November & December 2008

WOW!!!  My munchkin sure is growing fast!  Seems like everyday there is something new and exciting for her.  :o)  She speaks all the time...some of it I can understand.  Grubby says we need to take her back to the store and exchange her for an English speaking baby.  He says she speaks Chinese...sounds more Hebrew to me...LOL.  She is an active little funny daredevil, a thrill seeker who is not afraid of anything.  She definately keeps me hopping!  She was extremely happy to have Daddy home for a little over a week in November!  She is such a Daddy's girl!  

It was a little hectic while Grubby was home...Sat night (very late) he came in and then Tuesday we had to take his Jeep to New Orleans to be shipped to Greece.  We celebrated his birthday a month early and also Christmas here on Thursday, then Friday drove to Danville to see Mom, Pop, and Michael.  We were able to spend Thanksgiving with the entire Grubbs clan at Aunt Sheila's house outside of Richmond.  There was a TON of delicious food, a hay ride, and a white elephant/dirty santa game that we really enjoy.  While at Mom and Pop's house, we  also celebrated Michael's birthday, Pop's birthday, and Grubby's again...and also had Christmas with the family there.  In the midst of all of this...we all got a terrible virus and wound up sick...puking and the whole deal...Then the day after Thanksgiving we drove back to Florida, celebrated Thanksgiving with my family on Saturday, and Grubby got presents from Chuck, Tiffany, Taylor, and Jordan for his birthday and Christmas.  Monday we met Eva and Will at La Hacienda for lunch and Tuesday Grubby was off to Greece.  Whew!  It took him 2 days to get there.  

So now Grubby is stationed in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, for 12 months unaccompanied as a criminal investigator, and he will extend for his final 6 months in the Navy...unless of course, he picks up Chief next time and then all the plans are up in the air again.  Abby and I are planning to go over to visit as soon as he gets settled in a house off base.  We can stay up to 90 days, and we have several family members who are wanting to get their passports so they can come, too!  We are hoping to take Michael this summer so he can spend some time with his Daddy.

Abby at 17 months

She sure is a handful!  She goes full speed ahead until she suddenly drops off to sleep.  She loves music and likes to dance and "sing".  I think her favorite activity though, is climbing.  My little monkey!!!  She also chases the cats and yells at them when they are being "bad" by running through the house chasing each other.  She loves bath time, and is very friendly with strangers...makes friends every time we go into a store.  

Grubby has orders to Souda Bay, Crete, Greece.  He will fly home on Nov 15th and needs to be in Greece by Dec 1st.  We will celebrate Christmas early with Daddy.  We are going to Virginia to see Michael, Gramma, and Poppa.  Abby will be in 7th heaven!  :oD

