The Lymans

Yes, David...

2011-12-14T11:28:00.000-08:00

Growing up, my family wasn't very big on the santa thing while Billy's family was. All he knows about Santa, he gets from his dad. So, this year, David is getting into the spirit of Christmas. The spirit I'm speaking of is the "what am I getting for Christmas and what can I ask Santa to get me" spirit. Well, ever since the holiday trimmings and decorations have been up in stores (September, basically), I've been saying to David, "You know Santa isn't real, right?" His response has been, "I know."

So, when we finally moved onto base housing, we were able to stop for a bit in our unpacking and attend Billy's work Christmas party. For this party, we were asked to bring in a present with our son's name on it for Santa to present to him. (Whatever happened to giving out candy cane?) Anyway, earlier David had asked for a Buzz Lightyear and we found one, got it wrapped up, gave it to Santa so he could give it to David. When David's turn came, he got on Santa's lap and proceeded to freeze. Santa handed him his gift, a quick picture was taken, and off of Santa's lap David jumped. He walked toward us, holding his gift, in a daze, like he'd just met his biggest idol. Then he opened his gift and found his Buzz Lightyear.

He still looks dazed :)

Now, whenever I ask David, "You know Santa's not real, right?" He just says, "Yes, he is! I met him!" His dad couldn't be happier and I...well, to be honest, I have been using Santa as a means to keep David a well-behaved boy. I mean, come on! What mom wouldn't?

My little peacemaker

2011-11-23T15:50:00.000-08:00

The other day, I was a bit upset with Billy and speaking rather loudly to him. David pipes up from his little corner where he was playing with his cars, "Mommy, I know how to make you happy. I will dust your room for you!" He proceeded to get up, got the duster and started dusting. I laughed. It definitely made me feel better and took the wind out of my sails. I'm sure Billy was grateful, too.

Makin' the bacon

2011-11-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

A conversation between David and Billy.

David: Daddy, can we play trains all day tomorrow.

Billy: No, buddy. Remember what I told you?

David: I know...you have to go to work and make the bacon.

Never Ending October

2011-10-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

I thought October would never end! Now it's finally and actually Halloween...what did we do to celebrate? Why we went to Outback Steak house! Yea us! Nothing but excitement at the Lyman household. Actually, I want that to be a new tradition. Go out for Halloween and forget this trick-or-treating business.

It's actually been an eventful October for us. First Billy was promoted then left the very next day for a couple of weeks to inspect the reserve unit in California. David and I hung around Albany and explored the area a bit. We went to Chehaw Play Park which he absolutely loved and has constantly begged to go back. One night, he even prayed about it. "Please bless mommy. Help her to take me to Chehaw Park tomorrow." We also went and checked out a local diner that was rated one of the best on Urbanspoon and some random, kind-hearted stranger paid for our meal. I have to say, that I'm rather fond of Georgia and the southern hospitality. People will speak to you and say "hi!" It's great!

This time of year is filled with lots of festivals and activities. There's the Harvest Festival, Peanut festival (on a side note: boiled peanuts=disgusting), pumpkin patches...I guess you just have to know where to look. Not that we attended any of them. My old brain does not ever remember the dates or times for them. However, the base had a bunch of activities for the kids and we attended most of them.

The first one was the CDC fall festival. Child Development Center, in case you were wondering. No disease festivals this year...sad, I know :) The CDC had little games and activities in each of the rooms in their care center such as the cake walk, bowling, cookie decorating, etc. It was fun to see kids dressed up in their costumes, going from room to room and getting their treats. David was Superman that day.

Always shy and hesitant at first, then the loudest kid by the end.

Our next outing was the harvest festival. They had bouncy houses set up, free food, hay rides, trunk-or-treating, and a movie in the park. David decided to be Thomas that day.

My little Thomas, so proud of the pumpkin on his face.

Daddy and Thomas

Then, building 3500 and 3700 had trick-or-treating at their offices for all the CDC kids. I think it was just an excuse to get out of work for a little while. Either way, the kids loved it and it was darling to see them all dressed up. David wanted to be superman again.

Superman and Minnie Mouse

David and cute little, Lily

Such a super little man!

All the candy from all his activities and trick-or-treating still to come.

Here in Albany, I'm told they always have trick-or-treating on Saturdays. We took David to base housing and let him trick-or-treat there. Sadly, Billy wasn't able to come because he was the marine on duty for that day. We met up with friends and let the kids loose. David had so much fun! I developed blisters on my toes. So, if it seems like we weren't very celebratory for Halloween...well, it's only because it's been Halloween for the last couple of weeks. Looking forward to November and hopefully, moving into a house!

Jacksonville, FL:

2011-09-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

To escape the insanity of living in a motel, we decided to take a little break over labor day and headed for Jacksonville, FL. Nothing could be better than a weekend at the beach. A beautiful beachside hotel, lovely weather, and a great location, this was definitley a great way to ease the stress of being kind of homeless. I can definitely see us retiring in Jacksonville.

Running on the beach with his dad

Look at my tan!

Fun in the sand!

Beach baby!

At the Jacksonville Zoo. We were hoping to see the manatees here, but to no avail. Oh well, photo ops.

FYI if anyone ever ends up in Jacksonville on Jackson beach, the best restaurant to try is called Sliders! Such delicious, fresh food! Yum!

Room with a view

2011-09-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

I LOVE our view. Can you see why I agreed immediately to rent this place? It is so peaceful and the best part is the motivation to wake up early and watch the sun rise! Now we wait for our things to arrive.

Limbo

2011-09-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

Here's the situation. We drove into Albany on August 4. Stayed in a decent motel for a couple of days and finally moved into temporary lodging on the 6th, hoping to get word soon that we would be getting housing on base. All the info we got was that we would be able to get housing within six months and that we were number 3 on the list. Then they told us to stay in transition lodging for as long as we possibly could. Now a month later, we are still 3rd on the list and still within six months, but we should try to stay as long as possible in transition lodging. Seriously?!!! This is place is too tiny for the three of us! There's no place to escape to if I want some time to myself, no oven to cook in, and David really needs his toys. Who am I kidding, I need my stuff! Plus, we had a couple of cooler days and I've only packed summer clothes so we also need our fall clothing.

Basically, we've been in limbo for a little more than a month without any good news. So, we went apartment hunting to look for a place who would let us break our lease if needed and we found one. It's very small, but the view is breath-taking. It's 2 Br/2 bath with an oven and dishwasher (yea!). It also has a security system, which is a bonus! It's on the 3rd floor and the deck overlooks the Flint River or Lake (not sure which it is). I will have to post pictures as soon as I can. We should be able to move in Wednesday or Thursday. I can't wait!

Fishing

2011-09-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

Ever since David was born, Billy has had grand ideas for father/son activities. Recently, he decided to take David fishing. Sporting his brand new batman pole, David was very thrilled to go fishing...that is until he was told to hold the worm while his dad got batman ready. I wish I'd captured his face on camera while holding the worm, but I completely missed it. It was classic! His first trip was successful. He caught a couple of catfish, baby ones!

His first catch. He was scared of the fish, so he had a hard time bring it close to him so I could get a good shot. Love that proud smile on his face!

2nd catch. He's only holding it close because his dad was helping him.

A little break from fishing to pose with mom. Gone are the days of smiling nicely for the camera. Now he just likes to pull silly faces...sigh.

Albany

2011-08-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

Here are my impressions of Albany. First impression: loved it because it was green and I didn't have to drive very far to shop. First of all, let me say, that I'm not much of a shopper and I don't consider it a fun outing. If anything, it's annoying to be around crowds of shoppers and I get a little bit more stressed than I should be when I'm shopping. However, after 29 Palms when all I had nearby, was the PX (limited selection of items) and Walmart, which was a boring, 30 minute drive away (going 75 miles per hour), you can imagine how giddy I was when I drove to Target and the mall (right next to each other) and it only took 15 minutes IN traffic. I had choices and I was very ecstatic.

I'm still happy that there are stores nearby, but now I realize, Albany is central to all the fun things...once again. Basically, everyone leaves Albany to go to the more fun cities like Atlanta or down south to Florida. In 29 Palms, we were a few hours from Vegas and Southern California! Yea for long drives...not!!!

We did discover the Parks at Chehaw. There are nice little hiking and walking trails that you can explore, camping areas, and a little zoo. Plus, there's a little train that David loves.

Sadly, we didn't take too many pictures that day. It was so miserably hot, we didn't even think about it. The train ride was at the beginning of our outing, so we were able to catch that moment. How can I complain about the heat when I had lived in 100 plus heat? Well, there's the humidity factor. You walk outside and it feels like you're already sweating. The next picture epitomizes how we felt for the rest of our zoo experience.

David's favorite part about Georgia? Chuck E. Cheese. When we went, it was the first time he and I had ever experienced Chuck E. Cheese. I liked it because they had little games for his age and even a little air hockey table that David loved! Also, we went at a time when all the kids were in school, so there were only about 4 other families there. This video captures the fun time he had, especially with his dad! His giggle cracks me up. Love it!!!

I want to sleep

2011-08-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

Lol! Poor little man! All he wanted to do was sleep.

From one coastal state to another

2011-08-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well, we survived the move. Was it stressful? Yes. Was I gracious in the situation? No. My poor boys had to deal with a disgruntled mama. Of course, I wasn't the only one who was disgruntled. David started acting up more than normal and was CONSTANTLY whining. This caused daily battles between father and son, making my sunny disposition even more sunny. Thankfully, that part ended.

