The internet guy came today! We officially have internet again! So, let me update you all on everything!
Hopefully, you can watch the house tour video I just put up. However, I shot that last week and we have had so many changes already! Last weekend we bought a couch in Rolla. We sold our couch to Noah-Beth when we moved in with my mom, so we needed one. It is a really nice brown sectional that fits a few more people than our last couch. Next, we bought curtains for the living room. It only took two trips to Walmart to pick out the perfect ones, so we now in business. I also moved the lamp that you see in the bathroom of the house tour into the living room. So, it has felt amazing to actually have a place to sit and feel normal!
We still have to eat all of our meals on the stairs, which is really hard with Marley.And the sleeping situation isn't very fun either. After the first night, I started putting Marley on a pallet on the floor. She will sleep there for about half of the night, and then join us again. There is just not enough space on the air mattress. Once we get our stuff up here, the process of teaching Marley to sleep in her own bed will begin. But for now, we are just making it work this way.
Asa has been getting up every morning at 5:15 am and heading to PT. He said it is so much harder than anything they did in training. He said the unit he is in actually does real PT, while some units do not. But we both agree that its a good thing he is in the unit he is in. At least he will be deployed with people who are in shape. His whole first week was just tons of paperwork. He had to go to meetings, fill out tons of things, get issued gear, and drive from one office to another, just to be told to go back to the other one. He said it was frustrating, but luckily this week is a little more normal. We had been wondering what he will actually do during the day here, and it seems they just train. They practice all kind of things, sit around, work out, and clean evidently. He has found out a new thing every day. So far he says that for about a month this summer he will be training in Kansas, and they told him he will most like deploy next February or March. The unit he is in has not been deployed since July of 2008, so they really are getting their 2 years of wait in between. So, that is really great news!
We get to come home this weekend also! His leave starts this Friday and he has to be back on Monday the 12th. So, we are hurrying home to visit all of our family and friends and pack all of our stuff to get it up here. I had no idea what a big deal it would be to just take a trip home. Evidently in the Army if you plan to go more than 250 miles away, you have to have permission and a pass to do so. Asa had to fill out tons of paperwork, take a driving safety course, and has to check in with his Sargent while we are gone. I really didn't imagine it was that serious, but evidently the Army like to keep a very close eye on everyone. That kind of ruins our plans to just come home one weekend if we feel like it. We will still be able to meet people in Arkansas, which is better than nothing, but I wish it's wasn't such a huge deal to go visit our families!
Anyway, at least we get to come home for 10 days right now. We are planning to leave as soon as Asa gets off of work tomorrow and drive as long as we can without stopping. And Friday, we should be hanging out with our families!
Marley has been such a great sport through the past 2 weeks. Hell, she has been a great sport for the past 6 months! She loves having her Daddy with her every day. They get to play and laugh together, which she really missed doing with him. At the beginning of it just being the three of us, she would get really really upset when he left. Even if he was just going in the bathroom, she would cry. She did a constant roll-call and never wants anyone to be missing. But now she is getting better. I tell her every morning when he leaves that he is going to work and he will be back. And he tells me when he is getting close to home so we can run to the window and wait for him. They both light up when he comes down the driveway and she runs out to give get a hug. She misses him so much during the day!
She is getting a little attitude, though. Maybe it's because she wants to feel like she has control over something because things are so chaotic, or maybe she is just getting to "that age". But either way, it is hard to keep her happy all day. Without a car, we spend our days at the house, pretty bored. I get frustrated that we don't have anything to do, and she gets frustrated I that I'm not entertaining her. Until today, they weather was cold and rainy... not going outside weather. So, it's really hard to stay happy all day. I cannot wait until we get my car and Marley and I can actually do things during the day. We are both so bored during the day, that the second Asa gets home, I want to leave! Walmart, the park, the PX... I pretty much want to go anywhere we can. But Marley is lucking out in the evenings and getting to visit all sort of new parks!
Even with her little attitude, she is still the most perfect little girl I could ask for. Today, I was looking at her, just amazed at how beautiful she is. Her hair is getting so long, her skin is so soft, and her eyes are so bright. She is such a fantastic little person these days, so grown up and sweet. I need to start recording more of the things she is saying and doing now. She cracks me up at least every 5 minutes with something new.
Ok, that's all for now until I can think of what I missed. It is 11 pm now, and I was supposed to go to bed when Asa did. I am going to try to get on his schedule (up at 5:15 am, asleep by 9:30 pm) so that we actually have time to spend together! Hopefully I can get my homework done or a workout in before Marley wakes up in the mornings! Oh, and I'll upload some pictures tomorrow!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
A lot to catch up on
Oh, how I wish I could have been blogging this past week!I had the internet guy come out to our new house last Thursday, but when he got here he discovered there was not a cable running to the house to run the internet. So, unfortunately that means I have been missing everything except for what my phone will load. The past week has held some many events that I will try to remember to mention, but this is why I should be blogging every day… I forget!
