Trevor Graduates BCT!

Well the day finally arrived! Trevor graduated from Army Basic Training, and we were able to see him for 2 very, very short days. It was a blast, and we wouldn't have missed it for the world. Pictures are both on Facebook, and also here. Right now Trevor is at Ft. Benning, getting ready to start Officer Candidate School. It is much harder than Basic Training, both mentally and physically. Luckily, he has his phone and if nothing drastic happens, we will get to talk every night. He will eventually receive weekend passes, giving Kara and I the opportunity to go visit him. Hopefully this will all work out, and I'm confident that the next 12 weeks will go by pretty quick!

Kara is scooting, and there have been times where she has put her hands and knees forward. I don't think it's clicked just yet, but I think my days with a somewhat stationary baby are numbered. She is also eating 'big people' food; sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas, apples, peaches - all pureed of course.

Until next time!!

Another Month To Go!!!!

Trevor has exactly ONE MONTH to go at Basic Training. He is doing amazing, and kicking butt with every challenge he is faced with. He missed the "Expert" Marksman on the rifle by 2 shots. I do know that he had water in his scope, so we're both confident that he would have made it if it were clean.

Kara is trying to scoot and growing by the minute. She tries so hard to pull herself up into a sitting position while laying down and has succeeded just once. Both of her bottom teeth have popped through, but they didn't seem to bother her much.

Next weekend Gary and Linda are going to swing by on their way to Minnesota and I couldn't be happier! I know they're coming to see Kara but the visit will be fun I'm sure!!

Hopefully everyone else is met with better weather than here - 50s, wind, snow/rain is NOT ideal for this lizard wannabe!!

Have a happy day :)

- Natalie.

Update on Trevor!!

He is doing well, and is finally over his sickness. I spoke with him today, and the Drill Sergeants have backed off considerably. They more or less are giving direction now, instead of just physically tiring the guys out. That was nice to hear... not that I could do anything about it, but I'm glad to find out that he'll finally be getting some rest.

For the next couple of weeks he will be qualifying on the rifle, perfecting his Physical Test score, and practicing for graduation.

We both have a countdown going, and we can't wait to have this milestone under our belts! We're not even anywhere near done with his training, but I definitely look forward to actually talking to him daily!!

Website

Received a small letter from Trevor today, which listed his Company's website. It can be found here

http://www.wood.army.mil/2-10IN/C_Company.html

It says that photos will be updated every training cycle, so I'm hoping they hold true to that.

If you click on the "Basic Combat Training" link, it will take you to the description of the Phases Trevor will be going through. He's already gone through Reception, and will be in Red Phase until the third week. The third to sixth week is White Phase, and the final 3 weeks are Blue Phase.

That's it for now. If his platoon earns it, he might get his phone on Sunday. Fingers crossed!!

- Natalie.

What could be better than finding Shiner Bock beer in the middle of Podunk, Ohio??

A phone call from Trevor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


YAY!!! I received an address for him today. I have already sent an email to family, but if you would like to write him an encouraging letter, or just to say hi, let me know and i'll share the address!! 


He sounded very very tired, but really wanted to know what all was happening on the home front. I hope I didn't bore him, it seemed like it went by so fast! He said that he should be calling Sunday, but I know from personal experiance that if the platoon doesn't behave, they all suffer. And the first thing to go are phone calls. Boo!! 


More to come as the letters and phone calls start coming in!!


- Natalie. 

It's 2 in the Morning...

and poor Trevor was just getting into Fort Leonard Wood. It was literally a 30 second conversation, basically telling me that he got in safely and that he'd be talking to me soon. I wasn't given an address, but once that comes along I will let everyone know!

That's all for now!

Well, Today's the Big Day!

Today is the day Trevor officially leaves for Basic Training. I've talked to him twice, and we've been texting throughout the morning as well. He is done with his last physical, and is basically waiting for everyone else to get done with theirs, so that they can shuttle off to the airport. From there, he will be flown to Missouri [I don't know the exact city] and will take a bus to Fort Leonard Wood. These first few days are called "Reception", where he will complete paperwork, get shots and another physical. Technically, Week One starts on 21 February. Basic Training will last 9 weeks, and if I looked at the calendar correctly, his tentative graduation date will be 23 April.

