Rolling, Rolling, Rolling...

Keep that baby rolling...or not.

I do believe I mentioned in a prior post that Zach has rolled over before, from his tummy to his back. I assumed it was a fluke, and still think so...but he did it again today. THREE TIMES! It is truly a hilarious story though because just as many incredible things cannot be proven, this is the case today.

Clara Grace was in the bathtub, making the noise I require her to make so that I am sure she isn't drowning, while I put down Zach on his tummy on the lovely blanket my good friend Christine made as I folded a basket of laundry. It didn't take long before he just rooooolled right over onto his back. That was not in my plan of tummy time, so after cheering as only a mommy would do to her five-week-old baby I put him back on his tummy and continued to fold the clothes. He did it again. I'm still thinking it is just a fluke but excited anyway, put him back on his tummy. He did it AGAIN! This time I got really excited. I grabbed my cell phone that was nearby and put him back on his tummy and begin filming. Definitely excited and encouraging him. I mean, he already did it THREE TIMES IN A ROW!

You know what he did after I started recording. He cried. And cried. Until I felt just plain guilty and flipped him over.

I promise I'm going to manage to record it soon though. He is quite the "mover" and is all over the crib. I think he has rolled over from his tummy to his back five times now. I know it isn't intentionaly, he is just so squirmy and always rolls from his back to his side to sleep, so not that much further while wide awake can have him completely rolled over.

Just thought I would share. I would share the video but it is just too embarrassing to hear me encouraging him to roll as he fusses. I'm sure he was more than annoyed to have been repeatedly rolled back over as he worked so hard to get into the position he wanted to be in.

Clearance Updates

We are slowly but surely getting closer to "closing" the clearance process! It is exciting to be able to say that. Today the vet called to let me know that Blaze's lab work came back and he is all clear to go. He just has to complete the 180 day quarantine...so both pets are ok to go. I dropped Clara Grace's dentist form off today and they said they would mail the completed form to me today. I found out that I need the Hep A and B vaccine at my appointment today and Clara Grace and Charles both got their 2nd round of vaccines for Japanese Encephalitis today too. Charles was cleared by the dentist yesterday.

So...that means that all we have left to do is

• Charles' physical later this week followed by a medical clearance appointment next week.
• My medical clearance appointment next week and getting those vaccines.
• Clara Grace and Charles getting their 3rd/final round of vaccines for Japanese Encephalitis (23 days from today).
• Scheduling the appointment with the guy that declares our family "cleared" when all of these things are done.

Now, that certainly doesn't mean we are done but the clearance part will be over, I think. We still need to schedule an appointment to process our passports. And then we will begin preparing for the move in terms of travel dates, movers coming, household goods shipping (I think there are two seperate shipments) and travel arrangements. I'm sure I'll get more information on that as it approaches. You should hear my big sigh of relief to know we are this far into the process!

One Month Appointment

Zach at one month old

Zach had his one month appointment today. His pediatrician was very pleased with what she saw. He weighed in at 9 lb 3.5 oz and was 21 inches long. I did a very poor job of documenting Clara Grace's weights (I did this but can NOT find it anywhere) but did find where I logged in her stats at 7 weeks, 5 days old so it must have been for her two month appointment. She was 9 lb 6 oz and 22 inches long at that time.

He is really filling out and doing well. I'm convinced I'm going to get him to smile at me any day now!

All Clear!

And I mean that in more than one way. Clara Grace and Zach are both cleared medically to go to Japan AND the sky is clear! Today it is supposed to be 61 and sunny, but I think it will be even warmer. Clara Grace and I are wearing capri pants and will definitely be getting out to enjoy the wonderful weather. It get even better though! Tomorrow up to 65, Sunday 74 and a few more days still in the 70's. I hope this holds and we get a nice warm spring!

However, to continue with the update, both kids had a doctor appointment this morning. All went well but I missed Clara Grace's stats. She'll have her five-year-old wellness appointment in a couple of months though. Zach topped the scales at a whopping 8 lb, 8.5 oz. If you recall he was at 7 lb 14.5 oz eight days ago. So basically in four weeks he now weighs 1 lb, 5 oz more than when he was born.