Wednesday 3/24/10:
I spent the morning packing while Asa went to work.Thankfully, they let him off in time to come back to the hotel and help me get everything in the truck before we headed to the realty office for the keys! They came to the house with us and did the inspection. They took pictures of all the problems and called the workers out to fix most of them that day.
After lunch Asa had to go back to work. There were people all over the house, so I decided that I didn’t want to stay here alone. Asa had been taking the truck to work, so Marley and I would have been stuck here with nothing to do.There were people in the kitchen fixing appliances, in the basement banging on things, and outside blowing the leaves. None of that was conducive for Marley to take a nap, so I decided we should go spend the afternoon on post. Marley took about a 30 minute nap in the car and then we walked to the PX and did some shopping. They have my favorite kind of ice cream there (Baskin Robbins) and we walked through the main store for a while. We even ran into some of Asa’s friends from training. I felt like a real Army wife, walking around the PX with my baby! But we soon got bored since I couldn’t really buy anything and carry it on the stroller. So, I set out in search of a park.
We walked for probably 30 minutes. I had to pass by a few parks that looked a little shabby or had too many people, but we finally found one. It was a good size for Marley, and empty! So, Marley and I rode down the slides together and raced up the stairs. We had a lot of fun until she spotted the much bigger playground across the park. We trekked over to the bigger, but busier park and she loved it! I didn’t get to climb all over this one with her since there were so many other kids, but that might have been why she liked it so much! There was a 20-month-old little boy and a 21-month-old little girl that she made friends with. Asa called and said he would be getting off at 4:30, so Marley and I waited patiently at a picnic table for 20 minutes. In that time, I figured out that I had not brought the diaper bag or anything to drink or eat. She was starving, thirsty, and poopy. That is three major mom mistakes in one afternoon. And boy was Marley mad about it. She was so histerical by the time Asa got there that she didn’t want anything to do with me. He saved her by feeding her, changing her, and giving her some water, and I was the evil mommy she glared at from Daddy’s lap.
Asa invited his friends Reinier and Brittian over for dinner at our new house. He bought a cheap little grill and everything to make hamburgers at Walmart and we all had a little bar-b-que. They were leaving the next morning for Airborne school, so this was their hoorah. Marley loved Brittian, and followed him around all night flirting with him.
We spent our first night all in a queen size bed (which we ended up changing the next night). It was fun to have a little house, but unfortunate that the maids weren’t there to clean up the room the next day. We couldn’t hear the highway at all like I thought we would be able to and actually slept really well! All together as a family!
Wednesday 3/24/10:
I spent the morning packing while Asa went to work.Thankfully, they let him off in time to come back to the hotel and help me get everything in the truck before we headed to the realty office for the keys! They came to the house with us and did the inspection. They took pictures of all the problems and called the workers out to fix most of them that day.
After lunch Asa had to go back to work. There were people all over the house, so I decided that I didn’t want to stay here alone. Asa had been taking the truck to work, so Marley and I would have been stuck here with nothing to do.There were people in the kitchen fixing appliances, in the basement banging on things, and outside blowing the leaves. None of that was conducive for Marley to take a nap, so I decided we should go spend the afternoon on post. Marley took about a 30 minute nap in the car and then we walked to the PX and did some shopping. They have my favorite kind of ice cream there (Baskin Robbins) and we walked through the main store for a while. We even ran into some of Asa’s friends from training. I felt like a real Army wife, walking around the PX with my baby! But we soon got bored since I couldn’t really buy anything and carry it on the stroller. So, I set out in search of a park.
We walked for probably 30 minutes. I had to pass by a few parks that looked a little shabby or had too many people, but we finally found one. It was a good size for Marley, and empty! So, Marley and I rode down the slides together and raced up the stairs. We had a lot of fun until she spotted the much bigger playground across the park. We trekked over to the bigger, but busier park and she loved it! I didn’t get to climb all over this one with her since there were so many other kids, but that might have been why she liked it so much! There was a 20-month-old little boy and a 21-month-old little girl that she made friends with. Asa called and said he would be getting off at 4:30, so Marley and I waited patiently at a picnic table for 20 minutes. In that time, I figured out that I had not brought the diaper bag or anything to drink or eat. She was starving, thirsty, and poopy. That is three major mom mistakes in one afternoon. And boy was Marley mad about it. She was so histerical by the time Asa got there that she didn’t want anything to do with me. He saved her by feeding her, changing her, and giving her some water, and I was the evil mommy she glared at from Daddy’s lap.
