Update

It is Saturday today, almost a full week since hubby headed back to "special firefighter school" as Lily calls it. We have had a very up and down ride since his departure. She took it harder this time because she now knows that when he leaves, it will be for a long time. Plus, she had so much FUN with him during the short visit. She is the epitome of a "daddy's girl".

Her sleep has been all over the map. Some nights where she sleeps right through, other nights with night terrors or nightmares, some nights with both, and some nights (like the last two) where she has both PLUS some random wakings where she insists it's morning....even though it is nowhere even close! And we are both battling a pretty nasty cold on top of it all. Doesn't slow her down at all, just makes her more irritable. But I feel like I've been run over by a bus.

THis past Wednesday we FINALLY saw the sleep specialist we have been waiting for since July. It wasn't much help for now as they deal with breathing related disorders (apneas etc) which I was pretty sure wasn't the case here. BUT we were taken seriously and the doc is going to refer her on to a different type of sleep doc as an "emergency consult". I pray that happens soon! 

It was so nice to go to a doctor and not hear:

what problem?

 it's all in your head. 

why do you WANT your child to be sick?

what do you expect me to do?

etc etc etc. 

So, even though we had a long wait (expected) it was worth it. And, despite Lily's sensory issues, going to the doctor is something she finds interesting. She was actually a little miffed that the intern wasn't going to look in her nose so he acquiesced, lol. Even drawing blood the last time wasn't the total nightmare I had been anticipating. The drive is a bit long for her though, she just cannot sit in a car seat for long.

I am going to save hubby's issues with his post-graduation posting for another time, but if you could remember us in your prayers that would be greatly appreciated.

Safe and Sound

Hubby is home for a visit!

His flight was supposed to get in around 9:30pm last night but was delayed until after midnight. He arrived home after 1am. But Lily actually slept until 4:30am (a miracle!) so we were able to get a little bit of sleep.

This morning when I went to get her I sat her down and told her that daddy came home on an airplane for a visit and to go check our bed. She was BEYOND thrilled to see her most favorite person in the world (yes, I AM chopped liver, lol).

We've been awake for about 4 hours now and she hasn't left his side. I just wish he was home for good instead of just a week, but we'll take what we can get! This visit is a total bonus and a blessing.

More proof that toddlers make absolutely NO SENSE

Lily will eat some intense things......

Plain yellow mustard.

Black pepper.

Salt.

Chunks of garlic.

Not to mention that she loves frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans.

But try to give this girl jam, you know, smashed up fruit/berries? She makes a face like I just gave her the hottest pepper or the sourest pickle and looks at me like I'm giving her something supremely gross.

Kids!

I miss my husband :(

Just like the title says, I miss my husband.

But, I am very proud of the sacrifice he is making for our family to have a more secure future. He joined the army when he was 19, going straight into the Infantry. Well, that was great for a young man without a family but not so good for us now. It meant him constantly going to the "field" for training exercises and knowing that he would have to do "tours" in Afghanistan for as long as our military is committed to being over there. And, now that he is a daddy, he just doesn't want that kind of life anymore. And he is a great, very hands-on, dedicated father.

So, after much scrambling, much prayer, and MUCH stress, he is currently in the firefighter academy across the country training to be a military firefighter (which is technically and Air Force trade) and will not graduate until June of this year.

So, not only will he be in a job that does not require him to leave us for extended periods of time anymore, or do war /peacekeeping tours, but he will also have skills that will be applicable when he chooses to retire from the military (which he is planning to do at the 20 year mark). If he stayed in the infantry he would have next to no transferable skills and would most likely have to take a "joe-job" to supplement his pension just to make ends meet for us.

I am very proud of him, especially with him remaining strong in his faith when it would be so easy to just "go with the flow" and cave to the influence of the guys he is training with. 

I hope the time just flies by between now and June, and I hope the visits home he has planned can actually happen!

(I love you J)

"Look mommy, just like skating!": one of many potty training adventures

So, Lily is learning to use the big girl potty and doing a great job! She caught on really quickly and is very proud of herself when she goes potty like a big girl.

Today, things were going well..... then we came to a point where I figured she might have to go pee. So, in order to get her to go I play a little "mommy needs to go pee, you aren't going to go first are you???? What, why are you stealing the potty??? hey!!!!!" kind of thing. She is very stubborn and contrary so asking her if she needs to go gets met with a "no". Telling her she needs to go try gets met with a "NO!". No amount of bribery works, ever. So, if her "winning" against mommy is what works, fine, whatever. (But I have a feeling I may regret this dynamic when she is a teen.)

Anyways, back to today. This time she just didn't go. So I wasn't going to force her. I had to take Bear out for his potty break and was gone less than a minute. I come into the living room to find this scene:

Lily with wet panties.

 A HUGE puddle of pee on the floor.

 And little pee pee footprints across my living room.

She sees me and goes back to the puddle, shuffles her feet through it and says:

"look mommy, just like skating!". 

UGH. Anyone who knows me in real life knows just what an aversion I have to pee. Any pee. Anywhere. For any reason.