Damn Marine Corps

All right, so I know that's not very respectful--and I really do have the greatest respect for servicemen & women, especially the Marines.

But when my brother Zack makes it through 9 weeks of Marine Officer Candidate School and then gets sent home a week before graduation for being "Not Physically Qualified", I get somewhat bitter. There's something wrong with his right leg: it was swelling so badly below the knee that he was on bed rest for the last days of training. The Board told him Friday that he'd missed too many days of training, he can try again next year (application process, tests, and all) and sent him home Saturday.

We are so disappointed, upset, and in shock, especially Zack. He's still mostly in the shock stage: said it's crazy being able to do what he wants, when he wants, eat whatever he wants, etc. I think he'll really have to grieve over the whole thing like someone has died. He wanted this so badly, and worked so hard, and the reason they let him go was completely out of his control.

So now he's stressed out about getting a job, making student loan payments, making it to physical therapy (Marines are paying for that, luckily), etc., and I'm stressed for him too. The good news is that he'll be around in January when his nephew is born! Small consolation to him, though.

So please keep Zack in your prayers. I'm really worried about him!

Updates

**I passed my 3-hour glucose test last Saturday (after failing the previous 1-hour test), so no gestational diabetes for us. Thank you God!

**First childbirth class was Tuesday night and a bit goofy, but I think they'll get better. Every Tuesday for 2.5 hours for 6 weeks--they'd better get better! I did get a nice back rub from George since the lady leading the class had the guys practice helping their ladies relax, just like they'll do during labor (ha ha. Hopefully!).

**Dad is continuing to improve. He looks great and doesn't need the cane around the house. Resting at home and several hours of physical therapy a week are working wonders.

**I got to talk to Zack last Saturday! He is 2/3 of the way done with Marine OCS and so excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel (his words). After Thanksgiving we'll start making travel plans to go to Quantico for family day & graduation/commissioning on December 11 & 12. Can't wait!! Here's a link to a photo of him: http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/Icons%20and%20Photogallery/fall2008/D%20Co%20SULE%20I/008.html

**Baby is doing well and starting to sap all of my energy. and making it difficult to stand up from sitting or lying down. and pushing on my stomach so I eat way too much and then am miserable. and thumping away at my insides. But it's worth it. 2 months left--we can do this!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dad is home!

Dad got to come home from the hospital today! He and Mom are both so excited. I think being home will help him more than anything else. His liver enzymes are still high, which is why they kept him a day longer than originally thought, but hopefully those will go down as his body starts to heal. His mouth droopage is almost unnoticable now, which rocks, because that's bothering him the most. He'll walk with a walker for a while and will have physical therapy twice a week for four weeks.

I'm pretty proud of myself that I haven't really had a breakdown through all of this--I think I turned my emotions off early last weekend when Dad went back into the hospital. It's easier to be stoic and do what I can to help them than it is to stress out over what is or isn't getting done in my own life. Now that Dad's home and getting better, must continue to be stoic and unemotional, or else the breakdown might happen!

Odds and ends

It's election night, and I'm jittery waiting to hear the returns. Que sera, sera--but still!

I'm SO glad the never-ending barrage of calls, pamphlets, mail, radio spots, and TV commercials are over after today. We had two political calls Saturday, three Sunday and four or five yesterday. Whatever will we do with our time after today?!

Zack is doing well in Marine OCS. He now has liberty regularly--every weekend, I think--which helps a lot. He has just over a month left!

My dad has been in the hospital as doctors tried to figure out why his legs are weak, mouth and eye are drooping, liver enzymes are high, he has shooting pain in his legs, etc. etc. He was admitted last Tuesday, and after an MRI and multiple other tests came back clear (no stroke, thank God), released Wednesday. He went back in Friday because his legs gave out at a checkup with the neurologist. The doctors finally diagnosed Guillian-Barré Syndrome, in which the body's immune system basically attacks itself; it happens after a virus or other illness, and Dad has had a cold/been feeling lousy since the middle of September. So they are treating him with immunoglobulin something or other infusions, one a day, with the last one Thursday. He may get to go home Thursday or he may stay longer--there are still a few more tests results the doctors want to be sure to rule out anything else.

So it's been a pretty stressful week or two, but we are so thankful because he's finally getting treated and because it could be so much worse!

Dad and Mom got to feel the baby kick on Saturday, which was cool. He is now big enough ("the size of a small pot roast" according to my pregnancy book, a description that is just really creepy) and moving so much that we can see my abdomen shake and move when he does. Very Alien-like!

Hopefully more photos coming soon!

There's no place like home...

