This is the last blog entry before we move!! How crazy is that?? Between all of B's crazy, random, and extra lengthy TDYs.. we squeezed in some time to drive the 15 hours to Nebraska to find a house.. and when I say "squeezed in time" we barely made it.. B returned from his 2nd TDY late on a Saturday night and we were up the very next morning at 4 am on our way to Nebraska to house hunt. This is one of the very many times we feel so thankful and blessed we have such a laid back baby.. not a peep out of him. He either sleeps or plays with his toys.. thank you Lord for giving us an easy traveler, you sure knew what you were doing ;) We had six properties I had set up showings for.. we arrive in Nebraska and are just an hour away from our final destination when I start getting emails and phone calls that four of our properties we had planned on viewing were either already rented or had applications down on them and were just waiting to be accepted.. basically already potentially rented. We then contacted base housing as we figured we might just not have a choice in the matter.. found out the waiting list was really long and we would be waiting quite a while if we ended up having to choose base housing.. panic started to set in. Thankfully, one of the houses came through and we ended up getting a lovely house for our family! We are so excited and feel very blessed to soon be making our new house in Nebraska a home.
Moving day is just a short 6 days away.. for the past month boxes and packing paper could be seen scattered throughout our house.. and now today, well.. it seems that the boxes and packing paper have taken over our house. Thankfully B and I work very well together as a team and makes moving and this whole parenting thing more manageable. This is my thinking: if we can pack everything up and move 15 hours away with two cats and an 8 month old.. we can do anything. Oh and might I add I am in the middle of my next to last session of school. So in between packing boxes, feeding Eli, changing Eli, entertaining Eli, feeding/loving on my furbabies, and still trying to be a great wife and cook great food all the time to feed B (Ha! Not all the time!) I still somehow manage to make the time for school. In fact, just this week I have written five papers. Okay bragging over.. I just feel kind of good about myself that I can accomplish this and that I will soon have my degree!
As moving day is approaching, we are still waiting for B's orders. Ohh the military, you hurry up and wait. Such true words. Little did we know that we would have to be doing a crap ton of paperwork and have to meet with Colonels and other AF personnel because of my being an "exceptional family member" Wow, that really does make me sound special.. ha! Apparently my having asthma and endo/IF issues make me a part of the Exceptional Family Member Program. How lovely is that. Basically we had to fill out a bunch of paperwork and meet with doctors where they send all of my info to see if our next base has the necessary resources to treat me and if they accept to treating me. If Columbus, MS has the necessary resources to treat me.. I am 110% sure that Omaha has those resources too, just sayin. Oh and all of this could possibly take up to 3 weeks. But its okay, we are moving in just less than a week. It just wouldn't be a PCS without something stressful or crazy happening now would it? While it does make things difficult and stressful, I am really thankful the Air Force does this, they are really only trying to help me.. and that is so very much appreciated.
I can't help but reminisce about our last PCS. So much different than this one is turning out to be. I was less than thrilled at moving to MS, so the majority of the car ride was spent crying my eyes out and asking God over and over why he was sending me to such a place, because after all.. I had everything planned out some place else. Plans.. oh my.. I think God laughs every time he hears us make them. This time, I am looking so forward to starting our new life in Nebraska. I also gained a child.. the last PCS I loaded up my car and had just enough space for my furbabies in their kennel.. this time I have an 8 month old I need to fit in there some where.. someone might just have to ride on the roof.. just kidding!
So as we leave the land of cotton fields and BBQ shacks, we will forever treasure this place. We ended up actually learning to live life here, made so many friends, people we would have never met, things we would have never tried, life experiences we would have never gone through the same without Columbus, MS in our lives.. we will miss it and the wonderful people here we have come to know. We will meet again some day. The transition from cotton fields and BBQ shacks to corn fields and Cornhuskers might prove to be a bit difficult, but we are excited to take on the challenge and start creating new and exciting memories!
