Here are a few things I'm looking forward to in 2011:

• Celebrating three years of marriage!
• The birth of our first child! 
• Life as a mommy :)  
• Working as an Independent Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay (If you are interested in ordering Mary Kay products let me know! I can send you a link to my website so you can shop online if ya want!) 
• Traveling home with our baby boy to visit family in the Spring
• Being the matron of honor in my best friend's wedding
• Reaching the one year mark of living here in the Pacific Northwest * because it means we're one year closer to sunshine!!! moving back to the South! 

And I've never made a New Year's resolution before, but I thought I would try to work towards a few things on my bucket list this year...

• Take online classes to earn my college degree (I only have one year to finish so what am I waiting for??)
• Volunteer at a women's shelter
• Share my story 

 + I would also like to cook two new recipes every month!

What are you looking forward to in 2011? Did you make a resolution? Share it with me! :)

Our Year In Review

2010 started off sad and super frustrating for us because we found out around Christmas that J's deployment had been extended for two extra months. As usual we somehow managed to overcome and survive though, and on April 5th J returned home safely from Afghanistan!  

*Click here to see homecoming pics.*

Shortly after J's homecoming we decided to meet with a fertility specialist to see what our treatment options were since I was told before deployment that my chances of conceiving would be very low. We met with a great doctor that suggested we try Clomid for a few months before doing further testing on me. The next month I began my first cycle of Clomid, but it didn't seem to be working. Just when I started to lose hope God reminded me that all things are possible with Him, and on June 10th I found out I was pregnant!!

Even though I was overjoyed that I was finally pregnant, I was also sad because in the weeks that followed we had to move to the Pacific Northwest. It was our first PCS together.. and it was also the first time I would be away from home (and my momma!) for more than two weeks. Needless to say there were lots of tears during this time!

On July 20th I had my first ultrasound. It was amazing to get a glimpse at our precious miracle! And on September 17th we found out we are expecting a boy! 

I'm still adjusting to life here in WA, but I know it will get easier over time--especially once our baby boy arrives and he keeps me busy! :)

I'm looking forward to what 2011 has in store for us, and I'm praying it will be filled with many blessings!

Speechless *Updated!*

Someone broke into my friend's house tonight and stole all the Christmas presents she had for her kids, along with their X Box and TV...

I don't even know what to say right now because I am so upset for her. I know Christmas isn't about the gifts under the tree, but her boys are only two and seven.. how do you explain to them on Christmas morning why there are no presents for them from Santa?


*UPDATE*

As soon as people in my friend's community heard about the robbery they immediately stepped in to help! She had people (even her local police dept) showing up at her house with gifts for the boys until 2 AM!! Her living room was overflowing with Christmas gifts!

I don't think I really need to say it but I will anyway--GOD IS SO GOOD!!

From Our Family To Yours

Hard Work But Completely Worth It!

Thank you for the comments on my last post. I especially loved what Anonymous said.. "Anything worth having is worth working hard to keep." I completely agree, and I think most military couples would also!

I knew before I became J's wife that being married to him would sometimes be hard work because of his job in the military. I knew we would have to work a lot harder on our relationship than most [civilian] couples since he would be gone for 8 to 9 months out of every year. We actually learned how hard it would be shortly after we met and began dating because J had to deploy to Iraq for half the year.. It wasn't easy being apart from each other that early in our relationship but it only made us work harder and made us realize we truly loved one another!

Every deployment brought a new set of obstacles for us and there were some moments where we both thought we would never survive but we always made it through and became stronger because of it. Homeports were no different. Once the novelty of him being home wore off and reality hit us on the head we always had to adjust to living together once again. For him it was difficult to go from being in a war zone to being "safe" at home.. and for me it was difficult to go from living alone to suddenly having someone around all the time. Shore duty has brought a new set of challenges that we're not use to, like learning new ways to keep our love tanks filled. In the past we've been so use to depending on phone calls, letters, or care packages to express our love for one another. Now that he is home we feel we don't have to do those things anymore. So most of our struggle is learning how to keep ourselves from becoming a boring couple that thinks spending quality time together is sitting on the couch next to each other in silence while he plays video games and I stare at a computer screen the fire from burning out.

I know we will get through this though because we've made it through worse! :)

Adjusting To Shore Duty

I couldn't wait for J's last deployment to be over so he could start shore duty. Three years of no deployments, and "normal" married life sounded like heaven to me! But I have to be honest.. it hasn't been all rainbows and sunshine like I imagined.

