Craziness

Sorry it has been awhile but I am afraid that that may be the way it is for the next few weeks. Let me let you know what is going on in our wonderfully jam packed lives. This past week was absolutely crammed with activities.

House: The countertop guy was here throughout the week and plans on having all the countertops installed by Monday (Right now the bathroom counter is in- minus the back splash.). The carpet layer came on Wednesday and finished laying the carpet on Saturday. Also on Saturday, we had our Real Estate agent come buy to give us a market analysis of the house. We hope to put the house on the market by the end of the month and be moved out by mid June. *For those of you who are wondering what in the hell I am talking about. I will update you later in this post.

Pictures: Friday, we had professional pictures taken. The photographer came to our home which was wonderful!! She was here for well over 2 hours and I think that the pictures are really going to be great. She should be done editing them this week and is scheduled to come back to the house this coming Friday to show me the proofs. She is going to post them on the internet for me so I will pass the link on when I get it.

Wilson: Will is doing wonderful. I haven’t got to sleep through a night yet but he is such a good baby that I really cannot complain. I weighed him on our scales today and he weighed 14 pounds (clothed). He has grown a size in diapers (2) and is wearing some 3-6 month old clothes. I know that I’ve said this before but I will say it again. He is getting so alert!! Today, I swear, he laughed as he hit his toys hanging above him on his activity mat. I brought the mat downstairs so I could vacuum and Wilson just played and played. He really is a happy kiddo. I honestly think that he has given me the best gift I have ever received. I never knew (well, I thought I knew) how much I would love him. Words honestly cannot express the feelings that stir inside my heart when I look at him. It is the greatest gift!

*What in the hell I am talking about: Chris is separating from the Air Force this July and has accepted a job offer with a civilian construction/engineering company. The company’s division he has signed on with has contracts throughout the northwest (AK, WA, HI, CA, OR, AZ) and, as of last week, it looks like the possible location of Chris’ job will be one of these three: Yuma, AZ, Hawaii, or Portland, OR. All great locations, but, we have a catch…As many of you know I have been applying for the past 3 years to various graduate programs in Speech-Language and have not been accepted due to the highly competitive nature of the programs, however, this year I have had some different news!! This past Tuesday I received the call from Washington State University saying that I have been accepted into their speech language pathology program. This is absolutely wonderful news and, although it will be challenging, I have accepted the opportunity. Here is the catch… It looks like Chris and I may be living apart for a little while. We had hoped that his job might have a contract available in the state of Washington but, as you remember from earlier in the post, that is not the case. We don’t really know what we will be doing for sure right now. Chris left today for a TDY and will be home in 11 days. Hopefully, by then we will know more regarding his job offer. We are trying to look at the overall picture and feel that the worse case scenario is Chris in Portland and Wilson and I in Spokane. We have a lot to work out and are going to do are best to get close to one another. I have considered only going to school 1 or 2 semesters and then trying to transfer to Portland. Chris has considered looking at other companies. We just don’t really know. We plan on taking it as it comes and just seeing how it goes. It could be worse. Portland is much closer to Spokane than Iraq.

My Dad, ,thankfully, has extended his stay here and is going to go with me to Spokane this week to stop by the University, check out real estate, and meet with a lady who has a home daycare (she is full but willing to help me locate the best care possible for Wilson while I am in school).

I'll update again when I can...

Basement pictures

I have uploaded basement pictures to the web album. I will take more through out the weekend/week so keep checking the album for more...

Me and my babe leaving a quick update...

Everything and everyone is well. The basement is moving along. I went to a carpet place today and we should have all our flooring done by Thursday next week. Chris has taken tomorrow off and he and Dad hope to finish installing the doors and cabinets. I need to take some pictures of the basement. That will be on my list for the weekend! Anyway, Wilson is asleep for the evening, well at least 3 hours, so I thought I would drop a line or two. Hope you are all well. I will try to write more soon. Hope you all have a good Easter. Much love, Jame

It's been crazy lately...

