The Romer Family

Silly Faces

2011-08-23T20:36:00.001-07:00

Nick's in the field this week.
Pre deployment has OFFICIALLY begun.

It's "single mommy" time for me.
In the words of my good friend Becca..."Just brought out my single parent shoes!"

Nick's Uncles from ENGLAND are coming this weekend.

Work depresses me.
Work stresses me out.

I had a full loaded combat pack 3 years ago.
After I became a mom...that combat pack turned into a day pack...
and since I've checked into my new command...
that day pack has turned into a camelback...

And now..

I am dragging that camel back by it's hose.....

I am ready to "not" be a Marine anymore.

I just want to be a mom...

Wouldn't you if you got to see this face everyday?!?

When I tell her to make a "silly face"...this is the face I get.

NEW BLOG

2011-03-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

We've moved!

http://romerfamilyof3.blogspot.com

Romer Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T16:10:00.000-08:00

We have a tradition at our house where we get to open our stocking stuffers on Christmas Eve.

It was fun to watch Dannika go through her stocking.

She really had no idea what was going on, but it was fun to watch her either way.

She got all kinds of Dora the Explorer bath toys (her favorite cartoon), and some crayola bathtime water color changer tablets.

I got Nick what I always get him....boxers, candy, and this year a handy fishing all in one tool.

And Nick got me some work out dvds, candy, and hair stuff!!

This year was no different except for the fact that I absolutely could not wait to give Nick and Dannika one of their Christmas gifts early.

I ended up letting Nick have the xbox fishing game that I bought him early and we let Dannika have her Flintstone car early as well.

They both seemed to enjoy it so I was happy!

I'm so excited for tomorrow morning when Dannika gets to open all her gifts under the tree!

Tis' the Season

2010-12-05T21:33:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE the Christmas season.

I love the trees, the decorations, shopping, and of course the reason for the season...the birth of Jesus!

I can't believe that it is already December, and it's hard to believe that this is Dannika's SECOND Christmas!

I am so blessed to have had Nick home for the last two holiday seasons.

I know being a Marine and a Marine wife that there are lots of families out there with loved ones deployed.

Nick is kicking butt at the Staff Academy...academically and physically.

I'm so proud of him!

He graduates in two weeks, and we are both looking forward to it.

We attended our first Christmas party of the season at the Roegge's house.

Lindsay hosted an "Ugly Sweater" Christmas party.

I wish I would have taken some pictures of the fabulous sweaters everyone was wearing!

We had a blast...had lots of great appetizers and of course too much wine.

So fun!

Another big event...

Nick sold his truck....the Chevy...his dream truck.

All he ever wanted was a big lifted Chevy with big ole tires and loud pipes.

It gave him a happy 4 years.

We decided a few months ago that we needed something more practical...

We needed more room for Dannika in the back seat and we needed something better on gas.

It was a big sacrifice for Nick, but we ended up with something better!

A 4 door Toyota Tundra!

Dannika practically picked it out.

It's a perfect truck for our little family of three.

"No!" and Dance Parties

2010-11-28T18:19:00.001-08:00

Black Friday & Traditions

2010-11-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

I've never been a "Black Friday" kinda gal.

In fact, I dread crowds, and I love my sleep.

I'm the type of person that would much rather pay full price for something than endure that hell!

In fact...I hardly ever wait for things to go on sale.

I'm so impatient...I usually find myself paying full price for things I probably shouldn't.

But THIS year...

Nick and I decided to see what this whole fuss was about.

I really wanted to get Nick a skilsaw and some other power tools for Christmas, and if you've seen the price of a power tool these days...it's pretty insane!

We woke up at 5am (which for Black Friday is pretty late, I guess) and headed to Lowe's.

When we got there, I was pleasantly surprised with the lack of crowds...in fact...there were NO crowds.

It took me by surprise cause Lowe's had some GREAT deals on bbq's, power tools, wine refrigerators, Christmas stuff, etc.

I was a little disappointed that I didn't see grown men fighting over a table saw that was marked 60% off.

Since it was so early, we didn't even feed Dannika her breakfast.

We got her sippy cup filled with milk and headed out the door.

She was hungry by the time we were done at Lowe's so we treated her to pancakes at IHop.

The next stop was Michael's.

I just went there cause I like it there.

I had nothing in particular I needed from there, but we did end up buying our yearly Christmas ornaments there (which I shall get into later).

Lastly...

Wal Mart.

I guess Wal Mart was supposed to be the craziest...

Again, I was disappointed that I didn't see grown people fighting over the 30 dollar crockpot.

It was a little busier in the electronics section, but nothing TOO bad.

I suppose Black Friday is different depending on where you live.

San Clemente is an extremely lazy, cozy little beach town.

I'm sure more people were up at 4am with surfboard in hand to hit the waves than hit a sale.

The day after Thanksgiving has become a tradition for Nick and I to put up our Christmas stuff.

I was so excited to decorate our tree, put up our stockings, put my Christmas centerpiece on my dining room table, and have Nick put up Christmas lights outside :-)

It's also become a tradition for us as a family to go out and buy a new ornament to put on our tree.

It was way fun putting up our ornaments that we've acquired in our short time as husband and wife.

It's so crazy to see Dannika's "First Christmas" ornament!

It really hit me hard how fast time flies, and how I must savor and cherish every moment I get with my little girl!

the ornament Dannika picked out (the color didn't come out that great in this pic)

Dannika's ornament

Our tree

Close up of Dannika's tree in her room

I can't believe that I spent 14 dollars on a pacifier to have it personalized! Dannika only used a paci for like 4 months until I took her off of it. Now it's a Christmas ornament!

My handsome guy

Dannika's first pair of Cowboy boots

My mother in law sent us these last year. It's so fitting this year cause it reminds me of Nick and his Plt Cmdr, Lt. Boera.

Putting the star on!

Dannika being mischievous

She wanted to help her daddy

This is what I get to see when I go to get her from her nap...check out that faux hawk!

Our First Christmas as a family of 3 (last year!)

Romer Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T17:26:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've cooked an entire Thanksgiving meal.

We invited our friend Ryan (AKA Uncle Sully) over to our house for Thanksgiving dinner.

I decided to make everything from scratch minus the pie and cranberry sauce.

Everything turned out great, and most importantly...

I got to spend it with people I love!

Thanksgiving Morning

Nick washing "Henry"...our turkey

Hanging out and eating apples

I love these two

Beginning the cooking

Action shot...looks rather dangerous with the sharp objects in my hand

turkey stuffed with apples and covered with bacon

the fam

Nick made Dannika this little "poncho" to keep her clean...it worked...sorta

Everything cooked by ME!

Dannika and her Uncle Sully

This is what happens when you put tupperware on a hot stove...oopsie

Post Thanksgiving festivities...Call of Duty....

Laughter Makes the World Go Round

2010-11-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

Dannika thinks EVERYTHING is a phone...including socks...

Nick always smells the clean laundry while he folds it.

Dannika grabbed some socks from the clean laundry pile and brought it into the living room sniffing it.

This is a Korean "Podaegi".

It's a sling type thing that Korean grandmas use to hold children on their back.

