Our Adventures in Hawaii

Decorating the Baby's Room

2009-10-08T17:47:00.004-10:00

Troy did all the drawing and painting! :) I have in progress shots that I want to add too but they are still on the camera.

Back in Hawaii

2009-10-08T17:28:00.006-10:00

My trip home was awesome! I had such a wonderful time seeing everyone but more importantly, I felt great throughout the entire trip! I was very comfortable on all my flights which was such a blessing. Once I started pushing the 30 week mark though I was getting anxious to get home. All I could think about was that Troy was born at 34 weeks and I had so much stuff to get finished here at home!

While in Florida I had a wonderful baby shower. It was a Rainforest theme and it was a lot of fun. It was well attended and the baby got so much stuff!! I ended up bringing home 85 lbs of baby stuff in 3 suitcases...good thing I didn't have to pay for all that luggage =) Here's a couple pictures:

I spent some time in Wisconsin visiting my family and got to see most of them. It was great to catch up as I haven't seen most of them since January. I also got to spend an evening with my friend Nicole :) We had a nice dinner, went shopping, and went to watch some friends play softball. I had a nice time. Unfortunately, I ate too much...it showed when I got home and went to the doctors...

Florida was nice too. I spent a lot of time relaxing and just taking care of myself. My mom took me to the spa, we spent a few days shopping, had some nice dinners with the Frank's and even got to see Aunt Jade and Uncle Don who were over from Panama City.

It was time for me to get home though. I went to the dr right away as she wanted to see me as soon as I got back. I gained 6 lbs....in 3 weeks!!! That really wasn't that bad when you consider that my total weight gain was 14 lbs...but the fact that I gained that in 3 weeks was rough! That was my first weight gain lecture from the doctor but I assured her it was just because I was on vacation.

I went back two weeks later, Sept.29, and I had gained 2 more lbs...so we're up to 16. Still not bad...my goal is 20 and I've got 6 weeks to go. The doc is recommending 1 lb a week so as long as I can stick to that, I'm good. My next appointment is Tuesday, Oct 13...and then from there it is every week. I can't believe I'm already 34 weeks! The baby could really arrive now anytime. We're contemplating doing a 3-d/4-d ultrasound next week and getting a video.

Next post...pictures of the baby's room!!

The rest of Grandma's visit in pictures

2009-08-17T11:56:00.004-10:00

Taking Grandma out to dinner

Watching the fireworks

Pali Lookout

Very windy-can you tell?

Luau

Walking Waikiki Beach

My license plates =)

cell phone picture=bad quality, sorry

83 years young!

2009-08-17T10:21:00.003-10:00

So...it's been brought to my attention that I need to update =) I'm not a very faithful blogger, sorry!

Let me start off by saying that I backdated a post on June 19th that contains ultrasound pics if you are interested!!

We've been keeping busy here in Hawaii and we are enjoying every bit of it. My only complaint is that I miss having a job and going to work more than I ever thought I would. Hopefully my feelings will change as soon as I have this baby in November and have my hands full with someone to take care of 24/7. I always looked forward to the day where I wouldn't have to have a job...and now I'm bored with it. Go figure.

I'll try to recap our July and August but so much has happened I don't know if I can remember it all. We spent the 4th of July with my grandma here. We went over to the base where they had a lot of activities going on. There were a ton of people and lines for everything. It was a little humid but it was bearable. Troy and I stood in line for over an hour to get my Grandma a certain dinner plate and wouldn't you know it, as soon as we got to the front of the line they sold out. I was SOOO mad. So hot, feet were swollen LOL, not a happy pregnant lady!! We ended up getting her some different food and she was happy so that's all that mattered. Right about the time the fireworks were to start, it started to rain. Luckily we had a really close parking spot and were able to get to the car so we just watched the fireworks from inside. Not the same as Rhythm and Booms but it was okay and she enjoyed it. We were home and in bed by ten o'clock!

I had a doctors appointment on July 7th. Just a quick checkup to make sure everything was fine, which it was. The 7th was also our 2nd wedding anniversary so after Troy got home from work we went to the Ala Moana Center and had dinner at Bubba Gumps. I had never been there before, it was interesting. I had crab legs which were decent. It reminded me a lot of Joe's Crab Shack but instead of crab everything was shrimp. Food was kinda pricey for the quality but we had really good service so that was nice. My grandma took us to a Luau that week to celebrate our anniversary too. I have some pictures that I will post of that. We had a really nice time. It was our 2nd time at a Luau and they were pretty much the same. They have some activities in the beginning to teach you about Hawaiian culture and then they serve you dinner followed by a show or presentation. It's neat if you haven't been to one before to see how they do it.

Gabriel had an incident in July which took us to the vet. One night he couldn't stop itching himself in one spot on his back that he made all his fur fall out (in that spot). We saw the vet who gave him a short acting steroid to stop the itch, a oily substance to put in his food, a special shampoo, and a product for dogs which is like Off bug spray for humans. He thought it was either an allergy to something outside, an allergic reaction to a bite of some sort, or just dry skin. He cleared up after using the shampoo one time which led us to thinking he just had really dry skin. He has always had dry skin, so he probably just could not stop itching that night. He goes back to the vet tomorrow for a follow up but he's doing just fine. His hair is finally starting to grow back after about 4 weeks! Other than that he is doing great.

