nursery this weekend! I hope. That's a goal of mine.

Next weekend is my birthday and Paul told me I had to do something that was solely for myself. Not getting any baby things or anything related to the baby. At first, I was mad...but then I realized it is my last birthday not being "Mom" so I might as well enjoy being able to indulge in something. So I decided on a 1 hour pregnancy massage, haircut and style, 1 hour customized facial, and a pedicure! It's a great deal: $165 for everything. I'm excited.

Today is my doggies' first birthday! Yay. My pups are all grown. Love them.

Good day :-)

Finally somewhat settled.

Well, we are in our new home and we love it! It's so spacious and there's basically too much room. It's a good problem to have, though! Today I was really feeling the need to deal with al the boxes sitting around here. Our friends Kelsey and Alan came over to help us get situated. Well...mainly Paul and Alan because Kels and I can't lift heavy stuff. They got all that dealt with and the boxes put away. Then, since Paul's car is still inoperable, they offered their Durango to help us get the glider and ottoman we wanted from off of craigslist. We are SO SO SO thankful for them. We went to see the glider and it ended up being perfect, so we bought it and loaded it up to bring back. After working for several hours, everyone was getting pretty hungry so I took a shower (I was nasty and sweaty) and off we went to Chili's. I just LOVE our friends. We always have things to talk about and we always have fun together. I'm so glad they are right across the street now so we can just see each other any time we want. LIFE IS GOOOOD.

Anyways, I now can check another thing off my list of things to get for the baby/nursery. I am in love with my glider. It's so comfortable and I am going to love rocking Audrey in it. It's perfect and even better that it's a similar shade of wood as the crib. I'm super excited. Things are really falling into place now! Audrey will be here before we know it and I will actually feel mostly prepared.

My house is awesome, my dogs love it here, I love it here....Paul loves it here. We have neighbors who are some of our best friends here and we have more space than we need for our growing family! It doesn't get better than this.

Taking stock!

So as I get further along, I get anxious to get completely prepared for Audrey. As soon as I found out it was a girl, I started buying. I've been stocking up on alot of the small stuff lately. I do it gradually because this stuff really adds up in cost! You'd be surprised. So I just wanted to take a minute and count out the things that I do have to figure out what I no longer need. This could be a long list...and it's going to be very unorganized. Bear with me.

I have:

3 crib sheets (probably need about 2 more sets)

9 swaddling blankets...4 of them aren't so good because I really didn't know what was good for swaddling when I bought them.

16 pairs of booties

4 newborn caps

11 bibs

14 washcloths

1 baby blanket

8 burp cloths

4 towels

1 robe

4 pacifiers

9 bottles

2 desitin creams

2 bottles of mylicon gas drops

1 thermometer and 1 syringe

1 baby monitor

1 breast pump with all the accessories

360 diapers and a bunch of wipes

clothes (still need more of those in various sizes)

2 travel diaper changing pads

1 bottle drying rack with bottle cleaning brush

1 baby bather

2 baby carriers

1 bouncy seat

A pack and play

A travel system

A crib with mattress

Bedding set

1 bumbo seat

So...it seems that we are REALLY prepared for me only being 24.5 weeks pregnant. It makes me feel a whole heck of a lot better knowing there's not too much we have left to go out and buy. What do we still need?

Clothes in various sizes. We have a good start to a collection of clothes in each size.

Pajamas!!! We need 0-3 month pjs and bigger.

Swing

Changing table

Glider

Playmat

baby shampoo and soap

more hooded towels

moby wrap

mattress pads

changing table pad

I think that's about it! I am getting so excited about seeing my daughter, nursing her, holding her, changing her diapers, putting her to sleep, and taking care of her in general! And I am so thankful for all the people who have helped out in buying stuff she will need so far! We are blessed beyond belief. Thank you!

