Big Changes

It's been a while, and we've got quite a bit going on. Or rather, some things have been done and some things are up & coming.

The Done

WE MOVED!  We went on the VML in the spring and got our orders to report in December. We requested the latest date they could accommodate, and we were pleased with our result. While moving over the holidays added a bit of extra chaos, we needed to feel comfortable leaving Vegas with B's care & OT post-surgery (the poor kiddo had a second operation for his polydactyly in August, but that is a story for another day). 

T is learning to be an instructor down in NM where he trained nearly 4 years ago. He's very happy with the assignment - he really loves being an IP. But it's not without its struggles. He is finding that teaching brand new, never-flown-this-plane-before students are trickier to teach than he those who came into their squadron in Vegas. He's still finding his balance between covering all the necessities without going into too much detail. That's why they teach you how to teach, I suppose! 

The Upcoming

Promotion! T's commission year finally went up for their Major boards and the results came out and the end of last month. He was selected to promote to the rank of Major, which is fantastic! He truly wants to put in his full 20, but the AF is a move up or get out type of system. Prepping his application for it took I think about a year, not including going back to school to get a Masters degree. I had confidence he'd make it, but it was definitely not a given at this level. I am really proud of him and thankful for the leadership he's had looking out for his goals. 

Just for family's awareness his actual promotion date is not set yet and probably will take 10-12 months to do. The process of promoting at this stage is staggered. So the list comes out, you are assigned a line number and they promote people in smaller batches of a few hundred instead of all 2000+ at once. 

Baby! We are expecting a little boy in mid-July. He helped keep our tradition of PCSing while pregnant. I gotta say I have moved while 35 weeks, 20ish weeks, 11 days postpartum, and now 5-9 weeks; this time was the worst one. It also was the first time we sold a house which prolonged the process, but it was ROUGH. I was so sick. There was a day when the kids watched cartoons for like 9 hours while I alternated head over the toilet or napping on the bathroom floor. 

We're halfway through and I've been feeling better for about a month. I'm still TIRED. All the time. The lack of caffeine doesn't help the situation. The kids are mostly good about understanding when I need to rest and still sometimes nap. Even though they have given up nap time since moving and sharing a room. And in the mornings they have a wake clock that lights up green when they can get out of their room. Most days B is chomping at the bit and he'll come busting through my door like the kool-aid man 1 minute past wake-up time "MY CLOCK IS GREEEEEEN! PLEASE CAN I HAVE BREAKFAST". Occasionally H gets up first and peeks in quietly. I can hear them in their room starting when they first wake up, which is usually anywhere from 30-60 minutes before wake up time, so I'm not usually asleep, but if I'm very still she will close the door and softly say "shhh mommy is sleeping" and entertain B until I come out on my own. I must teach her how to bring me my (decaf, blerg) coffee. . .

The kids are excited for a baby. They like to talk to and about him. H even drew a picture of her and I doing something and included a baby in my midsection. Drawing baby is about as big as her and definitely looks like it's coming out but I love it. It's on our fridge. B doesn't quite understand time as well yet so he still asks a lot when. H understands at least it will be after her birthday. No one is disappointed it's a little brother, although I really think like us they would've been happy either way.

The End
So those are the big updates of the last year-ish it's been since I last posted. The kids are pretty good right now at playing independently, so hopefully this kickstarts more regular updating. Until a newborn is thrown in and then all bets are off, ha.