Deployment #4 Underway

I have little to write right now, just that we're in the beginning of Deployment #4 and, as expected, this is harder than any other separation. I love Jonathan so much, my love for him has grown so exponentially, that this ripping apart just doesn't get easier.

We have a God who loves us all, and promises strength and grace for each day... and new mercies every morning. He is not unmoved by our frailness, and He is near to the brokenhearted. Right now, I cling to those truths.

And I cling to the beautiful pictures of all our final happy moments.

Elyana - at 9 Months. And Life.

What to say...

Elyana is 9 months old! At her appointment, I had to fill out a developmental form and go through all these things they wanted to know if she's doing at this age. Checked them all off, except I'm not sure I've seen her use a toy to bang against another toy (J says he's seen it). She's eating like she should (both nursing and baby/table foods), weighing 19 lbs! She just changes so much every day! Such as:
- Can identify words & the objects they go with. For example, if I ask for a book (and use a title sometimes) she will go get it for me. She will point to a "light" if we ask her to. She loves lights!
- She will wave hi/bye at request. She said "ba-ba", but only to Aunt Karen and her daddy, and has dropped its use for now. The waving is so cute!
- She found her shadow a little over a month ago (which she LOVES), but now she will wave at it (and mine)! We see it outside, but she even found it inside where a lamp was casting it on the floor. She is so observant, she surprises me with it!
- She has started going "oooh" at things she likes... pictures on her book pages, my pretty jewelry, my coffee make, dogs, trees, wind: pretty much anything she thinks is fun or nice!
- She is still doing wonderfully with using a toilet. We'll have 1 or 2 dirty diapers a week, during a nap or that we missed. Even Jonathan can tell when she needs to go, he's pointed it out to me a number of times. Love this! (I don't even really intend on trying to train her from wetting the diapers for a long time. That's just something I'm not sure she or I are ready for. She will use the toilet to do that, but it's more incidentally b/c she's already going to go.)
- She stands alone for up to 5 seconds now. :)
- She's totally changed her "favorite" books. Seriously, she had 3-4 ones she loooooved, and a night-night book as well. Well she won't sit for any of those anymore. It happened overnight. She has a one new favorite book and one new favorite night-night book. And other ones she may sit for, but not the old favorite. It's so funny, a bit odd, and I'm getting bored of her new favorite. She also fusses if we use animal noises anymore!!! Go figure?!?

Jonathan and I just adore her. So much. Being parents has been such a joy for Jonathan and me. Truly, we feel so overwhelmed with joy that we've been entrusted with her little life!!!

Jonathan and I are also preparing for Deployment #4 at the end of November. That sinking feeling in the pit of our stomaches returns. I find myself with tears close at hand at random times. It's a very emotional process, preparing for the inevitable. Preparing for something you've gone through so many times before, you know the steps, but don't get any better at handling them. We've got a little over 3 weeks left before the window of leave time hits. I pray they will stretch out as long as possible.

We have gone to Saturday night service at our church a few times (it's new). It's much smaller, and we have enjoyed it a lot. It also leaves Sunday more free, which has been so nice. Also, no missed/delayed naps! :) Elyana sat through the entire service last week (which was a good 10 minutes longer than usual) and she did great! She made a little fuss/scream maybe twice. That's it. We both concentrated while she played and ate Puffs. Yes, without Puffs we would not have made it. So what? I can deal with that! One thing I did was call a very dear friend of ours, who Jonathan and I both think has done amazing with their 3 children (who are around 11, 7 and 4). I got her advice about leaving children in nursery, separation anxiety, and some child training. It was so, so good! I really praise God for the wonderful people he's given us in our lives that we can learn from rather than just walk through things with good intentions but only our own limited wisdom. We are in one accord right now in what we're doing. Sure, there will be things to talk about in the future, but right now we're good. :)

That's all for now. :) Except pictures. I'll do those in another post, because Elyana's about to wake up and I need to finish stuff up!

Picture Recap of our New Bern Getaway...

Elyana and me, ready to go pick up Jonathan/Daddy!!!

These are their first moments since she was exactly 2 months old, the day he left.

This is Jonathan's first morning back. After some initial standoffish-ness, she had warmed up to him by then.

