Celebrating the New Year

I love this time of year.
Thanksgiving - a time for thinking of the good things in our lives.
Christmas - a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, as well as a time of gift giving and receiving.
New Years - a time to reflect on the past year, as well as looking forward to what the new year has to bring!

2014, what a wild and crazy ride it's been!  Andrew completed basic training and tech school for the Air Force, became a father, moved to Europe, and started working as a broadcast journalist at AFN.  I worked at 3 different jobs (at different times), had a baby, moved to Europe (with a 2.5 month old), and became a stay-at-home mom.  CJ was born(!!), learned to smile/roll over/laugh/squeal/etc, and is now working on "talking" and scooting across the floor!  She also made a trip to Wyoming to visit her cousins and moved to Europe before she was 3 months old!  She's had a busy 6 months.  Andrew and I were apart for 208 days in 2014, including the day CJ was born.  Those 208 days were hard (some more than others), but I feel like it has made me more appreciative of the times we are together.  It won't be the last time we are separated, but I'm definitely enjoying our life right now!  We love it here so far.  We have made friends quickly, and living in Europe is cool!  (Also, the butter, bread, and chocolate are delicious.)

We already have big plans for 2015!  We're planning a trip to Germany in January, I am going to Ireland with friends in February, Andrew's parents are coming to visit this summer, and my parents are planning a trip for the winter.  We also hope to visit Paris and Amsterdam (both are close) at some point this year.

I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season and 2014.  If it wasn't your year, I wish you the best for 2015!

Gent

Last weekend Andrew had Monday and Tuesday off for Veteran's Day, so we decided to use one of those days to do a little sightseeing.  I looked up a few places to go within a reasonable driving distance within Belgium, because we didn't want to stay overnight and we don't have our international driver's licenses yet.  We decided to head up to Gent and just "see what we could see".  We didn't make much of a plan, but that was fine because things rarely go as planned with an infant anyway.

So we got up on Tuesday, threw the stroller in the trunk, grabbed some Pringles and bottled water and hit the road!  Even just being in the car, I immediately felt relaxed.  It was really nice to just be out of the house, chatting with Andrew, with no particular agenda to follow.  CJ fell asleep in the car, and didn't start to fuss until we were about half an hour outside of Gent.  We decided to push through and feed her when we got there.

Upon arrival, the first goal was to find parking.  Fortunately, there were several parking garages to choose from, so we picked a spot and I fed CJ while Andrew got the stroller out and ready to go.

We had a really nice day just strolling around, looking at beautiful old buildings and the canal.  It was a little cold, so we bought hats and wished we had brought warmer clothes for CJ.  She kept kicking off her socks and we didn't have mittens for her hands, so next time we'll be sure to put her in one of those little baby Eskimo suits that she can't wiggle her way out of.  Despite the cool weather, she seemed to have a good time looking around and sitting in her stroller "like a big girl" (without her car seat) for the first time.

Bundled Baby

We also wished we had brought the baby carrier in addition to the stroller, because having the stroller somewhat limited what we were able to do.  The shop doorways were narrow, but many of the shops were closed for Armistice Day anyway.  The restaurants were a little crowded and we had a difficult time finding one we could get into with the stroller (we finally ended up at Subway simply because it was the least crowded - it wasn't fantastic and definitely tastes better in America), and we would have liked to go on a boat tour on the canal.  Next time we go we'll definitely do that, and make sure it isn't a holiday!

The Canal

We quickly realized that you could easily spend days there visiting all of the museums, shopping, and touring the city.  Since we live pretty close, we'll probably just make several day trips there while we live here.

Panoramic view of the city center.

It was a great day and it ended up being a good choice for our first sightseeing trip.  We're looking forward to going back, as well as visiting other cities all over Europe!

There were a lot of cool statues like this one.

Selfie.

She fell asleep while we walking around,
which is pretty impressive considering the cobblestones and bricks.

