We're having a.....

Baby Girl!!!

I had an appt a couple of weeks ago and my doctor took a guess at the gender, but we wanted confirmation.  My doctor said she was fairly certain we were having a girl, but not to go buy all pink just on her guess.  That weekend, we went to an off base Japanese clinic to get a 3D ultrasound to see if they could get a better look.  It was a walk in clinic and we only ended up waiting about 45 minutes to get called back.  They were able to show us her face, her little hands, spine, and then he announced it was definitely a little girl! 
After getting our confirmation, we stopped by the BX to get an outfit to make our announcement to our families.  Everyone was so excited!  Our parents have already started the shopping and I've already gone girl crazy with our registry. 
Next week I'll be 20 weeks and I still can't believe I'm almost halfway through this pregnancy.  Sometimes I feel like it has just crawled by, but other times I look back and can't believe I've already been pregnant this long.  I know with the holidays and moving coming up, that time will fly by, so I'm trying to enjoy every minute I can.  We love feeling little kicks and hubby makes a point to talk to our little girl every morning he wakes up and leaves for work, and every time he gets home and we go to bed.  I love it! 
How was everyone's Thanksgivings? 

Hair Donation 2011

I've been growing my hair out for a little bit and have really gotten sick of it.  It's too hot here to wear it down all the time and I'm also just too lazy to style it on a daily basis.  Earlier this summer I mentioned to my friend that I wanted to donate my hair once I had enough, and I managed to convince her to do the same.  This is the third time I've cut my hair to donate, but it was my friend's first time so it was pretty exciting! 

I wanted to wait until after the Marine Corps Ball to cut my hair because I wanted it done for pictures, so this week was haircut week!  A lady in our building used to work in a salon in the states, so she agreed to cut our hair in her home!  Today we went up and we both chopped over 10 inches off! 

It's a big change, but I love it!  It's so light now and I think it's going to be way easier to deal with the rest of my pregnancy and when the baby comes.  Now, pictures!

Before:

After:

Our hair will be sent to Locks Of Love...if you've never heard of them, check them out!  They are a great organization that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair. 





An update...and BIG NEWS!

I've taken the last few months away from blogging because there was nothing I wanted to write about anymore.  I wasn't finding it fun...more like a chore.  There has also been a lot going on around here for us in the months I've been away.  Let's see if I can update you on some of the happenings around here:

*Hubby got news this summer that he wouldn't be deploying with his unit.  Instead, he was being moved to a year-long billet with camp operations.  This brought us both good and bad news.  I'm glad he'll be home with me, but of course he's upset he is missing out on the deployment.  He's been in the job for a while now, and so far it seems pretty good.  He's busier than ever, but I think for the most part, he enjoys what he's doing.

*We got news that our base housing is scheduled for renovation soon.  This means we'll be getting a notice of eviction in the next few weeks and will either have to move to another base here on the island, or find housing off base.  I've managed to not worry too much about it, but I'd still like to know what is going to happen!  We would love to continue living on base, so cross your fingers there is an opening for us somewhere when the time comes!

*My parents came to visit!  They were here for two weeks in October and we had a blast!  Since my dad was stationed out here when I was younger, they were pretty familiar with the island, but they were also amazed at how much it has changed in 16 years.  We visit some of the newer attractions like the aquarium and pineapple park, and also hit up some of the places that they remembered as their favorites, like Ryukyu Village.  They were even here for my 26th birthday!  It was the perfect time for them to visit since we're here on a 3 year tour.  It's halfway through our time here, so only half a tour left until we see them again! 

*Our biggest news is that our lives will be changing BIG TIME in April 2012.  About a month ago, I posted this picture on Facebook:

Yup...we're expecting our first child next spring!  We've still got a few weeks until we know the gender, but when I find out, I'll post about it!  I'm definitely enjoying the second trimester much more than the first.  I was pretty sick for a few weeks, so it's nice to have my energy and appetite back!  I've recently started feeling some movements, so it's getting more and more exciting!  If you have any fun advice, bring it on!  I'd love to hear it!
Look out for an update soon!