32 weeks (backtrack from 10/18)

From Babycenter:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth...

My baby is comparable to a large jicama? Am I supposed to know how much a jicama weighs, much less what it looks like?? (I bought one, once, at the grocery store, for a salad...) It's been so interesting to see the comparisons these articles make: your baby is the size of a Chinese cabbage, or weighs about the same as a large jicama... It just seems like they pick weird vegetables for the comparison. What about a zucchini or a potato or something normal? :)

In other news, we are only about 8 weeks out from meeting our little girl Chloe! We are excited! We are planning on arranging a tour of the hospital soon, and I have the pre-registration form ready to go. I am in full nesting mode! Which at the moment, means buying curtain rods, making cloth napkins, and organizing baby clothes! I need to figure out what we are going to do regarding a changing table/dresser. Good thing babies don't need much, and the things they do need are easily procurable (namely, breastmilk and diapers!).

Sorry, no tummy picture this time! Stay tuned. :)

Three Years!

Three years is...

...shorter than a high school or college 'career.'

...less time than a typical (four-year) military assignment.

...longer than it takes to earn a master's degree (usually).

...longer than it usually takes to earn an associate's degree.

...shorter than the span from one Winter Olympics to the next.

Three years is how long Sean and I have been married! In some ways it feels like a lifetime; in others, like it has flown by in a moment. October 17, 2009 was an amazing day: the start of our life together. I'm really glad God brought us together. :)

Here are some stats of our last three years:
8 trips to Hawaii to see Nalani
5 trips to CA to visit family
5 camping trips (I think)
4 "homes" in first 6 months of marriage
4 TDY's (business trips) for Sean (I think)
3 10k races
3 beautiful kids
3 Christmases
2 miscarriages
2 moves
2 tours, at Schriever and Vandenberg
2 sinners in 1 marriage
2 out-of-state weddings of friends
2 big promotions for Sean, 1st Lt and Capt
2 garage sales
1 mortgage :)
1 major car accident
1 trip to Alaska to see Nalani
1 death in the family, Sean's granddaddy
1 "century ride" (Sean rode a bike 100 miles, better him than me!)

It's been a busy three years! I asked Sean if everyone's first few years of marriage are that full, and he didn't think so. We've done a lot of traveling. Caleb has been on either 14 or 15 plane trips in his short life-- I have just about lost track (obviously)! God has been so faithful along the way. I never could have anticipated, on our wedding day, where we would be now. But I wouldn't trade any of it, even the painful parts, because I know God has used them to grow us, refine us, and reveal more of Himself to us. I love my husband more than I did when we got married, and I can't imagine life without him.

We are looking forward to the next 30 or 50 years!

30 weeks

GAH! I accidentally typed 39 weeks the first time! Whoa. Okay, I'm better now. That could send you into a panic if you let it (and if it were true, ha). :)

We are at 30 weeks today!! It feels kind of like when you come back from Spring Break: the rest of the semester just FLIES BY. I sense the next 10 weeks will be like that, especially since it has now been two months since we arrived in California, and that has flown by.

30 weeks -- 75% of the way there!

As far as projects go....

I have decided to wait on making a duvet cover for our queen bed. Washing the current comforter greatly helped my frustration with that room. It was just a bit dingy; now it's cleaner and I don't feel compelled to cover it up. :)

I'm past halfway on a little quilt for our newest niece, Maleia Allen, born Sept. 12. It's turning out SO CUTE, I almost can't stand it. I'm so glad, because I encountered a couple bumps along the way in the planning stage. Nothing that multiple trips to fabric stores couldn't alleviate!

sneak peek!

Still considering sewing up a diaper bag and constructing a slipcover for our armchair and ottoman. Neither of those are critical, but "nice to haves." I've found a great tutorial online for the diaper bag, and it doesn't look too hard (probably a couple-day project since I would be working on it in little snippets of time). For the slipcover, however, it's like a foreign language trying to decipher the instructions. I just haven't had the "oomph" (or undistracted time to concentrate) to figure it out. Yet. We shall see.

