Two Weeks Went Fast

Well our time in Georgia is coming to an end. We have been here for just about two weeks. We have had a great time with my husband. He's doing good in school, and he enjoys it much more than recruiting. We have spent the two weeks dining out, watching movies, swimming, and just enjoying each other.

As I said above, we took Genevieve to the pool over Memorial Day. She had a blast. It was fun to sit back and watch her play with the other kids and to do something new. She was a little hesitant at first to get in. She just got over her bath strike, and this was a big tub of water to her. After she got in and realized it wasn't going to get deep, she started to lighten up and have fun. She had so much fun, we had to bribe her to get out of the pool.

We will get back on the big airplane on Saturday to go back to Kansas. I am not as nervous about it all this time since I have done it once. The airline also allows for me to have one person come back with me on a gate pass. So my husband is now going to walk me back. That's good because it's a long haul in that airport.

Five Months Ago...

Five months ago I was blessed with a wonderful baby boy. There was a lot that went on right before him being born, but it was all worth it. All the back labor (my back hasn't been the same since), crazy tests, and the induction that was canceled was just one step to getting my little guy here. I remember it being a really easy labor/delivery (before they broke my water and after the epidural), and I am very thankful for that.

I am also thankful that Genevieve loves her little brother so much. She wants to share with him, take care of him, and love him. She doesn't always understand why it's Samuel's toy and not her toy, but she'll get there. She has been wonderful to him, and I don't think I could have asked for anything more.

I am a blessed mom, and I thank God everyday for the children I have. I am blessed to be their mom, and I hope I don't mess them up too bad before I set them free in the world.

The Day of Days

So, as you can now see, I am alive. The trip went as good as I could have expected. When we got to the airport in KS, I asked if I could get some help back to my gate. My Mom and Dad were there to help me get my stuff in. The lady at the desk said that one of them could get a Gate Pass and assist me back to the gate with the kids. I asked about on the return trip if someone could meet me back there. Sure enough, my Mom can meet me at the gate to help me out. Co I called Aaron and let him know to check and see if he could meet me at the gate too. He didn't have enough info to get a pass, so he just had to wait for me in arrivals.

We made it on to the plane and Genevieve seemed to be okay. She was kind of nervous, but she sat down and buckled up like a big girl. I explained that when everyone got on, we'd start moving and take off and go up in the clouds. She did very well in take off and was excited to see the town get smaller and see the clouds at eye level. She really did well until the end of the flight when she had to buckle up, put the tray up, and not move around.

When we got to GA, I was sure the worst was behind us. YEAH RIGHT! I couldn't find anyone to help me through to baggage, and it took me over an hour to walk from the gate to baggage. The first time I noticed there was a sign that said how far it was, we were 5000 ft away. We made it though, and we will defiantly look into what else is available for me to use to get to the gate.

I thank everyone for their prayers and my cousin for the late night call and text message. It really helped a lot. This trip could have went so much worse, and I just hope that in two weeks, it goes just as easy. First trip to GA, next to Germany.

Please Tell Me

I'd like to know how I'm suppose to fly from KS to GA with two kids by myself. Does anyone know? We have all been looking forward to our upcoming trip to see my husband. I have missed him (even though I don't always say it or show it) a whole lot, and I know the kids have too. Genevieve is always asking for her Daddy, and she always wants to see him. We have been very lucky this go around for him to have a laptop with a camera. We use a program, and we can video chat with him. Every morning Genevieve asks if she can see her Daddy. I tell her that we will see him on the computer, but that we have to wait to see Daddy in person. I have explained to her that she will see her Daddy after we get on a big airplane and fly to meet him. So now every morning it is "Go see Daddy in plane?"

Anyway, my big fear is how am I going to actually get them there alone. I know I will have to conquer my fear because we will soon be headed to Germany. I imagine there will be a trip or two without help. Those trips are much longer than the 2 hour non-stop flight I'm about to take. I guess we can just call this practice. I have been trying to think of things to get for Genevieve to keep her busy. I got her some snacks, a color book, and one of those doodle pads that you can erase and start over. I think we might be okay. That's not the only thing I'm worried about.

