from pin to project: menu board.

My Pin: Menu Board

                                                                   Source: thestewartestate.blogspot.com via Allison on Pinterest

My Project: Menu Board

I tried this: May 2012

Alterations: I printed my own damask paper (instead of buying scrapbook paper) and printed the menu and days of the week onto the page (instead of using stickers). I also repurposed a frame I already had in the house.

Thoughts: This is a great addition to our kitchen! It helps to keep me organized, it keeps us from making poor food choices because nothing is planned and it keeps my husband from asking "what's for dinner?"

nothing but baby.

In case there was any chance I had forgotten, this week reminded me that I will soon be a mother.

Monday night, I went to a childbirth class. Andrew wasn't able to go with me, because he had a OPORD to brief the next day and had to practice with his partner. He missed the tour of the hospital where I will be delivering. They showed us the (private!) L&D rooms (complete with enormous spotlight that descends from the ceiling as you are crowning, so that everyone can really  see everything), the (private!) recovery rooms (which look a little bit like prison cells), the ORs and the NICU.

On the one hand, I was glad to see everything beforehand. It was like a trial run of what I will go through in just about five weeks. No surprises. On the other hand, I could have done without seeing the woman in labor, being wheeled into the room our tour group had just occupied. She was laying on her side on a stretcher, her face hidden by her arm, and she looked to be about 3/4 of the way to death. Turns out she was 10cm and ready to push when she was admitted. She was asking for an epidural which they couldn't give to her, and they were telling her not to push because her doctor wasn't there yet.... Yeah... Not my favorite memory of that "class."

My second not-favorite memory of that "class?" Watching the birth video. I am a firm believer that a woman who is 34 weeks pregnant should not be shown a video of an actual vaginal birth. There's just not much else to say about it besides, "I could have done without that, too."

On Tuesday, I went to my non-stress test (NST) at Maternal Fetal Medicine. I go for these tests twice a week. If the baby were to present with a consistent elevated heart rate, we might assume she was hyperthyroid and potentially need to be delivered early. Also they check to see how she tolerates activity in the womb and contractions. Turns out, I had quite the stressed out uterus that morning. I had seven contractions in the 20 minutes I was hooked up to the monitors. This worried the tech and the doctor, and I was checked for dilation. Luckily, the shop was all closed up. They sent me home without further explanation.

Tuesday night, I continued to regularly (but painlessly) contract.

Wednesday morning- more of the same. So I called my OB, wondering if I was just supposed to allow this to go on. They told me to come in right away. So in I went. I was swabbed for a fetal fibronectin test- negative, checked for dilation- closed and given another NST- still contracting. All, for the most part, indicated that I was not in preterm labor. But they told me to come back Thursday for another NST. They also advised me up up my water/gatorade intake (which I did), in case I was dehydrated.

Thursday, I went in for the NST- contracting much more infrequently and mildly. The results were encouraging, and the baby continues to tolerate everything perfectly. I was relieved and reassured that the little lady wouldn't be making her debut anytime soon.

Friday, I had an appointment with my endocrinologist. Andrew was able to attend this appointment with me, which I know he was happy about. We have been pretty fearful of the effects my Graves Disease and hypothyroidism will have on our daughter. And to date, this doctor, Dr. Leichter (who has 43 years as an endocrinologist) in Columbus, GA, has been the only person able to educate and reassure us enough that, so long as my thyroid levels (specifically my TSH) are kept in a normal range, our baby will be born healthy.

Five straight days of nothing but baby.

And as if that wasn't enough of a reminder, today, I put on a maternity swimsuit and "swam" laps in the indoor pool on post. You're already laughing? I'll do you one better. Picture a beluga whale who has lost her buoyancy, in a black polka dot tankini, using a bright blue lifebelt and kick boards to stay afloat and maneuver up and down the "medium" speed lap lane. Got it? Well, that was me. All 35 weeks of me and my smokin' hot, fast moving baby-bod.