Asa invited his friends Reinier and Brittian over for dinner at our new house. He bought a cheap little grill and everything to make hamburgers at Walmart and we all had a little bar-b-que. They were leaving the next morning for Airborne school, so this was their hoorah. Marley loved Brittian, and followed him around all night flirting with him.
We spent our first night all in a queen size bed (which we ended up changing the next night). It was fun to have a little house, but unfortunate that the maids weren’t there to clean up the room the next day. We couldn’t hear the highway at all like I thought we would be able to and actually slept really well! All together as a family!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Beautiful?
Beautiful? from Jillian Shaw on Vimeo.
Marley started saying her version of "beautiful" a little while ago, and I wanted to share it with everyone. It may not sound a whole lot like beautiful, but she definitely knows what it means! She is the sweetest baby in the world, always telling me how beautiful I am!
Nana
Nana from Jillian Shaw on Vimeo.
Mary taught her this last weekend when she was here. I fell over laughing at the cuteness the first day she was doing it. Isn't it adorable?!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Yesterday and This Morning
Yesterday was Asa's first day of Army work! I got up with him and helped him get everything together. I could tell he was really nervous, since neither of us knew what the day had in store for either of us.
Marley was exhausted and not ready to wake up at 6:45 am, so she slept right through me getting her dressed, Asa carrying her to the car, and dropping him off at work!
He had to be there at 7:15 am, for a day of paper work and processing. He said that he managed to get through the entire day without getting in trouble or doing anything wrong. He met the guys in his unit and said they are all really nice.Marley and I kept ourselves busy with a trip to the park! The weekend was miserably rainy, so when the sun peaked out from behind a cloud in the morning, I threw her in the car and we went to the park. It was a little colder than I wanted it to be, but she had a blast! She knows when we drive by a park now, and goes crazy with excitement!
After a trip to Walmart, lunch, and a nap, Marley and I went back to the park again. It was much warmer this time, and there were also tons of other kids there. She loves going down the slide after me... we probably did that no less than 10 times. While we were at the park, Asa called and said that he couldn't do any more paper work until he found a place to live. It was top priority, so his Sargent drove him around looking at places all afternoon. We looked all over and finally decided on a place (a different place than the one we had picked out Friday).
So, we decided at 5 pm, right when the office was closing, that we wanted that house. We ran back to the office and they ended up staying open for us for an hour, while we filled out the application and did other paperwork. They approved us, but we didn't have the cash for deposit, so we had to come back first thing this morning. We ended up going with one of the realtors to look at the inside (yes, we decided we wanted it but simply looking in the windows) and it was way bigger than it looked like from the outside. It has two bedrooms, which are both a great size, and 1 and a half bathrooms. The tub in enormous and it has new appliances. There are a few cosmetic things that Asa will want to do, but nothing major. I left the house so so excited about living there!We went and had dinner in Rolla and went to the bank there to get the deposit. Earlier in the day, I bought Marley and I a swim suit at Walmart. So, when we got back to the hotel, we went swimming! Marley LOVED it! She has only been swimming twice in her life, and this time was definitely the most successful! We taught her to kick, paddle her arms, and even put her face in the water. She kept saying "bath" like we were all taking a bath together! And she was very heartbroken to leave.
This morning, we were at the realtor's office 10 minutes before they opened, and gave them the deposit. We signed the lease and then ran all over town setting up the utilities. We ended up finding out that the house is on a well and has its own septic tank, so will not have to pay for either of those. And we can move in tomorrow morning! I am so excited! No word yet on when we will be coming home to move, but as soon as I know everyone will know. I am so happy that tonight it our last night in a hotel and tomorrow Marley, Asa and I will have room to spread out!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
In Limbo
I am no going o write about the graduation events or surprises until I have all of the pictures from everyone else who was there. My camera wasn't out to capture everything, so i am missing some important pictures! So, I will post it when I get them.
Until then, you should know that we are doing great! The whole weekend went really great and it was way more successful than I could have planned. Asa, Marley, and I are still in Missouri and staying in a hotel waiting for the next plan. After his graduation on Friday, we went house hunting and found a great house. It is in the price range we want and it is in good enough shape on the inside that we will not have to do anything to it. Which is great, since we may be moving in 6 months if Asa deploys. So, we filled out an application at the realtor's office, but we will not find out until tomorrow whether or not it went through. If it does not for some reason, we will just have to move on to the next option I guess. There isn't really one set up yet, but hopefully we will discover it.
