After one month, two rounds of sickness in our house (including 3 trips to the doc for the kiddos and myself), a week of Japanese culture classes, a Japanese drivers’ license class, and a bit of exploring, I feel like I’m finally getting settled here. Last Monday we received our “unaccompanied baggage” shipment (1000 pounds of essentials–pots/pans/baby toys/ towels/etc.) and we just found out that we’ll be receiving our full shipment of everything else on Friday! Hurray! I can’t WAIT. It will be so nice to sleep in our bed, sit on our couch, have more than four place settings so I don’t have to do dishes twice a day…

And then the REAL fun begins–I get to decorate this blank canvas of a house! I’ve already got a few ideas in mind, but I’m waiting to decide exactly what I’m going to do until all our stuff gets here, and I see how it all fits. The townhouse we’re living here on base suits our needs pretty well, but it is quite a bit smaller than the house we came from in California. We ended up storing a lot of our furniture and such back in the states, but I’m still a little anxious about how all of our stuff is going to fit in this place…I guess we’ll see on Friday!

Just to give you an idea, here are a few pics of our townhouse (the furniture you see here is our loaner furniture that the Navy gives us until our furniture gets here):

The kitchen and eat-in area:

Living room/dining room and door to the backyard:

The master bedroom

It is kind of interesting that even though we are currently only living with what we brought in our luggage, what people have loaned us, and the small shipment of our personal stuff…life has been pretty normal. I mean, it doesn’t exactly feel like home, but it’s comfortable enough. (I say that, but as I type I’m sitting on our loaner couch, which is reminiscent of something out of my freshman dorm common room.) I’m such a nerd though, I love the challenge of decorating a new space, with less stuff, in a foreign country where I don’t have the foggiest notion where to start looking for some of the items I’ll need to “homeify” our little space. But I seriously CAN’T WAIT!

I’m off now, but you didn’t think I’d leave you without some pics of the boys, did you?

It was bound to happen. I wanted to leave California to go to Missouri to see my family. With my babies. Have a mentioned that my husband is gone right now?

Thank goodness, we flew on a direct flight there and back, and actually, everything went VERY smoothly. I was prepared for four hours of H-E-double hockey sticks. But thankfully, the boys were GREAT. For all you fellow moms of twins traveling with kiddos alone (or moms of one baby traveling alone…or dads of triplets traveling alone…or an aunt traveling with a niece…or a nephew…well you get the picture), I’ve assembled a few things I learned on my trip.

1. If at all possible book a direct flight. This was our lifesaver. One flight there. One flight back. Enough said.

2. The easiest part. Initially the thing I was most worried about was how I was going to get all my cr*p from my car to the airport. Honestly…this was probably the easiest part! I took the following:

-1 rolling bag for me
-1 small duffle bag for the boys
-1 messenger-style diaper bag
-1 double stroller
-1 car seat inside a carseat bag with backpack straps (we borrowed a second car seat from my best friend in Missouri)

We parked at a garage with an airport shuttle. The shuttle picked us up at my car. And the doors of the shuttle bus were wide enough so that the shuttle driver and I could just lift the stroller right onto the shuttle without taking the boys out or collapsing the stroller (SCORE!). Once we were dropped off at the airport I used one hand to push the stroller with the diaper bag on the handles, one hand to pull my bag with the duffle on top of it, and carried the carseat on my back. Once we checked in, I got rid of my bags and the boys duffle, so the stroller/diaper bag/carseat were all very manageable. I’m pretty sure we did look pretty funny though walking though the airport–I got some strange looks! (If we hadn’t had access to a second carseat in MO we would have obviously had to take that, too, and we just would have checked that with our luggage).

3. The hardest part. The hardest part was not getting through security (luckily I had a friend on the way to MO and my dad on the way back to CA who could go through security with me…but even without them, it wouldn’t have been too bad…the TSA folks are surprisingly helpful!). The hardest part was getting from the end of the jetway onto the airplane. I purposely flew Southwest so that that the person sitting next to me would choose that spot and not be stuck there because of a seat assignment (if you haven’t figured it out already I bought two seats…so one baby sat in the carseat and I held the other). Southwest’s family boarding policy says that Group A boards first (I couldn’t check in online because the boys’ DOB’s weren’t in the Southwest database) and THEN families. Of course all the people in Group A take the empty seats in the first 3/4 of the plane, so we had to go all the way to the back to find empty rows. Ick. Sooooo…the trip from the end of the jetway to sitting down in our seats went something like this:

