Sorry I haven't posted any updates in a while. Things have been pretty crazy around here lately ...
As I said last time, Josh passed his PT test awhile back, which opened the doors for him to go Active ... or so we thought. Apparently, the program has been discontinued, and he has to wait until he returns to the states to switch from Reserves to Active. I don't understand it all (and I"m not sure he does, either) but that's what he's been told. Once he is stateside again and going through the de-MOB process, he will be contacting a recruiter and getting the paperwork going for all that. He's already been talking to the recruiter via email and one phone call, and supposedly the papers will be able to be put through quickly (within a couple weeks). He also found out that he will be able to keep our health insurance for 90 days or until his Active duty papers go through. I talked to him for a few minutes yesterday, and he said he is doing well. He says the weather is getting hotter and hotter, but the time is starting to wind down to the end of the deployment. He is extremely busy still, and he's really looking forward to coming home.
Y'all may remember me mentioning in my last post that John had to go see a podiatrist for his ingrown toenail in his big toes. His appointment went well, but he has to have surgery on one of his big toes because the toenail is really ingrown, and I won't be able to fix it on my own like I did the other one. His surgery is scheduled for July 2nd at 7:30 in the morning. I don't have a lot of details since I've been in Maryland for the past week visiting family. I have to call the surgeon's office Monday and get all of the details for the surgery. I will keep everyone updated as I can. Hopefully he will pull through alright and the surgery won't be too hard on him.
Please keep Josh in your prayers for safety and John and me in your prayers for John's surgery.
waiting for him,
Ariel
27 June 2009
03 June 2009
Another Update
Hey, there. Just wanted to let everyone know that Josh passed his PT test! Yayyy!! Go, Josh! I'm so incredibly proud of him! He has been doing such a wonderful job while he's been over there, and passing his PT test just topped everything off! This brings news that you can either take as good or bad ... Since he passed his PT test, he is now able to switch from Reserves to Active Duty. All he has to do is meet with the person in charge of that and sign the papers. We are very excited about this next opportunity in our lives, so please try to be happy for us. If you don't like the idea of him going Active, well, I'm sorry but that's what we've decided is best for us. I hope we can get everyone's support in this decision.
On another note ... John had his two month check-up this past Tuesday. Things went well. I have to try to get him to eat more throughout the day because he is not eating enough, but the doctor isn't terribly concerned. He is up to 9lb 10oz and is 21 3/4 inches long. That puts him in the tenth percentile for both his weight and his length. He has to see a podiatrist for some problems he is having with the toenails on his big toes. I will update as we get appointments set and whatnot. The doctor decided to put John on a baby version of zantax because he has acid reflux. Hopefully this will help him eat and possibly even sleep better once that's taken care of.
Other than that, things are going pretty well. John and I are still working on the whole sleeping at night issue, but such is the life with a newborn. He has started smiling at people and cooing sometimes, too. Please remember to keep Josh in your prayers as he is constantly out on missions. Pray for his safety and that he is able to get an adequate amount of rest. Haha, he told me today that the showers have been out since Friday ... I can only imagine what a room full of guys in 110+ degree weather with no showers for a week smells like. He said he has a date for when he will be home, but he is unable to share it (even with me). I'm anticipating sometime late September perhaps. Note than even when he is able to share the dates with me, I will not be able to share the specifics.
Waiting for him,
Ariel
On another note ... John had his two month check-up this past Tuesday. Things went well. I have to try to get him to eat more throughout the day because he is not eating enough, but the doctor isn't terribly concerned. He is up to 9lb 10oz and is 21 3/4 inches long. That puts him in the tenth percentile for both his weight and his length. He has to see a podiatrist for some problems he is having with the toenails on his big toes. I will update as we get appointments set and whatnot. The doctor decided to put John on a baby version of zantax because he has acid reflux. Hopefully this will help him eat and possibly even sleep better once that's taken care of.
Other than that, things are going pretty well. John and I are still working on the whole sleeping at night issue, but such is the life with a newborn. He has started smiling at people and cooing sometimes, too. Please remember to keep Josh in your prayers as he is constantly out on missions. Pray for his safety and that he is able to get an adequate amount of rest. Haha, he told me today that the showers have been out since Friday ... I can only imagine what a room full of guys in 110+ degree weather with no showers for a week smells like. He said he has a date for when he will be home, but he is unable to share it (even with me). I'm anticipating sometime late September perhaps. Note than even when he is able to share the dates with me, I will not be able to share the specifics.
Waiting for him,
Ariel
12 May 2009
Update
Hey, y'all. Sorry it's been so long since I've posted on here. Things have been kind of crazy for me lately.
