26 Weeks

This week has been both rewarding and tiring at the same time.  For the rewarding, Josh and I have really started to talk about what we want in terms of a birth plan.  Or more so I've been able sit down with him and express what my desires are.  I couldn't ask for a better husband as he's been really supportive of my desires and has also started to read some of the birth books too!

Today we got to tour the labor and delivery ward at the hospital.  I'm really encouraged by the overall feel of the hospital and how supportive they are of doing things how the parents want them to be done.  There were a lot of posters and literature around about how labor takes time and not to rush things with interventions.  Seriously music to my ears!  Right now the only variable seems to be the doctor.  I'm not sure if we can have our OB doc or if we will have to deliver with whomever is on call at the time.  This makes me nervous because I really like our doctor and his philosophy about birth.  I guess we're going to just have to hold our ground!

One of the best parts of this week was a surprise prenatal massage and pedicure from Josh for my birthday. Talk about amazing.  I definitely recommend it to all the mommas to be out there!  The spa had these amazing pillows that contoured to my belly and allowed me to essentially lay on my stomach.  I really wish they sold those to sleep with...

I guess the tiring part of this week is just getting bigger. I'm beginning to get really tired at the end of the day.  Thankfully the house is almost done and I can slow down a bit more.  Baby girl is still moving around in there plenty and has started pushing on certain parts of my body.  I can't really figure out what's pushing but I do get certain pressure points during the day.

We still haven't made any progress on the nursery or figuring out baby girl a name.  I'm not too worried yet and think we'll probably kick it into high gear around the end of next month.  Josh did get the crib set up and we have the mattress and sheets on it so that's a start.  I still want to rearrange the furniture a bit and maybe do a bit of decorating in there to make it special for her.  Can't believe that third trimester is literally around the corner!

Can't believe she's still got to "cook" another 12 weeks in there at least!

26-26-26

This week is really special to me because not only are we 26 weeks along (separate post to come) but my 26th birthday is on Wednesday the 26th!  Talk about 26 overload.  Normally I don't get to excited about my birthday because frankly no one has ever really made a big deal about it growing up but this year feels a bit different.  June 26, 26 years and 26 weeks pregnant!  

Boots & Booties

This weekend I had the opportunity to go to a military baby shower hosted by a great organization in Fayetteville called Fayetteville Cares.  This "shower" is considered the world's LARGEST military baby shower, or probably baby shower in general.  There were a total of 1000 pregnant mama's there!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect as I had heard about this event from a friend on base and signed up thinking it maybe a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  Needless to say as the event got closer and closer I kept hearing about the hype.  Free things!  Good food!  This sounded like my type of event :)

When I got there on Saturday, I was early but that didn't seem to make a difference.  The ladies were already lined up out the door stretching most of the parking lot.  I joined the line of pregnant women and slowly made my way to registration.  With my packet and wristband I was off!

New Parent Support Program, an awesome program here on base, was there with lots of information about birth and parent classes, safety, infant massage, SIDS.  All the pamphlets a girl could want really.  Although the information was helpful, I think most of the women were interested in the door prizes.  Each of us were given a certain amount of tickets that we could put in whatever raffle box we wanted.  They had things from TVs, laptops and vacuums to gift cards for dinners and gender specific gift bags.

After dropping off my tickets I grabbed some food and just tried to soak it all in.  Its amazing to see how a community comes together to support these military families.  Not only do they throw this shower every couple of years but they are constantly putting together packets for the troops overseas and their families here on the home front.  Its a great example of how a community has embraced the military presence rather than isolating it.

The afternoon wrapped up with some speeches from high ranking army personnel and then the announcement of the raffle winners.  I didn't get anything big but I did win the prize at my table.  Baby girl got a cute knitted cap and booties.  The most exciting part of the day was leaving.  Every woman was directed into a colored line based on her wristband.  Each wristband corresponded to a certain gift.  Some women got car seats and bouncers.  I walked away with a carrier, a few toys and some diapers.

Overall it was a great afternoon and it was such a great experience to meet other women going through the same things I was.  It was also such a blessing to see how the community is supporting the military and their families here in Fayetteville!

Buddy

Buddy seems to have settled into the house quite nicely.  He's found his new favorite spot.  The funny thing is Josh said he has never really loved this spot on the couch before.  

