The Fuller Family

This Weekend

2009-08-02T13:37:00.011-04:00

The past 2 weeks, and especially the past 2 days have been the most emotionally and physically taxing weeks that I have ever experienced. I just hate funerals, especially military funerals, and I've been to two in the past 2 days. Two funerals with full military honors for two of mine and Blaze's close friends. Owens' service was very uplifting. There were tears of mourning at the beginning, tears of laughter at the end. Andrew's funeral was more somber. His old high school football team showed up, as well as the coaches. In addition to that, I watched a very good friend of mine sob as she was handed her young husband's flag and taps was played. I hate this war, I want our guys home. I don't want to lose any more friends, any more brothers or sisters.

Heather seems to be doing okay considering the situation. She's obviously had a hard time. She and Andrew are both 21 and have been married for 2 years; now she's a widow. I don't know if you can call it fortunate or unfortunate that she and Andrew never had kids, but they didn't. They did so much for Blaze and I when we were first married. We lived with them for 3 months until we got on our feet and got housing at Ft. Drum. They were the first friends I made out there. Owens' was Andrew's best friend. They died at the same time. Hit by an RPG in the same Humvee. As odd as this sounds, I know neither of them would've had it any other way. They were attached at the hip. Owens' could always brighten a room with his smile. He was the funniest guy I've known. :) He was the life of every party and was a regular at Andrew and Heather's house while we lived there.

Unfortunately, as if this wasn't hard enough, some one decided they would give me details of the incident. Out of respect for the 4 soldiers that died that day, I won't give them out here, that, and I know they had a very serious impact on me, and I don't want anyone else to bear that weight on their shoulders. That being said, I was given details that other Army wives were given from their husbands who were the first responders and the "recovery" team. The recovery team had no idea what had happened and was picked to go do their thing, they didn't know until they got to the scene that it was their close friends and coworkers who had died. I'm so worried abotu those guys. They saw their friends in a way that no one should ever have to.

I got another tattoo while down here. Judge if you will, but I like it. It's a star (Andrew loved stars), filled in orange (Owens' and Andrew's favorite color) with a banner across it with 7-20-09 written in it. That's the day that all of this went down. It's in honor of all four soldiers lost that day. Unfortunately I didn't know Pratt or Lightfoot all that well, but I know that Pratt was 20 years old, and Lightfoot was 34. If I'm not mistaken, Lightfoot was due to come home for R&R the next day to finalize the adoption of his wife's children.

I've got to drive back to Arlington now. I really am not ready for this drive. I love u all. Thanks for listening to me talk this out.

Shannon

Best Husband Ever

2009-06-18T11:28:00.002-04:00

You should all know that I have the most amazing husband in the world. I tend to be a handful from time to time and he totally takes it in stride. I have never felt so loved by anyone in my entire life. I can't believe he and I have already been married a year and a half. Time has flown, that is so wonderful since we've been separated for a good majority of our marriage.

Don't getme wrong, we have our ups and downs like any other coupe in the while, but we've taken advice from some very wise people that said "nevr go to bed mat at ecahothr. well I havef to shower and go take care of my Mema. I love you all. Every last one of you is a gift from God and have blessed me in more ways than I could even imagine. :)

Shannon

I Feel Bloggy :)

2009-06-05T00:58:00.003-04:00

So, I just got off the phone with one of my girl friends from NY, it occurred to me that I talked her face OFF. I mean really, off. O-F-F. lol Her name is Amanda and she and her husband, Adam, are the couple that gave Blaze and I the cell phone for Afghanistan. They live further upstate than Ft. Drum or Watertown, closer to Canton, NY, in the country. I always loved their house. They have 25 acres with a little stream running through it. It's gorgeous. The only issue I have is that they have chickens. I have a deep hatred of chickens. Some of you may find this humorous, God knows my whole family does, but my brother and I....we were attacked my chickens as children. lol That sounds made up, but it's not. They weren't really chickens, they were roosters....ill-tempered roosters. In a word....evil. But you can't just say "evil" you have to say it all sinister like "EV-ILLLL!!" lol. Jeez I'm weird today. Anyway, the roosters names were Pete and Re-Pete. Yup, that's what Pop (my mom's dad) called them. They were the meanest roosters I've ever seen in my life! They would just run up behind you and start pecking at your heels! We couldn't sit on the hammock, climb in the fort, or swing from the tree unless Pete and Re-Pete were in their coop. After years of chicken bites, my brother finally hit his wall and went off the deep end. Picture an 8 yr old standing off with two posessed roosters. My dad called back to my Pop "Bill, he's gonna kill your roosters!" and my Pop said "Good! They're too damn mean for the racoons!" hahahah Long story short, after an hour or so of chasing chickens with a broomstick, my brother finally got a hold of them and clubbed them both. Akward at the time....pretty flipping funny now.

LOL

Yeah, I really miss my Pop these days, he was the funniest man I have ever known. He was definately a good ol' country boy from Moffat, TX. It's about an hour outside of Killeen. That's why I'm so excited to go to Ft. Hood, I have family down there. Family with webbed toes, but family none the less. Hey, no one's perfect, right? Let me just add this part in, my mother was adopted I DO NOT have webbed toes lol. They're just short and stubby Barney Rubble feet with bad calluses. I can walk over damn near anything. Anyway, it's good news for Beau that webbed toes aren't in our genes.

..........that being said............

I feel bad for Blaze and whoever Beau marries. The women in my family have a tendency to turn men gray (or white, whatever u prefer). My step dad insists it's because my mom and I suck the life out of men. lol No joke, my real dad had dark brown hair, he married my mom at 20 and by the time they divorced....totally gray, even the moustache! Then my mom married Randy, he too had dark brown hair, well, he's gray now. My brother, Ryan, has brown hair all over except he has a white 1 inch polka dot on the right side of his head lol. And Blaze...he may've lucked out. Since he's got blond hair, it just looks really blond, but I SWEAR there's white hair in there!

Okay, I'm gonna go now because it's almost one in the morning. Love you all!

Shannon

What A Crazy Couple of Weeks!

2009-05-26T10:52:00.002-04:00

Hello Hello!

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything, but I've stayed pretty busy. All together things are good, I'm just trying to keep my "Polyana attitude" until Blaze comes home. For those of you who don't know, he will not be getting his R&R in June like he was supposed to. Instead, he'll get 15 days in August. I don't know when in August, I assume they'll let me know before arrives at the airport, then again, it IS the Army. hahah

A couple nights ago I had my first night where I actually had to work to be a mom. I realized just how good I've got it with Beau, he's sooo easy normally! Well, the other night, he was running a low grade fever and he was screaming like he was in pain and was totally inconsolable. We were up until about 2 AM trying to get him calmed down. He's great now, all I can assume is it was either teeth, gas, or both.

