Starting the year out asleep

I wanted to post pictures, but I haven't unpacked the camera yet. Let's just say that Christmas with 25 people is not relaxing, enjoyable or something I would want to do every year. Even every other year. Maybe every 5 years. I didn't get to talk to anyone for more than 3 minutes and Navy Bean was beyond stressed out.

The highlights of the trip were seeing Camille and meeting Sandi and David. Seeing Camille is always nice, and my entire family has been playing with the gift she got for Victor. Meeting Sandi and David (at Fighting Maturity) was great. I was very nervous, which meant I talked a whole lot. The babies are even cuter in person than in their pictures. Sandi and David are amazing and nice and real. I was going to take pictures, but someone (not me) was being a cranky pants. We were quite the spectacle in the restaurant, as we had three babies and one boy. I have to say, I was very impressed with Captain Stinky. He waited very patiently for his food, he didn't interupt the adults and he tried to get cranky pants in a good mood. And, when we left, he held the door open for me. My 11 year old step-son doesn't do that. Usually, he lets the door slam in my face (even when I have the baby) or he waits for me to open it for him (even when I have the baby). Overall, seeing them and Camille was probably the most I got to visit with anyone. Next year we're staying home.

Drive by excuse

Busy packing. We're going to drive, with Navy Bean and Wes's two kids, to east Texas, then Oklahoma and then Dallas, to my parents' house. We're driving straight through. I know you wish you were me! Meanwhile, enjoy the sleeping baby.

Why the Navy and babies don't mix.

Wes is finally getting off his current ship, after more than three years on it. Last night they had his Farewell party, which means that all the officers get together, drink, eat and tell stories on each other. It turns out, these hardened military men also love babies, so Navy Bean and I went along. It was nice to get out of the house and to hear all these great things about my husband, but I did notice something disturbing.

Hey, who bought Navy Bean a beer?

She's never going to wake up now!

Keep this man away from your daughters!

I hope everyone has a great, non-hectic weekend!

Navy Bean is 4 weeks old, and still cute!

We have made it four whole weeks!!!! I am still alive, Navy Bean is still alive and we still love each other!!! I consider this a huge success. She is progressing very well for someone so small. First, she's already grown out of almost all her newborn clothes. I don't know who told her she could do that! I told her she had to stay my little girl forever, but apparently she is intent on getting big. I try to convince her that she is already "soooooo big" but it is not working. She is smiling more, her eyes actually follow the mobile (on occasion), she is "talking", and her neck skills are very impressive. Her spit up skills are also very impressive. One downside to breastfeeding, when she spits up, it runs down your belly. How fun is that!?!

Navy Bean getting her first bath where she sat in the water.

She really liked it.

Is there anything more pathetic, or cuter, than a pouting baby?

When I was little, my grandma used to tell me that a bird would

come and poop on my big pouty lips. Was anyone else

ever told this? Wes thinks it is weird.

Making funny faces at daddy.

She has started to fight sleep, which she must have gotten from Wes, because we all know I will sleep anywhere, anytime. Yesterday was our first trip to the park. The weather was warm, and she was fighting her nap, and thus, a car ride to the park was just the solution. She slept through the whole park, but I got outside and got some exercise.

On a slightly related note, my husband and I are dweebs. We discovered that we've been giving everyone the wrong anniversary date for us. See, we eloped, so it's not like there was a date on the calendar for a year before it happened. Neither one of us remembered the exact date, so I've been going by the expiration date on my military ID. We just realized my ID expires the day before we got married. So we've been celebrating the wrong date too. Whoops!

Someone called CPS on IQ and no, it was not me. I am a little ticked about it though, because I think it was the social worker that's supposed to have been helping IQ. She's been leaving hints with IQ that her house is a mess, but because IQ has the mental capacity of a middle schooler, she doesn't take hints. This lady should have sat IQ down, spelled it out for her, given her a list of things that needed to be done, and then helped her clean. Instead, she passed the buck. Now IQ is in the system and he husband was gone when it happened, so now the Navy also knows about it (they made him fly home) which really damages his career (although he could have gotten off his lazy ass and cleaned too). Anyway, CPS gave her a very long list of things that needed to be done and a week to do them. When they come back, they are going to sit down with her and give her a chore chart/calendar. I hope she realizes though, that this is not just a one time deal. They will continue to check on her and she will have to maintain her house, otherwise, they will take IQ Jr. And I don't want that. The stupid social worker was supposed to help prevent this, not cause it.

Random things

So Beth tagged me to do 5 random things about myself (I think that's what it was), and since the baby really doesn't do much yet, I've been looking for something else to blog about. I'm supposed to link Beth, but I'm computer illiterate (it's amazing I can blog), so she's the link on the sidebar that says (wait for it), Beth. I've decided to go with a Christmas theme. So here we go, 5 random things about Christmas.

1. I won a classic i-pod at Wes's Christmas party last night. This is wonderful because the most technologically advanced music player I have is a CD player. This also means I will probably have to have my sister show me how to use the i-pod. I almost didn't go to the party too, so that was pretty darn lucky!

2. When I was three, we were really poor. Really, really poor. My mom stole construction paper from the school she taught at and made a Christmas tree on the wall.

3. We lived in Arizona at the time of #2, and my first memories of my dad are singing Chipmunk Christmas songs while riding his motorcycle (yes, at age 3). I remember the helmet being really, really heavy.

4. I think my best Christmas was 1985. That year, I got a 10 speed bicycle and my mom told everyone she was pregnant (that would have been my sister). I was super excited about both.

5. I think my worst Christmas was 1997. I knew my marriage was over, but my entire family had gone to Colorado for Christmas and they didn't want me to leave my husband while they were gone (because they weren't sure what he would do and they weren't there to help me). So I stayed with him until after Christmas. I refer to it as the Christmas that never was.

So there you go. And now I have to go check on the Navy Bean. I'm sure this Christmas will probably replace 1985 as my best.