almost in the home stretch!

10 more days. that is right 10 days until Phil SHOULD be home for R&R! After our 14 days of family bliss, we will be in the home stretch of the second hardest year of our marriage. 4 1/2 months will be all we have left once we sadly send him back to his Afghanistan vacation!

Wait. Second hardest year? I know it would seem that a year long deployment with a toddler would be the hardest year. However, Nora's first year of life still takes the prize for the most difficult of my entire life, and most definitely the most difficult of our marriage. I suppose, in some ways surviving that level of stress, worry, and struggle helped prepare me for surviving this.

It stinks having Phil miss everything and it is harder in every way not having his help. It is awful having to worry about where he is and how he is doing and what he is doing. But none of that compares to the 41days of constant fear, stress and worry while Nora was in the hospital. Or to the MONTHS of colic and screaming. Or to the year+ of worrying about milk allergies, respiratory illness, and GERD. We came through all that. All three of us. And though I would never wish to go through it again, I know without a doubt it has made me stronger.

So other than just about wiggling out of my chair with delight over the possibility of SEEING Phil in 10 days, our family has even more news!

Nora after not quite a month of feeding therapy with the speech pathologist is already making leaps and bounds. She is eating better, eating more, and already showing less oral aversion! So much progress that we are no longer planning on having her frenulum clipped! I am overjoyed that my little girl with remain surgery free a little longer and owe unbelievable thanks to Ms. Alix for helping us get here.

Emotionally, Nora is also doing better. She knows Daddy is coming home soon, and I know that helps a lot. She is still having a very bad day here and there, but more often I am able to calm her and help her through the hard times. The techniques and support that the various therapists that we saw offered have helped so much and I am really glad I made the effort to go in and make sure I was doing everything I could for Nora.

I finally was able to register and license the new van!!! Tomorrow morning will be our first trip out in the new snazzy vehicle! Monday we will get our new keys programmed and Tuesday I will get it set up to go on post! By the end of next week we will officially be a TWO car family again :) This an exciting fact now, but will be even more exciting when Phil is home and busy at work.

I don't know how we would manage to have the luxury of this new vehicle without my Dad. His hard work and mad car fixin' skills have allowed us (more than once now) to stay in a good stable place financially. Nora and I will be able to take advantage of all the AWESOME stuff this area has to offer, while Phil will be able to use the car at work as much as need be without worrying about us. We are so thankful for his ability and willingness to help!

Pics of the rockin silver van to come.