I am such a...

I am such a slacker. Like a big fat slacker! I apologize.

So nothing much has been going on here other than the usual. Mr. Man has been off work, and it has been so nice to have some down time with him. We were suppose to go to Scotland over the holidys; however, the weather was too bad to drive and even public transportation was stopped. We just decided not to risk it and stay home. We had a good holidays even though we were unprepared. We did not do gifts other than a couple of small things, which is enough for the both of us. I got a griddle/grill pan, which I have been wanting. It's an extremely nice one, and I am already addicted to it. Mr. Man got himself a pepper cracker (he wanted it), some clothes, a PS3 Blu-Ray Player remote, and some rubber boots (he wanted). I did also get some men's sweatpants (I wanted). Together we got Donkey Kong Returns on the Wii, which is amazing!! Our Christmas gifts sound pathetic, but it was all things we needed or wanted so we were happy.

We have been taking our baby boy, Mr. Buttons, for walks a lot. Since Mr. Man is off, we have not been going to the gym. So instead we go for long walks with our boy. It allows him the time to act like a puppy, and us time to get in some exercise.

We have played lots of Wii. We finished getting all the secrets in Super Mario on the Wii and started on Donkey Kong. Right now, we are just playing Donkey Kong, then we will go back for all the secrets and such. We both have been working out on the Wii Fit Plus, too. That game is so much fun. I love the snowball game and the platform game where you run and jump over logs and stuff. It's so fun and such a workout.

As far as the pregnancy goes, I am 26.5 weeks now. Some days I feel like I am growing so much, but others I feel like I am shrinking. She moves around so much more and we can see her from the outside. It's quite amazing. She loves to play fight with her Daddy already. It's too cute. No matter wear he drapes his arm over me or how our skin is touching, she goes bonkers and starts kicking him. He felt her roll around for the first time the other day. His reaction was priceless. He said, "What in the world was that?!" I had to explain to him that it was her all over the place! We laughed so hard about it. He has also finally been able to see her kick and move from the outside, which was hard since he was not home when she moved the most. He always cringes and asks me if it hurts or what it feels like. She likes to keep her feet up in my ribs, especially when I sit down. I have a short torso, so it is just enough for me to get achy when I sit for too long. I am most comfortable sleeping on my left side, which is great since that is the side I need to be on. I have not had much trouble sleeping at night either. There has been a couple of times where I have had hot flashes or just couldn't get comfortable, but once I was asleep, I was out. There has also been a few nights were I have woken up 4+ times to use the bathroom, but it has not been consistent at all. I think it just depends on her moments. Last night, I woke up 6 times in the night to use the bathroom and every single time she was bouncing around, so I think she was using my bladder as a trampoline. Milk and watermelon (not together) are amazing. I have to be careful with milk since I am borderlined lactose intolerant, but it is still so yummy. For a while, I was on a sugary cereal kick, but most of my sweet cravings lasted for 2 weeks or so. Sweets are yuck for me unless they have peanut butter. No aversions. The last doctor's appointment I was 16 pounds from where I started. I thought it was worse, so I was happy when she told me that. But truthfully, there really isn't much more I can do to not gain the weight anyway because I am being healthy about it and I am enjoying it. I am also still working out, so unless I was to put myself on a strict diet (which I would never do) I think the weight I gain is the weight I will gain. I went in for another appointment a couple of days later, and the nurse told me that I should gain a few more pounds of fat to help with the pressure. But I have no pain from the pressure, so I was like, "No, thank you." She seems to think since I am so small that I need to add some extra room for the baby, which is a great thought if the pressure from her was causing problems. She's not at all. I have had no back problems, no hip problems, nothing. I am blessed. Now, to say it will never happen, yea right. I'm sure my day is coming. Really, nothing else going on. Nothing with the chest, no leakage, no nothing.

As far as her nursery, we got the bedding in. We got some decorations in. I ordered her some bows, snow boots, headbands, hats, blocks, and other accessories for our maternity pictures. My Mom got Mr. Buttons an adorable shirt that says, "I'm the big brother." He will wear it when I come home from the hospital and for the newborn pictures. My Mom also got Mr. Man a shirt that says, "Hi, I'm Dada." Same for that. He wants to wear it when the baby is born, and he will take a few pictures with her and him in the shirt. My Mom has bought her some adorable dresses. They are so cute. Her Pawpaw (Mr. Man's Dad) bought her some baby crocs. Might I add I hate crocs. Not that I hate them, but I refuse to wear them. They seem redneckish to me. Anyway, when I saw these, I immediately "awwed" over them for like 2 or 3 days. I thought they were so precious. I immediately called my little brother and told him and told him he must get her a matching camo outfit! Typical.

