**Disclaimer for this blog: what I write about today consists of things and decisions that work for me and my family. I fully understand that the decisions I have made do not work for every family. This is a no judgement zone so please read with guards down. **
As you all probably know by now, I am very pro-breastfeeding. Max is almost 14 months old and is still nursing. I'm no longer nursing him on-demand- stopped that around 12 1/2 months- but we still nurse first thing in the morning and for bedtime. It's a super special time and the bonding experience is something that can't be matched. Before I was a mom and for the first several months of Max's life, I thought nursing a toddler was a bit strange. But, low and behold, it works for us and it's something I'm not ready to give up. So, with that bit of information about our current lifestyle, I'll tell you this: I am a "member" of a well known breastfeeding website's Facebook private group where you can go on and ask questions about breastfeeding and get amazing support from other nursing moms around the country. So, lately, I've been wondering a lot about real benefits of extended breastfeeding and how it really impacts a child's health and social wellbeing. Thus, i logged onto that group's site today and asked the following question: "Is there any research or do any of you think that breastfed kids (breastfed past one year) are sweeter/more kind/friendlier/better behaved (you choose the word) than those who are not?". Honestly, I thought this was a very valid question and I've been wondering this for a while just because it's such a loving act. Well, the admins on the site shut down my thread about 10 minutes after I posted it and claimed that my question could start a firestorm among other members who choose formula (keep in mind this is a breastfeeding support group). I don't know why but this REALLY bothered me. I try SO HARD to not push my opinions or judgement on anyone who chooses not to breastfeed. I am by no means perfect at that, though. I already hate that moms are against one another on so many topics and I was so upset that I may have just offended a whole slew of people. Seriously, I worried ALL AFTERNOON about this. I even chose to leave that group because I felt like I had disappointed someone by asking that question. Now that I'm writing this, it seems a little silly that I got so upset but this site has helped me so much in the past and has been a nice area to talk about something so special to me. (keep in mind, I don't have a ton of friends up here to talk to... unfortunately, groups like this have to kind of suffice.... don't judge. haha).
Then, tonight, I got a message from a woman who is also a member of that group. She's an older woman whose children are all grown. She's a BF activist and has been since the 1970s (she's a self-proclaimed hippy). She sent me a simple message asking why my question got closed down and that prompted a great conversation that simply made me feel much better. She didn't provide an answer to my question or anything but just knowing that someone else thought the same thing I thought was really nice. It's really the little things in life that can make such a difference. Sometimes as a mom, you can feel so isolated in the decisions you make... especially when they aren't the most popular among your friends or family. So, to get a simple supportive message from a total stranger was pretty awesome and totally turned my day around!
Just thought I'd share. Never underestimate the power of a simple note of encouragement!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Ummm, Spring? Where are you??
Hey y'all!
Hope everyone is doing well! Everything up here is just hunky dory. It's still friggin' freezing all the time and I'm SICK of it! This has been the longest winter of my life and I really don't understand why anyone would choose to live in any area of this country where it's so cold for so long. And, yes, I know, it could be worse. But, it's not worse right now, it's just cold and it just plain sucks. But, the bulbs are starting to pop through the dirt and I've actually seen a few daffodil blooms in the past day or two. FINALLY!
Other than old man winter outstaying his welcome, everything else is great. :) I have a few updates that have come to fruition since my last post. So, you know I mentioned that we'd be moving into a newer home, right? Well, we've made the decision to move into base housing. We're pretty excited about this decision because the houses are new construction and they're pretty big with nice garages and tons of storage. But, there's quite a long waiting list (5-7 months) so we're just waiting to hear when we will be moving. We have a bit of a hectic summer planned right now. So, in May, we're moving out of this house and putting all of our stuff into a storage unit. Then, Christian will drive me and Max down to Florida so we can stay down there while he is in Japan until the end of June. So, when Christian gets back in the States, he'll either stay in NJ and move into our new house (if we have one by then) or he'll fly back down to Florida to stay with us for a few days before we drive back. Then, if we still don't have a house, we'll move into these little furnished apartments on base at the temporary lodging facility until we actually get a house. So, needless to say, we're hoping for a house sooner rather than later.
I'm pretty excited about being in Pensacola for about a month and half! I've rented a little cottage in downtown Pcola for me and Max. Neither of my parents have two extra rooms so I'd be stuck in the same room as him if I stayed with them. I get zero sleep and he starts reverting back to sleeping like a newborn when he knows I'm RIGHT there. So, having our own little house will be perfect. Plus, it's only a short jog to the waterfront, restaurants, shops, etc. So, I'm pumped! Plus, I'm SOOOO excited to be around family and friends for that long during the best time of the year down there (early summer). Beach days, family time, dinners with friends... fun fun!
So anyway, my last post was right after Max turned one. Now, he's almost 13 1/2 months old and it blows my mind how quickly the months go by now. His first few months were just such a blur to me that I don't think I realized how quickly they went by but now that we've had that one year milestone, it seems like the days/weeks/months fly by! Max just gets more and more fun every day and he's so, so, so smart! I feel like Forrest Gump when he's standing at Jenny's grave and telling her (with tears in his eyes) how smart little Forrest is. Just watching my little boy grow and really understand me when I tell him to get his shoes (and he goes into the mudroom where all of our shoes are), or ask him where his milk is (and he goes to get his milk), or tell him to spit out his paci when we get out of the car (and he pulls it out), or ask him if he's ready for a bath (and he goes to the stairs).... or when he just all-of-a-sudden starts using sign language that I've been showing him for months and we can finally communicate when he's "all done" or when he wants more to eat. Seriously, this little boy amazes me every day. He knows what sound a doggie makes (bark) and what a tiger says (growl). He can point out a tractor, an airplane, a duckie, and a ball from the page of a picture book he has. He knows that candles, the fireplace and the stove are all hot (he holds out his hand like he's feeling the warmed the says "hot" in his own language so it sounds more like dot). He can say bubble, dada, tractor, duckie, ball, and says bir for bird. He's also obsessed with airplanes right now. Anytime he sees one, whether in the sky, in a book, or a toy plane, he makes the sound of an airplane flying and zooms his little hand around like he's holding an airplane. It's so cute. He's just amazing. And he's mine. And that's amazing.
One year ago, I was barely keeping my head above water in this ocean of responsibility called motherhood (I was closer to drowning than surviving). Now, I'm treading water and even doing the backstroke some days! haha Motherhood is still a hellavuh lot of work. But, it's something that is so, so special. I'm someone's mother. I'm going to be the person my kids are saying "Hi, Mom" to when they get caught on camera in the crowd outside of Good Morning America. I'm the person my son will (hopefully) always compare his girlfriends and wife to. I'm that woman who will be Max's first love. I'm the person who will get to face their tears after a failure and tell them everything will be OK. How special... and what an intense amount of responsibility that will follow me for the rest of my life. But, hey, I'm perfectly fine with that. :) Something cute I saw yesterday as I was just browsing a cute baby site was a quote that explained the haze of motherhood, it said, "living in a sweet, hazy blur of already but not yet". I feel like I'm in that sweet, hazy blur every day. I sit in amazement at how we've 'already' passed something and then I sit in wonderment of the things that are "not yet".
Well, enough with my deep, emotional chit chat. ;-) We're heading to western MD this weekend to visit Christian's family and celebrate Easter. My dad and step-mom sent Max the most adorable Easter outfit so I can't wait to show him off. haha I'll take a bunch of pics and post them ASAP!
Anyway, I hope y'all have a wonderful Easter weekend!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Hope everyone is doing well! Everything up here is just hunky dory. It's still friggin' freezing all the time and I'm SICK of it! This has been the longest winter of my life and I really don't understand why anyone would choose to live in any area of this country where it's so cold for so long. And, yes, I know, it could be worse. But, it's not worse right now, it's just cold and it just plain sucks. But, the bulbs are starting to pop through the dirt and I've actually seen a few daffodil blooms in the past day or two. FINALLY!
Other than old man winter outstaying his welcome, everything else is great. :) I have a few updates that have come to fruition since my last post. So, you know I mentioned that we'd be moving into a newer home, right? Well, we've made the decision to move into base housing. We're pretty excited about this decision because the houses are new construction and they're pretty big with nice garages and tons of storage. But, there's quite a long waiting list (5-7 months) so we're just waiting to hear when we will be moving. We have a bit of a hectic summer planned right now. So, in May, we're moving out of this house and putting all of our stuff into a storage unit. Then, Christian will drive me and Max down to Florida so we can stay down there while he is in Japan until the end of June. So, when Christian gets back in the States, he'll either stay in NJ and move into our new house (if we have one by then) or he'll fly back down to Florida to stay with us for a few days before we drive back. Then, if we still don't have a house, we'll move into these little furnished apartments on base at the temporary lodging facility until we actually get a house. So, needless to say, we're hoping for a house sooner rather than later.
I'm pretty excited about being in Pensacola for about a month and half! I've rented a little cottage in downtown Pcola for me and Max. Neither of my parents have two extra rooms so I'd be stuck in the same room as him if I stayed with them. I get zero sleep and he starts reverting back to sleeping like a newborn when he knows I'm RIGHT there. So, having our own little house will be perfect. Plus, it's only a short jog to the waterfront, restaurants, shops, etc. So, I'm pumped! Plus, I'm SOOOO excited to be around family and friends for that long during the best time of the year down there (early summer). Beach days, family time, dinners with friends... fun fun!
