Bald Eagle Driver

It is amazing what a group of men will do when stuck on a base in the desert without any women around. At first it was just the mustache, now it's this!!

They are calling themselves the "Bald Eagle Drivers."

Of course, my response was, "NOOOOOOOO!" He's been informed that he is not allowed in the delivery room looking like this. So he has 4 months to grow it back. I think he'll be back to his regular handsome self by then! But to remind us all of what that handsome man looks like, here is a pic of him by the jet!

SHOT: Stay safe, fly well, and know that I still love you, bald head and all!

One Month Down...

... And several more months to go, but who's counting?

Here are a few highlights from this first month on the deployment:

• Mike has settled in to his tent and set up his new "home." He get's a full bunkbed set so he can sleep on the bed below and use the top bed for storage. It's not Okinawa, but it gets the job done. They've been keeping him so busy that he doesn't spend much time here anyway.

• He has had one opportunity to go off base for some fun and relaxation. They went to an entertainment complex where they offer horseback riding, waterskiing, and some serious go-carting among other activities!

Wrath, Shot, and Wizz were very serious about their driving. The experience was pretty impressive, from what he tells me. They gave them fire retardant suits and helmets to wear!

• Shot has also had time to start his deployment 'stache. That lip sweater is only going to get more impressive as the months go on.

• I have done some growing of my own! Since he left I've nearly outgrown most of my pants and am certainly feeling larger.

• I've set several goals for myself and continue to work toward them. Every now and then I add another to the list. I may not have completed all of them, but I continue to make steps toward each one. Currently, my goals are:

1. Try a new recipe each week.
2. Acquire a new skill.
3. Create and manage a baby registry.
4. Complete Half Pint's nursery.

• I've also been very active with the squadron. Our social calendar has filled up quickly!

This keeps me busy and makes time pass quickly. It's also helps me to help others. It

reminds me that life could certainly be worse. Plus doing nice things makes you feel good!

Some of the things I've been working on are:

- Bringing dinner to families in need. One woman in our squadron is pregnant but is

having complications. She is on bed rest so I took dinner to her and her husband last

week.

- My neighbor gave birth to her 4th child 2 weeks ago but found out she needed

emergency gallbladder surgery this week. I took dinner to their family too.
- There are several women who have young children. So my friend, Andrea and I are

starting Give a Bat Babe a Break. The first and third Friday of the month we offer free

childcare for 3 hours so the moms can go to the store, clean the house, get a pedicure,

or take a nap! It's a great opportunity for them to take a much needed break.

- I've also been to visit friends, Blaze and Christie Whelan, in the hospital after the arrival

of their little girl, Lillie. She is so sweet!!

So as you can see, we have both then keeping busy. The first month has gone by quickly,

but not fast enough if you ask me. We get the chance to talk about once a week over

FaceTime but email more often than that. It's been frustrating at times when the internet

is slow or our schedules don't cooperate. But we are making it through. Thanks to all for

your love and support.

Deployment Goal #2

I've talked about setting goals for myself during this deployment to help time pass quickly. My first goal was to try to new recipes each week. My second goal is to acquire new skills by taking classes and trying new things.

For the last 2 weeks I've been taking a pottery class at the craft center on base. It's not just any pottery class though, it's an Okinawan style pottery class. It took 2 classes and lots of patience, but I successfully made 2 shisa faces to hang in our home!!

The Shishi, or in the Okinawan dialect shisa, is originally a traditional Chinese symbol but has been fully adopted by the Okinawan people. It's argued that you will see more shisas in Okinawa than you will in China nowadays! They are a pair of lion type dogs that sit at the front door or on the eves of an establishment. The male sits on the right with his mouth open. The female on the left has her mouth closed. It's traditionally believed that the shisa with an open mouth lets bad spirits out of the building while the closed mouth shisa keeps good spirits in. Regardless of the specifics, they are a prominent symbol of protection on the island. I've been looking for the prefect pair of shisas but have not been able to find them. Why not make them?!

The instructor walked us through step by step but we did all the work. I took a picture of each step to show my progress. You can literally watch them grow! The instructor will take them to the kiln to be fired so I will have to post the final product later. But you can get a sense of what they will look like!

I'm very excited to hang my new shisa faces when they come back!!

Rusty's Day at the Pool

Every year, before they drain to the pool for the winter, they open it to dogs for an afternoon of swimming! Rusty and I went this afternoon and he LOVED it! I'm telling you, perma-smile plastered on his face for an hour!