25 Weeks

This week has brought a renewed burst of energy and I am so thankful for it.  I was getting a little run down and exhausted with all the unpacking around the house and I really needed that inner drive to come back.  Speaking of things around the house, I am really looking forward to getting started on little girl's nursery.  I've been looking closely at the rug we bought in Morocco for her and thinking about the colors I want to draw from it.  Can't wait for it to start coming together because right now she just has PILES of things in there.

I also got a ton of clothes for her as you can see in this post from yesterday.  I am so excited about all the steals and can't wait to start putting things away in her drawers.  We also received an adorable outfit from my mom this week which I'm sure is the first of many to come ;-)  She is already planning a small shopping trip when I'm in Illinois next month and I'm a tad excited.

This week I've been doing a lot of reading about the Bradley method and natural childbirth.  Natural childbirth is something that's so important to me for so many reasons.  One I REALLY don't like the idea of a large needle in my spine and two its so much better for mom and baby.  I mean He created my body to do this.  Women have been doing this for hundreds of years.  On top of doing some reading I've looked into a Bradley class in the area.  As far as I'm concerned the price and the class are right on target.  Josh and I are struggling with the large time commitment it would require.  The class is an hour away and lasts 2 hours for a 12 week period.  With the drive it will take up about 4 hours of our Sunday.  Basically after church we will have to dash home or grab food and then take off for the class.  This limits our involvement at church among accomplishing things around the house.  I'm still on the fence but going to try to look at some other options at the hospital and in the area.  I'm hoping that the military offers something besides the standard "parent prep" classes that are typically found.

Little girl has been kicking up a storm lately.  I think she's still breech because the kicks are low in my abdomen.  She does get a bit shy when Josh puts his hand on my belly.  I feel bad for the guy because he's only felt her once or twice.  I swear she's in there!

Otherwise there's nothing new to report.  I still feel like I'm on track with my weight gain.  I know I need to get out more and exercise but its still so busy around the house.  I hope the laps I'm doing around the house count for something.  I'm getting excited for my upcoming appointment and can't believe that the third trimester is right around the corner.  I mean seriously didn't we just find out we were expecting?!

25 Weeks!

My Wednesday Find

Today I went out to run some errands for Josh's upcoming Change of Command ceremony.  While I was out I couldn't help but look for a few things for little girl too.  My main goal with all things baby is always to save money, especially when it comes to little outfits that she will probably only wear a time or two.

Thus far I have only been hitting up the clearance sections at places like Kohl's and Target. Today I went into Once Upon a Child to check it out and was instantly hooked.  I had expected to have to dig through racks or even piles but everything was beautifully hung up, organized and color coded.  They even separated the clothing by sex and size!

I honestly got lost in the racks and before I knew it had a VERY full basket.  I was really dreading the final number (despite the fact that everything is already discounted) on the cash register.  Then the cashier said those words, "Ma'm have you heard about our sale today?"  Why no I haven't.

Well it turns out everything in my cart was 50% off!  My discounted items were even more discounted!  I am so excited about all the little outfits, sleepers and onesies I got baby girl.  And I can't believe the steal I got; 40 items for $40!

My loot

One of my favorites "Major Cutie"  I couldn't resist with Josh being a Major

Another military reference and also totally true

Love the deer on this one

Recapturing Our Porch

One of the things that sold us on this house was the nice screened in porch off the living room.  Summers in North Carolina are hot (as we are already experiencing) and buggy.  This porch with its ceiling fan and screens is the perfect retreat on a summer night.

Lately though the porch has become a catch all for the packing materials and boxes as we get settled.  At first we had them in the living room but honestly seeing them there was giving me a minor anxiety attack.  It looked like we had so much more to do even though they were empty boxes.  So I banished them to the porch!  Out of sight.  Out of mind.  Right?

Before

Well as the boxes piled up higher and higher it just got rediclous.  Where was our porch?  Thankfully yesterday the movers finally came back and took them all away!  Loaded every single one up and drove off. So thankful that I can look out our living room windows and see backyard instead of cardboard.

Now that the boxes are gone, I've started thinking about what we can do to spruce the porch up a bit.  Right now we have a lawn chair and one of those poplin chairs out there.  Comfortable yes but practical not so much.  Right now I'm thinking that a small patio set would be great.  Maybe with a little table for meals or just to relax around.  I'm watching the budget so maybe I can find something cute on Craigslist and give it a minor face lift? I'd also like to get some plants out there too.  The trick will be finding some that Buddy doesn't like to eat or keeping them up high so he can't get to them.  The cat likes plants what can I say.

