Up and Coming...

Well, today was another great day at the sitters. Kaci sat in a purple Bumbo seat and was laughing her little head off at "Auntie". She looks like she has so much fun there and that makes me HAPPY!!! I get send pictures every day and I just love that. Auntie even keeps a log of Kaci's day so that I know what's going on with her. Auntie is WONDERFFUL!!! Kaci is her one and only and it is going to stay that way.
Kaci is growing up so quick. She wants to move all over the place. When she lays on her back her legs just go and go and go. She laughs and coos and talks all the time. Pretty soon she will be rolling over and sitting up all by herself. As of today my sweet little 3 month 7 day old baby is 22 1/2 inches long and 11 pounds even! I can hardly believe what I am writing.
Kaci will be taking her first plane trip with mommy in May. We are going all the way to San Jose, CA. Great Grandma Reta and Auntie Sherry are going to meet us there! Woo Hoo!!!!! This will be Auntie Sherry's first time meeting Kaci. Kaci will be just over 5 months old. Holy Catfish Andy!
Work is good. I like being back. I feel even more accomplished. Woot Woot! LOL My friend Jenny says that all the time. Hee Hee
That's all for now...Until Next Time....

The First Day of Work...

....is like the first say of school. Today I went back to work after three very short months off. Now, I am not going sit here and whine because it really wasn't that bad. Yes, I missed her like no one's business, but she was in good hands. I woke up at 3 to give her a bottle, then again at 5 to get ready for work. I was ready by 5: 28 AM. I came downstairs and got my bag ready for work with a week's worth of lunch meals and all my coffee stuff. I got her (she was already up) got her taken care of and was out the door and to work and at my desk by 6:30 AM. The day went by really fast and SD did a good job of keeping me company. Thanks SD! (wink wink) I was so busy and had steady work to catch up on. I had 265 emails and I got it down to 76 by the end of the day. I had gone in a few times while on maternity leave so if I hadn't done that I would have had close to 600 emails. YIKES!!!!! Anyway, it felt good to be productive in the workforce. Life is only going to get busier, demanding work, demanding school, and demanding family. All is DEMANDING. I will be headed to San Jose, CA in May for a week for a conference (International Association for Identification Conference). I am very excited. I will be taking Kaci with me. She will be going on her first plane ride at 5 months old. We shall see how that goes. Anyway, I missed my baby but both of us ended up OK and not needing sedation or to be institutionalized. LOL Until next time....

A Reminder...

I took this picture at Ko'Olina a couple of weeks ago. This is just a simple reminder that there is life off the military base and that Hawai'i truly is a beautiful place.

How could I forget?

Happy 1st Birthday Bubba!

Two hours of complete and utter.......

My poor sweet Kaci. I think, and I say that lightly since I am not sure, might be teething. Yesterday she screamed her head off for 2 hours. Her little face was all red and she had BIG crocodile tears coming from her pretty little eyes. She really sounded like she was in pain. I immediately and frantically called my special neighbor and sought her MMA (mother medical advice) and she did say that it (teething) was a possibility. Rick ran over to get the baby Orajel and teething tablets. (I learned by the way that you CANNOT use too much or when they swallow it, it can numb their throat). I put some on her little gummies, Rick held her, and she fussed for a minute and then went to sleep. She woke up around three, fussed a little, drank a bottle, and then went back to sleep. She woke up again at about 5:45 AM and we just got up. She seems to still be fussy today, but she is asleep in her swing. It sounds as if she might be waking up......

Political Morals

Can we actually put these two words together? As I was working on some things for school today I came across something that made me smile. We never really think about it so when I read it I went, "Yeah...we do put these words together."

Great Depression
free trade
peacekeeper missile
sweet tart
crash landing
now then
butt head
sweet sorrow
student teacher
silent scream
taped live
alone together
good grief
tight slacks
living dead
near miss
light tanks
old news
hot chilli
criminal justice
peace force

Anyway, it was kind of enlightening and I thought I would share it with you.

Back to Work......

I have very sad news. I am going back to work this Wednesday. I know that everyone has to work. Well, not everyone, but you get my point. I am just so sad that I have to leave my sweet precious Kaci. I love her so much and I just hate that I can't spend the days with her. I think every now and again I will have to take a day off to spend with her. I am scared that she will forget me when I am gone. At the same time I am happy to be getting a paycheck again so that I can provide for my sweet precious Kaci. We like to vacation and do fun things so having a dual income really helps. Part of me feels like I should be at home with her and the other part knows that in order for us to have what we want and need both Rick and I need to work. I have been journaling to her since she was born so hopefully someday she will understand why mommy had to work. I know it is silly and I shouldn't be reacting like this, but I just love her so much. She is my joy!