A moment of peace (kind of)

Things were kinda crazy and hectic today, but I love it. We had to make more visits to people while we were in town. On our way out, I checked the mail and there was a card with ANOTHER gift card in it. I'm really flabbergasted at the outpouring of love for our baby. It's waaaaaay more than I ever expected. Paul and I first went to my Dad's office to visit old co-workers and catch up. Once again, I was very overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity. They had a card there waiting for me with quite a bit of money in it. God is just so so so good!! I will be able to get my breast pump with the cash and still have a good amount of money left in gift cards. Yes!!! I am excited to get home, get moved and settled so I can really start nesting and finish up these purchases. It's so exciting. I'm going to have a lot of fun buying each and everything. There is just so much out there in terms of baby products.

Anyways, Paul and I also went to see his Dad and chat some more. We had lunch at Chop House with them yesterday, but we wanted to go visit more. It was nice. We did some shopping for my Mom for dinner groceries. I even loved doing that just because it meant I'm home! lol. This has been an AMAZING trip. So much better than I could have ever imagined and I just love that I am going back home to Shreveport feeling a bit more prepared for what is to come this summer. I just love my daughter so much already. She is so amazing and I haven't even laid eyes on her yet. Tonight, my Mom made beef stew and it was so delicous!! What I have been wanting for a very long time. Tomorrow, our great friends are coming over for dinner and it's sure to be a fun time. I don't want to go back to S'port...but we must eventually. Yuck!

Well, getting off here to enjoy more family time!

So blessed

This is going to be short since I am SO tired and we have alot to do tomorrow. I just wanted to say how grateful I am to all the amazing people showing so much love to baby Audrey while we have been home. It seems like everyday has another little surprise waiting. Today's surprise was another gift card from a lady at my Dad's office. So sweet! It is the greatest feeling in the world knowing we will be able to be as ready as possible for our bundle of joy. Two other people have contacted us about having things to give us for the baby. One is actually being sent here to my Mom's house and should be here tomorrow or Friday and the other one is being sent to our apartment at home. Between all these gift cards and gifts, Audrey will be set. There's a few things that I want to buy and will be buying along the way, but the specific needs are all met: Clothes, diapers (for the first 1.5-2 months), pack n play, crib, crib mattress, nursery decoration and bedding, bathing stuff, blankets, pacifiers, bibs, burp cloths....and the list goes on. Of course, we could still use more stuff like that! Can't really have too much of diapers and other little stuff. We're doing pretty good for still having 3.5 months left. I've been starting on buying clothes for 6 months and on. Paul and I got some cute stuff last night! I'm just so excited for our baby. Other big purchases we have to make will be a glider (rocker), changing table (getting that from my Mom, though), baby swing...probably getting that from Paul's co-worker if we don't get one new. It would be free. I think that's it. There's so many conveniences for babies, it's hard to keep it straight what is needed. I get it all jumbled in my mind alot. I am just so thankful for friends who care so much to help us prepare for Audrey. It makes me one happy mama! I'm gonna blog more later. We have a busy day tomorrow!

Mom forces me to...

Today was a first. My mother actually had to force me to pick out some maternity clothes. I was so baby-minded that I didn't even want to think about buying anything for myself...

So anyways, today was mostly relaxing. We didn't really do anything till this evening, which was fine with me. We went to target and I returned something. Then I found a bumbo seat!! I knew I wanted one, but didn't know which store to find one at. I saw it at target and decided to buy it. Another thing crossed off my must have baby list. Mom bought some swaddling blankets for Audrey so that we would be more prepared in that department. Then we went to the mall to do some more shopping. I picked out two baby outfits (like we don't have enough already, lol)...and Mom forced me to do some maternity clothes shopping. I was tired and ready to be done shopping, but I'm actually glad she did because I do need some clothes that I can feel good about. My clothes are definitely getting tight and it's only going to get worse. So now I have some stuff with room to grow.

Well I'm exhausted and we have our little getaway starting tomorrow so I need to get some sleep. Update more later!

Baby shower goodness!

