It's a Girl!

Hello Again!

I haven't posted in quite some time like I promised so I thought I would give ya'll an update!!

I am 30 Weeks along as of today!! That means 10 weeks OR 70 DAYS away!!!! I am due on November 30, 2012 & in case you didn't know we are having a baby girl! I cannot explain the amount of love I have for someone I have never even met! Colton & I decided on the name Sophie Elizabeth Russell. Sophie is the french form of the Greek name 'Sophia' meaning "Wisdom" & Elizabeth means "Gods promise or oath" or "Daughter of God." We loved both the names & the more we say Sophie Elizabeth the more we love the name we put together.

 

Colton & I have taken a tour of the Labor & Delivery unit at the Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC). The hospital layout is actually somewhat confusing but Colton & I believe we know our way around after being there so many times. The hospital is also really close to our house; It is basically less than a five minute drive. Parking is ridiculous & it takes forever to find a parking spot but once I hit 34 weeks we get a "Stork Pass" & we get to park right up from then on. If all else fails they have valet parking for $5 cause lord knows I don't think I will want to spend time looking for parking while in labor. Colton & I attended a birthing education class & learned a bunch of new things about birth/labor, how the hospital operates, & policies and safety procedures. I think the class scared me more than comforted me but I can deal with it. At the end of the two day class we pre-registered with paperwork so when the time comes we go just go on in and they won't be bothering me with paperwork when I arrive. I also have a "Baby Boot Camp" coming up on October 2nd to learn anything & everything about babies as well as a breast feeding class later in October.

 

I started getting Braxton Hicks around 20-21 weeks and they were really bad at first, but I have learned how to slow them down once I start getting them. I also FINALLY started gaining weight at 21 weeks & now at 30 weeks have gained a total of 12 pounds. The doctors are urging me to get as much rest as possible as well and to keep on gaining weight. I do intend on giving birth naturally but if it does become too much they will have the epidural on stand by. I know not everything goes as planned so I am trying to be very flexible. I am also planning on breastfeeding Sophie.

 

The nursery is definitely coming along with all the furniture built & the bedding on its way! It should be here sometime this week so I am very excited about that! (They are estimating tomorrow!!!) A very dear friend of mine, Kaci, is making & decorating wooden letters spelling "Sophie" to above her crib. I am sure they will look darling with everything else we have planned for the nursery! I added a picture below of the nursery furniture we have put together & the bedding that is on its way!

Target Registry

Amazon Registry
 



 

 

 

Catching Up

To the few devoted readers I have I apologize for not posting in quite some time & I promise there will be more posts this month!

The first trimester was really a rough one & thank goodness things have gotten much better rolling into my second. Some of you may not know but around my 4^th or 5^th week I was told I had anemia and I was fighting off a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and there would be some safe medication waiting for me at the pharmacy on base. I also got prescribed Zofran to help with my nausea, but I did not want to become dependent on it so I took it sparingly. (Take in mind this was difficult with all the sickness I had going on)  I started taking the medication along with my Pre-natals. The medication for my UTI caused me to get slightly constipated and the doctors gave me safe medication to help me “go” easier since I was off the UTI medication already. When I was 7 weeks along I woke up one morning to some slight blood in my underwear. Worried, Colton & I rushed to the Emergency Room to make sure the baby was alright. After several ultrasounds the doctors FINALLY found the baby and it’s little heartbeat. This was the first time we ever got to see our baby. The doctors had to give me a shot of RhoGAM because of my blood type being negative. If I had not gotten shot it could have been potentially harmful to the baby & myself. Meanwhile, my nausea was so bad I couldn’t even hold down my Pre-Natal pills anymore and had to make the switch to some yummy Pre-Natal gummies that my good friend Kathleen introduced me to! Going into my second trimester my morning (ALL DAY, ANY TIME) sickness has let up! It is still there but much better than it was! We are not exactly sure when we will be finding out the sex of the baby. It could be anywhere from 2-6 weeks until we find out. I also have an ultrasound picture from 14 weeks along but it is REALLY blurry because our little one wouldn’t sit still for the doctor to get a good picture so I apologize! It was so good to see our little baby moving around so much :) I can already tell he or she will be a handful!! Colton is doing at work and is becoming more excited about the baby every day! His faces lights up anytime he sees the baby on the ultrasound screen! (It’s so cute!)