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
A Tiny Town Eli Will Always Call Home
It really is funny how such a small town can have such an impact in your life. Amory is a very small town about 40 minutes north of here and holds a population of about 7,000.. I think that is even smaller than the town of Carrollton for all of my friends and family back in MO :) Now thats saying something ;) Anyways, this tiny town in northeast Mississippi really holds a special place in our hearts. So, as I was driving out of Amory today after seeing Eli's doctor for the last time.. and the town for the last time.. the tears started rolling. Now I would consider myself an emotional person, not overly emotional, but a little bit.. my husband would definitely agree with this :) I started to think back on all of the memories that the town held.. special memories and special people whom I will probably never come across in life again.. Amory is the town where I would travel twice a month for ultrasounds and infertility treatments when we learned we would not be able to conceive or carry a child on our own.. I remember the day before my last dr. visit before I conceived.. it was April 27, 2011.. it was the day an F-5 tornado destroyed much of Tuscaloosa, AL.. it was also a day of numerous other tornadoes in and around MS and AL. I remember watching the news and seeing that a very large wedge tornado was on the ground and was heading straight for Amory.. all I could think about was how I was supposed to go there the next day and get my u/s and shots and hopefully conceive on this cycle!! Obviously I was very worried about it wiping out the whole town and all of the people who would potentially be killed or displaced. Fortunately, the tornado moved at the last minute and ended up hitting the very small town just north of Amory named Smithville. It turns out it was an F-5 tornado as well, just like the one in Tuscaloosa and pretty much destroyed the whole town.. so very very sad. I ended up actually conceiving that cycle.. and we actually refer to Eli as the "twister baby". That should be a fun story to tell him later! Eli was also born in Amory.. I will always hold the lovely memories of Brenton speed racing to the hospital on that early morning of January 7, 2012.. speeding and swerving left and right to avoid hitting deer all while I was in the seat next to him trying my best to breathe through very frequent contractions and praying to God we would make it to the hospital alive :) Eli was born just a little bit after we arrived to the hospital. I had the very best OBGYN who not only helped make pregnancy possible for us, but who helped me through every part of my pregnancy and who was always there for me. When we encountered some problems in the pregnancy, he reassured me he would do everything possible to make sure baby and I would be okay.. doctors like that are very special people and are very hard to find.. the nurses in the hospital where I delivered Eli were just as nice and caring.. I wasn't forced to do anything I didn't want to do and they were there for me every step of my labor, birth, and postpartum care. I couldn't ask for more amazing care than what I received in Amory. Even after Eli was born, we would very often call the L&D of the hospital there to ask any questions we had about Eli, and each time we were treated with the utmost respect and care. Amory might be this tiny dot on a map of MS, but it is where motherhood officially began for me.. and will therefore always have a very special place in my heart.
While I will probably never see these amazing people again, I do plan on some day taking a trip down to Amory and showing Eli were his life began. And some day, when he asks me where he is from.. I will tell him, "Mississippi." Some of you may think this is absolutely silly for being sad about this.. but it is kind of upsetting leaving the area where you began your family.. we put down strong roots here and have learned to call it 'home'. God brought us here for a very special reason, and while I didn't realize it at the time.. I do now. Without some of the amazing people that God brought into our lives.. Eli might not be here today.. and for that, I am very thankful. While part of me wishes we could stay down here just for the great people and continue to get the great healthcare we have received, I know without a doubt, we will find just as amazing people and doctors in Omaha. God has a plan.. and while sometimes I want to fight it and go against it.. I have learned not to, and instead to wait on Him to show me his purpose for the new location he has decided to put my family and I in. I believe good things are waiting for us in Omaha.. and while its sad to leave some great people behind.. I have faith that God will provide a great life for us in Nebraska!
While I will probably never see these amazing people again, I do plan on some day taking a trip down to Amory and showing Eli were his life began. And some day, when he asks me where he is from.. I will tell him, "Mississippi." Some of you may think this is absolutely silly for being sad about this.. but it is kind of upsetting leaving the area where you began your family.. we put down strong roots here and have learned to call it 'home'. God brought us here for a very special reason, and while I didn't realize it at the time.. I do now. Without some of the amazing people that God brought into our lives.. Eli might not be here today.. and for that, I am very thankful. While part of me wishes we could stay down here just for the great people and continue to get the great healthcare we have received, I know without a doubt, we will find just as amazing people and doctors in Omaha. God has a plan.. and while sometimes I want to fight it and go against it.. I have learned not to, and instead to wait on Him to show me his purpose for the new location he has decided to put my family and I in. I believe good things are waiting for us in Omaha.. and while its sad to leave some great people behind.. I have faith that God will provide a great life for us in Nebraska!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
When the Hubs is Away..
Everything that can go wrong will go wrong. I have heard this and now I am realizing that this is indeed, true. First let me explain that B is just on a TDY and is not deployed, at least not yet. So for that, I am very thankful. It's almost as if Eli knew exactly that daddy left so it was then time to start having problems that would make mama about have a mental breakdown. We have all had them, I don't care if you are Michelle Duggar or Annie Camden.. no mama can be happy and energetic 24-7.. especially when it seems like everything is going wrong and you just can't handle anything else, mentally or physically.
