A Pictures Worth a Thousand Words ...

Editor's Note: I promise not to make my blog completely about baby stuff, but I wanted to shared some updated photos and the monthly update.



Wow! What a busy month this has been. From learning that we were expecting at the beginning of the month to seeing the baby and hearing its heartbeat for the first time, the days seem to have flown by. Every day has been a new adventure. Two weeks ago the onset of morning sickness, which apparently last all day, set in and that was a bumpy ride until the doctors prescribed something for the nausea. That was the second happiest day of the month!

On Thursday (july 2) we had the appointment for our first ultrasound and it was a great experience. George was able to attend the appointment so he too was able to be there to hear the heartbeat.

I have been working with a personal trainer and nutritionist and while losing weight, my baby bump seems to be growing like a weed! Already in maternity clothes I am learning to work around my growing belly. Sgt. Major is trying hard to find room on my lap for naps, but it won't be long before he will have to find a new way to "nap with mommy". He is still able to sleep comfortabley at night, now choosing to sleep with his head on his Mommy's hip and his chest against the baby. Maybe this is just his way of trying to bond with the baby! His heartbeat tends to lull me to sleep, so it's a win-win situation for all. Sgt Major has definately noticed something going on and it a little more clingy thatn usual.

Trying to find foods that the baby approves of is also a constant rollercoaster. While fruits and veggies were the cravings of last week, this week they tend to give me nausea in even the smallest amounts. The baby seems to like BBQ however (even though the BBQ here in Ga. has not come close to calming my craving for Rooster's chopped beef BBQ in Baytown!) Mexican food is a hit or miss, depending on the item, but my favorite, cheese enchilladas seem to have won the baby's approval ... for now.

George is very excited and wants the baby "now!" He enjoys walking around baby stores and is trying to figure out at what age he can sign the baby up for sports! He and Sgt. Major are starting to spend more time together while I rest in the afternoons, so the puppy is enjoying the extra attention.



Until our nxt cup of tea ...

I've got it all figured out ...

No I don't! It's officially 7 days since the morning sickness started and I'm still trying to figure out the "secret solution" for me. There were some suggestions that I did try. Thanks everyone for your support and advice!

~ Vee I do take the time to enjoy my M&Ms, when I allow myself the treat! Thanks for the reminder!

~ Molly I am sick every day but can't be sick. It is the most frustrating feeling in the world, because I just feel if I could "be sick" then I would feel better, but alas, nothing but gut-wrenching dry heaves at this point.

~ Nikki when it comes to food my appitite seems to have disappeared and poor George is left to defend himself sometimes, as as you know from real life, that can lead to disasters at time, but we are learning to muddle through it. The other night I made some chicken stir-fry which I'd been craving for over a week now and it ended up making me sick! Can't win for losing sometimes, but at least he got a home cooked meal that night! I'd like to know how you made it look easy with Tregan!

~ Lime, you will be saddened to know that I now have an aversion to chocolate, at least physically. I still try every now and then, but it makes me sick. It's the hardest part I think. What I'd give for a Dove chocolate bar, all creamy and smooth. {Sigh} I give you permission to eat my share and if anyone gives you problems, send them to me. It would be a shame to let all that dhocolate go to waste! As for feeling better, cold fruit does make me feel a lot better in the afternoons.

~ Sue there are days that cooking is just not an option. I am so sensative to smells at this point. George has been really great and will jump in when needed.

Well, I'm off to read some more while feeling o.k.

Until our next cup of tea ...



~Editor's note: It took me about 4 days to finish this post. I seem to be restless these days. I did actually "get sick" on Monday. All morning, about every 30-45 minutes, and I learned ... it didn't make me feel any better.

Happy 500th post: And the test results say ...

I am pregnant!

We were very excited to learn the news since we have been trying since George came home from Iraq in August 2008. Good post for #500, don't you think!?!

I actually "felt" it before I was far enough along to test, but once we were able, I took the test. I got the results I was expecting but I still took 4 more test before wrapping my head around it long enough to tell George. He was very happy!

I am about 7 weeks and at first I was extememly tired, but unable to sleep. It would take me an hour or more to fall asleep and the smallest things would wake me, like George turning in the bed or Sgt. Major trying to snuggle. I was getting about 4 hours of sleep a day and naps were not happening! UGH! Then the morning sickness started on Saturday. I was hoping I would be one of the lucky ones, but alas, I feel so sick all day, but am not able to "be sick" (to not be gross about it!) I'm one of those people who would rather "be sick" than have the feeling that leads up to it.

If being pregnant wasn't real in the beginning it is now! I am still working with the trainer and he has modified it for "prenatal fitness" which is a good thing because discovered yesterday on the treadmill that anything over 2.5 MPH makes me dizzy. The workout was fine, but the treadmill seems to be the big challenge!

