1st Ear Infection

Ramsey has his first ear infection. He has held off on getting one for almost 11 months and I'll be darn if he didn't get his first one here in New York while trying to enjoy much needed time with his Daddy. Ramsey has been super fussy all week. He had a cold until about Wednesday and we thought the worst was over but he continued to be ultra whiny and not eat or sleep well. After a stressful night last night we put Ramsey in the bed with us where he proceeded to basically attack me all night by grabbing my face, laying all over me, and crying at least every hour. When he cried during his morning bottle I decided we had to do something so Cope and I took him to the medical center at Ft. Drum where we were seen right away. Ramsey who is usually super happy at the doctor acted like every touch was like literally killing him. Yep, we were those people in the office. The ones you think are probably awful parents for letting their child get to the that screaming state. Well, once the doctor saw him he checked his ears and right away said they looked pretty bad. We now have oral antibiotics which we have to give him 3 times a day. Imagine wrestling a wild tiger and you can understand what it is like to give Ramsey his meds. So flying back to GA tomorrow with a kid with already painful ears should be swell fun. We'll get through it...we always do. Now that I know something is really paining him I feel sorry for the little guy and when he does laugh or smile I know he is trying to be brave. Needless to say is has been a long week with an unfamiliar Ramsey but having Cope here has made a huge difference. Maybe it is not the welcome home we we're both hoping for but we're parents and we're in this together for better or for worse.

What the Rowells Are Up To

What are we up to? Our ankles in snow. Yes, a snow storm came through yesterday leaving at least 6 inches of snow on the ground. It might be more like a foot but I've yet to venture out to see for sure. The snow plows are running and people are out and about as if it is no big deal. If this were occurring in Georgia the grocery stores would be wiped out and schools would be closed for days. It is a different lifestyle up here but I much prefer the milder south.

We are staying cozy in our hotel room. It is getting smaller by the day. Ramsey is getting over his cold and getting to know Cope again. Ramsey has also decided he doesn't want to sleep in the hotel crib and around 2am cries to get into the bed with us. Now, if anyone knows me they know co-sleeping is the one thing I don't do. I just think it is a habit that is horribly hard to break. But at 2am when he is crying and Cope has to get up at 6am for work (yes, Cope had to start work again today. 14 months deployment and 48 hours off. Makes good sense huh?) we put Ramsey in the bed and he quickly snuggled up and stayed asleep till 8am. I have a hard time knowing the right answer and also letting him cry it out when he has a cold, we're in a hotel room, and he can see Mom and Dad from the crib, I don't know a better solution then sleep and whatever works. I know when we are back home I can get him back into the crib sleeping groove. For now I suppose it is fine and at least we are all together.

Cope is rolling with life with an almost 11 month old. He doesn't complain when we have to get ready for bed at 8:30 so as not to disturb Ramsey drifting off to sleep. He doesn't complain that we aren't staying out partying with our friends. I think he is just happy to be home safely and he sees that even in the craziness that life with Ramsey is much more rewarding then anything that we've ever done before.

He's Back!!!

Cope's flight made it in here to Ft. Drum about 9am this morning but we could not see him until the ceremony at 12:30pm. They had to turn in their weapons and stuff. It was short ceremony and then we finally got to hug our guy. I am very happy to have him back. It was quite the journey for us both. Ramsey has a very pitiful cold which is making him not his usual peppy self. He literally has snot from his nose to his knees. Poor kid. This is also pitiful because he keeps saying ma-ma, ma-ma over and over again. All he wants is for me to hold him and if I attempt to get away for a second he cries for me. I'm sure this is very welcoming for Cope but I assure him that hopefully Ramsey will be back in gear in a day or so. Either way Cope is safely home and I am HAPPY for that most of all. Ramsey will feel better and we won't be in a one room hotel forever. For now is it all just fine as long as we're together. I took some pictures of our reunion but won't be able to post those till next week. It is just 8:30pm here and Cope and Ramsey are both fast asleep. I off to catch some sleep and wake up next to the man I've been missing for so long. Even though it has been a crazy day with a sick kid I am going to bed feeling more grateful than ever before.

Quick Update

Just wanted to send a quick update that Cope will hopefully be in tomorrow (Sunday). We have been waiting patiently since arriving on Thursday. Ramsey and I are making it work in our hotel room. I am so stinkin excited to see Cope that I could just about pee my pants. He has had a hard time getting out of Iraq and hasn't showered in about 4 days and been in a sand storm. Needless to say a hot shower and a being safely home will do him some good. It is almost over and we're absolutely READY to get our guy back. Counting the hours now instead of the days!!!!!!

And We're Off...