We are lucky, in that when the military asks you to move, they give you the option of using their moving services. So, in two days, they had everything packed up and picked up ready to go to our next home.

Then, came the long drive across the country. We decided to caravan with good friends of ours who happened to check out of 29 Palms at the exact time, the Defoors. So, David got to spend the next few days with his best friend, Emma. Our caravan left on Saturday, the 31st and our first stop was Flagstaff, AZ. What would normally have been a 5-6 hour drive took 8 hours. When you're traveling with a 3/12 week old and two little 3-year-olds, it would take that long.

Arizona was surprisingly pretty. Surprising, because I was actually expecting more desert, but there was greenery all around. At least in Flagstaff. Downtown Flagstaff was a pedestrian city and would have been fun to walk around and explore the different shops and restaurants that they had to offer. The hotels were practically all booked up because it is that time of year and many people stop in the hotels on their way to or from the Grand Canyon.

After Arizona, we stopped in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The drive from Arizona to New Mexico was harry at one point. It was raining so hard, that there was zero visibility for a couple of minutes. So bad, that there were cars pulled over on the side of the freeway! Billy turned to me once and said, "Can you see the road, I can't." I looked over at him and said, "Take off your sunglasses!" (Shake my head) Luckily, we didn't have to pull over and we passed the storm quickly.

The next stop after driving through the stinky and most boring Texas panhandle was Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was HOT, HOT, HOT! Even more so than 29 Palms! Blech. Also, this is where I lost my Ipod Touch. Boy, do I love to flush money down the toilet! What really saddens me most, is that I had a little diary on there where I'd written down the funny things David did and said during the last deployment. Now it's gone forever! Huge sigh...

After, Oklahoma City, we drove to Little Rock, Arkansas. It was very pretty and green there.

Double rainbow in Arkansas

We then drove to Birmingham, Alabama. This was where we separated from the Defoors as they headed to North Carolina. It was sad to see such good friends go, but thankfully, we have such awesome technology, that we and skype and stay in touch.

Bye bye, Emma!

Such good huggers. I don't know if they really realize that they won't see each other for a very long time.

After that, was our final destination. Now, we passed through Montgomery, Alabama and just outside of the city, was beautiful country that I absolutely fell in love with. I don't know what it was about it, but I felt like I had come home and felt the most peace and contentment I'd ever felt in a really long time. I told Billy that we had to retire there.

Now, we are here in Georgia, and while there were very low reviews of this city, I'm actually excited to find what Albany has to offer us. People here are so friendly! I don't know why some of the reviews said they were rude, but in my experience, people have been genuinely nice. They actually say "hi" to you, and aren't put out by doing their jobs like they were in California. I'm speaking about customer service, of course, and perhaps I write this prematurely, but I will update y'all as I go :-)

Our first impression of Georgia as we drove in from Alabama

Georgia and Gunny

2011-06-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

In the past few weeks, we've received some big news. Billy got PCS orders or permanent change of station orders and we are headed to Albany, Georgia. Sadly or ecstatically we have to leave 29 Palms. Definitely not going to miss the isolation and the driving so much and so long to get anywhere. However, I will miss the clean air and blue skies, Joshua Tree Park, and the good friends I've made here.

I am torn about moving to Georgia. Not because it's going to be too isolated like 29 Palms, but because all the reviews I've read about the place haven't been too positive. I'm excited to go to the east coast and to see all the history that is around there. I can't wait to visit the museums and travel to the Gulf Coast and bask in the sun. Most importantly, it's a whole three years of nondeployment!

My biggest worry is the school system there. David will be starting school and the education isn't quite up to par according to all the reviews. Then there's the whole segregation issue that still exists in parts of the city. Oh, and did I mention alligators? One guy was telling us that the last time he was there, there were alligators living in one of the lakes on base! Definitely not letting David anywhere near lakes or swamps.

So, when does the move occur? Well, originally, it was scheduled for November/December time frame, but a week ago, I discovered that we will be moving in the July/August time frame. As the marines are fond of saying, "Simper gumby (always flexible)!" If I had a dime for every time I've heard that, I'd be rich!

As to the gunny news, I'm proud to announce that Billy was selected for Gunnery Sergeant. He will be officially promoted between July and September. Congrats, babe! I'm so proud of you!

Now, I hope the move to Georgia doesn't deter loved ones from visiting. It's a great time to come visit. We can meet at, oh I don't know...Myrtle Beach, South Carolina or the Gulf Coast in Florida.

These are the days of our lives

2011-06-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Well at least our days since Billy's been home. The first week he was back, I had to show him Joshua Tree National Park, of course. Still can't believe we missed it all this time we've been here.

Help me, daddy!

David's been having so much fun with his dad. The first thing he says in the mornings is, "Where's daddy?" Which is great for me. Not having a 3 year old all over me has been a welcome relief.
Billy came home in time for David's last two weeks of start smart baseball practices.

Touch your toes!

Jumping Jacks

Running bases

Stick that bum out

Batter up!

It's outta here!

Medals ceremony

Yay, David!

I win!

Dining Out

The SNCO of dragoons company

Billy and the lieutenants

Billy and Gunny
Gunny is David's friend. His words.

Childhood

2011-06-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

Billy and his brother, Mike.

Me and my sister, Liz.

Daddy's Home part 3 or Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day, I received the greatest gift ever: Billy home from Afghanistan! The night before, I finally fell asleep at 12:45 and a couple of hours later, woke up, too excited to sleep. David was snoozing away in his bedroom, unaware that his dad was coming home early the next morning.

There are a group of people who volunteer to take pictures of our troops when they land in Maine on their way home or on to deployment. They have a website (www.ourstopinmaine.smugmug.com)where they post the pictures and this is courtesy of them. Billy was talking to me when this picture was taken and had no idea that anyone was taking it. I was telling him to text me when he landed at March Air Force Base and when he got 29 Palms.

I hurriedly got David ready at 4:30 and was getting ready to go out the door when Billy texted and said he was here. I called my friend, Rebekah, who volunteered to take pictures of the homecoming and we headed up to the Motor T ramp. David was sleepy and a bit confused about where we were going. I told him that we were getting ready for his surprise.
We got to the ramp and perhaps due to recent events (Bin Laden's death), there were a lot of marines checking IDs and making sure no pets were in the car. David looked around at the dozens of marines in their camis and says, "Mama, are we in A-ganistan?" I just started laughing and told him we weren't in Afghanistan and that we were by Daddy's work.

We waited at the ramp for another fifteen or more minutes.

The many families awaiting their loved ones.

Anxiously waiting for the buses to arrive. David with his bestie, Emma.

Buses are here!

I think he knows his surprise is his Daddy.

Trying to get a glimpse of his dad.

Searching, searching, searching! I'd told Billy we were by the snack truck aka the roach coach and so we waited for a bit there, but then I got too impatient.

Where is he?

Oh, there you are, Daddy!

David giggling, "Mommy and Daddy are kissing!"

Can I get a hug?

Hugs for the little, I mean Big Maan!

A little piece of heaven!

Rebekah said the best part of the pictures was the joy on our faces. We couldn't be any happier!

More hugs!

David and Daddy, soon to be inseparable.

After seven LONG months, it's so great to have him home again!

Easter Fun

2011-04-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

David and Emma getting ready to meet the Easter Bunny.

Easter bunny and David. Can't imagine how hot it is in that costume on that day. Poor bunny!

Enoying the petting zoo while waiting for the egg hunt.

Getting ready to make a run for the eggs.

Showing off his goods.

In other news, Billy gets to come home soon! The time cannot get here quick enough! I'm debating whether or not to tell David or to have our own "coming home" surprise for him. I think I'll be too excited, but either way, Yay!!!

Joshua Tree

2011-04-23T01:07:00.000-07:00

David and I recently went up to Joshua Tree National Forest to check out the spring blossoms. What a beautiful day it was! I looked on the map of the park and discovered a little one mile loop to Barker Dam.

David posing by the pretty, red cactus blossoms.

My little sweaty boy, with the sun beating down on him.

More pretty flowers.

JT landscape. I am absolutely in love with the blue skies!

Manna for the eyes, in this dry, parched desert I call home.

And there were ducks! Which is what David is kindly pointing out.

Petroglyphs

A little history on Barker Dam. It was built by farmers/ranchers here in San Bernardino Valley for their cattle. Off of the dam was an intricately designed trough, made from clay, that was still intact. Anyway, as David and I climbed and meandered our way to see the dam, I was picturing a dried up, used-to-be dam. Instead, as we rounded the corner, my eyes popped! There in front of us was water and all in one spot! It was so beautiful, I almost wept! Going from the many dams, lakes, and rivers in Utah to the nonexistent lakes here in Twentynine Palms has made me realize how much I took for granted. Seeing this beautiful sight was so refreshing!

The petroglyphs were an interesting side note on the trail. Possibly drawn by the Chemehuevi (love saying that name) Indians, some had been sadly vandalized (probably drunk marines) with paint.

Little Maan

2011-04-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry, but I give up on the 30 days. Felt too much like homework that I was not enjoying. Yes, I know, I'm a big slacker.

No, I didn't spell man wrong. It's just the way David says it. Funny story. I have on occassion called my son, Little Man. Probably, at times when I'm frustrated with him because now he has taken to calling me and anyone around Little Maan when he's frustrated with them. For example, when I yell at him for the millionth time to pick up his toys, he'll turn around and say, "No, Little Maan!" Or if his best friend, Emma doesn't play games he wants to play, he'll say, "Come on, Little Maan!" It's so stinkin' cute!