The rest of July was spent shopping and preparing for baby Frank. He is still nameless as of today. We talk about it every once in awhile but...I don't know. He just doesn't have a name yet =) We bought almost everything that we think we will need, at least the major stuff. He has a crib mattress, mobile, soother, bedding, blankets, nursery decor, dresser, changing pad, swing, bouncer, jumparoo, stroller, car seat, clothes, a video monitor, bottle, bumbo, diapers times 1,000, wipes, bath, booster seat, bassinet for our room, pack and play for downstairs...I don't even know what else. I have a list on Amazon that keeps track for me! When my grandma left in July we took apart that bedroom and started to organize the room for the baby. It's a nice size, but it is so sterile. There are all these bright colors in there from his toys and bedding but the walls are like bright white! We can paint I guess, I just don't know if we're going to yet. It feels funny when I go in there. It's lacking a glider, books on the shelf, and curtains, so maybe once I get those things in there it will feel a little more cozy. And a rug...I need to find an area rug. Beacause we shifted the furniture from the office/guest bedroom around that meant that all the rest of the furniture had to adjust to accomodate the additional furniture!! So, we spent a week putting the house back in order, hanging pictures, and curtains. Everything is pretty much done now except I have a few frames that need new pictures in them. I just got burned out doing it so I haven't looked at it since.

Early August brought my birthday! I'm 24, although I don't feel any different and definitely don't feel any older so I'm happy about that! We went out Friday but I can't remember where, Saturday we went and had dinner at Ruth's Chris with John, Robin, and her mom. Dinner was nice except the service wasn't really what you'd expect when you're paying that much to eat out! In fact, I've been to 4 other locations and this one had the worst service. Kind of dissappointing, but the food was good as always. I had a really nice time just sitting down, relaxing, catching up with friends, and eating some good food. Sunday we went out on a boat with Ben and Stephen off the Waianae coast so the guys could do some diving. That was fun and I enjoyed being out in the sun but the water was rough!! That was only my 2nd time being out on a boat in the ocean (besides on a ship) and I have to say, I forgot how rough it really was out there. At one point going out of the channel I was afraid the boat was going to flip...and it was then that I realized maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I don't think I'll be going out again any time soon!! But, the purpose of the trip was so the guys could dive a wreck and they did, twice. Troy enjoyed it so that's all that matters. This was his second time out diving for fun. He took a couple pictures but he said there was nothing really to capture. I think it's about time for us to start looking at purchasing some dive gear for him. After we got back from being out on the boat we had a few friends over for awhile and Emily made a cake for me...chocolate cake with raspberry sauce in it...it was pretty good! That was the end of my birthday weekend =)

Had another appointment on August 4th which went well. Then we spent an hour at the lab doing the glucose testing, which was no fun. I had all I could do to keep that sugar drink in my body, that was so disgusting! The girl who worked in the lab finally listened to me after I spent 10 minutes telling her which veins would not work, which one she would try to use and miss, and which one she would have success with. She went with the one I told her would work and we didn't have any problems. I'm getting better with the whole blood drawing game and I'm fine as long as I have some really cold water to drink while I'm waiting for tube after tube after tube to fill up....I think it's ridiculous how many tubes they need. They must waste it somehow...anyway, they said they'd call in a week if there were abnormal results for the glucose test and they didn't so I'm glad all that is over with. Some of my books say that they will test you again later on down the road...I hope not. That was awful.

This past weekend were the playoff games for the soccer team Troy has been playing with since we got here. They placed 2nd so they did pretty good. It's rough when you have to play 3 games in one day...it's really hot, people get hurt, everyone else is burned out. I was tired, hot and irritable and I was just a spectator. Anyway, they got trophies and all that jazz. Not sure when they will start playing again but a break would be nice. Troy is pretty beat up. He hurt his wrist 2 weekends ago and there's a couple of other aches and pains that are bothering him. He must be getting old =) I think he's going to get his wrist checked out this week because it's just not getting better. He was offered a chance to play for UH's tournament team which is really cool. He went to one of the practices and said that the team is very serious about playing and they know their stuff. He considered it for a few days but decided that he couldn't really give it 100% effort right now. They practice two nights a week and play on Sundays, but he studies every night of the week so that would be taking half of his study time away. The advancement exam is 1 month away and he is also working on his qualifications in order to earn his dive pin.

Tomorrow night we are doing a tour at the hospital to see where everything is located and get familiar with the layout. I'm crossing my fingers that I don't pass out...but everyone I talk to says that this will be different because I will be there for a happy reason and not because someone is sick....I don't know...it still smells the same LOL. We talked about taking a couple classes there but according to Troy he is "not going to sit through that crap for hours at a time"...and I'm not going alone...so I don't know if we will end up doing them or not. It's crazy how judgmental people are. I have noticed so many people looking at me funny because they look at me, see that I'm pregnant, and then immediately look at my left hand to see if I have a wedding ring on....which I don't because some days my fingers swell and I don't want them to get stuck! I get so many dirty looks...imagine what it would be like if I'm at the hospital in a class alone with no partner! I'm just not gonna do it alone.

I go back to the dr on Thursday for a visit because Friday I'm flying home!! I am so excited to see everyone. I'll be in WI for just a couple of days and then I'm going to FL for 2 weeks before I head back to Hawaii. I wish that Troy was coming with me but with all the studying he's doing he needs to stay focused. Also, he's saving up his leave time for when the baby comes in November and he also wants to take a trip home in the Spring for a good 3 weeks or so. I'll be fine traveling without him, I'll just miss him!! Thank God for webcams!!

Wow, that's a long update! Next post will be just pictures =)

Catching up

2009-06-30T21:30:00.003-10:00

So I've been back dating some entries to get March & April caught up. If you scroll down to the bottom you will see entries that until now we're set to private. There are a few surprises so make sure you go back and read them.

Tomorrow I will try to finish up the rest of May and June so that you will be up date!

Thanks for reading =)

Picture Post-Dog Beach

2009-06-30T16:27:00.008-10:00

Ready to go!

Pooped!

Picture Post-Grandma at The Dole Plantation

2009-06-30T16:20:00.005-10:00

Ultrasound pics

2009-06-19T12:19:00.001-10:00

I just realized that I never posted these! Everything went well...baby has all appendages, good lookin spine, good lookin heart, and all appears to be great. We are so grateful!!