It all started when Eli started waking up multiple times one night, I figured it was just a random thing and he would be better the next night. Wrong! The next night, he slept a total of maybe 20 minutes. And it wasn't just him not sleeping, it was non-stop screaming. I felt like life had rewinded itself back to 7 months ago and we were just bringing Eli home from the hospital.. I started getting that same sleep deprived feeling and the hopelessness. This continued for a few more nights, it was at this point I about lost it.. there was no way I could take care of Eli to the best of my ability when I was not getting any sleep at all.. I was afraid I would get down myself and then who would take care of him?? Panic really started to set in.. not to mention I am still recovering from surgery I had about a month ago.. things were just really difficult. It seemed like anything I did would not calm him or comfort him at all.. I assumed it was teething and he would just have to cry along with some tylenol, cuddles, and paci popsicles. His screaming started turning into shrieking so I decided to take him in to the pediatrician to make sure we weren't dealing with an ear infection or anything. Thankfully, his ears looked great.. no ear infection. While I was standing there thinking that I had just wasted 45 minutes of driving to the dr and the dr.'s time, he said he knew exactly what was wrong. He agreed he was teething but also said he was having severe reflux/heartburn issues. This is not new and he was diagnosed with this around 3 months, but we were told it would get better. Unfortunately, for some reason it seems to be getting worse. He is now on a stronger med to try and help the situation.. he has his good nights and bad nights.. but at least mama is getting some sleep, at least more than 30 min to an hr in a night!
In the middle of all of Eli's reflux/sleeping problems, I am trying to get our house packed up for moving. We will be moving in the span of just over a month. Surprisingly, I have been able to get a lot packed but we have a long way to go yet. My thinking that every box packed is one box closer to being done.. at least that is my motivation to getting it all done. I am also in the process of deep cleaning our house, another thing that has to be done before we move. I figured if I started now, that in a month the cleaning wouldn't take near as much time as it normally would. Thankfully Eli can very easily play independently. I never thought I would be "that mom" that actually left her children in a swing for 30 minutes or on the playmat or jumperoo for a while.. I think every baby and every situation is different. I thought I would practice 100% attachment parenting.. although I do practice attachment parenting in some ways. Eli seems to really like it and I do as well.. it works for us and thats what matters. As long as my child is comfortable and happy in his environment and with me, thats all that matters.
Eli and packing have been a huge distraction to B being gone. So in a way, I am thankful that so much has been happening and I haven't really had more than minute to catch a breath. This has really opened up my eyes to deployment though, and I am really really not looking forward to when that time comes. It could be in a year or less, only time will tell. While I would really love to have my husband here to help me deal with some curveballs life has thrown my way, I am learning to rely on God even more than before and phone chats with some amazing friends. This hasn't been easy and I know it's definitely not the biggest struggle I will face in the military world, but it still feels so good to sit back and realize I can do all of this on my OWN. Packing, moving preparations, taking care of our 7 month old, go through surgery/other procedures, take care of our 2 cats, and still maintain my house, grades, and sanity (once in a while) yeah.. that feels pretty good. This gives me the confidence that I can get through future TDYs and deployments. I am learning to stop being so hard on myself and beating myself up for every little thing that I don't think I do 'right' as a mother or wife.. I do the best I can and pray every night for God to continue to shape me into the mother and wife he created me to be.. thats all I can do.
It all started when Eli started waking up multiple times one night, I figured it was just a random thing and he would be better the next night. Wrong! The next night, he slept a total of maybe 20 minutes. And it wasn't just him not sleeping, it was non-stop screaming. I felt like life had rewinded itself back to 7 months ago and we were just bringing Eli home from the hospital.. I started getting that same sleep deprived feeling and the hopelessness. This continued for a few more nights, it was at this point I about lost it.. there was no way I could take care of Eli to the best of my ability when I was not getting any sleep at all.. I was afraid I would get down myself and then who would take care of him?? Panic really started to set in.. not to mention I am still recovering from surgery I had about a month ago.. things were just really difficult. It seemed like anything I did would not calm him or comfort him at all.. I assumed it was teething and he would just have to cry along with some tylenol, cuddles, and paci popsicles. His screaming started turning into shrieking so I decided to take him in to the pediatrician to make sure we weren't dealing with an ear infection or anything. Thankfully, his ears looked great.. no ear infection. While I was standing there thinking that I had just wasted 45 minutes of driving to the dr and the dr.'s time, he said he knew exactly what was wrong. He agreed he was teething but also said he was having severe reflux/heartburn issues. This is not new and he was diagnosed with this around 3 months, but we were told it would get better. Unfortunately, for some reason it seems to be getting worse. He is now on a stronger med to try and help the situation.. he has his good nights and bad nights.. but at least mama is getting some sleep, at least more than 30 min to an hr in a night!
