First Day of Work and David Home...

Wow, I have so much news!! First of all, we mananged to find a tenant for our house in Omaha, which is super exciting. Selling up there in this market just was not going to be a good idea for us, so we placed the house on the rental market before I left. The tenants signed the lease today, and will be moving in around September 1st, which gives David plenty of time to move out. It's a wonderful development because it is the first step toward us being able to buy a house here...we can really get to house hunting now!!

Also, as some of you may have known, today was my first day of work as a Public Affairs Officer in the Florida Air National Guard. Since leaving College of Saint Mary in Omaha, I've had about a month off, and let me tell you...I got spoiled!! I didn't even work a full day today, and I'm pretty tired :). I guess being seven months pregnant in June in Florida will do that to you, though. I was up at the Wing Headquarters in Jacksonville, escorting media and taking part in a change of command ceremony, so I was on my feet and outside a lot, which probably didn't help. Other than that, it was a good day. My boss seems really nice and easy to get along with, and it was just so wonderful to be back in uniform...I really missed it and it was a good feeling to lace up those boots again! Tomorrow will probably be mostly an office day, just getting settled and meeting people. Wish me luck, since I'll probably be at this job for quite awhile, and I definitely dont want to let them down!

But enough about me and the house...I've been saving the best for last! The other exciting thing that happened today is that David finally got back home!!!! He's been gone for nearly three months, and he is so excited to be back on U.S. soil. He arrived back in Omaha this afternoon, and will spend the next couple of days inprocessing back to his unit and getting over his jetlag. Then he will make a trip down here to visit me, and hopefully to do that house hunting I mentioned earlier! I just can't wait to see him -- he's been gone so long and I've missed him so much, and I know he is excited about seeing me all huge (when he left, I was only about four months along...I'm MUCH bigger now!). Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and kind words while he's been away...having such great family and friends really makes the difficult times easier.

Well, that's all to report for now (as if it isn't enough!). I have my next doctor's appointment in about a week, and I will be sure to post again then to let you all know how it goes. Love you all!

Caitlin

27 Week Belly Shots

Hey everyone! Here are a few new belly shots at 27 weeks pregnant. I know, I know...I'm getting freakishly HUGE!! The baby will probably end up weighing like 23 pounds...I'll have to skip all the adorable baby clothes and move straight to shopping in the toddler section ;) As you can see, my dog Bella wasn't sure she liked me and the baby getting all the attention, so we let her make an appearance as well. My main goal this week is to get an appointment with an OB/GYN here in St. Aug (I'm pretty sure I already know the one I'm going with), so as soon as I get that accomplished, I'll be sure to post again to keep everyone up to date!

26 Weeks and Counting!

Wow, I'm so sorry it's been so long since I posted last. Things have been C-R-A-Z-Y!! As many of you probably know, I got a job in my hometown of St. Augustine, Florida, working as a Public Affairs Officer for the Florida National Guard. In late May, I packed up some of my stuff, loaded it and my dogs into David's truck and (with my Dad's help) took three days driving from Omaha to Florida. It was actually a pretty fun trip, even though staying in hotels with two huge and unruly dogs is not something I would recommend for the faint of heart!

Anyway, we got here alright and are staying at my parent's house until David gets back from his deployment. Then we will start working to get him moved here with a job in the Florida National Guard, and start looking for a new house. We are so excited about this new chapter in our lives...we've missed living in the South (and the warm weather!) so much, and love the idea of raising this baby close to both of our families. We can't wait to take the baby to the beach and spend weekend at Disney World (David is especially excited about that one!).

Speaking of the baby, he/she is doing just great! Next week will be the start of my seventh month, and my third (and last!) trimester. I've started to feel a little tired again, but have been lucky to not be working (I don't start my new job until June 21), so I've been able to take a nap almost every day. I'm busy trying to find an OB that I like here...it looks like I'll have to deliver in Jacksonville (about 45 minutes away) because of Tricare restrictions, but I'm sure it will all work out fine.

The baby's kicks have gotten out of control...sometimes I think there MUST be more than one in there, but the doctors assure me that's not the case :). Sometimes he/she kicks me so hard that you can actually see my stomach jump...it's such a weird sensation. Lately my cravings have been pretty healthy...I want a lot of fresh things (like fruit and salad), and probably eat about five Sugar Free Popsicles a day (at least they've only got 15 calories each!). It's helping me keep my weight gain in check...my doctors and all the baby books say that by this point I should've gained between 16 and 22 pounds, and I'm right at 18 or 19, so that's good!

All in all, the pregnancy is still progressing smoothly and easily...I really have no complaints to speak of. I've been very blessed to get through it with no morning sickness, no heartburn, and no extreme fatigue yet (talk to me again when I'm eight months pregnant in August, and we'll see how I feel then!). Thank you to everyone for your kind words and well wishes...David and I truly appreciate them! I promise to post a new belly shot soon...I'll have to do it quick before I lose the battle to stretch marks!

Love you all!
Caitlin