That's all I've got for now, as I'm updated I will continue to post. Thanks for checking in!

On a Kara related note, she does not like bananas.

Just A Regular Update!

Just a regular, run of the mill update. Time has been flying by, and Trevor’s ship date is a little over a month away. In just 9 days Kara will be 4 months old! She will have a check-up then, complete with shots and a developmental assessment. We’re anxious to see how much she’s been growing, and we anticipate everything to go smoothly… well, maybe not the shots…

She sure is a wiggly one, and has found out that if she throws back to the sky she can almost wriggle out of mom and dad’s arms. She also has had a try of baby rice cereal, and she definitely enjoys that.

Mastering the belly-to-back roll took no time whatsoever, but she is still struggling a little bit to go the other way with it. She has laughed just once, but everything will come in time. The infant tub Oma and Deda got for her is now way too small. Her mouth has been the most recent discovery; hands, toys, blankets and mommy’s hair always seem to find their way in. At 6 months, she will get her ears pierced, so not only will she look cute but she will also stop being confused with a boy!

That’s everything going on in our neck of the woods, and we’re soaking up every minute together while we can. We can’t wait to see what the future brings!

A New Year!

Greetings! We hope this New Years finds you well, and that 2010 will bring you much happiness and joy.

Last night we brought in the New Year in style, starting at the Spurs game and ending it on the couch like your typical old married couple [haha!] Trevor received tickets to the Clear Channel suite, and Kara was just happier than a pig in mud; just sitting on our laps and following the game.

This morning Trevor ran in a New Years 5k along with a few of our other friends. Afterwards we went out for pizza [which we demolished, for the lack of a better term] and beers, hanging out for a few hours before everyone had to go their own way. For the rest of the day we're just going to take it easy and soak in the weekend. It's nice to have an extended weekend!

Who knows when, and where from, the next update will take place, but i promise it will be soon!

Halloween!

Yesterday Kara attended her first party. We went to a costume themed wedding reception for a couple that Natalie works with. She was the youngest one there, and to say our little penguin was a popular one would be an understatement!! Kara behaved very well, and was even asleep for part of the reception. She didn't fuss once, and enjoyed the company of everyone. As icing on the cake, Kara slept from midnight to around 6 am, and Natalie is happy to report that she has been consecutively been sleeping for 6 hours or more every night for the better part of a week now.

The Hopkins Household is very excited for events going on in the next couple of months. This Friday we're going to Austin to celebrate Brad's 30th birthday party with some college friends of Trevor's. In exactly a week, Kyle will be back in Texas since his move to Seattle earlier this fall. We don't know exactly which day he'll be here in San Antonio, but we'll be looking forward to it. His visit also overlaps with a visit from Grabue! We're also very excited to host her, and she hasn't seen Kara since she was born. Dad and Mom estimate that Kara has doubled her weight, so Grabue is in for quite the surprise when she gets here!!

This Thanksgiving we are ecstatic to have Deda and Oma in the house, and it's going to be their first time meeting Kara. Also meeting for the first time will be Brooke and Natalie, and of course both Brooke and Jasmine will be meeting Kara as well. We have a feeling November will go by fast, but with all the family visiting, we're thrilled to get it started! Of course, pending Natalie's work schedule, we anticipate going to Ohio for Christmas. This will be Trevor's first time visiting Dayton, and Natalie hasn't been back home since October of 2008. It's going to be a busy holiday season, but we can't wait to see everyone!!

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!

It's already WHAT day!?

Kara is one month old!! In a lot of ways it seems like just yesterday she arrived, but at the same time I have to admit I feel like a seasoned veteran at this whole parenting thing. It’s funny to see how different she is from her first day home. We also know what ‘works’ and what her little faces and grunts mean. She’ll sleep for hours in her chair, but she seems to have a sixth sense that comes out of nowhere when we put her on her back! We know what times she expects a bottle [so demanding!!] and we also know that there will be hell to pay if said bottle isn’t heated and within sight! Both Mommy and Daddy have also been on the receiving end of every bodily fluid imaginable, and for a split second parenting isn’t nearly as glamorous as the magazines make it out to be!

