What's Going on with those Golbys?

Here's what we Golby girls have been doing lately:

Growing . . . LOTS

Both Kathleen and I have been doing our fair share of growing lately. With less than three weeks until Baby #2's due date (can you tell we still haven't settled on a name?!), I am approaching gargantuan proportions, or at least it feels that way to me. Thankfully, the maternity clothes still fit, and thankfully we're living in Hawaii, where my revolving combination of skirts and tank tops and capris seem perfectly acceptable. Even better than that is never having to worry about shoes. All I ever wear are flip-flops (islanders call them slippers) and crocs. My feet have not seen the inside of uncomfortable shoes in months!

Kathleen's also a big fan of slippers. In fact, we got her first real pair at Walmart today.

Shoes, island-style

Kathleen's little feet are rather wide, which makes it hard to buy shoes for her. She normally wears the same pair of little white sandals to everything, so this new pair of "fun" shoes was a pretty big deal!

Kathleen's feet aren't the only thing growing. Sometimes it makes my head spin to think about how big she is -- and how much she's changed since we got to the island or since Jim left. She's talking up a storm lately. I have to laugh at myself (again) when I remember that I was worried that signing might delay her speech. Hah! I feel like Kathleen picks up new words every day, and begins using them almost at once. In addition to a slew of everyday words (please, thank you, car, jeep, camera, park, beach, swim, run, climb, juice, cereal, tv, ball, bike, tons and tons of animals), Kathleen has started picking up people's names and using them more consistently. It makes her such a little person! Tonight we sat together and ate pizza and sliced fresh fruit for dinner, and had our own little conversation. My baby is a little girl!

Goofing Around

Okay, to be fair, this one happens pretty much all the time. But with as busy as life has been lately, I think the goofing around has been pretty important. And now that Kathleen is bigger and more verbal, she's as much a part of the goofing around as I've ever been. This afternoon, for example, she saw the camera, picked it up, and handed it to me, saying, "Camera, camera!" So, we had an impromptu self-portrait-taking session. The photos aren't necessarily flattering, but they were fun.

We're just big hams.

We recently received a box from San Francisco from Nan and Grandpa. One of the things they sent us was a large, mechanical fish. Now, I had no idea such a thing existed, but apparently it does! The big clown fish is battery-operated, and when placed in water, it swims! Kathleen was thrilled to watch it swim with her in the bathtub tonight. We even called Nan and Grandpa so they could hear the squeals of delight.

Two great swimmers!

Talking about the Baby

Kathleen and I have been doing a lot of talking about the baby lately. We talk about the baby that's in mommy's tummy (she likes to pull up my shirt to check) and about how that baby's going to come live with us. We talk about how Kathleen will be a big sister, and we read the "I'm a Big Sister" book that we found at Costco a while back. I didn't have high hopes for it, but it is one of Kathleen's favorite books right now. We read it at least twice, and probably more like four times, a day. It is one of the few books that we actually read all the words in, so we're spending a fair amount of time on the subject of the baby and Kathleen's upcoming role as a big sister. I don't know that it will help, but it certainly doesn't seem like it can hurt.

We've also started pulling out more and more baby equipment, so we can talk even more about the baby that will live at Kathleen's house. The other day we pulled out the bouncer, and Kathleen was immediately fascinated by it. I thought that it would be a good place for Kathleen to practice with her baby doll, whom she calls, simply, "Baby." Kathleen seems to take great delight in caring for Baby; she feeds Baby bottles, wipes Baby's face with disposable wipes, and very sweetly covers Baby's face with blankets. Baby, along with her monkey George and the three incarnations of her puppy Aloha, now even sleeps in Kathleen's crib with her. (Shortly there will not be enough room for Kathleen!) However, Baby has yet to sit in the bouncer. Kathleen has made herself quite at home in it, instead.

Does anyone know where we'll put the actual baby?

Moving

So, here's what's been taking up the majority of our time and energy lately. We're moving! (We think it's important not to be too lazy or relaxed during the ninth month of pregnancy.) For a variety of reasons, a few weeks ago we put our beautiful, wonderful condominium on the market. We thought it would take a few months to find a buyer, and that during that time we could have a baby, readjust to life, and then adjust to the idea of selling our home. But instead we found ourselves under contract in only four days. Four days! Had we known that it would be that easy to sell our home, we probably wouldn't have sold it quite yet. . .

However, there will be some good things about our new abode. We're moving onto post, so when Jim comes home, he'll be very close to work. That means that (if we're lucky) we should be able to see him, even when he's working a lot. We could even walk to the battalion building, if we were feeling ambitious! The home is all on one level, so there won't be anymore stairs to climb with the girls and with groceries. And in addition to an extra bedroom, the house on post has a big screened-in lanai (that's a porch on the mainland) and a yard.

The view from the lanai

I think that Kathleen will love having a place to run and play (without worrying about the downstairs neighbors who work nights). And I'm really hoping that the novelty of the extra space and outdoor play will ease some of the tension that's sure to arise when we don't manage to get out of the house as much when the baby first arrives.

For now, we're still living in the condo and we're moving things over to the house gradually. We'll keep doing that over the next week. Well, I use that "we" loosely. Kathleen and I haven't moved much at all. Friends have done an amazing amount of work for us, and we have no doubt that Nan and Grandpa will do the same when they show up on Monday. We're so grateful for all the help. Movers come to move the "big stuff" next Thursday, and by then we should be all settled. Hopefully Baby Girl #2 won't show up anytime before then!

Daddy's Girl, Even From a Distance

Running to see Daddy on the VTC
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen has always been her daddy's girl. Like many babies, she said Dada long before she started saying Mama. (Although, with as many times as she says "Mama" each day now I laugh to think I felt slighted when she wouldn't say my name first!) When Jim left for Iraq, she'd ask for him when she woke up in the morning, because she was used to him coming home for breakfast.

