Mikayla rolled over!

It may have been completely by accident, in fact I'm 99.9% certain it was, but nontheless, Mikayla rolled over! She was practicing tummy time with Daddy and all of the sudden she stuck her right arm out, tucked her left arm back and voila! She successfully rolled herself on to her back and escaped her workout...at least for a little while =). Unfortunately, I missed the whole thing, but it was still quite exciting (lol, the things that are now exciting!).

Mikayla Jo, 8 weeks old

Reveille, winglets and reservoirs

Who needs a clock when you have Reveille? For those of you who haven’t been in the military, or haven’t lived on base, you’ve likely not had the privilege of hearing the electronic rooster stir the base throughout the day. Blaring through the towering speakers located around base – which double as sirens –every morning begins with the Reveille and Ruffles, afternoon is marked with Flourishes and the Star Spangled Banner, and the evening is put to bed with Taps. (I could have the Ruffles and Flourishes backwards, but I think that’s the way it goes.) The times apparently change depending on the base, but at Laughin the tunes play at 7 a.m., 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Good news is that although the speakers are closest to Mikayla’s window, she sleeps right through the morning alarm. The bad news is, while I can’t hear it from our bedroom, it comes right through the baby monitor…

Our first week in Del Rio has been spent getting to know the base and settling in as much as we can while still living in temporary housing.  John stays busy “in processing,” while Mikayla and my world has taken a welcome, lax turn. We spend much of each day staring at each other, trying to figure one another out, and the rest of the day feeding. Ok, perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration, we venture out at least once a day in between Mikayla’s breakfast, brunch and lunch, or lunch and post lunch, appetizers, small plates, dinner or dessert… no wonder she’s now 11.68 lbs!  

In all seriousness, Mikayla’s doing terrific and is growing like crazy – physically and intellectually. She becomes more and more engaged each day and continues to get prettier. She has come to love bath time and is able to hold her head up high when she lies on her belly. (That could have something to do with John lying on his belly next to her rooting her on as though she’s tackling an opponent in a wrestling match.) We’re working on napping in her crib or anywhere other than my arms, but have a ways to go on that one. She’s sleeping about 6-7 hours for her first nighttime stretch, so we have no complaints there, though when she decides to complain about something it’s clear that her lungs have gotten stronger as well.

Over the weekend, the base hosted a family career fair of sorts and brought in several different types of Air Force planes for the flight trainees and their families to tour. A C-17, which is the plane John will fly, was among those brought in allowing John to take Mikayla on her first tour. It is truly an amazing airplane which was reflected in Mikayla’s starry eyed, speechless reaction.

We certainly don’t have the same options for weekend outings as we did in Portland, but we have found ways to stay busy and have fun. Mikayla attended her first AFB Oktoberfest – there weren’t many lederhosen, but the beer was plentiful, and we spent Sunday afternoon at Lake Amistad. The lake is a reservoir on the Rio Grande separating Del Rio from Mexico. Despite the cooler temperatures (mid 80s) and a little bit of wind, it didn’t quite feel like fall.



(No, it's not a beauty mark, just a spot on my lense that I'm trying to hunt down.)



We’re scheduled to get the keys to our house on Friday and with luck our belongings will arrive prior to move in. In the meantime, Reveille sounded more than two hours ago so it's probably time for Mikayla and I to get up.

3G what?

OK, here it goes. First impression of Del Rio, TX – “What are we doing?”

Biggest Shockers:

·         It’s small, really small. Wikipedia reports 50k people, in actuality, it’s closer to 30k.

·         Despite its size, there are a few chains such as Home Depot, Chilis and Sonic Burger.

·         Walmart looks like Whole Foods compared to the local grocer – ummm, yeah.

·         The town makes the base look luxurious, and while the base is nice, that’s saying a lot.

Pleasant Surprises:

·         The terrain around the town is pretty cool. The river beds are in deep canyons and with deep blue green water. Lake Amistad, just outside of town is enormous with sparkling blue water that reminds me of Florida.

·         Though small, Laughlin AFB has done a nice job accommodating families relocating to the area and the neighborhoods are pleasant.

·         Everyone, from the locals to those on base, have been very friendly.

The drive from Pecos south was relatively uneventful. The further south we got, the more and more Border Patrol cars we passed heading north (perhaps they were headed for Canada?) and just under an hour out, we passed through our first inspection point. Since we were headed toward the border we didn’t have to stop, however the infantry of border patrol personnel, drug dogs and mirrors to check under each car was impressive.

Pulling into town felt like we were pulling into Mexico, a few small shops, some rundown buildings and sparse homes in worn neighborhoods. I have to admit that for just a moment, I had to swallow the culture shock that I was overcome with and remind myself why we’re here. Leaving Portland, John and I talked about how the coming year would make us appreciate where we came from. We successfully achieved that the first day.