So anyway, my last post was right after Max turned one. Now, he's almost 13 1/2 months old and it blows my mind how quickly the months go by now. His first few months were just such a blur to me that I don't think I realized how quickly they went by but now that we've had that one year milestone, it seems like the days/weeks/months fly by! Max just gets more and more fun every day and he's so, so, so smart! I feel like Forrest Gump when he's standing at Jenny's grave and telling her (with tears in his eyes) how smart little Forrest is. Just watching my little boy grow and really understand me when I tell him to get his shoes (and he goes into the mudroom where all of our shoes are), or ask him where his milk is (and he goes to get his milk), or tell him to spit out his paci when we get out of the car (and he pulls it out), or ask him if he's ready for a bath (and he goes to the stairs).... or when he just all-of-a-sudden starts using sign language that I've been showing him for months and we can finally communicate when he's "all done" or when he wants more to eat. Seriously, this little boy amazes me every day. He knows what sound a doggie makes (bark) and what a tiger says (growl). He can point out a tractor, an airplane, a duckie, and a ball from the page of a picture book he has. He knows that candles, the fireplace and the stove are all hot (he holds out his hand like he's feeling the warmed the says "hot" in his own language so it sounds more like dot). He can say bubble, dada, tractor, duckie, ball, and says bir for bird. He's also obsessed with airplanes right now. Anytime he sees one, whether in the sky, in a book, or a toy plane, he makes the sound of an airplane flying and zooms his little hand around like he's holding an airplane. It's so cute. He's just amazing. And he's mine. And that's amazing.
One year ago, I was barely keeping my head above water in this ocean of responsibility called motherhood (I was closer to drowning than surviving). Now, I'm treading water and even doing the backstroke some days! haha Motherhood is still a hellavuh lot of work. But, it's something that is so, so special. I'm someone's mother. I'm going to be the person my kids are saying "Hi, Mom" to when they get caught on camera in the crowd outside of Good Morning America. I'm the person my son will (hopefully) always compare his girlfriends and wife to. I'm that woman who will be Max's first love. I'm the person who will get to face their tears after a failure and tell them everything will be OK. How special... and what an intense amount of responsibility that will follow me for the rest of my life. But, hey, I'm perfectly fine with that. :) Something cute I saw yesterday as I was just browsing a cute baby site was a quote that explained the haze of motherhood, it said, "living in a sweet, hazy blur of already but not yet". I feel like I'm in that sweet, hazy blur every day. I sit in amazement at how we've 'already' passed something and then I sit in wonderment of the things that are "not yet".
Well, enough with my deep, emotional chit chat. ;-) We're heading to western MD this weekend to visit Christian's family and celebrate Easter. My dad and step-mom sent Max the most adorable Easter outfit so I can't wait to show him off. haha I'll take a bunch of pics and post them ASAP!
Anyway, I hope y'all have a wonderful Easter weekend!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Friday, February 22, 2013
So much going on!!!
Hey y'all!
I have so many things to update y'all on so I'll try to be to the point. :)
So, first thing's first.... MAX IS ONE! Holy crap. Where did 2012 go? That was truly the quickest year ever. I wonder if the years go by quickly when you have kids just because you really have no time for anything else. I think that may be the case. :) I just can't believe my little boy is one already and on his way to being a true toddler. Craziness. I rocked him to bed and cried the night before he turned one. Poor momma!
We had a great birthday party for him here at our house and had about 15 friends come over to help us celebrate along with my mom who came in town for the weekend (which was awesome!)! The party was simple, easy, and perfect. It was everything a first birthday should be, in my opinion. He smashed his smash cake to smithereens but barely ate any of it and that's fine by me! The less sugar, the better. He got some great gifts and loved playing with all of the balloons that I picked up that morning. But, I think his favorite birthday gift was his new car from JuJu. He LOVES that thing! It was so funny how he just all of a sudden knew exactly what to do, how to get in, when to close the door, how to honk the horn and he'll even say "go!" when he's ready for another push. Seriously, can he get any cuter?
The next big thing in our family's news is that we finally got orders. We're stuck here until May of 2015. I'm pretty bummed about it but I'm trying to see a silver lining and look on the bright side. One bright side is that we're planning on moving into a newer house when our lease is up at the end of the summer. We are so OVER this old house and all of it's creaks and cracks. I loved it when we moved in but now that we have a baby, there are so many different things I want. I want carpet upstairs. I want a master bedroom that all of our furniture actually fits nicely in. I was more than one full bath. I want a bigger kitchen. I want central AC! I don't want to pay $400-500 each month during the winter just to heat this beast of a house! So, there's my silver lining. :) Come on September! haha
One thing that is also pretty neat is that there are two new wives in the squadron who I just really quickly clicked with a couple months ago. So, I'm pretty excited about new friendships with them! And, this squadron just recently had a change of command so there's actually going to be an Officers' Spouses Club now. I have had minimal contact with other wives (unless Christian hangs out with their husbands) since we moved up here so it's been a "fend for yourself" situation. So, I'm pretty excited about something a little more structured when it comes to a support system because God knows we all need it!
So, maybe it won't be too bad and maybe these next two years will fly by. I'm just struggling to wrap my head around having another baby up here (no, I'm not pregnant... just thinking). Christian is gone SO much. I know I can do it and I can handle it but, frankly, it scares the shit out me.
Uhhhh, what else? OH! So, I felt like I was dying the other day. I had the stomach flu and it was AWFUL! Seriously, I've never felt that bad in my life. Thank heavens it only lasted 24 hours. And, thank the Lord Christian was in town and able to be home to help me out. I'm not sure what I would have done if I was by myself with Max. And, he's had the stomach bug all week! It started for him Monday evening and he's thrown up about once each day since and he barely has an appetite. But, luckily, he's acting pretty normal. He's a little more clingy than usual but I know he can't feel super so I don't mind that. I took him to the doc yesterday just because I was worried about not eating and possibly being dehydrated and turns out, he has an ear infection to boot! Goodness. Poor kid. So, now I have him on a super bland diet of toast, apples, and bananas and he started antibiotics last night for his ear. I was also in the process of slowing weaning Max from breastfeeding (not an easy process, BTW) when all of this hit but the doc recommended a keep nursing for a couple more weeks just to help his immune system fight it a little more. So, back to square one for that! Hopefully the sickies leave our house for good! But, good news is that Christian really hasn't gotten anything. He felt a little "off" on Monday but he's been fine all week so hopefully it kind of just skips over him.
Christian and I celebrated our three year anniversary on Wednesday (the day I was sick). Unfortunately, we had to cancel our dinner reservations and baby sitter for that night but fortunately, we have it rescheduled for tonight! So, we're excited to really celebrate. We're going out to dinner at Flemings Steakhouse. We had reservations for Capital Grille but then got a thing in the mail for Flemings and decided to switch it over. We've never been so I'll let y'all know how it is.
So, all in all, I think we're all ready for this week to be over. We've had enough of the sickness and crappy orders. Bring on next week! It's bound to be better, right!? :)
I hope all of you had a great week so far and are planning something fun this weekend! Do something you LOVE.... even if no one else loves it! :)
xoxo,
Chrissi
I have so many things to update y'all on so I'll try to be to the point. :)
So, first thing's first.... MAX IS ONE! Holy crap. Where did 2012 go? That was truly the quickest year ever. I wonder if the years go by quickly when you have kids just because you really have no time for anything else. I think that may be the case. :) I just can't believe my little boy is one already and on his way to being a true toddler. Craziness. I rocked him to bed and cried the night before he turned one. Poor momma!
We had a great birthday party for him here at our house and had about 15 friends come over to help us celebrate along with my mom who came in town for the weekend (which was awesome!)! The party was simple, easy, and perfect. It was everything a first birthday should be, in my opinion. He smashed his smash cake to smithereens but barely ate any of it and that's fine by me! The less sugar, the better. He got some great gifts and loved playing with all of the balloons that I picked up that morning. But, I think his favorite birthday gift was his new car from JuJu. He LOVES that thing! It was so funny how he just all of a sudden knew exactly what to do, how to get in, when to close the door, how to honk the horn and he'll even say "go!" when he's ready for another push. Seriously, can he get any cuter?
One thing that is also pretty neat is that there are two new wives in the squadron who I just really quickly clicked with a couple months ago. So, I'm pretty excited about new friendships with them! And, this squadron just recently had a change of command so there's actually going to be an Officers' Spouses Club now. I have had minimal contact with other wives (unless Christian hangs out with their husbands) since we moved up here so it's been a "fend for yourself" situation. So, I'm pretty excited about something a little more structured when it comes to a support system because God knows we all need it!
So, maybe it won't be too bad and maybe these next two years will fly by. I'm just struggling to wrap my head around having another baby up here (no, I'm not pregnant... just thinking). Christian is gone SO much. I know I can do it and I can handle it but, frankly, it scares the shit out me.
