So you done and got yourself knocked up...

... what you need now is some help!

Ok I'm not the expert when it comes to being pregnant. I mean this is my first time! If you want an expert get ahold of the Duggards. That woman has an entire state she's given birth to! But I'm hoping I can give you a few pointers on more of what you need to help YOU out a bit... not to give medical advice (That is what your Dr and webMD are for... or Google if you want to freak out about the tiny red spot that showed up on your elbow you swear is the cause of your child having an extra arm growing from its forhead.)

Let me tell you that when Nic and I found out we were pregnant it was AWESOME!! Happy dance all around! Beer for daddy and juice box for mommy!

Then I started to feel like shit and Nic didn't get it bc ofcourse it isn't physically showing that I'm growing a human in my belly. That bundle of cells can make you feel like death in a matter of just a few days I swear. (I love you Jameson, but geeze child do you know how to start a ruckus!)

So here is my little list of things personally for me that I have needed pretty much everyday to survive this wonderful time of my life... I mean that sarcastically and seriously people!

Food!
Yes this is an abvious one, but there are certain food stages I went through that were pretty major changes.
At first it was anything bland, light, and usually dry to soak up the feeling that I could loose the single cracker I had eaten in the last 1000 hours. Yes it was bad at first for me once the nausea set in. 7-up, ginger ale, all that stuff that is supposed to help with upset stomachs... Um no. They were way too sweet for my stomach and made me more miserable. Gatorade, water, and the awesome and still favorite v-8 fusion drinks were my go to. Calories, hydration, and little bit of flavor that my taste buds could handle. Then food was pretty much crackers, bananas, and pasta with little stuff on it (enough to make it not stick together in one giant clump, but still pretty much no flavor).

Then it came to the stage where I was a little picky, but ate so much that I literally put down a large veggie lovers Papa Murphy's pizza to myself... on 3 or 4 separate occasions. I wasn't the biggest fan of meat, it just didnt taste quite right to me, but I would still eat a small portion of it bc Chunky and I needed it. Fruit... As stated in an eariler post I could have lived off of Cuties oranges and been a happy camper!
Now I'm to the point where you just have to make sure there is food around every 2 hours and I'm happy. Spicy is a fave of Jameson's (Daddy's boy for sure!) And sweets are a MUST. I haven't eaten more ice cream, cupcakes, and other sweets I think since I was in cooking class in high school and you got to taste test everyone's recipes.

Clothes...
At first I had to deal with the MAJOR bloat! I had never had my 'fat' pants not be able to make their way over my thighs before (if y'all know my skinny butt you know this is serious bloating!) I literally lived in sweat pants at first or went around with jeans that were too big every where except the waist... where I learned the awesome rubber band trick to keep my britches from falling down. Then you get to the point where you can wear regular jeans just in a larger size and still pretty much the same shirts as before you got prego. Woohoo! Wear out that favorite shirt of yours... It might be the last time that sucker fits over your boobs! Speaking of boobs... HELLO LADIES!! I never thought I would get boobs! Now they arent no DD... far from still, but they are a huge improvement from having to wear bandaids for bras. Ask Nic... they look great. HAHA Now that I am 33 weeks prego though... Clothes... HAHAH! PJs ladies... and your husband's PJs work best! Sadly Nic came home for the weekend and took most of his tshirts with him... Jerk right! What the heck an I supposed to wear over this bump that his son is creating?! I have found a few things that I can wear out of the house and it looks like I sort of have my shit together. I cant believe I'm actually going to say this... Jeggins are awesome! Now you will never find me in a pair of skin tone ones that are way too tight so it looks like I wearing no pants and my shirt barely goes to my waist. I refuse to be on people of Walmart! But finding a few that look like skinny jeans do go well with the shirts that rock this cute bump. Maternity pants.... BWAHAHA! If you have booty, hips, and are 4'3" tall ROCK THEM GIRLFRIEND! But I have yet to find a pair that would fit my long skinny legs... I'm thinking I need to go into the maternity clothing business and create cute, comfy, and realistic clothing. Oh and dont forget a cute pair or two of slip on shoes that are a bit too big... your feet can swell in a day, and well you won't be able to bend over soon to put your shoes on without becoming winded.

Do you have this in size "Non-rediculous"?

