Welcome to the family, Pearl!

HELLO PEARL!

Pearl knows a good floral wall when she sees one.

Eeeeeek! Okay guys, I'm so excited because I finally found what was missing from our family! And honestly, more like WHO was missing. So as a lot of my friends know, I used to have a beautiful Pekingese named Bella. I had her for 8 years and she was my best friend. She and I had an incredible bond. She would help me when I had anxiety attacks back in high school and I could sense when she was going to have seizures before they happened.. I was devastated when I lost her. And since she passed I've been lost. 

But I grieved, and now two years later I've been feeling ready to adopt a new pup. In January we found a mixed puppy at the SPCA and I took her home.... I was really excited until 2 days later she was showing signs of parvo and I had to immediately return her because at the time I was living with my mom who had a dog. It just wasn't fair for her dog to risk being sick with parvo and it wasn't fair for me to ask my husband to pay for that kind of medical bills so I had no other choice. I was devastated and felt like I just needed a break from searching for a companion. I just couldn't deal with another heartbreak. 

Her page on the SPCA.

And I really haven't looked since the day I was crying in the SPCA returning Daisy.

Until Wednesday..... So I was sitting around nursing Oliver and out of no where I felt like I HAD to look up the SPCA's website... Like HAD to. And the first dog that popped up was a Pekingese, and I started crying, (like a damn baby) but he wasn't happy and wasn't good with kids so I kept scrolling.. And then I saw the blurriest photo ever of a Newfoundland and border collie mix. Literally the two dog breeds at the top of my wish list. And of course- THERE WAS NO DESCRIPTION OR ANYTHING ON HER! I looked at the time and it was too late to call and ask about her so I had to wait until the following day. That evening at my moms house I passed my laptop around showing everyone this terrible photo of my dream dog and how I wanted to go see her so badly. Luckily for me Dillon gave me the green light to check her out and my mom and baby sister were available to go with me!! 

Literally broke my heart. This is how I found her.

This is when we learned she knew commands.

So the next morning I found her sad self just moping around in a dirty kennel all alone. I found an employee and asked about her paperwork because that was nothing attached to her door.. The girl was like superrrrrr surprised that I was asking about her and I later on found out there wasn't information because she was part of a big investigation. 

I can't go into detail because that investigation is in fact still ongoing, but basically someone was running an illegal "shelter" where they were hoarding an enormous amount of animals. It was so bad that a lot of them passed away, some (like Pearl) were being medicated for different things and we're going to have higher adoption fees because of it. 

The worst part about it was that she has been there since the beginning of February and not one person had ever asked or shown interest in her. She had only been walked (by someone other than a volunteer) once during her stay and that was only because someone was killing time while adopting the dog she was kenneled with.

Opal loving on her at the SPCA.

This is the first time she kissed any of us, and it was a smooch to Dillon while he signed the papers.

How terrible is that? You have the kindest and smartest of all dog breeds sulking around and not one person wanted her. Now, I couldn't even get myself to ask, but if I remember correctly this specific SPCA doesn't keep dogs past 2 months due to high volumes... Meaning they're put to sleep if deemed UN-adoptable. This girl was 11 days from that 2 month mark!! DAYS.. UGH.

So anyway, after walking her for a while myself and then dragging Dillon down a couple hours later, there just was NO WAY IN HELL I was leaving this amazing dog there. I wouldn't even let her go back in a kennel. I just couldn't do that to her. She is 3 years old and they don't know anything else about her except that she was neglected and sick at the "shelter" she was seized from. 

You know it was bad when the employees were crying and congratulating her (we even spotted some hugging and jumping up and down) in celebration that their favorite dog found a home! We actually were asked to be featured on their website, so I will try to find that once it is posted and share it here, too.

This was her at Petco. We all thought she deserved a proper BEFORE photo. What a mess she was!

