I love my hubby

Josh is as close to the perfect husband as one can get. My mom disagrees with this since she thinks my dad is, but they are practically one in the same on many levels. I definitely married a good one.

Josh knows I've been really bored lately, especially since during the week I only get to be out of bed to make food and go to the bathroom...otherwise I'm in bed or on the couch. Sometimes I'm on the computer (like now) but he also knows that kills me since sitting up like this gives me contractions too.

Well on Friday and yesterday he got me out of the house. Friday I pushed myself a little too much and was happy that he had duty on Saturday so I could lay around all day and do nothing. Getting food was really hard for me and I almost called him home...but I didn't.

Anyway, Friday Josh got off work early to go to the Gold and Blue Crew picnic. It was fun, but I'm not really friends with any of the wives. I'm trying, but it just doesn't seem to happen for me. After the picnic we went to the bank to transfer money to our Monroe, MI account so we could pay off the debt. We also payed off our credit card. After an hour it was taken care of and we were off to lunch at AppleBees since I didn't get to eat at the picnic and I was starved. Well...what I ordered definitely wasn't what I wanted, so I barely ate my sandwich. Though I did eat my soup and some mozzarella sticks and a piece of popcorn shrimp. I definitely should've went with the Chicken Strips instead of the Turkey thing I got. After we finished eating we went over to Target to get a few things for the baby. We bought her bath and some clothes. I also got the pumps I wanted so when Josh is home, he can help me with those feedings that he so desperately wants to help with :) Then we went home.

Yesterday he took me to breakfast at Sharis (Think Dennys only with better food). It was amazing! They have some great Potato Pancakes...and Peanut Butter & Chocolate Shakes. Mmmmmm. After that we went to church, which I almost didn't make it through, but by the end, I got my second wind (I'm usually napping by 10AM and I was just heading to church...) so we went to Best Buy to look at TVs for Josh's birthday present. I figured if he bought me my laptop (a late b-day present) I can let him get his TV. He found one and I found a TV Stand I liked, so we got them. While there, I sat most of the time one those steps that are used to reach items in high places...well, when Josh left with the manager and another worker he told them why I wasn't coming with them and the manager got me a comfy computer chair to sit in! How sweet was that?

After we got the tv home and everything we headed back out to the mall. I have outgrown most of my clothes, so I needed at least one or two more outfits. We went into Motherhood Maternity and I found pants. I tried them on and BAM they fit! YAY! I also got some undies that actually fit and a sweater also. Then we headed to Lane Bryant to get me sized for a new bra...38G....can you BELIEVE that? This little girl in that big of a bra! I got 2 so I now fit into at least 2 bras. I still have to order the nursing one from their website. At least, for the first time in my life, I have a bra that fits me properly. I'm excited about this....I was so giddy in the store and just afterward.

Then Josh and I went and got me a wheelchair for the rest of the time because I was getting to the point of not being able to walk long without a contraction. We went and got food and then started shopping a bit again. We went to Radio Shack for him...he bought something dealing with computers and some AA batteries for the 2 small flashlights we have. Then we went to That Kitchen Shop and bought a pair of tongs. I'm so happy we have those now. We then returned the wheelchair and walked back toward the entrance we came in at. We stopped at Spencers and bought 2 onsies and a maternity shirt for me. I love the shirt. It's an ultrasound picture and the baby is giving the bird. It's cute. I'm wearing it to my ultrasound on Thursday :)

Today is a chill day for the most part. I'll be laying around and watching TV on the new one. I have choir tonight at 5:45PM. It's the first practice so I really want to be there. Josh is making sure he's home by 5:30PM to take me...I can't drive anymore...I don't fit most days (if she's towards my back I fit, but she's been at the front a lot lately).

Tomorrow Josh has duty...I need to go grocery shopping, but I need Josh to do that with me, so maybe Wednesday after he gets off work. Thursday I'm down in Tacoma for my last ultrasound (I am refusing any others unless they are at Bremerton so I'm more comfortable...I hate driving an hour just for an ultrasound once a month!) after the u/s we're going to lunch and stopping at Baby's R Us and then heading home (unless Amanda doesn't mind going up to Everett to pick up a stroller/carseat combo from our friend Brandi). Friday Josh has duty, so another lazy day.

Sounds fun huh? I'm getting out a little more...which is so nice. I love it!

Bed Rest is annoying

So I've been on bed rest for about 2 weeks now...and let me tell you...I'm bored out of my mind! And because I'm so bored, I'm annoyed all the time.

I want to clean my house, it disgusts me. My friend said she would come over and help me clean, or clean it by herself, but I don't want my friends cleaning my house for me. I don't even want Josh cleaning my house for me. It is MY job, not theirs! I know it's not my fault that I can't clean it, but it irks me that others have to do my job. So...slowly but surely the house is being picked up and cleaned.