We estimate that she is up around 8 pounds, and she seems to be developing right on schedule. She is lifting her head for a long periods of time, as well as pushing off surfaces with a decent amount of force. Kara also likes to practice kicking and “standing” while making up dance moves with Daddy, and she is not shy when she reaches for her bottle. She seems to want to hold it, but will let Mommy and Daddy do the busy work for now. We think she’s starting to smile, but we also can’t tell if it is gas… she smiles more in her sleep, and has even let out a small chuckle – we can’t wait until those are genuine!! Her little game for the moment is playing copy-cat; sticking your tongue out to little miss Kara will result in her tongue sticking right back out at you! Maybe Mommy should start watching her language… haha!

Yesterday, Brandon and Samantha welcomed Preston Barrett into the family at 7:40 am. We are excited to meet him, and to watch him grow as well!

Introducing...

KARA DIANE HOPKINS

Our little girl came into this world on September 20, 2009 at 11:28 am, weighing in at 5 pounds 10 ounces and measuring 18.5 inches long.

Words cannot express the feelings that I have towards this little one, I am so in love and ready to watch her grow.

We had a follow up appointment with the pediatrician this morning, and Kara has already gained 3 ounces of weight, and grew a quarter of an inch. Her growth is a week ahead of schedule and my little Bean sure is sprouting; I am so proud of her!!

Right now my parents are in town helping out and I really think Trevor and I would have lost our minds completely if they weren't here. Kara sure has some awesome grandparents, and we can't wait for her to meet Dida and Oma!!

I'm sorry this entry is so short, but I had to scramble to put it together. She's going to be up any time now and I must be ready!

Until next time. :-)

the weight has been lifted!

I'm happy to report that I'm back from the doctor's and everything is great!! The doctor confirmed that we are indeed expecting a girl [huge relief there, haha...] - and that she's measuring right on target!!

The nurse took various photographs of everything, and I was shown that she has hair on her head. There are 4 chambers to her very healthy heart, they checked her blood flow in the umbilical cord [they had a hard time with this, she kept kicking it around] as well as kidney function. Unfortunately, Kara takes after her mommy and does not like pictures taken of her, so she had her hands up defensively the entire time. She currently weighs 6 pounds, 2 ounces and the doctor "wouldn't be surprised" if I had her in the next couple of weeks. Guess I should pack that bag...

On another note, I got a text message today from my nephew that reads, "I get my [driver's] permit!!!!!!!!" - my eyes about bulged out of my skull. I don't know when he grew up, but it seems WAY too soon for this... I remember when he was born!!!

Earlier this week we also got confirmation that Trevor's side of the family is making the trek here for Thanksgiving, and we can't wait!!! Hosting everyone for a pretty big holiday is going to be awesome, and there will be TWO new little ones for everyone to play with. For Christmas we'll be heading to Ohio, and we're very excited for that as well! Big things happening in the next few weeks.

I think that's it for now, I have another appointment on the 15th so I imagine I'll be updating shortly after that. We're planning on taking the laptop to the hospital with us, just so everyone can be emailed pictures as soon as we gather time after The Big Moment. :-)

Have a great weekend!!

pardon the interruption...

Hello everyone!

I have some updates on our darling Kara. Pretty nerve-wrecking stuff, but Trevor and I are confident that everything is going to be ok. I had a doctor's appointment last friday and we found out that Kara is measuring very small - about 4 weeks behind, to be exact. This was determined by the ultrasound that my doctor gave me after the fundal measurement [length of baby, but taken from the size of mommy's belly] came out to be smaller than expected. Just after this ultrasound the doctor administered a non-stress test on Kara, which she then passed "with flying colors" and the doctor said she looks "fabulous". We also then went on to family history; and knowing that smaller babies run on my side seemed to solidify the doctor's confidence that everything was going to be fine. "Some women just make small babies" - this made me feel a *little* better, but the doctor still wants me to see a specialist, to ensure everything's relatively on track. Fortunately that appointment is tomorrow afternoon so our minds won't be wondering for too much longer!

