Chase Michael Webb

So I had an ultrasound on Tuesday the 15th, and here's the big news...IT'S A BOY! In case you have trouble deciphering ultrasounds (as I often do) you're looking at him from behind. It's like he's doing a toe touch...you see his butt at the top, his legs, and right there is his pride and glory. The blob under the arrow is his foot.

I'll be honest, I wasn't even excited going into the appointment. I had myself (and everyone around me) convinced that I was having a girl. So I wasn't really looking forward to the results. So when I was laying there on the table and she said it was a boy, I just started crying like a goober. I must have asked her 15 times if she was sure. She said there was no doubt about it.

Personally, I did not care whether I was having a boy or a girl. But I knew it meant a lot to Kevin to have a boy. And there is not a greater Christmas present I could think of than letting him know he's going to have a son! So I am super excited!

As of now, we're going with Chase Michael as the name. We are both pretty happy with that, so unless something changes, that's what he'll be.

I'd post more pictures, but he was very uncooperative for the appointment. Despite the two full glasses of Dr. Pepper I had for breakfast, he laid on his belly and slept the entire time. So she had to be up behind him and push him around to get the money shot. But that was all we cared about anyhow. :)

Quick Update - Just the Highlights

So, I had these big, grandiose plans of keeping a very detailed blog while Kevin was gone. Updating on everything I was feeling and experiencing as we began this phase of our lives. I don't know if you've noticed, but I have failed. Big time. So I decided to do a quick update of everything that has happened over the past month in the hopes that I will begin regular blogging again once I feel like I am caught up.

So I officially closed on my house on November 20th. It was another extremely long, anxious and stressful day. Although it was quite a story, I'll spare you and just give you the short version. Mom came up to help me, and after packing both cars so high that we literally could not see out the back to save our lives, we headed to the closing (45 minutes from the house) with both dogs in the car. The closing lasted until 5:45 on a Friday night, and it was right off I-85, north of Atlanta. So if you know anything about Atlanta, you know that we chose to kill some time rather than drive in that mess. So one mall and one meal later, and we were on our way. All in all, my poor puppies were sitting in the car for 8 hours patiently waiting to be transported to their new home. And they were angels.

I have officially transferred all of the most important things from my 1,500 square foot home to the bedroom I grew up in. It is packed. In fact, I think I'll share those pictures with you.


Notice the great use of space in the closet? And under the bed...and in and under the wardrobe...and every drawer is packed full as well. I think I've done a pretty good job of organizing if I do say so myself. There is not going to be room for Kevin or this baby. I don't know what we're going to do! In fact, mom and I bought some stuff the other day...a few outfits and blankets...enough to fill one Wal-Mart bag. And it's still sitting in the middle of the floor because I have no idea where to put it. I think I have decided to get some rubbermaids tubs in the storage unit for baby stuff. PS - if you can name the music video playing on my tv, you will be my new bff.

Anyhow, I've kept myself busy shopping, cooking, cleaning and organizing over the past few weeks. I decided to hold off on finding a job until after Kevin's leave in January. I'll be honest, it's become a little boring...but I am so thankful for the opportunity to just relax for a few weeks.

It's been a great month, and I am very much looking forward to the next few weeks!

Pregnancy Update

I am just wondering if anyone else got completely nauseated after every meal. Particularly dinner. Last night I stayed sitting straight up in bed until around 1:00am because I was terrified that if i laid down, my dinner would come back up. Exhausting.

And everyone tells you to sleep now...while you can. How am I supposed to sleep with these crazy pregnancy dreams? Just last night in my dreams, I was having pregnancy complications, and people were stealing money from me...lots of money! How am I supposed to relax???

I'm Ba-aaack!

Do you ever get so behind on something that it just becomes a burden to you, so even when you get the time to take care of it, you put it off longer? That's how I've felt abut my blog lately. So I decided to multi-task while my skank white trash roots are processing and do some updating. (It's not like I'm leaving the house with my head covered in tin foil anyhow)

So much has happened in the last month. First, I'm going to detail "The Big Move." This was quite possibly the longest day of my life thus far. It began around 7:00am (I think...it's been awhile). Needless to say, everything was still not packed, I was completely overwhelmed, and not nearly as prepared as I had hoped to be. I scrambled to do as much as I could do while I was waiting on my parents and brother to arrive and help. They arrived around 8:45, and then the movers (praise God!) arrived at 9:30. Nice as the movers were, I was only paying them for 3 hours...so they had their work cut out for them. But they did an amazing job, and there is no way we would have accomplished the job without them!

