Surviving The Wait

Hey all! Sorry I haven't updated recently. I've been pretty busy. 

Eric is doing good. He says he is bored over there, but I am sure that will change once the weather warms up. According to his Battalion Commander, his company is working on roads, canal cleanings and bridges. They are also working on a school expansion program for the children of the area. He is also doing regular patrols through their area, and is standing posts at all hours of the night. His morale seems high, but he does miss us and his family. 

Alexis is getting SO big. She can roll over from belly to back, and vise versa. She has found her feet and is holding on to them often. As usual she is all smiles, and is my rock through this deployment. I am so blessed to have her. I don't know what I would do without her. 

Anyhow, we're just counting down the months until our other half gets home :) 

The Countdown Begins...

So sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I have been beyond busy.

Eric is in Afghanistan, has been for a while now. Alexis and I miss him terribly, and ask your prayers to keep him and his unit safe. The last time I spoke with him, on Christmas Eve, he said he was doing good, just missed us and couldn't wait to get home to us. If anyone would like his address to write him or send him care packages, just get with me and I can get that for you.

Alexis is 3 months and 3 days old :) She is an absolute angel, I couldn't be happier. She is such a happy baby, only is fussy when she's hungry or really tired. She can sit up with support, she has rolled over and can completely hold her head up now. She is sleeping through the night more often than not, and is all smiles. She definitely misses daddy, and knows that he's missing. I show her a picture of him every day and she smiles and gets excited every time. In Afghanistan, he recorded himself reading a book to her, and mailed it to our home in North Carolina. I can not wait to get home to read it to her. I think it will help me more so than her, because this way, in between phone calls I can hear his voice whenever I please.

I ask that you keep all service members in Afghanistan in your thoughts and prayers. We can not wait till our favorite warrior comes home :) Happy New Year everyone!

Our last week together.

Eric leaves for Afghanistan very soon. He will be gone for 7 months. We will get through this, we have no choice but to. For us, and for our daughter. I have strong moments at times, and at others I am not so strong. I am blessed with a very supportive family, wonderful friends and a beautiful daughter.

Alexis is 2 months and 5 days old. She is all smiles, is trying to laugh and is just a very happy baby. She can hold her head up all by herself now too =) 

I am going home in a couple weeks for a month. I'll be there for Christmas and New Years. It should be fun, and we'll be counting down the months/weeks/days until Eric gets home! Please keep us in your prayers!

Dear Parenthood... I love you.

First and foremost, I am sorry that I haven't written in FOREVER. Being a mommy is more than a full-time job, meaning I'm busy 100% of the time. 

Alexis is 5 weeks and 3 days old. She is smiling more often than not, and is starting to reach out to grab objects now. She loves studying your face, and if you stick your tongue out at her, she tries to mock you. It is the cutest thing ever. As of yesterday, she weighed 10lbs and 1 oz, and was 22.5 inches long. She's growing and gaining weight appropriately. We found out yesterday that she has a heart murmur, which is most likely inherited from her daddy, so we are getting that checked out on Monday. Other than that she is 110% healthy, and 2 million % beautiful. We are absolutely in love with our baby girl, and wouldn't trade her or this experience for anything. 

Eric deploys in X weeks, so it's coming up really fast... faster than I would prefer. Please keep us, especially him, in your prayers and thoughts over the next 8 months until he comes home.

We get to travel home to Missouri in 12 days, for his pre-deployment leave. There we will get to go hunting, spend time with family and we even get to spend Thanksgiving there, which is a blessing. We will also be getting Alexis baptized on the 28th =) I can not wait. It will be a very emotional day. 

This concludes my post for now, so have a wonderful evening! 

2 days and counting!

2 more full days until our little princess is here! We can't wait. Eric has tomorrow and Tuesday off, so we're taking this time to get some last minute things done before our little bundle of joy arrives! 

Agenda for the next couple days:

Monday morning I have a Pre-Op appointment. This appointment is where I sign all my final consent forms, discuss pain management plans and get any questions that we might have about the procedure answered. Tuesday morning I have a APU (Anesthesiology) appointment. At this appointment we will discuss what type of Anesthetic I will receive and we will also find out what time we have to be at the hospital. Wednesday, of course, is the big day! Unfortunately, Eric and I's AT&T phones are being shut off on Tuesday, so unless we are allowed to bring the lap top to the hospital, everyone will have to wait on pictures until we get home. Hopefully my procedure will be early in the morning, that way I won't have to starve myself for TOO long prior.

Eric is not going to California in October like planned. Since I'm getting a C Section, I will not be able to drive or lift anything heavy for 4 weeks minimum. His command decided to let him stay home since I don't have any immediate family that can come out here for that amount of time. We also found out the results of his MRI. There is injury to his Petula and quite a bit of soft tissue damage. The doctor stated in the report that he can technically still deploy, but he will be in significant pain and discomfort, given his job. It is now up to his command to make the final decision on whether or not he goes, and if he does go... what he will be doing while there. I am very grateful that Eric does not have to go to California. This means that he gets to spend a lot more time than expected with Alexis, and that means A LOT to me, and him. 

If I don't get a chance to post tomorrow, this will be the last post until Alexis is brought home. Have a great evening! 

One day I WILL get used to things changing at the last moment.

This time, however... they change for the better!

Eric was supposed to leave in October (to California) for 6 weeks. It's a pre-deployment training called Mojave Viper. His command found out about my C Section, and told him today that he is to stay home! I won't be able to lift anything or drive for 4 weeks prior to the surgery, so I was really wondering how I was going to make it through having a newborn, appointments, possible emergencies, etc. ALONE! Now, thanks to a wonderful Lt. Colonel who had vowed to be more family oriented, that weight has been lifted.

Normally, Mojave Viper is required to deploy, but in cases as such... they can make exceptions. As of now, they are unsure (still) if he's deploying or not. We find out the results of his MRI soon, and that is THE deciding factor.

Alexis will be here in one week! Yay! We are so excited, as is our family and friends. I can't wait to bring this little bundle of joy into the world and start my life-long journey as a mother.

Sorry that this is short, but I must get something done today! Lol. Keep us in your prayers!

And time flies by...

I am becoming horrible at updating this. Hopefully I can break that habit sometime in the near future.

Alexis is due in 2 weeks and 4 days, but who's counting right? I've been having contractions every now and then, most of them Braxton Hicks. We will see what the next 2 weeks brings us! My uterus is measuring normally now and she's doing perfect! Eric and I CAN NOT wait until she is here!

Today I went to my friends house for what I thought was a "Girls Day". Turns out they had been planning a surprise baby shower for me for about 3 weeks now! It was A LOT of fun. I got to meet a couple new ladies, eat delicious cake and open some great gifts :) It was nice to get out, and it was a VERY nice surprise. I'm blessed to have friends such as these, that care! 

I have started attending church. I've only been to this church once, but I'm going to attempt to make a point of attending more often, especially when Eric deploys.

Eric's MRI went well, we are still waiting on the results. He hasn't been going into the field though because of his knee. Will keep you updated on that.

Cosmo is still just as cute and perfect as ever. I'm lucky to have such an awesome dog, they are hard to come by!

 Anyways, I'm going to get off here and watch some TV with the hubby. Have a wonderful night!