Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - #13

Up:

• I have the best husband ever. You'll see that a lot has been going on with me from the 'downs' and I've had to rely a lot on Mike to take over the parenting role this weekend. He let me get a full night's rest, went grocery shopping, bathed and bedded Jackson, and took Jackson to church this morning. That is a lot for Mike when it is a college football weekend! Anyway, he is the greatest!
• Our little girl is growing so much! Kennedy is already outgrowing her newborn outfits. She must be growing a lot because she is still sleeping a lot. I'm not complaining though; she is a more peaceful, relaxed baby than Jackson was. I think it's true what they say - the Lord only gives you what you can handle. She isn't even two weeks old though, so I may be speaking up too soon! 
• My parents flew home on Friday, but I seriously couldn't have made it the past couple of weeks without their help. They cooked meals, took care of both children while I rested, ran a bunch of my errands, let Mike and I go out to a movie...the list is endless. I appreciate their help so much as we transitioned from a family of three to four!

Down:

• Breastfeeding makes it's appearance for the second week in a row. If there are any male readers, you may want to skip over this! So things were going fairly well right after Kennedy was born, but then she decided to feed every hour (which is really like every half hour since you count from the beginning of the feeding). Anyway, my nipples became raw and blistered and I decided I couldn't do this again, I was just going to pump. Once I began pumping, I realized why she was feeding so often. My damaged breast (from a breast abscess I developed with Jackson) was only producing at most an ounce, so she wasn't getting enough to eat. That's when I decided to switch to formula and just pump to wean my breastmilk production. Wouldn't you know that early Friday morning I developed mastitis. I went to the doctor and had a 103.1 fever and a heart rate of 129. The doctor also noticed a place on the damaged breast in a different area that is at risk for developing an abscess - seriously! They gave me IV fluids to get my heart rate down and sent me home with Motrin and Antibiotics along with a slew of home remedies to dry up my milk supply. Since then I've been drinking this AWFUL sage tea every 6 hours, constantly keeping cold cabbage leaf compresses on my breast, B6 for engorgement, and pumping. It is exhausting, but I am starting to feel better and hopefully by this time next week it will only be a memory.

Jackson riding in his wagon to get the mail with MiMi & PaPa.

Kennedy relaxing in her swing.

Boo! Happy Halloween!

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - #12

Up:

• Kennedy Olivia Hefferly is here! She arrived at 7:44am on October 19th weighing in at 7lbs. 12 oz. and 20 inches long. She is such a peaceful baby thus far. She likes to sleep and can already sleep through much of her big brother's shenanigans. Hopefully that will continue!

• We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family! From encouraging words to food and gifts you are all so generous. A special thanks to my parents for helping out so much with Jackson during all of this. They took him to the pumpkin patch right after Kennedy was born with his Mother's Day Out class!

Down:

• Breastfeeding! Not sure if this should be in the ups as well. As many of you know last time I had a huge struggle with breastfeeding Jackson. After only a month I switched to formula and had to have emergency surgery for a breast abscess that I had developed. Luckily this time around is going better. It is still a struggle getting Kennedy latched on the side I had surgery on, but it's getting better. Plus I just forgot how much it hurts in the beginning. Hopefully all that will subside and we will have a much better experience this go round.
• Recovering from surgery. This time has been SO much easier to recover from than last time. My only issue this time is not being able to pick up Jackson. It's so hard not to just scoop him up and squeeze him. It's been just he and I for so long over these past months and now Daddy is home and we have Kennedy. I just want him to know that he is still super special to me. Hopefully I'll be able to resume normal activity soon.

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - #11

Up:

• Three Days before we meet our beautiful baby girl! I keep saying that I am ready and I am ready not to be pregnant anymore and to meet our sweet little girl. The part I'm not ready for is how tasking it is to have a new baby much less having a newborn with an 18 month old. Here's hoping I can adjust quickly! Good thing is my parents will be here on Tuesday to help out and Mike will get some time off work!
• Watching Jackson and Mike play together just makes my heart melt. Earlier this week Mike was golfing in the backyard and Jackson immediately picked up a club and tried to do everything Daddy was doing! It's so great that he has a male role model back in his life to show him the things that I cannot. Today we went bowling since it was raining outside. Jackson is in LOVE with bowling and did not want to go home!

Down:

• Jackson has been exceptionally whiny this week. I don't know it if was because Mike had to go back to work, the change in sleep schedule over the weekend, or the weather not permitting as much playtime outside. Whatever it is, I hope it self corrects by tomorrow morning and I can have my happy, go lucky, little guy back!

