Our Christmas

My favorite GIFT

Today is my husband's 30th Birthday! Happy Birthday Josh! :)

Even though his knees and back will inevitably fail this year due to his age (ha ha) I am very lucky to get to spoil him on the anniversary of his birth! I'm making him a birthday cake, and I will not once tell him when he's had enough. He can eat as much of it as he wants tonight! :) Ha ha.

This is also a perfect moment to publicly thank Josh for being wonderful. I so enjoy life with him, he's an incredible blend of funny, goofy, humorous, professionalism, kindness, gentleness, and lots of manliness. I love watching him love others. Especially Renae. It's beautiful! And, he has never ceased taking care of me...in all my fun medical journeys I've brought to our relationship, he has made me feel loved, cared for, and a top priority in his life. I hope I can return the favor! I'm spoiled to be married to this man! :)

Love you Josh- Happy Birthday (from BOTH your girls!)

Can she get any sweeter?!

We're home!

We got home last night around 8:00pm. Our first night home was a little chaotic, but overall a success!

AND, here are some much anticipated pictures. Enjoy!

still here

Well, in case you were wondering, we didn't forget you! We are still at the hospital...waiting to be released. Renae lost too much weight the first two days for the pediatrician to be comfortable letting her go on Friday, so we've been feeding her every two hours and trying to make her gain some weight back! Last night we finally got a weigh in where she hadn't lost....she gained 10 grams. WHOOOHOO! So...now we're waiting till her 4:00 weigh in to see if she continues to go up. Then hopefully we can go home today. If not, then hopefully tomorrow. God is in control, so we know this is best for Renae. We have so many pictures we want to share with you, so when we get home, we'll put them up! Sorry for the delay! Pray for a big appetite! :)

Welcome to the World!!

Good morning!! Josh here. Well, it is official: Erin and I are the new parents of a beautiful and healthy baby girl!!

Name: Renae Abigail Barricklow
DOB: December 15, 2009 at 8:38am
Weight: 6 lb. 9 oz.
Length: 18 in.

Renae was not even thinking about turning over, so we went in expecting the c-section. Erin is doing well. Renae is doing well. I am loving being along for the ride. =)

Enjoy the pics!!!!!

Just Around the Corner!

Yesterday Josh and I went to see the movie The Blindside at the recommendation of our BIL Ryan. It was awesome! We now also highly recommend it. Very good.

Saturday also marked 37 weeks...which means we are within 48 of having our daughter! :) WHOO HOO! We are still on track for Tuesday morning, so stay tuned for updates and pictures!

Today is Ethan and Garrett's 2nd Birthday! :) Happy Birthday boys!!!

The Christmas Parade

Saturday we went to our community Christmas parade- it was super fun! And it was even winter-y weather! Mid-to-high 40s. :) I have a feeling we won't do too much better here in the South. I'm glad for all the blizzard pictures people have been posting on facebook, to help us remember what we're missing!

Here's some pictures of the parade!

The Army Band (well some of it) started the whole thing off. Sweet!

The Step Team (maybe that's what they're called, I don't know) from a local High School

Some of Josh's soldiers, 2 bike patrol guys and a cruiser...throwin out candy. :)

Awwww.

No parade is complete without this guy:

And Josh was THRILLED with this float. The Son's of the Confederate were dressed up as Civil War soldiers firing muskets and everything. :) Maybe the 'great great great great great grand daughters of the confederate' were the golf cart drivers.

9 Months!

Tomorrow marks 36 weeks. Woah. :) And since my magic number is 37...we're down to a week. WOAH!

I had my weekly appointment yesterday and as usual, baby is healthy, I'm doing great, and the baby is still breech. Come on girl....all you gotta do is flip around. The Doctor says she's either really stubborn, really comfortable, or smarter than us and won't turn around for some reason only she knows that is for her own good.

So this week we scheduled the date: December 15th. (Yeah Liz and Lyndsey- we'll add another birthday to the mix!) We'll go in, if she's still breech the Doctor will try a ECV (you can click on that for more info if you want). If that works, they will induce labor and see how I do. If it doesn't, C-section it is!

