his Pica is way worse here

He'll wander around and eat outrageous amounts of TP, napkins, and paper towels. He gets these huge wads in his mouth and chews on them like gum for a few minutes- and then swallows. When he wants a snack I just hand him an old roll of tp with remnants. It keeps him busy for quite awhile.

With Kent here we've been so busy running around and being with family! Plus, Kent is exhausted so he's trying to catch up on a bit of sleep. We are going hiking tonight or tomorrow morning and doing other fun stuff so I should have some good pictures relatively soon!

Lehi Round up 5K

I don't have much time to write- but KENT IS HOME! His flights were all canceled (of course) but luckily they had rerouted him and he got in only ten minutes later then planned. Unfortunately he has NO luggage. All of his bags were left in Montgomery at the airport but should get here today by four.

We didn't get home till one in the morning- and then got up this morning at six to go and run the 5k! Laney, taylor, Kent, me, Metta, my mum, and a friend Debbie ran it it and we had a blast! It was my mom's first 5K and she was AMAZING. About 400 people ran and they gave out prizes at the end. They gave out about 50 prizes (raffle) and we won TONS of them. It's the Oswald luck. We got a purse, gift card to smart cookie, gift card to Lehi Tack and Feed!?, tickets to Thanksgiving Point Gardens, gummi worms, twenty bucks cash, and free Maggie Moos ice cream cones.

I'll have to get more posted later.

12 MORE HOURS!

hogle zoo shmoo

Today we went to Hogle Zoo to try and pass some of these insanely long hours! Time is ticking by SO slowly today. We went as soon as it opened (9 AM) so it was neither hot nor crowded and we had a great time. We went up with cousin Hailey, her little guy jack-jack, and some of her in-laws.


Zeb enjoyed being outside and liked looking at the animals- but didn't really get all that excited about them. He loved the play area and the train though! It was his nap time and he was still insanely good. He didn't whine all morning and slept the whole ride home. He is such a pleasant baby when he isn't sick!!!!



It is quite hot today but I can't believe how nice it is in the mornings still! and how pleasant the shade feels! I don't miss that stifling humidity one bit. I am hoping that it doesn't last too long once we get back- but I have a feeling that we are headed home to the worst of it mid-july. Although I am excited to see the fireflies again this summer!

Here's zebby, Hailey, and me on the train.

Just twenty-nine more hours until I see kent!

Kent isn't going to recognize his rugrat. This kid is running around babbling like a banshee. He loves to say "metta" and "daysa" and has picked up yelling. I'm not sure if it's because he hears his echo with my parents' high ceilings or if he just likes to hear his voice- but he walks around shouting at the top of his lungs.














He is changing so much everyday. He blurts out new words daily (although he doesn't know he's even saying half of them)! He's up to using ten or so words regularly IN context- but the others are still just mimicry.

He LOVES my parents' tub. It's ginormous. Thanks to it and the hose out back, his new favorite word is "water".

FORTY-EIGHT hours until Kent gets home!!!!

Dining In

Today Zeb and I had a lot of fun with Kristy, Michelle, and all of Zeb's little cousins! Zeb was IN HEAVEN with all of the kids and loved swimming. I took my camera with me but didn't even take any pictures. I'm really bad with pictures here.

I got to talk to Kent for almost an hour tonight!! They'd had a crazy day and had leadership testing at the crazy obstacle courses. The courses are definitely kent's favorite part of the training and he did super well. He was in charge of a group on one of the hardest courses and they aced it. Only three groups in the entire Officer's class got through it!

Tonight was also Kent's big "Dining In" ceremony. It's an old military traditional ceremony that carries with it all sorts of odd rules and oddities. They serve a "grog" out of toilets (this is a picture that I found online- it isn't from him). For the benefit of the peculiar non-alcohol drinking patrons they make one "leaded" and one "unleaded". Kent said it was insane to watch them make the stuff. An entire bottle of Vodka, lots of Peppermint Schnapps, some sort of bright blue concoction, and some other bottles Kent didn't recognize. Anyone called out on infractions from the weeks previous (or any that night) have to follow some strange ritual and shout things as they drink a full glass of it.

They also had lots of great barbecue and Kent said it was a good evening. They got to wear paint on their faces, take water guns, and each flight had to decorate a table?! they made a mini hangar with fighter planes in it for their table. Sometimes his training sounds like girls camp- while other times it sounds like insane boot camp!

Only 72 hours remaining! I'm so excited to go to the airport to pick him up.

JUST FOUR DAYS LEFT!!

