Friday, December 23, 2011

The Moments We Live For.



This kid.

There was a time when we didn't get along. I didn't know how to be a Mother; in fact, I'm still learning every day. I would get up early, make him a breakfast that he wouldn't eat. I would play with him and it wasn't enough. He would throw fits at naptime. He wouldn't eat lunch, wouldn't eat dinner and wouldn't go to bed at night. It was hard to feel like being a Mother was "worth it" during those times. But this child is the sweetest, smartest, most loving kid I have ever met in my lifetime.

Derek and I woke up freezing the other night at around 4:15 AM. I went into the hall to flick on the heater and had a feeling to go in and cover up Titan. I found him cold, in a ball on his bed with his face buried in his pillow. He was awake, just waiting for someone to tuck him under his covers since he can't really do it himself. I covered him with his wubby, then with his comforter. He looked up at me and said, "I Love You". It melted my heart! I whispered, "I Love You, too" back to him. He looked up at me a second time and said, "I Love You" and I smiled. I told him, "I Love You, too" once again then walked out of his room. He didn't make a peep after that and he slept until almost 7 AM.

Those are the moments we live for as parents. I love you, little Titan!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Merry Christmas to All!

I have been such a blog slacker. Seems my life has been filled with rather uninteresting events that aren't worthy of blogging about. But when I think about it, it's not true! Let's see:

*Derek found an amazing job that he loves.
*My parents came to visit us for the weekend and have an early Christmas with us. That was a BLAST!
*I've started to venture out on my own and navigate my way through the Phoenix Valley a little bit...(Has anyone truly ever realized how BIG this place is?!)
*I have one month left until our little girl arrives.
*Titan is quickly approaching his 2nd birthday (where on EARTH does the time go???)

Anyway, life is so good here at the Hargrove home. I can never complain. Sometimes I get nervous when I'm about to gush about how great my life is and how blessed I am, because I'm afraid that one day it will all be taken from me. Isn't that morbid? I have just heard so many stories in my lifetime about these people who fall in love then get in car accidents. People who are 39 weeks pregnant and their baby passes away. People who lose their children to weird things like cancers, SIDS, tumors, etc. I guess I get scared because I feel like I have a fragile heart and don't want it to be tested. This year has brought so much heartache, yet so much joy!

I often feel sad that we are no longer an Army family. I miss the days where Titan and I lived in Georgia. I miss missing Derek (does that even make sense?!). I feel sad when I see his friends graduate from each new phase of training and I know it pierces Derek just the same. I often find myself wondering what our lives would have been like had we continued on that path. But I know this is where our family is meant to be. Together. No deployments. No time away due to training. No danger. No governmental drama like he dealt with in his field. I could not be happier to have my sweet husband living at home with us. Where once I was wondering how January would play out, (Titan and I alone on his birthday with no friends or family, me giving birth alone 1500 miles from anyone in our immediate family, New Year's and Christmas alone...) now all of that will be different. We will spend the holidays with TONS of family. We will have my mom here to welcome in Baby Claire and squeeze on Titan. Derek should be able to attend the birth. It's WONDERFUL!


This is our self-timer-taken Christmas card picture (haha). Surprisingly, it didn't take too long to get a decent shot. My face definitely looks like a 35 week pregnant person face...


Here is little Claire, hanging out all cozy in the womb. She is very sweet and mild. I can tell this about her already. She hardly ever moves and when she does, she's pretty gentle about it. She gets the hiccups a lot, and I get heartburn more frequently as of late. I also urinate up to 12 or so times a night which is so much fun. I've gained about 27 pounds and it's all belly, bum and boobs. A lady at Victoria's Secret measured me the other day (I was in a sports bra no less) and I'm a 32 C. Wow. So I can bank on having some rather large honkers after my milk comes in. To say I went from a small A to a small D is quite the jump for someone like myself! Ha!

Anyway, life is good here and I hope you all have the Merriest Christmas of all time and remember what Christmas really is about.

Love,

The Hargroves

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Yes, please!




I have secretly become obsessive over Pinterest. For the longest time, I had no idea what it was and had no desire to find out. But alas, I got a wild hair one day and decided to check it out. My eyes grew wide with all the amazing things they were being exposed to! I found so many amazing recipes, quotes, craft ideas and much more...along with this little dilly whopper you see above. It's called Bacon Ranch Pull Apart Bread. Does that not sound like the best thing ever?!

I have yet to make it, but I'm thinking it will make a great appetizer for Christmas Eve while at my in-laws house. If anyone else wants to try it out, tell me how it tastes! Here are the directions:

1 loaf of unsliced sourdough bread (preferably round)
8-12 oz cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
3 oz bag of Oscar Meyer real bacon bits
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon ranch dressing mix

Use a sharp knife and cut the bread horizontally and vertically, but be sure not to cut all the way through. Place slices of cheese and bacon through the cuts. Mix the butter and ranch, then pour over the loaf of bread. Wrap the entire loaf in foil and place on a baking sheet. Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove foil from bread and place back in oven for an additional 10 minutes, or just until the cheese has completely melted.