They were so nice, and squeezed as much of my furniture and boxes into the truck as they could possibly fit. I just kept walking outside and looking at the back of the truck. It was amazing. We're talking a perfect puzzle...there was not an extra bit of space in that truck...top to bottom, front to back...they definitely earned their money!

When they left at 12:30, we took a lunch break to hit Kyoto (our favorite Japanese restaurant) one last time. Then came home to squeeze any extra stuff into the truck, and pack the cars as full as we could manage. We didn't end up leaving Loganville until around 4:30, and left a disheartening amount of stuff behind. Dad drove the truck, Lee drove the mustang, and Mom drove my car with me and both dogs in the passenger seat.

We got to Columbus at 6:30 and had to stop at the house first to drop off our precious TV...because if anything happened to it, Kevin would kill me! Then we went on up to the storage unit. When we got there, we got a real treat...they had given us the wrong unit, our "assigned" one already had a lock on it. But since the truck had to be emptied, we made an executive decision and chose one two doors down. And decided that if they had a problem with it, they were welcome to move all of my stuff, seeing how it was their mistake and all.

We spent 3 or so hours emptying the truck, then piled on all the stuff going to the house. Then it was time for a dinner break at Waffle House...(insert sarcasm here). After dinner, we unloaded the truck at the house, and then had to go back to the storage unit one last time to put one more mattress inside and drop off the truck. All in all, we finished around 1:15am.

It was the longest, most exhausting day of my life...and Kevin is not going to hear the end of it for a long, long time.

And so it begins.

I'm a good supervisor.

Dad took care of the garage. Notice what he's holding, Webb family?

On a forced snack break...do I look happy?

In the beginning...

And the puzzle continues...

I'm still amazed.

The movers...no time for a better picture.

More of the puzzle...

The truck after the movers finished...

The truck after dad finished.

Now, stuff everything you can into the cars!

Exhausted, and only halfway done!

Let the move continue...at the storage unit.

Mom, seriously...I'm trying to work here.

Evan definitely did his fair share.

And also took his fair share of breaks.

I helped too...and was not very happy about it.

The truck's empty!

Lock it up! It's 1:15am!

Waffle House for dinner...mom's favorite...don't I look happy?

I Will Return...

Shortly. But I promise, you're not missing out on anything. I am just so busy updating Kevin's blog and sleeping that I don't have the time or energy to post on here. For instance, I got 3 letters from Kevin today (yay!) each with a blog udate. And I am getting as much sleep as I possibly can. In fact, going to bed after 9:00 has become "late" to me. Hey, I am taking all of the mommies' advice and sleeping while I can. I'm looking forward to having more energy and time soon. Second trimester, here I come!

Self-Absorbed

Wow, when Kevin and I entered the experience of becoming a USMC family, I never imagined it would be harder on him than it would on me. But after finally receiving my first letter from him today, I am realizing that just might be the case. It stands to reason. I mean, I am sitting at home, going through the normal daily routine. Wake up, work, eat, watch tv, sleep. Day in, day out. I'm getting notes, cards, phone calls and e-mails every day from people telling me how proud they are of Kevin, and that they are here if I need anything at all. He's the one who's been thrown into a completely new world where not only is everything new to him, but he has had absolutely no contact with the real world (and all of us who are supporting him from home) in almost two weeks.

I've been so wrapped up in pregnancy and morning sickness that I haven't even taken the time to think about how difficult this might be for Kevin. He has always been the strong one in our relationship. Not to say that I am weak (I am remembering how strong I am more and more every day) but in the context of our relationship, he has always been my rock. I just assumed that, because being a Marine was something he had dreamed of for so long, this would be a relatively easy process for him. But I guess the process can wear down even the toughest of minds.