My baby shower was today and it was so, so amazing. Way better than I could have ever expected. We had a GREAT turnout in terms of people who came and also in the great gifts we got for baby girl!! My Mom seriously did an amazing job putting it together and setting everything up. She had cake and food all planned and all that goodness. In terms of gifts, it was better than expected. I figured it would just be clothes and diapers probably, but I was wrong. We did get TONS of clothes and lots of diapers, but we also got some baby gear! How great! We got a baby carrier, baby sling, bouncy seat (I have been talking about getting one for a long time!!), baby bather, blankets, washcloths, towels, a SUPER CUTE robe for Audrey, monogrammed burp cloths, booties, bottle cleaning set, gift card, diaper bag, hangers, and diapers and wipes. SHEW! Lots of stuff! I have been on cloud 9 all night because I just feel so much better and much more prepared. I absolutely loved seeing all my friends and family from home and getting to catch up. What a great start to a great week. We are so blessed and so appreciative of everything we have received. God is so good and He ALWAYS provides. Praise Him.

This week, Mom and I will be doing some shopping. I have to return a nursery set that I ordered online. I accidentally ordered two. Annnd I will probably be using that money on some other things for Audrey. Fun times! Now, I am exhausted and need some sleep.

Waiting to go home...

Right now I am waiting for Paul to get home. As soon as he gets home, we are loading up our stuff and heading home!! We decided to split the trip into two days to make it easier. 6 hours tonight and 6 hours tomorrow. We should be home by early afternoon tomorrow. Mom said there are surprises for me and Audrey when I get home and I am so excited. Mom and I are going to get a changing table as well, hopefully. I am so ready to see what I get at my baby shower and from family, etc...mainly so that I can know what else we need and plan for that financially. It is KILLING me to not buy anything. I've been on this buying hiatus for what seems like forever, so I am anxious for it to be over. lol. I guess but Sunday night it will be over and I can resume buying things for my baby. Yaaaaay! Right now, I am basically twiddling my thumbs until Paul gives me the notice that he's on his way home. Ok, so here's what we have planned for our trip home:

1. Lots of baby talk

2. Lots of baby shopping

3. Baby shower

4. Paul and I's 2 night stay in Sevierville

5. Seeing Paul's family and dinner with them

6. Lots of Momma's cooking!!!

7. dinner at our favorite spots in town

8. Hanging out with my family alot!

Seems like alot of food and baby. lol! But since I live so far away from them, this is really the first time (and only time until I go into labor) we will have the chance to do these kinds of things. I miss my Mommy and have been wanting to do this fun stuff with them. I have a feeling that our car will be CRAMMED full on our way back with baby stuff. lol. I can't wait. I'm hungry and I want to get on the road now! Next stop is Alabama for some sleep. Then Tennessee after that! Woohoo.

For my own purposes:

I was sitting here trying to figure out what we still need for Audrey and I figured a list would be the best. I KNOW that really, all she needs is me, clean diapers, food (me), a place to sleep and clothes/blankets to stay warm....That's really not alot, but of course there's stuff everyone wants for their baby. Just so I can keep myself straight for what we still want, here is my list:

1. Diapers and wipes- they are a must!

2. Clothes- newborn and up

3. Changing table- Mom and I will be going to get one while I'm home.

4. Swing

5. Bouncy seat

6. bouncer/jumper--the type that they use after they start holding their heads up

7. play mat

8. breast pump

9. bottles etc...

10. burp clothes, bibs, blankets, towels, all those little accessories.

11. A glider/rocker

12. A diaper bag (preferrably Vera Bradley Folkloric baby bag)

I know I'm forgetting things, but that's the basic things that are must haves to me :-)

Jump for joy!

I will be home in 4 days! FOUR DAYS. I am just beyond excited for this time at home. Not only because I will get to see my family, but also because I will get to see most of my friends and family friends! My baby shower is on Sunday and I am super excited. I am so blessed by the people who have already been buying stuff for Audrey. I'm getting more questions about colors and such we are using and where we are registered. I am so glad people enjoy shopping for babies, because every little bit helps. My hope is to come back to Louisiana feeling much more prepared and relaxed about having a baby and finances that come with that. Knowing me and my Mom, that will probably be the case. We love to shop, even more so when it comes to my baby. I'm sure that after our baby shower, mom and I will go shopping for more stuff :-) Such a fun week next week will be!

