V Day

Thoughts from a new daddy:

There aren't very many moments that redifine our lives. Today is one of those times. For time and all eternity the David and Kristine Clays are now 3 in number. We really didn't think she was coming this quickly after mutiple doctor visits identified a complete lack of dialation, and Victoria's stubborn refusal to drop. On monday the 13th, the doctor decided in light of Dave's imminent return to Iraq, inducing was now an option. We went to the hospital that night to prep for the next day's induction. The first night we started with such high hopes, not knowing the emotional rollercoaster awaiting the next day. After a contraction-filled night and little sleep, we induced the next morning. The pitocin (synthetic oxytocin) brought on hard labor for 14 hrs. At the end we found Kristine had only dialated to a 3 or 4 and the epidural did not work. In order to get a little girl out we had to do a C section. Once the decision was made Victoria was out and in our arms in about an hour or so. (as you will see) She has lots of beautiful dark hair and great color. She was 8lbs 5 ounces and 21 inches long. Kristine says she looks a lot like her father. Victoria was having some trouble breathing and was taken to the NICU, but is now breathing very well. She likes to cuddle up next to her mommy for extra warmth and loving. Thankfully both mother and daughter are healthy and strong. With Victoria's size and weight, it is no wonder why she didn't deliver before. She wasn't going down because she really didn't fit down there. She is a wonder and a blessing. We are so incredibly happy to be able to see and hold her. She is our miracle, and thank God.

Almost there...

*I had prepared this blog post back in my 39th week (the end of November) and didn't finish it before Dave came home so it kinda got left behind... and once you get behind it makes it hard to make additional blog posts!*


Here are some pics from the WONDERFUL baby shower Kathy, Nicki, and Megan hosted for me in November.

Victoria's initials embroidered on a gorgeous purple blanket. From Dave's co-worker in Iraq. Thanks Natalie!

The cake. As always, Kathy does great cake decorations and it was yummy too!

My 38 week pic:

And the 39 week pics:

Well I must say that this week has definitely been a rough one. Every day I think my belly couldn't get any bigger and, guess what, every day somehow it ends up larger than before. I'm very front-loaded and awkward and my back gets more and more angry with every ounce I gain though I know it's important and the baby needs this time to grow those last layers of fat to get her through the upcoming winter snows! All the same, I'm admittedly ready to be a mommy for reals and be done with the whole belly business.

Saturday I witnessed my own pregnant clumsiness...and paid the price for it too! Kathy had invited me to come down to Auburn and see Harry Potter with her. It was fun and we went to an AMAZING and authentic Mexican restuarant afterwards. While we were there, we discussed what I wanted to do for my mom when she gets here and we talked about the bed that Nicki has since she replaced Connor's bed a little while ago. She suggested I head over and visit Nicki which I thought was a great idea.

I had a great chat with Nicki and then went upstairs to see how she'd upgraded Connor's bed. Well, on the way back downstairs, I managed to slip and fall flat on my butt and slide a few steps before coming to a seriously embarrassing stop. I sat there kinda dazed and waiting for the pain in my backside to subside enough to stand up while Nicki rushed over to see if I was alright. I was immediately worried about the baby but didn't say anything as I didn't want to worry Nicki any more than I wanted to think about how worried I really was. After a minute I got up and despite already feeling the goose egg (well more like a goose LINE) grow on my right cheek, I managed not to cry and to say my goodbyes and head back to Camillus.

Walking to the car I realized that I'd hurt my ankle too but I thought it was probably just the shock and would go away by the morning... Again, I was more afraid that I had hurt the baby or that I'd go into labor and it would all be my fault that Dave missed her birth. I cried and prayed all the way home where I got online and was able to see my wonderful husband barely waking up on the videoscreen. As he calmly asked how I was doing, I broke down into a fresh wave of tears and told him in all my anxiety what had happened and that I was feeling contractions even while talking to him. He reminded me to take things easy and that it was just an accident and not to feel bad if the baby came before he got here. I put some ice on my ankle and managed to get to sleep with Dave's reassurance that we'd get someone to bring me the sacrament and give me a blessing the next day.