In the middle of all of Eli's reflux/sleeping problems, I am trying to get our house packed up for moving. We will be moving in the span of just over a month. Surprisingly, I have been able to get a lot packed but we have a long way to go yet. My thinking that every box packed is one box closer to being done.. at least that is my motivation to getting it all done. I am also in the process of deep cleaning our house, another thing that has to be done before we move. I figured if I started now, that in a month the cleaning wouldn't take near as much time as it normally would. Thankfully Eli can very easily play independently. I never thought I would be "that mom" that actually left her children in a swing for 30 minutes or on the playmat or jumperoo for a while.. I think every baby and every situation is different. I thought I would practice 100% attachment parenting.. although I do practice attachment parenting in some ways. Eli seems to really like it and I do as well.. it works for us and thats what matters. As long as my child is comfortable and happy in his environment and with me, thats all that matters.
Eli and packing have been a huge distraction to B being gone. So in a way, I am thankful that so much has been happening and I haven't really had more than minute to catch a breath. This has really opened up my eyes to deployment though, and I am really really not looking forward to when that time comes. It could be in a year or less, only time will tell. While I would really love to have my husband here to help me deal with some curveballs life has thrown my way, I am learning to rely on God even more than before and phone chats with some amazing friends. This hasn't been easy and I know it's definitely not the biggest struggle I will face in the military world, but it still feels so good to sit back and realize I can do all of this on my OWN. Packing, moving preparations, taking care of our 7 month old, go through surgery/other procedures, take care of our 2 cats, and still maintain my house, grades, and sanity (once in a while) yeah.. that feels pretty good. This gives me the confidence that I can get through future TDYs and deployments. I am learning to stop being so hard on myself and beating myself up for every little thing that I don't think I do 'right' as a mother or wife.. I do the best I can and pray every night for God to continue to shape me into the mother and wife he created me to be.. thats all I can do.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Seasons of Life
I am learning to accept the seasons in life better and better each time a new one approaches. I have learned God has a timing for everything and it is perfect timing.. it may not seem like it at the time but He knows what he is doing!
When we moved down to MS, never did I think I had a purpose here or that I would find any friends here. Let me tell you friends, it has turned out to be quite the opposite. I met people who have become life long friends. These friends have become family and have supported us in so many ways when no one else would. It's another life lesson I have learned, there comes a time when you realize you aren't on the top of priority lists for some people, and while it sucks and seems like it should be a normal thing, its okay.. God brings other people into our lives to fill the gaps. Today, I had to say good-bye to a special friend. This woman was the first person I met in the world of UPT and she quickly became a great friend. We were there for one another and spent countless nights staying up and talking about life.. our rough childhood, pregnancy, labor/birth, kids, husbands, cooking, and other girl talk. When our husbands were both on TDY, we were always together. We developed a special bond and I didn't think we could get any closer.. that was until she helped me and supported me through all of my infertility treatments.. and then jumped for joy with me and shed tears with me when I finally saw those two pink lines.. and then prayed for me and our "snowflake" when things weren't looking so promising.. and then helped me and supported me throughout all of my pregnancy, and then helped and supported me after I had Eli and was there for me when I was going through the dark world of PPD. She has been there for me when I had no one else.. when someone helps you bring a child into this world, you know that person will always have a special place in your heart. I am going to miss her so much but I know that God has amazing plans for us and we will meet again!
So now that the majority of our Air Force friends have moved away its becoming more of a reality that our time here is almost up.. its time for something new and to move on. We will be moving to Omaha in just under 2 months and I am beyond excited! I know that God has us going to Omaha for a reason and I know He has a wonderful plan that includes making some more amazing friends and finally settling down into a wonderful house and start raising our family. I am excited for all of that, and for my friends that have already began their new journeys.. I can't wait until we begin ours, and finally, after many years and moves, it is such a relief to have positive and exciting feelings about moving.
