Settled

Helloooo from North Carolina!  We finally got all moved and traveled back up to my hometown this weekend.  We will be staying here until Josh is a couple of weeks from coming home.  My parents graciously are letting us stay in their basement.  It's really nice to be surrounded by family and friends while J is gone.  It keeps me and Easton busy and also allows me a couple extra hands when I need to get some things done.  Easton was a trooper this ride back home.  The ride from Gulfport to Pilot is about 12 hours....so being the second time we have done it in about a month, I was a little nervous as to how he would do!

But this ride was one of our best!  We left Mississippi around 1 central time, and East feel asleep as soon as we got in the car!  He took a FOUR hour nap!!  Yes, a FOUR hour nap!!!  He slept through the whole state of Alabama, which allowed us to get a lot of good traveling done!  We made it to the north side of Atlanta Saturday night before stopping and picking back up early Sunday morning!

When we got home Sunday, my family was having a SuperBowl party and Easton and I enjoyed in the festivities for a bit before we both crashed for the night. For Easton, the highlight of his night was getting to see my brother's girlfriend Emma.  Easton LOVES Emma and flirts with her everytime she is around!

Monday was a quiet day for us!  Easton was slightly cranky, mostly contributed to all the changes the past couple weeks, and was wanting to be right by my side all day.  We needed a couple more items here at the house, so Easton and I decided we would brave the cold (well, cold to us since we were used to 70s in Gulfport) and go to Target and Walmart!  We not only were able to get the items that we needed, but we also got Josh items for his first care package!  When we got home, Easton's favorite place quickly became the big window in the basement looking out at our dog.

He would stand on his tiptoes and squeal everytime the dog would bark.  It was so sweet to see him get so excited.  

And it was an experience today, I have to write about our trip to the Post Office this morning.  I took our stuff we got to send to Josh up to the post office with me and Easton.  We get there, I put Easton in his stroller because I knew it would take a little bit to get everything packed and addressed.  Get in the post office (which I have rarely been in the one at home) and look for the pack and ship boxes.  Find them, and see the rates.  A large box, which we would need, would cost us $60.00 for an international shipment.  I was freaking out.  $60.00 on top of everything I had already put inside the box was going to make this care package crazy expensive!!  But worth it, of course!  I get the box tapped, packed, and go to stand in line to pay for the postage. There are about 5 people in line in front of us and Easton starts having a melt down.  Full on screaming and crying, along with arching his back and screaming some more.  Embarrassing!  After giving him anything I could think of to entertain him, I finally decided that he wasn't going to calm down, and I gave in to taking him out of his stroller to calm him down.  So here I am holding an over 20 pound baby, an almost 20 pound box, and pushing a stroller.  I get up there to pay, when they tell me they have military rates...yay!!!  But I would have to fill out a customs form first.  I had never shipped anything internationally, so I had no clue this was necessary.  So, with a screaming baby, I get it filled out, finally get it paid for, and we left.  In one piece, too!!  Thankfully!!  Hopefully, he will enjoy the package for all the trouble!!

Happy Tuesday!  

Life These Days....

Well, it finally came.  Sunday night J left for his deployment.  We knew it was coming, but they moved up the date for security purposes and they headed out about a week before we had planned for him to leave.  The few days leading up to him leaving were CRAZY!!!  Friday night, our sweet friends down here in Gulfport threw us a "going away party."  It was such a fun night and was so light-hearted fun, it made us forget about what the next couple days would hold. 

On Saturday, we moved out of our apartment.  We had decided that we didn't want to try to move after Josh was gone, so the whole day was pretty much a blur!  We got all packed up, moved to our storage unit, and to the house we were staying at by 6:30.  We enjoyed our last few hours before we all crashed for the night and prepare ourselves for what Sunday would hold.  On Sunday, we wanted to go to our church down here one last time and spend the majority of the day like a normal Sunday would have been.  We went to church, enjoyed lunch with our friends, and then went back to nap, and finish up the last minute things that needed to get done.  Josh and them were suppose to meet at midnight and leave out a couple of hours later.  

We hadn't decided if we were going to take Easton or not, but when we got ready to leave Heather and Ryan's, Easton was still up and kicking, so we just brought him along.  I had several friends offer to ride with us to take Josh to base to offer support, love, and comfort, but in the end, I decided that this was something I wanted to do alone.  I wanted to spend his last hour or so with just him and our baby and enjoy each other.  I was truly happy that is the way that I decided to go.  It was such a peace to just sit there together right before he had to leave.  

I cannot tell you how hard it was to let him go that night.  I just wanted to hold him forever and pretend that he didn't have to leave...but in all reality, we both knew he did.  

As left base, one of our friends called me and offered to let me stop by before we went back to go to bed.  I was happy to have gotten that call because it was nice to talk to someone instead of going back and being by myself.  We talked for about 2 hours, when I received a text from J that their departure time had been pushed back about 18 hours.  Great..... He's in the same town as me, less than 10 miles from where I was staying, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't go back and see him.  
Monday was a very hard day for me.  I knew Josh still hadn't left, and I wanted so badly to go back and see him since he was so close, but since they were in lock down, they weren't allowed to have contact with anyone.  At this point, as much as I wanted him to stay, I also was ready for him to go so that we could start settling into our new routine and start putting days down in the deployment.  Luckily, late Monday night, they were able to get out and get going.  I had a small pitty party at the fact that he was really gone, but soon looked forward to getting to see him via skype and talk to him and get on somewhat of a normal schedule.  
I was thrilled early Tuesday morning to get an email from him saying that they had made it about halfway  and had to stop for fuel.  I really had never been so excited for an email!!!  
Tuesday was a much calmer day.  The emotions weren't as raw, Easton and I were slowly adapting into just the two of us, and hopefully soon, Josh would be settled and be able to call.  
And on Tuesday night, my wish was finally granted!!!  He had gotten settled and was finally able to call.  We only got to talk about 25 minutes or so, but let me tell you, they were the best 25 minutes we had ever had on the phone!!  It was so wonderful to hear from him and know that he could finally call.  We still have several transitions to make before we are finally settled where we will be staying while Josh is gone.  We will leave Gulfport Saturday (the flight was already booked before we knew exactly when Josh would be leaving) and we will hopefully arrive back in North Carolina early Sunday afternoon.  Easton and I are both looking forward to getting settled, getting busy and letting time pass quickly.  
But in the midst of everything going on, Easton and I have still been able to have plenty of fun!!!

Easton enjoying breakfast Tuesday morning.  

Easton trying a bite of a real banana for the first time....wasn't sure what to think of it

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!!!