8 months left

We are in the 8 month mark until Matt comes home. Yes, I know Obama announced the other day that all troops in Iraq will be home for the holidays, but don't count all your chickens yet. Few things, Matt, at that point, will have been deployed for still less than 6 months. I highly doubt that they will release him when not even half of his deployment is left. Next, there is still plenty of things that have to be done or need to be done in Afghanistan, and this is where I think Matt will be going to next, that they will just transfer Matt's deployment team straight to Afghanistan. Also, lets just say Matt does come home. He has a high chance of being re-deployed again any time because he did not complete a full year deployment, and the "re-deploy" would be for another full year. It doesn't matter that he had already done a 5.5 month deployment, they won't care, to them he hasn't done a year deployment. So we are hoping that he goes straight to Afghanistan so that when he comes home in July he will be home for a while.

If he does come home, that would be great. Don't get me wrong I would love for Matt to come home for Christmas or just thereafter. I want him to get to know his son and to really know he has a son because to him Mason still doesn't seem all that real in a way because he has barely spent time with Mace.  But I really don't think he will be coming home and I don't want to get my hopes up either. So to answer all of your questions, because I have been getting many questions, we don't know what is going on yet and these are the options. I will let everyone know when/if we hear anything. Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers and keep them coming.

3 months: Newborn No More...

Mason is now considered an Infant!!! It has been 3 months. It is amazing how fast time has gone by. Some days are very, very, oh so very long, and others it is already bed time and I don't know where the day had gone. I have decided that I will take a 4 month deployment anytime over this year crap! If Matt was only gone his 4 month deployment he would be coming home next month!!! I wish.

Mason is growing so very much . Every week it feels like more and more outfits no longer fit him. He loves to be tickled and he is giggling more and more everyday. He seems to like being naked the most because that is when he laughs the most. During diaper changing time and clothing changing time. Such a boy!

Mason loves watching TV and also my computer. He is drawn to the changing pictures and bright lights. It is hard to believe that he will be so computer savvy at such a young age when I was 14 before I really knew how to use the computer. I am going to start playing some old Disney cartoons for him to watch to get him to like Mickey so that he likes Mickey on our family trip.

I am so thankful for Mason being in my life and the blessing that he is to our family! I truly wish that Matt was here to see how much he has changed in life instead of just seeing him on skype. But I am so very thankful for Skype so that Matt can see Mace on a regular basis. Oh and Mace loves to look at his daddy on Skype and yesterday Mace tried to take over the computer to get at Matt. Very cute. Anyhew we are doing well. I start teaching horn this Friday and we shall see how well that goes. I am also going to start Zumba to work on getting back to how I was before our little blessing. Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes! Enjoy so super cute pix of Mace at 2.5-3 months.

~Mommy, that flash is too bright!~

 ~Argh!~

 ~Who is this monkey anywho?~

 ~Archer has finally started getting a little closer to Mace.~

A Little Break

Ahhhh! I have a little break from the chunky monkey! So I thought that I would blog a bit. Mace is doing really well. He is as I just said a chunky monkey and getting more and more chunky everyday.

He is super active and super fun to interact with except for when he is screaming. He has more of a schedule, but only at night. His days are still a little wonky and never the same. He likes to go to bed and be asleep by 8:30 or heaven help us. Wakes up around 4am for a middle of the night snack and is back asleep until 8am. Yes, I am very lucky and very happy that he does sleep. His day schedule is not normal, except for the evening tantrum he likes to do around 5pm. We have a night routine down now. Matt pre-recorded some stories for Mace on a recorder and we listen to Matt reading to him every night. Then we say our prayers and say good-night to Daddy's picture and off to bed. Mace sits still during the reading time and looks at the pictures in the book. It is very cute!

Mace is so much more animated and loves to smile and giggle now. He loves to look at Daddy's pictures on the wall behind the couch and does his best to find them where ever we are sitting downstairs. He loves to just look around and look at everything. He loves to watch Archer and his gaze will follow Archer as he walks around or away from Mace.

I am doing well. I get a great amount of sleep at night, as seen above. I have decided to take some long term time off from teaching piano. And will only continue to teach horn. It has been a difficult decision for me to make but my needs have changed with having Mason around. I am enjoying the time I spend with Mason.

Matt is doing well too. He is super busy. Just working and sleeping. That is what he does.  If you were planning on sending him a package please contact me ASAP as the post office there will be closing by the end of the month.

I have also added pictures of Mason around our house. I love seeing the cute pictures of him all the time all over my house. Here are the pictures of the new frames I hung and also some super cute pix of Mace.

~Mason's Room~

~Family Room~

~Play Time~