I love it, Mama!

I love it, Mama!
Originally uploaded by auphelia

We've been ridiculously busy lately. Christian is supposed to come home a month early from his deployment, we fly home in 6 days, Leah cut her first tooth this week, and I have to pack a ridiculous amount of clothing and toys somehow. On top of it all we can't take our dog home with us right now because of the bad weather. Such is life.

Well, well, what have we here?

Well ladies and gentlemen, our lives have been permanently interrupted! We found out 2 days ago that on November 23rd, 2009 we were chosen to PCS to Kadena AFB. Kadena, if you're unfamiliar with it, is located in Okinawa, Japan!

Christian will fly out ahead of us at the beginning of June to get us a house and to scope out the place. Leah and I will fly out afterwards to meet up with him. We were sad at first, but now we're filled with excitement! We cannot wait to go on a new adventure as a family. :)

This will greatly affect my 101 list so I'll be making changes shortly. Anyone who is military and has lived overseas can tell you it really is NOT that easy to get enough leave (and approval!) to leave the country you're in the visit the states. So instead of some of the locations we hoped to visit here I'll add MANY we hope to visit while in Asia and maybe even Europe again!

I have a feeling this will also affect our plans for children. We will still begin trying to conceive when we originally planned to but because I will deliver in a Japanese hospital the chances of me having a VBAC will be much lower. Depending on if I end up with a repeat cesarean we may have to stop having children much earlier than we originally wanted to. I'm trying not to think about it too much because it is a very saddening thought for us.

Leah will have her first birthday in Okinawa and my family is planning on flying out to spend it with her! I am grateful she will still be surrounded by loved ones on her first big day. :)

Kairi is coming with us as well. We have to get going on lots of paperwork and such for her but gosh dang it I am not leaving my puppy behind! I've had her since she was 8 weeks old and she's 13 months now. She helped me through Christian's first deployment when I was pregnant and alone, and she is my constant companion now that I have Leah and we're home all day. Life in Japan just wouldn't be the same without her.

We can't take our car "Betsy" with us (our Kia) so I am thankful we haven't bought a new car yet. :) In Japan they drive on the left side of the road (similar to in the UK), plus they have very strict requirements of vehicles within their country. We technically could take it but it would cost thousands and thousands to adjust it to their standards.

We are so excited to have such an amazing opportunity for our first PCS. Beale was Christian's first duty station so we're in for the adventure of a lifetime!

One day closer

We officially have less than a month left until Leah and I head to California with my parents. I am so anxious to get all of this traveling over with because it's going to be a very very long day. We leave on one of the first flights of the day and will arrive in California in the early afternoon. I am hoping to get Leah and I back into a west coast routine fairly quickly so we'll need to try to stay up as much as possible that day. I will probably regret it when the time comes but for now that's my plan. At least my parents will be there to keep Leah entertained and me sane.

Christian and I haven't had the chance to talk as much lately as we used to. They switched him from the evening shift to the early morning shift. Bah. So he's asleep during our daytime hours and has work while I sleep. Even when we do talk he's usually in a rush out the door or he's so tired he can hardly comprehend when I'm saying. I am ready for him to just come home already. Leah needs her Daddy and I need my husband back. He's looking at applying for an instructor position at Beale. If he were to do so, and be accepted, it would be a controlled 4 year tour. No deployments (emergencies of course don't "count"), small increase in pay, no PCS guarantee. I like the idea of being somewhere we are familiar with for a couple of years, and the idea of him not being deployed every 8 freaking months.

Another plus: when it comes to us having more children I really loved the birthing center I delivered Leah at (even though my birth plan didn't pan out), and Leah (plus any other children) would get to see the same doctor consistently. We've discussed when we plan on trying to conceive our second child and anybody that is military can tell you it's nerve wrecking to think that your husband will be deployed when you get pregnant, will miss the delivery, or you could find out you have to PCS the month you're due. So knowing we'd be in the same place, Christian would be home, and Leah would have family nearby to help us take care of her while I am in labor (should anything happen -knock on wood-) is comforting.

In other news I started taking a cake decorating class at the local Michael's and I love it. I have wanted to take this class for over a year now and I am so happy I decided to do it before going home. I have the class once a week (Monday) for 2 hours a night and so far I've learned how to fill cakes, make different types of buttercream frosting, frost cakes, dye frosting and cakes, and the basics of all kinds of fun accessories. I am going to have so much fun baking cakes and decorating them just because. On the same note I have also finally written down approximately 7 of my favorite recipes my Mom came up with from enchiladas to home made soup. I can't wait to get home and make them for Christian and I. :)

Tomorrow is a big day....Leah will be SIX MONTHS OLD. My baby is already half of a year old. Where does the time go? Monday her WIC checks become active and she'll get a box of rice cereal and 92 (yes, NINETY-TWO) jars of baby food for the month of January. WIC is really trying to make a point that breast feeding is best for mama and baby!

For now, that is our update. I am starving...time to get some soup!