Friday Photo Flashback

I can't remember the last time I linked up with Alicia for Friday's Photo Flashback!  I just haven't had any old photos to scan.  This photo was actually scanned and posted to Facebook by my friend Melody (who is at the far right).  I just had to post it.  I can't believe how young we all looked.  And that was back in....early 2004, I believe.  Or maybe it was late 2003.

We were stationed at Fort Bragg at the time and were young lieutenants!  My other best friend, Chrissy, is in the center.  She'll be visiting us in September.

On Facebook, I remarked on how I didn't have to edit this photo much on picnik...no blemish-fix, brightening, nothing.  And proof that, at one time, I had perfectly clear skin!

So that was then.....and this is now...

Well, this was taken almost a year ago...Memorial Day Weekend 2010 in El Paso.  I think I was almost 30 weeks pregnant.  Okay, I didn't touch-up this picture other than to give it a frame, but man, I'm still surprised at how young we looked back in 2003/2004!

Now, Melody is out of the Army, but is the National Guard and works in Washington, D.C.  Chrissy is a senior Captain doing the Army's Training with Industry Program back in her home state.  She'll be returning to her normal Army duties in a few months.

Anyway, there's still time to link up for Friday Photo Flashback and if you don't want to scan a photo, at least take a look at Alicia's blog...it's pretty fantastic :)

Happy Friday Ya'll!

Friday Photo Flashback: Mini-Me

OMG...I finally got Baby V to fall asleep in her swing!  So you know when I have free time, I must update my blog!  Anyway, if you haven't participated in Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback yet, you should.  It's a chance for you to break out your old hard copy photos and share them with all of us!

Anyway, I did jinx us because Baby V's sleepfull nights are long gone.  The day after Malu left, she decided to do away with them and keep me awake in the wee hours of the morning.  Now, the problem isn't so much that she doesn't sleep.  She does....the problem for me is getting her back to sleep once I've fed her.  Sometimes, she'll immediately go back to sleep once she's been changed and fed.  Other nights, she's like, "I want to stay awake for a couple of hours.  Oh, and cry a lot while I'm at it."

So needless to say, I've been at my wit's end a few of these last couple days.  I've called Malu crying saying that I'm not sure I can do this for two more weeks.  Luckily, I've got great friends in the area who are willing to lend their support, but I don't like to bother them too much.  They've got their own problems and families to support.  But I'm taking it all in stride and am still very much enjoying our time together. 

So today, I'm posting a picture that my mom found of me, taken on the day I was born.  All of my family can't get over how much Baby V looks so much like me and I thought it'd be cool to show you guys too!

So...the swing thing didn't last long and now I'm typing this singlehandedly while Baby V is in my arms. Better get going!  Happy Friday everyone!  Have a great weekend!

Flashback Photo Friday & Breastfeeding

Before we head out to Colorado Springs for the weekend, I thought I'd participate in Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback!  If you want to participate and get linked in...head on over to her blog!

Anyway, I scanned this photo from the mid 1980's...

In it (clockwise from left) are my cousin Kathleen, my sister Rosalynn (making the funny face), my mommy, and me (standing).  We were stationed at Fort Shafter, Hawaii at the time.  The good old days!

Anyway, when I saw this picture years back (I was probably in high school), I thought, man, my mom has big boobies and  what happened to mine?  Did the big boobie gene skip a generation?  Which brings me to my next topic of breastfeeding.  It took my baby girl to get my boobies almost as big as mom's in this picture.  But you know what?  I've been enjoying breastfeeding, as crazy as that sounds.  It's been such a great bonding experience for Baby V and I and it just feels nice knowning that she's getting the nutrients she needs in the early stages of her life.

I only felt the pain of engorgement for about a day.  I went and bought a breast pump and have been pumping on a regular basis (every 2-3 hours).  And who says that you have to go out and buy the expensive, almost $300 Medela breast pump?!?  For you expectant or new mothers out there...I bought about an $80 Evenflo brand breast pump at Target the other day and it works like a charm. My only recommendation is that you find a breast pump that operates both on batteries and with an electric charger/AC adapter so that you can easily pump on the go.

