Hangin' out at Gramma and Grandpa's

We're settling in nicely here at the Grandparents' house. 

Brutus is happy and doing well.  Don't tell anyone (especially THEIR dog) but he's even taken to sleeping IN BED  WITH Grandma and Grandpa.  :) 

Brutus isn't the only one who has Grandpa under his spell.

And of course, Peter wasted no time before wanting to put the pool to good use.

With his new life jacket (thank you Grandma and Grandpa) he loves to jump right off the side of the pool into the waiting arms of whoever is willing to catch him.

He also loves kicking and splashing!

 

Proof that Mommy was there too.  This was during our "rest time" so Peter could warm up because literally he would stay in the water until he turned blue if we let him.

Back in the pool with Grandpa a bit later.



This basketball hoop was also waiting in the garage for him.  What great fun!



A.J. slept for the better part of the afternoon but woke up with a smile fully rested and prepared to stay up late into the night screaming and make Mommy crazy.

Peter skipped his nap but was more than content to chill-ax on the couch before dinner and rest for awhile.

Aw, happiness.  It's going to be a good month.

Our Plane Ride to Ohio

To say that I was dreading our trip to Ohio yesterday would be an understatement.  I had booked my flight very early and paid extra to get a DIRECT flight but that still left me with 2 kids to maneuver through the airports, plus our luggage and their carseats.  And also, I had to find a way to keep them happy during the four hour flight time.

Let's just say there was a great deal of strategizing and planning ahead of time.

Plus, our AWESOME friend Mike took the morning off so that he could help us through the airport.  He was even able to get a gate pass to go through security with us and help us all the way to the gate. 

Here he is with Peter in the luggage cart which was carrying the 2 carseats at that point. 

BIL had a flight out around the same time so he swung by our gate to say farewell and see that we'd made it okay.  Peter was THRILLED to see him.

A.J. was just very overwhelemed by the entire airport experience.

Of course Peter spent some time on Uncle Mike's sholders to keep him from running away.

This picture cracks me up because A.J. is like "Help me Mommy!" and Peter is just bouncing around in the background there behind her.

There were almost no other chilren on the flight so I had plenty of help from the WONDERFUL flight attendants as we boarded, gate checking out stroller and Peter's car seat, getting A.J.'s seat installed on the plane and getting everyone seated comfortably.  Here Peter and I are as he happily started munching on snacks since our flight left around his normal nap time and he hadn't even had lunch yet.

And of course, here I am (leaning the other direction) with A.J.  She seemed happy to be just safely strapped in her seat and away from the loud and busy airport.

At take off she drank her bottle all the way down and then she played happily with a few toys for awhile.

Peter was all smiles.

Pretty soon, A.J. conked out.  She stayed that way for a little more than half of the flight.

Peter did NOT sleep though. He watched Finding Nemo on the portable DVD player and most of Cars.  Whatever keeps them happy I suppose. 

When the flight attendants brought the food and beverage cart by I got him a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich that came with apple and carrot slices.

Honestly, I can not even imagine how the flight could have gone better.  A.J. squawked a few times when she was hungry.  Peter grew restless a few times and kept climbing out from under his seat belt and onto my lap, but honestly, neither of them cried AT ALL. 

I got so many compliments on their awesome behavior, and that was so wonderful to hear.  I really do struggle with this deployment-single parenting some times so it was so refreshing to have the flight go WELL and to hear some nice words of affirmation from a few kind strangers.

Also, I swear to goodness you're not going to believe how things wrapped up. 

You see, there was still the little matter of my hurt foot in the boot.  This was how I was able to get Mike's gate pass for help in the airport on the way to boarding and I'd also asked if it was possible to get some assistance after we landed with getting to baggage claim where Matt's parents were to be waiting for me. 

Except I think the message got lost, or the airport was short staffed or something because nobody showed up for me.  Not willing to admit defeat, I secured A.J. to me in the baby carrier and started trying to stack the car seats in and onto the double stroller so I could carry all my belongs in it and drag poor Peter along beside me by the hand.

However, as I made my way off of the jetway and out into the terminal the plane's Copilot caught up to me and asked if he could help.  So he pushed my stroller with carseats and I had my children and my carry ons and we all trudged off to the elevator.

Waiting for the elevator the plane's actual Pilot caught up to us as well.  And then, I'm not even kidding, he asked if he could take Peter for me (since A.J. was screaming bloody murder over a smelly diaper and to get out of the carrier.)  It took a little convincing, (the Pilot had to promise Peter he could try on his Captain's hat) but eventually my boy went to him and together we all walked to the little intra-terminal train, then rode it to baggage claim were I met up with my In-Laws.



