Counting down the hours..

I, of course, love to know when my husband is coming home from a deployment. I have to plan, get organized and clean. I like having my time to do all of these things. But, today I'm just ready for the phone to ring so Jacob and I can head downstairs, get in the car, and drive the terribly long 5 minute drive to the air force base!I've decided I'm just not good at waiting now with just a few hours left. Jacob is down for a nap, the welcome home sign is hung outside, the sun tea is out in the sun, the laundry is folded and put away, and now I sit and wait! Again, not my strong suit in life, I'm not a waiter but I am thankful that today is the day because according to some emails a few days ago we were thinking Jon's arrival back to the island would not be until next week sometime!

I just got...

I just got the best surprise in my email box from my husband! He actually was able to get tickets on my flight that I thought was sold out back to the states. I'm so relieved and thankful to know that I will now have an extra set of hands/lap for Jacob on our 24 hour flight adventure from Okinawa to Tokyo to Dallas to Pensacola!

Now if I could just get motivated to actually start my packing list or actually start packing...

Welcome Baby Aiden Kai!!!

Jacob has a new baby in his circle and I have a new mommy in my circle! One of my childhood friends, Kelly, gave birth to an adorable baby girl last Wednesday!

Trip anxiety

I've decided that I have a little bit of trip anxiety starting. I think I have just realized that going home is not going to be as easy as it sounds. It's hard enough to get myself and Jon packed to fly home but now I have to add in all Jacob's stuff. I've sat and debated now for a month what items of Jacob's I am going to take from here. We are buying a new pack n play once we are home because the pack n play we bought here has a recall on it so we are waiting for our money to come back. I'm waffling between ordering Jake's new convertible car seat or taking an infant car seat with us since we have two car seats and two bases for them and then just ditching the car seat at my parents house when we come back to the island. I want to order a stroller bag so my new Chicco stroller doesn't get dirty but who am I kidding..I am a Mommy to a little boy. The stroller is bound to get dirty sooner or later so now I'm trying to decide between taking the stroller or buying another stroller there. I'm even planning on send some of Jake's toys home so that I not only don't have to waste suitcase space on them but so we don't have to buy any toys while we are there. We have plenty!! It probably doesn't help that Jon is gone and away and all of these choices have to be made now and not in two weeks when we leave.

Nursing Strike...

I believe that Jacob has started a nursing strike due to his cute little bottom teeth that are taking their precious time coming in! Jacob goes from having a great day of nursing to not wanting to nurse at all the next day. He is still refusing his bottle but will drink from a cup. I've tried almost everything I know to do to get him to nurse from loading him up on tylenol, coating his bottom gum with oralgel and giving him a frozen teething toy for him to suck on before nursing. None of it seems to help on the days he does not want to nurse. He will only nurse on those days after he has essentially upset himself enough so that he has red splotches all over his skin and he has broken out in a sweat!

We have pretty much tackled the biting that Jacob started when his teeth first appeared. He does not like my 'no biting' voice and usually will not do it again. I have noticed that the only time that he does it is when he is either not hungry, upset that he can't get enough quick enough, or he is mad that there is no more milk. I look for his cues and take him off before any of these things happen.

As for this nursing strike, I really hope it is only due to the teething and not due to a supply and demand issue. I need to start being more diligent and pumping on the days he refuses to eat. I also started tonight, when he was latching on and off constantly, switching him from side to side and he actually stayed on after being switched four times. I read about doing that somewhere. Whether it was helpful or not we will see. I probably also need to stop sleeping on my stomach. Sleeping on my stomach is usually the only way i can fall asleep when Jon is gone but I need to stop that so tonight I will institute my pillow bunker again. Jon will come home and think I'm pregnant again.

I hope this is just a phase with nursing with Jacob. In 12 days, I will have been nursing for 6 months which was my original goal but now 12 months seems like an even greater goal to achieve. And with our upcoming trip I do not want to have to bother with formula, water, or bottles at all! It's much easier to feed him with my ready-to-go flow of milk!

Valentines Day!!

I've decided now after talking to a friend that the more Valentines Days that Jon and I spend apart the more good luck it brings us in our relationship. Now, after saying that watch Jon never miss a Valentines Day again!! Out of 5 Valentines Days I have only actually spent one with Jon and even then I had to work a 12 hour shift!

Our first Valentines Day, Jon was finishing or had just finished primary and was waiting for selection so I believe he had the day off. I worked a 12 hour shift and then went to his apartment afterwards. I'm sure that we had dinner and I probably had to work the next day. It must not have been super exciting.

Our second Valentines Day, Jon was in California at the rag. I had spent the weekend prior to Valentines Day out in California with Jon and had to fly back on the 14th so at least I got a Valentines Day kiss.

Our third Valentines Day, Jon was in Iraq and I was not about to buy a commerical ticket to Iraq even though I have heard of some family members doing so in order to see their service member over there. I sent Jon a nice Valentines Day theme package and that was all. I got flowers.