People at my Dad's office who can't come to the shower have already bought gifts. That is just soooo sweet :-) Anyways, things are slowly coming together. Ever so slowly. I'm so ready to be home with my family!!!

What a crazy, crazy week.

So...Paul has been working all this week (as he does every week, lol) but of course, with 12 hour shifts we just do.not.see.eachother. End of story. Unless I were to switch my schedule to being away at night, and I do not adjust well to schedule changes. Especially when it would only give me an hour or less with my husband more. Anyways, I SURVIVED. There were lots of tears.

I'm pregnant.

There were lots of "I hate this and we are getting out of the Air Force asap."

Once again: I'm pregnant.

Basically, it was the type of week that if anything could go wrong, it did. For instance, something happening to my phone and me having no way to contact anyone, including my husband, if there was an emergency while he was gone. That, in and of itself was an emergency. You see...pregnancy and being alone just makes me feel really vulnerable. The second thing to happen: My sweet Marley escaped me when I was walking her and Dash. While Paul was gone. And there I was, trying to keep one dog in tow while running after the other...when pregnant. Not fun.

And the next exercise will be for even longer when I will be 34 weeks pregnant. Ummm, DOES ANYONE WANT TO COME TAKE CARE OF ME FOR THAT TIME?? lol. I'm needy and I know it. Don't judge.

Paul and I are starting to think that this military stuff just isn't for us. It's a little too late for that, I guess, but we have options. Just alot to work through to figure out "What next?" I'm the first one to say "Get me out of here!!" with my husband next in line to admit he's not crazy about being here (at this base) dealing with the stuff that goes on here. We live. We learn. And to top it all off, I missed the one concert that I go to every single year. We tried to go late, but the doors were already closed and they weren't letting anyone else in. I just love Paul's schedule. Or not. One thing I hate about pregnancy is my inability to cope with things that I used to be able to dust off my shoulder. The emotions are ridiculous, plain and simple. I get mad. I cry. I get sad. I cry. I feel happy. I cry. I feel overwhelmed. I cry. I cry. I cry. And I cry some more. Goodness!! Other than that, pregnancy is great. Cheers!

Because my husband loves me, he may be taking me to Oklahoma City tomorrow to see the concert that we missed tonight. It will be amazing to get away from the madness that is Shreveport, La. Tomorrow is the Mardi Gras parade. I want nothing to do with it. I hate La right now. lol.

So anyways, that's my venting blog. Now I need to recover for our trip next week. Can't be a basket case when I'm home, can I? Nope, no I can't.

22 week Dr appt.

So I had another OB appointment today. They were ALL good things to report. The cyst that Audrey had 4 weeks ago is completely gone. The perinatologist had predicted that would be the case. Another wonderful thing is that my placenta has moved and isn't low-lying anymore. That means it won't prevent me from having a normal birth, no c-section is necessary at this point. It's also probably why I went from not feeling any movement to suddenly feeling alot. The baby had grown alot. I was kind of in shock at how much she grew in 3 weeks. So I go to see the peri doctor in 3 weeks. Then I see my OB a week after that. After that, my OB will bump me up to more frequent visits. Joy. It can get kind of old going to the doctor so much, but it's so worth it! Another little fact: my next OB appointment is on my dogs' first birthday!!! lol. That sounds silly, but my "firstborns" will be a year old next month. Crazy. Oh how I love my pups. The year has flown by so fast and I can only imagine how it will be and how it will fly by with children.

Well I don't really have a whole whole lot else to say, so I'm gonna nap. I think last night's "emergency" was just too much for me. haha!

Oh how I hate you...

No, not you. It's thing thing called exercises in the military. Anything in normal day to day life comes to a screeching halt, in my case at least. Paul's normal shift leads to him having the crappy 12 hour shift. 7pm-7am. The first time this was the case, I thought it would be *such* a good idea to just get on Paul's schedule...where I stay up all night and just go to bed with Paul when he gets home. That was not fun. It gets sooooooooo lonely staying up all night by myself with no one to talk to, nothing on tv besides infomercials, just bored out of my mind. I did get to spend time with Paul when he wasn't sleeping. That's the only good thing. So now I keep a somewhat normal schedule. Sleep at night, awake during the day. The only problem with this is I will never see Paul. So it's like I'm living the single life with my two dogs in my apartment. Not fun. Just another reason why I do not think this military life is for us. Life here at Barksdale AFB isn't great for Paul's job. 4 more years, though. I can make it. Plus, life is about to get busy with babies.

