We're Moving!

Every blog I write lately has "big" news and this one is going to be no different. So hang on.

A few of you know this, but I think it's time to share with everyone that we're moving to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in Sept/Oct. We have been here about 2 years and Brian is ready to get back to his Recon roots. He'll work for MARSOC (Marine Corps Special Operations Command) and yes, he'll deploy. It's been over 3 years since his last deployment an it's just part of being in the military. He's excited and we'll be just fine, so don't worry! The kids will keep me busy, and also taking care of the house...

And on that note, we have a house under contract. We're going to be homeowners again!

The house is north of base and Brian will work south, at Stone Bay

We had a choice between California and North Carolina, and overall, NC seemed like the best option for our family. More rural, more space, and maybe an opportunity to get a house. So, thus commenced the hunt. Last weekend, Caden and I drove the 5-hour trip to Camp Lejeune to meet up with Brian and find the perfect place. Nobody was particularly thrilled about me driving alone 8 months pregnant (myself included) but the drive actually went flawlessly. A good start to the weekend! I had high hopes of finding a house, however unrealistic that might seem for a 2-day trip.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen immediately. After 6 long hours of driving and looking on Friday, I was disheartened. The ones I thought I would love, I did not. (Unless it's cool to have a cemetery in your yard?!) The location we needed just didn't seem to have what we wanted in our price range. Not the scenario I had hoped for. Brian had a terrible time at work also, so I guess it just wasn't our day.

Saturday seemed brighter with beautiful weather and a happy toddler (usually he's grumpy in the a.m.). The 2nd house we looked at was the one. It's about .4 acres, including a huge fenced yard and large trees. Caden claimed the wood swingset immediately and Brian was happy about the shed. The house has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths with vaulted ceilings. The kitchen isn't perfect but has lots of storage space. I adore the screened and tiled porch. The 2-door garage has built built-in shelves and an attic. It's a nice neighborhood with lots of kids, and the elementary school is only half a mile away.

The house!


Vaulted ceiling over family room


Dining and screened porch


Might need to repaint the kitchen

Master bedroom and wood fireplace

Backs to woods (note Cade's toy!)

The back


So what's wrong with it? We wish it was a bit larger, but mostly the downfall is the commute. Brian will have a 30-minute drive to work minimum, depending on traffic. At least it's an easy drive mostly through base. He mentioned an awesome coffee/ice cream shop right on the route. Great. (Not.) When it came down to it, Brian said he wants me happy there and he's willing to drive a litte if it means we can be more satisfied with the house.

Of course, lots still needs to happen before closing on Aug 31, so we hope all goes smoothly and it works out.

I was also satisfied with the trip because I got to see the area. We will be close to the beach and it's beautiful scenery...rural countryside with a mix of trees, fields of corn and tobacco, and even some palm trees. There's also mosquitos, humidity, and the occasional tropical storm, but no place is perfect! I liked the base too. It's absolutely enormous with a lot of stores and shops. We won't be very far from the commissary, the Exchange, or the library.

So that's the big news. No baby news yet! Looks like I'll go early, especially since I'm measuring big for 37 weeks and am dialated 1 cm. I'm completely uncomfortable and sleep is rare. This wild child still moves a lot! Caden has started asking to talk to the baby again when he goes to sleep. I'm glad, because he became disinterested for a while. We've made headway on final prep. I bought adorable going home outfits last week, boy and girl (and it needs to be a girl because I am not returning the ridiculously cute dress). We've made progress on getting the house ready by digging out the baby items from the basement. Brian has to put the final touches on Cade's new dresser. Now we need to nail down some names and then I'll really feel ready. (I think? Can you ever REALLY be ready for another child?!?!)

Just a couple other things have happened the past few weeks. Fourth of July was phenomenal. We celebrated with Zach and Heather Reeves, some of our friends that live up at Fort Meade. After a BBQ and some afternoon lounging on the couch, we went to a spectacular celebration at Lunga Park, including some rides for the kids, bands, and lots of food. Caden sat in his own little folding chair while he watched the fireworks and was absolutely enthralled.

I'm ill just thinking about it. Caden loved it. I think Brian was ill.


Just chilling with Heather and Zach


What a beautiful site over the water


Every 5 seconds, he said, "Daddy, that's awesome!"