I tried my first Belgian waffle! We got it fresh from a street vendor.

It was delicious, and absolutely nothing like an American waffle.
They are crunchy and have caramelized sugar on the outside, along with the chocolate and whipped cream.
It was definitely more like dessert than breakfast.

This was on our way back to the car, after we discovered that
CJ needed both a diaper change and a wardrobe change.

Cloth Diapering - My Thoughts and Goals

For several reasons, some moms put a lot of pressure on themselves when it comes to cloth diapering.  Some feel pressure because there is usually a significant startup cost when the diapers are purchased (for high quality diapers), and they feel they have to make that money back.  Lucky for me, that is not the case here since we were given almost all of our diapers and they are all GREAT.  Some feel pressure just because they feel like failures if they try something and then for whatever reason it just doesn't work - hate the extra laundry, can't stand the poop, husband/daycare/family isn't supportive, etc.  Some feel pressure because they convince themselves that disposable diapers are the devil and if they use them AT ALL, they have failed.

Because I am prone to putting pressure on myself (thanks, anxiety disorder), I have made a conscious effort NOT TO in this case.  Sometimes, it just doesn't work out, and that's okay.  I feel that I have set realistic goals for our family, so that if it doesn't work out long term, I'll be just fine.

So here are my thoughts and goals, in no particular order:

1. Disposable diapers are not the devil, and we'll probably always have some in the house.  At first because almost my entire stash is "one-size" diapers and they won't fit her very well when she first gets here, and then simply for convenience.  If we're going to Paris for the day (it will be 2 hours from where we live, seriously) or to Germany for a long weekend, taking disposables will just be easier than taking the cloth diapers, a way to rinse them, a pail to keep them in, etc.  At home or for a trip to the grocery store, I really don't think cloth diapers are a lot of extra work because everything you need for them is already there (or a short distance away), but away from home is a different story.  Trash cans are nice on the road.

2. I want to use the diapers the majority of the time for at least THREE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS (once they are fitting her well, obviously, so not necessarily the first three months of her life).  I think that is a good amount of time to allow myself to "get into a routine" of changing, rinsing, washing, and putting away, and to see if they are a good fit for our family.  Plus, that is longer than the 2 months it will take to "make our money back", so I'll feel like it was worth it even after that short amount of time.

3. The truth is, I think it will be hard.  It won't be impossible, but it will be a challenge.  It will require getting into a routine, patience, and dealing with a little poop.  It will require my husband to be very supportive and willing to do just a little more work when he changes a diaper.  I will sometimes be frustrated with the extra laundry or other challenges that come with cloth diapering.   However, the other truth is, I like doing things that are hard.  Until just over a year ago, I was in school.  If I wanted easy, I would not have chosen to get a degree in chemistry - my science classes were BY FAR my hardest.  Now, my challenges are different because my life is different, but I still like trying new things that are hard and that I'm not 100% positive I will be successful in doing.

4. I have to feel like I'm contributing.  As a stay-at-home mom, I won't be making money or providing for myself in any way for the first time in our marriage (really for the first time since I was about 16 or younger - I obviously didn't provide for myself but I did make SOMETHING, just like I'm doing now working part-time).  Because of that, I not only want to SAVE money so that I can continue to stay at home, but I also want to do the very best I can as a mom.  For me, trying out cloth diapering is a way to do that.

5. I'm open to failure.  Once I've tried it out, I'm actually completely okay with exclusively using disposables if I feel like that will be the best thing for our family.  The thing is, I'm a person who believes "you can't knock it until you've tried it".  I feel like I can't make a completely informed long-term decision for my family and my child until I've tried it both ways.  I have enough experience with disposables to know what that's all about, and now I want to do the same thing with cloth diapering.  Since I have the time and opportunity to try it out, I want to.