Josh is doing well. His knee isn't bothering him quite as much lately, which is fantastic. He is still on profile (where he isn't allowed to run or do other certain activities) for a while because of his knee, though. His PT will be taken some time before the 27th of this month (the entire company is required to take one by then). He will be walking the running portion of the PT test due to his status on profile. Please pray that he passes so he will be able to switch to Active Duty before he comes home. We really need this.
He did have a rough spell where he woke up one day with a ton of bug bites all over his arms. The doctor didn't know what they were from (bugs, obviously, but he didn't know what kind) and gave Josh some medicine to treat the bites. That medicine didn't work, and one mornign he woke up with the bites being all bloody. The doctor gave him a different, stronger medicine and said if that didn't work, then Josh would have to go on steroids. Thankfully, this stronger medicine is starting to clear the bites. Josh said they don't itch nearly as badly anymore; so hopefully they will heal more quickly without him constantly scratching at them.
Other than that, he seems to be doing well. He is more than ready to come home and see his son again. I send him new pictures in every care package. Speaking of care package ... please, if you send him a package, don't send him candy (or send him an extremely small amount if you feel you must send it). He has asked me repeatedly not to have candy sent to him. He just doesn't have space in his locker to store a ton of extra candies and things. Other than that, he really really appreciates all the care packages he has been receiving. Sounds like everyone has been taking good care of him! Thank you so much for that.
As for me and John, we are doing fairly well. We've gone through a rough spell where John wouldn't sleep and was extremely constipated due to the formula; but we've pretty much worked that issue out. Now, we're dealing with his toenails not having grown in properly and causing infections under the big toenails. Yesterday, we went to the doctor, and she told me how to treat it. He screams and cries when I do, but we should be seeing results in a couple days. The poor baby is in so much pain that he didn't want to eat yesterday, and he won't let me put his foot inside his sleepers. Please pray that he heals quickly. I hate seeing him in pain like this.
Other than that, all is well for us. John's next doctor's appointment is 2 June, and he will have to get his immunizations. I am doing well, other than not being able to sleep for being up every few hours with John.
I will try to remember to update here in another week or so, but I make no promises. :) Please remember to pray that Josh passes his PT test and also that John heals quickly. Thank you.
Waiting for him,
Ariel
Josh is doing well. His knee isn't bothering him quite as much lately, which is fantastic. He is still on profile (where he isn't allowed to run or do other certain activities) for a while because of his knee, though. His PT will be taken some time before the 27th of this month (the entire company is required to take one by then). He will be walking the running portion of the PT test due to his status on profile. Please pray that he passes so he will be able to switch to Active Duty before he comes home. We really need this.
He did have a rough spell where he woke up one day with a ton of bug bites all over his arms. The doctor didn't know what they were from (bugs, obviously, but he didn't know what kind) and gave Josh some medicine to treat the bites. That medicine didn't work, and one mornign he woke up with the bites being all bloody. The doctor gave him a different, stronger medicine and said if that didn't work, then Josh would have to go on steroids. Thankfully, this stronger medicine is starting to clear the bites. Josh said they don't itch nearly as badly anymore; so hopefully they will heal more quickly without him constantly scratching at them.
Other than that, he seems to be doing well. He is more than ready to come home and see his son again. I send him new pictures in every care package. Speaking of care package ... please, if you send him a package, don't send him candy (or send him an extremely small amount if you feel you must send it). He has asked me repeatedly not to have candy sent to him. He just doesn't have space in his locker to store a ton of extra candies and things. Other than that, he really really appreciates all the care packages he has been receiving. Sounds like everyone has been taking good care of him! Thank you so much for that.
As for me and John, we are doing fairly well. We've gone through a rough spell where John wouldn't sleep and was extremely constipated due to the formula; but we've pretty much worked that issue out. Now, we're dealing with his toenails not having grown in properly and causing infections under the big toenails. Yesterday, we went to the doctor, and she told me how to treat it. He screams and cries when I do, but we should be seeing results in a couple days. The poor baby is in so much pain that he didn't want to eat yesterday, and he won't let me put his foot inside his sleepers. Please pray that he heals quickly. I hate seeing him in pain like this.
Other than that, all is well for us. John's next doctor's appointment is 2 June, and he will have to get his immunizations. I am doing well, other than not being able to sleep for being up every few hours with John.
I will try to remember to update here in another week or so, but I make no promises. :) Please remember to pray that Josh passes his PT test and also that John heals quickly. Thank you.
