April

I don't want to talk about it. 

(Ok, I'm being a bit melodramatic, but I just don't have much to say. The month building up to a deployment is just...*sigh*. And I didn't even pick up my big camera. We're all doing just fine though and May will be full of flowers and other such busy-ness.)

6. Your baby might start to sleep through the night. You will not. You will wake up every hour on the hour wondering why he has not woken to eat and if he is still breathing.

7. You will check to make sure the baby is breathing. He will, without a doubt, wake up and want to eat no matter how quiet you are. Of course during the day, no matter how loud you are, he will not wake up.

Conspiracy Theory

I've recently become aware of a conspiracy. It involves mothers everywhere.

This whole "having a baby" thing.

"There's nothing like it!" they say. "You're life will be changed forever." "It's a miracle."

All true statements. Yes. But I'm pretty sure deep, down inside every mother laughs to herself after she says it. Not a light-hearted chuckle, no, a deep cackle, fingers tapping against each other, some sort of weird twitch in her eye. "There's nothing like it....my pretty." Muahahahahahaha.

Now don't get me wrong. This guy is amazing. Just look at him. Cutest baby EVER. Just try to argue with me. I'm a mother now, so I will knock you out if you don't think my baby is the most adorable thing on the planet. We good?

But this conspiracy is huge. It's all the things that no one tells you before you have a baby so that they can secretly laugh at you when you walk away. There are probably mom groups out there that meet just to laugh with each other about such matters. "Wanna hear what this pregnant woman told me today? She's going to put her baby on a schedule at 6 weeks. Bwhahaha!" [Cue entire group of said moms erupting in earlier described cackle]

So I'm letting the cat out of the bag. Consider this the beginning of my list of All The Things No One Tells You BEFORE You Have A Baby:

1. Sure, labor is painful. But be ready for 4-6 weeks of feeling like you've been repeatedly run over by a truck. Especially in a certain area.  (Now, my friends are kind and did actually give me a heads up about this one. I just want any mothers-to-be out there to be aware because I'm pretty sure knowing this simple fact made my recovery so much easier.)

2. Almost 12 weeks later and I still pee a little when I sneeze. Just a warning.

3. You will read every baby book out there and still find yourself laying in bed at night ready to ball your eyes out because none of them can explain why your baby is doing or not doing such-and-such. There really isn't an instruction manual that comes with your baby.

4. Those extra hormones don't go away after you give birth. No, if you are breastfeeding they park the car and take up residence in your tear ducts. And you will shamelessly cry at every happy or sad moment. Or when you run out of coffee and chocolate.

5. For every issue that comes up, you'll jump right on your search engine of choice and look up the answer. You will find no less than 5 opposing views for each topic you search and, head spinning, decide that it's not that important anyway.
(This, I've decided is also part of the conspiracy. Those mom groups get together and create fake websites full of "professional" information from top "doctors" with "research". They also create the other 4 opposing websites.)


Don't worry. This mom things is pretty great. It's a totally different sense of purpose and I have not for a nanosecond wanted to go back to the way things were before no matter how much he cries or poops or wakes up after the third 20 minute nap of the day just when I've sat down to rest. That must be part of the conspiracy too!

March On

In March,

we....


celebrated 7 years (5 addresses, 4 states, 2 deployments, 1 baby, and 10,000 good memories) of marriage,

The BEST chocolates in the entire world. All with salt and/or caramel. Does my husband know me or what?

read stories and played with little monkey feet,

                                     


took Buddy to the doctor and got his first shots,

Mommy *may have* cried more than Garrett.

met Great-Grandmother, Nana, 

got our first deliveries of fresh, local produce, and got excited for lettuce to be in season because it's just so delicious fresh from the porch,

had visitors, went visiting, started working in the garden again, and waited for Spring to warm up. (It hasn't quite gotten there yet, but I'll take a slow warm up if it means warding off the sweltering Summer for just a little longer.)

 Buddy grew and grew and grew. At last check he was 10 lbs. even and 21 inches. Still just grazing the bottom of the growth chart curves and that's all right with us. He is smiley and a pretty good sleeper. He loves when we sing to him. He is a pensive little guy, looking so serious when he's taking in the world. We might just let him stick around. 

