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| Ship's Captain |
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| First Mate |
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| "Take a good long look...I'm on a boat" |
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
8(ish) weeks
Happy New Year everyone! I still find it hard to believe that 2011 is actually here. Even more so, I find it hard to believe this baby is going to be making an appearance in roughly 8 weeks. I say roughly because one never knows for sure when babies will actually come!
I am 32+2 weeks today and was given plenty of reassurance this baby (and mama) are right on par with our timeline. I had a follow up appointment in OB (I'm still fortunately on the one appointment every 3-4 weeks schedule, although that will change after my next appointment on the 24th and I will probably be on the weekly plan after that). The provider I saw said my fundal height measurement is spot on as well as baby's heartbeat. She said I'm doing all the right things in terms of exercise and how much weight I've gained thus far (a total of 18lbs over the course of these past 32 weeks...and let me tell you...I feel every single one of those pounds some days) and told me to keep up the exercising, but to try and take it easier while at work since I'm on my feet a lot. This is hard to do, but of course I will try! Every mom-to-be loves to hear that she is doing right by her baby. I just hope the next however many weeks is as kind to me as the past 32. Oh, update from my previous post concerning my lack of sleep: although i still wake up a number of times throughout the night, I have been able to fall asleep and stay asleep for longer periods of time which is making me quite happy :)
In the meantime, Carlos and I are just trying to do all that we want to do before our freedom becomes limited. We still have baby stuff to take care of over the next few weeks, but we spent the past weekend kayaking and enjoying the Guam sunshine. My plan for the next weekend or two is to find a few boonie stomps (Guam hikes) that won't be terribly difficult for a pregnant lady. There are so many great hikes on this island with beautiful final destinations that I just want to get out there and go play!
I'm attaching a picture of Carlos practicing his daddy skills. Thankfully the baby will be a bit easier to rock than Kona :)
I am 32+2 weeks today and was given plenty of reassurance this baby (and mama) are right on par with our timeline. I had a follow up appointment in OB (I'm still fortunately on the one appointment every 3-4 weeks schedule, although that will change after my next appointment on the 24th and I will probably be on the weekly plan after that). The provider I saw said my fundal height measurement is spot on as well as baby's heartbeat. She said I'm doing all the right things in terms of exercise and how much weight I've gained thus far (a total of 18lbs over the course of these past 32 weeks...and let me tell you...I feel every single one of those pounds some days) and told me to keep up the exercising, but to try and take it easier while at work since I'm on my feet a lot. This is hard to do, but of course I will try! Every mom-to-be loves to hear that she is doing right by her baby. I just hope the next however many weeks is as kind to me as the past 32. Oh, update from my previous post concerning my lack of sleep: although i still wake up a number of times throughout the night, I have been able to fall asleep and stay asleep for longer periods of time which is making me quite happy :)
In the meantime, Carlos and I are just trying to do all that we want to do before our freedom becomes limited. We still have baby stuff to take care of over the next few weeks, but we spent the past weekend kayaking and enjoying the Guam sunshine. My plan for the next weekend or two is to find a few boonie stomps (Guam hikes) that won't be terribly difficult for a pregnant lady. There are so many great hikes on this island with beautiful final destinations that I just want to get out there and go play!
I'm attaching a picture of Carlos practicing his daddy skills. Thankfully the baby will be a bit easier to rock than Kona :)
Monday, December 27, 2010
WANTED: Sleep Fairy
If any of you out there have seen this winged female creature, could you please point her in my direction?! Other than the wings and a wand, I don't have much to go on in terms of a description. All I do know is that I need her in the worst way. I will be more than happy to pay for her services as well. At this point I will pay any amount to be able to sleep through the night...heck, I'd pay if it meant just waking up only once or twice!
Ah yes, the joys of pregnancy. I would love to know what it is that causes me to wake up, but for now it is a mystery to me. It's not the baby, as he seems content to let me sleep. There hasn't been any middle of the night David Beckham style kicking going on in my belly. It's not my bladder that is waking me up, I get up to pee only because I am awake and I might as well make use of the time. I think last night was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. First I couldn't fall asleep, then when I finally did, I believe I woke up at least 4 times between 11pm and 3am. Finally, at 3:30am, my eyes popped wide open and there I was...awake the rest of the morning. There is nothing more frustrating than knowing that I could be getting another 2 hours in before my alarm goes off, but nope, just laid there. I finally gave up at 4:30 and came downstairs to watch tv (which by the way, tv in Guam at 4:30 is just plain awful...I ended up watching reruns of 'The Nanny'). 5:30 I went back upstairs to shower and get ready for work.