I think my mouth is salivating just typing this up. Someone make it and tell me how it turns out! (Or...if you live in the Phoenix valley, I'd be happy to stop by and taste test it...)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Helloooo again!

Hey all!

What a whirlwind of crazy events has happened since my last post! Technically I had one more post to the Happy Marriage series, which had to do with Money, but I'll save that for a rainy day so I can catch you up on our lives as of late!

Starting with my hubster: He just turned 28 this year! Wow! Only 2 more years to thirty...scary? I think so! But life just keeps on getting better as time passes. : ) The United States Army is currently doing a 60,000+ soldier downsizing and President Obama had recently announced a major cut in military funds. For my husband, this meant a lot of things. Because he was going into the Officer side of the Army (versus the Enlisted side), he had specialty schools to attend and the Army needs a lot more money to pay the college graduates (the Officers). The Army ended up in a huge financial crisis, leaving some 200+ soldiers fighting for 30 or so slots in Officer Candidate School, a school where they were all originally promised a place in the class at a specific time. There were so many soldiers being held over at the center where soldiers get "recycled", that Derek didn't even have a pillow to sleep on and I believe some didn't even have bed sheets. Luckily I lived in Columbus and I just tooted on over to Ft. Benning and gave him what he needed. Our visits were basically supervised and 1-2 minutes at a time if we were lucky. (It was kind of like being in a maximum security prison honestly!). But I was able to see him once a week at church which made our time apart so much more bearable. A perfect score for the PT test is a 300. The cutoff for Rangers, the most elite group of soldiers in the Army is a 240. The Special Forces are required to get a 260. The cutoff for Officer Candidate School due to the downsizing was upped to 290! Derek scored a 287 the first time, causing him to be held at the recycle center for 3 entire weeks before even getting a second chance at the class. The second chance he got, his PT score-keeper docked him 23 points on his pushups because he wasn't going low enough. Have any of you seen my husband?! He's buff and awesome and a STUD! At this point, Derek felt like Heavenly Father didn't want him in the Army. His PT score, had the score-keeper not been on a "short changing" high, would have been a 302 putting him above the curve by many points. He prayed and thought and decided it was best to take the new No Fault discharge the Army was now offering due to the downsizing. As he waited to be discharged, he thought about what it might be like to try a third time. Then he sprained his ankle. Further confirmation that he wasn't supposed to be there any longer. He was finally released on October 29th and we blew out of town like it was nothing! We rented a truck and trailer and left our little place in Columbus, Georgia. We drove 13 hours, pulling into Marshall, Texas at 1:45 AM. We left again the next morning and drove another 13 hours to El Paso, Texas where we spent a day with family. The next day we drove to Phoenix, AZ to drop our things off at a storage unit then we drove up to Snowflake directly after. I must say, it was a romantic way to spend our 3 year anniversary- 6 months pregnant and juggling unloading a 16' moving truck, watching an almost two year old zip all around the asphalt and organizing all the junk you just hauled across the country into two 5x10 units. We celebrated by eating out at our favorite place: Filiberto's Mexican food. Trashy, dirty, cheap and DELICIOUS.

Little T-man: He's been such a champ. His vocabulary has expanded and I love hearing his sweet little voice. He's smart as a whip and I love watching him grow. Those newborn stages really suck the life out of me and I don't actually enjoy little tiny babies. Like, at all. But this little man is so much fun that I can't get enough of him.

As for me, I'm finally in my 8th month of pregnancy already. How wild. Did it go by fast for anyone besides me? I'm still feeling quite unprepared! I haven't hit the nesting stage at all- maybe because moving across the country and back in the last few months has made me not want to sift through another box for as long as I live. But who knows. I've gained 21 pounds and it's strangely nice to be half the size I was when I was pregnant with Titan.

Well now that you've got the scoop on us as of late, I'm going to end this post! I'll be around more often now that life has finally began to slow down. But that will all change again in 7 weeks!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Happy Marriage Part 3. Sexy Time!


Before I begin, I had a few things to say!

*I wanted to clarify my stance on video games (as mentioned in the previous post). I definitely think *many* husbands go over the limit with their TV time. But, in order to get them away from the TV, try starting a hobby together like going biking, running, playing board games, 1,000+ piece puzzles, cooking and stuff like that. This way you're doing things together and it's still fun and relaxing. The "get-away-from-the-xbox" talk generally goes in one ear and out the other. And hey, your husband already has a mom. He doesn't need two.

*Please feel free to put in the comments YOUR suggestions on how to have a happy marriage and what works for you as a couple. Also, don't feel bad about putting in your two cents about anything I've posted, even if you disagree!

