May 11, 2012

Military Spouse Appreciation

 
 
 
 
Thanks to Not Just an Army Wife for sharing this! 
 
 
 
 
 
"I saw this posted on a fellow military spouse's Facebook page and thought it would be perfect for Military Spouse Appreciation Day. I love all my fellow military spouses! I don't know what I would do without you all."

Lots of moving...
Moving...
Moving...
Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house; Moving curtains that won't fit; Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home,
For dinner...AGAIN!

They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move...
.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS; Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB'
He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed; the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.

Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart .
It was stolen from her by a man,
Who puts duty first,

Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband, She will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.

More Nusery Crafting

I made a framed fabric collage for the wall in the nursery using scrap fabric and thrift store frames. I love the way it came out! I'm not really doing a themed nursery but I am using a few accents from my favorite fairy tale, Peter Pan. Not just the Disney version but the actual story by J.M. Barrie--it's always had a special place in my heart and I've always wanted to use this story for inspiration in my nursery, whether we had a boy or a girl. 


Thrift Store Finds!
Painting and Priming...
I glued safety pins on the back so I had a way to hang them on the wall.
Print from Etsy

Hmmm...need more frames.

The pink sign is also from Etsy and it says, "You that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always love you Peter Pan, that's where I'll be waiting." -Tinker Bell


Fabric Collage Complete <3 The H is for our last name, not her first, since we won't name her until we meet her.

Quilted Pinwheel Pillow I made last week




While Mike was in the field I decided to start a baby quilt. The only problem was that I didn't want to be chained to my sewing machine for the next several weeks so I decided to attempt a hand pieced quilt. I wasn't sure I'd have the patience for it (I've only ever machine quilted)  but I've found that I really enjoy it! Again, I went through my fabric scraps and cut out enough 3x3 inch squares to make into twenty 9 Patch Blocks. It was a slow start and my first block took me nearly an hour to complete!




About two weeks later I finally finished all twenty blocks!



I've started to piece the top together but it will take awhile. I'm sewing multiple larger pieces together, making sashing, lining up points, etc. I will be sure to post a picture of the quilt top when it's finished! I think I may take the hand sewing all the way and am seriously considering quilting it by hand too! It's so nice to sit in the sunshine and work on something for my baby girl. <3

May 10, 2012

For My Military Readers

RESOLVE is looking for women and men currently serving in the military or who have served in the military and who are facing infertility. We are asking you to create and send a video of your personal story for RESOLVE to show when meeting with Members of Congress about the Family Act—a bill in both the House and Senate that would provide a tax-credit for out-of-pocket expenses associated with IVF.

We are looking for couples who are currently facing this type of situation:

1. You and your spouse have been diagnosed with infertility.

2. You have been told that IVF is the best course of treatment for your infertility.

3. You are unable to pursue IVF because of the cost associated with the treatment.

If interested in creating a video for RESOLVE, please contact Rebecca Flick at rflick@resolve.org and she’ll send you more details, including how to upload videos. Videos must be completed and sent to RESOLVE by May 16th.

May 8, 2012

Calling all Babywearers!

Just wanted to let my wonderful readers know that Cotton Babies currently has a few of their Ergo carriers on sale, including the Petunia Pickle Bottom Line. I fell in love with this carrier when I saw it at Buy Buy Baby when visiting Ohio. I just couldn't justify spending an extra $50 for the designer fabric though and I was SO sad when I realized that BBB's 20% off coupons excluded Ergo products. I've had my eye on it for awhile and kept going between the Beco Butterfly 2 and this gorgeous Ergo. The price on Cotton Babies today sold me though and now this lovely carrier is on its way to my doorstep!

$145 on Amazon (cheapest price I've found--it was $159.99 at BBB) and currently on sale for $105 at Cotton Babies (with free shipping!) Isn't it pretty? Even my macho, tattooed, punk rocker of a husband said he'd wear it. Anything for his baby girl, I guess!


May 5, 2012

25 Weeks


How big is baby? The size of a head of cauliflower.
Symptoms: Thirst, peeing, tender abdomen, stretch marks on breasts, stuffy nose, fatigue and a new one--heartburn!
Total Weight Loss/Gain: +16 as of my last midwife appointment.
Maternity Clothes: Yup. I did buy a new dress last week but it's still not warm enough to wear it. :(
Sleep: I'm still sleeping pretty well, even if I am getting up at least 3-4 times to pee.
Best Moment This Week: Mike coming home after not seeing me for two weeks. He was all smiles when he saw how my belly has grown. He gave me a hug and felt the baby kick on his tummy.
 Gender: GIRL!!!!
Movement: Lots! I love it.
Food Cravings: French toast and German pretzels with mustard. Super pretzels from the store will have to do. 
Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button In or Out? It's so shallow that it's barely there anymore. I wonder if it will pop out.
 What I miss: Beer. I did take a sip of Mike's yesterday. So good.
What I am looking forward to: Finishing the nursery and hopefully passing my 1 hour glucose test on Friday!
Next Appointment: 11 May
Milestones: According to my book "Pregnancy Day By Day" I am in my third trimester as of 25w1d.


My belly has really grown these past few weeks!