We do take the time to sit in the room and enjoy the sight every couple of nights. It's nice. It's nice because I am nesting so bad. I think about the future. I worry about the future. And I dream of the future happening now. Sitting and daydreaming and discussing things about life with her is amazing. And it makes it more realistic when we are in her room.

Tomorrow we are going over to some friends how to bring in the New Year. They asked if we would go help them move some things, so we of course said we would. Then they decided they were going to BBQ and let the kids play and asked us to bring Buttons for them. So that's our plans. We will bring in the New Year with them, and then head home. Saturday, we may go do some shopping, may go sightseeing, may sleep in, may play Wii all day. We have no idea. We just know that Mr. Man goes back to work on Monday. Boo hoo. On Sunday, I am going meet a friend and we are going to make up some of my announcement and Thank You cards. And Tuesday I start back at school. This time in a different program, only 5 weeks long.

Oh, I never told you guys that I am officially a Graduate of Axia College (University of Phoenix). I graduated officially Decemeber 19th. All A's, and still accepted into the new excellence program that allows me to finish earlier if I choose. I start that January 4th. Hoping to get some classes and progression tests in before Baby A gets here. Hopefully, get some observation hours in, too. Whatever happens, happens.

Also, I have decided for sure we are cloth diapering. I just kept reading and researching and decided it is what I want to do. Since I will be a stay-at-home Mom for the duration of our time here, which is until Baby A is 1.5 years old I thought I should do it and make the most out of it. Then it will be easier for the next one when I have to work and such. I started my stash last month, and I can not wait to try them out. Mr. Man is somewhat on board. He's afraid of cleaning the poopy diapers, but I think it will come with time since he never changed a poopy diaper in his life anyway. He has changed two diapers in his entire life actually. The first one being his Godchild on my side. The second being when he was kind of stuck in the situation when we doing some volunteering. In the end, it worked out. I know he will do great, and it will take some time for it to come for him. Once he (and I) learn the tricks behind it all, we will do perfectly fine.

So that is that. School is amazing, exciting! Life is a blessing. God works wonders!

So until next time, I hope everyone has a Happy and Blessed New Year!

An Apple A Day: (Guest Post)

8 Romantic Ways to Welcome Your Military Sweetheart Home This Holiday

Jasmine Stephenson is a guest blogger for An Apple a Day and a writer on earning your online nursing degree for the Guide to Health Education.

It may have been months since you last saw your military sweetheart. Instead of giving them an average welcome home, show your affection and do something special that will warm their heart and make them ecstatic to be home. Here are a few ideas on how to make your man or woman's homecoming special.

1. A Day of Favorites

Aside from thinking about you while on leave, your significant other has also been fantasizing about all his or her favorite goodies from home. You know your spouse better than anyone, so plan a day doing his or her favorite things. This might include a trip to a favorite restaurant, playing softball with the family at a local park, or watching the sun set on their favorite beach.

2. Plan a Party

Maybe you've fallen in love with an extroverted type. If this is true, your honey is probably dying to see not only you but also all their friends and family. For the highly social military men and women, planning a party is a great way to kick off their holidays at home. Even better, make it a themed holiday party, and blow up photos of him or her as kids, with friends, silly pictures, or whatever will make them smile.

3. The Romantic Picnic

For the outdoor lover, pack a gourmet lunch and a bottle of wine and head to a secluded spot. Here you two will be able to spend some quality time catching up and enjoying the peace and quiet.

4. Massages for Two

The anxiety and excitement of coming home has been building for the both of you. To calm you both down, light some incense and book a home massage for two. It's probably been awhile since your partner enjoyed a bit of luxury, so they'll really love this!

5. Chow Down

If you are the chef of the house, your honey is probably dying to eat your specialty dish. Though it may sound simple, this familiar meal will be the ultimate homecoming for the military man or woman of your life.

6. A night on the Town

Getting dressed up, having a few laughs, and dancing the night away are great ways to start their time back home. Take them to their favorite salsa bar, a new chic restaurant, or even a night at the theater. If the budget allows for it, you could even consider hiring a limo for the night.

7. Decorations Galore

Colorful signs and banners for events are appreciated by everyone. Bring a welcome home sign to the airport, put one on your car, on the front door, in the kitchen, in the bedroom - each extra touch will be a heartwarming surprise at every turn.