Sure enough I had a very hard time walking the next morning though I knew my ankle wasn't broken as I could easily put weight on it and it only hurt when I moved the wrong ways. Casey and Bryan came over to give me the sacrament and also volunteered to bring me dinner Sunday night. It was sincerely touching and wonderfully comforting to have them respond so quickly and cheerfully in my time of need. I asked Brittany to come look at my ankle and wrap it, which she did after we had a wonderfully candid discussion about marriage, the pressures of dating, the sexual frustrations of abstinence, and life in general. As I calmed down throughout the day and took time to rest and hopefully heal a bit, the contractions disappeared, I felt the baby moving normally, and no blood appeared to say there were any problems. I had an OB appointment the next morning which further confirmed that everything was alright. Big bruise on my butt, smaller and more painful bruise on my ankle, but happily cushioned baby continuing to grow.

So, as my body gets more and more frustrated and weak with the demands of pregnancy, my heart and testimony are strengthened by the generosity and thoughtfulness of those around me. I had numerous texts and Facebook posts of support, and even an unknown sister from the ward offer her daughter to come over and clean my house! I gratefully took her up on that offer today and have 2 clean bathrooms and vacuumed carpet as a result. :) The point is, I am increasingly grateful to see how the Lord is watching over me and my family--especially our growing little girl. I'm so glad the fall wasn't worse and I'm humbled to see how people really care for me to offer assistance.

Now on to a few more days of waiting and the VERY long-awaited arrival of my wonderful handsome husband. I continue to pray that this little one will wait long enough for her daddy to welcome her into this world and so far she seems to be cooperating and understands how important her patience really is. 3 more days to being reunited with the love of my life and an unknown number of days--yes days--until we officially become parents.

Married with children (OK just 1 child...on the way...)

So no new pictures for now...just some thoughts I wanted to make sure I recorded while this baby girl is still INSIDE me and not demanding my every waking moment's attention :)

First things first: some pregnancy updates. I'm now 30 weeks along and feeling more and more awkward with my belly weight. Getting up from a sitting position is almost comical and getting up from the floor requires me to go to all fours and then swing myself up. I can't bend over without bending my knees (luckily Peter is patient with me when it takes multiple attempts to get down and click his leash on his collar!) and I can only see my feet when I move to the side or lean my head forward. And my belly button is no longer an "inny" but rather nonexistent.

The past couple weeks were really hard because I had severe heartburn that was causing vomiting...I actually lost a little weight which didn't make me happy knowing that I need to be putting on the most weight during this third trimester, I had to sleep sitting straight up and then only got a few hours of sleep, interrupted by mad dashes to the bathroom. Luckily, my doctor's office suggested what I now know to be a MIRACLE drug--Zantac. For the first time in weeks my heartburn was under control and I felt like a new person after finally getting some sleep.

Little Victoria Rose is SUPER active at night right before bedtime and periodically throughout the day. Her latest favorite spot is the right side of my rib cage. I guess she got bored from her boxing matches with my bladder and decided to go for a bigger challenge that didn't give in so easily. She'll stick her foot up in my rib and just leave it pushing there for what seems like FOREVER. I can even push from the outside and feel her foot there in the way. I keep trying to videotape her movements so I can send them to Dave but they're really hard to get clearly on tape :(

In other news, Dave and I have had some wonderful discussions about relationships in general and our relationship in particular...I've always believed that a healthy relationship requires frequent "check-ins" where you cant talk openly about where you think you are as a couple, if your expectations are being met, need to be changed, etc... and with the computer screen being the lifeline connecting us, we've had some really wonderful opportunities to improve our communication and work to keep close to each other regardless of our locations or the different ways we are spending our days. So I'd thought I'd share some of our learning moments.

* As the old addages teach us, marriage takes work. While love can be an incredibly motivating force to help people stay connected to each other, we think that many divorces occur simply because one party or the other quits working to demonstrate and deepen that love. Or, the ways that they demonstrate their love aren't the ways the other partner understands love or aren't the ways the other partner expects to be loved. It's really sad to think that people originally drawn to each other by sincere love end up hating each other because they didn't work to communicate enough during their marriage.

