No new washer and dryer

Okay so the picture below shows the new washer and dryer set I've been eying (that word is spelled funny?) for the past week.


Long story short, our dryer died last week right after we moved in. Bummer but it was way old when my in laws bought it for us right after we got married. So it lasting 7 years was actually more credit than I gave it when I first saw it. 5 moves in that time was just too much for it. I gladly let it go 'cause it didn't dry all that spectacular anyway.

Then hubs is working on hooking on the washer up and he's having issues. The kind of issues that had him muttering expletives like the dad on "A Christmas Story" steaming about his hot water heater and throwing tools around. I of course got happy on the inside and immediately started looking for a new set. Now what I really wanted was...



but since we're trying to be more frugal and stay away from using the credit card I searched for a set that was still red but would clean just as nice for a cheaper price! But to no avail, the fix-it guy came out and whoopty doo, the washer is fixed. Boo Mister Fix-it man! Who told you to come and do your job so well??

We went to Sears and bought a Maytag. *sigh* Oh well, at least the clothes will dry faster now! And maybe just maybe one day I'll get one of those snazzy frontloaders.

Try it, you'll like it!

Okay so the above saying is now a staple in the Jones' household. If you have youngins (LOL) then you're familiar with the show Yo Gabba, Gabba and it's crazy antics and songs that it uses to motivate little kids to do the wildest of things like eating their veggies without complaint.

So a common song is try it, you might like it. And little dude has taken that and run with it. I blame it on hubby 'cause he used it a couple of times when we were trying to get him to try some new foods. Now every time he asks us to do something and we say no or not right now, dude comes back with "try it, you'll like it." No, we won't like it and that stinking song won't help us like it any better, LOL!

Ugh, I think I'll have to limit that shows viewing 'cause those songs pop up all the time. In one sense, he's learning. In another, he's just too smart for his own good and knows how to apply the right concept to the right idea. Kids, gotta love'em.

Let's go to Florida!

It's been a long time but we are here in the great state of Florida for a family reunion! It's crazy because most of my extended family I haven't seen since the wedding (6 years ago) and so they are all amazed that I am really grown with two kids. Where did the time go?

But I am thrilled to be here. I love family and I love that the kids are meeting their cousins and establishing those bonds. That was the sucky thing about being in Germany, being away from everyone and missing out on family reunions and holiday celebrations. Two weeks every year just did not make up for it at all. However, we are well on our way for making up for lost time though. One reunion this weekend and one reunion next weekend. Lots of traveling in a small space of time but well worth it.

The ocean is calling my name. Hopefully we'll be able to ride over tomorrow. I would love to take pictures of the kids dipping their feet in the Atlantic!

Moving sucks!

Okay, so it's not that bad but this is such a big transition for our family that when I sit and think about at it at times, I'm overwhelmed. We're moving internationally from one country to another. I have a toddler and newborn. I'm leaving one job to go to school and learn another job that I've never done before. My husband is also making the transition from not having worked for 2 years to jumping back in the job market during a recession. I cringe just re-reading that but in the end, I know it's all going to work out. There are moments when the stress of all the appointments and packing comes but at the same time I have peace that everything is gonna be all right!

Of course this doesn't mean I can stop praying or even that I won't worry about something over the next 18 days but I do have the assurance that this is planned and that our footsteps have been ordered. We don't know what to expect or how our family will receive the new Bek & Theo but it doesn't matter because we've been approved by God and that's all that matters.

I'm so going to miss this country. The people not so much but the inclusion we have as Americans here in Germany is nice. We're in our own lovely little bubble away from the craziness of America and away from the craziness of Germany. Hard to explain but what I've become accustomed to. But change is inevitable in life and change is almost here!

She's asleep!

And I don't want to wake her up. Is that so wrong? The only thing is, it's 10 pm and of course I'll be ready to go to bed in half an hour and then she'll be up. Why oh why?! I've gotten so much done these 3 hours. I was behind on some things and now that I'm all caught up but the price I'll pay is that I won't be getting the much needed sleep that I need since she hasn't been sleeping all that well at night. The joys of motherhood!

