EXTRA! EXTRA!

I am so excited to make this announcement…

We are moving back to Texas!!  

Seriously.

We no longer have any renters in our home, and we (Mom, Bobby & I) are ready to be stateside again, so we are coming back to our beautiful home!

This December our whole family will be back to move all our stuff back into the house, get it set up and spend Christmas together.  Come the first days of 2011, however, everyone but Bobby and I will be heading back to Korea for the start of school.  

It is going to STINK to be away from the family – bad.  My dad is the greatest teacher for Bobby.  They work together allll the time and Bobby learns so much from him… they are buddies!  And of course Bobby & Tripp have a sweet relationship that will be missed as well.  The good thing is that it will not be for such long stretches of time as it was when I was in TX alone.  Mom will be back as often and as long as possible so that she may see her awesome doctor here (and be with her baby boy… and me, lol), and Dad will be back every few months.  Time will go by fast, per usual, and we will Skype often so things won’t be too bad.

The thought of being back in San Antonio is soo exciting for me!!  Of course, being back in the house I love and where my son was born is exciting in itself!  We have plans for making it an even more wonderful place to live and I’m anxious to get to work on those projects.  But the familiarity and conveniences of living in the States is what I’m really looking forward to.  The 24-hour stores and restaurants, REAL Starbucks (the one on base doesn’t even have the Pumpkin Spice Latte!! WHAT THE HECK!?), Orange Cup frozen yogurt, Mexican food, good radio, access to Pandora.com, American road trips… woo hoo!!!   

What I am most looking forward to is being back at Christian Family Church and being able to see all my friends!  I can’t wait to bring Bobby to Sunday school and to get really involved in the church I love so much.  Introducing Bobby to everyone is going to be great, and I’m really looking forward to making some new friends, too.  

I know it is not going to be the same as it was last time I lived there, and I don’t want it to be.  This is an exciting new chapter in our lives and I am so excited to raise my son there.  Lord only knows how long we will be there this time, and I am thankful for all the opportunities He has blessed me with.  Living in Korea has been fun and there are things I will miss for sure, such as the cute & cheap clothes, yummy & addictive food like cold noodle soup and white kimchi, and especially walking!  I attribute getting back in shape to having to/being able to walk everywhere, and I love it.

I am soo very thankful for this opportunity and pray it all goes off without a hitch.  The house is still on the market, so there IS a possibility that it may sell before we get there… so we shall see what happens!

Can’t wait to see you all again!! And those of you outside of the great state of Texas, I hope we get to see you soon, too! <3

Picnik Rocks

Just having some fun editing pictures with Picnik!

All is well here!  We're already enjoying our 3-day weekend with the family.  Hope you all have a great Columbus Day weekend and give thanks for the beauty in your lives.  

*hugs!*

E-mail Bobby!

I often write letters to Bobby. His baby book has a dozen little notes in them, a few even have a picture I took of him next to the letter, so he can see what he looked like when I wrote it.   Sometimes I want to "send" him a message but don't have the time time to sit down and write it neatly, or don't have pen and paper handy, so I'll write it on the computer to print out.  This got me to thinking about how cool it would be to e-mail him!  That way I could pop out a quick little note, or a long message, and it will be sent with time, date and neatly organized (I love neat and organized, lol).

So I just created an e-mail account for my little Robert! I wanted to share it with you all so that if ever you happen to think about him, or want him to know something, you can e-mail it to him to have when he gets older.  You can send him pictures, words of wisdom, special memories... anything.  (You all know how e-mail works, lol!)

RobertCarlisleGF@gmail.com

Add him to your contact list!

Love you all!!

What A Champ

The other day was Bobby's 1-year check-up.  A friend of mine has a son a month older than Bobby and told us that in addition to the shots they also have to draw blood -- yikes!  I was not looking forward to that. :(

We had a nice and chill morning, which did not include Parent & Tot Craft Hour like I planned.  Oh well... we'll try again next week.  He has been in great spirits lately, which is always so lovely after "teething seasons."  He's enjoying being able to run around our halls and the elevator, and loves riding in taxis!  We walked from the main gate to the hospital on base, (maybe a mile or so???  Probably less... I dunno, but I'll track it next time I go, lol), and he was so well-behaved in his small stroller; usually he tries to squirm out and twist around to see me.  In the waiting room he was awesome and had fun making me walk all around and pick up the phones for him to talk into, haha!  I wonder who he's calling in his mind. 

