Thursday, November 29, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Sickness Falls
Greetings from the sick house...
Gavin and I both caught the cold bug that must be floating around Odessa. It was caused for quite the interesting night last night. I noticed that Gavin was getting a little stuffy nose so I attempted to set up the humidifer, I of course did this in the dark so I couldn't see anything and just hoped that I set it to a high enough setting. I went to bed and woke up in the wee hours of the morning with a really sore throat. And then...
Twas the night before tonight, when all through the house
Not a creature was breathing well, except maybe a mouse.
The dishes were in the sink, unwashed like I care,
In hopes that the dish fairy would soon be there.
The baby was nestled all snug in his bead,
While the mist from the humidifier surrounded his head.
And mama in her sweats, coming down with this cold crap,
Was just putting away Pinterest for a long winter's nap.
When over the baby monitor arose such a clatter,
I sprung from the bed to see what was the matter.
Tripping over cords, I flew like a flash,
Falling into the nursery with quiet a crash.
The moon shown through the shutters, bright to see the smoke alarm,
Was chirping so loud, to get the battery out I threw out my arm.
When, when I finally the alarm was off, the baby would appear,
To not even stir, even though now I could hardly even hear.
I surveyed the room to see what caused the whistle,
And decided it was the mist from the humidifier to cause all the alarm to sound like a missile.
But I decided to be safe, to move the baby to my bed so he'd be in my sight,
So the baby could sleep the night all, and me not at all though I tried with all my might.
___________
Well, in other news...Gavin and I will be moving down to California on December 11th! We have our house reserved and I sign the lease on December 13th! My dad is going to drive down with me, help me move in and then fly home. I am *hoping* that we can find someone to help us get out bigger furniture out of storage!
Alrighty, that's is all I have for today, folks!
Gavin and I both caught the cold bug that must be floating around Odessa. It was caused for quite the interesting night last night. I noticed that Gavin was getting a little stuffy nose so I attempted to set up the humidifer, I of course did this in the dark so I couldn't see anything and just hoped that I set it to a high enough setting. I went to bed and woke up in the wee hours of the morning with a really sore throat. And then...
Twas the night before tonight, when all through the house
Not a creature was breathing well, except maybe a mouse.
The dishes were in the sink, unwashed like I care,
In hopes that the dish fairy would soon be there.
The baby was nestled all snug in his bead,
While the mist from the humidifier surrounded his head.
And mama in her sweats, coming down with this cold crap,
Was just putting away Pinterest for a long winter's nap.
When over the baby monitor arose such a clatter,
I sprung from the bed to see what was the matter.
Tripping over cords, I flew like a flash,
Falling into the nursery with quiet a crash.
The moon shown through the shutters, bright to see the smoke alarm,
Was chirping so loud, to get the battery out I threw out my arm.
When, when I finally the alarm was off, the baby would appear,
To not even stir, even though now I could hardly even hear.
I surveyed the room to see what caused the whistle,
And decided it was the mist from the humidifier to cause all the alarm to sound like a missile.
But I decided to be safe, to move the baby to my bed so he'd be in my sight,
So the baby could sleep the night all, and me not at all though I tried with all my might.
___________
Well, in other news...Gavin and I will be moving down to California on December 11th! We have our house reserved and I sign the lease on December 13th! My dad is going to drive down with me, help me move in and then fly home. I am *hoping* that we can find someone to help us get out bigger furniture out of storage!
Alrighty, that's is all I have for today, folks!
Thanksgiving 2012
Happy Late Thanksgiving, everyone!
This year Gavin and I spent the holiday in Montana (my homeland) with my mother in law's side of the family. It was great to finally meet all the family! Ryan and I have been together for ten years this month and this is the first time that I have met many of the aunts, and Grandma Shirley.
Two of the cousins also had little babies, so Gavin got lots of play time! He did really well with the other little ones. He was trying to love on the other little boy, which was a little nerve racking because Gavin's "loving" is quite violent. Haha!
I also found out that Kathy's sister lives on a road that I used to drive by all the time when I lived in Montana. Her brother-in-law's house was a landmark that we used to reference when driving to Great Falls! Also- her other sister knows my aunt and uncle who live in Billings and their daughters used to be friends when they were younger. How crazy is that!? Such a small world...I think it's just all signs that Ryan and I were meant to be :)
We were blessed with amazing roads to travel on. Usually traveling to and from Montana can be super tricky this time of year and it is almost guranteed that you will encounter at least one nasty mountain pass, but we totally lucked out! We had maybe 15 miles of a little bit of snow, but the worst part was the wind blowing it around.