Higher priority is decorating the kids' room! We have received our moving money, so now we can go to town! Not really. :) But we did set aside a little bit for curtain rods, curtains, rugs, etc... as well as a second set of ABU's for Sean, and a washer and dryer. You know, just a few little things. It is such a blessing to be able to set aside money for them without impacting our monthly budget. We budget pretty carefully in order to make all the trips to Hawaii that we do, and stay out of debt, and plan ahead for Christmas and birthdays and random, recurring things. God has provided so abundantly for us and we are thankful.

So... I am off to clean the bathrooms while Caleb is at Grammy's! Cleaning them is so hard to do when he is around (and awake). That and vacuuming! Because he wants to ride the vacuum cleaner. Or hold the handle. Or generally not want Mommy to be able to vacuum. :)

27 weeks (as of 9/13)

Here we are, on the cusp of the third trimester... fewer than three months to go! We have started a "girl clothes" bin (among the numerous boy clothes bins we have!), and my mom got an overflowing laundry basket full of adorable girl clothes at a garage sale last weekend. Looking at tiny onesies and little dresses and hats and tights makes it sink in a little that there's a real live little person coming soon. :) We are excited. 

self-portrait, with self-timer!

I haven't really done much to prepare. I have done very little reading this time around... I hope I remember what labor is like (ha). I do want to tour some of the local hospitals, since I get to pick this time. No military facilities nearby means you go to a civilian provider, which is nice but then I have to make an informed choice! :-P I also want to decorate the nursery/kids' room, but we are holding off on extra expenditures until we get our moving money--- almost two months later, and the process still isn't finished. I've been bitten by the sewing bug lately, and am working on a couple projects. Will post those soon! I want to sew a duvet cover for our queen comforter, just need to find fabric or curtains or sheets to use. I'm also contemplating making a slipcover for our arm chair pre-baby, but that's a little daunting since it has curvy lines and it's a new endeavor. Purses and quilts are pretty simple in comparison! 

artsy shot

Life is good. We feel pretty settled, and I am working on enjoying the little moments, not stressing about getting everything done. Not much else to report!

Pictures to come of projects and park outings. :)
M

Counting my blessings

There are so many things we can be thankful for here. I've been wanting to catalog the "easy to take for granted" ones, so here goes. I'm sure there are more I will think of later!

1. Sidewalks in front of our house. This was one thing that bugged me every time I went jogging or walking from our house in Colorado. There were not very many sidewalks near our house, so I would have to walk on the street, evading cars and dealing with a slight slant to the road. Here there are tons of sidewalks, and neat neighborhoods to explore.

2. Two parks within walking distance. The closest park to our house in CO was 0.9 miles away-- not insurmountable, but it was sometimes enough to dissuade me from making the trek. (I am a pretty pathetic pregnant lady, very bad at wanting to exercise much, despite my earlier enthusiasm for going to the Y.) Now, we have a great park just around the corner from our house! We pass five houses (along the sidewalk), turn right, and Caleb sees the roof of the play structure down a block and says, "Slide? slide? slide? slide?"

3. Familiarity with the area. It's very nice to not have to look up directions or an address every time you want to leave the house! I already know how to get places, and going to the base is no sweat (used to commute there every day!). I am a little rusty on where specific offices/buildings are on base, but it's coming back to me. :) It's funny how what I once thought of as "all the way at the other end of town" takes, at most, 10 minutes to get to. I was used to driving 20 or 30 minutes to get most places in the Springs, since we lived on the north-eastern edge of town. We currently live north(ish?) of where my parents live, so I am having to get used to the fact that some things are south of me.

