Apparently Just a Drill

So last week I had the stressful doctors appt where my bp was much higher than it has ever been. EVER. Knowing a few medical things, I think pre-emclampsia, high bp can lead to a stroke, seizures... Now add being a quasi-single mom since the hubby is deployed didn't help. I just kept thinking, please let the baby be okay... When the doctor confirmed Bean was perfectly fine, the selfish side came out. Please let me be okay... Three hours, 5 blood tests, and 1 non-stress test later I left the hospital with strict instructions to relax, and to return 3 days later for a repeat test. The next test displayed a similiar bp, but all the blood work was good and Bean was still perfectly fine. The next day was a follow up with my doc, who was fairly certain I'd deliver this past weekend as I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes on Thursday and was now dialated 1cm on Friday. I even cleaned yesterday to help start contractions, I mean CLEANED!!!

Yet, here we are on Monday, I'm home and Bean is not here yet... The fire drill has ended. Now we wait until the boss decides when he wants to join us. I have my theories on why he is waiting...

1. He wants to be born on the 4th because he'll be a energetic little spit fire like his dad!

2. He is waiting for Grammy & Grampy E to arrive from Charlotte, which is today around 3pm.

3. My husband was right when he said our son is going to like to tease him mommy and get her going.

4. He heard is cousin Landon screaming and figured, with all that ruckus I'm pretty comfy right here in mommy's belly!

5. He is already showing us who is the boss. This way there will be no attempts a coup after he arrives.

He'll get here when he gets here. Knowing he is just fine is all that I need to know at this point though. Appreciate the small blessings.

Port Visit 4: Brugge, Belgium

Right now, we're in Zeebrugge, Belgium right now. We're participating in Belgium's Navy Days. There are ships here from Ireland, UK, Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. We've been giving tours for the locals the last couple of days, so we've been busy showing off the ship. It's been pretty fun, but very tiring.

We're fulfilling an important diplomatic mission so far on this deployment. Showing support for our NATO partners and enjoying their hospitality. This role really does have an "old Navy" feel to it. We're not launching missiles or chasing subs, but I have the feeling that our role, however small, is helping keep our allies together and on focus during the war on terror. The Belgians and esp. the Dutch are very gracious and fun-loving people.

I got off the ship the first day we pulled in and got to head out into Brugge (the tourist town just east of here). It was beautiful. All would really enjoy a trip over here to "old Europe". The hospitality is nice, food was good, and plenty charming. Joe (OPS) and I took the tram to the train station in Blankenburg, then hopped the train into Brugge. We got so see some of the country side, which reminded me of England. Lots of farm land and cows, and windmills.

Downtown Brugge was amazing! Lots of old world charm and neat architecture. Huge cathedrals and buildings that look like castles. There were a couple canals that ran through the center of town with beautiful buildings and along the water, very picturesque. All the buildings looked like they had a story to tell. Most buildings had flower boxes lining the windows and there were very few cars. Most to the townies seemed to get around by walking or riding a bike. I also noticed no one has to lock up their bicycles either. What a concept!!

Joe and I had dinner at a nice little restaurant called Mozart's. We sat on the front terrace overlooking a canal. I ordered the "Mozart Steak" which came out raw?!? Then they brought out a "cooking stone" that was app. 450 degress Celsius! I got to cook my dinner right there, adding spices, onions and mushrooms to the mix. It was served w/ french fries and a salad, overall, a very tasty meal! Joe had the typical Belgian waffle w/ a scoop of ice cream, which I'm sure Azzy and Dad would've enjoyed! We ran into several American groups touring western Europe too, it was nice to hear regular English!

On the way back to the base, we met up w/ some Dutch sailors from the ship moored alongside us. Of course they invited us back to their ship for a beer or two ;) They were on the brand new Aegis Frigate "De Ruyter". It was the newest ship of the line w/ all the bells and whistles of our Arleigh Burke Class Destroyers, but with a much needed improvement...a full bar ;) We had Dutch beer on tap and any call drink you could think of. They were fun loving and very drunk. The music was good and we had a good time. It was truly a great opportunity. Too bad we couldn't do that on our ship, it might make u/w a little more fun ;)

A meme

Because this is what one does during early labor and is trying to pass the time... Found here.

