(Mil)ing It Over: Good Reads Edition

In a last ditch effort to ignore today, I signed in to Google Reader. When things aren't all copacetic around here, I like to read about my bloggy friends and how they're doing. It takes me to another place, much like reading works of fiction do. The first three blog posts I opened were about reading and/or books which reminded me, I haven't participated in Jenn's blog hop yet this week! You may have guessed that this week's topic is all about Good Reads. I won't be vlogging as I normally do because I don't think you want to see this soon-to-be Mama minus the makeup and her sanity and a shower and with bloodshot eyes. Instead I'll hide behind this glorious contraption that is my computer while you pretend I'm typing away, looking fabulous as I sip a fruity (non-alcoholic) drink, and living the good life. Can you do that for me?

Here are some questions:

1) What are you currently reading? I'm reading...

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini It's pretty good thus far. I'll be sure to update you after I'm finished.

2.) What is your favorite book and why? I can't ever answer this question. There are too many novels, too many genres that I love. I think the Harry Potter series would have to rank pretty highly on this list, though. J.K. Rowling is a literary genius and if you still haven't given ole Harry a chance- you should!

3.) What types of books do you like? For the longest time, all I ever wanted to read was Greg Iles. He writes psychological suspense. Yes sir- right up my alley. I also enjoy Nicholas Spark's books, although I typically stay away from other authors who write the mushy, gushy lovey stuff. I like to read biographies, too.

4.) Do you read more than one book at a time? Sometimes I do. I don't like to, though. When I read, I want to be totally immersed and interested in that one story and not have other plots confusing my train of thought.

5.) Do you use an e-reader? Nope. Not that I would be opposed to it while traveling, but I enjoy having the tangible pages to turn. I like seeing my progression through a novel instead of being told that "I'm 44% done..." Some of my favorite days are spent in libraries and book stores just browsing.

6.)How do you get your books? I'm a Barnes and Noble junkie. When I realize I'm poor, though- I start hitting up repeat book stores. I've been known to purchase literary treasures from Goodwill, yard sales, etc.

7.) Have you ever been part of a book club? Yes, very briefly- I participated in an online forum discussing a book that we had all collectively agreed upon. After reading, I looked forward to an in depth discussion about it or at least something a little more than "I like it" or "I think it's dumb". I typed out a lengthy, reflective post about the book and got no response. I was that nerd who put too much thought into it. I decided that wasn't the book club for me. I like the idea of discussing literature among friends over a cup of coffee- nothing too homework-like and mildly thought provoking. If anyone wants to start an email/blog/forum book club, shoot me an email!

I haven't read as much as I would like to this year. The last book I finished was Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. It might be my favorite of his as far as grabbing my attention goes. I really enjoyed it because it had the element of suspense mixed in with a real-life type of love story. For a full description, click on the link above.

Happy Reading! If you want to link up with Jenn she'd love to have ya!

Pregnant With Laughter- Part 4

Captain J and I have a fun new activity for our Tuesday evenings- trivia at a local bar! We usually meet up with some of his fellow classmates and their wives/girlfriends for some food and our weekly dose of random questioning. Last time, we went something happened to me, something terrible. It looked something like this:



Clearly, that's not me. That's Santa. But my buttons were looking a lot like his. They were just fine as I was standing up, but when I decided to sit down at the table for dinner, I quickly noticed that the buttons were practically begging to break away. Crap.

Sitting up perfectly straight, I tried and tried to avoid a scenario in which my buttons popped off, revealing my huge belly.

I succeeded most of the night until right before Captain J and I stood up to make an early departure. Then, I look down and the worst has happened. A button is no longer conservatively secured across my pregnant self. It's open and free for the whole world to see.

Only...the whole world doesn't want to see that, do they?

Blah.

I guess it's time to retire THAT shirt until after the baby is born. No need to tell me twice.

It could have been worse, though. At least I didn't reveal the girls, right?

*Do you have a funny pregnancy story you'd like to share? Maybe you want to share a tale of your hilarious kids? Link up below! I'll leave it open all week so join in at anytime.

Port Columbus Civil War Naval Center

Columbus, GA claims to be a city unlike any other. With the little baby growing inside, we haven't exactly been able to experience all that we'd like to do in the area. We've had camping plans fall through. Spring rains have cancelled fishing trips. Hiking tends to kick my pregnant booty. You don't know how much this is killing me. We get so bored not being able to do the things we used to enjoy.

