Wifia Wednesday Pics

Andrea with Chloe, Me with Elijah (or as Keenan called him yesterday, "Mor-ijah"), & Joia with Moriah.

Elijah with his two girlfriends. This is the first time I tried the Bumbo with him. He is the youngest and still not quite sure he can handle it, but he did a pretty good job.

Moriah and Elijah obsessed with their toes.

Thanks, as always, to Joia, for these photos.

For anyone who is new to the blog (or who just hasn't been paying attention), our wifia group meets each Wednesday around lunchtime. JB's residency "class" included eleven individuals. We are the wives of six of those residents who came in together in 2007. Each of our husbands are family medicine physicians in the Air Force.

These ladies have provided invaluable friendship, support, and encouragement to me during this bumpy ride of residency. During my first year here while we were still struggling with infertility and then waiting on Isaac, they were incredibly sensitive and caring with my tender emotions despite the fact that nearly all of them had children of their own. I have NO idea what I would have done without these ladies in my life. Andrea, Jodi, Joia, Sarah, and Tiffany ... you guys are amazing women! Thank you for being my friends and standing by me during the last two years. It is hard to believe that at this time next year, we will all be preparing to head to different bases for our payback time. I can only pray I have a support system half as good at the next base we go to.

As a group, we can always count on Joia to capture our day in photos. I asked her yesterday if she brought her camera, and she looked at me as if to say: Are you kidding? Did I, Joia D., bring my camera? I don't think I have ever been anywhere with Joia where a camera was not present, and it is such a blessing to always know we'll get some good snaps with her along. Our group now includes eight kids with one on the way. It's a wild time!

Thanks Kristi!

They finally fit, Kristi!

I stand corrected

I thought Isaac's birthday party was his first trip to McDonalds. I stand corrected! Good ol' Joia captured proof on film that he has been there once before. Wednesday, June 25, 2008 was actually our big boy's first trip to Mickey D's. :) The picture above is me with Isaac -- not Elijah. (It's hard to tell!)

Grrrrr . . .

Scrubs ate one of Isaac's puzzle pieces yesterday. I walked into the laundry room and he jumped up and zipped right into the back of his kennel leaving behind a frayed little mess of what was once a puzzle piece. I was so angry I climbed right into his kennel on my hands and knees bringing my little spray bottle of "Bitter Yuck" with me and doused that teenage pup right in the mouth!

It's becoming a bit more difficult to know where Isaac's toys are. Scrubs is basically good about leaving toys that are not his own alone, but I do try to make sure there aren't toys in areas, like the laundry room, that Scrubs sees as more of his domain. Scrubs is used to toys in the living room and dining room. But the laundry room?! Gold mine!

However Isaac is not making this easy. He has started carrying toys everywhere with him and then leaving them in strange places. I find toys in corners and on bookshelves and in my sock drawer and in the bathroom. If I find them there, Scrubs will finds them there and have a dilemma standing in front of him.

Is it worth it? I know I'll get caught. I know I'll get sprayed. But is it worth it?

I guess the puzzle piece was. Grrrr . . .

It's a good thing . . .

. . . that I decided not to go to MOPS today. Otherwise I would have went.

That sounds confusing.

Let me explain.

When I went to bed last night, I was planning to go to MOPS but Elijah woke up at 2am to feed which he normally doesn't do. While he went back to sleep, I wasn't so lucky. I tossed and turned until 6am when both boys, at the same time, decided morning was upon them.

Anyways, after my rough night, I shot an email to a few of my MOPS gals and told them I wouldn't be able to make it today. I was just too tired. I needed to try to get some rest if possible.

One of them emailed me back and said I must be really tired because we don't even have a meeting today.

So it was a good thing that I decided not to go to MOPS today. Otherwise I would have gone. I would have showed up and realized we don't have a meeting today. That would have stunk, big time.

So thanks to Elijah, I didn't spend two hours getting all of us ready to go to a meeting that didn't exist.

Way to go little man.

KFC freebie

I don't watch Oprah much anymore, but I watched her today. She was doing some "pick-me-ups" to help families during the rough economic times. Kentucky Fried Chicken is giving away a free meal to anyone who downloads their coupon from Oprah's site in the next 24 hours. Check it out. (Oh and it's grilled chicken! Much healthier.) You have 24 hours to download the coupon but two weeks to redeem it.

Morning smiles

Final pics & odds and ends

Aren't those pics above just the cutest?

I feel like I haven't really written on this blog in forever. Tons of pictures and not nearly as many words. Joia, you are rubbing off on me!

Anyways, here are some odds and ends to get you caught up on our lives here on the Emerald Coast.

