Updates...

So it's been a little while since I've updated this thing. We've been back home in SC since the 23rd. We left a little later than we wanted to because of Jac's one year well baby appointment at the Naval Hospital. I love taking a healthy baby to the dr. to hear just how healthy he is. Everything was fine...we really didn't have any concerns anyway. He weighs almost 24 pounds! That's like half of what I weighed in the third grade! They said he was in the 50-75th percentile in his height and weight and 95 in head circumference. Yikes! I was feeling a little upset about that, but apparently he's growing right along and they didn't have any conerns. Got to have a big head to fit his big brain inside I guess.

Then, along came Christmas. First at the Dot's for a celebration with Cam's step siblings. I think G-ma Dotty was upset because Jac got cranky so we laid him down in the pop up crib and he missed presents (it's not like he would open them himself anyway).

The next morning....SANTA CAME!! Jac had fun playing with his new vibrating hedgehog and Penn's aquadoodle. After all the siblings got here, the house was packed with presents, people, and puppies. I always knew that we had a big family (my parents, big bro, big sis, Kimmi, and me) but with all of us crammed into Mom and Dad's house, all 17 of us (with one on the way) that is, you can really feel intimidated. We all sat down in 3 different rooms to eat breakfast. Finally, Cam, Jac and I all layed down for a nap.

After lunch we headed to Aunt Ann's house for the Carmon family gift exchange, and then went straight over the Meme's house for our last party. I was really excited about this one because of Cam's special present I was able to organize from the family. It's always hard to switch gears from my family to Cam's. My family is so huge. When we all get together and open presents, we can go through hundreds of packages in a matter of minutes. In Cam's family, they open presents one-by-one. All of the attention is on you and it's so quiet (with only 6 people besides us), it's nerve racking. Everyone is watching your reaction and it takes a good 3 hours to finish the whole process. Anyhow, after being tourtured with anxiety, Cam finally got to open his big present... A LAPTOP!! I was so excited about it. I really wanted him to have one to take with him in Iraq, so that we can talk on a webcam and he could watch movies and everything. After all the fuss, we went home and I crashed while Cam played with his new toy all night long.

Jac playing with his new toy at Meme's

Fast forward a couple of days and we were headed to Highlands, NC with Kimberly, Pack, and Penn. We had a blast in our cool lodge and pretending like we were rich going to nice restaurants and shopping around the ritzy little town. We did a little bit of hiking and climbing (you know...to remind me just how out of shape I actually am, and what an annoyingly athletic stud I'm married to). Jac stayed with Grandma Dotty for three nights. It was all I could do not to cry without him there, but I had a blast on this last little excursion with Cam before he deploys.

Stopping for some pictures at an overlook.

Our last night in Highlands

Back in Flo-town...HAPPY 2009!! It was time to pack up the Land Rover and head back to reality in Jacksonville for a much more somber coundown...days until Iraq. It's just now starting to become real, with talk about what I'm gonna do while he's away and possibly moving back to Florence. They are officially changing the time overseas from just 7 months to 7-14 months, meaning there is a possibility he might be extended. They will be the last USMC unit in Iraq (the rest of the Marine Corps will be in Afghanistan) and they are responsible for moving the USMC base over to an Army base. I'm definitely not ready for all of this, but I know it'll all be worth it when he get's back and we run like the wind away from military life and start all over again.

Oh well, too much to think about right now...time for some quality DS time with my hubby...lol!