One Full Week down :)

Yay!! We survived our first week of this deployment... it seemed some days dragged on and then again I can't believe its already been over a week since Brandon left. Time really does fly by in the grand scheme of things :) I am happy to report that he has arrived at his final destination at FOB Salerno and is adjusting well. He has already been busy at work transitioning and preparing with the unit to take over come February. Brandon says that its not too bad there... reminds him of Fort Irwin and Fort Huachuca... very desert like with lots of mountains around him and the weather so far has been sunny and nice. He seems in high spirits and making the most of it! We are very lucky that he is MI and will be staying right there on the FOB... that fact has been a real stress reliever for me especially! He is also lucky enough to have his very own room... they are staying in buildings that are divided into about six rooms... I know he will be more comfortable when he is able to get his action packer with all his creature comforts he had sent over there earlier. We are also very fortunate that he has Internet access right there in his room... that is going to be so nice :) The pros keep getting better... he has been able to call daily so far and even Peighton has been able to talk with him. I don't know what we'd do without modern technology... its been a true blessing!!

I still don't have an address for him yet... but as soon I get one I will be sure to pass it along. I am sure he would love to start getting stuff in the mail especially some goodies!! I can also let y'all know any specifics of what he might need or like. There is small PX there... but with thousands of others soldiers using it ... there quantity and selection can get limited! Plus, I love being able to spoil him even 8000 miles away :)

Peighton and I are doing fine... trying to keep ourselves in good spirits... more me than her... as children will react to how we feel. We are keeping busy... her going to preschool helps keep us in routine and makes the time go by. Just think it wont be long before I am posting a one month update :)

Update!

It seems like a lot has happened since my last post... just a week ago. It has been one of those weeks!! Brandon left for Afghanistan early this week... a few delays but he is almost there. He is in a transition spot there in the country and should be arriving at the FOB later on this week. We have been adjusting as best as can be expected... Peighton just thinks he is at work still... which technically he is... just 8000 miles away :( I have received a few emails from him as well as a couple of phone calls which have made the week so much better. Communication should be more convient once he reaches the FOB... I should also be getting his address soon which I will pass along to y'all. He seems to be doing well... adjusting to his new environment and getting use to the massive time change. He is 10 1/2 hours ahead of us... so for most of y'all that would be only 9 1/2 hours. We still aren't sure whether he will be allowed to come home when the baby comes or if he will just be taking an early R&R... which will probably be in April. Just continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers as well as the rest of the unit. I am so PROUD of my soldier!!

Now for the latest on miss Peighton... she has done fairly well since Brandon's leaving... her age has been a blessing because she is not old enough yet to understand... and we just got done with a nine month separation while he was away at school so in some regards she knows no different. We started potty training her last weekend... serious training... like only panties during the day... and she has done REMARKABLE :) I knew she could master it... and all before her 3rd birthday. She has had minor accidents and she has even pooped on the potty for the past couple of days. Peighton will even go when we are out and she went at school this week as well as staying dry!! YAY :) I am so excited... I really did NOT want to have to deal with two kiddos in diapers and I knew she was smart enough to catch on. I was worried she might regress with Brandon being gone but she has continued on... and I am so proud of her. Let's cross her fingers she will not regress with the arrival of the new baby... but I know if I stay on her and keep working with her she will not even be phased by it. Its so NICE not changing her diaper anymore :)

Well that has been our week... we have a quiet week coming up then its busy, busy for us for awhile... oh yeah and only about 4 weeks till baby is due!!

Snow Pics

Peighton all bundled up... she loved it though!

Driving her jeep through the snow in the backyard :)

It was so pretty, but after a bit it was just cold!

Brandon & Peighton with the snowman they made... haha!

I am happy to say that after three days of snowing on and off... the sun finally came out today! The snow has melted away but it is still bitter cold out there... high for the day still in the 20's. We are looking forward to later in the week when it warms up to a mere 40... but at least it will be above freezing :)

Snow Day :)

Today, we woke up to snow!!! It was very exciting to see a white blanket covering everything... it has been snowing on and off throughout the day as well. Brandon still had to go to work today... and even Peighton's preschool was still open, but we opted to stay home and enjoy the warmth of indoors :) Pete (our dog) did not like the snow too much... he has barely left our front yard to go to the bathroom then its right back in... I don't think he likes the cold or snow on his paws... he is more a warm weather dog!

Yesterday, I had my 34 week OB doctor's visit. Baby is doing fine... he is measuring about a week ahead... and he is no longer breech... she did an ultrasound and he is head down! Peighton was able to see her baby brother on the monitor... he looks like he might have a big head like her... haha :) So we are still aiming for the 20th of February but not to be surprised if he is a week early... I'm ready whenever he is. Just about a month left to go... I head back to the doctor on the 25th of January... then every week after that!

We are fortunate that Brandon is still here... he has not left yet... the date was pushed back due to flight scheduling. Its a bit annoying to get yourself set for one day and it be pushed back to a later date... and we still aren't sure on the current date. But we've been blessed and will take any extra days we can have with him :) I will be using this blog to keep y'all updated on him while he is over there... including his address and any updates he sends me. Just keep him as well all the others that over there in your thoughts and prayers as well their families... we can't wait till the countdown for him to come home begins :)

Christmas 09 Pics

Riding in her new Jeep at Mimi's & Papa's

Peighton must have been a very good girl this year!

