Updates on The Webbers!

Where on earth did time go. The last time I updated this was for Aid's birthday which was roughly a month and a half ago. (Ill have a 14 month old around Christmas time, I dont know which one is harder to believe?)

Patrick

• December 2nd- Patrick took oath & made it official that he will be spending another 4 years in the Marine Corps :) Which has come to mean we will be spending another 2 years in Hawaii (not what we were hoping for, but the good Lord won't let us down!) & then he can hopefully PCS to the east coast!

Personally it's very bittersweet..for me anyway. I really miss my family, Kendall & Noah mostly..simply because I can't directly call them.

Kelsey (yep, thats 3rd person right there)

• I applied part time to the CDC on base, prayers I hear back about that soon..I would LOVE this job!
• Im meeting with a counsoler next week to see what I can do to get my degree back on track!
• Thats about it.
• Im lame

Aiden

• full time walker
• babbles allllll the time
• Cutting his top teeth!

thats it for now. I need to shower before crazy kid wakes up!

Aiden Patrick's 1st year update.

Aiden's 1 year check up : 24.5 lbs, 31 inches long.

(She doubled checked the paper to make sure it definately was 1)

Watch me grow.

Aiden's favorites:                                                         

• pulling bowls out of the cabinets
• pulling all the toliet paper of the roll
• Cheese
• Swimming
• bathtime
• getting chased by mommy and daddy

To do list:

• Take first steps
• Climb stairs
• Eat table foods
• Cut 2 bottom teeth
• Take steps on his own
• Learn to kiss
• Says 100 forms of Daddy
• Walk independantly all the time
• Run

I cant believe my baby is 1.

Im going to go cry again.

Love you aid. <3

Military Man's Promise

 (I jacked this Heather's facebook...kudos!)

I cannot promise you every night of my life. I cannot promise to be beside you for every difficult moment, every trial, and every hardship. In truth..., I can promise you that I will not be with you for most. I will leave you at inconvenient times. Any special date to us may be tainted with the anniversary of the death of one of my friends. I will ask you to take over whatever life we have built together for months and years at a time. And will then crash back into that life that you have used your sweat, your tears and your heartache to keep together, and try to take it back as I knew it before.

I will shut you out at times because it will be the best way for me to hold it together at that moment. I will lie to you. I will tell you I don't know things when I do. I will not always tell you where I am going, when I will be back, or who I am with. I may not call you for weeks and months and you will not be able to call me. You will ask questions that I won't answer. You will know answers to questions that you will hope you never need. I will share things with my brothers that you will never understand. They will know things about me that you never will. They will be a support to me in some things that you cannot be. I will miss birthdays. I will miss anniversaries. I may need time to process things that seem natural to everyone else. It will seem that someone - or something - will always take precedence over you. You may lose me long before you ever thought possible.

I will uproot you and ask you to re-establish our family anywhere in the world, in any season, at any time - over and over again. Sand and mud will be tracked through your halls from the boots I am too tired to take off. I will leave you when you beg me not to. I will stand at attention while you cry beside me. I will not turn my head and I will walk away. I will knowingly break your heart. And I will do it again - and again. Whenever you want to call and you have no number to dial, I will be wanting to do the same. I will protect everything that we have created together with every fiber of my being while you do the same back at home. I will honor you in everything - every moment that we are apart and every moment that I am with you. I will fight harder and push further knowing that I do so for you. And I will carry you with me in everything, until my sandy boots once again sit just inside our door.

The D word.

Yep. It's that time again...Deployment work up. wooohooo.

Insert kicking screaming overly dramatic fit here.

As for timing, it looks like we have about 7 or so months (ish) until D day.


But then there is PTA, CAX..field ops..

Ok, this is going to be a short post - because right now I can't talk/type/whatever without getting a knot in my throat.

Basically, I know it's going to be okay - I know that the Lord will carry us both just like he always has and always will... but I'm simply just NOT ready to think about it.

Aiden update, 10 Months!

this whole thing started so Pat could keep taps on Aiden while away... and Im updating so our family and friends back home can do the same :) but I've totally been lagging - So here's an Aiden update!

10 months old

Handsome little stinker.

Aiden Patrick - 22 lbs and 29 Inches long. 

Current list of activities:                                           Things we can check off the "to do" list:

Crawling                                                                         1. Say Mama

Saying Dada every 5 seconds                                          2. Cut his firth tooth

Crawling up stairs when he gets the chance                      3. Wave

Playing in the toliet when we leave the door open             4. Transition from bottle to sippys

Pushing his push walker

Walking along furniture

Pulling up

He is SUCH a ham, and I love him more and more each day and it's hard to believe that Im planning his first birthday, I really don't know where the last year went, Im so thankful Patrick is home again - but sometimes I wish Aiden was still my sweet little baby that would fall asleep in my arms - and now he refuses to snuggle with me (he is a total daddys boy)

He LOVES food. He "smile crys" as pat puts it, if you have food near him even if he has already eaten, it cracks me up.