If you haven't already, please take the time to write a note telling Kevin how proud you are of him. If you have a minute, say a prayer for his strength and peace of mind. I appreciate the prayers for myself, but I am FINE...please lift him up! If you need his address, let me know and I'll be sure to send it to you.

I am so excited about what this process is teaching us about ourselves and each other. I can't wait until all of his training is over and we can be together again as a family.

Thank You Mom!

In my last post, I mentioned that I called my mom in tears. Well the results of that phone call deserve a post of their own. When I called my mom it was 9:30 on Saturday night, and she was on her way home from a nap at the movies. As hard as it was for me to admit I needed help, I asked her to come up on Sunday and help me out for a little while. Well my mom, stubborn as she is (could that be where I get it from?) insisted on driving up that night!

What a burden lifted! You know that giant pile of laundry that made it on the blog last week? Well my mom tackled the entire thing by herself! She must have done 10 loads (yes, I am embarrassed by the fact that so much had piled up)! Not to mention, take care of my dogs, grocery shop for anything I needed or that she thought I might be able to eat, and constantly tell me to lie down and let her do things.

As bad as I felt asking her to come up, it was such a relief to see so many of those things get taken care of. My energy level was so low I don't know when I would have gotten around to the grocery shopping. And the laundry would have continued to pile up, especially considering the effect that the smell of clean laundry has on me right now...gag! So thank you Mom, from the bottom of my heart! It's good to know there's someone I can always count on, even if it means driving two hours in the middle of the night and missing another Sunday at church!

Pregnancy: Weeks 8 - 10

Wow, it is amazing how much your body changes from day one of pregnancy. I guess I always assumed that, because you don't start showing for a few months, things won't really be all that different. Needless to say...bad assumption. After the excruciating pains ended, the morning sickness began. But to give you a better picture, I would have to describe it more accurately as all day sickness. It's a vicious cycle of being hungry, eating, being nauseous for a few hours, throwing up, and being hungry again. What a drag. No matter how many times you tell yourself that morning sickness may be a part of the journey for you, there is absolutely no way to prepare for this one.

I was slowly making my way through it with crackers and coke (I'm pretty sure ginger ale is a scam) and although I was feeling lousy, I was at least making it through the day. Then I had my second check-up last Friday. Everything looked good. Blood pressure was great, I had only lost 3 pounds, got to see baby's heart flickering away. And the doctor and I discussed my morning sickness and I ended up saying I'd just try and wait it out without any meds. Big mistake.

Saturday came and I got hit like a semi truck. By Saturday night, I was so exhausted/hungry/frustrated that I called my mom in tears. I had only held down a small handful of crackers and just couldn't see how I was going to make it through the next week. So Monday morning I called the doctor. Thankfully, this time the nurse I spoke with had many more suggestions about eating habits, over the counter options, etc. By then I was at my wits end though, so I went with the hard stuff. $3 and a bottle of Phenergan later, and I feel like a new woman. Sure, it comes with some side effects (mostly drowsiness), but I would rather be sleepy and be able to eat than the alternative. So, praise the Lord, I am finally feeling a little better!

Pregnancy: Weeks 4-7

Okay, so I want to try and answer some of your questions, as well as document everything I've experienced from the beginning (I'm not holding anything back!) so here goes...

First, THANK YOU for all of the congratulations! I am finally starting to let myself get excited. For all those who are curious, of course Kevin knows. Everything went according to plan, and we found out the good news on labor day. I am 10 weeks 5 days as of today, and the due date is May 19th (the day after my 27th birthday. Yes, I have informed this little one that the 18th is mommy's day and he/she will need to wait until after that to get here.)

Just about as soon as we found out, I realized that I was having some pretty severe pain (what I had previously thought of as menstrual cramps). After a couple days of the pains becoming more frequent and more intense, I called the doctor who advised me to go straight to the ER. So, I spent the better part of a work day there only to have my pregnancy confirmed, two completely pointless ultrasounds (too early to see anything) and a lot of people roll their eyes and mutter rude comments about my tolerance for pain. Needless to say, this was a very frustrating period for me.

