OhmygoshohmygoshOHMYGOSH!!!
36 weeks. 9 months pregnant.
3 weeks from delivery. 21 days.
21 DAYS!!! When did this happen?!?!
IT'S AVA'S BIRTH MONTH!!!!!!!
I can say that as much as I have loved carrying Ava, I am SO ready for her to be born!
Even though nine months is such a long time when you think about it, it has gone by pretty fast. Although it does seem like forever ago that I saw the word "pregnant" on that stick!
Sitting upright in a chair is probably my least favorite thing to do lately.
Doing simple chores exhausts me. Soooo...I pretty much just do the minimum to get through the day!
Both feet have swelled a little bit. And I have lost one of my ankles to pregnancy swelling. Just one! Some days it is more swollen than others depending on how long I've been on my feet.
I discovered two itty bitty stretch marks on my left hip. I am hoping that's all I get!
My belly button has popped, but just the top part of it. And only when I stand up!
My belly button has popped, but just the top part of it. And only when I stand up!
Ava's kicks are less than pleasant, although I still love to feel them! Her movements are very reassuring to me.
My belly really feels heavy now. It might have it's own gravity pull. Food seems to always land on it!
My belly really feels heavy now. It might have it's own gravity pull. Food seems to always land on it!
It took me 9 months, but I finally found the maternity section in the PX. I wasn't really missing out on much!
And I discovered Fiber One fruit snacks! Love them!
And I discovered Fiber One fruit snacks! Love them!
Today is also our 5 year wedding anniversary! I think this will be the best year yet!
I made a pecan pie cheesecake to celebrate.
Yes, a PECAN PIE CHEESECAKE.
I love cheesecake, and Chris loves pecan pie, so it was a no-brainer of a recipe.
I read that at 9 months pregnant, you either get really tired or you get an energy burst.
I'm thinking I'm experiencing the latter of the two! Cheesecake is a labor of love (which is another reason I chose to make it), especially when there are 3 components to it! And I chose to start making it at about 8:00 at night.
Today is also the 70th anniversary of D-Day. I am not known for my knowledge (or interest) in history, but my husband is the complete opposite, and plus, the Army is kind of a big part of my life now, so I am trying to learn. I hadn't realized how involved the 101st Airborne Division was in this invasion! Look for that "Screaming Eagle" patch on the arms of the soldiers' uniforms in photos. A lot of the street names on post here came from WWII: Bastogne, Market Garden, Carentan, Airborne, Air Assault, and even naming a neighborhood McAuliffe after the Division Artillery Commander at the time. We've been watching Band Of Brothers, an HBO mini series, about the events of that summer 70 years ago. David Schwimmer is in the first few episodes, so I had a bit of a hard time getting into it, because, c'mon...that's Ross from Friends! I couldn't take him seriously without flashbacks of "pivot! PIVOT!!!" and "It tastes like feet!". Anyway, if you're looking for a good summary of the history of the 101st Airborne Division, this is a good read.
We are thankful that Ava will be arriving soon. Honestly, things are getting kind of boring in our daily lives. I was afraid we had started a trend of getting another pet every year or so...
Instead, we just get to bring home a little froggie named Ava!
The other day I told Chris it was his turn to carry her. He told me he would take his turn at the end of the month. He's been so good at keeping me going during these last few weeks!
I can't wait to put her in her swaddle pod (it's a swaddler with a zipper down the front).
I can't wait to see her in a hair bow and to see if she has enough hair for a hair clip (I have a feeling she might!).
I can't wait to see her daddy hold her.
I can't wait to hold her!!
On a side note...
There have been a lot of people that have told us they want to come out and visit baby Ava this summer.
You will probably have get in line!
Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate everyone. We plan to spend the first few weeks as a new family of 3 without any house guests. We will need this important time to adjust to Ava and for myself to recover from my C-section. I don't think you will want to witness that!
We will eventually be open to visitors who stay in a hotel so we can maintain a routine and get the privacy and cat naps we (I) will need. It will be easier for us to only have visitors for a few hours at a time. Chris only gets 10 days total paternity leave, starting from the day of my C-section, so he will only be home with us for 6-7 days. After that, he will be back to work!
We will be coming home for a visit in August/September (pending Army scheduling) so it will save a lot of you a trip all the way out here! We would be able to arrange times for everyone to meet Ava in Kansas.
Once Ava is a bit older and I am fully recovered and have the hang of nursing and those sort of things, we will be more open to visitors to stay with us at our house. Of course, exceptions will be made for grandparents!
While some of you may be viewing a trip to visit us as a vacation with free room and board, that is not what this life event is for. I have been very overwhelmed (and honestly, kind of stressed out) with the requests from people to come and stay with us. There has been a lot more interest than I thought there would be! And while ordinarily I would love to have visitors, imposing on first-time parents with a newborn and a brand new mommy trying to recover from major surgery and adapt to breastfeeding (both of which mean I will need a lot of privacy), this is not the best time for us to be hosting people in our home.
