First Hair Cut--Before

My boy got his first haircut.  And I cried.  I didn’t understand crying over a haircut.  Its just hair.  And then I got HIS hair cut.  In a matter of minutes, he went from my baby to a BOY.   I had her leave most of his hair on top–I have spent too many hours pushing that back as he nurses; I’m not ready for it to be cut.  I got it cut at the barber shop on base.  She wanted him to set by himself  in the chair!  HAHA.  He did really well.  I had to hold his head still a couple times.   They gave him his first sucker–orange–and he LOVED that.

First Hair Cut--After

Jim’s parents were visiting earlier in the month.  We spent one week here and then went over to the Big Island for a week.  We had such a wonderful time both weeks.  I did a trip report, posted photos and the link to the rest of the photos on our family blog, if you want to check it out.

If you’re the praying type, I’d appreciate your prayers.  This deployment is doing a number on me.  Mostly I’m doing okay with it mentally but I’m WAY tired and quickly approaching burn out.  And, mentally, I have my moments.  Jim’s leave getting pushed back six weeks was really my tipping point.  On the plus side, we’re half-way done!!!

I’m not sure I’ve talked about it here but we’ve had “issues” with Ben and eating.  He has been taking solids for months now but wouldn’t swallow anything.  I met with the hospital’s feeding team about a month ago.  They strongly suspect, based esp. on the history of all the horrible troubles we had with latching, that its simply a matter of training the mouth and tongue muscles on how to swallow.  With latching, I’d finally get him on well and then, the next nursing session, it would be like he’d completely forgotten how to do it.  So they instructed me to do a positive reinforcement food (they got him to swallow chocolate pudding, so chocolate pudding it is!) every day to help with the training, in addition to continue offering a variety of other food.  Its working!!  He will generally swallow most any foods, asssuming he’s hungry and the food is in really small pieces.  He loves foods with strong flavors–lime yogurt, pepperoni, taco meat, chili, etc.  He doesn’t do well with drinking yet.  He is better with an open-faced cup than a sippy or straw cup.  But, like nursing, its like he forgets how to do it.  After several attempts, he’ll swallow but then has to start again the next time.  But we’re working on it.  I don’t mind if he skips a traditional sippy but it’d be awafully handy if I could get him to take a straw cup at least, especially considering his delight in dumping cups!!

Now that I’ve got the “baby bump” (two weeks earlier than with E!), I’m looking for new maternity clothes.  I was much further along come summer with E, so my shorts all have the purple panel on them and my shirts are for further along too…I don’t have the belly yet to fill them up so I end up just looking fat & frumpy.  I’m going out shopping Wednesday, I think.  I would like a couple pair of capris plus a few shirts.  I ordered a few Belly Huggers, so I’ll be able to wear some of my current shirts a bit longer with the layered look (and they’ll be great for nursing, replacing some of the tanks I used with E).  I just don’t like shopping, though.  I don’t feel like I know what looks good on me.  I’d love to have a personal shopper!   Store selection is somewhat limited too.  We have Kohl’s (cute but tiny section), Target (but their maternity section is NOT good!), Motherhood Maternity (I don’t like some of their business practices, so I try to avoid it) plus the standard department stores.  I haven’t tried any of those yet.  I’m not a fan of ordering clothes online since I can’t try them on first but I think I may have to this pregnancy.

Jim graduates IOBC (Infantry Officer’s Basic Course) Thursday.  Last one & he can officially serve as an officer.  Woohoo!  Jim’s parents are coming in tomorrow night, my dad Wednesday night & SIL Thursday.  (Only my dad is staying with us.)  Three schools down, two more (hopefully) to go!  He’s going to Airborne right after graduation and Ranger at the end of the month.  I am NOT looking forward to that one.  If he completes it his first time through, that is 63 long day.  And missing our 20-week ultrasound.   Good preparation for the next deployment, I suppose.

So another meal question….rib prices are up, so I decided to scrap that idea.  I think we’re going to do a burger bar instead.  Besides lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mustard, red onion, bacon & sauteed Vidalia onions, anything else?  And what should I do as a side?  I thought about some potato wedges and corn on the cob.  Any better ideas?  I’m not a fan of mayo-based potato salads but I’d be open to other ones, I just don’t have any recipes.   And sundae bar ideas.   We’re doing that Thursday after the graduation reception.  I’m planning on making a vanilla custard, chocolate and then something else.  Maybe a butter pecan as both of our dads like pecans.  But what to put on top?  I have nuts, chocolate syrup & caramel syrup.  What else?