While this area may be lacking in the exciting outdoorsy fun we were used to experiencing in Alaska, it certainly does cater to our (tee-tiny) city desires. Columbus has shopping (ahh, *swoon). Columbus has chain restaurants. Columbus has convenience.

And Columbus has museums!

Today, J had the day off so we decided to finally hit up one of the three museums we have on our list of things to do. First up, was the -



The National Civil War Naval Museum was established to display two great Confederate ships that were brought up from wreckage years ago. Inside you'll find partial remains of the C.S.S. Chattahoochee and C.S.S. Jackson (which was formerly known as the Muscogee which is now the county in which we reside!).

   

There are many other artifacts, too including old civil war uniforms, tools and weaponry discovered from the ship remains at the bottom of the Chattahoochee River, and old preserved flags from the time period.



 

It was interesting to read all about the battles of the area and to take a small peak into the lives of the sailors. I'm always taken aback at how young those serving could be-



As far as museums go, it's worth visiting. My only complaint is that I would have liked to have a full audio tour. Reading board after board gets tiresome for me after awhile. There are a few brief cell phone audio tours throughout the exhibit, though which I appreciated.









If you'd like more information, please visit this website.

Come back tomorrow for another edition of Pregnant With Laughter!

God Bless Them All

Army Wives broke my heart.

I know it's just a show. I know it isn't real. But unfortunately it has so many stories that are real peoples' stories.

I'm so thankful my soldier came home to me. He is in one piece. He has escaped with little to no characteristics of PTSD. He is the man I met years ago, although I recognize the subtle differences in him that spending time in combat will bring.

What so many people don't realize is that many men and women don't come home in the same shape.  And some don't come home at all.

It is my prayer tonight and every night that we all appreciate the sacrifices that these people have made and are making for us every single day. I can't imagine losing someone in this way and I hope I'll never have to. If you haven't done so already (and you're the prayin' kind), please add our service members to your prayer list.

God bless them all.



 

Cocoa Butter Goddess

Boy or Girl? What will it be? You only have one more week to cast your votes (in the poll on the right hand side of the page)! I still don't have the slightest idea or feeling. The Chinese calendar said it was to be a girl, along with the rest of my family, but we shall see. I can't wait to find out, but I suppose I'm going to have to.

I'm incredibly sick of lathering up in cocoa butter and constantly smelling like a beach. As I try to prevent stretch marks, I find that many mothers think this notion is impossible. I've heard, "It's all about your genes" or " 90% of women get them", but I tend to cling on to the words of comfort that I hear from a select few- "Cocoa butter and/or oils worked for me."

I will not defy the cocoa butter gods.

If you see me around town looking shiny and smelling like the cast of Jersey Shore, forgive me. I'm trying to prevent my skin from stretching too much too fast.

I have good news, though. I have gained some weight! More on this later. Here's an update on the babe-

19 Weeks

Size of Baby: heirloom tomato (6 in, 8.5 oz)

Total Weight Gain: 6 lbs. I was up to 7-8 but I weighed again today and I'm back down. Still progress, though.

Maternity Clothes: I can't wear size four and below anymore, but I can still button some of my size six pants if I pull them just below my belly. I haven't purchased any maternity clothing just yet, but I did buy a bathing suit from Motherhood Maternity to prepare for my upcoming beach trip. I wouldn't want to scare anyone off with my pasty white burgeoning belly!

I see lots of cool, flowing dresses in my near future. It's so hot here!

Oh, and preggo moms- Go to Gap! They have lots of shirts made for longer silhouettes so it's easy to find clothes that will grow with you. See the peach shirt in the photo? I purchased that there.

Gender: ??

Movement: I felt the baby move for the first time last Sunday. It was so weird/awesome. I have felt him/or her several times after that. I can definitely understand why many women think it feels like a snake. The first incident, though, I felt like someone was drumming their fingers inside me.

Sleep: I would sleep all day if I could. It is becoming harder to get comfortable at night. I look forward to being able to sleep on my tummy and back again.

What I Miss: Having energy to go on adventures!

Cravings: I just ate 7 marshmellows. I'll leave it at that.

