28 JUNE 2005

The summer is flying by with trips to the beach, play groups, lunch dates, dinner dates, birthday parties, and various other events. I am for it, of course. The quicker the summer goes by, the sooner Mike will be home. Yay! The weather was nice enough for beach trips once or twice a week, but it’s making us take a break this week. So far it has rained everyday since Saturday. I don’t mind it that much since the grass was looking neglected.

Speaking of the rain, it makes strange creatures appear. Tonight while on the computer I heard a weird, humming noise. The sound would last for about five seconds and kept repeating every 30 seconds or so. I panicked at first because I thought it was coming the computer which can’t be good. Upon putting my ear to computer, I realized that it was coming from the other direction. I finally discovered that the sound was emitting from outside the window. Once outside, the sound was much louder. I called my neighbor next door to see if she recognized the sound. She didn’t. She came over to help me investigate. We never could figure out what it was, but we shook a stick at it anyway. We had a good laugh. The sound stopped soon after. It’s sometimes scary living alone.

We had an interesting time at the beach on our most recent visit. An alligator somehow ventured onto the shore about 100 yards away from us. The beach patrol made everyone stay out of the water until they could capture it to take back to its “home”, where ever that may be. The girls and I left before any excitement began, but one of our friends that stayed later videotaped the “wrestling match”. I hope I will eventually get a chance to view it. I’m not worried about getting attacked by an alligator or shark since we never go into the water past my shins.

Annie is as silly as ever. She enjoys climbing into the exersaucer and baby swing often. She gets mad at me though when I don’t rush to get her out when she’s good and ready. I keep telling her if she can get in by herself, then she can out by herself. Annie is so close to going potty in the potty. She now takes her own diaper off immediately after she’s piddled in it. Yesterday after she took her diaper off, she went and sat on her potty and said, “pee, pee”. I just haven’t been to get her to actually go potty in the potty yet. We’ll keep working on it. Remember that bug phobia that I talked about Annie having? Well, she still has it. Now she comes running to me screaming to tell me when she has spotted a bug. Unfortunately, it’s often around here in the summer (even inside–ish!). She won’t leave me alone until I’ve gotten rid of it. She’s so cute about it. Then last night while at a friend’s house Annie got all freaked out from the security sensor up in the corner of the ceiling. Everytime the red light came on, she would run around squealing and want someone to pick her up. Everyone got such a kick out of her. One woman was laughing so hard that she was crying.

Disappointing news to report: Mimi is an avid thumbsucker. Many times I will catch her sucking away, and it’s always her left thumb. I guess she takes after her mommy. Mimi still rolls over frequently. Sometimes while on her belly, she looks she’s attempting to crawl. She’s also discovered that she likes to bounce up and down. Today while at playgroup, Mimi was in an exersaucer that was really bouncy. She loved it. Then tonight while I was holding her upright, she kept trying to bounce using my legs as her trampoline. Mimi is also finding her voice. She can get quite loud at times when she’s experimenting with different sounds. I’ve been working on getting caught up with scrapbooking. While looking through pictures of Annie at around 4 months, I noticed that Mimi and Annie really do look alike. That’s okay since Annie’s such a beauty! I’ve added more pictures to the girls’ June album, by the way. You’ll notice some pictures that aren’t of the girls. They are from a festival that we went to in town a couple of weeks ago.

Next week will be hard for me since Mike’s family is traveling to Durango, Colorado for a family reunion. His mom and most of his siblings will be in attendance. Originally, we had planned on also attending, but Mike’s deployment to Iraq threw a wrench into the works. The girls and I were still invited to join, but I just don’t see how I could travel all the way there by myself with two babies. I hope everyone is having fun (without us, sniff sniff).

My parents are coming for a visit on July 12th. My dad is staying for a week, and my mom is planning to stay a bit longer. We don’t know how long yet. She will probably be ready to go home with my dad after a week of dealing with us. I’m just kidding. My mom loves to spend times with the girls and sometimes me. Annie is much easier to deal with now than the last time we saw her. I look forward to seeing my parents and doing fun stuff here in happening Jacksonville. I also hope that my new bedroom furniture will arrive in time for them to see it. Just in case anyone is curious, it’s this bed, nightstand, and dresser/mirror. I can’t wait to get it!

Nothing new is happening with Mike. We get to talk and email most days. The phone conversations usually have background music of Arabic tunes. Apparently, there is intereference with a local radio station there. I told Mike that I’m going to get him a t-shirt that says “I Heart Arabic Music” since he “listens” to it so much. Mike has gotten to experience some cool stuff while over there. As mentioned before, he did get to meet Oliver North. Mike has weathered a few dust storms. He also got the opportunity to go on patrol with the Marines out in town. I hope he’s gotten his fill of that because it really worries me to think of him exposed like that. Mike has also been keeping himself busy with growing a makeshift garden in a sandbag outside. He constructed an irrigation system using plastic bottles filled with water collected from condensation released from the air conditioning units. Mike reads a lot, too. Oh, and I’m also VERY happy to report that Mike got rid of his mustache. I’ve posted new pictures on Mike’s Iraq page. Look for more videos soon!!

17 JUNE 2005

Just for fun, I uploaded some video clips of the girls. You can view them here. There is also a link on the girls’ page under all the pictures. It’s disappointing to me that people just have to take my word for it when the girls do anything new. Now you can see for yourself. Enjoy!

14 JUNE 2005

Summer has definitely kicked in around here. There have been numerous sweltering, hot days (including today) here in the past few weeks. One thing I’ve realized is not to rely on weather.com for the current and future weather. It was supposed to rain for weeks according to their forecast, but it didn’t rain nearly as much. We were finally able to go to the beach, twice even.

I’ve gotten packing for the beach down to a science. Certain items just stay in the car, and then I refresh the towels, bathing suits, and food each time. My plan is to make a trip to the beach at least once a week. Annie won’t mind. She absolutely loves the water and sand. Annie was nervous about the water at first. She would get close and then run screaming from it when the water came rushing up the beach. She eventually got used it and insisted that I keep taking her into the water. Mimi did great on both trips. She wanted to be held for a while in the beginning but fell asleep after I fed her. That made it less stressful for me to only have to keep track of Annie. I got a little burnt on my back, so we are going to take a few days to recover before returning.

Mimi is now rolling over from her back to tummy. Her first time was actually at the beach. She is a little bit ahead of Annie. Annie was almost 5 months old before she rolled over. Her feet have been discovered, too. Mimi is also now sleeping about 11-12 hours each night. I have been so blesssed to get 2 children that are wonderful sleepers. Last week I took Mimi to the doctor for her 4 month check-up. She weighed in at 15 pounds, 2 ounces and was 23 3/4 inches long. Annie was 13 pounds, 2 ounces and 24 1/2 inches long at her 4 month check-up (just in case anyone is keeping track). The girls are obviously much different than each other. I have added more pictures to the girls’ “June 2005” album. Please feel free to have a look.

