...jiggety jig. If you know the rhyme, that makes sense to you. It's kind of stuck in my head right now. Anyhoo...
We made it! Yesterday was a loooonnnnnggg day, but we all survived. Wyatt was great, he slept a lot on the plane and we were lucky enough to have 4 seats for the three of us, which made it just a touch more comfy. I mean, it wasn't business class comfy (and I know because I could see those lucky devils up there in their reclining seats with their airline-issued sleep masks, fancy meals and individual movie screens) but hey, at least we were all seated together and had an extra seat. Wyatt also managed to flirt with pretty much all the flight attendants as well as the nice Chinese family across the aisle from us. I'm calling it now: my son will date dark-haired girls, he finds them fascinating. I am SO glad we were all together for the trip since I was pretty sure my head was going to explode for about 3 hours of the flight. Don't worry, it's still intact. That would have been a bad turn of events, huh?
So now we're home, getting settled into our real lives and trying to make our house not smell like...house. You know what I mean? It smelled stale like it did when we first moved in. Why does that happen? I mean, people were in and out over here, Lisa's family used our oven and washer so it's not as if new smells weren't introduced but somehow it still smelled like house. If anyone has any suggestions on how to make that not happen, let me know. I think that's one of the worst parts of returning from a long trip. And I might need more to worry about.
Wyatt might be a touch confused about day and night (our first hint was having to wake him from his three hour nap this morning) but otherwise is doing quite well. He's such a good boy. I think he's missing the rest of the family already. I mean, it's hard to go from being the star to just being a regular guy again. And it's an especially hard lesson when you haven't had your first birthday yet. Oh well, I think it'll make him a more resilient adult :)
Well, I'd better start getting ready for our big night. It's new year's eve, you know, and we have a party planned with some tortilla soup, Alias season 5 and our 6 month old. Big times, big times. Try not to be jealous because my life rocks.
Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Merry Christmas
There are two versions of Christmas this year. Version one (planned months ago right after Wyatt was born, while Mom & Dad were still in Okinawa): I'll come home with my baby, we'll hang out with the family, Wyatt and Thomas will meet each other for the first time and have great fun playing together. Jeff will join us so we can also spend lots of quality time with his family, we'll celebrate Christmas Eve together - the whole lot of us - by going to church and then enjoying our first family dinner in Mom & Dad's new house, finishing with Wyatt's half birthday cake for dessert (that's right, today's his half birthday!).
Version two, our reality: Wyatt and I arrive home to find out Thomas has had a stomach bug. He seems better but it turns out he isn't so we have to keep the babies apart, which means I get no time with my sister. And then Mom gets the stomach bug. And then Jeff arrives, and his mom, in time for the baptism (which was great) but then his mom gets the stomach bug. And then Jeff, Dad and I get the stomach bug. And now Wyatt has it. So our storybook Christmas isn't so storybook after all. I've been here for almost 4 weeks and I think I've actually had about 20 minutes of quality time with my sister, probably 10 minutes with her husband and about 5 minutes with each of her kids. And I've held Thomas for all of 2 minutes, max. I think she's only held Wyatt once for about 2 minutes. This is not what we imagined.
Our traditional Christmas Eve was not to be; in fact, we didn't share our post-church dinner in hopes of somehow making Andrew and my 86-year-old grandma the only family members not to get sick. Mind you this is all going down in Mom & Dad's rental townhouse because the new house is thisclose to being finished, but they don't close until the day we leave. My aunt, uncle and cousin aren't here because honestly, who wants to enter this germ pit? This is not what dreams are made of. And trust me, there have been more than a few tears shed over this turn of events.
But here it is, Christmas Eve (almost Christmas because we've stayed up so late chatting) and I realize that there is simply too much good for me to be sad. I am grateful for my husband's kind heart, the fact that he stayed home with our sick baby so the rest of us could go to church tonight AND fixed dinner while we were gone. Quite frankly, as they read the list of church members who'd passed away in the last year, I was flat-out grateful that my husband's name wasn't on that list because we kind of had a close call last January.
As I was sitting in church, lamenting that Wyatt wasn't there wearing his special Christmas sweater gifted from my aunt and uncle, I realized that I am fortunate to have a happy, healthy (for the most part) baby boy. I am lucky to have sat close enough to my 3-year-old nephew to hear him announce, in his loud stage whisper, during the prayer that he has to go potty. And I am glad I got to see his beaming face tell me it's only ONE MORE SLEEP until Santa comes!
I am thankful that Jeff's parents are willing to forego their own traditions to spend time here with us; I am thankful that my parents are willing to share their home with Jeff's parents and I am super-thankful that our parents get along well enough that we're all actually (seemingly, anyway) enjoying it.