So, even though Daddy's been gone for six months now, Kathleen's still Daddy's girl. She gets ridiculously excited to watch him on the TV at home, reading stories. She points him out in every photograph we have. And when we drive on post (which has been a lot lately -- more on that another time) and pass Jim's battalion building, she always calls out, "Daddy! Daddy!" The battalion building is where we go to see Jim on the VTC, and a VTC is always a highlight for us. Kathleen literally runs into the building, through the hallway, and into the office where the VTC is held. Fortunately she's still a little short to effectively maneuver door handles, because, in her excitement, she'd barge right into somebody else's session! Although I'm prepared for a lot of shyness, I'm certainly praying that she'll have some of that same enthusiasm when we finally get to see him in person!

So Big and So Busy!

So Big!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Thankfully we've recovered the missing camera. My little helper had stashed it in the nightstand in the guest room, which (as you can probably imagine) isn't the most intuitive location for an item we rely on as much as our camera. I'm not sure exactly how I knew to look there, but I'm grateful I did. What would we do without a camera? Not much blogging -- you can tell!

The other afternoon Kathleen and I went to a nearby park. It's amazing to watch her cruise around so confidently, when it feels like just the other day she really couldn't do much there... She loves to climb. It's her new favorite verb, I think -- she calls it out in the midst of doing things she shouldn't, like climbing on my bed or the highchair or the kitchen drawers, "Climbing!" At least I know when she's up to no good! She still loves the slide and the swing, so generally she's pretty busy at the park.

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More Collecting
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

That day, though, the playground itself held Kathleen's attention for only a fraction of the usual time. After that she decided to explore the park itself, checking out the people playing basketball and tennis, meeting a variety of dogs, and testing out new walking paths. She also began her own little leaf collection, which she very proudly showed off for the camera.

I know I say it all the time, but I really can't believe how quickly Kathleen grows and changes. She's so big and so busy! We absolutely can't wait for Daddy to come home for R&R in few weeks. Even though he's seen her on the VTC and in photographs, we're excited for him to be able to see all the changes in person. And we're excited to be able to see him, of course!

Fun is Hard Work, You Know...

Cheesing for the camera
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Okay, well, the camera hasn't quite been located yet, but I got these pictures from a friend and thought they were worth an entry. Kathleen loves to smile for the camera -- she's actually quite a little ham.

Our unit recently had a small hail and farewell (small since the unit's actually deployed, so it was just wives and the rear-detachment) at a friend's home. Amy's house is one of Kathleen's favorite places to play, because Amy has a nice, big, green backyard and some great toys (like this miniature John Deere). Even better, Amy has two children, Luke and Grace, and along with Kathleen's "best friend" Addie, they ran all over and had a great time. I think everyone had a very good nap that afternoon!

We're still here!

I know it's been a long time since we've posted, so I just thought I'd assure you all that we are, in fact, still here! Our blogging has been delayed by a missing camera (it must be around here somewhere, but really I don't know where) and by a nasty stomach virus. Kathleen and I were both out of commission for almost a week. Yuck! But we're all better now and the hunt is on for the camera. We promise to be posting photos and tales of adventures any day now!

Tea for Two

Lately Kathleen has developed a fondness for tea parties. She had a tea set at her Nan and Grandpa's in California, and she loved to play with it. So, when we returned to the island we started hunting for another tea set for our house. Our search was slightly more difficult than I anticipated, largely because I could only find Barbie tea sets at first and I simply can't feel good about giving my toddler a Barbie anything at this point. (I'll have to wrestle with my Barbie aversion when "all" her friends have them in grade school, I guess.)

Eventually we found a very cute Fisher Price set at the Navy Exchange for only ten dollars, complete with four cups, saucers, spoons, a teapot, creamer, sugar bowl, and even a tray. We could serve High Tea, if required. Of course, the High Tea would likely be interrupted by the playing of "I'm a Little Tea Pot." That's the only downside to this tea set -- it plays that song when you push a button on the tea pot's lid. But eventually the batteries will die and the tea set will be perfect. And for now, we just sing "I'm a Little Tea Pot" more than we used to. (Kathleen does like that song. I'd guess it comes in third on Kathleen's all-time favorites, after "The Wheels on the Bus" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." She loves songs with hand motions!)

So Kathleen and I serve one another imaginary tea at least twice a day. Sometimes in the afternoon, we head out onto the lanai and Kathleen plays with water in the tea set. (These are exciting times at the Golbys'!) Her pouring skills are improving, but leave a lot to be desired. Basically, she just dumps water on my feet. At least it's warm here!

Kathleen's little friend Addie also has a tea set, and not too long ago the girls got together for a tea party in Addie's front yard. The girls were very serious about their tea, pouring and sipping water again and again. (More "tea" wound up on Kathleen than anywhere else, I'm convinced. I'm not entirely convinced that she understands that it's not actually supposed to be poured on her!) I'm not sure who enjoyed it more -- the girls who actually played tea or the moms who got to watch. We laughed and laughed! It made for a lovely afternoon for all of us.

Festive for the Fourth

Festive for the Fourth
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen and I had a lovely fourth of July. We spent most of the day hanging out at home, saving up our energy for the big outing to see the fireworks on post. We headed out for post at about 6pm, meeting up with friends Kerry and Addie to camp out on Sills Field at Schofield for the festivities. The day had been threatening rain, but fortunately the weather mostly held (there were a few sprinkles -- typical Hawaiian weather). When we got to Sills Field we ran into other friends, too, so Kathleen also got to play with the very sweet and very cute Hendersons, Luke and Grace. The four of them played with some bubbles and tossed around a ball and generally enjoyed running around.

Our spot on Sills Field wasn't great for listening to the program -- the speakers must not have been pointed in our direction or something, because it was difficult to hear the band and the music. It was not, however, difficult to hear the canons! And Kathleen loved the canons! She was a little scared by them at first, but we talked about how they went "BOOM!" and every time after that, she'd yell "BOOM!" and laugh when they fired. Kathleen was also impressed by the fireworks -- not at all like last year when it was hard to tell if she was watching them. She watched them intently.

We only wish Daddy had been with us to see Kathleen's face light up at the fireworks. But even though we were far away from him, his girls were thinking about him all day. We're so proud of him and his soldiers and their service. We can't wait for this deployment to be over. Come home soon, Daddy!

