Happy Happy Happy part 2

Part 2 of "100 things that make me happy"..... :)

26. Yoga pants- I bought a new pair of yoga pants over the weekend (in a smaller size btw!) and they are so cozy.

27. Ben and Jerrys frozen greek yogurt- Blueberry is my fav...nom nom nom.

28. Bath time- Audrey is starting to become more aware of the water. She splashes around and giggles. This is very exciting :)

29. Soreness- I love waking up feeling sore from my workout the day before, its lets me know that I am making progress.

30.  New discoveries- Audrey found the mirror on the exersaucer and right now she is looking in it and smiling. Things like these melt my heart.

31. Snuggles- With Brandon gone, I really look forward to the times that Audrey snuggles me and isn't trying to wiggle around.

32. Blogging- I am 99% sure that most of you folks could care less what I have to say, but I like writing these posts anyway.

33. Military- I am grateful for the experiences that the military has given us. It sucks sometimes, but it has great perks.

34. Pedicures- I always feel rejuvenated after I get one.

35. Sugar free vanilla chai- So tasty and its not loaded with calories.

36. Snow- I love snow! I can't wait until I can take Audrey sledding.

37. Rainy days- I really love rain, good thing because I live in a rainy, dreary country.

38. Okinawa- We don't live there anymore, obviously, but thinking about our experiences makes me happy. I would love to go back...the sand, Cocos, the sea, Okuma, Cocoks, Jet,....etc. The list could go on forever.

39. Castles- I love visiting old castles in Germany! They are awesome.

40. The Voice- I am watching the finale right now, how could this not make you happy? Cee Lo particularly, studded shoulder pads? Entertainment.

41. Mumford and Sons- I haven't found one song by them that I dislike.

42. Christmas time- Christmas lights, trees, presents, family....everything about the holiday.

43. New furniture- I recently got the green light from Brandon to get new furniture when I get back to Germany. The only compromise was that he gets a recliner. Deal.

44. Decorating- You wouldn't know this by looking at my pathetic excuse of a home right now, but it will be done when I get back.

45. Audrey's nursery- I love love love her nursery. It is just a happy room.

46. Puppies- DUH.

47. Hair bows- They just complete Audrey's cuteness.

48. Lazy days- My favorite kind of day is when Brandon and I lounge around on the couch all day.

49. April- Thinking about the beginning of April makes me super excited because Brandon will be HOME!! :))

50. Running- Let me clarify, I really don't like running. BUT those last 2-3 minutes of a run when you get that big push of endurance to finish strong....THAT makes me happy.

There ya go folks. Halfway done.

Happy Happy Happy

I recently came across a blog post written by a Facebook friend. She was writing 100 things that made her happy. This inspired me to do the same!

Today while I was chatting with Brandon I caught myself complaining. I was whining that Audrey didn't sleep well, that I was tired etc. He replied by saying that he was sorry, that he wished he could be home to help me. After we stopped chatting I was thinking back about our conversation. How selfish of me to complain about Audrey not sleeping when all he wants is to be home with her. While our situation is not ideal, I hate that I was being so negative when that is the last thing that he needs to hear.

I think that it is really important to remember all the good things happening, and not focus on just the downers so here we go! 100 things that make me happy :) I am breaking it down into 4 parts so its not long and boring.

