Finally

30 weeks

I'm afraid with this whole Korea mess, this poor little man has been very overlooked. It isn't that we haven't been excited to have a new baby, but more that we haven't had a whole lot of time to think about it, so we just sort of forget that we're going to have a real, live baby really soon. However, I can honestly say that I am getting very excited to have him here. I can't wait to see what he looks like and what his little personality will be. So far, he is the opposite of his sister in almost every way. He sleeps most of the time and likes to hang out right over my belly button, whereas Evie never stopped moving and was super low. Evie has yet to stop moving, in case you were wondering. I predict he will be much more mellow than his older sis and will hopefully not cry all day long. We haven't bought him anything yet because we've been too focused on getting ready to move, but I finally made the leap today and bought him some jammies, a crib sheet, and a crib bumper. Now all we need is a crib! We've learned recently that there is a really good chance we will be able to have at least 3 bedrooms when we are in Korea, so that's a huge relief to me and I can actually plan on making a nursery for little man.


I am almost 32 weeks, so we should be seeing him in 8 weeks or so, which is not at all a long time. I wonder what Evie's reaction will be. How will she react to having a baby around all the time? I'm sure she will be super jealous at first, poor thing. I kind of wish her time as an only child could last a little longer, but there's nothing I can do about that now.

I may not sound like it most of the time, but I am really, very excited to meet this kid. I see babies at church and pictures of my friends' babies, and I seriously cannot wait to meet him. I feel like I know him already, so I just really want to see him. Will he look like me, or will he look just like Dan? Can't wait to find out!

this is the look I'm going for, though more blue and less turquoise.

my first purchases for the little guy

Just a little update

I haven't blogged in quite a while about our lives, so I thought I would do that now really quickly. We were able to go to Utah over Christmas to see Dan's family and it was so, so great to see everyone. Poor Dan hasn't seen his family in over a year, so he was ecstatic. Evelyn loved playing with all her cousins and getting so much attention from the adults. I could tell she was disappointed when we got home and there was no one but me to play with. While we were there we were able to see my grandparents from both sides, as well as my parents and Chris and Blaire, which was great because I missed seeing them over Thanksgiving. But other than that, our week was jam packed with family activities and bonding. Dan got to play nerdy games with his brothers, go fishing, and play the munchkin board game, so his trip was super successful. I love my nerd. It was seriously so great to spend Christmas with family and be around people who love us unconditionally, because we can be pretty weird and obnoxious sometimes.

Since we've been home, Evie has been sick. She got some sort of stomach flu or virus or something, and that was not fun for anyone, but that's gone and she now has a cold. She seriously gets sick more than any kid I know. Which brings me to this, I had Evie tested for Celiac disease because it runs in Dan's family and I don't think it's normal for her to get the stomach flu every month. They'll call me with the results sometime this week.

Other than that, this is what we've been doing:

• puzzles
• more puzzles
• reading books
• playing with blocks
• more books
• more puzzles
• blue's clues
• watching the biggest loser, season 7 on hulu. We are totally addicted to this show. It's a problem
• crying in the theater at les miserables (not just me, either. pointing at Dan)
• learning new words, such as "frog" and "fish". Except, Evie doesn't say them correctly and instead adds a "ck" to the end of all words starting with f. This is quite embarrassing when we're in public.
• watching almost no tv during the day, because that was my new year's resolution. Evie isn't taking that one particularly well, but we're getting there.
• and more puzzles

Dan finally got his official orders, but it still doesn't tell us where in Korea we will be stationed. I mean, seriously army? Seriously? Apparently they tell you once you get to Korea, where exactly you will be. Talk about annoying and inefficient. So, Dan is talking to a lot of higher ups hoping to get some information. I guess we just have to wait and see.

12/12/12

 If you weren't aware, yesterday was the day of 12. Dan kept saying it was the day of a century, so he took the whole day off and we celebrated.He and his brothers are kind of fanatics about the number 12, don't ask me why. I certainly don't have a favorite number, but to each his own. It was a lot of fun to have Dan home and it's always fun to celebrate something, so yesterday was awesome.

Dan stayed up the night before until 12:12 am. I did not.

