Kansas City//28 weeks

Well, Kansas City was a quick trip this time, but it was still fun anyway.  The kids all had a ton of fun.  Besides the mess of the house-alarm going off on the way out, and then yesterday morning, that was a tad distracting, it we all had a really good time.

Friday night we went out to a local pizza place which was quite tasty.  Then we went back and just hung out at Kurt and Heather's house, chatting it up 'til way too late.  Livea kept getting up on Kurt's lap, and he started scratching her back at one point and she just loved it.  She looked like his little pet up there getting scratched.  It was really funny.


The baby shower was very nice.  A ton of people, ton of food, ton of fun, ton of gifts.  It was a really  nice shower.

Jenna even won a game!

Click here to view these pictures larger

The boys had a ton of "man time' with Kurt, as Kurt put it.  They went glow-in-the-dark golfing, which they have been dying to do for some time as you know.  Kurt said it was 36 holes!!  They went the distance!  And I can't forget to mention that they got soda afterward.  They both mentioned this several times to me.  They thought that was really special evidently.

When they got home, they played with Legos, and Playmobile toys for a while.  After most of the guests cleared out Kurt put video games on for them again, and Adam is so dang cute - check it out!  I am not sure if he is just adorable and loving, or controlling and holding him there so he doesn't get away with the remote. ;o)


I have a cute picture of Heather and I that someone took, we're back to back with our belly's protruding.  I will have to ask Heather to send that picture to me so I can post it for you.

I can't wait to be in Kansas City with YOU.  Fourth of July, baby!  What a fun tradition!  I'm already so excited about going there for the Fourth.

Here is my 28 week picture, I was 28 weeks Friday.

My ankles were swollen for the first time yesterday - maybe the drive home, maybe not drinking enough water during the shower, maybe standing all day, maybe not drinking enough, standing all day and the drive home all together....  I hate the swollen ankle days, and I am hoping it was just a bad combination and I am not ready to have swollen ankles yet!

It's getting so close for you to come home (already? seriously???).  The middle part was so hard, and we're so close to the end....I just can't wait for you to be with us again.

I love you and miss you so much!!

24 Weeks

When I think about it, 20 weeks seems almost more of a milestone than 24. But before I know it I'll be 30 weeks, and then 40. So I am trying not to think about it all too much anyway.

I wish you were here. I hate to say that. All the deployment crap we go through says not to worry you about "insignificant", "meaningless" problematic types of things. "Don't make issues." And I'm not, truly - you know that. And I think you above so many other people I know, love to hear that I wish you were here...more than me not saying it. I just miss you. It seems like it's been so long now. And it has been just 5 months. It seems like forever to me. And yet again, when you're home, I know it'll seem like you were never gone. It's so strange how our minds work. I guess they do what is best for us at the time. Now: me clinging to you getting back here. When you're home: me forgetting you were ever gone.

But I do miss you now more than ever.

Our driveway is so crappy looking, I should take a picture. You would probably be horrified. If we didn't wear our snow boots to get to the car we'd fall all over ourselves getting in. That's funny, but still... I feel pretty lazy that I haven't shoveled it. I may just do that tomorrow. We are supposed to have temps in the 30's for the next few days (YES!!!!). It is seriously a heat wave! I probably will be wearing a shirt and a sweater to shovel it. It has just been so cold, the idea is just daunting to me to go out there. I am hibernating in here. But really, it is very lazy of me. It would be so nice to walk out to our car free of obstacle-course-snow-piles. And snow-piles they are.

Yes, I miss you. I miss a man's body. Is that chaste enough to say in a public, eerr, sorta public, blog? Probably not, but this is mostly for you, and while I am not going to spew out the mouth in an unchaste way, I hate to not say what is on my mind...and I do just miss a big manly man near me. Oh okay, I mean, I can be near plenty of men, at the stores or wherever I go. But it's cuddling up and being close, and having eye and hand access at you that I miss. I guess that might be unchaste to say. But I am a married woman, so I'll say it, and be glad of it. I miss you.

We all do. I'm praying for you. We all are. Every day, and night, and any other time we think of it. The kids pray for you every single day. Luke prays often that you eat healthy food and that that healthy food makes you feel healthy and strong. It's so sweet of him. Livea always prays that you're not scared and that you're safe in "Iwrack."

I think the United States Army needs a few more men so that deployments can be cut to 6 months. That is what I think. Maybe you should come home and recruit. Can you even do that at your rank anymore? LOL.

Love you, love you, love you, love you and miss you even more.