Peter with the Pilots on the train.

 And people say there's no such thing as customer service anymore!

If your wondering, Matt's mother laughed and said something about how I must just be really good at "picking up" guys in uniform.

Ha ha!

Any way, after an adventurous drive northeast we arrived up at their house.

A.J. having slept well on the plane was wired and took a long, long time to lull to sleep.

Gramma letting her look at a snowglobe while its music played.  (Sorry about the scary demon baby eyes, it was dark and the red eye was roo much for my photo editing program to correct!)

Peter on the other hand, went WILD to see the dogs (both ours, who I'm happy to report is doing well here and theirs) but quickly passed out after not sleeping on the plane...

In a big boy bed for the very first time.

Close up: I can't believe he's in a BIG BOY BED!

Anyway, I think our whole travel experience is still further proof that God really does listen to and answer prayers... even the silly ones... and sometimes he answers them with a bit of a sense of humor.  Because, seriously?  The PILOTS.  Who would have thought!

Seven Years Later

Today we are flying from here back to Ohio for a nice long visit with family and friends.  And by "we" I mean, it is mean and my two children travelling.  Eek!  I have three bags to check, plus both the kids' car seats, a double stroller, my backpack, Peter's backpack full of snacks and toys and my purse.  I'm trying very hard to fathom the logistics of even getting TO, let alone ON, the plane, even with the help of some friends with connections at the airport.  Please pray that the Lord watches over all of us today, and delivers us safely back to the buckeye state.  And, also, that Mama doesn't lose her mind in the process.  Patience never has been my strong suit.

Additionally, one of Matt's younger brothers is getting married while we will be there and to be honest I don't think I could be more excited unless it was my turn to be the bride again.

Except I already did that... twice.  Once when Matt and I eloped at the Courthouse (almost 9 years ago,) and once, 7 years ago TODAY, when we had our union blessed in the Church, reaffirmed before God and celebrated with friends and family.

It's interesting thinking about that day this many years later.  Matt and I were just about to leave for our tour in Japan and were, frankly, a little terrified.  But then again, we were so much younger and carefree and, well, childless... that it almost seems that at the time we didn't really have a worry in the world so long as we had each other.

People ask me all the time how on Earth I do it.  Do THIS.  Deployments, I mean.  The answer is simple... I go to the gym.  Ha!  No really, I do that, of course, to help me cope, but also I just do.  We do.  He's just worth it.  I love him.  He loves me.  He's a great Father and my children don't deserve anything less.  We just belong together and it's as simple as that.  How can I stand to have to wait for him, again, for an ENTIRE year?  How could I not?

Anyway, in honor of the 7th Anniversary of our marriage vow renewal and celebration (a day which, honestly we don't normally even celebrate in favor of the day we eloped in November) here are SEVEN of my favorite photographs from that day, just because.





In other words, here are 7 small moments that I can remember fondly and keep me going on the rough days.





PS... My dearest Matter, I love you babe.  Stay healthy and be safe, I'll see you soon (but not soon enough) and we'll have the rest of our lives together to keep making memorable moments. 

The Gate Keeper

I wonder when she'll find the Key Master....

Alternately, my LOTR semi-obsessed nephew and I are considering getting her a pointy grey hat and a walking staff and teaching her to say "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" as she spends the vast majority of her awake time standing there and preventing anybody from being able to get up or down the stairs.

Venting

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I mean, seriously.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!


Ahem.

Alright.

Thank you.  That felt good.

Now on to other things....

The Boot

Remember how 2 1/2 years ago, back when I was pregnant with Peter I broke my foot when I fell down at the Wild Animal Park?

(If you don't, you can read all about it here and here.)

Okay, well.  Pretty much ever since that foot has never really felt "normal."  The fact of the matter was, I HATED my primary care doctor at the time (because they went home for the night and left me sitting in an exam room the evening I found out I was pregnant, which is another interesting story actually that you can read about if you're interested here.)  So because I hated that doctor so much I never went in for a 6 week follow up like I was supposed to.

Plus, by the time the UGLY and HORRIBLE blue surgical shoe came off I was 8 1/2 months pregnant and the idea of getting more X-Rays done at that point just seemed ridiculous.

So I just let it go. 

There was a big bump where it had originally been injured and it just sort of hurt sometimes.  I'm sure I adapted and learned to walk a little fun to "favor" it.  I thought about talking to a doctor about it a few times, but just, never, did.

So then a few months ago, I started working out a lot.  And it started hurting A LOT.  Like all the time there was a dull, throbbing ache that radiated up the front side of my left.