Quite the update! Josh usually gets to go with me to my appointments, but he had Equal Opportunity training yesterday...super fun huh. Kinda funny- well to me I guess. The Doctor thought it was, too. He just had to complete Hospital Compliance training online for the 27th time. (Required once a year). He says it's just like death. I sort of know what he's talking about because I had to do that working for St. Luke's. Yeah for online tests you have to pass.

The biggest thing we have going on happens tomorrow: The Huskers are playing Texas in the Big XII Championship Game! WHOO HOO!!!

So Much FUN!

35 weeks down, less than 2 to go! It's hard to really realize how quick this is coming up! We are getting more and more excited as the days pass, and now that it's December, the day is soon approaching! I have an appointment on Thursday where we should get our hospital visit scheduled and get all that information nailed down. !!!



On Sunday and Monday, we had guests from Ft. Leonard Wood! Our friends Tom and Robyn came to visit on their way through Georgia. We had so much fun catching up with them. After 27 years in the military, Tom retired (actually he is OFFICIALLY retired today!!) and he and Robyn joined Wycliff to be missionaries in Nigeria. They will be helping with Bible translation in their nearly 300 languages. WOW. It was so fun to hear how their transitioning is going and to see how excited they are to go! We felt super special to be included on their tour of SE. Being in the Army that long, you end up having people you know EVERYWHERE. Tom and Robyn are special to us, they really made our time at Ft. Leonard Wood so wonderful, we were sad to leave! I can't even wait to hear how God is going to use them in Africa and the all the crazy adventures they will have there.


Also, today is the best day to have a birthday ever! I might be biased, but Happy Birthday Martha!! And me! :) We're getting old.

Our First Thanksgiving

Hello everyone!! El Capitan here. Not much going on in Georgia these days...except that Erin and I will be PARENTS in like two weeks!! Woop woop! Yep, our little baby girl will be making her way into the world on or around December 14-16. This is old news for most of you, but I feel led to share it anyway...mostly because I am really excited about being a dad. And, with our new niece, Sydney, arriving on Wednesday morning, things are just that much more exciting!

I trust everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving yesterday...Erin and I sure did. We kicked the day off with an early morning rendevous to the Fort Gordon Provost Marshal's Office (basically, the police station) to serve up some breakfast for some of my Soldiers that had to work the 12-hour day shift on Thanksgiving. We arrived around 4:15am (OUCH!) with supplies and utensils in hand. We decided to go with pancakes, fresh fruit, and OJ. Pretty simple, yet highly effective. I put my skills to the test by attempting a Mickey Mouse pancake, as well as an MP pancake. Not bad, Pants, not bad.





It was our first Thanksgiving away from either family since we married in 2006. Knowing it was just the two of us, we had to make sure that we didn't prepare too much food. I think we did pretty well! Check out the pics...



Once Thanksgiving was officially over, we then shifted gears towards Christmas, and the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. AWESOME!!! So, we spent the better part of today re-arranging furniture, putting up the tree and other festive decor, and wrapping presents. Erin and I really love ornaments, so we tried to make it a point to really spice up our tree. Job Well Done is what I say! The tree topper is new for this year...Sweet, right!!?? I know. Behold, the Barricklow Family Christmas Tree...



To top off the day, our beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers walked out of Boulder with a win over the Colorado Buffaloes. Not the most beautiful win, but a win nonetheless. That, my friends, always goes down smooth. Now if we can only take care of those pesky Longhorns...

Sydney Paige Thomas has Arrived!!

On Wednesday November 25th at 1:45am Sydney Paige Thomas was born to Ryan and Martha Thomas. Everyone is healthy and resting! Sydney weighs in at 8 lbs and is 21 1/2 inches long! :)

Pictures to follow!

I do have to do a few disclaimers:

I do not know how they decided to spell her name, this may or may not be correct, I got this info via Josh via Ryan...so we are guessing. Don't take it to the bank till until further notified! :)

We are sooo excited for them!! SHE'S HERE!!!!

Martha's in the Hospital!!

