Miles Makes 3

Fallen Hero

2012-02-16T07:19:00.000-08:00

This is a beautiful video of a fallen hero from Brad's unit 2/4. He died last week serving in Afghanistan. I can't believe we've lost so many guys. So sad to think this guy was almost home. Please keep 2/4 in your prayers. We're almost done.

Sergeant William Stacey Tribute from Alex Kirkwood on Vimeo.

Why I never co-slept

2012-01-31T12:48:00.000-08:00

Matthew takes 1, 2 and 3.

2012-01-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

January

2012-01-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

January is a GREAT month! Lots of exciting things going on!

I went to Vegas last week with my neighbor. We had such a great time. The first night we dressed up and hit the town. The second night... well, we got into our PJ's at 6pm, rented a movie, laid in bed and relaxed! That was just as good as getting out.

I won almost $40 at slots. I won it on the first push of the button. So my gambling experience lasted all of 10 seconds.

My little black dress. It was SO nice to get out! We were good girls, don't worry. Vegas is beautiful at night!

This is at my neighbor's house. We have some hard-core ping pong tournaments going on and seem to be happening more frequently. I have been cursed with the Baker-competitive gene. I play til I win. Just call me Forest Gump.

The boys! Matthew is getting so big. He recently had his 6 month check up and he is 19 pounds and at the 95%. Just like his brother was!

We've been playing outside on a daily basis. You just can't beat this weather.

The other good news is that mail is being cut off for Brad! The 15th is the last day to send anything because otherwise you run the risk of it not getting there in time. That makes me very excited!

We also booked a cruise to Hawaii as well as another trip to Vegas. The trip to Vegas is actually mandatory for his work. We're having a big Marine Corps ball there for all the men of 2/4 and their dates. They get to wear their fancy blues and we wear formal dresses. It's going to be so much fun and I'm looking forward to it very much!

My mom is leaving soon. Although her trip got extended due to my cousin's unfortunate death. While I'm not excited about her leaving I am excited that it's another milestone checked off before Brad's ultimate return.

Finally, Miles started soccer and gymnastics which will hopefully help fill these days. I want to busy-busy and have March be here before I know it!

Christmas

2011-12-25T19:06:00.001-08:00

We enjoyed Miles' and Matthew's first So. Cal Christmas! Yesterday we drove to Hemet to see some extended family. Today we opened presents at home and went to the neighbors for a big dinner. We missed Brad but today marked a double milestone: Christmas is out of the way and only 3 months left!

Here's some pics from the past few days. You know what I just realized today? I never use my Nikon anymore. Ever since moving to the States and owning an iPhone it's like I lost my passion for pictures. I'm definitely going to try to get back into it with the New Year!

Some interesting videos from Brad

2011-12-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

First let me say... HALF WAY DOWN BABY! I've been dying to say these words since he left. 105 days down and 105 days to go!

Here is Brad standing on the roof of some building. Nice little view of Musa Qala.

The walk from his tent, which he shares with several Marines, and the chow hall.

This last video is the 4 P's of the Wag Bags. This new system is actually a lot nicer than what they were having to do. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as gross as I'd imagined.

Surprise visitors

2011-12-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

We had some guests pop over today. So nice to live so close to extended family.

Aunt Jeanne with cousins, Dallas, Brayden, Providence, Selah

Picnicking in the park behind our house.

One day I will get Matt to smile for the camera!

Such extremes!

2011-11-27T15:59:00.000-08:00

I was looking through some old photos today and came upon this one. I couldn't believe this was almost 1 year ago exactly!

How polar opposite from today. 85 and sunny and perfect for the beach. These Californians like to complain about the warm weather, but man-oh-man, not me. I am not taking 1 second of it for granted. All I have to do is look at the above pic and I'm cold.

Matthew is getting so big! 5 months and 18 pounds. He is following in his big-brother's footsteps.

This is why I married him...

2011-11-24T11:18:00.001-08:00

If it’s any consolation, I hurt too. It’s so hard not seeing you every day. I miss you so much. I can’t even express it. The way I love you is the most amazing thing in the world, but right now it can be the most painful because we are separated.

I love you with a love that is more than love.

SSgt Lowe

Intelligence Chief

2nd Battalion 4th Marines

Musa Qal'eh District Center

Hobbies

2011-11-20T18:28:00.000-08:00

Other than counting the days until my husband's return I thought it'd be healthy to throw myself into some hobbies that I enjoy.

I've been getting a kick out of these cupcakes.

Here's my turkey cupcake. Can you guess what it's made of? Caramel and cornflakes!

Snowmen. Made of cookies, orange candies and chocolate chips!

Yesterday was my 4 month anniversary with Jillian Michaels (or her workouts I should say). I'm not saying I look fantastic or anything, but I feel fantastic and that's all that matters! I cut out all sweets (how ironic with my cupcakes), soda and junk food. I've honestly never had more energy or felt healthier in my life!

Here is my mom's new hobby: baby wraps. She does a fantastic job and is now selling them to all these fertile military wives. I am just modeling them for her, haha!

More Halloween festivities

2011-11-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Mario and Luigi

Our great group of neighbors

A huge thanks to my mom for creating this awesome car.

My Halloween treat from Brad.

A little adult fun the night before.

Trunk or Treat

2011-10-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

I decided at the last minute (literally) to do Trunk or Treat with Brad's unit. I should say the wives of Brad's unit. I do not get excited about the holidays and I don't know why. But I think having kids is slowly changing me. It was exciting decorating the car and watching Miles' face light up. It was fun having everyone 'ooh' and 'ahh' over our pumpkin patch and thinking Matt was the cutest pumpkin ever. It was especially nice being surrounded by these women who were going through this experience with me.

On another note, it's been 2 months now. Just 5 more to go. I try not think in terms of months we have left but rather 1 more week until we're 1/3 down or 6 more weeks until we're 1/2 down. Haha! I can't wait until the days were we look back at this deployment and think, "that just flew right by" like I can with our other ones. I had some goals for myself and I'm so happy to say I reached one of them! Losing all my baby weight, plus some! Woop woop! Gotta love Jillian Michael's morning workout.

That's about it! Hope to blink my eyes and be on here writing "3 months down." Happy Halloween.

Pumpkin carving

2011-10-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Got a surprise in the mail

2011-10-16T16:19:00.000-07:00

It was a thumb-drive from Brad full of pics from where he lives.

Showers. Not private at all!

They call this "the sh*tters". Excuse my French. Gotta love Marine Corps language. They have to burn the poo every night. Brad told me today they are getting a new system in where it won't be as gross.

Chow Hall

'The Easy Day Was Yesterday'

Makeshift gym

Afghani Chicken and Rice. I would not eat this as it looks disgusting but Brad says it's a hit. The only thing is it's not sliced like American chicken. You eat it all, bones included!

Breakfast. Mmmm... too bad nothing is real on this plate.

Brad's bed!

Their new pet bird. He is warming up they say.

Miles is 4!

2011-10-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Miles turned 4 last week and we had a party at Pump It Up. It was such a blast and Miles first real party ever. We split it with a neighbor friend as her daughter's birthday was the same week and we shared so many of the same friends. Here are some pics from Miles' very special day!

1 month down, forever to go.

2011-09-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

That's right, 1 whole month down and 6 long months to go before we'll see Brad again. I am trying to dwell on the good so...

Memaw is here! Already the help has been tremendous. I was on SURVIVAL mode with these kids and I hate to say it, but I felt like the kids were suffering because they never got a "refreshed" Mommy, just crazy Mommy! I never slept more than 2 hours a time at night and I haven't had an ounce of personal time to myself the past 30 days. The combination of those 2 things can really make you nutty. That mixed with not having the support of a spouse to help or just plain ol' give you a hug just drug me down. I feel like Memaw needs to wear a superman cape, because that's what she is to me at this point... my superhero!

Miles has completed 2 whole weeks of preschool and he just loves it! They have chapel, playtime, snacks, Bible stories and crafts every day. It's such a sweet preschool. He is turning 4 in about a week. I can't believe it! Brad is sending me a video to play for his birthday for him. I know it will just thrill his heart. We are having a big party at Pump It Up with his neighborhood friends. He'll be so excited because it's his first birthday party ever!

Brad is doing well in Afghanistan. His living conditions are not great though. Actually, they are horrible and that's just him being modest. Sometimes I feel like American's (especially non-military towns) just don't get it. People have gotten so used to the idea that we are in a war and forget that these men are STILL truly sacrificing everything... It can be so frustrating when I hear people complain over the silliest things. Brad's conditions are like this: He eats the same bland MRE everyday. Poops on top of other guy's poop- which is in a big can that has to be burned every night (sorry just keeping it real), has no hot shower, living in over 100 degrees with his military gear on, and sleeping on a rock in a tent full of a dozen men and works 16+ hours every single day, and make sure that he and his fellow Marines don't die on a daily basis. No weekends. I know it's hard on them but they are so strong and never complain. It truly is a service they are doing. If anyone ever wants to send him or his guys a care package, please feel free. Most of the guys in his shop are young and single and could use a sponsor.

