Not just a Camera

This picture (cropped picture, which before had too much Emme booty in it for comfort) 

was the last picture I took before I drowned my other baby.

Calm it down, let me explain.

This is what went down.

-Mom thought babies looked extra adorable in the tub so called down to Dad to bring up other baby.

- Mom started snapping away trying to get the girls to look at the camera at the same time. Not easy. I think I started to squeal like a Pig to get their attention towards me in hopes for that darling picture us Mom's always try and magically get. It's weird, they both love the camera, but never at the same time. 

-The above picture was taken right before Charlee took a dive in the water as she reached for a toy.

-Mom spastically (new word?yes.) reacted and caught my little fishy just as she submerged her face in water.

-Apparently, my cat-like reflexes are so bad ass, they could care less for my other baby and dropped it in the water so I could catch my real baby. 

- I realized what I had done just as I was lifting Charlee up (she was totally fine by the way. She thought it was hilarious more than anything) and immediately called down to Dad to come upstairs.

"I'm so sorry, I just dropped the camera in the water!!"

"HEEEEEEELP!!!!"

Dad took over kids while I desperately attemped CPR to the poor thing. 

It was not it's time to go!

It wouldn't turn on.

I remember as I saw it in the water, it immediately went from on to off. Right before it turned off, it gave a weird blue looking scrambled screen. Great.

I knew that was not good news.

I still tried. I disassembled it and started to dry off each piece. I turned the fan on and left it to dry. 

Back to my station with the girls. Still in shock with what just happened. 

Eric didn't say a damn thing to me, bless his heart. 

That would have been bad.

The next morning after it had plenty of time to dry, I attempted another go at it.

Nothing.

Damn.

I have the talk with Eric about replacing my other baby and it sickens me.

Next day:

Go upstairs, prepared to give it a proper trash can burial, but before that I had to try one more time.

Would you know it.

It turned on.

Not only that, there was NOTHING wrong it.

I wouldn't put it past my Husband to have switched it out with a new one in my sleep knowing how devastated I was.

It was like it was never dropped in a sudsy, toy-filled, water grave.

 Someone has definitely been watching out for us lately!  

    

  Safe and sound. 

Thank you to those who made it possible...

...to celebrate our freedom!

Let's celebrate! We did it.

Remember this night, baby?

Of course you do. 

How could you forget the night we said goodbye and sent you off to find adulthood?

 The night we sent you off to report for basic training.

I remember you called me just hours after we left you at that hotel room, alone. Just you and your thoughts. 

"What was I thinking, Liz?"

.....

"I hope I made the right decision."

It hit you. It happened so fast. 

You joined the United States Air Force 

You were scared, I was scared. 

Rightfully so. You were 18. I was 16.

NO idea what the future held for us, let alone our relationship.

***

God is GREAT. 

You know why?

This:

 Fast forward 9 years later from that night and you will get..

7 years of marriage

2 AMAZING babies

3 assignments 

6 homes

2 deployments

100+ fights, forgiving, and lonely nights.

We have made some pretty amazing history together. 

It ALL lead to this day*.

This WELL EARNED DAY*.

The day* we have been talking about since those first moments in our Pantano apartment; looking for spare change in your car so we could go bowling.

Dreaming of the day* that we wouldn't worry about money anymore. 

You were a young, brand new Airman with dreams and goals from the VERY beginning. 

All those dreams were about just one day*. 

If I could hug that brave young man in that lonely hotel room and tell him one thing, it would be:

"It'll all be worth it some day*"

I am honored to have you as my Husband.

I am grateful the girls have such a loving, silly, Daddy.

I am THANKFUL we have stayed together through some pretty rough make it or break it moments to make it to this day*

We made it, baby! 

Time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of our lives and add a few numbers to the list above! 

*Officer Training School Board Select

Just the beginning

 

My big girl completed her first 6 months of Gymnastics! 

Mama is so proud! 

She has come a long way, let me tell you.

I can still remember her first time attending. She was bouncing off the walls with energy and did not listen very well to her teachers, Ms Amanda and Ms Natalie. She just wanted to "play" and jump on the trampoline. It took her a few visits to realize she is there to learn and obey AND have fun. In just that short time, her attention span and obedience has improved dramatically.

She has done some serious growing up in this class and enjoys it so much. I know her doing this will make the transition of starting preschool this September a little easier (for both Mom and kid).

Mama and Daddy are so proud of you, Mooshk. We love seeing that smile.

A visit to the Dentist

Miss Emme had her first official visit to the Dentist. 

We knew going into the visit she needed a cavity filled in her back molar. The Dentist reassured us that the tooth affected was due to a malformation when it developed in utero! I didn't even know that could happen. I guess due to the shape of the tooth, it was prone to a cavity. They came to that conclusion based on the shape and the fact that all her other teeth were perfect! 

The day of the visit, we were all set to go with the happy medicine (sleepy juice) to keep her nice and calm during the scary procedure for a 3 year old. It was worth it to both myself and Eric to spend the money to have that peace of mind.

E took the sleepy juice and played in the waiting room until her name was called. About 10 minutes in, she started to be very loopy and pretty soon, she started asking me to snuggle with her and read her a book. She made the funniest faces and said some pretty funny stuff! But that was as far as it went. Unfortunately, the "sleepy" part did not work. As soon as they took her in the back (they said it was best for parents to wait up front) she lost it! She screamed the entire time, poor baby. Luckily, I did not know this until the Dentist talked with me when he was finished with the tooth. He informed me that 9 out of 10 times the medicine works. That's my Emme alright! She would be that one....

At least we know not to fork out another $300 for sleepy juice for the next time.

*please let there NOT be a next time!*

She was still such a trooper though! She sobbed for a pretty good while after the visit and was still loopy from the medicine. With that combination, she was hard to console. 

She earned a voucher from her Dentist, Dr Buddy,  for a free ice cream at McDonalds and that seemed to help a little although she is a VERY clean eater and had no idea she had rivers of ice cream running down her chin! Bless her numbed little face! It was darling. 

Lots of snuggles, pudding, and Popsicles later, she was back to her normal self just a few hours later.  

I told her that she does not have to go back for a long long time and next time, it wont be so scary.

She liked that idea.   

A prayer for all Mothers, by Tina Fey

“First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her

When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.”

-Tina Fey - Bossy Pants 

*She took the prayer right out of my head. Happy Mothers Day to all!

There were never such devoted sisters