A day in Venice

Now that the weather is starting to warm up we don't want to spend a second inside. It was another normal weekend and we were trying to figure out what we should do that would be fun. We originally had planned to drive up north towards the L.A. area to pick up a sand rail that Zane wanted to purchase but after having a change of heart, we no longer had any commitments. We decided that we should just drive up there anyway and go to Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier and spend the day walking around, looking at all the strange people and enjoying the beautiful day. And so we did. Here are some pics of us at Venice Beach and the pier. We had a great time.

We saw these guys in New Orleans back in 2006!!

Cally's first carousel ride!

Trying to walk

Cally at 11 months!

Cally continues to be a great baby and happy kiddo. She is fun and lovable and I couldn't really ask for more. Since we've been home she has gained more and more confidence and is now letting go of the furniture more often and attempting to walk as much as possible. She is still a bit unsteady but she has managed to take about 15-20 steps alone before stumbling. She has also learned to fall so when she does stumble she falls onto her hands and knees which makes mommy feel alot better, especially since our house is all tile and I'm always terrified that she's gonna fall and crack her head open. She is now munching on Cheerios and goldfish snacks and is loving all the new tastes and textures. She just had her checkup and is now 30 inches tall and weighs 24.10 lbs! She is in the 90-95th percentile for both height and weight! That's one healthy girl!

Enjoying her Daddy

The biggest change, however, have been her sleeping habits. Since day one, Cally has slept with me in my bed. As she got older she became more and more "needy" and would only sleep while literally holding on to my hair for comfort. She was also still waking up three time a night to eat. This made it difficult for me to get a good night's rest so I new things would have to soon change. My intention was to transition her into her crib before Zane got back but after one or two attempts I realized I would need his help and support, I'm a sucker for her cry. So, after just a few nights of daddy being home we put her in her crib. To my surprise she only cried for a short period of time each night and after day three she was sleeping throughout the night without waking at all! She's now sleeping for 12 hours or so a night, without waking and I'm sleeping alot better now too. I have a baby monitor next to my bed and I get to watch her sleep which makes me feel alot better. I'm so proud of my girl and only wonder why I didn't attempt this sooner. Cally is an amazing child and we are so lucky to have her. She's growing up so quickly and I can't believe we'll be celebrating her 1st birthday next month.

Family Time

Now that Zane is back we've been spending some much needed family time together. We've been hanging out at home for the most part, taking walks to the park with Cally and the dogs, hiking the trails and just relaxing and enjoying each other. This weekend we decided to take the dogs to dog beach in San Diego and enjoy the beautiful sunny day. We had a blast watching the dogs swim and Cally loved feeling the sand between her toes. Overall a great day!

Welcome Back Babe!

After a successful deployment to Al Asad Iraq, Zane and the rest of the HMM-364 Purple Foxes finally came home! It was the day that we had all been waiting for! Throughout the day I received several automated phone calls from the FRO (Family Readiness Officer) with arrival times, changes in the schedule, etc. Via Facebook and phone calls from other wives, we all tried to keep each other informed of whatever we had last heard. Anxiety was running high and we couldn't wait until the time was actually here. The final word was that they would be arriving at the hangar at 2am. I spent the day doing some last minute cleaning and grocery shopping and had Sam, another wife, and Wesley, her son, over to watch a movie and help time go by.

The guys flew out from Iraq to Germany, barely making it out due to a sand storm. After a layover in Germany, they flew to Ireland for a few more hours of waiting. From Ireland they flew to Maine where they were so graciously greeted. And finally they flew to March Air Force Base where they loaded onto buses to head to Camp Pendleton.

Meanwhile, Cally and I woke up at 1am, got ready and drove out to Camp Pendleton to wait for Zane to finally arrive. Mike and Erin were kind enough to join me to take pictures and film our anticipated reunion. Driving to Camp Pendleton was super nerve wrecking and I was really anxious to get there. I was trying not to speed and keep Mike an Erin behind me since they were following, but I was having a hard time doing that because I just wanted to get there. I was afraid I was gonna be late and Zane would get off the bus and no one would be there to greet him.

We arrived at the squadron on time, but soon found out that the arrival time had been pushed back. After several hours filled with anticipation, the bell started going off and the hangar doors began to open. My heart began to beat so fast and I couldn't wait. We all ran to the hangar doors waiting to see the buses. Finally 3 buses pulled up. The guys just began to get off all at the same time and no one knew where to look to find their loved ones. We were all frantically searching and finally, I spotted Zane. I screamed out his name and started running to him then realized i had left Cally in her stroller all alone so I yelled at Mike to stay with her while I ran to my husband. Finally, we were reunited again! He picked me up and we hugged. It was the best hug ever! I was so glad to have him home! What an amazing feeling that was! I brought him over to Cally and he was thrilled to see her. She was a bit hesitant but it felt so good to have our family together again. I feel so blessed. Welcome home babe! I love you and I'm so proud of you!