To quickly recap the last year:

-I ended up getting a job instead of going back to school full-time. The timing wasn’t right for me to go to school, so instead I’m going part-time while I work. I love my job.

-Long-time readers might remember all my kidney issues from my first pregnancy with Dublin. I had a CT scan in June, which revealed 22 stones, 17 of which in my bad kidney. I had surgery in August to have them removed. I’m now starting a low calcium oxalate diet in hopes of ridding myself of future stones. I have to give up diet Coke and chocolate, but I can eat all the bacon my heart desires. Just, not my literal heart. I’m sure it doesn’t desire clogged arteries.

-I’ve been reading like a mofo. For real. And I finally joined NetGalley so I get to read tons of ARCs. Free books!

-My kids have stayed awesome and have, against all my fervent wishes, started growing up. Proof:

-I’m really, really excited to be attending the Blathering this year.

-I started doing my nails earlier this year as a way to keep my hands busy instead of putting them in a big bowl of chips and shoving it all in my face. I’ll probably start posting tutorials soon, ensuring I’ll keep this updated!

-Because I’m staying at home, I’m trying to think of creative ways to save money. We seem to spend a fortune on groceries, so I started clipping coupons (I know). I ordered five Sunday subscriptions of our local paper and am planning on attending their monthly coupon class/exchange. I also subscribe to a few blogs, but I’m not a huge fan of printing coupons as I’ve had coupons rejected before. If you have any tips, I’d appreciate them!

-Dublin’s speech is delayed. I’ve mentioned this on twitter, especially over the summer when he was receiving speech therapy. He talks A LOT, but it’s not discernible English. He says “mah-jah-” for “please,” “mama” for “milk,” and “chocolate” is “c*ck.” It’s rather charming, actually. He says a few phrases, like “Oh my gosh!” and “I don’t know.” but he doesn’t use them appropriately (meaning, he doesn’t say “I don’t know” when he really, truly, doesn’t know). He has a large vocabulary, but he doesn’t put words together himself. It’s frustrating, because when he’s in distress, he’ll fling himself to the floor and throw a tantrum. I have no idea what to do to help him.

-Roman will be ONE! next month. I don’t know if we’re throwing him a party or even where. Where do you do a party for a baby in the winter? He is crawling, sitting, pulling up on his knees, but doesn’t have any inclination to walk or say anything other than “dada.”

-I’m thinking of doing a video blog. I know everyone calls it a vlog, but that words looks like something I’d fancy in an Ikea catalog. I’ve met a good handful of bloggers who likely remember what I sound like, but seeing as I grew up in Cali, Colorado, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire, and Vermont, I know I say a few things that sound strange. Like, for example, I don’t pronounce the “k” in “breakfast.” Yeah. Don’t hate. A VIDEO BLOG will likely be my next post, then.

A bit of an update is required, right?

Stephen came home nearly four weeks ago and spent exactly two weeks at home, driving me insane, before starting his new job, a job he loves very much. He gets to weld and build things like ramps and repair industrial vacuums and other things that boys tinker with. It’s great for him, because I think the kids started driving him a bit crazy after a few days of being home with them 24/7.

Really, it’s been an adjustment period for us ALL. Just the other day, I set the alarm on my iPod Touch to wake us up to the “Alarm” sound. Those of you who have iPod Touches or iPhones probably know what sound I’m talking about, right? Well, imagine my shock when, at 5:45, that particular alarm sounds and launches my husband off the bed. In Iraq, that sound is what they play to warn of incoming mortars. YEAH. Wife of the Year!

In some ways I’m surprised how well we’re doing now that Stephen is working again. It’s weird for him, after spending a year sharing a room with another dude and being responsible for himself, his soldiers and his HEMTT wrecker. No kids to play with, diaper, feed, bathe. No wife to tend to, no womanly feet to massage…you get what I’m saying, right? Stephen was, every day, in a situation where he needed to constantly be on alert, looking at the sides of the road for danger, aiming a M240 at suspicious vehicles as a way to intimidate them to back off. And the next week, he’s in charge of wiping thick white Desitin on a baby’s bottom? Basically a whole different world. But he’s doing really, really great. Fingers crossed!

