How to use cloth diapers.

I've wanted to write this blog for a while, and am finally getting to it. I've heard from a lot of people that they can't believe that I use cloth diapers, and how I have the time or drive to do it. Honestly it all came down to money, and once I started using them I realized that I actually prefer cloth instead of disposable. The idea of this blog is to inform people how to prepare a cloth diaper, and how to take care of one. If you've looked into cloth diapers you can see that they are kind of expensive(I spent $300 on a pack of 20). It seems like a lot of money, but it was an investment. I plan to have 3-4 children and all of them can use the diapers. My son is 9 months old, and he's already used the diapers over 500 times (I keep track because I wanted to make sure I was getting my moneys worth). I only use cloth during the day. I figure the disposable diapers absorb better and I don't want my son laying in his pee all night. All the products that I am showing you I bought off the website www.nellsnaturalbaby.com. Except for the wipes, I bought those at my grocery store. You can use any website that you like, but I liked this one because everything is there and it's easier to get it all at one place.

 These are all the products you need for cloth diapers. Starting from the top: Wet bag, bio-soft diaper liners (These come in roll of 100, this is how I know how many diapers I use), wipes (I use cottenelle for poopy diapers because I can flush them in the toilet), bumGenius pocket diaper, diaper inserts (the short one is for newborn, I double mine for added protection against leaks)

Step 1- place newborn liner on top of bigger liner. I match the tags together, but it makes no difference.

 Step 2- Open pocket of diaper and place inserts inside. I insert the liners with the newborn insert facing down.

Step 3- make sure liners are flat, and that the flap is laying down to close the opening of the pocket.

Step 4- Tear off a piece of the disposable liner. (These work great for poopy diapers because you can just grab the corners and then put it in the toilet without there being a mess)

Step 5- Place liner on top of diaper

 Step 6- button up diaper so it's ready for baby when needed. Also have wipes on hand and rash cream just in case. It's very important to use a natural diaper rash cream. Do not use diaper creams that contain cod-liver oil, wax, or paraffin It could mess with the absorbency of the diapers.

 Place used diaper in wet bag when finished. Do not let diapers sit more than two days. I have two wetbags, that way I can wash one and use one.

 My son in his cloth diaper.

 He loves his cloth diaper. :)

 You can dry the diaper liners (don't dry the pockets though), but you can't use dryer sheets because it could mess with the absorbency as well. I just hang dry everything to be safe. When you wash the diapers you want to first rinse the diapers in a light wash of cold water (No soap), then add soap and wash in hot water on a light cycle. Line dry afterwards.

I lay my wetbag on the washer to dry, you can hang it too. Also use a natural cloth diaper safe detergent. One with no additives. I bought this, but am thinking of making my own detergent once this runs out. Use very little detergent. Once a month you might want to clean your washer with bleach on a light cycle with nothing in it just to strip the washer from any smells.

Hope this helps everyone. I promise it's not that hard. I developed a routine overtime so its easier. I wash my diapers every two days and in the morning my son plays with the liners while I prepare the diapers.

4 Months!

As you can see Augustus is 4 months now! My baby is starting to become independent. He spends about 30 min. of alone time trying to figure out his feet and hands. It's so funny to watch him, he's really confused when he's wearing socks or footy pajama's. Not only has my boy traveled to Illinois by car (week 1) but now has traveled by plane too! We're starting him early because Mommy and Daddy love to travel. He didn't cry once on the plane, and he got a lot of compliments from passengers. :)

After much debate with people about feeding Augustus solids, I've finally come to the decision to wait till 6 months. I've read so many articles about why it's important to wait, and honestly it's not going to kill him to wait. His growth and weight chart are outstanding at each visit off my milk alone. On November 4th he'll be 24 weeks and I've decided to wait till then rather than his 6 month appointment.

Milestones:

You put your hands together, grab toys, and chew on the constantly.

Went on your first plane ride to meet your great grandparents. 

you bare weight on your legs, and prefer standing rather than sitting...it tires Mom out having  to hold you up all the time.

You played in your exersaucer for the first time this month, and got the biggest smile when placed in it.

You still talk to Daddy and I in our bed every morning

You now wear 6-9 month clothes

You got your first sickness, bronchiolitis and you hate the breathing treatments that I have to give you.