Half of our relationship has been spent apart due to deployments. In fact, next month is our three year wedding anniversary but we've only spent maybe a year of that actually together living under the same roof. As much as we hate to admit it we have grown accustomed to the sea duty/deployment routine. Normally by now he would be deployed, and now that he doesn't have to leave.. well.. we don't know how to act. We're not use to being around each other this long.

The thing that makes this super frustrating is that no one ever talks about how to adjust to the shore duty lifestyle. They give you tons of information/resources on how to deal with being separated during deployments and then how to deal with life after your spouse returns home from a war zone, but they never give you tips on how to adjust to shore duty! When I tried searching for things about it on the Internet I found nothing. So what's the deal?? Are we the only military couple that has ever struggled to adjust to this new routine???

Maternity Photos

I almost talked myself out of having any maternity photos taken because.. well.. I'm pregnant and I don't feel too pretty or comfortable posing in front of a camera. In the end I'm SO glad I went through with it because I think the photos turned out great and it actually gave me a little boost of prego confidence!

Here are some of my favorites:

 

He Never Fails

There have been times lately when no words need to be spoken, I just look at my husband and know that he is feeling as overwhelmed as I am. It's the worst feeling in the world to know your husband is feeling like the weight of the world is resting on his shoulders and there is nothing you can do.

One thing I've learned is to keep praying even when it seems like no one is listening, though. So that's what I've been doing. And as usual, God proves He IS listening. Sometimes it's in the form of a door opening to a new opportunity (something I can't wait to share with y'all!) and other times it's extra money that randomly comes our way when we need it the most. When those things happen I am reminded that God knew what we needed all along. He actually tells us in the Bible not to worry because He already knows our needs and He will ALWAYS supply them for us.

So whatever you're going through, remember that God is listening to your prayers. You can go ahead and take that deep sigh of relief because He is already three steps ahead taking care of everything you might be worrying about!

Christmas Wish List (Just For Fun)

Dear Santa, 
    This year I would like.. 

* a new camera

* an SUV 

* pearl earrings

* two round-trip tickets to Hawaii

* a new house (paid in full) in the country

* a maid


* and an E-book device,

complete with a cute L!lly Pul!tzer e-book cover 

A House Divided

Today the New Orleans Saints are playing the Cincinnati Bengals. We have been looking forward to this game all week! Of course J is cheering for the Bengals since he is from Ohio.. but we all know the Saints are going to win! :) 

Baby Update! 30 Weeks

30 weeks & 1 day!

I'm definitely at the uncomfortable stage of pregnancy. I'm still having problems sleeping which has been made worse lately because of knee and back pain. I feel like I toss and turn a million times at night but I can never get comfortable. There have been a few nights where I've been so tired and miserable that I've cried because I had a moment of "it's not fair.." when I looked over and saw J sleeping so peacefully. (Please tell me I'm not the only pregnant wife that has ever felt that way!) I've also been feeling super emotional because I can no longer wear my wedding ring since my fingers are so swollen. I know it's just a ring but it has special meaning! =\

Last month I had the one hour glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. It was NOT fun at all. The (orange flavored) glucola was difficult for me to drink. I gagged the whole time I was trying to drink it because it was thick which reminded me of cough syrup. It was gross. So needless to say I wasn't thrilled when the test result came back high and was told I had to do the three hour test with fasting. Surprisingly during the three hour test I was able to drink the (fruit punch flavored) glucola faster and with no problems. Everything was fine until the end of the first hour... I started to feel dizzy so they let me lay down for the rest of the test. My test came back normal though which was a huge relief!

I am going to the OB every two weeks now which is very exciting! I had a checkup today and my doc said everything is normal & right on track. Joel is in the head down position which explains why my ribs have been hurting--his feet have been kicking them. It also explains what the round bump I feel just above my belly button is--his booty! ;) She also said we should start seriously preparing for the arrival of our precious baby boy because he could come VERY soon. As in 7 weeks soon!! Hearing those words was exciting and scary! We still have a bunch of stuff we need to get so now I'm really stressing!! Ahhh! *deep breath*  :)

My Latest Obsession

Last month a few of my friends were raving about their obsession with 0reo's Limited Edition White Fudge cookies so I made a mental note to try some. Well I bought a box last night.. and now.. I completely understand their obsession. I've never been a big fan of 0reo's, but these cookies are AMAZING!! Part of me almost doesn't want to tell you how good they are because I don't want to risk them selling out in my area. And no.. I'm not kidding. Ha! :) Seriously though, you have to try these cookies!!