My mom bought me one when she went to Korea.

Nick decided to give it a try...

As you can see...Dannika LOVES it!

Thankfulness

2010-11-24T18:53:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for a husband who puts up with me.

He is understanding of me when no one else is.

I am thankful for a beautiful baby girl.

She brings more laughter and joy into my life than I could have imagined.

I am thankful for having a job.

I am thankful for the opportunity to serve with the World's Finest...

United States Marine Corps.

I am thankful for those same Marines that sacrifice so much so that we can be free.

I am thankful for those who have given their lives.

I am thankful for those who are not getting to spend Thanksgiving with their families because of their call to duty.

and most importantly...

I am thankful for God.

I am thankful that even when I stray from him (which is a lot),

He is always there when I need him.

I am thankful...

Mama's Good Looks...

2010-11-22T20:00:00.000-08:00

and more laughs than a stack of comic books...

Watching Nick Jr. after breakfast in Saturday morning

concentrating

Being mischievous

"I hope I don't get caught..."

"oops!"

Ready for Thanksgiving!

2010-11-22T06:29:00.000-08:00

my Thanksgiving table centerpiece. I can't wait to put my Christmas stuff up!!!

This year, I'm cooking a small Thanksgiving feast!

I say small, because this year, it will be our little family of three and Dannika's Uncle Sully!!!!

I'm really excited about cooking, and I have FINALLY finished all my grocery shopping!

On the menu will be...

Roast turkey (of course a given!)

green bean and bacon casserole from scratch

cornbread sausage stuffing (southern style!)

mashed potatoes from scratch

gravy

sweet potato casserole from scratch

cranberry sauce (not from scratch)

I'm SO excited, and I LOVE the holiday season!!!

November, November

2010-11-21T19:11:00.000-08:00

This month has been quite the busy month for us!

It was brought up to me by my mother that I hadn't updated my pics or my blog in a while...

So here y'all go!

I'll try and go in chronological order on what's been going on since the Marine Corps Ball!

~VETERAN'S DAY~

Nick and I got a 4 day weekend for Veteran's day weekend.

This weekend means a little more in the Romer household than the average household for obvious reasons.

One of Nick's best friend's from Golf Battery, Dannika's Uncle Sully came over to hang out and have a few drinks at our house.

The next day, we all went to Saddleback Community College to the Veteran's Memorial to observe Veteran's Day.

Uncle Sully and Nick...they have quite a relationship.


Veteran's day memorial service...this is Nick's "serious" face...

<3Kari's Baby Shower<3

I have met so many wonderful women this year it's unreal!

I love the new friends I made...the ladies of Tango Battery.

I was introduced to Kari by Becca at her house on Halloween, and she was just too sweet!

Her husband is currently deployed to Afghanistan, and she is due to have her sweet sweet baby girl in January before he gets back.

Becca was so sweet and threw her an awesome baby shower at her house, and Dannika and I got to go.

Great food, friends, games, and party favors.

The toilet paper game...measuring Kari's baby....Victoria won...I think she cheated

Jackson and Dannika playing with Shep

The mama to be...doesn't she look great?!

Jackson visiting Dannika in "Cell Block 6"

"Hey friend, get me outta here!"


The flower that Becca crocheted for Dannika...it even matched her outfit that day!!

LASTLY...

Dannika is still not walking yet. Dr Shannon was a little concerned so he had us get her hips x-rayed to make sure there were no developmental issues. The x-rays came back normal and she is fine...just a late bloomer.

She does stand on her own now though, and that gave us hope that she will walk soon.

Other than her walking, her vocabulary has grown tremendously and she is learning new things everyday!

It's crazy to watch her develop into a little "person"

Even her little tantrums that she throws now (throwing herself backwards on the floor) are cute.

I love hearing saying "uh-oh" when she drops something.

She says Doda...when she sees Dora the Explorer...

She even speaks a little Korean!

Trying out the Korean "podaegi" for the first time...all the way from South Korea!

She LOVES it!

Dancing

When I say "Touch your head"...she does this

Weekend Fun

2010-11-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

It was another busy weekend for the Romers.

Victoria and Gavin had a post ball BBQ at their beautiful new house on Saturday in San Clemente.

There was a ridiculous amount of food...everything from chicken kabobs to steaks to brats to teriyaki beef...wow! We really stuffed our faces!

Of course Sarah made her famous caramel brownies...always a hit.

Lindsay made this awesome fruit dip that I am definitely making for myself...marshmallow cream and strawberry cream cheese...yuuummmyyy!

And Miss Dannika and I probably had like a pound of Becca's cheesy potato casserole.

I can't quite remember if I posted a blog on this or not, but several weeks ago, Nick, Dannika, and I went to the Boera's house before heading to Phil's BBQ in San Diego.

They have a puppy named Belleau (like the Battle of Belleau Wood) that can best be described as extremely hyper!

Dannika LOVES dogs...like LOVES LOVES LOVES them...so when she sees one, she is naturally drawn towards them.

Unfortunately for most dogs that aren't around babies all the time, they get very territorial, and they get confused on whether or not this little human being is a person or a dog.

Belleau got a little too excited and knocked Dannika over, and Dannika spent the next few days with a big welt on her head. 

It was not a big deal since Nick and I have never been the type of parents that freak out about every bruise and scratch that a kid gets.

It turns out Victoria and Gavin had a very hyper little dog named Roxy as well.

Of course Roxy is not around babies that much either, and once again, Dannika was in love with the dog and started making her way towards Roxy.

Roxy didn't like this little human being/"dog" coming towards her and decided to nip Dannika's face.

I am laughing as I write this...am I a bad mom?? lol.

I think Victoria was more freaked out than Nick or I was.

I almost feel bad cause I wasn't really freaked out...

It's ironic though that Dannika has been wearing her A&M jersey both times that she has been attacked by the dogs...lol.

Nick and I have decided that Dannika deserves a purple heart for her battle wounds...haha.

Dannika and Sarah (note the battle wound next to her nose). The monkey hat belongs to Dannika's friend Jackson...she kept it on the majority of the night. It was hilarious...she looked very "special"

"Nice butt Jackson!"

cuteness

This is Dannika drinking out of Jackson's cup...oy!

Jackson giving Dannika a pat on the back

*********************************

Nick FINALLY finished the grouting and tiling in our yard.

I am so proud of what he's done and all the hard work he's put into it!

the grass that i killed is slowly coming back to life...

All in a days work!

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Happy 235th Birthday, Marines!

2010-11-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

I was SUPER excited about this year's Tango Battery ball.

1. We actually KNEW people

Thank you Sarah for introducing me to the other amazing Tango wives!

While the boys were deployed, I got to meet (through Sarah...who is Nick's platoon commander's wife) Becca, Lindsay, and Victoria. It was really nice to get to know the other wives who were going through the same thing I was...and Becca was pretty much a "single" mom like me for the entire deployment. They have all become good friends, and it seems like there is never a dull moment with these ladies.

I'm such a lucky girl!