You weigh 15lb 14oz and you're 27 inches long.

We love you Augustus, keep up the good work!



3 Months!

Augustus at 3 months

It's so hard to believe my baby is 3 months old. I looked back at his 2 month picture and I saw so many changes! He's gotten so big, and I chose this picture because you can see how curious he is. He's very interested in everything these days and trying to figure out how things work. He loved my camera because I have a Nikon D40 and it's huge so I'm sure he thought it was funny looking. This month Grandma Arakelian came to visit. She's our last visitor for a while.

We've reached a huge milestone this month, we're finally out of the newborn stage! The so called "4th trimester" is done. I called my lactation consultant (during week 3) and cried on the phone because I was tired, my hormones were crazy, and all my boy wanted to do was eat every hour. She promised me that it would get easier by 3 months. She was right! I'm so thankful that I had the support from my husband, and her to get me through those hour feedings and late nights. During the day Augustus normally eats every 3 hours, besides our cluster feeds before bed. Then, at night he sleeps between 5-7 hours before he needs to eat. It's wonderful! I actually wake up energized these days. You think that would motivate me to work out...

Milestones:

You smile like crazy now! You love meeting new people and smiling at them too.

You laughed for the first time at Grandma Arakelian, then to Daddy, and at Daddy again when i was in the room. You laugh at Daddy all the time now. (I still have not done something funny enough to make you laugh)

While on your stomach you can lift your head 90 degrees. you also push your chest up with your arms.

YOU CAN ROLL OVER! This is one of the most exciting things from this month. I was so proud of you when you first did this.

You have an impressive vocabulary. you love to use the word a-goo, and you like to use it in different ways (ex. a-goooooooo, a-goo-goo-goo, and in different pitches) you also like to squeal in delight, and see how loud you can make your voice.

You chomp on your hands all the time, I was told this was a sign of teething. We'll see.

you're wearing 3-6 months clothes (but I don't see you in them for much longer)

~Looking forward to 4 months!!!



2 months!

It's amazing to think that my little guy has only been here for 2 months. He's become apart of our daily lives so much that I couldn't think of a time without him. I'm so happy to have him, he's such a blessing to us. :) We've had a lot of visitors since Augustus has been born, I've been observing and taking every ones advice and it's really helped me while watching Augustus. Grandma Evans came for a week at the end of 1 month, then Grandma and Grandpa Clem came the last week of June. Also, John and Becca (Mommy and Daddy's friend from the military) came with their two daughters for a short visit. In the middle of July Zach and Amanda (Mommy and Daddy's friends from Illinois) and their two daughters came for a long weekend. It was their first family vacation, and they wanted to spend it meeting you. The last weekend of July Aunt Karen came for a visit, her visit was to spoil you. Finally, we're waiting for Grandma Arakelian to visit August 8th. She'll be here for a week, and will enjoy spoiling you like crazy!

Major events during Month 2:

 You're finally sleeping in your crib! You start out in your crib, then after your 3:00 am feeding you think it's play time so Mommy takes you to our bed and after a while you fall asleep.

 You wake up only once a night usually around 3-4 in the morning

 One of our favorite times with you is in the morning. We lay you in our bed and you talk to us. While talking you kick your feet and move your arms around. It's one of the best times of our day, even if we're super tired. (Sometimes Daddy calls Grandma A. and lets her listen too. ;) )

 You're up more during the day, usually that time you like to spend under your jungle mat, or looking at your mobile in your crib.

 You know who your Mommy and Daddy are. You smile at the sound of our voice and smile when Daddy comes home from work.

When Daddy comes home from work you like to be held by him and then you lay your head on his shoulder, it's so cute!

 We have a wonderful bedtime routine. Daddy gives you a bath, changes your diaper, and puts on your pj's. Mommy feeds you, while Daddy reads you a bedtime story. 

 Since you've been born you've been to Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Washington D.C I have a feeling that you're either going to love traveling, or hate it because you'll be doing a lot of it with Mommy and Daddy.

Doctors visit: Augustus grew another inch! He's now 25 inches long and weighs 14.8lbs. He's in the 97th percentile for weight and 99th for height. My boy is a beast! He also received 2 shots and a type of vaccine that he drinks. He'll have to do the same thing at his 4 month visit too.
Looking forward to next month.... :)

1 Month!!!

Happy 1 month Augustus!!!