*Lastly, sex is a very personal thing within a marriage and not all couples are equal. These are MY THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS, not a "do or die" type of thing. Take what you like, leave what you don't. But these things are my observations and experiences that have worked and I've been on both sides of the fence with all of these issues. I'm showing you the bright side! : )

SEX.

As I was researching this topic, I found some interesting statistics. Married couples have sex 68.5 times a year. This is just over one time per week. Non-married couples have sex about 61.6 times a year. Go married couples! (This statistic came from drphil.com)

So, what is "sex" to you? I would venture to guess that most people view sex as sexual intercourse. But I think all forms of intimacy fall under the category. After I had Titan, I was told to not participate in sex for at least 6 weeks. When I was thinking about it and feeling bad for my poor husband (haha), someone threw in there, "there are other ways of having sex, you know". Aaaah, the light turned on! Get that little brain thinking and get creative.

To me, some really important parts of intimacy are:

*Kissing. Whether it be passionately for an hour, gently and softly a couple of times as you pass your spouse to get to the fridge, or be it playful where you kiss him all over his face while you've pinned him in a wrestling match. Cheesy? Maybe. But it's fun and we love it. And it does wonders for your soul, trust me!

*Embrace. The most difficult part about having Derek away is the lack of touch/embrace. When I'm sad, I want a hug. Not from anyone, but from Derek. When I'm happy, I want a hug. Same situation. I want to hold his hand in the car, across the parking lot, and while we push our baby in the shopping cart. I want to rest on his buff bicep while we chat in bed and stare at the ceiling. I want to snuggle with him under the covers before falling asleep. These are all things that are of utmost importance to me.

*Touch. The power of touch is great. It will bring you closer together instantly. I love to squeeze Derek's bum. I'm kind of a rule breaker. I do it at church while attending the Military Branch while he's in his Army Combat Uniform. Oops. I can't resist. I like to eskimo kiss his face, put my face close to his while I talk to him or whisper in his ear. These things are fairly effortless, make your hubby feel like a sexy champ and make you feel closer to him. It's a win-win-win. Cha-ching!

On webmd.com, I found some cool facts about sex. It:

1. Helps you sleep better. Well now I know why I haven't slept in the last 4 months! (TMI)
2. Burns calories. Go out for ice cream then go hang out in your room to burn it off. Easy peasy.
3. Improves Heart Health. Emotionally and physically!
4. Strengthens the pelvic floor muscles. Do your kegels, too! Also, they say sex helps put you in labor. I'm not *exactly* sure how true that is but hey, it's worth a shot! As if castor oil is any better? Disgusting taste and a night of diarrhea? No thanks.
5. Boosts self esteem. Of course it does! Everyone wants to feel sexy and wanted. If you want your husband's eyes to be all on you, give him a reason to think he's got a sexy mama wife! No one says you need make up, perfume, a new hair color, fake eyelashes or lingerie to succeed here. Just let him know you love and want him and he'll return the favor!
6. Relieves stress. If you're ever having a particularly crummy time in your marriage, try having sex. It's got to be the LAST thing on your mind, but once you do- you'll be surprised at how much better life feels the next day. And don't go back into your rut, either! Keep up a good routine.
7. Reduces physical pain. Apparently your levels of oxytocin go up when participating in sexual activity. They say having sex can take away pain from headaches and other body aches like cramps from your period. Try it!
8. Improves the bond between husband and wife. Uh yeah. Duh.
9. Reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Awesome!
10. Boosts immunity. If you're the type that gets sick frequently, try upping your amount of sexy time with your spouse. Saves you a trip to the doctor!


Hopefully none of you have abusive or crummy husbands. That kind of changes everything about these posts because there is only so much one person can do in a two-person marriage. To give, give, give and never receive in return is an utterly exhausting process that leaves you feeling worthless. And sex is going to be the last thing you want to do, not to mention it could get you pregnant (obviously) and babies don't make marriages better, contrary to popular belief. The only advice I could give you there is to ponder your situation hard and make the right decision in your life as to what you want to become of yourself and your family.

Girls, when it comes to sex, we basically hold all the power. If the wife says no, the husband's out of luck. Please don't be that girl. You will only leave your husband wondering why HE'S the one giving and never receiving. Sex is a two way street and you have to give a little to get a little. Your husband pays the bills, takes care of the cars, brings home the bacon, and so much more. Show him you appreciate him and give him a little boost to help make those tasks easier each day. I knew a girl who told me that she hadn't had sex with her husband in two months. When they finally attempted, the second she felt any pain or discomfort, she told him nevermind and that maybe they'd try again another time. (????) Sorry but if you fall under this category, you need some serious re-vamping of your system. Don't make sex a chore. If you hate it, find out what you hate about it and change things up a bit. There's no hurry- just do some trial and errors. Be open with your husband because communication is key. Telling him what you like and don't like will make your life a million times better. He isn't a mind reader (despite what you think) and what faster way to make your husband feel un-sexy and under appreciated then to push him to the side all the time? (Reverse the situation and think about if you were him.)

