The Con

I'm just sitting up late because I can't sleep. My husband has gone to spend time with his buddy a.k.a "Brother from another mother" who's stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I was supposed to have gone but I had work and all that mess. But that's another tangent entirely.

In school, I often end up "the old married" woman in the room. All the women I go to school with, and yes I'm using the word "woman" very losely there, aren't or haven't yet been in a serious enough relationship that would qualify them with enough experience to discuss the issues we discuss in school. Which is really a pain in the butt for me because it's obnoxious when they say things like "if my husband asks me to make him a sandwich I'm gonna tell him to get his own d**** sandwich". To which I just retort "then you're missing the point of marriage". Here's why:

Marriage is about sacrifice and compromise to create a balanced and harmonious happiness. Rome was not built in a day and neither is marital bliss. Marriage is very very hard most of the time, but it's the rest of the time that makes you work so darn hard to keep up with it.

My husband and I have only been married for about 2 1/2 years, however we have learned a few things and I have learned that you never stop learning. You're human beings and you're constantly evolving. Leave room for each other to grow and respect that space, respect each other no matter what. Communicate with each other even when it makes no darn sense and it hurts because you don't even want to be in the same room you're so angry. No one is a mind reader. When people stop respecting, stop communicating and start taking people for granted that's when things unravel. Believe me, people unravel very quickly when it comes to being detached and separated emotionally from a spouse.

So, the point of that rant is that I'm having to write a paper on wellness in the family or family practice basically. How marriages work, whether a parent can be a good parent if they're not meeting their own needs, and so on. And after doing my research and interviews and so on, it amazes me how much people miss. How people just stop looking for ways to love each other, stop looking for ways to care and meet up with their significant other. People have become so selfish. Or maybe they have always been that way.... what do you think?

24 Week Doctor's Appointment and All That Jazz...

So today was my 24 week checkup, as well as time for me to do my glucose screening test. This screening is basically to see if you have gestational diabetes, and they test all pregnant women at one time or another; usually between 23 and 26 weeks. So today was my lucky day! They gave me my fruit punch flavored glucose concoction at my last appointment and told me to keep it chilled until I had to drink it, which was 30 minutes prior to my appointment at 1:30pm. I was not allowed to eat or drink anything but water prior to that, so I wish that I had scheduled my appointment for like 10am or something like that so that I didn't have to feel that hunger pains or Audra ribbing me for food. Joe went with me and we were able to listen to Audra's heartbeat, strong and super active as usual. The doctor made a comment about her movement because she hates ultrasounds and dopplers (they actually emit a high pitched sound in order to work so babies shy away from them).

The doctor also was concerned about my activity and stress level, because of my short hospital visit about 2 weeks ago due to pains in my abdomen. He's limiting my work hours to less than 6 hours per shift and restricted what I'm able to lift or do. He also made sure to tell me that if the contractions intensify and the stress isn't at least a little less intense, then it's up for discussion that I won't be working anymore. Honestly, that place stresses me out so badly, I don't know how much longer I can keep going back there.

On the bright side, Joe got an award: Army Commendation to be exact. They really appreciate him at this post and all his hard work, I hope he gets promoted in March because that would just be such a blessing. Keep you fingers crossed and the prayers coming!

Round and round the merry go round, the monkey chased the weasel...

So another year has begun and the Orders family is embracing the biggest year so far! In May we will welcome our first child into the world and our lives will forever be changed. Also this year, Joe is up for his first look by the Army to possibly get promoted to Sergeant First Class. In the Army, after you've made Staff Sergeant, you no longer are brought before a promotion board where you spout facts and knowledge that you need to get promoted. When you go before this promotion board, you go before them in the spirit of a file that includes basically who you are or who you have been so far in the military; your picture (full body), any evaluations, any issues like article 15s or letter of reprimand as well. It's nerve wrecking for so many soldiers, however I think Joe has written it off as he won't get promoted because it's his first look and very few people get picked up on their first look. I'm trying not to mention it because I think he thinks about it enough. Joe also gets to participate in the Audie Murphy board which is an awesome opportunity. If you don't know who Audie Murphy is, read a book or google him! He's only one of the most famous soldiers of all time! In the infantry it's pretty much an honor to be invited to the Audie Murphy board. There's supposedly a PT test and all sorts of stuff involved, Joe has to go and do that in February.
I go back to school on the 20th of January, and I'm only concerned about school in the sense that I will be delivering a baby right after finals. Other than that I really love my new school and all the people there. Everyone is very helpful and the work load is hard but manageable.
To prepare for that exciting event in May, Joe and I are doing some prenatal classes. One is a full day of birthing prep in March and the other is a breastfeeding class in April. Hopefully they'll be able to answer my questions about natural childbirth, Joe and I really don't want to use any drugs at all if possible. I'm still nervous about all the stuff on my birth plan that I don't understand.
Soon after Audra is born (July or August), we'll be trekking to Florida so that my grandmother (who cannot travel) will be able to see her first great grandchild.
Which brings us into the Fall part of this year, Joe may be getting orders for another duty station and we would end up moving in the following Spring. I can just tell you right now, moving with an infant doesn't sound too interesting to me and Audra is not even here yet lol.
Well that's our scope for the year, who knows what will happen as the events unfold? So far God has blessed us immensely and we will continue to follow Him where we need to go! God Bless