Waiting for him,
Ariel
22 April 2009
Photo Slideshow
I just posted a photo slideshow of John in my last post. Those of you who get email updates may need to click into the actual blog (look for a link of some sort in the email) in order to see the photos! Just fyi :)
14 April 2009
Busy Busy Busy
As you all know by now, Josh was home for about two weeks at the end of March/ beginning of April. We had a wonderful time together and with family. Josh was very thankful for the much needed rest and visit with everyone.
While Josh was home we were blessed with the most precious little bundle ever -- John Allen Anthony. He was born on 31 March, weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces, and measured in at 19 inches. Josh is an amazing father and did such a wonderful job with John while he was home. John loved to fall asleep on his daddy's shoulder or in his daddy's arms. The memories we have already are precious to us and will be treasured forever.
Friday 10 April was one of the hardest moments we've gone through as a family. Josh had to say goodbye once again to return to Iraq, but this time he had to leave his son behind as well as his wife and family. There's a chance that Josh will only have about four months left of the deployment, but it could last several months longer than that. If it's only a few months longer, then Josh won't miss too much of John's "firsts" and the new things he learns to do (crawling, talking, etc.).
Josh just called me early this morning (about 3am) to let me know that he had arrived safely in Iraq. Hopefully I'll hear from him again soon and be able to talk to him for more than two minutes. He's still working on going Active, and we're waiting to see where God leads us with that situation. He has a PT test either late this month or sometime next month that will determine what happens with all of that. Please keep him in your prayers as his knee has really been bothering him lately.
As I hear more from Josh on how he's doing and what kinds of things he needs in care packages, I will keep everyone updated. **PLEASE DO NOT SEND LARGE AMOUNTS OF CANDY** I will also try to post pictures every now and then of the baby and update y'all on him.
Waiting for him,
Ariel
While Josh was home we were blessed with the most precious little bundle ever -- John Allen Anthony. He was born on 31 March, weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces, and measured in at 19 inches. Josh is an amazing father and did such a wonderful job with John while he was home. John loved to fall asleep on his daddy's shoulder or in his daddy's arms. The memories we have already are precious to us and will be treasured forever.
Friday 10 April was one of the hardest moments we've gone through as a family. Josh had to say goodbye once again to return to Iraq, but this time he had to leave his son behind as well as his wife and family. There's a chance that Josh will only have about four months left of the deployment, but it could last several months longer than that. If it's only a few months longer, then Josh won't miss too much of John's "firsts" and the new things he learns to do (crawling, talking, etc.).
Josh just called me early this morning (about 3am) to let me know that he had arrived safely in Iraq. Hopefully I'll hear from him again soon and be able to talk to him for more than two minutes. He's still working on going Active, and we're waiting to see where God leads us with that situation. He has a PT test either late this month or sometime next month that will determine what happens with all of that. Please keep him in your prayers as his knee has really been bothering him lately.
As I hear more from Josh on how he's doing and what kinds of things he needs in care packages, I will keep everyone updated. **PLEASE DO NOT SEND LARGE AMOUNTS OF CANDY** I will also try to post pictures every now and then of the baby and update y'all on him.
Waiting for him,
Ariel
12 March 2009
Update
Hey, everyone. Sorry it's been so long since I've posted an update on here. Things have been kind of crazy and busy lately with trying to get things ready for the baby and everything. I talked to Josh this morning. He is doing well. He is super excited that R&R is steadily drawing closer, and he can't wait to visit people. He had a couple rough weeks with the concussion he had (see previous update), and then he was sick for a while from some food he ate. He is over both of those ailments, though. Now he is dealing with his knee hurting him. Thus far during his deployment he has been unable to pass at PT test (pushups, situps, and a 2 mile run in a certain time period) because his knee has been hurting him so badly. He is able to run on the eliptical runner but not on the concrete. Currently, he is on what's called a profile -- he is restricted from running until after he is back in Iraq after R&R. Once he returns to Iraq after R&R, he will take another PT test. If he does not pass that one again, then he will be put on profile again. Then, they will let him replace to 2 mile run with a longer walk (2.5 miles, I think) and probably run some tests on his knee to find out what is wrong. Please pray that he is able to pass the PT test (whichever one he has to take -- running or walking) so he can move forward with his paperwork to switch to Active Duty. We really really really need him to come home as Active Duty rather than Reserves. Pray that his knee feels better -- or that they are able to figure out what's wrong and fix it easily -- and that his Active Duty paperwork goes through smoothly. I probably won't update again for a while since he should be home by April. We will call family once he is home and try to set up some times where we can get together for visits. Hopefully he makes it home before the baby is born.
Waiting for him,
Ariel
Waiting for him,
Ariel
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