I wrecked my car the other night bc I'm an idiot. I was backing out of my driveway at about 8:45 PM to go to Jack in the Box and was messing with my CD player instead of paying attention to what I was doing. In the meanwhile, my neighbor had parked his flatbed trailor on the end of the cul de sac and I took the turn too wide and plowed into the back of it. I felt so stupid. That being said, it was the first wreck or even fender bender that I've ever had. Fortunately, it's all cosmetic, my neighbors trailor didn't take on any damage either. Thank God, my neighbor was so cool about it, then again, I don't guess there was a reason for him to get worked up. Needless to say, I forfeited my trip to Jack in the Box. I go in today to get an estimate. Fortunately, we have USAA for our insurance and I'm fully covered. I have a $500 deductable, and the lady said our rates probably won't go up at renewal, and if they did it would only be $5-$10 a month more. We only pay about $50 per month now, so it's not that big of a deal. Definately worth it to let them handle this issue.

I had a decent birthday; Sarah took me for a totally decadent spa day. It was AMAZING! We both got massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures. I felt like a queen. The funny part is, it just made me want to sleep lol. I actually dozed off during my facial and woke myself up talking in my sleep hahaha. The lady probably thought I was a nut lol. I also got my hair highlighted and cut. I really like it. My wonderful mother and father-in-law are helping out with mine and Blaze's weekend away when he gets back. :) I can't wait!!!! :D :D

I have got to say thank you real quick to all of our family. Without y'all, I couldn't manage this deployment how I have. It's still hard as hell, but I can handle it because I know that even when I can't count on the Army, I CAN count on my family. Blaze, Beau, and I have been so blessed with y'all! I've realized how good I have it because I actually like (and love!) my in-laws a lot! Over time, I've realized that doesn't always happen. Anyway, y'all have been incredible, thank you so much!

Well, I'm going to close my post now, I've got to shower and get ready before Beau Daniel wakes up from his nap. I love you all!

Shannon

Long Time Coming

2009-05-11T22:09:00.003-04:00

So, I try to write a blog basically, every night. That being said, I can never get my thoughts togeter enough to feel confident posting anything, so I typically just close the window after I get out my frustrations. This one probably won't be any different than the rest.

I have a lot of things going through my mind. I just feel down. Even my antidepressants aren't helping. I do everything I know to do to keep myself happy or at least stable; I do pilates every day, I eat healthy during the week (weekends off hehe), I take my medication on time every day, and try not to bottle up my emotions. Sure, it makes a little difference, but not enough. I understand that being sad just happens, especially after having a baby, but this is beyond that. Most days, I have zero desire to roll out of bed. I've only done this a couple times, but occasionally I'll just stay in bed all day, only getting up to tend to Beau. I'll feed him, change him, bathe him, but then we both just lay in bed. I just feel like I need something to help me. I don't know what to do. I don't know, it's rough. I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Other than the depression, I suppose that things are going alright. Beau is growing like a weed. He's got 2 teeth now and is trying to crawl. It's so crazy how quickly they grow up! I'm thinking now is the time to babyproof the house, which coud be interesting. Blaze is doing well. He's ready to come home and be with Beau and I. We're just as excited to have him hom as he is to be here! Hopefully, he'll be home within the next 2 weeks. :D I'm so excited. Anyway, I'm going to go now....I may actualy post this one.

Shannon

Sleep...It's What I Should Be Doing

2009-01-17T03:58:00.002-05:00

I always complain that I don't get enough sleep but it's totally my fault. After Beau is asleep and I'm in bed is when I think of Blaze. I stay so busy during the day that I don't really have time to be depressed, but even at night, I won't say I'm depressed. I miss him soooo much, but when I think of him, I think of all the good times we've had together so far, and all the good times we'll have when he comes back. Like, (this is really sad) Blaze and I totally used to dance and sing along with "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen to entertain Beau...and ourselves lol. I have the best husband ever. :) :)

I also think of the Army lighter that Blaze got me. Everyone in our neighborhood had a Zippo lighter and I felt so out of the loop, so when we were out at the PX he saw some Zippos and suggested I get one. So I look at a plain silver one but he talks me into getting the green one with the word "ARMY" and the Army Seal on it. I thought it was corny, but trusted his advice. Later in the day he was making fun of it, so I reminded him that he picked it out...he just laughed and said he didn't think I'd actually go for that one. He still gives me crap for the "gay" lighter. lol That being said, I love that lighter haha.

Another memory I love is when we first moved into our house how we listened to Bob Marley and danced in our socks on the kitchen floor. No furniture in the house with the exception of a bed, but we were so content with each other in our own little world that it didnt matter AT ALL! Man I love him.

My all time favorite memory, though, is Blaze's face when they pulled Beau out. It was kind of an "oh shit. what do i do now?" look. He loves that little boy so much. :)

Well, Im sorry y'all, I just really wanted to take a walk down memory lane. I can't wait for him to come home. :)

Shannon

Deployment

2009-01-07T01:04:00.002-05:00

It's official...

Beau and I dropped Blaze off at the motorpool for deployment. I thought I would be okay to a certain extent. I really did, foolish, huh? Maybe it's because I'm sitting here in our house, finishing packing our things, folding his clothes, seeing his things sitting around; but it's so freaking hard. You know how when you go through a break up, every song on the radio suddenly expresses every emotion you have? It's the same with deployment. I know he's coming home, but God, I miss him so much. It's hard not to cry all the time. I hate how no one ever realizes how much the love something or some one until they're no longer around. Every time I look at Beau, I want to cry because I just think about how Blaze won't be around for so many of his firsts.