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - #10

UP:

• Jackson turned 18 months old on Monday and also got his first haircut. He didn't seem to mind at all. In fact he laughed when the guy started using the clippers on his neck - I think it tickled! It definitely helped having Daddy hold him during the haircut. Our little guy is growing up so quickly.

Jackson's First Haircut!

So handsome!

• The first big purchase Mike made (the day after he got home) was an electric smoker. He's wanted one for a long time, but they aren't cheap, so we just kept putting it off for more necessary purchases. Now I'm wondering why we didn't get this thing sooner! He smoked a brisket on Tuesday while his parents were in town. OH MY GOODNESS - it was delicious! We used mesquite chips of course, being from Texas! On Wednesday the weather got cold here, so we used the leftover brisket and put it with ground beef to make chili. It was by far the best chili I've ever made, maybe even the best I've ever eaten. Looking forward to many more meals from this wonderful contraption! I think we may even try to smoke a turkey at Thanksgiving!

• The countdown is narrowing, we are a week and a half a way from meeting our baby girl! While my weight gain has slowed, I still feel ginormous! I can't wait to hold her and to have the ability to tie my shoes again! On another note, the doctor told me that the c-section was scheduled for 6 am and Kennedy would be born by 7:30. That is a bit early, don't you think?!

Down:

• Many of you know that I was (am) a Registered Dietitian prior to being a stay at home mom. I have had a huge struggle with Jackson and his picky eating. I mean this is what I did for a living, give advice to others about food related issues, and I can't seem to get my own son to eat. This week's 18 month check-up was pretty eye opening. Jackson has only gained one pound since his 12 month check-up, but he's gained over 3 inches. He is in the 17th percentile for weight and the 92nd for height. It's not really that he won't eat, because he does, it is finding something that he will eat. He doesn't ever want to try new things and eating out is an even bigger challenge. Kid's menu items aren't always cheap especially if you don't know if he is going to scarf it or eat two bites. I'm hoping this is just a phase that he will grow out of, but it is really frustrating.

Mike & Jackson enjoying some popcorn and watching Finding Nemo. Too cold and wet to go outside and play.

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - #9

UP:

• HE'S HOME!!!!! Mike returned from a nearly 7 month deployment on Tuesday night. He was originally flying a jet back, but with all the delays and maintenance issues he kept getting delayed. Both of us were starting to worry if he was going to make it back before Kennedy was born. The opportunity presented itself in Spain for Mike to switch and get a direct flight on a C-17 and he jumped on it! It was all very sudden and I didn't find out until the night before. I cried for like 20 minutes before I could even call anyone to let them know he would be home then. It was such a relief! 
• Now back to HE'S HOME!!! It's amazing how quickly our family has already settled back into functioning as a family unit again. I figured it would take a while to transition back to relating with each other in the same way and for Jackson to remember Daddy. It has taken no time at all. Jackson recognized Mike right off the bat, but it took only a few hours before he remembered what it was like to have Daddy around. They've been getting along great! Same with Mike and I, it's like he never left! We are so excited he made it back safe and sound. Most of his squadron has also returned, but there are still a few guys that won't be back for another week or so....Please pray for their safe return as well.

Jackson...ready for the plane to land! Rover is Mike's call sign.

Out at the flight line, watching Mike's plane land.

It was torture...we got to watch the plane land and then all the guys were bused inside for customs. All we could do is wave as they drove by and wait for ~30 minutes until customs was finished with them.

Our good friend Adam Mattheis was on his way back to Lakenheath from deplyoment in Korea and was able to help us welcome Mike home! So glad he also made it home safely!

He's Home!

Jackson getting some cuddles with Daddy!

Had to show a couple of pics of the house. This is a wreath I made for Mike's homecoming!

We had the sign, sparkly garland hung from the porch, and of course yellow ribbons on the twigs known as trees out here!

• Yes, we have another up! While nothing can top Mike coming home, this is pretty big too! Friday, we purchased a 2007 Honda Odyssey! We are officially mini-van owners! For all of you out there that don't have children, you have to understand that a mini-van to a parent is like a loaded Audi or something for you! It makes life so much easier. There is a ton of leg room, car seats fit with ease, the kids have vents in the back to keep them cool/warm, leather seats for easy clean up, TONS of storage space for toys, snacks, etc., a DVD player for long road trips....I could go on and on! I absolutely love it! Plus we got a great deal with trading in Mike's car!

Posing for a pic with Mike, the car salesman, before we drove off in our new van!