We're thinking about you, Daddy! (All three of us!)

Little Surfer Girl

Checking out the boards
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen and I are back on the island, and we're delighted to be home. Visiting family was great, but it's also nice to be in our own house and back on our own routine. Plus, we got to see Daddy yesterday on a video-teleconference. Hooray! He was impressed by how much Kathleen has grown and changed lately, and we were just impressed to see him. He's doing great!

The day after Kathleen and I got home we were joined by four very fun visitors -- my Aunt Ellen, Wells, Henry, and Alex. They'd been visiting the Big Island, and stopped here on their way home to Connecticut. It took Kathleen about two minutes to warm up to the them, and about two minutes longer to learn the names "Henwey" and "Alets." Kathleen just loves those boys! She also loved bossing them around -- telling them to sit or read a book or whatever. She's certainly got plenty of personality, our girl!

Storytime with the whole gang...

We spent an afternoon and early evening on Waikiki with our guests the day before they left. The boys surfed, and it was apparent that Kathleen wanted to, too. I swear, if we were staying here any longer, Kathleen would be a little surfer girl!

We had a great visit and we hope that Aunt Ellen, Wells, Henry and Alex will come again soon. Thanks for coming, guys!

A Roaring Good Time at the Zoo

Posing on a Tree Frog
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

So, just before we left California, Nan and Grandpa treated us to a day at the Oakland Zoo. This was very exciting for us. We've been to the Honolulu Zoo, of course, but this zoo is larger and nicer, and our adult to child ratio was 3:1 (a treat for Mama if there ever was one)!

Kathleen was delighted by the zoo from the moment we walked in. She immediately spied the flamingos and their watery habitat and didn't stop talking about "birds" and "water" for a good five minutes. She happily trotted all over the zoo, watching the children and the animals with equal interest. She seemed particularly impressed by the chimpanzees and gorillas climbing and swinging all over, the alligator chilling on the bottom of his tank, the lizards and little yellow tree frogs, and the turtles, both in the water and on land. She was also quite taken the with fruit bats (there was a horde of them), which Mama frankly found very, very creepy.

Checking out the Giraffes
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

The zoo also has a train, which we didn't ride but Kathleen loved nonetheless. The train must have passed us every three or four minutes, and each and every time Kathleen would stop whatever she was doing to yell, "Toot-toot!" and make the sign for train. She found the train no less exhilarating the thirtieth time it passed than she did the first. (The same could not be said of the rest of Kathleen's entourage.)

The day of fun and sun and animals gave Kathleen an enormous appetite (she wolfed down 3/4 of a grilled cheese sandwich) and fantastic afternoon nap. Thanks for another great adventure, Nan and Grandpa!

No Space Available for Us!

Reading
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Well, Mama's grand plan to get the Golby girls home via space-available seats on Air Force flights from Travis to Hickam AFB had at least one flaw... As it turn out, the California schools began summer vacation just one day after we missed our commercial flight. The space-available flights out of Travis have been packed, and Kathleen and I haven't had a chance to get on one. Not even close!

But we've been completely enjoying our extra time here in California. We've been able to do some really fun things! We took a trip into San Francisco to check out the Embarcadero Center and the (newly remodeled -- well, new in the sense that it happened since I left for college, anyway) ferry building for lunch and people-watching.

Hi, Zach!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Another day we traveled to Walnut Creek to visit our friends Jenny and Zach (Kevin was at work, so we didn't get to see him). Jenny and her husband Kevin lived in Munich when we lived in Schweinfurt, and the last time Jenny and I saw each other, Kathleen and Zach were teeny-tiny babies-to-be. Only a month apart in age, the kids played together really well. They had a great time with all the toys in the backyard! So, not only was it great to for me and Jenny to catch up, it was also fantastic to watch Kathleen and Zach play together.

In another throw-back to our days in Germany, Kathleen and I visited the Ikea in Emeryville this week. It was a little surreal for me -- I kept expecting things to be in German, and I kept wanting to say Ee-kay-a, like Germans do! Kathleen loved trying out the toddler-sized tables and chairs and all the other fun kids things. While we were there, Nan got a little tent, which has become Kathleen's favorite hideout. She drags her toys inside, hosts tea parties inside, and reads books inside. She also occasionally commands attendance a tea party. Nan, Grandpa, and Mama have all been commanded to "sit" in the tent!

I Love to sweep!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Otherwise, we've been keeping plenty busy at Nan and Grandpa's house. We take walks, push the button to call the elevator, swim in the pool, and color with our magic color markers. Kathleen has discovered the broom and likes to "help" sweep the kitchen. She also realized that the wagon isn't only good for riding in... it's good for pulling. She has insisted on pulling it, even when it is completely loaded down with groceries and must weigh far more than she does! Always independent, Kathleen refuses any help at all!

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Mama has begun to have terrifying visions of delivering the next baby Golby in the passenger terminal at Travis AFB, still waiting for a flight. Consequently, we finally purchased some tickets to head home to Oahu on Monday. Before we know it, we'll be back to real life on the island... no thanks to the Air Force! (We're mostly kidding, just for clarity. We know we have no right to expect space-available travel, and that we're not even close to the Air Force's mission. We know, we know!)

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

We spent the day with Grandpa O'Connor and celebrated not only Father's Day, but Auntie Caroline's birthday. The morning started off quietly, as everyone perused the Sunday paper.

You can tell that Kathleen really loves her Grandpa, and wants to be just like him. After we read the news, Daddy called. That was the best part of our Father's Day. Later in the day we celebrated with a special dinner and cake, and that was fun and tasty, too!

But even though our day was lovely, we really missed Daddy. We do, after all, have the best Daddy ever, and we wish we could have been together to celebrate as a family. We were really happy to be able to talk (or in Kathleen's case, babble) to Daddy on the phone, though. That was a big blessing. Happy Father's Day, Daddy! We love you and we miss you and we can't wait to have you home. Hopefully your presents will get to you soon...

Gymboree Fun

Slam Dunk!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

We tested out our first Gymboree class last week. We'd been to Gymboree to play before (for an open, play-gym session -- you may have seen the photos on flickr), but never for an official class. Nan and Auntie Caroline both raved about the class and the teacher, so Kathleen and I went to scope it out.

Kathleen absolutely could not care whether we attended a "class" or not. She just wanted to play on all the fun equipment. She climbed up ladders, slid down slides, burrowed her way through tunnels, and tested every rocker and teeter-totter in the building! The teacher was encouraging children to jump from one of the play structures, but Kathleen wasn't remotely interested in that. The play structure had a a slide, and if one could slide, why would one jump? Kathleen was particularly enamored of the toddler-sized basketball hoop. As soon as she saw it, she was perfecting her dunk.

Kathleen is a very physical little girl, and it seems that she'll be rather athletically-inclined. Honestly, she seems so interested in all things athletic that if I hadn't been there when she was born, I might wonder whether she is actually related to me. (If you ask Jim and my father, they'll tell you about how Kathleen watched -- truly moved her head to watch -- a Duke basketball game when she was only one day old.) She loves to run, to throw, to kick. In fact, those words have been some of the most recent additions to her vocabulary. It's hysterical to watch her run and kick a ball as she yells her version of "kick" the whole time. "Ball" is another one of Kathleen's favorite words, and she will repeat it over and over and over again as she plays. In fact, "kick" or "throw" is a pleasant reprieve from Kathleen's "ball" mantra!

So, although we might not be back for a class at Gymboree, until Kathleen's old enough to be enrolled in organized sports, we're going to be spending a lot of time running around playing our own versions of "sports." Look for us at the park. . . or on a patch of lawn . . . or maybe even in Nan's living room!

How Could We Go?

Studying Train Town
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Because we don't want to fly with head colds (which we STILL have) and because no one ever wants to leave the fun that is Nan and Grandpa's, we're actually going to stay in California just a little longer. Kathleen has finally adjusted to being here -- she's sleeping normally and she runs to get hugs and kisses from her grandparents and has even allowed Mommy to slip out for a few moments of alone time. Plus, we want to spend more time with Aunt Caroline and meet up with some of the friends we wanted to see, but didn't manage to because of our sickies. In a last minute decision, then, we'll be in California until we're well. Thank goodness for the Air Force and Space-A, because we'd never be able to afford this extended vacation otherwise!

Keeping Busy in California

So, despite Kathleen's horrific cold (which she lovingly passed on to me), we've been keeping fairly busy here in California. Well, to be completely accurate, we sort of alternate between being busy and being not-busy. We'll have a couple days we spend just resting at my parents' house, and then we'll get out and do something fun for Kathleen. Not that there isn't fun for Kathleen at my parents' house. They've made sure there's plenty to do! There's a doll house, which Kathleen loves; she pushes and pulls all the dolls through the front door. And there's a baby doll, and lots to pretend with -- a toy stroller, a toy highchair, a toy bottle, and plenty of blankets. And there's a rocking horse that Kathleen rides like a champion.

But even with a rocking horse, there's only so long a toddler (even a toddler with a cold) can be stuck indoors!

On one of our get-out-of-the-house adventures we visited a park that my family used to visit when I was growing up. The park has been completely redone since then, and now it features a neat little water-play area. It was a really warm day, and Kathleen took to water-play like, well, like a fish to water!

Another day, when Kathleen was mostly well and I was marginally well, we joined my sister Caroline and twins Sophie and Daniel at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. It was a great, busy outing for Kathleen. She got to climb through all sorts of exhibits -- bounce on waterbed-like "lilypads," squirm through tunnels, make things bubble and squeak -- and play with (well, near) other children. And after all that fun, we had a tasty, if chilly, lunch overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

And then, this weekend, Nan and Grandpa took Kathleen to Train Town in Sonoma. I wasn't feeling well, but the marvelous thing about being with grandparents is that there are people to help out. So, even though I went to Train Town, too, it was definitely the Nan and Grandpa show!

We all rode the miniature train together. Kathleen wasn't completely sure about it at first, but she warmed up quickly and enjoyed watching all the fun things we passed. The train stopped at the petting zoo, which she loved. It amazes me that Kathleen isn't afraid of the animals, or even of feeding them. When the train ride was done, we took Kathleen on her first spin on a carousel. She had her very own horse, and I stood beside her the whole time. She was nervous and a little squirmy until the carousel started up, but when the horse began to move up and down, she just beamed. I tried to capture her glee, but coordinating a hand on Kathleen to steady her and managing the slow camera proved too much for me. All I managed was this shot after the ride... but it's her first carousel ride, preserved.

But a Cold Sounds so Innocuous

Since we've returned to California from Illinois, Kathleen has had a cold. Kids get colds all the time, I know. I also know that some children get far more serious illnesses, and I really am grateful that my daughter is as healthy as she is. That having been said, "Kathleen has had a cold" does not nearly communicate the misery that is my sick toddler.

Kathleen has had a seriously runny nose and a cough worthy of a tuberculosis ward. They've been so distressing to see or hear that we even tried giving Kathleen some cold medicine, despite having read an article in the New York Times a few months ago linking infants' and children's cold medicines to strokes (because I really needed another thing to worry about). Our affair with cold medicine was short-lived, however, because as far as I could tell it didn't stop the runny nose or the coughing, but instead made Kathleen slightly more miserable than she'd been without it. And making Kathleen more miserable was really going some.

When Kathleen's sick, she doesn't sleep more, she sleeps less. She'll simply refuse to nap and then will wake earlier and earlier in the morning. So her discomfort is complicated by pretty severe sleep deprivation. That makes for a very whiny, unhappy toddler. And an unhappy toddler makes a very unhappy mommy.

Kathleen must have known that I was just about to leave her out for the gypsies, because she has finally started to recover, at least a little. She's begun eating again (thankfully my baby is large enough to carry a five or six-day hunger strike without much impact). After she began to eat, she began to sleep a bit more and whine a bit less. And, so though she's still very sniffly and cough-y, Kathleen's acting much more like herself. Thank goodness for that!

