20 weeks! Halfway there!

Last picture in our house in Dayton! YIKES....

How far along? 20 Weeks

Total weight gain: 12 pounds, this last week was a TON of eating out!
Maternity clothes? Shirts and I started wearing a BeBand with my jeans to keep them wearable. Time to buy some more maternity clothes!
Sleep: Great!
Best moment this week: Absolutely too many to choose from. We had family in town, B's graduation and 30th birthday, and great times with friends that we will miss so much.
Miss Anything?  Having to pack for the next 2 months and not know what size I will be is tricky. So I miss being a consistent size!
 Movement: Pretty sure she's doing some flip turns
Food cravings: Ice cream, but I've always craved ice cream so that's not really a new development
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: I burp a lot. That's it.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: I don't think I've had a lot of time to really reflect on my feelings lately- it's just been too busy around here! I don't feel moody, people have been asking if I'm feeling really sad or stressed or nervous and I honestly don't! There have been a moment or two when I called my mom to vent, but that's pretty typical and I don't think had much to do with being pregnant.
Looking forward to: The packers come tomorrow! I look forward to having the whole house in boxes so it's not in such disarray and so we can get this moving show on the road.

End of the AFIT Era!

After 18 months of studying, classes, tests, and a thesis defense, my husband has finished the task we were sent to Wright-Patterson AFB for him to complete! B graduated Thursday night with a masters degree in operations research. He worked so hard, and I could not be more proud of how he conducted himself during his time here. I am so thankful he not once waited until the last minute to finish his work, I never had to remind him to do homework, nag him to study, or worry that he wouldn't pass a test. We were able to spend so much time together during this assignment, as he did most of his work from home, and I know it will be a big adjustment at his next assignment when he will spend much more of his time at the office. The graduation ceremony itself was wonderful, and we were so lucky that his parents, brother, and sister we able to attend!

Of course, AFIT graduation also means saying goodbye to friends. I've said it before, and I'll say it again- I will miss my friends here more than I can even begin to describe. I think we could have been stationed anywhere and I would still have had a fantastic time, thanks to these ladies.

Yes, we are taking Thumper!

Several people have asked if we plan to bring our dog, Thumper, with us to Germany. The answer is, ABSOLUTELY! I know she is a pet, and it's a luxury to be able to have a pet, but she is also my best little pal during the day and is worth any trouble it is to get her paper work in order. The May before we moved to Dayton, I started walking Thumper every day for at least a mile to enjoy the last couple of months of my Colorado trail that ran by our house. The house that I grew up in was right off of the same trail, and there was something reassuring about walking that same path. It was a walk that she and I both grew to look forward to, and when we moved to Dayton, we kept up our routine. The walk quickly grew to a longer 2.5 mile loop, and then to 3 miles. Some days I was really too lazy to go, but Thumper would pester me until I gave in and took her. Walking her is (usually) one of my favorite parts of the day. I get fresh air, clear my mind, catch up on phone calls with family, work out any crabby mood I might be in, and get much needed exercise. Thumper is my faithful companion throughout the day, and I can't imagine leaving her behind for 3 years. It is not even an option to me. So- here is a quick run down on what is necessary for taking a dog to Germany for those that have requested! No quarantine is needed; we are very fortunate in that aspect. I did have to start the process a couple of months ago by getting her first microchipped, and then getting an early round of rabies shots. These 2 things had to be completed at least 31 days before travel. Because we are flying a chartered flight directly into our base in Germany, we did NOT have to worry about commercial airline regulations and I am so thankful for this. We just had to make sure that our kennel is airline approved and luckily it is. The most stressful part of her journey is about to begin. I have to take her to a military vet office here in the States to obtain a health certification that must be signed within a 10 day window of our arrival in Germany. This means I can't get it out of the way in advance, we have to get it signed and then get on the plane. Right now, we plan on visiting Ft. Lee Army post in Virginia to get it signed the day before our flight. If they don't have a military doctor that day that can sign the paperwork and only a civilian vet is available to fill it out, we then have to take that paperwork to the US Department of Agriculture and have them authorize the form. I will be very anxious until I have that form signed off and ready to go. Thumper doesn't travel well even in the car, so we plan on giving her her normal anti-anxiety medication as late as possible and then hoping for the best. I booked a pet friendly base hotel room in Germany, so once we arrive there, it should be smooth sailing! Anyway, I know this post won't interest everyone, but I wanted to answer questions for those who had asked them.

