Annual Christmas Letter

Wow…it’s December already! I love a day like today—cool, rainy, a cup of coffee, and a little writing assignment. I missed my calling as a professional student, I think. So until I get back to that, let me update you with our family’s happenings.
Last September (‘08), we packed up and left the Washington, D.C. area after three wonderful years there. Kaitlin and I headed to Houston to spend the fall with my parents (read: elated grandparents who usually have no nearby grandkids) while Jesse headed to Altus, Oklahoma to retrain in the C-17 so he could be a functional pilot again after a couple of years doing Pentagon staff work. Jesse came down to Houston lots of weekends and then after spending Christmas in Texas, we moved to our new duty station in Charleston, South Carolina. We bought a house and have thoroughly enjoyed the creature comforts of our own home again—things like a garage, main floor laundry room, plenty of space, and a good-sized backyard are among what we missed most during our D.C. years.
In April we took our first family trip to Disney World and it was, well, magical. Our first morning there, we had breakfast with Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Daisy Duck at the Animal Kingdom. We arrived right as the park opened, when all the characters are out to count down to the big opening and usher in all the excited park goers. I cried. Getting to Disney World brought out my inner SuperMom. There is nothing in the world like seeing your kid so happy.
The other highlight of the year, of course, was August 5th—Carson Matthew’s birthday! We thoroughly enjoy our new status as a family of four, and Jesse’s side of the family is still in shock over seeing another baby boy (he’s got four younger sisters). Unfortunately, our family time has been a bit interrupted by the Air Force, as Jesse deployed to Qatar on August 29th and is due back in early January. It’s been a challenging few months with a newborn and a preschooler, and I’ve come to realize how true it is that it’s not just the military member who serves their country. It’s their families, too. But even more, it’s the host of people—and we are beyond blessed, there have been plenty of them—who serve their nation by taking care of the families left behind. I cannot thank you all enough for the encouragement, meals, lawn care, child care, listening ears, tear-stained shoulders, and prayers!
As for Kaitlin, she has weathered all of these changes beautifully. Being a big sister suits her perfectly. She started preschool in September and loves “meeting” a new letter each week, show-and-tell, and all of her friends. She is very detail-oriented and organized—every pair of her shoes has an assigned stair in our house where they reside and are rarely out of place. She loves to scramble eggs in the mornings, sing herself to sleep, and count to 100 on walks. At long last she has overcome her fear of slides and is finally keeping up with the two-year-olds on the playground. She just turned four. But she can do 75-piece puzzles with ease, write her name legibly and say the word supercalifragilisticexpalidocious so while I may not have a world class circus tightrope walker on my hands, I have a sweet, caring, adorable, highly-intelligent baby girl who is the apple of her mommy and daddy’s eyes. Carson busies himself by keeping a watchful eye on her and taking notes, and he is no doubt beginning to think of ways to keep up with her. He’s a sweet-spirited little guy who smiles all the time, laughs easily, and sleeps some.
That’s our year (plus a little, since I didn’t write a letter last Christmas) in big nutshell. We love hearing from everybody at Christmastime, and pray you all have a warm and wonderful Christmas and a blessed beginning to 2010!

A Different Kind of Christmas Poem

Maybe you've seen this from an e-mail forward. I didn't write it, and it's not about Jesse--it's about all of our men and women overseas this Christmas. It's oh, so appropriate for my little family this year. We love you, Jesse, and we miss you! (that is Jesse in the picture on the right on the ground in Afghanistan with a picture that Kaitlin's preschool class sent to him.)

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.



Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.



My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,

Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.



The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,

But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.

Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.



My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.



A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,

Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.



"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,

"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!

Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,

You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"



For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light

Then he sighed and he said "It’s really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."



"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,

That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"

Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',

And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,

But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.



Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

I can live through the cold and the being alone,

Away from my family, my house and my home.



I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,

Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.

Who stand at the front against any and all,

To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,

Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."



"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,

"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you've done,

For being away from your wife and your son."



Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back home while we're gone,

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,

To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

Joy to the World

Heard over the monitor...

"Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let Earth receive Can-dy!"

Sooo, what's up?

