Making a Plan

Where has this week gone?  Zack's sister, Kaci, came and stayed with us for two nights...while she had an interview at a medical school in downtown Norfolk.  We had a great time and it was wonderful to have some company in the evenings after putting Noah to bed.  After she left...it made me realize just how lonely I was and I broke down and cried.  I think I can count on one hand the amount of times that I've broke down and cried during this deployment.  This was a conscious choice.  It's a pointless and a waste of energy.  I had to stay strong and stand tall for myself and mostly for Noah.  I also had a great time at BSF(bible study) this week.  I mentioned to the ladies about feeling nervous about us adjusting as a family...and they gave me some great advice.  I will have to let go of the control...which will be a major feat.  And I will have to pick my battles and bite my tongue until we get on the same page.  My cousin and amazing friend, Dawn, also gave me this advice.  She is a navy wife and knows exactly what I'm feeling.  And so I will have to put that advice into practice when Zack comes home.  This ship is on it's way and Homecoming is approaching.  And I'm beginning to get prepared for him to come home...meaning hurrying up and take care of those things that I know will upset him if he came home today! LOL.  I have moved out all of my things that had slowly moved into "his" spaces.  I know he will have to adjust to being home with and relearning our routine and learning about taking care of Noah.  I know he will do great...he was wonderful taking care of Noah before he left.  I am ready for him to come home.  I am ready not to have lonely evenings.  I am ready to have my best friend back.  And above all...I am ready to have my family back together.  Godspeed U.S.S. Harry S. Truman.

A Day of Many Affirmations

The ship is now ported in Greece.  Zack received overnight liberty and was able to stay at an amazing hotel...and I am completely jealous!  I know he deserves the rest and relaxation...but so does this momma!  We were able to video chat using Yahoo Messenger for right around two hours and it was amazing!  Noah saw and heard him and said dada and waved to him.  It brought tears to my eyes to see my two men finally interacting with each other.  This was an affirmation to us that Noah watching him read a story every night before bedtime has had a real impact on Noah.  I tease Zack that when he's on the ship and calls he is "sailor" Zackary.  He always sounds so stiff and not like himself.  So, I look forward to the phone calls when he is off the ship because then he is "my" Zackary...and sounds like the Zackary I know and love.  It was amazing to see his smile, handsome face, and just those mannerisms that make him Zack.  And it helped ease my anxiety of us remelting together as a couple because talking to him was exactly how it always had been.  I love that man and that time talking together reminded me just how much I miss him.  That numb feeling I've grown to have in order to function while he's been gone is slowly going away as Homecoming is approaching rapidly.  And it's also reminding me just how much I miss him and increasing that feeling of excitement.  Noah had a big first today...his first sign.  We-basically meaning me because Zack was not home very much!...started doing the signing with him when he was about two months old...in hopes that this will be a wonderful option for him until he acquires the verbal skills to communicate.  We do...mom, dad, eat, all done, thank you, bath, diaper, and book right now.  At bible study on Tuesdays, Noah is taught a biblical lesson, is sung hymns, and the ladies do signing with him as well.  He had put up his hands in attempts to sign mom and dad...but today he actually held up his hand to his forehead for dad and at his chin for mom.  I also noticed today that when I was feeding him his baby food and signed eat...he put his hand up to his mouth and instead of making the wawawa sound he just kept tapping his fist against his mouth...perhaps signing eat?  I don't think I've ever seen him move his fist like that without making the wawawa sound.  And now that I know it's "sinking" in we are adding duck(his bath toy), stop, sit, come and drink this week.  When we started signing...Zack had said that he would do it as well...and this was a big condition for me.  Today he said that he has forgotten the signs and will have to relearn them when he returns.  I hope that when he returns he will also do signing with Noah...I really want our family to have this skill.  

December!

This elusive month has finally arrived!  Without breaking any OSPEC regulations...Zack will be home this month!  We still have a way to go...but we are finally in the correct month!  The ship is making it's slow transit back home.  When he left in May, it felt like this month was never going to come.  We are here now and have to continue to survive until he comes home.  On my deployment list...I still have making homemade cinnamon rolls left.  I also need to get Zack's car detailed b/c he would absolutely flip if he saw the state of his precious car right now!  He would get frustrated with me if I left one piece of trash stuffed into the cup holders...well now the cup holders are so full the trash is spilling over.  The carpet has not been vacuumed since he left either...and YIKES!  And then we have the cleaning, updating the car insurance, and turning his cell phone back right before the Homecoming.  Exciting!  After returning home from our trip back home to visit our families for Thanksgiving, I am trying to get Noah back to his sleeping routine.  I followed our schedule while visiting...but his sleeping got completely off track.  Last night we were up for right around two hours.  I am crossing my fingers that tonight goes much better.  I am already exhausted and probably haven't gotten more than 5 hours of sleep at a time since becoming pregnant(1.5yrs ago).  I love my sleep and enjoyed getting 10 hours a night.  Now, I'm excited if I get more than 3 hours at a time...boy times have changed.  I am looking forward to when Noah has adjusted to Zack and he can go back to watching him on the weekends so that this momma can catch up on some sleep!  I miss my sleep, but Zack and I have been discussing trying for our next baby bean.  If it had been up to Zack we would have gotten pregnant right before him leaving, when Noah was 3 months old.  I was ready when Noah was 6 months old and had Zack been home we would probably be pregnant right now.  But we are going wait so that I am not super pregnant during our move to our duty station in Japan...or that's the plan!  And those that know me...know that Zack and I have been known to throw our plans out the window!

The Beginning

I am starting this blog in an attempt to keep our families and friends updated on the happenings in our lives.  And it just might become an outlet for this mommy to share her thoughts.  Zack, my husband,  is currently deployed on the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman...so it's just me and Noah all day everyday!  And while we have our rough days...there is nothing more rewarding than watching him learn and grow everyday!  Noah is now nine months old...and it has been the quickest nine months of my life.  I can't believe how fast he has grown.  He has kept me busy during this deployment...and for that I am thankful.  The deployement is coming to and end soon...and I am looking forward to unloading some of these responsibilities off of my shoulders and being a family of three again.  However, I am a little nervous about us adjusting as a family.  This is our second deployement...but we were still doing the long distance thing after the deployemnt.  And this time we have Noah...and he loves his momma.  It will be an adjustment for all of us.  But an adjustment we are welcoming!