Uhhhh, what else? OH! So, I felt like I was dying the other day. I had the stomach flu and it was AWFUL! Seriously, I've never felt that bad in my life. Thank heavens it only lasted 24 hours. And, thank the Lord Christian was in town and able to be home to help me out. I'm not sure what I would have done if I was by myself with Max. And, he's had the stomach bug all week! It started for him Monday evening and he's thrown up about once each day since and he barely has an appetite. But, luckily, he's acting pretty normal. He's a little more clingy than usual but I know he can't feel super so I don't mind that. I took him to the doc yesterday just because I was worried about not eating and possibly being dehydrated and turns out, he has an ear infection to boot! Goodness. Poor kid. So, now I have him on a super bland diet of toast, apples, and bananas and he started antibiotics last night for his ear. I was also in the process of slowing weaning Max from breastfeeding (not an easy process, BTW) when all of this hit but the doc recommended a keep nursing for a couple more weeks just to help his immune system fight it a little more. So, back to square one for that! Hopefully the sickies leave our house for good! But, good news is that Christian really hasn't gotten anything. He felt a little "off" on Monday but he's been fine all week so hopefully it kind of just skips over him.
Christian and I celebrated our three year anniversary on Wednesday (the day I was sick). Unfortunately, we had to cancel our dinner reservations and baby sitter for that night but fortunately, we have it rescheduled for tonight! So, we're excited to really celebrate. We're going out to dinner at Flemings Steakhouse. We had reservations for Capital Grille but then got a thing in the mail for Flemings and decided to switch it over. We've never been so I'll let y'all know how it is.
So, all in all, I think we're all ready for this week to be over. We've had enough of the sickness and crappy orders. Bring on next week! It's bound to be better, right!? :)
I hope all of you had a great week so far and are planning something fun this weekend! Do something you LOVE.... even if no one else loves it! :)
xoxo,
Chrissi
Thursday, January 24, 2013
A bit behind...
Holy moses, it's been over two months since my last post! What the heck? You'd think I'm busy with a crazy kid or something. ;-)
Well, hello again, world. Hope all of you are doing well in the new year.
OK.... let me just let you guys know what just happened. I had an entire blog post, a long one, ALMOST done and I accidentally hit the back button and it deleted EVERYTHING! UGGGGGHHHHHH! So, let's see how much I can get done before Max wakes up from his nap.... 1, 2, 3..... GO!
So, January is coming to an end and we still have yet to hear anything about our next set of orders. We thought we would know but now but it looks like we're being pushed to at least next month now. So, the waiting game continues! BOO! I think waiting for orders in January might be the hardest thing. Especially since January is, number one, the most depressing month of the year, and number two, TOO FREAKIN' COLD for me! haha I longingly look at my weather channel app every day to see the warm temps in Pensacola and then the 18 degree temps here with wind chills of TWO.... seriously, two degrees. Yuck. But, we're here and we're making the best of it. :) Spring will be here before we know it and I'll be loving life again. :)
Oh crap, Max is moving.... annnd, he's down again. ok, GO!
So, the holidays have passed and went by SO fast! Max and I spent almost a whole month in Florida and had such a great time! Spending time with his grandparents and the rest of my family was just pure joy! He's so much fun and I know everyone had a blast playing with him. It was great. Christian got back from his det on December 21st and drove ALL night in order to make it to our family Christmas at noon on the 22nd. Now, that's LOVE! I love that man. Christian and I booked a beach condo for 12 nights while we were down there as our Christmas gift to each other and it was a great gift! We got to see some beautiful sunsets and even a couple sun rises thanks to Max waking us up for them. :) We had a great time. But, that 17 hour drive back to NJ was looming on us as our time in Florida came to an end. But, wouldn't ya know, our kid freaking rocks at traveling and he did SO well. We loaded the iPad with Mickey Mouse Club and he watched those in between naps and we stopped a lot and even stopped over night at a hotel so the trip was great. We made it home safely and now here we are in 2013!
Wow, 2013! It's almost February, which means Max is almost ONE! Whaaaaaaat??? Craziness, pure craziness! He's SOOO much fun now and has such an awesome little personality. He's so funny and says a few words now. He says "ball" ALLLLL the time. Everytime I'm in the produce section at the grocery store, every orange, apple, avocado, and anything that remotely resembles a ball, gets called a ball.... and not just once but about a thousand times. haha He also can say uh oh and doggie. And, he says "lordy, lordy, lordy" in his own little way. OH! He also started saying "wow". So cute. He's a baby genius. haha
More about Max?? OK.... haha Well, he's still going to his little play class every Thursday and loves it just as much as he always has. He moved up to the 12-18 month group since he was getting kind of bored in his last age group. So this one fits him better and he has more challenging stuff to do. I also started him in swim classes last week! We go every Friday and he LOVES it! He was smiling and laughing the whole time. Water baby! My step-dad calls him a future Navy Seal. I'm not so sure I could handle that. :-/ Anyway.... everything else is great with him. He's still not quite walking but cruising along everything and hold my hand to walk. So, all in due time. No rush, baby boy!
This month was also the first time Christian and I left Max with a sitter who did his bedtime routine with him! The only other person besides me and Chrsitian to do that is my mom! So, this was huge for us! But, it turned out great and he did really well. Thank goodness. He is really good around new people and strangers. He went through a phase of seperation anxiety and would freak if I walked out of the room but it didn't last too long. I take him to the gym with me every morning and it doesn't even phase him that I'm not in there with him. I put him down and he just crawls over to the toys and loves the girls in there that watch him. It's a nice little break for me too. :)
Oh, Christian turns FORTY next Tuesday, the 29th! Wow, old man! haha But, he looks damn good for forty, right? Of course. We don't usually get each other gifts but I figure this big birthday warrants something special. So, I'm working on that and trying to figure out what he would like (and not get mad at me for buying haha).
Well, we've started tossing around the idea of baby number two. I'm still a little more leery than Christian is at this point.... mainly because I'm the one who is home alone all the time when he's on missions to random places around the world. So, it's a lot of work. It's a lot of work with one so I can't imagine how it would be with two! Whoa. But, women make it work all the time so I know I could too. My sanity may suffer but hey, that's overrated anyway, right?? haha But, whatever is meant to be will be, I suppose. :) I think I need to just leave Max with Christian for a few days while I go on a sleep vacation so he can see how it is. Then, maybe he'll understand my reservations.... probably not though. haha He's freakin' superman and makes everything seem so easy. He'd be the new super dad. haha
So, I think I've covered everything that was in my original post... and just in time too! I hear Max throwing his paci's on the floor and saying "uh oh". That's my cue! haha Hope all of you are having a great week! Talk soon!!
xoxo
Chrissi
Well, hello again, world. Hope all of you are doing well in the new year.
OK.... let me just let you guys know what just happened. I had an entire blog post, a long one, ALMOST done and I accidentally hit the back button and it deleted EVERYTHING! UGGGGGHHHHHH! So, let's see how much I can get done before Max wakes up from his nap.... 1, 2, 3..... GO!
So, January is coming to an end and we still have yet to hear anything about our next set of orders. We thought we would know but now but it looks like we're being pushed to at least next month now. So, the waiting game continues! BOO! I think waiting for orders in January might be the hardest thing. Especially since January is, number one, the most depressing month of the year, and number two, TOO FREAKIN' COLD for me! haha I longingly look at my weather channel app every day to see the warm temps in Pensacola and then the 18 degree temps here with wind chills of TWO.... seriously, two degrees. Yuck. But, we're here and we're making the best of it. :) Spring will be here before we know it and I'll be loving life again. :)
Oh crap, Max is moving.... annnd, he's down again. ok, GO!
So, the holidays have passed and went by SO fast! Max and I spent almost a whole month in Florida and had such a great time! Spending time with his grandparents and the rest of my family was just pure joy! He's so much fun and I know everyone had a blast playing with him. It was great. Christian got back from his det on December 21st and drove ALL night in order to make it to our family Christmas at noon on the 22nd. Now, that's LOVE! I love that man. Christian and I booked a beach condo for 12 nights while we were down there as our Christmas gift to each other and it was a great gift! We got to see some beautiful sunsets and even a couple sun rises thanks to Max waking us up for them. :) We had a great time. But, that 17 hour drive back to NJ was looming on us as our time in Florida came to an end. But, wouldn't ya know, our kid freaking rocks at traveling and he did SO well. We loaded the iPad with Mickey Mouse Club and he watched those in between naps and we stopped a lot and even stopped over night at a hotel so the trip was great. We made it home safely and now here we are in 2013!
Wow, 2013! It's almost February, which means Max is almost ONE! Whaaaaaaat??? Craziness, pure craziness! He's SOOO much fun now and has such an awesome little personality. He's so funny and says a few words now. He says "ball" ALLLLL the time. Everytime I'm in the produce section at the grocery store, every orange, apple, avocado, and anything that remotely resembles a ball, gets called a ball.... and not just once but about a thousand times. haha He also can say uh oh and doggie. And, he says "lordy, lordy, lordy" in his own little way. OH! He also started saying "wow". So cute. He's a baby genius. haha
More about Max?? OK.... haha Well, he's still going to his little play class every Thursday and loves it just as much as he always has. He moved up to the 12-18 month group since he was getting kind of bored in his last age group. So this one fits him better and he has more challenging stuff to do. I also started him in swim classes last week! We go every Friday and he LOVES it! He was smiling and laughing the whole time. Water baby! My step-dad calls him a future Navy Seal. I'm not so sure I could handle that. :-/ Anyway.... everything else is great with him. He's still not quite walking but cruising along everything and hold my hand to walk. So, all in due time. No rush, baby boy!
This month was also the first time Christian and I left Max with a sitter who did his bedtime routine with him! The only other person besides me and Chrsitian to do that is my mom! So, this was huge for us! But, it turned out great and he did really well. Thank goodness. He is really good around new people and strangers. He went through a phase of seperation anxiety and would freak if I walked out of the room but it didn't last too long. I take him to the gym with me every morning and it doesn't even phase him that I'm not in there with him. I put him down and he just crawls over to the toys and loves the girls in there that watch him. It's a nice little break for me too. :)
Oh, Christian turns FORTY next Tuesday, the 29th! Wow, old man! haha But, he looks damn good for forty, right? Of course. We don't usually get each other gifts but I figure this big birthday warrants something special. So, I'm working on that and trying to figure out what he would like (and not get mad at me for buying haha).
Well, we've started tossing around the idea of baby number two. I'm still a little more leery than Christian is at this point.... mainly because I'm the one who is home alone all the time when he's on missions to random places around the world. So, it's a lot of work. It's a lot of work with one so I can't imagine how it would be with two! Whoa. But, women make it work all the time so I know I could too. My sanity may suffer but hey, that's overrated anyway, right?? haha But, whatever is meant to be will be, I suppose. :) I think I need to just leave Max with Christian for a few days while I go on a sleep vacation so he can see how it is. Then, maybe he'll understand my reservations.... probably not though. haha He's freakin' superman and makes everything seem so easy. He'd be the new super dad. haha
So, I think I've covered everything that was in my original post... and just in time too! I hear Max throwing his paci's on the floor and saying "uh oh". That's my cue! haha Hope all of you are having a great week! Talk soon!!
xoxo
Chrissi
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thankful.
Well, as we near Thanksgiving, I figure I won't have a whole lot of time to sit down and really reflect on all that I am thankful for and actually put it in writing. So, I'll spend this fabulous Friday evening doing it as I sit here with my darling husband watching Seinfeld and Duck Dynasty with a fire in the fireplace.
Obviously, this year pretty much tops the rest of my 27 years of life in terms of blessings. So here is my abundance of thanks to give.
* being a stay-at-home mom. I haven't worked since we moved up here. And, that's been a blessing on it's own. I've been able to follow Christian around the world and travel to see my family as much as I wanted. But, I never really thought I'd want to be a stay-at-home mom. Now, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have some rough days when Max drives me a little crazy but I absolutely love being able to care for him and be the one that sees every little thing he does every day. It's such a blessing.
* where we live. As ready as I am to move back down south, we are so lucky to be renting our house in the town we live. Moorestown is such a cute little area of New Jersey and it's super convenient. We're 10 minutes outside of Philly and have all the luxuries of surburbia along with the quaint Main Street shops and restaurants. It's a great town that makes you feel like you've stepped back in time about 40 years when you see all the kids playing outside. If we were going to stay in the northeast, this is definitely the place to be. But, it's wicked expensive here (the main reason we're renting).
* military benefits. Being a military dependent has it's definite perks. The main perk is the unbelievable health care that we are blessed with as a family. Christian, Max and I are all covered 100% for any healthcare costs. It's insane. My labor and delivery came out to about $25,000. And, that was an uncomplicated birth. I was in the hospital for three days and it cost $25,000. New Jersey has the highest labor and delivery costs in the country. Guess what I paid out of that $25,000.... $52. Yes, only fifty-two dollars. So thankful. And, I've never paid a single bill for any of Max's visits (even though I take him any time I even think he might be sick). As a military wife, I put up with my fair share of crappy deals but man, this one is such a blessing.
* the way my mom & dad raised me. The older I get the more and more thankful I am for the way I was raised. I was raised with manners and etiquette. I was raised to be thankful for what I have. I was raised to respect my elders and not to be shy. I am so thankful that even though my parents divorced when I was very young, I never once saw them exchange harsh words with one another. They are what co-parenting is all about. I have awesome parents.
* facebook. Ok, maybe I'm addicted. But, being so far away from all of my friends and family really sucks. And, frankly, Facebook makes me feel a little more connected to everyone. It really helps! So, before anyone judges someone else for being on Facebook all the time or posting 8,000 things per day, give them a break. Maybe they're a little lonely. ((guilty)) :)
* being southern. I'll admit, three years ago, I was so excited to move to the northeast and get out of the south. For one reason or another, I started to have a somewhat negative feeling about the south and I was ready for a new adventure and new culture. Well, now I've had a taste of another culture and region of this country and now more than ever, I miss the south. I am so grateful for my true southern roots. And my family's roots are strong and deep in the south.
* this one may be a bit "out there" for some of y'all but oh well. I am so thankful that I have stayed committed to breastfeeding Max. It has been one of the (if not THE) best decisions I've made as a momma. I admittedly hated it in the beginning for a few months but I never really had a good enough reason to quit... as much as I wanted to. Now, Max will be nine months on Monday and I'm proud to say we're still going strong. It's definitely a crazy commitment and it's still exhausting sometimes but it's worth it, in my humble opinion. And, to add on to this one, I have to say that I'm so thankful for my cousin, Ali, for being my support system! I have called her (and still call her) about a zillion times with random questions about nursing and she is always more than willing to answer. If it wasn't for her, and my great, supportive husband, I probably wouldn't have stuck it out.
* speaking of my husband... :). Christian is my rock. He is my best friend and the love of my life. He drives me bat-shit crazy sometimes, too. That's what a healthy marriage is all about, right? haha We are goofy as hell around each other and I am most comfortable in life when I'm with him. I'm so proud of him as a man, husband, military service member and most importantly, father. He has blown me away with the love he has for Max and their relationship gets stronger by the day. Just recently, Christian has started putting Max to bed at night. Max is the sweetest and most loving as he's going to sleep. So, last week, after Christian put him to bed for the first time, he came downstairs with tears in his eyes (of course acting like he didn't have tears in his eyes) and said "that was awesome". Uh, yeah, my heart melted. And, MY eyes are tearing up as I type this. And, he's been putting him down every night since. :) I love that man so much.
* and of course, my Max. Holy moly how this little boy has changed my world. (ok, I'm tearing up again) A year and a half ago, I saw the word "pregnant" on that little test and knew my life was changed forever. I never knew just how much it would change though. When Max was born, I struggled with postpartum depression and it sucked. It sucked really bad and I never want to experience anything like that ever again in my life. But, things got better and Max and I finally built that bond that everyone talks about. And, man, that bond that I have with my little guy is mind blowing now. He brings so much joy and bliss to my life. Watching him learn new things every day is absolutely amazing. He has changed me and made me realize what is important in life and taught me that sometimes you just have to let go and let things happen as they may. Que sera, sera. I'm so proud of how smart he is. Just yesterday, he said his second "word" (baba). Today, I sat down with him and we rolled his ping pong ball (one of his favorite things) back and forth between us. Then, when it rolled under the tv cabinet, he crawled over and crouched down trying to get it from underneath. So cute and so smart. When we're outside and he hears birds singing, he stops and makes his little "hey, what's that" noise. His favorite book is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See". It's the only one that he'll sit still for. Oh, man, I could go on and on. But, being a mom is by far the most important thing I've ever done in my life. Nothing has ever and will ever compare to that. No job, test, or material possession can EVER live up to the feeling of being a mom. Nothing. Max is my biggest accomplishment and blessing and I am so thankful that I am able to spend every day with him. To say "I love him" doesn't even begin to capture what I feel for my baby boy. There are simply no words.
So, this year is certainly a special one for us. I'm thankful that I'll have my husband home for BOTH Thanksgiving AND Christmas this year. Even though he'll be gone most of the time in between the two holidays, it's great that he'll be with us on the important days. :) Also, the cat is out of the bag that Max and I are coming to Pensacola on December 9th! I was trying to keep it a surprise for my mom but I have a big mouth and too much excitement. It slipped. :) So, I'll see y'all in less than a month!!! woohoo!
Happy Thanksgiving, folks! Would love to hear all that y'all are thankful for. :)
xoxo,
Chrissi
Obviously, this year pretty much tops the rest of my 27 years of life in terms of blessings. So here is my abundance of thanks to give.
* being a stay-at-home mom. I haven't worked since we moved up here. And, that's been a blessing on it's own. I've been able to follow Christian around the world and travel to see my family as much as I wanted. But, I never really thought I'd want to be a stay-at-home mom. Now, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have some rough days when Max drives me a little crazy but I absolutely love being able to care for him and be the one that sees every little thing he does every day. It's such a blessing.
* where we live. As ready as I am to move back down south, we are so lucky to be renting our house in the town we live. Moorestown is such a cute little area of New Jersey and it's super convenient. We're 10 minutes outside of Philly and have all the luxuries of surburbia along with the quaint Main Street shops and restaurants. It's a great town that makes you feel like you've stepped back in time about 40 years when you see all the kids playing outside. If we were going to stay in the northeast, this is definitely the place to be. But, it's wicked expensive here (the main reason we're renting).
* military benefits. Being a military dependent has it's definite perks. The main perk is the unbelievable health care that we are blessed with as a family. Christian, Max and I are all covered 100% for any healthcare costs. It's insane. My labor and delivery came out to about $25,000. And, that was an uncomplicated birth. I was in the hospital for three days and it cost $25,000. New Jersey has the highest labor and delivery costs in the country. Guess what I paid out of that $25,000.... $52. Yes, only fifty-two dollars. So thankful. And, I've never paid a single bill for any of Max's visits (even though I take him any time I even think he might be sick). As a military wife, I put up with my fair share of crappy deals but man, this one is such a blessing.
