NCO of the Month

After anxiously awaiting to hear from my husband about his day and how the board went, I finally got news this morning that he won! CPL. Jeffrey Davis is 8-1 CAV's NCO of the Month! This board is normally meant for SGTs and SSGs (higher rank than him) and he won anyways! He now has to prepare for the NCO of the Quarter board that will be held next month.

Congratulations Jeff, I am telling you again how proud I am of you because I don't think it can be said enough.

Now, onto much less exciting news from the homefront.

I bought Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days for Jack yesterday at Target. I am just not a big fan of the children's shows they offer on cable these days. Sesame Street is on of my favorite children's shows of all time and buying this DVD set was in hope that he will enjoy it too. Turns out, he loves it! And I'll admit, I like watching it too :) We just watched an episode with the "Lady Bug Picnic" in it. I can remember my mom singing "1,2,3.. 4,5,6.. 7,8,9.. 10,11,12.. and they all played games at the ladybug's picnic" to me when I was younger, and I hear her sing it to Avery now. I have these memories of Sesame Street and I want to share them with Jack, and I'm just really happy I will be able to.

Now I'm off to throw myself deep into this mess of stuff we spoke about yesterday and hopefully get a lot of it taken care of today. My dad called last night and wants to move all the furniture and big stuff out tomorrow evening, so I need to have all of it ready to go and the rest of the stuff out of the way. Anyone able to come and kick me in the butt and and get me in gear?

Hero of the week!

The commander for 8-1 Cav. sends out an update pretty reguarly (Bless him!). In each update he identifies heroes of the week. This week, Jeff was one of them! Here is what LTC Clark had to say about he and Spc Karr.

"Over the past two weeks, CPL Davis and SPC Karr have helped numerous Afghan children while on patrol, assisted the Squadron Aid Station in caring for wounded Afghan Border Policeman, and continued to support the battery. They continually checks on Soldiers and are in the process of renewing our CLS skills to prepare for the upcoming summer heat. These two Soldiers have done an outstanding job taking initiative, being prepared, and ensuring that leaders are prepared to care for our Soldiers. They are our heroes this week"

A Glimpse

I have quite the treat for you today! Some pictures of what our soldier and his buddies have been up to lately!

Lots of Stuff Today

I think we'll start today with some photos. Jack and I ventured to grandpa Kevin's house today, to do some laundry and visit with him. It had been way too long since they had seen each other and they played until they tuckered out! The funniest thing was that they were both snoring!

Last Thursday included a trip to Aunt Kelly and Unlce Tom's house to pick up some stuff. Ethan and Jack are almost always happy to see each other and finally have someone their own size to play with. But in this particular stretch of time, Ethan was very hungry and his mama was not moving fast enough. He started crying. Jack stared at him for a second, and then reached over and stuck his hand in Ethan's mouth. I guess he was tired of hearing that crying! haha

Now that we're all caught up on some cuteness, on with some news. A deployment update made it's way into my inbox today. The weather there is back up into the 90s on the FOB, and their only expecting it to get hotter. But being in theater for 8 months as opposed to just arriving has allowed them to prepare for the heat a little more efficently this summer. They have ice readily available and refridgerators stocked with water waiting for our boys, should they need it, and I'm sure they will. Like with every deployment, there have been rumors about redeployment circulating back at Fort Lewis, but the update concurs with the original orders 365 days. Please be aware, that this timeline is an estimate for homecoming, and does not reflect the exact date that Jeff will be returning stateside. CPT is recommending that no plans be made just yet and reassures us that he will let us know about any information he can, as soon as possible. I won't quote the rest of the email, because in my opinion it's written in quite a negative tone. It says we should focus on the last 25% of deployment, and not our soldiers' homecoming. I'm not usually ignore advice from an FRG update... but I'm for damn sure going to be focusing on Jeff's homecoming for the next couple months.

For those of you that ordered from my mom's Silpada jewelry party, she closed it today! So we should be recieving our goodies within a short time. I'm so excited to see my jewelry. I ordered some very cute two-toned earrings. I lost my favorite pair last month. I also ordered a two-toned ring with a cross on it and a 3 pack set of smaller more simple earrings. Hopefully they are as beautiful as they were in the catalog. I consider my order my early Happy Easter present from Jeff :) hehe. Thanks, dear. You're soooo thoughtful! ;)

Dinner was a gift from my dad today. Bob Evans, very yummy. Man, I'm going to miss that place when I go back to Washington. Speaking of moving, I will be calling the Fort Lewis housing office tomorrow morning and speaking with them about a move in date. So I should be able to give everyone an exact date Jack, Luna, and I will be departing Ohio after that phone call.

