Our Sweet Girls turn 2!

I can't believe that today is the day that our sweet girls are turning 2, where have the past two years gone? I know that we all say when they are babies I can't wait until they crawl, I can't wait until they walk, or talk, are running, playing sports, able to be more like a "human being" than a baby who just lays there. I miss the days of just holding my girls while they nap or them cuddling up on me. All these things that I couldn't wait for have happened and I was just wishing away their baby stages.I can still remember 2 years ago like it was yesterday. We had a lamaze class scheduled for Saturday September 12, 2009, I woke up at about 6 am to use the restroom, when I went to lay back down I felt something weird...when I went back to the restroom my water broke (or one of my waters broke). I screamed to Will to get up, and he flew out of bed and said that it wasn't time for lamaze class yet, (he was completely dreading it, haha). When I told him what happened, he called the Naval hospital to let them know we were on our way. They didn't want to seem to believe us, they asked if I had just peed in my pants, right I think I would know if I did that. They said since we lived out in town and it was considered an emergency to go to the closest hospital. At this point we didn't have any bags packed nothing, we still had 6 more weeks in our minds. We loaded up as fast as possible, called all the family, and found someone to help with our dog. I had experienced Braxton hicks contractions just about from the start of my pregnancy, but real ones are nothing like those fake little things. I started contracting on our way to the hospital, and I didn't think I was going to make it. Let me remind you we had never been to this hospital, had no idea around, nothing....when we got there we parked and walked in, no one around to help us (as I'm soaked from my water still breaking). We finally made it up to labor and delivery, they were taking their sweet time with the people in front of us, and the waiting room full of pregnant people. Luckily there was a nurse standing there when we checked in and said we are having twins and I am only 32 weeks pregnant, my water broke. She told me to get my stuff and hurry back. They got me all hooked up and did an ultrasound to see how the babies were facing, unfortunately they didn't have enough room to do anything so a c-section was a must. They gave me some shots to try and put the contractions off, and allow the girls lungs to develop just a bit longer...it clearly didn't work. They moved us to our own huge room, Will went off to get breakfast and call the family....when the nurse came in I told her I needed to push, and the contractions weren't stopping at all, she called the doctor in, I was already at 5 cm in just 3 hours...I was going too fast for them to put it off any longer, they called for an emergency c-section, we were up next!!!! At about 9:50 they took me back, they made Will wait outside while they got everything prepped and gave me my spinal (worst pain ever)! Finally they called him in to sit next to me...as they started working away behind the blue curtain, I could finally hear them say baby A, it's a girl, 10:42, they showed sweet Ava to me for a brief second then took her away. I quickly hear baby B, it's a girl, 10:44, they did not let me see my sweet Jaelyn, which worried me, I didn't hear any crying nothing. Ava had done really well with the adjustment to real world, but Jaelyn couldn't quite handle it, they had to help her start breathing then put her on oxygen, I had no idea any of this was happening till a few hours later when I saw pictures. When they took the girls up to the NICU, they asked Will to go with them, which left me all alone in surgery just being stitched back together with nothing to show from it. I waited in recovery for a few hours and Will finally came back to show me all the pictures he had gotten and to see how beautiful and tiny they were. When they finally took me up to my room, I asked if I could see my girls, they said not until the spinal had worn off and I could walk to the bathroom myself. She asked me to wiggle my toes to show her that it was gone, when I told her I was, she said alright maybe a few more hours, because

they aren't moving...bummer!!! Our daughters were born at 10:42, and I didn't get to see them until about 8 pm, it was the longest day of my life...how can someone keep you from seeing their children...well when you can't move or do anything about it, very easily!! That first time we went up there, I had no idea what I was in for...we had to wash our hands for 2 minutes straight before even entering, no jewelry no nothing....but it didn't matter, the sight of my sweet girls was all the mattered to me. I finally got to see them, they were pitiful but beautiful, they laid there peacefully not moving or making any sound. They allowed me to hold Ava, but

not Jaelyn she had to completely come off her oxygen before she could get out of her "cage" (that's what we called it). We weren't allowed to feed them for a few days, then they could only have their feedings through a tube in their nose (which most of the time they ripped out). The next four weeks were a challenge of trying to get to the hospital and trying to spend as much time as possible with our daughters, but on October 11 2009 we came home with 2 perfect daughters, that have been nothing but a blessing to our lives. We love them with all our hearts and couldn't imagine a day without them. Happy 2nd Birthday Ava and Jaelyn! We love you!

