Baby Blues

Funny story . . .

Before Rob and I got married, I became resigned to the fact that I would never have a kid with blue eyes. After Guy's eyes, I was more than okay with that (I love his eyes). Even when I was pregnant with Cooper, I told a couple of people that I'd never have a kid with blue eyes, my only hope was for blue eyes grandkids. My sister, Eden, kept telling me that wasn't true.

Turns out, Eden's right. So far. And yes, I still have to have that little disclaimer just because I'm still not ready to believe they'll stay (that's me, trying to not set myself up for disappointment). My mom was actually the first one to say they could be blue - when he was born, they were gray. I was thinking hazel at that point.

These 9 weeks, I've become more and more hopeful that they stay, and now I think it would be a cruel trick if they changed.

What they don't tell you

We're still figuring plenty out about this whole new job and things, and some of the stuff that I've recently learned is a little surprising. So far, nothing is a deal breaker, but I still wish I'd known it ahead of time.

To give you an idea . . .

The officer pays for his own uniforms before training. From two sources we've heard different numbers: $1,500 or $2,500. Neither one is chump change, right?

In the military, you get 30 days off each year (I think Rob knew that part, I forget). However, not for interns (that's how all social workers that are getting their LCSW are classified). Minor detail, right? For the first year, if we're lucky, he might get five days off (depends on the Commanding Officer - some give none). He does get holidays, and he does accrue the 30 days, but can't use any of them.

Because he doesn't get any official time off he has to stay within 300 miles (or maybe 200 miles?) of base at all times--including holidays. No family visits for us in the next year.

We still have a lot to learn. All that we have learned, in fact, comes from extraneous sources--thank goodness for them!

I'm ready to create a new blog dedicated to revealing all of the gems of infomation that the recruiter maybe could have considered sharing sometime in the very drawn out application process.

By the way, the security process has been kind of crazy. With Rob working his 2 jobs he hasn't had time to hunt things down. So I've been doing that sort of thing. Including numbers off his sister's "born abroad" certificate (or whatever it's really called), friends (personal references) he's known longer than 7 years, all of my parents info. I joke that soon they are going to need the name of my mom's first grade teacher. It's kind of crazy.

Ohio

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base - right outside of Dayton, Ohio

-

Yep. That's where we'll be for the next year (starting in August). We don't know much about it. Man, I feel like they (the Air Force personnel) are breaking us in fast - so many unknowns. And all my friends with any military experience keep telling me to get used to it. So, I will, I hope. Wish me luck . . .

So many choices

We've got big news. We got it on Thursday, and since then, there's been a song tune running through my head. I need to learn the rest of the words . . .

My mind is running all over the place (too bad my body isn't, too). One of the things I've been thinking about is how I could title this blog entry sharing my news.

Here are the some of the titles I've considered:

Off with one helluva roar!

Military Brats & an Officer's Wife

Hallelujah!

No. 4, No. 3, & Clean Shave, Please

Out With the Old, In With the New (moving boxes)

The Irony

And now, the explanation.

Did you know that "Off with one helluva roar!" is one stanza in the first verse of the Air Force song? Me neither, till I looked it up just this afternoon. However, "Off we go into the wild blue yonder" and the rest of the tune hasn't escaped my mind for more than an hour at a time since Thursday afternoon.

In about 12 weeks Guy and Cooper will officially be military brats. And yeah, I'll be the officer's wife.

Hallelujah! Rob's 55+ hour weeks are almost over. Instead of Rob working 2 jobs to cover salary and benefits (day job) and earn LCSW hours (night job), he'll have one 9 to 5 job that covers both.

Right now Rob has to shave at least 3 days a week. I've always liked the rugged look. Now there's no chance of that for a very long time, though. His hair will always be short (4 on top, 3 on sides, I think) and he'll have to report to work clean shaved every day. We'll definitely be taking family photos before he reports for Officer's Training which will most likely be starting on July 5 in Montgomery, Alabama (we're still waiting for details).

And this week I'll finally be ridding the garage of the stored moving boxes. Some of those boxes took me to Delaware, brought us back to Utah, and then 2 years later moved us here. We didn't know what next with those. The Air Force application process started last August. After moving here in September, I really wanted to get rid of the boxes, but we had the space to store them and I didn't want to re-purchase if we were going to move ourselves again. But in the next few months (again, details pending), rather than us packing, we'll supervise (yea! . . . if someone else wants to pack and move us, let's go.).