There hasn’t been much going on with our lives since we have not gotten out of the house because I have felt so sick but we should me more now that I am feeling better! I started reading a lot and I just finished the Hunger Games Trilogy and have a bookshelf more of un-read books to read!

Until next time!

7 Weeks

14 Weeks

REGISTRY

Target Registry - http://www.target.com/baby/registry/RhYBt_CpCQWw_J9aVFX-WA

Walmart Registry - Due November 30th -https://www.walmart.com/giftregistry?povid=cat14503-env172199-module101210-lLink1_GR

There's a Bun in the Oven!

There is certainly some life changing news in the Russell household because on November 30, 2012 we will be blessed with a baby! I am about 7 weeks along & our next appointment is for May 22nd! We have started on our Baby Registry and I have put the web address below.We understand times are hard and anything helps! The Registry isn't finished because we do not know the sex of the baby but we will continue to add things when we find out the sex. Thank You!

The Newest Russell

Name: Heather Russell

Home State: Hawaii

Expected Due Date: Novemeber 30, 2012

Click Here: Our Gift Registry! (So Far)

If Link Does Not Work Here is the Web Address:

www.walmart.com/giftregistry

From Suitcase to Closet

Our House :)

The transition from Hotel to House has been great. I must admit there were some frustrating moments that we had to tackle but we overcame them and are now comfortably at home. There are so many people that I am thankful for helping us along the way! Unfortunately the place that loans out furniture for people moving into their new houses could not deliver the furniture till the day after we moved in. After thinking we were in for a night on the floor a wonderful lady I have met here named Karen loaned us her air mattress. Already I am adjusting & loving it in our house more than the hotel room! It is a lovely little home and the perks are amazing. Free lawn care & maintenance of our home! So if a light goes out or the toilet is clogged they come in and fix it for us! Doing laundry for free and whenever I please is a plus. Our house is two stories, two bedrooms, and two and a half baths. I already have so many plans for it! So far we have bought a dining room table & matching bakers rack, a couch & love seat set, and some items for the upstairs bathroom. Our actual stuff will not arrive until April 9th and then I can start decorating our house and make it a home for us. Once our stuff arrives and I get going with everything I will start posting more of the house! Make sure to stay posted to my blog for some good news ahead!

Hi-HoHi-Ho Off to Hike I Go

View from the start of the Hike

I had the opprotunity to go hiking yesterday and I must say when the invatation opened up to me I wasn't eager to jump in and take my spot on this adventure. I am not the athletic type and have not kept a regular workout routine since high school! I was worried I would fall flat on my face and embarass myself in front of everyone. I thought about it over the weekend and even though my feelings were still ambivalent about the hike I agreed to tag along. The Trail is called "Manana Trail" and when our group saw the sign one person said "Manana? Doesn't that mean tomorrow?" and I replied "I guess that means we gotta come back tomorrow guys!" Guess that was my joke quota of the day, because let me tell you the joke was on me for the duriation of our hike! I slipped and fell on my butt at least 6 times in the mud and almost fell off a cliff or two. I was a muddy mess when we got done! Our hike started at the top of a mountain and you follow your way down the mountain climbing over roots, under trees, repelling down ropes, crossing water, and anything else you can imgaine. Although the hike was brutal to my legs the view was beautiful. I felt like I was in a jungle sometimes! Our halfway marker was a beautiful 50 foot waterfall in which we paused to eat lunch over. The hike overall was tough for me but I made it. That leaves me with a great feeling and I cannot wait to start getting back into shape so I can take more hikes while I live on this beautiful island!

Our Group

Me Repelling Down Part of Moutain

Some Roots We had to Climb Down & Up

Im Done!