A year....that doesn't sound that long, but to me, it sounds like an eternity. I get so scared about all the "what ifs". What if...we both change so much while he's gone? What if...Beau doesn't remember him? What if, what if, what if. I keep trying to find some sort of escape, but I can't escape this reality. Honestly, I've been through a lot of painful things in my life...this is by far thing most painful. I really feel like half my heart is gone. Like, when I walk in the front door, I keep expecting him to be playing Call of Duty. Every time I bathe Beau or change his diaper, I keep turning around to ask Blaze to hand me something, only to realize he's halfway across the world. A few minutes on the phone isn't enough for me. It's just funny because Blaze and I rarely fight about anything worthy of a fight, but sometimes I just want to ring his neck. Now that he's gone, I would give anything to have a petty argument face to face. Anything to have him home. Everyone keeps telling me that I "have to be strong" for various reasons. Be strong for Beau, be strong for Blaze, be strong for your family....I just need some one to be strong for me. I know I sound like such a wimp right now, I'm sorry. I knew this was the life I chose when I married Blaze. He's a soldier, this is his job, I don't want him to feel bad about going, I'm glad he's getting to do this because I know he wants to. I just want him home with Beau and me. What really cracks me up is the fact that all the things that annoy the crap out of me that he does, are the things I'm really missing. For instance, our gutter pipe always freezes so he likes to kick it and make the ice fall out...it drives me nuts, but I caught myself doing it today. Or how he LOVES to be up late...as for me, I like to hit the hay early bc of Beau. Well it's 2 AM here and I'm wide awake. Go figure.

I'm sorry y'all, this is just really hard. Sometimes I wish he weren't in the Army, just so we wouldn't have to be apart. He and Beau are the best thing that have ever happened to me.

Anyway....I talked to him for about 2 minutes today, basically just long enough to say "Hey, I love you. I'm pretty sure I'm in Germany because I can't read a damn thing at the airport. *insert laughter* Gotta go babe, we're off to Bahgram." I'll let everyone know if I hear anything else. Love u all.

Let me know if you are still missing his mailing address. :)

Shannon

Long Time No Post

2008-12-20T12:23:00.002-05:00

Hey Y'all!

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted, things have been a little crazy around here lately with the holidays, deployment, and of course, Beau. We had pictures taken the other day at Sears in Watertown (posted in my albums), they did an alright job the 2nd time we went. The first time we went in, the photographer was late and cut 15 minutes off our 30 minute session then rushed us the whole time and wouldn't really pose us or anything. So we came back the next day and got a better photographer.

Things are good up here, we're just getting ready for deployment. Blaze is excited to go to Afghanistan but feels guilty about it because he's leaving Beau and I. I keep telling him he shouldn't feel guilty, this is his job, and I'd rather him be excited than tormented. Regardless...I'll miss him so freaking much. Also, I have a mailing address for him once he's deployed...if you want it, just email or call me and I'll give it to you. I know they love getting letters and care packages over there. If you need any ideas on what to put in a care package, call me and I can point you in the right directions. Mostly baby wipes, snacks that won't go bad (beef jerky, etc), and anything they can mix with bottled water. They'll have endless amounts of bottled water over there. Like I said, contact me and I'll get you more info. I know he would LOVE to hear from all of you before he leaves, so if you get some time, just try to give him a call and say hi. :)

Beau is WONDERFUL! He's pretty much over the RSV thing. (He got sick and had a 2 day hospital stay but it wasn't a huge deal). He actually slept through the night last night....it was WONDERFUL! :D It's funny because I never realized that I could function on 3 hours of sleep lol. Anyway, he's just perfect, he's started smiling a little bit, he does it more and more each day. He's really good lifting his head and can follow you with his eyes and head. He's super smart and sweet....we have really been blessed with an awesome little guy!

Beau and I will be coming home sometime in January (hopefully before the 15th). We'll be staying with my mom while Blaze is gone and likely about a month after. Blaze is going to transfer to Ft. Hood after this deployment so I'll just be staying in Texas until they release him from Ft. Drum. Anyway, I can't wait to share Beau with everyone! I'm really excited about Beau getting to play with all of his cousins! Well I've got to get going, don't forget to check out the "Family Pictures" album! Love you all!!

Shannon

No Soapbox Today

2008-10-16T22:14:00.003-04:00

Hi there!

Hope everyone is doing well...everything is great here. No getting on the soapbox today, just an update. :D

Blaze is scheduled to leave between Jan 1 and Jan 15, they've already begun shipping their equipment to Afghanistan. He got his first round of vaccinations today, he didn't give me the full list, but I know he got his Anthrax vaccine. I'm pretty sure that's why he came home from work (didn't even change out of his uniform, odd for him) and passed out on the couch. I've been trying to get him up to shower and go to bed for about an hour now...I think I'm going to give up and let him sleep where he's at. 18 day block leave is supposed to start tomorrow for his unit, but they've told him he won't be taking his leave until I have Beau. At first that sounded horrible, that he would have to work while everyone else was on vacation, but now we understand that he's getting 18 days (as opposed to the standard 10) when I have Beau. Also, those days that everyone's gone, he'll basically be getting up to do PT then come immediately home and hang out with me. :) :)

As far as Beau and I are concerned, we're great! I've been doing weekly appointments for about 3 weeks now, at this point, I'm just waiting. As all the mom's out there know, it's probably going to be the longest 3 weeks ever!! Anyway, things are great, I'm feeling pretty good for the most part. My back hurts if I'm on my feet too much, and Braxton-Hicks contractions are more frequent but I can't complain too bad. Most of the time I manage not to waddle and there's little to no swelling so I'm still feeling pretty good about myself. :)

Well I've got to go. Love you all! :)

Shannon

Politics

2008-09-26T19:19:00.003-04:00

Okay, so, I don't know if I'm just particularly sensitive right now due to hormones, or if things are really this bad...

Within the past month, I've become keenly aware of the hatred some people have for our troops, not just the war, but our TROOPS! WTF? Today, while my brother enjoyed some online poker in his down time (he's stationed in Korea, fyi), another player noticed his player picture of him in ACU's holding an M4. A picture that makes it very obvious that he's military. This other player proceeded to tell my brother that he was wasting his time fighting for his country, cussed my brother multiple times, then ended all this by telling him he hoped my brother was "killed in a chemical attack". I am SOO SICK OF THIS CRAP! It breaks my heart that so many people are this cruel. This individual was completely unprovoked, he just felt he should spread his hatred just because. As most of you know, I'm hardcore Republican. By that I mean, I'm pro-life, pro-gun, pro God in schools (AND the pledge!), and most definately PRO-MILITARY. That being said, I understand that not everyone feels the same way I do, and that's okay. That's the beautiful thing about America, everyone CAN believe as they wish and that is AWESOME! But why is it okay for this person to say such cruel things to a man who is merely doing his job? Legally, the guy did nothing wrong, but I'm talking morally. Would you walk up to a random person you don't know, and just being cursing them and telling them you hope they die? NO!! Again, I understand not everyone supports this war, even I have mixed emotions at times as my husband, my brother, and my step-father are all involved. But why can't these people protest the war? NOT the men and women who are fighting it. They are following orders, they are laying their lives on the line so these idiots can blast them like that. Our soldiers are subjected to so much criticism and I just don't understand why, they're doing their job! If you don't like the military, WHATEVER! DON'T ENLIST! But stop with your crushing comments. Our soldiers do not need to be subjected to this, they need to be uplifted. I honestly feel that EVERYONE can support the troops...EVERYONE, even if they don't support this war. It's about being uplifting and encouraging to your neighbors. That's it. They don't stop and think that these soldiers would much rather be at home with their families, friends, wives, babies, etc. This takes at least a year away from each soldier and their family, but according to these jerks, all soldiers are blood-thirsty heathens who want to kill children etc. If you don't support the troops....move to Iraq or Afghanistan. We won't miss you here.

