Chid Abuse Prevention

So tonight our Child & Family Services Unit put on a ceremony to recognize Child Abuse Prevention.  The little ceremony is always moderately small but it's always so sweet.  We have the head start kids come and sing and they are just soooooo adorable!  We have each child hold a candle in remembrance of the children that lost their lives the past year due to abuse/neglect.  This year, Virginia had 45 fatalities.  It breaks your heart to see so many beautiful and innocent children holding these candles in remembrance.  It just makes you really want to work hard to work with families to make sure situations don't arise to this type of conclusion.  Anyways....April is Child Abuse Prevention month.  So try to make a difference in your community any way you can.  If you see something that puts a child in danger, do your best to work with the family to make sure that situation stops and they get the support they need.  Even if that means calling in professionals.  Anything to keep seeing these beautiful children smiles!!

On other news.....My BABY furniture is coming in tomorrow!! YAY YAY YAY!!!  SUPER EXCITED!!  It's getting more real.  I'm going to have little Norah here with me soon!  I'm 5 days away from being 6 months pregnant!!  Holy crap....how time is flying!!!  Only 3 weeks away from my 3rd trimester!  It's amazing how in a blink of an eye your life can change!  The furniture is going to be soo adorable.  I want to get the bedding and some wall art ASAP :)  Then I will have to show Cody by Skype our little baby's room!!  He's gonna love it!  Cody is going to be such a wonderful daddy! 

Breakfast, movies, and a clean baby room

So this morning I cleaned out Norah's bedroom and closet!  It was soo messy!  It collected lots of laundry over the weeks.  But when I got the call that our Nursery furniture was in (YAY WHOOT) I was right on top of making sure it could get here.  I just need to set up an appt for the people to bring the baby furniture by and set it up!!  I can't wait!!  Her closet is already full with tons of clothes :)  I also went to breakfast with mom & dad and it was delish!!  Then dad and I went to see the Lincoln Lawyer.  It was a great movie!  I liked it a lot...lots of twists and turns.  Right up my alley!!  I also took a couple pictures of my belly tonight.  I haven't taken any belly shots...so this is really one of the first.  Cody had sent me an email saying that he really wanted belly shots and that he missed me...so it's the least I can do...even though it's a little weird taking pictures of my belly.  But it is getting a little more exciting the bigger my belly gets!!

Wonderful Saturday!

I woke up this morning (after sleeping in...it was wonderful) and I had some left overs for breakfast (some orange chicken..ok, I know not completely healthy breakfast food, but whatev haha).  And I felt Norah move for the first time on the outside of my belly.  Ohh I wish Cody could have felt!  It was crazy!  I can't believe that she's getting so big that you can feel her on the outside!  It's soo exciting!!  I can't wait to meet her!!  So then I got on facebook and Crystal Ash invited me to go with the girls for a pedicure and lunch.  I was actually up for it and motivated so I changed quickly and headed out.  There were 8 of us getting pedicures, including one guy from England (Crystal's friend when she was stationed there).  He was so nice he paid for everybody's pedicures!!  Soo nice!!  That had to be expensive!  Anyways, when we were there it was hilarious...the massaging chairs had a butt massager....which it would have been nice for the theighs but then out of no where there was a fisting into the booty hole...HAHAHA it was soo ackward...it literally felt like someone was trying to shove their fist in my butt hahahahah....and I look over at Val and she had the same look on my face, what the hell...make this stop lol.  So we're dying laughing trying to find the seat off button but of course we couldn't find it.  We felt like we were being raped by this chair, it was hilarious.  Anyways, afterwards we went to Ruby Tuesday's for lunch.  Another couple came with their 3 week baby and while I was watching the little girl she started to move her tongue and I recognized it as her rooting (as I've been reading) so I asked if she was hungry.  The couple quickly dismissed me and was like no, she's fine she ate only an hour or so ago.  And I was like ok.  And then not even 30 sec. to a min later she started crying.....and they were like, well maybe she is hungry.  It made me feel awesome that I noticed the signs of the baby being hungry.  It gives me some positive hope with Norah!!  It really does matter reading books about it!!  So then after that I met mom up to go to a cute consignment shop.  Mom and I couldn't stop....too many cute things.  So once again after I said I wasn't going to buy anymore clothes....we totally did.  So here they are :)  This girl has more clothes than I do now lol....ohh how much she will be spoiled....it's going to be crazy!!

This last one is sooo my favorite!!!

Consignment Shopping!!

Ok, so now that I'm in the loop of all my friends with babies/kids I hear about all these consignment sales!! Today Holly and I went to one that was huge. I had a problem...I bought lots lol. But I only spent like $64 and I got like 16 outfits. Here are a couple of them! Now I can't wait till Norah comes, I can't wait to dress her! She's going to be soo adorable!!

 Hat that I got on Etsy.com!  Homemade and beautiful!

 Heart on her little bottom

 adorable!

 Little fall outfit...all it needs is some tights and ugg boots

 This dress was originally $30, I got it for $4.00 holla

 Adorable jean gap skirt!! 

 Norah's summer time hat!  Cute!!

