A few pictures...

I thought I'd post a few pictures of my pregnancy for today. Enjoy! And remember, yes, I was big! haha!

12 weeks

18 weeks

20 weeks

My Next Step Down Memory Lane..

So, we continue the stroll down memory lane..

Once Kevin left for deployment, I didn't know what to do with myself. I'm not the outgoing type at all, so meeting friends wouldn't be easy. And honestly at that point, I still felt that the whole thing was temporary, so I didn't want to get close to anyone.. my way of protecting myself, I guess.

Anyway, I did end up meeting a few people on myspace and on cafemom who were wives that lived in the Beaufort base housing too. Eventually I went ahead and met a girl at her house that lived 2 streets over from me in base housing. I was excited and hoped for the best. We kinda hit it off at the beginning, but after many months it didn't really work out. We were totally different (and not in a good way). But on that first day that I went to her house, her friend Jennifer was there. Jennifer's husband was gone too, and actually worked in the AME shop with my husband.

This is the girl who kept me going through my pregnancy. She kept me sane while Kevin was gone (and even after.. frankly, men aren't easy to live with or without!). She was my second husband and Leala's second daddy.. haha. I love her, and I don't know how I could have done things without her. She did everything that Kevin would have done for me if he was there and all the things that a girlfriend does for you. She took me to 5 million places to pick out our Christmas tree... She went with me to go buy the changing table.. She even got me a discount on my recliner and then carried into my house! She was there when I was hormonal and needed to cry.. She was there when I was bored and didn't want to look at my house anymore. She was there when my back hurt. She was the one who hooked up little shocking things to my back to ease the pain. She was the one who I bought groceries with and helped carried them inside.. She was the one whose house I was at 24-7, to where I normally didn't have to buy groceries.. She was the one who took me out to eat when I just had to have Applebee's and nothing else.. She satisfied my sweet cravings and didn't talk too much trash about me when I ate 5 cupcakes in one sitting.. She was the one who helped me watch my sugar after I found out I had gestational diabetes. She helped me through the unknowns of pregnancy and motherhood. She gave me all of her daughter's old clothes! She let me stay at her house practically 24-7 for several months. She was my best friend. She is my best friend.

So yeah, after moving to South Carolina, determined not to meet anyone and make attachments, I go off and meet the best friend I've ever had.. Good going, huh?

In all honesty, it couldn't have been a better time. I thought I was strong. I thought I was hard. I thought I could do it all my own and that I didn't need anyone. Yeah right.. I learned how wrong I was.. and rather quickly too. I needed somone. I needed Jennifer and she was there.. always.

*Stay tuned til next time, and we'll continue my stroll down memory lane.*

*By the way, Jennifer. Thanks. I love you and I don't know what I'd do without you.*

A Stroll Down Memory Lane...

Some of you may have my post about how I found out I was pregnant and how I told Kevin. If not, go check it out if you want.. I thought, I might as well take a stroll down memory lane and write about journey through my pregnancy with Leala. That post started it all.

So now, on to the next part of the journey. We knew that Kevin would have to go on deployment soon (July 5th, 2007), so we only had a month together after we found out that I was pregnant. We went ahead and bought some baby things, so that he could play a part in the shopping part of it all. I know, it could be considered bad luck to do such things, but you do what you can when the military is involved. Plus, we were overly excited about being pregnant.

I was so happy that I got pregnant when I did, b/c it seemed like perfect timing. He was home long enough at the beginning to be there when I found out, and even for when I started showing. Then we was back home from deployment by the time I was 33 weeks pregnant. Yes, he missed most of the appointments and yes, he missed hearing her heartbeat for the first time and the first ultrasound, but he did get to see the last ultrasound. I was even allowed to record her heartbeat and the first (internal) ultrasound too. So, I mailed that to him (which of course didn't get there until well over 3 weeks later), and I played the heartbeat over the phone for him too. :)

Yes, I said I started showing fairly early. I got big, fast... and stayed big.. haha.. There were two sacs at the beginning, but the second egg never developed. We didn't know all this before Kevin left for deployment, but everyone did say that it looked like twins. :)

So, here we were.. married for 2 years, been wanting a baby for a while, but couldn't because he was stationed in Japan and I was in Texas... and we just found out I'm pregnant... and in a month, he was leaving to go on deployment on the USS Enterprise (eventually near Iraq). Oh, and did I mention that none of my family lived around there. Everyone was back home in Texas.. and I hadn't made any friends yet either.. we had only been in South Carolina for 2 months before we found out I was pregnant.

I knew things would be hard, but I made the choice to get pregnant. We wanted a baby, and if I had to be alone while pregnant, then so be it. I would make it through, some how..

I thought I could do it. I didn't think I'd need anyone.. That I could make it through, until Kevin got back. I didn't need any new friends there. South Carolina wasn't my home. It was temporary. We were only staying there for a year and a few months. I didn't need any strings holding me there. Though I felt "prepared", little did I know how little I knew..

This was taken at 8 weeks and 5 days... I was showing already. :)

The bassinet, baby clothes, blankets, towels, etc that we bought before Kevin left. We got the carseat and stroller too. Oh, and yes, that's in the living room. We kept it in there, since that's where we spent most of our time, so we could see it more often. :)

Stay tuned for the continuation of my walk down memory lane... through my pregnancy with Leala.