Wait, you left Hawaii..why?!

People can't seem to grasp that we voluntarily left Hawaii (Well, it's half and half) The government would have made us come summer so the kids and I decided to head back home and catch up on some much needed time with family and friends before we head to Quantico to ride out the rest of Patrick's time in the Marine Corps! We will be there until the summer of 2016. We've been back in Virginia for a little more than a month and it's exhausting trying to wrap my head around my life right now. I moved across the country & the pacific with a 3 year old and a 2 month old within 12 hours of telling my husband, "See ya later" and giving him one last kiss for 6 months. That day is such a blur now but I was the closest I've ever been to "losing my mind" I had been up for 24 hours+ cleaning and painting and we just flat out ran out of time and I sucked it up and ended up paying a fee because my oven wasn't clean. (this was a $50 fee if you're curious) TO CLEAN AN OVEN. Fastforward, we had a great Christmas and I'm glad we're home. We are finally adjusting and Aiden started preschool 2 days a week, he loves loves loves it! He asks everyday if he's supposed to have school. I'm glad he can concentrate on something steady amongst all of our crazy back and forth-ness over the past month. Ryleigh is now 4 months old! She is the best baby and has such a cute little personality. She smiles at everything and everyone is her friend but when she hears her dad or her brother she perks right up and searched for their faces. Whenever we Skype/facetime with Pat she gets super excited and kicks her legs 100mph. It's heartwarming to watch. I recenetly started advocare, (I'll blog about this separately) and I'm excited to be losing weight and getting back on track with fitness! Basically that's our update as of now, we are missing the biggest piece to our family puzzle but thankfully communication is currently great!

1 month check in!

I seriously can't believe how fast time goes when you have kids

 (or even when you don't, I think it's just easier to see when your heart is literally growing up right in front of you)

The past month has been challenging, wonderful, amazing and exhausting.

With Aiden, it was SO much easier to catch up on sleep because you know, "nap when the baby naps" but with Aiden being a rambunctious ball of non stop energy, it's a little hard to nap with Ryleigh when you are playing trains, wiping boogers and being begged for just one more popsicle.

Thankfully Patrick was able to stay home a little longer than the normal 12 days the Marine Corps gives you because the rest of his battalion was still in California, so basically he checked in with some other peeps in the morning then came home for the majority of the day so that was very nice!

Recovery has been so much easier this go round! Well, besides getting sick and almost being admitted back to the hospital, but that's just my luck. I am feeling much better finally and hopefully I get the go ahead next week to resume activity and exercise, I am ready to get back into my skinny jeans :) (literally and metaphorically)




FAQ about Ryleigh :

Is she a good baby?
Yes, she is such a sweetheart. She seems very laid back so far and doesn't really fuss unless she's hungry

How did you pick her name?
Ryleigh was actually our girl name when we got pregnant with Aiden and we just kept coming back to during her pregnancy. It's Irish so it pairs with Aiden quite well.
Her middle name is Jordan, which is my grandparents last name. They have had such an influential part in my life and I wanted her to have a part of them for the rest of hers.

How is Aiden with her?
He likes to help us with her, he will give her, her binky or cover her up. Sometimes he'll go give her kisses on his own, but he has NO desire to hold her. If he's somewhere he's not supposed to be, offer to give him Ryleigh and he'll take off running. No joke. Oh, he will ask for her though. Where's Rywee? Oh no! Where'd Rywee go?! That melts my heart everytime.

Who does she look more, you or Patrick?
Neither, Aiden.

Have I mentioned that I wouldn't trade my life for anything?

well, a nap..maybe anap.

Our sweet girl's arrival. 9/19/13

As a warning, if you don't want to hear about placentas, dilation or other random nonsense please close your browser. ;)

Ryleigh's birth story : An (wanna-be but your kid had other things in mind) intervention free birth.

(and then some) (this is long) (sorry not sorry)

Patrick came home from California (he had been training in the desert for a couple of weeks) on the 13th of September and I just knew he was either going to miss her birth or barely make it. (sike) I had been having pretty steady contractions and I had other signs and symptoms of impending labor, & with having Aiden at 36 weeks and a couple of days, I was nervous to say the least. Fast forward 6 more days and ta da, Ryleigh finally decided to make her appearance.

