And that was registering for baby. So there you have it.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
On Making Plans
... or "Famous Last Words."
I admit it, I'm a control freak. As long as I have a plan for a scenario, I'm fine. Well, not fine. But more fine than I'd be normally.
The Army is therefore not the place for me. It is an entire institution in which things change constantly -- and they do not care whether or not a person has a plan.
At first it wasn't so bad -- Luke was going to have a job change and will be deploying to Afghanistan with his brigade instead of Iraq. Whatever. It's all pretty much the same to me, let's not lie.
But when he met with the colonel last night it was a different story ...
Luke for now has a job change. And for now is deploying to Afghanistan. But it could be that instead we move to Georgia this summer and he doesn't deploy at all.
Obviously you'd think that this would make me happy. Except that I don't have a plan for this.
I have a great plan for when he deploys -- I stay here, enjoy being a mom, pawn my child off on people while I workout to keep myself from going crazy, love on the Northwest summer, visit D.C. for a few weeks, visit Florida, drive to Idaho whenever I feel like it, get increasingly involved in my church ... you get the idea.
I have NO plan for Georgia. No friends for pawning off the kid. No delightful Northwest summer. No friends. No church. No nothing. And moving across the country with a newborn? Well that doesn't really sound like fun at all. ZERO FUN.
So we likely will not know anything more about what we're doing until mid March, at the earliest. That lovely time delay is also not good for my need to have a plan. Not. Good.
And remember how I went off in my last post about how I am really starting to feel like I belong here, like God has something for me to here, how finally, after a year, I know people and things and all of that good stuff?
Yeah, funny. Except not.
I admit it, I'm a control freak. As long as I have a plan for a scenario, I'm fine. Well, not fine. But more fine than I'd be normally.
The Army is therefore not the place for me. It is an entire institution in which things change constantly -- and they do not care whether or not a person has a plan.
At first it wasn't so bad -- Luke was going to have a job change and will be deploying to Afghanistan with his brigade instead of Iraq. Whatever. It's all pretty much the same to me, let's not lie.
But when he met with the colonel last night it was a different story ...
Luke for now has a job change. And for now is deploying to Afghanistan. But it could be that instead we move to Georgia this summer and he doesn't deploy at all.
Obviously you'd think that this would make me happy. Except that I don't have a plan for this.
I have a great plan for when he deploys -- I stay here, enjoy being a mom, pawn my child off on people while I workout to keep myself from going crazy, love on the Northwest summer, visit D.C. for a few weeks, visit Florida, drive to Idaho whenever I feel like it, get increasingly involved in my church ... you get the idea.
I have NO plan for Georgia. No friends for pawning off the kid. No delightful Northwest summer. No friends. No church. No nothing. And moving across the country with a newborn? Well that doesn't really sound like fun at all. ZERO FUN.
So we likely will not know anything more about what we're doing until mid March, at the earliest. That lovely time delay is also not good for my need to have a plan. Not. Good.
And remember how I went off in my last post about how I am really starting to feel like I belong here, like God has something for me to here, how finally, after a year, I know people and things and all of that good stuff?
Yeah, funny. Except not.
Monday, January 19, 2009
A Monumental Moment
Just to make you read the whole post, I'm going to put off telling about my All Important Moment until the end. Watch me.
Today was a good day, got a lot done. Monday is my weekly Clean My House day -- the one day a week I dust, mop, clean the tub (OK the tub cleaning rarely if ever actually happens. I hate cleaning the tub. So usually I just spray it with bleach) and that sort of thing. I felt very inclined to this week add to Clean My House day the task of cleaning my carpet ...
And so I did. The last time I did this was July 28. How do I know this? Because Luke was gone and it was our one month wedding anniversary ... and I cleaned the carpets to celebrate. Lame, I know.
Now they are clean and shiny once more. Yay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In case you are keeping track of my major pregnancy related food infatuations, my most recent is peanut butter. Yes, by itself, and preferably by the spoonful. I went through great lengths to locate the most healthy peanut butter, since it's hardly a low calorie food.