Closing the blog with some good grades sounds like a good idea, too bad I don't have any... Just kidding! I got a B on my Nutrition final today! I was not expecting a grade higher than a C, so I was pleasantly surprised with the results. My Sociology final is on the schedule for the coming week and then I will be done with Spring Session A! I'm still undecided in my attendence for next session. As soon as the decision is made, you all will be the first to know! Well second to know, after Jeff of course. Love to all and goodnight!

Cold = Unhappy Kate

I hate the cold weather we've been having so much that my detest for it was worthy of the title today. I'm finding myself missing Washington more than ever, soley because it's 45 degrees there today. It's sunny there today too! Mother nature is taunting me. You know what the temperature here in Ohio is today? 28. Yep, 28 degrees. But oh wait, let's not forget that the "feels like" temperature is 15 degrees. The worst part is that it looks warm outside. (Another example of mother nature's despise for me).

I'm shocked to report that at 4 and a half months old, our little Jack is wearing 6 month clothing. He's actually almost to tall for it. We might have a basketball player on our hands here folks! But, he does have those "catcher" genes in him somewhere so I'm sure he'll just be a tall baseball player. Or hey, maybe even both.

After talking to Jeff while I was feeding Jack lunch today, we are both at a loss as to how to get our son to swallow some cereal (or anything for that matter) from a spoon. I know it takes time, and I know he doesn't have to start just yet. But we've been at it for a week now, and he wants no part of it. I've also tried applesauce, and that's obviously not hitting the spot either. I guess he will get it eventually. He's just so darn stubborn. I think he takes after his daddy! Or better yet, he takes after Jackie James #1!  :)

I start back to school on Monday. I can already tell that this quarter is going to be harder than the first. In a way, I'm sort of happy about that. I feel like my fall quarter classes didn't really challenge me much. I haven't looked at my Nutrition class page yet, but I did look at my Sociology page and our final paper topic will be analyzing an event that happened the year we were born. So get those brains a-thinking for me!

In other and finals Davis family news, I got an email from the FRG today. They have met with LTC about redeployment and and post-deployment leave. Right now we are still looking at a 12 month deployment. We will know more when the replacements for Jeff's unit arrive in theater. The word is that about 3 weeks after they get there, our guys will be able to redeploy! When they come home they will have a couple days off work completely, and then they will do half days in order to get paperwork, shots, counseling, etc. done. After those two weeks are over, block leave will start! Our block leave will be 3 weeks long.

All this talk about reployment makes me so happy! It means that it's happening pretty soon! Alright, my mom is yelling at me because I'm going to be late for my chiropractor appointment so I better go before I get my butt whooped. That's all for now.

Where's the slacker? Right here, here I am!

Woah. What has it been? 22 days since I wrote? Yikes, sorry guys. Things have been pretty normal around here lately. We're keeping up with the same routine, here on the homefront and around the world on the FOB too. I'm just going to break this up into sections today. 

Jack:

He is now just over 4 months old! Crazy, isn't it? I still can't get my mind around it sometimes. He had his well check-up with Dr. Jane-Wit yesterday and recieved his immunizations as well. He weighed in at 13 pounds 15 ounces and he is 26 inches long. His weight is in the 25th percentile for his weight, and the 75th for his length. The doctor gave the okay to start spoon-feeding cereals. She followed by saying we should stick with each one we try for at least a week to see if there's any reaction (such as a food allergy or something along those lines). Jack can now roll over from stomach to his back. And he is holding his head up like he's been doing it for years. His legs are getting stronger and readying for the crawling he'll be starting soon and his favorite thing is probably still his swing. However, he's really got into watching movies with Mama lately. He loved the Transformers movie. (Congratulations Daddy, he is a Optimus Prime fan for sure). He's very ticklish and loves to listen to Mama read him books. Thank you to everyone that gifted him a book for Christmas. It means so much to Jeff and I will have the resources to teach our son to love reading and books as much as we do. The biggest (and cutest) development Jack has achieved recently is... laughing!