Comfort...
Get a body pillow. Acutally get like a million pillows in all shapes, sizes, fluffiness, and firmness they offer. You will most likely make your SO mad for taking up the entire bed with pillows to be comfortable. He can get over it or wear a full term baby body suit for 9 months while getting punched in the ribs randomly through the day while suffering from a fake hang over (after effects of drinking without actually getting to enjoy the bottle of wine you really want) and having a 15lb weight on his bladder at all times. In other words... he can sleep on the couch. But you will for sure want a nice pillow to go between your legs so your hips and knees wont hurt. Eventually you will need a pillow for under the bump and some even under your boobs (prob those girls up!) and since you can't lay on your back without it feeling like your spine is being crushed, get a good pillow for under your head so your shoulder doesnt take so much pressure. I have a nice, fluffy, and super soft fabric body pillow that does the trick from the neck down and invested in few good pillows to lay my pretty little head on. The less pillows you can get away with the better. I feel like I'm wrestling a gator in the middle of the night when I try to roll over. I also have just a small little throw pillow that pretty much never leaves my side... Seriously. I take it in the car with me so I can have it behind my lower back, to sit on when my butt falls asleep, or to use to nap on. I have even taken it to places to use in the always uncomfortable chairs they make you sit on in resturaunts and the such. They can look at you funny, but they aren't carrying Jackie Chan.

Snacks...
Yes this should go with food I guess. But when you are home you just get up (or make your SO get off his butt) and walk to the kitchen and find a snack. Now is the time to invest in that 'mom purse' you always teased your mother about. I usually have a bottle of water, bottle of some sort of juice (usually the SOBE waters), trail mix (nuts are great for you!), candy bar, box of cheeze-its, and other assortied snacks in my purse... and that's just to run to the store real quick! If I'm going to be away from the house for few hours I usually pack a little lunch box with yogurt, string cheese and other things to hold me off until I actually get some real food in me. Laugh all you want but when you think you are starting to get hungry... you will be STARVING within 5 minutes! Always have snacks!

Pharmacy...
Get the horse pills full of nasty tasting stuff we call 'prenatals'. They are nasty. They are almost impossible to swallow. They are essential. They also give you horrible smelling pee.
Tums Tums and more Tums. Awesome for everything your belly will do to you.
Tylenol meds ONLY! If you have sore muscles, Tylenol only. Headache, Tylenol only. Cold/flu, Tylenol cold/flu products only. They are making bank off of us pregos!
Heartburn meds you will really want! I take Prilosec OTC (well the generic brand). I'm not sure of all the ones that are safe for you to take so make sure you check with your Dr first. But you will really want this come the 3rd trimester. You will eat everything in site... and even water will give you nasty heartburn... Trust me you want to have these!

Actual size of prenatals if you are looking at this on a 52" screen.

OK so I know I'm missing a few things, but these are my musts that I've needed to survive the last several months. Enjoy it, really ladies! It's a crazy time. You may lose your shit a few times. But hey... you're making a BABY!! Celebrate with that juice box and animal crackers and kick your feet up while you own the remote bc your SO is grounded from being selfish for the next 9 months.

Laying in bed, eating jelly beans, and feeling Jameson use my rib cage as a jungle gym
Carrie Linn

Time apart adds up quick...

... but you don't notice because the time you spend together is more important.

For my military family out there reading this you completely understand what I mean by this. For those of you who aren't, consider yourself lucky, look at you other half, and give them a big hug and kiss right now.

Now imagine you get that one hug and kiss just once a week. Once a month. Once in six months. Once in a year or more. Would you cherish that hug and kiss much more than the quick little peck you just gave them?

This is something that I feel is hard for those that dont have to spend LONG amounts of time away from their SO to understand. You can say you understand because you only get to see them on weekends. Or they leave on short business trips often. But do you truly understand what its like to miss someone so much you actually have to learn how to live your life without them physically there?

I'm not picking on civilians. I really am not because missing some one you love is missing them no matter what. I do ask though that you please don't tell us that you know how hard it is. Honestly look at your relationship and then try to imagine a major part of our relationships... being apart from our loved one.

I know some military families that have been apart more than they have been together in their marriage. Nic and I have been apart for a total of 8 months out of the 19 we've been together. So almost a year we have physically gotten to fall asleep beside each other when we have been together for over a year and a half now. Sadly that is nothing compared to some couples I know.

At the end of the day though, how much Nic and I have been apart is nothing once we are by eachother's side. We have been apart from eachother for 7 weeks this time and I can honestly say it has probably been the hardest (this includes the last bit of his deployment when we started dating and got engaged). He missed the ultrasound of finding out we were having a little boy. It was hard on me with him not being here, but it broke my heart knowing that he wouldn't get to be there to personally see his son. Not for me, but for him. He has been very involved in this pregnancy and the last 7 weeks he hasnt gotten to personally see my belly grow, feel his son kick on him, listen to me complain about being sore and worn out.

But I know when I FINALLY get to see him tomorrow those 7 weeks will dissapear the second I get to wrap my arms around him and feel him give me a big hug. Those 7 weeks will just be another notch we put in our survival away from eachother belt. Those 7 weeks will have been just a test for our strength and love for eachother. Those 7 weeks wont exsist the moment I feel him kiss my forhead, him feel Jameson kicking him knowing it's his daddy, and hearing him say I love you.

That is just 7 weeks though. Deployments are a complete different story. You have to learn how to be a complete indepedant person that can and does take care of everything on your own, but still holds your head up when you miss your love so much you physically ache and can barely keep it together. You have to learn how to take up as much of the bed yourself so it doesn't feel empty. You have to learn how to keep their scent around, but not enough to make you miserable when you smell it. You have to learn to be strong when someone asks "Do you miss them?" and not snap. You have to learn how to live without them when you are always thinking about them and waiting to hear from them.

Missing someone is hard for any and every one, military or civilian. Living without someone for so long you have to figure out how to live without them is the most difficult thing we have to face. You try not to make large milestones but also make note of everyone that does happen. Try to fill in the empty space and time by staying busy. Fill your mind with things that dont matter so you dont worry about those things that do.

Every day apart is another heart break, but it's also a healing knowing it's one day closer to being back together.

Don't take a hug, kiss, smile or laugh for granted. Hundreds of us would do anything to get all of those everyday.

Missing him, but worth it
Carrie Linn

Being the mistress...

...while the Army is the wife.

Alright. Little vent time! Don't mind me too much... I'm 32 weeks prego and the horomones can take over and bring out the lovely woman that is also known as 'uncontrolled angry bawling psycho'. She's pretty new around here and doesn't come out often, but when she does I let her have her way for 5 minutes.

So today I was supposed to finally get to see Nic. We havent seen eachother for 7 weeks now bc of training and other stuff going on right now. I'm living an hour away from post until we get housing close to post while he is having to stay on post. Long story, complicated, but anyway that's what we are having to deal with. Anyway Nic is finally back from training and I'm half way to post to have lunch with him when I get a call from him. DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNN!!!!

"Hey beautiful. So bad news. I wont get to have lunch with you today. We are having to work through lunch to unload vehicles."

Ummm..... SERIOUSLY! I can never get upset with him because of this. He has to do what is asked/told. But man was I not to happy with the Army. You have had him everyday for 7 weeks now you needy broad! Give him to me for just a bit so we can keep this relationship going or you and I are going to have some serious issues. I agreed that you ran most of his life, being the wife and all, but the mistress needs time with him too or he starts to get frusterated with you.

So Mrs. Army... do us all a favor and play nice. Give him the weekend (4 day would be awesome!) to spend with me and you can have him back on Monday.

Mistress with her claws out
Carrie Linn

OPSEC...

... Military code for keep your damn mouth shut!

Below I will post a more acurate and probably 'politically correct' list of OPSEC rules we should follow.

First what is OPSEC? It stands for Operational Security. Otherwise know as what the heck our soldiers are doing any and every where. Most stuff is supposed to be pretty closed mouth or completely top secret. Be it deployments, training, school, field time, missions or whatnot. This stuff needs to be kept on the down low for their security and safety. No one wants them to be put in danger because the tango (Target or bad guy for y'all that dont understand the lingo. If I lose you let me know and I can translate for y'all.) knows where they are, what they are doing, and/or what weapons they have with them.

Some people just don't have the common sense to get that though! Don't get me wrong I have slipped on a minor thing or two with Nic. When he has to leave for any amount of time I usually post "You suck Army. Make the next few weeks/over month pass quickly. I want my studly butt (code for husband) back fast!" When he was deployed I did announce that Nic would be home in less than a month!!! About 2 weeks left!! Rumors are next week he will be home!!!... You know we get excited! But I did not announce "He'll be home Tuesday at 2200!" For one I did know OPSEC... another is that I didnt know the exact date and time he was supposed to be home until the last minute. He literally called 5 days before he was supposed to be state side to let me know the date he was going to be home, but I had to find out where to go and didn't know the estimated time until the day before and knew the morning he hit state side what time the redeployment ceremony (welcome home celebration) was. Yeah that sucked finding out everything at pretty much the last minute, but well I wont get into the frusteration him and I both faced with the FRG and them not getting their shit together...

Anyway... OPSEC is pretty important, but some people just dont get it and it can cause some serious problems. When some big mouth who knows the rules but doesnt care/think they dont pertain to them/are selfish blabs about everything that is going on with every single detail layed out on the line everyone can suffer. I can't tell you how may times I've heard about redeployment being delayed bc some spouse let every detail out on the internet. YOU CANT DO THAT PEOPLE! What if some terrorist found out this information, knew exactly what plane your soldier (or airman, marine, coastie... I use soldier as a simple form because my husband is in the Army. No not everyone of them has soldier as a title!) was on and knew when and where is was leaving from then decided to destroy that plane with HUNDREDS of soldiers on it! THAT'S BAD! So yes they can, have, and will delay them coming home for you blabbering. Also you never want to announce where it is they are going. Ok Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa are broad enough terms, but you really arent even supposed to announce that. The name of the war (Operation Iraqi Freedom for example) is what you are supposed to use. I'm pretty sure we all have broken that one (I know I have... IRAQ sucked!!!) Ok. You're forgiven for that, but dont you EVER announce exactly what town, FOB... where they are at. Once again that's putting a target on your soldier. WE. DONT. WANT. THAT.

 

Here's the biggest one that erks me to the core! All you spouses have seen it and some have done it (if I find you I will prob lose my shit on you!) How to put this in the nicest way possible with y'all understanding... MIND YOUR BUSINESS UNTIL IT BECOMES OFFICIAL! My husband was recently at NTC (not breaking OPSEC rules by saying he WAS there... it would be breaking the rules had I said he IS there... get that?!?!) and a soldier was in an accident there and killed. Very tragic to hear. My heart hurts everytime I hear about a solder being killed in any sort of accident here at home or away in war. But because some here someone heard about someone dying at NTC a million and one wives here at Ft Riley were freaking out and calling everyone they could to find out if it was their husband or someone they knew. I couldnt tell you how many posts I saw from wives on Facebook asking who it was, what happened...

 

Here's the thing people! If it was your spouse, they would call you before ANYONE ELSE! You would be the first to be contacted. If it was your best friend's spouse she would be contacted first. You see the pattern there?! Then once the family was contacted and things were taken care of they will usually post it in the news paper/tv to announce who and usually what happened. That's when it becomes your business. When it's made official to the public. Until then just chill out and let it be taken care of. I have sadly heard a few stories about someone not minding their own business and posting on Facebook and/or where ever else they can that ----- died today in ---- and it happened ---- before the spouse or emergency contact was even contacted! How it the hell would you like to hear from a complete stranger on Facebook that your husband is in critical condition or dead! I'm serious people! It's happened bc people are nosy and have no sense that the world and drama does NOT revolve around them. My heart goes out to the people that have had to find out thes way and a giant bitch slap goes to those that started it all. You should truly be ashamed of yourself and I hope the military comes down on you HARD!

 

So before you go about snooping around and spreading around everything.... Stop. Think. Wonder if what you are about to post will put your soldier or even yourself at risk. Ask how many Ft Riley homes and vehicle have been broken into while the soliders were at NTC recently bc the spouse announced on Facebook they were home alone for the next ? amount of time. Then you can easily go to a page they are on where they tell you exactly what neighborhood they live in, even some the exact address. Think SMART people!!

So I'm sorry if this post seems mean and little brutal... well actually no I'm not. Some people the only way they learn is to be slapped in the face with OPSEC when they fianlly get into serious trouble bc they can't seem to keep thier mouths shut!. I love all you mil spouses! We are a special breed of our own. We have to look out for our soldiers, ourselves and eachother. Just think first please! I want my husband to be safe as much as I want all soldiers to be safe.

Keep it shut and safe!
Carrie Linn


OPSEC, also known as Operational Security, is the principle that we, as Army wives and family members, should all abide by when talking about our soldiers. If you’ve been on any military related message board on the internet, you have more than likely seen a warning to be sure to practice OPSEC. This means protecting the information you know about your soldier and his unit.


Generally, it means that you should not give out the following:
- Your soldier’s exact location overseas


- Any information on troop movements – this includes any movement while they are deployed and in transit to/from theater (including R&R). Do not ever give dates or times.


- Any information on weapons systems, how they train or numbers – for this reason, many pictures from overseas can easily violate OPSEC


If your soldier is in a special operations unit, the OPSEC guidelines can be stricter. You may not be able to say he is deployed at all much less where he is. His unit and/or FRG should provide the OPSEC guidelines for these situations.


Always abide by the rules set forth by his unit. Just because it is on the news does not mean that you can talk about the issue. By talking about it, you are only verifying the information.


CORRECT:


My soldier is deployed in support of Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom


INCORRECT:


My soldier is in XYZ Unit and is stationed at ABC Camp in XXX city in Iraq.


Give only general locations IF his unit allows it. The above incorrect statement is entirely too much information.


INCORRECT: My soldier’s unit is returning from deployment and flying into XYZ Airport at 8pm next Thursday.


Never give dates or times for troop movements. Keep in mind that “next Thursday” is a date. This includes R&R dates as well as deployment and redeployment dates. Planes have been delayed for days or weeks because an excited family member made this information public.


INCORRECT: Please pray for my soldier. He called today and told me he is going out on a very dangerous mission tonight. They will be gone for three days and I’m very worried about him.


When our soldiers are in dangerous situations, it is natural to want to reach out to others. But the above statement puts your soldier and his unit in danger. You could have very well just alerted the enemy about their mission.


It is important to realize that putting together the bits and pieces needed to create the larger picture can be amazingly simple on the internet. Many mistakenly believe that if they don’t talk about it all at once, the information is safe. This is wrong and dangerous to assume.


The internet is a wonderful tool but in regards to our military, it is a very dangerous one as well. It takes only minutes of searching online to find enough pieces of information that could potentially endanger our soldiers.


DEPLOYMENT TICKERS

Many family members like to use deployment tickers to count down their soldier’s deployment. Never have a ticker that shows XX days until he returns. If you must have a ticker, then have one with the amount of time he has been gone. Although it is best to not have this type of ticker at all.


Finally, for your own personal safety, be very aware of what you are putting on the internet or saying in conversations in public. With the internet, it is not difficult to track down an address and phone number. Do not make yourself a target by letting the world know that your husband is deployed.


PERSEC

PERSEC is also known as personal security. Like OPSEC, this involves guarding the information that you know. Do not give out your soldier’s name along with rank. This includes blacking out his name tape and rank in pictures. If he is in a special operations unit, you should also black out any unit affiliation.


Be vague about your personal information on the internet. This is plain common sense in just every day life – regardless of if your family member is in the military.


The old saying loose lips sink ships still holds true today. Keep your soldier, your family and his unit safe by keeping the information you know to yourself. You never know who is lurking and gathering information on message boards, myspace pages and profiles. Better safe than sorry!

Pregnancy... (part 2)

... the bads and the uglies.

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. Bring the life of a sweet baby into this world is such a miracle. Then you get pregnant and really just want a glass of wine and to feel like a normal human being again!

Don't get me wrong I love being pregnant and the goods out weigh the bads by so much more. I'm 32 weeks pregnant though... let me bitch here people!

First symptom of doom... Bloat! Oh dear lord did I bloat like crazy! It's not the bloat you get after eating a bowl of chili. It's the type of bloat that makes you equal in size to a walrus, and as lazy as one too. I seriously bloated out so much even before I knew I was pregnant that I couldnt zip my jeans! And it was painful bloat. All I wanted to do was rip one like an oversized truck driver, but that just wasn't happening. Don't tell me I should have tried gas-x and all that stuff. I did and let me tell you I think it just made me bloat more!

Nausea... KILL ME PLEASE! I hate the feeling of having to puke. I hate even more that I never did puke (Well I did twice). Dry heaves, oh yeah! Constant nausea, of course! It sucked so much bc no matter what I ate and/or drank it did nothing to help. They say eat frequently to ease nausea. HAHA! That's funny bc when I ate it just became worse, no matter what it is that I ate.

Why Nic (ALL men) think it's ok to take pics when we feel our worst is beyond me

 

If you smile they quit taking pictures I found out. I'm pretty sure I wanted to puke and punch him right now

 

Spidey sense... AKA super smell! I smell EVERYTHING! And that's pretty cool when you have a really good smelling candle or pass by the mexican place. It's really bad when your husband wants bacon and eggs to eat, while you have your head under 100 layers of blankets and pillows trying all you can not to lose the few cookies you have kept down in the last 3 days. I think Nic started cooking what I wanted after that bc he felt bad for me cussing him out and opening all the windows and locking myself in the far room with my head almost sticking out the window in there.

ZZZZZ... I could barely get out of bed, but when I did it was to go lay on the couch. I would usually eat some sort of breakfast and fall right back to sleep. Jameson sucked every bit of energy I had out of me to help him get the move on with growing. I want him to be healthy, but I also would have liked to have the energy to stand in the shower long enough to shower instead of sit in the tub with the water coming down on me.

X-men power... Sucking the life out of me! So many times Nic and I would be walking through the grocery store, mall, or anywhere else and I was doing find. ZAP! It took less than 30 seconds for me to barely be able to stand up. I would become drained of all energy and strength instantly and it took everything I had not to just lay down on the floor beneath me. This I close to the most aweful feeling. Right after...

Dizzy spells... I hate the dizzy spells. I could be making dinner then I start to get dizzy and have to sit down for atleast half an hour, drink something, and catch my breath. And it wasnt just then. And I dont think it had anything to do with being hungry. There were several times I had just ate when I would get these aweful spells. Just came out of the blue. Or sometimes I have them all day. Not fun laying in bed feeling like the room is spinning when you haven't had a drink in 7+ months let me tell you!

Ranger training... I love when Jameson gets his little kicks and when I can watch my whole belly do the wave when he gets to moving. What I DON'T like is when he thinks it's ok to sucker punch my in the ribs, do burpies against my bladder and combatives with my stomach. That little brat hurts! There have been a few times he has gotten in a good superman punch to the gut and I thought I was going to instantly lose my dinner. Not cool baby, not cool!

Aches... Well besides the fact that Jameson has a deadly right hook, it's just sore carrying around the extra weight. So far I have gained I think 32+ pounds now. That is alot for my small frame! And I put most of it on in less than 15 weeks. Yes I love the look the extra weight has given me, but the feel of it is just painful on the ribs, back, hips and legs.

No Zzzzzs... I may be tired all the time but I think since 20 weeks I havent actually slept a single time through the entire night. 0230-0430 hits and I'm up, having to pee and eat something. EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! I'm not kidding when I say it has been like this every night for 12 weeks now. And it's not just pee, eat, sleep. Nope. Once I wake up I can't fall back to sleep for nothing. EVERYONE keeps saying 'Just wait until baby comes. You wont sleep ever.' NO SHIT! I have been around babies and I have not lived under a rock my entire life. I'm prepared for that. But I didnt realize that he would keep me up as much as he could before he even came out. Give me a break, or better yet a nap, kid!

I NEED FOOD NOW... I have been eating everything in sight since about 16 weeks. But the worst part about that is when I need to eat, I need to eat NOW! I can go from find to on my death bed from starvation in less than 5 minutes. Having snacks on hand at all times is a must!

Glow my ass... So somewhere in the world there is a woman with long shiny hair, flawless moisturized skin, great nails, and wearing heels while pregnant. I want to punch that broad! I have had breakouts over my ENTIRE body (Also I can't use the oh so popular cocoa butter lotion. Poor belly was covered in little red bumps.) dry skin like crazy, dry scalp, hairy all over (Hello Chewbacca belly!) and let me tell you about the sweats! The 'glow' must be from the reflection of the sun off the the persperation over my entire body. I create my own heat now like my husband does. Get us both in bed together and I have all the blankets thrown off me with gettnig up every 10 minutes to go roll in the snow to cool off. Thankfully the sweats have been happening to me during the winter so it's easy too cool off. If not I'm sure I would be a heat casualty.

Getting comfortable... not going to happen! I know Jameson is doing well and comfy all curled up in my belly. How do I know this? Because I can't get comfortable for nothing! I have to sleep with a body pillow between my legs and under the chunk on my left side and still then I'm not all that comfortable bc my shoulder starts to hurt. So I flip over to my right side and 75% of the time that makes me sick to my stomach. Of course I can't sleep on my back bc little fatty Linn squishes my spine. I can only sit in one chair in te house that doesnt make my back hurt, but the butt part is uncomfy and makes my legs fall asleep. Speaking of legs... Restless legs syndrom. Yeah I thought it was bad before but now my legs are so much worse and randomly jerk. I'll be more than happy to carry Jameson in my arms all day than in the belly soon.

So see there all so many good things about being pregnant, but being pregnant can physically suck too! I wouldn't change it though. Ok it could be better, but I can only bitch so much until he starts moving and his daddy talks to him.

Jameson's worn out, sore, and fussy but smiling mommy
Carrie Linn

Pregnancy...

... the good!

Yay! Seeing that positive sign on that awesome peepee stick 27 weeks ago was such a highlight for Nic and I. I was shocked and so excited to know we were going to have a baby Linn in less than 9 months. Bring on all the fun and excitement.

Sadly as I was peeing on that glorious device, Nic texted me to tell me he had 24 hours duty. Um! Sucky! But I knew I couldn't not look at that stick for 24 hours until he got home the next day (Does the sign even show for that long?! I could see it now I go to show him and it's all faded and blank. That would be our just our luck!) So I take a pic of the stick and send it to Nic with the cute little message "HI DADDY!"

Guess what!!

Shortly after I get a call from Nic. "We're pregnant?! AWESOME! Have you told anyone yet? I'm going to call my mom. Who are you all going to tell?" Yes he was a little excited. I had to interupt him to let him know that I hadn't told anyone yet bc I was waiting to hear from him first to make sure he got the message. I called my parents after and left it at that. I wanted to get a bit farther along before letting the whole world know... Nic on the otherhand told EVERYONE he ran into except for he didn't mention it on Facebook until I said so. He's a proud daddy!

So we kinda tried to hide it. (If any of y'all saw my Pinterest the next 8 or so weeks you knew with all the baby stuff I was posting.) But let me tell you it came on me quick. Three days before we even found out I was bloated to where even stretchy pj pants were tight and I ate 3 HUGE plates of KFC in one setting for dinner. (Nic even looked at me and asked if I was pregnant with how much I was eating... Just prepping for the next few months I guess!)