So now it's time to go get 'em! Good luck!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Happy Marriage Part 2. Action!


1. Ask yourself if it's worth the fight.

Growing up, my dad used to get upset at us for spilling water at the table. I always thought it was such a trivial thing to be upset about because one- it was just water and two- I wasn't asking anyone to help me clean it up. It was just a silly mistake I made (more than once) hee hee. Heck, I STILL do it by accident all the time.

In marriage, people often get upset about trivial things as well. The famous "which way does the toilet paper go" issue is a famous example. Your husband wipes his bum, uses the rest of the T.P., throws a new roll on there any which way and walks off. You come in, see it's turned the "wrong" way and give him either a lecture or the cold shoulder all night. Tell me that isn't the most ridiculous fight ever. Shoot, at least he put a new roll in there! He could have left you TP-less!

In situations such as those, we must stop and ask ourselves, "Is this worth a fight? Is this worth hurting my companion's feelings?" Even a snooty facial expression can hurt the other and we should always be aware and be sensitive to the other persons' feelings. Our actions speak so much louder than our words.

Something my husband taught me very early on in our marriage is that when he makes a mistake, he feels awful already. So having someone else get upset at him and rubbing salt in the wound is doing no good to anyone. How profound! It's so simple and yet so many do not get this concept. However, when the tables are turned, we would most definitely appreciate a little mercy from the other side, would we not?

2. Make an effort to see the other side.

One thing that is easy to get caught up in are differences in how we were raised as individuals. I was raised in a home that never really drank soda, but we were not against drinking caffeine. However, we never watched movies that were rated R and we were never really allowed to play video games. If we did, our time was extremely limited. Luckily, Derek and I were raised very similarly and this hasn't been an issue. However, some people get married and their spouses don't see eye to eye on things like these.

Something that kind of bothers me is when wives don't "let" their husband's play video games. Don't get me wrong- I'm NOT a big video gamer by ANY MEANS. I think the X-Box is the craziest invention and I can't work that piece of junk to save my life. Buuut, who am I to say that my husband can't do something he enjoys now and then- even if it's something I personally don't enjoy? Some wives get upset their husbands spend 3 hours on the X-Box. Is that an excessive amount of time to play video games? Absolutely. But how often do you spend sitting in front of the computer blogging? Or Facebooking? Or online shopping? Nine times out of ten, wives are just as guilty. And I'm sure husbands aren't thrilled to blog late at night. : ) But it's not that you shouldn't be allowed to do those things- it's just that all of those things should be done in moderation and each of you should be given equal respect from the other to indulge in a hobby. Sometimes we just want to sit around and do mindless things! I tell ya- if there's one thing I love, it's being able to just lay on my bed and stare at the wall or play Solitaire on my phone. No entertaining Titan, no cooking food, no laundry, no NOTHIN- just mindless staring to gather my chi for when I need it later that day.

3. Give a little to get a little.

I don't know about you, but I sure have heart a lot of this:

Woman: Ugh, my feet are killing me. I'm going home and making my husband rub my feet.
Woman: Oh, he better not or else he'll be sleeping on the couch for a week!
Woman: I told him that if he even tries to go camping with his buddies this holiday weekend, I'm going to spend $300 on whatever I want just to prove a point.

Man: Yeah man, my wife won't let me.
Man: Are you kidding? My wife would never give me a massage!
Man: My paychecks are spent before I even see that they were deposited!

Tell me you've heard this, too. This is so common that is makes me want to rip my hair out! : ) I can tell you that the fastest way to get your hubby to rub your feet is to rub his! Wow, what a concept! It takes us all the way back to when we were kids, learning the phrase "treat others the way you want to be treated" also known as The Golden Rule. You know, it IS called the golden rule for a reason. There is much wisdom to be found in it. You'd be surprised at how much good it does for the soul when you are gentle with one another. Offering a head massage, squeezing your hubby's bum as you pass him in the kitchen, kissing him on the cheek, touching his foot under the table, holding hands in the car. Those are all "action" things that are small and go a loooong ways! One thing I've learned is that the "big" things are nothing like the "small" things. The small things always matter more.

Now, I am probably making these posts seem like the wife is always in the wrong, but let me assure you men are equally guilty if not more so at times! But pointing the finger doesn't solve any problems; we must always work on ourselves only. (And since I've yet to know a man who reads my blog besides my husband...this is mostly geared towards you girls!) Which leads to my final point of...