Our first picture as a family of four, we did kangaroo care with the girls as much as we could!

We have come so far in two years, so big and grown up!

The sweet sound of Homecoming!

Well for those of you who want to hear about our homecoming here it is!!

Tuesday night after I finally got the whole to do list done, I finally was able to fall asleep at about 10:30, oh how quickly the alarm clock went off at 1:30. As I slowly got up and called the hotline for any updates on their arrival, the message said they had landed at midnight and would be there 3:30-4, about 30 minutes earlier than originally thought! I started going into panic mode thinking I wasn't going to make it. We had a couple of friends coming to support us and as I text them to tell them they were early and to call one of friends to wake him up, I told him to get up and hurry up! He came over help me hang the welcome home sign and get the girls in the car. As we drove over I was so anxious and nervous, more so that we weren't going to make it in time. I got a phone call that they were coming on base, ugh now I was more nervous I wasn't going to make it in time for the buses to pull up! As we got there and tried to find a spot to park, we got the girls in the stroller and were running over to the crowd of people. They told us that only four guys had come through, my heart started racing thinking that one of them could have been Will and I would have missed it! Our other friends pulled up right in time. I kept asking them all to watch for me while I dealt with the girls screaming at my feet (not a good way to start). Pablo finally started yelling at me that he saw him, as I fought with him that thas was not him, it turned out it was. I left the girls with our friends are ran to meet my man. It was the most amazing feeling to be held once again in his arms. To my suprise he didn't look any different than when he left. As he came to see the girls, since they were already upset that I ran off from them, they were not in a good mood at all. The look in his eyes to see his sweet girls was the best feeling ever!
Although yesterday was the longest day of my life, it was the most rewarding day! I was so amazed at how Will jumped back in. He was willing to change diapers, feed the girls, give them a bath whatever they needed he did whatever they would allow him to do. They are still hesitant but the day when better than I had expected for how little sleep we were all running on. I am so thankful to have my amazing husband back, to have our girls daddy back, and to be a family again! Thank you to all again, I am so blessed by my sweet family!

EEK! The time is here!

After 7 long months, 210 days, going from 2 13 month olds to 2 20 month olds, this is what we have been through. After 2 sweet little girls started walking in January, to running, to now talking. After 12 holidays and 1 anniversary. After 6 trips to the ER (including Ava, my mom, and me), 2 croups, 1 stomach virus, 3 colds. After all fall and all winter and most of spring, the day has finally come, my man will be walking off that bus at anytime. We are done counting down the days we are now down to counting the minutes & seconds.

I have been waiting and dreaming of this moment since October 16, 2010 at 3 am, the day we said goodbye. As we didn't stick around to watch the buses leave, but we will be there early to welcome those same buses back. What will this moment feel like? Will it be everything I have thought it was going to be? I'm sure how could it not. Will the girls be so fussy that they ruin it for everyone else? Probably but oh well. Will I be able to recognize him with everyone else wearing the same thing? Uh it might take a minute, but hopefully. Thinking about this day and not really knowing how it's going to go, how late they will be, or how long our day will be, is so nerveracking but in such a good way.

We all have wishes, hopes, and dreams in life, all a military's family wants out of life is to have their families together. To not have to miss out on some of the most important days of their childrens lives. To be there to hold their wife when it's going all wrong, to be able to cook your husband dinner, or to know that he is in a bed and not on the ground.

