Life as we know it.

WHERE to begin?!?

Oh, I know.

The little guy who held residence in my belly for 9 months...

Is now this smiley 10 week old!

Bennett Myles W.

June 27, 2011

2:17 pm Alaska Time

8lbs 4 ozs

21.25 inches

To say that he has stolen my heart is an understatement.  Who the heck was I before I became a mom?!?

The past 2 months have been the most incredible/awe-inspiring/challenging/rewarding/emotional months of my life! I know every new mommy knows this...but being a mother is the most humbling experience in the world! We've had a lot of ups and downs so far, but I wake up every morning thanking God for choosing me as the mother to raise this sweet, long-legged, clingy, smiley, his daddy-made-over, tummy-problem little boy!

When I look at Bennett I cannot help but think of the scripture in Jeremiah...

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." - Jeremiah 1:5

God has such great plans for my baby and each new day I am thrilled to watch him develop and grow! He sure does love his mommy and lights up when he hears his amazing daddy's voice via Skype or DVD!

I realize I have a lot of catching up to do on this blog and I really want to have these memories posted to look back on..so, I'm working on it! We are now closing in on Month #5 of this deployment! I still LOVE marking my days off the calendar.  I also want to post Greg's R&R experience & Bennett's birth story, but no promises on when that will happen! For now..I'm soaking in every single memory because I already know they grow up too fast. 

You may or may not find me dancing around the room to this song with my sweet little man...

And I may or may not had a crying breakdown when he was 4 days old & I was dancing with him because I was already picturing us dancing at his wedding. Oh the joys...

Month In Review: #2 {May 2011}

Month In Review: #2 {May 2011}

- Visited North Carolina and enjoyed days full of sunshine, shopping, family and friends!

- Received beautiful Mother-To-Be Flowers for Mother's Day from my sweet husband..via Hil! :)

-Celebrated Mother's Day with my Mom and Mother-In-Law! 

- Attended 2 baby showers for my sweet friends having babies within a week of me!  I LOVE that we are all pregnant at the same time...we must have all had nothing else to do in September! ;) TMI??

- Received news of three soldiers KIA from my husband's brigade.  Heart Breaking does the feeling justice.  Their families will always have a special place in my heart!

- Read TWO books in TWO weeks!  Something Borrowed and Something Blue. Both were incredible!

- Got a rockin' suntan sitting outside reading above books! I feel soooo much better about myself when I have a tan.  Cheesy, I know, but tan fat is prettier than pale fat!  I'm actually pretty pumped about giving birth during the summer so I can have a little color on my skin when I feel like a whale!

- Had a "Girls Weekend" with my college besties in Hickory!  The older we get, the more and more proud I am of my girlfriends!  They are all doing such great things with their lives and I adore the time we get to spend together catching up.  I may or may not have ALMOST went into labor from all the laughing.  Seriously, I haven't cried while laughing in such a long time...it was just what I needed!  From snorts in the movie theater, a grand parking entrance to Buffalo Wild Wings, pink headphones, tums, and grease stain(s) on Baby Bennett..I am already counting down until we can do it again! October!

- Experienced some crazy Braxton Hicks!  The 14 hour flight to NC nearly killed me!  Poor little Bennett was stuck in my ribs the whole way, plus sitting beside extremely large people, plus swollen tingly feet makes for one uncomfortable pregnant girl!  I was miserable for about 2 weeks after...and the contractions continued to happen all month! Even a trip to Wal-Mart turned into an ordeal where I had to put my feet up!

- Got reallyyyyyyy good at decoding my husband's "language".  We were able to communicate quite regularly this past month and I became a pro at figuring out his "unspoken" words since he cannot give me exact details due to OSPEC. Sometimes, that's not so great and creates extremely high anxiety, but the moment I hear from him again is the MOST relieving feeling in the entire world! I love that man and it is becoming more and more overwhelming each passing day!

 - Turned 26 years old and although I wasn't very excited about the day because my husband isn't here..my family, girlfriends, and an incredible amount of facebook friends made the day special.  Greg got me some real pearl earrings that I ADORE! (via Hil..sensing a theme here?)

-Celebrated Landon's 3rd Birthday!  How that's possible...I'll never know!  He had a great day eating pancakes for dinner on his actual birthday and then celebrating big with his friends on Saturday!  The kid is the sweetest boy ever!  I kept telling myself that this time next year he will be 4 and I will have an *almost* 1 year old!  Crazy Life! :)

- Celebrated Memorial Day...it had an extra special meaning for me this year!  I even spoke at church and at a Memorial Day cookout. {The speech is posted below}  And for those of you that know me during this season of my life..that was extremely difficult for me to do!  Normally, I don't mind doing things like this..I've always been great at improv and being in front of a crowd, but man..being 4 weeks away from giving birth and a husband at war makes for some crazy horomonal emotional outburts! ha!  Thank goodness that is over!