 Dan woke up the next morning at 6 to go exercise, I obviously did not. I'm not crazy sauce unlike some.

Dan tried to run 2 miles in 12 minutes, but I'm not sure if he succeeded or not. I forgot to ask. Then he did 12 minutes of sit ups and push ups. He's motivated for sure. And attractive.

 Then, he read 12 pages of scripture.

We looked on Urbandspoon and found the 12th restaurant listed, which happened to be the egg bistro, so we decided to go for breakfast.

We had to get the 12th item on the menu, whatever that may be, but we each counted differently. He went vertically and I went horizontally, so we ended up with different breakfasts. Although, they were both eggs benedict and they were both delicious.

 Dan got one with tomatoes and feta cheese and whatnot, while I got the one with spinach, bacon, and hollandaise. Yum.

Next, we looked up the top things to do in Chesapeake and had to do number 12. Turns out it was our city park, and it was cold and rainy, so we just took a picture next to the sign.

Then we went to dollar tree and bought 12 items for $12. Evie had a blast.

We bought 12 donuts in the number 12 check out line.

And took a picture and 12:!2pm. Not a good picture in any way, but we were in a time crunch.

Dan played a nerdy video game and whatever he was doing had something to do with 12, but I have no idea what any of that meant, so I'm skipping it.

We wanted to see a movie in theater 12, but they only had 6 theaters, so we compromised. But, we got to go on a mini date in the afternoon, which was a lot of fun. Have you seen skyfall? I thought it was okay.

When we got home, we each donated a 12lb bag of old clothes. I'm pretty sure I could have donated 6 more of those.

And we finished the day by playing 12 games of mario kart.

Not bad, eh? It was such a fun day. I hope to have many more random holidays to celebrate in the future. This was all orchestrated by Dan, and I think he did an excellent job. What is the next random day we can celebrate, honey?

Korea

Well, we are officially moving to Korea in June, which is only 3 months after our baby is due, so I'm stressing out quite a bit right now. Not only are we moving to a whole different country, but we also have to do that with a brand new baby. I am trying my hardest to be positive and think about all the good things the move will bring, but sometimes it's really hard. I mean, this little man is coming in 3 months and the only thing I've bought for him is a blanket, and we all know that one blanket is NOT enough for a newborn. We need to buy a crib, changing table, a double stroller, and all kinds of clothes. But the reason we haven't bought anything yet is that we have no idea what our housing situation will be over there. Will we even be able to get a 3 bedroom place? What if there isn't enough room for two cribs? Then what? Evie is in no way ready for a toddler bed, so we can't use her crib cause she needs it, and I am freaking out. At first my thought was to not set up his room at all, ya know? I would get all of the stuff and then just move it all with us and set up his nursery in Korea, but now I'm not sure I want to do that because I have no clue if we will even have a nursery there, plus I'm not sure I want him in our room for 3 months. I would much rather have him in his own crib, in his own room, and get used to all that before we move, but then again, it is more convenient to have your newborn in your room since they wake up so much. I'm conflicted.

I'm nervous about going to a country that has a line drawn down the middle and is actively at war with itself all the time. Obviously we won't be seeing any of that cause my husband is a veterinarian, but it is still always present. Apparently there are times of day that you shouldn't be out at all. What?

I'm nervous about the kind of food we will be eating. I know that's ridiculous, but I'm not a huge fan of seafood or sushi and that is a lot of what their diet consists of. Korea is basically a tiny piece of land jutting out into the ocean, so they understandably eat a lot of seafood, but pretty much the only things I can stand are tilapia and salmon. Dan loves seafood and sushi though, so he will be just fine. We were talking about this the other night and I couldn't help but think how much I am going to miss Mexican food. I love love love burritos. They are probably my favorite food ever, so if I have to go 2 years without a burrito, I might die. (a little dramatic, I know)
I'm nervous about where in Korea we will be. They still haven't told us, and where we are determines everything about how we will live. If we get stationed near Seoul, chances are we will have a decent housing situation and a large army base to keep us feeling comfortable, but if not, who knows? Odds are, our housing will be tiny, as well as our base, and everyday comforts that I am used to right now will be hard to come by; namely wal-mart or a store like it. We may have to stalk up on clothes for both kids so that we won't have to worry about trying to find them new clothes while we are there, because I've heard that is a nightmare.

