Quite Contrary

Mom fail.

2012-02-11T17:48:00.002-09:00

You know those tubs of plastic foods and utensils that all little girls must have for their kitchens? They have itty bitty plastic knives with fancy pink handles and sweet baby Louisa fell in love. I showed her how to 'slice' her fancy felt veggies and she loved those little velcro things coming apart...

So she took her cutting talents to her favorite people!

And I am a horrible mother because I encourage and laugh instead of telling her that stabbing is bad.

(Also starring Scarlett!)

We keep a close eye on all the real knives in this house.

Whats your song? Link up!

2012-02-09T09:20:00.000-09:00

I've been in a bit of an old music kick lately, especially songs that remind me of B.

Brian and I are not super smushy, or exceptionally traditional so I'm not even really sure how this came to be. Our song is the Beyonce and Jay-Z duet, '03 Bonnie and Clyde.

I'm pretty sure the Sex and the City reference factors into it suiting us, that and that Brian thinks he's a gangster? SO romantic! Ha! Either way though, I love this song!

Link up with Goodnight Moon!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-08T11:10:00.000-09:00

Post-nap, one sock. Typical Lu.

Three Quarters there!

2012-02-07T10:28:00.000-09:00

Three(ish) months until deployment three is done!

Miss Louisa is a rambunctious toddler now.

The weather here has peaked 40 degrees; and I think we're about done hibernating!

p.s.

Do you pin? I'm obsessed.

I miss you!

2011-10-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

OMG I haven't blogged in 82947584923374 years. Aren't excuse blogs the worst? Ugh.

And I'm probs not going to for another two weeks...

Boo YAH.

Because this guy is home on R&R!

YAY!

But I really do miss you, and have tons of fun baby pictures to share...!

Get excited!

Shit is getting real.

2011-08-18T18:46:00.001-08:00

'Kayso. I blog almost never 'cause I overthink this shiz and don't want peeps to think that I'm too stupid/lazy/cheesy/mean/whatever. But dude, I need to vent. And more than all that stuff I'm awesome, and pretty nice.

Unless you're my father-in-law.

I feel like maybe I should do what all the other nice wives do and smile at him and agree to dates so he can hang with the baby and ignore it when he does things that creep me out like this: send gushy emails about how excited he was when Lu touched his beard, lay down on the ground next to 9 month old Lu when all the other people were just regular sitting, send letters to B in the 'Stan about how frustrated he is that he doesn't get to see Lu enough without even sending me a freakin' email!!!

OMG

Losin' mah shiz here. I'm not even sure how we can be friends after this.

And here's to being a bit more regular.

And hopefully sleeping more.

Ooohhh babylove!

Lamesies.

2011-07-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

So I haven't been around. On purpose. I didn't want to drown the internets with all my tears and mush.

Y'know the times I've blogged? That is the exact same number of times that I've talked to my husband. Except less, 'cause he still hasn't called but I miss my bloglove.

F your face, Assghanistan.

I've been pretty busy hanging cabinets, drinking wine, and indulging the chub on my little miss. It's been awesome.

Please note the thigh rolls. My personal favorite.

We're a whopping sixteen percent done with this deployment though, so that's pretty awesome. Less awesome is the amount of pounds that haven't been lost. Some days whoopie pies make me happier than walks.

Also there has been boatloads of rain.

Thanks Maine, for giving me excuses 50% of the time.

Louisa is pretty much ten months old. How did this happen?

A fan of swinging.

(Self portraits are a bit of a challenge!)

Deployment Pity Party

2011-05-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

Babies bathed, fed, and put to sleep on time: 1

Errands run post-departure: 4

Homecoming videos watched: 0

Sappy songs listened to intentionally: 1

Eye-makeup applications ruined: 0 (!!, rockin' it!)

(It was pretty close though.)

Anti-Stress face masks: 1

Bags of pity candy: 2

Root Beer drive-thru trips: 1

Angry gestures from other motorists due to absent-minded driving: 1, but I'm pretty sure he was just having a bad day too.

My day of Sads & Self Indulgence is almost over... I'm pretty excited to start knockin' out the days!

Bring it on, Deployment #3!!

Fab Friday

2011-04-22T10:59:00.001-08:00

So, one more ER visit and a couple million prescriptions later> Acute Bronchitis + Asthma flare! Awesomeee!

Really, just frustrating because I have so much to do these next weeks, and its harder when I'm all sick. Whatevs, the meds started again this morning, so hopefully I'll be chipper in a day or two!

AND, Brian gets Monday off, so bonus weekend day!

AND, Lulu is decked head-to-toe in pink today, which just makes me happy.

Please ignore the hair, this was immediately post-nap!

Happy Friday!!

Unintended break!

2011-04-20T21:01:00.000-08:00

So, I've had the supersicks... Awesome. But, have only had one hospital trip and two medicine refills so, score!

But, turns out B is actually deploying and all of my denial has gotten me nowhere. Plane tickets home are purchased, moving days tentatively scheduled, and I'm bummin', yo.

But Miss Louisa is always a party ~~in the backseat~~ so we're keepin' on. I might share moving pictures so you can be jelly that you're not me. Get excited!

Phone Pictures!

2011-04-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

So after I filled out an insurance claim my phone gave a flicker or two of life. This morning I actually had a few solid minutes that the screen was light enough to kind of see! I pounced on that opportunity and sent a bunch of pictures to my email... There are still tons more that I'd like to save, so hopefully she has another bright moment soon!

But anyway, here is some of the fun I salvaged:

Early morning baby smiles!

Baby is getting excited about this eating thing...

Naps

Self portrait with Lulie!

Baby sleeps.

Baby nap not on me!

Lulu, when she fit into her infant seat!

Brian, while he was at NTC.

Laundry day with babycakes!

Pretty Louisa

Silly baby Lulu

Naps on Christmas!

Not sure why she is half naked...?

Sleepy Lu

More baby naps...

The end of our street, Yay AK!

Louisa's 1st Christmas tree!

So, clearly out of order, and I obvi am obsessed with my Lulu, especially when she sleeps!!

Day 14

2011-04-13T20:07:00.000-08:00

A picture of you last year -- How have you changed?

18 weeks!

Well, I'm not pregnant anymore! And this little lady is rockin' my world on a daily basis:

And Brian has been not deployed for the last year... So, pretty awesome.

Minus the deployment countdown, obvi!

Days 12&13

2011-04-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

Day 12

Kind of ironic that the topic for yesterday was: Something you don't leave the house without.

-Military ID, 'cause the gate guards here are pretty strict, and I'm terrified that I'll lose it and not be allowed back on post

-Cell phone

-Mascara, wearing it

So yesterday morning, my id went missing. I searched the car, the house, everywhere. It was gone gone. I panicked. Hours late, bam, right in my diaper bag!

Also, after seven months of regular abuse from Lulu, my cell phone collapsed while we were out at dinner with friends. It gave a weak little shudder and refused to turn on. I took it apart to dry, potentially baby saliva was the culprit? Nothing. So I'm leaving it plugged in today, but I don't have high hopes. Bummer.

Day 13: Goals

Convince Louisa that sleeping through the night is the cool thing to do...

Ha!

Fortunately I've already accomplished so much that I wanted to. Bachelor's degree, rockin' husband, cute little baby...

Now?

I'd like to be more healthful, find a job that makes me happy (or at least have enough time off to be with my awesome fam), take at least one vacation to Europe, buy a house, perfect my self-tanning technique, the usual.

Maybe pay off my student loans? That seems a bit radical though.

Catch Up! Days 8, 9, 10, 11

2011-04-11T04:00:00.002-08:00

Day 8: A place you've traveled to

via

This is where I live, currently, but definitely not home. Totally counts because it takes forever to get up here.

Someday we're going to vacation in luxurious, exotic locations...

Day 9: A favorite picture of your best friend

My sister, Meg. Isn't she a beaut? That is baby Scarlett and Tyler, also, but they don't count as my bff.

Molly! And her sleepy Alyssa.

I almost used one of Brian, but he is my husband, which is in a totally different category than bff.

Day 10: Something you're afraid of

Um, scary movies. Lame, but seriously. I've never seen one of those Saw movies, and I plan on keeping it that way.

Those bitty little geckos that live near Fort Hood, TX.

Bad things happening to my awesome people.

That Lulu will spontaneously stop breathing while she sleeps. Or the other million fears that suddenly arrive when you have a baby. Seriously, the world never seemed so dangerous until this awesome little dangerbaby came along!

DangerBaby, oh no!

Day 11: Favorite TV shows

I kind of feel like blogging about tv is lame. Am I more fun to you if we watch the same shows? Not that awesome. So, I'll tell you what I don't watch: Housewives. None of them. I just can't handle it. Even though my mom could maybe fit on the show. Maybe.

Evidence. (Don't worry, she knows.)

Yay, done!

Day 7

2011-04-07T05:00:00.003-08:00

Favorite Movies

Romeo and Juliet, Leonardo edition.

Love Actually

Dirty Dancing

Bride and Prejudice

Obvi I have awesomeeee taste!

*All images from google

Day 6

2011-04-06T05:00:00.001-08:00

A picture of something that makes you smile:

Miss Lulu's wild Einstein hair

Scarlett in sprinkles!

Day 5: A song to match your mood

2011-04-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

Sap-fest. Just so you're aware.

We are currently in the homestretch leading to Brian's third deployment. It just sucks. Whatevs, mostly. He's in the army, a certain amount of suck is expected. But I've been in serious denial and now time is running out. Suck.

So my mood is sappy. Also, tired of packing but I don't think they have songs for that.

Adele, Lovesong

Day 4

2011-04-04T05:00:00.001-08:00

My Parents

First, I need you to appreciate that I'm having a glass of wine and eating jelly beans with Brian. On a Sunday night. Because Lulu has woken up every hour for the past two nights and wine+jellybeans makes it bearable. Also having a car paid off for the first time in a long time... GO US!

Google images

So.

Keith, my father, is an intelligent, somewhat anti-social, electrical engineer. He has four kids: my two sisters, one brother and myself. He has not been a dad to my sisters and I for a long time. He and my brother are quite close. I choose to not have a relationship with him for a lot of reasons, but maintain distance because I do not want Lulu to know or be influenced by him.

My mom.

-Raised four kids after a horrendous divorce.

- had me convinced for years that she was a hairdresser for Madonna.

- has Lady Godiva hair extensions.

-invented the 'Wrapping Machine' song (vital info).

-told her kids that eggrolls were made of cat meat so she would get them all.

-has amazing table manners.

-is capable of talking to anyone, seriously.

-is probably the most crazy person I know. Most of the time in a fun way.

- married a man that I hadn't met until our trip home last month, and is adopting his 6 year old daughter.

(just call us the Kardashians)

Clockwise from top: Me, Meg, Molly, Mum, Max
2006

Yea, I come from crazy. And I'm pretty sure I'm just perpetuating the cycle!

Day 3

2011-04-03T05:00:00.002-08:00

Your First Love

Google Images

Oh.

Romantic style?

Um, this is a bit awkward. My husband totally reads this. Truthfully, my high school/college boyfriend was the first person I loved loved romantically. Unfortunately, he lived a few hours away and was a few years older, but refused to acknowledge his advanced age, ifyouknowwhatImean.

Lame.

(Thank goodness!)

Things absolutely worked out the way they were supposed to.

