A Different Christmas

This year was different. Two Reasons:

Reason 1. Joe wasn't home. This was the first year, since we started dating, that we didn't share a Christmas together. He was able to call, but the sound of his voice was disheartening. He seemed sad and lonely, tired and frustrated. It made me want to reach out and just give him a hug. Without a day off, they didn't have much celebration for Christmas. It seemed that all the others weren't out on patrol except for him and his guys. He received many packages and Christmas cards, though. Sharing everything with others. Please continue to pray and send him your support:

Joseph Whalen
832 EN CO 2-34 IBCT
Bagram Airfield
APO AE 09354

Reason 2. It was my first Christmas as a Mommy.  I must say, it was weird to not be the center of attention, but I was grateful to have a piece of Joe with me since he was gone. It's fun to watch her grow and discover so many new things. Clare had enjoyed visiting family and opening her presents. Since she's only 11 months, it was really hard to start any traditions this year. It will be easier once Joe's home and she's old enough to comprehend a little bit more. She's not yet walking, but she's SO close. She talked alot...a trait she gets from her mother, go figure.

Overall, it was a fun holiday with Clare. She made everyone smile and enjoy their time with her. She's just like her daddy that way. Here's a fun video of her discovering her musical talents. That's my girl!

Afghanistan ......thus far!

Your mission if you so choose to accept.....

1. Become an officer and act like a goof!??

2. Pose with cheesy smiles and awkward stances?

3. Wear flashy new uniforms and even cooler reflective belt$?

or...

4. Go to Afghanistan with the coolest group of guys you've ever had the chance to lead and make some new friends along the way?

I've made my choice and it's all of the

above! About a month into our tour in Afghanistan and we've made quite the impression on each other in the platoon,

the locals, and the Afghan National Police
that we work with.

Here is a picture of AJ one of our terps, good guy if I ever knew one! You like the looking away photo....am I right?!!

Working for ISAF, or International Security Assistance Force affords us the opportunity to partner with all sorts of different countries in our combined effort to help make a better future for the country of Afghanistan. Simplified, lots of folks, together, Afghan in rearview mirror. Here is a picture of me, Rob, and Brent toasting to the UAE, or United Arab Emirates. Good times! Here they gave us some Vitamin C drink, it tasted exactly like Red Bull to us!!





We often do joint patrols where the UAE
provides humanitarian aid packages to
local villages. It's always nice to see the smiles on faces of all ages, as they get either food, clothing, or their first soccer ball ever. You haven't seen joy until you see a 3 yr old who's new soccer ball is almost as big as him.

You can train all you want on learning a language and think you've got it, until you are fully immersed in it and find out you've got a long way to go. The locals around the Bagram Afghanistan area speak both Pashto and Dari. We've tried our best to learn Dari. I personally know how to say all sorts of things in the way of "what's up?" or "how are you?"
and even counting to 20. The latter at least helps me to pass out my local cell phone number so

that they can call if needed.

As I said before we have made quite the impression on our Afghani counterparts. Here Chad is toasting some Chai tea that we often share...oh every time we stop in to pay the Afghan Police a visit. Like I said previously we like to use their native language as much as we can, so here we'd say "Ba salamati", or "toast"! We often times sit and share the hot tea, bread or as they call it "non", and some equaly warming conversation about family, how long we've been in the service, and how

things are in their neck of the woods.

Last, but not least what update would be complete without a killer picture of me and the guys are geared up ready to rock and roll? That's right, all dressed up and no place to go has never been our problem as of late. We've got plenty to do, and only a year to do it in. I pray that this is the same mentality I'll have come next spring and till we're done.

I hope this finds you all well, and enjoying the story thus far....there's still so much more to come....stay tuned!! Love you all!

Clare's First Thanksgiving

This was the first year in 4 years that I traveled to Burlington for Thanksgiving.  Joe and I had decided previously that it was going to be the holiday we spent at home.  But seeing as Joe wasn't here and it was Clare's first Thanksgiving, I thought, what the heck, let's go!
I wasn't feeling too well prior to leaving and ended up with a horrible sore throat and some coughing. Thankfully, I got some good rest while we were there thanks to Nonna and Papa.

