Sleep Fairy, Where Are You?!

Caution: this post contains talk of bodily functions of a two-year old.  Consider yourself warned.

I think every deployment should come with a sleeping fairy.  It never fails that I can never sleep, despite how tired I am, once the kids go to sleep.  Tonight is no exception.

I was doing so well, I got The Boy in the bath early, Sissy and I even joined him.  Then, as he was brushing his teeth he found it funny to put the brush waaay back on his tongue.  Bad idea.  He throws up at the drop of a hat on a regular basis and it didn't take much to get him started.  He was more worried about his towel being dirty than anything else.  Once he was cleaned up (again) he was good to go.  He sat on the couch with his "bottle" (it's really just milk in a cup, but that's what he still calls it) and Sissy was playing with hers when he started burping.  He thought that was soo funny till he threw up all his milk.  And then, for good measure, threw up the rest of his food as Grandma and I carried him into the bathroom.  My poor boy. 

After another clean-up and tooth brushing he was back to normal and no wanting to sleep.  And then Sissy didn't want to sleep.  So we found ourselves in my bed watching TV and tickling each other.  It's such a warming feeling to see the baby laughing and cooing at her big brother.  And the smile on his face when he's playing with her melts my heart.  As much as I really need sleep and enjoy the quiet after the storm it's hard for me to pass up moments like these.  These are the moments, sans puke, that make being a mother totally worth every sacrifice of down time and sleep.  My only wish is that The Hubby could be here to savor the moment with me.  I am one day closer and nothing stops time from ticking.

A Lonely Cinco de Mayo

It's been a hectic few days with traveling across country with two kiddos and a grandpa that complains the whole time.  I should already been sleeping, or trying too, but I've been on this computer for 2 hours and haven't really accomplished much.  I did, however, come across a few more blogs that intrigued me so I was lost in their thoughts.  I haven't had time to go through any of the pictures from our trip, but hopefully tomorrow I'll find time to get that done.  In the meantime, I have other thoughts on my mind.

Tonight I decided to go out with a friend and her boyfriend since I haven't taken the time to visit with her much since I moved back home.  Being Cinco de Mayo today we went to a local mexican restaurant, along with the rest of the city.  I was lucky enough to get the last parking spot and a table right away outside while my name was on the list.  So, I was comfy waiting for my friend to arrive.  Once she showed up it got a little chilly so we decided to get a table inside.  My name had already been called so the hostess said she would get us the next one available.  In the meantime, I stood inside waiting while my friend, her boyfriend and another friend of hers waited outside.  Within 10-15 minutes we had our table - a very cosy table in the corner.  We began to order our food and my friend decided she needed to be closer to the bar so she could get drinks cheaper or faster, I'm not sure which, so she went to see about switching tables.  She was gone about 10 minutes and then returned to say she had a table but we'd have to wait till our food was delivered before we could move since we had already placed the order at our current table.  So, her and the other friend left to hold the 3rd table of the night. 

So, there I was at dinner with my best friend's boyfriend.  I gathered up the courage to tell him how I felt.  I had left my kiddos to have dinner with her and catch up since we hadn't spent much time together and here we were at opposite ends of the restaurant.  Thankfully, he understood where I was coming from and it wasn't too much longer till the food arrived.  We carried our plates like staff all the way into the back of the restaurant into the room with the bar.  The music was so loud I couldn't even hear what anyone was saying.  Maybe I am getting old, but I was done.  I was ready to go.  I didn't want to stay all night and drink or yell across the table.  I finished my food, excused myself with the excuse of babies needing baths and work the next day and headed out the door. 

The worst part of the night was when I went to reach for my phone to call my husband and vent about how I just wanted to spend time with my friend over dinner and some drinks when it hit me - I have no one to call.  I have no one to let it all out to.  My best friend was behind me in the restaurant and my husband was half way across the world.  It was a lonely evening but tomorrow is another day.

'He's Deployed and I Don't Want to Do Anything' Blues

I am tired!  I really feel like I'm pregnant again on this deployment.  I can't sleep, I get tired just thinking about what I need to do and work just drags on and on.  I'm sure I'm just in a funk from both kids having problems with spring allergies and it gets to me too.  I also feel more emotional during deployments, much like a pregnant woman!  The littlest things can just hit a nerve and make me all emotional.  Today for instance I experienced one of those moments. 

I have a part-time job as a government contractor.  Basically whenever a military member does a move that the military pays for they are supposed to get a survey about their move experience and interaction with the vendors we utilize for movers.  Now if you think about how many times a member of the Armed Forces - all branches - moves, including reservists, that's a lot of moves.  We have four people in our small office that are supposed to call all of these people.  And, lets include that the systems we use to complete our work are government systems that are programmed with the government philosophy of 'hurry up and wait,' so, it can be a bit stressful to call the amount of people you need to call with technology working against you. 