And Then We Came To February...

February always marks the end of winter for me and reminds me of my college roommate Amy and this song. Our sometimes wintry days were filled with tiny baby hands and dinosaur feet, fresh smiles, a pre-deployment brief, and comfort food. I've worked from home a few hours a week in between the baby cuddling and general housewife-ing. Every day I stop and savor the moments knowing my baby will never be as small as he is in that moment. Each day I try to just enjoy our little family being all together. 

Sightsee Jacksonville: A Nightclub and A Museum

No, I'm not talking about two different places. I'm talking about one. One local business that is both a nightclub AND a museum.

Not kidding.

(Anyone else sad they missed the guest bartender competition? Me neither.)

Now, I do have a confession....I've been inside. When you work out in town and get to know the locals you tend to visit the local places. So there I was having dinner with some fellow co-workers at Logan's, a restaurant I have only been to with co-workers (and once for a squadron function). We wanted to keep hanging out and needed a new place to go. I imagined we'd go to someone's house or apartment. Then someone mentioned Sywanyk's (pronounced swan-icks). I did NOT want to go, but someone mentioned a dress code and a cover charge and I figured, "Well it can't be that bad if they have a dress code and a cover charge." Famous last words. 

So we head on over. Pay the cover charge. They almost don't let Kristen in because her polo shirt/v-neck could be considered too revealing. Standards. OK. We're not doing too bad. It's also on the early side, so it's not crowded yet. 

People, the inside of this place is definitely museum worthy. Anyone married to a military man probably has a room in their house for their husbands junk military memorabilia. (Or at least your husband wishes you did.) This is the "me room" times infinity. Floor to ceiling and across the ceiling patches, pictures, articles, covers, coins. You name it, they have it. The bar is lined with military coins. The ceiling is covered in patches. Flags, t-shirts, caps...oh my! 

We spend our time looking down on the dance floor, which has about 5 people on it. Two couples and 1 guy who thinks he's auditioning for "So You Think You Can Dance". He's even using glow sticks. Yup, you read that right. We notice that though they almost didn't allow a member of our group to go in because she was wearing jeans and a "could be revealing" polo shirt, they exercise the dress code much more loosely on their other guests. Yes, these women were not showing cleavage and their bottoms were not hanging out of their dresses, but I'm pretty sure every millimeter of skin that could be showing above and below those areas was exposed. Besides two other groups of people, we were it. Oh, and the four or five people enjoying the buffet to the right of the D.J. I think I lasted 30 minutes before it started to get crowded and I went down to find my car stuck in the parking lot. It took almost that long to back up/pull in enough times to get my car out. 

So, if you are ever driving down Henderson and pass the "Nightclub and Museum", there you have it. Only in Jacksonville would someone combine the experience of a military museum with the fun (?) of a nightclub. You can even enjoy it for yourself, just make sure you're covered up. 

1 Month!

Dear Garrett,
Has it really been a month? All my days and nights and weeks are blurred with feeding, changing, sleeping and soaking in all of you.

You make really funny faces. You yawn when you are tired. Or scream. It depends on how tired you are Buddy. Oh yeah, and we like to call you Buddy. Hope you like it.

You finally fit into some of your clothes now and we can go a little longer without doing laundry. You still like to be swaddled and sometimes we let you use a pacifier. You really like to be held, but I'm still holding out hope that you'll like your swing a lot soon.

Sometimes you are awake a little longer now and we love to stare at your big, blue eyes.

Daddy likes to find books for you when we go to Target. He started well before you were born. The latest book he found was "Bedtime Prayers" and we like to read you one or two every night as we rock you. You usually start fussing in the middle, but Mom and Dad sure get a lot out of the prayers.

It's been one crazy month as we figure out how to be your parents. We're really trying our best. You're really a lot of work right now, but we're really glad you're here. 

Love, 

Mom & Dad

I Bet My Valentine's Gift is Better Than Yours.

Husband: Hey wife, do you have the checkbook or some cash?

Wife: How much do you need?

Husband: $**

Wife: [Raises eyebrow] For what?

Husband: It's a suprise.

Worth Every Penny.

(Garrett may have been a little fussy, sorry for the shaky camera work)

The guy on the right even has a handlebar mustache.