Jeff:

Everyone will be happy to know that Jeff has been able to pass out blankets to everyone in his platoon! And not only that but he's been able to supply first platoon with blankets too. Now, almost everyone in the battery is supplied with a blanket. Jeff says that they have nothing but good things to say about them. From the soldiers serving there and from their families here too, we would like to extend our deepest thank you to the family and friends that helped make this possible. And a big thank you to my mama, Beth. She organized this and has been working hard to make sure the blankets get sent and the soldiers are taken care of. On a different note, Jeff has recently had the opportunity to change up his schedule a little bit. He was on a convoy detail for a while. Although convoys aren't really any more fun than gun line shifts, I think he was happy to just get a break from the same old, same old.

Kate:

Ah, where to start. We'll start with the the bad. I've had to start seeing a chiropracctor for some back pain I've been having since I gave birth to Jack. At my first appointment, Dr, Brandon Hanes with Hanes Chiropractic out of Chillicothe, Ohio, did a couple of scans and an xray to see what the problem was. He told me that I have a curved spine, pinched nerves in my lumbar spine, and also osteo-arthritis. We are hoping with many treatments and home exercises that it can be repaired and my pain will go away. Because of the severity, he scheduled me to come in every other day since my first appointment last Saturday. Tomorrow is a week from that appointment and it will be my fourth visit. I am getting re-scanned tomorrow to see if the treatments have helped at all. Prayers please!

On, a lighter note, I'm gearing up to start my second session of class at Coastline College. My first day is February 2nd. I recently got my books in the mail and I'm taking Nutrition and Sociology. I'm pretty excited about the Nutrition class. Hopefully I will learn a thing or two about eating right, or maybe even three! That would definitely help me on my weight-loss journey.

Nothing else is really going on with the Davis family. We are a little over halfway done with deployment and couldn't be happier about that. We love our new addition to the family, Luna. She is fitting in just right and she and Jack are best buddies. We are still waiting on orders to see where we will be stationed when Jeff redeploys home. There is about a 65% chance that we will be staying at Fort Lewis in Washington but you never know! We will find out soon enough I suppose.

Bye for now and Love to all!

Quick Update

Okay I've been a VERY busy woman lately, so here's whatcha get.

Kate:
-has been sick lately, but is feeling much better now. Went to the doctor and got some medicines for the dizzies that have continued since pregnancy. It seem to be working so far. An echocardiogram was run on Monday Dec. 21st and the results came back normal.
-is on winter break from college. Also I'm trying to decide what classes to take in Spring quarter. Any suggestions?
-is depressed because of her failing weight loss mission. All my fault. No one else's. I really need to buckle down.
-is exahausted. Six Christmas celebrations down. Two to go.

Jack:
-is smiling like you wouldn't believe. He is a very happy boy these days.
-laughed out loud for the first time on Christmas Eve. At grandpa Kevin!
-is officially spoiled rotten. The amount of toys this kid has is seriously ridiculous.

Jeff:
-is staying put at his FOB. As far as we know he is NOT moving anymore. So MAIL IS A GO! Send as much as you want and often.
-is absolutely loving all the boxes he has recieved. Thank you to everyone that has helped make this holiday season a little bit more bearable for him.
-has been told that he will have orders by February 5th at the latest. Everyone in the Brigade is supposed to have orders by then. This means that by this date, we will know if we are staying at Fort Lewis, Washington for the next 3 years or if we will be PCSing (moving) to a new post.
-is AMAZING. And his wife loves him very much :)



The end.

Insomnia

It's five in the morning and my sleep cycle is ALL messed up. Jack has been out since about 2300 and I'm still awake. Obviously the fact that my hubby wakes up for his day around midnight our time has something to do with it. I just can't bring myself to go to sleep when A) I'm not really tired and B) I could be talking to him instead of staring at the ceiling in the dark trying to fall asleep. I think my plan for tonight, er, this morning is to just stay up. I might as well. I'll hope that this will make me tired enough to fall asleep around 2100. I'm hoping to get Jack and I on a 2100-0500 sleep schedule because thats what daddy's is when he's working in the states. We will see how this works out.