* Similarly, marriage requires humility and a WILLINGNESS to work. Even if you don't end up actually working on things as much as you'd like, as long as you are WILLING to reach out to your partner and be humble about your shortcomings, there is always room for forgiveness and reconciliation. No union can survive if a partner has "checked out" and refuses to try to work anymore.

* Marriage is a sacred institution in part because of the opportunity it provides for parenthood. I really believe that parenthood is a calling even though the possibility is biologically granted to everyone. I can't understate how much I've learned to appreciate the complementarity of man and woman over the past few months as the things that I prioritize in preparation for parenthood aren't always the same things Dave does. And they come together only as perfectly as the two parents choose to work together and use their individual strengths to make up for each other's weaknesses. I am so immensely grateful to know that our children will be born under the covenants Dave and I made with God in His temple and will come home to both a mommy and a daddy who love them. Of course there are single parents, grandparents, extended family, adopted parents etc that do fabulous jobs raising their families and righteously as well. I just more fully understand the IDEAL of a two parent household more than I did before getting married.

* Finally, we just keep learning more and more about how much we truly love each other. Knowing that we are thinking about each other and supporting each other every day helps us stay positive and really use this time apart to grow together rather than just work to make the time pass. We share our daily experiences so we keep up-to-date and continually feel like we are a part of each other's activities. We play games together over the internet to pass some down time together and it's really beautiful to see that we can talk to each other for over an hour every day and never grow bored of our conversations or find ourselves searching for things to say. I still really miss being able to physically communicate (some of the things I miss most are feeling him roll over in his sleep next to me, holding his hand when we'd say prayers, having his hand on my knee while he would drive, and when I would give him a HIJAH--basically a bear hug to knock him over and pin him down on the bed where I could tickle him) but I am learning how powerful and meaningful other modes of communication can be. From using inside jokes and songs in our email exchanges to finding websites we want to share with each other to news stories we discuss together, we work hard to spend quality time together and end up always looking forward to the next time we get to talk.

So, basically, life is good. I don't have any really exciting trips or projects to report. And I don't mind. I'd prefer our uneventful backgammon games a million times over to a short-lived luxury vacation or grandiose purchase. The daily routine of taking care of Peter and trying to keep myself fed and the house clean continues to take the majority of my energy. And what's left over I use to tell Dave about my daily routine.

A LOOOOOOONG-awaited update of our Victoria Rose

So, as mentioned in the previous post, YES we are expecting a little bundle of joy this upcoming December!! Our "mimu" (pronounced mee-moo) is growing big and strong...strong enough to jam her head into mommy's side and box with mommy's bladder. It's been so fascinating to feel the baby getting stronger and stronger as she grows bigger. The first movements I felt reminded me of indigestion and I sincerely couldn't tell the difference between my typical 'stomach chat' and the baby. But, the movements have significantly increased so I can clearly feel distinct punches, kicks, and roll overs... especially at night just when I think I'm exhausted enough to actually fall asleep.


I've been honestly shocked at the multitude of changes affecting my body. I guess I naively thought that pregnancy was mostly a belly affair...but I've learned my lesson! I'm going to spare you the first 14 weeks of my pregnancy for the so-called "morning" sickness symptoms aren't really worth repeating. But there are other things that I've learned also come with pregnancy. For you mothers out there in bloggerland reading this, these symptoms won't seem like anything unique, but I want to record them before they cease to be novel to me:


* EXHAUSTION--isn't it supposed to be the newBORN baby that keeps you up in the middle of the night and makes you tired?? Why does the whole tired thing have to start now??

* Seriously strange dreams and frequent dreaming.

* Cravings--thankfully they haven't come often or unbearably strong, but there are the occasional foods that refuse to leave your mind until acquired and snarfed down.

* wider feet--not swollen, just bigger.

* bleeding gums--even when just brushing but guaranteed to gush every single time I floss.

* "baby brain"--let's just say I have to write things down more often and my poor piano students are getting used to their teacher repeating herself.

* Overheating--it doesn't help when we go through 2 official heat waves with weeks of temperatures in the 90's, but I have felt every climbing degree SO much stronger than I usually do. Especially since returning from Paraguay, I've been much more acclimatized to the heat, but having a living oven inside me has turned me into a hermit hiding under the air conditioner, leaving only to keep my puppy from peeing inside the house.