He is off bottles before one! He loves his sippy cup (thankfully) now to get him off the binky (totally not looking forward to that one)

thats all for now!,

  -Kels.

Summer sum up.

My bad.

Pat came home, I got busy.. Aiden started crawling and eating things he wasn't supposed to...aaaand apparently that's all I needed to neglect my blog, whoops.

I'll sum up our summer...

May - Pat came home (yay!) Pat went on duty (boo!) Pat went on duty again..and again..and again..

June - Aiden turned 8 months old, Pat had more duty..and we went home on leave! :)

July-  We were home for most of July (yay!) We were home for a couple of weeks and it was really nice to see family and friends... I wish I could have packed my niece and nephew in a box and brought them home...thats the biggest thing I hate about being so far away... my friends and family know us, and are able to pick up phones...Im scared Noah and Kendall aren't going to remember us, mainly Kendall.. (me specifically, im being selfish) and I love those little boogers.

Arin got married :) I was so honored to be with her on her big day :) she looked gorgeous as always, and I think I cried every 4 minutes because I'm emotional. and I had the chance to "attend something" with my husband (rare)
    side note: We left hawaii on June 30th, got to Virginia on July 1st and Arin's wedding was July 2nd.... aaand they lost my luggage...we brought 2 suitcases, 1 seabag a carseat and stroller halfway across the world and they lose the 1 piece of luggage that had my bridesmaid dress (awesome) soo I totally freaked out in the airport (obviously) and thankfully Patrick was there to calm me down. (props to Sarah for offering to drive to woodbride to get my another dress...thats 4 hours away) THANKFULLY, I got my suitcase at 10pm that night and her wedding was 11 am the next morning, whew.
 
The Tollesons came to salem! :) Which is always a good time...Patrick and Josh hadn't seen eachother in over a year and change...and these two are hilarious together, hence the... "always a good time" and I got to see Jamie, which wasn't too shabby either (love you!) Sarah and Damon pulled their camper down and parked it infront of my house...it was a true Griswold moment.

Basically we had alot of fun being home., Aiden and Kendall were like peas in a pod and they were always together, and Noah is getting so big :( Im sad I'm missing him grow up. Kenn too. BUT, Im excited about where God has led us.

aaaand we left home July 23rd. (sorry for leaving on your bday Rach!) Or actually we didn't. Because, they put us on the plane and let us buckle our seatbelts JUST to take us off again, and make us wait in the airport with a cranky baby to tell us our flight was no longer delayed, but canceled.
-SO, we waited 3 hours in line to find out we can't get out of Roanoke on the 23rd but they had a flight to Atlanta  in the morning.....I about had my 2nd Roanoke airport meltdown because A.) Flying for 8 hours straight with a wiggly baby isn't peachy. B.) Pat and I wouldn't be sitting together for those 8 hours.

Fastforward : It all worked out, we got economy plus seats and sat together all the way home.

God does things we don't understand....but it's better to trust him than to burst out in tears in the middle of the airport. (I looked like I was 5, Patrick literally MADE me go take a nap when we got home haha)

August - I turned 23! woooo :)

Arin and Steph in true form.

My baby girl Kennie, she hates this... I think its why I do it :)

They were glued at the hip.

S.Sloppy.

My little family.

the end. 

100% down, Zero to go - Homecoming.

Homecoming Day Timeline :

Midnight ("night before") - tossing and turning

1 a.m : More tossing, no sleeping

3 a.m : A little bit of facebooking, no sleeping, some texting

4 a.m : Called my Grandma to chat

Last time I looked at the clock it was around 5 in the morning.... Sleep - EPIC FAIL, But good thing I stayed up that late... I called the deployment hotline and homecoming had been postponed from 8 a.m until 11 a.m, and I was a little thankful because I didn't have to rush as much :)

Aiden got up about an hour after I fell asleep of course so we just hung out and made sure the house was clean and everything was in its place, once I got a shower I realized oh wow, this IS happening today. Heather came over after she dropped Ashlyn off for school to make sure I was still breathing haha, (I thank the Lord for her help the past couple of weeks, from driving me to timbuktoo to helping me hang curtains, pictures and homecoming signs. *Thanks heather!!* )

Mandie met Aiden and I at the house around 9 a.m and watched me fret over my dress, jewelry and everything else, I refused to get Aid dressed until we were leaving... I was terrified he would spit up all over his cute little patriotic outfit :) (which he did, multiple times.. oh, and he included my dress as well) Mandie was also wonderful, she kept me calm the entire day, and I don't think she would've judged me if I wouldve thrown up everywhere (once agian, got close... multiple times)

We got our cars and made our way to the Hanger where they would be landing... I cried on the way there.. KNOWING I would get to see Patrick was really overwhelming, it finaaaally fully hit me that he was coming home.  Home, our home. whew.