4. Caleb's moldability. He has started saying, unprompted, "choo choo train after dinner" when we put him in the high chair, even at snack time or breakfast time. It's so great to see (and hear) confirmation that he is absorbing at least some of our instruction! I have started reading Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson, and want to re-read Shepherding a Child's Heart and dive into Instructing a Child's Heart, both by Tedd Tripp, I believe. We need help!!!! Caleb distracts himself (and tries to distract us) when we are trying to discipline him-- recently he showed us his belly button while we were "having a talk." It's so hard to stay serious when he does stuff like that-- it's so cute!-- but at the same time it's super frustrating when he refuses to pay attention and tunes us out. It's very important that he learns to listen to us, especially in light of his new game of running away when we call him, to make us chase him. VERY bad if he were to run into the street. We are still working on that one...

5. Timing of our move. Fall Bible studies are just starting up, so we will hopefully be able to get plugged into a church fairly easily. We have visited five so far, one for each Sunday we have been here, and have some great options. I am looking forward to getting back into more of a routine with midweek Bible studies.

6. A healthy, uneventful pregnancy. Today (9/5) I had my first OB appointment with my new doctor here in CA, and it was great. (We are officially 25 weeks, 6 days today.) He wanted to do an ultrasound to check out the baby (in 2D and 3D!!!), and of course I was thrilled to get to see her! That's always a treat. Everything looked good, and measured on track with my existing due date, as far as the baby's head and abdomen size. It doesn't hurt when the doctor says you are "thin." :) It's such a miracle, so surreal to see a little human body inside you. She was kicking, too, in response to the pressing of the ultrasound probe. Very cool. I happen to think she's super cute!! Can't wait to meet her and see her up close and hold her. That's a special moment, meeting your baby for the first time.

Just chillin...

No more paparazzi, please!

7. The mild climate. It has been in the 60's and 70's here, which is 20-30 degrees cooler than it would be in Colorado Springs! When I was pregnant with Caleb in the summer, I remember being very uncomfortable, and my feet were often puffy. Here I haven't noticed having that condition once! It's more humid here too, with the nice ocean breeze; my skin always enjoys that.

8. An abundance of fresh produce. I have really been enjoying the farmer's markets here! We haven't gone to a "pick your own" place yet, but that is definitely on our family radar for sometime soon. This past weekend we went to the Avila Valley Barn with Mom and Dad and got watermelon, asparagus, corn, nectarines, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. SO YUMMY. I don't even like raspberries that much, but they were sooo good. I can't say I love watermelon, but maybe it's just bland, watery, pithy watermelon that I don't like. :P Fresh, primo-ripe fruit is just so good. I'm so thankful we have access to such a variety of fresh (and usually organic) fruits and veggies. I cannot WAIT for pumpkins. Caleb will really be old enough to enjoy picking out pumpkins this year, I think. Fall's my favorite season... and I love pumpkins. I just love harvest and hay and orange and red... and baking. Lots of baking. I bought the big box of butter at Costco today- four one-pound blocks, which is equivalent to 16 sticks. (Hey, it was way cheaper per pound than at the grocery store!) I usually slice the bricks into sticks, then freeze all but a couple. I have many, many good-looking recipes I want to try out-- strawberry bread, apricot breakfast muffins, autumn muffins. I LOVE cinnamon and nutmeg and cloves. I will let you know how these new recipes turn out. :)

9. My amazing husband. Not only does he give me the opportunity to have (beautiful) children, he takes care of us so well. He's so diligent, and more often than not, if I happen to run an errand while he is at home, the dishes are done when I come back! He likes to straighten, he plays with Caleb and puts him to bed most nights... He does laundry and gives good back rubs (it's a toss-up to me, which of those two is more romantic!). It's so sad to think about "falling out of love" or not wanting to be married anymore. It kills me to think about us drifting apart, and I don't want that to ever happen; I never want something to come between us. I used to wonder, How can you know if your marriage will make it? So many of them don't. So many people give up, even after 20 or 30 years of marriage. And I have decided, at this point, that I can only do my best with today, and 'a long obedience in the same direction' will Lord-willing result in a long, stable, happy marriage (happy in the sense of "we still enjoy hanging out with each other after 10 or 20 or 30 years," not in the "he will fulfill all my wishes" sense). As in so many areas, with marriage, I am responsible for being obedient to God today. It's impossible to guarantee where you might be in 20 years, but I know where I am today (most of the time!), and I can be faithful with the big or little things God has given me at this moment, whether it's changing messy diapers or respecting my husband, cleaning bathrooms or training a two-year-old. Any task can be done for God's glory, whether it's fun or not-so-fun; visible or transparent; important or just necessary.

