GS started crawling this week. He’s suprisingly fast, but not quite fast enough to keep up with suddenly long-legged older sisters.
GS turned 9 months old yesterday.
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The contrast of black and white are what newborns see best until their eyesight develops more. Just stand in front of baby with your zebra dress and baby will be very happy!! 
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We celebrated our oldest granddaughter’s 4th birthday on Saturday at our house. All four grandkids were at the house (4,2,1 and 3 months), along with three great grandparents (my mom and in-laws). Being a grandmother is so much fun!!
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Now that my grandson is walking ( he is 1 y.o.), they will be even busier than ever.
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Healthy baby girl born Saturday, 7 lb 7 oz, between 19 1/2 and 20 1/2 inches (can’t remember as SIL and I were discussing all the 4 children’s length at birth). Mom did well (SIL said she delivered like a champ). Will see them again on the 24th for baptism. The family is moving to TX, leaving July 1. Finalizing the company to pack and move them. All went well taking care of the older 3. I know I will have to fly to TX at least twice a year and stay for a few weeks to have my happy connection with the grands - will work that out once the family gets settled in and we can check calendars. I have to get cataract surgery, so will look to scheduling that soon.
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They are moving 2 weeks after she gave birth?
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21 days after giving birth. DD has been a champ on all fronts - supported her DH’s move into Army (to go into cyber security), was managing her FT job with the 3 little ones while he was away with training Sept - May (he had generous Thanksgiving and Christmas through New Year’s as that was what the instructors got). Originally family was going to not move until Dec/Jan, but because SIL cannot stay in the barracks - had to move up the family move.
DD, as a result of this change, did look to new city to see what nursing jobs were open at the VA Hospital there - and her exact manager position was open. She sent in her application, and after the position was ‘closed’ she was interviewed (last Thursday, and Friday was her last work day). She had the baby Saturday, and found out Monday she has the job – so they will be doing the job transfer for her, and once she completes her 12 weeks paid maternity, she will start in her new hospital. This week she is on sick leave.
A big relief because as enlisted, they would be living on beans and rice with only his employment (the housing allowance is based on family size, so we will see what that will be for the new city and family size increase from 5 to 6).
DD will also see a very significant pay increase in the new city (and that cost of living is not higher, or much higher than where they are now - but the area medical pay and other factors give her a real boost). Also the hospital is bigger, so she will be over-seeing more personnel. They want her to get a Master’s, and there is a one year certification that she will get first.
SIL will now have to really step up to the plate. She has already spelled out to him that he will take the 2 littles to daycare while she takes the 2 older kids to Catholic school at the start of school.
One is physically ‘capable’ of a lot at age 29.
Sometimes high performers do very well with closely managed time. SIL is going to have to follow her lead on all that she has been taking care of - and I believe he is willing to do so because the kids are doing wonderfully well.
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Congratulations, @SOSConcern! A baby girl! Wonderful!. You have been an amazing support to your D and her family. I hope you will get to visit them often.
GS, now 6 and a kindergarten ‘graduate’, and GD, now 4, have a fun and busy summer ahead. This means H and I will also be busy. They are enrolled in zoo camp, preschool summer camp, soccer, swimming lessons, baseball, tennis lessons, golf lessons, hockey camp, and dance. D was the master scheduler and made sure there was plenty to do but carefully spread throughout the summer. There will also be lots of time for bike and scooter riding, trips to the parks, and playing with neighborhood friends.
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Congratulations @SOSConcern. Can’t believe your daughter is able to pull off a move three weeks after having a baby. At that point mine couldn’t make it to the grocery store.
I’m sure they are going to miss having you nearby.
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I assume either the army or the new job is doing the packing up and moving for them. That type of move is easier than moves done on your own.
That said, your daughter will have four children under the age of six (I think), a full-time job, and will also be going to school? Wow.
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Congratulations @SOSConcern.
My mom had a 3 year old and a one year old when she was surprised by the “third” being twins during their birth. She said that the only way she could survive was because my dad’s sister moved in with them to help out. @SOSConcern, my mom’s story really drives home to me how amazing your D is to be able to handle everything on her plate. You should be very proud.
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Four year old is going to day camp at her preschool and a week of chicken farm camp!
2 year old is basically going to grandma camp.
(They also will be camping in the woods for two weeks and spending a week or two at the Shore with us.)
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On Monday, they had two moving company guys come to do the quote on the move. I was there for both, and I was there alone for the first one as they arrived home late morning (hospital discharge with healthy momma/baby). Yes the Army is moving them (and doing most of the packing), and the family is taking some things in a U Haul towed behind their Toyota Odyssey - precious items to transport, all their clothing and other needs during the week or so time period, kid’s mattress tops for stay at family along the way and at the house as their stuff arrives. One moving company will give an exact date with when their stuff arrives, and the other a date range - I believe they will go with the exact date company. The amount of weight moved (paid for) is based on rank, so they will go over that, which is fine (they have the money with DD’s job) – I told them don’t get rid of stuff only to buy again – they have ordered a new dining room set so they won’t have that moved, but all the rest of their stuff is needed. SIL has paternity leave, so DD has him to do all the heavy stuff, as well as manage the 22 month old - the older two can follow mom’s directions.
