I'm Still Alive

So just a quick update, since I appear to have fallen off the face of the planet:

Life's been busy, or not, depending on how you look at it.

I LOVE staying home with Baby Bird and she's been tickling us left and right with the funny things she does and says.  She's entered the age of cute and silly but hasn't quite gotten to the defiant stage.  We're hoping to skirt around that one as long as possible!  We've dabbled in the idea of elimination communication (also known as infant pottying) and so far it seems to have paid off - we're "catching" more and more trips to the potty and therefore having to wash fewer diapers.  I'm a big fan of less laundry.  From the looks of things she may well learn independent pottying early - yay!  Of course now that I've said that it'll probably come back to bite me...

We're at the decision point for military career choices.  We have about a year and a half till our assignment here ends and the enlistment runs up at the same time.  Stay in?  Get out?  Go Guard or Reserves?  Move to Tahiti?  We have way more questions than answers right now but I think that's okay.  God is good and we know He has a plan, we just need to figure out how to listen!

I've always loved baking and recently started decorating cakes for friends' birthday parties and such.  It's been going well enough that *gasp* I'm working on starting up my very first home business!  Thrilling and scary at the same time.  I'm not sure our kitchen will ever be the same.  Did I mention this new line of business is absolutely terrible for my waistline?  Thank goodness for friends who are willing to sacrifice by tasting all my trial run goodies!

Well, that's us in a nutshell right now - busy but in a generally peaceful way, and trying to follow where God leads us.  Life is good and God's even better!

On Jesus and Peace in the Midst of Life

I think I needed this right now.  Hope it helps someone else too.


Peace!

Finding Peace within Chaos

Nothin' Like New Books

New Bible study for this year:

I'm giddy as a schoolchild opening up brand new books on the first day of school!  Or wait, was I the only kid that got excited about that...?  I don't know - I just love the smell, look, feel, unexplored territory of brand new books!

With all the internet chatter about the first day of school, especially the first day of homeschool, I wondered if I'd be as excited about new curricula each year as some of the families seem to be.  Well, given how I jittered about in anticipation opening my new Bible study I think that answer is yes, it'll be like Christmas every year!  Did I mention... I love books!

Well that was short-lived.

Nurse-in was canceled.  And not in a good way.  More details to follow.  By the way, anyone with experience with  breastfeeding in the military, please speak up, we could really use some words of wisdom about now.

First Nurse-In

Is it silly that I'm ridiculously excited about attending my first nurse-in?

Background:
A mother nursing her child at our base's E-Club was asked to cover up or leave.  Hmm... yeah... you can't actually require a nursing woman to do either.

Result:
We're staging a simple, quiet nurse-in at the same location.  The idea is for people to come, eat lunch at the restaurant, nurse if they have a nursling, and show support with numbers.  We'll have a copy of the applicable federal laws on hand if anyone cares to ask.  T-shirts for the munchkins are in the works.  T-shirts will read:  "Anytime.  Anywhere.  Doing my part to normalize nursing in public."  They may not be the most creative t-shirts ever, but they'll hopefully get the point across.

Man, the things I never dreamed I'd be doing, much less enjoying!

Co-Schooling

Here's a term I'd not yet heard till this evening (umm, actually morning... it's nearly 2 - eep!).  While I'm sure this would require some serious "clicking" together to be successful, it sounds simply wonderful.  I sighed aloud reading the post :).

http://arlinghaus.typepad.com/blog/2010/05/coschooling-5-greeting-rituals.html

Empty Cupboard Roundup

Here's your chance y'all - send in a link to your own empty-cupboard meal post and share the oh-crap-what's-for-dinner wisdom!

Okay, let's get that empty cupboard round-up on

Lego Maniac's Dream

Can I just say? THIS IS AWESOME. My Little Gems: DIY Lego Table {from an old Coffee or End Table}

Eating on Empty: Pizza Party!

This post has been written for inclusion in the Empty Cupboard Meals recipe roundup hosted by Bearing Blog.

Our family has a few go-to meals for when we've run out of food, ideas, or gumption.  One of my favorites is homemade pizza!  Even when our cupboards are otherwise quite bare, we always have flour, yeast, and salt on hand.  Well, and water.  But water's free.  I like free.  Sometimes I'm exceptionally well-organized and actually make up some pizza dough a few hours or even a day or so in advance.  It freezes well too, but we've never had any last long enough to freeze more than a few days - we really like bread in this house!

Anyway, homemade pizza night usually runs something like this:

1. Realize I'm hungry and it's 6pm.  Hubby's due for dinner soon.
2. Open the fridge.
3. Close the fridge.
4. Open the cupboards.
5. Close the cupboards.
6. Bemoan the fact that I'm hungry and didn't think far enough ahead to have dinner brewing already.
7. Repeat steps 2-6 at least twice.
8. 6:30.  Crunch time.  Hungry means decision-making apparatus is fried.  Whining, hungry, tired munchkin isn't helping.
9. Recheck the fridge.  HA!  I thought I saw some leftovers lurking back there!
10. Empty fridge of all non-growing leftovers, piling said leftovers all over the counter.
11. PREHEAT THE OVEN.  Important step.  Forgetting this one means intensification of hunger pangs and whining while perfectly good dinner waits to be cooked.  Not fun.  Whining might me mine or munchkin's.
12. Use the one clean bowl in the house to make some Quick and Easy Pizza Dough.  Waiting is not my specialty. (NOTE:  It says to mix the yeast and water and let it hang out 10 minutes to get creamy.  Yeah, you totally don't have to do this.  Just make sure your yeast isn't expired.)
13. Roll, stretch, or squish the dough into a relatively flat slab.  Shape doesn't really matter.  You're just going to eat it, right?  Shape adds character.  Call it rustic and people will think you're a chef.
14. Commence leftover sprinkling*.
15. Toss in the oven and bake till your mouth starts to water and the crust is light golden brown.
16. Voila! Homemade gourmet dinner from apparently empty cupboards in 30 minutes or less!  Add a bottle of wine and some of last year's Christmas chocolates and you've a feast :).