1. Audrey-how could that big gummy smile not fill me with joy?

2. Brandon-he is really great :)

3. Shopping-I love new things.

4. Duck Dynasty-if you don't think this show is the best thing ever, you have no sense of humor.

5. Family-It's been so wonderful being able to share the holidays with them!

6. Iowa-It has taken moving away to realize how much I love this place.

7. Pinterest-What else would I do with myself during nap time?

8. Working out-I love the feeling of accomplishment after I get done with a hard workout.

9. The scale-Seeing that number go down every week is an awesome motivator.

10. Nap time-I am so thankful for nap time so I have an hour or two to myself!

11. Friends-I love that I can call em up and we can get together! I've missed these ladies.

12. Cold weather- I love the cold, its so cozy.

13. Weather warnings- We just got a winter weather advisory for Wednesday-Thursday! Woo!

14. Technology- I am way too impatient to wait for a letter. I am so happy that I get to chat with Brandon daily.

15. Christmas decor- It makes the house feel so homey.

16. Coupons- I saved 20% off my purchase at Oldnavy today, Holla!

17. Pictures- I am obsessed with photographing Audrey. Looking at her pictures makes me smile.

18. Facebook- Because I love annoying Facebook with my daily pictures and videos of Audrey.

19. Sales- Cardigans in every color on sale for 10$ at Oldnavy today. One of each please.

20. Sleep- I am grateful for every bit of sleep that I get these days.

21. Giggles- I love me some baby giggles! It fills my heart with happy <3

22. Traveling- I have been so lucky to see things that most people never will get to see.

23. Real Housewives of Everywhere- I am obsessed with the Real Housewives shows. They are so stupid, but I love it anyway.

24. Pumpkin Pie- This needs no explanation.

25. Baby clothes- I saw a tiny baby fur vest today. Cutest. Thing. Ever.

4 Months

So big!

Audrey is 4 months old as of yesterday at 1328! I say it every month, but wow I cannot believe its been 4 months already.

I think that this month has been the most exciting one yet. Audrey is such a ham! She is always smiling and squealing. She is such a sweet baby, she is going to be my little sweet heart. She is always "talking." She squeals so loud you can hear it in the basement. She has giggled in her sleep since she was a few weeks old, but now she full on laughs. It is absolutely the best noise I have ever heard. It makes my heart melt every time I hear those belly laughs. She has started teething and puts everything she can grab into her mouth! This morning she got a hold of a spool of ribbon and was gnawing on it. Her hands are always in her mouth! If she is not sleeping, she is chewing on her hands. I have to switch her bib out 2-3 times a day because she drools constantly. She is always covered in slobber. I am hoping she cuts a tooth soon, I think she will look so cute with little teeth! :))

LOL!

 She goes to bed between 8:30-9 every night. She was sleeping all night until 7 am for about 2 weeks. Now she is waking up around 2-3 am. She isn't fussy, she just wants to be awake. She talks and sucks on her fingers. As much as I love hearing her sweet coos, I need to get her back to sleeping all night. It could always be worse though :) I am just enjoying the time because she changes and learns something new every day! I can't imagine missing these special moments, so it hurts my heart to think that Brandon is missing all of these firsts. He will be around to see her take her first steps though!

HAHAHA.

-Weight: 13 lbs...she has only gained 3 lbs since her 2 month appt! But she is my chunky monkey :) She is in the 58th percentile for weight.
-Height: 26.5 inches...she has grown 7 inches since birth! I can't get over that. She is in the 96th percentile for heigh!!
-Eating 5 oz every 3 hours except at night. We switched to Similac Sensitive this month because she was having bad gas pains. She is much better now!
-She goes for 4 month shots tomorrow! :(

We get to start baby food tonight! I am so excited!! :) I am looking forward to this coming month and seeing all of her new changes, and for her first Christmas!!

On an unrelated note....I had my check up at 8 weeks post partum. I have lost 26 lbs since that doctors appt. In 9 weeks! I still have a ways to go to get where I want to be but I am feeling great! I gained way more weight than I ever wanted to while I was pregnant, but whatever. I got to eat lots of yummy food guilt free :) Oh, and my hair is shedding like CRAZY! I have always had thick hair that sheds alot, but its out of control. My poor child always has some of my hair on her. I heard that happens after pregnancy, but geesh!

Three Years

This could get mushy, so brace yourselves.

I am publishing this the night before our anniversay because it is already Wednesday where Brandon is :)

Wednesday is Brandon and I's third anniversary! I sent him an anniversary package but it didn't arrive in time and I can't share the day with him...so why not write a mushy post about him and share it with everyone instead? Makes sense.

First I want to share a little bit of our conversation today, basically just so I can show off how sweet my fella is :)

• Brandon Sullivan

  are you excited for tomorrow
• 11:18am

  Alli Sullivan

  No! Why would I be excited? You aren't here.
• 11:19am

  Brandon Sullivan

  im still happy that we have been married for 3 years. its not a day to mope and be sad. its a day to be happy that I have someone to spend my life with that i love and miss.

Sweet huh? Swoon ;)

I wish we could be spending this day, and all of the holidays together...but duty calls. Military life is really hard, but I am so proud of Brandon for doing what he does! Like he said, I should not mope...I need to be happy that I have such an awesome man to spend my life with.