Symptoms: Round Ligament Pain and paranoia! Does that count?

EasyBabyLife.com says this:

The nerves cells for each of the senses: hearing, smelling, tasting, seeing and touching are developing in their very own parts of the brain now, while other nerve cell production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections within the brain.

Your baby already has developed a sweet tooth! If sugar water is injected in the amniotic fluid, the baby drinks twice as much of the fluid as she usually does.

All I have to say is- of course my baby will have a sweet tooth! :)

Over and out,

Mrs. K (aka: Cocoa Butter Goddess)

Just Another Day

I know you all gravitate toward my blog because of all the adventure and such (facetious much?)...

But I fear I would have to fabricate my stories a bit if I were going to tell you something crazy fun happened to me this week.

Instead of lying, I'll just take you through my day to day- in pictures!

It usually starts out with some list making (my favorite!):



I also enjoy setting a cleaning timer. I get so much more accomplished that way! I'll set my phone for 30 minutes and clean like a mad woman then take a break-



I can't say that I'm looking my best during all this. So, sue me. It's around this time in the afternoon when I start thinking about dinner. Hmm, what to fix? I found a crockpot (another fav!) recipe online so I hopped in the car as I was to pick up a roast.



I wish I was kidding. Stacy and Clinton would zero in on me if they had seen what I had on. Harry Potter shirts and pregnant bellies are just ten kinds of wrong. Oh, well. Any of these preparations look tasty to you?



If so, check out the recipe here.

I'll tell ya...It sure was yummy!



After getting my to-dos squared away, I was off to the mall for a mani and pedi with a new gal pal (in a different, more acceptable ensemble). Of course, we'll include a photo of Alto (Al Toe) and the finished product.



Now, I'm enjoying a little reality tv with my husband.

Just another day...

in paradise.

P.S. Like these photos? There's an app for that! I recently downloaded Instagram on my iphone and I love it!

(Mil)ing It Over: Entertainin' Edition

Over at (Mil)ing It Over, we're talking about How We Entertain Guests- "our tips, tricks, and go-tos". If you've got some insight and want to share, head over there and link up with Jenn. Here's what I know about entertaining...

The end.

Ok, I'm kidding. I might know a thing or two, but only because my mom is a social butterfly and usually has big parties at her house that she pulls off quite smoothly. Unfortunately, parties go a bit differently in my household. This is because I don't usually take the initiative to create a guest list. I'm a follower usually unless a leader is required and no one steps up. Of Captain J and me, he usually makes decisions in our household (Now, whether they're okayed is a whole other story ;) ) and I'm content with that. Problem is, he gets these ideas for get togethers and springs it on me.

I like to be prepared. Prepared to me isn't finding out the night before that several people are coming to our house the following evening. Prepared is not going to the grocery store an hour before our guests arrive, which is typically what happens around here.

This is totally and completely my dear husband's doing. He enjoys cooking for people so he wants to do the food preparation himself. If it were me, I would have the food ready when people ring the door bell (or at the very least, I'd be putting on the finishing touches). J is different. He likes to start cooking after socializing with all the party go-ers. I'm learning to be more laid back in this arena, but I do try to at least have something for hungry people to snack on as we mingle!

Entertaining for overnight guests is a different ball park altogether here. I feel the need to always be showing them a good time, which is silly because close friends and family don't need entertained, right?! I have found that being pregnant and entertaining for the weekend don't really mix. I. get. exhausted. It's ridiculous how tired I become. I usually have grand plans of making breakfast and dinner, but I usually just end up making only one. I'm no June Cleaver.

I'm definitely a Lucy Ricardo, Murphy's Law kind of gal. That's ok, though! I have accepted it.

One thing I can control when we have people over is a tidy house. I will be a cleaning machine up until the time our guests arrive. I like to have everything radiate a feeling of clean and welcome(ness?). It's just how I roll.

How do YOU roll?

Go share your thoughts on the matter with Jenn, will ya? Also, for all you millies who are reading- Be sure to check out this awesome opportunity from the ladies at The Dating Divas. If you qualify, you could be chosen for a giveaway for you and your serviceman.
 

P.S.- My French teacher in high school used to always tell the class to "quit entertainin' now" when someone was acting up. It was cute. So, Ms. Harris- this post title is for you.