Visitors

Our visitors have headed south, and once again, our house only holds four people and one dog. It was a fantastic visit with my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and niece and nephew. Extremely busy, chaotic, and tiring, but wonderful to see family and have them here with us to celebrate Isaac's birthday.

Attached to JB

Isaac, unfortunately, didn't want to spend a lot of time with his extended family. He has become quite glued to JB. If JB is not here, then, he accepts me as second best and glues himself to me. When no one is here, he runs around the house playing and laughing and jabbering. But with my family here, he didn't let us out of his sight for a second and would usually play in one little area.

Personalities
I have to wonder if the personality traits I am seeing in Isaac and Elijah will stick with them or melt away with age. Right now, I would make the guess that Isaac will be a little more on the soft spoken or shy side. I also see him being a little bit stubborn and determined. My current guess about Elijah is that he will be a bit more mischievous and outspoken. Tune back into this blog in a few years to see if that holds true.

Good bye Becky
I had a final good bye lunch with Becky today. She really made the afternoon fly by as we chatted and pretended that this wouldn't be the last time we'd be able to get together like this. Military life is hitting me and making me a bit emotional. I really dislike having to say good bye to people. We've been married nearly eleven years and have now lived in three different states. We've had to say good bye to a lot of people. However, all of a sudden it isn't me doing the leaving. It's me doing the staying and them doing the leaving. I don't like it one bit!

Training days

For now, JB and I preparing for him to take a one week leave of absence from our family. He is going to do some military training in Texas. He'll leave this Thursday and be gone an entire week. Bummer! This is the first time that he will be away from Isaac since Isaac has started really knowing people and acknowledging who his caregivers are. I'm so blessed that Joan will be joining me for a good bit of the week JB will be gone to help me hold down the fort here. I'm still not ready to do an entire week by myself with all three of my boys.

Prayers

I would also appreciate some prayer for me as I am still having a few post-delivery complications. I'm not going to get into them on the blog as they are a bit on the personal side, but my doctor is sending me to a specialist to see if we can get them ironed out. If you could pray that they figure out what is wrong and help get me back to my normal self, I'd greatly appreciate it. These are not life threatening issues, but they are enough of an issue to try to get to the bottom of them.

Goodnight

All righty folks. Off to give Elijah his last bottle before I head to bed.

Trip to the Zoo

Popsicle time!

On the tram.

Gabbi and the kids (and Grace's prized possession -- her peacock feather)

Isaac always goes straight for Elijah's face.

Isaac did really well at the zoo especially considering he never got his morning nap.

Our butterfly.

The Mama kangaroo and the baby kangaroo. :)

I have no idea what Isaac is doing with his ear.

Getting a picture of the two of them together is next to impossible. Here's my best attempt.

Party!

Hey everyone! Here are just a few quick samplings from Isaac's birthday party yesterday. We took a TON of pictures and there is no way I could possibly narrow them down for the blog. Sooo ... if you would like to see more, you can visit my Snapfish album by clicking here. You can also watch a video on youtube by clicking here. We had a FABULOUS day! McDonalds party are the bomb! You show up, pay your money, and go home with no prep or clean-up. It was a great time.

Our family (minus Elijah.)

Me with William. See, I wore my hair down! But it didn't last long.

Opening presents. Isaac got some really cute toys!

Playing in the playland.

Roxanne and Tim with Elijah.

Getting ready to blow out the candle.

First time having ice cream.

Tiffany and William. Look at Williams's cute smile!

I love this picture of Keenan.

Eating cake.

Trying the hat on Daddy.

And trying it on himself.

Jocelyn and Madison. How cute is this?

My niece Grace and nephew Nate.

First time trying apple slices at McDonalds. (This was actually the first time he had been to McDonalds.)

Post-party relaxation.

Cousins

Here are some pictures from our Friday with Grama K, Aunt Gabbi, and cousins Grace and Nate. We hung out at home and went to the Niceville Children's Park during the day and the park on base for a pizza dinner in the evening.

The moment of upsetness

On Thursday, I had "the" moment.

It was the moment that I knew was coming. I had watched my friends, family, and acquaintances have these moments. But I hadn't really had one myself yet.

It was the moment when I knew that my job as a Mom required me to do something that I had no desire or wish to participate in.

It involved Isaac, an upset stomach, and his car seat.

I heard it as we rounded the corner to our house. I knew Isaac had thrown up. I also knew that he was sitting in his car seat.

I just didn't know how many places the upsettings could wander their way into.

Many.

Every nook and cranny on the car seat was met by the upsetness. Isaac was covered, the car seat was covered, the seat of the van was covered. Toys were covered.

I looked at the clock.

Noon.

JB wouldn't be home for at least five more hours. Was that too long to wait to clean up this mess? Yes. I knew it was. I'd have to do it. I had no choice.