*leftover sprinkling -    

[left-oh-ver spring-kling]-noun 1.   to shred, cut, dice, crumble, or otherwise make your gourmet toppings (yes, the two tablespoons of leftover meatloaf you just couldn't bring yourself to throw away count as gourmet when you're talkin' homemade rustic pizza) bite-size and dump all over your pizza dough.  Sauce is optional.  So is cheese.  Can't live without them?  Try olive oil and garlic, leftover spaghetti or alfredo sauce, BBQ, ranch, sweet chili sauce, whatever looks decent and will help your toppings stick to the dough.  Cheese?  Try ricotta, cheddar, the last slice of sandwich cheese, anything but American.  Unless you REALLY like American cheese - at which point, well, you're just crazy.  But that's okay cuz' we still love you.



Some Pizza combinations we've tried:

• Naked: Just the dough (maybe some herbs), with some dipping sauce on the side.
• Blanca pizza: Ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan cheese
• BBQ: BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, shredded meat, bell peppers, pineapple chunks, onion
• Margherita: Olive oil, garlic, tomatoes (any kind), sprinkle of mozzarella and basil
• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, bacon bits, diced veggies, Tobasco
• Meat lovers: Tomato sauce, bacon bits, ham, hamburger, any other meat, mozzarella cheese
• Kitchen Sink: BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, corn, shredded meat, onions, goat cheese, mozzarella, cheddar, broccoli, spinach

This meal is guaranteed to a) go over well and b) clean out your fridge of even the tiniest bowls of leftovers.  One cherry tomato? Three bites of leftover wilted broccoli? Only one cup of spaghetti sauce and 4 people?  No sweat.  Sprinkle it all on and it tastes great :).  Let me know if you come up with any out-of-this-world combos!

Tonight's Bible Study

Oh. My.

Not even sure where to start on this one.

4:30 decision was made to move our weekly Bible study to our house for the evening.  Quick glance around the house, not too shabby yet since we haven't even unpacked from our halfway-around-the-world trip, so sure, no prob.

5:00 Baby Bird is still sleeping and the last-minute cleaning is going pretty well.  As in the toilet no longer has 3 months worth of boy grime on it.  Wait, that's not fair.  In all honesty my husband probably did clean the toilet at least once while we were gone.  Thank you my husband, for sparing me the worst of the boy grime.

5:30 Baby Bird's up, Papa's on the phone, the dog's begging to go outside and oops I think we forgot to feed her? and my friend is ringing the doorbell which makes the dog go ballistic and the house still looks like a furball exploded in it and we have people coming over in 30 minutes and Baby Bird's whining for food and I haven't started dinner yet but it's okay because we still have time.  We can make it.

6:00 House is vacuumed, dog is crated, child's happily smearing I mean eating peanut butter and pizza dough's in the works.  No sweat.

6:20 Child is now covered in peanut butter so off to the tub you go.  Baby Bird promptly stands up in the tub, slips, smacks the back of her head harder that she ever has before, screeches bloody murder, and gives me a minor heart attack.  The front door's opens, she's stark naked and covered head to toe in peanut butter, I scoop her up so I'M covered head to toe in peanut butter and people are supposed to be here any second and she's not bleeding but she hasn't stopped crying and we're both still covered in peanut butter and at least she hasn't peed on me... yet.  Where's the towel?

6:30 We're both clean.  And dry.  And peanut-butter free.  But Baby Bird has a nasty welt.  And the leader for the Bible study just drove up.  But that welt has me worried, so I call Daddy.  Who's at work.  With the car.  And the carseat.  No worries, he's on his way (thank God!) and my friend is here with her baby and we watch Baby Bird to see how she's doing and Daddy arrives just moments later.

6:40  Baby Bird seems to be okay.  Mama?  Maybe.  Still trying to put my stomach back in its proper place.  Did I mention I still haven't eaten yet?  Everyone seems to be okay.  Daddy and my friend are doing a great job helping me be steady.  Head injuries scare me.  We have experience with those.  They're not good.  But Baby Bird's okay :).

7:30  Baby Bird lets a Big One.  Shoulda' paid more attention...

7:45 Emergency call home has turned into lunch hour for Daddy, and I've enjoyed a catch-up talk with my friend.  The Bible study never really happened since noone else showed up.  We make plans to restart this week's lesson and get ready to send little ones to bed.  Hmmm... Baby Bird's a bit fragrant.

7:50  Really???  I mean REALLY?!?!  Glad we did this diaper in the tub, because there's no just wiping this one down!  Apricots!  In her hair!  And corn!  And oh Daddy, you gotta' come see what you're getting out of tonight!

One baby girl. Two baths.  Three sets of clothes.  And I'm done for the night.

Was that water dripping on my shoulder just now?  No.  I do not have time for a flood tonight.  Where's the Bailey's?

And So It Begins

Our daughter is 15 months old.  She does not attend daycare.  She's had a whopping one small virus in her whole life, which consisted of a fever and runny nose.  She eats like a horse and meets or exceeds all the "milestones" for her age.  She's small but very healthy.


When Baby Bird was about 3 months old we became more aware of the vaccination controversy so I did what I always do, I started researching heavily so we could make our own informed decisions.  What we came up with is really a work in progress since vaccinations and available research change too.

In general, I'm not opposed to vaccines.  However, I AM opposed to some vaccines for our child.  Take chickenpox for instance.  Really?  A childhood disease that is relatively harmless if no other health conditions exist (which they currently do not) plus a vaccine that is mediocre at best means uuumm.... no.  We'd rather she just get the chickenpox thanks.

Enter the government.

The governmental powers that be have taken it upon themselves to require the chickenpox vaccine for all children who congregate.  Not just at school, mind you.  No, there is apparently a regulation that "requires" us to have our child "fully vaccinated" in order for her to enter a playroom run by the base's family readiness center.  It's not a daycare.  It's a room.  With a chance of other people being in it at the same time our daughter is.

