Just an Update

God's doing a number in my life these days. He's trying and trying to show me ways that I can become more patient (which I am not sure I am succeeding at yet) and He's testing me almost every minute. This separation time from Dan has NOT been an easy go this time round, unfortunately.

Dan was supposed to be boarding a plane to Afghanistan till 2011 in the next couple weeks... Praise God that he's only in Texas. I am reminding myself of that constantly. But, it is still trying to find out that AFTER he's done with this ridiculous training at the end of February, he's set to go somewhere else immediately afterwards for yet another month. So, I think my frustration right now lies in Noah's absolute confusion about where his daddy is right now and having to get used to Dan being gone for an additional month. Again, I remind myself that he's safe and a phone call away. Praise God.

This pregnancy is flying by! I didn't think it would - the exhaustion has been much different this go of it. Last pregnancy, I exercised all through my first trimester (I'm now in the 2nd) but this time around, my exercise seems to be a) chasing Noah and b) the daily "wok" we take Piper on at the end of the day (NOT strenuous!). I just can't get it together to put on my running shoes and hit the pavement!

My second term teaching for Troy University is now in full-swing. This time, I have almost 3 dozen students in my class and we are in week 3 of 9 weeks. It is hard grading all of the writing assignments they are turning into me, but I have to remind myself that I was the one who assigned them!! I love being able to teach from home - or wherever I have my laptop. It is a liberating and challenging experience and this time, I have some really awesome students: many are parents, working full time, some serving in Afghanistan/Iraq while taking my course, one in Italy, another in Korea, and several have already retired and are finishing their degrees or are about to retire in the next few months. It is a a humbling experience to be teaching so many who are far more accomplished than I.

I am teaching in the Political Science department for TU and I am signed on to teach for as long as I want, as many terms as I want; it is incredible.
I have an appointment tomorrow with my fabulous doctor - she's awesome: a civilian at a civilian hospital (I am so thankful to be seen off-base; don't want to ever have another baby in a military facility). I am looking forward to hearing our little one's heartbeat again. This doctor is way cool in so many ways: she's young, she's hilarious and she is a WOMAN! Whoo Hoo!

They weighed me last appointment with Dan in the room and I laid down the line: I said "do NOT say what I weigh out loud, and don't tell me what I weigh." So they had me turn around and didn't mention my starting weight. I made the decision after last pregnancy and the struggle I had to lose all the almost 50 lbs that I would never again do that to myself.

So, my doctor promised to not tell me my starting weight or my ending weight in July. I just asked her that if I started gaining too much or too fast that she point it out. I can't tell you the freedom I am feeling from not knowing and knowing that I won't know. I was obsessed with weight last time and still gained a ton. So it will be nice to enjoy it this time around and not be obsessive. I will eventually lose it so there is no point worrying now!

We had an ultrasound at 9 weeks but I won't have another one till February. I am going to wait till Dan is home to find out the sex so even though I am only a few weeks away from being able to know, we want to find out together. So hopefully we will get an appointment for the last couple of days of February. That was the appointment when we got the news with Noah that he had clubbed feet, so we are praying against that in advance this time around. That appointment for Noah led us to many nights on our knees praying against his clubbed feet - and what a miracle we received - but we are praying against a deformity like that from the start this time around.

I am signing off now - Noah went to bed at 6 pm tonight after playing HARD all day today. I spent a lot of energy trying to wear him out to keep his mind off of his daddy being gone so we are both weary! Here are the pictures from our trip to Mobile where we watched Troy vs CMU in the 2010 GMAC Bowl. We had a great time.