(We happen to know the guy second from the left, thus Adam getting suckered persuaded into signing up for such a treat.)

I also get to have Adam home from 29 Palms today! Hope your Valentine's Day is as fun as mine!

January: A Review

Goal 3:
3. Post each month in pictures in an effort to take more pictures and learn more about photography.

Well, I don't have tons of pictures from this month. One, I was pregnant and tired. Two, I had a baby! and Three, well, I've already shared most of the pictures I took this month in my previous posts. Let's call January a learning curve month. It can only improve from here right? 

Luckily, January can pretty much be summed up by the two pictures I have left:

1. Crazy weather. Highs of 70 to lows in the 40s with a little ice storm thrown in. One little glimpse of winter in an otherwise mild season. Is it too much to ask for a little snow? 

2. Cuddling with my sleepy boy. Obviously our days are currently filled with eating and sleeping and enjoying these moments.

We're adjusting to our new life around here and we're pretty happy with it. 

New Year's Goal Update

1. Have this baby!

On January 16 at 1:45 am my water broke.

At 2 am I called Adam, who needed to hightail it home from 29 Palms, CA.

I drove to the hospital and had a friend meet me. Two other friends joined us a few hours later and all three of them stayed with me through the whole ordeal. They laughed with me, they prayed over me, and they cheered me on. The Dr. remarked "If you couldn't have your husband here with you, at least you have Team Estrogen."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

At 12:19 pm Garrett Achilles Thomas made his debut and all I could do was laugh and cry all at the same time.

Adam made it to the hospital at 6pm. 

(This is pretty much my favorite picture from that day.)

We're pretty much in love with this little guy. We think we'll keep him.

He eats a lot and sleeps a lot these days and so far we think we're figuring this whole parent thing out. (Ask me that again in a few weeks.) When he's full and half asleep and dreaming he smiles. When he cries it's like a little baby Pterodactyl. And isn't this just the sweetest face?

Adam is taking a few extra days of leave and then heads back out the CA for two more weeks of training. We've been so blessed by the friends and family that have checked in and stopped in and brought us meals. 

And I am forever indebted to Team Estrogen!

The Nursery

Dear Baby,

It will be in your best interest to just go ahead and love airplanes. 

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Who can resist Snoopy?

38 Weeks

Adam says it looks like the airplanes are in a dogfight. He likes it. 

We put together the crib and dresser and bought the glider special order. We painted the bookcase and I made the clouds on the wall. We took it just a little at a time and we are so happy with it. I can't wait to rock him in that chair and watch him sleep in that crib. I can't wait to finally meet him and hold him and kiss him. So. So. Soon.

Oh my!

Sightsee Jacksonville #2

If you moved to Jacksonville in 2008 (as we did) you may have seen this sign right off of Western Blvd. behind Toys'R'Us. If you moved to Jacksonville any time in between then and this very moment that you are reading this, you may have seen this sign. In the same spot. Oh Jacksonville.

"Soon" can be seen on many signs up and down the coast. That Hampstead Town Center sign from four years ago meant that construction started this year. And even on base, the new housing "coming soon" still took three years.

I've learned that there are some loosely used terms in Eastern NC. Words that in other places hold a bit more meaning. But nonetheless, offer an interesting experience, cultural learning, or at the very least, comic relief.

(We're not really missing out on a seafood restaurant anyway. Seafood here is not quite the same as the seafood I grew up on along the Chesapeake Bay. Oh Maryland Blue Crab how I miss you!)

New Year's Goals

As we enter the new year, there's always resolutions to be made. And then immediately broken and all but forgotten until you look back in December and wonder "what did I set out to accomplish this year anyways?"  Last year, I resolved to Move. Just keep moving. I'd say I did, but not quite in the way I figured I would. I guess that's how life is supposed to work. You think you see how it should be and set out to do just that, but life still jumps out and surprises you.

This year, I'd like to set some goals. I love setting goals. I love accomplishing them. And of course, I get to put them on a list and check them off when I'm done, which is pretty much my favorite thing to do.  Not goals, like "appreciate life more" or "get healthy", but goals I know I will have to accomplish and that are open ended enough to let life work it's surprises instead of willing it to go in MY direction.

