Baby Bump!

I finally started showing, but just a little. A couple weeks ago, Tom said I look like I just ate a big Thanksgiving dinner, but what a cute Thanksgiving dinner!! :). I am wearing maternity clothes now, particularly pants (a lot of my shirts I can still get away with, for a little bit longer). I am wondering though, why we don't wear maternity pants all the time? They're so comfy! I'm definitely saving these suckers for the many Thanksgiving dinners we have ahead of us (can you tell I am thinking about food a lot?).

Everything is going very well for Tom and me. I'm moving to a new job in about a week, with hopefully less hours and a little less stress (at least once I get settled in, that is!). It'll definitely be a good change for our family. Tom is also doing well, he's been going fishing a lot with one of his buddies he met at training, and just enjoying being in the States - albeit, away from his family. We did find out a little bit ago, though, that he'll be coming home a few days early, so we're very grateful for that!

Julia Hope :)

I had an ultrasound at 18 weeks a little bit ago (I'll be 20 weeks on Tuesday - halfway there!), and we found out we're having a girl! We're both very excited, of course, and seeing her again makes us more anxious to meet her. She was moving around a lot during the ultrasound, and was even sucking her thumb, and playing with her toes! At one point it looked like she was chewing, so I think she'll be a good eater, she's already practicing! I've also been feeling her move around a lot more, and it's really reassuring. Especially when I'm sitting still or laying down before falling asleep, she gives strong kicks, and I can sort of feel her shifting positions. I'm still not showing very much, but I'm definitely growing. Enjoy the photos :)

Happy Birthday!

Friday was Tom's birthday, he's getting old! Although he didn't do anything special, except go to class that day, we celebrated the weekend before he left. I made him a mango cheesecake...or at least attempted to. The mango glaze I made didn't turn out so well, but the cheesecake part was good! We also had a nice dinner out, and it was nice to get some time together, away from work and everything. I got him a super-duper knife he's been wanting for a long time, and framed a photo of baby. I also got him a air freshner thing that is the same scent as the ones in our house, so he could take it back to the states and have a little piece of home with him. He's had a very interesting and exciting year, and hopefully the next one will be just as good, if not better! Happy Birthday TOM!!!

OSU Baby

A few weeks ago, Tom had to get some OSU stuff to show his pride at work. The deputy commander of his unit was always flashing his school's colors, and rubbing it in his face, all in good fun of course! So, Tom decided to get a Beavers banner and foam finger (he cracks me up!!) to take into work. He also got baby's first Beavers gear! Tom opened the package at work and was showing everyone the outfit, he's such a proud daddy already!!

Random Photos

Madison being cozy in the sink...she's an odd one!

Jaeger and Madison cuddling - a rare moment

Jaeger trying to fit his chunky butt in a paper bag...

"Owner" (a.k.a. Tom) and Jaeger

Relaxing at home!

Mom, Dad, and us enjoying a snack at a castle on the Rhine River!

It's been a little bit since I've posted anything...and I finally got some of our more recent photos a little bit more organized. The cats even have their own photo folder now!! We're all doing well, Tom's back in the states for a little while doing training, and me and the cats are holding down the fort while he's gone. I was telling him that I didn't realize how much he spoils me unitl he's not around to do it! He certainly is a wonderful husband and an amazing man :). Enjoy the photos!!

Our Wild Child!

Today we had our first real prenatal appointment. We were told that it was only going to be a check-up and we might get to hear the heartbeat, but that was it. Well, we got a whole lot more! First the doctor (I'm calling her a doctor, but she's really a midwife) said, well, I'm going to try to find the heartbeat, but don't panic if we can't find it. She couldn't find, and of course, I was still worried, but then she said she'd do an ultrasound. It was so amazing! Our baby was so active, and was moving around the whole time. The dr was getting frustrated because she was trying to get good measurements, but the baby was moving around so much she was having a difficult time doing it. Tom and I were laughing, it's a renegade baby!!! We saw the baby have the hiccups, curl up, stretch out, and even put his hand in mouth. It was so incredible to be able to see our baby for the first time. This one picture is really cute, I think he's waving hi to us :). We'll post the other photos when we get them scanned in.

Last Lonely Weekend...For Awhile!!

Hey Everyone,

We haven't been good about blogging...so here's the latest update:

Tom's been busy packing up, and Jessica's been busy cleaning and organizing the house, getting it ready for Tom to move in!! This is the last weekend we'll be apart, hopefully for a good while. Tom will eventually have to go back to the States for a few weeks of training, but probably not for a few months. Jessica started her new job a couple weeks ago, and has been really busy! There's lots of work to be done, and not enough hours in the day. So, other than that, not a whole lot is going on. Oh, please say some prayers for Tom, he's been having a weird allergic reaction to something that we're having a difficult time pinpointing, and the hives/rash he has is really uncomfortable :(. When he gets here, we'll post lots of pictures of him moving in!!!