Jonathan letting Elyana gum at bread for a little bit as we ate some fabulous seafood on the water in Beaufort...


Look at them play!

Elyana and me at the beach!

Jonathan shows Elyana the ocean! She was an amazing good baby, we stayed about 2 hours and she got hit by cold ocean water, ate sand, had to have sunscreen slathered all over her, and nursed in the heat under a towel... what a sport!

As a belated birthday & anniversary celebration for us both, we made a Mounds cake. Can I just say it was FABULOUS?

We took Elyana on daily walks outdoors. She loves the outside! She had started to like holding onto stuffed animals. So cute!

Jonathan gets a kick out of posing our little girl.

Less than 24 Hours Left!

I can hardly believe we're getting so close to our reunion! It feels so close now. I have to go to sleep of course, but then tomorrow should go by fast. I have the oil to get changed in the morning, and then the rest of the day to get more work hours in, play with Elyana when she's up, make sure the house is clean, get milk & eggs for breakfast on Friday morning, and of course get myself all dolled up! I have various other things on my to-do list, like returning some items and mailing some packages, but those may fall by the wayside if things just move too quickly. I am so glad tomorrow is full, so that even if Jonathan is hours late, it should still fly by.

Ha! Now it's just about 5 hours until my beloved is home!!! I am SO excited!!! I think the time will fly by, it already has really!

I want to give Elyana's 4 month Well-Baby check stats! She weighed 15.2oz, and was 25 inches tall! She's almost doubled her birthweight (of 7lb 13oz) and has grown 4 1/4 inches since her birth. They said she's in the 70th percentile for her height, and 90th for her weight. I felt really happy and proud with what that means for how breastfeed has been for her. What a delight! I am so grateful for my little chunky-monkey.

I've had her on the 4-hour schedule for a little over 3 weeks now. She eats, and then is up for 2 hours, then sleeps for 2. She transitioned into it really well. I have gotten her to mostly leave out the 4/5am feeding, and just go from a midnight feeding until 6 or 7am, about 80% of the time I attempt it. Again, she seems ready for it. She is getting to a super fun stage where every day there's new development. Recently, she started touching and exploring my face with her hands - so sweet! She also watches me drink water from a glass, and started to reach for it. So I let her, and sure enough she drank/licked it like a big girl! *sniffs* She has found her feet, but only occasionally plays with them. She screams loudly now, in delight most the time, but occasionally frustration. I can't help but laugh (bad momma, I know!). She can be occupied easily for 15 minutes with a toy, which is all the time it takes to drive to base, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, etc so that's just perfect for us.

Lots more, but I'll save it. Back to putting the final touches on the house!!! I cannot WAIT to see my Jonathan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting Close... In NC

Slowly, we're coming to an end to Deployment #3. We just got our return date.... June 4th!!! Sure, it's not as good as coming home on the 1, 2, or 3rd... But as my mother-in-law said, it's better than the 5th, 6th, or 7th! Last deployment was the 5th. Actually, considering it's delay, it was midnight plus on the 6th. So we'll take it. When you get this close, it seems like what does a day or two matter, when there's a 78 day total? But you're just so excited and ready to be reunited, it can be a challenge even now! My stomach does flips when I think of seeing my Jonathan again, though!!! I catch my breath a little and then have to tell myself to calm down because we're still over 10 days away!

I have had such a fun and amazing time in NC! Firstly, working part time has been so good. There's tons to do, yet I get to be in the office with my dad and brother (my brother Stuart wouldn't normally work in the office, but he and his wife are closing on a house outside Lynchburg in a few weeks, so they're in NC until that's done). So that's fun. I work 2 hours in the morning, and 2 hours in the afternoon, when Elyana naps. Then when she's awake, I take her to the house to play. She gets to spend time with her amazingly fun aunts, uncles and Nana of course! Aunt Mary makes her talk and babble like no one else. Aunt Suzanne makes her laugh the most. Aunt Crystal likes to play piano for her, which she attentively listens to (& she helped me give her a bath, the first person besides J!). Aunt Karen just showers mommy-like love on her (with two of her own girls, and a boy due 3 weeks from now, she is an expert at that). Nana will do whatever little Elyana wants. Anyway, it's just super fun getting to see my siblings interact with my precious little girl.