10. Family close-by! This is a biggie, and I'm not just saying that because my mom reads my blog. :) It is such a huge blessing to be near family. We really missed that in Colorado, especially around holidays where we couldn't go home. (Looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas this year!) We get the blessing of awesome meals that I didn't have to cook, fellowship, wise counsel, a "home away from home," a place where people know you and love you... and have known you and loved you your entire life. They get the blessing of being able to invest in their grandson, and soon granddaughter, and of course their daughter and son-in-law. It has been a really neat element of moving back. We are enjoying the opportunities for date nights too, with the best babysitters around. :)

I'm sure there are many more things to recognize and appreciate, but for now I'll stop at the nice, round number of 10. :)

Talk soon,
M

Settling In

We have been in California for exactly three weeks now, and are settling in well. So far we have partaken in several Central Coast specialties, though we haven't taken a single picture:

San Luis Obispo Farmer's Market - one of the oldest and largest farmer's markets in CA, with an average of 10,000 people weekly. Lots of fresh fruit, restaurant stands, live music and entertainment (bands, jugglers, balloon animals, etc.) and random protestors warning of genetically-modified corn or quoting Bible verses. (You can even register to vote at one of the booths...)

Avila Beach - Caleb LOVED the water and let the waves come up over his legs. He didn't want to leave! He's getting much better about tolerating sand on his feet too. There's also a nice playground with slides and swings. We enjoyed lunch at a place called the Hula Hut, with amazing salads, sandwiches, and wraps (and clam chowder!). It was a beautiful, sunny day. Sean and I threw around our frisbee a little bit-- I can still bend over to pick it up okay, but I can tell those days are numbered as my tummy gets bigger! The seagulls rifled through our paper bag of snacks while we were down at the water! The bag was pretty much demolished, and they ate some bread and who knows what else. Ooops. A beautiful day all around.

Bonfire/BBQ at Grover Beach - Sean's squadron held a social event there last Friday night, and it was neat to meet new people (and reconnect with a few people I knew when I worked with the Training Group on base three years ago-- some of the current squadron members were my students when I taught in the Group!) It was a gorgeous day, warm enough for short sleeves, with an amazing sunset to finish off the evening. In central-coastal CA, you always bring a sweatshirt to the beach, even in the middle of the day, in case it is "socked in" or foggy. But we didn't need our hoodies! I ate way too much tri-tip and chicken, but it was just so good! A place in Lompoc called Floriano's catered the main dish (ie. the meat) and it was amazing. I ate about half a chicken, I think. I "helped" Sean with his plate after he was done, too. There were a bunch of other little kids that Caleb played with, which was fun! He had sand EVERYWHERE... made for a fun bathtime (and a very sandy tub).

local farmer's markets - most of the farmers provide organic produce and it's a fun experience to wander among the canopies and enjoy free samples of peaches, strawberries, or grapes. Haven't bought squash, local honey, flowers, lettuce, artisan bread, or tomatoes there yet. :) Mom and I (and Caleb) went this past Wednesday and got some nectarines, white peaches, apples, and strawberries. YUM!

~~

There are many, many places and things we want to rediscover as a family, introducing Caleb to places Mommy and Daddy went when they were just getting to know each other four years ago. We met in October of 2008, so we'll be coming up on "anniversaries" like becoming an item (Jan. 25, 2009), first date, first Valentine's Day, first kiss (that date's a secret!), engagement, first "I love you," etc. I enjoy reminiscing about stuff like that.

