30 Days of Me

  For the month of July I will be jumping onto the "30 Days of ME" bandwagon. So without further adieu...

30 Days of ME

Day 1:  Your favorite song
Day 2:  Your favorite movie
Day 3:  Your favorite television program
Day 4:  Your favorite book
Day 5:  Your favorite quote
Day 6:  Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 7:  A photo that makes you happy
Day 8:  A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 9:  A photo you took
Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11: A photo of you taken recently
Day 12: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13: A fictional book
Day 14: A non-fictional book
Day 15: A fanfic
Day 16: A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17: An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19: A talent of yours
Day 20: A hobby of yours
Day 21: A recipe
Day 22: A website
Day 23: A YouTube video
Day 24: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25: Your day, in great detail
Day 26: Your week, in great detail
Day 27: This month, in great detail
Day 28: This year, in great detail
Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30: Whatever tickles your fancy

(Going to see Eclipse tonight!!!)

Twilight...

In a little more then 24 hours I will be sitting in a theater for the first time in several years... 7.5 to be exact, how sad is that, and I cant wait!!! I will have a few kids free hours with just my girlfriend and I relaxing and having a long awaited girls night out. I don't know what I am more excited about seeing Eclipse or leaving KS home with the kids for the evening... 

Air is good.

Finally I am able to breathe again, I know you have no clue what I am referring to and to be honest only two people sans my husband to know... well make that 3, but anyway. Lets just say we almost had our hope and dreams turned inside out and upside down this week. It has been hell week so to speak where my stress level is concerned, and because of that I have been hiding from my computer and even society except for one awesome trip to the pool yesterday. Even though you have no idea what I am talking about I am so glad to say that everything is fine, and as I messaged a friend of my earlier today...

"things are going to be okay now. Although I am sure no matter which way it would have went we would have been fine, just not where we wanted to be. But God puts us where he wants us and thankfully at this moment it is where we want to be."

Things were really and truly almost bad for us. Not a fun feeling to have. We almost had to our ability to get out of debt, well at least have our truck paid off by this time next year washed down the drain, and KS in a different MOS, and then they would have affected once he gets out and what job he will hold then. Like I said it has been a stressful week, but I don't have to worry about that now. Praise the Lord.

I am so behind on reading your blogs it isn't even funny, but to be honest I am not going to get to them, (there are WAY TOO MANY that i have not read yet) if anything important has happened just leave me a comment and let me know.

To be honest I really liked being not so attached to my computer this week... I might start making a habit out of it. Although, I am going to try and start blogging more, makes no sense right, oh well.

... chow!

Thoughts...

Do you as military spouses ever just sit back and think about everything you are leaving behind. All of the years and experiences with family and friends "back home" that you will never get to experience? Do you ever just think about how much you will miss during your 20 years or more away? I am just starting this journey but I cannot help but think those thoughts, I cant help but realize that my parents will be 20 years older then when we left if we do decide to make a full career out of this. My sisters will be in their 30s when we are done. All of that time will be lost, you don't get time back and I am finding that hard to deal with. Now, don't get me wrong I knew this is what we were signing up for. I also knew what we needed to do to get our family into the place we needed to be financially and where our health care is concerned well, we were seriously lacking in that area before enlisting, and don't even get me started on this further weakening economy. Who knows how long KS could have held out where he was working and the odds of him finding another job with what very little college education he had... well it obviously wasn't going to happen. We had exhausted every option we had. I still believe that this was the right choice for us, and in many many ways I wish we had made this decision years earlier, but God puts us where he wants us and I know that years before this would have never have been an option for us. Neither of us were at a place to "let go" so to speak of our family, ourselves, and in many ways our marriage. Not that we will ever let go of our marriage but what else could you call a deployment? You are sacrificing your marriage and family to go defend our country and all the people who are that 99% who are not serving in our armed forces. In a lot of ways I feel guilty for leaving my family behind, for leaving my sisters during their transition into adult hood without a big sister to look up to and to guide them. Without a shoulder to cry on and without a place to see refuge during trying times. I feel bad for making my children say goodbye to everyone they have ever known and for making everyone say goodbye to us and not being able to give them any idea of when we will get to see them again. My sister asked me this week if we will be home for Christmas, I laughed and said I have no clue when we will be home again. All we can do is pray that we will get stationed on the same coast as our family again, and if we don't... well we will deal with it and save up for summer vacations back home. This is the life we have chosen and no matter how much parts of it just down right suck it is a life I am honored to live. It is one that I will look back on and tell my grand-kids this is what your grandpa did and I will hold my head high and be proud even if I am missing years I may never get back with my family because at the end of the day I am still blessed to have my husband and my kids with me, and an amazing family back home who supports every decision we make. We have been blessed with such an amazing support system and people who love and care for us. People who do not resent us for up and leaving them, and for people who know that now as adults KS and I's family, this sweet and wonderful family of 5 that we have and hold so dear is what comes first in our lives. Our jobs are to raise our children the best way we know how and if joining the military is what we needed to do to give them the experiences and life we have dreamed for them to have then so be it. We can only hope and pray that at the end of the day the kids see the sacrifices we have made and they realize that we have done it all for them.