Love,

Pregnant With Laughter- Part 3

Every Wednesday I get to talkin' bout my crazy pregnancy brain that often plagues me. Today I'm going to tell you about another dream I had. Not quite as weird as the KFC epidemic, but it might still make you giggle. If you have a story to share about your pregnancy experiences or a kid you know who has said or done something funny, I'd love to hear about it. You can link up your post at the end of this one. Now, without further ado- Here's

I don't know about you, but I just cannot get comfortable these days! I woke up the other morning (thanks to my hubby rootin' around for his uniform) and couldn't go back to sleep in bed for the life of me. I decided to move to the couch where I had less room to wiggle and squirm, in hopes that I would fall asleep faster. What? It did make sense at the time.

I flipped on the t.v. and watched awhile, but soon began to drift away once the Ellen show came on. I love watching Ellen in the mornings, just not this particular morning. I was exhausted! Unfortunately, her show started to become a part of my dream...

For some reason, one I may never know, Ellen and her guest began talking about miniature ponies. Even weirder, I think she told a story of a horse biting the nipple of her brother!

Meanwhile, in my head, Captain J is telling me that he must put one of my bestest friends asleep-

My dear, Holly dog...

Hysterical, I'm half screaming/half crying asking why he would ever do such a thing. He is all fired up and responds with, "Well, she bit my brother's nipple!"

Captain J's brother is in Germany, currently serving our country over there. No way Holly could reach that far! Plus, I know her- she's the sweetest dog in the world. She'd never do that! Just last Saturday I watched a three year old smack her in the face as hard as he could and she just sat there and allowed him to do it with a look on her face that said, "Well, I don't think I deserved that but that's okay."

Not my Holly. She would never!

I woke myself up screaming, "Noooo!" as Captain J started to take her away to euthenize her. Tears on my face, I realized that I was carrying on for nothing because it had all been a dream.

That's when I started to chuckle.

Oh, the ups and downs (and really silly dreams) these hormones produce. I'll tell ya...I'm sick of it! But at least they give me something to laugh about.

Vlogging my Tuesday

Just some random thoughts this glorious Tuesday on social handicaps of younger generations and where I may or may not fit in this new stereotype.

My fears this week- conflict, pollen, and poo

It's gettin' scary 'round these parts.

First of all (the actually scary events), the crises in Japan and now Libya are quickly moving to the forefront of many minds. As civilians, we worry about all those people affected. As a military family, there's the added worry that our loved ones will be carted off to help out in each of these places with very different missions. I've noticed that many people in the blogging community are confused (myself included) on what is going on in Libya. To remedy that, I thought I'd add some simplified information that I've found so that we'll all better understand without all the conservative/liberal biases that plague the media and news these days.

*Where is Libya? Libya is a country located in North Africa.

*What the heck is going on anyway? It's the angry dictator scenario again. The Libyan people are fed up. Protests broke out mid February sending the fourth largest country in Africa into chaos. Protesters were mistreated, beaten, jailed, or even killed for their actions.

*The UN agreed a "no fly zone" was to be activated earlier in March, which in itself is seen as an act of war.

*Who is involved? Britain and France are the frontrunners but many other Allied countries are supportive, too. This includes the US of A, as you've likely already gathered.

*Who is this Qadhafi I keep hearing about? He's the said angry dictator and leader of Libya.

*What does this mean for U.S. troops? Our military men and women are NOT being sent into Libya, but they are currently occupying bordering countries and/or ships on the Mediterranean Sea.

For more detailed and up to date information, use google people! Those are the basics, though as I know them. If you're wondering how this might affect Captain J and me, I will say that I hope it doesn't affect us in the slightest. Of course, I never know when the big bad Army will take him away and for what reason, but I will say that this is NOT a worry of ours at the moment. As many of you know, Captain J is in the middle of a career course and isn't scheduled to leave me and this sweet lil baby in my tummy anytime soon. Fingers crossed.

That's my teeny tiny little military spouse knowledge of the day on the happenings in Libya. Take it or leave it!

Now, I'd like to adjust the focus an ounce to some things that are scary for me personally. For instance...