We took her straight to the groomers at Petco who were so wonderful and squeezed her in to be seen 3 hours before closing! We decided to take all of her matted fur off and give her a fresh start to her new life. (She smelled so bad and her fur was stained with urine)! She hadn't been given a bath or brushed in WHO KNOWS how long- because the SPCA didn't do it. (So SHOUT OUT to Amanda at Petco on Herndon and 99 in Fresno, CA for giving this princess the royal treatment! 💁🏽💁🏽💁🏽💁🏽)

This was her AFTER photo. She was SO happy and you could just see her attitude change.

After a brief stop at my mom's aka Drammy (dog Grammy) we went home and omg talk about the best first night ever. She ate and spent time exploring her new beautiful backyard. She watched a movie with us and then at bedtimewe decided to try letting her sleep on the floor of our room before the crate... No accidents and actually she subtly woke me up at 430 am with her nose and off to go potty she went with Dillon. I ended up just getting up to start some chores and hang out with her while my family slept and she was so good. She listens so well, she is relaxed and patient with our babies too.

Her first night at home, she napped while we watched Inside Out.

I honestly am SO HAPPY. I was starting to feel like I was never going to find the right dog, but we did! God just keeps placing the right opportunities in front of us! I actually want to share more on God's plan for us and how He keeps guiding Dillon and I on this new chapter of our lives here in California... But that is totally for another day! 💗❤️💗❤️

She has a FOREVER home!

So if you follow me on Instagram I'm going to have to apologize now- but my feed is going to have an overload of her beautiful face! She deserves to be loved and appreciated- that is EXACTLY what I'm going to do. 😍😍😍😍

Starbucks on your first real day is a must, right? ;)

Relaxing in my new backyard. :)

walking with mommy today. <3

Mom-ents.

I just got home from a typical "day alone with the kids" errand run and wanted to write about my day. First off, I've noticed I keep getting comments from the husband and family that I do things the "mom way" or that I look like a mom. 

For example:

"Yeah, this car is a mom car." -Dillon

"No you look fine. You can pull that off because you look like a mom... Not in a bad way." -baby sister

"That's how you know Chelsea is a mom- she has everything." -younger sister [referring to me overpacking on our trip to the snow]

I'm not offended by these comments, but I do question if I am letting my being a mom take over my identity... And if I am, how do I feel about that- really. This topic is probably something I'd love to hear feedback on from fellow moms out there while I really sit down and write out my answer for a later post. But in short- I really want the other parts of my identity (artist, maker, entrepreneur, etc) to be things people think of when they see/ speak to/ meet me to be just as noticeable. And if they're not, how do I change that? 

On another note, I had a tough day *as a mom. I won't say that I felt like a failure, but I am afraid that other people who saw me thought I was. 

Today, Dillon started his second job and was gone working at both of them. I set out a to-do list of normal things like laundry, baths, tidying up. I also planned a quick trip to joanns and Costco.

On my way to run those errands Opal asked to go to the park, so I figured it would tire her out and she might sit in the cart and be pretty chill while we were out. Well, my 15 minute stop at the park turned into an hour... 

When we first arrived I let Opal go play. There were a bunch of parents that were there but they all were the hover-type. You know, they stand 2 feet away from their kids the whooooole time and don't let them do anything without help... Well I am not that parent. Opal can do a lot without me, and when she can't she lets me know. 

Well, because I don't hover they looked at me like I was nuts.. Then my husband happened to call on his break between job shifts and so of course I took it! So because I spent 10 whole minutes not hovering AND I was on the phone all of these people were giving me looks like I was a not-so-great mom. It sucked, but I can't really apologize at this point. I missed my man and my kid was fine. 

Then my 15 minute stop at joanns turned into a whole hour while Opal ran the opposite direction and made a mess on every aisle. Again with the looks. 

The real icing on the cake was when she decided to lay down in front of the cut-counter and would. not. get. up. At this point I was nearly in tears and I left as soon as they finally cut my fabric. 

I tried though, I'm not sure what else to say about it other than I freakin tried. I just needed to get some stuff done but my two year old was being a two year old today.