8. Video Recap

This welcome home is a great idea for those with kids, as home videos are treasured mementoes for years to come. You can have each child or family member talk about the things that have happened since they have been gone. Maybe a trophy has been won, an honor awarded, or a great report card received. Have the kids act out events or show off what they're proud of. Make sure each person participating has a special message for your service member welcoming them home again.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Guest post attached
From: "Mrs. Ma'am" <cajunbombshell1@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, December 10, 2010 8:49 am
To: tara@anappleadayblog.net

Hi Tara,

This post is absolutely AMAZING! Words can not explain how great this guest post made me feel. I am so glad you have come up with such a great topic to discuss. I find that it is perfect, so if you agree, just let me know. I can post it whenever you are 100% happy with it!

Thanks again!

Mrs. Ma'am

---

From: "tara@anappleadayblog.net" <tara@anappleadayblog.net>
To: "Mrs. Ma&#39,am" <cajunbombshell1@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wed, December 8, 2010 9:04:32 PM
Subject: Guest post attached

Hi Mrs. Ma'am,

Attached you will find the guest post written by Jasmine Stephenson, one of our writers for An Apple a Day. She really enjoyed writing for Life as a Cajun Bombshell, and we hope you and your readers will find the content relevant and engaging. I've also copy/pasted the article below. 

Please look it over and let me know if you're pleased with the draft. You may make any edits you see fit, and if you decide to use the post, our one request is that you leave the byline as is. Exact wording and link placement is important to us. 

Thanks again for allowing us to contribute to your site. I look forward to hearing from you!

Warm Regards,

Tara Spicer

Assistant Editor, An Apple a Day 

8 Romantic Ways to Welcome Your Military Sweetheart Home This Holiday

Jasmine Stephenson is a guest blogger for An Apple a Day and a writer on earning your online nursing degree  for the Guide to Health Education.

It may have been months since you last saw your military sweetheart. Instead of giving them an average welcome home, show your affection and do something special that will warm their heart and make them ecstatic to be home. Here are a few ideas on how to make your man or woman's homecoming special.

1. A Day of Favorites

Aside from thinking about you while on leave, your significant other has also been fantasizing about all his or her favorite goodies from home. You know your spouse better than anyone, so plan a day doing his or her favorite things. This might include a trip to a favorite restaurant, playing softball with the family at a local park, or watching the sun set on their favorite beach.

2. Plan a Party

Maybe you've fallen in love with an extroverted type. If this is true, your honey is probably dying to see not only you but also all their friends and family. For the highly social military men and women, planning a party is a great way to kick off their holidays at home. Even better, make it a themed holiday party, and blow up photos of him or her as kids, with friends, silly pictures, or whatever will make them smile.

3. The Romantic Picnic

For the outdoor lover, pack a gourmet lunch and a bottle of wine and head to a secluded spot. Here you two will be able to spend some quality time catching up and enjoying the peace and quiet.

4. Massages for Two

The anxiety and excitement of coming home has been building for the both of you. To calm you both down, light some incense and book a home massage for two. It's probably been awhile since your partner enjoyed a bit of luxury, so they'll really love this!

5. Chow Down

If you are the chef of the house, your honey is probably dying to eat your specialty dish. Though it may sound simple, this familiar meal will be the ultimate homecoming for the military man or woman of your life.

6. A night on the Town

Getting dressed up, having a few laughs, and dancing the night away are great ways to start their time back home. Take them to their favorite salsa bar, a new chic restaurant, or even a night at the theater. If the budget allows for it, you could even consider hiring a limo for the night.

7. Decorations Galore

Colorful signs and banners for events are appreciated by everyone. Bring a welcome home sign to the airport, put one on your car, on the front door, in the kitchen, in the bedroom - each extra touch will be a heartwarming surprise at every turn.

8. Video Recap

This welcome home is a great idea for those with kids, as home videos are treasured mementoes for years to come. You can have each child or family member talk about the things that have happened since they have been gone. Maybe a trophy has been won, an honor awarded, or a great report card received. Have the kids act out events or show off what they're proud of. Make sure each person participating has a special message for your service member welcoming them home again.

Gender Scan - Continuation

I recently posted about the Anatomy scan that we did at 20 weeks. The lady was not able to tell what we were having, so Mr. Man and I weighed our options to decide what we wanted and should do. While we were in Ireland, we made the final decision to go ahead and find out what we were having. We decided this on the Monday after Thanksgiving, and on Tuesday I made the phone call to a place that does strictly ultrasounds. They offer different packages, and many people recommended them to us.