One thing that is definitely true. When you love the kid, it is easier. I remember babysitting for Bri when she was little and the upsetness occurred. I cleaned it up fairly easily because I loved that little girl so much. But give me another child that I didn't have as close a relationship with and I'd find myself gagging the whole way through.

I didn't gag one time as I cleaned up my car. But if you were able to be a fly on the wall in my carport you would have heard many words being muttered from myself to myself. Words like, "Ohhh", "Gross", "Disgusting", "Ugggghhh" . . . things like that.

Somehow I managed to time everything just right. I sat Elijah, still in own car seat, on the kitchen table. I ran the bath. I carried Isaac with arms outstretched through the house to his bathtub. Gave him bath. Put him right down for a nap. Let Scrubs out where he could watch me cleaning the car so he didn't cry or bark and wake either baby. Stripped the entire car seat cover. Washed the entire car seat cover. Left van windows open to air everything out. Accidentally stepped in the upsetness on the floor of the carport.

I was proud of myself for surviving the moment. The moment where I could hear my own brain say to me, "You knew this would happen when you decided you wanted to be a Mom." Yes, I knew it would happen. It doesn't mean I wanted it to happen or I was excited it happened. But I also would gladly take it in exchange for getting to be Isaac's Mom.

Unfortunately, Isaac had another moment of upsetness at midnight and apparently, so did his buddy Keenan who we were hanging out with earlier that day. Both boys got sick from somewhere. Not sure if this was related to what Isaac already had or if it was something new, but either way, I felt horrible that Keenan was also sick. Joia is sick too but with something different. I felt so bad for Joia trying to take care of Keenan while she was sick as well.

Today is Isaac's birthday party. I've let the other parents know that our boy just isn't himself. We hope they will all still come, but if they are worried about their kid getting sick, than at least they know and can choose to skip the party. We'll have a great time either way! And of course, I'll be sure to post pictures later so you all can participate from wherever you are.

Scrubs does the potty trick

Aaaahh Scrubby. He continues to make me laugh. Dalmatians are known for their stubbornness. But they are also known for great personality. Scrubs seriously seems like a human sometimes!

Right before bed, we always make Scrubs get up and go potty. Here's a video of Scrubs' groggy wake-up from back before Isaac joined our family.

Once he has gone potty and returned to his bed, I give him a treat.

Now that we have the fenced backyard, he goes out the sliding glass door and returns to wait for us to open when he is done. However, I have been watching and Scrubs has been faking going potty. He'll walk outside, stand on the grass for a second, and then trot back to the sliding glass door to get up in his bed and get his treat!

Little stinker!

So now we watch carefully. If he doesn't go, we send him back to really go potty. Then he can have his treat. He will actually sort of sigh, turn around, and slink back to the grass to really go. So funny.

* * *

I also wanted to answer a blog question I received regarding Scrubs and the possibility of us going overseas. As I have mentioned previously on the blog, we are currently leaning toward the hope that when we leave Eglin in the summer of 2010, we will get an overseas station. It is all up to the military of course, but this is what we are hoping for. Someone asked if Scrubs can come with.

The answer is yes, absolutely. There's a lot of work that needs to be done. You have to start the dog on a series of shots six months before you leave. This means we'll have to start him before we would actually even know if we are going. A few countries require a very short quarantine period upon the dog's arrival in their country (48 hours maximum I believe.)

The major trick with taking him is that most airlines require the temperature be fairly cool (below 70 degrees F. I believe) in order to allow the dog into the cargo hold. I doubt we'll obtain that in a summer here on Eglin AFB. I have already talked to our great friends Ron & Ebby in Minnesota and they have agreed to keep Scrubs with them in Minnesota until the weather is good enough for him to fly out and join us. Hopefully, if we fly out of Minnesota, it'll be cool enough right away. But if not, it shouldn't take long to get to that point.

I have heard this can be a pretty pricey flight to get our pup over there, but honestly, I wouldn't go if we couldn't bring Scrubs. He is a part of our family, and he'll be joining us wherever we go!

Charleigh

Here's a few pics of my brother Keith, his wife AD, and their little girl, Charleigh (Pronounced "Charlie".) Joan (Bri's mom) actually took these photos a few weeks ago for them. I've been meaning to post them for awhile. For those of you who are new to my life (via my blog), Keith is my only brother. He is two years younger than me, 6'10", not nearly as annoying as he was when he was little, and the Athletic Director at the school everyone in my family and JB's family graduated from: Fort Lauderdale Christian. He met Adrienne "AD" through church, and they were married two years ago.

I especially like the last photo. It looks like Charleigh may be a ballerina. Very funny considering Dad was a college basketball player and Mom a college softball player. A dancer! That would be hillarious!

(JB's family got in last night. It is so wonderful to see them! Pictures to come I promise.)