queline & company: 23 Weeks Old

Greetings from Colorado! 🌲

Reigning in my 30th birthday in Colorado is just what this mama needed! I feel renewed, refreshed, and ready for the fast-approaching journey up ahead. It's been a tough five months squeezing ourselves and our baby into a one-bedroom spot and although I'm grateful to be staying here, we're ready. to. leave!

While in Colorado, we occupied a gloriously enormous one-bedroom apartment which felt like a mansion to us. This place boasts a full kitchen, living room and dining room. We freely enjoyed dinners around the table and David tummy-timed everywhere! Having the whole hotel room to ourselves, David took naps in the bedroom while I caught-up on the blog. We swam in the expanse of the king-sized bed's white linen sheets. The bond with my son grew even deeper as we nursed, cuddled then napped together there. David giggled as Daddy stretched out his arms and flew him around from room to room, fast like an airplane. Our home "away from home" felt like our true home, albeit if only for a few measly days. We're hopeful that this Colorado adventure is merely a glimpse of the freedom we'll venture into soon. The peace, the joy, the simplicity and the fullness. I'm so darn eager for it that it's bittersweet to be heading back to our actual home.

While David slept in my arms on the return flight to California I asked God to help us move soon so we can hurry back to this peaceful life, as a kin to our time in Colorado. In response I felt Him reply, I am to wait. It's in the discomfort, not the comfort, that I need to learn to rest in Him--if I miss this opportunity to dwell in His arms than I will miss His grace for the moment, His ability to take care of me now. I'm trying my best to relinquish to Him in this way, and it's tough. I'm struggling. As each day creeps by and as David grows bigger and stronger, I feel his first year of life slipping away. I wish I could pause this time in our lives and transport us to a better spot. A place where we can be ourselves, spread out and grow as a family.

But God is challenging what I think is best and calling me to trust Him, once more. In the stillness of my prayer on the plane He made it clear that all of this was far better than any other option. This is for our good. He is always for our good. So I continue to wait.

2 May 2018: Colorado Bound: David's 1st Flight + Quick FOCO Trip (22w1d old)
Wednesday morning couldn't come soon enough. With bags packed we rushed ourselves to LAX, sped through the pre-check security (thank you, military ID cards) and hopped on our plane heading to Colorado!

Waaaay overpacked.

Southwest Representative asked to be in the blog.

We must have been quite the sight to see, lugging bags on top of bags throughout the airport. Trevor wore David in an Ergo carrier across his chest while towing a backpack. One man shouted, "Atta boy, now that's a 'Dad'! You're my hero!" while smiling in our direction.

As we board the plane, I prepared myself with pacifiers in hand and nursing bra unhooked. Poor little guy can't adjust to the change in altitude on his own so mama helped him out. We nursed and nursed and nursed. He fell asleep each time but other crying babies startled him awake. Luckily the flight to Denver is a relatively quick one, usually just shy of 2-hours in duration.

Taking a nap with mommy.

Smiling at the noisy girls seated behind us.

After picking up the rental car, we checked into the hotel then drove up to Fort Collins to grab our prized, patiently-waiting City Mini GT stroller. Ahh, it felt so good to click his carseat into that stroller and take it for a spin with baby on board!

We spent a bit of time in FoCo that night walking around town, grabbing some smoothies at Berry Blendz (FYI, it's a million times better than Jamba Juice!) and stepping into a few shops for old time's sake. At a baby consignment store I found a Colorado onesie for David, then ironically discovered a matching t-shirt for myself at a different store that evening. Against Trevor's wishes, I went back a few days later and bought one in his size so all three of us can match, ha!

California Peeps, you have no idea, these smoothies are the 💣

Before long, we hauled ourselves back to Denver to rest up, as Trevor began his 4-day drill stint the next morning. Our hotel room met our every need--fully furnished with cookware and dishes, pack n' play and washer and dryer. Such a relaxing, encouraging week for us.

3 May 2018: Rest, Movie-Watching + Homemade Dinners (22w2d old)
As with our pack n' play back home, David didn't sleep well in the hotel's version. The mattress bends under his weight so we placed it flat at the bottom of the p&p the second night. For the first night, he ended up sleeping beside me, away from Trevor. We haven't attempted co-sleeping since he was an itty-bitty, straight-from-the-hospital newborn baby. Mama didn't sleep too well that night, of course, as I continually woke up panicking as to David's whereabouts--had I smushed him in the night? Did he roll off the bed? Is he breathing? Once Trevor left for work I threw the covers off the bed and David and I divided and conquered as we took over the whole bed. While cuddling together, his head tucked into my underarm with my cheek resting against his forehead. These are precious moments.

Oh, how sweet is to wake up beside your baby. Allowing him to rest with me after his early-morning nursing session is such a treat to my mama heart. Cuddling close to him for hours on end comforts both of us, and I soaked it all up. I made a note to myself to leave space in our day to nap together, if possible, especially once we regain our queen-sized mattress.

The bare kitchen required some staple foods so after Trevor's duty day the three of us took a stroll by the commissary for a few groceries. Only staying a few nights, we opted to buy foods geared towards multipurpose meals; i.e. same ingredients, different dinners. On the first night we made taco salad and after David fell asleep we watched a movie. Simple, easy, beautiful life.

At the Commissary shopping for groceries.

Daddy's home for lunch!

4 May 2018: Lunch with Trevor's Coworkers + Apple Tasting + Rubber Ducky Bathtime (David's Dry Skin) (22w3d old)
When lunchtime hit, Trevor's coworkers invited us to CiCi's Pizza. As with the rest of our Colorado friends, it's been almost a year since I last saw his coworkers. A few of them deployed alongside Trevor but not all of his guys deployed to the same location, so we caught-up over pizza slices and rootbeer. They met the baby and enjoyed his many smiles.

Back at the apartment, the name we've lovingly assigned to our hotel room, if David's not napping or nursing, he's tummy-timing. He scoots himself from one side of the mat to another.

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Daddy lets David lick an apple

His first non-breastmilk taste of food. Which, ironically and fittingly, apples were my main craving while pregnant with him.

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Inflating David's travel tub.

Pre-bath cuddles with mama.

Colorado's dry climate hit Davey's cheeks pretty harshly. The weather is warm but the air is fiercely dry.

Having dry skin myself, it's hard to see my baby affected by Colorado's harsh, dry weather. The humidity in California helps to ease our naturally dry skin. In connection with his hands-near-his-face and constant drooling, his everyday lotion wasn't enough so his poor cheeks broke out a bit. We applied aquaphor to help alleviate the redness and add moisture back in. Within a few days the issue seemed to subside. Now, just as a safe measure, we apply his regular lotion then use aquaphor to seal it in and protect his skin.

Davey's travel tub hangs up to dry.

5 May 2018: Mommy's 30th Birthday, Surf & Turf Dinner + Dad's PT Test (22w4d old)
David and I had another full day of snuggles. A gift bag with card greeted me as I opened the bedroom door first thing that morning. During the day, I blogged while David napped. To get out for a bit, we strolled around the base then drove to Target. Another lovely, easy day for us.

When Trevor arrived at the hotel with a bag full of groceries, he urged me to take a bath--as he bought a pack of bath bombs for me to use.

Birthday card from Trevs

David's helping Dad prep for dinner!

Dinner was good--like, really good! It was all Trevor's idea and I asked him if we could make this a bit of a Jacqui's-birthday tradition. Each year, maybe just maybe, he'll prepare a steak and seafood dinner for me and let me take a bath. And blog (because he encouraged me to do that too) if I'm still blogging by then--hopefully!

Bubbles!

At dinner Trevor shared the great news--he scored a fantastic 92% on his physical fitness test! As mentioned a few weeks ago, his daily workouts ceased once returning back to the USA so he had a few concerns over how he would do. Needless to say, all of his hard work paid off. Now that he's passed the test, he'll submit this score (along with the rest of his packet) to be reviewed for his transfer into Active Duty Air Force. Great job, honey!

6 May 2018: Catching-up with Trevor's Cousins (22w5d old)
Sooo, David's first interaction with Trevor's cousin Daniel didn't go so well. Poor Davey hadn't slept well during the day (screaming kiddo next door made it challenging for him to rest peacefully) so baby boy was understandably cranky.

Daniel ran up to David, eager to cradle him in his arms. Which unbeknownst to Dan at the time, scared bubs. He tried twice more to hold him in hopes David had warmed up to him... But nope. David only wanted mommy and daddy. And I'm totally okay with that.

Maybe the next time we see them David will be in better spirits and more rested.

7 May 2018: Fort Collins Venture, Horsetooth Reservoir + Fun with FOCO Friends (22w6d old)
May 7th of last year symbolized the 2-month mark in our pregnancy with David! Remember that? He was about the size of a grape.

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Back up to Fort Collins, we went! David napped for most of the trek. Before heading to Horsetooth we had lunch at Silvermine Subs. A day early, we took David's weekly photos at our favorite spot in all of Fort Collins--Horseooth Reservoir. The place where I was baptized in 2014. The place where we took our pregnancy announcement picture. The place where we learned we having a baby boy.

Video: 7 May 2018 || Whoosh! (Horsetooth Reservoir)

We met up with some friends for dinner and dessert afterwards. These gals are part of my close-knit group of Colorado friends. So glad to spend some time with them after almost a year of being away. Also, so happy they met our baby boy, David.

David loved talking to Emily!

8 May 2018: 23 Weeks Old + Bye, Colorado! --> Heading Back to California.
Tough to say goodbye to our newlywed home of almost 6 years. Colorado is where we built our marriage, grew our faith, finished our education, started a career and began our family. The Fort Collins community welcomed us and some of our life-long friendships sprouted here. I'll miss the unique food, the breathtaking sights, the lively music, the hometown streets and the adventurous, cheerful people.

Soooo, by the time we drove up to Horsetooth, bubs was a little cranky. We got a few good pictures of him but we spent most of the time letting him sleep in the rental car while Trev and I admired the view from the front seats. Bouncing and "whoosing" this little baby helped to get a few smiles!