Good news is, it’s only 13 months and it’s sure to come with great stories. I'm in a bit of shock, but I'm glad we're here. At least gas is cheap and thank heavens for online shopping! Besides, who needs 3G cell phone service when the Sirloin Stampede offers all you can eat steak and shrimp for $8.99?

Del Rio, TX: Six days, 2,183.1 miles

Six days and 2,183.1 miles later, we made it to Del Rio! It was quite the road trip for a little girl who won't even be seven weeks old until tomorrow and she took it like a trooper. All in all, I would say Mikayla cried for a combined hour or less during the drive (don't worry, she is a real baby and fussed during other times, but to our fortune she was perfectly content as long as the car was rolling).

I was pleasantly surprised as we drove south to find that Del Rio’s “hill country” really does have hills. In fact, there are some really neat river canyons and surprisingly large rolling hills covered with a combination of golden grasses and brush and dark green shrubs. The last time I was in what was supposedly Texas Hill Country, I don’t recall seeing anything resembling a true hill.

Coming into town we were met with a few surprises and perhaps a bit of a reality check, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to learn more. I’m a bit worn out this evening and going to call it a night, but wanted to let everyone know that we're here. Stay tuned and thanks for following our journey.

Pecos, TX: Drive Friendly - The Texas Way

Welcome to Texas! Where trucks come in white, white or white , the horizon is decked with oil wells and the welcome gift at the hotel is Bud Light. Today we traveled 356 miles from Santa Fe, NM to Pecos, TX, leaving us with a quick 238 miles to go to reach Del Rio. For the most part, the terrain was flat, dry and covered in sage brush and short bushes that looked more like tarantula legs than plants. I’m guessing they’re some sort of cactus, but really have no idea.

It was far from our prettiest day of driving – we’re definitely not in Oregon anymore, but was a good day to sharpen our random knowledge. For instance, it may only come in handy when playing Trivia Pursuit, but we can now say that we had lunch in Roswell, NM, best known for its 1947 UFO incident (no UFOs were sighted along our drive); stayed the night in Pecos, home of the very first rodeo…or so they say; and that five acres of land between Loving, NM and the Texas border goes for $27,000. Other sightings include seeing our first Texas cowboy loping along the side of the highway, miscellaneous picnic tables scattered throughout the desert, just in case anyone wants to stop and absorb the view – which Mikayla did – and lots and lots of barbed wire! We were also only the second customers to ever order pizza on the Internet from the Pecos’ Pizza Hut, which apparently makes us memorable and from out of town.

While we haven’t heard any “y’alls” yet, it’s clear this year will be an adventure and that we have a lot to learn before we’re considered Texans. Did you know that to pass a car (or more likely, truck) in Texas you don’t have to change lanes? Instead, the slower vehicle moves over to the shoulder as the faster vehicle approaches. I guess they take their welcome sign seriously: “Drive friendly – the Texas way.”

Here’s to Texas!

And Four Corners Makes Eight!

Chalk it up to eight, states that is, that Mikayla has visited during the past six weeks. By 10 a.m. this morning, she added Arizona and New Mexico to her list by sitting on the Four Corners. Of course she won’t remember any of it, and not just because of her age – she slept through the whole thing!

After leaving Four Corners we headed into New Mexico where the view was almost entirely made up of arid mesas. The terrain was evidence that we’re getting closer and closer to Texas. We stopped in Farmington, NM for lunch and tested out a local burger joint. The burgers were OK, nothing special, but I loved the cheese options on the menu… "with cheese, with more cheese, with lots more cheese."

We’re now only 591 miles from Del Rio! I have to admit that I’m not nearly as anxious to arrive as I thought I would be – thank you Mikayla! We could not have wished for a better traveler. While I’m excited to finally see Del Rio, get moved into our house, and meet the community, this has been an incredible road trip and it’s great to have the three of us together.

We ended the day in Santa Fe and enjoyed a terrific visit and dinner with great friends (Steve, Cecille and Ryan) who came up from Albuquerque.  We’re still figuring out where we’re headed tomorrow, but for now that’s about it. A chill day in the southwest.

Moab, UT: Arches, arches, everywhere!

The United States is truly a beautiful country! We started our day in Park City where the air was brisk and it felt as though the snow could fall at any moment. We then headed south, cutting through the jagged cliffs of the Wasatch/Uinta mountains. From there, the views just continued to get better. Fall colors painted the hills and fresh snow gleamed from the peaks. Green pastures and hot air balloons served as entertainment along the drive and it seemed that the moment I began to grow weary of driving was the moment another incredible view would appear.