In other trains of thought, I did another half day at work. Baby boy needed to see the doctor for conjunctivitis (pink eye) and a bad cold. Not mad that I missed worked though there is really nothing going on and hasn't been since I left on maternity leave so I'm not out of loop at all. Only the rest of this week left and maybe some of next...

And last thing for now, a funny for today. We're riding along in the car and Matt is delirious with sleep but denying it to the fullest. Then he nods....we laugh because he's lost the fight but only moments later, he wakes up with a jolt and yells "no I'm not tired, I don't want to sleep, Bri is sleepy." Hilarious! Kids gotta love'em.

Maternity leave is over!

I am officially sitting at my desk at work right now and so sad. Today is my first day back, ho hum. It hasn't been horrible but I miss my baby girl and being in my pajamas all day long, lol! She's at home with daddy so that does make me feel a little bit better but of course he doesn't have mommy patience so I'm praying that he's not letting her cry it out. Though I know it's nothing wrong with that and crying won't kill her.

This is such a bummer. Why is maternity leave only 6 weeks? I took a few extra days but they weren't enough. Doesn't help that I'm in a country where maternity leave can last up to 2 years. America is so far behind but what are you gonna do?

Oh well, the silver lining is that this is only a half day and next week will be my only full week because the week after, I start clearing (Army speak for leaving a unit). At least I'll have half the summer with no work before I have to go back to 9 to 5 in the classroom.

I think I want to be a stay at home mommy.

Movers came back, all 3 of them!

Let me tell you, I am through with German movers. Or maybe it's the Army planners I should blame? I don't know who to blame but those dang movers came back on Friday. All 3 of them! And while they did delve into the work very rapidly, we have a 4 level house with lots of stuff. We needed more than 3 movers. To top it all off, 1 left to "take care of business" and didn't come back until around 5. Well around 6, the 'head' mover realized that the day was coming to a close and they hadn't even started putting the stuff on trucks. They called in some back up and finally drove off at 9:15 pm. It was a very long day but the next step of our move back to America is done. It has also made the move very real. We are living with the bare necessities of life, which goes to say that we could live with alot less than what we have on a daily basis.

A funny note about the move...

Matthew comes home from school to find our house wrapped in cardboard and boxes. Well as he tries to continue regular life he starts asking for his things. When it was time for dinner he asked "Mommy, where's my plate? Where's my chair?" When he went outside to the yard to play, "Where's my bike?" It was so sad yet so funny at the same time. This move turned his world upside down as he knew it but he's rolled with it very well. He also took to his temporary full size bed very well which we were a bit worried about but he loves it. He never mentioned sleeping outside of his crib before even though he could freely climb in and out but I guess he was more than ready. Now to go home and find him a big boy bedroom suite.

What in the world is going on?

Okay, this blog was supposed to be my mommy outlet. My outlet to expand my mind and all things grownup after hours of watching 'Cars' and singing nursery rhymes. With a few kid stories thrown in, seeing that I do have two of them. However, I have been completely lacking.

Now some would say I have a good excuse having had a baby just 6 weeks ago but nothing else in life has stopped except my sleep, lol! So I must persevere and press forward. I am making a spring resolution (is that legal?) to write in my blog at least 2x a week. It doesn't have to be long or drawn out or even substantial but it has to be something.




Moving on to the task at hand, THE MOVERS ARE HERE! Right now as I type. I totally was not prepared for this day to arrive so quickly but it's here and we're one step closer to moving back to the states. It's almost surreal! I'm still wondering how we'll feel once the two mark is up and we're not getting on a plane back to Germany. We've been here 5 years now so this really has become home. I miss my family and all but to tell the truth, if I had a choice, I'd stay here. I'd move my momma and daddy over but that's the only change I would make. But such is life, change is inevitable and we all most move on at some point. Just looking forward to seeing what's next in store.

She's here!

Okay, before her first month is officially here and gone I have to announce the birth of Miss B! She arrived the 23rd of March at 1:40 pm in our own lovely bathroom! 7 lbs, 8 oz and 20 in long!