Here are a few pictures from the weekend, I wish I would have taken more!
This year Gavin and I spent the holiday in Montana (my homeland) with my mother in law's side of the family. It was great to finally meet all the family! Ryan and I have been together for ten years this month and this is the first time that I have met many of the aunts, and Grandma Shirley.
Two of the cousins also had little babies, so Gavin got lots of play time! He did really well with the other little ones. He was trying to love on the other little boy, which was a little nerve racking because Gavin's "loving" is quite violent. Haha!
I also found out that Kathy's sister lives on a road that I used to drive by all the time when I lived in Montana. Her brother-in-law's house was a landmark that we used to reference when driving to Great Falls! Also- her other sister knows my aunt and uncle who live in Billings and their daughters used to be friends when they were younger. How crazy is that!? Such a small world...I think it's just all signs that Ryan and I were meant to be :)
We were blessed with amazing roads to travel on. Usually traveling to and from Montana can be super tricky this time of year and it is almost guranteed that you will encounter at least one nasty mountain pass, but we totally lucked out! We had maybe 15 miles of a little bit of snow, but the worst part was the wind blowing it around.
Here are a few pictures from the weekend, I wish I would have taken more!
They kept stealing toys from each other, but they didn't seem to mind!
Gavin caught up on some snoozing in the 11 hour car ride on the way there!
Give boys something with wheels and they'll be under it tinkering to fix it!
More snoozing...Man, what a lucky guy!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Hopeful News!
I have been trying to hold off on posting this, because things will probably change...but....we think Ryan might be coming home a tidge earlier than anticipated! I can't really put any dates on a public forum for security reasons but I will say that if this does happen, it will be amazing and much much earlier than I had hoped for!
We have also mostly locked down a place on Camp Pendleton. We will be living in the Stuart Mesa Housing Division which is on the southwest part of the base. We are minutes from the beach, commissary, new hospital and Oceanside. We are really close to the freeway as well. I am SO excited! Due to availability, I might need to move down a bit earlier than what I had hoped for, but it will all work out! I plan on moving around December 10th. Once December gets here, I am going to call and see if there is anything available a little bit later, so I can spend as much time up here with family as possible. We shall see...
Gavin turned 10 months here a few days ago, and I just can't believe it. This last month, FLEW by. I don't even know what happened to it! He is full blown crawling up on on all fours and has retired the "army" crawl. He just started waving bye-bye, which is the cutest thing that there ever was. He can rock a bed head like no baby I have ever seen. And has decided that naps are for posers. He's a big boy now, and is looking the part. Every day I see his baby-ness fading and the toddler coming in. I love it and dread it all at the same time. I love how he is learning to do new things, that is so mobile and independent. Yet, I want him to be my little baby who needs me for everything, always.
Well, before I get too emotional, here are some pictures!
We have also mostly locked down a place on Camp Pendleton. We will be living in the Stuart Mesa Housing Division which is on the southwest part of the base. We are minutes from the beach, commissary, new hospital and Oceanside. We are really close to the freeway as well. I am SO excited! Due to availability, I might need to move down a bit earlier than what I had hoped for, but it will all work out! I plan on moving around December 10th. Once December gets here, I am going to call and see if there is anything available a little bit later, so I can spend as much time up here with family as possible. We shall see...
Gavin turned 10 months here a few days ago, and I just can't believe it. This last month, FLEW by. I don't even know what happened to it! He is full blown crawling up on on all fours and has retired the "army" crawl. He just started waving bye-bye, which is the cutest thing that there ever was. He can rock a bed head like no baby I have ever seen. And has decided that naps are for posers. He's a big boy now, and is looking the part. Every day I see his baby-ness fading and the toddler coming in. I love it and dread it all at the same time. I love how he is learning to do new things, that is so mobile and independent. Yet, I want him to be my little baby who needs me for everything, always.
Well, before I get too emotional, here are some pictures!
Gavin's first kiss from his cousin, Brielle!
How could I not post this. There is too much cuteness for one picture. We have sleeping baby, thumb sucking, baby feet, chubby baby legs and legs crossed in a silly way. It's almost too much to handle.
This is Gavin's newest facial expression. It's so funny, he does it ALL THE TIME.
A little sneak peak of our Christmas Card photo shoot. Gavin was much more interested in eating the dirt.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Veteran's Day 2012: Sacrifices
What does Veteran's Day mean to me, you ask? Well, I can tell you that it packs a lot more meaning today than it did a year ago. This year I am really aware of the sacrifices that Veteran's and their families make.
So, what exactly is this sacrifice?
To me and our family this sacrifice is....