Like I said before, I had been having contractions for days.. so this was nothing new to me, and since we were on a Marine Corps time table.. we resorted to some myths & wives/wise? (typing this I have no clue what it really is) tails to try and get things to get consistent and steady. We walked ALOT, drank raspberry leaf tea, ate pineapple, made labor brownies (yes you read that right! I got the recipe from another Marine wife!) I don't know what seemed to do the trick but the morning of the 18th I felt a little different, and I could feel that she was lower than she had been. Anyhoo - I have no clue what we did that day, but later that night things started to pick up and by 10 my contractions were every 3 minutes and getting to where I couldn't talk through them. I had previously told Patrick I wanted to wait and labor as long as I could at home, but he really didn't feel comfortable with waiting too long, he wasn't okay with delivering a baby in our living room or me giving birth in the car haha, so we decided it was time to call Alex who would be staying with Aiden and head to the hospital. We left the house around 12:15 and I ended up getting tickled with Patrick who automatically drove to the back gate...which closes at 10. *HUGE Thank you to Alex who dropped everything at midnight to come have a sleepover with Aiden & Thor. Poor girl had no clue what she was getting into with my long labors ;)*

We got to Castle Medical center and got checked in and went to our itty bitty triage room. This is where they decide if you're staying or going home, you apparently don't rate a big room until they are sure you are staying. Sure enough I was dilated to 4 (I had been 3 for a while) and my contractions were consistent and strong, so we got moved to our big room and was told we weren't leaving without our sweet girl! Well, once again she decided well, maybe not. Slowly but surely my contractions spaced out (never stopped, just got less intense, and less frequent) So we walked, and walked, and I use the birthing ball, and walked, and did the other 100 things my midwife wanted me to try and I gladly obliged because I knew pitocin would be recommend within a certain amount of time. Have you ever had pitocin? No? Well it feels like someone is trying to remove your uterus (if you are a man reading this, just pretend) (do men read blogs?) through your belly button in the most violent way possible.

 Like with an ice pick. That has been dipped in lava.

I had pit with Aiden, and it was awful. But if you were around during my labor with him, you may also remember crazy day shift nurse who didn't do anything right so I'm not sure if that had an effect on it.

The tub I labored in, seriously need one of these in our next house. 

Fast forward back to present day - 14 hours after we had been admitted I was a 5. Which I had been for the last 13 hours, and I Just wanted to cry. My widwife knew I didn't want pitocin so we once again tried another round of everything under the sun.. but my contractions just wouldn't stay close together. They were consistent - just about every 6 minutes apart or so and I wasn't dilating...there was some talk about a C section coming down from the Ob... so I agreed to the pitocin. I was started at the lowest interval and they increased it every half hour. I will say I am very proud of myself for laboring with Pit the way I did. For the most part I kept calm and breathed through contractions, all with my handsome husband by my side.

(I mean, technically this is by my side...right?) 

It's okay... this was a lot of work for him, he needed his rest. ;)

I'm pretty sure my friends and family on the east coast thought we were ignoring them because no one expected my labor to last for 25 hours, between that and the time difference it made it a little difficult to communicate.

Fast forward another 9 hours of laboring, and I am exhausted. I can still handle the pain of the contractions (which were a 14 out of 10 on the pain scale at this point) but I just wanted to cry (ok, I did) because of how tired I was. We had been up since early Wednesday morning and it was now Thursday night, I was losing focus and I was just breaking down in fear I wouldn't have enough energy to push (if that time ever came) So my midwife came in a checked me and WALA! I am still a 5. FIVE. F-I-V-E.

What in the world.

After that I broke down. I now realize why minimal checks can also be beneficial emotionally because that wrecked me. I lost it and just started bawling, My nurse was amazing and so was Pat. (I had about 5 different nurses throughout our labor but the Lord definatley knew I needed her, she was a little bit older and had such a mothering quality.. which being 4000 miles away from my family was really nice) They both comforted me through my mental exhaustion and then we started talking about my pain and realized alot of it was in my back. That combined with being checked, Joan realized our daughter wasn't fully engaging in my pelvis because of the way her head was turned. She explained it as trying to fit an oval through a circle so we tried hands and knees combined with back massage and hip squeezes and rocking back and forth and EVERYTHING we could do to possibly get her to turn her head.

At this point Joan mentioned that I may want to consider an Epidural. (We had an open option on this, just in case. We had previously discussed I was going to try my best but I didn't want to say I was 100% against it because I didn't want to feel like "I failed" I know myself, and that would have been harder on me than taking it in the first place)

I decided to go ahead and get the epidural, I was upset about it - but I knew it was best for me. Probably my emotional state more than anything.. As soon as I got it I burst out laughing and couldn't stop. I was in that stupid state of tired and I was laughing and somewhat crying at the same time because I could breathe, I could actually rest for just a few minutes, that is until it made me itch so bad I wanted to literally rip my skin off. (Patrick had to keep telling me to stop scratching) So my new nurse (another shift change!) brought me some IV benadryl which knocked me out for about 45 minutes. (I needed that sleep BADLY)

Joan comes back in to check me and sure enough.... I'm a 5, maybe a 6.

You have got to be kidding me.