Day 2

2011-04-02T05:00:00.005-08:00

What is the meaning of your blog name?

You've probably heard the old nursery rhyme:

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary.

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty little maids all in a row.

Well, I get that a lot. Also, the Mary had a Little Lamb. Awesome.

But, I had a blog to name. And I have an unfortunate lack of creativity, so, BAM. It bears remembering that when I started this blog I was unsure if I would stick with it, or if anyone would really ever read it. I've debated changing it, especially since I learned that there is another Quite Contrary out there, but my lack of creativity and propensity to be contrary makes it okay. I really am pretty contrary lots of the time. You can ask my sister, she'll agree!

There is also a chance I may have a bit of a revelation and change it one day. Get excited for that potential ambush!

Day 1

2011-04-01T05:00:00.005-08:00

I am Mary Katherine.

Wife to Brian, Mum to Louisa, Sister to some of the best people. I am currently in Alaska, thanks to my husband's relationship with the army, but that is due to change shortly.

Fifteen Interesting Things:

1. I've never had a speeding ticket or been in a car accident.

2. I am awesome at wrapping presents.

3. Buffalo Chicken Salad is my favorite thing to eat, ever.

4. When I was little, I insisted to be called 'Princess Aurora' for an entire year.

5. I graduated from college at 20. Bachelor style.

6. I hate feet. (Except Lulu's. They are the cutest things ever.)

7. My little sister and I used to have sleep-overs in each others rooms when I was in junior high.

8. I love compliments on my cooking!

9. I am horrible at writing back to people. I also feel super guilty about this...

10. I was home-schooled for two years.

11. I didn't have a pedicure until I was 21.

12. I took four years of Latin and two years of Greek in high school.

13. I am a super-duper blog creeper. I suck at writing comments, but I probably like you a lot and pretend that we're blogfriends. Yes, you.

14. I got a tattoo on a whim two weeks after I turned eighteen. My mom saw it a year later and flipped out. Pretty funny in hindsight.

15. I wear perfume to bed sometimes because it makes me feel fancy.

Phew! Fifteen things is kind of a lot when you're making them up!

Doin' It.

2011-03-31T10:43:00.000-08:00

Idea stealing, that is. If you haven't noticed, I blog almost never. I'm half happiest I've been in a while, and half insanely bummed, which results in way too much mental chaos to put into words.

SO, my blogfriend Jessica at Learning As We Go is doing this thing, and I'm totally copying. Hopefully it will be enough to get me out of this life-funk and blogging rut! Yay!

Day 0: The 30 Day Challenge Explanation and Description
Day 1: Introduce, recent picture of yourself, 15 interesting facts
Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name
Day 3: Your first love
Day 4: Your parents
Day 5: A song to match your mood
Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 7: Favorite movies
Day 8: A place you've traveled to
Day 9: A favorite picture of your best friend
Day 10: Something you're afraid of
Day 11: Favorite tv shows
Day 12: Something you don't leave the house without
Day 13: Goals
Day 14: A picture of you last year - how have you changed?
Day 15: Bible verse
Day 16: Dream house
Day 17: Something you're looking forward to
Day 18: Favorite Place to Eat
Day 19: Something you miss
Day 20: Nicknames
Day 21: Favorite ALL TIME Picture of yourself. Why?
Day 22: What's in your purse?
Day 23: Favorite Movie
Day 24: Something you've learned
Day 25: Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26: Your Dream Wedding
Day 27: Original Photo of the city you live in
Day 28: Something that stresses you out
Day 29: 3 Wishes
Day 30: a picture of yourself this day and 5 good things that happened since you started the challenge

Sounds interesting, eh? See ya tomorrow!

Lulu has a tooth!

2011-03-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

Her first one started poking through yesterday! It's not so obvious, but I'm working on getting some pictures!

We're back from our awesome vacation to Maine, and a bit sad because the countdown to deployment is officially on. I'll share more of the fun and vacation photos soon!

Throne stealing!

Cousin FUN!

Skinny Sabotage

2011-03-05T08:24:00.000-09:00

B is back! Woohoo!

Except he has totally burst my bubble.

K, so, I'm on a quest to be more healthful and fit in to pre-Mum clothes. I do crazy things like exercise and measure my cereal in cups and drink so much water that I have to interrupt baby naps for bathroom breaks and have salads for lunch and put almond butter in my oatmeal, 'cause: protein! But, it is not all in vain. The craziness has = 5 pounds down. Which, isn't a lot but the scale was the same for like 2 months so any minus is a good minus.

Except,

Brian is like minus 100 pounds.

He says it was the stress of NTC.

UM? I have the stress of bottles at 1 am, 3am, 4am, 5am. Trying to pack for three for two weeks away from home. Keeping the accounts positive when he sports the spendy-pants. Moving 6000 miles while he has a party in the desert.

Stress does not make you skinny.

And then, since he has been gone for a month, he gets to pick dinner. His choice? Pad Thai, because it is more healthy than Chinese food. Really?

So unfair.

I just hope I can muster the willpower to not put the pudge back on.

Lulu is pretty excited he's home too.

Four years.

2011-02-22T00:30:00.002-09:00

I am such a lucky lady! Today marks four wonderful years of marriage for B and I.

The Beginning

Newlyweds!

In the barracks at Fort Hood

Sixth Street, Austin TX

Killeen, TX

The Riverwalk, San Antonio TX

Celebrating with friends, pre-deployment #2

R&R 2009

Wolfe's Neck State Park, Maine

Battalion Ball 2010

Battalion Christmas party, 2010

Fairbanks, AK

I love you tons, B.

Neighborly.

2011-02-21T18:19:00.000-09:00

Do you remember the bit about 'snowed in' from my last post? It turns out I was a bit more prophetic than I intended. Over night we were hit with a crazy windy, messy Nor'Easter - which is rare in Alaska, you can imagine.

Snowy walkway!

Miss Lulu was intrigued.

Now, the problem is that I haven't found a way to shovel while watching the baby. Admittedly, I haven't tried too hard to find a resolution. Usually Brian shoulders our half of the shoveling, but he is still away training, and this was the second (potentially third, whoops!) snow that required shoveling since he left...

Do you see where this is going? A bit more relevant information:

I just met our neighbor two days ago.

And we've lived here for 10 months.

And the only reason we met was because he gave us their lawnmower.

Yes, gave. Weedeater too.

K, so back to today. After our little photo session we saw that some people who live across got their beast of a car stuck in the snow... Like bad. So, Louisa and I decided that there was nothing so important that we had to do today that we needed to leave. We decided we would wait until tomorrow, when we are hopefully plowed out, and went on our merry way: cleaning, laundrying, and blowing raspberries (Lulu is a professional.)

SO, a little bit later I hear the shovel scraping up.

Shoot.

I really didn't mean to slack off this time too.

And then I notice, not only did he rock it out on the shared bit of walkway, but he's shoveling our bit too. He did the stairs and alll the way up to our door.

What do I do? Obvs now that we have officially met I can't ignore it. He knows I'm home 'cause, hello, even our door is snowed shut.

So, I crack open the door and give him a super-exuberant "Thank you!" and that was it. What else can I do??

Well, get on the shoveling next time.

But, the kicker is, they're moving out 3/1! In fact, the wife and baby are already gone.

So yeah, be thankful you don't live next to me is the moral of the story.

I was so right.

2011-02-20T21:05:00.000-09:00

Crest Whitestrips are absolutely the devil. I wake up in the morning to see if my teeth are bleeding and can only have yogurt for like 6 hours. How do people do the really hardcore 2-hour things? Seriously. I'm wicked bummed about my yellow teeth and have even been on a coffee sabbatical, which is nearly impossible on frigid Alaska mornings. I just don't know how this is all going to work out.

And right now? I am totally wussing out on dying my hair, again. I got this box that is supposed to lighten your hair three shades, which would put me in light brown/dark blonde territory, but I made the mistake of reading reviews online. One lady feels that my hair will turn orange, and another one said to not use it if my hair has been previously colored. There are some happy endings, but those ladies don't tell you what was going on in the beginning... So, I found my nasty t-shirt, got all the baby monitors going, and totally chickened out. I'm afraid I'll never be fun blonde again.

Whatevs.

You know what else is not awesome? Not talking to Brian. Forever. Seriously though, they haven't been allowed cell phones since 2/10. Um, that was a really freakin' long time ago. I'm trying to pack and get all excited about our crazy voyage home, but it is way less fun when there is nobody here to be excited with me. I mean, Lulu smiles and tries to eat all the pictures I show her of the fam, but she does that to magazine babies too, so it feels less genuine.

BUT, sunshine and sparkles.

We're a teeny bit snowed in, which is fun when we don't have to go anywhere.

I found bunches of pretty baby bows online.

Louisa is in her new convertible car seat which means I'm not lugging the huge thing around.

The forecast only has negatives at night for the rest of the month.

B will get his phone back on Saturday, hopefully.

We're all going home in March!

All the time. Crazy baby.

Sitting up, mostly!

Happy girl!

Lulu's First Valentine's Day

Aren't those faces awesome? I get to spend everyday with that crazy baby!

Annnnd she is already asleep, so I get to blog, yay, and then go to bed!

How I broke the television.

2011-02-15T11:19:00.000-09:00

Yeah, I struggle.

So, Alaska is dry. Like, super crazy dry. This makes the static electricity in our house, and others, rampant. I can't turn on a light without getting a shock. The nasty old carpets and big stinky couches don't help much. When I was pregnant I got a really bad shock, like from Brian through me to the computer, and it hurt. The computer froze, and I was suuuuuper scared that I had cooked the baby. Turns out you can't cook babies that way, but the computer froze - but did not die.

Since then we keep that static spray in stock in our house, but it smells like glue and the effects only last a few hours. Not awesome.

SO, knowing all of this, the other day I intended to meet with Jillian and get some shred going. Since our tv remote is missing, I have to use the input buttons on the side of the tv. I touch it and , BAM supershock! Like worse than the babycooker. And then the tv starts turning half way on, then dying. Again and again and again. Pressing buttons does nothing. Un-plugging it and plugging it back in does nothing. Apparently there are no reset buttons on tvs?!? (I'm serious, I looked. Pitiful)

So? We upgraded. It was time. We went from a 26 incher to 32, woopwoop! I have no pictures on this computer, but I'm working on it.

You should also know that in the almost 4 years I have been married, I have had to buy four new televisions. I've never shocked one before though, but apparently we just don't get on very well.

Sad times.

Lu-la-Lu

2011-01-29T17:20:00.000-09:00

I think you need some babylove in your life, and I know I haven't shared Miss much lately, so,

Enjoy!

Brian was not photo-ready.

Miss Droolcakes.

Happy girl!

First encounter with cereal.

Not. Convinced.

Pigtails! My absolute favorite!

Shoes are fun to EAT!

And, in case you were superconcerned about her stats: At her 4 month appointment she was 15lbs 10oz, 25 inches and her head circumference was a bit over 17 in. 90th percentile for height/weight, and 97th for head! Funny! She carries that big head well though, eh?

She wears some 3-6 and some 6-9, and when we use 'Sposies she needs a 3.

Rice cereal is not so intriguing, but the past few days she has willingly finished a few tablespoons. Veggies will start soon, butternut squash first, which we'll follow with avocado and some peas. I'm making babyfood, and the little manual grinder seems like it won't be so effective. We recently purchased a blender, and once I get the rest of my tools (strainer, ice cube trays, the veggiessss! ha!) we'll be in business.