He knows the difference between boys and girls so I've taught him that man and woman are just bigger versions of boy and girl. So, he'll call me Little Maan, I mean Big Maan, I mean, Big Woman. I try not to take offense at that...

DH

2011-03-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

Day 09 – A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

My dear, sweet husband! We've been through a lot together and he's always so patient with me. I was very fortunate to have met him when I did because he was there for me when my dad passed away and I don't know how I would have been able to handle that without him. We've been through 3 deployments in 4 years of marriage and I have to say, there is no one else I can imagine being put through that for. He's a great husband, father and marine. He's definitely my hero! I love you, Billy! We can't wait to see you again!

3 in 1

2011-03-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

Day 06 – A picture of a person you’d love to trade places with for a day.

Day 07 – A picture of your most treasured item.

Day 08 – A picture that makes you laugh

I'm cheating a bit, but this picture fits all of the above! I'd like to trade places with him for a day just so I can understand what makes him tick. He's the most treasured item I have. Finally, this picture still makes me laugh, almost two years later. Rasta! I love my little guy!

Memories

2011-03-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

Day 05 – A picture ......of …your favorite memory.

This was the day Billy met David for the first time. After much screaming and crying on David's part and maybe some whimpering on Billy's, this was the end result. They both look a little shell-shocked. Still makes me laugh! Ahh, memories.

Night

2011-03-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Day 04 – A picture of your night.

I thought a video of my night watching David and Emma, best friends, dancing the night away, would be more appropriate!

Modern Family

2011-03-19T02:11:00.000-07:00

Day 03 – A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

Hilarious!

Hey, Mama

2011-03-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

Day 02 – A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.

What can I say, she's been around since the day I was born!

Fifteen fantastic facts

2011-03-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

Day 1--Picture of yourself with fifteen facts

1. I'm thinking I won't last through this 30 days...let's see how far I get.
2. So proud of the Japanese people...in the midst of the turmoil, they manage to maintain their dignity and humanity. Check the story out here.
3.  I've gotten pretty good at tuning my son out...if only he didn't talk so much. Then, I'd be great at meeting his needs sooner. Does that make me a bad mom? : /
4.   Slowly, but surely figuring out the punctuation marks as faces, etc. Took me a long while to figure out that <3 meant love or heart and not less than three...lol. Thank you facebook friends who frequently use these!
5. Goodness, I'm only on five?
6. 29 stumps, deuce niner, and the armpit of the world are a few nicknames of this lovely or not-so-lovely (depends on who you ask) town I live in.
7. Once upon a time, in the not so distant past, I had a strong thought in my head stating, "I will NEVER marry a marine!"  That's what I get for thinking, huh?
8. Deployments suck!
9. People warn you about the terrible twos, but you never hear anything about the thundering threes...why is that? Threes are much worse!
10. Threes might be worse than the twos, but David sure knows how to crack me up...out of the mouth of babes and all.
11. I can't use the excuse, "He learned that from his dad."  I guess I'd better be careful what I say.
12. I learned today that Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johannsen have moved on to other love interests (didn't even know they were dating, much less got married).
13.  You can learn a lot in two hours waiting for a simple lube to be done on your car, mainly trashy Hollywood stories (see number 12).
14. Looking at David's baby pictures makes me ache for another baby...I sure could use a nursery fix at this moment from LDS hospital, in the middle of the night, with 20 screaming babies and no other nurse or aide in sight!
15. I've been blessed with such great friends in my life!  Sure would love to read all facts about you!

30 days, hmmm, worth a try?

2011-03-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Day 01 – A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.

Day 02 – A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.

Day 03 – A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

Day 04 – A picture of your night.

Day 05 – A picture ......of …your favorite memory.

...Day 06 – A picture of a person you’d love to trade places with for a day.

Day 07 – A picture of your most treasured item.

Day 08 – A picture that makes you laugh.

Day 09 – A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

Day 10 – A picture of the person you do the craziest things with.

Day 11 – A picture of something you hate.

Day 12 – A picture of something you love.

Day 13 – A picture of your favorite band or artist.

Day 14 – A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

Day 15 – A picture of something you want to do before you die.

Day 16 – A picture of someone who inspires you.

Day 17 – A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

Day 18 – A picture of your biggest insecurity.

Day 19 – A picture of you when you were little.

Day 20 – A picture of somewhere you’d love to travel.

Day 21 – A picture of something you wish you could forget.

Day 22 – A picture of something you wish you were better at.

Day 23 – A picture of your favorite book.

Day 24 – A picture of something you wish you could change.

Day 25 – A picture of your day or favorite day

Day 26 – A picture of something that means a lot to you.

Day 27 – A picture of yourself and a family member.

Day 28 – A picture of something you’re afraid of.

Day 29 – A picture that can always make you smile.

Day 30 – A picture of someone you miss

Deployment Milestone

2011-03-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

On the last deployment, I remember receiving an email saying that we should not be sending any more care packages to our loved ones. I was so excited because it meant that Billy was getting closer to being home! Well, this week we received word that we shouldn't be sending any more packages around April 15th.    Never has tax day looked so good! A huge milestone in this deployment and one step closer to his homecoming!

Last Sunday, I watched the Lifetime show, Coming Home.  I have never cried so much in a one hour show! Not in the "so depressing" tears, but in the "so happy for them" tears. Maybe, a few tears were shed for being "just a bit envious." I used to dream that those happy families would end up being us and that Billy could come home early and surprise us like that!

For those who don't have Lifetime and haven't heard of the show, it's mainly about service men or women returning home from Iraq or Afghanistan and surprising their loved ones. So, very touching and such a tear jerker! I was watching it with David and he was asking all sorts of questions, mainly why, but I explained to him that these Daddies were coming home from "Aganistan" and ready to play games with their sons, like his dad would be ready to play games with him. He got so excited and I'm sure is looking forward to that day!  Can't wait!

Doctor David

2011-03-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

Every week, David and I go to the library for reading time. One week, we checked out a Barney the Dinosaur book called, "What am I going to be" or something like that. I know, right?! Barney! (eyes rolling) Well, after I read the book to him, I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and he says, "A doctor!"

He may have come to that conclusion because he had just had his wellness check-up or perhaps, it was the only occupation he's heard of and understood in the book. It definitely isn't the fact that I'm a nurse and influenced him...not a bit ;). But I digress.

Since David has decided on his career path, he's also picked up a hobby...that of fixing things around the house. How he goes about this is taking his wooden hammer puzzle piece and going around pounding the walls, door knobs, chairs, tables, and whatever he can get his hands on.

Yesterday, we had a playdate with David's new "best fwiend," Emma. I was talking to Emma's mom when David comes running to me and in a breathless voice says, "Mama, Emma fell in my bed and hurt 'is nose. I a doctor and fix it with my hammer. Now he all better!" We were both alarmed at first, but when we asked Emma if she was okay, she responded, "YES!" That's when we cracked up!
Three, for me, may be the hardest age yet, but he sure can keep me laughing!

Blocking Telemarketers

2011-01-25T22:42:00.000-08:00

I discovered my own way to block telemarketers. Let David answer the phone. Tonight, as we were watching TV, the phone rang. David runs to the phone and yells, "I get it!"
I noticed that the LA Times was on the caller ID and I tell him not to answer. He looks a bit disappointed so I relent and tell him to answer.
He picks it up and in his high, little boy's voice says, "Hilo?"
Pause.
"Who dis?" Giggle, giggle then huge grin.
"Is dis my dad? Hi, dad!" Obviously a male on the other end. David walks over to the entertainment center, gets out one of his video games. "Dad, I got Wii party, mumble mumble, some gibberish."
On the phone, I hear a man's voice, probably asking to talk to his mom. I'm laughing so hard as David tries to tell his "dad" that he wants him to come home and play Wii party with him. I finally take pity on the LA Times caller and grab the phone. On the other end is the dial tone. Score! David 1, Telemarketer 0 and I win.

To sing or to drive...

2011-01-22T23:50:00.000-08:00

The other day, I was driving home and singing along to the radio. Out of the backseat David pipes up, "Mama, don't sing. Just drive." I guess I shouldn't quit my day job.

Jace's Kemem

2011-01-19T23:18:00.000-08:00

In the Marshall Islands, it is a custom to celebrate the first birthday of each child, known as a Kemem. I was told that this tradition started because of the high infant mortality rate on the islands. When a child made it to their first birthday, it was huge cause for celebration. My nephew, Jace, turned one on the 9th of January and we celebrated his Kemem on the 15th. Much time, planning, effort, and tears were put into making said Kemem a success. In fact, if I recall correctly, planning for it started the minute he was born. Or at least when I first met him, which was when he was one month old.

Kemem's typically are planned in that relatives and members of the Marshallese community volunteer to bring certain dishes. These dishes usually include 5 different kinds of meats like chicken, pork, fish, beef, and usually roasted pig. Then come the side dishes like rice, potato salad, pasta salad, some rice noodle dish, sashimi, clams, squash, different types of Marshallese food that I don't know the names of, and dessert dishes. Plus the birithday cake. All these dishes are made for between 150-500 people.

During the meal, there is usually entertainment. This usually includes island-style dancing, music, and singing. In the midst of the dancing, people in the family hand out goodies ranging from candy to large blankets and marshallese woven bags. Once all that is done, they get birthday boy and sit him up front with his parents while the community sings to him and one by one go up to wish him well. As they do that, they leave money for him. Here are a few pictures to highlight the events of the night.