OB Appointment #3

2009-06-09T17:34:00.002-10:00

My appointment today went well. We were in and out within 15 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I have only gained one pound! Well actually, I lost 7 originally since becoming pregnant and I have gained one back, so in my mind I am still minus 6 haha! I asked her if that was bad because all the books say that by now you should be gaining weight but she said no. She asked if I was eating and I said I was, so she said she wasn't concerned. I feel like I've gained more than 1 pound and my pants fit like i've gained 10!

We scheduled my ultrasound for June 19th so that my Grandma could be here to see it. She is almost 83 years old and has never seen an ultrasound. Amazing.

Anyway, I'm 16 weeks and 3 days. She listened to the baby's heartbeat and it was between 155-160 so that's good. Then she sent me across the hall to the vampires again!!! AHHH. I was hoping that I could get the same girl who I had last time but no such luck. I got a new girl who was unsure which vein to use because SHE couldn't find one either. Even after I told her where it was. She stuck me in the arm and she missed...I kept my cool, kept my patience...and just glared at Troy =) She had to use the infant heat warmers on my hand in order to get my veins to pop up. She stuck me again...and hit the vein this time. Lucky for her because I wasn't going to let her try again.

Should be able to feel the baby moving soon! I think I already have, I'm just not sure because I don't really know what to expect.

OB Appointment #2

2009-05-14T17:25:00.001-10:00

Today's appointment went well. We just did another ultrasound to measure the baby and based on size, my new due date is November 21st. That makes me 12 weeks and 5 days today. Any previous mentions of how far along I was are wrong so disregard! We got new pictures and my mom got to see her grandson on the computer!

I almost passed out in the hospital when we were leaving because for some reason I got over heated. I was in pain because the Dr. tried was taking pictures of various female parts and jabbed me really hard. I wanted to kill her! My next appointment is June 9th.

After the appointment we went to have some breakfast at the coffee shop. Had some yummy french toast and then we headed to the pool. I'll leave you with a picture =) The view from my pool chair...

Day #4

2009-05-09T20:54:00.005-10:00

Went to the swap meet this morning! Thank goodness I brought like 20 frozen water bottles...and I am not kidding!! Thank goodness for my husband who carried them all around in a backpack for us! =) We spent 3 1/2 hours there shopping.....AND....we didn't even make it 1/2 way around the stadium!! We probably would have made it around and shopped some more but we had to leave to go to Troy's soccer game. It was hot, but it was fun! We stopped at Subway to re-fuel and then off to the game we went. It was good game and they won so that's always a plus.

We had just enough time to come home and shower and get ready for the Luau at Paradise Cove. We took a lot of pictures so here are just a few!

Day #3

2009-05-08T20:35:00.000-10:00

Arizona Memorial Day! Gosh, was that sad. I'm a strong believer in that your school books teach you NOTHING in comparison to seeing something in real life. There is wayyy more to life than school. I learned more on this tour in less than 1 hour than I did in U.S. History all year long. Really makes you think about how life can change at any moment.

Day #2

2009-05-07T22:23:00.004-10:00

After my appointment today we went to have breakfast. Banana pancakes for me! We let the ladies do some shopping while we made our phone calls letting everyone know the baby looked good and had a strong heart beat! Then we hit the beach for some pedal boats and some sun, followed by some mei tai's at the Hale Koa pool.

OB Appointment

2009-05-07T20:17:00.002-10:00

So today was my first appointment. I am very comfortable with my new doctor, she made me feel really comfortable. That was pretty important as the first time I met her and shook her hand I was practically naked sitting on the exam table. Awkward for a split second but she was really nice.

Troy was with me and she talked to him for awhile. She quickly recognized he was military and was asking if he would be here or not throughout the pregnancy. Uh...yeah =) If for some reason he could not, we would be making arrangements with the Red Cross to track him down to inform him when the baby was born.

She did an ultrasound to check out the baby...yes, there is only one! She measured for size and I was measuring small so she said she wanted to see me back in a week. We got a couple pictures, but I need to scan them.

Then......she sent me away to have my blood drawn. It's pretty unnerving when nobody can find a vein anywhere yet Troy's veins on his foot pop up like a half an inch!! So unfair. Anyway, the girl took a gamble and she got it on the first try. Thank God. I was okay for the most part. It felt like it took forever for them to fill up 4 tubes! I asked them for some water and they gave me hot water out of a fountain so next time I need to remember to bring my own.

Next appointment is Thursday the 14th!

Day #1

2009-05-06T20:09:00.000-10:00

Today was a hot one. We spent the whole day on a stop and go driving tour. We drove through Kaneohe and then alllll the way around the North Shore. We stopped at random places to take pictures, we had garlic shrimp at The Shrimp Shack, and shaved ice at Matsumoto's. We drove, and drove, and drove. Then we arrived at the Dole Plantation. We toured the pineapple fields, walked through the flower garden, and had pineapple ice cream. YUM, YUM. It was so hot though, the ice cream was melting faster than we could eat it. Didn't help that Troy ordered the LARGEST thing on the menu! We could have easily fed 6-7 people with that ice cream. I believe they called it a split?! We're going to bed early as my dr. appt is at 9AM tomorrow! Hopefully I'll get to see my baby =)

Our first visitors!

2009-05-05T20:43:00.000-10:00

My mom and Sam arrived tonight! They got here safely with no delays and after my moms luggage went around the carousel 4 times we finally found it =) We took them to the Hale Koa for some dinner and then came home and crashed. A picture...

Change in Plans

2009-05-04T16:54:00.001-10:00

So I never really mentioned my being uncomfortable at Tripler the other day, I just atrributed it to being in a hospital alone. I had a chance to talk to a few other wives and get online and read for myself about different hospitals in the area. Apparently, Tripler isn't the best place to be on the island. I know that Troy was born there, a preemie too, 25 years ago, but I just didn't feel right. So, I changed doctors and changed the hospital where I will be giving birth. I picked a really nice Filipino doctor and will be delivering at Kapiolani Womens Medical Center.