1. Where is your cell phone? Next to me.

2. Your significant other? The hubby, he's in Belgium.

3. Your hair? Flat from all this humidity

4. Your mother? So wonderful

5. Your father? Right around the corner waiting for Bean to arrive

6. Your favorite food? Mom's mashed 'taters & meatloaf

7. Your dream last night? Dreams??? I am constantly waking up due to what it takes to roll over at 8.5 months preggers & the acid reflux that follows

8 Your favorite drink? Water & cran most of the time, but if out - Malbec wines, rum drinks or blue moon...

9. Your dream/goal? To be happy in life, which I am

10. The room you're in? The bedroom

11. Your hobby? Right now it seems preparing for one little bean to arrive

12. Your fear? Disappointing the hubby w/caring for the new baby since he won't be back from deployment until Dec. Typical first time mama stuff compounded by being a Navy wife...

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Possibly Hawaii or Europe on the Navy's dime, living & loving life with the hubby & kids, 6 years from retirement for the hubby, & working from home with the current employer...

14. What are you not? Comfortable

15. Muffins? Mmmm, blueberry, coffee cake, or chocolate chip

16. One of your wish list items? SUV version of the actual car we are buying this fall

17. Where you grew up? Massachusetts

18. The last thing you did? Spoke with Nat on the phone, progress report


19. What are you wearing? Comfy green shorts & a navy T... Almost PJ time, and I just got a pajama-gram!!!

20. Favorite Gadget? I would say the Garmin since we're new to VA, but I'm home in MA since the hubby is deployed and there is a new baby on the way... Other than that, it's Bean's toys & contraptions!

21. Your pets? Some day

22. Your computer? 1 Dell laptop & 2 HP laptop... Wonder what field I work in? :)


23. Your mood? Happy, but ready for bean to arrive!


24. Missing someone? Absolutely!!! The hubby is in Belgium this week & won't be back until early Dec!

25. Your car? Acura TSX, which will soon be handed over to the hubby and I will get a more roomy, family friendly car.

26. Something you're not wearing? My engagement ring & wedding band. Damn swelling!

27. Favorite store? Right now Target... Maternity clothes & baby stuff all in one place!

28. Like someone? Love my husband!!!

29. Your favorite color? Emerald green.

30. When was the last time you laughed? Today, my nephew is just too adorable.

31. Last time you cried? Monday when my bp jumped and I had to go to the hospital from my doc appt.

Holy Contractions

And this is just the beginning... Oh lord!

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Birthdays are a great way to celebrate another milestone.

2. Summer is my favorite season because I love lazy days at the beach, times on the ocean, & family cookouts!

3. I feel my best when I see random acts of kindness. It is like all is right with the world at that moment.

4. Aside from dessert, mom's meatloaf & mashed potatoes is my favorite food!

5. First impressions are not always how people should be judged.

6. The best piece of advice I ever received was life happens as your making plans. My mother shared John Lennon's wisdom with me at a time when I was so intent on things be doing in a certain timeline.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to hopefully a comfortable sleep filled night, tomorrow my plans include the town fair with sister & sister inlaw where I will walk my way through labor, again *hopefully* and Sunday, I want to relax and possibly have this baby!

But honestly, this weekend is all up to my new boss - Bean. Contractions are steady, increasing in strength just a tad & I have started dialating...

Misconceptions of a 1st time preggers lady

The thought that the tightness was from bean moving too much isn't really just because he is moving... I felt an occassional stronger contraction but that was it in the last 24 hrs. During today's non-stress test the doctor looked at me, and then looked at the test and said, "See this, you are having contractions every 2-3 minutes." And that was over three hours of testing. I'm home with strict instructions to come back for a plethera of things. They are definitely getting a little stronger. So it might not be long.

For now we're just sitting & waiting... I.AM.SO.EXCITED.

Tick-tock, Tick.-tock

The days are just melting away, and within 2 short weeks our little man should be joining us! A few weeks ago I felt great. So when people would ask, "are you ready yet?" I would tell them that I had a very good pregnancy and was just fine waiting it through. After this week, I.AM.SO.READY. Let's just say it has been eventful thus far and tomorrow will be consists of more tests to check blood pressure & blood work... The bean is great though. It's more of Bean's progression and claiming of space that are wearing mama down. Knowing he is full term is amazing though. Until then, this mama is kicking back & taking it easy.