Today I ran across a couple who we tried to reach and they asked that we call them back at 6:30 last week.  So, the person working called them back at 6:30, however she didn't take into account they lived on the west coast and the time difference.  So, needless to say the wife said it was too early to reach the service member and to call back at the requested time.  For whatever reason our employee didn't make the call.  So, today, in order to clear the call from the que I called the service member.  The service members wife was so rude to me because we failed to call her at the time requested she declined to complete the survey at all.  I mean we clearly made a mistake by not calling but is it really necessary to chew out the next person who is trying to do their job?!  I apologized and let it go. 

Not even ten minutes later I called a gentlemen who gave us his brothers number as a contact number.  (Granted, no where does it say it was his brother, we call as if it's the service member's number.)  This man proceeded to tell me that the service member was too busy and important for surveys and if I was really calling from the government I would have his personal line and it was a "nice try" in trying to get a hold of the service member and promptly hung up. 

I don't know why people are brave across a phone line and would talk and treat someone in that fashion.  At no time was I ever rude or pushy.  It really makes me think twice about how I handle people on the phone when they call me for whatever reason.  I know I shouldn't take it personal but I do.  The non-pregnant, deployment hormonal me does.  So, just a little reminder to be kind to the people you interact with.  You never know when you will make their day or bring them down with your simple words and tone.

And in other news Luis started his P90X workouts today.  He has really inspired me to really, really start getting back in shape and to my pre-baby weight.  So, because I need a little help, I got an herbal supplement to help me lose the weight.  I don't start taking them for another 3 days, based on the info they gave me, but I'm hoping they will help curve my appetite.  Also, she gave me something for more energy so I'm hoping that will over power these 'he's deployed and I don't want to do anything' blues I get from time to time.  (This week being one of those times...)  So, wish me luck.  My long-term goal is 75 lbs but I plan on taking small strides to get back to where I'd like to be.

Where is my energy?!

I don't know what it is, no scratch that, I know it's this deployment that makes sleep evade me.  When The Hubby is home we are in bed by 9 pm and snoozing away in about an hour.  However, trying to stay connected on opposite sides of the world makes my bedtime hover somewhere between 11pm and 1am.  Staying at home with the kids would make you think I could squeeze in a nap, but that is hardly ever the case.

Today was a pretty easy Sunday.  I was able to sleep in till about 9am with a few interruptions in sleep around 7am or so from The Boy.  After breakfast we headed off to Lowe's to get some pegs for our pantry and some recycling bins.  Mom and I have been reorganizing the food supplies so we can make our shopping lists easier.  Also, this past weekend was Sissy's first time sitting up in the cart alone.  She loved it.  She didn't know what to look at!

After that I cooked pulled pork for dinner; it was delicious, got lost driving to a friends house and watched a movie with The Boy.  He's getting so big so fast that I treasure the times when he wants to sit in my lap and give me kisses.  He melts my heart and brings tears to my eyes.  I can't imagine Sissy being as big as her brother, but I know that day is coming.

Sunday, Oh Sunday!

Today was a wonderful Sunday.  The Boy came in my room around 8 am and said: "Wake Up Momma! Time to Eat, Momma!"  So, I wondered in the kitchen to find Dad starting breakfast and him ready to go outside in his hat, t-shirt and diaper.  He's such a cutie. 

After breakfast we played outside a bit and then it was quickly time for nap.  It's not every day that they both take naps at the same time so I used that quiet time to relax and talk to my love, a million miles away.  I love the technology we have available to us.  We don't have to rely on pen and paper that takes weeks to get to you or an email that can just be words on a screen.  We have yahoo messenger and Skype that make it wonderfully possible to see and hear my husband no matter the miles between us.

I was able to put all our laundry away and store the winter clothes to transition to summer.  Today was a perfect 65 degree sunny day.  I am ready for t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops.  We made steaks for dinner and cupcakes for the people at work.  I also started cutting out coupons tonight.  I'm gonna give it a shot and see if I can actually reduce our grocery bill.  I know it takes time so we'll see if I have the patience to follow through with it for any length of time.  We ended our day with more playing outside and a bath with our new train bath toy.  A perfect ending to a perfect Sunday!

Back to our regular schedule....

I had to take a break for a few weeks since Luis had to come home suddenly on emergency leave.  Gabe was so excited to see his Daddy at the airport!

Unfortunately his brother was shot and killed by New Hampshire police and Luis was able to come home to pay his respects.  His brother was trying so hard to make something of his life, it's sad to know it was shortened and with no explanation given to us from authorities it makes the tragedy harder to bear.

January 15, 1982 - March 2, 2011

Despite the reason for his homecoming we did make the best of our time together and greatly enjoyed spending time with his family, some of which he hadn't seen in over 10 years.  It's so wonderful for our children to grow up and know everyone in the family.  I know Luis was limited in the family he was able to grow up with so I'm ever so thankful we have these opportunities to see everyone and share our time together.

