March 7 - 9, 2012

Wednesday Olivia & I got a good head of steam going in the morning and went on errands right away. Even though it was still a little snowy, (when isn't it, really?), we made it over to Fred Meyer's with no trouble. We were able to get all our shopping done there. It's so convenient for me to be able to shop at places like this and only have to take the car seat in and out once, especially now that Olivia is getting bigger/heavier.

We were joined by Jessica Abel for a lunch of healthy salads and some good conversation. She had just come from a workout. I am looking forward to doing some exercising, perhaps once Adam is home. Although I have lost a considerable amount of weight in these past ten weeks, I still don't have my body back in fighting form. I'm sure things will never be quite the same, and I am not upset by that, but I'd like to have a little more strength - for hefting Olivia if nothing else!

We took about a 30 minute nap on the couch together. Our new goal is to have two naps during the day. I'm trying very hard to watch for cues that Olivia is tired and might need a rest. Hopefully we can get as good of a nap routine going as we have of a bedtime routine.

After our short nap we went back out to Baby & Me yoga and then the post office. We mailed off two boxes full of Girl Scout cookies to Laura & family and a package of photo cds to Uncle Grant. I hope they get there in a timely manner. I have been a little disappointed in the Fort Wainwright mail lately.

In the evening we were joined by Morgan for take-out from the Food Factory and the Disney movie Rio. I had never seen it, and found it very sweet. Loved the music! Although Olivia had napped through the whole movie we went to bed early because Thursday was going to be a very early start for all of us!

Thursday morning we were on the road by 7:00. We picked up coffee for Morgan and met at her house before she drove me over to the dentist. It was a marathon of dental work for me! Seven fillings, one crown and four hours later Morgan picked me up. Olivia had been very good for her (thank goodness) and continued to be good for me (another thank goodness). The rest of the day was spent quietly at home. My mouth was fairly sore and I was very tired. I feel extremely lucky that Olivia was 'on board' with the whole idea.

The yoga mats that I ordered arrived in the evening. I got one each for Sarah & Olivia (I know it's a bit premature) with butterflies and one for myself - pink with dragonflies. Now Adam can use my blue one when he's home and we do Family Yoga. I also got the book I ordered. Itsy Bitsy Yoga by Helen Garabedian. I'm excited to try some of the gentle stretches and poses that are supposed to help your baby's digestion, sleep and development!

Olivia was so cute cuddling with both Pammy & Mingo tonight. I couldn't keep up with photographing all the funny things she was doing. As soon as I put the phone down, she'd do something else - like balance Mingo on her head, or bite Pammy's face, or smush them both in close to her. Here are a few of the moments I was able to capture.

Friday we got going early, again. I rushed around and did chores. Olivia is
so happy in the mornings that it makes it the best time to get things done. First stop was the mailbox because the USPS tracking website said our diapers were (finally!) delivered. Hooray! Then we went to the pharmacy to pick up some prescription refills and then over to the px for just a few odds and ends. She was so good the whole time and so alert! Then it was back home for us. It was windy out, which is unusual in Fairbanks, and it made it feel so much colder than it really was. I felt chilled and unused to the unpleasant sensation of wind blasting snow in my face and was ready to cuddle up with a warm baby indoors.

 

Look at all our new cloth diapers!

Olivia matches the diapers!

Once home, I nursed Olivia and then put her in her crib for a nap. She slept a little while, at least long enough for me to eat a bit and do some more chores, but then she wanted to be with me - which always makes me happy. I brought her into my room and we both took a nap for another few hours. Right after I laid down, but after Olivia had fallen back asleep, the doorbell rang.  I surrounded her with pillows (she was in the middle of our big bed) and went to see who it was. When I got to the door no one was there. I am sure it was one of the young people from next door. I wish people weren't so impatient with the doorbell, etc. Usually they ring it two or three times by the time I get to the door, and now they could not wait long enough for me to get there. I wasn't meandering about; I went straight there. I was just on the other side of the house with a baby! Uff da. I imagined this happening again and again as I tried to nap, so I wrote a nice note and put it on the door with a magnetic clip. I asked for patience after ringing the bell. Please!