Another thing that bothers me is, if you're Republican, the press makes you out to be some gun-toting redneck without a brain in your head. 99% of my family is Republican and I consider us all well educated individuals. If you want to hear who I think is stupid, look at Barack Obama and his followers. He lies...prior to his nomination he wouldn't stand for the pledge or national anthem, definately wouldn't cover his heart during either, for the first part of his campaign he refused to wear the American Flag pin because he "didnt want to be seen as taking sides". Umm...hey guy, you're running for PRESIDENT! He also was open that he and his family were Muslim, again, that's okay because in our country, we're blessed with freedom of religion. Now, he claims to be Christian. HAH! Christian my butt. I don't know, people just strike me as naive. I feel like people are so desperate for change right now that they're looking for the polar opposite of Republican, aka Democrat, regardless of his beliefs. This guy has pretty much zero experience! All this being said, I'm not saying John McCain and Sarah Palin are perfect because they're not. No one is, but at least they're up front with us. I'll take honesty over perfection any day.

Sorry about the venting, it's just been on my mind for a while. Beau, Blaze, and I are doing great. Time seems to have stopped in these last few weeks of my pregnancy, so I'm doing anything I can to keep busy. That being said, our house is SPOTLESS....until Blaze comes home. As most of you know, he's deploying to Afghanistan in January, which is better than November like we initially thought. They finally got the 198's (a type of cannon) in, those things are HUGE!! <-- click there to see it. Anyway, that's about it, just moving right along. We miss you ALL and love you dearly! I can't wait to share Beau with y'all! :)

Shannon

Late Night Rant (So Maybel I'll Get Some Sleep!!)

2008-09-08T01:31:00.002-04:00

Hi,

So it's 1:30AM and again, I can't sleep. It's awful, my body is exhausted, my mind won't shut up though. In addition to that, it's hard to sleep with a squirming baby in your belly that constantly kicks your bladder. Other than that, pregnancy is wonderful lol. I don't know, lately, I've been thinking about deployment a lot. As most of you know (sorry if you don't), Blaze should be receiving orders within the next week or two for Afghanistan. Our neighbor is in 3rd Brigade as well and he got orders last Friday. I suppose I should mention, they deploy Brigades at a time. I feel like they'll let Blaze stay on Rear Detachment until after Beau arrives since it's so close to the deployment date and all. This brings me to a laundry list of challenges. My first challenge; how do I enjoy the time I have left with him without constantly bringing up the deployment? You wouldn't believe how hard it is to just enjoy being with some one when you're so afraid of them leaving. I know we'll both be fine, it's just, he's my best friend and I love him sooo much, a year is such a long time. My other concerns are, getting stuff packed up to clear housing so we can collect the addition money from BAH, switching TriCare for Beau and I to Texas, getting our stuff packed up and put into storage, traveling home, etc. Another thing I worry about (this sounds really selfish, I know) but, Christmas. I fear that Beau and I will be alone on the holidays because we need clearance from the doctor before he can travel. Again, I know that sounds selfish, that's just not really a time I want to be alone after Blaze leaves.

I feel horrible because Blaze has block leave (about 2 weeks) coming up in the latter part of October but he says he's staying here because of me. I want him to be with his family and spend time with them, but he says since I'm so close to my due date at that point, he wants to stay here. I know that's really not anyone's fault, but I feel responsible. That being said, Tina may come visit, I really hope she does, I've been blessed with wonderful in-laws. :)

On the flip side of things, I'm trying to look at this deployment as a time for self improvement. This is time where I can focus on finishing my Nursing Degree (or at least getting closer to finishing it), lose the baby weight (and then some!), and Beau and I spending lots of time with the family. It's odd because I get excited about that portion of things, then I realize Blaze won't be here and it totally farts on my rainbow. It's bizarre to dread and yet be excited over one thing.

I'm sorry y'all, this post is mostly so I can just write things down and get them off my chest. If you have any questions about the deployment, feel free to call either one of us and we'll fill you in the best we can. Just remember, right now, we still don't have much information. I'll update accordingly. I love you all! Take care, sleep well!

Shannon

It's been a while

2008-09-03T10:51:00.002-04:00

Wow!

It's been a crazy month or so! Two new babies born into the family (Congrats!!!!! I can't wait to meet them!), Fall is kicking off up here, Blaze and I are prepping for deployment and Beau, and but not least....I'm finally 30 weeks. :D The end is in sight! Definately a good thing because I've begun to get excrutiating Braxton-Hicks contractions. I now understand why so many people make false runs to the hospital. That being said, yes, I've decided an epidural is in my future.

Things are good here, we're just enjoying each other as much as possible. It's going to be hard without Blaze here. I made the decision to come home to Arlington once he deploys, but I doubt that will make it a whole lot easier. I really love that guy. :) While he's gone, I'll be staying with my mom (as most of you know, my step dad and brother are deployed as well) so we'll be keeping each other company. I'll also be getting as many classes knocked out as possible so I can finish my degree. All it took was a couple years in the real world without a degree to make me realize how important it is to have one. Blaze has come to the same realization.

Anyway, we've got an FRG meeting tonight (yuck!) and Blaze is making me go since he has to. If anything important comes out of it (I highly doubt that it will) I'll be sure and send out emails or make phone calls. Well, I'm going to finish some stuff around the house! Love and miss you all! I can't wait to share Beau with y'all! :)

Shannon

Just Stuff

2008-08-14T02:12:00.002-04:00

I've learned something recently; reading the news when you're family is scattered across the world and your husband is likely to deploy soon, is hard. I was just reading on Yahoo! about how it's suspected that the number 3 member of Al Quaeda has been killed. It continued to discuss how heavy fighting has been over the past couple months in Afghanistan. It just concerns me, I wish all this was over. Sorry, just talking, I've been alone for the past week since Blaze has been in the field and haven't really had anyone to vent to.