We were staying in our hotel in Rolla up until tonight. Asa has his first day of work tomorrow, so we needed to be closer to base. We moved in to the Baymont Inn in Saint Robert today, and since this hotel room has a refrigerator, we were able to buy some good food to go in it. My stomach is very done with eating out all the time. Hopefully in the next few days we can all recuperate from all the rich food we have been eating.
We spent Saturday (yesterday) in Springfield. It was going to be a pretty nasty day, so we drove to Bass Pro Shop and spent the afternoon wandering around there with Bill, Mary, and Emily. All of our other family members had to leave on Friday after graduation, but the three of them stayed until Saturday afternoon. I was so great to feel like a normal family again, just going shopping together. It still hits me as a little weird when we realize that something is different that we both will have to get used to, but everything is working itself out. Marley slept all the way there and back, so it was nice to have that time to actually talk to each other!
Speaking of Marley, she is SO happy to have her daddy back! She is actually jealous when he wants to hug someone else, and puts herself in the middle of it! We were laughing about the fact that she was kind of blocking people with her arm if Asa was holding her and someone else tried to hug him! She checks for him constantly, and starts crying if he ever leaves the room without her. I am so relieved that she still remembers him and has a bond with him that obviously can't be taken away. And she makes him light up and turn into a mushy man, even in front of his friends. I am so so happy they have each other.
She has not been sleeping well at all, which is really exhausting. But I can't blame her... she has a whole lot of stuff going on and it has got to be hard for her right now. Her schedule is all messed up, were are living in a hotel, she doesn't have her normal people around, she's getting two new teeth, she doesn't have her favorite toys, and she can tell that I am stressed about our situation. I hope that we can make things as normal as possible for her. She had a lot of fun tonight: we spent the whole evening just hanging out in the hotel room. She got to run around barefoot and crawl all over the bed and dance to music. I could tell how much happier she was to not be running all over town and to just be able to act like a kid. She went to sleep so much easier and will hopefully sleep well tonight.
Tomorrow is Asa's first day of work, and we have to get him to the office by 7:15 am. My best hour! Since we only have one car, Marley and I will have to drop him off and pick him up. And hopefully we will hear from the realty office tomorrow about our house. Once Asa gets to his unit and talks to his Commander, he can figure out when we will be moving. They are usually given 10 days to go home and move their belongings. We are trying to get that to start later this week so that we can move over Easter weekend. That would be ideal for us and for our helpers (my mom and Joel). I'm just so ready to have a plan. Even if it is not exactly perfect, at least its a plan that we can act on and make arrangements for. This living in a hotel business is getting old, and not having our stuff is even older. I haven't been good at taking pictures the past two days, but I definitely will tomorrow! I need pictures of Asa on his first day of Army work! Everyone be thinking about him!
Until then, you should know that we are doing great! The whole weekend went really great and it was way more successful than I could have planned. Asa, Marley, and I are still in Missouri and staying in a hotel waiting for the next plan. After his graduation on Friday, we went house hunting and found a great house. It is in the price range we want and it is in good enough shape on the inside that we will not have to do anything to it. Which is great, since we may be moving in 6 months if Asa deploys. So, we filled out an application at the realtor's office, but we will not find out until tomorrow whether or not it went through. If it does not for some reason, we will just have to move on to the next option I guess. There isn't really one set up yet, but hopefully we will discover it.
We were staying in our hotel in Rolla up until tonight. Asa has his first day of work tomorrow, so we needed to be closer to base. We moved in to the Baymont Inn in Saint Robert today, and since this hotel room has a refrigerator, we were able to buy some good food to go in it. My stomach is very done with eating out all the time. Hopefully in the next few days we can all recuperate from all the rich food we have been eating.
We spent Saturday (yesterday) in Springfield. It was going to be a pretty nasty day, so we drove to Bass Pro Shop and spent the afternoon wandering around there with Bill, Mary, and Emily. All of our other family members had to leave on Friday after graduation, but the three of them stayed until Saturday afternoon. I was so great to feel like a normal family again, just going shopping together. It still hits me as a little weird when we realize that something is different that we both will have to get used to, but everything is working itself out. Marley slept all the way there and back, so it was nice to have that time to actually talk to each other!
Speaking of Marley, she is SO happy to have her daddy back! She is actually jealous when he wants to hug someone else, and puts herself in the middle of it! We were laughing about the fact that she was kind of blocking people with her arm if Asa was holding her and someone else tried to hug him! She checks for him constantly, and starts crying if he ever leaves the room without her. I am so relieved that she still remembers him and has a bond with him that obviously can't be taken away. And she makes him light up and turn into a mushy man, even in front of his friends. I am so so happy they have each other.
