On An Adventure

As of Monday, I now have a 2 year old! It seems like the second year of his life has flown by in the blink of an eye. We were randomly watching some older videos today and it is amazing how much my little man has grown and changed, even in the span of a few months. He is looking more and more like a kid rather than a baby. It's been a little bit emotional for me, realizing how quickly he is growing up!

That being said, he's a really fun kid and I really do enjoy the time that we spend together. In true toddler fashion, he is wild and crazy one moment, then snuggly the next. He amazes me with all that he takes in and observes about the world around him. He has an incredible memory and keeps me on my toes! He's constantly on the move and loves all things motorized. He's pretty awesome.

We just returned back home from visiting family in California for 3 weeks. Eli was very much celebrated for his birthday (2 birthday parties and a trip to the zoo) and we got to visit with and spend lots of time with family. Then, we flew back he the day after his actual birthday, so I haven't even had a chance to give him the presents that Nick and I got him! Then, we're having a birthday party at a park in a few weeks! We tend to celebrate birthdays for as long as possible in my family, ha ha!

One thing that I did do which was tons of fun was ask Eli a bunch of questions (which I am hoping to continue every year on his birthday). I was surprised that he actually answered the vast majority of the questions that I asked and was pretty amused by the answers! I may have to make a video of Him answering questions next year. Anyway, Ahere are his answers:

1- What is your favorite color? Blue (totally thought it was red!)
2- What is your favorite toy/thing to play with? Ella (his girlfriend), zebra
3- What is your favorite fruit? Blueberries, fruit snacks
4- What is your favorite show? Dada (Nick reading books), Blues Clues
5- What is your favorite food? No answer
6- What is your favorite outfit? Monster truck shirt
7- What is your favorite game? Pow pows/battle (playing with the Army men we use as our deployment countdown)
8- What is your favorite snack? Fruit snacks
9- What is your favorite animal? Pig, E-I-ei-o
10- What is your favorite song? Old McDonald- "E-I-EI-O"
11- What is your favorite book? Eli's notebook (he colors in a little notepad)
12- Who is your best friend? Ella
13- What is your favorite cereal? Chex
14- What is your favorite thing to do outside? Have fun, slide
15-'What is your favorite drink? Milk
16- What is your favorite holiday? Easter (had to help a lot with this question)
17- Who do you like to take in bed with you? Dada (his Daddy doll)
18- What is your favorite breakfast food? Chex
19-'What is your favorite letter? U
20-'What is your favorite number? 2
21- What is your favorite place? Swimming

The only one he couldn't really answer was what he wanted to be when he grows up, but I don't think he quite gets the concept of a job yet. Especially since Nick's work is "a really long trip" at the moment.

Amusing answers, nonetheless! Silly kid

"Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

And, we have reached the point in this deployment where I am officially over it. As much as we have behind us, it still feels like there is a long way to go. The day to day is just starting to wear on me. It's not like I'm ripping my hair out at the end if the day every day (although I have my moments- mostly with the dogs, not Eli), but it's just hard doing everything myself. The cooking, the cleaning, the caregiving, the shopping. It's just a lot for one person. And no matter how many breaks I have or little hands that help, at the end of the day, it's still all ultimately up to me.

And, I just really miss my husband.

Thankfully, we are just shy of four months done. There are a lot of rumors swirling around again about extensions also, so we may or may not be approaching the halfway mark. Please pray that this deployment is only nine months, or if it is extended, it doesn't go all the way to a year. Because the thought of Nick missing a year of Eli's life is really breaking my heart. Nine months is plenty long, as it is.

But, like I said, they're just rumors at this point and I'm trying not to stress when nothing definitive has been decided. And I know that God is ultimately in control.

"And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?...therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:27, 34

So please just keep us in your prayers. We do have some trips and visitors coming up that will help this funk a bit as well.

One of my devotionals recently talked about how "a Spanish response given colloquially to the common greeting 'Como estas?' ('how are you?') is 'Aqui en la lucha,' which means 'Here in the struggle".

Boy, can I relate! We have been busy, busy, busy! Thus, the lack of updates. As much as I'm used to the "normal" of Nick being gone by now, it is still a lot of work taking care of Eli, the dogs, and our house all by my lonesome. And, of course, we've had to make sure we're getting some social time too!

I finally attended a unit coffee (only took me about 6 months!), got to celebrate my birthday at a painting studio with some fun ladies, and have had some nice dinners with fellow wives whose hubbies are gone. We're also enjoying the military wives bible study through our church, and Eli is getting more and more comfortable with the church nursery and babysitters!

There have been some especially challenging times in the past couple months, like a bout of the stomach flu for Eli, a bunch of lights going out in my house, very cold weather, lots of rumors swirling around the military (extending deployments, not paying the troops, etc.) and potty training! But, God was faithful as usual, and got us through even the very long days.

I thought that we might live in the bathroom for the first few days of potty training, and we practically did. I also felt like I had a newborn again, since we were so tied to trips to the potty. Definitely would have been much easier with Nick home, but what can ya do. Thankfully, things have gotten much better since. Eli can now (usually) go at least an hour between bathroom visits and usually only has 1-2 accidents a day. I would say that we're still in the process of potty training, but not bad for only a little more than 2 weeks in! He is very excited about his new big boy underwear and if we're both on top of it, there is a lot of success! We're getting there!