Between appointments we went to Dunkin' Donuts and then the grocery store. I snapped a few pictures of Clara Grace and Zach while we chilled at DD and thought I would share. She wanted to feed Zach a little so I snapped a pic of that sweet scene and then as we were packing up she decided to show off a ballet move or two or perhaps she was just burning off some of that high from her double chocolate donut.

What a sweet big sister!

I couldn't resist snapping a pic at those feet!

Or the rest of the body! Here he is at exactly four weeks old.

And here she is putting on her show!

Release Date!

Just a quick update. Many of you have been asking when we will be leaving New England and I can now provide a date. Charles saw the CO and the SgtMaj both this morning, at the same time, and was told that he will be released from this command August 16th! So, I'm sure we'll be heading south as soon as he has checked out and our stuff has shipped!

We also now have a sponsor in Iwakuni. He is waiting for our clearance form and will then get us a post office box as well as get us on the waiting list for housing. It is starting to all come together!

Shots, Swimming and Shopping

First off, yesterday was one of those days where I really found myself reflecting on the ability of mothers in the past that managed to get everything done. It also made me recall my own behavior in certain situations.

As it turns out, it is recommended to have the vaccine for Japenese Encephalitis before moving to Japan. Charles and Clara Grace both got it yesterday, while Zach and I will have to wait until he is a year old. This shot is a three shot series so they go back in seven days and then in 30 days. Anyway, Clara Grace knew she was going to get a shot but wasn't happy about it. She looked definitely bummed but appeared to be brave about it...until we actually went into the room for the shots. THEN it sounded like we were ripping her fingernails out. I had to get firm with her because she was adamant about not wanting the shot, screaming, etc. We finally got her on the with her poor little thighs exposed and she got a shot in each thigh (personally I think that is horrible but it is how they do it) and then I discovered exactly what my little turkey has within her. I bet they could hear it outside the building. Luckily she was soothed quickly but I had to carry her out to the lobby where Charles and Zach were waiting. Charles took over the duty of carrying her. When she finally did walk on her own, it was so pitiful for the first minute.

Her swim lesson was yesterday afternoon and helped her work the soreness out of her thighs. It certainly didn't look as though she were pained at all. As you can see, she is getting to be such a big girl. Don't those legs look...long? It is so hard to believe she is quickly approaching five years of age. Her instructor, Patrick, really thinks she is coming along so we are going to continue with some more but taking a two week break so she can continue working with him.


And then there was my first solo grocery shopping experience with both kids. I have gone into the grocery store and picked up a few items with them both, but just used my stroller/carseat combo so was pretty easy and obviously not many items involved. Yesterday I loaded the carseat into the seat of the cart and had Clara Grace walk along. They were both very well behaved (Zach slept the whole time and Clara Grace stayed with me just fine) but I was so...nervous...the whole time. I kept my hand on the carseat worried it would fall off, and then kept trying to determine if he was at a good angle with the way the seat fit in there. Then there was the problem of me being short trying to see where I'm pushing the cart. The funniest part had to be anyone watching as I tried to usher Clara Grace ahead of me, hold the carseat in place, and somehow get in front of the cart to unload it at the check out. Needless to say, I am very much looking forward to Zach reaching the minimum size so I can "wear" him at the grocery store until he is sitting up enough to sit in the cart. Whew!

The final note is an update about Clara Grace's reaction to the shots. Unfortunately she is now running a low grade fever, has a runny nose and is congested. Poor thing, but she is being a trooper about it.

Making Progress!

This morning we had a family clearance appointment which has launched a series of appointments that will hopefully have us officially approved as a family for our overseas assignment sometime in early May. Here is the rundown:

• We all (excluding Zach) have an appointment to check our immunizations tomorrow morning at 10. We know we are all current, however haven't been able to find out if there is anything special we need to live in Japan. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.



• Clara Grace and Zach each have an appointment this Friday with a doctor at the clinic. I'll have to get Z's medical records copied from his civilian pediatriction for that.



• I have my appointment on Monday morning.



• I have to have the dentist sign off on CG and me. That shoudn't be difficult, just a matter of getting down there.