We began to research the pain further, and even thought for awhile that I had a kidney stone. But, praise the Lord, one doctor's visit (no kidney stone), another ultrasound, and about two weeks later, the pain finally began to subside and now is completely gone!

During that time my appetite also completely disappeared. Very strange. I wasn't nauseous or sick, just had zero appetite. But the Lord was gracious and I was able to enjoy our family vacation in Destin without too many problems. Little did I know, my last week with Kevin would be tainted by what are now two of the most feared words in my vocabulary: morning sickness.

A Picture Worth 1,000 Words

SOLD!

Well, Under Contract at least. So apparently my hard work and frantic house cleaning paid off. Or maybe it was my good looks and charm as I carried the dogs to the car. Either way, the couple who came by last night agreed to our counter-offer, and there is now officially a contract on our home! There were a few special requests, you know...leave behind the lawn mower, weed eater, etc...done! (What Kevin doesn't know won't hurt him) I'm kidding, he gave me permission to give those away before we left.

So, now the big prayer is that the house appraises for the sale price we've agreed to. Otherwise, the buyers have the option of purchase at the lower price...no good for me! But I know that God has always proven Himself faithful in the events of our lives. So I'm not too worried about the outcome.

My realtor advised me to keep quiet for two weeks, so I had to strategically lose a few facebook friends (co-workers) so that I can keep everyone else updated about the big news. Wouldn't want word getting around to my bosses and then have the deal fall through. But I'm totally excited, and obviously the couple really wants the house because they've been out three times, and came up to our offer a week after we walked away. I can't wait to get Kevin's address so I can tell him!

Now I have to go make my dish for our office potluck lunch tomorrow. One of my doctors is a vegetarian, so broccoli cheese casserole it is (modified, of course...no chicken this time). The dogs got lucky too, because some of the rice stayed a little crunchy, so they got to eat it for dinner. Mmm!

PS - Though you would enjoy a shot of just how much stuff made it underneath my bed yesterday. Keep in mind, this does not include a suitcase which was refilled and hidden in the guest bedroom, nor all the shoes and miscellaneous items shoved in closets and drawers...and that this pile is layers deep. I am a mess without Kevin here to keep me in line!

Oops...

What a day. Today was my first day back at work since our amazing two and a half week vacation. And it was not easy pulling my butt out of bed at 6:00am. But I did what I had to do. For the most part, everything went as well a could be expected. I was even reasonably alert. Impressive given the lack of sleep over the past few nights. Then around 1:30 it all started to go downhill.

I got an e-mail from our realtor saying that the couple who had put an offer in our house (which we politely declined, seeing how it left me devoid of savings!) wanted to see it again today around 3:30. So I immediately go into panic mode. My first day back at work. The house is a wreck, and I have to find a way to leave early to take care of the mess and the dogs! So the rest of the afternoon was pretty much a waste of me doing nothing and waiting anxiously for the call...which didn't come until 3:45, stating they would be there at 5:00. Okay, I think to myself, this is a little better. My office manager actually left at 4:00 which opened the door for me to beg a certain favorite co-worker and sneak out shortly after. (Don't be surprised if there is no blog tomorrow because she tries to kill me!)

So I race home driving much faster than I should, and arrive right around 4:40, just enough time to do what I needed to do. Except I needed to do a LOT! Shoes shoved in the wrong closets, mail shoved in the silverware drawer, and dishes thrown into the dishwasher...all to be expected. But here's the best part. Just having come from vacation, I have quite a bit of laundry yet to find a home. Well I am happy to report that my laundry has found a home. Safe and snug under my bed! Sorry, mom, there was just no time!

As a matter of fact, they arrived a couple minutes early and I had to meet the realtor and the nice couple (which I'm sure is a cardinal sin of real estate). OOPS! They were very gracious though, and more than happy to allow me to gather my barking beast dogs before I got out of there.

To kill some time, went for a short trip to the walking park. Me...full bladder, empty stomach, being dragged around by my wonderful pups. Probably not my best idea. But they seemed to enjoy it. And...BONUS...I found the extra set of keys to the Mustang inside the dog bag!

