Our First Wedding as a Family of Three

It works out quite well when you have a family event occur shortly after having a baby because everyone who hasn't had the opportunity to see the baby gets to.  As much as we love having visitors and going to visit our friends and family, scheduling it and fitting everyone in, gets more challenging every time.  One of the most important people a the wedding was my grandmother, Mom Mom Theresa.  I have been anxious for her to meet Grant since the day he was born, as she truly means the world to me.  On June 23rd my cousin Lisa got married in Ocean City.  The wedding ceremony was perfect in every way and the reception was just incredible.  We are so thrilled for Lisa and Lucas and we know that they will have a beautiful life together.  

Mom Mom Theresa and Mrs. Peggy Layton-these are two incredible women in our lives and we were so excited for them to meet Grant.  We think my grandmother looks pretty proud to be holding that little guy!

Grant in my cousin Michele's arms, quite content.

GiGi and her sweet baby Grant.

Our first wedding as a family of three!

 

The Move

Ricky and I was just so thrilled, blessed and thankful that Master Grant made his arrival a couple of weeks earlier.  Since he arrived on the 20th, we had few more days of breathing room and time for tons of visitors.  When June 1st arrived the real fun began.  As characteristic of the Marine Corps, they tend to request the presence of their service members at the most inopportune times to go to the most inopportune places.  Fortunately for us, they hooked us up on the duty station by sending us to Virginia allowing me to be close to family and friends while raising this new baby.  The downside is that Ricky was given these orders in April for a July arrival.  This seems reasonable, right?  We thought so too pre-baby, until he arrived and we soon realized that making it to the grocery store and finding everything on our list was a big deal or that a 30 minute doctor appointment for Grant literally was a 4 hour evolution.  I found that taking a shower and brushing my teeth may not happen until 11:00am yet before I knew it it was 11:00pm and those were my only two accomplishments of the day (aside from feeding the little guy 10 times).

Ricky's Mom with Grant, rocking away. 

What did we have to accomplish during the month of June?  We had to prepare to move in just three weeks, ensure the house was ready to rent, complete paperwork for our new rental, complete paperwork for our house and all awhile learning how to be parents to the sweetest little guy on the planet.  We were so fortunate that we found tenants to rent our house in May, who requested to begin their lease on June 22nd.  Since we had to attend my cousin's wedding on the 23rd, the timing of them moving in could not have been better.  Our packers were scheduled to begin on June 14th for a packout date of June 19th.  Additionally, Ricky's parents arrived from Puerto Rico to meet Grant beginning on June 5th and stayed with us until June 18th.  They were a huge help but I couldn't help but feel like I was not on my "A game" for entertaining, especially when we realized that the packers had packed all of the cooking utensils and salt and pepper, making it a bit challenging to make and serve black beans.  They fell in love with the baby and looking back, I really don't think they cared as long as they were in earshot or view of sweet baby Grant.

An empty house.

 We spent every day for those three weeks, painting, installing a circuit breaker and switch for the dehumidifier under the house, replacing items in the house that we should have done 4 years ago-like the vents on the floor, washing the inside and outside of all cabinets, purging and organizing every room, making trips to the dump and Goodwill and ensuring that we had all of our paperwork together like our tenants lease and Grant's enrollment in TriCare health insurance.  We successfully completed the move on June 22nd when Ricky remained behind to oversee the professional painters, carpet cleaners and pack out of the remaining items that the moving companies are unable to take.

Our newly painted family room.

We will miss our house in the Taberna housing development, our wonderful friends who have become our family AND the pond across the street. ;)  We spent 4-1/2 wonderful years in the sweet charming town of New Bern and have so many fond and exciting memories that we will treasure forever.  We are on our way to the "big city" and we have high hopes that our little man is going to give us some even better memories in our new home in Springfield. 




    

And They Came to See the Beautiful Baby...

We have been overwhelmed by the number of friends and family that have come to meet Grant just hours after his arrival.  As a parent, it is such an incredible feeling to talk about your child and to show them off.    It truly is, no longer about Ricky and me.  We are so blessed to have so many people in our lives that fell in love with him before they even met him, and then fell even harder once they had the opportunity to hold him for the first time.  I always had a concern that we would have the "uncute kid", the one that people whispered about and said "bless his heart".  I also had a concern that Ricky and I would be living in a dream world believing that we had an attractive child, when in all actuality he is not cute at all.  Everyone always told us that you will think your child is beautiful because all parents think that and you will love them regardless of how handsome they are.  Unless the visitors are lying to us, everyone has just had wonderful things to say about our new addition to our family, and we really appreciate it.  It means the world to us that everyone loves him as much as we do and makes positive comments about his demeanor and sweet face.  We want to thank our parents and siblings for their support during this life changing event and also for all the encouragement that our friends and extended family provided us up until this point.

