Memorial Day

Thanks

Never forget. Never give up.

Now all we need is the baby

This weekend has been great. MCM and I haven't had a weekend where we've both been home and off work, at the same time. He frequently goes into work on Saturdays for a few hours. Not today. We went on a shopping trip *gasp* I know! I had gift cards to both Target and BabiesRus, plus something to return to BabiesRus.

After we came back and settled down from our galavanting, I went to work putting things together in Brendon's room. I emptied a ton of junk out of his crib and put a sheet on the mattress. I have to take it off to put the mattress pad on, but that won't take long. This kid isn't even breathing yet, and he has more blankets that I have shoes! That yellow one is from my mom and sisters. There's a little silky sitting in the corner from Paul who can't wait to play with Brendon. Literally, play with him as a football. He told me so himself...I'm going to have to nip that in the bud though.

You can see the stars, but you can't really see the nifty little swirlies that make this material a perfect with the quilt I'm working on. MCM's mom made them. She's quite talented in that area. They really brighten the room up, since the dark blue is so...well...dark.

I only showed half the dresser, cause the other half still had some junk on it. I got the lamp on clearance at BabiesRus the other week. Auntie Blondie gave me that Willow Tree figurine for a special occasion. I think my birthday, or anniversary...or Christmas. It's been a while. 

I just have a few more things to get straightened out. I have to find some place to put all those diapers from TWO diaper cakes. I have to return some baskets I got for the changing table shelves...they're two inches too tall. And take out all the trash that's accumulated from presents and such. 

I really just started this post tonight cause I couldn't sleep. Now I'm having a hard time holding my head up, so mission accomplished.

Welcome Baby Boy

My friend CtyGrl had her baby this morning. She was about 6 weeks ahead of me. Now? She's leading by a life changing event! Braden Eugene, Bee, was born at 4:41 am on May 21st. He weight 7 pounds, 2 ounces, and measured 19 inches long. His head is so tiny, his tongue so pointy. He's got super long legs and fingers and huge feet.

He stayed awake for quite awhile, letting us take pictures and annoy the snot out of him by unwrapping his blankets and nearly blinding him with our camera flashes. He loved to stick his tongue out, as if tasting the air, trying to figure out what was different.

CntryBy finally held Bee after CtyGrl feed him a bit. He had held him before, I'm sure, but this was the first picture I could get. Bee really wanted to stay awake, he kept fighting off the exhaustion. But I guess daddy's arms won and Bee drifted off into his first postnatal nap. I thought CntryBy might fall asleep  too with his newborn son in his arms. I have more pictures that I took with my camera, but I can't find my memory card reader, so these from my phone are all I have to show.

CtyGrl is my new hero. She made it through with absolutely no pain meds (until they had to stitch up the lacerations the kid's head caused)! I really want my delivery to go like that, but minus the lacs, of course :D This kid is so stinking cute! I'm having such a hard time comprehending the fact that SHE HAS A BABY! It was different when she was still PG, even though this day was coming, but Bee was not his own person yet. Well, he was, but, come on, you know what I'm getting at, right!? 

He was rooting constantly as we oohed and aahed over him. Then when mommy tried to feed him, he was like "I've opened my mouth; you do the rest of the work for me." He'd just open and wait and not think to close his mouth and suck. The pros came in and straightened him out. CtyGrl went at it like a natural, took it all in strides. I have an adorable picture of CtyGrl gazing down at him, so cute! But, it was one I took with my camera.

I'm not a patient person, any one who knows me, knows that. Unless I manage to hide it well. Last night, I did not hide my impatience at all. I arrived at the hospital around 3ish, along with Coast Guard Wife. We didn't really want to just sit in CtyGrl's room and make her feel like a goldfish. So we left to the waiting room. We got occasional updates from CntryBy. We finally got word that she was pushing, but she didn't feel like company-totally understandable. So we waited, and waited. Finally she was all cleaned up and we could go see her. 

I'm even more eager to meet my own son. I'm just a little, ok a lot, apprehensive about getting there. But for now, CtyGrl, you rock!

And I lived happily ever after

Can I just say that her hands were amazing?! Sure they were aged, not as strong as they used to be. Perhaps a little thinner, but they did a great job.

I went for a prenatal massage today. Blondie gave it to me for a baby shower present. Actually, she gave me 2 prenatal and 2 postnatal massages. Today was the first *sigh*

I had to drive through The Tunnel to get there, just me and my apprehension. I mad sure that I had my music, water and cell phone just in case something happened. It wasn't that bad actually. Traffic flowed nicely and I made it out the other end before I could be swallowed whole *whew*

I got there, "signed in" (their words not mine), entered the bathroom/locker room/shower room. It was pretty much plushy plushy. I had a robe, slippers, disposable underwear, and as many towels as I could use at my disposal. As big as my belly is, the robe still swallowed me up. Heh.