I was going to meet some friends there, but Tom, Stephanie and Koda Wentrazc were running a little late. So Rusty and I hung out just the two of us for about 15 minutes. He did really well until something on the other side of the pool caught his attention and off he went. Of course, I had to throw off my clothes, jump in after him, chase him down, and make sure we didn't get kicked out! Once the Wentrazc's arrived, Tom got in the water while Stephanie and I stayed poolside to throw the balls and assist the dogs out of the pool.

Rusty is very good at the long jump. When a ball is thrown in, he will take a running leap and make it across the first lane before entering the water!! Check out the video below to see it first hand. You can also see my fat stomach in a swimsuit. Don't judge please.

We were only there for an hour, but Rusty and Koda got plenty of swim time. I now have one pooped pup! This is by far the best day of his entire year!!

Half Pint Update - Gender Day!!

I had an ultrasound this morning. We found out that Half Pint is a GIRL!!! I have been certain all along that we were having a boy, but I was wrong. According to the picture below, it is clear that our little one is a little girl!

PLEASE NOTE: This is the first and LAST time that our child's privates will be seen on any form of public media!!

The visit went ok. The tech took all the pictures, but I did not get any results. I go back on the 8th to see the doctor. At that time, he will interpret them for me. So, I am not quite sure how everything is, but from what I could see, all things looked great! I got to see her face and profile! Her heart was beating and I could see the valves opening and closing! She was moving all over the place!! It was so great to see little Half Pint again. It made this all seem a little more real. I just really wish that Mike could have been there.

Of course, I came straight home to tell Mike that he was going to have a little girl! It was very strange to share this news online with him, but I am thankful to have that face to face time no less. He promised not to spoil her too much... I told him not to make promises he can't keep!!

I am 19 weeks and a few days pregnant today!! I've been feeling good but still very tired some days. It doesn't take much to reach my limit and I'm still learning what that limit is. I can tell that I'm growing quickly not only by the pictures, but also by the way my clothes fit! Just this week I've started feeling Half Pint move throughout the day. She tends to be more active when I'm not, like in the mornings or in the evenings, but there are times during the day that I can feel some movement! It's the coolest feeling in the world!!

17 weeks

18 weeks

19 weeks

Another fun thing that I started doing is using the Baby Plus. Check out the link to learn more about it, but in a nutshell, I wear it over my belly as it plays a drumbeat for Half Pint. I wear it for 1 hour in the AM and 1 hour in the PM. It helps Half Pint to start learning in the womb. She can start to distinguish this sound from the my heartbeat. As we go along, I'll increase the difficulty with progressive lessons until she's born. During these lessons, she's been particularly active.

It's also been increasingly difficult to remember everything that I need to do everyday to stay healthy. So a friend made me this Pregnancy Calendar. I keep track of my morning and evening Baby Plus sessions, vitamins, workouts, and doctor's appointments. It's made a huge difference!!

We are moving right along. Things are all going well!! Miss you all and can't wait to see most of you in December!! And I certainly can't wait to meet our little Half Pint in March!!

Deployment Goal #1

I've set a few goals for myself while Mike is away. This gives me something to work toward, something to keep me busy, some new skills to master, and a few ways to prepare for Half Pint's arrival. So, let me tell you about the first goal.

Goal #1: Try a new recipe every week

I noticed early on in this deployment, that I don't eat so well when Mike's not here. I'm just not motivated to cook for 1. PB&J or cereal is just so much easier when it's just me. So, to keep up my nutritional intake and motivation, I've decided to set this little goal.

It's been almost 4 weeks since Mike left, and I'll admit, I haven't tried a new one every week. But I have tried more than 4 new recipes, so I feel I am still on track. So far, I am getting my recipes from my new book: What to Expect Eating Well When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel. They substitute ingredients with more nutritious options so you don't lose calories vitamins, or taste! For example, instead of refined sugar, they call for fruit juice concentrate. Most of the time they use a combination of whole wheat flour, milled flaxseed, and oat bran instead of bleached flour.

I have tried 9 new recipes, but my favorites so far have been Apricot Ginger Glazed Chicken, Ginger-Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancakes, Pumpkin Pie Muffins, and Heavenly Chocolate Cake. I fully plan to make the chicken and chocolate cake again in the future, so I will only share the recipes from this week will with you. I made pancakes on Sunday and, boy, were they GOOD!! I don't think I'll ever go back to Bisquik again!! I also made muffins yesterday, and they will last me all week!

