Sunday Funnies

Just wanted to share a few funny pictures of Sina.  The first two were taken back in Colorado on our last night there.  We were trying to get her changed into her pajamas and had a little fun in the process. The last two were taken here in our hotel the other day.  She just loves to suck on her big toes and oftentimes tries to feed herself.  So cute.  And yes, she loves lounging around in just her diapers. 

Happy Sunday everyone!

Germany!

Well, we made it!  We're in Germany!  Tonight, our unit sponsor took us out for our very first German dinner.  Now, I've had German food before--both in the States and in Germany during previous visits--but this is the our first time eating here, as a family stationed in Germany.  The dinner was fantastic.  And this was Malu enjoying his very first beer in Germany.

I guess I should rewind a little bit and tell you guys about our long journey here.  You see, we actually arrived almost four days ago.  And let me tell you, it was not easy.

On the morning we departed Colorado, it was so cold--we were told about -7 degrees.  At that moment, my biggest fear was confirmed--we would have to leave Lucy with my parents.  The airlines don't fly any live animals at temperatures below 20 degrees.  We didn't even want to take the risk of putting her on a plane and having her not make it.  So as much as we hated to leave her, it was for the best.  I cried...and cried, and cried.  I miss her so much.  But after the disasters we encountered on our flights, we're so glad we left her.  I don't think she could have handled all of the delays we had.  Yup, delays.  Not cool. 

Our first flight out of Colorado took us to Dallas-Fort Worth.  On our way out of Dallas, we sat on the plane for three hours for maintenance issues.  We were hungry, thirsty (you'd think the flight crew would have at least offered us something, but no), and just miserable.  We barely made our connecting flight in Baltimore.

On our way out of Baltimore, we sat on the plane for another four hours for maintenance issues and the de-icing of the plane (as it was snowing heavily).  Again, no food or drinks (until about 3 hours into the waiting), and they had to turn off the air on the plane during the de-icing, which took about an hour.  The plane was full of deploying Soldiers and other families being stationed overseas.  Miserable. 

So you can you imagine having Lucy sit in the belly of a plane, in the cold, for all that?  She would have freaked out.

The only high point about the entire trip was that our baby girl, Sina, was perfect the entire time.  She slept through pretty much everything--even all the delays. 

When we went through customs here in Germany, we saw the other dogs that made it through (they must have flown from warmer states) and thought of Lucy.   She would love it here with all the grassy parks and lawns they have around here.  And of course, you can take your dog pretty much anywhere here, including restaurants.  We are definitely going to bring her here either sometime in the spring or early summer.

Anyway, we were picked up by our sponsor, who has been so gracious to us since our arrival.  I tell you, I have not had to make any arrangements since I've been here--my most stress-free transition ever.  Our hotel reservations were made well in advance.  We are staying at the Panzer Kaserne--one of 4 bases that make up the post here in Stuttgart, home of the United States European Command.  The Panzer Hotel was just opened a month ago...so we're staying in a brand new, very contemporary place, in an extended stay suite complete with a kitchenette and living room.

Before coming here (almost two months ago), our sponsor had placed us on the housing list, so now we're pretty much at the top.  We are looking to have a place in about two weeks.  We could actually move into quarters immediately, but what we were offered is on another base across town.  We took a look at three different places today and they are all great.  But we're looking to get into a place on the main post, called Patch Barracks.  The place we're being offered at Patch just went into maintenance and won't be available until the end of the month--which means we'll have to remain in lodging for that time.  However, the trade off is that there would be no commute from home to work.  I could literally walk across the street to my office.  And it's close to everything else on the post, and the thought of getting anywhere near the audobon right now just freaks me out.

