Last update....128 weeks ago.
WOAH! So someone mentioned livejournal on myspace today so I decided to see if mine still exsisted and here it is! I just might start blogging agian. I think its prefect timing. This will be my update post.
-Well, Matthew and I have a two year old daughter now. She's grown so fast already, I really do miss the sweet little newborn but seeing her personality blossom has been so much fun. She's just such a treasure. I don't know how I exsisted without her. :) I can't even express how lucky I feel to have her. She's been such a great kid. She was a perfect pregnancy, perfect newborn, perfect everything. Even as a toddler she's great. Sure, she has her days but sometimes thats more my fault than anything. :) I'm so very blessed!! The only think...I'm scared to death to have another baby. Ella was so perfect the next child is bound to give me issues!! Haha. :)
-Matthew went through his second deployment and started a third since my last post. As for the previous deployment...We had been really stressed about Ella's arrival, worried that she wouldn't come on time. Thankfully she was born 5 days prior to his deployment. As luck would have it his leadership granted him a few extra days with him that got extended even further because of a changed flight. He got two weeks with our precious newborn and myself before hopping a flight to Iraq.
His tour got extended like so many others and he ended up staying 15 months. He got his R&R early into the deployment which resulted in being gone a full year between the time we saw him and when he got home. What a LONG year it was! He got 'blown up' quite a few times but thanks to the buffalo he drives he came back in one piece, thank you God, and with a few exciting stories! The homecoming ceremony was amazing, everything I expected and hoped it would be. There are no words. Well, maybe there are...it was exhilarating. After they unloaded the buses and marched forward twords us the general made a small speech. Then we were told to find our loved ones. It was like in the movies, my friend Rosie and I ran out there hand in hand trying to find our husbands. It took me all of 5 seconds to find Matt. Neither of us knew where the other was but it was like we were drawn to eachother. The crowd parted and there he was...amazing...just amazing. I can still see the look on his face in my mind. [See...I told you, just like in the movies.]
By that time Ella was 15 months and all the work I did showing her pictures and letting her listen to his voice and showing her the webcam paid off. She looked up at him, raised her arms and said, "Daddy." It was like he had been there the whole time. We did have some bumpy roads ahead but nothing our love couldn't sustain.
-Fast forward to now...Matthew left for Iraq again three days ago, they're saying it will probably be an 18 month deployment this time. Part of me doesn't feel like its real. Its just so surreal to think we're doing this again. The year flew by too fast!! I definitely feel stronger this time from last but I still feel like a little lost child at times. We're not sure what the communication will be like, it depends where they send them from Kuwait. We're really hoping for good communication like last time. *Crossing fingers* Oh I just miss him so much...
-This year will bring a lot though, two of my brothers got engaged over Christmas and I'm in both of the weddings, Ella will be the flower girl in one of them. It'll be so much fun!! I'd also love to get Ella into some dance classes. She loves to dance around, maybe gymnastics too?? We'll see. :)
Well...I guess thats it for now!! Please keep our family, especially Matt and his soldiers, in your prayers!