So to all my sisters out there that are having rough days because your kids are just being kids.... It's alright. You are not alone and my day was tough for the same reason. Let's all try to remember that we have only a certain amount of control when it comes to this stuff and not to judge each other. 

Side note- shout out to the fellow mama who helped me pick up and move all of my pizza/ salad earlier this week at Pieology after Opal spilled my drink everywhere... She was seriously sweet and didn't need to help- but she did and I was so grateful for that.

Hello 2016

This is my first post for 2016!! It's already the 12th, so that pretty much shows y'all how "on the ball" I am with blog organization! Haha! Well, I have been thinking a lot lately on whether or not I believe in New Years resolutions. I probably don't- but for the fun of it... I have finally decided to pick one thing to work on in several parts of my life. I picked health, family, happiness, skill, and self-love. So essentially 5 things that I really want to either change or build on this year. 

Health- 

I mean, technically I've been working on this for several months now. But only when it comes to what I put in and on my body. A few months back I started experiencing what I believed to be a hernia, along with excruciating pain anytime I ate or drank anything. My stomach would bloat out like I was 7 months pregnant and hurt so so bad. After several visits to my doctor and urgent care, I gave up on them. I decided to switch everything I was doing and made drastic changes to my routine in the kitchen. Along with that, I decided to go full on strictly hypoallergenic skin care and makeup. I was breaking out really bad and knew it was because I wasn't purchasing quality products. So I fixed that too.

But for this year I'm going a bit further. Now that my stomache issues are fading I am going to start working out and running to shed my baby weight. I'm not focusing on my mummy tummy because I still have a huge split in my abs and I have a huge fear I'll only make it worse. So I'm just sticking with working on my legs and arms and hoping that running with a belly binder on will help the midsection. 

Family-

I'm mostly just vowing to document more (scrapbook, photos with the canon, journaling) and be online less. I've stopped using Facebook and I will be on Instagram less. I plan to date my husband when I can, and just really appreciate my time here in California before we move away in a few years.

Happiness- 

This is a lot to do with how I see things. I'm just going to work on finding more positive in crummy situations and not to tear myself down. 

Skill-

I'm going to take a sketch book with me everywhere. Work on at least one project a week. Practice my hand lettering and really indulge in my creative side daily.

Self love-

I am really hard on myself. Like, really really hard. I'm actually just super mean towards how I see myself. I need to be able to look in a mirror and see something I appreciate rather than someone that I pick apart and tear down. If I can learn to love myself this year, I'll be really proud of myself. 

OUR COUPLE RESOLUTION- 

Besides that, my only other resolution is one that Dillon and I made together. We vowed to travel somewhere new at least once a month, and to eat out at new places more often. We are really trying to experience life and say YES more often regardless of money, work, etc. we just really need to live.

I really hope that this year is just so great and that it brings my husband and I together in new ways. I hope that I grow stronger as a woman, mom, and wife. And I so hope for all of my readers that whatever you are working on works out for you. Happy new year, y'all! 

Home, sweet, homeward bound.

This past week my family of 4 made another huge move. We drove our Jeep all 2,800 miles from Alexandria, VA to the Central Valley in California. 

the jeep all packed up!

 We have been under so much stress lately, (this whole past year- really.)  We have officially separated from the Marine Corps and are considered a "civilian" family now! I could tell you guys that we have been excited and looking forward to the transition, but that would be lying. We really had our hearts set on continuing our life with the Corps. Dillon put in his package for reenlistment last year at his 1 year mark of remaining contract time. He is a GREAT Marine, and had no concern of it's approval. His peers, leaders, and entire chain of command kept assuring us that we had nothing to worry about and that by December 2014 we would most likely be accepting orders to Miramar, California where he had connections and someone who specifically wanted him there to work for him. But as the months came and went we heard nothing.