I'm not even going to start on the other valid health risks of getting children together in one room, but I am not at all concerned about whether or not those kids are vaccinated.  The stuff I'm worried about our kid getting, she's protected against through vaccines or oh I don't know, washing our hands.  I would surmise the other parents have done the same for their children.  So where's the problem?

Well, for now the problem is ours.  I see no good reason our child cannot participate in this wonderful opportunity.  Now we have to convince the "powers" of the same thing.

Have any of you any experience with vaccination exemptions, especially overseas?

The First Breath of Summer

I walked outside this afternoon, took in a deep breath, and the force of the heat and humidity made me stop in my tracks.  It's nowhere near hot yet, or at least not for this area, and I'm sure it wasn't really all that humid compared to the near-100% humidity slated for later this season, but it was a definite first whiff of what is to come.  The weather recently has been whacky as usual but the last several days have been just absolutely gorgeous.  Sunny, warm, slight breezes, perfect spring days.  I've loved every minute of it.  Spring, I will miss you.  Summer, I won't see you here, but I'm looking forward to teaching Baby Bird about the joys of sprinklers back in Japan!

Lemme Tell Ya' about Our Day

We experienced many firsts today.  First sidewalk chalk, first point-to-something-and-Mama-carries-you-there excursion, first tornado sirens of our trip.  Oh wait, back up, forgot the exciting part.  Yes, first I-can-open-my-diaper-and-poop-in-the-crib adventure too.

It's been a gorgeous day all day today, a bit windy but a great day for outdoor play.  So play we did.  We explored so many nooks and crannies in the yard that it required a bath before afternoon nap.  Well, it's been so comfortably warm in the house and baby Bird's napped in just a diaper before, so I opted to give her little body some air time while she slept.  She snuggled down into her crib; I tucked her all 'round with her blanket and softly closed the door, blowing a kiss on the way out.

I didn't hear a peep for probably an hour and a half.  Now baby Bird typically naps about 2 hours in the afternoon, so the early wake-up should have been a clue.  She wasn't fussing though, just talking, so I gave her about another 30 minutes while I finished up some work on the computer.  Hmm.  How much you wanna' bet I should have gone in right when I heard those first little peeps?

Baby Bird did start fussing a little so I went in to rescue her from her nap.  I cracked the door open just a hair so we could play peek-a-boo on my way in.  It took a minute to click that something didn't look right.  Baby Bird was sitting a bit lower in the crib than normal (actually a mesh-sided pack-n-play) and the colors were off.  Even if I can't see her clearly through the mesh, I can usually see the bold swatch of color that's her cloth diaper.  Huh.  No swatch of color.  That's odd.

I peeked over the side and that's when it dawned on me, "You look like you're missing something!"

She peered up at me with her still-sleepy eyes, looking a bit confused.  It took me another few seconds to realize that she wasn't alone in her crib.  Flashbacks to friends' posts about their kids' diaperless naps blazed before my eyes.  How bad was this going to be?!

Well, thank God for solid foods.  It wasn't that bad.  Not that I'd care for a repeat.  Or to try that while pregnant.  Or in a hurry.  Or like ever again.  But ya' know, all things considered, it wasn't that bad.  The poop stayed on the blanket, the diaper was bone dry (phew, because she'd launched it out of the crib!), and since she was already stark naked she just went straight to bath #2 for the day.

Did I mention this was going on at the exact same time we had storms rolling in and the dog was begging to eat and dinner was supposed to be getting worked on?

No sooner did I get baby Bird hosed off and back into a diaper (with clothes over it this time), I heard the tornado sirens going off.  Back into the bathroom we go!

Hmm.  Never a dull moment.

What's New

This is the 2nd of a series of catch-up blog posts so if you're just dying to know what we've been up to during my relative blogging silence the last several weeks then check out the rest of the series.


Topic #2:  Our Decision

I'm sure by now, since you clearly do have the internet and all, that you have heard all about the earthquakes and tsunami and resulting aftermath in Japan.  Well, we live in Japan.  I posted previously some of my immediate reactions, thoughts, and the difficult choices we were facing as a family.  Since those posts we've reached and acted upon some major decisions.

First, however, a note about the crises in Japan:

I keep reminding friends and family that the American news is really blowing a lot of the risks and realities out of proportion and to take the news with a bucket of salt.  At least.  Nobody we know is getting microwaved, nor are they likely to anytime in the near future.  People have however lost their homes, their lives, their children, their friends, everything they own.  They need a lot of help and prayers and are going to for a long time to come.  If you or anyone you know would like to help out, please DON'T SEND STUFF.  Neither the Japanese nor anyone else in the area has the time, space, or manpower to dedicate to coordinating the reception and delivery of goods to those in need.  They are, however, very capable of putting MONEY to excellent use.  I encourage you to donate to the Red Cross or other aide organization of your choice since that is by far the most beneficial physical thing any of us can do, aside from conserving energy if you happen to live in Japan.  PRAYERS for the continued good will of the countries and people providing relief, for level heads as people solve problems and make choices, and for the health and safety of all those affected by these disasters are much needed.  Prayer is Powerful and God is Good :D.

Now, on to our decision to leave Japan:

We really wrestled with this one.  We didn't (and still don't) feel endangered in any way, we were concerned about the possibility of a mandatory evacuation at which point we would lose any say in the when, where, and how of our departure, and if we left Japan we would have no idea when we would be coming back.

On the flip side, the government offered to pay for all transportation costs, including per diem for the duration of our time away from Japan, and make all arrangements for us to get all the way home if we so desired.  We're not sure when next we could afford a trip to visit family, so this was particularly hard to pass up.

In the end we decided to go.  Better safe than stuck and we knew family would be ecstatic about a visit with baby Bird.

We gathered our paperwork, we packed our bags, and we inventoried our household belongings on the off chance we had to suddenly evacuate.  As I stood looking at our bags, packed and ready to go with military paperwork carefully filed, I couldn't help but feel like this was another deployment - only backwards.  I've never been the one preparing to go; I've always been the one putting on the brave face and promising to hold down the fort.  It was a bit disconcerting.

