Good morning visitor

It's always fun to start the day off with a Good morning visitor. This one especially was exciting because BBZ LOVES turtles. I mean he says it everyday along with "Elmo" and it happens to be a word that he said for the first time while talking to Daddy on the computer. So when we walked out the door to go grocery shopping and spot this guy by the front door, both boys were thrilled! Don't let the picture fool you. BBZ was very excited, but still a little hesitant as well.

A little sidetracked

I realized yesterday I got a little carried away in my post. By the time I was halfway through, I just wanted to vent and had gotten completely sidetracked on the original idea for the post.

The real intention of the post was to give an update on the progress LMA has made without his beloved Paci. AmyBow had given me a great suggestion to "trade-in" Paci for a new toy. I had attempted to do that with the bus we purchased the week prior, but I realized he needed something he could hold on to while sleeping.

Instead of going to the store and buying yet another toy, and probably get distracted by trucks and trains, hubby came up with an idea. LMA has plenty of stuffed animals here already, why not trade-in Paci for one of those? So Thursday morning, I got out only a few stuffed animals, as not to overwhelm him with options, and asked him to pick out another friend for nap time. He was so excited about the idea that he "introduced" Piggie to all his crib friends.

Then when Gramma and Pop-pop sent a new teddy bear for Valentine's Day, he was even more excited. Now all I have to say after we finish reading a few books before nap time is, "Piggie and teddy bear are really tired now. Keep them company while they take a nap."

So, now I am happy to report that Paci has been officially replaced. He doesn't really even mention it anymore either. LMA is still taking a nap. And Mommy is still getting her beloved me time.

I love it when things work out in the long run.

Apparently, it's time

Yesterday, I talked about how LMA's beloved "Paci's" nipple was lost bitten off during nap time. I contemplated about just going out a buying him another one so MY beloved "Me" time doesn't vanish as well.

Alas, I was informed by both my mother and a wonderful blogging Mom, AmyBow that it was time for LMA to give up the pacifier all together. Amy had given me some wonderful ideas on how to transition LMA through this phase. Like throw him a going away "paci party" - not as great sounding as "potty party", but it sounded like a good idea. Or sending paci to Grandma in California. Or trading Paci in for a new toy.

All these ideas sounded great, but I wasn't ready to do them last night after we came home from dinner out. Besides, he doesn't need paci when he goes to bed at night, so no need to upset him before he goes to bed.

After Gymboree today, I decided to go to Target (also because I had been promising LMA to go to "That Toy Store" all week long to look at new trucks. Like always, we stop by the Dollar Spot to find new and exciting things. Somehow, he always manages to find something that sparks his interest that is buried underneath all sorts of other goodies. This time, it was a wooden school bus that was around during Christmas time. While I finished my shopping, he carried that little school bus around and wouldn't put him down or out of his sight.

When the time came to finally check out, he placed the bus on the conveyer belt and watched the cashier scan it. When he watched it disappear into the bag, he asked for it back. As we were walking out of the store, I remembered Amy's advice about trading Paci in.

A's Mom: That's a nice school bus you found.

A: Uh uh. School bus.

A's Mom: You know who wanted you to have that school bus?

A: (Looks at me with curiosity.)

A's Mom: Paci. Paci wanted you to have that nice school bus.

A: (Looks at me with total shock) Paci? School bus?

A's Mom: Yep. (As I'm trying to choke back tears) Paci wanted you to have the school bus because Paci broke yesterday.

A: Paci broke. School bus.

A's Mom: Yep. Maybe you can hold onto School bus and Jeffrey to keep you company while you take a nap today.

The entire way home. He kept saying, "Paci broke. Mommy fix." "Paci broke. Daddy fix." "Paci school bus."


So it seemed as though the idea possibly worked... until we went down for a nap.


When he asked for Paci lie he always does, I showed him paci again. Paci was in two pieces and the small piece could NOT go in LMA's mouth because he could choke. He proceeded to take the two pieces and try to put them back together. "Paci broke. Baby fix."

I was heart broken. So ready to just run out to CVS to buy him another paci, but instead I said, "Paci can't be fixed, Buddy. LMA can hold Jeffrey and Monkey to go to sleep for nap time." Not remembering that I promised him at the store that he could hold school bus during nap time.