Olivia and I played a bunch in the late afternoon. It's so much fun to watch her anticipate things. I sat her up on the couch and I slowly crawl towards her to give her a kiss. As I get closer and closer she smiles bigger and bigger and squeals. It's so cute. We also read our Touch & Feel Bunny book. Olivia spent a long time looking at the pages and touching them. She loves new textures. I'm so impressed by her attention span and her interest in things. All day she was amenable to whatever I chose for her to do. She was in the swing for about 30 minutes looking around and dozing off. She sat in her chair and looked at the bugs for about 25 minutes. All these times she amuses herself are wonderful to watch, and also let me get some pesty chores done. Particularly those chores which are tough to do while holding a baby. I feel very very lucky to have such a happy girl. What a blessing.

We went upstairs around 8:30 and were both asleep by 10.

March 10, 2012

Keep the Home Fires Burning,
While your hearts are yearning.
Though your lads are far away
They dream of home.
There's a silver lining
Through the dark clouds shining,
Turn the dark cloud inside out
'Til the boys come home


One of the things that both Jessica and I wanted to do was to have my perspective added to his wonderful blog upon my return. Our friends and relatives have been lucky to be able to share the (almost) daily words and photos that Jessica has created. Being in a remote location like Alaska has kept many family members and friends from having the pleasure of meeting Olivia (something we hope to remedy), and the last year has found me in an even more remote locale, so this blog has been one of my few links to home.

I’m not quite home yet, although each day I am getting closer. I am writing this, my first contribution from KAF (Khandahar Airfield) in the Afghan capital as myself and my Soldiers are completing the necessary tasks to come home. We have many things to wash, sort, inventory and pack in order to proceed onto our next stop. From here we will leave Afghanistan and head north into the former Soviet Republic of Krygstan, and then onward to the most awaited flight of my life. Back to Alaska.

While I am by no means new at this procedure and the tribulations of returning from war, this time will be vastly different. The previous years have seen me return from peacekeeping in Kosovo, a five year stint in Germany, and from three separate year long tours of duty in Iraq. Each time the homecoming was an awkward, stressful event. This time, in a handful of days I will return home as I have done countless times before, however this is the first time that I am coming home as both a father and a husband. I have many fears and apprehensions, many worries and concerns about coming home to Jessica and Olivia.

I am worried about how I will react the first time I hold Olivia again if she doesn’t immediately warm up to me. Will I take it personally as a way of her saying ‘How could you run off and leave me so soon?’, or will I be able to understand that a baby crying is the most normal thing in the world, and more likely her way of expressing hunger? Will I feel that I have been a poor parent in the amount of time that I have missed? Or will I strive to make every day count?. Undoubtedly being somewhere different for a period of time changes a person, being in a stressful environment changes a person, being in combat changes a person.

I am fortunate beyond words to have Jessica as my partner. She is (as most of you can attest to) an amazingly caring and understanding woman. She has been the rock that has kept me centered for the past year. To say that she has ‘kept the home fires burning’ is a vast understatement. She has not only chopped the wood for the fire, but she has also built and tended the hearth. I am constantly in awe of many of the military wives that I have grown to know. A ‘military wife’ (I would use the term Army Wife, but I wouldn’t want to create a link to the television portrayal that is more soap opera than fact) is a very proud and self sufficient person, she survives months on end of being separated from her partner, usually being geographically separated from her family as well, and all the while in the back of her mind is the fear of ‘what if…’. Jessica has taken each day in stride and her conduct and success has made me very proud of her indeed.

I am eagerly looking forward to spending the rest of my life with Jessica and Olivia, watching my daughter grown and learn and experience all that is around her. This blog has done a good job of keeping me informed, and letting me ‘participate’ in the each and every day. Jessica has sent me
many videos, from Olivia rolling over for the first time, to much more simple and mundane (yet amazing and beautiful) events. However, I aim to get back into the swing of things, and take up the mantle of ‘father’ as soon as I return.

Although I have fears and worries, I have no doubts, I know that the time spent away will only remind me of the importance of the time that we will have together upon our reunion.

My writing technique will be different from that of my learned wife, and it has recently come to my attention that I am not as funny as I have often thought myself to be, however I will try and share my experiences here (both the good and bad) for our friends and family to see.

The next time I write in this blog, I will do some from the comfort of my own home, one handedly as the other will be holding Olivia tightly.

March 6, 2012

We woke up to almost seven inches of fluffy snow this morning! So pretty, but as tricky as usual. I don't believe that DENTAC is going to be assisting me any longer, (I'm so grateful for the volunteers that helped for all those months!), and while Olivia has cooperated in the past when I pick away at the shoveling there are no guarantees she will today! The other challenge when there is fresh snow is how to distinguish white from white. Everything is white, the roads, the sidewalks, the curbs, low barriers, it becomes difficult to know where the road is. Oh well, it's a challenge and thank goodness we don't have to go anywhere unfamiliar.