Eli is also continuing to amaze me with how much he learns and grows every day. Apparently, he's actually been listening when I've been trying to teach him stuff! He'll randomly recognize letters, numbers and shapes and has pretty much mastered colors. He sure keeps me on my toes, but he also keeps things interesting, that's for sure!

The biggest accomplishment lately for Eli has been that he will finally put himself to sleep! I take a lot of responsibility for this, but he was so incredibly slow to put to bed, at least for me (less so for others, little stinker!). I have no idea what the turning point was, but it just clicked one day that his world would not end if I left the room before he fell asleep, and we haven't turned back! Totally life changing and such a nice break for me!

I'm doing pretty well too. Continuing to work out and eat better and I'm definitely seeing the results. I've done some fun fitness challenges, like one in January where I did a progression of push-ups every day and did almost 500 push-ups by the end of the month! I feel very buff! The instructor of the stroller workout class we go to even tried to recruit me to be an instructor! I definitely took that as a compliment.

Otherwise, just kind of powering through. I'm still anxiously awaiting the day when Nick will finally be home, and it does still seem a ways off, but I know we'll get there. We're actually almost to the halfway point, God willing (I'm not counting on anything until he's actually on a plane) and have made it through 110 days so far!

We have some fun stuff coming up in the next few months, so hopefully I'll have the motivation to write more (can't say blogging is super high on my list the only time my child holds still- when he's asleep). Until then...

So I hinted in my last post that, not only are we surviving while Nick is gone, in some ways, we are thriving.

Eli is definitely the one who is doing most of the thriving (warning- lots of mommy bragging coming)! Which is pretty bittersweet because it just brings to light how much Nick is missing. But, we are both very proud of our little man!

Our little sponge is amazing with naming and recognizing colors. He does mix them up sometimes, but gets them probably 9 times out of 10. Shapes are coming along too! The most impressive one is octagon! He absolutely loves pointing out every stop sign he sees. We're still working on circles and squares, but I'm glad he's so excited about octagons, ha ha!

We're also starting to work on numbers and letters and he loves to count and sing ABCD. I stole an inspired idea from one of my mommy teacher friends and bought him some number and letter bath toys, so he's getting to work on them during bath time.

He is also mimicking almost everything I say and is now up to 5 word sentences (today he said "I see Larry right there")! Smar-T-Pants!

He is also extremely interested in potty training all of a sudden and went potty twice in the potty, just today! So, apparently we will be starting potty training soon! I'm a little concerned about the time commitment and being able to be consistent, especially outside of the house. But he's obviously getting the idea and the end result will be so worth it! And I have a few friends who recently potty trained who have shared a lot of wisdom! So now I have a game plan and a list of supplies (pull ups, training underwear, potties) to stock up on. Crazy!

I am also doing pretty well with my goals, namely getting in shape! I have lost about 9 pounds since Nick left and my weekly weight loss has been pretty consistent! I've been able to work out regularly and I feel like I'm making healthy food choices with (it definitely helps that my more picky eater isn't here). No special diet or anything, just fruits and veggies and stuff. But apparently it's working!

Otherwise, nothing really major. Feeling a bit more organized and making strides with getting the house in better shape. We've also been able to be very social (February's calendar is pretty full!) and I have some babysitters lined up for some time without Eli and celebrating my birthday. And I've spent a lot of time at Hobby Lobby and done a few fun projects, including a great Valentines care package for Nick. Once he gets it, I'll share some pictures.

I'm also starting my bible study for military wives next week and volunteering in the nursery on Sunday! Can't wait! So much to look forward to! Yay for February!

I can't believe I have only been home for a week. It has been a whirlwind! Which, I guess, is better then being bored. I was definitely worried that home would seem quiet and boring after being around family for so long. Yeah, can't say that has been too much of a problem.

We've had some crazy weather (ice storm, snow) which kept things interesting. We have also had a couple of strikes from Murphy (every military wife knows about Murphy's Law- if it can go wrong when your husband is gone, it will), but thankfully it hasn't been anything that can't be fixed (flat tire, blown fuses). Eli's top two canine teeth have been putting both of us through the ringer though. Poor guy has had a low fever on and off since yesterday and sleep has been iffy. No fun. Obviously, the lack of sleep has zapped my motivation somewhat though.

So, needless to say, it's been a bit crazy around here, plus the effort of getting back into our routine and getting the house back in order. And, of course, we have to do very important things like have lunch and FaceTime dates, ha ha. But we just keep on trucking, and thankfully, there are days like today where nothing is really going on and we can catch up.

The good news is, we have surpassed the two month mark (I'm counting in 30 day increments, since the deployment is not supposed to "exceed 270 days" and obviously, not every month is 30 days). And God is faithful, even when I have a fussy boy who just wants to be held, or is up for a good hour in the middle of the night because his teeth hurt.