And that's my two cents on breastfeeding.  We're heading out in about an hour or two.  We decided last night that we're just going to leave when we're ready and not stress out about waking up early and rushing to get there.  I'm dreading the drive.  We'll see how Baby V does for about 9 hours in a car.  But we're going to visit Grandma and Grandpa and tons of our family and friends in a little bit.  How exciting!

Friday Stuff...on Saturday. Oops!

Okay...so I meant to make these posts yesterday, but we were experiencing computer problems and I didn't get to.  Better late than never, right?

I figured it'd be a great time to do Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback. 

Check out the photo I found to scan! 

Okay, this picture was taken back in the summer of 1999...when I turned 21!

Tomorrow...this picture will officially be ten years old.  Yup, it'll be my 31st birthday and it's kinda depressing thinking that ten years has gone by so quickly...and look how thin, somewhat muscle-y, and tan I was!  Can't believe it.

Last night, Malu gave me a birthday card outlining his plans for us this weekend--I thought it was so cute.  Among the things that he had planned included:  going to breakfast this morning (if we woke up in time), going to Best Buy to find me either a new laptop computer or a new camera (one of those high-speed, fancy-do kinds with the big lenses), going to see a movie (I've surprisingly been begging him to see 'Despicable Me' in 3D--is that weird), and then going to dinner tonight; with more to come tomorrow! 

How sweet is he?  Crazy though, I told him that I wasn't feeling like dropping hundreds of dollars for a laptop or camera at the moment--and I really don't.  I told him, I'd like to get my hair trimmed and some bangs instead...and then do everything else on his list. 

I LOVE HIM!

Now on to Fill in the Blank Friday by Lauren!

1.  My favorite thing about this week has been...having the office be so peaceful with everyone on block leave ( I pretty much had it all to myself ); and getting home to Malu at a decent hour every day!  We had movie night practically every night too, which has been fun.  A Hollywood Video store down the street is going out of business and is liquidating its inventory. So we bought tons of movies last weekend for $5 apiece--some for less!

2.  The weather this week has been...cooler than previous weeks--thank goodness!  The highs have been mostly in the 90s and we had some rain and overcast days--which I have enjoyed.

3.  The last (interesting) item I received in the mail was...the package with my Apron Swap stuff in it.  LOVE it!

4.  The last movie I saw was...one that Malu and I watched last night called Forever Strong.  If you like rugby, hot guys, and hot guys playing rugby...you'll love it.

5.  If I could do anything I felt like today, I would...probably go to a beach.  I'm dying to swim or just be near any body of water!  Come to think of it...it was on Malu's list to take me on post to swim at the pool!  Yay!

6.  As a teenager, I was...honestly very good, not rebellious and was very sheltered by my parents.  They never let me go anywhere.  It was a miracle I even had a boyfriend in high school. 

7.  I wish I could trade lives for the day with...Lucy.  It just seems like life is so much simpler when all you look forward to is daddy (Malu) taking you for walks, eating and laying around all day on the cold floor, or occasionally on some piece of furniture that she's not supposed to be on. 

Back at Fort Rucker in 2007

Hope you guys have a great weekend...and sorry for the late post :)

Friday Photo Flashback

Happy Friday everyone!  I'd taken a nap tonight while Malu watched a movie we rented, which is why it's past midnight and I'm awake to make this post.

I haven't done it in a while and it's hosted by Alicia, one of my favorite bloggy friends.  What a great idea she came up with...you dig out your old photos, scan 'em and tell people something about 'em.

You guys know I'm always ALL about pictures of my fur-baby girl, Lucy.  This is another flashback of her when she was just a couple of weeks old....back in 2003.  This photo was taken in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

She had this leopard print collar that had a bell on it so that I'd be able to hear her moving.  And to this day, she loves to sit in the front seat of any car.

Happy Friday Everyone...and if you do decide to participate, head on over to Alicia's blog, More Than Words and get linked up!