* the way my mom & dad raised me. The older I get the more and more thankful I am for the way I was raised. I was raised with manners and etiquette. I was raised to be thankful for what I have. I was raised to respect my elders and not to be shy. I am so thankful that even though my parents divorced when I was very young, I never once saw them exchange harsh words with one another. They are what co-parenting is all about. I have awesome parents.
* facebook. Ok, maybe I'm addicted. But, being so far away from all of my friends and family really sucks. And, frankly, Facebook makes me feel a little more connected to everyone. It really helps! So, before anyone judges someone else for being on Facebook all the time or posting 8,000 things per day, give them a break. Maybe they're a little lonely. ((guilty)) :)
* being southern. I'll admit, three years ago, I was so excited to move to the northeast and get out of the south. For one reason or another, I started to have a somewhat negative feeling about the south and I was ready for a new adventure and new culture. Well, now I've had a taste of another culture and region of this country and now more than ever, I miss the south. I am so grateful for my true southern roots. And my family's roots are strong and deep in the south.
* this one may be a bit "out there" for some of y'all but oh well. I am so thankful that I have stayed committed to breastfeeding Max. It has been one of the (if not THE) best decisions I've made as a momma. I admittedly hated it in the beginning for a few months but I never really had a good enough reason to quit... as much as I wanted to. Now, Max will be nine months on Monday and I'm proud to say we're still going strong. It's definitely a crazy commitment and it's still exhausting sometimes but it's worth it, in my humble opinion. And, to add on to this one, I have to say that I'm so thankful for my cousin, Ali, for being my support system! I have called her (and still call her) about a zillion times with random questions about nursing and she is always more than willing to answer. If it wasn't for her, and my great, supportive husband, I probably wouldn't have stuck it out.
* speaking of my husband... :). Christian is my rock. He is my best friend and the love of my life. He drives me bat-shit crazy sometimes, too. That's what a healthy marriage is all about, right? haha We are goofy as hell around each other and I am most comfortable in life when I'm with him. I'm so proud of him as a man, husband, military service member and most importantly, father. He has blown me away with the love he has for Max and their relationship gets stronger by the day. Just recently, Christian has started putting Max to bed at night. Max is the sweetest and most loving as he's going to sleep. So, last week, after Christian put him to bed for the first time, he came downstairs with tears in his eyes (of course acting like he didn't have tears in his eyes) and said "that was awesome". Uh, yeah, my heart melted. And, MY eyes are tearing up as I type this. And, he's been putting him down every night since. :) I love that man so much.
* and of course, my Max. Holy moly how this little boy has changed my world. (ok, I'm tearing up again) A year and a half ago, I saw the word "pregnant" on that little test and knew my life was changed forever. I never knew just how much it would change though. When Max was born, I struggled with postpartum depression and it sucked. It sucked really bad and I never want to experience anything like that ever again in my life. But, things got better and Max and I finally built that bond that everyone talks about. And, man, that bond that I have with my little guy is mind blowing now. He brings so much joy and bliss to my life. Watching him learn new things every day is absolutely amazing. He has changed me and made me realize what is important in life and taught me that sometimes you just have to let go and let things happen as they may. Que sera, sera. I'm so proud of how smart he is. Just yesterday, he said his second "word" (baba). Today, I sat down with him and we rolled his ping pong ball (one of his favorite things) back and forth between us. Then, when it rolled under the tv cabinet, he crawled over and crouched down trying to get it from underneath. So cute and so smart. When we're outside and he hears birds singing, he stops and makes his little "hey, what's that" noise. His favorite book is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See". It's the only one that he'll sit still for. Oh, man, I could go on and on. But, being a mom is by far the most important thing I've ever done in my life. Nothing has ever and will ever compare to that. No job, test, or material possession can EVER live up to the feeling of being a mom. Nothing. Max is my biggest accomplishment and blessing and I am so thankful that I am able to spend every day with him. To say "I love him" doesn't even begin to capture what I feel for my baby boy. There are simply no words.
So, this year is certainly a special one for us. I'm thankful that I'll have my husband home for BOTH Thanksgiving AND Christmas this year. Even though he'll be gone most of the time in between the two holidays, it's great that he'll be with us on the important days. :) Also, the cat is out of the bag that Max and I are coming to Pensacola on December 9th! I was trying to keep it a surprise for my mom but I have a big mouth and too much excitement. It slipped. :) So, I'll see y'all in less than a month!!! woohoo!
Happy Thanksgiving, folks! Would love to hear all that y'all are thankful for. :)
xoxo,
Chrissi
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Thank goodness that season is over.... election season, that is.
Wow, last post, was raving about it already being the end of September and now it's almost the middle of November! My gosh, this year has flown by so quickly! The holiday season is upon us, folks! And, thankfully, the crappy election season has passed. I'm a registered democrat. But, I did not vote in this election. I have not educated myself enough and therefore did not fine myself to be worthy of a vote in my opinion. Frankly, I wish many other people felt the same way. I have to commend my girlfriend, Jenna- a hardcore democrat, for an amazing email she sent to me and a few other of our friends yesterday. In that email, she explained why she voted the way she did. If any of you know Jenna, you know that she is UBER intelligent and researches everything like crazy. So, if I'm going to respect anyone's opinion in this race, it's damn sure her's because I know she did her homework. There are so many ignorant people in this world who spew hatred toward one side or the other and they have no idea what they are talking about. They're either brainwashed by MSNBC (liberal media) or Fox News (conservative media) and don't bother watching or reading anything else. Come on, Americans, we're better than that! It's really sad to me that our country has become a jumbled nation of red states and blue states. Not to be cliche but, what happened to the United States? I swear, it's all the crappy media we have now days and the sad excuses for journalist that run said media. I'm just glad the election and I will now step down off my soap box. Thank you very much. ;-)
Soooooo let's get on to more important things, like, how freakin' awesome my kid is. haha That, he is. Max is almost NINE months! Whaaaaat? When did that happen? He so much fun and just hilarious. I know it's only going to get better. Do we still have rough moments? Um, yes. Haha but they are few and far between. He's just a fearless, crazy little boy with his daddy's energy level. There is certainly never a dull moment in our house. He's cruising along the furniture now and we have a little push walker thingy for him to play with and he LOVES it. So, it won't be long before he's running around the house!
In other news, we're getting closer and closer to receiving orders from the Navy for our next move. Some very unappealing things have been offered to us. The first offer was a pretty cush job over in Sicily where Christian would fly Gulf Streams (very coveted type-rating) or some crap job over in Korea (um, yuck). So, we're trying to push those off the table so we can stay in the states but everything is kind of in a wait-it-out mode with us. Of course, I'm still trying to have as much input as possible and for us to get back down south! That's my main concern right now. I'm trying to get CLOSER to family, not freaking move half way across the world! Ugh.... so, I'm thinking we'll know a final decision in January sometime. But, who knows.
Anyway, Max just woke up from his nap so off I go! Hope y'all have a great day! Weekend is almost here!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Soooooo let's get on to more important things, like, how freakin' awesome my kid is. haha That, he is. Max is almost NINE months! Whaaaaat? When did that happen? He so much fun and just hilarious. I know it's only going to get better. Do we still have rough moments? Um, yes. Haha but they are few and far between. He's just a fearless, crazy little boy with his daddy's energy level. There is certainly never a dull moment in our house. He's cruising along the furniture now and we have a little push walker thingy for him to play with and he LOVES it. So, it won't be long before he's running around the house!
In other news, we're getting closer and closer to receiving orders from the Navy for our next move. Some very unappealing things have been offered to us. The first offer was a pretty cush job over in Sicily where Christian would fly Gulf Streams (very coveted type-rating) or some crap job over in Korea (um, yuck). So, we're trying to push those off the table so we can stay in the states but everything is kind of in a wait-it-out mode with us. Of course, I'm still trying to have as much input as possible and for us to get back down south! That's my main concern right now. I'm trying to get CLOSER to family, not freaking move half way across the world! Ugh.... so, I'm thinking we'll know a final decision in January sometime. But, who knows.
Anyway, Max just woke up from his nap so off I go! Hope y'all have a great day! Weekend is almost here!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Thursday, September 27, 2012
September's almost over!?
Hey everyone! One question: How the heck is it almost October already?!? It's crazy how quickly year gone by! So, it's been about a month since I last posted and a LOT has gone on in the Jenkins' Household since then! We just got back from another wonderful trip to visit family in Germany and Max is now SEVEN months old! WHAT?? We've had grandparents come visit Max and we've just continued our crazy life. :)
So, first thing's first. Our trip to Germany was fantastic. Max was a travel champ!!! It started off a little bumpy as we tried our hardest to use Space A military flights to get to Germany but our luck wasn't too good this year. After three days of trying to get on a flight and having it postponed and cancelled, we opted for the less desirable method of travel- commercial flights. I REALLY didn't want to fly commercially because international flights freak me out and I have a little anxiety about flying from a big city into a big city. Yes, terrorism still scares me. But, everything went off without a hitch and our flight from Philly to Frankfurt was great. Max slept for about five hours straight on that flight since it was his normal bedtime so that was pretty nice. We landed in Frankfurt at about 7 a.m. local time there. So, Max only got about five hours of sleep for his "nighttime" and we just kept him up as much as we could that day, limited his naps to two hours and took him outside into the sunshine to help re-set his clock to Germany time and it only took him about a day or two to really get into the groove of things over there! That was awesome! I was planning on 10 days with no sleep and a fussy baby but he proved me wrong! We had a great time with family and loved seeing Max's great grandparents just swoon over him! Everyone loved him and he loved all the attention. :) We went into Frankfurt a few days here and there, visited historic sites, botanical gardens, an emperor's grandson's castle for a garden festival, went to an Oktoberfest celebration with the whole family, drove down to Heidelberg for a little site-seeing and spent a lot of time with family. The flight home went really well too. Max only slept about two hours total on that flight but we just played the rest of the time so it went by really quickly! And, I think he's already back on our time zone! So, all in all, another great trip for the books! We'll do it again next year!