4. You can only fix you.

A common misconception among the engaged is that they can mold their spouse into what they want AFTER they've tied the knot. Talk about false advertising! And I'm not sure how it makes sense to marry someone that you don't love in hopes that they will one day become your prince charming. Part of being in a good marriage is not only finding a good partner but BEING the best partner you can be. It's a two way street, and thankfully so. Being married can be the most rewarding experience or it can be Hell on Earth. I have experienced both in my lifetime and I'm happy to say that for the past 3 years, I've been in absolute Heaven. But I haven't changed. So what has? How could I have been the same and yet have such a different experience?

By constantly working on myself, I am able to open my eyes past my own little world. I'm able to put selfish thoughts behind me and think about how Derek might feel. There is nothing I want to change about him, but let's think about it. Say I wanted to change the fact that he likes to listen to music more loudly than I do. Why do I feel it's my job to change HIM instead of my job to change ME? I am not only being unwilling to meet in the middle, I am completely unwilling to see that I have any faults. So let's not forget that when we point a finger, we have 4 others pointing back at ourselves.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Happy Marriage Part 1! All about you.


Let me just first say that I am by no means an expert on anything. But I DO know that I have known my husband 6.5 years and been married 3 and our lives are EASY PEASY. Seriously! And I realized it's because of a few things we naturally (and sometimes not so naturally) do to help each other out. Might I also add that I was in an abusive marriage for nearly 2 years before Derek and I wed. Although that experience was indescribably difficult emotionally, physically, spiritually, & mentally...I feel my marriage with Derek has been blessed beyond measure because of it. With that being said- here we go!

Part 1: Loving Yourself

Okay so you know when you get on the airplane, the flight attendant lets everyone know that in case of an emergency, you must put your own mask on first before helping others? Well, that definitely makes sense. If you can't help yourself, you cannot help someone else because you do not have the emotional capacity to do so, especially when it comes to relationships. So here are a few pointers:

1. Understand the difference between being SELFISH and being SMART. Throwing your kids into your husbands arms for 4 hours while you rack up a bill for dinner, a pedicure and a massage after he's had a long day is SELFISH. Asking him to be on duty at home for a bit while you take a hot bath, read a book and go to bed early is SMART. That way you're still there if he needs you and you are being sensitive to his feelings. Even better, do it a different a day- when he hasn't had a rough go. I once heard that it's good to put God first, your spouse second and yourself last. I feel there is SO much wisdom in that. It will pay off, too- you just must have patience...which leads us to #2!

2. Have patience. Let yourself make mistakes! President Uchtdorf just gave an amazing talk at the Relief Society General Broadcast about this. We shouldn't beat ourselves up because we are not perfect. The better thing to do would be to acknowledge your current progress (even if it's small!) and keep on moving, in hopes to ONE DAY be the person we desire to become.

3. Think positively. Nobody loves to hear Debbie Downer all day long. Everyone is definitely entitled to a bad day and hey, go ahead, soak it up for a while. Then get over it. When you're feeling down, take a second to bring to light all of the things you DO have and should be grateful for. Everyone is fighting a different battle- whether or not their situation SEEMS easy.

4. Have confidence. During my college years it always bothered me to see students walking alone, looking down at their phone. Why? To me, it screamed, "I'm embarrassed to be walking alone!". I was always looking around, observing people and their actions, their clothes, their relationships, the sun, the clouds, the grass, the beautiful campus. It's such a better thing to see while walking than my itty bitty cell phone screen. Do you have the confidence to be alone? Try going to the movies alone, I've done this also. One day when I was single, I was super bummed and lonely. I had no one to spend the evening with but I didn't feel like staying in. What did I do? I made a grilled cheese sandwich, threw it in a ziploc bag and squished myself in the only seat I could find between two different families. I loved it! Sometimes we need to just get up and go and not think so much.

5. Pursue your goals. Who says being a wife and/or mom means you're chopped liver? Even if it's baby steps, work towards a goal if you have one. I am currently writing a book. I'm also aware it might take me a lifetime to finish! But it's nice to know that someday I will finish my goal and I'm enjoying the time I get to add to it here and there. I've mentioned this before in a previous blog post but...becoming a wife and/or mom can be rough; it can be an adjustment! But how do you look at it? To me, there are two ways. You can either see it as you losing your identity & being stripped of your rank, or you can view it as having a sash where you only add patches to it as you go. For example: When you become a mom, you might have lost your "working at an office as a big wig" status, but you also gained "nurturer", "comforter", "cook" & "multi-tasker" badges. Keep your perspective on the positive side.

I know this post may not seem to apply much to marriage, but it does. In every way possible. Taking care of additional members of the family requires so much effort that without love of self, you will lose yourself. Sometimes we need to stop and think about the people we admire the most...and then realize that someone out there thinks that way of YOU.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Facelift!

As you can see, I've given my blog a little facelift! I was beginning to think the black background was too dark and drabby since I didn't have anything cute to spice it up with on the sides.