We both decided it would be beneficial to break my water at this point because Ryleigh was starting to have issues with my contractions and we didn't want to head down the road to a C section. I'm not sure I even had energy to object at this point, so she went ahead and broke my water and told me she'd come check on me in just a bit. We were laughing at Patrick because he was snoring through this entire process.

This was around 10:50 p.m

Around 10:52 I felt pressure. Lots of it.

My nurse went and grabbed Joan who hadn't even had time to get to the nurses station and she came back and asked if I was sure if it was pressure. YES, I'm sure.

9 centimeters!

Having my water break allowed Ryleigh's head to turn and drop into my pelvis!

and by 11:00 p.m I was fully dilated.

Joan sat on the side of the bed and had me do a test push, and said we may need to wake up Dad... we're having a baby.

I can't remember how many times I pushed but I loved the environment. The lights were dim, everyone was happy. Patrick sat beside me and held me hand and Joan sat on the side of the bed...they didn't even break the bed down, and our little girl was born at 11:12 p.m

They put her straight to my chest and she wouldn't cry (for what felt like the longest time) and even with skin to skin and rubbing her back she wouldn't pink up so they took her just to get her upright and suction her and returned her to me still all purple (but breathing) and covered in vernix :)

It quickly didn't matter to me that I had an epidural, that my water didn't break on it's own, that pretty much everything I "wanted" didn't happen. 

.....except for this sweet healthy happy baby laying on my chest. 

"In that moment, I knew I had all I was ever going to need" 

I had been praying for 9 months that the Lord would give me guidance through my pregnancy in making decisions, that he would protect her and help her grow strong and he would help me and continue to mold me into an example of a Godly woman for this little girl, and every other worry I had fell to the wayside when I saw those big blue eyes. 

Ryleigh Jordan Webber

9/19/13 11:12 p.m 

8lbs 3 oz, 21 inches long

Born In Kailua, Hawaii.

Our little family feels so complete. 

Oh and just for kicks, the midwife made Patrick look at the placenta while she told him, "It was the most beautiful placenta she had ever seen" 

I snort laughed, and I'm pretty sure I thought he was going to throw up.

Back to snuggling my babes!

Kelsey

37 weeks pregnant!

I saw another blogger do this and I thought it would be fun. And I'm bored.. Aiden is asleep and I'm enjoying a pumpkin spice latte while watching twister so I figured why not! Plus, it reminded me of those surveys we used to do in middle school or on myspace haha, guess I'm feeling nostalgic!

How Far Along? 37 weeks on Sunday!

Symptoms: Um, I'm huge? Is that a symptom?

Total Weight Gain/Loss: bahaha, um. 2 lbs...for every square inch of my body.

Sleep: Non existent. I pee every hour or two, and sometimes I fall back to sleep in between those, sometimes I don't. I can't stand when people say, "Sleep now, you won't sleep once the baby comes!" Oh yes, yes I will, I would much rather comfort and nurse my sweet girl all night than try my best and roll my beached self out of our very tall bed. :)

Food Cravings: Coffee,tokyo express and salad! I would kill for some tokyo right now!

Best Moment This Week: Hearing my husband should be home soon! That and Aiden telling me, "Oh thank you so much mama" for breakfast :D

Movement: All day, err day. She never stops!

Labor Signs: I've been having alot more braxton hicks, but I'm having real contractions as well. Some of them are pretty uncomfortable! And she is pretty low, I don't think it will be too much longer

Gender: Sweet baby girl!

Name? Yes we have a name picked out! :)

Belly Button In Or Out? In, I have the world’s deepest belly button!

What I Miss: Seeing my feet & sleeping on my stomach and rough housing with Aiden without feeling like I'm dying haha

What I Am Looking Forward To: Seeing Aiden become a big brother,seeing what this little girl looks like!

Milestones: Full term baby, let's go!

Enjoying your pregnancy? Yes! I am, I love feeling her roll around and I love being the one to carry our children, I think it's a huge blessing... that being said, I'm ready for her to be here ;)

Weekly Wisdom: Being positive about a situation really is the only way to get through it, trust that God knows your heart and remember he loves you and won't let you fall!

This top picture was last week at 36 weeks ^

This bottom picture is from today, she's sitting SO much lower!

(Ignore the look on my face hahaha)

Kelsey

A long overdue update!

If you actually take the time to read this, we're more than likely already friends on Facebook or in REAL LIFE. Which means you probably know what's going on in our lives but on the off chance I'll update yall anyway. I use Fb pretty often but I don't post everything as to not blow up everyone's news feeds and whatnot, but when I live 4000 miles away it's nice to stay in touch!



We're having a baby! (obviously this news is shocking, because I'm 9 months pregnant as I type this)

36 weeks preggo!