Ramsey and I are flying out tomorrow afternoon to Ft. Drum, NY to go get our guy back! We probably won't actually see Cope until late in the weekend but whatever is fine because the distance is almost over. Man, we've missed him. He is the magic that helps hold it all together for me. He is every dream I've ever had and then some. It has been the longest year of my life but we have been majorly blessed for our efforts thus far. I am so excited for Ramsey to finally get his Daddy back. Ramsey only gets more fun each day. I can't wait to have Cope back in our arms. When this whole deployment started we we're just man and wife with a baby on the way and now we're a family. We've begun to put down some roots in Georgia and my love for Cope is stronger and than it's ever been. I'm ready to get back to forever with the man that makes it all worthwhile. Have safe travels home Cope. We'll be waiting with open arms, huge smiles, and very grateful hearts.

PS-I'm not too sure if I'll be around a computer for a week or so. If I can find one I'll hopefully keep posting as you all know I can't stay away from the blog world. I'll take good pictures and good notes and hope to share our adventures soon. Please continue to keep Cope and his guys in your thougts and prayers until they are ALL safely home.

For Cope

Just a Picture

No real posting here just a cute picture of Ramsey in his Reebok warm up.

Burt's Pumpkin Farm

Cope's parents came to our house this morning to take Ramsey and I to Burt's Pumpkin Farm. It was a fun little afternoon trip and Ramsey seemed to enjoy it. The crowd looked like something you'd see at Six Flags but even though the lines were long we managed to get on the hayride. Ramsey loved it! He stood up and would giggle and grin the whole way.

Ramsey ready for the pumpkin farm:Hey Mom, these pumpkins are bigger than me:This one is more my size:Mommy and me Checking out the Indian corn:Posing with Grammy and Grampy:Standing with some new friends:Excited about the hay ride:There were even talking pumpkins along the way:

Here is a short little video I got of how much fun he was having:

Curls

Ramsey's hair continues to get curlier and crazier each day. I love his hair so much but thought it might be interesting to capture a picture with it wet and not curly to see what he would look like with strait hair:

Here he is 2 minutes later with it all curled up again. My favorite part is when his hair is damp and it gets kinky curly:

He definitely gets them from his Daddy and we're thinking he gets the blond from my side. My sister is blond and both of my parents are dark headed. It won't be too long before we'll have to break out the hair pick. Cope's mom had to use one on him when he was little.

Nearing The Finish Line!

We are getting closer and closer to the end of this very long deployment. Ramsey and I are flying up to Fort Drum late next week to hopefully get there a few days ahead of Cope and welcome him home FINALLY! I have so much emotion running through me now that it is almost over. It is like I've held on so tight and kept a brave face when all I really do is pray for strength and Cope's safety. It has been a long 14 months. It is a journey I am thankful for as it has taught me more than I could have imagined. Here are just a few of the things I've come to learn over this deployment:

1) Parenting can be accomplished by one person but having someone to share all the joys and occasional hardship with is much better.



2) Cooking for one is not fun.



3) Our son learned to say Da-Da just by seeing Cope's picture each morning.



4) I can put together ANY baby item. I can set up the pack in play in 20 seconds flat, I can put together strollers, swings, cribs,etc...



5) Nights are lonely.



6) I can put on my "Super Woman" cape anytime it is needed but I'm ready to retire it for a little while.



7) When I just need to talk to my best friend I can't just call him up to chat and if I miss his call I can't just call him right back.



8)Raising our son is hard in some moments but when I take a minute to really look at him I am simply blown about by the gift we've been entrusted with.


9) We are coming out of this deployment better, stronger, wiser, and more appreciative people than we went into it.


10) 14 months is a LONG TIME but Cope is certainly worth the wait!



Those are just a few but I could go on and on I suppose. I know I've worked hard this year but the real shout out goes to Cope in my opinion. He is the man! He did not choose this deployment yet he put one foot in front of the other for over 425 days. He has lived in sad conditions and seen things I don't even want to think about. Most of all he has missed HOME and every resemblance of comfort. He knows he is missing precious time with his little boy. We'll make it up babe, don't you worry! I seriously could not be more proud of Cope. He is the man beyond my dreams.

We are almost to the end and please keep Cope and his guys in your thoughts and prayers and they wind down and get ready to COME HOME!!!! It has been a long time coming that is for sure.

Give Me a Break!

You have got to be kidding me? So upon moving into our new house I felt it would be more safe if we had a security system installed. In order to do so we needed a home phone line for them to connect it to. There is an option of doing a remote system but the initial cost was pretty steep. Cope and I have not had a home phone line in 3 years and instead just use our cell phones. I knew we should get a home phone now that we actually have a home for 911 purpose so I just went with the most basic plan. The security system is going just fine and it does offer me piece of mind. The issue is that I finally decided to plug in the land line this afternoon and once I did I got FIVE telemarketer calls in a matter of 1 hour. What in the world? I mean seriously... GIVE ME A BREAK! If this keeps up we are seriously going to have to re-evaluate this whole phone thing.