19 Weeks

Not my most favorite picture, but my husband said I should try wearing an actual maternity shirt in a picture- so here we go! So far, I've only purchased tank tops because I'll be pregnant during all the warm months, and I can easily throw a little cover up over these tops. Old Navy has had some great sales, and I need to buy some more before we take off from here in just about 2 weeks!

How far along? 19 Weeks

Total weight gain: 10 pounds...
Maternity clothes? Still just the tank tops, and my bigger jeans.
Sleep: Pretty good
Best moment this week: A quick get away weekend to Cleveland with B to see the Pro Football Hall of Fame (disappointing) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (well worth the trip!). Also, a surprise baby shower for a good friend, since we won't all be together to welcome her little one later this fall. Saying goodbye is getting harder!
Miss Anything? My shorts from last year!Movement: Don't think so
Food cravings: Grapefruit- have to have one every day! And water...so much water :) Weird to say I crave water
Anything making you queasy or sick: Laugh all you want people, I've always hated onions, but now I  REALLY HATE onions!!! B had some on a salad today and I couldn't be in the same room with him for awhile afterward
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Still cruising!
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy for the most part, feeling a little anxious about the move to Germany and the upcoming separation of my support structure here in Dayton and my family and friends in the States.
Looking forward to: B's 30th birthday this week, my in laws coming for a visit, B's grad school graduation- it's going to be a busy, busy week!

18 weeks

I'm wearing my CU Buffs shirt in this picture in honor of the basketball teaming winning the Pac-12 Championship and getting a bid to the NCAA tournament- GO BUFFS!!!

How far along? 18 Weeks

Total weight gain: 9 lbs yikes that weight is coming on fast!
Maternity clothes? Just a shirt or 2, but did move to jeans that I wore when I was a bit thicker last year
Sleep: Not bad, not great. My hips wake me up when it's time to roll over
Best moment this week: Laying on the couch watching a movie last night, Beau gave me a kiss and then made sure to give Baby Girl one, too. It was pretty sweet :)
Miss Anything? I stick by my answer from last week: A frosty beer and sushi!
Movement: Nope
Food cravings: See "Miss Anything" above
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: I have been so so fortunate in this area. I haven't been sick a day in this pregnancy, so far Baby Girl and I are getting along very well!
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: So happy
Looking forward to: Finishing up thank you notes from my shower! I love telling people how much I appreciate their gift, because I truly do feel overwhelmed by the love and support that has been shown to me at this time in my life.

And the bittersweet goodbyes begin- Farewell to ASPA!

For the last year, I have been fortunate enough to serve on the board of the AFIT Spouses Association (ASPA) with a wonderful group of ladies. When I went to my first meeting in February of 2011, I had no idea what I was getting myself into! Lucky for me, my dear friend Cyndi volunteered me as president and the fun began. What a year it has been- between the Valentine's Day flower sale, Spring Fling, Easter Egg hunt, orientations, burger burn, Chocolate Coffees, Dress Swap, Holiday Ball, Recipe Clubs and ending right back where we started with another flower sale- time just flew by. I absolutely loved being a part of this group. Sometimes I needed a gentle reminder that this is a volunteer position and I didn't need to take things so seriously, but I couldn't help myself. Cyndi was my partner in crime every step of the way, and I can't thank her enough for getting me involved, I don't think I would have had the guts otherwise. Each of the other members of the board will hold a special place in my happy memories of Dayton, and I hope to meet them all again at a future base. Today, I handed off the group to the women who will be taking over from here out. It was a relief to hand it off to women who I know are just as dedicated to the AFIT spouses as I was, and to no longer have that responsibility on my plate as I prepare for our move. However, it was so hard to let go of something that I love and has become a part of my daily schedule! I just never knew how many wonderful friends I would make here.  I look forward to getting involved with anything I can at Ramstein (even though I may have promised myself I'd stay off of the board....for awhile) and I can't wait to meet the new group of friends waiting at the other end of this PCS! Thank you for the sweet memories, ASPA ladies!