Clare was so excited to see Nonna and Papa! Nonna even made her a warm blanket to cuddle with....pink, of course!

Papa got to snuggle several times with Clarebear during our trip as she drank her bottles. He LOVED it! And so did she :) Of course, she enjoyed turkey and mashed potatoes as well.

We got to see Mel and the girls, Roz and Mahari. Roz was born only 7 hours after Clare was. It's neat to see how she is growing and developing right along with Clare.

We made our way to the lighted Holiday Parade downtown. It wasn't too cold and Clare did great. She enjoyed the lights and the music.

We got back home with enough time to get some energy out before bedtime. I had to change Clare's shirt and give her a bib because she was Super Drooler! It was soaked again within an hour. (I'm 99.9% sure she's teething again- #7's on the way!)



First and Last for a bit...

So, as I sit down using some free wi-fi, at the local mall down here in the southern Mississippi town of Hattiesburg, I'm suprised at the fact that this is my first blog of the deployment.

In my last go 'round to Iraq it seemed that I couldn't shut up, or maybe it was because I didn't have as much to do, or responsibilities to take care of...hmmm..!

Well let me start off by saying that I send my deepest love and appreciation to all of you out there, friends, family, and anyone else happening upon our family page and reading any of our endearing words of affection and events in our life.

It's kinda goofy that this is the only way to get online and gain access to the internet is by going to a wi-fi hotspot. I'll essentially have a better connection to the outside world as soon as I eventually get to Afghanistan....or hopefuly that is.

So far in our adventure that has included Camp Shelby, MS, FT. Irwin, CA, and back to lovely Mississippi...we've been issued the newest and coolest uniforms the U.S.Army has to offer, along with some pretty rocking gear. We'll see how handy it really is once we put it to the test here soon.

My platoon of guys are trained, restless, and ready to get our job done and come home already. This is by far the longest mobilization process that I've ever gone thru to date. They are a goofy bunch of guys that like to work hard, and play even harder. I'll have my hands full this year just trying to corral them all. Soon enough we'll have our task at hand and we'll let them loose on the Afghani populace.

I plan on posting some other pictues, prolly of the places that I've laid my head and called home for the last 3 months or so, but for now I leave you with this.

"I am a soldier, I fight where I am told and I win where I fight."

General George S. Patton Jr.

Love You All!!! Hope to hear from you soon!

Our time with Joey...

Well, many have asked, "How was your time with Joe?" and to be honest, it was rough. With only 3 days together, it was hard to say hello knowing that goodbye was looming. But it was good to see Joe before he left and it was good that he got to see Clare and she got to play with her daddy.

Yeah, I know this man. He's my daddy!

Taking a dip in the pool

This picture was so cute, I had to post it.

Feeling the sand between our toes.

She was a bit afraid of the water at first, but quickly got used to it.

Just a neat picture.

Clare traveled very well. I was so pleased with her and how fun and easy-going she was on the plane. I am proud of how I packed her diaper bag so well for the trip and was able to access everything I needed, when I needed it for her. It gives me much confidence to travel with her again!

Care Package Info

UPDATE: Joe will be leaving the country within the next few weeks. Not exactly sure of the date, but please continue to pray for him and his guys. Here is his mailing address for when he is in country. I've also attached a listing of items that are appropriate for care packages if you want to send something to him. Also, I will be posting pics of our weekend with Joe later on. Just thought I'd share this info first.

Joseph Whalen
832 EN CO 2-34 IBCT
Bagram Airfield
APO AE 09354


This list (provided by the Family Readiness Group) is categorized with Hy-Vee aisle numbers, but you can shop wherever:
Produce area – Seneca apple/ banana chips, natural nuts, pretzel crisp snack bags, Good Sense nuts and snacks.

Aisle TWO- Small juice boxes, snack puddings, snack size fruits, applesauces, V-8 juice boxes

Aisle THREE- Individual deviled ham, roast beef, sausages; Spam; Pull top sardine cans; Lunches to go, small cans of tuna, ramen noodles.