* And, of course, increased emotions. I can't say I've had any verifyiable "mood swings" but I have felt my emotions sink lower and soar higher than usual. As you'll see in later posts, I've spent a lot of time thinking about what matters most in life to me and being a lot more sentimental about things. I don't cry at life insurance commercials (yet...) but I do laugh harder at stupid jokes, sigh more at romantic love stories, and yell at the news channel a little louder.





If the symptoms themselves weren't enough evidence that something incredibly new and different is happening to my body, here are some prego pics for you all to enjoy:




The 26 week sonogram. It amazes me how technology has evolved that a little wand attached to a screen and some sound waves can introduce me to my growing child before she makes it out. I had to go back for a follow-up sonogram after news that I had a placenta previa. But, while I was there, I asked the technician to do a double-check of the gender to help Dave feel more secure to tell his friends we were actually having a girl. Thankfully, no surprises. We have a princess on the way.

16-week pictures after I first began to "show". I was still in class at the time and surprised one of my colleagues with news that I was pregnant--she thought I had a digestive issue because I would absent mindedly be rubbing my tummy much of the day.



Here's 20 weeks and my section phase of "popping." I had a student's mother do a double-take after her 2 week vacation to walk in and see that I had, indeed, popped bigger.

Finally, some almost-26 week pictures. Yeah, it's a LOT more obvious that there's a baby and not just extra flab in there!

I have a fantastic friend, Angela, who is also getting ready to welcome her first little one to the world. She's due in less than 2 weeks and I hosted a baby shower for her at the end of August. It was SO fun to look through and choose decorations, invitations, favors, games, and prizes. Her mom helped organize the food and her sisters worked hard doing setup and take-down. We didn't have the turnout we had hoped for, but it was fun nonetheless and I definitely enjoyed helping her celebrate her pregnancy in the midst of my own. We snagged this great shot of our bellies--Angela won.

Finally, some more proof that I really am pregnant--I've repeatedly craved Texas RoadHouse rolls and made the staff laugh when I walked in and asked if you could order JUST rolls with their yummy cinnamon honey butter. No steak. No burgers. No sides. Just rolls. To my delightful surprise, not only can you order rolls to go, but they include the yummy butter or you can even buy the butter as a separate tub. Thanks Texas RoadHouse for being prepared for crazy pregnant women like me!!

Thanks everyone for your patience in not hearing a peep from us in more than a month. We're increasingly excited to have our little girl (and be done with the pregnancy thing for a while!) which also means we get to actually spend two weeks in the same physical location. The deployment continues to tick down in days apart, though every time I see my wonderful husband on the Skype screen I can't help but long for this whole ordeal to be over. If nothing else, the baby gives us a constant supply of interesting conversational material as we both learn about the miracle of parenthood and our own processes of preparation to take on this responsibility. While the timing isn't what we had originally planned, we continue to see the hand of our Heavenly Father helping us with what we need and teaching us in ways only He can. We are blessed to be entrusted with one of His precious spirits and are very excited to share the adventure with all of you!!

The baby bump is a-growing!

So I know this is a long time coming...I might get into the blogging habit some day!

Dave and I are extremely excited to be welcoming our first mini-Clay to our family sometime this December. At 21 weeks, I'm feeling surprisingly good--constantly exhausted and increasingly uncomfortable--but good. The first trimester was a nightmare and I learned very quickly just what "morning" sickness was all about. I will never understand how people could intentionally make themselves throw up because I have never felt so miserable in my life. Luckily, the second trimester is treating me much better. I'm also able to take more naps since graduation freed me from daily classes.

In a general update, I've returned to teaching piano lessons--which I LOVE. I only have 7 students (including 1 that just got promoted to an early intermediate level!) so I'm not exactly making a fortune or working all the time, but it keeps me happy and decently busy. I've also returned to sewing and am trying to work on my VERY limited skills to help me make some baby stuff. It's hard right now since we don't know the sex yet, but I'm diving in anyway!