Well, I'm off to eat more toast! Any advice on how to deal with morning sickness, please let me know!

Until our next cup of tea ...

Let me introduce you to a friend ...

Do you remember when I told you about the art piece I had commissioned for my husband's return from Iraq?

I had so many people asking for the artist's contact info and as an avid supporter of military spouses I was happy to pass it along. Well, ask no more, my friends, because now the artist Maria, has her own blog as well as a Esty shop! Now you can explore her beautiful art without waiting!

Well, I am am off to explore more of her work!

Until our next cup of tea ...

Out of my element ...

{Sigh} For the most part we are settled in. The house is unpacked, we've explored the neighborhoods and local communities and we've got a schedule going. But I'm a bit out of my element.

This is our first Army move, so its all new to me.

At our last duty station I had lined up a job before arriving. I soon became actively involved in the unit's Family Readiness Group which was easy considering the unit was new and just being created. They were looking for help from any spouses who were available. Working at the post newspaper, I was in the know about activities and programs on post. By the time the first deployment preparations had started I was already researching a master's degree program to reach a personal goal while keeping myself busy. Working at the newspaper I also met a variety of leaders, their spouses, allowing me to make friends from all over post with relative ease. What most people find hard to believe is that I am relatively shy. Once I am comfortable, it is more easy. We also lived on post, so that made access to activities easier.

Now that we are here and I am not working. I do spend about two hours a day at the gym, but then come home. I occasionally go exploring, but feel bad because Sgt. Major does not have access to a dog door at this house. So I spend most of my time at the house.

I tried to contact a few organizations regarding volunteer opportunities, but haven't heard back from most and the few that have give me the run-around about needing to meet with a specific person to "interview". At our last duty station, which was in the middle of nowhere, there were many opportunities.

Its different for me. Yesterday, I went to the mall and ran some shopping errands. It was weird for me to be in the mall during a work day. I felt like I should have been doing something, but knew that this is what my daily life has become. I get up, make breakfast for us, see him off to work, then after cleaning the kitchen and a few house chores, just wait for my time to go to the gym. I've never been this "empty" on my schedule before. My poor planner looks so sad!

I'm excied about finding some activities and will keep you posted on what I find. The Red Cross ... the Post Museum ... the library ... I'm not trying to rush into anything, but rather want to find something that is a perfect fit. We'll see what I can find ... it's just one grand adventure!

Until our next cup of tea ...

A Chance Encounter ...

Greetings dear friends. It has been a few days since my last post, well nearly a week really. I promise to do better, but I think with this post you will find the wait worth it.

As some of you know, this weekend my beloved husband and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary. Though many wives would have objected, I was thrilled when my husband presented me with 46 sessions with a personal trainer at the post gym. As my closest friends know, I had been athletic all though high school and even college, maintaining some of it as I adjusted to my new life as an Army wife. I'd managed to stay relatively active (and happy with myself) until about a year ago. A new job, another deployment, finishing my masters, and volunteering in the community had left me getting less and less time at the gym.

It was the once place I could go and get lost in myself (there is something indimidating about interrupting an person with an MP3 player on). I could let go of all the stress and just "go to my happy place." But when I started to lose that time I began to get discouraged. After (george's) dad died, I tried to spend as little time with my thoughts as possible, so I only worked out with George and when out schedules would allow.

Lately I'd been looking for a way to get back to where I had been, so my husband bought me the sessions as a way to help me get there. Most wives might have been offended, but I was happy he listened. I've got enough jewelry and a closet full of trinkets, but this was something that could help me reach a goal

So Monday was my first day. Iwas anxious and excited, but when i left I was satisfied and in pain. My arms still hurt from that workout and I have another upper body workout tomorrow, but you're probably wondering about the "chance encounter" part.

Well, yesterday I met my trainer for a day on lower body (I go three times a week). He was just finishing up with his previous client, so after a few minutes of warm-up on the treadmill we got to work. As we started the workout, his previous client came over. My trainer had told me he was a paralympic athlete who'd participated in the 2008 Olympic games. He stayed, giving my trainer new ideas for an ab workout. It was a grueling workout to say the least, but there was just something about his attitude that made me want to keep pushing through the pain. I was a little intimidated by him, but only during the ab workout.

When I got home, like any good investigative journalist, I did some research and found that Scott Winkler was a Soldier injured while deployed in 2003. NBC had a brief documentary about Scott. Though I'm still feeling the effects of the workout, it was a great experience.

Until our next cup of tea ...

Exploring Your Backyard

So now that we are settling in we've been exploring individually as well as together. It's been great learning more about the communities around us. There are a lot of small towns around us as well as being only a few miles from Augusta.