Also, yesterday we had to go out for Mexican food because I had a dream I was eating a burrito. Oddly enough, I did not want a burrito on said food trip. I got some sort of Enchilada creation, in case you were curious.
Now that I've gone off about food you care nothing about (don't lie), I feel this is a good time to remind my faithful reading base that really, this blog is, at its most basic level, for no other purpose than to be a brain dump for me. You must therefore pardon any posts that come across as "stuck up," or "egotistical," or full of pronouncements one may consider rather implausible in practice. Really, all I'm doing is giving myself a bit of a pep talk in writing. After all, my mantra has always been "It hath been blogged, therefore it shall be."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, for the Moment of Monumentalness (that isn't a word. I'm aware, thanks).
This morning Luke did all he could to convince me that what I really do want, more than anything in the world, is to move back to D.C. while he's deployed.
And I said "no."
(That was the moment, in case you didn't catch it).
It's not that I don't want to move back to D.C. or that I don't LOVE D.C. and frequently wish I could still be there ... I do. But I know it is not the right thing to do, no matter how much I want it.
Sure, you may say "well it's not practical," or "it wouldn't be the same with a baby." And I am aware of all of those things. My plan would not be to do what I was doing, but rather to work at a non profit or do one of those things D.C. people always wish they could do full time if money wasn't a factor.
So it really isn't about practicality or feasibility. It's about what I am supposed to be doing with myself, baby notwithstanding.
And I know, without a doubt, that I belong here for now. I am finally starting to figure out exactly what I'm supposed to be doing with myself (yes, it took me a year. Be quiet). I have at long last figured out where I might belong regarding ministry within our church. I'm finally meeting people and figuring out how I can help them.
And that is a good feeling.
Today was a good day, got a lot done. Monday is my weekly Clean My House day -- the one day a week I dust, mop, clean the tub (OK the tub cleaning rarely if ever actually happens. I hate cleaning the tub. So usually I just spray it with bleach) and that sort of thing. I felt very inclined to this week add to Clean My House day the task of cleaning my carpet ...
And so I did. The last time I did this was July 28. How do I know this? Because Luke was gone and it was our one month wedding anniversary ... and I cleaned the carpets to celebrate. Lame, I know.
Now they are clean and shiny once more. Yay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In case you are keeping track of my major pregnancy related food infatuations, my most recent is peanut butter. Yes, by itself, and preferably by the spoonful. I went through great lengths to locate the most healthy peanut butter, since it's hardly a low calorie food.
Also, yesterday we had to go out for Mexican food because I had a dream I was eating a burrito. Oddly enough, I did not want a burrito on said food trip. I got some sort of Enchilada creation, in case you were curious.
Now that I've gone off about food you care nothing about (don't lie), I feel this is a good time to remind my faithful reading base that really, this blog is, at its most basic level, for no other purpose than to be a brain dump for me. You must therefore pardon any posts that come across as "stuck up," or "egotistical," or full of pronouncements one may consider rather implausible in practice. Really, all I'm doing is giving myself a bit of a pep talk in writing. After all, my mantra has always been "It hath been blogged, therefore it shall be."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, for the Moment of Monumentalness (that isn't a word. I'm aware, thanks).
This morning Luke did all he could to convince me that what I really do want, more than anything in the world, is to move back to D.C. while he's deployed.
And I said "no."
(That was the moment, in case you didn't catch it).
It's not that I don't want to move back to D.C. or that I don't LOVE D.C. and frequently wish I could still be there ... I do. But I know it is not the right thing to do, no matter how much I want it.
Sure, you may say "well it's not practical," or "it wouldn't be the same with a baby." And I am aware of all of those things. My plan would not be to do what I was doing, but rather to work at a non profit or do one of those things D.C. people always wish they could do full time if money wasn't a factor.
So it really isn't about practicality or feasibility. It's about what I am supposed to be doing with myself, baby notwithstanding.
And I know, without a doubt, that I belong here for now. I am finally starting to figure out exactly what I'm supposed to be doing with myself (yes, it took me a year. Be quiet). I have at long last figured out where I might belong regarding ministry within our church. I'm finally meeting people and figuring out how I can help them.
