Settled

Hey there everyone...anyone.

It's been a little while since I posted anything here since we were incredibly busy with the move and Thanksgiving.  We've finally settled in and love our new home.  There are only 2 boxes left for Jason to go through when he comes home because there his specialty...game consoles and some other junk that I have no idea what it is.  Anyway...Rieley and I survived and are especially grateful to my parents and Ama and Uncle Tommy for coming to help.  We even have our Christmas decorations up inside and out.  : )  We are completely loving the new house.  It feels a lot more welcoming and homely than any of the apartments we lived in and is also much better kept.  It is so comfortable and quaint and I am constantly wondering why we didn't do this in the first place.  The convenience is amazing and I am just too happy for words to be in our new home.

Now, we are preparing for the holidays to come and for Daddy's homecoming!  We have made a "Welcome Home" sign that we will hang outside of the house and I am planning to bake some submarine-shaped sugar cookies decorated with a "Congratulations!" as Jason just passed his test and got promoted to first class!!!  Woot woot!!  We are so very proud of Daddy!!  (Thank you to my "secret pal" who gave me the submarine-shaped cookie cutter and sugar cookies mix).  We ladies have a bunch of projects we're finishing up before the guys pull in.  We will be putting up a cup sign where we stick the bottom ends of plastic cups into chain link fence diamonds to create a design right outside of the Pearl Harbor Naval Base main entrance.  I can't believe we're finally at this point!  I can't hold in the excitement and I can't wish the days would go by any faster!!!  Rieley is especially excited because she asked her daddy to take her to see Disney's The Princess and the Frog movie when he gets back and of course, like any good daddy would, he agreed.  She hasn't forgotten his promise.  She is so stoked every time she sees a commercial for the movie and says, "Mommy look! Princess and the frog show.  Daddy take me!!"  It is too cute.

Well, in other, not-so-exciting news, I took Rieley to get her H1N1 vaccination shot and she did really well.  She didn't cry a bit until we were about to leave and she saw all the toys in the waiting room calling her to come back and play!  LOL.  What a crack up!  She didn't get sick at all afterwards, either...well, aside from both of us having minor headcolds that we are trying to clear up before Jason gets home.

We also want to welcome Mya Noelle to this grand 'ol world!  Jason, Rieley, and I are so very excited to have a brand new niece that we will meet in January!!!  We cannot wait to squeeze you, little one!  And Mr. Jaxen, you seem like you've taken very well to being a big bro!  We miss you and Rieley can't wait to play with you!!!!

Next time I come on, I'll probably have lots of pics for you all of the projects we've been working on and homecoming!!!  Excuse me if it takes a little while as we have a lot of making up to do as a family!!!  : )  Hope the holidays are going well for you all thus far and its not racing away from you!  Enjoy them while they're here.  : )  Take care and God bless!

XO,
Stephanie

Ants in the pants!

Ugh! Today is just going by way too slow.  Plans fell through (mostly due to the weather...which I love, just hate that plans got canceled) and Rieley and I have just been sitting here trying to think of things that need to get done.  We haven't really come up with anything thus far.  I have addressed and prepared some Mary Kay stuff to go out in the mail Monday morning and I intend to go input some information my director needs from me as far as Mary Kay sales, but that's about it.  I have tried to come up with somewhere to go to get out of the apartment, but have come up empty so far.  I am waiting to hear from a friend to see if she wants to meet up and catch up over dinner.  I am refusing to do any more packing until I can get some stuff moved over to the new place because it is just getting too overwhelming with all of the boxes and junk that I have hanging around the apartment.  The master bedroom is completely un-/inaccessible (is that a word?).  I have never wanted a weekend to go by more quickly than I do right now.

We got to see the new house yesterday for a brief amount of time.  I can't even tell you how badly I wish I could get the keys and move in right then and there.  It's a cute and very clean little place...a bit smaller than I expected, but still comparable or even slightly bigger than what we have now with a cute little yard, I garage, lots of storage space, an actual dining room (we've never had that in any of our rentals) and a cute kitchen and laundry room.  I love the little backyard that Rieley can play in.  It's fenced in and I would totally trust her playing out there while I watch from the living room.  Jason will be happy, I'm sure.  The convenience can't be beaten with the NEX, restaurants, gas station, bank, Target, and base all in the same area...basically walking distance if I really wanted that exercise.  There are adorable "tot lots" all over the neighborhood and lots of friends from Jason's boat nearby.  I'm so excited to get our move on Monday morning!  What to do with myself until then, I do not know.

Anyway...this blog was not of much importance...just trying to give myself something to do.  : )  Countdown to homecoming is underway!!!  Woohoo!!!