Ginger-Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of ground allspice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup apple juice concentrate or white grape juice concentrate

1/3 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 medium eggs

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (unthawed) blueberries

2 teaspoons canola oil

1. Place whole wheat flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and baking soda in a large bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

2. Place juice concentrate, milk, butter, and eggs in a medium-sized bowl, and whisk to blend. Add the juice mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until blended. Add the blueberries and stir gently to combine.

3. Heat the canola oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pancakes 2 at a time, using 1/4 cup of the batter per pancake, until they are golden brown on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.

4. Serve pancakes warm. They can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Note from the chef: I recommend cooking on lower heat for a little lower. The first few burned because it was too hot!!

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup oat bran

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup solid-pack pumpkin puree

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup white grape juice concentrate

1/3 cup all-fruit apricot preserves

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2/3 cup golden raisins or chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line standard-size 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Place whole wheat flour, oat bran, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and stir to mix.

3. Place the pumpkin, eggs, oil, grape juice concentrate, apricot preserves, and vanilla in another mixing bowl and mix well. Add pumpkin mix to the flour mixture and stir gently just until blended; careful no to over mix.

4. Gently fold in the raisins and walnuts.

5. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tin.

6. Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

7. Transfer muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely. The muffins will store for 3 days or freeze for 3 months.

Weekly Review - "Life Without Mike"

Pregnancy Week 16

1-8 October

So, this marks almost 2 whole weeks that Mike has been gone. Last week was our first full week without him here, and I have to say, we didn't do too bad!

I've been keeping busy with work and play, but I did find my limits the hard way. By Monday afternoon, I was wiped to the point of physical exhaustion! It might have had something to do with the 4 hours of preschool gymnastics on Saturday, an hour walk and an hour of a pregnancy workout video on Sunday, and then another 4 hours of toddler gymnastics on Monday. On top of it all, I've realized that I don't eat well when Mike's away. It's just easier to eat cereal or PB&J 3 times a day instead of making well rounded meals for just myself. So, the combination of overworking and under eating took it's toll on me.

Now, I am still working out but not over doing it. AND I've made a personal goal. I am going to make a new pregnancy healthy dish each week. I just got What to Expect Eating Well When You're Expecting and they have some great recipes in there! They add healthy supplements that aren't necessarily lower in calories or nutrition. So this week, I made apricot glazed chicken with lemon zest asparagus and organic green beans and blueberry muffins for dessert! It was really tasty and fun to try something new!

Rusty has been keeping me company too. He loves the chance to sleep in the bed and snuggle with me! This means I have to wash the sheets and comforter twice a week, but it's totally worth it! He is a bed hog though.

Other than that, Half Pint continues to grow! I felt a little kick one night this week! It was brief but exciting!! Thanks to Michele and Julie, I have lots of reading material to go through on labor and delivery, post-delivery, and beyond!! I'm also starting to research baby products. This is a VERY overwhelming task! There is so much out there, how do you know what you need and what you don't need? It's great to have advise and tips from moms out there!!

(Self-portraits are not easy!! I'm working on it so hopefully the future pictures will be better!)

Weekly Review "The Farewell"

Pregnancy Week 15

24 - 30 September, 2011

This was the week that Mike deployed. We spent his last days in Okinawa packing the last few things, organizing packages to be sent later, and running the last few errands.

Our doctor was nice enough to squeeze us in early for my 16 week appointment. Normally they don't do another ultrasound at this time, but since Mike was leaving, he brought in the machine for us!! We got to see Half Pint again and he/she was MOVING!! It was so much fun to be able to watch him/her bounce around, put hands in the face, and kick! We could see ribs and fingers and the spine!! Too bad he/she wasn't cooperating, we might have been able to tell if Half Pint is a boy or girl!! Guess we'll just have to wait until the next appointment. I was slightly disappointed because the printer on the machine was broken. So, no new photos to share. But I am so thankful that Mike was there to share one more appointment with me.

It was tough not to spend those last few days focusing on the frustration, sadness, and fear that I felt about him leaving for so long. I know that Rusty picked up on the approaching departure too. He was Mike's shadow and never left his side. It was quite comical.