2. We made the decision to NOT go to my ball this year and enjoy Nick's unit's ball

I'm not as close to my unit as I once used to be, and all the people I used to be close with have up and left...typical nature of the Marine Corps that I have yet to get used to.

Nick's ball this year was held at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.

The night started off in Ben and Sarah's room.

Ben...aka...Lt Boera was Nick's platoon commander in Afghanistan.

They were roommates...turned "BFF's".

I consider myself extremely blessed that Nick got him as his platoon commander.

I don't think there's ever been an officer that took care of Nick like he has done.

With all "BFF" jokes aside, I know he is someone that Nick really respects and has become such good friends with.

It doesn't help that Dannika loves him...and he loves Dannika.

So thanks to you Lt Boera for taking care of my man!

In about a month, Ben and Sarah will be moving away to Florida since Ben was approved for a flight package in the Marines to become a pilot.

This ball was their last "Tango" battery function.

I have a TON of pics that are on my facebook, but here are a few of my favorites from the ball...

Nick and Lt Boera

The fab Tango wives

Sarah and I

my handsome Marine...and my hero

I told you there is never a dull moment!! And yes, that is Becca talking on her purple high heel.

The Boeras...Dannika's adopted Uncle Ben

we make beautiful babies

Beautiful Lindsay, and her husband Shon

Dancing the night away


My fairytale

SO..

I'm sure you're all wondering, "Where was Dannika?"

Well once again...

My good friend Mrs. Kim Yubeta came to the rescue!!!

Not only did she watch Dannika for us...but

She offered to do my make up.

So thank you for all the compliments I got for my make up, but unfortunately, I am not that talented.

So if anyone wants their hair or make up done, my friend Kim is EXTREMELY talented.

Look for her on my facebook (Kimberly Yubeta).

I'm so lucky to have her as a friend as well!

She is one of the most amazing moms I know and one of THE best Marine wives.

Her husband Sunny was deployed a month after their son was born, and she maintained the house, took care of both of their boys (Devon and Kanoa), and I guarantee you Sunny had the best care packages, letters, and emails out of every Marine on that deployment.

I really admire how strong she is and how supportive she is of her husband.

It's very rare that you find a woman that has so much compassion and commitment to their husband.

As a Marine wife, those are things that you can not survive without!

Sunny is currently in Virginia going through sniper's school, and Kim has been going through a
"mini deployment" again.

Sunny...you are one lucky man!

Dannika got to play with her friend Kanoa who is a month younger than her.

I couldn't believe how big he had gotten since the last time I saw him!!!

Kanoa looks guilty....like he took a bite out of Dannika's cookie

Halloween Twenty Ten

2010-10-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

Whew...this month has been crazy busy for the Romer clan!

My dear bestie, "betty" just got hired with a P.D. to be a crime fighting badass.

And as happy as I am for her, I'm extremely sad that she will be leaving me here in SoCal :-(

We go way back to the days when she was a Marine at MALS-39.

Man...we've had some fun times together as single women...

It's crazy how time flies and how much things change in just a few short years.

It was literally like 3 years ago when we were tearing up the bars in Carlsbad and San Diego County!

So "Betty"...I'm not gonna get all sentimental on ya (cause we're tough chicks)...

But I am going to tell you that I love you like a sister...and I mean that!

I will definitely come visit you...and that is a PROMISE.

Good luck on your next chapter in life...

You deserve everything good that comes your way!!

Here are some pics from her going away party...Halloween style of course!

This was my other costume...Snooki...because my Greek Goddess costume was extremely itchy and uncomfy...so I improvised at the last minute!

Playing flip cup...and I sucked

*************************************

Nick and I took Dannika trick or treating this year...

It was really for us...cause we have a horrible sweet tooth and wanted free Halloween Candy.

Dannika had so much fun though, and everyone LOVED her.

She was being so sweet and waving goodbye to everyone.

I don't think she quite understood the concept though.

her official first Halloween candy

her trick or treat bag...made by yours truly

One of the houses on the street turned their front yard into one of the most elaborate home made haunted houses I've ever seen! We decided to take Dannika inside...not gonna lie...it freaked her and me out! There were like werewolves and crazy people jumping out at us. she was quite the trooper though!

this thing again?!

Sleeping Beauty

2010-10-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, before Nick and I go to bed, we like to go in and pick up Dannika to cuddle her.

She sleeps through the night now so we don't really ever have to worry about getting her back to sleep.

She's always in some random position COMPLETELY opposite of whatever position we lay her down in.

This was her last night...

This does NOT look comfy....

I have no idea how she's breathing!

Dannika also likes to "talk" on the phone.

Dia De Los Muertos

2010-10-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Nick and I took Dannika to the Dia De Los Muertos festival in San Juan today...

Dannika had a blast, and tried authentic homemade horchata for the first time...

She loved it a little too much...lol.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous today.

It was a perfect day for riding the bike...

Some of the few things I miss doing with Nick since I've had Dannika.

It seems like that bike has just been sitting in our garage since before he left on deployment in January!

It was supposed to be a "gas saver" for Nick since he was commuting to San Diego when he was on the drill field...and everyone knows his giant lifted chevy does not to too bueno on gas.

Dannika is still awesome though, and I do enjoy every minute I spend with her...even when she's being a butt.

We fall so much in love with her everyday!

There she is :-)

mmm....homemade tostada

"Grown-Up" Cups and Halloween at the Digirolamo's

2010-10-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

I gave Dannika some plastic cups to play with this week, and I caught her a few times pretending to drink out of them.

It's funny cause every time I'm drinking something out a cup, she insists on having a sip of it too.

This morning, I had Nick put a little water in her cup to see if she would take it herself...

and she thought she was so "cool"...and it's funny cause normally she will NOT drink water out of her sippy cup.

I guess I've found my way to get her to drink water.

I put her in her high chair and poured her milk from her sippy cup into her "grown-up" cup...

She drank ALL her milk from it!!

She's just growing so fast...too fast for me :-(

Last night, Nick, Dannika and I were invited to our first Halloween party of the year at the Digiloramo residence!

Becca made some delicious beanless chili...

And of course, the wine was flowing!

What a blast!

The Digiloramos!

us :-)

This is Nick's BFFFL (Best Friends Forever For Life), Ben Boera...Nick's LT....Dannika loves him...he's like THAT Uncle Ben...except for the fact he keeps trying to make her an ASU fan...we all know that I will not let that happen.

Victoria and Jackson (Becca's son)

I love this picture

The Boera's!

The Roegge's....Lindsay loves wine as much as I do!

The munchkins

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

We finally got around to carving our pumpkins this morning!

With Dannika being sick all week, it was hard to find the time do that.

It was a lot more fun this year than last year because Dannika actually tried to "help".

She tried to scoop out the guts in the pumpkins...

and even though she tried to put the seeds BACK in the pumpkin...she kinda got the idea.

Of course, since our daughter is borderline ADD...

She got bored really quick.

She spent the majority of the morning crawling around our garage...getting into everything...

and getting EXTREMELY dirty...

but we had fun!

Sick Babies Can Be Cute

2010-10-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

Her cheeks are all rosy from her fever...and check out that hair!!