It's no small miracle that we're all here, together, to share Christmas even if it isn't quite the fairytale we imagined (I mean, Jeff's dad had to drive from Denver yesterday, for goodness' sake!) We have a loving family, we have food to eat, we have an abundance of gifts under the tree, we have much too much for which to be grateful. So while it's not the way we pictured it, planned it or hoped for it to be, it is still Christmas. And despite what I first believed, it really is a Merry Christmas! Hope yours is, too :)
Version two, our reality: Wyatt and I arrive home to find out Thomas has had a stomach bug. He seems better but it turns out he isn't so we have to keep the babies apart, which means I get no time with my sister. And then Mom gets the stomach bug. And then Jeff arrives, and his mom, in time for the baptism (which was great) but then his mom gets the stomach bug. And then Jeff, Dad and I get the stomach bug. And now Wyatt has it. So our storybook Christmas isn't so storybook after all. I've been here for almost 4 weeks and I think I've actually had about 20 minutes of quality time with my sister, probably 10 minutes with her husband and about 5 minutes with each of her kids. And I've held Thomas for all of 2 minutes, max. I think she's only held Wyatt once for about 2 minutes. This is not what we imagined.
Our traditional Christmas Eve was not to be; in fact, we didn't share our post-church dinner in hopes of somehow making Andrew and my 86-year-old grandma the only family members not to get sick. Mind you this is all going down in Mom & Dad's rental townhouse because the new house is thisclose to being finished, but they don't close until the day we leave. My aunt, uncle and cousin aren't here because honestly, who wants to enter this germ pit? This is not what dreams are made of. And trust me, there have been more than a few tears shed over this turn of events.
But here it is, Christmas Eve (almost Christmas because we've stayed up so late chatting) and I realize that there is simply too much good for me to be sad. I am grateful for my husband's kind heart, the fact that he stayed home with our sick baby so the rest of us could go to church tonight AND fixed dinner while we were gone. Quite frankly, as they read the list of church members who'd passed away in the last year, I was flat-out grateful that my husband's name wasn't on that list because we kind of had a close call last January.
As I was sitting in church, lamenting that Wyatt wasn't there wearing his special Christmas sweater gifted from my aunt and uncle, I realized that I am fortunate to have a happy, healthy (for the most part) baby boy. I am lucky to have sat close enough to my 3-year-old nephew to hear him announce, in his loud stage whisper, during the prayer that he has to go potty. And I am glad I got to see his beaming face tell me it's only ONE MORE SLEEP until Santa comes!
I am thankful that Jeff's parents are willing to forego their own traditions to spend time here with us; I am thankful that my parents are willing to share their home with Jeff's parents and I am super-thankful that our parents get along well enough that we're all actually (seemingly, anyway) enjoying it.
It's no small miracle that we're all here, together, to share Christmas even if it isn't quite the fairytale we imagined (I mean, Jeff's dad had to drive from Denver yesterday, for goodness' sake!) We have a loving family, we have food to eat, we have an abundance of gifts under the tree, we have much too much for which to be grateful. So while it's not the way we pictured it, planned it or hoped for it to be, it is still Christmas. And despite what I first believed, it really is a Merry Christmas! Hope yours is, too :)
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Long Time, No Blog
Lots going on! Wyatt and I continue to explore American retail and I'm suffering from Okinawa syndrome. Translation: I keep buying things because I think I might want them and then have to return the item once I find the real keeper. So far I've bought and returned five leather bags, three pairs of jeans and a shirt. For those of you who've lived in Okinawa and then moved back, how long does this effect last? It's funny because I don't really even realize I'm doing it until all of a sudden I have way too much stuff.
This weekend was awesome - Jeff is finally here as is his mom, plus his sister and her family were here for the weekend as well. We had a great time with them and with all the Rock clan in KC. Wyatt has now met LOTS of family and he's been pretty good about it despite a few of the events having been a bit overwhelming; lots of loud voices, new faces and non-parental hands wanting to hold him. He's a BIG fan of his cousins Matt & Kyle, and of cousin Liz's long hair. I'd say he's still warming up to the rest of the extended family. He thinks his Grandma Rock is great - she has fun hair and makes funny faces for him and that's about all it takes these days. Today was an especially good day because Jeff, Wyatt and nephew Thomas were all baptised at church this morning. As Wyatt was in the minister's arms, in front of the entire congregation (and church was packed today) I realized he rather seemed to enjoy the spotlight. He thought his trip up and down the aisles post-baptism was fun stuff, too.
Jeff and I are having fun checking out all of our old haunts. We especially liked the not-so-subtle brainwashing of Matt & Kyle yesterday. We took them to campus, bought them stuff in the bookstore, let them roll down the campanile hill and check out Allen Field House. I mean really, how could they not want to go here someday? We'll keep our fingers crossed.
It'll probably be a while before I post again (not that this has been all that interesting to anyone outside our immediate family) so I hope everyone out there is having a wonderful pre-Christmas week. This time has reminded me that there is so much in this world for which to be thankful. Despite the holiday rush, I hope you're getting a little time to relax, enjoy your family and realize the blessings in your own life. Happy holidays!
