A years worth of us

It's been A WHILE.....
Over a year to be exact, since I blogged last. What a shame. But in my defense I have been oober busy. Doing Nothing.

June/July 2012
1 week out of basic and abraham gets me a big ol' house! I expected to wait for a least a month until I was able to move to Mississippi with him for his Tech School, but since I'm married to man with good priorities ;) we were only separated for a week after basic graduation and I moved straight to Biloxi.
(I have to say, I loved my house there. It was clean looking and spacious and nice and white. I miss it.)
I lived there alone at first, always coming home from a day of visiting abraham feeling home sick and lonely. I remember sitting on the counter one morning while eating a bowl of cereal and I started crying. I wanted to be there and I was happy that I finally got to be with abraham again, but sitting in an empty house, poor and young and pregnant, made me so emotional.  This experience made me realize just how much I love my husband. As we continued to live in Biloxi for the next 7 months we remained poor and young and pregnant, but I never cried. Abraham's presence in my life all day everyday, really makes a huge difference. He gives me that reassurance that no matter what, we will be ok.
But enough about THAT guy...

Biloxi, Mississippi
We were stationed at Keesler AFB, so far my favorite base, even though we've only been stationed at 2 so far. I did grow up right next to an AFB and even Keesler was better than that one. Probably because Keelser is a training base...but hey, so is Goodfellow. (more GF later) The commissary and BX were NICE and huge, I loved it. Even the tiny shopette was nice. Keesler had a Medical Center located on base so it made my pregnancy so easy! and abraham was able to go to any appointment without having to miss a ton of class. Plus I didn't have to worry about getting referrals and all that junk for a civilian OB. It was very convenient.
Biloxi itself was alright. You get all kinds of characters there. My sister in law and I took the bus once and while waiting we got offered to buy bus tickets from some shady men in a pickup truck.....the bus doesn't even sell "tickets". After that we decided to never take the bus again. And it wasn't worth my $1.25 to take a nauseating half hour bus trip 2 miles down the road.
On the flip side, while trying to lug our goodwill furniture dinning room table, 2 chairs, and a coffee table 3 miles home, abraham and I were offered a ride by a very friendly southern lady. She welcomed us to town and gave us her name, but i can't remember it.
Everyday at 3 I would walk to base to meet up with abraham. We would then continue to walk around base going to the BX and the DFAC and the Fishbowl, a little hangout place for the airmen. I would take a taxi home around 9:30. I did this for almost 3 weeks, until abraham was FINALLY able to live with me. again.
My taxi drivers were always so nice, especially brian. He was this very opinionated, possibly gay, southern man who often gave me free rides or major discounts. I can't hear Set Fire to the Rain by Adele without thinking about Brian my taxi driver.
5 minutes from Biloxi was Diberville, where we would frequently double date with our good friends, the piatts. Diberville had a good Chik fila and a great Target and yummy frozen yogurt and a Moe's and a 5 Guys and so many stores. Can you tell I feel deprived where I am?
Biloxi had a "beach" (it wasn't a real one) that only a few locals raved about, but we never braved it for fear of getting sick. We went once for a walk and the shore water was foamy. Yuck! Being a Floridian i wanna see waves, that's what gets me in the water. This was nothing like Florida beaches, BUT it was pretty at times. Especially with a colorful sunset.
I hated Biloxi at first, but once I left it I realized I really grew to like it. It was close enough to where a 7 hour roadtrip got us home to family.
The best part about Biloxi/Keesler AFB was Ivy.....

Ivy Marie Hoogendoorn
Our baby babes was born December 15, 2012. 

 The excitement and love I felt for her as I held her for the first time is indescribable. I sit here writing this, her little hand holding mine as I type, I feel my heart overflowing with so much LOVE. She is so much more than I expected.