Next up...JUNE!  I'm so, soooo excited!  Here's what I have to look forward to this month:

- "Couch Rest"...I'm putting myself on it until the end of the month!  I do not want to do anything that will put me into labor before my husband gets home!  I'm going to enjoy catching up on my DVR, books, and lots and lots of movies...possibly a nap or two! :)

- Basking in the sunshine!  It may not be a couch..but it's at least a chair! :) We are enjoying temps in the 80's and I am loving every minute of it because I know they won't last long!

- Packing my hospital bags!

- Welcoming my BFF, Laura Beth, to Alaska.  She's coming to be with me the last week before Greg gets home!  Heaven-forbid I go into labor early, she'll be my "push" person! ha!

- Celebrating Summer Solstice!  Possibly from my couch..ha!

- I saved the best for last: HUGGING my husband's neck and kissing his sweet face!!!!  He's chosen to take an early R&R to try to be here for the birth of Bennett!  Now you know why "couch rest" is a must!  I want nothing more in life than to have him next to me as we welcome our first baby into the world!  I daydream about it alllll the time..how awesome it would be to have him drive us home from the hospital as a family of "3"! Ahh, I can barely wait to see him!!

I already adore June and it's only day 1! Have a great month!

An Army Wife's Perspective: Memorial Day 2011

{any last names or exact locations of me or my husband have been removed for safety reasons}

John 15:13 states: “Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.”
1LT Todd Weaver…{click HERE for his official website}
Born 22 October 1983
Killed-In-Action 9 Sept 2010, Kandahar Afghanistan
I’m not sure what it was that created the instant connection between LT Weaver and myself…
Maybe it was the fact that he held the rank of 1LT…the same rank my husband wears today.
Or maybe it was the fact that he was 26 years old when he died so honorably…my 26th birthday was this past Tuesday.
Or maybe it was the fact that his famous picture is the one of him holding his wife while kissing his infant daughter before he left out on a year-long deployment…my favorite picture of my husband is the one of him kissing his unborn son.
Or maybe it was the fact that he held the job of Executive Officer of a Company {XO in military lingo}…the same job my husband holds today.
Or maybe it was the fact that he graduated from the College of William & Mary…a place my husband and I visited several times during our short assignment at Ft. Lee, Virginia.
Maybe it was the fact that his young wife Emma frequently blogged about her pregnancy and military experiences..I too have a personal blog to help “get it out”.
Or maybe it was the fact that his last steps were on the dirt in Kandahar, Afghanistan…the same dirt my husband walks on today.
Or maybe it was the fact that he had to watch his daughter’s many first via video or webcam…my husband, too, will miss many “firsts”.
Maybe it was the fact that he requested to be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery…my husband too, has the same request.
Or maybe, just maybe, it was the fact that he wore proudly the American Flag on his right arm…the same flag my husband wears on his right arm.
My connection with LT Weaver is the same that I have with hundreds of thousands of troops…which is why I choose to honor him and his sacrifice this memorial day.

5 years ago if you would have told me I would become an Army Wife, living in Alaska, and having my first child while my husband was at war, I would have laughed. As sad as it is for me to admit…I was never very patriotic growing up. Unless you count singing “God Bless the USA” in a beauty pageant when I was younger, I was one of the many Americans who lived my day-to-day life with no acknowledgement of the sacrifices being made by so many…so many of you.
When I was reunited with Greg in 2007, that all changed instantly. He was called to serve. Like most of us do when following God’s will for our lives…we like to get our feet wet before diving in head first. Greg joined the Army Reserves and we enjoyed normal life with an occasional “drill weekend” on the side.
As things grew more and more serious in our relationship, we had to make a choice…or should I say, I had to make a choice. His choice was clear…he was a soldier and needed to fulfill the calling…Active duty. My choice wasn’t so clear. Am I willing to serve Him as his wife? Could I really move every 2-3 years? Could I really learn all the acronyms? Could I be the head-of-household during his time away? Could I fix broken cars, handle crisis with my Power of Attorney, shovel the driveway, and balance the checkbook? And most importantly, could I really raise my children without a father for several years of their lives pending deployments?

Clearly the answer was yes. When you’re in God’s will…you can surprisingly do more than you imagine. Since saying “yes” to his marriage proposal on August 2nd 2008, I can’t hear the national anthem without tearing up a little, or I can’t see the American flag without thinking of my husband’s right arm.
On 16 May, 2011 my husband’s brigade out of Alaska lost 3 brothers in Afghanistan. Specialist Melton, age 29. Private Tucker, age 26. And Private Pressley, age 21. These three men had been in country for only a couple of weeks.
My heart shattered when I heard the news…when I thought about their families left behind…and when I reflected on how it could have easily been me grieving. War is real, war is happening, and war takes lives. War also means that someone is giving the ultimate sacrifice so that you and I can go about our daily lives without fear. War means that someone is risking and someone is going so that you and I don’t have to…

So on this Memorial Day I not only honor LT Weaver, Specialist Melton, Private Tucker, Private Pressley and the rest of the fallen, but I honor anyone who has seen the ugly face of war. Either by first-hand combat or like me sees it on their spouses’ face.
I once heard this quote, as simplistic as it might be...
“A soldier does not fight because they hate what is in front of them…they fight because they LOVE what is behind them.”
Some of my husband’s words to me from his most recent letter were this, “I hope you know that everything I do, I do it for you and Bennett, our family.”

