Birth Plans

I finally typed up an official birth plan this morning, and I feel pretty good about it. I was worried at first because I wasn't exactly sure what one really needed to consist of, but after doing some research, I found that they're really just full of what YOU want to happen, what YOU'RE comfortable with, and just how you'd like your labor and delivery to play out. I'll be honest, I was sort of thinking it'd be a lot like a resume in a sense of being professional and such (which I believe it should be), but believe me, they're not that terrible to write up. It's important to know what you're talking about though. If you want a natural birth, and your doctor or nurse is going over your plan with you and asks you why, then you should be able to back it up. Otherwise, you're probably more than likely to give into an epidural or some other type of pain medication that you may later regret. I definitely stated that I want no use of any kind of medication unless it's absolutely necessary, and that's including inducing. Hopefully I won't need to be induced, but if so, I want to at least be given some time (if allowed) to try to speed up the process naturally (yes, I even got graphic and put sexual intercourse down as one of those ways...my husband hasn't revised the plan yet, so he might blush at the thought of having sex in a delivery room...haha). If it just doesn't happen naturally, my next option would be a cervical cream, and the absolute last option, pitocine. I really do not want any medication! Anyway, I explained how I have terrible hearing so that they'd talk loudly and clearly to me. I let them know it's a boy, and went ahead and put a name to the little cutie. I've always been afraid of misspellings haha. There's really so much more I put, and I'm glad I did. I feel a little bit more prepared and I can't explain how much that takes a prego lady's stress levels down. I know that my plan may not be able to be followed if I have a rough labor, but at least I have put my thoughts and voice into it if I can.

Any of you have a good, well-planned out birth plan? Was it able to be granted or did it get tossed to the back burner because of unplanned complications?

Just 4.5 more weeks!!!!

Congested

Today has been so uneventful, but I wouldn't of really preferred it any other way. I slept horridly least night, partly from being huge and prego, but mainly because I've developed a nasty sinus cold. I woke up last night probably anywhere from around 8-12 times not able to breathe because of the sinus congestion I'm experiencing. I finally got to sleep solidly at around 02:40, but of course it seemed like only five minutes before it was time to wake up. I didn't want to at all and would had much rather of stayed in bed, but I had to take Ty to work. Before I moved here, we sold his car since it was so old, but now we only have one car. I usually wouldn't mind being stuck at home without any means of transportation, but since I'm sick I figured it would be a good idea to have it just in case. I was going to go to an express care clinic to make sure I'm not trying to develop strep, but when I called the office to ask how long the wait was, they said that there were A LOT of people waiting. By that time it was already almost 13:00, so I decided to just suck it up and run to Walmart for some Tylenol Sinus and Cold. I've gotten one dose down, and although my sinus headache is gone, I'm still congested as hell. Let's see.... I also sat down and strictly planned out our next two weeks of grocery shopping. I'm talking grocery list in order of which department we visit at the commissary first to the next, and according to which meals we plan on making. About a month ago we noticed that we were spending WAY too much on groceries (food in general really), so for this past month, we've been trying to stick to meal plans and strictly cut cost. Believe it or not, paying close attention to where you spend your food money really cuts cost. We went from spending $850.00 a month, about $425 every two weeks, to spending under $300.00 this past month; only about $130 every two weeks! Where all of that money went, I couldn't tell ya! We ate out a lot more than we allow ourselves to now, but dannnnnng, I seriously didn't think it was that much of an issue! Lesson learned, though, and thankfully so! I have no idea how I just made a pretty lengthy paragraph about such a boring day, but hey, I'll take it! Tomorrow is my 33 week appointment and then I'll probably go put that orderly grocery list to use! Hope everyone is having a great day, and a Happy and Safe Halloween!!

Oh Baby!!!