The first visitors were my parents who began their travels at 5:00pm on Saturday evening, arriving at the hospital at 1:30am just under two hours before Grant made his arrival.  Ricky's sister Cathy and her boyfriend were right behind them.  Many friends from the local area stopped by the hospital and continued to do so upon us coming home.  We have also been so fortunate to have my brother, Jimmy, my sister-in-law Amber and nephew Dylan come for a visit as well as Ricky's brother and sister-in-law Claudia and our niece and nephew Gabby and Matthew.  We love having family so close and we are even more excited that when we move to our new digs that we'll have the opportunity to see even more close friends and family members.

My Mom and Dad started driving as soon as they heard that I was headed to the hospital.  They arrived at 1:30am just in time for Grant to make his arrival.  :)

Cathy and Chris came to the hospital in the morning. 

Georgiana (not pictured) and Evie came to see Baby Grant on Monday.

Amanda also came on Monday to meet him.

Rene, Ken and Craig paid us a visit on Grant's birthday.  

We loved being able to introduce Grant to Jimmy, Amber and Dylan! xo 

Ricky's brother Luisto headed east to see the new baby.

Gabby and Matthew (our niece and nephew) are totally in love with their cousin.

Misty got to meet Grant for the first time!

Max came to visit!

Rebecca did too!

The Evolution of Grant's Arrival

HE'S HERE!!!! Grant Harrison Buria arrived promptly at 0259 on Sunday, May 20th 2012.  What an incredible and enjoyable (yes I said enjoyable) experience the whole evolution was! It all began on Friday, May 18th when I left work slightly early because I simply was not feeling well and could not hang at work any longer.  We had dinner plans and I knew I couldn't back out so I spent the afternoon napping on the couch until it was time to get ready to go out.

Feeling quite crampy and uncomfortable, I pulled it together, slipped on a dress, did my hair and my make up and headed to Morgans in downtown New Bern.  We had a lovely evening out with our close friends in the area but I still could not shake the uncomfortable feelings I was having.  As we got in the car to head home I told Ricky that I really thought our little man could make his arrival within the next 24 hours.  Ricky had planned to ride in a Century (100 mile bike ride) the next morning and I suggested that perhaps he should consider not going if the cramps continued.

We headed to bed around 10:00pm and I was awakened at 2am with sharp pains in the same area that I had felt just hours prior.  These pains or contractions continued every 20-25 minutes throughout the night.  I woke Ricky up multiple times and his response each time was try to sleep through them because our nights of getting lots of sleep are coming to an end.  At 4am the alarm went off for Ricky to begin getting ready to head to his bike ride.  After the contractions that I had been having, he of course decided that it would NOT be a good idea to travel an hour away for a 5 hour ride.  My anxiety began soon after when I realized that not one article of baby clothing had been washed in Dreft, the Pack N' Play was still in the box, the car seat was still in the nursery (the base was buckled in the Armada) and the diaper bag/my bag was only partially packed.  At 6am Ricky, in normal fashion rose to the challenge and began taking care of all of the items that had not been completed.  He even was out mowing the grass at 6:30am because he knew it could be days before we'd have a chance to tackle that chore.

To make things even more interesting,  my adult Sunday school class had planned a baby shower for my friend Jennifer and me for Saturday morning at 10am.  To go or not to go, that is the question.  I called Amber ( my sister-in-law who also happens to be a Labor and Delivery nurse) to see how quickly she thought I may have this baby and what I should expect during the day.  She recommended that I go to the shower, but not drive there and rather have Ricky take me and and drop me off.  She also suggested that I continue to do everything as I normally would, and only to go to the hospital if I was experiencing unbearable pain or if my water were to break.