And that is a good feeling.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
When They Say Helper ...
I have lots to blog, not the least of which is about our fab-u-lous trip to the Bahamas which ended Monday. Sad, sad day. I was trying to plot some way in which I might stay there forever, but they all seemed to have down sides. So home we came.
Pictures will not be forthcoming for you at this time, however, because they must be fetched off the laptop, where Luke is currently plugging away at a school assignment.
Yes, I said school. After many months of planning he has finally started his masters degree and, with a month long Army inspired absence coming up, has a lot of work to do in a very short time.
And this where Amy as helper comes in. The Bible goes on and on about being a helper to your husband, and you think that's mostly to do with cooking dinner and raising kids but apparently it also includes helping with school work.
So helping I am. At this point this is mostly related to helping him figure out exactly what he's supposed to write and then editing it ...
And I am far from the best editor ever. The good Lord did not make me a copy editor for a reason. But I'm trying.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm tired of getting fat. I know I'm growing a human and all and I'm just going to have to deal with it, but that doesn't mean I can't get ready to get rid of all the fatness as soon as possible after the baby comes out. (may that be soon but not too soon).
I've therefore decided that what I really need to do is have something I'm working towards, an actual real life goal. "Being thin" really isnt enough to spur me to awesomeness, neither is "looking hot at Callie's wedding." But what HAS worked in the past is "training for a sprint triathlon," so I'm just going to do that again.
I know, you all think I'm crazy. And I'm totally OK with that. I figure I can start really working out by early June, giving me plenty of time to get in shape by late to mid August. And a sprint triathlon really isn't that much ... about a .5 mile swim, about a 4 mile run and no more than a 12 mile bike. Piece of cake to train for since we already know I can do the swim, the bike isnt that hard to ramp up to and I have plenty of time to get back to that length of a run.
So meanwhile I'm focusing on doing what I can now. I hit the elyptical for about 45 minutes most days, followed by some weights. I'll start hitting the pool again, no problem there (I stopped because Luke hates how it smells ... and this pool does have a REALLY strong chemical smell) and bam! Six weeks after I have a baby I'll be the hottest Mom you've ever met! (I can dream, right?).
Pictures will not be forthcoming for you at this time, however, because they must be fetched off the laptop, where Luke is currently plugging away at a school assignment.
Yes, I said school. After many months of planning he has finally started his masters degree and, with a month long Army inspired absence coming up, has a lot of work to do in a very short time.
And this where Amy as helper comes in. The Bible goes on and on about being a helper to your husband, and you think that's mostly to do with cooking dinner and raising kids but apparently it also includes helping with school work.
So helping I am. At this point this is mostly related to helping him figure out exactly what he's supposed to write and then editing it ...
And I am far from the best editor ever. The good Lord did not make me a copy editor for a reason. But I'm trying.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm tired of getting fat. I know I'm growing a human and all and I'm just going to have to deal with it, but that doesn't mean I can't get ready to get rid of all the fatness as soon as possible after the baby comes out. (may that be soon but not too soon).
I've therefore decided that what I really need to do is have something I'm working towards, an actual real life goal. "Being thin" really isnt enough to spur me to awesomeness, neither is "looking hot at Callie's wedding." But what HAS worked in the past is "training for a sprint triathlon," so I'm just going to do that again.
I know, you all think I'm crazy. And I'm totally OK with that. I figure I can start really working out by early June, giving me plenty of time to get in shape by late to mid August. And a sprint triathlon really isn't that much ... about a .5 mile swim, about a 4 mile run and no more than a 12 mile bike. Piece of cake to train for since we already know I can do the swim, the bike isnt that hard to ramp up to and I have plenty of time to get back to that length of a run.
So meanwhile I'm focusing on doing what I can now. I hit the elyptical for about 45 minutes most days, followed by some weights. I'll start hitting the pool again, no problem there (I stopped because Luke hates how it smells ... and this pool does have a REALLY strong chemical smell) and bam! Six weeks after I have a baby I'll be the hottest Mom you've ever met! (I can dream, right?).