Down:

• Seriously hard to find a down after a week like this! Jackson is super attached to Mike now, but there is this panic anytime Mike leaves the room or Jackson has to go to bed. Jackson thinks Mike will leave again and he starts crying and saying, "Daddy, Daddy." It's starting to get a little better, but I can totally understand where he is coming from. In the meantime, we are just trying to be reassuring and let him know Daddy is not leaving, he's just going potty or at work, but he'll be back soon. At any rate, it gives me great joy seeing the two of them together again, especially now that Jackson can communicate! Hopefully he will understand that Daddy is sticking around for a while!

Love this pic my friend Heather took of Mike and Jackson! 

Mike and Jackson out to welcome another group of jets home!

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - #8

Up:

• So happy for all my wonderful friends that have their spouses back after this long deployment! It fills me with such joy to see the jets come in and all the reunion pictures and to know that mine is just around the corner!
• Monday marked one month until our baby girl will be born. Can't wait to meet Kennedy on October 19th; I know she will be such a joy in our lives!

Our beautiful baby girl's profile at 20 weeks (you only get more sonograms if you have a high risk pregnancy). Can't tell a whole lot from it, but I'm pretty sure she and Jackson have the same nose!

Side profile at 35 weeks along!

• So many wonderful family members with birthdays this week. My Mom's was Thursday and my brother-in-law, Andy's was Friday. Popo (John Gaschen), Mike's grandfather's birthday was also Friday. Though he is no longer with us it gives me great pleasure to think how proud he would be/is of Mike right now. They were the best of buds and Mike lived with him through college. Such a great man and Mike is following right in his footsteps!

This was Mike and I with Popo at our wedding. He was already pretty sick here, but he was a fighter!

Down:

• You know the saying, "a watched pot never boils," well that is how I feel about time passing this week. When you want time to pass quickly it seems to slow down to a snail's pace. I'm so ready for Mike to get here, but I'm trying to be patient. The other downside is that with the AF nothing ever happens as planned, so Mike has already been delayed more than once. Lets just pray that from here on out there will be no more delays and we will be reunited soon!

Here are some pics from this week:

Jackson eating alphabet soup! He decided it was a good time to also show me how much he knows about his facial anatomy! Needless to say we went immediately to the bath! 

Jackson and Kenlee (our friend Kellie's daughter) sitting in the chair together. They proceeded to switch shoes after this picture was taken - too cute!

Jackson and I with Sparky, the fire dog, during our tour of the base fire station.

Jackson wasn't too interested in the fireman, he just wanted to see the trucks!

Jackson walking through the cab of the fire truck!

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - #7

UP:

• During this deployment the spouses had 'secret sisters' that we gave words of encouragement, gifts, and support. On Friday, at our squadron potluck, we had a 'secret sister' reveal! I was really excited to find out who mine was because she did such a great job and always seemed to know what to say or give Jackson and I to perk us up. It was our friend Amy Baker, which is also funny because I had her watch our house while we were in Colorado this summer when my secret sister made a delivery! Anyway, for my final gift, she gave me a very special necklace with Mike & I's names on the outer circle, Jackson's name on the middle circle, and Kennedy's name on the inside circle - I love it!
• Another very productive day on Saturday while Jackson was at 'Give parent's a break'. I will share pictures later, but I completely finished Kennedy's nursery with the exception of hanging one item that I have yet to get from Zulily. Once it comes in, I will post all the pictures!
• Today Jackson and I went to the air show here on base. Over the course of the weekend, the expected turn out was 80,000 people which is crazy to think about on this small base in this small town. We had a great time and Jackson LOVED the airplanes. I was so worried that the loud noise would bother him, but he just got more excited! I'm now exhausted though because we were there from 11:30-5pm. Luckily I have the best kid because he was completely well behaved and even took a little snooze! Here are some pics/videos of our day (Sorry the videos aren't the best quality):

F-15 Demo Team = AWESOME!!

Jackson wearing his cool shades!

The Thunderbirds!

Down:

• Same 'ole complaint here. I'm so ready to have Kennedy. I actually think I will get more sleep once she arrives than I'm getting now! She sits so much lower than Jackson did and it is just really hard to move around comfortably. It will definitely help having Mike back home to help out with things like carrying Jackson up and down stairs or bending over to give him a bath. Until then, I better just suck it up and quit complaining because I'm only going to get bigger!
• It really stinks living so far away from family. When we were growing up our birthday parties largely consisted of just family unless it was a milestone birthday. Today my niece Katherine turns 3 and I can't be there for her or any of my other nephew's birthdays. It just seems like time passes so quickly and all these kids are getting so big, but I'm not a part of it. Maybe some day we will all live closer.