I start my inprocessing this Wednesday.  All of my appointments have been made for me, so I'm all set.  The process will take almost three weeks and includes everything from housing and finance briefs to all-day German training (with tours around the city) for both Malu and myself.  The entire post has a long weekend because of the MLK holiday, so I have a few extra days to relax; which is great, because I've been sick ever since we got here.  In fact, one of the first places we visited was the clinic on post.  I'd lost my voice and am now slowly getting it back.  And I still have a nasty cough and sinus congestion.  It has not been fun.

In any case, sorry to ramble, but all is well and I'll continue to keep you guys posted on our progress here.  We've seen a little bit of the city here and there and we just know we're going to love it.  However, we're still in "home" mode and are missing our families (and our Lucy girl) back home...terribly. 

~5 Months~

Our baby girl turned 5 months three days ago.  She has changed so much since we departed El Paso...mostly in size.  She's getting so big!  Let's just say that she's been fed well while we've been on leave. 

As you all know, we've been on the move, visiting with family before we head out to Germany (which is on Tuesday!).  So there have tons of firsts for our little Baby V.

First, she met her great-grandparents for the first time during our visit to Utah a few weeks ago.  Then, she met Santa and had her very first Christmas with my family here in Colorado.  She also helped us ring in the new year, although most of it, she spent with my brother and his fiance, Jolene.  The day after that, Malu and I were pleased to have her baby dedication done with our family and friends. 

To say that Malu and I (as well as Grandma Ruby and Grandpa Mati) are exhausted with all the activity is an understatement--but we would not have missed any of it for the world.  To say that Baby V has been spoiled since we've been on vacation is also an understatement.  Malu and I have been overwhelmed by the constant outpouring of love, support and gifts for our little girl from family and friends.  Let's just say that this girl has not worn a single outfit more than once since she's been here.  And if she did, it was only because I was too lazy to go from the top floor of our house to the basement to pull a new outfit out of her suitcase.  What a lucky girl, and what a lucky family we are to have such wonderful family members and friends. 

As I said, Baby V has been sprouting like a weed since we started our leave.  Most of it is because her great-grandma and her grandma have been keeping her well fed.  I mean, well fed.  Last month, we started Baby V on rice cereal.  While in Utah, we started giving her Gerber baby food.  We decided to start her on vegetables first and it's been a huge hit so far.  She's a huge fan of sweet potatoes, carrots, squash and green beans.  Peas?  Not so much.  I plan on giving her some fruits here soon; I just didn't want her to constantly want fruits (i.e. sweets) so much and not want her veggies.  What's great is that my parents got us a Baby Cook (which purees and steams), so we plan on giving Baby V the freshest and healthiest of fruits and veggies!

So, we were all trying to guess just how much weight Baby V has gained up to now and we finally had a chance to do it last night at my uncle's house.  My mom swore that she had to be almost 20 pounds.  To our surprise, she's only gained 1.8 pounds and weighs just under 15 pounds.  So we know she's getting bigger, but we don't know just how long she is at this point, but she is finally growing out of her 3 month clothes and is starting to fit into 6 month clothes.  She still wears size 1 diapers, but I have the feeling that is going to change really soon.

What's also cool is that she can hold her bottle all by herself now.  In the early mornings when she wakes up (usually around 5:45 or so) you can just hand her the bottle and she'll take care of the rest.  She'll even fall back asleep afterwards.  How convenient is that?

She definitely recognizes voices and quickly turns her head whenever she hears her name.  She still loves her morning cartoons (i.e. Cat in the Hat, Dinosaur Train, Curious George) as well as reading her books.  She's also come to love my Nook Color.  I have children's books that are read aloud to her and she just loves to listen and look at all the colors on the bright screen.  She's started to mumble "mmmmm" and "ba ba" sounds.  I swear that one of these days, she'll be spitting "mama" out soon.  Oh, I can surely wish.

