Ultrasound & Alaska

~Well we had our ultrasound today!

It was WONDERFUL to be able to see the baby, their beautiful face, eyes, nose, mouth, hands, feet, legs,tummy, everything!! We couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl as thebaby had their hand over their "parts" down there. But - that willjust make the birth more exciting! We will get the doctors report onthe ultrasound in about a week, but the tech said that as far as she could tell everything looked good.

~We went to a travel meeting this morning about Alaska too, and finallygot a few questions answered.Basically the lady at the travel office (Mrs. Marr) submitted ourpaperwork from the Exceptional Family Member Program, and said that ifthey have everything for abbi up there, the orders will becomeofficial, and there will be no undoing them. So, unless there is somemajor gap in the care up there, it looks pretty certain that we'reheaded that way (which from my research and from what Diva says, thereis not any lack in services there at all... actually they have morethere than here even).

~So - Kevin is just working extra hard to do well in jump school -practicing his pull ups and whatnot (they have to do 10 pull ups and10 push ups before they can go in to eat at each meal so i hear). He'sstill nervous but feeling a little better about going.I am most likely going to be moving back home to Arizona once Kevintakes off for Alaska.

~1) Getting me & the kids up there w/ housing is going to be REALLYtough. They're building a whole new battallion so the on post housingis really crammed from what i understand. Off post housing is prettyexpensive, and even with cola, & bah, it would be awfully tight.

~2) I have LOTS of family & friends in Arizona that could help with thebaby & be a support... let me stay with them until we get enough to

~3) My sister in law is having a baby and I really feel like I need tobe there for her and the kid for a lot of special circumstances/reasons.

~4) Kevin's unit is said to be deploying to Afghanistan for an 18 monthtour in March or April, so it seems silly to move up there only tohave him deploy right away and me be in alaska without him for so long.

~We *are* trying to get a 60 day deferment to stay at this unit here awhile longer, so he can be with me when I give birth, and hopefully afew weeks after while I recover (maybe even over christmas! ). I hadto go get my pregnancy statement (his 1st Sgt. was telling me i neededa "screening" so no one knew what he was talking about for about amonth - ugh - this was just a piece of paper from the dr. officesaying i am pregnant and due nov. 27). So that will help a lot. Mrs.Prior from the PCS office place thing this morning (lol - dontcha lovemy technical terms) said that she's never seen anyone turned down forpregnancy deferment, so we\'re really hoping that it goes through.

~That's about it. Just wanted to update.