When my masseuse came to get me, I really hoped she was just the go-fer. She looked really frail and...old. But, boy, oh, boy, could she massage. She found this one spot, a muscle with a knot that I didn't even know I had. The muscle, that is. She rubbed and kneaded and pressed and oiled and kneaded some more *melts at the memory of it*

I hope she didn't mind my legs. They're not exactly hairy, but I wouldn't call them smooth, either. They're almost a cross between sandpaper and cacti. Know how legs get when you put lotion or oil on them...and if there's the slightest bit of growth on them...it becomes awful like...porcupine prongs. Or is it prines? Or prickles?

The drive back...of course there was a "disabled vehicle" in the tunnel. But really, I only spent about 15 minutes or so extra, waiting on the vehicle to be towed away. Yet again, the tunnel let me slip through it's jaws unscathed.

*sigh* I love happy endings.

Family Pictures

But with only with half the family around. I was worried at first, cause my dad seemingly started to snap pictures while we were standing in the sunniest spot of the yard, in front of the worst background... The sun was VERY bright, as you can see, the light colors are glowing.

So Dad and MCM and Blondie were glowing in the sun light, Thing 1 and Thing 2 were looking all springy, without being too bright. And then came me in dark blue. Eh, oh well, I think they turned out pretty cool.

Now I just have to get some of them printed out for my mom's wall of frames. The picture she has up there of MCM and me is from...2006. That's 3 years ago!

I know it looks like I'm posing WITH the tree, but really, I was in front of it. It just so happens that when I turned to show the profile, I ended up next to the tree.

Me and my daddy and the baby. See how his shirt glows, the shadows accentuate the faces...and my dress absorbs all that extra light....LOL

















Blondie, Me, MCM, Thing 1, Thing 2. The best part of the family, no?

And now my feet are swollen....

Base of the Washington Monument

I tried to upload a post from my iPhone, and it says it uploaded, but they aren't showing up. Bummer. Do any of you upload from a mobile device, and if so, how and which app (if it happens to be an iPod/iPhone) do you use?

Original Ruby Slippers

That out of the way, MCM and I are visiting my parents for Mother's Day (and to stop at the Cinnabon to get a free cinnamon bun for Nurses' Week :D). We decided to spend the afternoon in Washington, D. C. It was great fun, way better than just sitting around all day.

Kermit the Frog

We rode the Metro up, and stopped at the American History Museum. Here's some highlight pictures.

Stradivarius, I think

I didn't have my camera, so all these pictures were taken with my iPhone, and I think they turned out pretty decent.

Nice car, no?

After we made our way around the crowds of people also deciding to look at all these old artifacts and such, we meandered downstairs where we spent a small forturne on lunch. MCM's cousin, we call her Crazy Cousin, gave us some moolah that we used for lunch. We were going to try the ride simulators, if they let preggers people on them, but they were charging for them, so we passed it up.

Abe's top hat. He added the black velvet ribbon in memory of his son, Willie

We weren't quite ready to go home, so we chose to visit the Washington Monument on our way to see the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. It was a long, long, long walk. I considered mugging a few cyclists for their bikes, but then I remembered that I hadn't ridden a bicycle in...years. And, given my balance issues lately, I wouldn't get far.

Honoring the fallen and their memories

All these little presents made me wish I had something to give them. I was taking one of these pictures, and this guy stepped right in front of me. I was *this* close to moving around him, when he snapped to attention and saluted what I can only guess was one of his CO's/buddy's names on the wall. It was beyond words.

Proving I was there...where ever there was

Just to prove to you that I did go and did walk all the way, with my belly leading the way. Oh, someone gave up their seat on the Metro for me! I wasn't expecting it at all. We entered a really full train, with only standing room. This lady, who maybe remembered being pregnant on the Metro with no seat, stood up and said, "Here, sit down." Wow, huh?

You are not forgotten.

Week 30

Yeah, it's time. Here's some pictures from today. I've had to revert to wearing regular t-shirts, rather then the in-style baby doll T's. They just don't cover the belly. And this one is getting tight. *sigh*

I keep on getting asked if I'm ready to have the baby...NO! I'm not! I'm happily pregnant, feeling great, and usually can pull of the cute preggers look! There are times when I feel huge, when my back hurts, and I just want to lay around like a couch potato.

I had another doc's appointment this week. Guess what!? Doc didn't mention my weight; and when he did the fundal (uterus) measurement, his non-verbals indicated I was smaller than he had anticipated. Meaning??? This low-calorie stuff they have me eating is too low-calorie. But he would never ever say that, cause that would mean he was *gasp* wrong or something.


I've been able to schedule my work hours differently. Instead of working three 12-hour shifts, I only work one 12 and then I have three 8 hour shifts. I like that a whole lot more. Yeah, I have to go to work more often (thus getting up earlier more often than not), but I don't work as late. I have a whole lot less stress at work, though too.

Yup, that about sums it up.