Spring has sprung in ole Georgia! I'm currently reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, so I thought I'd relax on the swing outside for a few while I enjoyed my book. A quick dusting off of the swing cushion to remove leaves left me with a lot more than a leaf-free place to sit! I removed my hand to find tons of icky yellow stuff all over it. Pollen galore.

Usually my allergies don't strike until April, but that was when I lived in TN. Let us not forget that I skipped allergies all together in that glorious time period when we resided in the fresh, cool Alaskan air. Ahh! Now, I'm all "ahh-choo" instead. Oh well.

It is quite warm here. We had a small get together the other night complete with new friends, a bonfire, grill food and guitars. It doesn't get much better than that, does it? It might just be too hot for this knocked up gal, though. 80 degrees still feels like the seventh layer of h-e- double hockey sticks to me sometimes. What happened to my southern roots? Alaska stays with me in more ways than one, I'm afraid.

Ok.

Are you ready for the scariest thing of all?

I don't know that you are.

I'm not. But here we go...

I've spent much of this morning researching this little company- Thirsties. It's a company (American-made!) that makes modern cloth diapers. You read that correctly- I'm entertaining the idea of using reusables. This, from the girl who almost blew chunks on her first nephew while attempting to change a very dirty diaper.

Poor kid. He adjusted just fine, though ;)

I'm hoping I have come or will have come a long way since those days once my own child arrives.

Don't worry. I'm not going all crunchy, hippie, granola on you or anything. I just think it's the smart thing to do financially. At this point, I'm only thinking about it- weighing the pros and cons. It wouldn't be a strictly cloth diapers kind of thing, but it would be nice to use them while the baby is home and/or at night sleeping. You all think I'm nuts right now, don't you?

I know I do.

Captain J will likely hate this idea, too.

But, maybe, just maybe I might try to do this. Perhaps I can say (on top of all my other responsibilities when the baby arrives), I'll also be saving the world one nasty cloth instead of plastic diaper at a time.

Or not. We'll see.

Motherhood 101?

I'm having a minor freak out moment about motherhood (and not for the first time).

I know I can't possibly know what it's like to be a mother. Mothers are selfless, mothers are giving when it feels like there's nothing left to give. I couldn't possibly be a mother.

As I lay in bed, sick as a dog, I keep rubbing my tummy in soft circular motions because I heard that growing babies like that. But I'm also wondering, how the heck am I going to do this?

I feel terrible. I've barely made it out of the bed or off the couch all day today. What will I do when I have a baby to take care of? I already feel as if I'm neglecting my pets. How much worse will this guilt be when I have a baby screaming for my attention? There must be some force, deep down that mothers hold on to, that makes them get out of bed and tend to their children. I'm just wondering how I go about getting a piece of that.

Does the act of mothering come somewhat natural in the delivery room when the nurse hands over the baby? Will my world as I know it cease to exist and a new world form around this tiny, breathing life? God, I hope so.

Because right now, I feel like I don't know what I'm doing.

I'm realizing that I have about five months left to prepare. In those five months, I'll be starting school again, packing up our home here, moving to Louisiana, trying to find a place to live there, and juggling the responsibilities of being a wife to my very deserving husband. He will be starting a new job where I will likely only see him two weeks out of each month, which means I'll be a single parent, going to school full time for two weeks out of each month. I'm not overwhelmed by these thoughts and that's what makes me think they all might take me by surprise.

Starting something new is always scary and I like to be prepared.

But how does one prepare themselves for motherhood?

I don't know that anyone can. I'm just hoping and praying that somehow I'll figure it all out. I want to be the best Mom I can be to this little one inside me. This precious life deserves that. Now, how in the world do I go about doing that?

Can a girl get a class on it, or what?!

Lord, help me.

Headache- Check!

Stuffy then runny nose shortly after- Check!

Hot then cold- Oh yeah.

Breathing through nose- dang near impossible.

Breathe, Breathe, Sneeze, Sneeze, Breathe...



This is how my night went.

But in between random coughing fits, I'll tell you that I received a phone call today telling me that I was accepted into a graduate program in "good standing" -one that will accept my master's credits from TTU! One that will hopefully one day give me the title of "Marriage and Family Therapist". Hip, hip, hooray!! I'm back in school.

Lord, help me.