I made the phone call originally for us just to go ahead and have a 4d scan done. While I was on the phone, the lady told me that they recommend that the 4d ultrasounds be done 28 weeks or later. Well, for me, if we were going to wait that long, then I would rather just keep it a surprise because we would only have give or take 12 weeks left. Mr. Man was bummed, so I just suggested we do a regular 2d one just to find out the sex and later on if we decide we just have to have a 4d one, then we will schedule another one later on. Well, that is what I did. I told the lady that we would like a 2d scan to be able to determine the gender. She was so sweet about it, and asked when we would like to have it done. I asked her when her soonest appointment was (assuming that it would be a week or 2), and she said, "tomorrow at 11am!". I was like, "Bow-chicka-Wow-Wow!" I called Mr. Man at work, told him so he could let work know in case he was late for some odd reason, and to confirmed that "tomorrow" was a perfect day. Sure enough, it was. We got up the next morning, and went to the appointment. When we got there, the lady explained that they would do the 2d gender scan and asked if we had anything we would like to add. I asked that we be able to at least look at the baby for more than 2 seconds and enjoy her presence (because we really never got that before). She said, "Of course, that's what this is all about." So we went in the room, I laid down. Mr. Man got this huge comfy recliner right on the side of me and there was this huge big screen TV in front of us. The lady started the ultrasound and we watched the baby box some, then went on down to see what he/she was going to be. And of course, it was a little girl!! I immediately knew. Mr. Man was trying to find the "parts" that showed whether it was a boy or a girl, and he had no luck. So finally, I looked at him was like, "It's a girl!!" in a real squeamish voice. The woman started laughing and said, "Yes, she is right. It's a girl." I thought Mr. Man was going to fall out of this huge, comfy recliner. Poor thing was holding on so tight to it possibly being a boy, but to my surprise he took it very well. All the way home, he shook his head and said, "It's a girl. Now what?" I laughed at him and would say, "bows, dresses, shoes, jewelry, frilly socks...." and go on and on. He would put the biggest smile on his face EVER! We also discussed if we still liked our girl name we had picked out in the beginning, which we did. So we stuck with it. Before we could even get in the door, Mr. Man had the pictures out at the computer with the CD, loading music, and other things to piece together this awesome video he made. He is so very excited!

Our experience with the ultrasound was amazing. As you can see in the video, we got more than just a 2d scan. As I was laying there, the sweet lady asked if we would like to see her in 4d. I said, "sure why not." And the lady let us look at her in 4d and even gave us some pictures. She also decided to give us all the pictures on a CD, which they normally do not do. We also had double the time with the baby than what we were suppose to. It was suppose to be only 15-20 minutes, but she gave us about 45 minutes with the baby. It was really a great experience. It was very real, very life changing, and very very sweet.

Since we had a really great experience there, I decided that they deserved our money and we should do another bonding session with the baby. This time it will be all 4d, and a video will be made of the baby along with a CD of the pictures, some pictures printed, and some other small things.

While we looked at our baby girl in 4d, we discovered that she has Mommy's nose and Daddy's lips! Perfection at its best!


Hope you enjoyed the video!

2 Date Nights in One Weekend -- OH YEAH!!

This weekend was pretty much a boring weekend for us. We were suppose to go to the Birmingham Christmas Market, but Mr. Man ended up having to work on Saturday. We were lazy this weekend (for the most part), but hopefully next weekend, we can go to the Christmas market!

On Saturday, Mr. Man went in to work at about 8am. I slept in, then got dressed and went and did some shopping. Seriously, I forgot how crowded it gets around the holidays. Shopping alone for once was very nice and relaxing; however, it was very crowded!! I did not buy much, actually I do not think I bought a single thing. I found some things for Mr. Man, but for every single item, they were either sold out or had a huge line to checkout. I know, that's so horrible of me, but I just could not bring myself to stand in line for 30 minutes for one item. It just was not in me. I ended up walking around, not finding much, and came back home. When I got home, Mr. Man was still at work, so I finished up some school work for this week (it's finals!!) and cleaned up around the house.

As time went on, Mr. Man called me and asked what I had planned to cook for dinner. I told him beef fajitas because it was quick and sounded yummy. He said, "How about we order Chinese?" I almost actually turned down Chinese food until I remembered that I rented us two movies, so we decided on food over the phone and waited for him to get home. By the time he had gotten home, it was almost 6pm so I went and picked up the food and he showered and did small things around the house. Once I got home with the food, we fixed our plates and put in the movie. The movie we watched the first night was Date Night. I had heard people talk about it, but I could not remember if it was good or bad. Mr. Man told me he heard that it was not as good as it was suppose to be, but it was decent. Once again, I failed with the movies!! I always seem to either pick movies Mr. Man has seen or some retarded movie that is not great. Anyway, we put the movie in, and it actually was not a bad movie, but it definitely was not over the top.

