100 Facts About Me: Part 3

Hey kids! I hope you're enjoying reading all the facts about me! If not, then too bad! I already scheduled the next post and since it was hard for me to think of so many things about myself, I'm not canceling it. :) I know you're enjoying it though, so no worries!

51. I have an extremely neurotic beagle who judges people constantly.
52. I don't really like movies.
53. I love my in-laws, even if they are all crazy!
54. If something seems like its going to be hard, I'll probably quit.
55. I'm a dentist's dream, I floss almost every day.
56. I can't give blood because I tend to pass out.
57. I make AJ eggs for breakfast every morning, yet I couldn't stomach the thought of them when I was pregnant with her.
58. I loved working full-time, but I'm glad I don't anymore.
59. I'm really not a gadget person at all.
60. I gave up Dr. Pepper for Lent and it was hard at first, but I only miss it sometimes now.
61. I think my siblings are more ambitious than me.
62. I wish I was more religious.
63. I have trained for and completed 2 half marathons, one before AJ was born and one after.
64. I'm a salty person, aka I prefer salty snacks to sweet ones.
65. I was a hell-raiser as a teen.
66. I can't chew gum for more than 10 minutes.
67. As a child I loved salmon. In fact, I requested it for my birthday dinner they year I turned 6.
68. I picked out the setting for my own engagement ring. :D
69. My amazon wishlist currently includes a KitchenAid stand mixer and DSLR camera. I'm expensive.
70. I'm not a big fan of Pro Football, but I LOVE college football.
71. Naptime is my favorite time of day.
72. I prefer regular food over breakfast food at all times except for dinner.
73. I am rarely actually watching tv, but its usually on.
74. I'm very, very stubborn.
75. In high school I made D a quilt for our 1-year (dating) anniversary.

My Beautiful Girl

I haven't been blogging about AJ very often, and since she is one of the most important things in my life, she should be the center of my blog, right?

A few updates on Miss AJ:

She started cutting her first molar last week and a few days ago, we noticed that she officially has a molar! This brings the tooth total up to 6, three on the bottom in the front and three on the top, two in the front and the molar.

One of her new favorite things to do is play outside in the yard! My parents got her a water play table for her birthday and when its warm enough she likes to splash around and create tidal waves for the little boats. She is finally starting to grow out of the tendency to put everything in her mouth, so being outside is a lot more fun for me because I'm not constantly snatching things out of her hands.

She is starting to be more social! We went to the PX the other day and she was waving at everyone. When they would look at her she'd smile and say, "hi!" It is the cutest thing and it makes everyone smile. She is such a joy to take in public because she loves to have all the attention on her, which she can usually get!

Along the same lines, she has started to actually talk some. When we ask her what sound a Pup pup makes, she will tell us, "woo woo!" That is how she says woof! More than that, she is definitely creating her own version of baby sign language. When she wants water, she licks her lips. She will also do this if we say "water" or if either of us takes a drink from a cup. She also points at everything! Whenever she points at something I try and tell her what it is because I know she's trying to place names with things. She seems especially interested in lights.

She has started to play with her toys now as well. When she picks up a soft toy or a stuffed animal, she will bring it up to her head and "cuddle" with it. She also does this on command when either D or I say, "Aww, that is so sweet!" It is literally the cutest thing ever.

So obviously, I need to update everyone on the little miss more often! I didn't realize how much stuff she has started doing that I need to write about and share! I created this blog initially as a means to keep my family updated on AJ, so I want to make sure that I do that.

100 Facts About Me: Part 2

With this post we're half-way done with the 100 facts about me! I bet you're all excited, because I know I am! It is really hard to think of 100 things about me that might be even remotely interesting. Hopefully you're not too bored, and maybe even intrigued enough to head over to Megan's blog at Megan Writes for the details.