When we moved down to MS, never did I think I had a purpose here or that I would find any friends here. Let me tell you friends, it has turned out to be quite the opposite. I met people who have become life long friends. These friends have become family and have supported us in so many ways when no one else would. It's another life lesson I have learned, there comes a time when you realize you aren't on the top of priority lists for some people, and while it sucks and seems like it should be a normal thing, its okay.. God brings other people into our lives to fill the gaps. Today, I had to say good-bye to a special friend. This woman was the first person I met in the world of UPT and she quickly became a great friend. We were there for one another and spent countless nights staying up and talking about life.. our rough childhood, pregnancy, labor/birth, kids, husbands, cooking, and other girl talk. When our husbands were both on TDY, we were always together. We developed a special bond and I didn't think we could get any closer.. that was until she helped me and supported me through all of my infertility treatments.. and then jumped for joy with me and shed tears with me when I finally saw those two pink lines.. and then prayed for me and our "snowflake" when things weren't looking so promising.. and then helped me and supported me throughout all of my pregnancy, and then helped and supported me after I had Eli and was there for me when I was going through the dark world of PPD. She has been there for me when I had no one else.. when someone helps you bring a child into this world, you know that person will always have a special place in your heart. I am going to miss her so much but I know that God has amazing plans for us and we will meet again!
So now that the majority of our Air Force friends have moved away its becoming more of a reality that our time here is almost up.. its time for something new and to move on. We will be moving to Omaha in just under 2 months and I am beyond excited! I know that God has us going to Omaha for a reason and I know He has a wonderful plan that includes making some more amazing friends and finally settling down into a wonderful house and start raising our family. I am excited for all of that, and for my friends that have already began their new journeys.. I can't wait until we begin ours, and finally, after many years and moves, it is such a relief to have positive and exciting feelings about moving.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Eli's 1/2 Birthday!!
My sweet boy is really about to be 6 months (as of tomorrow at 2:56 p.m) Where has the time gone??? It seems like the first 6 months have flown by. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was big and pregnant just praying for Eli to make his appearance early? Just 6 months ago today I awoke feeling like I had caught the flu, little did I know I was in early labor and would be having my sweet boy just the very next day :) I thought it would be fun to compare Eli's appearance and likes/dislikes from when he was a newborn and now.
Newborn
Weight: 6 lbs 15.2 oz
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Reddish brown
Favorite activity: Sleeping
Favorite food: Mama's milk
6 Months
Weight: 17 lbs-ish
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Blonde with a reddish tint
Favorite activity: Jumping and playing in his exersaucer and rolling around in his crib. Also loves the nightly walks with daddy.
Favorite food: Squash, carrots, and peaches.. also likes apples.
It is amazing how much he has changed, grown, and developed in such a short amount of time. It saddens me to think that he is on the downward slope to turning a year old :( He is at a stage now where he doesn't sleep through the night anymore, he doesn't just lay around and sit still, and he is always babbling away and wanting to move around. I wouldn't have it any other way, I am learning that every stage is only for a short amount of time and is over before you know it. I think that is probably the most important thing I have learned in motherhood thus far: cherish every single moment with your child, even if they are in a difficult stage. We only have our children in our house for so long.. it is our job to bring them up the best we know how and to be there for them every step of the way.
I wanted to somehow celebrate Eli's half birthday.. after thinking and thinking of what to do, I finally thought of a great idea! Anyone who knows me really well knows that I love to bake. I decided to bake Eli 'baby friendly' cupcakes for tomorrow. Obviously he will only gnaw on them and probably shred them to pieces, but I think he will enjoy them. I am going to make carrot and apple cupcakes.. no dairy and no sugar. Completely baby friendly :) You can guarantee there will be pictures of Eli enjoying his 1/2 birthday cupcakes in a future blog post.
Now that everyone is caught up with Eli, I can catch everyone up with what is going on with Brenton and I. Brenton leaves for a month long training session in just under two weeks so we have been trying to spend as much family time together as possible. It has been amazing to have Brenton home every day for the past 2 months. We have been able to do so many things and see so many things as a family. Life is wonderful. With that being said, we were recently faced with a challenge that God has put in front of us. I ended up having immediate surgery to remove my ovarian cyst and while in surgery the doctor found some other problems as well. He found endometriosis and a polyp in my uterus. We went to my post-op appointment yesterday and the doctor showed us the pictures of what all he found and what my insides now looked like.. all I have to say is WOW! We are so very blessed that Eli came into our lives, we now have our answer for our difficulty in getting pregnant and being able to sustain a healthy pregnancy. Unfortunately, the doctor left us with some tough decisions to make, decisions that a young family should never have to make, but we know that God puts challenges in our lives for a reason and we just have to look to Him and ask Him for his guidance on all of this. Regardless of what happens, we know we are very blessed with the miracle that has already came into our lives.