They need babywipes, hand sanitizers and any kind of canned food so they can catch a break from the MRE's. I know magazines and things of that nature are a nice distraction too.

Anyway, that's about it for here! Here's to hoping time flies. Fly fly fly!

Brad's unit 2/4 was in the news

2011-09-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

Time for T-ball.

2011-09-22T13:45:00.001-07:00

This was Miles' 2nd week of T-ball. He just loves it as you can see with the huge smile on his face. I only wish Brad could be here to see his boy play so well. I can't wait until a few years down the line when we have the real games.

Matthew at almost 3 months

2011-09-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

Top 10 moments

2011-09-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Top Moments from the past few weeks.

10. Painting Brad's toenails. It is a deployment tradition. The goal is to still have some polish left by the time he comes home. Yes, he gets weird looks. PS- He made it to his final destination in Afghanistan. Thanks for the prayers! :)

9. Making a Daddy bear from Build-A-Bear. Complete with 2 of Brad's recordings in each hand.

8. Meeting up with some friends from Germany. My friend Amber and family are stationed in San Diego. We met at a park in between our two cities. This is Petra and Miles. Can you believe that a little over a year ago these two were running around Venice, Italy together?

7. Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. I've been doing her workout DVD for 6 weeks now and can tell a huge difference already! It's more than losing weight to me. I'm determined to get into the best shape of my life!

6. Smiles from Matthew. He has finally started to smile on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong, we still do at least 3 hours of random screaming a day. But at least he has added some smiles in there.

5. Pool days. Still loving the 75 degree weather!

4. 20 mile trips to Target. Loading up the cart. Then realizing you left your wallet at home.

3. Star Wars parties. I decided to watch these movies and finally see what the big fuss is all about. Trying to decide if I should start with movie 1 or 4.

2. Preschool. Our big boy is officially in school. Today was his first day actually. He didn't have too much to say about it when I picked him up. He just requested Mac-n-cheese for lunch.

Before

After

1. 9/11/11 - Can't believe it's been 10 years. I had my breath taken away when I awoke that morning and the whole base shut down and played TAPS. It was really a beautiful moment.

More photos

2011-09-01T14:29:00.001-07:00

A few more photos. These are from Brad's last night home.

Miles took this picture. It's so crooked that I actually love it. :) Brad was shocked that I let him hold and shoot with the "fancy" camera. The hilarious part is that he didn't stop taking pictures, even as I was running towards him. It's like he made a silent movie of me freaking out while running towards him.

Goodbye

2011-08-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

Brad left for Afghanistan this morning. We have such heavy hearts today. We'll miss him so much. Until next year....We love you, Brad.

Smile

2011-08-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

This song is stuck on repeat inside my head as well as my computer. The words are just so fitting for what we face in the next couple of days. I love you, Brad!

Pre-Deployment pics

2011-08-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

With Brad leaving in a couple days we decided to get our family pics done. We haven't had them done since Miles was 5 months old. We were definitely over-due.

We took these in our backyard with my camera. We had a neighbor snap them for us. Not too bad and it didn't cost a penny! I just wish Matthew would have smiled and not screamed the whole time.

Legoland!

2011-08-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

Today we took the plunge and bought season passes to Legoland. Why not? It's only 20 miles away and we could use a little fun in our lives. The truth is, I can't believe we've lived in Southern CA for years and haven't bought into the dozens of huge theme parks all around us. I guess having kids changes all that.

Legoland is pretty cool! I don't know who was more excited, Brad or Miles. There was tons to do for both adults and kids. It has a waterpark and an aquarium inside as well! The best part? If you own a Volvo you get to park within feet of the entrance! I can see myself now; packing our Volvo like a can of sardines just to save our friend's a mile walk.

A Volvo XC-90 made entirely of legos!

The white house...in CA.

Floating down the lazy river.

Brad's reaction to coming down a slide moving 1 MPH.

Miles' very first rollar coaster ever... The Dragon. It was so fun!

The time has almost come...

2011-08-10T15:17:00.001-07:00

to say goodbye. Brad is home after a month of training in 29 Palms. He is home for about 2-3 weeks and then deploys. I do not know the date and won't know until 24-48 hours before hand. This is the most bitter-sweet time of my life. I wish I could either stop time or just hit fast-forward. I finally broke down last night and just cried. I have been holding these emotions in for so long because a) I'd rather not feel them and b) I need to be strong for Miles. I've been getting so mad at myself for getting attached to him again in just the few days he's been home. When he left for the desert it was like my heart just ripped in half. But then I think, he's my husband, I married him, of course I'm attached to him. The real problem is this deployment. It's just not natural for husband and wife to spend more than half a year separated by different parts of the world. Add the stress of war, wondering if I'll ever see him again, and single-parenting and...::sigh::

My hope is that time will just fly. It seems having kids really helps with that. I am thankful that he's leaving right before the Fall when things really pick up with preschool and other activities. My next hurdle after the big goodbye will be getting through the Holidays, then we'll be on the home stretch. Sweet, sweet homestretch.

I am already done with 2011. This is how I know I'm just done with the military because I hate wasting my life away waiting, waiting, waiting. You should never want to fast-forward your life. You should savor each day. I just find this impossible to do with Brad at war. How do I savor my days when he's so deprived? How do I relax and enjoy the sun on my skin when he's in a country full of people who wish death upon him. At the same time-- if I worry so much he's going to come home to a nut-case wife who's lost her mind. It's a tough balance.

Enough venting! I guess to sum this up... please pray for my husband, Brad, as he heads off to war and for me, the wife, to hold down the homefront and keep a smile on my face (even if it's one of those crazy smiles. )

Michigan part 1: Everything Land

2011-08-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

We are back from MI! I won't even talk about the flight back by myself with my 3 year old and infant. I had several women stop me and say, "you are BRAVE!" and my response was, "No, I'm crazy." But, we survived and we are home. Here are pics in random order. I think I was lucky that I could even try to sort them land/water. I have no time anymore it seems! Story short... it was my grandparents 90th and we had tons of family come to celebrate! I tried to capture as much of it as I could while having an infant strapped to me at all times. :)

Michigan part 2: Everything Water

2011-08-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

Pics from our first week home

2011-06-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

Matthew Garrett Lowe

2011-06-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

Baby Matthew is finally here! He arrived on Monday, June 20th at 6:15pm. He was 8lbs and 14oz. I was not expecting that big of a baby at all! Unfortunately I didn't fall under the majority of "second labors are easier labors." Poor Matthew was not only sunny side up but was coming out face-first. After 3 hours of pushing he was completely stuck. The Dr and nurses were preparing for a C-Section and were going to try one last thing...the vacuum. Poor Matthew pretty much had his face vacuumed out of me. It was a pretty scary experience but I am so happy it didn't end in surgery. My bottom half is sure paying for it now though. :( I can't wait until the day I can put the pain meds up and feel like myself again.

Here are some pics from our big, exciting, scary, amazing day! Matthew's birth!

This is when my epidural was working and everything was smooth sailing.

After only a couple hours of bliss, the epidural on left side 100% gave out. In this pic I had already pushed for 2 hours. The Dr let me take a little break because Matthew's heartbeat was at a steady 50. The contractions were unbearable and we were so worried about our baby.

6:15pm. He's here! Daddy got to cut the cord.

Such a sweet moment that Brad and I got to share this time.

Big boy!

The next morning.

Big brother Miles comes to visit!

Just a few hours before check out. I definitely could have stayed another night or two.

We're home and trying out the new swing. So far so good!

You know pregnancy has made you crazy when....

2011-06-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

...you do this to your cat.

I had Joe professional groomed today ($70 down the drain) because it was either that or get rid of him. I couldn't stand the constant shedding of fur, the way he smelled, and him dragging his butt on our carpet. Couldn't STAND it! So, I dropped him off and said "do the works". I picked him up a couple hours later and this is what he looked like. Shaved, bathed, clipped and anal glands expressed.

This is called "The Lion Cut." I am satisfied...for the moment.

Formally Joe... In his defense, he probably is the sweetest cat alive. So sweet that my mom wants to start a nursing home ministry with him.

Since Brad is in the field the next 2 weeks, I had to figure out a litter box fix until my mom gets here. We bought 4 new litterboxes and I am just throwing them out every couple days. Wasteful? Yes, but I am not using one of my 3 bendovers for the day to clean cat-crap.

Crazy? I told you!

