Our life as of 09...

I haven't been on here very much, obviously. I have been taking a break from the computer lately so its mainly homework or facebook for me. Isabella will be two this month, and that is hard for me. She loves to tell people she is almost two... which is even harder for me! She speaks in sentences and counts to 13 in english and ten in spanish.. knows her abcs and is pretty much just talking away. we figured she'd be pretty verbal from the get go but its amazing to look back and basically see how far and fast shes come! She understands just about everything we say and I understand 90% of what she says... which sometimes is rough. She is a bit bossy, yesterday she told Daddy to leave and go to work. She loves to yell at PJ and to play with him, and of course walk him.. by his tail that is. :) Shes a joy to have around and has become pretty pleasant lately.. I am just looking forward to all the teeth coming in!

J is still waiting to move on. We are done with 2/7, but still stuck here. He really wants to do Fast Company which is based out of Virginia and I think that would be neat. I know God will put us where we need to be. Its been awesome having him home so much, but we both know he needs to go work!! There was a point he thought about deploying again with 2/7 but that was shot down these past two months.

As for me.. well I am still in school and still writing papers daily, it seems! I am basically happy. We are expecting number two this Christmas, in case you didn't know. We are thrilled and I am sure Iz is too.. but we'll see. :) We thought we had lost the baby around five weeks, but it ended up I had a tear in my uterus. We basically had to wait out these past two weeks to see whether my body would keep baby Eggo or not, and after today's ultrasound it appears it has! Eggo is doing great and my body has healed itself totally. The doctor let me know how worried he had been and the expression on his face was nearly priceless, almost like J's when he saw the baby. So thats about it for us! We're just (im)patiently waiting to see where the Lord will take us but enjoying our precious time together until it happens.

It's been awhile!

Sorry but I have been so busy these past few months with Jonathan being home, trips and school. I barely get on myspace anymore as I seem to be on facebook more frequently.

Life has been great lately! Jonathan has been home since the beginning of December, as you all know, and its been so nice. I was just thinking about it yesterday and he has been home this time longer than anyother with Isabella! That is crazy to think about! He hasn't been in the field or anything and with there being no plans for another deployment, I feel so much more relaxed. He and Isabella are hilarious together, they are so much alike. She is stubborn and funny just like him and I love watching the two of them together. Right now we are waiting for April to come along so that we can see where our future will bring us. I am excited for change, though a bit nervous, but I figure the Lord will take us where we need to be.

Isabella is nearing on 22 months! I cannot believe that my baby is almost two! She talks in sentences frequently and sings along to all of her songs. Kristi taught her the alphabet and sadly I think she knows it better than Jonathan sometimes! :) She can almost count to ten, and understands basically everything we say. It is interesting how she won't speak to strangers but if she knows you it is hard to get her to stop.. I wonder where she got that from? She loves to talk to Grammy on the phone and at night time you can catch her doing that often. We just took down her crib and moved her to a big girl bed with no binkie. This was night two and it was so much better than the first night. PJ now sleeps in the same room with her and that comforts both Jonathan and I, though I am not too sure how he is taking it. When her room is all finished we will upload some pictures to show.

She was recently in Dustin and Ashley's wedding as the flower girl. She was amazing! We didn't expect her to do so well but she did and she was adorable. Of course she insisted that no one take pictures, telling Granddaddy no more pictures. We tried to get some though




So that is pretty much what is going on over here. I am so sorry I have lost contact with so many of you, things are just crazy busy over here. With her being such an active toddler and my school load getting heavier and heavier I have am finding spare time cut back... and most of the time then I just want to read or veg.

2008 Wrap Up

I haven't been on in awhile, the last month has been crazy! Jonathan is home and we are in Houston with the fam on leave. I just thought I would post an update and little blurb while they are watching The Two Towers, once again!

Jonathan came home a little over a month ago and things have been great since. He is a wonderful father and an amazing husband. He has adjusted so much quicker than I could have imagined, in fact I am the one having the most issues dealing! Isabella loves her daddy and watching the two of them together is always a wonder.

Isabella is still growing like a weed! She is still talking up a storm, using short sentences and still some of her random Chinese. She sings her very own version of abc's with Kristi and I hope to get that on tape within the next few days. Isabella is very much a strong willed child that loves to test anyone and anything she can, but she never fails to amaze us all.

I cannot believe we are already in 2009! It seems like this year flew by as it dragged on, if that makes sense! I must say it has been my most productive year, though. I have learned more about myself and life than I could have imagined. It is interesting because I thought the same last year, but in fact looking back I really hadn't. This year I learned how to embrace myself for who I am. I have worked very hard on becoming who I am meant to be and being happy with the result. I can truly say I am happy now. I am more in love with life than I have ever been and I am enjoying still learning how to better myself daily.

This year was full of struggles as I watched my husband leave again, as I lost friends and let go of some of my past. I cannot say that it has been easy, but I would not trade it in for anything. I had to learn to be on my own and it was hard, but I feel so much stronger for it. I had to realize that there are things that we have to let go as we grow and age. Change comes upon us each and we all have to learn how to adjust and learn from it. I am truly looking forward to this new year, to see where it will take not just my family, but me personally as well.
I love you all and hope you will have a wonderful year!