But anyways I leave you with before and afters.  I love how it instantly makes me feel like I've made progress on the house.  Even if all I did was direct the movers to the backyard :-)

After

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my favorite father to-be, my hubby!  I can't wait to see your face when they put our little girl in your arms for the first time.  I'm sure she will have you wrapped around her little fingers from the beginning.  

I know you're going to be an amazing father and I can't wait to see how this sweet little addition changes our family for the better.  I love you and happy "first" father's day!

A New Chapter, A New Look

This goes without saying but after being back in the states for a little more than a month it seemed as if my old blog title just didn't fit anymore.  Sure I still feel as if our life is a bit of an adventure but the obvious is we're not in Kenya anymore.

SO after some brainstorming and input from Josh, I've come up with the new title, The "Bast" Life.  This life, this adventure of ours, is really what I imagine to be my best life. Spending everyday with my best friend, starting life in a new town and expecting a new little addition to our family in October brings with it ups and downs but I wouldn't change it for the world.

Come follow us (or keep following us) as I keep track of our everyday lives in this little space I call my own.

24 Weeks

I know I keep saying the time is flying by, but I can't help it.  I swear I get these posts done and its time for the next one.  This week I'm feeling big.  Soccer ball big.  Or at least that's what it says on all of my pregnancy apps.  I'm trying not to worry too much about it as my weight gain and more importantly little girl's weight gain is right on track.  I have noticed that I'm not being as good about what I'm eating as I used to be so I'm trying to fix that.  More fruit and less processed sugar.  I think I'm more aware of this with the glucose testing right around the corner. 

Strangest thing happened to me yesterday.  My belly literally moved!  (Yes I know this is normal but it was weird to me) It was like someone was doing the wave in there.  Now she's kicked before but nothing like this.  Its always felt really deep and low in my pelvis.  This was pretty high and moved down my abdomen.  It was also strange because I was just sitting still.  Baby girl is pretty quiet unless I'm not giving her enough space ie have a computer pressed to my belly or bending over.  Its like she's saying, "Hey mom cut that out!" This time I was slouched in a computer chair giving her ample space.  Guess she just decided it was time for some acrobats.

For the most part I'm still feeling really good.  I'm getting tired easily and its making this whole moving in thing a bit slow but that's ok.  I'm feeling a bit behind on my reading and know we need to start getting on some things pronto.  Like um a name....or a birth plan....or her nursery...yeah in no particular order.  We'll get there.  We always do.  

6 months!

The To-Do List

The last couple of weeks has been spent receiving shipments, opening boxes and unpacking, unpacking, unpacking!  For as much as I am pulling things out, I don't feel like we're getting anywhere (or at least anywhere fast).  BUT I've come to the conclusion that this is ok.  In fact its more than ok; its normal.

While we were in Kenya all we had was "Josh's".  My things were in storage at my parents.  Now we're trying to combine it all into one household and create a system that works for us.  And that's just going to take some time.  Time now will only make future moves easier (oh yes with the Army there are many moves in our future) so I'm willing to put in the effort.

Each day I've carved out a little bit and that makes me feel accomplished.  Today I tackled the guest bedroom closet and the pile of linens.  Now we have an organized closet and clean folded linens.  Mission accomplished!  All the china is now stored in the china cabinet and Josh's old army uniforms are put away in storage.  I also moved all the office things upstairs in prep for setting up our home office.  All this on top of the usual dishes and laundry and this girl feels pretty good about herself!

Despite plugging away daily I do have a mental to-do list for this week.  With the pregnancy I really can't be tackling some of the major projects I normally wouldn't think twice about.  So here it is.  Our goals for the weekend (or at least mine, poor Josh just may get suckered in...)

1. Mow the law:  The neighbors probably think we're growing a forest out there.

2. Spray weed killer:  While we're at it we might as well get a hold on this dandelion population.

3. Organize garage

4. Decide on which mattress for the guest bedroom

5. Move Jen's desk upstairs

6. Brainstorm ways of getting Josh's furniture into the house: For those who didn't see my facebook pic,     Josh's beautiful couch from Korea didn't make it through the front door.  Not sure what we're going to do exactly but we'll find a way!