She has not been sleeping well at all, which is really exhausting. But I can't blame her... she has a whole lot of stuff going on and it has got to be hard for her right now. Her schedule is all messed up, were are living in a hotel, she doesn't have her normal people around, she's getting two new teeth, she doesn't have her favorite toys, and she can tell that I am stressed about our situation. I hope that we can make things as normal as possible for her. She had a lot of fun tonight: we spent the whole evening just hanging out in the hotel room. She got to run around barefoot and crawl all over the bed and dance to music. I could tell how much happier she was to not be running all over town and to just be able to act like a kid. She went to sleep so much easier and will hopefully sleep well tonight.
Tomorrow is Asa's first day of work, and we have to get him to the office by 7:15 am. My best hour! Since we only have one car, Marley and I will have to drop him off and pick him up. And hopefully we will hear from the realty office tomorrow about our house. Once Asa gets to his unit and talks to his Commander, he can figure out when we will be moving. They are usually given 10 days to go home and move their belongings. We are trying to get that to start later this week so that we can move over Easter weekend. That would be ideal for us and for our helpers (my mom and Joel). I'm just so ready to have a plan. Even if it is not exactly perfect, at least its a plan that we can act on and make arrangements for. This living in a hotel business is getting old, and not having our stuff is even older. I haven't been good at taking pictures the past two days, but I definitely will tomorrow! I need pictures of Asa on his first day of Army work! Everyone be thinking about him!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Family Day!
We all got to Fort Leonard Wood the night before family day. It was a great feeling to have our families together for something exciting like this! We all had dinner at Panera in Rolla and made a trip to Walmart. We even got to enjoy the late-night cookies together in the hotel lobby. Marley was so excited to see Asa. For two days I had been saying, "We're on our way to see Daddy!" She was probably starting to wonderif I was lying! But luckily she went to sleep easily and we got to wake up the next morning and see him for real!
The anticipation was killing me! We got up early, got all dressed up, ate at the hotel breakfast, and then caravaned to Fort Leonard Wood. We knew that Asa would be allowed to leave for the day around 9 am so the whole family was ready to go. Asa had told me the night before where we would meet him so we waited patiently outside. We found tons of recent graduates everywhere. We searched and searched through them, Marley thinking each one could be Dada, but we couldn't find him anywhere. Bill and Joel were asking Drill Sargents, and I was getting worried he was in trouble somewhere. Marley was annoyed that we had been talking about seeing Daddy for so long and now we couldn't find him!
He finally called and had told us to wait outside of the wrong building! But it almost made me more nervous to know that we were really about to see him! He was outside looking for us! And then we finally spotted him! I was walking behind everyone, but they all parted down the middle and let me run up to him with Marley. He had tears in his eyes when we got to him and hugged us so tight. And then immediately took Marley from me!
He looked so great! All the pins on his jacket, the tears in his eyes and the smile of his face. He was so happy that all of us were there, and he was proud that everyone was there for him! We all took tons of pictures as he made his way through the crowd and hugged everyone. Marley stayed in his arms most of the time, giving the stink eye to the people who were trying to hug him. At one point he put her down to pick up Malachi and she did NOT like that! She got her Daddy back, and she wasn't about to let him go again!
You can read about the next few minutes here, and see why Asa's smile was this huge!
The anticipation was killing me! We got up early, got all dressed up, ate at the hotel breakfast, and then caravaned to Fort Leonard Wood. We knew that Asa would be allowed to leave for the day around 9 am so the whole family was ready to go. Asa had told me the night before where we would meet him so we waited patiently outside. We found tons of recent graduates everywhere. We searched and searched through them, Marley thinking each one could be Dada, but we couldn't find him anywhere. Bill and Joel were asking Drill Sargents, and I was getting worried he was in trouble somewhere. Marley was annoyed that we had been talking about seeing Daddy for so long and now we couldn't find him!
He finally called and had told us to wait outside of the wrong building! But it almost made me more nervous to know that we were really about to see him! He was outside looking for us! And then we finally spotted him! I was walking behind everyone, but they all parted down the middle and let me run up to him with Marley. He had tears in his eyes when we got to him and hugged us so tight. And then immediately took Marley from me!
He looked so great! All the pins on his jacket, the tears in his eyes and the smile of his face. He was so happy that all of us were there, and he was proud that everyone was there for him! We all took tons of pictures as he made his way through the crowd and hugged everyone. Marley stayed in his arms most of the time, giving the stink eye to the people who were trying to hug him. At one point he put her down to pick up Malachi and she did NOT like that! She got her Daddy back, and she wasn't about to let him go again!You can read about the next few minutes here, and see why Asa's smile was this huge!