Aisle FOUR- Hot cocoas, specialty cocoas, cider packets, individual coffees-reg and flavored,

Teas, individual peanut butter cups, entire area of the breakfast bars and granola bars including pop tarts (Gen Petraus’s favorite)

Aisle FIVE- Nuts, rice cakes, Equal, Splenda, Sweet&Low, raisins, Ocean Spray bag fruit, Sunset prunes, dried fruits, Jerky

Aisle SIX- Nut snacks, Crackers-(especially individual packets), cookies-not melty, trail mixes,Cheese spreads-small containers, chips-individual bags, small jars of salsa

Aisle Seven- Hard candy they can suck on, fruit roll ups/snacks, flavored waters-especially individual packets,

Aisle EIGHT – Softener sheets, Purex 3 in l packets, clean wipes. NO LARGE CONTAINERS OF CLOTHING LIQUIDS OR POWDERS.

Aisle NINE- Small pckts Kleenex, Re-nuzit air fresheners, hand soap, small paper plates, plastic silverware, long shoestrings, zip lock bags, duct tape, package tape, gum

Aisle TEN- baby wipes preferably not in bulk but more individual plastic containers, baby powder, asst’d cards

HEALTH/BEAUTY AREA- magazines, paperback books, crossword puzzle books, vitamins, Deodorants, travel size toothpaste, nail care items, energy bars, power bars, aspirins, hair care-travel size, foot care, antibiotic ointments, Band-Aids, eye fresheners/drops, lip balms, carmex, throat lozenge’s, antacids, stool softeners, pepto bismal, mailing envelopes all sizes, pens, tape, pocket size notebooks,

Customer Service area- batteries of all kind

NOTE: These items will not be allowed for shipment: Items that are perishable within a short time, canned items that are not pull top, no large glass containers, items that need refrigeration or micro waved, no pop, no aerosols or large containers of anything. Soldiers really appreciate individual care package items.

The families of the 832nd National Guard FRG and their soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan extend their sincere appreciation for your support today.

Clare 9 months & Joe Update

Well, Clare is now 9 months. She's crawling VERY well and pulling herself up all the time now. So the gates have been put out and the cats are the ones having a hard time with it. Nacho cries because he doesn't want to jump over them.
Clare also has 6 teeth and I know there's a 7th one coming through now. She's a drool bucket!

She is learning how to wave now.

Nonna & Papa came for a visit. That was sooooo much fun!

Clare and I are flying down to see Joe on Thursday! I can't believe it's here already! I will definitely update with pictures and stories once we return.

Joe's company has created a website in which Joe write's for the 1st Platoon. You can check it out the website here.

Clare's 8 Months

• Crawling
• Eating solids well
• Eating Puffs
• Giggling
• Reaches
• Claps hands together
• Sleeping thru the night
• Sitting up on her own (from lying down position)
• And now....

Yep. Joe said he almost cried. She does say Mama, but only if she's hungry, tired, or need a diaper change.....go figure.

Clare and I will be flying down to Pensacola, FL to meet Joe on his 4-day pass before he leaves the country. We've rented a vacation rental and will be spending the few days together as a family, just relaxing. It's at the end of October, so we have just over a month. I can't even imagine what Clare will be doing by that time as she will have just turned 9 months.

She's growing too fast. Too much all at once! It makes me do a double take, "Wait....when did that happen? She's doing what??" Oh well, she's healthy and happy and that's all that matters to me :)

Nonna & Papa Visit

Nonna & Papa came to visit us this Labor Day weekend. We had SO much fun!
Clare was a delight as always, cheesing it up with smiles and giggles.

Papa even got down on the floor and Clare just loved it.

He tried to give her his hat. I think it's a bit too big, but she wasn't complaining!

And of course, Papa did many things for me that were on my to-do list. And Nonna helped with Clare so I could get some other things accomplished.