The past couple days have been filled with reconnecting with friends I hadn't seen in a while. Mainly, Dustie. Dustie and I have been best friends for quite a long time. We kept in contact when we graduated high school but not as much as we should have and wanted to. It's so good to be around him again. I need trustworthy friends that would help me no matter what if I needed it, and friends that are good with Jack. He definitely fits that description. (And I think my mama is glad to see him again too).

Ashley is another friend that I have missed. Of course I was still seeing her every once in a while, but again like with Dustie, not as much as we wanted. Laura and John watched Jack on Saturday so Ashley and I could head to River Valley mall to get some Christmas shopping done. We had a blast and found tons of really good deals, and I can fully say (with the exception of Ashley and Erin) I'm done with Christmas shopping! Woo! Go me! Well I guess I still have to get Jack's walker but other than that, completely done! AND, everything is wrapped! I know, I'm on a Christmas roll. I'm expecting a recruiting call from the North Pole fairly soon actually.

It's deployment update time! Jeff is, as usual, doing very well. He has recieved most of the boxes that you all have sent out so far. And he would like to say thank you. He loves getting mail and boxes. As most of you are aware already Jeff got word that his platoon will be moving locations. This could be a good or bad thing communication wise. We are not sure yet of the amenities that this new FOB will/does have. Only time will tell I suppose.I have been spreading the word to stop all mail going to Jeff until further notice. Well new information says you are now allowed to send mail to his current address until Friday, December 11th. After the 11th, please hold off on sending anything else until further notice to insure that Jeff will recieve your letter/box. Please pass these instructions along. To end our deployment update I would like to let everyone know that this past week Jeff, along with another medic, was named "Hero of the Week" for his unit. He was recognized for his efforts in helping at the aid station a few locals showed up with severe injuries from an IED. Our soldier is doing his job very well over there and even his superiors are noticing. Congratualations Jeff! Here's a picture of Jeff working on a howitzer that he sent me a couple days ago.

Jack is just over a week away from being 3 months old! I cannot believe my eyes sometimes when I look at him and see how much he's grown. He is now wearing Pampers #2 diapers for infants 12-18 pounds. Just little things like that make me realize how much time is flying. I need to enjoy and document every little moment. The precious moments I experience with him now will be replaced by others soon and I don't ever want to forget them. He is getting very strong, holding his head up to investigate his surroundings constantly. He still is a fan of his swing but usually only when he's sleepy. He loves the new mobile mommy got him as an early Christmas present. It runs on batteries so mommy doesn't have to keep re-winding it. It plays classical music, nature sounds, or a heart beat and has the traditional mobile hanging animals as well as a projector that provides circulating images on the mobile's underneath.

In closing, I'm offering big thanks to everyone that has been in contact with my mama and is donating a blanket to Jeff's unit. We are so blessed to be surrounded by such loving and caring support group. My prayer request for today is for all those military spouses going through the Christmas traditions alone right now. As civilians, most of my readers would never think something as small as putting out your snowman cookie tin would upset you. But the truth is holidays hurt for us and there's no way around it. My prayer is just that God will help you all to find peace this holiday season and love with friends and family. Love to all!

Mommyitis

It's been a while, I know. I'm a very bad blogger. Shhhhh.. don't tell anyone. I've made it through my first big holiday alone. Jack and I had a wonderful thanksgiving and were happy to spend it with extended family since we couldn't have daddy. I think in total over the past 3 days, I've eaten the amount equal to a full turkey. But man, was it yummy. A recent FRG update stated that Jeff was able to enjoy a pretty normal holiday, in the culinary aspect at least. His meal was complete with many variations of turkey, and of course some mouth watering desserts. However, I would say they had a special topping that we here on the homefront did not, sand. None the less, it's good that our soldiers celebrated too.

Jack is practically glued to me today. He wants no part of his swing, or his play mat, or anything else I've tried to present with an excited face. I think he gets like this when he misses his daddy. We've got to SEE daddy a lot in the past couple days thanks to a recent improvement on the FOB. Personal internet! Jeff now has access to internet on his personal computer in his room. Which has allowed for another new benefit, webcam. Jack and I can see him and he can see us. It is wonderful! People may think I'm crazy, but Jack knows that's his daddy on there. Just like he knows when Jeff calls. His big blue eyes just light up and he kicks and coos and grunts. It melts my heart every time. There's nothing like that father/son bond and distance doesn't change it, that's for sure. I love my boys!