The check-up itself started off well.  He got to sit in my lap for most of it, but as soon as he had to get on the table he was NOT happy!  Putting his diaper back on was no fun anyone, including the doctor who tried to help, lol!  To make matters even less fun... the fire alarm went off!  They were having a fire drill!!  So I had to hurry and throw his onesie on and grab his stuff to get out quick with everyone else, while this poor boy is wondering what all the action and painfully loud noises are about.  A nice man came and took the stroller for me without even having to ask, which was really really nice!  We all went outside and waited in the parking lot for about 5 mins or so. There was a girl who had that blue plastic and wires around her mouth you have when they're doing braces... POOR THING!!

So once we were free to go back in, the nice man came back and pushed the stroller to immunizations and told us where the laboratory was to have his blood drawn.  The shots were not fun... at all!  He had to have 5, and apparently we still have to go back for one more next week!  I will say that the technicians were VERY fast and not all up in his face.  He screamed and cried soo hard, I thought he was going to burst a blood vessel in his eyes... it was horrible.  :(  So we sat in the waiting room with a BaBa and calmed down for a bit before going to the lab. 

I was NOT impressed with the guys they have in there; too clinical and cold for my taste.  Not fun, not friendly, not anything!  Boo.  Well, I sat down with Bobby in my lap and tried to distract him while they tied up his arm with a rubber band (which obviously hurt! Meanies!!), and then tried to soothe him while they stuck the needle in and drew blood for about 30 seconds.  Oh I felt so bad for Bobby.  He was crying, but not fighting and squirming around... my poor baby!  They put the gauze and band-aid on which was even more upsetting to Bobby.  He kept looking at it with a confused scowl and pointing at it.  Once we got to the car (which dad left in the parking lot for me, thanks dad!!) I took the band-aid off, kissed him all better and gave him some yummy rice milk.  He was already starting to calm down.

We then drove right down the road to the BX to go have lunch and kill time until the family got off work.  I decided to treat him to a chocolate milkshake (which he loves to share with Papa), and he was super happy about that!  This time we had the big stroller and he did so well.  Didn't try to climb out, didn't cry... he was wonderful.  Not at all like I expected him to be after all that drama!  We shared food and played and laughed and loved on each other. I love our little dates.

We met the family at work when school was over and all the boys went home together so Mama and I could go grab a drink and chill out for a bit.  Always nice!!  This evening Bobby has a low fever and is clearly uncomfortable but STILL in a good mood!  We spent the past few hours sitting in the rocking chair just cuddled up, sharing drinks and bites of munchies and doing Eskimo and Butterfly kisses.  Bliss!!

Grandma put him to sleep and now he's laying in bed next to me while I enjoy some quiet time.  For such a crazy day, and despite all the lameness, today was nice!  I hope he fells better tomorrow.  Aint nothing like a happy, healthy Bobby!

Just a Few Things

As my 25th birthday approached, I've been working on this list in my head and thought I'd share some with my friends and family. I'll probably add more to it down the road, and it will also be neat to come back and reflect on the list to see what has changed.

In no particular order...

·         Things I Miss

o   My old car.  2003 Toyota Corolla my parents gave me for high school graduation.  That ride was wonderful and I have so many memories that involve her. 

o   Driving in general.  The freedom to get in a car and go wherever I want, whenever I want, and to listen to music as loud as I want are things I REALLY miss!!

o   Christian Family Church.  That is where I came back to Jesus after falling away for a while.  The fellowship with the amazing congregation, the wonderful pastors, the presence of the Holy Spirit… all are unlike any other church I have ever been to.   It is the type of church in which I want to spend my life and raise my children.

o   Working.  Having a fun job with responsibilities and making my own money… I don’t think I really realized how valuable it is to have a job until I didn't have one for a while.  And while I am EXTREMELY blessed to have had this year to be a stay-at-home-mom while living with my loving and generous family, I miss being able to contribute financially.

o   Being pregnant.  The time spent carrying my son was so wonderful.  I am so thankful for how well it went and how good it felt (most of the time, lol).

o   Hugging my friends.  I am blessed to have so many loving and fun friends back home, and I miss their affection.  We always hug hello and goodbye… I miss that very much.