They had pizza for the families and a bouncy house for the children and music, it was a really good atmosphere for homecoming, but, in true Marine Corps fashion-homecoming got postponed, again. SEMPER GUMBY. They crowded everyone together to tell us that the guys plane was having issues, and they were going to bus them in from Hickam airforce base, and it would be another 2 hours. 2 hours, are you serious? I refused to be defeated though... I was getting my honey back :) Mandie stayed with Aiden in the hanger and I ran home to get him more food-Good thing I live on base, bc I live like 4 minutes from the hangers haha

Fastforward - Someone said the buses were 10 minutes away!!!! aaaand 20 minutes go by...no buses.
- 1 of the 4 buses got lost, and they were waiting for it (yes, patrick was on this bus..go figure haha)

Once the bus was finally located, they all drove around the hangers and everyone went nuts, these 2 little girls were screaming "DADDYS ON THE BUS!!" and It was giving me goose bumps, because it was real... he was home, I would be in his arms in less than a couple of minutes.... I had SO many emotions.

They were coming off the buses and walking under and archway single file - and I kept asking Mandie if she could find him (her husband is stationed here too, but she went to HS with Pat) and Finally I was like, "Aiden look its daddy!!" Pat totally didn't see us at first, but once he hugged me, the last 6 months were gone in that second. It was almost as if he never left, I was kissing and hugging my husband, Did I cry? No - I couldn't stop smiling... He was home, I had him back.... and Aiden finally got his Daddy.

I've heard women say that seeing their husbands hold their babies after theyre born, makes them fall in love with them all over again....I can say that this is true, but seeing your son squeal and kick at the sight of his Daddy after 6 months.... I honestly don't have words for how I feel. It's been a week and I'm still getting butterflies watching my two guys together.

The Lord has truely blessed my life, and knowing that he loves Patrick and Aiden more than I do, it just makes everything alright.

To sum up the rest of the day, we tried to pick pat up at the armory, (that didn't work haha) went and hung out at the barracks, and then brought him HOME. Finally, he was home.

That is all. :)

SPECIAL THANKS TO MANDIE OF PEACE.LOVE.FOCUS.PHOTOGRAPHY!

Pre-homecoming jitters.

My mind is a bit everywhere right now.

I guess that happens when it FINALLY hits you that you'll be getting your husband back any day now...I really feel like I could throw up any second. Gross.

My mind has been so enveloped in moving,aiden,working,setting up the house,worries & life to stop and think about much. Honestly, I like it that way...when I have too much time on my hands my mind just runs, and then it gets to where I can't sleep and believe me, the world isn't a better place when I dont sleep ;) haha.

Its 10:30 at night in hawaii right now,  and since about 7ish this is what I have accomplished:

• Swept & mopped the floors
•  cleaned my counter tops
• Swept and moped the floors (not a typo, I did this twice)
• wiped down the insides of the cabinets
• did 2 loads of laundry
• Sterlized a bunch of aidens toys, and ruined a couple in the process
• Cleaned the downstairs bathroom
• picked up his toys
• rearranged the junk drawer
• put a picture in a frame
• Took the picture out, switched it....then proceeded to put the 1st one back

I am a nervous wreck, can ya tell?

It might seem silly, and you may be thinking...your getting your husband back! Why aren't you more excited?? HECK YES - I AM EXCITED....but there is more than just excitment; I would be lying if I didn't say I had those "pre homecoming jitters" and had those lingering questions in my head. The "Will he still think im pretty?" "Will he like what I did with the house?" " Does he still love me the way he did when he left?"

Realistically - the answer to all of those is Yes.

But, I'm a girl. (Stating the obvious)

I know how Pat feels about me, and I know he loves me, of course. I can't explain it...it runs through your head anyway. I guess it just comes with the territory

 

So without completely throwing OPSEC out the window...I can  hang out with him this weekend... I can text him, I can finally wake up beside him.

I thank the good LORD ABOVE for all of those things.

Pat,

See ya at homecoming ;)

I Love you, this you know.

Kels xoxo

2,792 & "Fair weather fans"

There are 2 discussions in the post....

 & Im getting on my soapbox. Apologies.

1. I don't understand why anyone would ever make a joke about September 11th, 2001.

 2,792 people died that day.

People all around the world, people just like each and every person who is taking the time to read this, lost someone important to them. Brothers, Fathers, Sons, Wives, Daughters? Someone's best friend is no longer alive because of that awful day. It is a date that will be burned into our minds for eternity.

I just wish people would have a little more respect for THOSE people.

The death of Osama bin Laden was enough to bring back the flood of emotions and tears that many of those people will never let go of, they don't need you to say awful things about that day, or to make a joke, or even a play on words about that situation?

Can you imagine your husband,the person you love more than anything in this world....calling you before his death? Calling you to telll you the plane he was on had been hijacked...and he wanted to hear your voice one last time....? and those people may be the lucky ones....because they got one last I love you from the family and friends that mean the most to them.

What about the 10 year old little girl who lost her daddy that day? Would you taunt her with a joke about how her father died?

Call me crazy, or dramatic.... but it really bothers me when others intentionally cause others pain. Stop & think about what your saying, or put yourself in their shoes.... how hard is that? Im not perfect and I dont claim to be, I know ive hurt others-and I've said things I should.... but to flat out be that disrespectful is beyond me.

no.. you may not know anyone who lost a loved one that day, but look at the reprecusions from 9/11,

"U.S Casualties in Afghan soar toward 15,000 dead and injured."

I don't care if you support the war or not, but look at the people THAT DAY has affected. Besides those who lost family members on September 11th, many other people have lost loved ones in the 10 years we have been fighting this war.... have.some.respect.

You don't know who is around when your saying it, or you may not realize the impact it has when you post it. It boils down to something I learned when I was tiny, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" You can bet your butt I will teach Aiden this saying.

2. On tuesday it was announced Osama bin laden was dead. My newsfeed was blowing up with :

"Heck yes military" 

 "Way to get em troops"

"So proud of our troops"

But, I have seen some of those same people bash them? and say horrid things about how we don't need to be over there... and even go as far as to chuckle at the Westboro baptist members? (thats a whole different discussion) So, why now? Why be a "fair weather fan" to the military....because our country is responsible for his death...yea, so what? Where is that patriotism and support for them EVERY OTHER DAY? The day he was killed wasn't the only day in the last 10 years that these brave men and woman have been risking/losing their lives - looking for this man so that the US can stay safe. Just as a heads up.

<3

Updates Updates & Updates!

We are officially in hawaii!

this was a HUGE step in ending this deployment.. thank the good Lord!

Aiden and I arrived April 18th and Heather Villareal picked us up from the airport....did I mentioned she lea'ed me? ;)  She was kind enough to open her home to until our house was ready on the 21st, (we ended up getting the keys the 20th) and my car wasn't supposed to be here until April 28th and it got here the 19th! (Early works for me!)

Ill go ahead and some up the 16 hour journey in 10 points :

1. Yes, when on a military PCS flight you are allowed 3 suitcases that are each 70 lbs and I somehow managed to overpack.
2. Aiden thinks its funny to poop all up his back 2 hours into our 2nd flight.
3. He ended up riding in his jacket and a diaper.
4. If you  have a cute baby, random flight attendants may steal him from you.
5. People in 1st class don't enjoy screaming babies.
6. In 1 day you can start out with 60 degree weather, stop and see snow, then end in mass humidity
7. Make sure you read car rental policies btwn the lines before making a reservation
8. My white white baby doesn't adapt well to the heat
9. Starbucks is amazing, wherever in the world you are
10. When being awake for 30 some hours plus, you tend to get a little delerious

The movers got here on the 21st and started to fill my house with our HHG :) I was SO excited for this, for obvious reasons haha. They banged up/lost some stuff...and Im still pretty annoyed with this... I had to go and buy a new crib for bug because the hardware to his went MIA, and our bedroom furniture is scratched to pieces. Yay for TMO claims! haha :)

I have been SO busy since we got here and moved in, trying to set up/organize the house and get everything in its place. I really wanted Patrick to be able to come home and just relax... and not worry about painting this, or hanging that...or moving a bunch of stuff.... so instead, fellow Marine wife Heather and I have pretty much tackled my house haha (thanks to Mandie for her help as well!) Between watching best buy employees slam the trunk on my new tv, twining her trunk closed because the entertainment center wouldn’t fit and busting out her power tools… we’ve been on a role, oh-and putting the crib together….that was SO much fun. (sarcasm noted) so Big thanks to her!

Also-we’ve been doing multiple walks a day… and I’ve been alternating 30 day shred and p90 the last couple of days, Im down to 132! Whoop whoop!

Today is May 2 which means we are RIGHT at 95% done with this deployment, HECK YES.

"May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other” 

Genesis 31:49

Pat,

Come on home, we're waiting on ya babe.

I love you more than words can say,

Kels.

Friends across the states

God has been so good to let me have the friendships that I do <3

 Miss Lorrie came down from PA to see me before I left and to meet my right hand man, Aiden :) I think i've said this before.. but the marine corps might frustrate me but I have formed some great, lasting friendships from it.

Lorrie made the 5 hour drive on Friday and stayed until Sunday afternoon, it was so nice to see her pretty face! She seems to be handling this deployment really well! Especially for being pregnant...(My pregnant emotions weren't too bad..my post partum hormones were crazy though, of course Pat would deploy during those haha) But her honey will be home for the babies birth which is GREAT! Im so glad Pat was there for Aiden's birth... ok, thats another story.. Anyhoo-We had a great weekend :)

We bombarded Sarah's salon on friday so I could get my hair did (props to Lorrie for driving 40 minutes with me after just getting out of the car, did I mention she didn't stop? crazy girl.) and we ended up just going to my house and crashing after dinner with the MIL. We got a call on friday night from Miss Jamie (see welcome home 1/8 for background) and her and Josh had decided to come up to Salem for a spure of the moment trip, I think Josh had a 96 and they hadn't met Aiden either so we said heck yes (we actually tried to get them to leave that night haha) :)

Saturday rolled around we made the trip to bubble cake, which if you don't know what that is -its delish. Its a tiny little bakery in downtown beside a 7-11, and it has this huge glass case with all these yummy flavored cupcakes... Basically a preggos dream-so I had to take her haha, they are a little hard to eat because they tend to be really rich, but hey...the richer the better I say! ;) Jamie and Josh got to Salem around 3 or 4 and they got to meet baby webber. It melted my heart to see Josh with him, and it made it ache all at the same time... I really miss my husband, Sigh.

Sooo we decided not to tell Sarah they were coming, oops. she FLIPPPPPPED out. I think she jumped 30 feet off the ground when jamie and josh came around the corner, it was priceless and SO worth the secret keeping! :)

To sum up the weekend : Painkillers, friends, laughing, crying, maternity shoots, assistants, walmart trips.

Weekend? Win.

Uncle Josh & Aidy bug

Prom pose

Kisses from Jamie! :)

Patrick,

I really wish you could be here right now, everything reminds me of you. Especially being around your close friends...it makes me feel closer to you and I can't wait to see ya again. Josh loved Aiden, of course Lorrie and Jamie did too. We make beautiful babies, just sayin.

I love you to the moon and back,

 Kelsey

My TOP TEN for the evening.

Pat and I used to send eachother "top tens" of our days/week when he was last deployed, so I think ill start doing it on my blog.

Here goes nothing :)

1.I am ready to move, the sooner I do..the sooner I see my husband!
2.Aiden is getting so big so fast, and its making me realize how quick life passes.
3.I miss my sister and niece/nephew SO much. SO much...
4.I am blessed, and I need to thank the Lord more often..just thank him for life, for every breath im allowed to take.
5.My school situation is a mess, and it physically hurts to think about how close I am/was to graduating.
6.Our first anniversary as a married couple is coming up! (wooo)
7.Patrick and I have never spent my birthday together, I reaaaally hope it changes this year
8.Deployments are hard, but theyve given me an idependence and strength that I've never known. (See # 4)
9.Its april, holy cow... I just had a baby like yesterday?
10.I am exhausted, and curious if Pat would care if I spent 50 bucks on a massage...? Nah. ;)

Ok, So theres that. :)

Pat,
 3 words - I love you.
 xoxo, Kels.

Welcome home 1/8! Job well done!

Background : Patrick used to be stationed in Norfolk,VA with 1f1, and with it being pretty close to home (pretty close as in 5 driving hours and not as in 4 plane trips) he would come home a decent amount, and 9x out of 10, he would bring a buddy (or 5) with him. After a while I know longer thought of some of these guys as his friends, but as my own. I mean, he lives with him...answers his phone, I see them on trips and see them when he comes home, needless to say I got to know some of them haha. Josh tolleson (at the time) had a pretty red headed girlfriend named Jamie (and im not sure we could be more opposite) but we meshed SO fast and we've stuck together ever since.

Their is something about the connection btwn Marine wives. Its instant.

Saturday: I went to Lauren's bridal shower in lynchburg with Rachel and Aiden to start my day off. It was nice to see Lauren and meet some of her friends from school, she ended up with some pretty fun stuff :) I took Aiden home -gulp- with my mom and left him for the next 2 nights, I had a twinge of mommy freak out and guilt, but I really think it did some good, (I thought I maybe could sleep, ha!)

Sarah and I drove the 5 ish hours to Jacksonville, NC (btw, we can own some Adele) and finally made it at like 10 or so that night. booooy what a car ride, we really know how to make a roadtrip count. Adele, ducks and fake eyelashes. we rock.

-Keep in mind, we love jamie, she is one of our own and we hadn't seem her in like a year, (ok, so we saw her for like 24 hours right before Josh deployed, that was in August I think) but whatever, she lived in Texas... so we never saw eachother.

We pretty much ambushed her when we went through the door, and can I just say that I almost ended up doing this to her neighbor? (whoops)

We had a dance party to pass the time & sang journey and aerosmith to celebrate Josh coming home. Im not sure it had really hit her that her husband was coming home the next day....besides the wine, she was WAY too calm. ;)

Sunday: We once again ambushed Jamie and woke her up with by jumping in bed with her (I dont think anyone besides me went to bed before 4 am) and yes we got this on video :)

We took our time getting ready until I decided to call the deployment hotline and realized that they were telling the bravo families that they should be there an hour earlier, sooooo it got chaotic from there and didn't stop until we brought her honey back home!

-We piled into cars and stood in the freezing cold "get your temp. base pass" line that was 5678 people long, Seriously - it was freezing and I had on open toe shoes... I thought I was going to get frostbite. I felt terrible for Jamie because she was in a strapless dress, with a peacoat non the less, but a STRAPLESS DRESS, but boooooy did she look gorgeous. Sarah kept saying she looked like she was welcoming her husband home from WW2, she pretty much did.

-Well, leave it to the USMC to tell us that they would be there in 2 minutes!!! like....24 times :) It took about 2-3 hours once we got on base to actually see any sign on return, BUT we were at homecoming so she wasn't going to leave empty handed ;)

...all of the sudden you hear the roar of buses and the uproar of a crowd and high pitched squeals of women who haven't seen their men in months. I, more than once, had to talk Jamie out of walking infront of buses, (I dont think she heard me, and if she did...she didnt care haha) It took her a couple of minutes to find him but I spotted him out of the corner of my eye, and kept saying Jamie!! She took of running (oh, she kicked of her heels in the parking lot before this so she could run haha) and jumped in his arms, the rest was a mess of tears, emotions & smiles. I was so happy they were finally together again and Josh was home safe!

Can I just say that feeling, waiting for 7 months... worrying, praying...fighting the tears, raising babies...trying to function without him....goes away in that spilt moment your in his arms again?

The LORD will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore

Pslam 121:8

Oh you know...Hurry up and wait

Jamie and Josh, after 7 months too long.

 

The girls together.

Welcome home, Josh!

Patrick,

  I am ready for you to come home, especially being at another unit's homecoming...seeing everyone in their deserts, and thinking of how much I miss you, I am really really ready for you to come home. Words can't express how much I want ya home, I stay positive just like you ask...I have the Lord to thank for that.. he carries me when I can't figure out how to carry myself anymore. Aiden is doing well, 5 months old and such a ham. He is saying Dada all the e time and it makes me smile whenever I hear it. I sent out a couple of things for you today and I hope you enjoy your goodies, I love you more than anything. xoxo

  Kels

Aiden's 4 month (at 5 months old) well check up!

What happend to the sweet, white haired newborn that we just brought home?

He got big, really big. Like.... a small toddler. Sheesh.

Birth                                     2 Months                              5 Months

 Head-12 inches                                Head-15.75                          Head-17''            

 Weight-6.8 lbs                          Weight-12.4lbs                       Weight-17lbs

Length-20 inches                       Length-22.50 inches          Length-27 Inches

 

Thats right, 17 pounds... I think he should try out for the infant football team, He might not even need shoulder pads ;)

 

We are currently in a battle with his teeth. (teething and deployment are my least favorite words right now) He went from sleeping through the night to being up 2-3x a night and it's making for a very cranky baby and a verrrrrry sleepy mommy. He gnaws on everything in site, you will rarely see him right now without his hang in his mouth, its usually he thumb he's chewing on, and the poor child keeps a bib on bc he is either soaked in drool or spit up (yay reflux!) Im WELCOMING teething tips btw. I've been using the teething tablets and using tylenol when he runs a low fever, but he has just been miserable lately, I hate it for him because I can't take away the pain :( But, he mananges to keep a smile, thats my baby :)

 

On a serious note...he is growing great and he is right on track with his development and milestones :)

 

Aiden's "To-Do" list :

Hold his head up

Roll over from back to front

Roll over from front to back

Grasp an object

Cut teeth

Laugh and babble

Crawl

Walk

See Daddy!

 

That last one is going to be a doozie ;)

 

 

Theres that thumb.

(aids first St. Pattys day!)

I had to sneak a kiss in there!

My sweet baby, he's getting too big too quick!

 

Daddy,

  I miss you and I hope you get home soon! Mommy really misses you too...she talks about you all the time and I constantly hear your voice from the books, I think my first words may be something from a nursery rhyme or maybe from the scary book because I hear them so much ;) And yes, I learned to type before i could even sit up! but We love you and can't wait to see you again!

 Love you!

   Aiden

55% down on deployment #3!

It feel so good to type that,

now if I can only type 99.9% and get a shower and get my hair did..

... I could go get my man!

Someone asked me if I watched Army wives, and there is no way I could.. not right now.. It seems like such an amazing show though, so I think once Pat is completely out of the MC Ill buy the seasons and cry and think about the past haha. Its just way too close to home at the current moment.

---but the new show, Coming home... now that one is a winner! (and that one always has a happy ending, that im okay with) I bawled my eyes out tonight watched it, texting more than one marine wife confirming how excited we were for homecoming or how proud that made us of our husbands..it really gives me a true sense of pride. No lie.

Move update :

1. ALLLLLL my belongings are gone. well, besides two suitcases full and my car. I was a nervous wreck when the movers were here, 1.because it really hit me I was moving across the world 2.The  one guy was SUCH a weenier! I don't get why he needed to be so rude, but he sure accomplished that goal.  and I ended up missing two of Patricks calls... which you may know is a HUGE deal, especially because he only gets phone acsess once every couple of weeks, I wanted to throw my phone at him, I didnt.... but ohh boy I wanted to! :)
2. My flight is booked - March 29th at 6 a.m, that date is very subject to change, d/t Aiden's health issues and the lack of TLA (temporary lodging assistance) apparentlly base housing had to freeze the waitlist for fun or something....probably just to toy with my head.
3. The latest I will be in my house is May 8th
4. Im super excited
5. My husband comes home, and our family will be whole again! :D

Aiden update :

    He is growing like a weeeeeeed. The last appt. we went to for his head, he weighed a whopping 16 lbs.

16 lbs!! Holy fat baby batman!

(he is so stinkin sweet though, and I love his  fat little legs!)

We go for his "4 month checkup" at almost 5 months? And he will get a couple more vaccines.. they weren't happy when I requested seperate vaccines last time, but oh well.. its my son, just apease me and do it, please and thank you! :)

I won't go into detail on his seizure issues and what not, I don't want to post until I know the "for sures"

He is rolling from back to belly, and belly to back! he likes to push up on his hands when he he's on his belly too! and he def. found his voice :) :) He loves to talk and babble all the time, and chew on his hands..or your hands.. or anything in his hands haha. I think he is starting to teeth, he loves pressure on his gums :)

--Uh oh Daddy, better watch out.... Our baby boy is starting to look more like his momma ;)

my chunky baby.

Honey,

  I love you! Have I told you that lately? Im so glad I finally got to talk to you this past week.. it really helps me stay strong and keep my head up when I hear your voice :) Our boy is getting so big, you can hold him upright on your hip and he stays :) He is doing great holding his head up... (still a little wobbly, but hey..  he has your big ole head so what do ya expect?)  I have a couple videos of him listening to your voice on his books.. I wanted you to see his reactions, its priceless. oh btw, his mommy misses you, he wanted ya to know that! Im gona go lay down, I miss you and I love you bunches! Aiden sends his kisses.

xoxo, love always..

    Kelsey

Laptop crashed.

Ill update when I get it back, whenever that may be!

What a military spouse knows...

 I can't take credit for this... I stole it from a fb friend.. but this hits the head on the nail.

 

What a Military Spouse Knows

As many of you know, my husband came home from our third deployment not too long ago. During the deployment, a reporter asked me to share “What I Knew” about deployments and military life. This was my answer:
As I forced my hands to unfurl from his neck, feeling the familiar sting in my nose as tears pushed against my will, the words rattled and echoed in my brain. “Not again.”
I watched him walk away–that uniform, identifiable gait—and my heart bent and splintered as the reality of a third deployment began to shower over me.
I picked up the phone, dialing the numbers my numb fingers always meander toward, and sat in silence while she tried to ease my pain. “I can’t imagine…He will be home….I’m here.”
And then she said six words that shot through my ears, penetrated my brain, and stiffened my spine: “You know how to do this.”
She was right. I do know how to do this. I intimately know the all-too familiar lump in my throat. The year of being both father and mother, making the best of a situation. I know exactly how one year feels  as I X each day off my calendar. And I know how to ensure that while our lives are on hold, we still live.
The truth is I know a lot:

• The thought of being alone for a year doesn’t bother me. The fear of being alone for a lifetime—does.

• Flat rate boxes can hold twenty whoopee cushions, four kindergarten projects, and five perfume-scented letters.

• Technology can be a double-edged sword—one side delivering his face; the other a brutal live-action feed of explosions and camouflaged body parts.

• Murphy’s Law is a constant companion. The moment he walks out the door, anything that can break, collapse, bleed, or explode–will .

• Five hours of uninterrupted sleep is a gift from the deployment gods

• Holidays are hard, but manageable.

• Deployments come and go, but sand from his boots never leaves.

• Nothing can replace a handwritten letter. Through those beautifully folded pages, he is holding my hand again.

• When the National Anthem is played, I know goosebumps will rise on my arms, and a lump will fill my throat.

• The silence in communication following a war zone attack is agonizing.

• Laughter is a powerful ally.

• Each deployment offers two options: grow or regress. This is a choice.

• Cereal is always a dinner option.

• Videos of lost teeth, ballerina recitals, and preschool graduations can be emailed to Iraq nearly instantly.

• Five powers of attorney and the intimate details of his will are needed to navigate a deployment.

• White out blizzards can actually bury a truck in five minutes.

• Rosie the Riveter was right: We can do it.

• Children cling to hope and the promise of tomorrow.

• Living in each moment together is possible when facing the fear that it could be your last.

• Welcome home kisses are sweeter than the finest chocolate.

• Anger will grip me and depression can hold me, but another military spouse will steady me.

• A six-year-old child can feel the absence of her father so deeply that she can suffer from clinical depression.

• A military spouse will often hold her/his tongue, silencing a story, for fear of sounding “unpatriotic.”

• The sound of a bugle can make my heart swell with pride or collapse in sorrow.

• Duct tape and a monkey wrench can fix nearly anything.

• Despite the protestors and those who tell me I “knew” what I was getting into, I know there are countless American citizens who will go above and beyond to show they support us.

There are many things I know.
I know how to change the brakes on my truck, rappel from the side of a cliff, shoot a double-barreled shotgun, balance a checkbook, earn my keep, and kiss a child enough to feel like two.
But there are still so many things I don’t know.

• I don’t know how to start my heart again when I see a death notification car on my street.

• When that knock echoes on the door of my neighbor, I don’t know how to forgive myself when I am relieved.

• I don’t know how to hug him enough to last a lifetime, or kiss him just so in order to feel satisfied—should our reunion be at the foot of a pine box.

• I’m not willing to learn how to pretend he doesn’t exist, to keep him out of our life while it goes on without him, or to build a wall so high he has no way to scale it.

• I don’t know how to stop his panic attacks, and I have no idea how to make my nightmares of rampant bombs and lifeless limbs disappear.

• I don’t know how to adjust to his presence in my house when our floor rarely feels the weight of his boots.

• I don’t know how to tell his small children that, yes, he leaves them all the time. But because he loves them so deeply, he is willing to die to keep them free.

• I can’t understand those who would question my desire to stay with him, or how I can peacefully sleep beside a “killer.”

• I am amazed and confounded that despite all he has seen, he still has the courage to laugh.

• I don’t’ know how to give up on my family.

But, most importantly:
I have no clue how to still my pounding heart when he finally walks through our door again, I don’t know how to pull my hands from his sand-stained neck and say goodbye, and I don’t know how to ever walk away from a man who stands while many choose to sit.


had to share! <3

So much to do, sooo little time.

ahh, ok I need a second to freak out....

..I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO.

God really knows what he's doing... there would be no way to handle all of this (with keeping my sanity anyway) and try to juggle school at the same time.. I just feel like my life is falling right into place.

That being said.. the following things need to get accomplished..ohhh, yesterday.

1. Make Aiden's 4 month appt.
2. Go to Aiden's 4 month appt.
3. Repack all of Patrick's totes into "staying in VA" boxes and "going to HI" boxes
4. Set up official "pick up" dates for the movers
5. Set up official "drop off" dates for movers
6. Call forest city and make sure we're close to getting our house
7. Check out places off base just in case
8. Book an offcial flight date
9. Give my friends the Christmas gifts that have been chilling in my basement
10. Send Patrick's St. pattys day care package
11. Make sure Fort Lee got his orders
12. Send out new pictures of Aiden
13. Pack the rest of my room
14. Set a date to have my furniture delivered
15. Breathe
16. Work

I just have alot to do, and I am semi okay, semi noooot okay at managing my time... so hopefully some of these things can take care of themselves..haha. BUT, all these things get my a little closer to living with my husband and baby boy, and we can finally be a family.

Ok, just a quick pic. so this entry won't be too boring, My sister and I decided it would be funny to throw all the babies in the bathtub at once, more or less just so we could take a picture... Aiden's a small pot belly pig.

Pat,

 I love you. I think your pretty sexy.

    Love always,

  Kels xoxo

Happy February!

40% done with this deployment!!!!!

Ahhhhh! I can't believe it, I will be seeing my husband in just a FEW SHORT MONTHS!

(I love that its not leap year, I don't want any more days between us than nessecary)

Ok, Im off my soap box :)

I've just been really busy with trying to set up for our big move and juggling work and being a (by myself at the moment) Mommy. This process of getting things set up has been pretty stressful, I've gotten transfered to different departments 43534 times because no body can seem to answer simple questions, & then when I finally get to the right place, No one wants to help at all. It's just so frustrating.... but hey, God wants to take care of my family, he wants to handle my problems FOR ME.... so why on earth am I being so stubborn and holding on to all of this?

Sarah and I went to Norfolk to get Pat's orders modified and once again, ran into issues everywhere... from the guy and the gate to the Gunny who made me cry (oops) but those tears were apparently golden because they made him uncomforabtle enough to send me somewhere else, It just happend to be in the right direction!

The Cheif warrent officer with FAST helped me out BIGTIME and fixed everything, he even talked to me about marriage communication and transitions back from Afghan.... he BY FAR has been the most helpful, he was the one who originally signed Patrick's orders so he obviously had the authority to change them, and he did :) So that ended up being a sucess!

Aiden update : He's a ham. Thats pretty much it, oh.. and he worst reflux than I did while I was pregnant... the poor baby, He's on a couple different concoctions and they are *somewhat* helping, hopefully they start to work or Ill look into something else..

Aiden 3 months

Good news-We talked to Daddy this morning! Aiden was lighting up and wiggling and kicking hear Pat's voice, (I read him his "daddy" books all the time, the ones Pat recorded before he left) and he def. knows it! He was talking back to Patrick and it was melting my heart...He had no clue, but I was laughing through tears, I can't wait for those two to reunite.

Of course we stopped by the beach...

Welp. thats all for now, Just a quick update. :)

Babe,

 Hearing your voice this morning has been the best thing to happen in the past week. I am SO proud to be your wife, you have no idea... not just for what your doing for this country, but because your darn sexy ;)

(and because your kind of awsesome.. sometimes.)

I love you to the moon and back,

   Kels.