After the movie, we played Zelda together on the Wii. We have been playing this game together since the summer-ish when I got it for my birthday. We have logged about 42 hours in to it so far, and still have not beat it. However, I think just a couple more hours and it should be done!! We enjoy playing it, but for me it gets old so we do not play it every day or every week at that. That is date night number 1.

Date night number 2 comes on Sunday. On Sunday, we did our normal. Sunday's are a lazy day, but also a BBQ/Roasting day for the family. It is a small tradition we started a while back. It also gives Mr. Man some time to get some more manly food instead of the things I cook throughout the week. Every week, I let him pick out something to cook. This week he chose a leg of lamb. To be honest, I do sometimes cringe at the things he chooses. But I do have to say that it always comes out so wonderful (most of the time). He marinated the leg of lamb overnight on Saturday, and on Sunday, he roasted it. He also made some mash potatoes and brown gravy and peas. It was really, really good.

Since the lamb had to cook for so long, we went ahead and put in movie #2, which was Eclipse. This movie was more for me, and since I know we normally do not get the opportunity to watch 2 movies in one weekend, I bought me one that I knew he would care less if he saw. And Yes, I know I am behind on watching this movie, but to be honest.... I am so over this Twilight mess. Anyway, we put the movie in and watched over half of it. Then dinner was ready, so we paused it and fixed plates and finished the movie while we ate. By the time we were done eating, the movie was over so we cleaned up the kitchen and played Zelda again. 2 nights back to back is crazy in this household. Really it is! So close to almost beating it! And that is date night number 2.

So you are probably thinking, "Wow, that's it?" Well, yes that is. Our date nights consist of ordering take-out or BBQing and cuddling up on the couch and watching Blu-Ray movies and/or playing the Wii together. The Wii is my games, and I refuse to play with him on PS3 unless it is basketball or Sonic (LOL!). So that is exactly what we did the whole weekend - had two of our famous date nights!

I hope everyone else had a wonderful weekend, too!

Holly Jolly Blog Hop

Kristen at Windy Poplars is hosting (along with two others) an awesome holiday blog hop. Today is Day 1, and it is to post your favorite holiday recipe. To get to the blog hop main page, simply click the handy button down below and join in on the fun. 

I have actually found it really interesting to see the different recipes. I love that this blog hop is smaller than the traditional blog hop. It allows you to get to know the people involved a bit better, and gives you a chance to check out each recipe. As I reading the different recipes, I found that most of the recipes were traditional recipes that I have made and/or seen at a lot of holiday parties; however, they called them something different!

I will stop blabbing now and post the recipe that I chose.

Crab, Artichoke, and Spinach Dip:

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, room temperature

8 ounces of imitation crab meat, chopped

1 (4 ounce) jar of artichokes, chopped

1 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 box of frozen spinach, thawed

Directions:

1. 1.Put spinach into colander and press out excess liquid.2.Mix all together into a small crockpot and let bake for at least 1 hour on low.3.Serve with tortilla chips, or bagel chips, or spread on baguettes.

Catching up- More Pictures of Our Pouch:

Since I am way behind on these pictures, I am going to try and catch up right now! These will catch me up to the week I am now, which is 23. I have not uploaded my 23 week picture, so it will be in the next lot of pouch pictures. I hope you enjoy watching our little baby grow!

Week 17

 Week 18

 Week 19

We were so caught up in doing the baby's room for Week 20 that I completely forgot to take a picture! (Oops!)

 Week 21

Week 22

Being the Favorite Rocks!

Yep, I am now officially the favorite parent with Mr. Buttons. I must admit I love it. Usually, he goes towards Mr. Man when he is home; however, lately it has been all about his Mommy and I can not and will not complain! 

To start off, every day that I am home (even when Mr. Man is home), he snuggles up to me, sits in my lap, gives me puppy kisses, and just hangs out. At first, I felt weird about the situation because he loves me more for what's inside of my belly - Not for me. Although I let myself believe it's me, because he is my little protector. From the time I have found out I was pregnant, he has been right in my face and on my stomach or lap constantly. He even began taking my side ALL the time when Mr. Man and I wrestle. Use to, he would go back and forth, one day he would defend me and the next day it would be Mr. Man. 

