The Compy...

So we felt like the cat for a few months while we tried to fix the compy. But, knock on wood, it's been working for a little while now. We just have to send all the parts and pieces back to Dell now.

I went to my stamping club today. I'm not an expert or even very good, but I have fun and I get to spend time with some of the ladies in the ward and area and it's nice. Some of you may be recieving the fruits of my labors some day!

Podcasts...

By the way, our videos are a Podcast! If you are familiar with iTunes and use it, you can subscribe to us by entering * http://themacneilfamily.blogspot.com/rss.xml * into your subscriptions. If you aren't, you can still see them here on our blog forever and ever. :)

4 months old and a few other things...

Jeffrey went for his well baby visit today. He weighs 15 lbs. 13 ozs. and is 26 in. tall. He's doing well or ahead on all of his developmental milestones, which is always comforting and reassuring for a mom to hear. (They always know their child is the smartest, they just want validation.) We finally have a good provider to see at the clinic. A new pediatrician came in during the summer and should be here the rest of our time in Germany so he can be followed by the same person.

He did NOT like his shots though. That is always the hardest thing for me, to see my sweet baby, who was a part of me and is like an extension of me scream and just look at me as if to say "Why does it hurt so much?" I wanted daddy to come and do the shots, but his schedule was too crazy and he couldn't get away.

We tried a little watered down cereal this week. Jeffrey didn't mind it, but he didn't quite get the concept. I think we'll wait a few more weeks before we try again. It was pretty funny to watch him though.

Jeffrey wore his Trogdor shirt the other day too. It's from our favorite website...homestar runner. It says "Trogdor, the burninator"

Leaders Reaction Course

I took these photos while at the Leader Reaction Course with my students.

Retreat of the Color

I took several of my students that volunteered to retreat the flag at the end of the work day to the JMTC Headquarters with me. They had been practicing on their own for seven days to ensure that all would go well.

Sunny Sunday!

It was a beautiful Sunday today. We were able to all attend church together which is a rare but welcome opportunity! I'm in the primary (2nd councilor) and we have redone almost the entire thing, new teachers, combining classes and making our new arrangement work. Today was actually the most reverent Sunday we've had in a while. I think the children are finally getting comfortable with their new teachers and adjusting to having their dads deployed (most of them are).

Jeffrey gets very excited at bath time now. He likes to play in the water, but I think he likes spending time with his daddy more!

On Friday Cory's class was in charge of the flag retreat at the headquarters building. He asked if Jeffrey and I wanted to come and watch. We've seen it several times and there are plenty of times I'll be driving home when I have to stop the car and get out to wait for them, but it was nice to watch the whole thing from beginning to end. It was a nice reminder of the respect our military has for the flag. I'm sure Cory will post a few pictures later, he was snapping them off a quickly as he could.

By the way, if someone was really interested in the clover jewelry set, I didn't get your name, so you'll have to send me that. :)

Updates...

I added a few new items and updated lots of pictures on my website. Let me know if there's anything you'd like. :)

http://triciajewelry.googlepages.com/home

Jeffrey is so cute!

Jeffrey this week has started grabbing his toes when I change his diaper. He does it the most in the morning when we first get up. He's also becoming more and more funny about cameras, he will laugh and giggle right up until we turn the camera on. He's such a silly kid!!

I was tagged...

My husband...