We did decide to wait a few days though and I'm really glad we did.  That gave the military a chance to work out some of the kinks that are guaranteed to pop up when you suddenly relocate large numbers of people.  By the time we left, things were moving pretty smoothly and we arrived "home" quickly and all in one piece.  The trip itself was pretty amazing though, so I'll dedicate the next post just to that :).

Cloth Diapering on a Tight Budget

Cloth diapering can be expensive.  It doesn't have to be, but it can be.  With the current trendiness of cute cloth dipes, I think people new to or exploring cloth diapers can easily be turned off by the outrageous list prices of some modern cloth diapers - many go for $30 and up... each.  So what do you do if you don't have or aren't willing to spend major bucks to diaper your cute baby's bum?  This article has some of the best and most affordable options I've seen gathered into one resource.  I sincerely hope people hesitant to try cloth take note and take the plunge.  Budgets AND babies can be healthier with cloth diapering :).

Jenn's Thoughts: Almost Free Diapers - How to diaper your baby when you can't afford disposable diapers or cloth diapers

It's About Time

So I haven't really been updating very well on blogger, but what else is new?  Since it's 2:45 am and baby Bird is fighting sleep tooth and nail, rather loudly at that, I'd just as soon not be in the same room.  Hence the sudden catch-up blog posts.

I'll try and do a series of posts so I can get all caught up.

Here they are:
Topic #1:  Return from Deployment
Topic #2:  Our Decision


Topic #1:  Return from Deployment

I should have done this post when this was all fresh in my mind, and I wrote several posts in my head that sounded just lovely.  Time's past and the raw emotions and quirks of my husband's homecoming have faded but I will try and include at least the highlights.

• My husband came home from his 4-month deployment about 2 months ago.
• With him came all the joys and adjustments of having Daddy and husband home again.
• Joys were:
• Sharing the bed again! (umm, duh)
• No more worrying about his safety, even if there isn't much to worry about I always do
• Seeing baby Bird light up and giggle the whole way home once she could actually see who it was (it was dark when we picked him up)
• Spending some much-needed family time together (LOVE those 10 days of post-deployment leave!)
• Mini-vacation to Tokyo and skiing
• Not having to be the only one responsible for walking the dog, doing the shopping, and keeping the house running.  Especially the dog part.  I like sleeping in the mornings, not getting fully dressed just so I can walk the dog down the stairs to pee.
• Adjustments were:
• Sharing the pillows again.  I'd become quite the pillow hog in 4 months...
• Learning how to connect in person with baby Bird since she'd grown quite a bit while Daddy was gone.
• Reworking how we parent as a team - no glitches really, just learning the daily rhythm and flow as well as sharing what boundaries had been set, etc.  We did pretty well on communicating this stuff while Daddy was deployed so it was a pretty smooth transition I think.  It might have been different if baby Bird was older.
• Sleeping.  I had terrible sleep patterns during the deployment.  Unfortunately it took several weeks after my husband got home before I was kindof into a decent routine.  That part sucked.

I know there were tons of other things I wanted to include in the homecoming posts, but between the passage of time and the wee-hour morning this is about all I've got.  Sorry :-/.  I'm sure my memory will be jogged on some things in the next few weeks given our current situation, which I will share in my next post.  Peace! :)

What Would You Do?

We're stuck.  Here's the situation:

• As far as we know there is no danger to us or our area due to the earthquakes and aftermath.  We're safe here.
• The government has authorized essentially an all-expenses-paid round-trip to our location of choice anywhere in the States.
• We're not likely to come back for at least 30 days, and I would guess longer.
• We JUST did a deployment.  My husband's only been back less than 2 months and this trip would mean being separated again for a time TBD.
• We have family in the States that would really love the opportunity to spend time with their grandbaby.
• This authorization has the potential to be cancelled at any time, meaning we lose our opportunity to go for free.
• I don't really want to go but don't know that we can pass up the chance to spend time with extended family.
• The trade-off is being separated from our immediate family (Daddy).
• There's a one-year-old baby that's going to be affected strongly by any decision we make.

We're stuck.  Praying and thinking and trying to figure out answers.  What would you do?

All Tied Up

This is a post about the recent Japan earthquakes, tsunami, and recovery efforts since then.  If you're tired of hearing about them then quit reading HERE.  Quit watching the news too, it's being hyped up.






OK, now that that's out of the way.

Here's the deal, I'm not real sure what to do or think.  I'm not one to worry; in fact it takes quite a bit to shake me up in an emergency.  My husband is the same way.  Our family teases us because we tend to be so laid back that at times it seems an act of God is required to get us moving.  So I really haven't been all that worried about the current situation in Japan.  Not that I'm not concerned, it's just that I haven't been losing sleep over it.  We live in an area that has been relatively untouched, or at least undamaged, by the natural disasters of last week and the ongoing aftershocks.  The biggest issue physically has been the non-stop aftershocks that people here are still feeling.  Even that though hasn't really affected our family because we live low enough to the ground that we haven't felt most of them.  This is a huge blessing since I get motion sickness if I ride in a car for 30 minutes.  4 days of swaying would cause me to puke.  A lot.

Unfortunately people are stupid.  Or rather, people aren't stupid but they do stupid things and make stupid choices.  Case in point: on MONDAY the Commissary had a run on water, batteries, and flashlights.  Dude, nothing changed between Saturday and Monday that would necessitate everyone suddenly stocking up on water.  And you should always have a flashlight, period.  Note that the base wasn't actually OUT of water, they just had empty water shelves for a few hours since people bombarded the Commissary.  This base has enough supplies to get us through a lot more than a day or two's shortage of water.  That's the military's job - BE PREPARED.  It's like the Boy Scouts on steroids.

It's also the military's job to prevent their service members, families, etc. from panicking.  So far I've been relatively impressed with the speed in which our Command has relayed information.  I think they've done a pretty good job of getting information out to the base community in an effort to dispel rumors and put minds at ease.  I know it's helped me.