I feel like I need to point out that all of this is exclusive to me and my own personal situation and family.  I am definitely someone who feels that what is right for one family may be completely wrong for another.  For me, I think that this is something that will benefit my family in the long run, and that's why I want to do it.  Now that I have everything, I very well may jump in and out of cloth diapering as my situation changes.  Sometimes they work better at different ages than others, and sometimes they work better when you aren't living with your in-laws. (We'll see how that goes...)  For now I'm just excited to see what happens and how it works out for us.

Cloth Diapering - Q & A

We have decided to try cloth diapering with our little girl.  I know a lot of my friends and family have questions, so here are my answers.  All of these are my own personal opinions, as this is my blog, and pertain to my own experience and situation.  What is right for one family can be completely wrong for another, and I honestly don't know if this is "right" for ours yet.  We're going to try it out and see!

Why?

I have several reasons for wanting to try cloth diapering.  First, I like the idea of reusing things that can be reused, rather than just throwing everything away and creating unnecessary waste.  I also like the idea of saving money, especially since we will be living in Europe where things are generally more expensive.  Also, cloth diapers are SO SOFT.  If I was a baby, I think that's what I would want on my bum.  They also make them "stay-dry" now, so the baby doesn't feel wet just like with a disposable.  I've used them before, when I used to take care of my nephew, and I feel that that experience gave me the "boost" I needed to TRY.

But what is wrong with disposables?

Here's the thing: I don't have a problem with disposable diapers - AT ALL.  We're planning on using a combination of both cloth and disposables, because we both agree that there are some situations where the CONVENIENCE of disposables just flat out can't be beat.  Also, while Andrew is completely on board with trying out cloth, he is MORE on board knowing that there will still be disposables in the house.

But aren't cloth diapers a lot of extra work?

Honestly, I don't think they are.  Modern cloth diapers are VERY different from what cloth diapers used to be.  Now they actually look a lot like disposables, but with snaps or velcro at the closure.  No pins, no folding, and generally no more leaking than disposables.  Yes, I will have to do some extra laundry (1 extra load every 2-3 days) and you do have to change them a little more often (I've never liked the idea of keeping a diaper on super long anyway), but I'm going to be staying at home.  If I was going to be working full-time, my thoughts and feelings would probably be very different than what they are now.

What about the poop?

Yes, babies poop - I know that.  This is the part I would be most worried about if I hadn't already done it - so thanks Susan for that experience!!!  With cloth diapers, you just spray out the poop into the toilet and then throw the diaper into the diaper pail.  At least while the baby is breastfed, it's really not a big deal because the poo dissolves in water.  I've done it before, it takes about a minute, and then you go about your day.  When it's solid you just toss it out into the toilet and flush.  Even for pee you generally rinse them so they don't stink up the diaper pail.  With a sprayer, it's super easy.  You don't get poop on your hands any more than you do with a disposable (so generally not at all unless there is a huge blowout, which still happens occasionally because, well, babies poop).

To minimize the poop issue even further, we have purchased liners that go in the diapers that are disposable.  When the poop is solid, the liner catches the majority of it and then you just throw it away.  Liners are about $6 for 100, so they are much cheaper than disposable diapers.  I'm not sure how well the liners will work before she starts eating solids, because the liners are very breathable and I think that at least some of it will go through the liner.  Either way, we have them, and we'll see what works best for our family.  Most people don't use them in every diaper - they just put them in when they think the baby will "go". (Which admittedly, with a newborn, is every diaper. Ha. But once they get older there's usually a pattern.)

Do they really save that much money with all that extra laundry?

Short answer, yes.  Thanks to the generosity of friends, we have spent very little and have accumulated a very nicely sized stash of cloth diapers as gifts.  Because of this, we only have to use the diapers for about TWO MONTHS to make back the entire cost we have put into them.  Considering that children are in diapers for at least 2 years (and usually closer to 3), that's at least 22 months of significant savings if we stick with it, and that's only for the first kid!!!  We have very good quality diapers, so they should last through multiple children.  Because our diapers will be FREE after two months, the extra laundry cost does not even compare.  Also, the military gives us an allowance for utility costs, but does not give us a "diaper allowance".  So again, if our situation was different I may feel differently, but it's not.  (The savings would still be significant as water is much cheaper than diapers, so on this particular point I doubt that my feelings would be different.)