• Charles has a dentist appointment, physical, and another doctor appointment to clear him.

After all of the above is handled, we will call the guy we met with today and bring all of our clearance forms to him so he can give us the status of officially cleared! Other than that, we are just waiting on Blaze's FLVN results. THEN we can start the regular activities associated with a permanent chance of station such as scheduling movers, inspections, and travel arrangements...getting a sponsor in Iwakuni, requesting housing, etc.

On other news of progress...Zach rolled over from his tummy to his back last night and I have witnesses! I'm sure it will be a long time before it happens again, but it was exciting anyway. We were at church and he was laying there with my friend's newborn while several of us adults chatted and he just did it. I'm including a couple of pics I took of him while we were waiting for our appointment this morning.

Zach being Zach

It is so hard to believe that this little guy entered the world just three weeks ago. Just like with Clara Grace, it is now hard to remember life without him. He is such a sweet baby and really growing quickly. With this picture, I had just been playing with him and I promise it looked like a little smile. I grabbed my phone and thought I would try to get him to do it again (knowing that this is too early) and he promptly spit up...explaining the little smile that wasn't. Isn't he a cutie?
Yes, Jackson is usually nearby, watching over CG and Z.

I know it is completely inaccurate, but this morning I got on the scale with and without him and there was a nine pound difference, which tells me he is likely near 8.5 lbs already. Wow! He has a one month appointment on the 28th so we'll see where he is at then. In the event he weighs around nine pounds at that point it is just astonishing. CG didn't weigh nine pounds until she was three months old.

Watch out for the Sharks!

Last night we were called by Clara Grace's soccer coach and told to be on the field at 9 AM today. We showed up and they handed out jersey's, did some warm up exercises as seen in the first two pictures, and they selected a name for the team: The Sharks! They then did some drills and talked about the basics. I was really impressed with how well both teams did. Not that score is kept, but the Sharks won 5 to 0!

Here they lined up to do the high fives and tell each other it was a good game. It was really cute and Clara Grace had a lot of fun. We were able to finally find a pair of cleats small enough to fit CG today which was no easy task. Her coach (he is quite a hoot...we really like him) collected jerseys and money afterward so he can have their names put on the jerseys so she'll be all decked out next week.

"Bounce" into Spring

Clara Grace, Zach and I loaded up this morning and visited a friend that had a baby girl a week before Zach was born. CG was thrilled because this friend also has a little girl her age and a boy that will be three years old very soon. After that we went to the "Bounce into Spring" event held at the gym on base. Here are a few pics... They had about five or six different bouncy things. CG had a blast on them all.

My fearless little lady.

She just loves reptiles.

There were crafts there and CG opted to paint a paddle.

She nows sports a painted kitty on each cheek.

Popcorn is always a yummy treat according to CG.

As you can see, we had a nice time and Zach was such a trooper and slept the entire time.

A Few Random Pics

Here are a few items that I thought I would share.

These are the orders Chuck's command gave Zach. If you click on it, it should blow up where you can read it. Very cute.

This is Clara Grace posing with the balloon they gave her at the dentist. They are about five feet long, no joke. This is the first time the balloon hasn't popped before I could snap a picture.

No cavities!

Here is a video clip of Zach's first experience in the swing. I think he likes it. What do you think? It was almost creepy how quickly he fell asleep once it started moving.

Zach's Weight Gain

Perhaps it is sad that I'm devoting a post to nothing but the weight gain of my child, but apparently weight it something that is bound to be a concern at some point with children of mine. As it turns out, Zach got a poor start in gaining weight. Here is the breakdown of his first week of life:

Birth weight: 7 lb 3.5 oz
Weight checking out of the hospital: 6 lb 14 oz
Weight at five day check-up: 6 lb 13 oz
Weight check at 11 days old: 6 lb 12 oz

It was at this time that we determined there was a weight gain issue. Soooo, with a mission on my hands I set out on Operation Weight Enhancement!

Since then...

Weight check at 13 days old: 7 lb 2.5 oz (note, this was two days after we determined there was a problem so he gained 6.5 ounces in two days)

Weight check at 20 days old: 7 lb 14.5 oz

With that said, we are pretty much in the clear but do have his one month appointment on the 28th.