26. My favorite book is Jane Eyre.
27. Dr. Pepper from Sonic is better than just about everything.
28. I drive a Jeep.
29. I was an English major in college.
30. Before having AJ I don't ever remember touching a baby.
31. I went to Spain in high school.
32. I remember the faceplate I had on my very first cell phone (it was a Nokia, btw).
33. I have a terrible memory.
34. I call soda, "pop."
35. After I move away from a town, I immediately forget how to get around.
36. I was born in Baton Rouge, but grew up in the Midwest.
37. I bite my fingernails and I really wish I didn't.
38. I grew up close to a big city but I think I'm better suited for country life.
39. I have a few friends that I have been friends with since grade school.
40. I had my toenails painted hot green for our church wedding.
41. Vodka tonics are my drinks of choice.
42. I like to boss people around.
43. I have 18 cousins and I'm very close with most of them.
44. When I was younger I wanted my bedroom to be decorated in nothing but zebra print.
45. I used to work for a book publisher.
46. People sometimes think my sister and I are twins, but we're 5 years apart.
47. I'm kind of a tomboy.
48. I re-took Shakespeare in college because I wanted to get a better grade in the class.
49. I'm never wrong. ;)
50. I can't believe that I'm in my late twenties already!

Parenting Philosophy

I read this blog post over the weekend and it got me to thinking.

I'll be completely honest. When I was pregnant with AJ I was so consumed with being pregnant that I forgot to think about what my parenting philosophy would be once she was here. Then, after she was born, I was too busy parenting to really think about whether or not I was doing it the way I had (not) planned.

Now that we're getting to a stage in her life where she knows who the boss is, ahem, *cough, cough* its me, I'm starting to realize that as the mom, sometimes there are things that aren't necessarily dangerous for her to do or play with, but they are things that I still don't want her to do. While it may be easier for me to just let her do it, I want to maintain a sense of heirarchy in our house, with me and D standing at the top. Now, whether or not this will happen successfully over time is yet to be seen.

I hope that I will always be able to maintain a respectful, healthy relationship with my children, while being a parent, and not a friend to my kids. One of the most important aspects of parenting is maintaining a foundation of rules and expectations for one's children. Obviously the expectations are fluid and change as children grow.

I'm sure that there will be times when it might seem easier to be her friend than it is to be her mom, but I hope I can remind myself to step back and remember that she already has friends, and what she needs is a mom. I am grateful that my own parents didn't fall prey to the disturbing trend that is parents acting like their kids' friends. I have had a few friends in life whose parents were always trying to be buddies with their kids and us (their kids' friends) and let me tell you, its weird. There's a point in life when its acceptable to be friends with your kids, but I don't think its until your age starts with a 2!

When I was a kid, I know I wished that my parents were more lenient, but now that I'm more mature, I'm glad for the rules that were imposed upon me. When children don't have appropriate boundaries set for them, they don't thrive. I'm not talking about rules that are obvious for safety reasons, but rules that are in place to establish boundaries. Children may find these types of rules to be unfair because without the maturity that comes with adulthood, it is hard to understand.

I am expecting it to be difficult to establish family rules during this next phase of AJ's life but I think its really important to set the rules when she is young and stick to them consistently throughout her life. I don't want to confuse her by changing the rules a few years down the road. I know that some things will change over time, but I aim to be as consistent as possible.

Okay, I know that those of you with older kids (or just kids older than mine) are laughing at me, but that is okay. I'm not claiming to have all the answers; I realize that I'm going to make many, many parenting mistakes over the course of my life. I just hope that I can always look back at each season of life and be proud of the way we raised our kids.

North Dakota? No Thanks!

I decided that I'd participate in this fun thing that I've seen a few people do today. I don't have a post planned for today, since its Sunday and I tend to take Sundays off, but this is fun!

All the states that are colored are states I've visited (or lived in). I didn't really realize that I've been to so many states! I can thank my parents for loading us up in the car and driving us all over the country on Summer vacation. I can also thank the Army for moving us from one side of the country and back in a little over 3 years.


Now that I look at the map though, I desperately need to get to Vegas, Alaska, Hawaii and New England! Sorry, North Dakota, I have really no desire to see what you're all about! Ha! Luckily I know people who live in Alaska and Hawaii that I could visit, and I just might!

If you want to make your own map, go here.

100 Facts About Me: Part 1

I bet everyone has seen #100factsaboutme trending on Twitter and since tweeting 100 random facts about yourself can really hi-jack people's feeds, lets just do it on our blogs! Megan @ Megan Writes decided to host a little meme where we post 25 of our 100 facts at a time! Head over to her blog for the details!