Friday Photo Flashback:My Sweet Love(s) Part II

I'm so grateful it's Friday. It was a pretty rough week and I am ready for the weekend. This is my third week participating in Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback. Go ahead....break out your old photos and scan away! And then...go to her blog, More Than Words, to get linked up!

Remember how I posted this picture of Malu the other day? His most recent picture taken in Iraq and the first I've received since he left at the start of the New Year? I couldn't get over how much he's physically changed over the years. Not sure if it's because this is his third deployment, because he hardly ever gets any sleep, or both...but he sure has aged since he started his Army career. This was that new picture I told you about (should be familiar)....

And this was and old picture of him that I found in an old photo album. It was around 2003/2004, when he first joined the Army. I think I met him a year later. I can't get over how young he looked back then....even though he is six years younger than I. And this was taken a little over six years ago. How time flies!

Now Malu's not the only one that's aged. Although this picture was taken about 3 or 4 years ago, Lucy hasn't changed her look much.

But boy, do I wish I could go back to the days when she looked like this....

This was also taken back in early 2003, the same year that daddy's old picture was taken. Even back then, she was such a shy, good girl. I love you Lucy girl!

We won't even go into how I've aged in the last six years. I just couldn't find any pictures to show you guys ;) I know, it's a bloody shame.

I'm sorry I just can't stop posting and posting pics about my two sweet loves lately. I'll try to find cooler pictures next week!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Friday Photo Flashback

Happy Friday everyone! It's time to join Alicia over at More Than Words for Friday Photo Flashback, where you grab your old photos (pre-digital), put your scanner to use and tell us your stories! This is my second time doing it and it's so much fun. I have a box of old photos in my closet and it was so great going through them to find one to scan for today. So many memories!

This particular photo of my brother, Jonathan, and I was taken in the early to mid-1980's in Hawaii. My dad was stationed there at the time, which was so cool because all of my mom's family lives there. Jon and I had grown up on the real kung-fu movies. You know, the ones where the guys' mouths move faster than the words coming out of them? At the time, the original Karate Kid movie had come out, so we were practicing our crane kicks outside of a Bob's Big Boy restaurant after breakfast.

I can't believe how tiny my brother was back then. So cute. And oh how time has passed. I must have been around 7 or 8 then. Over 20 years ago. Look how far we've come! Not to mention 2 additional Karate Kid movies came out and now the newest re-make starring Will Smith's son is coming on next month. And I'm going to see it!

Have a happy day ya'll and see ya back on here this afternoon!

Friday Follow & Friday Photo Flashback

It's time to get our Friday on! Head on over to the following blogs for more info and to get linked up with all the Friday Follow participants. It's so much fun!:

One to Try
Midday Escapes
Hearts Make Families

All of these blogs are on my blog list (to the right)...what a great way to make new friends. This week's Friday Follow is being sponsored by Tooth Soap, who is also doing a giveaway to celebrate Mother's Day. You can go to any one of the blogs listed above to enter!

"No need to fear the dentist anymore. You can reduce the visits and make your dentist happy too. Brush with Tooth Soap®. Non-toxic, sustainable, organic and no need for a warning label. Created by a mom who has kids with no cavities. Get more information at: http://www.toothsoap.com/special-offers. " (taken from Midday Escapes).

I'm also participating in Friday Photo Flashback hosted by Alicia at More Than Words. Let me tell you, Alicia has a great blog and a wonderful family with five children, whom she homeschools! Talk about a cool chick! Head on over to her blog to get linked! The idea is to go back to the day when we didn't have digital photos. Break out your scanners and dig out those old photos and tell us the stories behind them. What a great idea, Alicia!

It's so funny. I'm 28 weeks with my first baby and a girl to boot. And here I am with my mommy many moons ago. Not sure how old I was at the time and I am my mom's second girl.

Look at that bulging tummy! My dad always jokes around and says that I was a funny-looking baby. I think he says that because he means just the opposite. I think I was cute back then!

Happy Friday everyone and have a great weekend!