In other new, things are all set for us to go home. I am SO looking forward to the awesomeness. I'm just praying for a few things. One of them being the baby shower. I pray that it's a good turn out. With certain things coming up, we'll be short on money for a little while, so anything for the baby will be a big help to us financially. God has it under control and I know He provides when it's NEEDED. It's just a matter of what HE sees as a need. Things I might want for Audrey might not necessarily be needed. It's going to be great being home though. Alot of fun to come.

I have another baby appointment and ultrasound on Wednesday. At the time, I'm seeing *someone* whether it be the perinatologist or the OB..every 1-3 weeks. In 3 weeks, its the perinatologist again, then the OB again a week later. I'm gonna feel like I live in a Dr's office.

We move basically 2 days after we get back from Tennessee. Hectic! But I can't wait to get in the new house and start decorating Audrey's nursery. I can't decide whether I want to paint her room or not. I might pick a color from her bedding set and use that. I kind of like the green in the set. That way it would be more of a neutral color for the future....and I love the green color anyway! Weeeeee'll see!

Time is flying and it is very scary at times! Heeeeellllllp.

Bible study

Today was a really good day! I went to the women's Bible study, but before that I got to meet some people in the preschool ministry and kinda see what system I will be putting my child into. The people are so welcoming and sweet at my church! I love it. I wish my husband had a better schedule so he could be more active, but that's beside the point. Duty comes first, unfortunately. Doesn't seem quiiiiite right.

The women in the Bible study are wonderful and welcoming. We're studying and memorizing verses from Colossians right now. Tonight was about keeping your mind and heart on God and and heavenly things, not worldly things. So hard to do when there are so many worries on this earth. We get so caught up in things going on or what's about to happen why we are here and what we are here to do. Lately, I have just been in awe of how God is working things out in my life, despite the fact that I worry and tend to not leave things up to Him. The past few weeks, He has definitely made His presence known and reassured me that everything is going to be juuuust fine. All these little details will work out. So many things have worked out just recently and I have thought "why was I worried about that??"...One, my car situation. Everything worked out perfectly. $4,000 in damages were paid for by State Farm (and our car looks better than ever!!). Most of our rental car charges were paid for by state farm. The rental car for 2 weeks was $700. We only had to pay $200...the amount of the damage insurance just in case we wrecked the rental car. lol! And all that happened right in the middle of tax refund season, so we were able to put $1,200 in savings, then use the rest on stuff we needed to do or wanted to do/get.

Everything is working out for our vacation and for the move right after! Now I'm just praying that things begin to fall into place with everything we need for our daughter! I have to remind myself that we do have plenty of time at this point...Shew.

A few new things.

Oh...my...gosh. I swear, pregnancy brain is THE WORST. I was like "oh I need to blog about this," opened a new blog post, then forgot what I wanted to blog about. That's reeeeal great. But it just now came back to me, so here goes...

I am going to a women's Bible study here at our church. I'm starting tomorrow night, so I'm anxious about going and meeting new people! It will be good for me though. I love our church and want to get more involved and connect with women here. Especially with a baby on the way..it will be good having some lady friends for support and friendship. I am so excited about this next chapter in life. There's a lot going on in my life and I am about to be busier than I've ever been here before. It's exciting and stressful.

One of the "shop wives" as in Paul's working buddies' wives offered to throw me a baby shower today. It was so sweet of her to offer. I don't know a whole lot of people here, so we will see how it goes. There's plenty of time to plan something. At the moment, I'm thinking a birthday party/baby shower around my birthday would be fun. Gifts could just be baby things :-) Maybe things will work out and we can plan something like that. I'm just honored that she offered to do it.