Dragon Tales Dancing

Abby dancing

Part 2 of Abby watching Daddy's video

Abby watching Daddy's video

Abby @ 15 months

Abby, Abby, Abby...my little angel... She is now running all over the house...she usually goes wherever she is going at full speed ahead! She bumps her head, and keeps on trucking. She chases the cats all the time. Abby and Mr Boots fight for space on my lap. It is so funny to watch them push and shove each other, trying to get the most space on my lap. Abby always wins, of course. Especially when she flat out lays on top of him.
She brought me my flip flops today and told me "outside". I was shocked! She will also get on her rocking horse and spinning/bouncing zebra all by herself now. Last week she stacked 4 Pepsi cans on top of each other...they were full. She takes the child locks off the cabinets, and loves to play with the dishes...especially the metal bowls (loud!).
She has always been terrified of the doorbell for some reason. I got her the Little People doll house that has a doorbell sound and a flushing toilet sound. Hopefully she will catch on that the doorbell is not a scary thing.
She has also started this thing where she likes to close doors. But then she cries because she is trapped in a room, so we have to go rescue her. She is not scared of the dark or being alone, she just gets mad that she is trapped.
Oh, how could I forget...the child that would NEVER allow me to put shoes on her, or if I did, she had them off in a split second....now all of a sudden LOVES shoes. She is constantly bringing me shoes, wanting me to put them on her. She gets mad if she tries to put it on and can't for some reason. I got her a pair of pink and silver sparkly shoes at Wal-mart (she picked them out) and all last night and all today she repeatedly brought them to me to put them on her, only to take them off and want me to put them back on her again. She comes to her love of shoes honestly....between me and her cousin, Jordan, she was bound to love them!
At 15 months, she measured 31 inches tall (almost half of my height of 63 inches!) and weighed 24 pounds...she lost a pound from last month...probably all that running! She continues to cut new teeth...this month a molar popped through! And tonight I found a real CURL in the back of her hair!!! All those months I wished for hair for her...after being born without any hair at all dur to the premature birth...no eyebrows, eyelashes, nothing... and now a CURL! I am so excited! She loves to try and brush her hair. And she loves to carry her little purse around...I think she picked that up from watching Taylor and Jordan play "shopping" and "school" and "house". She also says "ut-oh" when she drops something now...it's so cute!
She has changed so completely since her Daddy last got to see her. She was a baby, and is now a full fledged toddler. I hate that he is missing it...she is so funny and sweet!

Abby, Grandma Havens, & Mr Boots

Playing ball continued...

Playing ball with Grandma Havens

The Latest

Well, Grubby was not selected again this year for chief. But the good news is that he is taking 2 weeks leave and is coming home! Yay! I keep telling Abby that she is going to see Daddy, Poppa, and Gramma Va very soon. She smiles real big and shakes her head "no". I guess she doesn't believe me yet...
She is also still trying to cut her bottom 2 molars, and has been running a fever for a few days and has swollen gums. Poor thing!

Abby on her zebra

Bye Bye Dada

Abby "talking" on the phone

Abby walking

July 2008

Well, it seems like forever since we got to see Grubby. Abby has had her first birthday, gotten 6 new teeth, and is walking now. He missed all of that. She is also talking, and often picks up my cell phone and says "Hi, Dada" and "Bye, Dada". She is such a sweet girl, and cracks me up with her antics. She chases Mr Boots and Buddy, and they seem to not mind so much now.
I miss Grubby terribly, and I don't know when I will be able to see him again. Hopefully he will make Chief this time and we will be able to fly down to Cuba for his promotion ceremony. (That would be in September, if it happens). If not, then we are hoping he will be able to come home for Christmas.
In May, Abby and I flew up for Grubby's family reunion and a nice visit with Gramma and Poppa and her big brother, Michael. Even Aunt Sylvia, & Uncle Archie, David and April came over to add to the fun! In June, Abby, Grandma H, Taylor & Jordan, and I went to Grandma & Grandpa's house in TN. We were able to see Aunt Kathy, cousin Keely, and cousin Colleen, her hubby T Jay, and meet their sweet little baby girl Cailin.
Abby has been enjoying having Taylor and Jordan here for the summer. They are at church camp this week and Abby really misses them!

Gitmo again

Well, Abby and I spent the last month in Cuba with Grubby. We had so much fun, and made a lot of good memories. We were with the Williams family almost every day, and we love them like family. Abby & I brought Ashlee Williams home from Cuba with us for a well deserved visit to the States. It has been a few years since she has been here, and it is so cool to take her to new places she has never been, like Target and Whataburger, and to places she has not been in years, like Walmart. Abby adores her, and she is like a little sister to me. Abby and Grubby bonded, with lots of snuggle time and tickling. Ever since we got on the plane she has been asking for Dada. While we were in Cuba, she got her two front top teeth, and got really steady on her feet. She is now 11 months old and 21 pounds. She eats all table food now, thanks to Bill Williams, who does not believe in baby food from jars. Abby seems to agree, since she gobbled up everything he cooked for her...spaghetti, chili, homemade vegetable beef soup, etc. While I was there I got a great tour of the North East gate to communist Cuba. I could see the Cuban Outposts, and was only feet away from Communist soil.