As I mentioned, Max's grandparents came to visit this month and we LOVED having them here! My dad and step-mom came up one weekend and then my mom came up the following weekend. It was SOOOO great to see family. I know I say this all the time but I miss my family SOOOO much! While we were in Germany, I got a little teary eyed more than once just thinking about how special it is to have family close by. I'm so jealous of people who get to live near family. One day, Chrissi.... one day. :( I'm still keeping my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed to have the Navy bless us with a southern locale for our next tour. Please continue to pray for us that we get either New Orleans or Jacksonville. I think I might have a breakdown if we don't. :( I know I can handle anything but, man, I want to be within driving distance of my parents, cousins, and friends!!!
So anyway, enough with my sob story. Christian left today for a trip overseas and he'll be back next week. Next weekend (Columbus Day weekend), we're planning on going to Meredith, New Hampshire for a clam bake we go to every year. It's hosted by our friend's parents and it's SOOO much fun and so beautiful. So, I'm hoping Christian comes back on time so we can go!
After that trip, we don't really have much planned in terms of travel. I know we'll probably go out to western MD for a visit with my in-laws later this month and we're planning on going there again for Thanksgiving. Christian leaves for a few weeks in December and then we'll head down to Pensacola for a couple weeks over Christmas! I'm so excited! Oh yeah, Halloween is in there too so I'm still trying to figure out what Max will be. We were going to dress him up as a pilot since he has a customized onesie that matches Christian's flight suit but he'll grow out if it by then so I'm still racking my brain and the internet for cute ideas.
Well, that's about it for now! I hope y'all are enjoying the first week of Fall! Talk soon!
xoxo,
Chrissi
So, first thing's first. Our trip to Germany was fantastic. Max was a travel champ!!! It started off a little bumpy as we tried our hardest to use Space A military flights to get to Germany but our luck wasn't too good this year. After three days of trying to get on a flight and having it postponed and cancelled, we opted for the less desirable method of travel- commercial flights. I REALLY didn't want to fly commercially because international flights freak me out and I have a little anxiety about flying from a big city into a big city. Yes, terrorism still scares me. But, everything went off without a hitch and our flight from Philly to Frankfurt was great. Max slept for about five hours straight on that flight since it was his normal bedtime so that was pretty nice. We landed in Frankfurt at about 7 a.m. local time there. So, Max only got about five hours of sleep for his "nighttime" and we just kept him up as much as we could that day, limited his naps to two hours and took him outside into the sunshine to help re-set his clock to Germany time and it only took him about a day or two to really get into the groove of things over there! That was awesome! I was planning on 10 days with no sleep and a fussy baby but he proved me wrong! We had a great time with family and loved seeing Max's great grandparents just swoon over him! Everyone loved him and he loved all the attention. :) We went into Frankfurt a few days here and there, visited historic sites, botanical gardens, an emperor's grandson's castle for a garden festival, went to an Oktoberfest celebration with the whole family, drove down to Heidelberg for a little site-seeing and spent a lot of time with family. The flight home went really well too. Max only slept about two hours total on that flight but we just played the rest of the time so it went by really quickly! And, I think he's already back on our time zone! So, all in all, another great trip for the books! We'll do it again next year!
As I mentioned, Max's grandparents came to visit this month and we LOVED having them here! My dad and step-mom came up one weekend and then my mom came up the following weekend. It was SOOOO great to see family. I know I say this all the time but I miss my family SOOOO much! While we were in Germany, I got a little teary eyed more than once just thinking about how special it is to have family close by. I'm so jealous of people who get to live near family. One day, Chrissi.... one day. :( I'm still keeping my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed to have the Navy bless us with a southern locale for our next tour. Please continue to pray for us that we get either New Orleans or Jacksonville. I think I might have a breakdown if we don't. :( I know I can handle anything but, man, I want to be within driving distance of my parents, cousins, and friends!!!
So anyway, enough with my sob story. Christian left today for a trip overseas and he'll be back next week. Next weekend (Columbus Day weekend), we're planning on going to Meredith, New Hampshire for a clam bake we go to every year. It's hosted by our friend's parents and it's SOOO much fun and so beautiful. So, I'm hoping Christian comes back on time so we can go!
After that trip, we don't really have much planned in terms of travel. I know we'll probably go out to western MD for a visit with my in-laws later this month and we're planning on going there again for Thanksgiving. Christian leaves for a few weeks in December and then we'll head down to Pensacola for a couple weeks over Christmas! I'm so excited! Oh yeah, Halloween is in there too so I'm still trying to figure out what Max will be. We were going to dress him up as a pilot since he has a customized onesie that matches Christian's flight suit but he'll grow out if it by then so I'm still racking my brain and the internet for cute ideas.
Well, that's about it for now! I hope y'all are enjoying the first week of Fall! Talk soon!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Hey Hey Heeeeeyyy
Hey y'all!
Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the last couple days of August! Can you believe we are almost into September??? I thought this time of year would never come. I say that as I sit here watching the first official college football game of the season. And, it's the SEC. Ahhh... love it. Now, I'm just ready for the weather to cool off a little into those crisp Fall days.
Anyway, all is well up here in NJ. We're just staying busy as always and living life! We've had our friend Kyle staying with us this week. He flies with Christian and is almost finished with his tour at this squadron. His wife and kids already moved to their next station so he's just finishing up his last couple weeks and we offered him a place to stay so he doesn't have to pay for a hotel every night. And, he gets homemade meals every night from yours truly. :) So, tonight is his last night here for a while but it's been nice for us to have some company and good conversation over dinner and wine the last couple nights! So, once this guest is outta here, we have more coming in! Dad and Rhonda get into town Saturday. We're pretty excited about their trip! I really can't wait for them to see Max! Then, they're leaving Monday and then Mom gets up here next Thursday!! So exciting!! This is a GREAT couple of weeks! Mom will be here Thursday through Sunday and then that following week, we're heading to Germany for about 10 days! Whew- busy, busy times!
Max is doing great. He melts my heart more and more each day and I'm sure if he really understood what I was saying, he'd get very annoyed with how many times I tell him I love him each day. I just can't help it. haha We have so much fun together during the days and he has such a personality. He's my best little friend. :) He had his six month check-up last week and weighed in at 17 lbs, 3 oz and is 27 1/2 inches tall. He's still 50th percentile for weight but 90th for height! Long and lean boy! He had a little cold last week but got over it pretty quickly so it wasn't too bad. Just a little congestion and runny nose. I never thought I'd say this but he's over six months old and still not sleeping all the way through the night. :-/ He wakes up around 4 a.m. for a feeding and then will go back to sleep until about 7 a.m. His pediatrician said we should probably start pushing him to make it all the way through the night. Honestly, it really doesn't bother me. I barely even remember waking. But, I know what she means and I don't want him to get used to this and do it forever so we probably should start pushing him a little bit. OH! Here's a funny story. So, this past weekend, we went to Christian's dad's house. Max has his own little room out there with his own crib and all that jazz. We take the monitor with us out there so we can hear/see him. So, Christian and I went to bed and had the monitor all set up and ready to go. Well, then I woke up 6:30 the next morning and looked at the monitor and Max is just playing around in his crib like he does every morning and I woke Christian up with excitement and said "Max slept through the night!!". Then, I looked a little closer to the monitor and realized the volume was all the way down. Whoops!!!! So, at that point, we were sure we would have heard him if he woke up. I mean, our bedroom is right next to his. But, as we later found out from my father-in-law, Max woke up twice that night! YIKES! Apparently, he woke up around 1 a.m. (which is really early for him and kind of out of the norm) and then again at around 3 a.m. and cried both times for about 15 minutes. Well, needless to say, Christian and I didn't hear a peep and that was the first full night of sleep I've had in over six months! It was nice! haha So, after that happened, Christian and I kind of figured it was a sign for us to continue with the cry-it-out like the doc recommended. So, the first two nights we were back home after that weekend, we let him cry (he cried/fussed for about 30 minutes both nights) and it just didn't get any better the third night so I gave in and felt like it wasn't working. Yes, I've heard that it can take up to a week to work but I'm a wimp and get more sleep if I'm up with him for 15 minutes than I do if I'm listening to him cry for 30! Oh well. Like I said, the one nighttime feeding doesn't bother me. Especially since I know what it's like to have a baby wake up every hour and a half until he was about 4 1/2 months old! Ugh!
