On base living

As most of you probably know, our family moved onto Ramstein AB exactly a month ago yesterday! We had been on and off of the base housing wait list since we arrived in April of 2012 (mostly on), and were very excited when we were offered a townhome on Ramstein. For a bit of background, this was particularly fortunate because we were originally offered a 2 bed/1 bath third floor apartment, and knew that we could be offered a small apartment again or offered a home on another base that would have meant still not being very close to Beau's work or the amenities here on base (grocery store, shopping, gym etc). Had we been offered one of those places, we would have turned it down again and come off of the wait list. Our home in Oberstaufenbach was really very nice, and so we were willing to wait for the exact type of home on the base we wanted before moving. It was a harder decision than I thought it would be to leave the 'Stauf, mainly because our home there was really comfortable and I had become close with my neighbor, but ultimately I knew that life would be easier living on base. So, I made the arrangements, booked Thumper at the dog sitter, and scheduled the movers to pack up the house! The timing was ideal in some ways, and bad in others. My parents were here visiting, but left for Paris on a scheduled trip the day the movers loaded the truck and moved us to our new home. They were able to help me do all of the "pre-pack" stuff, like take down curtains and pictures, and set aside the things I would want immediate access to while unpacking the rest of the home. One of B's coworkers was assigned to help me for the day, and so he sat at our old house as the packers loaded the truck while I took possession of the home on base (and Layla snoozed in the car), then he sat at the new house while the movers unloaded the truck so his wife and I could go to the old house and clean out the last of the stuff the movers wouldn't pack (and Layla snoozed in the car). I don't know what I would have done without Adam and Choi, they were just so helpful. Choi then kept Layla busy so I could unpack Layla's room, which I wanted to do immediately so she could maybe start to think of this as home. We muddled through the next 4 days, unpacking when I could keep Layla safely distracted, and playing outside and among the boxes cluttering the whole home. My parents returned from Paris that Saturday (we had moved on Tuesday) and helped me quickly plow through the boxes, hang pictures (masonry drill bit required), and make this new house feel quite homey! I can't imagine what life would have been like without them here... the words sad, stressed, and lonely come to mind, though. So, to my parents, a big old THANK YOU times about a million!
So, was the move worth it? Do I regret giving up the whole guest apartment, carpeting, a single family home, space, and privacy? SO WORTH IT! No regrets, at all. I can drive to the grocery store in 2 minutes, walk there in about 7. That's right, a seven minute walk. That would have gotten me halfway here driving from our old house. Layla and I can get out often, run our errands, multiple times a day if necessary. No one big trip to base per day anymore. I've found our daily walks much more relaxing, as there are no flies and no tractors, even if the surroundings are slightly less scenic (I say slightly because I actually really enjoy walking around neighborhoods, saying hi to people and critiquing lawn decor) Our neighbors are quiet and respectful, which is SO much more than I could say about our old neighbors (aside from Jamie's family of course, who I love and still see often). Once B returns in just over a week (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) he will be able to drive to work in less than 5 minutes, walk in about 10 if he wants to. And, since I no longer feel like it's such a journey just to go do errands every day, I've been able to get out and about and enjoy the community outside of base much more than I ever did before. As far as the house itself goes, we really did not give up much. It will be cozier when people come visit for sure, but for the bulk of the time the apartment at our other house just sat empty anyway. I love having two levels, it makes it much easier to get things done while Layla is napping in her room without having having the worry of waking her. There is actually a dedicated play room in this house that I can see straight into from the kitchen(it's supposed to be the eat-in kitchen, but we also have a dining room so our table is in the dining room) and I've been able to contain most of Layla's toys there. Our backyard at our old house was raised, which wasn't ideal with a toddler, but here it is nice and flat and Layla lovvvvves wandering around chasing the dog, playing with her sand table- it's just perfect for us.
Anyway, time to wrap up this wordy post, but just know- we are settled in to our new home and very happy here!

Happy Birthday to my Layla Girl!