I cannot believe that we have been married for three years! In that time we have done some amazing things.We have lived in two different continents and have seen so many wonderful things. We have created this beautiful baby girl that completes our little family. I am a lucky lady that he allows me to tag along on this awesome adventure! 

We started "dating" via the internet/phone while he was in Okinawa. Next thing I know he was coming home on leave and we were getting married. I think we "dated" for 7 or 8 weeks before we got married. I know a lot of people doubted that it would last, and I don't blame them. Everything went so quickly. I dropped out of college, got married, and moved to another country. But hey, we're still goin and I know without a doubt that he is who I want to spend forever with. We have come a long way since the beginning and I truly believe that things will continue to get even better with time.

Brandon is one of the kindest people I know. He never yells and we rarely argue. Whether he wants to admit it or not, he is a soft hearted fella. He never criticizes and is always supportive. We are far from perfect, but hey I still like him and I think I will keep him around for a while ;) So, here's to 3 years and many more to come!

And now I will bombard you with photos and memories of us :)

The day after I got to Oki. We drove around the island and Brandon showed me the ocean for the first time!

Brandon had a day "free" day off for getting a high PT score. We had an argument the night before this was taken and he used his day off to take me to American Village to make up for it :)

Our vow renewal AKA my chance to wear a wedding dress :)

Eating doner for the first (and last) time in Germany.

Having some German beer at The Dubliner.

When we got married, in my parents living room, and I wore a black dress. Wth was I thinking?

Our first day in Germany! Our exploring.

Our first home! Okinawa.

Our last night out in Okinawa.

At America Fest in Okinawa on the flightline.

Vow renewal

Weekend getaway at Okuma. Camping on the beach! Doesn't get any better than that.

Our best accomplishment <3

Our very first picture together! On webcam.

At the beach :) Alli + Sully 11-21

In Trier, Germany. I was 5 weeks postpartum and still pretty stinkin fat, but Brandon looks really handsome :)

3 MONTHS

Her inquisitive look

Audrey is 3 months old today!!

I can't believe how fast time has gone. I always heard people say how important it is to cherish the time because it goes so fast. They were not kidding. It has flown by. It has been so fun and so challenging. I wouldn't change anything about it!

Always looking at the ceiling fan

LOL the flash scares her

Audrey's third month has been full of firsts. Her daddy left for deployment, she had her first long trip with 2 airplane rides, her first time meeting all of her family, first Halloween, and first time rolling over! Wow!

Audrey rolled over 3 times on Halloween, but hasn't done it since. I guess that wore her out and she has had enough for now. Everyone tells me what a good baby she is, and she really is, but she has her moments. Night time has been pretty smooth since about 4 weeks old, but now she is getting a little crazy again. I have been bad about letting her sleep with me since Brandon left so I decided to try to get her to sleep in the crib. She does fine until about 3 am then decides she needs to sleep with me. We have dropped her night feedings though so that's nice.

Audrey is such a blessing, I can't wait for more exciting "firsts"!

-Size 2 diapers this months
-Still in 0-3 months clothes
-Eating 4 oz every 3ish hours, except at night
-I won't know her weight until 4 month appt, I bet she weighs around 11-12 lbs.

IOWA

I haven't posted in a while! Life has been a whirlwind the last few weeks. Audrey and I are back in Iowa for the duration of Brandon's deployment and it is so wonderful being home again :) So lets start where we left off last time shall we?

After Brandon left I started getting ready to head home. I had to wait on Audrey's passport and paperwork from Brandon's commander so I could fly Space A. After all the paperwork went through I was able to sign up for a flight. I was very lucky and was able to make the first flight I tried to get on! The trip home was very long and exhausting, but it could have been much worse. Audrey slept through 90% of our 8 1/2 hour flight to Baltimore. She didn't fuss once. I couldn't believe it. Once we landed I only had 1 hour to get through customs, get my bags, check in at Southwest, go through security, change Audrey, and get to the gate. It was quite the challenge. At baggage claim there was plenty of returning airmen willing to help me get my bags on the luggage cart. I tried to get them myself, but with Audrey strapped to my chest, it didn't work. When I got to the main part of the airport they had tons of people with the USO clapping and cheering saying, "Welcome home!" I felt pretty silly because I know they were there for the returning deployed airmen, but it was still pretty cool. Everyone was smiling and saying how cute Audrey was. After I got passed my little military community of people is when it got hectic. I had to run with a baby strapped to me to the complete opposite side of the airport to check in. I got charged a 50$ baggage fee for my bag being THREE pounds overweight. I tried to play the "poor me" card...husband deployed, traveled from Germany by myself...they weren't having it. Rules are rules I guess. At this point I was bawling because I was so tired and frustrated. Once I got to security I put my bag through and they had to rip it apart to inspect it, of course. Then they gave it back all jumbled, people were trying to rush past me, I was crying and probably looking like a crazy person. Traveling with such a young baby is NOT easy, but we made it and that is all the matters :) From Baltimore we flew into St Louis and my family met us there. It was SUCH a relief to see them and know that I had made it!