This morning we talked to Mimi & got an update on my grandfather. He has made no progress since his surgery two weeks ago. The infection that is causing his high white cell count and high fever is still of unknown etiology. The new antibiotic they tried did not work and, in fact, made things worse. So it's back to the drawing board - more CAT scans and tests. We all hope that if this infection can be routed that his body will have an opportunity to heal. As it is, he remains weak and only lucid from time to time. I wish that I could be there to help my family in some way.

Olivia was patient as I shoveled the deck for the dogs in the morning and we had a nice time playing together on the couch and poking around on the internet. We talked to Pop for a few minutes and we talked to Nana on the phone also. She was in the middle of baking muffins for her coworkers. What lucky coworkers! Today seems to be a day to spend on the telephone.

We met Jessica Abel for lunch at the PX. She was still full from a big breakfast, so she kindly played with Olivia while I ate. That's always a bonus for me! Olivia was practically walking on the table! Okay, maybe not but she was using her leg muscles and standing with only a little balancing from Jessica. It was super cute. She attracted an admirer from the Popeye's Chicken counter. I have the feeling he won't be the last! Olivia inspected my meal and seemed very interested in a biscuit. Not yet baby! She also helped Jessica by drooling all over her political economics homework. Silly baby.

Olivia was very cooperative at the PX. She let Jessica & I discuss political economics and some of her other classes for a while. I'm not sure that she was as interested in the Senate resolutions/bills as we were. She seemed more focused on blowing spit bubbles. But then again, sometimes that's how I feel about Senate resolutions, too.

We did a little bit of shopping at the PX and Jessica treated me to a chai latte but we didn't stay too long. The snow was still coming down steadily and we didn't feel like being out in it, plus Olivia was hungry. When we got home  nursed Olivia and then I tried to do a little shoveling outside as she played in her pack 'n play, but when I poked my head inside after shoveling only the front walk, she was crying. I decided the shoveling could wait. Lucky me, the two little neighbor boys who asked to borrow my shovels for their driveway decided to shovel my driveway, too! How thoughtful!

Olivia & I caught up on some of our dvr'd programs and then had a lengthy but hilarious (as usual) conversation with her godfather, Uncle Grant. After that it was time to head upstairs and Olivia & I were both in bed by 10.

March 4 - 5, 2012

Sunday was Nana's birthday! Although we didn't get to celebrate with her, we talked to her on the phone. Soon she'll be here! It's so exciting! And because she's magical, in the way that all Nanas are, she managed to send us presents today! The package must've come Saturday afternoon, but we got a box full of goodies. Isn't she wonderful? 

In the afternoon we went to Family Yoga with Jessica & Sarah Abel. I had never been to this class before and wanted to check it out - Adam has promised to try yoga with Olivia & I - and Jessica was wanting to try it as well. It was a great family activity. Sarah had a lot of fun. The teacher was great (Elizabeth) and we even used the kids in some of the poses. At the points when Olivia was too small to 'assist' me in some of the stretches I got to 'borrow' Sarah for part of the stretch. What a fun thing for a Sunday afternoon!

We stopped at Wendy's on the way home and Sarah gave Olivia the book that came with her kid's meal, again. Such a sweetie! Olivia enjoys a little light reading while we eat. Olivia was not happy on our drive home. This bug, or whatever, is really bothering her. Perhaps they injected her with the 'rage virus' while they were giving her her vaccines? We spent the rest of the afternoon fussy, feverish and spitting up. I was relieved when she finally fell asleep, even if it was in a strange position. I am developing very strong forearms from these 'exercises'.

Monday morning I think Olivia was finally over whatever has been plaguing her for the past two weeks. Whether it was a growth spurt, a reaction to her vaccines, or just a bug, I'm glad it's over. We finally had a day with no fever of any sort and no spitting up. Hallelujah! On the other hand, I started out the day with a stomach bug, but it quickly passed. Double Hallelujah!

She was so smiley in the morning and ticklish too! Check out the video. Once we were up, I decided to wash everything. I had already scrubbed the bathrooms, but now it was time to wash linens and myself! I put Olivia in her vibrating chair and as I was sudsing, I watched as Olivia learned something new - cause & effect! Olivia figured out that if she kicks her legs, the bugs above her chair will swing. Watch as she does it. Her actions are clearly purposeful. She watches them and as they slow down, she kicks some more! Amazing! All this development and kicking was clearly hard work, because soon she was sleeping.