The morning that Mike left, I dropped him off at the hangar at 4 am but was told I could go back to hang out with him from 6:30-8:30 before he actually left. Mike called me at about 6:15 saying that I better get over there to say my final goodbyes because they were leaving soon. So, instead of a 2 hour visit, we got about 10 minutes. In hindsight, it was better this way. I didn't have time to get worked up and start the ugly cry in public. No one wants to ugly cry in public. Instead, it was short, sweet, and to the point. It was liking ripping off a Bandaid. We had time for one last picture, hugs, kisses, and "Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, Happy Birthday, and Happy Valentine's Day" in person.

I filled every waking moment of the rest of the week running errands, checking things off my To Do List, working, and keeping busy. In fact, my motto during this deployment will be "Just keep moving." The hardest parts of that week were dinner time and bed time. I ate leftovers for 4 days because I just didn't want to cook for one. When it came time for bed, I procrastinated by being productive... How often does that happen? I just didn't want to go to bed alone.

But, there are good things to celebrate. My baby bumps keeps growing. I think I felt Half Pint move on Saturday!! I don't know for sure, but it was a sensation I've never felt before. What else could it be?! The temperature and humidity have taken a break! I can officially light my fall scented candles! And Mike and I were able to Skype. Communication will not be as difficult as I had originally feared. I can see his face and hear his voice. Things will be ok though difficult at times. Thank you to all who have sent emails and made phone calls this week. I truly appreciate your love and support during this difficult time.

Big Weekend

As I mentioned in the last post, Mike is getting ready to deploy. He'll be gone for most of the pregnancy and in fact, we are still not sure when he'll be getting back to Okinawa! His squadron commander has told him that he will do his best to get him back here before Half Pint arrives, but there are no guarantees with the military.

In order to allow Mike to help me prepare for Half Pint's arrive in one way or another, we decided to buy a crib! Last weekend we went to the furniture store on Camp Foster, the only American furniture store on island, and pick out the crib we liked. There were a whopping 7 cribs to choose from and this one had all the qualities we were looking for: it was brown. We had it delivered this past week, and this weekend we put it together.

We started by organizing some of our office and guest bedroom. We had to move things around in our office so we could put the guest bed in there too. This left plenty of space in the baby's room to work! Then we started on this new crib. It didn't take long, and we worked really well together, if I do say so myself! Rusty was there the entire time, monitoring our progress.

After we set up the nursery (as well was we could for the time being), Mike started packing for the deployment. He used most of the guest bedroom/office to do this. And again, Rusty was there the whole time to monitor his progress.

With all this change, moving furniture, and suitcases being packed, Rusty has been acting a little funny. He follows Mike around the house and whenever there is a chance, he will climb into Mike's lap and sit on him. It's almost as if he thinks, "If I lay on you, you can't leave me." He's a very smart dog and sensitive too. He senses that something big is about to happen involving Mike. It's heartbreaking to watch.

Now, when I walk down the hall and glance into either of these extra rooms, my heart skips a beat. In one room I see bags and boxes and I know what they mean: departure. But in the other room, I see a new crib and lots of space to fill with cute baby items and love. I know what that means too: arrival. I guess that's the way life goes.

Big News!!

This summer has been a busy one! Mike and I have taken a few vacations (those updates to come). We've both been working. Mike's been preparing for a deployment. AND we found out some very exciting news.... We are going to have a baby!!

We found out on July 15th and were both very surprised to see that positive double line on the test! Since then we've seen the doctor once to have an ultrasound. It showed that everything looks like it's going well. We were given a due date of March 17th, St. Paddy's Day! This should be one lucky kid!

This week, we see the doctor again and hope that everything is on track. We are both really excited and looking forward to meeting our little Half Pint.

Here We Go Again!

We have another typhoon on the way. This time it's predicted to be a Category 3 when it hits us with winds of 111-130 MPH! We've pulled our stuff in the house, sandbagged all the could take flight, and are ready for the storm to begin. It should hit some time late Thursday night or early Friday morning. We'll be in touch and let you know how we are doing. This should be a big one!!!

Cambodia Part 4 - The Final Installment

So I'm sure you are tired of hearing about this trip to Cambodia... but I've saved the best for last. Don't worry, I won't post all of the pictures I took, but just as a warning, this post will be be picture heavy!!

The last 3 days of our trip was spent in Siem Reap touring around the city and visiting the temples of the Angkor Wat Temple Complex. This whole "temple complex" was difficult for me understand at first, but after lots of time talking to our tour guide, I slowly started to see it clearer. Starting in the 9th century, this part of the world was ruled by a succession of kings. Each one wanted to build his own temple to worship the Hindu or Buddhist gods and to center civilization around. For 6 centuries, no ruler would use the temple of a previous ruler... recycling must not have been popular at the time. There are over 300 temples registered and restored in this area!! These temples are collectively referred to as "the complex."

