Catching Up

Well, I think that was the longest stretch of blog absence yet! I wish I had something momentous to share to compensate for the neglect, but, alas, we were just chucking along as the shortest summer sped past. There were so many places in Europe we wanted to visit, but our pockets were only so deep and Wil could only take so much time off of work (the man had over 90 days of leave that he never used, so, no, he was not at all a workaholic). Plus, you know, there was that matter of the burgeoning bump. Traveling with a 2-year-old proved to be an equal part of fun and challenge. Everything was so new to her that her curiosity and joy became incredibly infectious to both of her jaded parents. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

We spent most of July enjoying the warm weather and the daily company of our friends, who would be pcsing too quickly. Wil was occupied by his unfortunate mission to the States, but the dark cloud and fog that seemed to hang around him quickly lifted once he returned. My girlfriends and I spent every Saturday morning flea market hopping around town, while our husbands got their fair share of time on the green. The kids were in heaven because they had the perfect built-in playgroup nearly everyday and during every cookout/dinner party/birthday bash we had. Everyday Chase woke up asking "where are my kids? What are we doing today, Momma?" It was bliss. Sticky hot, no-A/C, kind of bliss.

August started with us heavy-heartedly sending the first group of our friends back to the States. Being stationed overseas changed our family dynamic. Both Wil and I have been gypsies most of our lives and moving was second nature to us. But this one is different, because everybody who was uprooted here was in the same boat, too. Most family visits are very far and few in between, so our friends become our surrogate brothers, sisters, and aunts and uncles to our kids. I didn't have this kind of support system when we were in NC, and Wil was gone to the desert. Here it really feels like we are making the kind of family we can choose (not that there's anything wrong with the ones we were born into, Parents). See-you-later's were said and tears were shed as I tried to memorize all the babies' chubby rolls and sweetness, because they might be towering over me the next time we bump into each other again. These last 3-4 years have gone by in a flash.

The rest of August was thankfully much more lively. We did the touristy thing with our friends, finally doing the Rhine River Cruise to see all the castles. People come from all over the world to see the thing that we live 40 minutes away from. I'm glad we had our buddies to goof around with all day because after the first 10 castles, the next 20 started to look like giant piles of pretty bricks. Then we packed our bags and headed to Bavaria. There are no words to describe how majestic that place really is. We walked absolutely everywhere and I felt a lot like death lugging around my then-27-week-pregnant body all over town and up Germany's highest point, the Zugspitz. Chase got to splash around in Eibsee, fed the ducks, and even went under for her very first solo water incident. The weather couldn't have been better nor the view more stunning. It's etched in my brain as one of my most memorable trips to date. We came home for a few days to do laundry and for me to nap before heading out again to see Belgium and Amsterdam. Our friends, the Lazares' were kind enough to host us on our way to/back from Brugge. It was amazing! What a charming little town! I logged in the longest walking/picture taking day yet (7 consecutive hours!). Although it felt like we just glided through this UNESCO World Heritage Site at the time, my bones ached as we made our way to the Netherlands the following day. My mother always had odd posters of the tulips and windmills plastered around the house, so it was a must-see for me. Well, disappointing is the first word that came to mind. I was prepared for the windmill village, the wooden shoe factory, and the cheese farm to be rather touristy, but the whole thing was largely underwhelming and not entirely well-kept. I've been spoiled by the Germans and their immaculate attention to every last detail, but we pushed on through Amsterdam. At this point in our lives, I must say that it was a colossal waste of time and energy that we didn't have. Amsterdam is chaos and noise rolled up into a ball of mess, and I spent the first 17 years of my life in the city of 12 million, just to give you some perspective. It was the first city in Europe that I genuinely felt very much disregarded as a pedestrian, and we couldn't find a single garbage can in the 3-block radius. We recognized a lost cause when we saw one, grabbed dinner, and headed out after spending less than 4 hours there. At least we checked it off our list and now know that we'll never have to try to come back again when we're empty nesters.

September has been hectic. I honestly don't remember exactly what went on since the whole month has just been one big blur. After coming back from our vacation, I was informed that I failed my glucose test and had to do a 3-hour one. To make a long story short, the result from that test showed that I was growing resistance to insulin, although I was not quite considered a gestational diabetic yet. I wasn't too concerned about it and just chalked it up to yet another pregnancy crazy. The nurse advised me to immediately get on a diabetic diet and set up an appointment with a dietitian for me the following week. I became very sick the following couple of days. Lethargic, nauseated, fainting spells. Something was not quite right, and I knew it was my blood sugar. I was perfectly fine before the diet started, so I decided to listen to my body and just started eating like I normally did before the crazy week. I skipped occasional sweet treats, which weren't hard to give up, and kept up with the amount of food intake and the fruits, which were the first thing I parted with during my short stint as a diabetic diet follower. And what do you know? I felt immediately better after eating a peach. I learned later during the appointment with the dietitian that my one irregular reading (out of three) that came back during the 3-hour glucose test was actually reading low, which would be consistent with my being boarder-line hypoglycemic all my life. By strictly following the diabetic diet, I was depriving my body of what I needed to function normally, not to mention growing a healthy baby. Do you know how much I look forward to my next appointment with the OB? My midwife, whom I saw on a regular basis, was not available for my last appointment when my result was reviewed, and I had to see a new young doctor, whom I will unfortunately see again next week. Momma got some ass-chewing to do.

Wil has been working like a dog in September. 16-18 hours/day everyday nearly 7 days a week kind of month. It's one thing if he was deployed or gearing up for a big inspection--you would never hear me bitch about it. But this was his new "normal" schedule, because they were operating with less than half the staffing they were supposed to have and there is no relief in sight anytime soon. Then there was another quick trip to the States, and now we have him for a week before he heads out to that damn bike trip, which will forever be known as "the damn bike trip" under my roof. Because of OPSEC, I'm not sharing too much but will as he wraps up the trip. The reason I'm so ticked off about it is because it's not an essential kind of mission. It started out because my husband pondered out loud to his superior that the trip was "feasible" knowing that I would be in the middle of my third trimester while he biked through California FOR FUN. When he came home with the news, I was all "what was feasible about leaving me to volunteer on the damn bike trip when you have hardly seen your daughter and might possibly miss the birth of your baby?" Now the matter is out of his hand and the trip changed from voluntary to "Git R Done!" If you want to see an irate pregnant woman, I will gladly send you an 8"x10" photo of myself for your viewing displeasure. My last two best buds will be heading back to the States during the same time he's gone and I'm scared out of my wits that Wren will make her debut early as I've had more than a few episodes of strong real contractions throughout this pregnancy. If I were a betting woman, I would say this kid won't stay put for much longer. Wil's better be praying hard while he's coasting through the shoreline of California she stays where she needs to be, otherwise he will come home to find all his belongings in the front yard in cardboard boxes and an armed guard post in front of my hospital room.

Last but not least, you may have noticed that I no longer post pictures or videos on our blog. The reason I have yet to make it private is because we have learned that some of our relatives, whom we otherwise have no regular contact, keep up with our lives through this blog. Pics and videos are now on Facebook instead. Anyway, I have to feed Wren before she gets any more mad. Sorry for the disappearing act. I would have promised to do better, but, you know, I'm looking at preparing our house for a transatlantic move and another baby in the next few months. How about we be friends on Facebook? Much easier.