Of course, the biggest news to share (for those that don't already know), I found out about three weeks after Josh deployed that I am pregnant! Josh was just as surprised as I was - trying for the last five years to have a baby, and it turns out we conceived while we were in Washington, DC. So, we got us an east coast baby, after all!
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I'm 20 weeks along, and while the naseau and exhaustion have become much less severe, we are now facing another challenge with the pregnancy. Last week, my doctor diagnosed me with "vesa previa" which is a pretty serious complication with the pregnancy. Josh and I meet with the specialist next week to find out more - the good thing is they found this before I went into labor, which is the most important thing. Now, it's just deciding the best course of action to help Harrison grow big and strong and ensure his safe delivery.
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The doctors have taken me out of work, and will probably have me on full bedrest very soon - there is also talk of checking me into the hospital once I go into my third trimester to closely monitor me and Harrison. I will update everyone after we meet with the specialist on how things are progressing. Please keep us all in your prayers! For now, please enjoy some pictures of Harrison!
SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!
God has His own plan in His own time!
Profile shot...I think he may have my nose :-)
Waving "hello" to everyone!
YEP! He's for sure a boy!
Okay, so to recap for the last few months, I'll start with our trip to Washington, DC over Memorial Day weekend. Some of my family travels there every year to pay tribute to our men and women who have served and are continuing to serve in our Armed Forces. Perhaps the best part of our trip was getting to spend time with family who we have missed very much!
Although the trip went by quickly, we were able to do and see so much while we were there. And no matter how many times I travel to DC, I always find something new to explore. We spend most of Friday and Saturday walking around DC just taking in all the sights.
Entrance to Chinatown
Huge clock and statues in Union Station
Capital Building
Loved this statue!
One of the MANY parks around DC -
this one features very unique sculptures...
...like this one...
...and this one, which was my FAVORITE!
It's a huge tree made entirely of stainless steel!
It's incredible!
And, yes, the tree even attracted real birds!
National Archives
Another beautiful park!
Daughters of the American Revolution National Headquarters
No trip to DC is complete without seeing the White House!
The architecture in DC is incredible!
More sculptures around the city
Another shot of the Capital Building
On Sunday, we enjoyed Rolling Thunder which is an annual motorcycle rally held during the Memorial Day weekend to call for the government's recognition and protection of Prisoners of War (POW's) and those Missing in Action (MIA's). It was incredible - about 400,000 veterans roared through Washington, DC on their motorcycles as a tribute to American War Heroes! This was the 23rd year of Rolling Thunder, and I hope that every one of you will someday have the chance to see it!
This area is called "Thunder Alley" where lots of vendors set up
It wasn't ALL motorcycles - a few transport companies had their trucks out to show support, including this one from Cargo Transportation out of Claremont, NC (where Josh's dad works)
AWESOME!
This shot was taken at the Pentagon the morning of the rally. Josh, Hal and Corey went out to see all the bikes lining up for the start of the rally...
There were, literally, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of bikes ready to participate in the rally. Unfortunately, the rally is only allowed to run from 10am until 2pm, so MANY of those that line up don't actually get to ride in the rally. But, most importantly, they are all there to show their support for our veterans!
Lots of former Marines!
Click on this picture and you get an idea of just how many bikes we saw that day. There was this constant stream of bikes for four hours! It was so cool!
One of my favorite bikes :-)
Another favorite - the yellow one in the left corner - an old Army motorcycle
Halft classic car, half motorcycle! NO KIDDING!
This gentleman is a retired CH-46 pilot who served in Vietnam.
So glad Josh got the opportunity to talk with him for a while...
This Marine's name is Tim Chambers. Every year this Marine takes leave to go to DC (he's currently stationed in California) to participate in Rolling Thunder. This Marine, in temperatures above 90 degrees, salutes each and every person who rolls by on their bike for the full four hours of the rally! Tim Chambers is a true patriot!!!
LOVE IT!
LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!