Annie is becoming quite the little “helper” around the house. She is always willing to “help” with the dishes. And she loves to throw stuff away (stuff that may not be garbage). Many times after changing a diaper I won’t be able to find the dirty diaper. I soon discover that Annie has already thrown it away. Annie also mimics me throughout the day. Whether it’s copying what I do while getting ready or nursing her dolls, she is definitely watching everything I do. Mike said that I should be relieved that I’m not a smoker. We are still working on potty training. There have been a few accident0s and no successes yet. I’m trying not to get frustrated with her because she’s not even 2 yet.

Well, Mike got some exciting news this week. He has been accepted in the Endodontics residency program in Bethesda, MD. He will start in July 2006. That means another move for us next summer. It’s a 2-year program, and then Mike will owe 3 more years to pay the Navy back. So Mike will be in the Navy until 2012. I was reluctant at first for Mike to specialize through the Navy, but after much contemplation we decided it’s a sweet deal for us. There are pros and cons either way we do it.

Things are the same for Mike in Iraq. He’s pretty bored but is keeping in great shape and reading a lot. We get to talk or email almost everyday. I try to not take the routine phone calls for granted because then I’m so sad when Mike isn’t able to call. I still haven’t received the latest pictures from him. I will post some as soon as get them. He’s past the halfway point for his time there (not that I’m counting). It could be as early as the beginning of September for his return. I keep telling Mike I’m not going to believe any dates that I hear for his return until he’s standing in our house. I’d hate to get my hopes up and then it be much later than predicted.

2 JUNE 2005

Hurricane season officially started yesterday! The rain never ends here. It’s been pouring all week with no signs of letting up until next Saturday (June 11th). The only good coming of the rain is that our lawn is getting well watered. I hired a lawn service to mow the lawn and do a little seeding and weeding. The guy threw down some seed and fertilizer on Sunday and instructed me to water at least once a day for 2 weeks. I dreaded the chore, but the heavens took care of it for me. I was then sadly informed by a Jacksonville native that summers are pretty rainy here. I will be very disappointed if my 2-day-a-week swimming goal is not met. My new beach cart needs to get broken in, too!

Regardless of the rain, we did go to a fun BBQ on Memorial Day. The rain kept up until about an hour after our arrival to the event. Mimi was well bundled in her carseat, and Annie had a little hoodie on to keep her dry. Annie had such a great time. Several older girls were there that wanted to babysit without my asking. Everytime I spied Annie, she was in some 7-year-old’s arms. There was even an instance where I saw that those girls had put a bike helmet on Annie and were pushing her around on a child’s bike. She loved the attention. Once Mimi decided she wanted to be held, there were several women that insisted on holding her. So, needless to say, I enjoyed myself at the BBQ. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera to document the occasion.

Annie is now able to have a little ponytail in her hair. Her hair is growing out strangley. She has bangs in the front that remain short (even though I’ve never cut them), the hair in the back remains short, but the hair on top is the longest (about 6 inches). This pattern of growth makes it very difficult to style. I finally took the top hair and put it into a ponytail. Annie actually allowed it to stay in for a full 1/2 hour. Another accomplishment that I’m excited about is that I’ve gotten Annie to eat broccoli. She was actually the one who decided to try it. I’ve given it to her 3 times now, and she liked it on two occasions. Her food tastes are slowly expanding. We’re now starting on potty-training but without any success yet. I still feel it’s a little early for her, so I’m taking my time on the matter.

It’s so nice for Mimi to be able to enjoy herself without having to be held by me all the time. Mimi will also find entertainment in her big sister. I’ve caught her several times laughing out loud at Annie’s antics. Mimi is starting to notice her surroundings as well. I noticed her grabbing for things such as toys. I managed to snap her in action while grabbing the toy connected to her swing while she was in it the other day. Mimi is also quite the sleeper. She now regularly sleeps from 8:30 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. In Fact, this morning it wasn’t Mimi that woke me up but Annie at 8:20 a.m. I went in to check on Mimi after getting Annie out of bed, and she was just lying there looking around not making a peep. She is such a sweetheart! Check out the June album for the girls.

Mike is doing well in Iraq. He’s back at his “home” base which means he’s able to keep in closer contact with me. He got to meet Oliver North and even get a picture with him. He’s still keeping busy watching movies, reading books, and exercising a lot. Mike has requested more beef jerkey from me, but anyone else is more than welcome to send him some. He is very satisfied with the attention he gets from the mailman. His coworkers are very jealous of the amount of mail he receives. Thanks to everyone who has sent him stuff. He has sent a new disk of pictures that I should get within the next week or so. I will, of course, post new pictures and videos when I get it. Other than that, no news to report.

20 APRIL 2005

I’ve been slackin’. Mike sent me some pictures about a week and a half ago. Those pictures are finally posted, but then Mike informed me yesterday that he was already sending another disk of pictures. I need to get on the ball. He also sent a few videos made by his camera, but I have not figured out how to get them onto the website yet. I will continue to work on that. There are a couple of videos that I think people would be interested in seeing. He is doing well and will be moving to another unit in about a week or so. I get the feeling that he will be glad to leave the unit he’s at now. Check out the Mike in Iraq pages as I’ve added some tidbits and pictures.

I’m excited for Friday to come because my best friend Julie is coming for a visit. We have been friends since junior high. I still have vivid memories of when we were that age. It amazes me to think that we are both married with kids. Julie is staying until Monday, and then we will all fly together back to Indiana. The girls and I are going for a visit for 3 weeks. Most of the visit will be with my parents. Then my mom is going to travel back with us and stay for a bit. It will be a nice change to get away for awhile.

The girls are doing well on a day-to-day basis. Annie will, of course, always test the boundaries with her behavior and adventures. She is definitely not afraid of heights, which worries me to the nth-degree. The wonderful bar stools, excuse me, counter stools that Mike got me for Christmas are turning into quite the nuisance in my life. Annie likes to climb on them and then work her way onto the kitchen counters. I’m about ready to put them in the attic until Annie no longer has a fascination with climbing. However, if it’s anything like Mike’s attraction to fire and explosives, then it may never end.

Mimi is still growing like a weed. Having Annie as the first child made me get used to people commenting on how small she was and still is. Therefore, it comes as a shock to have a child that people say is large. One lady even said to me that Mimi looks like she never misses a meal. Mimi is also starting to become expressive with smiles, giggling, and sweet murmurs. She has been such a sweet and tranquil baby although she is getting more clingy. I still can’t tell if her eyes are going to turn brown or if she will look Annie.

I may not be able to update the website while I’m in Indiana. We’ll see!

14 APRIL 2005

Upon sending a MotoMail to Mike today, I realized that the most recent address that he gave me non-existent. A couple of numbers are switched around in the zip code. The actual address should be:

LT Michael J. Hawley
Postal Det 7 (Dental)
Unit 73906
FPO AE 09509-3906

I’m sure that mail will still get to him with the incorrect address. I just sent a package to him a few days ago and will be very upset if it doesn’t get to him.