It all started Friday the 14th. I ran errands around town all day. My stomach felt so crampy and heavy, but nothing super usual. I went to bed that night thinking "we're moving pretty soon, i hope she decides to come within the next week".......
2:30 AM  DID I SERIOUSLY JUST PEE THE BED?
I wake up abraham and show him what just happened and he asks me what I wanna do. Unsure if I should go in or not (for fear of being sent home) I tell him to go back to sleep and I take a long shower.
4:30 AM
After laying in bed goggling, I decide that I think my water might be breaking. I start to panic because then I think I'm losing all this fluid and my baby is probably in distress, so I wake abraham back up and tell him we need to go to the hospital.
5:15 AM ADMITTED
The nurse confirmed my water breaking and from there I was gowned, bedded, and monitored. I layed in that bed so anxious, I was shaking uncontrollably. Our baby was coming! I waited and waited for the contractions to start. I had heard so many horror stories about labor, especially with the first child, so I kinda expected to be in misery. I really didn't want to be though, espeically if there was a chance of me throwing up. I considered myself SO LUCKY that I had a vomit free pregnancy. Ask anyone in my family and they'll tell you I'd rather cut my arm off than throw up. I am so serious. ;)
So anyway....nothing happened for a little bit. It wasn't until 10am that I started feeling what I call baaaad menstrual cramps. Right then I knew I wanted "the good stuff". EPIDURAL.
After receiving the epidural, I was tired but happy and ready. With only a half hour of pushing, ivy was born at 3:15 pm.
I had such an easy labor and delivery and my nurses were ahhhmazing! 
Being a mommy is the most incredible and rewarding job, and it really is a job. For the past 7 months I have had this cute tiny human relying on me for everything she ever wants or needs. It gives me such satisfaction knowing I can always make her happy. She is my closest friend and toughest critic. I am very blessed to have her in my life.
Ivy is adventurous, brave, funny, kind, and very sweet. She has the best personality and is the prettiest girl you'll ever meet.


Mellow Yellow
Since we were moving so soon after Ivy was born they weren't going to be able to do the regular 2 day/2 week check up on her. So they decided to see her 1 week after she was born. At that visit they saw that Ivy's bilirubin count was super high (23!) Luckily we didn't have to endure a hospital stay and they decided to fast track treat her. We had a UV suitcase and a bili blanket sent to our house, and for 2 days my poor little golden girl baked. I co sleep with Ivy so those two nights were AWFUL for me. I wanted to snuggle with my new baby so bad.

She was so good and slept the entire time, my mellow yellow baby girl. The suitcase and blanket did just the trick and her count after that weekend went down to 13, a safe enough level for the doctor to feel comfortable about us leaving.

Texas Ya'll
We spent Christmas Vacation in Florida visiting our families and showing off our new toy :) It was very hard to leave! I have come to realize that living near family is something I think I want. I was so excited to have abraham join the military because I knew we would move around and get to live all over (hopefully) but I miss family. I miss having them around. Not seeing them, then visiting them, then leaving always makes abraham and I feel depressed.  But the time we spent there for Christmas was wonderful and I'm really glad we were able to go!

Our little family is now living in San Angelo, Texas.  Abraham is stationed at Goodfellow AFB. We live in an old but kinda cute little house ON base and abraham works right across the street, THANKFULLY. He is able to come home for lunch everyday (an hour and a half lunch) and can be home right away in case I need him (i always need him, haha) Once Ivy gets to be a little older, we have a playground across the street where she can play. Goodfellow is a tiny base, with a tiny commissary, and a tiny BX. I'm telling you, Keesler spoiled me.
Goodfellow is a training base so there's lots of students and not a whole lot of permanent party. Everyone always assumes abraham is a student...or a teacher. When they come to find out he's neither, they always seemed surprised (cause we are young) yet pleased. I guess meeting new permanent people makes other permanent people happy. 
San Angelo is.....sigh.....ok. It's a small town ish place. Not much to do recreation wise, unless your into shooting or mudding or just driving your big ol' truck around. I decided that no matter where we live there has to be a Target and a frozen yogurt place. And a chikfila-a. San Angelo has all three-frozen yogurt place is not too impressive and neither is the chikfila- but the target is decent and I have found some great treasures there. We have tried to make it a point to try a new restaurant every date night, and so far so good. The only thing that I am sad about is that there is no greek food here. :( i absolutly love gyros and hummus and grape leaves and baklava!!! I tried to get my fill while visiting family in utah (same with my froyo craving) and was satisfied but I highly suggest a nice greek family move to san angelo and open a restaurant. Just for me and my family so we can survive these hot days with yummy food in our belly's.
At first I didn't like san angelo, probably like most people honestly, and even now I still can't wait to get out of here, but it gets better. I have to have a positive attitude. I have to! Maybe be more social and make more friends. We're not moving anytime soon so I need to find the things I do like about this place and enjoy it.