Rather than driving straight through, we took time this afternoon to explore Arches National Park just outside of Moab, UT. Mikayla was a bit antsy about the hike, but exploring the red rock trails, massive natural arch formations and spectacular views was worth the extra effort. The park was flooded with tourists and to our surprise, there seemed to be more foreigners than Americans. Mikayla was a bit of an attraction herself and was popular among the hikers – most of whom were in disbelief that we had brought our six week old to the mountains.

  

After leaving the park, we headed to Cortez, CO, where we’re staying tonight. Along the way, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset that painted the sky with pink and lavender and turned the mountains in the distance to a deep plum. It was quite possibly the most picturesque sky I’ve ever seen.

There’s not a lot to see in Cortez itself, but the people are nice and eager to strike up conversation about the Minnesota Twins versus the Yankees, ranching, elk hunting and just about anything else you’re willing to discuss =). Besides, now that we’ve checked Colorado off on the list of states Mikayla has visited, the tally is up to six. Stay tuned to find out where she ends up next.

Park City, UT: Polygamy Porter

Day two is complete and 389 more miles are behind us, bringing us to Park City, UT. The town was home to the 2002 Winter Olympics, has a beautiful ski village and the local brew pub sellls Polygamy Porter. Yes, it’s really a beer and we took a photo for proof!  

We’re hitting the road early tomorrow so tonight’s post will be brief. It was another great day and Mikayla continues to travel like seasoned pro. She only went through four outfits, but one of those was by choice and not necessity. The scenery from Boise into Northern Utah is somewhat less than desirable, but Park City is adorable. We’re staying right at the bottom of a ski resort which I imagine will be covered in snow shortly seeing as the surrounding peaks are already dusted. The town is filled with boutiques and restaurants and is already a buzz, making me antsy for a ski vacation.

Tomorrow we’re off to explore Arches National Park and then on to Cortez, CO. Just over 1,000 miles to go!

Nampa, ID: Save the leather!

The first day of driving is behind us covering roughly 430 miles and revealing many of Oregon’s treasures, including the morning sun beaming down on Portland, leafs changing colors in the Gorge, the Wallowa Mountains framed by green pastures and grazing cattle, and slivered views of the Eagle Cap Wilderness smothered by rain storms.

We concluded the day in Nampa, ID, the second largest city in the state, which does not mean that it’s big. The town’s population is less than 100,000. Sadly, that’s about all I can say about Nampa since rather than absorbing the town on the way in, I was fretfully trying not to allow my leather seats to absorb run away breast milk! No, this time it was not me leaking. Rather, the bag of frozen milk that I had pulled out of the cooler to thaw so we would save Mikayla from instantaneously tensing up and turning red the moment she realized she was hungry, forcing us to rush to warm a bottle in the hotel sink, (we’ve started an early evening tradition of Daddy feedings – with the exception of Saturdays, which swap out with a morning feeding in commemoration of College Game Day) had sprung a leak. As a result, my efforts to be a step ahead of my daughter were foiled and I suddenly found myself playing with a bag of milk as though it were a labyrinth, tilting it every which way to prevent further leakage while safely maneuvering the car off of the freeway.

The milk incident alone is probably enough to justify the day’s theme of "save the leather", especially since the drive really couldn’t have gone any better, but it was only one of two very close calls involving bodily fluids and my seats. Let’s just say we nearly had a disaster when the sloped driver seat/makeshift diaper changing station just about turned into a fountain. Fortunately, just before the pump switched on, John came in for the save, swiftly placing a clean diaper/seat protector in the nick of time. Phew!

T-Minus 424 Days - Farewell to Portland

A year ago, give or take a day or two, John and I were headed home to Portland, OR from Grand Forks, ND. We’d made our way to the old college kicks to visit friends, meet their babies and cheer on the Sioux. We laughed about the things that had changed (babies for one), yet how much things had stayed the same (Red Pepper Grinders!) – we had no idea what the coming year would bring. Now, to sum it up, I’m lying in a Marriott hotel room in Hillsboro, OR a few miles from our home which we left bare this evening. My six week old baby girl is sleeping five feet away, John’s working beside me, suitcases are scattered throughout the room, and two completely packed cars are waiting outside for dawn, when we’ll take off on what is scheduled to be a six day drive to Del Rio, TX.

Where’s Del Rio? That’s a very good question. According to Google it’s 1,978 miles southeast of our current location on the Mexican border. Why Del Rio? Also a good question. The short answer is that in the past 12 months I’ve officially become an Air Force wife and mom, in addition to being a publicist addicted to work, and John is being sent to Del Rio for 13 months of pilot training. So, it’s off to Texas we go to figure out our newly acquired parenting gig, find out if good salsa gives babies colic, and to learn whether or not “y’all” is contagious…