Our fourth Valentines Day, Jon had to fly so we were going to eat later. I had baked a red velvet cake. I got a phone call from Jon stuck up on the north part of the island saying that he had to shut the helicopter down due to mechanical difficulties and that he wouldn't be coming home till the morning. I was disappointed but at least he was over land when the helicopter broke so I was very thankful at the same time.

Today, our fifth Valentines Day, is spent with Jon 4,500 miles away off the shore of Thailand and Jacob and myself in Okinawa. Again another Valentines Day apart but I know I will get my Valentines date at Dharma Blue in Pensacola with Jon in a few weeks. I did get some beautiful flowers with very minimal pollen on Thursday from a company on Okinawa called Flower Drop. I love them and the flowers were a great surprise!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone!!!

My sweatyhead!

My little sweaty head is finally asleep for a nap. Jacob just doesn't feel good today. He has had a little sweaty head all morning and has wanted to be held all morning which is not like him. He had a fever earlier which was difficult to take with his powerful legs. I had to try 3 times but finally I got a temperature and he got some tylenol. He nursed and went to sleep after some gentle Mommy rocking.

I can't tell if it is his teeth coming through more that is causing all of this or if he is getting sick. It's so frustrating when he can't tell me what is wrong. I wish I knew so I could make him feel better. Yesterday I thought it was his teeth because he was 'chewing' his hands constantly and wouldn't eat. Today he is eating like a champ and not 'chewing' his hands. Hopefully, I'll figure it out. If not we already have his 6 month baby visit scheduled for next week!

A phone call changes your day!

This morning I woke up an realized it had been 4 or 5 days since I had last heard from Jon and even that email was a forwarded email about our upcoming Pensacola adventure. I always worry no matter what when he is gone and I haven't heard from him. I believe that is a part of being a pilot's wife and I've accepted it, I just still don't like it. My ears were itching this morning which probably makes no sense at all but I have this set of diamond earrings from Jon and I won't take them out till I hear from him for the day while he is away. I have done it every since he went to Iraq. Well, my ears had enough of the earrings and I took the earrings out before my shower.

I was sitting down and nursing Jacob for the second time for the day and my cell phone started to ring which I normally dread because that means Jacob will be done and not finish eating. He didn't even flinch when it started ringing and I looked at the number and it was a +66 number which I know is a country code that I've seen pop up on the screen before so I answered it and of course it was Jon. I was so happy. We haven't talked in almost two weeks and the communication from the tuna can has been less than adequate for my daily needs this time so I love every minute of our call.

I'm so thankful that Jon had the opportunity to get off the boat for a few days and was able to call. Trying to plan a trip to the states that revolves around his dates for school in the states has proven very challenging without being able to talk at all about it!!! The call made my day and for almost two hours I felt like my other half was back!

I get burnt but Jacob doesn't...

I'm totally perplexed by this. I got burnt on my arms, chest and face today while outside for about an hour and fifteen minutes. But, Jacob did not get burnt at all. How is that possible? I've obviously been exposed to the sun more than him but he still has his perfectly white skin!! I just don't get it!

But, the reason we were out in the sun today was because we went to the Foster Flea Market on base which in and of itself is just fun to go to because of the stampede of locals on foot when they open the gate to them! It still creeps me out a little bit with all the people running at you! We walked around looking for good 'airplane' toys. Almost all of Jacob's toys that he has received make some sort of noise that after about five minutes would probably be annoying to anyone who wanted to actually sleep on a 14 hour plane ride! So, I was on the hunt for cheap silent toys that would keep his interest. We came away with a few toys and got out of there before it got super crazy! One day I will have to write about the MCCS flea market. It is just nuts. The locals will buy anything because it is "American."

And on another note...Jon's Baby Bjorn held Jacob like a champ today!

My FAVORITE baby item broke!

Today, I was vacuuming our floor. Yes, I know our house is all tile here in Japan but I do not like to sweep so vacuuming is the only choice to get the dust off the floor before mopping. Well, Jacob has decided that he does not appreciate the noise of the vacuuming so he will scream until I pick him up and put him on my chest in his Baby Bjorn. Then he will happily giggle for the rest of the time I vacuum. He gets that from his Dad I'm sure!! I was vacuuming our laundry room when I heard a loud pop and noticed Jacob starting to fall. Luckily, I had my left arm in front of him holding the vacuum cord so I was able to grab him as he teetered to the right. The top part which I'm not sure whether to call a button or a snap or a hook completely came off. I am just so thankful I had ahold of big Jake because if now we would have ended up in the ER since landing on a tile floor with your head from a 5ft drop probably isn't the best!!!
I've written the company but one of the joys of being stationed overseas is that you always find out that they won't do anything with the warranty since you are not in America. But, I'll be there in a month so maybe I'll just pursue it then.

He is my white noise!

I can never get use to going to bed without Jon. I seem to just stay up later and later each night while he is gone. Eventually, I know I will get into the patten of going to sleep early and actually falling asleep but that pattern usually occurs a week before Jon is due back! I don't know what it is but I find any reason or excuse to stay up..like writing something in this blog will give me another 5 minutes to stay awake. I miss my white noise maker, not that he makes noise while he sleeps, he is just my comfort!