08 APRIL 2005

Ahh, the weather is finally getting nicer here. It has been consistently beautiful outside the whole week. We had a bit of a thunderstorm last night, but I didn’t need to be outside then anyway. The spring flowers are blooming and are stunning. I wish that we had planted some wisteria or azaleas and have lived here for many years so that I could enjoy the mature blooms in my own yard. It’s still nice to be able to look at other yards with it while driving around town. We do have some blooming plants in our yard. Mike planted some various bulbs before leaving and Jenni Smith planted a few creeping phlox. Jenni’s plants were already blooming when she planted them, so I get to enjoy them for a few more days. A couple of days ago I noticed a single flower popping out of a bed of rock in our yard (pictured above). I’m not sure what kind of flower it is. Can anyone tell me?

Also outside I installed solar sidewalk and flood lighting. I’m very proud of my accomplishment. My hope is that Mike will really enjoy them when he returns. The lights were super easy to install since there was no wiring. Basically, you just pop the pieces together, and then stick the light into the ground. I’ve started a trend. Two other women with husbands in Iraq said they are going to do it, too. The whole project was supposed to be a surprise for him, but he got it out of me. We can rarely keep surprises from each other. Almost every time he gets me a gift that he thinks I will love he harasses me about it until I make him tell me. I usually tell him that I can wait for the gift until it’s time to give it to me, but I think he just can’t stand keeping a secret. He’s such a kid at heart. Anyway, I’ve posted more pictures of the house with the outside lights on our house page. Check it out!

The girls have been great this week. The more time I spend with Annie, the more I realize that she’s not misbehaved. She just wants my undivided attention ALL the time. Unfortunately, I can’t give it to her with having another child and the daily grind to tend to. I hope she doesn’t harbor any resentment toward me later in her adulthood that comes out in therapy. Actually, I think she’s adjusting quite well to our situation. Annie really is growing up. I can bargain with her now. For instance, I’ve been able to get her to eat food that she doesn’t want by offering something to her that she does want only after she takes a bite of the undesirable food. I don’t know if this will always work, but it doesn’t hurt to keep trying. Mimi is, of course, still growing larger each day. I’m not used to people telling me she looks big for her age. With Annie it was the exact opposite. She is developing a cute personality. Her demeanor is so relaxed. As long as I’m close to her, she’s just happy checking out her surroundings. She’s been smiling and cooing a lot, too. I really lucked out to get two such wonderful daughters.

07 APRIL 2005

I have added directions on how to sew Roman shades on my “FAQ’s” page. You can email me if something seems unclear, and I will try to clarify.

06 APRIL 2005

I just thought I would mention that I updated/changed our house page. I have added some recent pictures of how some of the rooms look now. I am pretty much done with Annie’s room. I haven’t put any pictures up yet of Amelia’s room for two reasons: 1) Annie was sleeping in there when I was taking the pictures; 2) I’m not quite finished with some of the projects. I will try to put some pictures of it stat. Let me know what you think! I am also working on some outside projects such as putting in sidewalk lighting and maybe additional landscaping. Keep checking back there for additional pictures.

05 APRIL 2005

Alone again! Jenni Smith came for a visit last Wednesday and left early yesterday morning. We had a fun time, and Annie made herself a new buddy. Jenni and I got to shop a little and stamp/scrapbook. We, of course, had to make a stop at the local quilt shop. Neither of us could resist buying must-have fabrics. I bought the fabric that I will use to make Mimi’s twin-size quilt for her big girl bed. I know it seems premature, but the fabrics were just too perfect. Jenni worked on her Christmas cards (yes, in April), and I did two scrapbook pages for Annie’s 1st year book. I need to get going on her book now that Mimi has come along to put me even further behind in scrapbooking.

Annie developed a bug phobia after a “crumb” that she tried to pick up and eat moved toward her. She was completely beside herself. Then today at playgroup she fell off the back of a small slide trying to avoid a gnat that was on the slide. Annie is talking (more like babbling) constantly. She will try to repeat just about any word said to her. She also mimics people quite well. Annie received an interesting present for Easter that I forgot to mention in my previous post. She got a “Daddy doll”. Mike apparently worked behind my back to get one made for her. It’s a really unique, little gift that Annie seems to love. She has been sleeping with it every night and even refers to it as “Daddy”. I can tell her to get “Daddy”, and she will go retrieve it.

Mimi had her 8-week doctor’s appointment on Friday, April 1st. She weighed in at 12 pounds, 4 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. She has Annie beat by 2 pounds when Annie was 8 weeks old. Mimi smiles and “talks” at anyone who will listen. She’s getting better about holding her head up and will hold it up for a bit while on her stomach. I still can’t decide what color her eyes will be. They are still looking very blue. Her skin also looks much fairer than Annie’s did at this age. They are definitely quite different but still look like sisters. Check out the April album that I have put on the Hawley Girls page.

Mike is on the move again to another base in Iraq, but his address will remain the same. Not any new information from him. He seems quite happy with his situation. He gets to work out 6 days a week and really enjoys the food. His new hobby is watching “Arrested Development“. He and another guy have watched the first season a few times. I have added a few pictures to Mike’s March Iraq album on his Iraq pictures page per his request.

28 MARCH 2005

We had our first whole weekend together without any help. The Camp LeJeune Naval Hospital had an Easter egg hunt on Saturday that we attended. Annie actually managed to find some eggs on her own. She seemed to enjoy herself quite a bit. We also spent some time at the nearby playground. The weather is finally warming up so that we can enjoy being outside. I can’t wait until the O’Club pool opens. I hope to spend many afternoons there sitting in the sun. I probably won’t get to enjoy it that much since I will be taking care of 2 babies. I have posted some pictures of our day at the Easter egg hunt on the girls’ March album. Enjoy!

We also ventured to church yesterday. I thought I was doing pretty well with getting ready and arriving to church only a few minutes late. There was a nice gentleman that offered to carry Annie to the pew while I carried everything else. Big mistake! As soon as that man touched Annie she became hysterical. I quickly got us all back out into the lobby. The man said he would take the baby’s carrier instead once Annie was done crying. He waited on the inside of the chapel while I was holding Annie out in the lobby. Well, every so often the man would peak out to see if we were ready to go back, and each time Annie saw him she would start crying again. Needless to say, we spent the entire meeting out in the hall. It was so embarrassing and frustrating. When it was time to put Annie into the nursery room, I was sure that she would throw yet another fit. To my surprise she was very willing to be left behind in there. Once she saw the huge bucket of pinto beans to play with, she forgot I even existed. I quietly left and didn’t return until it was time to go home. She did great according to the nursery attendants.

That was our weekend. How was yours?

P.S. Mike is well and is receiving lots of mail. Thanks for thinking of him.

23 MARCH 2005

I have added a Frequently Asked Questions page to the website. (Notice the new link “FAQs” on the leftside of the page.) As much as I love answering questions about the website, I’ve been getting a ton of email from people asking how I do it. I plan to keep adding to this page such as about I how make Roman shades, so keep checking back.