·  Things I’m Enjoying

o   NOT dating.  Sure, sometimes I miss having a cute guy take me out and treat me to something nice, but I am surprised by how content I am not dealing with stupid boys.  Since my son came into my life, he has been the only boy on earth I care about.  Whereas I used to go out on dates with many different types of guys, I am happy now not putting myself through that drama.  I’m trusting the Lord and thankful for HIS love and affection.  I know one day I will meet the MAN He has in mind for me, and it will be as HE sees fit… it is not really in my hands.

o   My son!  Watching him grow and learn every day is amazing. I love how affectionate, smart and funny he is.  I love rocking him to sleep and kissing his soft neck before putting him in bed.  I love sharing meals with him and knowing he is getting good food to help him grow.  I love watching him play and love on his Grandparents and Uncle.  I love being out with him and seeing people appreciate how adorable he is.  I love going on adventures with him.  And even though I still wake up once or twice a night to care for him, and sometimes get kicked or climbed on, I LOVE co-sleeping with him!  He is only going to be this small for such a short while, and I cherish every sweet moment He gives me.

o   Being crafty.  Sewing toys, finding new uses for old containers, creating fun new things with old cards or construction paper and crocheting every now and then… it is so peaceful and also fulfilling.

o   Cooking.  Searching for healthy recipes online and on my iTouch, then trying them out for my family is a great new development since I moved here a year ago.  Knowing that there really IS some of the Goodman chef gene in me is pretty cool, lol!  And the fact that everyone has loved everything I’ve made so far is really awesome… and they don’t even know exactly how good it is for them!  (Well, mama knows… but she knows everything! :D )

o   Learning about the Korean culture.  Asia is pretty neat!  I’m glad I have learned some of the language and get to experience the uniqueness of this country.

·      Things I Look Forward To

o   Living in the States again.  I’m thankful for the opportunity to live overseas and experience so much, but you know what they say… there’s no place like home!  I look forward to being closer to my family and friends and enjoying all the conveniences of American lifestyle!

o   My son growing up.  While I’m cherishing every moment, I do look forward to having conversations with him.  To answering his 3 million questions, helping him learn his colors, numbers and how to write his beautiful name.  To him reading to me for the first time.  To doing more arts and crafts projects with him and receiving his works of art made in Sunday school.  To teaching him the responsibilities of caring for a pet, a garden and his belongings.  To him saying his prayers by himself for the first time.  To go on bike rides and climb trees.  To exploring museums of every kind and talking about our favorite things we saw.  I look forward to him helping me in the kitchen and to the very first things he makes himself (mine was creamed corn and instant mashed potatoes, haha!).  There is still so much joy to experience!!

o   Having our family “compound.”  We have a vision of us all living on the same large plot of land, my husband’s and my house just yards away from my parents’ house.  Having chickens, dogs, a garden and a body of water (pond, river, or just a pool).  Having Tripp and his family visit for summers and the Holidays (we are assuming he will marry and stay in Asia, lol!).

<3

A Letter To My Son

My Robert Carlisle,

Today is your very first birthday!  Since yesterday was Labor Day and your grandparents didn't have to work, we celebrated with our wonderful family here in our awesome apartment in Korea.  It was so nice to spend the day just as a family and enjoy you all to ourselves.  After your afternoon nap we dressed you in your traditional Korean outfit and did the Toljabee.  That is a traditional event done on a baby's first birthday.  Items are placed in front of the baby and the first few items they pick are supposed to represent his future. 

