Quinny Quinn update

An update on this girl is needed because she is growing up fast!  I am having SO much fun with Quinn right now and all that she is doing.  It's nice that she understands most everything I say and can communicate just about anything, as well!  Here are a few of my favorite things right now:

- She sings "Happy Birthday to me" periodically throughout the day and puts anything on her head to represent a birthday crown

-She LOVES Shae.  My sister said it probably wasn't such a bad thing leaving all the cousins back home because now she's forced to spend more time with Shae - and she does.  There are times I really need Quinn to entertain her and she's awesome at it.

-"Mom, what you doing?" this might be my favorite thing right now, but ask me in 2 months when it's all I hear :)

-Loving the pool.  Asks everyday  (sometimes about 50 times) to go.  I usually agree to her request.  When she wakes up in the morning I always ask "How did you sleep" and "What do you want to do today?"  He response is "GOOD" and "I want pool jumping!" Good thing we live in California and she will be able to swim most of the year.

-She is starting to throw little fits when we leave places she's having a good time at.  Wouldn't you?  There's not too much bribing to get her to go, so it's usually a tight grip on the hand and reminding her (ya right) that she needs to be a big girl and come with mama.

-Starting the potty training thing.  Not sure I'm cut out for this! I'll let you know in a year. ha!

-She is coloring a lot these days and draws a pretty great "sun" right now.  Every color is blue or green.

- She loves helping me carry things in from the car, grabs Shae's "nighty", cleans, and picks up her toys.  I give her a ton of praise when she does these things.  I just hope there's not a hidden camera in the house somewhere.  I'd be embarrassed.

Couple recent pics of this ham.

check out that awesome hair

Mom & Dad Update

Ok- so blogs don't have to be ALL about the kids, right?!  Here is a quick update on how Ma 'n Pa Brown are doing these days.

Tony has started his new job on Pendleton and starting to get back in the groove of things.  It's always tough being the "new guy" and although his job back in Okinawa was taxing for many reasons, he is realizing how good and challenging it was for him.  So far the great thing about this unit is that he's able to get in early, go for a run, have his coffee, and start the day before anyone even gets to work!  He is also home consistently around 6:30pm each night, which of course I LOVE.  He drives an hour each morning and afternoon to and from work.  You might think that's absolutely nuts, but he doesn't mind it at all - actually likes it!  Of course there are days and very early mornings when I'm sure he curses it.  A lot of military families live out this way because you can get more house for your money - and to us, that was important.  He did the drive for 6 years before we were married, so he's used to it and got through it just fine :)  Tony has been way busy at home doing projects in the backyard, watching the girls, painting, and keeping up with all the new bills we have.

Me?  I am adjusting to this whole mother of 2 thing.  Although I wish I had a better/longer sleeper in Shae, things are going very well.  I pull my hair out just once a day ;) but otherwise we are finding our routine and having fun with the community pool and parks.  Ok, enough about kids!

I am enjoying putting our house together.  It's not a quick thing with 2 little ones at home.  It was incredibly daunting at first, but once things start rolling, it comes together very quickly.
I am missing Decorah and all that went with it and also missing my friends back in Okinawa, as well.  I know time will tick on here and this will feel more home with the people that we meet, but for now I sure miss everyone!
The weather is perfect here so far and it's still September!  I'm excited for the next 6 months!  I took a month off (unintentionally) of running and working out period.  We bought a double jogger so I've been out with the girls a couple days now and it feels SO good to be back into it.  Just need to move my body.  That's it.  Does wonders for my mood - ask Tony.

Anyways - that's about it.  Wish I had a recent picture of Tony and I as that would be fitting for this post.  All my pictures are of Quinn, Shae, or some damn flower I liked in someone else's yard.

I'll do a throwback pic for the fun of it.

Shae is 4 Months!

I can always tell how busy I've been based on the last date I posted a blog!  Sometimes it's because I'm lazy, but sometimes it's because life has just been crazy!

Hopefully I'll do an update on the California house soon, but for now I'll write about Shae turning 4 months old just a couple of days ago...