Here are some of the places we want to go, with or without Caleb:

Oso Flaco Lake hike

Avila Valley Barn (with pick-your-own fruit and petting zoo for Caleb!)

Point Sal hike - one I've done many times, with various friends

Montana de Oro State Park - one of our favorite places to hike and camp

Jalama Beach - we camped there with friends during Thanksgiving '09, before we were even dating!

Splash Cafe in Pismo Beach - famous for their clam chowder in bread bowls, it's not uncommon to see a line of people snaking out the door and around the corner of the building, waiting for chowder or fish and chips.

~~

We have also been able to have a couple different people over for dinner-- on Sunday we had over Sean's coworker Jon, who just PCS'd here too (with Italian sausage/zucchini/tomato pasta and amazing oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies).... and Tuesday night, our friend Melanie who lives next door now (Mexican stuffed shells, Greek salad, and fresh fruit).

It's been a busy couple of weeks! All the boxes in the garage are at least opened, though we will need to go through several of them and pare down (i.e. get rid of junk). We have lots and lots of linens we aren't using, and I figure someone else could be using them RIGHT NOW. How many twin comforters do we need, anyway??? We have two twin beds... and about five comforters. I am determined to consolidate my mementos into one large tub: whatever doesn't fit, goes... and if I want to add something new, I will need to make room or get rid of something else. Right now I have several medium-size tubs of various memento items... and numerous shoe boxes with every birthday card, recital program, and wedding invitation I've ever received (or so it seems)! Yesterday I worked through two smallish moving boxes, and it felt quite liberating to go from two cardboard boxes full, to a shoebox of small papers and blank, usable notepads.

We have had some good quality time with Mom and Dad-- especially since they have laundry facilities and internet! ;) We finally got our wireless stuff figured out, thanks to the Comcast guy.... still waiting to buy a washer and dryer until we get our move money sorted out with the military. We've enjoyed some awesome meals at their house and good hang-out time. Sean likes all the meat Mom cooks in her meals. :) My penny-pinching, meat-stretching ways have been found out! (But as long as Sean is okay with upping our food budget, and he is, I am okay with cooking with more meat.) Caleb frequently asks for "Grammy cars," "Grammy hold you," and "see Papa?" We are really grateful to be near family, and not just for the free babysitting. :)

Caleb has been doing okay in his toddler bed. We have been trying it out since we moved, with varying results. The first few nights he did great! Now, occasionally he'll get up multiple times during the night... or come super early to our room and say something adorable like, "Daddy sleeping? Hello, Daddy," or my favorite, "Come out, Mommy? Mommy breakfast, please?" It's such a weird experience to hear something cute like that when you are soooo not fully awake yet, and wishing you could sleep some more. Part of me does enjoy his cuteness and treasures it away, and part of me is just very, very tired. He's been getting up at 6:30 most days this week... so I have too, for the most part. I realize that some people may not consider 6:30 to be excessively early, but I am admittedly not a morning person... and not really a night owl either. I'm more of a 9 a.m.-9 p.m. person! HA! Especially while pregnant....

Today he played with my night-table items until about 7:20, when I finally got up. The last few days this week at nap time, he has made a game out of seeing how many times Mommy will put him back in his bed! On Wednesday I lasted about an hour before giving up and letting him out to play. He was fine, in a cheerful mood the rest of the day, though yawning more than normal. Mommy was the grumpy one, from not getting her nap and her wishes being defied! Off and on I have been having difficulty sleeping lately (thankfully, it's not every night). One night I woke up at 4 a.m., wide awake, and just read on the couch until the day really started (we don't have a table lamp in the bedroom yet so I went in the other room to let Sean sleep). I've had some leg cramps and limb discomfort that keep me awake, or wake me up. But it makes me even more grateful when I do get good sleep. I am grateful too that I can safely enjoy a cup of coffee, and can stomach the taste/smell of it. During the first trimester, you aren't supposed to drink coffee, or consume caffeine from any source, really, because they think it might increase your chance of miscarriage-- I'm not sure how strong the link is between the two, but hey, it's worth refraining just in case. For awhile there (and I do love me my morning coffee!) I would make a cup, then take about two sips before not being able to drink any more. Thankfully, now I can enjoy it again, for whatever reason.