On Monday, we visited Arlington National Cemetary to pay our respects to those men and women who have given their lives to protect our freedom and democracy. I have to say that I was so very moved just by being there. We did not arrive early enough to see the laying of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by VP Joe Biden. While we were visiting the Iraq/Afghanistan secion of the cemetary, VP Biden came by and spoke with several of the families of fallen soldiers. The whole experience was very moving and humbling, and something I will never forget.
Entrance to Arlington National Cemetary
Iraq/Afghanistan section of the cemetary
Marines and horse-mounted police
patrolling the cemetary...
These pictures speak for themselves
VP Biden meeting with some of the families
Placing a VP coin on a headstone in respect of the fallen soldier
The most beautiful magnolia blossom I have ever seen...picture taken at Arlington National Cemetary
On Tuesday, we visited the Air & Space Museum with my mom, Corey, and Joseph. It was lots of fun and a great learning experience. Unfortunately, Mom, Corey and Joseph could only stay for a short while because they headed back to NC that afternoon. We already miss them so much and can't wait for the next time we get to see them again!
Josh looking at all the pilot gear from the past, probably happy
that he has a lot more protective gear than those pilots had!
"La Minerve"
The interest in balloons which swept across Europe in the 18th Century lead to many fanciful creations, like this one by French aeronaut, Etienne Robertson in 1803. Robertson's self-contained "aerial community" represented the hopes many Europeans had for the future of air travel. This "aerial community" includes an outbuilding, a kitchen and a church!
First in Flight!
A rather odd looking bird!
While heading back to our hotel after visiting the Air & Space Museum, Josh and I got caught in the best thunderstorm! I had forgotten just how much I miss those Southern thunderstorms!
Magnolia tree soaking up the rain...
Another sculpture, but with the rain effect, it looks so real!
We had such a great time in DC and can't wait to go back - we're even more excited now that we'll get to share that experience with Harrison!
On June 15th, Josh left for his two month training deployment to Hawaii. Unfortunately, I had to work the day they left, so I was unable to see him off. We were able to communicate daily through email which was really great. And he had about four days to spend on Oahu during which we were able to talk on the phone.
The training consisted of learning to take off and land on the USS Bonhomme Richard. They also conducted heli-born raids and assaults on Oahu and the main island of Hawaii. Additionally, they transported passengers and cargo to different ships and to and from the islands. I was hoping I would get to visit him while he was in Oahu, but I was unable to take the time off work. Fortunately, Josh was able to get lots of great photos and some videos - I've tried loading the videos and seem to be having technical difficulties (thanks Google Blog) so I 'll have to send them out in an email. Below are some of the pictures...
A CH-46 prepping for take-off
USS Arizona Memorial
More pictures from the memorial
Josh and friends from his squadron enjoying some R&R over the 4th of July
HUGE sea turtles sunning themselves on the beach
Enjoying the 4th of July fireworks
And now, some pictures of the pilots out flying and
taking in all the picturesque views...
SO BEAUTIFUL!!!
A flyover of the USS Arizona - if you click on the picture, you can see the outline of the ship under the water
And for all of you Pirates of the Caribbean fans...
Yes, it's the Black Pearl - seems they were doing some
filming off the coast of Hawaii while Josh was there!
The platform you see out in the water is the film crew!
It was pretty far off in the distance, so the pictures are a
little blurry, but it is definitely the Black Pearl!
A submarine coming into the harbor
Our beloved Captain Smith (aka Captain Sweet Cheeks)!
On August 5th, Phil and Brenda flew into town for Josh's homecoming. Fortunately, I was able to take some time off work, so I enjoyed every minute I was able to spend with them. On Saturday, we decided to visit the San Diego Zoo. It was awesome! We had such a great time, and the weather was perfect for strolling around the zoo. Below are a few pictures from our visit.
This is the "fishing cat." He looks like a large housecat and is very cute, but unlike a housecat, he lives among the wetlands, thus is able and willing to swim to catch his prey!
Such a cute turtle!
MY FAVORITE! THE HIPPOS!
SO CUTE!
Pretty flamingos!
A newly discovered favorite...the polar bear!