That's all I have for now. Tonight we're hosting Kyle, Terri and Leon as they make their trek to Seattle and this weekend we're celebrating Zachary's birthday. Lots of things going on, we'll keep you up to speed with how the appointment goes tomorrow!

watching the time tick...

3rd day of september. A possible 24 days to go before Kara's arrival. So many mixed emotions swirling throughout the house about this!!! I speak for both Trevor and I, we're both giddy with anticipation but terrified of the unknown. As for the dogs, we don't really know what they think of the whole situation. People may laugh at this notion, but the dogs are family too. I don't anticipate a problem with them at all, Shelby has been around babies and will probably hide in a corner for the first few days. Dieter will just sit there and look at her funny, probably offer her a toy of his every now and again.

Right now 'time' for me has stopped completely. I blame this feeling entirely on the fact that I don't have a job. It's not the usual 9-month wall that most women hit during pregnancy. I'm uncomfortable, but I know I could put up with more. My feet or fingers haven't swollen to mass proportions [they didn't swell at all actually]. I'm not having heartburn that compares to a volcano in my chest. Most people would love to sit around the house all day, running errands whenever, catching up on movies and books - and while I think a few days of this is pure bliss when leading a busy lifestlye, I feel as though I'm slowly losing my mind!

This Sunday will mark the start of Kara's 37th week in the womb, and at the end of the week she's considered "full term". At this point we don't know if she's breech or not - I just know she's running out of room. I've mentioned to Trevor numerous times that I need to have ribs removed when we have more children, because they're obviously in the way. He thinks I'm kidding... but really, this would benefit my running as well - more room for lungs, AND babies all right!!! We have an appointment tomorrow with the doctor, just a regular check up which now happens every week. I suspect that this weekend Trevor will make me sit down and actually pack my hospital bag [I've been avoiding this for the better part of two weeks now]. We will also ensure that everything is ready for Kara; install the car seat, put up the baby monitor, and ensure the correct phone numbers are programmed into cell phones...

So, until next time - have a great Labor Day Weekend!!!

- natalie.

WOW...

i cannot keep a blog for the life of me. sorry!!

little kara will be here in about a month and a half - we still have no idea what we're doing. i'm pretty set on just winging my way through this, but for some reason or another Trevor wants to take classes. i suppose i can compromise. :-) recently we've had both sets of grandparents at the house and we were thrilled to have them.

i promise to try and update this more often. unfortunately i'm no longer working, so i have a sneaking suspicion that after a while i'm going to get emails from family telling me that i'm updating this TOO often... here in the next week i'll get pictures of the nursery up, as well as some updated photos of the house [trevor has painted a bit...]. until then, thanks for your patience!!

- natalie.

hello all! - hola a todos!

Both Trevor and I have family strewn throughout the world, so we started this blog in hopes to keep in touch with everyone at the same time! By now everyone knows the excellent news about the marriage, house and baby; and we wanted to share as many steps as possible with you! We're extremely excited and can't wait for the future.

Trevor y yo tenemos familia en todos partes del mundo, y yo comenze este blog para escribir a todos al mismo tiempo! Gracias a mi mama [jaja, te quiero!] todos en el universo saben del matrimonio, casa, y bebe, y yo quiero que lo parte on todos. Tenemos mucho allegria, y no podemos esperar el futuro!

Today we're supposed to close on our first home [FINALLY!!!] and we cannot wait!! I believe we are moving everything in one big swoop this weekend, so we'll have to get pictures to post to keep everyone in the loop.

Hoy dia vamos a poner los firmas finales en la casa, FINALMENTE!! Creo q vamos a mover todo este fin de semana, y vamos a tomar fotos para todos.

Tomorrow we have another Baby appointment, and while this is just a quick 15 minute check up, it also means we're one appointment closer to finding out the gender of Baby Hopkins!

Manana tenemos un otro cita para Bebe, pero solamente va para 15 minutos, pero tambien es un cita mas cerca para descurbar el sexo de Bebe Hopkins!

That's it for now, we will definitely be keeping this blog updated as much as possible - thanks for hanging around!!

Eso es todo que tengo hoy dia, vamos a mantener este blog un monton - gracias para leendo, y disculpa mi espanol!! tambien no tengo uso de accentos y tildes... grrrr...