David, Jakeob, Kaitlyn, Nathan, and Dana

The Hula Girls

One of the Marshallese Dances

The boys doing a Marshallese beat

The birthday boy

Jace, Liz, and Kaitlyn getting ready for the birthday songs

I call my nieces and nephews "The Naughties." This boy takes the cake! Much luck to his parents (good thing he's so stinkin' cute)!

David holding up his prize at the Kemem.

This last is a video of the hula girls! So cute!

Christmas

2010-12-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, we opened presents on Christmas Eve at my mom's house since she would be leaving for festivities in Salt Lake super early. On Christmas, we opened the rest of the presents at my sister's place. The kids had a fun time and spent the rest of the day playing with their new Wii games. Good times were had by all!

Cousins at Grandma's house

Seriously took so many tries to get a decent photo on both occasions

Gorgeous Dana and David

Happy Birthday, David

2010-12-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my baby turned three! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Of course, as an annual "celebration," he got sick again. This time, I held off of going to the ER, but it came close. Four days of throwing up, diarrhea and no appetite can do wonders to a mother. He got very dehydrated, but luckily, I was able to start a make shift IV and get fluids in him...just kidding. I do however want to give a shout out to Pedialyte and some random Pediatrician's website!

This is the first year where David really was able to enjoy opening his presents. It was very cute watching him get very excited over every present. He wasn't the most gracious, though, about sharing. I guess being an only child, so far, can do that to you. Which brings me to my other news. I'm------wait for it-----not pregnant. Got you going there for a minute, huh? As I was typing though, I could hear my niece in the other room saying she had a dream that I was pregnant. I just had to laugh! Kids say the darndest things!

Anyway, my son had a lovely birthday yesterday, Lightning McQueen cake and all. Unfortunately, I had my camcorder recording the festivities for Billy and forgot to take pictures. Here are a couple of him comparing how much difference three years can make.

How did he go from this

to that?

Just a bit in love

2010-12-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

It's been a little over a year since I moved to 29 Palms and it's taken me that long to discover Joshua Tree National Forest. Thanks to my sister, Grace, we took a jaunt up that way for her birthday. Can I just say I fell hopelessly, helplessly, and incandescently in love! I can't believe it took me this long to find it! I've been up there a couple of times now and it's amazing how much stress is lifted off of my shoulders. I feel so relaxed and at peace up there. It's beautiful! The air is so fresh and clean, and there's so much to explore. The campsites are gorgeous and sandy so sleeping on the ground doesn't seem like too much of an ordeal.

David loves it up there, too. So much so, that he's willing to go out of his comfort zone to pose for pictures. For David, that is a huge deal!

View from the Keys Views. By David's head, you can see Signal Mountain which is right on the California/Mexico border 94 miles away! Sadly, you can also see the pollution haze.

The rocks are so much fun to climb and have great traction for little ones.

My son the photographer. David told me he wanted to take pictures so I amused him and let him have a go. Not too bad for a beginner, eh? Every rock we came to he would say, "Climb the wock. I take a picture."

Such a pretty place. I'm excited! I've found a haven to go to during this deployment! Yay!

Disneyland

2010-11-30T00:34:00.000-08:00

Mekhi, David, & Matt

David with Melissa and Mekhi or boy & girl as David initially called them.

David's reaction on most of the rides there.

This Mickey did not know it was his 82nd birthday.

Yet, this Mickey did...mmm.

Love that Lightning McQueen

Fascinated with Playhouse Disney Show

Transitioned from boy & girl & boy to "my friends." It was so cute how he said it!

Laughter

Picture by Ali Griffin

Love this photo! Thanks, Ali. Matt and David became such great buds! Matt was David's protector! So sweet!

by Ali Griffin

So went our So Cal trip. I learned that it's really a good idea to wait until they are 8 or older before taking them to Disneyland (especially if they're afraid of the dark). Otherwise, you end up at the unhappiest place on earth.

The Simple Things

2010-11-16T23:54:00.000-08:00

It's the simple things in life that can bring so much happiness. Such things like crawling in between freshly laundered sheets, hearing your two-year-old son asking to go to bed, three nights of David waking up dry, and a week coming up in Southern California, on the beach! Ahh...such bliss!

To top that, David and I went on a shopping outing and he had not used OUR bathroom before we left. I managed to convince him that we should go try out the public bathroom, which I knew was going to be a HUGE milestone in his potty training. More for me than him. We get into the surprisingly clean restroom, enter a small stall (the handicapped one was taken) and put down toilet liners. I try to put him on with his pants still partially on, but it didn't work. So, off came his pants and underwear and I sat him down on the liner facing the back (his favorite position when peeing). He did it! I was ecstatic. A small thing, but it gave me the biggest rush! I did not realize how big of a burden this whole peeing in public thing was for me, but I felt free. Now I know I can go places and he will be able to use public restrooms. No more hurrying home and cutting errands short! No more being holed up in the house and waiting for him to pee before leaving! Such pure unadulterated joy! On my part.

So, how appropriate that we leave tomorrow for the happiest place on earth. Looking forward to some beach time, seeing old friends, and coming home with my mom and sis in tow! What a great week it is! What a great two weeks it will be. Pictures to come!

To All Women ·

2010-11-15T00:47:00.000-08:00

A while ago, Billy and I were talking about his upcoming deployment and the decrease in the number of men being deployed this time around. I was so angry because while I certainly don't want this war to go on, I also didn't want my husband to be over there with fewer men to ensure that everyone got back home safe. I was crying and ranting about the government and President Obama and why they would give us (the family of the deployed troops) added pain when there was so much pain and stress going on already. I felt like they didn't care. Billy just calmly listened to me rant and rave, which was maddening in and of itself. I went to sleep and woke up renewed the next day (nothing like a good cry). I felt that I'd gotten all of that off my chest and didn't think anymore about it. After all, it was just typical pre-deployment anxiety. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I got this speech in my email. Very heartening. Thank you to the First Lady. It helps to know that you care.

First Lady Michelle Obama Speech Womens Conference Full Text ·

2010-11-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

Bowling with David. Love the dinosaur slide for the ball! Watch your toes when bowling with David, though. He stubbornly thinks he doesn't need help with lifting the ball, especially at the end when his muslces get tired. Luckily, all toes survived the experience!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

Library's Halloween Party

Grouchy Thomas, a little "towered"

Getting ready to go trick or treating

"I towered (tired). I go home."

We had a fun Halloween. I took David trick-or-treating with the millions of kids in the neighborhood. After a few houses though, David was happy with his loot and ready to go home. We got home and he had more fun answering the door for trick-or-treaters than he did while he was trick-or-treating. I guess too many people make him a little anxious.

Potty Training in 3 Days

2010-10-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

Potty power! David sporting off his new underwear...no more diapers! Hallelujah!

I was thinking David would not be potty trained until at least a year from now. I wasn't fully training him, but was occasionally encouraging him to try it out. He would, but only when he was naked, which was when he was getting into his bath. One of the books I bought suggested having naked time and I would try it, but my little David would much rather scream and throw fits if I even suggested naked time. "Diaper on, diaper on, diaper on!" So, needless to say, that didn't work.

The same book also suggested not pressuring him into it, so I was pretty lackadaisical about the whole process. He didn't act like he was ready and was anxious about it, so I laid off of it. I did buy books and DVDs to encourage him along (hence the "Potty power!"). I bought Thomas underwear for him, too and told him not to pee on James or Thomas. He wore it and proceeded to pee on Thomas and James, his beloved trains. So, the books, DVD, and everything else was just a waste of time. I felt bad that my son seemed to be behind everyone on the potty training bit, but had also heard that boys were harder to train than girls. Then one day, as I was scrolling through my friends' news feeds on Facebook, I saw my friend was starting to potty train her son, who is 10 months younger. I asked her to let me know how it turned out.

A few days later, I was on Facebook again and noticed pictures of my friend's son already in underwear. I thought, "Whoa, that was fast!" I asked her what she had done to potty train him so fast and she told me about Lora Jensens' 3 day potty training method. I tried it and it worked. It was a miracle. Three days devoted to him was all it needed. David was pretty much potty trained on the second day. We still have hard times at night, but he hasn't worn a diaper since the morning we started the method.

Oh, a side note on that. Before I even found out about this method, I had gone to Costco and bought a whole box of diapers. A few days later, I read the ebook, and found that we were supposed to throw away all the diapers. Ouch! Oh well, what do you do? No worries, they didn't go to waste. My sister's son has the same size, so he can have them...when they come visit. Always a proviso with me, I know. So, Liz, if you want some free diapers, I'm only a hop, skip and a jump away.

Here we go again

2010-10-20T00:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since we've moved out to 29 Palms and with the year comes another deployment. It seems strange how calm I am this time around.  Maybe I've gotten used to it and now I've got David, (read Trouble), to occupy my time.  Or perhaps it was the long hours that Billy put in at work which made it seem like he wasn't home much for that year anyway. Either way, I don't feel as angry and resentful as I was with the previous deployments and I have to say that is a relief. Poor Billy has had to deal with angry me for the last three years.

Remember in a previous post the positive spin I put on 29 Palms. Well, after the hot, hot summer and the many miles driven to get to decent stores, I've decided I'm in the category of people who say, "I hate this place!" I can't do positive attitude anymore about it. I miss my stores. I miss being able to drive 10 minutes anywhere and get what I needed.  I also hate being cooped up all summer long to keep out of the heat.  It's horrible! Sorry, I had to let that out of my system.