What is his name? Cory
How long have you been together? 3 years
How long did you date? How many dates? Um like 3, but we were engaged for almost a year while he was in Iraq.
How old is he? 27
Who eats more? Cory, though when I was preggers, I packed it away!
Who said I love you first? Cory, he called from school in Korea to make sure I knew.
Who is taller? Cory (thank heavens!)
Who sings better? Cory sings louder...
Who is smarter? I think Cory is smart...I don't know though.
Whose temper is worse? We both can loose it on occasion.
Who does the laundry? I do, but Cory's very good to start loads (just not finish).
Who does the dishes? We both do, but I wash the bottles.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Cory
Who pays the bills? I do.
Who mows the lawn? Well, it's supposed to rotate through the apartments in the building, but it usually ends up being Cory.
Who cooks dinner? I do.
Who drives when you are together? Cory will usually drive, but on long trips we take turns.
Who is more stubborn? I'm going to say me.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Cory usually does. (I'm never wrong right? Hehe!)
Whose parents do you see the most? Hard to say, we've seen my mom the most recently.
Who kissed who first? Cory kissed me.
Who asked who out? Cory asked me out...dropped me off two hours later...left for Korea for a year...came back and asked me out again. I of course patiently waited and kept telling Paige I wanted to marry that boy (even if he couldn't make up his mind).
Who proposed? Cory, but he didn't ask in a direct way, he said "What do you think you'd say if I were to ask you to marry me?"
Who is more sensitive? Me.
Who has more friends? I think we're about equal. He has more work friends and I have more church friends, sometimes they overlap.
Who has more siblings? Me.
Who wears the pants in the family? I wear pants, but Cory is the head of our household. (I'm just the neck!)

I would tag peeps, but none of you have blogs...if I could I would tag the Twins' Mommy!

Schutzensnur

I was invited to go with several other cadre from the NCO Academy to spend three days with the German bundeswehr training and socializing with them. We arrived at their post in the evening time and got to know them initially with cake and coffee. We went to a bar that night where we stayed out until 0100 talking, laughing and having a great time with each other. The next morning we went to the shooting range where we spend twelve hours shooting their weapons.

After having fired the needed interations for the Schutzensnur we used the rest of the ammunition with some fun training. I put 500 rounds down range myself with the pistols. This is a video of me shooting two pistols Laura Croft style.

I got to know Albus and Vinkovic the most as we spoke with each other for several hours during our dinner after the range where the Bundeswehr provided us with a fantastic barbeque.

Another Day...

It's definitely fall now, the leaves are turning and even starting to fall in the church parking lot. Cory is in the field the next three days with the Germans for some shooting. So we're just having more Momma and Jeffers time.

I started back to teaching this week. It was fun, I have an easier schedule (half the number of classes as before) and the same number of students, even though several had left over the summer. I think since there are lots of new families and the those with a deployed solider receive discounted tuition, I may have lots of new students this year.

Jeffrey has been very vocal recently. He loves to talk and he still does a good impression of a shark (Shark! Ow! Right Elena?) when he decides to eat something. I think his top two teeth may be in the works but still a ways away from making an appearance. They seem to be more painful than the bottom ones. We ordered his halloween costume this week. I'm not going to say what he'll be, but he'll be super cute!!

Two AAM

My awards for competing in past board caught up to me this week. I will have to add these to Army Achievement Medals to my permanent records.

The Doughnut Song

Jeffrey loves it when we sing to him. It can even stop him from crying sometimes.

Microsoft Photo Story 3

Microsoft Windows has a great program called Photo Story 3 that I just discovered for making photo slide shows. The link will take you to the Microsoft Download site where you can get the program for free. I have tried it out and found it extremely easy to use.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx

Jeffers' new Grill

We were just going about our normal routine today having a morning bottle when Jeffers starting gnawing on my finger! Yowsa! It was sharp! I looked in his little mouth and saw two TINY teeth poking through the gums. I squealed and told Cory to come look. We had an "Awwwwww" parent moment and Jeffrey thought it was hilarious to have all the attention. We couldn't get a picture because he isn't so cooperative and you'd probably just see his scared face, but the two bottom teeth are coming in.

This explains all the drooling and ralphing I guess. He really wasn't very fussy, he was more fussy a few months ago when we were trying to find the right formula for him. Maybe he has his momma's high tolerance for pain. Who knows, but my little baby is growing up.

The weather seems to have turned cool. I guess summer left overnight. Which was timed well with the first day of DoDD schools. Next week I go back to teaching Irish dance. I'm looking forward to it.

I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend!

A Peanut Sat On the Railroad Track

This is one of Jeffrey's favorite songs. I think that he loves the actions that go with the words.

Asleep at the Store

After a ride to the Rose Barracks Commisary in Vilseck Jeffrey fell asleep in his stroller in the store. Sometimes sleeping babies are the best babies.