Here is a summary:

Will is sick- runny nose and coughing- has baby acne and a diaper rash. The ance showed up on Saturday. He doesn't seem to care too much about the cold or rash because he isn't fussing much more. All in all, Wilson is a pretty laid back baby and just needs a soft voice or pacifier to calm down. (I should have never typed that because I am sure it will set me up for a bad day/night!)

This picture is from a few minutes ago. He is sleeping and has been since 8 so I may only have a few minutes.

Chris has been "in the field" all weekend doing an exercise. On Saturday the Airborne team jumped and Dad and I were able to go and see it. It was really amazing to see. Dad took some pictures with my camera and I video taped. When I get a chance I will dowload the video for you all to see. Until then, here are a few pictures. Chris was the second to jump.

Even though the jump was amazing to see it was one jump that should have been canceled (because of the wind). 4 out of 20 were injured (including Chris). I don't know if Chris went to the Doc yet but he sprained his ankle pretty bad. On Saturday he was swollen, black and blue, and having some trouble walking. I gave him some horse pills and he was going to tuff it out through the exercise. He should be home this evening so I will update you as soon as I can.

Dad has been working hard. We spent most the day yesterday cleaning. Our entire upstairs is dust covered. Its unbelieveable how much dsut is everywhere. I have had to wash everything. I mean EVERYTHING!! Anyway, the drywall is now finished and ready to be primed and painted. In fact, Dad is downstairs right now getting ready to prime the ceiling and walls. We hope to have everything painted this week.

Gotta go. I hear Wilson.

Happy Birthday and more...

Bo is one year old today. Happy Birthday Bo!!

Okay, so my letters were officially blown all over town...Yesterday, when I was napping, a neighbor delivered a bill and one thank you letter. Looks like I don't have to write that one over again.

Will is getting bigger and stronger every second. He has been awake and bright eyed today; and during tummy time he held his little head up for over a minute this morning.

The basement is coming along. The guys have everything taped and will be back later today to put on the corners. I'll take pictures this weekend. Dad is running to the grocery store for me and I am catching up on house stuff while Wilson is starring at himself in the mirror.

I'd better get busy, it is getting close to feeding time. Enjoy the new pictures in the album.

Welcome Noah and Happy One Week Wilson!

My friend Courtney had her baby Noah yesterday. He was 7lbs 11 oz and 20 ¾ inches long. Congrats Court and Jace we are so happy for you two and can’t wait to introduce our two beautiful babies.

It is hard to believe that Wilson is one week old today. With every minute that passes I love him more! When he is fed he grabs your hand tightly and clinches his little fist. He loves his face and is often found with his hand up by his little chin.

Yesterday he propped his own chin up when I burped him. He makes some great faces. He really looks like a wise old soul. I think his most frequent facial expression is one of deep thought. I guess he is already like his daddy and solving the problems of the world. Today I asked him what he thought about global warming and this is the face I got.

No photos please.

Here are some pictures of the basement. Chris truly is a superman. The great/rec room is completely rocked and he is now finishing up one of the spare bedrooms.

Superman

Just look at all Chris has done this weekend, and the weekend isn't even over yet. He should get a lot more done today because our friend Jason just called and he is coming over to help. Thank you, Jace!



He has the large room's ceiling just about finished:

As you come down the stairs.

Above the bar

Buck with a drywall nose.

Basement and Belly

Here are some pictures from the basement. Chris has the fireplace in and all the insulation up. He even has a few pieces of rock up in one of the rooms. We rented a sheet rock hoist tomorrow and Chris plans on hanging rock all weekend.

We took some pictures of my belly last night. It is crazy how big I've become. The only shirts I can wear now are Chris'. My maternity tops (even the size large) show my belly. I never thought that I would be able to fit into, or should I say fill out, Chris' shirts. I cannot wait to wear normal clothes again and sleep on my belly. Just the thought of laying on my stomach makes me smile.

I am enormous!!!
Today I have been super TIRED. I slept well last night, which has been a rare event this pregnancy, and went back to bed after breakfast until almost noon. Normally I would feel bad about all that sleep but not today. I think my body is naturally preparing for labor and infant feedings. I know I won't be getting much sleep the next, oh, 18 years.