Most importantly of all though, she is such a happy healthy girl! Her laugh is just amazing, and she finds the silliest things to be hilarious! She has finally figured out the jumping in her jumparoo, and has mastered rolling from her back to belly. I've been trying to carry her more though, 'cause I'm terrified that she may actually crawl, and I'm pretty sure I can't handle my little baby being that big. Just scary. She is the most awesome thing ever, obviously

p.s. I realized how horrendously messy my kitchen is and totes when on a cleaning spree after posting these. Swear.

My sister bought skinny jeans.

2011-01-24T10:11:00.000-09:00

EFFFFF!

Let me paint you a little picture:

1. I had a baby 4ish months ago. I am in the process of feeling pretty again. (Officially, since 1/1. I took a bit of a hiatus for cheesecake and chocolate covered chips in December) Today I felt brave enough to meet with Jillian again, but my jeans still say fourteen. Yikes for me. Pre-mama I was a ten, and comfortable with that. (I'm no skinny mini, I'm just not. It's genetics, and while high school wasn't fun, I've made peace with being average sized and well endowed. Whatevs.)

2. I'm five feet, two inches tall.

3. My sisters are beautiful. I'm not being dramatic, strictly facts. They both, but Meg in particular, have perfect teeth, big pretty eyes, and long legs.

Alyssa, Molly, Meg

Meg and baby Scarlett

Now, it's not so much that we compete, but more that I don't want to be the short, squirrely, and obviously out of shape one. We're traveling home in March, so I have only 40 something days to get this all worked out.

SO, in addition to exercising daily (which is a bit of a hurdle with Miss Louisa) , I resolve to:

-Whiten my teeth with WhiteStrips, which I find terrifying.

-Eat more healthfully. This means that York peppermint patties are not allowed because they are not a 'diet' treat.

-Use my daily tanning lotion religiously, because I am still a brunette

-Attempt to correct my hair situation. I tried this once already, and the result is: dark ends, reddish brown at the top, and some delightful dark roots. Lovely.

Luckily for Brian, he has a month away for training, so he gets to miss out on most of the crazy! So, 45 days...

Wish me luck!

p.s. I have like 900 posts that I've started but haven't finished/posted. Here's to neglecting my blog less in 2011!

Sees ya, 2010!

2010-12-31T13:31:00.000-09:00

I'm pretty psyched that it's almost a new year, and 'cause Britney's new single comes out in a week. B is dreading January 7 for the same reason.

Have you read The Hunger Games? You need to, seriously. I read the trilogy in 3 days (on my fancy new eReader, woop!) which is a feat with a bitty baby. If you imagine Peeta as Chord Overstreet it is six times better.

Welcome. (link)

More awesome that 2011 will hold:

-Homeeee! And playing with fab nieces.

(Even just the continental United States would be good. I need out of this tundra!)

-Losing the baby weight! Yay, willpower!

-Being Blonde again!

-Dunkin' Donuts. I haven't had real DD in 11 months. Tragic.

But, on the flipside:

B is legit deploying. Ugh. And it's a bit too close to ignore anymore. Nastynastynasty.

But tonight we'll have wine and cupcakes and celebrate 2011 on EST. Which is 8pm here and usually around our bedtime... Ha!

Happy New Year!

Pre-Holiday Sick and a List

2010-12-19T16:29:00.000-09:00

It is the opposite of festive in this house.

(Lies.)

BUT, I am the sick one. Colds and sinus infections make the baking and shopping and wrapping quite minimal. No fun.

So, here are some things that are making my December merry:

Aden + Anais Blankets

These were rockin' when she was teeny, but are big enough to keep Miss Lu's arms swaddled tightly now, getting us all through this fun 3 month sleep regression phase.

amazon.com

Cool Mist Humidifier

Super awesome for a baby, especially in a dry climate, but extra-awesome for a sick mum, when baby still shares a room!

JoyfulJessica on Etsy

Little Miss has lots of hair, and her head is too big for headbands, but these bows are awesome! The perfect size and they always stay put!

Mad 'cause I got her hands out of her mouth for pictures... NO SMILES!

BearPaw Boots

Purchased in preparation for Alaska wayyyy back when we were in Texas, these are the perfect amount of warm for the 4 seconds that I spend outside. Cozy toes are my favorite!!!!

Polka Dot Riesling

I'm definitely planning on indulging in a glass during my wrapping marathon on December 24th.

Hand-Me-Downs

Having two nieces just a bit older than Louisa has made for an awesome baby girl wardrobe! I just recently re-discovered a box, and Little Lu is quite the stylish girl!

Cloth Diapers

Way back when she was a teenyweeny...

Admittedly, it took me quite awhile to warm up to them! They do a good job against leakage and she never gets diaper rash with them! I have a bunch of BumGenius3.0, but definitely need to invest in some more. We still use 'sposies at night though, and when we go out. Baby steps..

Officially lists are my most favorite kind of blog to post. And when I write bunches I feel like most people don't read them so much. (I don't always read when people get so wordy. Sorry.)

Also, I'm considering getting a Nosefrida. Yikes.?.

Happy Week of Christmas! Hope your days aren't too craycray!

Sweeter than a Swisher

2010-12-08T14:08:00.001-09:00

So, I was just telling Brian yesterday that I wish I were sixteen so it would be appropriate to use song lyrics as facebook statuses, and then this song comes along and my name totally works! Dang 25!

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/iframe&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Anyway, Christmas is almost here! I'm mostly done shopping... Kinda. I rocked it out getting the stuff that needs to be shipped, but I'm kinda struggling when it comes to Lulu. So far we got a bumbo, which:

Yea, bad at saving. So, she'll get a tray for it- yay. And that's it. Oh, these:

babysteals.com
(not Lulu, in case that wasn't clear)

Cuuute! She officially rolls over now, and sometimes when she's on her belly she scoots her legs up and acts like she's trying to crawl. Um, you're three months old (friday). Please don't. I'm kind of hoping she'll be one of those babies who just sits and relies on me for transportation for the first year. I mean, she has the whole rest of her life to be all mobile and independent. Can't I at least have the first year to keep you mine?

I'm half done getting Brian's things, and boycotting gifts for grown-grownups, 'cause really? You're over 50. Lulu needs presents more than you. Fortunately the same does not apply for my side of the family b/c there are only a few and they are way fun to shop for, even if I'm not going to be there when they open their gifts. (Also they only count as grownups kind of.)

Ooooh, also, Louisa met Santa!! The real one from North Pole, not one of his lame copycats around the US!! She wasn't too concerned about the whole ordeal, but was a bit too tired to smile.

(Yes, she is dressed as an elf and her suit says 'B'Jolly'! I'm in love. )

In major domestic news, I'm attempting my first crock-pot chili today! We've already had one minor setback, but it smells really good so it can't be all bad, right?

And, 'cause pictures are the best:

Swaddle Renegade!

Pompoms!
(I look weird. Ignore it.)

Chatty girl!

Festive Fam at the Christmas party!

Naps w/o heat! Brrrrrr!

Another domestic fail, just to get you excited about chili stories.

Ha!

2010-12-04T10:06:00.000-09:00

I'm pretty sure this is the most silly baby accessory I've seen! Christian Dior pacifiers! Funny!

photo credit

I was getting to that.

2010-12-02T21:32:00.000-09:00

It seems I have a blogstalker and her name is Meg. Yea, I got lazy and left out all the fun stuff... whatevs.

So, the best stuff:

Brian & Lulu

Thanksgiving 2010

She LOVES to sit up!

Major Bedhead!

Party on the floor!

This past week the temps went from 30s to -30s! SO cold! And the worst part is that we didn't have heat on the first floor...

Yea. I knew it was cold, but just kinda figured it was because it was so cold outside. Today I finally called maintenance because I figured we had a thermostat issue (there are 4 in this house; I still don't know what they each control...) But the guy came tonight. Apparently the whole building has been having issues, not just us. At least it's fixed now!

My loneliness is killing me...

2010-12-02T12:52:00.000-09:00

Ha! I've totes had Britney in my head allll day long! For serious though, B is gone for his 5th week since Louisa was born, eleven weeks ago.

Not awesome at all, ARMY.

Especially when I go to your dang FRG meetings and you throw out words like 'pre-deployment leave' and 'upcoming' within the same sentence... Ouch!

But then you butter me up with awards and coins like I'm a superstar.

Touche.

Eeeeeek x 768765765!!!

2010-11-16T18:56:00.000-09:00

William and Kate might be my newest favorite thing! I feel like I totally called it because I dvr'd TLC's special about them a couple weeks ago... So there Brian! ('cause he totally rolled his eyes at me when I set it! Psh.)

Other awesome things:

Louisa! She had her two month appointment and took those shots like a champ, with some tears, of course. The guy who administered them was some young SPC, which made me so nervous, but he was really sweet and apologetic about the crying. He wasn't specifically a pediatric shot guy (whatevs, you get it.), so I was excited that it was minimally traumatic (because lots of our experiences with army healthcare have been fairly traumatic thus far, just sayin'...)

Thigh bandaids :(

Anyways, she is 12 lbs., 22 in, and 90th percentile for head circumference...! Whaaaat! She totes gets it from Brian, but maybe it's for all the smarts that she gets from me? Probably. But the doctor said head control would take longer 'cause her head is heavier than most. So, we got serious about tummy time!

...mostly. Haha, she does do a good job, really. (My 6 week postpartum appointment was yesterday too, but was mysteriously cancelled, so I have to wait 'til week eleven. Awesome.)

Also, Little Lulu has been sleeping 6-7 hours a night, every night! It is such an amazing feeling! I think that Brian (who crazysnores) has been in Anchorage for the past couple weeks training has certainly been beneficial to this phenomenon. I'm a bit nervous that he'll be back this weekend!

Also, MODG. I'm kind of obsessed...

And, Mint M&Ms. Its no wonder I still have 22.5 lbs to go!

Google images

Today the forecasted high temperature was negative four degrees. The high. I think it's pretty awesome that we don't have to worry about heating oil. (Even though cost of living up here is ridiculous, and therefore BAH is ridiculous. It's still pretty exciting.)

Holidays!! We're doing a pot-luck Thanksgiving with friends since we're all way too far to celebrate with family. I'm attempting several recipes, but I'm not going to share because I'm pretty sure they won't all turn out very well!

I'm so excited that Brian will be here for Louisa's first Thanksgiving and Christmas! He's likely going to miss lots next year, so we're going to try and make the most of festivities this year! And, as frustrating as it is to be in the Arctic, we will certainly have a white Christmas! Yay!

Not awesome: calorie counting during the holiday season... Wish me luck!

It's so crazy to think that one year ago...

2010-11-10T08:45:00.000-09:00

I wasn't even pregnant! Having a baby was a hope of mine, but not a plan. I was looking forward to Thanksgiving alone in Texas, and Brian's homecoming shortly thereafter...

Oh how things have changed!

Miss Louisa is almost two months, and I can honestly say that being her mum is more amazing than I could have imagined. She has quickly caught on to the smile thing, and loves to practice at 2am when she is up for a bottle. It's SO hard to not smile and coo back when she is such a cheery little cherub!

Eating her hands is another new favorite, and waving arms is tons of fun too! Except, maybe, when she gets too exuberant and thumps her little hand into her face... The expression she makes is a bit pitiful!