I must warn you though - once you eat one you will be tempted to eat the whole box. And it's very possible that you might even consider hiding your box so that your husband (or children) can't have any. Well, that's just what I hear anyway..

:)



* I was not paid or asked to blog about these delicious cookies.

A Baby Changes Everything

I recently heard this song by [my favorite fellow Mississippi girl] Faith H!ll, and it really made me think about how different our lives are going to be in two months. Two months y'all! Ahh I'm a crazy ball of emotions just thinking about it!!

This song also makes me wonder what was going through Mary's mind while she was pregnant with Jesus. Was she a crazy ball of emotions like I am? Was she afraid of the pain that she would have to go through during childbirth? Was she worried she wouldn't be a good mother? Did she worry that having a baby would change her relationship with Joseph?

Thankful

This is my first holiday away from my family, so of course I'm feeling a little homesick. BUT.. I'm also thankful..

Thankful that my husband is home this year instead of being deployed to a war zone.

Thankful for the tiny miracle that is growing healthier and stronger in my womb every day.

Thankful for the pre-made turkey dinner we were able to buy today..

Thankful that my husband still loves me even though I didn't want to spend all day in the kitchen cooking! ;)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

P.S. ~ As you celebrate with your family and friends today, please remember all the men and women that are currently deployed so that you can spend this holiday enjoying your freedom. Say a prayer for them and their families.

First Snow Storm

Yesterday I woke up to more snow! It was more snow than I've ever seen in my whole life! Needless to say it made me super excited, and I couldn't wait for J to get home so we could go outside and play in it! I've only seen snow three times and it normally only lasted an hour, so I was anxious/worried all day that the snow would melt before J got home.

{Yes.. I obviously have alot to learn about living in the Pacific Northwest!}

The snow definitely didn't stop or melt. In fact, it only got worse. I was still excited though.. until.. around 8 PM.. when our power went out. J of course was calm since he is from Ohio and has been through many snow storms, but this Southern girl.. she was freaking out! All I kept thinking was "omg.. it's 20 degrees outside, with a wind chill of 13.. and we no longer have heat in our house... omg, we're going to freeze to death!" So I did what any Southern girl would do. I called my mama!

She reassured me that everything would be alright, and that J wouldn't let us freeze to death. J had been telling me these things the whole time but somehow hearing it from my mama made everything all better. Ha!

So anyway, J and I curled up on the couch under blankets and played card games by candle light. It was nice to spend time with each other without any background distractions (like the TV or computers).


Thankfully our power came back on around 10:30, but there are still people in nearby cities without power and they might not get it back on until Friday! So please keep those people in your prayers!

Santa & Snow

Yesterday we spent time with Santa.

During our visit Santa & I had a contest to see who had the bigger belly..

I think I won. :)

& Joel must have told Santa that he wanted it to snow..

..because today we woke up and it was snowing!!

Simply Bags

Simply Bags recently asked me to review one of their personalized tote bags. I chose the chocolate and turquoise patent trimmed laptop bag with my initials monogrammed on the front. It's super cute!!

The laptop bag has a side to side zipper closure that makes it easy to insert or remove my computer. It also has an inside pocket with a zipper closure, two slots for pens, and three slots for business cards. The handles are the perfect size for underarm carry. This laptop bag will definitely come in handy when I have to travel back home!

If you are looking for a great gift to give someone this holiday season you should check out all the stylish personalized tote bags that Simply Bags has to offer!

Flashback Friday!

Me and my momma! :)

I feel beyond blessed that I'm able to call this amazing woman my momma

& my best friend!

His & Her Diaper Bags

Well apparently J has been trying to plan a surprise baby shower for me here since he knew I've been super bummed that I can't have one back home with my family & friends. Things weren't working out the way he was hoping though so tonight he brought in a big box that was filled with baby gifts that my mom and aunt sent. Y'all.. I bawled my eyes out! Thank goodness I wasn't opening it in front of a group of people because I was totally doing the ugly cry. haha It was so sweet of them to try to put something together for me.. definitely made me realize how blessed I am!