Audrey has been on the move A LOT today! It has been so crazy. She's still very low and I feel her at my belly button or lower. Earlier I swear she pushed up really hard on the front of my uterus. I felt my belly get really hard and and felt pressure that I hadn't felt before. A new sensation. Or maybe it was a BH contraction. I wouldn't know since I had never felt it before. Either way, I don't know when I will get used to her movement. It's such a weird feeling, being kicked or nudged from the inside. I like it. Last night, she kicked multiple times in one spot on the side of my belly. Too cute. I've been dreaming about her alot recently and really want my baby to be here already. I just want to take care of her outside of my body! I LOVE HER.

Anyways, that's what has happened in today's events. I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

My Pregnancy must-haves

I wanted to do a blog of things that I must have as a pregnant woman! But first, let me tell you about my V-Day. While I was sleeping, Paul was making his arrangements for my Valentine's Day gifts. This morning I woke up to a card and a rose beside my bed. Sweet! Then when I came out, my kitchen and dining room were clean!! I cried over this early last night. And on our dining room table was red roses and pink carnations, a box of chocolates, chocolate covered strawberries, and a big stuffed animal! Normally people wouldn't think this was a big deal...but Paul got the strawberries and made them chocolate covered all by himself! He melted chocolate and prepared everything while I was sleeping, because he knew it was what I would love. I really don't need expensive gifts and I said no jewelry since I'm swelling anyway. lol. I'd rather save the money for our baby :-) We aren't going out to dinner either. Saving money...So Paul made this completely perfect! He put time and effort into creating something I wanted. I LOVE my husband. On top of all that I got my car back!!! No more rental car. I'm excited. AND I got my maternity bathing suit that I ordered for our perfect vacation coming up. AMAZING DAY! Now...on to my pregnancy must haves...

1. A Supportive Husband- I would be LOST without my man. He is the greatest help and encouragement at my lowest and highest points in this pregnancy. Also, he's wonderful for helping me satisfy cravings...at weird hours in the day too!

2. A Boppy Total Body Pillow- I love it and I sleep so much better know. I don't know how I will go back to just using my one head pillow. This is a head pillow, belly pillow, leg pillow--all in one. It's awesome.

3. A good maternity wardrobe- liking what I'm wearing helps a lot when I'm feeling "big" or swelling alot. Body changes can make you down in the dumps, so splurging on a few nice things is necessary (for me).

4. Pregnant friends- Who else can REALLY understand what you are going through at the moment? hehe.

5. A big savings- Such peace of mind knowing that we can buy everything we need for our baby girl. I am SO excited about getting eeevvvverything. It's *my* pregnancy must have since I'm psycho about everything being just right.

6. Diet coke- I neeeeed caffeine. Desperately. lol.

7. Pasta or mexican- I seriously can never get enough of either of those foods! It's crazy how cravings are different with everyone.

Ok, I've blanked out. I'm multi-tasking and getting tasks confused, so this post is coming to a close. I am suuuuper excited about everything. Especially vacation...and our mini vacation that is within our vacation. lol! Bring on Wilderness at the Smokies. Woot woot!

Baby Shower

This post is just going to be a stream of consciousness post...

So my Mom and Gina Averett (her best friend) are throwing me a baby shower while Paul and I are home. We decided on Sunday March 6th, so now it's just about getting the invites out...which I plan on doing this week. Mom is going to call about getting the Fireside room at Manley Baptist for that time, probably tomorrow or Monday. We're debating on the time, whether to make it 3pm or 4pm on that Sunday. I wasn't really thinking we were going to have a baby shower since we live so far away, but this trip home is perfect timing and I'm glad we can do this. I don't care if we just get diapers! Anything will help alot. I don't know many people here in Shreveport, so doing it back home will be fun! I am sooooo looking forward to being back home. It will be THE BEST!!!

I've got a lot going on right now. Still dealing with the car...hoping it gets fixed soon so we can return our rental care (it will be 2 weeks on Monday!). Paul is starting 12's soon again. Blah. Then we have our trip home to get ready for and the move RIGHT after we back. Busy busy busy. Then after that Paul will have surgery and we will be finishing up preparations for Audrey Leona Balough's entrance into the world. Oh dear. A lot to think about. One day at a time...

