Oh, the faces she makes

MC has so many expressions at 6 months, this girl cracks me up. Doesn't she look annoyed/bored in the last picture? I hate to think of the looks I'll get when she is 13. I can't help but feel a little sad that DH is missing this part of her life. It's hard for me to remember what she was like when he left and his point of reference when we talk on the weekends. I know he is missing her and I try to keep him updated on the little things she does.



I did a lot of reading this past weekend and came across this article discussing blogs of military wives. I read through some of the blogs and it was nice to find other women that are facing some of the same challenges. I know, I know, I am new and most of my challenges are yet to come. I feel like a sponge trying to soak in as much as I can about this new world of mine. Most of the women have husbands that are currently deployed whereas mine is away at school. A few of the women welcomed home wounded men and one blog was that of a war widow. Their stories brought tears to my eyes, scratch that.....I was a sobbing mess. It takes a great deal of courage to share such personal experiences and I am thankful these individuals are willing to speak so openly.



Onto something a little less serious. Since moving in with my parents, yes, I live with my parents at the moment and any comments regarding this issue can be kept to yourselves.....I have found myself completely obsessed with Beverly Hills, 90210. It has always been a guilty pleasure and now I can watch it without Nathan making fun of me:) My friends and I watched this show when we were growing up. It wasn't until my adult years that I realized how cheesy and unrealistic some of the story lines could be. Oh well, I will continue to watch until my other obsession begins.....The Hills. Do I see a trend here?

A Much Needed Phone Call

I spoke with DH last weekend and I can't describe how good it felt to hear his voice. He seems to be doing well and described this experience as the hardest thing he has ever done. I am so proud of him and the dedication he has to serve. I decided that this experience is also the hardest thing I have ever done. I welcome the challenge as it reminds me I am alive. I am finding strength and confidence I didn't know existed.

People at work are beginning to hear about the decision we made and I am getting comments like "that is so sad" or "I could never be alone with a small baby." Before DH even left, one guy told me, "that is a terrible decision, he doesn't want to do that." I've learned a lot about people that I thought I knew pretty well. Guess I can't be right all the time, despite trying. My response to these individuals have been, "No, it's not sad, it is the right decision for our family, but I'm glad to see you support our troops" and "Well, I hope your husband never leaves you and the kids then" and to the fellow offering up his two cents, "You have obviously never met my husband (and he hasn't) because anyone who really knows him would agree that this is his calling, thanks for the support." I am not asking anyone to understand our decision, but I am asking that you respect it. A huge thanks to everyone that has had kind, supportive words, it means more than you will ever know.

Onto the wild child.....MC is changing so much right now. She if finally feeling better and showing off her new skills such as screaming mama/dada, rocking out in her exersaucer (thanks to Aunt Jilly and Uncle Teague), eating rice cereal and pulling off her socks and sucking on them until they are soaked. This child has so much energy, I don't know how I am going to keep up with her. Here are a few recent pics of the babe. Here is the link to OCS, you can find recent photos of DH's platoon, he is with Company C. http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/

This was taken right before DH left, they kind of sleep the same, right?

New Pics and the Hubby's Address

DH left for Officer Candidate School last Saturday. The boot camp part didn't start until Tuesday. I would highly recommend watching the OCS video DH posted, look for the one titled pick up. If someone yelled at me like that, I would probably wet my pants. I had a quick phone call from the hubby on Monday night, it was good to hear his voice. He told me about a guy he met that was sent home in the first few days because he broke his ankle during a physical fitness test, how awful! Hubby was able to give me his mailing address, if anyone would like it send me an email and I will send it your way. (misslavine@hotmail.com)



Here are a few recent pics of MC

Finally....I finished my first tag

It has taken me almost 2 weeks to finish this tag. The answers are kind of short and boring, but it's done!


Favorite sound?
My favorite sound would have to be Mackenzie laughing, it's the silliest thing I have ever heard. She has a deep, raspy laugh.

….movie? Why?
My favorite movie is The Notebook. It is a great love story and I have a thing for love stories. I think everyone should experience a love like the one in the movie (minus the affair). It's easy to feel those types of things in the beginning of a relationship, but the dedication that man shows to his wife is a fleeting concept in modern day America. I could go on and on about this subject, so I better stop here. The first time I saw this movie was with my mom, Nathan's mom, his grandma and I think someone else....I can't remember. Well, anyone who has seen this movie knows that you end up crying a good 45 minutes after the movie is over....or maybe that's just me....anyway, after the movie was over I just kept crying in front of all these (relatively new) people. I would try to think of something else, but just kept going back to that sweet old man, loving his sweet old wife. I have only watched the movie one other time because I get so emotional.

….childhood memory?
There are so many, probably spending weekends at the lake with my parents.

….childhood crush?
Donny from New Kids on the Block, I used to have pillow cases with pictures of the band on them.

….adult crush?
I had a thing for Keith Urban a few years ago, but that has faded. No one has taken his place yet.

….indulgences?
Unlike Melissa, I do not pick my sleeping child up. If Mackenzie is sleeping, I am sleeping. I love anything chocolate or candy in general.

…biggest irrational fear?
Biting into an undercooked piece of chicken. I cannot cook chicken without burning it because I ALWAYS think it is still raw in the center.

What a face!

Transitioning

MC's first Christmas, note the slobbery face and striped pants.



Hubby and I are currently in the process of packing up our house and moving everything into storage. It didn't really bother me until I started taking pictures down from the walls. That has always bothered me though, even when I was moving home from college. I struggle with transitions and endings. I know that everything is going to be okay and it's only a matter of time until I'm moving to be with DH, but I start thinking about everything that has happened in this house. We came home as newlyweds, found out we were pregnant, summer get togethers will all of our friends, getting the baby room ready and finally bringing her home, our first Christmas with MC (even though she slept through most of it), sitting out on the front porch with my hubby talking about our future together.......there are so many memories and we've only been here two years! While it might not seem unusual to walk down memory lane when moving out of a house, this is something I do when anything comes to a close....like summer. Around the beginning of August I start to get a sick feeling in my stomach because I know that summer is almost over and I will be going back to work soon. I start to think about all the things I will miss once work begins. I know, I know, this is something I REALLY need to work on. With DH going back into the military is going to force me into new situations that I normally wouldn't be comfortable with and I have come to realize that my attitude is going to be a huge factor in our families success. I look forward to the changes to come and hope to use this as a growing opportunitity.

Here is a picture of our dining room before......

.....and here it is after.

On a lighter note, the other night we came home from my parents house to find that Cappy had helped herself to the trash bag we left out. She loves getting into the trash and I'm sure she had a delightful time rumaging around. I have attached pictures of the trail she left; sometimes she reminds me of a racoon. It's kind of hard to see, but notice the wing sauce on MC's baby blanket. Nice.

Officer Candidate School (OCS) Videos

If you are interested in gaining some insight on what goes on during Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS), go to www.marinecorpstimes.com/class186. From there you click the "Watch The Videos" link, this will take you to the page where you can watch clips of a documentary that followed a few candidates through OCS on their way to becoming 2nd Lieutenants.

The first 2 parts deal with OCS which is the first 10 weeks of traing. The 3rd part has highlights from The Basic School (TBS), a 6 month trainig...both are held in Quantico, VA.

Enjoy...let us know if you have any questions.