Labor Views - Part 4

Purple Pushing...

"Okay PUSH! 1,2,3,4....10. okay its over now breathe... okay here comes another contraction, are you ready? PUSH! 1, 2, 3....." This is what I heard during the pushing phase of birthing my two sons. It was rushed, it was stressful, and above all else it was scary. My knees where up to my ears, and I felt as if I could not get them out fast enough. The doctors and nurses were counting and it seemed like something bad would happen if I could not get them out soon enough. I delivered both within 10 minutes of pushing. With my oldest son I had "skid-marks" inside from the quick decent and with my youngest son I did not tear or have any "skid-marks" but he was bruised on his face and head from how fast he came out. I knew then that that was not the way babies were supposed to come out. They should not come out bruised and beaten. When I became pregnant with my daughter KS and I knew that a hospital birth was not the way we wanted to welcome our third baby into the world. After two and a half hours of labor and 30 minutes of pushing I delivered a 10lb 7.8 (weight taken 1 hour+ after birth) baby girl and I did not tear, no skid-marks, nothing. I attribute this entirely to my lack of purple pushing. I took my time birthing my daughter, I pushed on MY own time and I let my body guide me and do the pushing for me. I only helped by lightly barring down when my body was pushing. I followed the cues my body was giving me and I helped myself out by only pushing when I had the urge to push rather than baring down and pushing to the count of ten. There is absolutely no need or reason to Purple Push your baby out, there is no rush in the majority of cases. The only time you should use the Purple Pushing technique is when your baby is in distress and needs to come out with lightning speed. Otherwise you are setting yourself up for tears, fetal bruising, and many other complications that could arise from pushing that hard and that fast.

Military Appreciation Day

Military Appreciation Day was on the 15th and we had a blast! The base where we are currently stationed at has a wonderful recreation camp with a lake and a fishing pond. The military appreciation day festivities where held there. There were TONS of service men and women and lots of families, great food and plenty of rides and fun stuff to keep the kids and adults happy and entertained.

Colin fishing with KS's old roommate.

While Colin was getting his Dolphin balloon hat made Cayleigh-Grace was hitching a ride on AJ's shoulders and snacking on a yummy cherry slushy. The entire day one of my kids were either in a bounce house or on getting a ride from AJ. I am so happy and that all of KS's friends have embraced our children. They have become our extended family. Kiale got one of the coolest balloon animals I have ever seen, a dragon.

Our Family

Between all of the bounce houses, playgrounds, and room to run the kids had so much fun that day. I even got to see the coolest balloon animal EVER, I just wish I had got a picture of it. It was a pregnant dog. The lady in font of us was big pregnant and that is what the guy made her as a surprise after her son got his sword. I just couldn't get over it, he used clear balloons and everything so you could see this little balloon ball floating around in the dogs stomach.