However, I also know that when in a position of leadership, it's never wise to state that a problem exists unless you're prepared with a solution.  This is where I'm kindof stuck.  I would be lying if I said I was confident the military is sharing ALL the information with us.  I AM confident they will take care of us and I guess that's really the bottom line; it's just a bit disconcerting to hear so many rumors fly and really not be able to do anything about them.

So I guess here's the bottom line:  We're doing our best to stay calm and objective while we prepare mentally and physically for possible sudden changes.  God is good and I know He takes care of us all, whether it's in the way we wish or not.  Please continue to pray for the health and safety of the people of Japan, but please also pray for level heads and peace in all our hearts.  I think that peace alone would go a long way toward dispelling some of the challenges that have arisen since Saturday.

Day at the Doctor's

We went in this morning for a follow-up on little Bird's 12-month well-baby.  Appointment time?  9am.  Final departure from the hospital? 1:45 pm.  Why?  Well, apparently our baby is shrinking.  On her birthday she clocked in at 19 lbs 6 oz.  Today she was 19 lbs 2 oz.  Down 4 oz.  The point of the follow-up was to show she was actually growing.  Dang.  Sortof.

The doctor is concerned enough that he ordered a blood workup and urinalysis just to rule out unhealthy reasons for her weight loss.  Fine, I don't have a problem with that.  He's not suggesting we make any dietary changes, just that we monitor her until she "picks her own growth curve."  Blood workup on a 1-year-old means me holding her on my lap, pinning one hand, hugging her around her chest so she can't squirm away, and having a tech hold down little Bird's free arm while another tech ties off the turniquette and draws the blood.  Oh yeah, it was just as much fun as it sounds.  Bird started squalling before they even got the needle close.  The tech holding her arm commented, "She's strong!"  Yeah, coulda' told you that.  She doesn't like being pinned down and poked either.  At least it was fast.  I sang to little Bird and fought back tears.

Nursing break.  Not sure who needed it more - little Bird or me.  Did I mention we were already an hour past her nap time?

Next was the Immunization Office.  5 pokes were on the schedule for today.  I got it down to 3.  Bird's not a drug user, and I'm pretty sure we'd notice if she was having sex with multiple partners, so no thanks on the Hep A.  Flu shots are a bit of a crap shoot in my opinion, so we forgo them unless required for work.  Down to 4 sticks.  Last one I declined was the Chicken Pox vaccine.  Given the statistics and data I've researched I'd rather she just get the Chicken Pox and be done with it.  3 pokes.  She was as happy about those ones as the blood draw.  This was turning into quite the day.

Two hours past her naptime.  Lunch break - I'm starving and she's exhausted.  We left long enough to get lunch and nap then came back so see if we'd collected enough pee.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the bag.  Have you ever tried to collect pee from a baby?  Well apparently they've thought this one through at least a little.  I won't go into the details, but suffice it to say it was a pain.  And we had to do it twice since the first time we missed and the pee hit the diaper instead.  Fun stuff.

So all of this is because she's been losing weight.  Not an insane amount, but enough that we've had plenty of people comment on it and the doctor wants to watch her.  I will point out that the last time we had her weighed was at her roly-polyest right before she started walking.  She started walking early - at 9 months.  She's getting around pretty well these days.  All the time in fact.  So I'm not surprised she's thinning out.  It just might not be good if she continues to thin out.

Today's appointment spurred me on to do some more research and this is what I found:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/babyfoodcalories.html


I had assumed little Bird was losing weight due to increased activity, which is very much a part of it I think.  However, she's actually started losing weight FASTER since she increased the amount of solid foods she was eating.  Based on the chart, that makes sense.  Her belly can only handle so much food at a time, be it milk or solid foods.  If she is eating solid foods INSTEAD of breastmilk, then she is actually getting fewer calories (and fats and nutrients, etc.).

So, I think we're going to work on INCREASING the number of nursing sessions per day and see how that goes.  I'm not so much concerned about her size or her health, but I am mildly concerned about the prospect of her weaning earlier than I think is healthy.  At the rate she's inhaling table foods this could be a possibility.  I see no point in having her wean, then having to give her cow's milk to replace the lost fat, calories, and nutrients.  That's ridiculous.  Hopefully she'll slow down the weight loss a little bit and start growing out as well as up so we can just go on our merrily-nursing way.

Earthquake and Tsunami

We're okay here.  BIG earthquakes today.  Prayers for the safety of those in harder-hit areas!

Main quake was 8.9 at the center and hit at 2:45pm. It was about a 5 here.  The second and third ones were about 20 mins later--both 6.4 at the epicenter.

Airports have been closed, planes have been diverted, trains are down, people are stranded all over the place.  We'll have more info tomorrow I imagine, but for now please just pray.

Can I Get a Do-Over?

Our house is a pit.  Why?  Because we have too much STUFF and no place to store it all.  But we're slowly chipping away at the masses and mounds and boxes and bogs I mean bags that are taking over our apartment.  We're actually doing quite well considering in the last two years we've moved from a 4-bedroom house to a 2-bedroom apartment halfway around the world, had a baby, and said baby has reached toddlerhood and all its toy-induced chaos.  For example, we've discovered Flylady and have been "flinging" things for months.  At the rate we're running I figure it'll only take another 10 years or so to find our closets.  Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that most of our STUFF is actually in storage in the States, so make that 20 years of flinging.  Oh well, it's good exercise.

Anyway, we decided that to at least organize our STUFF and get it off the floor where it's been for the last 2 years we ought to put up some shelves.  Enter the BX's single most affordable shelf.  I mean really, who on a military income can afford to shell out the $1000 marked on most of the furniture on base?  So yeah, $40 some-assembly-required BX special coming right up.