-Push stroller down jetway.
-Arrive at end of jetway and move out of the way of other families boarding (families which all seemed to be made up of two parents and one baby…I’ve never been so envious of that ratio!).
-Take diaper bag off handlebars, get out baby bjorn.
-Take carseat out of carseat bag.
-Put on baby bjorn and load baby (whichever is fussing/antsy).
-At this point there are many people staring at me as they file on the plane and thankfully on each flight someone offered to help. I ask them to hold the other baby.
-I ask a flight attendant to take the carseat on the plane and find an empty row.
-The gate check guy asks what he can do at this point. I fold up the stroller (really easy with our Baby Jogger), hand him some bungie cords, and show him how to secure it.
-With the stranger holding a baby following me, I file on the plane carrying a baby, the carseat bag and the diaper bag trying not to hit those Group A people sitting in the front of the plane (I may be scowling at them a little at this point, too).
-I find the carseat, throw the carseat bag in the overhead bin, strap the carseat in, take the baby from the stranger and strap him (the baby not the stranger) into the carseat.
-Take a deep breath!
-Get nursing cover, bottle for baby in carseat, toys, pacifiers, etc. ready to go.
-Pray someone nice sits next to us (which happened both times).

4. Bribe the people around you. Before traveling I made little gift bags for all the people sitting around me, which consisted of chocolate, ear plugs, and a little note from Ollie and Miles saying “Thank you for traveling with us on our first flight! We are planning on napping a lot, but in case we don’t, here’s some ear plugs for you!” We passed these out to all the people sitting around us–they went over VERY well and we had lots of people offering to help us during the flight. For the person sitting in the third seat in our row and all those random nice strangers who went out of their way to help us out, I also packed starbucks gift cards. I figured if people saw me traveling with twins, learned my hubby was deployed, AND I gave them a gift and they still shot me nasty looks if the babies cried, they were mean people. Luckily, everyone was very nice, AND the babies didn’t cry! Woo hoo! Little aviators like their dad!

5. Remember: it’s only a few hours. Keep in mind that even if the kids scream bloody murder the whole flight, you get barfed on, and everyone on your flight hates you….it’s only for a few hours. Chances are, you’ll never see these people ever again. And hey, at least you’ll have a great story to tell!

After the Hubby gets back from his deployment early next year, This American Wife (and family) is moving to Japan (I’m still a little giddy every time I say that). It was actually a pretty unexpected assignment, so it came as a bit of a shock, but I’m getting used to the idea now, and I’m pretty darn excited about it.

This will be my first Navy move, so I’m not really quite sure what to expect, but I know it will be an exciting next few months as we prepare! And an even more exciting next year as we adjust to life with two one year olds in a new country. So hang on for the ride, folks, This American Wife is going global!

I’m actually pretty proud of myself though–I’ve managed to figure out how to give the boys baths on my own (something I was really worried about), stick with the cloth diapering, continue to breast feed, and last Monday I even hosted our Officer Spouses Club meeting. How do I do it all, you ask? Well, I spend a lot of time walking around doing this:

I’m not sure what I’m going to do when they grow out of the sling! Yikes!

We’re doing really well though, thanks to a great work situation and some incredible, incredible friends (more on that later). And the best part of this deployment? The boys keep me so busy that the days are flying by.

Thank you all so much for your support!

a) Be the highlight of my day.

b) Require 1 hour of preparation.

c) Make me feel like a million bucks after I successfully conquered this task.

Today I needed to go to the grocery store. Simple, right? Well with my hubby away right now, a trip to the grocery store meant that I would be taking along my two little munchkins. And after the boys had a meltdown at Target last night (I just meant to go the post office, but decided at the spur of the moment to head to Target, too–bad call on my part), I was a little nervous about the grocery store.

But I fed the little guys, changed them, and popped them in their car seats. Thank goodness, they promptly passed out on the way to Trader Joe’s. And here’s how I made the rest of the trip a success.

1) I made a good list. Essential in my mind whether you have twins or not!

2) I parked near the cart return. This was much more important than being close to the door–parking near the cart return meant that I had easy access to the carts which I used to put Miles in.

3) Rather than use the stroller in the store, I used my Maya wrap to hold Ollie (who is the lighter sleeper), and I put Miles in the carseat in the cart. This worked out SO well! I’ll definitely be using this setup again!