Well, we just got back from Houston about a week ago. Carson got to meet Sue Sue and Papa Dick. Well, playing with Papa Dick was delayed a bit since he had unplanned emergency surgery the day after we arrived. Thankfully everything is fine now, just a few minor tweaks and he's all better.
Went trick or treating w/my high school buddy and her little boy--what fun it is to pop back into my hometown here and there and get to re-live those relationships as though we never left. I am so blessed. Our kiddos were funny. Kaitlin was all business marching house to house and carrying out her little trick or treat mission. Grier, on the other hand, was afraid the fun would end and after every house would say "One more house?" That went on for about 30 houses! Too cute. I hope she marries Grier one day (he's the little guy in the pic w/her).
Kaitlin was The Little Mermaid this year. Actually she wanted to be a sunshine initially--like the one on the Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage commercials where it's morning and the planets haven't eaten breakfast so they quit revolving around the sun. Yeah. So I searched high and low for a sunshine costume and couldn't find one. Fortunately as time closed in on us, we were at Costco and she fell for the Disney costumes and decided on Ariel instead.
The funny thing is, about a week ago, I was reading through one of the five million Parenting magazines that I've received. Seriously my living room rivals a doctor's waiting room. And what did they have on page 34, low and behold, but an "easy to make" costume of a sunshine! Trouble is this magazine said easy and sew in the same set of directions. Phhhts.
Carson did great on the airplane both ways. I will swear by traveling with kiddos under 6 months because my goodness, they are light and they sleep a lot. Not so sure as you get to be closer to one. By the time they are almost 2 and still free, it's almost worth it to buy their ticket because hey, the way we're headed, Carson's plane ticket will cost less than checking my luggage. Next time I'm in Houston I might just have to go naked.
I digress. Probably due to lack of sanity. Since we left for Houston, Carson's endured 3 time changes, a complete change of schedule and daytime routine, thrush (again), a growth spurt, weaning, a new nipple for his bottles. He has let me know he's not very excited about this change. I let him know that he's supposed to getting easier at three months, not harder. Hmph.
So at three months, he is still not talking, walking, crawling, or even sitting up. But he smiles and he laughs and thinks it's pretty funny whenever I kiss his feet on the changing table. And boy does he have abnormally sweaty feet; let me just apologize now to my future daughter in law. It's not my fault. What he does do that is too sweet...I will rock him to sleep at night briefly after he takes his last bottle and is ready. He'll be all burritoed-up (Swaddled) with his pacifier in. Almost invariably (or, until I write this) I will curl him up to my face, kiss him sweetly on the forehead, and that's when his eyes close and he lets go to sleep. It is the most heartwarming thing. And then a couple seconds later his pacifier will pop out of his mouth to indicate it's bed time. I love it.
Last thing--maybe you don't care but this might be as close to writing stuff in a baby book as I get so I wanted to note it here. Took him to the doc yesterday for said thrush, and he now weighs 13 lbs 11 oz with clothes on. Not bad!

really? you liked Seattle?

Yes. Really. Really really really really!

Birthday Party!!

Katilin had her 4th Birthday Party on Friday. It was a Minnie Mouse party and lots of fun, in spite of the poopy weather that forced us inside. With about 25 people floating around. Many of them under three. And I did not have a break down. Whew!
My own 4th Birthday party was, I believe, at Peppermint Park back in Houston. We rode little toddler sized rides and probably all drove over there together (maybe 6 kids?) in my parents' station wagon. That probably had seats for 5--and my older brother probably went, too, which means all in all we would have crammed about 10 people into that vehicle. My, my how times have changed. Unless you are Jon & Kate plus 8 or happen to own a school bus equipped for car seats, there is no carpooling the whole birthday party gang to the party location, huh?
Speaking of driving, Kaitlin got her first bicycle for her birthday! She is Little-Miss-Tentative as always and watching her go down the "hill" on the sidewalk and nearly kill herself plowing into the nearby tree as she panicked and let go of both the pedals and the handlebars made me realize just how scary it is to be the parents of the 15 year old driving student. And poor Kaitlin has zero survival instinct whatsoever, so Jesse and I have already begun to fight about which of us will risk life and limb to get her driving. You know, it's only 11 years away now. EEK!