They make a sacrifice that not many are willing to make, they truly are our heros, and we don't give them enough credit. Through all the holidays, all the weekends, being sick, they work, they don't get a day off. They don't get to go to bed early, or wake up late, they stay up most nights working to make sure that they bring home everyone they left with and to do their job.

Some people have a spouse that travels for work or works long days and late nights, but there is something about a military man coming home that only military spouses can relate to. The sense of security and excitement, to know that they are finally safe again, that you have made it all this time and nothing major went wrong. After all the nights waiting up late next to the phone, or with every knock on your door and your heart racing, or every car that stops in front of your house, those fears are all gone when they step off that bus. And for me that's today. I have never been more excited, more anxious, more nervous in my whole life. My adrenaline has started pumping fast, I just can't wait to see my man!!

Thanks to everyone for you love, prayers, and support I am proud to say that our family is back together!!

Finally the month of May!

From the day they leave we all look forward to entering the month they come home, well I have finally entered that month, thank the Lord! The true countdown can begin, I wish that you all could countdown with me, but because of safety I can't let that information out! I am so excited I get butterflies everytime I think about the moment he steps off that bus. I try to imagine what it will be like, will I be anxious/nervous, will I be so excited that I feel sick, will I be overwhelmed by pure joy? I can't wait to find out.
It's weird after 7 months of being alone, raising 2 kids, it almost feels like this routine has become normal, that this is just how it is, the extent of our lives are through email and a very occassional phone call. I know that that is not how it is, and I can't wait for it to not be anymore, but at the moment it still doesn't feel real. I don't think it will feel real till I'm standing there waiting with my girls to see our man! I am nervous of how the girls will react, will they remember, will they be timid or scared, will they welcome him home with a big hug and kiss? These thoughts are almost driving me insane, not like I'm not already to that point anyways. This has been a long journey, so many things have happened that he has missed out on, I can't wait for him to get home and jump back into our family again!
I keep thinking of all the things I need to do, I need to clean the house, turn insurance and cell phones on, find something for me and the girls to wear, go grocery shopping, wash cars, the list seems endless, but in the end what does he care what I'm wearing or what the girls are wearing, will he even notice or remember? No probably not, but I know it's a thought that we all have, that we have to look perfect, I mean after all it's been 7 months.
I can't say it enough, but thank you to all my family and friends that have been by my side this whole 7 months, we have had some very good times, I just wish my man could have been here to share it with us! I love each and every one of you, and I don't know what I would have done without you! Especially my momma! After becoming a mom and then Will being gone for so long, I never realized how much I really needed my mom, even being so far away it is so good just to hear her voice, and all that she does for me, I can't thank you enough, I love you to pieces!!
Well I can't wait to start our journey together again, it will be such an amazing feeling to have him home again!! I also can't wait to begin writing the coming home blog, I am hoping to have it posted before we run out the house that day!! Thanks to all for everything!

It's April!!

April is finally upon us, oh how I have waited for this month to come. I finally get to say I will see you next month! How good does that sound? As I sit here and think about the past 6 months, I think of what a crazy long journey it has been. We have been through so much and we still have 6 weeks to go! I know 6 weeks is not much, I can't complain about that when we have already done so much time, but I seriously can't wait any longer, I am getting so excited. I can't wait to see my sweet mans face, to see him with our precious daughters again, to see how they act and what they do, just to be held again, to have a conversation with an adult at night, to not spend the nights alone anymore, to not spend the weekends alone!! Since I had been back from Tx the weather hadn't been as great as it could have been, I felt like I wasn't missing out on much without having my man home, but now that the weather has been amazing, it makes me miss him that much more. To know that all my friends are out with their husbands enjoying the weekends together, or spending time out in the beautiful sunshine, I long for that, to just go to the park with my hubby and watch our girls play, to take them to the zoo, or to even go run together. I am in some desperate need of lovin from him, and I can't wait to just cuddle up in his arms. Living the military lifestyle is hard, it's hard on your body, it's hard on your mind, it makes your days long, and your nights longer, it makes raising kids so difficult, it makes going to the grocery store nearly impossible, and it makes getting 5 minutes alone very impossible! I could care less about the readjustment time it will take to get used to being a family again, I just want him home!! I am so proud of him and all he has done, there hasn't been a time that I have gotten a email or phone call that I can remember him complaining about a single thing, I really wish I could be more like him. I hate to complain about the past 6 months because I have gotten to raise our precious girls and see them grow and change before my eyes, but somedays it's just so hard not to whine about something. But finally I WILL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH!