Anyway, moving on, in spite of the previous paragraph, things are actually really good here. I've begun living like Blaze isn't deploying any time soon. I've found that's the best way to go about things, otherwise, it takes some of the fun out of getting ready for Beau Daniel. I've been so bored lately that I completely rearranged and deep cleaned the entire house haha. I'm rather pleased, I think it looks pretty good. Beau's room is almost done!! :) I know I keep promising to post pictures as well as the most recent sonagram, I've been kinda lazy. Sorry y'all! I won't even promise it this time, but eventually, there will be pictures.

I think I've hit the point in my pregnancy where it's starting to hit me, in more ways than one. I can't bend over really far to pick things up and whatnot unless I don't want to breathe. It's funny, before I got pregnant, I was SOOOO sure that it wouldn't affect me like this. haha Consider this me eating my words. Anyway, just a little back pain, and occasional I get short of breath. Not a big deal if I were going up stairs or something, but we're talking like standing in line at WalMart and suddenly I'm gasping for air. If nothing else, pregnancy is interesting (as all the mom's out there know). I think it's also hit me that I'm completely and wholly responsible for another person. SCARY! I think what gets me is, I try to imagine how I'll stop him from doing stupid crap but it occurs to me that, my mother was never able to stop me from doing stupid crap. I doubt I'll have any better luck haha.It's still odd to wake up in the morning, look across the hall, and see a crib, changing table, etc. Crazy!

As for Beau, he's doing peachy! :) At the last sonagram, they've said he looks like a perfectly healthy little boy. :) That's such a relief to hear, I get all paranoid about something being wrong with him. Is that normal? He kicks like a mule!!!! I think I may be giving birth to mine and Blaze's retirement....our little pro soccer player! ;) haha jk

I LOVE LOVE LOVE all the wonderful things we got at the shower! I realize how truly blessed we are! Every day, I go in and unpack more stuff, surprisingly, I still haven't unpacked it all!!! I can't wait to bring Beau home to introduce him to everyone!! :)

Well, I've gotta go, I love you all! You are all an enormous blessing to Blaze, Beau, and I! Hope to see you all soon!

Shannon

Beau Daniel Fuller

2008-07-13T03:04:00.002-04:00

Hello,

Sorry for the delay in posts, Blaze and I have stayed pretty busy. Anyway, things are going great for us. Blaze recently got moved to the new 3rd platoon and no longer has to answer to his old Smoke Sgt, who consistantly gave Blaze hell. I'm SOOOOOO glad, Blaze just seems more motivated now that he doesn't have to deal with Smoke Fluharty.

As for everything else, it's peachy. As you should know by now, we're having a boy. :) We finally decided on a name tonight, Beau Daniel Fuller. I feel a million times better now that we have a name picked out that we both like. :) The baby's been doing aerobics in my belly, that being said, I love it. I like to lay in bed first thing in the morning and feel my belly move. The unfortunate part is that Blaze hasn't been able to feel it yet. Beau could be doing backflips for half an hour, but the second Blazes puts his hand on my belly....nothing. He just checks out, and goes to sleep.

How was everyone's 4th? Blaze and I had our neighbors over for a bbq, we had an absolute blast! We made tons of hamburgers and hot dogs, and played horseshoes. We tried to see fireworks in Sackets Harbor, but missed them. Apparently my information source is somewhat lacking. That's okay though, on the 3rd, Blaze participated in the 1812 Overature with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. His platoon brough the Howitzers to Thompson Park in Watertown and fired the canons for the song. It was REALLY cool. After that there were some really great fireworks. The baby wasn't too fond of that, he jumped the first couple of times then just stopped moving all together. Blaze and I have since decided that Beau plays opossum when he gets scared haha.

Well, I must be going now, it's late, Blaze and I have to finish cleaning up the house before we leave for Texas. :) We'll be on our way home on Tuesday!!!!! Can't wait to see everyone! Love you all

Shannon

IT'S A BOY!

2008-06-26T13:48:00.004-04:00

Hello All!

Just a quick post to let everyone know that we had our 20 week sonogram and found out we're having a boy! Blaze is beside himself (it's adorable) and I'm absolutely thrilled. :) We can finally start shopping for the baby without having to worry about "gender neutral" stuff. I have an appointment Wednesday to go over the results of the sonogram as far as health stuff is concerned. But to my knowledge, everything is peachy. :)

I've gotta go, I'll post more later. Enjoy the pictures!

Shannon

Blessed

2008-06-14T15:14:00.002-04:00

Today I was laying in bed, looking out the window and thought to myself how blessed I am. Then, I realized that I almost always take it for granted. I have it really good, yet I still complain about how hard life is. So I started counting my blessings. I have an amazing husband, we have a nice house on a good street with lots of families. Blaze and I both vehicles that not only run, they're actually nice cars. We have food in our pantry, good food at that. We're both clothed and very comfortable in our lifestyle. We're slowly but surely working our way out of debt (which feels amazing!) Blaze and I are very much in love, and have SOOO much fun together, even if we're just watching movies or being silly, dancing around to music in the kitchen. I married my best friend and we have a great marriage. We're expecting a baby, the timing was off, but I realize now how much of a blessing it is to even be able to have children. There are a lot people who would love to have children, that just can't. We have an AMAZING support system of extraordinary family and friends, that love us dearly and would help us out at the drop of a hat if we asked.

There are a million other things that I'm thankful for, I just don't want to take everyone's time. I just felt like I should get on here and let everyone know that I am blessed. God is great like that. :) Anyway, I'll be on my way. Take care.

Shannon

U Promise....

2008-06-10T22:33:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone!

I hope this post finds you all well, I have a couple updates to throw out there this time. First off, it looks like Blaze and I will be in Texas from 16 July - 31 July. We'll be driving down in my car (it gets rockin' gas mileage!) and taking our dear sweet time to get there. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we'll be able to make it to my brother's Basic Training Graduation. That really bothers me, but I'll still get to see him once he's back in Texas for leave.