As usual my mom and aunt sent us a bunch of great gifts! One of the things that we really liked is they got us both a diaper bag -- so if J goes somewhere alone with Joel he won't have to carry a girly bag.


My bag!

 

J's Eddie B@uer Broadmoor Diaper Bag

Inside his bag were a few items that my uncle helped pick out. They had us cracking up! Can you guess what they are for?

Daddy Survival Kit! haha



Holiday Cards

Every year I go on a hunt for the perfect Christmas card to send to our family and friends. I usually start my hunting in the Fall as soon as stores start putting out their Christmas stuff. Normally I just buy a pack of premade cards even though it's not very creative or original, so this year I wanted to do something different.. which is why I got SUPER excited when I heard about a great deal that Shutterfly is currently doing! All you have to do is blog about them and they will give you 50 free holiday cards. How simple and awesome is that?!

They have a ton of cards to choose from! Here are a few of my favorites:

* Click here to check out all the great holiday cards that Shutterfly has to offer!

* Click here if you are a blogger that would like receive 50 free holiday cards!

The [Not So] Newlywed Game

A few bloggers did this with their hubby's, and I thought it would be fun to do with J! I gave him a bunch of questions to see how well he knows me.. Let's see how he did! {His answers are in black, mine are in red.}

Q.  I'm sitting in front of the TV, what's on?
A.  A happy reality series, like 19 Kids & Counting.. or a Lifet!me drama.
>  Well, he got the "happy reality series" right.. but there has to be nothing on for me to watch a Lifet!me movie.


Q.  We're out to eat, what kind of salad dressing do I get?
A.  Ranch
>  Yep!

Q.  What's one food I don't like?
A.  There's alot. But there is one that really irritates me that you don't like, and that's eggs. It makes it impossible to find any breakfast items for you besides cereal!
>  I have always been a very picky eater, and I have to be starving to eat eggs. I mostly don't like the way eggs smell that's why I don't like to eat them.

Q.  If we're out to eat what do I order to drink?
A.  Anything with no caffeine, so it's usually Mug RB or Sprite.
> Yep


Q.  What size shirt do I wear?
A.  Medium
> That is correct.

Q.  What size shoe?
A.  8
> Also correct.

Q.  What is my favorite kind of sandwich?
A.  Nowadays it's a roast beef with mayo, tomato, lettuce, and cheese on wheat bread. Other than that tuna.
>  He would know because he is usually the making it for me! ha


Q.  What would I eat everyday if I could?
A.  Fried zucchini
>  Since I've been pregnant, yes. Before I was pregnant it was ice cream.


Q.  What is my favorite cereal?
A.  Kix
>  Yep yep


Q.  What is one thing I would never wear?
A.  Anything with polkadots.
>  I don't mind polkadots. Spandex on the other hand I would never ever wear.  


Q.  What is my favorite sports team?
A.  The MS Surge (hockey) and the Saints.
>  Definitely hockey over football any day!


Q.  What is something you wish I wouldn't do?
A.  Oh man let me think about this one! *laughs* What was the question again? I want to answer right. *laughs again* Question my knowledge of every day things.. especially when it comes to the car.
>  Ha! I'm going to leave this one alone! :)

Q.  What kind of cake do I like?
A.  Chocolate
>  I prefer german chocolate over just plain chocolate.


Q.  What could I spend hours doing?
A.  Browsing the Internet.
> Sadly, yes..


Q.  What is one unique talent I have?
A.  You have a high tolerance for extremely misbehaved kids.
>  I never considered that a talent but I guess it could be.. haha

Q.  What is my favorite type of coffee?
A.  You don't drink coffee.
>  Correct. I don't drink anything that contains caffeine.

 Q.  What is my heritage?
A.  150% Irish
>  Yep, and I'm proud of it!! :)

27 Weeks!

Everything is still going great--praise God! The worst thing I've been dealing with is hot flashes every night and swollen fingers in the morning when I wake up. 

My cravings lately have been roast beef sandwiches, fried zucchini, and root beer. I know I know, not very healthy.. but.. I still crave my fruits so that makes up for it right?! :)

Halloween

The weekend before and of Halloween were nuts for us! J participated in his command's annual haunted house and I helped with the child care (thanks to my sweet husband volunteering me..) so we spent all of our time at "the unit." It was nice to get out of the house and meet new people, but it was exhausting and we're both glad it's over!