A Big Week for Daddy

While Kathleen and Mommy and the next-Golby-to-be were cruising around Illinois, Daddy was having a pretty big week in Iraq. We thought that, even though this page is supposed to be about what it's like to grow up as a Golby, we'd take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to share a little bit about what the head of our household's doing.

On Monday Daddy took command of a company of about 170 soldiers. (I'm leaving out the details about which unit, since technically I'd need permission from his commander, and I'm not sure that it would matter to most our dear readers, anyway. Feel free to e-mail if you want the full scoop.) Thanks to the miracle of technology, we had photographs of the change of command ceremony by Monday evening. Here's Daddy taking the guidon from his battalion commander:


We're really, really proud of him!

The very next day was Daddy's birthday. His first full day of command AND his birthday. I don't think you get to enjoy your birthday very much when you've just taken command of a company... But Daddy reported that the First Sergeant and the training room made sure he had some pizza and cake, and that the birthday box we'd sent arrived in time. That might be all you can hope for when you're deployed on your birthday.

Even though Daddy couldn't celebrate much, we did some celebrating on his behalf while we were Illinois. We made his favorite kind of cake, and got the "other" Jim Golby and all the grandkids to pose with it:

We enjoyed the cake, but we'd have enjoyed it a whole lot more if Daddy had been with us!

And as if that weren't enough for one week, today is our fifth anniversary. Funny how deployment can seem so long, when it hardly seems possible that we've been married five years...

We love you and we miss you, Daddy! We can't wait for you to come home to your girls.

Crazy for her Cousins

Kathleen's new favorite word-sign combination is "cousins." We'd been in Illinois for about twelve hours (and for most of that she'd been asleep) when she started using the sign for cousins and a very strong "C" sound to indicate those amazingly fun children who seemed nearly as excited about her as she was about them.

Our adventure to the midwest was great fun. We got to see Kathleen's Golby grandparents and her aunts and uncles and, of course, the cousins. We stayed the first few days in Dwight, with Aunt Katherine, Uncle Eric, Sarah, Ethan, Melissa, and Kathleen's newest favorite canine, Belle. While in Dwight we had gorgeous warm weather, and we took full advantage of the sunshine. Here are Kathleen and her Aunt Katherine relaxing in the backyard:

There was a lot more playing in the backyard with the cousins; Kathleen loved the swingset and all the people to help her with it. We also watched Melissa's t-ball game (she got three hits!) and had a cookout with the whole family. After the cookout we had the opportunity to go the gymnasium where cousins Sarah and Melissa take tumbling and gymnastics. Melissa's class gave an exhibition, and after that Sarah showed off some of her skills, too. (The last time Jim and I saw her compete we weren't even married! We'll have to make it to some meets when we move back to the mainland.) Kathleen even got to try out some of the equipment, which delighted her. Here she is practicing for the 2020 summer Olympics:

After our time in Dwight, we jumped into a minivan with Uncle Craig, Aunt Margaret, Matt, Alison, and Elizabeth and moved to Kewanee. There, we continued to play outside in the sunshine. Here's Kathleen shooting some hoops with her cousins:

We all went to mass together, ate out together, had some more cookouts, and played and laughed a lot. Aunt Annie came up from Peoria and added to the fun -- especially when she brought along her Wii for everyone to try out! We had a delicious lunch in historic Bishop Hill with the grandparents, Aunt Margaret, and Rosie Pratt. Kathleen loved racing around the house with the doll stroller and climbing in out of the play house. She also loved riding around the neighborhood in the wagon, as her cousins pulled her. She and her co-conspirators agreed to pause for a quick photo:

If Kathleen looks slightly less smiley in her photos than usual, that's only because she was truly exhausted. She ran herself ragged with her cousins and wasn't willing to miss a minute of playing with them, even for a nap. Of course, that exhaustion worked out pretty well for Mommy, since Kathleen slept for almost two hours on the plane back to San Francisco!

Thanks to the whole family for making our visit to Illinois such a success. As always, it was too short! We miss you already and can't wait until the four of us can come back to visit together.

Mother's Day

Mom, Kathleen, and a wagon
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Our little family spent last Mother's Day at the polo field on Oahu's North Shore... It was a beautiful day and an amazing way to spend my very first Mother's Day. I knew that this year would be different with Jim away, and a part of me dreaded it a little. But even though we missed him very, very much, he and my family made this Mother's Day very special, too.

Jim somehow managed (even though he's in the midst of change-of-command inventories) to have purchased an incredible collection of potions and lotions and other goodies from Origins and have them sent to my parents' house, along with some framed photographs of me and Kathleen. The gifts made me feel so pampered! But even better than the presents was that Jim managed to call. Being able to talk to him and hold our little girl (girls, really, I suppose) was the best gift of all. My parents were equally generous in recognizing my second Mother's Day, and we, along with my sister Caroline and her husband Craig, enjoyed a very tasty brunch.

This afternoon Grandma, Kathleen, and I took a walk with the wagon. Kathleen loved being pulled around and seeing the other folks out walking their dogs, riding their bicycles, and enjoying the sun and views of the San Francisco Bay. After walking for a while, we stopped and Kathleen ran off a bundle of energy, kicking her ball. (I can hardly wait until she's old enough to enroll in youth soccer. She's a natural, which obviously comes from her father, and not from me!) Kathleen also discovered ladybugs, which fascinated her. She loved letting the ladybug crawl along her arm and laughed when the ladybug tried to fly away but instead ran into her cheek - twice! When the ladybug was finally successful in its escape, Kathleen inspected the grass quite intently, hoping to find another. She makes me laugh!

Kathleen is such a joy to me. She's funny and inquisitive and sweet and stubborn and fiery and smart. Being her mother is more of a blessing and more of a challenge than I ever could have dreamed. And each morning when I pick up my smiling, giggling girl and each evening when I snuggle and sing with my tired toddler, I know that this is the best and hardest job in the world, the only one I've ever wanted, and the only one I'll ever really love.

We Made It!

A Plane!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen and I successfully made the trip from Oahu to Northern California... There were some stressful (and exhausting) moments, of course, but overall our journey was extraordinarily smooth.