The second tidbit of information I have for everyone is I've started a college fund for the baby. It's something one of my girlfriends did for her baby and has nothing but rave reviews for it. It's called UPromise, basically it's an account that you can contribute to by making purchases online or in person at certain stores. You will all be receiving an email from me about this pretty soon, it'll explain more in depth, and let you know how you can help contribute. There's no direct contribution necessary on your part. Simply enter your credit card/debit card information on the website (it's secure and there will be NO money taken from your account) and if you use any card you enter at any of the hundreds of retailers that participate, UPromise will take a percentage out and it will go directly to the Fuller baby's account. At this point, the account is in my name since we don't have a gender or name at this point. That will be changed in the near future. (We should find out the sex on 24 June!!!) Anyway, if you would like to help, it would be appreciated more than you will know. In addition to all that, it also accumulates interest over the years until it's taken out to pay for baby's college. :) Like I said, more information will be coming your way very soon.

In other news, we've had some pretty nasty weather up here today. I didn't think it was possible but we were actually under a Tornado Watch for the better part of the day. Several trailer parks were destroyed by high winds, they also shut down a section of Hwy 81 due to downed power lines and trees in the road. Crazy, huh? That being said, the rain brought some very welcome cool weather. It's been very hot and muggy for the past week and we have no A/C in our house!!! (Apparently standard in NY, which is STUPID!)

Okay, well I've got to get going, but I love you all!!!

Shannon

Morning Sickness

2008-06-04T09:43:00.004-04:00

In short, morning sickness blows. The "funny" part about this is, I had hardly any in my first trimester. Now that I'm in the 2nd, I'm puking like it's going out of style.

I went to my new doctor yesterday, I absolutely love them. It's two doctors and a midwife that I'll alternate between. I met the midwife yesterday and she is SOOOOO sweet and very thorough. :) They went ahead and drew blood for a 2nd trimester birth defect screening. No big deal, I don't think we'll have a problem, just a precautionary measure they offer to all moms-to-be. The appointment ran from 8:30AM-12:30PM. They did all the initial paperwork (which was the bulk of the time), then I met with the midwife. She took mine and the baby's vitals, everything was peachy. It's still amazing to hear it's little heartbeat. :) They didn't do a sonogram yesterday like I thought they would. Apparently, they don't have the sonogram machines in the office so they're sending me to Guthrie Hall on post on the 24th to check for any defects and see if we can find out the sex!!! :D

Anyway, I just wanted to give a little update. I'm not feeling so hot so I'm going to get going! Love you all!

Shannon

Good News :)

2008-06-02T11:42:00.002-04:00

Okay, no greeting today because I just want to get down to business!!!

As some of you know, Blaze and I threw a little get together yesterday and we found out a little information about what's going on with Iraq. Apparently, there's a CHANCE that they may not be leaving in November to Iraq where they would be doing Infantry instead of Artillery. Instead....they're is talk of them leaving in January or February to Afghanistan. Which, believe it or not, is really good. Afghanistan is a little bit safer than Iraq right now, and in addition to that, he'll be firing the Howitsers like he's been trained to do, instead of clearing rooms as infantry. Anyway, I just thought I would let everyone know. :) Take care y'all!!!

Shannon

Blog Comments

2008-05-30T18:27:00.003-04:00

Hola familia y amigos!

I hope all is well with everyone, everything is peachy here in NY. It's been brought to my attention that some of you have attempted to leave a comment on my blog only to be told you were "blocked" from leaving comments. Sorry about that! I'm still learning with the whole blog thing so bear with me a bit and I'll try to correct that problem. You might have to be a member of http://www.blogger.com/ in order to leave a comment. I don't know, I'll investigate!

Like I said before, everything is great here in NY, we've had wonderful weather, in fact, I don't think we've been above 65 all week. The baby has continued kicking me (an amazing feeling I must say!), and for the most part I feel great. :) The only issue I've run into is I still try to run around like I did pre-pregnancy and that's not working out so well. I'm usually exhausted at the end of the day. That being said, I suppose it's a good thing.

Blaze and I are having some friends over for a barbecue this Sunday, we finally get to share our Texas culture with the Yankees! :) We're doing ribs, smoked sausage, and grilled chicken with potato salad and a pecan pie (MiMi's recipe, YUM!). If you can't tell, I'm kind of excited :D

Blaze is doing wonderful, he keeps me on my toes and makes me laugh hysterically so I guess that means he's doing his job. :) He's an amazing husband (and my best friend to boot!), I'm pretty lucky to have him. :D

Well, we've got some more errands to run, I just wanted to update everyone. I'll hopefully be fixing the comment issue soon! Love you all!

Shannon

Long Time, No Post

2008-05-27T14:43:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post, I've just stayed pretty busy as most of you know. We have both returned home safely to NY. Blaze said he never wants to go back to Louisiana ever again, apparently it's extremely hot and humid (not to mention the mosquitos are big enough to take you down haha). It's been awesome to have him back! We actually buckled down and finished unpacking! :D It finally looks like a home. :)

I had a blast in Arlington, it was great to see everyone!!! I don't think I ever want to make the drive from Texas to New York again. It was EXTREMELY long. FYI, Tennessee is the never-ending state. That being said, it was actually a pretty uneventful, and mostly pleasant drive. The weather held up nicely and the mountains in PA and TN we're beautiful.

I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful gifts from our wedding shower!! We've already gotten SOOOOO much use out of everything! :) Blaze and I have been cooking like it's going out of style. :)

As most of you know, Blaze and I will be returning to Texas in July for his block leave. We can't wait to see everyone!!! :)

Now for a baby update...BIG NEWS! I finally felt the baby kick!!! :D It's really neat, the first few times I wasn't sure if it was the baby or not, however, all day today he's been kicking me like crazy! :) I suppose the baby is right on time because I'm a little over 16 weeks pregnant at this point and I believe that's when they usually begin kicking. :)

Well, I'm going to finish the laundry and help Blaze w/ the garage. :) Love you all!!

Shannon

Second Interview

2008-05-06T11:26:00.002-04:00

Hello All!

So I didn't really tell anyone because I didn't want to get hopes up, but I had an interview the other day to be the Accounts Payable Dept Manager at a large car dealership's corporate office. :) I didn't think I would get very far because at the beginning of the interview the lady asked if I had children. I couldn't lie, I'm horrible at it anyway, so I told her that I am expecting and due in November. I really thought the interview was over at that point but she continued asking questions and we actually ended up having a great time. I know that sounds weird, but it's true, the two ladies that interviewed me, really made me feel comfortable. Anyway, I left yesterday thinking "well, that was fun, but I'm pretty sure I didn't get it" (lack of experience in the auto industry).....boy was I wrong. :) The staffing company called me this morning to tell me the company wanted another interview. She said they were very impressed. We're trying to set up the second interview before I leave for Texas so I can have some dates to go by as far as starting if they choose to hire me. Did I mention, they've interviewed about 15 people for this job? Only 3 have made it to a second interview. :)

Anyway, I'm excited and though I would share the excitement with everyone else! :) Two more days and I'm home! :D

Shannon

Cabin Fever...