The Silver Bullet

2010-10-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

Dannika woke up on Sunday morning with a 103 degree fever...

Nick and I aren't really the type of parents that freak out when babies get a little fever,

I called the hospital and talked to the "Kid's Doc"...

She told us to alternate Tylenol and Motrin,

Give her a luke warm bath to cool her off,

If she still has a fever in the morning, bring her in to the ER!

Well, we were woken up this morning at 3am by a screaming baby,

by 530am, I made the decision to take her in...

Nick is on the range this week, so he had to be at the armory by 430am, therefore, he was long gone.

They took her rectal temperature at the hospital (something Dannika DID NOT enjoy)...

Her fever had risen to 104.8 degrees...

Turns out she has a urinary tract infection...

They pumped her with antibiotics and sent us home with a prescription.

She's been doing no bueno all day :-(

And her fever has not gone down..

Here she is being miserable and freezing cold (cause of her fever), and here I am (being the asian that I am), snapping pictures away on my blackberry...poor babygirl.

Daddy/Daughter Time

2010-10-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

So much for going to the GHC (Gym, Haircut *for Nick, Commissary) today.

Miss Dannika Jane woke up with a 103 fever :-(

On a good note,

Her fever is slowly going down (thank you Tylenol),

and....

She is super cuddly :-)

Nick calls her "Small Paul" when she's wearing her Paul Frank jammies...

For some reason, I think it's the cutest nickname ever.

2nd Annual Romer Family Pumpkin Patch Trip

2010-10-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Nick brought up something cool today on our way to the irvine park railroad's pumpkin patch...

"If we do it twice, then it's a tradition."

We took Dannika last year when she was only 3 months old...

We got some cute photos, but we spent most of the time there trying to "pose" her in different pumpkin patches, and "propping" her up against pumpkins so she wouldn't fall over.

Hard to believe that this was just one year ago...

It was quite a challenge trying to prop up a 3 month old on some pumpkins.

AND NOW....

We started off the day with spending the morning at work with mama...

I had to go in for a few hours to monitor a PFT for the XO, and Nick and Dannika were great sports and hung out with me.

Right afterwards, we all went to lunch in Santa Ana at the BCD Tofu House.

It is one of our favorite Korean restaurants in town.

Then it was off to the pumpkin patch!

We had a lot more fun this year because Dannika's more aware of her surroundings.

And with keeping with the "Fall Time" theme, she was wearing her Aggie football jersey...

Being from College Station, I associate all things Fall with football...

Today actually looked and felt like Fall...which is rare is Southern California!

She was having a BLAST on this horse

Representin' the 12th Man in USC Trojan territory

picking out pumpkins with her daddy

getting her face painted

Sooo exhausted! Notice the face paint that ended up above her eyebrow...lol

Petite Little "Thang"

2010-10-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

Dannika likes to sit in the kitchen with me while I cook.

I had to put my cooking tongs down for a second to take a few pictures cause she looked so darn cute!

Yes, those are skinny jeans.

On another note...

We had her 15 month well check yesterday...

31 1/2 inches

21 pounds and 1 oz

She is our petite little Miss Thang.

The doctor was worried because she STILL isn't walking yet, and he was SURE that she would be walking by 15 months.

SOOOO....He had us go do another X-Ray to check for developmental issues

and.

She is developmentally....just fine.

She's just taking her time learning to walk, so until she walks, Dr. Shannon wants to see her every month.

I'm ok with that though.

She is feeding herself with a fork and spoon now.

She says actual words

She can point to different body parts when you ask her to.

She's a smart baby :-)

Self Feeding

2010-10-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

Dannika has recently become a "self feeder"...

She's not all that proficient at it yet, but at times, she refuses to let me feed her...

And while some mothers would consider it a blessing...

It's quite a curse when you're in a hurry and you just need to feed your baby! 

Today, we had time, so I gave her a plate and her little fork and spoon and let her go at it.

She is still sitting at her high chair right now eating...

It's been an hour....

ay....

She's such a weirdo...definitely from her father

nom nom nom

And this is what happens when you take her plate and utensils away from her when she isn't done...

don't judge me...

she's been eating for an hour and 15 minutes!

Park Day

2010-10-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

We decided to take Dannika to Pines Park in Dana Point.

It is an absolutely GORGEOUS day outside, and perfect weather to take some updated photos of Dannika.

She had an absolute blast!

Goin' down the slide with daddy

Daddy's bored...

Exhausted from the park

Never a Dull Moment

2010-10-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

It was really quiet in the house, so I walked out to the living room to see Dannika gainfully employed with a diet A&W root beer can....

Beautiful Moments

2010-10-08T16:07:00.001-07:00

Surfing the internet with daddy...

Fall is in the Air!

2010-10-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

I've been awful about updating lately...
DON'T JUDGE ME! 
All my fellow bloggers have been seriously slacking on their personal/family blogs themselves...
so I don't feel TOO bad.

Fall time is finally here.
I am totally looking forward to taking Dannika to the pumpkin patch this year...
hot cocoa...
Thanksgiving...
cooler weather (well for California at least).

Dannika is growing and changing everyday!
It's a little crazy.
She is still not a walker...
but she's an official furniture cruiser.
She will have a complete conversation with you now too...well she babbles...if you talk to her
She is also an official self feeder.....
and by self feeder, I mean...

She can eat with a spoon and fork all by herself!!!

As for Nick...
He went back to work last week and is in full swing.
It was so nice having him around all the time, 
But I knew it was too good to last :-(

On the bright side, it is definitely nice having him to go to bed with every night.

I love my family...

I love what we are... 

I love what we're becoming...

Yes...those are chopsticks in her hand! My mom is a firm believer that Asian children do well in school because they are taught to use chopsticks at an early age...something to do with using motor skills and concentration. I figured since she's already feeding herself with a spoon and fork, I might as well throw in chopsticks. She hasn't quite figured it out yet (obviously), but I'm familiarizing her with them!

We also got a nice visit from one of Nick's best friends from the Marine Corps, Brandon.

Brandon and his family live in Alabama...

So we don't get to see them very often.

I finally got to meet his beautiful wife and her two beautiful children!

It was a short visit, but they were so much fun to hang out with!

I just wished they didn't live so far away from us!

Brandon and Heather

The Original boys of 2/11 Golf Battery...Operation Phanton Fury and the River Blitz in Iraq....this is some serious bromance!

The beautiful Kelsey

The boys

Dannika, Kelsey, and Brice. They were in love with Dannika!

Nick has also started tiling our back porch!!

I'm so lucky to be married to such a handy man!

The built in BBQ is next on the list

Caught digging through her bag

Checking out what's on the tube

My new hair cut...thanks C.V. from Daniel Michael Salon!

OPA!

2010-09-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

Opa is German for "grandpa".

That's what Dannika calls my father in law cause he has VERY proud German roots.

Him and his Basset Hound, Basil drove all the way from Delaware this past week to visit us.

The last time they saw Dannika was exactly one year ago.

For everyone who knows...Dannika is a whole different baby than a year ago.

Even Opa said, "She was so helpless a year ago, and look at her now!"