Busy weekend

Wow did we have a busy weekend. It all started last Thursday when Home Depot dropped off basement materials. The delivery truck arrived at our house around three with an entire trailer full of supplies. We had 3 pallets of insulation, 1 pallet of bathroom materials (shower rods, sinks, faucets, etc.), 1 pallet of drywall mud, bi-fold doors, molding, and 155 4x8 sheets of drywall.Everything went smoothly until it came to the drywall. The night before it snowed and our driveway was covered. Naturally, the contraption the man was driving could not get the drywall inside. He kept spinning on the snow and said that the weight of the drywall was just too heavy. I asked him if he would take the drywall back to HD because it was snowing and deliver the material another day. After all, I can’t help that it snowed the night before and that his contraption cannot do its job. Well, that was not an option. He would not and could not take the drywall back!! He had “other deliveries” and was going to leave $1,500 worth of materials outside in the snow. Needless to say, I was not too happy but there was nothing I could do about it. So he left the drywall IN THE SNOW and went on his Mary way. That night Chris and I covered the drywall up with a tarp and crossed our fingers for cold weather. Thankfully, the weather held up and Chris had some guys from work come over and help him move all the drywall inside on Saturday. (We were super lucky too because Sunday it warmed back up to 45 degrees and all the snow melted.) Saturday, not only did Chris get the drywall inside he put in the fireplace, rearranged the spare bedroom, and put the crib up!!!

Have I mentioned lately that my husband is amazing!? Everyone always worries about the pregnant one (how I am feeling, coping and adjusting to the idea of delivering and having a baby) but the men have a lot going on too. Chris is so strong and doing so much for me. I am sure (he hasn’t told me this) that he is dealing with similar anxieties and emotions but he just keeps it all together. He balances work, home construction, me, the dogs and the idea of becoming a father like a star- never complaining and faithfully dependable. I am so lucky!!

Sunday Chris worked on the basement (fixing the final things the inspector suggested) and I had my baby shower. The shower was wonderful. We shared stories, laughed and ate some yummy chocolate cake!! I can’t believe how many people sent things for us from out of town!! Seriously, it was great!! We really miss you guys!!! Thanks so much!! It was like I had you all there.

Taking it easy and loving my man.

Okay, so there have been some changes over the weekend. I will spare everyone the details but let's just say that we think Junior will not wait until his due date to arrive. I have put myself on bed rest for the next week- in hopes that he stays put a little longer. While I have been taking it easy Chris has been running around like a mad man.

Saturday he made a baby supply run. We now have diapers, wipes, some onsies, diaper cream, a mattress, sheets and pacifiers. There are a few other things we need but I am not worried about getting them. After all, when I do deliver I will be in the hospital for 2 days- so we will manage. Our car seat is in the car, not hooked up but in the car, and our bags are packed.

Yesterday, Chris spent most of the day at Home Depot. He has ordered most of the supplies we need to finish the basement (everything from the toilet to nails) and I think that they are delivering the sheet rock and insulation one day this week. It is a sigh of relief to both of us that we have everything ordered or under control. The basement won't be done by the time we meet our son but will we get it done soon after. Along with shopping, yesterday my engineer put all of our expenses in a spread sheet and we know exactly how much we need to sell the house for when we leave. That is another weight off our chest. We have dropped a lot of money into this house but think it will all be worth it in the end.

Okay, I need to get back to propping my feet up.

2 cm dilated 50% effaced

This guy could come anytime or wait to be induced at 40 weeks. Who knows. I am to take it easy until 37 weeks, which is almost 2 weeks away. We are getting some things together and packing a bag just in case. The Doctor said that he will be okay if I delivery now and that they won't stop labor after 34 weeks. So I guess that is a good thing. Ideally we want him to wait. If I do deliver soon it will depend on his size on if he can come home with me. He might need to spend some time in the nicu. Because I want my little guy with me I am going to lay low. I realize that he will come when he comes but I am not going to do anything that will "help him along". Keep your fingers crossed for a Feb birth and not a Jan one.

On basement news. We had inspectors here today and everything looks good. Chris needs to make some minor changes to a few things but we are on the clear for insulation and sheet rock. Hopefully we will get some things moved this weekend. I am thinking of buying a bassinet to put in the room that way we can keep the bed upstairs (the bed, desk, and crib won't all fit in our spare).