2008-05-04T12:14:00.003-04:00

Okay y'all....bear with me...

I've been alone for a while now and I'm starting to get a little cabin fever, therefore, I'm finding weird things funny. This morning I was feeling around on my abdomen to see if I could feel anything interesting and I did. At my last sonogram, the baby was hanging out on my left side; as I was feeling around this morning I noticed that he's still hanging out on that side and I'm starting to feel lopsided haha. That being said, I feel bad for pushing on him because some how that made me sick, it was like instant karma. I know that probably wasn't funny to anyone else, but it gave me a good chuckle.

Blaze is good, I get to talk to him very little but he tries to call every night for a least a few minutes. He was exhausted yesterday, they are making them wear all their gear (assault pack, ruck sacks and all) all day long in the hot weather. Which is understandable considering what they're preparing for, but that doesn't make it anymore fun. Apparently 8 guys have gone AWOL in like the past month, one actually stood up while being smoked by Gunny, made a run for it, jumped a fence and disappeared. I'm told he showed up at the barracks later. Anyway, they're being treated like inmates right now, but then again, some of them (not Blaze) are acting the part. They actually have guard duty over the bathroom and they're being escorted to take showers to assure that no one attempts to leave. Sad, huh? It's only 4-25FA too, apparently the Army is investigating because all the NCO's have requested in for another unit and most of the privates have gone AWOL. Crazy...

Okay, well, I'm going to make something to eat and then work on the Baby's room :). I can't guarantee I'll get a lot done, but I'll try and send pictures when its completed! :) Love you all!

Shannon

New Doctor

2008-05-02T18:21:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone,

So TriCare finally approved my request to go to a civilian doctor! :) I'm very excited because I don't think I'll have to wade through all the Army b.s. concerning mine and the baby's health. :) The earliest they could get me an for a registration appointment was June 3rd at 0830. Hopefully they'll do a sonogram, actually, I'm sure they will. They are doing a second pap in order to confirm or dismiss the results of the first one.

Other than that, I'm getting nervous about coming home, I'm not a huge fan of airplanes. I'm excited to see everyone and celebrate Mothers Day. :)

Blaze said everything is going well in Louisiana last time I talked to him. Unfortunately, I haven't heard from him today. I hate it when I don't get to talk to him. Anyway, I don't feel like writing a novel today. Just thought I'd let everyone know about the doctor.

Love you all!

Shannon

The Longest Week Ever...

2008-04-30T03:41:00.002-04:00

Greetings and Salutations!

So it's about 0400 right now, and for some ungodly reason, I'm awake. I was nausiated all evening, thought it went away, then awakened around midnight when it returned. I happen to be a total pansy about being sick, so it's no fun being alone like this. Especially when Blaze has told me all they've done since he got there is eat, take long naps, and they practiced combatives one day....OH WAIT! They also have been playing Spades in the barracks. So far, it's only 15 people from 4-25FA, the rest of the unit is still at Drum for some reason. In addition to that, the Army booked the flights with Delta before the bankruptcy, now they have no way home. Blaze told me tonight that in their one month stay at Ft. Polk, they are only scheduled to train for Iraq for 12 days. Needless to say, he's pretty upset about the whole thing, I'm not too thrilled either, but that just comes with the whole Army thing.

In other news, I received a letter from my brother, Ryan, today. :) For those of you who don't know, he's at Ft. Benning for Basic Training and I haven't talked to him since he left. It was great to hear from him. :) He actually seems to be excited about the baby which kind of surprises me, but thrills me all the same. :)

As for the baby and I, we're wonderful! I've been swimming every day, I've read it's wonderful exercise for pregnant women because you get a low-impact exercise that's great cardio and works every muscle group. I will say, I was a little more out of shape than I thought I was; I was dying after like four laps, I'm chalking some of that up to all the smoking I did before the baby. I've actually lost a couple pounds which scares me a little, but I had weight to spare beforehand, I'm taking my vitamins, and I'm eating right so I think everything is okay.

AHH!!! BLAZE IS GOING TO QUIT SMOKING! :D (or at least that's what he says) I'm thrilled. He never smokes around me anyway, but he always smells like an ashtray and I won't even talk about kissing him. I didn't even realize how gross smoking is until I quit and saw how much better I feel. Anyway, yeah, he's going to quit, he's already cut WAY back. I'm proud of him. :) By the way, if you tell him that I think it'll spark some sort of rebellion thing, so act like you don't know. I promise I'll keep everyone updated. :D

I'm going to attempt to get back to sleep now, I love you all and can't wait to see everyone when I come back to Texas in May. :)

Shannon

Just Updating

2008-04-26T09:56:00.002-04:00

Howdy, Howdy, Howdy!

So I just woke up this morning and realized I haven't really posted anything in a while, therefore, I'm fixing that. Blaze leaves for Fort Polk, Louisiana at midnight tonight and I won't see him (or likely talk to him) for about a month. He'll be doing some pretty neat stuff. It's for Iraq infantry training, they actually have civillians dress up like Iraqis and speak Arabic to the soldiers, basically, the soldiers have to navigates their way through the entire camp successfully. Basically, it's an Iraq simulation. I think Blaze is excited because it's what he signed up for in the first place, so I'm glad he's getting to go. In other news with Blaze, he has dramatically decreased the amount he smokes! :) The other day he finally said he was going to quit because of me and the baby. We'll see how that goes. :)

As far as me, things are about the same, I'm excited to get back home to Texas. I should be there on the 8th or 9th of this month for a visit. I'm just thrilled I'm able to come back and don't have to spend my birthday alone. :) The baby is doing fine, morning sickness has again raised it's ugly head. However, it seems less severe than before, so I'll be okay. I'm having TONS of dreams about the little one, usually about the sex of the baby, oddly enough it changes from one night to the next. haha

I changed my OB/GYN to Carthage Area Hospital, a civillian provider. I'm soooo happy about that. They haven't called me for an appointment yet, as I'm still waiting on TriCares approval, which shouldn't be problem. Carthage is actually a pretty neat town, it's a tiny little mountain town and the hospital is BEAUTIFUL! Besides, the midwife at the hospital, is Sgt. Major Redvay's wife. Blaze is pretty excited because he loves Redvay and Redvay loves him haha.