Now on to David. Poor little man. He just doesn't understand why Dad won't come home from work. He's still waiting. When the doorbell rings, he thinks it's Daddy (not that Billy ever rings the doorbell, must be wishful thinking). So far, the hardest thing about this deployment is watching him missing his dad. They had such good times together when Billy was here. They were always playing Thomas the Train.  I think for him, he's lost a play pal, because mom certainly doesn't take enough time to play trains with him. There's only so much I can take (horrible, I know, but what do you do).

Well, that is that. I'll probably, and that's a big probably, be updating this more frequently for Billy's sake. I hope wherever he is, he will be able to get some computer time and get updated on Lyman life in Two-nine. Oh, and to all family and friends, please come visit! 29 Palms is great in the winter ;).

Minneapolis

2010-10-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

At the Minnesota Vikings game against the Detroit Lions!

This was how David was for most of the game. There was too much noise and too many people and he was overstimulated. Near the end, though, he was enjoying himself and even cheering "Go Hawkeyes!" Grandma tried to correct him, but he was adamant about the Hawkeyes!

Flight Plan

2010-10-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

For predeployment leave--yes, he's going again, for the third time in three years of marriage. Sucks, but hey you learn to live with it, I think--but I digress. Anyway, we visited Billy's family in Iowa. I had never been so happy to see Iowa as I was when I got off the plane. Getting there was a challenge and if I didn't know any better, I would have thought that fate was against us going. To start with, Billy booked our flights and for some reason the agent booked them for August 22 rather than September 22. I finally got a chance to look at the itinerary the second week of Sept. and noticed that it was for August. Luckily, the airline was willing to work with us and we only had to pay the difference between the flights we missed and the cost of the new tickets and some charge for each ticket. Perhaps not so lucky, but better than paying the full price, again.

Well, on the day of our departure, we get up at 4 in the morning (if you have or have had a two-year-old, you'll understand the importance of the time). We get to the airport and try to check in. The kiosk tells us to see a representative. We see a rep, holding up the line for the other disgruntled customers. The rep tells us we don't have tickets and we wait a half hour while she calls the company and Billy gets fed up and calls customer service. They tell him we have tickets, but they weren't paid for. On previous calls to customer service to get our itinerary, not a soul mentioned the little problem. I remember having heard Billy say when he was rebooking that we were using the same credit card. So, why the tickets weren't paid for, I will never know. Anyway, the rep finally figured out what was what and finally charged our card. We got checked in, paid for three bags, one being a car seat. On discovering that, the rep, after we paid, said that car seats were free, but couldn't refund us the money. She told us to save the receipt until we got back and they would refund it. Weird, I know, but what do you do. So, after that debacle, we take our ornery selves and cranky David through security. Luckily, that went by smoothly. The security people just loved David so they weren't as willing to pick us out for extra security measures.

We get to our gates and find out our flight is delayed an hour. Billy goes to the hastily formed line and waits forever to see if we can get another flight in Denver. As soon as he gets up to the podium, they tell him that the flight should land in Denver in enough time to make our connection flight to Iowa. So, Billy waited in that long line for that, comes back to where David and I were and next thing you know, we hear that our flight has been delayed another hour. So, back in the line Billy gets and the lady works on getting us on another flight in Denver. As she's doing that, we hear that the flight has been cancelled. They have to find us other times and flights to get on. She manages to get us flying to Los Angeles, then to Chicago, then to Iowa. Lots of backtracking, I know, but at that point, anything would do. We wait a couple of hours for our flight to LA. In that time, as expected, David was giving us hell. He did fall asleep on the short half hour flights from Palms Springs to LA and Chicago to Iowa, but on the long flight from LA to Chicago, he stayed awake and was so demanding and cranky. Luckily, he wasn't horribly bad that he annoyed others, but it was still stressful to us. After that day, and the horrible landings in the windy city and windy Iowa in which I almost puked up a 9 dollar sandwich, I never wanted to fly again.

David and his Thomas carry-on

This picture is a good indicator of his behavior. Good thing he's so cute.

Island Park and Yellowstone

2010-07-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

Bear and Wolf Discovery Center

Nathan and David

Bears!

Waiting for Old Faithful...

...and waiting.

Thar she blows! Actually, the waiting wasn't that long. We got there with nine minutes to spare.

Sleepy Jace

Kaitlyn and David got along so well. No more hits from David. What a relief!

Yellowstone Lake

David loved riding the "'icle-ma" (his word for motorcycle).

Grandma was a surprise on this trip. We were expecting Aunt Nancy's sister, but to our delight, there grandma was. She bravely got on an airplane and flew in to see us. It was good to see her, Uncle Mike and Aunt Nancy.

A big thank you to Liz's boss for the use of his cabin and ATVs.

Bear World.

The petting zoo

A kiss from the deer

The clever little goat knew where the treats were stored.

Swim Lessons

2010-07-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Sea World

2010-06-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

David and his "cot-er"

Fascinated with the Shamu show

Checking out the Belugas

"That's Elmo's world!"

What's a vacation without a little pillow fight in the hotel room?

Today's post is brought to you in part by the letter W

2010-06-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

W, W in the air.
W, W everywhere!

It seems that David's favorite letter these days is W. There is not a thing we don't do where he doesn't say, "Mama, W!" Who knew this letter could be so prevalent?

Weather. As many of you know, we are currently living in the lovely city of Twentynine Palms (I say "lovely" in the loosest sense of the word). After coming from Utah, where there are four noticeable seasons, the weather here takes some getting used to. In a nutshell, it's HOT, HOT, HOT! I feel like it's been summer forever.

Sometime, in the middle of May, Billy's company (that's company in the military sense, not business sense) had a family bbq. We attended and it was around 90 plus degrees outside. I was chatting with one of the other seasoned 29 wives about how hot it was and she says, "No, this weather is great! It's spring! It gets hotter!"   Now it is 9:30 in the morning and it is already 88 degrees outside. The high today is supposed to be 114. The sad thing is, summer isn't officially here yet! I have yet to endure the worst!

Wii. So, to keep the little one occupied in-doors, we have been playing the Wii, quite frequently. His favorite is the Wii sports games and he's actually getting quite good at golf. We've had to tell him to hit softly when he's putting because he loves to give that remote a good swing. Anytime we are near any water hazards, he loves to try to get his ball into the water. If he misses and hits it into the cup, he will bring the remote to me and say, "Mama, water." He can't hit it into the water so he wants mama to do it.

Work. I miss work. I miss being a nurse. I have huge trust issues when it comes to placing my baby in child care or in the care of total strangers. I know that the base screens the people who provide child care and that they have to go through classes in order to be able to provide child care, but anyone can take the classes. Another wife was saying that she knew one of the people who had gone through the classes and who was now eligible to be a child care provider. She said she wouldn't trust her daughter with said person.

With Billy working a lot and soon to be deployed (again...sigh), depending on him to be around is out of the question. So, for now, we are surviving on one salary and I get to be a stay-at-home mom. Yea (some sarcasm there)! It does have its perks, but I sure do miss working. Mostly, I miss adult interactions, but like my friend, Melissa says, "This is David's world. I just live in it." Besides, he's only two once and even though he can drive me out of my mind, this is also the time where I can rediscover life with him.

Working Out. When all you have for company the majority of the time is a two-year-old, it can get kind of lonely and boring out here in 29.  So, for my sanity, I've been attending aerobic classes at the gyms here on base. I discovered that although the gyms don't provide little child care centers, they do allow parents to bring their children in, as long as they are strapped into their strollers.

The past couple of weeks, I've been to some kick ass aerobic classes and have taken David with me. He's been doing so well sitting in his stroller for an hour while mama "sessercises." Of course, he's not just sitting there quietly watching. He's only two! No, I've brought some distractions. Like the lovely portable dvd player. Greatest invention there ever was and although, I cringe every time I hear Thomas the Tank Engine, I think it's my favorite movie of all time!  Only for the simple fact that I can go work out!

He usually gets tired of the movie and sitting down when there are only 15 minutes left, but that's where my handy, dandy bribing tool comes into play. What's the one thing that children cannot live without? That's right! Candy! Yes, I do take a bag of twizzlers with me and when he starts whining, I just hand him one. They work so well for that last little bit. He will probably have lots of cavities, but compared to losing my sanity, I will risk it!

What will be, will be. So, there you have it. I have gotten used to this place (minus the weather) and have come to appreciate the little things in my life. I was so miserable and bitter the first few months here, but I've come to my senses.  There have been many women here who have said that it's your attitude that could make or break you here. I'm ready to get positive and be more accepting of this place. Although, I still miss my friends and family in Utah, I think I can move forward here.

Happenings

2010-04-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

Jakeob, Nathan, Dana, Kaitlyn, and David. David taking up the spotlight.

David and his new cousin, Jace. David's not so sure what to think of him...especially when mom was holding him and Jace was taking attention away from him. Poor little Jace was smacked a couple of times, but David eventually learned to accept the baby...unfortunately for Kaitlyn, all hostilities were aimed at her. Thank goodness for Aunt Liz and timeouts. For some reason, he listened more to her than me. Probably because he was still a little shy and scared of her.

Billy and David. There was no stopping them from going towards the car. It was like a moth to a flame.