We introduced Elyana to Uncle Michael and Uncle Christopher (Jonathan's brothers) and she adores them. I think they sound like her Daddy, because she turns her head to their voices more than anyone else's (except mine!). They are really amazing uncles, and play with her and hold her so gently. It's neat to see that side to them. Of course Jonathan's parents just adore her too, and shower her with love and attention and lots of sweet holding. Aunt Emily, Jonathan's yongest sister, even though she has down syndrome, just loves to hold Elyana and look at her. It's adorable! And Catherine I can already tell is more and more comfortable with her. When she visited in Georgia, she wasn't sure she liked holding her when she was starting to fuss, but now, she can soothe her! She's going to be a great aunt/mother/babysitter for sure.

I've gotten to visit people here and there, never long enough, but still incredibly fun. I'm just going to have to post pictures below. I brought two cameras, and one is currently misplaced, so all my Charlotte pics and Mother's Day are lost currently. :(

Elyana has had a lot of firsts while she's here. Her first cold (so her first taste of anything besides's my milk - some infant tylenol). Her first rolling over (back to front too, which is harder). Her first time swimming. Her first beach trip (she did not play in the sand though, since it was too cold). Her first Mother's Day (what an absolute blessing). Her first time meeting all my old Charlotte friends. So much more, but I'd have to look over my papers to recall them all. Anyway, it's been a blast. Just 9 more days now....

Catherine reading, Christopher holding Elyana.


Catherine plays while Grandma holds Elyana.

Aunt Emily!

Uncle Michael met her for the first time

What a face! She melts my heart!

It was Shiona's 3rd birthday. She loved opening the presents, but didn't really care much about what they were. It was adorable. She wanted pizza and an ice cream cake! She was so cute, and had about 30 people there, which is what you get when you have a large family and close friends!

Katrina adores "Elyana Ruth" as she calls her. She is so careful with her! I cannot wait until they're old enough to all play.

At Mom & Dad's beach condo, Crystal and Elyana.

Uncle Noah was such a good spot about the spit up. He still holds her after that!

Nana and Papa with their 3rd grandbaby. #4 coming in 2-3 weeks!

Life!

Karen kindly asked how things were.... I can't believe I haven't done an update in so long! We have been so busy here!

Life without Jonathan does move on. I miss him so much every day. In some ways, you just push through deployments every day, and occsionally allow yourself to peek, as a turtle out of its shell, at the time that's passed around you. It can be both encouraging and tough. Like now, I know we're over halfway... And yet it's not yet May 1st and we have the whole month of May to get through. So it feels like significant progress, and yet I know we've got a big chunk of time left to overcome. I look at Elyana and how much she's changed already, and wonder in another month how much she'll have grown and gone through to be like when her daddy comes home. She's so wonderful.

However, we have some really amazing friends in Warner Robins. I have been a part of a military wives' Bible study for a year and a half now. We go through either Christian authored books, or straight up books of the Bible with commentaries. We meet for 2 hours, switching homes each week, each taking turns to facilitate as well. We grew to about 15 ladies, and so this last book decided to switch from an evening Bible study to a morning and evening one. So we're a smaller group now. But finally this deployment especially these friendships have really solidified. I see these girls about 3 times a week!!! We love to do things together! Our acitvities have included: a game & wine & dessert night (with lots of laughing!!!), a make-a-meal for those in need, strawberry picking, Easter-egg hunt, May-day basket making, whole-family dinner/picnics, baby showers, and things like that. These women are really fun to be around, and they are all eager to live out Christ's commands as friends, wives, and mothers! I really I just am so grateful for their friendship. Since they're military, and have small children, we all have so much to share in commonality. For example, evenings can be lonely and hard for those of us with deployed spouses, so we'll do a dinner together at times. Usually getting together with your girlfriends for dinner is a once-every-few-months occasion. We practically do it bi-weekly! Anyway, they are amazing and have make this deployment 100% better than any before.