Dillon was in his Career Planners office every day asking where his package was. We started to worry and then in December we were told that it was denied due to drawbacks and budget cuts. That although he was a "tier 1" Marine, he was out. This was not only devastating, but the hugest heart break we have ever experienced. About a week before finding out this news, he had received an email from a Prior Service Recruiter about a program called "Active Reserves". We had never heard of it and brushed it off, because we thought his Active Duty contract was in the future.

So once we found out about our denied reenlistment, we started researching the other program. Dillon had his application filled out a month before he could submit it, all he needed was an endorsement from his chain of command.

Oliver got to lay out on Dad's seat.

We thought this would take 2 weeks top to go through the whole list of people. Boy- were we wrong. It took 3 months. By the time they got it to the recruiter, it had been lost and found, ignored, and more. Finally, it was there... All to be sent back because some signatures EXPIRED. They were dated too far back. So then it went through the process again and we missed a cut off date for the program's funding and would need to wait 30 days for it to open again.

Jump 30 days, and although it was "open" they weren't going to approve anything for ANOTHER 30 days. 

At this point in time, we had 2 weeks until our scheduled C-section, 1 month until our move and 1.5 months until Dillon's contract ended. 

So we waited some more and week after week- we heard nothing. We were told once we spoke to the Monitor (basically the person who decides your fate) we would be told if it had been approved or not and where you would be stationed. 

So when that phone call came- we were so excited. It was one week before our move. We were driving from base to base fixing our problems with the TMO movers. His coworker called and gave us a heads up that the monitor was about to call us. We waited in a parking lot for 12 lonnnnng minutes before the phone rang. Dillon hopped out of the jeep and had a phone interview with the guy, and then that was it.

She was a good girl and watched movies the whole way.

He hung up, got back in the jeep and said he still didn't know what was going on. He didn't tell him if the package was approved or not... Instead, he said he was endorsing it, and passing it along to his boss. Nobody knew it had a whole separate process AFTER the monitor. He also said that New Jersey was basically our only option for a duty station.

NEW JERSEY? Uhhhh, no thank you. During this whole process we mutually agreed on the fact that anywhere in the U.S. was fine EXCEPT the NE corner. We were tired of DC, and wanted to get out of this corner of the U.S. I personally wanted the West Coast, and our dream was Oregon. So, to hear New Jersey was actually quite devastating. 

Play time was every two hours since we had to nurse so often.

We played on the grass while dad fixed our bag... it ripped in New Mexico.

We drove up to the base (about 3 hours from the DMV) and even toured the base housing and base. It was fine. That is all I can say really. It wasn't anything we could actually SEE ourselves enjoying. We don't want to be anywhere that we would be living the same day over and over. Being so far from family is lonely and miserable. Not being included in holiday photos, events and memories is the worst. We honestly just wanted to be stationed somewhere within reasonable travel distance so that we could afford to see our families.

Nursing stop.

So we decided that if it is New Jersey we are going to walk away. We were told by the Monitor and Dillon's PerSO (officer) to move to California and wait... So Dillon decided not to waste time, and started applying for jobs. Before the movers even came to pack up our apartment, he had 2 job interviews lined up. By the time we got to California he had a 3rd. And when we got here he had his 4th. By our 5th day here he had to decide between two offers. And this week he begins his formal training for the position we decided fit us well.

To this day, we still do not know what is going on with the Active Reserve program. We've been told it has been approved but is pending a duty station, but who knows. We still have 30 more days in the wait time frame.. So, until then, now our family and friend know just as much as we do. <3

We were so afraid to walk away from the military, but honestly... It feels likes we've never been happier. My husband looks so relaxed and at peace. He grew a beard in 2 weeks, has long hair that he only gets cut when he wants, and smiles more.

I never thought the day would come when we could wake up and feel relaxed. We go to my sister and brother in law's house to swim, and then grab food. We cook dinner for my grandpa and hang out with my little sister. We may be sharing one bedroom to ourselves right now, but it all feels... Right? It feels like we're where we are meant to be in life right now. I'm so happy. 