I still haven’t quite gotten used to all the attention we get. It’s nice most of the time, but the exact same conversation I’m having with everyone is starting to get a bit old…it goes something like this:

Stranger: Ahhh…twins! Or sometimes “Are they twins?” No…I just have two babies exactly the same size that I’m carting around in matching outfits in a double stroller…

Me: Yes.

Stranger: Two boys or two girls or one of each?

Me: Two boys.

Stranger: Are they identical?

Me: No. Look at them…do they LOOK identical? Sometimes this comment is even proceeded with “They look so different! Are they identical?” at which point I usually start to question the common man’s understanding of the word “identical”.

Stranger: How old are they?

Me: Six weeks.

Stranger: Well they are so cute! Which I’m pretty sure they would say even if I had ugly babies…

Me: Thanks!

I know, I know, people are just trying to be nice…and most of the time, I don’t mind these interactions…and when my hubby is gone, I welcome a reason to chat with another adult. But sometimes, I don’t really want to hear about your cousin’s sister-in-law’s set of twins who can’t stand to be apart from one another or your great aunts Bertha and Betsy who were twins and died within five minutes of each other. Really, I just want to buy some milk in peace! But I guess I better get used to it..after all they’re only six weeks old!

National Military Family Association-Governement Shutdown-What Military Families Need to Know

SpouseBUZZ-But What About Pay?

The Happy Housewife-How to Survive on Half Your Military Pay

The Happy Housewife- Short Term Loans for Active Duty

Hopefully we won’t need to use any of this advice or these resources, but I think it’s good to know the facts! Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that this is sorted out today!

On that note, I’m off to the NICU! Have a great day everyone!

Twins brings on a whole new list of questions, concerns, and emotions…especially now that I know they’re trying to escape! Will I go into preterm labor? If I do, will they be able to stop it? Will the babies make it to 37 weeks? If they come earlier, will they be healthy? Will their lungs be developed? Will they have to stay in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit)? How big will they be? Will I be able to take them home from the hospital with me? Once again, the list goes on and on…

Now, throw on the whole “military wife” layer, and that adds another list of questions, concerns, and a whole lot more emotion! The biggest question–the one that’s looming in my mind right now? Will my hubby be here when I have these babies? Right now, he’s scheduled to be on a training thing right through the middle 2/3 of my third trimester. Needless to say, this makes me a wee bit nervous. As soon as I go into labor, he can come home, but once again…who knows when that might be! And who knows whether or not he’ll have enough time to get home. I think my mom is going to come stay with me while he’s gone, but it’s still pretty scary to think of going through all these crazy scenarios without him here.

This probably goes without saying, but all theses uncertainties make this girl, who loves to plan and be in control, pretty insane. But I’m trying to remain positive. As Doris Day would say, “Que Sera, Sera,” right?

So this little story has been making the rounds on facebook (originally written by Paige Anderson Swiney in Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul) the last few days, and thankfully, many of these things haven’t applied to my military spouse experience (yet!). But I thought some of you who don’t know what it’s like to be a military spouse might appreciate the insight! Let me know what you think!

————————————————————–

It was just another harried Wednesday afternoon trip to the commissary (grocery store on military bases). My husband was off teaching young men to fly. My daughters were going about their daily activities knowing I would return to them at the appointed time, bearing, among other things, their favorite fruit snacks, frozen pizza, and all the little extras that never had to be written down on a grocery list. My grocery list, by the way, was in my 16-month-old daughter’s mouth, and I was lamenting the fact that the next four aisles of needed items would wait while extracting the last of my list from my daughter’s mouth, when I nearly ran over an old man.

This man clearly had no appreciation for the fact that I had 45 minutes left to finish the grocery shopping, pick up my 4-year old from tumbling class, and get to school, where my 12-year-old and her carpool mates would be waiting.

I knew men didn’t belong in a commissary, and this old guy was no exception. He stood in front of the soap selection staring blankly, as if he’d never had to choose a bar of soap in his life. I was ready to bark an order at him when I realized there was a tear on his face.

Instantly, this grocery aisle roadblock transformed into a human…”Can I help you find something?” I asked. He hesitated, and then told me he was looking for soap.

“Any one in particular?” I continued.

“Well, I’m trying to find my wife’s brand of soap.” I started to loan him my cell phone to call her when he said, “She died a year ago, and I just want to smell her again.”

Chills ran down my spine. I don’t think the 22,000-pound Mother of all Bombs could have had the same impact. As tears welled up in my eyes, my half-eaten grocery list didn’t seem so important. Neither did fruit snacks or frozen pizza.

