Some things are best forgotten

I have decided that it is a good thing we do not remember our infancy.  This decision was made whilst I was closely inspecting Little Man's derriere for remnants of what I will euphemistically call "stuff".  If we remembered the diaper changes, the crying fits, the nursing, the thousands of kisses planted on various parts of our bodies and the high, squeeky voices endlessly repeating phrases like "You're so cute, can I get a smile?  Can I get a smile?  There's a sweet smile!  Oh!  You letting out some gas?  Wow, that's a good boy!  You fart like your Daddy!", we would all be scarred for life, constantly feeling just a little sick to our stomachs.  Just a thought.  Which brings me to some irony:

Little Mister's happiest place is the changing table.  He could be screaming bloody murder and the second his body hits the changing pad, he's all smiles.  Apparently he likes clean diapers (who'd blame him?) and being naked (the naked part seems to be his favorite).

Yesterday I knit my first gauge swatch,

(picture of the cast on) which is mildly appalling because I've finished several items already, breaking the rules along the way I guess.  This is going to be a hat for Zeb, progress pics to come.  Speaking of, I think I'll go knit now... :)

I admit it...

I will spend longer in the bathroom than I really need. It's the perfect opportunity to defer the non-stop questions to someone else for a precious five minutes a day. I think everyone who has ever asked a stay-at-home mom the question "So... what do you do all day?" Needs to be given a preschooler for two days in a row. One day is not enough and I will tell you why - after the first day, they will begin to see what you do do all day, but then they get to go to bed with the knowledge that they will be doing the same thing all day long the next day. Now I do not think the "awakening" should last more than two days and again, I'll tell you why - the question-poser does not love my children like I love my children, therefore their motives are not a parent's motives. I will not delve any more into that scenario... the point is, being a stay-at-home mom is a full time job and I do not feel guilty admitting stealing 5 minutes of inaccessible time a day, even if I have to retreat to the bathroom to do it.

A temporary new life

My husband is disembodied text on a screen, being sent from a country racked with war.
My daughter is sleeping in my brother's former room, missing her daddy and trying to teach her 2 month old brother how to play.
My son is currently sleeping in his car-seat beside my bed, not because that's the only place for him but because that's where he'll sleep the longest.
My pre-marriage bedroom is now my current bedroom, complete with crib and changing table.
My marriage is long-distance, my heart is in two halves, my house-hold is spread across two states and mostly in cardboard boxes.
My God is sufficient, my Comforter, my Provider.

I thank God for my husband and pray for his safety
I thank God for my children and pray for their salvation
I thank God for deployments and will continue to do so until my love is in my arms
I thank God that the deployment will eventually end and am already praying for our transition back to being a family under the same roof

I pray that I will be faithful, that I will grow, that I will do right by our children and household while my better half is away.

Now, after all this introspection, I'm going to sleep, future posts will not always be this heavy.

P.S. Zach, I think Zeb has you beaten in the farting realm, that boy has the longest farts I've ever heard!

Hey Zach, some of these are a little old, but I don't think they've been put up because they're from mom's camera.

As soon as Heather walked in with Kiara for the first time, we both had to feed our babies.


Their first pics together were a fiasco!

This was Esther's first time in the bumbo seat. She ended up completely slumped over. She's doing great in it now though!


Esther fell asleep in Mom's swing like this. Look at the fingers on her right hand too... so cute!
There's the girls taking a nap together, kinda ;)

Dad was being really cute playing with Esther after dinner at the table.


She's trying to eat everything in sight now.

Then the storms hit and Heather and I took the girls into the basement at Heather and Ry's and Nermal wanted so badly to come down and join us.

Down in the basement making sure the girls were safe and trying to keep plugs from falling on the extremely gross floor.
One person who was definetly NOT phased by the tornadoes.
Dad playing with Kiara after one wave of storms had blown over.

It's still a little big but I just had to put it on her and take a pic to show you! You're a hero to both of us!

Isn't this cute?

And then here's the proud Grandma/Milita. She can't decide what she wants to be called and wants Heather and I to pick. What do you like better?

Love you and miss you, I'll keep putting pics of Esther up for you as often as I can!

Esther and Kiara's first meeting...

Um... Mommy, what is this thing making such funny noises?

Kiara just was enamored by the light.

I don't know... she was grabbing the toy I guess.

Samson really likes Esther, so much so that he even combed her hair for her with his tongue.

Casey likes Esther too, and didn't mind holding her at all, she actually liked it I think.

Deer in the headlights

Oooo, a blanket

Stop taking pictures of me

Barbara Jones likes Esther, and Esther really liked Barbara Jones and wouldn't stop talking to her

And she smiled a lot too.

Zach, your little girl loves you and misses you a lot.  She can't wait to talk to you again not to mention see you when you get home!

Hey Daddy!

Pbbbbbbbtttttthhhhhh!

Looky me!  I'm holding my bottle (kinda)!

Bunny towel...

Bunny towel pirate...

Bunny towel ppbbbbbtttthhhh!

Giraffe toes

She does, she loves her daddy, and misses him too!

More pics for Daddy

Hi Daddy!

Look, I've got the keys and I'm all ready to get into your Camaro and have a joy of a ride!
But first, I'm going to gum the keys for awhile.
Esther was waking up from a nap and I went to check on her, and her little feet kept appearing and then disappearing.
And then there's the I'm-smiling-because-I-just-had-an-amazing-popcorn-fart!

I took some video, but it won't upload... I'll keep trying though.

We love you!