We're also working on dropping the nighttime feedings. Clare's been waking up twice every night to eat and it's just been so exhausting to me. My body is so fatigued that my hands twitch when I type. So a very dear friend suggested that we drop the feedings. Since she's big enough and old enough that she can go without, I thought, why not! And knowing that without Joe home, I don't have that extra person to help during the night.

Last night was our third night without feedings. And overall, I say we've made leaps and bounds. She's already dropped the first feeding. Thankfully, with Nonna & Papa here, I've been able to take naps to make up for my lost sleep. So, we'll see how it goes. I'm gonna stick to my guns for as long as it takes (which is only a few nights) because I need this and so does she! Sooner than later, that's what Joe says.

Creepy Crawly, no not bugs!

So, it's gonna happen soon. Yep, that's right. Clare's getting ready to move. She's made some crawling motion, but hasn't yet realized that's the way she can move forward. I've included this video for you to enjoy.

7 Month Stretch

Well, things are getting better for me as a mother. I think the first week after Clare was born, not only was I physcially drained, but I think emotionally I wasn't ready to have a baby. I know I had post-partum depression for awhile. But now that she's older and I've had more experience with her, I feel better. More confident in my mothering skills and I think that makes her feel better too.

So, what has Clare been up to lately? Well, scooting in her middle name now. She's in one place and another the next. It's only a matter of time before she starts crawling.

 

She's also got 2 teeth!  The teething process wasn't too bad, but it was a long one.

Today, she sat up on her own. It's a first caught on camera!

 

Baby's got back!

It's day 3 of our cloth diaper trial and I'm liking it!  It's really easy!  The only thing is they make her bum huge!  Her onesies are super tight and so I have to put her in the next size up- 12mo!  I have to double the liners at night because she is a super-soaker and doesn't get changed in the middle of the night except if it's a poopy diaper.

Our neighbor gave us a couple of toys that her boy didn't use anymore and Clare's just loves playing with them. The colors and shapes toy makes noises too.

Of course, it's essential to have a mirror to look into. Up until this point, we haven't really had much mirror time. She's been fascinated with it and with looking at that other little baby.

Cloth Diapering

Aren't they beautiful? Can you believe it? After a few weeks of contemplating making the switch from disposables, I finally ordered them. What made me decide to switch? Well, in a nutshell, I had heard all the pros about how it saves money and the environment. It also has benefits of less diaper rash and helps babies potty train quicker. I know of several moms who are already in the CD world and they RAVED about it. And the cons weren't "cony" enough for me to say, "Never."

Cloth diapering has been known in the past to be lots of work. However, over the years, developers have used new fabrics and designs to make it extremely simple. After talking with my friend, Erin Tink, I decided to check out bumGenius diapers. And I as soon as I read up on them, I said, "I can do this!".

I will probably start Clare out on them this weekend while we are home together and see how it goes. We have plenty of time to transition and I will allow myself to use disposables when necessary, i.e. traveling.

I had high hopes of making my own baby food, but I'm going to conquer one thing at a time. For right now, Gerber knows more about baby food than I do and I'm okay with that.

Something new

How exciting! We've decided to start a blog for our family to stay updated while on deployment. I'm hoping that Joe can contribute too.

Joe's only been gone a week and I'm doing good so far. Trying to keep myself busy with different projects around the house and a long to-do list.

One of my to-do's was to take our youngest cat, Ralphie, to the Cedar Bend Humane Society. I had to evaluate different areas of stress in my life and the cats (mainly Ralphie) were a huge part. Ralphie is only a kitten and very active. He constantly wants to be playful and always seems to be in my way as I walk around the house. A HUGE safety issue when carrying a baby around. So, I took him in. I cried all the way home, but as soon as I walked in the door, I felt a peace about it. I realized that we were just not the right family for him. My house was very quiet the rest of the day and during the night. I still have Nacho and Dukie and will probably see how it goes for awhile with just the two of them.

On a happier note, Clare and I have traveled outside the last couple of days. I've taken the opportunity to snap a couple pics of her enjoying the texture of the grass. She just loves it! My favorite is when there is a breeze. She just smiles and somewhat giggles.