The ladies from my Sunday School class. Thanks for coming!:)

I went to the shower and I am so glad I did, because it was so nice.  It was relaxing and intimate and everyone was very generous to us once again.   The ladies that were there, truly care about Ricky and me and it was evident on this day.  The only aspect that wasn't relaxing was that my contractions kicked it up a notch.  When I wasn't laughing, smiling and partaking in the delicious food, I was doing squats in Melisse's kitchen or crouching on all fours in the living room, trying to breathe through the contractions.  It definitely added a little spice to the shower and one I'll never forget.  Everyone suggested that we go about our day as normal and just enjoy being a couple for one last day.

My friend Chrissey, Connor and me.

Melisse (in the middle) hosted the shower for my friend Jennifer who is due in July, and me. Thanks Melisse!

My friend and running buddy Cailin. 

We headed home and continued to prep for the baby's arrival.  By 4:00pm I felt like if he arrived, we would have prepared as best as possible.  At 5:00ish my friend Michelle stopped by for some assistance with a job application/ resume.  I assisted her in editing her application in between contractions.  I think she was pretty shocked at the whole situation and kept asking if she should go.  What she didn't realize is that having something to focus on, really helped me breathe through the contractions and consequently made everything easier.  As long as I was on all fours the contractions were pretty bearable.  Amber called around this time to check on my progress.  When I explained what the day had consisted of, and that my contractions had been every 7 minutes for the past 3 hours she suggested that I head to the hospital to avoid being too far along to receive an epidural.  

We arrived at the hospital around 5:45pm and I was admitted soon after the nurse checking my progress.  I was 5 centimeters dilated (10 centimeters is the goal), 100% effaced and my anionic fluid was leaking, which meant that my water had probably broken.  This is was really about to begin and was about to begin quickly!

My L&D nurse's name was Jill and she was so attentive and super sweet.  She administered my meds and ensured that I received my epidural in a timely manner to avoid feeling any additional pain.  She made the whole process enjoyable.  My progress took off and I was 7 centimeters within a couple of hours and I had reached 9 centimeters by 10:00pm.  My water had not broken by 11:00pm so they had me curl up on an exercise ball to pop it internally.   At 1:00pm I had reached 10 centimeters.  The doctor came in at 2:00pm and let me know that I would probably have the baby within an hour.  When I was instructed to, I began pushing and 15 minutes later, Grant Harrison was born.

I have heard that the moment your child is born is the best moment in life, and I am now a believer.  I just cannot believe how much I love him and how special he is to Ricky and I already.  He is perfect and we could not be more blessed to have him in our lives.

38 weeks-last of the series.

Last Pregnancy Photo before Grant arrived.

In the triage room after they decided to admit me.    

The delivery room, prior to the epidural.

Totally in love!

Happy Birthday Little Man! The staff was wonderful.  

Best moment of my life.

Wow.

Warming up for a bit. 

Ricky's first baby diaper change.

First bath, he loves the running water but the wash cloth bath, not so much.

Finally in our room, relaxing.

My life as a FRO comes to an end.

In December 2008, I was hired to be a Family Readiness Officer...my dream job.  I was thrilled for the opportunity to work with Marines, Sailors and family members on a daily basis to assist them through the trails and tribulations of all that comes with serving in the military.  After working for three Commanding Officers, 2 Marine Corps units and assisting countless Marines, Sailors and their family members, my time as a FRO came to an end today, May 18th 2012.  All three and a half years were amazing.  Of course there were stressful times, days where I wondered why it was my dream job, and moments where I wondered if I made a difference in the lives of those around me, but in the end I wouldn't have traded my experiences for anything.  

A coworker/friend of mine, Angela invited Ricky and I for dinner tonight at a local downtown restaurant. Upon arriving, she surprised us by inviting tons of our close friends and co workers to join us for a farewell dinner.  It was so relaxing and enjoyable, except that I was feeling crampy throughout the dinner.  I will not be surprised if the little boy makes his arrival before the weekend concludes.  

They presented me with a great gift of an inside joke photo from my time at MWSS-274 and all of the Family Readiness Officers at MCAS Cherry Point signed the matting.  Some of the comments were tear jerkers and as if I wasn't going to miss everyone enough, to read their genuine thoughts, it just made me even more sad to close this chapter behind me.    

Will I do this job again?  Time will tell.  For now I am going to try my hat on as a mom and see how the next several months go living in Springfield, VA.  I am not in any hurry to begin the job search but if I feel like I'd be a better mom, getting out of the house for a few hours a day, I will certainly pursue it when the time comes.  My goal at the moment is to stay home for 6 months and see how I feel at the end of this window.      

