10 Jan 08

Well, I guess we are going to start this blog thing. Lindsay set it up months ago and asked me to get it figured out...now I have mastered the basics, I think. I was going to send out a big email with all this info in it but I thought I may as well just post it here as a test run. There is quite a bit going on in our lives these days.

Ellie is fairly sick with something...she has an ear infection, bronchitis, and a fever that is finally under control. It started with Gracie's cold that all of us caught but got a lot worse. We have never heard so many scary breathing sounds coming from a baby as we have with Ellie. And she lost her voice so her little cries sound terribly pathetic. But, the good news is that Lindsay just got the first real diagnosis a few minutes ago. Long story short, there are 2 nurse practitioners at our pediatrician's office that we will no longer be interested in seeing. We are now satisfied with the pediatrician (not the case yesterday) and will stick with her. This is our first experience with off base care and emergency rooms and we have learned quite a bit. Ellie should be fine...she will continue on antibiotics and is going to have a breathing treatment machine for a couple weeks.


Gracie had a horrendous cold...chest congestion, sinuses, the works. Add to that the fact that she is cutting 3 molars and an incisor simultaneously; she has been a mess. Fortunately for Lindsay, Grace wants me to carry her instead of Lindsay. So I have been her packmule for 5 days. Did I mention she is getting really heavy for that? I have found a workaround solution though. We were given a baby backpack before we left Bakersfield and she loves it! So I have been taking her on walks around the neighborhood. It is a win-win option: Lindsay gets some peace with Ellie, Gracie is happy for a time, and I get some excercise and time with her in a good mood. She is into the inquisitive stage right now, so all I hear on our walks is 'w' dat?' pretty much constantly. She is fascinated by anything alive and spots dogs, cats, squirrels, and even birds. She points out all the cars and makes engine noises. Also of note, she knows what a helicopter says: "woo-woo-woo" with finger spinning above her head!

Lindsay has recovered from the C-section fairly well. Her main complaint right now is seemingly unrelated to the surgery and involves some pretty severe abdominal cramping. It seems like we may be going to be back to the GI doctor before too long. Her particular present from this cold we got seems to be some kind of throat blockage that gives her some problems breathing when she is laying down. Her incision is healing fine though! She is super excited to be a mom again and has been revelling in the fact that Ellie is more calmed by her than me. I think that is fair since Gracie and I have always shared something special.

I have been enjoying my time off from work. The military is not always family focused, but I was able to take 3 weeks off this time. It has been great! I love being a Dad and I have really enjoyed having so much uninterrupted time with my wife and kids. It was a great blessing that I had this week off since we are all sick. I go back to work this coming Monday and we are all bummed about it. Can I find a job where I just go to the mailbox and get a check every month for staying home and being Dad? As far as the family cold goes, I think I got the best case. Miserable, but it didn't get to my chest or throat.

Ok, now for some other big news. We have been doing some really hard thinking about my future in the military, the 6 years I still owe, the remaining 8 til retirement after that, the deployments, job stress, etc. After we had Gracie, I realized that our family can't flourish if I finish my career doing exactly what I am doing now. Well, the flying is fine, but the deployments are starting to add up. Once again, long story short, I found out about an option just before leaving Las Vegas that we have decided to pursue. In September of 2008, I will be applying for a slot at the Navy Test Pilot School (TPS for short). The Air Force does not have a helicopter test pilot course (wait, the Air Force has helicopters?) and only gets 1-2 slots yearly for TPS so it is a very competitive selection process. My goal is to get a job doing testing on the new Combat Search and Rescue helicopter (CSAR-X) that will be coming out in a few years. TPS is a 1 year, very rigorous course that sounds a lot like going through flight school and college at the same time. I would get to fly 15-20 different aircraft during the course, both rotary and fixed wing of all types. It would entail a move to Maryland and then a follow-on assignment in Florida or possibly Las Vegas. The first big hurdle will be getting there and if I don't make the 2008 board I will have to wait another year to reapply.

So that is our life update. Now you know what we know.