I am a capable woman.  I learned how to change a tire when I was 10 and the oil in the car around 12.  I can fix leaky pipes, build tv cabinets from scratch, and did backflips when we got a circular saw one year for Christmas.  I learned most of what I know from my mother, a mechanic/seamstress/jack-of-all-trades single mom - the kind that makes the world go 'round when nobody else feels like it or can't seem to get their acts together, and she does it all with a smile.  Amazing.  Bring on the philip's head and screws.

30 minutes and several trips to chase down missing hardware and tools that Little Bird decided to "help" carry all over the house later, this is what we ended up with:

Notice anything amiss?  How 'bout now:

Yeah.  Brilliant.  Guess we'll be doing this one again.

Lent

We are only one and a half days into Lent and I'm already struggling.  I guess that's the point but I had it in my head that it was going to be easier this year, that I was going to be able to follow my plan and do things on my terms.  God has a way of making sure we know Who's in charge and just how much He loves us.  I came across this today and it turned out to be just what I needed right now.  I hope it may help someone else too.

Why Do Lent?  Why a Failing Lent Actually Succeeds

Peace.

Priorities

My husband's comment when trying on his new gas mask:

"Oh yeah, I'm gonna sleep so well in this mask!"

Such are the priorities during exercises.

Weekly Roundup

Just a reminder - check it out if you haven't already!  Lots of great blogging going on :)

Cheerful Obedience

OK, so we're a bit behind the power curve but we have time to catch up.

Before I joined the ranks of mothers I was a teacher.  Big kids, little kids, everywhere-in-between kids, I taught them all at some point and in some manner.  Over the years I gathered up several ideas for my "bag of tricks" and started to become known as someone who could take nearly any kid-situation I was given and have it run smoothly.

Right before we moved to Japan I had one kindergarten class, and one student in particular, that pretty much took the cake for driving all the other teachers nuts with impulsive behaviors, aggressiveness, lack of focus, etc.  By the end of the semester we had everyone in ship-shape and happily working, at least most of the time.  How?  I'm stubborn.  Also?  Major shout-out to my aides!  LOVE THEM.

Anyway, when this "one student in particular" joined the class his mother asked me, with no little amount of shock, why we didn't lock the school's doors from the inside.  A bit mystified I said it was against the fire code and by the way why did she ask?  Well don't the students try to leave?  Ummm.... no, we've never really had a problem with that.  Well, you do now!  She wasn't kidding!

Every time this student saw a door he just had to go through it.  Every time he got within 2 feet of a classmate he just had to poke her.  Every time he got angry and there was paper nearby he just had to stuff it in his mouth.  Oh this was fun.

I am not a touchy-feely-let's-discuss-this-this-is-a-democracy kind of teacher.  Or parent.  Or person in general.  This kid lived in timeout for almost 3 weeks straight.  But ya' know what?  By the end of those three weeks we had a whole new child.  He was more in control of his own body and behavior, he joyfully participated in class, and the other staff working with him were awed at his transformation.

Kids crave boundaries.  They will push until they find them.  That's what they're hardwired to do.  Our job as teachers, parents, scout leaders, or whatever is to clearly set appropriate boundaries that allow for safe exploration and learning.

I know this.  I've mentored other parents and teachers on this.  I have followed through with this in more situations than I can count and it never fails to succeed.  Except one.

Yes, I am that parent.  You know, the one that gives a sheepish grin and lets her kid run wild?  The one who says "she's just so cute" as if it's a reason, not an excuse, to let stuff slide?  The one to which I'd previously been so ready to smugly point out her child's lack of boundaries and tips on how to handle it?  Guilty. as. charged.

But it's not too late.  Tonight is the night I am officially putting my foot down.  No more wild traipsing at night!  No more junk food at all hours! No more running through school doors and poking classmates! 

OK, so she doesn't really do any of those things.  She is only one after all.  But I did realize tonight that it's time we get our act together and start setting those boundaries that Little Bird so craves.  She's already started pushing and it's just taken awhile for us to take the hint.  Don't worry Little Bird, we'll be well on our way to guiding you toward cheerful obedience starting tomorrow morning.  We love you!

Daddy's Girl

Tonight we had stroganoff for dinner.  Little Bird carefully separated the noodles from the beef chunks and proceeded to eat every stitch of meat before touching any noodles.  She is soooooo daddy's little girl!

Trying

I've been struggling recently with a lot of base drama.  Normally it doesn't get to me, but there was a series of events that I could neither concientiously ignore nor get away from.  It resulted in withdrawing my participation in a group that until that point had been my most reliable source of spouse support, adult interaction, and time out of the house.  I have since found other avenues for support, interaction, and time away so I'm okay with those aspects of the change.  What I'm not okay with however is the nagging feeling of angry and helpless frustration following me around like a storm cloud waiting to break open.

I am well aware that I cannot change someone else's attitude or actions.  That's fine.  I can change mine.  This is a small community.  On a daily basis I am forced to face the situation, the people, and my decision.  Running away is not an option, so neither is ignoring the problem brewing beneath my skin.

"There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?" -James 4:12

I am struggling to turn to the mirror so I can see the plank in my own eye.

Lord, please guide me in my thoughts, words, and actions.  Help me to love like you.  In You all things are possible.  Amen.

Phantom Hand

Tonight I attended a spouses' meeting for my husband's squadron.  I gave myself a pep talk before I got out of the car.  "No committment, just going to find out about upcoming events, don't get too involved too fast, there are plenty of other capable and willing individuals that will be there, just take notes."

So someone please tell me how I managed to walk out of the meeting with the shiny new title of "Newsletter Writer?"

Oh, the Freedom!

Today I...

• Looked up a recipe online
• Evaluated which ingredients we were missing
• Made a quick run to 2 stores to grab what I needed
• Made it in the door and started dinner...

... All in under 30 minutes.

I love having Daddy home!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Our Little Bird turned ONE this week! Wow! Yikes! Phew! Amazing!

Daddy and I (yes, he's home! more on that later ;p) have been walking around in a bit of a daze, looking at each other and saying with no small wonder, "We have a daughter; she's one!"  It's a shock to the system I tell ya'.