This is my life, and it's all a little surreal. I'm huge. I'm uncomfortable. I'm tired. I'm hungry. I'm hot. I'm impatient I'm pregnant. I'm having a baby. I'm round. I'm incubating. I'm healthy. I'm nurturing. I'm prepared. I'm excited. And I am so, so blessed. A little nervous, too.

from pin to project: pesto chicken sausage + brussels.

My Pin: Pesto Chicken Sausage + Brussels

                                          Source: gimmesomeoven.com via Allison on Pinterest

My Project: Pesto Chicken Sausage + Brussels

I tried this: May 2012

Alterations: I used rotini (only about half a box), and I made my own pesto (fresh basil, grated parm, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper).

Thoughts: So tasty, easy to make and well-timed. It was nice to not have so much pasta (the recipe called for 1lb), because the sausage and roasted brussels were so flavorful. Will definitely make this again.

tricare: prime or standard?

Alright mil-parents. I know you're out there. I have a dilemma, and I could use your advice...

Our baby is planning to make her debut in about seven weeks, and I already feel like a bad mom. Every time I go to my OB (which is kind of all the time, since I am pregnant with post-ablation, euthyroid Graves Disease), she asks me if I have found a pediatrician yet. My answer has thus far been, "Uhhhhhhhhhhh.....no?" (Side note: I have been under the impression that after your baby is born, you enroll them in DEERs and then they get assigned to a military pediatrician in family medicine. End of story.) "Well, you're really going to want to get one like yesterday, because otherwise, after she is born, she'll just get assigned to a resident in the hospital for her first check-up. I mean...the residents are supervised by a pediatrician, but...." Then she gives me a look at that says, "But we both know that residents chop newborns up into pieces, slather them in syrup and eat them for breakfast, sooo...."

Message received. Figure out way to get pediatrician prior to our helpless newborn being eaten alive by new residents. I'm on it.

So. Here I am researching how to get our child, whom we obviously want the best possible post-natal care for (especially since she is at increased risk for hyper and/or hypothyroidism at birth due to my disease), a pediatrician that we trust and can afford.

I call Tricare who tells me that in the first 60 days of life, the baby will be covered for any services rendered by anyone, anywhere. Sometime before that 60 days is over, we must register her with DEERs and she will then be assigned a pediatrician (probably at the on-post family medicine clinic) aka Tricare Prime. If we choose to find our own pediatrician, we'll have to enroll her in Tricare Standard. According to Tricare, this means we'd be responsible for a $150 annual deductible and 15% of all doctor bills (with an in-network provider).

What I'd like to find out from you guys is this:

• Are your children on Tricare Prime or Tricare Standard?
• Likes/dislikes
• If we go Standard, how much could we expect to pay monthly for our baby's first year of well/sick child visits, vaccinations (which I will also be researching- perhaps a post for another day), medications, etc?
• What if she needs to stay in the NICU at birth? Will we be responsible for those bills if she is already registered in Standard?
• If we go Standard, should we wait until the 60 day period to declare that status with Tricare, so that her first 60 days are covered regardless?
• What am I not thinking of here that I should be thinking of?

Inquiring moms want to know...

from pin to project: minky baby blanket.

And now, the moment you didn't even know you've been waiting for...the first post in my new "from pin to project" series!

My Pin: Minky Baby Blankets from Girls Gone Child

                                       Source: girlsgonechild.net via Allison on Pinterest

My Project: Hand Sewn Minky Baby Blanket

I tried this: April 2012

Alterations: I didn't do a trim, the way that GGC's mom did. It would have been way too much for this newbie...

Thoughts: I am thrilled to be able to give our daughter a super cute, durable, versatile, hand sewn blanket, which only cost about $15 in fabric and about four hours of my time (made at our first Craft Wednesday). It was my first time using a sewing machine (with lots of help and guidance from my friend, Tara), and it won't be the last. Minky is a very difficult fabric to work with and requires lots and lots of pinning prior to sewing. If at all possible, I will come up with alternative fabrics to use instead of minky in the future.

my pinspiration.

