A Tour of the New Home

So, here's a look at our new place. It took us a while...but, we've got it to a point that it really feels complete. There are still a few things we are working on to further make the place our own. But, here is the tour:

Here's the view of the exterior of the home. Our bedroom is
the window you can see on the right.

This is looking in the front door. To the left is the living
room, to the right is the kitchen/dining room.

Here's a corner to corner walk through our living room/
office area.
Our living room is easily the most used room in the house, as this
is where we have the TV and the office. It is a very comfortable
room, but still very spacious!
I love my office! We found this beautiful L desk at Office Depot
and it fits the room very nicely. Now...we just need a newer
computer that will actually allow me to work online without
the computer freezing up every few seconds!

Our kitchen.
One of the things that we both really like about this setup
is how the kitchen opens into the dining room. It really makes
the area feel bigger than it really is...it also helps with clean up
since the sink is right there!

Our dining room, with our beautiful, new table!
We don't eat many meals here just yet, but we have already
decided that it is our goal to try to establish a family tradition
of eating meals at the table where the entertainment comes
from talking to each other, rather than from watching the
television.

Our back porch and back yard. Eliana's bedroom is the
window on the far left in this picture.
Yet again, an area of the home that doesn't see much use.
But, once we start piecing together our home in greater
detail, we will decide what we want to do with our porch
and yard. Eliana will certainly want to come out here to
play at some point.

A look down the front hallway (from the front entry.)

Our utility room, complete with our new washer and dryer!
This is the door to the garage.

Our garage. Notice the new bike! This will be my new
primary mode of transportation to and from work to
help me get in better shape, save money on gas, and allow
Lisa to have the car a bit more.
This is one of the areas of the house that is going to be
improved upon. I'm planning on getting a couple more
shelves to put in the little alcove so that we have some
more shelves for storage.

More a point of reference than anything. But, notice the
clever storage of our iron and ironing board?

Our bedroom with the beautiful bedspread and pillow set
that my sister gave us for Christmas.

Our closet. This is yet another project in waiting. There isn't
as much shelf space as either Lisa or I would like, so we're
planning on getting some wire shelving to put in here to
give us a bit more shelf/hanging space.

Our tiny, little bathroom. There is an entrance from our
bedroom (top) and from the hallway (bottom). Special thanks
to Mickey Mouse for taking that first picture for me!

The hallway between our bedroom and Eliana's room. There
is, as you can see, another door between the bathroom and
Eliana's room. This is a walk in storage closet. No pictures
of this, though...it is a complete disaster! The only a shelf space is a
1' shelf along the back wall in this 8' x 3.5' closet, so it is mostly floor
space. Naturally, most of the things that are presently stored in
it are on the floor. This is yet another project that we have in mind.
We are going to put some shelves in here as well to get things
off the floor and on shelf so that we have access to whatever
is stored there and not just whatever is closest to the door...so, no
pictures until we've put more shelving in to make the space a little
more usable/presentable.

Finally, we have Eliana's room. Believe it or not, I actually
helped arrange and decorate this room. Not sure if you can
see it, but I installed new hardware on the little chest of
drawers that's sitting under the window. They used to be
these really loose handles, but we found the silver ones
that were one solid piece. We both really like how it looks.
About a week or so before Eliana was born, I went in, put the
crib sheet on and arranged the stuffed animals on the crib
because I was so excited for my little girl to finally come!

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Pictures with Daddy

We wanted to get a few newborn pics. Today's photo shoot was with daddy. Maybe tomorrow we will do some other shots, but for now enjoy!

Welcome to the world Eliana!

Our little one is finally here! She arrived on Thursday night at 11:18. Weighed in at 7 pounds and 19 1/4 inches long. She was perfectly healthy and scored a perfect 8 of 8 on her APGAR.

Now the story, don't worry it's actually not one of those scary labor stories, but if you don't want to read I understand just skip to the bottom for pics...

So backing up a bit my Mom arrived on Mon because Dave would be in the field and I didn't want to be alone in case Eliana decided it was time to come. Dave left Tuesday morning for the field.