The home birth went absolutely perfect! I could have not asked for a better birth experience. The contractions started that morning about 7. By 9:30, I knew things were going down that day. I took a shower and was trying to make sure everything was in order for the day to go smoothly. By 10:50, transition hit and I kept saying to my doula that I was so surprised things were moving along so quickly. By 11:30, the first midwife arrived and I was at 7 cm, woohoo! An hour later, I was at 10 and I started pushing. However, things stalled a bit here and I wasn't mad because by then I was tired. I was laying on the bedroom floor and my 2nd midwife said if you move to the toilet then your water will break and she'll come. Of course by that point I didn't want to move but they convinced me and about 1:25 pm they helped me to the bathroom to sit on the toilet. No sooner than I sat down and asked Theo to come and kneel down in front of me for support, the contraction from h-e-double hockey sticks came along and my water broke with a whoosh! As soon as I felt that, I knew her head was right there. We quickly got some help to come in and they set up the chux pads and less than 10 min later, I had pushed her out. Whew! No easy feat but in the end, she was healthy, crying with her lip poked out. Half hour later we were in the bed. An hour and half later, I was in the shower and we chilled the rest of the night! And that's the down and dirty in 500 words or less! I wrote up the real thing and it took up 3 single, typed pages.

Hopefully next time (next time? what am I thinking?) I'll be able to do the same and I highly recommend it to all.

Now off to my youngest child because she's screaming bloody murder as if she didn't eat about an hour ago.

Two days overdue!

So Miss B was due on Friday! It is not Sunday night. Ugh! I hate to complain because I know she'll come once she's ready but mommy is ready now and I wish she would hurry up and come on out. The midwife says she sounds fine and is measuring just right so there is no rush but I wish I could rush her out. Not that I'm looking forward to not sleeping and long tired nights but my body is at the end of it's sharing stage and wishing it didn't have to anymore, lol! I wish not to vent too much so I'll end it here and hopefully pick back up in a few days with a wonderful birth story! Ciao!

Is that English?

Last night Matt and I are in bed! I'm reading and he's supposed to be going to sleep while waiting on daddy to transport him to his bed. Well I guess he had some things on his mind because he starts asking me about different people and I tell them they are all at their homes and I guess that suffices for him.

Well then he asked where his grammy was and I say she's at home. He asks where his grampy is and I say at home with grammy! Well I guess I wasn't clear on it because he said "what?" I say, at home with grammy. Again he asks "huh!" Well I must be mumbling since obviously I can't get through so I try a third time. And this time his response is "is that English?" What? Who is this kid? He gets it from us though because it's what we often ask him when we can't understand what he's saying. He's clear most of the time but there are those times when he doesn't enunciate the word quite the way we would say it and we have to ask several times until we figure it out.

Oh well, I guess he is listening to us! I will try to be clearer with my English next time, lol!

Track season

So, track season is upon us again! Theo has been working hard these past two weeks getting his high school kids together for their first track meet on next weekend (when Miss B is due!). It's so funny hearing the stories that he brings home everyday. This year it seems as if there is mostly all new people. Of course you always have a few that come back but being in a military community, the turnover rate is very high.

The first few days of recaps were hilarious as he told me about everyone who decided to come out and try. It would seem that only people who were really interested in running or other track events would come out but in the DODDS system, being on a sport team can give you clout or status or just give you something to do. And while you can't exactly cut them off of the team (again stupid DODDS), they are pretty much dead weight since they don't really qualify for any events.

I digress. There is a particular girl that came out this year that wore very, baggy skater jeans and skater tennis shoes! Are you kidding me? And wore them the whole week. You would've thought after the first day or two she would've gotten the clue that maybe I should wear something else that would allow me to move more freely but nope, the same thing.

But after yesterday, it seems as if they have weeded out the strong from the weak or at least those that have enough potential to make it. We'll see after next week what the outlook for the season will be. I'll keep you updated.

False alarm!

Such a tease! That's what my baby girl did to me last night. And no that's not a pic of me!