She's been saving up, too.  Despite our valiant efforts to get our bird signing since day one, the most interest she's shown to date is a general look of what-on-earth-are-you-doing.  In the last week our toothless munchkin (yes, still zero chompers) has suddenly started signing MORE, ALL-DONE, and NIGHT-NIGHT consistently, with some MILK, MAMA, SHHH, and PLEASE tossed in randomly.  She's also started climbing in and out of her chairs by herself, asking us for food by walking to her chair and waiting, blowing kisses, waving bye-bye, and occassionally telling people "Hi!" in her tiny little voice.  What happened to our baby?!  When did this little toddler sprout up in her place?  When did rattles get traded in for toy trucks and colored pencils?

Little Bird (I've decided to dub her this on the blog because of her adorable habit of bouncing her head up and down like a baby bird when she's waiting for food) has the habit of breaking out with skills I had no idea she could do.  Like eating with a spoon.  By herself.  At 10 1/2 months.  After having been spoon-fed less than 5 times in her life.  Yeah.

I'm kindof afraid to see what she comes up with next - driving? Can I vote for doing the dishes?  How 'bout making the beds?  Hmm... should look into those :P.

Well, baby girl we are proud of you and we love you and we are so blessed to have you!  Happy 1st Birthday!

Thoughts on My Mind

• Daddy's home! (more on that later)
• Raw milk
• Composting
• Prepping our garden box
• What to plant?
• Our baby's turning ONE!!!
• Party planning
• Cleaning the house
• Furniture shopping
• Christmas gifts
• Painting
• Adult faith formation
• Overseas living
• It's way too late and I need to quit writing random lists

On that note, good night!

Winter's Drawing to a Close

The end of this deployment is getting nearer day by day, and my mind keeps rushing faster and faster at the thought of him coming home.

Will he like the new clothes I got while he was gone?
Will he like my new size and shape?
Will our baby girl reach out to him and cry "Dada!" in glee?
Will he be confused by the changes I've made in the house?
Will I be okay with giving up hogging the whole bed?
Will he get frustrated with our daughter's middle-of-the-night wake-up calls?
Will the dog still mind me even when he's home?

I'm tired and stressed and excited and worried and impatient and ready for this deployment to be over but a bit timid about what its end will bring.

My love for him grows daily, whether he's here or there, but some thoughts, feelings, and emotions have been hibernating for the last several months.  They're just beginning to stir like a sleepy bear waking to the little hints of spring in the air.

I'm ready for him to be home.

Military Life in a Nutshell

Yep, this about sums it up:

http://armywifecb.blogspot.com/2011/01/dear-future-military-spouse.html

Oh Sure, Why Not

Just in case you wanted to know all the inner workings of my mind at 11:10 on a Friday night :).


(Borrowed from WifeofaSailor)


1. What do you usually want to know about someone when meeting them for the first time?

Do they speak English?  If so, we'll go from there.  If not, well... we'll have to get creative :).  If I manage to goof up first impressions as often as I do, I imagine other people might not be too keen on them either.  How about we just sit down and chat for awhile :).

2. Would you rather know everything about your spouse, or be regularly surprised?

I think it's impossible to know everything about anyone, even myself!  People are constantly changing and (hopefully) growing, that's part of what makes us human.  I love getting to know my husband more and more every day and look forward to a lifetime of sharing and growing with him!  When we were at our pre-cana retreat (marriage prep - it was wonderful) one of the speakers shared an image with us.  It was a simple triangle, with the husband on one bottom corner, the wife on the other bottom corner, and God at the peak.  The closer we grow toward God, the closer we grow toward each other.  This has proven so true and I try to remember that if I want to get closer to my husband, the best way is by reaching out for God.  Talk about regular surprises!

3. If you could live in one city for the rest of your life, where would you live?

Ummm... no.  No city.  I don't even want to SEE city from my house.  How about a general middle of the mid-west, USA.  With mountains.  And green.  Lots and lots of green.

4. When you go out of town, what one material thing do you ALWAYS take?

Books.  Although now that we have a little one?  Diapers. ;p

5. Using no more than 10 nouns, and ONLY nouns, describe yourself.

• Catholic
• mother
• wife
• reader
• baker
• creator
• camper
• treehugger
• dreamer
• protector

Now it's your turn :).  Don't forget to link up here:  http://wifeofasailor.com/2011/01/21/milspouse-friday-fill-in-27/

I've Been Told This is Part of Parenthood

The guilt.  The never-ending nagging feeling that I'm not doing something right, that I could be doing something, many things, better.  That the decisions I make today will have some far-reaching, horrible effect on our child that I won't be able to undo.  The knowledge that someone, somewhere, has the answer and I'm just not looking hard enough for it.  This is exhausting.  I've done many things out of sheer necessity that I would not have otherwise chosen, but I'm doing the best I can.   On that front I think it'll be better when Daddy comes home.  Regardless, our days are filled with prayers and learning to trust God in ways I never would have thought of before becoming a parent.  Lord help me, I know You bring us to and through only those things which we can handle with Your help!

Long Nights

I think this is the hardest part.  Long nights when you can't sleep, your mind won't shut down, and all you want is a hug, some quiet words of assurance, and a listening ear.  Nothing replaces the love of a spouse.  Deployment, please hurry up!

Milspouse Roundup

If you've found this blog through the Mil Spouse Weekly Roundup hosted by Riding the Roller Coaster, then welcome and thank you for stopping by!  If you don't know what I'm talking about, click on the linky below and check out some great blog posts by fellow milspouse bloggers :).









Peace!
-Milwife Mama of One

Mary, Did You Know?

This song makes tears stream down my face.  I love it.  I love the amazing, holy, humble woman who inspired it.  Mary, may we be like you!