Now that I am growing and him and the baby play tag (which is the cutest thing ever), he is even more all over me. (Quick explanation of tag: Buttons will lay on my stomach and the baby will kick him. He will then get up really fast look at the baby and put his paw right where the baby kicked. Talk about adorable! And this goes on for several minutes at a time sometimes.) He never wants to leave my side ever. Which leads me to what really made me realize how much of a "favorite" I am right now. Mr. Man works swings - 4pm to midnight. I am generally in bed by the time Mr. Man gets home. Our baby boy will generally go to bed with me, but he will be back downstairs waiting for Mr. Man when the time comes. Our boy always has to be the first person Mr. Man gives his attention to when he gets home. It has always been like that. Well, not any more. Lately, Buttons will come to bed with me and stay in bed with me. Even when Mr. Man gets home. After a couple of days with this happening, Mr. Man has decided to be "bummed" about it. He mentioned it to me for the first time night before last, and sure enough last night I stayed up just to see and Buttons never once left my side. Since Buttons knows Mr. Man's movements and noises when coming in at night, he knows it is him and not a stranger. Because trust me, if it was a stranger, Buttons would go nuts. Like I said, he's our little protector. With this said, it makes me feel special. Not for my own selfish reasons, but because I see him becoming attached to this baby in my pouch. It makes me think about the future, and all I can see is them together as best friends. 

Awww, it makes me want to take the baby out just so Buttons can give him/her some cuddles!

Looking Back: Wales

I never really posted any pictures about our trip to Wales, so I am going to go ahead and do that.

We went to Wales back in October. We took a long weekend, and drove up to Snowdonia National Park. The purpose of our trip was for us to climb Snowdon, which I really, really wanted to do. Since I found out I was pregnant, I knew I was better off doing it pregnant then with a baby in tow. It was a nice little getaway with the family. We even took Mr. Buttons, and yes he climbed to the top with us.

While we were out there, we went and saw their biggest natural waterfall and hiked a couple of woodland trails. We did do some shopping, too! Of course, I shop!

So here are some pictures of our trip:

Catching Up: Anatomy Scan

I am going to catch you all up on what has been going on in our lives. Of course, nothing that much has changed and nothing exciting, but after all the point of this is to document our lives and our journey through life.

I will start off with our 2nd ultrasound that we had done right before we left for Ireland. We did it the Monday before Thanksgiving. On that day, we were also going to be able to decide if we wanted to find out what we are having. When we went in, Mr. Man came with me (of course), and the scan begin. It took over an hour, and it was very interesting. However, when it came time to decide if we wanted to know, we of course said we did. The lady tried multiple times to view those "parts," but never once did the baby uncross his/her legs or open them enough for us to see. We were ok with that UNTIL the lady decided to say, "I'm going to guess that it is a girl." Mr. Man and I was really curious as to why she made that guess, so it had us wondering.

I had my follow-up appointment the Wednesday before we headed out. Everything looked great for the anatomy scan, so it was quick measurement, check heart rate, and get a letter to fly to Ireland. When we walked in, the lady went to check my blood pressure and as I was getting up to get on the table, she said, "Let me guess. You found out you are having a boy." Mr. Man and I both laughed and told the lady that we were unable to tell and the other lady guessed a girl. It was quite funny. We went on about our business. The baby and everything looked great, and the next day we headed to Ireland.

On our trip, we talked about whether or not we wanted to find out what we were having. Because being military, you only get 2 ultrasounds. One to confirm the pregnancy, and two for the anatomy scan. Since we had already had both of those done, the only way to have any more was for us to go off base and pay out of pocket. Initially that was never a consideration, but we also never dreamed that we would have a little stubborn baby (takes after his/her Daddy!). When we got back from our trip, I made a few phone calls to see when the earliest someone off base could even see us to decide if it would be worth it or not. On Monday, we confirmed that we were indeed going to find out what we were having. We scheduled the appointment for a couple of days later, and the rest will be continued!

Until next time....

We are back!

We are back from our trip to Ireland. It was absolutely fantastic. It was a great vacation. It was so relaxing and calm, just what we needed. We enjoyed the Irish setting, history, and food. It snowed the whole time we were there, which made it that much more gorgeous.

Our hotel was amazing. It had a "bar" on one side and a restaurant on the other. In the mornings, we got a full Irish breakfast free. At night, if we were tired and just wanted to go to the room, we knew we could still have an authentic Irish meal with the restaurant right there. The bar was amazing, too. We ate there on our way to check-in at the hotel. It was pretty amazing. I got some hot wings and nachos. Absolutely nothing Irish about those, but I have to say those were the best nachos I have ever had. I am not sure if it was because I am pregnant or if they were really that good, but before we left I had to have them one more time, which I did. We tried a lot of food, and we enjoyed every single bit that we had.