Oh, and don't forget to find me on Twitter if you haven't already, I'm @ThisAmericanWif ! Can't wait to start tweeting with you!

Here are my first 25 facts:

1. The only thing keeping me from sabotoging my diet is the fact that I'm too lazy to drive to the closest fast food place.
2. My hubby and I share the same birthday, year and all!
3. Menu planning, grocery shopping, and cooking are some of my favorite things to do.
4. We've got married twice, once at the courthouse, once in a church.
5. My hubby and I met in 2000.
6. I aspire to be the next Martha Stewart.
7. I'm new to Twitter, but I really enjoy it (and I don't know why I waited so long to join)!
8. I love banana peppers on sandwiches.
9. I used to run cross country in high school.
10. I'm addicted to all of the Real Housewives Shows.
11. I get homesick, but mostly just for the food my hometown is famous for.
12. When I was in college I lived in a house with 6 other girls and we're all still friends today.
13. I'm a dog person.
14. I'm an oldest child, married to an oldest child.
15. I see a lot of myself in my daughter and it scares me!
16. I wish we lived closer to our families.
17. My two all time favorite movies are both Christmas movies (White Christmas and Christmas Vacation).
18. I had a CareBear when I was little and her name was Cousin Bear. She was an elephant.
19. I can't ever remember not having a dog.
20. I want to be more responsible.
21. I went to a Catholic high school.
22. I tend to swear off fashion trends and then end up buying them and loving them (Uggs)!
23. I look forward to nights that D is in the field so I can watch Lifetime movies without judgment.
24. I think the Filet-of-Fish from McD's is the most delicious menu item they have.
25. Since getting married in 2008, we've moved 5 times.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In...

Its been a while since I participated in a MilSpouse Friday Fill-In, so I decided it was time to jump back into it! Head over to Wife of a Sailor to link up!

1. What is your must have gadget? submitted by Flying High With My Flyboy
I absolutely must have my iPhone. I'm obsessed with it, but I don't think I'm one of those annoying people who ignores the other people around them to text/play games/check Facebook, etc. Sorry if you're one of those people, but that annoys me a lot!

2. How does your adulthood compare to what you imagined it would be like when you were a little kid? submitted by L to the Third
Its not quite as fun as I thought it would be, but there are a lot of positives to it that I never expected as a kid. I also always knew as a little kid that I'd be a mom (and would hopefully be able to stay home with my kids), but as an older kid I didn't think that I'd already be a stay at home mom! I do have to admit though, that according to a project we did in first grade, my dream was to be a cashier (seriously), and I think my life is much better now than it would be had all my first grade dreams come true!

3. What is your favorite chocolate recipe? submitted by Our First Deployment
My chocolate covered pound cake that I made on Valentine's Day. You can find the recipe here.

4. How do you deal with military life when it gets to be too much or too hard? submitted by Combat Boots And Pointe Shoes
I build a bridge and get over it. I guess I don't really understand this question. What can I do about it? This is a life that my husband and I chose for ourselves and our family, so when things seem unfair or hard, I just remember that the military offers our family lots of benefits and stability that is hard to come by in this economy. Yes, it can be hard, but its a job and I'm proud of my husband for doing it.

5. What piece of advice would you give a new Military spouse facing their first deployment? submitted by The Albrecht Squad
Stay busy, be positive, ask for help if you need it, and don't ever watch the news!

What Do You Want To Know?

I've seen other bloggers do this from time to time, so I think I'll try it out!

Is there anything you'd like to know about me? I think I tend to blog about the same things, time and time again, so I'm going to do a little Q & A post so you guys can get to know me a little bit better. Submit your questions, either as a comment or you can email me at beth.thisamericanwife@gmail.com, and I'll answer them all for you!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Because I'm being a lazy blogger lately, I'm jumping back into Wordless Wednesday.

Walking around!

The egg she hatched from.

Loving the zoo.

Driving the helicopter!

Posing with Mom.

We Can Finally Relax

AJ's two week birthday extravaganza is finally over!