7. Research this garden thing: I really want to plant some seeds and I'm thinking I need to do it soon!

8. Set up bookcase and books: easier said than done as there's a lot to be moved before this gets accomplished.

Think we'll get it all done?  Here's hoping!

23 Weeks

Hello 23 weeks!  Where has the time gone?!  We are almost at 6 months.  This week I finally got in to see a doctor.  Yes people it is possible to have a healthy pregnancy and not go into the doctor every couple of weeks (no I'm not advocating this but just noting that pregnancy is NOT something "wrong" with your body but something completely natural).  Everything looks good in there.  I'm measuring right on track and it looks like her due date is still September 30th.

OH in big news, we found out that Baby Bast is a GIRL!!  I was thinking boy from the start and most of the old wives tales seem to point that way too.  Guess the bottom line is you can never predict these things.  We are so excited to be having a daughter and can't wait to add another Bast granddaughter to the clan.  :-)

I'm starting to feel quite large this week.  Its a bit depressing as I know I will only get bigger.  I'm just trying to get used to the fact that it's going to take me longer to do certain things than it once did and I'm going to get tired faster.  My belly button is getting shallower by the day.  I'm hoping that it stays an innie but won't put any money on it.

I have reached a new normal when it comes to sleep.  I was telling Josh the other day that if I wake up less than five times during the night I consider that a success.  Its so strange to be measuring that as good sleep.  For the most part I've been falling asleep with my regular pillow and then switching over to the Snoogle pillow in the middle of the night (usually after bathroom break numero uno).  For the most part it works great.  I do get some right hip pain if I lay on that side more than my left and that's just a reminder that I shouldn't be laying on that side.

Baby girl has been kicking a lot more than usual lately.  Her kicks are still VERY sporadic and deep in my pelvis.  This unfortunately makes it hard for Josh to feel them unless he wants to keep his hand on my stomach for the entire night.  She mainly kicks in the morning and then again at night.  It seems that she's sleeping for the better part of the day.  According to the ultrasound she's breech and has managed to somehow wedge her legs up so that her bottom really is the furthest south part of her body.  She can stay that way for now but better realize that she needs to flip around in a few more months!

Overall I'm still feeling really good.  Life around the Bast house has been super busy with getting settled and we still have a ton to do.  I'm trying to take it slow and not over exert myself.  I can't wait till everything is put away and we can finally start thinking seriously about her room.  I don't think we need to paint but we may be refinishing some furniture, picking out some wall art and choosing other little kick-knacks.  :-)

White shirt and white door maybe not the best idea

Life Lately

For those of you who don't know, Josh and I just recently made our way back to the ole' US of A.  After a whirlwind of house hunting, car shopping and family visiting we are finally getting settled in here in North Carolina.  As much as I loved visiting with family and friends it is nice to be stable in one place again.

Right now we are dealing with the typical new place items: turning on utilities, running errands and unpacking.  Oh the dreaded unpacking...Usually I am all for unpacking.  Seriously this is something I ENJOY.  But for some reason this time around its been a bit more difficult for some reason.  I don't know if its the pregnancy nesting kicking in or my general want for this home of ours to really be a reflection of both of us.  Whatever it is has really taking which is normally a fast task for me and slowed it down significantly.

On top of all that its been a bit difficult to picture the house with all of our things.  Right now we are living off of my stuff until our other shipments come in.  We have one coming from Kenya tomorrow and the other from storage on Monday.  Its been this guessing game of how will things fit and where we should store things.  I'm a bit of a planner and find it hard to put things away when I don't know where their final "homes" will be.  Thankfully I have a very encouraging husband that even when there are tons of boxes left to unpack nicely describes the house as "almost done".  Love him!

Besides getting settled at home Josh has been trying to get started at work.  He's been doing the usual in processing activities as well as some specific to his new unit.  Please pray that everything continues to go well and that its not too stressful for him.

I'm hoping to be able to get out and meet some other wives soon.  We were able to have dinner with some of Josh's old friends last night and it was so nice to just chat over a delicious dinner.  Unfortunately they are moving away soon, so I hope we can get out and meet some other friends in the next couple of weeks.

Little girl is still as active as ever despite all the moving around I've been doing the last few weeks.  You would think the movement would put her to sleep but no.  We have been so blessed by friends and family who have already given her so much.  She's barely "half-cooked" and already has a crib, rocker, dresser/changing table, changing pad, boppy pillow, crib sheets, mattress, books, blankets, and a few outfits.  Seems to be she might be a bit spoiled already!