Jonathan and I celebrated 5 years of marriage this past Friday. 5 amazing years!!! I look back and cannot believe I've got to spend the last 5 years with such a wonderful man! I am so blessed with his love in my life. I am just so happy to be his wife! I hate being separated from him, and never want that to change. Each day we just pray to be done with the separations forever, and get to enjoy waking up every day next to each other. But until then, we'll just pray and grow as much as we can through this. And oh the reunion!!! I get giddy thinking about June! My sweet Jonathan sent me some gorgeous flowers for our anniversary, complete with a note about the meaning of the flowers, and how it applied to our love. *sighs happily* He is my love, forever!

Elyana is changing so much. For four days straight now, I have gotten her to laugh - for at least a minute - at me! Previously, she's laughed, but it would be days between them. Now it's pretty consistent. Her face lights up when she sees me come in the room to get her out of her crib (if she's not been crying/waiting long). I love that!!! The look of recognition and happiness upon seeing mommy - and I'm mommy!!! How very long I've waited for that beautiful face! She really enjoys when I lay down next to her, hold a book over our heads, and read to her. We've once again exhausted our books (I go through them every day and I'm tired of the same ones, I can recite them by heart!), so I ordered about 5 more (used) on Amazon.com today. This Saturday is a used book sale, and I'm eager to see what I can find. Our current favorites are The First Forest and On the Night You Were Born. She will now grab toys and fiddle with them. She finds her hands oh-so-yummy and sucks on them a lot. She constantly clasps her chubby little hands together and twists them around and around, which I love to watch! She also opens her little mouth expectantly like a bird when she sees it's nursing time! She's still happily on the 3-hour schedule (Wake, Eat, Play for 1.5 hr, Sleep 1.5 hr). She goes about 4-5 hours at night between feedings. I've put her in my bed 3 times to sleep since J left, and it has been so much fun! With Jonathan gone it's very lonely, and having her next to me has been so special. Of course, it's an indulgence for us, not a regular thing!

I'm surprised how much difference there is in a newborn/1-2 month old baby, and a 3+ month old like I have now (14 weeks yesterday). While I disagree completely with the rationale behind the Happiest Baby on the Block book (i.e. babies have a need for a 4th trimester, but evolution grew babies heads too big, so they come out 3 months too soon); I totally adopt the 5 S's. They worked for Elyana so well. She actually still is sawddled, has her white noise, and takes a pacifier for nap time. I've tried unswaddling, but her hands are still uncoordinated enough she will hit her face or knock the paci out. The paci she only likes to get to sleep, but she'll spit it out usually 30 minutes into her nap and sleep the remainder of the time. The white noise? Her room is right next to the kitchen, so it drowns out noise when I'm in there, but she will sleep at someone else's houses without it. I will be trying to wean her off of some of these things in the next month or two, but right now I still feel she has a legitimate need for them. :)

And that is a huge summary of what we have been up to lately. My brother Carter drove down from NC for his Easter break to be with us (he was the first uncle to meet Elyana)! My sister Mary flew into Altanta to spend a week with us (we went to Starbucks every day, and she graciously worked out with me every night so I didn't have to take any time off!). I had amazing times with them!!! I have a little over a week here, and then I head back to NC until Jonathan returns - I am so excited! This time will be my first drive with my little "buddy" in the car.
Ok, picture time!!!

She fits into some of the prettiest dresses now!


Elyana and me at Easter time!


Uncle Carter and Elyana


Aunt Mary and Elyana (Elyana adored her!)

Deployment #3 Underway

Day #3 of Deployment #3 here. I miss Jonathan like crazy right now. The first few days (weeks?) it's always a true emotional and spiritual battle for perspective. Shoot, without a baby it's a battle to even want to get up in the morning! This being my 3rd deployment, I know how to do it well, though. And we have known God's grace from weeks ago, when he let us off the hook for the 100 day deployment and took us back to the 70 we're used to. So I don't feel jolted into an emergency mode, where only just now am I crying out to Him. No, every single day for the past few weeks, Jonathan and I have had our quiet times together rather than apart, and we have been nourished and filled by the words of the Psalms. Our prayers have released some of the burden of our souls, even when we were just told to press on.

God has lavished such a grace by giving me Elyana Ruth. When I came home from dropping Jonathan off, usually going into that now-empty house, with all the memories of us and his stuff lying around, that's the very worst part. But this time, I carried her in and held her close. She receives my hugs and kisses, and she innocently coos and grins at me. It is a sweet balm to have her love and be able to spend mine on her. It's much more of a blessing than I ever imagined. Plus, it's impossible to read the Psalms about God hearing our requests, granting our hearts desires, and making us glad in His salvation, and not look straight at Elyana Ruth and think, "This is a testimony of this very thing."