Right now Marth and Ryan are sitting in the hospital room eating breakfast. :) She got to the hospital around 7 this morning and they began the induce-ing. Induction sounds like the hall of fame or something. ha ha. She's not being medicinally induced yet...they are trying other methods (due to the mixed audience I'll not explain further) so, they are waiting to see if in the next 4-6 hours she goes into labor by herself. If things are progressing nicely there are still a couple more things they can try before starting the all out induce-ing with pitocin like she had with the boys. Speaking of the big brothers, they are having a great time with Grandpa Joe this morning. :)

If you would like to know more of the events leading up to today, check out THIS

Check back later for more updated information!

Photo Update

Here's last week....week 33:



And, yesterday marked 34 weeks:




Only 3 more weeks left!

Also, check this out- one of my friends from Summer Project (Myrtle Beach 2004!!) makes diaper bags amongst many other things, and I have seen many of these diaper bags at different Army functions over the years so I knew that I wanted one. So I asked her if she could make me one out of Josh's old Iraq uni's and she went above and beyond all I described. I also like the fabric I picked out for the inside...super cute! Here's some pictures of what I can't wait to carry around with me...and neither can Josh! AND yes, we did THOROUGHLY launder these uniforms. They are sand and germ free. Albeit very worn, and carry a very slight odor that is familiar to all clothes worn in Iraq. I LOVE IT! Good job Lynsie!






Also: The Martha update: Nothing new to report, except the number 41 weeks. Yup, today is 41. Don't worry, if there is ANY news, I will post it ASAP!

Ode to my Niece

Little Niece Little Niece it's time to come out
Little Niece Little Niece come out and shout!
It's been over 10 long months that we've waited for you
If only, if only you'd make your debut!

It may seem scary, coming out in to the unknown,
Leaving your dark and warm house and letting your face be shown.
We promise to make you feel welcome and cozy,
Your Mommy and Daddy will hold you if on out you'll just mosey!

You have two 'big' brothers who are anxious to meet you,
To hug you and kiss you and make you smile and laugh, too.
They'll show you Buzz and Woody and all of their toys,
Daddy and Mommy can't wait to add you to a house full of boys!

There are many many others anxiously awaiting your arrival,
However, this overdue debut is threatening our survival!
Uncle Josh and Aunt Erin are so anxious to see your face,
Come out, come out, come out so we stop having to pace!

We jump at the phone, we call all the time,
Your parents are hospital ready at the drop of a dime.
Remind them in their frenzy, when you finally begin to arrive,
that the phone, a charger, and the laptop (with a webcam) HAVE TO make the drive.

We're sad to miss your opening act,
We'll return the favor soon, and that is a fact.
We pray you and your cousin will be extra close,
There's nothing like family and friendship to make of life, the most!

Maybe that's why you're waiting, how patient you are,
Waiting for your cousin to be born from afar.
Unfortunately, if you wait that long, Mommy (and I) will go crazy,
So get on your horse and come out, don't be lazy! :)

LOVE YOU!

SEC Football

Living out of the Midwest makes it hard for us to maintain our goal of attending a Nebraska football game every year, but we have been able to watch all but one so far this season so we are thankful!

My wonderful husband surprised me with tickets to a great SEC battle:

South Carolina vs. Florida

I am a Tim Tebow fan (I will not say I'm a Florida fan) because very few people in the spotlight can maintain their integrity and back up their faith week after week in high emotion situations. You know what I'm talking about. If I had a camera on me those moments when I'm extremely frustrated, angry, under pressure...etc. I would probably have MUCH apologizing to do. I am amazed at his ability to SHOW his faith. In the way he plays with intensity, yet with control to those ugly emotions that can come out in the blink of an eye. And, he's a great athlete. He's using the gifts and talents God has given him to be glorifying for God! I am a Tebow fan.

So Josh, knowing this, hooked us up with GREAT SEATS on Saturday. He's such a considerate man. He got Row 1 in the upper deck. Knowing, that if I had to stand the whole game my back would die. So, we were up high enough I could see the whole field, and I had no one in front of me. OH it was great.