37 weeks

2011-06-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

*How far along?: 37 weeks

*Weight gain: 30 pounds... one time I gained 10 pounds in 4 weeks. Yikes! But, the past 6 weeks I've only gained 2. Interesting how it all works!

*Sleep: you mean pee? I don't sleep... I pee.

*Stretch marks: Yes, they're creeping up. It feels like fire ants are crawling on my stomach and there's nothing I can do to relieve it. Ugh!

*Best moment of this week: Brad had a long 4 day weekend. We're celebrating his 31st birthday this Sunday!

*Movement: He doesn't stop. I actually think parts of my insides are bruised. Certain movements bringtears to my eyes when he moves at this point.

*Food cravings: No, just fruit if anything. I quit soda and sweets a month ago and have never felt healthier!

*What I miss most: sleep, being able to breath, to bend over, not be so achy... I miss just feeling good!

*What I'm looking forward to: coming home from the hospital with our baby!

*Measuring: Baby measured 7 lbs & 3oz at the last ultrasound which was huge for 36 weeks! Dr. told me to stop eating or I'd end up with a c-section.

Interesting facts: I'm 1 cm dilated. 20% effaced. Baby is LOW.

Only 2.5 weeks until the big day, but crossing fingers for earlier!

Still here

2011-05-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a LONG time! I don't know why I haven't blogged anymore. I guess I feel like facebook is essentially the same thing and just about everyone I know is on it. It seems pointless to do double everything. But, just incase someone out there is still reading this-- here is what we've been up to the past 2 months.

Our cousins Jason and Debbie gave Miles a bike for Easter. He has perfected his balance bike so we thought adding pedals would be simple. Not so much. He can't make the connection that it's the same thing- just with pedals. One of these days!
We have some of the best neighbors ever! There are several moms on our street, all with kids Miles age, and all stay at home Moms. These girls are so sweet that they threw me a baby shower last week. 3 months ago I didn't even know them. I just love military families and their open arms. We had a BBQ last week because one of the girls moved away (to LA- not too far). Miles really enjoys these kids. His best buddy is the little guy in the orange.
Our new pool. Unfortunately it has stayed pretty chilly here! If it does make it to the 70's then it's the wind that keeps the pool away. We were told that last summer was super chilly until October and then the whole winter was in the 80's. I'm hoping for the opposite this summer, but then again- CA houses do not have AC. We'll see.

Oh my goodness...how OVER this pregnancy I am. We have just a little over 3 weeks to go. Brad and I watched Miles' birth video last night. I don't know why I did that to myself. Never watch your own birth video when you're about to give birth...Ignorance is bliss. Now I just look like a deer in headlights.

On another note, Brad is scheduled to be in the field for 2 weeks RIGHT when I'm due. This will be interesting. They are not letting him out until I go into labor or until the 20th (my induction date.) The interesting part is that the "field" is always some crazy, remote, far-away location where the guys get no phone signal (not that they're allowed to have phones). Also, the "field" is a place where cars, showers, hand-washing, toilets, etc. do not exist. It's all baby-wipes and sleeping bags. Because I tend to think worst case scenario I am imagining Brad not getting the message until it's almost too late, him rushing to the hospital and showing up to the delivery room looking like a homeless person. I guess it's better than him not being there at all!

Otherwise June 20th is the big day for us! 7am CA time. I will be 39 weeks. Our Dr is letting me go a week early for the simple fact that if left to chance Brad could (once again) not be there since he's leaving for 29 Palms the first week of July. I also, selfishly, want to go to MI this summer and I think that flying with a 5 week old sounds so much better than a 4 week old. It's all still up in the air though.

36 weeks- almost full term!

Another iphone photo of our street.

28 weeks

2011-04-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

*How far along?: 28 weeks

*Weight gain: about 15 pounds. I just read that you gain an average of 11 pounds in your 3rd trimester. Yikes!

*Sleep: 8 hours of pretty broken sleep. I'll take it.

*Stretch marks: A couple of light ones on my sides. No where as bad as the deep 3-D ones from Miles. My belly button looks like it's barely attached. I'm sure it's just a matter of weeks before I'm ripping left and right.

*Best moment of this week: Spending some time Brad on Saturday.

*Worst moment of this week: Brad and I realizing how fast this deployment is approaching. He'll meet/see his new son for a total of 3 weeks of his little life and that's about it for the year 2011. The next time they'll meet is April 2012. It's a hard pill for us both to swallow.

*Movement: All the time! This baby is WAY more active then Miles ever was. I wonder that means? More active baby?

*Food cravings: No, just want food. Realizing that the eating has to slow down. There just isn't any more room.

*What I miss most: taking decongestants. So over all these colds and sinus infections. Oh and being able to flip over in bed without having to stand up and climb back in to my new position. :)

*What I'm looking forward to: Of course I'm ready for the baby to come out... but that also means Brad is leaving too. So my thoughts are to just enjoy the now, uncomfortable as now may be.

*Measuring: unknown but I feel BIG!

Photo session

2011-03-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

Some photos from our weekend. Hope they are not too sore on the eyes. :)

27 weeks

First family photo we've had taken in a long time!

These pelicans were so magnificent looking. They flew by in waves every 5 minutes. You could see their skeletons from underneath.

Once I sit down... I'm not getting up.

Can't get in the new car with dirty feet!

What a week

2011-03-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

We are 1 month down living in CA and every day is a busy day it seems. Despite everyone being sick we managed to get so much done!

We decided to give baby Noname all of Miles' furniture. So, we were on the hunt to find something fantastic for Miles' new big-boy room. We were torn between a bunk bed and a trundle. We know we're going to have visitors throughout the year and we were done with air mattresses, plus it gives us the option to let our "boys" room together in a few years. We found an awesome room set that was BOTH a bunk bed and trundle! (That's right, 3 beds in one). It was a pretty penny but something worth investing in.

Gotta love iPhone photos. Here is Miles' new room. He sleeps on top!

Here is Baby Lowe's new room. See that glider in the corner? I found that for $50 on Pendletonyardsales.com. I love the military yard sale sites. Such a great deal! Now, I just have to decorate these walls.

Speaking of yard sales, we had our very own! This was at the very end when there was slim pickings left. We made over $500! The military folk sure loves yard sales! I can't believe that 75% of our stuff was listed for just $1 and we still came out with that much. We had a LOT of stuff. We were way overdue to get rid of it. I can't wait to have our next one. Next year maybe?

Brad is never home these days. I am so glad my mom is with me because it would make for some lonely days. He's been working 13-14 hours and weekends. We sure miss him and I know he's exhausted. Friday his work had a "mandatory fun day" on the beach. Family was invited but when I showed up it was a sausage party! (All males). Thankfully, Miles took this time to pee his pants so I had a good excuse to run home. It sure is nice living in this beachy town though. I don't think I'll ever get sick of this.

My 90 year old grandparents were supposed to come today. We had to cancel on them because of this nasty cold we all have. The last thing I want to do is kill my grandparents with a cold. You never know with the elderly. They are getting ready to drive to Michigan (from California) tomorrow. Did I mention they are 90 years old?!

3 weeks in CA

2011-03-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

Today marks 3 weeks of living in our new house in CA. While all our things (except 2nd car!!)) are here I still just don't feel settled. I think the hardest part about it all is making new friends. It's just not something that happens over night but takes months to develop. I was not thinking about this when caught in a whirlwind of excitement about living in the USA again. I'm sure it will happen over time- I just hope I have a few girls to call "friends" before this baby is born and especially before Brad takes off to the middle east.

We've had a lot of "battles" the past couple weeks. The most hilarious was the battle of the snails. My mom planted a beautiful garden in front of our house and she takes great pride in it. She was not aware of the amount of snails/slugs that crawl out at night to devour her flowers. It started off as a small pain and turned into a huge obsession with snails. Every night she was crawling on her knees to physically remove all these creatures. Apparently snails hiss. Who knew? Why this knee-crawling method? Because my mom cannot kill anything! All she had to do was sprinkle some snail killer and this problem would be solved. Finally, Brad couldn't take the snail obsession anymore and bought the death powder and sprinkled it himself.

We also have a battle of the birds. We all love birds here but not when we've planted fresh grass seed. You should see this house whenever one of us discovers birds pecking away in our front lawn. It results in everything from a chicken dance to gobbling/grunting noises to scare them off. The birds have learned to ignore us over time so now our cats take watch outside. We will welcome them back as soon as we get some decent grass growing.

The battle of lunch. Somewhere along this huge transition my little power eater has stopped eating his meals- at least willfully and happily. We've all taken turns fighting the lunch battle and I have to admit it's exhausting. Finally, my mom discovered a secret. Let Miles make his very own PB&J and he will devour it whole. I don't know how many PB&J's this kid has eaten but it's only a matter of time til he'll never touch the sandwich again.
In other news- Hyatt and Jeanne came to visit! They spent 6 weeks with us back in Germany this past Fall and it's great living so close. We plan to see them as often as we can. It was great having them pop over. Uncle Hyatt and my Dad put together my new patio set! Thanks guys!
Miles LOVES Aunt Jeanne. I think it's because of all the rounds of bowling she played with him back in Germany. Here they are playing bowling again.