My appointment with her is Thursday the 7th! I can't believe I will be 13 weeks already =)

2009-04-29T13:32:00.002-10:00

We did a Flat Stanley project for our nephew, Trey. Here is Troy with Stanley at the back of the bread truck. Yes, the diver's use an old bread truck to haul all their gear. :)

Aloha!

2009-04-29T12:19:00.003-10:00

Sorry it has been awhile. We moved into our house on the 8th, and had our internet set up rather quickly, but for some reason my laptop would not access the network. Finally had an IT guy come over this weekend and fix it for us!! You'll probably get sick of me now :o)

This will just be a bullet style update as that is the easiest way to recall what has happened all month.

4/8: Move in day. All of our stuff arrived and nothing was missing so that was a positive. Also, Troy was able to fit it all in a room, somewhere in the house, so I won't be selling any of it (besides the couch). On to the negative...EVERY piece of furniture (which was one year new when it was put into storage in February of 2008) is now dented, scratched, chipped, etc. I am not kidding when I say every piece. Some more than others of course. But, it is do-able. Our couch didn't fit with the set up of the living room so Troy sold it to a guy in 0% his indoc class. We got 75% of what we paid for it and I was able to find replacement pieces for only $50 more than what the guy paid us. That is amazing considering to replace the couch alone with like kind would have been $1400. It is definitely cramped a little in this house but I think I can handle it for 3 years. The living room is crowded, but has very high ceilings so it kinda balances out. The dining room table is pushed up against one wall, which is weird for me but it'll work. The kitchen is a LOT smaller than the one I had on Stone Harbor (excuse to cook less??). Our bedroom...wow. Let's just say on one side of my dresser (which is covering up a window!) is Troy's dresser and on the other side is our tv armoire. Those 3 pieces are all touching. A big no-no, for me anyway. And lastly, the guest bedroom has now turned guest bedroom plus office. This doesn't pose a problem for us now...but may in say...a year? :)

4/9: Finally got our satellite set up, but its not working properly. After 3 different installation technicians, we thought we were up and running. We atleast had the equipment and it was all hooked up but now it is not functioning correctly in the 2 bedrooms. It was quite the process as we are under property management rules and they have a ton of requirements about the dish and where it can be installed. First guy didn't show up, second guy didn't do what he was supposed to do, and third guy comes at 9pm to remedy the situation. At least Troy was able to get an extra HD DVR box so we can have HD in our bedroom. Not that we watch all that much tv but....

4/12:....the Easter Bunny did not like our old tv as it was big, bulky and heavy so he brought me a new one. Samsung HD 32" flat screen (an exact miniature of our living room tv)....for our bedroom. It's kinda ridiculous but....oh well :)

4/18: Our sweet boy Gabriel finally made it to the island. I made a reservation in advance for him to fly Continental Cargo. Because of scheduling conflicts, if I wanted him to arrive in Honolulu the same day he left Florida, he was going to have to fly out of Orlando. So on the morning of the 18th, he left Jacksonville at 4:30 AM and arrived in Orlando around 6:30AM. He was supposed to be there by 7:15 for an 8:45 flight. Well, I get a call at 6:30 saying that due to the weather in Houston, the flight crew was delayed getting to Orlando, and were now illegal meaning they hadn't had enough time to sleep. The man at CO Cargo told me that there was no way he was getting to Honolulu that day and that Gabriel might as well stay in Jacksonville. Apparently he doesn't know that it is a 2 hour drive from JAX to MCO. I get on the phone, making numerous phone calls to other airlines to see who can get him out that day. No such luck. Another call back to CO Cargo and the agent says "Get him to the airport I have a flight that leaves at 8AM to New Jersey and will arrive in Honolulu today". Welllll, that conversation took place at 7:30AM. Gabriel was rushed to the Cargo office, all the paperwork processed in about 15 minutes. They want him in his crate for weight, then out for an inspection, then back in for a tie down, 800 stickers attached to his crate, blah blah blah. Poor dog was stressed out and barking. He didn't like the man sticking his hands in his crate to zip tie it. 7:57AM he was wheeled out the baggage claim door onto the tarmac. 8:05AM the man confirms he made it on the plane. This is 2:05AM Honolulu time!! :) Skip ahead 16 hrs and 40 minutes....6:45PM in Honolulu, Gabriel is wheeled off the plane. A door bell rings in the quarantine station at the airport and Troy knows its him as I've been tracking him on the internet all day, refreshing the page to see his progress. He is backwards on a cart so he doesn't see anyone and is brought into the inspection room to check for fleas. He passes. He is in his crate and scared, he doesn't make a sound. After processing more paperwork, they wheel him out to Troy's truck and lift him up into the bed. Troy sees him for the first time and his tail wags slowly. He is excited to see Troy but obviously scared and dehydrated. He hadn't had any water since he left my moms house at 4:30 that morning. He finally arrives to his new house where he is right back to his normal energetic self and is happy to see "his" couch, the chaise lounge, and all "his" other furniture. :) We are so glad he's home with us again. It's been a long year. We don't have much of a yard for him to run around in, but we live one mile from the Bark Park so he gets to go there often and socialize. Bigger dogs scare him so he tends to hang with the smaller ones. He's a bit of an outcast and definitely needs more socialization.

4/21: Couch shopping day #1. Unsuccessful.

4/22: Couch shopping day #2. Success! We found a loveseat with two recliners to replace our sectional. It's quite a bit smaller but we wanted room for a matching recliner too. Now we have 3 matching pieces from 3 different stores. It's quite a coincidence that they match as well as they do. The chaise lounge, the loveseat, and the man chair. :)

4/29: Pay off debt day. It sucks to see so much money go away, but its a relief to not have so much debt. Still have a house and 2 cars, but that is definitely a lot more manageable than where we were.