Last night she slept for seven hours straight, and then went to sleep for a few more! Honestly, every day gets less stressful and more fun. Now she is in her gym, yelling at it! So funny! And if the music runs out and the lights stop flashing -- she cries! Little girl has so much personality, and I'm afraid that she's just as crazy as me!

Monday we have her 2 month appointment, and I'm really not looking forward to the shots! Hopefully it'll be over quickly...

Miss Louisa!

2010-09-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

She's finally here!! After a harrowing 31 hours in labor, an alarming ambulance ride, and a 4-day stay in the NICU, Miss Louisa Violet Francis is finally home!!

Still all goopy, but I love it!

These past seventeen days have been the most amazing and crazy of my entire life. Little Lulu is the sweetest baby, except for when she's hungry. She most certainly inherited her appetite from her dad, as well as her toes and her eyebrows! When her belly is full though, and she isn't sleeping, she is content to cuddle and look around. She has dark hair and light brows and lashes, beautiful blue eyes, and perfect cupid's bow lips.

Trying to sleep with a newborn is exhausting! Her longest stretch has been about six hours, and I'm not clever enough to sleep when she does during the day, so I'm more tired than I've ever been, ever. It certainly doesn't help that Brian is back at work and out in the field already, so I don't have any help. I honestly don't know how single moms do it!! These five days are just a test though, 'cause he has a longer school coming up next month!! Hopefully by then Louisa and I will have a bit of a schedule...

Smiling while she sleeps... so sweet!

My pretty little Lu

Brian and Louisa! He looooves to hold her!

Hopefully I'll get better at posting, but likely not -- this little miss is pretty time consuming!

Bright and early...

2010-09-08T19:52:00.002-08:00

Tomorrow morning I'm heading in to the hospital to be induced! I'm so excited!!

Nesting frenzy!

2010-09-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Today I am officially 41 weeks pregnant! Tomorrow morning I have an ultrasound and non-stress test to make sure little Lulu is still doing okay in there. If she isn't they'll induce right away, but if things look good they'll let me go a bit longer, until Friday probably.

I have to say, being overdue isn't nearly as miserable as I thought it would be. I feel kind of content, like I made it to 40 weeks safely, and now she could really come any day. That isn't to say I'm super impatient to meet this girl (and not be pregnant) but I don't feel pressure for it to be riiiight now, I'm okay with being pregnant for a few days longer.

So, I've taken advantage of this long weekend and had a bit of a nesting frenzy! I've swept and mopped, vaccumed and dusted, done more loads of laundry than I thought our machine could handle, rearranged and reorganized all of our cabinets, taken down and re-hung wall decor, invested in new home fragrance and fall hand soaps, set up our new super-fancy coffee maker (can't wait for caffeine!), washed and organized all the new things for Louisa, even managed to sweep all the debris and cobwebs from our front door! I realized I'd gone a bit overboard as I was sweeping my way down the sidewalk in my purple plaid pajama pants... The neighbors are all used to the craziness though... I hope!

Fingers crossed that the next update will be full of baby pictures!

Due!

2010-08-31T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe a bit overdue really... Yesterday was my official date according to the hospital, and it seems little Louisa is going to take her sweet time!

At my 39 week appointment I hadn't progressed much from the week before. I've spent the past week walking, bouncing on the yoga ball, eating spicy things and pineapples, even trying some wii fit exercises (Brian thinks my hula-hooping skills are entertaining!), and all that has gotten me is some super-uncomfortable Braxton Hicks. Hopefully my appointment tomorrow will show some progression... If not, it's just a matter of time! At 41 weeks my hospital will do an ultrasound to ensure Lulu has enough fluid and is still thriving in there, and if everything looks good they'll wait a few more days to induce!

I'm just so excited knowing that within the next two weeks we'll finally be able to meet our sweet baby Louisa!

Progress! And Pictures!

2010-08-21T09:37:00.000-08:00

SO, I had my 38 week appointment yesterday, and am officially dilated and effaced!! Not tons, and I know it still means it could be awhile, but - I'm still crazy excited, and plan on doing everything in my power to move this little lady along!

Also, we finally finished the nursery!! Now it's not magazine style amazing, but it is certainly cozy and sweet and perfect for our little miss!

(And that is what 38 weeks pregnant looks like. I know, Yikes!)

"Here's a little thing I don't think that you know..."

2010-08-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

That was my husband's intro this morning, and then he treated me to a fun fact or two about where Muslims build Mosques. Quite hilarious, eh? I promise, it really was! I married such a goober!

Really though, I have to tell you about my new favorite thing, Gap lounge pants. I used my birthday money for a few splurges, and I figured what I'll need most in the weeks following Louisa's arrival will be soft, comfy clothes. They arrived yesterday, and I didn't want to try them on 'cause I knew I wouldn't want to take them off...! I was totally right, and am planning on buying as many more as I can fit in my drawers. Online they don't look like much, but they hide my pregnancy cellulite like nobody's business! I'm almost dreading the day that I can fit into jeans again and don't have any excuse to wear them to the grocery store.

Speaking of Miss Babycakes, she is officially head down!! I'm so happy to be only 23 days away from my due date, and just two days until she is officially full term! I'm starting to be less 'grumpy pregnant lady' and more 'super excited mum to be'! I so can't wait until she is here!!! The nursery is soooo close to done, we just have to figure out the curtain situation. Honestly though, I'm not too worried that it be done before she gets here. She likely won't be sleeping in there for a while.

Unfortunately, the Army isn't so concerned that Lulu will be full term. Brian is spending most of next week in the field, and the week after. He'll bring his phone with him just in case, but that doesn't ensure that he'll have reception. A friend up here offered to be my emergency support, just in case. Likely though we have nothing to worry about; I'm pretty certain Louisa will be a September baby. Hopefully not too late though, I'm so anxious to meet my sweet girl!

25 and feelin' alive!

2010-07-21T13:12:00.006-08:00

Woohoo! I have to say, turning 25 was a lot less scary than I thought it would be! Fortunately, my day was on a Monday this year, so Brian and I decided to have a Birthday Bender weekend! Not quite the same as a bender in college, but we had tons of fun!

Sunday, my incapable-of-waiting husband talked me into having my 'party' early. I'm not in much of a party mood as of late, considering I'm the size of a rhinoceros and in a constant state of hormonal rage, so I was nervous to say the least.

While I was (banished) upstairs waiting for Brian to prep, I found my new anthem! Haha! It makes me so happy, and like there may be hope for me once this pregnancy is over! Lulu must like it too, as she dances every time I play it!

So after a bit Brian called me back downstairs for this:

Wrapping skillz may leave something to be desired, eh?

Ah! So pretty! This is officially the first birthday of mine that he has been here to celebrate (of the 5 I've had!), so he went wayyyy overboard!

Monday was tons of fun too, even though Brian had to work. I found a fantastic pedicure place, got to spend as much time as I wanted at Barnes&Nobles, skyped with sisters and opened two big boxes of fun from Maine!! My house will officially never be free of sparkles and confetti again, but it's all totally worth it!

Babywise, I'm 34 weeks pregnant, --35 tomorrow!!! CRAZYYY! I'm so freakin' excited for BabyLu to get here! The nursery is mostly done, but I need to finish up some decor. I'll post pictures eventually...

Brian comes home today!

2010-06-25T14:47:00.004-08:00

YAY! Granted, he's only been in the field for a week, but it turns out that I revert to my twelve year old self while I'm home alone.

So, no giggly phone calls to boys, but crazy stuff goes down. Namely:

-surviving solely off of Starburst and lemonade

-watching way too much crappy tv (Hello E!)

-staying awake until the wee hours of the morning, which isn't helped by the fact that the sun never goes down

-and potentially one or two impulse purchases from Sephora for pretty things I don't need due to the sugar-induced craze

Brian's return has already caused me to vaccuum today and change the garbage, so HA party week of ridiculousness. Also this weekend we're going to be parents and get a few more things for Lulu's room.

Speaking of babies, I'm 30 weeks and some days and officially huge! I can't believe I still have two more months, 'cause I'm pretty sure little Lu isn't going to fit much longer.

Here in Alaska we're having a superfun 'heat wave' and with all the heat my toes are starting to look like sausages. It's pretty tragic, as they weren't picturesque to begin with. Trying to pedicure them myself is starting to be an Olympic event also, so likely I'll have to hit up a nail salon here shortly... Wish me luck!

Happy Friday, lovelies!

28 weeks, so this + bigger! Yikes!

Today I...

2010-06-17T15:56:00.003-08:00

...Rediscovered circus peanuts!

YUM!

We're in the homestretch!

2010-06-07T16:33:00.005-08:00

Third trimester!!!

I'm so excited! Twelve more weeks and our little lady will be here!

Speaking of which, Brian and I have finally decided on a first name... Louisa! I absolutely love it. So pretty and sweet, feminine without being too fussy, and classic but not so common. Her middle name is still under consideration, but I'm not too worried.

Also, my sister has a blog! Woohoo! You can find Miss Margarita here, and read about all the fun stuff in Maine that I'm missing.

In other creepy blog stalker news, have you heard of Cupcakes and Cashmere? She is apparently a superfamous style blogger, so famous that Coach invited her to design a bag! Anyways, I stumbled upon her during an Alias marathon last weekend, and I'm in love. She has the prettiest hair and the most enviable shoe collection that I've ever seen, seriously. I'm debating on spending our savings on Yves Saint Laurent platforms instead of diapers and baby baths... And the best part is that she's 27, so that means I still have a couple of years to get it all worked out!!

This is our Sweet Lulu a few weeks ago... Smiling! I love that she is such a happy little thing already! Likely though, it has lots to do with all the marshmallows and little else! 82 days until we get to meet our pretty little lady!

Hey, Stranger!

2010-05-14T12:02:00.004-08:00

Today I'm 24 weeks, 4 days pregnant, and babygirl is the size of an ear of corn! I'm feeling every bit of it and counting down the days until she can be here and healthy. (I'm in love with her bumps though. She is so gentle and sweet, bouncing about to Stevie Wonder, until she hits the bladder... !) Her nursery is not even close to done, and we still don't have a name picked out! But, I made her a pretty quilt, so that counts for something, right?

The empty nursery. We do have some furniture in there now though.

Lately the sun is up all the time. It sounds nice, but makes midnight less exciting. They tell me it won't last forever though, so I'm soaking up every bit I can.

This weekend is the post-wide yard sale, and I'm on the hunt for a rocking chair! The husband is hoping to drag me to see Robin Hood (he swears he'll see Sex and the City 2 - twice - if I go!), and I plan on making him suffer through vacuum shopping... Fun for all!

19 weeks! Picture this plus a soccer ball...

Rockin' neices! Aren't they the cutest?!?

Alaska!

2010-04-15T08:26:00.002-08:00

We made it!!

This place is crazy! So cold, and sunny until way past my bedtime! It is considerably smaller compared to Fort Hood, but so much more suited to Brian and I. No traffic jams yet!!

We've been really enjoying ourselves so far though. We were fortunate enough to get on-post housing the day we went into the office, and our HHGs arrived the next day, three weeks ahead of schedule! Brian has been busy getting in-processed and settling in with his new unit (which he loves, especially combatives for pt on Wednesdays!), and I've been trying to get this house put together! They gave us wayyy more room than we needed, and it seems we don't have enough furniture to fill it by a long shot!