ALSO, I am going to be posting a series of posts (sounds redundant...) on how to have a happy marriage. So it's either going to be super boring to you or super interesting! I have about 7 or so different things I want to post about in detail with personal examples and all. I'm really excited to do that and hopefully you're excited to read it!

So stay tuned- I'm still working on finishing up the first one. The posts will include topics like money, service, sex (yeah probably no personal examples for this one, sorry!), etc.

See you soon!

Monday, September 26, 2011

I'll have a # 2, biggie size...


I am 23 weeks pregnant today.

Yikes.

So little time left to prepare for things! But that's okay. The other day I was feeling rather skinny and I thought to myself, "Hey, not a bad feeling to have at 5 months pregnant!"

Well that feeling was veeery short-lived. The next day I felt 25 months pregnant and could hardly bend down to pick things up. I'm thinking this might be why:

As I was transitioning from my civilian doctor off-post to my Army OB/GYN, I had to fill out a boat load of papers. They asked every question under the sun. Here's how it went:

1. Would you consider your eating habits good, fair or poor?

*I went ahead and set my pride aside and circled "POOR". Next.

2. List what you ate yesterday and the amount. (Really???)

*Also, decided not to lie. I listed Waffes, Ice Cream Floats and Ramen Noodles. I chose to skip the "amount" part.

3. Would you say this describes your eating habits every day?

*Hmm. YES.

Luckily, though- I've only gained 10 pounds. By now with Titan I'd gained at least 25. Boo. But at least I was eating tons of proteins like meat, eggs, cheese, etc. Now I just eat CRAP.

But in my defense, I have a child who will eat about 4 things consistently. Pizza, waffles, oatmeal and crackers. The kid doesn't even like Mac N Cheese! And it's the "Cars 2" edition!

I don't have a hubby at home to scarf down my big, well thought out, took forever to cook meals either so what do I do? Eat crap.

Sue me.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Oh, September.

September has brought us such good memories so far! I am a little behind on keeping my blog up to date...I haven't been into it as much lately for some reason. So here is a little update:

September 7th was Family Day at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. It was a chilly day in Georgia when we left, and when we arrived in South Carolina it was stifling hot! It was tough for me knowing that somewhere on post was my husband and I wouldn't be able to see him for another 18 hours or so. What made it worse was that I ended up driving around and found where he lives and saw all the soldiers outside! Aaaah, so tempting to just be the crazy wife that runs down there and starts searching around for her hubs. But I had self control, people!

I couldn't sleep at ALL that night because I was out-of-my-mind excited to see my love. I would wake up at midnight, 2:20 am, 3:15 am, 4:05 am, 5:59 am and finally at the 5:59 I said, "Forget it! I'm gettin up!" So I got ready to go and it was so exciting. We left the hotel almost an hour early and the field was within walking distance (ha ha). Once 9 am approached and the ceremony began, we saw this:


Apparently all the soldiers were hiding in the forest behind the field, and they threw out a bunch of smoke grenades and slowly but surely you could see a TON of people running through the smoke in their ACU's (Army Combat Uniform) and holding flags and stuff. It was so cool! I wanted to get ahead of the game and not get stuck in traffic so I left the bleachers just before they released us to find our soldiers and I RAN LIKE THE WIND to find Derek. I searched and searched and finally saw him as he was about to turn the other way. I could tell he was searching for me too. I yelled, "DEEERRREEEEK!!!" and I saw him turn towards me. He has never booked it faster through a crowd than he did then. He came to me and hugged me so tight and started to cry and then saw Titan. Titan reached his arms up for him like Derek had never left. He laid his head on his shoulder and wouldn't let him go to save his life!




We met Derek's buddies and they were all very nice! Derek was such an exceptional leader during his time at Basic Training. People older than him, younger than him and even his drill sergeants really respected him.


We went back to the car, drove to his barracks to pick up his stuff and took a tour. Then we ate at the DFAC (Dining Facility) and it was tasty! Later we fed the turtles at the pond and let Titan play all over the playgrounds. He had a blast and I think we wore him out. Come 8:30 PM, Titan had no problems falling asleep. But just as the night before, I was still so ecstatic to get back to my husband the next morning that I couldn't sleep too well. They held a great graduation ceremony and then we were able to take off back home to Georgia!

Derek got to spend the night at home and he was so happy about it! We thawed out our frozen Dion's pizza that I put in a check-in bag and flew here from El Paso in July. It was DELICIOUS- just like it was fresh! We got ice cream, did laundry and tried preparing him for the next day when he would have to report for his next phase of training. I told him he wasn't allowed to do anything but relax, so I went down and got the laundry and then I made him lay down so I could give him a back and foot massage. He asked if I'd scratch his back and about 2 minutes later he was out like a light. I woke up all night just to be sure it was real that my sweet husband was actually sleeping in my bed again. I loved to just look at him and feel so grateful we were together, even if it was just a short while.