Caden has so much personality now. His language has absolutely taken off over the past month. Almost everything he says is in the form of a sentence and it's fun to have conversations with him. He's taking more interest in his bike, mostly due to the neighborhood kids. They were all taking jumps off a ramp last week and he was trying to do so with a tricycle. Funny stuff. He enjoys the water, as long as it's not a swim lesson. We tried lessons and to put it bluntly, it was a nightmare. I guess if it's not on his terms, it's not fun. He's definitely a 2-year-old at times, but is so sweet and polite too. One of his favorite things to do now is pretend his hand and arm is a snake and make it attack me. Um, guess who taught him that? (Thanks, Brian. I'm glad you capitolize on my phobia of snakes.)

Hanging out in a helo


Why? Because why not.


We took a trip to Philadelphia 2 weeks ago to watch Brian race. Race weekends can be hectic, but it ended up being a good time, although Caden did have a flip-out session similar to his Iowa meltdowns when we arrived at the hotel. He begged us to go home. He calmed down though and had fun otherwise. He found some boys his age at the race to play with, which was to my advantage so I could actually watch.

Brian placed 31st out of 1,924 participants and 4th in his age group. He had a new Olympic distance personal best of 2:02:30. I could not believe how quickly he got out of the water, but he insists the current helped with that. (I guess they deserve some sort of perk swimming in that nasty smelly river.) He was positively livid and embarassed about his bike time and was okay with his run. I thought he did amazing, as usual, and was very proud. He would have felt better if he had placed in his age group, but he missed 3rd by 8 seconds. What a bummer. His time was 4 minutes better than last year but his placings were about the same. Stiff competition this year.

He has high hopes of hitting under 2 hours by the end of the season so the training continues. His next race is not until after the baby arrives. He did a workout today that consisted of 20 repeat 400's, in humid hot weather. Um, sounds like fun. (NOT.)

Coming out of the water strong


Nice helmet


Done


Family pic


Cheering for Dad


Afterwards, we met Todd (my good friend from KU) and his wife Malin for lunch. She's from Sweden and is so incredibly sweet. It was my first time meeting her. Good job Todd...she's awesome!



My Grandma Klindt is doing okay. The results from her CAT scan showed that the cancer is stable and some of the spots are smaller. She's lost some weight though and her cell counts are down, so she's got to work on her rest and nutrition. So proud of you Grandma...you're doing great.

One last thing and then I promise I'll be done! I wanted to share some good news about Brian's parents. Their apartments that were flooded in Cedar Rapids last summer qualify for the city buy-out. It may take another year and a few more headaches, but it's a huge relief, both for their sanity and their finances! They will be paid a lump sum and get rid of the loan and the land for good.

Bye for now...and perhaps my next blog will include some BABY news.

Gunny Geraghty

We have good news...BRIAN GOT SELECTED FOR GUNNY! He was up for promotion last year and it didn't work out, so this year was pivotal. I knew he would get it but he is never as confident.

To clarify, Brian will be a Gunnery Sergeant, an E7. There are 9 levels in the enlisted ranks, so I teased him that he's getting old. He will not actually be promoted until later this year, but at least we know he's selected. I'm relieved because he definitely deserved it. (Not to mention, the pay raise is welcomed with the baby on the way! Now we can spend all that new money on fun stuff, like, um, diapers.)



I guess this put him in a good mood because he got ambitious and took care of some loose ends this weekend.

I mentioned in the last blog that Caden is attached to his pacifier and it needs to go. Otherwise, there will undoubtedly be arguments when he tries to steal the baby's pacifier, or begs for his pass 24/7 since the baby has one...etc. So, I brought this up with Brian, pointing out that it was good timing now that we're both here and we don't have any guests for a while. We both knew it needed to happen, and we were both dreading it. Caden straight up adores his paci. He LOVES going to bed, and we know that is partially because he gets his frog and his pass.

Needless to say, we assumed this would probably be several days of h*ll, maybe more. Great.

The pacifier dependence annoyed Brian even more than me, and I guess he just decided to take it upon himself and get rid of it. I went to dinner with friends on Friday and returned home to a very smug husband. After asking about my dinner, he said, "So, guess what...?" I didn't have a guess even remotely close to what he revealed. "Caden is sleeping without his pacifer." Um, what?! How?! WHAT?!!!