22 MARCH 2005

Please note that there is a change to Mike’s mailing address in Iraq. The new address is as follows (I have also changed it on Mike’s Iraq Contact page):
LT Michael J Hawley
Postal Det 7 (Dental)
Unit 73906
FPO AE 09509-3609

If you have sent mail recently to the previous, Mike should still get it. He has also told me that the MotoMail is up and running. He has already gotten some since he’s been in Ramaddi. Thanks for keeping in touch with him. I think he is a little lonely right now because all his buddies are now at different bases. I’m sure he will soon have a whole bunch of new friends since he’s so outgoing.

Things are okay here now that Sara is gone. We ventured out to run some errands yesterday and met up for lunch with the Gambrels at Chick-Fil-A. The Chick-Fil-A has an indoor playground. Annie loved it so much that she didn’t want to leave. It’s not fun trying to carry a kicking and screaming 19-month-old, a baby carrier, and a diaper bag. I felt like wonder woman.

20 MARCH 2005

Sara has come and gone. We had a good time together. The girls kept us busy, but we still managed to fit in a couple days of stamping. Now each of us has added about 24 cards to our collections. We also got in a full day of shopping yesterday, and the girls were fabulous (as far as children go). I am now all alone with the girls. It’s only been a few hours, but I’m confident that things will go smooth. Jenni Smith is the next visitor on the roster. She arrives on March 30th and will stay for about a week.

As mentioned before, I have been working on the format for the girls’ portion of the website. I have now added a button the left called “the girls“. I will now post the picture albums by month. Check out what I have so far.

I have also updated Mike’s “Iraq” page with some information and pictures.

07 MARCH 2005

Things are starting to settle down since Mike has gone. Mimi is becoming a more scheduled eater and diaper filler. However, Mimi has not been quite as easy of a baby as Annie was. She seems to be much more sensitive. She has had numerous diaper rashes, but I think they were occurring when she was eating almost every hour it seemed. Now she is more on a 3-hour schedule allowing her tummy to settle between each feeding. Mimi also has quite a bad case of baby acne. I was alarmed by it, and took her to the doctor. The doctor said it was just baby acne and to wait it out without any treatment. It can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to clear up. Poor Mimi looks so pathetic. I can already tell it’s clearing up though. I think she still looks beautiful no matter what. Check out the “1st Month” album on “Mimi’s” page for additions.

Annie is still giving us a hard time with her tantrums. She is very determined to get what she wants. There seem to be less of them in the last few days. I think she just gets frustrated with not being able to communicate exactly what she wants. Speaking of communication though, Annie has been adding an awful lot of new words to her vocabulary. I think it will just be a matter of time before she can tell me exactly what she needs and avoid any future tantrums. The other day Annie did something unexpected. She took the letter “L” from her foam floor mat and pretended like it was a gun. She made the sound effects of shooting it as well. I was completely bewildered as to how she figured out how to do that. Children will pick up on the strangest things from their surroundings. I guess I will really have to start watching what I say and do around her and also what she is being exposed to by the television and other people, places, things. They grow up so fast!! And, no, Annie does not still suck on a pacifier. She seems to be interested in them now that Mimi uses one.

Kathy is still here and has been a great deal of help. Now that Mimi is here, I’m not getting much sleep at night. Kathy has been waking up with Annie and getting her ready in the morning and feeding her breakfast. This makes it so I can sleep in a bit with Mimi. I don’t know what I’m going to do once everyone that visits is gone. I guess I’ll just have to adjust. I’m sure Kathy will be ready to leave when the time comes. Or maybe she’ll just want to move in with us. (No pressure, Kathy.) Sara is set to arrive on Saturday, the day after Kathy leaves. She’s going to be here for a week. I hope that we can have some fun by stamping and such.

We’ve been hearing from Mike daily either by email or phone. I haven’t received any pictures from him yet, but he plans to email me a few soon. I have posted more information about him on his “Iraq” page. Feel free to have a look.

I think I may reformat the way I post pictures of Annie and Mimi. I’m going to combine their pages onto one and just post pictures by the month. It’s just getting to be too much disk space and work to separate their pictures. Plus, I end up posting many of the same pictures onto each page. I haven’t completed this task yet, but look for a new button soon on the left labeled “the Girls” instead of “Annie” and “Mimi”.

23 FEBRUARY 2005

Mike is now gone. We will miss him so much. This is the last family photo before he left. Boy, any family photos of the four of us will sure look different after he gets home. Annie will be at least 2 years old and Amelia around 7 months. He will be a stranger to Mimi, but I wonder if Annie will remember him. We filmed Mike and Annie playing and reading a story a few days before he left. I plan to show the video to Annie often so that Mike will hopefully remain fresh in her mind. I just need to figure out how to transfer the video from the camcorder to DVD. Any advice would be great!! Mike is probably already in Iraq at this time. I’ve posted some pictures and details about his departure on his “Iraq” page. Please feel free to check it out.

On Sunday we had Mimi blessed at home. Unfortunately, I was kind of in a daze and forgot to take lots of pictures of her in her dress and posing with us as a family. We did, however, manage a couple of cute pictures of her in her dress. It’s actually the same dress that Annie wore for her blessing. I’m sure most people can understand that we had a few too many things on our minds that day. Mimi is growing quite rapidly. Her cheeks get bigger by the minute. She is awake much more during the day now and is getting better at holding her head up. She is following the same path Annie was. Does this mean I will have another hyper-active child? Probably. Oh well, I shouldn’t have expected anything different since Mike and I were such stinkers as little kids. I’ve updated “Mimi’s 1st Month” album on her “Amelia” page. Have a look.

Annie has been a real pistol the last couple of days. She is definitely an assertive little girl that must have her demands met immediately. If not, then she will scream, throw herself on the floor, or just start throwing things. I think much of it has to do with her being tired or hungry at the time, but it’s still no way to act. It will be a battle of the wills for the next few months, I’m sure. Other than that, Annie seems to be taking quite a liking to Amelia now. She wants to kiss and hug her a lot. I still have to monitor Annie around the baby, but I think she’s finally accepted Mimi’s presence. That’s one less thing to worry about. Annie is still making lots of progress developmentally. She will pretty much repeat any word you say to her such as geese, cheese, thank you, done, and much more. The picture above is of Annie answering Grandma Olsen’s question, “How old are you?” I’ve added some pictures to “Annie’s” page on her “18th Month Album“.

Kathy, Mike’s mom, is now here and has been a big help to me. She is also helping to keep me company and my mind off Mike so much since his departure. We will (or at least I will) try to stay busy while she’s here. My mind is wandering trying to think of lots of projects to do while Mike is gone. I think it will help me to have way too much to do.

I’ve already completed one project since Kathy’s been here. I sewed a duvet cover for Annie’s bed. I have yet to take any pictures of all the projects that have been completed in the past few months. I promise I will do that as soon as I finish the bulletin boards that I am going to make for each of the girls’ rooms. I just don’t want to be constantly having to change the pictures on the website. Kathy is also going to help me complete the quilt I’m making for Annie’s bed. It won’t be completed while she’s here though because she is going to take it home with her to have her quilting lady finish it off. That will probably take a couple of months.