My days consist of playing with Elyana and working. So I have decided to add in a special evening walk outside together, and meeting with others with deployed spouses and their little ones. We have one event every weekday next week. I don't usually make it so busy, but for a first week that's ok.

Elyana has had a really rough time since J left with keeping to any sort of schedule. I'm gently trying to ease her back into it. It's just sleep and eating have both been hard to get back into a rhythm of.

Now time for some pictures of our last few days together!

Here is our traditional, right-before-he-leaves family picture. Three of us this time!


Jonathan and me on our traditional last-Starbucks date...


Us three at Red Lobster, a new place for dinner, but the last time we ate out. We hadn't eaten here since I had morning sickness, but had a real seafood craving. We relived some great memories. And I successfully nursed Elyana at the table, so successfully that an older lady walked by and saw us with an empty carseat, and asked, "Where's the baby?" I laughed and pointed at my nursing cover. :) I was nervous about trying to be discreet, but I guess I was!


Jonathan wanted to feed Elyana one last time.


I don't know how we managed these smiles when our hearts were breaking.


Jonathan makes me a Build-a-Bear for every deployment. We made one in '04, two in '08, and now here's my fourth one. He made Elyana one too. She was awake and happy for it all, which we were thrilled at.


Here was the little pink/white super-soft bear, Cuddles, that Jonathan and Elyana chose.


This is our beautiful baby!

Good Stuff!

So, it's been a while since the last post. I've got some amazing news!

When Jonathan and I learned he might have to go a month early and stay deployed for 100 days, we asked our parents to pray we'd be spared. Then we learned he had to go, and honestly I was just going to accept it. My dad sent out an email to us basically saying, "It's not over yet, I'm not through praying." His attitude of faith encouraged me to keep praying too... I shared that with J and every day we'd have our quiet time together and pray that the Lord might spare us that length of separation, and be merciful. We acknowledged we might not understand why we should be separated that long, and we'd accept that as His will if He didn't change things...

Well, I really did not expect a change. But believe it or not, by a mix-up with J's rank, he does not have to go 100 days! He's back to the regular 70 day deployment!!! I am so amazed and humbled to say the least. He is still leaving in the end of this month, but we're back to the length we're used to. I have to say the Lord has been so very gracious in this answer to our request. If any of you prayed, even just for peace, thank you!!!

I've got some beautiful pictures from our time in Vegas. I took a good bit of pictures, since I really wanted to make those memories stay with us. We really had a wonderful time, and I am so grateful Elyana and I made the trip! So enjoy....

Us at a park/pond we found in Vegas... There were ducks, geese, and birds to feed. We had a mini-picnic and walked around, enjoying the breezy weather and sunset. This is the first and only time so far I've put Elyana in the wrap facing forward. Since she can't hold her head up for very long periods, it's not ideal for her, but it gives a way for her to see everything, and for Jonathan to see her, rather than when she's heart-to-heart with me, and she falls asleep easily and only I get to see that pretty face!

This was me taking Elyana on our daily Starbucks trips while our hotel room was cleaned. I'd go, get the fresh brewed coffee, and read a book while she slept on me. She really seemed to love those time in the wrap. See how content she looks? I think she loves the closeness with me!

Jonathan spent a lot of time playing with her and holding her in the hotel. She was so interactive with him. I love watching it! She will smile and coo and make cute little noises at him. When he catches her eye, she definitely recognizes him.

Another hotel moment... Cuddle time!

The Saturday Jonathan had off, so we went to Hoover Dam and got the tour. It was really a wonderful time! I had gone with my family in '04, but it was in August so it had been 100 degrees plus! This was very different, it was almost chilly! Carrying my baby in a wrap was so much easier than a stroller, I was loving using it (can you tell?)!

This was yesterday morning, as Jonathan & I bundled her up for a stroller ride in the trails in the woods. He got the mail, and here was a present for her! Look at that smile! (Susi, she's wearing your coat/bunting, it's perfect!)