But, mostly I'm nervous about being so far away. I feel like I'm far away from everyone right now, but there is always some comfort in knowing that I can jump on a plane and be home in a couple of hours. This is completely different. I don't know what Dan's job will be like or what his leave will be like, so I'm nervous I won't see my family again while I'm there. Here, also, I'm probably being a bit too dramatic, but I'm pregnant, so I get a pass.

What am I supposed to do with a toddler and a newborn on a transcontinental flight? And, once I'm there, am I a strong enough person to be able to raise 2 kids, without any family around, in a foreign country? I'm not sure I am. This is the exact reason I never wanted to marry a military man, but just my luck, I marry a veterinarian who joined the military. Not fair, Dan!

In a lot of ways I am lucky, though. I get the opportunity to see the world and to have exciting experiences that most people never will. I have an amazing husband who serves his country and takes care of his family one hundred percent of the time. I just needed to get all of this out of my head because I think I may explode from all the nervous worrying I'm doing. I can do hard things. Right?

changes ahead

I don't know if you know, but we will be moving this coming summer to somewhere overseas. We haven't gotten our official orders just yet, so I can't tell you where, but it is coming. And fast. We will be spending the next two years overseas, and after that, I guess we will see what happens. The closer the time comes to this baby's arrival and our impending move, the more anxious I get. Seriously. Sometimes I lose sleep over it. I don't know how much we can take with us, what it will be like in a different country, and if we will ever get to visit the U.S. after we're there. So nervous! I do know that we report in June and our baby is due in March, so the thought of having a newborn on an all day flight makes me break out in a nervous sweat. Let's hope this kid is NOTHING like Evie as a baby. Maybe, just maybe, he will be a good sleeper and he won't cry all the time. Fingers crossed.

I am going to miss America. I love all the freedoms we enjoy and all the great shopping, if I'm being honest. We have a fairly good idea about where they're going to send us, and I'm pretty certain it won't have all the things I've grown up accustomed to, like target and wal-mart. So, my plan is stock up on clothes and things for both kids, so then maybe I won't have to worry about trying to find them clothes while we're there. What about me, you ask? I have no idea. I might just wing it and hope that I can find clothes and shoes that fit me and look good. We'll see.

I am going to miss our house. We have been so lucky to have this big, beautiful house while we've lived here. I honestly don't know what we will do if we have to go back to a 2 bedroom. Evie share a room with a newborn? I dunno...

I am not looking forward to not being in the states where we have good doctors and medicine. My limited experience with army doctors has been horrendous. Seriously. It's made me lose faith in the medical profession all together, and my poor baby boy is going to have to go to them for every one of his check ups. Ugh.

I'm nervous about the different culture and language. I know I'm not going to understand anything that is going on 90% of the time. I'm hoping against hope that we will be lucky enough to live on an army base, which is like a little America, cause if we have to live off base, what the heck am I going to do?

Seriously friends. I'm terrified. Whose idea was it to join the Army anyway? Oh yeah, Dan's. Well, at least we have no debt, so I guess it is worth it in the end.