XO,
Stephanie

Jinxed

Ahh...did I totally jinx myself after writing that last blog regarding Rieley's potty training? Oh...more on that later. I wanted to start off by reporting on Rie's doctor's appointment. She did fine. She had gained 4lbs which is like a ton for pint-sized humans like herself. She's righ back on track to what she was prior to 18 months. I think she just had a phase where she was really picky about her food, but she's a lot better about that now. Like I said, she's constantly hungry. Every hour she comes to me and says, "Mommy,I hungry." Anyway, per the doctor, Rieley more than made up for her lack of weight gain and there is absolutely nothing to worry about at this point of our 31 1/2 lb tot!

As for the potty training...why couldn't we have one of those easy kids that are just ready to be a big kid. Haha. She's not doing so bad, other than the continuous cleaning of pee puddles all over the house. I have gotten pretty gutsy and have been putting her in panties almost all day, even when we're out and about. So far, we've done pretty well about not peeing in her pants while we're out but at home, I think we're a little more lax and accidents happen...over and over and over again. When we're out, I ask her about every 5 minutes if she has to go and sometimes even if she says no, but I think it would be about the time when she should go, we find the nearest bathroom and she goes. At home, she's distracted with tv or playing and I'm doing whatever it is I do all day. Haha. Its not fun at this point, but we're keeping at it. I accept advice. : )

I am really looking forward to signing my lease on Friday and seeing the inside of the house for the first time. I get to pick up my keys and start moving on Monday! Also so excited for the family to come and visit. I am so thankful for everyone (family, boat wives, friends) who have all offered to help with the move or watching Rieley so I can concentrate on working on the place. We definitely want to try and get everything setted before daddy comes home so that he feels nice and welcomed!

Hope all is well with you.

XO,
Stephanie

P.S. I think I enabled comments even if you're not a member of the site so feel free o try it out. Hope it works.

Big Girl!

Today may have been the day that Rieley-Eden decided to be a big girl! I have been "lecturing" her about being a big girl and using the potty like her friends Maddie (5) and Xander (3) and mommy and daddy do. I especially made sure to tell her that she should use the potty so I can tell Daddy what a big girl she is...now that she's having Daddy-withdrawals. I think that really got her attention. Last night, nearly midnight, she woke up from her sleep and asked me to go to the potty...and we went, she went. I was so happy. Then when she woke up, she still had a bit of a wet diaper, but went to the potty again. Woot woot! Throughout the day, I asked if she needed to go. I went to the gym and left her with a playgroup next door and she still had a dry diaper. She didn't have to go yet at lunch time, either. After her nap, I told her I had to go to the potty (a public facility mind you) and she said, "Me first," and she went! Later, we stopped by Xander's house and she went yet again and then again when we got home after dinner. She had an accident in her Pull-Ups just a bit ago, but considering her streak so far today, I'm not upset that she was distracted by the tv and forgot to go. Nonetheless, I went to change the Pull-Up and she wanted a panty. Because its nearing bedtime, I put her in the Pull-Up anyway and she was quite upset about it. In my book, that's yet another sign that she's on her way to becoming a potty-trained citizen. : ) let's hope she keeps it up! I would love for her to start wearing the million and one panties we've got stashed away in her drawer of clothes she doesn't yet fit. I'm sure daddy will be relieved that he won't need to have to help in this process if she can get to that point before he gets home. But then the fun begins...we will need to stake out all restroom facilities in all the public places we go to! Woohoo! Haha.
Rieley has a doctor's appointment and weight check tomorrow. At her two-year appointment, she hadn't gained much or any weight from her 18-mo. visit and that concerned the doctor only because she was in about the 90 or so percentile throughout the 1st year of her life on a steady incline. Since then, her growth chart has been a steady graph like that of a dead person's heart rate on an EKG report. : ) I don't see how since she's constantly hungry. But I will fill you all in on that. And with the packing and all, I haven't gotten around to uploading Halloween pictures to my computer yet. I have a busy week ahead with doctor's appointments and a Mary Kay party, etc. So I will get to it as soon as possible.

Take care and keep checking back! : )
Steph

4th in 4

It is Friday night,the eve of Halloween, and here I am sitting on my super comfy couch with a half-naked 2-year-old running around wanting to go out, but too lazy to get ready and think about something to do. Why bother anyway...this describes my day thus far. : ) But I didn't plan for it to go this way. I intended to get up bright and early (by my standards) to hit the gym. However, my cell phone died in the middle of the night so of course, the alarm didn't go off and by the time Rie woke me up, childcare on base was soon to be closed. Instead, we lounged around, I made necesary phone calls, went for a walk around the neighborhood to kinda make up for not going to the gym, ate some dinner, and here I lay. So I figure it's as good a time as ever to fill y'all in on the latest goings on as we have been extremely busy lately.