What an incredible month! I am finally learning how to balance my time with and without the baby. 2 weeks ago I thought that I had to sit and stare at him while he was sleeping. It took me a while to realize that I don't need to be by his side 24/7. I've been told by all the doctors that "you can't spoil a newborn" but I think I might have spoiled him a little bit. Right now Augustus co-sleeps with us. I can't get him to sleep in his crib, and so Mommy has sanity, and some sleep this is the only choice that I have. I'm hoping that by 6 weeks I can start crib training. (Keep your fingers crossed for me.)

Important events this month:

Week 1 you took your first road trip to Illinois

Week 1 and 2 you met all of your Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, and family friends (still waiting to meet great grandparents and great great grandma)

Week 3 Mommy had her first week alone with you and it was challenging. I've learned that nursing is draining on a person, but worth it in the end.

Week 4 Grandma Evans came for a visit and taught Mommy some skills to calming you down. (It was a HUGE help!)

1 Month doctor appointment- weight 12lbs 3oz  your height was 24in long. You got your hep B shot and cried a little bit, but fell asleep afterwards. :)

39 weeks pregnant!



I can't tell you how excited I am that I am nearing the end of my pregnancy! I've heard from lots of people that they think their pregnancies go fast. I'm here to say "NOPE, that's a lie!" I feel like I've been pregnant for 2 years! It didn't help that I had everything ready by month 7 so all I had to do was sit an wait. Next time I'm preparing everything a month in advance.

So my baby is estimated to weigh somewhere in the 8 pound range. The doctors are only giving me till my due date to give birth naturally. If I don't go into labor by Thursday, I'll have to be induced. I chose to have this induction for personal reasons and the doctors agreed, because of his measurements and weight that they could do it. :)

Dennis and I spent a lot of time together this weekend knowing that it will be the last weekend of just the two of us. Honestly, we're ready for this. We've been together for 6 years and have wanted a baby for 2 years now. We like to plan way in advance, I always knew that we would wait till he got out of the military but it didn't mean that I couldn't think about having a baby or read up on babies. lol I'm so thankful that God has given us a healthy relationship and is going to bless us with a beautiful baby. I couldn't ask for anything more. :)

I'm not going to post again until I have the baby, I can't wait to post a picture of him on here. :) :) :)



Everythings ready....Wait what about my bag????

Hello Everyone,

I know i've been avoiding you. I must say that being a housewife is kind of boring, so there is not that much to talk about. I could write everyday about cleaning the house, cooking, or killing a billion stink bugs all day. I think that maybe, you'd appreciate actually news going on in my life. (By the way Dennis killed 7 stink bugs last night all during our dinner....GROSS!)

I am officially 38 weeks and 2 days pregnant. The doctor says that I can go anytime and that I should have my bags packed. The only problem is, that I'm a cheap skate and I only have a limited amount of clothes that fit so packing my bags is hard to do. lol I packed about 30 outfits for the baby, realizing i'll only be there for 2-3 days so of course he doesn't need that many. I'm just so worried, I don't want to pack to little for him and then look like a bad Mom. We're getting so excited for the big day. It's sort of unreal to us. I can't believe that between now and the next 3 weeks I could be a Mom. :)

Yesterday we had a doctors appointment. I'm measuring at 40 1/2 weeks, so the doctor wants to schedule me for an ultrasound to check the baby's weight. She suspects that he's already 8 pounds and could potentially be higher. So if he is they want to Induce next week! Things are going really fast, and it's hard for me to comprehend everything. I'm ready to be a Mom, but it's a lot of responsibility and you think 10 months is a long time to grasp that Idea.....well it's really not. I've been ready physically for the baby since month 7, now that the times coming i'm starting to get butterflies. I'm sure i'll do fine, but with Dennis and I living so far away from our families it scares me a bit. So Mom, Dad, Peg, Roe, Melissa, Audrey, and all my other friends that are Mom's prepare for late night phone calls when I'm freaking out and don't know how to calm Augustus down. lol