Josh and I are working on the bedroom on Sunday if I feel up to it. I want all my pre-pregnancy clothes out of my closet and drawers unless they will still cover my stomach with a tank top under them.

I'm not a very big pregnant woman...that's for sure. People mistake me for being 4 - 4 1/2 months pregnant instead of 7 3/4 all the time. I think the most someone has said is 5 months, and that was 2 weeks ago...and I don't think my stomach has grown anymore since then.

The only thing really getting me through all of this is watching Caralyn move in my stomach. I love laying on the couch while she's active and just watching my stomach move. It brings me great joy, and sometimes pain, to see her and know she's okay.

I'm also having irrational fears right now...like my parents and his not being able to make the birth. I have a feeling that I'm going to have her between the end of October and beginning of November. I'll be surprised if I make it past November 15. It's just a feeling I have...but I really want my mom and dad to be here when she arrives. I'm also scared that Josh won't have any bonding time with us before he leaves in December...especially if she does wait until 40+ weeks to come...That bonding time is important for a dad and he needs to be here for it. Sometimes I hate the Navy.

And what if Josh and my parents leave right around the same time and I get overwhelmed? It's not like I have many friends out here to help me. I really will need my mom or Josh. I know it's irrational and I'll do okay, but what if what everyone thinks (including myself) is wrong? What if I'm not really cut out to have my own kids and I'm a horrible mother, especially at first? I know how to deal with older kids...but babies...I've never been around babies except Liam, but I got to give him back.

I'm not really scared of the labor and delivery...I mean, I am a little, but that's normal. I'm going to try to do a natural birth...I hate medication on a normal day, so why would I put pain killers into my body that could affect my baby too? I am a little nervous about the tearing thing and having to have stitches "down there", but women sometimes go through that and they manage to deal with it...I just think it'll hurt to go to the bathroom with stitches there...and what about infections and stuff? Could be bad...

I do want to do the Childbirth class that is offered by the Naval Hospital, but I don't know that I'm going to be able to. 1) It's mid October and 2) I don't know if Josh will have duty on that specific Saturday. Granted, they do have 4 Wednesday classes throughout October, I know Josh will have duty for at least one of those classes, so it's better for us to do the all day Saturday class...but if Josh can't go...I'm screwed.

Well...that's all for now...you can all call me out about how irrational and stupid I'm being. It won't upset me...I promise.

Don't scare me like that!

So...I'm on a relaxed bed rest schedule right now.

On Wednesday I called Josh home from work because I was still feeling bad and weird. He took me to Labor and Delivery and about an hour after I got there, got into a room and hooked up to the monitors. Caralyn was great, but I was having contractions.

I was in there from about 1:30PM until 7PM because I continued to have contractions, but I wasn't dilating at all, so that part was good.

I did have a couple that were big and hurt a little, but the Dr.s said that if it only hurt a little, I was going to be a champ when I'm actually in labor. I guess one of them would've made most women cry or something. They didn't point the contractions out to me either, I just didn't know what they were until I was hooked up to the machine and realized that it wasn't Caralyn's head or bottom pressing up on my stomach.

So yesterday I felt like crap. Anytime I'm sitting too long or standing to long or even get up for a few minutes, I start having contractions...just little ones, but still...they're there. I spent yesterday on the couch, only getting up to use the restroom and to get food...and of course to go to my "follow up" appointment, where they did nothing that they were supposed to.

Today is Josh's birthday. He has duty today, which sucks, but I think I'll call him a little later (especially if I'm having a hard time with things) and at least wish him a Happy Birthday and tell him I love him. He made me mad this morning, so it slipped my mind.

Now, I know things like this shouldn't make me mad anymore, but him calling me weird because I have like super smell...yeah...it really gets to me...and he knows it...so why does he do it? Especially before 6AM? I was actually happy that he was leaving for the whole day and night when he left.

Today is going to be a chill day. I'm hoping to be able to be online for awhile, but I've already been on for over an hour, so I might not be on much longer...which sucks...but that's life. I can't wait to get a laptop!

~Stevie~

Realizations

I hate when I wake up at 2:30AM and can't go back to sleep because I have realized I need to take care of business that day.

This morning I realized that Josh and I are being completely unrealistic about this house stuff right now. We can not afford a $200,000 house right now...and the ones we're looking at are up to $250,000 because we want a decent house in the area. It's too expensive.

If we want to just use BAH for mortgage and pay utilities out of pocket, we would have to go down to about $175,000 maybe a little more. We don't have a down payment at the moment, so that doesn't help.