But, he's fine and I'm fine and we're all fine. He's doing really well with eating real food. I'm still making it and he had meat (turkey) for the first time this week and he likes it! I still have him mostly on just oatmeal for breakfast and then turkey, a veggie and sometimes a fruit if he's still hungry for dinner. I've done lunch a couple times but I'm (yes, me) just not ready yet. I'm still nursing Max and have grown to absolutely love it and now that he's eating more food, he's not nursing as much and I miss it!! Yes, I know... I'm nuts. I love how easy it is now and there really is a unexplained bond that comes from it. But, I definitely wasn't always in love with it. I had two phases where I almost gave up. First, when Max was six weeks and then again when he was three months. I vividly remember Google-ing "I HATE BREASTFEEDING"! hahahaha And, believe it or not, there was a LOT of stuff that came up. haha But, I never gave up. Christian was pretty helpful in getting me to stick to my guns with nursing and I'm so glad I kept it up. I can't imagine spending all that money on formula or washing all those bottles. I use two bottles daily to pump and I hate even washing those!! I definitely know breastfeeding isn't for everyone! It's definitely not fun or glamorous or easy or convenient for everyone. And, some people just don't like it. And may each momma choose what works best for her and her little one!
As you may have seen in my FB posts, Max is officially a full fledged crawler now! He's all over the place and into everything. The house is pretty much baby-proofed now except for the kitchen. Until I get around to moving cleaning supplies and securing things, I just try to keep him out of there. He's also pulling himself up every once and a while. He did it twice this past weekend while we were in MD but he hasn't done it since being back home. We lowered his crib just in case he gets a wild hair and wants to pull up in there! He has so much energy! He's definitely his father's child. haha
Well, anyway, I better head to bed! Y'all have a good week and enjoy all the college games this weekend! WAR EAGLE!!!! :)
xoxo,
Chrissi
Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the last couple days of August! Can you believe we are almost into September??? I thought this time of year would never come. I say that as I sit here watching the first official college football game of the season. And, it's the SEC. Ahhh... love it. Now, I'm just ready for the weather to cool off a little into those crisp Fall days.
Anyway, all is well up here in NJ. We're just staying busy as always and living life! We've had our friend Kyle staying with us this week. He flies with Christian and is almost finished with his tour at this squadron. His wife and kids already moved to their next station so he's just finishing up his last couple weeks and we offered him a place to stay so he doesn't have to pay for a hotel every night. And, he gets homemade meals every night from yours truly. :) So, tonight is his last night here for a while but it's been nice for us to have some company and good conversation over dinner and wine the last couple nights! So, once this guest is outta here, we have more coming in! Dad and Rhonda get into town Saturday. We're pretty excited about their trip! I really can't wait for them to see Max! Then, they're leaving Monday and then Mom gets up here next Thursday!! So exciting!! This is a GREAT couple of weeks! Mom will be here Thursday through Sunday and then that following week, we're heading to Germany for about 10 days! Whew- busy, busy times!
Max is doing great. He melts my heart more and more each day and I'm sure if he really understood what I was saying, he'd get very annoyed with how many times I tell him I love him each day. I just can't help it. haha We have so much fun together during the days and he has such a personality. He's my best little friend. :) He had his six month check-up last week and weighed in at 17 lbs, 3 oz and is 27 1/2 inches tall. He's still 50th percentile for weight but 90th for height! Long and lean boy! He had a little cold last week but got over it pretty quickly so it wasn't too bad. Just a little congestion and runny nose. I never thought I'd say this but he's over six months old and still not sleeping all the way through the night. :-/ He wakes up around 4 a.m. for a feeding and then will go back to sleep until about 7 a.m. His pediatrician said we should probably start pushing him to make it all the way through the night. Honestly, it really doesn't bother me. I barely even remember waking. But, I know what she means and I don't want him to get used to this and do it forever so we probably should start pushing him a little bit. OH! Here's a funny story. So, this past weekend, we went to Christian's dad's house. Max has his own little room out there with his own crib and all that jazz. We take the monitor with us out there so we can hear/see him. So, Christian and I went to bed and had the monitor all set up and ready to go. Well, then I woke up 6:30 the next morning and looked at the monitor and Max is just playing around in his crib like he does every morning and I woke Christian up with excitement and said "Max slept through the night!!". Then, I looked a little closer to the monitor and realized the volume was all the way down. Whoops!!!! So, at that point, we were sure we would have heard him if he woke up. I mean, our bedroom is right next to his. But, as we later found out from my father-in-law, Max woke up twice that night! YIKES! Apparently, he woke up around 1 a.m. (which is really early for him and kind of out of the norm) and then again at around 3 a.m. and cried both times for about 15 minutes. Well, needless to say, Christian and I didn't hear a peep and that was the first full night of sleep I've had in over six months! It was nice! haha So, after that happened, Christian and I kind of figured it was a sign for us to continue with the cry-it-out like the doc recommended. So, the first two nights we were back home after that weekend, we let him cry (he cried/fussed for about 30 minutes both nights) and it just didn't get any better the third night so I gave in and felt like it wasn't working. Yes, I've heard that it can take up to a week to work but I'm a wimp and get more sleep if I'm up with him for 15 minutes than I do if I'm listening to him cry for 30! Oh well. Like I said, the one nighttime feeding doesn't bother me. Especially since I know what it's like to have a baby wake up every hour and a half until he was about 4 1/2 months old! Ugh!
But, he's fine and I'm fine and we're all fine. He's doing really well with eating real food. I'm still making it and he had meat (turkey) for the first time this week and he likes it! I still have him mostly on just oatmeal for breakfast and then turkey, a veggie and sometimes a fruit if he's still hungry for dinner. I've done lunch a couple times but I'm (yes, me) just not ready yet. I'm still nursing Max and have grown to absolutely love it and now that he's eating more food, he's not nursing as much and I miss it!! Yes, I know... I'm nuts. I love how easy it is now and there really is a unexplained bond that comes from it. But, I definitely wasn't always in love with it. I had two phases where I almost gave up. First, when Max was six weeks and then again when he was three months. I vividly remember Google-ing "I HATE BREASTFEEDING"! hahahaha And, believe it or not, there was a LOT of stuff that came up. haha But, I never gave up. Christian was pretty helpful in getting me to stick to my guns with nursing and I'm so glad I kept it up. I can't imagine spending all that money on formula or washing all those bottles. I use two bottles daily to pump and I hate even washing those!! I definitely know breastfeeding isn't for everyone! It's definitely not fun or glamorous or easy or convenient for everyone. And, some people just don't like it. And may each momma choose what works best for her and her little one!
As you may have seen in my FB posts, Max is officially a full fledged crawler now! He's all over the place and into everything. The house is pretty much baby-proofed now except for the kitchen. Until I get around to moving cleaning supplies and securing things, I just try to keep him out of there. He's also pulling himself up every once and a while. He did it twice this past weekend while we were in MD but he hasn't done it since being back home. We lowered his crib just in case he gets a wild hair and wants to pull up in there! He has so much energy! He's definitely his father's child. haha
Well, anyway, I better head to bed! Y'all have a good week and enjoy all the college games this weekend! WAR EAGLE!!!! :)
xoxo,
Chrissi
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
It's been a month!
Hey y'all!
It's been over a month since my last post! We've been busy... or either this hasn't been a priority. Probably the latter. :) But, I'm back! So, where to start?
Everything is going really well with us. Max is so much fun and just growing and changing so much every day! He is ALMOST crawling! It's so funny to watch him. He sits like a little frog and kind of launches himself toward whatever he's trying to get. He can move about five feet at a time before he starts to get frustrated. I love watching him learn new things. It's so great. He'll be six months old this Saturday and I really can't believe it. On one hand, it seems like time has flown but on the other, I feel like it has taken forever to get to this point. I just get emotional thinking that each day that passes is gone and I'll never get these days back with my little man. I know I have a whole lifetime coming but watching a baby grow really makes you realize how fleeting life is. It's crazy. I get a little teary-eyed every night as I rock Max to sleep because it's one more day that is passing by. I just love him so much... it's crazy. I think about him growing up and not wanting to hug me or let me rock him, etc. Ugh, I'm tearing up now. haha As Christian would say, I'm a "basketcase". haha
So anyway, Christian is out of town for the week so Max and I are just trying to stay as busy. We go to the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday and he plays in the daycare while I'm working out. On Thursdays, I take him to a little mommy-and-me play/music class that he really likes. It's pretty neat and the teacher has all kinds of ideas to help the babies learn and exercise their senses. I'm still a member of the Mom's Club here in our town and there is a playdate tomorrow at a park so we'll go to that. Today, I met a friend, Clarissa, and her little boy at a park and put Max in a swing for the first time and he really liked it! He had a smile on his face the whole time and was so content. :)
Well, summertime is coming to an end soon and we have quite a bit of stuff coming up in the next couple months. Dad and Rhonda are coming up for Labor Day weekend, Christian's running in a 10k mud run the second weekend of September and then we're heading to Germany around September 11th. I'm so excited to go to Germany but I'm also VERY nervous about the traveling part of it and how Max will handle it. We're taking a military flight so I'm very thankful that we won't have to be on a commercial flight! So, just say a little prayer that everything goes smoothly and it doesn't mess up his schedule too badly. :( I know it's going to be a little rough since it's a six hour time difference so we'll be exhausted. Oh well. It's only 10 days out of a lifetime so we can handle it! :) I'm just really excited for the family over there to meet Max! After we get back from Germany, we have our annual trip to New Hampshire for the Troop Family Clambake over Columbus Day weekend. We always have such an awesome time and it's SO beautiful up there! Then, before we know it, it will be the holidays! We're spending Thanksgiving up this way but we'll be down in Florida for Christmas!