The simple joys in life

I have the wonderful pleasure of waking up to this almost every morning. Dennis and I have noticed that we always seem to get about 7 deer walk through our backyard. I think it's the same ones over and over again and all they do is walk around in circles. My favorite part about this is that they usually stay in our backyard while we enjoy breakfast. It's so wonderful and before we eat we add just how much we appreciate the simple things in life to our prayers. I also thank God for moments like these because my baby will have such an interesting life ahead of him. I tell him now (in my belly) about the deer and how much he's going to love seeing them. :)

Saturday night we invited one of new friends over for dinner. We love to entertain, and have parties. (Not crazy parties, more like dinner parties, or wine and cheese parties) It's been hard for us to do that here because we moved here knowing no one. Ashley works with Dennis and we decided to invite her over for dinner. I was so excited to get back into cooking. Dennis really brags about my food at work so I had to make an impression. With that being said, I made a feast for her. Dinner included Chicken Cordon Bleu, Scalloped potato gratin, Roasted tomatoes with pesto, and Creme Brulee. It was fantastic! Of course I forgot to take pictures of everything but I did get photos of the potatoes and the tomatoes. I make the chicken cordon bleu a lot so I'll take pictures the next time.

Homemade scalloped potatoes

Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto

I'll post the recipes later but for now I'd like to get this post up so everyone can read it. :)

Enjoy!

Julie and Julia

I've had several people ask me for recipes since I love to cook. So with that being said I've decided to follow in the foot steps of the movie Julie and Julia and create a blog about food. I'll still let you know what's going on with my life but I'll just include the recipe for my dinner. I'll basically be making a virtual cookbook. :)

I have been sifting through recipes all day today and dinner still has not come to me. I do know we're going to have something with chicken. I will let you know what we had last night though that way you have a recipe to steal if you like. ;)

Spicy oven-fried chicken:

4 (6oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbl (divided) extra spicy seasoning (Mrs. Dash)
1/3C yellow Cornmeal
1/2C nonfat buttermilk
1C crushed cornflake crumbs
your favorite hot sauce for taste.

Preheat oven 400 degrees

Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of  plastic wrap; pound chicken to an even thickness using a mallet Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and 2tsp of seasoning.

Combine cornmeal and 1 tbl seasoning in a shallow dish. Combine buttermilk, 1 tsp of seasoning, and couple dashes of hot sauce to taste in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in cornmeal mixture, then buttermilk mixture, and finally cornflake crumbs covering the whole chicken. Place chicken on a wire rack coated with cooking spray, place rack on a pan and in the oven.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 min or until done.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as Dennis and I did. :)

Magnifiicent King of the Flamingo People

Hmmmm I know you are wondering why I chose this as my title for my blog. Yes it does sound strange, but this is my baby's name. Yesterday at 2:00 pm we had our doctor appointment to find out the sex of our baby. We were surprised, and so happy to hear the results from the doctor.

Yesterday was a great day. I was so happy that Dennis was able to come to the appointment because he has not seen the baby since he looked like a little potato around 9 weeks. I got on the ultrasound table and she put the goo on me. (Which despite what movies tell you, it's actually warm and feels good) She moved around a bit and Dennis and I actually saw our babies goods before the doctor confirmed. She wasn't saying anything so finally I said "Doctor is that a Thingy?" She responded with "Yes, you are having a baby Boy" I can't tell you how much Den's eyes lit up. I think it was the happiest day of his life. I of course was excited too, I can't believe it....what a surprise!

Now to the name part.....

First of all Augustus (meaning "Magnificent") has always been the name for the baby. I'm almost positive Dennis would have called off the engagement if I didn't like it. lol. After Dennis proposed to me (5 years ago) we got in the car and he looked at me all serious, and said "So now that we're getting married, are those names I picked out ok for our kids." I of course wanted to get married so I said yes, thinking one day I could change his mind. It wasn't till we went to Italy that I truly understood why he wanted that name. The amount of respect Augustus still gets is amazing. People still lay flowers next to his statue, it's beautiful to see how much people still love him to this day! That's the day I decided that no matter what we'll have that name for our child.

Ryan (meaning "King") is a family name. It's Den's middle name, and his Mom's maiden name.

Arakelian (meaning "the Flamingo people") Odd I know but when Dennis was in Iraq he met a lady who knew a little bit about Armenian history. She told Dennis that the meaning of our name meant "The Flamingo people" We laughed it off thinking it was funny, but now I think it's super cute with the other meanings of our son's name.