Yesterday evening, I begin to have contractions sporadically while making dinner. Pretty bad ones compared to what I've been getting now so my brain kinda went into rush mode. I still hadn't washed her clothes or blankets, still hadn't done the belly cast, still hadn't gotten the plastic sheet for the bed, etc. So as you can see, I was behind the times! After we finished dinner, I threw some things into the wash, did the belly cast and prayed that I could hold on until at least morning. By 11, they had died down so I breathed a sigh of relief!

And then, we went to bed. Nothing wrong with that however, we partook in some marriage fellowship if you know what I mean which started everything back up. I didn't worry about it but instead went on to sleep. Between midnight and 4, I had to get up 3 times to use the bathroom and to breathe in between contractions. Uh oh!! That 3rd time I got back in the bed I could not sleep because my brain was going 100 miles per hour and I was starving! I got up to finish washing and drying clothes all the while hoping my snack and some t.v. would stop things. It did, another sigh of relief!

However, I was a zombie at work this morning and had to go home for lunch to take a nap and recharge. Everything is washed and ready though. I'm going to get Theo to take some pictures tonight of my belly and pack my emergency get-to-the-hospital-quick bag. The plastic sheeting for the bed has been bought and now to wait again!

Here she is!

Here she is! Miss Brianna J. It was so cool today! I went into the doctor thinking I was going to get a regular check up and he surprised me! He started off with the regular ultrasound scan and then like magic, he clicked a few buttons and there she was in 3D. It was so awesome to see. Plus I got to see her in 4D moving. I had been wanting to get a 3D done like I did with Matt but I just never asked.

Her lips are just the cutest. I think they look alot like Theo's or maybe she look like her big brother. This is the printout and he also put it on CD so we could see her move. I have no idea how much that cost or if he even charged me. I'm hoping that will go on the Army's tab, lol.

However, he has me measuring at 38 weeks and according to my calculations (like I'm a doctor) I thought it was closer to 37. We'll just have to see won't we. I'm almost ready. I should definitely be there in 2 weeks. Still can't believe I'm about to be the mommy of 2! Wow, who woulda thunk it?

Where did the time go?

I'm just bewildered. I look at Matt some days and just shake my head. He's a small person now and I can't get over that. He's so independent and always wants to do things himself. His favorite phrases now are "I can do it" or "I help." He dresses himself, of course feeds himself and now can even step up on the step stool to go potty. Where did my baby go? He doesn't even like to cuddle anymore unless he's really tired or sick. *sniff* I do want him to grow up and be a big boy but still, I miss the snuggles, the help needed, me being able to do everything. But such is life! And I can't complain, I still have a baby on the way so there will plenty for me to do in the coming days which will probably make me very happy that I don't have to do every little thing for him!

Theo is 30!

So this past week we celebrated Theo's 30th birthday! I thought it went really well but you'll have to ask him how he thought it went. Turning 30 is a milestone! Our 20's carried so many changes for the both of us. We went to college, graduated, got married, moved 4 times and one of those was internationally, started careers, had 2 kids, bought 2 cars and whole house full of furniture and a plethora of other things! Dang we've been busy these past few years, lol! However, I think turning 30 officially makes you grown, lol! Not old, just grown....Anyhoo, here are some pics of the week!

We went to dinner on the big day and I planned a surprise party for him on Saturday!

This is Matt and daddy at the Thai restaurant where we enjoyed a very good dinner!

Does he look surprised? He was! Some way, some how I was able to keep it a secret all week and by telling a few white lies!

This is us together! After he told me how beautiful and wonderful I was!

So all in all, turning 30 was a good thing! 2 more years until I'm there! Woohoo!

It's been a week!

I have to better. It's been a week and so much has happened during that time!

Let's see, we got a new president which was a very memorable event. We made a night of it here in Germany! We went over our friends house and had a small party. Lots of food, fun, and laughter filled the air as we watched our 44th President be inaugurated. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as we commented on everything including Aretha's gorgeous hat and not so gorgeous voice...Michelle's choice of outfits...the long prayer at the luncheon that didn't actually include anything about the lunch, lol....why Mr. President thought it was a good idea to walk during the parade (we all held our breaths)....and how in the world they were going to get through the 10 balls that night! All in all, it was wonderful. I think we had to put it down around 11:30 seeing we did have work the next day but I did get up to use the potty around 5 something and thought to myself through the sleep haze, hmm, the Obama's are probably still getting their groove on at the ball's!