I'm still trying to get everything organized here in the house. Most everything is put away but some things were just thrown in a closet to sort later. I am doing the sort later part now. Organizing the towel closet, oversized kitchen pieces, holiday decorations etc. I am almost there!! Atleast I can see the end. Then we'll hang some curtains and we're about done. Only other thing we'll be buying for this place is a grill and possibly a garage door opener.

My mom and sister are coming in a week so I've been looking at some things for us to do. We're definitely going to do a Luau, I just don't know which one to choose. There are like 10 different ones! We'll probably go see Diamond Head, Arizona Memorial, North Shore, and I want to do an island tour.

I haven't taken many pictures later but as soon as we finish this place I'll post some. You must be going through withdrawal I'm sure :)

It's finally out...sorta!

2009-04-26T19:58:00.002-10:00

This morning we told the most of the family about baby Frank. We were surprised in that we received mostly positive reactions to the news. That helped a lot as we honestly weren't sure how everyone would take it. Thankfully it's all out in the open now =)

Even though we told our family, I'm still not comfortable telling our friends yet. I've had a too many (and even one is too many) friends who have lost their babies, or have had complications with their pregnancies and I'm just not prepared to deal with having to tell everyone if something is wrong. It's still very early and this is my first pregnancy so I just want to keep it quiet. People will just have to understand.

After we made our phone calls this morning, we stayed in bed....ALL day! I was too tired to go anywhere and my bed is extremely comfy!

Shopping!

2009-04-22T18:55:00.000-10:00

We went shopping for you today baby. We didn't buy anything yet, but we have mentally picked out everything we want to buy for you =) We're going to start early!!

Yuck! Taco Bell....

2009-04-21T19:52:00.000-10:00

Well Baby Frank, I was exhausted and sick today. Not sure if that was you, or Taco Bell, or over-doing it outside in the heat.

Let's not do this again!

8 Weeks

2009-04-02T15:09:00.005-10:00

I am so excited about this baby. It is getting harder and harder to keep our secret.

I can't believe our baby has been growing for 8 weeks now. It seems so weird. I feel better today, no nausea. The only craving I have been having is for Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream! Even better than that is Peanut Butter Cup Explosion from Cold Stone.

Baby, we can't wait to meet you. I think your daddy and I will celebrate your life today with Cold Stone :)

Oops!

2009-04-01T15:31:00.008-10:00

Note to self: Never post on a Thursday about the week being uneventful. Troy worked Friday night until almost 9:30. I don't know on what exactly, I just know he had to stay late and that they also had to work on Sunday.

He played another soccer game on Saturday morning, which they won. They have some strong individuals and together they play pretty good.

Sunday we went to the stadium and walked around the flea market. It was nice for a little more than half way through and then it got REALLY hot. Next time I need to bring some water.

I didn't get the job I wanted, and yes I am bummed about it. I am more than qualified for that position, I just didn't interview well. I hate that. I have sent in applications for a few more places and am just waiting to hear back. I'm also still looking.

First day being sick

2009-03-31T15:42:00.000-10:00

Not throwing up sick, just really nauseous.

Today has been no fun.

Also, google has a lot of search results for "Tips on blood testing"! I have been reading them ALL.

1st Appointment

2009-03-27T13:33:00.000-10:00

Today's appointment went well. Tripler is a HUGE place. Quite the layout too.

Basically they just took all of my information and put it into the computer. They have my due date the same as I thought, November 12th. They asked me some medical history, gave me a couple of booklets of information, a dvd and scheduled my next appointment for May 6th. I'm excited that my mom will be here and be able to come with me!

Update

2009-03-26T13:26:00.003-10:00

The first week of Troy working has been uneventful, which in our world, is good. Monday and Tuesday was spent finishing his check in process. Yesterday was spent working on a submarine. He is SUNNNN BURNT!! I took a picture of him yesterday on my cell phone.

He spent yesterday afternoon cleaning out his truck that he swore would never get messy :) Not having a trunk forces you to keep all the stuff in the back seat and it piles up high! Now he is looking into getting a locking toolbox that he can keep all his dive gear in because there are not enough lockers at work for everyone, hence the messy truck. They issued him a whole bunch of dive gear which was all over John's yard while he was sorting it out and making sure his name was on every piece.

Tuesday I had lunch with one of my Grandma's friends from Madison, WI. We went to this really cool Japanese place that was cafeteria style and you could just pick whatever you wanted. It was nice to see her out here and spend some time with her!

Less than two weeks and we should be in our house. We found out that Gabriel could come out here sooner as I was using the wrong date to calculate his waiting period. I confirmed it, and he can arrive anytime after 4/18. Due to scheduling, he will have his last appointment on 4/21 and should arrive here on 4/22. We can't wait to have him back with us again.

We will also be having visitors in May! My mom and sister will be here for 9 days. Samantha starts school again in June so we had to get her a vacation before then! :)

Still haven't heard anything from Forest City. I have a call into the lady who helped us find our house to see if they have hired anyone or not yet. I hate the waiting game...

There are no pictures of me. I am the photographer :)

7 weeks today!

2009-03-26T13:09:00.000-10:00

Crazy how fast time flies.

I scheduled my first OB appointment at Tripler for 11AM tomorrow. It's insane how much paperwork they have me filling out but I guess that's how it goes. Supposedly tomorrow is just patient registration where they will talk to me about being pregnant. They will ask me if have been using illicit drugs and if my home is "safe" for me. I asked the man making the appointment if they will be taking my blood and he informed me that it will not happen tomorrow, it will happen at the next appointment. :( Mental note: Schedule next appointment when Troy can be there!

I feel pretty normal, although my pants already do not fit comfortably. That sucks. I am eating regularly but haven't been as hungry as usual, maybe that's because I can't find anything I like to eat besides fruit. I could eat pineapple, strawberries, and cantaloupe all the time. Yesterday I had one bite of Kalbi, Hawaiian Short Ribs, and I was disgusted. That used to be my favorite thing to eat. I gave it to Troy and just at the rice. I am always sleepy but not too nauseous, for that I am grateful.