Dave is doing well, considering the distance and the monotony of his desk job. He's been incredibly supportive and interested in all the minute changes happening to my body and our lives. I'm beyond grateful to have a great husband beside me to experience this adventure with me--even if only through Skype.

Here are some pics from my graduation from Syracuse University at the beginning of July. It was fantastic to have my parents visit for the weekend. They got to see where Dave and I have been for the past year and the places I lived since coming to Syracuse. We spent a day on the lake too and enjoyed the 4th of July fireworks from the vantage point of a boat! From the good food at Dinosaur BBQ and Erawan's thai food to our quick visit to the Corning museum of gladd, it was a great weekend. My parents said their dogs seemed like giants compared to Peter when they got home :) He's still growing too but definitely more of a lapdog. Marc and Kathy were great hosts for our graduation dinner too where my folks got to meet the extended family. I'm so grateful for the chance I had to get an education that I can now use to teach our children to appreciate teh world around us. I may not be able to make a career as I had once envisioned, but I know that the skills and info I learned in the classroom will make me a better mother in our home.

You can see the beginning of my baby bump. This is approximately 18 weeks. I've "popped" since then and will post some more pics when I take some that I like :)

Flags over Al Faw

Dave:  So here we are at another palace.  This time it is Al Faw palace, which is the presidential palace where Saddam met other dignitaries.  It is completely covered inside marble and has huge pillars.  Al Faw palace is the headquarters for all US forces in Iraq.  Its basically where all the generals hangout.
    

One of the traditions of the miilitary is flag flying.  The flag is an emblem of the country we defend and stands for the ideals and freedoms we seek to uphold.  Some members carry flags with them to fly where ever the military takes them and have been flown in many countries.  Others are flown and given away as a sign of respect and gratitude for support.  We flew over a hundred flags up this little flagpole on the roof of the palace.  Later we recieved certificates sign by General Odinero which certified the flags had been flown over USF-I HQ (US forces Iraq Headquarters) and commended whoever they were flown for, for their support of troops here.  I was actually suprised General O signed them himself.  It was a nice touch.    

Here is one of the palaces affectionately known as "The Juicer."   All these pictures were taken on the same day.  It was clear and blue when we started, but as you can see in this picture a sand storm came in a made it all grey and extremely dusty.

Here is just another shot of the lake around the palace. 

This is me sitting in the throne of the big man himself.  It was a gift from another country and has very ornate work all over it.  If you ask me, its big enough for both me and my queen to sit side by side. But something tells me that wasn't Saddam's style.

I wish I had a picture to show the constuction of many of the other building here.  It is interesting.  The majority of the insides of the walls are just brick and concrete which don't seem to have enough mortar.  Outside of the brick is a layer of rebar and attached to the rebar is a thin layer of finely cut stone. The effect is that the buildings look very ornate and well made.  In comparision to castles and other monuments of old though , the buildings here seem to be lacking the depth and strength of the structures made with solid stone.  Concrete is nice and cheap, but it nevers turns out as nice as stone.  I guess the same could be said of people too.  In the end whether we can weather the test of time depends largely upon what we are made of. 

Meet the Newest Member of the Clay Clan...

Peter Camelside!!   aka "Stinky Pete"
So I literally let the computer sit overnight to try to load a video of my little guy playing with his squeaky sandal, but to no avail... I had grand ambitions of posting this last week but technology doesn't seem to agree with me, so I apologize for the delay. You'll have to settle for some pics.
Our little puppy joined our family on Wednesday, June 9th. He's a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and the sweetest, calmest, and most wonderful companion dog I've ever seen. Of course I'm more than a little biased being his mommy and all, but everyone falls instantly in love with him upon sight. I'd wanted to get a dog for a while and purposely moved into a complex that accepted dogs so I could have someone to keep me company while Dave is gone. I started researching breeds and fell in love with the Cavaliers--then found out they were insanely expensive because they are typically show dogs bred for competition. Both sides of his family are champion dogs though I have no real intention of showing him. Long story but I contacted a breeder outside of Rochseter and as we emailed back and forth she told me that her grandson had served in Iraq and her husband was a Vietnam era veteran and they were willing to work with my budget to help out another military family. Extremely touching how she really reached out to me and helped me find just the right little guy to keep me sane while my husband is halfway across the world.
Of course he's a lot of work but he's doing just fine. Now officially 4 months old, he isn't nearly as energetic and out of control as I would have expected. His favorite things are to sit in my lap and to chew carrots under the coffee table. That's actually how we got the name--his love of carrots made me think of Peter Rabbit and Peter Cottontail. Dave noticed his markings on his right flank look like a camel and so he wanted to name him Camel and we compromised on Peter Camelside.