Getting to know You

1. If a person has a booger in their nose. and you can see it, do you tell them?
Most of the time yes, but I am really nice about it, unless it's KS then I usually tease him. ;)

2. What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about trying to give women a better birthing experience and opening up their eyes to all the options pregnant women have when it comes to their care before, after, and during labor. I have even written a labor series on the topic. Check out my "Pregnant?" tab under my header.
3. How long have you been blogging?
I have been blogging since October of 2008, I actually started my blog back in June of that year but was too scared to start it until October.
4. What is your favorite "summer" drink?
Definitely a good Margarita.
5. What is your favorite type of music?
I don't have a favorite type of music I like everything. Classical, country, pop, 80's and anything in between; you name it I like it.
6. Something I do before I go to bed is......?
Check on the kids, brush my teeth, and use Listerine.
7. My Summer vacation plans are...?
To take the kids to the pool everyday and to finally get serious about working out. We will have family coming over in July so that is going to be really nice as well.
8. My favorite must have, can't live without, beauty product is?
Mascara and lotion.

Class of 2010

Congratulations to Dixie and Dylan!! I am so proud of both of you, I hope you have a wonderful graduation party today and a wonderful cruise in a few weeks!! Love you both and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for the two of you. Keep your heads on straight, stay focused, and look at the BIG picture when you make decisions. Your lives no longer revolve around the "now" everything you do from here on out will have an effect on the rest of your lives. I know you two are going to do great with anything you set your minds to. Follow your dreams and please don't ever sell yourselves short of anything you want to accomplish. The world is now your playground go make the best of it!

P.S. They both graduated with Honors, he has been in football since seventh grade and she has been a cheerleader since seventh grade as well!!

What a Week!

*It has taken me 3 days to finish this post, if you cant tell the kids are home from school and life around her has gone from what I thought was busy to EXTREMELY busy. Hopefully once things calm down a little bit I will start having posts that are more then just pictures and video :) 

Last week was a mess! There is just no other way of describing it, all 5 of us had the stomach bug. For starters it was the last week of school for the boys and at 5am Monday morning I am woken up by Colin crying and covered in puke.... needless to say he did not go to school Monday. Thankfully he was the only one of us that was puking and Kiale didn't have to miss any school and neither did KS. Although I still don't know how KS managed to go to PT two mornings in a row after having been in the bathroom the entire night before.

Kiale graduated from Kindergarten on Friday and Colin graduated from his Pre-K class on Thursday, I will be posting on those two wonderful days later in the week, once I can find a spare hour to put together a half decent post or two.

My sister graduates from high school today and I would be lying if I said I wasn't heartbroken for having to miss it. Her long time boyfriend is graduating as well, it is so weird not having them around the house all the time. We have never gone more then a week without seeing each other and now we are going on almost 3 months. I know I need to just suck it up and get used to not being around my family and I need to get used to missing huge milestones in their lives but it is so hard, and I feel like I am letting her and everyone else down but missing stuff and by making them miss stuff with my kids. Do you always feel like a part of you is missing??? I just have this hole that never seems to go away, I guess that is what happens when you are really close to your family and you just up and leave one day with only 3 weeks notice. 

I have been hitting the gym for the past three mornings and I am looking froward to going back on Monday, although I have a feeling I am going to leave the kids with Kiale and go this weekend I am really enjoying it. Plus I have finally made a friend!! How awesome is that!? It only took 2.5 months, but what does that matter right. We meet at the gym every morning and workout together. It makes the time go by so much faster and its nice to finally have some good adult interaction that lasts more then just the usual brief exchange of hellos and how long are you here for.


Well I have to go, its pool time, and the kids are starting to get antsy. Chow!

P.S. We might have orders within the month!!!!! Keep your fingers crossed!