In doing an Internet search for Augusta, Ga., I learned that there are a lot of "haunted" place in the city, including sighting on a particular street that includes Augusta State University and two hotels. I'm quite excited to explore all those places.

There is also a cemetary said to have Soldiers from the Civil War buried there. When I go to explore I promise to take pictures.

In the same theme, we are next to a town call Harlem (much nicer than the first one that pops into your head!). We had the chance to explore it about two weeks ago and I happened to have my camera with me. I absolutely fell in love with this house which was actually for rent, but I am sure way out of our price range. What do you think?



I am a sucker for plantation/colonial/antebellum style. Unfortunately my dear husband could care less for it. He is more into Spanish/Mediteranian styles. {Sigh} I wonder who will win when it comes time to build our dream home, but sadly, I usually cave.

Well, as our adventures continue I will keep you posted!

Until our next cup of tea ...

Love worth waiting for ...

So I'm just going to vent here, please excuse me as I try to sort it all out ...

So as my returning readers know, my husband and his unit recently (January) returned from a 14-month deployment. Not our first so I knew to surround myself supportive friends. And that is what I did. There were four of us, three spouses and a fiancee, varying ranks of Soldiers, varying ages of spouses, I was the only one who'd been through a deployment before. None of this was issues. We tried to watch out for each other, support each other and when needed be a should to cry on, an ear for venting and a pillar of strength when things got bad.

The three of us who were spouses lived on post, each one street over from each other. The fiancee lived about an hour away, but we stayed in contact as much as possible by phone, getting together on days off. They were set to be married this month and we shared her excitement.

Fastforward to the Soldiers coming home, I was there with her to greet him when he arrived home.

Two months later, I think it was in March, they broke up. He'd found out he'd sheated on him during the deployment. The other spouses and I tried not to judge her. We knew this was a hard life and while we absolutely disagreed with what she did, we knew we'd made mistakes before. She was an adult about admitting her mistakes and they went their seperate ways.

We soon learned she'd returned to the other guy. Not something we'd agreed with, but it was her choice. Then the time came for us all to leave. Oddly enough, we all came to the side of the U.S., but the former finacee stayed there. We decided to stay in touch and see how things progressed.

Well, here is my rant. Yesterday, the former finacee called to say she and the other guy were wanting to get married and are trying for a baby(I know it sounds so much worse when I refer to them as that, but that's kind of how it is).

Something about that just set me off. Really it pissed me off. I'm happy she is moving forward, but it kind of felt like a slap in the face. Like she was saying that the sacrifices that we make as military spouses, the months and cumalative years, we spend waiting for our Soldiers to come home, and the reality that they may not, was not worth her effort. I know it's a hard life that we choose as Military Spouses, but for some reason this really got to me.

Maybe for her it was the easy way out. It was easier to not face those challenges, that their love wasn't THAT strong. Maybe I should look at it as a tool to measure how strong our love it, because there was never a doubt that it was worth the waiting. RIght now, I am sitting here, slightly irritated that my dear hubby keeps interrupting me like a child who only wants attention when you are busy, but in retrospect, it means he is home.

Well, I'm off to interrupt whatever game he and the puppy are engrossed in.

Until our next visit ...

So Says the Sarge: A Cross Country Trek ...

These past few weeks have been crazy busy. I feel so tired. After driving from Louisiana to Georgia, we got to do it all over this weekend as we trekked from Georgia to Houston and back for my Uncle Gordon and Aunt Mindy's wedding. It was a great time, but the 16 hour trip (one-way) took its toll and I am exhausted. However, Mommy did take a few pictures along the drive ...

Taking a picture with mommy while waiting for daddy at the bank ...



Telling daddy secrets ...



Mommy's new haircut and color ...



I was helping Daddy drive ...



Mommy will post more later, but she's still trying to get all the laundry done.

Time to go, I think I hear Mommy getting ready for bed and I have to get a good spot ...

Getting it all together!

Since we are intergrating two houses (ours and that of his father who passed in November), I hadn't taken much time to decorate until now. I am so excited!

Yesterday I finally found the fabric for my PINK and white kitchen.



It's been a long search to find the perfect fabric to compliment my great-grandmother's depression glassware chickens, maternal grandmother's teacups and my teacup collection, and mother's stained glass piece. It has become a very special room for me surrounded by these treasures.

New additions are George's grandmother's glassware and china set ...



I'm also hoping to get some items made by my paternal grandmother. She is great at crocheting, but with 16 grandchildren (plus great-grandchildren) there are a lot to of "orders" already I'm sure. Especially since a few are starting college and moving into their own homes.

I'm really looking forward to seein the finished project, but I am also excited about the project itself. Well, I'm off to finish another paper for school ...

Until our next visit ...