Her hair?  Still out of control (as seen in the last picture).  I usually put headbands in her hair to disguise how crazy her hair sets...or doesn't.  Shoes?  She hates to keep them and socks on her crazy big feet.  She's got long, wide feet--just like mom's.  God help her.  She hates to lie down for long periods of time.  When there's a crowd, she almost always wants to be standing up or in a sitting position so that she can be in the middle of everything.  She's so curious.  And she's also been practicing walking...a lot.  You'd be amazed at how agile and strong she is.

We were going to get her ears pierced while here in Colorado, but decided against it.  At least for now.  I really pushed for it, but Malu just wants to keep her his little baby--sweet and whole--at least until she decides later on that she wants to punch holes in her ears.  I didn't have the heart to argue with that.

Anyway, I believe that's all I can muster up right now.  Happy 5 months baby girl!  Next time, we'll be celebrating your 1/2 year birthday in Germany!  I can't believe it.

Fun Times!

We've been having the best of times with family and friends here in Colorado.  Despite being caught up in all the hullabaloo from the holidays, Baby V's dedication and my promotion, we've been able to get out and just have some fun.

My best friend, Chrissy, finally got to meet my family after seven years.  Up to this point, they'd come to know her only from what they'd hear about our experiences growing up in the Army together.  I was so glad that my family finally got to put a face to her name.  Because she was only here for four days and she was "stuck" sitting through all the parties/events we had going on, we didn't get to do much sightseeing.  But we did get to take her to the Garden of the Gods on her last day here.  We didn't take too many pictures because it was so cold out, but we got the signature "balancing rock" photo.

I wish we could crop that guy out of the photo.

That same evening, Malu, his brother Vaea, my sister Roz and I took her to The Melting Pot in downtown Colorado Springs.  Both she and Vaea had never eaten there before and we thought it'd be tons of fun.  It definitely was...and we ate sooooooo much.  I love, love, love fondue!  Chrissy said she enjoyed it and Vaea seemed to have fun with it too.

appetizers...cheese fondue and spinach/artichoke dip. yummy!

vaea trying out the appetizers.

malu getting ready for the main course.

my goodness, the meal was fantastic!

We spent the rest of the evening playing guys vs. girls Catch Phrase at home.  Chrissy left early this morning and made it home safely.

She's planning on visiting us in Germany in the fall.  Oh, I hope time flies by.  I miss her so much already.  Today, I spent the entire day with my sister and had a great time.  The fact that we have under a week left has definitely started to set in.  I miss my family so much already.  I don't know how I'm going to be able to leave :(



Officially "Major A"

My promotion to Major was made effective on New Years Day; exactly six years since my promotion to Captain and just under 9 1/2 years from the time I was commissioned in the summer of 2001.  With the help of family friends who work at Fort Carson, my mom was able to throw together a promotion ceremony for me.  This morning, over 50 of our closest friends as well as my family members were there to witness it.  It was a beautiful ceremony.

After my parents, hubby, and daughter pinned on my new rank, I was asked to give my remarks.  I talked about how thankful I am to God, who has blessed me so abundantly and for placing me in a position to serve our Nation and its people in a job that I absolutely love.  I talked about how thankful I am to all of the NCOs and Soldiers who made me shine every day with their hard work, professional competence and selflessness.  I talked about how grateful I feel to have been groomed by some of the best leaders (Commissioned Officers) in the Army.  And I expressed how, most of all, I was thankful to my family--my parents, brother, sister, husband and daughter--whose love, guidance and support I could not have been without.

It's because of all of you that I have made it this far.  From the bottom of my heart--thank you!  Well, here's to another couple of years until I take another step up the ladder.  But how cool is it that I'm just about halfway done with my Army career?  Too cool.

Throughout my career thus far, people have always had a difficult time pronouncing my unusual last names.  My maiden name was "Ioapo" (pronounced "e-yo-ah-po").  So instead of saying my last name, most folks used to call me "Lieutenant I" or "Captain I".  When I got married, my name changed to another hard, Samoan last name, "A'etonu" (pronounced "ah-eh-tow-new"), which folks also had a difficult time pronouncing.  So, for the last few years, I've always been called "Captain A".  So effective today, it's "Major A".  Yikes, that'll take some time to get used to.

