I’m not quite sure how 8 weeks have gone by since I last posted an update. I guess you could say life got a little crazy there for a couple months! Between a beach trip, finishing up at work, driving across the country with my parents, and welcoming Kyle home from his deployment, I just haven’t felt much like writing. Let’s get you all up to speed.
First of all, baby is doing wonderfully! We had our first prenatal checkup at the naval hospital here on base. Her heart rate was in the 140’s and everything is measuring spot on. My blood pressure is still normal, so nothing to worry about there. I also passed my glucose test! Thank goodness, because the idea of having to drink that syrup junk again is nauseating. My total weight gain so far is…~drumroll please~…10 pounds! I started out this pregnancy overweight and fully aware that weight gain needed to be kept to a minimum. According to my apps, she is already the size of a butternut squash and weighing in at just over 3 pounds! Kyle has not only felt her move, but he has also heard her heartbeat! He doesn’t like when I poke at her to get her to move. He likes to rest his hand on my belly and feel her kick, punch, and roll. I am so grateful that we get to experience what’s left of this pregnancy together!
I’ve been feeling pretty good! Sleeping at night is getting a little more difficult. This whole ‘sleeping-only-on-my-side’ nonsense is getting old, fast. Unless I’m on my feet for too long, I don’t really have any aches or pains to complain about. On days when I’m up and moving around a lot, I do get a lower back/posterior pelvic pain that is less than enjoyable, but tolerable. Kyle is sweet and rubs it for me on days when it’s really bad.
The great name debate is still underway. We have our little list, but still want to wait until she’s here to decide. The nursery is also a work in progress. I’ve started collecting decor here and there. We have the crib and the glider set up, even thought she’ll be in our room for the first few months. We’ve taken on a few projects, including a foot stool for the glider and a mobile for above the crib. If you know me, you know how much I love to decorate. You also know Kyle is less than enthused when it comes to home decor. Luckily, I’ve been blessed with a very patient husband!
Kyle’s homecoming was two weeks ago. WHAT?! How the heck have two whole weeks gone by? I’m telling you, I’m losing track of time. Can I blame that on pregnancy brain? Anyway, we’ve settled right back into our life together pretty seamlessly. The day he came home was and forever will be one of the happiest days of my life. Of course I couldn’t sleep well the night before. He was texting me from the airport in Ireland where they were waiting to board. Eventually I passed out sometime around midnight, only to wake up ridiculously early the next morning. I tried to keep myself busy until the afternoon – I put dinner in the crockpot, cleaned the floors, meticulously plucked and trimmed my brows, reactivated his phone plan, bathed Milo, painted my nails, showered, got dressed, straightened my hair, put on my makeup, and watched Zootopia while trying to make myself eat something. The butterflies I felt while watching the clock are hard to explain. I worried that he somehow wouldn’t like me anymore, or that things wouldn’t go back to normal. Half a year is a long time to be apart from each other – I worried that somehow we had both changed and wouldn’t fit together again.
I arrived at the field when he told me they were passing through the neighboring town. Within half an hour, those white buses were pulling through the main gate! Nearly THREE HOURS LATER, they pulled up at the field. Long story short, they got held up at the armory when they were all turning in their weapons. I’m not sure what went down exactly. All I know is those were quite possibly the longest three hours of my life. When I finally did spot him walking towards me, I held up my little sign and smiled like an idiot. He leaned in to kiss me and I awkwardly and accidentally put my hand on his butt (to be fair, his pack prevented me from putting my hand pretty much anywhere else). My wonderful friend Logan was kind enough to capture our reunion for us.
When we got home, Kyle went out to the back yard and I brought Milo to him. Milo proceeded to pee more than I thought he was capable of, all while wagging his tail like a maniac and running circles around Kyle with his beloved stuffed pig in his mouth. We ate an early dinner and all of us passed out by 8pm.
The three of us have resumed our normal, every day life together. After all that time apart, I’m not taking a single moment together for granted.
Amanda Douet 