Then, hopefully at the beginning of next year, we'll be finding out where the Navy is sending us next. We're REALLY trying to get back down south somewhere. We're hoping for either New Orleans (my number one choice) or Jacksonville. So, please cross your fingers, eyes, toes, and any other appendage that we get one of our top picks. But, as we all know, we can never really get our hopes up with the Navy.... as Christian says, "they're ORDERS, not invitations". :-/ But, September marks one more year up here! I'm SO ready to leave New Jersey. I really liked it when we got up here and I still don't hate it but it's just really different and I miss the south. I miss being close to friends and family. I would just LOVE to be within driving distance of Pensacola. Since Christian is gone so much, it would be so nice to just be able to hop in the car and head to my mom or dad's for a few days. Man, that would be amazing. All you folks who live near family, NEVER take it for granted!!!!!
So anyway, Max is in bed and I'm about to head to bed too. I hope you guys have a great week! Love y'all!
Chrissi
It's been over a month since my last post! We've been busy... or either this hasn't been a priority. Probably the latter. :) But, I'm back! So, where to start?
Everything is going really well with us. Max is so much fun and just growing and changing so much every day! He is ALMOST crawling! It's so funny to watch him. He sits like a little frog and kind of launches himself toward whatever he's trying to get. He can move about five feet at a time before he starts to get frustrated. I love watching him learn new things. It's so great. He'll be six months old this Saturday and I really can't believe it. On one hand, it seems like time has flown but on the other, I feel like it has taken forever to get to this point. I just get emotional thinking that each day that passes is gone and I'll never get these days back with my little man. I know I have a whole lifetime coming but watching a baby grow really makes you realize how fleeting life is. It's crazy. I get a little teary-eyed every night as I rock Max to sleep because it's one more day that is passing by. I just love him so much... it's crazy. I think about him growing up and not wanting to hug me or let me rock him, etc. Ugh, I'm tearing up now. haha As Christian would say, I'm a "basketcase". haha
So anyway, Christian is out of town for the week so Max and I are just trying to stay as busy. We go to the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday and he plays in the daycare while I'm working out. On Thursdays, I take him to a little mommy-and-me play/music class that he really likes. It's pretty neat and the teacher has all kinds of ideas to help the babies learn and exercise their senses. I'm still a member of the Mom's Club here in our town and there is a playdate tomorrow at a park so we'll go to that. Today, I met a friend, Clarissa, and her little boy at a park and put Max in a swing for the first time and he really liked it! He had a smile on his face the whole time and was so content. :)
Well, summertime is coming to an end soon and we have quite a bit of stuff coming up in the next couple months. Dad and Rhonda are coming up for Labor Day weekend, Christian's running in a 10k mud run the second weekend of September and then we're heading to Germany around September 11th. I'm so excited to go to Germany but I'm also VERY nervous about the traveling part of it and how Max will handle it. We're taking a military flight so I'm very thankful that we won't have to be on a commercial flight! So, just say a little prayer that everything goes smoothly and it doesn't mess up his schedule too badly. :( I know it's going to be a little rough since it's a six hour time difference so we'll be exhausted. Oh well. It's only 10 days out of a lifetime so we can handle it! :) I'm just really excited for the family over there to meet Max! After we get back from Germany, we have our annual trip to New Hampshire for the Troop Family Clambake over Columbus Day weekend. We always have such an awesome time and it's SO beautiful up there! Then, before we know it, it will be the holidays! We're spending Thanksgiving up this way but we'll be down in Florida for Christmas!
Then, hopefully at the beginning of next year, we'll be finding out where the Navy is sending us next. We're REALLY trying to get back down south somewhere. We're hoping for either New Orleans (my number one choice) or Jacksonville. So, please cross your fingers, eyes, toes, and any other appendage that we get one of our top picks. But, as we all know, we can never really get our hopes up with the Navy.... as Christian says, "they're ORDERS, not invitations". :-/ But, September marks one more year up here! I'm SO ready to leave New Jersey. I really liked it when we got up here and I still don't hate it but it's just really different and I miss the south. I miss being close to friends and family. I would just LOVE to be within driving distance of Pensacola. Since Christian is gone so much, it would be so nice to just be able to hop in the car and head to my mom or dad's for a few days. Man, that would be amazing. All you folks who live near family, NEVER take it for granted!!!!!
So anyway, Max is in bed and I'm about to head to bed too. I hope you guys have a great week! Love y'all!
Chrissi
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
20 weeks in.... what I've learned.
Twenty weeks into my pregnancy, I could have never imagined how much my life would change when my little boy made his way into this world. And now, 20 weeks into motherhood, I can come up with a list a mile long of things I've learned from being a momma for almost five months! FIVE months! Can you believe it? Time really does fly.
As many of you know, I had a rough start to this whole parenthood thing. It was kind of a slap in the face of my life and just sent shock waves through every inch of me. As much as I wanted to be a mom, there were days when I wished I could have just rewinded time. I know, that sounds awful but if you know me, you know I'm not going to butter you up with all kinds of glamorous stories. But, as time went on, people kept telling me "it gets better, I promise". And, low and behold, they were right. I am LOVING being a mom and yes, I miss my old life of zero responsibility every now and then but I really wouldn't trade this for the world. And, actually, me really loving this new gig just happened within the last month or so. Max was a tough one up until about four months. He was grumpy most of the time because he just didn't know how to sleep very well so he was constantly tired. A tired baby= a bitchy momma. haha So, for whatever reason, Max hit four months and became a totally new little man. He started napping better so he was MUCH more pleasant during the days and his personality just all of a sudden began to blossom. We've also gotten him to start sleeping ALMOST through the night rather than waking every two hours like he was doing. So, everything is going great! Now, he'll be five months next week and it gets more and more fun each day.
So, I've come up with a list of 20 things that I've learned so far in my first 20 weeks as a momma. Enjoy!
1. I am no longer allowed to be a control freak. My child rules the world and no book or Google search can change that. When Max was born, I expected to just be able to mold him into any little creature I wanted him to be.... to teach him how to sleep perfectly, to teach him how to only eat when I wanted him to eat, etc, etc, etc. Yeah.... um.... ask me how that worked out and how much I've really been able to control. haha
2. I really don't remember what it feels like to not be a mom. People always say they don't remember life without their child. It's true... whether that's good or bad.
3. It's not easy. Anyone who says it's easy is lying and needs a swift kick to the face.
4. Moms are too hard on other moms. Whether it's breastfeeding or formula feeding, having an epidural or going all natural, breastfeeding until kids are two or three years old, crying-it-out, co-sleeping, etc, etc, etc.... No matter what the argument, moms are MEAN. I think any mom needs to mind her own damn business and worry about her own child and not about what's going on with another family. As long as kids are safe and healthy, we never should impose our beliefs on anyone else.
5. I've never worried more about one human being in my life. Seriously, it's nuts. And, I know it will only get worse.
6. People really never stop with the advice... and it gets old. I know my own baby better than anyone so I smile and take every peice of advice with a little grain of salt.
7. They really do grow fast. It definitely didn't seem that way the first couple months. But, now I look back at pictures and videos of when Max was a real newborn and holy cow, I barely remember it. :(
8. Babies are the only people on earth who it's polite to stare at. This, I find kind of funny.
9. Things that never wake a new baby: vacuums and blenders. Things that almost always wake a new baby: sitting down to eat a meal.
10. I'm constantly excited to see the next new thing Max will learn to do. It's so AWESOME to watch him figure stuff out. Whether it's finding his hands, grasping onto a toy, passing that toy from one hand to another, grabbing his feet, rolling over, flashing that adorable smile or hearing him chuckle.... these little milestones never get old and they light up my entire world.
11. Relax. As crazy as it is, I can totally tell that Max can pick up on my stress.
12. Every baby really is different and I've only done myself a disservice by comparing Max to other babies.
13. The internet is a new mom's worst enemy. It will scare the shit out of you and/or make you feel like the worst mom in the world for the tiniest thing. And, those damn forums online.... ugh, just remember, moms are MEAN! haha I vowed to stop Google-ing anything at all. If I have a question now, I call the doctor or ask my mom or my cousin.
14. I wish I would have never read a single baby book except "What to Expect in the First Year". Books that promise that your baby will sleep 12 hours a night, nap for two hours, or eat on a specific schedule may work for some babies but if it doesn't work for yours, it will make you go insane.
15. I feel there's too much pressure on new moms to be chipper and have a "life is grand" attitude all the time. Sometimes when I'm asked "how are you enjoying motherhood?", I feel like I HAVE to say "oh, it's amazing and so fabulous and great" when sometimes I really want to say, "well, today, it sucks. I haven't showered in two days and only got about four hours of sleep each night for the last three months, and my child constantly wants to be held." haha But, I'm sure that's not what people expect.... especially those folks who have never been through it or are so removed from it that they can't remember!
16. Sleep when your baby sleeps is great advice but definitely not possible in some cases.
17. Sometimes, I'm jealous of moms who go to work and get a break and I'm sure they are jealous of stay-at-home moms, too. You never really can have it all, can you?
18. The most rewarding meal I've ever made in my entire life is two ounces of pureed steamed carrots that my little man gobbled up tonight. Really, I've never been more proud of my culinary efforts.
19. Once you get over one hurdle, another one is waiting around the bend.
20. One of my favorite rappers, Jay Z, said this about his new baby girl: "my greatest creation is you". Seriously, nothing I've ever accomplished in my life will ever compare to my body creating a human being. It's simply miraculous and something I can't even wrap my brain around.
So, there you have it. The things I've learned..... hopefully I can ease another new mom's anxiety.
xoxo,
Chrissi
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