So, Augustus Ryan Arakelian....If you ever read this when your older you are my magnificent King of the flamingo people. :)

Little Kicks!

On Sunday morning I started noticing something different going on below my belly button. It almost felt like little pinches (someone mentioned butterflies fluttering and I guess that's the best way to describe it.) Honestly I couldn't even tell you what the feeling is, it's so beautiful and different than anything I've ever felt before. Of course though I decided to ignore it thinking it's way to early to feel anything. (I was still 14 weeks)

Monday rolls around and as I wake up I start feeling the same thing. I'm noticing that I'm only feeling it as I lay down. I finally mentioned it to Dennis, still thinking I was crazy. He wanted to feel to, but I told him he couldn't because it's only on the inside. I felt really bad. I've tried putting my hand on my tummy to feel it and then I feel nothing, but once I remove my hand it starts back up again. It's so cute.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I noticed the feeling more and more! I had a doctors appointment for an ultrasound on my abdomen to see if I had a hernia or something else. I asked the doctor if it was possible to be feeling kicks this early. She told me yes, so now I am positive that's what it is. :) Most of my ultrasound was above my belly button so I couldn't see the baby but towards the end she let me see him/her. It was AMAZING, I couldn't believe how much it has grown. The legs were extended, and the baby had his/her thumb in it's mouth. Baby was laying on his/her back too just like Momma. :) It was a wonderful experience for sure. :)

I'll keep you posted once the kicks get stronger and when Dennis gets to feel them. :)

I love my town!

I've been blessed in my life to be able to travel and live in so many different places. I'm 23 years old and have already lived in 4 states in the past 4 years. While living in Monterey I was drawn to the colors of the area and noticed that the town almost looked like a painting, a Thomas Kinkaid one as a matter of fact. I would constantly tell Dennis this and he thought I was nuts. Finally while walking down Cannery Row one day we noticed a little shop designated to all things Thomas Kinkaid and his work that was done in Monterey. Crazy am I? I think not. It was amazing to me that by just looking at the area I could his vision on paintings.

Unaware of copyright polocies so here is a link to a painting from Thomas Kinkaid of Monterey CA
http://www.thomaskinkade.com/magi/servlet/com.asucon.ebiz.catalog.web.tk.CatalogServlet?catalogAction=Product&productId=74312&menuNdx=0.20

Now we live in Virginia and I've noticed the same thing as I have in Monterey. We first lived in Manassas, VA for about 3 months while looking for our first home. We decided on a home in Round Hill. The drive from Manasses to Round Hill is AMAZING! As you drive your whisked away into a Bob Ross painting. Rolling hills, with happy trees. Horse farms and beautiful mansions. It's breathtaking, you almost forget your driving. Our view from our house is the same. We have the blue ridge mountains surrounding us and a lake view from our backyard. My favorite time of the day is when the sun is rising over the lake and trees. It's a beautiful sight and perfect for a photo or painting. Once we build a deck you'll see plenty of photos. :)

Growing up I was a dye hard Bob Ross fan. My brother Derek and I would watch his show every day and comment on his paintings. We would always have a running joke saying that Bob always adds one thing that looks like it's going to destroy the painting. We'd scream "NO! Why did you do that, you ruined everything" Then at the end of the show we'd see a masterpiece and comment "Oh that's why" lol Anywho the point why I'm telling you this is because not only was I right about Thomas Kinkaid, but I'm also right about Bob Ross. He grew up in Sterling, VA which is a town close to here. I'm almost positive that this is where he gets his inspiration for his paintings. Every time I look outside I think about Bob Ross, and how happy my trees are. :)

Link to an example of my view by Bob Ross
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Cm1xD61pymPzw0C_ninR_LKYVdmxXPppFVK6H9so5OCiVucpi0nUPg7eRqq8l1tw3pqn2RZei7a6BurL5-tkF8Gh6WySrzQce6mWOdTViqDNIObk9ExfrYLg5imY2TobrLBezon6mt4/s400/DSC_0069.JPG

Annoyed and ready to have this baby.

Since I have found out that I was pregnant I have been noticing discomfort in my diaphragm area. I talked to the doctor about it once and was told it was probably pain from throwing up during the first couple weeks of the pregnancy. Last week I noticed it more and more, especially after a full stomach. I decided to make another doctor appointment just to be safe.

