Flight Suits and Fairytales

The Countdown Is ON!!

Assignment Night ~ 15 days.

Where we'll be finding out where we'll be heading next, which plane Chris will be flying, and basically what our lives will look like for the next 3+ years. Pretty exciting!!

Graduation ~ 29 days

A dream come true...the day that Chris will pin on his pilot wings!

End of Pilot Training/Anniversary/We NEED to Get Out Of Here/Trip to Maine ~ 31 days

No explanation needed :)

Of course I'm excited about Assignment Night. Anxious, nervous, excited, and all kinds of other emotions all rolled up into one big ball of happy is more like it :) And Graduation will be an incredible day as well. I mean, it's probably going to be one of the best days of Chris's life (right under marrying me (heehee!) and the birth of our daughter)! I'm so proud of him, of the work that he has done and the dedication he has shown. I'll be the obnoxious one with the camera in everyone's face, beaming from ear to ear!

BUT, I am so excited about going to Maine that I can hardly stand it! It's our reward for such an incredibly tough year, the brief lull before the next training storm hits, and a chance for us to finally just be able to look at each other for more than 15 minutes without having to think of all of the things that need to be done around the house or at work. Chris deserves some down time, a chance to relax a bit. And honestly, I do too! I'm so looking forward to just spending some time with him, my husband, my very best friend. I'm absolutely giddy about it!

You might wonder what the picture above has to do with anything. It's relevant, I swear :) It's a picture of us in Germany at The Eagle's Nest. That trip, after Chris's first 5 month deployment, is my all-time favorite. We spent a week just exploring Austria & Germany, and it was fab-u-lous!! I think I'm looking forward to going to Maine so much because I remember exactly how I felt on that trip...like it was nice to finally be back together again after life just seemed to make it kinda hard. You know what I mean? So, the countdown is on...there is so much to look forward to :)

Easier Said Than Done

It's not easy to give up control. I'm learning that more and more in my role as a mother. And it's not really just the not being in control that bothers me, but the not knowing that is the hardest to swallow. Do you feel me on that one?

Miss E really hasn't been herself lately. She's been crying a lot more, waking up in the middle of the night (which she hasn't done in over 7 months), changed her eating habits, and has had a few diaper issues (and by a few I mean a TON!). Part of it is that she's growing up, which in and of itself is hard to deal with :) Ha! But the other part of it is a mystery to me...which drives me crazy.

I thought she might be lactose intolerant, though after a little bit of research I've found that it's extremely rare for babies/toddler's to develop that issue. But there is a definite correlation between what she eats/drinks and what happens afterwards...though she didn't seem to have a problem during the first 12 months of her life so I'm a little bit baffled as to why it started now. Or, it could be that she's cutting 3 teeth. Or that she just has toddler's diarrhea (something I had never heard of before until the Dr mentioned it yesterday). Or it could be something worse, or nothing at all. So you see, it's the not knowing that's killing me here!

We've been to the Dr; he's running tests & we've changed her diet in the meantime. All of our parents (and we have 4 sets!) have reassured me that she's fine, and have encouraged me to not panic (who me?!) and to just wait it out. And that's exactly what I need to do, I KNOW this. But it's hard, isn't it? As a mom, the not being able to fix it? I have this inherent need to be able to spot, diagnose, treat, and cure every single thing that E faces in a short 24 hr time span. Don't we all? I mean, no one wants to see their child hurting, or uncomfortable. But, in trying to see the lesson here, I have come to the conclusion that this is only the beginning in a long line of things that I won't be able to fix for her. Or at least fix immediately. Sometimes a doctor knows best, or a mentor, or a grandparent. That's not to say that there isn't something to be said for trusting your gut, but I think that on this one, at least, I just need to take a deep breath and relax a little bit. But friends, I'm telling you right now, that's a lot easier said than done.

I Will Never Forget

"Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they can not touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we are the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world.

And no one will keep that light from shining."

President George W. Bush

9-11-01

Dear Elliana, (A Year Reflected Upon)

From the moment I saw you, I knew I'd never be the same. Your piercing blue eyes had me from those first seconds, and I fell completely, totally, head-over-heels in love with you. And I'm pretty sure that your Daddy feels the exact same way :)

The first few days at home were a whirlwind. With family and friends coming and going, we felt showered with helpful advice, love and well-wishes. It was a surreal feeling; the new motherhood thing, and I basked in it. Over the course of the next 12 months I discovered that it's even better than I could have ever imagined. In the same way that your Daddy was made to fly, I feel that was made to be a mother. Your mother. It has been the greatest gift of my life, and it is my daily prayer that through the triumphs and trials that your life will bring, I never take for granted the spectacular miracle that you are.