18 FEBRUARY 2005

Much has happened this week. My mom was here to help for Mimi’s (Mimi is Amelia’s nickname) arrival and help take care of Annie. She did a great job keeping Annie busy and letting me focus on Mimi’s needs. She also did all the stuff that I would have neglected like laundry, cleaning, and making meals. I probably would have lost more baby fat in the past week had my mom not been here to make pancake and bacon breakfasts for me almost daily. Sadly, my mom left a few days early for work-related reasons leaving me to care for Annie and Mimi alone. It was scary at first, but I managed to not run screaming into oncoming traffic.

Mimi is doing quite well. She is getting bigger each day. I took her to the doctor for her post-hospital visit on February 9th. She regained the weight she lost in the hospital and grew 2/3 of an inch. She is a monster eater. She did catch cold from everyone (we were all sick with stuffy noses, sore throats, etc.) and ended up with a stuffy nose and a runny eye. I was worried about Mimi possibly having pink eye, so the doctor told me to bring her in for a look-see. He said it wasn’t pink eye but that it could be a blocked tear duct or just from the cold. It seems to be getting better now. At that visit Mimi was already up to 8 pounds. She is definitely going to be a larger baby than Annie. I think it took Annie a month to reach 8 pounds. Check out the pictures in “Mimi’s 1st Month” album on her page.

Annie is still adjusting to Mimi’s “visit”. She knows her name and makes sure to say it everytime she touches her (which is quite often). She poked Mimi in her good eye yesterday. For a while, Mimi had two runny eyes, but now she’s back to just the one runny eye. Annie is throwing a few more tantrums daily. They actually seem to come more often when her daddy is home. She has really turned into a daddy’s girl. She wants to wrestle and play with him every minute he is home. She is sure going to miss him when he leaves. She seems so big to me now that Mimi is here. Now if only we could get her potty-trained so that I won’t have to change double the diapers anymore. I’ve added an 18th Month album to Annie’s page. Please have a look. This will probably be the last album I do for Annie. Instead her pictures will go in the Memories pages and other such albums. I haven’t quite decided how I will do it.

Lucy traveled up to Minnesota this past Saturday. The Wallace family (Chris, Katie, Dave, Jordan, E-Lee, and Jackson) were gracious enough to offer to take Lucy off my hands while Mike is in Iraq. I was reluctant to accept their offer at first until Mike went away to Bethesda, MD a few weeks ago. I quickly realized that Lucy’s departure was mandatory for my sanity. She will enjoy herself much more with E-Lee and Jackson to frolic with everyday. So far she is doing great up there. However, we have received reports that she persists in standing up to the kitchen counters to steal food. Hopefully, the Wallaces can break her of this horrible habit. Thanks again to the Wallaces for doing such a great deed!!!

Mike has received official word that he will depart from America on Monday, February 21, 2005. He has to report in the morning but won’t actually travel oversees until late that night. In the meantime, he will be doing a lot of sitting around. We hope to be able to visit with each other for a little while during the day. For those of you that don’t know, Mike is going to Iraq for about seven months. I have added a page called “Mike in Iraq” (on the left side of the website) that will have pictures of Mike’s adventures in Iraq, his mailing address, care package ideas, and other deployment related information. I will keep adding to this page as I receive more information from Mike or if there are any changes.

Mike’s mom, Kathy, will arrive tomorrow to help me. I will probably be a basket-case next week after Mike’s departure (sorry to Kathy in advance). She plans to stay for 3 weeks. I hope she doesn’t run screaming from here before her 3 weeks are up. I think that’s the real reason my mom left early. (Just kidding, Mom!) Mike looks forward to being able to see his mom so soon before leaving for Iraq.

08 FEBRUARY 2005

She’s here! And fast! Amelia Ruth arrived on February 4th 2005 at 9:21 p.m. She weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces and was 19 1/3 inches long. She’s beautiful, healthy, and we love her so much. Annie’s still on the fence, but she’s making progress. The world has revolved around Annie up until little Amelia popped into our lives. I’m sure she will grow to love Amelia as much as we do. So far Amelia is very soft-spoken and very laid back. Her cries are so different than Annie’s. Annie made sure everyone knew she was now part of our world. Amelia is slowly making her presence known.

I had decided (with the encouragement of Miss Sara) that I would take castor oil that day. I finally braved it at 4:00 p.m. (For those who are curious, castor oil is about the nastiest thing I ever tasted. Picture drinking a tablespoon of Canola Oil but thicker.) My water broke around 7:00 p.m. (Luckily, my mom got into town the day before to help us out.) I started to have contractions around 7:30 p.m. Mike and my mom immediately wanted me to go to the hospital, but I wasn’t sure if it was just the castor oil playing tricks on my body. When the contractions just kept getting progressively more painful and closer, Mike insisted that we go to the hospital while stating he did not want to deliver the baby at home.

We got to the hospital at about 8:40 p.m. I was no longer able to walk, so Mike found a wheelchair for me. The nurse checked my dilation and to make sure my water had actually broken (it had) and said that I was dilated between 4 and 5 cm. So they put me into a labor and delivery room. We weren’t in there for more than 10 minutes before I felt like Amelia was on her way out. Oh, and I was told that I was not able receive any pain medication since I was already dilated between 9 and 10 cm. So it came time to push Amelia out. She finally made her full appearance at 9:21 p.m.

You may notice an extra button on the left side of the page. I’ve added a page for Amelia. It will be set up the same as Annie’s page. Please feel free to view it. I’ve already added the pictures that we have of Amelia so far.

31 JANUARY 2005

I’ve been getting hints (ahem, complaints) about not updating the website enough. Sorry people, I’ve been just a little pre-occupied lately. Ya know, with about to have a baby and a husband getting ready to leave for over 7 months. I’m not yelling at anyone, I’m just reminding.

About the baby, no new news. We have tentatively scheduled an induction date of February 7th. But then it’s not definite because women in real labor take precedence in the labor/delivery rooms. Keep your fingers crossed for us. Mike isn’t even sure if he’s going to be able to be at the hospital with us because his training is apparently too important to miss. My mom will be in town though and can always be my coach in the delivery room. Maybe I’ll get lucky and will go into labor naturally before the scheduled induction date.

Mike and I have been working diligently on finishing projects around the house before he has to leave such as painting the kids’ rooms, painting Annie’s big-girl bed, making Roman shades for the baby’s room, turning a kitchen cart into a diaper changing table, painting wooden letters to hang in the kids’ rooms, and the list goes on. I think we are pretty much finished with the things that I can’t do on my own. There are just a couple of things for him to do that won’t take long.

Annie’s been making great progress during the last few weeks. She now feeds herself pretty well. She no longer takes bottles. She’s adding new words to her vocabulary each day. Ball is the word for today. No is the word for yesterday. She knows many of her body parts now such as nose, mouth, ears, eyes, brain, toes, and belly. Annie also knows which toothbrush is hers. There are a few new pictures in here to view.