Basement pics

The bathroom is officially plumbed! Chris shut the water off yesterday and connected the lines. We now have running water downstairs!! C really did a wonderful job!! He just keeps impressing me! There was only one minor leak (drip....drip) which just required some tightening at the connection. The tub is even hooked up and ready to go. Next step: inspection.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the movie... Originally, we were going to go to the early show but the basement trumped those plans. So we decided to go to dinner then the show. Dinner was good (besides the hair in my burger); we took our time and dined but my body just couldn't take sitting in a movie for another 2 hours. (When you are this pregnant sitting for too long is just plain uncomfortable and the only way you can get semi-comfortable is to lay down.) So, we didn't make it to the movie but we did rent one that I enjoyed while laying on the couch.

Not much is happening...

here in Montana. This week has been busy and yet not much has been going on. I don't know how that happens- but it does. Work for me was good. All the kiddos seemed to miss me. My stomach apparently tripled in the past two weeks because the kids can't stop looking at it. One of my students asked me- why my stomach was still getting big? After I explained that the baby was growing he quickly responded with- when he is done growing they will cut him out at your belly button. I remember thinking the same thing when I was little...

I went to the Dr. this week and all looks well. Junior's heartbeat is strong and I am doing well. My Dr. prescribed me something for my heartburn so I really can't complain.

It has been super windy lately (so bad that I thought the house was going to blow away) and yesterday it snowed. Chris has worked on the basement most of the week- including yesterday. I helped him in the evening and I'm very happy to report that most of the plumbing is now DONE. I will try and take a picture later.

Chris leaves this week for a TDY. On his way home he is stopping through Denver to meet up with the USAFA crew and his brother for a little ski trip. With all the snow that CO has had lately the skiing should be awesome. I know that Chris is excited to see everyone and try out his new ski boots. I would love to go too but I am not actually in the best ski shape. I could see me now- rolling, literally, down the mountain. There’s always next year.

Today Chris and I are planning on going to see The Good Shepherd. I’ll let you know what we think…

Until then, I will leave you with a picture of the boys. Hope you all had good weekends.

Life is hard!

Happy New Year!

I hope you all brought the new year in with a blast. We had a boring but relaxing evening. Chris worked on the basement while I took down the Christmas tree and got some things together for my Graduate school applications. We had dinner around 7, watched Over the Hedge, and went to bed by 10. Exciting huh? The kid isn’t even here yet and we are watching cartoons and going to bed before the New Year rings in. (At least it was midnight EST.) Oh well, I feel great today and am finally beginning to catch up from our trip to OH.

Today, for the first time in a LONG time, I went to the gym . I have been walking the pups at least 3 days a week for 45 minutes but haven’t been able to get on a cross-trainer in some time. Since I am taking the semester off from classes I now have Mondays and Fridays free. So I plan on making it to the gym at least 2 days a week (in addition to walking) until the baby comes. I am starting to freak out a little about my after baby body. Maybe I should have put the fudge down this Christmas because I know that the baby is not the only contributor to the “cheese” on my legs!!! Please, oh please, tell me that I will be able to get rid of all this jiggle.

Chris is busy being my electrician in the basement. I am so thankful to have such a handy and talented hubby. He is really moving along down there. After the electric is complete he has to put in the water supply line and then he can call the city inspector. After the inspector comes we will be in the home stretch. I think that we will get the basement done before Junior arrives. (Less than 2 months now!!)

I hope that you all start your year off right. May this year be filled with health, love, happiness and laughter. I think that 2007 is going to be a great one!!


Look at how beautiful it is here today- sunny and blue skies. I love it!! The snow on the ground really adds to the backdrop.

Basement and Belly

Watch out!! I have the nail gun!!

18 weeks and 4 days



Chris had to take a picture of my shirt... Thanks Angie!! I am so glad that you passed it on to me. It is definately appropriate.

Today's progress

I tell you what, that hubby of mine has been hard at work. Just look at what he has accomplished... IN ONE DAY!! He is amazing!