I started my first week of work since leave this week so I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked with him, Basil, Dannika, and Nick.

And of course for those of you who know...

I've been going through a LOT this week, so it was a little rough...

But...

we made the best of it.

Opa found a German restaurant in Anaheim called the Jagerhaus and we went out there to try some German food.

It was an experience for me.

We took him to Pizza Port in San Clemente.

He LOVES good beer...

and by "good beer" I mean sophisticated beers.

No "backyard beer" (Bud Light, Coors Light, etc) for him.

We figured he'd like Pizza Port because they have awesome pizza and really delicious beer.

He ended up really like their "Moose Drool"

Nick and his dad have a lot in common when it comes to DIY home improvement projects.

It seems like every time he comes out to visit...

He does SOMETHING to beautify our home.

I'm so lucky to have TWO men in my life that can do that kind of stuff!

Otherwise, I'd be broke trying to hire contractors, etc. to do things around the house for me.

Dannika also loved getting to spend time with her Opa and Basil.

Basil looked annoyed most of the time with her always tugging at his tail...ears...poking him...

but,

Basil was such a good sport.

Thanks dog!

Below are some pics from the week.

We got to take some cute Grandpa/Granddaughter pics, but those are for later!

Dannika making a silly face and Basil not looking too thrilled

College Station Pride!

The two puppies

Hi Opa!

Father and son....see the resemblence?

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Through Good Times and in Bad...

2010-09-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

Things have been a little k-R-a-Z-y in my life right now...

Lots going on, and not enough answers to the problems.

These two faces always make me smile though...

and for that one simple moment...

All my troubles disappear.

Finally Time for a Breather...and of course an Update!

2010-09-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Romer's are finally back from our vacation!

This past month has been CRAZY busy for us...

*Nick's homecoming from Afghanistan

*Lydia's wedding in Houston TWO days after he got home

*Back to Cali for a week and a half

*Back to Texas to drop Dannika off with Grandma

*Then to PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC for Nick and I

*Back to Texas to pick up Dannika

*Back to Cali

*And Nick's dad and his dog Basil come out TONIGHT to visit us for a week

So I'll start with our vacation...

Punta Cana was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. We got there just after the hurricane had passed through, so "Praise the Lord", we had beautiful weather the entire week we were there!

We stayed at the Riu Palace which is the best resort in Punta Cana. It was ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. Nick and I had a suite. The hotel was beautiful, the resort was beautiful, the staff was sooo friendly, and I felt like royalty the whole time I was there!


The cocktails were plenty and yes...Nick and I participated in some adult beverage drinking while we were there!

The resort had some sort of show every night for entertainment. Let me tell ya...those Dominicans can DANCE!

This is Nick and I in the safari bus on the way to our ziplining through the Dominican jungle's canopy adventure. The ride up the mountain was CRAZY bumpy, and we ran into a herd of random cows on the way up. Nick and I made the mistake of not bringing any CASH with us on our trip since we had an all inclusive trip....we figured we wouldn't need any. We were wrong. Cause when we went ziplining, they took away all our cameras and forced us to buy the pictures on CD that their own photographer took. Unfortunately for us, we had no cash....so we didn't get any cool ziplining pictures. However, the experience was awesome. I had some trouble with the zipline cause I didn't weigh enough so I kept spinning in circles in the middle of the cable. The guy had to come save me a few times cause I got stuck! It was a lot of hiking through the jungle, but being strapped to a cable and just sliding above the canopy was truly a breathtaking experience! I'm glad we did it! What an experience!

On our third day, we took a snorkeling, swimming with sharks and stingrays, and kayaking trip. It was by far my FAVORITE day in Punta Cana. The weather was a little cloudy, but the water was so clear. They took us out in the middle of the ocean on a boat to this little man made island. From there they we did some snorkeling and kayaking. The coolest thing was getting to swim with sharks...REAL LIVE SHARKS! For those of you who know Nick, know his fear of sharks...which is the biggest reason why he refuses to swim in the ocean back in Cali. It turns out, I'm more afraid of them than he is! We also got to hold a stingray and swim with them too! It was so much fun.

The majority of the vacationers we saw in Punta Cana were Europeans. They were a little too weird for us (meaning their customs and lack of modesty was a little much for Nick and I!). We met a small group of Americans at the hotel pool who had decided to band together as Americans in the midst of all the foreigners! Most of the couples were honeymooners. Meeting them made the vacation so much more fun. We also randomly met a former Marine and his new wife. Nick and him seemed to have a lot more to talk about having the Marine Corps in common.

The vacation was a success and very much needed. The last day, I got really sick so I spent the day just relaxing in the hotel room. We have already decided on planning our next vacation next year! Costa Rica or England! We were happy to be coming back though cause we missed Dannika so much!

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MISS DANNIKA JANE

She is a totally different baby than she was a month ago!

It is so crazy all the changes she has gone through since Nick has been home.

As you all know, she is a 'late' bloomer when it comes to walking and standing because she has 'loose hips'

She finally starting standing up at my mom's house while Nick and I were on vacation!

She also babbles quite a bit, and her vocabulary has gotten bigger!

She can say...

"yes"

"Jesus"

"dada"

"mama"

"hi"

She also can...

*high five

*wave hi and bye when people leave or when we leave somewhere

*blow kisses

*give hugs

*hold a cell phone up to her ear (more like the back of her head, but she gets the idea)

*ride a bike

*play peek a boo

*brush her "hair"

*can do squats (she does them to show off all the time)

*can cop an attitude when things don't go her way

*dance to music

*share her food with you...sometimes shoving it in your mouth when you don't want it

*shakes her head "no"

*"pour" water from one container to another

*organize and somewhat clean up her toys

She just seems to keep growing and won't stop!

Nick's 1st TRUE Experience as a Father

2010-09-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

***WARNING***

GRAPHIC CONTENT

Since Dannika was born, I've been the ONLY one that has EVER had to deal with Dannika's most HORRENDOUS poopy diapers.

The first time I ever had to deal with it was a rushed morning before daycare.

I literally threw her in the tub with all her clothes on.

Her poop had seeped through her diaper all the way up her onesie to her back...(there's a gross picture for you to think of.)

Nick wasn't deployed yet, but he was conveniently at work earlier than me that morning.

The next few times was after he deployed...

I've dealt with teething poopy diapers...

stomach flu poopy diapers...

bad food poopy diapers...

I've seen it all.

I've always told Nick that it will soon be HIS turn...

well...he finally got his turn, and I got it all on video...hahaha.

Splishy Splashy

2010-09-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

This is how asian grandmas bathe their grandchildren...

in a teeny tiny wash tub inside a big tub.

Apparently, it works though cause she was having a ball in there!!

My Playful Little Baby

2010-09-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

First TRUE Family Weekend

2010-08-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by my previous blog posts, this weekend has been our FIRST weekend at home since Nick's been back.

It was so nice to finally get to just hang out with our little family.

I swear she's a totally different baby since Nick's been home.

Her personality is REALLY shining through.

Another really neat milestone...

For those of you who know...Dannika has "loose hips".

She's been a late bloomer when it comes to walking, pulling herself up on furniture, etc., because she's so flexible and wobbly...

