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My 13-month old is quite the little Romeo these days!  He is all about kissing, hugging, touching hair (which leads to pulling hair usually, uh-oh!) and friendly wrestling matches.  Awww, how adorable, right?  If you are thinking about those black and white photos of little kids kissing and precious moments dolls and what not, hold on, this is a bit different…

His favorite new activity is kissing another little BOY on the lips.  Not the sweet young ladies in the class, nope.  It’s serious, people — they both will be playing together and then all of a sudden they lock eyes, slowly lean toward one another, close their eyes and kiss each other!

Come here and give me some sugar!

Kissing is just another phase here at daycare, like biting and throwing food.  We have seen our share of baby affection, so maybe Isaac has learned this from watching the other kids.  Or he may have got it from me, since I kiss him all the time, all over, including on the lips.  At the end of the day I would rather he learn affection instead of aggression (:

I know at this age they are pretty much “gender neutral” and him kissing boys is not a real cause for concern, but I have gotten comments of caution from others on this, which I think is pretty amusing.  And you know what?  If Isaac grows up and decides he still likes to kiss boys, I will still be his mother who loves him — that will never change no matter what.

Has your baby kissed or been kissed by another little one?  How did you respond?

My Marine

Dear Garrett,

I miss you. I miss us. There are some things I miss more than others. Here are some of them in no particular order:

I miss putting our baby to bed together, watching her sleep and then cuddling on the couch and talking about what a beautiful, happy and angelic baby we’ve made.

I miss dreaming about the family we’ll one day have, when each child will be born and what we will name them.

I miss calling you whenever I want.

I miss watching you teach Nora new things.

I miss tickle fights.

I miss long runs together and feeling like I can keep up with you, like I’m an equal half.

…and then I think about the things you probably miss and I fell like I shouldn’t complain. You miss all of the above and from how you’re living now I bet…

You miss eating a sand-free meal.

You miss using a toilet and not a grocery bag

You miss having a cold drink.

You miss being able to shower alone.

You miss being able to have a day off of work.

You miss being able to get a back massage from your wife.

You miss fresh fruits and vegetables.

I know there is probably a lot more that you miss and yet you never complain. So I wanted to say thank you for all that you are sacrificing for your family, your community and your country. You are an amazing husband, father and best friend. I am so proud to call you my Marine.

I love you!

Kelly

My girlfriend Sadie went home for this deployment. She has triplets and decided being near her parents and grandparents would be best for her family during the seven month deployment. I was sad to see her go but completely understood her reasoning. As a surprise Toni and I prepared and sent her a Deployment Survival Kit. We filled it with silly and serious things that we hoped would help her get through the days. It included (in no particular order);

12. Cracker Jacks to be a kid again

11. A Baby bottle to keep your babies fed, full and happy

10. A Movie to help you chill out, vegetate, and forget the time for a few hours

9. Military Wives Prayer to remind you God walks with you always, and you can always lean on Him.

Military Wives Prayer

Dear Lord,

Give me greatness of heart to see,

The difference between duty and his love for me.

Give me understanding so that I may know,

When duty calls him he must go.

Give me a task each day,

To fill the time when he’s away.

And Lord, when he’s in a foreign land,

Keep him safe in your loving hand.

And Lord, when deployment is so long,

Please stay with me and keep me strong.

Amen.

8. Hair ties to pull your hair back and get the job done (on days when there isn’t time to vegetate)

7.  Bubble gum to mask the I didn’t get the chance to brush my teeth breath when you have surprise visitors

6.  An American Flag to show your pride in our country as well as to remind yourself what you and Adam are sacrificing for. So that EVERYONE may be entitled to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

5.  A Journal to write your deepest fears, darkest moments, happiest joys, everyday trials, to vent, to scream and yell; to just get EVERYTHING OUT.

4.  A USMC Wife Shirt to show everyone who you are and what you’re made of. And also to give you back a little piece of the home you left behind.

3.  Bubbles for the Babies So you can have a trick up your sleeve when they’re having a bad day and you need to distract them.

2.  Stationary to keep in touch with Adam

1. Smirnoff Green Apple Vodka as a last resort, just in case…

What would you put in a deployment survival kit?

As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, a decision has been made and we are in the process of moving back to Texas to be near family during this dreadful deployment.  Unfortunately, that means leaving behind my MomTalk team.

Although it took a lot of praying and fighting the right answer because I didn’t necessarily WANT to do it, I know that I need to do this.  I’ve definitely had my fair share of answered prayers so I know when to listen to the spirit, even it means leaving a place that means so much to me.

The kids are sad to be leaving new friends that they’ve acquired over the year of living on base.  They’re sad to be leaving their school that’s so close to home which allows them to ride their bike or walk to school.  They’re sad to be leaving our awesome house with a playground just across the street.  BUT, they’re happy to be near old friends and family that will distract them from what is looming over our heads like a dark and dreary cloud.