Today is supposed to be cleaning day for me but my son's clinging has put that on hold. He comes first, the dusting and sweeeping will still be there tomorrow. But at 2 months going on 20 years, Jack is growing too fast. I'm going to cherish every minute he still wants me to comfort him, because I know there will be a day he'll have to comfort me.

MOVED!

I've (once again) been MIA for quite a few days now. Good reason ahead I promise! I first want to say just how happy I am to be a mommy right now. Jack is asleep on my chest right now and he's just so peaceful. His hand wrapped tightly around his daddy's dogtags like they always are make this is bitterly sweet sight for mommy. Today we have 8 months and 10 days left of this deployment. While most days it seems it's going by fast, today it is lagging. I wish so badly that Jeff were here to share Jack's special moments. Every time he smiles I get tears in my eyes because I know how badly his daddy wishes he was here to witness it. I wish I could stop time for Jeff. I wish I could fix this for him. But I can't and I'm having a really hard time dealing with that today.

In other news, I have moved! Jack and I are now residing in our own apartment. I must say that I did not realize how much I missed having my own place until I got into my own place again. It's so nice to just relax and not feel like a guest. My mama and I love each other until the very end and it's not that I was unhappy living in her house. I just prefer my own space, especially with the new arrival of little man. I look forward to having many dinners and get togethers here with family and friends. I'm in the process of decorating now. When I it mostly finished I will post pictures. In the meantime, call and let's arrange a time for you to come visit Jack and I in our new home.

Jack news:

I am a very proud mama these past few days. My baby boy is sleeping through the night, in his own crib, in his own room for 3 nights running now. He loves the mobile that Grandma Beth bought for him before he arrived and it usually assists in his falling to sleep. He is also (not surprisingly I'm sure) growing like a weed! Eating 6 ounces per feeding now, sometimes more. He absolutely loves his swing, and will spend hours in it if I let him. And a new activity that has become part of our daily routine is kick time. He just loves to lay by himself on the floor and kick. Sometimes that's all he wants, is to be put down for a while and not cooped up in someone's arms. At six weeks old, I couldn't ask for a better little boy.

Daddy news:

From what I hear, Jeff has been able to call a lot of you lately! I'm so glad you've all been able to enjoy hearing his voice. I think it makes the distance a little more bearable to say the least. In our conversation tonight, Jeff told me that they have just opened up the new MWR facility on the FOB today. There are EIGHTEEN computers inside and he says it's set up very nicely with many more amenities. The gym is supposed to open very soon and he is quite excited about that as well. He also said that they are working on laying foundation for three more rows of CHU's (their living quarters). And when those are done, they will probably be living 1 person per CHU as opposed to the 2 per CHU they are living now. It will be very nice for the soldiers to be able to have that complete privacy that I'm sure they've been missing since July.

Overall today has been a pretty laid back day for Jack and I. We watched the Buckeyes kick some Aggie butt at Michelle's house today, picked up a few things on the way home, and have really just relaxed the rest of the day. Mommy probably should have been working on hanging some pictures or folding some laundry but oh well. A break every now and then doesn't hurt anyone. I'm about to lay this 10 pounds of sleeping baby down in his crib, have a cup of hot tea with some cookies, and then head to bed myself. Goodnight and love to all!

Deployment Pictures!

I got an update from LTC Clark this morning and it contained some pictures of the soldiers. One of them was of Jeff! So I thought I would share :)

Jeff, playin' on the computer. AHHH I miss him!

SPC. Lumpkin, Jeff's roommate.

And this last picture, I don't know who the guy is.. I just wanted to post it and ask if anyone knows how in the world you would get a lawnchair to Afghanistan? haha

Thats all I have for now, Jack just ate breakfast and we're heading back to bed for a while! YAY! I love my baby, he's such a good boy! Hope you enjoyed the pictures, love to all!

3 down, 9 to go!

Yay!!!! I'm feeling so accomplished today. We are in single digits for months left and we're kicking this deployment's butt! Don't get me wrong it's been an emotional roller coaster on both sides of the world, but overall we are handling it very well in my opinion. Not that I ever had any doubts. It's just nice to think that I can do this, I am doing this. I'm strong enough. And the best part is that I know when I'm doing okay, Jeff doesn't worry as much. Therefore, he does better as well. Nine months and my husband will be back in my arms, and our son back in his. I can't wait!