Since Nick's been home...she started pulling herself up on her feet...

It's her "new thing" now so she wants to pull herself up on EVERYTHING!

She's so in love with her daddy...

I love just watching them "hang out".

Nick and I decided to take her to the beach today...

She had a BLAST in the sand...

Since the water is F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G in Cali...she isn't a big fan of it...

But she had a blast rolling around in the sand.

Unfortunately for Nick and I...

SAND + GREASY SUNSCREEN COVERED BABY = BIG PAIN IN THE BUTT

But it was worth it :-)

Starting her young...

Dannika's "NEW" Digs

2010-08-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

I began redecorating Dannika's nursery when Nick deployed.

It was a way for me to pass time...

And I hated how her original nursery was.

I hate the typical baby pink nursery with lambs, ballerinas, and flowers, etc...

I wanted to be a little "edgier"...

I took myself to Lowe's and found the brightest hot pink paint I could find and some black paint...

I proceeded to paint her walls...all by my lonesome.

It was EXHAUSTING since I was moving furniture around by myself and painting from ceiling to floors all by myself...

But when it was finally finished, I was COMPLETELY satisfied. 

I've always liked the combination of zebra and hot pink...

I think it's sexy, yet edgy...and if put together right, it can even be classy...

For the Marine Corps ball last year, I wore a hot pink strapless dress and zebra heels...

ANYWAYS....

I never got to finish the room before Nick got home, cause I wanted him to help me...

WELL....WE ARE DONE!

I AM IN LOVE WITH IT!

Close up of the knobs on her new furniture...this is the reason why I chose this style

More Catching Up

2010-08-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to going through my camera.

Turns out, I had a lot of great pictures I forgot I had taken from Nick's homecoming and Lydi and Aaron's wedding.

Enjoy <3 !

This one was taken by Erin Dietrich Photography. It's so neat she captured this. Nick was bombarded by the press at his homecoming. I think it's cause of Dannika :-)

I made him get a picture of him with my sign

Nick's BFF/Irish twin...Geoffrey. We were fortunate enough to have him out here in Cali from Hawaii for Nick's homecoming because he was going through a course that the Marine Corps offers to SNCO's. It was a real treat for Nick, and I finally got to meet him!

As soon as we got home, Nick wanted to feed Dannika. The best way to her heart is through her stomach...

Of course, Nick wanted Tak-A-O Sushi the first night he was back.

Lovers

Nick came to visit me at work and Dannika fell asleep on our couch in the office.

We met the famous wrestler, "The Great Khali" in the hotel lobby in Houston before going to my sister's rehearsal. Nick is 6'1...the Great Khali is 7'3

This is Nick, Dannika, and one of Nick's good friends from the Marine Corps, "Wilson"...oh and his Harley. He drove ALL the way from Houston to College Station on that thing to visit us! It's become a tradition that we see Wilson every time we get a chance to go to Texas. It was a real treat!


Just for laughs. We wanted to see what my little princess would look like with hair...it turned out more "emo" than anything.

Busy Busy Busy...but as a Family of 3 :-)

2010-08-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

He's finally home!

After expecting him home as early as the 7th, he ended up arriving on the 10th!

I have never anticipated something so much in my entire life.

The morning of the 10th, my nerves were going C-R-A-Z-Y!

I forced myself to go on a quick run to calm my nerves, and got myself together to get my man.

After they arrived on base, the waiting was AWFUL...

You know...

the whole turning in weapons thing took FOREVER.

Thank God Nick's friend Geoffrey was there along with Erin (Dannika's photographer...lol) to keep me company.

After waiting for nearly 2 hours...

I finally got to give him the biggest hug and kiss...like 7 months worth!

We became the Romer's again...

I can't even describe the feeling...the emotions...AHHH!

It took Dannika a little bit to get used to having someone else around, but she is absolutely in love with her daddy...especially since he spoils her...too much sometimes :-)

It's so great to have him home with us again!

and of course...a special thanks to Erin Dietrich Photography for the photos and making my homecoming so special!

My sign that I made for him...he will get crap for this forever

patiently waiting on daddy...

Missed him SO MUCH!

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I've been waiting 7 months for this moment...

Finally just the 3 of us again

Not sure what to think yet..."Hey, we have the same ears!"

Getting her used to daddy again

Daddy's girl

He won her over with the teddy bear he bought for her in Ireland

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Two days after he got back, we flew to Texas for my baby sister's wedding.

After a stressful day leading up to the actual wedding...

the wedding turned out absolutely perfect.

Dannika was such a hit at the wedding!

We weren't sure if people remembered it was Lydia and Aaron's wedding...lol.

The wedding was held at Ashton Gardens in Houston.

The ceremony was beautiful, and the reception was a BLAST!

The weather was AWFUL....gotta love Texas summers, right?

106 degrees with a ridiculous amount of humidity...

You know it's hot when 1) the professional photographer doesn't want pictures outdoors cause they're afraid our make up would melt and 2) at 9 at night, it's 98 degrees outside...

Aaron's friends and groomsmen from up North were all wonderful, and I was blessed to have gotten to meet all of them.

Lots of tears, laughter, and smiles...

I couldn't ask for a better brother-in-law.

Congrats to Dr. and Mrs. Yang!!!

and Welcome to the Kim family Aaron!! You're in for a real treat ;-)

The matchmaker (Aunt Sharon) and my mom

Son in law and mom

the dress

at the hotel before the wedding

Great grandma and Dannika

Our LAST Weekend as "Mommy and Me"

2010-08-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

This week has been the L-O-N-G-E-S-T week of my life.

my life.

I had no desire to focus on anything but my family being together again this entire week.

I'm pretty sure all I did this week was daydream about Nick.

I started doing last minute things....

I got Nick's truck maintenance up to date and washed.

I got his truck AND motorcycle registered at the DMV (where I wanted to stab my eye out waiting).

and most importantly....

Nick's favorite beer in a mini keg...all cold and ready for him in our fridge....now we just need him to come home to drink it!

I caught Dannika this morning in the pantry...she figured it out...

Addicted to Excercise?

2010-08-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

Never.

I do believe there is such thing as an unhealthy exercise habit.

I used to be one of those people.

I used to live in the gym or on the pavement running miles and miles and miles and miles....

I ran to the point where I now have chronic knee, hip, and groin pain when I run.

Although it has gotten a LOT better, it's still something that I just have to live with.

I used to have serious anxiety and would lose sleep at night when I didn't feel like I had an good 2 hour cardio "sesh".

Most of it was fear of becoming overweight.

It's still my fear, but I'm not obsessed with weight like I used to be.

Being pregnant made me appreciate the human body in ways that a man will never understand.

Our bodies are an awesome creation of God...it craves attention from you to exercise it...push it to its' limits...our muscles are made to work FOR YOU...our bodies do amazing things like nurture a child inside of it until he or she is ready to come out (can I get an "amen" from all my mothers out there!)..it tells you when to slow down...it hurts when something is wrong...it feels good when you're taking care of it and you're keeping it in shape....

Our bodies have the power to heal itself...