He's still super shy around strangers and is trying to get used to all the changes in coming to his new home, but he's handling things well. He's accompanied me to a few group meetings and would hang out sleeping under my chair while we worked. He's survived two baths now toon (including the super scary blowdryer)! His house training is coming along great--despite peeing in the house for the first few days, he has been 100% outside for almost a week now! He still piddles if he gets excited--usually only when I've been gone for a few hours and come back or when he meets a bigger dog than him (which is everyone except for the occasional chihuahua). He's 10 pounds, the vet says he's healthy as can be, and we are thrilled to have him join the Clays. Enjoy seeing the cuteness!!

The Sights and Sounds of Victory

Dave:  So here we are seeing the glorious sights of Baghdad, or at least the glorious sights on Camp Victory.

First on our stop is Saddam's Victory over America Palace. In an effort to show his great victory over America in the 90's, Saddam decided to celebrate with a palace.  Unfortunately the palace is still in construction, and Saddam is still working on that victory over America thing too. Way to go Saddam!

Next we have the Flinstone's village.  Originally when I heard about this place, I thought it just looked like the Flintstones because of the construction.  The truth is that Saddam's kids like the Flinstone's cartoon so much he actually built them a fully functioning village patterned after it.  I was a little disappointed to find out there weren't any foot powered cars or dinosaurs. 

As you can see, Americans couldn't help but decorate in their own special way.  Too bad. 

I'll get more pictures of the palaces and other fun stuff  when I can.  But I can't drive around here without wondering, now that we are legitimizing the government here don't they want all this stuff back?  I think and I know Kristine agrees that we should give it back to them, right now, as long as the said transaction would require me returning to NY.  I think this deal has promise.

Hooch to Work, Work to Chowhall, Chowhall to Hooch, repeat.

Hooch = room, work = work, chowhall = food

Dave:  So here I am in Iraq.  This time feels very different than the last. Before there was a real fight that we were trying to win, but now the feeling is we are all just waiting to leave.  Much of the country is shutting down, packing up and moving out.

I on the other hand have just moved in.  I am working in an office.  I now proudly wear the biggest indicator to the fact that I don't really feel the need to go out on missions: the shoulder holster.  I turned in my rifle, so all I have is a pistol to lug around everywhere.

Here I am getting ready to go to chow.  The Army came out with great athletic clothing that was reflective so we could be seen at night. But it must not have worked well enough because we also must wear a highly reflective belt as well.

Kristine doesn't like my lack of hair, but it keeps me a little cooler, which in 120degree heat actually means a lot.

Here is my room for the next year.

Saddam during the 80s and 90s hosted a number of international meetings.  At the beginning he did have enough hotel space to fit all his guests, so he built a couple palaces near the airport.  Another meeting happened and he still didn't have enough space, so he built a huge complex of canals, palaces and lakes to impress all who came to visit.  The last palace Al Faw was completed in 2002. All of the area around the lakes and palaces was lush and well maintained. Little did he know that the US military would be the ones to appreciate his hard work.

Here is the view from right outside my office.

This one is on the walk back to the hooch

Here is one of my favorite things to do.  The waterways are full of fish, mainly carp, and they love to eat anything.  Once or twice a day I will go out with a little muffin or a box of cereal and give it to them.  They see me coming and swarm. Any direction I swing my arm, they race to in order to catch whatever food lands.

Its hot. Its lonely. Its tiring, but as long as I get a minute or two to talk to my dear wife, its not that bad.