A husband who has to leave the arms of his wife. It is a daddy who has to leave his baby boy, his first son, his first child. It is hearing his first words on a video and not in person. It is seeing his child learn to sit, to grab objects, to hold his bottle on his own, and to stand on a video or in pictures rather than teaching him in person. It is someone who spends Thanksgiving and Christmas looking at pictures of his family, his heart hurting from missing them. It is far and few between phone call dates and delayed video "I love yous" rather than whispering it your ear. It is closing your eyes and imagining you are touching your loved ones instead of being able to touch and hold them for real.
A wife who had to watch her husband drive away, praying for his safety. It is nightmares at night that stem from your worry. It is an e-mail instead of a real conversation. It is raising a child alone. It is missing your partner with every single ounce of your body and soul. It is being terrified to watch the news but the inability to pry your eyes away. It is hiding your pain with forced smiles. It is keeping yourself as busy as possible to keep your mind from thinking of how much you miss him.
Each and every Veteran and their families have a different story. So please, go out of your way this Veteran's Day to thank a Veteran for their service and for their sacrifices.
So, what exactly is this sacrifice?
To me and our family this sacrifice is....
A husband who has to leave the arms of his wife. It is a daddy who has to leave his baby boy, his first son, his first child. It is hearing his first words on a video and not in person. It is seeing his child learn to sit, to grab objects, to hold his bottle on his own, and to stand on a video or in pictures rather than teaching him in person. It is someone who spends Thanksgiving and Christmas looking at pictures of his family, his heart hurting from missing them. It is far and few between phone call dates and delayed video "I love yous" rather than whispering it your ear. It is closing your eyes and imagining you are touching your loved ones instead of being able to touch and hold them for real.
A wife who had to watch her husband drive away, praying for his safety. It is nightmares at night that stem from your worry. It is an e-mail instead of a real conversation. It is raising a child alone. It is missing your partner with every single ounce of your body and soul. It is being terrified to watch the news but the inability to pry your eyes away. It is hiding your pain with forced smiles. It is keeping yourself as busy as possible to keep your mind from thinking of how much you miss him.
Each and every Veteran and their families have a different story. So please, go out of your way this Veteran's Day to thank a Veteran for their service and for their sacrifices.
June 21, 2012 - Saying goodbye.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Happy Halloween from Gavin the Lion!
Look at me, keeping up with the blogging...I think I deserve a piece of Halloween candy ;) HA!
Happy Belated Halloween! This was Gavin's first Halloween and it was so nice out that we even did a little "trick-or-treating!" And by that I mean I drove Gavin around to show off how cute he was in his costume and if I scored some candy it was a bonus!
I have been thinking about his Halloween costume for months. Literally. I'm not even kidding, I was probably thinking about it before he was born. I had gone through several ideas, some better than others. I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to find the fluffiest, most obnoxious costume out there. I finally came across the perfect one, a lion costume! Gavin actually tolerated it pretty well. I tried it on him after it arrived in the mail, and at first he was just confused about it. He tried to eat the mane (shocking and he eats everything these days) and looked a bit terrified. When we put in on the day of Halloween though, he tolerated it pretty well. I think he knew that he needed to put a show on and that he was the cutest lion out there!
Here are some pictures from Halloween, 2012:
Happy Belated Halloween! This was Gavin's first Halloween and it was so nice out that we even did a little "trick-or-treating!" And by that I mean I drove Gavin around to show off how cute he was in his costume and if I scored some candy it was a bonus!
I have been thinking about his Halloween costume for months. Literally. I'm not even kidding, I was probably thinking about it before he was born. I had gone through several ideas, some better than others. I finally came to the conclusion that I needed to find the fluffiest, most obnoxious costume out there. I finally came across the perfect one, a lion costume! Gavin actually tolerated it pretty well. I tried it on him after it arrived in the mail, and at first he was just confused about it. He tried to eat the mane (shocking and he eats everything these days) and looked a bit terrified. When we put in on the day of Halloween though, he tolerated it pretty well. I think he knew that he needed to put a show on and that he was the cutest lion out there!
Here are some pictures from Halloween, 2012:
Sunday, October 28, 2012
9 Months
This month has been one of very big mile-markers! Gavin is full blown straight up crawling and starting to pull himself up to standing! He also got his first tooth last week, I just can't believe how big he is getting and how fast he is growing.
I started substitute teaching at the school this month which has been great, which also means that Gavin has been spending more time with the Grandparents! Now that he is on the move, he totally wears me out during the day! He is constantly on the go, even if you are holding him, he is such a wiggle worm.
