The End of the Month, again!

Wow, another month has almost come and gone....Kentucky has changed a little from hot and humid to hot and humid some days with torrential Noah's ark necessary flooding rain and thunderstorms other days! Today it was overcast and barely reached 70, so fall is definitely on its way in! The bugs are too, as we are noticing a lot of new varieties entering the house any way they can manage and popping out at unexpected times....usually 7am breakfast preparing time. :)
How are we? Still in limbo here, but not nearly as "limbo-ish" as we were last week! Why, you ask? Well, the long awaited moment arrived.....here's the scoop on our move. We are supposed to be in Arizona at Fort Huachuca (actually were supposed to leave at the beginning of October per this summer's schedule) but we've been waiting to receive Lou's promotion to captain in writing, official and all that. This particular promotion is a timed one, so according to our general calculations it was already at least 15 months overdue...but the paperwork was "in transit" and "who knows where" kind of places whenever Lou made inquiries. In order for them to "cut orders" for us to go to the captain's career course in AZ Lou had to be a captain....and although he was, he wasn't. Hope that's not too confusing, haha! Anyway, September was halfway gone and still no sign of this piece of important paperwork, so they cancelled his Nov. 15 class date in AZ and gave him a new Jan. 2013 class date...hoping that he would have everything he needed by then. Well, this week he came home with the amazing news....Yes! Paperwork in hand, signed by all the illustrious persons in the army and even better, BACKDATED to March 2011....over 18 months overdue! Shocking, yes, but we weren't too surprised. :) At times I teased him that he wasn't ever going to change rank, I'd always call him "LT"...but then when I sewed his "1LT" rank patches on his uniform so he wouldn't have to use the velcro ones anymore, then I was sure the promotion would come that week. But that was 2 months ago....and so at least I didn't have the enviable task of replacing them the next day with "CPT" patches. :) Also, 18 months overdue means that at some point all the money we would have received during that year and a half will be paid...sometime before 2018....I'm hoping! :) We might be leaving here for AZ the first week of November now, but I'll keep you posted. So, look for promotion ceremony pictures to come soon, as soon as we have the ceremony. I'm so proud of Louis, he's an amazing soldier but even more than that, he's an amazing husband and Christian man. Today he was up early working on the front sidewalk....

We rented a jackhammer and he spent the morning chopping it all up, loaded it in the truck with some friends' help and then went to Lowes to purchase yard materials. When he got home, he raked out the gravel we had delivered....there were 17 tons dumped on our driveway! After he finished that, he created a walkway with paving stones and gravel, edged it in timbers and finished up by mowing our lawn....did I mention that my husband amazes me? He is such a hard worker...he never complains but just keeps on going and going. Sometimes watching him from the kitchen window as I wash dishes, I get all choked up, humbled that this man loves and cares for me. OK, enough tears for the moment! :)
On to the baby....he's still in there kicking and squirming....I know its awfully early to feel him but I was certain I felt movement this afternoon after we finished lunch and I lay down to rest. I was perfectly still and I felt these strange "fluttery" sensations...so I checked my heartbeat and it was normal...after several seconds they stopped. I'm still convinced! I went to see the OB/Gyn on Monday at Ireland Army Hospital at Fort Knox and they had me slapped into "OB orientation" before I knew what hit me. Lots of paperwork, lots of "what diseases run in your family" questions....by the time I finished I realized again just how diseased we ARE! :) At the end of the questionaire, an ultrasound tech asked me my due date and then whisked me into the little room next door, where I got to see this!