Like I mentioned in my previous post I'm not a big fan of Halloween, so I tried my best to stay as far away as possible from the haunted house area. It honestly boggles my mind why people would pay money to have someone scare them! &Oh yes, they were definitely scaring people! They had to tone down kids hour because they had so many kids freaking out (and that's another thing.. why would you bring your child to something that could possibly give them nightmares???!).. one lady peed her pants.. a kid passed out.. tons of people would run to their cars after exiting, and one girl even fell on her face because she couldn't get away fast enough!  

J dressed up in his room, the chop shop.
So gross.. and this is a toned down picture btw..

Helping with the child care was.. um.. interesting. The person that was "in charge" was a joke. She either sat on her butt the whole time barking orders to the other volunteers or would find an excuse to leave and stay gone for an hour. So unfortunately most of the ladies that helped the first weekend didn't show up for the second. A few didn't even show up the second night! It was chaos and at times a bit too much for this prego to handle. Another thing that really sucked was people were told not to bring sick kids and they did anyway. I tried my best to keep a distance from them but it wasn't easy.. and of course.. I ended up sick. I woke up Halloween morning and felt HORRIBLE. I stayed home that night and tried to rest but the next day I felt worse, and it continued for a full week. If it taught me anything it's that I definitely want to get the flu shot the next time I go to the doctor!! I wasn't too sure about getting the shot but now I can't & don't want to imagine how horrible having the flu would be while pregnant! Trust me, having a cold was bad enough!!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Want to join in on the fun? Link up HERE!  

I'm loving the Fall weather here in Washington! Back home (on the Gulf Coast) it's still in the 80s, and here it's been in the 50s during the day and the 40s at night. Even though I'm having to bundle up like an Eskimo because I'm not use to the cold yet, it has been amazing to actually experience a changing season!

I'm loving that Joel is finally kicking hard enough that J can feel it! It's definitely making him more excited to meet his son!

I'm loving that my mom kept one of my favorite childhood books for me. It always made her cry when she would read it to me.. I bet I will bawl my eyes out when I read it to Joel!

I'm loving that Halloween is almost over! Other than all the candy, I'm not a big fan of it. I especially hate all the scary movies that have been on TV lately. I don't understand why people think scary horror things are cool.

I'm loving fried zucchini! We had some for the first time ever the other day and now it's all I want to eat! We dipped it ranch and it was sooo yummy!!

Makin' Up My Mind (Again..)

Y'all.. I have seriously changed the nursery theme 10 times! I choose something and then change my mind. I never thought it would be this tough to make a decision on a theme! Before I was pregnant I could easily pick out exactly what I wanted for our baby's room.. but now.. HA! I'm doing good just to have his name chosen already!

I think I have FINALLY decided on a theme though. Here it is..

My Growin' Belly

 These photos were taken last night,

but I'm 24 weeks today!

Despite being homesick I am extremely thankful that J and I are finally able to live together as a "normal" married couple. Even though I would much rather be back home I'm constantly remembering that it could always be worse.. he could be deployed right now. And the fact that he doesn't have to deploy for at least three years should be enough of a reason for me to be content living here! (Normally we only get to spend maybe 8 months together before he has to deploy again.)

So today, even though I miss home, I'm choosing to be thankful and content!

Confession Time

I'm sure most of you have noticed that I haven't really blogged about Washington... In fact if you've been reading for a while you may have noticed that all I've really been blogging about lately is baby stuff. So why have I been avoiding the subject of life here in WA? Well.. because I've been too ashamed to admit that I'm miserably homesick and I've been throwing a hissyfit about having to move here.

Yep. I'm a 24 year old military wife that is angry about having to move away from her hometown. Go ahead.. stone me now!

I'm sure I'm not the the first (or last) mil spouse that has ever been homesick or angry about having to move far away from her family & friends.. but.. I still feel ashamed about it! It's kinda like when your spouse is deployed and you try your best to avoid people so you don't have to put on a fake smile and lie when they ask how you've been doing... You don't want them to know that you're actually having a hard time, because you're afraid they might think you are weak. Well I've been avoiding mentioning anything about Washington because I don't want to lie when people ask me how I like it here. Because the truth is right now I hate it. I miss home + all my family and friends.

I know what y'all are thinking (besides get over it & deal with it girlfriend!),"why haven't you found a spouse support group to meet people?" Well.. I have thought of that.. but J's command is small and they don't offer any family support groups.. and I don't know where else to look.