Let me just tell you, we have been missing a set of keys to each car for at least six months. We had all but given up hope when, maybe two weeks ago, Kevin found the extra Honda key. So when I finally found the missing Mustang keys, I could almost swear I saw the heavens part and the angels begin to sing. I was so excited I got out my camera to document this for Kevin...only to find that we have once again lost a Honda key. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.

I Told Myself I Wasn't Going To Cry

And then the call came. You know, the one when Kevin first gets to Parris Island and he calls and reads the script that tells me he's arrived. I don't know what else it said, because the call came...and he wasn't there. The last chance I had to hear his voice for I don't know how long, and he wasn't there. No static, no dropped call, just silence. I assume he said what he was supposed to say because I haven't gotten another call. The one thing that I knew for sure I had to look forward to, and it was a bust. I didn't even cry last night when I couldn't sleep for the first time in...well, maybe ever. But tonight that phone called combined with catching up on three missed episodes of Grey's Anatomy made for quite an emotional night. This sucks.

Day One As A Marine Wife...Just Call Me Paul Bunyon

So we officially dropped off Kevin yesterday afternoon at the recruiting station in Columbus. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but it was a decision we made TOGETHER after much prayer and consideration. So while I know the next seven months will be difficult, I also know that it is the right choice for us.

Let me show you the first challenge I have had to face...

Not a huge deal, but still something Kevin would normally handle himself. Since it was warm and sunny outside, I decided to go ahead and do what I could tonight. Plus, I knew if I put it off, I would forget and get the side of my car scratched up on my way to work tomorrow. So I got the hedge clippers and trimmed off as many small branches as I could (and threw them back into the woods). I would have taken care of the whole thing, but Kevin's hatchet was out on loan and it was crazy muddy too. So the rest of it will have to wait. Here is the end result. Not too bad for my first tree chopping attempt...

Now let's hope the rest of the trees around the house stay put...

The Countdown Has Begun...

Okay, it's official. In less than three weeks, Kevin will be off to boot camp and it will be just little old me here with the dogs. It blows my mind when I think about how much my life is about to change over the next few months. Am I anxious? Sure. Am I worried? Only that I'll get a little lonely or scared...hey, I live in the woods! Am I excited? Of course...I think this is going to be huge for us, and I am excited for Kevin to do something he is passionate about (finally!).

So the countdown begins. Two and a half days left of work. Six more days until the much-awaited Webb/Johnson family vacation in Destin. Nineteen more days until Kevin goes off to fulfill one of his dreams. AGH! I feel a little crazy right now. So much to do...

Going "Dark"

For those of you who thought this post was going to be about my hair, think again. Although I will admit I can be very vain about my hair sometimes, I think it would be a little cruel to write a whole post about it for my poor mom to read. So here's the real deal.

Very shortly, I will be making this a private blog. Not that there's a whole lot of crazy private stuff I'll be writing about, I just think it's a good idea at this stage in my life. I also plan on blogging more often. Much, much more often. I don't want to lose any readers, so please feel free to send me a request if you'd like to keep reading. As long as I know you or can confirm you're not a creeper, I'll be happy to accept.

Sorry if you were a silent "stalker" but like I said, as long as I know you, you're welcome to keep tuning in. But I'm trying to stay creeper-free. Thanks for understanding. Much love!

Happy Four Year Anniversary To Me!

Kevin and I are not really big on celebrating. Most holidays go pretty much unnoticed around our home (well, except Christmas...where our favorite is to just go out and drop some cash together...no surprises). This year for our fourth anniversary, my sweet hubby decided to pull out the big guns. My only request was that I get to dress nice. So he did all the research, made reservations, and we found ourselves at Bone's in Atlanta at 7:45 on Saturday evening for the best steak I have ever eaten in my life! We had great food, a great time, and are thinking of making it a tradition to treat ourselves special once a year or so. Here are the pics...try not to drool on your keyboard.

My First Hike...A Lesson in Trust and Endurance

So my adventurous husband is really into hiking and camping lately. Well I guess he's always been into it, but he's actually been going quite a bit this summer. The past few camping trips were "man trips" in which I had no desire to participate. But today I decided to tag along and we went up to a state park in north Georgia for a day trip. Easy...no?