Keilan and Audrey on Halloween!

Since being home we have visited with lots of friends and family. I have had so much fun showing off Brandon and I's little lady.  I am so sad that Brandon can't be here to experience all the firsts, but it is nice that I can share it with my family. They are an acceptable replacement for the time being ;) It is also nice being in America! Ah! I had my first night out last week and realized I have turned into one of those people that goes out and can't talk about anything other than my baby. Ugh. It was a fun time though, love seeing people from high school! It made me feel like a normal person again ;) I struggle with feeling guilty when I leave Audrey, but that is normal...I hope.

The first week I was home I did not work out or watch what I ate at all. After the first week I got back into my workout routine and started watching my diet again. I am determined to get this weight off! I need to feel good about myself again. Being home has really helped me feel like myself again though. I haven't seen much progress yet, but I will get there!

Brandon has been gone for almost 1 month now, only 5 more to go! I am missing him so much, but it seems like he has gotten into his routine and seems to be doing well :) We email everyday and skype at least once a week. Thank goodness for Internet! I would go crazy waiting for a letter.

Trick or Treating!

Picking pumpkins

Audrey will be 3 months on Saturday! I cannot believe it! Time really does fly!

Deployment

Daddy snuggles :)

 As you all know from facebook, Brandon left for his deployment yesterday. It was a sad day. The longest time we have spend apart is 6 weeks at a time, so 6 months is a big difference. It is nice to have school and Audrey to keep me busy though.

We waited at the terminal for about 4 hours before they called Brandon's flight for boarding. We got to sit with him the whole time, so that was a big plus. Sitting there waiting was the worst part....knowing that the goodbyes were coming. Brandon hides his emotions very well...he knew how sad I was and breaking down would make it worse. Bless his heart, he is a great fella ;)

I <3 my airman

This is how I try to look at the time apart. There is no sense in pouting about it. Deployment comes with the territory. We knew it was coming and prepared as much as you can for something like this. Complaining about the situation is not going to make it better, in fact it will only make me miserable. It could always be worse! The air force is relatively safe and it is only 6 months. It could be much longer. SO, I plan to make the most out of this time and be as positive as I can. It is selfish of me to whine and complain when Brandon is the one sacrificing so much.

I have a few goals that I plan to work on while he is gone....

1) Get in awesome shape so we can compete in Tough Mudder in May
2)Get our home decorated how I want it....been slacking since we moved while I was very pregnant.
3) Get rid of the excess. Our storage room in the basement of our building is FULL of crap. Time to get rid of the stuff we aren't using and get organized.

But for now, I am allowing myself ONE day of full out lazy complete with ice-cream in bed :)

Month 2

Audrey is 2 months old today! 

These past 2 months have seriously flown by. Audrey is changing so much! It is so fun to watch her grow and do new things.

Audrey's second month has definitely been much smoother than her first month. She is on a pretty set schedule now. She goes down for bed at 9:30 and wakes up between 3-4 am to eat. After she eats she goes back down until about 7:30 then is up to eat again. After she eats, she goes back to sleep. If I am feeling lazy then I will go back to sleep as well, but usually I get up and use this time to work out and get things done around the house. She is up again around 10 and that is when she takes a bath and gets dressed. From about 11-6 she takes a couple short naps and plays and eats in between. Around 6 she wakes up for a couple hours, eats, plays, then back down for bedtime! This schedule works great for the both of us and is much better than the erratic schedule she was on the first month!