Kathleen was very excited to be in the airport, as it was filled with fascinating people and giant windows for watching planes. She was equally excited to be on the airplane -- at least at first! We were blessed to have a seat for her, so she was strapped into her comfy carseat for all but maybe ten minutes of the flight. She napped for about an hour and a half (what a huge relief for Mama!), and played nicely with her toys for the rest of the trip. The biggest challenge was retrieving the toys that Kathleen dropped; it's getting more and more difficult to lean over my own stomach!

As smooth as the trip was, we were thrilled to get off the plane and find Grandma and Grandpa O'Connor waiting for us at baggage claim. (Reinforcements! Hooray! ) We're grateful to have had a safe trip and hope that we're equally blessed when we fly to Illinois next week.

Growing Up Too Quickly...

Kathleen and Joshua
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen is growing more quickly than I ever could have imagined. Every day she becomes more independent; every day she looks and acts more like a toddler. She's using a few words, although she still prefers to sign. So far, her favorite words are hat, sit, cat, car, and ball. She also makes an impressive "woof-woof" sound when she sees dogs, and "ack-ack" (quack-quack) for ducks. She climbs into and out of every chair she sees, unassisted. When I lay Kathleen down at night in her crib, she happily waves goodbye when I close the door. I've recently begun putting her wispy blonde hair into little pigtails, which makes her look even older -- at least to me.

On Sunday, Kathleen played in the church nursery during worship. When I left her there, she didn't cry at all, which delighted me. (She's been extremely reluctant to leave me lately.) When I returned to pick Kathleen up, I was equally delighted to find that she was still playing happily. Kathleen was sitting at a little table with her friend Joshua and, as I walked in the nursery door, she leaned across the table and kissed Joshua right on the lips! That's when I knew that she was growing up far too quickly for me!!

Life's a Beach

Snacking at Ko Olina
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

This photo is from last week, but Kathleen and I spent the day at Ko Olina again today. We don't have any photographs from today's adventure, but it looked a lot like last week's. (We even wore the same clothes! A swimsuit and a sunhat are always acceptable at the beach!)

Today we went to the beach with our friend Amy and her children Luke and Grace, who are five and three. Kathleen just loved following Luke and Grace around, and she tried to do everything they did. She loved sitting in the wagon with Grace and she tried to swim in the water just like Luke! Kathleen certainly isn't letting her age hold her back!

The day was sunny and breezy - perfect for sitting on the sand or playing in the water, and we did both. We saw some snails and some fish and even a little hermit crab. We had lots and lots of fun, and when we came home, both Mama and Kathleen had a nice, long afternoon nap!

Lots to Show For It!

Watching Grampa on the Ladder
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen's O'Connor grandparents were here for a little more than a week, and the Golby girls have lots to show for it! Grampa worked really hard to get all sorts of projects done for us. I can't even begin to list them all here, because there are just too many. Kathleen was fascinated by Grampa working, and followed him around without fail. Grampa worked on something every single day, and just about everything in our little home works or looks (or works AND looks) better for his having been here. Kathleen's proudly showing off our newly painted bathroom:

Look at our new bathroom!

Gram and Leenie
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

We had a lot of fun with Gram, too. Kathleen was excited not only because Gram and Grampa brought fun new toys (like the extra keyboard and the tunnel and the best bubbles ever), but because there were new people to show her other toys to, too! And because Gram was around and could help distract Kathleen in the store, Mama even managed to try on and buy some new maternity clothes. (And thank goodness, because the next Golby girl seems to be growing a lot, and the maternity clothes from winter in Kentucky just won't cut it here!)

We are so, so grateful for all the help we received from Gram and Grampa. And we're excited that we'll see them again so soon. Before we know it, the Golby girls will be flying to California for even more time with the O'Connors!

Grandparents are Fun!

Fun in a tunnel
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Kathleen's O'Connor grandparents arrived on the island yesterday, and Kathleen has been absolutely thrilled to have them around. She was shy with them as she greeted them at the airport, but the shyness seemed to wear off within the first hour. Kathleen likes to ask her Gram to read to her. She likes to watch Grampa working on his projects and waves whenever he enters the room.

Kathleen has discovered that grandparents are great for gifts -- and that her grandparents have brought some particularly fun new toys. The big favorite so far is the collapsible fabric tunnel. It folds down into a neat little ring, and Kathleen knows what it is whether it's extended or not. If it has been put away, she'll pull it out and ask for help until it's extended across the living room floor. She sits in it, she crawls through it, she tosses the ball in it, she rolls (pushes or kicks) the entire tunnel back and forth across the living room floor. She has even figured out how to make it roll while she's inside it!

Kathleen's not the only one who has been delighted by the O'Connor visit. It's a great big treat for Mommy, too! Last night while Mommy gave Kathleen a bath, the dinner dishes were magically washed and the toys were magically put away on their shelves. There were no chores left by the time Kathleen went to bed. It felt like a spring break vacation! And as if that weren't enough, Grampa has already been hard at work on projects around the house. He painted the spare bathroom today. It looks beautiful! The Golby girls are very lucky, indeed!

Before and After...

Kathleen ate her dinner with a lot of enthusiasm tonight. It wasn't my best performance as a cook (honestly, you can hardly call it cooking), and it wasn't the most nutritionally balanced meal, either. But Kathleen didn't seem to mind. She started off with some carrots, which she largely gnawed on, rather than ate. Next she ate some pita bread and sun-dried tomato hummus. (I'd just made the hummus and Kathleen apparently appreciated the home-made effort.) After that she ate an astonishing amount of spiral pasta with a spicy marinara sauce, some sliced apple, and a few bites of Mama's spinach salad. I find it interesting that she picked around the chopped spinach I'd tried to hide in her pasta, but pleaded for the spinach from my plate. Go figure!