I was dumbfounded. During his bedtime routine, Brian simply informed Caden that big boys don't have pacifiers. He used some examples..."Landen doesn't have a pass. Bryce doesn't have a pass." And so on. Caden repeated, "Landen no pass...Bryce no pass..." and finally threw it in the sink. He immediately regretted it and cried for it back, but Brian kept repeating, big boys don't have pacifiers.

So that was pretty much it. He didn't fall asleep immediately...I ended up laying with him from 11:30 until midnight...but he fell asleep after that and didn't wake till 7. We did have a couple meltdowns when he found some long-lost pacifiers around the house. He would grin impishly with it in his mouth and bolt. Of course those were immediately confiscated and deposited in the trash, and that did NOT go over well. But aside from those 2 incidents, I'd say we're home free!

Well, unless my Dad intervenes. Here is an email he sent Caden:

"To My Grandson Caden... I will send you a new Pass UPS ..You better hide it reallllllllllllllllllllly good though..Your mom might find it and get mad at me...GPG"

Caden at 3 weeks, showing his undeniable love for his pass

His last photo with his beloved pass


Brian, THANK YOU. You never fail to surprise me.

On top of that, I finished sanding Caden's new dresser, and Brian took it upon himself to do the first stain. We have some fixes to make, but we've made progress. Maybe we WILL be ready for the baby after all. On that note, my 33-week appointment was boring and pointless (but necessary). Everything is good. I go again in 2 weeks and then every week after that. So I guess that means I'm getting close. I officially weigh more than Brian, so that's cool. (Sigh.)

My friend Paige is on the homestretch too. She's due two weeks after me. We threw her a baby shower last week and our four boys got in some hardcore playtime.

Brunch on the deck

The boys may be enjoying the shower more than us


Getting drenched (So is this before or after Caden bit Jake? Proud moment.)


My Grandma Klindt is feeling well, and had a CAT scan this week to assess how her cancer treatments are going. I'll let you know the results. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.

Last but not least, Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there, especially to my own amazing Dad and father-in-law. Can't wait to see you both in August!

Oh, and of course, Happy Father's Day to my husband. Taking away Caden's pacifier single-handedly secured you the father of the year award. So does that mean you deserve a really good gift?! Crap.

Caden loves to put his hand on my face and give me soft kisses

History in the Making

I have a surreal story to share...or perhaps you have already seen it on CNN or my name on the Internet!

Brian's sister Shannon is visiting this week and the only tourist attraction she wanted to see was the National Holocaust Museum. This is NOT a place for children, so I arranged a sitter for Caden (thanks Brandee) and Shannon and I headed up there this morning, June 10.

We had been at the museum a couple hours and I had already made 1 trip out to the car to re-supply the meter. Security at this museum is tight...a guard opens the door for you and about 4 or 5 more greet you inside as your possessions are scanned and you pass through a metal detector. On my way back in from the 2nd trip, they randomly selected me for a special search to make sure my purse didn't contain explosives. I caught myself thinking, I wonder if this security guy has ever found anything?! I almost asked, just for friendly conversational purposes, but for whatever reason, refrained. I took my purse and walked about 20-30 feet toward the main portion of the museum.

Then I heard a thunderous bang. I am not sure how to describe it, other than that it sounded sort of like someone had dropped a concrete block from the 4th floor. The sound came from behind me, and I turned around out of curiosity. Then immediately 2 more loud bangs echoed and complete chaos and panic ensued.

GUN SHOTS.

My first instinct was to get out of that huge open area so I looked for the closest door. I scrambled to get inside an exhibit called "Daniel's Story," which is completely enclosed. People were screaming and shoving (I was one of the shovers...don't mess with a pregnant lady!) until we got as far back into the exhibit as we could.

Now what? I called Brian, and hearing his voice invoked tears. I also realized maybe that hiding spot wasn't ideal, as it was one winding hallway with only two doorways. Being separated from Shannon made it even worse. She didn't have her cell phone and I had no way to make contact with her.

So I talked to Brian and waited. He helped calm me like no one else could. He evenly and methodically asked questions and assured me things would be okay. Thank God for my Marine and his incredible sanity in high-stress situations. After about 5 minutes, a security personnel entered and ushered us toward the back exit. I caught myself hesitant to cross the main entry again...I looked around warily and hurried across. It was eerily empty except for the stream of people exiting Daniels' exhibit.