The next day he reported for Officer Candidate School and he was so nervous! The competition is tough there, but he is tougher! We have been able to talk every single night, and we even Skype some nights. It's great to be able to see his face every day instead of wonder if the mail will come every 3 days like it used to while he was at Basic Training. His free time starts from 6:30 to 7:30 and goes until 10 pm and there are nights when we talk for almost that entire amount of time like it was nothing. Sometimes I can't even believe it's almost 10 pm and we've been on the phone for hours. In a month and a half we'll have been married for 3 years and I'm not sure how I can fall deeper in love with someone every single day. At this rate, I'll die of a heart attack at 30 because my heart will be too full of love!

Something I want to mention about Derek that makes him such a sweet husband is this: For Family Day I got all gussied up with extra eye make-up and tried to look my absolute prettiest for him. The whole day, he hardly mentioned my looks so I was a little down about it! The next day, I had my hair down and had hardly any make-up on...he couldn't get over how "pretty I look". Last night he stopped me mid-sentence on Skype to tell me how nice I looked and I was sporting a pony tail, a t-shirt and some sweat pants. I love that about him. He told me that the prettiest I ever look to him is when I wear a pony tail and exercise clothes. Ha ha ha. Yesssss. He is such a sweet heart and I'm not sure how I got so lucky but he and I both know our relationship began way before our time on Earth and for that we are so grateful.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Would you look at THAT!



Ladies, is this not the most attractive person you've ever laid eyes on? I would say OF COURSE IT IS! I've posted this picture on my Facebook account, leaving some of you lucky enough to get a double dose of this stud muffin.

This is Derek.

He is in his 9th week of Basic Combat Training (BCT). In the 9 weeks he's been gone, he has become a squad leader, a platoon leader, a buddy to his drill sergeant (by the way, that never happens), and he's baptized 4 people. He has earned the respect of everyone around him, he has been nominated for Soldier of the Cycle meaning the #1 soldier over every single Basic Training soldier at his post right now. He is currently a skinny-winny. His food is rationed and sometimes he eats MRE's while he's in the field. He has a tan line around his neck and wrists from where he wears his ACU's, and around his eyes where he wears his safety glasses. He has earned badges for being an excellent marksman- hitting 40 out of 40 targets from a great distance away. He came in second place in a running exercise against all of the other platoons and companies. The guy who took first place ran Track & Field at Baylor University. He is absolutely nothing short of incredible and I'm so proud to be his wife. Every time I see my last name on his ACU nametape, when I sign my name at the bottom of a check or when I say my last name to someone I've just met- I always do so with pride. Because there is no one in the world I'd rather be than Derek Hargrove's wife.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Toy Story "Betcha Didn't Know"s

It seems that lately the only shows my child will watch are Toy Story...and Toy Story 2. Sadly, he doesn't like Toy Story 3. But it's not my favorite either. I got to thinking about the voices of the characters and I got on Wikipedia to check some things out. I was amazed at all the things I learned! Check it out!

Obviously Tom Hanks is the voice of Woody. And although I want to flick him in the nose for the LDS/FLDS confusion on Big Love (yes I've seen it, it's kind of addicting), he is a phenomenal actor and I love his part as Woody.


Tim Allen plays the voice of Buzz Lightyear. I love Tim Allen. He's one of those actors that I feel like I know. Like, if I met him, I would feel like I'm talking to an old friend.


Alright- here's where it gets interesting.

Don Rickles is the voice of Mr. Potato Head. This man is 85 years old! He has been around so long, he knew Frank Sinatra, and had guest appearances on I Dream of Genie, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Munsters, and Get Smart.


Estelle Harris plays Mrs. Potato Head. She is also old- I would have had no idea! She is 83. She has been in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Ponyo, and played Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld.


John Ratzenberger, who is 64, plays the voice of the piggy bank named Hamm. I think he is the toy with the funniest lines. He played Cliff Clavin on the TV show Cheers, he was the voice of P.T. Flea on A Bug's Life, the Abominable Snowman in Monsters, Inc., and Mack the truck in Cars.


Wallace Shawn plays the voice of Rex the dinosaur. Most of you would recognize his voice from when he played Vizzini in The Princess Bride in 1987.


Annie Potts is the voice of Bo Peep, Woody's love interest! She is Janine from Ghostbusters, which by the way, there will be a Ghostbusters 3 coming out in 2012. I better not tell my husband, because Ghostbusters 2 was what I was watching when I began going into labor! And our next baby is due in 2012...



Ronald Lee Ermey is the voice of Sarge, the main solder from the "Bucket O' Soldiers" on Toy Story. Did you know he is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Drill Sergeant?! Haha. Almost all of his roles in movies are military-related. He was a very decorated soldier back in his day, having received 2 bronze stars and many other awards for his service.


