Emotional Last Month

Wow, so what a roller coaster ride!

Well, we found out Tom was put on permanent profile (not by doctors, but when he went to fill his paperwork out for pre-deployment...yeah...go army..way to keep on top of things). So we are waiting on a med board to see if he can stay in or not. So it has been very emotional. Tom has been seeing specialist after specialist for around 2 years now (started when he was deployed). We FINALLY got some good news. The latest one says that his nerve problems in his shoulder are operable so this gives us hope that he will be able to stay in! He is pretty down right now because his team deployed recently and he wasn't able to accompany them. They are awesome though because they made a job for him in rear-d so that he won't have to PCS (since this isn't a regular unit). I must say though it was so awesome when he came home from this last specialist because he actually was able to have full movement in his shoulder (he hasn't had this since his last deployment). The doc numbed the nerve.

Now on to the kiddos. Victoria is now sitting up by herself. Though she still falls here and there. She would sit up when you put her in that postition, but for the longest time she seemed content to just lean on one arm instead of sit up. Gabriel has lost 2 of his bottom teeth! Katheryn is Katheryn. She is talking ALOT and very bossy!

I'm Bored Again and Decisions

So as some know I get bored ALOT! Well, Monday I went to have my hair done and decided that I am going to be blond. We had put blond highlights throughout last time I went...so this time it was an all over and we put lowlight brown in. I'm thinking next time I'm gonna put pink highlights in.

OK so lately I've been having a "life change". I was sitting looking out the back door and feeling at peace with nature and just decided that I just needed to get rid of some of the hurt feelings, burdens, etc. There is a deployment looming, so maybe that was one reason. Funny though that after that a couple things happened:

1) Tom found out he was put on permanent profile (without a medboard...not from the doctors, but from people with whom he was filling paperwork out with...). He has been told that he has permanent nerve damage from the first deployment which has been getting worse the longer it's been. He's been told both it is and it is not operable. He goes for his second MRI (because FLW refuses to mail his MRI here). While no one likes deployments, we are more at ease with this one because he is going with a great group of people. He is taking this hard. I hope that this next MRI holds good news. I think that it would drive him crazy to be MED Boarded out. He really enjoys what he does. It hurts me to see him hurting like this. Please pray for us.

2) My cousin with whom I haven't talked to in over 6 years e-mailed me the other day. Without going into family problems, I will say we haven't talked her family or others for the same amount of time because of many problems and hurt feelings. She told me that she needed to try to mend fences for her conscience. While what happens between brothers and sisters is their business even though it effects all the family, I personally was insulted/hurt when they walked out of my wedding reception. The reason I was told (not by them mind you)....was that I didn't have a table set up for them with their last name on it. Uhhhh...ok...I did have a table set up for them with my maiden name...apparently if it's a wedding between x and y...you should include z?

So I do believe that God has reasons for everything. Though it might be many days or years before you see why. I can't help but thing that maybe the reason I had the change inside of me only days before everything happened was so I could have an open mind and not be overburdened with everything.

Pergola and Japanese Water Garden

So, we are going to build a pergola on our back porch. These aren't my pictures, but I will upload pictures as soon as we get it built.



I have a small odd shaped triangle plot surrounded by the sidewalk and porch. I was trying to figure out what to go there that would compliment the pergola. We were at lowes one day and I saw their small ponds and the lightbulb went on. We found a larger pond at home depot though. I am going to try and do my best to design it like a small Japanese Water Garden. The Koi of course will be substituted with Goldfish. I am thinking about the Ryukin Goldfish along with some snails and mosquito fish.



Design the pond area something like this:

Rubber Stamping

Ok so I know nothing about it besides the obvious. Gabriel needed to make a card for his teacher today for Teacher Appreciation Week, so we went to Micheal's and picked up some stamps and cards. So my novice attempt went pretty good. It turned out cute. I have decided to add this to my list of hobbies. So any of you rubber stamping experts, please feel free to share some tips and tricks with me. I would like to use it to make homemade cards for Tom while he's deployed and for holidays/birthdays/occasions.

I'm Back!!!

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted anything on here! Over a month. Not much has really happened. We've been busy trying to get the updating done on the house and trying to just spend time together.

The March for Babies went well! Tom walked with me so I wouldn't have to walk alone (isn't he a sweetie!). We had a blast! I am so going to do this next year too.

D-day #2 is approaching fast and it's hitting me harder this time. Last time, we had 4 days notice and so I was busy with packing his bags that I didn't have time to think about it. Now that he was given an actual date last week, it's hit! Ugh!

Victoria now has 4 teeth and is about 15 lbs at 6 months! She started biting me while she nurses yesterday. I think she has some of her brother in her. The first time she bit me it was when she first started to nurse and bit me (I think to get me to look at her) and then smiled at me and went on eating.

Gabriel has started acting up more in school. Nothing bad but just "normal" stuff that he knows he shouldn't do (sitting on desks, talking when he shouldn't, moving around when he should be sitting and listening). I'm not sure, but I think some of it is he knows Tom is going to deploy and I think it's also due the fact I think he has night terrors. I looked up the difference between nightmares and night terrors on Friday (because he scared me by how he was acting after he screamed Mommy...like he was hypnotized). It took us 5+ minutes to "wake" him up. So, I am going to try and get an appointment to talk with a doc about it. Ugh...poor guy.

On a good note, Katheryn is trying to potty train. She's telling me when she has to go poop (most of the time) and has on occasion, told me when she had to go pee pee.