This weekend was awesome - Jeff is finally here as is his mom, plus his sister and her family were here for the weekend as well. We had a great time with them and with all the Rock clan in KC. Wyatt has now met LOTS of family and he's been pretty good about it despite a few of the events having been a bit overwhelming; lots of loud voices, new faces and non-parental hands wanting to hold him. He's a BIG fan of his cousins Matt & Kyle, and of cousin Liz's long hair. I'd say he's still warming up to the rest of the extended family. He thinks his Grandma Rock is great - she has fun hair and makes funny faces for him and that's about all it takes these days. Today was an especially good day because Jeff, Wyatt and nephew Thomas were all baptised at church this morning. As Wyatt was in the minister's arms, in front of the entire congregation (and church was packed today) I realized he rather seemed to enjoy the spotlight. He thought his trip up and down the aisles post-baptism was fun stuff, too.
Jeff and I are having fun checking out all of our old haunts. We especially liked the not-so-subtle brainwashing of Matt & Kyle yesterday. We took them to campus, bought them stuff in the bookstore, let them roll down the campanile hill and check out Allen Field House. I mean really, how could they not want to go here someday? We'll keep our fingers crossed.
It'll probably be a while before I post again (not that this has been all that interesting to anyone outside our immediate family) so I hope everyone out there is having a wonderful pre-Christmas week. This time has reminded me that there is so much in this world for which to be thankful. Despite the holiday rush, I hope you're getting a little time to relax, enjoy your family and realize the blessings in your own life. Happy holidays!
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Well...
I thought I had an easy life in Okinawa, but it turns out it's even easier here! I mean, there's nothing like having extra help all the time, no chores or daily responsibilities (beyond caring for Wyatt, of course) and having a driver to take me everywhere. Not bad, not bad at all.
Jetlag hasn't been as bad as I'd expected and Wyatt is doing really well considering we just flipped his clock by 15 hours. We're definitely awake more at night, which is also complicated by his runny nose, but he's proving to be a good little traveller! Our new camera arrived yesterday so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures soon. Until then, you can rest assured we're busy enjoying all things American :)
Jetlag hasn't been as bad as I'd expected and Wyatt is doing really well considering we just flipped his clock by 15 hours. We're definitely awake more at night, which is also complicated by his runny nose, but he's proving to be a good little traveller! Our new camera arrived yesterday so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures soon. Until then, you can rest assured we're busy enjoying all things American :)
Monday, December 04, 2006
Wyatt: Rock Star
I'm going to bed because it's been a long day - days? - but we made it in great shape. Wyatt and I both arrived in the same outfit we were wearing when we left home, which is definitely saying something. He was AWESOME. He didn't sleep a lot, but he also didn't cry much and there's nothing more that I could ask for...other than for both of us to catch up on our rest, which is where I'm headed (he's already there). So off to bed I go...more stories to come, I'm sure; especially since he and Thomas have already developed their own method of communicating :) Thanks to everyone who was sending good thoughts our way - it worked!
Sunday, December 03, 2006
List? Check.
We're T minus 13 hours from departure and I'd like to think we're ready. Or at least really close. My past week has been consumed by lists; lists of things to do, lists of what to pack, lists of shopping to complete. Strangely I think most of the to-dos have been crossed off, but not without my kind husband talking me off a few ledges and taking primary Wyatt duty so I can accomplish said tasks this weekend. They ventured to church without me this morning and spent the afternoon together while I went to a baby shower and visited my convalescing friend, then Jeff had dinner going when I got home. My hero!
There is so much going on here - our Christmas party was last night, the holiday coffee is coming up, my friend is still ailing and needing meals, etc. - that it makes me realize there is no good time to leave because, while I am SO excited to see my real family, we're really lucky that everyone here feels like family. And I predict this Japanese family will have grown by at least three babies by the time we get back. Crazy.
And for your amusement, I'll now share my attempted Christmas card pictures. Let's just say that a baby who can almost sit up by himself is not a good candidate for photos on the beach. Wyatt has now fully encountered sand and I predict he'll be a real beach baby come April; he didn't seem to mind the taste of it at all, nor the texture of it in his ear, nose, drool and diaper. Maybe next year's Christmas card will feature the beach pic -this year's is on my list of things to do in Kansas :)
There is so much going on here - our Christmas party was last night, the holiday coffee is coming up, my friend is still ailing and needing meals, etc. - that it makes me realize there is no good time to leave because, while I am SO excited to see my real family, we're really lucky that everyone here feels like family. And I predict this Japanese family will have grown by at least three babies by the time we get back. Crazy.
And for your amusement, I'll now share my attempted Christmas card pictures. Let's just say that a baby who can almost sit up by himself is not a good candidate for photos on the beach. Wyatt has now fully encountered sand and I predict he'll be a real beach baby come April; he didn't seem to mind the taste of it at all, nor the texture of it in his ear, nose, drool and diaper. Maybe next year's Christmas card will feature the beach pic -this year's is on my list of things to do in Kansas :)
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