So here they are:
1. Have this baby!
2. Allow myself time to ease in and learn how to be a mom and wife, while also being a part-time technology facilitator and Navy Relief volunteer. And allow myself to cross something off that list if I can't be all of them.
3. Post each month in pictures in an effort to take more pictures and learn more about photography.
4. Totally rock out nursing mom fashion.
5. Make it through another deployment with my Grace and Dignity intact.
6. Make sure Adam is taken care of and involved in the parenting of our son even for those 7 months he won't physically be here.
7. Accept the time of waiting again for where Adam's work takes us and be open to wherever that may be.
8. Give out more grace. To others, to myself.
9. Welcome Adam home and celebrate!

Ready, Set, Go 2013!

Christmas Traditions

This year we didn't travel for Christmas, being so close to my due date and Tricare not allowing me out of the area and all. It was very quiet around here in this military town, but we were still determined to make this first Christmas at home special. We talked about what traditions we wanted to make for our little growing family. Adam suggested an advent wreath. A trip to Michael's and a craft project ensued.

(Almost) every night of Advent we sat at this table and lit our wreath. We read the bible verses that corresponded with that day (printed from Focus on the Family). We talked about them, talked about what was on our heart, what God was teaching us, and prayed. It was one of my most favorite parts of the day and I think it helped us keep perspective on what this holiday is really all about.

And don't I have such a wonderful husband to start such a tradition and lead me through it? I think as we practice it each year we will grow closer to God and closer as a family and *hopefully* take the focus off of presents (we really don't want to spoil the kids) and put it on the birth of Christ.

On Christmas morning, before opening our presents, we lit all four candles and the one in the middle to signify Jesus' birth. We read the Christmas story in two gospels. As we contemplated the coming of baby Jesus, I remembered the news headlines of the month.  And all I could do was be thankful for this day. We need Christmas. We need it not for sales and presents and traveling in traffic. We need it because we need a Savior. A Savior who can take on the sins of the world and open the gates of Heaven and give us mercy and grace. A Savior to Trust with all of the tragedy and unknown around us. And we have Him. We have Him now, and He will come again.

Super Nerd Post: Couponing

You may or may not be aware that I love saving money. (I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm as good at spending it as the next gal) But,  I'm a bit obsessed with getting good deals if I'm going to spend our hard earned cash. I am NOT an extreme couponer and I do not have a stockpile of Apocalypse supplies in the garage. I DO have apps on my phone and a coupon book I carry with me everywhere though. I pretty much never pay at the register without having looked for coupons for the items I'm purchasing.  So, in case anyone wondered what I do around here, one thing that takes just a small amount of time each week is couponing. 

Why do I coupon?

Well, it saves money. God has blessed us with pretty steady income and it is our job to be good stewards of that income. If I can maximize purchases by staying in budget, or better yet, under budget, then it is totally worth it. I also see coupons as free money. Why pay full price for something I can get for cheaper? Like I said, I love saving money!

How do I coupon?

1. I get the Sunday paper. I currently subscribe to the weekend edition of the Jacksonville Daily News. Mostly for the Sunday ads. I do enjoy keeping up with the local happenings, but good journalism seems to elude even the most highly respected news sources these days. I pay around $55 every 6 months for newspaper delivery. Not sure if the price is totally worth it, but there's something about sitting down and reading the Sunday paper that Adam and I enjoy on top of the coupons (and comics for Adam)

2. I print coupons off the internet. I have a folder of bookmarks just for coupon websites. Sites like coupons.com, smartsource.com, and redplum.com are just starters. Just type "printable grocery coupons" into your search bar and tons of sites appear. I do not pay money for coupon services or site memberships. I only print coupons from free sources that I feel I can trust. I also will go straight to manufacturer websites to see if they have any coupons for products I am specifically looking to purchase. Kraft and P&G have coupons often. 

3. Besides grocery coupons, I print or find coupons on my phone for other products. Old Navy and Target have coupons on their websites. Retail Me Not has an app that I can use to search for coupons ready to use in-store. 

