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!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
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. :-)
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. :-)
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| White shirt and white door maybe not the best idea |
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
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!
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!
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
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!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
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.
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.
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| Um should the belly be this big at 22 weeks...I'm not so sure |
Saturday, June 1, 2013
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
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
Sunday, May 26, 2013
21 Weeks
This week has been a flurry of activity. Josh's parents were so kind and bought us a mattress for the crib. This of course prompted us to take the plunge and finally buy a few things for the baby. We got a mattress pad and sheet for the bed and an Ergo carrier for hiking and being outdoors. I knew I wanted a soft shell carrier but was undecided as to the brand. The great deal we got on it really sealed it for us.
From Wisconsin we headed down to Illinois and found even more things for the baby. This time though we were raiding my parents house. They gave us a bath tub, safety gate, rocker, books and a crib. I am so thankful my mom thought to save all these things. The funny thing is there's even more here! Toys, clothes, etc. We just couldn't fathom taking it all.
Besides stocking up on baby gear, I also got some great maternity clothes this week. I found a new pair of pants and some basic t-shirts. I think I may be set for now but as the summer gets into full gear I may go searching for another sun dress or two. I don't really fit into my pants anymore and am loving maternity tops to my old ones. I'm sure I'll get sick and tired of the same old things soon though and try to fit into my regular stuff.
Baby Bast's movements have gone from flutters to full fledged kicks this week. Last night I swear he or she did a scissor kick in there because I felt it in the front and back! Till a day or two ago Josh hasn't been able to feel it. Its as if the baby gets camera shy as soon as he puts his hand on my belly, but last night he definitely got kicked. It was a sweet moment getting to share that with him for the first time. He could finally feel what I had been feeling for weeks!
Overall I still can't complain. Despite packing up for this move and being on my feet way more than I should, I feel great. I am starting to feel a tad big but I know its all relative. We're still pretty much halfway there and that feeling isn't going to go away anytime soon! My sleep-related hip pain is next to gone. Although I resisted getting one of those Snoogle pillows for pregnant women, Josh insisted and its just great. Yes its still massive and yes its awkward in the bed but it works. I'll give it that. Its also supposed to have many other positions so I should be able to get our money worth out of it.
We're still looking forward to the upcoming ultrasound. In about a week we find out if its a boy or a girl and see how everything is going in there. I think finding out will make it even more real for us as well then we'll be able to start thinking names too.
From Wisconsin we headed down to Illinois and found even more things for the baby. This time though we were raiding my parents house. They gave us a bath tub, safety gate, rocker, books and a crib. I am so thankful my mom thought to save all these things. The funny thing is there's even more here! Toys, clothes, etc. We just couldn't fathom taking it all.
Besides stocking up on baby gear, I also got some great maternity clothes this week. I found a new pair of pants and some basic t-shirts. I think I may be set for now but as the summer gets into full gear I may go searching for another sun dress or two. I don't really fit into my pants anymore and am loving maternity tops to my old ones. I'm sure I'll get sick and tired of the same old things soon though and try to fit into my regular stuff.
Baby Bast's movements have gone from flutters to full fledged kicks this week. Last night I swear he or she did a scissor kick in there because I felt it in the front and back! Till a day or two ago Josh hasn't been able to feel it. Its as if the baby gets camera shy as soon as he puts his hand on my belly, but last night he definitely got kicked. It was a sweet moment getting to share that with him for the first time. He could finally feel what I had been feeling for weeks!
Overall I still can't complain. Despite packing up for this move and being on my feet way more than I should, I feel great. I am starting to feel a tad big but I know its all relative. We're still pretty much halfway there and that feeling isn't going to go away anytime soon! My sleep-related hip pain is next to gone. Although I resisted getting one of those Snoogle pillows for pregnant women, Josh insisted and its just great. Yes its still massive and yes its awkward in the bed but it works. I'll give it that. Its also supposed to have many other positions so I should be able to get our money worth out of it.
We're still looking forward to the upcoming ultrasound. In about a week we find out if its a boy or a girl and see how everything is going in there. I think finding out will make it even more real for us as well then we'll be able to start thinking names too.
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| Woah belly! |
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