We also have some friends already! A guy from Brian's first deployment transplanted up here a few weeks before us, with his new wife. It is sooo nice to be able to get out a little bit, and it seems like there will be lots to do this summer!

In baby news, I'm officially twenty weeks! Baby girl has a room all to herself, and we have a few clothes hanging in the closet already! We'll be finding a crib for her soon, and getting her room more put together. I'm so anxious to get my insurance figured out so I can hear her heartbeat again! I'm confident she is growing though, because this belly of mine is getting bigger and bigger.

I'm so relieved to be here, finally! Now it feels like we're really going to have a baby - so exciting!!

Gettin' busy!

2010-03-29T17:43:00.004-08:00

So, I'm a negligent blogger... whoops! Truthfully things have been busy - and boring. (Except for the latest news, but I'm going to save the best for last!)

Our PCS has been moving riiiight along. We shipped the car, Brian cleared from Fort Hood, movers came, we handed over the keys to the apartment, and here we are, living squashed in a hotel - but only for a few more days! Oh yes, on Thursday we're trading all this sun for the mid-30s of Central Alaska! OH DEAR! Truthfully I am so excited to be moving, only good things will happen!

Annnnd, the big news of the day...

It's a GIRL!

Baby girl's profile, she kept her hand in front of her face!

My ultrasound was this morning, and everything looked good. They moved my due date up to August 30th, setting me back a week, but that is fine by me! Seeing our sweet thing bopping around on the screen was honestly the best feeling in the world! I'm just so much more excited to get to AK, find a place to live, and start setting up our girl's room... YAY!

My Brian:) I so struggle at taking pictures!

It's official...

2010-03-08T15:27:00.002-09:00

We're going to Alaska!

Well, I am, now.

As of this week I have command sponsorship, and we have dates for the movers to come, which is alarmingly soon! If all goes well we'll be there in early April!!

I'm so exciteddddd!

Happy Sunday!

2010-02-28T06:56:00.000-09:00

My newest neice, Katie Scarlett, wearing her first tutu!

Bananas...

2010-02-18T08:04:00.004-09:00

- I have had to go to the dang Army hospital once a week for the past three or so weeks. And next week too. Then I get a week off, and I'll be back. And the worst part, most of them aren't fun baby appointments, but way less fun EFMP screening and follow up for the move. Bananas. (P.s. I totally just left an appointment there and am still fuming that it took 30 minutes to find a parking spot, like it does every.single.time. I'm not proud to say that I may have cut off a sweet old lady for it -- but only kind of!)

- OCONUS PCS is absolutely for the birds. I won't go into detail, but I'm really really thankful that we're only doing this once. And then I go anywhere in Killeen and think that anything is worth it to be out of this godforsaken place, really.

-Vienna really gets on my nerves. Jake, she is soooo vapid, desperate, and immature!! How do you not see it? Ugh.

- My husband turned 27 last week!! He's feeling old a little bit, but he has years before 30, no worries! (and his 27 makes my 24 feel young and spry!)

- We have a Battalion Ball to go to tonight! I'm about 40% excited, 60% feeling bloated/pregnant and not excited to be all dolled up. But, if we don't go I'll be really bummed, and this is likely the last time we'll see many friends and acquaintances that we've made here...

- I'm struggling to get any school work done, and I worry that I'll run out of time. It is soooo not useful that the semester ends juuuust as the deadline for our PCS arrives. Argh. March will be too busy for me!!

- I gave up soda AND chocolate, not just for lent, but for the remainder of this pregnancy. Sweet Baby does not need all those empty calories!! Wish me luck... it's certainly going to be a long six months!

Sorry for bullets, I'm just crazyyyy lately! Hopefully the next post will have pictures!!!

2010-02-12T06:15:00.003-09:00

Our baby has a heartbeat!! Yesterday was seriously the best day, ever. Brian isn't doing much at work, so he was able to get off and come to the appointment with me. After waiting way too long, we finally got in to see my doctor, who was so sweet. It took her a bit to get a steady read on the heartbeat, because our little one was bouncing around so much! It was about 170bpm, but apparently that is normal for early pregnancy.

Hearing the heartbeat was such a relief! I mean, I know rationally that I'm pregnant, but it kinda has been feeling like I'm just fat and on a weird diet... I've been avoiding buying any baby things or even maternity clothes because it felt like it was all in my head! That will all change quickly though! Brian has another 4 day weekend (second this month!) and we're going to be crib shopping, though I'm not sure we'll really buy one until we get to Alaska.

Do you have any exciting Valentine plans for this weekend? The 14th is actually my husband's birthday, so we're going to lay low, open presents and watch man movies. We might make a trip up to the JFK museum in Dallas, who knows... Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend!

2010-01-30T04:28:00.003-09:00

I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I'm so so excited to be back with Brian, and starting to orchestrate our move, but I'm going to miss the fam so freakin' much - especially since I have no idea when I'll be back. It might be six months, it might be three years. UGH. Also, these pregnancy hormones are lending to a weepy, teary mess. But, I suppose that is better than serious morning sickness, so I'm not going to complain about that.

Also, last night I went with my mom and sister to see this:

And it was soooo good! I mean, if you know the whole Victoria/Albert storyline then it kind of gives it all away, but it was so fun and pretty! I love Emily Blunt (slash want to be her so I can marry John Krasinski -- just saying...) and she was so fantastic, just perfect.

I hope you all have a lovely Saturday!

The good and the bad.

2010-01-27T13:49:00.002-09:00

Brian passed the board and got his (P)! Yay! Now it's just a matter of figuring out points and all that fun stuff. I'm sooo proud of him! He has been trying to get to this point for at least a year, but hadn't had the opportunity to go until his return from Iraq, and then he passed on his first shot! My husband rocks!

Except for when he crashes my car.

It was just a little fender bender, and my claims rep brother in law thinks that we'll only have to get a new bumper/get ours repaired, but it's still reallllly frustrating. Our insurance is already sky high because of Mister 'FIVE car accidents in FOUR years'. Very aggravating. As soon as we get to Alaska I want to get him a big 'ol tank of a truck that can be scratched and dented and nobody will be the wiser. Maybe once he goes a few years without an accident we can get him the fancy Jeep he drools over. Maybe.

I'm terrible at keeping secrets.

2010-01-25T12:54:00.002-09:00

So, here it is: I'm pregnant!!!! We've been trying to keep it to ourselves until after the first appointment, but that just isn't feasible. Most of our families know, and it is miraculous that it hasn't been announced on facebook yet!

Eeeeek! We're both crazy excited! According to due date generators, the little one will be here around August 22nd. Likely that will change after I visit the doctor next week. I'm still in Maine, so I haven't been able to go to the doctor yet, and it has been pure torture!

Any good baby name suggestions? We're thinking something classic and uncommon, if that is possible. I know, it's a tad premature, but I want to make sure we've considered every possible choice!

In other news, Brian is hard at work back in Texas, prepping for the board. I'm soooo excited for him, he's been waiting long enough for his turn!! Hopefully I'll have some good news soon!

Happy Birthday Scarlett!

2010-01-19T17:48:00.003-09:00

My newest neice arrived today, weighing in at a whopping 6 lbs. 13 oz., and mewling like a kitten! She is so precious and new, but I don't have any pictures... yet.

13 days until I head back to Texas! (Which is awesome 'cause I really miss my husband.)

2010-01-09T11:52:00.002-09:00

We're still up here in winter wonderland, getting our fill of the 'chill' before we go back to Texas!

OMG, that was horrible! I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist all the rhyming opportunities.

Anyway, Sweet Scarlett has yet to arrive, so my stay will be extended by a couple weeks. B has to get back to soldiering soon, so he'll be heading out in a few days. Our Puff has made it to her new home with Brian's aunt and uncle, and she seems quite content. We miss her tons, but we'll be able to see pictures and know how she is doing, so that will kind of make up for it.

I'm so excited to get back to Texas, finish up my semester of school, and get started on our move to Alaska! 2010 is sure to be busy and fantastic!!

I just accidentally spent...

2009-12-18T06:12:00.004-09:00

$16 dollars on chicken.

Whoops.

Turns out those underneath the small price per pound is listed the actual price of the package (in bigger print too!). I figured that one out after I got home from the commissary yesterday. At least we won't be running out of chicken for awhile!

Also: I have a very serious case of Baby Fever, only compounded by the fact that everyone I know is/has been pregnant and there are sweet little munchkins everywhere I go.

I mean, this isn't a new thing. We've wanted babies forever, but it hasn't happened yet. I blame the 24 months spent apart of the 34 months we have been married. Just saying.

I know, I know. The smart thing to do would be to wait until we're debt free and less nomadic, but, PSH, since when has the smart thing ever been the way I roll?...

never.

p.s. EEEEK, CHRISTMAS! B signs out for his 30 days of leave today, and after a frantic packing catastrophe (I'm calling it.) we'll be boarding a plane to The Pine Tree State come Monday morning! YAY!

See ya on the flip side!

He's back!

2009-12-08T19:40:00.002-09:00

And he's been home for a bit... sorry for the delay! Really though, there is so much to write about I'm a bit overwhelmed.

The homecoming part went by really quickly, partly due to nerves, and partly because I only found out about 5 hours before, instead of the 18-or-so I was expecting! B called me the morning of Nov 28th from an airport in New Hampshire (!!!!) saying that he'd be home that day. What??!?!? I mean, obviously I was crazy excited, but totally was expecting to have more time to get ready. I just barely had enough time to put myself together and head out the door!

Thankfully, a roster of the soldiers on the flight had been posted at the ceremony field, so I was assured that I was there at the right time. About an hour later the busses pulled up and the men marched on, a quick prayer for thanks, and bam, Brian!!!! And really, it hasn't felt crazy or awkward or anything like that yet. I think having another year of marriage under our belt has helped, but things are really moving smoothly so far.

(Except for the occasional 'No, we don't put bags full of garbage on the floor until later' and 'Yes, I know you've missed Taco Bell, but I'm pretty sure eating it that often isn't really healthy', and the one 'Just because I've done all the banking and bills for the last year doesn't mean that you are incapable of going to the bank and figuring this one out yourself, 26 year-old adult man that I'm married to...') Ha!

Really though, it is so amazing to have him around and safe. I am so happy that he survived unscathed, and we have 12 (hopefully) months of guaranteed time together. He is already back to work before his leave, and I am taking full advantage of days at home, catching up on schoolwork, housework, and becoming reacquainted with my crock-pot! In just a few short weeks we're taking an extended vacation to Maine, to spend the holidays with family and greet our new neice!

Yay! And thank you so much to the ones who have listened and offered advice during the sappy, hopeless, super-emotional craziness of the last 12 months or so -- I'm not sure how I would have done it without such an outlet! Thank you!!

Happy Turkey Hangover!

2009-11-26T16:20:00.004-09:00

Haha! I'm so relieved this day is finally done! Unfortunately, B was stuck there, for a second Thanksgiving. He managed to scrounge up some 'traditional' Panda Express in lieu of fighting the masses of hungry soldiers, I'm pretty sure. It feels like that convo was just a dream, but my phone insists that he really did call at 2:30 this morning, so we'll go with that.

Me? I had skype-breakfast with my family in Maine. Alyssa is a dancing queen, and was giving the Rockettes a run for their money this morning! She serves up some fierce competition, with those size-3T legs of hers. I couldn't find any pre-cooked turkey at HEB, so Coco and I indulged in some rotisserie chicken with stuffing and cranberry sauce. As good as it gets!

