Battalion Baby Shower

Today, they had a battalion baby shower. There were 16 of us pregnant ladies there (and one guy who was a stand in for his wife who was home sick). I was a little nervous about going because I don't really know many ladies in my husband's battalion (definitely ones that would be there). But, ended up hanging out with Brett's Sgt's wife who is due any day and very nice. We played the typical baby games...toilet paper measuring the size of the bellies (I dislike that game!), guess what candy bar is in the diaper (disgusting!) and draw a baby in a diaper without looking. They had a ton of food and delicious cupcakes!

An organization called Helping Hands (Christ Community Church of Laguna Hills branch) donated some amazing gift baskets to each of the ladies. I wasn't sure if I took one or two baskets so took one and they ran out of boy baskets so they insisted they would send me one. I told them I was okay, one was more then enough but they were so kind about it. Our FRO ended up having an extra boy basket in her car so she gave that one to me.

Brett's Commanding Officer gave a little speech and his wife stuck around for the entire shower. They have 8 year old twin boys from fertility drugs, so she gave great advice. Her husband deployed to Iraq 6 days after her boys were born and she got pregnant with their daughter 5 months later after his return home. She laughed and said, well...we had to use fertility drugs to get pregnant so we thought it wouldn't happen on our own. It's crazy how common that is and also makes me realize Brett and I will have to be careful about that. I told him the other day, what in the world would be we do if we got pregnant on our own before you deploy? I would go insane but feel so blessed....two boys under 6 months and pregnant. Man...don't even want to think that way. We will be avoiding that.

Being a Marine wife isn't easy. In fact, it's hard. Brett isn't home much. He works long hours. He is away at training. He deploys. He goes to war zones. He is cranky and tired most of the time from working so much. He has issues about his last deployment and will be deploying again within 6 months of our boys being gone and will be gone for 7 months. He will most likely miss their first birthday. He will be gone the entire month of April with me at risk of going into labor at any time. He will be gone the entire month of July, leaving me with two newborn babies. But, days like today made me thankful for our Marine Corps family. It made me thankful to be part of a community that cares about each other and looks out for each other. Do I always LOVE the Marine Corps? No. But I am thankful. I am thankful for the stability it gives our family in the time of an unstable economy. I am thankful for our insurance in which since being pregnant and switching to my OB - I have not paid a penny. (Our anatomy scan was $500 alone). When I go on base, I have a sense of pride in my husband and our Marines. I am thankful for everything the Marine Corps has provided for us in the past 2 1/2 years and will continue to be thankful for everything in the next year and a half (or more...who knows what 2012 brings us).

Okay...enough of all that. Our gift baskets were great and full of wonderful gifts. Handmade

blankets, onesies, outfits, hands, socks, diapers, wipes, burp rags, bibs...lots of great things!