Okay, so even though he could rip me to shreds, I still
find myself just wanting to cuddle with him...hahaha!
The other polar bear decided to avoid the crowds and take a nice nap in the sunshine!
Beautiful! Can't believe I got this shot because this guy was strolling back and forth so quickly!
Elephants and llamas - who could ask for anything more?
Oh, Grandpa Phil!
And finally, we have the koalas. Most of them were sleeping
(as evidenced above) but we were able to catch one little guy
out and about...
On Monday, August 9th, Josh returned from his deployment. We were all so very happy to see him! I know he was only gone for two months, but finding out I was pregnant three weeks into his deployment just made me want to have him back sooner! My friend, Nadia, was able to come along and took some great pictures for us (thanks sweetie!).
Waiting for the squadron to arrive
Cobras, Hueys and 46's all coming in for a landing
(click on the picture to enlarge and get a better view)
Here they come!!!
THERE HE IS! "BABY DADDY"
YAY...
HE'S HOME!!!!!
HUGS AND SMILES ALL AROUND!
WELCOME HOME!!!
WELCOME HOME!!!
MY HANDSOME PILOT!
While Josh's parents were in town, we decided to take in a show at Medieval Times, which was so much fun!!! The performances were really incredible, and of course, I loved all of the equine demonstrations! The main performance horses are purebred Spanish Andalusians and my favorite, the Friesians. The food and entertainment were great, but most of all, spending time with family was even better! After the show, we had the opportunity to see the horses used in the show - they are kept in individual stalls and there is plexiglass to prevent touching the horses, but just to be able to see them up close was incredible! You can't imagine just how big these horses are! Unfortunately, my camera battery died, so I was unable to get any close-up pictures of the horses...we'll save that for next time! Below are some pictures from the show...
Okay, so I didn't take this picture, but they did have a horse perform this trick. I happen to have caught the horse right before and right after the leap into the air (darn delay on my camera), so I "borrowed" this image from Medieval Times.
Aren't they adorable! Best in-laws EVER!
Master of Ceremonies (LOVE HIS HORSE!)
We were seated in the section that rooted for the Black & White Knight! He was so much fun to watch compete in the tournaments and fight the dreaded green knight (which we were told to "BOO" at every opportunity)
The King!
The Black & White Knight battling the Green Knight (BOO!)
The King, Prince and Princess of Medieval Times
Josh's parents flew home on August 13th, and we miss them so much already! We were hoping to get home to visit before the baby is born, but it looks like that may be put on hold for now. Next time we see them, though, we'll probably be introducing them to their first grandchild!
Towards the end of August, we had quite a heat wave here in the valley. Temperaturs averaged about 105 degrees and some days topped around 115 degrees. Along with the dryness, it was inevitable that there would be fires around the area. Little did we know, there would be a fire on the mountains right behind our neighborhood! Luckily, the fire department responded very quickly and had the fire put out by the following morning. The fire only ended up burning about 20 acres, so we're very thankful for the skilled work of our fire department! Below are some of the pictures from the fire.
These pictures were taken from the deck off our
master bedroom (off the back of the house)
A little bit scary!
And a little too close for comfort!
If you would like to see more pictures from Hawaii, DC or the San Diego Zoo, I have set up a ShutterFly account that houses all of our pictures. Click on the following link to see more pictures...
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So, that pretty much brings us up to date! I know it was a long post, and I apologize, but I figured I would cover it all at one time, because who knows when I'll get around to the next one! Hahaha! The last week has been put into "warp speed" trying to get everything ready for Harrison's arrival. I know it's still a while before he arrives, but if I am put into the hospital I want to be sure that most of the major things are taken care of. We've already bought the furniture for the nursery and this weekend Josh will be moving the extra furniture that's currently in the nursery to the garage for storage.
We ask that you continue to pray for those men and women serving in our military. We especially ask for you ton continue praying for Brandon, Ricky and Nathen who are all currently deployed to Afghanistan. And we ask that you keep us in your prayers for Harrison's continued growth and development. Thank you for your prayers and support. Much love and blessings!
