It's a GIRL!

We are very excited, I can't hardly wait to buy pink stuff and bows. I've got Crystal Burningham here that will be her stylist. Crystal seems to be a pro at baby girl fashion!

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We have decided to name her "Penny Marie Campbell". We might change the middle name but that is what we have came up with so far. If you have any suggestions for a middle name we are open to discussion. As far as the first name, it's PENNY, if you don't like it, tough, we do! Sorry I don't mean to sound rude but we have gotten some interesting reactions to that name but both Steven and I LOVE IT and that's what matters.

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John and Gavin are very excited to have a sister. I think they are ready for a change too. They are already skeeming up ideas to torture her =) And, while Steven won't admit it, he seem very excited that it's a girl. He says that he is only excited because I got what I wanted but I think he just doesn't want to admit that he is now going to have a Daddy's girl. Watch, she will have him wrapped around her little finger just like I had my Dad. lol!

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Steven is doing good in Iraq. He says he is HOT! Well, we all know that he's very HOT but he means that the temperatures there are unbearable. He does a lot of emergency dental work mostly. He says he is getting a lot of experience doing root canals and 3rd molar extractions (wisdom teeth). He seems to be enjoying the experience but is hating being away from us. He also gets really bored. If any of you would like to e-mail him, he would love to hear from you, s.camp101@yahoo.com His 32nd Birthday is September 28th and our 8 year wedding anniversary is on September 29th. Steven has been gone for almost 3 months now and I can't even explain in words how much we miss him. The boys ask me almost everyday when he is coming home. They also make comments all the time about how much they miss him. Sometimes Gavin tells me when I am sad, "don't cry Mommy, daddy will be home soon" then he says, "if you cry I'm going to cry too, so don't!" That always snaps we out of it. I am very lucky to have such wonderful sons, they take good care of me =)

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Steven is doing his best to get home by my due date (December 6th) but it's not looking good right now. If he were to get home by the 6th that would be a month early and I had both John and Gavin two weeks early. If that is the case I would have her in late November. I am keeping my fingers crossed but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. If he doesn't get home in time my parents will be here and I have an entire neighborhood of friends all lined up to help me. These Army wives are awesome, they are like my family and they have my back. Some of them are going through their 2nd and 3rd deployments! When ever I think I have it bad I just think of how strong all these women are. They are really just unbelievable women! Steven is on a 6 month deployment which is so short compared to others. Most soldiers go for at least 12 months and sometimes 15 to 18 months! We really need to keep these families in our prayers for the huge sacrifice they have and will continue to make.

NAUSEATED

I'm now comfortable to announce, I'm PREGNANT!  Steven and I are very excited to be expecting our third child.  We just had an ultrasound a couple of days ago and the doctor said he was 99.9% confident that I would carry this baby full-term.  The baby had a strong heartbeat and was developing right on track. I also know that the pregnancy hormone is very strong, I am nauseated just about every second of the day.  

I was in the commissary (grocery store) today trying to get some shopping done and there was a lady cooking sausage and handing out samples, I about lost it right in the aisle!  The smell made me lose it almost instantly. I started sweating and my month filled with saliva, you know what that means.  I laid my upper body across my cart and just prayed I could contain myself!  I think I would rather wet my pants in public then vomit.  Luckily I made it but as soon as I collected myself I bolted to the register and got the heck out of there.  This is the first pregnancy I have had where I am soooo nauseous.  Could that possibly mean I am having a girl? Because I am so nauseous I don't have a lot of cravings, food always sounds disgusting, however if I could live off sweets I would.  All I ever want to eat is candy, fruit, cake, it doesn't matter as long as it has sugar.  I don't of course but I want too.  What does that mean?  

The only sad news of this very exciting pregnancy is that Steven will be in Iraq when it comes time for me to deliver.  He is deploying on July 3rd and is anticipated to return in early January 2010.  I am due the first week in December!  Most wives are working out and getting in shape for when there husbands return, I will be gaining 30 to 40 pounds and have only a month to get back into shape after having a baby.  Not to mention I will have a newborn and two other children to take care of.  Yeah, Steven can kiss his thin wife goodbye and not expect to see her for a while.  This wasn't exactly planned perfectly but I have always heard that when you stop trying to have a baby is when you get pregnant, it’s true!  Life is good though, I can't complain.  I have an incredible family and I wouldn't change anything.

APRIL UPDATE

TELL ME THESE BOYS ARE NOT THE CUTEST BROTHERS YOU HAVE EVER SEEN!  We went to the mall over Easter weekend to meet the Easter Bunny.  John and Gavin where so excited.  However, John said to me; "Mom, is that really the Easter Bunny or is that just someone in a costume?"  I ofcourse told him; "no way that is the real deal!"  He believed me.  I think this might be the last year I will be able to get away with it =( 

On Sunday Steven set up a great Easter Egg Hunt in our backyard.  The boys loved it.