Oh, and let me just tell you how unproductive one can be at work when going off of minimal sleep AND being pregnant. I vowed to never let my pregnancy become an issue at work, but today I failed myself. I sat as much as possible in the OR and even did a little happy dance when the second case of the day "no-showed" and we were done at 12. My sleep deprived brain would not have been able to make it through another OR case.
It is 6:30pm here now and I really really really want to go to bed, but I am scared to even try out of fear that I will fall asleep, but be wide awake at 10pm and be miserable all over again.
WHY SLEEP FAIRY??? WHY CAN I NOT SLEEP?! Help a girl out, will ya?! "They" say pregnant ladies need their rest, but what "they" don't tell you is that pregnant ladies have so much going on with their bodies, they don't get to enjoy the periods of rest they are given. Oh how I'd LOVE to go back to that first trimester exhaustion when I could fall asleep standing up and sleep for hours and hours :)
So all of you out there keep an eye out for the sleep fairy and be sure to give her my address if you see her flying around. In the meantime, I'm going to attempt an early night and try to keep a positive focus and maybe, just maybe I can squeeze in a little extra snoozing....
Good night folks!
Ah yes, the joys of pregnancy. I would love to know what it is that causes me to wake up, but for now it is a mystery to me. It's not the baby, as he seems content to let me sleep. There hasn't been any middle of the night David Beckham style kicking going on in my belly. It's not my bladder that is waking me up, I get up to pee only because I am awake and I might as well make use of the time. I think last night was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. First I couldn't fall asleep, then when I finally did, I believe I woke up at least 4 times between 11pm and 3am. Finally, at 3:30am, my eyes popped wide open and there I was...awake the rest of the morning. There is nothing more frustrating than knowing that I could be getting another 2 hours in before my alarm goes off, but nope, just laid there. I finally gave up at 4:30 and came downstairs to watch tv (which by the way, tv in Guam at 4:30 is just plain awful...I ended up watching reruns of 'The Nanny'). 5:30 I went back upstairs to shower and get ready for work.
Oh, and let me just tell you how unproductive one can be at work when going off of minimal sleep AND being pregnant. I vowed to never let my pregnancy become an issue at work, but today I failed myself. I sat as much as possible in the OR and even did a little happy dance when the second case of the day "no-showed" and we were done at 12. My sleep deprived brain would not have been able to make it through another OR case.
It is 6:30pm here now and I really really really want to go to bed, but I am scared to even try out of fear that I will fall asleep, but be wide awake at 10pm and be miserable all over again.
WHY SLEEP FAIRY??? WHY CAN I NOT SLEEP?! Help a girl out, will ya?! "They" say pregnant ladies need their rest, but what "they" don't tell you is that pregnant ladies have so much going on with their bodies, they don't get to enjoy the periods of rest they are given. Oh how I'd LOVE to go back to that first trimester exhaustion when I could fall asleep standing up and sleep for hours and hours :)
So all of you out there keep an eye out for the sleep fairy and be sure to give her my address if you see her flying around. In the meantime, I'm going to attempt an early night and try to keep a positive focus and maybe, just maybe I can squeeze in a little extra snoozing....
Good night folks!
Monday, December 20, 2010
30 weeks
My most recent belly pic was taken yesterday, poolside. I know it's so mean to write about lounging by the pool when most of you are swimming in snow, but this is my weather for the next 2-3 years. Darn. :)
My belly bump has definitely become bigger from my last pic which was at 25 weeks. I would like to stay the size I am now, but oh how I know I'm not done growing yet!
My belly bump has definitely become bigger from my last pic which was at 25 weeks. I would like to stay the size I am now, but oh how I know I'm not done growing yet!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Family Update
Let's start with the oldest member of our family, Carlos (hee hee). There isn't much to report on his end, which is a good thing! He is still working hard as the ortho clinic is keeping him quite busy. If he isn't working, he is usually either bonding with his grill, Kona, or picking on his lovely wife :) He is enjoying all the diving he is able to do here in Guam, although I'm not sure how one can enjoy coming face to face with an octopus or other crazy sea life. I keep telling myself I will try it sometime, but it may take a lot of xanax, so obviously it will be post-pregnancy :) Although, he does get to enjoy some non-crazy sea life as well. During his dive yesterday there was a pod of dolphins playing by his dive boat. Dolphins are very common around here and they seem to enjoy playing with the boats and the divers.
