One year down....

So in about 65 minutes we will strike the witching hour of the time when Rudy's adventure into our lives began one year ago.  I have settled with the fact that his arrival into the world, as it was less painful than Ella's, was way more traumatic.  I guess I remember celebrating Ella's first birthday feeling just as emotional as I do now.  Remembering every  detail of the moments leading up to his birth.  I reminisce his birthday often, wishing Jon had been there yet not wanting to change a thing as it is Rudy's story, and our family's story of how we the Kalbach's came to be.   Tomorrow we will celebrate with a birthday bash to celebrate his birth the "Drotleff" way:-)  The theme for his party is "Rudy's First Harvest."   Rudy was named after my Papa Rudy who was a well known farmer in my home town.  As much as Rudy looks like Jon, there are times when I see my nephews in him as well and know fully that he has part of Papa Rudy in him.  It is neat to see the mix of people we love in our children who made us who we are and too who made them. 

In approaching Rudy's birthday tomorrow we remember the date of my mom's passing 9 years ago.  A day which I can remember the moments surrounding her leaving this world as if it happened yesterday.  My sister was there to watch her take her last breath and release her soul into heaven to spend eternity with our God.  A moment my sister will never forget.  33 years ago on October 3rd my mom was celebrating the birth of her first born spend this day giving birth to my sister.  On the 4th she celebrated her first daughter being a day old.  Amazing how the days pass each year, who knows what tomorrow will be.  I miss my mom, every day.   I wish she could be here physically to celebrate our children's lives with us, and so I could tell her that I get it now.  I understand how much she loves me and how much I love her.  

Our newest friend "Stacey"

It has been fairly recently that Ella has begun talking about her friend "Stacey."  "I want to call Stacey" and she will on her toy phone.  "Stacey is at school, she broke Daddy's plane, Daddy has to fix it and then he is going to paint it Red."   Hmmm.......  as far as I know she doesn't know anyone named Stacey.  

Today while eating lunch she told me that Stacey was coming for dinner.  I asked her what Stacey likes to eat and what she would like to have for dinner and she quickly responded "McDonalds"!  Stacey likes apples and nuggets just like Ella!  We proceeded to head upstairs for post lunch nap and she cried because she wanted to play with Stacey.....  She heard me shut the door and said  "is stacey here?!!"  Then she heard Rudder come up the steps and again thought it was her friend.  

Rudy went down for his nap about then and I needed to study so bad mom that I am plugged Ella with a couple of Episodes of 'Max and Ruby' so I could get some studying in.  That was the last I heard of Stacey today.  I am interested in what is to come of this new friend as I hope she isn't disappointed when she realizes that her imagination is the only thing bringing Stacey through the door.  

Turning the corner on another year!

Mason David Brown turns 1 today!  One year ago today I remember sitting in the parking lot at Michael's, Ella in the back seat, while on the phone with my brother-in-law Tim as Jenny was in labor with Mason.  I hung up and called Jon in Bahrain to spread the news.   The next day I learned of the birth of Wesley Green to our friends Adam and Meredith who are currently station in Japan.  Wesley came 10 min after his dad made it into the delivery room, barely making it after only flying off the ship that day.  I cried when I read her email with the news, called her that night before I went to bed searching for hope from another person to say "this won't happen to you, Jon will be there."  She told me that laboring with out Adam wasn't as bad as she thought it would have been and that she was surprised........  In two weeks on October 4th Rudy will be one and my mom will have been gone for 9 years.  The events of those two days forever burned in my heart and in my mind.  Some moments which are blurs some so vivid I still feel them.  Two of the most important moments in a person's life, the moment arriving into the world and the moment they depart.  I feel so lucky to have my Rudy born on the date my mom departed.  

It has been another wonderful year.   I have done a lot of reflecting this year and soaking in how wonderful our family and our life is.  

Summer come and gone........

Summer came quickly and it seems to be ending even faster.  All of our summer plans came and wemt, with one final trip planned for Labor Day weekend to Ohio.  Thinking back, last Summer seemed to have lasted for an eternity.  Perhaps because it was tough all alone, pregnant and babysitting 4-5 kids everyday.  It was fun but this summer was better with Rudy here and Jon home our family was complete.  

Last month we took a family trip to Annapolis for my Cousin Kellie's wedding.  Ella was the flower girl with two of my nephews who were flower boys!  They were adorable of course and the wedding was AMAZING!    We hung out in Annapolis and took a day trip down to DC with my sister and her family.  We had a lot of fun!

We most recently returned from a trip to Cali.  We surprised Jon's mom for her birthday and retirement.  She has been counting the weeks for the last year and her time is finally up!  She had no idea we were coming.  Rudy and I arrived first as we had a tough time getting there on standby.  Jon came with Ella two days after I arrived.   I was rushed on the plane and feared saying goodbye to Ella as I anticipated her crying when I left her.  I realized once I had gotten on that it would be my first full night away from her as the only other time I left her was sleeping 6 or so blocks away from her in the hospital the day I gave birth to Rudy.  I guess I reached a new milestone.  I have yet to leave the Ru Dude though, and there is no desire to either.  Like I said Jon's mom was surprised and we all enjoyed hanging out and 

 doing    a whole lot of not much!  Rudy and Mason both got their hair cut for the first time on Grandma's deck.  Jon did the honors.  Poor Rudy was boarder line skater boy  with the mop he had going on.  Jenny got Mason's cut before it was too out of control.  They both look adorable!