   Part of our fantastic board- these women worked so hard to put on events for the AFIT spouses! Thank you all for your time and effort, and for being my friend :)

Cyndi- who it's even harder to part with because it's unlikely we will be stationed together again since her husband is army. Well, that and I wouldn't have been able to accomplish half of what we did here without her expertise on all things spouses club related!

Unaccompanied Goods- Waiting for us when we get there! (Maybe?)

Tomorrow morning the real moving madness begins. We will be shipping several boxes of household items in the hope that they will be waiting for us when we arrive in Germany at the beginning of April. It's been a little tricky figuring out what we will need right away that we won't miss too terribly in the meantime, but I guess if we really can't life without it now and when we arrive, then we'll just pack it in the luggage we take with us. I haven't exactly prepared for this shipment as I will for the shipments that go into storage and our BIG household goods(HHG) shipment, I think because I'm still in denial that we are thisclose to moving! As Beau and I were enjoying a sunny walk today with our dog, Thumper, we were having a hard time imagining that a month from today, we will be walking Thumper in a totally different country. So, I guess it's time to start packing!

Borrowed from another blog

In the future, I'll post this with the pictures, but it didn't quite fit with this one. I'll try to keep the really "personal" stuff out of it, but here are the basics of what is going on with me. I can't take credit for it, I copied the questions from another blog I follow.

How far along? 17 Weeks

Total weight gain: 6 lbs
Maternity clothes? Just a shirt or 2
Sleep: Not bad
Best moment this week: My baby shower!
Miss Anything? A frosty beer and sushi!
Movement: Nope
Food cravings: Not really
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Just hungry allll the time.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: So happy
Looking forward to: Seeing my family this weekend!

Where I started and 17 weeks

Ok, so I don't have much of a real "bump" yet, but figured that unless I start documenting now, it will spring up on me in no time. Most likely, it will pop over the Atlantic Ocean on my 8 hour flight to Germany, but there's no telling :)
So this is me, 17 weeks into this adventure!

An idea of where I was 2 days after finding out the baby news on November 29:

This was where I was right at the beginning of November, just after finishing my half marathon. I guess I've already put a few pounds more than I realized!

Side Note: If someone who is more familiar with the blogger tools than I am could tell me how to make these sideways pictures show up the correct direction, I would GREATLY appreciate it! I keep messing with it with no luck.

March- The month of reality!

If you're reading this blog, you most likely already know that 1) my husband is graduating from his masters program at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), 2) we are moving to Germany for the next 3 years and 3) we are expecting our first child, a baby girl, due to make her appearance around the 9th of August. I don't like to post an abundance of personal information on facebook, and really don't care to post maternity photos there, so this blog will be an effort to keep friends and family who will be so far away from my soon in the loop of our life! I promise there will be no naked belly photos, or comparisons of my daughter to fruit sizes as she develops. Both of these things are unappealing to me, and if it's unappealing to me as a pregnant person, I can imagine that it must be down right revolting to others.

I'll also be listing a lot of the details of our upcoming move on this blog! I am both excited and incredibly anxious about this move. I know living in Germany will be a spectacular life experience, and I hope to make the most of it. I also know that the move there, settling in a temporary home for 6 months while waiting for our town home to be available, welcoming a new baby into this temporary home, and then moving with an infant will make for a very interesting next 6 months.

Posts may be pretty sporadic for awhile, but I'll try to stay as updated as I can!