Potty!!

The other night I was babysitting my neighbor's dog so they could go to the ball. It was one of those weird special mixes but I totally forgot the name. Lucy and Isabella have a love/hate relationship and they climb all over each other and fight constantly, it is really cute.
One night Iz said potty and started pushing in the kitchen so we ran to the bathroom. She gets butt naked and sits on the toilet. Nothing. She proceeds to wipe herself and runs off.. I figure whatever I have two more dishes to load then its bathtime. She is running with the dogs and giggling in the other room. I love hearing her laugh, so I am just enjoying it all. She races in the kitchen, squats, lets a turd drop and I look over and scream noo!! I regretted it as soon as I did it because she doesn’t know.. I calm down and tell her next time go to the potty for that. So she takes off to the bathroom and sits down on her mini potty.. to wipe. Haha..I drop her in the tub and she is playing and having a lovely time and then the dog proceeds to head in with her.. haha.. Isabella loves it! Iz tells Lucy, the dog, to "sit down" and she dumps water on her head! haha. Special night with a special kid. :)

The latest news...

Hello from the Mardi's! We've been either busy, sick or teething so not a lot of down and blog time. So catch up time, I suppose! :) Almost two weeks ago the "white man" came home. I was expecting Iz not to want anything to do with him because it's been awhile since we've seen him, but boy was I wrong! She adores him and loves wrestling and tackling him. She tries so hard to say white man, but it comes out iite an. So we're getting there. She even took him trick or treating! She refused to hold my hand, but loved holding his. It's cute. It gives me great hope that she will remember daddy and play with him like that. (Oh White Man is my friend Jill's husband who is basically J's boss haha)


I aced my last course, though it was a tight squeeze. Somehow I missed that we write two papers back to back in every course. Well at least I have it figured out now. :) I am a dork, what can I say?
I am actually going to physical therapy for my back now, and its been a painful yet rewarding experience. They are figuring it out and showing me exercises to help. I am stoked that finally someone is helping me and I am not in constant pain!
Isabella is talking up a storm. I didn't believe that kids at their age could put sentences together, but she is starting! She is beginning to put two to three words together and every day learns or tries at least two new words. We finally mastered saying thank you after someone gives us something! That was def. a plus, that and I am working on teaching her help so we don't whine when something is rough! haha She is so much fun to be around, except with the teething. We're on a pretty good routine right now, and every morning she and PJ go play in her room so Mommy can have some me time! I love it! She reads her books to him and he eats her snacks, they are quite a pair. I couldn't imagine a better dog for her, well except when he decides to be scared and hide behind her!


She is getting in her four molars and also going through a growth spurt. I weighed her last night and she was about 25 pounds!! Where did my baby go? She even tells me sometimes when she needs to go night night. It's cute. Her daddy is going to die when he comes home! We finally received word on the rest of the guys coming home and not too much longer.. We will have leave starting on my bday!! I am excited to head to Texas, though not so much driving with her. It'll all work out.
Love you guys! Off to do homework!

Crazy Week!!

Hey guys.. so we've been pretty busy as of late, still! Haha.. One day things shall slow down. It's funny how a couple of months ago I was upset because I had nothing to do and thought I would be so lonely here without Jonathan and Jamaica. Granted I do miss the two of them very much, I have strangely been kept crazy occupied and now I have made some new great friends, as well as catch up with old ones. God always has a plan, I just happen to be impatient and forget that!

This weekend Iz and I went to Big Bear with Holly and it was so pretty! There is an actual fall up there! Even in Houston fall isn't really noticeable, but the trees were gorgeous! Iz and Kiera had so much fun and were soo good in the car. It was neat to get away from sand for awhile.



We also went to eat Mexican food, I was shockingly having a craving.. haha. Iz now of course prefers to use "real" utensils rather than her plastic ones.


We are now anxiously waiting for the White Man to return.. and Iz is working hard on saying white.. :) She is still talking up a storm and has learned new words lately, of course. She learned Go go at Blair's soccer game and now loves to shout it from the backseat.. while I am driving, mind you. She also loves to clean up, and picks up her trash (and mine of course) and throws it away. I have also designated a cupboard just for her cups and bowels and she helps me unload the dishwasher and puts everything away. She is the big helper!! I am so amazed at how much she has grown just in the past few months. She is def. a big girl now!!

Eeks... time to catch up!!

These days seem to be flying by and I suppose that is a good thing, I just never seem to be able to get everything done! It is already almost two o'clock and I have yet to shower or do much of anything productive other than work on my paper. Classes are going well, I made an A in my psych. class and so far so good in my anthropology class. My credits finally transfered in which is a major relief for me!

Isabella is doing great. She is growing like a weed and has plenty to say about it, though most of the time it is impossible to understand a word of it. Apparently she says si, and everything else is in Chinese. She can count to three, which is hilarious. Well- for Jeannie she only counts to two so I think they have some weird counting connection.

I am so behind on "events" this is just going to be one big catch up!

The girls at Jen's birthday party.. Bri and Iz are something else!


At the Kid's PFT eating Jenn's ice.. no hands, lazy kid!


Gracie and Iz on the fire truck



Isabella thiefed the bottle outta Jill's birthday sack and later tried to eat the cap!