Ella enjoyed Grandma time, baking cup cakes, picking plumbs and playing monster.   We got to visit with Jon's good friend Justin and finally meet his lady who we all fell in love with!

 

We visited with our Cousin Allison, Aunt Gene, and Allison's twin girls and met the newest baby born into the family, Baby Alex.  Alex Curletto is Ella's 2nd cousin and also her 2nd cousin named Alex! (Alex is short for Alessandro) 

We also had a wonderful visit with Jon's Grandpa Jim and Grandma Rita.  They were elated to share the time with Ella and Rudy as we were to see them.  

Coming home is always bitter sweet.  Back to our routine via red eye is never easy.  We made it though and had a great time!

Our next big adventures involve installing a new hot water heater, exterminating bugs and having a termite treatment, and getting a new coffee pot.......

I almost forgot I have big news as I am headed back to school - today infact!  I bought new school supplies and everything!  It is only one class but it is a start.  I am going back to become an RN.  This semester I am only taking Anatomy and Physiology I which will require me two days a week to leave the house BY MYSELF!   I'm sort of bummed that I only have 1 class but I can't really move forward with the Nursing program it's self until we get to our new duty station.  So between now and then I can / should be able to easily get  prereqs for the program out of the way. (I only need 2 or 3 as the rest of my classes from my Health Ed. degree work for the rest)  I am SUPER excited to have something for me!!!

Grown up in three days.........

One day,  he drove the "Rocket Ship Cart" at the commissary.  He sat and played and decided he was going to have a great time just as my back was giving out with him in the sling. That same day he fed himself "triangles" which were made out of "circles of zucchini at dinner.  (language we use with Ella ) I then realized how good he has been feeding himself.  He makes his mouth almost every time.  The next day he started showing us that he could crawl forward but prefers to "army crawl" across the floor. You can see in his eyes his desire to go places.  It is obvious that he has been planning carefully over the past 9.5 months all the "bad" places he wants to explore.  He focuses tirelessly on cords, outlets and anything that he can potentially pull on top of himself or put in his mouth that he should not.  Ella was not interested in any of these things.  I'm afraid we are not prepared for this boy!

Finally today he started saying "DaDa."   Where has my baby boy gone!? 

In other news, Rudy is officially done nursing.  I'm so sad to have to have stopped but we have been fighting a horrid thrush problem for  months that has turned resistant to just about everything.  He is taking a bottle of formula now, 3 times a day.  Really, when people say formula is expensive.....yeah they aren't kidding!   I realize that I have been pregnant or breast feeding for 3 years now and this will be it for me!  Or will it?  

Today "Big" Tyler is coming to town and Ella, Rudy, AJ, Tyler and I are going to hit the Gator pool.  It will be a big day for the kids! 

Rudy

Rudy is now 22lbs and nearly 9 months old. He is not quite crawling yet but managing to get around on the floor, mostly backwards but moving forward every so often. He has pushed himself up on his hands and knees a few times, thrown himself forward onto his face from that position (which really pissed him off) and he is feeding himself (hand to mouth) very well.
Rudy recently had a good little bout with the flu, giving him a fever for about a week and a bit of a rash afterward. He has started sleeping a bit more at night but still waking and crying loudly. I know he doesn't need to eat in the middle of the night but it certainly gets back to sleep quicker and without keeping the whole house up. Jon has sleep issues to begin with so it only makes it harder for him. One of Rudy's signature attributes is his ear piercing scream. Yes it's loud. As a small baby, when he would cry for long periods, as most babies do, he gained a reputation as a fussy baby. Compared to Ella, he wasn't fussy at all. Decibel wise he was louder, sure, but I consider him a happy kid. I don't like it when people refer to him as fussy..... Rudy lets us know he's mad and cries out to tell us and stops. Unless of course he's tired and fighting sleep. What baby doesn't cry out to tell you he/she is mad or tired?
Anyway, like I said he is nearly 9 months old. Time has FLOWN by. Reading my cousin Allison's blog as she is trying to go into labor but not, makes me remember Rudy's birth day like it was yesterday. Jon and I were watching a re-run of 'Carrier' on PBS the other night, the episode when the guy gets a dvd of pictures and videos of his child's birth on the ship. Jon got emotional, I did too. We are coming up on 1 year ago that Jon left for Bahrain. He wasn't gone that long. The next 3 months will go fast too and soon it will be Rudy's first birthday and 9 years that my mom passed. How do we slow it down?
Rudy is sitting on the floor on the biscuit quilt Grandma made him watching Baby Monet with his little shorts riding up around his mid section. Chubby little thighs, chubby little cheeks and and smiling with his toys and at his sister who is pooping on the potty (an urge decided on her own!) My chubby little t-bone is growing up too fast.