Once outside, I was a one-track mind to get to the car. This was my only way to reconnect with Shannon. So here's me, 7 months pregnant, pretty much sprinting and weaving through the streets of DC! Traffic was already bogged up and cops were EVERYWHERE. Sirens were nonstop. 14th street was already completely blocked off. I had to walk all the way around the Department of Agriculture (which takes up an entire LONG city block) but finally I made it to the car. No Shannon.

So I waited. And watched. I walked to the corner of 14th and C Street and could see the front of the museum from that corner. I saw one stretcher with a man loaded into an ambulance and they rushed away. More cops, fire trucks, news vans, and helicopters continued to show up. Meanwhile, Shannon kept her wits about her and borrowed someone's phone, calling her sister first to get my number (and only revealing to Heather that it was a "security" issue) and then getting a hold of me.

The police blocked off streets and made it difficult to navigate, but after an hour apart, Shannon and I found each other. It was literally a running/hugging reunion. I'm sure it looked corny, but we didn't care! After a quick interview with some random reporter, we hopped in the car and got out of there as quickly as we could.

Looking back, it still doesn't seem real. We watched the news when we got home and learned that the gunman was an 88-year-old white supremacist. He shot the nice, tall security guard that had opened the door for me moments before. The other guards returned fire. Sadly, the security guard did not survive. The gunman remains in custody in serious condition.

I'm honestly relieved I didn't actually see anything. I was just far enough around the corner that I could not see the entrance from my vantage point. That would have been an image etched in my memory forever that I'm glad to do without.

Shannon actually saw the gunman for a few seconds. She heard the noise from the 2nd floor and went over to the window to see what happened. She doesn't recall hearing the other shots but saw a man come into view, pointing and then waving around a gun with a long silver shaft. She immediately backed off the window. She was essentially quarantined on the 2nd floor for 10 minutes until they were ushered out.

Part of me wonders how things could have been different. What if I had struck up that conversation with the security guard and stood there for a few more seconds? But I guess we could wonder things like that all day, huh. It just wasn't my time, nor Shannon's, thank God.

Even though I never would have considered bringing Caden to a place like that, I still felt such relief that he was safe in Quantico. Brian called me repeatedly, especially after he saw the news, and I think he was taken aback by just how close I was to the crime scene. Poor Shannon...this isn't what she had in mind when she asked to visit the Holocaust Museum. Me neither. She did joke about how efficient the city was in handling it. There were even caterers on the sidewalks handing out food and drinks within 20 minutes of the shooting. As she put it, "they've done this before." Sad.

News travels fast and I've already received a ton of phone calls. My Uncle Jim heard about it and put the Omaha World Herald in touch with me. I spent a lot of time on the phone with them and cannot believe the huge article they printed. I'm sort of embarassed: http://omaha.com/article/20090611/NEWS01/306119952. I went to Google and typed in "Holocaust Shooting and Geraghty" and my name came up a bunch. Shannon's does too. I even found myself in a video fleeing the scene: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/061009_raw_video_visitors_run_from_museum. (It's about 30 seconds in...I'm in a black shirt and green gauchos.) Probably the most unusual is my friends Emily and Paul Blake live in the UK, and they discovered my quote in the Metro, the most widely circulated paper in the country.

Crazy story, huh. That's the kind of thing you see on the news and empathize with, but it certainly takes on a whole new spin when you are actually there. I'm still replaying it in my mind.

***

It's been a while since I've updated the blog so I'll fill you in. I promise the remainder of the blog will be more positive! The trip to Iowa in May was a good experience overall, despite some stressful times with Caden here and there. We spent the first half with my family on the west side of Iowa and then visited Cedar Rapids for 5 days to see the Geraghty's. Caden's new cousin Marcus is a doll. I think he knows that he's the 5th Hasley child because he is such an easygoing, happy baby. Heather has had an excruciating recovery from the C-section but is finally feeling better.

Marcus at 17 days


Caden and his cousins played well together now that they're older. Caden followed Lawson around like a puppy. Him and Isabella seem to have a cute love/hate relationship.

The cousins


Kicking contest


Maybe Cade IS ready for a baby brother/sister?!


We spent one day at Shannon and Dane's house. Shannon graciously allowed Caden to play with her kittens, or perhaps torture would be a better word? He couldn't get enough of the fuzzy toys. Grandma Pam took joy in sharing her horse Shadow with him as well. He had absolutely no fear and hopped up on her no problem. He helped groom her and fed her carrots and apples by hand. I love my farm boy.

Note the orientation of the cat


He still talks about Shadow


Grandpa's buddy


With all these happy moments came some tough ones as well. Caden didn't sleep well the majority of the trip and still hesitated to get out of the car. At times he was virtually inconsolable and a bit crazy. I don't know why, other than that he was overwhelmed by all the new places and faces. Thank goodness he's back to normal here in Quantico.

Brian kept plenty busy working, training, and camping while we were gone and left on a trip to California the day before we returned. He competed in the All Armed Forces Triathlon on June 30th. He finished 12th overall and 3rd out of the Marines. Five of the guys that beat him are professional triathletes so he was up against stiff competition. He achieved a PR at 1 hour, 58 minutes. He improved 4 minutes over last year and 17 places. He said the weather was good, his swim was vastly improved, and his bike was his fastest ever. He cramped up on the run but finished strong. Overall, he was comfortably pleased with his individual performance. For anyone that knows Brian, that in itself is an accomplishment. I just wish I had been there. I haven't seen him race yet this year and am looking forward to joining him in Philadelphia next weekend.

Brian with his tri team boys


Caden about jumped out of his skin when Brian returned home that Sunday. We were at the park behind our house swinging, and as soon as he saw him, he started kicking his legs, grinning, and laughing. He clung to Brian the remainder of the night and refused to let me join in "their" play at the park. I didn't mind. I love seeing the connection between my two boys. And 3 1/2 weeks apart is a long time.



Caden truly loves being back in his normal environment. He begs for his pacifier more again though, so I think that needs to go soon. He sleeps through the night and has been eating like a horse lately. When we were in Iowa, he spontaneously starting hugging and telling me loved me. I absolutely melt.

Shannon's visit this past week was awesome, and yesterday's drama made it, um, memorable. She's such an easy guest and she even cleans the house and does our laundry. I want to keep her. We went to the pool, shopped, ate yummy meals (she's taking 4 recipes home), and watched movies. Caden let her read him a story the last night, a special privilege.

The boys made us a cardboard fire


Looks safe huh


I'm now at 32 weeks and that Aug 2 due date is drawing near. The neighbor girls recently threw me and Junior G a baby shower at a local Mexican restaurant. Our waiter was a little off the wall and we were probably incredibly loud and scared off all the other patrons. It was a blast. A BIG thanks to Brandee and Angel for hosting and also to all my Quantico girls...your friendship and generosity is treasured. I mean, not all friends would make special M&Ms that say "Baby Button"!!!

I'm pretty pumped about this gift...let's just hope this baby actually likes the swing!

Thanks for the baby's new crib mattress, Grandma...


...but the box is the most fun.


Junior G is growing (A LOT) and moving (A LOT). I finally bought my prego bathing suit and feel pretty hot! (NOT.) My glucose test results showed that I am anemic, so that explains why I am tired, winded, and easily bruised. I'm on supplemental iron now and perhaps that will help.

The zigzags must be helping to distort my size...trust me...I'm bigger

Caden's first trip to the pool for the year, and he's smiling


That's plenty to throw at you for now. God bless the security guard that died, and his family. For me, it was a close call, but sometimes those wake-up calls are not all bad. It keeps your priorities aligned. I don't have much to say about the gunman, except that he's proof that the hatred we viewed in the halls of the museum is unfortunately still alive today. We can all make a difference by recognizing these problems and displaying a complete intolerance for racism, hatred, and violence.

Here are some more fun photos. Enjoy!

Hanging with cousins Andy and Jordy at the American History Museum last week

Helping Grandma with chores

Caden occasionally beats up on Collin, but he's forgiving and continues to hang with him...you're a peach, Collin

Supper with cousin MaKenna, and they played soooo well together

Great Grandma Klindt does some serious rough housing with Cade, Brian style

Happy birthday Grandma Pam!

Helping Grandpa Pat plant the garden

Fighting fires at the Omaha Children's Museum

Planting soybeans with Papa, probably his favorite activity of the whole trip


#27, Caden's calf (the one he saw born)


Hagen and Caden get their cake on


Caden and cousin Cody were thick as thieves


Meeting Lesley Carlin for the first time...she likes us! And doesn't a boy AND a girl look pretty in my arms? Girl girl girl...