The ugly came on, that is the next post, but it couldn't cover the good times. There is nothing cuter than seeing your big bad tough husband talk to you belly, give it raspberries, thump on it trying to get baby to kick and telling it to be nice to mommy so she quits feeling sick.

First actual Dr.s appt came along at 10 weeks. Ofcourse they get to use the jaws of life on you to do all that fun stuff below the belt. Every woman's favorite part! Then the oh so exciting part comes. They spread that jelly on your belly (thank you for warming it up!) and press that little monitor against your skin. BUM BUM BUM BUM BUM! HEARTBEAT! I was looking at Nic's face while this was going on. "That's the heartbeat?! How cool!" Proud daddy moment #2!

Two weeks after that we got to go see our little cutie. And let me tell you baby Linn sure is a cutie! Once again I was looking at Nic first before looking myself bc I wanted to see his reaction. His eyes got so wide and then the smile broke out. "There's our little baby! What's all that stuff? I can't tell. Oh that's definiatly the head! Do we get pictures?! What's that movement? That's the heartbeat! How cool!" We got the pictures and had it all over Facebook before we could drive off post. Nic had to be his funny self and posted the pic on his page. "Look everyone! I made a baby!" Proud daddy moment #4!

I'm so cute!

The food cravings didnt get too crazy. Well atleast not to me. Ask Nic. He was the one doing the grocery shopping most of the time! Lol! Though I do remember asking him for 'BBQ Ripple Lays chips with the Lays Ranch dip' pretty specifically one afternoon. He did well and got exactly what I asked for, lucky him bc I would not have been happy with something else! Oh and fruit! I couldn't get enough fruit in a day for the life of me! I was obsessed with those little oranges, the Cuties! I'm pretty sure I had half a dozen of those each day. Yes I did eat the crapout of sweet though too. This girl loves her cupcakes! And pizza. NOM NOM NOM! But no I never did hit the pickles and ice cream, or peanut butter covered hotdogs.

Now the first kicks. OMG! First I thought maybe I had felt a few flutters. Nic was positive he had felt them while we were laying in bed several times... I had to reassure him that they were gas bubbles. Cute right! It was the day after 21 weeks and I felt a definite HARD kick right under my belly button! I tried to get it to kick more all day long and would randomly get one here and there but Nic wasn't so lucky. Every time Chunky (nickname for baby Linn after I started eating everything within arms reach... or that Nic was willing to get up and get for me/fix :) He's pretty awesome!) would start kicking away Nic would hurry up and put his hand on my belly and Chunky would stop. Stubborn little one! Finally one night when I was snuggled up to Nic in bed Chunky started kicking away on Nic nonstop! Chunky was def having a wrestling match with daddy! Nic and I laughed the entire night. Whenever I would move away from Nic it would stop, and when Nic would snuggle back up to me the boxing match began! Soon Chunky started kicking to the sound of Nic's voice and when I started to get hungry. Active one let me tell you! Proud Parent moment!

The belly. Let me tell you I LOVE the added pounds and nonstop growing belly. I think it is the cutest thing in the world! (Alright I love the boobs and butt I've gained too! I'm a thin gal and those two growing is something to celebrate!) Clothing shopping has it's ups and downs. Shirts are pretty easy. Just find bigger size and make sure they are long enough. Awesome! Pants... HAHAHA! Yeah no. Yoga pants are awesome. Nic's pj pants are even more awesome! I have tried on several pairs of maternity pants and well my butt is getting bigger but not THAT big. Geeze I guess every woman that gets pregnant gains 500 lbs everywhere and are only 5'2"! So no I do not have actual maternity pants. But I have found some cute leggings (which I NEVER wore before getting pregnant) that work with the longer shirts I get to fill out now.

16 weeks... No longer just a bloat bump!

 

23 weeks 4 days... Hello Chunky!

 

31 weeks... Nic's PJ pants and a shirt I had to pull down so my Chewbacca belly wouldn't show!

 

Lastly (well for now) of the goods of being pregnant. Finding out what we were having! We were both super exctied about getting to see Chunky again and finding out finally if it was a boy or girl. (Both of us and 95% of everyone else said it was a boy). The date was scheduled and we were very impatiently waiting to see our sweet baby again. Then ofcourse the Army had to step in (they are awesome about ruining good days!) Nic had to leave for a month of training... the morning of the day we were to see Chunky and find out what it was. I'll let you know how I felt about that in the next post...