Hopefully things will get better/easier for me soon though.. *crosses fingers*

Formal [Maternity] Dress

I have been on the search for a dress to wear to the Seabee ball, and some of the dresses I have been finding online are very interesting...

Like this one..

a goldfish dress..

Would you rock it?

I honestly wouldn't know what to think if I saw someone at the ball wearing it! ha



Miscellany Monday

• I had an OB appointment last Tuesday. The doc said Joel's ultrasound photos looked great and he looks very healthy! Praise God!! Oh! and I've been feeling him move! It's amazing!
• I'm thinking about switching to a safari theme for the nursery.. Mostly because I've been having the worst luck finding stuff that will go with the bedding I originally chose! Every where I look I keep seeing safari themed bedding and decorations so maybe it will be easier.
• Maternity clothes suck! Most stores have just one rack or a tiny closet size section that they expect every pregnant woman to magically find something that she absolutely loves--which never happens for me. I usually end up wanting to cry my eyes out because I can't find anything and I'm worried I will be stuck wearing sweatpants and my husband's shirts for the rest of my pregnancy. To make it worse I'm in a weird stage where most maternity shirts I find are still too baggy but my regular shirts are too small. I just can't win. It makes me want to cry right now just thinking about it!
• I really want to find a church in our area to start attending. (Preferably one where I can wear sweatpants and my husband's shirts since I can't find any decent maternity clothes. HA!) I think it will be good for us in more ways than one.
• Our neighbors with the dogs moved out a few weeks ago, and honestly.. I'm starting to miss them. We didn't have to deal with cigarette smoke coming in our house when the windows were open while they were there!

Giveaway Winner!

I used random.org to choose the winner, and the winner is..

#29, Liz!
Congratulations, Liz! I will be emailing you soon! :)

Thanks to everyone that participated!
&Thank you to CSN Stores for allowing me to host this fun giveaway!!

GIVEAWAY!!

CSN Stores has over 200 websites where you can find everything from shoes, to a funky end table, or great cookware... And that's why I would like to offer you a chance to win a $45 gift certificate to use as you wish at any of their online stores!

*Contest Rules:
All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what you would purchase from CSN Stores with the $45 gift certificate if you won! Please include your email address at the bottom of your comment so you can be contacted if you win.

US and Canada residents only.

Contest begins on Monday, September 27, 2010 and ends on Saturday, October 2, 2010.

God Gave Me You

Watch this great video by Dave Barnes and try to spot J & I :)

Dancing With The Stars

I am so excited about the new season of DWTS! Last night was the season premiere and it was great! I already have a list of favorites + people I hope get voted off. I will just give you my top favorite and my least..

#1 favorite - Jennifer Grey
(She is best known for her role as "Baby" in Dirty Dancing.)

She did AWESOME last night!!
Watch the video to see for yourself..

The performance was very emotional for her, and it almost had me in tears!

Now for the person I hope gets voted off first..

Margaret Cho

Her performance was TERRIBLE.
I understand she is a comedian but she could have been a little more serious.


Who do you like & dislike so far??

Crib Bedding

On Sunday I finished something that I thought I would never get through... the baby registry! I always thought registering for baby stuff would be easy and fun but it was the complete opposite for me. I honestly found it overwhelming. This is my first baby so how should I know which brand (out of the millions they seem to have) of bottles or diaper bags will be the best to register for??

Trying to choose a bedding set for the crib was just as stressful. I didn't want anything that had cartoon characters on it but that's all they seem to make these days. & When I did finally find something I liked it was either sold out or missing something important that would complete the set. Thankfully I somehow stumbled upon the PB Kids website and found something J (my husband) and I both liked!

Now the only problem I have is finding decorations that will match!

Have any suggestions??

Our Baby Boy

We are thrilled to be expecting a boy! We have chosen Joel Cameron to be his name. :) We actually decided on his name 5 minutes after leaving the ultrasound appointment which was a huge surprise for me because I thought we would never agree on a name! Ha. We knew from the get-go that if we had a boy we wanted his initials to be the same as J and J's dad, so JC* it is!

(The name Joel comes from the Hebrew origin. I found two different meanings for the name when I looked it up--"Jehovah is the Lord" and "God is willing." I'm not sure which one is correct but both sound great to me!)