How amazing is that?!

During my pregnancy with Dannika, I gained roughly 55lbs. Healthy weight gain for pregnancy is 25-35lbs. I gained 5-5.

After she was born, it was hard for me to find the motivation to exercise and get back into shape.

6 months after giving birth, I was 147lbs....that is 27 pounds more than what I used to weigh.

Nick leaving on deployment was a blessing in itself.

It got me remotivated to start being healthy again.

I started running again...but this time....

I added resistance training and cross training.

My diet completely changed.

The result?

I've lost 32 lbs since Nick has left....I've never felt better in my entire LIFE!

I guess you'll just have to wait and see the pictures when Nick comes home...

Breathe, Relax...

2010-08-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

We are less than a week away from being a family of THREE again.

I have been a wreck the last two weeks!

My face has been breaking out like crazy...

I have been having crazy, crazy, crazy insomnia.

I'm exhausted in the evenings, but I just toss and turn in my bed thinking about being reunited with Nick again.

I feel like the house is a mess still.

I want to make sure Nick's truck is all in order.

I feel like I don't have time to do ANYTHING with work and Dannika.

This last week has been dragging by...S---O........S---L---O---W.

Nick is now on a different part of Camp Leatherneck, so he has access to a really crappy wifi connection that we skype on...sorta....it disconnects like every 10 seconds, but I'll take anything!

I went on a major shopping spree last weekend.

I bought an outfit to wear to the homecoming...amongst just a FEW other things...oops

and splurged on some Kate Spade slingbacks...(pictures to come later).

With all this anxiety and anticipation...I'm going absolutely crazy.

Today, I finally decided to just breathe...relax...and let the time go...

"Time to shave my legs!"


Don't let this face fool you...cause behind this smile...is an anxiety attack waiting to happen!

We both have to put up with eachother's craziness...I'm dealing with her teething...and she's dealing with my stress...we're both a hot mess

SKYPING WITH DADDY!

Last week...

2010-08-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

I love my friends.

This weekend is possibly my last free weekend before Nick gets home.

Him and his LT in Afghanistan have become "BFF's".

I became facebook friends with his wife, Sarah a few months ago.

We FINALLY got together today...she invited a few of the other wives from Tango Battery.

We have one week before our boys are supposed to get home!!!!

My friend Taryn, whom I haven't seen since my BABY SHOWER came out with her two little boys too!

I've known her since we were both privates in the Marine Corps...how crazy is that?!?!

We were roomies in MOS school.

She is a SUPER MOM to her two boys (3 and 5)!

I thought it was rough with one baby alone while working full time, but she does it with TWO going through their terrible...3's and 5's.

Of course my badass chicka T-Stahr came out to play as well! I hardly ever to get to see her, but I've been blessed with her presence TWICE in the last month. That rarely ever happens.

Today was fun...

But I am ready for my man to be home!

Sorry for the quality of the pics...they were all taken on my blackberry. Silly me forgot to bring my camera...

Jackson and Dannika...and my prego Danni in the background...hehe.

Taryn and Austin


Little Ryan

And lastly...my friend T-stahr

Dannika after our evening run on the beach.

6 months and 2 weeks down....2 WEEKS TO GO!

2010-07-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

I was pleasantly surprised today with my FAVORITE flowers (gerbera daisies) and this wonderful note from my husband. I LOVE getting "just because" flowers.

Sorry I've been slacking on this blog lately, but my internet has been C-R-A-Z-Y this last week. Cox Communications had to come out 3 TIMES to finally fix it. As frustrated as I was with everything, it still does not change the fact that my better half will be here with me in just TWO SHORT WEEKS....actually...it'll be the two longest weeks of my life!! I have so much anxiety about him coming home that I've been stressing myself out. I should be SO happy and excited that the deployment is finally coming to an end, but the anxiousness of just "waiting" is getting to me! My face is breaking out like I'm 15 again! Thank you Dr. Faraz (my "girl" doc) for prescribing me some Yaz to control my crazy face by the time Nick gets home...............amongst other things....hahaha.

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I got an email a few days ago from Dore Gilbert (Dr. Gilbert) saying that the Army FINALLY approved his commission.

Most of you would think..."woo hoo...what's the big deal? People join the Army every day." BUT...Successful doctors with their own practice with decades of work experience, a long list of loyal patients, and a blessed life with 5 wonderful children and a beautiful wife who's been with you since you were in your 20's don't just wake up one day and say..."I think I'll join the military because I have a valuable skill that they need right now."

With the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military is short on doctors. With so many servicemembers getting injured, it's tough on the military to give all these guys the attention they need because of the lack of medical personnel....when it's them...of all people that deserve all the best healthcare treatment and care that they need so that they can either return to serving their country or be able to maximize their abilities despite their injuries to live a normal life again.

I truly admire Dr. Gilbert. I've never met anyone in my life who is so compassionate about our country and the freedoms that we have.

I met him through his son, Kevin who was recruited out of my office. The Gilbert family has become an extended family to me. When Nick deployed, they took Dannika and I into their family with open arms. I've spent a good portion of my Sunday evenings since Nick's been gone having a good homecooked family meal with their entire family. That, and I can't say no to Gloria's cooking.

I consider myself blessed to have 3 sets of parents...Nick's parents...my parents...and the Gilbert's.

So today was Dore's unofficial swearing in...as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army. I was privileged and honored to be able to attend. It was so inspiring!

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LASTLY...

Dannika had a playdate today with Kanoa :-) She got to go swimming!

Kanoa has a foot fetish....

Don't they make a cute couple?

Mommyhood, Wifehood, and Marinehood

2010-07-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

What do these two things have in common????

Give Up??

They are two things that I am extremely proud of.

Let me explain.

The first picture is a picture of the plaque I won last year for being Rookie Recruiter of the Year. I'm proud of it because it's the first time in my entire time as a Marine that I really achieved something. My entire career up to that point...I was just "there". I showed up to work on time everyday, did what I was told, and tried not to complain. I never really did anything TOO spectacular, but I considered myself a "good Marine". I came on recruiting duty with a drive to do something better, and to really be good at something for once.

That little piece of wood with an NCO sword in it and a little green and orange ribbon that I received (NAM)...to me...isn't even worth what I put myself through.

I spent the 3/4 of my first year of recruiting duty pregnant. I TC'ed, AC'ed, and did high school visits with a giant prego belly. I worked 60 hour weeks...and with Nick in tow...I did 3am MEPS runs to LA while dealing with being pregnant, fat, heavy, and miserable. I threw up in the middle of a class talk. By month 7, I couldn't even fit into my coraframs or my boots. I did interviews in sweat pants and LARGE Marine Corps t-shirts cause that's all I felt comfortable in, and that was all that i could breathe in.

Did I do it all on my own???

HELL NO.

My team was awesome. They hooked me up...

They were there for me.

That was my first year on recruiting duty. The only thing that mattered to me was being a good recruiter and writing contracts...that was it.

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The second picture is my daughter, Dannika Jane Romer.

She is the proudest accomplishment that I have in my life. There is nothing that tops her. When she came along, my entire world changed. Contracts didn't matter anymore. Being a "balla" at all hands didn't matter anymore.