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Things Ironic
1. While driving over I-5 (stupid, stupid I-5!) on our way to Christmas with my family we were accosted by a rock, which of course chipped Abigail's windshield. Ahhh! The worst part about that is that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, except stay home. Safe driving, conditions notwithstanding (Luke's car got a chip when it was sunny and dry a few months ago. Bah) it's gonna happen. Got it fixed. No problem.
When the friends from D.C. who were borrowing our car gave it back, the entire windshield was cracked. Not their fault. Nothing they could've done. Karma, I tell ya.
2. I'm waiting for my gym clothes to finish drying so I can put them on and get them dirty again. This strikes me as funny ....
When the friends from D.C. who were borrowing our car gave it back, the entire windshield was cracked. Not their fault. Nothing they could've done. Karma, I tell ya.
2. I'm waiting for my gym clothes to finish drying so I can put them on and get them dirty again. This strikes me as funny ....
Friday, January 2, 2009
12 More Allowed
Well, the doctor was a bust. Not only did I forget to get a refill on my pre-natal vitamins, but they weighed me.
And my blood pressure was elevated again.
(Whoa I just a revelation! They always weigh me before taking my blood pressure and my blood pressure is always up, even if parking is good like it was this week. MAYBE it's the weighing that's stressing me out and if they just did the blood pressure first everything would be fine! I'm totally suggesting that next time).
It's the weighing that really makes me mad. I work so hard so that I won't be a big, fat, formally pregnant person. I eat relatively healthy foods in reasonable quantities. I exercise regularly. I even think thing thoughts.
But to no avail. In the last two months I've gained -- brace yourself -- 10 lbs.
10! This brings us to a grand total of 15 since they started weighing me at week 12 and THAT weight was a good 7 lbs above the wedding weight.
Now, they say you should gain between 20 and 30 lbs while pregnant. That gives me 12 lbs more allowed in the next four months.
I'm worried that's not going to happen. They say 1 a week can be expected from this point on ... about 16 lbs total. If I only gain what I'm supposed to. Which I probably won't.
This leaves a lot to get rid of before I can consider myself even near awesome looking again. My goal is to get rid of all of my baby weight by the time Luke's sister gets married in late June... that's two whole months. If, like they say, between 19 and 25 lbs of that is baby and it's baggage ... then that's doable, right?
In other news, we are watching Olympic long jumping tryouts. I would SO die doing that. First they shoot down the ramp, then they fly through the air and they land. I feel like I may be able to shoot and fly, but I would definitely die landing. Luke says IF I made it on the shooting part, I would face plant into the snow at the end of the ramp.
Such a supportive husband.
And my blood pressure was elevated again.
(Whoa I just a revelation! They always weigh me before taking my blood pressure and my blood pressure is always up, even if parking is good like it was this week. MAYBE it's the weighing that's stressing me out and if they just did the blood pressure first everything would be fine! I'm totally suggesting that next time).
It's the weighing that really makes me mad. I work so hard so that I won't be a big, fat, formally pregnant person. I eat relatively healthy foods in reasonable quantities. I exercise regularly. I even think thing thoughts.
But to no avail. In the last two months I've gained -- brace yourself -- 10 lbs.
10! This brings us to a grand total of 15 since they started weighing me at week 12 and THAT weight was a good 7 lbs above the wedding weight.
Now, they say you should gain between 20 and 30 lbs while pregnant. That gives me 12 lbs more allowed in the next four months.
I'm worried that's not going to happen. They say 1 a week can be expected from this point on ... about 16 lbs total. If I only gain what I'm supposed to. Which I probably won't.
This leaves a lot to get rid of before I can consider myself even near awesome looking again. My goal is to get rid of all of my baby weight by the time Luke's sister gets married in late June... that's two whole months. If, like they say, between 19 and 25 lbs of that is baby and it's baggage ... then that's doable, right?
In other news, we are watching Olympic long jumping tryouts. I would SO die doing that. First they shoot down the ramp, then they fly through the air and they land. I feel like I may be able to shoot and fly, but I would definitely die landing. Luke says IF I made it on the shooting part, I would face plant into the snow at the end of the ramp.
Such a supportive husband.
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