I just wanted to write this post and direct it towards the readers and my fellow bloggers here at MomTalk.  This will be my last post which brings a tear to my eye, but new adventures mean new opportunities and I’m excited to see what lies ahead.  I’m so grateful for THIS opportunity I had to share my life with you, to open my home and my heart to you.  I’m even MORE grateful for the opportunity I had to get to learn about each of YOUR wonderful families through your blogs.  You’ve definitely made me cry AND laugh a time or two and I’m thankful for that. And thank you readers for sharing your stories and notes of encouragement!

I won’t say goodbye because I’ll still be checking in on all you lovely bloggers from time to time and commenting when I have two cents to put into the conversation.

Again, thank YOU for allowing MY family to be a part of such an awesome team!  I’ll see you around!

Peace Out!

There's a lot to be happy about!

I’ve kept a journal ever since I can remember. It’s always been like therapy to me and I like feeling light inside after I’ve unloaded everything onto paper. Every now and then I’ll run across an old journal and read through all the entries. Here’s a page I found where I had made a list of all the good things in my life and titled it “Counting my blessings.” I think I’m going to keep it out and refer to it whenever I’m feeling down. Here are some things I am thankful to have:

1. Good parents who love me and raised me in a loving home enabling me to do the same for my own family.

2. A beautiful daughter (Saioa wasn’t born yet) who is healthy. (Specifically I had in mind a friend that has a handicapped daughter and the daily challenges that they face.)

3. A wonderful place to live

4. Great friends

5. My health

6. I live in America, where I have rights, freedom and opportunity

7. I live a life that is free from drugs, crime and fear

8. Heating (our heater went out for two days last winter and believe me, this was something I was taking for granted)

9. I can stay home with my daughter and raise her

10. Good things to eat like pizza and chocolate (I know this one sounds funny but I was thinking about all the people in third world countries who can’t even get their hands on clean water and bread)

11. The satisfaction of knowing that my child is happy and safe and being raised in a good environment and surrounded by people who care for her and parents who love her more than anything in the world. A child who smiles and laughs every day and can be innocent and be a child and play, have treats, eat good food, read good books, be comforted when she’s afraid and loved when she’s hurt. A child who will be provided a bright and fair future. (Think of the children in Afghanistan, Africa, Iraq, etc., who don’t have a reason to smile and can’t live like children, whose childhoods have been taken away from them, who have witnessed their parents being murdered, violence is an everyday part of their lives, they are alone during the day, at night and all the time.)

12. This is my biggest blessing: I’m able to provide a good life for my children when too many other children are suffering.

And on a lighter note…

13. Lazy weekend afternoons watching movies with Kevin, napping with Sero and enjoying the comfort of our home.

14. Going for a walk whenever I want

15. Being born in my generation

16. Did I mention heat?

17. Good medical care

18. Education

Do you have days where you have to stop and count your blessings? What are they?

When someone said “postpartum depression”, I immediately had the image of Kirstie Alley in Look Who’s Talking crying about the FTD commercial in my head.  I was hopeful that I wasn’t going to be a teary-eyed-snot-flowing-everywhere kind of mommy after having Sayle.  While I was very aware of the classic signs of postpartum, I was not aware of this pesky little state called the baby blues-until they hit me.

I had Sayle on a Wednesday and got home with him on Friday afternoon.  That’s when anxiety kicked in.  I couldn’t sit still and my mind raced constantly.

I didn’t have any newborn clothes for Sayle.  I was a horrible mother.  My house wasn’t clean enough.  The dogs needed grooming.  I’m not changing his diaper right.  Was Sayle getting enough to eat?  What if I mess something up?

I had my final melt-down on day one when Sayle had spit-up come from his nose and spread across his face during a nap; that scared me to death.  I sobbed uncontrollably because I thought there was something seriously wrong with him.

A few days later, Grandma showed up from England (thank God) to help us.  The first morning she was here, she took Sayle upstairs with her to allow me a long shower and some free time.  I couldn’t handle free time; the free time allowed me too much time for my thoughts to race-so I folded laundry to keep my mind occupied.  When I was finished I went upstairs with them.  As soon as she said hi, I burst into tears.  There was nothing wrong with me, why was I crying? I had no reason to cry, I was the happiest I had ever been!  She just smiled at me, understanding exactly what I was going through.

I had the baby blues, which is quite common shortly after you give birth.  Baby blues usually occur within days of giving birth and can last for up to 21 days. The physical symptoms can include lack of sleep and energy, food craving or loss of appetite, and feeling tired even after sleeping.  The mental symptoms include anxiety and excessive worry, confusion, nervousness, sadness, feeling overwhelmed, and lack of confidence.  Behavioral reactions include crying, over sensitivity, irritability, and hyperactivity.

I had most of these symptoms for approximately a week before I was able to establish a routine.

I definitely felt out of sorts while experiencing the baby blues, but I couldn’t help it.  None of us can.  Having a baby is overwhelming in itself without having to deal with the hormonal changes that are uncontrollable, thank you Mother Nature.  I am thankful I was surrounded by people who love me and by my veteran mothers who completely understood why I was acting like a cry baby.

If you experience these types of symptoms more than four weeks, you may be experiencing postpartum, which is also very common.  Please tell your doctor how you are feeling when you go for your check up!

How did you feel after having your child?  Did you experience any baby blue or postpartum?  How did you cope?