I was supposed to be home last night (Saturday) around 11, but my flight out of DC was delayed for hours, which meant that I missed my connecting flight to Springfield. Apparently it was too foggy/misty in DC for our plane to land, so it had to be rereouted and refueled before its return. When it finally arrived, we were told was being taken out of service (!!) but that they had another plane for us. GREAT! We finally landed in Dallas around 10:30 pm and I had two choices until my 8:40 am flight home: hang in the airport or pay $53 (the "distressed passenger" rate) for a motel room. After deciding on the airport, I changed my mind and went for the Super 8, which was quite an appalling dump, but at least had a bed. So after a few hours sleep in my contacts and clothes, we shuttled back to the airport and I'm finally home!!

I had been sad, thinking that I wouldn't get to do any more free history teacher summer trips for a while--but this return trip has definitely cured my traveling bug for a long time!

Time flies

I leave Thursday for a short conference in Arlington, VA--two days of training for the National Teacher Council sponsored by the Bill of Rights Institute. I'm not looking forward to flying, but I am looking forward to missing school! No school Friday, so it will just be missing Thursday, but a four-day weekend (even with flying) is worth it!

My brother Zack is having a tough time at Marine OCS. He's back on full duty now, but last week was on crutches and had four days of light duty because he strained a muscle in his leg. Apparently it's a common running injury--but his platoon commander wanted to send him home, and if Zack gets injured again, he probably will. Pray for his safety! I think it would about destroy him to be sent home. He's been training for OCS for almost a year and there's nothing else he wants to do right now besides be a Marine officer. He did get 95/100 on a safe weapons handling test, so that's awesome.

Can't believe it's almost the end of October--and can't believe I'm almost in the third trimester. Just three months left! Deep breaths...no hyperventilating...must breathe!

Half days of school rock!

That's right--the kids left at 11 AM today. ROCK ON!

Half days are the best. Of course, we teachers are here the normal time, but we go out to lunch (so that's what it's like!) and we don't have to listen to the griping/whining/bitching/moaning/complaining that characterizes this school year.

And, this is a completely open weekend for me! YES!

Have a great one yourselves!

Baby registry...whoa

We registered at Target tonight, and now I'm completely overwhelmed.

Even after doing tons of research, reading Baby Bargains about 18 times, and thinking we were prepared prepared to register, I realize now that we probably registered for a load of crap we likely won't ever use. But who knows, until the baby actually gets here? And what's the point of registering ahead of time, then? Plus, after registering for a Graco infant car seat & stroller base, I realized that the stroller we got from Aunt Judy and Grandma (Evenflo) does in fact allow an Evenflow infant car seat to snap in--but all the reviews I've read of Evenflo seats are atrocious (broken parts, recalls, etc.). So now what? How rude to return such a major gift, and it would hurt their feelings (although I doubt they'd notice, really)--but we also don't have a receipt, so have no idea where to return it.

I know: it's the thought, they want us to be happy regardless, and in the big scheme of things, it's no big deal. But I'm ultra-emotional right now, having spent $500 on maternity clothes so far (should get me through January), which is money that we don't really have; moving stuff in Ivy's room and my office by myself; worrying about how I'm going to get everything done before the baby arrives, and how I'm going to pay for it (yes, I, not we; apparently I'm the only one concerned about any of this: painting, ceiling, roof that the insurance won't pay for, etc. etc.); and mostly feeling like I'm in this pregnancy and preparing for a baby completely alone. The house is wreck, the basement is a pig sty (shite everywhere; George hasn't cleaned beyond vacuuming in over two years) to the point that I get heart palpitations just walking downstairs, we don't eat decent food unles I cook, and mostly, if I want anything done, I have to do it myself.

From registering to feeling completely empty and alone--what an uplifting blog post this is!

Shower & Belly pic #2

My St. Louis family surprised us (well, me, anyway; George knew about it!) last Saturday with a shower! It was a beautiful day and we all had a great time. We also celebrated my Grandma Mac's 84th birthday!

One more belly pic! (in my fav maternity shirt)

My "little" brother Zack left for Marine Officer Candidate School this morning. I'm really proud of him! Just still in amazement that my little brother is going to be a Marine.

Here is Zack getting sworn into the Missouri Bar last week by Judge Dennis Budd:

He was back in Springfield from KC for a month, but I feel like we didn't get to see him nearly enough. He'll be home for Christmas, though, and we're hoping to go to Quantico in early December to see him graduate from OCS. Semper Fi!

It's Friday--THANK GOD!

Happy weekend!

Belly pic!

By request: Belly pic #1

1 October 2008

5 months and counting!

Not the best photo, but it works:

you can see the baby belly but not the baby butt!