Our little baby was so active, bouncing back and forth, kicking and crossing its little legs, hands moving around its mouth! Made me cry with happiness! I was 12 weeks, 5 days at that point but the little guy measured 13 weeks, 1 day so he's definitely growing just fine. His heartbeat sounded beautiful...151 beats per minute. Can you believe he's just 3" long at this age?  And yet perfectly formed....all your works are marvelous, Lord. Lou said he's going to be 10 lbs when its time for birth but I object. :) Strongly. BTW, we keep calling the baby "he" but we won't know for a couple more weeks so I will let you know if we'll need to send her for counseling later in life b/c of the gender confusion! :) Speaking of Ireland, they don't complete all your prenatal exam, ultrasound, labwork, and testing in one visit...so guess how many times I was there this week? Yep, that would be correct.....3 appointments in one week! I did talk with the doctor though about my battles with nausea and vomiting, I explained that I had tried both homeopathic and naturalistic, wives' tales and far east, nutritional and mental methods that folks have bestowed on me, all to no avail. I've been sick most days since my 5 week, usually the nausea lasted from 9ish in the morning until 7-8 at night, and it has been exhausting. So, she prescribed Zofran for it and I must say that it has worked wonders for me. I still have periods in the afternoon of nausea and food smells do make me gag but I'm not throwing up and I feel human again in the morning/noonish time! Yay! Its so wonderful and I'm grateful for every small blessing, even in the form of a little round pill to be swallowed twice a day! :)
Many things have happened this month...like the sweet little shower my Army girls gave me for Baby Crist.

 The theme was "Cute as a Button" and everything coordinated to match, I loved it!

Even the cake had little pastel fondant buttons....and the guys joined us at the end of the shower for a family barbecue.

Most of my Army girls and I met at Fort Benning, and then we were fortunate enough to all be stationed together here in Kentucky. I'm going to miss them so much....again, tears. I think I've become 10x as emotional since I became pregnant...but then again, my friend Cheryl says,"Kim, you cry when you hear a sad story about a puppy"...so maybe I've just always been this way. :)
We also spent part of September cat-sitting for our friends who are paving the way for us in Arizona already, Dave and Erica. They are also completing the captain's course so I will have a buddy there waiting when I arrive, how awesome is it that the Lord continues to place our friends in places to encourage and support us while we're so far from our birth families. We met Dave and Erica at Grace Church before the deployment and it was great to have Erica here while the guys were in Afghanistan. Their kitties survived their time with us and actually, while Gus thrived from the beginning, even Teddy (who hated me after my cat Missy attacked him last time he stayed with me for a month and would hiss at my coming) became sweet natured and would climb in my lap for petting while I sat at the computer! Gus has talent, let me tell you!

He would sit in front of the counter each morning as I made Lou's lunch sub, and as I laid the meat out to toast it, immediately go into his "begging" position! What's more, he can hold this for 20-30 seconds....and if you hold the meat towards him, he dances on his hind legs across to his food bowl....totally the funniest thing ever!
Teddy, on the other hand, is not a poser or performer...but he is beautiful...as evidenced below.

We were sad to see them go...but our moods brightened as we considered that we no longer would have cat hair wafting across our living room or scuffles in the night between Teddy and Gus as they fought for the alpha position. :)
Lou also found time to put in a new tile entry way, discarding the old linoleum 90s patterned floor in the process. I love the new look!

We also had some sad times in September, on the 9th Lou's Dad's mom, Mom-Mom passed away at her son's home in Florida. She had suffered a stroke years ago and was unable to live independently but she was a beautiful kind sweet woman to those who knew her well, even up til her death.

We are glad to know that we will see her again someday, fully restored and no longer suffering from the pains and illnesses that plague us all here on earth. They flew her body back to New Jersey, her home with Pop Pop for so many years. We drove there for the funeral and spent several days with our family, it was so nice to see everyone, although the occasion was a sad one.

This photo is one with Pop-Pop from right after WW2, he is also Louis John Crist, Lou was named after him. Wasn't she a beautiful woman?
On the way to NJ we broke the trip into two parts and spent the night at Aimee and Andrew's house. Look at their kids, aren't they growing like weeds?? Just the cutest guys, they were all certain we were going to have a camp-out on our air mattress and sleep in the same bed, but alas, the parents gave them the "No" and they contented themselves with telling stories and acting out until bedtime!

We also stopped to see my Grandma Canfield in Woodbridge, VA on our way to NJ. I hadn't seen her since before our wedding, so it was good to be able to catch up a little and show Lou around "the beach house", where we would stay while we were visiting Grandma and Grandpa as kids!

Many many other moments in September have been memorable, but I'm out of time and space and memory! I'll be sure to keep you all posted as we prepare to leave Kentucky for the Southwest! God bless!