Some exciting news- my Dad got a new ipad! Brad won an ipad back in October of '10 and we finally just got it. My poor Dad is constantly on the road with the most beat-up, out of date computer. Since the ipad was such an unexpected surprise for us, we wanted to pass it on. It came just in time for his 62nd (61? 63?) birthday. Or maybe it was a secret ploy to get my Dad hooked on apple products. :)

Speaking of Dad, we shipped him off a few days ago to start round 2 of trucking. This time he is in the 2nd phase of training and will be making much more money. I was happy to see my parents re-united if only for a couple weeks. It was hard to say goodbye though...
We also sent my mom off yesterday. She is in Auberry visiting family in central CA now. She's been with us since Germany and it was a small shock to our systems to see her go. She is the most active, non-lazy, helping, giving person I know. It's been great having her around while pregnant. She literally does everything... That's not the only reason we miss her though. :)

We got a new grill/patio set last week. This is where you'll find us every night...doing something like this. We are grill-happy.

In baby news- I'm 26 weeks now. Is it bad we haven't bought a single thing for this baby? I feel like this child will be born with nothing and with no name. We have got to get on the ball. We decided to get bunk beds for Miles room and give the baby Miles furniture. So now we're on mission to find something nice to fill Miles room. We still need to buy a stroller, bottles, clothes, carseat... the list goes on forever. One of these days we might find a name.

The Marine show

2011-03-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

We took my parents and Miles to the "Marine show" which was really the silent drill team as well as the official Marine Corps band. It was pretty cool and we were all so impressed with how so many people could move at the exact same millisecond. My favorite was the silent drill team. They did some pretty neat flips with their rifles and I can't believe no one messed up once.

This wasn't even a fraction of how many Marines were there to watch. They evacuated these bleachers in formation all at once. My mom and I couldn't believe our eyes. They weren't even part of the show! It was neat seeing all these guys salute when they played the national anthem.

Enjoying the show!

The Silent Drill Team

The Marine Corps Band aka "The President's Own."

If you're curious to see what the silent drill team looks like... here is a commercial advertising for Marines. They moved much quicker than this in person, but it's still neat to see!

One way to kill an afternoon...

2011-03-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

Brad started his first day of work yesterday. With this comes sharing a car which has been a bit challenging in a place where there are no trains or public transportation. So we found one way to kill an afternoon...beach! It was 70 and sunny today and somehow we managed to overdress still. Guess it will take a while to get the German out of me.

I was kicking myself for not bringing my super zoom today. There were so many cool things (including surfers on huge waves) to take pics of. Oh well, I'm sure there will be many other opportunities.

On a side note- with Brad's new job comes deployments and news of deployments. I found out yesterday that he leaves in September to Afghanistan. I knew this news was coming but it still makes me sick no matter how prepared I am to hear it. The part that I was not prepared to hear was all the pre-deployment training that comes with it, i.e. a month at 29 Palms right when our baby is supposed to be born, a short time home to say goodbye, then adios until 2012. Ugh. Yesterday was a pretty emotional day trying to absorb this. Brad is constantly reminding me to not let it be this big shadow in our lives and try to enjoy now. I promised him I'd try... So here is me enjoying today. It's not so hard with all this beautiful scenery.

Miles sure LOVES his Pock.

Sea World

2011-03-03T19:44:00.000-08:00

We spent the day at wonderful Sea World yesterday! We took advantage of the 'Here's to the Heros' program where you get a free pass every year. We all had such a great time but forgot how easy the CA sun burns your skin. Ouch!

We all got a chance to pet and feed the dolphins. Guess who was more afraid of them... my mom or Miles?

Brad's before pic at the beginning of the Tea Cup ride.

Brad's end photo.

Updates galore!

2011-03-03T16:30:00.000-08:00

Whew! We made it to CA and after 3 long weeks we finally have the internet. I can blog again! Poor Brad has somehow managed full time school from his iphone. Poor guy had a 50 question exam this past Sunday and was squinting at these tiny questions on his phone. Thank goodness he doesn't have to write his 10 page paper this weekend pecking one letter out at a time.

Anyway, I forgot how much I LOVE Southern Cali. Gorgeous blue sunny skies, winters that are 60-70 degrees, the Pacific ocean which is so close we can throw a rock to it. We are very blessed to be stationed here and I'm loving it.

We moved in 1 week ago and we've been unpacking nonstop and relearning the area. Our house is perfect for our little family. It is the end house on a cul-de-sac, 2 playgrounds in clear view, back sidewalks that run throughout the whole neighborhood which is perfect for Miles bike rides, and a great oceanview-which means great sunsets. I think we are just about settled with the exception of one last delivery of our express goods.

Here's a pic of the outside. Doesn't look like much, but keep in mind we've been in a tiny German apartment for 2.5 years! My mom redid the whole garden and has it looking fantastic. This move wouldn't have been possible without her. I should have snapped a close-up of her hard garden work.

This is the little 'nook' right in front of our front door. It looked pretty plain at first, this is the results after the Suzi pizzaz.

This is our new car- straight from Sweden. We ordered this in October (back when Hyatt and Jeanne were with us in Germany). We finally got to take it home this past weekend. I am wondering how long our "no food/drinks" policy will last. I remember making this same policy with our Jetta a few years ago and now it's practically our kitchen. :)

In other news, we found out Brad will be deploying to Afghanistan this year. We are unsure of dates since he hasn't really had his first day of "work" yet but we will find out on Monday. I am a bit nervous because the guys are really knee deep in pre-deployment training from what I read/hear. This is a good sign the deployment is right around the corner. As long as he is here for the birth....

I found a new OB today and went to see him. It was quite comical because my only record of pregnancy was my German "mutter pass." I handed it over to him and said "Good luck!"

It didn't help me too much because by the end of the visit I ended up getting what felt like gallons of blood drawn out.The good news? I get an ultrasound next appointment and can

FINALLY put my mind to rest with this whole gender thing. We still haven't bought a single thing thanks to my umbilical paranoia.

Oh and my Dad/Pock managed a week off and is staying with us for a week! Miles has really taken to him and his silly games. My mom is really enjoying see him too as it had been over 2 months. It's nice having a full house! We look forward to seeing Hyatt and Jeanne soon and their family. It's nice being close to so many family members in the midst of the military world.

Goodbye Memphis!

2011-02-22T18:55:00.000-08:00

Well this blog is two-fold I guess. I was trying to get these pics to my sis-n-law Rachel, but it was taking forever. Blogging them only took half of forever. We're leaving for CA tomorrow and moving into our house and I just don't know when I'd ever get the chance to pass these along.

Believe it or not, I took 120 pics tonight and only 9 turned out! I guess that's what happens when you're dealing with 6 youngins and a "teenager."

We've so enjoyed our time here in Memphis! Miles just loves his cousins, especially Kessler. I am happy that we're only moving a few states away instead of a world away.

See you all in CA!

My favorite of the night.

Not the greatest pic and no one was looking here, but I just love how everyone is genuinely smiling.

Choo-choo cousins. Emilie is thrilled to be the caboose.

The serious pose.

The silly pose!

Miss Emilie

LB and Layne. They play so sweet together.

Pit stop in Memphis

2011-02-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

Well we survived the flight home! After 10 days of adjusting, fighting the flu, and eating ourselves silly I finally managed to breakout my camera. Today is 75 degrees and sunny. Not bad at all for a Memphis winter. We are all enjoying ourselves- even the cats!

It's been great to re-Americanize ourselves and spend some time with family. Only a few days left and we are on a jet plane to California!

My sweet Miles.

Playing choo-choo with the rope.

22 weeks. Forever to go...

The world's most docile cat. He'd never hurt a fly...or toddler.

Memaw the chauffeur.

Miles' belly laughs are my favorite.

20 weeks

2011-02-08T00:38:00.000-08:00

Whoops- one last post!

Yesterday I hit 20 weeks and we found out the sex. It's a boy!

The OB wasn't convinced at first because of the umbilical cord being between the legs, but we spent about 20 minutes trying to look at different angles. Sure enough there was a little "nub" looking thing that didn't have the same look or consistency as the cord.

Brad says he will have a sniper team now, a shooter and a spotter. There are going to be a lot of males in our house now.

Here's me at 20 weeks. I am so much bigger this time around then I was with Miles. I feel like I look like I'm 25 weeks. I can feel him move all the time, although it's not too uncomfortable yet. He was measuring a week ahead but that doesn't mean too much to me this time. Miles was 2 weeks ahead and I still had to be induced.