All that mattered to me was that I was going to be enough of a mother to her to grow up to become a successful, loved, beautiful woman. That was tough for me because I spend more time at work than I do with her sometimes.

When Nick left for Afghanistan, I had to choose between being a good recruiter and being a good mom. I couldn't be both on my own...I know women that can, but I'm just not one of them. I chose to focus on motherhood.

**************************************************

So what is the purpose of this blog?

***************************************************

I had a long talk with my RI (recruiter instructor) today at work. At first it was an ass chewing...about how much I sucked (pretty much). Then it became mentorship.

I learned a lot about myself, being a mother, a wife....

and this job....

I guess you'll just really have to truly know me to know the rest of this story...

but so far, it's pointing to a happy ending.

Happy 1st Birthday, ~Dannika Jane~!

2010-07-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

I have been so excited for Dannika to turn ONE for so long....

until today...

I was really happy to make her day extra special for her this morning, and all I could think about at work today was her.

I left work a little earlier than usual today to pick her up from daycare to spend a little more time with her this evening.

It hit me on the drive home today, that my precious babygirl was not getting any younger...and neither was I.

It really made me sad.

If this first year flew by the way it did...I can't imagine the day when she's 18 and leaving Nick and I to go explore the world.

Time truly is precious and way too short...

Dear Dannika...

Wow...you've officially made it through your FIRST year of life! It's so hard to believe that just a short 6 months ago when your daddy was leaving for Afghanistan, you were barely learning to sit up on your own! Look at you now...crawling everywhere...pulling yourself up on things. You're a little behind as far as walking, crawling on your knees, and standing, but we're not worried. You'll do it when you're ready. We blame daddy because you inherited his EXTREMELY narrow feet. Everyone says you're gonna be tall cause of your big 'ol head. I guess the head grows first???? Big head...narrow feet...walking is going to take a little bit longer...lol. This first year has been challenging and fun, and I don't regret any of it. You bring so much joy into our lives it's crazy. Everyone that ever meets you falls instantly in love with you. Daddy's gonna have his work cut out for him when you're old enough to discover BOYS. When you see other little boys, you are an instant flirt. You babble to them, point to them, clap your hands at them, and do whatever you can to get their attention. You can be bashful too though...when you're playing hard to get. It's hilarious for me to watch, but I know I won't be saying that in 15 years. When people look at you, they instantly say that you definitely inherited daddy's ears. I think they're beautiful. People often mistake you for a little boy when we don't put HUGE flowers and bows on your head because of your lack of hair. I think you're the cutest baby alive (but I may be a little biased). You love Nick Jr...everything on it. When Yo Gabba Gabba, Dora, or the Wonderpets come on, you clap your hands to songs and get lost in it sometimes.

You've got a bond with mommy that most babies will never ever EVER have with their mommies. You've spent the majority of your first year of life with your mommy. You've helped her cope with the stress of daddy being away...and you've become her "BFF". You're a complete mama's girl. We've survived this deployment TOGETHER...just the two of us. When mommy has a bad day, your smile instantly makes her day better.

You're a handful...but worth every bit of it...

We love you Dannika Jane....

Her "Birthday Suit" that i made for her

Morning before daycare...

the World Famous Sprinkles red velvet cupcake

Happy Birthday, Dannika Jane! We celebrated...just the two of us after mommy got off work today.

Not sure what to do with this thing yet...

Now she gets it...

YUMMY...

Wow...I want it to be my birthday EVERYDAY!

BIRTHDAY MORNING...soooo tired.

She has "attachment issues" to her "blanky"

Friends...Always Show Up When You Need them the Most

2010-07-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

I think these last few weeks of the deployment have been the most stressful.

Just dealing with life and having no one to really talk to about what I'm going through makes it rough.

I've felt like crying...giving up...

I just needed someone to ask me... "Hey...are you ok? How are you doing?"

Sarah to the rescue...

I feel like I really have no friends here in Orange County, and I've lived here for 2 years now.

I hate how the Marine Corps always seems to separate me from my close friends.

I have very few true close girlfriends in my life.

We've been through thick and thin together, and we're still friends.

We've never judged each other.

We've always been there for each other...even from afar.

We've always forgiven each other.

That's what true friends are.

MISS SARAH PRINCESS (yes...Princess is her ACTUAL middle name on her birth certificate)

I was surprised today by Sarah. Totally random trip to come visit us!

I ALWAYS have things to talk about with Sarah.

She understands the "asian" side of me.

She listens...

a day filled with conversation about Louis Vuittons, relationships, babies, and gossip.

AND

"Linner" at the Sundried Tomato Cafe

This weekend made me forget temporarily about "life"...

I felt free for a moment.

"Everything's gonna be ok"

Some pics of my babygirl....

She has figured out how to "lowcrawl" under our coffee table....she DEFINITELY has two Marine parents.

Playing with her toys...

Just Thoughts

2010-07-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

I need to start praying again.

I think all these feelings of stress, anxiety, and anxiousness I'm experiencing is God's way of telling me that until I start talking to him, I'm not going to feel any better.

Thanks God. You have such creative ways to remind me to talk to you.

So day 1 is today.

I'm going to pray pray pray!

So I need everyone to pray pray pray for me!

thanks!

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My unhappy teething baby...yes ladies and gents...those chompers have NOT come in yet, and it is driving mommy a little mentally insane.

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I found this picture of Lucky on my sister's friend's facebook page last night. It made me smile...and it made me sad he isn't with us anymore :-( What a cute pic though, huh?

Dannika's First 4th of July and "Dol"

2010-07-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

"Dol" means First Birthday in Korean, by the way.

I am so blessed with such a wonderful family.

My dad flew Dannika and I out for 4th of July weekend to throw Dannika a traditional Korean First Birthday. First Birthdays are a big deal...but they're an even bigger deal in the Korean tradition.

Here are the pics from our FAB weekend!

In front of our parent's house

Why do I love Texas??? Patriotism. This was not planned. Every house on my parent's street flew an American flag in their yard on 4th of July!

Dannika and her "Gigi" (grandma) hanging out on the walkway to our house.

Before leaving to go to Houston for the big Birthday bash!

My parents house...of course we have an American flag out front!!!

She was a little scared by all the commotion after singing "Happy Birthday"...yes...that is frosting on her face.

Beautiful Princess in her traditional Korean Princess Dress.

In the Korean tradition...on the first birthday, they put rice, yarn, and pencils in front of the baby to see which one they pick. If they pick the yarn it means that they'll live a long life...if they pick the rice it means they'll live a wealthy life...if they pick the pencils, they'll be extremely intelligent. Dannika picked the rice and the pencil at the same time! I guess she'll be supporting Nick and I!! haha

Dannika and her great grandparents!

Aunt Sharon, Dannika, and my grandma

Dannika and my Uncle Scott (she was intrigued by her orange)

Uncle James

She loves playing with my baby cousins Sophia and Joshua! They LOVED her!

My Aunt Hanah (who catered the ENTIRE party), and Dannika with "pigtails"

Our last day in Texas.... :-(