We hope everyone is well and until next time.. take care and God bless!
Weight: 6 lbs 15.2 oz
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Reddish brown
Favorite activity: Sleeping
Favorite food: Mama's milk
6 Months
Weight: 17 lbs-ish
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Blonde with a reddish tint
Favorite activity: Jumping and playing in his exersaucer and rolling around in his crib. Also loves the nightly walks with daddy.
Favorite food: Squash, carrots, and peaches.. also likes apples.
It is amazing how much he has changed, grown, and developed in such a short amount of time. It saddens me to think that he is on the downward slope to turning a year old :( He is at a stage now where he doesn't sleep through the night anymore, he doesn't just lay around and sit still, and he is always babbling away and wanting to move around. I wouldn't have it any other way, I am learning that every stage is only for a short amount of time and is over before you know it. I think that is probably the most important thing I have learned in motherhood thus far: cherish every single moment with your child, even if they are in a difficult stage. We only have our children in our house for so long.. it is our job to bring them up the best we know how and to be there for them every step of the way.
I wanted to somehow celebrate Eli's half birthday.. after thinking and thinking of what to do, I finally thought of a great idea! Anyone who knows me really well knows that I love to bake. I decided to bake Eli 'baby friendly' cupcakes for tomorrow. Obviously he will only gnaw on them and probably shred them to pieces, but I think he will enjoy them. I am going to make carrot and apple cupcakes.. no dairy and no sugar. Completely baby friendly :) You can guarantee there will be pictures of Eli enjoying his 1/2 birthday cupcakes in a future blog post.
Now that everyone is caught up with Eli, I can catch everyone up with what is going on with Brenton and I. Brenton leaves for a month long training session in just under two weeks so we have been trying to spend as much family time together as possible. It has been amazing to have Brenton home every day for the past 2 months. We have been able to do so many things and see so many things as a family. Life is wonderful. With that being said, we were recently faced with a challenge that God has put in front of us. I ended up having immediate surgery to remove my ovarian cyst and while in surgery the doctor found some other problems as well. He found endometriosis and a polyp in my uterus. We went to my post-op appointment yesterday and the doctor showed us the pictures of what all he found and what my insides now looked like.. all I have to say is WOW! We are so very blessed that Eli came into our lives, we now have our answer for our difficulty in getting pregnant and being able to sustain a healthy pregnancy. Unfortunately, the doctor left us with some tough decisions to make, decisions that a young family should never have to make, but we know that God puts challenges in our lives for a reason and we just have to look to Him and ask Him for his guidance on all of this. Regardless of what happens, we know we are very blessed with the miracle that has already came into our lives.
We hope everyone is well and until next time.. take care and God bless!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
On the Road Again and What Lies Ahead..
If you haven't noticed lately, we are a traveling family! Eli has been to 11 different states now and is 5 months (5 months today, happy 5 month birthday little guy!) We aren't trying to do a contest or anything, we both love to travel and have family far away that we often go visit. I think a lot of people think just because you have a child, especially a baby, that all traveling and going out has to cease. That does not have to be the case. While its unfortunate that Eli will never have any memory of all the places he has been to thus far, we have pictures and Brenton and I have those memories. Thankfully, Eli is pretty laid back and traveling doesn't bother him at all, I think he actually enjoys it. Yeah.. I think he was born to be a military kid :)
This last trip we took to Virginia. We spent time with family, went to Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and the Outer Banks. This was Eli's first trip to the ocean.. well out of the womb that is. Back in September, I flew out to Virginia and went to the Outer Banks.. so technically I guess he has been there. We had a great time in Virginia! While we were there we took the time to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. It was a little early but we had family that was willing to watch Eli for us and figured we should take the chance while we had it. The plan was to go to the Outer Banks for 2 days.. well I lasted a day. We accomplished a lot in that one day we were down there though! We hung out at the beach for a few hours, went to a beach bar afterwards and had some drinks, went mini golfing, went out to eat at a really nice sea-food restaurant (the BEST seafood ever!) and then ordered dessert to-go and ate our dessert on the beach later that night. The next day we went to climb sand dunes and watch paragliders. It was amazing! I missed Eli soo much though! It was nice just being able to focus on Brenton and I and being able to relax, but this was the first time I had ever been away from him overnight. We had a great time together but I was so glad to get back to my sweet boy. I am really glad we did come back when we did because the night we got back there was a tornado that touched down just 20 minutes from my aunt's house.. if I would have been 2 hours away from Eli when this happened, I would have freaked!