We had a check-up with Shriners on his foot and everything is still looking good. Gavin will be wearing the boots, 23 hours a day until December, and then from there it will be at night and nap time. I am not sure how long he will have to wear them at night for. I will be asking that question in December. We might have to find a doctor down in California for him to get follow-up treatment with, but we also might be able to see our doctor at Shriners when we come up for visits to see family. That all depends on how his progress is going and whether or not they can teach me how to measure him for new sized boots...
Ryan is doing good, nothing too new to report, which is also good! We are over the halfway mark and him coming home seems to be the only thing both of us can think of. I know that the time will go by fast. We have started our process of getting our housing set up for when we move back down. We have decided to live on base this time around, as we can get really close the ocean! I think that it will be a better drive to work for Ryan too. Mileage wise, I think it might be farther for him to drive to work, but traffic/time wise, we are thinking it might be about the same if not a little bit better.
On Thursday night, I had my first encounter with an unwanted creature in my house (other than bugs). I was watching TV that evening after Gavin had gone to bed and I saw a small little brown thing scurry from our office into the living room. I knew what it was instantly but I kept telling myself it wasn't what I thought it was...then it moved from beside the couch to under the TV and I got a full view of it. It was a mouse. Gavin was sleeping, so I was telling myself not to scream and mid thought I scream came out, as I was mid-air jumping onto the coffee table. I didn't even know what to do. I didn't have any mouse traps set up in the house and one, even if I had the guts to try and catch it myself, what would I catch it with? Well, since Ryan was conveniently in Afghanistan, I called my dad to come up with a solution. He came up (at 11:00pm at tonight mind you) to try and catch it, but it got away from us and was hiding in the unknown. Well, the only thing worse than knowing you have a mouse in your house is not knowing where the mouse is...I packed up shop and Gavin and I went and slept at my parents house until we had the appropriate game plan. The next day my dad set up traps and we caught it the next night! When I came back up to the house I saw that it had been all over the house, there was mouse poop in Gavin's room, the living room and kitchen ( even on the counters.... GROSS!). So I spent most of the day Saturday cleaning and disinfecting the best I could.
I've gone so long between posting on here that I have forgotten so much that has happened this month...I'm sure that I will be coming back to update this and also to add photos!
I started substitute teaching at the school this month which has been great, which also means that Gavin has been spending more time with the Grandparents! Now that he is on the move, he totally wears me out during the day! He is constantly on the go, even if you are holding him, he is such a wiggle worm.
We had a check-up with Shriners on his foot and everything is still looking good. Gavin will be wearing the boots, 23 hours a day until December, and then from there it will be at night and nap time. I am not sure how long he will have to wear them at night for. I will be asking that question in December. We might have to find a doctor down in California for him to get follow-up treatment with, but we also might be able to see our doctor at Shriners when we come up for visits to see family. That all depends on how his progress is going and whether or not they can teach me how to measure him for new sized boots...
Ryan is doing good, nothing too new to report, which is also good! We are over the halfway mark and him coming home seems to be the only thing both of us can think of. I know that the time will go by fast. We have started our process of getting our housing set up for when we move back down. We have decided to live on base this time around, as we can get really close the ocean! I think that it will be a better drive to work for Ryan too. Mileage wise, I think it might be farther for him to drive to work, but traffic/time wise, we are thinking it might be about the same if not a little bit better.
On Thursday night, I had my first encounter with an unwanted creature in my house (other than bugs). I was watching TV that evening after Gavin had gone to bed and I saw a small little brown thing scurry from our office into the living room. I knew what it was instantly but I kept telling myself it wasn't what I thought it was...then it moved from beside the couch to under the TV and I got a full view of it. It was a mouse. Gavin was sleeping, so I was telling myself not to scream and mid thought I scream came out, as I was mid-air jumping onto the coffee table. I didn't even know what to do. I didn't have any mouse traps set up in the house and one, even if I had the guts to try and catch it myself, what would I catch it with? Well, since Ryan was conveniently in Afghanistan, I called my dad to come up with a solution. He came up (at 11:00pm at tonight mind you) to try and catch it, but it got away from us and was hiding in the unknown. Well, the only thing worse than knowing you have a mouse in your house is not knowing where the mouse is...I packed up shop and Gavin and I went and slept at my parents house until we had the appropriate game plan. The next day my dad set up traps and we caught it the next night! When I came back up to the house I saw that it had been all over the house, there was mouse poop in Gavin's room, the living room and kitchen ( even on the counters.... GROSS!). So I spent most of the day Saturday cleaning and disinfecting the best I could.
I've gone so long between posting on here that I have forgotten so much that has happened this month...I'm sure that I will be coming back to update this and also to add photos!
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