March for Life

Today in Washington, D.C. thousands of pro-lifers will march through the streets to voice the rights of the unborn. As much as I'd love to be there, it wasn't possible to go this year. However, I joined the Virtual March for Life and you can too! Just click this link!!

Here are a couple pictures from my previous trips to D.C. to defend the most vulnerable. Because "a person's a person, no matter how small"- Dr. Seuss

March for Life 2009- Daniel and I

March for Life 2007- Sharon, Mary Beth and Me

Our shirts read "Abortion Kills Future Feminists" on the front and

on the back they said "Belles Ringing for Life" (Our school mascot is the Belle.)

More about Baby

As of tomorrow, I will be 27 weeks pregnant and into the third trimester of my pregnancy. The baby weighs between 3 and 5 pounds and my stomach is growing to show just how big this baby is! We got to see our beautiful at 24 weeks.

Here are two of the several pictures we got to take home with us. I chose these two because they are the most clear and easy to figure out what you're looking at:

This is the baby's profile. It's head is on the right and it's legs are curled up towards the left.

Here is a footprint- the toes point to the right of the picture. It was neat to see what has been kicking me for the past several months! One pregnancy blog I like to read is Zero to Forty brings up the difference between early kicks and ones that I'm experiencing now: "Remember those early bubbly butterfly kicks? Yeah. Those have been replaced by something akin to a rabid mongoose flippin' out inside a burlap sack." It's a pretty accurate description. Daniel and I can even watch my stomach move when the baby does its own version of PT (Physical Training)- which on some days, like Tuesday, happens right after Reveille is played over the base loud speakers at 0630.

This week I'll be sure to have Dan take a picture of my baby bump to let you all see that. I've definitely grown since we were in Pittsburgh- you'll just have to wait a bit to see how much!

Nesting Without A Nest

Though I've enjoyed the Alabama winter (Upper 50s and Sunny on several days so far), it's difficult to be completely at ease as I enter my third trimester and still don't have a permanent nest to prepare for our little bundle of joy. We are #5 on the waiting list for a base house, but when Daniel last spoke to the privatized company who assigns houses, he was told that they wouldn't be putting any new families in houses on base until February.... 2011! This is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable in my mind, but there is little that we can do. Daniel plans to make some calls to see if anything can be done. We're also going to start looking at houses and apartments to rent near the base. Keep us in your prayers- this is all really frustrating and aggravating!

While we continue our stay in Alabama, I'm finding other ways to prepare for our baby. I've finished the set of booties and scratch mitts that our little one will wear once he or she arrives. I also have made sets for other babies due to arrive and add to our family weeks before I'm supposed to deliver. I'll post pictures soon! I started a sweater made out of beautiful red (alpaca wool)and cream (merino wool) yarn for when the baby is a little older (6-9 months) and when the weather will be cooler. After getting my Baby Bundle from OB Orientation at Vance, I'm now equipped with 2 great books and have finished "Heading Home With Your Newborn"- a read I would highly recommend for any first time parents. Daniel plans to read it once he finishes another book he's reading.

The next 'nesting' item on my To Do List is to research baby gear, so if anyone has any suggestions on monitors, car seats, strollers, etc, please comment on this post or email me. I'd love to hear from you!

"Bloom Where You're Planted"

That's the advice we got at our spouses' brunch yesterday from Debby, military wife and mom for more than 15 years. I've tried very hard to embrace this mentality and so far, so good. I've met several wives (and their beautiful children) just by venturing out to the dorm playground which is right outside my door. Others I met at the spouses' briefing Tuesday night while even more- including 2 fellow Pennsylvanians (1 graduated from PSU!)- were introduced at the spouses' brunch yesterday.

It's great to meet other wives, especially when we come from different backgrounds- militarily speaking and otherwise. Some of our husbands went through ROTC, others went to the Academy and some were previously enlisted and went through Officer Training School. Two of the wives in our group are also moms- with 2 children each- Logan (4) & Emma (16 months) and Ava (4) & Ryan (7 months). All the kids are beautiful and very well behaved- it makes me look forward to becoming a mommy myself! I'm the only ASBC mommy-to-be, but one woman whose husband is going to SOS (Squadron Officer School) is due in May. It's nice to see another baby bump around the base.

While I've been getting to know the wives, Daniel has been training with the husbands at Blue Thunder this week. It's been hard to have him gone this week, especially with such little notice. Though he told me he'd probably be 'deploying' this week, he wasn't sure exactly when that would occur. It turns out he was gone by 2 on Monday and won't get back until tomorrow afternoon. Thankfully, he has been able to call every day so we get to catch up in the evenings. He's living in a tent, eating MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and wearing a flak vest and helmet for most of the day. Despite the very cold nights (all below freezing!), he's in good spirits and finding the training very educational and well executed. I'm really excited to welcome him back tomorrow even though this will be my last night having the bed to myself. :-)

Now that I have Internet access, I'll be updating more regularly- I'm working on a 'catch up' post to close the gap between the weddings and ASBC.

Sweet Home Alabama!

Though we are still on the waiting list for housing at Vance AFB, we’re spending the next six weeks (Jan 10-Feb 19) in Montgomery, AL at Maxwell AFB for Daniel’s Air and Space Basic Course (ASBC). It’s about 14 hours to drive between the two bases, but Dan and I are seasoned travelers along the highways and enjoyed yet another road-trip together. We took two days to travel and spent the night in the beautiful city of Memphis, TN. We found a gorgeous hotel call River Inn where we enjoyed Italian linens, truffles (and Port Wine for Daniel) at turn-down as well as a wonderful breakfast at their restaurant, Currents, pictured below.

 We arrived at our final destination Sunday evening after starting our day off with mass at the Memphis parish of St. Patrick’s. Maxwell is much bigger than Vance so it was a bit intimidating, especially trying to navigate through it at night. Our VOQ (visiting officer’s quarter) is pretty nice- bigger than those at Vance with a nice desk, more closet space and a couch along with a kitchenette that has a garbage disposal!


Another thing that’s bigger at Maxwell- the Commissary- it’s HUGE! Vance’s Commissary is very nice and has just about everything we need, but since Maxwell is home to so many people, it needs more food! It’s a too far to walk there from the dorms but I was able to get a ride from another student’s wife, Brittni, who lives across the corridor from us. Being a military wife has definitely brought me further out of my shell and I've already met some wonderful women while our husbands are gone for the week. The next month will surely be an enjoyable one!