I am already dilated, and somewhat effaced and have been that way for quite some time. At one point we thought we we're going to have a premie on our hands because I started having contractions at 32 weeks and they wouldn't stop on their own. A hospital stay,drugs and "light activity" later here we are 1 week away from full term! Aiden was born at 36 weeks 4/5 days so if she makes her appearance when he did, that's WAY too soon because Patrick is still on the mainland, gah. The Marine Corps hasn't quite decided what they are doing with him at this point but rumor mill is that he can take his Paternity leave at any time, I just have to have her within that 10 day span or they ship him back to California. (On our dime, might I add) 

I think. Who know's really. 

Aiden turns three next month! 

HE IS TOO BIG. I can't grasp that he is already turning 3. I feel like I was pregnant with him yesterday and I should just go ahead and order his graduation announcements tomorrow so they'll be in on time :( His personality is coming out full force and he is talking so much more these days! He can recognize all his numbers,colors, shapes and letters and occasionally will sing his ABC's.. and by that i mean A..B..C..D..F..G..H..ELEMENTOPEEEEEE! He graduated speech therapy last month because he was in 90% of his milestones speech wise! He still has some catching up to do but his progress has been massive, thank the Lord for second opinions on ear tubes!He is your typical little boy who loves trucks,trains, playing outside and climbing anything he can. His current obessions are his trains, the movie Cars and chocolate milk.

The Marine Corps life. 

Patrick is deploying (fingers crossed it's the last time!) this winter so the kiddos (Ah!) and I are packing up our lives and heading back to Virginia for the duration of the deployment. This was a HUGE decision with a lot of thought,headache and prayer poured into it. The biggest reason we went ahead with it was because he will be getting new orders once he get's back and we will be moving to the next duty station, so we are officially telling Hawaii goodbye come winter months. This process is going to be a pain in the tail but it will be worth it to let Aiden and baby girl spend some much needed time with our families and friends. We are praying for an east coast duty station this go round and Pat should find out sometime in the spring where exactly we are headed!

Welp, I think that's all for now! 

I love having my blog back!

Kelsey

FAIL.

I am just going to pretend that I've used my blog within the last couple of weeks and all is good.

FAIL

I have been looking to redo my blog for months now and I finally got around to it! So I can get back on track with writing and keeping updates going. :)

Will update asap!

Kelsey

Husband - Wife challenge.

So, patrick and I have this challenge of who can become more fit during the course of the deployment. Well, so far I can bet money he's winning.. 

A.Because he was in great shape before he left
B.I think I went backward when I went home, oops.

SO, I have a new found determination to completely kick his tail .. and it's called Insanity.

Well, thats the title of the 60 day work out, and well, I think i'm insane for doing it.

Before you can begin they require you to do a "Fit test" where you do as many of the specific "moves" as you can in 1 minute, and they help you mark your progress by repeating it every 15 days...

Well, i'm sore from the Fit test, so I can say with confidence that it's going to be a LONG 6o days.

I'll be posting my results as I go along!

Good Luck babe, you may not win after all ;)

-Kelsey.

Back to blogging!

ahh. I'm glad I'm blogging again! For some reason the email that I use with my blog got hacked. So thats been a big reason for my absence. That, and I've been in Virginia since June 12th! So this blog is brought to you by the East coast :)

I can't quite sum up my trip in a blog so I'll just share a few things about Virgnia that I've missed!

1. Our families

If you know me, you know they are a huge part of my life. It's been extremely difficult moving across the world and not seenig them on a daily basis. Seeing how I haven't been home in a year, I jumped at the opportunity to come home and visit for the last 2 months! (thanks hubby!)

2. My niece & nephew.

Ok. Yes, this is family. However I feel that they deserve their own number. The rest of my family is grown and obviously set in their lives while I have this nagging feeling that I'm missing them grow up. They are now 6 and 2 and they have so much love to give. This is my main struggle about going back, I hate that Kendall may forget me because I'm not incoporated into her daily life. I was lucky enough to live with Noah for many years and he became that pesky little brother that drives you crazy, but you can't imagine your life without. I thank God for these little ones.

3. My Frans.

This is a big one as well, obviously I miss my friends. They are a huge part of my life and I hope that never changes. I just pray the the Lord can continue to strengthen our relationships even though we are all going in different directions. We are so spread out now..between Northern VA,chicago, texas, kentucky, florida, etc.. but I love when we can still make time to skype despite the time difference. I like those days.

4. The food.

SWEET TEA. The Homeplace, tokyo express, SWEET TEA. apple bees... I know I know I sound like a fat kid, but I'm turning into one since I've been able to devor all my favorite things :)

5.The Mountains.

Hawaii is volcanic and they resemble each other. But there is something about driving through Salem surrounded by the mountains that says Home.

6.The events

When a girlfriend gets engaged and you can't see her wed, or a friend has a baby and you can only send your love through the mail, at time like these being so far away just stinks! but I did get to attend a friend's bridal shower while I was home, and I finally got to meet my best friends boyfriend (I approve) so that was pretty awesome!

That's all I have for now! Im sure when I get back to hawaii next week I will have PLENTY more.

-Kelsey





Aiden is 18 months!

waaaaaah. where did time go?

Anyway. I thought I'd do a quick update of Aiden and his milestones/stats :)

18 month stats :

Weight - 27 lbs

Heigh - 33.5 inches

Big boy he is!

Favorite foods :

grilled cheese
bananas
oranges
any fruit really

mashed potatoes

chocolate milk

tomatoes

Likes to:                                                   

Climb everything

Eat

Play with his friends at "school"

take baths

Skype

jump & dance

Words & Signs :

Mommy, Mom, Mama

Daddy, Dada, Dah

Puppy

Pawpaw

Eee ya (see ya)

byebye

Puppy

baby

tickle tickle

Ewo (hello)

poop (Thanks to his father)

Apple

Nana

Niye niye (Night night)

Waves,high fives,"pound it", signs more, eat & milk

He is such a sweet boy. I can't imagine my life without this little face everyday! Thought I would include a video of his 18 month words for this blog. Ignore him smacking me in the face with my own phone. :)

Aiden's first day of "school"

Aiden has his first day of daycare this past week, he goes on tuesdays and thursdays for 4 hours to help with his speech & basically to let him interact with more kiddos and he seems to like it so far!

I felt like I was going to have a panic attack on Monday evening thinking about dropping my baby off the next morning, and I just KNEW that he was going to have a massive meltdown the next morning...

Fast forward.

Tuesday morning we went into his classroom, put his backpack up in a cubby & washed his hands....then I lingered because I was unsure, and then I asked him for a hug and kiss (which I didn't get) and he just let me leave. No tears, no screaming, no fuss.

Well, not from him. I on the other hand,  cried all the way home (I live close, so my "sad time" was short) I just feel like he is growing way too fast, and it's hitting me that he really isn't a baby anymore. I mean, I know he will always be "my baby" but his infancy is gone and I feel a tiny piece of my heart break, and then the rest of it says, Ok - have another!  ;)

I now realize I am just as attached to him as he is to me, he's my shadow, Especially when Patrick is gone..but as much as I missed it, it was nice to try and clean my house without stopping for popsicles or the end of nap time or because Captian America needed immediate attention. But for now, 4 hours for 2 days a week is just enough for the both of us to handle haha.

When I went to pick him up on Tuesday he was a hott mess. He usually naps around 10:30 and they don't get out until 12, and if you know Aiden you know he doesn't do well without sleep and he is a bear when he's tired. When I got there she was holding him and walking him around, I could hear him crying through the door and It broke my heart...but as soon as he saw me he perked right up and snuggled into my shoulder and wrapped his fingers into my hair.

Love him, that little stinker.

He totally had the whole "sleep head bob" that you do when trying to stay awake, during lunch... he slept for 3 hours that afternoon :) Go daycare.

Thursday went well too - and he was crying when I picked him up again...but this time it was because he didn't want to come in from the playground. Oh bug.

All in all his first week went well!

Alright mom, I'm done sweeping...can we go now?

Ok.. my captions are lame.

But this kid, is seriously cute.

Family flip book :)

I've been trying to think of a way to help Aiden learn his family members seeing as how we're all stuck out on an island in the middle of the ocean & my family is in Virginia.

                              Found one!

Ok, I made it up. Or saw in somewhere with animals in ECE II my senior year in high school...
something like that. Aiden loves seeing everyone on skype, so I figured this would be perfect!

But anyway, I decided to make a "Flip picture book" of all our our family!
I love the fact that the lamination sheets protect the index cards from sticky fingers and slobbery kisses.

If you're curious, (it's SUPER easy) here are my materials list

-5x7 index cards
-whole punch
-glue stick
-Self laminating sheets (I had about 6, it just depends on how many cards you use)
-Pictures of family members (I printed them out on regular computer paper)
-Clasping rings


(excuse the low quality crappy pics, I went to get my camera & the battery was dead)

It's really simple!

Step 1 : search through the computer & jack all my relatives pictures off facebook ;) (Sarah helped expedite this process with her skills)

Step 2 : Use word to print above mentioned pictures off (I cropped some of their faces)

Step 3 : Glue picture onto index card

(yes, my workstation was my carpet & my son's hallmark book..dont hate)

Step 4 : I used Zaner-bloser handwriting to write the names, I just remember writing everything Zaner-bloser in Mrs.Stratton's class.

Step 5: I dont have a picture, but this part is a bit frustrating - Use the self laminating sheets to cover and protect your card

Most of the cards, there are a couple that aren't here because they weren't finished yet.

Step 6: Punch the whole in the top corner and feed the ring through, and you are done!



Ta-da!

Aiden has been walking around with this saying "Naaaaana.. Naaaaaaaaaaaaaana" I giggle everytime he says it :)

enjoy!

Bug can't catch a break.

He's for sure his momma's baby. If you know me, you know I can barley walk and chew gum at the same time. I've broken more bones than you can count on two hands & I can fall up the stairs just as easy as down. Looks like Aiden got something from me after all!


Last night (Tuesday) we were just finishing up bathtime and he stood up and I grabbed his towel to get him out, I hadn't even touched him and he slipped and went face first into the Faucet.

....Insert mom panic here.

I immediatley freaked out because well, there was blood pouring from his mouth and I just assumed he broke his teeth and busted his gums (I've done this before, so I know the amount of blood and pain)
But it turns out he gashed the inside of his lip to the outside, Big thanks to Sarah for letting me wake her up and let her confirm that I was doing everything right.. It doesn't matter how long I work in health care, he's my baby and everything goes out the window haha. I decided it wasn't worth stitching and he was acting like himself within the hour (popsicle induced) so I watched him for a bit longer than put him to bed...

FYI - we have this faucet cover, and it didn't do much to protect his face from the metal underneath.

Anyway, Aiden was asleep for about an hour before he woke up coughing..barking was more like it, and I instantly knew it was a croup cough. I remember sitting in steamed up bathroom with my dad for hours to try and get some relief, and going outside at 2 in the morning just so I could breathe, Go dad!

It was scaring me because you could here the stridor when he wasn't coughing, and his color was getting yucky - so after some albuterol, and outside air - I decided it was time for the ED.

                                                                        Poor fat lips.

We were seen right away (I love castle hospital!) & given a breathing treatment and some super steroids which def. did the trick! His o2 was teetering between 89-91 when we first got there and he was able to keep it above 94 so they let us go home about 7 hours & another breathing treatment later.

Oh, and they glued his lip while we were there, so that was a plus I guess? haha.

Let's pull all the tissues out, and shove them back in!

Ah, I love this little snot. He did much better today minus some coughing. So I'm happy about that!

Dear Dad, Can't wait for you to come home. We're falling apart with out you! and momma doesn't do so well with my blood.

Love you xoxo

Aiden.

Happy (almost) Anniversary John Patrick!

ah, I can't believe it's already been 2 years since I said "I do" to the love of my life!!
 (boo for him being in California, last year he was deployed... fingers crossed for next year!)

We have been together for 5 years this summer & married for 2 on Thursday,
 and somewhere in there we snuck in :

• Stalking the mailbox for letters from Parris Island
•  countless trips to Norfolk
• more goodbye kisses than I ever care to have.
• Late night phone calls
• A deployment to cuba, spain and country hopping through europe
• the most amazing 24 hour engagement
• Saying I do
• a pregnancy
• a squishy 6.8 lb baby boy,
• Afghanistan
•  a cross country PCS
•  homecoming from Afghanistan, which helped us kick off our last year together.

 Time flys when your having fun I suppose ;)

Lets look back :)

The day I waited for, for 3 months. Family day at Parris island Oct 18, 2007.

The weekend before he left for Cuba, August 2008

The day my love came back from Spain! October 2009

The day I became Mrs.Webber, April 12, 2010

The day we became parents, October 23, 2010

The day we welcomed Daddy home & our hearts become whole again, May 2011.

If I were to say our relationship has been a fairy tale, I woud be lying. We are your average couple..we fight, we bicker (ok, I fight...Patrick rarley fights back haha) and we've had our fair share of tears & heartache. But we have always been able to pull through because at the end of the day...he is the man that I fell in love with, and I could never imagine (and don't want to) starting and ending my days with anyone else.

The past year has been one of the best of my life, watching my son grow and being able to physically spend time with Pat and not worrying and wondering when the next time we will see each other again will be. The Lord really has given me so much more than I could have ever imagined in a husband or a father to my child(ren). He is brave, kind, determined... and many other things... (and he's kind of good looking, so that doesn't hurt ;) ) And I will forever wonder how I got so lucky.

So, happy 2 years my love! I love you with all my heart. Cheers to many more!

here & there

I've been keeping up my morning runs and this morning I ran 1.7 miles and walked .59 (according to Mapmyrun I think it's called) AH! Well, I was stupid and ran on an empty/vitamin stomach..and yeah, lets just say that anyone who was driving on Mokapu street around 8:30 ish this morning watched me throw my guts up.
Nice kels, real nice.

Getting back in shape is hard! BUT when I put my mind to something I can do it.
     (Philippians 4:13)

This past weekend Aiden and I went to the beach :) Which he loves I might add. It usually takes him a little while to warm up to the sand and the sound of the ocean but after about 15 mintues he always gets used to the sand and loves sticking his feet in the water

Another thing we have going on is with my tiniest love. This is the 2nd time it's been mentioned in an appt., but they want him to be evaulated for speech therapy. He is almost 18 months and isn't saying too much..and doesn't seem too interested in saying more, so they think it's in his best interest. Of course no mother wants to hear that her baby is "delayed" but I've been praying about it and we're going to go ahead with the evaluation... They think that his chronic ear infections may have something to do with his delay in speech so I guess we shall see..It also makes me nervous that his seizure issues could have affected something...but thats just me being a worried Mom. I need to stop and turn it over to God, but I am a Momma bear & Aiden is my (not so) tiny bear cub....but ultimately I know God is in control!

Eating with a spoon :) Take that delayed responses ;)

My love,

We miss you bunches! You haven't been gone a week and I feel like I haven't seen you in months! As you can see Aiden misses you too. He got right up in the screen today and started touching it and looking at me and smiling. He has been "Dada"ing around the house, I think he is looking for you.. He really understands his "daddy books" now and will sit very quietly and content listening to them, it melts my heart haha. I haven't talked to ya today so I hope the range went well, hopefully you're getting so much needed rest. I Love you to the moon & back! <3

Getting back in shape, finally.

Alright, I've been saying it FOREVER now. but I'm ready to get back in shape. I lost about 60 lbs and I've kept it off since last June, but that doesn't mean im "in shape" I get winded going up and down the stairs, it's so sad. I have NO clue how I used to play soccer right now, I feel like if I tried I would end up puking my guts out and have severe asthmatic issues.

Im a whimp.

Anywaaaay. Today I started and ran a mile, go me. It was awful haha, but It felt good AFTER I did it! So tomorrow my goal is 1.25 without stopping, If you are someone who runs marathons or you're just insane like my best friend, Rachel and you run 10 miles a day - do not make fun of me. Baby steps people, baby steps. I hope to work my way up in the mileage each day, and I have that new Mapmyrun app or something and it tracks my pace and mileage, so that rocks.

Hey Handsome!
 Bug and I went to dixie grill with the Henroids, it only took us an hour to get there. They should make  a special GPS for oahu because of all the overlapping roads. It took us the route that we went when we took my cousin when she was here in January haha .

We went to target and I got Aiden some crayons :) They are the plastic twistables and he LOVED them. He sat in his high chair for about 30 minutes non stop coloring! :)

We went to the park for about half hour again tonight, and once again he didn't want to leave. p.s He can climb up the slide like it's no big deal haha

Thats our day :)

<3you with all my heart.

Sending our love to California!

Patrick left for Cax/Emv yesterday for 6 weeks or so, so for now it's just Aiden and I!


Hey honey!
 Today wasn't crazy, just an regular ole' Aiden & mommy day. I pretty much straightned the downstairs up minus the kitchen table, It gives me anxiety looking at it haha. But aiden DID sleep until 8:30 so that was super awesome!

We went to the doctor this after noon, he was super grumpy for the entire appt. (But then again, I did have to wake him up from his nap to leave) I think the last time they looked in his ears it scarred him for life because as soon as she pulled out the scope he got mad and starting whimpering, poor bug.

We ran to the commisary later on because I realized we we're running low on Diapers and milk, you know - an essential in the Webber household. But we came home and ate dinner, then we walked down to the playground near our mailboxes, he had SO much fun. He was constantly screeching,laughing and happy feeting. He even liked the slides this time! (I went down the slide with at first, impressive..I know) once we were there for about 30 minutes I realized it was bathtime so we headed home, of course Aiden sat down and refused to move. So that was fun.

Bathtime,storytime, bedtime. You know the routine.

I missed you today, I miss you every minute. Already started my countdown.

I love you so much, Bug does too!

All over the place.

My.mind.is.everywhere.

blah.

I don't even know where to start this blog, beside the fact that I've been blah the past couple of months, let me preface this with - I know the Lord has a plan for my life, & my families - but I am human and of course I get down sometimes.

I think my whole funk started when I miscarried, It's been exactly 2 months and 1 day and I think about it daily. I don't know if thats normal, but its true. I got so excited and used to the thought of having 2 kiddos and Aiden having a younger sibling close in age & all that changed. (somedays, I'm not good with change) I know we can try and have another, but thats not what this is about.

Im rambling.

Anyhoo, I think I need to make a serious list of goals & a timeline in which I would like to get those goals accomplished, I have always functioned best when theres 50 things on my plate & I'm pushing myself (yes, I know this might seem strange) Don't get me wrong, I love the days where Aid & I can stay in our jammies and have an mickey mouse clubhouse marathon while coloring and jamming to Elmo's greatest hits. and most days, I love being home with him. (please don't take that as I dont like being with my son, pat & I are very fortunate to be financially comfortable at our ages, which doesn't make working a nessicity) but I would love to get back in school & finish my degree.

 Goals.

1.Get back into Nursing school

2.Get Aiden into Daycare (eeeeek)

3.Get a job

4.Get into a excersize routine



5.Have another baby

^some of those are a tad contradicting, but hey, we'll cross that bridge when we get there haha.

I basically needed to get some stuff off my chest. whew.

White chicken enchilada Pinterest review!

I am by NO MEANS a chef, or proffesional, I'm actually sort of lucky that I started cooking for my husband after he came off MRE's and care package snakcs for 7 months
(Ok that sounds a little weird, but basically I don't really know how to cook)

Anyhoo, I've been trying really hard to learn and try new things - and so far... It's about tied.

                  Cooking 25 - Kelsey - 15 , Ok, cooking may be winning.. but no one has gone hungry yet!

Last night I made White chicken enchiladas from this link
http://joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/white-chicken-enchiladas.html

and they were AMAZZZZZZING.

Here is her recipe :

Chicken enchiladas with green chili sour cream sauce

*These are seriously so so good*

10 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese.  Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Add broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies.  Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

My Changes:

The only thing I would alter is if your going to feeding more than 2 of you, I would make more chicken.. 2 cups definatley wasn't enough for 10 taco shells, I ended up only filling 5. (which was plenty for us)

I also used half of th chilis bc Pat and I aren't a huge fan of pepper pieces, BUT they do add flavor to the sauce, next time Ill use the entire thing!

Basically, this recipe is delicious and you should make it. It's TOO GOOD.

God's plan.

"Everything happens for a reason"

"There is a reason for everything"

"Embrace change rather than complain about the inevitable"

 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

This is the piece of scripture I've been holding onto for the past couple of weeks.

I don't know who reads this, and those of who do, actually know me..but I am your average ordinary 23 year old girl.... minus the fact that I've been married for almost 2 years and I have a 15 month old son, lived apart from my husband more than together, and have watched the Marine Corps turn my "fairy tale" romance into a long distance, heart wrenching,anxiety filled relationship. (Ok, so Im not "too average")

 (Hey, it was worth it..my husband is awesome)

What I'm trying to get at is that my life is not what I planned. At all. & I CAN'T be more thankful.

I planned on marrying Patrick, just not when I did.. I planned on having a baby...just not when I did... I planned on finishing nursing school..ohh wait... (one day,one day) And Goodness greif I never thought in a million years I would follow my other half 4000 miles across the US to Hawaii, I'm SUCH a homebody.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that OUR timing isn't ours at all. Not even close.

About 2 weeks before Christmas I started feeling off, really crappy actually.. and one day I woke up, almost passed out and realized I maaay need to seak medical attention, so I went in to our clinic here on Kbay and had a battery of tests done, which they had decided it seems my IUD (my birth control) may have embedded itself into my body. Cool IUD, cool.

Long story short, I was pregnant with our 2nd child.

(If you didn't know this, and are upset...please don't be...We were keeping it quiet until I was further along)

Patrick's reaction was priceless. (Just for the record, mine was worse than his)

About 2 weeks ago I was diagnosed with a subchorionic hemmorage and they pretty much told me that it looked like I was going to miscarry (My IUD posed huge complications as well) & it's inevitably what happend, I had surgery on Jan. 25th with my wonderful hubs by my side (thank you marine corps!) and have been recovering ever since.  

 I've really struggled with trying to pray for understanding...but the Lord gave me peace instead... I've also realized I dont need to understand, I just need to FULLY TRUST his plan for my life and our family & tha's what I'm doing, and no it hasn't been easy...but I know that He has such great things lined up for us that it doesn't need to be.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." Ecc. 3:1-8

love, kels.



Back to updating Daddy!

Quick Recap:
The Sparks & MIL came to visit for Thanksgiving
My cousin Jessica just left after a 2 week visit to Oahu.

Yay for family! (These were important, didn't want to leave them out)

Im not sure how many people read this from "back home" but this blog started out updating Daddy on Aiden's life...welp, looks like were back to keeping him in the loop! So if your just reading to keep up us here in Hawaii, Apologies if I bore you! :)

1/14/12

Heather, Amy & I took the kiddos to the zoo today!

all of our kiddos

Aiden & Audri petting the goats!

Keegan & Levi :)

                                                             Can ya tell who missed nap time?

We had alot of fun :) It wasn't nearly as hott as the last time we went-which was great because aiden refused to keep his hat on.. He also lost his bink somewhere in the zoo (I know I know, well get rid of them soon) Just wanted to keep ya updated love. :)

Miss you & I love you!

Kels.