Kaitlyn, Jakeob, Dana, Nathan, and David at the Paradise Easter Egg Hunt. The most snow I've ever seen on Easter for the festivities in all the times I've been in Paradise.

He did much better at the egg hunt this year. He got four of them and loved counting them. 1,2,8,9,10.

Legoland. Liz, Grace, Nathan, Kaitlyn, and Jace came down to Twentynine Palms for Nathan's spring break. Very exotic, I know. To celebrate, we left 29 and went to Legoland.

Dad and David in a little lego car...made from...you got it! Legos!

Kaitlyn is a very affectionate girl and wanted to hug the lego man. This is after the hug and David was looking on trying to decide if he should give the man a hug, too. His shyness won over and he ran, instead, to me and gave me a hug.

His favorite ride at the park. We went on it a few times since the line was short.

What a two-year-old looks like waiting in long lines, shortly before the tantrum.

He also loves choo choo trains. As he says "tugga, tugga, too, too."

Miniland, USA. Nathan, Kaitlyn, and David. Such a poser.

On the drive back to 29. He was out minutes after he was put in his car seat.

December

2010-01-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

Billy at the ball, in his dress blues.

We had a busy December. We celebrated the Marine Corps birthday on the 14th and got to go down to Vegas for the weekend. My sister was nice enough to meet us there and watched David while Billy and I went to the ball. The ball was at the Hard Rock Cafe Casino and Hotel. I think I'm just not meant to gamble in Vegas. I tried to play on the slot machines but apparently, it was cash only and at that point I only had quarters.

David sleeping on the plane with his "Inkey."

A week later, we flew to Iowa for Christmas at Grandpa and Grandma Franks. We also got to celebrate his 2nd birthday there. Poor little guy is so shy he didn't know what to make of all the people there. He had a huge smile for everyone, but was a little reserved about stuffing the cake in his mouth with all the people watching.

Watching him open presents was hilarious. He didn't understand why he would open up a present to see a shiny new car or truck (his favorite things in the world) only to have that put aside and have him open up another. When the present opening was done, though, he went to town on playing with all his toys. I think this picture shows he was trying to get overwhelmed, but in hindsight, his ear must be bugging him. Unfortunately, the next day, we had to take him to the ER because he had a fever of 105. Turns out he had an ear infection and a cold. The poor guy sounded miserable the next few days.

Christmas morning was spent at Grandma's and Grandpa's house. Here we are with Grandpa and Grandma Frank, Aunt Nancy, and Uncle Mike. He had a fun time in Iowa. I can't believe how good he was. No purple face this time.

We decided to open our presents a few days before Iowa. Our excuse was that we didn't want to be carting things back and forth on the plane, but I think it was really because we were impatient to see David opening his presents. Practice makes perfect and he did master the art of ripping open his presents.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-09T23:41:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was small this year. It was just me, David, and Billy. We had planned on going up to St. George and meeting my family there, but that fell through, which was okay because our stuff finally arrived at our place the day before Thanksgiving. We were in a mad rush to get things unpacked so we could cook our meal the next day. We managed to get a lot unpacked and had a great day the next day! Plus, we were finally able to sleep in our own bed after a couple of months without it. My back was very thankful!

Aloha!

2009-11-22T23:13:00.001-08:00

Aloha! Billy, David, and I went to Kauai earlier this month. Although it rained most of the time we were there, we still managed to have a lot of fun. Luckily, there were a few days where we could go and play on the beach. It was David's favorite thing to do on our trip.
A small cave we explored near the north shore. David was a bit wary to go in at first, but curiosity won and he ventured in.

This picture was taken minutes before it started to rain.

David and Billy after it started raining. The tourist shops were prepared and had ponchos for sale. I guess that comes with Kauai being the wettest spot on earth. Oh, a few more interesting facts: Pineapples take two years to produce, one for it to grow and another for it to ripen; bananas are really herbs and not fruit; most of Kauai's vegetation is not native to Hawaii and those that were native plants have been overrun by non-native plants; finally, Smith's Family Luau had the best tasting fruit punch I have ever had.

David partaking of the ambrosia of the gods, it was so good!
This is a couple of hours after that rainstorm. That was one good thing about the rain, it didn't last long and before we knew it, the sun was out. Unfortunately, the same thing happened with the rain.

Happy Halloween (A little late, I know)

2009-11-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

Halloween was pretty busy for us. We flew in to Salt Lake that day from BFE. David handled the flights very well. We then had to rush somewhere to find last minute costumes and the only one we found his size was the Chewbacca costume. Unfortunately, the feet were missing, but when you wait 'til the last minute, I guess you can't be too picky. Billy and I decided to dress up, too. Billy was a skeleton or something like that and I dressed as a witch. Creative, aren't we?

David went trick or treating in Logan with his cousins, Nathan and Kaitlyn. Since the flights and everything we did that day, he was a bit tired and cranky. The first door we went to, he got a sucker. We got that sucker out and he was golden for the rest of the night. He's clutching a sucker in all of the pictures we took of him. Pretty funny. At least he wasn't cranky.

At the doors, David would yell "'ick 'eat!" He had a blast! The only person who could guess who he was right off was a gentleman dressed up as Obi Wan. Must be the force ;).

'Yo

2009-10-26T15:59:00.001-07:00

'Yo, everyone. That is how David says hello when he gets on the phone. As you can see, David is handling the move well. I think a lot better than I am. I've been missing Utah like crazy. Weird, I know, but true. Lots of stuff I took advantage of. Even though we have housing now, it still doesn't quite feel like home yet. It doesn't help that all of our belongings are in Utah and we have to wait until the first week of November to get them packed up. I'll have to post some pictures of this godforsaken place so you get an idea of what it's like. Ok, really bad attitude, but Billy's comment should say it all. When he first got back here, he said, "Wow, except for you and David, it feels like I never left Iraq." Not a good sign.

Living on base is a little, ok, a lot weird. For some reason, I get a little anxious coming on to base. They have guards posted at the gates and I always feel like I'm going to do something wrong and get in trouble. All the warnings Billy gives me doesn't help at all! Dim the lights at night to get in the gate. Go the speed limit because MP's are worse than cops and you'll lose your priveleges if you get too many points taken away. Pedestrians (marines) always have the right of way so stop for them. They even have dress codes of what you can wear into the commissary and exchanges. Ok, not that I'd ever wear what is not permitted, but I'd like to think I can walk into a store with my belly shirt on and my pants riding way below my butt, showing off my lovely boxers. I mean who doesn't want to see that;)!

There is an upside to all this, though. This past weekend, we went to Palm Springs and surrounding cities. We stayed at Desert Oasis. Swimming in the outdoor pool in the middle of October was so nice. And there was a lot of green foliage everywhere!

We'll be home on Halloween so I plan on visiting my favorite restaurants and shops. Everyone feel free to come join us! Hopefully, I'll be able to see all my favorite people! Talk to you later.

Da-da

2009-10-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

Billy got back from deployment on Oct 7. David kept on pointing out random marines in their uniforms and saying "Dada" before we even saw him. I guess he remembered his dad in his cami's and so every man with that strange haircut and cami's was Dada. When he first saw his dad, though, he was very shy, holding his hands together with his head down. That shyness didn't last long and before long he was having a blast with his dad.

The first couple of days, he would call his dad "Mama" and Billy would respond with "I'm not Mama, I'm dada" over and over again. Well, today, while dada was at work, David came up to me and said "Dada." Sigh...how soon they shift their loyalties. It's actually great, though. It's fun to watch the two of them interact. David's favorite thing is to play cars with his dad. I think it's so funny how he will make such accurate car sounds like engine revving, sirens blaring, and cars crashing, etc but he can't pronounce words as accurately. He's such a boy!

2009-09-14T18:33:00.001-07:00

Summer Fun

2009-08-19T08:48:00.001-07:00

I've been a bit of a slacker with updating this blog, but I have good reasons. One of them being my lack of patience with uploading and downloading photos. The biggest reason, though, is David. He gets a bit put out when I am on the computer. He starts whining, then he'll pound on the keyboard, making the downloading take much longer than it should. However, thanks to Lana, I figured out how to send pictures from my phone to photobucket and it makes it go faster.

So, to catch everyone up, this is what we did this summer:

Lagoon (the price to get in is ridiculous, even if it's a discount. Seriously, do they think they're Disneyland or something?) Can you tell I'm not a Lagoon fan? I guess that doesn't matter when David had fun.

David and his cousin Kaitlyn on the little kiddy boats. He had fun ringing the bell and I think the pink just becomes him. I think my husband will cringe or is cringing when/as he sees this picture. What do you do, though? Kaitlyn gave up a musical show just to ride with him and since she is the princess, she needed to get in the pink boat.

The little green car is probably more to Billy's taste. This line was the shortest so I let him go on it twice and he even went by himself one of those times. It was kind of bittersweet to watch him drive away from me. Kind of reminiscent of him driving away to college. Unfortunately, I think that time will get here before I know it.

This helicopter ride was funny and sad to watch. He did not like flying up in the air at all. He clung to Nathan the whole time with this scared look on his face. I felt bad for the little guy. He survived, though. Thank goodness for Na-na.

A lot of the summer was spent with me trying to stay awake after a 12 hour graveyard shift. Most of the time, David would get his bat or golf club and hit balls around our living room. Kept him occupied enough for me to try and recharge.

David, Nathan, and Kaitlyn at the mini rivers and water falls in Liberty Park.

Trying to pose for the camera. For some reason, he thinks that tilting his head to the side is a proper pose.