The weekend was absolutely too short but they always are! Such is life. That's all to report for now!

Potty training woes!

Well I should preface this by saying, I think that the 93% success rate we had last week has moved up to 98%. We only use diapers at night as a just in case. But that 'just in case' bit has been hardly used. I tell you, for some reason, Bug has started waking up between a quarter to six to 6:30 AM when his usual wake up time was at least a hour later! That means an early morning for mom and dad which we're not really loving. Particularly since I am not obligated to get up early for work. And must I remind the world, I am pregnant! I need my sleep most especially since I have to get up several times to adjust sleep positions or have to use the loo! I digress. But he gets up, calling one of us with the announcement that he has to potty! He's dry (woohoo) and promptly uses the potty but instead of taking our suggestion that he lay back down or even better, lay back down with us, he insists that we go downstairs and start the day! Dude, it's still dark outside, wouldn't you rather get a couple more minutes of sleep? Nope. So either Theo and I go down and curl up on the couch with a blanket while he amuses himself with toys, books, or even better educational kiddie t.v. Oh the agony! Gotta love motherhood and all its glorious perks! Is this his innate sense of helping mommy get used to be sleep deprived again? I hope not, hopefully this stage will end soon and we'll be back to our normally scheduled sleep patterns.

And for a quick funny quote from the small person. Noted this morning as I was moving too slow for his liking after he asked me to accompany him to the bathroom, "Are you coming or what?" Where did we get him from? It was too early to snap back at him so I dutifully followed, lol!

Sucker for a good deal

I'm a sucker for a good deal! I tell you, being overseas and having to order most of what I want online has made me a bargain shopper always looking for the best deal and the cheapest shipping. Shoot free if I can fanagle it! I always look for coupon codes before ordering. But at the same time, I think I shop more now. I'm always online looking for the next good deal and how to save more money but get more for the dollar. Is that being cheap or maybe that has something to do with our present economy also?

My latest and greatest website, babysteals.com. I got this site from a friend and I love her for it. It's totally awesome. They sell the cutest, darlingest (is that a word?) things ever for kiddies. And they are usually 50% or more off. I've gotten a diaper bag and a cute hat/eye cover for baby girl so far. I check daily to see what the deal of the day is. It's addictive, I want to make sure I'm not missing the opportunity of a lifetime, lol! I say it will all end once we get back to the states but it probably won't. C'est la vie!

Our first blog

Hi all! This is the Jones' family first blog. We're excited (well I'm excited) to be starting this. I have no idea what I'll write about on a daily (or weekly) basis but hopefully it'll be interesting enough.

So let's start off with what's going on with us. Um...first with me, I'm working daily. Can't really call what I'm doing at work work but I'm there. The soldiers are back from Iraq and life on post should be getting back to normal real soon. Whatever normal after war is. I'm not too worried about it though, I'll be out on maternity leave at the end of March.

Theo is back in school. He's doing well and if he's able to take 2 classes every quarter, he'll be done at the end of year. Woohoo! Yay education.

Matthew is potty trained. Well let's say 93% there, lol! He wears underwear all day and does really well at school. During naps 9 times out of 10 he sleeps without wetting or he'll wake up at the beginning of peeing and let us know he has to go. He still wears nighttime diapers 'cause 11 to 12 hours is a long sleep time and once he starts dreaming, that's all she wrote. He loves school and looks forward to going daily! He's learning alot and gets along with the kids so well and obeys his teachers. I love it that he loves it and it makes me feel much better about dropping him off everyday.

And Miss Brianna! She is wearing me out. I tell you, pregnancy is not so bad but some days are better than others. Lately, heartburn/indigestion, Braxton Hicks, backaches, and sleepless nights are kicking my butt! But who's complaining, lol! She's growing and kicking which is the best part of all so mommy knows all is well. Only 65 more days to go!

Still on our way to America sometime in June! I'll keep you posted!