Exploring

Man of the House

Ramsey is the man of the house until Cope gets here in a few weeks. He has been very busy exploring every inch of the new space. We're loving it and getting used to making a new routine in our new house. All we need now is Cope to make it feel like HOME. On a different note I have totally lost my voice today. I have not been able to answer my phone or even talk to my child. Ramsey just looks at me weird when I try to whisper and he is loving that I can't yell "NO, NO" when he heads toward a power cords. Oh, and did I mention I forgot I couldn't talk when I decided to go to the drive thru at Zaxby's tonight? Well, lets just say they eventually figured my order out. The nice worker there even came out to the car to give Sage and Bentley (our dogs) some chicken strips. She must of loved dogs because she stood there just feeding them chicken for about 10 minutes. Now they have gas but at least they got out for a little joy ride.

Ramsey testing out the new baby gates:

He loves to hang from the iron rails on the balcony:

Playing in his playroom:

This was my audience during my bath time. I think Ramsey's expression says it all:

He had to stop for a quick rest in Sage's pillow:

Hanging out in the play yard. Notice he is standing on a toy to enhance his view:

Digging A Little Deeper

Today was one of those days where you have to dig a little deeper to find the strength and energy to get through it. Today was moving day and my Mom and I both woke up with fevers and feeling like poop. Around mid morning we decided we could muddle the strength to get the box springs and mattress to the truck from the basement and we also had to take Ramsey's crib apart and then reassemble it at our new place. We were like zombies but my mom knew how determined I was to move that we drove on. We laughed through the runny noses and by lunch we were totally moved in. Not bad for too very sick ladies and not to mention we had to wrangle a certain little boy the whole time. Actually Ramsey has been quite the little trooper today and even had a 2 hour nap in his new room. Hopefully tonight will go smoothly as well. It is the first illness I've had since Ramsey was born and not being able to crawl up in the bed and whine is hard. Ramsey still needs a mom and today was no different. So we played and organized the day away. Now that he is down I am off to take a hot bath in our new tub and hope to feel much better tomorrow. Even in the sickness I am still enjoying being in our own home very much.

On The Move

Yes, we are moving in tomorrow. Everything has been moved except for the crib and my mattress. I am very excited!!! I'm finding it very interesting that I moved here to Georgia last September with just one car load of stuff and in moving to our new place I've at least taken 10 car loads of items over. I guess it might have something to do with the whole new person that came along since I've been here. Ramsey sure does have a lot of stuff. I've already set up his room at our new house and I'm hoping he'll like it as much as his old one. We got lots of new furniture delivered today which really makes it feel like a home. The rest of our stuff is still in New York in storage and we can't work on getting it moved to Georgia until the Army actually gives Cope his leave date. We're hoping to have it soon but it might be several more months of waiting too??? In the meantime we'll be paper plating it and working with what we have. It will be a fun adventure and I'm very much looking forward to it. Wish us luck!

Ramsey looking excited about moving day ( we both actaully have a little cold which stinks):Our new living room furniture:

Couch Potato???

Play Yard ... Get One!

I had been feeling slightly guilty with all the moving lately just having Ramsey hang out near me in his Pack-n-Play while I worked like a crazy woman. It is great but at this stage he wants to be on the move cruising, and crawling everywhere. So I checked into getting a much larger play yard which some were quite pricey I must say. I ended up finding the one we got on EBay for much less and it was brand new. It arrived last week and was everything I was hoping for. Truly, I think it is the best baby product I have bought since the video monitor. He has so much more room and and can cruise the perimeter which is improving his balance a good deal. Ramsey seems to like it much better and I can' say that I blame him.

Before:After:

Picture Post

I can't believe Ramsey will be 10 months old tomorrow. He gets more fun each day! I feel so honored to be his Mom and we are very much looking forward to his Daddy coming home for good in just 3 weeks!!! Our new place is coming along nicely and we're hoping to be in at the end of next week. Ramsey has been the best little moving buddy. He gets excited when we walk in the front door and he realizes where he is and that the playroom is just up the stairs. Here are a few random pics that I just wanted to share.

Ramsey perched on his box to get a better view of the TV. His latest thing is holding out the remote towards the TV because that is how he has seen us switch the channels:

Caught with his hand in the cookie jar or maybe just his whole body in the magazine basket: Sweet boy. My mom calls this his "Tweedle Dee" outfit:trying broccoli, carrots, and chicken. He prefers self feeding to baby food lately:

Figuring out the sippee cup. He can totally get it in his mouth but is not sure about the juice: Ramsey protesting having his picture taken:Decided maybe is wasn't so bad after all:

Yeah for Cope

Cope got awarded the Bronze Star yesterday. I asked him exactly what such a medal is awarded for and he said "basically it's for being a Bad Ass". Hum...well then, I can think of no one more deserving :) Really though, I am very happy for him. Often in the past he has gotten passed over in the medal/award department. Cope is one of those guys you'd want on your team as he always gets the job done. He does what he is supposed to and doesn't need lots of accolades but it is nice that he got a little personal victory at the end of this VERY LONG deployment. Way to go babe! We're very proud of the work you've done!

Cope on Right and his buddy Steve on the left. Nice hats guys:

Walking Behind A Toy

Ramsey is practicing his walking skills more and more these days. My favorite part of this video is when he stops to play with the toy on front. I can't even believe he is almost 10 months old. What a cool little man he is!