However, one fly in the ointment. South Carolina ran a Wounded Warrior campaign leading up to and during the game. Fort Jackson is in Columbia, so for Veteran's day they did some really cool stuff for pre game and halftime. Now patriotic stuff, and soldier stuff gets me anyways...but add being pregnant...yeah I CRIED most of pregame, and nearly all of halftime. Oh my. Poor teenage boy sitting on my left.

Before the game they honored 3 Wounded Warrior soldiers (those wounded and in rehab), two that had amputated legs, one with no arm and brain damage. They made them honorary captains for the game and they represented SC for the coin toss and such. Of course when introduced to a standing ovation and an entire stadium full of grateful Americans it was pretty moving. The SC football team wore special jerseys with camo on the sleeves and camo shoes. They removed their last names from the back of the jerseys and instead put either INTEGRITY, HONOR, DUTY, SERVICE.

Then at half time, they played all the Armed Forces songs and asked those who had served or who are serving to stand up. They introduced 5 men from different wars who found themselves in incredibly difficult situations and survived. The man from WW2 was a Medal of Honor recipient. So all Armed Forces members in the stadium were at attention when he was on camera (that's a rule in the presence of the Medal of Honor). His story was outstanding. Here are pictures from all that:



Seriously though, the game was really fun, the atmosphere was great- the stadium was loud and the game was fairly close! We had a great time. :) SO MUCH FUN!

SCCC Graduation and an OCF Fairwell

Many of your have heard of FCA...well OCF is the Army Officer version of that. Officer Christian Fellowship. Josh and I love it, and through OCF have been able to plug in quickly and make friends! At Leonard Wood we had a great group, and here we've had a great one, too! I say HAD because everyone attending, except the host couple and Josh and I, graduated from the Signal Corp Captains Career Course last week. So, there went all our friends... :( BUT, that means that a new class will be starting soon, and hopefully new members for the study! Nothing better than knowing people all over the country!




I do have to mention that Matt (the one not smiling in either picture) is not accurately pictured. He is super goofy...and I'm quite surprised he isn't making silly faces in these pictures. Very strange that both these moments in time he was not smiling. But there you have it! More great friends- good luck Stokes and Bentons at Ft. Belvoir!

Another Project

Here's a idea that Martha gave me for the huge wall in our bedroom- it turned out awesome! And it was really fun to paint! :)

My Veteran

So today I had a special day with my favorite Veteran! We heard that Applebee's was offering free meals to Veterans today so we decided to go out for lunch. We knew it would be busy so we held off till 2pm. Sure enough we get there...PACKED. Applebee's is located near a movie theatre and the adjoining movie theatre parking lot had a LOT of overflow vehicles parked in it. WOW. So that was not going to work, we were hungry. Josh remembered that there's a pizza place (called the Pizza Joint) nearby that has 50% off on Wednesday for military. What luck- it's Wednesday! So we decided we would go there. Not free food, but close. :) So we get there, turns out 50% doesn't start till 5pm. It's 2:30 by now. We say, just forget it, we'll have pizza. It was super good! However it was full price. So now we've filled our out-to-eat quota for November. Probably not a bad thing.

So we headed home, passed the Applebee's again on the way back and what do you know 3:30...even more packed. DANG!

For supper we made one of Josh's favorite meals. Pancakes. I've included pictures. I'll let you guess who's is who's. Josh really likes making pancakes, if you can't tell! He's great at it, too. Very yummy! Side note: Josh is wearing the shirt the nurses gave him after my surgery last year. I got one, and he asked if he could have one, too. Sooo they found him one just big enough to be adult sized. ha ha ha. (It says, my operation was bearable at Children's Mercy Hospital.)




We had an excellent day together. One thing I love about the military getting time off on Federal holidays is that we get just a little bit of extra family time to make up for the reason he is a vet to begin with! God has given us so much to be thankful for, and I'm thankful to have insight into a lifestyle I never gave a second thought to before becoming an Army wife. I'm glad we have this day!

I'm proud of you honey! Thank you for following the Lord and serving Him and us all at the same time! I know there are many sacrifices and frustrations, but you handle it well and I'm so thankful to be YOUR wife! LOVE YOU!