My break from work has given me a chance to spend some quality time with Jeffrey. We are half way through our Harry Potter book.

Toys for Jeffrey

We have been looking for a crib for Jeffrey for quite some time now, but very few places are willing to ship a large peice of furniture through the Army Post Office. A friend of ours tipped us off to a great crib at the Thrift Store. We found it in good condition and purchased it along with an exersauser that was still looking nice with it. Tricia looked on the internet and found replacement toys for a few of the peices that are looking a little used. If you know where to look on the internet there are many replacement peices for toys, ready to make something old and worn out into something almost new for another child to play with.

Jewelry Update

Hey everyone! I know you're probably sick of hearing about it, but I just update the site with lots of new things and most everything is now on sale (or at a lower price). So take a look and let me know if there's anything you'd like.


By the way if you have problems emailing me at the triciajewelry@gmail.com try my other gmail address or email Cory.

Here's the website

Just another day...

Jeffrey is now 14 lbs and 25 in. long. He's a cutie! He's eating more now and growing fast! He still hates tummy time so he won't be crawling anytime soon, but he's learning to talk...Gah is his desperate sound. He still loves fabric, though this week he's played with a chain of plastic links that I got for him.


Jeffrey does this scared face when you try to take a picture of him with the flash these days. I don't know why, he'll smile right up until the flash goes and then the scared face comes on.

I thought this was a cute picture.

He rolls onto his side when he's sleeping, I think it's because for so long that how we would hold him when he slept. He's even holding onto his blanket.

Two More Videos

You can watch the peanut butter song on ringo...it kept playing on here and got very annoying. If you need a link, let us know.

Jeffrey

Here was Jeffrey before church today.

Soldier and NCO of the Year Competition Dinner

I attended the dinner for the announcement of the USAREUR Soldier and NCO of the Year Competition. After dinner and entertainment, Sergeant Major of the Army retired Jack Tilley spoke to us. USAREUR Command Sergeant Major Savousa introduced the NCO winner, SSG Snook. He will attend three weeks of training before going on to Washington to compete at the Department of the Army Level. Everyone at dinner received a commemorative coin and CSM Savousa gave me a USAREUR coin for my train up time with SSG Snook. I did not get back from my trip until nearly 0300. I am glad that I had my TomTom to direct me home in the dark.

14 Weeks and Growing!

Jeffers the Bean is 14 weeks old today. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but I can no longer remember what life was like before him. He is doing so well, besides the fact that he really, really loves to be held. I mean really. He is getting stronger all the time, he can now lean at a 45 degree angle if he's sitting instead of folding completely in half though we still have to hold him because this weeble wobbles and he does fall down. He pushes his chest and tummy off the ground and can look straight up. He doesn't do push ups yet, but we're working on it.

He still loves fabric! His favorite toy of the week? His burp rag. It's kind of nice because he spits so much that he kind of catches it in the rag and saves me having to clean it up. He will also look at the pictures in the books we read. He loves rhymes of any kind and thinks it's great when Daddy comes home. Probably because he's sick of seeing mommy all day.

I'm excited to go back to teaching a couple of hours each week. It will be good for me to get away from sitting at home and I think it will be good for Jeffrey to get to know other people so he won't just be a momma's boy (though it's fine with me if he is). I had one parent who tried to bully me a little and complained about our spring recital but if she doesn't come back because I've offended her, oh well. For the most part I have excited dancers and good parents.

The consulate recorded Jeffrey's date of birth wrong (they made him two months older than he is) so we have to send the birth certificate and passport back to be corrected. I'm hoping it won't take too long, we've got travel plans for each of Cory's breaks over the next year because there just isn't much time left for us here.

Back to School and Back to Training

This is my third day of school and I am already swamped with homework. It would not be so much, but when I do not even get home from work until eight at night, even a little homework can take me into the late night after a shower, dinner, preparing for tomorrow and spending some quality time with Jeffrey and Tricia.

Out focus in training today was working in an urban environment. This is one of the more appreciated training periods by the students since they can see an immediate applicability in what they are learning.