We finally arrived back home in Mississippi on Sunday night. It was a 15 hour drive, a looong 15 hour drive. It was nice to be back home and be reunited with our other 'babies'. The next morning Eli and I both had dr appts. I had an appt for a 2nd opinion regarding problems with my ovary and Eli had another appt to get a shot. We do vaccinate Eli, but have chosen to do so on a delayed schedule. It really works for us and Eli doesn't suffer any ill-effects from the shots at all since we have done it this way. It kind of sucks having to drive 45 minutes every few weeks and to go back and forth to get a shot but its worth it when they are spaced out enough it doesn't hurt him. He did very well with his shot, he cried for a few minutes but as soon as I picked him up he stopped and started smiling. He even decided to take off his bandaid later that evening and decide to chew on it.. I about died when I saw that.. so disgusting! As far as my appointment went, it went well. To make a long story short, the evening of Mother's Day I went to the ER for extreme LLQ pain. At first they scared us to death and told us they were sure I was having an ectopic pregnancy, after waiting for what seemed like forever we found out thankfully that was not the case! They then told me they didn't know what exactly was wrong but sent me to a local OBGYN the next morning. I saw the OBGYN and he immediately recommended I have surgery to remove a large cyst. Apparently that was what was causing the pain. He proceeded to tell me he wanted to do 3 different surgeries and he may possibly have to take part of if not the whole ovary to remove it. Considering Brenton and I would love to have more children and our history of fertility issues I opted for a 2nd opinion, and I am so glad I did! The 2nd opinion was with my regular OBGYN. He did another scan and saw the cyst was still there and diagnosed it as probably being an endometrioma. Basically endometriosis on the ovary. He said I had an option of taking a more conservative approach if I wanted to. I could try 3 months of meds to see if it would go away. I get re-scanned in August and if its not gone by then, surgery it is. I am hoping that isn't the case since Brenton will be gone and we will be moving just a month later. But as we have learned in the past, things happen for a reason. You may not be able to explain or understand them now, but they are all a part of the plan God has for us!
This last trip we took to Virginia. We spent time with family, went to Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and the Outer Banks. This was Eli's first trip to the ocean.. well out of the womb that is. Back in September, I flew out to Virginia and went to the Outer Banks.. so technically I guess he has been there. We had a great time in Virginia! While we were there we took the time to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. It was a little early but we had family that was willing to watch Eli for us and figured we should take the chance while we had it. The plan was to go to the Outer Banks for 2 days.. well I lasted a day. We accomplished a lot in that one day we were down there though! We hung out at the beach for a few hours, went to a beach bar afterwards and had some drinks, went mini golfing, went out to eat at a really nice sea-food restaurant (the BEST seafood ever!) and then ordered dessert to-go and ate our dessert on the beach later that night. The next day we went to climb sand dunes and watch paragliders. It was amazing! I missed Eli soo much though! It was nice just being able to focus on Brenton and I and being able to relax, but this was the first time I had ever been away from him overnight. We had a great time together but I was so glad to get back to my sweet boy. I am really glad we did come back when we did because the night we got back there was a tornado that touched down just 20 minutes from my aunt's house.. if I would have been 2 hours away from Eli when this happened, I would have freaked!