Audra Marie

So on January 5th we went to the doctor for our level II ultrasound to make sure all of our baby's organs and everything are developing properly and at the correct rate. We were also able to find out the baby's gender. My mother and sister came along with Joe and me, and we found out we're having a healthy baby girl! We're naming her Audra Marie and she is currently growing extremely healthy in the 91% growth rate! Her heart rate was 155 bpm and she is about 9 inches long and weighs almost a pound! We are so excited and just blissful about how well she's developing. We'll post pictures of her room here soon. God Bless <3

The Veteran's Day Ball

Friday, November 6th was a crazy and hectic day for the Orders' household! I had class in the morning and Joe had to work until about 3pm.

I went straight out to a mall that is about 30 minutes away to get my hair put up, and they had given away my appointment "on accident". They offered to fit me in around 4pm, but I didn't really want to do that because the ball began at 6pm and plus I wasn't really all into paying 60 dollars for them to curl my hair. I spent a few hours on my hair but all in all, I've decided that there's no reason to get my hair done for these occasions anymore. Most of the other women just leave their hair down, and Joe likes it down anyway.

Joe spent about an hour getting his blues put together because I'd just had them dry cleaned. The whole time he was getting phone call after phone call from the office, saying so and so didn't show up for this or that. He was so stressed out by the time it was time to leave, every beer he drank was well deserved at the ball. lol

Joe's brigade threw this ball and they organized it extremely well! They did such a great job, I was so impressed, it was the nicest ball I've ever been to. It was held at the Medallion Center (I think that's what it was called) which is a catering hall near downtown.

They had two humvees parked out front where we walked in, and a whole bunch of soldiers (suckered into duty because they didn't buy tickets to the ball) dressed up in different war era uniforms from the American revolution to the Korean war to even present day. I got to meet just about everyone Joe works with, and our table was full of great people we had such a terrific time. Every SGM and Command SGM I meant had great things to say about Joe, it was nice to meet all the people that call my house all the time! lol

I'll put up pictures soon :)

Happy Halloween! and a SUPER Busy November!

So far October has proved to be a busy and crazy month for us! October 1st was our glimpse at our baby, it was an exciting experience to hear the heartbeat for the first time! Since then, we've come a long way and I'm now 10 weeks and 3 days pregnant. We won't see the baby again until mid-December which I'm so excited about :) Joe and I found out about this website that allows you to upload your photos and it guesses what your baby looks like... here's what we got!


Anyhow, we've got a super big month in November. Muffin is finally getting fixed, that is a whole other blog posting... Joe and I are going to the Veteran's Ball, Then there's a potluck for his unit, not to mention all the exams and papers I have due this month! Plus Joe finishes up two of his clep exams.

I'll write more soon, I just got the heavy rush of sleepiness wash over me. Goodnight all!

Our Little Butterbean

Joe and I found out we're expecting! We were both surprised considering what the doctors told me over the summer, not to mention we were not trying to get pregnant. I'm about 10 weeks now, and finally starting not to feel sick all of the time, now just some of the time (lol). I'm still in school, and not going to stop even after the baby is born. Fortunately, he or she will be born in the summer time so I won't be in school anyhow. Although I may take one online class just to get ahead.

Joe is picking up his CLEP exam books and studying so that he can someday start OCS (officer candidacy school). I'm really hoping he can get it all together here soon because time passes so quickly, it's easy to procrastinate and then wake up just as your chance is flying by.

We are absolutely enjoying our time here in South Carolina, and really there couldn't have been a better time in Joe's career for us to have a baby. We're in a terrific neighborhood and a big house, not to mention our landlord is awesome! I have to head off to class now, but I'll try to write on here more often!