During the ultrasound he was very active.. in fact, every time the ultrasound tech tried to get a picture of his face he would turn his head or put his hands up! I still haven't felt him move yet though. There have been moments where I thought maybe I did but I'm not 100% sure if it was him. On Thursday I will be 20 weeks so hopefully I will start feeling him soon. & Just for the record, it totally blows my mind that I'm almost to the halfway point of this pregnancy! It feels like the weeks are flying by! I'm definitely not complaining though--I can't wait to meet our little boy!

It's A...

BOY! :)

When The World Stopped Turning

It's been nine years but I still remember everything like it was yesterday..


I had just sat down at a table in my 9th grade Art class when a student ran in the classroom and told our teacher something was happening in New York and she needed to turn on the TV. I will never forget the panic on my teacher's face as she stared at the TV screen. It was just after the first plane hit and no one had any idea what was really going on, but from the look on our teacher's face we all knew it wasn't good. It didn't take long for the whole room to become silent. We all watched in horror as people jumped from the burning tower.. and then.. the second plane hit.

Most of our classes that day were spent watching the news. I, like everyone else, honestly didn't know what to think. I figured I had nothing to worry about though because my parents weren't rushing to the school to get me. I felt even more at ease when my mom picked me up that afternoon and she didn't really talk about it. But then my dad came home from work and he was glued to the TV all night... I could tell he was seriously concerned and it freaked me out. He tried to ease my fears, but all I remember him telling me was that the events of that day were going to affect my life forever...

And he was right..

Because years later I would marry a man in the military, and most of our marriage would be spent apart due to him deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan to fight in a war that began while we were both in the 9th grade..

Only The Strong Survive

Amber @ Goodnight Moon wrote a blog post today that made me feel super awesome and I couldn't wait to share it will y'all! She basically reminded me that I survived something not many women can--a deployment--and for that reason I should consider myself Superwoman! ;)

When I was going through deployments I never felt strong.. I honestly just felt numb. My goal was to wake up and make it through the day, go to sleep, and then repeat. & I will be the first to admit that I had weak moments (during all three deployments I've been through with my husband) where I thought "God why did You choose ME to be military wife?? I'm obviously not strong enough for this -- if I were strong I wouldn't be sitting here bawling my eyes out!" The stress was just too much for me to handle sometimes, and I always felt like I was on the verge of a breakdown. Looking back now I realize that it was those moments where I thought I couldn't make it through that made me the strongest.. because even though I was a huge mess of emotions that cried most days, I survived. I conquered what I thought in my mind was impossible.

Sometimes J and I wonder how our relationship would would be different if he never had to leave.. and as much as we both hate deployments with a passion, we both know going through those horrible beasts (as I like to call them) helped make us + our relationship stronger. We are now able to communicate much better than most couples and we learned to never take our time together for granted.


* So if you are currently going through a deployment, hang in there! Because soon you will look back on this horrible beast (aka, deployment) and you will laugh & realize you were so much stronger than you ever thought possible! *


P.S. ~ Make sure you head over to Amber's blog to grab a Deployment Survivor button (like the one you see to the left, under my profile) for your blog, and be sure to share a post about how awesome you are for being a deployment survivor! ;)

Blog Makeover + Birthday Gifts

My blog received a makeover from Katie @ Fancy Pants Design Studio. I don't know about y'all but I LOVE it! It's exactly what I was wanting! If you are considering a new blog design I would highly recommend FP Designs!  

 

Today I received a birthday package from my mom and my aunt. Even though I had been expecting it, I cried while opening it! I guess it just made me homesick. =\ Anyway, I told my mom weeks before my birthday that I really wanted a box full of Southern candies.. and boy did she come through! I opened the box to find cinnamon glazed pecans, praline coated pecans, honey roasted pecans, pecan clusters, fudge, divinity, and pralines! Oh my goodness y'all, it was the PERFECT birthday gift EVER for this prego!

[It also included bamboo coasters and a cute shell tray thing
that I plan to sit out on our coffee table!]

They also sent me a CD from one of my favorite bands,

and a pregnancy book.

I also received a birthday gift from my mother-in-law today! She sent me the cutest "What's In Your Heart" bracelet! I tried taking a photo of it but it's not coming out clear. Here is a photo of a pendant that is similar to my bracelet so you can get an idea of what it looks like:

My heart is filled with a charm that says "Navy Wife," a charm that says "Happy Birthday," a sapphire birthstone heart, + a "J" and  a "K" charm. I love it!! & I can't wait to add a charm to represent the baby! :)