Rob still won't get it, and never will, but while we found out he got accepted on Thursday afternoon, and on Saturday I FINALLY hung things on the walls in our home. I know, it's weird, but I wanted the chance to decide on what I need to update (didn't want to hang a bunch of wedding photos from our time in Delaware), and just take care of things now so that I already have things ready to go right up in our next home. Being sick and pregnant when we moved in, that just never got to the top of the list until now.

We're still waiting to hear our assignment (there are 4 possible places that we could end up for one year--starting in August). There is a lot that we don't know. Luckily we've got a friend from Rob's program who started this whole process one year early than Rob. He's taught us more than anyone else thus far, and he and his wife are going to be an invaluable resource. From him, we've learned that there are 4 places we can end up for the first year: DC (Andrews AFB), Ohio, California, or Florida. I'm hoping for DC.

So, off we go into the wild blue yonder . . .

my new favorite

I've got to get around to finally hanging things on our walls. This just might be the first thing hung.

the good ones

Outtakes

Cooper's growing faster than some weeds! The kid is already in size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes (he's not even 6 weeks old). As I try to capture these two, I'm loving my camera (I'm so grateful for digital). There are plenty of days when I take WAY too many photos, like yesterday. Here are some funny ones, I can't wait to work on the great shots - some turned out fabulous. So excited.

Dad calls him Whitey

Okay, that isn't true, but he does like to talk about how white he is.

Unfortunately the differences in Cooper (top) and Guy (bottom) aren't as clear on the blog as in the real photos side by side, but I can still see it (mostly in the skin) . . . :)

Too much hair?

At least five or six times we've had to ungrasp Cooper's hand from his hair. He loves holding on to things, and weaving his fingers into anything he can.

Last week at the doctor's office the nurses told me that this 11 lb. 4 oz. baby is bigger than every two month old that was in their office that day. The sad thing about that is that it's looking like Guy's clothes may not work too well seasonally. All of Guy's winter stuff will probably fit Cooper in the middle of the summer. Some of his cute 0-3 month stuff is already getting pretty tight. Since we aren't planning on moving south of the equator anytime soon, I guess I'll have to supplement the wardrobe.

Jimmer Fever

If you know who he is, how do you not have it? BYU's been fun to watch this year--and Jimmer isn't the only reason, but he sure is amazing.

My generous parents kindly offered Rob and me use of their 11th row tickets to BYU's last home game of season last weekend. I probably said yes to my dad faster than he finished making the offer. Knowing that Rob would kindly humor with the request that he join me for one game. I figure one game a year won't hurt him (and I know he'd even go to more without even making me beg). I also thought, though, that it would be fun to take Guy to his first game, so I figured that he could move in between our laps (since I have most of mine back now) and it would be no big deal. Then I learned that 2 year olds require tickets. ?!? We were just a few weeks too late.

I gave Rob a few options: we could go and leave the boys with my folks (another very generous offer), buy an extra ticket for Guy, or I could just take Guy. Rob quickly jumped at the last option. So, I did the "dad thing" :) - and took my boy to his first basketball game.

It was fantastic.

Guy LOVED it. It was nap time when we headed down, so I was a little afraid of how it would all pan out, but it couldn't have been better. Before getting to our seats I bought a bag of popcorn, and then we headed in - in time to see all the pre-game senior honors and all that.

For a while now he's known "miss" and "yea" when a ball either goes in, or doesn't. We've got a way to go before he distinguishes between teams, but we're on the right path because when asked his favorite color is consistently blue (and that was never even prompted). But he watched and clapped, and devoured almost a whole bag of popcorn by himself.

And I had a great time. With Guy, and watching the game.

Every day since that game Guy has asked for basketball. I tell him we'll go again sometime, and we definitely will. It's kind of fun to think that his first basketball game was Jimmer's last game at BYU.

Go Cougs! . . . and thanks, Dad and Mom.With 4 min. left of the game, Guy was saying "All done." So we did head out pretty quickly after the game ended. On the way out, though, we watched the "fun mess" of confetti and the party on the court. Guy talked about it the whole way home. Not the most flattering photo of Guy, but the best I could do while holding him and taking the photo.

some photos

See those things? . . . yeah, they are blue--for now. We'll see what pans out, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm shocked. So far they've gone from gray to blue but I'm trying not to get my hopes up. Things are going pretty well, but there's never a dull moment, right? Our latest "excitement" is thrush for Cooper, and, well, the nursing yeast infection that goes along with that for me--ouch, times two. Lucky us, right? In five days things should be better, so here's hoping.

Overall, though, recovery has been SO MUCH better than last time, and I'm truly grateful. Otherwise, I don't know how I'd do it with two.