Alfonso and his grand and great-grand kids

Grace, Alfonso, Luis and Johnny

Once we got back from New Hampshire we spent time with the kiddos visiting the St. Louis Zoo and we went up in the Arch.  The Zoo and the Arch are probably the first things I would tell people visiting the area to check out.  The Zoo, unlike any others I've ever been to, is free!  It is full of animals and will take you all day to take in all that it has to offer.  For additional charge they have a Children's Zoo which allows the kids to get closer to the animals.  They have an indoor area where you can pet rabbits, guenea pigs and they had the owls out when we visited.  There's the outdoor petting zoo with goats.  There are places for them to climb and explore - it's just wonderful for them.  They also have a stingray tank, a carousel, and a train ride. 
  

Watching the Elephants

Children's Zoo

As for the Arch, just visiting the grounds is a great start, but for even more fun you have to go inside.  The Westward Expansion Museum, undergournd, is neat.  They have displays of animals and talking wax figures that give a little history about the movement west.  There is a small, and I do stress small, elevator that takes you to the top of the Arch, 630 feet above the ground, for breathtaking views of the city: both the IL and MO sides.  If you stand still you can even feel the Arch sway from side-to-side.  It's just something you have to do at least once in your life!
 

Looking down below

Elevator to the top

After we spent some much needed quality time with our kiddos we needed to get away for a free days and recharge.  So we headed off to Branson.  We had a great time.  We stayed on the strip at the Holiday Inn Express, caught the Dixie Stampede dinner show, ventured around Silver Dollar City and saw the Yakov Smirnov dinner Adventure show.  They were both great, although Luis' favorite parts were lunch/drinks at the Rowdy Beaver and Ernie Biggs Piano Bar.  We also hit up the Tanger Outlet Mall, The Shops at the Grand Palace and the new shops at the Landing.  It was a good two days of rest, relaxation, fun and shopping!  I can't wait to go back with Gabe - he'll love all the city has to offer. 

After all our sight-seeing adventures we wound down our two weeks together with a trip to the Park for kite flying.  Gabe loved holding the string, but when he was done he said: "Don't let go..." and promptly let the string go.  Our friends Heather and Lorenzo darted up the hill across the park to try and catch the kite.  It was a great day.

It's always sad to see Luis go back to "work," as Gabe calls it.  It hurts my heart even more to hear the sadness in my little boys voice when he asks to go with daddy and is told no.  I know he'll be home soon.  His grandfather always tells me, you can never stop time.  It will always keep going and I'll be one day closer to seeing my love, safe in my arms again.

It begins...

I'm not much of one for writing but I do enjoy reading other's blogs and I thought it would be nice to really share what goes on day-to-day for my husband to read while he's doing his thing in Iraq.  So, here I am sharing my boring life as an Army wife and Mommy.

I am on deployment number 2 1/2.  Why the half?  I met my husband right before he deployed for his second time to Iraq.  While he was there we began talking more and more about life, or goals and what we were looking for in a soul mate.  As fate would have it, we wanted the same things and without putting too much thought in it, we started discussing what 'if' we got married when he came home.  'If' turned into when and so began our love story.  So, I guess since I wasn't his significant other for the whole deployment I will only count the half that I had to endure.  Needless to say, he came home, got down on one knee, proposed and we dashed off to the courthouse to seal the deal (I guess we actually went to the courthouse to make it legal and the deal sealing came later that evening.)  We built our life around our jobs in Texas, bough our first home and were blessed with our first child together, a son: Gabriel.  And then, when life is grand and wonderful the Army makes it interesting.

That's the thing about being an Army wife, you just never know what is around the corner and have to roll with the punches.  Orders to report to Fort Riley, Kansas were in our future and it sure felt like a punch in the gut.  The housing market was down, we had to rent our beautiful home for less than our mortgage and move to the middle of nowhere, Kansas.  It's a good thing I didn't decide to start this blog then because it would be rather depressing.  Moving to Kansas wasn't my first time picking up and relocating, I had done it two years prior - alone for that matter.  What didn't help the transition is I let everyone tell me how awful Fort Riley was and we struggled to find a new home. 

I won't lie, I cried for two months - until we found a great house to call home and finally were able to unpack and make life normal again.  It turns out it's not that bad at Fort Riley.  The land is pretty and it's close to family so we have been able to visit more often.  The downside, and a huge one for me, is the lack of "city."  It's hard for me to adjust to an area with minimal shopping within a 30 minute drive.  I adjusted as best I could and just shopped till I dropped when we headed out of town.  Plus, Fort Riley was able to deliver my beautiful baby girl, Lilliana, who has made our lives complete.

The story doesn't end there.  Once we are settled into our new home, enjoying our time together here comes the Army with their plans; plans to deploy my husband early.  Oh joy.  Luckily, another perk, Fort Riley is a family-orientated post and Luis was able to stay home until his dwell time was met, plus a month or so.  It was sad to see him go, but thankful it is not for another full year.  Fast forward to today where I have relocated my babies to my parents house which saves us on bills, utilities, and most of all my sanity.  I am ever so thankful to have help with day-to-day activities with two kids under the age of 2.

So, here we are just taking it day by day, making our lives as happy as they can be.  I get to talk to my husband everyday and he never lets me forget that he always has us on his mind.  I even get a little spoiled now and then, which isn't too bad either.  Besides, happy wife, happy life.  :o)