catch up

This Thanksgiving Evie and I went to Wichita to spend some time with my family. Unfortunately, Dan couldn't come with us because he had to work, but he played football, basketball, and went fishing, so he did okay without us. It was so fun to be able to see everyone and spend some quality time with my family, especially since we will be living overseas next year and there's no guarantee we will be able to come home for holidays.My only regret is that Evie wasn't feeling well the whole time we were there, which made her super grumpy and a bad sleeper, and as you can imagine, in turn made me grumpy and zombie-like. I wish things had gone a little smoother for us because I think we would have had more fun, but overall it was a good trip. On my first night there, I got to go to a movie with Jill and my mom. That was a lot of fun because I definitely needed a break from Evie, and I got to have some quality time with my oldest sister and my mom. The next day we went to Red Lobster for lunch, where Evie threw the world's biggest tantrum about who knows what, wouldn't eat anything, and then fell asleep in my lap. Seriously Evie, what was that about? I felt terrible because she is seriously NEVER like that, especially not in public. She loves going out to eat and she loves people, so this was super out of character and I didn't know what to do about it. Oh well. That night, Justin and Melissa got there with their girls, as well as Lianne, Derek, and Calvyn. It was super funny and cute to see Evie's reaction to seeing Justin, because she was so excited to see him for some reason. I don't know if she remembered him from when we were in SLC over the summer or what, but it was pretty adorable. As you can imagine, with that many people in one house, things got pretty chaotic and crazy, but fun. On Wednesday, us girls went shopping for fabric for Blaire's baby blanket and started getting ready for her baby shower. We wanted to do a little something over Skype for Blaire even though she wasn't there. That afternoon we went to the zoo, and later that night everyone except my parents and me went to see a movie. Evie by this time was crazy grumpy and sick, so I didn't feel comfortable leaving her with my parents when they had 4 other kids to take care of. Sei la vie. Thursday involved lots of cooking, eating delicious food, and taking a family picture. Let me tell you, trying to get yourself and a whiny toddler ready for a picture is SUPER stressful. My life is so much easier when Dan is around. But overall, I think the picture turned out pretty well. And that was the end of our trip, unfortunately. We were sad to leave, but excited to see Dan. I wish we could have stayed longer and maybe did a couple more things, but Evelyn was a stinker, so I'm happy that I was able to do the things I did.

On the way home, we flew threw Atlanta. I noticed on the flight from Wichita to Atlanta that Evie was starting to feel really warm, but I didn't think much of it. She slept the whole flight, so I just counted myself lucky. I started to get a little concerned when she didn't want to eat anything and her breathing sounded funny, but we were still doing okay. Then, out of nowhere, she started throwing up all over everything. So, I ran to the bathroom and tried to clean her and the stroller as best I could, but there really wasn't much I could do. I called Dan in a complete panic, and he managed to calm me down somewhat. So, I went to one of the gift shops, bought a couple little shirts and a blanket, and changed her clothes. I had to throw her blanket away cause it was just covered in vomit and I had no idea what to do with it. Poor girl. She spent the rest of the time in the airport with no pants on, trying to sleep in my arms. I remember just praying that she would make it through our next flight without throwing up, and she did! She made it all the way to the car when we got to Norfolk before she threw up again, so it could have been worse. Not my favorite.

Needless to say, our weekend didn't go exactly the way we planned, but she's feeling better now, so that's all that matters really. Hopefully our trip to Utah goes better.

p.s. anyone know why blogger won't let me upload any photos? Annoying. 

November

I love the month of November because it's the month of Thanksgiving, which means that all month long I get to reflect on what I am thankful for. My life is so incredibly blessed, so I have no end of things I am thankful for; from my family to hot water. As most people do this time of year, I am doing the thing where you say one thing you are thankful for every single day, which has been a lot of fun. When I start thinking about things I am thankful for, I start thinking about all my blessings, and sometimes it overwhelms me.

I can't believe how blessed I am. What have I ever done in my life to deserve what I have now? The more I count my blessings, the more I feel unworthy of having them all. I was thinking about this while I was sitting in church on Sunday and I just started crying. (Dang pregnancy hormones) I have the most amazing husband who loves me unconditionally, even when I'm sure I don't deserve it. He makes our marriage so fun and almost effortless, feeling, because he is so positive and humorous about things. I also have this adorable daughter who brings more joy into my life than I ever thought was possible. She brightens up rooms by her cute little personality and smiles, and I can't help but wonder at my good fortune that Heavenly Father would entrust her sweet little spirit to me. Knowing that makes me even more excited about this little boy in my belly.

I am thankful for my home, that we can come home and feel the spirit and be uplifted.
I am thankful for my country
I am thankful for the Army because they provide Dan with a stable job, which is more than most can say.
I am thankful for modern technology that helps me keep in touch with family.
I am thankful for my friends and family, without whom I would be lost.
I am thankful for the church and the absolute truth it provides.
I am thankful for the priesthood and the First Presidency.
I am thankful for forgiveness.
I am thankful for sweat pants (less serious, but just as important in my opinion)
....

The list could go on for days. So, count your blessings and I'm sure you, too, will be surprised.