If you have any other questions feel free to ask and I'll edit the post.  I've done a lot of research but I am no expert, so this is just what my own plans and opinions are.  Plus if you ask me something I haven't thought of yet, I'll just have to do more research!!!

Answered Prayers

Before I got pregnant, I prayed over and over again that my baby would be a mover.  I heard people complain that their baby moved so much that they couldn't sleep, and I knew that that would be the perfect baby for me.  Because I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I knew that I would want constant reassurance that my baby was okay.

Once I did get pregnant, I had myself convinced before every doctor's appointment that my baby had died.  I would get so worked up and nervous about my appointments.  Then I would go and they would find the heartbeat right away and everything would be fine and healthy.  So why keep worrying?  Unless you have an anxiety disorder (or have had a miscarriage), this is something you will probably never understand.  The thing is, I KNEW everything was fine...but what if it wasn't?  My baby is healthy...but a lot of babies aren't.  I haven't had any signs of miscarriage...but not every woman has signs.  And so the doubts creep in, and park themselves right in my heart.

So that's why, I am SO grateful that my baby is a MOVER.  She squirms and kicks.  She likes to hang out right up against the outside of my belly, stretching it out as far as it will go.  She uses my lungs as pillows and my bladder as a trampoline...and I am SO GLAD.  I won't lie, it isn't comfortable.  It keeps me up at night and the pressure is...ugh.  But, at almost any time of the day, I can press on my belly and find her.  There is nearly always some body part pushed up against the outside of my stomach.  I have the gift of reassurance every day.

I am thankful every day for answered prayers.

The Trip

On Monday I returned home after a 2.5 week trip to see Andrew and my family.  This is really long, but I want to write it so that I remember. You are welcome to stop reading at any point or just skim to look at the pictures.

4/17 Drove from home in SC to my parents' house in VA.  Visited with Kevin and Mom at the high school, where Kevin was doing concessions for the All American Relays (track meet).  Babysat Susan's kids while she worked at the event.  Took B, Z, and C to an "Easter egg drop" at the elementary school, where a helicopter came and dropped plastic eggs for the kids.  There were not nearly enough eggs for the number of children there, but it was fun and it was sweet to see all of the older kids who actually managed to get eggs share with the little ones (Carter got the most eggs of all the kids - cute factor).  Then after Brian got home from work I left the kids with him and went to a surprise birthday party for Chris Mattson (40) and Glenn Davis (60).  It was a busy afternoon.

4/18 After taking Piper for a nice, long walk with my mom in the morning, we drove the rest of the way to Maryland!  Piper was a champ in the car (both days), and slept the whole way in her carseat.  We got stuck in heavy traffic when we got close to Baltimore, so instead of going straight to the hotel to check in as planned, we decided to go straight to base to see Andrew instead since he was already done with school for the day.  We happened to be very close to base when we made that decision (although I didn't actually know that when we decided on the new plan), so we got there within about 15 minutes.  So we picked up Andrew and went to the hotel in downtown Baltimore.  HOORAY!!! TOGETHER AGAIN!!!!  We ordered dinner from Dominos and just spent time together that evening.  Piper was very happy to see Andrew again, but she did act a little more attached to me than she would have normally if he was there.  I'm really glad I took her because I really think she needed some time with him before the baby comes.

4/19-4/20 We took Piper to a dog park Saturday morning.  It was part of a much bigger park, so we walked around the entire park until we finally found it close to where we parked (in the opposite direction of where we decided to start walking). Good thing the park was a circle!  Piper had fun in the nice fenced-in area, but we learned that she is not a very social dog.  She wasn't mean to the other dogs, she just didn't play with them either. She was content to just run around by herself and ignore everyone else (except Andrew and me).  I liked that they had two separate areas for small and large dogs.