So, as sucky as it was to not have Brian here, I truly do have lots to be thankful for:

1 - He is safe, healthy, and on his way home. Later rather than sooner, but on the way is better than not!

2 - Brian. He is the most perfect, crazy, calm, thoughtful, indulgent, kind, amazing, and just awesomest husband ever! And rugged, or so he tells me! (Yes, I am very thankful for the recreational time spent in the gym! Hellooooo, MUSCLES!)

3 - My family. If they weren't so fun, it wouldn't be so hard to be so far away from them.

4 - The evergreen room spray that I cleverly packed away with our tree last year. I hateeee fake trees, but we're not here for the real holiday, and I can't have nothing, so our place sports a 3-footer! The spray, however, helps to lull you into a sense of legit tree-ness. Awesome.

5 - That I don't do Black Friday. 3am? Seriously? Y'all are nuts. There is no shopping deal that would make it worth it for me to get up that early. Seriously. Good luck if you do it though. I'm impressed by your hard-core retail expertise.

I hope you all had a lovely holiday, however you celebrated!

2009-11-24T13:30:00.004-09:00

So, it's been awhile, eh? Sorry! It turns out that I will likely have a husband come Thanksgiving, you know, in two days!!!!! I am literally freaking out! Of course, he may be home later, but I'm planning for soon. The date has been changed quite a few times in the last weeks, but things seem to be moving right along on his end! I'm so so relieved that this deployment might actually be over. 2009 really has been so long, and even though I've accomplished quite a bit, I feel like mostly I've been just waiting for him to come home so we can continue to be our happy little family again.

The past few weeks have been full of substitute teaching, not nearly enough school work, some house cleaning, and lots of distraction with other wives. We finally went to see New Moon today, and it was really good! Not as good as the book of course, but much more true to the story than the Twilight movie was. Also, I got glasses! I really just need them for reading/computer use and driving at night, which isn't much of an issue now, but will likely be one when we move to Alaska and it is dark for 6 months.

They still feel weird, but I kind of love them! I'm totally wearing them next time I sub! Maybe those dang sixth graders will quiet down now, ha! (p.s. I know I look like a wicked scrub in the picture. Today is my 'super-clean the apartment' day. Don't judge.)

I Love Bath and Body Works!

2009-11-14T11:25:00.006-09:00

So, YAY! I've gotten to talk to Brian twice in the past two days (which is kind of a record these past few months) and it has been nothing but good news!

His re-deployment date has moved up again, and is in the reallysuperclose range! Like, before the yogurt in the fridge expires...!! I drove by Cooper Field where the homecoming ceremonies are held, and all over they had big signs that said: 'Welcome Home Brian's Brigade'! I kind of freaked out in the car and it's quite miraculous that there were no accidents, it couldn't be helped. (also, I found out that the field is like 1/4 mile down the road from where the shooting happend... so crazy, and so sad!)

Anyways. I went to BBW a couple days ago and got my delicious leaves, and winter, which is my new favorite home fragrance scent. While I was there I found a new line, called 'Winter White' with tons of different scents and they all smelled sooo good, and were 50% off! The floral one was my fav, so I got the pretty shimmer roll-ons as stocking stuffers for my lady family, and may have also gotten the ginormous body spray for myself! I do not regret it though, because it smells so freakin' amazing!

So, my apartment smells so delicious, and I've gone into full-on homecoming preparation mode! Today I deep-cleaned the carpets and am doing all of my laundry and refreshing some of Brian's that has been in storage. Next week I'll go to the grocery store to stock up on all of his crazy things! I just hope I have enough time to get everything done before he gets here! (I'm he won't really be too concerned about how clean it all is though, just makes me feel better!)

And last but not least, Steph at Watching Airplanes has given me another award 'cause she is the nicest blog friend ever! Thank you! I'm going to do it soon, I haven't forgotten!

Hope you're all having a lovely Saturday!

Jealous.

2009-11-12T18:22:00.002-09:00

I just learned that my friend's husband snagged a spot on the advance party and came home Monday. I am so so excited for them, truly, because they did a 15 monther last time, and have been having a rough patch these last few months. She deserves to have him home, and he definitely deserves a break.

But.

I'm jealous. And I hateeee it, but I am. You see, this guy left with my Brian. Like sat next to him on the bus to the airport. I think this would be easier if homecoming were sooner.

Maybe it is supposed to make me more excited? It's hard to feel excited when I haven't talked to him in 3 days, and I know, for certain, that he is still in his spot, running his missions, and is too busy to call.

It's ridiculous, I know. It just feels neverending. Yea, I might be having a pity party for myself, and it isn't pretty. I apologize.

On the bright side though, I did pick up two tough boxes sent from Iraq today! One from Brian, and one from his soldier. They were superheavy, but I brought them in and stacked them up in my kitchen to cheer myself some. Also, I got tons of homecoming home fragrance from BBW and I'm in love. Leaves and Winter, I can't quite decide which is my favorite!

So, yay for homecoming! Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later, 'cause I'm going a tad crazy finishing up these 12 months!!!

Vaca Pictures!

2009-11-11T16:54:00.004-09:00

I got back into Texas last night, and have spent the day chillaxin' with my pup and doing laundry, thus, I am too drained and un-fun to write things. So, pictures!

my pregnant sister Meg, and her husband Tyler

Meg's baby shower!

my neice enjoying her cupcake

Alyssa again, stealing bites of smashed potato from Uncle Tyler

Alyssa and I on the playground

Happy Veterans' Day

2009-11-11T10:31:00.003-09:00

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

Update, yo!

2009-11-05T04:47:00.002-09:00

So, I'm having way too much fun at home. My neice is the best thing in the world, and my fam is just wicked fun! I'm stocking up on autumn air and cold to bring back with me to Texas, which is coming soon...

The only upside is that the countdown will be moving riiiiight along!! Last week Brian hit 90% done on the deployment donut, and likely will be home a week or so before projected! Amazing!

Next time I'll have pictures and more fun! (since I didn't bring my cord with me... struggle!)

Vacation!

2009-10-28T18:22:00.001-08:00

I'm leavingggg! On a jet planeeeee! And I'll be out of Killeen for 12 whole dayssss!

I'm sooo excited for family, fall, and fun!

See ya on the flipside, blog friends!

An Award!

2009-10-25T06:13:00.004-08:00

This is officially the coolest thing ever! Steph from Watching Airplanes awarded me with this:

I am so flattered! I am new to blogging, and crazy and inconsistent to boot, but I really appreciate it!

So, the rules: Share five things you are obsessed with, and pass along to five fabulous blogs!

1. The Patriots. I've always been a fan, but lately I remember to actually watch the games, and they're kind of awesome!

2. Kiva.org. I'm a big believer in passing along your good fortune to the next, and they make it possible to spread it all over the world! I love getting updates about the people I have donated to, and how the loan has helped them improve their lives.

3. Nail Polish. This is clearly a sign that I have too much free time, but I do my nails like twice a week. I got 'Wild Thing' by Essie the other day, and I am in love. It's red enough to be classy, but also has shimmer and sparkles that make it feel like a party on my fingers!! Yayyy!

4. Homecoming!!! Really it's still a bit away (13%), but I'm so ready! I've started to get Brian things for when he comes home that won't go bad, like Hot Cocoa mix and Gentleman Jack, and when I get back from my trip home it'll be the last few weeks, hopefully, and I can start washing his clothes that were in storage and getting his faves from the grocery store! It is so exciting to be thinking about it as a possibility instead of that sad future kind of way like I did in months 1-10.

5. Alaska. I am sooo excited/nervous about our move that I devour any info I can find on it! I have Fairbanks Craigslist favorited on my computer, and I may have DVR'd 'Ice Road Truckers' on more than one occasion. It seems so surreal to think that we'll actually live there!

So, passing it along! I tag these lovely ladies:
SarahEileen at Faith, Hope, and Love
Allison at I Heart Change
Becky at My Life, From Army Brat to Wife
Shannon from Mr. and Mrs. In Training
Jennifer at Crazy Shenanigans

Do you have an accent?

2009-10-20T14:26:00.003-08:00

So, I painted my fingers and toes with 'Vodka & Caviar' by OPI, which of course made me attempt a Russian accent, which was a complete and utter failure, but got me thinking...

I LOVE accents. Love them. My 'northern' accent is mostly non-existant. I say 'wicked' regularly, and drop my Rs sometimes, but other than that I kind of sound like a valley girl, totally. (Brian and I will practice accents when we're home alone together, like this: Did you pahk the cah in the dooah yahd? Ayuh. Obviously we are supah-cool)

Now, if I've had too much wine, it's a different story. Usually I adopt a twang, and my husband haaaates it! One night on his R&R we were in this super-romantic cabin on the beach and I spoke with my God-awful twang all night long. I was amused, he was not.

That isn't to say I don't love me some twang. Ask a southern girl to pronounce 'oil'. It is seriously the most adorable thing in the entire world. 'Foil' is right up there. I like to pretend that my time in Texas will allow me to twang it up when we're in Alaska, but I highly doubt that it will be believable. The only thing I've actually picked up is "y'all" and I'm not too fond of it because of it's grammatically incorrectness.

My second favorite accent is an English one. Secret Confession: I will occasionally hit up youtube and watch videos of people from the UK just to bask in the awesomeness of their accents. So lame, but I just love it!!

Ok, so? Do you have any fun accents?

On this Fabulous Friday...

2009-10-16T09:38:00.002-08:00

I mailed my last care package for this deployment!!!! We weren't given an official mail stop date, but I send him one a month and I'm confident that there won't be enough time to send him any more... if that makes sense? The lack of info is kinda frustrating. Because Brian switched units a few months ago I'm not in touch with our FRG, so I have to get everything from a higher level, so it is all really generic. With all the rumors, there is about a 60 day window of when he could be home, so I'm not planning for anything after I get back from my trip! But, I'd rather have homecoming rumors than extension rumors, so I'm content!

After running errands this morning, I came home and there was a flower truck in my drive. The surprise my husband ordered last week was a big bouquet of fat, pink roses, with a balloon and a card! He is just the best husband, sending flowers for no reason at all! The delivery guy also reminded me of my grandfather, so it was extra-nice.

Also, it is our sweet pup's 3rd birthday! Usually we celebrate with a can of wet food, but she is allergic (to everything.), it's just extra bones with peanut butter today. Later we're going to walk down the street with dogs at every house 'cause Coco loooooves when they all freak out! Haha! So silly that we celebrate so much, but she really is part of the family.

On the down side though, I've procrastinated wicked with my class work this week. I've got to finish up an assessment today, and will likely spend a chunk of time this weekend doing boring economics research for my paper. Ugh.

BUT - the Pats are playing Sunday, annnnnd it finally feels like fall here, kind of. So, I'm excited. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Trying...

2009-10-12T08:28:00.002-08:00

...to not let all the crap get to me. Lots of stress related to money/family/school, but I have no work today and delicious Starbucks, so I'm going to try and remember the things that are awesome.

1. The weather. All weekend it has been chilly, rainy, and all around wonderful Fall weather, almost like home. Yesterday one of my neighbors even had a fire going, so it smelled all woodsy and wonderful.

2. 17 days until I get to go home for real, and experience the awesomeness that is New England Autumn, and my super fantastic family.