I had my weekly dr appointment on Thursday morning and we were kinda hoping that when he checked my cervix I would be far enough a long to send me straight to labor and delivery, but I wasn't. I was almost a 4 and about 60% effaced. So mom and I went back home to continue our wait for the big day. I called Dave to report to him what the dr said and he found out he could come home for a couple hours to shower. When Dave got home we decided to go for a walk together...who knows it might start something right? As we left I had been feeling some mild cramps for about the last, but I felt the same thing last week after my pelvic exam and it was nothing. I told mom and Dave about them because they did seem to be coming at regular intervals. Dave timed them for our entire walk and they were actually only about 2 min apart. I figured they were just practice because they didn't hurt at all, but after calling the dr to see what he said (he told me to call at any signs because he suspected I wouldn't have strong labor signs as I had yet to feel a single contraction but was dilated so far). The receptionist who answered didn't even ask the dr she said to come in just to see. So off we went to the hospital...Dave sure we would be having a baby that night and me sure that they would be laughing at this silly pregnant women who "thought" she was labor but really just had gas. I even made Dave leave our bags in the car. As you already know Dave was right. When the nurse checked my cervix again I was a 5 almost 6 (just 4 hours later). Because I still wasn't feeling my contractions, the dr wanted to speed things up by breaking my water and/or starting some pitocin. We decided to try breaking my water first...after an hour of monitoring still nothing. On to the pitocin....almost immediately I had 3 stronger contractions in a row back to back...still not really painful, but no longer able to ignore them. Eliana didn't like the pitocin much either and I had to lay on my side and wear an oxygen mask to get her heart rate back up. My concept of time after this point was completely gone, but the pitocin was started somewhere between 6 and 6:30. The contractions were getting stronger, but I was feeling unsure about getting a epidural. I had always planned on having epidurals during labor, but why get one if the pain wasn't bad and they tend to slow things down. I felt really conflicted, what if the contractions got even stronger and I couldn't handle the pain anymore? but what if I don't really need it? I asked Dave to give me a blessing hoping it would bring me comfort and help me come to an answer. It was comforting, but I didn't get an answer, it said that if I got the epidural the drs hands would be steady and if I didn't the pain would be bearable. I took this to mean that the decision was mine and mine alone and either way would be ok. I felt confident that I could do this without an epidural and had faith that I could indeed bear the pain. So on we went, the contractions getting stronger and closer together. Somewhere around 10 or so I was ready to start pushing. Unfortunately for me, my cervix wasn't quite effaced to 100% and the dr wanted me to wait. I spent the next 45 min (so mom says) breathing through the contractions and trying to avoid the urge to push as much as possible. Also at this time I was allowed to get off my side and labor in a sitting position which surprisingly made my pain tolerance go up. Finally I was allowed to push, but the dr wanted me to stretch more so as I pushed the nurse stretched and messaged me to help prevent tears. I guess the dr thought I would still take awhile because he left the room, but after 4 or 5 pushes Eliana was here (delivered by my nurse). They placed her on my chest and I got my first look at our little girl. I did still have a few tears, just small ones along the sides (the dr called them skid-marks) so while I got stitched up they took Eliana to weigh and measure her and all those other test they do right away. Dave left my side for the first time in quite awhile to go watch. Speaking of, he was really great during labor. He stood by my side and held my hand through every contraction and he was the one who really got me through the time I wasn't allowed to push. I'm sure I couldn't have done it drug free without his love and support. Anyway, it was a long night, but when it was over we had our baby and both her and I were healthy.

OK now for some pics...

Our first family photo!

The Progression

So I had a Drs appointment today. I don't have an assigned OB doctor, I don't know if that is a hospital/army thing or because I came to them so far along and every appointment I've had has been scheduled for whenever they have something free. I don't mind not having a set Dr, it really doesn't make a difference to me, but it does mean that I often have to answer the same questions week after week. This week I had a very nice, but overly concerned female Capt. She was very friendly and answered the questions I had, which the last Dr wasn't so good at. She looked through my records and saw that my gestational diabetes score was a little high and that I had never taken the 3 hour test. My Dr back in SC didn't think I needed to take it because my levels weren't that high and I had no other signs, symptoms, or any of the risk factors. He advised me to watch my sugar intake and said not to worry about it. Today my doctor was very concerned that I hadn't taken the 3 hour test, but it was too late to take it now, so instead she has written in my file that I need glucose testing while I'm in labor. I have no idea why I need testing while in labor, if I'm about to have the baby why does it matter then? Next thing I feel she overreacted about....she measured my belly and discovered that I'm measuring at 36 weeks instead 38. She is worried the baby is too small (which I find really funny since 5 mins prior she was worried about gestational diabetes which makes the baby big). I'm a small girl and it's only 2 weeks! Anyway, I have a ultrasound appointment for Thursday to check Eliana's growth and the fluids, which isn't really a bad thing as I get to see her again. Now as far as how things are progressing, I'm dilated to about a 2, "kinda thick", and the doctor said "I can feel her head right there..." I'm not really sure what "right there" means, but that's what she said.