These are the items we placed on your table and their meanings:
Bible: Ministry
Horse: Veterinarian
Dice: Lucky
Gameboy Game: Video gamer (guess who put THAT there!)
Crayons: Artist
Spatula: Chef
String: Long life
Officer Coin: Military
Book: Scholar (or lady's man, going off of the book we used, LOL!)
Pliers: Engineer
Microphone: Singer
Knife Sheath (sans knife!): Warrior
Money: Rich

You picked the spatula, string and then the pliers!  How exciting! :)

After the Toljabee, we hung out in the living room dancing and enjoying you in your adorable outfit.  Then it was time for a wardrobe change to have presents and cake!!  Earlier that day I took one of your white onesies and sewed a "1" and little designs onto it!  It was very cute.  We placed you in your highchair around the balloons and presents and had fun singing to you and trying to get you to look at the cameras.  You were a bit overwhelmed!!  I helped you open your presents from the family (some developmental toys from me, a bell and Nerf gun from Uncle, and your grandparents opened a ROTH IRA for you and your future!  We are going to deposit all your birthday checks into the account until you are old enough to appreciate money, then we'll split them for you spend half and save the rest). 

After your presents, we all enjoyed the traditional Goodman birthday cake that your Grandma made!  Yummy!!  She made a special little cake for you and you didn't hesitate digging into it!  You had a blast getting all messy and we loved watching and sharing the delicious cake. :D 

After all the celebration fun, we got to relax in the living room, play with your new toys and you were fast asleep before 9pm!  It was a very fun day.  You are a loved baby... so very loved.

This year has gone by so fast, its unbelievable.  I look at you now and I hardly see a baby, but a little boy.  As I write this I think where I was exactly one year ago, in the bathtub working on bringing you into the world, surrounded by loving women and the awesome presence of God.  Those 36 hours were so amazing.  Long... but amazing.  I would do it all over again right now if I could, again and again!  Then those first weeks spent in the Texas home with Grandma were so special -- a time I will cherish for the rest of my life.  Then moving to South Korea and bonding with your Papa and Uncle, and watching you grow and learn every day... every bit of your life has been special. While I miss the days of you being a tiny baby in my arms while I nurse you, I also look forward to days of going for walks and talking with you about the world.  Of course, there are times that have been and will be hard, but thankfully we have four loving adults who are happy to relieve each other of "baby duty" for a bit.  We are so beyond blessed!  The Lord has looked down upon us and graced our lives with SO much... more than we could even think to ask for, and definitely more than we deserve.  I am so thankful for you and how you have changed my life. 

I love you, my Robert Carlisle, and I ALWAYS will! 

Mama

3 Cities in 3 Weeks

It is a beautiful, sunny (and hot as blazes) day here in Songtan, South Korea. It has been a nice summer having the whole family home from work. Bobby has been spoiled with all the people to shower him with attention! We just spent the weekend at the Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul, and even though it rained the whole time we were there we all had a great and relaxing time. We had two adjoining rooms and I got to bunk with Bobby and Tripp.  It was like a slumber party, staying up late watching the Discovery and SPG Channels.  Added bonus to the whole trip was the Club Member Lounge where we got complimentary buffets of yummy food and drinks... saved us a bunch in meals! 

Tomorrow we are taking off on another Asian Vacation to Hong Kong!!  We will be there for 5 days and look forward to new adventures. 

Then the fun continues the following week when Tripp and I go to Tokyo for a few days... just us!!  We are going to have fun, for sure.  I've promised to not be too boring, and he's promised to put up with my frequent comments about missing my baby, which I know there will be plenty of.  This will be my first time away from Bobby, and I'm a little freaked out.  I said I would go on a little trip when he stopped nursing, and he pretty much has now... sadly.  Just down to once at night and not for very long... he's growing so fast!!!! 

We are down to less than a month before he is a year old... WHAT!?  I just CANNOT believe how insanely fast time has passed since I found out I was pregnant.  My next pregnancy (which I can't wait for, lol!), I will be SURE to savor it even more.  My pregnancy with Bobby was so awesome... I miss that time very much.  For his first birthday I think we are going to keep it low key, especially since all our close friends and family are stateside ( boo :( ).  We will do some traditional customs practiced by Koreans for a baby's first birthday, called a tol, like rice cakes and have him foretell his own future. We still have the traditional outfit, the Hanbok, given to him on his 100 day birthday. It will be fun making those memories and I'll try to enjoy every second because we all know how soon it be over.


<3