As for me, I have officially started at work. I will be on orientation status for a couple of months, as all new OR nurses are (which is fine with me!). So far the people I work with are extremely nice and very helpful...hopefully that doesn't change over the course of time :) We have quite the change in our household now...if you can believe it, I have to get up before Carlos since my work day starts before his...and last week there was a couple days he was even home before me! He loves knowing he still has another hour to sleep when I get up in the morning...I remember that feeling :)
Let's see...what else...I'm 30 weeks along now so I do feel like I'm in the home stretch to a certain extent. Granted, I still have anywhere from 8-10 weeks to go, but I feel like I'm finally closer. I do know my back will be quite happy when the big day approaches as that has so far been my only constant complaint (lower right...owwweee!)
Baby Boy K seems to be doing just fine. He loves to move around, but I'm fortunate that when I go to sleep he is either sleeping as well or I'm just too plain exhausted to feel him moving and am able to sleep through it. As for the future name of this child, we are still in negotiation status, but we will say that once Carlos and I have decided on a name, we do plan on keeping the name hush hush until the baby's birth. We gave you all the gender, but we are keeping the name a secret. Don't worry, there is a good chance that we won't even have a name until up to the moment this baby is being born :)
As for our 4 legged member of the family, Kona is living it up in Guam. I took him for his first hair cut last week since he has been here. I know Carlos has been busy with the house and work, but our poor dog looked like he was homeless with all that hair! He looked like a local boonie dog and I just had to make him look handsome again. I'm sure Kona's thought was "great, mom is back and here I go with the haircuts again." I regret not taking a before and after pic so that you could the change, but it's kind of like a person when they have a major makeover. Not only did it take years off his appearance, but he also looks like he lost weight since all that hair filled him out! The groomer even put a little holiday scarf on him and I don't hesitate to tell him every day how handsome he looks. He has a new pep in his step now :) He also enjoys his morning and evening walks with his BFF Donne from across the street. Donne shows up every morning at our door to walk with Carlos and Kona, and then usually with me in the evenings. Donne recognizes both of our cars and will follow us down our driveway when he sees us pull in because he has learned that us coming home equals Kona being let outside. It's really the cutest friendship between these two.
We are wishing everyone back home a safe and happy holiday season!
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| Rota Christmas lights walk |
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| Kona and Donne...BFFs |
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Baby BOY Kennedy
I'm sure most of you have heard the word by now...we are having a BOY! Carlos and I couldn't be happier. We didn't care what was written down inside that envelope, but man, let me tell you, when you actually see/hear the word for the first time, it takes on a whole new meaning! We are having a boy...our son. Thank goodness I was raised with a brother so close in age because I feel much better prepared for a boy than say never having been around one growing up. I can build forts, play with GI Joes, trucks, race cars and so on with the best of them! Of course, GI Joe always had to have Barbie tag along during his battles when I was growing up, but this little tyke won't have to worry about a little sister messing up his battles with an 8 inch blonde...at least not yet :)
Now that we know, we can't wait to meet our little man. However, we still have 11ish weeks to go so I'm happy to wait knowing that BBK is still needing to grow before he makes his appearance.
Carlos gave me a great surprise upon my return to Guam. He decided while I was away to set up the nursery. He picked out everything himself and did a fantastic job! I walked into the room not knowing he had done this and I think my jaw hit the floor. Talk about a wonderful surprise. It looks like he really enjoyed himself too with all the detail he put into it. We still have a couple more things to get for the room, but we have time...especially now that the bigger project is done!
Below is a pic of the baby announcement along with a couple of pics of our nursery
Now that we know, we can't wait to meet our little man. However, we still have 11ish weeks to go so I'm happy to wait knowing that BBK is still needing to grow before he makes his appearance.
Carlos gave me a great surprise upon my return to Guam. He decided while I was away to set up the nursery. He picked out everything himself and did a fantastic job! I walked into the room not knowing he had done this and I think my jaw hit the floor. Talk about a wonderful surprise. It looks like he really enjoyed himself too with all the detail he put into it. We still have a couple more things to get for the room, but we have time...especially now that the bigger project is done!