Walking Piper at the park (before we found the dog park).
We were trying to show her the ducks, but apparently birds are only fun when they fly and these ducks were lazy.

Piper stayed in the hotel in the afternoon while we went to hang out at the mall and just spend time together.  It didn't really matter what we decided to do, we were just glad to be together.  Andrew had to learn to walk slow (which apparently they just don't DO in the military) and be patient, because at 30 weeks pregnant (notice how the baby is making her presence known in the picture above) I just couldn't keep up.  That night we spent a VERY long time trying to find dinner in Baltimore - we finally ended up at a very overpriced restaurant where neither of us got filled up and we weren't huge fans of the food.  Apparently we just aren't fancy food people.

Sunday was Easter.  We went to church, but couldn't stay the whole time because we had already checked out of our hotel which meant that Piper had to stay in the car.  Then Andrew had been told he had a rope meeting at 4:20, so we headed back to base to hang out there until the meeting. I dropped him off around 4:00, and was on my way to my Aunt and Uncle's house when he called and said that the rope meeting was actually at 6:20.  So I went back and we ate dinner together - I wasn't going to miss 2 hours I could be spending with him!!!  Then I dropped him off a little before 6:00 and got on the road to Charles Town.  I got to Aunt Jo and Uncle Jim's at around 7:30 and we just relaxed until bedtime.

4/21-4/24 I spent the week with my Aunt Jo and Uncle Jim.  While Uncle Jim went to work during the day, I got to spend a lot of time with Aunt Jo.  It was a lot of fun to hear stories about my dad's family and about my aunt and uncle's (and cousin's) time in the Navy (my Uncle Jim retired from the Navy after 29 years - he was a Captain).  I've never spent much one-on-one time with ANY of my aunts/uncles, so I really enjoyed the opportunity to do so.  I found that we actually have a lot in common and wished we would have been closer when I was younger.  It also made me wish that I could go spend a week with all of the others!

Aunt Jo spoiled the baby and me while we were there.  We did some thrift shopping and got a TON of clothes for little miss at some awesome prices.  I got a pedicure while Aunt Jo got her hair cut.  We went to Costco - where I had never been before.

This is the pile she had waiting for me when I got there Sunday night - before we went shopping.

Pretty toes!

I just thought this was funny. I didn't get it though.

Piper and Aunt Jo & Uncle Jim's dog Elliot got along great the whole week.  They played some, but mostly just ignored each other.  No fighting though, so I was happy.  Every time Piper peed in the yard Elliot made sure to pee in that exact spot immediately after she finished.  I guess he didn't want her getting any ideas - he was allowing her to be there, but it was still HIS yard.  Piper really liked that dogs have free reign at their house, so she was allowed to lay in her favorite spot on the back of the couch.

Obviously feeling right at home.
Somehow we ended up with a couch-colored dog.
It seems like everyone's couch matches Piper somehow.

4/25-4/27 Back to Andrew!  On Friday Andrew didn't have class and there was a picnic at the detachment (where Andrew lives), so we got there at around 12:00 for that.  We ate some hamburgers and hot dogs and I got to meet all the of the Air Force people that Andrew lives with.  It was a little weird to be reminded that our lives are so separate that he has a whole set of friends/acquaintances that I know nothing about.  Everyone was really nice and excited to see Piper, even though she tucked her tail and tried to climb me whenever someone got too close.  We left in the afternoon to check in at the hotel, this one much closer to base than the one we were at the previous weekend since Andrew had to be back at midnight each night (he only got permission to actually stay off base the first weekend, but it worked fine because he just took the car at night and then drove back to the hotel early in the morning - I was asleep pretty much the whole time he was gone).