LONG 2 Month Update

Didn't I just write this post? No, wait, that was the TWO WEEK update. Thankfully, time is flying. One day when I'm old and gray I'll wish it weren't, but for this moment and season, it's a great thing.

Carson went for his 2 month check up today. Height 23.something--75th percentile. That's amusing to me, that Jesse and I would have a child well into the 75th percentile for height at any point in his life! Weight 12.2 lbs. 50th percentile. Head circumference--who cares.

Kaitlin went for her 4 yr old appointment (a bit early) and now weighs a whopping 29.5 pounds and is I think 39 and a half inches tall. She's back down in the 3rd percentile for weight (almost the 10th, though) and 50th for height. So I guess she thought that means she and Carson could share pants (see pic). Not yet, his are a bit short on her, but the sad thing is, he will outweigh her probably around his 2nd birthday. At least the situation isn't reversed, though, huh?

Sleeping--Carson--yes, many nights 6-8 hours between feedings. Sometimes just 3-4, but at least he knows what night time is and is ready to go to bed every night by 8ish. That is, until this week when got some blasted medicine that makes him extremely gassy. So we've reverted to the 4 week old sleep habits but I know it's only temporary. Different medicine on order as I type, thank GOD.

And maybe I should erase that last paragraph because (can I get an "AMEN" here?) every time. Every single time. EVERY SINGLE TIME I brag on him for doing something good ("Oh, he's hardly crying now!" "He's warming up to his car seat" "He slept through the night last night!") he stops doing it. So I find myself superstitious and I am so NOT superstitious, but you would be, too, if it meant another hour of sleep and the trade off is you have to keep your mouth shut about how well he did last night. And if I do talk, now I feel like I have to preface it with "Well, this might all change tonight, but he just...XYZ..." Otherwise we'll have an awful morning or something to make up for the fact that I forgot to throw in the little superstitious disclaimer. Ridiculous, I know.

Smiling and cooing. Yes! All the time. Especially at 4 AM, as though to say "I'm sorry for waking you up, but I'll be irresistable to make it worth your while." The only reason we moms keep our newborns around and some degree of sanity for ourselves. Although, sane becomes a very relative term during this season of life.

Couple questions about the pediatrician's office. First of all, when did they all get to be younger than me? What the heck can these young men think they know about babies? Ha ha. Second, why is the pediatrician the ONLY doctor where you consistently wait an hour for your appointment to start, even when you show up on time? You'd think in the 30+ years since I've been visiting a pediatrician, somebody would have solved this problem. Because I definitely remember some marathon waits back in Dr. Regan's office growing up. But it's even worse now... now they make you keep the door shut ("privacy laws") when you get back to the room where the actual exam takes place--so you can't even shoot the docs and nurses dirty looks as they pass your room and wash their hands 300 times. Rivals the DMV, except thankfully I don't need a new driver's licence every 2 months. Although if they catch me driving with half my body contorted into the back seat to keep the pacifier in my baby's mouth they just may sentence me to repeated visits. Come to think of it, let's do that for drunk drivers.

In other news, I shouldn't complain about my job as the mom of the household because I might get outsourced soon by Kaitlin. She is already Carson's pacificer-replacer, diaper-fetcher, burp-cloth monitor, cry-radar, smile-getter, and outfit-chooser. I have to pull up a chair every time I bathe him so she can watch. (oddly, no questions about the male/female difference yet. Look for that post soon!). She totally digs being Mommy Jr. Only now she's really making a run for my head-of-the-house-female position, as she decided to fold laundry yesterday. See pic above...I think she did a pretty good job! I feel like the doctors on Grey's Anatomy, competing for a surgery so they don't lose their jobs in the hospital merger--I'm competing with my 3 yr old for housework!

Her little memory is incredible. It's taken her all of about 15 tries to memorize the entire Pledge of Allegiance. She still says ...and to the "weplublic" with an extra "L" which is super adorable, but she's got it other than that. Indivisible = no problem for her!

Thanks for reading my loooooong update. This is what you get when you combine a stay at home Mommy with a computer that has no minute-limit and an audience of ANY size, animate or inanimate. Cheers!