Well that's all I really have for today, I need to go eat something before I get sick. Love you all, take care, and I hope to see everyone when I come home! :)

Shannon

Sonogram Appointment #2

2008-04-21T20:34:00.003-04:00

Hello All,

I hope all is well with everyone, here is my latest update: I went to the doctor this afternoon for a standard sonogram and unfortunately, several bad things happened.

First, Blaze's Chief told us that he would be able to go to my sonogram appointment, and had been telling us that for about a month now. This morning, he changed his mind and again, I went to my appointment alone. In retrospect of the appointment, I'm kind of glad he wasn't able to go. Let me just say THE BABY IS FINE, before anyone freaks out. It's me that's the problem.

I went at 6 weeks for a sonogram because of some bleeding, so they went ahead and did my pap, I got a call a couple weeks later about a bacterial infection they found and got treated for it. What they failed to mention is that the results came back for cancerous cells on my cervix. The way I found this information out is because I had some depression that I wanted to discuss with Major Morgan (my OB/GYN) and she asked if it was because my pap results. I told her no, because it was just a bacterial infection and there was no reason to be upset. She then looked at me, totally shocked, and said "so...you don't know about the actual pap coming back bad?". I said no, and had to fight back tears, because, as we all know, a pap tests for cancerous cells. So she broke the news to me then we continued with our appointment. Let me just say, it really took the wind out of my sails and made it really difficult to enjoy the sonogram.

That being said, when she did the sonogram the baby was kicking it's feet around and waving frantically, occasionally throwing a backflip or two. :) Then, as if he knew he was being watched....he just stopped and it looked like he was sucking his thumb. It was cute. :) I'll include the sonogram pictures at the bottom, they did the sonogram externally therefore he looks a lot smaller than he is. According to the measurements, he's 4.41cm long. :)

Blaze and I are good, we just got home from taking a long walk around the neighborhood. I really enjoyed it, as did he; we're making that part of our daily routine to get out of the house, get some exercise, and just enjoy each other.

He had kinda had a bad day too...Chief wouldn't let him go to my appointment, which really bothered him, he was told at 1700 that he had a Class A and TA-50 inspection at 1900, and he spilled our dinner all over the truck. The first of the three is pretty self explanatory. Blaze was completely ready for his Class A and TA-50 inspection, (he looked so handsome in his uniform!) and we were on our way to the battery when we got a call from Blaze's Chief saying the inspection was cancelled. About that time we were stopped for a random vehicle search at the post gate. So there we were, Blaze in his Class A's, me in some house shorts and t shirt standing outside the truck just waiting while everyone drove by, pointed and laughed. After that, I was pretty upset about the doctor and didn't want to cook, Blaze didn't either, so we settled for McDonald's....Blaze picked up the bag and apparently they had it sitting in water or something and french fries went flying. Good times. Anyway, sorry for rambling, I'll put pictures in now. :) Love you all, just keep us in your prayers, we need it. :) .

Shannon

Saturday Morning

2008-04-19T11:10:00.002-04:00

Howdy!

So it's Saturday morning and we've got big plans for the weekend. :) Well, at least I think so. Today, we're going to breakfast/lunch/brunch (whatever), then going to Carthage to check out Carthage Area Hospital's Maternity Unit. :) Some one told me it was really nice and beats the heck out of the Maternity Unit at Samaritan Hospital in Watertown. (Samaritan is old, outdated, and just dirty). The rooms are supposed to resemble a bedroom or hotel room, they offer some neat things that I didn't know places usually offered. If I so please, I could do a water birth (where you sit in the huge tub of water and have the kid, it's supposed to ease up the contractions a little bit) but I won't do that just for the hygiene factor. They also offer a catered dinner to you and your spouse after you rest up from delivery. I don't know, it just seemed pretty cool. I'll write more when I have more info from the facility. All of this info is subject to change.

Then this afternoon, we're going to go play on the 4-wheeler at a new place Blaze's chief told us about. Blaze is excited because he gets to play with his toy, I'm excited because it's just a flat out, gorgeous day!!!

Tomorrow we'll be heading out to Syracuse early in the morning for a gun show, then we're going to check out the 5 story mall. I've never seen anything like that, but we'll just see how cool it is, I've heard awesome things about it. Would it be too tourist-y to take pictures? Anyway, we're staying entertained and getting ready for the sonogram appointment on Monday. :) SOOOOO EXCITED! Can't wait to see the little one. :) This will be Blaze's first time to hear the baby's heartbeat. :)

Well, I've gotta run, it's time to drag Blaze out of bed, wish me luck! Love y'all!

Shannon

Greetings!

2008-04-17T11:05:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

So it was brought to my attention that a lot of people are blogging during their pregnancies these days, so I jumped on the band wagon (thanks to the help of Tina and Brittany). This will be the place to go if you just want to see how things are developing and basically just check up on Blaze, The Baby, and I. I'll try to post the sonograms as often as I get them, however I've been told after 20 weeks, they don't do them anymore unless there's a problem. By the way, I will still send all the sonograms out to everyone whose email addresses I have. :)

As for the current condition of our family, we're peachy! As of today, I'm 10 weeks and 3 days pregnant. It's amazing how precise doctors can be with that stuff. The morning sickness was gone for a while, then came back with a vengance about a week ago, but it seems to be subsiding again. I've only gained about 4 pounds so far, (THANK GOD!) I'm super concerned about the weight gain portion of the program because according to the doctor, I'm supposed to keep it around 25 lbs. That doesn't sound that bad, except I'm looking at all these pregnant women around me (it's an Army post, all people do around here is reproduce) that have gained close to 40lbs. Fortunately, my pregnancy craving lately has been Spicy Hot V8 and beef jerky. That should help with the weight gain. I'm not really showing yet except for some water retention that makes me feel pretty tubby, as I've said before, I guess I'm just showing enough that people passing by think I should lay off the junk food. Enough about me...

Blaze is doing wonderful! :) Things are good at work, apparently they've just put in the paperwork for his PFC, a promotion is always a good thing! Last weekend, Blaze got to play with his toys (the truck and 4-wheeler), I've got some pictures, they're very muddy. I think Blaze is starting to get excited about the baby, his Chief is allowing him to come to my appointments (YAY!) so that's always a good thing. Other than that, not a whole lot has gone on, it's just another day in paradise because I'm with him. :)

Shay