My Fabulous F-16 Ride!

It was so fun! It may seem really lame because it wasn't flying or anything but how many people can say they got to ride in one? I mean it is likely never to happen to me again! My pilot was Capt Keith "Cracker" Carson. He has been flying approx 9yrs & I got to talk to him before so I was confident in him.

First we started the day @8am doing EGRESS training (learning how to bail if there is a problem) No, we didn't get to practice ejecting the seats, good thing too cause it is not very fun if you have to, the canopy shoots off & then your chair shoots out all in something like 6 seconds, if you can imagine... But we did get to practice jumping out, it didn't get any pictures of it but it was fun. They hooked us up to harnesses, imagine like a full body rappelling harness, over the shoulders, under the butt cheeks. Then they hooked us to practice cockpits which are about 4ft off the ground (from the part where you would have to jump), in a real jet, it's about a 7 or 8ft drop. We got strapped in @ the shoulders & lap then had the helmet & oxygen mask on attached to the "tank". Then they give the signal (EGRESS, EGRESS, EGRESS) & by the 3rd time the pilot says it, the canopy should be open far enough to get out so while he says that you are trying to unbuckle yourself (& trust me it isn't just a button, it's a lift flap, push down with your thumb to release) & climb out of the cockpit... & the cockpit is deep & fairly narrow... So you can imagine. We were supposed to practice with gloves but since everyone in my group was smaller, we didn't have gloves that fit! The first 2 girls that tried to "jump" got stuck on their harnesses hanging. Their feet were about 6-12in off the floor & there really was no way to get back up! It was funny but @ the same time they kept reminding us to think if it was a fire or something! I didn't get stuck but I can vouch that it would not be a fun thing to have to bail out!

After we finished the EGRESS training, they took us & did a slide show of what to expect, not that you can really expect the ride but they tried... Except they didn't use terms we understood! how funny huh? All I remember is that they gave us scripts & that I would have to talk to the other wives riding!

Finally around noon, we went to life support & got fitted with our jumpsuits & helmets/masks. That was pretty funny! There were 3 groups of 4 wives, the first was student pilot wives (their hubbys were graduating that day after 28mo of training), then was the instructor pilot wives & then the maintainer wives... Well most of the pilot wives were pretty tall & very slender, the maintainers wives, well they are normal women like me, a little rounder in the mid section! Which of course is not like the pilots who are also tall & slender! So our suits were a little tight around the mid section & very long everywhere!

We then met up with our pilots & rode out to the jets, ready for the ride... Kevin was the crew chief on my jet (yes it was planned) so he got to help me into the jet (shown in the picture) & I got to see all that studying we did way back in school put to use! He fastened me into the plane & then we got our helmets on & it was time to go! Those planes are so manueverable! It took tight turns I would have never thought it could! Since my pilot was "#1" I got to say a whole bunch of stuff to the other wives in their jets, checking radios to make sure we were all on the same frequencies & to the tower or ops or something saying we were ready. We taxied to the end of the runway where they checked to make sure nothing was broke yet (actually happens more often then you might think from where Kevin works to EOR) & then we lined up on the runway. The pilots pushed the throttle keeping the brakes on until it was @ 90knots(about 100mph) & let off the brakes. While it did push me back in my seat, it wasn't forceful @ all. It was however one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life! We taxied again to the other EOR to check again for any malfunctions & then back to parking! One of the best moments was after we finished, we were down @ EOR & I had to say something like "Dog house, top dog 1(me) down with 4. Top dog 1 code 1" & then each of the girls said in sequence "top dog 2 code 1" etc but top dog 2 said code 2, top dog 3 said code 3 & then top dog 4 said code 1... I know doesn't make sense to you but to our hubbys code 2 & code 3 mean their jet is broken, code 3 being serious. Now imagine none of the pilot wives messed that up just the maintainers wives... & that would have meant that our hubbys didn't come home for a long time!Yes that is me with my helmet & oxygen mask on! Over all it was a blast & definately something to remember! Enjoy the pictures, it was so fun!

So....

I just opened an Etsy store... I sell wooden letters you know that hang on the wall... So go check it out!

& I got put on a diet for this baby! I thought it was bad with Brok but this one is so much worse! He is very picky & lately I have been sooooooo sick! I get these headaches & I feel dizzy, weak & sleepy... So she put me on a... no sugar, high protein diet! I have to eat 6 small meals a day, instead of the 3 reg ones, & have tons of protien each tiem... Which is not going to be easy as I can't eat nuts... Soy nut butter she said to try so we'll see... But 100% whole grains everything from my bagels for breakfast to sandwiches... & I have had a huge craving for stew lately & now I can't just eat the rolls, it has to be healthy & I can only eat fruit but not too much cause the sugar... AH! I hope it helps cause the phenegren did not this time & I am tired of being sick!

We Get To Go Home!

My little Brother gets home from his mission on June 10th & we were concerned we wouldn't get to go because of Kevin's big tests but we get to take 9days & Go! From June 9th or 10th to the 17th! Yay! We will be in Vegas until the 12th & then back in Vegas from the 15th to when we leave! This is him defending the truth! J/K! One of their members or something is a police so they got to dress up. Brok has never met Kyle so this will be exciting for all of us!

Brok's getting a.......