Last week I went to my new Primary Care Doctor here about it.  (It was actually the first time I've had any reason to go see him.)  He read in my record that the original injury had most likely been a partial fracture of my 5th metatarsal.  (Even back then the pictures weren't 100% clear.)  I'll admit, that was good to know because I never was entirely certain just which bone I'd broken.  He asked me if I'd been put in a walking boot at the time.  I told him no, I'd had the ugly blue shoe and he rolled his eyes, explaining that I should have been put in a boot not a shoe (immobilizing my ankle) because there is a tendon there that pulls on that bone and often makes healing difficult.  (Also, those boots are a lot easier to walk in than the hard, flat shoe...)

He ordered X-Rays, but other than a few "suspicious" areas, they didn't show anything.

So then he ordered a bone scan and referred me to a Podiatrist.

I had the bone scan on Monday.  Except that I also had a slow leak in my tire over the weekend, and I spilled the antibiotics for A.J.'s ear infections so on top of the scan I was sort of stressed out and hectic that day between when they injected me with the radioactive junk and when they actually took the scan and I didn't drink enough water so they came out well, but not as well as we might have hoped.

And then today I saw the podiatrist.

Basically, the bone scan and the x-rays don't show anything conclusive.

I could have (and I guess I was just assuming this was the case) a stress fracture in the same area as the original injury, like maybe the bone there was just weaker than everywhere else and once I started running a lot it aggravated the problem.

Or, and this is more what she's thinking, there's a nerve there being pinched.  I'm not sure if she thinks it got that way when the original injury healed or more recently when I've been running, which would explain why it's started hurting so much more recently with the extra pounding as the gym.

Or (and possibly AND) she thinks I've developed tendinitis from over compensating my movements to favor the "sore" area on the side of the foot... ie, I've been walking and running funny.  She said this is probably the case regardless of if there's a stress fracture or pinched nerve, as it explains why the pain tends to radiate up the front of my leg.

So anyway, today they weren't exactly clear as to how they could fix the problem.

Or possibly they were and I didn't catch it because A.J. was squirming and screaming a lot on my lap and Peter was running around the tiny little room getting in the way and trying to help and also unfortunately, smelling an awful lot like a sewage treatment plant. 

Anyway, they gave me a few shots of Lidocaine to see if that would temporary alleviate the pain.  She seemed to think that if it did, it would show that the problem is with the nerve and the tendon, as opposed to the bone.  And let me tell you, while the shots themselves felt, um, very very very "special," the relief when the meds kicked in was, like... WOW.  I mean, it was like this cool wave of numbness just took over and for awhile it didn't throb or ache and it was just amazing. 

I don't think I actually realized just how bad it had been hurting until suddenly it wasn't for awhile.  (Conversely, now that the shots have worn off and the relief is gone, the pain seems to be back with an evil vengeance and I sort of feel like maybe I need to start drinking heavily.)

She also had me fitted for Orthodic inserts, even though I assured her that already have them in my running shoes, so now I have an additional set, which she suggests I use now not just in my running shoes but whenever I wear regular shoes.  Then she started going on about my bunions, and I was like "I don't have bunions" and she was like "Yes you do..."  and I really wanted to ask her if she'd seen some feet with bunions because seriously, mine aren't anything.  And then she said I had a couple of club toes or something, which I always thought were just my weirdly cute crooked 4th toes, so I might have sort of started tuning her out a little at that point.  Like seriously Doc, can we just focus on the problem at hand (that you don't seem to be able to fix) and stop making me feel paranoid about my ugly feet?!?

Anyway, so aside from the orthodic inserts and the shot that temporarily relieved the pain, I left with a walking boot.  She said I only really need to wear it when I'm doing a lot of walking, and that I need to refrain from heavy use of my feet- like running, for now and that we can do a follow up in 4-6 weeks.

She also said that I can still wear cute shoes to my Brother-in-Laws wedding at the end of September.

(Phew, because I put way to much effort into finding the perfect shoes for that event not to be able to wear BOTH of them!)

So, um-- I guess, we're dealing with military health care, so obviously we're going to try the conservative treatment plan first? 

She said that at the next appointment we would reassess the problem and figure out how to proceed.  She seems to think that with the orthodics and boot there should be improvement, and if not... she said she'll probably want an MRI to get a still better picture of what's "wrong" in there.

So you know...

Neat.

They apologized that they didn't have any short boots available.

Last One I Promise

Ok, with this I promise to be done with the Nike "advertisements."

But seriously, isn't this just too cute?

Now if only we had Daddy shoes in there too. 

Except I don't think I've ever known him to wear Nikes.