Ok- this is it for real this time. See you all in the States!

This is it!

2011-02-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

We're down to the last 48 hours in Germany. Our European chapter has come to a close. I guess that means I should start working on my "Big Book of Europe" soon before I start forgetting all the details.

Today's agenda consists of my final Dr's appointment here. I won't miss my German OB at all. She's nice and everything but modesty simply does not exist in her office. Imagine the worst! Lots of hallway wandering and no clothes to cover up with. I can't help but feel like I'm walking naked through Times Square and every flaw and jiggle is on the giant billboards overhead. But, I know it's just no big deal to them and I try to think of all the parts they see day in and day out. Brad wants to be in the room for my ultrasound today... I am thinking I'm going to have to request that I at least keep my underwear on. I'm sure she'll look at me as if I'm talking about UFO's.

After this we're taking our cats to the vet for their final checkup. We're officially car-less so we're thinking about borrowing a shopping cart and wheeling them across base to the vet. You do what you gotta do, right? This will be a site to see I'm sure! Maybe I should bring a camera.

Tomorrow is all laundry, packing and last minute check outs. I always dislike the day before the big travel because all you can think about is the long day to come. Everyone is nervous and has the jitters. I can never sleep either. I don't know anyone who actually looks forward to international flights.

Well, this is it! My last post from Germany. 2 years and 8 months of beautiful Europe! Somebody asked me yesterday how many countries/cities we've been to. I think we counted 12 countries and 20 major cities. Doesn't seem like a lot compared to how many cities there actually are! We are so grateful to have had this experience and cherish every memory. It was truly a life-changer.

Now it's back to land of plenty, yummy restaurants, huge pickup trucks and ice. It will be a nice change and we are ready for it.

Auf Wiedersehen!!

Hotel life...

2011-02-03T04:53:00.000-08:00

Well, we managed to survive last Monday, but not without drama. It really came down to the differences between the German and American culture. Let's just say I am SO glad that day is over and we're all living in the hotel now. It is now up to Brad, the housing office and landlord. I've officially removed myself from the situation.

Speaking of hotel... 4 people, 2 cats in one tiny room is not really the best living circumstances but we are all managing and counting down the days. It helps that my mom and Brad are two of the most easy going people I know. Miles has been doing lots of laps on each floor. "How fast can you run to the window and back? Go go go!" We even met some other 3 year olds and started a racing club! I think the worst is on the way when we turn over our car tomorrow. Then we really will be trapped in the hotel. 6 more days... 6 more days....

That's my update for now! Monday we'll find out the sex! It's so nice to have something so wonderful to look forward to in the midst of this hurricane.

Probably the most boring post ever....

2011-01-27T00:36:00.000-08:00

This one might put you to sleep...just warning. Here is what's going on in our crazy world.

Just 4 days left in our little German apartment. Overwhelmed isn't even the word!

Today we're cleaning out the fridge and doing the very last of the laundry. The military is coming to pick those appliances up tomorrow morning. We'll spend the weekend doing last minute cleaning and creating donate or chuck piles. I imagine we'll be taking many loads to the thrift store and dump.

I'm absolutely dreading Monday morning because everything is going to happen at once. It's going to be a very stressful day. We have our temporary furniture being picked up. This is what we've been living on the past 5 weeks and consists of about 13 large pieces.

Overlapping with that is our express shipment pickup. This is our remaining personal items that we've kept back. Hopefully these 2 pickups go smoothly (no one forgets to show up) because our landlord and military housing representative are coming over shortly after that to do our final walkthrough. I haven't even thought about what I am going to do with these cats during all this activity. Their poor litterbox room is in need of some serious attention as well.

We paid almost 5 grand for our security deposit and it would be devastating not to get that back. My mom did some miracle work on the wall our cat damaged. You can't even tell which is just fantastic. Thanks Mom!

Once we check into our hotel on Monday afternoon I will breath a huge sigh of relief! The next step after this is checking out of the Army Garrison as well as shipping our car. I think the apartment is the one thing weighing on Brad and I the most because of the third party involved (German landlord).

In other news, just 10 days til we find out the sex! I am so bad and asked the Dr to look between the legs at my last appointment. There was an umbilical cord in the way so she really couldn't see. She did take a guess at the sex but made sure I knew that it was not an accurate guess. We'll find out for sure soon!

I am the only one who is still sick over here. My flu turned into a sinus infection and bronchitis. This is miserable only because I can't take any decongestants and because I've been blowing my nose so much that only blood comes out now. Ugh. I feel like a crazy person from such sleep deprivation. I am going to avoid sick people like the plague the next 5 months. I don't ever want to get this sick again, especially while pregnant.

So, I've made it my priority to be lysol crazy and practicing handwashing like no tomorrow. You can probably imagine how freaked out I am about that looong plane ride where I can't escape people's sneezes and sniffles. Ugh.

That's it for now!

Flu central

2011-01-22T22:58:00.000-08:00

After my mom's arrival last Monday we had about 4 days to catch up before a nasty flu struck our household. And when I say flu I mean a high fever, chills/body aches/hot flashes, diarrhea, headcold, etc. It's been 2 years since I've had the flu and I think yesterday was the sickest I'd ever been in my life.

Yesterday would have been comical to see us all because we just sat on the couch for hours and moaned. I'd imagine we sounded like a bunch of trapped animals. There were many times we would all just look at each other and laugh at how pathetic we all looked and sounded. When one person started coughing it would cause a chain reaction of coughs throughout the room.

I couldn't help but express my jealousy when I'd see my mom or Brad knock back some Dayquil. My mom and I haven't left this house in 3 days now which goes against ever fiber in my body. But, you know when you are truly sick because you just don't care.

Here are some random comments/conversations you could have heard at any point the past 3 days at our house.

-"Now I know why cancer patients smoke dope"

-Q:"Is it coming out like water?" - A: "no, more like cream of potato soup"

-"I didn't know my eyes could have the flu too"

-"It feels like little men are in rafters floating down my body. They have to pause at every joint to stab it before moving on."

-"Now it looks like vegetable broth"

- Q: "What would you do if you were a truck driver and got this?" A:" Guess you'd have to wear Depends and keep on trucking"

-" I had no idea that there were joints in my back bone. I can feel everyone one of them."

-"My teeth feel like they're wearing sweaters from all those cough drops.

-"Don't these kids have parents?" (referring to the 100th episode of Little Einsteins)

Photography

2011-01-14T06:04:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I attended a small photography lesson at our MOPS group. It was so informative! I learned so much about my camera and photography in general. Afterwards, the instructor sat with me and showed me many tricks with my specific camera. I was thrilled!

Then for Christmas, Brad upgraded my lens to a super zoom. I am ready for my African safari now! :)

Unfortunately now I irritate all my friends and family because I'm officially one of those people who has to stop and change out lenses. Oh and my giant backpack? Forget snacks and juice...It's all camera stuff. :)

So this morning, Miles and I went to the zoo and I really got a chance to try it out.

This picture I was practicing the apeture feature. The higher the number- the blurrier the background. I was trying to make Miles' lego house in focus while he stayed out of focus. Fun stuff to practice!

16 weeks!

2011-01-12T09:53:00.000-08:00

So, I have to be honest...my mind is just not on this pregnancy. I realized today that I've made it to 16 weeks and there are days I completely forget I'm expecting. This is funny considering my pregnancy with Miles felt like 2 years long. I really want to try and re-route my mind and enjoy every stage because it could very well be our last! I know that once we get to CA it will be a different story.

*How far along?: 16 weeks and 2 days

*Weight gain: 4 kilograms...however much that is?

*Sleep: About 5-6 hours of broken sleep. Both Miles and I have a terrible cold and neither one of us can take anything for it. We are up together all night.

*Stretch marks: I have a ton from Miles. Not sure I can even get anymore!

*Best moment of this week: A Navy officer decided he wanted our apartment. It is going to be a smooth transfer.

*Worst moment of this week: Saying goodbye to my great friend Shelly. I cried and cried. I will miss her so much.

*Movement: I've had a feeling I've felt him/her a couple times but I'm just not sure...

*Food cravings: No cravings. I just want food to appear before me without having to prepare it. I SO can't wait for fast food in the States.

*What I miss most: not much yet. Oh, I guess I wish I could take some Dayquil. My pants are starting to get awfully tight too!

*What I'm looking forward to: well, it's no secret I want to just get to the States already. I'm sure once we make it to CA and get settled I will start to get into a baby mode. Oh, I am looking forward to finding out the sex soon!

*Measuring: I just have no clue with the way Europeans measure things, especially since it's all in German.

Ok, first baby bump photo!

Just kidding. I feel like I am at that awkward stage of a thick middle but no definite "oh she's preggo" baby bump. But, I don't want to rush it because I know the days feel like months once you get big.

