Happy St. Patrick's Day

Turbulence

Definition of Turburlence: great commotion or agitation


I had a moment the other day when I was talking with my mom about MC (daughter); we discussed how much she resembled her father. Yes, you may detect a bit of resentment there….I carried her for 9 months, gained an unmentionable amount of weight, endured 16 hours of labor and the only thing that seems to resemble me is her chin! And let me tell you, no one looks at that child and says, “Wow, she has your chin, what a cutie!” Anyway, back to my original thought. As we talked about MC and her father, it was like I suddenly remembered, I have a husband, I’m a married woman, Yes! I truly felt excitement at this moment.


I had the opportunity to see my DH (dear husband) this weekend and it was amazing! My flight got in a little late and of course I got lost driving my awesome Kia Rondo, so hubby arrived at the hotel before me. As I made my way to our room I had that nervous butterfly feeling in my stomach. I love that he still stirs up those giddy, school-girl emotions. He opened the door and the second I laid eyes on him I felt complete again. I was with my better half and we had the next 30 hours to tell stories, hold hands, and once again, kiss each other goodnight. The only thing missing was MC, but it was much too short of a trip to bring her. DH was able to watch a few video clips of the babe and was amazed at her development. I told him about her sassy, little attitude and he swears that comes from me. The weekend was perfect and I am reminded of how strong our commitment is to one another.


You can do a lot of people watching at airports and that is exactly what I did on my way out to DC. I seemed to zero in on all of the annoying people and it left me frustrated. Then something wonderful happened to me on my flight home from DC to Chicago. I sat next to an older gentleman, he smiled when I sat down and that was about it. However, when beverages were being served he would only use his right arm to take items from the flight attendant; I watched a little longer to make sure my observation was correct. After watching him spill most of his coffee onto the tray I offered to help open the small package of peanuts. He was thankful and began to tell me about the stroke he had almost a year ago. Later the pesky flight attendant asked him several times if the items sticking out from the seat in front of him were trash. I felt like snapping back with, “No lady, the items are not trash, they are a package of Kleenex’s this man is using and he placed them there because he has limited mobility of his left arm.” The lady was just doing her job and it actually reminds me of how I rush through my days not really slowing down to pay attention to the things that matter most. I am thankful for sitting next to that man; he reminded me that nothing in life is guaranteed and a little bit of kindness can go a long way. I need to slow down and breathe in all that is happening around me, especially MC growing up.

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!