Bear Lake: Should we call this muddy mess a beach? I guess it's as close to a beach as you can get in Utah. Not the real thing, but boy did David have fun sitting in the mud. His bath after was not pretty.

David at Bat

2009-08-19T00:06:00.001-07:00

David has been into baseball lately. Whether it's wii baseball or trying hit the ball on the floor with his bat, he never gets tired of it. He'll wake up every morning and if he sees the bat and ball, he'll start whacking away. Look at his stance. Almost perfect, but then he'll lose his balance. It makes me laugh every time.

Excuse the poor quality video. Typical camera phone quality.

My little golfer

2009-07-12T06:43:00.001-07:00

I don't know how she does it, but my sister is great at getting David posed and so cute for pictures. He doesn't hold still long enough for me.

Once again, I got this picture texted to me at work and it made the night much more tolerable. Lately, David has been more into playing with balls and so I decided to get him this cute little golf bag and clubs. He has still hasn't grasped the concept of hitting the ball into the hole, but he sure can swing that little club of his. If you are ever anywhere around when he's swinging, make sure you are far enough out of reach that you don't get clobbered. He may be little, but he sure packs a punch!

Rasta

2009-05-30T04:20:00.001-07:00

Here is my rastafarian! I was at work when this was taken and my sister texted me this picture. It made my whole night! I knew there was a reason why I wanted his hair to grow faster. The funny thing about it is David seems to prefer Reggae music over anything else. At least, that's the type of music that we've noticed he's more likely to dance to.

Beep, beep!

2009-04-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

I found this little car online and I decided to get it for David because he loves to make little automobile noises so much. He absolutely loved it and we had a hard time keeping him away while we were putting it together. He stayed in it the whole time we were at my sisters. When it was time to go home, he threw a fit and I had to drag him off of it, kicking and screaming.

This picture cracks me up! I love that I caught that expression on his face!

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The Day After

2009-04-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

Yea! It worked. I just sent this picture from my phone. How great is that? I love technology!

This was David the day after the wretched egg hunt. I got him some spring clothes and since that day was the best day we had all week, I decided to put them on him. When I put his flip flops on him, he started walking unsteadily. Then, he grabbed the shoes he'd worn all winter long and handed them to me. It was his way of saying, "I'd rather have these on, please." Being the mean mom I am, I left the flip flops on and he eventually got used to them.

Look at the beautiful, clear day! Sigh...some day it will stay like that for a whole week! Here's to summer dreamin'!

Easter

2009-04-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

Easter this year wasn't the greatest. I had the grouchiest baby in the world. I was unable to take any pictures of him hunting for eggs because he was clinging to me the whole time. When the hunt started, I helped him place his hand on the eggs. He would then grab the egg and throw, not place, them in his bucket. Good thing they were boiled. It was actually pretty funny. After that, it was more grumpy time! The times he was actually being cute were when my camera or camcorder would not work. So, unfortunately, I have no pictures or videos of Easter 2009.

I guess I can't blame him too much for being so grouchy. He had gone out and petted my niece's dog and then he ended up with hives. I gave him some Benadryl right before the hunt, so he must have been pretty sleepy. A sleepy David makes for a grumpy David! Boy, do I never want to deal with that again!

So, that was the second time David got hives from touching a dog and I'm afraid he's allergic to dogs. This is very sad news for Billy because there are no words to describe his love for dogs. It's also sad for David because he also loves dogs. Maybe it's just coincidence, though. We'll see.

My little puppy

2009-03-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Billy got new orders to Twentynine Palms, CA and recently, David and I drove down to check out the place. My first impression wasn't the greatest, but I've heard that people eventually learn to like it. I still have yet to meet one of those people. Anyway, there, we met Billy's landlord and his pet dog, Blue. David has always loved to bark whenever he sees a dog. However, since meeting Blue, he has taken up panting. Here is a video of my cute little puppy and his canine ways.

Baby Steps

2009-02-05T21:32:00.000-08:00

David is walking everywhere now. Here's a video of him getting into our cupboard. At least he knows how to shut the door when he's through.

Happy Birthday, David!

2008-12-21T20:28:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my baby is one! We celebrated his birthday with my family on Sunday and he had a fun time. The smash cake part was pretty funny to watch! He was very cautious at first, taking tiny little tastes with his fingers.

As soon as he tasted the sweetness, he was grabbing the cake by the fistful and trying to stuff his mouth.

He didn't finish the cake, but did a pretty good job with it. Here are the before and after of the smash cake:

David opening his presents and partying it up!

Puppy Love

2008-11-03T18:46:00.000-08:00

We dressed David up as a puppy on halloween and at least for that day, Billy got his wish...a puppy of his own. We didn't go trick-or-treating since he's still too young to understand that part, but instead went to a barbecue at one of Billy's fellow marines's house. There, David became the greatest drummer in the world, no lessons! They had the game, Rock Band, set up and he got mad at me if I tried to help him out with the drumming. I guess he's starting to show his independent streak...sigh.

In other news, we decided to have Billy reenlist. There are numerous reasons why we made this decision and who knows if it's the right choice, but many signs pointed toward that decision. It's scary and hard for me to think that he'll be deployed again, but I'm sure we'll be able to get through it. It's just another 8 years, right?

Utah Vacation.

2008-09-17T12:14:00.001-07:00

Billy's family was here from Iowa for a week and we went to Thanksgiving Point to see the Dinosaur Museum. We watched a 3D dinosaur movie that scared David a bit.

I got to see a lot of Utah that I'd never even consider seeing. It was pretty fun finding out all that Utah has to offer. We even bought a new hiking backpack that we (or rather, Billy) can carry David in. Now we can't use David as an excuse not to go hiking.

David got to go on his first ATVing experience. Mine, too, for that matter. He did a great job. I thought the bumps would be too much for him, but all it did was lull him to sleep. He slept for 3 of the 4 hours that we were out.

David was so good for the week. Everyone was amazed at how good a baby he was. He rarely cried or made a fuss when we put him in his car seat, but I think he had had enough by the end of the week. Now, it's a struggle to get him in the car.

Curious George

2008-08-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

Now that David is crawling, he is getting into everything.

Here he is trying to touch the wall sockets.
One of these days, our curious George is going
to discover why mom keeps saying no, no.

Here he is getting into his dad's socks.

And here he is helping his cousin, Nathan,
open up his b-day presents. What a bundle
of energy!

Tiny steps (or crawls)

2008-07-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

David has been trying to crawl for the last couple of weeks. He'll get on his hands and knees and make the cute rocking motion, then he'll collapse and end up scooting backwards. I've tried to capture it on video, but as soon as I get the camera out, he stops. I finally got a video of him crawling (army crawling) toward his dad's cell phone. Here it is. Sorry about the rocky bits in there. I was trying to video tape and entice him at the same time with the phone.

Water fun

2008-07-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

We took David to "The Canyons" in Liberty Park to see how he would react to cold water. He hated it and everytime I place him in the water, he would protest. The water there was too cold for him. I thought for sure that he would hate the pool, but I took him to our apartment pool this weekend and he loved it. Thankfully, the sun had warmed up the water a bit so it wasn't as cold as Liberty Park and he had fun watching his cousins and friends playing around.

Tagged

2008-06-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

3 Joys:

My Family: My two guys are the greatest. Billy is a great husband and father. It's so nice to have him home and help out with our active little boy. David can be a handful, but it's amazing to watch him grow and re-experience everything for the first time again.

Traveling (especially anywhere with a beach): I haven't been able to do much traveling since David and I didn't realize how much I missed it until now. I'm looking forward to taking trips around the world with David and Billy.

Reading: I missed reading books that aren't textbooks. Now that school is done, I can get back into the reading groove again! Starting with Eat, Pray, Love and Fearless Fourteen. I have been so out of the loop with books that I completely forgot about the Evanovich books in June. Thankfully, Kristine reminded me about it.

3 Fears:

Creepy crawlers: Things like worms, centipedes, and other long critters frighten me. Its weird, but true. I'm okay with spiders, but can't stand the longer looking bugs. I think it stems back to when I was younger and my older siblings told me that the caterpillars that were prevalent on Marshall Islands would jump out at me and attack if I walked by them.

Public speaking: I hate it! When I was younger and just learning English, I was always self conscious about my accent. Its faded with the years, but when I have to speak in public, I am not very eloquent.

That David has some dreaded disease: At first I would check on him frequently for fear of SIDS, then I got worried that he was going to be autistic, then he got a slight sunburn and I worried about skin cancer...and it goes on. Talk about being neurotic. I'm probably messing him up with all these pesky worries.

Goals:

Buy a house.

Home improvements: First I need to buy a house, then I'll see what home improvements I need to make.

Current Obsessions: Real estate sites and watching House Hunters on HGTV.

I tag Dana, Lana, and Kristine

Eat and play

2008-06-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

We started solids on David a few weeks ago and he loved it. So far, his favorites are carrots. What a messy process!

David love his horse bouncer that his Grandpa bought for him. He loves to bounce and I put him in it hoping to get the wiggles out of his system. It doesn't really work. I've come to terms that he is the wiggliest baby in the world and there is no cuddling with him unless he's super tired.

Uh oh

2008-06-01T07:51:00.000-07:00

Uh oh! Looks like we'll have to start the child proofing soon. David hates being on his tummy, so I don't think he'll be crawling anytime soon, but he sure loves to stand!