Another developmental 'step' Olivia's at lately is that she is really into textures. She's starting to feel all the surfaces around her. Today it was the funny fabric on the pack 'n play. It even made a funny noise when we rubbed it with our hands!

We were just so ticklish today! I'm so glad that I have my happy baby back! Our next thing, now that we've got a great bedtime routine going, is going to be to try and introduce naps during the day. Other than these past two weeks where she's been so fussy she has napped during the day - mostly while we're out & about - but now I'd like to try and find specific times that work best for her. That way I'll know it's time for her to sleep, and so will she! Our nap today ended up like this - with Olivia edging me off the couch. Nap hog.

This afternoon we spent a lot of time Skyping with Mimi & Pop. It's been a rough time in Connecticut, with my grandfather in the hospital. Seeing Olivia, and for me sharing Olivia, is a cheery thing! Olivia obliged by playing in her chair with the bugs for over half and hour and then playing in her new baby gym for another 15-20 minutes! What a great attention span!

In the evening Olivia snuggled with me and was very pleasant. I'm so glad that we had a nice day. I was beginning to think this fussy phase was not a phase. Phew! 

We got to 'talk' to Daddy on facebook, and that was just the icing on the cake. This was a very good day for Olivia & I.

March 3, 2012

The morning began with Olivia happily playing in her while I watched her on the monitor. All signs pointed towards a good day! However, once she was really awake, she did not want to be left alone and definitely enjoyed dictating the morning events. We struck a balance, and I did what she wanted most of the time and occasionally put her down to do what I wanted, whereupon she would cry. Two stubborn girls!

We signed on to Skype early for our date scheduled with the Dwyers and as a bonus we found Sheryl was online. Olivia got to 'meet' Sheryl for the first time - how wonderful is Skype?! Next we chatted with Jenny, Sean & Owen. And then we were off on our adventures! ... Or so I thought.

First we met Jessica & Sarah at the diner for lunch. The plan was to try & see The Lorax together, but after we ate & Olivia was still fussy, I decided that we should go home instead. I'd also been up since about 5am, so I was ready for a nap, even if Olivia wasn't. We got some gas and headed home. Olivia cried the whole way and, as fate would have it, she fell asleep right as I was pulling into the garage. I brought her inside, but left her in the car seat while I did some chores around the house and took care of the pets. She slept for a few minutes but then she was up again and ready for some attention. As long as we were playing together, everything was fine.


Olivia laid on the changing table, her favorite vantage point in her room, and looked around. Then she had a bath, another splashy success. Then she tried out her baby gym from Uncle Kyle & Aunty Jeri. What a hit! She was entertained by it for at least 15-20 minutes. I was able to put away her laundry, take the tags off toys she's getting old enough to play with, and sort through all her plush toys...all while stepping over and around her. She was fascinated by the new gym. We'll try it again tomorrow!

After she'd had enough time on the floor, I rocked her and we listened to some music. She nursed and then she seemed to be ready to nap. Thank goodness! I laid her in her crib and quickly switched laundry to the dryer, put a few things away in my room, laid down in my bed and was about to fall asleep when...she was up again! A whole six minutes of nap. Sigh. Oh well, we played some more, nursed some more and an hour or so later she fell asleep. I'd learned my lesson and went promptly to my room, did not pass go, and took a nap myself. We slept for about an hour, then it was time to get up and take care of the dogs and all our respective dinners.

I ordered a pizza to be delivered. I knew it would take a while, at least 45 minutes, so I put off nursing Olivia. I didn't want to be all exposed when the doorbell rang. This was like a game of pizza roulette! The longer I waited, the crankier Olivia got, but surely the closer the pizza was to being delivered...so we tried to maintain the status quo. It took about an hour and fifteen minutes for the pizza to come, at which time Olivia was desperate to eat. (As if she's fading away!) The good thing about pizza is, you can eat it with one hand over a baby's head. Phew!

After eating, we played with her little baby - Piccolino - until it was time to go upstairs. Olivia fell asleep without nursing, then woke up again twenty minutes later presumably because she remembered. She was asleep by 11 and didn't make a peep until 7 Sunday morning. Glorious sleep for all!