I think usually the first birthday party is more for the parents than the kid, and that was most certainly the case in our house, but I do have to tell you all that AJ had the most fun! She was a crazy woman, running the house yelling, playing and just having a ball.

She ate cake, got messy, ate spaghetti, got messy, played in the yard, got messy. It was like we were on repeat! She also got a bunch of new toys as gifts and had a good time playing with all of them outside in the beautiful weather we had this weekend.

Here are few shots of her eating cake last weekend when D's family was in town visiting. We also had another family party this weekend with my parents, where she ate more cake. She is obviously a ham, as you can tell from a few of these pictures.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

If you live in a town where St. Patty's Day is a big deal, then head out to celebrate! As for me and mine, we're having corned beef and cabbage for dinner and just relaxing in our green before the second wave of family starts coming into town tomorrow.

I don't have much to say today, so I'll leave you with the proof that we're wearing green!

Playing with her green friend, Kermit.

Trying to tell me something with her claw hand.

Cutie pie!

And me, wearing my leprechaun t-shirt that D thinks is the most ridiculous thing ever (don't tell him, but he's right).

Party Food and Menu Planning

We've had a lot of visitors from out of town lately, and to add to that, we've been busy celebrating birthdays. Since we have been feeding lots of extra people, I've had a lot of fun menu planning the past few weeks.

Menu planning for large groups of hungry party-goers is a lot different than the usual menu-planning I do (for two)! Its been fun to make and serve things that I normally don't make, and I want to share our dinner menus for the last few weeks. Part of the reason that its been fun is because we're kind of on a budget, so I didn't want to go crazy and serve everyone filet mignon, but I also didn't want to seem cheap! Ha!

So here you have it!

3/7 Monday:
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

3/8 Tuesday:
Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema and Crunchy Apple Salsa

3/9 Wednesday:
AJ's Birthday! We ate out at Red Robin

3/10 Thursday:
Sausage, Cheddar, and Onion Quiche with Spinach Salad

3/11 Friday:
Cowboy Skillet Casserole

3/12 Saturday (D's family came to town):
BBQ Chicken Thighs, Steak, Macaroni Salad, and Grilled Asparagus

3/13 Sunday (Party Day!):
Spaghetti and Meatballs with Homemade Sauce, Garlic Bread, Salad and Birthday Cake

3/14 Monday:
Take-out Chinese

3/15 Tuesday:
Stuffed Pepper Casserole

3/16 Wednesday:
Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Cole Slaw, Roasted Red Potatoes

3/17 Thursday (St. Patty's Day):
Corned Beef and Cabbage

3/18 Friday:
Chili and Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread

As always, my preferred recipes are linked up, so try them out and enjoy!

I've never made corned beef and cabbage before, so it should be interesting. I'm hoping that it turns out, because I really love it and I'll be super disappointed if its yucky!

Ft. Bragg Artillery Live Fire Explosion

I don't normally post about actual Army news, but did you hear about this explosion that happened at Ft. Bragg last night?

I'm not going to lie and say that it doesn't make me a little nervous. I am used to hearing the rolling, thunder-like sounds and having my walls shake as much as the next milSpouse, but when there are reports that injuries are involved, that scares me.

I guess we can be thankful for the fact that it happened in the US, during a training exercise and not overseas, during the "real thing." The fact that medical attention was available and there weren't actually enemies waiting to take advantage of any weakness is a blessing, in my opinion. If this had occurred in theatre, the 10 injuries would most likely be a lot more serious and in some cases, fatal.

I just get nervous thinking about the fact that as spouses, we're used to our significant others going out to the field for training exercises, but we don't necessarily expect them to actually get injured on home soil.

What are your thoughts?

Doing The Right Thing....

I'm feeding my kid.

Yeah, I know, you're thinking, who doesn't feed their kid? I'm not sure about that question, but I have another one for all of you mama's out there.

What do you feed your kids or what did you feed your kids when they were 12 months old?

I know a lot of people swear by feeding their kids the same things they themselves eat, and I agree with that. My problem is, we don't really eat at the same time was AJ, and the food we eat tends to be spicy, so I don't want her to burn her mouth off! This is where my problem begins.