Dave is really hoping Eliana comes soon. He leaves for field training on Tuesday. He will be allowed to come back if I go into labor, but he will be about an hour away, so it will take a little bit of time to get back. My mom is coming in on Mon to stay with me while Dave is gone and for a few weeks after Eli arrives, so I won't be all alone for the week Dave is in the field.

I think we are ready for her arrival whenever it comes....though I still have to finish packing the hospital bag. It seems very surreal that we will be parents very soon and that after waiting so long we will have our little angel here.

38 weeks!

Wild Horses

So one thing we found out about before moving here was that Fort Polk is home to wild horses. We were really excited about seeing them someday. Well yesterday on the way home from work we saw them! They were just grazing by one of the buildings on the side of the road. Dave dropped me off at home so I could start dinner and he went back with the camera to take pics. He didn't want to get too close because he wasn't sure how they would react.

Trash Day

Here is our trash from yesterday. 14 bags of packing paper and about a billion boxes. We were so happy to see them go (I even watched the trash-men take it all away and texted Dave when they were done) . As soon as they were out at the curb the house seemed so much farther along. Give us another week or so and I think we will be ready to show off pics of the house on here.

Now going back a little to our last week in South Carolina.....

This is what we woke up to the morning the movers were supposed to come pack up of our stuff.





That's right, 3 whole inches!

The entire state shut down for 2 days. Our movers didn't make it to us until the next day because the roads were closed. The news reported over 250 accidents. It was crazy watching the news and seeing that everything was closed. They even closed Ft Jackson which meant Dave got to stay home.

Dave did still graduate from his BOLC class on time, though there was a short time when they weren't sure if they would even have the ceremony. I got a few picture of the graduation, but the lighting was bad and they are all super dark.

We left the next day, Thursday, to begin our drive to LA. We made it to Fort Polk on Friday. We really didn't do much over the next few days, we couldn't. The places we needed to go on base (like the housing office) were all closed for the weekend and then for MLK day. We went into the housing office on Tuesday, got a appointment to see a place Wed, and moved in on Thur. Well kinda moved in, we didn't get our stuff until the next Tues. So we spent another long boring weekend, but this time in our house, very empty though it was. As I said our belongings came last Tue and we have been unpacking ever since. Dave went back to work last Thur and started his job today! Hopefully it's going well.

We are liking Fort Polk. Yes it's in a small town, but we've got Wal-mart and Lowes and everything that is on base(what more do you need). Plus it is only a hour to Alexandria, so this we can go do other shopping a stuff every now and then (like this weekend). The housing community we live in is older (built in the 80s) but the community center was just built last year and we live in walking distance to it. Haven't met any neighbors yet, but I'm sure they are great too. We are really looking forward to spending the next few years here and to raising our little girl here.

Oh the Times, They Are A-Changin'

Well, there is quite a bit to share about the last few months, complete with a forecast for days to come in the near future.

Since the last time Lisa wrote, we have been traveling quite a bit. We traveled down to Florida for Thanksgiving for a few days. It was a nice little visit. We made a trip to the beach and went to a park with some of the nieces and nephews. Other than that, we mostly just stayed around Mom and Dad Hellum's place. It was a nice, relaxing few days off. That was until we made the drive that should have been five or six hours but ended up being eight. Cursed Thanksgiving traffic!

My BOLC (Basic Officer Leader's Course-please forgive the Army acronyms) class has been on the wind down since. We had our field time, which was a good experience (minus not getting to sleep at home in my nice, warm, comfy bed with Lisa.) Of course, we did have the great fortune to have our field days during a cold snap where the morning temperatures were in the teens. What can I say? My blood has thinned with spending so much time in the south. I had the privilege of giving my brief to a one-star general. I didn't trip on my tongue too much during that brief, but the general did tell me that I need to learn to talk a little less. The captain that was there for my brief confirmed that by telling me that she could tell that I knew my stuff, but that I just talked myself into a corner. She said I would have been better off to just say what I had to and leave it, rather than continuing to explain the same thing over an over. Still struggling with that one, I guess.