The only thing on the agenda this week was my office party today. My coworkers had a luncheon for me. There was yummy food and great company... Should company come first, or is it okay for a pregnant woman to praise food first? Hmmm... Connor received some more great gifts. This little boy has such a collection of clothes for the 1st year. He is a lucky little lad! I am also very lucky to have such great friends at work!

I've been tagged

The rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

"Pretty much anyone is qualified to lie on your couch and watch TV while you enjoy an evening outing, right? Here's what you do: Put your baby to bed the way you like. When you're confident she's asleep, head out to any of your favorite restaurants."

It's from a book called The Rookie Mom's Handbook, which I got as a gift from a dear friend. Not only is it a cute book, but any rookie mom handbook is a great gift for this newbie!!! Plus it recommends going out for dessert. That is never a bad thing!

I would love to tag 5 people. However, I have been away for sometime. So I think that most readers are family keeping up with what is going on... So I'll put this out there, any who would like to do this... Tag, you're it!

As for she who tagged me, thank goodness we bonded over the AF & LOTR when I first started at my last job... Had it not been for that, I might have missed out on a truly special friendship!

A good weekend indeed

It was another good weekend in my corner of the world. However, since I've cut back in hours at work & work from home a couple of days a week, weekends are more like weeks to me... Something I truly appreciate after 13+yrs of working full time.

The upside to this weekend was not only getting to talk to my husband on the phone because he was in port in Rota, Spain, it was also getting to have a video chat with him on Saturday!!! Thank you Skype!

I also got to catch up with an old friend. We had lunch out on the water, lobtahs & quahogs, but no rum drinks for this mama-to-be... We walked to the beach where we took pictures and J found some great sea glass. As always, we chatted about the most random things transitioning ever so quickly. Sunday, the boys (minus my hubby) went fishing, so the girls, well we were completely lazy. We walked down to the beach in the morning, sat by the pool in the afternoon, and laid around the house this evening...

It was the perfect weekend for one very pregnant lady. Chats with the hubby, chats with family, time with the girls, and catching up with a good friend. I hope all were able to enjoy a summer weekend just the same.

Rota, Spain

Hey Everyone!!

We arrived in Rota, Spain, the gateway to the Mediterranean on the 20th. Took on some fuel and provisions the first day, then got some great liberty yesterday, and had duty today. The base here is owned by the Spanish Navy, but it has all the amenities of a US Naval base. Friday night, got to head to the Navy Exchange (a mall, grocery store and mini-mart all in one) and pic up some essentials, then headed to Champions sport bar (on base) for a few libations and a cheeseburger.

Yesterday, I headed to the “liberty” center where I got to make a cheap phone call home and even got to video chat w/ Aislinn via SKYPE (an online tool that lets you call computer to computer for free…and had a video chat feature), a wonderful treat!! The liberty center was chock full of crew members from USS ELROD, enjoying a variety of activities such as, pool tables, fooseball, ping pong, WII, PS3, and XBOX gaming consoles, numerous comfy couches to watch sports or movies on big screens, phones to call home on, a internet café, and even a band room (w/ a set of drums, and amps to hook up your guitar to). This is a great tool for young Sailors (not old enough for the bar scene in town yet) and for old ones like me who need to call home ;)

Later in the afternoon I headed into town w/ a fellow Department Head (Don Haley). We walked out the gate and right down town…about a ½ hour walk into a downtown Rota (probably why Europeans are so skinny), a city w/ all the charm and beauty of an old Mediterranean port. Rota is 6 hours ahead of US Eastern time and close to the equator, so the sun didn’t go down till 10pm!! Don and I headed to a nice restaurant right along the beach and had an amazing meal. Started w/ a couple glasses of homemade Sangria…magnifique!! Had “tappas” (small bowls of appetizers) consisting of olives in a tasty garlic olive oil, crusty Spanish bread, and a mariners salad (squid/onion/tomato mix) that went perfect on the bread! The main course was “Paella”, a local favorite. Paella is cooked in an iron skillet and consists of rice w/ saffron seasoning, bits of pork and chicken, and various peppers and tomatoes. All in all, it was a perfect meal. Just wish Azzy (my best travel partner) was with me ;)

