Shift Change!

This morning was the last day of common core AND the last day of mid shift! Nate will no longer be awake when I'm asleep and asleep when I'm awake! We can be awake at the same time! Which means more communication! This is cause for celebration. So tonight Nate went out with friends to a bar and I cut my own hair! I know, I'm so exciting. I have the kid remember? But, I feel pretty!

I will also be chaperoning Eve tomorrow on her first date. The young man is the same age as Eve (15 months) and they met at a recital. We will be meeting him and his mother at the Discovery Center and afterwords we will take a stroll in the botanical gardens. Any suggestions on what she should wear? Haha!

Expected Duty Station Rant (consider yourself forewarned)

I have known for a while, but haven't posted anything concerning Nate's duty station because I am kind of sad. While many of Nate's friends are going off to Korea, Germany, Colorado, Hawai'i, etc...

Nate's expected duty station is Fort Campbell, Kentucky 101st Airborne Division.

To make matters worse I went to lunch Sunday with some new acquaintances and one of the women informed me of just how wonderful it was for her husband to be stationed in German for years and for one of her daughter's to be born there.

Though the base is labeled as being in Kentucky, it actually lies on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee. Now, let me tell you what I know of the local inhabitants. You see, Nathaniel and I had our honeymoon in Tennessee. For a day or two we thought it was just like any other place. The Pigeon Forge/Sevierville/Gaitlinburg area is the trifecta of tourist traps. You can loose yourself there. We should have known better than to venture outside of the flashing lights and paid attractions. Because when we did, we were surrounded by HILLBILLIES. Let me first clarify that I do not mean "mountain people" when I say hillbilly. I had no idea what a hillbilly was other than the Beverly Hillbillies and it's connotation in the history of American music. *CULTURE SHOCK* I do not exaggerate and I do not mean to offend. These people had fuzzy hair akin to troll dolls, very few teeth, and wore overalls! Everybody wore overalls: mom, dad, granny, Johnny, Susie, and even the baby! They were unusually happy in everything they did too... 

That being said, I got over it and started practicing my dulcimer anyways so that I can incorporate the Appalachian culture into my music therapy techniques. 

(I know, how very professional and Christian of me to talk about people like I just did and then deem myself suitable to be their therapist)

Besides, we found out that if you have the same "report date" as another individual there is a process for swapping duty stations. Nate has the same report date as a guy whose expected duty station is Ft. Hood, Texas. They are doing everything they can to switch assignments. The friend says the swap would equally benefit him and his wife. Prayers for this are one appreciated!

ARG! Happy Halloween!

My home's just messy, not neglected...

What do I do to trick people into thinking “my home doesn’t always look like this” or “it’s been an off week”?

FAMILY:

Well, there is no tricking my sisters...we have helped each other emergency clean before mom arrives many times. But in order to convince mom that I’m not a slob I ALWAYS shove the dishes in the dishwasher and clean the inside of the microwave. She always marks the amount of “neglect” by failure to keep up with dishes and the presence of splatter in the microwave. Sometime during her visit I will hear about the state of the microwave or see her check it, it’s the first thing I attack if I have no time to prepare for her arrival.

FRIENDS:

For college friends I bust out with the miscellaneous sock hamper. They understand that laundry takes precedence over everything, sometimes to include hygiene. That and nobody likes matching socks.

For other types of friends I corral them in the living area by shutting doors and have a candle sitting on a warmer in an inconspicuous place. The positive aroma gives the illusion of organized chaos and helps them to relax amidst the debris.

MAINTENANCE PEOPLE:

I will live with inconvenience just as long as it takes me to clean the path to it. Then I will shut my cats in the messiest room so to discourage them from peeking.

Booked Holiday Flights

This week we spent approximately $1300 dollars for plane and bus tickets so that we can spend Thanksgiving and Christmas together as a family. Before anyone decides to contact me with suggestions on how to get cheaper flights, blah blah blah...trust me...that's with the discounts! They wouldn't let anyone make arrangements for Thanksgiving until they booked for Christmas. They held Thanksgiving hostage in order to make sure there is a mass exodus at Christmas and none of the superiors have to stick around.

Nathaniel will not be released until 0900 Thanksgiving day, November 24th, and has to return and be in his bunk by 1800 at the latest November 27th. But the amount of time we spend together will be much more than the time we got to spend together during BCT graduation. He will be home for Christmas break December 18th - January 4th. There are only three weeks between the two visits. I think we can handle three weeks that after a three and a half month separation.

Craft Season

It’s officially Craft Season! I have designated October first through January first as such because there is much money to be spent concerning craftiness. We must begin preparing for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. There is no rest between holidays. Nate usually makes me stave off decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving dinner, and I mean that literally down to the minute. But…since Nate isn’t here…I have decided to set out a few penguin friends in order to satisfy the urge.

This is a short summary of how the end of my summer went…since I disappeared from my own blog for a month: * Baby girl turned one * then she started walking * I started school * RIP laptop charger * Was attacked by my client and therefore quit my job * Regained my assurance in what I do (Hospice, End-of Life care) * Dove back into volunteering * Resurrection of five year old laptop charger that happens to fit my now laptop * Wonderful skype dates with Nate * Got diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis * Nate got three month profile for bi-lateral stress fractures in his legs * Week of tests at school (the professors all coordinated their tests in order to make us as miserable in life as possible and diminish any leftover hope instilled in success * CRAFT SEASON BEGINS

We're Broken

PFC McCready found out today that he has bi-lateral stress fractures in both his legs. He has a three month profile of no running, jumping, or other high impact activity. He also got tagged for high blood pressure. We hope it's just the caffeine substances he uses to survive as "mid" shift, meaning sleeps from approximately 1600 - 2100 on weekdays and then on weekends from midnight - 0600.