The boys are loving having daddy home. Looooooving. Roman said his first word tonight (he’s a late talker, obviously) and it was…(dun dun dunnn)…DADA. Thanks, kid.

Let’s be honest. We are ALL loving having him home with us again.

My brother-in-law is the one holding the camera (and giving a little attitude to everyone else, ha!). You can hear Dublin saying “da-da-da” when Stephen is walking to the building. And, I hate the way my voice sounds on video! AH!

I forget that the world doesn’t revolve around me sometimes and that a lot of my loyal readers don’t follow me on twitter (do NOT blame you there, friends!), so I’m going to do a quick recap here, before I throw up a ton of “My husband came home from Iraq for two weeks and it was UH-MAZING!!!!!!!!!” posts, packed with photos and video.

So, to catch you up to speed:

• My husband came home, as just mentioned! For two weeks! It was pretty spectacular. Dublin couldn’t let Daddy out of his sight for the entire two weeks, even going so far as to sob (violently) whenever Stephen walked out the door, even for a moment. Post about those two weeks coming soon. I pinky swear.
• Backing up a LOT, I went to Virginia for two weeks to visit my best friend, Sona. We had an awesome, awesome time, right up until Roman had a horrifying apnea episode, landing us in the ER for eight hours. He’s okay, now, thankfully, but let me just say, seeing your child’s lips turn blue is the scariest thing EVER.
• I started school. I’m getting my certificate as a pharmacy technician and wow, you guys? Medicine is kind of intense. I’m sitting here with my Mosby’s Dictionary and Math Calculations for Pharmacy Technicians workbook and it’s hitting me that I kind of need to do actual math. Which I haven’t done in…seven years. Setting myself up for success, AM I RIGHT?
• Dublin, at 25 months, weighs 35lbs and is 37 inches long. That’s a big baby, you guys. And his pediatrician measured his head three times, finally admitting that his head circumference is 100th percentile. She doesn’t know any other child in her practice with that large of a head, for his age. WHAT?
• Roman was 4th percentile when he was born (six weeks early), but now? He’s nearly 80th for weight, 90th for height. That’s nuts! His head, like his brother’s, is also ridiculously large (99th percentile).
• What does this all mean? It means I am definitely done birthing children, because I did it twice, with no pain meds (on accident! I wanted them!), and large heads are not something I look forward to pushing out again.
• I recently sold a few photos to the National Geographic! A company that produces documentaries for the NG found some photos in my flickr stream they wanted, so they contacted me for use of the photos in print and in their video. I’m excited!
• This deployment is nearing its end. We have less than three months left in this, and I know we can do it, but damn, it is HARD.  Saying goodbye to my husband again on Wednesday was difficult, and I’m still struggling. This isn’t my husband’s first deployment, but compared to his last one, this is definitely much more difficult on him. His last deployment (18 months in Iraq, 2005-2006), he was essentially single. Iraq was a scarier place then, and that deployment really affected him, changed him. But going back, as a husband and father, has definitely taken its toll on him. My husband is far from an emotional man, but I could see the feeling in his eyes, sense his agitation at having to return to Iraq. It made it harder, at the airport, knowing I was sending him to a place he hates.
• I don’t drink coffee, never have. But every morning lately has me craving for something delicious and caffeinated. I’m too impatient to wait for tea to steep and hot cocoa costs me too many WW points. What to do?!

Anyway, that’s what’s up with me, in a nutshell. I’m hoping to upload our homecoming video to youtube to post here shortly, and to blog all about those two glorious weeks. For now, I have four weeks of school to catch up on. See what I mean about my success with school?!

Anyway, waking up at all hours means I’m consistently powering on my xbox to watch something on my Netflix instant queue. I’ve burned through Dexter, Veronica Mars, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, The Office and a few random movies thrown in.

This is where you come in (and I finally get to the point), I need new show recommendations. Even if they aren’t available for instant streaming (I do receive the discs, too). To give you an idea of what I like, my favorite shows are The Office, Dexter, and True Blood.

So, what say you, Internet friends?

1. Dior Dior Best in Show Mini Mascara Duo
I love DiorShow Blackout Mascara so, so much, but sometimes it’s a bit too dramatic for everyday wear. That’s where the original DiorShow comes in handy! These tubes are small, but I find they work perfectly, since mascara needs to be replaced every so often. This is far and away the best mascara I’ve ever had, you wouldn’t believe the difference it makes to your lashes! I bought it here.