March 2, 2012

Friday morning was very exciting for me! I have been continuing my tradition of celebrating Women's History Month - even more important to me now as a mother and for my daughter. This year I transitioned to the blog I mentioned in a previous post. The woman I celebrated today, Rebecca Adamson, read my post and shared a link to my blog on her organization's page & blog. I was thrilled to pieces, over the moon! It was so exciting for me. I tried to explain to Olivia, but she didn't seem appreciative enough (yet!) so I called Uncle Grant and we had a nice long chat.

Next Olivia & I went over to the troop building to help with preparations for the single soldiers' return. People have been kindly donating funds so that the Family Readiness Groups can provide single soldiers with some small comforts when they get home. There are toiletries, snacks waiting in their rooms and their beds are all made. Olivia was very helpful for about four hours. After that she decided she'd had enough stimulation - so many faces, lights and tromping around can be too much for a little baby - and let me know in no uncertain terms that it was time to go home.

When we got home we stripped Olivia down - it was extremely hot in the troop building - and spent some nice quiet, naked baby time together. Olivia was very happy. We talked to Mimi to check in on my grandfather. (He is still struggling with his recovery from his extensive surgery.) Then we played in the nursery. Mostly Olivia looked at her parachuting sheep that hangs over the changing table - he is fascinating.

I took a shower and Olivia played lifeguard in her vibrating seat, equipped with a newly laundered puppy blanket. She dozed off so it's a good thing I didn't need any assistance! I left the shower running to keep her happy after I finished and got spruced up for our Skype date with daddy. The great thing about Skype dates is that you only really need to wear a nice top - you can wear pajamas on the bottom because nobody sees! Olivia also got dressed up in a shirt that said Daddy's Favorite Girl. I just can't resist those shirts! It was great to chat with daddy, and we are so excited that this deployment is nearing the end.

After that we Skyped a little with Mimi & Pop. Then Olivia and I read her 'two month' book from the triplets - Peek a Who? - over and over. She especially likes the part at the end where she gets to look at that baby in the mirror. She is very interested in the baby in the mirror - the mirror above her swing, the mirror in the nursery, etc. Then we danced. Olivia's favorite song tonight - The Peppermint Twist. She particularly likes the backup singers singing "Okay, okay, okay, okay." And the "round and round and up and down" bit is fun too.

Once Olivia started to get sleepy I spent some time playing with the design of this blog - I hope you like the new additions - and then we went to bed. Olivia was really asleep before we even got up there. She slept from about 9:30 until a little after 5 in the morning! Such a good sleeper!

February 29 - March 1, 2012

Olivia & I had an exciting Leap Day! We spent the morning at home doing our usual chores, but the afternoon was anything but usual. Today the first of our soldiers returned home from Afghanistan!

I did not know that today was going to be 'the day' and had scheduled a hair appointment (the first one in a very long time) for the same time that they were going to be arriving. Olivia, however, was not encumbered by an appointment and went with Jessica Abel to welcome the guys home. I wasn't too far behind, but I missed them by a matter of minutes. I certainly don't blame them for going home as quickly as possible! I hope it is a brief ceremony when our time comes, too! So exciting!

Olivia has still been spitting up more than usual. Since she just had her Rotavirus vaccine, I am wondering if it's just a mild case of that virus. I don't like to see her distressed, but fortunately she is very happy when she spits up. I feel like she's proud of all the milk she's "made". "Look mom! Look what I did!" Good job, baby.

After we got home from the ceremony, Olivia slept for most of the evening. She was sleeping so soundly and breathing so quietly, that I got nervous. I'm sure it's just new mommy jitters, but I didn't want her to sleep 'alone'. She's been so good about sleeping in her room that I didn't want to disturb that routine. Instead, I camped out on the floor next to her crib. I spent most of the night listening to her breathe. Nothing happened, of course, except that I didn't sleep well.

On Thursday we spent the day with Morgan, who needed some support. She had to put her dog down on Wednesday and I know all too well how devastating that can be. So, Olivia and I picked her up, grabbed some chowder from the Chowder House and we spent all afternoon watching Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. Jessica Abel came over with some extra cheer, too.

After we brought Morgan home, I was very pooped. I felt a little 'under the weather'. Olivia and I relaxed on the couch and caught up on Project Runway - although we let the new episode tape. After a bowl of oatmeal for me and nursing Olivia we repaired to the nursery. I slept on the floor in there for the first half of the night. I woke up around 2am and needed to feed Olivia and it was time for the "morning" entry of my Women's History Celebration blog! Soon I'll go back to bed for a few more hours of sleep. I think I'll actually sleep in my bed this time.
http://inspiredwomeneveryday.blogspot.com/