4. I never buy anything online before searching for a coupon code or other sites for better prices. Retail Me Not and similar sites have coupon codes all the time. I save 10-20% every time I make an online purchase. And I rarely pay for shipping. Often I find that online purchases can be less expensive than in store as long as the shipping is free and I'm willing to wait. I also receive coupons from retailers I frequently purchase from.

5. When I'm ready to make a trip to the store, I make a list and go through my coupons and walk in prepared. It's when I'm not prepared that I make extra purchases or miss out on coupon savings. 

How much do I really save by couponing?

Like I said before, I save 10-20% every time I purchase something online. Adam wanted a new pair of shoes and I saved him $18 plus got free shipping. I was pretty proud of myself. This allows us to get more out of our budget. We each get our own "fun" money, and we have a budget for "eating out" too. Using coupons allows us to get more our of those budgets. 

I also keep a chart of my grocery savings. Out of a $400/month budget (which includes cleaning supplies, toiletries, and other household items AND we pack our own lunches for work) I have been saving an average of $25-30/month. That means I can keep our house stocked with extra toilet paper or get a fun treat without breaking the budget, and usually transfer some of that into our savings account. It's not a lot, but I'm definitely getting more bang for my buck. That also helps us stay within that budget even if we invite friends over for dinner or have a special event we need to bring food for. I stayed within our budget even in the month of November when we hosted Thanksgiving (and saved money on that 10 lb. Butterball!). 

Things I've learned about couponing:

1. Don't clip coupons for items you don't need or use. Just because I have a coupon for something doesn't mean I need to buy it. A 30% coupon code for Gap is appealing, but that doesn't mean I have to buy something. And $0.50 off Oreos doesn't mean they're going to be calorie free. I have definitely fallen prey to tempting coupons and bought things I didn't need just because I had a coupon. 

2. Be organized. I have a coupon book, that I'm looking to replace. Right now it's divided into grocery coupons and store coupons. But it has a pad of paper in if for my lists. I also keep paper clips in there to organize the coupons I'll be using at different stores. I want a coupon book that is as slim, but has more pockets to organize by coupon types. It's a good idea to make coupons easy to find so you'll be more likely to use them. I hate when I walk out of Target realizing I didn't use my $1 off Cover Girl coupon. 

3. Be prepared. It's not the coupons that save money, but the effort you put into using them. A big wad of coupons is not useful if I don't have a plan. I grocery shop on Monday afternoons, so on Sunday afternoons I plan and make a list. I plan out the meals I'll need for the week. Then I make my list from the meals I plan to make. After I have the ingredients for dinner, I add the basics to the list that we usually take for lunch or keep for snacks like yogurt and carrots. Then I go through my coupons to see if I have coupons for the the things on my list. I also keep the house stocked with paper towels, toilet paper, and other necessities. If I have a coupon that is going to expire on a product I will definitely use, I usually add it to the list. This is usually a 3 pack of Puffs or some Charmin. I never pay full price for cereal, Adam's deodorant and shampoo, or toothpaste because I'll use coupons and look for sales. That doesn't mean I always use my coupons before they expire. For example, I use Aveeno sun screen on my face, but I haven't used my coupons for a while because one tube lasts two or three months and I have two tubes I bought with a coupon sitting under the sink. There will be more Aveeno coupons when I need more I'm sure. 

4. Know the coupon policies of the stores you shop at. Some stores accept competitor coupons or let you double up coupon savings. Other stores will let you use percent off coupons from multiple means (like your phone and paper) as long as you have the same number of items as you do coupons. 

Another way I save money:

Ebates.com. I kept seeing these commercials for cash back when shopping online and wondering what the catch was. But I found there really isn't one. I literally go through Ebates when I want to make an online purchase and it will track my purchase and give me cash back. They also will have the latest coupon codes. The only catch is that they will then bombard your email account with advertisements. There's no jacked up prices or gimmick. (You just have to be strong enough to delete the emails BEFORE seeing that 40% coupon code that you don't need to use right now.) Just for signing up, I got a $10 Target gift card. Then, we've been in the market for baby supplies and Christmas presents. So far, I've received $70 worth of checks for cash back from those purchases and I have more cash back waiting for the next pay out in February. So on top of the Black Friday savings I'm also getting cash back and I didn't have to wait in line or traffic! Sign up through my Ebates link HERE. You get bonuses just for signing up. (And so do I!)