2. Crystal Light On The Go Pure Fitness Strawberry Kiwi
First: NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS! Also, no artificial flavors or preservatives! Because of my kidney issues, I have to drink around 100 ounces of water every day and let me tell you – it gets OLD! But the Pure Fitness flavors really make it so easy. The flavors are all very refreshing and don’t have that strange after taste that a lot of aspartame-sweetened beverages tend to have. I buy it in bulk on Amazon because it’s not sold in our Vermont stores, at least not nearby.

3. MorningStar Farms Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers
Before I met Stephen, I had been a vegetarian for about eight years. I had tried a of MorningStar Farms products and really liked their chik patties. When I started Weight Watchers in January, I wanted something with protein for my breakfasts, so I didn’t load up on carbohydrates too much. I usually pair one of these patties with about a half cup of Egg Beaters, some salsa and a slice of Weight Watchers cheese – it’s SO filling and very, very yummy.

What are YOU loving?

I send care packages to Stephen about once a week. A lot of people have asked me what I typically include, so in the spirit of Valentines Day, I thought I’d do a post about the one I sent him a couple weeks ago (he should receive it tomorrow).

There’s Oreos (his favorite store-bought cookie), conversation hearts, some pocket knives, some black dress socks (they’re the comfiest socks) and some random dollar store toys.

A Maxim calendar, tactical gloves (far left), Arnie Palmer drink mixes (I send about 6 in every package), regular black crew socks, a Valentines card, photos of our boys, Ferrero Rocher, and a leather cuff.

There are a lot of restrictions on what can be sent to our soldiers overseas, in respect of the region’s religious beliefs. Pork or pork by-products, nude photos (Maxim is the most “pornographic” item that can be sent), political paraphernalia and any religious propaganda (no large quantity of Bibles, pamphlets, etc). I’ve sent dozens of cookies and now know the very best way to mail them, but when the packages take more than two weeks to arrive (yes, Priority Mail takes that long, or longer), cookies just aren’t as practical as good, old fashioned Oreos.

I ordered the cuff in January on etsy and love it so much, I’m thinking about ordering one for myself (with Stephen’s name in place of ours).

“Whitney, Dublin & Roman
Iraq 2010-2011
together forever, never apart. maybe in distance, but never at heart.”

And the card was hard to capture, but it vibrates and plays a tune when opened.

I know, I know. But honestly, the most important thing I can do for Stephen is keep his morale up, and sending semi-perverted Valentines Day cards is just one of the many ways to make him laugh.

(Completely unrelated, but how hysterical is Roman in that last photo?!)

I posted an update back in December, I think, about how this deployment was going and unfortunately, my formerly positive outlook is not so positive now. Stephen no longer has steady internet connection, internet we still pay WAY too much for. We haven’t video chatted in probably a month and we’ve spoken on the phone twice in the last few weeks. Email is a pain because Stephen gets so frustrated from losing his internet connection every couple minutes that he just gives up.

If you’ve been following my tweets at all, you’ll see that I’m having a hard time adjusting to having two babies. The past two days have been so difficult that I’ve indulged in more than one frustrated, private cry. Don’t get me wrong, I love my babies, OF COURSE I DO, but I had no idea how difficult it would be to care for a newborn and a nearly-two year old on just a couple hours of interrupted sleep. Roman sleeps about two hours at a time at night, awakening for at least an hour each time. I’ve tried – oh, have I EVER tried – to switch up his schedule, but he just won’t have it. And Dublin is naturally having trouble adjusting to not having 100% of my attention. I feel so guilty when I lose my patience with him, when I say, “Dublin, NO, that’s not a toy” a little too forcefully. When he cries, I cry, and usually Roman cries because he’s a newborn and that’s just what they do.

And? I’m dieting. I’m doing pretty good on this diet as far as losing weight goes, but I’m cranky and hungry and envious of my son’s meals. My SON’S meals! That’s how puny my meal portions are in comparison. I spend a lot of my free time browsing recipe websites, only to feel that clench of hunger in my belly, reminding me that basically all my favorite foods are off-limits (because I can’t even responsibly indulge in them – my mind does not see reasonable portions when I see a tray of nachos).