I have such an amazing, dedicated and hard working husband. I'm so proud of him, and I can't wait to see where we are by 2016.

We thought this was SO funny.

 If you watch Duck Dynasty, you should get this. Clue: it is the episode that they're protesting Willy at work.

Our little Model.

 Dillon took pictures of Opal while I was nursing Oliver. 

This is somewhere in New Mexico, I believe.

 All in all the trip was fast and easy. We left on the 1st and arrived on the night of the 3rd.

We stopped to nurse and stretch every two hours. 

Both kids were SO good. I am so glad we got there quickly, safe and sound.

Chhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeesssseeeeeeee!

Sh*t my husband says.

Anyone else have a weird spouse? Well, I for sure have a strange one. Over the years I am still asking myself, "what the heck is this man talking about?!" I can't go anywhere without this man asking or saying ridiculous things. So over the past week I've jotted down my favorite quotes from the man himself. 

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While in a Target Parking lot: "Red trash... Why did I say red trash... A red neck that's trashy??"

(I was reading an email and have no clue what the heck he was even rambling about. It was just super funny to randomly hear.)

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While sitting on the sofa: "I stepped on a rubber ducky and thought it was a mouse."

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While driving and seeing a moving truck drive by: 

Dillon: "We could call them" [two men and a truck]

Me: "Yeah we could"

Dillon: "Or we could call two marines."

Me: "Ooh or college hunks"

Dillon: "Yeah... Wait no."

While casually talking to each other: 

Me: "I need a new phone case."

Dillon: *Aggressive tone and face* "OKAY. DID YOU LOOK ON GROUPON?"

This man is obsessed with groupon goods lately..

 ----------------------------------

While driving:

*Tantrum* "I HATE WAITING. WAITING IS NO LONGER IN MY VOCABULARY. I won't make a marine wait again. 'Oh your pay is messed up? SIT DOWN.'"

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While shopping at lowes: 

Me: "The exit is right there."

Dillon: "You mean salad?" [salida]

 ----------------------------------

Me: "Why would I go to target and the mall with the kids alone?"

Dillon: "Because you're Chelsea and you like going to target."

 ----------------------------------

I jotted this down because he is actually sweet sometimes:

(We were in a chic fil a parking lot)

Me:"Did you get ketchup?"

Dillon:"I got barbecue"

Me: "Hmm"

Dillon: "Do you want me to go back inside and get you some?"

Me: "Would that be a hassle?"

Dillon: "Nothing is a hassle for you."

I have a weird kid too.

Me: "Are you hungry?"

Opal: "Noooo"

Dillon: "Want chicken nuggets?"

Opal: "No"

Me: "French fries?"

Opal: "Yeah!"

Aren't toddlers the funniest? French fries are always a hit, right?

Now back to Dillon. 

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We were driving to New Jersey and saw a
kid consignment store that I wanted to go into but it was 6 am.

Me: "I wish they were open."

Dillon: "I don't, you'd probably make me stop."

Me: "I would! When's the next time I'm gonna get to go there?!"

Dillon: "Probably this afternoon on our way home."

*driving fast leaving the toll booth*

"This is when you kick it."

^^what the heck does that mean?^^

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*driving past sign for New York.

Dillon: "Well babe, I guess we are going to New York.... Or as the people there say, York."

Me: "Nobody calls it York."

Dillon: "Well the people from New Jersey call it jersey."

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"This is a pretty good place to play hide and seek." *pointing to forest*

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At a Denny's in New Jersey:

Dillon: "That lady's name is Beat Rice. What a horrible name." 

Me: ".....you mean Beatrice?"

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I mentioned how my tank top kept going really low and showing my bra:

Dillon: "It's like your shirt is playing limbo. 'How low can you go...!'" *proceeds to shimmy*

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"Are boogers biodegradable?"

I hope you have a weekend filled with fun!

We are spending our weekend packing and cleaning before the movers get here on Tuesday!

It is finally time to leave DC for good!!

:-)

xoxo, Chels.

He is here!

Oliver Wayne is finally here! We welcomed our sweet boy on Wednesday, June 3rd. We woke up bright and early and headed to the hospital for our scheduled repeat C-Section. It was a calm car ride.. but weird in the fact that we knew within hours we would be holding our son. I was really nervous for it all, knowing what to expect everything to be like.

When we got to the hospital we were greeted by really nice nurses who asked me about my previous birth experience and then made sure that this experience went the complete opposite. Everyone came in and introduced themselves to us, explained what their role would be in the birth, and then again, asked how they could make me feel comfortable. It was absolutely amazing.

Once all of the papers were signed, and I was prepped... I had to walk into the OR. I didn't know that would happen, but it did. It was intimidating walking into that bright white operating room. Funny part was that I was too short to climb onto the table. They actually had to find a stool for me to hop up there on. Once I was on there I was prepped and given the Spinal block. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I definitely almost jumped out of my skin when I felt the pinch of it. Thankfully my anesthesiologist was incredibly nice and good at what he did. He made me feel safe and in good hands. (My last experience, my anesthesiologist was a total b***h, honestly.)

Once I was numbed and everything was good, everyone else flooded into the room. It went from quiet small talk between the nurses and I, to a buzzing bee hive. I remember just wondering where Dillon was, and when he would be there. Once he was finally there it all began. Pressure, tugging, talking, then I felt the weight of Oliver's body missing from mine... and then there it was! His little baby cry! I was so happy and relieved to know he was Earth side! And even more comforting, my doctor had said, "this baby is posterior too!"...... I was instantly filled with gratitude and so proud of myself for listening to my gut. I could have attempted what the doctors even confirmed would have been a nightmare of a VBAC that probably would have still ended up in a C-Section.Although I have dreamed for so long of that natural birth experience, I am so thankful that I made the choice I did. I would have felt robbed again of my dream if things would have went south.

Once they checked everything on Oliver really quick they instantly brought him and laid him on my chest. It was awesome that my hands were not shaking and going crazy this time. Even more so that when I felt anything weird I could tell my anesthesiologist and he had some way to fix it for me. 

Getting to finally hold the little boy that was inside of me for so long was amazing. I was flooded with emotion and love. He was so cute, and to my surprise looked nothing like Opal. He was short and chunky, and looked like me! Every day he wakes up looking a little different and more like me. I love it! I held him for a few minutes, and would have got to hold him longer but I handed him off to Dillon because my eyes started to get really itchy and I couldn't stop blinking really hard. It was frustrating. But during this time Dillon got to go cut the umbilical cord, see Oliver be measured and weighed, and then we were all off to the recovery room.

Once we were there I got to nurse Oliver and cuddle him. It was the best moment. There's nothing like the first latch and that knowing that bond between you and the life you created is about to blossom. He did so well with his latch, and has only been getting better.

I'm not sure what it is about my body and birth, but I always have complications with bleeding. This time around I was passing baseball size blood clots after birth with a constant leaking of blood. Not good. But the DR stripped my uterus and after a while the clots stopped and the blood stopped leaking.

Once that situation was resolved I got to go to the mother-baby area and settle into my room. Once my legs were no longer numbed I got to go on a walk that evening before bed. My night nurse was on my nerves at that point lol. I was feeling really good, and I guess she wasn't used to that. I was taking small steps, smalllllllll steps!! And this woman kept telling me to slow down and that I was going too fast and that I should be in pain. I was so confused, like, was I supposed to pretend to feel worse than I did? Lol, anyways, walking was easy for me to do. It wasn't like I was speed walking or even walking at a normal pace... I was walking like an elderly woman who was very tired. The next morning my catheter was removed along with some monitor that was attached to my incision. I felt like a million bucks getting to use the potty by myself! And don't get me started on how amazing getting the IV removed was! It blew me away that this all happened on my first day post surgery!! None of this happened until day 5 with my last birth. I got to get dressed and do my makeup all on day 1!! It was so exciting.