By this time it was almost lunch, so we all packed up i nour cars and headed back to Rolla. Asa got to drie his truck, which made him very happy! We all went to Applebee's for lunch and then headed back to the hotel for everyone's nap time!
While the kids were napping, most of the adults played cards in the hotel lobby. The Vermeulen family loves to play games together and it was so great to see the four of them getting to it again!
After Marley woke up, we decided we should all go to a fantastic park they have in Rolla. Kids could never get bored here, it's amazing! So, we played and played! Even the adults in the group.
My grandparents were here by then, so we all needed to get cleaned up before dinner. We showered and got dressed in our cute outfits for our reservations at the Matt's steakhouse! I somehow managed to not take a single picture from dinner, which makes me really sad, but it was great! Marley and Billy were a little grouchy, but the food was great and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. It will definitely be our date night restaurant!
Since Marley was ready for bed, Bill drove Asa back to base that night. It was his last night to stay in training! He was so excited about being done, but even more excited to show off the pictures of his new truck to his friends! Evidently they said he had an awesome wife!!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Leaving tomorrow!!
I seriously cannot believe we are leaving tomorrow to go to Asa's graduation! I am sooooooo excited to see him and Marley is even more excited than I am. She is constantly asking about him at this point, and always wants to watch videos of him. We have a group of about 10 pictures of him on my iPhone, and she literally just wants to go through those ten pictures every 10 minutes. She shoves my phone at me, yelling "Dada Dada" until I find the pictures. I usually make her say please so she gets some manners in there, but there is no way I can tell her I don't want to do it anymore. Even though it wears me out, it's her Daddy for crying out loud, and she misses him!
So, needless to say, i am very ready for her to see him. and I'm sure he is very ready to see her. The Drill Sargents told them that they would get their phones back this past Sunday night so that they could call home. But, of course, they did not get their phones back. Since he was on a FTX all last week and wasn't able to send any letters, I have not heard from him in over a week. So, I have no idea if things have changed or how long Marley and I will be staying up there or when we are moving. Everything is up in the air and it is making me a little bit anxious.
But it will all be worth it in the end when Marley gets to hug her Daddy! When we up there at the beginning of February, she could not stop staring at him! It was like she couldn't figure out if she was dreaming or not... it was adorable. She wouldn't let him out of her sight and didn't want him paying attention to anyone else. So, this time is going to be even more fantastic, because we don't have to worry about him leaving again in 24 hours. We can relax and enjoy our time together. Hopefully, we can look for a house together, get all the paperwork done that we need to do, and just figure out how to be a family of three again.
I have almost everything packed, with just a few things left to do tomorrow. We are leaving around 11 and driving to Little Rock to spend the night with my aunt Shirley and Uncle Frank. They have never met Marley, and we are very excited to see each other! And then Wednesday morning, we are heading to Missouri. I am so excited about how many people are coming; Asa is going to really know how much our families love and support him. And how proud they are of him! I will be alone in the hotel room Thursday night, so hopefully I can write a blog about the day. Something very, very exciting is in store!
So, needless to say, i am very ready for her to see him. and I'm sure he is very ready to see her. The Drill Sargents told them that they would get their phones back this past Sunday night so that they could call home. But, of course, they did not get their phones back. Since he was on a FTX all last week and wasn't able to send any letters, I have not heard from him in over a week. So, I have no idea if things have changed or how long Marley and I will be staying up there or when we are moving. Everything is up in the air and it is making me a little bit anxious.
But it will all be worth it in the end when Marley gets to hug her Daddy! When we up there at the beginning of February, she could not stop staring at him! It was like she couldn't figure out if she was dreaming or not... it was adorable. She wouldn't let him out of her sight and didn't want him paying attention to anyone else. So, this time is going to be even more fantastic, because we don't have to worry about him leaving again in 24 hours. We can relax and enjoy our time together. Hopefully, we can look for a house together, get all the paperwork done that we need to do, and just figure out how to be a family of three again.