Mike thought his mother would cringe when she saw this picture of Mike letting Annie swing into the air by Mike’s feet. Don’t blame Mike, it was all Annie’s idea. She’s very adventurous!

Well, that’s all the information I have at this time. I probably won’t be updating the website until after the baby comes. Please feel free to email us any questions/comments at your convenience.

11 JANUARY 2005

Annie keeps herself very busy these days. We allowed her try feeding her self for the first time last night. She wasn’t completely successful, but it takes some practice. Her purse is now her favorite accessory that she never wants to leave behind. I encourage this “girly” behavior. A box was left behind last night in the foyer. Annie made quick use of it as a seat and storage space for legos and such. She keeps me smiling all day with all her antics. What will it be like with two little entertainers? I have added more pictures of her silliness to the “Baby” page under “Annie’s 17th Month“. I will probably discontinue doing monthly albums of just Annie once the baby is born. We’ll see!

TUMS have become my new, best friends. With the constant acid-reflux attacking my throat after each meal, I decided that Tums would have to come to the rescue. I bought the fruity, candy kind that taste yummy. So taking them is not the punishment I once imagined. We are coming down the final days before the delivery of baby #2, and it’s really starting to show. Gone are the days of people patting me on the tummy and asking when I am due. Gone are the days of comments about how I’m a cute, pregnant lady. Now I just get looks of sympathy. I must look pretty miserable. I certainly feel that way at night when I wake every half hour or so to reposition into yet another uncomfortable position.

Mike got to practice this week doing dentistry in a tent. The tent shown here are the actual tents that his group will be taking to Iraq. He seems excited about the idea of practicing dentistry is such primitive surroundings, but I would think it would get old. I suppose he doesn’t have any choice in the matter. We are still unsure as to Mike’s deployment date, but it will most likely be mid-February. That’s the reason for the induction of baby #2. I guess I’m in denial about his leaving because I okay with it so far. But I know once the reality sets in, I probably won’t be very calm or happy. I do need to be rational in front of the children though. I also need to be brave for Mike since he is the one who is leaving.

03 JANUARY 2005

We’ve enjoyed a few busy weeks since before Christmas. My parents came for a visit on December 20th and stayed through until December 26th. They rented a house on Emerald Isle right on the beach. Annie and I stayed a couple of nights there since Mike had to work until December 23rd. We weren’t able to enjoy the actual beach since it was very chilly and windy. It even snowed one day and left the roads very icy. Very unusual circumstances for Jax, NC considering it’s been in the 60’s and 70’s since last week.

The cold weather didn’t stop my mom and me from shopping though. We toured all the little shops in Swansboro and spent the snow day at the Jacksonville Mall. We were able to get all of our Christmas shopping completed a few days before the big day. Mike and my dad had planned on golfing at the Camp LeJeune golf course on December 23rd, but it ended up raining most of the day. My dad was able to get in a day of golfing the day before. I think it was enough to keep him satisfied.

Mike’s sister Jenni Smith and her family arrived the evening of December 23rd. They stayed with us until December 27th. The girls, Morgie, Rozzie, and Maddie, were quite the playmates (and babysitters) for Annie. She had a blast. She was very sad to see them leave. I told her she will soon have a little sister to play with (in a few months anyway). Jenni helped me to start the quilt I’m making for Annie’s future, big-girl bed. Thanks, Jenni!

We made a big dinner for Christmas Eve with all the trimmings, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, ambrosia, and rolls. It was delicious to everyone except Annie. She refused to eat any of it. Actually, she became a non-eater for pretty much the whole time people were visiting. It was very frustrating for those trying to feed her. There were lots of leftovers for lunch and dinner the next day. I was more than happy to feast on that stuff for days. Unfortunately, it only lasted for a couple of meals.

 The Smiths brought all their presents from home so that the girls could enjoy a real Christmas this year (they had to wait until January last year to open presents). They were so excited to open presents on Christmas day that they couldn’t wait until Mike, Annie and I decided to roll out of bed. We still enjoyed seeing all the presents they received. My parents arrived later in the morning and had many presents for us to open. Annie got lots of clothes and toys from them. Her favorites were the play stroller and mini chair they got for her. She still uses them all the time. We love watching her put things in her stroller to push around. It was sad to see everyone depart. But I will soon get to see my mom and Jenni after the baby is born which seems like it will never happen. There are pictures of our Christmas adventure on our “Memories” page under the link “Christmas 2004“. Enjoy!!

Time is going so slowly these days. Only 6 more weeks of pregnancy to go, but each day feels like a week. I asked my doctor today if I could be induced a couple of weeks early. She said it shouldn’t be a problem, so I guess I only have 4 more weeks of pregnancy to go. It still seems like an eternity.

This past weekend the Bells, Tiger and Leah, came for a visit. Mike, Tiger and Alan Sandor went on a chartered boat trip to Cape Lookout on December 31st. You can see pictures and get more details on Mike’s “Fishing and Hunting” page under the link “Cape Lookout – Dec 2004”. Leah, Julie Sandor, Annie and I spent that day in New Bern, NC. We visited New Bern’s historic downtown. There are some cute shops that we meandered through. The next day we had a yummy lunch eating grilled striped bass that the boys caught. We hope Tiger and Leah had as much fun as we did. We wish to see them again soon!

We hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday. We were glad to get updates on so many family and friends from their Christmas cards. Thanks for thinking of us.

11 DECEMBER 2004

Life is back to normal around here. Well, as much as it can be with a 31-week pregnant woman, a 15-month-old who throws numerous temper tantrums throughout the day, and a man who insists on wearing an ascot to the dental command’s Christmas party.

Speaking of the Christmas party, it took place last night, and, yes, Mike did wear his ascot. Many of you may be familiar with it from his dental school graduation. He has apparently found an excellent hiding place for it so that it won’t “accidentally” get thrown away. Anyway, we enjoyed ourselves despite my aching feet and back and constant feeling of fullness. There was a white elephant gift exchange at the end of the night that turned out to be pretty fun. There was almost a catfight over a wreath (evidently, to some people, the only decent gift in the bunch). The rules made it so that each gift could only have 3 owners. The 3rd owner of the wreath made sure to get her wreath back from the almost 4th owner, but the 4th owner wasn’t willing to give it back. Rather funny! Then Mike ended up with a nice, fleece blanket that was highly coveted and stolen from him. But Mike prevailed and was able to regain access of the blanket on its 3rd ownership status. (As if we need another blanket.)

Mike and I have been working on more projects this week. He still has to finish the 2nd dresser and china cabinet, and I’ve been working on the Roman shades for the living room. The shades are completed; they just need to be hung. I will post pictures of all the new projects once they are finished.