As you can imagine, it is difficult to see ALL of these temples in just three days! So, we hired a guide and tuk-tuk driver to take us to the most popular, intact, and impressive temples.

We started at Angkor Thom, the capital city from 1181-1218. On the ride to the temple, we passed through a gate in the outer wall. The bridge over a mote leading to the gate was guarded by ancient stone warriors on either side. Once inside the grounds of Angkor Thom, we still had to ride for several minutes before arriving at the temple.

Most of the larger temples have three levels representing hell, earth, and heaven (or Nirvana.) The first level almost always has long stone carved walls telling the history of the kingdom at that time.

The sprawling first level also has many windows and doorways leading into yet another set of windows or doorways. It is difficult at times to find a method to the madness, but it also sets a majestical tone to the environment. This Khmer woman and her child were too picturesque to pass up.

Throughout the temple, there are 49 towers, most of them on the 3rd level. Each tower has four smiling Buddha faces pointing in a cardinal direction. As you wander over the ancient stone rubble, windows unexpectedly frame a smiling face and around each corner is another surreal view. It is difficult to capture the true views on camera, but I did my best.

I could have stayed here for days just climbing, exploring, and absorbing the mystery of this place! But a few hours was all we could dedicate before we were off to the next place. We moved on to Ta Prohm, a breathtaking stone complex that, through centuries of neglect and abandonment, has been taken back by the surrounding forest. The contrast of stone and nature is striking! To see the power of a tree root cutting through the seemingly immovable rock gives this temple a unique and almost fictitious look.

Of course, to reach the temple, you had to pass through a gate in the outer wall. This gate, however, was too small for motorized traffic so we walked. At the gate, a group of Khmer children gathered to hawk trinkets, postcards, and baskets of other small goods to passing tourists. If you were nice and acknowledge their presence, like this fellow traveler, they would persistently follow you all the way to the temple walls hoping to wear you down and make a few Riel.

After a 5-10 minute walk, we arrived at this sight: The front entrance of Ta Prohm Temple!

Once inside, there was a maze of rooms, hallways, and courtyards with one breathtaking view after another. As you can see, the trees of the forest have really made their presence known and have become a part of the architecture!

I liked the little face peeking through the roots here.

If this temple looks familiar, that's because you've probably seen it in Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider. It was filmed here!!

We were so hot and exhausted from our first day of temple going, that we decided to call it a day and start early the next morning. We met our tour guide and tuk-tuk driver at 5 am to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat, the largest and most intact temple in the whole complex.

In the darkness among hundreds of other hopeful tourists, we crossed the mote, went through the outer gate, and found a seat on the inside of the barrier wall facing the temple. Our hotel had sent us with a breakfast of tiny bananas to enjoy while we waited. When we arrived, all we could see was the outline of the towering spires in the faint light of dawn.

But soon enough, the sun rose behind the cloud cover to show off the whole temple. We never did get to see the sun itself, but the view was still great!

This reflection pond also had some gorgeous water lilies!

Once inside the 12th century temple, we walked the halls looking at the traditional carved stone history and made our way to the Echo Chamber.

The Echo Chamber is nothing more than a deep doorway with a very high ceiling. But if you put your back against the wall and pound your chest, you can hear and FEEL the echoing through your body. It's really pretty cool!

We climbed from one level to the next marveling at the architecture, taking pictures, and enjoying the surroundings. To decorate, apsara dancers were carved on every available space of stone wall eye level. They wore billowing pants with no shoes or tops. Ornate headdresses and necklaces decorated the exotic entertainers of the time.

From the 3rd and highest level, you could see the surrounding grounds and forest. It was beautiful!

Of course, Siem Reap has more to offer than just temples. We spent an evening at a traditional Khmer dinner/dance show. We watched modern day apsara dancers do their traditional moves and ate some... exotic food.

After the show, we even got pictures with the performers.

We also spent some time touring the City Center Market, sampling drinks on Pubs Street and getting massages at one of the many massage parlors.

All in all, this was by far my favorite part of the trip. Siem Reap and Cambodia should be on any traveler's bucket list. It is the perfect balance of sightseeing and relaxation, history and modern comforts, nice merchandise and cheap fairs. I had a wonderful time with Jenn and Suzanne and would love to go back one of these days!!