Anyway.... all that to say, I am usually tired at any point in the day, and trying to enjoy what free time I have, when Caleb is playing nicely with cars or trains, because I know those days are numbered. Soon, even if The Toddler is gainfully occupied, there will be an infant needing a feeding or a changing or a burping! It's still hard to believe. Even with feeling and looking increasingly pregnant, I still can't quite fathom the fact that there will be a new baby in our lives in less than four months. It will come soon enough, so I want to enjoy time with "just Caleb" as much as I can. Even if I am tired and NOT a fan of battles of wills.

It's really been a challenge for me lately, the stage he is in! I don't mind the outright kicking and screaming when he doesn't want to leave the park/beach/playground.... I just pick him up and away we go. Either other people will understand, or they won't. I am getting less and less worried about what other people think about my screaming child. The big tantrum is somehow easier to deal with because at this point I can somewhat control the outcome (by picking him up and walking away, or strapping him in his car seat, etc.) I don't try to reason with him or "ask nicely" for him to obey; I just "help" him obey. What gets my goat is the mischievous look he gets on his face when he is testing the boundaries, or the times he intentionally disobeys! He knows what we want him to do, and he does the opposite. Or throws food on the floor right after I just told him that was not okay. Repeatedly. That is the most tiring aspect of parenting, I think. Reinforcing things over and over. And staying patient when it is messy or exhausting or frustrating. It points us back to Christ, because we are not adequate for the task. He can help us, and give us wisdom, for which I am so thankful.

And now I am off to rest while Caleb naps! I lowered the mattress on the crib today, from the "infant" setting to "keeps in toddlers." He and I tried starting his nap in his bed today... then when he got up five minutes after I left, into the crib he went. He fussed for about five minutes, and is now quiet. I am totally okay with going back to the crib for awhile. There is no rule that says a child has to sleep in a toddler bed by a certain age, or ever. He will get more, better sleep this way... I will get a little time to rest or be otherwise productive. We are both happy when he wakes up-- win win!

We are pleased to announce...

God is blessing us with a baby GIRL! We are thrilled, and I am already starting to brainstorm a "kids' room"  decor scheme, something neither too girly nor overly masculine. (Current plan is Americana, with deep red, dark denim, and a creamy taupe. I can't wait to make a quilt for Caleb's bed!) We decided to make our second bedroom a guest/sewing room, and the third bedroom The Kids' Room. A toddler bed, crib, and bookshelf fit very nicely in it! :) She will probably be in our room for the first six months or so after she's born, so Caleb can still play in there unhindered. When Caleb was an infant, we used a co-sleeper next to our bed that worked very well for night-time feedings. He has still been sleeping in a crib in his room, since he hasn't tried to climb out yet (knock on wood), and has not yet slept in his toddler bed, but we are planning on trying it out tonight!

We have arrived safely in California, after a four-day road trip through Colorado, Utah, Arizona (very briefly), and Nevada. We have been staying with my parents until we get our house put together, and it is coming along nicely. I hope to download our pictures from the trip soon so I can put together a post with pictures! We saw some AMAZING, gorgeous Creation while we were traveling and I can't wait to share it.

During the trip, people (strangers) started asking me when I was due, so I think I am looking pregnant now. :) Definitely starting to feel pregnant! Like... walk a little funny, can't bend over pregnant. :)

It's bath time for Caleb, so I better go!!!

More soon!
M