Well that's about our lives at the moment in a nutshell.  I've been trying so hard to keep up with the blog but admist all the moving its been a bit difficult.  I am also thinking about renaming it as we are no longer in Kenya but am stumped for a new name.  Suggestions welcome!

It's A......

GIRL!!!

Baby Bast is a girl!!  We are so excited to be having a daughter.  Flashes of pink and ruffles instantly pop into my mind :-)  Although I have been thinking "boy" from day 1 (so much for mother's intuition), I couldn't be more excited. It seems Bast tradition to have a girl first and far from us to change that.  

I am loving being able to say "she" and "her" rather than "the baby".  It makes it more real if that's possible.  Right now we are just feeling so blessed and can't wait to meet this little girl in a few short months!

22 Weeks

I feel like the weeks are just flying by now.  I know its probably because we've been so busy visiting with family and moving (a post to come on that all soon).  This week I feel so much bigger.  My stomach is growing so fast that I'm not completely convinced the doctors are correct when they say there's only one in there.  I have also noticed that I'm loosing the strength in my abs.  This only makes me wish that I had better prepared my body physically but once we're settled here I want to start walking and being more active.  (I think the act of getting settled will more than suffice as exercise for the time being)

Besides feeling pretty big nothing to complain about here.  I'm pretty much completely in maternity clothes and when I do put on a regular shirt its a tad tight.  I am drinking water like a fish and just can't seem to get enough these days.  No weird cravings or aversions so that's great.

Baby Bast has calmed down a bit in there this week only kicking to let me know he or she's awake a few times at night.  Nothing to keep me up yet.  Although I love the little wiggles and kicks, I do love my sleep too.  Speaking of sleep, the last few nights have been great.  I don't know if I've been too exhausted from our trip or the mattress has been better but whatever it is I am grateful.  I haven't broken out the snoogle pillow since leaving IL.

I am really looking forward to our appointment in two days.  We will finally be able to see this little one again and find out whether its a he or a she!  We have waited long enough to find out this little secret and Baby Bast better not be camera shy!

Overall I'm just feeling really blessed and happy.  As we moved things into our new home today, I am reminded again that this is where we'll bring the baby home to and where our lives will change.

Um should the belly be this big at 22 weeks...I'm not so sure

From Illinois to North Carolina...in a Uhaul

A few days ago Josh and I made the adventurous trek from Illinois to our new home in North Carolina.  When I moved to Kenya, my parents graciously allowed me to keep all my belongings at their house (probably in secret hopes I'd just move in again).  It was time to box everything up for good and head south.

The packing was pretty straight forward.  For the most part I had everything packed away from when I moved back from Michigan two years ago.  I knew I was headed to Kenya so there was no need to unpack.  Our task was to consolidate the few random items still around and decide what major furniture we wanted to take with us.

The pile seemed pretty large and I think everyone (but Josh) doubted it would actually fit into the Uhaul.  Thankfully my dad and brother were on hand to help load up.  The boys had a great time packing the truck, trying to fit every box in like a puzzle.  Their skills paid off as nothing seemed to be damaged upon arrival.

The next day we took off with the intention of reaching Dayton, Ohio.  The drive was uneventful for the most part.  It was a little tricky driving the large Uhaul with my car attached especially with the high winds we encountered from Illinois to Indiana.  We also couldn't back up and had to make sure every place we entered had enough space to turn around.  Poor Josh ended up driving most of the way except for a short two hour stretch through Indianapolis.

After hitting Dayton, we decided we could handle another hour and drove on to a small town called Chillicothe.  Dinner was long overdue and we crashed for the evening before repeating it all the next day.

The second day went better.  The winds had died down and the roads were pretty much empty.  We climbed into the Appalachian Mountains through the beautiful country of West Virginia and Virginia.  As usual longest part of the trek was the last few hours in North Carolina.  At that point we were just ready to be home.  Unfortunately we weren't able to get to the house that night, but thankfully were able to stay another night with our friends here.  We were both dying for a shower and a soft bed!

The next day we finally headed to the house and began the long process of unloading and unpacking.  The house seems so large with only my things in it.  I can't wait to start opening up the boxes and putting things away