Today we went shopping to buy me a new GPS since Troy took TomTom for his truck and I have no idea where I am going tomorrow. After we made our purchase in the electronics, we started to leave the store. I stopped for a second to look at some sunglasses and when I turned around Troy was gone. You can imagine the warm feeling in my heart when I found him in the baby section looking at strollers, car seats, and cribs :)

Trust me when I say that it is very hard to keep this secret to just ourselves. We are going crazy.

The clinic called...

2009-03-25T17:56:00.000-10:00

and told me that I had some lab work done a week ago and had to come in for my results. I kindly informed them that I already knew the results and that I didn't need to drive 30 minutes and over a mountain to hear them tell me what I already knew. I asked them if I should make my first appointment over the phone as I was already in my 6th week. She told me just to come in and we would go over some paperwork.

Troy happened to get off early today so he called around 2:30 to let me know he was on his way home. I had walked down to the BBQ place to get out of the house and get some excercise so I had him meet me there. After hearing that they called, he said he would take me down there right then since he could be there with me, JUST IN CASE those vampires tried to get my blood again.

We got there and nobody knew who called and told me to come in or why. That was kinda making me nervous but not too much as I had just taken another pregnancy test two days ago just for reassurance. A lady finally called us back and gave us a ton of information and paperwork. Apparently I will no longer be seen as this clinic and all future appointments are going to take place at Tripler Army Medical Center, the pink hospital on the hill where Troy was born. That's kinda neat that his baby will be born at the same hospital, almost 26 years later. :)

And no, they did not get my blood. Thank you God! If they end up needing blood that bad, I will pick a scab for them. I know that's nasty, but it's 10 times better than passing out.

Picture Post

2009-03-23T16:11:00.004-10:00

Dinner @ Pinky's
Ahi Tuna

Hawaii Lizard

The line for the shaved ice. Matsumoto.

All the ways to order.

North shore beach

The beach in Kailua

More Kailua

Coconut!

My favorite thing to order from the Hale Koa restaurant. A pineapple with fruit. Yum!

Weirdest Denny's I've ever seen.

Eating the shaved ice. NOT a snow cone. :o)

Yummy. This one was the Hawaiin.

Some pictures

2009-03-23T08:41:00.007-10:00

Troy's first soccer game here. Check out the mud puddles! This was taken at halftime, before he started sliding in the mud or diving for headers. He played great for not playing in 7 years! :o)
His truck...Nissan Frontier.
The guy was required to show him how to use it LOL

Driving around.
My naked Acura after removing the tint.

Friday night was pretty low key for us. We ate brats here and then went to see the movie Frost/Nixon. After the soccer game on Saturday, which they won 5-2 but didn't play very well, we went with some of the team to a restaurant called Dixie Grill. They had southern food so that was interesting. We had plans to eat with John and Robin so Troy just had a beer and we left. We had dinner at Lucy's in Kailua Town, where the food was good but the service sucked. We must have waited 15-20 minutes for the bill, even after we requested it. We had the best ice cream ever....Cold Stone. Sunday we went to the beach for about 25-30 minutes to let Chief play in the water. He loved it. I hope when Gabriel gets here that Chief will teach him to like the beach. We weren't out there very long, but it was enough for me to get some tan lines! I love it.

Today is Troy's first day on the job. He left around 5:45 this morning. I was awake anyway, but I got my first phone call from someone who forgot what time it was for me...my sister! :) 6:00 am she says, "I'm just callin to let you say hi to Gabe since I'm at mom's house!" I miss him so much! 38 more days I believe until he is eligible to fly here. I cannot wait! We finally got our Hawaii plates, however I don't qualify for the discount that they give the servicemembers for registration fees because my car is not titled or registered in Troy's name...but I did get credit for the time I had left on my FL registration (until August). I got personalized plates and I'll take a picture for ya when they come in! I should also know this week whether or not Forest City is going to offer me a job as a relocation specialist. I'm anxious to find out, but I didn't feel very good about the interview so we'll see.

Where we've been!

2009-03-18T16:43:00.005-10:00

We are moving right along here in Hawaii. Sorry it has been so long since I have updated, it's just that I refuse to pay close to $20 for the internet....I have no problem forking out money for a nice dinner or something but internet?? It should be free!!

We spent Friday trying to get my car inspected. What a nightmare that is. In order to have the car inspected, you must have Hawaii insurance. No problem. Done. But, you must have the ORIGINAL watermarked card, not the paper ones that USAA emails you. So we drive around downtown looking for this place that you can pick them up. We finally find it after driving in circles for a little while...even with TomTom!! We go back to the place for the inspection where the guy kindly points out that our insurance is effective tomorrow so he will be unable to do the inspection today. Nice... Oh well, it's Friday and all I wanted to do was lay by the pool anyway :o) So we did!

Then we met John and Robin at their house and John drove us around the Marine base here. It was neat to see their area, and I think it is beautiful over here! The water is definitely more active too. We went to dinner at Pinkys. It was a cute little restaurant and very busy. Lots of fresh fish for Troy and I that night! I'll do a picture post later. All the pictures are of food anyway :)

Saturday morning rained, and stopped, rained, and stopped lol. We walked to the Shore Bird restaurant where they had a breakfast buffet. They had like macadamia nut pound cake, coconut pound cake, mango pound cake. That was good too. We weren't sure if Troy's soccer game was going to take place due to the weather but it did, and it was messy. The team looked great in their uniforms and they played quite well! It wasn't actually a game since the referee didn't show up but they kicked butt. Then another team showed up so it turned into two games...it was a long day but Troy had 3 goals, 2 of which were headers. He said he has never made a goal off a header before so that's cool. Of course, he normally played defense so that is probably why! I think he thought he was 16 again running all over the field, sliding in the mud, making tackles. He was pretty sore that night and the next day!