We did the Hop On Hop Off bus tour since we were only there for a few days. We bought a public transportation pass to last us while we were there, and I bought us passes for all of the things we wanted to do in advance. This has worked well for us because we can skip the lines and plan ahead. I am such a planner that all of this is a must for us. It ends up saving you quite a bit of money in the end because you get 10-20% off on the sightseeing and some free for purchasing so many at once. It also allows you discounts to different shops, cafes, pubs, etc.

The first day we kept it simple. Since we flew in that morning and were running off of 4 hours of sleep, we decided to not try and make a big deal of it. We got "lost" in the city and just enjoyed being there. We actually even took a nap and ordered room service for dinner from the restaurant downstairs.

On the second day, We went to some Cathedrals, viewed their treasures and crypts. We went to their Christmas markets. On the same day, we toured the Guinness Factory. We enjoyed all of this. The Guinness Factory took us a while because it is 7 stories, but not only that, we ate there because I could not get the complimentary pint of Guinness, so instead I got a Guinness hamburger and Guinness Chocolates. Mr. Man got his Guinness, which he is not a beer drinker but he enjoyed it. He said it was really smoothed compared to any beer he has ever had. He also said it is much better than the Guinness he has had in the states.

The next day, we went straight to the Jameson Whiskey Factory. We were there at 9am. Leave it to the people from Louisiana to get their drink on bright and early in the morning.... :o) I must say that I am so glad we did this because they pick 8 people in the group to do some official whiskey taste testing. They choose 4 boys and 4 girls. There were 5 girls in the group, with me being the 5th. There were exactly 4 men in the group, so everyone got to do the taste testing. But everyone got a complimentary glass of whiskey. You could choose to have it with cranberry juice, coke, ginger ale, or straight. Of course, I just took lots of pictures and sat back and watched all the Americans down lots of whiskey. Yes, our group was almost all Americans. There was one girl from Germany, and that was it. We got to the end of tour and all the taste testers got their complimentary whiskey and 3 other shots of different whiskeys with one being Jameson, another being an American one, and another being a Scottish one. They went around the table discussing each of the whiskeys, then had to taste each one. At the end, they had to chose which one they enjoyed the most. Now going back to Mr. Man and I not being drinkers at all, Mr. Man has not gotten a taste for any type of alcohol, especially beer and whiskey. So they were both very fresh to him. He had tried some of them before, but he had not had any in an extremely long time. Everyone in the room that taste tested chose Jameson (of course!).  Since they did, they all got a nice certificate with their name stating that they were official whiskey taste testers with Jameson. That was pretty neat. After the tour (for those of you wondering), I asked Mr. Man if he really liked the Jameson better. His reply was similar to the one of the Guinness. That is it was the most smooth and subtle tasting one of them. After that, we went to some museums. One included Dublina and the Viking World, which was the story of the Viking's World. Another one was one of the Irish military, which discussed many different battles and wars. Another one was of the Dublin Castle. That was most of our day there.

To be honest, I am probably forgetting a lot of what we did. Once I look over the pictures again, I will probably think of a whole lot more that we saw and more stories to tell.

I can tell you that it was a great trip, mostly focussed around alcohol since it is a party town. But overall, it was a nice, relaxing visit. We knew it would be for us since we are "pub crawlers." The snow made it much more stunning. The atmosphere was absolutely fabulous. The people were so friendly and welcoming. The history was extremely interesting. Every thing about it was great.

So, I know I say this every time, but I do plan on posting some pictures once I get them uploaded.

I hope everyone else had a wonderful Thanksgiving, too!

Friends will be friends til the end!

So tonight was my final goodbye to two my dearest friends that I have made while here in the UK. We went out to dinner and just acted fools... talked about crazy girl things and celebrated the last week of being together. It was slightly depressing. Not too depressing, just slightly. I am so bummed that they will not be here when the baby is born or when I am nice and "plump."

But that's what it's about when you are a military spouse. You find friends, you leave friends or they leave you. But the good thing is that bond last forever because military friends are true supporters. I mean that is their job. So you have the satisfication of knowing that you will be friends until the end.

One of my friends, which has been my good friend since I have been here is also from Louisiana. Well, her husband is from Louisiana and she is from Mississippi. They got orders to Barksdale, LA! I am sooo stoked about it because that is where I am from and I know I will see them again. I am going to miss their kids so so much. Mr. Man and I really wanted to get one more outing with them before they headed out, but things have been so busy. It makes me sad, and Mr. Man may not be able to see them one last time, but we still have Facebook. Giggle. The infamous Facebook.