Iowa

2008-05-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

We went to Iowa for a few days after Billy got back so David could meet his other grandparents. Here are the four generations. They all loved the little guy and he took in all the attention.Grandpa Dave was always offering to babysit David if we wanted to go off somewhere without him...that is until the night David was being fussy while Billy was holding him. Grandpa offered to take him to see if a change would help calm him. Needless to say, David decided to show grandpa how purple his face could turn and how loud he could scream. After that, there were no more offers of babysitting. Who could blame him, though. He didn't get the nickname Purple Face for nothing.
David loved his Uncle Mike. He even fell asleep in his arms one night much to Billy's chagrin. Billy had been trying for several nights to get him to fall asleep for him, but Purple Face was not having it.
David and I went shopping one day with Grandma and Aunt Nancy. He wasn't that cranky for being out for so long. I was on edge the whole time, waiting for Purple Face to show up, but thankfully, he didn't. Aunt Nancy even mastered shoe shopping and feeding him a bottle. Now, I just need to get her to change diapers...

Daddy's home!

2008-05-04T10:33:00.001-07:00

Billy got home on the first. The homecoming was a bit anticlimactic because I completely missed the part where they released the marines to their families. All thanks to the lovely traffic on Bangerter highway and Redwood Road. It's okay, though. He's home for a while now, I hope. We never know with the military.

A shout out to my sister, Grace, my nephew, Nathan, and my niece, Kaitlyn for making this banner.

David's reaction to Billy was a blood curdling scream. Seriously! I thought stranger anxiety didn't begin until he was at least 8 months old! Poor Billy was hurt, but like the reunion and reintegration guide says, it will take time for the two of them to get used to each other. To be honest, though, David hasn't had much interaction with males and so having a total stranger come into his home and speak in a loud, deep voice kind of threw him for a loop. Billy's been doing great playing games with him and getting him to laugh. In fact, there are just some games that only daddy can play that will make David laugh.

The first night was kind of funny. Billy was holding David and my wiggly boy was holding so still...almost like a prey playing dead for the predator, hoping with all its might that the predator would just go away. After a while, he just looked resigned to his fate, whatever that was. The look on his face was so sad and funny at the same time. I felt bad for him, so I went and held him for a minute. He was resilient and back to his normal, wiggly self in no time. Each day gets better and David is starting to get used to having his dad around.

Four months

2008-04-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

David turned 4 months old on the 22nd. He had another five shots today. Poor baby! I can't believe four months have gone by already! He's laughing and talking all the time now. The recent greatest moment was when he woke up and instead of crying, he grinned. There is just something about a sleepy-faced baby grinning at you. It just erases all those grumpy, sleepless moments. This is one of my favorite photos. As I was taking his picture, an orange light turned on and it surprised him. I laugh every time I see it.

It's crazy to see him holding his head up when he's on his tummy. Tummy time is not such a chore anymore. He knows he can roll over, so he doesn't cry as much. Don't you love his colorful outfit? This was his third of the day and I quit coordinating the colors. Who would have thought that such a little being could produce so much poop. I have dubbed him Sir Poops-a-lot.

Soaking Up the Sun

2008-04-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

Finally! Warm sunny days! On Saturday, rather than sleeping after my shift, I went to Logan to watch my sister's rugby game. It was so nice and the Sheryl Crow song, Soak Up the Sun, was running through my head the whole day. David loved being outside. He didn't get fussy for a whole two hours! Here he is with Camilla. Look at the beautiful, blue sky! Not a cloud in sight!

Move over, Jason Castro!

2008-04-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

That's right! David Lyman is vying for the coveted spot of America's Idol. Here is a clip of him singing right along with Jason Castro.

David was singing right along with all 8 contestants. Actually, just seven. By the time it was Brooke's turn, he was over it and cried through her song. Unfortunately, I was only able to catch this one clip of him singing. I would have to say it wasn't his best of the night, but it was, as Randy would say, "just ok, dawg." Simon would call it "atrocious" and Paula would probably disagree and say "you are a star and you looked...absolutely...adorable." So, watch out idols! This baby has got my vote!

Rolling over and reflux

2008-04-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

David rolled over from his stomach to his back for the first time a couple of days ago. A complete fluke, probably, but he did it. I think he hates being on his belly so much that he used whatever strength he had to get off it. The little stinker has been struggling with my mom while I'm at work. He cries and screams so much that it makes me feel guilty. I've resolved not to call while I'm at work. It's much easier on my emotions.

In a previous post, I wrote that David slept for five hours. Not so much anymore. I think he was having reflux because everytime I'd set him down to sleep, he'd wake up an hour later, screaming like he was in pain. We went and saw his pediatrician, Dr. O'Mara (I like her so far) and she prescribed Zantac for him. Seriously, though, couldn't they make the medication taste like bubble gum like all the others? He hates it, but so far, it seems to be working.

In other news, Billy should be getting home soon! Yea! Due to security reasons (he isn't able to tell me when on the phone or e-mail), I don't know the exact day, but he told me one of his fellow marines stationed here in Utah will get a hold of me to let me know.

Happy Easter and 3 Months Old Birthday

2008-03-26T22:11:00.001-07:00

I started back at work last Thursday. I had been feeling slightly under the weather, but I didn't want to be a big pansy and call in on my first day back. I should have, though, because at the end of the shift, my temp was at 38.5 C. Early in the shift, I called my mom to see how David was doing and I could hear him screaming. Apparently, he was inconsolable. My poor mom sounded so worn out and I felt awful for them. I guess it gets easier after that initial day.

For Easter, we didn't really do anything. I was still feeling a little sick and didn't feel like driving to my mom's place. I did dress him up in his little suit that my mom bought for him. Here is my baby GQ.

Hallelujah!

2008-03-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

David finally started sleeping in his crib for longer than 3 hours! The first night he did it was one of the happiest and most anxiety-ridden nights of my life. I didn't sleep the whole five hours he was asleep and kept on going into his room to check and make sure he was breathing. I was still tired the next day, but happy. Now according to the experts (the pediatricians who are making bank writing books for anxiety-ridden mothers), five hours is sleeping through the night. So, technically, he slept through the night.

He's starting to laugh a little. Occassionally, when he's smiling, you'll hear a little laugh burst out of him, which will startle him, but it is so cute. It makes all the nights of sleep deprivation so worth it!

So cute

2008-03-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

I just had to post these pictures because he looks so cute in them. Yes, he's drooling...gross, but still cute.

Rainy Days and Kisses

2008-03-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

March came in like a lion and we weren't able to go for a walk. No more sun. That's all right, though. We enjoyed the last few days with it and there are more to come. Instead of walks, we stayed in our humble abode and played. I got him to smile and laugh some more and I think he got sick of my kisses. He'll just have to get used to it because I ain't stoppin'.

We also did tummy time. He hates it. I try to let him stay on his tummy for as long as I can, but he screams and I can only let him cry for a little bit. I guess he's not crawling anytime soon. Good thing, too. The place is not baby proof yet. I'm leaving that for my husband.

2 Months Old

2008-02-22T19:11:00.000-08:00

Two months old already! How crazy is that!?! He now weighs 10 lbs 11 oz and is 22 inches long. David had his shots today. Five of them!!! Poor baby. He's been sleeping all day today and has spiked a mild temperature. Thanks to the great advice of a friend, I've been keeping him on Tylenol to help with his sore legs and to help with the temp. It's worked wonders. Even with his sore legs, he's still willing to smile and talk. This is a video of his cute smiles.

Smiles

2008-02-22T06:50:00.000-08:00

David is smiling frequently now. If he didn't have those pesky gas pains, he'd be smiling constantly. Today, he is two months old. Poor little guy has to go in and get his shots. We'll see how he does.

Go Hawkeyes!

2008-01-05T22:20:00.000-08:00

Before he was even born, David was an Iowa Hawkeye fan. Thanks to his Uncle Mike and Aunt Nancy, he's all set to root for his favorite team.

Bath time

2008-01-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

David's cord finally fell off and I was able to bathe him. He fell asleep after the initial cry.

Baths and Kisses

2007-12-31T20:19:00.000-08:00

David in his Pooh robe
after a bath.

The second picture is of
him puckering his lips.
He loved to do that his
first few weeks.

Bili lights

2007-12-26T20:34:00.000-08:00

David was discharged from Primary Children's this afternoon. He has to be on the bili blanket until Friday if his bilirubin level drops down. Here he is on the lights. What a cutie!

Christmas

2007-12-25T19:56:00.000-08:00

We had to go to the ER on Christmas day for another bilirubin draw because the outpatient lab was closed. The result was higher than yesterday and poor Dr. Cannon called us to give us bad news. He said he was sorry for having to do this to us on Christmas, but David had to be admitted to Primary Children's Hospital. What a way to spend Christmas! We can just pretend that David was on a holiday in sunny tropics. He was under two huge bili lights overhead and a bili blanket underneath. He had nice little eye covers and looked like he was basking under the sun. Unfortunately, with all the stress of the day, I didn't take the camera to record the momentous occassion.

Christmas Eve

2007-12-24T19:50:00.000-08:00

David had to have another bilirubin draw (checks the level of jaundice) on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, it was a critical value and he ended up being on bili lites. This is David on the bili bed and the bili blanket is wrapped around his little belly. He was supposed to be on the lights as much as possible and to come off them to feed every three hours. Merry Christmas, baby!

First Bath

2007-12-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

Birthday

2007-12-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

David was born December 22, 2007 at 2:45 am. He weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and was 191/2 inches long.