I have heard that I will fall in love with this little guy and going back to work will not even be a consideration...I won't be surprised if they're right. 

It's Raining Books

I was fortunate yet again to be showered or maybe it should be referred to as dowsed or down poured on, during a party thrown just for Ricky, Baby B and me.  We were blessed with the opportunity to see and visit with so many close friends and family that we do not have the opportunity of seeing very often due to us living in the south.  Several of the guests we hadn't seen since our wedding, almost 5 years ago! This in itself was such a great gift, not to mention seeing them during such a special and memorable time in our lives.  It meant a great deal to us that many of our family and friends traveled great distances, some as many as 5 hours round trip.  Those that were unable to make it, ensured that our gifts arrived in a timely manner at the shower for me to open and share with everyone.  It really was humbling to see how many people truly love and care about us.      

The shower invitation requested that guests bring a book instead of a card.  This was particularly wonderful because our little boy only had about 10 books prior to the shower, and since we'll be reading to him every day, 10 books could get really old.  The theme throughout the shower to include decorations, favors and food options all were illustrations of various children's books. 

We just could not get over how generous everyone was to us.  After the shower we inventoried everything, and we could not think of anything else that we could possibly need.  This little boy is one blessed and loved baby and he won't even know it.  The shower was absolutely incredible! It was apparent that every detail was closely selected and a lot of love and effort was set forth to ensure that this shower was amazing.  THANK YOU MOM, MRS. JAN and MRS. ANNETTE! 

Below are just a few photos from the perfect day!

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie cookie favors with chocolate chip cookies and Alice and Wonderland teacups tea light candles.

Hungry Caterpillar fruit platter- (the apple is the head)

Happy Parents-To-Be!

Best Grandfather in the world!                                 

Anita made Baby B an afghan. :)

Ricky the recorder.  Great job too, I might add.

All smiles. :)

My friend Kerry and me.   She used to live around the corner from us in New Bern.  She and I went through 2 deployments together as her husband and Ricky were in the same squadron.  It was great to see her!

Marian and I have been friends for 10 years! Roommates in college, sorority sisters, bridesmaids and best buds.  So glad she was there.    

My second cousins.  We haven't been together in years! :)

My Mom, Tucker, Mrs. Jan, and Mrs. Annette-the individuals that made the shower possible.

  

My Better Half Has Returned!

So I am sure that everyone has heard that Ricky "Rico" returned to NC on Tuesday (April 10th). Originally he was supposed to return in May causing this to be a 9 month deployment. I was ecstatic to learn that the unit relieving them would be heading out a month earlier so he would be returning in April. The countdown began in February when I learned of the news. The only trouble with countdowns is that the date of arrival seems to change a number of times before they actually land. This time it only changed once...from Monday to Tuesday. Below are some photos of the homecoming.

Ricky is flying the jet that is the second one from the left in both photos.

If you look closely you can see Ricky in the right seat flying in the plane.

The greatest feeling of all is getting that first hug and kiss...these were taken after he took off his gear which reeked of jet fuel. But I must say the follow on hugs and kisses were just as wonderful.

Heading home and it feels great! :)

Each time Ricky returns I always try to have his favorites at the house. This is easy since he loves everything! The trouble is, I ended up literally buying the grocery store and our pantry and refrigerator practically burst at the seams. The one request he always has always been pizza...specifically from Mario's, our local authentic New York pizza shop. He was also greeted at the hangar with a 12 pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer from our friend Ken-also a favorite of his.

Four hours after the wheels touched on NC soil, we were off to a doctor appointment for my 32.5 week check up at the doctor's office and Ricky's first baby appointment. Two hours later we had to attend a birthing class which lasted 3 hours. I must say I felt a little guilty but then again for the past 7+ months I have been going to doctor appointments by myself. Despite having a hard time staying awake in the class, I think Ricky really was happy to be there with me to experience the last 2 months of this pregnancy together.

I still cannot believe he's here and as usual deployments/homecomings go, we fall back into our old roles and responsibilities and its as if he never left. I am just so excited that this weekend's plans are to hang out and just enjoy being a couple again. I sure did miss him, but if you can believe it, I think I have fallen just a little more in love with him...and I thought it wasn't possible. ;)