Audrey has started interacting much more and has become more vocal. She makes such cute baby noises :) She also smiles and giggles quite often! I like to think that she recognizes Brandon and I but I am not so sure. We had her 2 month wellness check today and she is very healthy! Woo! She had her 2 month shots and though she has long forgotten about them, I still feel so sad for her! Ridiculous, yes. Brandon had a PT test so I had to go by myself....never again! She had just woken up from a nap so she was smiling and giggling at the nurse, then BAM. Poor baby was so unsuspecting. Her arms flew out and she looked at me like "WHYYY!!!" then just screamed like I never heard her scream before. It was so heartbreaking. She has been very sleepy since then.

 
STATS:
10.5 lbs
21 inches
Size 1 diapers
Some newborn clothes still, but pants are too short, starting to wear mostly 0-3 months
Eating 4-5 oz every 3-4 hours

Hanging out after her doctors appointment. She wouldn't let me put her tights back on.

Still smilin!

Month 1

1 month old!!

Audrey turned 1 month on September 3rd! This was a special day because it was also her Daddy's 24th birthday :) So of course we had to make him a birthday sticker too!

Our first month with our little princess was very exciting! It was also very hectic. Anyone that is familiar with the military knows that nothing is a simple process. We were given a packet telling us what to do, but of course it was missing half of the stuff. It was quite the process, but about 5 weeks after she was born was had her enrolled in DEERS and Tricare, had her command sponsored and her passport/social security card/birth certificate applications done!

As you know from my previous post, we had a hard time from the get-go with breastfeeding. After many emotionally charged, failed attempts at nursing I ended up having to pump and bottle feed. This was emotionally and physically draining. Everytime she wanted to eat I had to feed her, then pump. I was spending hours a day pumping. It was terrible and I was exhausted. I also had the baby blues and it was a terrible combination. I battled with wanting to quit and feelings of guilt. After a little over 4 weeks, I had to give up. I just could not do it anymore. I felt like I had failed. We switched Audrey to formula and she is doing just fine! Breastfeeding just is not for everyone and I am not a bad mother for not doing it longer. It took a while for me to get over my feelings of guilt. Doctors here make you feel so guilty for not breastfeeding, HEY GUYS my baby is just fine! Not only has my life gotten much easier, my baby is much happier because I am not so stinking stressed! Rant over.

We took Audrey for a spinal ultrasound to check out her sacral dimples. They needed to see if they were tethered or something. I don't really understand...but they are normal! They are just cute little dimples and nothing to fret :) She was also jaundice for a couple days but after a bit of sunlight she was fine.

Like I said earlier, I battled with the baby blues for a couple weeks. I was completely fine one minute, then bawling the next. I am sure my husband thought I was crazy. One day we were lounging on the couch and out of nowhere I looked over at him and said, "I think I am going to cry now." Then I just started bawling. Rather than make me feel like a nut job he just came over to me and hugged me until I was done crying. He truly is a wonderful husband, how did I get so lucky? My doctor also warned him that I could be weepy for a while, so he was prepared for it. I think I would have been fine if I had my family there. I was just so incredibly sad for really no reason. I felt so guilty for being sad because I was supposed to be so happy right? I was really nervous that I was going to get postpartum depression with Brandon deploying...but luckily the baby blues slowly faded. One day I just felt a sense of relief, like everything was going to be just fine....and it is :)

Audrey's developments:

1-She weighed 6.7 lbs when we left the hospital and at 4 weeks she was up to 8.11 lbs
2-She wore newborn size clothes and diapers the whole first month
3-She learned how to smile and giggle around 4 weeks old!
4-She could life her head up off my chest and hold it for several seconds...pretty wobbly though!
5-At 4 weeks old she took her first trip away from the area we live in! We went to Spangdahlem AB for a softball tournament and she slept the whole time.

Woo! I am caught up. Since we are almost at the two month mark this post is a little jumbled because everything is blending together...everything has been such a whirlwind! The Month 2 post will be better organized hopefully! :) And some pictures of her first month.....

She is so stinking cute!

First bath at home!

She was jaundice in this pic, you can tell in her face.

LOL love her!

I wanted to track her growth the first couple weeks until I could start using the monthly stickers! This was my stuffed animal I have had since I was 6! Now it is Audrey's turn to love him :)