Anyway, after that enormous meal, Kathleen looked like this:

Obviously, we were in pretty desperate need of a bath. Fortunately, bathtime is one of Kathleen's favorite times of day. She slides around in the bathwater like a little fish! She'll recline, she'll lie on her tummy, she'll turn every which way -- splashing the whole time. She has a little boat with some fish and a fishing pole and some little cups, and those toys amuse her every evening. Kathleen particularly likes to fill the cups from the faucet and watch the water drain out the holes in the bottom. She understands that a bath is for getting clean, though, and if you give her a little bit of soap in the palm of her hand, she'll rub her hands together to get clean! Fortunately, Mama's got a washcloth and a slightly more developed sense of what might need some scrubbing, so by the end of the bath, Kathleen looks a little more like this:

That's much better!

First Glimpse at the Next Golby

Yesterday we got our first glimpse at the next Golby, thanks to the wonders of ultrasound. The ultrasound technician assured me that everything looks great. She counted fingers and toes and measured more organs than I can remember. The baby's growth is right on track, so there was no need to adjust the due date. August 27th it is! The baby was most uncooperative during the exam and tried its best to hide. . . Fortunately, we managed to find everything we needed to with only a modicum of nudging and squirming and other encouragement.

The ultrasound technician, unlike the baby, was a good sport and sealed up the ultrasound picture revealing the gender so that I could wait to open it until Jim called. We wanted to be able to find out that big news together. The photograph was concealed in some gauze, which was stapled, and then paper towels were stapled around that. Apparently there weren't envelopes lying around the antepartum diagnostic clinic! While it sounds a little sketchy, the device served its purpose well, completely resisting my attempts to peek before Jim called.

I've had very mixed intuitions about this baby. For a while I've thought it must be a boy, because this pregnancy has been so different from Kathleen's. First of all, this pregnancy has been blessedly complication-free. Also, I don't remember being sick with Kathleen, and I had some definite morning sickness this time around. Moreover, this time I have had an otherwise unexplainable craving for pickles. In fact, I have eaten so many pickles that I have been reduced to buying the mini kosher dills at Costco, because regular jars from the commissary simply don't last long enough. I know, I'm a walking pregnancy cliche.

On the other hand, I've had a conflicting theory that this baby must be a girl. Before Kathleen was ever born, Jim would tell people about our family plan: five boys in four years, so they could all play on the same basketball team. But for those of you that don't know, Jim has three older sisters. He will tell you that they tormented him in childhood (and that that accounts for his having joined the Army). It has occurred to me that it might be Jim's lot in life to be surrounded by girls. I'm sure that Kathleen and any other girls would, as their teen years approach, be more than willing to continue the torment their aunts began.

It appears that the latter is, in fact, in Jim's future. We've got a good start to a basketball team -- a girls' basketball team! Our next little Golby girl is already taking after her big sister and waving to her Daddy.

Keeping Up With Kathleen

Keeping up with Kathleen is truly a full-time job! She has boundless energy and grows and changes constantly. She picks up new skills every day, it seems. She's still signing and isn't talking very much. Every now and then she'll repeat quite clearly a word I've said. But when I ask her to repeat it, she'll generally sign it instead of speaking it again. She does, however, babble almost constantly. Her babbling has a distinct inflection to it. It certainly sounds as though she's talking, except that (to her dismay) I can't understand a word of it.

Lately Kathleen has begun to play with her dolls and stuffed animals more, carrying them around, patting them, putting blankets on them, and even feeding them. Here she is feeding her monkey some of her chicken nuggets when we went out to lunch:

Kathleen's very sweet to her little charges, at least for a while. Then -- abruptly -- she'll elect to do something else, unceremoniously dumping the doll on its head as she charges off across the room.

Recently Kathleen has been amusing herself with a box from Costco. She is simply delighted with this toy:

(What a mom! Such expensive, elaborate toys!) She uses it for everything. She puts toys in it. She carries it around the house. She climbs in and out of it. She sits in it to watch Signing Time or to read books or for no reason at all. I've been tempted to take the box down to the trash, because it somehow seems wrong to have an empty box sitting around one's living room, but can't bring myself to get rid of it, because Kathleen enjoys it so much!

Kathleen wants to try everything that I do. For example, she likes to play with my make-up brushes while I get ready in the morning. She asks for lotion and rubs her little hands together. She loves having her hair blown dry. Although she likes to carry around her own little purse, she prefers mine. She wants to taste everything that I eat or drink. (She has thus far been persuaded from getting too near my tea in the morning, and has settled for signing "hot" the entire time I drink it.) She likes to put things in and out of the dishwasher and the laundry. When she's up in the loft, she tries to type on the computer. And a few days ago, while I was practicing a piece for Easter, Kathleen began to sing, too!

While she's quite the little mimic, Kathleen also has distinct ideas about what she will and won't do, about what she likes and what she doesn't. Her food preferences seem to vary by the hour. She will not keep a barrette in her hair, although she finds the barrettes fascinating. She'll put the barrette up next to her hair, but as soon as I snap it into place, she pulls it out. She has discovered the universal toddler trick of going limp, so that I cannot set her down when she wishes to be held. (That only works out the way she'd like sometimes.) When I turned on NPR in the car a few days ago, she quickly made it clear that she'd rather listen to the Signing Time cd. She prefers to sit in chairs by herself:

I have a feeling that this independence is just beginning... It won't be long before Kathleen wants to do everything by herself, I'm sure!

He Is Risen Indeed

I Like Easter
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

Now let the heavens be joyful!
Let earth her song begin!
The world resound in triumph, and all that is therein;
Let all things seen and unseen their notes in gladness blend,
For Christ the Lord hath risen,
Our joy that hath no end.

"The Day of Resurrection," John of Damascus

We had a truly joyful Easter Sunday. The celebrating began at the Easter Vigil at St. Andrew's Cathedral on Saturday night, where friends George and Adeline were baptized. We had the honor of being Adeline's godparents, so the celebration was even more special. Because the Vigil has a tendency to be a little long, and because it's late in the evening, Kathleen had miss that bit of celebrating. She made up for it today, though!

Easter festivities began right away this morning. Kathleen woke and had barely finished her milk when she spied her Easter basket. She was most excited about the new animals for her Noah's ark set, but got pretty excited about the candy, too, once she was allowed to taste it. The other big favorite in the basket -- the Easter grass!

Just after we were finished inspecting the Easter basket, we got a call from Daddy. It was such a blessing to be able to talk to him and share our Easter morning with him. Shortly after that, we got Kathleen outfitted in her dress, hat, and matching purse, and we were out the door to church for Easter breakfast and service.

After church and her nap Kathleen had her very first Easter egg hunt in our living room. She was delighted to find the eggs. She was even more delighted to find that the eggs open AND contain candy. She doesn't understand the resurrection, but she definitely understands candy! We shared dinner tonight with friends, and had a lovely evening.

Our day was blessed by an abundance of food and fellowship, but we are most blessed by the day itself and by what our God has done for His people. We are reminded -- more now than ever -- that our joy and our strength is in Him who conquers all things, even death.

Happy Easter for Daddy

Seeing Daddy at the VTC
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

This afternoon we had a VTC (video teleconference) with Daddy. Since it was already Easter morning for him, we decided to make a party of it and wear our Easter dresses! Kathleen brought her empty Easter basket to show him, too.

This afternoon was the most interactive Kathleen's been with Jim during one of our "calls." I think she finally understands that seeing Daddy on the television at his old work is different than seeing Daddy on the television at home. She began waving as soon as she saw him today, and waved a lot during the 15 minutes we got to spend with him. She also blew him a lot of kisses. She'd get extremely excited whenever Daddy would wave back or blow her kisses, too.

Daddy was amused by how busy Kathleen was during the "call." In between her waving and blowing kisses, she ran around the room, toted her Easter basket, looked at a book, demanded some treats, and ran up to the television screen to show Daddy the item of the moment. Most of all, she climbed on and off the sofa and on and off Mama's lap. She really is perpetual motion!

We're blessed to have a unit that offers us the opportunity to use the VTC capability so consistently. While we'd rather spend Easter together, we're thankful that we get to "see" each other this holiday, even for a little while.

We'll Wait However Long It Takes...

This past weekend Kathleen and I got the official word that Jim's unit has been extended in Iraq. They'll be there for an additional 46 days. The news wasn't really a surprise to us -- we've known that an extension was possible, even likely, for a long time now. And we'd heard that it could be anywhere from 45 to 120 days long, so 46 days is really about the best we could hope for. (Not that that stopped us from hoping they wouldn't be extended at all!) It looks like the unit will return home in late September.

The big downside to the extension is that "late September" part. Because we expect the next little Golby to arrive in late August, this extension makes it unlikely that Jim will be here for that baby's big entrance. We're still hoping that Jim will somehow make it here (and I know Jim will try), but it's a bit of a long shot. We know that lots of other Army wives have given birth without their spouses, and I'm particularly inspired by my friends who've done just that. (Way to go, Sarah! Sophie's such a doll!) My family has been great, too, and have generously offered to fly out to be here for however long Kathleen and the baby and I need them. (I'll let you know if you need to start forwarding my mother's mail here!)

On Monday Kathleen and I were asked if we'd be willing to be interviewed by the press about the extension. Having worked for public affairs, I know it can be difficult to drum up people who are willing, so we said yes. We were interviewed, along with three other families, by a variety of news outlets. Most were local television crews, and friends tell us we did, in fact, appear on a couple local news channels. We were also interviewed by a reporter from the Associated Press. Her story appears here, among other places. She also took the photos of Kathleen that we've posted here, which we found on Yahoo! News.

AP Photo/Carol Cunningham (Photo and original caption here.)

AP Photo/ Carol Cunningham (Photo and original caption here.)

So, there you have it: Kathleen's media debut. Fifteen months old and she's already chipping away at her fifteen minutes of fame!

Sweet Moments and Sweet Dreams

I know it seems a little odd, but bedtime is one of my favorite times with Kathleen. That's not because it's the prelude to the few quiet, calm hours in our household, the time I actually have for myself. It's because there's something so sweet and tender about the bedtime rituals.

After dinner Kathleen (most nights, at least) takes a bath and, once she's moved the requisite amount of water from the bathtub to the bathroom floor, we pick up the bath toys and get ready for bed. We zip Kathleen up into her pajamas, and then she sets off to collect her Aloha and George (stuffed dog and monkey) from wherever they've been deposited, while I measure out a bottle of milk and heat it in the microwave. Once that's done, we settle ourselves into the rocking chair in her bedroom and turn out the lights. While Kathleen drinks her bottle, I sing her a lullaby. It's a hymn I learned in college, which we used to close our choir rehearsals. It was a favorite of mine then, and it's even dearer to me now that I sing it to my daughter each night. The tune is traditional -- most people know it from the lullaby "All Through the Night."

Day is done, but love unfailing dwells ever here.
Shadows fall, but hope prevailing calms every fear.
Loving Father none forsaking, take our hearts of Love's own making
Watch our sleeping, guard our waking, be always near.

Dark descends, but light unending shines through the night.
You are with us ever lending new strength to sight
One in love Your truth confessing, one in hope of heaven's blessing
May we see in love's possessing, Love's endless light.

Eyes will close, but You unsleeping watch by our side.
Death may come in love's safe-keeping, still we abide.
God of Love all evil quelling, sin forgiving, fear dispelling,
Stay with us, our hearts in-dwelling this eventide.

When I finish singing, Kathleen and I pray together, and then with a few more hugs and kisses, "sweet dreams" and "I love you's," I set her down in her crib. She tucks her stuffed animals into her arms and curls up around them and settles in for the night. I'm all too aware that one day soon she'll decide she's too big for a bottle, or too big for a lullaby, or too big to snuggle in the rocking chair, her head in the crook of my arm, her cheek against my chest. Perhaps that's why I love the nighttime rituals so much... because I know they're fleeting.

There's No Stopping Kathleen!

Go!
Originally uploaded by the golbys.

We've been visiting the park a lot lately, and I snapped this photo (among others) on a recent trip. Kathleen's a great climber (up ONLY, down is another story) but her real passion is sliding. She'll walk right up to the edge of the slide, making me nervous that she'll tumble down head first. Then -- at the last possible moment -- she'll sit and slide her way down. Our camera isn't really fast enough to get "good" pictures of her sliding, but you can tell she's enjoying herself, even with the blur!