We finally arrived back home in Mississippi on Sunday night. It was a 15 hour drive, a looong 15 hour drive. It was nice to be back home and be reunited with our other 'babies'. The next morning Eli and I both had dr appts. I had an appt for a 2nd opinion regarding problems with my ovary and Eli had another appt to get a shot. We do vaccinate Eli, but have chosen to do so on a delayed schedule. It really works for us and Eli doesn't suffer any ill-effects from the shots at all since we have done it this way. It kind of sucks having to drive 45 minutes every few weeks and to go back and forth to get a shot but its worth it when they are spaced out enough it doesn't hurt him. He did very well with his shot, he cried for a few minutes but as soon as I picked him up he stopped and started smiling. He even decided to take off his bandaid later that evening and decide to chew on it.. I about died when I saw that.. so disgusting! As far as my appointment went, it went well. To make a long story short, the evening of Mother's Day I went to the ER for extreme LLQ pain. At first they scared us to death and told us they were sure I was having an ectopic pregnancy, after waiting for what seemed like forever we found out thankfully that was not the case! They then told me they didn't know what exactly was wrong but sent me to a local OBGYN the next morning. I saw the OBGYN and he immediately recommended I have surgery to remove a large cyst. Apparently that was what was causing the pain. He proceeded to tell me he wanted to do 3 different surgeries and he may possibly have to take part of if not the whole ovary to remove it. Considering Brenton and I would love to have more children and our history of fertility issues I opted for a 2nd opinion, and I am so glad I did! The 2nd opinion was with my regular OBGYN. He did another scan and saw the cyst was still there and diagnosed it as probably being an endometrioma. Basically endometriosis on the ovary. He said I had an option of taking a more conservative approach if I wanted to. I could try 3 months of meds to see if it would go away. I get re-scanned in August and if its not gone by then, surgery it is. I am hoping that isn't the case since Brenton will be gone and we will be moving just a month later. But as we have learned in the past, things happen for a reason. You may not be able to explain or understand them now, but they are all a part of the plan God has for us!
Eli ready for the beach!
First time seeing the beach, eli is like whoa!!
Celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary in the Outer Banks
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
SEEYA!
If there is anything I dread more than anything in life, it is good-byes. I HATE good-byes. I have been this way since I was a small child and I don't think it will ever change. Well, as anyone knows being in the military, you have a lot of good-byes. You get to a base and you finally meet some great friends and then before you know it, they are off to PCS somewhere else. There are just two words for this: IT SUCKS. With this being said, I have come to learn some things in the 10 years I have been in the military life..
Moving is just a part of this life and with every move you meet quite an array of people, and some of these people turn out to be, well actually really good friends. I am talking people whom you never thought you would ever become friends with. These are the people who when you first arrived to base you could never see yourself meeting up with again, let alone being friends with. It's really crazy how that works. I think God looks at our first encounters with these people and looks at our reactions and laughs as He knows that we will most certainly meet up again with these people and become really good friends. He brings people into our lives for a reason, at least thats what I believe.
As everyone knows pilot training is over and now that this is over, everyone is off to start their new adventures.. its PCS season.. the season of good-byes. We had to watch two really good friends move away today and another really good friend is moving away in just under a couple of months, and then we will be moving in a few months and will have to leave some great people who we met here.. locals I will call them :) While we have only been here 19 months, we have met some amazing people, these people we will never forget, we will cherish the memories and the experiences as we all went through them together.. that's a special bond right there.. not many people understand the military lifestyle and the pilot training world. While some look at it as a negative thing (and I myself, am guilty of this sometimes) I like to look at it as a blessing. If it weren't for our military lifestyle, our paths would have never crossed, we would have never met some of these amazing individuals. It's a small Air Force world, maybe our paths will cross again some day, but if not I know I have nothing to fear or grieve over.. because the friends you meet in the military are friends for life. As anyone in the military or at least in pilot training here at CAFB knows.. its never good-bye, its.. SEEYA!
Moving is just a part of this life and with every move you meet quite an array of people, and some of these people turn out to be, well actually really good friends. I am talking people whom you never thought you would ever become friends with. These are the people who when you first arrived to base you could never see yourself meeting up with again, let alone being friends with. It's really crazy how that works. I think God looks at our first encounters with these people and looks at our reactions and laughs as He knows that we will most certainly meet up again with these people and become really good friends. He brings people into our lives for a reason, at least thats what I believe.
As everyone knows pilot training is over and now that this is over, everyone is off to start their new adventures.. its PCS season.. the season of good-byes. We had to watch two really good friends move away today and another really good friend is moving away in just under a couple of months, and then we will be moving in a few months and will have to leave some great people who we met here.. locals I will call them :) While we have only been here 19 months, we have met some amazing people, these people we will never forget, we will cherish the memories and the experiences as we all went through them together.. that's a special bond right there.. not many people understand the military lifestyle and the pilot training world. While some look at it as a negative thing (and I myself, am guilty of this sometimes) I like to look at it as a blessing. If it weren't for our military lifestyle, our paths would have never crossed, we would have never met some of these amazing individuals. It's a small Air Force world, maybe our paths will cross again some day, but if not I know I have nothing to fear or grieve over.. because the friends you meet in the military are friends for life. As anyone in the military or at least in pilot training here at CAFB knows.. its never good-bye, its.. SEEYA!
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