I'm not entirely sure about the order of the rest of the weekend, but I know we ate dinner at Longhorn one night (it was delicious and Andrew ate his whole steak), and we went to the mall again at some point. Andrew got Toms since he can't wear sandals in the dining facility and he wanted something he could wear with shorts and without socks - his go-to footwear is flip flops, ALWAYS.

This picture just makes my heart smile.
(He was watching basketball, not sleeping.  She watched too for a while but just couldn't last.)
Also, this is proof that I am not the only one that she will lay with like this.

Saturday morning we took Piper to the dog park on base, which was basically just a huge field with a fence around it.  I thought it was really cool that they had one though, and it was great because she just got to run around without her leash and get out some energy.  Again she pretty much ignored all of the other dogs and people.  We tried to take her again Sunday afternoon but there were A LOT of cars there so we decided to just walk her on a leash in an open field.

We also got late check-out on Sunday so that we could leave Piper in the hotel while we went to church since it was much hotter outside than it had been the previous Sunday.  We were still only able to stay for 2 hours because we had to get back to check out (late check-out wasn't quite late enough), but it was much better for her to be able to stay in the hotel.

This dog doesn't even know how spoiled she is...

I dropped Andrew off around 6:00 on Sunday and that was it.  We said goodbye, and I left.  As we drove away Piper started crying (really, that is the only word for what she was doing because it was different than her normal whining), which made me start to cry too.

We drove back to Aunt Jo and Uncle Jim's house in Charles Town for one more night.  Then on Monday morning, I headed back to my parents' house in VA.

4/28-5/5  I stayed at my parents' house for a whole week, which I haven't done in quite a while.  Highlights, in no particular order: I spent a lot of time at Susan's while I was there, and got a ton of cool baby stuff! Score!  I played a lot of games at night with my parents and Kevin.  I went to dinner with just my Dad and Daniel, which was fun.  I had a baby shower on Saturday, where I got to see a lot of people that I knew growing up.  The turnout was great and the baby and I were completely spoiled again.  I spent time with my niece and nephews.  B and I went to a fun place in the mall where she picked out a ceramic flower and we painted it together.  It turned out really cute and was a good way for us to spend some time together before we move.  I read C his favorite book over and over again until I eventually memorized it.  I taught my mom a little about cloth diapers (for C).  I just had a lot of fun!

B with our masterpiece.  Notice all those holes in her smile.
(Somehow the way she is standing makes her look bigger than she is, this child is skinny as a rail.)

Then on Monday I drove back home to SC after a great trip.  It was a good way to just relax and see a lot of people that I love before my life is turned upside down.

Piper was very excited to be home.  Melody (Andrew's mom) just happened to be in the driveway when we pulled up and Piper was so excited to see her that she "leaked" a little in her car seat.  I am very lucky to have the best in-laws ever who care so much about me, my baby, and my dog.

The next time I see Andrew, we will have a baby! It's really hard for me to do this pregnancy thing without him, but I know that he is doing what is right for our family in the long run.  I love youuu!

Hey Baby!!

Over the past few days I have reached a new milestone of pregnancy...I can feel body parts!

At just about any given time, I can run my hand over my tummy and feel exactly where the baby is hanging out.  I never know exactly WHAT I'm feeling, but it's pretty solid! Sometimes it moves too, which is how Andrew felt the baby move yesterday! 

I think it's so cool to actually be able to "touch" my baby.  The idea of being a parent is getting very real very quickly, and I love that.  There's a real little person in there, with body parts and bones and everything!!!  I also love watching my belly do the wave - although the added pressure of a foot or hand or booty or elbow or whatever pushing against the inside of my stomach is not the most pleasant of things...