Each day with you brings something new; a new look, sound, word, or gesture. You smile when you learn new things, and clap when you know you've done a good job. It's all about discovery these days, and you are so very good at discovering. When you find or do something new, you'll look up at me as if to say, "see Mama?!"... it melts my heart. And I can see your personality shining through more and more, too. I can already tell that you're going to be a rule-follower, and that you have a tender heart...things that I think you got from me. You love to snuggle, just like your Daddy, and seem to have his affinity for the outdoors as well. You have a very sweet disposition, and are perpetually laid-back. You've only recently started showing signs of getting frustrated by things, and it's usually because you'd rather be playing than taking care of needless tasks like getting your dirty diapers changed! Ha! You're curious, but cautious at the same time, and there is nowhere that you'd rather be than in our arms (something I hope doesn't change any time soon!).

You have brought us such joy this year, and I truly feel like my cup is overflowing with love. I love your messy hair when you wake up in the morning, and how it curls up above your ears when you get hot. I love your wrinkled-nose smile, and your open-mouthed laugh. I love the sound of your voice when you say my name, "Mama". I love the way that you still have that sweet baby scent. I love your three little teeth, and how they barely peek out from your grin. I love your little fingers as they grip my arm when I hold you. I love the weight of your head on my shoulder as I rock you to sleep. I love that your 4th toe is the longest one :) I love your tender heart, and your inquisitive spirit. I love that the first thing you go to when we sit down to play is your books. I love that when you dance, you flap your arms and try to spin. I love the way your long eyelashes lay on your rosy pink cheeks as you sleep. I love your blue eyes, your heart shaped mouth, and your cute button nose.

But perhaps the thing I love the most about you is a selfish one...I love the way that you love me. It's the unquestioning, unconditional, innocent, and pure love of a child. It has changed me from the inside out. I want to be better for you; to be a good example, a thorough teacher, a great wife, a loving friend, and to let my love of the Lord shine through my life so that you can see where happiness truly starts.

I love you, baby girl. Sweet, silly, smiley, snuggly you. More than you could ever imagine.

Love Forever and Always,

Mommy

A 3rd Generation Pianist...

My mom got Elli this cute pink piano for her birthday, and Elli is now obsessed with it!! I think it's pretty cool that she can sit on the little seat and move her little fingers that way since, sadly, she's never seen anyone play before. Well, unless you count the times that I drag her to the instrument section of Best Buy and make her sit in her stroller while I play the keyboards and dream of the day that we'll have a piano again :) Ha!

I remember my mom playing the piano all the time when I was a little girl. First, it was on the up-right that I learned on, and then it was on the Baby Grand that my grandparents bought for her as a gift. Oh how I love playing on that piano, and hearing the music fill the rooms of my mother's home. I think it's so important to instill a love of music in children, and hopefully I'll be able to do that for Elli...with or without a "real" piano :)

Do y'all have musical instruments in your home? If so, do you play for your kids? And at what age did you start lessons? It's good to be prepared for the future, you know! Ha!

Elli's Birthday Weekend

The floors have been cleaned, the balloons popped & thrown away, the wrapping paper discarded, and the toys put in their "places". The laughter & singing that filled our home all weekend is noticeably quieter since I'm the only one here...though Elli joins in occasionally :) Everything has gone back to normal, and it makes me a little bit sad...but only because we had such a wonderful time with everyone that I hated to see them go.

What a party we had!! A total of 11 family members came out from Texas to celebrate Elli's first birthday this weekend, and I can't tell you how happy I was to see each and every one of them. We tried to cram as much fun into 4 days as we possibly could, and I think it was a huge success!! Miss E loved all of her fun presents, and had a blast playing with her cousins. She had so much fun, in fact, that she didn't want to take a nap, or go to bed on Saturday night!! And she was up at 5:30am on Party Day just waiting for them to come back over :)

Chris & I are so thankful that we have such a loving and supportive family. What special memories we made this weekend, ones that I know Elli will treasure all of her life (even if she has to see pictures to remember! Ha!). It was a wonderful way to celebrate the sweetest little girl around :)

The entry table

The food table w/ E's high chair banner...loved it!

The mantle & some of her presents :) See my ribbon topiaries?!

Super Yummy Cake!!

Too bad Elli didn't think so!

Giving her new Bitty Baby some love :)

She loves pushing her in the stroller!!

Such a happy day!

Silly girl!

She LOVES this toy from GG & Grandaddy!!

Having fun in the wagon that Mommy & Daddy got her :)

Swimming after the party...always a good time!

Our little family

Nana & E at the Bowling Alley after the party...so fun!

Going home...it's been a very fun, but very long day :)

I hope you had the very happiest of birthdays, sweet girl. You've made your Mama & Daddy so proud this year. We love you so very much.

Happy 1st Birthday, Elliana!!!

Oh, there is much to say...but I'm just not quite ready to write the big "birthday post" quite yet. So instead, I'm going to borrow an idea from a friend and just share with you Elli's year in pictures. I'll be honest, I cried while picking these out! What can I say? I'm a very proud, very emotional, very blessed Mama!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl. You have brought us so much joy this year, and I pray that we'll be able to share many, many, many more happy moments over the course of your lifetime. I love you to the moon and back.