5 down 2 to go!

Today we hit the 5 month mark, I can't believe we are almost done, I'm so excited! It feels like it's been an eternity since I saw my man standing in front of me. I know it's only been 5 months, and looking back 5 months doesn't seem like that long ago, but it seems like forever since we have been together. I know 2 months is not long at all until we get him home, but it sure will feel like 5 months all over again! I am praying that I can keep calm and keep it together this last little bit that we have left to push through. I have always thought that the people that are deployed are the ones in danger, that we at home need to be praying for their safety 24/7 (and we do), but what I didn't realize is that I would need prayer for my own and my childrens safety as well, I didn't know that my girls would try to kill me everyday of my life, or each other, or me kill them (not really, it's a joke)...it's a dangerous job! Today we celebrated by going to the park with our friends, and then I took my sweet peas on a date to Olive Garden our favorite place! They have never been so good at one meal, I never heard a peep out of them, they sat there nicely and ate their meal and people watched the whole time. After dinner we went over to the mall, looked around for a little bit, still never heard a sound from them, then I took them to the play place in the mall (usually we have a rough time staying in the play place), they had a blast! They even gave some random little boy kisses, although gross it's better than them biting him. Since it wasn't very crowded I even let them walk back through the mall and to the exit, Jaelyn helped push the stroller the whole time, while Ava batted her eyes, blew kisses, and said hello to everyone (even the maniquins). I was amazed at how well they listened and stayed right by my side, usually it's buh bye with a wave and off Ava goes in the completely opposite direction, Jaelyn is usually the one that sticks close and wants to hold hands. We got to the door to leave and I was terrified at the trantrum that I thought was about to happen because of all the people that were around with getting them in their stroller to go to the car, much to my dismay, there was not a sound, when they easily got in there and buckled up...I was in shock!! I had an amazing day with my girls, and although this is a tough life it is completely worth it...I wouldn't take back a second of any day for anything, if I had changed one thing about my past I might not be where I am today with my amazing husband, and two amazing girls, with such a wonderful family and in-laws, with awesome friends!! So congratulations to us, we are almost done!!!!!!!!

New Obsession!!

So I have recently been obsessed with getting new music to my ipod. Finding a song that relates to me or maybe a part of a song, I have always loved music, but when a song comes on the radio and it reminds you of your loved one, then it's hard to keep listening. So now that I am over that, I enjoy finding songs that remind me of my hubby, and I can't wait for him to be home with us! So I am going to tell you my playlist that's in my ipod as my favorites, listen to a couple and see what you think!

Don't you wanna stay- Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson- "I don't want to just make love, I want to make love last"

I won't give up- Jana Kramer- "I will be by your side if ever you fall deep in the dead of the night"

Let me down easy- Billy Currington- "If I leave my heart with you tonight, can you promise me you will treat it right"

A little bit stronger- Sara Evans- "Turned on the radio, stupid song made me think of you, I listened to it for a minute, but then I changed it, I'm getting a little bit stronger"

Lovesong- Adele- "However far away I will always love you, however long I stay I will always love you, whatever words I say I will always love you"

Need you now- Lady Antebellum- "It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now, said I wouldn't call, but I lost all control, and I need you now. And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now"


I know I'm usually stuck on country, but I have expanded my music wings and gone out there with a few others, I hope you enjoy my favorite playlist!!