Baller Training

As I mentioned in my previous post, this past weekend we went to the Nike outlet to pick up some new shoes for Peter. 

Now, before I go any further, let me just explain.  We are certainly not made of money, but we have found, that it is pretty well worth the extra cost to put my son in better quality shoes.  We tried some of the cheaper ones, from discount stores when he was littler and learning/just starting to walk.  They never fit very well.  They didn't last.  So somewhere after his first birthday when we found little Nike running shoes on sale we just went for it.  They were awesome!  They lasted for over 6 months and I'm not even kidding he walked and ran SO MUCH BETTER with the quality sole.  Pretty much from there, we became loyal customers.  I mean, I'm not like 100% dedicated to the Nike brand for life.  I'm sure we'll branch out, but so far, especially at the outlets, they've had the best selection in Toddler sizes. 

So with this trip, Peter is on his 3rd set of Nikes.  Actually, I got him 2 pairs... because while he has Crocs too, I found out the hard way this summer that it is important to always have a spare pair of good shoes for him available as he tends to mess his up by traipsing through mud puddles or sticking his feet (with shoes) in buckets of water. 

Anyway, so one of the pairs I bought was another little pair of Jordan's because he's already, sadly, almost outgrown the ones he got for his birthday from Uncle Mike, that he LOVED so much, and really, they're pretty similar in price to all the other toddler sneakers.  So then that evening, when we were back at their house for dinner and Tristen's boyfriend, who I have officially nicknamed "Bobby Boyfriend" (because alliteration is just fun!) was over I was trying on his new shoes and then of course he had to show them to everybody and then before I knew it a basketball had been obtained and Peter was out front with Bobby Boyfriend learning to put his shoes to good use.

Peter, as you can tell, LOVES Bobby Boyfriend

And although I'm not sure he'd ever admit it, I think Bobby Boyfriend probably doesn't mind Peter too much either.  (Certainly he likes my son better than me of course, since I insist on harassing him whenever possible and giving him funny nicknames.)

My 2 year old has mad court skills already, can't you tell?

Too bad we didn't actually have a hoop...

Not sure what was going on here.  Probably this is some new version of defense I haven't heard about yet.

Hmm.  And now he's kicking the ball.  There was, actually a soccer ball out there somewhere too.  I guess I need to better teach him the difference.  And also, apparently, find him some soccer shoes too....

I'm going to go so broke in a few years when he's old enough for little league sports and he wants to play ALL of them. 

Oh. Yes. I Really Did.

On Sunday we went with my friend Mishana and 2 of her 3 girls up to the nearby outlets.  Her kids needed clothes and shoes for school and I wanted to visit the Nike store to pick up another pair of tennies for Peter since he's had another growth spurt and his are rapidly becoming too small.  Plus, I wanted to find a back up pair of gym shoes for me.

However, while checking the clearance for his size, I found these:

I mean, obviously my daughter just NEEDED them.  They are just SO stinking cute after all.  And I mean, sure she doesn't walk yet, but they're Nike Frees so I mean, they're practically guaranteed to help learn to walk.  Or something.

Anyway, if you're wondering...

 She finds them JUST as exciting as I do.  :)

(Either that or she just really wanted to attack the camera.)

Anyway, if you are doubting me on the pure awesomeness of those little kicks, her she is with Tristen, who's wearing the same style in a different color.



If you're wondering, the fact that they are black and white (as opposed to any flavor of pink or purple) might just be my favorite part about them. Not only are they not overly girlie, but...



...black matches everything right?

Oh!  Plus, the cashier saw my Military Dependant I.D. card and gave me a 10% discount.  Heck what with all the other stuff I was getting, that discount basically paid for her little shoes.  Thank you Nike for supporting the troops... or um, in this case, their famililes and their retail therapy.  :)

Another Trip to the Little Beach

See, the thing with taking some time for "me" is I forget stuff.  Yesterday I was uploading all the pictures off my camera's card to clear it up for our big upcoming big trip back to Ohio and I found these pictures from last weekend that I COMPLETELY forgot about.  I'd taken the kiddos to the beach for a few hours on Sunday before dinner and, aside from the tremendous amount of sand that A.J. ate, we had a nice couple of hours.

Anyway, here are a few of the better photos:

This would be the one brief moment where she sat happily on the blanket where I wanted her...

Peter, naturally got right to work digging in (and flinging everywhere) the sand.

Eating Sand.  So.  Nasty.  (And yet she's so happy about it!)

Me and my girlie

Peter found a "she-sell"

An interesting perspective....

Digging up rocks...

...which of course needed a good flinging into the water.

Brrr, that water sure is chilly!

It's possible I take too many "long armed" photos of us....