I'll leave you guys with a picture of my baby girl and I.  She'd worn the ACU outfit that one of our aunts bought for her. It says "Army Princess" on it.  That, she truly is.

Promotions are great.  They're awesome!  But, by far, one of my greatest achievements, aside from marrying my husband, was having this beautiful little girl.  I am truly blessed.

Whew!  This will be the last big family event here in Colorado Springs.  As a matter of fact, we have just under a week before we head out to Germany.  Oh my!

Baby V's Dedication

Thanks to those of you who have stopped by and left comments on our blog despite how busy your holiday schedules have been.  As soon as things die down for us, I'll get caught up on your blogs soon!

Today, Malu and I were happy to dedicate our little baby girl to the Lord.  Malu and I made a commitment to God, to her, and to many of our family and friends, to do everything in our power to raise her in a godly way; so that one day, she can make a decision on her own to follow God. 

About 50 of our family member and closest family friends gathered at our church to witness this momentous occasion.  This bunch included about 6 sets of her godparents (yup, that's a lot.  it's also the Filipino way!)  Those people and about 50 more gathered with us for a reception afterwards.

I tell you what, Sina was beautiful in the dress that her Grandma Ruby bought for her.  She was in the best of moods during the ceremony--not a tear was shed.  And she was quite taken by our pastor and his trusty microphone.  I thought she was going to yank it out of his hands before he could finish the closing prayer.

We chose a life verse for Sina, taken from Jeremiah 29:11-13, which states:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

We sure hope that when the time comes, that she chooses to seek Him and to follow the path He has laid out for her.

We'd like to, once again, thank all of our family and friends for all of their love and support and to Pastor Darrin, his wife and the Pikes Peak Christian Church for putting on a beautiful ceremony for us.

Here are some more favorite pictures from today:

With Malu's brother (one of Sina's godfathers), Vaea.

With Grandma Ruby and Grandpa Mati.

With Aunt Chrissy (one of her godmothers).

at the reception with Auntie Jolene.  I love this giraffe outfit Auntie Rosalynn got for her.

Sina and her Uncle Jon.

On a personal note, I'm noticing now that I didn't get a single picture of Sina with my sister or my grandma.  However, I'm sure those pictures are out there somewhere.  At one point, there were eight to ten different cameras out at the same time.  I'm waiting to be tagged on Facebook!  And I'm embarassed at how low-cut my dress was.  I really didn't realize that it was that bad, that I was showing that much skin.  It's an old dress and I pretty much grabbed it out of my closet in El Paso before our household goods were packed.  I got the dress a few years back and, well, it doesn't fit like it used to, and I didn't pack a cardigan today. I hope no one is offended.

My friend, Chrissy, is dumbfounded at how much my family does around here (i.e. all the parties we go to) because she hasn't rested one bit since she got  here.  Well, we have one more big family event tomorrow.  Then she can get her rest.  I'll tell you guys about it soon!

Happy New Year!

 I'm here to share my favorite pictures taken from our New Year's Eve celebration with the Filipino-American Community of Southern Colorado.  My best friend, Chrissy, is in town so she was able to enjoy the festivities with us.

at the house before heading out.  my hubby and i.



these guys clean up really well.  don't they look great?

we clean up pretty well too.  me, chrissy and rozzie at the party.

my mom with the boys.

i love my family.  i wish my brother, jon, could have been there.

best friends.

my love.

being goofy.

loving my mom and sister

We had left Sina with my brother and his fiance.  We left the party at 11:15 because we didn't want to do the New Year's countdown without her.  We all missed her that much.  So we went and picked her up and gave her her first kisses of the year when the clock struck at midnight.

From our family to yours...may God's blessings for you and your families be abundant.  May He bring you good health, happiness, and prosperity this New Year!