The whole point of feeding your kid the food you eat is that its easier for you, which for us, is not the case due to the fact that I usually have to make her different food at a different time than ours.

I feel like AJ eats the same food at every meal and I can't imagine how boring that must be for her. For breakfast she usually eats scrambled eggs and fruit (either bananas or blueberries). Sometimes I give her pancakes. Lunch is typically three of these things: turkey, goldfish, cheese, green beans, carrots and kiwi.

For dinner she gets usually the same thing as lunch, but sometimes I make macaroni and cheese, which she enjoys. She also likes hot dogs and animal crackers.

Now that I listed it all out, I feel like she has more of a selection than I realized, but I still feel like we're getting into a rut.

Has anyone else run into this problem? What did you do to make meal time easier for yourself? What kind of food do you serve your toddlers?

I look forward to hearing your ideas and suggestions.

Putting Myself Out There!

I'm not sure I ever mentioned it, but I recently signed up for Twitter and I've been trying to get better about tweeting. Do you tweet? If so, make sure you share your handle with me so I can follow you! I'm @ThisAmericanWif if you want to search for me.

I also recently created a Facebook page for my blog! Just click on the word "Facebook" to see it. If you enjoy reading my blog, head over to Facebook and check out my page! Its not much right now, but I'm hoping it will be more exciting in days and weeks to come.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving....

If you read my blog regularly, you now know that D and I share a birthday. We tend to not really go crazy when buying gifts for each other, because as you can imagine, that would get pretty expensive, being the same day and all. {Read: we don't do gifts.}

This year we decided to get each other a gift. We I have been talking about getting a Keurig single-cup brew station coffee-maker for about 6 months now. I wanted one so bad, but I was having a hard time justifying the price. D finally put his foot down and decided that we were going to buy each other the coffee maker as our "gift" to each other this year. To top it off, friends of ours gave us a gift card to a store that sells them, so we upgraded to the super-duper-awesome-makes-iced-and-hot-drinks version.

This is the one we have.

I can't even begin to explain to you all how wonderful it is. We have coffee issues in our house. If I set the coffee to turn on before D goes to work in the morning, then its already shut off and cold before AJ and I get up. I'm not a huge coffee drinker (one, maybe two cups in the morning) so I'm not going to make a whole pot for myself. This new coffee maker is literally the greatest thing ever (a far as solving the insanely important coffee crisis in our house goes) and you should all get one!

Oh, and since we have this nifty, new caffeine machine, we're a little hyped up on caffeine!

**Keurig has no idea who I am. I'm not getting anything for this post, its just my own pure, unadulterated love for the k-cup that drives me. Although, if I'm lucky, someone from Keurig will read this and send me free k-cups, because those suckers aren't cheap!**

Denial's Not Just a River In Egypt {Picture Heavy Post}

I'm in major denial.

One year ago today.

Today is my baby's first birthday.

Holding my daughter for the first time.

AJ's first car ride (home from the hospital).

Meeting Grandma for the first time.

I'm having a hard time dealing with the fact that I can no longer call her my baby. As my first child, she will always be my baby, but now my baby is a toddler.

Making googley-eyes at Daddy.

Hanging with Uncle Billy for the first time.

Napping on Grandpa.

Rockin' the shades.

One of my favorite pictures ever.

Making silly faces with Daddy.

Seriously, where has the time gone? I can't believe that a year ago today I was meeting my precious girl for the first time. It seems hard to believe that a year ago she was a stranger to us and now we feel like she has always been a part of our little family.

Moving for the first time.

AJ after getting caught in a rain storm.

AJ and Aunt Abby hanging out in FL.

AJ meeting my Dad's parents.

AJ meeting my Mom's parents.

Standing up in her crib for the first time.

Playing on Halloween.

Being silly at lunch.

AJ's first Halloween!

Swimming in FL.

I never thought I'd love someone as much as I love my daughter. Being a parent has changed my outlook on a lot of things, and now I am starting to understand how my mom must have felt when I was a baby.

Our new house (AJ's second move)!

AJ's Baptism.

Happy girl!

Eating breakfast at the beach in FL.