I went to the rheumatologist today to get results on x-rays and blood work. He put me on prednisone previously. Everyone I spoke with wanted to know how old I was! They were surprised to find out that I am 22 and have been dealing with this painful condition for two years. He said he didn't find anything in my blood work so he "thinks" I "probably" have psoriatic arthritis. I'll take that as a yes? I'm to continue on prednisone and he added methotrexate and folic acid. The methotrexate will take 2 months to start working. I'm also not supposed to have babies for a long time and am supposed talk to him AT LEAST 3 months before I do...awkward. I will be getting blood work done every 2 weeks through November and then every 2 months, and have to see him every 2 months to talk about how I'm feeling and dosage. Have to be monitored and all that as my white blood cell count will be down and something about my liver…I dazed off. Basically I cannot afford for anyone to get me sick or buy me a drink!

Readers digest version: We're both broken until Christmas it seems.

Nate's demise and other news

PFC McCready (FIGURATIVELY) died today in class... he forgot to take off his phase badge upon approaching "the machine" and in a real situation could have caused an electrical arc. Now his battle buddy has to carry him to and from the classroom. When doing formation, instead of acknowledging he or the other dead are there they tell of their tragic death... Now all that's left is the weight on his battle buddy's shoulders. At least until Friday.


In other news, our beautiful daughter has turned one and started walking! What a joy! She also ditched the bottle and the sippy cup for straws! Why is she trying to grow up so fast! I just bought sippy cups too. I guess they go in the box for the next kid in the family. She is doing so well with straws in only two days that she drank her first Apple Juice Capri Sun through that tiny coffee straw and didn't squeeze the pouch and make it rain. She also had a wellness visit and went through the procedure of getting tubes put in her ears. Rough start to her week. She is 30 1/2 inches long and weighs 20 lbs.

Length = between percentile 75 and 90
Weight = between percentile 25 and 50

She's going to be a model!

I have started my school semester and am already asking myself "what am I doing?!" I was crazy last semester when I took 19 hours, now I am taking 16 and working. Please pray the Lord gives me strength to get through my 16 hour course load, work, and doing all the things a full time mom has to do.

Graduation Memories

 First Plane Ride

Watching Daddy's Graduation Ceremony

 Daddy and Baby Time!

 A Shoe For A Hat.

Family Day and Graduation

Georgia…is sticky. For the entire duration of the trip I felt like I covered myself in soap and didn't wash it off.

I met Sir at the airport because for some reason he didn’t have room for a car seat. That’s okay anyways, because Babygirl’s Nana is a grandmother of eight and you can always count on her to be prepared and on time! Nana swung us by the airport and made sure we got checked in okay. The kind man at the desk checked our luggage for free! In security check I found out that anyone could kidnap my child and fly her across America because I didn’t have to verify her identity. They did require her stroller to go on the conveyer belt and her little baby shoes! They took her bottle to run a test on the milk, like I would give anything explosive to my infant for her to drink, and then we were on our way! Oh yeah…we had to wait thirty minutes for grandpa…which tells you exactly how the entire trip went. But that’s nothing compared to the security check at the Columbus Airport in Georgia! I am now intimately familiar with the staff. They did a pat down on myself and the baby. They even checked her diaper! The unwanted delay made Sir very angry because he got us to the airport late and we were weighing him down.

The time I had with my husband was well worth the annoyances, as was the graduation ceremony itself. PFC McCready was elected to be in the Lineage Squad…on merit of his average height and shoe size. He donned a WWI uniform! We got to kidnap him from approximately 1130 to 2030 on both family day and graduation day. Now we won’t be able to visit him for a while. He is currently stationed in Fort Gordon, Augusta, GA. He discovered where to get free internet, so he can set up the occasional Skype date. His first, we hope, will be on August 20^th. We will be celebrating Babygirl’s first birthday with family that day.

LAST WEEK BCT

I forgot to clarify in my last post what the “gut truck” is. It is similar to an ice cream truck for soldiers. It holds protein bars, Gatorade, things that are considered a healthy treat for them to purchase.

I’m packed! Graduation is the 28^th. Accompanying Babygirl and I will be my father-in-law. Nate’s father will from here on be referred to as “Sir” McCready. I have the trip all planned out. And, since Sir is accompanying me, I have a contingency plan. No, it doesn’t involve leaving him at the airport! I may hold grudges but I certainly don’t act upon them. ( I hope a certain friend is not reading this…) I haven’t heard from him in close to a month and we embark on our travels in less than a week.

*contingency plan* *cough*

McCready finished all combat training, the final APFT, a 4 day and 3 night field training exercise, and a 10 mile road march with a fifty pound ruck within 3 hours. He tells me his feet wish they could fall off rather than recover. He is sore. This week he is in “recovery”. They shaped and shaved their berets, cleaned their uniforms and weapons. Let me tell you, recovery costs money. They do this cleaning fee thing that is more than I’d pay. I got to speak with him on the phone three days in a row! That was three days ago. Now it’s killing me, when is he going to call!

This week I have seriously neglected my home…because I got a job! I am now a patient care provider. I will continue my Hospice volunteering as well and this will not conflict. I can even bring the baby, my homework, etc. The hours are when it is convenient for me! This job just fell in my lap the same day a tire exploded on my car. I was praying about financial difficulty, you know unexpected expenses such as these, and I was handed this opportunity as a reply. God is good, ALL THE TIME!