Sometimes she kicks Piper while she is on my tummy, and we like to imagine her saying "Hey, get off my mom!" They're both in for a treat when she is born.  When I imagine our life with Baby I picture Andrew playing with Piper while I feed Baby, or me with Piper while he rocks her to sleep - I do not picture me with Baby and Piper by myself.  Unfortunately, that will likely be my reality for at least the first few weeks of her life, and I really cannot figure out how I am going to get through that adjustment for both Piper and myself to life with a baby.  I'm sure we'll figure it out together though, and we'll all be really excited when Daddy comes home!!

Baby Feet

I love baby feet.
Specifically, I love MY baby's feet.
I know, I know, I haven't seen them yet...but I already know I love them.

One of my favorite things to do is think. I'm definitely a thinker, and anyone who knows me well would agree that I'm an OVERthinker about 98% of the time.  

Right now, my favorite thing to think about is my baby, and how she will affect our little family.  Andrew is super excited about baby-wearing, so I picture us walking through the park with a baby on his chest and a leash in my hand (for the DOG, not Andrew).  I think about her floppy newborn arms and legs, and trying to get her dressed.  I think about her tiny hands, her tiny ears, and yes, her tiny feet (and even tinier TOES!!!).  I even think about changing her diaper - I'm excited about that too, although I'm sure I'll get my fill of that one in the first day of her life... I have dreams about her carseat and stroller.  I'll admit that's weird, but I'm okay with it.  I imagine us fighting for the right to put her to sleep, or hold her through church.  I'm pretty sure I'll be one of those moms who struggles with the concept of never waking a sleeping baby...I know it's a bad idea, so I WON'T...I think.

I know it's going to be a huge life changer, but I really think we're ready.  I've been feeling for a long time that I MISS her.  Like I've already met her and she's already mine, and it's just been a while since we've seen each other. A really long while.  

I love you little girl. See you soon. (But not TOO soon! You aren't ready yet!)

Crossing the Pond

We learned recently that Andrew will be stationed at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) near Mons, Belgium.  SHAPE is also known as NATO headquarters, which means that we will not be at a U.S. military base.  

We are very excited to begin this new adventure, but before we can get there we have A LOT to do.  With Andrew gone, the stuff sorting, paperwork preparation, and question asking will largely be my responsibility.  Not to mention the on-going process of baby-making, and all of the aches, pains, doctor visits, and anxiety that comes with it.

We've both been doing a ton of research about the area and formulating our "plan" for various things that most people don't have to think about. (For example, Verizon does not exist in Belgium. :-( But they have excellent CHOCOLATE!!! Which is way more important in my prego head. Who really needs phones anyway?)

Overall I'm more than a little overwhelmed, but have confidence that I'll be able to do it.  If not, we'll probably just end up in Europe with a bunch of stuff we don't really need...(or maybe no stuff at all, who knows)...which wouldn't be the end of the world. I hope.  As long as I can get myself, my newborn (she'll be born 1-2 months before we leave), and my dog over there with Andrew, I know we'll be fine.  Family is way more important than stuff anyway. :-)

Our Home

What is home?

To me, home is where we feel most comfortable.  It's with the people we love, preferably in our pajamas, together.  As a new military wife, I've already come to realize that to be happy, I will have to create a feeling of home wherever we happen to be.  

That will be what this blog is about - home. Specifically, my home, and what makes it home.

Right now, our home is separated into two parts. There's my husband (Andrew), who is currently in Technical School to become a Broadcast Journalist for the United States Air Force.  He goes to class during the day and then does homework at night, talking to us whenever he can throughout the day.

Then there is our dog (Piper), our unborn (unnamed) baby girl, and me (Amy).  The three of us currently live with Andrew's parents, who spoil us all.  I generally spend my mornings at home with Piper and my afternoons at the bookstore where I work part-time.  Piper spends her days sleeping and running in the backyard, hoping for treats along the way.  Baby spends her days sleeping, flipping, and kicking her mama in the bladder.

For now, that's home.  Being separated definitely makes us appreciate each other a little more, and reminds us that we're a family no matter what.  We're definitely looking forward to sharing a house again though!