Sunday we met John and Robin and they drove us to the North shore. It was about an hour and half, maybe less, drive....but it was beautiful! They have a jeep so it was nice to ride around and have the breeze in your face. We all got a lot of sun too! We stopped for lunch at a burger place, and walked to the shaved ice place that was recommended to us. They were good, perfect on a hot day. We stopped at a beach spot on the way back just to get out. They are doing a Flat Stanley project so we had to get pictures of Stanley in the ocean! We learned today that we will also be doing Flat Stanley for my nephew, Trey. We can't wait to take him around!!

Monday was back to car inspections. I also got a call for a job interview. We learned that the tint on my car is illegal on the back and rear door windows. They were legal in FL, but apparently not here! So, we failed. We have to remove the tint. We discussed the job situation and the car situation and decided we should pick up another car. So, we did. Troy picked out a Nissan Frontier. It's a nice truck...black, automatic...he said that important because I refuse to drive a stick. It also has four doors LOL! He looks good in it!! Pictures later...

Tuesday was my interview. I'm not really sure how I feel about how it went. The position is for a relocation specialist. Basically I would be placing military families in military housing. It's not like I'm not qualified, so I don't know why I don't feel right about it. If the position is offered to me, I will probably take it. It's not great money, but its money, and it's one mile from the house. Flexible scheduling, 3 days a week in the office and 2 days a week marketing. It's a great environment to work in too. We also went to the tricare office and got everything switched from the south region to the west. That was painless believe it or not. We went to the mall, Ala Moana mall I think, and it was huge. We walked around for awhile and ate at this fish market place. It was a buffet that had a ton of sushi, ahi poke!! (one of my fav's), all kinds of BBQ, fish, steak, shrimp, basically anything that can be found at a Japanese steak house. We sat there for a long time just reflecting on our week. All this stuff is keeping us busy, we were both shocked we've only been here a week. It was a long week...We even forgot it was St. Patty's day!

Today was spent getting more things checked on the check-in list for Troy. Well, first we left the Hilton! Our bill was $1,602!!! That is insane. I've never paid that much for a hotel. I bet this week we've spent $2,500 on lodging, food, and parking!! We went and picked up his insurance card for the truck, his new Pearl Harbor stickers, showed up to drop off his dental record and they re-did his sealants right on the spot. I've never seen someone in and out of the dentist so fast. So the downside of having two cars??.....I have to drive! I hate driving here, especially through the mountain. I probably need new brakes already :o) We're at John and Robin's house where we'll be until we can move into our home. It still feels like a working vacation to me. I don't think it will change until either I start working or move into the house, whichever comes first. Right now he is outside taking all the tint off my windows....It is weird to see my car like that. He also popped most of the dent out of the bumper!

Troy is participating in a retirement ceremony tomorrow morning at the Hale Koa. I'll probably go along and entertain myself while he does that. Saturday is another soccer game at the base. Hopefully it's not as yucky out. This is our last weekend before he has to start work on Monday!!

Waiting for the results...

2009-03-18T12:19:00.000-10:00

We already know. There is no doubt about it. I could sleep all day, any time of the day, sitting up or laying down, doesn't matter. There are a few other symptoms which I wont go into detail about, but I just know.

I called, but they wont give results over the phone. Why do they do that in Panama City but not here?

It's an awesome surprise to share with just your spouse, when no one else in the world knows your good news. We are excited to share it with all of you, we just want to wait until I am further along. It's very hard NOT to say anything.

Blood Test

2009-03-17T14:59:00.001-10:00

Troy had to drop off his dental records this morning, so I went to the clinic next door to confirm the pregnancy. I had already called and you didn't need an appointment.

The nurse ordered the testing and sent me back to lab. I go back, expecting to give a urine sample. You can imagine my surprise as she leads me to this chair around the corner and slaps some gloves on her hands. (Some brief background info: I have NEVER had my blood drawn since I have been old enough to remember!) I tell myself it's time to grow up and I roll up my sleeves so she can tie the rubber cord around my arm.

Lab tech: "Let's try the right arm... the vein is too deep. Let's try the left... the veins are too small. Let's try the hand...they're very small.

Me: "Can't I just give you a urine sample??"

Lab tech: "Well, a blood sample is better as it will tell us if you are pregnant no matter how far along you are."

Me: "Fine. Let me go get my husband so at least he's here when I pass out."

So I leave, terrified. I hadn't even told Troy yet as I didn't want to worry him if for some reason the at home test was wrong. He tells me already knew, but we just had not talked about it yet. He said it was obvious there were changes but he knew for sure when we were shopping for a 4 door truck.

I find him in the lobby and I ask him to come back with me as they wanted to draw my blood for a pregnancy test and I was afraid that I was going to pass out. He comes back with me and I sit back down in that stupid chair. Same exchange between me and lab tech again regarding which arm to use. She calls over another person who says, "Just use the butterfly needle in her hand".

I look away, breathe deeply, and just sit there with my face turning bright red and extremely hot. She sticks me, no problem. I was fine, just really hot. She MISSED! She didn't want to try again as she said my hand was turning cold and blue. After a glass of cold water and coming back to normal, she THEN tells me it was fine that I give a urine sample. UGH!!! All that for nothing!!

So I gave the sample and we left. Unsuccessful, traumatic day.

Finding out...

2009-03-14T07:04:00.000-10:00

Before we left Florida, I had already suspected I was pregnant. I was a few days late and decided I should test to see what the results would be. They came back negative.

We arrived in Hawaii on Tuesday and spent the whole week rushing around trying to get everything done. Finally Friday night we settled down and had dinner and while ordering drinks I thought to myself, "I better not, just in case".

This morning I decided that I would test again since a whole week had gone by....

I am very excited to learn of the news, but afraid of the process to come. If you know me well enough, you know that medical procedures, offices and hospitals are not my forte... especially needles. Give me any other task to perform and I will exceed your expectations....but this is not my strength.

We got the house!