Come November 16, we will be moving for the 4th time in 4 years!! Our lease is expiring at the end of November and without a military clause and a raise in rent,I decided against renewing. Instead, I went through the process of applying and getting placed into military housing. Boy was this a process made harder by unnecessary problems. Unfortunately, without Jason home, I did not get his complete input on the decision nor will he be around for the move, but I did receive an email from him yesterday agreeing with the decision I had made. This is a relief for me, but deep down I knew that he would've been supportive of whatever I had decided for our family. We got each other's back like that. Haha. If you need our new address, let me know in an email to elkins0326@gmail.com and I will send it to you...otherwise you can wait for our Christmas letters. : )

Moving is oh-so-stressful and I am thankful that my parents will be flying out to help us. You would think we'd be used to it by now after having moved so many times, but sheesh...I wish we could just settle in a place of our own already and live a life at least resembling normal with Jason home with us all the time. Every time has been for a different reason - first the place was to small, then the company managing the place was half-a$$ed (for lack of better words) about upkeeping the place, and now this. I'm actually looking forward to this one, though, and I'm really excited!

Since I mentioned that I heard from J, I figure I could let you know what he's up to. Well, I can't tell you where he is, but I can tell you that he is quite miserable missing home and of course his 2 leading ladies (no offense Momma E.). He complained about a lot of his division not being much help in completing the tasks they need to in order to make life easier on themselves. He is just so ready to be home after almost 5 months of being out to sea. Poor guy. Hopefully he'll like the package we sent him with pictures of us and it will help to boost his morale. He and Rie are really missing each other. He has been missing the little things that he kinda took for granted like being able to take Rieley trick-o-treating. She in turn has also been asking for her daddy to come home nearly every day. It's so sad. I've caught her watching the pictures on my screensaver and getting excited of the ones with her and her daddy. Well, we have been trying to keep busy with homecoming projects and prepping for the boat's return. I can't tell you how antsy we have been. Time has been going by quickly except for the past week or so. It seems to have slowed down, but hopefully it will pick up once the 16th rolls around and we can move into the new house! We've begun packing, but there's only so much we can pack up that we won't need n the next 2 weeks. Rie is already wondering where a bunch of our stuff has gone...including half her collection of toys...haha. Little does she know its hiding in the stack of boxes in my bedroom. All of J's belongings are packed up so its kinda sad to see little remnants of him for the time being.

Anyway...I think that's about it for now. I don't know where I'm taking my lil pirate to get treats tomorrow night yet. Nonetheless I will post pics of her Halloween adventures later on. : ) Take care and pray everything goes well in the next month or so! Have a safe Halloween!

Xo,
Steph

Fun Mother/Daughter shoot

Hey all,

So my good friend Jacquie (Best) Milam is a brilliant photographer! I love her work so much and she so kindly did one last shoot with Rieley and I before she left Hawaii (she's now in Florida so if you're in the area and are interested in her services, I'd gladly put in a word!). I'm so sad she left...she's kinda my photography mentor. : )

Anyway, these are some of my fav pics she took of us. We will be sending them to Daddy in hopes that we can get him as excited for homecoming as we are! Have I mentioned Rieley has actually asked for him to come home aside from talking to him imaginitively?

Hopefully this will help boost his morale in case its getting low during this home stretch! Good readin'!

Watermelon Accomplished.

Well, today was a feat in and of its self.  I have low counts of energy and metabolism (in my opinion), but for some reason...I have been motivated to DO SOMETHING with myself lately.  I've actually prepared a meal twice in the last week (if you know me, you know I'm not the most domesticated wife, but I try) and keep in mind that we had a Halloween party one night that provided food and that we ate leftovers on both nights afterwards.  Woot Woot!  Add to that the fact that I actually got off the couch today in spite of my bad mood from a not-so-successful open house yesterday and went for a long walk to downtown Honolulu and back toward Ward Center and home and then took the little one to burn some energy and get some sun out at the pool.  And I agree with the experts...exercise and actually accomplishing something in the day does boost your mood because I am much happier than yesterday!

Watermelon.  Are you wondering what the heck I mean by the title of this blog?  Well, what you don't know about little miss thing is that she DOES NOT LIKE FRUIT!  I'm not complaining, though, because she does LIKE her veggies.  She can eat soy beans, green beans, any beans and lettuce, cucumbers and the like...but for some reason, the only fruit I could ever really get her to eat are strawberries.  But tonight...we sat down and had watermelon with our dinner.  She seemed  a little shocked at first, but once she got used to the idea, she chomped away!...along with a side of soy beans.  Haha. 

Anyway...apparently Rieley has gotten into a bottle of water and has turned herself into a human fountain so I need to go check that she has wiped up the water she has spit up all over my living room!  Hope all is well!

XO,
Stephanie