Ups & Downs

Almost a month since my last post...full of ups and a few momentary downs. Ups being that Uncle Markie joined us in California a few weeks ago, and we've really enjoyed having him around! Waverly warmed up to him right away, and now I'm pretty sure he's her new favorite person. She loves to look at him while she plays, give him low fives, and tries to grab his face during dinner. It's so cute. I'm glad she gets to be around my dad and him so that when Josh comes home she is still comfortable around guys. She's also gotten so much better with new people - no more crying - and has been great in the church nursery the past few times. It seems like such a milestone for her to be at ease around new people...it seemed like I'd never feel okay leaving her with someone else that wasn't family. I still don't, but if she's not crying I feel way better about it!

Another milestone was getting her two bottom teeth - within a few days of each other. She was fairly good during this phase...cranky a little bit and woke up super early in the morning, but overall no horrible fussiness or drooling. It is funny how pointy and sharp those teeth are! She's our little Sharkie. She also has gotten better at standing on her own and loves to stand up in her crib, by her music table, and by the couch...she's figuring out how to move along these objects. Love to see her growing and learning.

Some of the downs have come from now having no real idea of when Josh will be home. It's an emotional roller coaster - sometimes we think it could be early, sometimes it's the full 9 month deployment, which would be the longest we have ever been apart without some sort of mid-tour leave (7 months in). We were hoping to go to Lynchburg together for Christmas and enjoy the holidays together, but now we just don't know. It's hard to get your brain into gear for a February/March return when you've been hoping for a December return. We will see what happens in the next few months, but I guess we kind of knew when he left there wasn't a definite time frame for their return. There are still things going on over there and an attack on a friend's FOB is a reminder to constantly keep him and our 2-502 soldiers in my prayers. We love him so much and just can't wait to have him home safely.