Plans, plans, plans...

So Paul and I have been making plans for our trip home. Since we aren't going to Washington D.C., we still wanted to do something fun as husband and wife on our last vacation till November. So we did some research and have decided on the Wilderness at the Smokies resort. It's a few nice hotels with a big indoor water park, free when you stay at the resort. So we are getting a really nice room with a balcony and 3 days/2 nights at the resort. Just a nice little getaway for us. Plus, I love water parks...pregnant or not. Just relaxing, swimming, and having fun with my husband. My mom agree to watch the dogs while we're gone. I'm super excited for this time that we get together.

Speaking of my wonderful Mom...She wants to throw me a baby shower while I am home. We decided on either March 6th or March 10. She has to see when is the best for her friends and such. Then she's picking out invitations and mailing them out. I wasn't expecting a baby shower since we live so far away, so this was a nice surprise. I just need to make out a baby registry. Registries can be a pain in the butt, but this is for Audrey so it's worth it! There's so much exciting stuff coming up!! I can't wait.

Yesssssss!!!

Ok, there's a few things to update on.

1. We are coming home early!!! Paul and I decided to not take the extra time to go to Washington D.C. Paul doesn't think it's going to be so feasible for a 7-8 month pregnant wife, and I can't blame him! I'm starting to get uncomfortable as it is. So we are just going to take a week vacation at home! And at this point, it sounds like HEAVEN to me. Since we aren't waiting to have more leave by mid-April, we figured we'd just go home early. We're gonna save up that extra leave and money and go on a cruise next year with Audrey as a family :-) We're trying to get my family or whoever else can to go with us and make it a big fun group. There's a year to save up! Anyways, I am so excited about seeing my family in 26 days. So that's the first new development.

2. We got our tax refund and it is loverly! We are able to get some things and fix some things..like Paul's car. Plus we put alot of money in savings to help us for the move coming up and other baby stuff we want to buy! I am getting so excited about the move, being able to really "nest" and make everything perfect. Now if Target could actually ship my nursery set, then we'd be good! Mainly, the things left that we need for Audrey are all the smaller things (there's a bajillion of them, seriously), clothes, and bouncy seat. But we will get them, slowly but surely!

3. Speaking of...We purchased our pack n play tonight! It matches our travel system. I had to get matching, because I'm just like that. lol! My Dad gave me the money to get the pack n play as his and Mom's contribution for a big purchase. Between the crib, crib mattress, stroller, carseat and pack n play, we've spent $50...thanks to people donating stuff and giving us money. We are SO blessed. Sooo, while we were at walmart, I had to get some other small baby stuff to satisfy my urges to get everything NOW. lol. I got a 4 pack of receiving blankets, a bath set (hooded towel and 3 washcloths), bottles with nipples, pacifiers, teething ring, bib... I think that's it! This stuff is pretty cheap, thankfully.

Well, those are all the updates for now. Can't wait to see how things pan out over the next 4 months :-)

The Boppy and my husband...

So the past 3 nights have been awful when it comes to getting a good night of sleep. I've woken my husband up several times each night because I was wimpering, had made a sudden move and it woke me up saying "ow ow ow," or just rolling over and sucking in air really hard. He had noticed that I wasn't sleeping comfortably and I was moving alot more than usual. So last night at 3am, he decided he was going to take it upon himself to find me a pregnancy pillow. He went to both walmarts here with no luck. When I woke up at 9am after not being able to get comfortable, he offered to go to Target right then to see if he could find something there. I told him I would be fine and we could just go after he got some sleep. So around 7pm tonight we went out on our search. We went to Target (nothing), Bed Bath & Beyond (nothing), Babies R Us (nothing)....then we decided to make ONE LAST EFFORT by going to the Motherhood Maternity (that I didn't even know we had here). Paul and I were both very skeptical that we would find anything. To our surprise, they had the Boppy full body pillow!! I had said before that I either wanted to Boppy or the Snoogle pillow because I had heard of how comfortable they were for pregnancy pillow. Paul HAPPILY spend $60 on this pillow just for me. I.freakin.love.my.husband. The fact that he would make me being comfortable his priority just makes me feel so treasured and special. He goes above and beyond what I expect from him everyday.