Favorite memories from 2010

2011-01-01T01:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve! It sounded like WW3 here last night but we enjoyed all the fireworks. I'm really excited about 2011. I've been dying for December to just be OVER! We have so many exciting changes coming up and I am ready to get the ball rolling. Taking a look back in 2010, I picked some favorite big memories.

We started the year off with a trip to Venice with a group of great friends. Venice was exactly how I pictured it, a city on water! I only wish we could have gone back.

In March we took a road trip to Prague, Czech Republic.

We were so excited when Spring arrived and could wear shorts again. I'm sure my obsession with weather will die down in 2011 when the summers aren't just 6 weeks long!
We picked up the hobby of biking this year. We biked all Spring, Summer and Fall. Miles loved it and it was a great way to stay in shape.

My parents came out to visit in May. We took them to Edelweiss. Everyone had a blast. We all especially enjoyed staying in the tiny cabins in the Alps.

In the late Spring we took the cruise of a lifetime. My family flew to Europe and joined us while we cruised the Western Mediterranean. We went to 3 countries and 6 cities. I will never forget the great time we had.
Shortly after the cruise we decided to go home for the summer for 6 weeks. I will always love Michigan and the quality family time. Living this crazy military lifestyle that keeps us so far away makes me appreciate this place so much.

Fall came quick in Germany. This is my favorite picture of Miles and his best buddy. I just ordered this as a goodbye gift for Jonathan's Mom.
We also had some visitors in the Fall. I know Hyatt and Jeanne had a great time. We enjoyed having them.
In October we went to London. It was amazing and everything I pictured it to be. I enjoyed having no language barrier and found the Brits to be the most polite people!
Shortly after London we found out that I was pregnant! That was very exciting news to us considering we had been trying for so long!

I don't want to bore you with repeats of the same pictures that I've posted the past 2 months. We finished off the year with lots of German fests, snow and Christmas markets.

Here's to 2011! We're moving home to America and welcoming a new baby in the late Spring. It's definitely a year to look forward to.

Days until...

2010-12-29T05:19:00.000-08:00

This post is more for my own mental organization then anything. I've got so many countdowns going on in my head that I'm losing track.

10 days until my good friend Shelly moves to FL.

2.5 weeks until my mom gets here

3.5 weeks until 18 week checkup (wondering if I can talk the Dr. into peaking between baby's legs)

1 month until Brad and I's 6th wedding anniversary

4.5 weeks until we move out of this apartment and into hotel/return borrowed furniture/give keys back to landlord, etc.

5.5 weeks til we ship our car

5.5 weeks until BIG 4-D ultrasound. Will be 20 weeks and get to find out sex!

6 weeks until we board plane to Memphis, TN.

8 weeks until we board plane to San Diego, CA.

Woa! Snow!

2010-12-25T06:55:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!! Hope everyone had a great day with their friends and family. We ended up getting snowed in AGAIN! It's been snowing for 2 days straight now and we have about 2 feet of snow outside. It is still coming down strong. We felt so bad we couldn't make it to our friend's house but there was no way we could get out of our house. So we're on day #2 of being stuck in the house. On a bright note- Brad got me a new camera lens for Christmas!! I've been wanting one forever. This new one has a super zoom and I couldn't wait to try it out so off on another walk we went. Here are some more pics. Hope you aren't sick of snow pictures.

The cars on our street.

Have a seat!

Brad only kept back 1 pair of pants. Why? Who knows. But, I threw them in the wash before our walk not even thinking. So, here he is wearing mine. I can't even repeat some of the comments that came out of his mouth but let's just say there was some major squishage going on. Here is is mid-adjustment.

We are walking down the middle of a "plowed" street here. The snow is no joke this season.

Snowball fight

2010-12-24T06:58:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope everyone is enjoying the season! We took a little walk this afternoon and I brought my camera along (of course). We went out this morning and almost got into a serious wreck. The roads are SO bad. Then as we approached our house we got stuck and just spun and spun. So, unfortunately we have to skip the Christmas Eve service tonight. But, we're enjoying the snow and are happy to have a white Christmas! Here are some pics from this afternoon.

For a little update: We had all our things moved out of our house and everything is now on its way to California! We are living with the bare minimum which has been a bit of a challenge. I kept back 3 plates, cups, silverware, etc. I did not picture myself getting sick to death of hand washing dishes after every meal. I also made sure to keep back plenty of toys for Miles but nothing for myself! My class finished this weekend (got an A- wahoo!) So I'm a little bored while we wait in this limbo stage. It's a little sad when looking around the house and only seeing white walls. We've spent such a big chunk of our marriage/family life here and it will be hard to close the door to this place for the last time. Some days I'm so excited to get on that airplane and other days I fight tears. I guess this is all to be expected with such a big change! We have 6 weeks left!

Sledding

2010-12-18T06:38:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos/video of our sledding today. It was so fun! Miles loved going down the hills by himself. The snow has been hitting hard for about a month now and shows no sign of letting up. Brad has enjoyed the many days of no work and delays. I, however, can not WAIT to be in warm Southern California. I like to my flip-flops too much I guess.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Christmas treats/updates

2010-12-10T00:43:00.000-08:00

We may have been snowed in the past 2 weeks and boggled down with this move but never too busy to pack on the calories with some Christmas treats. Miles is my little Betty Crocker and loves to decorate and sprinkle everything.

I wish I had some lively/exciting things to blog about but our life is just so consumed with this move. I forgot how stressful it is to... ya know, move across the world.

Right now I have about 1-2 appointments a day showing our apartment to potential renters. The movers are coming to pack just about everything we own next week so I am separating the house into things they can take/can't take. We're keeping a small shipment behind to use until the very last day. Unfortunately they are quoting 70 days for our things to reach California. It's going to be very interesting entertaining Miles in a empty house during a German winter.

Our lovely cat Tom did some small damage to our walls. Shredder Tom I should call him. They are quoting us a pretty dime so we decided to fly my mom out here (the woman who used to flip houses for a living) to help us fix the walls ourselves. Hey, it's cheaper! The damage isn't too bad, we just don't want to risk not getting our deposit back. Plus, my mom can help me keep Miles busy and we have her booked on the exact same 15 hour flight back. I think it all worked out pretty nicely. Brad jokes that we'll stick Miles with my mom and pretend we're asleep every time she tries to give him back.

The weather outside is frightful!

2010-11-29T02:59:00.000-08:00

It's a little early for snow but what the heck, I'll take it. I know it's the last time I'm going to see it for years to come. It's been crazy because the weather keeps calling for "a little snow" but it pours down and sticks to everything. The roads were horrible today and we were supposed to go to McDonalds for a playdate. So Miles and I stayed home and played outside instead.

10 weeks

2010-11-26T09:26:00.000-08:00

There's a baby, baby. Although this little baby looks more like an insect or something. I am 10 weeks now and it's crazy to think this 1st trimester will be over in just a couple weeks. It really is true when they say your 2nd pregnancy will fly by.

I'm still pretty sick but am hoping it will end soon. Thanksgiving was interesting because Miles had a pretty gnarly accident in his pants that I had to clean up. That mixed with all the smells of food put me over the edge and we were at a friend's house. Nice...Sorry guys.

Christmas market/Snow Day

2010-11-26T06:04:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't put it past Brad to double the coffee.

Our first BIG snowfall of the year happened last night!

Pics

2010-11-21T07:10:00.000-08:00

Just realized it's been a while since I posted any pictures. We've been pretty busy here with our upcoming move and I've also been struck with horrible morning sickness (all day sickness really). It's been going on for 3 weeks now and it's been one of the biggest physical struggles of my life! The vomiting is usually anywhere from 3-5 times a day and food/smells seems to be my worst enemy. I am only 9 weeks now so I am hoping, PRAYING that I've only got 3 weeks to go. Poor Miles has taken a back seat to life. This is where it sucks to live thousands of miles from Grandma.

Anyway, here are just a few pics from this week.

Choo-choo trains are awesome when it's 30 degrees out!

We put up our tree this weekend. I know it's early but we figured we'll be tearing it down way before Christmas. :(
Last weekend was freaky weather-wise. It was 60 degrees. We went down to where the Christmas market is going to be set up and watced them build. Brad and Miles also helped themselves to some bratwurst. :)

It's time..

2010-11-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

It's official. The ball is now in motion and can not be stopped. We have less than 90 days left in Germany. In case you're curious on what's involved in an overseas move...here is a small preview on the big things.