We're surviving, and doing a little bit of thriving. Speaking of, deployment goals to come soon, I promise! They are written down. Now I just need the energy to post about them. Until then...

Alright, here are my deployment goals, finally! I have a few different categories:

Fun
Read/finish one book per month
-And possibly write a review of what I read
-I'm halfway through a bunch of books right now, so maybe it'll help me finish them
Do one creative thing per week (baking, learning to knit, crafts, etc)
- As if I need another reason to feed my Hobby Lobby addiction
- I also have tons of fun projects pinned on Pinterest
Send Nick at least one care package per month
- I have a Pinterest board full of ideas!
Have one pampering/me time per month
- Get my nails done, go to a movie, girls night, etc
Cook 2 new recipes per month
Update this blog more regularly (I'll try to shoot for once a week, which seems feasible)

Eli
Intentionally take time to teach him because he is a sponge!
- Would love to have colors and shapes mastered and I have some great flash cards that he is totally learning from
- Work on letters and numbers 1-10
Activities geared towards him
- Gymnastics class, story time, outside time, field trips, art projects
Would love to get him potty trained, although it's ok if it doesn't happen

Health
Eat more fruits and veggies and be more conscious of what I am eating
Drink more water
Exercise regularly (I still have some baby weight I could stand to lose)
- Nick made me an awesome exercise plan before he left
- I now have a bike, a trailer for Eli and a trainer (makes a bike into a stationary bike), which makes working out so much easier
- I'm hoping to run another 5k- possibly the color run and/or a tough mudder
- I've been going to a stroller workout class at least twice a week and am really enjoying it

Organization
Get the house more organized
- Don't know if it's because of the new year, or the fact that I was away from my house for awhile, but I'm inspired to get things in order and really make things run smoother around here
- Even though we've lived here over a year, I feel like some rooms aren't "finished"
Do one organizational/practical project per week (i.e. organize Eli's old baby clothes)
Make better meal plans & shopping lists
Stick to cleaning/chore schedule and get Eli involved since he is loving being helpful
Plan my weeks better
- To-do lists, prioritizing

Christianity
Get back to memorizing Scripture
Get more involved in our church
- I'm going to start helping out in the nursery and join a military wife small group that I'm really excited about
Write down 5 blessings per day
- Inspired by the book 1000 Gifts
- Is really helping me keep perspective on this deployment and see God's hand in the day to day
Read devotionals daily
- I got some great devotionals for Christmas that I'm excited about reading

So there ya have it!

Man, it is good to be home! On Friday, Eli and I returned home after a fabulous month spent in California with family (thus my little blogging hiatus). We got to see all of Eli's grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and Eli loved all of the extra love and attention! And I even got some wonderful breaks while Eli got some quality grandparent time. I think I'm going to be hearing about tractor rides, kitty cats, dance parties, and making coffee for weeks!

We're starting to get resettled, and my house isn't a total disaster anymore. Eli has fully adjusted back to Central time, thank goodness. He has even been sleeping in and keeps waking me up with a beautiful serenade of "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Baa Baa Black Sheep". Man, I love my happy morning baby!

It was a bit of an adventure getting home! Guess that's what happens when you fly through Denver in January, ha ha! Our first flight was uneventful and Eli did great (although I recently realized that this was his 6th round trip and my 3rd solo flight). Our flight even got in early!

However, that meant that our gate wasn't ready yet, so we sat for a bit on the Tarmac. Thankfully our next flight was only 2 gates down. But then, as I walked on the flight, I realized I had forgotten our iPad in the seat pocket. Face palm! So I asked a flight attendant and they went to look for me. They didn't find it, so they offered to watch Eli while I went to look and he surprisingly cooperated.

But apparently I needed my ID to re-board and I just got nervous about the flight leaving without me so I came back to my seat. And they miraculously found the iPad and brought it to me! So totally amazing, especially considering how attached Eli is to that thing, ha ha.

But, oh no, it doesn't end there. It started snowing when we landed, which meant the plane needed to be de-iced before we could take off. We got in line on the de-icing pad...and found out that the de-icing truck ran out of fluid, ha ha. Eventually, we got off the ground, and I think we only ended up being about an hour later than our original arrival time. I know it may seem crazy flying through Denver in January, but I figured they could handle crazy weather, and I was correct! And it was better than my other option- Chicago!

Unfortunately, when we deplaned, I found out that our umbrella stroller was still in Denver. Eli was thankfully very happy to hold my hand and run through the airport after being on a plane all day. It only really got interesting when I had to get our luggage. It was a little bit like herding a cat, ha ha. But we made it, and my wonderful friend Megan was very flexible in picking us up.

Thankfully, I was able to keep a good sense of humor through the whole scenario. Honestly, it could have been so much worse than it was (stuck in Denver, lost iPad, etc), and I apparently have an expert traveler on my hands! He even took a nap! And God was definitely looking out for us in our travels.

And the adventure made being home again all the more sweet. And oh my goodness, the dogs were excited to see us! Hopefully I'll be updating the old blog more regularly. I have a few posts in mind. I'll leave you with a few pictures of my awesome travel buddy: