Life... is great really!!!! Sure, I have things I can complain about. But over all, everything is great!

Maddybug is doing GREAT! She is six months old now! Can you believe that?! She has turned in to a little chunky monkey!!!! She has little rolls on her legs now!! I love little rolls on baby's!! haha!!! She is eating like a big girl now! She gets cereal and a fruit for lunch. And she gets a fruit and veggie for dinner with us! She loves sitting at the table with all of us eating dinner! It's a bit messy, but fun none the less! So far she has had sweet potatoes, carrots, and we are working on squash now! No reactions to anything. And she loves it all! She has 2 teeth and I believe a third is trying to make it's appearance! She looks so cute with those two bottom teeth!!! I love it! She is just getting the hang of sitting up by her self. She can sit for a few minutes without the boppy and then she topples over. She loves tummy time! She plays and plays and plays!!!



 And she is wiggling pretty good now! Making her way around! In fact, I just ordered a gate with a swing door for the steps. I know she will be taking off any day now. She can get on her knee's occasionally, so it is just a matter of time.



She is also soo long now!!! I had to go ahead and order her a new carseat as well! I got her a cute Britax Marathon seat!!!! It was on sale for $100 off!!!!


Hopefully it will be delivered next week.

Nicholas is doing great as well! He is doing really good in speech! He is still caught up on the counting. We are working on it so hard, but he just can't get past four. His pathologist really isn't too sure why. But, we are working on it. We count EEEEEVERYTHING! We are still working on the potty training. He is great during the day and while we are out. NEver has an accident anymore (crosses fingers that I didn't just jinx it!) it's just that night time training that is still pretty rough. He is still waking up so wet! I even cut back on his liquids after dinner. But it doesn't help. So, hopefully someday he will be out of pull ups for good.

Mackenzie is getting more and more excited for school to start. She is STILL asking everyday if she has school tomorrow. I hope this excitement lasts into the next few years! She loves writing! We are working on her Kindergarten sight words now. I have made several copies and she keeps writing them out. We are also working on her full name, birthday, address, and phone number. She seems to be getting the hang of it. She wants to write them out all the time now! Next paycheck I need to start the dreaded school supply shopping. There is sooo much to get on her supply list on top of the uniforms for the school year. Ulgh! Thank God for The Children's Place and there coupons! Lol!!!! I am a member of their Place Perks and I got a $20 gift card for shopping there so much!!! So, I bought her book bag and lunch bag for a total of $3!!!


She picked them out and she loves them! It made her even more excited to start school! Lol!

Adam and I are doing great!!! We celebrate our 6th anniversary on the 19th! I still can't believe it has been 6 years already. But, then again, it feels like we have been together FOREVER! It's been an amazing 6 years! I can tell you that! Not exactly sure what we are going to do to celebrate. Probably just have a nice dinner together after the kids go to bed. I got him hi wireless rear surround system for the living room... and we bought a new point and shoot camera for the both of us (it goes underwater up to 10ft. He wanted it for when he deploys to Guam again). I am thinking about ordering a Mei Tai for my gift!! LOL!! Yeah, it's a baby carrier, but I REALLY want one! But one from an Etsy shop that I fell in love with! (THIS ONE!)

Adam finished his 7 level school right before my surgery. He moved to a new shop this week, and his leave was cancelled for our vacation back home. But that is ok because we are going to go up in December instead. We just have to work around Mackenzie's school schedule. He re-enlisted yesterday. So, we are hoping to get order's out of here in August. Yeah, I am hoping and praying. And I know I shouldn't get my hopes up, but I am. I want out of here dang it!!! Lol!!!! Orders would be lovely now!

Everything else is great as well! I had my post op apt with the surgeon today! He came in practically singing "NO CANCER!" Lol!!! It was funny because he has a really southern twangy accent! But, he was very happy with the way the incision is healing. He said the scar tissue will get smaller over the next 2-3 months and it shouldn't bother me at all. He said I am released from him but I need to follow up with the endocrinologist. I already recieved a letter from her and I have a follow up in October! I am just so thankful that it wasn't cancer! I mean, it wouldn't have been life or death at that point, but I am still so blessed that God answered prayers and that it wasn't anything more than a hard lump on my thyroid! Seriously... THANK YOU.... JESUS! So, now I just get it checked out once or twice a year to make sure the left side of my thyroid doesn't grow anything... But I am holding on to Faith that God is not going to let that happen :)

So, anyway... that is about it! I will end this update with some recent pictures of the kiddo's! My little Craig Clan!






Nicholas and his BumbleBee Camaro Transformer... hardly leaves the kids side!



Maddybug! Getting so big!



Before we left for the fireworks!
Mackenzie in her 4th gear!

Nicholas


Maddybug at the fireworks. She was in AWE of them!!! she did soooo good!


This was from the day before yesterday!




They are each getting so big!!!!






So, that is it!!!! My update is done!!!

Oh wait!!!! No it's not!!! I JUST GOT THE CARSEAT AND BABY GATE!!!! YAY!!!! That's nuts because I was just on the phone with the company this morning because it still says on their site that my order hasn't shipped. So they said they would release it today and get it to me by next monday. But here it is!!!! WOW!

Ok, update done :)

An update on life

1. Adam is home! - Adam got home yesterday early afternoon! He shocked me!!! I wasn't expecting him until 6ish! And he walked in the door around 2! He left a lot earlier than expected and he kept it a secret!! I know I text him around noon, when I thought he was due to leave, and I asked him if he was heading out. He text back saying in a little bit. The sneak! He was already on the road for a few hours! So, I got a text a bit later saying that Dallas sucks to drive through! (He had a bad experience in Dallas!! LOL, getting lost for 5 hours after dropping Mackenzie and I off at the airport!) Little did I know that he was walking around Walmart across the bridge out the front gate here! He was on a hunt for a tail light and roses! (he got pulled over for speeding and a tail light out. he was going about 7 miles over the limit... but his tail light is not out... after buying the bulb and getting home to change it, he found that out. But he just got a warning) Walmart was all out of roses and he was pretty bummed. But it is the thought that counts!!!! It made me happy that he even went hunting for them! I wouldn't expect him to go hunting anywhere else though... he had already been driving for several hours. But, he is home!!!!!! And it is sooo nice being us again!!! I actually went to bed at a decent hour last night rather than 3am! It was very nice!!! It was nice to wake up to him getting ready for work this morning! And my usual kiss goodbye!! I missed that!!! I know it was just a month.. but seriously... it felt like forever!!!
   
2. I am on day 18 of the EA Active 30 Day Challenge - While Adam was gone, I bought the EA Active. I have been doing the 30 day challenge on it for the past 17 days. Today is day number 18. I must admit. It is TOUGH! I have never sweat like I do with this game. It is INTENSE!!! But, I like it alot better than the Wii Fit. I feel like I am actually doing more to work out! I have been trying so hard to lose weight and get healthy. And I am slowly working my way there.
   
3. I am on Day 14 of South Beach - Along with the EA Active and a few other side exercises (tummy toning) I am also doing the South Beach diet again. I am staying in Phase 1 for a bit longer. Today is supposed to be my last day on it. But I think I am going to continue it. I was very happy with the results I had gotten the first time I did the diet. So, I am pushing myself really hard and being really strict with it. I have hardly cheated!!! So, I am pretty proud of myself!!!!
   
4. I am down 11 pounds! - With the working out and the diet... I am down ELEVEN pounds in 18 days!!! I am very happy!!! I am still pushing to lose more. I have about 40 more to go. I know this may not seem like a lot. And it really isn't too noticeable yet. Hopefully after another 10 pounds it will start to show!
   
5. Maddy is doing SO much better! - She is gaining weight like a pro now! She is still spitting up a lot. But she is gaining weight. At this point, that is all that matters. She is getting so much more personality!!! She really is a great baby! She sleeps so well for us. She usually gives us 12 hour nights! Sometimes more! She is starting to reach for things. Even us now. She holds her arms up when she see's her bottle or when she wants to be picked up. She is sitting up assisted, she can sit by herself for a few seconds, but then she tumbles! Lol!! She is babbling a lot more and realizing she can make different tones with her voice! It is so funny to hear! She has 2 teeth now! They popped through last week! She was not a happy camper during that process!!!
   
6. Nicholas is doing great in speech. -  Nicholas has picked up in speech over the past few weeks! He is doing really well!!! He finally can say all of his colors! And we are working on counting now! He's getting the hang of it pretty quickly, so far!
   
7. Mackenzie is trying to read and is ready for school again! - Mackenzie is trying to sound out words now! She is always asking how to spell something and what this or that says! She has a "journal" now that she is constantly "writing" about her day in! I think she will be reading pretty soon!!!
   
8. My dad gets here on Sunday. - His flight lands Sunday early afternoon!!! The kids will be so excited to see him! I really am very thankful that he is so willing to come down here and help me with the kids during and after the surgery! He is going to be taking Nicholas to two of his speech classes and just doing whatever he can to help and keep the kids busy!! I am really bless with such a great dad!
   
9. Father's day - I realized after the fact that we booked my dad's flight here on Father's day. I feel pretty bad that he is going to spend most of the day on a plane. I am sure he will enjoy Father's day because he will be with his grandkids, but I still feel kind of bad. So, we are all going to go and have a nice dinner out!!! I already bought Adam a few things for Father's day that he asked for!!
   
10. Surgery is Monday.- I am starting to get a bit nervous about the surgery itself. But, I am leaving it all in God's hands!
    
11. We leave for vacation on the 10th! - or so we were. Adam's leave has been canceled. So, we aren't going to make it home this summer like we had planned :( I am pretty heartbroken over it. I was so looking forward to getting away from here for a few weeks. I need a vacation after all the crap we have been dealing with. So, I am looking in to going to Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine TX or something. It's kind of pricey though... so we will see. But we just need to get away for a few days. Even if it is just a weekend.
    
12. Our 6th anniversary is on the 19th! - Wow! SIX years!!! And still just as in love as we were when we were kids!! That was proven yesterday when he got home and surprised me earlier than I expected him!!! I got tons of butterflies in my stomach and I felt like a little school girl or something!!!! We were going to leave the kids with my MIL for a night while we got away. But that won't be happening now. So, who knows what we are going to do. Probably not much.
    

Anyway. Madison is not happy today. She is pretty grumpy. I hope there are no more teeth coming in!!!!
I have a few pictures to share, but they will have to wait a bit!!!!

Goodness, have I mentioned how much I CAN NOT wait until things are back to normal here??? Ok, so maybe not NORMAL per say. Soon after Adam gets home, we will be dealing with the hospital stay, surgery, etc. But, at least Adam will be home! THAT is what I am excited about. Yeah, this time wasn't a long deployment or anything, just a short TDY. But seriously, it has been a SUPER stressful TDY! And it is POINTLESS! Adam is there for basically no reason. In fact, he has been text messaging me most of the morning telling me that they are doing absolutely nothing there today. They are sitting in class bored out of their minds. They have a test they COULD do while the info is still fresh in their minds from yesterday, but the instructer is just wasting the day today and waiting until Monday. No one in the class is happy about that. They have had a few days where they have done nothing. That could be a few less days they have to be there. But, nope.

Oh well. It is what it is, right? No use in complaining about it (anymore! lol ) Surprisingly though, I have done pretty well so far. I know when Adam was in Guam, I was a wreck every night since day. I only cried once since he has left. Well, cried ABOUT him being gone (I have cried for many other reasons since then!) I cried the day he left when we were saying goodbye. I thought I would cry every night while trying to fall asleep. But I haven't :) I have had a hard time sleeping, but I haven't cried! I'm proud of myself!!! He'll be home soon!




So, my apt with the surgeon was on Wednesday! We finally have a day set. And he was willing to wait until Adam got back from his TDY! I am soooo glad So, 4 days after he gets back, I will be having surgery to have half of my thyroid removed. June 22nd. He wants it done as soon as possible. He said they like to get these taken care of within a few months of finding the nodule. And he asked me when it was first noticed. I told him in the beginning of February when my OB found it at my 6 week post partum apt. He said that the few month period has run up and it needs to be taken out ASAP. So, he got me in as soon as he could after Adam returns. And my dad will be here too! He is trying to get tickets to fly out. I really truly appreciate it. Adam does too. He said it would be a bigger help having my dad here as well as our friends helping out! This way we don't have to worry about someone staying with the kids over night or anything since my dad will be here. He wants to be here to help as much as he can! I love that my dad is always so willing to help us out!!! He really does more for us than I could ask for! I told him he really didn't have to come out. But he wants to! I really am blessed to have such a great dad!!!! I don't trust too many people with my kids. And the people I do trust have work and their own kids to tend to. So, asking them to take my kids on top of that... it would be way too much. Besides, my kids would LOVE to see their Papa again! Even though they will see him again a month later! Lol!

So, anyway...The surgeon reccomends having all of the thyroid removed at once, it is his preference. But, I do not want just half of it removed on the chance of IF I have cancer. If I do have cancer, they will go back in and take it out then. But until we know definite's, I just want the half of it removed. I am still pretty young yet, so the chances are very low. So, if I don't have to worry about my calcium levels and hormone levels for the rest of my life.... I'll wait to see if it is cancer or not.

 It's really nerve racking knowing the date of my surgery. I am anxious to get it done and over with already, but MAN am I nervous! After talking to the Dr, the "associated risks" are making me freak out. Like, they could hit my vocal chords and I could come out of surgery without a voice. And with that my air way through the voice box will close up and trachiotomy would have to be done!!!! And of course all the other risks, such as infection and such. I know the chances of the risks are VERY low. But the possibility!!! Eeek!



Have I also mentioned how much I am looking forward to vacation???!!!! I can't wait to be back up in NY! I miss it so much. I miss our family and friends!!!! And I just can't wait to get away from all of this stress and be away from military life for a while. It will definitely be nice!!!! MUCH NEEDED!!!! While we are up in NY, Adam and I will be celebrating our 6th anniversary! My mother in law is going to keep the kids overnight and Adam and I are going to go out! We are going to stay somewhere overnight. I am really excited, but really nervous at the same time. I have never spent a night away from the kids other than hospital stays. So, I will probably drive Adam nuts worrying about the kids. But, we won't be far away since it will be a one night stay. But, I think it is about time that we had a night for just the two of us. After all, it has been 5 1/2 years since we have been childless! I am sure the kids will love to have a night of just them and Nana!  Adam and I haven't figured out where we are going to go yet. I am thinking somewhere in the Pocono's. We'll see!

Anyway, I need to get off here. I have to try and get to the commissary. But it won't be easy since I am sooo not feeling good today and I need to lug the kids with me. Not looking forward to it. I have a few pics to upload too. Here are the ones I already have uploaded.

Maddybug is getting so big! Can you believe she is 5 months old already!!!! She is doing great! Doing much better with her weight! She is starting to sit up on her own now! She is eating cereal and fruit and LOVING it!


She sat still long enough for me to paint her toe nails!!! She woke up from a nap earlier than I had expected and the other two were STILL SLEEPING (HUGE shock!! LOL!)




Maddy and Miss Sophia had a play date the other day! They kept putting their legs all over each other! Lol!!! It was cute!



Babies are so sweet :)

And here are just a few other's.





Sophia is just a little sweetheart!!!!