Not too terribly long after our field week, we wrapped up class for a few weeks while everyone went on Holiday Exodus. "Holiday Exodus" is the Army's equivalent of "Christmas Break" from back when we were in elementary school. This was, by far, the best break I had during my time at Fort Jackson. We had quite a number of four day weekends during the course and a fair number of them didn't feel like long weekends at all...especially when the work days before and after felt like they were extra long. This break, however, felt very sufficient! It was a whirlwind of travel during the first few days. Lisa and I traveled down to Burmingham, Alabama to attend my old college buddy/roommate, Sean's wedding. It was very lovely! Sean was very happy to see me and Lisa there. From there, we drove down to Daytona to spend the night at Mom and Dad Hellums' place. The next morning we were up at 5:00 and off to the Orlando airport, where we caught our flight with the ultimate destination of Milwaukee. That afternoon, we were in Mom and Dad Nigh's new minivan headed for Sun Prairie. I will admit that while I knew that the frozen tundra would be blanketed in snow, it was still a little surprising having come from an area of the country where it would be amazing to see so much as a snowflake!

Our time in Wisconsin was very enjoyable! We went shooting at the indoor range where Mom and Dad are members. That was fun. I was able to pass on a few pointers to help Dad tighten up his shot group a little. I was able to display a little bit of marksmanship as well, accumulating a decent 5" diameter grouping at 10, 20, 30 and 40 yards. On Christmas eve, we went down to Fon du Lac to attend mass and partake in the year's white elephant gift exchange with the Kath family. It was a good time! Good food and plenty of laughs with the maternal side of the family. The coveted item of the year was Inception on DVD. I wish I could say that Lisa and I were able to snatch it up, but we did not. Oh well, the gifts were only a footnote for the visit. It was good to be with family. The following day, we were over in Campbellsport to spend Christmas day with Dad's side of the family. I had a lot of fun talking with my cousins, Chris and Doug, about my adventures in the Army. The white elephant gifts were, of course, entertaining and everyone seemed very happy just to be together, which is, of course, one of the best things about Christmas!

One of the highlights of our visit was being able to get up and do some exercise with Mom! I'm not entirely sure Mom would agree...but, I had fun and I felt great after our workouts! Dad had given Mom a Wii for Christmas, along with Wii Fit Plus. Even Dad got into some of the exercises on the Wii. We went to Best Buy and got Wii Active for Mom. The workouts on that are a little more intense than those available on Wii Fit Plus. After Lisa and I had left for Florida, Mom told me that Dad agreed to get up and do Wii Active with her. That was great news for me to hear! I'm excited that Mom and Dad are getting themselves in shape!

After our time in Wisconsin drew to a close, we flew back down to Orlando. Mom and Dad Hellums had rented a vacation house that was able to comfortably accommodate all of the Hellums clan. It was really nice and it didn't feel crowded at all. It was a very relaxing few days. We had Christmas number two. Dad Hellums got me an Aaron Rogers jersey. It is very nice and I wore it on Sunday during our drive back. We took a trip to Sea World, which was a lot of fun. We went to quite a few shows and I was able to go on one of the park's roller coasters (Lisa couldn't go...well, I guess I should say Eliana couldn't go.) Aside from the trip to Sea World, we mostly stayed around the house. We had a miniature pool table, bean bag toss and a number of other activities that made even just staying at the house very entertaining. Saturday the grandkids (and most of the adults) swam all day. We left for Daytona that evening. The following morning, Lisa and I left to head back to Columbia.

The following days at class went quickly. We did our FM 1-0 briefing for the commandant and we took our final exams. The weekend that followed ended up being a four day weekend thanks to a freak snowstorm that rocked the south. It was only 3" of snow, but...when the state you live in lacks a sizeable plow system and mother nature then coats that snow with a layer of ice, everything shuts down. Of course, this meant that our movers were unable to come on Monday. So, they came early in the afternoon on Tuesday. They were there at about 1430 and gone by about 1730. It was amazingly fast!

The following day, we had our graduation. I was fortunate enough to have made the commandant's list (the graduates in the top 20%.) I was fourth in my class of thirty-five. The graduation ceremony went pretty well for only having rehearsed it that day. It was mostly nice to just finally be finished with class.

So, after graduating and cleaning up our apartment, we turned our backs to Columbia and drove two days to Leesville, Louisana. In the not too distant future, I will begin my new assignment at Fort Polk. I'm ready to start my new adventure!