3. That we have enough money to spend $8978574938475 on getting the car in shape. (even though I'd rather be spending it on getting my hair fixed and doing some more Christmas shopping...)

4. My super awesome husband said I have a surprise coming in the mail this week, just because.

5. Two FRG meetings in the next week, one of them focused on re-integration with spouse upon redeployment (!!!!!!!), and the other that will give us all the info we need on relaying information about flight times and such (!!!!!). (But really, he won't be home for quite awhile. I'm not sure why this stuff is scheduled for so early on, but it makes for evil/awesome rumors about dates that I know aren't accurate but so desperately want to believe!)

6. There is a Project Runway marathon this afternoon that I'm going to indulge in once I make some progress with this stupid freakin' Econ stuff. Yay!

So, all in all, lots to be happy about. I think I want to find a snappy name day to do on my blog, like all the fun people have on their blogs. Mucho Gracias Monday? Doesn't really have a ring to it, eh? Hahaha! Maybe next time!

2009-10-08T06:00:00.002-08:00

My husband has been MIA lately.

It's probably not appropriate to joke about that, seeing as how he is in a combat zone and all, but seriously. I talk to him once every never, and when we do talk he is sick and tired and I don't get to giggle appropriately about how excited I am and have to tend to his illness over the phone. (he has the flu, and is d y i n g.!)

But, I can say, I am quite confident that he will be healthy when he sleeps 8 hours a night and not with 29348023948 other guys in a tent, just sayin'.

My favorite thing this morning: loads of FRG emails with fun words like 'redeployment', 'homecoming', and 'flights'!!!!! Really, we're in the beginning-est bits of it, but it is still fun to think of, eh?

Tragic news. The new dress code for my sister's baby shower: RED. Do you remember that pretty dress that hasn't even arrived in the mail yet for me to know if it is perfect or not? I think that might clash with red. Tragic. Unless I find a way to wear it so that a pretty chiffon dress isn't a waste 5 months before we move to Alaska? I have faith.

Happy Thursday, friends! The weekend is so close I can taste it!

2009-10-04T15:32:00.002-08:00

Last night I went out for wings with my friend Jamie, and then we came back here and had a teeny bit too much wine, and so much fun! I've been mostly useless today, but it was well worth it.

I've been debating it for awhile, but today I finally ordered my dress to wear to Brian's homecoming, and Meg's babyshower probably, which is fine because it is the prettiest thing I've ever seen!

Isn't she a beaut?!? Haha, I found it a little bit ago, and have been hesitating for awhile, but you know, time is running out! We have a window for homecoming of about a month, and the early part will put me in the 'Next Month Club', and the far side will be before Christmas, so either way I'm crazy excited!! Last time B was gone I wore jeans, and I wanted to spice up the parade field a little bit this time, you know? I think with a cardigan and my cute black pumps it'll be totally acceptable for a baby shower too, right? I'm a little concerned about the coverage on top, but the worst that can happen is I have to find a cami, or return, neither of which would be the end of the world.

Also, in 25 short days I'll be back in Maine spending time with this sweet baby monster:
I can't wait!!

Newlywed Infidelity and Curtains

2009-09-29T08:47:00.004-08:00

I found this article (blog post?) on msn about how 12% of men and 15% of women admitted to cheating within the first year of marriage, and that it is estimated that the real number is more than half. That is nuts! If you're not even going to put in the effort for a year, why not consider that before you actually get married?!?

I do agree that monogamy is a choice, but I can't imagine how it could be possible for so many people to cheat that soon. I read something long before I was married that said something like: You don't always have to like your spouse, but you always have to love them. For me, this has rung true in my relationship. There have been periods where I didn't like Brian for whatever reason, but no matter what I love him, without question. Dislike, however, could not make me doubt the relationship enough to be unfaithful... just crazy. And kind of sad. It does make me think that my marriage is precious though, which is a good thing.

This morning I took my vomit curtains (they look like AND make me want to) and put them up in another room, where I can't see them unless I want to. Awesome, but now my livingroom looks naked and sad, and I just don't trust the miniblinds to keep the creepers out at night. I'm afraid I'm going to have to make a trip to find some drapes today, but what kind??? I am considering a mineral blue or moss green faux silk/lightblocker, but maybe I should try a stripe? I really think too much about this, but I don't want to make a rash decision and end up with curtains that may induce some vomiting. Also, I want them to also work when we get to Alaska, 'cause the crazy summer sunshine and arctic cold winters kind of scare me. Whatevs, we'll see how this all ends up...

2009-09-27T14:04:00.003-08:00

So, I've had the weekend off from everything. No school, or work, obviously. So, I got a start on my Christmas shopping!! I found a suuuper cute pink Izod button up shirt for my mom, and some cozy flannel pajama pants for Brian. A healthy start, I'd say.

Also, I've discovered this website: http://www.givesmehope.com/: It is fantastic, for realz. I've been kind of in tears all morning, I love it!

And just in case any of you were wondering... we're down to 21% left on this dang donut. And this also means, the care package I'm working on (to be mailed out mid-October) is likely the LAST ONE for Deployment '09!! Hooray!! Time to start shopping for a homecoming dress!

My neice, being adorable, sporting a onesie from Auntie Mary. I miss her so much!!

2009-09-19T19:59:00.003-08:00

I miss my husband. Crazy lots. Communication has been scarce lately, but the last time we talked it was for 40 glorious minutes and we talked about everything. I felt sooooo much better, 'cause stuff has been going down lately that is less than ideal. Its been a few days since then.

Anyways, I hate how some days it feels absolutely normal to be alone, and some days it feels like there is so much missing. Today is one of the bad days, where I can imagine going through another day without his sweet words and big blue eyes. I know I'm not the only one dealing with this, but today I can't pretend like it's okay.

I miss him.

3 months left of this...

Also, my roots are orange. In a not-subtle-really-alarming kind of way. Uh oh.

And I've decided that I am no longer a slave to fashion. Leggings be damned! None of those huge necklaces either, they make me look like a football player. Just pretty things that me happy and feel confident! Yay for being a grownup!

So,

2009-09-12T11:21:00.003-08:00

It's been awhile, sorry. I've been in kind of a funk I guess. But, I have pictures of the recent improvements to my furniture!

T.V. stand before

New t.v. stand!

Bureau all finished! (filled in crevices, painted, changed handles) There was a before picture, but my blog wasn't in the mood to upload it.

Naked bookshelf

Finished bookshelf!

Hooray! This place is starting to feel 'put together'! As soon as I start working I'm going to buy a little dining set, and we'll be set for awhile, hopefully. I want to make sure that we arrive in Alaska with a whole household full of stuff. I'm not really sure why, it just feels necessary.

Have you heard about the new Disney movie coming?? Not the frog and princess one, though I am really excited that they're branching out some, but, I heard that they're doing Rapunzel!!!!!!! It isn't supposed to come out until 2010, and I cannot wait! Mandy Moore is set to be the voice of Rapunzel, which should be fantastic! When I was little my mom would read us the Brothers' Grimm version, and I loved it. I think it may have been where the whole crazy long hair thing started, which is fine. It was sooo romantic and tragic and pretty and perfect! Honestly, I want to have a baby girl just so I can use that name! Yea, I am obnoxiously excited, in case you weren't sure...

2009-09-09T14:30:00.002-08:00

I got a job!! I'm sooo freakin' excited!! Since we're only going to be here 6ish more months, and have a few trips home planned, I didn't want to get a real job that wouldn't be flexible about days off and such. I decided to apply as a substitute for the school district here and just got word today!!! I'm soooo happy! I start next week! Crazy!

Brian called today and was not his cheerful self. I think the desert is getting to him... I tried to cheer him up a bit, but I don't think it did much. Not being able to do anything for him has to be the most frustrating part of this deployment for me. I do have to say though, our donut is moving right along! Hopefully between subbing, classes, and my crazy friends here these next few months will fly by!

2009-09-03T14:04:00.002-08:00

Today I:

-saw two 'water bugs' (glorified flying cockroaches) in my apartment. Caught one, saw the other one chased into the bedroom by my pup...

-bought drawer pulls from Target. They are one size only and don't fit.

-stabbed myself with a steak knife. Blood and guts ensued. I managed to stop the bleeding though. I consider a bloody finger preferable to a trip to Darnall's ER.

-consulted with TWC to fix the malfunctioning DVR. The lady and I managed to squash the last bit of life out of my cable box. The repairman will be here Saturday.

-splattered black paint on my white walls, accidentally, of course.

-finally recieved my new entertainment stand in the mail! The manufacturer, however, did not include the necessary hardware. The missing parts should be here in 3-4 business days.

I give up. On the bright side, however, I got to talk to Brian for the first time in a few days!

Hello September!

2009-08-31T17:45:00.002-08:00

Can you believe it is finally here?!?! I can't say enough how excited I am!!

Today my deployment donut says 70% done. That means: ONLY 30% LEFT TO GO! AAAAAHHHH! I am freaking out. I absolutely cannot wait to have this dang thing behind us!!!

Also, have you heard of MyCAA? Seriously amazing. I was on the fence about continuing this program because I didn't feel like I needed a more undergrad courses to get a teaching certification since I already have a bachelor's. Putting us in more debt didn't make sense.

And then... My guardian angel, the DOD, comes up with this! The amount given is exactly the cost of tuition for one year. Coincidence? I think not.

Seriously though, if you're eligible, do it. It is soooo easy and awesome!

Tomorrow morning I have my first college exam in 3 years. Crazy, no? I'm definitely nervous about it, for a lot of reasons. But, I'm going to keep studying and be confident and totally pass with flying colors. Annnd, as an added bonus, after tomorrow morning, 11am CST, I will be totally done with my American Government and Political Science course! Yahoo!

Off to study friends!!

Oh, so lovely.

2009-08-25T20:21:00.003-08:00

It's a girl! Due January 13th now! I'm so excited to be an Auntie again!!

Today I spent 2.5 hours at Darnall, and rewarded myself with a teeny shopping spree. I got a sweater for Brian, onesies for my neices(!), and tonnnns of home fragrance from Bath&Body. Their Ginger Vanilla smells sooooooo good.

Also, there is a hole in the fence nextdoor, and these runaways decided to pay a visit to Coco and I:

All in all, a very good day.

2009-08-24T19:15:00.004-08:00

So. I've gotten together with some old friends, and made some new ones. It feels comfortable to be back here with 'the wives' but almost more frustrating too, 'cause I have to go home alone at the end of the night... Argh.

Brian got orders the other day, 2 weeksagoish. To Alaska. Seeeeeriously.

This is frustrating to me for a few reasons. He won't be home for months, and had a plan in place to change his MOS, reenlist for a school, and potentially find a duty station near-er to home, or, at the very least get some good solid experience so that moving back home is a more plausible possibility. But nope, he is quasi-stop-lossed and cannot change anything until he is with the new unit for a year. Ugh. Seriously Army? Seriously?

Also, how the crap can I get a 'real' job if I know I'm going to leave in 8ish months??? How the crap am I everrrrr going to have a career? I've been applying for sub jobs, as it is the most temporary, lucrative, and malleable position that I can expect in this situation. I just hope one of the districts around here needs me. I guess continuing on this teaching certification program also makes sense, as much as I'd rather not.

Okay, enough of that. Whining about future/hypothetical/nobody-on-here-gives-a-hoot stuff is not fun to read, I've just got to write it out, or my head may have exploded.