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

Goals: Step 2 - Get Started

1. Daily Quiet Time with God - check so far this week :)
2. Memorize 26 Scriptures - not yet
3. Continue participating in First Place for Health for the entire year - (see #1)
4. Use up fridge foods before buying new ones - not too bad; made a meal plan and have stuck with it well enough that we've eaten well every day and haven't had to buy more food
5. Do something "new" with our daughter every week - not yet... maybe we'll fingerpaint in the tub tomorrow :)
6. Build and follow a realistic daily routine - schedule built!
7. Schedule computer time so it doesn't take over my life! - (see #6)
8. Start training for a Marathon - Mile and a half with the dog tonight
9. Make all gifts homemade - no gifts yet, but made 2 thank-you cards :)

Jumpin' on the "Green" Wagon

New mission: a paperless kitchen :D.

Things we already do:

• Use cloth napkins till we run out (we have 10, and I only wash towels once a week so this stash lasts a few days or so)
• Dry our hands and dishes on dish towels
• Wipe the CLEAN counters dry with dish towels
• Have a handy place for dirty kitchen cloth

Things that need to happen to go paperless:

• Up our stash of cloth napkins (I'm thinking maybe 30 total? that'll cover guests, too)
• Take the paper towels out of the kitchen (we'll keep a small stash on hand for bacon grease and toilet scrubbing - for now anyway)
• Establish a stash of paper towel replacements (everyday kitchen rags - I think we're going to want a BUNCH of these)
• I think we're fine on the kitchen towel front (we have about 10 or 15, and typically only use one a day)
• Put a small shelf or drawer under the kitchen sink for cloth storage
• Possibly come up with a suitable drying place for kitchen cloth before it gets tossed in the laundry bin (to prevent mold growth.  eew.)

I've talked it over with my husband and he's given the go-ahead (I love my husband!).  His only request is lessons when he gets home :).  It'll take a little while to build up the stash so we'll continue to use paper towels for a little bit longer.  I'm also going to try and limit the amount of money we invest in this, so will be looking at repurposing old sheets or scoping out the Airman's Attic (like a thrift store, but everything is free!) for items than can be turned into kitchen cloth.

Have you made any "green" goals recently? Any tips on the whole "going paperless" process would be great!

Yes, I'm Crazy

I'd like to try having our daughter go diaper-free part time and use elimination communication for pottying but... our entire house (with the exception of the kitchen and bathroom) are carpeted.  Hmmm.  We shall see.

How to Survive a Deployment: Spouse Edition

PRAY
The family that prays together stays together.  Pray for each other and with each other.  Share prayer requests.  Share rejoicing in answered prayers.  Lean on God and revel in His glorious goodness and love!

COMMUNICATE
This means more than writing letters, Skyping, emailing, or whatever you can do to keep in touch with your loved ones.  It's about WHAT you say and HOW you say it.  Our spouses are not mind readers and Skype isn't the same as sitting with someone face-to-face.  Talk through what you're feeling, tell stories (big and little) about what you've been doing, share your hopes, dreams, fears, and silliness.  Be willing to be a good listener.

INCLUDE EACH OTHER
Discuss finances, work together on changes in bedtime routines, plan Christmas shopping, ask for input and advice when making decisions.  Do NOT let the miles act as a brick wall.  I think feeling disconnected and excluded are probably some of the toughest things to overcome during reintegration, but there's no reason for these to be issues if you work at including each other during the deployment.

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Stress is fueled by poor eating, poor sleeping, and poor health.  Invest in your health and sanity by eating right, exercising, and getting a good night's sleep.  Keep your body and mind occupied and fresh through work, hobbies, volunteering, or just getting out and doing something.

IGNORE THE CLOCK
The first deployment I counted down the days.  The second deployment I kept track of weeks or months (1/4 of the way through, 1/2 way done, etc.).  This deployment I've quit looking at the calendar and just taken it one day at a time.  This one has gone so much smoother!  It's easy to get overwhelmed with big chunks of time, but taking things one day at a time helps you focus on the present and not mourn the past or dread the future.

COURT EACH OTHER
Remember when you were dating?  The silly stories you'd share? Late-night phone conversations? Surprise gifts?  The excitement of getting to know each other?  It seems our culture assumes you pitch all that out the window when you get married.  Not true!  I can think of no better time to be excited about sharing each other's lives than when you're married.  If you 're having trouble being creative in ways to get to know each other and show your love, skip the sex.  WHAT?!  Yes.  No sex.  Sex is a gift - a giving of yourself completely to your spouse.  It should be an extension of your love for one another, not a replacement for the deep life-long daily decision and joy of choosing to love someone.  If you're not already, I strongly recommend you begin practicing Natural Family Planning.  If you are conscientiously avoiding getting pregnant, than you and your spouse will practice periodic abstinence.  This is a gift!  It's a chance for you both to reconnect in ways outside of the bedroom.  If you are not practicing NFP or are not avoiding pregnancy, I would still urge you to engage in periodic abstinence - you may be amazed at how many new ways you can find to share and build your love for one another and at the end of each period of abstinence comes a mini-honeymoon - whoohoo! ;p  A bonus is preparation for deployments.  Too many times I've seen couples whose relationships depended so heavily on physical gratification then when separated, they couldn't function as a couple.  They had no idea how to show love to one another without hopping between the sheets.  This is a recipe for disaster.  So.  Save the sex and start dating again!

BUILD EACH OTHER UP
Don't play the blame game.  Each of you is experiencing things you've never experienced before and it's tough.  Real tough.  Listen to each other's concerns and be realistic about what you're dealing with.  Be each other's support system.

BUILD A SUPPORT SYSTEM
Even under the best of deployment circumstances, there are some things that you simply cannot do or be for each other.  Seek out other spouses and families that are currently experiencing or have experienced deployments.  Find someone you can call in the middle of the night when you're sick and need Gatorade and be willing to do the same for them.  Spouse groups, church communities, work buddies, etc. are places you may start to find some supports.  No matter how much you want to be a hermit, you WILL need support at some point so seek it out, reciprocate it, and enjoy it as the blessing it is!

KNOW THERE'S A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL!
Deployments do end.  People do change during them.  That's okay - people change even without deployments!  Embrace change and love each other through it all - there is an end in sight!