I spent the remainder of my time in the commissary that day listening to a man tell the story of how important his wife was to him — how she took care of their children while he served our country. A retired, decorated World War II pilot who flew missions to protect Americans still needed the protection of a woman who served him at home.

My life was forever changed that day. Every time my husband works too late or leaves before the crack of dawn, I try to remember the sense of importance I felt that day in the commissary.

Some times the monotony of laundry, housecleaning, grocery shopping, and taxi driving leaves military wives feeling empty — the kind of emptiness that is rarely fulfilled when our husbands come home and don’t want to or can’t talk about work.

We need to be reminded, at times; of the important role we fill for our family and for our country. Over the years, I’ve talked a lot about military spouses…how special they are and the price they pay for freedom too. The funny thing is; most military spouses don’t consider themselves different from other spouses. They do what they have to do, bound together not by blood or merely friendship, but with a shared spirit whose origin is in the very essence of what love truly is. Is there truly a difference? I think there is. You have to decide for yourself…

Other spouses get married and look forward to building equity in a home and putting down family roots. Military spouses get married and know they’ll live in base housing or rent, and their roots must be short so they can be transplanted frequently.

Other spouses decorate a home with flair and personality that will last a lifetime. Military spouses decorate a home with flare tempered with the knowledge that no two base houses have the same size windows or same size rooms.

Curtains have to be flexible and multiple sets are a plus. Furniture must fit like puzzle pieces.

Other spouses have living rooms that are immaculate and seldom used. Military spouses have immaculate living room/dining room combos. The coffee table got a scratch or two moving from Germany, but it still looks pretty good.

Other spouses say goodbye to their spouse for a business trip and know they won’t see them for a week. They are lonely, but can survive. Military spouses say good-bye to their deploying spouse and know they won’t see them for months, or a year, or longer. They are lonely, but will survive.

Other spouses, when a washer hose blows off, call Maytag and then write a check out for having the hose reconnected. Military spouses have to cut the water off and fix it themselves.

Other spouses get used to saying “hello” to friends they see all the time. Military spouses get used to saying “goodbye” to friends made the last two years.

Other spouses worry about whether their child will be class president next year. Military spouses worry about whether their child will be accepted in yet another school next year and whether that school will be the worst in the city…again.

Other spouses can count on spouse participation in special events…birthdays, anniversaries, concerts, football games, graduation, and even the birth of a child. Military spouses only count on each other; because they realize that the flag has to come first if freedom is to survive. It has to be that way.

Other spouses put up yellow ribbons when the troops are imperiled across the globe and take them down when the troops come home. Military spouses wear yellow ribbons around their hearts and they never go away.

Other spouses worry about being late for mom’s Thanksgiving dinner. Military spouses worry about getting back from Japan in time for dad’s funeral.

The television program showing an elderly lady putting a card down in front of a long, black wall that has names on it touches other spouses. The card simply says, “Happy Birthday, Sweetheart. You would have been sixty today.” A military spouse is the lady with the card, and the wall is the Vietnam Memorial.

I would NEVER say military spouses are better than other spouses. But I will say there is a difference. I will say, without hesitation, that military spouses pay just as high a price for freedom as do their active duty husbands and wives.

Perhaps the price they pay is even higher. Dying in service to our country isn’t near as hard as loving someone who has died in service to our country, and having to live without them.

God bless our military spouses for all they freely give.

I’m telling you all this for two reasons:

1. I was the coordinator for both of these baby meals. And if you’ve ever coordinated baby meals for a friend before, you know what a PAIN it can be to organize! But I recently heard of a site called Take Them a Meal that does all the organization for you! You just input the contact information, likes/dislikes, and the days they need help, and then e-mail out the link (that is password protected) to your friends. The site does the rest! It even sends e-mail reminders to those who have signed up! Be sure to check it out!

2. I usually take chicken enchiladas as my new baby meal. I like to include black beans, homemade salsa, chips, and of course, something sweet. I used to buy Gladware to package everything in, so if I didn’t get it back, it was okay. But, I always had to buy new Gladware, because the stuff we already had tends to look a little stained if we’ve been using it, and it added $10 or so to every meal I prepared. So…I decided to purchase a bunch of containers from Garnish a few weeks ago, and now I have a stash to pull from whenever I make meals for other people. It also ended up looking pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Garnish. The packaging supplies they sell are great for baby meals, parties, favors, and all sorts of other things!