Old News but Great News!

Two TARGET stores just opened in Hawaii. For the longest time there was crappy ole Wal-Mart. YUCK! I HATE Wal-Mart. Although, I suppose if it was the ONLY store I would shop there. TARGET has such cute clothes and shoes and baby stuff. I LOVE TARGET. Did I mention that I love TARGET? LOL I know it sounds ridiculous but this is the closest thing I have to feeling like I am at home on the mainland (shopping wise). I am so excited to be able to shop for good quality inexpensive items. They have a great selection of everything. Crowded or not I am shopping at TARGET from now on. Good Bye NEX (well except when I get my coupon) and HELLOOOOO TARGET!!!! WOOO HOOOOO!!!!!

Infantile Hemangioma

Kaci and Grandma Marian at Tripler

On 3 March I took Kaci up to Tripler for an appointment with the HEMOC doctor (Hematology/Oncology). She weighed in at 9 lbs 14 oz and 22 inches long. I can't believe how fast she is growing. Holy cow!

The doctor proceeded to tell me that Kaci will need an MRI and will have to be sedated for this procedure. I am very skeptical, but if it means a better future for her then so be it.

Infantile hemangiomas for the most part are not life threatening, but they can have serious consequences depending on the treatment needed; if any treatment is needed at all. I don't want to be too much of an alarmist right now, but please keep Kaci in your prayers that she will not need treatment. God Bless.....

Grandparents

I thought this was really cute!

WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?

(Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)

Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's.

A grandfather is a man, & a grandmother is a lady!

Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them.

They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run.

It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.

When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars. They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.'

They don't say, 'Hurry up.'

Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.

They wear glasses and funny underwear.

They can take their teeth and gums out.

Grandparents don't have to be smart. They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'

When they read to us, they don't skip.

They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.

Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.

They know we should have snack time before bed time, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've acted bad.

A 6-YEAR-OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.'' GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS, BUT I DON'T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!

It's funny when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog.

Maxine

Leave it to Maxine to come up with a solution for the mess that weare in economically now.

I bought a bird feeder. I hungit on my back porch and filledit with seed. What a beauty of a bird feeder it was, as I filled it lovingly with seed. Within aweek we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free andeasily accessible food.

But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue. Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table ..everywhere! Then some of the birds turned mean. They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket.

And others birds were boisterous and loud. They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food.

After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore. So I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio.

Soon, the back yard was like it used to be .... quiet, serene....and no one demanding their rights to a free meal. Now let's see.

Our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care and free education, and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen. Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands.

Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families; you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor; your child's second grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English. Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to 'press one' to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than our flag are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.

Just my opinion, but maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder. If you agree, pass it on; if not, continue cleaning up the poop.

It's a crime to look this HOT at 50!

Yesterday we celebrated my mom's 50th bithday at the new Jimmy Buffett restaurant in Waikiki. It was so much fun. There is a balloon guy that comes and makes balloon hats for people. He is on stilts. It is pretty hilarious looking. It was great to have the family together. My mom had a great time. Of course that was the whole goal. :) I am glad that we all got to share in this great moment. Happy Birthday Mom! Hope it was fabulous!!!

Flip Flops

This is the flip flop watch. It is so cute. My favorite Auntie had this on yesterday and I thought...how perfect for a vacation to Hawai'i. It is just such a cute and cool item that I had to share it with all of you. What a fun way to tell time!

Wow what more?!?!?

Family and friends are so great! I got to see my grandma and uncle Mike and Auntie Jane today. I love them so. It's funny how we can have a round table of laughter after not seeing each other for so long. B-I-N-G-O! LOL (Mom- you should get it). Well, I am typing this blog after 4 glasses of wine with my family so I will try not to screw it up. :)

Courtney's birthday party was today, even though her actual birthday was Feb 12th. She wanted to wait for the rest of the family to be here. It was a blast. The turnout was great and she had a really good time. Amy was there (and Miss Hailey too), Brandi (who I met through Amy and she is great), and Naoko (I hope I didn't slaughter the spelling). It was like the Mom Club. The military is funny in that it will bring great people like this into your life but pull them out as fast as they brought them in. Anyway, we laughed and it was great.

We then proceeded to go to the NEX and the NEX commissary (did you know that you can't bring "guests" to the NEX commissary anymore?!?), had a BBQ, and drank more whine...I mean wine. My other friend Brand B. would have loved it. I wish she were here.

I am so glad to know the people I know and to have met the people I have met. All I can say is that life is good; no matter how simple or extravagant, it's good.

Tomorrow my mom turns 50- the new 30...now that is something to celebrate. Until next time....