2009-03-12T16:30:00.011-10:00

It has been quite busy on our 2nd full day here in Hawaii. We tried to stay up later so that we might be able to sleep longer today, but that didn't work. We were up again at 5. We had breakfast at the coffee shop down the street again while we planned out our day. We ate breakfast with 200 band members who kept bumping into Troy on their way to the buffet so the band director paid for our breakfast!

Driving around this morning

We went shopping for soccer gear for Troy as he is on the command soccer team. They play against the other commands on the base and were thrilled to learn that he LOVES to play. Guess we have to sign up for EastBay magazines again :)

Then we stopped in the housing office just to check on the status of the houses we were backups on and we were thrilled to learn we were primary on the house we wanted. We signed the paperwork and got into a discussion about me selling real estate which led to me applying as a leasing consultant. I'm excited to see how this pans out.

We're on the right!

Approximate Floorplan

Afterwards, we tried to get the car registered but we have some things we need to do with insurance and forms first so that is our project for tomorrow.

We decided to have lunch at Duke's restaurant, which was recommended by Eric. It is a nice walk up the beach from our hotel but it was a beautiful day so we were glad to get some sun.

A "dig me" daquiri

We had Ahi Tuna

Stir Fry Vegetables

And Hula Pie! Oreo crust, Macadamia Nut ice cream, Hard chocolate topping, hot fudge, whipped cream, and more macadamia nuts! It was really good!

See?

Just kidding! It was huge.

Poolside/oceanside massage. I took this for Sam. This lady gets $80 to do this so we'll put you to work when you get here :)

I thought it was interesting how they bury the trash cans in the sand. They are conveniently placed so many feet apart so that all the people on the beach will put their trash in them, instead of leaving it on the sand.

Flamingo's at the hotel....for you mom! :)

Then we found a hidden pool with hardly anyone there. We're a little red now, but it was nice to relax.

The hidden pool, and our tower. One of 5 at the resort.

This video is so you can hear the water! Enjoy!

Pictures from Day 1 & 2...from my cell phone.

2009-03-11T18:16:00.005-10:00

Flyin' :)

Open airport with fresh flowers.

Driving around the base already!

View from our hotel room. 17th Floor.

I did some shopping....totally kidding! :o)

Hawaiian Boy. Back in his element.

Coconut syrup and fresh pineapple juice for breakfast. At 7AM.

Hotel

No caption. He has nothing to say about this picture. I asked.

1 of the pools, the one we can see from our room.

Goin' to work.

Beachy pictures tomorrow. Troy doesn't have to go to work so we're going to hang at the beach and the pool. We're waiting to hear about the houses as we are on the waiting list for our first choice. Cross your fingers. I think I can upload pictures directly here from my cell phone, so check back often to see what we're up to!!

Picture post from Days 1 & 2...from Camera

2009-03-11T17:05:00.000-10:00

7 bags and 3 carry-ons. Approx. 450 lbs!

Jumped to the head of the line since Troy wore his uniform. We were running right on time. Of course we got searched in security. I guess jewelry could be dangerous!! Walked right up to the gate and on the plane....

and sat on it for 45 minutes because whatever keeps the engine from freezing was broken. He was going to change but we didn't have time. We arrived in Dallas at 9:20 and our connection LEFT at 9:50. We thought for sure if we ran and happened to get on the plane, for sure our luggage wouldn't make it. They surprised us and had a van waiting outside the plane for us. We walked down the stairs to the tarmac, into a van, drove to our gate, and walked right up the stairs to the jetway of our new plane. We had five minutes to spare, so they wouldn't let Troy change in the bathroom.

So, he changed in the tiny, tiny, airport bathroom. Doesn't he look much more comfortable? By the way, we splurged and upgraded to first class. It was worth every penny...We were the first row, right in front of the tv. Last on, first off, first to drink, and first to eat! Oh yeah, we hadn't eaten yet, no time at either airport. Thank god I ate a banana before we left.

Leaving Dallas

Check out all the sweet things our chairs did!

Our Menu

First course, peanuts and beer. We ate/drank/slept our moneys worth!

Time for dinner. The chair to the right of Troy across the aisle is where the pilots came while they were switching up. There were 3 of them I think. Glad to know they were well rested!

Salad and cheese bread, and Chardonnay!

Cheese Ravioli covered in mushroom sauce.

Ice Cream Sundae's! Strawberries and whipped cream for him, Hot Fudge for me.

Nap time! Our seats almost went flat. Full pillows and a clean blanket!

Drink time. We didn't have to bring our own, or steal em for that matter! HaHa.

We slept for a longgggg time. Obviously.

We're almost there!

Goofy. Maybe too much beer? :)

Blue water from the plane! I didn't have the window seat, hence the crappy picture.

The 2nd big surprise of the day, ALL OUR LUGGAGE MADE IT!!! In fact, they were the first 7 bags off the plane!

John met us at the airport, with Lei's! If it weren't for him, well 1. we'd be lost, and 2. we'd need two cars for all our luggage!

83 lbs.

They smelled really good! And look, it's my car!! Unfortunately, they did not damage the bumper :o(

Our tour guide!

A big cruise ship! I took more pictures with my cell phone, which I'll post next. This was the end of day #1's pictures. We forced ourselves to stay awake until 8:30 pm here, at which time we were up for 24 hours. You all would be so proud to know that I woke up, on my own, at 5:00AM! I had to bug Troy to get out of bed so we could go out wandering around. I can't believe I was up before the sun!! :)

Checkin' into work!

Potential house #1, my favorite.

Potential house #2. Absolutely not. Backs up to a busy road.

Potential house #3. It's okay...older, no garage, bigger yard. Choice #2.

We're having fun. Kinda frustrating not knowing our way around. We've gotten turned around more than once...and everything around here is S-L-O-W. I'm going to trade in my car....who needs a V-6 where the max speed limit is 35 and it's always stop and go?!? :)

More later. Miss and love you guys. We're havin' fun!