Any way. So there I am with the ultrasound tech (my mom and stepdad were in the waiting room. I love that they came with me!) and she globbs half a gallon of that warm gel on my belly and smears it around. The devise presses against my belly and instantly I see Chunky. She moves it around. There's it's head, spine, butt... "Do you want to know what you're having?" Um yeah! "Well if you look right there, that's a boy." A BOY! And yes was he showing off that he was a boy! She had to do the rest of the scans and he was being stubborn and not wanting to cooperate except to show off his little weewee. Typical boy! Nic called about an hour after I found out (on his oh so fun 26 hours bus ride). I told him that his child was very stubborn and not wanting to cooperate. Hid it's face behind it's arms. Curled up most of the time. But oh did it show off the entire time that it was a BOY! "Everyone I'm having a BOY!" "Woohoo! I knew you were having a little Ranger!" was what I heard from his side of the phone! Too funny I know! Nic was really hoping for his little mini Army Ranger. (Though I know he would have been tickled pink for a daddy's little girl too!) Proudest Daddy Moment #5!

That's right! I'm a boy!

 

Here's my good side!

So there is a handful of the greats of this pregnancy! Yes there are tons more, but have you heard of Prego Brain?! Be lucky I remebered all the above! Haha!

Jameson Nicholas Linn's Mommy
Carrie Linn

Thers's Strong...

... Then there's Army Strong!

Like stated in my last post my husband is an Army Ranger (Rangers lead the way!). The military is something I have been around one way or another for almost my entire life. My step-dad was an Army Ranger, few cousins that were in the Marines and National Guard, lots of military friends, and well lets be honest I'm a good ol American Patriot. (I have the "Made in America" tattoo to prove it!)

The career is something I very much admire and have more respect for the troops past, present, and future than anyone else really. They are what keep this country going.

But let me tell you the lifestyle is not all rainbows and unicorns! It can suck! I knew alot of what I was getting into when I married Nic, but that doesn't mean I would enjoy all the crap we would have to put up with out of the blue. Not a single person wants their other half to leave for 3-15 months at a time. We hate when we make plans and the next week we are told they are leaving for a month for training some place on a 26 hour bus ride away. How about that week+ of training in the field they have to do on your birthday/anniversary/holiday. Then there is the 24 hour duty that comes down on them right after you find out you are pregnant and are hoping he will be home that evening for dinner so you can tell them the awesome news. FUN TIMES RIGHT!!

We deal with the heartache of them being gone, but also so much else. The daily hardships get to them. Long hours for them in a unit they may hate and can't excape from. The one guy who just doesn't seem to get it. The boss who just doesn't care. The civilians who seem to think the most evil things about them. The internal struggle they are afraid to talk about and face bc them it becomes too real. Feeling they deserve that promotion bc they have proven themselves time and time again but dont get it. Feeling you are being stepped on and over abused by someone higher than you on a power trip. The stereotypes that are passed by those that know better and those that have no clue.

Then there is the stuggles at home. Dealing with the 'free' benefits can be a pain in the ass! If you dont think so try getting a needed schedule for an ultrasound that is closer than 2 week out and tell me how much luck you have. And dont get me started on pharmacy waiting lines! (We have been lucky so far... *knock on wood*) And have you tried going to the commisary on payday! HAHAHA! Get your soldier's kevlar on! Being alone to take care of everything on the home front is hard when the military can be so strict. If you dont have 29764938601.2 pieces of paperwork filled out the correct way, into the correct office, with the correct person, signed in the right blood, and give your first born, you are royally screwed! I know that everyone has a hard job, but dear lord you would think that 90% of the offices that have to deal with paperwork dont know what the heck they are doing or take their sweet ass time doing something that is of dire importance. And even then you have to sweet talk that office lady with 10lbs of chocolate and a date with Brad Pitt in the Bahamas to get a copy of something you need!

Please don't get me started on the stereotypes that are spread around by mil spouse and civilians alike! Yes sadly there are some mooching, lazy, over weight, think they are better than everyone, go to CO for every home issue, cheating spouses in the military world. There are plenty in the civilian world too but you dont hear about even close to as much. My thoughts behind that? We are a small group compared to the masses and those in a smaller population tend to be judged much more harshly than the masses that do the exact same thing. Not right I know... but people can really suck!

It is a hard life. But you know, I honestly wouldn't trade it for the world. We have had our struggles like every life has, but we fight through it and make it out alive through the fire fight. The time being away from Nic is always very hard on my heart and soul. It gets to me and I will never lie or hide that fact. It is really worth it though when he gets home, I get to wrap my arms around his neck, he gives me the biggest hug and kiss, and tells me how much he loves me and how much he missed me.

If there is no better feeling in this lifetime than the times when I get my husband back in my arms after being away from eachother for any amount of time, then I'd say this life is pretty good to me!

Hooah!
Carrie Linn