Tate Jeffrey

It's going to be a boy! His name will be Tate Jeffrey Duke Stearns. Jeffrey is after my father, and Duke is my maiden name. Tate is a name that Mark and I liked from way back when. We both decided that it would be easier to just go with this one rather than try and find another one we both like. From the ultrasound pictures, Tate looks as healthy as can be!! They think I am a little bit farther along than at first, but only about a week or so.
In other news, we decided to remodel our kitchen. We will start that sometime soon. We are also adding another bathroom, so, we'll be busy for quite a while. Well, that's it for now. I'm off to bed and happy Easter!

Mark is home!

Mark is home!! Yippeee!!! He is home now until approx. July, so I am very happy about that. The picture is one of another wife, Erin, and myself as we wait to welcome the guys home. You can see the submarine in the background, as well as the city of Norfolk. So, we begin the most "normal" part of our married life now. He will be studying for his PNEO exam, and if he doesn't pass this he will be forced out of the Navy, so it's important that he does well on it. The test will be in early July. The only time that I have to see the sub between now and then is at the end of May for a return to service party. That should be pretty fun, so I'm not going to dread that. We *hopefully* find out if our baby is a girl or boy on Monday. As long as the baby isn't crossing its legs or something we'll be able to find out!! So, all is good here!! Thank you, Lord!

Insomnia

So, just to let you know, you are all incredibly lucky. Here I am blogging twice in one day. Although, I guess technically it's another day because it's like 4am. So, I can't sleep. The dogs are sharing the bed with me, and the take up the ENTIRE thing. Skipper is across the bottom and Mara is across the middle. Every time I move, Mara moves with me because she has to be somehow touching me and Skipper or she can't sleep. How's that for codependent?
I wish I had read my last post twice because I've found grammatical errors in it and that always annoys the crap out of me. Please, just don't point them out. I know they are there.
I've been online looking at houses in the Silverdale/Bremerton area. I have a ton I would love to live in. The key is going to be finding one we can afford. I am excited though...I'm going to be a stay at home mom for at least 9 months. Maybe longer. I'll decide when I get back to WA. I'm going to go ahead and apply at UW, and if I get in I may just go part time for a semester. If I don't get in, well...then I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
Ok, well, I can't think of anything else to write. Just hanging out. I think the baby has been moving around a lot lately, but I'm not sure. I don't know for sure that it's been kicking, but I think it has. I just don't know what feeling is it kicking...Confusing!
Well, I'm off to try to sleep again. Stupid spring forward. One hour less and I already can't sleep.
Stearns out.

PS. Vote for Katharine McPhee or Taylor Hicks on Idol...I love them!

Well, I am most definately in a green mood today. Mark has been gone for a week, and I'm not sure when he will be home again. I hope it will be later this week, but who knows. I went out to dinner with some friends of Mark's from the academy...we went to the cheesecake factory and I am so so so full. It was fun, though. Always good to catch up. Mark is going to be jealous when he finds out that I got to go to dinner with them though.
In other news, we just found out that we will be heading back to the WEST COAST here in December!!! We are so excited to be heading back home. We'll be apart for a while because he leaves in October, but I don't graduate until December. But, after that we'll be living somewhere in Silverdale and I will try to get my masters degree at the U. Alright, well, I need to go to bed, it's been a long day. Ciao for now!