20 Weeks

20 Weeks (yesterday) down, 20 more to go.

Well, technically 20 more to go anyway. I can't believe how basketballish-high looking my belly is. Has it always been like that? I need to go back and look at other pictures. I think it has been, but I don't quite remember, all my other pregnancies seem so long ago.

I had to shovel snow for an hour the other day, and I only did half the driveway. It was a great workout, and my forearms are sore from it. But a horrible reminder of how inactive I've been this pregnancy in comparison to most of the others.

I feel like March 12 is going to come to me so fast now. It seems like these 20 weeks have flown by already, and I can't believe it's just 20 more and I'm done with being pregnant and I'll be holding our baby in my arms. Does it seem fast to you too, or is time moving slow for you away from us? Are you taking pictures still? Are you writing in your journal still? I always forget to ask you when we talk on the phone.

So I've been writing lists to try to get ready for March, because to me it seems like it's just around the corner, and it is going to sneak up on me. First the lists were mental, and then as they became too great, I just had to start writing it all down to get it all out of my head and leave room for other information coming in. I can't find that same fishy pool we've always used during births. There is a slightly bigger one for quite a bit more money that I'll probably buy instead, but I am surprised they don't have that smaller one available anymore. Maybe I can wait until I am in Phoenix and just visit Toys R Us and see what they have in stock instead of paying more and shipping on top. If I do it right away I should have time if I still need to order online. Everything else is easy to get once I'm in Phoenix, for the most part.

Today I was sitting on the couch folding clothes while the kids were doing their workbooks. Suddenly I heard Lukas, in huge happy voice, say "I love Handwriting Without Tears so much that I'm going to cry!!" It was the funniest thing I have heard in days, I just sat on the couch and laughed with my laundry for a minute. What a joker. He cracks me up.

Well, it is getting later, and I have to go pick up milk, and get the kids to Taekwondo. We're going to look at Target and see if they have any sleds left too while we're in Manhattan. I hadn't been able to get a hold of anyone at Hildebrand Farms all week - the phone just rang and rang. So on my way home from Art class yesterday I drove over there. They were open. Their phone lines went down when the snow came in this week, and they hadn't been able to get them back up yet. I asked them if they had any extra raw milk, so they checked. Well I hadn't brought my bottles, because, well I guess I just wasn't being very prepared. SO I told them I'd go home and get them and bring them back. I didn't have cash either, or a checkbook, their only two forms of acceptable payment. So we went home, and I packed up the kids' uniforms, unloaded groceries, grabbed milk bottles, and headed back. I pulled into their parking lot and remembered I forgot cash. Arg. So I have to go get milk this morning, we are out. Their milk is the best. Better than JaKo, Inc. milk by FAR, Josh. You would even like it I think. I can sit there and drink a glass of milk for no reason except because it's good and refreshing. Anyway. That's my story. Oh, and then we had to drive back home because I forgot Jenna's sparring gear - and then they didn't even use it. Nice. Did I tell you all this on the phone already??? Everything is a blur yesterday.

We love you and miss you in this freezing cold weather!

16 weeks

16 weeks!!!

Seems way too fast already right?
I've been taking pictures, but I've been bad about getting them here for you. It feels like it's midnight right now and it's only 8:30. Since I am 16 weeks, I was motivated to actually take a picture. I figure maybe if I start now, I'll actually take one every 4 weeks. We've never been good at taking preggo pics, but since you're not here, I have more reason to.

We have been so busy the last few weeks. It seems like it anyway. Just running around, and school and homeschool-group...

All the spouses are telling me that Skype isn't worth the money. That they just sit there in front of their husbands and are like "uhh, hey...ummm, hi...uhh, yah bye" - maybe they talk often, and don't know what to say. It'd probably be different for spouses that Skype once a week or every other. A new lady to our homeschool-group said save your money, if you talk on the phone, it's just as good. So now I don't. Maybe it would be nice for once a week or so....just for us to see eachother, and good for the kids too. But that is a lot of money for once a week. You should just give someone $5 and say hey let me use your Skype today. lol. Okay, I don't know. It's up to you.

I invited Christina to come over for dinner tomorrow night again and stay over with the kids. She's not liking her weekends alone too much right now. It's funny because I don't really feel alone - with the kids around. I think if we didn't have kids, and the weekend came and I was just sitting in the house without you, I'd feel really alone, but the kids are always here, there is always shopping or cleaning to do, and I just feel busy and not alone. But she does, so I invited them over.

Well I am tired and ready to retreat to my bed and book, and probably your phone call soon after.
Love ya and miss ya, so much.