We're having a little......

We have been home in Alaska for a little over two weeks now. It's been so busy that we haven't really had a chance to just relax, let alone update the blog. I think the last time I posted before leaving Germany mentioned that we were going to the doctor and hoped to find out the sex of the baby. We didn't get to the doctor that Monday because they called to change our appointment, but were able to work us in the next day right before we headed out of town to Frankfurt. The doctor checked lots of different angles with the ultrasound and as far as she can tell (she's 80% sure) it seems we are having...... a little girl. I wasn't at all surprised, because from the beginning of the pregnancy I felt like it was a girl. I don't know why, but it just felt that way. I feel even more sure since my sister, Kristy, found out they're having a little boy. She's due just a week after us and had her ultrasound in the same week of pregnancy as I did. They had no doubt that it was a little boy, so since we saw nothing to indicate "boy", we feel pretty sure. I'm glad that Sam really didn't care one way or the other. We eventually would like both, so we're happy with having a baby girl first.

Some people would prefer to be surprised, but I've really enjoyed knowing what we're having. It makes it more real being able to call the baby "she'' versus "it" and we can start to concentrate on girl names, which we haven't bothered with until now. On top of that I can do some much needed shopping while here in Alaska and buy girl things instead of everything in neutral colors.

Also, another pregnancy milestone - I felt the baby move for the first time on Christmas Eve. That was a really neat experience. I was just waking up and kept feeling bumps in my belly. I counted about 10-15 bumps. It was different than I thought it would be, but really pleasant. I've felt her just about every day since and find myself looking forward to feeling her again. It's usually when I sit or lay down that I feel her start to move. Sometimes at night if I turn over it seems to wake her up and she starts moving. It definitely makes being pregnant more real to feel her moving around. Sam felt a little bump last night for the first time, but at this point you have to be really patient and wait a little bit to feel her.

We had quite the trip here, but should have known better than to travel during the holidays. I guess that's what we have to put up with if we want to spend this time of the year with family though.

We left Frankfurt on Wednesday (Dec 17th) at around 10:00am and 48 hours later we landed in Fairbanks. Every one of our flights were delayed or cancelled. We were stuck in Dallas for a long time because all flights to Las Vegas had been cancelled due to snow. Our luggage was scheduled to go to Las Vegas so we had to track it down before we could reroute to Seattle without going through Las Vegas. What a nightmare! We were sent on a wild goose chase for hours before someone finally helped us track down the luggage at 11:00pm. We had been there since about 5:00pm trying to find it.

We finally got to Seattle and ended up sitting in the plane on the tarmac for 2 hours after landing because there was no gate available for us to unload at. The flight out of there to Anchorage was delayed, but when we did finally get on that flight we sat on the tarmac for another 2 hours waiting to have our plane de-iced. I guess that's what happens when it snows in the lower 48 - no place seems to be prepared for it. Being from Alaska it just seems ridiculous to have so many flight problems due to snow. If snow and cold weather stopped flights in Alaska there would be none from October though April.

Due to us sitting on the tarmac so long in Seattle we missed our flight to Fairbanks from Anchorage, but thankfully they were able to get us on the last flight out at 11:00pm. We finally made it into Fairbanks at midnight, which was 10:00am in Germany (Dec 19th). I was so glad to be in Fairbanks and off those planes. It always feels right to get back home.

As I said earlier, it's been incredibly busy since we've been here. Coming right before the holidays left us with a lot to do. Seems we haven't had more than a day or two to just relax, but I've enjoyed it all the same. The day after we got in was the church holiday potluck. It was nice seeing everyone again. That evening we went to see a drama put on by my cousins, but I was so tired from jet lag that I was falling asleep and couldn't finish it. They organized the Delta Christian Drama Association several years ago and put on yearly dramas for Christmas and Easter. They do a great job and I've been looking forward to seeing one in person, but it just wasn't going to be this year. We'll have to get a DVD of it once they come out.

Then Sunday was the church Christmas program and we went caroling that afternoon. I so enjoy being back home doing all the traditional holiday activities. Monday we went to Fairbanks because that was the one day we had to get some shopping done before Christmas. We spent the night there on Monday because Sam and I had dentist appointments early on Tuesday morning. I was concerned about going to the dentist because we haven't had a cleaning in two years. Our last was before we left Hawaii and I just haven't found a German dentist I care to go to. Thankfully though we've done a good job of cleaning our teeth because we had no cavities.

We had a really nice Christmas day. My brother came down from Fairbanks on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning we opened our gifts then Mom and I started on dinner. We had various friends and family over for dinner. It's so great to be back with people I know.

Jet lag permeated that first week here due to the 10 hour time difference from Germany. It hasn't been as bad as it could have been, but every evening around 7 or 8 I would just give out and had the hardest time keeping my eyes open. It's getting a lot better though.

Every year for New Year's Eve, Mom and Dad have a party. This year was no different, but it's been pretty cold so we didn't have as many people as usual. It was a nice size crowd though and we enjoyed good food and company. At midnight we all headed outside to watch Dad and Bill set off the fireworks. Usually we have a big bonfire to stand around, but due to the cold (it was -50 that evening) the guys didn't feel like being out long enough to get it going. So, we all just stood outside for 15 minutes to watch the show then headed back in.

Sam leaves tomorrow evening to fly back to Germany. I changed my ticket so I'll be here until the 20th. I'm sure that still won't be long enough, but I guess I have to head back eventually. As much as I love being home and with my family, it's been hard because of realizing that the next time I come home it'll be with a baby. It's difficult to want to go back to Germany. I was alright being so far away until we got pregnant, but now it's just hard having that distance between us. Knowing that Mom and Dad will probably only see her once a year breaks my heart. That's not what I wanted for my child. When we moved there we planned on 5-10 years, but I dare say we won't be there 10 years at this point.

I'm going to miss Sam and I miss my Gabby too, but it's easier to stay a little longer at this point since I'm already here. I'm dreading the trip back no matter when I go. There is nothing about that trip that's fun.

Mom and I plan to go to Fairbanks a couple of times while I'm here to get some shopping done for the baby. There is so much that I need to get since, at this point, I have bought next to nothing. When I get back to Germany we'll have to get the nursery furniture ordered. All of the floors in our house are either tile or wood, so I want to get a big rug for the nursery. I'm going to check in Fairbanks to see if I can get one shipped from here. I haven't been crazy about the rugs we seen in Germany. Same thing with a rocking chair for the nursery. I want to check a furniture store in Fairbanks to see if we can get one shipped over. The PX doesn't have much of a selection and I don't care for the German furniture. Sometimes it seems a little overwhelming when I think about all that still needs done before this little one arrives. It's terrifying to realize we only have 4 more months.

It's -50 again today, so we're just staying around the house. We'll play some games or watch movies. I'm hoping it warms up a little before we head out to Fairbanks tomorrow. I'm not able to download pictures here, so I'll try to post some later. Until next time...