After dinner we wandered into a wide open patio area surrounded by bars, restaurants and expresso bars. We found a bunch of the officers and crew enjoying the local beer at an irish bar called “Paddy’s”. Played some darts and enjoyed a few drinks in the open air veranda…European style. It was Saturday night and I expected to see many locals out for dinner and drinks, but it is Europe and the locals don’t go out for dinner until 10 or 11pm. When they do, they bring the whole family! Grandfathers/grandmothers, husbands and mothers, their kids and their dogs ;) It was so odd to see families out in the dark eating dinner and enjoying life just like it was 6 or 7pm!!! I guess it helps when you only work a 30-35 hour work week. I hear the locals go to work at 9am work till noon, head home for a large lunch and a nap (SIESTA as they call it), then head back to work from 3-6pm, then head to the beach for 4 hours (remember the sun doesn’t go down till 10pm), then home to clean up and out to dinner at 11pm, then who knows when they get home!! What a life. I think we should implement that in America!!

Friday Fill-Ins

Found here

1. A smile is an infectious, beautiful thing.
2. Apples to Apples is my favorite board or card game.
3. I would love to have more husband time in my life and less deployments.
4. When I think of the Summer Solstice, I think of longer summer days and warm nights.
5. I just remembered I need to shut off our electric in VA since I'm in MA through Dec.
6. One of my favorite song lyrics goes like this: I may not always love you, but long as there are stars above you, you'll never need to doubt it. I'll make you so sure about it. God only knows what I'd be without you...
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to not much, tomorrow my plans include maybe a visit to see baby Ethan or a visit from Janetand Sunday, I want to clean & rest!

Yeah not much excitement for this 37.5 week preggo woman whose husband is deployed... Boy have times changed!!!

And it begins

I have started to notice more braxton hicks contractions today... Not bad at all, just uncomfortable at times. I know it is only going to get more intense. July 6th is coming quickly, but that's okay. I can't wait to meet the little guy!!!

Happy Father's Day

Well the weekend is officially over seeing it is just past midnight. It was an extremely productive weekend for this mommy to be! Connor has his very own corner in this part of the world! I'm just waiting on the furniture to arrive. It should be here in another week or so. I'm just hoping the furniture arrives before my son!

Also, the hubby has asked me to use our travel blog for his deployment. This will help keep family & friends in the loop as to where he is going, what he sees off the ship & that he is safe since we don't know where he is going prior... It's all part of the game. It's kind of a "Where in the world is Carmen San Diego my hubby?" with a little Navy mixed in...

Well off to rest. Tomorrow includes a day of returning a few duplicate shower gifts, the baby bag purchase, and a few other odds & ends.

Port Visit 2, Morocco

Just got back from the afternoon at the beach w/ some of the officers from our crew & a couple officers from the Moroccan Navy. We had a wonderful meal of homemade (by Navy liason's family friends) “Kous Kous”, a dish w/ the kous kous pasta, chicken on the bone, various veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, cabbage and pumpkin…yes pumpkin). It was served family style in a 3” wooden bowl. Everyone had their own spoon, but we all ate off the same plate… It’s tradition for the host to break up the big pieces w/ his hand and put those pieces in front of you to eat. The food was amazing…the kous kous was flavored w/ curry and saffron, and tasted amazing. For desert we had fresh honey dew melon and small bananas…very good as well. After the meal, we had traditional 5 herb tea (lemon, orange, mint and a couple others) w/ fresh minced mint leaves and lots of sugar ;) It tasted like a mojito, sans RUM…but very good, he said it was for good digestion after the meal.

Hayghem (Moroccan liason) came and picked us up from the ship, transported us to the beach and we ate at a little café on the cliff above the beach. Very nice. The weather was beautiful and warm, nice ocean breeze all afternoon. Don and I went for a swim in the ocean after the meal. The water was about the same temp as VA, warmer to swim for a bit...

After the meal, we went to an old fort raised high above the city. We had a 360 degree view of the city of Agadir, population 500K. I’ve attached a couple pics of that…

The mind of a 4 month old

Tonight was a order out dinner night at the parent's house, which is where you will find me these days since the hubby is deployed. It is also where you will find my 4 month old nephew 4 days a week (Papa's Daycare Inc) & possibly once a weekend. Tonight is one of those night's where we are all there. A little side note, when g-pa walks into the room, Landon knows that if a little whine comes out g-pa is there to save the day, i.e. pick him up, cuddle, & feed him.