- Give our landlady a notice (who speaks no English and us no German)

-Ship the first bulk of our household goods to the US

- Get temporary furniture to live on for 6 weeks

-Ship the first car to the US

-Pick up our new XC60

-Get cats vaccinated and ready for re-entry to the States

-Ship the cats to my parents

-Ship the second bulk of household goods to the US

-Disconnect phone/cable/internet

-Turn in our refrigerator and washer/dryer to the Army

-Check out of our apartment and get deposit back

-Move into a hotel

-Ship the second car back to the US

-Find out the sex of our baby (Yay!)

-Fly back to the US!

Wish us luck!

The book of funny

2010-11-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

When I was in MOPS last week, I learned of a great idea and thought I would share. A speaker brought in an old ratty journal and on the front it was called "The Book of Funny." This mother of 3 has been writing down everything that has made her laugh for the past 15 years. Everything from her friends, to family, to work. It's so true that the chaos of life can just totally consume you and you forget all the small and hilarious things of life. Kids say and do so many funny things. Miles has me cracking up all the time but it's crazy how many times I find myself trying to remember what it was. I forget in a matter of days! So, we started our own 'Book of Funny' and I have 2 entries so far.

The first is Miles. Whenever we change him for bed he points to his nipples and calls them "minkles." It makes me smile every time because I have no idea where he learned this. He is so excited to see his minkles and he even has to count them.

The second took place at the pool today between friends.

Me: Dawn, why don't you not wear contacts next time we come and we can do the huge slide?

Dawn: You don't understand I am legally blind without them! I'm so thankful I wasn't born in the Bible times or the 1800's because I would be a beggar on the street.

Brad: Yah, because the Bible was written in the 1800's.

Me: You mean you are like LEGALLY legally blind??

Brad: It doesn't make it any more legally if you add a second legally.

Dawn: Katy, I would need one of those canes.

Aaron (Dawn's husband): You should see her in the morning with the alarm clock. She holds it this close to see the time. (He holds it an inch from his eyeball while squinting).

2010-11-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Veteran's Day!

Think we have a future Veteran on our hands?

Morning sickness...

2010-11-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

is the devil!

I don't know how people have survived this, especially with toddlers.

That being said... Thanks be to God who gave us this little miracle.

change

2010-11-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling so weird lately. I think I am having somewhat of an identity crises. I just hate change and I feel like a rug has been ripped out from under me and pieces are just falling everywhere where they didn't originally belong.

I know this world doesn't revolve around me and many worse things are happening out there. So feel free to just not read this because it's nothing compared to what other people have experienced. I'm just taking some time to write out my thoughts, a little blog therapy.

There are somethings in my childhood that have been constants all the way up until recently. It seems like all at once these things have disappeared and it just leaves me kind of empty. The funny thing is that none of these things have anything to do with me, but the fact that they are disappearing has me very upset, in tears actually, and sometimes I can see how silly it is and other times I can't.

The first one is my parent's cookie store. They've had this franchise since I was 10 years old. (So 16 years now). Sadly, they were victims of the economic crises and my parents lost their job as Cookies By Design owners. Every time I call my mom she is selling the store equipment and I hate it. I feel like a piece of me has died with that dumb cookie store. I have so many memories growing up and decorating cookies, pulling bows, deliveries and it's sad to see it die. I also worry about my parents and how they will make their living. I want them to be ok...

The second is my brother and sister-n-law. They've been together since I was 11 years old and have recently decided to divorce. I can't dish out too much here because I don't want to get myself in trouble but there are so many things that don't make sense to me. I don't understand why. I looked up to them as beating the odds. They were supposed to be together forever. They took vows! They may have had some bumps thrown their way but they were always so in love. I don't even know how to not picture them together. I just don't understand this at all.

Finally, my childhood cat died yesterday. This I'm sure will ease after a few weeks but it's still painful. We got him when I was in 6th grade and he had more lives than any cat out there. I also thought he was going to be around forever. I'm starting to notice a trend here...

Of course Brad and I have some big changes coming up and I'm sure that is triggering why I am a big teary mess right now. I'm sad to be leaving Germany, all the friends we've made, and move from the only house Brad and I spent more than a year at. Miles has so many firsts here and sometimes I wish we could just pick one spot and stay. I'm sad to get into deployment mode again and have to deal with the change of not having my husband for 7 months at a time.

I think God is trying to get my attention right now with all of this. I get so dependent on other things and people and I take comfort when things stay the same and everyone is happy. It's like God has turned my little cushion world upside down so I'll depend on him and not everyone else. I know all the above things sound so petty. But, each one of those things means so much to me. It's time for me to do some serious thinking.

More Fall Faves

2010-11-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

Some friends and I took the boys to play in the leaves today. Of course I can't ever let an opportunity go by where I don't play paparazzi. Here are some more Fall faves.

Wrapping up October

2010-10-31T23:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my Uncle Hyatt and Aunt Jeanne's last day in Europe. They left for home this morning. They stayed a whopping 5 weeks and went to 6 or 7 countries and even more cities.

We're sad to see them go but it's nice to get back to normal life. We took them to the Black Forest yesterday as a last shabang. They loved it. Here are some pics.

The city of Triberg

Jeanne is in 'The House of 1000 Clocks." They ended up buying a very nice clock! The same guy that sold my parents clock to them and our clock to us sold them their clock.

Here are some pics from trickORtreating on Saturday night. The leaves are so gorgeous!

We have a new addition the the family...

2010-10-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here she is! We'll be going to pick her up in Sweden in December. We could have lived off 1 car for forever while living here. Now that our orders are set it's time to think like an American again. Can't believe we have less than 7 months left!

New photobook

2010-10-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

My favorite Fall photos

2010-10-12T06:13:00.000-07:00

Most of these were taken a couple weeks ago at Killesberg park (notice Miles constantly on Brad's shoulders). I just love this time of year and all the colors. The trees have changed and are almost all done falling. Guess that means it's time to beef up for winter!

Madame Tussauds

2010-10-12T04:23:00.000-07:00

Our last night of England was spent at Madame Tussauds. I think most of these pics speak for themselves. Enjoy! :)

Out and about in London

2010-10-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for these signs on the road. I could never tell which direction cars were coming!

View from the Eye

Another view from the eye

Went into Hamely's with a smile...came out with a headache. 7 floors of toys

Have to take time to play hop on the side walk, hop off.

Westminster Abbey was THE highlight of my trip. I will remember this forever!

We took Miles to the giant aquarium for his birthday. He loved it so much.

Tower of London

2010-10-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

The sun finally came out in our whole 3 days here. We were blinded! Ah!

Entering the tower with Uncle Hyatt and Aunt Jeanne. Unfortunately, we were all so wrapped up in the fascinating audio guide that we really didn't get many pictures!

Miles peaking out at the top of the tower.

Outside of the fortress

Happy Birthday, Miles!

2010-10-09T06:16:00.000-07:00

Today Miles is the big 3! Wow, time has really flown. We celebrated on Thursday night with Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Hyatt since we knew we would be in London for the weekend. Today, we took him to Hamley's (famous toy store in London) and this evening we're taking him on the eye. He's so excited to ride it, although it's not much of a ride.

On Thursday night we had a nice dinner, a delicious cake, and opened lots of presents. Here's some pics from Thursday.

Miles "jungle" cake

He was so pumped to eat his cake.

I asked him to show me his teeth. He looks like a crazy man!

He was even more excited to open presents. It was a good birthday for this 3 year old.

We have ORDERS!!

2010-10-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Just when I said it would be a few weeks until we got our orders "the man" offered them today!

We got the choice between Camp Pendleton and Mirmar (in San Diego).

Luckily, we have some native Californians here who helped us decide.

Camp Pendleton it is! We are moving in the beginning of June!

The only downside is that it's back to deployments for Brad. Ugh. I've been spoiled rotten by having him home the past 2 years. I really am not looking forward to that part.

Nevertheless, California is our next home!

So, that being said... last call for visitors! :)

Thanks for all the help!

2010-10-03T04:38:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how many responses and e-mails I got about finding a ball dress. I really appreciate all the feedback. It helped me so much because I'm one of the most indecisive people when it comes to stuff like this.

So here's what I ordered. I got this dress in this color.

If for some reason it doesn't fit/match/or look right then I got this simple dress in royal blue.
Again, thanks so much! Now we just need to find a babysitter for the night! I can't wait!

What a DAY...

2010-09-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

for the Baker family that is...

Uncle Hyatt and Aunt Jeanne arrived in Stuttgart via train at about 11:15 this morning. They had been traveling for about 30 hours. We had totally expected them to go home and take naps, so Brad and I planned to get out of the house and let them sleep.

What did they want to do? Go to VOLKSFEST!

Here are some pics from today in random order. Let me say it's great having uncle Hyatt around. He is just as obsessed as taking pictures as I am and it's so fun to share when the day is done! :)

Here they are on hour 31 at the Stuttgart Haptbahnhof. Still going strong!

This was at the end of the evening, hour ??. We fed them dinner and they didn't last much longer with those full bellies.