So I’m tired, feeling disconnected from my husband, feeling like a rotten mother and STARVING and so I’m venting this allllll here on my little space. I know, deep down, that I am a good mom. And I know that my husband and I have a strong foundation. But I also know I’m hungry, so that can’t be helped.

(I’m closing comments on this post because you all are amazing, and I know I have so much support here – no obligations on your part to say what you’ve said before.)

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I’m pretty sure I wanted to lose weight and since I went and got knocked up, I didn’t keep that resolution. This year, I’m determined to FINALLY lose the weight and regain my confidence. DETERMINED.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A lot of lovely internet friends did, but the closest person was probably my cousin, Crystal. She had a very scary delivery and nearly died after her uterus came out with the baby, but she’s doing great now.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Stephen’s great-grandfather, but I’d never met him so no.

5. What countries did you visit?
None. I’m a loser!

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you didn’t have in 2010?
A fitter body and more financial stability.

7. What dates from 2010 will be etched upon your memory, and why?
September 21st – When Steve “officially” deployed, November 7th – When Roman was born, and November 9th – When I said goodbye to Stephen, again.

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?
It’s a toss up between giving birth and dealing with Steve’s departure, especially since they both happened within 48 hours of one another. That was a really, really, hard week.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Finding and securing mature tenants.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had an e.coli infection in August that put me in the ER overnight, but other than that, nothing worse than a cold.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our laptops. I bought them when I cashed out an old retirement account from a previous job and wanted Stephen to have one with him overseas. They’ve really been amazing for us.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Roman’s. His triumph in the NICU was incredible.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My tenants’.

14. Where did most your money go?
Rent, groceries and travel (from Idaho to Vermont). I also spent a ton on formula ($500 during one month) and postage costs ($170 for December alone).

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to New Orleans to see Stephen on his four day pass. Go figure my water would break 5 hours before my flight was supposed to depart.

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
I know everyone hates Nickelback for some inexplicable reason, but their song “Far Away” really reminds me of 2010 and will remind me of 2011, too.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) both, same as last year b) same as last year c) richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Probably focus more on a number of things. Photography, my husband, freelance, etc.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stress. The first three and last five months of 2010 were loaded with stress and part of me still worries that all that stress caused Roman’s premature birth.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
We opened presents the night before with my in-laws (Steve’s dad, stepmom, and brother) and went next door to my FIL’s parents’ house for supper.

21. Did you fall in love with 2010?
Yes. I fall more in love every year with my family.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
DEXTER! Or the Office!

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I wouldn’t say hate, but I have a STRONG DISLIKE for this person.

24. What was the best book you read?
Water for Elephants, although it was also the only book I read.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I started listening to more Dropkick Murphys, but it wasn’t a discovery, necessarily.

26. What did you want and get?
After a few weeks in the NICU, my baby home with me.

27. What did you want and not get?
More quality time with Dublin. With the move and Roman’s premature birth…I just don’t feel like I had enough one-on-one time with him.

28. What was your favorite film of 2010?
I didn’t really go to the movies, except to see the Twilight Saga: Eclipse…so I don’t think that counts.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 24 and I spent it in my best friend Sona’s apartment, while she was on base in Quantico, working. I didn’t get internet or cell signal there, so it was a really quiet day. That night, she took me to a Hibatchi restaurant with two of her funny friends, so that was awesome.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I could say “having Stephen stay with us” but that would be too easy an answer. Not having to worry about money would have made my year SO MUCH EASIER.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2010?
I spent most of 2010 pregnant, but I didn’t wear maternity clothing. Empire waist tops ruled my world.

32. What kept you sane?
Hearing my husband’s voice. And my sons, even though they made me INsane as well.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gun legislation. I don’t bring politics onto my blog, however, so that’s all I will say about that.

34. Who did you miss?
Obviously, my husband. But I also missed all my friends in Idaho and my fellow Army wives.

35. Who was the best new person you met?
Jamie! I met her on Craigslist, as creepy as that sounds. And my friend, Sam, wife of Steve’s best friend in the Army.

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Missing someone gets easier every day because even though it’s one day further from the last time you saw each other, it’s one day closer to the next time you will.

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“Don’t worry ’bout a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right.”
- “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley