a full week and a full heart

These have been on my camera. They're snapshots from the last seven days before Jim left. Thought I'd share, because why not? They make me happy.

Remember at the beginning of the year when Jim took command? Well, last week he handed his unit off to another and took a different job within the battalion. It's a bittersweet day when you watch your husband fall into the formation of soldiers he's worked so hard for, instead of being in front of it. But for Jim this is a step up. I'm very proud he's been selected for this new position. Eli is, too. Can't you tell? Or maybe he's trying to escape...

One of our goals before Jim left was to ride the tramway up the Franklin Mountains and watch the sunset. Thanks to some friends who were willing to watch Eli, we had a delightful night just the two of us. It was crazy windy, but crazy worth it. If not just for that last picture that makes my heart skip a beat every time I see it.

As we waited Sunday morning for Jim's flight to leave, we found a warm corner and played one of our favorite games, Cribbage. Now it should be noted that I've been playing this game all my life, and Jim hasn't. So, I like to think of myself as way better than him. After all, it's about numbers and counting and I'm into that. But this last game I wasn't so lucky. Jim only needed seven points, and he got exactly that. Seven. Before the hand was played he told that if he wins I had to deploy for him. Gratefully he didn't hold me to it. Because among other reasons, I don't look good in camouflage.

These are my favorites. There have been many bonding moments with Eli. He smiles alot now and even coos back when we have conversations with him. He is definitely our favorite kid in the world. Jim soaked him in and is looking forward to running around with him when he returns.

_____________

I want to thank you all for blowing my inbox away with all the warm sentiments you left in my comments and on Facebook. It's hard to feel lonely when you guys have me surrounded. Your prayers mean the world to me, as the power of God in our lives can make mountains move. Let alone comfort a grieving heart. My heart is full. Which is quite an accomplishment. You... and I mean it... you have helped me get through the last few days.

Thank you.

and, he's gone...

Yesterday we said our goodbyes. We've been anticipating this day for a year, and yet that out-of-control feeling still caught me by surprise as I watched the mass of uniforms move towards the buses.

I'm still grateful to those ladies walking about with their boxes of tissues. I don't cry very often. But yesterday as I stared at my steering wheel, I sobbed.

There was no hopeless "woe is me", or "how am I going to get through this". The tears were just sadness and the realization that it's finally happened. Jim has deployed.

I drove to Starbucks and had my customary frappachino. Why I chose to go in and melt into one of their couches, I'm not really sure. I didn't want to go home, I guess. Yet there comes a peace when a little baby falls asleep on your chest, and Eli played his part well. It all started to soak in. Sort of.

It's really hard to wrap your mind around a year.

But I don't think I really have to. It's more like, he'll be gone, then he'll be back. I'll wake up at the beginning of the day, and at night I'll put my head on my pillow. After enough of those, Jim will be home and Deployment #2 will be over.

Until then, I'll be thinking a lot about Romans 8:28, hanging out with Eli and waiting with bated breath for that next phone call from Jim.

That is one good thing about the Army. The honeymoon phase never really disappears.

I love you, hon. Stay safe out there. Your little family is missing you every moment.

Dang it. Where are those tissues.

SYTYCD - Top 16

To those who are following the Sisterhood, Welcome! To those other loyal followers of my sadly neglected blog, I'm sorry if you're not into So You Think You Can Dance. And you're expecting more cute pictures of Eli. Or my still-not-finished nursery. Next time...

So, on with the Sisterhood! This is my first time recapping and I'm a bit nervous. Be kind. It's also a little last minute as I was called in as a sub. In fact, I should be honest and say that I haven't even watched the show since Vegas week. Not on purpose, though. Busy, busy, busy. I did my research and read all your recaps. However, I've decided to go into tonight giving all the dancers a fair chance. No preconcieved notions. (For the most part.) So these are my ramblings and impressions...

My first thought: Hey! New intro!

My second thought: What the heck, Cat??? Elvira? Really, I found her whole get-up very distracting all night.

On a similar note, after reading your recaps I was interested to meet this Karen girl and was disappointed to find out she was hotter than me. (Jim disagreed. He's such a good husband.)

Where was I? Right, Cat's crazy hair.

And a welcome/shout-out to last season's top dancers. It's been like a whole 2 months, right?

Then as Cat muffled a laugh while trying to compliment the joodges (did anyone else catch that?), Adam decided to wake up. Then way too much time cross-promoting various charities and shows. Cat doesn't seem impressed and almost falls asleep herself, I think. The coached applause from the audience only accentuated the boredom.

And then, as Cat said, "Back to tonight!"

First up, Karen & Kevin. Instantly Jim decides she's trying to channel JLo. Whatever. As long as she's not prettier than me. They do a hustle, which I didn't even know was a dance genre. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't too memorable for me. Afterwards Adams seems to just now notice that Kevin's in the competition. And Karen is a "quiet fire". And then he talked alot. Jim predicted a Train from Mary (who he refers to as Crazy Stupid Lady) and was almost right. I thought for sure it was coming and had my hands halfway to my ears. But no. Just more talking. Then Nigel.

Then commercials. To include Sonic commercials. I love me some Sonic commericals.

Jakob & Ashleigh are up next with a jazz piece. I would say they definitely didn't conquer the cane. And if the cane was the third character, than those spandex pants were the fourth. Yikes! I found the whole dance stiff and awkward. Which is too bad because I thought it was a fun concept and with the right dancers could have been great. I don't even think the audience bought it. But Adam apparently did. I couldn't have disagreed with him more. And I think he has a crush on Jakob. Is he still talking? Then Mary and Nigel liked it, too? Were they watching the same routine I was?

[Side note: When I watch this with my DVR friends, they always fast forward through the judges and I always bothered me. But I wish I'd had the button tonight.]

Pauline & Peter break out in a Hawaiian quick step. I thought it was cute. But maybe I'm a sucker for a guy in uniform... They weren't perfect, but I thought they brought it pretty well. The judges seem so-so. They point out the good and point out the bad, but I'm wondering if they're being too easy on the dancers this season... (Later I find out how wrong I am was.)

Kathryn & Legacy learn Broadway this week. Cute! I liked the storyline and thought they did a pretty good job. (And both Jim and I decide that the upper thigh is a random place to have a tatoo.) We also decided that Adam should not be allowed to call Legacy "Legs". Too, too weird. And poor Kathryn. They ripped her apart and I wanted to cry for her. I thought she did great. Then Nigel started to compliment Legacy (I think) but went on long enough with metaphors that the look on Legs' face was exactly what I was thinking: Wha?

Channing & Victor. (I love that she raced lawnmowers.) They pull out a great contemporary number. I really liked this. If they had performed this with a little more passion, it could have been awesome. But it still left me happy. If I remember correctly (my tired brain is getting a little sloppy) the judges seemed to like it, too. Except for the often boo'd Nigel. It's so funny how he interacts with the audience. Like he has to prove himself to a mass of people who have already proven that they'll clap at anything. Remember that five minute plug for Dizzy Feet?

Lil C is back with hip hop for Ryan & Ellinor. I like hip hop so I was hoping they'd be good. I think Mary (was it Mary?) nailed it when she said it got "sluggish half way through". Nigel had on his sour face. Come on, Nigel. I didn't think it was that bad! Sometimes he can be such a crotchety old man. I can't harp on the guy for having an opinion. It's his job. But he kept going on and on and on... I love that Cat always tries to keep things copacetic, trying to find just the right words to keep everyone smiling. She has such a charm about her, don't you think? Except for that hair...

Mollee & Nathan are challenged with the salsa. But before they even start to dance, I've decided that Mollee is, like, twelve. I'm already annoyed. They try their best, bless their hearts. Not even extreme yardage of yellow ace bandages wrapped around Mollee peek-a-boo body can distract us from, well, everything that went wrong. And the judges let them have it. Then I start to feel kinda bad for Mollee because she looks like she's going to cry as soon as Adam opened his mouth. I thought he summed it up pretty well, though. Really, it was just pretty bad.

Lastly we have Noelle & Russell with a newly made-up genre, Afro-jazz. I've been excited for this one all night. I vaguely remember Russell the Crumper from Vegas week so I was curious to see how he'd do. And I wasn't disappointed. I can see why he's a fan favorite. But as they are intro-ing the piece, I could't help but think I'd be bummed if I found out my spirit guide was a frog. Just sayin'. But they made it work. It was quirky and fun. So fun, that they get the Train. Thanks, Mary. And Nigel makes a jab at Russian Folk dancing again. It's obvious Russell is the judge favorite. And Cat's too, I think. Did anyone catch her checking him out when she was signing them off for commerical?

Overall I felt that that show was eternal. I didn't realize it was going to be two hours. Again, I've been out of the loop. And if I had to guess, I think Mollee and Nathan might go. And hopefully Cat's hairdresser. The two strongest dances were Channing & Victor, and Noelle & Russell. What do you think? Am I totally off? Let the discussion begin!

eli the gnome

Isn't he the cutest thing you ever did see?

And his mischievous cousin Asher, too!

nursery teaser

I'm that lame friends that promised to post nursery pics a while back. (Awhile is an understatement, yes.) I'm also the lame mom who had her baby two months ago and still doesn't have the nursery done.

I know. I know.

It's not my fault. It's this pesky quilt. It's refusing to cooperate. My goal is to finish it this weekend. And maybe move around those pictures I've been thinking about.

But since I figured there'd be a blogsphere coup if I didn't post something soon... (yes, I've been getting your not-so-subtle hints) here are some teasers to leave you with for the weekend.





I promise I'll have real pictures up by next Friday. But if I don't blog between now and then, pray for me because it's probably because I'm busy calling my quilt all sorts of bad names.

all in the family

Remember that bingo picture?

And remember that really cute kid of mine?
Think we're related?

reunion

It's been a month.

And now he's home.

I hope you all have a delightful weekend, too.

cloth diapering

Yes, I'm one of those weirdos that has decided to go old school, but in a new school way.

I'm using cloth diapers.

And I love it!

This ain't your mom's trifolds, either. If you ever want to know more, I'd be more than happy to give you an ear full. But not in a preachy way. I hardly think everyone needs to be doing this. But I say, why not save you hours of research if I've already done it?

My favorite diaper story to date is about my dear friend Jennifer. She was kind enough to hold Eli (actually, I think she was about to pry him out of my arms had I not offered) while I was in a long meeting. In her typical care-free style she popped over after a little bit and grabbed my diaper bag so she could change his stink. I immediately explained the "cloth" situation and stood up to change him myself. But this is care-free Jenn! She said, "No problem."

Except there sorta was. Because I'd forgotten to pack another diaper for him. (Such a rookie move.) She searched the bag, but to no avail. Gratefully Jenn is a seasoned veteran of two boys herself and knows how to be inventive when necessary. She ingeniously washed the outer layer and stuffed it with one of my burp cloths. Brilliant and yet so obvious.

It didn't phase her a bit. I, however, couldn't stop apologizing. And wondering... if I was in the same predicament, would I have been as resourceful? I decided no, I wouldn't. Eli would be wearing a toga made of toilet paper.

So many of people have asked why I'm doing this. I don't have a trendy answer. It's not because of the environment, though that was a little bit of the influence. I occasionally have nightmares of a landfill in India filled with Eli's poo. It's not because I'm afraid of harsh chemicals on my baby's bum. Although we have gratefully had no diaper rash issues since switching over.

Perhaps pathetically, it's mostly about the money. I'm estimating that we'll save about $700 over the life of Eli. Not to mention that I should be able to reuse them for the next kid. Maybe saving another $1200? Not a bad trade off, I say.

I decided to do this after watching my good friend Becky tackle cloth diapers 3 years ago. She made it look effortless. I watched and learned and am finding that it really isn't as bad as most people think, even with my on-the-go lifestyle. (As I said, if you want to know more, I'll give you the run-down. Just shoot me an email.)

I'm glad I'm doing it. Yes, it means I do more laundry. And occasionally it's a bit messy. But overall I think it's great and am glad I wasn't intimidated past the point of trying. One thing I will mention, though - since cloth diapers have more material than disposable, some of his newborn pants and onesies don't fit anymore.
What can I say? Baby's got back.

my bff: when we weren't eating...

Lest you think we forgot about Eli, I'd like to document that we did more than just eat. This is Kerri helping me shop. I'm a sling girl. I find carriers pesky and cumbersome. But how do you shop for clothes when you've got a kid wrapped around you? Well, you bring a friend along to do the hard work. And for opinions, of course! She rightfully talked me into that orange number from Banana Republic. And gratefully kept me from making some bad decisions that I likely would have purchased without her good sense.

Why would I even mention shopping? Because I was thrilled to finally fit into normal-sized clothes again (more or less). And I haven't been clothes shopping in like nine months. I had an itch.

But perhaps the most memorable outing was Kerri's very first rodeo. She got all decked out, belt buckle and all, and headed with my friends and I to experience Texas. There was barrel-racing, kids' mutton-riding, calf-tying, bull-riding (for real!), and even motocross-jumping. (Yes, that last one was random. I didn't see it coming either.)

Little known fact: It was my first rodeo, too. That became very evident when the first calf was roped and instead of cheering like everyone else, I cringed. The poor things. Over and over again some poor calf was slammed to the ground and then it would pop up just to do it again. I'm no animal rights activist, but it just seems wrong. I was assured by everyone around me that I should "think of it as their job, and be grateful. Because if they weren't in the rodeo, they would probably be on your plate." Um, that didn't make me feel any better.

poor baby cows...

As for Eli and his first rodeo? Well, he didn't care for it much, either. Refusing to drink from his bottle, he became quite unruly and I was forced to find a dark corner to nurse. Not easy in a stadium, but I can now attest that it can be done. And I didn't miss the bull-riding, either! (Which, oddly, I was totally ok with.)
Afterwards we made a Sonic run and I drove Kerri into the mountains to see the city lights. This is our view of Mexico on any given evening. Sometimes I'm still amazed at how close we live to the border.
And the rest of the time? We just chilled at the house. It was the perfect week with a best friend. Thanks, Kerri. You're the best bud around.

vote for Christian!

Updated: Sadly Christian did not win. We suspected it might be "Lisa" who had a killer video of her own. Pesky Lisa. Well, I hope she enjoys Oregon. Thank you for your help!

We need your help. In between all the Mexican indigestion, Kerri and I were hard at work on a video. As a surprise for her husband, Kerri entered Christian in a contest that would win him a trip to Oregon to learn how to make better cheese. Because to say Christian likes cheese would be an understatement. And yes, he does make his own cheese. (I didn't even know you could do that.)

His video is on YouTube and we need you to give it 5 stars and leave wonderful comments about how badly you think he'd be the best person for the win. The judges will ultimately be the ones to decide, but if we utilize the power of social media and prove he's popular, than it can't hurt, right?

So click HERE and tell us what you think!

Oh, and he likes goats, too.