Thank you to the men and women who are serving or have served and did what you did for me and my family.
It is an honor to serve my husband as he serves this country…a man who stands, while many choose to sit. God Bless.

.love.

this beauty will be finding its way to my house shortly...

via: THIS etsy shop!

Month In Review: #1 {April 2011}

Happy May!  I've seen a lot of bloggers do this to help recap their time during the Big "D".  I think it will be great for me to see what I accomplish each month and what exciting things I have to look forward to in the month ahead!  Soo, I'm officially starting:

Month In Review: #1 {April 2011}

-Went on our last Date Night "just the two of us"...next time I see my husband we will have a baby boy tag along! :)

-Said "see you soon" to the one man on this earth who is my absolute best friend.  A long year awaits...

-Began eating my 1 Hersey Kiss for breakfast each morning.

-Had a girls day at Aubree's the day after our husbands left and consumed almost a whole plate of brownies!  Thankfully, I had already passed my glucose test!

-Received my first phone call and almost peed my pants!  Take note, there is a baby on my bladder and I get overly excited at any chance my husband is on the other end! Thank goodness for cordless phones and being at home when emergency strikes. :)

-Mailed off 2 Care Packages along with a Letter.

-Walked in two 5k's..or should I say waddled?

-Finished up shopping for the nursery..humidifier=check!

-Learned what it was like to not even go to the bathroom without my cell phone attached to my hand...or what it felt like to realize you weren't signed onto skype or facebook the entire night and had missed a chance to chat with your husband.  

-Got an Easter Basket full of flowers on my front porch the day before Easter...the Easter Bunny came all the way from a war zone!! :) 

-Celebrated Easter at my amazing church and then lunch with sweet friends afterwards

-Got to see my sweet husband's face and all of the worry and anxiety I had been feeling for 2 weeks was completely washed away for those 20 minutes.

-Went to a dentist appt for a cleaning and discovered that my gums are bleeding so bad from this pregnancy!

-Began having nightmares...

-Read Behind the Blue Star Banner in 2 days flat! Best Book EVER! If you are the wife of a deploying husband..and especially if you're pregnant...Run to get this book!

-Began turning officially crazy when I jumped up out of bed smiling because I had just heard my husband come home from PT one morning...nut job, this girl!

-Went to my 31wk Doctor's Appt and heard Bennett's heartbeat..adore that sound!

-Celebrated Aubree's 23rd Birthday with a surprise dinner at Silver Gulch! Such a good night!

{how fabulous is that going to be when it's all green??}

Overall, I'm glad this month is over! Not to wish my life away or anything..but I think the change in calendar will do me some good!  A new month..a new start..and a new opportunity to grow! Here's what I have to look forward to in the Month of May:

-A trip to NC..family, friends, sunshine, getting a tan, shopping..JOY!

-Attending 2 baby showers..I LOVE celebrations with friends.  I think every day should be celebrated when you have such wonderful people in your life!

-A roadtrip to see my college bestie, Britty! Girls Weekend = Long Overdue!

-Celebrating my birth as I turn the big 2-6!

-Celebrating my nephew's 3rd birthday..that can't be right?  He was JUST born!

Happy May, friends! xoxo

blessed baby bennett!

I haven't posted about this yet, but I know I will want to be able to look back on these memories soooo..a post is in order! 

During the month of March, Greg and I were able to take a trip to our homestate of NC!  We had such a good time and the 10 days passed by all too quickly!  While we were in town we had two baby showers..one thrown by my family and friends and the other by my Dad's church!  I'm telling you...it was wonderful to see all of my favorite people who were soooo generious with things for Bennett!  Here's a few pics:

Greg and I at our Friends & Family Shower!

My Mom & I!

Some of my Favorite Girls! 

Diaper Cake that my Mom made along with our maternity pic!

Perfect Decor!

At the shower thrown by the ladies at my Dad's church!



Lastly, when we got back to AK we had brunch with a few of our closest friends!  It was an amazing afternoon with some of the sweetest people...I couldn't imagine my life without them!  We didn't really have a shower here in AK, but I've found that these three couples are the ones we can depend on!  And that's what matters most in this time of our lives!

Here's a diaper cake my sweet friend Charita made for the brunch!

{oh, and her husband Alan being a creeper in the background! ha!}

Like I said..it's these moments that I will remember for the rest of our lives.  The sweet people that helped shower us with love as we welcome our first baby!  THANK YOU to everyone...means far more to us than you will ever know! :)

for the individual who thinks my life is awesome enough to stalk: I feel so bad for you.  Being so angry, manipulative, and unhappy must be a huge load to bear.  Life is JOYFUL! Make a deliberate choice to be joyful today and actually create a blessing instead of trying to bring others down! :)

{oh yes, and I can write that..it's my freedom of speech which my husband is currently fighting for}