I'm extremely excited for our first little one that is due on December 15th! If any of ya'll remember, right before Ty left we were trying for our first child. I quickly became EXTREMELY discouraged because it didn't happen right away. I thought that there was a possibility that I couldn't conceive, but it turns out that I just wasn't patient enough. We tried up until he left and wasn't successful (or at least I didn't know we were!!!), so I just accepted it. Well, that time of the month strolled around back in April and I hadn't been blessed yet with good ol' aunt flow, so I decided to go to the dollar store, buy a stick, and run into Starbucks to go ahead an just confirm the "NO" that I was so highly expecting. I remember going into the restroom just knowing that it would be the last negative (and that would of been our last chance for a while), so when the negative wasn't so negative, you better believe I threw that puppy into my purse (or wallet, pocket, I don't really remember) and bolted outside. I'm sure there were people who looked at me like a freak since I was smiling ear to ear right after exiting the public restroom, but I didn't care. I got in my car, started driving to my mom's house to tell her, and on the way there, I called my mother-in-law to tell her the good news. I wanted to tell Tyler so bad, but the only way I got to talk to him was if he called me...and that didn't happen until the next day. Luckily, we facetimed and I got to show him the proof (that's all 6 sticks to be exact!) and he just couldn't believe it. He was very happy, but still very shocked. We both knew that it was meant to be. We finally conceived and it was right before he left. How could that NOT be meant to be?!?! Anyway...I went through all of that just to show ya'll some photos of mine and little man's journey to December 15th! Say hello to Channing! :) I'm in love with the theme for his nursery... too CUTE! Most recent at 33 weeks! Almost there!

To New or Not to New...

I seem to have a pattern...I blog for a while and then completely stop... and then I apologize for not blogging for ages and then the cycle starts again. Well, that was when I was employed and in the process of seeing my man off for the first time. I really don't have an excuse now (well not yet anyway...baby comes in DECEMBER!!!), so I am going to try to continue blogging without any interruptions. Afterall, I don't have a "job" other than stay at home wife and future mommy. I've thought about completely quitting this blog and just start up a totally new one...but I'm not sure if I will. I'm not really sure as to what the point of that would be, so I may just get a new background and update everything so that my information actualy reflects my life now; not 1,000 years ago. I promise, more to come!!! BTW: any of you lovely ladies live in NC? I'm new and still adjusting!

Calling all North Carolinians!!

Any ladies living in or around Fayetteville, NC?? I'll be calling it home by the end of June!!!

Don't Count the Days; Make the Days Count.

I got to fly to Columbus, GA last weekend to see Tyler at Ft. Benning and it was so amazing to see him. I didn't want to leave at all, and the second goodbye was definitely more difficult that our first. I got there on Friday afternoon and I wasn't supposed to see him until Saturday morning's graduation ceremony, but luckily, and thankfully, since he is prior service, he was released that Friday and didn't have to be a part of the ceremony. We were only supposed to have a 36 hour pass, but we technically got about 48 hours; which was so very much appreciated. I got to meet some of the guys that he has been telling me a little bit about, and got to get more of a feel for the base life. The first night we went out to eat at Longhorns Steakhouse and we both got a pretty awesome steak. Unfortunately for me, I was sick and by the time it was ready to eat... the thought of meat repulsed me... as did the salad, stuffed mushrooms, spinach dip, and baked potato that came with it... Tyler got a second meal though, so it all turned out to be quite ok. Afterwards, we drove back to the hotel and just relaxed, which in all honesty, was my favorite part of the whole trip: when we were just laying in bed watching a show cuddling :D The next day was pretty much spent on Tyler buying neccessary items for future courses that he wasn't able to buy on base. Speaking of base...we got lost...a lot on that base. It was funny because Tyler always says, "Don't worry! I've got the best sense of navigation out of anyone you know!", yet we were lost the majority of the time... and I was the one who figured how to get out of the mess. Yup, that's my husband! ;) Seriously, the whole weekend we were both laughing nonstop. I loved it! Sunday morning we slept in, and then ventured out to get some breakfast and then to finish up last minute boot shopping for him. He had to be back at 20:00, so after relaxing more in the hotel, I dropped him off at around 19:45. I always feel incredibly stupid when it's time to say goodbye because I look like a sobby little baby. lol I try to hold it back, but I've just come to terms that it ain't gonna happen and the water works will play... a lot. After I finally left base, I met up with another wife that I had met over Facebook whose husband is also going through training right now. She is from Colorado, and it was really nice to meet someone who is going through the same thing as me. Oh yeah, she is also expecting and is my age, so that was also nice to relate to! We both found out AFTER our husband left, so that was a funny coincidence. After we talked for a bit, I went back to the hotel for my last night in GA alone. The day I was leaving was really odd. I had never felt so at home in a place so foreign. That is the reason I did not want to leave Georgia...because I felt at home, even though I couldn't see Tyler again for a month. I really think that it had to do with the fact that everything there was military, and nothing here really is besides the few national guardsmen and reservist we have. I felt like because there was so much military culture, I was actually a part of Tyler's life...unlike here, where nothing is really related to the active lifestyle of the military. I guess you can say I feel disconnected here. This is sad, and I'm definitely not looking for a pity party, but our apartment doesn't even feel much like home anymore. I still have everything exactly in the same place as before he left, like pictures and such, but it's such an odd and lonely environment. I have never been able to say that I feel like I would feel more at home in a completely new town with no one I know, as opposed to here, with everything and everyone I know at my fingertips; however, I want exactly that. I want to be really close to base even if I can't be with Tyler right now, and I want to be able to see the lifestyle that will soon become my own, even if it means that I am temporarily alone. I'll leave with some of the photos that I got over the last weekend. Thanks to you all that still follow though I've been gone for a long time!