My mother in law, father in law, and Opal came to visit after the surgery. I was incredibly nervous to see how Opal would take to Oliver. I didn't know if she would be happy, confused, angry... Didn't know. Thankfully though, she was amazing with him!! She came and sat next to me on my bed and kept saying "boy!" And "baby!" It was incredible! She kissed and hugged him a lot. You could see the love and adoration in her eyes. She is still doing great. We've only had 2 jealousy moments so far. I'm learning to balance how to spread myself between the two kids and my husband. Can you believe with 2 kids we've somehow still found time to cuddle and have quiet time to just talk on the couch. It seems so natural and easy, honestly.

 

Oliver has already been out and exploring with us. We have gone to Eastern Market, grocery shopping, and to a park for a picnic. We even  went to lunch at a bakery I've been eyeing in Old Town Alexandria.

Recovery for me has been a breeze. With the last C-section I was miserable. I had so much pain, swelling and trapped gas. This time around I think the most painful part was my engorged boobies!! Hahah! They switched my medication this time around to one I wasn't allergic to, and then some ibuprofen also. I had been taking it all every 6-7 hours apart rather than the 2-3 that is suggested. I still have so much medicine in my bottles and have stopped taking them because I don't feel much pain. The worst of it is probably just moving in bed I can feel the pinch of the stitches on my uterus, but even that is only for a split second and it is gone. Amazing, right?

I didn't even have much swelling in my legs or ankles. The swelling and bloat on my stomach is fading fast too. I wake up every day and it is at least 2 inches smaller. I have no fear that it'll all go down and I'll be back to somewhat normal very soon. :-) no worries about that either though, just want to fit my shorts because it is too hot for yoga pants, haha!!

Since being home, our lives still seem normal. It feel natural to have this little baby nursing all day, along with a toddler who is getting into everything. Night time is actually fairly easy. Opal's toddler bed is in our bedroom. I nurse Oliver, wrap him up and place him in the bassinet. Then I lay a pillow on my lap/ chest and Opal climbs up into my lap and within minutes she passes out. I then move her to her bed and she's good for the night. I have been moving Oliver back into my bed and letting him cosleep with us because getting up and out of bed can be interesting with my stitches. It's much easier to just nurse him while sleeping, too.

So honestly, I've been sleeping normal too. The only thing I haven't been able to do as easily is cleaning up. I kind of just sit around in the sofa and Dillon cleans everything up. I'm so glad he's home to help me with everything. I couldn't do any of it without him. And bless his heart, he's been doing all of the diaper changes!! I have changed only around 5 diapers between 2 kids this entire week. I'm so lucky, lol.

I can't believe I am even saying this, but life with an eighteen month old and a newborn is going easy. I hope I'm not jinxing myself, but I'm just so thankful for it. I hope it can continue to feel this natural and amazing. 

And I know I have been saying for months that we still don't know what is going on with our future... And as of today... We still don't. But I will tell you what we do know.

We put in our 30 day notice and will be leaving Virginia at the end of this month.

We scheduled our move with DMO (TMO) for the last Friday of this month.

We are moving to my hometown in California as of now, but that shouldn't actually be our destination. We should find out our new duty station by next week, but can't change the TMO stuff until they cut us official orders.

I hope that sometime next week I can have a post all about our future. It would be nice to know where we will be moving to in 2.5 weeks. It has been and still is extremely scary and stressful to not know what our future holds. It's even scarier to know you're technically going to be homeless and jobless until someone finally decides to get to work on your stuff. We have been waiting and waiting, and then his application gets sent back to be fixed or changed, or a signature has expired... It's just all been a nightmare. I'm ready for it to be done. And as far as we know now, it is finally at its last destination and on the desk of the final part of this process. We are so close.

So until then, wish us luck and keep my family in your thoughts please! <3