I don't know if it was because I put school bus on his dresser, like we do every other toy that he was holding onto prior to bed time, but he broke down when he couldn't put paci in his mouth. I let him "kiss" his school bus "good-night" so bus could take a nap too. About 5 minutes later, I hear him bonk his head on the crib slats (we still haven't put back his bumper pad from when he was sick last month) and I go in to console him. I ended up just handing him paci to hold onto, since he really couldn't put it in his mouth, and within 2 minutes he was asleep.

So, I'm not sure where to go from here. I was thinking of just letting him hold onto Paci until he gets sick of doing that after a couple of days, but now I'm thinking of sending it to the "Paci fairy" who can use it for another little girl or boy or better yet, a teddy bear to help him sleep during nap time. Not sure either if he really even understands anything I'm saying.

Farewell Beloved "Friend"

I had a feeling it was coming sooner or later. I was just really hoping it would be later than sooner.

Or that he would eventually just not ask for his beloved "friend" for nap times.

However, today is the day that we say good-bye to Little Man's beloved friend...

"Paci"

Yes, today when he woke up at 2pm crying because said friend was not in his mouth, I retrieved Paci for him. No more than 45 seconds later, he was crying harder. When I went upstairs to console him, figuring his nap was officially over, I found Paci in two pieces.

Now what?

Do I go out and buy him another?? Or is he truly old enough to give up paci and get to sleep on his own during nap time (he does it on his own at night time)??

I really hope this doesn't mean he's going to give up his naps entirely, because that would truly suck and constitute another Paci immediately.


P.S. Thank GOD he didn't choke on this.

The Military Life

Oh, the life of a military wife. Either it be Marines, Air Force, Navy, or in my case, the Army you know what I'm talking about. I really don't even have to elaborate for you to even comprehend. But, for those of you who are not in the military career... let me explain.

When I signed up (no pun intended) to be a military wife, I was expecting the life of luxury. I would reside in Hawaii amidst the wildly colorful bromiliads and banana trees. I would sit on the beach sipping from a coconut and watching my child (okay, children were not in the picture when I married my husband) making a sand castle by the water's edge. We would go to on-post parties with other families and play tennis on the weekends (or just explore the islands).

Fast forward 10 years, and I'm stuck in Virginia. Before this, we lived in Minne-snow-da! Where thankfully we are NOT anymore - especially with 43 degree BELOW zero temperatures! And that's not even the wind child factor! Before that, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Don't get me wrong, there are up sides to being a military wife. I get to go to places, like those mentioned above, that we would never consider. Why I considered Minneapolis??? I have no idea. But I do have to admit I did meet some wonderfully, interesting people. That's the other plus to tagging along with the Army. We have been extremely blessed with the people we have met along our travels. Especially in Pittsburgh where my across-the-hall-neighbor chiropractor and his wife (girlfriend at the time) took me in like family while my husband was deployed to Iraq. I honestly can say if it were not for those two people, who thankfully we still keep in touch with (because let's face it after spending a year with me and my dog and my three cats, we're family whether you like it or not!), I would not have been able to handle that deployment.

Then we come to the people we have met here in Virginia. At first, when we visited the D.C. area to scan the neighborhoods for places to live, we looked at purchasing/leasing a townhome. Thankfully, I say that now, it did not work out. The place that did work out, which we totally skipped that weekend, was a dream come true. Not because of the actual place, although it was a very nice place to call home, but the people who lived right next door. And across the street. And two doors down from them. Because of these three families, I made it through the end of my pregnancy and beginning phase of mommy-hood.

Since last summer, two of the four families have left our little "home town". We purchased a duplex, only 15 minutes away, and another family purchased a beautiful home 15 minutes the other direction. Last night, three of the four families got together at their new home for dinner and a playdate. As I watched Little Man A playing with his little friend "Bruce" and baby "Amie", I thought about the military life. That unfortunately, this is going to come to an end.

By next year, we will be probably be on to the next chapter of our lives someplace else. Little Man A will have to meet new people just as his mom and dad will. It actually made me sad to think that Little Man won't have lifelong friends that he gets to grow up with over the years. Yeah, sure those families can come visit us where ever our roads take us next, but it won't be the same as to call them on the phone and ask, "Can Bruce come over to play?"

I know we'll all gain more friends along the way and that I know God (although I am not that religious) put us here for a reason. I just hope that where ever we do end up, either it be in San Antonio or not, that Little Man meets new friends quickly and doesn't forget about the ones he's met in the past. Because good friends really are just an extended part of your family.