So I emailed our real estate agent (who is absolutely fabulous) and let him know my concerns.

With the house we want, we would be paying BAH + $500 (approx) out of pocket...which would leave us with what we've got right now...then adding utilities (water, sewer, trash, heat, etc.) on top of that...we would have less than what we have now...and Josh and I can barely live on that alone...and we're expecting a baby in 2 months...so that's less money for us to live on. That wouldn't be a good situation in my eyes.

Hopefully Marty will understand and be willing to look for decent but lower priced houses. I know it won't be our dream home (which we've already fairly well found) but it will do for a starter home.

If Josh doesn't approve of the homes we look at with the lower prices, we'll wait a year or so, so that we can have a decent down payment and then start looking at the higher priced homes again. But for now, I guess I'm just going to have to deal with no room unless Marty can find something good in a lower budget.

That's all really. Hopefully I'll be able to take a nap in a little while...I've been up for 4 1/2 hours already today. Of course, if my stomach doesn't subside in the tightness and my eyes don't straighten out soon, I'll be calling the hubby to take me to the hospital to get checked out. I was weird all day yesterday and it's starting off that way today already again. At least I don't feel like bile is coming up my throat right now. That is a godsend.

House Hunters

That's what Josh and I are at the moment. We are hunting for a house that will work for the next few years...probably more like 10+. We love this area of Washington and we would be SUPER happy to live here for good...but I do only want a starter house.

We have to have 3+ bedrooms and 1.5+ bathrooms. I need a decent kitchen...nothing too small...

Well, I think we've found one. I know it's expensive, but we're putting our limit to $250,000 because it's expensive out here for something nice. I did find the PERFECT house, but it was over $1million! Crazy huh?

So the house we're going to go look at (ASAP) is a bit ugly, but it suits our needs and we can always redo as much as we want really. Right? I mean, we will be owning it! This is the link for it I don't know why I like it so much, but I really do. I"m excited to go look at it.

I also like this one, though it seems a little weird to have the second kitchen, though I know it might come in handy at some point (like for Thanksgiving if we ever would have it here again after Caralyn is born). I think I'm going to contact the agent on that one, even though Josh hasn't seen it yet.

One of the old Chiefs on Josh's boat is a real estate agent also...I think I'm going to email him today too. I want to see what he can find for us. Of course, he knows what the schedule is like on the boat, so it's not like he won't work with us.

Well...I'm out for now. Nothing new on the baby front. I do have an appointment tomorrow for an ultrasound to check the hole in her heart and to make sure she's growing appropriately (she's small, so they have to keep checking me every month). Talk to y'all later!

Happy Labor Day!

Hope everyone is having a great Labor Day Weekend!

Josh had yesterday and today off work! YAY!

Yesterday we went to church when he got home from work. It was a good time. We have decided to move our church membership from Zion Lutheran in Monroe, MI to Christ the King Lutheran in Silverdale, WA. I no longer feel Monroe as my true home, here in WA is where we want to stay, so why not start taking care of that stuff?

After church we went to see Babylon AD with Vin Diesel. That was an excellent movie, in my opinion.

We then ventured to Toys R Us to pick up an outfit Josh found last week for Caralyn. It's so cute. It's ballerina stuff.

Grocery shopping was next, it was tedious as always, but I stuck to my list this time. We tried grocery shopping on Friday, but nothing looked or sounded good to me, so I picked up mainly junk food for munching. So not good for the baby.

By the time we got everything put away it was time to go to the Michigan Dr. block party at Tabby's house. Tabby is my old friend. I am partly to blame for our friendship ending, but not fully. I did hurt her because I was scared and thought of myself. We haven't talked since I found out I was pregnant though...so about 6 months ago. We were invited, so we went and had a good time. We were both hospitable towards each other.

At the BBQ I saw a girl that I knew from South Carolina. It just so happens her name is also Stevi, just minus the E. We had fun catching up and talking. Around 9PM or so we left because my back and hips couldn't handle the camping chairs anymore...I needed somewhere much more comfortable. So, we went home and to bed.

All in all, it was a nice day.

No clue what's on the agenda for today. I was thinking of calling my Aunt Boots and Uncle Chuck to see if we could go up to Sequim today, but I don't want to be one of those last minute people...which is hard because I never know when Josh has off work. I know the last week of September he's supposed to have leave, so maybe I'll call for then in a couple weeks.

Well, that's really all. Tomorrow marks 7 months pregnant. It's really exciting and scary at the same time. I have an appointment Friday to check growth and to see if there has been any improvement on the hole in Caralyn's heart. I really hope so for both.

Talk to y'all later!

Have a fun and great time!