Below is a pic of the baby announcement along with a couple of pics of our nursery
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Easiest Goodbye
Dear Jacksonville,
Our time is coming to an end...roughly 36 hours to go (not that I'm counting down or anything). You have been good to me over the past 12 weeks so I don't want to sound ungrateful for my stay here. However, I am beyond excited to get moving along to Guam, so please forgive me if I can't refrain from expressing my joy. It's not you, it's me. This was always just meant to be a temporary arrangement. Saying goodbye on Saturday will be the easiest goodbye I have ever had to make...it may even beat my goodbye to Bethesda Naval Hospital since we all know I couldn't get out of that parking lot fast enough!
I thank you for the great weather during my stay. I think I can count on my right hand how many times it rained during my stay here. And up until today, I was quite grateful for the warm temperatures. I'm assuming your change in temperature today and tomorrow is just your way of letting me know you are not happy I am leaving. I will not miss the jets flying in and out of the air base, close to where I am staying on base...so close that I sometimes think the jets are going to land in my room, but you have been a convenient base nonetheless. Jacksonville, you have provided me with entertainment, good food, and of course good shopping while I've been here. And thanks to your location, I have even been able to head to other cities/towns nearby for more exploring. I most appreciate your close proximity to King's Bay and therefore the opportunity to spend time with my dear friend Kelley who is stationed there. Just when I think it will be ages before I see her again, I end up here, less than 45 minutes away. I was also able to see family over Thanksgiving weekend again thanks to your convenient location.
While this isn't a permanent goodbye since one never knows where they will end up stationed in the military (and I certainly wouldn't mind coming back to this area after Guam), it is so long for now. Baby and I must move on and be with Carlos and Kona who we miss, who miss us, and who are in need of both me and baby in Guam. I appreciate you taking such good care of us during our time here and helping to make time go by quickly during my OR training. You will always be a part of my baby's history and one day I will tell him/her that he/she spent 12 weeks growing in my belly while in the nice city of Jacksonville, FL.
My bags are packed, my flight leaves Saturday morning and I will spend the rest of my time here just relaxing and patiently (ok, maybe not so patiently) waiting for my outbound flight on Saturday.
Goodbye Jacksonville!
Our time is coming to an end...roughly 36 hours to go (not that I'm counting down or anything). You have been good to me over the past 12 weeks so I don't want to sound ungrateful for my stay here. However, I am beyond excited to get moving along to Guam, so please forgive me if I can't refrain from expressing my joy. It's not you, it's me. This was always just meant to be a temporary arrangement. Saying goodbye on Saturday will be the easiest goodbye I have ever had to make...it may even beat my goodbye to Bethesda Naval Hospital since we all know I couldn't get out of that parking lot fast enough!
I thank you for the great weather during my stay. I think I can count on my right hand how many times it rained during my stay here. And up until today, I was quite grateful for the warm temperatures. I'm assuming your change in temperature today and tomorrow is just your way of letting me know you are not happy I am leaving. I will not miss the jets flying in and out of the air base, close to where I am staying on base...so close that I sometimes think the jets are going to land in my room, but you have been a convenient base nonetheless. Jacksonville, you have provided me with entertainment, good food, and of course good shopping while I've been here. And thanks to your location, I have even been able to head to other cities/towns nearby for more exploring. I most appreciate your close proximity to King's Bay and therefore the opportunity to spend time with my dear friend Kelley who is stationed there. Just when I think it will be ages before I see her again, I end up here, less than 45 minutes away. I was also able to see family over Thanksgiving weekend again thanks to your convenient location.
While this isn't a permanent goodbye since one never knows where they will end up stationed in the military (and I certainly wouldn't mind coming back to this area after Guam), it is so long for now. Baby and I must move on and be with Carlos and Kona who we miss, who miss us, and who are in need of both me and baby in Guam. I appreciate you taking such good care of us during our time here and helping to make time go by quickly during my OR training. You will always be a part of my baby's history and one day I will tell him/her that he/she spent 12 weeks growing in my belly while in the nice city of Jacksonville, FL.
My bags are packed, my flight leaves Saturday morning and I will spend the rest of my time here just relaxing and patiently (ok, maybe not so patiently) waiting for my outbound flight on Saturday.
Goodbye Jacksonville!
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