The ceremony yesterday was nice. After the soldiers marched in, they played the national anthem, said the invocation and then showed a short video. The guest speaker was a 3 star general who looked every bit the part of a general. Very commanding presence. He gave a nice speech directed at the graduates. Diplomas were handed out with the Distinguished Military Graduates going first of which Jim was included. The soldiers then said the Soldier’s Creed and sang the OCS Alma Mater & the Army song.

I have more pictures posted here.

(His new rank is referred to as a ‘butter bar’ as it resembles a stick of butter. You can see the gold bar on his beret and on his shoulder.)

I always want to come up with catchy titles but my brain isn’t very creative this late at night.

Tomorrow night is Jim’s formal.  I’m happy to be going out but not exactly thrilled with the idea of a formal.  Still, it will be nice to spend time with the people he’s lived with for the last four months.  I decided on dress #2.  I really liked #1 but I didn’t like the way it made my arms look.  I have my jewelry for #2 but I need to get shoes & hose tomorrow.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute.  LOL I just want a basic pair of black pumps…that can’t be too hard can it?!  Famous last words.

I booked an appointment at a salon to have my hair done.  I don’t want any big up-do or anything, just a basic styling by someone who has more patience to do it than I have.  The salon called today to cancel on me.  Lovely.  The stylist is out and they (quite rudely) said they didn’t have anyone else to do it.  I will NOT be going back there.   So now I need to call around tomorrow and see if I can find someone.  I don’t have the patience or the skill to do much with my hair.  And I’d like to have it styled at least a bit since I’m getting all dolled up.

I have spent most of the day deep cleaning.  I got behind over the last two weeks.  Nothing big but lots of little things slipped by.  I am exhausted now.  But it feels so good to have a (mostly) orderly home.

Tomorrow I’m switching our scents out.  Out with the old (pine, etc.) and in with the new (clean cotton, summer holiday, citrus).  I usually don’t do that until February or March but I’m not usually wearing short sleeves in January either.  LOL  I’m ready for spring!!

I’m a little worried about E tomorrow night.  Jim’s parents are going to watch her while we’re out.  This will be the longest I have been away from her since last spring.  And bedtime….it is going pretty smoothly lately but she hasn’t gone to sleep w/o me since the summer and she’s never gone to bed at night w/o Jim or myself.  I know she’ll be fine but I’m a worrier.  As jim said, “the worst that can happen is that she’s still up when we get home (11ish) and that’s not much later than when she goes down some nights (9:30-10).”  True enough.  But he’s not the mama!!

Thursday is Jim’s graduation.  Yea!  I’m looking forward to getting to pin his rank on him.  And the great pay raise. LOL

E & I are adjusting to our new non-nursing status. She’s asked to nurse a couple times in the last 48 hours but, when I remind her that mama’s milk went bye-bye, she accepts it readily and moves on. *sigh* And its been about 12 hours since I last shed a tear about it. Every time Jim sees me crying about it, he shakes his head in confusion. Since she *knows* my milk really is all gone, I think that has helped her transition rather than knowing its there but I just wouldn’t let her have it. When she’s going to sleep, she now cuddles into me or drapes herself across my body. So cute. She’s not sleeping any better, really. I’m not convinced she will even know that she isn’t nursing. But we’re also still in a transition period, I realize. If I could get her down to just 1 or 2 wake-ups a night, I’d consider that a success!! And if I could now get her to sleep through the night, I’d consider that HEAVEN!! LOL

Jim went back to school tonight. We went to Moe’s Southwest Grill (first time, not too bad) and then said good-bye to him. And then we went to do what we do best when he leaves–spend $$! LOL I always feel the need to go shopping when he leaves after more than a few days home though I rarely buy much. Tonight was no exception. We went to Toys R Us (where I got Cranium Cariboo on sale–E loves it!!), walked down to Barnes & Nobles to look for a magazine (they didn’t have it), then to Ross & Marshall’s, where I didn’t buy anything either. Still, it was a nice way to get my mind off of him leaving. And it was nice to be outside. Its cool here tonight but it felt good.