DD has been ‘all in’ with being patient on her DH to develop his career. Thankfully her exact job was open at the new location VA Hospital and she was hired for it - so this week she is on her sick leave, and then 12 weeks maternity leave. They will have their new nest ‘settled in’ and DD may begin some of the work on the 1 year certification (putting off working on the Master’s for another year or so) - and the VA will pay for that certification with her working for them for 2 years (the period of time SIL’s Army commitment). During this past year, DD realized that her career is too vital to their family, and she is really enjoying her career success. I may have said this before, but there is an annual award at each VA hospital for ‘unsung hero’ - and DD recently received this award (nursing management said the committee’s vote for her was unanimous).
DD/SIL have a really nice set up in TX - nice house that was built only a year ago but has nice sod lawn, fenced back yard; delivery of new LG washer/dryer with 2nd floor laundry (so all the kids clothes stay on 2nd floor). Once they are settled, I will coordinate with DD when she would like me to fly in an be there for a few weeks - this can give the parents a breather while I can have time with the kids/family.
When I arrived Saturday, I was told all the laundry basket clothes in the master bedroom were clean. I was going through and folding/putting away, and I realized SIL must have totted some dirty clothes in there and ‘forgotten’ to get them in the washer/dryer - and had them mixed in with the clean clothes, so I stopped to verify with him about the laundry (since they were on their way home). Monday, before I left, his solution was washing everything - which was fine. He started while I was visiting with DD before I left.
I saw SIL stepping up more when DD was pg with the 3rd. Except for the holidays, he was absent Sept - May. He is on track with his career, and over the past two years I believe he has come to the realization that they will be a dual career couple for the near future. I truly think they need to be at least until they own a home and his career can clearly support the family – but I think they will see that her FT earnings are important for family QOL. But their call.
I am hoping after his Army commitment, he will continue his career where they are, so DD will not have to go through another big family move. Moving from a rent home to their own home would be a plus in a few years.
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What will your SIL be doing with the military? Frequent relocations are commonplace with the military. A friend’s S and DIL (s is a friend of my s, so is in his mid-late 30’s), is career military and just posted this (move # 8!!):
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We have had some wonderful summer programs in our city area which I was a ‘master planner’ to fit in all the fun stuff for them/varied stuff for DD1 and DD2. Got their input on choices as they got older. They both were able to do a leadership one week program (that the city has similar for new Chamber of Commerce business leaders), and also then lots of away things as they were older. DD1 (busy mom) reminded me that those leadership programs were a help to her along the way with her nursing career. DD1 also had done a year of Air Force ROTC, and her close older female cousin is an Air Force Lt Col (with two young children). Successful other family members does help prompt DDs to use their abilities, and gives them confidence.
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No - this is one and only move with the military - his commitment will be up in 2 years, and although he was previously an officer, he went in enlisted to get the cyber security training. However, even with his credentialing (and further certifications) it may be some years before he may catch up to DD’s salary – but he can work for government with job location/stability. He has top secret clearance, and the building he will be working in has even higher security clearance checking on him. His housing allowance is the only way all of it made sense - but now he is on ‘his career’.
He was at another TX base and lived on base (training Sept - May) – I believe he had a shared bedroom and all meals like if he was in the barracks. Army questioned why his family didn’t move with him – but with her job and the childcare, that was answered to their satisfaction.
Our niece is Lt Col (Air Force), and she has had frequent moves, but with her rank, the moves have not been bad. They also still own several of their homes from prior locations - and rent them out. They are on base now as she is head of all base security. I believe she will go on and become a Col - there is a year of schooling and then at least 3 years after that – but she needs to be chosen to ‘continue’ otherwise she will be retiring. I believe she will know while at her current location – in another year or so.
Your daughter sounds amazing. Congratulations on the new grand baby.
Cyber security is very hot now for every company. I know my bank pays a lot of money for cyber security SMEs. Your SIL shouldn’t have any problem in getting a lucrative position.
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Kudos to your daughter. I grew up as a military brat. My mom didn’t work outside the home; very few military wives did back then. But if it’s just 2 years it will be over before you know it.
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Now that DD has her FT position in the new city, the 2 year commitment for SIL is fine.
Now that there are many more ‘work from home’ options, more military spouses can continue a career with military spouse moves.
So glad the family has a nice rented house, with the fenced back yard with plush grass. Much larger back yard area than they had in townhome they have been in over the past 2 years.
Will see them 2 more times before they move.
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