As a reward for myself, I enjoyed a relaxation massage at Looks Unlimited Spa today. I highly reccommend this service for anyone who needs to destress. Call Melissa immediately! It was amazingly relaxing. I haven't found many thing that will let me fully relax between Jeff being deployed, a new baby, started back to school, etc. But today, for an hour I really was at peace with everthing in my mind. I even rescheduled for next month, and will probably continue to return regularly in months to come after that. I think that having my massage to look forward to every month will help the time to pass quicker. It will give me something immediate to be excited about, rather than focusing on the long term homecoming. Kudos to you Melissa the massage therapist, you've earned an additional regular client!

Jeff arrived back at his FOB safely yesterday. He is back with his unit and enjoying the many new amenities that have been added to his abode since he left. He says the food at the newly operating DFAC is much tastier than what he's become accustomed to so far. There's been a downgrade in some of the other conveniences, however. There is no longer access to computers and internet availible for use. Aparently, the sattelite has been tampered with by one of the soldiers, resulting in the sattelite eventually breaking. Now, they have to wait for someone to come to the FOB to fix it. When this person is coming is currently unknown but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be soon and that the soldiers will STOP messing with things! In addition to no computers, the number of telephones available has been cut down to three for the entire FOB. Meaning hugely long lines and even more limited use. A new MWR tent (where the computers and phones are housed) is being built at this time. The word is that the current computers and phones will be moved in as well as additional of each, as soon as the tent is completed. How many computers and phones will be added? Who knows. While the decrease in communication tools is grounds for being a little discouraged, I just have to remember that we are blessed that they've maintained any contact devices at all.

Dear Army,

Thank you for your efforts to keep families close emotionally when you must physically separate them. You catch a lot of heat from military and civilians alike claiming you don't do anything for families. I am apologizing for them. It's inevitable and known that military families will probably experience at least one deployment in the wartime we are currently enduring. You must take my husband, at least you're trying to help keep us as comfortable as you can. You don't hear it enough, this is an Army wife saying thank you!

Sincerly,

a very proud army wife.

My heart is traveling again.

Well Jeff has headed back overseas. R&R was amazingly enjoyable and much needed for both of us and Jack too. Jack and Jeff immediately bonded and continued to throughout the two weeks they were together. As a mother, that is the single most heart-warming sight to me. Seeing my baby boy bonding with the man who has my heart. I know that Jeff worries about it sometimes but there's no doubt in my mind that Jack will remember him fully come July. They are two peas in a pod!

Jeff called today and said he had made it through Germany and he is safely on the ground in Kuwait. No word on when he'll be continuing on. He sounds well and said that he was able to sleep quite a bit on the three flights he's endured so far. I recieved a deployment update from Cpt Fausnaugh today as well. The update contained information stating that the DFAC (cafeteria) was up and running at the FOB and the soldiers are enjoying much better food, and many more choices in foods as well. Also a big improvement has taken place since Jeff left. 3-17 (Jeff's unit) has moved into their RLB's. RLB's are kind of like a mobile shed, for lack of a better description. Imagine a semi-trailer, but the size cut in half. I think there are four guys stuffed in each 16 x 8 square foot RLB. While space is tight, each one contains an air conditioner and heater. The best feature of them though, according to the soldiers, is that they have blinds installed that when closed completely block out the sun. This has asisted majorly in the resting of our guys during the day, after they've gotten off of their night shifts. The MWR facility (where soldiers are given access to computers, internet, and phones) are on the schedule to recieve 15 more computers on top of the 5 they already have by the end of the month. This will allow for shorter wait lines and more frequent usage as a result, hopefully.

After leaving the airport Monday afternoon, I stopped by a Babies R Us store since I was already in Columbus. Jack is growing like a weed! He is already comfortably fitting into 0-3 month clothing. I picked up a couple more outfits in that size that were on sale, the "What to expect: the first year" book, formula, and...... his halloween costume!! He is going to be peas in a pod. Jeff and I had seen the costume on a website online when we were looking before. Then I saw in it in the store and it was even cuter in person, too cute to pass up. Here is a picture

He is going to look so cute. I can't wait to dress his up in it! Well the new episode of NCIS is coming on. Its one of Jeff and I's regular shows, so Jack and I are going to watch it and head to bed. Love to all!