Sure enough my fears were becoming reality and the doctor believes that I have a hiatal hernia. This throws everything off, I have to change my whole diet and exercise routine. Mainly my diet because I was so worried that my baby wasn't getting the right nutrition that I over ate and now have gained WAY to much weight for the first trimester. In order to be comfortable the rest of the pregnancy I have to eat small meals all day long. That way my stomach won't be so bulged like it has been. I also really need to start becoming active. I haven't exercised since I found out I was pregnant because of all the nausea that I've had.

I hope and pray that everything goes smooth with this pregnancy. It's already starting out with a bumpy start. :(

Shelling!

We made it to Sanibel and it's so beautiful. I'm jealous of Dennis for being able to come here every year as a child. It's so nice to be near the ocean and have a relaxing vacation. If only this baby would let me relax. I've been sick everyday since I've been here. Yesterday I woke up with an awful headache that lasted all day, all night, and even some this morning. Then today we went out to breakfast and I ate a ton of biscuits and gravy which made me terribly sick. I am hoping and praying tomorrow i'll feel better.

One of the best things to do in Sanibel is go shelling. The shells are so beautiful here and you can find practically anything unbroken. I found beautiful conk shells but the only problem was that they were filled with either slugs or crabs. I still found an amazing assortment of shells either way. :)

Here are some photos from the trip.....

Love him!

You would think that after spending 14 months away from each other 11 hours would be nothing. haha

Dennis has been pulling extra hours at work so that we can take our vacation with his folks. He already works 10 hour shifts in order to work on the company flex schedule to have 3 day weekends. Now he's working 11 hour shifts. It really sucks because he comes home, we have dinner, and then spend 1 hour together before we have to go to bed. Plus that hour together is usually spent watching TV because we're so exhausted that we don't want to go on a walk, or anything like that. Luckily it will all be paid off when we enjoy some sun next to the beach.

Sanibel here we come.....

Turning into a grown up.

After four years of living in apartments I can finally say I'm ready to move into a house. I am so sick of living so close to people. I can literally here everything going on upstairs in my neighbors apartments. Sometimes I don't want to know whats going on in there if you know what I mean....ewww! The thing I'm looking most forward to getting away from is the LOUD music my neighbors play. It sounds like I'm at a disco, you can dance to the music in our apartment that's how loud it is.

We bought a beautiful house (kind of in the sticks) It's definitely in the country but the view from our house is amazing. The further you go outside of the city the better house you get for your money. So that being said this will be a bit of a commute for Dennis to get to work. Even though there is a commute, the route he has to take is scenic. So it's worth the drive looking at the blue ridge mountains and the beautiful homes on the hills, and vineyards. We're very excited about this move.

My favorite thing about this house is that it's big enough for a large family. Our goal was to get a final home! We've moved so many times in the last four years that we didn't want to start with a starter house and have to move as our family grew. I'm already pregnant now and plan to have more children in the future. My goal if God allows it, is to have 4 children. The neighborhood is very kid friendly and I'm so excited to raise my child here. Also the schools are fantastic!

Today I started packing for the big move, and am happy to say that we'll be out of these apartments in less than 2 short weeks! Then the fun part starts, we get to remodel. Our main goal is to put tile in the kitchen and get rid of the disgusting laminate. Painting is a must. When the original people left they left awful scuff marks all over the walls. Those are the main problems right now. More updates later in the year. I'll post pictures to my facebook once the updates are done.

We're having a BABY!!!!

Baby Arakelian due May 24, 2011

The past two months have been rough on me. The first month I found out I was pregnant I didn't blog because I was sick 24/7! I was afraid of eating because I don't like throwing up. So the genius that I am decided to stop eating. I went to the doctor and found out that I was very malnourished and the doctor said EAT!!!! I felt horrible that I had stopped eating for my own selfish reasons and realized I had to do whatever I could to get food down. I pretty much spent that whole first month eating lots of soup and crackers.