Kevin was nice enough to get me new hiking boots and socks for the trip (thank goodness...I'm sure there would have been some ankle twisting without them). So I decked out in my new gear and some cute pigtails for our simple little trek up the trail. Well within 15 minutes of walking I thought I was going to die. The incline to get up to the waterfall was really steep, and it took a lot out of me. By the time we reached the unbelievably long flights of stairs I was ready to call it quits. However, I have been told about a thousand times over the past four years ... Webbs don't quit. So my sweet husband let me take breaks, slowed down the pace, and somehow I made it up all 600 stairs without puking (trust me, it almost happened).

After reaching the top (and realizing that the base of the falls was much prettier) I rested for as long as they would let me before we started out on the different trails through the woods. Much better...no inclines, just some mud and spiderwebs. We definitely did the difficult stuff first. As we made our way through the trails, and at some points off the beaten path, I began to realize that I was walking in Kevin's footsteps. It didn't matter where we went, I just knew that if I followed right behind him, I would be okay. The ground was sturdy, the spiderwebs were already torn down, nothing was going to get me. I was safe. Amazing how much you learn and grow after just four short years of marriage. Had we taken this trip just a couple years ago, I probably would have made my own way. But now I feel great knowing that I am safe and secure with a leader who is an awesome husband and man of God. I hope you are as lucky as I am!

Here are some pics in no particular order. If you want all of the really good nature shots that I clearly don't appreciate enough, check out Kevin's facebook.

We like hanging out in trees.

At the top of the falls

After we were finished with the stairs...I am seriously whooped.

View from the top of the falls

Before we started. It was 175 steps to the base of the falls, then another 425 to the top, after a crazy steep incline. Strenuous is true.

Just getting started...I have no idea what I'm in for.

Matching boots...perfect for walking in one another's footsteps!

Base of the falls

I'm Still Here...

*Sigh* Please read the above title however you'd like...it's got multiple meanings. But for those of you who faithfully check this page every day hoping for some new pearls of wisdom...or bits of sarcasm...I wanted you to know that I haven't given up. I'm in a bit of a transition / waiting phase and am finding it difficult to blog at this point because I want to tell you so much...but there's really nothing to tell right now. Yes, I'm being pointedly vague. But give me a month or two and trust me, I will have more to say than you probably care to read. (Oh, did I mention, someone broke our trusty laptop so I am limited to computer use when my wonderful husband is away from the computer...which doesn't help). So I'll try to be more consistent, but in the meantime, bear with me...and if you don't mind say a little prayer for us as well. Love you all!


I'm leaving you with a picture which perfectly defines my emotions right now. Enjoy! And feel free to try and interpret this lovely face on my comments if you like. ;)

Doggie Rant

It's summer time. So who am I to refuse when my sweet little puppies beg me to go for a walk? I have learned my lesson about taking them together, so one at a time, we go out for a walk around the neighborhood. Personally, I would much prefer to take them to the walking park a few miles away, but since their personalities are so different and Meah isn't always great around people, today I opted for the neighborhood.

First up, Meah. She's my dog and she's definitely the little feisty one. She dragged me up and down the street, not satisfied until I ran with her, and scaring off the chow that dared cross our path (seriously, he left with his tail between his legs). She is straight gangster.

When we got back, Dakota was so excited that she was punching Meah in the face, so of course she had to go for a walk too. And here is where the rant begins. Kota is a very sweet, loving dog who came from what we assume was not a very sweet or loving home. It takes her awhile to warm up to people, but she ultimately just wants to be everybody's friend. Everyone but big dogs, that is. And I can't say that I blame her. That is why it is so frustrating when I am out taking my sweet dog for a walk and we get chased by other hoodrat dogs...while their owners are in the yard! Look, I haven't always been the best dog owner, but if my dog is acting a fool, I am at least going to get off my butt and chase her, as opposed to standing in the doorway and yelling. So frustrating! Seriously, how could you do anything to upset a sweet face like this anyhow?

Oh well, that's the end of my rant. Now here's hoping that they will both sleep soundly tonight...something like this would be great!