Disclaimer: I have not been paid by any of these sites to write this post. I am just sharing my information. If you do sign up for Ebates using my link, I will receive a $5 bonus when you make your first purchase. It's not about the bonus though, I really just like sharing this information. 

Check out this article and infographic from LearnVest for more information. 

Sightsee Jacksonville

A while ago I wrote this post. So the other day when I was driving down the road I was reminded of this conversation as I stared at the big, black pig sniffing around someone's front yard. Right there. On the side of the road.

It made me want to share some more of these gems with you. Consider this a new series on the blog: Sightsee Jacksonville. Here are some starters:

Spotted while sitting at a red light in September:
I don't think further captioning is necessary for this one.

Today's paper:

I mean lack of newspaper. No news,  just ads. I guess nothing newsworthy happened over the weekend? Or maybe this is a not-so-subtle message that consumerism has completely engulfed the holidays and instead of being a loser who reads the paper, I should be out shopping? I'd call and request a replacement paper, but I'm not too optimistic I'm missing out on any inspiring journalism. 

Stay tuned for other great stories. 

Gourmet S'mores

Usually when we roast s'mores, I really just roast marshmallows. I really just don't care much for plain old chocolate on a graham cracker. If I'm going to do the entire s'more, it really needs to be more special. So I stick with my perfectly browned, evenly roasted marshmallows. 

Well, I shared the idea with a friend in passing and she made it a reality! So Sunday evening we went over to roast gourmet s'mores. She had Nutella and strawberries, chocolate chip cookies, and Reese's. We added some Ghirardelli caramel and mint chocolates to the mix and we were set. 

Most amazing s'mores ever in the history of the world. I checked. 

It was a fun night with an assortment of random Marine Corps friends who all knew each other from different parts of their careers. And a great time catching up or getting to know new people. Good food always brings people together. 

And it's a good thing we did this on Sunday, because boy did it get cold this week! 

Happy Birthday USMC

Last night was Adam's squadron's Marine Corps Ball. And though I was looking forward to it, it had been a hard week to be living the military life. Extra long hours for Adam and uncertainty and mixed messages of the future in the coming months. What kind of career path will he/should he take? When is the weather going to cooperate with the flight schedule so he can get his qualifications? Late night calls to take care of problems within the squadron and two particularly not fun experiences for me at the Naval Hospital for routine bloodwork. All this (and more) had me wondering, "Why are we doing this?"

And then during the birthday ceremony at the ball, I remembered. I cannot hear the Marine Corps Hymn without crying. As the band played the melody I heard the words in my head and I remembered.

For love of country.

I believe in it. Adam believes in it. Adam's tenacity and passion for it makes me believe in it even more. And despite all the junk that comes with it, it's worth it. I don't know where this country is going, or where this war is going. I don't know what our future looks like or if Adam will even make it home to eat dinner before 9pm. But I do know that God knows and that it is an opportunity for us to display our faithfulness and be thankful and content in our now.

So Happy Birthday Marines! We believe in you.

The Marine Corps Hymn:

"From the Halls of Montezuma

To the Shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom 
And to keep our honor clean; 
We are proud to claim the title 
of United States Marine. 

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in ev'ry clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes; 
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines. 

Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve 
In many a strife we've fought for life 
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes; 
They will find the streets are guarded 
By United States Marines."

Autumn

It's been looking a lot like fall around here; all cozy and warm with plaid down blankets and warm apple cider while we roast marshmallows around the fire pit. It's pretty much our favorite season in the Thomas house.

I love to fill the house with pumpkins and candles. (And I made those Halloween book edges in the first picture with some free fonts I downloaded and some paper bags.)

The begonias and mums are still blooming, but who knows for how much longer. I've had to cut back some dying plants and I'll be spreading some more mulch soon. 

And since we don't have those towering trees over our house like in the old neighborhood, there's barely any leaves around here at all. 

And we, we are working, working, volunteering, church-ing, bible-study-ing, waiting, praying, preparing, and growing...

Can time stand still and speed up all at the same time? So I can savor it and soak it in, but still move forward to the exciting things that await?