I have almost everything packed, with just a few things left to do tomorrow. We are leaving around 11 and driving to Little Rock to spend the night with my aunt Shirley and Uncle Frank. They have never met Marley, and we are very excited to see each other! And then Wednesday morning, we are heading to Missouri. I am so excited about how many people are coming; Asa is going to really know how much our families love and support him. And how proud they are of him! I will be alone in the hotel room Thursday night, so hopefully I can write a blog about the day. Something very, very exciting is in store!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Cute Things Marley is Doing
Marley's new way to distract me when I am trying to put her to sleep is to kiss me over and over again. She will kiss me on the lips, the cheek, the hand, the nose, wherever she can, saying "Mama Mama Mama" between each one. At first I was trying to be very serious, so she wouldn't think it was a new bedtime game. But then I just couldn't help it. I had to smile, hold her tight and kiss her back. She's so adorable, even if she is trying to avoid going to sleep.
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She loves to do yoga with me! Even when I don't feel like doing it, she will lie down on the yoga mat and throw her legs up in the air. She stretches her arms up, drops her legs to each side, and especially loved downward dog!
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She is also developing a temper lately. Is it possible to already be entering the Terrible Twos? My mom swears there is no such thing, and I definitely won't ever really think she's terrible. But she just really likes things her way lately! If she isn't getting it, she will scream, slam her hands down and pout. I try really hard to make her stop and ask nicely for whatever it is, and hopefully that will start working. It's really hard when I am distracted. I tend to just give her whatever it is so that I can finish the call with the USAA people or addressing Asa's letter, but I can't keep doing that. I have to start being a strict mommy I guess...
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Lastly, I am so amazed by Marley's memory lately! When we were in Missouri, we took Asa to get his hair cut. And then last week, we walked by a hair salon in the mall (which looked nothing like the one in Missouri) and she just started screaming "Dada Dada" and running toward it! It broke my heart! She will remember how we played with a toy randomly a month ago, or where the bubbles were hidden after the last time we used it weeks ago. She can hide her own toy in a random box and then when I ask her where it is the next day, she can go right to it. She recognizes Walgreens, which is where we pick up pictures for Asa, and she starts saying "Dada Dada" when we drive by it in the car. I just had no idea that she had such a great memory, and I am so impressed with her every time she remembers something!
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She loves to do yoga with me! Even when I don't feel like doing it, she will lie down on the yoga mat and throw her legs up in the air. She stretches her arms up, drops her legs to each side, and especially loved downward dog!
**********
She is also developing a temper lately. Is it possible to already be entering the Terrible Twos? My mom swears there is no such thing, and I definitely won't ever really think she's terrible. But she just really likes things her way lately! If she isn't getting it, she will scream, slam her hands down and pout. I try really hard to make her stop and ask nicely for whatever it is, and hopefully that will start working. It's really hard when I am distracted. I tend to just give her whatever it is so that I can finish the call with the USAA people or addressing Asa's letter, but I can't keep doing that. I have to start being a strict mommy I guess...
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Lastly, I am so amazed by Marley's memory lately! When we were in Missouri, we took Asa to get his hair cut. And then last week, we walked by a hair salon in the mall (which looked nothing like the one in Missouri) and she just started screaming "Dada Dada" and running toward it! It broke my heart! She will remember how we played with a toy randomly a month ago, or where the bubbles were hidden after the last time we used it weeks ago. She can hide her own toy in a random box and then when I ask her where it is the next day, she can go right to it. She recognizes Walgreens, which is where we pick up pictures for Asa, and she starts saying "Dada Dada" when we drive by it in the car. I just had no idea that she had such a great memory, and I am so impressed with her every time she remembers something!
The Morning Routine
The first thing Marley wants to every morning is wake up her Mimi. We wake up around the same time that my mom needs to wake up, so she immediately starts asking for Mimi. I will take her into my mom's room and they will lay in bed together for 20 minutes or so. They read books, count toes and freckles, listen to birds outside the window, play "Where's Marley?", and cuddle under the covers together. My mom loves being woken up by her sweet smiling face instead of an alarm clock, and Marley loves getting to start her morning playing in bed. I don't know what either of them will do when we move. My mom will have to start using an alarm clock and Marley will have to start enjoying waking me up I guess. Maybe we can start a new routine of calling to wake my mom up in the mornings!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Talking!
Marley has been busting out all kind of new words recently! There are a few words that she doesn't sign anymore, she just says it out loud. Her little words are so cute!
Marley's new words from Jillian Shaw on Vimeo.
She also says blue, pasta, dog, and balloon! Asa is going to be so impressed when he hears his baby talking!Picking out a card for Asa
Picking out a card for Asa from Jillian Shaw on Vimeo.
A few weeks ago, Marley and I took a trip to Target in Lufkin. So, my way to keep Marley entertained in a store is to let her open and close a singing card. I always say we are sending it to Daddy, but I think he would be mortified if he actually opened one up!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Deployment Concerns
I got a letter from Asa yesterday saying that a 1st Sargent told him he will be going to Afghanistan in September or October. It broke my heart. I know we signed up for this, and I knew he would get deployed at some point, but there was always this little glimmer of hope in the back of my head. To hear someone say it is for real is unsettling.
