Pictures in Alaska

Just a couple more pictures for you to see what it's like here. The sunsets are often bright and colorful. This picture I captured with a wire heart in the foreground, someone else's artwork left at the beach.

Then there's BearHunter at one of his projects, this time building the bunks for the new students. Now there are two girls using this bunk. They say it's the best bunk that's been made here so far. Way to go! BearHunter has been doing the lock down and unlock for the buildings as well as organize the snow shoveling teams. Though now that the head maintenance guy is back, BearHunter has not been required to continue with those responsibilities. Of course he still shovels snow on his rotation. And every other Saturday he's on the meal prep and cleanup, besides being on dish duty one day during the week.

On the other hand, I spend my time thinking/dreaming/planning/doing menus, food shopping and cooking. Food portions and budgets and leftover consume much of my thoughtlife! Now small talk with BearHunter is about the last and next meals. I am enjoying the job most days. And I'm learning not to be such a perfectionist when it comes to the clean up crews putting things away in their proper places, or following my written directions to the T. I find ways to adjust and make things work and not get "worked up" about the missing or rather misplaced items. So far I've done different meals each lunch and dinner. My only repeat has been chili and cornbread. Generally the food turns out well, occasionally a few minutes late, occasionally portions too small. But praise God no one has gotten food poisoning yet. And to top it off, I'm learning lots of new recipes.

Tuesday evening we go in for our first and perhaps only ultrasound. At our prenatal visit last week, the baby measurements taken indicate we're growing on target and there's probably only one baby in there. We'll let you know how the ultrasound turns out. Baby is still kicking regularly, though not all too frequently. BearHunter has been able to feel kicks on many occasions, so that's a special blessing. Feels and looks like my belly grows bigger everyday. We'll get a picture posted as soon as my camer is working again. Love y'all. -CallaLily

Kickin' It!

Ahah, baby's first kicks this last week. Very exciting moments... Both "mom" (me) and "dad" (BearHunter) got to feel our first kicks the same night, within minutes of eachother. I, mom, had been feeling small kicks internally for a while, but nothing with my hand on the outside yet. Then, on Tuesday night, when I went to bed the right side of my belly felt warm compared to the left side (baby lives on the right side). So I decided to let my hand rest there and feel for any other differences. Very soon, I felt a little tap on my hand just under my index finger (from my belly), and immediately after that two more soft taps under my other fingers. I could also feel the kick inside my belly. It was like my skin just barely lifted my finger up a bit. Soon afterwards there was another push under my palm.

Dad was out of the room at the time, locking up the buildings for the evening. He returned shortly and I told him of my experience. Of course I kept my hand resting there waiting to feel anything else. While we were chatting, I could feel internally that the baby was still moving around quite a bit. Hoping that there might be more kicks I suggested Dad come and rest his hand softly in the same spot. So happily he did. And wouldn't you know, as if on cue, baby kicks his fingers, too. Twice, even. I burst into laughter. It was so funny to feel the internal punch while on the outside Dad is feeling it with his hand at the same time. His eyes got big when it happened, and he seemed in almost disbelief. He wasn't sure if that was it at first because the feeling was so slight. But by the second thump, he knew he was feeling it with his hands. He said it was like he heard the kick rather than felt it because it was such a subtle movement.

Since that night, I haven't felt any more good kicks like that with my hand, but I do feel more definite kicks inside me. Often during meals I notice them, or when I lay down for bed. They're not strong enough to wake me up or bother me.

Daily it seems my belly gets bigger and tighter. The baby wad as I like to call it is getting taller and wider in my abdomen. My stomach is more noticeably sticking out under my shirts. Even the first pairs of maternity pants that I bought are feeling tighter. I'm trying to walk regularly for some exercise, but it's hard now that I'm busy being a cook. That's my new responsibility on the base.