Our house all decorated for Christmas :)

Holiday Recap

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's. I know we surely did... well for the most part :) This was a very exciting Christmas for Peighton... its the first year that she actually got it... she understood what Santa was all about and what was going to happen. So needless to say, presents were bought without her knowledge and not placed under the tree until Christmas Eve... ensuring the Santa fantasy. We had decided to stay at our house for Christmas morning this year since we never have before and also since Brandon wont be able to spend the holidays with us next year. So our plan was to have Christmas at our house then wake up early the next morning and head to Summerville for a couple of days. It was too funny that morning... it was almost like Peighton forgot all about it... she came down the stairs and straight to our room (like any other morning)... she asked for her shows and milk... then when we walked into the living room and she saw the tree with presents she remembered and was like oh, santa came! Then she was all excited :) She was even a very cautious unwrapper... making sure all the paper was off of her presents. It was hard to keep her focused... each present she wanted to play with right then... she didn't understand that she could unwrap them all and go back and play. Luckily, she only had the presents that we got her under the tree.. and it didn't take too long... about 20 minutes total I believe. Then of course, we had to open them all and take them out of their boxes to play with them!! Peighton must have been a very good girl this year (as usual) because Santa left her some very good presents :)

The rest of the day wasn't as peachy due to Brandon got sick early that morning and stayed sick the rest of the day :( So we didn't get the Christmas dinner... I wasn't going to cook up a big storm just for no one to eat it... thus, Peighton and I ate chicken nuggets and macaroni & cheese... at least we can say we had each other :) Other than that... it was a perfect day... we all went to bed early because there was a 4 am wake up call for us to get on the road! We ended up getting on the interstate about 530ish... and had an uneventful drive down with minimal traffic problems... which is always nice! We arrived about 5pm and Peighton got to do Christmas again with all of my family... Santa must have thought she was an exceptionally good girl because she got lots of goodies :) We had a wonderful time... eventhough it was a short visit... I think we got in all that we wanted to accomplish. We went to church Sunday morning... Brandon and I went out with Celeste, Dustin, Tim & Ashley on Sunday night. Monday was filled with some girl time... Peighton got her 3 year pictures taken... she did a good job even if she wouldn't crack a smile... the pictures still say Peighton!! We also managed some shopping that day :) Tuesday was our last day but not for Peighton. Brandon and I left Wednesday morning and Peighton stayed with Mimi and Papa until Friday when we picked her up in Atlanta. We had a good two days of just the two of us... and enjoyed New Year's Eve with dinner out!

We were truly blessed this year with all of the wonderful time spent with family & friends!! Brandon is off till Tuesday and we are looking forward to spending some last minute, quality time as a family :) I will be posting pictures very soon of the holiday adventures!!

Catching Up!

It has been awhile since I've last blogged... seems like time just gets ahead of me. We have been very busy this past month.. lots of things happening!! We have enjoyed Brandon being on leave since the 5th of December... it has been so nice for him to be with us :) We are getting spoiled though and its going to be hard to see him go back to work and even worse deploy!! Peighton is on break from school.. I think its funny preschoolers get Christmas vacation :) No school for her until the 5th of January... I'm not sure how that will work... hehe... I'm sure we will all be ready to go back to our routine :) Cannot believe we are only 3 days from Christmas and less than 2 weeks from a new year... seems like this year has really gone by... hopefully next year will fly just as easily!! We are very excited about Christmas... I think this is the first year Peighton has really gotten into the whole spirit.. and realizes what Santa Claus is all about... I am looking forward to seeing her face on Christmas morning with all the presents under the tree :) We are leaving the day after Christmas to head down to South Carolina for a few days... can't wait to see everyone and spend some family time!

We've been busy these past few weeks because we bought our FIRST PLACE :) I know crazy us!! We had been talking about for awhile... it would be a good idea for us since we will remain at Fort Campbell until Brandon gets a Captain's Career Course date (which is a school assignment)... which would be no earlier than late 2012 or even sometime in 2013. As much as living in an apartment is convenient... we are basically wasting our money on rent plus its going to get small in an apartment with two kiddos running around. We look it as an investment property... something we can rent to other military families when we do PCS from here... and we are building equity every month instead of paying someone else. We looked for a couple of days... saw about a half of dozen places... and found one we really liked... put an offer on it that day and that night were under contract... its been a hectic process but completely worth it. We closed on the house on December 9th and got to work on it the next day. While the house had some pluses like hardwood floors downstairs, new carpet in the bedrooms, fenced in backyard, a swing set in the back, and decent paint in the living room; we had a lot to do elsewhere. It worked out well that Brandon was off because we were able to get a lot done in just a week. We managed to paint all three bedrooms, redo our bathroom, paint most of the trim, and completely redo the kitchen. Brandon worked very hard and I think even surprised himself at how much he could do all on his own!! In the kitchen, the cabinets were painted white, replaced the counter tops, installed a new back splash, and had new appliances ordered/installed... and the whole area got painted as well as trim. In the bathroom downstairs which is also the master bath, he painted the walls and installed a new vanity, mirror, and light fixture. Also, outside got new black shutters and the front door was painted white. We also got completely moved in and unpacked... we've even managed to decorate the house for Christmas!!

Whew!! I'm exhausted just reflecting on it all... but its also been fun to have all these projects... and to finally be able to have a house exactly how we want it :) At least I can say, we have not been bored or lazy... haha!! We are happy to say we are done...except for some minor details... and we've done it all in less than 2 weeks from closing on our house! Now we can focus on the Holidays... before we know it Brandon will be leaving... Peighton will be 3 and Henry will be here!!