Some things I've discovered recently:
*My friends here are awesome.
*Drinking wine + shopping online = lots of fun mail this week!
*People aren't as nice as I want them to be...

*Chocolate covered bananas are sooooooo much better than I expected.

*My husband fancies himself an electrician, once in awhile

Life is lovely. Tomorrow I get to find out if my sister's new baby will be a boy or a girl! Later on I have a date for a spin class. I've never done one before, so I expect to be too feeble to type tomorrow... Wish me luck!!

2009-08-18T17:19:00.003-08:00

I banged my head on the fridge earlier today putting groceries today, so in lieu of chatting I'll show you all some pictures from the last month... Enjoy!

My neice, Alyssa's, grump face

She looooved the ranch dressing at Applebee's! I miss her so dang much already, crazy baby!

Crazyyyyy roadtrip with my sister!!

We had so much fun!

More later, I'm going to be nursing my bump with an icepack...

2009-08-16T19:29:00.003-08:00

Can you believe 3 whole people commented on my last post? I mean, the fact that people even read my craziness is thrilling, but people even write back?!?!?!? Blogging rocks! And, thank you so so much! I so struggle at writing back to anyone, even on easy-peasy facebook, so I feel extra lucky, and am making an effort, promise!

Okay, the apartment is mostly set up, and I love it. All of our things survived the trip, thankfully, and we have more room than we used to! The second bedroom is stuffed to the brim with Brian's "gear" if ya know what I mean, and bits of house that don't fit anywhere else, but I'm just happy to have space for all of our extra junk!

I'm kiiind of concerned that I might be living in the ghetto. I know that most of Killeen is straight up sketchy, but we're farther out of town than we were before, so I hoped we would be safe. Our neighbors seem harmless, for the most part, but then I saw the ice cream man, and he confirmed it! Seriously, some creepy old man cruising around in a big rapist-van-turned-ice-cream-truck. I wish I had gotten a picture. I almost hope he comes back tomorrow...

Dude.

2009-08-13T19:25:00.002-08:00

I still don't have pictures from the trip b/c I am technologically challenged. (or should not rely on a crap .99 cent thing from amazon?!)

And. I won't be able to figure it out tomorrow because,

(drrrumroll, please)

THE MOVERS ARE COMING!! And I'll have a bed! And pots and pans! And curtains and desks and shelves and bathroom rugs! Tomorrow will be a good day.

Hood Happenings...

2009-08-12T17:30:00.006-08:00

Yes, we have arrived! The new apartment is lovely, and the temperatures are hotter than I remember! In a few more days the furniture will be here, and then I can officially begin the job hunt.

Have you ever cleaned your car so much, that you cleaned off the clear coat? I did that yesterday, seriously. In my effort to get off all the bugs from the trip, I managed to spray off the top layer in a ginormous spot on the front hood. Soooo frustrating, who really does that? I kind of fixed it, and really she's an old car and not in the best shape externally anyway, but I can't believe I can be *that* blonde sometimes!!

But, I did find that the Target down here has my favorite wine for only $8.99! Two whole dollars less than it was in Maine!! I bought a bottle and am saving it for when my apartment is put together.

In transit

2009-08-09T04:15:00.003-08:00

We left Maine at 9am, Friday morning, and drove foreverrrrrr. We gave up around 5am in Tennessee and stopped at a rest stop for a nap, but after an hour I was ready to go again. (Not sure why, Molly is convinced something is really really wrong with me.!) After I got some alarming news from Brian we stopped in Arkadelphia, Arkansas 'cause I couldn't drive anymore. We've slept a lot and showered, so hopefully the next 6 hours will be quick and easy.

The news from Brian isn't too traumatic, hopefully, just overwhelming. I'm trying to be positive, and also praying that it will change. More info to come later.

I have to say, of my seven times making this trip, this has been the most fun so far. My little sister, Molly, is officially the best person to take a roadtrip with, ever. Annnnd, her driving only makes me a little scared, but she more than makes up for it when she talks to other cars, sings at the top of her lungs to Britney Spears, buys me energy drinks, and looks up all the silly town names so we can make fun of the crazy people together. I'm so excited that I get her for a few more days!

Unless we find wi-fi at another hotel, this may be my last post until I get my internet set up at the new place... But then I'll be able to put up pictures!

2009-08-04T19:41:00.003-08:00

My favorite things today:

Pumpkin Whoopie pies from Big G's. (they bring back memories of illicit movie theater snacks during my B's r&r!)

My packing skillzz, YO! Haha, I fit my 3 ginormous bags into the trunk, and will probably have enough room for the rest, Pup included!

Doing computer stuff in my bed! Who knew?!?

Sweet Alyssa. I'm going to miss all of her baby-craziness when I'm far away.

j/k.

2009-08-02T04:54:00.005-08:00

So, the desktop died permanently. After letting my tech savvy brother-in-law fiddle with it for hours, he pronounced it un-revivable. I did some more research, read reviews, and more fun stuff, and finally decided on a laptop that was perfect, and a teeny bit less than what I wanted to spend, hooray! I picked her up yesterday, and am already in love.

B called, and he is tired. Majorly. It is sooooo frustrating not being able to do anything at all to make him feel better. Words only go so far... Ugh. At least soon I'll be putting his clothes in our new closet and sending him the last few boxes while he's in the desert.

I'm moving through my last week here pretty quickly, and my mom is laying on the guilt like no other. It kinda feels like moving away did the first time, and I don't really like it. This is the worst part though, I think. As soon as I'm settled in the new place, working lots, and counting the weeks (daysssssss?) until B gets home, it'll feel like normal.

From now until then I'm going to be wracking up as much QT with the fam, and enjoying the mildness of a new england summer! Until next time, yo.

All good things.

2009-07-30T04:47:00.002-08:00

It's my last day at work in Maine! I'm sooooo excited!

Also, my computer is functioning again! I'm not sure what happened, and I'm pretty sure it's a temporary thing, but I'm excited! She just needs to hold on for a few more weeks, then I can worry about replacing her for realzz.

Oooh, AND, I went shopping with Molly yesterday to kill time, and I found the most amazing shoes that make me happier than any shoes should!

Aaaah!

2009-07-28T04:54:00.003-08:00

My computer is dying!!! Apparently the hard drive is broken, and cannot be fixed... Just one month after the warranty runs out, lovely. Fortunately I managed to get it running enough to transfer all of my music and pictures to an external hard drive, so the loss will be minimal. I'm just disappointed that it had to happen now, just weeks before moving.

So, computer shopping! I'm going to need one to keep in touch with Brian, family, and to job hunt. I'm leaning towards an HP laptop, but I'm not sure yet. Any advice?

And, since I haven't posted pictures in awhile, Sweet Alyssa playing the 'Thank You' game:

2009-07-20T17:55:00.002-08:00

Twenty-four has started off better than I expected! My sisters and I spent my birthday morning shopping in Freeport, and then stopped for pretty margaritas on the way home. My mom and Jed set up a big, delicious BBQ at their house, and my brother-in-law followed it up with the most amazing ice cream cake I've ever tasted. Brian called at exactly the perfect time and I got to talk to him for twenty whole minutes, which was fantastic.

Being 24 isn't quite as scary as I'd expected either. Really I've just decided to save all my anxiety for a mid-life crisis. And, if Jessica Simpson is only 29, then being 24 isn't a big deal at all!

I've had a revelation about this whole school 'thing'. I am way unmotivated to do it on my own, having completed only 1/4 of the stuff I need to do before the end of September. That being said, I'm not even sure that this is the best way to go to get my teaching certification. I already have my BS, and realllllly don't need/want extraneous classes or any more debt. I'm going to finish out this semester, and stop taking classes at this school, at least for now. I'm going to look into employment when I get back to Texas, and figure it out from there.

Speaking of Texass... only a couple more weeks! I have 3 days left at work, and then one week to pack everything up and hit the road. My little sister is making the drive with me, and my mom and my other sister are going to watch Alyssa while we're gone. I think we're going to leave a day early so Molls will have an extra day to spend down there with me. The farthest she has ever been from home, is one two-day trip to New York, and she didn't get past the city! I'm sooooo excited to have her as my co-pilot and show her around a bit. She will make my drive sooooo much easier!!

It's my...

2009-07-18T16:08:00.002-08:00

Birthday Eve!!! I'm sooo excited! I have a day of fun planned with all my favorite people tomorrow, with the exception of my most favorite person, bummer. This will be the fourth birthday of mine that he's missed, aaaaand the fourth birthday that I've had since we've been together. Nice. Thanks a bunch United States Army.

But. He called today, and things are moving along. He is busy but much happier. The pup and I are just a few weeks from heading back south. We have just a few more months (ish) until we're back together! YAY!

Until tomorrow~!

Three weeks...

2009-07-16T17:59:00.002-08:00

...until we leave for Texas!! The lease is signed, directions are printed, and I have my last day of work the 31st! Still tons of stuff to do between now and then though! Busy, busy, busy!

My apologies.

2009-07-10T09:22:00.004-08:00

It has been quite a week, to say the least. Despite being on a hydrocodone and ice pack bender, I still managed to participate in some holiday festivities. The fourth was fun and BBQ-full, but also quite rainy. Following that was my sister's birthday. I had to work, but we celebrated again the day after with some second birthday cake... fun!

(if you watch The Office you might get this)

Yesterday was the first sunny day in a long time, and coincidentally both of my sisters and I all had the day off, so we decided to pack up the car and head to the beach for some fun! We're all a smidge red today, but it was so worth it!

A package addressed to my husband arrived in the mail recently. I knew it was likely my birthday gift, and since he is really not good at keeping secrets I had a general idea of what was inside, but none of that made me any less excited to see this:

with this inside:

YAY! So pretty! He is so thoughtful, it just makes me miss him more!!

So, I'm really sorry for the blog-vacation, and I'm going to try to be less sporadic, mostly. Hope you all had a fabulous 4th!

The Surgery Queen.

2009-07-02T18:23:00.000-08:00

Hasta la vista, wisdom teeth! The surgery went well, in my inexperienced opinion. I was put under IV sedation, which is awesome, and nitrous oxide, which makes me feel deliciously loopy. The surgeon prescribed me some hydrocodone, which is amazing with the pain, obviously, but hasn't made me too sleepy, which I super appreciate. Tomorrow and the day after I should start to resemble a chipmunk, which is definitely the way I wanted to spend my Independance day! but it will be remedied with excessive amounts of chocolate pudding and Friday Night Lights marathons, which will heal the sting a tad!!, and will hopefully make for some hilarious pictures. I took some from today, but can't find my dang thingie to let me put my memory card into my computer, which is kind of annoying.

Also, I just realized today that my teenytinylittle blog has 44 views! Forty four! I can't tell you how excited that makes me, even though it is likely that 43 of them are just me... But anyway, if you stumble along here somehow, thank you very much. You have made my week!!!

Hope you're all enjoying an early start to your weekend! Let the festivities begin!

So, WHOA!

2009-07-01T17:22:00.000-08:00

Brian called, and there has been some major shakeupthings going on over there. In a couple days he's heading from his unit to a new one, but not that new. He is pretty pumped, to say the least. HHC just isn't his style. He's a 'getyourhandsdirtyand get-stuff-done' kinda man, y'know?

And tomorrow is...

Wisdom teeth day!! I'm really really nervous but also pretty excited to get it over with!
Wish me luck, y'all!