Shae remains such a great baby.  Although her sleep patterns are not ideal, she does well at night and I know the 20 minute naps all day long are only temporary.  Or so they BETTER be!  She is rolling over onto her stomach every chance she gets and is very entertained by Quinn which makes my job pretty easy some days :).  She is in her own crib at night now and gets up 2-3 times.  Quinn was in her crib at 8 weeks.  I don't remember being nearly as sad as I am with Shae now that she's not in the same room as me.  I probably was.

She is in size 2 and 3 diapers (whatever I have left over from Quinn) and comfortably wears size 6 month clothes and some 9 month clothes as well.  She loves to be held and loves any sort of attention.  She hates the car unless music is playing loudly and she is starting to make more sound throughout the house than ever before.  OH and she also has a tooth!!!! Bottom left one has popped through.  That explains a rough few days I had with her.

Here are a few pics of our sweet pea!

Quinn at 4 months

Shae at 4 months

Alexa was always Shae

Since finding out the gender at our 20 week appointment, Tony and I went through just about every girl name in the book!  Every other day I would text Tony a name I liked while he was at work (oops) and he would give me a thumbs up/thumbs down.  Finally at about month 8 of my pregnancy we had decided on two names for our baby girl - Alexa & Shae!  Alexa was always a name we liked from the very beginning and Shae came later on.  So here's the story about how it all happened :)

About a week before I was due, I asked Tony for his honest opinion in which name he liked better.  He always said that it was my decision, but when forced - he admitted he liked Alexa slightly better than Shae because it had more syllables and more nicknames.  I agreed for the most part, but for whatever reason just couldn't get over the name Shae!  So anyways, that Monday morning (12:30am) when I went in to the hospital to deliver Shae, the doctor asked me in between pushes what her name was!  I didn't know for sure at that point because I figured I'd have a few hours of labor to really think and decide.  After Shae was born, there were a few nurses trying to get her to breathe and pumping her stomach - the last thing I cared about was what her name was!  After we finally got a cry and I started to breathe again the doc asked me again.  I looked at Tony and he said "it's up to you".  I said that we can call her Alexa Louise Brown.  He nodded his head and smiled.  That image still sticks.  Here he was holding Alexa at the time, smiling when I told him her name was Alexa.  How could I not call her that!?  To shorten the story a little bit, basically the next 2 weeks I cried because I would look at her and 100% see SHAE.  I didn't know what to call her.  Alexa? Lex? Lexi?  Nothing came off my tongue with ease.  Tony knew I felt this way.  Finally, the day before we left Okinawa FULL of excitement and tiredness, I told Tony I liked Shae better.  And guess what, HE AGREED!  My first emotion was relieved and happy and my next thought was Sh**, now what?  My sister told me after "Alexa" was born that it was possible to change her name.  Even though at the time I knew I could, I couldn't fathom doing any more paper work or making phone calls.  PCS'ing and buying 2 houses online within a span of 3 months was not necessarily fun...and then to add even more to the mix.  But that day before we left, I made a decision and went with it.  I changed her name through social media at 2:00am before getting up at 5:00am to catch our flight back to the states.  When I woke at 5:00am I turned to Tony and said "I changed Alexa's name last night".  His response was just a shake of the head and a smile.  It felt incredibly right and still does.

Lets try this again.  Meet Shae Louise Brown :)

Shae is 2 Months

This blog is way overdue and thanks to a friend on Instagram for pushing me to get on it!  At 2.5 months Shae weighed in at 14 pounds.  I put away most of 0-3 clothes and of course all of her newborn ones.  I can't believe how fast she is changing!  She continues to take most of her naps in swing and loves to be held, of course.  Amazes me how much LESS time I have to hold her now that I am running after Quinn.  There are times their sleeping schedule is spot on, but when it isn't I try to soak up all the snuggles I can with Shae while Quinn is asleep.

I have a 3 month blog to write in just a week so I've got a lot to share when that one happens :)  In the meantime here are a couple of pictures of our sweet peanut.  Love her more everyday.

 

 

Shae got to meet a very special lady this month.  Norma Hervey was a professor of mine at Luther and we have remained in touch throughout the last 10 years.  I took a class from Norma and traveled all over Europe with her for the month of January my junior year.  She retired a few years ago and now teaches full-time in Prague.  She is such a unique lady with more experiences and stories than you could possibly imagine! 

Quinn turns 2!!

I am back on the blogging after taking way too much time off!  Life has been nothing short of crazy lately.  I have a couple big blogs to write and post, but thought I'd start with the most important one. My baby Quinn turned "2" on July 1st!

Dear Quinn,

Another year has passed and you are growing so much.  This past week your vocab has been through the roof and you are working hard on putting sentences together.  They don't always make sense, but 98% of the time I know exactly what you want or what you're trying to say.  Here are the words/phrases/sentences your dad and I hear alllll day long:

* I want sucker
* Mine too
* No, please (No thank you)
* I want waty (water)
* I want Grace (any of the Huinker cousins)
* No mama me
* I hurt ouchy
* Sissy Shae
* Sissy you alright?
* MIMI! PAPA! (yelling)

You are loving being back in Decorah this summer with all your cousins around.  Mid August after Uncle Andy and Kylie's wedding we will head back to California and live in our new house!  We are sure going to miss all the Decorah activity, but I'm sure you'll love our neighborhood in Murrieta because there's a big pool and a lot of parks!  I hope we meet friends soon after we get there :)

 You sleep about 11-12.5 hours a night and nap for 1.5-3 hours a day.  Favorite thing to eat is pasta, sausage, and pickles.  You haven't watched much TV at all since being in Decorah this summer but when you do, you like Doc McStuffin's and Curious George "monkey". 

You are one of a kind, Quinn.  You are more social than I ever thought you would be.  You love all mommy's and are warming up to men in general.  Last week you actually ran into Uncle Brian's arms and gave him a hug.  I was pleasantly surprised!  You ask about me when I'm gone, but overall you're ok with me not being around.  There was an Art class in Decorah you took the last month and the teacher said you were wonderful.  That was so nice to hear.  Hopefully you save your "sassy" for home :)

It's been such a fun year with you Q babes!  We love you tons!

Leaving Okinawa Part 1

Before I do my long post on leaving Okinawa, I asked my sister to think of some questions for Tony and I to answer.  Thanks for doing this sis!

1. What are the things about the Japanese culture you will miss?
Tara:  It's probably more of an island thing than it is a culture, but I think what i'll miss most is how laid back everything is here.  Even though I may complain about it, I like how slow traffic goes. No one seems to be in a hurry.  It's not always easy, but at the end of the day it's nice.  More about their culture though - I will miss how polite and kind the Japanese people are.  They all seem to live simple lives here that really revolve around the kids.  I've mentioned this in a previous post but I've always been amazed at how many kids (of all ages) walk home from school alone.  You'd never see that in the states.  Overall, I didn't get too deep into their culture like some people have.  I'm not sure if i'll ever regret that someday.....
Tony: The friendly service.

2. What was the most annoying thing when dealing with the Japanese language you had to deal with?
Tara:  There are many businesses that cater to the military and speak great english, the times I had to go to a place that didn't speak english was very frustrating.   I had to get my iPhone fixed and the place I went to couldn't understand what I needed or the time contrictions I had.  I'll always remember it because I had to drive through loads of traffic only to turn around because they couldn't understand what I was saying.  
Eating out at restaurants was interesting, but it never really bothered me when we couldn't read a menu.  It was an experience and kind of fun just ordering off what the picture showed.  Who knows, maybe I ate tongue or liver when I thought it was chicken (gross).

Tony: The times when I spend 10 minutes explaining something to someone only to be passed off to someone else who supposedly spoke better english to do it all over again.

3. What is it like being an American military wife on the island? Did you feel like people judged you before they got to know you?
Tara:  I've never felt judged.  That might be because I wasn't incredibly proactive in meeting new people from the beginning.   I had a couple great friends when we first got here and that seemed like enough for me when I was pregnant and sick and working a job I wasn't too confident in.  Over time when I became more settled and happier here, I put more energy into friendships and I'm so thankful I did!  Having Quinn and moving closer to base made a huge difference for me.  Sorry - I'm straying from the question... so nope, I've never felt judged.  