Layla is one- ONE! One whole year old! I have successfully kept another human being alive for a full calendar year! What a year it has been, too! Nobody really ever knows what they are getting into when they have children, and I'm no different. We were really as prepared as we could be, and I've spent time around many kids in my life, but nothing can mimic caring for a squirming, fully dependent, tiny human that can't communicate her needs in any way other than screaming around the clock. Fortunately, there is the overwhelming love that comes with meeting your own child that somehow carries you through the blur that is "year one" of life. I really can't believe that Layla is already a year old, I've just loved being her mommy and getting to know her little personality. She is a live wire, always curious, always moving, always learning. I guess that's the way of little people, though, isn't it? A few commonly asked questions:
Is Layla walking? Yes! She took a few steps right before 11 months, and took off from there. One of her favorite activities right now is chasing Thumper around the yard, and she's very quick about it.
How many teeth does she have? Four all the way out, one through and three on the way. We love Highland's Teething Tablets around here.
Does Layla talk? She says a few words. Dada. Da for dog. Fffff for fan. She communicates well in other ways, though. I know perfectly well when she wants to watch a Kidsongs dvd- it's hard to ignore her pounding on the blu-ray player and pointing at the screen. When she's tired or feeling upset, she reaches straight down my shirt, no matter if we're at home or at church or the grocery store...gotta love babies. And she knows where the Cheerios are and can point out the cabinet!
What are her favorite foods? Avocado, cheerios, Greek yogurt, peaches, apples, green beans, Eggo waffles, and a sweet potato risotto I've made a few times. Things she won't eat? Milk. Cheese. Eggs.
How is Layla sleeping? Ha. She naps for an hour and a half if I'm lucky in her crib, and then is up 2 times between 9 and 7:30.
Any favorite things she's formed an attachment to? No blankies and she spit out her pacifier months ago, but she does love a red and white bouncy ball that my mom got her, as well as a bunny I got for her birthday. Oh, and anything with cords. Answering machine, surge protector.. she wants to wear it like a stole. So THAT'S fun to try and police
Overall, Layla is just a happy busy little girl, and I know the next year will provide at least as many surprises as this last one. Cheers to you, Layla Ann, you are very loved!

Me time vs. Chore time

Quiet minutes where I'm able to do what I want are at a premium around here right now. Layla has never been a great sleeper (and I haven't done a great job with the cry it out method) so it's only been a recent development that I'm not holding her during both of her daily naps. I now have an hour and a half on my hands during the day that I didn't have before, which is faaaaabulous, but it brings on a debate in my mind: do I use this free time to clean the house and catch up on chores? Or, do I use it to take a breath and relax, maybe paint my nails, take a nap, take a non-warpspeed shower with pack and play in my bathroom singing "Wheels on the Bus"... oh the little luxuries. The first couple of days I thought, "This is MY time! I am going to do ANYTHING I want (facebook/amazon/carters)! YES!!!! I deserve it (ok, does the word deserve bother anybody else? Like when people can't afford things but they 'deserve' it so they get themselves into debt? anyway, another topic for another day)" But then, the nap was over, me time was over, and the kitchen still needed cleaning before I could prep dinner but there were now two little helper hands grasping firmly to my pant legs crying for attention. Damn. So, it turns out that the biggest gift I can give to myself during nap time is to take care of the house, because a dirty house and a fifteen item to-do list makes me grumpy and anxious, not to mention can be dangerous if there are things laying around that shouldn't be. On that note, I've kept up my effort to return to blogging, "me " time is over, and it's time to put up that baby gate before my child gets up and makes putting up barriers impossible :)

Pressing the RESTART on blogging!

I know. I've been outta the game for a few months now. I've got all sorts of excuses, but the thing is, I really miss blogging. A friend of mine posted on facebook the other day that she feels the need to write, and I have to say, "I feel ya!" Now that Layla is successfully napping in her crib most days, I finally have time to really sit down and type away. I have lots of past events to catch up on, but I find it really overwhelming when I think about trying to do them all at once so that I can "start" where I am now. So, instead, I'll keep things current while tossing in throw backs to what has been going on over the last 4 (eek, has it really been that long?) months since I last blogged. I'll also probably be a little lighter on the photos- resizing them all to fit the memory size allotted by blogger takes too much time and deters me from writing. Anyway, off I go on a fresh start, and thanks for sticking with me, those of you who still follow ;)