This is Miles future Halloween costume. Aunt Jeanne found this wonderful get-up for us. It's a dino you can ride. Miles loves it.

Back tracking- here we are at the Fest. Miles and Brad are in a fun house. When it was over Brad said it was the weirdest thing he'd ever experienced.

We are eating lunch in a traditional fest tent. Uncle Hyatt accidently ordered a beer. How do you manage to do that in Germany? (the biggest beer drinking country in the world?) So, I exchanged my diet coke with him and took one for the team. I had about 4 sips and was done. Do you see how huge those things are?

This slide was insane!

Pretzel venders everywhere! Behind is one of the many giant tents. They put those tents up just for the 3 week fest and then tear it down.

Today was "Soldier Day" at the fest. This is where all the soldiers from around the world go into 1 tent and celebrate together. Brad's work happened to be invited to this and we walked by and peeked in and they were standing on the tables singing YMCA. Our guys had also started switching uniforms with the Germans. Hmm...

HELP me find a dress already!

2010-09-24T06:04:00.000-07:00

Calling all fashionistas... or anyone with eyes. I am totally consumed in trying to find a dress for the Marine Corps Ball and I have no idea what I'm doing. I hate that I can't try them on but they are decently priced so I am going to order 2 of them and hope that one is the glass slipper.

These dresses take a month to ship (to a normal person) and the ball is 6 weeks away.

Any of them bedazzle you? They had some super fancy ones but I just can't bring myself to dress up like a princess. These are all pretty much fit my comfort level and style. By the way... I can change the color so it'll be either navy blue, red, champagne or gold to match Brad's blues!

Thanks so much for any help! You can vote to the right. Did I tell you how much I love you for your input? Gosh I miss shopping with the girls.

Dress A

http://www.lightinthebox.com/_p69190.html?sms_ss=email

Dress B

Dress C

Dress D

Dress E

http://www.lightinthebox.com/_p24207.html?sms_ss=email

Dress F

Dress G

http://www.lightinthebox.com/_p69191.html?sms_ss=email

Dress H

http://www.lightinthebox.com/_p67015.html?sms_ss=email

Dress I

http://www.lightinthebox.com/_p24129.html?sms_ss=email

Whoops! Found one more that pole won't let me add.

Dress J

http://www.lightinthebox.com/_p67982.html?sms_ss=email

Traumland

2010-09-18T05:14:00.000-07:00

After a long week of Miles being sick with bronchitis and a double ear infection, we decided to do something different and fun for him this weekend. We went to Traumland (which means dreamland in English). Half the fun was driving there. We drove through huge mountains where all the leaves were in the middle of changing and passed 2 castles. One of them was Lichtenstein, a castle we took my parents to a couple years ago.

Little did we know, this place was on the top of some huge mountain and it was only 40 degrees (according to our car and numb fingers). We were not dressed properly at all. Nevertheless, it was a great time and it was nice to take a long drive and see more of Germany.

At the top of a ferris wheel. Man, I hate heights.

They had all these little houses that represented the old fashioned- German fairy tails. Can you guess what this one is?

Another miniature house... the story is inside this time.

Piano Tribute Players

2010-09-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

I have a newfound love for piano since discovering the piano tribute players. These guys have taken almost every song out there and remade it on the piano and it makes my ears melt. They've done everything from pop, country, Christian, rock...everything. I find myself listening to them every night while I do my math homework. They even re-did Katy Perry's stupid song California gurls and made it sound great.

Here's one of my fave's: How to Save a Life.

Ludwigsburg PumpkinFest 2010

2010-09-13T05:24:00.000-07:00

We came back to the pumpkinfest this year to see what it was all about. This year: Marine life! It was pretty cool to see all the things they came up with.

Notice the sea turtles below the trees.

Wave surfer

Shopping for pumpkins. I ended up buying an assortment for a Euro each. I threw them al into a a glass bowl and made a centerpiece for the living room.

Beautiful gardens of Ludwigsburg palace. This is where I took the pictures of the flowers yesterday. A picture just can't give this place any justice.

Same bee...different picture. He was HUGE!

Happy

2010-09-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying the last few weeks of Germany's gorgeous flowers before Fall takes over. By the way... I took about 20 shots of that bee and ended up royally ticking him off. Perhaps too close for too long? He chased after me in a crowded garden. I made a complete fool of myself screaming and pushing people over to get away from his rage. At least I got my shot. :)

Sunflowers galore...

2010-09-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

We've been doing a lot of bike riding lately and discovered a family farm flower patch. They have a drop box and ask for donations for picking flowers. This place was so neat (minus the bees). We picked our own little bouquet today! Sunflowers are my favorite so I was in luck. :)

This is the one!

Our bouquet!

Fun with snake

2010-09-04T23:53:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo the other day and what normally is a 20 minute drive turned into 2 hours. Miles did fantastic sitting all that time in his carseat though. No complaining or crying, just a happy Miles. So to reward him we took him to the gift shop and let him pick out a stuffed animal...a snake. Here's what our zoo day was like.

Hey we can strangle people with this thing!

including myself!

Or stick it in monkey's cages...

Look...a real snake

Let's crawl all over the zoo floor with our snake!

Our only snake-free picture

What's new.

2010-09-02T03:41:00.000-07:00

We've finally adjusted to life back in Germany. Here is what we're up to these days.

5. Miles is now fully potty-trained. This is so nice and stressful all at the same time. It's great when we are home because I change no diapers anymore. Stressful when we're out because you have to pay to use the bathrooms in Europe. This can be difficult when Miles is not sure if he has to go or I KNOW he has to go and he won't admit it and we have limited change. Bathrooms are also few and far between. What to Germans do with little kids?? Oh that's right, they don't pro-create here.

4. School has started (for us). Brad is taking 2 full-time condensed classes and me part-time. Although my class feels like full time. I'm taking a math class (something I haven't taken and actually passed since highschool). However, I'm learning that math is actually kinda of fun if you take time to understand it. This is something I couldn't fathom my freshman year of college (with an old boyfriend sitting next to me.) That's probably why I flunked that one.

3. No German kindergarten for Miles. I'll probably kick myself for this 10 years down the road, but frankly I'm just not comfortable dropping him off in a foreign environment where I can't even communicate with the teacher if I needed to. The German's approach towards kids is just too much for me to swallow. (That's a whole other post). I've just heard one too many horror stories from my friends who have put their children in kindergarten. So instead...

2. I joined MOPS and enrolled Miles in gymnastics and kindermusik. That's 3 programs a week. We also still have our bi-monthly playgroup. That should be enough to help us survive our winter...right?

1. We booked a trip to London, England! We've been to London once for a total of 7 hours and saw the city through a speeding bus. Most of my pictures are of me and my camera reflecting off the bus window. It's really been the only place that I've been dying to see since before moving here! My aunt and uncle might be joining us as well so it will be a great time! We're going October 8-11. Crossing our fingers for no rain!

Stuttgart weindorf

2010-08-29T23:28:00.000-07:00

Let the German fests begin! This is probably the most fun time to live in Germany. These fests are so full of tradition and culture and we really enjoy participating in them during our short tour here. Yesterday we went to the weindorf or winefest. This is our second year trying it out. You basically walk around from booth to booth (each one completely differently) and if you are a big wine drinker (which we're not) than you can sample these wines from all over. There is also a ton of food and snacks. It's in downtown Stuttgart and I can't ever get enough of the gorgeous buildings and scenery down there.

Our menu... good thing Brad is almost an expert in German now.

One of the booths

Our lunch...Bratwurst (Brad's) and Spatzel (mine)

We each tried a glass of local wine. Not bad!

German donuts. Mmm!

Hanging out while we finish our glass of wine and donuts (never thought I'd say that sentence)

We ran into the Marston family. Shelly is one of my favorite people out here! She is a great friend who keeps me sane through the winters.

Miles and his buddy Jack

We're home

2010-08-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

It's over... back to real life. We got in at 9am this morning. Miles was the only one who slept on the plane last night because there was a screaming 2 year old sitting behind us. She screamed that ear piercing scream almost the entire flight. Ugh. I don't know how Miles slept through that. But it's all over now!

We got in and our car was deader than a doornail. We had to call ADAC (German version of AAA) and had to purchase a 150 Euro battery on the spot. Good stuff!

It's now 7:30pm Germany time which means we've been awake for 31 hours! It's funny how riding in my parents motorhome to Detroit feels like this morning when it was well over 24 hours ago. Who needs alcohol? Just stay up a full day and you get the same affect. :)

Here are some more pics from the last week that didn't make the cut.

This pic is for you Brad. See what an awesome pic this could have been had I gotten that nice big ol' lens? :)

We're at the beach getting ready for Pentwater's annual firework show.

Miles had his own chair too