Urgh! Why am I such a stain magnet? I just spilled hot cocoa down the front of my shirt. This is 2nd catastrophic spill on this shirt. Last week I was out to lunch at O’Charley’s with a friend. I went to smell a mysterious red sauce to determine whether it was marinara or salsa. I’m sure many can guess what happened next. The whole dang container tips over onto my shirt. Let me tell you, red does not blend in with light turquoise. What made it worse was that I had to go grocery shopping afterward with no time to go home to change. Mike often teases me for my spill-curse. Yes, it is a curse and not clumsiness!

Annie is coming along quite well. She is trying out new words all the time and has become quite the efficient fugitive. She now knows when she has something she’s not supposed to. When she realizes she’s been caught, she will take off running away from me either giggling or screaming depending on how much she wants to keep the item. Her new area of interest is the lazy Susan with all the baking supplies in it. Mike insisted that we didn’t need to put a cabinet latch on the lazy Susan door. So now I am constantly trying to figure out how to keep her out of there until Mike puts a latch on it. I’ve added a “16th Month” album to Annie’s “Baby” page. Have a look-see!

01 DECEMBER 2004

We are finally home from MN. It seemed like we were gone forever. I always get so nervous being away from home for such a long time. But we did still enjoy ourselves immensely. There was a lot of time spent with family and friends. We left November 10th and drove (yes, we drove the full 22 hours) to Asheville, NC. Then we woke up the next morning and drove to my parents in Terre Haute, IN to spend the night. Our final trek was all the way to MN. Annie was pretty stressed on the first two days, but finally accepted her fate on the third day and on the way home.

Annie did need some time to get to know everyone. She is going through the stage where she really only likes ME and sometimes Mike. However, she eventually warmed up to her many (new to her) relatives. By the end of the vacation, she was so used to other people that she stopped caring about where I was all the time (sniff).

We arrived safely home on November 27th. Annie did excellent on the way home. As much as I love spending time in MN, I was grateful to be in my own home. I was also relieved to come home to warmer weather. You can view pictures from our trip on our “Memories” page under the link “Thanksgiving ’04”. Some may also notice a new link on the left side of the page labeled “Fishing/Hunting”. I finally gave in to Mike’s demands of having a page for his hobby adventures. So far there are only pictures from Mike’s most recent hunting escapade in South Dakota, but I will be adding more albums from his past and future trips. Those interested can certainly visit.

Now the next visit is on our turf. My parents are coming to town on December 19th and staying until December 26th. They aren’t actually staying at our house. They are going to rent a beach house on Emerald Isle (a half hour from here). I don’t blame them for not wanting to sleep on our luxurious double bed in the guest bedroom. Instead the Smiths (Travis, Jen, Morgie, Roz, and Maddie) will be staying at our house. They plan to come around Christmas Eve and spend a week. I’m very excited for family to finally see our new house.

This week I have been unpacking, cleaning, and doing some much needed organization. We kind of just stuck all our junk into 3 spaces – the master closet, Annie’s future bedroom (she’s currently sleeping in the baby room), and the attic. Mike and I decided that this was the week to sort out these messes. I honestly think we would have enough stuff to have a garage sale. But what a hassle! I anticipate also working on the Roman shades for the living and dining rooms by this weekend. I feel so exposed to our neighbors when I’m watching t.v. at night.

I hope everyone that we haven’t seen had a nice Thanksgiving. We sure did, I have 5 extra pounds to prove it! Have a great week.

31 OCTOBER 2004

The pregnancy is starting to really take its toll on my body the last few weeks. Sleepless nights, clothes that won’t fit anymore (clothes that I wore longer with Annie’s pregnancy), being uncomfortable constantly, not being able to bend down to pick things up as easily (including Annie). Those are just a few of great things I’ve been going through. It’s wonderful and only three and a half months to go! We still have so many projects to do around the house, but I’m losing more energy and momentum each day. HELP!

I finished Annie’s fairy costume last night in time for “Trunk-or-Treat” at church last night. She was not fond of wearing all the items included, but we still got a few good pictures. The church had carnival-type games before the actual trunk-or-treating began. We never made it to the latter because Annie was just too much to keep up with throughout the crowd of carnival-goers. We plan to take her trick-or-treating to a few houses in the neighborhood tonight. Mike and I just mostly want to get a candy stash for ourselves. However, I’m sure Annie will still enjoy herself without getting to taste the outcome. There are more pictures of Annie in her fairy costume on her “15th Month” album. Check it out!

Annie decided to climb out of her crib for the first time this morning. I kept hearing her door banging through Annie’s squeals and thought, “what is that?” So I finally went to see what was going on. Sure enough, she had made her way out of the crib, destroyed every wipe in the wipes box, pulled most of her diapers out of her diaper-stacker, and was blocking the door so I couldn’t get into the room. Fortunately, Annie did not injure herself on her trip to the floor. I told Mike that he is going to have to lower the mattress in the crib to the lowest setting TODAY!

This week is probably going to be fairly busy since we will be leaving next week for MN. I want to make sure to leave the house spotless so that we can come home to a fresh, clean house. I’m not looking forward to our drive to MN since Annie is almost impossible in the car beyond a half hour (see our trip notes from Nashville, TN). I’m praying for no vomit this time. Our plan is to drive to my parents house in Terre Haute, IN to stay the night and break the drive up in half. Then venture the rest of the way to MN. We’ll do the same on the trip home. We really look forward to seeing everyone once we’re there.

Oh, and Mike also wanted me to mention the purchase of his new boat. He insisted that I post a picture of it. I don’t know much about it other than it’s green, ugly, and not my idea of a boat that I would like to relax in. He got to try it out for the first time yesterday with a friend from from work, Scribble. I don’t think they caught anything worthwhile, but the boat has been officially christened. I’m sure all of Mike’s buddies understand the appeal to such a beast.

9 OCTOBER 2004

Annie are I both sick this week (thanks, Mike!). I think Annie is handling it better than me. She wants to continue her usual schedule of exploring and constantly walking around. I want to curl up and sleep until this bug passes. Annie wins out. However, Annie has been fired as my alarm clock. She has been consistently waking up between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. since we’ve moved here. So I expected more of the same when I needed to get up by 7:00 am today and yesterday. Well, yesterday Annie didn’t wake up until 9:00 a.m. Then this morning I finally woke myself up at 8:00 a.m., and Annie didn’t stir until 8:45 a.m. I decided not to rush myself trying to go to my scrapbooking meeting today. From now on I will set my digital alarm when I need to rise early. I’m sure on the mornings I would like to sleep in Annie will keep to her previous routine. Murphy’s Law! Also check out Annie’s adventures in highlighting this morning (see above).

Mike, Annie, and I had the pleasure of visiting our friends Ryan, Shannon, and Graham Arnold in Nashville, TN on Columbus Day weekend. Mike got a 4-day weekend, so we decided to drive the 10 hours to see them. The drive itself was not that enjoyable since Annie screamed much of the trip to Nashville and vomited profusely on the trip home. Though we were very impressed with how nice Nashville is and all there is to do. Ryan took Mike to a shooting club which has been described as a “golf course for shooters”. They not only went once but twice. Shannon, the kids, and I went shopping around town. I bought a ladder! We hope that they will have the chance to come visit us here in NC. Check out the “Memories” page for our pictures from our trip labeled “Nashville, TN“.