How do you make it though a year without seeing your husband? A year seems so incomprehensible from where I am. How can I even wrap my mind around how long that is? Hell, it could even be 15 or 18 months. 18 months is the entire time that Marley has been alive! How will he feel when he is missing all the new things Marley learns? What will I tell my two-year-old when she asks for her Daddy? Will we be able to be normal again after spending that much time apart?
I googled "tips for dealing with deployment" and found a page with some great ideas for how to cope. One of my favorites is something I remind myself of all the time:
How do you make it though a year without seeing your husband? A year seems so incomprehensible from where I am. How can I even wrap my mind around how long that is? Hell, it could even be 15 or 18 months. 18 months is the entire time that Marley has been alive! How will he feel when he is missing all the new things Marley learns? What will I tell my two-year-old when she asks for her Daddy? Will we be able to be normal again after spending that much time apart?
I googled "tips for dealing with deployment" and found a page with some great ideas for how to cope. One of my favorites is something I remind myself of all the time:
20. Be proud. "I remember that he is gone not because he wants to be away from me, but because he is a terrific person and is dedicating his life to serving his country." --flyp3navyInstead of people saying "You must be so sad here without him," I really hope people will say "You must be so proud of him!" I am proud of him and I know that what he is doing is for us. All of us. But a year is such a long time, and it will be hard every day. I guess you just do it. I know thousands of military spouses are going through it right now, and I know that we can. We have to.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Asa Update, Marley's Sick
I have been so busy. I would love to say that I have been busy taking Marley to the park and getting pedicures and accomplishing things on my To Do List. But, I have not. I have been mainly spending my time doing homework and taking care of my sick baby. This has been a rough winter for Marley, and thus a rough winter for me. She has pretty much been sick since January 1st, and its hard to tell now what it is that is bothering her. She might have an ear infection, is definitely congested, and has a fever off and on. So, I am trying to keep her happy and keep my To Do List and homework under control, but its hard.
In good news, I did hear from Asa on Sunday. He didn't sound great, he is definitely ready for this part to be over. There are lots of guys in his company getting in trouble for ridiculous things (smoking in the PT dome, sneaking out at night and getting drunk in Rolla, stealing grenades, etc.) and Asa is sick of it. Two years ago, Asa wouldn't have cared at all that people were doing that. But I am so happy that he is the responsible one now!
He knows for sure that we are going to Fort Leonard Wood, we just still have no idea when. He also found out that he is most likely being deployed in September or October. They have told him it could be a humanitarian deployment to Haiti or Chile, so that would be awesome! I do wish he had a little bit longer though, because it would lessen his chance of being deployed twice in his three year contract and it would be less stressful with moving. Also, I called the Lufkin recruiting office today and they are going to put in a request to have Asa do hometown recruiting for 10 days after graduation. If it goes through, that will be great and it will give us time to see everyone and pack and move. He also supposedly gets a vacation day back for every day that he works for them. So, everyone cross your fingers that that works out!
He is really excited for this to be over though. Hopefully the next two weeks will go smoothly for him! He is possibly getting his phone back next also! That would be amazing!
Ok, I have to go to bed. I forgot to mention that now I am getting sick....
In good news, I did hear from Asa on Sunday. He didn't sound great, he is definitely ready for this part to be over. There are lots of guys in his company getting in trouble for ridiculous things (smoking in the PT dome, sneaking out at night and getting drunk in Rolla, stealing grenades, etc.) and Asa is sick of it. Two years ago, Asa wouldn't have cared at all that people were doing that. But I am so happy that he is the responsible one now!
He knows for sure that we are going to Fort Leonard Wood, we just still have no idea when. He also found out that he is most likely being deployed in September or October. They have told him it could be a humanitarian deployment to Haiti or Chile, so that would be awesome! I do wish he had a little bit longer though, because it would lessen his chance of being deployed twice in his three year contract and it would be less stressful with moving. Also, I called the Lufkin recruiting office today and they are going to put in a request to have Asa do hometown recruiting for 10 days after graduation. If it goes through, that will be great and it will give us time to see everyone and pack and move. He also supposedly gets a vacation day back for every day that he works for them. So, everyone cross your fingers that that works out!
He is really excited for this to be over though. Hopefully the next two weeks will go smoothly for him! He is possibly getting his phone back next also! That would be amazing!
Ok, I have to go to bed. I forgot to mention that now I am getting sick....
Monday, March 1, 2010
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