Steven and the boys thought it would be fun to go camping in the backyard.  They had a blast making smores and playing in the tent and using flash lights while chasing each other.

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I have been having such a hard time keeping my blog updated.  Well, it must stop!  From now on I will at least update it once a month, thats a promise.

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Life is good and busy as usual.  I now have a new title other then wife and mother, I'm now Coach Jennie to 13 four and five year olds for this T-Ball season.  We are the "Stingrays".  Both my sons John and Gavin are on the team and love that "mommy" is their coach.  Steven will be joining me as the Assistant Coach at the need of April when he stops seeing patients at his private practice.  He is taking some time off to spend with the family before deploying to Iraq.  For those of you that don't know, Steven's day job is as an Army Dentist but he also moonlights for a private practice in the evenings and some weekends.  Yeah, Dental School was not cheap!

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John is doing great in school and loves his teacher.  He is very excited about a field trip this week to the zoo.  Gavin is also loving preschool and is preparing to attend school next year with his big brother, John.  Gavin also has a very good friend who's name is also Gavin who he plays with on a daily basis.  The two are basically brothers at this point, they are inseparable.  The great part is when I have to yell to both of them I only have to use one name, G-A-V-I-N! and they both come running.  When I take them places most people think they are twins until I tell them their names.  Most people don't name their twins the same name =)

Gavin's Friend, GAVIN E.

Thats all for now but I will update this in week or so.  

BLOGGING SLACKER!!

Ok, starting with the latest news. Steven and I just found out that he will be deploying for Iraq in April. He will be serving a 6 month tour. For those of you that are thinking; "poor Jennie =(" DON'T! Steven volunteered for the deployment and I am very proud that he is going. I am little scared but for the most part happy that he is able to serve his country in this way. We love being part of the US Army and it has blessed us in so many ways. I have no doubt that I will be well taken care of while he is gone. I have been very blessed to have many friends and family who take such good care of me. My neighborhood is about 90% military and 1/2 are deployed to either Afangistan or Iraq right now and most for 12 month deployments. I have a lot to be grateful for (6 months!!). Also these women have come to be my family. It is very unique for me to be united and excepted so quickly by so many different people. I know that I will always treasure this experience in days to come.

Ok, since I have been such a slacker lately I thought I would give you an update. Since my last blog a lot has happened, i.e. Holloween and Thanksgiving. Holloween was great, I dressed up as Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz and my boys were Power Rangers. Steven was gone to California for most of the month of October at NTC playing Army out in the sand pit. November we had some of our dearest friends, Brandon and Marion Kofford drive up from San Antonio to spend Thanksgiving with us. It was a blast, those guys are a ton of fun. I made the dinner and it turned out pretty good I must say.

Poor Buddy Dog =(

Ok, so I got a new stroller (No, I am not pregnant). I've joined a walking group in the mornings with other moms after we drop our kids off at school. So, I decided I HAD to ofcourse find another way to buy a new stroller to push Gavin around. After Steven put it together Gavin had already gone to bed. Well, I had to try it out? Thats were Buddy comes in handy since he weighs the same as Gavin. Poor Buddy, he is such a good sport!

Salute to Army Wives

I wanted to take a moment to solute the soliders in Iraq and Afghanistan that are fighting to keep us safe. What many people don't hear about are the families here at home who are left as single mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. Over the past couple of months I have been surrounded by mothers and children that have husbands and fathers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just in my small neighborhood we have at least a dozen husbands deployed. That is not to mention the ones I don't know about. They are some of the bravest women I have ever met. Most all of them have children ranging from infants to high school. I have had the privilege to speak to several of these women and they all have very similar stories. There life is HARD!! They not only deal with the loss of there husbands for over a year but also daily worrying, companionship, and rasing a family alone. Imagine your spouse being gone that long and the idea of telling your children that Daddy is not coming home. One friend said to me, "It's like your life is in slow motion, you have to take one day at a time." Now remember that these familys are fighting this war for US. It's not only the soliders but the Families that are sacrificing there lives for our safty and freedom. It's there husbands and there fathers who are not present. It is my wish that we remember these sacrifices and say a prayer for our Military and there Families. I want to also mention that everyone that I have met has a strong belief in this war and are willing to give what has been asked of them, however that doesn't make it any easier. I am so grateful for the people I have met and the strength of these women. I hope that I too can be as strong as they are when Steven has left us to serve in this war. God bless the USA!

First Day of SCHOOL

The kids are loving school so far. John has already made tons of friends in his class. And Gavin thinks preschool is "so awesome."

I am also loving the time I have been getting to do all my normal chores, laundry, house cleaning, and dishes. It is pretty nice to finally feel like I have the time to do those things. School is awesome!