Updates

I apologize for going so long between posts. School has been a bit overwhelming this semester on top of everything else that I have going on. Please keep me in your prayers as I plug away at the rest of the semester. Here is the chronological run down of our happenings since my last posting.

Valentine's Day was nothing exciting for us. LeMar had to work, so I only saw him for about 5 groggy hours in the middle of the day. I took some obligatory "Alyssa's 1st Valentine's Day" pictures. She did get some Valentines from 2 of the boys she's at day care with. We are happily still using home care at April's house. It is cheaper for us, she is a friend of ours, and she provides professional but still personalized child care in a home with Christian values. Up through this week, Alyssa has been the only girl with three little boys, but a 2 month old little girl starts there next week. Anywho, here are pictures of Alyssa on Valentine's Day:



The weather gets nice pretty early here in the Florida panhandle. Don't hate us too much for it, we would gladly trade with you for some snow and a sense of the seasons, but since we are here we feel obligated to take advantage of it. Here are a couple of pictures from a trip to the park.



LeMar's birthday was March 7th. I surprised him with a mountain bike and a baby sitter so that the two of us could break in his new bike right away. No, there are no mountains here, but there are some decent single-track trails at a state forest near by. After breaking in his bike, we came back to the house, picked up Alyssa and went to lunch. Then the three of us went down to the AF base where it is a bit safer for cyclists to share the road. We took Alyssa for her first bike ride in a child seat on the back of my bike. Here are pictures from LeMar's birthday. He is a bit camera shy, so you won't actually see this strapping 24 year old, just his bike, his wife, and his daughter. It looks like Alyssa will have to do a bit of growing for her helmet to fit properly, it is adjusted as small as it can go, and I don't know of any smaller helmets out there.





Now for the most recent news. Alyssa has begun a period of rapid changes. Sometime in February, she honed her self-feeding skills and is now quite proficient at feeding herself Puffs or Kix bits of cereal. The other day I found here sleeping with her butt up in the air, and snapped a picture.

Then, Sunday the 8th she took her first steps while holding Dad's hands. Then today she started crawling AND cut her first tooth! No pictures or videos of any of this yet, but that is the project for this weekend. Praise the LORD I'm on spring break; I'm in need of a reprieve. I won't be taking advantage of the ladies' nights at La Vela in PCB, however; I have 2 exams and a group paper (with crap-tastic teammates) due the week we come back from break.

It's Alyssa Again

Sorry, I guess it takes a bit to load.

Too Funny

 
Alyssa enjoying her bath in the big tub with her new toys.

 
Alyssa sleeping with her legs through the slats of her crib. We've found her this way several times in the morning or after naps.

New Things in '09

Life marches on for the three of us. LeMar has rotated onto the swing shift now, so he works 3pm - 2am. It is the toughest of his three shifts for us, because we see each other the least. To add to the challenges, I'm taking three courses this semester when I would normally only take two. I've been dreading it, and I spent a long time contemplating whether or not I should take on such a strenuous course load with Alyssa to take care of and LeMar being at work in the evenings during my primary study time. However, I really want to finish up my degree this calendar year, and the only way to do that was to take all three of these classes this semester. It will definitely be a challenge; I'm taking Tactics in Organic Synthesis, Polymer Synthesis, and Environmental Regulations & Risk Assessment. Please keep us in your prayers!

Alyssa continues to grow and change at an alarming rate. She is eating solid foods now. We've mastered the cereals (think Cream of Wheat not Lucky Charms), green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, pears, peaches, bananas, and applesauce. I'm trying to make her fruits and veggies (and soon meats) at home to provide her with healthier food and save us some money. She is close to crawling and standing, though she can sort of scoot/crawl backwards. She has also graduated to the full sized bath tub which was a good excuse to buy new bath toys. I've spent some time baby-proofing though we are not going to be as extensive as some parents. I just went for the big 4: stairs, electrical outlets, poisons, and skull puncturing corners (if you knew the old Ram's Point coffee tables, you know what I'm talking about.


Also, I've finally added a link to Christmas Pictures.

Our White Christmas '08

Merry Christmas!

We celebrated Alyssa's first Christmas in Florida where it was a balmy 75 degrees on Christmas day. Though you may be jealous, all of us would have preferred cold air and snow on the ground. Our friend Eileen, an Lt that I work with, also stayed here this year, and she spent the holiday with us. She and I are both runners, and we decided the best way to imitate the white Christmas we were use to in Wisconsin and Colorado was to go for a run on the white sand beaches. At the end of the day, our friends came over from Hurlbert Field to join us for Gumbo, fondu and a board game. All in all, it was a great day and a fantastic way to celebrate the birth of our Lord. Though we all got a bunch of gifts that we enjoy quite a bit, Alyssa made a killing with clothes, toys, books, a doll, a teddy bear and a jumper. Here are the pictures: