Okinawa Weekend with the Pughs

Jesse had to go to Okinawa for two weeks for work, so Fletcher and I decided to Space A there to visit with the Pughs, and potentially see Jesse.  I knew that flying Space A would require me to be very flexible, and I was up for that considering it meant a free flight. The first three planes that were flying from Iwakuni to Okinawa weren't taking any passengers (they probably contained hazardous materials). So I kept having to call to check on the status of the flights, because they don't really tell you ahead of time if they're taking passengers or how many. We finally caught the fourth flight, which was the Patriot, a commercial fight that transports families who are PCSing. The flight was only 90 minutes, so we were there before we knew it!

Jesse got the whole weekend off, which was awesome. It was really nice to be able to spend some time with him, relatively stress free. We love visiting with friends, and it's very cool how close we live to the Pughs. Fletcher and Teddy also really enjoyed playing together. It's hard to believe that just a few short years ago, the four of us were bar hopping together, and now our babies are playing together. 

Jesse and Brian went scuba diving, so Sofia and I went shopping. We went to a place called the Bunny Store. It's a baby store with some pretty sweet Engrish clothes. Fletcher may have gotten a few new Ts. There's another location in Hiroshima, so we'll have to check it out the next time we're there.

We went to an amazing tapas restaurant for dinner. We tried goat, pig's feet, and various other yummy dishes. Teddy's favorite part was the rice.

We had to leave the next morning because it was the only flight going back to Iwakuni for the next 3 days.  We lucked out and got to ride on a C-17! The weather was terrible, so we were delayed 3 hours, but it was worth it. Fortunately, we also had great company because Betsy, another 242 wife, was also in Okinawa visiting with friends.  Even though it was a short visit, we really enjoyed it. And now that Fletcher and I are Space A pros, we will definitely be going back!

Fletcher's 4 Months Old!

What an incredible month we've had! Fletcher was such an amazing baby during the entire move process. I was dreading the worse case scenario for our international flights, but he slept almost the entire time, and never made a peep! We spent our first 3 weeks in the TLF, and it started to get pretty cramped. Jesse went to work every day, including weekends, and I think Fletcher and I just got really bored. We didn't have any of our stuff, it was terribly hot outside, some days we didn't have a car, and Fletcher started to require a lot more stimulus.  I got a list of baby friendly activities on base and started going to some of them. Fletcher LOVES music class.  The other kids are a little older, but he really enjoyed watching them and listening to the music. He's starting to sit with assistance, and I think once he can completely sit on his own, he'll be able to participate more. We also started swimming at the indoor pool. He really loves that too! The water is a great temperature and the baby pool is the perfect place for us to practice floating and getting water on our face. 

He's so much fun recently! He smiles a lot, is starting to giggle, and can reach for toys that he wants. When he started rolling, we ran into some sleep regression. We had to stop swaddling him once he started rolling, but for the first week he would roll all the way over and wake himself up.  It took a week for him to learn how to sleep on his side without rolling onto his belly. He was waking us up every 2 hours during that week, which was torture since we were so spoiled with his awesome sleep habits. 

He's also trying to crawl, and I fear/am excited that any day now he'll be on the move. If I put his favorite toys/paci just out of his reach, he'll roll onto his belly and kick and squirm, trying to get to them. Sometimes he makes a little progress, but he usually gets frustrated and gives up.  I'm already trying to figure out how we're going to baby proof our Japanese house. The Japanese must have REALLY disciplined babies, because the houses are definitely not kid friendly. 

Our express shipment arrived on August 1st, the same day we signed the lease on our house.  In some ways, I really impressed myself (I packed paper towels, dish soap, most of the kitchen, and Fletcher's chair). But in other ways I don't know what I was thinking (Fletcher and I still have no clothes, and for some reason I left out the coffee pot).  We've been living out of suitcases for two months, and our HHG aren't scheduled to arrive for another 6 weeks. Fletcher has outgrown most of his clothes (ha) and I'm hesitant to buy too many new things because I can't remember what we already have.  Fortunately he doesn't seem to mind :)  Jesse and I are REALLY looking forward to our furniture arriving.

Even though Jesse is never home, Fletcher and I are having an amazing time exploring Iwakuni and getting settled. We're really looking forward to all of the trips and adventures we have planned!
 
Fletcher Month Four

Weight: 14lb 13.9oz
  

Length: I forgot to write it down at the doctor :(

Sleep: 7pm-6am. Sleeps partially swaddled in his travel crib (arms out) and naps the same way.

Milestones/Developments:  

Rolling over

Giggling

Reaching for toys

Sitting with assistance

 

Adventures: 

Moving to Japan

6 plane trips

Visiting 5 states and 2 countries

First music class

Swimming at the indoor pool 

Library story time

Discoveries: 

I can roll over

I get stuck if I roll over!

 

Favorite things: 

Swimming
Stroller Rides
Eating
Paci
Sleeping on my side
Sitting in my chair
Baths

Plane rides

Watching Elmo

ExerSaucer 

Not so favorite things: 

The heat
Getting stuck on my belly
Car rides when it's hot

Visitors/new friends this month:  

Heather
242 Wives

Next doctors appointment: 6 month check-up and vaccines

Other news: Our HHG arrive next month!

Reager San Diego Visit

The Reagers went on vacation to California the week before we left San Diego, so we were able to spend a few days hanging out with them.  What a great time! When they arrived, we went right to Point Loma for yum beer and seal watching.

They stayed on Miramar the first night, which was nice because it was really convenient for everyone, and Jesse was able to give Mike and Owen a tour of the hangar and jets.  I get so used to our lifestyle that I forget how awesome of an experience it is just to see a jet, much less be inside a hanger with several.

When the Reagers got back from Lego Land, we all went to Coronado and stayed at the Navy hotel on the beach. We stayed there for my birthday last year, and we loved it! It was such a fun and relaxing time, and a great mini-getaway for us. We couldn't have picked a better way to spend our last weekend in SoCal!