This was tonight, when he got home from work. She now fits in Mary's outfit and looks a doll! She was recognizing Jonathan and going, "Aaaah." So adorable!

Where I Am...

Well, as I sit here and type, I am in a La Quinta right outside Nellis AFB. Which happens to be in Las Vegas, Nevada. I've never desired to visit this city, and just my small glimpse of the city and airport have let me know I am quite right in my ascertation of it. However, I did not come here to sightsee! Let me fill you in.

Back about 3 weeks ago, Jonathan was told he had to come out to ---Ha! I hear Revellie playing! It's been a long time since I've been on a base at 630am! --- Ahem, where was I? Oh, Jonathan was told he had to go spend 15 days in Nellis participating in Air Force air "war games" for lack of a better word. The vast area of Nevada is perfect for this, and he was sent to another base in Nevada last June for this same thing. We were really not happy with the separation, but of course we felt we could still muster 15 days pretty easily.

Then, only 5 days into his trip here, and he was told he was chosen to do a 100 day deployment, starting in March. We were expecting the April 70 day deployment, but this was telling us he'd have to go a month early and still stay until July. We were totally taken aback, and very upset. We do separations so terribly. So, not wanting to miss another day together, we hurredly booked a flight, hotel, and rental car to get Elyana and me out here. My sister Karen and her girls were visiting me and had to cut their visit short, and drove me to the airport (more on that another post, since it was so incredibly wonderful).

Even though I was so nervous about taking a 1-month old on a 4.5 hr plane ride, God was gracious and Elyana was amazing. She slept most of the plane ride, took a bottle I'd pumped, nursed, and then just happily looked around as I showed her the sites of the plane. I would have never, ever made it without my wonderful whole-cloth-wrap that my friend Karen gave me. It's the only way you can carry a baby, a carseat, a backpack, and a 50-lb suitcase, all without feeling overwhelmed! Pictures of that will follow for sure.

So for now, Jonathan and I are burrowed up in a hotel room 1/2 a mile from base, grabbing as much time as possible with each other. He still has to work, but all the rest of the time is ours. Praise God we are together! It's very bittersweet, knowing what's to come, but I'm just trying to enjoy every moment without thinking of the future.

Life Here in the Wilson Home

My life is so full of happiness lately with my precious, very much missed husband back home again!!! Tomorrow will make 3 weeks since he's returned! I still catch myself telling him as we are together, "I'm so happy to have you here!" Being separated really makes you appreciate the wonderful things about the person you chose to marry. They come to the forefront of your mind, and the silly things I can "care" about (like not picking up clothes and tracking in mud *grins*) just come into realization of what they are: silly! Why should I waste care about preferential things that I am actually happy to do, and more than happy to have him home to do those for?

Likewise, I am so so grateful for the burden Jonathan takes on with our household. For example, our car needed fixing again, and I'd taken it in 4-5 times over the time he was deployed, each time researching and calling for price quotes, etc and having to make judgement calls I wasn't comfortable with. Now that he's home, he took it in twice and made all the decisions and it was absolutely no responsibility of mine. What a sweet burden off me, and something I normally would take for granted. We've also been putting the baby's furniture together, making quite a lot of trash. Friday morning he had a huge pile out there for pick-up. I did not have to take out one bit of it (and it was in the 30's cold!). Driving back to NC twice now, the 8 hour drives each way, he has done 100% of the driving except 2 hours I took over because I asked to. So many more things I haven't even thought of, that he just does, and I wouldn't normally give a thought because it never had been my responsibility. He serves as the husband and leader of our family so humbly, diligently, and faithfully, that I just have reason to thank God every day for him, and I hope I try to convey my thankfulness to Jonathan as well.

We had our 11-day post-deployment "honeymoon" trip to New Bern again, and actually visited our families for a few days at the end too. Those first days back together are amazing! I can't describe them but just to say, if you haven't been separated for your husband for more than a month, you wouldn't be able to relate. It's magical and perfect and a honeymoon is the best way to relate to it. You're just so happy to be together! Nothing can upset you, nothing can go "wrong", and every little thing is fun - running to Wal-Mart, cooking a meal, snuggling midday just because you can, driving, on and on and on. I glance over at Jonathan, and my heart melts to look at that face that I find more handsome than any other, butterflies are in my stomach at hearing his step come near, his voice sends happy quivers through me, and I grin all day long just to have him nearby! It is bliss!!!

