Home again!

Gray and I arrived safely back home in Jacksonville just in time to pick Josh up on Tuesday. Everyone (Silas and Fletch included) was still in the car so it was a packed car ride home. Josh thinks Gray doubled in size in the two weeks we were gone, (which may be a little dramatic) but he is now sitting up VERY well and he was pretty wobbly before we left for home.

Gray is putting his bottom in the air and then putting his chest in the air, which I think means he is trying to crawl. Before too long he will be able to get up and take off and I'm scared there will be no stopping him then! We also have plans to trim his hair this weekend (it's getting a little wild) and to feed him for the first time! I'm working on teaching him to hold his own bottle, but we don't seem to be making any progress. Any tips?

Naturally Josh had to work Wednesday and Thursday, but his CO is such a nice guy he gave them a 96 this weekend! In military lingo, that means they got a 4 day weekend! Gray and I are always excited when Josh has a little time off, because his hours are so crazy and even when he comes home he usually has more studying to do! We are planning to spend some QT together and have a mini-birthday celebration for me!! I can't believe my 28th birthday is tomorrow!

Willow Grove and Baby Claire's arrival!

Last week, Josh flew up to Willow Grove (which I believe is in Pennsylvania) with about half of the squadron to get some flights completed. While he is there he is completing his first 'real' flight in the CH-53! We haven't had much time to talk since he left, but he apparently is spending most of his time studying for the briefs and flights he will have the next day. He said yesterday they practiced auto-rotations, which basically the pilots kill the helicopter in mid-air then turn it back on and narrowly escape death. Maybe that's not how Josh would explain it, but that's what I understood an auto-rotation to be. He has flown almost every day since he has been up there, so I imagine he will be a pro by the time he gets back!

Since Josh was leaving for about a week and a half, Gray and I decided to head home to meet baby Claire. We left Tuesday (after Labor Day) and drove all day to make it to Jackson. It was about a 14.5 hour trip with the two stops we had to make for Gray (in case you were thinking of visiting us). Gray was a trooper and even Fletch behaved himself and kept the whining to a minimum. Claire was born Thursday, September 10th at 12:33pm. She weighed 7 lbs, 3 oz and was 19 inches long. She is so tiny and so sweet! Gray promptly tried to poke her eye out, but I think it was all out of love.

He is very excited to have a cousin around that is close to his size at Maam's house. Gray and Maam have had a fabulous time and he even got to meet some of my friends that hadn't had the chance to see him yet. He has enjoyed our trip, but he keeps telling me how much he misses his Daddy! We will be headed home this weekend, giving us plenty of time to be on the flight line Tuesday to pick Josh up!

Baby Claire!

Our first meeting. 

Gray loves Claire!

Ma'am and her grandbabies!

Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS)

Josh is (finally) finishing the last step in his flight training. He is currently in a Fleet Replacement Squadron, where he is learning to fly the CH-53. He actually flew the helicopter in Pensacola, when some guys from here flew down for the day. He LOVED flying the 53 then, so I know he is getting more and more excited to fly it full time. He is learning the purposes all of the little button and knobs on the aircraft and has started flying simulators. I think he should be flying in a week or two. While we are in North Carolina, he is a member of the Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 302 (HMT 302).

The wives in the squadron are very nice and several of the more experienced ladies hosted a lunch for the student's spouses to discuss San Diego. They gave us TONS of great information about where to live, where not to live, fun stuff to do in San Diego, etc. Josh and I are so ready to move to California, because North Carolina isn't really that great PLUS everyone that goes out to San Diego loves it. Josh will deploy pretty quickly once we get out there, so I'm planning on several fun things for Gray and I to do to help pass the time. We hear the San Diego Zoo is amazing, as is Sea World. I also have a need to visit Disney Land, partly because I have never been but partly because I didn't have the chance to visit Disney World the whole time we were in Florida! You think Gray will enjoy these mini-trips as much as I will?

Other than thinking about California and Josh beginning to become familiar with the CH-53, not much exciting has been going on in North Carolina for us. The hurricanes are ruining the weekends for us with all the rain and thunderstorms they are bringing. Gray and I are spending lots of quality time together, and getting a little sewing done on the side. Which reminds me, while Gray is napping, I'm going to try to finish this quilt top. I still haven't uploaded pics, so I'll try to do that and post some new ones ASAP!

Still unpacking...

I'm working on putting up the rest of the things that are unpacked but don't yet have a home. Josh went surfing this morning and watched Gray when he got home (luckily he didn't have to study) so I got quite a bit of cleaning/putting away done. Josh is starting ground school Monday for the 53, so he will be studying like crazy once again. I've met several other ladies who's husbands are in Josh's squadron so spending time with them helps pass the time! Gray and I have also been antique shopping, to the aquarium, and to New Bern to visit pals.

I took several pictures of Gray boy the other day, so I could have some 4 month shots. It's wild how much he has grown and according to the doctor last week he weighed 17 lbs and is almost 26 inches long! I've got tons of pictures to post from the last month and a half, but most of them aren't even off of my camera yet... I will do my best to upload some pictures SOON!

Where does the time go?

Gray celebrated his 4 month birthday in the middle of our move. We had NO furniture, but Gray didn't mind. It is amazing how much our sweet little boy has changed over the last few months. He is constantly smiling or giggling. It melts my heart when his eyes shine and a big giggle comes out after he flashes me a big toothless grin. He has been labeled a "flirt" by no less than 5 different women (mostly strangers) after he turns on the charm. I am beyond grateful that he is sleeping through the night (and has been since he was 6 weeks old). Gray now reaches for things and he has discovered his feet. He started rolling over at about 3 months, and he is talking all of the time. Sometimes when he talks it turns into a laugh, then a scream. It is just so darn cute. I really need to video tape him...

These pictures are of Gray at 3 months. I promise to post more when I have a few minutes to sit down (still unpacking boxes and putting up things). I have been in the middle of posting this entry for more than a week if that gives you any idea about how busy we are keeping ourselves!

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