So, to the person who has changed my life more than anyone ever will, Happy Birthday, baby girl! Daddy and I love you very, very much.

My big girl.

ABCs of ME!

In honor of my 300th post, I'm going to do the ABCs of me so you all can get to know me a little bit better!

A) AGE- 27....as of yesterday!

B) BED SIZE- King

C) CHORE YOU HATE- Unloading the dishwasher or folding laundry. UGH. I do love to vacuum though.

D) DOGS- An incredibly stupid 4 year old beagle named Abby.

E) ESSENTIAL PART OF YOUR DAY ITEM- My slippers and my iPhone. Oh what an exciting life I lead!

F) FAVORITE COLOR- Yellow has always been my favorite, but right now I'm also really liking orange and green.

G) GOLD or SILVER- Silver. I usually wear sterling silver, but my wedding and engagement rings are white gold.

H) HEIGHT- I'm 5' 7"

I) INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY- I played the flute in elementary school and middle school. And by "played the flute" I mean, I owned a flute and went to marching band rehearsal. I was not good.

J) JOB TITLE- Mama and wifey.

K) KIDS- Daughter AJ, who will be 1 very soon!

L) LIVE- In a small town near a large Army base.

M) MOM'S NAME- Melissa

N) NICKNAMES- Beth, Biz, Bizzy, Liz

O) OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY- When AJ was born.

P) PET PEEVE- When people leave lights on, slow drivers.

Q) QUOTE FROM MOVIE- Its a tie between:

"We're going to have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny F*****g Kaye! And when Santa squeezs his fat, white @$$ down the chimney tonight, he's going to find the jolliest bunch of @$$holes this side of the nuthouse!"

and

"'Tis the season to be Merry. Mary? That's my name. No sh!t!"

A gold star to whomever can name the movie both quotes come from!

R) RIGHT OR LEFT HANDED- Right. I can barely do anything with my left.

S) SIBLINGS- I have a younger brother who is 24 and a younger sister who is 21.

T) TIME YOU WAKE UP- 7ish. Thanks, AJ!

U) UNDIES- I wear them?

V) VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE- I'm not a huge fan of corn for some reason.

W) WHAT MAKES YOU LATE- AJ. I try my hardest to be on time and usually end up leaving super early to make sure I am, but if I'm late it is usually because of AJ. Otherwise its because we constantly move and I have trouble judging how long it takes to get places.

X) XRAYS- Just twice if you don't count dental x-rays. I have broken each wrist.

Y) YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE- All the things I make are yummy. ;)

Z) ZOO ANIMAL (FAVORITE)- In keeping with the Z theme here, I have to admit that my favorite zoo animal is a zebra!

This Day...

This day is my 27th birthday.

This day is also D's 27th birthday.

Yep. We have the same birthday.


Three years ago we celebrated this day apart. We were already married, but secretly. We moved in together 12 days later.

A picture of me from our first place together.

Two years ago I celebrated this day with my only two friends. D celebrated in Iraq (not really). We were reunited 11 days later.

Welcoming D home from deployment.

Last year we celebrated this day as our last birthday before becoming parents. We went out for Mexican food with hopes of inducing labor (it didn't work). AJ made her entrance into the world 5 days later.

Holding my beautiful baby girl for the first time ever.

This year, we're having a party! We finally get to actually celebrate with friends and have a good time, so we're taking advantage of it.

Happy Birthday, AbbY!

Today is my friend AbbY's birthday. We went to college together and lived together for 3 of the 4 years there.

AbbY and my sister, Abby at my bachelorette party.

Me, Lindsay, Mary and AbbY in college.

Me and AbbY at my bachelorette party.

Me, AbbY and Mary in Texas.

Lindsay, AbbY and me in college.

AbbY and Mandy in "our" bar at our latest college roommate reunion.

Even though we live far away and don't get to see each other that often, I want you all to know that she's pretty awesome!

AbbY being goofy.

AbbY, Lindsay, Mandy, me and Abbie at Lindsay's parent's house a few years back.

Me and AbbY at my bachelorette party. I think I was saying, "NO! Don't pour me more sangria!"

AbbY and me at Mandy's wedding.