Last week Annie and I went to Mike’s Farm (not affiliated with Mike Hawley whatsoever). Our neighborhood playgroup organized a trip there together. Annie went on her 1st hayride and also got to pick out her very own pumpkin. She seemed to enjoy herself. Once the festivities died down and we had lunch, Annie seemed more interested in pushing around her own stroller rather than playing with the other children or noticing what a great autumn day it turned out to be. All in all though, we had a fun time. I have also made an album on the “Memories” page called “Pumpkin Time ’04“.

The house is coming along. I’ve finished the Roman shades for our kitchen, master bedroom, and Annie’s room. It’s seems the projects will never end. We still have to make the Roman shades for the living and dining rooms, paint the dining room and the rest of the kitchen, decorate Annie’s and the baby’s rooms, and so on. But we are making progress. There are a few things that must get be completed before Mike takes off in February such as making a twin bed for Annie. He is going to make something similar to this bed or this bed at Maine Cottage. I love all their stuff but could never afford to buy any of their furniture. So we are doing the next best thing and making our own. We’ll see how it turns out. Please visit “Our House” page for the lastest updates on what it looks like on the “Finally Lived In” album.

I’ve also added a “14th Month” album to the “Baby” page to showcase all the pictures taken during this month. Enjoy!

28 SEPTEMBER 2004

We made it! (The picture at the right is Lucy traveling with her dad in his truck on our final trek to NC. She annoyed Mike by sitting in front of the airvent sniffing the air the entire 6 hours.) The house is now officially ours and being lived in by us. It only took a week of living in a one room hotel room with 2 adults, 1 baby, 1 dog, and 1 cat and another week of living in a 2 bedroom duplex. There were a couple of days when I thought I was going to have a kickboxing match with the builder’s “manager”, but everything eventually worked out. The house actually exceeded our expectations of beauty and quality. The movers delivered our goods mostly undamaged, and now we are finally settled in. I will soon post pictures of what the house looks like with all our junk in it.

Annie made a full recovery from her disease. The rash went away in about a week, and it really didn’t bother her during the healing process. She seems to be truly happy in her new surroundings. We joined a playgroup on base that meets once a week in a big gym with lots of toys. She keeps herself very busy exploring all the offerings. She rarely wants to sit still during story/snack time and then song time, but what can you expect from a 13th month old? I can’t believe she’s already 13th months old especially since the last post was her 1st birthday. Time is flying by!

Mike has been given the official word that he will deploy to Iraq in February or March. We pretty much knew this was going to happen for quite some time, but now it’s official. I really hope that the deployment date is closer to March so that he can be here for the birth of baby #2. I guess we’ll just have to pray and wait and see what happens.

Speaking of baby #2, no, we do not know the sex yet. I have an ultrasound scheduled in mid-October. I will definitely be anticipating the gender. If we find out, we will let people know individually.

Settling into Jacksonville, NC life hasn’t been too bad so far. I joined a couple of wives’ groups for the chance to meet new people. I’ve already been to a stamp club and a luncheon. There is a nice daycare for officers’ families that Annie has enjoyed attending while I go to my events. However, we did both end up with a 24-hour stomach bug right after Annie’s first time (I’m not blaming anyone). We are finding that JAX is quite a bit different than Beaufort. There aren’t as many nasty critters lurking in every corner. Although we did see a fairly large spider at a garden center (see picture). Mike called it a wasp spider (who knows if that’s correct). The military life is much more evident here than at PI. Thousands of young, hot-headed marines drive like maniacs in there souped-up machines and have no mercy on a slow-poke like me.

Well, I think I’ve caught everyone up on what is going on here. There are new pictures of Annie on her 13th month album. I may be making some changes to her albums as it seems silly to continue counting her months now that she is a year-old. We’ll see!

23 AUGUST 2004

Wish Annabelle a happy birthday today. She is officially 1!! However, it was not such a great birthday for her since she woke up with a rash covering her little body (see picture collage at right). Doctor said she has Fifth Disease. Nothing serious for her, just have to wait it out (7-10 days). I guess there is some risk for me since I’m pregnant. Contracting it while in my state could cause the baby to develop anemia. I had to take a blood test, but I won’t get the results for a couple of weeks. I’ve decided not worry until I get results.

This website will be on hiatus for a few weeks as we are starting our grand move on Wednesday. I have no idea if we will actually get to close on our “scheduled” date of August 30th. We’re just keeping our fingers crossed. So if you don’t hear from us in awhile, just know that we are safe and happy!

18 AUGUST 2004

It’s the final few days before we will supposedly move into our house. I’m starting (or continuing) to be skeptical that we will ever live in that house. As many already know, Mike is in NC and I’m here in SC. It’s getting really lonely with just Annie to chat with and Lucy continually testing my sanity. The most recent pictures of the house (taken today) are on “Our House” page under “The Final Stages“.

Annie is now getting her 4th tooth. The picture at the left is actually before she started getting her 3rd and 4th teeth (babies won’t sit still when you want them to). She has been a real pill the last few days, and I’m hoping it’s because of her teething. She ran a high fever on Saturday and Sunday, but now it’s just her moodiness that is pushing me to the edge. She wants me to hold her all day or she will scream . I love holding my little Annie, but my scrawny arms get tired. I dread her reaction to baby #2 in February especially with Mike’s impending leave. She is already showing signs of being spoiled. She just through a tantrum not less than an hour ago kicking and screaming on the floor. Where do they learn to do that kind of stuff–After the Womb 101? Can an 11-month be disciplined? Sometimes when I tell her “no” she just laughs at me. We’re not off to a good start. I guess I’ll just keep working on her. Check out the additional pictures I added on her “12th Month” album.

03 AUGUST 2004

Not much to report other than Annie, Lucy, Lily, and I are having a girls’ month for August. Mike is now up in NC working. He will, however, come “home” for the weekends. Our house in NC is coming along and is expected to be completed on August 27th. Keep your fingers crossed for us. You can see recent pictures on the “Our House” under the link “Sheet Rock Stage – Week 1“. They have been siding the outside and sheetrocking the inside. Now that Mike is in NC, he is inspecting the progress daily. As of today, they have completed the sheet rock installation and the siding. So now it seems there are just the little details to work on.

Annie is now officially a walker. She finds it to be much more effiecient than crawling. Two teeth have also popped up in her little mouth. They are not completely grown in yet, but you can feel and see them. My baby isn’t really a baby anymore. (I’m frowning.) She has also taken to climbing onto objects in order to get at objects out of her reach. Yesterday while I was loading the dishwasher, I turned my back to her and the dishwasher for a few seconds. I looked back to find Annie standing on the dishwasher door reaching up on the countertop. She is so sneaky and curious. Check out her “12th Month” album on the “Baby” page.