I will not be cooking. We will not be going out to dinner in a restaurant. I would probably make you clean or do some laundry! Unless you come with the intention of cooking and cleaning so I can just focus on Ava, you will have to wait for awhile to come out and stay with us. This is a different situation than just driving across town to meet a new baby. We will need some time until we feel like we have a better sense of parenting and can actually enjoy having house guests.
My goal is not to be mean or hurt feelings or exclude anyone; if you really know me you will realize that is never what I would intend! These are simply the requests and wishes of a mommy-to-be. I have heard the 2 times in your life that you get to be selfish are on your wedding day and after the birth of a child! I am just glad we only live 8 hours from home - our next duty station could be much farther, which would mean probably only one trip home per year!
Thank you all for understanding and supporting us as new parents!!
I made a pecan pie cheesecake to celebrate.
I love cheesecake, and Chris loves pecan pie, so it was a no-brainer of a recipe.
I read that at 9 months pregnant, you either get really tired or you get an energy burst.
I'm thinking I'm experiencing the latter of the two! Cheesecake is a labor of love (which is another reason I chose to make it), especially when there are 3 components to it! And I chose to start making it at about 8:00 at night.
Today is also the 70th anniversary of D-Day. I am not known for my knowledge (or interest) in history, but my husband is the complete opposite, and plus, the Army is kind of a big part of my life now, so I am trying to learn. I hadn't realized how involved the 101st Airborne Division was in this invasion! Look for that "Screaming Eagle" patch on the arms of the soldiers' uniforms in photos. A lot of the street names on post here came from WWII: Bastogne, Market Garden, Carentan, Airborne, Air Assault, and even naming a neighborhood McAuliffe after the Division Artillery Commander at the time. We've been watching Band Of Brothers, an HBO mini series, about the events of that summer 70 years ago. David Schwimmer is in the first few episodes, so I had a bit of a hard time getting into it, because, c'mon...that's Ross from Friends! I couldn't take him seriously without flashbacks of "pivot! PIVOT!!!" and "It tastes like feet!". Anyway, if you're looking for a good summary of the history of the 101st Airborne Division, this is a good read.
We are thankful that Ava will be arriving soon. Honestly, things are getting kind of boring in our daily lives. I was afraid we had started a trend of getting another pet every year or so...
Instead, we just get to bring home a little froggie named Ava!
The other day I told Chris it was his turn to carry her. He told me he would take his turn at the end of the month. He's been so good at keeping me going during these last few weeks!
I can't wait to put her in her swaddle pod (it's a swaddler with a zipper down the front).
I can't wait to see her in a hair bow and to see if she has enough hair for a hair clip (I have a feeling she might!).
I can't wait to see her daddy hold her.
I can't wait to hold her!!
I had just woken up from my cheesecake-induced nap in this photo!
There have been a lot of people that have told us they want to come out and visit baby Ava this summer.
You will probably have get in line!
Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate everyone. We plan to spend the first few weeks as a new family of 3 without any house guests. We will need this important time to adjust to Ava and for myself to recover from my C-section. I don't think you will want to witness that!
We will eventually be open to visitors who stay in a hotel so we can maintain a routine and get the privacy and cat naps we (I) will need. It will be easier for us to only have visitors for a few hours at a time. Chris only gets 10 days total paternity leave, starting from the day of my C-section, so he will only be home with us for 6-7 days. After that, he will be back to work!
We will be coming home for a visit in August/September (pending Army scheduling) so it will save a lot of you a trip all the way out here! We would be able to arrange times for everyone to meet Ava in Kansas.
Once Ava is a bit older and I am fully recovered and have the hang of nursing and those sort of things, we will be more open to visitors to stay with us at our house. Of course, exceptions will be made for grandparents!
While some of you may be viewing a trip to visit us as a vacation with free room and board, that is not what this life event is for. I have been very overwhelmed (and honestly, kind of stressed out) with the requests from people to come and stay with us. There has been a lot more interest than I thought there would be! And while ordinarily I would love to have visitors, imposing on first-time parents with a newborn and a brand new mommy trying to recover from major surgery and adapt to breastfeeding (both of which mean I will need a lot of privacy), this is not the best time for us to be hosting people in our home.
I will not be cooking. We will not be going out to dinner in a restaurant. I would probably make you clean or do some laundry! Unless you come with the intention of cooking and cleaning so I can just focus on Ava, you will have to wait for awhile to come out and stay with us. This is a different situation than just driving across town to meet a new baby. We will need some time until we feel like we have a better sense of parenting and can actually enjoy having house guests.
My goal is not to be mean or hurt feelings or exclude anyone; if you really know me you will realize that is never what I would intend! These are simply the requests and wishes of a mommy-to-be. I have heard the 2 times in your life that you get to be selfish are on your wedding day and after the birth of a child! I am just glad we only live 8 hours from home - our next duty station could be much farther, which would mean probably only one trip home per year!
Thank you all for understanding and supporting us as new parents!!
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