4. Are there any Japanese civilians that you got to know that you will miss?
Tara: No one I will miss, but people I will always remember.  Our neighbors in Yomitan were very nice to us and there's been a sweet girl at the park that Quinn really enjoys playing with.  If only all those hours the girls played at the park I was able to have conversations with the mom!
Tony: Yes, Koji, Masaki, Harry, and Ms. Torishima San.  These are people I worked with during my time at my unit.

5. What did you purchase on the island that you will take with you as a reminder your time there?
Tara:  Pottery and a cabinet I purchased at the Fleet Gift shop.  What I'll really miss is the 100 Yen store!  It's like our dollar store but a million times better.  I have a couple of bins full of stuff from there that I was sure to get before leaving!  Stickers, paper, coloring books, pens, crayons, bubbles, tape, - you name it.
Tony: I didn't really spend any money.  Tara did.

6. You made some good friends while you were there! Did you find it hard to make lasting friendships when you knew you wouldn't be living by them again?
Tara: I did right away, but after my first year and meeting some great gals - I knew that it was so worth the heart ache when we leave.  Like I said earlier, I wasn't incredibly outgoing here on Okinawa.  I didn't join any groups really because I either lived so far out, Tony was gone, Quinn didn't take a bottle, or maybe because I wasn't really happy with it here right away.  The friendships I have now are lifelong ones and I am forever grateful for them. They have been our family here on island and the reason (other than Tony, Quinn, and now Alexa) I have been as happy as I've been the last 2 years!!!
Tony: No, it's the only thing I know.

7. Looking back on the year you taught kindergarten...what are your best memories of that experience?
Tara: My co-workers, the kids, and just that it kept me busy and not thinking about how sad I was all the time!  It was a blessing to find a job.  There are so many wives here that are unemployed not by choice.  It's not easy finding a job that pays enough if you have to put your kids in daycare.  Obviously I didn't have to worry about that the first year we lived here.

8. Tony had a really tough job in a unit that requires a lot of travel off island. What was the best part of the job that he will take with him to the next job and beyond?
Tony: Time spent counseling/mentoring the young Marines is more fulfilling than I could have thought.

9. You went through 2 pregnancies and delivered 2 babies in Japan. Obviously it wasn't easy being away from family for both of your pregnancies. Were there any positives about being pregnant on the island that you will miss if you have any more children?
Tara: hmmm.. Good question.  I will miss the hospital.  I had such a great experience with both kids, an incredible view from our rooms, and the hospital was just really nice.  I'm not sure this is a positive, but it was pretty special traveling home with Quinn when she was 3 weeks - and now will do the same with Alexa - and meeting our parents at the airport.  I can't really explain the feeling I get in my heart when I first see our parents at the bottom of the escalator as I hold one of their grandchildren.  Of course I wish they could have come to the hospital the day our girls were born, but they also didn't miss out on the newborn stage of each girl either!

10. Your girls were both born in Japan! What will you tell them someday about your time on the island?
Tara: That it was tough, an amazing experience for all of us, and how incredible the water was!  Our favorite part of this island was by far the beaches!
Tony: You lived at the park by our house and you are actually 1/2 Japanese. 

11. What were yours and Tony's favorite restaurants?
Tara: Minami Sushi. 
Tony: Chili's on base.

12. Besides her buddies, what  was Quinn's favorite part of Okinawa?
The beach! "Wah-dee"

"Nigh-ee"

(This is our living room furniture right now.  A twin size cot from my neighbor, Avi)

Well, we are about 12 days from leaving island.  My list of things to do doesn't seem to be getting any shorter!  I'm not sure how we'll get everything done, but we will!  Tony has been getting off of work earlier than usual which has been great for the help at home with the girls and other things that need to be done on island.  My friends have been such a great help with watching Quinn!  Not sure what I would do without them.

Last Wednesday the movers came to take the bigger items that go on ship and arrive in California within 60 days.  This Friday our express shipment will be taken which takes 30 days and that goes by plane.  When the big stuff left last week, I was pretty stressed leading up to that point.  We had to separate everything so the day would go as smooth and fast as possible.  I had lists upon lists of things not  to forget and what to pack in our suitcases to go back to the states.  Whatever was packed last Wednesday we will not see until mid July.  I consider myself a pretty organized person - as there's no other way to do all this PCS stuff anyway ... BUT I managed to forget to pack the most important thing last week (other than our passports) QUINN'S NIGH-EE (blanket)!

It was about 20 minutes after all 3 crates were sealed up and the truck had left that I realized I forgot to get Quinn's blanket out of her crib before the guys packed up her room.  I was unbelievably devastated.  I looked at Tony, told him they packed it, my knees went weak, and I sat on the step crying.  Ok, Ok - any guy who is reading this is probably thinking i'm ridiculous, but if there's a mom reading it YOU GET IT!  Tony told me the crate was sealed and what was done was done.  It was time for Quinn's nap so I had to fight the tears and give her a different blanket for the time being.  It broke my heart.  All of our furniture was gone, her bedroom was empty and she was sleeping in a pack 'n play for the first time really - and no "nigh-ee".  I went outside to call my mom and sister, shed a few tears..and then decided I might as well call the company and ask about it.  The lady on the phone was SO nice and told me that somehow we could get the blanket back.  I didn't realize that it could potentially cost $240 to do so!  We had 3 crates.  It was supposed to cost $120 for the first crate to be opened and $60 for each additional one.  Yikes.  I told her my husband might kill me if I spent $240 for a darn blanket.  I asked her to talk to her manager to see if they could lower the price a bit.  Couple hours later the lady called me and said to meet her at the warehouse with $100 cash.  I was giving both girls a bath when I got the call and quickly got Lex out, put her in the car - and left Tony with Quinn.  I was out the door so fast!  After about an hour or more the movers had gone through all 3 crates and opened about 90% of the boxes until it was found.  We found it in crate 2 tucked in the cubby hole of Quinn's bookshelf. What. A. Nightmare.  When we found it, the guys cheered, I cried, and the lady did too.  It's pretty funny looking back at it now.  I went back on Friday with a couple cases of "American" beer (Heineken) that the guys requested when I thanked them over and over and over.  When I got home, Tony said I was crazy (I took it as a compliment) but I knew he was just as thankful as I was.  :)  I told him that I will NOT complain the next 2 weeks throughout this whole moving process because I got the blanket.  It was that important to me!  And I know it is for Quinn, too.  There's a whole lot of change going on for her with her new sissy, bare house, and different beds.  The "nigh-ee" is pretty important during this time!  Here are a few pictures of our eventful day!

When the movers got to the house..

 

When I got to the warehouse to find the blanket...

 

YAY!!!!!

Alexa Louise

It's been a week now that our hearts have doubled in size!  On Monday morning at 2:25am we welcomed our sweet girl, Alexa.  Everyone told me that the 2nd baby always comes faster, but I guess I didn't think she would ever come as fast as she did!!!!  I had a 32 hour labor (induction) with Quinn so I was thinking maybe several hours of labor in the hospital, not several minutes!

Friday night I started having contractions that were timed out pretty consistently.  After 3 hours, they went away.  Same thing happened Saturday night and again Sunday afternoon.  They progressively got worse on Sunday afternoon, so Tony & I decided to go in and see where I was progressing to, only to be sent home 2 hours later. We had a typical night at home, I went to bed at 8pm that night (thankfully) only to wake with very intense contractions at 12:15am.  I waited an hour or so and when it was unbearable we decided to head to the hospital.  Thankfully it was 1:15am and traffic was slim to none.  We ran every red light on the way to the hospital.  I was proud of Tony for breaking the rules.  He had no choice, but still.  Earlier that day when we went to the hospital it took us about 45 minutes to get there when it should take about 20-25.  It was Golden Week in Japan which is a week that they celebrate children with tons of events.  Traffic was horrible.  So again, SO glad I went into labor when I did!  We finally arrived to the hospital with a wheel chair waiting at 1:40am, 45 minutes later we were holding Alexa in our arms!!!  My doctor was great, although I had no idea who she was.  There were so many nurses doing so many things to prep me that I didn't even know who the doctor was until I asked.  They had to use the vacuum on Lex since her heart rate and oxygen were dropping fairly fast.  Poor girl had quite the bruise the first few days, but it's cleared up now.

Things at home have been going pretty well.  Quinn was great the first few days, but now has been having some behavior issues we'd rather do without.  I think it's a cumulation of everything going on. I stay patient and just pray it's a short phase ;)  Overall, she's a great big sis.  She's very gentle with Alexa and takes her anger out on her dad.  Rather that I guess :)

We are set to leave island in just 25 more days.  I can't believe it.

Here are a few pictures of our girls!

7lbs 7oz & 20inches of sweetness!

VISITORS! 

Jen and her son, Lukas

 Avi & Alexa.  

This was the view from our room.  It was SO peaceful.  Even in the thick of things, it was so pleasant to look out the huge window and see this view.  My aunt Mary told me how much she enjoyed having her daughter Kelsey in the wee hours of the night and now I know why.  It was cozy. After having Alexa, there was something so special about knowing everyone else in the city was sleeping and we just had our baby girl.  The lights were dim, the sound of Lex breathing, and just having that over with was a feeling I'll never forget.  

Heading home!

10 Things We Love About You

Although I prefer not to pause my pregnancy right now at 38 weeks, I do wish I could press "pause" on Quinn!  Each day I tell myself that I never want to forget this or that, so what better way than to write about it!

10.  She is stubborn.  She doesn't want us to help her hold the racquet correctly, hold her hand when she jumps off something, or hold the bat the right way.  "NO! ME!" is a typical response.

9.  "MAMA MAMA MAMA MAMA MAMA MAMA" "DADDY DADDY DADDY DADDY DADDY" all. day. long.  98% of the time I love it because I've always dreamt of being a mom and hearing those exact words, but there's that 2% when I just want to scream and say "WHAT DO YOU WANT CHILD!!!!!".

8.  Full of "saw-yee" for sorry.  She will try to scare us with her lion imitation and before we can even react she will say "Oh, saw-yee, saw-yee" as if she didn't even want us to be scared.  It's probably my favorite thing right now.

7.  Nighttime.  Each night after laying her in bed she'll grab her "nigh-y" (blanket) and say "das you mama/daddy" as if she was thanking us for all of our hard work we did with her that day.  I'll take what I can get!

6.  She's a lazy eater.  I admit, if there isn't a show on the TV, there is food on the floor.  If there is a show on the TV, she wants us to feed her most of her meal.  I try to ignore her as much as I can and simply keep reminding her to eat, but she finds me wherever I am in the room and reaches out with her fork or spoon so I come over and help her.  Lazy, lazy, lazy.

5.  LOVES TO RUN.  Need I say more?  Mom and Dad are pretty happy about this :)  The last couple weekends we've actually gone for a jog outside and put her new running shoes on.  She thinks she's pretty cool, but so do we ;)

4.  Hats, barretts, pony tails.  Who would have ever thought she'd like these things!

3.  Tic-Tac's.  About 3 weeks ago my back was killing me.  It was to the point I couldn't go outside with Quinn without another adult because I couldn't keep up with her.  So when I had to go to the store or wherever, I started giving her a tic-tac.  She did exactly what I would tell her and it was a life-saver!

2.  "Paxy".  Her best bud, Paxton always seems to be on Quinn's mind.  She has started to call all of her friends, "Paxy".  It happens after breakfast and immediately after her nap.  Love that she loves her friends - and we will sure miss all of them!

1.  She's scared of planes all of a sudden.  We hear the slightest sound of a plane and she runs to us so scared.  I think she's just in the phase of acting scared and likes to see our reaction.  Granted, some of the planes around here are startling to me and I plug my own ears.. so when those go by I for sure grab her and put my hands over her ears!  But most of the time she's just being a little bit of a wimp looking for some attention ;)