Army Life for the Wife

I've been an Army Wife for almost 8 years. So when my husband casually mentions over dinner Monday evening that he is going to the field soon I'm not surprised. I'm thankful that here in North Carolina going to the field doesn't mean an 8 hour drive to the middle of no where (good bye Ft. Lewis/Yakima). I ask the now standard questions about how I can reach him in case there's some type of family emergency for any of his soldiers.

I vaguely remember a kiss goodbye this morning and while I have no idea what time it was I sensed that it was earlier than the normal 4:30-5:00 am time range. I am blind as a bat without my glasses or contacts and the alarm is on his side of the bed so I never know what time it is.

I found a note in the kitchen this morning saying he got a call last night--in the field for the rest of the week. I am happy that I have 8 years of Army wife training to fall back on. I'm looking forward to the tons of little projects that I have to accomplish while he's gone. Mike was gone often in the beginning of our marriage. So much so that I have major issues accomplishing anything when he is home. I don't want to waste that time with him working on silly little things that can wait until another time. So I'm looking forward to the little things that I'm able to be in control of while he's gone. I'm absolutely turning the sprinkler system back on (Mike insisted that we turn it off because it was wasteful and unfortunately I haven't been able to prove him wrong because strangely enough the grass hasn't died but it is a little dry), I'm turning the AC down to 75 instead of the husband mandated 77. I'm going to plan and replan Olivia's 4th birthday celebration because there's no one around to get irritated when I change my mind again and again.

Ball Game

We went to our first Durham Bulls game last July before Olivia was admitted to the hospital, we had a great time. Thanks to Groupon I got a great deal on a mini-package of Durham Bulls tickets this season. We had a blast with Olivia last year and we couldn't wait to go as a family this year. It's a beautiful ballpark, it's small and clean, it's right in the middle of downtown Durham, it's easy to find parking. We had great seats right along the 1st base line. I'm really glad our seats were in the shade because the temperature has been in the high 90's around here lately with a heat index over 100*. We're not complaining though, it's nice to enjoy the warm sunshine! We're already looking forward to the next game we're going to in July.

The Drugstore Game, Week 4

Today I made money by shopping at CVS, here's how....





Pampers Diapers (Mike has several soilders having babies next month and we usurally deliver a meal and a package of diapers after they come home from the hospital)
-$11.99 on Sale for $8.99
-$2.00 Coupon
-$1.00 Extra Care Buck
Total Price = $5.99

Aveno Hair Care Products (with Olivia's sensitive skin this is the brand the doctor has recommended she use)
-$6.49 each (I bought 4 products totaling $25.96)
-$6.00 in coupons
-$10 Aveno Mail in Rebate
-$10 Extra Care Bucks
Total Price = NEGATIVE 4 cents (I made 4 cents buying this stuff)

Ziploc Freezer Bags
-$3.29 on sale for $2.50 each when you buy 2 (I bought 4 boxes spending $10)
-$2.00 in coupons
-$5.00 in Extra Care Bucks
Total Price = $1.00 just 25 cents per box

Huggies Swim Diapers
-$8.99 on sale for $7.99
-$1.50 coupon
Total Price = $6.49

CVS Brand Gummy Candies
-$.99 per package (I bought 3 packages, 2 of them were on sale for 24 cents and 1 was sale for 49 cents)
-$1.00 off purchase of 3 coupon that I printed in the store
Total Price = NEGATIVE 3 cents (I made 3 cents buying this stuff)

Olay Regenerist Facial Moisturizer with SPF (I've heard great things about this product but haven't tried it because it seems so expensive for a drug store brand)
-$19.99 on sale for $9.99
-$5.00 coupon
Total Price = $4.99

Total $18.31

I was able to use a $4.00 any purchase over $20 coupon as well as extra care bucks to pay for my entire purchase today!

Remembering/Relearn/Reload

This week Olivia seems to be remembering more things. We're continuing to wean her FK506 (her main anti-rejection medication) and I'm not sure if the changes are due to the medication decrease or disease progression or recovery from transplant or any number of other things. It's as if Olivia's body and brain are a light switch with a dimmer, someone is slowly making the room a little brighter. Over the last week she has started saying more words. She's also started clapping again when she sees something she likes. She loved applauding for Peter when he was running around in his Batman pj's, she also claps when she sees Mike come home from work and when I give her Popsicles. Olivia has started to stack blocks again which she hasn't done in months. Overall she's starting to play more appropriately with toys. She seems to be more aware of herself and her surroundings. We've also been working with a picture/symbol board and she seems to be responding very well. Olivia is also gaining a little weight and she is much less picky about what she eats. She's even branched out to eating red meat and shrimp! Olivia is also much more coordinated this week and she's much stronger. She's able to go up and down stairs by herself now. Her balance is improving. I'm hoping things continue to improve.