There are only 102 more hours until Kent lands!!! That doesn't really sound like that much at all. The last week of COT doesn't sound too rough- but Kent is worried that they won't be as busy as usual and that he'll get antsy. The end of last week was pretty crazy too. The flight received "off base" and some other privileges so he has ended up being one of the designated drivers. For the most part he's enjoyed being able to get off base and do some fun stuff (malls, swimming, restaurants, etc) but he also told me that he's pretty sure the bar scene is not for him :) They were all taken and "inducted" into the Officer's Club (the elite -for officers only- club on base) and he said his flight commander took him aside and bought him a sprite because he knew that Mormons don't like bars :) He's actually had some really great opportunities to talk to a lot of people about being LDS and he's loved it.

There are all sorts of graduation parties this week as well- all involving inordinate amounts of alcohol. The official end of COT party costs him a whopping twenty-five bucks (maybe I'm cheap- but that sounds like a lot of money to me!!! Kent and I usually don't spend that much on the both of us for an evening out!). That price includes their alcohol for the evening- and they aren't allowed to skip it. Enough of my moaning about the booze- I guess I'm going to have to get used to the fact that the military loves it.

I asked Kent if he's even a little sad that the training is coming to end and he said no. He's ready to be finished and I'm ready to see him. Oh, and I LOVE their "blues". That's what the nicer uniforms are called. I told him that's what he has to wear on the plane home!

here's some video of my guy in action. He usually only dances with his legs- so this was quite the photo-op. He loves this singing Jamaican gorilla of his auntie metta's.

he has grown so much.

This picture was taken almost exactly one year ago! and I can't believe that this rugrat has grown so much. Being around my sister's baby (hank) makes me never want a newborn again. She said being around Zeb makes her not want to have Hank grow up to be a one year old. It's all about perspective I guess.
And about Z man- I am happy to announce that I no longer wish to sell my baby. He slept from 7:30 to 7:15 last night AND took three naps today. To top it all off he ate tremendously and only a few whines escaped his lips. I think my baby is back.

Zeb has not been eating as well here as at home. He REFUSES anything on utensils! Here is the result after our battle to feed him a smoothie. He'll still eat hot dogs and toaster strudels so he isn't starving- but the screams about spoons are getting on my nerves.
Zeb apparently is not a fan of major change and being on vacation with a toddler is not the most relaxing of vacations! It's been long and rough- but there are some things that are making it okay.

Things that I LOVE about being here.
* The constant supply of fresh Raspberries in my parents' fridge
* The feeling when I get to the top a big hill on my run and get to run down it (no hills in ohio)
* My parents enjoying and playing with Zeb- even in all of his orneriness
* The dry wonderful air!
* cool refreshing air at night
* lots of wonderful cousins and other family members to entertain us and spend time with
* not paying for much of anything :) but don't worry- Kent is spending plenty of our money!
* mowing my parents' lawn. I LOVE mowing lawns
* my sisters

Things that I REALLY miss about Ohio.
* the absence of my allergies
* my bed
* zeb's crib
* a baby-proof house with no big staircases
* zeb's and my friends
* walking group, playgroup, and the library
* my swan creek park and trees!
* our pool
* Bravo and USA (I know, I'm pathetic)
* Pasta Fina :)

Most of all I just can't wait to be with Kent again- regardless of where we are!!! Only six more days. It's been kind of fun to talk to him on the phone everyday and write letters back and forth- it sort of reminds me of when we were in college and on missions- but I really can't wait to get a great big hug from him.

the deployment

My- oh- my. Kent called today at 1:46 PM! I wasn't expecting a call until late tonight so it was a pleasant surprise. They returned from their "deployment" early. I was so worried about him in the humidity with the spiders and the heat- but apparently he was in no discomfort at all. They had heated personal showers, air conditioned tents, and a bigscreen TV on which to watch Ocean's 13. He even said he loved the MRE's he got. During the mock war parts he had to carry injured people on stretchers through sandpits and under wires and all sorts of insane stuff. They also got to do all of the really crazy ropes courses like repelling and climbing up crazy tall poles. They look like so much fun- and I am very glad that he's having such a good time, but I am so ready to see him again. He comes home a week from TOMORROW! The closer it gets the slower time goes! I'm going insane.

I set my phone alarm for EVERY hour last night so that I could check my little rugrat's oxygen saturation. It gets the lowest at night when his mucus builds up. It makes me so nervous to be here without Kent when he gets this sick. I just hate having to make the final say as to what to do. Luckily my parents have lots of no breathing experience (thanks to little sis Daysa) so they can help- but not all night long. He ended up having an okay night- I gave him one breathing treatment at three am- and then got him up at six so he could cough up all of his phlegm and clear out his lungs. Today I can barely keep my eyes open- and, of course, the Zebster gets all of his energy back. He has done SO SO SO much better today. He was playing around upstairs with daysa when she found him in Metta's room with a necklace and metta's underwear around his neck!

Only NINE more days until I get Kent back!!!!!!!!!