Pictures from the FOB

Pictures!

Here's what our soldier has been up to!

This is some of the guys from Bravo (Jeff's battery) shooting off one of the howitzers

A chinook, either coming in for landing or taking off

The kitchen in the DFAC is under contruction still but almost done

The rest of the DFAC

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Hi all, if you are reading this, you have been invited to keep up with our little family by reading these updates. After posting updates on facebook for a while, I realized that not everyone that is important to us, has a facebook profile. I was constantly trying to make sure I copied and pasted the updates and emailed them to everyone. Ah! too much!. So I've decided to just make a blog that everyone can see regardless of a facebook or myspace profile. So save this page in your favorites! Cause this is where all the info will be from now on. Also I will post pictures from time to time. Probably LOTS of pictures, as I take tons of them. Especially when baby Jack gets here. He's going to know how to smile on cue before he even knows what its for! :)

As far as baby Jack and I, we have exactly 2 weeks and 6 days left on this eventful journey we call pregnancy. Official due date still being September 23rd. We are both doing pretty good. I am having some issues with my asthma. I caught a cold that quickly turned into bronchitis and landed me in the ER for a night after an asthma attack. But my doctors have gotten that under control with some new meds and they seem to be doing the job. Jack is very obviously getting pretty squished in his home of 8 1/2 months. He seems to get so frustrated sometimes and tried to stretch in every direction he can. Heartburn has returned for me in the past couple weeks, on account of there being virtually no room for my stomach. But all this is managable and very well worth it! We will continue to take it easy until he decides to make his debut!

Jeff is doing very well. Its been a while since I've updated on him, so bear with me while I try to remember what you know and don't know. He is BORED! He says this every time I talk to him. Which of course I have no problem with, but of course he says its getting rather mundane. He is still doing 18 hour shift duties like he has been for quite a while now. He says it is a lot but it helps make the days go by faster. I recently recieved a general update from one of Jeff's higher ups. They send these to us pretty regularly if they can so that we have some idea of what its like there. He says that life is improving every day at the FOB where they are stationed. the MWR internet service was installed recently and is up and working. However, there are only 5 computers. And that is a major differnece in ratio to the number of people wanting to use them. But, at least they are availiable. The Armed Forces Network gear arrived recently as well, and the soldiers are all pretty excited to get some tv and (hopefully) get to catch some of this season's football games. The problem is, that none of them know how to install the equipment! So they are working on getting the right people there to do that soon, hopefully before the first week of the NFL season of course! They guys are all still living in tents currently, but are waiting and watching (very impatiently I presume) as the contractors get closer and to finishing the re-locatable billets. The DFAC (cafeteria) is also still under construction. Many of the soldiers are starting to wonder if it will ever be finished. From what I hear they recently have been serving lots of burritos and enchiladas. They've even started to count consecutive days. CPT I recieved the email from says his count is at 15 days in a row currently. The mail service is still slow but has improved greatly. So again, I REALLY encourage you to send letters! Its constant reminder for Jeff that we're thinking about him here. If you need the address again, don't hesitate to ask!

All and all, our family's life is pretty good right now. The thing we are most looking forward to is that Jeff SHOULD BE coming home for r&r (two weeks of leave) towards the end of this month. Obviously I cannot post exact dates, but things are looking up that Jack will get to meet his mommy AND daddy at the same time. Which is great! Now, this is all assuming that Jack waits til he's supposed to come, so we'll see. Regardless we could not be more thankful that the army is giving him this time to spend with us. I'm also looking forward to starting my college classes at the end of October. I'm taking classes through Coastline Community College online. In two years, if all goes as planned, I will have an AA in general studies emphasis in science and math. I chose to do this and get my generals out of the way first since I still don't have a clue what I want for a career. The best part is that I recieved a 6000 dollar grant through the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account Program, so I will be paying close to nothing for my first two years of school.

As you can see, things are looking really good for all three of us right now. We are so thankful to God for what he's blessed us with. I hope that everyone will follow this blog, and feel free to make comments as well!
We love you all!