Since 9/11 the security measures have been stepped up. It doesn't bother me. I'm totally fine with taking off my shoes, having bags searched, etc. I arrive in enough time to do all this, and I have no issues not packing certain things. However, I don't think Genevieve understands. My baby girl is a total shoe nut. She even likes to sleep in shoes. I don't let her, but occasionally I find her in bed in the morning with shoes on. This might pose a slight problem when it comes to airport security. I'm sure she is going to throw a fit when the time comes to remove her beloved shoes of the day. Then there is the issue of LoveyPablo as she has dubbed the two animals she carries into one name. I'm sure she will not want to give them up to run them through the x-ray machine. So the question then becomes....Will they allow my 2 year old to go on the belt through the x-ray machine? :p

Anyway, I'm open to tips, advice, and anything else you might have to offer on getting two kids from one place to another alone :) Anyone have some great words of wisdom for me? Please share!

The Bath Strike is OVER

I haven't blogged about the ongoing bath strike that has been going on. It started about the time my husband left for school. Genevieve didn't want anything to do with a bath. She wouldn't get it. I would have to put her in, and she would just stand there screaming. I tried giving her a bath with me in the tub, no luck. I tried a shower, no luck. The only thing I found that worked was to let her stand outside the tub. I'd strip her down, and then I'd wash her off and rinse her right there.

So last night I got ready to do the quick wash down, and she actually got in the tub. So I put just a little water in the bottom and she did fine for about 5 mins, and she wanted out. So tonight I decided to keep the trend going.

At dinner I said something about taking a bath. Before I knew it she was over in the living room taking off her clothes so she could get in the tub. She went back and after a little hesitation, she got in and started to play. I washed her off, she played some more. I rinsed her off, she was still playing. We sang the "June and Rocket Dance" song, and she played. She got cold, and we added more warm water. After about 30 mins, I just pulled the plug, and she played until the last drop of water left the tub.

I am so glad it's over. I was tired of trying to convince her she needed a bath. It's very hard to explain to a 2 year old why you need a bath. Now I hope it keeps up.

Mother Daughter Banquet

This past week was our church's annual Mother Daughter Banquet. Being that we were here, we all got dressed up and headed to church. A very lovely woman, Ms. Betty, had called about a week before and asked if we had plans yet. I told her we had planned to go, but we hadn't got our tickets yet. She then let me know not to worry, and she'd see us there. She wanted us to be her guests.

I had been to one of the Mother Daughter Banquets here before. Last time I attended one I had just found out I was pregnant with Genevieve. We hadn't told anyone (except a couple of people) because my husband was away when I found out, and we wanted to wait to tell everyone together.

We all had a great dinner and then there was a program. We sat by Ms. Betty's sister and one of Genevieve's friends. Genevieve and Kristina have become friends since we have moved here. Both of them are in the nursery a lot together, and they even go to the same school. They had fun at the banquet, and I even caught them in a hug. When Genevieve hugged her, I heard Kristina say, "I really like you."

I'm glad to see my little girl making some friends and becoming a little girl.

Life and Diet Update

So I know I didn't really do much in blog land recently. I have been out of town and fighting sickness all around my family. It started with Genevieve who brought it home from school. One night of her coughing on me all night, I have it. And if I have it, Samuel has it. So we are passing it around. She's been doing much better, but Samuel and I not so much. We have had horrible coughs and my throat has been really sore. I went to the ER last night to see if anything was wrong because by 8:00 pm I couldn't eat, drink, or swallow without sever pain.

They did a Strep test, Mono test, and then looked at all that. They said it wasn't either. So they said they could put me on antibiotics and if it gets better, then it was bacterial, and if not, there isn't anything but time that would make it better because it would be a virus. I told them to shoot me up.

I am happy to report that I am feeling a bit better today. My throat is still real sore, but I can swallow, drink, and even eat soft foods again. I still have a cough, but I got some over the counter stuff that seems to really be working.

Now onto the diet. Yesterday was my first weigh in since starting Weight Watchers again. Because I'm nursing, the points were so high. I decided to do the core plan. This pretty much gives you a list of foods, and tells you that you can eat those foods without worrying as long as you don't over do it. This is usually an issue for me, but I have put my mind to eating just enough and not stuffing my face. I need to make that change in my life, and now is as good of time as any.

So for the results...I lost 8 lbs this week. They made me get off the scale to zero it again just to make sure. After they did, it still said 8 lbs. So, week 1 was a good start. Now just to keep it up. Maybe I will loose 15 lbs before I go see my husband after all.