Ft Dix: Training Training Training

Dave:  So I've been here for 3 months now..not actually 3 months, but it feels like 3 or 4 months.  Technically I have only been here 3 weeks but time is dragging.  I know I will have some kind of leave or pass in another 3 weeks and I am really excited.  Between now and then we have a FULL schedule of training.  We have first formation around 5am then start gearing up for the day's mission.  We train on weapons, vehicles, convoys, and everything else the army can imagine us doing.  Except for the early mornings, sleep depravation and being away from Kristine, its not that bad.  Not really that great either. 

So basically this is what I do every day.  I am a driver, so I get the vehicle ready, keep it fueled, and drive to all the training. As a Detachment we drew 12 vehicles, and honestly I think I got one of the better ones.  It has an awesome A/C and heat, a turbo charged V8 engine, interior radios so we can hear eachother over the vehicle noise, and nice new seats.  It is similar to one I had in Iraq last time, so I knew how everything worked, which was funny cause I was the only one in my vehicle that knew how.  I had to take a sec and explain how everything works to the rest of my crew.

Cranston, Corriveau, Me

The main motivation that drives soldiers to do what it is that they do is comradery. We do things that nobody wants to do, but we have to do anyway, and if not for good friends, there would be many good people driven past the point of sanity. Here I am with a couple of my takeout buddies.  Once or twice a week we order take out and watch a movie.  I don't think I have ever watched an entire movie through though.  I keep getting up after a while and go call my wife.

Spring has sprung in DC

What better way to test out the new camera than a friendly stroll through the park and a visit to Eastern Market? To make things better, it was Easter Weekend and the perfect time to ponder the miracle of renewal and new beginning of Springtime that symbolizes our Savior's resurrection. Definitely a very special time of year.

It has been absolutely LOVELY weather and I utilized my weekend freedom from a window-less office to take a casual walk and try to find some venues to take pictures of people where I wouldn't be afraid of the camera getting stolen.

Along the way, I found some beautiful sights:

Despite having hardly any ground to really call your own in a row house 10 feet wide, a surprising amount of people have beautifully manicured yards full of now-blooming flowers! Exhibit A) some PURPLE hyacinth! the picture makes them look bluer than they really are...I should have figured out a way to fix that, but whatever.

I have a strange fascination with benches. Something about latent potential and the thought of how many different lives have crossed through this exact point, finding a moment of respite before continuing in their myriad directions. Poetic I think! This time the benches were framed by beautiful cherry blossoms--part of DC heritage. This is a park a few blocks from my house and the most enjoyable open place nearby. I love to stop over on Saturdays to see people's dogs socialize and witness kids' first bike rides, siblingn rivalries with wiffle ball games, and even some tai-chi in the "woods" on the North side. Love it!

I also love the park because of these gorgeous towering trees. Sets a good scene for a game of fetch.

After a mile and a half walk, I finally reached my destination at Eastern Market! I had grandiose intentions of getting some sourdough French Toast at a fantastic little eatery there, but the line was probably 3 hours long! No joke...the line is ALWAYS long, but this Saturday the line went clear through the back of the building through what used to be a stage and out into the market itself. Needless to say, my appetite wouldn't tolerate such a wait and I was by myself, so I settled on a fresh lemonade which I sipped while taking some more snapshots, and headed home.

Another wonderful cherry-blossom frame!!

And our little Maurice relatives are out en force! This one wasn't quite as friendly as the Franklin Park critter that ate from my hands, but friendly enough to pose for a quick picture!

While I was out, I wanted to get a couple shots to display the lifestyle of row-house neighborhoods. Narrow, deep houses smashed up against each other. This street was unique with front-facing parking where most streets are all parallel...so it caught my eye.

Here are some of the nicest row-houses in the neighborhood. I don't even want to begin to discuss what they sell for...suffice it to say I wouldn't consider it the most cost-effective purchase. Houses are small, often not well-cushioned from the noises, pests, and problems of your neighbors, and as mentioned before, outrageously expensive. Great people and fun neighborhood, tons of fun ethnic restaurants and shops, manageable traffic, and close access to downtown. So everything has tradeoffs!