Suite Life of the Russells

We have a little under two weeks till we move into our house and time is taking it's sweet time to pass. I honestly did not think I would hate living in a hotel. Maids making your bed and changing your sheets daily & never having to clean??  How could it ever be bad? It has been absolutely TERRIBLE!! A couple nights ago a man three doors down fell asleep in his bathtub high as a kite and ended up falling asleep. The bathtub overflowed and flooded not only his room but two rooms down and across the hall.  Luckily, the flooding stopped right before our room, BUT, it smells of mildew and mold and anything else you can imgaine. Just when I thought things could not get any worse our toliet stopped working and we had to be moved to another room which took forever to move all of our stuff! On the bright side of things my car arrived a week early and I could not have been more excited to see it in my entire life! We had to go through the whole process of getting the car registered in Hawaii. Registering a car in Hawaii costs about $200-300 but they give the military a break since we aren't "here by choice" and we ony have to pay about $20. So my cute little focus now has rainbow Hawaiian plates!

Colton putting on our Hawaiian Plates.

We went around to furniture stores looking for furniture since we really dont have very much being newlyweds. Colton & I picked out most the furniture we are going to buy and are very excited about it! (Of course, I am more then him) We've picked out a 7 piece bedroom set, a couch & love seat set, 4 piece entertainment center, 6 piece dining room set, and a rug for all under $3,500. I may not be an expert in buying brand new furniture but i believed it to be a good deal! We have already purchased the dining room set and we will most likely buy the couch & love seat set and hold off on buying any more furniture. One of our biggest priorities that we really need to focus on is getting Colton a form of transportation, because, It will be hard for both of us to have a job and have me going to school on top of it all. We found a car that is very promising so we have our fingers crossed that we get it!

Couch & Love Seat Set. (Super Comfy!!)

4 Piece Entertainment Center.

7 Piece Bedroom Set

Everything Coming Together

   We have been living in Hawaii for one week & one day now. Crazy how time flies even though it feels like we have been here for months! We got to visit the beach a couple days ago! It was cloudy and had a 70% chance of rain but it was still amazing to feel the sand between our toes and play in the water. Colton got to chase after a couple crabs and we found ourselves a seashell…that still had something alive in it.   
   We also received some exciting news when we got offered a cute little house! It was around a year wait to get into Air Force Housing so we turned to Navy Housing and they offered us a house on the spot! It is a little duplex, two story, two bedroom, 1 & ½ bath. It comes with a garage, washer & dryer, refridgeator, dishwasher, and stove. Its not perfect but it’s a house and better than we can afford :-) We move in on March 28, 2012! We also found out that our household goods will be arriving on April 9, 2012 so we shouldn’t be tooo long without our stuff! Until OUR stuff arrives there is a place we can borrow furniture, pots & pans, and towels and such so we can live in our new place! It is all coming together so well! See you next time!

3033 Moore Drive, Honolulu, HI 96818



  

Aloha Hawaii!

Hawaii Welcoming Us!

We finally made it! We are in Hawaii! Colton started in-processing on our first day yesterday and today he starts PT and finishes in-processing. He will apply for “house-hunting” days today and he should get  . about 8 days off for unless to try to locate a place to live. We are currently trying to get into Navy Housing and they said it should be just a couple of weeks. Today is Friday so once Colton gets off work we have the weekend to explore!! Colton would like to go to the Enlisted Club to watch the UFC fight on Saturday & His sponsor is taking us somewhere on Sunday. I am hoping to hit up a beach sometime soon, but until then I am getting my tan on at the hotel pool. We should be getting our car March 20^th and we are looking into buying a second car once everything gets settled. We might be getting into a house within a couple weeks but until then we are stuck with this expensive room! We are staying at the Best Western right out of the airport. Most hotels around here don’t come with free internet but thank god ours does! Well I’ll keep you posted!! Aloha for now!

Just before boarding the plane to Hawaii in Dallas, TX.

And now we wait…

So Colton has graduated Tech School Jan 20th! He did a lot of work in a short amount of time and I couldn’t be more proud! A week later we finished my medical clearance by getting my overseas clearance interview over with. I had to be asked questions by two Majors & a Lt. Col. There is so much to get accomplished but so much we cannot do until we get those orders. So basically now all there is left to do is to wait until Colton’s orders are cut and start the move to Hawaii, the next chapter in our lives together.