 "Happy Bee'ing Me"

Walk this year in my shoes

I just don't think that the average person understands all of the luxuries they and their husbands have on a day to day basis and how much those who have husbands serve in the military have to give up for those luxuries.  Being a military spouse doesn't just mean that they have to deal with moves and deployments and separation.  I mean those are part of it.  But does the average person really stop and think what it would be like to walk in your shoes.  I know I never did growing up (of course I was young and didn't put myself in a lot of people's shoes...I had some maturing and growing to do).  But really I don't even think I would have REALLY thought hard about what it would feel like to be a military spouse.  I do think that if I had a friend going through what I'm going through I would understand.  I always try to put myself in the shoes of my good friends to be able to best be a friend.  And I really feel like I have great friends and a good support system.  But to tell you the truth I don't know how many of them really are considering how much Cody & I are going through right now and in the next 10 months.  I mean I'm soo tired of people telling me that "Everything will be okay" and "You're lucky bc you have family here" and "You have all of us" and "oh you have skype and webcam so he'll see the birth"  All of that is horse shit. I mean lets get down to it.  YES I know everything will be okay, YES I'm lucky to have family here, YES I have everyone around me and YES I have skype so Cody will see the birth.  But NO, he's missing the most amazing thing in the whole world, child birth, the birth of our first baby.  I mean we created a life together and he's going to miss that.  And family is wonderful to have and I wouldn't be able to do one extra day without the support of my parents....they are keeping me afloat during these hard times, mom coming over and helping with dishes, the dog, cooking.  Dad taking me to movies to keep me happy.  But sometimes there are certain times in life where parents can't replace a husband.  Yes I want my parents there and I can't imagine them not being there.  But it doesn't make up for the loss of the person you love the most in the world, the person that help create this beautiful life.  Cody was soooo excited about the baby, rubbing my belly when he was here, going to every doctors appointment, getting me little snacks when I didn't feel well, taking Vega on walks...being the support I needed.  Now, I come home to an empty house with nothing but chores to do.  I don't have any happiness at my house.  I love Vega to death, but after a long day of work and some days school I just don't have the energy and the time to give her the attention she deserves.  I feel like a horrible person because I have to do laundry, dishes, make dinner, do homework, write papers, pay bills....all the while she's looking at me like, hello, I've been home all day bored out of my mind.  Back to the baby stuff.  I just want people and friends to acknowledge the hardship that Cody & I are going through.  Someone to just tell me "It freaking sucks...like crap....and it's a HUGE deal that he is missing this amazing time in your lives."  Because really speaking, it feels like I'm a single mother....and in reality I am.  I'm doing EVERYTHING on my own, all the doc. appt....all the classes...everything.  I come home to nobody to help me.  When my water breaks, there's a good chance I'll be sitting in the house all alone.  I won't have that time that most women have when they get to wake up their husbands and tell them that this is the moment our lives are about to change.  I have to call someone to come to me....I have to make sure the dog has everything she needs before she leaves.  I pack my bags alone.  I see my friends all around me Suzanne and Mike, Jerrod and Phyllis....and they have no idea how lucky they are just to have the ones they love with them during this amazing time in their lives.  Jerrod wrote on facebook the other day that he felt his baby kick for the first time.......Cody will never feel Norah kick in my belly.  He's gone fighting for everyone's freedom to be able to experience those things.  He will get home when our little girl is no longer a newborn.  She'll be close to 6 months old....half of her life she won't know her daddy.  That breaks my heart.  Norah and Cody deserve to have each other...to meet each other.  Cody has so much love to give.  And he was ripped from us.  This is the worst feeling I've ever experience in my life.  Yet the most amazing.  How is that so???  Norah is the best thing that has happened to Cody & I and we would NEVER change anything about her.  She's amazing and beautiful and just wonderful.  We are both SOOO happy to have her a part of our lives.  Yet, everytime I get excited, I feel a shooting of pain of the fact that Cody is not here to experience all of these joys.  I feel her flip when I'm at home and I have no body to tell....Cody can't rub my belly and talk to her!  I just wish people understand how hard this really is, and don't just roll over it with some lame pick me ups like "Everything will be ok".  

Randomness

I made a steak dinner tonight!!!  OMG, and it TASTED GOOD!!  I'm sooo proud!!  I normally am not the cook in the family...but when 1/2 the family is gone it's really up to you to create a yummy steak when the pregnant chick craves red meat :)  My belly is so happy right now!!  Here's a little picture of my meal...it looked better in person!!

Another thing...here is the gnome that I painted at this pottery place. Me and another Air Force wife went the day that our husbands deployed. He started out looking like a transvestite gnome at first (purple shirt, red lipstick)...but now I just think he looks kick ass! He's awesome!!

And lastly, just a cute picture of the Vega-bear!! With her new oversized toy!!

Norah's photo shoot

                                                      22 weeks-Norah's profile shot

                                                       22 Weeks-Norah a little shy

                                                          22 weeks-little baby girl

                                                                 baby feet are so cute

                                                             arms crossed covering her face

                                                              fist-pounding it

 

Little Norah

Tuesday nights....stressful

Soo yeah.  Tuesday nights are not my favorite.  I have work all day long then I have to drive an hour to get to school for grad school followed by driving an hour back home.....with getting me home around 11pm.  So that means I leave the house at 7am and get home at 11pm.  That makes for one VERY long day.  Especially when I'm in a research class...with a teacher that can't teach.  She a nice woman, but she just can't explain anything. Sorry for my bitch session here.  I am just soo stressed out with work and school.  But on a nice note...a girl I go to school with bought Norah this cute little onesie...it was adorable and purple with little flowers and it looked like overalls but it was just a simple onesie....cute & functional!  Perfect!  I'll have to post a pic soon. 

Today I get to go to my Ultrasound!!  Yay!!  Luckily since my pregnancy is kinda considered high risk (my mom had some difficulties delivering), I get a lot of ultrasounds....so this is will be like my 5th one!! WHOOP!!  I love seeing Norah!!  It makes me feel so happy knowing that she is healthy and well!!  I can't wait to see her today.  Hopefully she will be more active so they can get all her measurements!  I'm also going to ask for a couple good pictures for me to send to Cody in Iraq.  I know he would like them!  Well, I gotta get going to this doc. appt.  Maybe I'll have pictures when I get back!!