Jim Varney was the voice of Slinky Dog, but he was also Ernest in all of the "Ernest" shows. He died at the age of 50 from Lung Cancer, which was in 2000.


Erik von Detten plays the evil kid next door, Sid Phillips. He was also in The Princess Diaries.


John Morris is the voice of Andy, whose last name is Davis. Who would have known that??? Anyway- he is still the voice of Andy, even as a grown kid in Toy Story 3. Crazy! He was born in 1984 and graduated from UCLA in Theater.


Laurie Metcalf is the voice of Andy's mom, who is only known as Mrs. Davis. She is most popular for her role as Jackie on the TV series Roseanne. She also played Marcie in Uncle Buck, and has played guest roles in Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Life with Louie, Malcolm in the Middle and 3rd Rock from the Sun.


Joan Cusack, sister of actor John Cusack, plays the voice of Jessie the Cowgirl on Toy Story 2.


Wayne Knight is Al from Al's Toy Barn. He looks exactly like his character! He is most popular for his role as Newman on Seinfeld.


I had no idea that Kelsey Grammer from Frasier was the voice of Stinky Pete.


And last but not least, Jodie Benson plays the voice of Tour Guide Barbie in Toy Story 2 and also the Barbie who meets Ken in Toy Story 3. She was the voice of Ariel from The Little Mermaid. After learning that fact and thinking back on the two voices, it totally makes sense! She is also the voice of Thumbelina, and the voice of Weebo in Flubber. Crazy!



Well, I hope you thought this was as cool as I did! My husband taught me the true beauty of Wikipedia! So when we would watch a movie, we would almost always Wikipedia it afterwards and find out all kinds of neat facts. Try it sometime!










Saturday, August 13, 2011

Oh HEEEEY!


I love this picture. It's like he's an old man, relaxing while reading the paper. This is T-man at his checkup last week. He has officially grown into himself! He is now in the 30th percentile for height and weight (instead of the 3rd percentile or lower) and he was blessed with the sturdy and large Hargrove noggin, putting him in the 90th percentile for head circumference. Way to go, buddy!


This is me this week. Wednesday, I think. So I was 16 1/2 weeks here and was heading off to the gym. I have only gained 6 pounds now, so I think people were wondering if I was bloated or if I was pregnant. Thursday night though my belly just POOFED out and I think I officially look pregnant.


Titan has almost mastered eating with a spoon by himself. He doesn't have the scooping part down, but he can definitely put it in his mouth and he does great! This is him eating cereal this morning. It was actually quite the mess. When teaching your kid to use a spoon, I would suggest starting with more...solid, less rolly-aroundy foods. We had quite a few Reese's Puffs balls on our kitchen floor. I know. Reese's Puffs. Not the healthiest cereal out there. You pick your battles, people.

So life at the Hargrove home has been better. I feel as though I'm officially slipping back into my role as a stay at home mother. I have been able to have a lot of great bonding experiences with Titan this past week, thanks to pretty much every plan I had falling through. I guess it was a blessing in disguise : ) We miss Derek like crazy and have only been allowed to have a conversation with him one day since actual Basic Training began. It's been the hardest, most challenging thing I have ever done in my lifetime. But with challenging experiences comes refinement and I'm hoping each day to be a more refined individual. More patient, kind, loving, tactful, happy, helpful. Trust me, I wish I could just buy all of those qualities at the store, but I've learned it just doesn't work that way. Thank you to any of you who gave me advice and words of encouragement. Any tips on parenting that you have, bring them on because I feel like the guy in those movies who gets thrown into being a babysitter (like The Rock on The Pacifier) and I don't know the first thing about parenting sometimes! Yet I can't call Mr. Mom. Anyways, that's about it for us! We get to have our Derek back in 3 1/2 weeks, although it will only be for about 24 hours or less. We will take it!





Thursday, August 4, 2011

Since You've Been Gone

Doesn't reading the title just make you want to bust out in the Kelly Clarkson song? That's what it did to me. Since Derek has been gone, we've:

Gone to Fort Benning for some pre- Fourth of July celebrations


Watched a lot (and I mean A LOOOOT) of Sesame Street


Eaten over at a friend's house for a BBQ


Worn a heart monitor due to the insane amount of stress and a couple of passing out episodes


Played on the swings and gone on walks almost daily


Indulged in some disgustingly huge homemade breakfast burritos


Caught a plane to El Paso to visit family


Visited the utterly enormous city of Atlanta


Had family come visit us in Georgia


Watched this little one change from a bean to a baby


Taken pictures of ourselves to send to Daddy


Bounced around at a kid's playhouse



Checked out the Kiddie section of the library (which is AWESOME)


Spent time with Jordan and Lindsey



Watched my belly go from THIS


To this


To this


To this


To this


And finally to THIS- I'm almost 16 weeks and have gained 5 pounds so far



Life is still chugging along but we cannot WAIT to have our Derek back.