Jonathan put up the chair rails for Baby Girl's room, installed the chandelier (*sheepish grin* yes, I said chandelier), we put together her dresser, and the changer will be next. Then I just need to find bedding I like (this has been horrible as I can find nothing), and we need to find a rocker/glider/whatever together. Then it's just a matter of arranging it all, and putting everything where it belongs. Then her room will be ready for her arrival!

Speaking of, we have finally now read Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way together (I read it alone first, then we read it together as we sat in a deer stand hunting!). It was good to have us read something with the basic ideas for how I'd like this birth to go. I have some serious issues with the book's agenda and really ancient "references" to studies/research, but the basic approach to labor and birth agree with me. I want to understand exactly what is or should be happening with my body and the baby, I want to keep intervention at the barest minimum, and I do not want to introduce any drugs into my bloodstream and thus (potentially) the baby's. Now anyone who knows our story will know if we were agaisnt medicine as a practice, we would not be pregnant with this baby! But obviously my initial desire was to do everything we could to conceive naturally. The same is true here. I want to do everything I can to have a natural childbirth experience. But it is not my hill to die on! My safety and the baby's are the utmost priority. So, I will blog later about my birth plan, about issues I do not want to "give" on and issues I would, etc.

I could begin another whole post now with all that, but I'll save it for my next update. I know you seasoned mommies out there will have lots of good advise and input for me, which I am Very Happy to receive (even if it's not along my lines of natural childbirth, I welcome your stories).

So, I know most my readers are not military, so a separation from your husband usually is confined to a few days at most. And maybe those days are spent getting "me" time or special time with your children. But as a miltiary wife, the second thing you do after your husband is deployed, is make a list of projects to tackle and accomplish over his absence. The first thing you do of course is try to pick yourself up of the couch where you've been sobbing for the last hour. Deployments don't get easier, and the initial pain of missing the man you love is so intense. But giving yourself something to work at greatly helps busy the mind and body not to dwell on the current circumstances.

I'm sure it depends on the length of deployment - Susi had 15 long, grueling months. And a 4 month old daughter. But guess what the first thing she did was? She moved!!! Talk about an accomplishment!

My projects have been much smaller. Last spring, they were making a lovely place out of the front flowerbed, re-vamping the office completely (including a lot of hanging/organizing and painting my desk), and organizing the garage. Plus lots of visiting around. Anyway, here's a tiny glimpse of what I did last time:

You can't see in this picture, but the front bed was so ugly. Planted 4 rose bushes, a gardenia bush, dusty miller (silver-colored), hostas, red flowers, mulched, put up black fencing. Took about a month for all the colors to come in & I never got a picture of that, but believe me it looked great! All that digging was a lot of work! (Before & After pics) Click to see the colors!

I can't find a "before" of the office, but believe me it was messy and uncoordinated! This is what my desk went from looking like. It's so much nicer with complimentary furniture!

So this time, my projects were to get the new office all set up (since the old office was now the baby's room). This was a bit tricky because it involved combining the hunting room with the office. Sure, there was space, but careful organization was needed to keep it from being crowded and frustrating. (Believe me, we have enough hunting stuff to dedicate an entire room to it! *grins*)

I also had the best project ever, to get the baby's room painted! I also ended up purchasing a fair amount of baby clothes/stuff while Jonathan was gone, so getting that set up was inevitable. My little projects have been: read birthing & new baby-related books, crochet Baby Girl a blanket, sew myself a nursing cover, make my own baby thank-you notes, and just in general organize the house more (I feel like I can always, always organize it more!). So, for your enjoyment, here are some pictures of my accomplishments. I did also travel & have guests too, went to Chicago for business, and made my sister-in-law's wedding cake. All I have left to do is cleaning until Jonathan returns!!!!

Nursing Cover, Baby Blanket, Thank You Notes

For what it's worth, I'm craving this fabulous concoction Susi and I made: a Black Forest Kirsch-laced Torte. We made it one of my last few days there, and even managed it for breakfast once (goes incredible with some Cutter's Point coffee laced with real cream). Can anyone tell we have decadent taste????