When Andy was deployed, I liked to post about "my projects" here. My projects kept me motivated, kept me productive, kept the days passing, kept me sane while he was gone. It was therapeutic for me.

Well, surprisingly, stay at home mom-hood has brought me a whole heap of free time (with no baby for another two months), not dissimilar to deployment. In addition, the past few weeks home alone have proved to be a tough adjustment for this once proud-working girl. I crave the validation and the sense of self-worth that work provided me. And I have found myself looking for things to keep me motivated, keep me productive, keep the days passing and keep me sane while Andy is gone (at class). Sound familiar? It is.

So...I've started turning to my projects again, to fill this void.

Where does one go when they need projects, you might ask? They go to Pinterest. My love and my life. You guys, Pinterest and I are making stay at home mom-hood look absolutely charming! The things you can do with inspiration, supplies, free time and bit of patience...

I pin my ideas to some of these custom (virtual) boards:

• eat me.
• crock pot.
• flour and sugar.
• for my children. 
• for pups.
• the organized life.
• crafty.
• photo inspiration.
• pcs-ing.
• gift ideas.

My pins have become an integral part of this new job I am tackling. I take pride in trying new dinner recipes, photographing them with Instagram and then bragging about my successes as #worldsbestwife on Facebook and Twitter. My home has become less of a burden as I have gotten more and more inspiration (I've made my own menu board, am making a "lost sock" board and plan to try my hand at homemade detergent soon)! My pins have even spurred "Craft Wednesdays" with a couple other Army wives, and I've already sewed (for the first time ever) my own baby blanket and burp cloths!

My pins are my to-do list. They keep my inquiring, they keep my creative, they keep me busy and they keep me accountable. They have helped me remember and further define who I see when I look in the mirror- a wife, a mother, a gourmet chef, a baker, a crafter, a neat-freak, an environmentalist, an interior designer, an animal lover, a fashionista, a mil-spouse, a learner, a doer.

With all that gushed said, be on the lookout for some new project posts from me. And if you're not yet, follow me on Pinterest and leave me your username so I can start following you, too! Let's get pinspired together!

*This is in no way a sponsored post, nor have I received any compensation. I just love Pinterest, is all.

milspouse appreciation: all the cool kids are doing it.

Happy Milspouse Appreciation Day! If you are a milspouse, you are part of one of the coolest "cool kid" clubs in the world and for that you deserve lots of recognition, praise and, most of all, appreciation! So in case you aren't hearing it enough, I would like you to know that I appreciate you and the sacrifices you are continually making for our country, for your marriage and for your family. I admire you, I look up to you and I and proud to call so many of you my friends. Also, I think you are very intelligent and beautiful and strong and funny and witty and patient and good at everything you do!

If we haven't met before, my name is Allison and I am a milspouse. "Hi, Allison."

I met my soldier, Andrew, almost seven years ago, when he was just starting his Yuk Year at West Point and I was a sophomore at Marist College. Two years ago, we made it Facebook-offish and said "I do," in true mil-fashion: first in a Colorado Springs courthouse and, six months later, in a church on Long Island. Three months after our "real" wedding, Andy deployed to Iraq for a year (which was when and why I started this blog). We spent three years in Fort Carson, CO and just moved to Fort Benning, GA. We have two pups: Lily the Goldendoodle and Hudson the German Shepherd aka Lily & Hudsie. I am 7 months pregnant with our first child, and, because we are just that patriotic, she is due on the Fourth of July! I am new to stay-at-home-momhood, but, right now (pre-baby), I enjoy filling my time with cooking, baking, photography, crafting, organizing, music and social media.

You can find me on Facebook, Pinterest (LOVE!), Instagram (alliegirl428) and sometimes even Twitter.

Many thanks to a couple of really cool milspouses, Ann Marie and RC, for organizing the MilSpouse Appreciation Day Blog Hop today!  I can't wait to hop around and meet some more card-carrying (DD 1173) club members!