By the second month I was able to hold down foods until 5:00 pm. I had the worst evening sickness ever! I had to be in bed before 9:00pm or else I would throw up. Also cooking dinner was a challenge for me because everything smelled awful! Eating dinner was a challenge too. I still don't understand how breakfast and lunch were fine but it would take me over an hour to eat a simple meal. I also felt bad for Dennis too because, I would be fine all day and the moment he would walk in the door I would be sick.

Thankfully now (third month) I am feeling much better! I have my energy back and I don't get sick as often. I still deal with a little bit of nausea but it's nothing like before. My medicine for all of this is peppermint. It's been a drug for me. The second my stomach starts acting up I chew on a piece of gum or suck on a mint and miraculously I am healed. I love it!

Now on to appointments. My first appointment was a boring one. I talked to the doctor about my medical history and gave blood. My second appointment was the best one! It was our first ultrasound. Unfortunately Dennis had to work for this but he did enjoy seeing the photo when he got home. My third appointment I was able to hear the babies heartbeat. It was an emotional experience. The nurse first let me here mine, then moved to the babies. It was an amazing sound! I had butterflies in my stomach while listening. I don't have another appointment till November 23, and I wont be able to find out the sex of the baby till January.

In closing I have to thank God for this blessing. I was torn after our last miscarriage and so Dennis and I prayed every day for another baby. I am truly grateful that the Lord blessed us so early with another baby. Also, thank you to everyone who prayed for us during our time of need.

Sunday fun....

Since Dennis has 3 day weekends, we've decided to take a little trip every weekend. We get cabin fever if we're cooped up for to long. On Sunday our friends called us to see if we wanted to hang out. They live a couple hours away from us so we try and meet in the middle. It's great because we get to explore new towns.

We met up with Josh, Erica, and their cute son Conner in a city called Orange. Dennis and I left a little early because we noticed that James Madisons house was in that city. The house was huge, and beautiful. They restored the outside, and our currently working on the inside. The volunteers did a good job painting an image in our heads, but it would be nice to come back when we have kids and see the changes to the inside.

The house had a ridiculous amount of land, and on the land they had horses. They were beautiful. Dennis and I decided to check them out. One finally came to our side so we pet him and after that all the horses wanted us to pet them.

After touring the house, we met up with our friends for dinner. We went to a steak place for dinner, I didn't have steak though. We had yummy crab dip for an appetizer and I had a cesar salad for my meal. It was really good, and we enjoyed our time with our friends. It's so nice to get out and hang out with some long time friends.

NO, I have not fallen off the face of the Earth.

Sorry I have not updated my blog in a a while, but I've been pretty sick. All last week I could barely get out of bed without having to head to the bathroom. Luckily, I'm feeling better now.

There hasn't been that many updates with our lives. We're still looking at houses and possibly getting a new car as well. My check engine light just came on ($700 to fix it!) Since my car is small and breaking every year we decided it was probably time to upgrade to a bigger car. We'll need a car to haul stuff to the new house when we get one.

That's all I can think about today.

:)

The year of vacations...

This year will be known as the "Year of Vacations" for me. I feel like every month we've been on the road. This is a good thing though because knowing what it's like to not have Dennis by my side makes me not want to waste any minute where we could be doing something.

I hated those 14 months without him! On August 12 this year I woke up with a shiver and then turned and saw Dennis and smiled. That day was the normal day he would have been leaving for a deployment. I can't tell you how good it felt to know that he was still beside me in bed. 2 years of deployments in a row were awful for me. The first year I was diagnosed with depression but I refused to take medication for it. I knew that once I saw Dennis I wouldn't feel that way anymore. Sure enough it worked, the moment we saw each other it was like those seven months never happened. I love that about us, because we can just pick up right where we left off. The only problem was we only had 3 whole months together before he had to leave again for another seven months. Looking back on it I don't know how we did it. I'm just thankful we'll never have to go through that again.

Since Dennis has been home we've been to Illinois twice, the Outer banks of North Carolina, Wilmington plenty of times, Florida (Disney World), The Biltmore Estate, Washington D.C., we moved to Virginia and we've just scheduled a trip to go to Sanibel Island for Thanksgiving with Den's parents. Dennis has wanted to take me here since we first started dating and now finally we're able to go. It will be nice for Dennis to get away from work. Also it would be nice to go to the beach once it starts to get chilly out. :)

I'm thankful for all the places we've been this year, and hopefully there will be more to come.