I had a great venture into the Spring sunshine! SOOOOO happy that warm weather has returned!! It's not nearly as enjoyable walking by yourself, but I keep motivating myself to get out of the house and spend time doing the things I would do if I had Dave at my side. It's hard sometimes because I almost feel like I'm betraying us in some way, like I'm being selfish and making a life for myself that doesn't include the most important person in my life. Even small things like trying new restaurants or going to museums just make me feel weird. I know that, slowly, I'll get used to not having a traveling companion again, but for now, a morning stroll is a good milestone.

As Dave had mentioned in his post, we get to talk on the phone at various points in the day, every day. Those check-ins keep me going. I'm so incredibly grateful for modern technology that gives me a lifeline to my husband and gives us a pretty reliable, immediate method of communication so that we can keep each other actively involved in our individual lives. I guess I shouldn't learn to rely so much on it because I don't know how frequently we'll have contact when he's in Iraq, but I treasure every text I get in the meantime!

On a final note, I got to watch most of General Conference and thoroughly enjoyed listening to the various speakers. More than anything, I just learn to more deeply appreciate the comfort and strength contained within the Gospel of Jesus Christ as He exemplified humility and patience--qualities I have desperate need of. And, of course, I more deeply appreciate the fact that my husband and I share our core beliefs and our commitment to the Lord. Regardless of whatever personal capacity I might have for dealing with this whole deployment chaos, truly the only thing that keeps me sane is knowing that God is looking out for us, both individually and as an eternal couple sealed in His temple. Anyway, I wanted to quickly share with you all that I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's true church and that His gospel is the most influential and stabilizing force I could have ever been given in my life.

Love you all and hope you enjoyed a spectacular Easter, Lent, or Passover!!

Ft Dix: The Beginning

Dave: I can't say that this deployment ever felt that real until saying goodbye in MD, and getting on a bus for Fort Dix.  I always knew this was real and serious, but I was always just 3 or 4 weeks from seeing Kristine, and that is what I focused on. Now it seems like the time away from her requirement is pressing and my desire to see her grows.

Arriving here, they put us in a building located diagonally next to the one I was in last time.  Once again I am crammed into a 12 man room.  It strikes me how much I miss my wife, how much I miss a normal life, how much I miss a little privacy and space to call my own.  Its like I don't have time or space to be me. We run (not literally) from training to training and that is how I identify my time.  I'm either in training or waiting for the next one to start.  We do have a little downtime, but all we can do is hangout or go to the gym.  Amazingly I am able to talk to Kristine frequently and she keeps me sane. 

Here I am learning how to use a 50cal machine gun, the M2 (pronounced Maw Duece). 

Last deployment we had individuals specified as gunners who were not military intelligence and whose sole purpose was to drive or gun when we went into country. This time the entire unit are officers and noncommissioned officers, and I am low man on the totem pole, which means I get all the tasks and training my hirer ups don't really want. So far I have trained on driving, and using two different kinds of machine guns. The sad part is that the M2 is no longer allowed in Iraq due to our agreement with the Iraqi government, so this training is just for ft dix and a waste of time that I would rather spend talking to my wife.

 Here we are after getting our gas masks tested.

Here is SSG Durham and Myself ready for brazilian jujitsu at combatives class. I know these uniforms look like awesome special occasion Army style samurai clothing, but in actuality they are our regular uniforms turned inside out. I guess the velcro is more dangerous than I thought.

It is Easter Sunday and unfortuneately I am unable to celebrate with my family or even watch general conference.  On an upside though, there is a small serviceman's group which I have a little time to attend.  Both this and last week there were 5 of us attending sacrament.  More than ever I am appreciative of the simple moments when I am able to feel the spirit of the Lord and feel renewed. 

Our new camera!!

Yep, it was time to replace the battered camera that had seen me through some wonderful years abroad...
Dave and I researched some of the newer cameras coming out this season and found one that we thought would be a keeper for years to come: the Canon sx210is. I was lucky enough to get someone to buy my old one, which helped bring down the cost of this new one. Then, with a gift card from our credit card rewards, it got even cheaper! Gotta love when you save up for something and then get it with a bargain.

It hit stores today and so I got one of the first off the shelves! Here is a picture from their website:I am sorry to say I haven't been able to really use it yet, but that is sure to be remedied soon :)