St. Patty's Day Cheer

I have an insatiable desire to make minor holidays leave major impacts on my little family. I think one day my children will enjoy this about me. Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure my husband is less than impressed. Hehe :) Nevertheless, I plug away at crafting or gathering festive, small gifts to make his day a little brighter.

Today is St. Patrick's Day! I'll bet you already knew that, didn't you? Maybe you've already been pinched for not participating in the green wearing fun? Perhaps you have plans to drink green beer tonight and be merry! If so, have one for me. As for Mrs. K, Captain J, and BayBay- we'll be chillin' out, bein' old.

Still, we will enjoy these little treats-

I suppose I should explain what is goin' on there. Ya see, Captain J has been a wittle sick. Bless his allergy attacked, stuffy head.

So, I got him more Kleenex. What of it?!

I also like to include some fun fact about the day when I start making holiday cheer & shenanigans, which is why I typed this out for him to read:

(No making fun of my sad attempt at shamrock perfection) If you can't read the fine print, it says that St. Patrick is credited with using the shamrock as a teaching tool to explain to others the three divine persons in one God- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Hoping to find a bible verse to illustrate, I opened my bible and found these words:

There are obnoxious St. Patty's day stickers all over the Lucky Charms (that conveniently say "Lucky in Love"), green muffins for Cap'n to take to work to share with the guys (they're banana nut..yum!), and the bag has a shiny, new green shirt in it.

Also, what's St. Patrick's Day without an Irish blessing?

 

I extend that blessing to all of you, too! I hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day.

                                                                                                       

Pregnant With Laughter- Part 2

It's time again for my weekly blog hop where we all get to dish out our funny stories involving pregnancy, motherhood, or just funny kids in general. Welcome to:

I'd love for you to join in! Just link up below and feel free to take the above photo if you'd like. Today's story I have to blame on these crazy, insane pregnancy hormones-

Having recently woken up from a nap (and a terrifying dream), you can imagine that I wasn't in the best of moods. In the dream, a new disease was threatening our already scary existence here on this planet. Unfortunately, people were having symptoms that just couldn't be explained unless you had a KFC menu in hand.

Wait. Are you lost? I should back up to explain a bit more.

I did, in fact, mean Kentucky Fried Chicken in the above acronym. You see, people were finding themselves being taken over by a disease that turned their entire bodies into the consistency of fried chicken. Faces were unrecognizable. Arms and legs were resembling chicken thighs. People we knew and loved were starting to look...tasty. Ok, I kid. It was awful. The affected individuals were haunting my nightmares and with good reason. I might be traumatized. Maybe.

Anyway, I don't recall what happened in this dream. I just know that it was one of the wackiest I've had to date.

Back to reality...

Later, I burst into tears, trying and failing to hide this from my dear husband. He rolled over in the bed, asking me if I was crying. Tears streaming down my face and sniffling in full force, I of course replied, "No." He never believes me.

He said (love his heart), "I promise when you tell me I won't try to fix it. Just tell me what's wrong".

After stuttering a bit, I realized that I had no idea what was wrong with me. Searching my brain frantically to come up with the source of my anxiety, I stalled. What was I to say?

You hurt my feelings 6 months, 8.5 days ago!

or

I had a dream our dogs died.

or

Oh, my achin' back!

No. Couldn't say any of that.

Instead, I finally chose the truth-

"I have no idea why I'm crying!" (insert severe sobbing and confusion).

Captain J simply hugged me and said he would always be here for me.

Apparently that satisfied me because three minutes later I was in the kitchen preparing a grilled cheese with a smile on my face.

Like I've said a lot lately, I'm ready for my normal hormones again. The sane ones. The ones that don't make me a loony toon. Meanwhile, I'm racking up all kinds of stories that'll be sure to make me giggle when I'm old and gray!

Do share your stories with me this week! If you don't have a blog, feel free to put them in the comment section. I'll leave the link open until next weeks entry so join in anytime.

Tuesday Treasures

My sister and her hubby came to town to visit me and Captain J this past weekend.

Having her around puts me in a shopping mood! Just check out all the bargains I found at a local vintage jewelry shop-

I adore my new treasures. I actually talked the man into selling them to me at a discounted price, too! I never do that. My sister is good for encouragement. She's like the best deal finder ever! And the best sister ever. Just sayin'!

Happy Tuesday, folks.