Picnic

My platoon received the assignment to set up the field site for our situational training exercise. This morning our barracks did not look up to standard so we had the student leadership go back through all four of our barracks and clean up after the rest of the platoon. If you cannot get your subordinates to do it last night, you are going to have to do it yourself this morning. Our student leadership was pretty cheery cleaning the first building, but when they saw the wreck of the second building they were not to pleased with the group of soldiers standing outside of the barracks talking and having a regular good time while they cleaned each latrine and room. When we brought the platoon out to set up the site for the company they had a good esprit de corps and completed the job in good time with all working together well and none lagging behind. My partner, SSG Streat, brought some cold sodas as a morale booster.

I was selected from the platoon cadre to spend the night tonight to keep an eye on all of the equipment while the company spends one last night in the barracks before coming out to the field site tomorrow. Tricia brought out dinner to me, which we ate together while entertaining Jeffrey between the two of us. I pulled a cot out of one of the tents and set it up on a patch of grass in the shade of some trees. After eating, we spent another hour talking about the places we want to see in Europe before it is time for us to move on. It turned out to be a great evening with time well spent together.

Jeffers is a Ducky...

Before we had the baby (well I had the baby...technically I was the one who did all the work), I was asking someone in our ward about ways to get routines and different ideas to make sure that Cory would get some good bonding time with Jeffrey. She told me that she had her husband do bath and bed time with their girls. They started it when the first one was small and continued on. I thought it was a great idea and so Daddy has always handled the night time routine.






Jeffrey's Grandma Whittaker made him a ducky towel before he was born. He used it for the first time this week during bath time with daddy. It's the one thing that we have set as a routine. He has it all figured out too, when I have to give him his bath instead of Cory, Jeffrey just screams because I'm apparently not doing it right. Cory then gets him all wrapped up and reads to him for a little while as he falls asleep. I usually hold him while he falls asleep, that I can do at least.

He also giggled for the first time today, he's laughed and smiled since day one, but today was an honest giggled. He's also developed a temper, when it's time to eat he gets so mad that he starts to shake with fury. That's what we call an angry bean.



He also has troubles waking up from a nap, like his mommy he doesn't like waking up so much. He cries and shakes his fists, so I hold him until he's calm. He also pushes his chest all the way off the floor during tummy time. He almost accidentally rolled over today, it seems he learns something new every single day.

The Bourne Ultimatum

I made it home from work just in time to take Tricia and Jeffrey to see The Bourne Ultimatum at the movie theater. I give it four stars for action and its closure of the proceeding two movies. We met my partner from work, SSG Streat, and saw the movie with him. Jeffrey has been great during the last several movies that we have taken him with us. Even as busy as my schedule keeps me, we still manage to squeeze in our date night on a consistent basis.

Jeffers' New Trick!

So, Jeffrey has a new trick. He can fit his entire fist in his mouth. Can You?



Jeffers is trying new things every day. He likes to play in the mornings but not too close to naptime or feeding time when everything is just too dramatic to handle. He is growing fast and well and fits in mostly 6 month clothes now. (Big boy!) He's not chubby, just a tall, solid kid. He loves singing alot and his favorite song of the week is the Wheels on the Bus. He likes it when the babies cry Waaa, Waaa, Waaa and the momma's say Shhh, Shh, Shh. We've had to add more verses, so the Grandmas snore and the grandpas sneeze. He thinks its all pretty hilarious.

He's come to regard his car seat as his fortress of solitude. A week or so ago he was crying pretty hard when we were on our way home from a little road trip. So Cory drove and I hopped in the back and gave him his bottle. He ate the whole thing without even looking at me, after he'd finished he started looking around and was shocked and actually jumped to see me in the back seat next to him. Apparently the giant hand had just been feeding him. What a funny kid!

Jeffrey is Almost Three Months

At church on Sunday Jeffrey was eating his fabric ball with the crinkly paper in the middle. Since Friday he has started to grab things and bring them to his mouth. Only fabric at this point. When someone saw him she told me that babies don't do that until they are four months old. I told her he wasn't three yet and her response was to ask if we were trying to raise the next rocket scientist. I just smiled and told Jeffrey what a smartie he was.




He's really started to enjoy his little aquarium fish toy more and more.