Baby Brother... The Long thing to the left is his little leg bone but that bump in the middle there definately looks like a little boy!

At least it appearst that way. We had our ultrasound yesterday & it was so neat! The tech was awesome & since I asked if we'd be able to see parts yet, he took the wand & looked for us... It appears that there are little boy parts there, though it's still not 100% because he has seen ones that look like it @ this early but at the actual one to find out sex it was just a swollen little girl part but we know it's a boy. I was hoping to get lucky but in KEvin's family boys are super dominant (9 including Brok to 3girls) so it's luck of the draw! We are excited either way! He is healthy & happy, just kicked back & relaxing. We got 6 pictures 5 profile & 1 of his parts & it just amazes me that we could see so much detail even though he is only 8& a half centimeters long! We got to see his brain, his teeth(inside his gums of course), his ear(or what will be his ear) his nose, his fingers, his spine, & his heart beating... even in his parts picture we saw his little leg bone! It's amazing just how little they are & yet in 9months can become an 8lb baby! We are 14wks along & that puts my due date @ Oct17th. Hopefully He comes earlier! My sister is hoping for the 2nd as that is her birthday! I'm just glad that I have 9 days less preg than I thought! LOL

Brok is very excited... I think he gets it, at least to some degree because lately he has been rubbing my belly when he cuddles with me. They will be best friend's I am sure! When we were listening to his heart, Brok stopped playing with his bead toy & just listened!

I have the pictures but my camera died so they will have to wait. Looks like we won't be needing many clothes! Except that after the 3 months clothes which Brok only wore for like 2weeks, it's mostly warm weather... oh well...

Dr appt #1

So it was the awaited day!!!! I have been anxious to go just due to the fact that twins run in Kevin's fam (2 sisters have twins) but it was GREAT!

My doctor is super good! She was just one the military referred me to so I was a bit nervous but she was awesome! She took everything I said about my problems with Brok & had me do extra blood tests & everything so that she could keep dibs on me... She also used the little portable ultrasound machine with the tiny 6in screen to check how big the baby was (to get an idea of how far along I am, if I was 12+ weeks we can see a heart & hear the heartbeat) Well I am definately 12 weeks at least, she said it looked like a 4th month fetus not a 3rd month which could mean I might be further along than 12 or 13 weeks... We have a date & size ultrasound schedule for a week from this Sat to check everything out... I am excited that I may have less pregnancy than first thought!!! LOL anyway...

Everything was good with the baby, we didn't get to hear the heart but saw the baby. It is a mover! She couldn't get it to sit still for nothing! Finally it paused for about 30 seconds & then it lifted a tiny hand & wiggled it back & forth like it was waving! How cute! I haven't seen an ultrasound this early on in a preg before as I just had one @ 18wks with Brok so it was fun to see it! It has a big head & a big belly but definately is shaping up to be a good sized kid! (no 6lb babies for me!) If it's anything like Brok, I am in for a ride!

Brok was screaming the whole appt, we are weaning (or trying to) off the bottle especially at bed time & he is super angry with us! But while she was doing the ultrasound, he was staring at it like he was infatuated or something! It was cute... I bet they are the best of friends...

Kevin thinks that he saw some boy parts but I highly doubt it cause it was so tiny & the baby took up a lot of room but I guess only time will tell! I get to go for a taxi ride in an F-16! how cool is that!

Birthday slide show

Brok's 1st photo shoot...

So I'm either really lame & lazy & just didn't want to take him in every 3 months for pictures or just broke (true) or whatever but we had our first experience with the professionals on the 21st... I loved the photographer, she was awesome, most would have just tried to get him to look forward & smile but she did some grea candids... here are the 6 poses we chose... it was very difficult because he was tired (I had to wake him up) & grumpy but they turned out so well... It took us an hour & one of the poses we didn't pick was the 2nd to last of him reading a book & screaming! it was funny but I didn't want to pay money for something I could get at home...

He is growing so fast lately... He has learned to shake his head no & will do it if you ask a question & has started saying MA when he wants me. He will scream it so loud! I love it.... (ps the last one on the right witht the teddy bear he really is long but this is misproportioned because I had to take an 8x10 & shrink it)

As for me, well I'm getting sicker by the moment... I have my good days but wow... I'm hoping this one is like Brok & @ 12 weeks I feel fine... only 8 days left til I'm past the 1st trimester... It's going really fast... not fast enough but fast... I also had to ask for less hours at work... We watched my boys last weekend & then this week since grandma is going to Italy for the month, I didn't have a day off & went from working 9 hours to @ least a 10.5 hour day... which I was not prepared for... I felt sick & neither of them could get home... so we'll see the suprises of this next week... We have our doctor's appointment on Thurs where we'll get to hear the heart... I love knowing that everything is ok... & judging by how I have been feeling, it has taken root in my uterus!

Kevin gets his second book of stuff this week to study for his big test in Sept... He has to get special permission to take leave during the next 5 months while he finishes studying & then takes this test (which is a really big deal & if he fails could leave us jobless....) so we're hoping & praying for him to be able to take leave in June when my little bro comes home from his MISH!!! He's never met Brok & has changed so much in 2yrs that I really want to see him but driving 5hrs alone or paying $99 for a plane ticket for me & trying to take everything for Brok & I was hard enough when I wasn't preg! Pray that we can get it!