So I am now declaring victory!

Passports!

Although you'll be reading this first, I am actually editing the original post since someone requested I include my picture as well as the spouse's. So, here they are. You'll see our adorable kiddos down below.

Personally, I find it a little humorous that babies need a passport, but I understand. Clara Grace, Chuck, and I had our passport photos taken before Zach was born. Now that he is here I decided to go ahead and have his done since we got his birth certificate yesterday. Check out his hair! Is that not a riot? By the way, I couldn't help but notice that all our us look like we are having mug shots taken! CG was the first one and the lady had a lot of trouble with batteries so all of CG's smiles were exhausted by the time the lady decided to just give up on her batteries and plug it into the wall. Anyway, now that we have photos and birth certificates we only need to schedule an appointment to apply for our actual passports.

Rainy Days and Mondays

It has been raining cats and dogs today! And it is Monday. I admit that the Karen Carpenter's voice has been running through my mind all day...BUT this rainy day and Monday is not getting us down!

To be honest, I thought today was going to be rather difficult as it is Chuck's first official day back to work since Z arrived, neither of us got much sleep as CG was having coughing fits throughout the night, and while Z had a good night there are night time feedings that keep me awake a bit. That should teach me to be pessimistic! While I've not been a poster child for productivity I have managed to tidy a bit, do some laundry (and put it away) run a few errands and meet the needs of the kids.

It is truly a rotten day outside though. CG and I were trying to come up with something fun during one of Z's naps today and she wanted to play duck, duck, goose even though I reminded her it isn't so much fun with only two people. We decided the best way to take advantage of the gloom would be to pull out her Ariel tent, pop some popcorn, get some water and pick out some favorite books to read by the light of the lantern. She loved it and it was quite a bit of fun. I personally am still impressed I managed to climb into that tiny tent. The humorous part was when we were done (we took a little lantern lit hike around the house too), she wanted to continue to play and made Jackson climb in the tent. He looked quite reluctant to be in there with her but she was so happy. I tried to snap a pic of that but it was too dark w/o a flash. Too funny!

Well, I hear Z waking so off to tend to him...

Random Pics

Here are a few random pics over the last few days. Nothing too exciting other than they are of my little ones, which of course means I think they are fascinating. CG is giving Z some affection. I just realized it...his eyes are OPEN in this picture!

I know it isn't the baby, but isn't Jackson a handsome pooch?

I don't think CG will ever make is as an actress. Here she is pretending to be asleep. Are you buying it? Aren't they sweet together though?

Zach is all tuckered out after his first trip to the store. Wait, he slept through that experience too. One day I'll snap a pic with his eyes open.

I know I'm not an objective source on the subject, but isn't he adorable?

Clara Grace building with krinkle blocks. She is becoming such a big girl, and getting rather opinionated about her clothing. Pink, pink, pink! She loves to accessorize with her tights and yesterday we let her pick out a new pair of sunglasses. I'll have to get a pick with those but she and I ran into the commissary while Chuck and Zach stayed in the car and at least two people commented she looked like a movie star. Thankfully her current career plan is to be a veterinarian.

The kids!

Back to Blogging!

Ok. It is time we started settling into a somewhat predictable routine so I'm going to set a goal of more frequent blogging WITH pictures of the kids. Hold me to it. Let me know when I'm slacking as accountability will only help me meet my goal.

Just to give a quick update, we are doing well. Last night was a bit rough, but I survived and have had my daily dose of caffiene and about to take a shower which helps a LOT. This week we have plenty of appointments to make and must really get the ball rolling to get our clearance to go to Japan. Z is approaching two weeks of age which is when we can start all that but until then CG and I both have a routine dental appointment this week along with her extra-curricular activities and Blaze needs to have an appointment for Saturday. I don't think Charlie has to work this Saturday so he can handle that one. Oh, and Z has a weight check on Tuesday. I think the pedi will be pleased!

Also, Easter is coming. We must do some planning! I'm so glad I bought CG's dress a while back but she does need shoes and tights.

Well, just thought I would touch base. I promise to post some pictures today. Until then...