Hello Strangers! I'm Back!

It has been a very long time since I've been on here, and after catching up on everyone else, I have to say that I've definitely missed it. The blogger world is a great way to escape from everything else in life that is happening, (that you may want to forget for a while), and frankly, I have needed an escape. In the last... three? months that I've been M.I.A., a lot has changed. First off, I got a new job with the Wal-Mart Home Office as a Food Safety Coordinator in Feb. It was much better than the call center, as things were so micromanaged for me, and I could be trusted to take care of task on my own for the most part, but I can't lie...I just wasn't happy with doing something every day that didn't identify with who I am... whatsoever. My personality does not scream "EXCEL SHEETS!! REPORTS!!! STATISTICS!!!" at all, so I found myself bored and kind of grumpy a lot of the time. To shorten this story a little bit, if you haven't already guessed it, I put in my two weeks notice and after reaching a five year career with Wal-Mart, I'm saying good-bye to the largest company in the world. This Thursday, tomorrow actually, is my last day....EVER! Am I scared? Absolutely. But more importantly, I'm happy. To be honest, I've never been happier, and the will power to not just walk out today and not go back tomorrow is running thin. Don't get me wrong, Wal-Mart is a great company to work for, but you really have to find your niche within the company. For me, it's nothing to do with food safety inspections, pest management, or computer programs galore. Let's see...what else has happened in the life of Mrs. Harriman? (Yes, I still get tickled to death to say or hear my new last name). Well, those 56 days that I was counting down in my last post have gone by, and another 30+ have passed. Tyler's been gone since March 26, which I know isn't that long, but it really feels like an eternity. I miss him, a lot, but thank God I get to fly out to see him on Friday. His battalion at Ft. Benning is having a family day 36 hours pass that starts Saturday morning, until Sunday night, so I am going to go enjoy time with my honey :) I'm very excited to see him, because I've been awfully lonely. Ahhheemmm.... We are also EXPECTING! I found out on April 14,2012, and was able to tell him on the 15th by facetime! He is happy about it, and I can't even begin to explain how ecstatic I am. We were trying before he left, and I worried that I couldn't get pregnant for some reason or another...but we did!! It would had happened at around the day before he left for training, so it really was a miracle. We are due on December 15, 2012. So, so, so, so happy! Anyway, I just wanted to start getting back in the blogger world and get up to date with everyone. Thanks to those who still follow! I'll be busy over the next few months, but I'll try to stay focused on here! Love to all!