My other friend is going to Virginia. They are actually retiring and getting out, and that is where they chose to go. I have no desire to go to Virginia, but I would love for our to meet our bundle of joy once he/she gets here. There is the unknown... but once again, thanks to Facebook!

Saying goodbye is always so hard, especially when you make them family, but there is always more to look forward to. And we have lots of memories to cherish forever.

So until next time dear friends, I wish you the best and God Bless!

And yes, there will be a next time!

On another note, we leave for Ireland in 1 day! Yahooo!!!!!

Crib/Dresser-Halloween:

Over the weekend, we received our crib and dresser. At first, I was so worried that I was going to end up not liking it or it not matching the way I thought it would. But it worked out perfectly. I absolutely love it. I am so happy because it is exactly what I wanted. I originally really, really wanted a drop-side crib because I am so short, but as everyone knows they have been being recalled like crazy. They are also going out of style and so hard to find these days. We finally found one that we liked, but I was still scared about it. We put it in the room on Sunday, and it is perfect. It is so easy to work, has a drop-side, and matches everything already in there perfectly. I could not be happier.

Here is a picture of the set.

Since I never got around to telling everyone Happy Halloween, here it is!

These are from Week 17, the week of Halloween.

Veteran's Day

Mr. Man finally has a Veteran's Day off since being here in the UK, so we are going to enjoy it. I thought I would share some pictures. I hope you enjoy your Veteran's Day!! And remember our men and women in uniform.

Guest Post- Top 5 Unique Christmas Gifts

5 Unique Gifts for Children at Christmas

Come closer, huddle round, as what I am about to say needs to whispered... Utter it very quietly as its magic will spread amongst others like a fever, Christmas is coming and I am excited. That time of year is nearly upon us and we will soon be thinking of white snow, carols and most importantly gifts for our loved ones. We all know part of the excitement is seeing how your partner, friend, family or children react to opening your present so you always want to make sure you get them something that extra bit special. 

To save you being stuck for ideas we have tried to discover 5 of the most unusual, quirky and unique gifts for children this Christmas.

1. Wheelie Zip Bin

Christmas is time for children to play and have fun and the Wheelie Zip Bin is one way of guaranteeing this. Imagine a box full of tricks and that is lterally what it is! The bin is designed to look like a tyre and at the flick of its zipper it unfurls into a two lane vinyl and fabric racetrack with two pit areas at each end. Children can set it up on the floor or sofa and even on the backseat of a car which is perfect for entertaining the kids on long journeys.  Ingenious and imaginative, the track includes two metal race cars and slots for storing 12 standard Matchbox cars from your collection. Children will love making ramps out of household items for their cars to zoom down on and hours of fun for any child.

2. Character Themed Childrens Rugs

Every child has a cartoon favourite. We can all still remember who our favourite used to be and can still picture how we pretended to be them when we played. For those of us with children now, one of the most rewarding ways of improving their enjoyment around the house is to decorate their room with colours and cartoon characters they like. Now they can have a cartoon themed childrens rug in their room, directly beside their bed! Children can choose from Disney character rugs, football shaped rugs to Winnie the Pooh rugs and other stars.  Childrens rugs can also be used as an excellent play space for younger children.

3.       Personalised Childrens Books

Your child will love starring in their very own book. They can now be the hero or heroine in a wonderful personalised book. You can use your child’s name, age, home town, the first-names of three friends or relatives, and a personal dedication from you, and then the personalised story can begin. You get to select the type of stories your child will be involved in, ranging from an adventure to them scoring the winning goal in the Cup Final.  You can add the final touches to your story by providing details of hair & eye colour, skin tone & adding a personal message!

4.       Vtech Movie Magic Digicam

For all those Steven Spielberg wannabes out there! Lights! Camera! Action! This small handheld portable digicam is designed specifically for children. Durable and colourful it encourages children to become a movie director and shoot their very own home movies. We know how quickly children can get bored of toys during the festive period which is why the digicam has a range of features that will amuse the children. It has the option of adding special effects to your movies by changing the scenes, adding clip art and fun face-tracking animations. You can also insert fun borders and stamps to jazz up your photos so expect to see yourself in funny surroundings!

5.       Personalised Bunting

If you like home made boutique gifts then a personalised bunting set for your daughter is the perfect gift. The gorgeous bunting is made from a choice of beautiful fabrics and will be the envy of your daughter’s friends when it hangs on her bedroom wall. The bunting can be personalised with any name, date or message of your choice stitched on and finished with a choice of appliquéd design either end. You can even choose the colour scheme and pattern to go with the current bedroom interior of your child.

This article was written by Sam Murray in association with The Rug House