So back to dinner... Landon was placed on the ground so we could all eat comfortably. Half way through dinner g-pa checked on Landon but did not pick him up. As g-pa turned away Landon let out this god awful high pitched scream. G-pa jumped. The cat dashed out of the room. Landon just laid there quietly watching g-pa for a reaction. No cries. He amused himself through the remainder of dinner. After dinner I got up and put him in his activity center chair, but sat back down. No problem. He was smiling away at me and at nana... Then g-pa went towards him. He wouldn't even look at my dad. He would turn his head to nana & aunty, give a smile, and then look back with a very serious face. This went on for a few minutes. I couldn't stop laughing. He knew exactly what he was doing. It wasn't until my father picked him up and walked to the chair with him that he gave up a loving smile. My nephew is a genious. My father, well he is puddy in the tiny little hand of a 4 month old.

It only scares me, because my little one will soon be here...

Friday Fill-Ins

Courtesy of Janet

1. Travelling throughout Europe is high up on my bucket list.
2. My favorite quote is "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out and proclaiming. "Wow, what a ride!" ; it's from author unknown, by I heard it from Janet.
3. Janet inspired me to start blogging.
4. Strawberries are best dipped in chocolate!
5. My husband & son were in the last dream I remember having.
6. The most enjoyable time to go for a walk is on a cool summer morning along the beach, after a light shower that cools down a warm summer day, or after work when you can smell people grilling, flowers blooming....
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to sleeping comfortably in cooler temps, tomorrow my plans include shipping some goodies to my husband, organizing Connor's stuff, and cleaningand Sunday, I want to enjoy time with family for father's day!

A Party for Connor

With the hubby deploying last Monday, the family decided that this past weekend would be a great time to celebrate Connor's impending arrival! My MIL & SIL even came up for a long weekend. The baby shower was absolutely wonderful. The gals set everything up and decorated Saturday morning. The party was set to a sailing theme complete with nautical flags that spelled Connor courtesy of Nana & Grammy. My "cousin" Liz made the favors, which were so perfect!!! She is also a crafty godess. It couldn't have gone any better! Even the weather cooperated. Thankfully the heat wave hit the next day!

Connor made out like a little bandit. I cannot wait to meet him... July 7th will be here soon! This mommy was tuckered out and overhelmed from all of the love shown by family and friends. We are truly blessed!!! Thank you to all!!!



And at the end of the day, this mama curled up on the chair with her favorite bubba nephew and slept!

Safely across the pond

Well the deployment has started and we are just beyond the 6 month countdown to JR's return! Every day is one day closer. He does have email access, which is a god send. However, the Internet access is terribly slow. So, JR asked that I post his journey on our travel blog for family and friends... So as he send pictures and information, I will post for all to see!

Port Visit 1 - Funchal, Portugal:
JR made it safely across the pond to Funchal, Portugal in just over a week. It was a farely calm and uneventful voyage, which is what this wife wanted to hear. The first stop was just for 1 day. JR wasn't able to make it off the ship due to the duty rotation, but did get a picture of the city from the water front. He joked that some of the young sailors were hit by the medeira bus. They were unaware just how strong the Portuguese wine is. Being from a heavily Portuguese area, we were well aware. It looked like a beautiful city... Well it's back to sea for the crew and on to the next port. More details to come!

Lazy Sundays

After bringing my MIL & SIL to the airport on Sunday, I made it back home just in time to catch some more zzzz's. I managed to peel myself out of bed by noon to go to my Aunt's 70th bday party, which also meant some pool time! Cool water is a god send to a very warm & swollen preggo mama! It was also my nephew's first time in the pool, which was too cute. No worries, the pool is heated and did not send little quivers running through his body or shock my unborn son. It was the perfect temperature to cool down all on a warm summer day.

The one realization on this Sunday was that our generation has become out numbered by the little kids running around. And it's only going to grow with recent newly weds, soon to be newly weds, and growing families... That is a wonderful thing to see though, and it is even better to see extended family still spending time together as the generations go on!

36 weeks and all is well!

Grammy & Aunty Aimee were able to be there for my last appointment. They also got to hear little Connor's heart beat! Just a few more weeks and he'll be here!!! I.AM.SO.EXCITED.