Sand in my shoes

Went to the beach with my husband and daughter this weekend.  We had an absolute blast.  It was pretty much a perfect day.  Mercy looked so adorable in her swimsuit.  I played in the water a little bit, but mostly sat back and observed through the lens of my camera.  It was Mercy's first real time in the ocean and I figured she would be scared, I stayed back so she would depend on dad to catch her and protect her when she felt scared, using this First as a catalyst for their relationship.  It worked beautifully.









Are you in tears yet?  Because I was. After him being gone for so much of her life, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing them play together.

Homecomings past

I got to talk to the hubby today.  He is finally back in the same country, with cell service.  Me and Mercy will finally get to see him again before too long, after three months apart.  Not as long as last time, but still pretty long.  Thinking about this homecoming got me thinking about last homecoming and I ended up going back and reading all my Tweets from that day.  For your viewing pleasure- A Homecoming in Tweets.
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5:20 AM  Anybody else think that 5 AM is really freakin early?  Painting my nails.
5:52 AM   Trying to use a manual pump without a baby attached to the other side to help with letdown, really sucks. I give up. off to do my makeup.
6:35 AM  Nails-check. makeup-check. hair-checked. baby fed-checked.
6:55 AM  Loadin up the baby then off we go!
7:02 AM  Haha almost forgot deodorant. Welcome home honey, take a whiff!
7:05 AM  Car keys would be a good idea. Is my head on?
7:08 AM  Ugh not even to the pier yet and all the welcome home signs are making me bawl!
7:35 AM  CRAP! i forgot tissue
8:21 AM  Still waiting. Caught a glimpse but then they disappeared again.
8:29 AM  Of course I wouldnt think of sun screen for Mercedes. Poor girl I hope she doesn't get a burn.
8:31 AM  I spy with my little eye... A ship!

6:20 PM  I love my husband.
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My first homecoming I had just turned 19, had only been married for 6 months, had only actually been with my husband for 2 of those months, no babies.  I waited at the pier with a group of wives who were nice, but that I didn't really fit in with.  No pictures, no tweets, no blogs or anything really commemorating the event.  He got off the ship and we had to walk quite a ways (with a full sea bag) to the car because novice navy wife that I am parked on practically the opposite side of the base. Luckily a friendly sailor man stopped and offered us a ride the rest of the way, so it wasn't too bad.  

Last year Mercedes was 6 months old, her main accomplishment was rolling over, I spent the days before picking out an outfit, figuring out my hair and makeup and Mercy's outfit, cleaning house, participated in the whole Homecoming Hoopla at the pier, etc.   


 This time Mercedes is 15 months, walking all over the place, talking up a storm, I will spend the days before trying to pack up the last three months into a suitcase and preparing for a cross country flight with a toddler, our outfits will be comfy clothes good for traveling, and he will be the one picking us up instead of the other way around.  And if there is any balance in the world he will spend the days before going crazy trying to clean the house.