So let me tell you about this pillow. It's basically a wrap around pillow that works as a head pillow, belly pillow, and leg pillow all in one. There is a specific indention for the pregnant belly to rest on while you sleep. It will also serve as a great nursing pillow when Audrey gets here, so I'm excited! Right now I am using it on the couch. I have the head part behind my back for support, then the rest wrapped around my hips and belly...with my laptop sitting on top of the pillow. It's a great multipurpose pillow.

Thank you, Lord, for my Boppy and my wonderful husband! I am blessed.

A LOT to say!

Today was better than I could have imagined it being. I will try to do a recap that has all the good details:

1. The perinatal appointment- It was soooo good and just what I needed to hear/see. First, the nurse explained to us exactly what the cyst was and the worst possible outcome (baby's death, which is really rare). Then we did our ultrasound. I just LOVE seeing my little Audrey. She is SUCH a mover and shaker. The nurse was shocked at how active she is. She had to chase her down because she kept moving. Trouble maker already. Everything looked great. Next, the doctor came in and talked to us. I LOVED HIM!!! He was such a nice and funny guy. Made me relax alot. He did an ultrasound and looked at everything. He said Audrey was showing no signs of Trisomy 18...one of them being baby not being able to open and close hands, which Audrey was doing just fine. The doctor said our little girl is just perfect. No worries. They both confirmed that it was a girl and Dr. Briery said "It's definitely a chick!!" lol. He then told Paul that Paul was going to wrapped around her finger. It was a sweet time. Paul told me after the appointment that this ultrasound was *his* realization and awestruck moment that there is really a baby in there (my belly). He sounded in love :-) So that's the recap of the appt!

2. Moving- It's done! We are set to move on March 17th and TMO is getting our stuff then. I'm so glad we got that set up. Now...we wait! I'm gonna love moving into a new place and getting eeeevvvverything set up for the baby! It's going to be so much much fun decorating and preparing.

3. Fun money- I sold my old iPhone today! To a guy on craigslist and I got $100 in cold hard cash for it. I neeeeeded some maternity clothes so I just took that and had a heyday at Burlington Coat factory on some awesome (cheap) stylish maternity clothes. Selling my old iPhone was a great spur of the moment decision for some clothes.

After shopping, we had dinner at Moe's. It was delicious as always.

Today was TOTALLY AMAZING. It was about time we had a really good day after a bunch of bad ones. And it's soooo wonderful knowing my baby is doing wonderfully!!

I LOVE....

BABY CLOTHES!! Especially baby girl clothes. I hope I am not getting too ahead of myself with my purchases! haha. Today I went to the Airman's Attic and got two outfits there that I liked, then I went to my favorite store: Target. Uh-oh. I wanted to look for some maternity clothes (because I am in dire need of clothes...outgrowing mine!)...but then I gravitated towards that darn baby section! I didn't buy too much, just a sleep and play and a 4 pack of booties.

I don't think anyone could blame me for buying this when I saw it. Now let's just hope that Paul feels the same way! He hasn't seen it yet. lol!

And these...Oh, Lord. We are going to go into debt. Or just use up all our savings on this little Miss Audrey. I just love love love love baby clothes. But I've said that already.

In other news, things are continuing to look up! We just have to go by TMO and hand in the paperwork to have our stuff moved and then we are DONE with all that. It's going to be such a relief. And being a one car family isn't toooo bad. If I want to go places, I just take Paul to work and keep the car. I reeeeaaallly don't want to give the car back whenever my car is fixed! lol. I love it too much. It's such a smooth ride and fancy. Haha! Tomorrow is my appointment and I am excited and nervous to see my girl again! I haven't really felt movement, so I just want to know she's moving and grooving in there! As far as pregnancy..eh, it's ok. lol. I'm most excited about having my baby in my arms. 21 weeks to go! Anyways, there's not too much else going on. I guess I need to fix dinner for my luvsband! lol.